Despite New York’s progressive reputation, it ranks among the top states for anti-trans violence. What are the factors that contribute to the plight of trans New Yorkers?

Even if it’s not overnight, New York does have the money and economy to bankroll a $Free.99 MTA. If New York were a country, it’d have the 11th biggest economy worldwide, between Canada and South Korea. If much smaller cities like Tallinn, Estonia, Kansas City, USA, Dunkirk, France and Luxembourg have rolled out free public transit using taxes and subsidies, then NYC can too.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I spent my adolescence trying to be a boy. I wasn’t very good at it, but I tried really, really hard. I didn’t wear bright colors, I didn’t listen to pop music, I didn’t even style my hair until I was 17. I certainly wasn’t the kind of person to dress in drag. And yet I was. And yet I did. Because when I was 16 I won a drag show in Florence.

Bushwork — work done in the backcountry, often off-grid — offers a kind of freedom difficult to find in modern life. It is also a culture steeped in toxic masculinity in which queer women do not have a place.

As a perfectionist, I’ll always be more comfortable sharing my shiny conclusions than my messy processes. And the best thing about climbing, for me, is that it’s pure process.

A teen dyke wanders around the country in the early 2000’s, armed with an Ameripass and a journal.

“I used to lie about my age to get deals off the kids’ menu. Like, why would we pay an extra five dollars when we all know I’m about to get chicken tenders and it’s only an appetizer if I’m over twelve??”

It’s not gonna happen, buddy.

“Amazingly, neither the training bra nor my actual boobs magically solved my very typical and very sad self-image issues.”

“I’m adult and I’ve never cried over a haircut before and I don’t usually call my mom when I’m sad or frustrated or mad. She asked to see a photo of it. I sent her one and she asked me if the man hated queers, because this was clearly a hate crime.”

Capitalism! So neat!

Shane McCutcheon self-sabotages, Emily Fields co-depends, Cheryl Blossom is scared to commit — and a team of real live functional adult queer women are here to help.

“Life is hard enough, let me have this.”

What types of relationship situations or people are you often drawn to even though you know they’re bad for you and will destroy you?

“My armor was a smile, Santana’s was an insult. And bless her for it.”

“I like to think I’ve put my talking-back skills to great use as an adult who enjoys proving points and getting the last word and being right.”

And so we talked all night about the rest of our lives…

“I think I’m willing to do this because I’m constantly aware that death awaits us all and I’m more inclined to want to heighten an experience if I can.”

Our QTPOC besties are vital to our existence so we wanted to create a list filled with our stories to celebrate just how magical they are.