It’s very different from my experiences growing up moderately religious in the South. It took away the shame and self-blame. In heteronormative, vanilla sex, there are too many unspoken expectations, too many assumptions about what’s going to happen, that some people just begin following the script without any sort of communication. This, I believe, leads to situations like what 17-year-old me experienced, where I left thinking I had led someone on and realized years later that I was actually assaulted. I don’t know if he knows this though.

While the play had a lot of workshopping to do, its commentary was important. It gave a wide representation of LGBTQ+ lives and showed the isolation felt beneath the weight of conservative cultures throughout the world. It also showed the resilience of Queer communities in the face of oppression and brought the conflicts in the Middle East centerstage, demanding viewers to remember them. 

It is refreshing to have a press dedicated to queer stories. It is even better that these stories are so accessible. Many of Northwest Press' offerings are available digitally for download as well as in traditional paper and hardback. The price of each is much more affordable than the latest from the big publishers as well as in a beautiful package. There is something for everyone at Northwest Press, and as it says on much of their wonderful merch: Comics are for everyone. 

When asked to attend the 2^nd annual Seattle Fetish Ball and write about it, I only had one question at first: What do you even wear to fetish balls? I’m the type of person that needs to look at menus, check parking, and figure out how long a walk from place to place is. I like being informed, but mostly I have a fear of being or looking out of place. Luckily, they had guidelines. Fetish wear required, it was clearly intended to be a safe space for the fetish/kink/alternative communities.

When I brought the idea of beginning a new series to my managing editor, I had the intention to create an informative column. I would look at the news and digest it as best I could, making a one-stop place for Trans News. But, as I’ve said, the news is changing rapidly, court decisions are made every day, and new propositions and bills are entering the floors of city, state, and federal chambers at breakneck speeds. There’s too much to break down and others work tirelessly to update the community on a national scale, so I’ve shifted the focus of our column to advice, local news, and uplifting stories for Trans, Nonbinary, and Gender Non-Conforming people in the Puget Sound region.

The barkeep opened a side door and waved them in. There, in the gilded haze of flame-lit lamps, artists gathered. Poets, painters, sculptors, musicians, dancers. Artists of all sorts came to the garden to talk, create, and workshop. It was a safe place for unfettered expression. One of the last of its kind.

A Millennium Reflection, which was foraged from a multitude of Seattle poets and photographers, brings people together for a common cause and common love. Published in 1999, it is a love letter from its residents to their city. The collection, a celestial tribute, deeply reflects on the beauty and resilience of Seattle alongside where it started, how far it has come, and where it still plans to go. Through poems and photographs, the city of Seattle is brought to life again.

In the second month of 2023, I started taking testosterone injections once a week. There had been several years of hand-wringing and self-doubt up to that point. Was this the right decision? What if I regretted it (although few actually do)? What if I drowned in ass hair? 

Let’s be blatantly clear. Queerness isn’t going anywhere.

With Trump taking back office at the end of January, I am just a single drop in the queer sea of confusion, disdain, and fear. Through this trying time, I wanted to gather my thoughts, process them, and share my story of how I got here and where I plan to go.

That date, three days before my 28th birthday, is when the US Supreme Court handed down the decision in Obergefell v. Hodges that ensured same-sex couples the right to marry. I remember crying as I read the news and saw the videos. I was so ebullient in fact that I took to Facebook, started a post with a link to the news story and wrote out, "Now that I can marry anyone I want, I should get going on this whole dating thing," and clicked Post.

I started taking testosterone in February of 2024, a decision made after years of teetering back and forth between comfort and safety. I wanted to be seen as myself. I wanted to look in the mirror and recognize the person who was looking back at me. But I also didn’t want the inherent danger that came with being trans in public—not the flaunting of my identity, but just the mere fact of my existence in the eyes of others. I didn’t decide it lightly.

Playland gives us one last night in Boston’s oldest and most infamous gay bar, featuring the ghosts who, even in life, haunted this place. Whimsical and bittersweet, Georden West’s film pays tribute to one of the oldest gay bars in the country: the Playland Cafe, previously located in the so-called Combat Zone in Boston, the city’s adult entertainment district. The cast of characters includes bar flies, performers, servers, and all manner of debauches and renegades.

Ani DiFranco, folk singer and founder of Righteous Babe Records, is returning to Seattle, February 1, 2025, to the Moore Theater. In the spirit of her visit, I wanted to select a poem from her poetry collection Verses, published in 2007, which tackles “the tough issues at hand” while “her personal-is-political viewpoint is more relevant than ever”. The collection looks at the importance of art and poetry and how they can be powerful tools in rhetoric when entering political spheres.

Roller derby is a sport built on grit, strength, and feminism. These qualities distinguish it from most mainstream sports, which are dominated by men athletes and administrators. Even where women’s leagues exist, the structures that support them are often still dictated by men-dominated decision-making. Roller derby stands out because its foundation has been shaped by women. It is one of the few sports where women aren’t just participants, but are the driving force behind every aspect of the game.

And Seattle happens to be home to one of the most coveted LGBTQ+ places: the city’s first, and only, lesbian bar—The Wildrose. Located in Capitol Hill, Wildrose opened on New Year’s Eve in 1984 and still remains open today. I had the pleasure of speaking with one of the owners, Martha Manning. We delved into topics ranging from troubles staying open during COVID to what the Wildrose means to lesbians today.

Whether banning or restricting gender-affirming care for transgender minors and adults, banning or restricting transgender people from using public restrooms that align with their gender identity, or stopping trans athletes from joining sports teams, transgender youth and adults are facing an uphill battle to equal rights. Now, post-election, the possibility of facing more anti-trans legislation under the Trump administration has become a very real threat to transgender individuals all over the country. 

Seattle’s Trans and Nonbinary Choral Ensemble (STANCE) was back again for Trans Day of Remembrance (November 20, 2024), offering a touching choir experience and space to remember those in the trans and nonbinary community who have been lost. In “The Power of Me,” STANCE honored the trans community with gorgeous choral arrangements, touching stories, and powerful words of resistance, healing, and power. 

Shelly’s Leg (1973-1977) was Seattle’s first openly gay bar and safe space for the LGBTQ+ community. The popular nightclub got its start in a rather unique way. Shelly Bauman, the founder of Shelly’s Leg, lost her left leg in a parade accident in the early ‘70s. She used the money from her settlement to open the nightclub in 1973. Bauman chose to create something that was groundbreaking for its time. Her decision to open the club was about more than just business; it was about creating a community.

Music is one of the ways in which we can bridge gaps between different communities, cultures, and peoples. Choir especially is a building block to creating wonderful community. Singing can be a vulnerable but rewarding experience, and sharing it with others is a great way to build confidence and bond with the people around you. Singing in an ensemble is the coming together of individual voices to create something whole, to bring a solo piece into a harmonic movement.

The film asks us to remember the early days of isolation in the COVID-19 pandemic, to recall times when we felt particularly isolated from our communities. One particularly poignant section of the film asks us to consider, in those early days, what it felt like to try and hold someone from afar, to try to build connection when physically coming together and sharing space was impossible.