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Always Say Gay
When the whole world is connected and you're supposed to be able to be your true and honest self, what do you do when you can't? In 2024 it's no longer taboo to be a member of the LGBT community, laws have passed allowing for same sex marriage, strides are being made for gender affirming care for gender nonconforming youths. So then why are gay suicide and trans murders happening at such an alarming rate across the county?
- Top Story - January 2024
A Queer Rebirth Has Come to Vocal
The past few months have really been about rebirth for me. There have been many firsts which hasn’t been easy, and it has been more than I would have expected for someone in their late twenties. But along with these first, I’ve been rediscovering and reclaiming my identity. And along with that, I’ve also been given opportunities to advocate and empower others. From my job as a teacher, to my own inner child work, there have been so many grateful opportunities for queer voices and stories to emerge.
Oneg In The ArcticPublished 3 months ago in Pride The Story of Masculinity and Femininity
When you walk into the store for shaving equipment, you’ll see something that has become so ubiquitous that it’s easy to ignore your natural curiosity and simply buy what you’re told will work. If you’re a man, you buy the blue, orange, black, and gray colored packaging. If you’re a woman, you buy the pastel, pink, and white colored packaging. You’ll take your new razors home, they’ll cut your hair perfectly fine, and you’ll move on to more important parts of your life.
Pride is Not A Controversial Community on Vocal
I have been sitting on this piece for a few days now, wondering if it needed to be written or if I would stir the pot. It turns out I can’t let the subject stay unaddressed.
J. Delaney-HowePublished 3 months ago in PrideBreakup heartbreak
This last year was to say the least a tough one. There was so much emotions I experienced love we one I thought anyway but heartbreak like no other. I had been talking to this guy for over a year prior and we had spent time together in the Las Vegas area. We met at a pool party and really always had a spark. Last year he decided to move to Colorado with me I was not out to anyone not even my family. He had confided in me that he would be there for me no matter what even when the time came to come out to my family. I loved him we traveled together lived together cooked together all things that seemed stable and loving. That is what I thought anyways until I seen that he could not stop hiding his phone and would not answer who he was taking to. I let that go and thought well that’s ok I trust him and love him. As time went on I knew something was not right. My best friend text me hey this is your boyfriend right . I looked at the text realizing it was my boyfriend he was messaging him asking him to hookup with him. I never felt so sad and hurt I asked him about it and he’s said no way I just have been hacked or something I said no way that’s how it works. Among all of this he had been drinking more and more and he would drink 4 bottles or more of wine each night. When he would drink he would get mean and the truth would come out. He would say your fat your not smart your not honest on and on about things to try and bring me down. Also another friend found out he had many social media pages that was let’s just say shocking. He promised he wanted to be monogamous but that was not the fact he was messaging well over a 1,000 guys a day and now that really hurt. I decided it was time for him to move out and he disagreed of course. At this time my mom and dad found out I was gay as he told them they quit talking to me as did all of my aunts uncles cousins, because in there eyes I was living life wrong. From not having his love to having lost my family’s love was the hardest struggle of my life. He finally asked me to help him move back to Vegas and I did so help with that. After all of this happens I realized one thing I’m wonderful and beautiful made , his words and actions can not change me for I am stronger. I can overcome this time and one day I know the right man will come along and truly love me . I hope this story helps someone know you are courageous and can overcome anything. I also have learned that by embracing who I really am is beautiful. For so many years I knew I was gay and that now it feels so good to just be me. If those who do not accept me for that then I do not need them to be there for my support. Loving yourself is one of the greatest feelings out there even after a heartbreak like I have experienced I can only grow from this day forward. Writing this also is wonderful to be able to share this experience with others in my community full of love and support for one another.
From Playboy To Scientology: VENUS VALLEY’s Feminist Finale(ish)
Happy new year, gentles and lady-men! If you’ve just arrived at this series, you’re a little late, but don’t worry - there’s plenty of rewriting and re-releasing of other chapters coming, and almost as many epilogues as The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King! You my dear queer reader have arrived almost at the end of my chapter-by-chapter release of my LGBTQIA+ centric philosophy chat book, in which queer life experience is the perfect example to introduce you to pretty much any and every facet of philosophy you can think of; in which you, my rainbow flag waving reader, are invited to debate discuss, question, contribute, so your inputs and insights can become my edits, until your views and voices are in its pages right alongside mine. Welcome, for almost the last time, queerly beloveds - in which I finally get around to talking about THE BIG BAD “F” - to VENUS VALLEY: Queer Philosophers’ Forum.
Mx. Stevie (or Stephen) ColePublished 4 months ago in PrideWelcoming a Happy New Year with Hope and Resilience"
As the clock strikes midnight and the echoes of "Auld Lang Syne" fill the air, the world collectively turns the page, bidding farewell to one chapter and eagerly anticipating the unwritten pages of a Happy New Year. In this kaleidoscope of time, we embark on a journey of reflection, renewal, and the boundless possibilities that come with the dawn of a fresh year.
Keith Haring: Innovative Art
Keith Herring, truly on artistic original. His work was a type of street art that no one sent him has done, and no one after him has done it either. One word that describes the artwork of Keith Haring is innovated an unprecedented. His works of art also socially conscious statements for example, Keith had contracted aids, and so in his artwork, he often did pieces that raise the awareness of the disease and for cure. Keith was also a publicly out of the closet, gay man, who, also in his work addressed issues important in the gay and lesbian communities.
RIKKI LA ROUGEPublished 4 months ago in PrideQueen James & Dr. John: ShakesQueer pt. 2 (a VENUS VALLEY chapter)
Info-dump chapter! I had a lot I wanted to say in the last chapter and a few different places I wanted to take it; but for those who want to know more, there’s plenty more to know - and like a good little philosophy blogger, telling you all about it can raise plenty more questions!
Mx. Stevie (or Stephen) ColePublished 4 months ago in PrideRuPaul‘s VH1 talkshow
in the late 1990s, iconic drag queen RuPaul had a talk show on VH1, and the show was really good. Roo was always joined on stage with her best friend and assistant Michelle visage. In my personal point of view, the RuPaul talk show was really a good and entertaining late night talk show to watch. Well, the show was on the air. Some notable guests that came to mind are Dennis Rodman, who RuPaul kissed on one episode. Other notable guests were the B-52, the late Olivia, Newton-John, and MDO – another incarnation of Menudo, these are the few that came to my mind initially. I have never forgotten the memorable moment on the show, when Dennis Rodman and RuPaul shared a kiss on the lips. RuPaul’s opinion of the kiss and Dennis’ lips were that it was “nice and juicy.”
RIKKI LA ROUGEPublished 4 months ago in PrideThe Timeless Lullaby: Unveiling the Serenity of "Silent Night"
In the hushed stillness of a winter's night, a timeless melody emerges, wrapping the world in a comforting embrace. "Silent Night," a lullaby transcending time and borders, carries with it the essence of serenity and the spirit of the holiday season. This article delves into the rich history, universal appeal, and the enduring magic that makes "Silent Night" an anthem of peace and tranquility.
kristine republicaPublished 5 months ago in PrideThe Topic of Gender-Affirming Care
Logical fallacies often tap into emotions to sway opinions. Fear-based fallacies, like the appeal to fear or the slippery slope fallacy, can create a sense of urgency or alarm by suggesting dire consequences if a particular action or viewpoint is not adopted. For example, in the context of gender-affirming care, an argument might falsely suggest that allowing such care for transgender youth will lead to irreversible harm or societal chaos, appealing to parental fears for their children's well-being.
K.M. DallasPublished 5 months ago in Pride