Identity
The Life and Death of Nex Benedict
Note: Nex's friends have stated that Nex was transmasculine and used he/him and they/them pronouns interchangeably. Throughout this article, I will be using he/they pronouns to refer to Nex.
ghostsandrebelsPublished 2 months ago in PrideEverything You Need to Know About Giolì & Assia, The Power Couple Taking the Music Industry By Storm
Giolì & Assia are two Italian multi-instrumentalists, singer-songwriters, DJs, record label owners, videographers, artistic directors, editors, graphic designers, and performers who are “in complete control of their creative world.”
sleepy draftsPublished 2 months ago in PrideLove and Other Nonsenses.
Funny really what inspires you. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about sexuality and labels and where I fit into life’s spectrums. Not that it matters much – the language I mean- at the wrong side of forty there’s not really ever been a definition for me of who or what I am and so largely I’ve just lived my life, minding my own business and expecting others to mind theirs. To be fair, I think that’s an entirely reasonable expectation of people.
Celia in UnderlandPublished 2 months ago in Pride- Top Story - March 2024
I am no different to them
With the brutal and violent deaths of two 16-year-old's Nex Benedict (they/them) and Brianna Ghey (she/her), one year apart, and nothing but an ocean dividing them. Nex Benedict was attacked in a bathroom of their school, they weren't attacked because of an argument they were attacked and sustained injuries that killed them over their choice to be themselves. Brianna Ghey, another 16 year old, was stabbed over 20 times to death, again, not because of an argument, not over gang affiliations or anything like that, she was killed over her decision to be who she was.
Quaker-nomicsPublished 2 months ago in Pride - Top Story - February 2024
The two interior designers
I was around six years old when I realized I was queer. I haven’t entirely grasped the concept yet, but I knew I was different in some way. That terrified me. I can remember, clear as day, my lamentations about whether I can hide it or fix it somehow. The guilt was suffocating, my little heart racing with anxiety and paranoia because I was mortified over the prospect of anyone finding out. I was stuck and isolated with no one to confide in. I’m sure you’ve heard this exact story a million times before and I’m not here just to garner sympathy with it. What I want to talk about is a turning point in my process of growing up and it all started with two interior designers we hired to refurnish our apartment.
Glass ShardsPublished 2 months ago in Pride My First PRIDE Parade
(This piece is for the unofficial challenge in Queer Vocal Voices. The prompt is "What Does Pride Mean To You".) I didn’t know what to expect at the first PRIDE parade I went to. The gay community where I live is…challenging for a lack of a better term. (I will save that story for another time.) Being just out of the closet, I had no idea what the point of the parade was. Until I did some research into why we have pride parades. That is when I learned of the Stonewall riots, and the first parade the year following the riots.
J. Delaney-HowePublished 2 months ago in PrideAre you selfish ?
In the kitchen at a companion's party, you're amidst a significant moral problem. Popular logicians murmur guidance in your ear.
Bhavana gowdaPublished 2 months ago in PrideSeries Review of, "Feel Good"
Back in 2023, I tried writing this article. Only, when I published it I didn't think of how the title and the cover photo would look together and well...
sleepy draftsPublished 2 months ago in Pride- Top Story - February 2024
Horror of Queerness
Pride was for other people when I was younger. Living in the Midwest didn’t really give me a lot of insight into what queerness is. Despite having a bisexual mother and trans neighbor I had no honest idea what it was. There were a ton of examples of it growing up. Both problematic and I suppose as unproblematic as they could be at that time.
Raphael FontenellePublished 2 months ago in Pride What's Inside
There are many kinds of power, used and unused, acknowledged or otherwise. The erotic is a resource within each of us that lies in a deeply female and spiritual plane, firmly rooted in the power of our unexpressed or unrecognized feeling.
A Cake Too Beautiful
Have you ever seen a cake so immaculately decorated, you didn’t want to cut into it? Sometimes that’s how I feel about love. The idea of it can be too beautiful to actually dive in. I think that’s especially true of dating apps. Sometimes I like just knowing I COULD match, or simply knowing someone else wants to match with me. It’s the idea of being wanted. But that’s not love, because love requires that initial step of bravery, the ability to trust another person with my vulnerability. But first and more importantly, it’s about loving myself. Because if I don’t love myself, I can’t fully and truly love someone else. And that desire to be wanted would only be a reflection of my own insecurity and fear that I’m not worth loving. So it then becomes easier to say no than to say goodbye.
The Capybara Chronicles
In the heart of the Amazon rainforest, there exists a creature known for its gentle nature, its sociable disposition, and its ability to thrive in harmony with its surroundings. This creature is the capybara, the largest rodent in the world, and it is a fitting symbol for the life of Mia.