Culture

A photo of James Baldwin, a Black man. Baldwin smiles and looks to the right of the camera.

7 Books by Queer Black Writers to Read in Honor of James Baldwin’s Birthday

by Rachel Charlene Lewis

August 2, 2019 at 3:55pm

Today, more LGBTQ Black authors are carving out the space that James Baldwin helped craft. Read more »

A photo of Tuca, a toucan, and Bertie, a small bird, who are animated characters on Tuca & Bertie.

A Heartbreaking Loss: “Tuca & Bertie” Gave Trauma Survivors a Road Map for Healing

by Mary Retta

August 2, 2019 at 2:02pm

While Tuca & Bertiei s light and comical, featuring meat drawers, edible grandmas, and runaway boobs, it’s ultimately an ode to female friendship, healing, and survival. Read more »

A photo of Max from The L Word, a white person with brown hair and blue eyes. Max looks into the camera.

Missing the Mark: Where Are the Trans Women on “The L Word” Reboot?

by Mey Rude

August 1, 2019 at 9:39am

We need the most mainstream lesbian show in the world to actively normalize trans lesbians. Read more »

Gina Rodriguez, a Latinx woman with dark brown hair, stares at some standing in the doorway on Jane the Virgin

Pure Heart: How “Jane the Virgin” Turned Empathy into Power

by Mallika Khanna

July 31, 2019 at 12:07pm

Resistance onscreen can be as simple as giving space to characters who aren’t normally visible. Read more »

A photo from Beyoncé's "Spirit" music video. A large group of Black men wear pink outfits and olive-colored durags in the desert.

How We Adorn Ourselves: Jailyn Poindexter on Making 20 Durags for Beyoncé’s ”Spirit” Video

by Brooklyn White

July 31, 2019 at 10:44am

How we as Black people adorn ourselves is valid, as shown in the “Spirit” video. Read more »

a white woman with blood all around her mouth stands in front of a father and his child in Darlin

Eat or Be Eaten: Pollyanna McIntosh Brings Barbarism to Her Directorial Debut

by Beatrice Loayza

July 30, 2019 at 11:54am

Percentage-wise there’s more women watching horror than men, so it’s about time that there are more female voices. Read more »

A meme created by @atmfiend about having a crush

The Vanilla Internet: How Instagram Is Failing Queer Sex Workers

by Erin Taylor

July 30, 2019 at 7:40am

Following FOSTA-SESTA, Instagram has increased its censorship of content that can be perceived as related to sex work—with at times devastating effects on digital queer sex worker communities. Read more »

A photo of artist Sizzy Rocket, a white woman with dark hair and many tattoos. Sizzy sits on a bed and is pouting.

Take It or Leave It: Sizzy Rocket on Creating Pop Music Just for Queer Women

by Rachel Charlene Lewis

July 26, 2019 at 4:34pm

“Younger queer artists definitely inspire me every day to just be truer to myself. Because I didn’t have that example.” Read more »

Samira Wiley and Uzo Aduba, two Black women, in Orange is the New Black. They both wear prison uniforms and are holding hands.

From Representation to Tragedy Porn: Did “OITNB” Fail Its Marginalized Viewers?

by Rachel Charlene Lewis

July 26, 2019 at 3:10pm

Did Orange is the New Black accurately represent marginalized people, or simply expose them to pain via tragedy porn? Read more »

A photo of Officer Anthony Johnson (@ohnoitsdapopo) on TikTok. He is dancing in front of his cop car while in uniform.

Social Media as Image Management: How Cops Are Using TikTok to Distract from Police Brutality

by Lillian Kalish

July 26, 2019 at 12:20pm

While in full gear, an officer tells TikTok users that he’s their new dad, he’ll tuck them into bed, and he’ll and let them stay up late playing video games. Read more »