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Xtra is an online magazine and community platform covering LGBTQ2S+ culture, politics and health. We aim to break boundaries, think outside of binaries and build bridges within our communities and beyond.

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Michael Lyons

Michael Lyons is a queer-identified, chaotic neutral writer, activist, misanthrope, sapiosexual, and feline enthusiast. He is a columnist, blogger and regular contributor with Xtra and has contributed to Plenitude Magazine, KAPSULA Magazine, Crew Magazine, Memory Insufficient e-zine, The Ryersonian, Buddies Theatre blog, Toronto Is Awesome blog and Fab Magazine and more.

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Why queer history is a radical act of remembering
History

Why queer history is a radical act of remembering

Queer history has never been a straight line. It’s haphazard, it’s lost annotations and stories passed down through the ages

November 28, 2017
Revisiting the curious case of Dr James Barry
History

Revisiting the curious case of Dr James Barry

Barry’s gender has been questioned for decades. But history is as much about fact as it is interpretation

September 19, 2017
The titillating narrative of sex work and lesbianism in the Roman Empire
History

The titillating narrative of sex work and lesbianism in the Roman Empire

Lucan’s dialogues about same-sex female love were telling, but its characters still didn’t get happy endings

July 19, 2017
Sergius and Bacchus, the queer saints
Opinion

Sergius and Bacchus, the queer saints

Whether fiction or a somewhat true story passed down through time, these saints are gay icons

June 7, 2017
The black, gay man who could have been the US vice-president
Opinion

The black, gay man who could have been the US vice-president

Mel Boozer advocated for the rights of gay and lesbian civilians, soldiers and Holocaust survivors

May 2, 2017
Same-sex love in the saddle: the homosexual world of the American frontier
Opinion

Same-sex love in the saddle: the homosexual world of the American frontier

Men in the 19th-century frontier had wild dances, found love and took part in bachelor marriages

April 4, 2017
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Ruth Ellis created space for gay and lesbian African Americans in the 1940–1960s
Opinion

Ruth Ellis created space for gay and lesbian African Americans in the 1940–1960s

She was a queer black woman whose life spanned three centuries of living proud and helping others do the same

March 7, 2017
Sherlock Holmes, homosexual detective
History

Sherlock Holmes, homosexual detective

The author of the beloved fictional private detective drew inspiration from Oscar Wilde and Edgar Allan Poe

February 21, 2017
Mary Jones, patron saint of the scam
Opinion

Mary Jones, patron saint of the scam

Jones was a black, cross-dressing sex worker who sure did love to pickpocket white men

February 7, 2017
How same-sex samurai stories made gay love beautiful in Japan
Opinion

How same-sex samurai stories made gay love beautiful in Japan

Ihara Saikaku’s book of short stories celebrated male relationships in the 17th century

January 3, 2017
How a homophobic 20th-century book conjured up the ghosts of Paris’ queer past
Opinion

How a homophobic 20th-century book conjured up the ghosts of Paris’ queer past

From parties, decadence and resistance, Le Troisième Sexe is a valuable if unintentional glimpse into gay nightlife

December 6, 2016
The Punjabi poet-saint who wouldn’t conform
Opinion

The Punjabi poet-saint who wouldn’t conform

Sufi poet Shah Hussain led an unconventional life, both as a religious man and a lover

November 8, 2016
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A gay werewolf tale from the 12th century
Opinion

A gay werewolf tale from the 12th century

The king gets laid by a furry guy in a romantic tale by Marie de France

October 4, 2016
A dirty tale from Japan’s Book of Acolytes
Opinion

A dirty tale from Japan’s Book of Acolytes

Chuta and the acolyte’s ass

September 6, 2016
Uncivil ceremony: Judy Virago gets hitched
Arts

Uncivil ceremony: Judy Virago gets hitched

An invitation to a House of Filth wedding at the Beaver

August 16, 2016
How one homosexual couple helped shape Athenian democracy
Opinion

How one homosexual couple helped shape Athenian democracy

The tyrannicidal lovers of Athens

August 2, 2016
Warrior women of West Africa
Opinion

Warrior women of West Africa

The unique gender identity of the Mino, Dahomey’s all-female soldier corps

July 5, 2016
How bellhops and newsboys turned tricks in old Toronto
Opinion

How bellhops and newsboys turned tricks in old Toronto

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times . . .

June 7, 2016
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