Comedy

Intergalactic beauty Juno Birch’s advice for mere mortals

“Delusion is the key to confidence,” says the trans drag alien probing North Americans, er, North America this summer

By Russ Martin

Politics

Is it time to kick politicians out of Pride?

Tracking the decades-long hot-and-cold relationship between elected officials and Pride festivals

By Kevin Hurren

Music

Distance makes the music grow stronger for bicoastal duo Bestfriend

The band’s sophomore EP, “places i’ve left,” tucks our confusing world into a hazy, bedroom alt-pop soundtrack

By Jordan Currie

Queer Culture Catch-Up

Music by Lynnee Breedlove and Juba Kalamka, a Charlie Jane Anders trilogy, queer Brit hobby groups and Kit Yan, Melissa Li and Michael R. Jackson in NYC

This week’s gay enticements to engage in queer culture

By S. Bear Bergman

Art & Photography

Archive of intimacies: the photography of Wolfgang Tillmans

You might know his work via Frank Ocean, Douglas Stuart or Kate Moss, but Tillmans’ first major Canadian exhibition is a study in connection

By Owen Torrey

Activism

As anti-drag protests rage, counter-protest is a key part of queer activism

Want to protest anti-drag demonstrators? Learn about the history, risks and art of counter-protesting

By Charlotte Dalwood

Sports

The rise of queer athletes in women’s college gymnastics

Once one of the most conservative women’s sports, NCAA gymnastics has gone all in on queer representation

By SF Boswell

Activism

In the U.K., queer and trans self-defence classes are growing in popularity

U.K. transphobia is so severe that the country is known as “TERF Island.” In response, queer and trans fighters are teaching their communities to protect themselves and each other

By Jake Hall

Culture

Midnight in Ni-Chome: Japan’s post-pandemic drag performance scene

Queerness, whether on stage or off, plays differently in Japan

By Alex Ehrenreich

History

A pioneering Canadian trans woman is being commemorated with a plaque in her hometown

Dianna Boileau’s life is being celebrated in the small northwestern community of Fort Frances

By Silas Le Blanc

Health

Why is British Columbia gatekeeping injectable HIV medication?

British Columbia—Canada’s epicentre for HIV research and treatment—falls behind other provinces when it comes to injectables, say advocates

By Kevin Hurren

Activism

Trans protesters in Washington, D.C. on why they marched for Trans Day of Visibility

Protesting hate, demanding federal protections and searching for something more intimate—hope

By Alina Kim

TV & Film

Meet the filmmakers putting trans people in front of the camera and behind it

The Trans Film Mentorship partners emerging trans film workers with productions like “Sort Of” for paid work experience on set

By Mel Woods

Politics

How Republican lawmakers are using custody threats to eliminate gender-affirming care for trans kids

Parents call their experience “traumatizing”

By Catherine Caruso

Trans Health

Canada’s testosterone shortages are ongoing—and trans people still aren’t getting answers

With little information or support available, trans people who use testosterone are left to advocate for themselves

By Claire Forth

TV & Film

With ‘SAP,’ Mae Martin looks for life’s little joys

The comedian discusses their new Netflix special, walking the red carpet with Elliot Page and recording a music album

By Mel Woods

Sexual Health

Canadian cities aren’t taking the necessary steps to end the HIV epidemic, advocates say

From Montreal to Vancouver, an over reliance on policing and other policy failures are top concerns

By Abigail Popple

Identity

The making of a detransitioner

Elisa Rae Shupe was a weapon in the hands of TERFs and Christian conservatives. Now, over 2,600 pages of leaked emails help tell her story

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle