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.

Justice

The legal case for teachers defying anti-trans laws

OPINION: A petition calling on teachers to violate Saskatchewan’s anti-trans Parents’ Bill of Rights could help the cause of striking it down

By Charlotte Dalwood

Politics

Canadian Conservative ties to Hungary and Orbán are cause for concern

OPINION: The Danube Institute treated a group of Conservatives to a lavish trip, part of what could be a slippery ideological slope

By Dale Smith

Media

Elon Musk and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton are suing Media Matters. Here’s why queer and trans people should care

OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose

By Katelyn Burns

Dangerous Space

Why queer and trans people need to resist pinkwashing

OPINION: Israel’s genocidal campaign is no victory for LGBTQ+ rights

By Kai Cheng Thom

Sexual Health

As a social worker, Saskatchewan’s new sex-ed policy terrifies me

OPINION: As an experienced sex educator and social worker, I know how challenging Saskatchewan’s new approach will be

By Natalya Mason

Politics

Alberta UCP shows how empowered the fringe right has become

OPINION: We need to organize so that fringe players and ideas don’t remain part of mainstream politics

By Dale Smith

Trans Health

The ex-gay movement crawled so the detransition movement could run

OPINION: We’ve been here before. And history shows what might happen next

By Katelyn Burns

Dangerous Space

Trans kids are people, not property

OPINION: Conservative politicians across Canada have signalled their support for so-called “parental rights.” But children and youth have rights of their own

By Kai Cheng Thom

Politics

Attacks on sex-ed may be more subtle than pronoun policies, but are just as dangerous

OPINION: Both parts of Saskatchewan’s new regulations are a threat to kids’ agency

By Dale Smith

Politics

What U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson’s appointment means for LGBTQ2S+ people

OPINION: The Republican, who once tried to introduce a national “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” should worry all queer and trans Americans

By Katelyn Burns

Music

A love letter to MUNA’s Sapphic pop joy

“Bands like MUNA are a breath of fresh air”

By Dani Janae

Politics

By protecting himself from being sued over his pronoun policy, Scott Moe is telling on himself

OPINION: The details of Saskatchewan’s forced-through pronoun legislation show how it’s all about politics—not protecting kids

By Dale Smith

Sports

By banning Pride Tape and theme nights, the NHL refuses to do the bare minimum

OPINION: By ceding so much ground to a small minority of players, the NHL shows where its true priorities lie

By Katelyn Burns

Politics

How exactly is Canada helping Ukraine’s queer and trans communities?

OPINION: Canadians should be getting clearer answers from officials on aid efforts

By Dale Smith

Identity

Sufjan Stevens and the complexity of coming out

OPINION: Reaction to Stevens’s tragic tribute to his late partner shows the nuance of queer life in the spotlight

By Mel Woods

Mental Health

It’s okay to take a break from the anti-trans news cycle

OPINION: Covering rising anti-trans hatred left me burnt out and incapacitated. Taking a break made me feel guilty, but I learned no movement can stay sustainable without rest

By Katelyn Burns

TV & Film

‘Sex Education’ didn’t quite get queer Christianity right

OPINION: As a queer Nigerian, I was looking forward to Eric Effiong’s storyline—but its lack of nuance left me wanting more

By Chisom Peter Job

Politics

The 1 Million March shows how one minority can unite all haters

OPINION: This latest example of a moral panic pits minorities against each other

By Dale Smith