Books

First Lady Nancy Reagan befriended gay men, then betrayed them

The legacy of the Reagan presidency’s callous handling of the early HIV/AIDS crisis still haunts us today

By Daniel Sanchez Torres

Drag Race

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6’ Episode 4 power ranking: Most valuable queens

A big jump in the rankings for one competitor is the Rudemption some fans were hoping for

By Kevin O’Keeffe

Drag Race

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 6’ Episode 4 recap: Let’s play some football

The “Big Game” makes for a fine Rusical—and a disappointing elimination

By Kevin O’Keeffe

Dispatch

After a year in isolation, returning to Pride was an exercise in finding joy

L.A.-based writer Jon Higgins reflects on Pride Day at Universal Studios, and the thrill of being surrounded by community again

By Jon Higgins

Politics

All parties get to wear the failure to ban conversion therapy in Canada

Bill C-6, which would have prohibited the harmful practice on a national level, did not pass through the Senate—and there’s plenty of blame to share across party lines

By Dale Smith

Queer Culture Catch-Up

From the ultimate James Baldwin playlist to a juicy plus-sized cabaret

Our recommendations for what’s up and what’s on, beginning July 1

By S. Bear Bergman

Xtra Weekly

Topline: When will our bodies release the pandemic stress?

As public spaces reopen, I’m learning to manage the anxiety caused by COVID-19

By Lito Howse

That’s the Way It Is

We still can’t tell if Céline Dion is a child prodigy made good or a heartless robot bent on world domination

One thing’s for sure: after 40 years in showbiz, the beloved Quebec chanteuse has never figured out how to be cool

By Thomas Leblanc, Tranna Wintour

Xtra Weekly

Topline: Behold the 2021 Pride campaign hall of shame

Was there a single queer person in the room when these ads were conceived?

By Erica Lenti

Politics

This Canadian senator wants your porn habits tracked

An Independent senator’s proposed legislation would use facial recognition to keep kids away from sexually explicit content—privacy be damned

By Dale Smith

Xtra Weekly

Topline: Strength in numbers

In the face of increased violence, LGBTQ2S+ folks must come together

By Ziya Jones

Identity

After transitioning during the pandemic, trans people return to the unknown of real-world interactions

The awkwardness of a transition is a lot easier to negotiate when there’s no one to impress. But what happens when we go back to our pre-COVID-19 ways?

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle

Identity

Please let Billie Eilish do what she wants

The singer was accused of queerbaiting in a recent music video, but it’s a lot more complicated than that

By Mel Woods

Identity

What’s so good about being natural?

By arguing against allegations of trans unnaturalness with proof of our naturalness, we’re agreeing with our vilifiers’ idea that being natural is somehow significant in the first place

By Nour Abi-Nakhoul

Politics

Meet the unlikely senator sponsoring Canada’s bill to end conversion therapy

New Brunswick’s René Cormier never expected to be an LGBTQ2S+ advocate in the Senate. But now, he’s the senator ushering Bill C-6 to the finish line

By Dale Smith

Xtra Weekly

Topline: Celebrating LGBTQ2S+ Indigenous futures for National Indigenous History Month

June honours both queer and Indigenous communities—and to celebrate, here’s some amazing Indigenous LGBTQ2S+ creators and artists who inspire us

By Rachel Giese

Dispatch

Despair and resistance in Sheikh Jarrah

A queer Palestinian pop star reflects on how the fight for freedom is a feminist issue, an LGBTQ+ issue and an issue of racial justice

By Bashar Murad

Politics

Bardish Chagger, our voice at the Cabinet table

Xtra asks Canada’s Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth about the millions of dollars set aside for LGBTQ2S+ policy and funding in last month’s federal budget

By Dale Smith