Prisoner Correspondence Project brings comfort and hope to LGBTQ2S+ prisoners across North America

Studies show that pen pal systems like this one can lead to better mental health and rehabilitation outcomes for incarcerated people

By Mzwandile Poncana

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

Politics

National 2SLGBTQI+ action plan takes first steps with community funding, clearing criminal records

Six months into the historic plan, some are still waiting for more concrete commitments

By Kevin Hurren

Power

Decoding the language of the anti-trans movement

OPINION: Under the euphemisms, transphobic figureheads are sending a clear message

By Katelyn Burns

Queering Family

Is this the future of queer elder care?

My stepdad’s long-term care facility has a Rainbow Wing for LGBTQ2S+ seniors. It’s a first in North America

By Stéphanie Verge

Mental Health

This group is bringing queer mental health support to Afghanistan

Two and a half years after Sarah Hegazi’s death, Nour Sarah aims to tackle mental health struggles

By Nour Abi-Nakhoul

Health

Black trans and non-binary youth are at a high risk of suicide, per new study

New data from The Trevor Project reveals one in four Black trans youth reported a suicide attempt in the past year

By Mzwandile Poncana

Sexual Health

Why is it so difficult for some people to get an HPV vaccine?

A vaccine for HPV, the most common STBBI in North America, has been around for more than a decade. But if you don’t get it before your mid-20s, catching up is tricky—and expensive

By Laurence Fox

Trans Health

Hawaii’s only youth gender clinic will stay open, after ‘unbelievable’ fundraising success

Closing the doors on vulnerable patients “was our worst fear,” says The Lavender Clinic’s CAO

By Julia Peterson

Queering Family

What you need to know about conception as a queer and trans person

Author and midwife Kristin Liam Kali weighs in on the significant challenges and transformational benefits of becoming a parent

By Ziya Jones

Queering Family

Queer and trans families are intentional. They take the shape of what you and your loved ones need most

In the nine-part series Queering Family, Xtra guest editor Stéphanie Verge introduces us to people who are redefining what it means to build and sustain a family

By Stéphanie Verge

Mental Health

Trans and queer folks can’t solely rely on our resilience to survive

Perhaps LGBTQ2S+ writers, creatives and historians can teach us how to do more than just get by

By Leigh Hendrix

Trans Health

Nothing in place for U.K.’s trans youth as the country’s only children’s gender care clinic closes

The clinic is supposed to be replaced by regional service centres, to help reduce waiting times—but the centres don’t yet exist

By Diamond Yao

Politics

As conservatives attack trans people, does Joe Biden still have our backs?

OPINION: In his 2022 State of the Union address, Joe Biden told trans kids, “I will always have your back.” In this year’s speech, the president was silent on trans issues

By Katelyn Burns

Identity

Thanks to new legislation, it’s significantly easier for trans people to change their gender markers in Finland

The process no longer requires that trans people have surgery or a psychiatric assessment

By Claire Forth

Mental Health

The passing of transphobic laws increased internet searches for ‘suicide’ and ‘depression,’ study finds

The study also found that when a transphobic bill was defeated, the number of searches on those topics decreased

By Diamond Yao

Reproductive Health

Gay man sues Health Canada over discriminatory sperm-donation policies

The court case comes amidst a nationwide sperm-donor shortage, which has left many Canadian queer families, single women and people experiencing infertility in the lurch

By Emma Bainbridge

Sexual Health

Mpox is no longer a public health emergency in the U.S.

Daily cases have fallen from 450 in August to single-digit diagnoses now

By V.S. Wells