Why we shouldn’t rely on TikTok to tell us we’re gay

OPINION: We increasingly rely on social media sites like TikTok and Twitter to categorize people. As queer folks, should we be worried?

By Jon Heggestad

Activism

I’m queer at Trinity Western University. What will it take for my university to listen to me?

The university’s homophobia runs deep—students are speaking up and calling for change

By Carter Sawatzky

Queering Family

Raising kids in a gender-open way sounds great. But how does it work in practice?

Three families—including the parents of the once-controversial Baby Storm—share their stories

By Tobin Ng

Xtra News Flash

Black queer history, sporting sisterhood, Spanish rights, New York Times protest and beauty queen euphoria

5 queer and trans stories we’re following: Feb. 17

By Maddy Mahoney

Media

The conservative agenda against trans people’s ultimate goal? Eliminating us

OPINION: Their language is clear, conservatives want to literally exterminate trans people

By Katelyn Burns

Parenting

Oklahoma judge revokes a lesbian mom’s parental rights

The ruling could have wide-reaching reverberations in LGBTQ2S+ parenting, experts say

By V.S. Wells

Immigration & Refugees

Is Canada actually a viable safe harbour for trans people fleeing the U.S. and U.K.?

ANALYSIS: A viral petition calls on Canada to accept those escaping anti-trans policies, but Canada has work to do as well

By Charlotte Sheasby

Politics

Canadian conservatives can’t cherry-pick the ‘culture war’ they want to fight

OPINION: Embracing the convoy also means embracing its anti-LGBTQ2S+ arm

By Dale Smith

Media

Contributors, organizations and celebrities call out the New York Times’ transphobia

The paper of record is the target of two open letters

By Oliver Haug

Transphobia

Brianna Ghey deserved better than the U.K.’s transphobia

OPINION: The U.K.’s normalization of anti-trans hate has real-world consequences—the trans teen murdered this week should be alive

By V.S. Wells

Youth

New peer mentorship group connects transfeminine youth and community leaders in Regina

Into the Streets fills a critical gap in resources for transfeminine youth

By Jackie Richardson

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

Education

Parental rights champions in Prince Edward Island want to strip trans kids of their right to privacy

A petition and a resolution are circulating questioning the need for queer- and trans-affirming guidelines in schools

By V.S. Wells

Activism

Trans activists celebrate legal victory in Hong Kong

The verdict comes after a five-year legal battle for the right to change gender markers on IDs without undergoing full gender reassignment surgeries

By Eve Cable

Homophobia

Vancouver couple targeted on commuter train in the wake of anti-LGBTQ2S+ hate surge

Jamie Pine says he experienced homophobic harassment online after releasing a video of the incident on TikTok

By Jackie Richardson

Activism

Meet the coalition of advocates fighting for Missouri’s trans youth

In the state with the most anti-trans legislation proposed this year thus far, families, school communities and even rabbis are banding together

By Sophie Hurwitz

History

Learning local queer history helped me reclaim my right to public space

After an incident of homophobic harassment, learning about my local park’s LGBTQ+ history gave me the confidence to keep going out for daily walks

By Rosen Pitman-Wallace