Xtra Weekly

Topline: Judith Butler, ‘gender criticals’ and freedom of speech

The groundbreaking author of “Gender Trouble” is no stranger to controversy

By Ziya Jones

Power

LGBTQ2S+ sex workers are calling out Mastercard’s adult content policies

Sex workers are calling on the payment provider to roll back planned changes to payments for online adult content

By Mel Woods

Politics

How can a new Canadian government collaborate with Two-Spirit people?

John R. Sylliboy on Two-Spirit and LGBTQ+ Indigenous needs, the upcoming federal election and reconciliation

By Arvin Joaquin

Xtra Weekly

Topline: Does the world really need a gay bank?

A new start-up promising to cater to LGBTQ2S+ folks drew a lot of questions online

By Mel Woods

Power

Queer Canadians make way less money than straight men: report

Queer people face economic, health and social inequalities than hetero guys just don’t

By Mel Woods

Politics

Jill Andrew’s revolutionary politics

As the first openly queer Black MPP in Ontario, the Toronto-based politician wants to build a more inclusive province in the wake of COVID-19

By Samantha Peters

Xtra Weekly

Topline: Ever wondered what it’s like coming out to South Asian parents?

Coming out to my noncommunicative Indian parents over FaceTime was a journey—one that’s not quite over yet

By Karan Saxena

Identity

A trans man modelled nude for 150 photographers, and fell in love with his body

Xtra contributor Andy Bandyopadhyay wanted to see artful, intimate portraits of trans men, so he made his own

By Andy Bandyopadhyay

The Xtra Long Read

Suicidal ideation, my intrusive visitor

Culturally, we fear talking about suicide. But for Niko Stratis, speaking openly about suicidal ideation was the only way to end its stigma

By Niko Stratis

Identity

12 LGBTQ2S+ emojis we need now

New emojis are added to the Emojipedia yearly, but we still have some suggestions

By Mel Woods

Culture

Pride had its moments, but I’m still not ready for ‘normal’

Vancouver Pride arrived toward the end of the 2021 Pride season. But were things good enough yet to be “normal”?

By Mel Woods

Queer Culture Catch-Up

Communing butch voices, dance documentaries and writers on writing

Our recommendations for what’s up and what’s on, beginning Aug. 12

By S. Bear Bergman

TV & Film

From a drag queen street fighter biopic to a trans musical to star-crossed lovers in Kenya

These cinematic portrayals of Black queer life from around the world are as diverse as our community

By Valerie Complex

Xtra Weekly

Topline: The X-tacy of non-binary gender markers

As a non-binary person of trans experience in the U.S., Tre’vell Anderson is looking forward to options beyond “male” and “female” on government-issued ID

By Tre’vell Anderson

The Xtra Long Read

Divergent: The emerging research on the connection between trans identities and neurodivergence

The concept of “neuroqueer” helps a trans writer realize there is no one right way to wire a brain

By Jude Ellison S. Doyle

Tik Talk

The best TikToks by and about queer Olympians

The Tokyo Olympics have made it to TikTok. So have the Games’ queer stars

By Mel Woods

My Safe Space

In the darkness of the pandemic, I found light in a WhatsApp group chat

A writer with borderline personality disorder found a virtual space free from stigma and brimming with humour

By Miranda Newman

Xtra Weekly

Topline: Coming outs and clarifications

Coming out is a process. It’s okay to do a little beta testing first

By Mel Woods