Rainbow Rewind 2023

Our power ranking of all 14 seasons of ‘Drag Race’ that aired in 2023

From the lead-footed Belgians to the high-flying French, we rate the world in heels

Court rules that ‘groomer’ is a slur, not protected speech

Experts say the precedent means that the queer community will be able to protect themselves from defamation and hateful speech

By Dale Smith

Books

A deeply Cree and gloriously queer conversation with Kent Monkman and Gisèle Gordon

Get ready to love and laugh with Miss Chief Eagle Testickle

By Megan Scribe

Rainbow Rewind 2023

Righteous Queens and Shady Bitches 2023

An annual tradition returns: the highs and the lows of the past year, personified

By Xtra Staff

Rainbow Rewind 2023

Xtra’s top LGBTQ2S+ stories of the year

The best and brightest—even most bewildering—stories from a back catalogue brimming with insight

By Xtra Staff

Rainbow Rewind 2023

How the moral panic around ‘parental rights’ in Canada defined 2023

ANALYSIS: The fight to protect trans and gender-diverse kids is far from over

By Dale Smith

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

Trans Health

Inside the fight to add gender-affirming care to university health insurance plans

Students in British Columbia successfully campaigned to add gender affirming care to their school’s health insurance. That benefit is now available to 200,000 university students across Canada—but gaps remain

By Phoebe Fuller

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

Monthly Tune-Up

New tunes from Sleater-Kinney and Kevin Abstract

Plus drag queen Pattie Gonia’s environmental anthem performed with trans Indigenous singer-songwriter Quinn Christopherson and acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma

By Jordan Currie

Culture

Face to face with ballroom star Jazmine Miyake-Mugler

Following last year’s win at the World AIDS Day Ball in Toronto and an impressive showing in NYC earlier this fall, Jazmine’s home is the runway

By Mikelle Street

Homelessness

As the homelessness crisis worsens, Gay Villages are caught at a crossroads of identity

ANALYSIS: Unhoused people are a part of our communities, so what can we do?

By Nour Abi-Nakhoul

Activism

Yes, Palestinian solidarity is a queer issue

At protests across the country, queer and trans people are insisting that LGBTQ2S+ liberation and Palestinian liberation are intertwined

By Ziya Jones

Social Media

The internet is toxic for queer people—and this new survey proves it

ANALYSIS: Policy advocate Sam Andrey provides insight into how queers confront hate while building digital communities

By Jon Heggestad

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

Censorship

A Catholic school board in Ontario is accused of shadow banning LGBTQ2S+ books

“This is how homophobia works. It’s just plain and simple,” says Danny Ramadan, author of one of the targeted books

By Emma Bainbridge

Justice

Meet the lawyer leading the charge to protect trans kids’ rights in Saskatchewan

Genderqueer lawyer Cee Strauss says the legal fight against Scott Moe’s pronoun law is far from over

By Charlotte Dalwood