Books

Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore on the link between the COVID-19 and AIDS crises

Sycamore’s new novel “Terry Dactyl” shirks nostalgia, instead showing how queer history often repeats

By Veronica Esposito

Taking Space

What we gain, and lose, when a queer party goes sober

Nightlife is a significant part of queer and trans culture. How do we navigate all the booze and drugs?

By Kevin Hurren

TV & Film

Trans cartel musical ‘Emilia Pérez’ takes maximalist aesthetic to the extreme

REVIEW: The film’s existence raises intriguing questions about appropriate subjects for the playful machinations of French auteurs

By Veronica Esposito

Xtra News Flash

Canadians win against anti-LGBTQ+ Italian party, Women’s World Cup players show Pride despite ban and more

5 queer and trans stories we’re watching: July 31

By Eve Cable

TV & Film

‘All the Beauty and the Bloodshed’ is a striking, challenging look at the opioid crisis

REVIEW: Intersecting health crises centre this moving documentary on justice

By Michelle Krasovitski

TV & Film

I made ‘House of the Dragon’ star Emma D’Arcy’s viral negroni sbagliato

Is a “Negroni … sbagliato … with Prosecco in it” as iconic of a queer drink as iced coffee?

By Mel Woods

Sexual Health

Here’s what you’re getting wrong about hepatitis C

Misconceptions about hep C are contributing to higher cases among queer men

By Kevin Hurren

Ask Kai: Advice for the Apocalypse

How can I support my friend through addiction without breaking my boundaries?

When navigating a loved one’s addiction, giving help that harms us is not really helping anyone.

By Kai Cheng Thom

Ask an Expert

How to prevent—or reverse—opioid overdoses

In 2020 alone, more than 100,000 North Americans died preventable opioid-related deaths. Here’s how you can help to reverse opioid overdoses and keep yourself—and your community safe

By Sessi Kuwabara Blanchard

Health

Queerness, cannabis and mental health: everything you need to know

A new set of studies aims to explore how weed affects people from diverse communities, including queer and trans folks

By Logan Summer

Health

Sniffing out the truth about poppers

Health Canada has cracked down on sellers since 2013, which advocates say only hurts queer users. Is it time to make poppers legal?

By Kevin Hurren

TV & Film

What happens to ‘The Most Beautiful Boy in the World’ after the cameras are gone?

A new documentary about the teenage star of Visconti’s “Death in Venice” doesn’t paint the prettiest picture

By Frank M. Miller

TV & Film

Is HBO celebrating queer youth or exploiting them?

The cable network started out titillating us with sex, death, mobsters and vampires. Now it’s teenage sexual fluidity

By Paul Gallant

Personal Essay

Getting sober and coming out

For a long time, alcohol worked to suppress my questioning—until my questions became too powerful to ignore

By Niko Stratis

Power

Ontario will subsidize HIV-prevention drugs — and sooner than you think

‘It’s not free, but it’s now accessible and affordable,’ pharmacist says

By Niko Bell

Health

Nearly half of gay and bisexual Vancouver men smoke — but why?

Tobacco is the largest health threat to gay and bisexual men today. Why is quitting so hard?

By Niko Bell

Sexual Health

BC government drags feet on HIV-prevention drug coverage

Despite Horgan’s pre-election endorsement, free PrEP isn’t coming any time soon

By Niko Bell

Health

Party organizers prepare for possible fentanyl overdoses at Pride

Denim Vest, Pumpjack, The Junction and the Pride Society all have kits just in case

By Tessa Vikander