Gaming

Queer players are finally ‘Living the Dream’ in the new ‘Tomodachi Life’ sequel

The latest instalment of Nintendo’s life-sim game breaks ground with new Mii gender, pronoun and attraction options

By Jacob Aron Leung

Art & Photography

The haunting photographs of Peter Hujar

Photographer Peter Hujar’s work revelled in eroticism, pain and the thin line between life and death

By Cody Corrall

Drag Race

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18, Episode 15 power ranking: Battle of the queens

Ten eliminated competitors returned for the LaLaPaRuZa, but who won?

By Kevin O'Keeffe

Drag Race

‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Season 18, Episode 15 recap: All Ru, all the time

This season’s LaLaPaRuZa is all about Mother

By Kevin O'Keeffe

Books

‘Work to Do’ shows just how dramatic a grocery store can get

Jules Wernersbach’s energetic novel delves into the intricacies of queer entrepreneurship, climate change—and class revolt

By H Felix Chau Bradley

Music

Arlo Parks wants to soundtrack your walk home from the club

On her new album, “Ambiguous Desire,” the U.K. star swaps downbeat musings for dance music. But even her disco is deep

By Oliver Haug

History

A very homosexual history of beefcake magazines

In the 1950s, ‘physique’ magazines sold more than just eye candy—they offered community and connection for isolated gay men

By Jake Hall

Consumed

Robyn made me dump my toxic ex-boyfriend

The Swedish pop star is known for gay anthems like “Dancing on My Own” and “Sexistential.” Her “Honey” album saved me and my best friend from a pair of doomed relationships

By KC Hoard

Culture

Gays, we need to get meaner

Billy Porter and Jordan Firstman went viral for spewing hate. In their defence, who said queer people have to be nice?

By Divine Angubua

TV & Film

Alex from Degrassi on finding her calling counselling queer teens

Deanna Klymkiw tells Xtra about playing the franchise’s first out lesbian, and her career pivot since

By Jacob Aron Leung

Media

No, effeminate boys aren’t being ‘transed’

Hiding my transness nearly killed me. Let’s work to build a world where trans people’s lives aren’t quite so hard

By Katelyn Burns

TV & Film

Will ‘Sinners’ win Best Picture at the Oscars?

“One Battle After Another” seemed locked in to win the film industry’s top prize. But a once-simple awards race has gone haywire

By KC Hoard

Love Like Mine

Society told me to hate my body. I choose to embrace it instead

As I prepare for bottom surgery, I’m returning to the people who have stood by me from the beginning—and myself

By Victoria Hincapie Gomez

Books

Zena Sharman’s new book stitches death, life and sex into a beautiful tapestry

In “Staying Power,” kink and community help Sharman navigate parenthood, divorce and the death of her mother

By H Felix Chau Bradley

Consumed

Halsey’s ‘Badlands’ soundtracked the rise and fall of my oldest friendship

The pop star’s first album let us escape from the suburbs. After a falling out, it brought us back together

By KC Hoard

Politics

Gavin Newsom is the wrong choice—for trans people and for Democrats

The California governor’s backpedaling on trans rights represents a grim shift, two years out from the first presidential primaries

By Katelyn Burns

Inside Xtra

Xtra earns gold medal for investigative journalism

Story about the Canadian government’s refusal to decriminalize HIV honoured at Canadian Online Publishing Awards

By Xtra Staff

TV & Film

Joan Chen is ‘attracted’ to queer stories

The legendary actress tells Xtra about “Saving Face,” “Montreal, My Beautiful”—and the life lessons that came in between

By Sarah Williscraft