OPINION: When politicians and the rich leverage the power of the state to quell dissent, we all lose

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

“I was intrigued by how it might let me have and hold something that had always seemed ephemeral and out of reach”

ANALYSIS: Memes like the “Distracted Boyfriend” and “Right in front of my salad” have stood the test of time, but where are their contemporaries?

Plus national treasure Walter Borden is onstage in Toronto

Indie news outlets are caught in the middle of a fight between giant corporations, legacy media and the Canadian government

We’re spilling the tea on the Trust Mark logo, that little T-mark now appearing on Xtra’s stories

ANALYSIS: Digital minimalism is more than a time-management tool; it’s a whole new mindset. How might this approach to technology benefit queer users in particular?

ANALYSIS: Gender scholar Kathryn Bond Stockton coined the term “growing sideways” to describe the queer experience during childhood. Are some of our favourite social media offerings following suit?

ANALYSIS: The “Barbie” film is a fiercely feminist project that reinforces the gender binary. And yet we can also read into it what we want

Social media’s body positivity might only apply to those who fit into familiar beauty ideals. Is AI systematically deleting the creators who sit outside the norm?

5 queer and trans stories we’re watching: June 16

5 queer and trans stories we’re following: May 29

OPINION: As it expands, the social media platform will have to adapt its moderation policies if it wants to keep vulnerable users safe

5 queer and trans stories we’re watching: May 8

Senior editor Mel Woods tasked with taking Xtra to new audiences

OPINION: I question what consuming so much doomerism will do to us as a community over the long term—and I want us to make more space for celebration

ANALYSIS: As Substack tries to be the new Twitter, we can’t forget its founders’ messy past or present