Being queer in the South can often be a lonely experience, but when you’re queer and a single parent, you might think it’s next to impossible to “fit in.” While your top priority is likely your kids, that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to find a supportive community and to feel like you’re a part of something greater. …
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022. In doing so, the Supreme Court gave states the right to outlaw abortion. Several states, many of them in the South, have trigger laws, which state legislators have already approved, that went into effect immediately or almost immediately after Roe v. Wade was overturned. A perhaps unforeseen result of the overturn is that the ruling may also make it more difficult for LGBTQIA+ couples in the South to adopt…
Before I knew what “trans” was, I knew not to be it. As an overtly masculine Black girl in Texas, the state was already out to get me for my skin. Even worse though, my own Black community was out to get me for being different. …
The language and sentiments surrounding this pandemic, from calls to action to “flatten the curve,” to the anxiety around human contact and intimacy, are reminiscent of another ongoing issue impacting our community—the HIV epidemic. …
Ten years ago, when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia as a high-school senior, Instagram wasn’t a thing. Facebook was all the rage, YouTube the feature of most teenage hangouts. I searched these platforms and others, desperately looking for virtual community forums of other people living with chronic pain—only to find the occasional group of middle-aged women, usually Anglo-Christian, living in the suburbs. I went to one of their meetups, over an hour drive from my parents’ house. As I lay…
I’ve always liked the idea of a big family. Blood relatives are included in that picture, sure, but really it’s about chosen warmth and community—lots of people sharing space, intimacy, laughter, and safety. Maybe it’s because I’m an only child from a small, disjointed family. I’ll never know, and I don’t know how much that root matters. What I do know is that, after dating for over 10 years, I identify as polyamorous whether I am partnered or not. This…
They By Sojourner They lives in the nucleus of my cells, it rarely boils to the surface of my flesh. Most days it’s not ready to face the eyes of others. They is not interested in what my appearance is read as by external forces, it carries no regard for social morays or stratification. They remembers and honors the child that often said “I want to be a boy,” while equally loving femme aesthetics because they knew no box could quantify…
I found my name four years ago—across the world from where I was born, after years of looking and waiting. I was sitting at a friend’s family table with her mom and my dad. “What does J.B. stand for?” her mom asked. I explained how it stood for the initials of my last name, of which I had two at the time. My first name had never fit right. I recalled how I’d even gone through a phase as a…
When I think about pleasure, muscle memories of cuddling with my dog (a rescue pittie named Daisy, scattered with black-and-white markings) wash over me. Next, I’m hit by that mind-expanding “Aha!” feeling when I learn something new that sparks connection and understanding. Other times, I think about the care bestowed upon me when someone would play with my hair or wrap themselves around my body. Touch, emotional intimacy, and energy exchange shape pleasure for me. …
By Jaxson Benjamin Author’s Note: This article space centers disabled sexuality because, for the most part, we are left out of the conversation. The narratives around disability and sexuality frequently regard us as partial, lacking in sexuality, or not whole people. Rewriting sexual scripts around disability means centering the lived experiences of people with disabilities. Does that mean that you if you don’t identify as disabled that you aren’t welcome here? You are very welcome, whether you live with a…
