In the wake of increasing societal awareness around the need to support marginalized communities, the concept of “safe spaces,” particularly in the context of the LGBTQA+ community, has come to the forefront. These spaces are designed to eliminate biases and microaggressions, creating environments that promote respect and inclusivity. But as appealing as this ideal sounds, the notion of a universal “safe space” is both unrealistic and potentially limiting. Let’s explore a more pragmatic approach: shifting from pursuing safe spaces to…
queer
How LGBTQ Entrepreneurs Can Pitch Their Business Ideas to Southern Lenders
Posted on February 19, 2024Being an entrepreneur is an incredible opportunity. Not only do you get to bring your unique perspectives and innovative ideas to the market, but your approach as a businessperson can also drive change. Your choices can make you instrumental in boosting diverse workplaces in your area and providing support for the next generation of queer professionals. Yet, there are still hurdles before you’re able to have this kind of impact. One of the significant challenges to starting a company is gaining…
Moving Beyond New Year’s Resolutions: Succeed in 2024
Posted on December 30, 2023As the year comes to an end, many of us feel compelled to set New Year’s resolutions for 2024. This tradition, while well-meaning, often leads to short-lived commitments that fade by February. Why? Because we often view resolutions as temporary changes rather than lifelong transformations. The journey toward personal and professional success requires more than mere resolutions—it calls for a shift toward a goal-setting mindset. So what’s the difference between a resolution and a goal? Resolutions often revolve around breaking…
Queer Women in Motorcycling: Breaking Stereotypes and Shaping the Culture
Posted on December 19, 2023Queer women have been breaking barriers and redefining the norms of historically male-dominated sports for decades. Motorcycling has long been linked with masculinity, but there’s a growing community of queer women riders who are challenging these stereotypes and making riding more accessible to everyone.…
Small Town, Big Dreams: Jacob Kelley’s Journey to Spread Queer-Inclusive Sex Education
Posted on October 25, 2023I grew up in a rural town where being unapologetically bold and beautiful was the mark of a troublemaker. I was raised in an area where being queer or identifying with the LGBTQIA+ community was considered a sin, a bedroom secret never to be talked about. In my reality, it felt more like I should move or disappear in order to please the traditions of a predominantly white, heterosexual, cisgender, Christian, and country mindset.…
AFAF Ep. 18: Channelling Negative Energy into Beauty with Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer
Posted on September 29, 2023On the season three finale of the Asking for a Friend podcast, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with the Rev. Dr. Megan Rohrer, activist, author, and the first openly transgender Bishop in a major Christian denomination, to discuss being our own cheerleaders, finding hope in our current climate, and the evolution and ongoing restrictions of coming out.…
AFAF Ep. 17: Queerness in the Borderlands with Sarah Luna
Posted on September 1, 2023On this month's episode of Asking for a Friend, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with Sarah Luna, a Texas-born sociocultural anthropologist, professor, and award-winning author, to discuss her coming out experience in San Antonio, her research on migrants, sex work, and missionaries, and her latest project on sapphic and transfeminist activism in Mexico City.…
AFAF Ep. 16: Promoting Equitable Prenatal Care with Dr. Erin Atkinson
Posted on July 26, 2023On this month's episode of Asking for a Friend, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with Dr. Erin Atkinson, a prenatal genetic counselor in Houston, Texas, to discuss queer family building, access to competent sexual healthcare, and the nuance of sex chromosomes.…
Historians of the Queer South: Queering the Florida Panhandle with Historian Jerry Watkins
Posted on July 14, 2023“My office is the gayest place on campus,” declares Professor Jerry T. Watkins III with a grin. He’s not kidding. In the background behind him, I can see through my Zoom screen, the wall sports an LGBTQ pride flag, a poster of a renowned local Virginia queer cultural figure, buttons from the AIDS activist group ACT UP, and various other colorful items testifying to the unapologetic queerness of the office’s sole resident. It’s the kind of environment intended to make a…
AFAF Ep. 15: Evolving Identities and Queer Feels with Sunflower Summit
Posted on June 27, 2023On the Pride month episode of Asking for a Friend, host Dr. Laura McGuire sits down with Sunflower Summit, a queer Latinx artist, producer, and mental health professional, to discuss finding wholeness in their queer identity, how their music and mental health journeys have intertwined, and the importance of storytelling.…