“You’re the cigarette in my fist, you’re so hard to resist,” Adrianne Lenker sings on Big Thief’s 2022 song ‘Love Love Love.’ For fans of Adrianne’s writing for both Big…
2023 Queer Screams Film Festival
The first Queer Screams Film Festival—a three-day, LGBTQ+ horror film event—will occur at the Clinton Street Theater, Aug. 18–20. The festival combines 31 short and feature films from local, national…
Portland State’s response to anti-trans threats lacks clarity
Anti-transgender provocateurs have recently visited campus, inciting deeper questions about the university’s response to such incidents—Portland State students deserve clarity from the university administration about how they plan to protect…
We need to protect LGBTQ+ kids
The old adage “history repeats itself” all too often seems true. A case in point—in Berlin during the early part of the 20th century there was a vibrant explosion of…
In-Person Pride Festivals return to Portland after a two-year hiatus
53 years ago, police violently charged into the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, N.Y. In the face of constant discrimination, the LGBTQ+ community rose up and…
Queer community reacts to Portland’s new lesbian bar
The Portland queer community was abuzz with news of the self-proclaimed lesbian bar for everyone, Doc Marie’s, opening May 21. In a divisive time for queer people everywhere, it is…
Don’t fall for corporate rainbow-washing this June
We’ve seen it before. We’ve seen companies take advantage of events and cultural progressions as a means to make money—your money. During Pride Month, which spans the entire month of…
Why asexual representation matters
From season 2 of Netflix’s Sex Education, “Sex doesn’t make us whole. And so, how could you ever be broken?” This line is perhaps the best asexuality validation yet from…
Labels change, but feelings persist
a·ro·man·ti·cism /āˈ/rōˈman(t)əˌsizəm/ An orientation in which someone does not experience romantic attraction. them.us Aromanticism as a label is relatively new in its existence—and it was born purely out…
Valentine’s Day can be shitty for queer couples
Valentine’s Day tends to garner a reaction like no other holiday. Whether it’s excitement about the opportunity to remind your significant other how much they mean to you, or feelings…
Plans for a more LGBTQ+-friendly Portland
City council members and other employees of the city government come, go, and are succeeded by new members every few years—and while these new members would have plans for LGBTQ+…