Letter from the Editor: Tamara Leigh

After a year like the one we just completed, I barely know what to say to close it out. I guess simply this, ‘whatyou don’t heal you are doomed to repeat. I don’t blame anybody for what they did to survive the last 12 months. It has been a BITCH. But you owe it to yourself to heal your heart, heal your hurt and take a real look at what needs to go and what needs to stay in order for you to truly and authentically move forward. I feel like we in the QTPOC community know everything about pushing through to be our authentic selves in terms of sexuality and gender identity but we often forget some of the very real, very human pieces of authenticity. Figure out who you really, really are. Let go of the pains and rejection, shade and shame of your past. Step into your 2021 with a new look at yourself and new eyes to see the world. If you battled through COVID, quarantine, loneliness, racism, homophobia, transphobia- rejoice in those big wins but recognize the small ones that are just as real, just as important and just as integral in your survival. Let your heart DREAM in 2021. Fear nothing! How can you after all you’ve battled through to survive? Love again, learn more, be fearless, be unstoppable. Be YOU!

We closed 2020, (the year we deemed this time last year, the year of the FEMME) celebrating beautifulfemininity and everything it encompasses. So we are celebrating MASC energy as we step into 2021. In it, and all throughout the magazine we celebrate and ask you to stretch your imagination to challenge what masculinity means to you. And why?

Special thanks to Zaire Knight, our cover model and feature photographer, all the incredible models for the Center Spread. And a huge shout-out to Rahzie Seals out of Syracuse, NY for coordinating the shoot.

Thank you all for being a part of this 1st year of Blaque/OUT.The best is yet to come!!