Issuu

GAYGENDA

NOVEMBER-DECEMBER ISSUE 002

GAYGENDA

Yasmin Benoit

COVER: SHOT BY REGA PHOTOGRAPHY (@REGA_PHOTOGRAPHY) | HMUA: BJORN ISABELLA DANIEL (@ISABELLA_DANIEL_MUA)

Publisher's Note Tanner James | Gaygenda, Inc.

da gaygen

discord

GM002 NEW ADDITIONS

Queeries Column Shop Gay

NEW

As 2021 draws to a close, it's important to pause and reflect on this year. This means acknowledging the progress that was made, the challenges that arose, and thinking critically about where we stand as a community. We witnessed several victories for the LGBTQ+ community this year — from conversion therapy bans in France and Canada, to America's release of a gender-neutral passport, to a record level of LGBTQ+ representation, and much more. Granted, 2021 was not without great threats to our community. This year was the deadliest year on record for trans people around the world. Thousands of LGBTQ+ people continue to be trapped under Taliban rule in Afghanistan. We witnessed an unprecedented flurry of political attacks on trans rights and freedoms. COVID-19 continued to disproportionately impact QTBIPOC communities everywhere. Despite the incremental progress that has been made this year, it is clear that we still have a lot of work to do. Going into 2022, all of us at Gaygenda hope to see progress for the LGBTQ+ community that takes shape more equitably for those most vulnerable. This is work that requires all of us to do our part — let's make 2022 matter.

NEW

da magazine strives to INGREDIENTS: Each issue of Gaygen to showcase movers and capture important news, and nity. Every word in commu vibrant rfully shakers in our wonde diverse writers and editors this issue comes from a team of g an engaging and curatin to time their te dedica who and remember to rotate worthwhile read. Please enjoy, halfway through!

for submissions! Personal essays

Reach out, our DM's are always open:

Poetry Think pieces

@gaygenda

@gaygendamagazine

Research pieces & more, DM us!

Publishing Team gaygenda (@gaygendamagazine)

ERIKA DELLA CIOPPA, EDITOR @ER.DEL

MARRISA DOUD, WRITER @SIMPLYMARRISA

KATIE MULCAHY, HANNAH DICKSON, EVA CLARK, EDITOR WRITER SENIOR EDITOR @KIT_THE_CRYPTID

@HHANNAHDICKSONN

@STARCROSSED.EVA

advice from a dyke Queeries is a secure advice column for LGBTQ+ youth to ask questions about any topic.* Am I an expert on everything? Do I have my life together? No… Do I love to tell other people what to do? Absolutely! If you have questions about love, life, school, friends, family, the queer community, or anything else, chances are I’ve got opinions.

Hannah Dickson professional queer woman lifelong self-described dyke trusted advice-giver

I'm a twenty-five year old queer woman, originally from a small rural town, now living in * Toronto, Canada. I'm a firm believer that art, in all its forms, is a great way to create and expand communities and foster important conversations. Is this art? Maybe... Who knows... Either way, I want to use my life experiences as a dyke in her mid-twenties to help you figure your life out.

).cte ,spihsnoitaler ,ylimaf ,loohcs( cipot yna tuoba ksA

): erac od ew tuB !slanoisseforp deifilauq ton era eW

Queeries advice column for the Gaygenda community

evitcepsrep edistuo na teg ot ecnahc a sa siht fo knihT

For queer-specific mental health services, check out the The Trevor Project (@trevorproject) or the Trans Lifeline (@translifeline)

TW/CW: sexual, physical, mental abuse

Danté

Visual Artist Feature | Edited by Eva Clark

My name is Danté (he/him), I’m a CreoleBrazilian artist and writer. I used to identify as "prosexual" or "omnisexual," but these days "fluid" might be a better description of my sexuality. I developed a style that was pretty much figurative realism, and I started to exhibit and sell my art in group exhibitions quite early, with my first solo exhibition at age thirteen. I stopped painting due to trauma four years later, when I was seventeen.

Model: Alphie Coleman / @omgitsAlphieOfficial Artist: Danté Media: Mixed media mono on plywood

The trauma that stopped me from painting was abuse. I have been abused sexually, physically and mentally throughout my childhood, up to my teenage years. Due to that, I suffer from multiple/complex PTSD, which made it impossible for me to keep making art. For years, I didn't pick up a brush. I didn't even think about it until a couple of months ago, when I got up in the middle of the night and started painting again. To my surprise, my style of painting had changed completely, and shifted away from figurative realism to a more abstract and even minimal style. Now my art is very much about structures and surfaces. Where I used to paint things that I thought people would like, instead I now focus on creating pieces that make me happy.

What do you hope people feel when they come across your work? Danté: Well, usually people say something about how much they love my artwork, or how they think this piece or that piece is so beautiful. Of course that makes me happy, but it also is a weird feeling when someone compliments a piece that is about my worst moments. But to be frank, I prefer them to see something beautiful in it, something that gives them joy, rather than something that pulls them down. At this point, I just want them to see whatever they see in my art. I have considered stopping the naming of my pieces to influence people's process of thought even less.

Love Is Red But You Left Me Colorblind

Drowned World

Where do you get your inspiration from? Danté: Something that influences my work a lot is music, or rather the music I listen to while I work on a piece. I usually choose a song that expresses the emotion I'm feeling, and then listen to it over and over again while I paint, until it almost becomes part of the artwork.

Otherwise, I pull most of my inspiration out of myself. Pretty much all of my works are about my own experiences — the abuse, racism, loss, but also the joy of travelling, of connecting to people and my surroundings. Any advice for an aspiring artist? Danté: Yes, just do it! Paint, sculpt, write or whatever it is that you want to do. Don't think too much about it and just get into it. Tell us about your dreams! Danté: One dream is to see more representation for artists of color in the art world. I'd be very happy to see more Black, Hispanic/Latino, Asian, and Arab artists getting the spotlight and the ability to tell their story through their art.

Tell us about the greatest challenge(s) you've faced on the journey to embracing your identity. Danté: Oh, so many. My identity was never a problem at home, but for years I was worried that people in the outside world would not accept me. Life was complicated anyway. I suffered from a testosterone deficiency throughout my whole childhood, and most people thought I was a girl due to the rather feminine/androgynous features I had back then. That was often the source of confusion and unwanted attention that came either in the form of hostility, or as sexual approaches. I had grown men hitting on me throughout my whole childhood and teen years, which was also a source of confusion and often even fear on my side due to what happened in my past. I sometimes resented my own identity because I blamed myself for all that attention. After all, I felt like I did something to provoke these situations.

As a child, I was always the outcast, but that drastically changed when I got older, especially after I started hormone replacement therapy, which completely changed my looks. Suddenly, at the age of eighteen or nineteen, I had friends. And even though I had always wanted that, I still felt kind of lost. I wanted everyone to like me, and I bent myself out of shape in every way possible just to get to that place. In the end, everyone liked me...but I didn't like myself anymore. I finally realized that it doesn't matter what people think about me, but rather what I think about people. What is a hot take you have for us? Cut off toxic family members. There are so many non-straight people of all age groups who suffer from the influence of toxic, abusive, and unsupportive family members. Despite the constant pain, it can be difficult to break away from these people — whether it's your mother, father, brother, sister, or whomever. I am very much a family person, but blood doesn't make you a family, it just makes you relatives. It's love, support and compassion that build a family. So if they don't make you happy, cut them off — yes, your grandma, too. Go find people who love you the way you are. They are your true family.

Support Danté: dan_dan_paints Dandanpaints@gmx.de 4

Yasmin Benoit Rega Photography (@rega_photography) HMUA: Bjorn Isabella Daniel (@isabella_daniel_mua)

By Marrisa Doud | Katie Mulcahy

Yasmin Benoit THE FACE OF ACE REPRESENTATION

The queer community represents people from all different walks of life — regardless of color, gender, sexuality, age, religion, nationality, or ethnicity — but not every group gets the same amount of attention. It’s no secret that the community tends to focus on white, cis gays and lesbians, despite all those other letters in our acronym. As a model, writer, and activist, Yasmin Benoit has been working to shed light on her community. In 2017, she noticed the lack of representation for asexual and aromantic individuals, so she decided she would step up — even though she was not sure if anyone would really care. But people did care. A lot.

In 2020, The Trevor Project conducted a survey of 40,000 LGBTQ+ youth and found that 10% identified as asexual, and of that 10%, 13% identified as aromantic. Individuals reflected in these figures deserve representation, no matter how relatively small their community might appear. If queer people saw themselves represented more, it would make it much easier for them to feel comfortable being themselves. Yasmin Benoit has been described as the 'face of asexual representation,' and she’s the first ace person to be given an LGBTQ+ award — ever. She sat down with Gaygenda to talk about her experience of coming to terms with herself, how she became the icon she is today, and the importance of representation.

Yasmin is twenty-five years old and she lives in Reading, England where she was raised. She uses she/her pronouns and identifies as asexual and aromantic. Growing up, she described herself as an unusual kid who loved Green Day, watched a lot of cartoons, and had a “Disney Channel-esque” mindset about being true to yourself. Her entire school career was full of ridicule from her peers for being different. Even though Yasmin understood what to do to fit in, she was much more interested in being herself than changing herself to conform. She went to an all-girls school, where the confusion over her sexuality really began. She recalled that “every teenage milestone is around projecting your sexuality” because of puberty, hormones and modern culture. Yasmin just didn’t relate to her classmates. She thought going to an all-girls school would relieve some of the pressure she felt, but if anything, the contrast between her and her classmates was only made more stark. Yasmin Benoit Rega Photography (@rega_photography) HMUA: Bjorn Isabella Daniel (@isabella_daniel_mua)

Yasmin Benoit Rega Photography (@rega_photography) HMUA: Bjorn Isabella Daniel (@isabella_daniel_mua)

ON COMING OUT:

As far as coming out is concerned, Yasmin doesn’t recall ever coming out in the big dramatic way people often do in the movies. Since age fifteen, Yasmin knew that she was different. Even though she made no effort to hide who she was, Yasmin had a lot of difficulty getting people to understand her identity. The term 'asexual' had not found its way into mainstream vernacular, much less public understanding. What's worse is that people who don’t understand asexuality seem to always have an opinion on it. For example, they say things such as, “you just haven’t met the right person,” or, “you just had a bad experience.” When so many people have such strong opinions on your life, it can be difficult not to have doubts. But Yasmin warns young people to remember, “What other people think about you is not a reflection of who you are. Only you know your sexuality.” So even though Yasmin never made an attempt to hide her sexuality, it took ten years of constant 'coming out' before people started to believe her.

@theyasminbenoit If you want to see more from Yasmin Benoit, she’s a writer for Qwear Fashion (@qwearfashion), and you can find her on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok (@theyasminbenoit).

#th e k i

@theyasminbenoit

ex tas u

@theyasminbenoit

wha s i s i ook all sl

Support Yasmin:

Visibility And

representation For Black, Ace, Aro Women

WHEN EXISTING IS SOMEHOW CONTROVERSIAL

Yasmin told the publication Blavity, “to be Black in Western society means existing as the most hyper-sexualized racial group there is.” When we asked her to expand on this idea, she discussed how people would often say things like, “you don’t look asexual,” and she would wonder what exactly it meant to look asexual when there was nothing inherently sexual about her. Society has views about women — especially Black women — their bodies, their behaviors, and their desires. Sexual and romantic attraction are so ingrained in Western culture that to be uninterested in either of these things must mean there’s something fundamentally wrong with that person, either physically or mentally. But it’s really not that complicated. In the same way that people are allowed to be gay, people are allowed to not have sex. Who knew that not doing something like having sex would be so controversial.

As an only child, Yasmin had a lot of time to pursue many different hobbies. In her adolescence, Yasmin turned to modeling, and eventually cultivated her own unique style. There were very few Black women doing alternative fashion in the modeling industry, so Yasmin continued taking up space previously held only by certain groups of people. By late 2017, Yasmin had amassed a large Instagram following, and decided to mention that she was asexual — something she did not expect anyone to care about.

Yasmin coined the Instagram hashtag #thisiswhatasexuallookslike and it grew into a movement. There are now over 5000 posts under the hashtag, with a rich diversity of asexual faces and stories. She started the hashtag to create a resource for people who “don’t look asexual,” to demonstrate the diversity of the community. Yasmin has grown into an ace icon, frequently writing for publications, public speaking, and even appearing on MTV. Yasmin has become the aro-ace icon she deserved as a kid.

Yasmin Benoit Rega Photography (@rega_photography) HMUA: Bjorn Isabella Daniel (@isabella_daniel_mua)

a word on

terfs Since her brand came about, Yasmin has experienced her fair share of controversy and vitriol. People have said just about every terrible thing you can think of to her. The two most common assumptions about ace people are rooted in either narcissism or prudishness. Either no one is good enough for you, or it’s the complete opposite and you’re a prude who habitually judges and polices everyone else’s sexual habits. Again, it’s not that complicated. Yasmin mentioned that the group that terrorizes her the most is the radical feminist group you’ve probably heard of called TERFs (trans-exclusionary radical feminists). Of this group, she said, “I get more graphically sexual comments from white women in their fifties than from men.” The TERF community's persistently hateful attitude towards empowered, asexual Black women only further invalidates their so-called dedication to feminism.

some parting

advice When asked what her fifteen-year-old self would think of her success and lifestyle, Yasmin said that her younger self would be happy with who she’s become. Her advice to young queer people would be to be yourself no matter what. And also to remember that, “love isn’t everything, and sex isn’t all that.” I’m not ace, but I think that we can all find meaning in this quote, regardless or your sexual, romantic, or gender orientation. Be who you are, live your life on your terms, and ignore everyone who doesn’t get it. In other words, embrace that “Disney Channel-esque” mindset — you'll thank yourself later.

FEATURES

GAYGENDA 11

M U A

SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE SHOW US YOUR PRIDE

"SHOW US YOUR PRIDE"

@devereauxbanx @devereauxbanx 12

"SHOW US YOUR PRIDE"

@jakobejay @jakobejay 13

"SHOW US YOUR PRIDE"

@neonmua @neonmua 14

"SHOW US YOUR PRIDE"

@zackaryvang @zackaryvang 15

"SHOW US YOUR PRIDE"

@theglamjesus @theglamjesus 16

LGBTQ Meme Station @urfavgayslay @godisapowerbottom

@sapphic_sandwich

@sapphic_sandwich @sapphic_sandwich

@sapphic_sandwich

@urfavgayslay | Kingsley Guo

@godisapowerbottom

@godisapowerbottom @godisapowerbottom

@sapphic_sandwich

@godisapowerbottom

@sapphic_sandwich

@godisapowerbottom

Shop Gay | Sign the pledge to #shopgay whenever you can

LECTION L O C Y A G P O #SH

x A D N E G Y A G ARSON

T I'M GAY & WATCH OU E MMABLE TE HIGHLY FLA

Classic Arson Beanie 20

gayish podcast By Tanner James | Eva Clark

Feeling Gay...ish? In April 2017, Mike Johnson (he/him) and Kyle Getz (he/they) started their podcast Gayish — a show dedicated to breaking down common gay stereotypes. As gay men themselves, both Mike and Kyle found it difficult to relate to popularized images of the gay lifestyle. For a community that espouses inclusivity and togetherness, navigating LGBTQ+ identities can feel incredibly isolating. There is no right way to be gay, bi, trans, or any other queer identity. Almost every LGBTQ+ identity has stereotypes that flatten and homogenize entire sub-groups of people — creating molds and othering any LGBTQ+ person who does not ‘fit in.' Gayish confronts this issue head-on with extensive research and inviting conversations each week that deconstruct the data behind these reductive and often harmful stereotypes.

F*cking Dan (Left), Mike (Center), Kyle (Right)

Who has been your favorite guest so far, and who is your dream guest? Mike: My favorite guest is my mom. My sixty-five year old mother has been on the show many times. For my dream guest… I think Dan Savage would be an excellent guest.

Kyle: One of my favorite guests was Todd Masterson, who runs the instagram account @GayFatFriend. My dream guest varies by day — these days, it's Barbara Smith. How did you land on the title 'Gayish'? Mike: When we decided to do the podcast, we had already done a few creative projects before — I had helped Kyle with some of his writing and short films and stuff. We really liked working together, and people seemed to like our dynamic and encouraged us to do something like a podcast. We had a day-long meeting right here and chatted about the kinds of things we wanted to talk about. We went with Gayish, but at one point we had a title that was like fifteen words long...

Kyle: “Mike and Kyle Say Stuff And Do Things And Are Also Kinda Gayish” or something like that hahaha. The word 'Gayish' stuck out to us, so we went with that.

Kyle (Left), Mike (Right)

What keeps you going after 5 years of a weekly show? Mike: It continues to humble and mystify me that we have such a community around the show. We have a sizeable Facebook group, and we have a really active Discord server. They are really in each other’s lives. They meet up and take pictures together. There is also a real sense of accountability, because there’s a lot of people out there in the world that listen to this little show that will be disappointed if we don’t do it and do it right.

Kyle: For me, it's that we still have something to talk about after all this time. If we got to a point where we had no ideas for new topics, that might be a sign that this has run its course. But, in spite of all the episodes we've done, we still have pages and pages of new episode ideas.

Why do you think people relate to the idea behind Gayish so much? Kyle: Whenever I have looked into all the different animals or whatever that we identify with, I think it’s interesting that most people don’t put themselves into one of those categories, even though the assumption is that everyone is a bear/twink/otter/whatever. The labels and words you see out there don’t reflect a majority of people. It’s harmful for gay people to see ‘what they’re supposed to be’ — that they are supposed to have abs, that they are supposed to have a beach party everyday. I think a lot of people like us — sorry, Mike — don't have 'perfect bodies', are not twenty-one years old anymore, and don't live in urban areas with tons of gay friends. We are probably a majority, even though that’s not what you see represented.

Mike: We have these heartbreaking letters with the common message saying something like, “I live in ___, I am the only gay person I know, thank you for making me feel like part of a community of some kind for ninety minutes a week.”

What are some harmful stereotypes you've covered? Mike: Bottom-shaming is a real thing — stereotypes about bottoms are largely based in misogyny, and I don’t think they do us any favors. There are also drug and alcohol stereotypes, which I think are self-perpetuating stereotypes, and that's why they are harmful. Like, ‘all gays drink and do drugs,’ so when you’re coming out and you want to fit in, you start drinking and doing drugs. Any stereotypes that fit either of you, like iced coffee or driving terribly? Kyle: You’re talking to the guy who just dyed his hair pink!

Catch up with Gayish: gayishpodcast Gayish Podcast Gayish Podcast Have a Nice Gay

NEW

PROGRESS

2021

P O G

New Zealand Unanimously Passes Gender Self-ID Law

Brian Michael Smith First Trans Man In People ’s "Sexiest Men Alive" List

Conversion Therapy Banned In Canada & France

E S

The Sims 4

To Introduce Non-Binary Pronouns

Chile Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage And Adoption

British Armed Forces To Allow People With HIV To Enlist

2 0 2

Chile Elects Their First Trans Official To National Legislature

US Issues First GenderNeutral 'X' Passport

Tokyo Plans To Recognize SameSex Partnerships Next Year

Spain To Offer Free Fertility Treatment For Women Regardless Of Their Sexual Orientation Or Marital Status - Including Trans People Who Become Pregnant

EU Court Rules That Member Nations Must Legally Recognize Same-Sex Parents

China’s First Clinic For Transgender Kids Opens In Shanghai

Nathalia Leticia Barbosa da Fonseca (“Bia"). Gretell Ceballos Ramírez. Felycya Harris. Michelle Ramos Alarcón ("Brenda"). Antonella R.G. Erick Deseano. Marcos. Paolla Bueno. Adrianinha Paris. Brooklyn DeShauna Smith. Susana Silvestre. Selin Aynaci. Sara Blackwood. Viktoria Basakovskaya (Vika). Mickerlange François. Aitiana Valeria Ramírez. Violeta Ramírez Pérez. Sangeetha. Gabriela Ramirez. Bruna Marins de Oliveira. Emy Yruma. Barbara Valencia. Natasha Nascimento. Joana Domingos. Angel Haynes 'Angel Unique'. Juliana Piropo. Arsalan. Vicente González. Cristina Rodríguez. Samylla Marry Windson. Sandy da Silva Gomes. Skylar Heath. Alejandra Estefanía Benítez. Mia Zabala. Ester Vogue. Soledad Rojas Paúcar. Fendi Mon'ezah Armstrong 'Peaches'. Daniela Ramos. Juana Criollo Cabascango. Paquita Brasil. Yunieski Carey Herrera 'Yuni'. Sheila de Oliveira. Asia Jynaé Foster. Kimberly Susan Fial. Chae’Meshia Simms 'ChaeChae'. Bianca Pereira. Cristina Hernández Castillo. Laura. Micaeli Monteverde / Mikaely Campion. Jhennyfer. Giovanna Angulo Ramos. Rayssa Eloá Menezes Natasha Liverman. Sherlyn Scarleth Villarreal. Johana Morena Mayor. G. Rocha Silva. Tati Quirós. Alejandra Salazar Villa. Bruna Tenório. TITI DAVILA. Vicenta de Loris. Karen Cristina. Juliana da Cruz Costa. Paula Brandão. Sudarshan Suryavanshi. Nataly Lily. Duda. Jaheim Pugh Jaheim Barbie. Maria. Yaelin Reported by our HR. Violation Documenter Maydana Olmedo. Oreinha. Wanessa Sampaio. Alejandra Salazar. Marcela Estella Vieira. Iratxe Otero. J. A. da Silva. Courtney 'Eshay' Key. Alexandria Winchester. La Tigra. Nelly Garcia. Erika. Sapa. Thaw Thaw. Andressa das Chagas. Samantha Riaño Morales. Keron Ravach. Duda Laif / Eduarda Scarton. Tyianna 'Davarea' Alexander. Lupita da Silva. Ravel Oliver. Samuel Edmund. Damián Valentín. Natalia Maldonado. Angelita Seixas Alves Correia. Nicolly Fernanda. Erika Endrina. Nicole Quilaneta. RR Bondoc. Malevola Lessa 'Leticia'. Mimii Lessa. Guddu. Dayanna Scarlett Buenos Salinas. Bianca Bankz 'Muffin'. Gala Ocampo Figueroa. Naomi Alonso. Dominique Jackson. F. Escalante. Vivianne López. Fifty Bandz. Verónica Solano. Michele Almeida. Duda dos Santos. Amanda Fagundes. Alexus Braxton (Kimmy Icon Braxton). Shirley Mejía Sánchez. Dzhakonda. Adrieli. Carla Guaraca Dominguez 'La Guaraca'. Bebê. Maria Eduarda. Tolem Vijay Kumar. Adriana Díaz. Natasha Galvão. Ivonne Álvarez. Grace Mahoro. Crismilly Pérola. Isabella Garzón Monsalver. Tatiana. Fabiana da Silva Lucas. Kendra González. Valeria Carrasco. Collegai. Roberta da Silva. Dani Cardoso de Sousa. Fray Mando Bobadilla. Angie abiola Priscila Pamela Jeaniot Ramírez. Arévalo. Diamond Giovanna Kyree Betacourth Sanders. Vergara. Mikelly Alessandra Câmara. Ferrat. Jesús 2021 was the deadliest year on record for BIPOC transgender and non-binary people. One of the biggest Natasha Ochandio. problems facing the LGBTQ+ community is the growing anti-trans vitriol and the violent outcomes that Santos. Alexandra follow. According to the Human Rights Campaign, 50 trans people were killed this past year in the US Luna Monteiro. alone — most of them being Black and Latina women. The trans community in the U.S. is Abasca. Tainá. disproportionately affected by homelessness, poverty, and unemployment, and as a result, they are four Camila. Lala times more likely than cis people to experience violent crimes. The American Medical Association has Pojuca Contreras. called this an epidemic. Alves de Novaa Ru Souza. Watson. So what can we do about this epidemic? The most accessible way to help is by spreading the word to Andrea Daniele raise awareness. According to the United States Transgender Survey, 54% of trans and non-binary people Nestor Silva. will experience violence in their lifetime. It is not sufficient to simply 'not be transphobic', we must be Moreno Ambre actively anti-transphobia. Castillo. Audrey Manuella Istie. There are several organizations that are working to improve the quality of life for our trans siblings. Otto. L. E. Kalyndra Transgenderequality.org, Transgenderlawcenter.org, and Glaad.org are just a few websites you can Parama. Selva go to, to learn more about what you can do to help. Gerusa Guede. Oliveira Wanda [ List of 375+ trans & gender diverse people murdered in 2021 Transrespect Versus Transphobia Worldwide 2021 Report Reis. Soraya De [ Brianna La Fuente. Kamila Pompeia Shafiq. Ramos. Rubi Dominguez. Taya Ashton. FATIMA BELM BARRIOS. Aline Sanchez. Victoria Nuñez. Bryan Gallan. Fabiola Rivera. Prachi. Shai Vanderpump. Badega. Sumana Dhar. Cindy Jones Torres. Sabrina Martins. Johanna. G. A. da Silva. CoCo Chanel Wortham. Michell González Cortés. Valentina Gámez. Bruna. Fernanda Alvarado. Pamela Lorrany. MERIDA. Dandara Brum. Suelen Carey. Antonella. Dayana. Raqueli. Heloísa Ferreira. Camila Arcila. Mia Morais. Nuray Nuriyev. Lourrany Lopes Leitão. Dodô Bezerra da Silva. Catalina Santos Arévalo. Darla. Pooh Johnson 'Titanizer' Mua. Rebeca Sampaio. Ana Paula Lopes dos Santos. Lola Santos. Dakshayani. Zoella Rose Martinez. Hevelyn Montini. Kadir Murat Sözübir. Devanny Cardiel. Disaya Monaee Smith. Raquel. Kelly Alves. Alessandra Drummond. Brianna Ulmer. Ivanna Angeline Macedo. Muslimah Hasim. Gina Rodríguez Sinuiri. Paulet. Tatiana García. R. Tamboong. Kiér Laprí Kartier. Zashy Zuely del Cid Velásquez. Sharlotte Escobar Ramos. Emanuelly Castro. Luana Morais. J. S. Cardoso. Jaqueline Saviery Silva. Keri Washington. Thomas Hardin. Jahaira DeAlto Balenciaga. Whispering Wind Bear Spirit. Danny Henson. Sophie Vásquez. Serenity Hollis. Cielo de Lucca. Reyna Fernandez Villanueva. Titi Batista das Chagas. Valery Pereira. Eliana Castillo. Ebeng Mayor. Oliver Taylor. Roberta Fernandes. Jhie Bangkiao. Kendra Torres Galeana. Laura Michelly. Karencita Mejía Núñez. Ilás. Bobby. Claudia Madonna Ramírez. Poe Black / Oliver Jackson 'Legion' 'Tommi'. Rubia Carvalho. Roba. Yulieth Balmaceda. KC Wilson. Thaynara Moraes. Pamela 'Pam' . S. Militante Santiago Cancinos. Dayana Cervantez. Ligia. Cataleya Martínez Machado. Cecy Caricia Ixpatá. Lucíana Moscoso. Andrea González. Danny Benavides. Tierramarie Lewis. Nicolly Xavier Azevedo. Michell. Elizabeth Rondón. Itu dos Santos. Miraş Güneş. Drika Rodrigues Sales. Luana Pereira dos Santos. Paola Calderon. Kerollyn Moroe Shampherllay. Rayanna Pardo. Niharika Narasimhamur thy. GASPARINA. Nathally Mendes Alves. Vanessa Zúniga. Krys Brandon Ruiz. Daniela. Débora Loven Stayne Jennifer Zapata. Jaida Peterson. Fanny. Mumtaz. Pietra Valentina. Vida Bruno. Madalena Leite. Bubbli. Paula Migeon. Marcinha Vaz. Dominique Lucious. Dimitra Kalogiannis. Márcia Marcita. KENDRA. La Barbie. Milena Massafera. Sofía Micaela Catán. Josefina Cruceño. Pet Galea. Stefany. Yeray Hurtado. A. Madrijanon. Melibeth Yulitza. Remy Fennell. Yara Pereira dos Santos. Viki Nieva. Monalisa Leide. Channu. Tiara Banks. Iris Santos. Natalia Smüt Lopez. Andressa Santos. Tiffany Thomas. F. de Assis Braga de Oliveira. Espinosa Sanchez. Diana Miranda. Emilia Herrera Obrecht. Chyna Carrillo. Àlissia Rodriguez. Saulette. J. F. Medina Hernández. Lorena Muniz. Jasmine Bright 'Jazzy'. Jeffrey Bright 'JJ'. Natasha da Paz Gomes. Surya. Jenna Franks. Eva Carvalho. Índia. Julie Catamin. AND MORE.

good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news good news Major French Dictionary Adding A Gender-Neutral Pronoun - 'iel' - Leads To Political Uproar

Human Trials To Begin On Possible CRISPR HIV Cure

Gender-Affirming Hormone Therapy Saves Trans Kids’ Lives, Landmark Study Shows

good news news good good news good news good news good good news news good news good news good news good news good news good good news news After Election, More Than 1,000 LGBTQ+ Officials Will Serve In The U.S.

As Countries Become More Tolerant, Suicides Among Gay Men Decline, Study Finds

Nearly A Third Of Millennials Identify As LGBTQ+, Study Finds

bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad bad news news bad news bad news bad news bad news Netflix Platforms Transphobia, Stands Ground

LGBTQ+ Native Americans Report High Levels Of Depression And Abuse, Study Finds

bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad news bad bad news news Major Legal Action Launched Against NHS Over Spiralling Trans Healthcare Wait Times

LGBTQ+ Afghans Fear Being Forgotten In The Months Since Taliban Takeover

2021 Marks The Deadliest Year For BIPOC Transgender And Non-Binary People

Photographer | Dysmorphia No. 21

Rachel Britton By Hannah Dickson | Erika Della Cioppa Merging together digital photography, sewing, drag, and BDSM, artist Rachel Britton (she/her/they) creates beautifully strange, queer worlds and scenes that explore kink, identity, sexuality, and the body. Based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Britton’s work often uses multiples and repetition, referencing their relationship with their identical twin and fraternal triplet, but also creating unworldly bodies that give space to the exploration of alternative identities. 1

Britton’s fascination with photography and editing began when they would make “weird edits of their Myspace pics back in middle school,” as they explained on an Instagram Ask Me Anything. Through experimentation and fun, it has evolved into a queer surrealist practice. While attending Grand Valley State University, they organized and performed in drag art shows at Electric Forest Festival, ArtPrize HUB, Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts, and Grand Valley State University. Graduating in 2018 with their Bachelor of Science in Photography, they’ve also been featured in a number of publications, including Billboard, MadWomxn Magazine, and Paraphilia Magazine, and have received awards from N.Y Photo Curator, American Advertising Awards, and Photographer’s Forum Magazine.

Dys m rp hia Britton’s Dysmorphia series began in 2018 and is composed of three phases which explore body dysmorphic disorder, a mental health disorder where, according to the Mayo Clinic, you become obsessed with a part or parts of your body, and are so worried about the way your body looks that it interferes with your daily life and ability to function. In the Dysmorphia series, images are edited together into one work, incorporating up to eighty-eight different photos (as seen in Dysmorphia No. 20) to create amalgamations of bodies, washed in colored light. The images are edited together so the viewer is left unsure of where one figure ends and another begins. The way Britton’s figures are rearticulated within the images is reminiscent of the work of Hans Bellmer, a German surrealist artist from the 1930s whose work often rearticulated and repeated body parts to explore figures which exist inbetween spaces — between genders, between sexes, and between human and object.

However, while the surrealists are often known for using these techniques to degrade their subjects, Britton does anything but. Dysmorphia No. 21 features a pile of stomachs, slick with oil and glistening under pink and purple lights. The occasional hand can be seen reaching out of the pile, almost as if the figures are climbing over and on top of eachother.

On Instagram, Britton said: “Jocelyn and I played with body oil for this one (I love a slick + glossy look). While Photoshopping, I couldn’t help but piece her belly buttons together. The shape of them reminds me of fruit loops. As I always ask K. for feedback, they suggested that I stack the bellies into a topsyturvy shape, like it’s a pile of flesh about to topple over… Reminds me of the cake from Sleeping Beauty.” The softness of the bodies is celebrated and valued, with hands gripping onto them for support. Britton finds a way to queer the surrealist’s de-articulation and rearticulation of figures, and uses them to explore their fluctuating identity. Britton’s current show, Voyeur, which is open now and on display until June 2022, is a solo exhibition of their work, curated by Joseph Garber at the Leather Archives & Museum in Chicago, whose goal is to make leather, kink, BDSM, and fetish accessible through research, preservation, education, and community engagement. Voyeur includes twenty-seven photographs by Britton, including several pieces from the Dysmorphia series and an experimental short film. Garber says that Britton’s work is “bridging multiple artistic gaps,” and that “these photographs imbue a sense of voyeuristic wonder, giving the viewer a deeper insight into the expression of kink.”

Support Rachel: racbripho racbripho Rachel Britton

https://rachelbrittonphoto.com/about

Jen Winston Photographer: Landon Speers (@landonspeers)

Jen Winston

Jen Winston Photographer: Landon Speers (@landonspeers)

Jen Winston is a writer, creative director, and bisexual who is currently redefining what it means to be confused, sex-positive, and selfreflective in the twenty-first century. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, CNN, and her newsletter The Bi Monthly, and is dedicated to exploring bi issues, experiences, and stories. Growing up in Indiana, Jen knew they wanted to make the queer pilgrimage from a small town to a big city from a young age — she just didn’t realize that this was built on a desire to be around more queer people until much later.

EMBRACING GREED Jen Winston’s (she/they) book, Greedy:

Notes from a Bisexual Who Wants Too Much, is part memoir, part theory

Jen Winston Photographer: Landon Speers (@landonspeers)

Bisexuality: a State of Flux

education, and an all-around incredibly validating read. This collection of essays covers everything from bi theory, to sex and masturbation, to gender exploration, and does it all with a sense of humour and introspection. Jen positions bisexuality as not only a sexuality, but as a political identity and an entry point into non-binary systems of thinking, expression, and experience — finding a way to make bisexual theory accessible and digestible in a way that’s never existed before. Whether you’re a newly out bisexual or a veteran in the community, you need to read Greedy, and give yourself permission to be confused and want more from life. Jen Winston sat down with Gaygenda to talk about their book, bi visibility, and what it means to be greedy.

By Hannah Dickson | Erika Della Cioppa jenerous jenerous jenerous The Bi Monthly - Substack

Greedy bisexuals only

www.greedy-bisexual.com/ 32

3 MONTHS AND On Instagram, you shared that you had actually written five book proposals before landing on Greedy. What made Greedy special?

Jen: They all would have been okay… They were mainly just a bunch of sex stories that were meant to be fun and lighthearted, but there wasn’t really a larger arc and they weren’t trying to tell a bigger story. Most of them were about different sexual experiences I’d had with men, and most of them ended with me coming out as bi, even though I hadn’t done that yet in my life. Then, after I came out, I started reading and learning more about bisexuality, and I realized that it’s actually a lot more of a political identity as well as a sexuality. I realized I could write a book about everything I wanted to write about, including social justice and political issues that really mattered to me, and also sex, of course. I realized I could talk about sex and it wouldn’t make me, like, a bad bisexual, which is kind of where the title came from.

ON THE WRITING PROCESS: Finishing Greedy was a journey for Jen. Starting out as a collection of lighthearted, funny stories, Greedy evolved over the course of the writing process, becoming the part memoir, part educational tool, part hilariously relatable story of self-discovery that it is today.

Jen Winston Photographer: Landon Speers (@landonspeers)

Gaygenda: You explore such a huge breadth of topics throughout the whole book. Who were your influences that helped to guide you through these ideas?

Jen: After I came out, I encountered the work of Shiri Eisner, and their book really made me feel proud to be bisexual. I wanted to give other bi people that feeling. I have the book right here (Shiri Eisner’s Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution). Another book that really informed a lot of what I was writing is Life Isn’t Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between by Alex Iantaffi and Meg-John Barker. That book really positions bisexuality as a non-binary entry point — an entry point to non-binary thinking in general. I felt very empowered by both of those books, and wanted to apply those teachings to a memoir.

pl a n n e r s and

p a t er s n s 34

How did you land on the title of Greedy: Notes from a

Bisexual Who Wants Too Much?

Jen: One day, my friend Ben, who is a bisexual man, and I were talking about the idea that being greedy is a bi stereotype, but it’s not a bad thing…or like, why is it a bad thing to have a lot of sex? Truly, it was his idea, but I just refuse to give him credit hahaha. But then I encountered the work of Shiri Eisner, who’s quoted throughout the book. Shiri’s work talks a lot about reclaiming bi stereotypes, rather than myth-busting them, which I think that bi people often do. We often say “bi people are not greedy, bisexuals are not confused,” but in reality, the core argument we should be making is, why would being greedy be bad anyway? Not that you have to be greedy to be a good bisexual, but you don’t have to not be greedy to be a good bisexual. That really tied together a lot of the themes that I wanted to talk about, mainly around sex positivity and the notion that women and people who have been socialized as women should be able to claim pleasure and define it for themselves. I found a lot of parallels between that act of definition and that act of self-defining that bisexuality requires, so I loved exploring the title and the theme throughout. I had an alt title that was like “Horny and Confused,” but it just doesn’t have the same ring to it.

“There are two types of writers, they say: planners and pantsers. People who plan, and people who fly by the seat of their pants. But I am absolutely a planner when it comes to writing, because if I fly by the seat of my pants, I will give up, and change my mind, and not want to work on the same project anymore. If I hadn’t sold this book deal, and I didn’t have to deliver on this specific project, it would have been really difficult for me to finish it.” - Jen candidly shares the difficulties of her super short deadline.

22,000 EDITS LATER

GREEDY BISEXUAL Do you have any advice for people who might not have access to queer spaces?

Jen: Your community does not have to be in real life at first. To find community and to feel seen online is totally valid, and it’s a great place to look if you are feeling like you can’t relate to anyone in your day-to-day.

GREEDY: NOTES FROM A BISEXUAL WHO WANTS TOO MUCH 5/5 BASED ON ALL AMAZON REVIEWS

GAYGENDA RECOMMENDS | GET YOURS

Once you left Indiana, how did you go about finding queer family and queer influences?

Jen: I left Indiana when I was eighteen, and I’d always known I wanted to leave. I didn’t know I wanted to leave in order to be around more queer people — I didn’t put that together until much later — I just wanted to get out of the small-town environment. I moved to LA for college, and there I met a lot of friends who all just happened to be queer. It was definitely a thread that ran through my friend group. I’m still friends with a lot of those people, and I think that speaks to the aspect of chosen family. I think you can have a chosen family even if your blood family is supportive, and even before you’re out.

B Y T C ••••B O Y L IIIIC IIIIT N O B IIIIL N S BB YY IC IIIIB S TT S C C IT C B O O Y L T C IL C N N O B O Y L IIIIS V B N IB M SS O O L B B B Y Y•••••••B M Y N SS T T M SS C C •••••V T Y U N IIIIC B C C O O L IIIIT M IS Y S IIL O U IIIIT N C N N O O BB O YY IIIIIL IC IIC V V IIIIB B T N C IIL IIT IIT C N I M M S O O L I V M M Y Y NS S S M O • O B O T T Y L U U I L V N N B C C S T C M I I Y N C M SS N • • B O T Y U L N I I B • B O O B Y M I I Y V V S S T M S N I C T • C • O B O T I Y U I I L N I V C C ••BBB M O O •VVV Y IL L IIISIIBB I VVIIIS N T C I M M Y Y B O O O O T T L U U I I L I M N N Y S T S C I I I T I U I I N C C M N S N N O • • O Y I B S B I Y M M Y Y I I M S N T T • M S C C • S O O O • T T Y U U I I I I L L N N I C C B II L S N T C O I I V C B N • B O I Y L I M I I I Y N B I T M C S I • I T T U U I I N N B C M N I S O • O O B O Y L M V I Y V V B I T S T • • C S B I Y I M Y I M N I S M M S C • O • B O • O • B T Y U T I Y L I U M I I I N I Y V N I B C C S T • M Y I N S O O I T L U I V N C B N • O B I Y I I I V N B S T M N C O • I T U I V N C B I I • B M S S O B • O • Y B Y L M I I V Y I T S M I C T S C I I • I I M Y C N N I S M S O • O • B O T T Y L U U M I I L I V I Y N N I B B C S S T I M S O • • B T Y U I I V N I T O C I I M Y V I S S N I O • S O B O T I Y U I L V N I V C B M M T • C O • • B I Y L I M I Y I S N I S T M S C I O • T I U I L M Y N C N B C M O O • O • B I T Y L U M I I V V M Y N I I Y B N I S T S C I N IB M S • BIIC IIC IIB SS C ITTYYY MU IIB C M M O OO TT U IIT N C ILLIIT M M C N N M O ••••••V U N IIIIS C N BIIL O IS V M YY M S O VVV B M O Y•••BBB M YYY S M CO U N C C M ON U ITT M N IIS S SS U IIIIT M N C NSSS O O O T U IIT N M N M M S M Y•••••VVV SI IIBBIILLIITTY • B I C TYYY U U N N CO M C OM MM O MU M UN NI ITITTYY M YY •• VVIIS U N

ON VISIBILITY Do you feel like bi visibility is improving?

Jen: Yes, I do. I think for all genders and sexualities, visibility is important, and for bi visibility, it’s such a critical part of the overall mission, because you don’t know if someone is bisexual unless you ask. There is no real way to tell by looking at who they’re in a relationship with — in many ways it’s similar to gender, because you can’t tell someone’s pronouns just by looking at them. I think Bi Visibility Day has a lot to do with this rise in visibility. It’s given bi people a moment to talk about ourselves and say what it means to us. With that, I think all bi people have a responsibility to educate each other that bisexuality should not reinforce the gender binary. And so that was another reason that I was really passionate about writing this book — I wanted to make sure that this was clear, that the difference between bisexuality and pansexuality depends on what it means to the person, but bisexuality also includes all genders.

Jen Winston Photographer: Landon Speers (@landonspeers)

To me, being bisexual means finding stability in a state of flux. - JEN WINSTON, AUTHOR OF GREEDY, BICON.

FINAL THOUGHTS Visibility and representation are important to the survival and resilience of all communities. And for the bisexual community, who often lack spaces to gather and genuine representation in media, Greedy and its author Jen Winston are bi culture. Her exploration of what bisexuality means to her, to the rest of the queer community, and to the world is the next step in building momentum towards creating spaces and a real community for bi people to see and learn from each other. As Jen writes, “bisexuality is not just an identity, it's a lens through which to reimagine the world.”

GREEDY BISEXUAL

b e e r f # y e n t i r b e eeb e r f # y e n t i r b b e e ree#freebritney r f # y e n t i r reeb tney #freeb i r b b e e e re r f # y e n t i r b b e e e e r r f f # y e n t i r freeb itney #free r b e e e e r fr f # y e n t i r b e e e e r r f f # # y e n t i r b e #fre ritney #free b e e e r r f #f # y e n t i r b e #fre Freedom At Last

By Marrisa Doud | Katie Mulcahy

We can all admit that the past year has been rough, but some of the best news in pop culture came in September when Britney Spears’ abusive, exploitive conservatorship was ended by the Los Angeles County Superior Court. For thirteen years, virtually every aspect of Britney’s life was controlled by her father because of the conservatorship. In June of this year, she spoke up and demanded legal action be taken to end the abuse. For reference, bbc.com defines a conservatorship as, “granted by a court for individuals who are unable to make their own decisions, like those with dementia or other mental illnesses.”

Typically, conservatorships are put in place for elderly people who are running out of time, not young, successful singers. Britney’s conservatorship was started in 2008 after a few very public displays of her mental instability following her divorce from Kevin Federline, in which she lost custody of their two kids. In 2008, she was admitted to the hospital twice for her mental health to be assessed. The conservatorship was put in place by her father, Jamie Spears, to 'protect her assets.'

Britney’s conservatorship was extremely restrictive. In June, she gave testimony claiming that she was drugged, forced to work, forbidden to get married, and unable to have her IUD removed. A New York Times article also claimed that her house was allegedly bugged with wiretaps and cameras, to keep an eye on her every move. The conservatorship was split up into two parts: her estate and finances, and her person. Her father was in charge of the former until this year citing health reasons, but this event corresponded with her accusation that he was exploiting her. Every week, Britney was afforded a $2,000 salary, while he obtained $16,000 per week. She accused the Spears family of essentially stealing millions of dollars from her legally as a result of the arrangement.

While Britney places most of the blame on her father, she also criticized her mother and sister for being passive during the abuse. Britney said she was prepared to press charges against her father for conservatorship abuse. Jamie Spears’ lawyer maintains that the conservatorship was “necessary to protect Britney in every sense of the word” — except her happiness, of course.

The rules and requirements of the conservatorship were restrictive, oppressive, and abusive, and fans of Britney Spears’ are breathing a collective sigh of relief that it's over and her abusers could face justice. This very public case has also brought to question the legality of conservatorships in general, or at least the parameters and limits that currently exist for them. For over a decade, Jamie Spears was able to exploit his daughter’s life and success under the guise of the legal system. I’m not a lawyer, but it seems way too easy to take advantage of this system.

Maybe we’ll see change as Jamie Spears is forced to defend and justify his actions against our queen. Britney may also decide to leave the spotlight so she can finally live in peace with her fiance and start the life they’ve been dreaming of for years. Either way, she deserves to live her life under her own circumstances however she chooses.

Your Resolutions For 2022 Anonymous

Be more proud of who I am and stop letting homophobes make me doubt my sexuality Anonymous

Anonymous

Make my inner child a bit happier

Anonymous

to come out and be accepted

Anonymous

be gay, do crimes Learn what the gay agenda is and be bisexual as fck

Anonymous

Love myself more Anonymous

Anonymous

Get a pride flag and a binder Reply

BE MYSELF!!!

To come to terms with everything I've lost and to accept that i did my best

Anonymous

Try the extra hot option at nandos Anonymous

Anonymous

Accepting the fact that my academic life and grades don't represent me and also be gay

Anonymous

Be MORE gay than ever

Anonymous

Have a bf

Coming out as trans to my family and hoping they accept me

To fall in love with myself

Anonymous

In 2022, I will graduate, move out and I will begin to learn more about myself and who i need to be

Anonymous

Fall in love or buy more plants

I need the courage to ask my girlfriend out

Move out. Maybe start dating. Come out

being bisexual, mine is to keep a happy relationship with my girlfriend

Anonymous

Be gayer, and save money Reply

Anonymous

To finally ask that girl out. Well if she's single.

Get more comfortable with my own body Anonymous

Finding a wife to cherish

Anonymous

Find a gf and settle down

make it out without letting my mental health get wrecked lol

Anonymous

Get a psychiatrist and then get my nails done

To be less sad and more gay Reply

Anonymous

Get a gf and listen to Clairo with her

Anonymous

Start testosterone no matter what relationships I lose in the process Reply

Anonymous

To meet more lgbtq+ people Reply

Anonymous

Coming out to my family and getting a binder

be rich and smart

Anonymous

To be oooouuuttt and lout to challenge the heteronormative bull

Anonymous

Getting good grades? and probably make my parents less homophobic so i can come out by 2025

Anonymous

Being as hot as possible

Anonymous

Finally really accept who I am and come out as bi to my very very conservative Christian fam

Anonymous

to get over my straight crush

Anonymous

To actually come out and stop hemming and hawing over it!!!

Call my girlfriend everyday...... We're in a long distance relationship

Yoga 1x/ week

Anonymous

Help my friends to become less homophobic, so it's easy for me in the future

@gaygendamagazine

Your Resolutions For 2022 38

YASMIN BENOIT | JEN WINSTON

WE NEED, IN EVERY COMMUNITY, A GROUP OF ANGELIC TROUBLEMAKERS • BAYARD RUSTIN

GAYGENDA 2021 | ISSUE 002

Yasmin Benoit • Gaygenda Magazine Issue 002