The Canadian government passed
#BillC18
, which requires tech companies to compensate media organizations if they want to host Canadian news content on their platforms. Meta/Google are opting not to do that, and are blocking Canadian news—like Xtra—from your feeds.
#cdnmedia
The creator behind
@PhilosophyTube
announced on YouTube today that she is a trans woman.
@nikostratis
spoke to Abigail Thorn about coming-out, how she found support and what this means for her as someone living in the spotlight
Disabled queer and trans people can’t pretend that the pandemic is over—and it would be most respectful (and safest) if the rest of the community didn’t either.
@merkyywaters
breaks it down as we enter the season of holiday gatherings.
Huge congrats to Anthony Johnson and James Makokis who WON
#AmazingRaceCanada
tonight! Here’s our interview with the Indigenous couple on what this means for them.
We are sad to hear that RM Vaughan has died. The author, playwright and artist was a beloved member of Canada's LGBTQ2S+ community and was a longtime contributor to Xtra. We grieve alongside his friends, family and everyone inspired by his work. (photo c/o
@bugsburnett
) (1/5)
Ever heard of brega? Xtra contributor
@NicoleFroio
delves into the campy, queer Brazilian musical genre that features artists such as
@pabllovittar
,
@aretuzalovi
and more!
.
@AnaheimDucks
fans are most likely familiar with
@LindsayImber
as the organist for the team—but she’s also the most visible trans employee of the
#NHL
, and she’s using her visibility to boost inclusion in hockey 🏒🏳️⚧️
@thefrankiedlc
writes:
Beloved trans author, performer and activist Cecilia Gentili has passed away. She spoke with us in 2022 about her memoir, which powerfully depicted abuse, sex work, forgiveness, friendship and class mobility. Rest in peace 🤍
“For a really long time I felt that if I came out as bi, I’d just be told that I hadn’t figured it out yet ... I was like oh, I’m not queer enough. But no, you are queer enough if you are bisexual."
#BiVisibility
Billy Eichner’s new movie “Bros” grossed only $4.8 million at the box office this weekend, and the actor/writer/producer claims homophobia and lack of support from straight audiences caused the underperformance. What did you think of the queer rom com?
#XtraAsks
Canada’s two openly gay Conservative MPs, and other MPs who’ve called themselves allies, are turning their backs on LGBTQ2S+ rights with their support of Poilievre’s anti-trans statements, writes
@FaeJohnstone
These 6 queer Brazilian pop stars are taking their music—and their radical politics—from the underground to the mainstream. Xtra contributor
@NicoleFroio
writes:
German racing driver Sebastian Vettel wants a queer-inclusive Formula One, and he’s making his views clear just weeks after arriving in Hungary weeks after their government banned LGBTQ+ portrayals in educational material.
@jpappone
writes:
Canada, this year is about to get sickening. Canada’s Drag Race (
@canadasdragrace
) premieres July 2! Here’s a first look at the cast that’ll make Canada and world gag. 🇨🇦✨
#CanadasDragRace
#DragRace
Have you watched
#TheHalfOfIt
on Netflix yet? We asked filmmaker
@thatalicewu
about her favourite coming-of-age story and how she came up with the idea for "taco sausage."
Elisa Rae Shupe was crafted into a weapon when her narrative was taken out of her control by TERFs and Christian conservatives.
@byJudeDoyle
tells her story and provides a behind-the-scenes look at one anti-trans group’s strategy to destroy trans rights.
“There is something very telling about the fact that that show ended and we've not seen a Black gay male character on mainstream TV that is in the centre,”
@darrylstephens
talks to
@TrevellAnderson
We stand in solidarity with
#BlackLivesMatter
and all who fight against racism and police brutality. In this moment of mourning and anger, we honour the leadership of Black LGBTQ2 folks, and know the work to dismantle white supremacy is our collective responsibility. (1/7)
Once one of the most conservative women’s sports, NCAA gymnastics has gone all in on queer representation. Ahead of the national championship from April 13-15,
@sf_boswell
explains how queer gymnasts are challenging stereotypes about the sport.
Is it possible that for some people, sexuality and gender identity don’t stem from having been “born this way”? Xtra contributor
@herong
delves into the possibility of choosing and changing our identities.
Congrats to Demi Lovato for coming out as non-binary!🌈✨ Their continued bravery and vulnerability in the public eye is undoubtedly helpful to so many young folks.
Today is a day I'm so happy to share more of my life with you all- I am proud to let you know that I identify as non-binary & will officially be changing my pronouns to they/them moving forward 💖
Feeling her queerness slowly slip away during the pandemic,
@KateRaphael1
didn’t expect that her boyfriend—a cishet man—would be the one to reaffirm her bisexuality by giving her a queer haircut. Read the latest Love Like Mine
Thrilled to announce that LA-based journalist Tre'vell Anderson (
@TrevellAnderson
) is joining Xtra as a regular contributor covering film and TV. Look out for their first piece on Friday. In the meantime, check out more of Tre'vell's work here:
"Everything Everywhere All At Once" co-director Daniel Scheinert, accepting the Best Director Oscar, thanks his parents for letting him be weird and dress in drag as a kid, "which is a threat to nobody!"
Amen!
#Oscars
💕🌈
“There is no debate to argue here. Trans people have been here forever and aren’t going anywhere. There is no ideology here. It’s simple. Trans rights are human rights. Anything stating the contrary is wrong.”
@jamieleecurtis
Tre’vell Anderson (
@TrevellAnderson
) joins us as Editor at Large, building upon their ongoing project to centre those in the margins, especially Black queer and trans voices. Based in L.A., Tre'vell is a writer, editor and podcaster, and serves as the president of
@NABJLAOfficial
“Far-right extremists in the country have used these so-called ‘convoy’ protests to recruit, and we need to be aware of how homophobia and transphobia become a vector for that recruitment,” writes
@journo_dale
.
The latest in a long line of queer kids’ comics,
@mollyostertag
’s delightful “The Girl from the Sea” was released this month. Here are some other child and YA comics to tuck into this summer.
“Being Asian, queer and a woman meant there were a myriad of ways I could vanish.” The fleeting joy of seeing queer Asian women on screen via
@natweewriter
.
Xtra is pleased to announce our new senior editor, power (politics and identities), Tara-Michelle Ziniuk (
@therealrealTMZ
)! ✨🌈 Tara-Michelle is a Toronto-based editor/writer. She was most recently the editor of
@thismagazine
and is the author of three poetry books.
#cdnmedia
Ahead of the 2019 election, RM Vaughan wrote this searing critique of politicians using LGBTQ2S+ folks to help win progressive votes, saying: “My queer identity, my queer being, my queer body and my queer rights are not vote bait.” (4/5)
“My parents had a hard time accepting I was gay. They'd basically chosen to give up thinking about their dreams, so I felt tremendously guilty coming out,” says
#TheHalfOfIt
filmmaker
@thatalicewu
on being queer in an immigrant family
On August 5, Sorrenti, a high-profile trans streamer known as “Keffals,” who debunks anti-trans rhetoric, was arrested at gunpoint after a fraudulent email was sent to every city councillor in London, Ontario.
@graceofyul
reports:
FACT CHECK: Social contagion theory is based on bad science, and yet it continues to be weaponized to roll back the rights of trans kids.
Get the facts:
At age 77, journalist and longtime board member of Xtra’s publisher Gerald Hannon has died. His colleagues and friends pay tribute to the prolific and infamous Canadian gay journalist.
“Right now, we’re the only Latinx family show on network television, which is atrocious,” says
#OneDayAtATime
star
@Isabella_Gomez
. The actor spoke to
@MaxJGao
about the importance of authentic representation and how fans saved the show from cancellation
🧵: Today, Canadian Blood Services recommended that Health Canada end the discriminatory blood ban against men who have sex with men and trans folks. 1/
Perhaps one of RM Vaughan’s most memorable pieces was this powerful essay on coming-of-age and coming out at the height of the AIDS crisis. “I was afraid of sex and afraid of being gay well into my 20s,” he wrote. “Shame is a strange virus too.” (5/5)
Picking up where the last book left off, Ari and Dante have come to tentatively accept their sexualities and love for each other. But now what?
@sup_dst
spoke to Benjamin Alire Sáenz about his new book.
RM Vaughan’s most recent piece for Xtra was this look back
@LADYBUNNY77
’s Wigstock, 25 years after the drag fest ended. With Pierre Dalpé’s photos, we were transported back to the optimism and fearlessness of all who attended the groundbreaking event (3/5)
At the best of times, it’s not easy to be a trans person in this world, so what happens when you throw the additional wrench that is the
#COVID19
pandemic into the gears?
@nikostratis
explains
#TransDayOfVisibility
Poilievre’s conspicuous silence on harassment says more of his views on LGBTQ2S+ lives and rights than whether or not he attends Pride, says
@journo_dale
.
There is a large anti-trans protest planned at locations across Canada on Wednesday Sept. 20.
Here’s what your need to know about the groups behind it and how to stay safe:
#cdnpoli
#protecttranskids
In light of the Ottawa Catholic School Board's removal of a graphic novel with LGBT content from its elementary school libraries, here's our list of six LGBTQ2 children’s books every parent should own.
Last night, members of
@PrideToronto
voted against allowing uniformed police to march in this year's Pride parade. Here's
@meakoopa
's piece on the matter.
#PrideTo
“I want to see more Indigenous, trans women surviving — and not only in books," says Indigenous, Two-Spirit multidisciplinary artist
@ArielleTwist
on the inspiration behind her debut collection of poetry
Last week, acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood reshared two problematic anti-trans pieces from the ‘Toronto Star’ and CBC. It’s part of a worrying trend of anti-trans narratives,
@intothemelwoods
writes.
Trans men and non-binary folks can give birth too. Thank you
@AOC
for using inclusive language when discussing parental leave. This is what allyship looks like!
‘The market has decided that women and people who give birth deserve less time with their children than a dog.’ —
@AOC
exposed just how lacking parental leave is in the U.S.
Lesbian writer, filmmaker and political activist Amber Hollibaugh died this weekend at age 77. Her memoir 'My Dangerous Desires: A Queer Girl Dreaming Her Way Home' was a pivotal piece of literature on femme identity, growing up poor, sex work and surviving incest. RIP 🤍
We are thrilled to announce Pink Triangle Press’ new Editorial Director,
@Angela_Mullins
! Angela is a Toronto-based journalist and is currently the
@TorontoStar
’s Senior Editor of Digital Audience Development. Welcome to the Xtra team!
#cdnmedia
READ:
@thatbitchlemon
talks about how other queens perceived her, her character’s inspiration and the makeover challenge that made her emotional.
#CanadasDragRace
Introducing the latest evolution of Xtra: a fresh makeover, an updated logo and a new website that builds on our legacy as one of the world’s oldest, indie LGBTQ2S+ publications. Come often, stay awhile and join us as we continue to queer the conversation!
Today is
#TransDayofVisibility
, a day to honour the transgender and non-binary people in your life. But like many trans folks are saying: visibility without activism, equality and safety is not enough. Here are some stories to inspire action in the fight for trans rights. (1/10)
"The calculation is simple: conservatives don’t like that trans people exist, so they will try to make life for trans people as impossible to live as they can,"
@transscribe
writes about the rise of anti-trans legislation in the U.S.
Remembering the 2000 Toronto police raid on a queer women’s bathhouse and the lessons from the protest movement that followed.
@ChanelleGallant
explains:
Queer and trans activists fear that a surge of proposed drag bans could criminalize trans people in public life. We’ve been here before, says
@krheyam
—and it’s never been about protecting the children.
“There’s Pride all across the world, and queer people in Africa wake up every day and dream of attending theirs,” says Pride in Lagos organizer Olaide Kayode Timileyin.
“I want to ban conversion therapy. There’s no reason why this practice, which is so hurtful and harmful, should be continuing in Canada.”
@theJagmeetSingh
on banning conversion therapy and the priorities the NDP is holding this election season.
Police have recovered bodies in large planters. Police are urging people who have had landscaping work done by Bruce McArthur to contact them immediately.
.
@amitakuttner
is the first trans person to lead a major Canadian political party.
@intothemelwoods
spoke to them about rebuilding the Greens, transitioning in the public eye and trans joy.
Years ago, writer Ray Levy-Uyeda made eye contact because she didn’t know what she wanted to say aloud. Watching
@thatalicewu
’s
#TheHalfOfIt
reminded her of how overwhelming a queer crush can be
A U.S.-based right-wing Christian organization called the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) has been working to limit queer, trans and abortion rights for decades—and their ties in Canada have been growing.
@TheMaimann
explains everything you need to know:
The announcement from Canada’s immigration minister means more LGBTQ+ refugees will be resettled, and that this will happen faster than it has in the past.
@journo_dale
spoke to immigration minister Sean Fraser:
”I want people to understand that if somebody is trans, non-binary, Two-Spirit, gay, lesbian, whatever their identity might be, sexually or gender-wise, anything is possible.”
@ZivoAdam
profiles
@SarahAshtonLV
.
“I guess that’s sort of a running thread in the special, is just trying to focus on the positive, and how we do that, and how we balance optimism and pessimism when we have all this information that is so overwhelming.”—
@TheMaeMartin