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TY DERAN ON BEING GRACEFUL WITH YOURSELF 💗

Loving yourself out loud is complicated and radical. Click into our interview with Ty Deran (@mx.deran on Instagram).

Tyra Blizzard x Gaygenda Magazine

Identifying as a Black genderqueer lesbian woman, Tyra Blizzard is a creator who encourages us to question what we know about gender, sexuality, and identity.

Creators are Fed Up with LGBTQ+ Censorship on TikTok

TikTok's reporting feature is being abused and it's hurting queer creators. Today is the beginning of Pride month in the USA, and TikTok is expected to dole out a Pride campaign similar to that of 2021.

Tven Romero's Latest Single: Pajarito Mas Bonito 🐦

> "Pajarito Mas Bonito' is Spanish for "prettiest little birdie': but I'm not talking about real birds..." - TVEN Who is Tven Romero? In Tven's own words, he is chaotic and a bit psychotic. Tven (pronounced 'T-ven') was born and raised in Los Angeles and has always loved to express himself

Joe Polito on Pursuing Your Passions and Embracing Your Truth

Joe uses his platforms to connect with his queer following. His TikToks are funny, relatable examples of what it's like to be part of the LGBTQ+ community today.

Pride Month Dates 2022

Pride Month 2022 dates around the world: New York, LA, Puerto Vallarta, and more. What is Pride? Why is pride month important?

How to Start an Ethical Side Hustle

A side hustle is an additional job or occupation. The best way to find an ethical side hustle is by looking for opportunities where you don't have to sacrifice your morals in order to make a living.

4 Easy LGBTQ+ Date Ideas

Whether you're looking for something low-key or something more adventurous, we've got the perfect date idea for you and your partner. Four easy and romantic gay date ideas!

What is Internalized Homophobia?

What is internalized homophobia? Internalized homophobia is a term used to describe the process by which LGBTQ+ individuals come to accept and believe negative stereotypes about themselves.

Queries: Advice from a dyke - Romance and relationships

Welcome to Queeries! This is an LGBTQ advice column to answer questions about love, life, school, friends, family, the queer community, and everything LGBTQ+.

7 Things to Consider Before You Come Out of the Closet

As the LGBTQ+ community becomes increasingly visible, more and more people are starting to feel comfortable sharing their gender and sexual identities. Coming out can also be an exciting process! But, it's important to take the time to make sure it's right for you.

How to start becoming a more confident person

How to become more confident; The path towards confidence is also not linear—you will experience ups and downs, it's simply a fact of life! But, to help you get started building your confidence, we’ve created a list of 5 steps

Advice for Coming Out of the Closet - Ultimate LGBTQ Guide

Since coming out as LGBTQIA+ can be so mentally, emotionally, and physically draining, we have put together this comprehensive one-stop guide covering key tips and considerations for navigating any coming out situation. From friends, to family, to work, and everything in between.

LGBTQ Guide to Unlearning Religious Trauma

The psychological effects of being LGBTQ+ and growing up in a religious household can lead to a lifetime of harmful brainwashing and confusion for many people. There are ways to unlearn these toxic tendencies, but it takes time, patience, and self-compassion.

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7 Grindr Tips for Grindr Newbies & Pros

By Freddie Freddie is Canada’s largest online PrEP provider. This article was written in partnership with Freddie, Canada’s largest online PrEP provider. What’s PrEP? [https://www.gofreddie.com/resources/what-is-prep-hiv?utmsource=gaygenda&utmmedium=referral] PrEP is a daily pill that reduces the risk of HIV transmission risk

Woman ‘cured’ of HIV for first time ever in ‘scientifically important’ breakthrough

A woman appears to have been cured of HIV for the first time ever, in a breakthrough in the fight against thevirus. TheNew York Timesreported that the method used, which involves a stem cell transplant, could lead to more racially diverse people being cured of the virus in the future.

Freddie: The brand revolutionizing 2SLGBTQ+ healthcare

This interview was conducted with Freddie, Canada’s largest online PrEP provider. PrEP, what’s that? [https://www.gofreddie.com/resources/what-is-prep-hiv?utm_source=gaygenda&utm_medium=referral] PrEP is a daily pill that reduces HIV transmission risk by up to 99% when taken as prescribed. Say hello to Freddie

Butch Lesbian Icon Rio Romeo on Their New Single, Bet

✍️Marrisa Doud | Erika Della CioppaButch Lesbian Icon Rio Romeo on Their New Single, Bet As far as LGBTQ+ creators are concerned, no one is doing more than Rio Romeo (@riodoeseverything on TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@riodoeseverything?lang=en] and Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/riodoeseverything/]). February is a big

Queeries: Advice from a Dyke - The Future, Lesbians IRL, and more

✍️Hannah Dickson | Erika Della CioppaQueeries: Advice from a Dyke - The Future, Lesbians IRL, and more Welcome to the first edition of Queeries! The series where I, Hannah, answer your questions about love, life, school, friends, family, the queer community, and everything in between. Am I an expert on everything

Fall Photo Tips for 2022

✍️Grace Schwartz | Erika Della CioppaAll images in this article were taken by Grace Schwartz! Fall is such a beautiful season that it’s almost inevitable that you’ll be consumed by the urge to take pictures of it all. But figuring out how to take the perfect picture can often

Queeries: Advice from a Dyke

Welcome to Queeries: Advice from a Dyke! [https://forms.gle/moQLNUkLxWxxDahs9] Queeries is a secure advice column for LGBTQ+ youth to ask questions about any topic. Am I an expert on everything who has their life together? No… Do I love to tell other people what to do? Absolutely! If

MILO at Penn State University Controversy

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva ClarkIt’s pretty standard that we start seriously questioning our sexual orientation and gender identity when we’re teenagers. If that’s true for you, I’m sure you’ve thought to yourself, “In a few years, I’ll go to college where things are just different.

October Playlist: Spooky Month!

✍️Erin Reilly | Katie MulcahyOctober is the month dedicated to all things spooky and unsettling. This month’s playlist is to help you get into the spirit of Halloween and everything that comes with it. Listen to some of these classic Halloween songs as you get dressed up in your costume

Halloween Costumes: Gay Icons Edition

It’s almost Halloween, AKA gay Christmas! If you haven’t already planned what you’re going to wear months in advance, here are some costume ideas for some of the most iconic characters and figures in the queer community… 1. HIM from Power Puff Girls There’s a reason

Self-Care in Today's Society

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyOn June 1st, 2021, Naomi Osaka announced she was pulling out of the French Open for tennis. She cited mental health and social anxiety as the reason for this withdrawal. Some people didn’t understand, but others took it as a wake-up call to take care of

A Guide to Drag Show Etiquette

✍️Hannah Dickson | Erika Della CioppaSo you’ve found a venue in your area that’s hosting a drag show and you want to go see the magical, sparkly creatures that we call drag queens. Or maybe you’ve finally caught up on all the seasons of RuPaul’s Drag Race

Vaccinating the 2SLGBTQIA+ Community: What's going on?

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyOn August 12, 2021, the Human Rights Campaign– in partnership with support from the Rockefeller Foundation– released a new study that came with shocking, yet welcoming results. This article will be a summary of the study, along with its impact and implications on the LGBTQ+ community. The

Review: One Last Stop

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva Clark> “There aren’t perfect moments in life, not really, not when shit has gotten as weird as it can get and you’re broke in a mean city and the things that hurt feel so big. But there’s the wind flying and the weight of

September Playlist: Motivation!

✍️Erin Reilly | Katie MulcahyOver the past few months,  life has been stressful for a large majority of people. School has started up after a long quarantine and a year of zoom classes, and it can be hard adjusting to changes. On top of that, there are multiple people who are

The Kings and Queens of Drag

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyDrag is an exciting lifestyle to examine because it is full of many different styles and personas from thousands of artists across the world. It is a performance of appearing masculine or feminine and exaggerating features that are traditional to whichever side. It also has a rich

Two Russians Returned to Torturers in Chechnya

✍️Randi Whipple | Michael OSalekh Magamadov and Ismail Isayev escaped police in Chechnya in April of 2020, detained for being opposing the government, specifically on the Telegram app, an instant messaging service. However, experts believe they were also arrested for their sexual orientations. In Chechnya, they were tortured for this opposition,

Our Gay Ancestors: Who Was Oscar Wilde?

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva Clark> “Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.” One of Irish playwright Oscar Wilde’s most famous quotes, and no one is more of an expert on being themself in the face of adversity than Oscar Wilde. Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland in 1854. His full

How To Manage ADHD - An LGBTQ Guide

✍️Peyton Rose | Eva ClarkLiving with ADHD can be both a blessing and a curse, depending on how severe your symptoms are, and can fluctuate from moment to moment. ADHD minds are creative and curious–we see solutions where others may only find insurmountable problems. But we can also struggle with

Witchcraft 101: An Introduction to Crystals

✍️Peyton Rose | Grace SchwartzEveryone is attracted to gemstones in some way, be it an appreciation for their beauty or a more spiritual draw. In this segment of Witchcraft 101, we will be addressing crystals. More specifically, what they are, how to use them, some basic crystals and their properties, and

Sylvia Rivera: A True Drag Queen

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva ClarkSylvia Rivera was one of the most active and prominent trans activists during the 1960s and 70s. She frequently spoke out on behalf of transgender and nonbinary people, as well as sex workers, people of color, poor people, and addicts, as she was all of these things

A Guide to Queer Time

✍️Hannah Dickson | Erika Della CioppaHave you ever felt like your life doesn’t follow the same timeline as that of your straight friends or family? Western culture often defines a life as successful and satisfying if it follows a specific timeline of events and milestones: having your first romantic experiences

Who Was Marsha P. Johnson?

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva Clark> “Darling, I want my gay rights now! I think it’s about time the gay brothers and sisters got their rights, especially the women!” says Marsha P. Johnson, as she watches a Pride Parade stroll by in an old recording. Aside from being the generous queen

A Guide To LGBTQ+ Flags

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva ClarkThe LGBTQ+ community has a lot to celebrate and be proud of, which is one of the reasons why we have flags and parades and Pride month. But sometimes these flags can be a bit confusing, so here is a comprehensive guide to the different LGBTQ+ flags

Review: You Will Get Through This Night

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva Clark> There’s a moment at the end of every day, where the world falls away and you are left alone with your thoughts. A reckoning. When the things you have been pushing to the background come forward and demand your attention.” Daniel Howell puts his soul

Five Taylor Swift Songs That I Think Have Gay Messages

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva ClarkThe great curse of growing up queer in a heteronormative world is having a hard time relating to romantic pop songs unless you really read between the lines. LGBTQ+ people are great at finding queercoding in media—whether it’s there or not—and since every single

14 Historical LGBTQ+ Facts

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyDid you know in ancient Thebes, an army was compiled with 300 men – more specifically – 150 gay couples? The idea behind this was that men would fight with more dedication to protect or impress their lover, and it worked! This group was called “The Sacred Band of

LGBTQ+ Teachers

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyTeachers are some of – if not the most – influential people in students’ lives. However, teachers do not only teach core classes and electives. They also teach social skills such as respect, kindness, patience, and most importantly, acceptance. Learning about acceptance is especially important in classes with children

Rest in Peace to the Twitter Crop: Tweets that no longer hit as hard

“Open for a Surprise” July 2017 – May 2021 If you’re as hopelessly online as the rest of us, you may have noticed the current buzz on Twitter. This surge in discourse revolves around one of the most quintessential characteristics of the platform – the crop. In its most recent update,

The History of Men in Feminine Clothing

✍️Erin Reilly | Esme ACAs society progresses, so do gender roles. Clothing, accessories, and social roles continue to be important tools for us to understand and express gender. People today have been working to fight against the idea that gender has a role, that specific genders are to look a certain

Yallwest Festival 2021: Calling All Book Lovers!

✍️Esme AC | CosimaY’ALL MEANS ALL Yallwest [https://www.yallwest.com/] is a book festival that takes place in the spring in Santa Monica, California. The festival was co-founded in 2015 by authors Melissa de la Cruz and Margaret Stohl with the help of an amazing team that included Pseudonymous

Lawyers for The LGBTQ+

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyLaws and rulings in the justice system are necessary for the LGBTQ+ community for many reasons. When bills are passed and judgments are made, they can significantly help or hinder the people under those jurisdictions. The idea of significance from the justice system does not only apply

Writing and How it Can Help You

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyWriting books, poems, scripts, and other forms of literature is very important for people in the LGBTQ+ community. Not only can writing help deter harmful stereotypes, but it can also help raise awareness of struggles found within the community. Most importantly, it can bring forward more representation

Tab Hunter: America’s Golden Boy

✍️Marrisa Doud | Ellie Brown> “With his charm and good looks and his magnetic presence he was the embodiment of youthful American masculinity,” is how actor George Takei described his friend Tab Hunter in the documentary Tab Hunter Confidential. Hunter was an icon of the boomer generation when they were young

March 2021 Playlist: Confidence

✍️Esme ACGAYGENDA PLAYLIST FOR MARCH: CONFIDENCE [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0WKnSStG7sj30NEudVLuf0?si=xpeFXWhqTNG2NkscYb45NQ] Here is Mach 2021’s playlist folks! The theme for this month’s playlist is Confidence. The songs chosen are ones that make us feel confident. So take those selfies and slow-mo videos! Follow The Gay

Five Marvel Characters That Should Be LGBTQ+

✍️Marrisa Doud | Ellie BrownMarvel Studios has prevailed as one of the most advanced and evolved forms of world-building the entertainment industry has ever seen with twenty movies spanning over a ten-year period. The storylines of each movie connect and are weaved together by the smallest details and the biggest plotlines.

Jeanne Córdova: Iconic Lesbian Activist and Proud Butch

✍️Marrisa Doud | Ellie Brown> “That was step one in recognizing my social movement when it came knocking – the persistent noise in your head that tells you that the world’s reality and your own don’t match.” – Lesbian feminist activist Jeanne Córdova in her memoir When We Were Outlaws: A

COVID Cases Skyrocketing in the United States: Are Masks Really Working?

✍️Hazel | Ellie BrownIn just under one year, COVID-19 cases in the United States have spiked from 16 cases in March 2020 to nearly 560,000 in this past week alone. Everyone you know is probably either wearing a mask or telling you to wear a mask – but is that really

Witchcraft 101 - An Introduction

✍️Peyton Rose | Grace SchwartzThe study and practice of witchcraft vary in many different ways; between cultures, countries, and even individuals. Ask three witches, and you’ll get four answers. Modern witchcraft is an extremely personal practice, and there really is no wrong way to be a witch. That being said,

Colette, Prolific Author and Woman of Letters

✍️Marrisa Doud | Ellie Brown> “My name is Claudine, I live in Montigny; I was born there in 1884; I shall probably not die there,” is the opening line of one of Sidonie Gabrielle Colette’s most iconic novels, Claudine. Colette was a French novelist who pushed the boundaries of society

Alternative Fast Fashion - For When You Can't Afford to Shop Sustainable Products

(This post is inspired by a document in the Gaygenda Google Drive [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kkaqR81D_HimocbLwMlXCjwHEp5AeXnkY9ULGHV-E8o/edit] . Feel free to add any types of fashions. Originally created by Tiffany/Kagami) Hold on a Moment, Let’s Explain… I know you’ve heard it before: the fast

Todrick Hall's EP 'Haus Party, Pt. 3' Is Nothing Short of LGBT+ Excellence

Todrick Hall dropped his latest EP, Haus Party Pt. 3 – and it is everything. The EP has seven tracks in total, covering themes of love, heartache, developing a crush, self-love, and more. In total, the EP runs for 24 minutes and 51 seconds – but you’ll find yourself playing it

Gaygenda February Playlist: LOVE & HEARTBREAK

✍️Esme ACWelcome to the first monthly playlist of the year! Every month, the Gaygenda will have a playlist with songs from LGBTQIA+ and ally artists. The songs will correspond with the theme for the month. This month’s theme is “Love and Heartbreak” so be ready for some “red lights,

Valentine's Day Crafting

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva Clark> Roses are red, violets are blue. I love seasonal crafts, how about you? Valentine’s Day is creeping up on us quickly and this holiday of pink hearts and chocolate reminds us to show our loved ones how much they mean to us. Whether you’re

The Alan Turing Law

✍️Marrisa Doud | Ellie BrownHistory is full of notable figures who did the kind of work that shaped the future – take, for example, Alan Turing. Born in London, England in 1912, Turing made major contributions to the mathematical, logistic, and analytic fields, as well as with computer science, cognitive science, and

Trump's Last Actions in Office & Biden's First Actions in Office

✍️Randi Whipple | Ellie BrownIn the US, a president doesn’t just enter office after they are elected – there is a waiting period that extends until January 20th, during which time the former US president must carry out their last actions in office before the new president is inaugurated. Recently, Joe

Italy Facing Challenges in Post-Covid Relief Talks

✍️Randi Whipple | Ellie BrownTalks in Italy over its post-COVID relief plan have caused major schisms in the ruling coalition. The former prime minister, Matteo Renzi, pulled out two of his ministers (Teresa Bellanova and Elena Bonetti) after weeks of clashing, causing major chaos. This left the current prime minister, Giuseppe

Biden to Expand on Protections that Trump Tried to Take Away

✍️Randi Whipple | Ellie BrownIn his last days of office, during the US Capitol riots, President Trump quietly attempted to eliminate the rights of LGBTQ+ people in regards to Health and Human Services protection and adoption rights. More specifically, Trump tried to remove LGBTQ+ people’s rights to receive STI and

Poland: The War for Women’s Rights

✍️Anna | Ellie BrownOutrage has struck amongst hundreds of thousands of women in Poland as of October 22nd, when the Polish Constitutional Tribunal decided to ban all abortions regardless of circumstance. The people’s response to the injustice of the new law was immediate: over 430,000 men, women, and children

Heated Peruvian Protests Erupt in the Streets

✍️Randi Whipple | Michael OThis year hasn’t been great for many people, politically-speaking, but in Peru, things went from bad to worse as a result of the mismanagement of the pandemic by former President Martín Vizcarra. Peru’s Congress also alleged that Vizcarra took bribes in the past, and he

The History of Drag

✍️Erin Reilly | Esme AC“Ru-Paul’s Drag Race” [https://www.instagram.com/rupaulsdragrace/] has put a practice from the history of entertainment into the spotlight. However, most people haven’t taken the time to actually look into the rich history of this practice. From theater to simply expressing oneself, here

Muslims in China: America's New Slave Labor

✍️Randi Whipple | Michael OIt’s China’s dirty secret: many people dislike Muslims and they show it by putting them into camps – a lot of them. According to BuzzFeed, the Chinese government has built over 260 high-security camps. Various Muslim minorities, including the Uyghurs and Kazakhs, are taken. Though the

Life In The Closet

✍️Abby Skye | Katie Mulcahy“In the closet” is a phrase frequently used to describe someone in the LGBTQ+ community who has not yet come out publicly about their sexual, romantic, or gender orientation. Living ‘in the closet’ is not something people always choose to do. Sometimes, they must do it

Being LGBTQ+ Around the World

✍️Randi Whipple | Michael OMany know what it’s like to be LGBTQ+ in the United States, Canada, and England, with varying degrees of rights, trials and tribulations, and what it’s like to live here. But what it’s like to live here is not what it’s like for

Cottagecore and the Beauty of Baking

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyCottagecore is a peaceful way of life seen in the LGBTQ+ community; however, cottagecore tends to be observed primarily on the lesbian side of the spectrum, hence the title “cottagecore lesbian.” It is full of – but not limited to –  nature, gardens, rural living, pottery, foraging, and wildlife

Musicians and the Therapy of Music

✍️Abby Skye | Katie MulcahyMany musicians throughout history have identified with the LGBTQ+ spectrum and community. They express this identity and their emotions through music. Musicians such as these include Freddie Mercury from Queen (bisexual); Marie Ulven Ringheim from Girl In Red (queer); Mikaela Straus from King Princess (gay and genderqueer)

Rating “Are You Gay?” Quizzes

✍️Marrisa Doud | Eva ClarkAt age twenty, I’m pretty comfortable identifying as gay, but there was a time where that thought terrified me. In my scared confusion as a young teenager wrestling with the notion that I was different in such a major way, I turned to the internet; coming

How to Small Business: Getting Organized

✍️Grace Schwartz | RileyPerhaps the most important part of running a small business is being organized. Whether you’ve been planning for months or are spontaneously jumping into the deep end, nothing will work if you’re not organized. Looking back, one of the things I wish I had done sooner

A Guidebook to Understanding the Alphabet Mafia

✍️Camo | Grace SchwartzIntroduction to Sexuality, Gender, Romantic Orientations, and the Asexual Spectrum Let’s start with the basics: what are sexualities, genders, and romantic orientations? First off, let’s establish that romantic and sexual attraction are two very distinct, very different things. A romantic attraction would mean you can imagine

Chest Binding Safety

✍️Peyton Rose | Grace SchwartzChest binding is a common practice among those of us on the more masculine-presenting side of the trans spectrum, from binary FTM trans-folk to non-binary people and even some of our non-trans friends, binding is for anyone who wants to do it, no matter your identity. It’

Closet Survival Hacks

✍️Camo | RileyThis article is a series of tips for closeted members of the LGBTQ+ community, particularly minors with guardians they are unable to safely come out to. Tip #1: Watch what you send people This is a relatively common piece of advice, but it’s especially important if you have

Questions & Advice

Welcome to the Gaygenda Q&A! As of the time that this article is being written, we have no questions to answer; however, this is the perfect chance to inform you that we do indeed have a Q&A, if that wasn’t obvious already. We’d love to answer