• Songs That Soundtrack the AIDS Crisis: Rihanna’s “Sex With Me”

    Songs That Soundtrack the AIDS Crisis: Rihanna’s “Sex With Me”

    It is the year of our Beyoncé 2024, and folks got on her internet to deride people for taking PrEP, by admonishing them to just “not have sex with people who have hiv.” This began a few days ago when X account @ FemK_Ultra wrote that “Realizing sex doesnt have to be this all sacred” […]

  • In Celebration of Amber Ruffin

    In Celebration of Amber Ruffin

    ride started with a protest. Pride Month is a declaration of the fight for freedom for all LGBTQ+ people. It is a way to honor our history, resilience, and collective resistance. For those of us who have the privilege, one act of resistance can be coming out publicly as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. […]

  • 10 Songs by LGBTQ+ Artists to Add to Your Playlists

    10 Songs by LGBTQ+ Artists to Add to Your Playlists

    As Pride Month winds down and all of the corporate rainbow “support” goes into hibernation, here are 9 songs by LGBTQ+ artists to add to your playlists to jam to for the rest of the year.  This multi-genre list a celebration of the growing visibility and reach of LGBTQ+ artists. Something that only 10 years […]

  • Water From The Moon (a Poem for My Mother)

    Water From The Moon (a Poem for My Mother)

    now imagine this.me – a moon chaser running across the sky stealing blue-white streaks to travel years of light. imagine if i traveled to the moonto gather a liter of its water to cleanse your auraand fill the creek that many have stolen a drink from.  imagine if i strike myself against the universe and break open a fountain with a mountain of moon […]

  • “River Memory (A Melvin Dixon Poem)” By aAliy A. Muhammad

    “River Memory (A Melvin Dixon Poem)” By aAliy A. Muhammad

    A song about the end. Ain’t it funny?I always thought “End of the road” was a funeral song, as it blasted on radios in 1992. “Although we’ve come to the end of the road, still I can’t let go.” STILL I CAN’T LET GO.STILLI CAN’T LET GO.It was about the end of a relationship.What songs […]

  • Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Crisis: Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”

    Songs That Soundtracked the AIDS Crisis: Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now”

    My memories are a sacred place. Some may say I am addicted to nostalgia, and maybe, on some level, I am. But aren’t most people? My visitations to yesteryear are not rooted in the longing to relive the past but rather a way for me to time travel and have conversations with my younger self. […]

  • RAHSAAN PATTERSON: in celebration of

    RAHSAAN PATTERSON: in celebration of

    In 1984, one of my favorite songs was Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero.” I was just eight years old, but I fuckin’ LOVED the drama of the anthemic song. I would lip-sync this song when no one was around. I knew adults didn’t think it was “ok” for boys to sing songs about […]

  • No Pride In Genocide!

    No Pride In Genocide!

    Since October 7, 2023, there has been a propaganda campaign to portray Palestine and its residents as a danger to Queer people. Juxtaposed against a rosy image of Israel as a supposed LGBTQIA+ haven. The horrifying image of an IDF soldier holding a pride flag during the middle of a genocide is one example of […]

  • Our Pride Is A Vibe: This Playlist Will Live Forever

    Our Pride Is A Vibe: This Playlist Will Live Forever

    This playlist of music mostly of Queer identified artists, is for us. For the student organizers. For the dancing queens. For the freedom fighters . This playlist is for our rage. For our joy. For our how and the worlds we build. This playlist will live forever.  We will live forever because our existence in […]

  • DANIEL SOTOMAYOR

    DANIEL SOTOMAYOR

    The universe and our ancestors have a way of delivering messages that we need to hear, read, and witness. That’s why I find myself offering countless flowers in tribute to Daniel Sotomayor. His legacy in Chicago serves as a powerful reminder that the impact of the AIDS Crisis extended far beyond the coastal epicenters of […]

  • songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: Tiffany “Here In My Heart”

    songs that soundtracked the AIDS crisis: Tiffany “Here In My Heart”

    The impact of HIV/AIDS in the collective consciousness in pop music was undeniable. This period saw a move toward more introspective and somber tones lyrically and sonically. “Being Boring” by Pet Shop Boys, and Gwen Guthrie’s “Can’t Love You Tonight” are notable songs of this time. And yes, even teen pop queen Tiffany contributed to […]

  • Throwback: Easter 1994

    Throwback: Easter 1994

    we weren’t catholic, but easter was still a big thing in our family. and by that, i mean, we got new clothes to show off while doing what we did every other day – sit on the damn steps. we didn’t get easter baskets. we didn’t go to sunday mass. we didn’t do easter family […]