Outward - Slate's LGBTQ Blog

06/04/2020

Slate.com

In case you missed it, last night's Outward Live conversation with Bob the Drag Queen about the protests, Pride, Black Lives Matter, and his HBO show "We're Here" was FANTASTIC. Check it out here, and also be sure to watch the series finale of WH tonight! 🏳️‍🌈✊

(Forgive the brief camera lag right at the start; took longer than we realized to get everyone on screen!)

Celebrate Pride with the Outward team. Bryan Lowder, Christina Cauterucci, and Rumaan Alam are joined by Bob the Drag Queen for this special live show. Join us! 😘

06/01/2020

Outward Pride KiKi with Bob the Drag Queen

It's Pride month! Join the Outward pod crew and special guest Bob the Drag Queen for a live show this Wed. June 3, at 8pm EDT. We'll discuss what Pride means this year, as well as Bob's amazing HBO docuseries #WereHere. 🏳️‍🌈✊🏳️‍🌈

Outward Pride KiKi with Bob the Drag Queen

05/29/2020

As a Young HIV Activist, I Hated Larry Kramer. Then He Invited Me to Dinner.

Larry Kramer often clashed with younger HIV activists over issues like PrEP. Good thing he also taught us how to fight.

With the battle over PrEP on the menu, could we really break bread together?

05/28/2020

The Normal Heart Was Addressed to a Specific Crisis. But Its Insights About Anger and Love Are Timeless.

Larry Kramer’s fiery righteousness earned him a reputation for being “difficult.” But it gave his work an urgency that’s timeless.

Larry Kramer’s great play has more to say to our moment than you might expect.

05/27/2020

Do Queer Memoirs Have to Be Political?

Meredith Talusan discusses mirrors, transitions, and the craft of memoir upon the release of her critically acclaimed new book, Fairest.

Author Meredith Talusan on why she resisted pressure to politicize her life in her new book, Fairest.

05/22/2020

The Queerness of Quarantine Bubbles

In this month's ep. of Outward, we cover Netflix's #CircusOfBooks and #ASecretLove docs, and debate whether queer people might have been better prepared for #QuarantineLife than other groups, esp. the forming of "bubbles." Join us!

We’ve spent our whole lives negotiating contested spaces.

04/24/2020

If I Get Sick With COVID-19, Don’t Tell My Doctor I’m Transgender

In a health care system increasingly empowered to discriminate against LGBTQ people, my trans identity should be my business.

As the administration moves to allow health care discrimination against LGBTQ people, I should be able to choose how much of my medical history to share.

04/15/2020

Finding Life at Queer Virtual Sex Parties

This month's Outward pod ep has everything: TikTok lust, tiger kings, Zoom sex parties, evil gays, baking puns, and more! Tune in: https://slate.com/podcasts/outward/2020/04/virtual-sex-parties-and-tiger-king

How can you cruise without any eye contact?

03/30/2020

Criminalizing Coronavirus Transmission Is a Terrible Idea

If law enforcement stigmatizes COVID-19, it’ll only help the virus spread more efficiently.

The ignominious history of HIV criminalization demonstrates why.

03/25/2020

COVID, AIDS, and the LGBTQ Community

The March edition of Outward is here! In this episode, we take a moment to revisit one Pete Buttigeig (remember him?) and the divisions he exposed in the queer community. Then we turn to a discussion of the current coronavirus crises, where we're joined by HRC president Alphonso David for perspective on comparisons between this COVID and the AIDS crisis, as well as how the pandemic will specifically impact LGBTQ people. And sandwiching all that audio we've got our usual PnPs and updates the Gay Agenda -- Queerantine themed!

The Outward podcast on COVID-19 and AIDS comparisons.

03/24/2020

Can Drag, an Art Form That Thrives in Live Performance, Survive on Livestream?

Can drag survive the coronavirus lockdown? Only if artists and audiences find ways to support one another online, writes Miz Cracker.

In the shadow of the coronavirus pandemic, drag artists are scrambling to find a way to support their communities and themselves online.

03/19/2020

Coronavirus Diaries: The Guys Are Wild on Grindr Right Now

In the words of a very hot man I convinced not to have sex with me, the virus is “crazy” and “you gotta respect it.”

“You listen to the news that’s ur problem.”

03/18/2020

The L Word Episode That Shows This Show Is More Than Hot Sex and Celebrity Cameos

The L Word may have just gotten a glossy reboot, but Generation Q lacks some of the strengths of its foremother.

Starring tender queer friendships (and, yes, Snoop Dogg).

03/06/2020

Asexuality Is Often Dismissed as an “Internet Identity.” But in Reality, “Aces” Existed Well Before They Could Log On.

Asexuality has a far richer history than the faddish “internet identity” it’s often thought to be.

We just have to know where in the archives of queer history to look.

02/14/2020

“How Can I Mesh My Fantasy Life and My Real Life?”

Valentine's Day is mostly meh. But what's not meh is our special V-day edition of the Outward pod, featuring queer advice on love, sex, & belonging with an affectionate assist from Hola Papi!'s John Paul Brammer! 😘😘😘

All your queer love, dating, and sex questions answered on this Valentine's Day bonus episode of Outward!

02/12/2020

When You Lose a Parent Before You Come Out

Amid my grief for my father’s death, I also felt devastating relief: I wouldn’t ever have to come out to him.

If my dad saw me now, would he recognize me?

02/12/2020

Changing One’s Name Has Been Difficult Since Biblical Times

And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel.” And they said to him, “It’s not that we don’t like the name Israel, it’s just that we’ve always called you Jacob. We’re so used to it.”

-- Excerpt from Danny M. Lavery's new book, "Something That May Shock and Discredit You"

An excerpt from Danny M. Lavery’s new book, Something That May Shock and Discredit You.

02/06/2020

We Need to Stop Talking About Descovy Like It’s a PrEP Upgrade

Must-read on why Descovy for PrEP is not an "upgrade" and the drugs we take should not become status symbols.

Having more options for HIV prevention is great. Treating drugs as status symbols isn’t.

02/03/2020

Just a Monday reminder that we're putting together a special Valentine's Day episode of the pod this month with the help of Hola Papi! genius JP Brammer. Send us your queer advice questions! (and maybe some candy?) Submit here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSer5CSBW97yIwnX1FqjKn_bW3D4-pCHDKjlIO0RPFJVwQqwiQ/viewform

01/29/2020

Pandering and Parenting for the Queer World

January's Outward is now in your feeds! This month, we break down "exclusively gay moments" in film and television, asking if there’s any way to get them right. Then they interview Richie Jackson about his lovely new book #GayLikeMe.

It’s tough to get representation right.

01/24/2020

In the Decades Before Gay Rights, Queers in the U.K. Called the Switchboard for Help. Luckily, the Operators Kept Notes.

Providing information on everything from housing and comfort to where to hook up, Switchboard helped queers navigate a hostile world.

The help line’s logbooks offer a unique window into the country’s queer history.

01/10/2020

How Do You Imagine a World Where AIDS Never Happened?

Queer filmmaker Leo Herrera reflects on making The Fathers Project after the premiere of its final, gorgeous episode.

With a lot of hard work and a little help from your gayngels.

01/08/2020

Why I Sneak Around Cheating on My Radical Queer Politics With Queer Wedding Instagram

Rabbit Holes: Can radical queer politics and wedding Instagram obsession coexist?

“You know it’s not great for you, but there are so many good photos of butches in suits.”

12/23/2019

Special Episode: Taking Stock of The Inheritance

Does the Inheritance live up to the epic promise of its themes and scope? We assembled a multigenerational roundtable of gay men to sort it all out.

A multigenerational roundtable of gay men gather to unpack Matthew Lopez's epic, two-part play, currently dominating discussions on Broadway.

12/20/2019

Why the Denial of Trans Identity Is So Mainstream in the U.K.

J.K. Rowling’s apparent endorsement of transphobic views is part and parcel of the U.K.’s embrace of “trans exclusionary radical feminism.”

The recent controversy around J.K. Rowling points to a surprising gulf between the U.S. and U.K. in trans rights discourse.

12/20/2019

Looking at the Decade Through an LGBTQ Lens

Outward's festive December ep is live! Featuring the L Word: Gen Q, reflections on the wild last decade of queer life, and most excitingly, our official new third, Rumaan Alam! Have a listen, and happy holigays!

What became clearer, and where do we still have blind spots?

12/17/2019

The Decade When the Fight for LGBTQ Rights Went Mainstream

With some basic rights secured, LGBTQ people found themselves suddenly able to have challenging debates among themselves.

As support for gay marriage solidified, new rifts within queer communities opened up.

12/12/2019

Why The Inheritance, Broadway’s New Intergenerational Gay Epic, Is Failing to Connect

In Matthew Lopez’s play, telling gets its revenge over showing. But the victory is Pyrrhic.

Running seven hours over two parts, the season’s most hyped play takes a long time to go nowhere.

12/11/2019

If You Thought the Cookies in December’s Bon Appétit Looked Fabulous, Meet the Man Behind Them

Cookie master Rick Martinez has the perfect mix of culinary skill and queer fearlessness.

The proudly gay, Mexican American chef brings his whole self to the cutting board—gorgeous nails and all.

12/06/2019

Generation Q Fills In The L Word’s Blind Spots While Saluting Its Legacy

The L Word is back! Is that a good thing?

Still aspirational; now with armpit hair.

12/04/2019

Gay Bars Offer an Ideal Space for Community HIV Services. But Only if They Can Stay in Business.

In New Orleans, HIV outreach at gay bars has been very successful. But it’s a model that may not last.

As gay bars and similar community hangouts close, they’re taking a valuable public health resource with them.

11/27/2019

For Married Women With Lesbian Desires After WWII, Connection Could Be Thrilling but Dangerous

A new book on postwar lesbian desire show how flexible “straight” marriages could really be.

Just in time for Thanksgiving, a look at how queer those buttoned-up, Norman Rockwell–era families really were.

11/26/2019

How I Overcame the Idea That Queerness Was a “White Thing”

Coming out can be harder for immigrants because in America, queerness is coded as “white.”

As a daughter of immigrants, imagining myself in a queer life was almost impossible.

11/26/2019

Think Pete Buttigieg Is “Robotic” or “Fake”? You Need to Understand the Gay Archetype He Represents.

Mayor Pete is getting slammed for being a type of gay man America fails to understand.

Gay “best little boys” might be annoying, but they are legitimately queer.

11/25/2019

Alternative Queer Families Flourished in the ’70s. What Do Their Offspring Think About Them Now?

For alt-queer family kids, filling out a family tree could be challenging.

It turns out that having four moms is a pretty great deal.