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Outward - Slate's LGBTQ Blog

Outward - Slate's LGBTQ Blog Slate's home for coverage of LGBTQ life, thought, and culture, in your earbuds and on your screens. Welcome to Outward, Slate’s LGBTQ section.

Operating as usual

Don’t Let George Santos Bring Drag Down
01/31/2023
Don’t Let George Santos Bring Drag Down

Don’t Let George Santos Bring Drag Down

It’s fun to giggle at the duplicitous congressman’s queenly past, but his party’s assault on q***r lives and artforms is no laughing matter.

This month, we take an in-depth look at the latest fixation of the far right: drag, an art form as old as gender itself....
01/18/2023
The War on Drag

This month, we take an in-depth look at the latest fixation of the far right: drag, an art form as old as gender itself. In the first segment, the hosts consider why conservatives are now trying to regulate drag shows out of existence and armed hate groups are showing up at drag events to threaten and intimidate performers and audiences. Then they are joined by Lil Miss Hot Mess, who, in addition to performing with Drag Story Hour, has taken an academic interest in what children take away from drag events.

“Have you ever met a dragon?” Lil Miss Hot Mess on what kids ask queens at Drag Story Hour.

On the new Outward podcast, decoding and debunking a NYT trans health story, and an interview with New Hampshire's newes...
11/23/2022
Decoding the New York Times’ Coverage of Trans Issues

On the new Outward podcast, decoding and debunking a NYT trans health story, and an interview with New Hampshire's newest trans state representative.

James Roesener, the first openly trans man to win a U.S. election, on why he ran.

Bryan is still out on book leave, but Christina and Jules summon him back to discuss Bros, the gay rom-com of the moment...
10/19/2022
Is Consuming Q***r Culture a Political Act?

Bryan is still out on book leave, but Christina and Jules summon him back to discuss Bros, the gay rom-com of the moment. The film lingers on questions of q***r history, shows what happens when a nerdy podcast guy dates a beefy gay bro, and is a fascinating meditation on what it means to be a cis gay man in a time of both progress and prosecution. Then they are joined by Meg Metcalf, an LGBTQ collections specialist at the Library of Congress, to discuss how the world’s biggest library is surfacing the plentiful LGBTQ resources that can be found in its building and in cyberspace.

Practical tips on unearthing LGBTQ history direct from the Library of Congress.

This month, Bryan is away, so Christina and Jules are joined by the podcast’s founding co-host Brandon Tensley to talk a...
09/22/2022
Is A League of Their Own Gratuitously Gay?

This month, Bryan is away, so Christina and Jules are joined by the podcast’s founding co-host Brandon Tensley to talk about some new representations of LGBTQ people involved in the wide world of sports. First, we debate whether the new Amazon Prime take on A League of Their Own, starring and co-created by Abbi Jacobson, might possibly be too q***r. Then we discuss the making of Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story, the new Netflix documentary about a transgender pro skateboarder, with Nicola Marsh, who directed the movie, along with Giovanni Reda, and executive producer Alex Schmider.

Stay on Board: The Leo Baker Story tells a sweet, complex story about a transgender skateboarder.

On this month's episode, we cover two very different q***r health stories. But first, in Thots & Q***ries, we respond to...
07/20/2022
Demystifying Monkeypox

On this month's episode, we cover two very different q***r health stories. But first, in Thots & Q***ries, we respond to a listener who has questions about the ethics of moving to another country in an age of Supreme uncertainty. Then we talk with Harun Tulunay, a London-based s*xual-health advocate, about his experience with monkeypox. He has been sharing his experiences with the disease, including the challenges of receiving a correct diagnosis. Then we are joined by journalist Io Dodds to discuss her recent piece for the Independent: “ ‘Never Ask Permission’: How Two Trans Women Ran a Legendary Underground Surgical Clinic in a Rural Tractor Barn.

Plus, how two trans women ran an underground surgical clinic.

On a special episode of Outward, we're joined by Mark Joseph Stern to discuss the overturning of Roe's impact on marriag...
06/29/2022
Is Marriage Equality in Jeopardy?

On a special episode of Outward, we're joined by Mark Joseph Stern to discuss the overturning of Roe's impact on marriage equality, s*xual privacy, and more.

The Dobbs decision is bad news for same-s*x unions, s*xual privacy, and more.

Every Pride is someone’s first, and to get that fresh perspective, on this month's ep we speak with Sammie, who just cel...
06/22/2022
What Does Pride Mean in 2022?

Every Pride is someone’s first, and to get that fresh perspective, on this month's ep we speak with Sammie, who just celebrated for the first time in Kalamazoo! Then we dig into our own First Pride memories and reflections. Join us!

Reclaiming the spiritual entitlement of Pride.

Our May ep. is live! This month is all about how incarceration shapes q***r life and history. First, we're joined by Hug...
05/18/2022
The Prison at the Center of the Stonewall Riots

Our May ep. is live! This month is all about how incarceration shapes q***r life and history. First, we're joined by Hugh Ryan to dig into his great new book, The Women's House of Detention. Then we look at prison in q***r pop culture--which, hm!

Why are q***r prison stories such an enduring trope?

The history of by-gays, for-gays television is a lot older than you think.
04/26/2022
The Gay Cable Network That Shouldn’t Have Existed

The history of by-gays, for-gays television is a lot older than you think.

Lou Maletta was determined to get gay life—from p**n reviews to political coverage—on TV. Forty years ago, he succeeded.

This month, we take a break from talking about the hostile legislation q***r and trans people are fighting against to ta...
04/20/2022
Everything Everywhere All at Once Is Q***r in Every Universe

This month, we take a break from talking about the hostile legislation q***r and trans people are fighting against to talk about what we're fighting for. A kindergarten teacher joins us to share what it looks like when teachers are free to speak about LGBTQ lives in the classroom. Then we discuss the q***r family drama at the heart of Everything Everywhere All at Once.

Where are you on the Lego spectrum?

This month, we respond to the anti-trans attacks coming out of state legislatures across the country with a look at how ...
03/23/2022
The Trans Past, Present, and Future

This month, we respond to the anti-trans attacks coming out of state legislatures across the country with a look at how they might shape the rest of a trans kid's life. Then we're joined by Michael Waters to discuss his recent piece about trans pioneer Barbara Ann Richards, who went to court in 1941 to legally change her name—and succeeded.

In 1941, Barbara Ann Richards took her quest for a new name and a new life to court—and won.

This month, we take on Florida's new "don't say gay" bill and the insidious rhetoric of "parental rights." Then we revis...
02/17/2022
Two Revivals: “No Promo Homo” and Shortbus

This month, we take on Florida's new "don't say gay" bill and the insidious rhetoric of "parental rights." Then we revisit q***r film classic Shortbus, which just got a 4K restoration and re-release. Could such a daring movie get made today? (Was it really that daring?) Tune in!

One q***r’s heaven is another’s work in progress.

The first Outward of 2022 has dropped, and with it, some fantastic news: We have a new co-host, Jules Gill-Peterson! If ...
01/20/2022
Counting Q***rs, Q***ring Sequels

The first Outward of 2022 has dropped, and with it, some fantastic news: We have a new co-host, Jules Gill-Peterson! If you don’t already know Jules and her work, she’s a writer and professor of trans history and culture at Johns Hopkins, author of Histories of the Transgender Child, and just an all-around brilliant voice on trans and q***r issues. We are SO excited to have her join the show. Recording our first ep together was DELIGHTFUL, so we hope you’ll tune in to check it out!

In addition to our usual Prides/Provocations and updates to the Gay Agenda, we are joined this month by Kevin Guyan to dig into his new book, Q***r Data, about the power and perils of counting q***rs. Then we explore (and generally lose it) over the trans storylines and general weirdness of And Just Like That, the most recent installment of the S*x and the City cinematic universe. Listen here:

The unexpected results of counting q***rs, and the outlandishness of S*x and the City’s “next chapter.”

“I have le***an friends who have identified Anybodys as a le***an, and trans friends who said that Anybodys is the first...
12/15/2021
How West Side Story’s Anybodys Went From Tomboy to Trans Character

“I have le***an friends who have identified Anybodys as a le***an, and trans friends who said that Anybodys is the first trans character in American musicals,” Tony Kushner told us.

When Tony Kushner, Steven Spielberg, and actor iris menas reexamined the 64-year-old musical, they found a trans character in plain sight.

For our Nov. episode, we welcome guest host Carolyn Bergier, co-host of the podcast Dyking Out, to explore the ups and d...
11/17/2021
Who Owns Q***r Aesthetics?

For our Nov. episode, we welcome guest host Carolyn Bergier, co-host of the podcast Dyking Out, to explore the ups and downs of the Amazon le***an reality TV show Tampa Baes. Then we talk about Billy Porter’s fashion beef with Harry Styles, what q***r fashion and signifiers actually mean, and whether they matter anymore. And finally, q***r burlesque, DJ sets, and butch d***s for our Gay Agenda. Join us!

Plus, guest host Carolyn Bergier joins Christina and Bryan to talk Tampa Baes.

For our annual Q***r History Month episode, we're joined by Adam Zmith, author of "Deep Sniff," a book on the q***r hist...
10/20/2021
Pronouns and Poppers: A Q***r History Party

For our annual Q***r History Month episode, we're joined by Adam Zmith, author of "Deep Sniff," a book on the q***r history of poppers, and writer Jude Doyle, who talks about what we missed in the recent documentary about transmasculine Black feminist icon Pauli Murray. Join us!

The q***r history of poppers.

On this end of summer episode, we bid farewell to our beloved co-host Rumaan Alam. Then June joins Bryan and Christina t...
09/15/2021
Summer’s Swan Songs

On this end of summer episode, we bid farewell to our beloved co-host Rumaan Alam. Then June joins Bryan and Christina to welcome journalist Casey Newton to discuss Grindr’s data-security problem and its inherent potential for ruining self-esteem. They then delve into Todd Stephens’ Swan Song, a beautiful new film about an old queen, his cross-town journey to find hair products fit for a dead client, and the closure it brings.

The Outward podcast on Grindr’s data security issues.

It’s August, and Outward is leaning into the heat. First we gab about the beach. Why, exactly, are q***r beaches so deli...
08/25/2021
Hot Q***r Summer, Hot Q***r St*****rs

It’s August, and Outward is leaning into the heat. First we gab about the beach. Why, exactly, are q***r beaches so delightful? Is there a secret geography of finding the gay beach? Then we talk to GirlFlexx, a le***an dom stripper who performs largely for straight women in a traditionally male style—and kills it in adoration and tips.

Is there a secret geography of finding the gay beach?

On this month's ep, we look back at all the q***r milestones we didn't get to share during the pandemic. Then we speak w...
07/21/2021
Milestones Mourned and Celebrated

On this month's ep, we look back at all the q***r milestones we didn't get to share during the pandemic. Then we speak with opera star Lucia Lucas about her own milestone of performing "Don Giovanni." Join us!

Plus, an interview with baritone Lucia Lucas.

It’s Pride month! In this special episode, we're joined by Julien Baker (!) to discuss q***rness, fluidity, and ways of ...
06/16/2021
Julien Baker’s Quantum Q***rness

It’s Pride month! In this special episode, we're joined by Julien Baker (!) to discuss q***rness, fluidity, and ways of interpreting q***r art. Then, a trans cop in upstate NY stops by to hash out the debate over police at Pride events. 🏳️‍🌈✊✨

Why must we have the same fights every June?

This month, we're joined by Sarah Schulman, whose new book "Let the Record Show" is a moving history of ACT UP New York ...
05/19/2021
ACT UP History and Q***r Portraits

This month, we're joined by Sarah Schulman, whose new book "Let the Record Show" is a moving history of ACT UP New York and a guide for the activism we need now. Then we discuss three distinct collections of q***r portraiture. Who are they for, and will they be seen by the people who need them most?

Shaping how AIDS activism is remembered and how q***rs are seen.

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This month, we take a break from talking about the hostile legislation q***r and trans people are fighting against to talk about what we're fighting for. A kindergarten teacher joins us to share what it looks like when teachers are free to speak about LGBTQ lives in the classroom. Then we discuss the q***r family drama at the heart of Everything Everywhere All at Once.
This month, we respond to the anti-trans attacks coming out of state legislatures across the country with a look at how they might shape the rest of a trans kid's life. Then we're joined by Michael Waters to discuss his recent piece about trans pioneer Barbara Ann Richards, who went to court in 1941 to legally change her name—and succeeded.
Today, trans Americans face many attacks on their legal rights. But back in the 1940s—before an organized opposition developed—some trans people were able to win in the courts. Barbara Ann Richards was one of them.
Whenever there is a moral panic involving children, homophobes see an opportunity.
This month, we take on Florida's new "don't say gay" bill and the insidious rhetoric of "parental rights." Then we revisit q***r film classic Shortbus, which just got a 4K restoration and re-release. Could such a daring movie get made today? (Was it really that daring?) Tune in!
The bill would empower parent vigilantes to sue school districts over LGBTQ content.
The first Outward of 2022 has dropped, and with it, some fantastic news: We have a new co-host, Jules Gill-Peterson! If you don’t already know Jules and her work, she’s a writer and professor of trans history and culture at Johns Hopkins, author of Histories of the Transgender Child, and just an all-around brilliant voice on trans and q***r issues. We are SO excited to have her join the show. Recording our first ep together was DELIGHTFUL, so we hope you’ll tune in to check it out!

In addition to our usual Prides/Provocations and updates to the Gay Agenda, we are joined this month by Kevin Guyan to dig into his new book, Q***r Data, about the power and perils of counting q***rs. Then we explore (and generally lose it) over the trans storylines and general weirdness of And Just Like That, the most recent installment of the S*x and the City cinematic universe. Listen here:
I had an out-of-body moment when I heard it.
“I have le***an friends who have identified Anybodys as a le***an, and trans friends who said that Anybodys is the first trans character in American musicals,” Tony Kushner told us.
Grindr's "s*xual" policy change is drawing jeers, jokes, and at least some approving notices from tech experts.
For our Nov. episode, we welcome guest host Carolyn Bergier, co-host of the podcast Dyking Out, to explore the ups and downs of the Amazon le***an reality TV show Tampa Baes. Then we talk about Billy Porter’s fashion beef with Harry Styles, what q***r fashion and signifiers actually mean, and whether they matter anymore. And finally, q***r burlesque, DJ sets, and butch d***s for our Gay Agenda. Join us!
For our annual Q***r History Month episode, we're joined by Adam Zmith, author of "Deep Sniff," a book on the q***r history of poppers, and writer Jude Doyle, who talks about what we missed in the recent documentary about transmasculine Black feminist icon Pauli Murray. Join us!
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