(Orlando, FL) America has this weird and pervasive narrative that people from significantly disadvantaged backgrounds must somehow pull themselves up by the bootstraps and with drive and determination alone, fight their way into a life of economic stability and “success”. The concept of the “American Dream” is patently false and criminally misleading. The majority of people we consider the most successful came from old money or started with points of privilege or legacy that created an uneven playing field that they benefitted from. They very well may have worked hard, but it wasn’t just tenacity that got them where they are. The true way that most of us find our footing is from depending on each other and when one of us makes it through a door or to a table, we reach back and bring our people with us. In the village, in community, there is no room for gate-keeping- only collaboration and sharing what we know.

In mid-August, Equality Florida hosted the 2nd Annual Voices for Change Convening in Orlando, FL led by Angelique Godwin, their Director of Transgender Equality. The foundation of the Voices for Change Convening brought key Trans leaders from throughout the state together to impart “a deep understanding of strategies and tools necessary to overcome the persistent challenges faced by the Transgender community. These strategies and tools must be developed by the community itself…. creating a space to cultivate innovative and impactful solutions to combat the anti-Trans violence and rhetoric” both the state and the country are currently facing. The convening builds off of pillars that were established the year prior and through careful work and collaboration throughout the year: Community Education, Resource and Information Sharing, Healthcare, Funding and Housing. Angelique and her team were expanding and cultivating the village.

July 21st marks Zero HIV Stigma Day. It deeply saddens me to reflect on the unfortunate cuts to HIV research, the criminalization of those living with the illness, and the fact that the top three communities impacted by HIV—Black individuals, men who have sex with men (MSX), cisgender women, and transgender people—are often overlooked.

I long for conversations about HIV to be normalized, free from shame, judgment, or stigma. In my view, these are key factors that allow HIV to run rampant in our communities. We engage in many discussions, not just about HIV but about disclosure on various topics, yet we fail to create a safe space for such discussions. Disclosing your transgender identity can put you at risk, even from someone who looks and sounds just like you. When we add another “taboo” or a barrier to the mix, it complicates matters further. People shy away from discussing these issues because it challenges the reality they work hard to maintain—a sense of normalcy. I pray for a day when we can have honest conversations about something as normal as sex and how to protect ourselves. Until that point, we must stop asking for disclosure when we aren't taking the necessary precautions for our safety, such as using PrEP, Doxy PEP, condoms, and engaging in open conversations about safer sex.

On February 23, 1991 Paris Is Burning was released and changed the world. There will forever be mixed reviews as to whether Jennie Livingston hurt or helped the culture but it undeniably exposed wider society to the world of Black and Brown, Queer NYC and Ballroom. Although Transness has existed in different forms always, Paris Is Burning peeked behind the current in ways mainstream hadn’t seen before. It introduced them to names and faces that will be forever etched in Black and Brown Queer and Trans history. One of those was the soft-spoken, petite blond with personality that filled the room, Venus Xtravaganza. 

In her 2024 film just released on Netflix, I’m Your Venus, Kimberly Reed explores the Pellagattis brothers (Venus’ biological siblings) experience as they meet with House of Xtravaganze members and team up to reopen the case surrounding Venus’ 1988 murder. Paris Is Burning was released in early 1991 but Venus Xtravaganza never got to see herself become an icon. Her body was discovered in a hotel room in NYC in 1988. 

The documentary follows John, Joe and Louie Pellagattis as they tell stories about their sisters life and death, visit the Jersey City neighborhood they grew up in, meet with the current Mother of Xtravaganza, Gisele Xtravaganza and the team of lawyers they are working with to compel the NYPD to reexamine the case and release existing details the family says they were never provided. 

Being from community and watching this type of project you can’t help but tune in with both great appreciation that the story is being told as well as deep cynicism about how it will be told. The brothers lovingly talk about their sister and troubled childhood but you wonder if that’s the only version you’ll hear. Through the 85 minutes, the film manages to deconstruct that being the only POV and you watch Venus’ friends and chosen family tell their experience of her, not just in confessionals to the camera but directly to the Pellagattis’.

The economy is doing what it always does—shifting, shaking, and making life harder for folks already struggling. If you’ve been feeling like your paycheck isn’t stretching as far as it used to, you’re not alone. The cost of everything—from rent to groceries to gas—is rising, and that’s inflation at work. When the economy slows down too much, businesses stop hiring, people lose jobs, and that’s what we call a recession. If things get real bad, worse than the Great Recession of 2008, we could be looking at something even more devastating—another Great Depression. And let’s be clear: when America catches a cold, Black folks catch pneumonia. And for Black LGBTQ+ folks? The risks are even greater.

In a powerful and enlightening interview, I had the privilege of sitting down with the creative team behind Nina Simone: Four Women, currently being performed at Geva Theatre, as well as a delightful opportunity to host a live talkback at the theatre as well.

Victoria Von Blaque embodies more than just a name within the Transgender and sex worker rights movements, she’s a force of change, compassion, and perseverance. With over twenty years of experience, she has established herself as an advocate, consultant, and performer. Most importantly, she is dedicated to honoring the impactful legacy of her late mentor, Cecilia Gentili.

Cecilia Gentili was a groundbreaking activist who significantly advanced the rights of the transgender and sex work communities, particularly through her efforts to abolish the "Walking While Trans" law in New York City. Her untimely passing created a profound gap, but Victoria, who viewed Cecilia as a mentor, big sister, and dear friend, has committed herself to carry on Cecilia's vital work, envisioning a future where transgender individuals and sex workers can thrive without the threat of discrimination or criminalization.

A young, white nursing student is murdered on a trail in Athens, GA near the University of Georgia campus and there is an international media frenzy. An undocumented immigrant is arrested, tried and convicted. Months later, Santonio Coleman was murdered on a trail in Athens, GA near the University of Georgia campus and there is no press, no arrest and no justice for Santonio.

I often struggle when I write. Show me a writer or artist that doesn’t and I’ll show you a miracle in the flesh! Sometimes I am blessed with writing prompts but more often than not, I must come up with something that speaks to me to write about and let it develop into a piece I deem worthy of sharing. Many times, I’ll write something and get to a point and just decide, “Nah, that’s not what I want to say.” Or the message isn’t as clear as I need it to be and I scrap it and start all over again. This has been my challenge the last few months. I am a deadline oriented writer and tend to work better under pressure for the most part. The tighter the deadline, the better the piece, which can be good or bad depending on who you ask. In many ways, writing is my voice so to speak.

As I sit here watching cartoons with my cat, smoking a joint, and reflecting on the holidays, the elections, and community, a quote from a kids' show called “Phineas and Ferb” sent me into a rabbit hole of why I love villains and antiheroes. The quote was, “A hero is a hero, but everybody loves a great villain.” As a Black, non-binary, Trans feminine person, my existence is often used as a scapegoat for ignorance and justifications of people's rage, without them knowing who I am and only being concerned with what I am. How long must all of my communities endure this? Let’s not forget that intersectionality is real; I’m not just fighting racism; I’m fighting sexism, transphobia, homophobia, ableism, and the list goes on. Like many people in marginalized communities that I share space with, all we want is to live a happy and free life. The reality is that most of us are surviving, and the few of us who are thriving are told we should be grateful for the bare minimum that many of our counterparts take for granted.

Written by: E.L. Winston

Happy New Year, peeps! I hope that your holidays were filled with love and comfort and all the things you wanted and needed. My new year is starting off a bit stressful but exciting at the same time. See, I have this tumor in my left thigh. It’s been there for at least 9 years now. Yes, I said 9 years.

Let me explain…it started out as a lump no bigger than a baseball. I went to the doctor and the doctor said that it’s because I need to lose weight. That’s all he said. He didn't run any tests, didn't look any further… fast forward a year or two from that visit and I start a new position at work that requires me to get in and out of semi trucks all day. On my first day on the job, my leg swells up to the size of a softball. I go back to the doctor and he says, “Oh no you have lymphedema. You're going to need this reduction kit and have to wear it constantly to get the fluid off your leg.” Again, he didn't do any tests, didn't do anything further and still says that weight is a factor. Needless to say the kit never worked. So here we are. Let me tell you what the cause of my tumor was not. It was not my weight or lymphedema and had the doctor taken the time to listen to me then what would have been a simple procedure Is now a major surgery. The mass is now the entire length of my thigh and I’ll be laid up at home for the entire month of February.

Calm down, let’s talk through this. We don't know how this is going to turn out. You're getting worked up for nothing. It's still early in the night, maybe we should go to bed and not watch the results. I know, I know, the people have failed us before but maybe it'll be different this time. You got to breathe, buddy. Stop watching. We did our part; we showed up; we voted; we educated others and campaigned for others to vote. Yes, I know that our freedoms are under attack. Yes, I know you're stressed but you are going to have to breathe or we’re going to pass out. Our wife is worried that we are going to stroke out. I know it's stressing you out. That's why I said, “stop watching the results. It's still too early to tell. Let’s go to bed, it will be ok in the morning…… I can't believe it! What.. don't say you told me so. I thought our people would do the right thing. How could they fail us this way? How are we going to make it out in the next four years?