The Other Half by Bond Touch
Pride Is More Than a Month: 4 Ways to Celebrate and Support the LGBTQIA+ Community All Year Round
June is Pride Month—a time to celebrate love, visibility, identity, and the ongoing fight for equality in the LGBTQIA+ community. But while rainbow flags fill social feeds and parades take...
Connection Over Hate: The Power of Being There for Someone Who Feels Unseen
In a world that still isn’t always safe or welcoming for LGBTQIA+ people, the simple act of being there can make all the difference. Whether it’s showing up for your...
Your Chosen Family: life and family in the LGBTQ+ community
Throughout our lives we meet a lot of people. When you’re a child, it seems so easy to make friends. We even retain that idea that the more, the merrier....
It isn’t easy for us LGBTQ+ Africans to come out. So why did I react so poorly when an old friend came out too?
‘Did I tell you that I'm bisexual?’ A text I received from an old high school friend read. My reaction was not the best, I sent through a laughing emoji...
My Parents Like Me Better When I’m Gay
I often joke that I have “good parent privilege.” Growing up, my catholic, conservative parents provided everything I could ever need: finances, a good education, therapy. Even as an adult,...
The first queer book festival: proud, diverse and original
“I always forgot who brought it up first, but one of us brought up the fact that we both want to do a queer book festival. It’s weird that there’s...
Ring of Fear: a coming out journey
Coming out of the closet can be difficult. Some of us even repress a lot of emotions, live a lie, or even live a double life (and I don’t mean...
Dating inside the closet. Is love an open door?
So, are you dating inside the closet? Has your partner not come out yet? Maybe they're totally in, maybe they're only there partially. Should you do anything? Can you do...
I came out 10 years ago. What challenges will we face in the next 10?
In 2011, Harry Potter defeated the Dark Lord, Rebecca Black released “Friday” and for some reason, we were obsessed with an 8-bit cat shooting rainbows out of his butt (which...
Pride During COVID: the Queer Community asks itself if it stays inside or goes out?
This past March, the United States passed its one-year anniversary with the coronavirus pandemic, mask regulations, and lockdown procedures. And while quarantining eliminated many aspects of social interaction, one of...
Not Out and About: The Impacts of COVID on the New York City Gay Scene
While all of us are familiar with the isolation brought on by the pandemic, New York’s gay scene suffered from an additional problem: losing touch with a found family and community that made them feel accepted and free.