ISSUE IV: ACTIVISM

Activism is more than just knocking on doors and handing out fliers. So, we look outside the box to consider not only what it is, but also who does it, why they do it, what challenges they face and what problems they seek to address.

ARTICLES

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The Angry Activist, Part I

It’s hard to change hearts and minds at the top of your lungs.

What About Whitey? (The Angry Activist, Part II)

If you’re trying to advance racial equality by demonizing white people, you’re doing it wrong.

Zach and the City: The Honeymoon Phase

Sometimes, there’s a fine line between “settling in” and “going nowhere”.

Liberalism and Queer Rights

Without liberalism, LGBT rights would not exist. And without liberalism, they have no future.

A Peculiar Kind of Haven

If South Africa is an LGBT haven, there’s trouble in paradise.

The Paradox of Purple Washing

Fighting for progress today doesn’t have to mean denying the successes of yesterday.

The In-Between: Feeding Baby Seals

Purity testing heroic work doesn’t raise standards. It leads to fewer heroes.

Is Visibility Enough?

Being an “influencer” is not activism. It’s just growing your own brand.

Communities (F)or Change

“We put on our leather chaps one leg at a time just like everyone else.”

Letter to the editor

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Thawing Out My Frozen Heart

"What a better world it will be, when we can live and let live, and nobody has to feel ashamed, excluded or stigmatised for being more than the sum of their parts."

Painted Stories

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Ian's Story

When Ian moved to Los Angeles, it was a lonely place to be bisexual. Taking the helm of a local social club, he revitalized and transformed it into a global phenomenon: amBi.

Seema's Story

Seema became a doctor because she wanted to serve society, but even the best medical care is useless if it’s out of reach. She decided the only thing to do was take her help directly to the communities who needed it most.

Elizabeth's Story

Sometimes, a simple act of kindness is all it takes to get you hooked on helping others.

Salman's Story

Thanks to his country’s homophobic attitudes, it was a struggle to simply admit he was gay. Now, he’s one of Pakistan’s loudest queer voices.

YT's Story

Tragedy left her a young widow with limited means and a family to support. She turned her talent for beauty and fashion into a successful business, and now she shares her skills with other women so they can empower themselves, too.

Rushay's Story

For this South African, the best way to achieve social change is to collaborate at the intersection of art, activism, and education.

Javier's Story

He created a queer comic to help address anti-LGBT discrimination in Mexico, but stigma kept him from talking about HIV—until a surprise encounter made him realize he was part of the problem himself.

RD's Story

He watched for years as litter and pollution desecrated the river he loved. When he decided to wade in and start cleaning it up himself, he found unexpected help.

Business of Sex

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Anarella Martínez Madrid

If you want to learn how to do something well, you want someone with experience and expertise to teach you. Shouldn’t that apply to sex, too?

Benjamin Mock

The saying goes “write about what you know,” so Benjamin writes about sex.

Candace Cane

Candace loves dancing, so doing it for a living was a no-brainer. If people want to judge her for doing it on a pole, that’s on them.

Sonya Saturday

Making sexy cartoons might be fun, but it’s still a hard day’s work. Fortunately, Sonya’s nights are free to do what she pleases.

Lee Yan Ting

When you’re in the vibrator business, your job is literally to make sure the customer is satisfied. It turns out that selling them can be pretty satisfying, too.