The Covid-19 pandemic has been brimming with revelations for many individuals, all around the world, irrespective of gender, age and race. Like many others, the pandemic has unearthed aspects of myself that I didn’t acknowledge the existence of earlier. Before face masks, social distancing and permanently dry hands (as a result of too much hand […]
MNEK on Staying Thankful and Making Music In Lockdown
Chart-topping vocalist and last week’s iconic drag race guest judge, MNEK, recently teamed up with Absolut vodka for ‘It’s in our Spirits’. In the face of COVID despair, The campaign encourages people to act responsibly and remain optimistic towards a future carefree, in-person interaction, something the Never Forget You singer feels strongly about. In this […]
Using Identity Politics to defend Kristen Gray’s Exploitation of Bali is Reductive and Dismissive
Many of you who frequent Twitter may be familiar with the Kristen Gray Bali fiasco that took place a few weeks ago. For those unfamiliar, some context; Kristen Gray is an American tourist who ‘moved’ to Bali with her girlfriend after finding it difficult to get a job in the US. She gushes over the […]
Self Love – A Cheat Code to Living a Fuller Life
So let’s start by comparing the two, Self Love Vs Self Care: Self love is having unconditional love for oneself; mind, body and soul – flaws and all. Its acceptance of who you are and how you show up in the world. Self love is knowing you are valued, worthy and deserving, and has no […]
Lunar New Queer – The Clash Between LGBTQ+ Identity And Asian Culture
Lunar New Year, a time for prawn crackers and fortune cookies? Not quite! For millions of East and South East Asians, the festival reunites families to feast on traditional dishes and exchange red envelope gifts, to bring good luck in the year to come. What this means for my British Chinese family is a congregation […]
It’s a Sin Proves The Unifying Power Of Telling LGBTQ+ Stories From Different Perspectives
It’s a Sin, a Channel 4 series exploring the 1980s AIDS crisis through the eyes of a patchwork group of young Londoners, has rightfully captured the attention and hearts of UK audiences in the fortnight since its release. The show follows housemates Ritchie, Roscoe, Ash, Colin and Jill, as they build friendships and navigate life […]
Grace Barber-Plentie – The Curator Envisioning a Fat Utopia
Depictions of fat women in TV & film have rarely done them any justice. Whether it’s the mockery of fat Black women seen in Tyler Perry’s Madea and Eddie Murphy’s ‘Norbit’ or various fat characters sidelined to the funny best friend (à la Kim in Moesha), the representation of fatness in TV and film has […]
The Future Of Pride Parades: Is It Time To Return To Our Grassroots Nature?
Growing up as LGBT+ in a country where being queer has an extreme negative connotation, it was not a smooth journey to embrace my sexuality and the aspects of my identity that make me non-heterosexual. I vividly remember that a few months after coming out, a tragic incident happened in the biggest city of my […]
Fat, Black and Myself: Fashion In The Pandemic
Style is a kind of speech. Long before I open my (loud) mouth, my physicality speaks volumes. So much of this is outside of my control, with much being dictated to the viewer by thousands of micro messages transmitted down the years. My Blackness reads mammy and savage. My fatness reads misery and gluttony. My […]
Why I Left The UK – Notes Of An Undocumented Immigrant
Ever since I was a kid, I remember wanting to go and study abroad and experience a different culture. Growing up poor, Black and queer in a small town in Brazil in the 90s, made me feel like nothing was ever meant for me and I could never thrive there. As soon as I could, […]