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 […]
Category: Culture & News
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
African Artifacts Need To Be Returned
We’ve all been to a museum. Being shown around by an enthusiastic white male who knows about all the artifacts that the Museum stores. Artifacts from different parts of the world, collected by European ‘explorers.’ Explorers who set sail to discover a new world not ‘looters or invaders’, just explorers. Gifting their kings and queens […]
Why Idolising Politicians Is Dangerous
With the victory of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in the US Presidential election, the storming of the US Capitol last week as well as the controversial suspension and now, reinstatement, of Jeremy Corbyn to the Labour Party here in the UK, the last couple of months have been a rollercoaster in politics. The internet […]
AZ Magazine Creative Fund 2020 Recipients
After the success of the Creative Fund fundraiser and the hundreds of applications AZ Magazine received, five recipients have been selected. They will each be awarded £1,000 to create a work of art. In our continued collaboration with DJ Mag they’ll be sponsoring and mentoring one recipient, Xilhu Ese – to create a Dance music […]
Why do we still crave LGBT+ Christmas movies?
Christmas holidays are always an exciting time of the year for me. Coming from Brazil, it means summer season, long days and afternoon rosé lightened up by some fairy lights. Since relocating to the UK I started to appreciate the walks in frosty weather with a glass of mulled wine. I guess it gives me […]
The Depiction of Dark Skinned Characters in Video Games
Growing up playing video games, there was one constant I couldn’t help notice. I would always question, why do the ‘baddies’ always have darker skin? As someone with dark skin myself, I couldn’t help but think this was a judgment against me. In recent years the world is slowly becoming a more progressive place but […]