Warning: This piece contains references to transphobia and quotes transphobic comments. I have no compunctions around making the claim that I am trans first and foremost because I want to have gay sex with men. I was raised to see the entertainment value of embellishment; besides, someone out there is going to accuse me of it … Continue reading The Five Chasers You Meet on Grindr
A muddy cobblestone path weaves its way through half-dead wildflowers, leading you to the lip of a forest. You take your first steps onto the damp earth, listen to the soft crunch of leaves and twigs beneath your feet. The forest seems to inhale and exhale with every step you take. Robins perched in the … Continue reading What Is It With Lesbians and Hozier?
Let’s talk about J. C. Leyendecker. One Mr. Joseph Christian Leyendecker. Specifically, how his paintings make me feel a sort of way. If you know J. C. Leyendecker at all, it's probably from his iconic image of the Arrow Collar Man who defined American masculinity for decades. Perhaps you have seen him in a poster … Continue reading Leyendecker Paintings Ranked by How Bad They Make Me Want To Move to a Mansion by the Sea With My Boyfriend And Throw Extravagant Parties
When I first heard that Greta Gerwig’s next film would be an adaptation of Little Women, I was skeptical. Little Women has received countless adaptations over the years, including Masterpiece’s 2018 TV miniseries, released only a year before Gerwig’s film. The only way my interest in a new movie could be piqued was if it … Continue reading Jo and Laurie Are Trans and I’ll Prove It
From the dedicated, warrior top, to the Tokugawa twinks of Edo, these character archetypes enjoyed wide public knowledge and appreciation, which was unheard of in contemporary areas of the Western world. The literature produced in this time reflected a world where love and sex between men could be accepted and celebrated.
1. Inigo Montoya When I was a kid, the movie I insisted on watching way too often was The Princess Bride. I was obsessed. I can do all the best quotes -- yes, with the voices too. I recently re-watched it for the first time in many years and was struck with two realizations: the … Continue reading Five Influential Mustaches That, In Retrospect, Should Have Made Me Realize I’m Trans
As a trans woman, I find it disconcerting that I can’t remember a single trans character from my childhood except for Alexis Meade from Ugly Betty. As a barely-out-of-the-closet queer 18-year-old, I watched the series with a feral intensity. I felt drawn to Marc’s unashamed flamboyance, his playful and loving friendship with Amanda, Betty’s ambition … Continue reading Wilhelmina Slater is the True Trans Woman of Ugly Betty
Hey, The Niche! I've got a question for your career advice columnist, and I'm hoping you can help me! See, I'm a mediocre writer with no academic qualifications or professional experience beyond a degree in gender studies -- you may already see the problem here -- and gosh, I'm just trying to make a living … Continue reading Meghan Murphy, the Toronto Public Library, and the Easiest Grift in the Universe
Yesterday, in what still feels like a targeted effort by scientists in a government laboratory to make me, personally, weep myself into blindness, Warner Brothers released the second trailer for The Goldfinch. If you're not familiar, I'll catch you up in just a second -- but have a look, first: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAfCD9MVq_c Yes, as if it wasn't enough … Continue reading What Does “Queerbait” Even Mean Anymore?
It's often said that the first Pride was a riot. And that's true, insofar as modern Pride commemorates the uprising at Stonewall and the throwing, en masse, of bricks at cops. But perhaps more importantly, the first Pride was a fun, casual night on the town that went up in flames because straight people didn't … Continue reading The Top Ten Worst Things About the Worst Pride Month Ever
