By Loraine Hutchins Editor’s Note: Last year, Loraine Hutchins turned 70. Her health is declining. She is having a hard time walking without her walkeror cane, and she doesn’t want to be alone. She has no kids or partner, so she opted to move to Friends House, a CCRC (continuing careretirement community, which includes independent…
Letters to Myself
By Joy Muhammad Letter from 15-year-old me to seven-year-old me: Dear Me, I know you feel a bit rubbish. A bit awkward in corduroy trousersand consequently having to pretend to be a little dad in thatawful playground game “Mummies and Daddies.” You wouldrather play She Ra, like on the telly, than the other alternative,which is…
AROUND THE WORLD: Voices from Jamaica
Safety By Miranda I used to feel like I was cheating the LGBTQ+ communityby being bisexual. You tend to hear a lot of, “It’s just aphase,” “You’re just being greedy,” “You’re not reallyqueer—you’re just experimenting,” etc. I felt like anoutcast; I didn’t even belong where I was supposed tobe able to belong. It took a…
AROUND THE WORLD: Voices from Jamaica
By Robyn Ochs At the Creating Change Conference in January 2017, I had the pleasure of meeting Mark Clifford and Chris Leslie from PRIDEin Action, a Jamaican queer-focused non-governmental organization that serves students and other youth through SPECTRUM,the LGBTQIA+ resource center on the Mona campus of The University of the West Indies in Kingston, Jamaica….
Editor’s Note
Dear Reader, The theme of this issue is “Growing Older.”Folks were asked: “What are the challenges/opportunities of being an older bi+ person? Howhas aging transformed you—in mind, body, spirit,or sexuality? How have you stayed the same?What have been the most significant moments ortransitions in your life?” We present to you the writing of women &…
Climbing (Sort of) into the 21st Century
By Jane Barnes I got my first cellphone around the turn of the century: a silvershell phone, which I snapped shut with a flourish on the 14thstreet bus. At first, I hung it from a homemade lanyard (a redsatin ribbon, half-inch), but when I got used to it, I just carriedit in my pocket like…
October 5, 1999—on turning 56
Actual remarks made during my birthday celebration week. By Lani Ka’ahumanu “Oh, but you don’t look 56! I would have never guessed. Luckyyou.” As if looking 56 [whatever that means] is a negative. “You’re so young, no one would ever have to know.”As if people knowing I am 56 is not a positive. “Don’t worry…
Advice from A. Rose Bi
A. Rose Bi lives in New England with her cats who love to sleep on her lap while she spends most of her time watching TV and playing video games while her partner cooks amazing food. In addition to being anout and proud bi+ woman, A. has a degree in Cognitive Science, has completed trainings…
Mistaken Identity, Or Birth Versus Transition
By Sharla “Skyspirit” Shotwell While there are many groups which have rules against allowinganyone not “naturally-born female” into events such as lesbianbars, music festivals, rituals, or sacred rites, I have made progressin changing at least a few minds in this regard. In one case, a friend of my late husband’s—and now a goodfriend of mine—had…
Allies On All Levels
By Miriam Katz Over the past year, I have come to identify as a genderfluid personwho uses they/them pronouns. I was assigned female at birth,but I don’t know if I ever really felt like a girl or woman. I knowthat I’m attracted to women, and I practice polyamory; however,most of my relationships, whether platonic or…