Vol. 33: Here & queer

Hi friends, happy Pride month! Here’s a recent piece I loved on competitive queerness. I also really resonated with Casey’s newsletter “On Pride.. Sort Of.” I, too, have a lot I could say about Pride but I’m tired!

I was at the wedding of one of my closest friends of 15+ years over the weekend, where she & her wife danced to Brandi Carlisle so my Pride month already peaked on day 4 (congrats, Katie & Allison!).

Being a lesbian is my greatest joy in life, but it was also quite the journey in my teens and early 20s to get to a place where I am now. Every June, I try to honor how far I’ve come, and also the deep gratitude I get from being a part of the LGBTQ community. For those of you who are celebrating, please remember that the best part of being queer is it’s inclusivity - whether you’re bi, trans, ace, "in" the closet or or "out," you are seen, loved & valid.

Books, books, and more books

• Currently reading: I started a reread of Song of Solomon and damn, like we all knew Toni Morrison could write, but I forgot how truly clever and brilliant this book is. I love it, and so glad to be rereading it since her books get richer each time I read them.

• Recent reads: I finished Stacey Abrams AKA Selena Montgomery’s Never Tell on audio and really enjoyed it. It was slightly corny but a compelling escapist murder mystery featuring a brilliant professor with a dark past. I’m not a big fiction audio girl, but this was able to keep me engaged and provided my only reading during a super busy work period. The narrator did an excellent job.

• Backlist book corner - pride month edition!

  • The Stonewall Reader was a hefty read, definitely a project that was dense at times, but a book I’m so grateful I read for important queer history.

  • Darnell Moore’s No Ashes in the Fire is one of my favorite memoirs of all time, and the amount of love Moore has for his family, community, and hometown has stayed with me for years.

  • Audre Lorde may perhaps be best known for her brilliant essays, and it is her Collected Poems that would be my pick for being stranded on a deserted island.

  • T Kira Madden’s Long Live the Tribe of Fatherless Girls is an absolutely beautiful memoir looking at growing up as a queer, mixed race girl in Florida. I love her writing.

  • If you’re looking for queer romance summer reading, I recommend D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding or The Charm Offensive.

Community Care

The past few years have really reaffirmed my desire and commitment to stay informed and active in local politics but honestly, it can often feel really overwhelming to find the best news source or candidate. For those of us in Montgomery County, I recently came across Sunil Dasgupta’s I Hate Politics podcast which features interviews with various candidates for local elections with our primary fast approaching next month. I missed the Maryland Democratic Gubernatorial debate last night but plan on catching up on it here. Would love to hear from other Marylanders how they’re staying informed on the gubernatorial election.

Self Care

Joyful movement (to steal a phrase from Lauren Leavell) is something that’s very important to my anxiety management and physical health but I need it to be FUN. Have you seen these treadmill workouts on TikTok? I recently found these and they feel both accessible and fun as someone who is NOT a runner. Basically, they feature a playlist, usually from a single artist, and your speed increases with each song for about 30 minutes. You have one song where you sprint, but the rest is primarily fast walking. I’ve tried Drake, Beyonce (with some personal preference switches - see below), and I’m excited to try this queer women playlist! I’m including a Beyonce playlist below but all credit to Makenzie and Malia & Allie Bennett for creating the original!

3.3 mph - Feeling Myself
3.4 mph - Crazy in Love
3.6 mph - Formation
3.8 mph - Savage Remix
4 mph - Countdown
3.5 mph - Partition
7 mph - 7/11
3 mph - Before I Let Go

Small Business Corner

• These rainbow floating shelves from StudioDrizou, a queer-owned Etsy shop, are extremely relevant to my interests. I’m also obsessed with their lemon and watermelon earrings.

• Check out QueerlyDesigns if you are in need of any Pride t-shirts.

• I feel as if I am contractually obligated every pride month to shoutout my favorite queer-owned candle companies:

  • Lita + Ro, a Black queer owned business based in DC.

  • You’ve definitely heard me talk about my obsession for Boy Smells before; these are a more luxury priced candle. I love the Italian Kush scent but so many great options.

Until next time

Please enjoy this picture of me wearing hot pink to the wedding, and shoutout to the many, many friends I involved in clothing consults!

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