Out in Print: ‘Meet the Newmans’ by Jennifer Niven
Don’t look now, but everybody’s watching. Of course they are; you want all eyes on you because you’re the star. Your thoughts, your choices, your entire life is on display when fame and fortune are yours. It’s a dream come true as long as, like in the new novel, “Meet the Newmans” by Jennifer Niven,…
Out in Print: ‘The Queer Thing About Sin: Why the West Came to Hate Queer Love’
Nobody likes you very much. That’s how it seems sometimes, doesn’t it? Nobody wants to see you around, they don’t want to hear your voice, they can’t stand the thought of your existence and they’d really rather you just go away. It’s infuriating, and in the new book “The Queer Thing About Sin” by Harry…
Our People: Ali Steele
“You have to go the way your blood beats. If you don’t live the only life you have, you won’t live some other life, you won’t live any life at all.” When famed author and social justice warrior James Baldwin said that – he couldn’t have possibly known how much his words would capture many…
What goes on in a queen’s world?
Squeezed into a closet-sized bathroom in the small apartment they share, drag queens Venus Wyre and Moxxxie Hexxx search through a hundred brushes and containers of makeup as they prepare for a lip-sync battle at Chasers, a local gay bar in Charlotte. Their home is highlighted in pink and neon. A blue wig is pinned…
Legendary inventors, artists and thinkers of the Black LGBTQ+ community
It has been said that societal constraints and oppression encourage creativity, thought and action. Most of us have heard this infamous quote: “Art is never created in a vacuum. It reflects lived realities, challenges, injustice and gives voice to stories that are often unheard.” In the case of many of the individuals included here, their…
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A look back at friends and family lost over the past 12 months
Trans Day of Remembrance (TDoR) recently released their “Remembering Our Dead” list for the period of Oct. 1, 2024 through Sept. 30, 2025. Since 1998, TDoR has tracked incidents of trans and gender-expanded deaths in remembrance of their lives and contributions. This list is a combination of material from TDOR, HRC and other resources throughout…
charlotte
LGBTQ+ Women of Distinction
In every community, there are women doing the steady, intentional work that helps others thrive. Qnotes’ LGBTQ+ Women of Distinction recognizes leaders in Charlotte whose impact is shaping this moment. These women are showing up with clarity, consistency and care, strengthening LGBTQ+ life in our city through leadership that is both visible and deeply felt. …
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Coming out later in life and realizing you’re HIV-positive
On HIV infection: ‘If you’re going to be sexually active, get on some kind of PrEP as soon as you can.’ Each of us has a different life journey. That can be contingent on a variety of decisions we make and general happenstance. Perhaps you were born into a progressive family that had no hard…