3 Reasons Why You Might Not Talk to the Guy in the Wheelchair — And Why I Wish You Would November 6, 2019 by Ryan_Arnold Leave a Comment I have to overcome a lot of issues related to my disability. I was born with cerebral palsy, so I’ve encountered challenges from day one. When you add the fact that I'm a gay man living in the Deep South, a lot of times it’s hard just to live. I’ve only had two romantic relationships in my life. The first was for a little over two years, and my second and most recent one … [Read more...]
Why I Refuse To Leave the South as a Queer Black Person June 19, 2019 by Quita Tinsley 1 Comment I was born and raised in the Southeast -- rural Georgia, to be precise. I like my teas to be sweet, biscuits with cane syrup, hearts to be blessed, and summers that are hot. Not a day goes by that I don’t say "y’all." I spent many days as a child walking around barefoot in the grass. It’s a regular practice for me to smile at strangers and ask them “how you doing?” All of these … [Read more...]
My Queer Sex-Positive Life: Unlearning the Gendered Sexual Shame That Kept Me Disempowered May 8, 2019 by Jamila Reddy Leave a Comment This article was originally published by Jamila Reddy under its original title "Sex-Positivity Means Unlearning Shame" and is republished with permission. When I was five years old, my parents gave my sister and me a book called Where Did I Come From. Published in 1973, the book featured illustrations and explanations of how babies are made. On the front and back covers … [Read more...]
5 Things I Learned as a White Person After Visiting a Southern Plantation Dedicated to Slavery July 11, 2018 by Shannon Weber Leave a Comment Content warning: description of life under enslavement In February, my partner and I took our first-ever trip to New Orleans, Louisiana during the city’s festive Mardi Gras season. It was an incredible experience, but the most impactful part of our visit by far was our day trip to the Whitney Plantation. Located about an hour’s drive outside New Orleans in the heart of … [Read more...]
Mudbound: Uncovering The Parts Of Ourselves We Sacrifice In Order To Survive December 14, 2017 by Cody Charles Leave a Comment Dee Rees’ tale of two southern families, one white (McAllan) and the other Black (Jackson), living on the same land is masterfully translated to film. At first, I wanted to describe the film as a tale of survival, but after some thought -- that’s not exactly true. This is the tale of a poor Black southern family trying to survive, and an average white family trying to build … [Read more...]
8 Stereotypes About the South that Are Just Plain Wrong May 19, 2017 by Ginger Stickney 1 Comment In the spirit of full disclosure let me begin by revealing myself as a Yankee. I moved from Maine to North Caroline 15 years ago. We lived in Charlotte for most of those years but five years ago we moved to a Georgia college town that I never want to leave. I admit that I arrived with a whole slew of ideas about Southerners. But over the years, I’ve quickly learned that most of … [Read more...]
