The 19th Staff

Published

As 19th LGBTQ+ reporter Orion Rummler so eloquently put it in the conversation that kicked off our Pride coverage: Queer people are tired. 

They’re tired of legislative efforts to eradicate and erase the community, tired of companies letting queer workers and customers down and many are tired of being the strong ones. 

But it’s finally June, and there’s nothing like the restorative powers of a good Pride celebration. 

Our four themes this Pride Month — resistance, resilience, recreation and rest — reflect the complexity of emotions elicited by this moment in time, and our admiration for how the queer community fights back, takes care of itself, parties like no one else and understands the power of recharging.   

Here’s a closer look at our Pride stories. This page will be updated with our coverage throughout the month of June.

In conversation with The 19th’s LGBTQ+ reporters

The 19th’s LGBTQ+ reporters Kate Sosin and Orion Rummler join story editor Karen Hawkins to kick off our Pride Month coverage with a wide-ranging conversation and shakedown plans.

Building community

Beyond the bar scene

As traditional meeting spaces shutter and people turn away from alcohol, LGBTQ+ adults are rediscovering their passions, finding new ones and exploring creative ways to gather.

Family — both given and chosen — matters

The 19th spoke with queer families around the country about how they are finding joy and celebrating authenticity amidst the latest wave of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.

From public Pride demonstrations and activism to daily affirmations and creating art, each family emphasized the importance of turning to community for respite and strength.

How eight Black trans men take on leadership and self-love

The 19th joined eight Black trans men at a leadership workshop outside Atlanta. They shared similar visions of what community should be.

Lesbian bars are having a moment

Up against economic hardship and ongoing hostility, the more than two dozen lesbian bars that remain across the United States are spaces of “hope” catering to all LGBTQ+ people in a political climate that seeks to silence them.

Advocates and voices

Finding strength and self-discovery across generations

When trans people meet each other and swap stories, an integral part of finding survival and hope unfolds within the community. This can be even more poignant when experiences are shared across generations. 

The 19th interviewed six trans people who live hundreds of miles away from each other, across three different generations — members of Gen Z, Gen X and Boomers — about their lives, their fears and where they find hope.

Trans elders talk resistance, resilience, recreation and rest

The 19th selected four themes to guide our Pride Month coverage this year: Resistance, resilience, recreation and rest. The 19th spoke with four different transgender older adults about their stories and what these themes mean to them. 

In this first part, Randi Robertson discusses resistance as a transgender veteran and lifelong member of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. She is joined by Criss Smith, who discussed how resilience shaped his journey from Jamaica to Wall Street to teaching high school students. 

In this second part, The 19th spoke with Michelle Guzowski, who was recently featured in a short documentary about her bowling career, about recreation. She is joined by Yunus Coldman, who recently retired, about figuring out what rest means to him as he enters this new phase of his life. 

Pride in the South

Mandy Carter, cofounder of Southerners on New Ground (SONG), reflects on years of queer liberation organizing — and says people shouldn’t write off the region. The 19th spoke with Carter about her work with SONG, what she has learned over the past 30 years and what she hopes the organization will accomplish over the next 30 years. 

What we’re reading this month

‘Chef’s Choice’

Author TJ Alexander’s second novel features queer and trans characters in the romantic-comedy genre, where Alexander feels trans readers, writers and characters strongly belong. Alexander spoke with The 19th about their new novel, representation and why rom-coms are the ultimate allegory for trans life.

‘Tell The Rest’

Lucy Jane Bledsoe wants her novel about two conversion therapy camp survivors to show how queer young people can survive and thrive as adults despite their circumstances.

‘Why Willie Mae Thornton Matters’

A new biography captures “Big Mama” Thornton’s unapologetic life and the ways it transcended genres and gender norms beyond her bluesy hit song “Hound Dog” and the “Elvis moment.”

Learning, growing and the obstacles that remain

What is gender-affirming care?

As misinformation about gender-affirming care has grown more rampant, The 19th has sought answers to some common questions.

GLAAD survey shows increased LGBTQ+ support

Nine out of 10 heterosexual Americans — 91 percent — think that LGBTQ+ people should live without facing discrimination, according to a newly released survey from GLAAD, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ media advocacy group.

LGBTQ+ Equal Pay Day

This LGBTQ+ Equal Pay Day, The 19th focused on the wage gap for trans women, who make 60 cents for every $1 earned by the average American worker.