Why I believe that killing is never the answer to oppression — As I write this post today, mass shootings are dominating U.S. news headlines. According to the Gun Violence Archive, we have had more than one mass shooting per day in January, and the month is not yet over. …

For everyone’s safety, we must rid the world of firearms. — Yesterday, I read yet another news article about yet another school shooting in the United States. These horrific incidents have become so routine that the details have begun to blur together. What stood out in this case was the age of the shooter: Six. Six. …

Reflections on nine years of testosterone therapy — (Content note: Discussion of health, weight, and body image.) This week marks nine years since I began testosterone therapy to address the gender dysphoria I experience living in a female-assigned body. That date — January 3, 2014 — is the second of three major milestones in my early gender transition…

But mask fatigue is very real. — It has now been three full years since the COVID-19 virus was first identified in Wuhan, China. When the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic in March 2020, my city, San Francisco, was the first in the nation to enter a lockdown. When mask mandates began soon after, I…

Confronting those who scapegoat the LGBTQ community — Attacks on drag performers in the U.S. are escalating. The LGBTQ community barely had time to mourn the victims of last month’s mass shooting at Club Q when attackers fired on the power grid in Moore County, North Carolina, allegedly (but very likely) to shut down a local drag show…

And yes all men too, while we’re at it. — “Not all white people.” How many times have Black folks heard this particular microaggression? I heard it tonight from a white classmate. She used these words to “correct” our Black teacher, who was educating us about racism and white supremacy in U.S. history. After weeks of these kinds of interruptions…

According to Pennsylvania voters. — This sums up my disgust with two-party politics in the United States. In yesterday’s election, Anthony “Tony” DeLuca was on the ballot in my hometown county of Allegheny, Pennsylvania. A long-time Democratic representative, he was seeking re-election to the state’s 32nd legislative district. DeLuca won easily, with over 85% of…

Vegan meals are more inclusive, not less. — As a progressive person, I’ve seen a lot of posts on social media about the need for structural changes to society rather than changes to personal habits. For example, when folks recommend going vegan to help curb the destruction of the environment, we are often met with accusations of privilege…