All posts tagged: LGBTQ

Black gaming screen with whitish/bluish letters that say "Continue? Yes/No"

Continue Screen

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by Briana Lawrence As a gamer, I know how it works. You play the game until you lose, but when you lose, you get the chance to continue. Back in the 90s, when I played the likes of “Street Fighter 2,” the continue screen did its best to lure you back in. The announcer would count down in a booming voice, and your character would stare back at you, beaten and broken. But if you hit that “Start” button, they would jump back into the ring, completely refreshed and ready to go. I’ve been thinking about that continue screen a lot lately. On Sunday, June 12th, I went out with my partner and her family. Before I left, I saw a snippet of a news story on my feed, but didn’t have time to delve into it. There was something about a shooting, and I’m sad to say that I’ve gotten used to seeing stories of that nature. So I put my phone away and spent the day with my in-laws, which ended with her …

Black man with rainbow flag

There’s no such thing as a safe space: Grieving after Orlando

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by Irna Landrum This post was originally published on Daily Kos and is republished here with permission. I needed an updo. I have dreadlocks, thick heavy tresses now long enough to fall over my shoulders. I was going to be a bridesmaid in an outdoor wedding in New Orleans. In the summer. The thought of my locks touching my face and my neck and my shoulders and back while I stood smiling in steamy humidity was too much to bear. I needed an updo. At the recommendation of several of my dreadhead sistren, I found a stylist in the 7th Ward, drove to her through pouring rain, and waited more than an hour to be seen. I walked into the shop and saw locs and afros and braids being done. I heard the familiar Creole cadence of speech I’d grown up with. I was called darlin’ as soon as I walked in the door. There are no spaces like this in my current city, Minneapolis. This new place immediately felt like home. When homophobia slaps you in …