With 2020 coming to a close we wanted to celebrate our favorite posts here at Queerly Not Straight. From naming some our favorite transgender & nonbinary authors, to celebrating Wynonna Earp’s Wayhaught, and interviewing LGBTQ+ actors, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. So, explore, enjoy, and thank you for joining me (Lyra) every week for 2020. Here’s to another year of covering LGBTQ+ topics that matter, need to be addressed, or that mark the rise of much needed representation.
1. Dear Wynonna Earp, Thank You. Signed, #Wayhaught Fandom
Excerpt: Wynonna Earp delivered on one of the best hours of TV in “Friends in Low Places.” And it gave the LGBTQ+ community an unforgettable, romantic, and sensual reunion that I played over and over again because I wasn’t sure I was seeing this right. We, as queer people, are allowed to have this? We’re allowed to have moments of pure intimacy that aren’t given the male gaze of death? Are you sure? We are, aren’t we?
Why You Should Read: Join us as we celebrate Wynonna Earp’s momentous couple with a thank you letter dedicated to “Friends in Low Places.” It made us feel seen and loved. And we’ll forever be grateful to Wynonna Earp, Emmy Andras, and everyone involved in this ship.
Read it HERE.
2. 16 Transgender & Nonbinary Authors You Should Be Checking Out in 2020
Excerpt: Transgender and nonbinary stories are human stories grounded in acceptance and an understanding that their stories are worth telling. So in honor of trans & nonbinary readers/writers out there and Pride Month 2020, we’ve put together a list of 16 transgender and nonbinary authors you should check out today! And when you’re done, make sure to buy, support, and let these authors know how you feel about their work!
Why You Should Read: Join us as we celebrate transgender and nonbinary authors that came out with amazing books in 2020. Their works created a safe space for transgender and nonbinary readers to feel seen and like their lives and experiences are worth writing about.
Read it HERE.
3. ‘Killing Eve’ Isn’t Queerbaiting in It’s Season 3 Finale
Excerpt: Just because Eve and Villanelle didn’t kiss, doesn’t make their connection any less queer. Ok, you got it? Now store that little bit of information in your head and listen up. Romance is more than just kissing. Connection is more than kissing. Bonds are more than kissing. Yes, it would’ve been nice to see Villaneve kiss; we all want that. But at the end of the day we got some amazing scenes that blew everything out of the water and solidified the fact that these two are meant for each other.
Why You Should Read: Join us as we talk Killing Eve’s Villaneve and the fact that this show isn’t queerbaiting us. They are clearly a couple, a joining of two like minded individuals who are going to face the world together. So what, if they haven’t labelled it yet.
Read it HERE.
4. Prioritizing White Queer Couples Over Those of Color
Excerpt: There’s a problem in the DCTV verse. White queer couples, whether they be canon or not, take priority over queer couples of color and we’re tired of it. More than tired. We’re sick of it and think it’s time to call out the problem for what it actually is: racist. It’s the subtlest form of racism. The one that many people aren’t really aware of. But it’s there, simmering beneath the very surface, making you pick and choose specific couples based on the color of their skin and not the quality of their ship. And whether you want to admit it or not, it’s racist.
Why You Should Read: Join us as we break down the whys and hows on the racist problem behind DCTV. From Supercorp and Avalance getting all the attention or marketing, to Thundergrace and Dansen getting scraps left and right, we talk about it all.
Read it HERE.
5. EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Nicole Maines from ‘Supergirl’ Talks Nia Nal
Excerpt: Which is why I think this episode [Reality Bytes] was so important. A lot of people were unaware at how common this is. And a lot of people didn’t really get that trans women face such a threat of hate related violence. So, it’s about talking about it and making sure that people are aware of that situation and they’re aware of what trans women are up against.
Why You Should Read: Join us as we celebrate TV’s first transgender superhero aka Nia Nal on Supergirl, played by Nicole Maines. We had the honor of speaking with Nal about what her experience has been like, why her performance is so important, and superpet fanart.
Read it HERE.
6. Casting the All-Female ‘Die Hard’
Excerpt: Leave it to Charlize Theron and a fan to spark the flames on Twitter and leave us wanting an all-female version of Die Hard! With how much we loved Oceans 8, we’re absolutely on board for a movie that exemplifies female talent. To help you visualize this extraordinary movie, here are our top picks for some of the key roles of Die Hard. Think we missed someone? Let us know on Twitter or in the comments section below. If not, have fun visualizing this masterpiece of queer and epic proportions!
Why You Should Read: Join us as we celebrate and swoon over our fan cast of the all-female reboot of Die Hard. Because we need a world where Charlize Theron rescues Melissa Fumero while battling Sandra Oh. Plus, Retta and Awkwafina? Yes, please!
Read it HERE.
7. We Need to Talk About Joe and Nicky from ‘The Old Guard’
Excerpt: Joe (Marwan Kenzari) and Nicky (Luca Marinelli) are the kind of representation that I wish all comic-book adaptations had from the very start. This isn’t Avengers with their small queer character that we should all celebrate even though they were in a scene small enough to be cut by countries who don’t approve of homosexual relationships. Joe and Nicky are actual representation that puts our lives, our stories, and our loves front and center.
Why You Should Read: Join us as we celebrate and cry over the sheer brilliance that is Joe and Nicky from Netflix’s The Old Guard. That speech, every single word of it, will forever be the greatest love confession in history! *plays scene again because we have no self control*
Read it HERE.
8. Caity Lotz, Performative Feminism, and Ruining Sara Lance
Excerpt: My love for Sara Lance is gone, went poof, never to be seen again. And all because Caity Lotz decided to tweet that we should love Biden voters and Trump voters in equal measure. Excuse me? You mean the man who has called vulnerable communities rapists? You mean the man who made sexist remarks about “grabbing ’em by the pussy?” You mean the man who ignores the pain of black communities because it doesn’t fit his aesthetic. We should treat him and his voters who think like him…with love?
Why You Should Read: Join us as we talk about the privileged Caity Lotz from Legends of Tomorrow. This once fan favorite has turned sour in our hearts due to Lotz and her ignorant words. It’s like she’s never checked her white privilege and it shows on the regular.
Read it HERE.
9. Our Love for ‘The Haunting of Bly Manor’s Dani and Jamie
Excerpt: That right there is love. That right there is more of a happy ending than The Haunting of Bly Manor ever gave us or most shows give us in general. Because everyone dies. It’s the sad truth of it all. And we got more than mere glimpses of what they shared over a couple seasons when they’re in their prime. We fell in love with them and saw the life they created for each other and with each other.
Why You Should Read: Representation in 2020 ramped it up with the bond between Dani and Jamie. Not only were they not sexualized, they were given the time to blossom and grow together as people and as a couple. Truly one of the best journeys out there.
Read it HERE.
10. Sherry Pie Being Disqualified from ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Isn’t Cancel Culture
Excerpt: Sherry Pie, a contestant on this season’s RuPaul’s Drag Race, has been disqualified and it couldn’t happen to a worse person. #ISaidWhatISaid. Because what is happening to Sherry Pie isn’t a witch hunt or cancel culture. This is consequences for everything that she has done, that’s been revealed, and that has yet to be unearthed.
Why You Should Read: Join us as we break down the hot mess that is Sherry Pie. That’s it. That’s the entire post.
Read it HERE.
Queerly Not Straight posts every Tuesday with opinion pieces, listicals, reviews, and more focused on the LGBT community (and occasionally about the Latinx community since I am Latinx.)
