Category: Just Like Us

Articles Culture Just Like Us Kaos Long Reads Netflix News Television

‘The queerness in Kaos was groundbreaking – its cancellation is a huge loss for LGBTQIA+ representation’

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“Netflix’s decision to end Kaos after a single season does more than cancel a promising show; it halts the progression toward an inclusive media landscape that reflects the true diversity of human identities,” writes Scout Dragon. WORDS BY SCOUT DRAGON Queer representation in the media is more important than ever. Yet, while visibility has improved, the way LGBTQIA+ characters are portrayed often falls into a troubling pattern: it feels forced. Too often, queerness is treated as a plot point rather than a natural part of a character’s identity, making representation…

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Articles Culture Films Just Like Us News Originals Photos The Rocky Horror Picture Show

‘In defence of The Rocky Horror Picture Show: The chaotic, radical and freaky pinnacle of queer cinema’

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Amy Chiswell discusses The Rocky Horror Picture Show‘s impact on the LGBTQIA+ community, and why the iconic musical doesn’t deserve to be torn apart every Halloween. WORDS BY AMY CHISWELL Twice I have shown The Rocky Horror Picture Show to men and they’ve been reduced to tears. The soft wiping of eyes usually starts when Tim Curry sings ‘Don’t Dream It, Be It’. I cried the first time I saw it, too. I first watched Rocky Horror on the day after Halloween, feeling a bit fragile from the night before.…

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Arlo Parks Articles Culture Frank Ocean Just Like Us Kwaye LGBTQ Music LGBTQ+ New Music Long Reads Music News Originals

‘Black queer pop stars deserve your attention, too’

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Just Like Us ambassador Elliot Kwabena Akosa celebrates the artistries of three incredible Black LGBTQIA+ pop stars: Kwaye, Arlo Parks and Frank Ocean. Words by Elliot Kwabena Akosa  The current conversation surrounding queer pop is exhausting. Yet again, Black queer pop stars, who are creating incredible works, are being shelved. It is immensely frustrating to observe the current narrative – that certain white queer pop musicians are the only ones paving the way or making significant ripples in the industry. Pop, like many other popular music genres, has been and continues…

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Articles coming out Just Like Us Life Long Reads National Coming Out Day News Originals

‘The new generation has given me hope for a future where coming out is simple’

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For National Coming Out Day, Just Like Us ambassador Kallan Lewis reveals how a class of 11-year-olds gave them “hope” for the future of LGBTQIA+ acceptance. WORDS BY KALLAN LEWIS As a politically active and openly queer young person, I’m not often optimistic about the future, or even the present. My daily scroll through the news gets more depressing every time, as I see harmful policies enacted and hateful words spewed by people I’ve never met, but who nonetheless wish to hurt me and my community. Social media is equally…

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Articles Culture Films Inside Out 2 Just Like Us LGBTQ+ Films Long Reads News Originals Pixar

What Inside Out 2’s “less gay” controversy means for LGBTQIA+ representation

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Just Like Us ambassador Sara Cruz reflects on the recent controversy with Inside Out 2, where Disney reportedly told Pixar employees to make the box office hit “less gay”, and what this means for LGBTQIA+ representation. WORDS BY SARA CRUZ Last month, allegations emerged that Disney insisted on edits to Inside Out 2 to make the character Riley “less gay”. While this claim has sparked discussions about censorship and corporate control in the animation industry, the central question is: why does LGBTQIA+ representation matter so much to young audiences? Lightyear: A…

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Articles Culture Harper Steele Just Like Us LGBTQ+ Films Life Long Reads Netflix News Originals Will and Harper Will Ferrell

‘Will & Harper shows what trans allyship can – and should – look like’

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Just Like Us ambassador Casey Browne discusses the impact of Netflix’s groundbreaking new documentary Will & Harper and the importance of trans allyship WORDS BY CASEY BROWNE When I think of Will Ferrell, I think of his fantastically, ingeniously stupid films like Elf and Blades of Glory. But the new documentary Will & Harper, which explores the 30-year friendship between Ferrell and comedy writer Harper Steele, who transitioned during the pandemic, turns that perception on its head. This affectionate road trip buddy movie features an unseen depth to Ferrell, as he joins…

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Articles Corinna Brown Culture Heartstopper Joe Locke Just Like Us Kit Connor Kizzy Edgell LGBTQ+ TV Netflix News Originals Television William Gao Yasmin Finney

The ultimate Heartstopper recap to get you ready for season 3

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From the timeless romances to its groundbreaking portrayal of the queer teen experience, here’s what happened in the first two seasons of Heartstopper. WORDS BY MELANIE PATEY From the cutesy cartoon leaves and hearts dancing around the screen to the realistic depiction of the British secondary school experience, there is something so special and unique about the hit Netflix series Heartstopper. It has provided young people with vital, relatable representation of growing up LGBTQIA+, all the while giving older LGBTQIA+ viewers the chance to reflect on their own journeys. With the…

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Articles bisexual Bisexual Awareness Week bisexuality Just Like Us Life News Originals

‘I’m the proudest bisexual you’ve ever met, so why do I still doubt that I’m queer enough?’

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Just Like Us ambassador Alice Pillin reflects on her journey with her bisexuality, internalised biphobia and why there is not “one way to be bisexual”. WORDS BY ALICE PILLIN I’ve known I was bisexual since I was 14. There have been times when I have expressed my identity with such confidence that it might have seemed like I’d developed some sort of queer superiority complex; dancing along with drag queens as if I could ever compete with their lip syncing abilities, screaming to Lady Gaga until my vocal chords were…

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Articles Chappell Roan Culture Just Like Us Life Long Reads Music News

‘Thanks to Chappell Roan, hyper-feminine queer women can finally take up space’

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For Just Like Us ambassador Deia Penn, Chappell Roan’s success is a reminder that queer women “deserve to take up space in our own community”. WORDS BY DEIA PENN At 14-years-old I knew who I was. I had been raised near Manchester on a diet of old Hollywood films and Project Runway re-runs, and surrounded by women who do femininity in the loudest, brightest way possible. I wanted to grow up to be one of these women, wielding hyper-femininity like a flick-knife. I also knew that I only wanted to be…

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Articles Culture Index of Censorship Just Like Us LGBTQ Rights LGBTQ+ News Life News UK School Libraries

LGBTQ+ book ban attempts are increasing in UK schools, study finds

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School librarians in the UK have opened up about the increased censorship regarding LGBTQIA+ books. Over the last year, queer literature in the UK has been targeted by conservative individuals. In April 2023, a study from the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) revealed that a third of librarians were asked to censor or remove LGBTQIA+ content by members of the public, with some even being threatened.  “We want to get past this period of culture war and politics and really focus on the job in hand,” Nick…

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