Censorship, Queer Resistance, and Real Queer Lives

Prism & Pen Weekly Digest, 5 January 2025

James Finn
Prism & Pen
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11 min readJan 5, 2025

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by James Finn

Prism & Pen editors had something of a shocking New Year’s Eve as the supposedly leftist Bluesky platform censored us on starkly homophobic grounds, reminding us that the next four years will likely be very painful to anyone who values equality and dignity for all. That’s just ONE reason for our new writing prompt about resistance and rebellion.

Our stories this week focus in so many ways on queer lives grounded by a refusal to obey society when society will not treat us as equal, dignified humans.

We offer thoughtful essays, touching personal stories, poetry, and fiction.

Join us for storytelling featuring queer people who will never stop resisting!

From this weekly newsletter, you can read all the P&P stories for free. If you join Medium, you’ll financially support P&P when you read.

Follow us on Medium, Facebook, Tumblr, Mastodon, or Bluesky!

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* P&P Highlights *

Bluesky Censors P&P Queer Xine: What This Says about the Backlash

James Finn

Even though I pay attention to Cory Doctorow’s writing, I never expected my New Year’s Eve to be ruined by the intersection of enshittification and homophobia. Or, as P&P editor Logan Silkwood put it on New Year’s Eve, I never expected to be caught up in a wave of “anticipatory obedience” to forest fires of homophobia and other forms of queerphobia raging among conservatives across the land.

(Logan was referring to a term coined by Yale historian Timothy Snyder in his book, “On Tyranny,” about the 20th-century history of fascism.)

Read in P&P

Do All Trans Men Have Toxic Masculinity to Overcome?

Logan Silkwood

Sometimes I feel like I’m living in the Twilight Zone.

I’m a trans man married to a trans woman. Each of us watched the other transition. This reality produces some weird situations. Sometimes, we have the exact same conversations having reversed roles years later.

Recently, I explained an aspect of my wife’s job to her in embarrassing detail, knowing full well that she has a doctorate and over a decade of experience in her field.

Read in P&P

All I Wanted For Christmas Was To Be Accepted as My Bisexual Self

LibrariAnna

… My mother, meanwhile, lurked in the front hallway. I don’t think she ever put her purse down, which makes me wonder if what came next was planned.

Somewhere in the bustle of filling our plates with food, Jack went to check on my mother. He admits that he was mostly worried that she was nosing through someone’s bedroom or the like.

She was nowhere to be found, so Jack looked out the window. “Their car is gone,” he announced.

Read in P&P

2024’s Top Queer Indie Films: Stories of Love, Struggle, and Self-Discovery

Eki

2024 has been a great year for independent queer films.

From the seemingly naive yet deeply passionate youth, to the post-adolescent era where desire and reality clash and mingle, to mid-life moments where calmness occasionally gives way to turbulence, these ten independent queer films of 2024 offer audiences a wide perspective. They align with and reflect the currents of the times, focusing on different stages of life within the queer community.

Read in P&P

Kissing Another Girl and Getting Drunk: My First Rebellion

Esther

Since the rebel in me had taken over ever since I began deconstructing my beliefs, when she asked if I wanted to go drinking right after church on a Sunday afternoon, my answer was a big fat yes!

I had been kept away from all forms of alcohol my whole life, and my mother even ingrained in me that drinking itself was a ‘sin.’ With my hometown over 400 miles away and the woman I so wanted to kiss right next to me, this proposition was a no-brainer. We got into an auto-rickshaw right after church and headed to a place in central Delhi called ‘My Bar’.

Read in P&P

Geoffrey Hendricks: A Cloud-Painting Gay Icon Who Seduced the Atmosphere

Lenso

Through Visual AIDS, Geoffrey made sure Brian’s name — and the names of countless other artists lost to the epidemic — remained loud, proud, and impossible to forget. But Geoffrey didn’t stop there. He organized a memorial service for Brian — recorded, preserved, stitched into the fabric of history like a vow never to let their love disappear quietly. If you look closely at Geoffrey’s work, you can see it — art that holds grief tenderly, but refuses to let it steal the joy they shared.

Read in P&P

* From the Editors *

Let’s Write Tales of Resistance: Queer People Need These Stories Right Now!

James Finn

Our newest writing prompt, guys!

With Donald Trump about to take office, and even “leftist” media organizations like Bluesky suppressing queer stories in “anticipatory obedience” to fascism, all of us queer people and allies need to freshen our memories. Queer people my age and older in the U.S. have many tales to share. Many of us participated in successful direct action, civil disobedience, and other forms of resistance.

We all need to hear those stories again as we brace for a return to tyranny and the probable rise of fascism.

Read in P&P

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* This Week’s Essays & Creative Non Fiction *

Are Queer People Truly Accepted in ‘Open and Affirming’ Churches?

James Alexander, PhD

LGBTQ folks must often still fight for equality. But even though I have been in all these Open and Affirming places, I have generally been in parishes where a significant (certainly not the majority) number of people were not particularly affirming. They would fit into the definition of “Welcoming” [excludes queer people] offered above.

What then is the takeaway? If you have been out of church for a long time and you are looking for a place to belong, to feel loved, to share in ministry, an Open and Affirming congregation is surely your best bet. But don’t assume that everyone is going to be so open or affirming.

Read in P&P

When I Realized I Wasn’t Straight — and Why It Took So Long

Esther

It was mid-March 2022. I had just moved to a new city for college. An excited 19-year old, ready for any adventure that came her way, except there was more to this freedom than met the eye.

I grew up in a religious Christian household and — sad as it may be — had only begun deconstructing and questioning my beliefs little less than a year ago.

Read in P&P

Happy New Year, Donald Trump: LGBTQ+ and the Next Four Years

Amy Kaufman Burk

As we enter 2025 facing Donald Trump’s second term as president, I’ve been trying to write a piece. I’ve opened my laptop several times, and stared at a blank screen, waiting for inspiration . . . and no words appeared. I’ve tried music, pacing, frozen yogurt. I’ve whispered gentle encouragement, and cursed rudely. I’ve turned to my go-to cure for all ills: rereading my favorite novels. Nothing has been powerful enough to unlock my writing process. So I’m trying a new approach.

I’ll begin by wishing Donald Trump a happy new year.

Read in P&P

This Gay, Almost 80-Years-Old Revisits the Idea of Life Review

Michael Horvich (he, him)

Right after Christmas, after talking with my nephew and niece-in-law, I delved more into “The Transformative Power of a Life Review, Whether You’re 25 or 75”, which my nephew recommended to me as a good read.

After reading the article linked above, I realized that I have been reviewing my life in detail and in-depth for many years now, with at least four reasons for doing so. I wrote about this in a recent essay as the reason for my not wanting to nor needing to write New Year’s Resolutions for myself.

Read in P&P

This Gay Man Celebrates Another Sober Anniversary

Dan Hanley

I read about people being sober all the time. The sobriety I write about is sobriety from the perspective of a recovering alcoholic. I’m one of those humans who could never safely drink, who never could join you for just one drink after work.

I still remember the warmth of whiskey going down my throat, knowing that as good as that feeling was, what was to come would be much better.

I used to think I drank because of something horrible in me or my life, and then later, because I was gay and couldn’t deal with it.

Read in P&P

I’m Thinking About Hanging Out With More Straight People in 2025

Arthur Keith

The problem with being older, single, and gay is that there aren’t that many available men. Don’t get me wrong — they’re out there. However, after meeting many of them, I generally fit in better with a younger demographic. However, they are often not looking to become partnered.

When they get to be my age, they’ll probably think like I’m thinking.

Read in P&P

No Magic Pills: The Courage to Transition

Kira Ry

Recently, I wrote an article about how I made my decision to transition (I’ll leave the link below). Despite the divorce, loss of a job, and breaking contact with many relatives and friends, I think it was the best decision of my life. But is there any “magical pill” that can help you or your loved ones make this first step? No. However, there are some points that can make it easier.

Read in P&P

The Unfair Burden of LGBTQ+ People to Justify Their Identities

Dayna A. Ellis

“Why are you geh?”

That question has become infamous thanks to a viral meme originating from a Ugandan talk show. At first glance, it might seem absurdly humorous, a simple phrase turned into internet fodder. But beneath the meme lies a profound moment: a glimpse into a conversation where an interviewer, operating in one of the most homophobic regions in the world, attempted — however imperfectly — to understand and humanize a transgender man before a largely hostile audience, before the show veered into utter absurdity with the intervention of a self-proclaimed ‘anti-gay activist.’

Read in P&P

How this Gay Government Agent’s Social Media Use Led to Disconnection

Cory Allen

With nearly a decade of experience as a Secret Service agent who had a first-hand, front-row seat to history and more than one political campaign, it’s been a strange two months since the general election, to say the least.

Even more so, as a member of the LGBTQ community, husband, and new father whose rights now are now under heightened scrutiny.

The unexpected turn of events struck home for me, as the first gay agent to demand benefits for my then-husband... How have we gone from pure elation and glee being celebrated en masse, to a primal fear for our safety in such a short amount of time?

Read in P&P

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* Fiction *

Henry’s Tale: Strife, Life, and Being Transgender

Emma Holiday

A few hours earlier, Thomas had told his wife that two days ago doctors had confirmed the diagnosis by both his psychologist and his psychiatrist.

He was transgender.

Christmas Eve was not the best choice for sharing that information with Maddy. Predictably, his disclosure ignited an emotional explosion that led to additional explosions from each of them.

Thomas was as shocked by his admission as Maddy was.

Read in P&P

“Transgender Humans Was One Of My Better Creations.”

Emma Holiday

Dolphins, elephants, ravens, chimpanzees, and even pigeons have done a better job sharing the world than humans. None of them invented wars, nuclear waste, plastics, or daytime game shows. They generally all get along unless someone gets hungry.

God just lets things chug along. If the humans make a mess, She expects them to clean it all up. Strangely, regardless of how long it takes, they generally do.

But sometimes she likes to tinker, just a little bit.

Read in P&P

* Fiction Series *

Demons Are Coming Out!

Click here for a chapter list. Bookmark it, and you can return for fresh chapters whenever you like.

Evan Purcell

Well, I didn’t die. Thank God for small miracles.

But I did black out for a couple seconds, and when I came to, the pig demon stood over my body, preparing to disembowel me.

“Zip!” I shouted. “Zap him! Zap him like you did Steve!”

“I can’t,” Zip said. “That only works on humans.”

This week’s episodes:

My Own Demon Bodyguard— Part 13

An Embarrassing Fight with a Pig Monster— Part 14

A Different Kind of Monster (My Sister) — Part 15

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* Poetry Picks *

A Christmas Poem For Nick & Sam

Michael Horvich (he, him)

The outdoor views invite one to explore the wonder within.
A peek through windows will not suffice. The blue shadows
With blue ornaments on a white tree cause the red and green
Of the holiday to be even more important, perhaps Chanukah?

Read in P&P

No Space on my Plate — A Poem

Debbie Das

I’ve been biting off
More than I can chew
I’ve given so much of me,
I never even knew

Existed, to
Begin with

Care is crucial
To community

Read in P&P

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That’s it for this week!

Courage to all of you! Keep reading, shining your love, and sending your stories to Prism & Pen.

We need you all!

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Prism & Pen
Prism & Pen

Published in Prism & Pen

Amplifying LGBTQ voices through the art of storytelling

James Finn
James Finn

Written by James Finn

James Finn is an LGBTQ columnist, a former Air Force intelligence analyst, an alumnus of Act Up NY, and an agented but unpublished novelist.

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