HANDS OFF

California Moves to Block Federal Seizure of Confidential Trans Youth Records In a major escalation over healthcare privacy, California Attorney General Rob Bonta led a powerful multi-state coalition of 19 attorneys general last month to block a dangerous federal overreach Read more

LOVE IS NOT A CRIME

First openly gay Qatari activist makes defiant statement at Santa Clara World Cup match LGBTQ activist Dr. Nasser Mohammed made a striking appearance at Qatar-Switzerland World Cup match in Santa Clara last month, walking into the stadium alongside California State Read more

PAYING IT FORWARD

Joel Urzua : Resilience, Representation, and the Power of Advocacy BY MARK ARIEL Born in Los Angeles and raised in Aguascalientes, Mexico, Joel Urzua returned to the United States alone as a teenager, entering the foster care system. Navigating a Read more

SPOT THE SCAM

The digital hunting ground: how apps became a playground for extortion BY PATRICK TSAKUDA  |  PHOTO BY RON LACH While dating apps like Tinder, Grindr, Hinge, and Scruff are great for making connections, they are also heavily targeted by scammers. Read more

RECLAIMING PRIDE [cover feature]

How REACH LA’s Greg Wilson is rewriting the blueprint for queer youth survival amid shifting political and economic storms BY MARK ARIEL  |  PHOTO BY ALEXANDER SCHUELLER Despite what is trying to be enforced, we have actively and intentionally maintained Read more

JOYFUL NOISE

Kristine W Returns with New Album “Dance with Me” and Uplifting Single “Next to You” BY VICTOR MELAMED Dance music icon Kristine has launched her highly anticipated new album, Dance with Me, led by the vibrant new single “Next to Read more

LOUD & PROUD

SoCal June Pride Events FRIDAY, JUNE 5 NUESTRO ORGULLO (OUR PRIDE) Southeast Los Angeles. Info: somoslea. org SATURDAY, JUNE 6 WEHO PRIDE West Hollywood Park and Santa Monica Blvd. Free Street Fair, Sunday June 7 Parade.Info: wehopride.com FULLERTON PRIDE FEST Read more

THE AUDACITY OF EXISTENCE

Why 2026 Demands a Different Kind of Pride BY PATRICK TSAKUDA As we gather for Pride 2026, the atmosphere is a complex blend of defiance and somber reflection.  Unlike the celebrations of the early 2020s, which often felt like a Read more

FEARLESS AND FREE

Long Beach Pride, marking 43 years of impact, returns this month Long Beach Pride, one of the nation’s longest-running LGBTQ+ celebrations, returns for its 43rd year with the powerful theme “Fearless and Free,” honoring resilience, authenticity, and the ongoing pursuit Read more

LOVE WINS

Advocates Secure Return of Pride Flag to Stonewall The Trump administration will restore the Pride flag to Manhattan’s Stonewall National Monument following a settlement with several nonprofit organizations. The flag was removed in February 2026 after a Department of the Read more

SHIELDING YOUTH

California Strikes Back: New Bill Empowers Survivors to Sue Conversion Therapy “Practitioners” State Senator Scott Wiener has introduced Senate Bill 934, a vital move to bolster California’s defenses against the predatory and debunked practice of “conversion therapy.”  As the U.S. Read more

THE MYTH OF FAIR PLAY

What the 2028 Olympics Reveal About Who Gets to Belong BY NIK KACY  |  PHOTO BY LEON MOSTOVOY Los Angeles calls itself a sanctuary. Yet in 2028, it will host an Olympic Games that restricts the women’s category to so-called Read more

BREAKING FREE [cover feature]

Defined or Confined? The Hidden Cost of Identity Labels BY PATRICK TSAKUDA In their provocative new book, Trans Pleasure: On Gender Liberation and Sexual Freedom, sociologist Brandon Andrew Robinson issues a bold challenge to modern social constructs: it is time to abolish Read more

ARTISTS IN FOCUS

FXLK PLAY Exhibition Concludes Historic Run in West Hollywood Following a monumental month celebrating the Tom of Finland Foundation’s past and present artists-in-residence, the historic FXLK PLAY exhibition at Plummer Park’s Long Hall in West Hollywood officially drew to a Read more

LASTING LEGACIES

Why You’ve Never Seen a “Best Of” Issue in THE FIGHT BY MARK ARIEL If you look through our archives, you will find over a decade of stories, political breakthroughs, and cultural milestones. What you won’t find is a “Best Read more

SAVE THE DATE

Off Sunset 2026: The Intersection of Art, Kink, and Community Activism The Off Sunset Festival officially returns to Silver Lake on Sunday, May 3, 2026, from noon to 7pm.  Transforming a half-mile stretch of Santa Monica Boulevard, the event is Read more

SAVING THE SANCTUARY

Love vs. Leverage: Anthony Bawn Explores Power and Desire in “Almost Us” Acclaimed filmmaker Anthony Bawn returns with Almost Us, a sharp, desert-set romantic comedy debuting on Watch VIM. Starring Bawn alongside a charismatic cast, the film blends heat, humor, Read more