Study Hall Members Spotlight: LGBTQ+ Reporting and Essays

To celebrate Pride month, we asked our members to send us their own LGBTQ+ related work. Here are some highlights from our awesome community! Please enjoy these features, essays, documentaries, and podcasts. 

Mercedes Kane — Art and Pep (Available on Peacock, PBS, Kanopy)

Kane wrote and directed Art and Pep, a documentary about Art Johnston and Pepe Peña  — two civil rights leaders whose “life and love is a force behind LGBTQ+ equality in the heart of the country.” The documentary explores how their “iconic gay bar, Sidetrack, has helped fuel movements and create community for decades in Chicago’s queer enclave. But, behind the business and their historic activism exists a love unlike any other.” 

Kane is the founder of Daisy May Films. 

Jill Webb, Xtra Magazine — “The Queer Book Bike Serving Brooklyn”

“I wrote about the Nonbifnarian Book Bike, a mutual aid project providing free, queer books to Brooklyn. This work is so needed right now as libraries face budget cuts and access to queer literature is under attack in the U.S. The bike has kids books too.”  – Webb 

Jill Webb is a Brooklyn-based award-winning freelance journalist and audio producer. She mainly covers mental health, labor, justice, and climate issues. Her work can be found at www.jillmwebb.com & verystrangeweather.substack.com

Grace Byron, Teen Vogue — “Zooey Zephyr Wants to Do Right by Montana”

“I’ve been working on this piece for over a year, thanks to my friend Lex McMenamin, an excellent writer. It’s the first time I’ve traveled for a piece on a company’s dime and Teen Vogue was really great. It was a challenge to write about politics after covering culture so intently. But it was also something I was excited by. Like a puzzle.”  – Byron 

Grace Byron is a writer from the Midwest based in Queens whose writing has appeared in The Cut, Vogue, Bookforum, and elsewhere. Her debut novel is forthcoming from Saga Press.

Barbara Tannenbaum, June Pride episode, Beyond The Fog Radio Podcast

“Happy to share the June Pride episode of San Francisco’s “Beyond the Fog Radio” podcast, produced and hosted by Susan E. Brown. I was the guest for S9, Ep 04, discussing the history of San Francisco’s storied LGBTQ neighborhood — the Castro District. 

Brown (who is the daughter of legendary California politician Willie Brown) reached out to me because of my background as a journalist, former board member of the Castro’s Rainbow Honor Walk, and current advisor to Friends of Harvey Milk Plaza. Or perhaps, she got my name from a mutual friend when we all went to see Taylor Mac’s “Bark of Millions” at Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall. Either way, I was thrilled to talk about the deep layers of queer history here — and equally thrilled when Brown turned the tables on me, asking for my personal story as well!” – Tannenbaum

Liza Monroy, Assigned Media — “Behind The Curl” 

“I found out about Assigned Media when Evan Urquhart was profiled in Study Hall! I’d been about to give up on placing my pitch because it kept being rejected and ignored by the news outlets I pitched, and Evan picked it up right away. After experiencing the silencing, I was so glad to find out about this great publication that amplifies trans people’s stories via Study Hall.”

Monroy is an author, essayist, journalist, and editor in Santa Cruz, CA. Her fourth book, The Distractions, a novel, is forthcoming from Regalo Press in January.

Alex Maroño Porto, HuffPost – “Tales Of An Aging Drag Queen”

“The story delves into the hurdles of aging within the drag queen community through the lens of Stella D’Oro, a 74-year-old performer. It focuses on the health, economic, and social challenges older queens face, especially in an increasingly hostile socio-political environment.” – Porto

Alex Maroño Porto is a Brooklyn-based social and cultural journalist from A Coruña, Spain, who writes about the intersection of cultural and social topics and stories related to identity.

Rax Will, Eater – “Nourishing Queer Hospitality” 

“This Pride season, my busiest time of year, I wrote  a long-form reported essay on queer hospitality. I loved diving deep into queer food in a way that felt artful and took cues from my social world.”  – Will

Rax Will is a James Beard Foundation Journalism Award semifinalist  living in Los Angeles. His work has appeared in Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Eater, Punch, and Them.

Katie Fernelius, “A Field Guide To Gay Animals” 

“I produced and pitched a podcast series all about gay animals and the inherent queerness of nature. The show is called A Field Guide to Gay Animals and it explores sexuality, gender, and joy in the animal world. Our show is led by hosts Owen Ever and Laine Kaplan-Levenson and travels through cruising hotspots, ocean depths, and animal sanctuaries, encountering gay animals and all those who see and celebrate them.” – Fernelius 

Katie Jane Fernelius is a journalist and producer living in New Orleans. The Field Guide team includes Owen Ever, Laine Kaplan-Levenson, Nathan Harrison, Aviva Lessard, and Julie Shapiro.

Benjamin Swift, Bioscience — “What sexual diversity in the natural world can teach humans about sex, gender, and inclusive biology”

For BioScience, I wrote a feature about what sexual diversity in the natural world can teach humans about sex, gender, and inclusive biology. This was my first foray into science writing, and it was a long but very rewarding process. I hope members enjoy it! – Swift 

Benjamin Swift is a filmmaker, podcast producer, and writer based in La Paz, Bolivia. His stories focus on global human rights, the environment, and LGBTQIA+ themes. Learn more at bswiftcreative.com.

Ilana Masad, Esquire – “How ‘Mean Boys’ Control Our Culture” 

For Esquire, Masad spoke to Geoffrey Mak about and discussed how he wrote “Mean Boys, the complexity of empathy, and returning to his faith.” 

Ilana Masad is a writer of fiction, nonfiction, and criticism. Ilana holds a doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is the author of the novel All My Mother’s Lovers, and a co-editor of the forthcoming anthology Here For All the Reasons: #BachelorNation’s Franchise Fascination (ask Ilana for deets if you want to pitch!).

Jordan Gass-Poore’, Gothamist – “LGBTQ+ bars are closing across the country. But in NYC, they are thriving.” 

“I’m bisexual and used to tell my friends in Texas that they should go with me to LGBTQ+ bars in Austin for research I was doing for an article. To be fair, I did write for the LGBTQ+ section of The Austin Chronicle, but that wasn’t why I wanted to go to the bars. I no longer lie to my friends (at least, not about that) and we’ve been able to visit numerous LGBTQ+ bars in NYC, for research for articles like this one with Gothamist and just to hang out.” – Gass-Poore’

Jordan Gass-Poore’ is the creator, producer, and host of “Hazard NJ.”

Nicole Rosenthal, NBC News — “Barriers to transgender health care lead some to embrace a do-it-yourself approach” 

“This deep dive into the gender-affirming hormone therapy ecommerce space highlights the socio-economic and legislative barriers that trans adults face accessing adequate care in the U.S., as well as why 9 percent of transgender adults obtain hormones through unlicensed, and oftentimes illegal, channels. Through intimate vignettes of “DIY” hormone users, the piece depicts myriad reasons why these adults around the U.S. and globe resort to non-prescription health care — from lack of insurance to high copays to uneducated doctors.” – Rosenthal 

Nicole Rosenthal (they/them) is a freelance reporter based in New York City who covers matters at the intersection of politics and LGBTQ+ issues. Their work has been featured on MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian Reports and has appeared in NBC News, The Real Deal, Law360, Observer, Patch and more.

Teddy Wilson’s newsletter Radical Reports

For his Substack newsletter, Wilson has been keeping track of far right groups targeting Pride events across the country. 

Teddy Wilson is a journalist and researcher with more than a decade of experience reporting on the conservative movement and far right extremists, and the publisher of the newsletter Radical Reports. Previously he was the U.S. Investigations Editor at openDemocracy, Research Analyst at Political Research Associates, and Staff Reporter at Rewire News Group.

Emmet Fraizer, The Nation – “Transphobia Spreads in a “Haven” for LGBTQ Youth”

“My investigation for The Nation exposed how right-wing organizations have fueled local campaigns against LGBT kids in Massachusetts. I reported on lawsuits over trans inclusion and extremist school board candidates, speaking to parents who never expected to encounter organized transphobia in their deep-blue communities—but who are more determined than ever to oppose it.” – Fraizer

Emmet Fraizer is a journalist and fact-checker based in Brooklyn.

Audrey Fromson, Vanity Fair – “Chappell Roan on Making Pop Music and Giving Back”

For Vanity Fair, Fromson spoke to singer Chappell Roan about her debut album, getting dropped from her label, and making a comeback.  

Audrey Fromson is a writer and comedian. She’s interviewed musicians, written about queer undocumented New Yorkers, and reported on the effects of the climate crisis in the Peruvian Andes. Subscribe to her newsletter.

Jamie Valentino, HuffPost – “Nearing 30 And Single, I Decided To Date 4 Men From My Past. Here’s How It Went.” 

“I wrote about my visit to flings of gays’ past to discover if aging might bring us closer to the ones who seemingly got away or partners who stayed in a spectrum between lovers and friends. It helped me better appreciate the colorful queer relationships that exist and not try to force heteronormative ideals into love. I went on ABC’s “Tamron Hall” to talk about my experience after it was published.” – Valentino 

Jamie Valentino is a romance columnist and travel writer who has been published in Vice, HuffPost, WIRED, Men’s Journal, Chicago Tribune, and dozens more. He is a Colombian-born quadruplet who was raised in Miami and became a cynical adult in New York. 

Kerensa Cadensa, Teen Vogue – “Brigette Lundy-Paine on I Saw the TV Glow, Justice Smith, and Standing With Palestine”

For Teen Vogue, Cadenza spoke to the I Saw The TV Glow star about their new film, the role of identity in cinema, and their solidarity with Palestine. 

Kerensa Cadenas is a freelance writer/editor based in New York. She’s previously held positions at Thrillist, The Cut, Entertainment Weekly, and Complex. You can find her work in Elle, Vogue, Rolling Stone, The Daily Beast, Indiewire, Bazaar, Nylon, Bustle, and others. She also has a Substack about perfume called Middle Notes and is very available to hire.

Alessandra Vescio, LGBTQ Nation – “Queer Italian parents on daily life as the government destroys their rights”

“For the past two years, same-gender couples and their children in Italy have been under constant attack by the new far-right government. Currently, there is no law protecting them and it is up to local authorities to register non-biological parents on birth certificates, but since the government’s ban on doing so, LGBTQIA+ families have lived in a limbo. Nevertheless, they have found a way to be joyful and live their lives in love. I interviewed two couples who shared with me their experience as queer mothers in Italy and their daily life full of love and hope, despite the constant political attacks.” – Vescio  

Alessandra Vescio is an Italian freelance journalist living in London. She mainly writes about gender issues, health and LGBTQIA+ culture. She is the author of “La salute è un diritto di genere” (Health is a gender right), a non-fiction book on the gender health gap published in Italy in November 2023.

Julia Rittenberg, Book Riot, – “How Queer Authors are Handling Pride Month in 2024”

For Book Riot, Rittenberg spoke to queer authors about their approach to pride month within the context of anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment around the country. 

Julia Rittenberg is a Brooklyn-based writer and content strategist with a love of interpreting media through the lens of cultural studies. She is a contributor at Book Riot and a general collector of odd jobs. Her favorite activities are reading and talking to her cat.

Charles Stephens, Them – “Rustin Is Finally a Household Name. But Black Gay Organizers Have Long Known His Story” 

“I had the opportunity to write about the 2023 film “RUSTIN” for Them last November. Bayard Rustin was one of the most influential organizers of the 20th Century, and a key leader of the 1963 March on Washington. In my piece, I unpack the meaning of Bayard Rustin’s legacy for contemporary activists and the relationship between art, politics, and collective memory.” – Stephens

My work has appeared in such publications as Atlanta Magazine, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC), The Advocate, ArtsATL, and Them. I also have a newsletter: https://charlesstephens.substack.com 

Mathew Rodriguez, HuffPost – “Gay Dating Shows Have Evolved — But We Still Have A Ways To Go”

“Last year, as a flurry of new queer reality dating shows began to appear on streaming, I realized that their arrival coincided with an anniversary I had been thinking about for some time. In 2003, the much-reviled Boy Meets Boy premiered on Bravo; it was infamous and maligned, often on MadTV, for its twist of having half the men on the dating show be straight, leading its gay bachelor to have to play detective in order to find love. From these two coinciding phenomena was born this piece I wrote for HuffPost that dealt with the opportunities, pitfalls, and history of being queer on reality TV.” – Rodriguez

Mathew Rodriguez is an award-winning Brooklyn-based writer. He has been an editor at The Atlantic, Them, and The Body. He is also a recurring co-host of Slate’s LGBTQ+ podcast Outward and has an essay in the newly-released anthology A Great Gay Book. 

Ellen Knoppow, Oakland County Times – “Julia Music on Ferndale Pride, a Life of Activism, and Setting Butterflies Free”

“While I came out more than 30 years ago in college, Ferndale Pride in Oakland County, Michigan was my first festival experience in 2017. So when the editor of Oakland County Times asked me to interview the executive director of the nonprofit, whom I’ve known since the ’90s, I happily took the assignment. Here’s where the piece stands out: Julia’s pronouns are she/they, and I was able to convey that in a way that was clear and respectful.” – Knoppow

Ellen Knoppow is a writer who believes in second acts. She is the recipient of the 2022 award for Excellence in Transgender Coverage from NLGJA: The Association for LGBTQ+ Journalists.

Stacia Datskovska, LGBTQ Nation – “Psychedelic retreats are often discriminatory. So this couple created a queer-affirming paradise”

“This feature piece (commissioned thanks to Sonia Weiser’s lifesaving “Opportunities of the Week” newsletter) spotlights queer couple Jhoselyn and Courtney Gaddy, who run an Ayahuasca retreat in Ecuador that provides healing to those at the intersection of the LGBTQ+ and BIPOC identities. The Gaddys spoke to me about everything from negative religious conditioning to hosting do-over “coming out parties” to the targeted programming they’ve introduced for the benefit of fellow queers (like Yoni massage therapy or relationship sessions for ethically non-monogamous folks). Writing about this couple and their incredible work was an immensely gratifying experience, the outcome of which now forever lives on the site LGBTQ Nation.” – Datskovska 

Stacia Datskovska is currently the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR. When she’s not writing about Isamu Noguchi lamps, she’s big on lifestyle/culture think pieces—and has been previously published in USA Today, Boston Globe, Teen Vogue, Apartment Therapy, and beyond.

Hannah Bowlus, Westside Voice — “L.A. Educators and Schools Continue Struggle for LGBTQ+ Justice”

“Anti-LGBTQ+ extremists have found a foothold in Southern California school boards. They held violent demonstrations in Los Angeles and Glendale last summer and have passed forced outing policies in nearby school districts. Pro-LGBTQ+ educators and researchers are mobilizing to confront and expose the groups who want to erase LGBTQ+ kids and teachers from public life.” – Bowlus

Read here: https://westsidevoicela.com/2024/06/l-a-educators-and-schools-continue-struggle-for-lgbtq-justice/

Hannah Bowlus is a writer and researcher in Los Angeles. She’s currently an education reporter for Westside Voice. @hannahbowlus

Chip O’Chang, Ridgeview Echo — “For the First Time, Blairstown Pride Comes to Main Street”

For Ridgeview Echo, O’Change wrote about the first pride event in Blairstown, a small town in New Jersey’s rural northwestern corner. He wrote about how “when it became the site of the first Pride event in Warren County history, some of the locals were unhappy– and weren’t shy about saying so. Four years later, the event moved from an out-of-the-way park to Main Street… a change of venue that reflects a deeper change in the community.” 

Chip O’Chang lives in the Skylands of New Jersey with his partner, two cats, and a bearded dragon. He always says he’ll update his Instagram at chip_ochang, but, well, you know.

Elisia Guerena, Go Mag — “ A Love Letter To NYC Gay Bars”

“My most recent piece is “A Love Letter to NYC Gay Bars.” This personal essay is about the various queer establishments in NYC that have fostered my queer identity and supported me through the ups and downs of my journey. Gay bars have played a crucial role in my life—as well as that of other queer people—by acting as a safe haven, watering hole, and dance destination. I owe a debt of gratitude to every bartender, DJ, and drag queen who allowed me to show up and, in so doing, embraced me exactly as I am.” – Guerena 

Elisia Guerena a New York-based writer who covers tech, science, travel, and other innovative mediums. My work has appeared in GO Magazine, Popular Mechanics, The Week Magazine, and others. To learn more about me and my work, please visit my website www.elisiaguerena.com. 

Damaly Gonzalez, Rolling Stone –“The New York City Bands Reimagining Salsa and Challenging the Patriarchy” 

“For Rolling Stone, I wrote about an all-female salsa band and a queer and trans salsa band who are challenging the patriarchy in the genre. The two groups have dealt with misogyny and homo and transphobia in the music world, but it is not stopping them from dismantling these social constructs that are not inherit to salsa. In fact, the root of salsa is based in freedom. By returning to the genre’s essence, they are reimagining liberated futures for themselves and their listeners.” – Gonzalez 

Damaly Gonzalez is a Brooklynite, Williamsburg-native of Puerto Rican descent that goes by she/her/hers. She is a freelance identity and culture journalist who writes about music, art, film/tv, and social justice issues through a critical and analytical lens. Her work mainly focuses on latinidad, memory, and displacement. She has been published in Refinery29, Rolling Stone, ARTNews, and others. Follow her on Instagram @damalywrites.

Lola Méndez, HuffPost — “I Hid My Queerness For 15 Years To Avoid Further Marginalizing Myself” 

For HuffPost,  Méndez wrote about her experience coming out as queer in her 30s. 

Lola Méndez is a Uruguayan-American freelance journalist. She writes about sustainability, travel, culture, and wellness for many print and digital publications such as NatGeo, CNN, USA Today, BBC, and Vogue.  You can follow her on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @LolaAnnaMendez and her free monthly freelance writing newsletter, Lola the Escritora.

Mandy Shunnarah, Pride Source — “How to Survive the Extrovert Energy of Pride Season When You’re a Queer Introvert”

For Pride Source, Mandy Shunnarahwrote about surviving Pride season as a queer person who is not a fan of loud parties. 

 Mandy Shunnarah (they/them) is an Alabama-born Appalachian and Palestinian-American writer who calls Columbus, Ohio, home. Their first book, Midwest Shreds: Skating Through America’s Heartland, will be released in July 2024 from Belt Publishing, so you should preorder it now. Read more at mandyshunnarah.com.