My favorite average stories teach me something I didn't know I didn't know. For example: A few years ago, journalist

The mission of Medium is to deepen our understanding of the world, and by definition, that means helping us learn from people with experiences different from ours. For Pride month, we invited editors from a few Medium publications to share some stories that do just that. Whether you identify as lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer, intersex, asexual, a combination of these, or none at all, I hope these stories deepen your understanding in some way.

In recent years, simply observing pride (concerning) becoming a political lightning rod and an excuse for some to react with hatred. I want to preface this by saying: empathy and basic human kindness are not politics. Medium is (and has been) built by Queer people and our values - including building a safe, inclusive platform for writers and readers - are simply our values.

One more thing: you may also notice an updated Medium logo reflecting the colors of the LGBTQIA+ flag this month. Big thanks to our design, product, and engineering teams for making that happen.

The stories below are just a small part of LGBTQIA+ perspectives on Medium. I hope you will share your recommended readings in the replies! You will find more in this list, which we are updating all month and on the pages of related topics.

-

P.S. If you are a friend of Medium, we will be releasing a new custom app icon for Pride next week. We hope you love it as much as we do.

“ My action day shows me that queer pride can look both forward and back forward

This story is as interesting for the person who wrote it as it is for what is in it. Historians mostly agree that Jean was the youngest regular member of ACT UP NYC and perhaps of any action chapter in the U.S., she was still a high school student when she started, although when I met her at Act Up events, she was an adult. She brought a perspective of a woman that was very much needed in the struggle, as well as a youthful energy quite unusual compared to 40 and 50-something (like Ole Larry Kramer, LOL), who founded Act. Jean is no longer young, so as a respected queer elder, she writes this piece to share hard-earned wisdom and practical experience. -

James Finn
, Editor of Prism & Pen

“ Reviewing 'the transgender tipping point' ten years later

Scholar and activist Julia Serano looks back at the wave of mainstream media attention focused on transgender people throughout the 2010s, which arguably peaked with the 2014 cover story about a point called the transgender tipping point. I emphasized: Almost without exception, mainstream media is a loyal defender of the status quo. -

HARRIS SOCKEL
@ Medium

" You can't fight a tidal wave " by

Jim Parton's love story is one of my favorites on Medium. He was married but unhappy. He was in the southern Midwest: Gay Gay did not exist. Eventually, at 38, he left his marriage. Parking on Highway 101 - the Pacific Coast Highway - he met a man, and they talked for twenty minutes. They had a good relationship! The man left, and for months, Jim was haunted by that parking lot. Eventually, he found his man, and the rest is a captivating and wonderful story. -

Debra G. Harman, Med.
, editor of narrative arc

“ My tender attachment to 'the destination', the largest gay club in China

This is a story we just published by one of the principals of the Beijing Queer Film Festival. Eki is a filmmaker and writer with an intimate storytelling voice, who often provides vivid glimpses into queer life in China - something that many average readers (like me!) know very little about. -

James Finn
, editor of Prism & Pen

" Traveling as a practice in self-care " by

Writer and musician Ross Victory draws a parallel between bisexuality and travel, observing: Traveling allows me to step outside geographical boundaries, just as being BI requires me to transcend social binaries. -

HARRIS SOCKEL
@ Medium

“ When Berlin hosted the 1936 Olympics, these athletes changed their gender by

This made me cry. The history of trans athletes in the Olympic sports about 80-90 years ago, including a quote in which it was said that it seemed to be the fashion of the time to transition. -

CJ Baker
, Senior Accountant @ Medium

“ Searching the web: an illustrative story ” by

I love this illustrated memoir from deep in the Medium archives. In short: Two gay teenagers find queer community by searching super deep for it on the internet, an experience that I personally relate to. One quote I love: I realized that when I searched for myself, the world made space for me. -

HARRIS SOCKEL
@ Medium

“ 'I am gay': telling my husband and children about

Mary wisely on the long journey out of the closet, dangling from the edge of addiction, hitting rock bottom. This story also honestly looks at the diversity of a marriage, even when it goes wrong - it can bring moments of joy. -

Jay Ludlow Martin
, editor of human sections

" Meeting my son's other family " by

Chosen family is very important and special for LGBTQ+ people who may lose family when they come out. This author's son is very lucky, because he has found a community of chosen family and also has the love and unconditional support of his family, as his mother recognizes the importance of her son's other family and welcomes them into their home and lives. -

Dana Dubois
, Editor of Pink Hair & Parnouns

Read more:

What are we missing? Do you keep coming back to stories about LGBTQIA+? Let us know in the replies.

And if you have a story to tell that in any way relates to being gay, lesbian, bi, queer, trans, intersex, asexual, or anywhere on 1 on the Kinsey scale, write it on Medium. Submit it to one of the featured publications above, or self-publish and tag it (or any tags that mean the most to you).

Users who liked