The best way to explain it is that I’m trying to navigate multiple different levels or sects of society. Specifically:

• The general, or my immediate society’s social norms.
• The queer community’s social norms.
• The social norms of those who work in politics & government.
• The social norms (or rightful lack thereof) of those who are sexually liberated with themselves.

I’m a Queer Rights Activist, a democratic socialist, and I’m a sexually liberated person trying to get people to realize I’m not “less than” those first two labels simply because I’m embracing the latter very human experience. …

True progressive movements maintain their dedication towards putting concrete action into the systemic issues that we cannot afford to neglect a second more. One of Maryland’s finest continues to step up to the plate in driving these systemic addressings home on the local, state, and definitely the federal level. This candidate brings the needed holistic approach to our politics, incorporating each individual experience as part of the shared civic collective.

Mckayla Wilkes (she/her), a bold progressive activist, is running for a second time in the democratic primary for Maryland’s 5th U.S. Congressional District. The district is currently held by incumbent…

I have a quick PSA from my usual writing here on Medium to announce a decision I have made… which really isn’t a break at all from the topics I write about already.

My name is Max Micallef (they/he/she), I’m a Queer Rights Activist, a proud democratic socialist, and I am running for Co-Chair of the Queer Socialists Working Group with the national DSA-USA organization.

Personally, I identify as Queer in sexual orientation and Genderqueer in gender identity. One big “Q” in “LGBTQ+”. I currently serve as the Public Policy Coordinator & Community Liaison with GLSEN Lower Hudson Valley here…

Disclaimer: This article discusses topics including but not limited to different types of addictions, substance abuse as a whole, and various aspects/areas of mental health.

In a morbid humor type of way, it’s very ironic to tell people I stopped drinking at the age of twenty-one. Similar to a firefighter putting out the flames of their own burning house. Or maybe putting out the flames before it got to a point of no return. Getting sober was one of the best decisions I have ever made for myself. …

Coming from a similar stream of thought as my pre-Pride Month reflection, I’m really excited to see how we as a queer collective are starting to address our inter-marginalization. In this case, the marginalization of queer people within the queer community itself. This towards specific queer identities themselves, and intersectional identities on lines like race and disability. Bi, pan, and individually queer people (like myself) uplifted as representations of the spectrums that are sexual and gendered existence.

One group of people I see receiving the attention they are owed is the asexual community. The “A” in “LGBTQIA+”. …

I recently published an article on how I believe it is all of our responsibilities, LGBTQ+ or not, to reject bigoted candidacies like Caitlyn Jenner’s run for Governor of California. One reply to it was a response that went along the lines of, “I agree, but…” which is already a strong sign the person actually doesn’t agree. If you don’t agree, just say you don’t agree. That “but” usually comes up when people say things like, “I’m not homophobic, but…” or “I’m not racist, but…” or “I’m not sexist/misogynistic, but…” Sociologically speaking, that’s called a disclaimer. This idea that adding…

I am not embarrassed at all. Deleting all of my social media over three years ago was the second best decision I have ever made for myself. Since then, all I kept was one… maybe two dating apps. I started this Medium account along the way and a Reddit only recently. Now that I’m in a place where I could care less if I have social media, meaning the positives outway the negatives rather than some high horse stance on it, I decided to “join the grid” again. Well, just Twitter.

Yes, I’ll be 24 years old in June, I’m…

Pride Month is just around the corner. After last year’s Pride events were canceled due to the pandemic, this is our first Pride back where vaccination rates are high, many of us queer folk will be able to come together again to celebrate who we are. Amongst the pain and struggle our world collective continues to go through in facing COVID’s layered ramifications, there were plenty of moments people took as an opportunity to reflect. Reflection on who we are as people, individually and together, and who we want to be or become.

In terms of my sexual orientation, I…