Frank Ocean

Clint Spaulding/Shutterstock

If you weren't aware, Frank Ocean's Blond was just ranked the number one album of the decade by Pitchfork—a well-deserved accolade.

Blond is a transcendent masterpiece, a work that is musically and lyrically innovative while also packing the kind of emotional punch that always leaves me seeing stars.

Tonight, somewhere in New York City, Frank Ocean will be hosting his first club night. If you haven't already received the event invite, you won't, as this is a super-exclusive kind of thing. I'm still waiting for my invitation, but that's probably for the best, because I think if I were in the same room as Frank Ocean, I'd pass out or dissolve into a pool of glitter and tears. I know he says, "I'm just a guy, not a god" in "Futura Free," but I'm not sure. I think if God wrote a song, it would probably sound something like that track.

Entitled PrEP+, the club will be 80s-themed. It's named after the pre-exposure prophylaxis drug used by people at risk of contracting HIV. According to the press release, the club will be a "homage to what could have been if the drug PrEP... had been invented" during the 1980s club scene. PrEP was first adapted in 2012 and is available only by prescription.

By the 1980s, HIV and AIDS had reached epidemic levels in America, and people with these illnesses were often dehumanized and refused treatment. Associated with queerness and poverty, HIV/AIDS was largely ignored and heavily stigmatized. In order for the government to allocate the funds needed to search for a cure, mass protests had to occur.

Though treatments are available today, people with HIV still face discrimination and stigma, and many don't realize that even people who have HIV have the option to become "undetectable" with treatment. That's why an event like Ocean's is so important—it emphasizes that there are ways to prevent and cure HIV, and it reminds us that no one should have to live in fear of it or of their preferences for how to love and experience joy.

Club life was a vital part of queer and alternative culture in the 1980s. Queer clubs were rare places where gay people and others who didn't fit into mainstream society could go to let loose and be themselves. Though many queer nightclubs have become heavily corporatized (or infiltrated by straight, often wealthy, and white people) beginning with Rudy Giuliani's moral craze around nightclubs in the 1980s, it seems that Ocean's club will be dedicated to pulling from the radical spirit of 1980s club culture while putting a futuristic and idealistic spin on the problems and struggles that plagued those years.

Among its rules, Ocean's club reads that "consent is mandatory" and says there will be "zero tolerance for racism, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, ableism or any form or discrimination." Sadly, no photography will be permitted. Okay, maybe I really do want to be there. But as I listen to Nights for the thousandth time on the train home tonight, I'm going to be happy just knowing that somewhere in this city, Frank Ocean is dancing.

MUSIC

Who Cares If You're a "Top or Bottom" - Troye Sivan and the Tokenization of Gays

One rude interview question to Troye Sivan pointed out how gay identity is treated like an open invitation to peer into someone's personal life—as if queerness is an alien species that needs to be examined.

Troye Sivan at the 31st Annual Elton John Aids Foundation Academy Awards

Photo by Kyle Grillot (EPA/EFE/Shutterstock)

Troye Sivan is a 24-year-old, South African-Australian singer who's also gay—that is, he's not interested in being tokenized as a gay singer who's here to share about all the gay sex he's having with his gay boyfriend in their sparkly, gay life.

Keep ReadingShow less
CULTURE

Gal Pals Forever: Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne Got Matching Friendship Rings and the Internet is Dead

During a St. Tropez vacation, Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne apparently cemented their entirely platonic love for each other with matching rings.

Cara Delevingne & Ashley Benson cutest moments

Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne are already one of the Internet's favorite pairs of gal pals—and yesterday, a photo of the duo sporting matching rings has sparked a wildfire of rumors that they've solidified their commitment to being friends forever.

Their relationship sure seems close, and it's great to see that the two feel like they can be there for each other and can celebrate life while they're still waiting for the right man.

The rumors started when a photo surfaced of the two embracing platonically on a vacation to St. Tropez. A closer look revealed that both women appeared to be wearing identical gold bands—and Twitter is sure that they're friendship rings.

Though these rings mark a major step in their friendship, it wouldn't be the first time that the two have performed grand gestures to show their affection for each other. They've been hanging out for just a year, but during that time, Delevingne rented out the Museum of Natural History for a night to celebrate her friend's birthday—what a great pal!—and the two moved in together in June.

The two have been quite public about their adorably pure and clearly non-romantic feelings for each other. Later in June, in an acceptance speech at the TrevorLIVE Gala, Delevingne announced her affection for Benson to the world. "I also have another very special woman in this room to thank, and you know who you are," she said. "She's one of the people who help me love myself when I needed it most, and I really needed it. She showed me what real love is and how to accept it, which is a lot harder than I thought." She concluded, "I love you, Sprinkles."

Wow—it's so great to see that women can do more for each other than give each other advice about boys (though certainly they must do a lot of that while crying, drinking wine, and watching sitcoms in their apartment, like all single women).

These ladies have yet to officially confirm their commitment to eternal friendship, but one thing is for certain: The two are definitely living it up this summer. They were also spotted holding hands while wandering around southeastern France (friendship goals!)

Neither Benson nor Delevingne has been seen with a man for a long time, so it's inspiring to see that they can be there for each other during this dry spell. Even if they don't know it themselves, they're obviously just waiting around for the right guy to show them what they've been missing.

Of course, they've clarified that their relationship is not just a friendship many times, even lashing out at a good Samaritan who commented the truth on their photos. This is clearly an example of the delusions that feminism has inflicted on our youth, but they're bound to come to their senses.

Until then, it seems that they're pretty set on enjoying girls' nights every night for the rest of their lives.



CULTURE

Do Furries Have a Home in the LGBTQ+ Community?

Should furries be included in the "Queer" part of LGBTQIA?

Flag

Photo by Stavrialena Gontzou on Unsplash

While furries aren't necessarily a rare sight at pride parades, their inclusion within the larger banner of LGBTQIA identity remains contentious.

Before moving forward, let's get a core clarification out of the way: The furry community encompasses anthropomorphic animal enthusiasts of all types. For some, their only interest is the art, storytelling, or crafting involved in the community, but for others there's a strong sexual or identitarian element to their involvement. This is an important distinction to make in the discussion of LGBTQIA inclusion––the former group really are just fans of a specific art form or culture. For conversation purposes, however, we'll be focusing on the latter group of furries, specifically those who view their furrydom as a core aspect of their identity.

The furry community itself is most certainly a safe space for LGBTQIA-identifying people: Nearly 80% of furries identify with a sexual orientation other than hetero. Moreover, at least 10% of furries identify as transgender. As such, it's clear that furry communities have a lot of crossover with LGBTQIA spaces––most LGBTQIA people aren't furries, but most furries are LGBTQIA. Of course, participating in a community largely populated by LGBTQIA people doesn't necessarily make someone LGBTQIA. But for the portion of furries who genuinely identify as their "fursonas"––alternative furry identities––perhaps that should be grounds for inclusion.

In the LGBTQIA community, "Queer" is the most open term, applying to many different elements of identity that don't conform to the dominant binary narrative. Most people who self-identify as queer do so because the other LGBTQIA terms don't accurately reflect the intricacies of their gender identities or sexual orientations. For instance, a biological woman who identifies as masculine but not necessarily transgender might simply call herself queer as shorthand.

The most prominent commonality across all LGBTQIA identifiers is a deviation from "the norm" in relation to identity, usually coupled with a desire for cultural acceptance. In light of this fact, the inclusion of furries under the LGBTQIA banner makes a lot of sense.


The International Anthropomorphic Research Project is a research initiative exploring the psychological, anthropological, and sociological elements of furrydom. Their studies have revealed all sorts of fascinating sociological trends amongst furries, but perhaps most interesting is the fact that over 35% of furries do not view being a furry as a choice. Similarly, roughly 35% of furries claim that they feel less than 100% human, with 94.3% of those particular furries clarifying that they feel non-human mentally (only 13% feel this way physically).

Assuming some portion of these furries not only identify as a part of the furry community, but also consider that identity an immutable aspect of themselves, what differentiates them from any other person who self-identifies as queer? If the distinction is social acceptability, that's what LGBTQIA communities seek to destigmatize in the first place. If it's related to the fact that many queer people include their sexuality in their queer identity, the same is true for furries; and even so, sexuality is not a necessary aspect of queerness. Finally, if the difference boils down to an attempt to parse furry identity from possible mental illness, the same argument has been used time and time again against the LGBTQIA community.

That's not to say all furries fit the qualifications for "queerness" or that some furries who do so might not also suffer from mental illness. It's simply to say that some furries, solely through the virtue of their furry identity, should qualify as "queer" and be accepted into LGBTQIA spaces with the same openness that would be extended towards anyone else who honestly self-identifies outside the boundaries of heteronormativity.

The majority of furries with fursonas agree that their fursonas are representations of their ideal selves. Thus, through adoption of a fursona, furries who identify as mentally not-fully-human can attempt to live their best, most truthful lives. In essence, these furries are doing the same thing as any other LGBTQIA person––being themselves. If Pride Month is about acceptance and celebration of identities that don't conform to the mainstream narrative, we should include furries in that acceptance and celebration, too.