CONTENT WARNING: Emotional abuse, COVID-19. Between Governor Cuomo’s reported disregard of public health officials and the window-shopping of others’ curated lives that we all do on social media, it makes sense if you feel gaslit right now, especially if you live in New York City. People love to misuse the term ‘Gaslighting’ to the point where it has almost no meaning anymore, so I’d just like to reiterate that gaslighting isn’t just garden-variety lying. …

I have always loved words, yet I struggle to feel understood. I have consistently been praised for being “Smart,” but what does that actually mean? …It means societal privilege and sheer luck fell upon me, and I wasn’t cute enough to be praised for my looks. Being a “Smart kid”…

TRIGGER WARNING: Narcissistic abuse, bullying, intimate partner violence, metaphor about drug use, metaphor about hanging. “You’re a little much for me. You’re a liability.” — Lorde The simple yet arresting lyrics slow-dance with a melody that transforms from a hug into a noose. If you have never been told that…

Whenever I am invited to a party, — especially if I am not close to the host or many of the expected attendees — I bring ingredients and spend my first hour in the kitchen, assembling something for guests to eat. I wish I could tell you that this impulse…

TW: Narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, bullying, fatphobia, queerphobia, depression, self-harm, brief mention of suicidality, Donald Fucking Trump. “From the moment I met you, I knew I could work you.” I sincerely hope you never encounter anyone who regards you this way or, worse, says this to you directly. Whether it’s…

I have always hated it when well-meaning people ask, “Where are you from?” I try to brush off the question, because I’ve been told by friends and exes that giving the full answer is annoying or oversharing. But people persist and ask even worse follow-up questions: “Where were you born?”…

Photo by Meg Cameron In musical theatre convention, we are taught that songs should not be random; rather, characters sing when words are not enough. Life, however gay and theatrical as mine may be, is not a musical. When words are not enough, there is no orchestra, no melody. Enter my most-used emoji for the last three years: 🖤. Today marks three years since the mass shooting at Pulse, a staple of…