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Voices

Read the latest opinion pieces from political leaders, activists, and everyday queer people who want to express themselves in the leading publication for LGBTQ+ news and politics. Discover what people from our community have to say about issues and topics that touch the lives of the LGBTQ+ people and their allies. Find the voices of the people shaping our queer world right here.

street vendor selling trump 2024 flags washington dc
Voices

MAGA money and manpower running Trump’s military parade create a sickening spectacle of shame

Opinion: Soldiers will be exploited and used by MAGA as stagecraft for a wannabe dictator who used five deferments to dodge service, writes John Casey.

​California Senator Alex Padilla forcibly removed from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem news conference
Voices

Sen. Padilla and our diminishing democracy are violently slammed to the ground and cuffed by Trump's regime

Opinion: Democracy is teetering, and someday we may realize that shoving Padilla was the final push over the edge, writes John Casey.

person in camouflage tshirt making thumb gesture against a pink background
Voices

Trading camo for couture, why I refuse to disappear in Trump’s America

In a world where camouflage becomes a symbol of conformity and safety, one man's journey from hiding to embracing his true self is a powerful reminder of the risks and rewards of authenticity.

Tiananmen Square protester blocking military tanks 1989
Voices

During Trump’s dictatorial military parade Saturday, America needs a Tiananmen Square moment

Opinion: Could one lone figure standing in Trump’s ghoulish parade become the catalyst to a democratic rebound in America? writes John Casey

red blue jersey ice hockey players clashing in front of the goalie net inside arena full of spectators
Voices

The media and Democrats address Trump with a tired checklist when the moment calls for a full-on body check

The CEO of Media Matters on missteps by the media and Democrats, and how America is becoming inured to the danger of Trump’s constant chaos.

Los Angeles California June 2025 Community organizers protest outside the Federal Building following an immigration enforcement operation by federal authorities alongside virus bacteria fungi viewed under 3D microscope
Voices

This week, RFK Jr. and Donald Trump showed how disease and despotism walk hand in hand

Opinion: When tanks replace syringes, the deterioration of our health and democracy will follow, writes John Casey.

Nancy Pelosi and John Casey looking at AIDS Memorial Quilt
Voices

1987 looms as a year of fear, fortitude, and firsts for the AIDS Quilt, Nancy Pelosi, and me

Opinion: I feared being fired. I feared being outed. I feared other gay men. I feared the incurable plague. I feared I would die. I feared everything, writes John Casey.

queer designers at work discussing files on the table
Voices

What queer workers are risking just to be themselves

Are LGBTQ+ workers still having to choose between safety and authenticity? A new study sheds light on the state of the workplace for LGBTQ+ individuals.

Rachel Browne and Harrison Browne author portrait alongside book cover
Voices

Dismantling the top 5 myths about trans athletes

In this book excerpt, Harrison Browne reflects on giving up on his hockey career to live as his true self – and now calling out the lies that say gender-diverse kids don't belong in sports.

rainbow balloon arch in pride flag colors NYC LGBTQIA pride march 2023
Voices

Trump shuts down Dupont Circle and tries to spoil Pride, but he will learn that we can’t be fenced in

Opinion: We’ve fought bigger bullies than Trump, and we’ve always won, and we always will, writes John Casey.

shouting us president donald trump points his finger in the face of Elon Musk before departing the white house for maralago
Voices

Was it worth it, Elon? You were a stupid Trump supplicant who sunk like all the know-it-alls before you

Opinion: I predicted that Musk would fly too close to Trump and be irrevocably burned, and it's happening, writes John Casey.

Washington DC WorldPride 2025 Trans Pride weekend ACLU Freedom to Be Monument Alex Cooper interviews people in attendance on the National Mall with US Capitol building in the background
Voices

WorldPride isn't just a time to party but to protest in the defense of trans survival

Opinion: As the world turns its gaze toward Washington, D.C., for WorldPride, transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people are not just showing up to be seen but heard, demanding a future built on visibility, safety, and power.

Edmund White author alongside book cover The Joy of Gay Sex
Voices

The next time you have great gay sex, you can thank Edmund White

Opinion: White gave gay men the language, the images, and the legitimacy to say we exist, we love, and we have sex, writes John Casey

Erynn Dana Dalton Miss Bouvee Jennifer McClain Suzie Toots and Matthew Darren on stage at Advocate Out magazine pride of broadway cover release party
Voices

Why Pride's revolutionary spirit matters more now

Equalpride's CEO reflects on this Pride Month, reminding us that we march not only in celebration but in defiance, resilience, and remembrance of the riot that started it all.

Trump’s deranged robot Biden rant was fueled by Jake Tapper’s hypocrisy and Karoline Leavitt’s lies
Voices

Trump’s deranged robot Biden rant was fueled by Jake Tapper’s hypocrisy and Karoline Leavitt’s lies

Opinion: Tapper's sensationalism and Leavitt's smears propel Trump’s wacko conspiracy theory, writes John Casey.

EIC Alex cooper and historical Advocate magazine covers including Harvey Milk kd lang pulse orlando strong
Voices

The future of LGBTQ+ journalism begins with you

Today, we launch a membership program for The Advocate. Here's how you can contribute to queer media.

OPED Shaley Howard vintage pic and Transgender Day of Visibility TDOV 2025 NYC stonewall erasure protest sign
Voices

The best way to fight fascism? Throw a damn Pride parade

Recalling the spirit of Stonewall, guest writer Shaley Howard urges a return to the roots of the resistance.

shirtless runner and author John Casey
Voices

As Mental Health Awareness Month ends, the three lives I tried to run from and the one I’m running toward

Opinion: While May recognizes mental health, these issues need to be recognized every day, writes John Casey.

group of young people smiling and looking at the camera
Voices

LGBTQ+ youth-serving nonprofits launch new coalition with message of hope for young people

Opinion: "LGBTQ+ young people, you deserve the world," writes the Coalition for LGBTQ+ Youth.

Marco Rubio sipping watter on live tv
Voices

Marco Rubio had trouble sipping water but now has no problem drinking the Kool-Aid

We laughed at the awkwardness of Rubio’s water sipping, but there's nothing funny about what a danger he’s becoming, writes John Casey.