This is our round-up of recommendations for our LGBTQ+ fam! Is there something you can’t stop talking about? A show you’re binging, a podcast that’s making you look forward to your commute? Maybe it’s a book that kept you up all night, a new lightweight tee, or a dainty pair of earrings.
Share it with us and you might find it in our next newsletter: La********@Pi***********.com
The On Being Project – Ocean Vuong: A Life Worth of Our Breath
This is a live episode that was recorded back in 2020, just before the Covid pandemic, but it is like a cozy cup of chicken soup in the cold aftermath of last week’s election. Host Krista Tippett is in conversation with award-winning queer writer Ocean Vuong, a soft spoken poet and novelist who chooses each word with tenderness and intention.
“Most stunning is how presciently, exquisitely Ocean speaks to the world we have come to inhabit— its heartbreak and its poetry, its possibilities for loss and for finding new life.”
If you need to sit with your feelings right now, this episode will calm you, maybe help you shed some tears, and plant itself firmly in your soul.
Agatha All Along on Disney+
I’ll start by confessing; I was hoodwinked into watching this series. I’m not a Marvel Universe girlie. I don’t do superheroes. But witches? Now you’re speaking my language. So when my wife told me that she was a few episodes in, that it was “the best show ever,” and that I “had to catch up,” I believed her.
After throwing my little fit about the trickery, yes, this show is set in the Marvel Universe, I accepted that it was actually … really good. And, as everyone on TikTok likes to point out, Agatha All Along IS queer culture. I’m not on TikTok, but my wife can’t stop sending me theories and reactions to the show.
What’s it about? If you don’t already know: Witches. (Duh.) Scandals. Murder. Covens. Mystery. Music! Complicated relationships. Oh, and the witches fly on broomsticks. So really, the show has it all. All episodes are streaming.
All the Dead Lie Down by Kyrie McCauley
This YA gothic romance is the quintessential queer fall read. There’s young lust all mixed up in dark and deadly mystery. Although set in Maine in summer, All the Dead Lie Down maintains an eerie and chilling atmosphere throughout, as we meet Marin and Evie and watch their love story unfold in surprising and unexpected ways.
Something I love about this book? None of the book’s drama is tied up in the same-sex romance. In fact, the relationship brewing between Marin and Evie is the most normal element of the novel. It’s also the sweetest, especially compared to the chilling familial tension between famed horror author Alice Lovelace and her three daughters.
Sure, there are plenty of rambling metaphors and an enormous number of dead things, but All the Dead Lie Down is the perfect choice for a fall read: A little spooky, some twists and turns, and a wholesome queer romance to keep our hearts happy.
Dead birds appear in Marin’s room. The children’s pranks escalate. Something dangerous lurks in the woods, leaving mutilated animals in its wake. All is not well at Lovelace House, and Marin must unravel its secrets before they consume her.
It’s cozy cocktail season: Dark liquors that warm the body. Concoctions with depth to sip and savor. Flavor profiles with a little spice. You already know about our little Pink Robin queer cocktail party, so now it’s time to plan your own.
First, get yourself some craft bitters from the Bitter Gay Co., available right here at Pink Robin. Next, gather some friends. Finally, clink glasses and enjoy your favorite cocktail, together.
Gifting season is approaching, so order extra. You can be the hero of the inevitable office gift exchange.
Hey there. Laura Leigh here. I’m a wife, writer, mama, small business owner, podcast host, and the Head of Content here at Pink Robin.
I love supporting the queer community and bringing shared experiences to life.
If you have a story to tell, I’m here for it.
la********@pi***********.com
I remember when my wife and I first became moms, I knew that our ability to “pass” was behind us. I was never going to pretend that my wife and family were something other than exactly who they were. It was freeing to know that I had to live my queer life out loud, that I would forever be myself in every space, all the time.
In a 2023 CNN article Daniel Korschun, associate professor of marketing at Drexel University explained that when it comes to supporting the LGBTQ+ community, executives “are becoming much more skittish about taking these stands and making strong statements.
According to a 2022 Pew Research Poll, roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society. Because trans rights have become such a contentious issue across the country, companies that used to view supporting pride as “low stakes” have become less likely to support the LGBTQ+ community as a whole. “The pendulum is swinging a bit back … toward a more conservative approach, where they’ll be less vocal,” says Korschun. According to a recent NBC News article, Target stores will only sell pride merchandise in select locations this year. The retailer will not have Pride collections in about half of their locations. Additionally, they will only sell pride merchandise for adults.
An argument that Target has made in the past and is now using again is that this decision protects their LGBTQ+ employees, but let’s be clear: Conditional allyship is not support. Pulling queer merchandise from their shelves and essentially pretending that we don’t exist–and ignoring those of us who have children that want to celebrate pride with us–is detrimental to our community. Erasure threatens our safety. This weekend my mom told me that she’s done with Target. Like her, I can’t say I feel good about spending my money in a place that doesn’t value my family. As of today, the ACLU is currently tracking 515 anti-LGBTQ bills in the U.S. We exist, and abandoning us only endangers us.
