Welcome to The Transgender Sabbatical Blues, an ongoing series exploring Dena Rod’s experience as a transgender, non-binary, Iranian American Bay Area local who took a five-week sabbatical all over the Northern Hemisphere. I couldn’t plan something like a trip to Iran by myself. Despite her fear, Becky still helped with gathering

What sets Martuni’s apart from your average bar is not just its magnificent martinis but the fact that it is also a piano bar. In the back room, you can sing to your heart’s content while being accompanied by the bar’s pianists or catch a drag show where the queens

There’s a text Baydestrians need to consult on how to parse Big Media narratives from what’s really going on in their backyards. Outside of our own blinders-guarded lives in the Bay Area, not to mention the United States or Eurocentrism broadly, we can forget that for many throughout the world

Editor’s update: In the below story, there was uncertainty regarding the final vote of Oakland City Council on updating an ordinance adding in live-work to where it’s prohibited to conduct any Cannabis Cultivation. We can now confirm that on July 18th, the mentioned ordinance did pass successfully. —————————- This week,

On June 17th laughter, joy, and art bubbled up all around me at the Art+Pride 2023: Soft Defiance opening at the Harvey Milk Photo Center Gallery. I wandered around the space taking in the diverse array of pieces. Luck was with me as I spotted a sound piece by Criibaby.

Elsa Touche can bring a room to life with her ever-ready wit and sparkling eyes that are kind enough to let you in on the joke.  She arrived in a cloud of pink ruffles and a touch of Sunset Boulevard.

And just like that, drag queens saved my life. Not that my life was in danger, besides the general impending doom that exists in the world today around queer and trans people. What I mean to say is, last night drag performers made me full-body cackle for two hours straight and it was the purest joy I have experienced in a long time.