Compiled By Josh Furnell
As we look toward a New Year we would like to revisit some of the articles featured on the pages of The Standard Magazine, highlighting excerpts from particular articles from each month that deserve a second gander. You can read the complete article by simply clicking on the link after each excerpt. We hope you enjoy a trip down memory lane
January 2021
America voted for a Rainbow Wave of elected officials
2020 was the biggest year on record for LGBTQ candidates in the U.S., with 782 appearing on the ballot this year and 334 winning their elections, according to the Victory Fund.
“In one of the most vitriolic and unprecedented election cycles of our time, LGBTQ candidates continue winning elections in numbers and in parts of the country thought unthinkable a decade or two ago,” said Victory Fund President Annise Parker. This means that 42.7% of LGBTQ candidates won their elections in November.
The candidates came from all over the country – there were LGBTQ candidates this year in every state except for Alabama – at all levels of government and showed a high level of diversity: 35.7% of the LGBTQ candidates this year were people of color.
Next year’s Congress will be the queerest it has ever been, with 11 representatives and senators identifying as gay, lesbian, or bisexual, up from 10 in 2018. Two representatives-elect from New York are also the first Black, gay people elected to Congress this year.
According to the Victory Fund, there were 20 transgender or non-binary candidates who won their elections this year. One of them was Delaware Senator-elect Sarah McBride, the highest-ranking transgender elected official in the country.
When it comes to gender, there was also diversity among the winning candidates: 41.3% were women, 53.6% were men, and 3.0% were gender non-conforming or non-binary.
There’s only one area where the winning LGBTQ candidates did not reflect the U.S. in general: party affiliation. Of the 255 winners who ran with a major party, 248 (or 97.2%) were Democrats and only seven (or 2.7%) were Republicans. Three candidates ran with third parties, and the rest were independent or unaffiliated.
“LGBTQ people span every community – we are people of color, women, immigrants, and people with disabilities – and we are able to use that life experience to connect with voters from many backgrounds,” said Parker. “This beautiful diversity provides an opportunity to connect on some level with every single voter in America. That is the reason LGBTQ candidates are winning in unprecedented numbers, and this will only accelerate in the years ahead.”
February 2021
Black LGBTQ Trail Blazers Who Made History
By Jerome Flynn
February marks the start of Black History Month; a federally recognized celebration of the contributions African Americans have made to this country and a time to reflect on the continued struggle for racial justice.
From 1960s civil rights activist Bayard Rustin to Chicago’s first black female and lesbian mayor, Lori Lightfoot, black LGBTQ Americans have long made history with innumerable contributions to politics, art, medicine, and a host of other fields.
“As long as there have been black people, there have been black LGBTQ and same-gender-loving people,” added David J. Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice. “Racism combined with the forces of stigma, phobia, discrimination and bias associated with gender and sexuality have too often erased the contributions of members of our community.” In honor of Black History Month, we pay tribute to a few notable LGBTQ Black pioneers.
March 2021
Our First 100
By Nino Eilets
Picture it October 2012, a month after closing shop at The Bottomline Magazine and wondering what would come next. Enter two previous co-workers and friends, Mona DeCrinis & Maya Kalabic saying, “Hey; why don’t you start your own publication?” And as they say, the rest is history. It was such an exciting time, being able to dream up the concept of the magazine, build the team and see it become reality. It’s hard to believe that we are commemorating our 100th edition. It still feels like yesterday.
Wanting to be anything but your ordinary LGBT Publication and wanting to dispel any preconceived notions of what an LGBT publication was supposed to be, we embarked on developing a magazine that not only reached our gay community, but also to all those who cared to give it a look. We present diverse content that reflects the LGBT lifestyle and culture. Trying to set a standard among LGBT Magazines, this publication is written and designed for the smart, discerning LGBTQ & LGBTQ-friendly reader who is looking for more than cheap thrills and fluff
The Standard Magazine feels proud to publish its 100th issue. Of course, we cannot enjoy such honor and joy without the support and contributions of our loyal readers, advertisers and all our fantastic contributing writers past & present. We are so looking forward to our next 100. Thank you all, we couldn’t have done it without you.
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April 2021
INXS Founding Member Andrew Farriss Shares First Solo Live Concert
Prolific Songsmith and Americana singer/songwriter Andrew Farriss takes fans and listeners around the world on a musical journey with his first live solo concert available to be streamed on Facebook and YouTube. The concert features the songs from Andrew’s latest EP Love Makes The World and is the perfect introduction to his solo work. The authentic presence that Farriss brings in combination with his music sets one on the path to peace. Each song off of his latest EP tells a story; tales woven into lyrics that we will not soon forget. Love Makes the World was released in mid-2020, to bridge the gap during the pandemic. The ‘Love Make the World’ concert is able to be streamed now on Facebook and YouTube.
May 2021
Top LGBTQ Travel Destinations for 2021
By Chris Astrala
After nearly a year of hunkering down, many queer travelers are eager to get out on the road again and explore. 2021 promises to be a strange travel year, as some regions will become accessible more quickly than others, depending on the timing and rollout of vaccines. With vaccination campaigns underway and a continued reduction in COVID-19 cases looking promising, many travelers are itching to hit the road again. Queer people have often been traveling pioneers,
Domestic travel in the U.S. still looks to be a hot option, with many LGBTQ people rediscovering cities large and small that are a short car trip away. Here are several places that you should consider spending some time in—safely—during 2021. No matter where you decide to venture to, check for all COVID-19 protocols for the particular destination you plan on visiting.
June 2021
A Matter of Pride
By Adrian Luzan
Last year, 2020 was an unprecedented year as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the globe disrupting daily life. As most countries went into various forms of lockdown in an effort to curb the spread of the virus, large events and festivals including pride celebrations, marches and demonstrations were canceled. As a response to the mass cancellations, many organizations opted to host virtual events. In June 2020, InterPride also launched Global Pride, a virtual event connecting pride organizations and online attendees across the globe. As 2020 came to an end, many pride events have again been forced the cancel, postpone, or go virtual. However, a handful of events in countries like Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand with closed borders and tight control of the pandemic have eased back into near-normal life and are able to again host in-person pride events. It’s expected that most pride events will return to their previous form in 2022 as vaccine distribution reaches high levels across the world.
July 2021
Queer Artists Whose Work Deserves a Second Look
By Chris Dorsett
There are so many up-and-coming new artists who need to be heard. Their voices are now being heard loud and clear and like so many queer artist before them; they are certain to make their mark in history. Many more could have made this list, but the hope of these few is to represent many — and what binds them together isn’t nails, glue, paint, or thread, but one common virtue amid this pivotal period for queer culture: When language just won’t cut it, art fills the void.
August 2021
Why There are Few Openly Gay Athletes in Professional Sports
By NPR Staff
When Nashville Predators prospect Luke Prokop came out last month, it was the first time an active player under contract to an NHL team had ever publicly acknowledged they were gay.
Overnight, Prokop’s announcement doubled the number of out gay athletes currently playing in the country’s four major men’s sports — football, basketball, baseball, and hockey. Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Carl Nassib also came out last month.
The back-to-back announcements were met with an outpouring of support from fellow players, teams, league officials and fans.
They also highlighted the dearth of openly gay players in the hypermasculine world of U.S. men’s professional sports, often dubbed “the last closet” for its lack of LGBTQ representation. Though many retired former players have come out, it is more unusual for male professional athletes to say they are gay while still playing.
September 2021
More than a Little Respect — A Conversation with Erasure’s Andy Bell
By Steven Henke
I caught up with Andy Bell via email to talk about his career, his new album “The View from Halfway Down,” and his September 18 keynote address at the Aging Positively – Reunition Project HIV and aging conference. Bell shed some positive vibes on his life and the creative renaissance he is experiencing.
Bell is a founding member of Erasure. Formed in 1985, when former Depeche Mode and Yazoo member Vince Clarke advertised for a new singer, the duo became successful in the U.K., U.S., and other countries with hits like “Chains of Love,” “A Little Respect,” and “Oh L’Amour.”
Now, three decades into their career, they are considered one of the most adored and influential synth-pop bands, selling more than 25 million records. In 2019, Erasure released their 18th studio album, “The Neon.”
October 2021
ABBA Are Back!
By Ryan Turrin
Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid
return with ABBA VOYAGE, a revolutionary concert, 40 years in the making,
and a brand-new studio album Voyage
ABBA, one of the most successful pop groups of all time, have today announced that, for the first time in 40 years they are back, with a revolutionary new concert that will see Agnetha, Björn, Benny and Anni-Frid performing digitally with a live 10-piece band, in a purpose-built arena in London from May 27, 2022, and a brand-new studio album.
The digital versions of ABBA have been created following weeks and months of motion-capture and performance techniques with the four band members and an 850-strong team from Industrial Light & Magic, the company founded by George Lucas, in what is the company’s first foray into music.
November 2021
Holiday Movies, Make the Yuletide Gay
By Ethan Thorpe
Who’s ready to make the yuletide gay this year? It’s a banner year for LGBTQ representation in holiday movies, with both Hulu and Hallmark releasing new flicks with LGBTQ characters in the lead. And at least seven more have come out in 2020 with some sort of queer representation. “Compared to previous years, and the number of LGBTQ-inclusive films that are out, it’s like night and day,” GLAAD’s CEO and president, Sarah Kate Ellis told CNN. “We’ve really gone from zero to 100.” It’s not just Christmas movies that are seeing better representation either; this year saw the highest percentage of LGBTQ characters onscreen since GLAAD first started tracking those numbers 20 years ago. But don’t wave your Pride flags for the entertainment industry just yet because we still have a long way to go (read our LGBTQ rights timeline). Of an estimated 879 regular characters on broadcast scripted prime-time programming, only about 10% (or 90 characters total) are explicitly LGBTQ, GLAAD reports. Seeing LGBTQ characters onscreen makes members of the community feel seen. Seeing two people who look like you in the media (especially for young or still-closeted LGBTQ people) can validate those who may not have anywhere else to turn. Here are a few favorite holiday films with some new options and old favorites.
