boygenius: a name that seems almost contradictory for a band made up of 3 LGBTI+ women Phoebe Bridgers, Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus. Boygenius’ first and so far only self-titled EP is a perfect combination of the three artists’ talents. With only six songs, the indie-rock project addresses very personal and deep themes, such as relationships (both in love and with fans), self-esteem and heartache. The fusion takes place in different musical styles: Bridgers brings an almost haunted folk-pop accompanied by his smooth guitar, Baker an emotional rock with huge tones and Dacus a lyrical directness enriched by his strong guitar.

Lucy Dacus explains in an interview with DIY magazine in 2018 that this name stirs the idea that people socialized as boys are told from birth that their every thought is not only worth listening to, it’s brilliant. She adds that it can be toxic, but at the same time, it’s a very empowering and motivating mindset to have when you want to try something that is risky or be innovative, especially for people who don’t normally feel heard by society.

This idea also applies to anyone in the LGBTI+ community. In our society, individuals who do not conform to the heteronormative norm are influenced to become small and minimize their ideas. The band boygenius then tries, with this name and with their art, to subvert this habit by encouraging people to express themselves and to do so with the confidence of someone who has never had to fight for their voice, a concept that can also be seen in another queer artist. Rina Sawayama with her song “Comme des garçons”.

Although none of the songs explicitly touch on the theme of queerness, the EP depicts complex and personal issues in the lives of the three artists, some of which may have been influenced by their sexualities. In general, the band shows queer artists supporting each other, breaking stereotypes and succeeding in an industry with historically low LGBTI+ representation.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: boygenius aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

CODA (Children of Deaf Adults, an acronym for hearing children of deaf parents) is an American adaptation of the 2014 film La Famille Bélier. streaming service to win Best Film at the 94th Academy Awards. Ruby Rossi (played by Emilia Jones), being the only CODA in the family, finds herself torn between pursuing her love for music and helping her parents by being their connection to the outside world.

Ruby, who has spent her entire life acting for her family, also ends up having to help her father on his fishing boat. At school, after discovering her talent for music, she finds herself in the difficult task of managing her time between helping in the family business and attending her singing classes in order to enter the prestigious music school Berklee College of Music. As it is rare to find representation on the screen of deaf characters, it is also worth mentioning the work done by deaf actors Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur and Daniel Durant, who played the roles of mother, father and brother of Ruby, respectively. The film can be seen on the Apple TV+ streaming platform.

Link for the trailer: https://youtu.be/0pmfrE1YL4I

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: CODA aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

Following the romance that develops between the main character, David, and the main love interest of this work, Giovanni, everything is narrated by our main character and the book often explores the internal monologue of David, an American who is living a stormy romance, taking place in Paris.

In a dynamic duality that is always present throughout the work, David and Giovanni could not be more different, despite living the same reality. On one hand Giovanni, an Italian bartender, accepts himself for who he is, free of any guilt, shame or burden that might come with his sexuality. On the other side of the coin, you have David, a man damaged and chained by his limitations, his shame.

In what many members of the LGBTQI+ community can see themselves, Giovanni’s Bedroom revolves around themes such as shame, fear, discrimination, but also pride, acceptance and happiness and what that may mean. The entire book is a dissection of these feelings, with an emphasis on the emotion of shame. Although the book establishes its major plot points for us right in the first few pages, reading becomes addictive precisely because of the curiosity our eyes feel when reading each word until we know how it all unfolded. A reading that leaves us vulnerable, but no less curious to know its ultimate end.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: Giovanni's Room aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

Having been diagnosed in 2017 with ADHD and autism, the comedian seeks to explore her diagnosis by exposing it, especially throughout her 2019 program, Douglas, in order to present neurodivergence as just another part of the human condition and not as any catastrophe that turns a person into something not so human, similar to a defective product. Hannah is a firm supporter of delivering a more inclusive message: we are always inherently human, and whatever makes us different from everything else should also be what makes us most “us” and proud.

It is not just in relation to neurodivergence that Gadsby plants her position. In a very similar perspective, the approach to the spectrum of sexuality is equally privileged and exposed. Openly assuming herself as a lesbian, the comedian seeks to perpetuate queer visibility through classic humor.

Despite approaching this character for her great role as a comedian, Hannah Gadsby had and still has influence in several other areas such as filmography, where she both writes and acts, not to mention her work: Ten steps to Nanette, with Nanette being another project that earned her a lot of prestige. This book aims to tell the story of Hannah and her difficulties as well as all the steps towards the creation of a great work – Nanette.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: Hannah Gadsby aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

Charli XCX, Christine and the Queens, and Caroline Polachek make main character music: Futuristic, avant-garde pop songs that place you—twirling, glitter-coated—at the center of the dancefloor. But a compelling main character can’t be just gloss; their music also channels the lonely confessional you had with your best friend in the bathroom right before.

Althought these three artists have worked together in different permutations in the past, it’s with “New Shapes,” a song from Charli’s forthcoming album CRASH (which will also include collaborations with A.G. Cook, Rina Sawayama, and Oneohtrix Point Never), that the full trio teams up for the first time.

With its towering swells of ’80s production, “New Shapes” feels overcome by heartache. The three singers’ claw at the wisps of a failing relationship—the titular “new shapes” signal their ineffective attempts to adopt new personalities and behaviors for the sake of a partner—as they traverse mountains of snare, blaring synth, and wailed backing vocals. Their perspectives complement one another nicely: Charli grapples with her tendency to run away, while Chris’ characteristically abstract imagery offers a temporary solution. In one of the song’s most heartbreaking lines, Polachek confesses that things would be better if she’d never met her lover in the first place.

“New Shapes” combines the euphoria of a Patrick Swayze dance number with the crushing depth of a Fleabag monologue: a celebration of a love too radioactive to last.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: Charli XCX aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

Maid is a mini series created by Molly Smith Metzler, inspired by Stephanie Land’s memoir “Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive”. We follow Alex (played by Margaret Qualley), a survivor of domestic violence, after being forced to leave home with her 2-year-old daughter, Maddy, to escape her abusive boyfriend.

Alex, homeless and caring for his daughter, must now navigate the underprivileged US social support system while dealing with her abuser, who wants custody of Maddy. In order to survive, Alex is forced to accept a precarious job as a domestic cleaner.

In addition to domestic violence, abusive relationships and the lack of support for its victims, the series touches on issues such as mental health, precarious work and the housing crisis.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: Maid aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

In Young Royals, Prince Wilhelm (Edvin Ryding) is embroiled in a scandal, and is forced to move, as a means of harm mitigation, to the prestigious Hillerska boarding school, where his brother Erik, the crown prince, studied when he was younger.

Here Wilhelm meets Simon (Omar Rudberg), where the two eventually bond and develop a loving relationship. In this, Wilhelm debates his duties to royalty and the possible repercussions of this forbidden romance.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: Young Royals aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

“The Black Flamingo” by Dean Atta is a book written in verse where we follow Michael, a multiracial boy, from his childhood, when he preferred to play with barbies instead of ninja turtles, until his university days.

Over these years Michael suffers a lot because he doesn’t feel that he fits in with those he identifies with. It is only when he arrives at university and discovers drag that he is able to express his unique identity without fear of judgment from others.

This book and many others are available in our Library: https://bit.ly/bibliotecaqueerist

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: The Black Flamingo aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

Taking advantage of the gift he inherited from his mother, he opens a sex counseling clinic to help teenagers with questions at his school. Discoveries of sexuality, gender identity and non-binarism are also addressed in the series, showing mainly the path taken by Eric Effiong (Ncuti Gatwa).

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: Sex Education aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.

In his debut album, MONTERO, Lil Nas X (Montero Lamar Hill) expands his musical lexicon with several styles going from pop, trap beats, hip-hop and rap.

With featured artists such as Miley Cyrus, Elton John, Meghan Thee Stallion, Jack Harlow and Doja Cat, the range of songs tell stories about Montero’s own life experience growing up as a queer black boy, his coming out, love life and his hardships.

With Billboard hits like “Call Me By Your Name”, “Industry Baby” and “That’s What I Want”, it promises to be the beginning of a successful career path.

O conteúdo Qultura Recommends: MONTERO aparece primeiro em Biblioteca do QueerIST.