Scroll To Top

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.
empty cardboard firework package and shells littered on sidewalk
Voices

How dark will our skies be on July 4, 2026?

Opinion: Could this be our last Fourth of July celebrating what's left of a true democracy? writes John Casey.

Judd Nelson Andrew McCarthy drunk laugh whisper in St Elmos Fire movie
Voices

40 years later, the hope and the hurt of 'St. Elmo’s Fire'

Opinion: Times were tough for me back then. So I made things up around the film’s characters Alec and Kevin, writes John Casey.
protest to protect trans rights
Voices

As Pride Month ends, remember that Pride is about truth

Opinion: "Journalism — especially trans-led justice-centered journalism — is not just important right now; it’s essential. Our stories are shields. Our voices are weapons. And telling the truth is how we fight back," writes Imara Jones.

Hands holding a rosary or crucifix while praying Christian daily devotional worship practice
Voices

Coming out to my religious parents was terrifying. I never expected a miracle

After a year of rehearsing and trepidation, a writer revealed their truth to their deeply religious parents in a Wisconsin restaurant, sparking a tumultuous journey of love, loss, and an unexpected miracle that would forever alter our fragile family dynamic.

New York mayoral candidate State Rep Zohran Mamdani during election night gathering Long Island City neighborhood of the Queens borough in New York City
Voices

Here's what Zohran Mamdani's win in NYC really means for Democrats, and it's not swinging wildly to the left

Opinion: Mamdami looked to the future and brought boldness and a sense of urgency to the race, which is what the rest of the party needs to do, writes John Casey.

Jim Obergefell speakks to press outside SCOTUS holding late husband Arthur photo
Voices

Jim Obergefell: 10 years after my Supreme Court win, marriage equality is under attack

Opinion: "When activists fought for the queer community in years past, existing rights were not at risk. Our community had nothing to lose. We could only gain rights that society and laws had long denied us. In 2025, we stand to lose the rights we have achieved," argues Jim Obergefell.

Senator Ted Cruz with luggage checks in for a flight at Cancun International Airport 2021 alongside law enforcement and volunteers search for missing people near Camp Mystic flash flooding in Hunt Texas July 2025
Voices

When Texans desperately sought higher ground, Ted Cruz climbed to the Parthenon in Greece

Opinion: If Texas wants to avoid natural disasters in the future, it should first get rid of the do-nothing lyin’ Ted Cruz, writes John Casey
US Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy
Voices

Revenge of Transportation head Sean Duffy, wronged by a lesbian and a gay man: banning rainbow crosswalks

Opinion: Under the guise of fighting "road hazards," Trump and his administration want to make LGBTQ+ people into roadkill, writes John Casey.

Conservative gay writer and commentator Andrew Sullivan alongside person holding LGBTQIA progress pride flag rally outside Stonewall Inn NYC January 2025
Voices

Andrew Sullivan represents everything wrong with the gay rights movement

Cultural critic Marcie Bianco excavates Sullivan's anti-trans, anti-left assertions in The New York Times that people are being forced to transition to erase gay people and that the Progress Flag excludes anyone not on the far left.

Andrew Cuomo; Julie and Todd Chrisley; Mike Lee
Voices

How, under Donald Trump, we are increasingly becoming unapologetically unapologetic

Opinion: The Chrisleys, Andrew Cuomo, Mike Lee, and others spell the death of redemption in the Trump era, writes John Casey.
Harvey Milk
Voices

Harvey Milk is an icon. Pete Hegseth is an idiot

Opinion: You can take his name off a ship, but Milk is still far more of a "warrior" than the petty Pete Hegseth, writes John Casey.

protect marriage equality sign and many rainbow flags at LGBTQIA pride march Salt Lake City Utah June 2024
Voices

After 10 years of marriage equality, the fight continues for LGBTQ+ rights

Opinion: "Today, we are seeing a massive attack on the rights of LGBTQ+ people. Since 2022, an astounding 1,903 bills aimed at restricting the rights of LGBTQ+ people have been introduced – at least one in each of our 50 state legislatures. 220 have become law in 27 states," writes Lambda Legal CEO Kevin Jennings.

Kevin Spacey
Voices

Kevin Spacey's arrogant comeback is a gut-punch for survivors like me

Opinion: Spacey screams ‘witch hunt,’ grossly comparing himself to the blacklisted actors of the 1950s, writes John Casey.

Donald Trump Signs Big Beautiful Bill Act July 4th 2025
Voices

From people to food to flags, why does the Trump administration hate colors so much?

Opinion: It’s whites only at the White House as Trump et al. seek to turn America’s palette of pigments into a colorless society, writes John Casey.

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson after One Big Beautiful Bill Act at US Capitol Washington DC
Voices

In the wake of Kerrville, how so-called Christian Mike Johnson is leading a satanic cycle of suffering

Opinion: With huge cuts to NOAA, climate initiatives, Medicaid, and rural hospitals, those in harm's way of nature’s fury have little hope, writes John Casey.

legal healthcare paperwork alongside OPED author Eric Bottolfsen
Voices

Chronic but not powerless, why your estate plan deserves a seat at the doctor's office

Opinion: In a world where chronic illnesses complicate life’s demands, navigating health and financial wellness becomes crucial.

rainbow glitter crown and LGBTQIA flag
Voices

How a parade invite became a fight for LGBTQ+ visibility in Appalachia

Amidst the vibrant traditions of the West Virginia Strawberry Festival, a storm brews as Mr. Gay West Virginia United States faces fierce backlash for simply existing.

This Pride Month and after, balance taking action with spreading queer joy
Voices

This Pride Month and after, balance taking action with spreading queer joy

"Let us march to show that we are still here, and we are still happily queer, " writes The Advocate's editor in chief.

Chicago Illinois 50501 Protest for Trans Rights on the Federal Plaza
Voices

Pride is a protest—so why aren’t we fighting like it?

Opinion: As anti-LGBTQ+ laws proliferate and the Supreme Court delivers setbacks, two determined political action committees are rallying communities to reclaim power and dismantle the bigotry threatening the very fabric of equality.

OPED Marea Goodman breastfeeding child progress pride flag in background
Voices

What queer parenthood taught me about grief and grace


In a world where societal norms often dictate the terms of parenthood, one writer's journey through queer family building reveals profound lessons in grief and resilience, as they navigate the complex tapestry of modern parenthood, intertwining love and loss.