[From the Editor’s Desk]

Twenty Twenty-One was is many ways a long year but in other ways, it passed by in the blink of an eye. Despite the global pandemic continuing to dominate our lives, we must remember that the world continues to turn and the fight for LGBTQ2S+ acceptance moves forward as well.

This past year, we saw many wins for the community, both big and small, that are worth recognizing and celebrating. Just last week, www.dictionary.com made Allyship its word of the year. On the political front, there were countries recognizing same-sex marriage, other countries decriminalizing homosexuality, and conversion therapy was banned in our own backyard. In the world of entertainment, celebrities such as Kal Penn spoke openly about coming out as gay; Jamie Lee Curtis shared her journey in supporting her daughter who came out as trans last year; Demi Lovato shared that they are nonbinary and are using the pronouns they/them. This is only a sliver of the positive headlines from the past year. The list goes on and on (you can look at our Facebook Page if you ever want to stay informed).

All this being said, despite the challenges this year has presented, there are reasons to be positive and optimistic. It is hard to say what the next year will bring. There are signs that we will return to more in person gatherings and we can certainly hope that Pride will be in person. In the meantime, it is important to take care of ourselves, take care of each other, and remember there are lots of great things still happening making the world a bit better for our community.