As queer men, we lead different lives, which means we have different medical needs. Whether it’s more therapy for the lack of Grindr etiquette, understanding douching basics, or our unique sexual health risks, we have unique and nuanced medical needs, and there are some things we should know and understand. 

Here’s a list of some health facts for queer men to ensure that you’re taking good care of your health and keeping an eye on unique health risks for men who sleep with men. Now keep in mind, none of this should be considered medical advice, and you’ll also want to run things by your primary care doctor, but here are a few facts you may not know. 

Don’t Lie Down on DoxyPEP

DoxyPEP is a godsend. It’s a low dose of doxycycline that you can take after sexual exposure that can cut your risk of developing an STI like gonorrhea, chlamydia, and even syphilis. One warning you may ignore when popping your doxy after a hookup is lying down within an hour or two of taking it. 

That sounds like a random drug warning that you can ignore, like don’t operate heavy machinery. However, doxycycline is highly acidic, so if you lie down within an hour of taking it, it can cause damage to the esophagus, causing small burns or lesions or even a major condition. 

Do’s and Don’ts When Douching 

Some hardcore bottoms love a squeaky clean workspace. Are there perils of too much douching? Yes! Excessive douching can cause damage to the membranes of your rectum, which can increase your risk of bleeding and increase your exposure risk for STIs and other infections.

Excessive douching can also wreak havoc on your gut microbiome. Rather than living wild and then just blowing your guts to oblivion, consider a regular regimen of fiber supplements and probiotics to help replenish the natural bacteria you’re flooding out so the water runs clear. 

Regular fiber intake can make you more regular and give you a clearer picture of when you’re clear for take off. 

Kidney Care 

This goes out to all my gym bunnies out there. Are you bulking so you’re eating a ton of protein, combined with a lot of pre-workout or a few Celsius a day? Not to mention, are you drinking or doing drugs? This can all impact your kidneys. 

Your kidneys filter the blood. Your body breaks up proteins, keeping a pool available in the kidneys. If you’re going heavy on the protein as well as toxins like alcohol or caffeine, this can cause damage to your body’s kidney function. Keep an eye on these and try to use a regular amount of protein your body will use. After all, any protein your body doesn’t use will only turn into fat anyway. 

Totally Normal Genital “Irregularities”

Penises are snowflakes; they’re all unique and can become wet. Given the fact that male sexual health is not often talked about, there are a myriad of things that can happen to your penis and genital region that you may not realize are totally normal. 

To spare you a neurotic bout of hypochondria, here are a few things that you may see or notice yourself or another man that are completely normal:

Pearly papules- On uncircumcised men, there can be small, painless bumps that develop around the head of your penis. These are natural growths and aren’t that noticeable, these can be completely natural. 

Speaking of uncircumcised men, did you know they have a hymen too? There’s a small piece of skin called the balano-preputial lamina. As boys, their foreskin may not pull all the way back. This can wear away over time, but there also is a chance that an uncircumcised man could have a rip or rupture when having sex as his penis reaches full maturity. 

Not all lumps in the groin area are cancerous. You can get epididymitis, which is a small growth in the epididymis, or varicoceles, which are varicose veins in your scrotum. These should always be checked out by a doctor, but don’t immediately freak out; just be sure to get checked. 

Narcan Is Harmless if Unnecessary

Sadly, a lot of people in our culture can overdo it. For some it’s puking in the street, for others it’s the risk of a major, perhaps lethal overdose. Narcan (Naloxone) can be used on someone who is unconscious or you think is overdosing. This can be lifesaving if someone is exposed to fentanyl or other opioids. 

The best part is that it is harmless if someone has had too much alcohol or other drugs. Sometimes people will administer Narcan regardless to cover all bases. 

It’s Not Just STIs

Thanks to Doxy and Prep, many of your bases are covered, so many people are living wild and fancy free. However, there are a few things out there and ways to be careful. Prime example, HPV can be transmitted via touch and is a virus. It’s best to get the HPV vaccine before you’re sexually active. For safety, try using one hand for your partner and one for yourself to avoid cross-contamination, which could expose you to the risk of genital warts, which can be painful to remove when inside your body. 

Speaking of cross-contamination, it’s important to be wary of a lot of exposure to rectal fluids. This can put you at risk of parasitic infections. Everyone’s gut microbiome is different, and they don’t always play well together. Excessive or intense introduction to the inner workings of someone’s anus can give you a bad stomach interaction that may require treatment. 

These are just a few things that you may not know that uniquely affect you. As queer men, we are all different, but thanks to the sex we have and the lives we lead, we may have unique medical needs. It’s important to have a doctor who understands this so you can have frank conversations about your sex habits, drug and alcohol use, and lifestyle. Transparency and education are vital to keep you healthy.

The human form is a beautiful thing, with so much of West Hollywood being dedicated to celebrating the bodies of its many inhabitants. 

Well…mostly. Because while WeHo is filled with go-go boys, scintillating billboards, and half-naked men in clubs, the gay community doesn’t have the best record when it comes to physical positivity. This culture still struggles with constant body shaming, a harmful, pervasive rhetoric that has led to gay men facing high rates of disordered eating and dysmorphia. This is particularly painful to see when there are countless people in this country already telling our community that we’re wrong, with so many of our own folks perpetuating this shame within their own minds. That’s why it’s more important than ever for queer men to appreciate and love their bodies, with West Hollywood’s Naked Warrior Yoga (NWY) working every day to help them do just that.

Situated in the heart of West Hollywood, this studio has served local yoga-lovers for years as an offshoot of the national brand that has spent two decades teaching LGBTQ+ people across the U.S. Even in a health-obsessed Los Angeles, it stands out for being a thoroughly queer space with amazing classes and a great ambience…and because of the fact that it’s completely clothing optional. 

Featuring both nude and clothed classes, Naked Warrior Yoga strives to empower its students by showing them the beautiful capabilities bodies have in their most natural forms. The studio offers a variety of classes — both sexual and non-sexual — centered around using yoga to help people appreciate their physical selves. It’s become a mainstay for many gay men across West Hollywood, which is why this community was so devastated when NWY recently announced it may just be a few weeks from shutting down. 

“It’s a way for guys to do yoga…but also to have a space where they can be vulnerable,” said Christoph Girard, one of Naked Warrior Yoga’s teachers. “Just the honesty through nakedness of being with their body and being present with other people.” 

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A post shared by Christoph Teaches Tantra (@chrisgirard)

Whether it’s sensual sound baths or sessions focused on rebuilding strength after injury, Girard personally sees how much each class impacts the many folks who attend them. He raved, “People have made friends, people have made connections, people feel more positive in their bodies!” It’s an effect he’s seen for the many years he’s been with the studio; Christoph joined Naked Warrior Yoga in the midst of the 2020 Covid-19 pandemic when the business pivoted to online classes. He fondly remembered how, even in the midst of so much fear, these classes offered folks a way to feel connected to others, helping them build a supportive online community that persisted long after lockdown and continues to grow today. 

It’s why he’s so worried about what will happen if Naked Warrior Yoga ends up losing its space in West Hollywood. He described how the past year has seen their previous owner face numerous grievous health issues that forced him to relinquish his hold on the business and its physical space. This led to NWY having to cancel days of classes, with the studio only recently bringing back its full calendar due to interest from a prospective buyer. 

Unable to delve too deeply into details, Christoph explained, “We had one person who was interested in purchasing the studio, and then it fell through. A second person is interested in purchasing it, so there’s [hopefully] going to be a transfer of ownership.” The teacher explained how much he loves the current space, which is settled in the heart of West Hollywood (right in front of the infamous Vaseline Alley, in fact). He hopes a move wouldn’t affect the many students he teaches on a daily basis — and that’s only as long as there’s an actual buyer and NWY gets to stay open! It’s a stressful situation that has left him, Naked Warrior Yoga’s other teachers, and their many students in the lurch. But no matter what happens, Girard wanted to make it clear: Naked Warrior Yoga as an affirming space for gay men is not going anywhere. 

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A post shared by Naked Warrior Yoga Studio (@nakedwarrioryoga)

He stressed that, even if the current building can no longer host NWY, there are already plans to move some classes online and host certain ones in temporary studios across the city. He and the other teachers have committed to not leaving their students without the important resource this has become for them. It’s a commitment that is extremely vital, but immensely difficult, and when it comes to how locals can support them as they prep for this possible transition, Girard had a very simple ask: “Take classes, and just try it out.”

“You don’t have to be completely naked!” The teacher laughed, knowing that this is what holds many folks back from trying out NWY today. “There is something for everyone, and it would be really nice for people to try it and understand what we’re doing here.” 

It’s unclear what the future holds for Naked Warrior Yoga. But if it’s up to Christoph Girard and the hundreds of folks who make up this studio’s bustling, minimally-clothed community, there will always be a place in this city where gay men can bare it all and learn to love their bodies better today.

Follow Naked Warrior Yoga on IG.

The gym can be an intimidating place for many of us. For those who’ve never been to one, it can feel like everyone already knows what they’re doing. However, that’s not true, and whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or tone up, we all start somewhere.

I was a very skinny guy in my teens, about 145 lbs at 6’0”. My upper body strength was so weak that I couldn’t even bench the bar by itself without a spot. It was like watching a newborn fawn walk for the first time. Eventually, I built up that strength, but it took time, consistency, and dedication. 

There’s a reason why it’s dubbed a “fitness journey;” and that journey begins with the first “active” step. What they don’t tell you is that after that first step, you won’t want to stop – and you shouldn’t. We should always maintain some degree of physical activity throughout our lives. Humans were never meant to be sedentary beings, and being active prolongs life and prevents many illnesses and diseases. 

With the gym being such a daunting place it’s hard for many of us to take that first step. Los Angeles Blade asked our readers to send in their questions on everything fitness and here’s a few top questions I’ve answered for you to encourage you to begin that journey. 

Form, first and foremost.

Many newcomers ask what the first thing they should think about when they start weightlifting. And the answer to that is form. You always want to make sure that, with whatever exercise you’re doing, your positioning is correct. Improper form can lead to diminished results or injury. So it’s important that when you start weightlifting to lift lightly. Many think that lifting heavy is essential to solid muscle gains. That is true to an extent; however, lifting too heavy too soon can compromise form and range of motion, making it counterproductive to muscle gains. Lifting too heavy can also lead to overcompensation from other muscles and can lead to injury. Lifting injuries can take weeks to recover, so it’s important to maintain correct form. If you’re unfamiliar with an exercise’s proper form, most gyms offer personal training assistance. A few sessions to familiarize yourself with the various machines and exercises will help jump-start your fitness journey and prevent injury throughout. 

A strong core is essential.

Okay. So your form is down, and you’ve been working out for a few weeks. You start to feel some muscle gain, but you feel that you’re not improving. It could be that you’re not focusing on your core enough. Think of the middle of your torso as the foundation of your body. A strong foundation ensures everything else is working at their capacity. Strengthening your core improves the overall efficiency of your workouts. Your core consists of your abs, obliques, and lower back. Unlike most muscle groups, you can work out your core daily. You’ll find that with a strengthened core, you’ll feel more grounded in your exercises, leading to better workouts and better gains. 

Order of operations: stretching/core, then weightlifting, followed by cardio. 

Many people who’ve just started their fitness journey are unaware that there is a proper order to working out. Depending on what your goals are, whether it’s losing weight, gaining muscle, or toning, there is an order that’s most efficient in achieving those goals. We learned earlier that your core is the foundation of your body. Therefore, it’s important to begin your workouts with exercising your core. You shouldn’t need longer than 10 minutes since you’ll be working it out almost daily. It’s a good way to warm your muscles up and provide your body with better strength during your workouts. It’s also a good time to stretch to further loosen your muscles. 

You should follow your core routine with your weightlifting routine. Now that your body is warmed up and core strengthened you’re ready for the main workout routine. You’ll have a better workout overall and feel stronger throughout.

Lastly, end the session with cardio, whether it’s the resistance stairmaster, running on the treadmill, etc. You tend to expend more energy during cardio, so it’s best to end the session with it to avoid overexertion before lifting weights, which can make the routine less efficient. 

How long should I work out?

A common misconception is that the longer you workout the more results you’ll get. Overall, the length of your workout depends on what you want to do. Earlier, I spoke about how core exercises shouldn’t take longer than 10 minutes. This takes into account that core exercises should be higher intensity with less rest time between sets to get the blood pumping. Generally, with weightlifting, a good rule of thumb is to not exceed an hour. Your body produces lactic acid as you weight lift. It’s a natural occurrence as we lift due to micro-tears in our muscles (that we later fill with protein that we consume). However, lifting weights for too long can lead to an overproduction of lactic acid, which causes additional soreness and longer recovery time. Lastly, if you choose to include cardio in your workout session, about 20-30 minutes is enough. Some people like to dedicate a whole session to cardio. In that case, cardio sessions can be longer. In general, you don’t need longer than 30 minutes following a 45 min to an hour weightlifting session. In total, your workouts shouldn’t exceed 1 hour and 45 minutes if you’re including cardio in your session. Most people don’t have that kind of time for a single session. For me, my workouts include core and weightlifting. I keep that at about an hour total, and then I dedicate a separate session for cardio. 

How often should I workout and what time is best? 

Lastly, how often you work out depends on the goals you want to achieve. The main thing to keep in mind is consistency. You can achieve the goals you want if you remain consistent, whether you’re working out three days a week or five days a week. It’s important to stick to a schedule and routine. As far as when you should workout it really depends on the individual and their own schedule. Some people enjoy early morning workouts because they get their day started and set the tone for the rest of the day, while others feel sluggish and weak from morning routines. It’s best to find a time that works best for both your life’s schedule and personal preference for your body. It also comes down to your mindset. In the end, the real determining factor on whether you’ll have a good workout or not is you and what you choose to put into it. 

Steven Dehler is ISSA certified and a bodybuilding specialist. Follow him on IG: @onlystevendehler.

This week, our heart goes out to the friends and family of adult performer Zachary Christian Jaghab, better known by his stage name Christian Styles. At the age of 29, there is no question that Jaghab was taken too soon. His death and the recent deaths of several other gay adult film stars raise many questions. One question that sits at the front of my mind is, for so many, why these deaths touch us so deeply. 

Jaghab’s passing is just the most recent in the gay adult industry community. Seth Peterson, born Adam Daniel Aguirre, died March 19. Dale Savage, born James Francis Gilligan, left us on June 19 due to a stroke. Just before the new year, Blake Mitchell, born Lane Vincent Rogers, lost his life in a motorcycle accident. Four deaths, all in just under eight months. For us folks who have found ourselves in, around, or adjacent to the industry, the number is hard not to take alarm at.

Unsurprisingly, there isn’t much reliable research when it comes to premature mortality rates in the gay adult industry. One of the more relevant studies touching on this topic, Gruzden and colleagues’ Pathways to Health Risk Exposure in Adult Film Performers, specifically stated that its research could not establish whether performers experience greater overall health risks than folks in other professions. 

There is research, however, that documents occupational hazards of the industry, including mental health concerns, financial insecurity, stigma, lack of access to sufficient health care, and more. There has also been research that aimed to examine HIV and STI transmission, specifically amongst gay male performers, but none of which directly points to disproportionate premature mortality rates amongst this population. 

I’d be remiss not to take the opportunity to give a shoutout to resources like Pineapple Support and Callen-Lorde’s COIN Clinic as well as practices like Inclusive Insight Psychotherapy and Overleaf  Therapy, all of which provide members of the sex working community with accessible mental health services and more. It is vital to provide care before crises occur, not just after they do. Anyway, I digress… 

Although this distinction between these lanes of research is undoubtedly significant, it does not lighten the feeling that many of us have of seeing this as a pattern. This said, the psychology of why these deaths stand out to so many of us is arguably much more relevant than the data (and lack thereof) itself.

Pornography has the power to create and foster a unique parasocial form of intimacy. A consumer of the craft may develop an appreciation for a particular performer and take in the work consistently over time. They become strongly familiar with the way they look, speak, move, and f*ck. They may have first taken an appreciation at pivotal or transitional moments in their lives like adolescence, coming out, a breakup, or times of loss or loneliness. This, in the nature of any parasocial relationship, is a one-way street. They may feel closely connected to said performer, that they know them even. 

There is a paradoxical nature to this. To hold the feeling of knowing someone so personally and intimately, perhaps more than anyone in one’s actual life, while not knowing them at all.  And this can hold true for any appreciation for someone in the public eye, yet it hits a bit differently for adult film performers. Zendaya or Tom Holland may portray the archetype of a lover onscreen, but an adult performer delivers on the carnal dynamic constructed around the remote experience of sexual intimacy.

Sexual stimulation boosts brain activity that relates to pain, our emotional state, and our neurological reward system. Many researchers find this stimulation comparable to the high one can achieve through drugs or alcohol. When one can associate a specific person or performer to such a state of ecstasy while ever so temporarily numbing themselves of the existential woes and realities of life, a one-sided connection forms. 

When a celeb passes (rest in Power, Dolly Parton and Tim Curry), the grief that their fans feel is no less real despite them never having met. Research that looked into parasocial grief has shown us that such an emotional response is substantial, and that the perception of closeness outweighs whether the relationship was real or not. 

Porn adds another dimension to this concept. Although the intimacy is an illusion, the body of the person creating it is very real. When an adult performer passes, the fantasy one may hold clashes with one’s own perception of mortality. The actual body that once was their representation of vitality and virility is now a testament to our unavoidable impermanence.

Maybe this is why the passing of our favorite performers hits a little different. What once represented desire, youth, health, and pleasure now reminds us of our finite nature. And this is where mortality salience comes in. Reminders of death most often shake or disturb our perceived sense of safety and prompt us to involuntarily confront something that most of us prefer not to – the fact that so much will happen after we die; we just won’t be there to see it.

Another psychological phenomenon to consider is the availability heuristic. When a memory – in this case, the memory of a loss – is emotionally clear and vibrant, our minds have the tendency to overestimate the frequency at which they occur. In this instance, four performers have died over the course of eight months. With each additional death, those that came before refresh in our minds as though they were just last week, and a narrative forms. This does not diminish the grief that each brings. It is simply testament to the fact that our minds are quite keen to identify patterns, particularly when it comes to emotionally salient occurrences.

There is a world of difference between an observation and a claim. To voice one’s notice of several deaths of gay porn stars within a year would be the former. Making the jump to stating that gay porn stars have a disproportionately higher mortality rate without being able to cite research or evidence to back it up would be a claim. Maybe one day, we will have research and the resulting data to shed more clarity on the topic so as to better serve this particular population. Time will tell.

I can’t help but think about James Dean and Marilyn Monroe as I write this piece. Dean passed away at the age of 24. Monroe at 36.  Both were essentially frozen at their respective ages for the rest of time. The world never got to see where their careers could have taken them and never had the privilege of watching them grow old. Their cultural identities are forever attached to the very young celebrities that they were at the times of their far too premature passings. 

Dolly Parton – who even at the age of 80 was also tragically taken too soon – is testament to almost the opposite. Her adoring public had the opportunity to see her and her career grow, evolve, and flourish over the decades. Over her time in the public light, her ongoing existence gifted the world with the opportunity to integrate aging into our concept of her and, in turn, ourselves.

One thing that Dean, Dolly, and all of our queerly and dearly departed is that their work lives on even when they cease to. For decades to come, we can put on a Dolly vinyl, stream Rebel Without a Cause, and, well, so on. 

Everybody we see on screen is mortal, as is each and every one of us. And maybe this is the core reason why the loss of a person that we never actually knew can sometimes feel like the loss of somebody that we did. Although they may have never known you, they still impacted you and your life, sometimes in a more significant way than those you see every day. 

Rest in Power, Zachary Christian Jaghab.

Rest in Power, Adam Daniel Aguirre.

Rest in Power, James Francis Gilligan.

Rest in Power,  Lane Vincent Rogers.

Rest in Power, Timothy James Curry.

Rest in Power, Dolly Rebecca Parton.

Sometimes I wonder whether home is a place or a feeling.

I have lived in places where I never imagined I would stay. I have crossed borders I never expected to cross and spent years in refugee communities where people wake up each morning wondering what the future will bring. I have known Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, spent time in Zambia and South Africa, and now live in Gorom Refugee Settlement in South Sudan.

So, when I think about migration, I don’t think first about passports, borders, statistics, or immigration offices.

I think about people.

I think about the mother who leaves everything behind because she wants her children to survive. I think about the young person crossing a border with little more than a phone, a few clothes, and memories of a life that may no longer exist. I think about the refugee who has spent years waiting for a durable solution and still doesn’t know where they will eventually call home.

Migration is often described simply as movement from one place to another. But sometimes it is much more than that.

It can mean leaving behind a version of yourself.

Africa has always been moving

Africa’s migration story did not begin with modern refugee camps or today’s international borders.

People have moved across this continent for generations. They have followed trade routes, searched for pasture and water, moved for marriage, education and employment, escaped conflict, and built new communities elsewhere.

Migration has always been part of African life.

Today, people move for many different reasons. Some flee war and political instability. Others escape persecution or discrimination. Some leave because they cannot find work or see a future for themselves. Others migrate to study, find employment, start businesses, join family members or simply seek new opportunities. There is an important distinction here.

Not every African migrant is a refugee.

A refugee is someone forced to leave because returning home is unsafe. An asylum seeker is someone seeking protection and waiting for a decision on their claim. Exile can mean living away from one’s homeland, sometimes unwillingly. The diaspora is broader still: it includes people of African origin living outside their country or continent, whether they left by choice or were forced to leave.

These words matter because behind each one is a human story.

When leaving is not a choice

I know what it means when leaving is no longer a choice.

Forced displacement takes something from you that is difficult to explain. You may still have your memories, your language and perhaps a few possessions, but the ordinary things that once made life predictable can disappear.

You begin again.

Sometimes you begin again in another country. Sometimes you begin again in a refugee camp.

My experiences in Kakuma taught me that displacement does not necessarily end when you cross a border and reach somewhere safer. The uncertainty can continue for years.

Now, in Gorom Refugee Settlement, I see that uncertainty in the lives of people around me. Mothers worry about food and the health of their children. Young people wonder whether they will return to education. Others wait for resettlement or another safe pathway while trying to build a life with very limited resources. There is a strange feeling in waiting.

You are physically present somewhere, but mentally you may still be traveling towards a future you cannot see.

What happens to identity?

One of the hardest questions migration raises is: Who am I when I am no longer where I came from?

A person can cross a border in a few hours. Identity doesn’t move that quickly.

You carry your accent.

You carry your food.

You carry your mother’s stories.

You carry songs you heard as a child.

You carry the names of people who may never know where you ended up.

You carry memories.

And sometimes you carry pain.

I have met people who have lived in several countries and can no longer give a simple answer when asked where they are from. They may have been born in one country, grown up in another, lived in a refugee settlement somewhere else and now dream of resettling in a fourth.

Does that make them less African?

I don’t think so.

Perhaps it makes their identity larger.

Carrying Africa across borders

The African diaspora is sometimes discussed as though it were simply a population scattered around the world. I see it differently.

People carry pieces of home wherever they go.

An African family living in Australia, Canada, Britain, the United States, or elsewhere may still cook the food they grew up eating. They may speak their mother tongue at home, send money to relatives, listen to African music, support community projects and remain closely connected to events thousands of miles away. Migration doesn’t necessarily erase belonging.

Sometimes it creates several belongings at once.

The diaspora also contributes enormously to communities back home. Remittances help families pay school fees, buy food, build houses, access healthcare and start businesses. Migrants also carry knowledge, professional experience, ideas and connections that can benefit communities across borders.

A person may leave Africa physically and still spend much of their life contributing to Africa.

That matters.

The price of being a migrant

But migration has another side.

Not every new country means a new beginning.

For some migrants, the journey leads to racism, xenophobia, exploitation, or discrimination. People can be judged because of their nationality, accent, skin color, immigration status or refugee identity.

Others discover that qualifications earned at home are not recognized. A professional becomes a cleaner. A teacher struggles to find work. A skilled worker is told to start again.

There is nothing wrong with honest work. The problem begins when someone’s dignity is reduced because they are a migrant.

For refugees, bureaucracy can become another form of suffering. A person can become a case number, waiting months or years for interviews, decisions, relocation opportunities, or family reunification.

But life doesn’t stop while the paperwork continues.

Children grow older, parents become sick, people lose loved ones, birthdays come and go and still the waiting continues.

I sometimes wonder whether the people making decisions about migration fully understand how heavy that waiting can become for someone sitting on the other side of the process.

Women, children, and LGBTQ+ refugees

Migration does not affect everyone in the same way.

Women often carry enormous responsibilities after displacement. They may become the main providers for their children while dealing with their own trauma and uncertainty.

Children experience displacement differently. They may not fully understand why they had to leave home, but they understand the absence of familiar faces, schools and routines.

Young people face another difficult question: how do you plan a future when you don’t know which country you will be living in?

For LGBTQ+ refugees, the journey can be even more complicated. Some leave because the place where they were born no longer feels safe for them. They may have experienced rejection, threats, violence or discrimination before they ever reached a refugee settlement.

And yet, even in such circumstances, people create community.

In Gorom, LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers come from different African countries and backgrounds. We don’t always agree on everything. But we understand something important: when the world has already made you feel unwanted, having people around you who understand your experience can mean everything.

Community can become another form of home.

Should borders decide our worth?

I understand why countries have borders. Countries have laws and responsibilities.

But I sometimes ask myself a simpler question: Should crossing a border change the value of a human life?

A child doesn’t become less deserving of food because they were born on the other side of a political boundary.

A mother doesn’t become less worthy of safety because she crossed without the right document.

A refugee doesn’t stop being a human being while waiting for an immigration decision.

From a Humanist perspective, this seems straightforward to me. Human dignity should not depend on nationality.

We can have immigration systems and still treat migrants with compassion.

We can protect borders without forgetting that the people standing behind those borders are human beings.

We can disagree about migration policy without dehumanizing migrants.

That balance isn’t easy. But perhaps that is exactly why we need more humanity in conversations about migration.

What does home mean now?

I have asked myself this question many times: Where is home?

Is it where I was born?

Where I first felt safe?

Where my memories live?

Or perhaps home isn’t always a geographical location.

Maybe home can be the people who stand beside you.

Maybe it is the language you speak when you are emotional.

Maybe it is the smell of food that takes you back to childhood.

Maybe, after so much has been taken away, home becomes something you slowly rebuild.

My birthday falls on Sept. 12. Birthdays usually invite us to think about another year of life. But for someone who has experienced displacement, another birthday can mean something deeper.

It means I made it through another year.

I am still here.

And I think about the many refugees who don’t know whether they will be safe long enough to celebrate their next birthday. I think about children growing up in camps who deserve to celebrate their birthdays in a home they can call their own.

That thought stays with me.

We are more than where we come from

Migration has taught me that people cannot be reduced to the countries printed on their passports.

We are our memories, our relationships, our struggles, our dreams, and our choices.

Africa’s diaspora is not simply a story of people leaving Africa. It is also a story of people carrying Africa with them.

And the refugee experience is not simply a story of loss. It is also a story of survival.

I don’t know where my own journey will eventually take me. Perhaps that is one of the things migration teaches us: we can make plans, but life sometimes writes a different story.

What I do know is that every person deserves the chance to live without fear, to love without persecution, to work with dignity, to raise children safely and to imagine a future.

Borders may separate countries.

They should never separate us from our humanity.

If migration has taught me anything, it is that home is not always the place we left behind. Sometimes home is the safe place we are still searching for.

And sometimes, while searching, we become one another’s home.

It’s interesting how the mainstream media, especially the conservative part of it, likes to write about transgender subculture when they should speak up about trans people.

How often do you see mentions of blue or purple hair, Marxism, specific clothing styles and ecology when you see a mention of a trans person?

It happens more often than it should. It looks like the mainstream media, even the ones that don’t demonise us, sincerely believe that being trans means sharing a whole bunch of characteristics that have nothing to do with having a gender identity different from the one that was assigned at birth.

Here are four reasons why it may create problems, and what to do about them.

1. A subculture idea

The assumption that being trans is part of a subculture creates a very specific kind of discrimination, because the mainstream audience who read those stories sincerely believes that being trans is a personal choice or a trend in the same way as being a K-pop fan, a goth, or a metalhead. It basically means that being trans is nothing more than a trend, and trends, as we all know, can change. People who believe in this idea are more likely to speak about “gender ideology” and “propaganda trends” and less likely to listen to scientists and studies around trans issues, or to different experiences of what it means to be trans.

Even if trans people made a choice to be trans, they shouldn’t be discriminated against. In a democratic, free country, no one should be punished for choosing what to do with their body. And hate for subcultures is a real thing that leads to violence. But the problem is that, despite there being a trans subculture, most trans people are statistically not part of it. But where are they in activism?

2. Misleading about goals

Let’s be honest. We are partly to blame for this stereotype. And before you stop reading, let’s just think about the topics most people discuss before the average protest or radical Pride event. Or let’s imagine trans-friendly events. They are mostly leftist, and people at these events share the exact same interests, hobbies, and political positions.

At my last protest about the new draconian Equality and Human Rights Commission guidelines in the U.K. that say trans people can only use public places according to the sex assigned to them at birth, we were speaking about anything else. For example, some speeches were about abolishing “bourgeois democracy,” speaking up for socialist revolution, and saying some other things I definitely couldn’t support.

I’m not against socialism, but I’m against the idea that all trans people are socialists. That is inherently misleading, at best, and harmful, at worst. I support universal basic income and free healthcare, but not revolution or Marxist reform. If I were a cis person who generally supported trans rights but knew too well about the Russian Revolution of 1917 and how it ended for indigenous people and queer people, if I were a bystander, I wouldn’t stop at a protest like that. I probably wouldn’t even believe that the situation is as bad as they are saying.

There is nothing bad about inviting a socialist speaker. The problem begins when all trans events become socialist events. Those protests don’t look like protests for trans rights – they look like protests for socialist revolution or just like a rebel teens gathering.

3. Self-fulfilling prophecy

At the protest I mentioned and at other similar protests, including the ones from the U.S. I saw online, there weren’t a lot of “traditionally” trans people — the ones you may have been able to see in old TV programs about trans experiences, where trans people were presented to be more gender-conforming.

Most activists are young, white, poor but not extremely poor, citizens of the country where they are living, gender-non-conforming, leftist, and non-religious. They like trans horror, drag queen shows, drawing and reading MfM romantasy. And despite the fact that I just finished writing my own trans horror novel, I wonder — where are the other trans people? With different hobbies and lifestyles?

Where are all those “traditional” trans women from old TV shows who like make-up and want to give birth to kids if only it was possible, and trans men who like to spend their time drinking beer in pubs and going to the gym with their bros? I think we need them more than we think. They may give new ideas and perspectives. And they need us. 

Why don’t we see them? Why do we see so few trans refugees who came from Middle Eastern, Asian, and African countries? May they be triggered by the world then because the U.S. had the worst dictatorship on the planet, or that the U.K. is a fascist country when they saw something worse than the British government or even MAGA? For some trans person who survived Bashar al-Assad in the Syrian government or fled Eastern Turkestan, such slogans would feel like gaslighting — and I knew because I met many refugees.

Why, finally, do so many trans activists have similar clothing styles, similar interests, and similar experiences?

Because it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy. When trans activists create this kind of culture, they accidentally gatekeep all other trans people who may feel less comfortable within a subculture that has its own rules, style, and ideology, even if none of those things have anything to do with being trans.

4. Media misrepresentation

When the media — conservative and not very conservative — sees the same thing, it doesn’t matter if we are speaking about a trans man who is traditionally masculine and wants a traditional family, or if we are speaking about soft, nice gay boys who happen to promote socialist revolution like many modern stereotypical trans activists. It is equally misleading.

I hate the idea that we need to pretend to be more convenient and normal in order to be accepted by society, because society has never worked that way. But pretending to be accepted by the community is no better.

Trans people are different — and sometimes problematic — and despite the core of activist trans culture, we can have some distinctions when we speak with the media. We should never try to tell people that all trans people are similar.

Now, when trans rights are under attack, it is more important than ever to show that all trans people are just people. We are different, like everyone else. We have our rights, even if we are wrong. Even if we are ugly. Or struggle with inner transphobia. Or some of us internalise traditional roles, or; the opposite, too weird for any culture and subculture. We can make mistakes. But we are not a political party or a monolithic group. Being trans is not a lifestyle, because we have different lifestyles. 

Trans kids need to see that they can be whoever they are and still be true, real trans people. And the media should always be questioned when they try to push all trans people into the frame of a subculture.

But to do so, we need to look at our activism and at the representation we are creating.

I have a controversial confession to make: the only people I find more annoying than stringent monogamists are people who are die-hard about anti-monogamy. Call me crazy, but as a queer person I don’t think anyone who engages in polarizing politics is really “right.” It becomes more about ego-defense and tribalism than proving any points. 

Let’s be honest, both groups can be annoying. I think that it can be a bit dangerous to put all your romantic pressure on someone you just met or hooked up with. Some monogamists put way too much pressure on their romantic partnerships, figuring they’ll solve a lot of problems when they find the “right one.” How could anyone live up to the list of pre-set qualities you’ve picked for a partner? Guys can often act like teenage girls with fantasies about a Prince Charming who is hot, smart, wealthy, and wants your unhealed ass. 

On the flip side, I’ve seen people use polyamorous language to try and get the best of both worlds. I’ve seen people in open relationships who spend more time in the pursuit of one-off sexual encounters than single people. My ex often said he thought he was poly. To which I replied, “Babe, you’re hardly in this relationship.” 

There are some glaring issues with the whole poly, open-relationship movement, and it’s this: people end up resting on their laurels in a relationship that they won’t work on. They’ll seek out sex to fix their stress about sexual incompatibility, financial woes, or a lack of emotional intimacy. You end up with people who have glorified roommates, multiple emotional affairs, and a sex life the average fuckboy would kill for. 

At the end of the day, no matter what side of the argument you are in, relationships take work. The monogamists need to really deal with their issues with intimacy, sex, and jealousy. Is the reason you might not consider opening the relationship your fear of abandonment, need to control your partner, or insecurity in your relationship? 

A true polyamorous relationship requires holding space not just for all your emotions (negative and positive) but your partner(s). 

In the same way, I think hardcore liberals and conservatives miss a lot of nuance and don’t focus on real people; the same is true for people on these two sides of this debate. Polyamory, when not researched or worked on, can seem like some MLM scam. So you just get to sidestep all the issues of a relationship like fights, financial woes, and picking a restaurant in favor of just seeking out partners to fill the void?

Real polyamory requires managing multiple schedules, complex, intricate emotional dynamics, and a lot of accommodating. If you can’t even travel for someone you hook up with, how can you handle that one partner who needs you to be there emotionally during a crisis while not ignoring date night with another?  

If your partner is bad at sex so you go find other sex partners, you’re not dealing with the issue. If your partner is emotionally unavailable, seeking out friends or random situationships to fix that seems more self-serving than spreading love. It’s hurting everyone but yourself.  

No matter how you slice it, the issue is very nuanced. It’s like people who are die-hard atheists. If you haven’t processed your religious trauma, do you have a leg to stand on in challenging someone else’s beliefs? If you are not entertaining the other side, can you truly have a point that should involve other people? 

I’ve seen the pitfalls of both sides: men who use their emotional unavailability to string guys along or to have sex indiscriminately. I’ve also seen couples end after decades because of infidelity or worry about their relationship’s sex issues and not talking about it or not having the experience to navigate out of it. 

What I believe and what works for me is that I put people on a romantic or a sexual track. I think that any relationship worth its salt should be closed for at least some portion. I think we need to cultivate a certain intimacy with our partners that can only be achieved by committing to being with them. How can you know if someone is right for you if you have other people to compare them to?

I don’t argue for or against any side because I’ve learned what works for some does not work for everyone. We’re part of a complex intersectional community, and I’ve seen why some people want freedom and why some people are jealous. 

I think we need to remember a few things. We are men in a patriarchy that raises us to fear intimacy, emotional vulnerability, and connection between men. These are all needed for any relationship. I think one pitfall of polyamory and open relationships is that people hobble together the equivalent of one partner rather than truly loving someone enough to let them find someone who wants what they have to offer. 

I think a core issue is capitalism. We fear scarcity of partners, and so we want to lock it down. Or we have a false sense of abundance and think that people don’t matter, but rather than seeking out the Burger King of relationships and trying to have it our way, we have to work on it, not just for ourselves but for our partner(s). 

Bringing my ex back up as an example. He wanted to be open but refused to have a clear conversation about the rules of engagement. If we can’t have a conversation about wants, needs, and boundaries, how could we possibly have an open relationship without hurt feelings, dinged pride, and security?

It’s not surprising that some people are seeking out monogamy because gay relationships are complicated. We have all this baggage, but we need friendship, sex, romance, companionship, and people we can grow with. Some people can find that in one person and some can find it with many. 

But before you tout out your political views on relationships, maybe you should read The Ethical Slut, Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, and make sure you are being ethical, consensual, and honest in your nonmonogamy rather than arguing you should be able to have someone cover half the rent while you get to live like you’re single. 

Founded in 2018, online health platform MISTR has completely changed the way we talk about queer sexual health. And that’s not just because of its marketing; pictures of muscled-up men in Speedos promoting MISTR can be seen across West Hollywood. Along with this distinct strategy, what set the company apart was the ease with which it delivered vital medication. There’d never before been such an accessible way of obtaining PrEP! This, combined with the nuanced yet jubilant way it spoke about sexual health, solidified MISTR as one of today’s premier queer healthcare companies, offering not only important medical services but the joyful sexuality so many LGBTQ+ people need. 

HIV safety and care have always been at the core of MISTR’s work, but along with getting people their medication, this company is determined to erase the shame that still clouds the topic of gay sexual health. And now, it’s excited to do even more for clients’ physical wellbeing with their newest item: MISTR Magic.  

MISTR CEO Tristan Schukraft sat down with the Los Angeles Blade to speak about this new item and why it represents so much of MISTR’s core mission: supporting the sexual wellbeing of the modern queer community. It’s a mission that Tristan had spent decades working towards before even founding MISTR, with the man saying, “I wasn’t looking to start a new company, but I felt like we owed it to the generation before that didn’t have those tools to make PrEP more accessible.”

While known for his many professional accomplishments — along with MISTR, Tristan owns Tryst Hotels, Green Qween, and WeHo’s very own The Abbey — Schukraft began the conversation talking about his youth, one spent coming into his own in the midst of the 1980s AIDS crisis. “Back then, [HIV] was a death sentence,” he continued. “Most people my age — I’m 47 — have an experience losing somebody from HIV.” He spoke about building community with other gay men as a newly out teenager, simultaneously finding joy through their authenticity while being horrified at the lack of social support they received during the epidemic. 

Tristan took these experiences and went on to build a technology company, eventually using those digital skills to develop MISTR’s current online healthcare system. It’s a renowned delivery model that has gotten PrEP to more than 500,000 individuals across the U.S. in less than a decade. And, while that is certainly an impressive number, the CEO stressed that it’s only the beginning, affirming that, “What I would love to do is end new HIV infections in the U.S. It’s not a pipe dream. It’s still a possibility — and it’s a matter of years, not decades.”

Along with this fight to end HIV infections, recent years have seen MISTR lean more into its fun-loving side, insisting that care for your sexual health should be an enjoyable experience we don’t have to be ashamed of. MISTR Magic, their new erectile dysfunction medication, perfectly merges the health and community aspects of that work, with Tristan explaining, “When I started MISTR, I really wanted to build a men’s health and wellness brand… I think we’ve done a really good job at destigmatizing PrEP and thinking about STI testing as a regular part of your healthcare. And [erectile dysfunction] is a natural progression.”

Erectile dysfunction is a growing issue in the queer community, yet it’s one that far too many people misunderstand; many folks assume that it only affects queer people ‘of a certain age.’ But Tristan emphasized that it’s a growing concern for younger generations as well, with things like social anxiety and issues with body image making it harder for people of all ages to perform sexually. “We like to say it’s not a fix — it’s an upgrade. Because the reality is, many of our users don’t really suffer from ED, but they need a little extra confidence.”

The CEO broke down the science of MISTR Magic, jokingly saying that it’s not “your daddy’s magic little blue pill.” A mixture of cedenafil and generic Viagra, the pill is a flavored lozenge that users can casually use whenever they need a sexual boost. Tristan grew excited at what this new addition to the MISTR lineup meant for people all over the country, saying, “We’re not really looking to make money [with this]. It’s an additional service that we really hope increases adherence at the end of the day to those using MISTR for PrEP.”

Since first beginning the company almost a decade ago, Schukraft has committed MISTR to not only ending the spread of HIV, but ensuring that every queer person feels supported and protected at every step of the sexual process. It’s unclear as of now whether the newly introduced MISTR Magic will truly impact the gay community’s confidence when it comes to performing in bed. But, no matter what may happen with this little blue pill, one thing is for sure: MISTR Magic is another resource that helps queer people feel secure in their sexual wellbeing. 

That’s a sense of security that LGBTQ+ people deserve now more than ever. And if it’s up to Tristan Shuckraft, it’s one that MISTR will share through every item — and half-naked photoshoot — it brings to clients today.

The 2026 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count release in late July showed an increase in the unhoused population, disproportionately increasing in the city of Los Angeles.

A 3.4 percent increase in homelessness was seen in the city, a sharp increase compared to 1.2 percent in other areas of LA County, according to Housing is a Human Right, a division of the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF).

AHF has purchased many buildings throughout Los Angeles County, usually renovating older hotels and charging low and affordable rent. AHF has also been investigated for the conditions and safety of these low-cost units.

Unsheltered homelessness was up 7.9 percent in the city — over 45,000 people, Housing is a Human Right leaders said.

Bass has been criticized for years for her $300 million “Inside Safe” program, whose purpose is to clear homeless encampments by giving temporary and long-term shelter to people experiencing homelessness. 

Nearly 6,000 Angelenos have been moved indoors through this program, with 1,431 permanently housed, according to the Inside Safe website.

Criticisms of Bass’ program range from the high cost and lower-than-expected results, lack of sustainability and structure, and mismanagement of funds.

In August 2024, a fraud investigation opened on one of the program providers who was allegedly not providing nutritious meals as it was contractually obligated to, despite a $110 allowance of taxpayer money per day and per person.

In March 2025, a court-ordered audit couldn’t find how much was actually spent and whether invoices were accurate, according to the Santa Monica Daily Press.

Forty percent of unhoused people who utilized the program returned to the streets, according to a Los Angeles Times report in April of this year.

“The 2026 Los Angeles Homeless Count has shown, once again, that the City’s policies on homelessness are a complete failure,” Susie Shannon, policy director for Housing is a Human Right, said in a press release. “The only way to solve this crisis, as our organization has pointed out for years, is to provide a permanent home for those experiencing homelessness.”

Housing and fluctuating homelessness numbers continue to plague Los Angeles City and County. For two years, the numbers were decreasing, but still higher than expected.

“People moving from encampments to temporary shelters, bridge housing or transitional housing are still homeless,” Shannon said. “The mayor has no other choice but to change course and embrace Housing First policies that have proven to work in other cities and states.”

Housing First called the program “temporary band-aid programs” that are a “costly revolving door for the unhoused.”

Housing leaders said that the root causes of homelessness are high rents, lack of housing, and lack of affordable housing, among other issues.

“You cannot address homelessness without addressing high rents,” Shannon said. 

She said that to effectively address homelessness, Bass and the city would need to support rent control legislation. She also urged officials to lobby the state to repeal a state law, Costa-Hawkins, which “limits rent control to buildings constructed in 1978 or earlier.”

“Lots of people who have been brought inside under Inside Safe, and that’s great,” John Maceri, chief executive officer of The People Concern, a nonprofit that runs two Inside Safe hotels, told CalMatters in Oct. 2024. “We still struggle with the exit strategy: Where are people going to move to?”

Bass attributed last year’s increase to the Trump administration’s policies and funding cuts at federal and state levels, saying these have “pushed more people onto the streets,” in a press release.

“The Trump Administration has driven up the cost of gas, groceries, and rent — pushing more families to the edge — and slashed critical safety net funding,” Bass said in the press release. “Last year’s 50% cut in state Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program funding from $1 billion to $500 million — resulting in a $70 million hit to L.A. city alone — severely impacted our work to keep people housed and get more Angelenos off the streets.”

“We raised philanthropic dollars to help supplement the cuts, and this year I fought alongside other mayors to reverse these cuts, restoring it to $900 million,” Bass added.

Lack of adequate services by the county continues to contribute to people going in and out of homelessness, Bass said.

“I’m not going to defend a broken system,” Bass said in her statement. “The City must build something better — results-driven, transparent, and centered around the people we’re trying to help, not the bureaucracy.”

“This crisis was ignored by city leaders for decades; it’s only now that we’ve seen a historic decline,” she added. “I will never stop fighting until we end street homelessness, because no Angeleno should be sleeping on the street.”

When I was living in LA, there was one building that I found more mysterious than the rest. It wasn’t Skid Row’s Hotel Cecil (now Hotel Cecil Apartments), it’s not the fact that the Beverly Center has no food court, and it is definitely not the Magic Castle, although that one is a great way to spend a Friday night and approximately $300. No, my friends. I am talking about the Church of Scientology Building on Sunset Blvd. 

Driving past it in my Uber, I’d look at it with splendor from the back seat with the same awe that kids do as they bike past the haunted house in the neighborhood or the sewer drain that Georgie was last seen peering into. This massive blue building, steeped in promises and secrets, no doubt was designed to pique not just my by the general public’s curiosity and, well, mission achieved with flying colors. Although I never mustered up the gumption to step over that threshold during my time in Los Angeles, I recently found myself unknowingly entering the world of L Ron Hubbard for the first (and last) time.

I recently came across an Instagram invitation (first mistake) for a free workshop on the subconscious mind here in Harlem, NYC. Now, mind you, Harlem has dozens of amazing opportunities to engage with the community free of cost, and, this coupled with my ongoing exploration into better understanding the human mind, I figured I’d reserve a spot and decide later. After all, free. 

This past Monday, I biked over to what was advertised as “The Community Club NYC.” Upon arrival, they were gracious enough to allow me to bring my bicycle inside, even insisting that I bring it deeper in toward the back of the building. The accommodating nature to a little ol’ cyclist like me was new yet promising, and I happily accepted. 

As I washed my hands of the bike ride in their restroom, another guest came up beside me at the sinks and voiced his relief. Not of his now empty bladder, but of a close call in addresses. “Man, walking up, I thought, is this at the Church of Scientology building?” His slight confusion was valid, as I had thought the same thing when biking up. Right next to this community club was, in fact, a building with the big all-caps letters “CHURCH OF SCIENTOLOGY” on it. I, too, had wondered the same thing only to, admittedly, feel a sense of relief when Google Maps led me to the neighboring building instead. After a brief exchange, I dried my freshly laundered hands and left the restroom.

It was upon leaving the restroom that I noticed the quasi-library of literature, all with “L Ron Hubbard” plastered across most of their covers. This is when the realization sets in like a textbook hitting the ground. I am in the Church of Scientology.

In that moment, I turned off the switch on my emotions to fully tap into my rational mind. How many members of the Church were present? Where are the exits? What level and flavor of placation might I have to adopt to talk my way out (with my bicycle) if the time called for it? If all signs are a go, do I potentially have something to gain by sitting in on this one, even if not for the duration, that will have made the trip worth it on some level? Leaning into my curiosity, I decided to stay for at least the start of the talk while maintaining sufficient awareness of my surroundings and those in it.

To be honest, I am sure the big blue building on Sunset has this place beat in the opulence department, as this one had none. Past reception, the main room looked a bit like a Scholastic school book fair with fluorescent lights making the pre-sliced deli cheddar and its friends bead with sweat like they knew where they were too. As previously mentioned, this “library’ needed no card catalog; no Dewey Decimal System required here, as all the literature was focused on Dianetics or the man who created it.

One room further, and (spoiler alert) as deep as I went into the building, was the chapel where the talk was held. Illuminated along the walls to the left and to the right were what I can only describe as the Commandments and creeds of Scientology, standing floor to ceiling on frosted glass tablet-shaped windows. Here are a few of my favorites:

Do not give or receive communication unless you yourself desire it. 

(license to ignore people? Sold)

Your self-determinism and your honor are more important than your immediate life. 

(How does one have one and two without three?)

Never fear to hurt another in a just cause 

(Define “just cause.” Better yet, who gets to define “just cause?” Is it me? Is it me?!))

The seminar itself was provided by one whom I could only assume was fresh out of seminary, or even high school, as they seemed fairly green to conducting an open forum and to public speaking in general. He also seemed to have browsed the material that comprised the content of the talk perhaps the day prior, at most two.

What seemed to be the overarching theme, although he himself never used the word, was trauma and how we subconsciously hold onto it. Although the language was different, if not made up altogether (traumatic memories were renamed “engrams,” triggers became “key-ins,” and all of the complexities of the human mind were reduced all the way down to simply the “reactive mind” and the “analytical mind”), the idea was the same. It was like asking ChatGPT to take decades of research on trauma-informed therapeutic modalities and interventions and reduce it down to an oversimplified version geared to the understanding level of a middle schooler (and if I have offended any middle schoolers with this, I apologize and you are the future).

Now, I could not have been prouder of my fellow Harlemites. Going into this, I had already told myself that I’d participate with open ears and a closed mouth. My fellow attendees, however, did not hold back. They arrived with open minds and their critical thinking caps tightly fastened, never hesitating to ask for clarification and, at times, challenge the often nonsensical theories and explanations our speaker provided. Several times, he was left repeating himself without actually answering the question, and several times his comrades had to step in to assist. I truly felt for the guy as this was painful to watch at times.

Might I highlight that this, my gentle readers, is exactly why it is important to think critically and think for yourself. Not just when you accidentally get tricked into the Church of Scientology, but whenever you turn on your TV, scroll through your phone, or simply step outside your front door.

I stayed for the majority of the evening but decided to dip fifteen minutes early in an attempt to avoid any post-lecture discussion and anticipated pressure to return in the future. I highly underestimated their determination. I was stopped not once, not twice, but three times during my attempt to politely leave. One and two are less than noteworthy (at some point I had said “my husband is waiting on me for dinner,” for once hoping that homophobia would work in my favor but no dice), but it was the desk girl, the third and last obstacle between me and the door. The Bowser to my Mario. 

“I couldn’t help but hear that you were asking about Hubbard’s scientific credentials.” I had asked in the conversation before this if our dude had worked with a team of scientists or had credited anyone else’s research when creating his book on Dianetics. “Well, he actually spent time in Asia studying Eastern philosophies and coupled that with his background in astrophysics (this was not true, I later found out) to create this foolproof approach to working with the human mind. Psychology has no way to prove its research and methods but Dianetics works 100% of the time.”

While I remained polite and smiling, this is where I had to put my foot down. “Actually, that is not true. In the decades in which psychology and sociology have been in practice, there have been countless research projects in which credentialed people collaborate in their work, resulting in empirically backed results with quantifiable statistics that have helped countless social workers, therapists, counselors, and other mental health providers in better understanding and helping people in their own lines of work. They utilize and build upon the work of those who came before them and credit them in the finished findings and texts. The only thing that has been proven to be 100% true is that absolutely nothing in this line of work is 100% true. Well, I have to be off now. Do you mind holding the door for me?”  

There is something uniquely “fascinating” (read: tiresome) about people who insist they’ve discovered the singular answer to one of humanity’s oldest questions. The human mind is one of the most complicated things we’ve ever attempted to understand, yet throughout history the people who have advanced our understanding of it have usually done so by questioning themselves as much as they questioned one another. Freud challenged prevailing ideas. Jung challenged Freud. W.E.B. Du Bois painstakingly gathered data to demonstrate the realities of systemic oppression rather than simply declaring them to be true. Modern psychology, neuroscience, and sociology continue to evolve because researchers build upon, test, refine, and sometimes completely overturn what came before. Progress is messy. Certainty is, more often than not, a warning sign.

L. Ron Hubbard, by contrast, seemed to offer certainty wrapped in science-scented language. Dianetics borrows and bastardizes enough psychological vocabulary to sound familiar while discarding the very thing that gives science its credibility: evidence that survives scrutiny. Perhaps the saddest part of the experience was that the staff weren’t equipped to answer even basic questions about Hubbard’s qualifications or how his claims had been tested. If you’re going to ask people to rethink everything they thought they knew about the human mind, I’d hope your sales pitch extends beyond, “Girl, just trust me.”

And I think what stayed with me the most as I biked down 125th Street was the invitation that got me there in the first place. Nowhere did it mention Scientology or Dianetics. It was simply a free workshop on the subconscious mind at The Community Club NYC, hiding behind the sort of branding that makes you think you’re attending a neighborhood community discussion. If your ideas are capable of changing the world, why disguise the front door?

If your ideas are strong enough to stand on their own, you shouldn’t have to hide your name on the invitation. Then again, I suppose if the Church of Scientology had been printed at the top of the flyer, I’d never have had this story to tell. And they would have been down one attendee and an evening’s worth of my lack of enthusiasm.