GAYLETTER

For GAYLETTER Issue 9, we were inspired by the brave artists who never let censorship compromise their creativity, so we decided to publish two covers. The ascending pop star Kim Petras has advocated for transgender visibility since adolescence, becoming the youngest German to undergo gender confirmation surgery. Vivienne Maricevic spent the early 1980s photographing male burlesque clubs, and her photo of a naked young man with legs bent over his head is a remnant of a time when self-expression was in all it’s glory in the heart of our city. (A limited edition cover). Also featured in this issue is an essay by Gio Black Peter, titled “Your Post Has Been Deleted.” Gio, an expert in censored social media, has lost 10 Instagrams, 15 Facebooks, two YouTubes and four Vimeos, all because he dared post nude photos of himself — God forbid someone might see a naked body on the internet. And of course we must mention Penny Arcade, whose 1990 one-woman show Bitch! Dyke! Faghag! Whore! Was a blistering, and hilarious, indictment of our culture’s fear of sex and nakedness. A Warhol girl, Penny expounds upon the fight and fun in trying to understand yourself in a world eager to say no. Also, in this issue featuring original artwork, photography and stories by Mickey Aloisio, Rodrigo Alvarez, Arshy Azizi, Michael Bullock, Daniel Cavanaugh, Lia Clay, Vincent Dilio, Katt Fox, Benjamin Fredrickson, Luke Gilford, Agustin Hernandez, Alexey Kim, Benoit Loiseau, Landon Gray Mitchell, Slava Mogutin, Matthew Morrocco, Leo Racicot, David Benjamin Sherry, Pacifico Silano, Michael Stipe, Cyle Suesz, Patrick Sweeney, Daniel Trese, Stephen Velastegui, Brian Vu and more. As an independent magazine, we’re allowed the luxury of never censoring ourselves. We’re glad we can offer space and ink for the people who, in their work and lives, show us all how to be free. Get it here.  —t&a