Understand the LGBTQIA+ news: Important intersex study from World Health Organisation researchers

I had my haircut this week. And no, I'm not just telling you for the validation, though feel free to give me that anyway...

I went to an inclusive barber, and it was honestly the most relaxed I've ever been at a hairdressers.

I recently moved to Margate from Cornwall, where the town I lived in had been fighting over whether it would be considered 'patriotic' to fly the Pride flag close to the war memorial. Weeks before I left, someone attempted to burn the pride flag.

In a hairdressers there, I listened as a client transphobically rabbited on using misinformation surrounding what was happening in local schools, alongside other very old-school homophobia. That can be hard to challenge anywhere, but particularly when some is holding a pair of scissors above your head.

In my new town, I was keen to find a safer place to get a new style. And with a previous QueerAF podcast episode where Rosa Eaton got a haircut at an inclusive hairdresser strong in my memory, I was recommended one locally by a friend.

Still a little nervous, I rocked up to the Salt House, an inclusive barber, in the backroom of a very traditional English pub.

As well as getting a cute new do - I lapped up the barber's understanding the power of their work as we chatted. The significance for our community and giving people a space for a good cut regardless of how they identified did not escape me.

However, a broader relevance was apparent when they spoke about the change they've seen in the locals and regulars. They've gone from misunderstanding to being ready and willing to discuss what they can understand better about our community.

The barber spoke keenly about this queer liberation lesson, and it's one we apply heavily at QueerAF: Once you know one of us, you realise we're not the monster the media portrays us as. When you know we're your mate, your hairdresser, your co-worker, your perception of what it means to be queer changes.

That's why we're focused on changing the newsroom - so we can change the country. With more LGBTQIA+ journalists from diverse backgrounds working in newsrooms and more broadly across the media, the way the country talks about us will be different.

Understand the LGBTQIA+ headlines and keep track of the latest queer content and perspectives. QueerAF is written by Jamie Wareham and a different emerging queer creative each week. 

💬 This week:

• Intersex Research: A wide-ranging piece of research has called for global action on harmful "sex normalising" surgical interventions - we help you understand its conclusions.
• What's in a name: What's the most popular name for a trans man? Research revealed by the UK Deed Poll Office shines a light, and it's been done for all the right reasons. We take a look in the spotlight.
• Olympics: As the Paralympics draws to an end, we explore what needs to be done to keep that ever-increasing number of LGBTQIA+ athletes in the games going up.

Skip the doomscrolling and support queer creatives instead. We are QueerAF – and so are you.

I was at a family funeral this week, and had a migraine most of the week; so I'm applying one of our five founding values to myself, and bringing you an extra Quick News TL;DR in lieu of a full explainer this week. 

3. Putting the well-being of LGBTQIA+ people above all else is the best way to make an impact with queer media.

Read our values