Transgender Film Center Opens Applications for Top Trans Filmmakers Fellowship

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By Nicole Mitchell

The Transgender Film Center (TFC), a Kansas City-based nonprofit working to bring more transgender-led stories to the world, recently announced it will launch the inaugural Career Development Lab at TFC this spring. The 12-week intensive program is funded by Netflix’s Fund for Creative Equity and is aimed at accelerating the careers of the most promising transgender and nonbinary creators in film and television.

“While transgender creators are beginning to make headway in pursuing their storytelling careers, there is still a powerful need to both enable access and prepare trans filmmakers to succeed in the industry,” says Sav Rodgers, the executive director of theTransgender Film Center. “We are so excited about the Career Development Lab because we believe its rubber-meets-the-road insights and partnerships with industry players will help participants break into careers in film and television.”

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Emily Kate on Facing Addiction and Opening an Alcohol-Free Bar One Step At a Time

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By Nicole Mitchell
Photos by Whitney Young

When Emily Kate started bartending at 21, it didn’t take long for her to start dreaming of opening her own bar one day. Years later, she’s journeyed to sobriety, but that didn’t squash her dreams to open a bar—instead, those dreams morphed into a concept that matched an alcohol-free lifestyle.

Thousands of people participate in annual Dry Januarys, lent, sober springs, and the occasional “cleanse” from alcohol, but for many, sobriety is more than a month without bar trips and post-work happy hours. It’s no secret that the service industry and alcoholism are closely intertwined.

According to Alcohol Rehab Guide, an informational online guide that provides properly researched resources for anyone battling addiction, the service industry has some of the highest rates of alcohol abuse and addiction of any profession. This includes workers in the hospitality and tourism industry, automotive services, retail workers, and those who work in food services—including servers, hosts, cooks, bartenders, etc.

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Capitalism is the Abusive Relationship We Can’t Leave

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By Max Sheffield-Baird
Art by Whitney Young

CW: DV, childhood bullying, SA, specifically nonconsensual exposure of genitalia.

It’s no wonder that domestic violence survivors like myself stay so long in relationships that are toxic. The entire culture we are surrounded by and what we have to do to merely survive is both pervasive and normalized. And I’m not talking about patriarchy or white supremacy, though of course, these aspects of our culture fit the bill as well.

I’m talking about capitalism.

The more I process my own history of abusive relationships and walk the path of healing, the less I have allowed anyone to control my life or treat me as subhuman. This shift in my own thinking has made me realize that this mindset is incompatible with being a willing participant in capitalism.

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Know Your Options—A Guide to Choosing The Right Birth Control For You

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By Nicole Mitchell
Art by Kelcie McKenney

Finding the perfect birth control for you is difficult. There are so many options, each with different side effects, lengths of efficacy, and more. If you’re struggling to find a new birth control, just starting, or straight-up curious, we want to help you make an informed decision. We’ve done the basic research so you don’t have to. (Although, you’ll still want to talk to your doctor about what’s best for you!)

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What I Keep in My On-the-Go Anxiety Kit 

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By Emily Laptad

Picture this: You’re out and about, maybe you’re grabbing coffee with a group of pals or maybe you’re at the office getting ready for a meeting. Then out of nowhere, your heart rate goes up. You start to get a wee bit fidgety. Impending doom is suddenly all you can think about. 

There’s a name for that, it’s anxiety, and it loves to creep up at the most inconvenient moments—especially if you’re neurodivergent like I am (hi, I’m Emily!). That’s why I created an on-the-go anxiety kit that I carry with me everywhere. 

So, the minute I feel that little anxiety monster sneaking up on me, I know I’m covered. I just have to pull out the kit and use any of the sensory-based tools I’ve stocked to both prevent anxiety and panic attacks and to move me out of one after it’s started. 

I decided to make my anxiety kit after seeing a TikToker who did the same, and now I never leave the house without it. (Also proud to report that my therapist was 100% on board when I told her about it the following week).

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