Anna McCarthy’s latest hilarious,slightly demented and deeply insightful short story. Read at your own risk! 🤯
Prose: Shitty Utopia — Quarterly West
Anna McCarthy
quarterlywest.com
Lisa Duggan
@lisaduggan.bsky.social
Commie Pinko Queer writer, activist, Distinguished Visiting Prof at Barnard College. Author of Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed & The Twilight of Equality. Co-editor of American Studies Now series at UC Press. Find me at lisaduggan.substack.com
At 3am at the vet ER in Chelsea, I said goodbye to Kitty Gaga 🐈⬛ … Known in her younger years as Rocket Butt for her vigorous cookie action, She was 20 years old. She consoled me through 2 bouts of cancer and Covid. RIP 😭
This is such a good explainer on the US party system! If you have any interest in left electoral politics, you should read it. A guest post by Michael Kinnucan
Political Parties Are Illegal in the United States – J. W. Mason
jwmason.org
Thus is not The Onion! Hegseth Plans to Screen All Troops, Including Women, for Low Testosterone
Hegseth Plans to Screen All Troops, Including Women, for Low Testosterone
Pete Hegseth, as defense secretary, has sought to cultivate an image as a manosphere-friendly leader.
nytimes.com
I wrote this blog post in 2017, disgusted with the Democratic Party—a roach motel for leftists. I feel similarly today! It’s still an open question whether the Dem party can be transformed from the left. I wish it could, and Mamdani gives me hope in NYC!, but I also seriously doubt it.
Exiting the Roach Motel
or What’s the Matter with the Democratic Party? By Lisa Duggan Tags: Dexit, Demexit, Dem-olish, Demogrets What’s a commie pinko queer feminist to do? Trump is in the White House, the far right is g…
bullybloggers.wordpress.com
Thanks to the CLAGS Board for selecting me to give the 2026 David R. Kessler Lecture. I am the 34th winner of the Kessler Award, which honors sustained achievement in LGBTQ Studies. Save the date: Friday, Nov 13, 2026, 6:30PM at CUNY Grad Center. Intros by Janet Jakobsen, Eng-Beng Lim, Tav Nyong'o.
I wish these men would get the memo that denial (this is false!) of a credible accusation is a damning response. A better one is “I don’t remember it that way.” In Platner’s case the accuser says that he was blackout drunk and did not remember. His flat out denial confirms he is a prick.
I have great medical news. When I stop olaparib in Sept my energy level will rebound. During the 3 yrs after I stop my chances of recurrence are 25%. After then my odds drop off a cliff—I am considered a long term survivor. I have a 70% chance of being a post-apocalyptic cockroach like Cher!
They will win more awards and somebody soon is sure to compare Morgan Bassichis to George Carlin with a queer anticapitalist spin - but those aren’t the only reasons to go to this show.
"Can I Be Frank?" Is the Most Important Show in New York Right Now — See It Before June 27
Morgan Bassichis's Obie-winning solo show at SoHo Playhouse celebrates comedian Frank Maya and gives us back a world that AIDS and Reaganism tried to erase - and we need more than ever now.
open.substack.com
I think the best book on the cancer industrial complex is Lochlan Jain’s Malignant. It argues that corporate interests cause cancer with little incentive to cure it—they make so much money treating it.
Scan results are in. One more year down, cancer free! On the current maintenance drug, 67% chance of getting through 5 more years. But who knows ? For now though I’m still not dead….💃
At the Wanda Events Pride dance with Janet Jakobsen. 💃🪩
The Democratic establishment crash-out is a wonderous thing to see. A bunch of people, their organization named after democracy, unable to handle the results of just a few popular elections, appealing to the unspoken rules of a club they thought belonged exclusively to them. Let's do it everywhere.
An important takeaway from Mamdani’s success—men should smile more! 😁It sure works for the mayor….
Oh Glorious Day! Both Mamdani and DSA swept the primaries! I’m psyched to live in Mamdani’s NY! 🥳❤️🎈🍾😍💥
Mamdani-backed candidates sweep Democratic primaries in New York City
JFK’s grandson Jack Schlossberg fails to advance in election to replace Jerry Nadler in Manhattan district
theguardian.com
Celebrating Gemini birthdays with Eng-Beng Lim and Janet Jakobsen. 🎉🍾🥳
As the genocide in Gaza is more widely acknowledged & the Israeli state becomes more reviled, why is Israeli influence on freedom of speech & dissent still so effective? Why do universities, publications, govts continue to crack down on efforts to Free Palestine? Why have those efforts not eroded?
Why is there almost no sense of humor on this app ? The only thing I miss about X/Twitter is the hilarious tweets appearing immediately in response to current events. Threads, meanwhile seems like a fake place full of crossposts from Instagram.
Phenomenal World publishes some incisive and important political essays. Here is one. Other significant left periodicals to watch: Equator, The Funambulist, Hammer & Hope, Lux. And always The Dig podcast. What have I missed? Link in comments.
Empire Suicide Watch | Herman Mark Schwartz
Examining the anatomy of US power
phenomenalworld.org
Asbury Park trip for my birthday with Nan D Hunter of the Mounties. Idyllic. 🤩☀️🌊
7 years ago, the book launch party for Mean Girl: Ayn Rand and the Culture of Greed. A world ago. The political economy was already shifting from peak neoliberalism to some formation of neoliberal authoritarianism. But that moment has now passed as well. The Fire 🔥 next time is here.
One of the best things about living in a queer world—the emphasis on staying close to ex’s. I have two that I’m still close to, one is my next of kin. She stayed in the hospital with me after cancer surgery, she is taking me to the beach for my birthday. We are an army of ex’s and I’m so grateful.
Alina Troyana, aka Carmelita Tropicana, was awarded the Obie Lifetime Achievement Award this year! Yesterday we had a little party to honor her legendary fabulosity.🤩🥳🌈🍾🎉
Help the the independent left queer mag Pinko fund its next issue. Pinko is a crucial political and cultural resource publishing the provocative writers and artists in our community. See fundraising link in comments.
I can’t believe I get to live in Mamdani’s NYC! In the middle of a rising fascist tide, I live in a city governed by a competent, humane, and yes, adorable mayor.