PORTFOLIO

In The Know | September 8, 2020

I Learned To Roller Skate During A Pandemic — & Healed Trauma Along The Way

“During a pandemic that has everyone worried about germs, finding Lysol is hard. But finding a pair of roller skates? Now that’s even harder.”

Credit: Impala

In The Know | June 29, 2020

The True Story Of Mattel Accidentally Releasing A Super Gay Ken Doll

“The doll was called Earring Magic Ken, which is the absolute best name for an accidentally gay doll. And he is every ’90s queer stereotype in a chiseled hunk of plastic.”

Credit: Cyle Suesz for In The Know

In The Know | March 31, 2020

E-girls Have Made Blush The It-Makeup Product Of 2020

“As much as internet culture and alternative style is core to an e-girl’s identity, so is beauty. And the centerpiece to an e-girl’s makeup — even more than eyeliner hearts or fake freckles — is blush.”

Credit: Instagram

In The Know | February 13, 2020

’90s Bandanas Are Back In Fashion, Thanks To Teens On TikTok

“The bandana style has long been known for being the cliché look for housekeepers, pirates and girls on the prairie.”

Credit: Instagram

In The Know | January 7, 2020

E-boys Are Taking Over TikTok & Teen Culture: Here’s What That Means

“With middle-parted hair, silver punk jewelry and skater clothes, e-boys are close cousins to the moody emo and scene kids of the mid-2000s.”

Credit: Instagram

Bustle | May 20, 2019

How Makeup Has Helped Manny MUA Find Himself Again & Again

“Naturally, the first thing I notice about Manny Gutierrez is his makeup. Painted with enviable precision, Gutierrez’s beauty look demands my attention, even if I’m trying not to stare.”

Credit: Shanelle Infante for Bustle

Bustle | March 26, 2019

Model & Activist Jillian Mercado Says Being An “Alien” Helped Her Understand True Beauty

“When Jillian Mercado tells me she’s an alien, I don’t question her. In fact, the revelation makes a lot of sense.”

Credit: Clare Thigpen for Bustle

Bustle | January 7, 2019

No, Gap Doesn’t Stand For “Gay & Proud,” But The Schoolyard Taunt Still Follows Me Today

“The schoolyard taunting related to Gap is one of the most formative memories I have about fashion — and my own queerness.”

Credit: Austin Courrege for Bustle

Bustle | April 10, 2018

Queer Women Who Love Fake Nails Exist & Yes, You Can Still Have Sex With Us

“For me, I feel my sexiest and most powerful at my most feminine — and that includes filing my stiletto nails to a point. And while my nails may seem to erase my queerness at first, I really feel my most queer at my most feminine.”

Credit: Katie Dupere

Bustle | October 31, 2020

Betsey Johnson Kept Her Breast Cancer A Secret & She’d Do It Again

“This is not the story Johnson has told over and over again for the past 17 years. This is the story of a secret. This is the story of how not all people fighting breast cancer change their wardrobe to pink and boldly share their journey.”

Credit: Ashley Batz for Bustle

October 8, 2016

What Donald Trump’s Comments Mean To Me As A Survivor Of Sexual Assault

“Trump’s words shed light on a culture built to the sound of pepper spray jingling in our purses against quarters and pennies. A culture where “assault” is not a seven-letter word, but a constant threat over our days.”

Credit: Katie Dupere

Mashable | January 29, 2016

Curvy Barbie Is Way Overdue. I Needed Her Long Ago.

“Even if Curvy Barbie isn’t the end, she’s the beginning for a girl like the one I was. And that, to me, is some kind of radical.”

Credit: Mattel