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If, as Latinxs, we can’t address our own anti-blackness with family and friends, how can we possibly fight racism in a larger white supremacist society? We need to create genuine relationships and solidarity on the ground in order to have an impact. So here are four person-to-person ways I address anti-blackness with nuestra gente. What are your approaches?

Have you ever heard the term “gold star gay?” It’s used to describe a gay person who has never had sexual intercourse with a person of a different sex. Here to explain the many ways this term is problematic is queer activist and video blogger Weston Bonczek! Watch as Weston explains how the term “gold star gay” is misogynistic, cissexist, and heteronormative.

It’s that time of year! Yes, the holidays have come around once again. It’s a chance to catch up with family, eat some delicious food, and show your loved ones how much you appreciate them. But there are some downsides to the holidays – especially when dealing with body shaming and relatives who aren’t very understanding. This can make the holidays hard to navigate.

I’ve spent a lot of time and effort removing myself from body disparagement zones and have gotten comfortable with the idea that people can look like anything and it’s all good. Until I am reminded how many people out there live in a state of perpetual self-denial, self-denigration, and self-destruction just because of their fat. It is to those fat girls and to all of us who need a refresher course in body acceptance that I offer these Ten Rules.

I was about 17 when I stopped blaming my body for the disablist discrimination I experienced and learned about the social model. For myself, I prefer to view the world as a person with an impairment who is disabled by the society we live in because of all the barriers that are put in our way. This shift radically changed how I thought about my own body.

I was raised to believe that I should only be with one person. Anything else wasn’t moral. But when you don’t know that it’s your birthright to love and express your emotions in whatever way your heart desires, how is one supposed to discover that there are infinite choices? I stumbled across the world of polyamory five years ago, and it has forever altered the way I see my connection with others.

Have you ever noticed that white people repeat a lot of the same conversation points when they talk to black people? What would it sound like if the roles were reversed? What would it sound like if black people said the stuff white people say? Check out this hilarious video to see how ridiculous these stereotypes really sound!

Often, straight men become frustrated when they meet a woman who doesn’t trust them immediately. They’re frustrated that women impose a “guilty until proven innocent” mentality on all men. But there are reasons why women feel this way. If we can work to understand those reasons, we can learn how to work with her in a supportive role, if that’s what she wants.

The silence of a missing young girl named Relisha Rudd, of the 276 Nigerian school girls half a world away from her, and of the thousands of child sufferers of abuse, assault, and abduction unwillingly call us to a greater understanding of how to protect our young. Thankfully, experts in violence against children — and survivors of childhood violence — are speaking up.

What if we told you that “fat” is not a feeling? That’s what performer and body empowerment activist Caroline Rothstein says in this stirring video about how trauma, beauty standards, and oppression teach us not to love our bodies. Learn from her eating disorder recovery, and get her key to choosing to love her body – and respect other people’s bodies, too. (Content Warning: Rape, eating disorder)

All youth should feel protected, safe, and happy, but far too many young people who are sexual and/or a/gender minorities do not. So how can we change that? Let’s start by understanding it. Delve into three issues that have a major impact on the mental health of LGBTQIA+ youth, and get informed with some concrete evidence on what we need to change for our youth.

There comes a moment when we are all confronted with our own privilege. And yes, it can be very challenging to accept and acknowledge this privilege — but the way we react when confronted says a lot about us. Check out this poem by Andrea Gibson about a moment when fellow poet Sonya Renee called them out for their white privilege and about how they reacted.

I’m concerned when superficial observations are made which in some way praise or compliment someone’s appearance. Because at the end of the day, It’s impossible to know what kind of perception someone has of their own body image. Is it really appropriate or even friendly to make random comments on someone’s body, regardless of how short, tall, fat, or thin they are?

This week’s video headline is all about self-love! Watch as popular vlogger Angelina LB breaks down the toxic mentalities that lead us to demean our own worth. She gives personal examples of how she learned to throw away the rules to an impossible-to-win game society has created for women, and encourages people to express themselves in ways that make them feel good, regardless of reception.

It happens to all of us. That moment of sudden panic when you realize that you’ve heard these voices in your head before, that no matter how hard you try to make them vanish, sometimes they still call to you. And the truth is: Staying in recovery from an eating disorder can be a really difficult task. And yet, it’s not something that we talk about enough.

Generational violence is a huge normalizing factor, and challenging a youth’s parents, or at least their teachings, can be very difficult for some kids. Do I think we need to back off? No. Do I think we need to dumb it down? No. Do we need to acknowledge that violence is a foundational part of the lives of many young people? Absolutely. So how can you be a translator?

I was groped at work by a woman. My immediate response was to pretend it never happened. My solution was to hold myself responsible and try to “learn from the experience” and “do better in the future.” If that’s how I handled a minor transgression, what must the cultural shame for a major one feel like? But the truth is, she never should have groped me. And I still have trouble believing that.

So you’ve figured out that you’re polyamorous. Awesome! But you’re also currently in a monogamous relationship. Uh-oh. Entering into a polyamorous relationship from a previously monogamous one can take work – but not only is it not impossible. It also can lead to healthier, more fulfilling relationships! Check out this comic to learn how to talk to your partner about your polyamory.

The beauty ideal has changed over time, but the idea that there is only one way to have a beautiful body has not. The current one necessitates thinness. Until we’ve accomplished thinness, we are works in progress, and that there is no excuse for not participating in this. It’s not about policing how we look, they tell us. It’s for our health, for our own good! As if.

When I look at myself in the mirror, I do not see an Asian face. I see me. It’s not until I step outside and interact with others that I am forced to realize: I am an Asian female, and I look different. Is being Asian and American mutually exclusive? How do we negotiate the hyphen in Asian-American? It’s about staying true to the person I see in the mirror every morning.