Thank you for joining me today with this edition of Allyship Corner. With so many things going on in the world, please proceed with caution, as the subjects discussed may be triggering to some individuals.

Given everything happening, it can be hard to stay up to date with many changes. In the U.S., a few states have recently passed some very harmful laws against the LGBTQ+ community. Friends and family members may be affected by these changes. While I don't expect you to keep up with the changes, if you notice something wrong, speak out to your loved ones this is affecting. Being a supportive ally is even more important at this time.

You may wonder, what can I do to be a better ally during this time? There are a lot of ways you can, but finding out what fits you, the situation, and those you are supporting can be difficult. Always speak to the LGBTQ+ individuals you are close to about this. Their opinions can greatly help. It is something that affects them, after all.

While I am a part of the LGBTQ+ community, there are others on different parts of the spectrum whose experience is different than mine. I value their opinions and this, to me, can help me be a better ally for them.

Most of my family lives in a state that I had once thought about moving back to, but I cannot after the state has recently been openly creating laws that are causing the erasure of fellow LGBTQ+ members. The governor of this state recently passed many anti-LGBTQ bills in one legislative session, making it the largest in the state's history. This is not something I'm proud of, nor will I subject my kids to such laws.

A bill was also passed that allows health care providers to refuse services based on their their moral, ethical, or religious beliefs.. Now people can be denied medical care even more than before just because they live their truth or love who they love.

Also, in light of some laws passed, multiple Pride events are being canceled this year due to fears about safety.

How can you be a good ally to those in need? For me, it's staying up to date on laws passed. You can also write to your local congress officials stating your feelings on said bills being passed. There are many ways to be a good ally, but I recommend finding a path that works for you and the individuals/group you are trying to protect.

Until next time, stay safe.

Hello, lovely Prism readers, and welcome back to Representation in Media! This time, we'll be discussing a big phenomenon in Europe: the Eurovision Song Contest. Also known as ESC, it has gotten a lot of visibility throughout recent years., has gotten a lot of visibility throughout recent years. It's occasionally been called "the Gay World Cup" and the "Gay Olympics" by mostly LGBTQ+ fans, which makes sense since Eurovision is a celebration of all the different cultures within Europe.

It's suspected that the first LGBTQ+-related entry was back in 1961 by French artist Jean-Claude Pascal (representing Switzerland) with a song called Nous les Amourex (We the Lovers). The lyrics are ambiguous on purpose; in 1960, homosexuality was seen as a very taboo and controversial topic, but many interpreters have said that this is the meaning. Wikipedia also states the writer has confirmed this to be true, though I personally can't find sources about this.

Only one year later, Katrina Leskanich partook with her group Katrina and the Waves, and won the contest for the UK. She later came out publicly as a lesbian. Another year later, Dana International won the contest for Israel, being the first trans artist to do so. Since then, many have gone on to participate, and plenty have managed to be a victor. Even this year's winner, Loreen, came out as bisexual in 2017.

In 2019, we had the first presenter of the contest who was a part of the community. Assi Azar, who was also listed as one of the most influential gay people by OUT Magazine, helped host after Israel's win the year prior. Two years later, Nikkie de Jager, known for her YouTube makeup tutorials, joined the Dutch hosts for the final on stage after their win in 2019. In 2022, Mika was one of the Italian presenters and this year, the well-known Eurovision critic Graham Norton joined the presenters of the 2023 edition.

There have also been a couple of drag moments within Eurovision, with drag queen Verka Serduchka placing 2nd for Ukraine in 2007 with the act Dancing Lasha Tumbai. Seven years later, Conchita Wurst managed to win the contest with Rise Like a Phoenix for Austria. Currently, he's not just a drag artist either. In real life, he's out and proud as a gay man. And this year, we had a drag performance as one of our interval acts.

It's not just the performers, either. The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) appreciates the diversity and universality within Eurovision as well. In 2018, this led to them terminating their contract with the Chinese broadcaster Mango after they decided not to show the Irish act because it included two men dancing and holding hands. At the time, rumors had circulated that Russia was also going to be censoring the performance, but they did not, though the commentator did claim the song was just about "male friendship". There were no repercussions here as the performance was still shown from start to finish.

One of the reasons that has been suggested for Eurovision being so popular amongst the LGBTQ+ community is the "camp" nature and reliance on excess. Eurovision is often very colorful and sometimes described as a bit over-the-top. It's a huge contrast to its early years when there was next to no representation in the show. I'm personally so proud of the progress that's been made within the EBU and Eurovision, and I really hope this continues.