A simple, non-shitty guide to finding mental health support — It’s 2016, and I’ve literally googled “gay therapist 94102', hoping the qualified, gay, handsome-but-not-too-attractive therapist of my dreams would manifest on my screen. Instead, I find myself clicking through a handful of local therapy centers and support groups, eventually landing on Psychology Today. A long search and a few emails…

What do I mean when I say “queer”? — Queer: shorthand for some subset of LGBTQIA+ or to describe someone who isn’t cisgender (cis) or heterosexual (het). Also a 16th century way of saying ‘odd’. And, in some cases, a slur. In the early 1990s, a leaflet, QUEERS READ THIS, offered one of the earliest justifications for the reclamation…

A biased, mostly-vegetarian, mostly-helpful review — If you’ve been around me long enough, you’ve probably heard me recount the not-so-distant time in my life when my diet consisted mostly of Coke* and Hot Pockets. Back then, being healthy = low sodium Hot Pockets and Coke Zero. Now I know, for me, eating Hot Pockets ≠ feeling…

Three ways to zone out (remotely) — It’s Tuesday. 2019. I wake up at a reasonable time, shower, and make a quick cup of coffee on my way out the door. I walk a few blocks to BART and then hop off at the Embarcadero station. I make my way up to the office, directly to a…

Seven ways I’m trying — No matter where you’re reading this from, your life has almost certainly changed in some unexpected ways in the last several weeks. Social distancing means fewer hugs and high fives, and more waves from a safe distance. Sheltering in places means limiting visits to new spaces or friends’ homes, and…

Why we’re designing towards happier, healthier lives for young LGBTQIA+ people (and how you can help) — Open your favorite search engine and type in ‘LGBTQ Youth’. One of the first things you’ll likely see, featured in a small box on the right, reads: Research has found that attempted suicide rates and suicidal ideation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, etc youth is significantly higher than among the…

We can learn a lot from the next generation — Recently, while digging a bit deeper into my own connection to human-centered design and inclusivity, I came across a simple yet powerful mantra: Nothing about us, without us. This phrase, with origins in Central European politics, came into use through disability activism during the 1990s. …

Anyone who has gone through the process of coming out knows (or soon finds out) that you never do it just once. When I came out to my family, I had just ended my first relationship with a man — a feeling that was both terrifying and exciting. While I…