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Roller Derby Lags on Trans, Nonbinary Inclusiveness
The first-ever gender policy for the organization that helps roller derby grow worldwide came out in 2011. It was clinical, and harsh. If you were not assigned female at birth, the policy said, a healthcare provider had to verify that your “sex hormones are within the medically acceptable range for a female.” Ouch. My most recent article about my love +
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Escaping domestic violence when LGBTQ can be complicated
QUAD CITIES — If you’re a gay man trying to escape from domestic violence, your path out can seem almost impossible. “The police may not understand,” says Mona Ritemon, the new LGBTQ domestic violence advocate for the Quad Cities. “If a man gets beat up by his boyfriend, they may just look at him and say, ‘Man up. What’s the +
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Shelters focus on a good night’s sleep
Shelters across Iowa are taking different approaches to try and ensure the homeless people they serve are able to get a good night’s sleep and not just food and shelter. In Iowa City, Shelter House is obtaining 75 mattresses at a cost of $40,000, with the help of a grant. “The mattresses for our emergency shelter are 9-plus years old,” +
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Roller derby carves spaces for inclusive strength
Why did women and gender-fluid people start up to 2,000 roller derby leagues worldwide? We needed it. I’m writing today about roller derby as a cultural phenomenon, a feminist and “inclusive” place to find like-minded people, showcase our strength, and be aggressive. I have had personal struggles and triumphs over body image, a lack of self-confidence, and an angry fire +
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MLK Day events: January 20
Did you know Illinois was the first state to recognize MLK Day, honoring the civil rights leader assassinated in 1968? Illinois began recognizing the holiday in 1973, 13 years before it became a federal holiday. Iowa began recognizing the special +
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Tuesday’s “Think Kink” at Blazing Saddle kicks off 2020 Midwest Leather Events
The year in leather kicks off with two events intended to promote a sense of safety, security, consent, and healthy practices in leather and BDSM. Here’s a start on what’s coming this year in the kink scene: • The Blazing +
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Yoga, Festivals, Broadway, and Learning: TRM Best Bets, January 2020
Enjoy The Real MainStream’s monthly “look-ahead” at progressive events happening throughout Iowa. Find special events through early February in the categories of LGBTQ, people of color, women, spirituality, personal development, and being active. LGBTQ Sat., Jan.4-25, Q-munity Yoga, Life-affirming yoga +
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Slam poetry in Iowa born 19 years ago
In the documentary, “Louder Than a Bomb,” a poet takes the stage and says “poets, breathe now.” Though I wasn’t a poet yet when I saw the film, I held my breath and then released it with him. In that +
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Why stay in Iowa if you identify as progressive? Here’s why
When I first moved back to Iowa in late December 2016, I left behind Florida’s 88-degree weather and endlessly green lawns to plunge into Iowa’s deep winter chill and tip-toe on its ice-covered sidewalks. A stream of “why in the +
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Landmarks October 2019: News About TRM Advertisers
Check out “Trick or Trivia,” a benefit for the Emma Goldman Clinic, coming Oct. 27. It’s a night of trivia, games, prizes food and fun at The Mill, 120 E. Burlington Ave. Admission is $5 per person and benefits the +