Let me tell you a story…
Foto: R Mo
By Mariya Alfa Staugaard, Editor in chief
A long, long time ago, a magazine was founded.
And now we have made it to the 12th edition of HeartCore, and it is once again my absolute pleasure to welcome you. Our theme this time came about during a conversation among the editorial staff about how much stories matter to the LGBTI+ community – and how NARRATIVES shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
That fact is of course not unique to the LGBTI+ community. I think it’s true for most of us that storytelling lays the foundation for how we perceive the world and, most importantly, our place in it. Stories have many origins. From fairytales to political discourse, everyone loves the thrill of a complete narrative with sharply defined heroes and villains. In the worlds of magic and fiction, goodness tends to come out victorious, but in the real world, things are a lot more complicated.
The villains are written by whoever holds the pen, and narratives can be used as a means to a vicious end. As LGBTI+ people, we are no strangers to the horror stories that have been told about us to justify political persecution and violence. Degenerates, dangers to the community, child abusers, and amoral trouble-makers – we’ve heard them all. And some of us were privileged enough to think that these particular novels had been shut and packed away for good, but we’ve recently seen a frightening resurgence in narratives that cast us as the enemy. And the effect is palpable.
In March 2023, Tennessee became the first US state to restrict drag shows in public spaces under the guise of protecting children. And in Copenhagen, a children’s drag show was met with protests and a demonstration – and death threats for the performers. We must never take the importance of stories for granted, and whenever we get the chance, we must combat the hateful narratives that permit some people to view us as less than human.
All the more important that we tell OUR stories with OUR voices. Insisting on our humanity in all its color and variety.
So, let us tell you a story. It begins on the next page.
