Latest news with #TheAttic
CBS News
12-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
LGBTQ+ young people in Philadelphia find a home and a community at The Attic Youth Center
For LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia, The Attic offers a safe haven and a community For LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia, The Attic offers a safe haven and a community For LGBTQ youth in Philadelphia, The Attic offers a safe haven and a community Tucked away in the heart of Center City Philadelphia is a space that has meant safety, support and self-discovery for LGBTQ+ youth for more than three decades. Since its founding in 1993, The Attic Youth Center has evolved from an eight-week pilot program into a full-service organization that now serves hundreds of young people each year. "What started as an eight-week pilot, really a support group, has grown now into this full-service organization where we get to serve hundreds of youth every year," said Jasper Liem, executive director of The Attic. On any given afternoon, 30 to 50 LGBTQ+ youth find a home at The Attic through after-school programs that offer counseling, life skills workshops and hot meals, all free of charge. "For queer young folk, it's essential to have this kind of community support," Liem said. That support is more critical than ever. LGBTQ+ youth, especially transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals, face growing challenges and increased hostility, both socially and politically. "A lot of us, we come out and we're in families of origin that are not supportive, or they don't know what it's like to live this life," Liem said. "There's so much misinformation and lies, especially right now, especially around trans and gender queer things." According to The Trevor Project, environments that are supportive and affirming can be life-saving. For many youth at The Attic, the center becomes more than a resource — it becomes a chosen family. "Having chosen family means having mentorship," said one young adult at the center. "I want them to be safe," Liem said. "I want them to be happy. I want what any adult would want for a young person in their community."
Calgary Herald
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Calgary Herald
Calgary comedian, drag performer Karla Marx explores 'silly, wild, unusual' side of trans life in new album
Article content On Karla Marx's sophomore album, Fruity, the comedian revisits an awkward rite of passage that many of a certain age went through in the Canadian education system. Article content The segment, called The Gender Pinnie, revolves around the dreaded partner dance. For many, it was the most feared part of gym class, where 'sweaty teenagers' were forced to touch each other, Marx says. Article content Article content There were always more boys than girls in gym class, which ultimately meant that boys would have to be paired up. But this was 1990s Alberta, a 'queer desert' with a 'strict no homo' policy, Marx says. The 'particular Albertan solution' was to choose a few boys and outfit them in The Gender Pinnie, which designated them as temporary girls for the class. The pinnie started out red, but over the years faded into more of a pinkish colour. Article content Article content Marx would always end up wearing the pinnie. Article content 'It was one of those things that you forget happens to you and it's only later that you think 'Wait, that was (expletive) up. Did that really happen?'' says Marx, in an interview with Postmedia. 'Yeah, they used to put us in pinnies and be like 'Now, you're a girl.' I was like, 'Why do I always end up in a pinnie?' You start wondering, 'Did they know?!'' Article content Karla Marx is the name that Victoria Bucholtz performs under as a drag and burlesque entertainer and comedian. Her second album was recorded live in January at Inglewood's The Attic, where she co-curates The Laugh Loft every week alongside fellow comedian Victoria Banner. Article content Article content Like many comedians, Marx mines her past for jokes. The opening segment on Fruity is Manager Dad, which recounts how she came out to her parents, where she 'just pulled the Band-Aid off' and said, 'I'm a woman, I'm a lesbian and I'm getting married.' On another segment, Trans Day of Visibility, she talks about coming out on Facebook a day after International Trans Day of Visibility. The day is March 31, which means she accidentally posted on April Fool's Day. On We've Been Hacked, she talks about almost being outed in junior high by a librarian who had access to her online search history. Article content Marx said she narrowed down the segments for the album based on audience reaction in the past. Article content 'The audience will tell you when you've got something,' she says. 'That's one of the great things about comedy: it's so honest. People won't sit there and fake-laugh their way through a 45-minute set. They are going to laugh if they really love it. So you know real quick from the audience when you've got a really banger joke.'
