Queer hip hop, male friendship and more.Introducing the new Positive News Magazine

When I was a teenager in the 90’s, we all listened to rap. A window into a world of gangsta and glitz seemed like a charming respite from the double math with Mr. Jones, but it’s also a world rife with homophobia and misogyny, where being gay is a crime. Yes, and the woman only got one thing for her.

Fast forward 20 years and the genre has revolutionized itself. The queer hip-hop star has finally made it into the mainstream, and being gay is no longer something to hide. Our Cover Watch his Cakes da Killa new video Svengali on his star, see him lecherously vogue with dancers as he unapologetically celebrates queer black love. Almost dizzy.

Progress is like that. Sometimes it happens overnight, but often it builds up so slowly that you don’t even realize it’s happening. Changes like this may not make headlines every day, but its tortoise-like pace progress is equally commendable. Beyond the noise of the breaking news cycle, slow news is often good news.

Elsewhere in the January-March issue, I interviewed anti-poverty activist Jack Monroe. Her “only purpose in life,” she says, is to keep Britons from going to bed hungry at night. With the cost of living crisis causing record numbers of people to experience food insecurity in the UK each month, she shares her hard-earned insights.

Meanwhile, comedian Max Dickins explores “the depression of male friendships.” This is something I became obsessed with after I got engaged and realized I didn’t have anyone I could call my best man. He spoke to The Godfather of Friendship Research about why men suffer, looked at some of the projects that tackle male loneliness, and shared what he’s learned about how to be a better sibling friend in 2023. increase.

Whether it’s breaking down walls or building friendships, sooner or later, whatever progress you want to make in the year ahead, we hope this new issue will help you kickstart your 2023.