This week's hot gossip includes the upcoming artist, Zé Taylor, having that “First Time” moment with someone, and the new Black, LGBTQ travel guide, the Lavender Book. 

Song of the Show:

- As an upcoming artist, Zé Taylor has brought a new sound to the rap game. With songs like the Icy Boy Remix, Good Guy ft. Ky, and Melanin, we get introduced to more small parts of their life. We’re also able to see just how much they’ve grown as an artist since releasing their Eight and Nine V1 EP back in 2017. Creatives are always working, so we’re sure that more hits are on the way!

Featured Story:

- With Parker, this character tells the reader about what their “first time” was like. They describe who they chose to share that moment with, and how they needed to prepare themselves to keep having it over and over. Sometimes we think that we only have to experience things once, when in reality it's the beginning of a constant conversation.

- The journey is never easy, but these stories are here to show others that they are not alone in their intersectional experiences. We hope to continue fostering a deeper sense of belonging for our community and spreading more love with each story. 

Black & Queer @ The Table:

- Since The Closet Unlocked is a safe space, we want to introduce you to a collection of them! The National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC) has came back with another collaboration, but this time with Out in Tech. Collectively, they created The Lavender Book, which is a safe travel guide for Black, LGBTQ+ individuals. It is modeled after The Green Book, which was a safe travel guide for Black Americans during the Jim Crow era. And although we don’t have to deal with the same issues, we still struggle to find inclusive, welcoming spaces for our community. This app will be crowdsourced with locations/establishments that provide gender-neutral restrooms, are Black or Trans owned, have LGBTQ trained staff, speak American Sign Language, have wheelchair access, and more. 

- If you want to find out more, check out their website at lavenderbook.org

Resources:

- 19 people share their coming out stories

- A Survey of LGBTQ Americans - Chapter 3: The Coming Out Experience

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