In Living Color: Queer Artists Shaping Pride Through Art

Pride began as a protest — and queer art still carries that fire. These artists aren’t just creating beauty; they’re challenging systems, reclaiming space, and telling stories that demand to be heard. This Pride, Jejune Magazine highlights individuals who utilize their art as a means of creating change, promoting visibility, and fostering liberation.

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Our Favorite Progressive Candidates in 2025 - Claire Cousin, Hudson, NY Common Council, Ward 5

Up the Hudson River from New York City, Hudson is the seat of Columbia County. In the past decade or so, Hudson has reinvented itself from rust belt mid-size city to a rejuvenated scene for the arts and counterculture. Claire Cousin (she/her) is a millennial mom of 3 who is running on the Working Families Party ticket for the Hudson Common Council. Before becoming a housing justice activist, Claire spent eight years dedicating herself to the Black Liberation Movement. She was recently accepted into the Baccalaureate program at nearby Bard College, a hotbed of liberal, artistic ideas. Claire cares very deeply about social justice, Community Building, Youth Empowerment and finding creative ways to center stories and narratives of people on the ground both doing the hard work of preserving community but also those continuing to live in and foster community.

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Paxton Smith - From Viral Valedictorian to Musician and Activist

From a viral valedictorian speech to becoming a musician and activist, Paxton Smith is no stranger to making her voice heard. With songs off of her new EP, “But I Love It”, releasing every month, we have no shortage of things to look forward to! Beyond the music, Smith has had the chance to travel around the country to speak on the importance of reproductive rights and serves on the board for directors for WRRAP - the Women’s Reproductive Rights Assistance Project. Read on to learn more about Paxton Smith and her new music.

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Blue States Contribute So Much, What Would Happen If They Stopped?

Blue states contribute a great deal to the U.S. government and economy. As of 2024, about 47 percent of the U.S.’ GDP is composed of contributions from blue states, with the total GDP being around 23.54 trillion and blue states contributing around 11.116 trillion of that total, California, New York, and Illinois being the top three contributing blue states.

While red states do make up more of the U.S.’ GDP, at about 50.5 percent/11.89 trillion with their top contributors being Texas, Florida, and Pennsylvania, it is important to note that there are 31 red states and only 19 blue states (red & blue states as defined by recent presidential election voting results). Even though there is a large number of red states compared to that of the blue states numbers, the blue states’ impact is almost on par with the red states' impact. This shows just how important and strong the blue states are to the U.S.’ economy.

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What’s Hot This Summer? Trends to Watch and Products to Snag

Summer 2025 is turning up the heat with beauty trends that are as kind to the planet as they are to your skin.  This season, vegan beauty is stealing the spotlight, think luminous skin, hydrating textures, and bold, buildable colors—all cruelty-free and totally on-trend. Whether you're lounging poolside or at the beach, these vegan must-haves will keep you glowing all summer long.

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Christine Mott - Animal Advocacy is for All Ages

As a child, Christine Mott quickly realized her immense love and protective nature for animals. Now all grown up and wanting to share that love, Mott has written the award winning children’s book, “Free Bird: Flaco the Owl Dreams of Taking Flight”. This book aims to teach children that animals are living creatures with their own thoughts and feelings just like us. To support animals even further, Mott is donating half of the proceeds from the book to the Wild Bird Fund and is a member of several boards fighting for animal rights. To learn more about Christine Mott and her new book, read on.

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Soulflower Print Co.'s Sustainable Second-life Screen-printing

The mass overconsumption of unsustainably made products in today's world is a big problem, one this business is trying to counteract. Inspired by a few college classes, a passion for graphic design, and a love for thrifting, Soulflower Print Co. was created as an eco-friendly, nature-inspired business that produces sustainably made and screen printed apparel and paper goods. Giving quarterly donations to One Tree Planted from product profits, Soulflower Print Co.’s owner, Jess Emery-McGregor, is making efforts to help create a global impact. To learn more about Soulflower Print Co.’s story and products, read on.

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Jamie Margolin, Intersectional Activist

As the current regime turns away from curbing climate change and towards embracing increased carbon emissions, Gen Z is doing what it can to pick up the slack. Jamie Margolin is only 23 years old, but she has been an activist for the past 8+ years. Coming of age in the Trump era, she witnessed the systematic dismantling of environmental regulations and free reign given to petroleum and gas companies to extract fossil fuels in the cheapest way possible. The existential threat of climate change inspired Jamie to co-found Zero Hour, an international youth climate justice movement which aims to empower youth to lead the environmental justice narrative, as those who stand to bear the brunt of climate change. This organization has been going strong since 2017. Read on to learn more about climate justice leader Jamie Margolin!

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Audrey Denney - Feeding American Hunger

“Public service is for all of us.” These are the words of Audrey Denney (she/her), an agriculture teacher, consultant, international human rights volunteer and political activist. Raised from a young age with the belief in service to others, Audrey has spent her whole life advocating for those who need it — the hungry, the unhoused, immigrants, and farm laborers. And she has a thing or two to say about why the Democratic party keeps losing in rural America. Read on to learn more about Audrey Denney!

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Productive and Fun Ways to Spend Hours on a Train

Train travel can feel oddly romantic at times, taking a winding path through landscapes we might otherwise miss - and often from a perspective we rarely see. A longer journey taken by train can afford you plenty of time to unwind and relax while rushing towards your destination, especially if you’re going across the country to the coast. So, we wanted to touch on a few ways you can use this time wisely.

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Jejune Contributor
Color Outside the Lines: Creative Queer Businesses to Support

With Pride Month in full force, there’s no better time to celebrate the vision and unapologetic creativity of LGBTQIA+ owned brands. These bold, boundary-breaking businesses aren't just serving looks and products—they’re serving purpose. From powerful messages of love and identity to meaningful support for vital causes, these brands are making waves and rewriting the rules. Jejune Magazine is here to cheer them on and highlight the trailblazers making the world more inclusive, one idea at a time.

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Strapless Bras That Stay Up and Feel Great

A strapless bra is a must-have for any wardrobe — perfect for off-the-shoulder tops, sleeveless dresses, and those summer outfits where visible straps simply won’t do. But let’s be honest: not all strapless bras are created equal. If you’ve ever spent the day tugging yours back into place, you know the struggle is real.

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Jejune Contributor
Mustard Service Creates a Sound of Their Own

The Miami based group, Mustard Service, is creating a sound of their own, one they like to call “Zest Pop”. With the recent release of two new singles, an album coming this summer, and talk of even more new music in the future, we’re happy to report that Mustard Service has no plans of slowing down. Beyond the music, one member volunteers some of his time for The Sierra Club’s Inner City Outings program, a program dedicated to taking inner city youth on nature outings. To learn more about Mustard Service and their new music, read on.

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New Roots, Green Goals: The Rise of Sustainable Immigrant-Owned Small Businesses

Due to the current administration, immigration policies have changed drastically. We are facing extreme enforcement of immigration laws and border security. For a country that was created and founded by immigrants (with no disrespect to the Native Americans, who, in my humble opinion, are the only people who have the right to complain about the immigrants), there has been a lot of discussion on how immigrants affect communities and the nation. There is a serious lack of appreciation for immigrants' significant contributions to our country and the economy. Jejune Magazine would love to take this time to celebrate eco-friendly immigrant-owned businesses, by highlighting small businesses owned by immigrants, and showcasing why they are essential to our economy and communities. 

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The Only Guide to Butterfly Earrings You Need

Butterfly earrings have fluttered their way into every jewelry box. They are delicate. They are bold. They are the trend you didn’t know you needed. In this guide, you’ll learn why these winged wonders are everywhere. You’ll discover top styles. You’ll get styling tips. You’ll even learn care secrets and where to buy them. Ready? Let’s take flight.

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Jejune Contributor
5 Habits to Help Protect Your Mental Health

Keeping positive and being mindful of our mental health has become an increasingly important habit we need to keep up with following the results of the United States’ most recent election. May is mental health awareness month so I thought it would be the perfect time to share a few things you can do to stay positive and stay sane during this time of stress.

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Brianne Nord-Stewart - Directing Change

Acclaimed queer director Brianne Nord-Stewart is empowering positive change through film. Her most recent project, I Was Octomom: The Natalie Suleman Story, helps one of America’s most hated women take back her reputation and rewrite the narrative. Donating proceeds from the release party for her show, The Dangers of Online Dating, to Options for Sexual Health, donating to Action Canada, and supporting a plethora of other sexual and reproductive health organizations, Nord-Stewart makes her message loud and clear. To learn more about Brianne Nord-Stewart and her projects, read on.

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What to Know About the Proposed Republican Healthcare Bill

House Republicans have just recently proposed a new healthcare bill that is supposedly the cost-saving centerpiece for Trump's “big, beautiful bill”. In reality, this legislation is anything but beautiful.

The expansion of Medicaid was one of the most impactful effects of the Affordable Care Act, helping eliminate cost barriers to care and allowing more individuals access to healthcare coverage. With this new healthcare bill being introduced, important parts of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid will be affected and likely leave millions of Americans without access to healthcare coverage.

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