Your June Pride stories were wonderful, thank you! I especially found the ABCs of LGBTQIA helpful, I have one question, though. What category do people fit into when they have life partners of the same sex, and it is a platonic relationship? It is often assumed that I am a lesbian, which I do not identify with. There is a term “Boston Marriage,” that referred to women who lived together out of necessity, often widows. Such arrangements were socially accepted up until the early 20th century. I would be interested in knowing if this category is considered a topic of gender studies.

Name withheld by request

Dear Reader, this is a great question and an example of how despite the increase in LGBTQIA identity categories, they still cannot capture the whole spectrum of human relationships. Yes, “Boston Marriage” is a gender studies topic (search for articles on googlescholar.com). New categories may describe something closer to your situation. Some identify partnerships within a spectrum of “aro” (non-romantic) and “ace” (asexual) identities, such as “Oriented Aroace” (see https://lgbta.wikia.org/wiki/Oriented_Aroace). Others are “queerplatonic” (in this sense “queer” doesn’t refer to homosexuality, but to non-heterosexuality). And yes, these categories even have flags. I encourage you to do an online search, see if they fit (or not), and check out online forums like Reddit where others ask questions similar to yours. It’s an exciting time because you can help shape this discussion. Thanks for this excellent question.

Caroline Yezer,
PhD Cultural Anthropology

Thank you, Questa Del Rio News, for the great coverage of all the good things that are going on in our area. We at the Vida del Norte Coalition love being in touch with the community via the Questa Del Rio News. It’s a huge advantage for everyone.

Janie Corinne, M.P.H.
Personal and Public Health Consultant
Vida Del Norte Coalition

Thank you for printing Andie Maclaren’s heartfelt article about her friend who died with her secrets. How sad she felt she must hide an important part of herself from her husband and that her secret died with her. This was a powerful story that deserved to be shared.
Julian Spalding, Taos

Thank you so much for sharing! My heart sings. Gratitude to your newspaper for helping make a better world.

Love, Andie