Remembering my friend Stevie from the Casa Del Sol Motel — I like to make friends with the people who camp on my street. I give them food and supplies and listen to their stories. Recently I had to set some compassionate boundaries, but mostly we get along. They’re stuck in an endless cycle of drug addiction and the mental instability…

When you know, you know. — If you can read people well, you know if they’re a good fit before you meet or go out on a date. You don’t always know why you know. But you know. And it’s painfully obvious. …

And it’s not what you might think. — Do women over age 50 have trouble finding a date because we’re too old? I know it’s BS, but the media can make us seem undesirable after a certain age. …

How microdosing psilocybin dismantled my old patterns and hit the refresh button on my life — I love shrooms. Other mind-altering substances don’t work for me. But psychedelics? I never had a problem. Before I learned the science behind them, I knew they weren’t harmful. I’ve been sober for two decades for a good reason. Alcohol is dangerous for me, and I should stay away from…

Where can a gal get a proper date around here? — I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook dating and I feel blue. I succeeded in finding people looking for love but failed to find my person. My thumb aches from all that left swiping. How many bearded Oregonians holding a fish can one stomach? Sometimes, my thumb accidentally swipes right…

Get rid of your stuff and maybe you’ll get rich one day — Do you hang on to things, just in case you might need them later? Do you keep something from your past because you’re unwilling to let go of what it represents? I tend to, and all I have to show for it is a cluttered home and an empty wallet. …

Reveling in the love and power of our rainbow community — Every time I go to Pride, I feel solidarity, camaraderie, and unconditional love. I know we’ve found something special in celebrating our authentic selves. Pride is a place to let our fabulous freak flags fly. We’re here, we’re queer, and we’re proud. Other than a small group of protesters motivated…

Gender identity expression has always mattered — I’ve never questioned my gender identity until I started writing about my gender non-conforming kids. My gender wasn’t always so well-defined, but no one would’ve known back then — including myself. No one asked me how I identified when I was a kid. I was born in 1972 in California…

I know that showing topless women is against the rules, but what about this guy? — When I published my story about wanting to go topless, I was eager to share it with everyone online. I posted it all over Facebook and got a warning within minutes. I was shocked, since I never get in trouble on social media. …