Today is the start of Pride Month in the U.S. — a celebration of LGBTQ+ culture and history. That history includes the Stonewall uprising on June 28, 1969, a turning point for gay rights in the country and the reason Pride Month is now held in June. In addition to checking out what parades and other celebrations are happening in your neck of the woods, consider picking up one of these five books by queer authors this month.
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Culture
Ancestry Travel: Getting Away to Get Closer to Your Roots
Westend61/Getty Images
ICYMI, nostalgia has been having a moment this year — so it’s fitting that traveling to get in touch with one’s past is trending, too. Ancestry travel, also known as a heritage journey, is a trip built around visiting destinations connected to your family history, whether that’s to see an ancestor’s house, workplace, or burial site, or maybe even meet a long-lost relative in person. “Ancestry travel is traveling with a context,” LaDell Carter, the founder of Royal Expression Travels, told USA Today. “It’s not about seeing sites, but rather, about understanding where you came from and why it matters today.” While these trips aren’t new, they seem to be calling out to more people lately. The number of travelers using Airbnb on a trip to trace their ancestry increased by 500% between 2014 and 2018 and there are even companies that specialize in “DNA journeys” to make it easier for travelers to turn DNA test results into meaningful itineraries. The trips are the antithesis to traveling for the ’gram, added Vanessa Gordon, CEO and founder of the culinary travel magazine East End Taste. “After years of bucket-list driven itineraries and trying to grab ‘the perfect shot,’ many people are searching for trips that are more emotionally grounded and personal, and ancestry travel provides just that.” Dig deeper into the trend.
Together With Quince
Usher in Summer With This Relaxed Linen Look
Say hi to relaxed, laidback luxe with Quince’s 100% European linen short sleeve shirt. The boxy cut pairs perfectly with the brand’s linen shorts or pants to create your dream resort-life look — even if you’re just running errands and not actually traipsing around a five-star destination.
The linen is made from ethically woven European flax, which is more sustainable and less resource-intensive to grow than other materials. It’s lightweight, breathable, and naturally heat-regulating, making it the ideal choice all summer long.
Sharks Are Gathering Climate Intel to Improve Weather Forecasting
Gerard Soury—The Image Bank/Getty Images
Despite the seemingly endless number of weather apps out there, forecasting climate is an increasingly difficult endeavor. Thankfully, sharks are helping to make it a little easier. In 2021, scientists at the University of Miami electronically tagged 18 blue sharks to collect ocean temperature and depth data in hard-to-reach areas in hopes of helping meteorologists better predict seasonal weather patterns and hurricanes. Five years later, a study published in April suggests that the sharks are solid weather reporters. The animals transmitted more than 8,200 temperature-depth profiles across myriad locations and depths (down to around 6,500 feet), and climate models incorporating shark-collected data reduced forecast error rates by up to 40%. Sharks also offer a more cost-effective approach compared to robotic underwater gliders and research vessels, all while just going about their lives. “Sharks are already moving through parts of the ocean that are challenging for us to observe,” lead author Laura McDonnell said in a statement. “This research shows that data they collect can help fill important gaps and, when used carefully, can improve how we predict ocean conditions.” See how the shark sensors work.
Humanity
Nonprofit Helps South Carolina Adults Learn to Read: “Reading Opens the World”
Courtesy of Literacy SC
There’s a lot of attention paid to reading skills at the elementary school level, but we hear less about the issue of adult literacy. The inability to read well can hinder people from attaining jobs, accessing social services, and furthering their children’s education. More than 800,000 South Carolina residents experience such barriers, according to Literacy SC — which is why the nonprofit offers free one-on-one tutoring and drop-in reading labs, providing participants with “the key to unlock the door of their own life,” per the website. Susanna Shastri, a part-time instructor with Literacy SC, has witnessed the impact of improved reading skills on her students’ lives. “As learners begin to see progress from their effort, you see their minds come alive and possibilities begin to burst open, not just in reading but in life,” she tells Nice News. One of her current students is aiming to get their GED and go to seminary school, another to be able to read directions and complete online job applications. “Reading opens the world,” says Shastri. Learn how to donate or get involved.
In Other News
The New York Knicks are donating hundreds of free NBA finals tickets to local underprivileged youth (read more)
LGBTQ+ representation in Hollywood is improving — meet some of the stars paving the way (read more)
A medieval manuscript adorned with gold leaf and vibrant illustrations is headed to auction next month (read more)
Some Girl Scouts donated cookie sale proceeds to make a 3D-printed toddler wheelchair (read more)
Put your claws in the air: Thousands of fiddler crabs throw a “dance party” along Japan’s coast each spring (read more)
Inspiring Story
A new chapter
A year after opening its doors, Brooklyn’s Gladys Books & Wine was put in jeopardy by repeated flooding and water damage. Fortunately, readers near and far have raised tens of thousands of dollars to help the queer, Black-owned bookshop and wine bar make necessary repairs and renovations. “I was absolutely overwhelmed (in the best possible way) by the outpouring of love and support,” owner Tiffany Dockery wrote in a GoFundMe update.
Photo of the Day
Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Thousands of New Yorkers gathered near Times Square to see “Manhattanhenge” last week — a phenomenon wherein the sun precisely aligns with the street grid so it can be seen right between the city’s skyscrapers. While it happens about four nights a year, it never ceases to amaze, and this one was extra magical thanks to an “unexpected waterfall” appearing due to building maintenance. Only in New York.
Alloy: Your Skin Changed — Your Skincare Should Too
In your 40s and 50s, your skin loses estrogen, collagen, elasticity, and hydration. Alloy’s M4 line is a topical form of estrogen that’s clinically proven to rebuild what menopause takes away. It delivers real results in overall skin health in just 12 weeks. Nice News readers get $20 off their first Alloy order with code NEWSLETTER20.
