exploring queerness through character
I love being bisexual!!!! And as a person in a (tender) monogamous relationship with a straight, cis man…I crave bisexual exploration.
Enter hot, queer character development.
Enter Jesus making eye contact with Judas across the bustling coffee shop, taking a long draw of creamy chai from a straw.
Enter Judas taking Jesus’s hand, writing a haiku with a pen along the inside of Jesus’s forearm.
The curls of your hair
along the nape of your neck
bring me to my knees.
Enter Judas kissing each syllable of the haiku.
Enter Jesus swallowing, taking the pen and writing a question on a napkin.
Want to get out of here?
Enter Judas slowly nodding yes.
Enter Jesus’s bedroom. Enter one white candle, flickering light against the wall. Enter Judas entering Jesus. Enter moans gasps giggles. Enter sweat. Enter lemon flesh garnet moon. Enter curls of hair slick against nape of neck. Enter bitten lower lips. Enter rough. Enter soft.
HOT HONEY JULIE
Tell us about you, hot honey!
Julie
MD
All-time summer bop?
Don’t judge. Little Things—Good Charlotte. You never forget your teenage anthems.
2024 summer bop?
Make it to Tomorrow—Andre Henry.
What’s a scent you love that you associate with summer? What does summer smell like?
Wet sand and coconut oil hair products and peppermint hand lotion and the break in humidity after a storm.
Beach read you have devoured this or past summer?
To Say Nothing Of the Dog by Connie Willis. It’s a time travel romp to the Victorian era. Delightful, history-nerdy, with a happy ending.
During my Good Charlotte years? The White Oleander by Janet Fitch. A haunting story.
Article of clothing or accessory you rewear all summer? Outfit you love? Anything about your summer style that the people should know?
We’re doing sundresses and bike shorts all day every day over here. Wearing flowy dresses in all settings makes me feel the most like myself; powerful, comfortable, beautiful, and maybe slightly feral. (Yes that’s mud on my hem and ice cream on my chest and pollen on my bottom. I wear these dresses to live in, not to hide in. These are full-contact frocks.)
Which are you: A/C slut or sunkissed and sweaty slut?
Lol A/C. Your girl needs shade.
Ultimate summer food/snack?
My body doesn’t do well in the hot sun. The best remedy is green tea with peppermint & licorice root. Flushes the heat right out of my head.
What can we not live without this summer?
Sunscreen! And my giant black-brown (witch-coded) sunhat, which I embroidered with bees and vines
Movie you watch every summer?
Not a movie, but I associate late August with The Vampire Diaries. (My guilty pleasure brain-candy show for several years.) There’s something about vampires that seems to rhyme with the sweet-rot, decadent decay of late summer.
Summer activity you have to do every year?
I mean, you have to put your feet in the ocean. Or if not, at least some sort of natural running water, like wading into a creek with your pants rolled up.
Beach babe? Cabin cutie? Home honey? Road trip angel?
I hide indoors from the heat so much in summer that I’m much more likely to deal with seasonal sadness in the sunny months than in the dark half of the year.
What gets you hot about summer?
Motorcycles.
What’s a sweet-as-honey summer memory you hold?
Long moonlit walks along the water’s edge on the beach with the first boy I fell in love with, talking about life for hours. He was gay, and he taught me to love the entire queer community. Without his willingness to teach me & challenge me, I would never have built soul-deep connections with so many of the dearest, most beloved friends of my lifetime, who also happen to be queer.
How do you take your water in the summer?
Straight from the tap in the biggest glass I can find, in one long drag.
SMUTSCOPES: full moon in capricorn
[I recommend reading for your rising and/or sun sign]
Aries
Everyone wants to see and experience your hotness. Show us. Let it glow.
Taurus
Plan a very sexy trip (can be a day trip). Be diligent about the decadent details.
Gemini
Your affection is a true treasure. Find someone deserving and lay it on thick. Then, let them lay it back on you.
Cancer
Romantic^2. Wear lipstick and dote like you’ve never doted before.
Leo
Stretch out like a cat in the sun. Good kitty.
Virgo
Clean your sheets then make art/love/romantic things in them.
Libra
Invite your crushes over. Light candles and play them Mitski. Create a haven of sweet swaying.
Scorpio
Worship the mundane. Drip coffee on soil. Masturbate in the shower. Sing into your face cream.
Sagittarius
Invest in lust.
Capricorn
Full moon? Full you. You’re a spell. It’s electric.
Aquarius
Lose yourself in something outside of yourself. Let it turn you on.
Pisces
Remember: Your pleasure can ripple out. Ride it like a wave.
HOT HONEY JOEY
Tell us about you, hot honey!
Joseph Lovenduski
Seattle, WA
I do architectural woodworking and I’m originally from Midwestern Pennsylvania.
All-time summer bop?
All time would have to be Drinking Problem—Midland.
2024 summer bop?
2024 is the summer of Bar Song (tipsy)—Shaboozey.
What’s a scent you love that you associate with summer? What does summer smell like?
A scent that I love is the the smell of the blooming trees like coastal redwood, dogwood, and alder.
Summer smells like a wet garden.
Beach read you have devoured this or past summer?
Night Film by Marisha Pessl.
Article of clothing or accessory you rewear all summer? Outfit you love? Anything about your summer style that the people should know?
Vintage jeans, cowboy boots, and a t-shirt. Nothing beats it.
Ultimate summer food/snack?
Hotdogs.
What can we not live without this summer?
Days in the garden with a newborn and nights with my sweet, sweet wife.
Movie you watch every summer?
Top Gun (either will do).
Summer activity you have to do every year?
Go swimming in a creek or lake after a long hike.
Beach babe? Cabin cutie? Home honey? Road trip angel?
Somewhere between a road trip girlie and a cabin cutie. Why not be both at the same time?
What gets you hot about summer?
The sun. But seriously. Seattle is a dark place for a long winter. The sun really gets me going.
What’s a sweet-as-honey memory you hold?
Fireworks with my parents as a kid.
How do you take your water in the summer?
Lemon on ice with fizzy water.
VENUS WUZ HERE
[outfit of the week]
My outfit for hot summer errands! Rented these Basecamp camo bike shorts from nuuly (camo is gay!!!!). Styled with a UO sheer, snake print black crop top I bought from Rugged Wearhouse 15 years ago and my pinkpinkpink Adidas Ozweegos. Also, the cutest, most magical beaded bracelets made by Caitlin Matanle of Comfort Watch for her Rebirth of Venus pop-up shop.
Thanks to Julie and Joey for their hot honey goodness. And to all of you for reading Queer Jesus. Until next week. <3
P.S. ICYMI, there’s a Hot Honey Summer playlist cooked up for your listening pleasure:
Was already loving everything about this post when I was surprised and delighted to read about how much you're loving your bracelets! Thank you so much for the mention <3
The outfit!