What started as a fun quest — typing “Portuguese” and “praia” (“beach”) into my music streamer — quickly turned into an astoundingly beautiful journey of discovery. Playlist included. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

Last week I wrote about all of the reasons Pride month messes with me ... open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

This was my favorite sign at Lisbon's Pride today but only because I finally know enough Portuguese to understand it: "Só queremos ser felizes" ("We only want to be happy")

Dad's message from the second day of Pride month.

I'm beyond grateful to have played a small part in making sure Kansas knows what it had in Gilbert Baker, and to the folks in Parsons who keep working to honor his legacy.

Attention all the young queers: Everyone needs to remember how this weekend felt. And love out to all the old queers who were there with me. ❤️ 🏳️‍🌈 ✊🏻 open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

I could spend time in far less productive ways than contemplating Portuguese boat names. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

It’s so striking to read what the president said about trans folks a decade ago vs what he's doing now. But then we’ve been watching all along. Thank you as always to @the-debijackson.bsky.social for keeping such a crucial eye on the past, present and future. open.substack.com/pub/debijack...

Everyone should watch this cool story from @nepublicmedia.bsky.social. I'd be saying that even if it didn't star my mom and even if it wasn't, you know, that day. youtube.com/watch?v=San4...

I’ve been intentionally listening to Portuguese pop and anti-fascist folk, so I haven’t devoted much energy thinking about American music’s global influence. Until we went to the Portugal Burger Cup. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

Hello from a blustery Friday night on the Sado River.

It's been a while since I've posted on here. This explains it a little bit. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

Can confirm.

Because I don't really understand this feeling, I just riff on how strange it is to spend so much time looking down at my feet as I spend looking up at the people and the architecture of our new country. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

No Kings action all the way over in Lisbon.

What a beautiful day this was: our new town's first Pride march open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

Basically just an appreciation of British English cussing here open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

Why must the supposedly greatest country in the world so desperately need to keep bragging about how great it is? open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

"Lifton described a key psychological mechanism, what he called the 'thought-terminating cliché.'"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/11/opinion/totalitarianism-robert-jay-lifton.html?unlocked_article_code=1.lU8.ZIXN.eJ7GZJk2DBt9&smid=url-share

Who else spent the weekend with this painful and necessary reliving of Hurricane Katrina? 20 years ago might as well be today. www.netflix.com/title/816765...

"Portugal teaches patience," someone said. I’m 62 and don’t need lessons in patience. But a summer of waiting to leave the U.S. taught us other things. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

How my dream of becoming a lesbian elder started vs. going open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

I grew up terrified, justifiably, every day, of nuclear obliteration. Artists had the correct response. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

I wrote about how, 40 years ago, a song made even small town #Midwest #queer kids feel like they belonged. Also, I had the same hair as John Mellencamp. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

For some of us, Jon D. Barnett is legendary in Kansas City #queer history. For younger folks, he should be. Here's a word of gratitude as he heads into his next adventure. open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

“I have forgotten what fruit tastes like” - not sure how many times I reflexively put my hand to my heart while listening to this story theworld.org/segments/202...

In her heroic efforts to be at peace with us leaving the U.S., my mom has asked a lot of questions. One was whether I knew of other LGBTQ people leaving. Yes, I told her. Here’s the story of #Kansas' first #transgender legislator.

If I were in charge of PBS or NPR I would be doing 24-7 programming right now about the end of PBS and NPR

The entire USA should be required to read this before saying another word about women's sports, especially trans women in sports. @katiebarnes.bsky.social is a national treasure.

I wrote about how to get rid of all your stuff so you can leave the country. Or at least how I did it. substack.com/@cjjanovy/no...

At the risk of being like everyone else, I went ahead and started this thing ... open.substack.com/pub/cjjanovy...

Langston Hughes, #America poets.org/poem/let-ame...

Thank you to Kate Sosin and @19thnews.org for this on the anniversary of #Obergefell.

Contrary to how it often feels in the publishing world there's a whole literary thing in the #Midwest. Thank you editor Andy. I'm honored to be part of this and can't wait to read everyone's stuff.

Just a reminder going forward... (cartoon from 2003)

“Same as in Iraq and Afghanistan/ And Ahmadinejad say they coming for Iran“ m.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIq...

Sadly, these atacks are part of a wider trend. Last year, the Brennan Center issued a report showing that more than 40 percent of state legislators of all parties experienced threats or attacks within the previous three years. 2/6 www.brennancenter.org/our-work/res...

Alternatively, “Thousands of Americans expected to take to the streets in defense of their neighbors and their democracy” www.nytimes.com/live/2025/06...

"The answer will not come from above." Another brilliant reality check from @tressiemcphd.bsky.social www.nytimes.com/2025/06/13/o...

Who else has read the Nebraska writer Mari Sandoz? Her "Love Song to the Plains," first published in 1961, is a history of how the region was colonized. Here she is making an observation about America 175 years ago. Just saying. #booksky

"It's better — believe us — to name what’s happening than to look on, speechless, as your country goes to ruin." Thank you @storyevtime.bsky.social and Maria Kuznetsova for this www.nytimes.com/2025/06/09/o...

What separates journalism from stenography is independent reporting, verification and context. Trump calls in the National Guard for LA — note he did not do so for the insurrection. He says no one will spit on law enforcement, note he pardoned those who physically assaulted law enforcement Jan 6.

Thank you @kendrawrites.com. Let's see if #journalism has learned any lessons since 2020 (🙄) ...

Thank you to @univpressofkansas.bsky.social for letting me say a few things about #pride and to #Kansas Reps. @brandonwoodard.bsky.social, Susan Ruiz and @heather-jo.bsky.social for their wisdom on #queer activism. (Also included: code for half off book orders.) kansaspress.ku.edu/blog/2025/06...

Aww love you back, @claywires.bsky.social @kansasreflector.com and all the other queers of #Kansas kansasreflector.com/2025/06/05/t...

Good job, #Tulsa www.publicradiotulsa.org/local-region...

See #America it's not that hard

I worry it's an insult to tacos.

Great story, NYT — almost as good as the one by the Midwest Newsroom's @kavahnmansouri.bsky.social and Chad Davis four days earlier: www.kcur.org/news/2025-05...

There are 2 previous historical cases of countries destroying their science and universities, crippling them for decades: Lysenkoism in the USSR and Nazi Germany. The Trump administration will be the 3rd. It's not just budgets but research, institutions, expertise, and training the next generation.