From fashion trends to personality traits, even down to how we eat, social media controls everything. In the 21stcentury, social media has been embedded in our society to such an extent that it is now slowly becoming impossible to function without it. Since the post-industrialisation aesthetic movement in the 19th century, the appearance of oneself has never been as significant as it is now. Although the beauty standards between then and now are of stark contrast, they are just as prevalent in the modern day.

The events that have unfolded in Afghanistan over the past month, the US UK withdrawal and subsequent Taliban takeover, have been on the lips of reporters and the public alike. Since Biden’s announcement, the crisis has only become more chaotic, with new developments and new angles being presented nearly every day. Only now has the situation seemed to cool down a little, though this is very much an outsider’s perspective. So, it might do to take a momentary step back, and discuss what has happened to Afghanistan in the round, and its implications.

The fight for LGBTQIA equality has been monetised by an establishment that undermines and offers little support in the fight for social liberty under a rainbow shield of ‘alliance’. While rainbow vodka and cute rainbow t shirts can be enticing (although sometimes they are painfully cringey), it is blatantly performative.

Juneteenth, also widely known as Emancipation Day, is the American celebration to commemorate June the 19th, 1865, when African American slaves learnt they were officially free in Galveston, Texas.

In France and North-West Europe, queer rights have experienced a large growth in the last few decades. Nevertheless, we must examine these advancements we’ve seen.