Lesbian journalist and former editor-in-chief of The Advocate Tracy E. Gilchrist will be joining Professor Lisa M. Stulberg at Montclair State University on Oct. 7 for a presentation and conversation called Holding Space for Queer Social Change Through Pop Culture. Prior to the event, Gilchrist shared her thoughts about pop culture, activism and her hopes for the future.
The event’s title and Gilchrist’s podcast, Holding Space with Tracy E. Gilchrist, both mention the viral “holding space” meme that emerged out of the media frenzy around Wicked’s release. Wicked is “an allegory for a lot of different times in history,” Gilchrist said. “Here’s a story about someone who has been othered her entire life. The moment she comes into her power, she’s ousted by a fascist leader. This is the world we’re living in right now.”
Gilchrist interviewed Cynthia Erivo, who played Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West in Wicked’s movie adaptation, in November 2024. The podcast host asked Erivo what it meant to her as a queer Black woman to sing “Defying Gravity,” the finale to the First Act, a song that has meant so much to people over the years. “And, you know, the beginning, the part that went viral was really me just teeing up the question, trying to convey that I was being political without invoking Trump’s name,” Gilchrist said.
Gilchrist will share lessons from her career in covering LGBTQ+ issues in the media
Gilchrist explained that the phrase “holding space” resonates differently with queer viewers. “The people I care about, the people in my community, got some joy from that moment, or they felt solace, or they really understood that I was asking a political question, and a real community came from it.”
Alongside examining the role of pop culture in activism, Gilchrist at Montclair State will be sharing lessons from her career in covering LGBTQ+ issues in the media. At the premier for the film Verity, based on the novel by Colleen Hoover, Gilchrist spoke with Anne Hathaway, who shared a message for queer youth.
Despite facing recent backlash from conservative audiences for a resurfaced speech about equality, Hathaway gave “a beautiful answer.” As “one of the most prominent stars in Hollywood, and also pretty beloved in movies including The Odyssey and The Devil Wears Prada,” Gilchrist sees it as “part of her job to get them to have those conversations.”
But queer history, just like the history of any other marginalized group, is tainted with tragedy and loss. Gilchrist said she “was deeply, deeply shaped by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It was horrifying. While the government did nothing and actively made fun of the kinds of people who were dying because they were primarily queer men and black people, and IV drug users, and we lost so many people. I can’t even imagine what art would be like right now if we hadn’t lost so many creative, beautiful people. I really want young people to know about that.”
Alongside the HIV/AIDS epidemic, Gilchrist sees right now as a dark chapter in LGBTQ+ history: “If you would have asked me 12 years ago? No. I probably felt pretty hopeful; with Obama in office and Don’t Ask Don’t Tell having been repealed, we were on our way to marriage equality … We had Glee, we had Orange Is the New Black. … These stories were beginning to be told, and then we had like this halcyon Hollywood, Carol and The Favorite and Moonlight, and Call Me by Your Name, and like all these Oscar-bait queer films that were very rare just 10 years prior. So it felt hopeful to me, we were on an upward trajectory.”
“the government is actively demonizing trans people, similar to active demonization of queer men during HIV AIDS.”
As for why we seem to be backsliding, Gilchrist cites how “the government is actively demonizing trans people, similar to active demonization of queer men during HIV AIDS.” Beyond demonization, “they’re also actively taking away rights,” she added. For Gilchrist, the Dobbs decision, which repealed Roe v. Wade leaving abortion access up to the states was a wake-up call. “Obviously, that has to do with bodily autonomy. So once they did that, it was like, they’re coming for trans people. They’re coming for hormones; they’re coming for gender-affirming care. They’re coming for contraception. They’re coming for sodomy laws again. It’s all happening. Maybe it feels like it’s the worst it’s been because I’ve been here before. You know, we’ve been fighting for years and years.”
Gilchrist is not hopeless though, especially not about younger people. One of the focal points of the conversation on Oct. 7 will be education, which is also one of the most heavily targeted areas for anti-LGBTQ+ legislation. “People need to be able to see each other and themselves and know that others came before them and fought for them so that they can carry on that history,” said Gilchrist about the importance of teaching queer history. “It’s hard to carry on when you can’t see yourself.”
When asked whether she believes that young people will forget those who came before them, Gilchrist said, “I think there will always be young people who seek it out. I have a lot of faith in Millennials, Gen Z and younger. I’ve seen a few generations come after me; with every group, there are people are deeply curious and empathetic and caring.”
And, the generations that came after luckily have the media Gilchrist mentioned to turn to when they feel unseen. “For the most part, thanks to the internet, thanks to a proliferation of movies and TV, even though those movies and TV shows are not being greenlit as much right now, they do exist. Young people can go watch Glee. They can go watch Pretty Little Liars. … Those movies are out there. But there was a time when they were not. There was nothing. When I came out, there were no queer characters on TV. I never saw myself.”
Fortunately, for now we can see ourselves, although there are threats to media in general when it comes to which stories get to be told. “Part of me really feels as though we may end up returning to print media. Returning to zines, returning to in-person storytelling the way that it used to be,” Gilchrist said when asked about censorship concerns. “For years, for eons, stories were told by word of mouth. And we didn’t rely on these technocrats to ensure our stories got out … I believe that, especially queer people, will find ways around it. And to me, that looks like community.”
The event at Montclair State is set to take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on the campus, SBUS 140, according to the school’s website. For more information, visit inside.montclair.edu/events/.
