The desks
Our bylines
We publish under a shared editorial desk and a handful of pen names. We use pen names because writing candidly about queer life can carry real-world risk — but we do not invent fake biographies or credentials behind them. That distinction matters to us.
The Contagious Queer Desk
Shared byline for pieces written and edited by the Contagious Queer editorial desk. Not an individual; not a credentialed professional.
Marlow Vega
An openly-used pen name of the Contagious Queer desk for culture, archive and history features. We publish under pen names; we do not fabricate a biography behind them.
Soraya Idris
A pen name used by the Contagious Queer desk for relationships, body and wellbeing writing. Not a clinician; wellbeing pieces are lived-experience editorial, not medical advice.
Jules Kemp
A pen name used by the Contagious Queer desk for digital-safety and community-spaces reporting. We disclose it as a pen name rather than imply a single real reporter.
More: Editorial policy · About & ownership