This week, BuzzFeed exposed therapists who attempt to “cure” gay people. Read that and other stories from The Toast, The New Yorker, Salon, and more.

"How I Found Myself When My Skin Changed Its Identity" — BuzzFeed

Rushaa Louise Hamid shared her experience of living with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that leaves colorless patches of skin on the body. Although she was comfortable in her own skin, the constant looks, the patronizing remarks, and society's beauty ideals were exhausting. Read her piece at BuzzFeed.

Sian Butcher / BuzzFeed

"What Part of 'No, Totally' Don't You Understand?" — The New Yorker

Kathryn Schulz, staff writer for The New Yorker, explored the linguistic phenomenon in which we use "no" to mean "yes." In her piece, she ponders the ever ambiguous "no" — is it a noun? an adjective? a adverb? — and how it actually "[expresses] the pleasure of emotional, aesthetic, and intellectual connection—or, for that matter, too many ways to simply say yes." Read her fascinating investigation at The New Yorker .

Illustration by Ellen Surrey

"My Relationship Was a Different Kind of Addiction" — BuzzFeed LGBT

Kenny Porpora, author of The Autumn Balloon, wrote a powerful piece on being addicted to an abusive partner and his realization that a relationship could be self-destructive. "Wanting to hold Brad one more time was no different than my uncle needing that one more fix, or my mother needing that one more drink," he writes. Read his story at BuzzFeed LGBT.

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed

"The Terrible Things I Learned About My Dad: On Abuse and the People We Love" — The Toast

Liz Prato, author of Baby's on Fire, wrote a horrifying yet poignant essay on finding out her now deceased father raped two women and previously abused her brother. How do you make peace with the death of the loved one after finding out he was a monster? Read her gripping story at The Toast.

The Toast

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