Shannon Day

'The Lovers & Fighters of America' is a weekly column here at Ravishly featuring behind-the-scenes stories of inspirational people taking a stance against hate. This week, we’re featuring Jaxon — a 26-year-old, Criminal Justice graduate from Massachusetts. Jaxon’s is a story of self-discovery and strength, a bright light at a time when the oppressive stance of the far-right looms — like an ominous dark cloud — over the trans community.

Enoteca Maria is truly a place where cultures are celebrated through cuisine. And a recent project, launched by the restaurant, takes this celebration to another level by offering non-chefs an opportunity to learn from the restaurant’s nonnas.

Bustos first got the notion to offer haircuts to those in need in May of 2012 during a trip to his family’s home country, the Philippines. He was overwhelmed by the impact of the poverty there, and so rented a chair at a local barber shop for the day and offered free haircuts to children in the neighborhood.

The process is simple: for every drink purchased, customers receive a wooden token to drop into one of six jars located around the establishment. Each jar is labeled with a pro-equality organization’s name.

The Lovers & Fighters of America is a weekly column here at Ravishly featuring

By bringing people together to share food and conversation, the Rafeeqi family are creating opportunities for non-Muslims to expand their knowledge of the Muslim faith.

The Lovers & Fighters of America is a weekly column here at Ravishly featuring