Hello Monday birds! I spent the weekend untangling this paper garland I made for the wedding (but never used) and turning it into a wall hanging, then I hung up two pendant lights, finished off a box of wine, celebrated my new nephew who was born on Saturday (!!!), and nailed a fallen branch to my wall! I’m exhausted. How was your weekend?
Queer as in F*ck You
+ Sorry, is this just a Kristin Russo fansite now? Maybe. Maybe it is. Don’t worry about it. Here’s Kristin and her wife Jenny Owen-Youngs just basking in the glow of marriage equality!
+ Love and Drugs in the Darkest Days of AIDS.
+ Nicolette Mason brings you some stats Beyond Marriage Equality.
+ How Virginia Woolf’s Orlando Subverted Censorship and Revolutionized the Politics of Lesbian Love in 1928 over on Brain Pickings.
+ Another video! Colorlines News Five Questions: Gay Pride Edition!
+ Out queer cycling couple Tayler Wiles and Olivia Dillon are on the cover of Bicycling Magazine‘s August issue! HOW CUTE IS THIS.
The cover of Bicycling’s August issue—the ‘Love the Ride’ issue—features a couple that best captures the spirit of cycling, romance, and partnership, and it just happens to be two badass women. Pro cyclists Tayler Wiles and Olivia Dillon found each other while racing for the same team and felt an immediate connection, despite the fact that it was something new for both of them.
“We knew pretty early on that we were meant to be together, but we did not have the easiest time initially given that it was all a bit unexpected and unconventional,” recalls Dillon. “I suppose our determination to overcome all the obstacles we faced was a sure sign that we were both in it for the long haul.”
Long haul is right— the two are getting married in the fall, during a break in their cycling seasons. A gay couple in women’s pro cycling isn’t surprising anymore: In fact, Wiles says that the cycling community made coming out a simple task. “It really is an environment where it’s been easier,” she said. “It was a pretty easy place for me to come out; I never felt like it was out of the ordinary. It’s been great.” Bicycling’s August issue will be on newsstands June 30.
Doll Parts
+ Here are over 70 Black-Owned Hair and Cosmetic Companies you should buy from now from Bougie Black Girl.
+ Natalie Wilson has Five New Women-Directed Horror Films to Seek Out fuck yesss.
+ John Oliver Declares Trans Issues Next Fight for LGBT Equality, or as Mari put it this morning, “Wow. John Oliver did a 15 minute supportive segment on trans issues with no fuck-ups.”
+ There’s Nothing Fake About Issues with Artificial Turf at Women’s World Cup.
+ You can buy this 11×17″ poster, Jennicet Gutierrez: End Detainment and Deportation, and all the proceeds will go to Familia: Trans Queer Liberation Movement.
poster by Micah Bazant
Saw This, Thought of You
+ Americans have completely forgotten the Afghanistan War.
+ New Mexico “Star Party” Reminds Us That Wildlands Protect Dark Skies, Too.
+ Were All Those Rainbow Profile Photos Another Facebook Experiment? SIGH.
+ Insomnia, anxiety, break-ups… Musicians on the dark side of touring.
+ Hunger Games Actress Angel Giuffiria Talks Life as a Cyborg.
+ 40 Free Fun Things to do This Summer!
Local Autostraddle Meet-Ups
+ 6/30 Rio Grande Valley: Aquí Estamos Poetry Slam Night
+ 7/3 Madison: SHE SAID PARTY
And Finally
This happened?
It’s rare Ms. Brown and I get to spend time together without some colorful characters barging in. – Ms. Green pic.twitter.com/hnoktsAgAW
— M&M'S® Brand (@mmschocolate) June 28, 2015
No wonder Ms. Green was unimpressed by Red and Yellow’s macho posturing back in the day. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygAEKZbfJrY
It’s definitely disconcerting how much M&Ms marketing revolves around these tiny candies trying to get laid.
this ^
I had completely forgotten about that ad and I must thank you for bringing it back into my life. XD
NOW WE KNOW. Ms Brown and Ms Green MnMs forever.
John Oliver… It seems I will not miss Jon Stewart too much after all.
This is extremely refreshing after years of Stewart and Colbert’s continued cheap shots at the trans community.
Don’t forget John Oliver also interviewed Pepe Julian Onziema, the Ugandan trans man activist. He’s done a much better job speaking out about trans issues (or not being insulting about them) than Colbert, Stewart, or Maddow. I also want to recognize how Melissa Harris-Perry spoke out supporting Jennicet Gutierrez’s White House protest and the rather poor record President Obama has had with immigration issues.
I was gobsmacked by the absolute absence of fuck-ups and missteps in Oliver’s bit. Also a real delight to see Louisville local hero Henry Broussard featured.
I just hope that this segment is as influential as the one he did last year on Net Neutrality. That would be really helpful.
yeah his segment was great. I’m teaching my male flatmate about trans issues and suddenly this came on screen, and every two minutes he would ask me to pause the tv because he had questions. it was a great moment :)
I’m becoming more and mire a fan of Oliver. he’s very consistant in addressing serious issues like immigration, LGBT rights, internet harassment… and I think he’s yet to fuck up !
what i really like is the fact that he can REALLY make you laugh about the issue while still being very respectful
The turf guys! The GD turf! Our keeper, Karen Bardsley, had an allergic reaction causing her eye to swell shut on Saturday night. That stuff is evil. More frustrating that men’s teams would never be asked to play on it. I love that Wambach tried to fight it. Some seriously dodgy money must have changed hands to get it used, all that’s happened is that it’s been shown to be a terrible surface which causes injuries.
UGH. I am so angry about the turf.
Wow, so much good stuff on here and happy new nephew!
Also Laneia I went to this wine tasting thing for my friend’s wedding a few days ago and he told me to bring “idk cashews or something” and I was like ‘YES I CAN DO THIS LANEIA PREPARED ME’ and I went to the store super pumped but I couldn’t find the ones you team-picked and it was absolutely devastating. So I bought mini reese’s cups instead and they were delicious the end
omg you really improvised there! i’m so proud of you. #THESECASHEWS #NEVERFORGET
also if you have any wine recs from this tasting, do please share.
Well it was a blinded taste test because science and objectivity, so all of the labels were covered, but white #3 was more than acceptable and red #2 was the bomb dot com.
I think I know the M&Ms’ root
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=z-meYkyG8Nk
That moment when you find yourself shipping anthropomorphic chocolates.
I am home taking care of my mom following major surgery and I saw my aunt today. I don’t know her very well on account of moving around a lot as a kid, but we were talking today and she suddenly stopped me and said “you know when I look into your eyes, I see my own eyes staring back at me. and it’s the weirdest damn thing.” and it’s true! we look way more alike than me and my mama. we barely know each other, but we have the same.exact.eyeballs. so what I am saying is NEPHEW! you never know, you could be looking at him in thirty years and see your own eyes thirty years younger staring back at you and both of your hearts will explode and feel anchored to this earth in a way you never expected. so yeah big congrats, aunt laneia!! being an aunt seems pretty great, and I am super jealous!
Ms. Green in a playful frolic on the beach with her gal pal, Ms. Brown!
I felt weird about the Facebook rainbow profile pics. Maybe because I’m still in the closet but it felt like it was trivial for straight people to do this. I would have preferred an Ally symbol or something else. It kinda pissed me off that I saw all these rainbows everywhere, when Facebook is a place that is not safe for me to be out, or for a lot of lgbt people.
I just logged onto Facebook and saw numerous straight people I know with the rainbow profiles too. I agree that an ally symbol would be far more appropriate.
Also feeling pissed off about it :( Especially when I can recall the heteronormative comments some of these people have made in the past year…
Yeah, I feel you. It kind of left me feeling off too, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on why.
This is interesting because I felt like I had a bit of the opposite reaction. I was glad to see people changing their pictures without feeling the need to announce how they personally identify because I saw this as enabling closeted people to show support.
I realize I am contrasting this in my mind to other situations in which I felt like engaging with the rainbow community required one to either come out or declare oneself a straight ally, and I’m seeing this as better, but since I am now more open about my sexuality I’m not really in a position to judge.
Regardless, I hope facebook becomes a safer, more welcoming space for you!
My girlfriend did it with her profile pic and I can absolutely see the innocence of people doing it and thinking they’re doing a random good thing…
… that’s the thing, though; it’s way too random. I get the exact same feeling whenever I see a bunch of puzzle pieces to depict autism. Rainman with flamboyance… *sigh* … and girls like pink, and tall people are thin, and only ‘young people’ have a contribution to make… and all the other things.
And let’s all make a facebook bandwagon of them and jump right on it! Because teaching reasonless knee-jerk obedience to large swathes of the amiable populace via what amounts to a modern version of chain letters is in no way creepy, right? Right. *sigh*
So THAT’S why there were always my favorite M&Ms!
I love that list of 40 free things. Maybe I’ll try downloading a geocaching app! I’d also like to add “hunting for pretty sea glass” to the list. And visiting a local wildlife reserve.
Also, I approve of a Kristin Russo fan site.
It’s 2015 and we get to eat queer candy now. Is this life even real? I remember. Back in the days, when I was in high school, the only gay thing we had was John Lennon. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lennon, and some of his songs are fun, but he wasn’t exactly someone I looked up to and thought : “YEAH! Totes my gay totem animal!”
Shit, times have changed!
I actually came back here after realising I had accidentally written “John Lennon”.
Says how much I REALLY care about Elton John. I’ll gladly mix him up with any other singing John dude.
All that to say, wow gay candy is now a thing.
“queer cycling couple” are three words i want to see next to each other more often! so cute!!
Thanks for making me cry all over again Kristin & Jenny.
I spent the majority of marriage equality day in tears. I was, and still am, so, so overjoyed at this news. This was +almost+ overshadowed by the utter despondency at my own country. I’m proud to be Australian, but I’m so ashamed of the current political agenda to dehumanise the population at large, especially asylum seekers & the LGBTQ community.
I struggle to articulate what Autostraddle (at large) and the work of Everyone Is Gay means to me, because it is just ALL the feelings. Both are staffed by incredibly caring, generous individuals who break through that third wall, and change you. This work is a tangible thing. It is so, so important.
(One of these days I will be articulate. Sorry for the ramble)
Thought I had no tears left, but then- Kristin & Jenny. Such wonderful humans.
I am SO READY for Australia to get its shit together.