Get Fired Up: Autostraddle Babe-B-Q Weekend is August 15th & 16th!

We’ve had an action-packed summer, y’all. Between the non-stop love-fest that was Tell Us Everything Week and the slew of meet-ups y’all valiantly hosted with one another in honor of ice cream and friendship, it’s been a truly fabulous and Autostraddle-rific few months. And they’re not over! Yet. We’ve still got a few weeks of blistering heat, kindred spirits in cutoff shorts, and the soothing sound of bug zappers between us, and we need to make the most out of it.

Which brings us to Autostraddle Babe-B-Q Weekend!

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On August 15 and 16, I’m challenging you to get together and grill up a storm. That’s right! We’re taking back grilling from the straight white dudes of this world and we’re doing it the only way we know how: together. The chosen family that grills together inevitably chills together, after all. For the rest of time, that is.

This could take so many shapes, y’all. You could corral your fellow ‘straddlers into your backyard for an all-day grill-a-thon; head to a public park for a picnic full of warm, charred goodies; meet up at a local BBQ spot; or even build a brick oven together over the course of a week while locked away in the woods and then grill some of these weeds in it. It’s really up to you! Whatever floats your boat. Whatever lights your fire. We’ll have lots of posts the week of your wild and wonderful events to help you decide on a Babe-B-Q menu, figure out what to wear while you’re werqin’ that grill, and so on and so forth.

If you’re the brave soul in your city / town / tiny island who decides to host, rest assured that we’ve got your back. All you need to do is pick a date, decide on an event mechanism (having people email you to RSVP, posting an event on Facebook, using Eventbrite, etc.), and then submit all the details to our events portal. We’ll help you spread the word – all you have to do is take the dive and submit! (If you make your event page on Facebook, here’s a cover photo you can use. We’ve also got some sick Twitter and Instagram images for you.)

If you’re not hosting but still wanna get in on the action, don’t fret! You can check out the events submitted to us right here as they roll in, and on August 10 I’ll post a round-up of the events by city so you can plan out your weekends together.

And whether you’re attending, showing up, or wistfully eating a microwaved hot dog in your mom’s house, you can still be part of this movement on social media by using the hashtag #AutoBabeBQ!

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Carmen

Carmen spent six years at Autostraddle, ultimately serving as Straddleverse Director, Feminism Editor and Social Media Co-Director. She is now the Consulting Digital Editor at Ms. and writes regularly for DAME, the Women’s Media Center, the National Women’s History Museum and other prominent feminist platforms; her work has also been published in print and online by outlets like BuzzFeed, Bitch, Bust, CityLab, ElixHER, Feministing, Feminist Formations, GirlBoss, GrokNation, MEL, Mic and SIGNS, and she is a co-founder of Argot Magazine. You can find Carmen on Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr or in the drive-thru line at the nearest In-N-Out.

Carmen has written 919 articles for us.

43 Comments

  1. YES! DOING THIS. My friends and I were planning a BBQ last night – we should absolutely do it that weekend. We live in a park (strange but true) and at night the park gets locked up and it feels like it’s all ours.

    Straddlers of Manchester, watch this space :)

  2. INTO IT! Cut-offs, cornhole, and cheap beer, there’s nothing better!
    Also what kind of monster microwaves a hot dog??

    • Me. I did it. Just once. It was 1am and I was too hungry to wait. And I actually didn’t hate it. Forgive me!

  3. Autostraddlerin aus Frankfurt! (Oder in der nähe) Los Geht’s!

    Ich glaube grillen ist möglich im Ostpark, aber bei der Main ist schöner… Kann mann grill dahin?

  4. UGH rubbish timing. Partner’s bday that weekend so I shall be spending it making the annual cheesecake offering to the birthday gods.

  5. I’m already hosting a beach meet up in Seattle on August 9th, but if another Seattle/Tacoma straddler wants to host a bbq on the following week, I’d be game to attend.

  6. This is the weekend before my birthday and before one of my Camp friends comes to visit! Clearly it was meant to be.

  7. Alright Western Mass who’s up for this? I get paid the weekend of the 15th and I’m all for spending it all on zucchini/summer squash/other grillables

  8. Would anyone in/near Madison, WI be interested in this the afternoon of August 16? I will coordinate if there’s interest, please comment here to let me know!

  9. Is there anybody in the vicinity of Princeton, NJ? I’ve been wanting to have a picnic for a while now. Or would it be better to take the train over to join the NYC or Philadelphia folks?

    • Exactly Princeton, NJ! And my lovely lady is in Plainsboro. We were aiming to host something for Pride for all of our other wonderful in-betweeners, but the timing never worked out. Ended up at Bluestockings in NYC. Ha. We might dedicate a serendipitously-themed Garden State party for this barbecue instead!

  10. What a great idea! I’d love to attend one in Vancouver. I might consider hosting one, but I’ll see how the 70-ish person beach bbq I’m putting on for some queers tomorrow goes. If all goes well, perhaps an Autostraddle one!

  11. Hey Chicago!
    Looking to host an event with the Chicago Straddlers either in Hyde Park or Jarvis Beach. Any interest?

    • I’m not a Chicago native, but I’ll be in Chicago for the weekend and would definitely be interested if this happens!

  12. I am too chicken to host because I’m geeky and awkward. Anyone in Tampa Bay, Florida area?

  13. I actually have that weekend free!!

    Any DC/VA Straddlers want to get together and do this thing??

    • Yes please! I can’t help plan because I’m moving my life across continents atm (eek!) but will show up with lots of food and homemade barbecue sauce.

  14. Anybody up to it in Michigan? There are never any meetups in here and it’s sad! But I’m also not in the position to host either.

  15. This is my birthday please someone in New Orleans want to co-host? I don’t want to do it alone!

  16. I can’t really host anything but if any Ottawa queers host something I will be there!

  17. This is a great idea! Anyone in the greater Charleston, South Carolina area interested? Depending on interest, I might be able to host; I’m in Summerville, if that makes a difference.

  18. My friends and I have had several lez-bi-queer barbecues! They’re they BEST! Hopefully we can get one in Dallas or Denton.

  19. Hello, TN ladieeees! Let’s make this happen. I’m so in to host if anyone wants to babe-b-q with me and my lady.

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