Also.Also.Also: LGBTQ Film Representation Is Up But Studio Execs Need To Do Better Amid Strikes

feature image photo of Wanda Sykes by Jose Perez/Bauer-Griffin / Contributor via Getty Images

There are still TEN MORE DAYS OF SUMMER. I love your cozy autumnal posts on social, but I repeat: THERE ARE STILL TEN MORE DAYS OF SUMMER.


Queer as in F*ck You

LGBTQ Representation in Film Hits Peak While GLAAD, Guilds Caution Hollywood Strikes Can Slow Progress. Just my own personal clarification on this headline: It’s not the strikes that are slowing progress but rather the resistance from the AMPTP to offer a fair contract — which the strikes are in response to — that are slowing progress. But I digress! GLAAD hosted a joint press conference with the actors and writers unions to challenge studio leadership on their commitments to LGBTQ+ representation, which is at its peak in film, according to GLAAD’s latest report. From the report:

“GLAAD firmly stands in solidarity with the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Writer’s Guild of America (WGA) in their efforts and contributions to fair and accurate storytelling integral to the LGBTQ movement. It is crucial that The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) reach a fair deal with striking writers and creators — that these talented creatives can return to work as soon as possible, so that the progress made in LGBTQ representation remains on track.”

‘We Need to Take Ownership of Our History”: Inside Takweer’s Viral Instagram Page. More about this story: “Marwan Kaabour’s Takweer created an online community spotlighting queer Arab pop culture and history. Now, it’s expanded into a book exploring West Asia’s LGBTQIA+ community through language and literature.”

On Finding Queer Community While Incarcerated.

James Frankie Thomas on Discovering His Trans Identity While Writing Fiction.

Here’s Why Taika Waititi’s New Film Is Being Called Transphobic.

Eve Adams Was a Jewish Lesbian Trailblazer and Now There’s a Play About Her.


Saw This, Thought of You

How Podcasts About R. Kelly Played a Pivotal Role in Elevating Black Survivors’ Stories.

Your periodic reminder that “marriage equality” excludes disabled folks: Marriage Could Mean Losing Life-Saving Benefits for People With Disabilities. So They’re Protesting.

A Four-Hour Phone Call With Erykah Badu.


Political Snacks

Ketchup With Those Fries? Sure—as Long as It’s Anti-Woke. This was a BANANAS read.


One More Thing

Ohhhhh I love this excerpt of a poem (full poem is in the caption):

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Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya is the managing editor of Autostraddle and a lesbian writer of essays, short stories, and pop culture criticism living in Orlando. She is the assistant managing editor of TriQuarterly, and her short stories appear or are forthcoming in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Joyland, Catapult, The Offing, and more. Some of her pop culture writing can be found at The A.V. Club, Vulture, The Cut, and others. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram and learn more about her work on her website.

Kayla has written 885 articles for us.

2 Comments

  1. Is no one talking about Poor Things by The Favourite director Yogos Lanthimos? It’s about a re-animated adult human woman (Emma Stone) with the brain of a feoetus inside her, and she has zero shame about her sexuality and etiquette. She loves sex with both men and women and she doesn’t take shit from the patriarchy. It looks really beautiful, funny and incredible and I can’t wait to see it.

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