Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
I gave you two months to vacate your daily activities, travel somewhere cool, and then send me pictures of it! Some of you went on staycations, some of you drove across the country, some of you flew across the globe. Quite a few of you went on your honeymoon! The best part is that you all seem very happy and relaxed and, I presume, ready to kick patriarchal ass well into autumn. Enjoy your community gallery!
Raquel / 28 / Martha’s Vineyard
“I am watching the ferry dock while waiting to go eat oysters and a lobster roll!! As I live in Texas this is very exciting for me.”
Gabi / 29 / Croatia and Italy
“At Hvar Island and Walls of Dubronvnik, Croatia, and Venice, Italy, with my wife, Leslie, on our honeymoon!”
Anna / 18 / Toronto, ON
“When this was taken I had been up for well over 24 hours and had just gotten off my plane. My brother and I were invited to help plant trees for Earth Day and, being the over-enthusiastic tree-hugger that I am, I simply HAD to say yes!
Tree-planting may not be a typical holiday activity (especially for someone who is almost always buried in landscape design projects), but we had a blast! I was totally in my element!”
Rachel Mongeluzo and Lucy Gross / 27, 26 / Toronto, ON
“This picture was taken in the plaza outside the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto. Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this year.”
Jay, Jordan, Sierra / 27, 26, 26 / Laurel Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
“I’ve seen Boys Don’t Cry too many times so I always get really anxious about getting hate crimed when vacation in rural areas (which is a problem because we really like camping), BUT we actually saw a ton of queers, which was rad. Our 7-day camping trip became a 5-day due to severe storms and a $300 Days Inn excursion in which the wi-fi didn’t even work, but we still managed to have a lot of fun.”
Olivia / 22 / Moray Firth, near Inverness, Scotland
“I don’t have much time off this summer, so i’ve used it to run up to the highlands, stay in a yurt, and live my ideal eco-queer lifestyle ft. paints and dog.”
Cait / 27 / Saltburn-on-Sea, UK
“I have a girlfriend! We went on a bank holiday weekend trip to the seaside and had the best time skipping stones and eating ice cream and being gay as all heck!”
Emma / 26 / Litchfield County, CT
“A couple former Brooklynite friends moved out here to buy a farmhouse and host a monthly Big Gay Supper Club. We loaded up our cars with dogs and lesbians and spent Memorial Day Weekend in the woods.”
Jessica / 30 / Liberty Park Jersey City, NJ
“I’m a trans girl from North Jersey currently living in Philly. This was taken by my best friends Memorial Day Weekend when I visited. This outfit plus my current hobbies of gardening and making soap made my best friend laugh and call me a “Crunchy Granola, Earth Mother” we then went on to search crystal dildos and vagina steaming.”
Sarah Renz / 27 / Lake Union, Seattle
“After 5 years of dating in secret we came out to our friends and families and haven’t turned back. Now 2 years later we are happier than ever and enjoying our summer travels together and out!”
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I am trying to figure out who in this photoset has the Gayest Outfit and I can’t choose between the pastel unicorn ensemble or the fanny pack patch jacket!
Also I want to have a Big Gay Supper Club.
that big gay supper club really got me too!
I’m so disappointed with myself for procrastinating on my submission. Oh well…. next time! Just imagine me having the time of my life in England and Italy last month.
Carmen SanDiego! While rafting down the American River you were only 9 miles away from where I live. I’m always surprised when people who don’t live in El Dorado County go to Coloma willingly :P
I’ll use the paddle to wave to you next time!
Sounds good!
No, but seriously, next time that I am in nor cal I can message you
Yes! For sure! #OlderStraddle mini meetup :)
So. Many. Cute. Queers!
I have crushes on all of you just so you know.
These pics are so beautiful! And reminding me I need to take a real vacation soon!
Y’all are so cute and gay! And there’s another Tess – there’s seemingly so few of us you don’t often see us out in the wild!!
Everyone looks soo happy and having fun! Love it.
I love these!!! It looks like everyone had soo much queer fun!!!
What a great looking group of people! Enjoy your vacation!
Olivia’s cheeky dog!
Pat or Emma (whoever’s on the right)’s hair! You need to write that “how to swoop your bangs” article.
I had never heard of segways, and here are two photos of them. Is this the newest queer thing?
@carmensandiego wins for most adventurous! I’ve wanted to go to that Victoria Falls spot since I read about it last year. And that personal submarine, seriously?!?!
So many good bathing suits! (I wasn’t going to say this after I remembered that I’m wearing one in mine, but you know what, it’s the first time I’ve owned a bathing suit I really like, so I’m saying it and including mine!)
Iceland!!!
Hyder, Alaska!!!
I’m excited, can you tell. I love these galleries <3
Your pictures are gorgeous!
Thank you! I feel very lucky to live where I do.
wow! i love these galleries so much.
So good!! These galleries are so awesome! ❤
I was sure I sent my photo in before the deadline but…it’s not there so apparently not ?
I love all of the awesome vacation fashion (and your fabulous hair!) <333 Thanks everyone for sharing!
Vacation? What’s that?
Y’all are too cute and way gay! I love it.
Me? My mIdlife career change and transition crushed any hope I had of doing anything remotely as cool as even a staycation.
Wait a sec
“Too cute and way gay” ought to be a tee shirt!
Yes, hello, I would buy that tshirt
Jaime Lazich I agree with you about the greatness of In N Out
Rhiannon – Donegal Ireland – whoa cute photo! Like straight out of a magazine or a book!
Madison and Hope Rorschach – Fort Worth, TX – OMG congrats! You both look amazing and the photos are gold!
Dijana, Octavia, Ella – Hamilton Island, Australia – lovely photo! Love Octavai’s shirt!!
YES to more photos from ‘Straya!! And hopefully more from the Philippines and Asia!!
General observation – there are a lot of us who have visible tattoos! LOL I mean mine weren’t that obvious in the photos I sent…but I love all of your tattoos!!!
LOVE ALL OF THE PICS!! :) :)
omg TATTOO PHOTO GALLERY SOON???
So, my occupation was not included because I guess a lot of y’all didn’t fill that out? Mine was good though: “Wedding Planner / QueerGirl’s Mirror twin”
I just needed you all to appreciate that
I appreciate it. Do you part your hair on the opposite side too?
Oh, actually, I think we DO part our hair on the same side. But I’ve departed from our “blue bangs” formula and have gone to “pink + purple”
I take it that you are the evil twin, right?
I mean, I feel like that’s fairly obvious.
I cried at like every single one of these photos. Ya’ll are so beautiful and stunning and brilliant and badass and these photo galleries are so important and necessary. It gives me LIIIFE to see ya’ll living your vibrant, queer lives. <3 x 1000000!
I CRIED TOO and I thought I was just being weirdly emotional.
Chandra I cried at yours! Your pics are so outdoorsy and blissful! And it’s fun to see AS comment friends doing real life stuff ?
True that
Aw <3
ALSO: Kat in Chicago. Way to capitalize on that Port-a-Potty lighting!
Dammit I forgot about this one!! And I had so many travel pics to choose from oh welll
You should share them in a comment! ^_^
I sent in my picture from the Central Market in Valencia at like 2:00am after getting back from Spain and I totally forgot that I had some other amazing pictures to share! I really want to add this one because it was my first solo holiday ever, and every time I look at it, I appreciate life more:
and this one because I lived in Florida for 8 years and never appreciated it until I learnt that it’s great for kayaking:
Aw, that did not work at all, did it.
Aww… reading Neil Gaiman, white water rafting, climbing, hiking, having a beer, wistfully staring out into beautiful landscapes – all things I like to do. And now I want to be friends with all you beautiful people.
Bless all of you.
‘Lesbian Lake’ and ‘Rainbow Falls’. This is SO GAY (and SO CUTE).
Also, ‘…driving to meet up with pals in some of the wildest areas in Montana and playing around in them (the places not the pals)’ had me laughing so hard it made my dog jump (he is basically a cat so he’s very offended).
we really like being outside, huh? everyone is so cute!
Swooning over the Lexa cabin pic (miss y’all!!!) and loving the dune buggy /mad max comment XD
Oh no, I definitely thought I submitted a cropped version of my photo without the markers of being Snapchat screenshot! ?
I’m feeling the love for my wonderfully gay hometown. Maybe we should do a meet up in San Francisco next year around Pride…
WHAT A BUNCH OF CUTIES. OMG. Like several people have said already, I have crushes on all of you now.
Yoooo I’m moving to Portland so Lesbian Lake is going on my list of places to go. I’m so jealous of everyone who can travel and stuff, cause I’m not only broke but also don’t drive, so that makes things harder. I am going to take a couple of day trips to my grandparents’ tiny hometown while I work on a family archive project, so maybe I’ll take some pictures of me being obnoxiously queer there. It’s rural Georgia, so that should be fun.
I second the vote for a tattoo gallery!! Geneva, I’m obsessed with your sleeve. It’s incredible.
Also, Emma from CT and Megan from FL, you are both 100% style goals. Emma, is that your truck? HEART EYES. Also I want your entire outfit and to be your best friend.
Megan, you are a majestic tacky queer, which is a term I am coining right now and it is the highest compliment. I aspire to your level of unabashed tackiness. I have a matching fanny pack and visor, which are both hot pink and were purchased several years apart but which I definitely intend to wear together. I also want your BEES hat.
Carmen Sandiego sure does live up to her name.
Also good job Aussies for finding somewhere actually WARM
You’re all so adventurous and fabulous.
I can’t believe there are only 49 comments though. This would have to be my favourite series yet. Have great lives people.
It took me a few days to open this gallery bc I was worried I would have too much FOMO, I was supposed to be heading to Vancouver tomorrow night with my family but my mom isn’t feel well enough to make the trip so we’ve cancelled it and are heading next week to the Berkshires (3 hour drive vs 6 hour flight) as a small consolation.
Anyhoo, overshare aside Im glad I got over hesitation and clicked through–so much love to all of the queers in all of the amazing spots. I also loved seeing my hometown (NYC) featured in so many posts. People hate on summer in NY but there are so many free events and a new expanded ferry system that have really improved the whole summer in the city thing.
Granted, I don’t live there but I love NYC during the summer