“To L and Back” Is Going Live This Monday, You Should Probably Come
A long long time ago, we told you that if we met a certain fundraising goal, we’d do a live episode of everyone’s favorite podcast, “To L and Back,” which is about everybody’s least favorite show, The L Word. Now, the days of our lives have passed by like sand through the hourglass, and we’ve finally settled on an episode, time and date with which to dazzle and entertain you!
AND IT’S TOTALLY 100% FREE JUST A FREE SHOW FOR YOU!!!
On October 5th, you’re gonna wake up and be like…. wait where is the new episode of “To L and Back”? and alas, there won’t be one. But!!!! You will have the chance to witness a life episode of “To L and Back” that very evening on the interwebs greatest crowdcasting platform, Crowdcast!
If you can’t make it, don’t despair — the episode will be recorded and edited like normal to debut the following week (October 12) but of course, if you can make it we would love to see you there.
We will be recapping Episode 509, “Liquid Heat,” otherwise known as the “rolling blackouts episode where everybody has sex” with special guests that will delight and inspire you.
It will be taking place at 9PM EST / 6PM PST. You better be there. Don’t you wanna know what 6pm in West Hollywood feels like? Tasha sure does. 
Hundreds of people have already RSVP’ed and you could be next. What have you got to lose, literally nothing, if it’s not funny you can just like do a crossword puzzle at the same time but also it’s gonna be funny!!!
RSVP Now!
International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week Spring 2017: Resist/Persist
Hello and welcome to International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s) 2017! The world feels darker and more depressing than usual, so we were thinking now would be a really good time to gather together to resist, persist, and cheer each other the fuck up. So we’re all gonna meet up and do just that! From Tuesday, March 21 – Tuesday, April 4, all over the world, Straddlers are gonna meet up and hang out and plan the revolution. Are you in?
Duh yes of course you are in!
What will this look like? Well, it can look a million different ways. Honestly, I haven’t helped plan a meet-up scenario since 2013, so I may be a little bit rusty and I hope y’all will be gentle with me as we work on this together. We all need to be gentle with each other and ourselves right now, and we need to be decidedly not gentle with the systems of oppression and forms of government that are trying to harm us and ruin our lives. That’s why the theme of this year’s International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s) is Resist/Persist.
There are a lot of different ways to be an activist and to make your voice heard in this world, and we encourage you to get creative about how you want to structure this particular meet-up. How do we resist and persist every single day? Maybe you want to gather some Straddlers in your city and make protest signs for an upcoming local direct action. Perhaps you’d like to make sure everyone has your representatives phone numbers and emails saved in their phones, and after that, make some calls or draft some emails or write some postcards to your reps together. Maybe you’ve been on your activist game 24/7 for forever and you’re exhausted and the best way you can resist right now is to do something restorative with some likeminded queer babes and remind each other that community is real and we’ve all got each others’ backs and we’re gonna make it through whatever this fucked up world has to throw at us. There are literally millions of ways this particular meet-up week could look, and I’d love if we all shared ideas in the comment section and help each other plan the most effective, most badass, most empowering forms of resistance and persistence.
Resistance can look like this // photo by Taylor Hatmaker
If this sounds a little more serious than some of the themes of our previous meet-up weeks, I’ll be honest and say yeah, it is. Things are different now. They can never be the same, but we can move forward and work with what we’ve got. And even if we’re older and more jaded and things are darker and harder, we’re still all here. We’ve still got each other. We’re still going to keep building community and learning and growing and fucking up and saying sorry and doing better and yeah, loving each other. For forever.
So uh, with that intense intro, let’s get down to the nitty gritty about what the fuck is gonna happen this International Meet-Up Week(s), shall we?
Resistance can also look like this // photo by Molly Adams
Like always, our team members are working hard to create events for International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s) in the cities we each call home. We are making this particular round last two full weeks to hopefully accommodate a lot of people’s busy schedules. As you know, we here at Autostraddle are slowly but surely taking over the world, but unfortunately our staff still doesn’t live everywhere, so in order to make this truly international, we need your help.
Are you interested in hosting a meet-up in your city / town / community / etc? YAY! THANK YOU! Now you just need to let everyone know about it. Fill out the fancy form on our Events & Meet Ups Hub, and we’ll publish it and get it up on the site. Then we’ll take that info and update this very post so that all the meet-ups for International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s) are in the same place!
We also have a special hashtag and a special graphic for you to use so we can feel as though we are all hanging out together via ~the internet~ no matter where you live! If you’re hosting something, make sure to use the sweet graphic Sarah made as the photo for your Facebook event, and if you’re posting about an event on social media tag it #ResistWithAS. You can use this on social media to see what other AS readers around the world are doing, and share your events too!
Isn’t it cool how Sarah can just resize a graphic to be any size we need it to be, like this specific one is perfect for a Facebook event banner, just saying
If you have any questions about International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s), please ask them in the comment section, as that will be the easiest way for me to see them and answer you quickly! And please please please bookmark this page and keep checking back, because I don’t want you to miss a meet-up in your city, okay? Okay. I’ll be hosting one in Portland, OR and I am very much looking forward to meeting some of you babes! Details on that and all other meet-ups will be posted shortly — as soon as you submit yours we’ll get it up on the site and start telling readers about it! Thanks for planning this epic International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s) with us — we literally could not do this (or anything else) without you. See you soon. <3
Submit your meetup plans here!
Meet-Up Schedule
Australia
Melbourne, VIC, Australia 4/1: Melbourne Autostraddle Meet Up
Venue: Bimbo Deluxe, 376 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy, VIC 3056, Australia
Event Date: April 1, 2017
Start Time: 12:00 pm
End Time: 5:00 pm
Host: Ngaire Sidhu
Description: We are going to be meeting up to resist and persist!
Come along to meet other like-minded people, chat about the LGBTIQA movement in Australia or have a crafternoon making cute things over pizza and drinks at Bimbo’s.
Meet at Bimbo’s Deluxe at 12pm. Please RSVP as soon as possible so I can book a table for us.
Contact Ngaire on 0424617359 or over a FB message if you can’t find us on the day or have any questions.
Please bring your friends!
See you there!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1905264173053732/
Please RSVP as soon as possible on the Facebook event page.
Sydney 3/26: Homefires: Self Care and Cake
Venue: Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney, Royal Botanic Gardens Restaurant, Mrs Macquaries Rd, NSW, Sydney, Australia
Event Date: March 26, 2017
Start Time: 1:30 pm
End Time: 5:00 pm
Host: Max Whitby
Description: Sometimes existing is resisting. Sometime recharging is part of persisting.
So……
Come and learn about some practical, low energy expenditure self care strategies…. not just mani pedis. (Although also valid: ydy)
Meet up in the bottom cafe area of the botanic gardens restaurant (accessible routes marked on official botanical gardens maps)…. if it is still raining we will stay put in the cafe… otherwise folks can grab a warm beverage/snack etc or byo…. and we will have a picnic situation in the gardens.
We will wait until 1:30 in the cafe, and then post updates in this event page. There is a good chance that this event wil be at least 3 hours long. There are bathrooms at the cafe.
Topics to be featured:
– Making a POA (plan of attack)
– Template/automate strategies (to guide people who help you in ways that you have control over)
– Mindfulness 101+
– Self soothing
– Listicles (who, what, where, why, when, HOW)
Content will be available as PDFs on this event page afterwards.
If you are interested in hosting other topics please DM Max.
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/292535047832942/
Please RSVP by the group facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/399973670073235/
or event page:
https://www.facebook.com/events/292535047832942/
Updates on the day will be posted to the event page.
Japan
Osaka 4/8: Queers in Japan
Venue: Osaka-jo park, Osaka-jo, Osaka, Japan
Event Date: April 8, 2017
Start Time: 12:00 pm
End Time: 6:00 pm
Host: Maria Devlin
Description: A hanami party where any and every queer in Japan can plot revolution under the sakura trees.
RSVP:
Contact me on LINE (ID: emdev) if you are interested in joining the event.
United Kingdom
Manchester
Manchester, UK 4/7: Manchester UK Autostraddlers Meet-Up
Venue: TBA
Event Date: April 7, 2017
Start Time: 7:00 pm
End Time: 10:00 am
Host: Laura S-C
Description: The very first Manchester Autotraddlers meet-up! For the lesbians/queers/allies/bois/bisexuals/genderqueers/trans* and other non-binary identified Straddlers in and around Manchester UK.
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/manchesterautostraddlers/
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/manchesterautostraddlers/
Please email me at bloodyicecream@outlook.com for enquiries, or join the FB group for updates and discussion.
Scotland
Edinburgh 3/25: Edinburgh Autostraddle Meetup
Venue: The Forest Cafe, 141 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, Scotland EH3 9JN, United Kingdom
Event Date: March 25, 2017
Start Time: 12:30 pm
End Time: 4:30 pm
Host: Calista Hobart
Description: Come and chat all things Autostraddle! The Forest Cafe serves hot drinks and veggie and vegan food. Bring your knitting/crochet/crafting, I certainly will.
The cafe is on the ground floor but the toilet is downstairs. Dogs are welcome.
I’ll put a big rainbow Autostraddle sign on our table so you can find us.
United States
California
Los Angeles 3/19: Phone Banking to Block ACA Repeal
Venue: Leo Baeck Temple, 1300 N Sepulveda Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90049, United States
Event Date: March 19, 2017
Start Time: 2:00 pm
End Time: 6:00 pm
Host: Los Angeles LGBT center
Description: Are you ready to take action to defend healthcare for our community!? Here’s your opportunity!
In the month of March, The Center’s Leadership LAB are organizing hundreds of Center Staff, Clients and Volunteers to make strategic phone calls to key Senators to block the the bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We will welcome you to our grassroots activist team, share with you targeted, strategic opportunities to fight the threats and attacks against LGBT people.
RSVP: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeSIui0Ol0Rft5-kC6aYkWVUQZDBY6QOVlwY7Eg-YgSjMpnkQ/viewform?c=0&w=1
Los Angeles! The LA LGBT Center is hosting a phone bank session to help block the Affordable Care Act Repeal
Come join us for some grassroots activism Sunday 3/19 2-6pm or Wednesday 3/29 5-9:30pm
Illinois
Chicago 4/4: International Autostraddle Meetup Week: Queer Storytelling!
Venue: Sidetrack The Video Bar, 3349 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60657 United States
Event Date: April 4, 2017
Start Time: 6:30 pm
End Time: 9:00 pm
Host: Ellie O
Description: Hello Chicagostraddlers! Let’s go to queer storytelling for International Autostraddle Meetup Week!
The event is Outspoken at Sidetrack (https://www.facebook.com/events/1266948690030187). Doors at 6, show at 7, I’ll arrive at 6:30 but you come when you can!
And for those who can, let’s get dinner first! 5:45 at the Chicago Diner next door (there are two Chicago Diners — go to the one on Halsted!).
Can’t wait to meet you!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1824142974577342
It’s not necessary to RSVP, but if you want to, join the Chicagostraddlers Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/chicagostraddle/) and then see the event at https://www.facebook.com/events/1824142974577342.
Massachusetts
Worcester Massachusetts 3/31: Worcester Radical Craft & Dance Rally
Venue: Turtle Boy Statue (corner of Franklin St. & Salem St.)
66 Franklin Street (Worcester Common Park, behind City Hall & directly across from the Public Library main branch), Worcester, MA 01608, United States
Event Date: March 31, 2017
Start Time: 6:30 pm
End Time: 2:00 am
Host: Heather Mangione
Description: Come join Airspray Worcester and the League of Just Us in a direct action gathering outside on the streets of downtown Worcester! Meet at the Turtle Boy statue (corner of Franklin St. & Salem St.) where we will be congregating for a radical craft-making gathering before we take the streets with a giant sound system to march and make our voices heard.
Things to consider bringing:
–Cloth you’d like to paint stencils on (materials will be available but any t-shirts/ bags/bandanas/etc are great options too)
–YOUR BIKE IF YOU WANT TO!! BRING LIGHTS!!
RAIN DATE: Saturday 4/1 @ 6pm (same location)
AFTER PARTY TBA
Street parking is available
This event is FREE, FAMILY FRIENDLY & ALL AGES WELCOME!!
Accessibility: This is an outdoor event and we will be congregating at the statue for approximately 1.5 hours before we march around 8pm. We will be using acrylic and latex paint as a heads up for anyone with chemical sensitivities.
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/645032315621513/
No need to RSVP–just show up! But here is the FB event for more info:
https://www.facebook.com/events/645032315621513/
New Mexico
Albuquerque 4/2: ABQ Meetup
Venue: Marble Brewery, 111 Marble Ave NW, Albuquerque, NM 87102, United States
Event Date: April 2, 2017
Start Time: 7:00 pm
End Time: 11:00 pm
Host: Lindsey Costley
Description: Let’s get together and write some very opinionated and strongly worded letters to our representatives!
New York
New York City 3/31: Resist, Persist, SING YOUR HEART OUT!
Venue: Stonewall Inn, 53 Christopher St., New York, NY, 10014, United States
Event Date: March 31, 2017
Start Time: 6:30 pm
End Time: 10:00 pm
Host: Valerie Anne
Description: Let’s gather at the historic Stonewall Inn for a little karaoke – sing your best songs of protest (We’re Not Gonna Take It! Seize the Day!), your favorite queer songs (Take Me or Leave Me! She Keeps Me Warm!) or switch up the pronouns in any song to make it gayer (or cover songs by dudes like Take Me to Church or Crimson & Clover). Very informal, no rules (You definitely don’t have to sing! Just cheer on your fellow queers!), just come, relax in a safe space, get inspired for the next protest by being at the birth of what we now call the Pride March! (NOTE: I put the end time as 10pm because that’s when Lesbo-a-go-go starts but, as the name suggests, that’s always a fun time, too if after relaxing you’d like to dance your feelings out.)
Accessibility note, or lack thereof because it’s NYC, karaoke is upstairs, and Stonewall is 21+.
RSVP:
No need to RSVP, just come if you wanna! I’ll wear an Autostraddle shirt or sweatshirt so you can find me.
Ohio
Athens, OH 3/25: Autostraddle Meet-Up/Open Doors Dance Party
Venue: Casa Nueva-Cantina, 4 West State St., Athens, OH, 45701, United States
Event Date: March 25, 2017
Start Time: 9:30 pm
End Time: 1:00 am
Host: Kass
Description: Hey there! The first ever AS meet-up in southern Ohio will be in Athens @ Casa! Meet and greet before the OU LGBT Open Doors Dance Party gets underway @ 10pm — we resist by existing, y’all. See ya there!
RSVP:
No RSVP needed; show up and get down. *Open Doors may charge a small cover at the door.
Cleveland 3/26: Mason Bee House Building w/ Autostraddle CLE
Venue: Didi’s House, 3189 Oak Road, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118, United States
Event Date: March 26, 2017
Start Time: 11:00 am
End Time: 1:00 pm
Host: Didi Shiloh
Description: In the spirit of Resist/Persist, we’re gonna hang out and build some mason bee houses so that this slowly dwindling North American bee species sticks around to keep serving the environment. Y’know since the world is dying and our government doesn’t seem concerned. Come be concerned with us! See FB event for more details.
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1937607319803043/
Request to join the Autostraddle CLE Facebook group to stay updated on events in Cleveland (this is a private group).
Texas
Austin, TX 3/22: Austin Autostraddle Meet-Up
Venue: Spider House Cafe, 2908 & 2906 Fruth St., Austin, TX 78705, United States
Event Date: March 22, 2017
Start Time: 9:00 pm
Host: Alaina Monts
Description: Let’s get together to call/write postcards to our representatives about the fucked up 2017 budget plan Trump proposed!!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/1848482895417101/
RSVP via facebook, for materials reasons.
Dallas/Fort Worth 4/8: DFW Straddlers Mall Meetup
Venue: Starbucks @ Parks Mall in Arlington
Event Date: April 8, 2017
Start Time: 1:30 pm
Description: Hey Dallas/Fort Worth Autostraddlers! Join us for an afternoon of coffee, bowling and general awesomeness. We’ll meet at the Starbucks inside Parks Mall, then continue on to Round 1 for bowling once we’ve caffienated, and then maybe hang out/wander around some more after that.
When you get there, look for Lauren (aka Ace on Autostraddle). She’ll be wearing her queer-gal uniform of buffalo plaid flannel and a shirt with a cat on it.
Don’t forget to bring socks for bowling!
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/groups/460121904031552/
The event is posted on the Dallas Straddlers FB page. Please join the group (yay) and RSVP there, or, if you don’t have Facebook, you can message Ace (aka Lauren) on Autostraddle. Or just show up! The more, the merrier.
Ann Arbor Meet-Up 7/1: Senior Editors Emerging From Hibernation To Drink Whiskey With You
There are few times in this life where all five senior editors are together in one place at the same exact time. THIS IS THAT TIME. Or rather, July 1st, 2016 IS THAT TIME. Rachel, Laneia, Yvonne and Heather are all going be in Ann Arbor this Friday, and we (we = Sarah and Riese) decided the best situation for a hangout would be if all of you were there too! So if you happen to live in Michigan (or NW Ohio) (or Windsor? really anywhere) and can make your way out to Aut Bar, we’d love to drink/dance with you! We are also building up our SE Michigan/NW Ohio group, so if you can’t make it out this time, request to get added to this Facebook group so you can hear about all the other cool times we’ll be hanging out. (But TBH this one is gonna be the coolest).
I wish I had arms like Alex Vega.
>> RSVP HERE <<
You Should Go: Come Talk About Queer and Feminist Media With Us at UW Madison!
Next Tuesday, any of y’all who live in or around Madison, Wisconsin are in for a real treat. Team Autostraddle is comin’ to town! Or at least four of us are: Managing Editor and Head Bisexual in Charge Rachel Kincaid, QTPOC Speakeasy Editor Gabby “Wheeze Laugh” Rivera, Writer Who Makes You Cry Whitney Pow, and yours truly, Feminism and Straddleverse Editor Carmen Marie Apollonia Rios. (I took Apollonia as my confirmation name, did you know? You know now.)
On Tuesday, April 28, we’ll join the University of Wisconsin at Madison’s Campus Women’s Center Coordinator Marie Gorman in a conversation about queer and feminist media as resistance and probably also how much we like working here. Doesn’t that sound amazing? I know it does. So come on down!
The event starts at 6PM on Tuesday, April 28 in the UWM Memorial Union at 800 Langdon Street and will go for about an hour. RSVP on Facebook and tell all your friends to come love on us! We’d really appreciate that. Or I mean, I would.
You Should Go: Me, You, and Everyone We Know at NYFLC Should See Each Other’s Faces!
Remember when I invited you all to come on out (pun intended) for this year’s National Young Feminist Leadership Conference? Me, too, even though it feels like it was eons ago. Were we ever so young? Was I ever so awake? Did I ever spend a day not swimming in to-do lists and conference planning meetings? Who knows. All I know is, we’re here, we’re queer, and we’re gonna smash the patriarchy together. But we might as well get a drink or some food or just a moment to appreciate our friendship together, too!
That’s why I’m organizing a meet-up during this year’s NYFLC for the Autostraddle readers who are attending the conference! And guess what, y’all? My coworker Nancy is gonna co-host with me because she’s queer, going to A-Camp, and extremely well-versed in the Autostraddle universe! Double your pleasure, double your fun, double the feminist killjoys drinking coffee to get through the day, amirite.
We’ll be meeting up at 7PM on Saturday night, one hour before our big ol’ dance party! (Spoiler Alert: There’s a dance party. Whether or not Drake will play is still being decided, but you know what team I’m on.) Just come down to the hotel lounge for some drinks, some food, and some new friends! (PS, if you’re not registered for the conference yet you can still get in! You’ll have to register at the door, though, because online registration is closed.)
It’s my honor and privilege to change the world alongside all of you. Also, your hair looks great today.
Win or Get An A+ Membership and Be There For Our A+ AMA Advice-a-Thon On March 9th
As of this upcoming Monday, we will have been alive and in the world for SIX ENTIRE YEARS! At this point, we’re super-good at reading and writing, and really brushing up on our arithmetic skills. We’ll be doing cool stuff all over the site on Monday, and we’d like to talk about one of them right this minute!
The #1 thing we want for our birthday is for you to join A+. So, we’ve put together a wildly ambitious Online Event, our first ever! It’s an Advice-A-Thon / Ask Us Anything Birthday Party, and we’re about to tell you ALL about it, but first we want you to know that we’ll be giving away SIX year-long Bronze A+ Memberships and SIX year-long Silver A+ Memberships on Monday morning, plus another year-long Bronze A+ Membership for every six new A+ sign-ups we get all Monday long!
If you want to be entered in the drawing to win a Bronze A+ Membership, just comment on this post and tell us the best advice you’ve ever received.
Check in with the announcement post on Monday morning to see who the winners are, and stay with it all day as more winners are announced!
If you’d like to toss another A+ Membership in the ring for a lucky reader, just buy a gift membership at the Autostraddle store and forward riese [at] autostraddle [dot] com your confirmation e-mail saying you’d like to gift it to a deserving ‘Straddler. The Monday post will be updated constantly with a count of how many A+ Members we have and how many memberships we’ve given away and will give away.
A+ Member Count As Of 10AM March 9th: 1,094
A+ Memberships To Give Away: 6 Bronze, 6 Silver
A+ Memberships Donated By Autostraddle Readers To Give Away: 2 Silver, 2 Bronze
A+ Birthday Party Details
Where: On the Internet! We’ll post a link here and on our Announcement Post as soon as the A+ post has gone live.
When: The Birthday Advice-a-Thon begins at 10 AM EST / 7 AM PST and goes until 2 AM EST / 11 PM PST.
What: You’ll ask questions in the comments and we’ll answer ’em. You can ask a specific question to a specific person or just throw your needs out there in general and see who swoops in to solve your problems and quell your fears! We’ve highlighted all our special guests below, and there’ll be a full schedule up on the Announcement Post and the A+ AMA post on Monday.
Why: Well, this was actually your idea! We had lots of A+ members suggest they’d love an AMA-style Advice-a-thon with us, and when A+ launched, it was suggested that we invest in live events like this to really make A+ special. So that’s exactly what we’re doing!
Who: All A+ Members. You can be an A+ member for as little as $5 a month, so hop on it!
All-Day Ask-Us-Anything / Advice-a-Thon Advice-Givers
Aja, Femme Fashion Icon
2 PM – 5 PM PST / 5 PM – 8 PM EST
Expertise: Style, beauty, parenting, relationships, boundaries
Ali Osworth, Geekery Editor, Autostraddle.com
8 AM – 10 AM PST / 11AM – 1PM EST
Expertise: Relationships, sex, technology and existing in an MFA program. Oh, and liquor!
Ana Bel (aka “La Loba Loca“), Community organizer, Artist, Researcher, Writer, Body-powered tattooist, Midwife student and Eco-feminista
3 PM – 5 PM PST / 6 PM – 8 PM EST
Expertise: Decolonial food, reclaiming abuelita knowledge,’cultural’ Spanish, reproductive justice, abortion support and companionship, re-wording body parts and situations to better support people through reproductive lives, conscious mooning, healthy and delicious food and drinks, herbs and their uses, eco-feminism, how to survive academic institutions as a Queer Brown person, how to not be a complete privileged asshole
Beth Maiden, Tarot Columnist, Autostraddle.com
11 AM – 2 PM PST / 2 PM – 5 PM EST
Expertise: Tarot, living in a tiny space, starting/running a just-you business
Brittani Nichols, Comedy Editor & Dear Sour, Autostraddle.com
9 PM – 11 PM PST / 12 AM – 2 AM EST
Expertise: Writing, Comedy, Relationships and “Being Perpetually Sad.”
Carolyn Yates, NSFW Editor, Autostraddle.com
6 PM – 9 PM PST / 9 PM – 12 AM EST
Expertise: Relationships & Sex
Dannielle Owens-Reid, Co-Founder of Everyone is Gay
12 PM – 3 PM PST / 3 PM – 6 PM EST
Expertise: Relationships, cat care, andro / genderqueer shopping, healthy living, being vegan, how to use social media like not a dumbass
Dani Rodriguez Da Silva, Sexuality Educator
5PM – 8PM PST / 8 PM – 11 PM EST
Expertise: Queer sex(ual health), gender (de)construction, relationships, living queerly as a Latin@. I can also give some advice on how to have a healthy, happy dog while working full time and living alone.
Djuan Trent, Motivational speaker, Activist and former Miss Kentucky
5 PM – 7PM PST / 8 PM – 10 PM EST
Expertise: Relationships, being single, Self-Esteem, Religion, Coming Out, Goal Setting and Achieving, Self-Awareness, Race Relations, Self Discovery and Identity.
Gabby Rivera, QPOC Speakeasy, Autostraddle.com
7 AM – 8 AM PST / 10 AM – 9 AM EST
Expertise: Interracial dating, boundaries, being muy romantic, dealing with a partner that has an addiction(s), sex w different body types
Ginger Hale, Sobriety Columnist, Autostraddle.com
8 PM – 9 PM PST / 5 PM – 6 PM EST
Heather Hogan, Senior Editor, Autostraddle.com
7 AM – 7 PM PST / 10 AM – 10 PM EST (with a lunch break)
Expertise: Books, pop culture, depression, ad(h)d, christianity (general theology, reconciling faith with religious upbringing, super religious family), long-distance relationships (turned living-together relationship), women’s college basketball (I will fill out your march madness brackets), bicycle maintenance and repair, volunteering questions, animal questions (rescuing, training, etc.), and social media.
Kaelyn Rich, Contributing Editor, Autostraddle.com
7 AM – 10 AM PST / 10 AM – 1 PM EST
Expertise: Sex & sexuality, small animal care, grown up life shit (buying a house, finding a financial planner, leasing v. buying a car), “Should I go to law school?”, relationships, bisexual/pansexual/queer stuff, nonprofit career advice, IPV and sexual assault support, community organizing as hobby or career (coalition building, legislative advocacy, government relations, etc), leggings as pants affirmation, monolid makeup, veg food, clothes, and lifestyle, leadership & management, feminist careers, body positive / fat positive stuff including fatshion
Kristin Russo, Co-Founder of Everyone is Gay
2 PM – 3 PM PST / 5 PM – 6 PM EST
Expertise: Relationships, cat care, healthy living, dealing with a vegan, planning a wedding, writing a book, hula hooping, lip syncing, how to use social media like not a dumbass
Laneia Jones, Executive Editor, Autostraddle.com
9 AM – 11 PM PST / 12 PM – 2 AM EST (with a lunch break)
Expertise: Parenting, being older than 30, feelings, 60s/70s classic rock, teen pregnancy, divorce, hippie bullshit, death
Laura Mandanas, Contributing Editor, Autostraddle.com
4 PM – 7 PM PST / 7PM – 10 PM EST
Expertise: Women in STEM, TV pop culture, mixed-race issues, martial arts, bisexuality
Lizz Rubin, Med Student & Former Autostraddle Fashion/Style Editor
4 PM – 6 PM PST / 7 PM – 9 PM EST
Expertise: Fashion, Sex and Health
Lydia Okello, Blogger & Fashion Editor, Autostraddle.com
7:15 PM – 9:15 PM PST / 10:15 PM – 12:15 AM EST
Expertise: Fashion, beginner gay things, friendship. Also being a minority in a largely conservative/predominantly white environment.
Mari Brighe, Contributing Editor, Autostraddle.com
4 PM – 6 PM PST / 7 PM – 9 PM EST
Expertise: Skincare, hair-care, makeup, and sex/dating for trans girls
Mey Rude, Trans Editor, Autostraddle.com
11 AM – 1 PM & 3 PM – 4 PM PST / 2 PM – 4 PM & 6 PM – 7 PM EST
Expertise: Being fat, femme stuff (“especially low-budget femme), Trans issues, Geeky (“if anyone has questions about sci-fi movies or tv shows or comic books or superheroes or things of that nature, I can talk for days about that stuff”), being Queer & Christian (“specifically Catholic.”) Also: witch stuff (“but not wicca, I’m not wiccan. but I am more than just an aesthetic witch, like my witchcraft is tied into my Mexican La Virgen-based semi-Catholicism, sort of like what was in the Gloria background story of OITNB, but not nearly as hardcore.”)
Mallory Ortberg, Co-Founder, The Toast
8 PM – 11 PM PST / 11 PM – 2 AM EST
Expertise: Jobs, boundaries, jokes, being direct, coming from a religious background, cute ladies in sports
Morgan McCormick, Kinky Transy Poly Gamer Ginger Southerner
7 PM – 9 PM PST / 10 PM – 12 AM EST
Expertise: Being trans, poly, kinky, queer/trans/sex friendly video games and spaces.
Rachel Kincaid, Managing Editor, Autostraddle.com
7 AM – 8 PM PST / 10 AM – 11 PM EST (with a lunch break)
Expertise: Basic budgeting and financial literacy, intense skincare regimens, pursuing a career in creative writing, teaching at the college level, bisexuality and dating/general wellbeing as a bisexual, legumes of all kinds, The X-Files, getting married/having a wedding
Riese Bernard, Editor-in-Chief / CEO, Autostraddle.com
11 AM – 11PM PST / 2 PM – 2 AM EST (with a lunch break)
Expertise: Relationships, sex & dating, DEATH, writing & reading, starting your own business, sex work, mental health (personal history as well as experiences as a partner and family member, whatever your little heart desires)
Tinkerbell, Autostraddle Mascot
4 PM – 8 PM PST / 7 PM – 11 PM EST
Expertise: Having one eyeball bigger than the other, Uh Huh Her, pink outfits, being famous, Littlefoot, trysexuality
Vikki Reich, Co-Founder of VillageQ
9 AM – 11 AM PST / 11 AM – 1 PM EST
Expertise: Relationships, kids, coming out stuff, life
Yvonne Marquez, Senior Editor, Autostraddle.com
7 AM – 10 AM PST / 10 AM – 1PM EST
Expertise: Being gay and Latina, growing up and being gay in a border town / returning to that border town and still being gay, being in a long-term relationship, going through an extremely unpleasant break-up, working from home, taking care of a big dog, navigating white, radical spaces as a queer brown woman, being a chunky brown girl and giving no fucks about it (especially in yoga), talking about Texas forever!
So! If you want to win an A+ Membership, tell us in the comments the best advice anybody has ever given you!
To help us facilitate this contest as efficiently as possible, we ask to keep comments limited to “the best advice you’ve ever gotten.”
You Should Go: Queer Ladies Trivia at the Strand with Autostraddle’s Gabby and Phoenix
Hello dear sweet babes of the earth, are you tired of speed dating? Cause I’m tired of gd speed dating. Like I’ve been tired and I didn’t even know it. Don’t get me wrong, hosting Queer Ladies Speed Dating at the Strand has always been the most fun thing ever. Spring, summer, fall and winter, we’ve speed dated together and it’s been rad, yo.
Seeing all of your beautiful faces as you fearlessly gazed into the eyes of all the strangers and answered questions about the yearnings of your souls just made the world a prettier place.
But also, speed dating is stressful and there’s all this waiting involved afterwards. You forget who was the one that liked Fun Home the play better than the graphic novel, and who was the social justice activist slaying in a leopard miniskirt.
This week, lovies, we’ve got something different planned: Queer Ladies Trivia + Mixer.
We are brilliant: ever up to date on the latest politics, Jeopardy final answers, bad lesbian movies and books, all the books. So let’s be geeks in public together for prizes, love and VICTORY. Look at that, you’re already irresistible.
Also, free wine and Doughnuttery Donuts. And a foxy Mail Person delivering love notes all night long. And if you can’t find love in this hopeless place, at least you can pick up some prizes from Fat Witch, Shake Shack, Think Coffee, and Num Pang Sandwich Shop.
When: Thursday, February 2/12, Doors open at 7pm
Where: Strand Bookstore, 12th and Broadway
828 Broadway, Manhattan NY
Tickets: $20 Click here to purchase
Bring your friends or come alone, but please don’t bring your cat.
You Should Go: Speed-Dating at the Strand, Plus How to Speed-Date Like a Champ
Next week, Tuesday, December 16th, 7pm at the Strand bookstore in NYC, Speed Dating with Gabby and Phoenix. Come down on Tuesday and do the damn thing with us. For twenty bucks, you will get FREE WINE and FREE SNACKS. Check out the events page to buy your tickets now. Join the FB event page for funsies. Note: Cool fkn prizes will be given away so brush up on your Autostraddle trivia.
Gabby & Phoenix welcome you with love.
There will be hella chances to win one of the following:
- Toby’s home brewing class voucher for 2
- $25 Shake Shack gift card
- Mast Brothers chocolate bars
- A pair of Film Forum tickets
With more prizes TBA.
‘Tis the season to have a blast with some queers and find someone new to read graphic novels with while watching Love Actually and smoking some firme bud by the fire.
Phoenix, the boi formerly known as Katrina, and I have hosted Speed Dating at the Strand for the last two years, before that I hosted with the great DJ Carlytron. And you, fly ass readers, have been with us every step of the way. You are the ones that make speed dating interesting and fun and weird. SO we wanna see your faces while we host the hell out of a Queer Ladies’ speed dating.
pic courtesy of Vanessa Friedman, god my heart, why doesn’t she still live in NYC?
Now some of y’all might be nervous. And some of y’all come anwyay and we love that, that’s how you gotta move in this world, if you can — with the idea that even when something seems scary you should try and do it anyway. Now some of us are dealing with hella high levels of anxiety when it comes to social interactions and yo, don’t do anything that is going to put you in danger BUT
If you can speed date, you should! And to help you out, we reached deep into our community and compiled some tips and blurbs to get you through the wilderness.
Speed-Dating Tips from Ghosts of Speed Dating Past:
- Throw on your best outfit, the outfit that makes you feel hot but also comfortable, you know?
- Take a fucking selfie. Take 50. Post the best one.
- Focus on yourself. You got this.
- Come to laugh. It’s meant to be fun.
- Don’t worry about love.
- Don’t get too drunk. That shit isn’t cute and it isn’t fun and it makes us worried about you.
- Wear a beanie, if you wanna.
Oh hai fellow human
- Bring a book to lean on when filling in those little dots/numbers/etc. Instant conversation starter. My favorite match had just read mine (The Last Nude by Ellis Avery) and we bonded over that.
- Arrive 5- 10 minutes early. It’ll give you time to check in, get a feel for the place, and ease into it all. Also, you can say hi to me and Phoenix.
- Say whatever weird Harry Potter Pretty Little Liars Perks of Being a Wallflower thing you want to say. Don’t hold back. It’s all good.
- Bring a friend. Not a crutch, a friend. Shit is always more fun with someone you already like.
tbh, idk if these ppl actually knew each irl
Blurbs from Speed-dating Straddlers:
“I couldn’t be self-conscious! I was in the stationary row of chairs, so I got to sit back and have all the cute queers come talk to me, and it was the most dates I’ve had in the history of ever. The questions weren’t all about books, so don’t be worried that you’re not bookish enough. I know I was a little worried beforehand. Also don’t worry at all, because it’s a goofy and short conversation with each human no matter what. It was very low key and I loved it.”
“Gabby and Katrina make everything so fun! Not only did I walk away from Speed Dating with a new collection of amazing first date questions, but I walked away having just met someone who would quickly become one of my best friends and most important NYC people!”
come play with us, bebes.
When: Tuesday, Dec. 16th, 2014
Where: STRAND Bookstore, 12th Street and Broadway
828 Broadway
Manhattan, NY 10003
Time: 7 – 9 p.m.
Price: $20
Bring Cheer to Queers: Host an Autostraddle Holigay Party This December!
The holiday season is about love and togetherness, so why don’t we spend it together? Sprinkled in-between the holiday magic of consumerism, family gatherings that might provoke extreme stress, and the depths of seasonal affective disorder, a couple of hours with your fellow ‘straddlers can go a long way.
This December, keep it queer and full of cheer. Host an Autostraddle Holigay Party in your city!
Last year, Autostraddle readers partied for good at HoliGAY meet-ups around the world with their chosen queer families, close friends, and probably a few cats. This year, we’re doing it all over again!
Hosting an Autostraddle Holigay Party in your city is as simple as a sugarplum. Just set a date, make a Facebook event (not required, but recommended), and mosey on over to our events portal to tell us the details and get the event posted on our calendar. You can even click here to download a custom image for your Facebook event, and once you register we’ll send over some more graphics to help you promote your party all over social media.
If you’re afraid of hosting, don’t be! Your holigay celebration doesn’t need to take place on a private resort or involve a walking, talking snowman to earn our respect. You can keep it simple and make brunch or dinner reservations at a neighborhood hangout, get personal and have some folks over your place for dancing and drinks, or just go with your gut and get gussied up to go out on the town.
There’s no format for these parties, and there are no rules (except maybe, y’know, being really f*cking awesome to each other once you get there). Live your dreams! And also, live your truths. Because that’s important to me.
We’ll be announcing all of the parties on December 1, so be sure to make plans now if you want to host! If you’re looking for inspiration, check out our holigay craft and clothing ideas from seasons of yore like 2013, 2012, and 2011, follow our holigay board on Pinterest, and keep an eye on the front page of this really revolutionary website, Autostraddle Dot Com, which I heard through the grapevine will be providing you with fashion advice, recipes, and decoration ideas galore as your party nears. How magical!
Until December comes, you can find your fellow ‘straddlers, share your party ideas, and generally express holiday delight with reckless abandon by using the hashtag #HappyHoligays. I’ll be watching that hashtag and checking it twice until the whole gosh darn season comes to a sad end, so HOP ON IT.
See You At Facing Race 2014 in Dallas
Now that it’s cold and night falls earlier, the height of my week is when I can cuddle on the couch with my partner and watch Gilmore Girls. But this week is way more exciting than my average Fall week! I’ll be at the Facing Race Conference from November 13 -15 happening in my backyard of Dallas, TX and I’m so stoked for what’s in store at this national conference. Fikri will also be attending!
Facing Race, presented by Race Forward: The Center for Racial Justice Innovation (the same folks behind Colorlines), is “the largest multiracial, inter-generational gathering for organizers, educators, and creatives in the country,” where we’ll discuss and collaborate towards racial justice. What makes this year’s conference even more special is that this is the first time it’s being held in the South. Like in the past, the conference coordinates with the local community and organizations to share information and resources on racial equity. I’m especially excited to learn more about local organizers’ work and what more we can do to address racism in the South. This is my home and I want it to make a better place for my family and for my community.
There will be plenty of amazing speakers throughout the event but most notably this year’s keynote speakers are Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, Toshi Reagon, and Tashawn Reagon. Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon is a scholar, singer/songleader and activist. “She performed as a member of the SNCC Freedom Singers during the sixties; founded an all women a capella ensemble, The Harambee Singers, during the Black Cultural Movement; and founded and led the internationally acclaimed Sweet Honey In The Rock for thirty years until retirement.” Toshi Reagon is Bernice’s daughter and is a composer, producer, founder and leader of her own ensemble, Toshi Reagon and Big Lovely. Tashawn Nicole Reagon, a student at Skidmore College, has experience facilitating dialogue between students of color and white students on race, and interned in the Gender Rights and Equality Unit of the Ford Foundation, where she wrote a report entitled Student Activism for Gender Equity.
The first time I looked at the schedule for Facing Race I was overwhelmed (and giddy) by all the amazing sessions and plenaries! I want to go to all the sessions and learn all the things! But unfortunately I’m not Hermione Granger and don’t have a time turner. Sigh. But let me tell you about the ones I’m most looking forward to attending:
This is How We Do It: Youth Led Racial Justice
“Those Kinds of Kids”: LGBTQ Youth of Color in the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems
Queering Racial Justice Organizing in the South
Rainbow Warriors: Lifting Up Queer and Trans Youth Resiliency
Change Culture, Change the World: An Introduction to Pop Culture Strategy for Social Movement
Queer and Trans People of Color Art Saves Lives: Testimonies on Pasts, Presents, and Future
Nuestro Texas: An Intersectional Approach to Reproductive Health as a Human Right
Woah! I know, I know, I know. These are just a handful of sessions happening, you can check out the full schedule here. I’ll be taking notes and letting you know what I learn, so stay tuned.
Facing Race will be live streaming the keynote address and all three plenaries via YouTube. If you can’t catch these amazing speakers live, you can watch them later on Race Forward’s YouTube playlist here. You can follow Facing Race 2014 on Twitter and Facebook for updates on the conference.
Will you be at Facing Race 2014? Let me know in the comments! Maybe we can meet in real life or I can just recommend a good restaurant or thing to do in Dallas. I hope to see you there!
Five Fun and Festive Meet-Ups You Could Host This Fall
Remember the time we all had brunch and grew as people? I think back on it as proof that being a part of Autostraddle is even better in the real world, where people have cute, shiny faces and are generally really excited about your alternative lifestyle haircut. And there’s no reason life shouldn’t always be shiny, cute, and exciting!
We’ve always encouraged y’all to hang out with one another by organizing meet-up weeks and synchronized queer brunches across the globe, but you don’t need to wait until we give you permission to get the party started. Anyone can host an Autostraddle meet-up, at any given time, by submitting one to our events calendar. This could be your moment, and in case you’re short on inspiration, here are five fun and festive meet-ups you could host this fall.
Night of a Dozen Pumpkins (And Some Damn Good Cider)
photo by Soph Bonde
I hosted an awesome pumpkin carving extravaganza with my partner-in-crime, Skinz, a few falls ago and invited every ‘straddler in the DC metro area to come and create with us. We made sure to have some pumpkins on hand, but we also set some aside one pumpkin and made cider in it for full effect. Once everyone arrived, we chilled outside with a couple of dogs and carved some awesome shit into life.
photo by Soph Bonde
Make the Cider: Bring apple cider to a slow boil in the biggest pot you have with any accutrements you desire — a cinnamon stick, herbs and spices, honey, what the fuck ever. (A ten-gallon soup pot comes to mind, but honestly, Skinz and I used two of those at the same time to fill our massive pumpkin.) Lower the heat and stir in some booze. (We used vodka.) Then, pour it into an empty pumpkin and mix in more booze to taste. When you’re carving out the pumpkin, keep the top in one piece so you can seal up the cider when nobody’s grabbing any.
photo by Soph Bonde
Make Some Seeds: Empty out the pumpkins ahead of time, wash all the pulp off the seeds, and put them in the oven drizzled with olive oil and salt on a baking sheet ’til they’re nice and roasted. Voila! It’s like a complimentary pumpkin-carving snack nature gave you.)
Clothing Swap
Fall is a time of great opportunity for your wardrobe. With the holidays rolling around, you can give yourself room to dream about stuff you’ll put on your wish list, and the weather’s perfect for layering your favorite sweater over your favorite tank top. But it’s also a great time to switch up your clothes as your transitioning your wardrobe — and to scrap the stuff you never wore this summer.
A clothing swap is a perfect solution, and it’s also super-easy to put together. First, set the date and time and pick a location — like your living room. Make it a rule that folks need to bring clothes to get in to ensure a good array of options. In advance, prepare a system to organize items by size and type (tops, bottoms, shoes, accessories, etc.) – maybe you’ll put out tables, or bins, or just make piles on the furniture. Maybe you’ve got a clothing rack or two you can use. Where will people change? Know all of this in advance, and then put some snacks out and wait. Voila! Your perfect winter wardrobe awaits.
Halloween Costume Party
This is a no-brainer, right? It’s fucking Halloween season, after all, which I hate but will definitely encourage you to partake in if you so desire. Maybe pick a theme and host everyone for a night in your basement, or maybe let loose and head out after a bit for a night on the town. It’s up to you! And the goblins among us, that is.
Going Outdoors At All
Soon, the weather will force you into reclusion if you live anywhere in the world where winter happens. Be proactive and get out of the house while you still can without freezing to death and meet your fellow ‘straddlers at the park, for some good ol’ hiking in the mountains, or at any other outdoorsy location available to you. My advice is to also plan to imbibe snacks and/or hot beverages before, after, or throughout.
Fall Snack Potluck
Fall is a time of many flavors. (My personal favorite, duh, being pumpkin spice.) With just a dash of cinnamon, spice, and everything nice, you can make a fun fall dessert like an apple-shaped sugar cookie or a pumpkin cheesecake brownie, and your soul will thank you for it afterward. Why not invite a bunch of ‘straddlers over for a potluck so that you can get a real taste of the season? Everyone will thank you later. To make it lively, host a bake-off competition in your kitchen to see who can toss up the best sweets and let the crowd pick a winner.
My challenge to you is this: host a meet-up this fall. Seriously! Go ahead and set the date, submit it over at the Autostraddle Events portal, and let us help you spread the word! Also, I will love you forever and will also send you a personalized photo of my dog. Not a joke.
Community Scrapbook: These Are Photos of Your Smiling, Brunchtastic Faces
Remember last month when we all got together for brunch? It was so great. I, myself, found it to be possibly the best morning of my entire summer, and also the best afternoon, and I wasn’t alone in that because the moment was shared with about a zillion queermos from Australia to Canada to the US and the UK who came together to enjoy uproarious laughter, a champagne buzz, and possibly a delicious platter of tater tots with each other.
To keep the good times at the forefront of your mind, I’ve compiled a gallery of your adorable brunch photos and amazing-looking brunch food shots that will make sure these days live forever in whatever the opposite of infamy is. If yours are missing, email ’em to carmen [at] autostraddle [dot] com and you might be able to twist my arm into adding ’em for you. Or just post ’em in the comments! And thanks to everyone who submitted.
‘Til next time!
Wanna live the magic again and again? Host your own meet-up this fall! To get started, just submit your event information to our events portal. We’ll even help you spread the word. If you have any questions, email carmen [at] autostraddle [dot] com.
You Should Go: Autostraddlers Are Meetin’ All Over The World for Pride!
Hello, glitterbombs! I just spent a weekend standing outside with my arms outstretched hoping for mardi gras beads and free candy, which means Pride hath officially arrived in my ‘hood. Luckily, the celebration is going on all month long around the world as Autostraddlers come together to meet, fall in love, play board games, and be total weirdos together as part of a month-long pridestravagaynza of meet-ups!
Last week, I put out a call using this really big, gay horn called Autostraddle for brave souls willing to host meet-ups around the world for the better half of LGBT pride month, so that the world’s best online destination for all things your exact life experience (this website) could become the world’s happiest community — in real life!
Now, I come bearing the ultimate gift: a selflessly and tirelessly compiled list of those future meet-ups care of Editorial Assistant Chelsey that has all the information you’ll need to hop on this crazy train of life and ride it right into Hangin’ Out With Cool Strangers Or Maybe Event Old Friends station. Simply find your city and be on your merry way!
If you don’t see your city — and want to — or would like to plan another meet-up for the month, there’s still time! You can email carmen [at] autostraddle dot com and chelsey [at] autostraddle dot com at any point to make updates to the list. But do it soon! There’s only so many eyeballs we can trick into clicking on these things, and the sooner you get your meet-up finished up, the more likely that someone else will ever know about it.
It’s time to get proud, motherfuckers. Why do it alone?
PS: While you’re galavanting around with your fellow Autostraddlers this month, remember to use the hashtag #AutostraddlePride on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to share your photos, quotes, and amazing notes full of feelings. If you’d like to send us a ton of photos, you can email me at carmen [at] autostraddle [dot] com. We’d really love to publish these publicly, so please don’t take photos at these events of people who would really not like to be a part of that bullshit!
New York City / Brooklyn, New York
Pride Dates: 6/24-6/29 (Manhattan), 6/9-6/14 (Brookyln)
Parade Date: 6/29
Manhattan Website, Brooklyn Website
AS Meetups:
Drinks & Parade Watching
Host: Jana Fisher
Date: Saturday, June 14
Location: Bar Reis (375 Fifth Ave., Brooklyn, New York 11215)
Time: 6pm – ?
Special Instructions: Meet up at the bar and we’ll watch the parade together! I’ll be wearing my light blue A-Camp 4.0 shirt with “You Do You” spray-painted on the back (of course).
RSVP: FB event page
All-Ages Picnic in Astoria Park
Host: Kaitlyn
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 1-4pm
Location: Astoria Park
Event Info: An all-ages picnic and afternoon of activities in Astoria Park! We’ll be in a (totally gorgeous) public park, so this will be a sober event, but everybody is encouraged to bring snacks and non-alcoholic beverages! Once I have a good idea how many people are coming, I will post a list of foods I’m providing and what y’all can bring. Expect snacks, outdoor games and general pride and mirth!
RSVP: FB event page
Marching in NYC’s Dyke March!
Host: Georgina Stuart Oram
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 4:30pm
Location: North West Corner of Bryant Park
Special Instructions: Be sure to rsvp to the fb event so you get any updates and we know to look out for you!
RSVP: FB event page
Boston, Massachusetts
Pride Dates: 6/6-6/15
Parade Date: 6/14
Website
AS Meetups:
Pre-Dyke March Meetup
Host: Cassandra
Date: Friday, June 13
Time: 2:30pm
Location: Diesel Café (Cambridge, MA at davis square. Red line station)
Special Instructions: Since its a cafe the activity will be just a meet up with drinks and there is food there as well. Plenty of space in the cafe and its a well known queer space.
RSVP: FB event page
San Francisco, California
Pride Dates: 6/28-6/29
Parade Date: 6/29
Website
AS Meetups:
DapperQ Pride Dapper Fashion Show
Date: Thursday, June 26
Location: California Academy of Sciences
Time: 6-10pm
Tickets: Can be purchased here
Bonfire / Picnic
Host: Rachel Becker
Date: Friday, June 27
Location: Ocean Beach
Time: 7pm
Special Instructions: Bring food and blankets, lots of blankets it will be cold.
RSVP: FB event page
The House of Babes Dyke March After Party
Date: Saturday, June 28
Location: Public Works (162 Erie St.)
Time: 7pm-3am
Tickets: Can be purchased here
Chicago, Illinois
Pride Dates: 6/21-6/22
Parade Date: 6/29
Website
AS Meetups:
Host for All Events: Kay Just Kay
Chicagostraddle Classy As Fuck Cocktail Party
Date: Friday, June 20
Time: 8:30pm – 2am
Location: 6834 N. Ashland #2 Chicago IL 60626
Special Instructions: Since Chicago has so many events and afterparties, we are doing ours on a Friday this year! Instead of our traditional No-Pants party we are switching things up, getting fancy and doing a cocktail party! Come dressed to the nines, (Or the sixes, or the threes, or whatever you feel best in! If you feel fancy in a dress, if you feel fancy in tailored slacks and a vest, if you feel fancy in overall jorts with one strap loose, YOU DO YOU, is basically what we are getting at here.) There will be a fun photobooth to commemorate your cocktail attire, and as usual it is BYOB. There will be people drinking fancy drinks if that is your bag, or cheap beer and three buck chuck, or tap water if that is how you get down! *allergy warning: Tiny Fluffy Dog
RSVP: FB event page
Speed Friending and Beach Day
Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 12pm
Location: Montrose Beach, Chicago IL
Special Instructions: What better way is there to meet lovely new ladyqueer friends and catch up with old ones than a day of Speed Friending on the beach? It is just like speed dating, but without the expectation anxiety and palm sweat! Bring a blanket or towel, your beverages and snacks of choice, and we will spend two-minute rounds saying words at each other. After everyone has met, we will have a beach day with lounging, snacking, swimming and sports-ing!
RSVP: FB event page
There will also be Chicagostraddle meet ups at the following official Chicago events, and we hope to see you all there! We will be obnoxiously visible with an Autostraddle sign and will post all additional details in the Chicagostraddle Facebook group.
Meetup at Pridefest Chicago
Date: Saturday June 21
Location: Halsted Street between Belmont and Addison Avenues. Meet in front of Whole Foods/Center on Halsted.
RSVP: FB event page
Meetup at Chicago Dyke March
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 1:30pm
Location: Humboldt Park. Meet at the march starting area.
RSVP: FB event page
Official Event Link: FB event page
Meetup at Pride Parade
Date: Sunday, June 29
Time: 12pm.
Location: Meet in front of Whole Foods/Center on Halsted.
RSVP: FB event page
Indianapolis, Indiana
Pride Dates: 6/7-6/14
Parade Date: 6/14
Website
AS Meetups:
Coffee, Booze & Food at a Local Cafe
Host: Brandalynn White
Date: Friday, June 13
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Thirsty Scholar (111 E 16th St)
RSVP: FB event page
Cincinnati, Ohio
AS Meetups:
Bonfire Night with Chatting, S’Mores, Games, Smiles
Host: Claire Suer
Date: Friday, June 20
Time: 6pm
Location: Claire’s yard in Pleasant Ridge (see facebook event for address)
RSVP: FB event page
Cleveland, Ohio
Pride Date: 6/28
Parade Date: 6/28
Website
Seattle, Washington
Pride Dates: 6/1-6/29
Parade Date: 6/29
Website
Portland, Oregon
Pride Dates: 6/14-6/15
Parade Date: 6/15
Website
Baltimore, Maryland
Pride Dates: 6/13-6/14
Parade Date: 6/14
Website
Houston, Texas
Pride Dates: 6/20-6/29
Parade Date: 6/28
Website
New Orleans, Louisiana
Pride Dates: 6/20-6/22
Parade Date: 6/22
Website
Denver, Colorado
Pride Dates: 6/21-6/22
Parade Date: 6/22
Website
AS Meetups:
Host For All Events: Lily
RSVP for All Events: Join the Colorado Straddlers Facebook group to access the FB event page
“Lost Worlds” (Babes Around Denver) – Toga Party
Date: Friday, June 20
Time: 9pm
Location: Meet at Tracks (3500 Walnut St.)
Dyke March
Date: Saturday, June 21
Time: 2pm
Location: Meet at Blush and Blu (1526 E. Colfax Avenue)
PrideFest Parade
Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 9:30am
Location: Cheesman Park -> Civic Center Park
Providence, Rhode Island
Pride Dates: 6/5-6/21
Parade Date: 6/21
Website
AS Meetups:
QUEER Beer, Bourbon & Burger Night
Host: Chrissie
Date: Wednesday, June 18
Time: 8pm
Location: Cook & Brown (959 Hope St., Providence, RI 02906)
Event Info: On Wednesday nights at Cook & Brown, you can enjoy a beer, bourbon, & burger for just $20. It’s amazing. Trust me. Come feast with us and meet up with other AS fans. Make some new friends before the Pride action really begins! Note: If you are vegetarian, vegan, or under 21, there’s plenty of other food/drink available other than the aforementioned beer, bourbon & burger option. So please come!
RI Pride “VIP” Kickoff Party
Host: Lindsey McColl
Date: Friday, June 20
Location: Deville’s (345 S Water St)
Special Instructions: Let’s join the RI Pride VIP Party at Deville’s! There is a cover unfortunately, but it includes a buffet and live music. (If people are opposed to the location/cover, we can come up with an alternative via the Facebook event page.)
RSVP: FB event page
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pride Dates: 6/1-6/30
Parade Date: 6/28
Website
Columbus, Ohio
Pride Dates: 6/1-6/22
Parade Date: 6/21
Website
Nashville, Tennessee
Website
Dallas, Texas
Pride Date: 9/21
Parade Date: 9/21
Website
AS Meetups:
Queerbomb Dallas
Host: Yvonne
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 8pm
Location: Deep Ellum
Special Instructions: Meet at Julius Schepps Park. I’ll be wearing an Autostraddle t-shirt and sitting pretty on a unicorn. Jk, I’ll probably be holding an Autostraddle sign of some sort.
RSVP: FB event page
Austin, Texas
Pride Date: 9/20
Parade Date: 9/20
Website
AS Meetups:
Swimming at Barton Springs
Host: Joelle
Date: Wednesday, June 18
Time: 5pm
Location: Barton Springs
Event Info: Swim for dear life in a pool of magic water! And look very sexy while doing so. Way better than watching MTV’s “Faking It.”
Special Instructions: We will literally have an enormous rainbow flag, possibly on a flagpole. Bring $3 cash to get into the pool.
RSVP: FB event page
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Pride Dates: 7/18-7/20
Parade Date: 7/19
Website
Albany, New York
Pride Dates: 6/10-6/27
Parade Date: 6/14
Website
AS Meetups:
QueerBomb Hollywood
Host: Em
Date: Sunday, June 15
Location: Cafe Hollywood
Time: 3pm
Special Instructions: Head to the back patio
RSVP: FB event page
Madison, Wisconsin
AS Meetups:
Picnic in the Park
Hosts: Dana & Hannah
Date: Saturday, June 21
Time: 12pm
Activity: Picnic in the park
Location: Tenney Park (more detailed whereabouts to be provided in the facebook event)
Time: 12 pm
Special Instructions: Bring a dish to share! (Or don’t! You do you.)
RSVP: FB event page
Louisville, Kentucky
AS Meetups:
Kentuckiana Pride Festival
Host: Kaylah Wilson
Date: Saturday, June 21
Time: 12pm
Location: the Belvedere
Special Instructions: 18+ for festival / 21+ for after party
RSVP: FB event page
St. Pete, Florida
Pride Dates: 6/27-6/29
Parade Date: 6/28
Website
Rochester, New York
Pride Dates: 7/18-7/20
Parade Date: 7/19
Website
CANADA
Toronto
Pride Dates: 6/20-6/29
Parade Date: 6/29
Website
AS Meetups:
Picnic Potluck
Host: Camilla
Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 4pm
Location: Christie Pits Park (Bloor and Christie, exact location within park TBC)
Special Instructions: Bring a dish/frisbee/puppy. Please, someone bring a puppy.
RSVP: FB event page
Victoria, BC
Pride Dates: 6/29 – 7/6
Parade Date: 7/6
Website
Halifax, Nova Scotia
Pride Dates: 7/17-7/27
Parade Date: 7/27
Website
AS Meetups:
OUTeast Whip It Screening + Roller Skating Party
Host: Monika
Date: Thursday, June 12
Time: 8pm
Location: The Emera Oval
RSVP: FB event page
EUROPE
London, England
Pride Dates: 6/15-7/14
Parade Date: 6/28
Website
AS Meetups:
Post-Parade Picnic/Pie + Party
Host: Fikri
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 4:30pm (picnic/pie) / 7pm (party)
Location: Victoria Park (meet at Mile End station) OR Black Cat Cafe (76 Clarence Road, London E5 8HB) + Hackney Picturehouse
Special Instructions: E-mail me at fikri[at]autostraddle[dot]com if you’re not on FB. Bring mats/food/guitars! Plans might change according to the weather, in which case I’ll update the event page and keep you in the loop if you tell me how to contact you in advance.
RSVP: FB event page or email Fikri at fikri [at] autostraddle [dot] com!
Paris, France
Pride Date: 6/28
Parade Date: 6/28
Website
AS Meetups:
Brunch
Host: Paris Straddlers
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 12pm
Location: Parc Montsouris
Event Info: brunch (and potentially tshirt making)
RSVP: FB event page
Hamburg, Germany
Pride Dates: 7/25-8/3
Parade Date: 8/2
Website
AS Meetups:
Talking and Things
Host: Rose
Date: Saturday, 5 July
Time: 8pm
Location: “Frau Müller” on Lange Reihe
RSVP: FB event page
AUSTRALIA
Sydney
Pride Dates: 6/13-6/30
Parade Date: 6/22
Website
AS Meetups:
Teddy Bear Picnick Brunch
Host: Max Whitby
Date: Saturday, June 28
Time: 10:30am
Location: Prince Alfred park (near central) Sydney
RSVP: FB event page
CHINA
Beijing
AS Meetups:
Rooftop Drinks / Hanging Out
Hosts: Willa, Karina, and Jess
Date: Thursday, July 3
Time: 9pm – late
Location: Funky (朝阳区工体西路8号 六楼的 / Sixth floor, 8 Gongti Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing)
Special Instructions: Funky is a little tricky to find, so if you see Bellagio and Coco, you’re close. More information on the venue can be found here.
RSVP: Event page
JAPAN
Tokyo
AS Meetups:
Summer Meetup at Gold Finger
Host: Savannah
Date: Saturday, July 5
Time: 9:30pm
Location: Gold Finger
RSVP: FB event page
Come See Me At BlogHer Talking About How To Take Over The Internet
BlogHer will be celebrating its tenth anniversary this year from July 24th – 26th in sunny San Jose, California, or “Silicon Valley” as it is referred to in BlogHer press materials. This will probably be the best BlogHer of all time because they are actually allowing me to speak to a room of human beings for something like eight entire hours!! You really should come and check it out. Let me tell you why.
5 Reasons To Attend BlogHer 2014
1. I Will Be Co-Facilitating An All-Day Workshop On “Building A Media Company”
This is me the last time they let me talk to a room of humans at BlogHer (2011)
On Thursday, July 24th, aka Pathfinder Day, I will be co-facilitating an all day Pathfinder Workshop, The Path To Media Company, with Danielle Smith of Extraordinary Mommy. That’s right, you could spend AN ENTIRE DAY listening to me tell you what to do, an experience that I’m sure my co-workers can attest is delightful. This is probably the most professional thing I’ve ever done in my life.
2. Dannielle & Kristin Will Be There
Wow! Look at how much fun they’re having in this picture!
I was personally devastated to discover that my Lesbian Mom Posse, Vikki and Deb, would not be attending BlogHer this year. Who would be doing tequila shots with me at 1am? Who would be making me laugh at inappropriate moments? WHO WOULD SIT WITH ME AT LUNCH? Who would let me nap in their hotel room? The world seemed dark, y’all, the world seemed very dark.
But there was a small shaft of light at the end of the tunnel, and in that glimmering pool of sunshine, my Everyone is Gay Friends appeared: Dannielle Owens-Reid and Kristin Russo. Dannielle will also be leading a workshop on Pathfinder Day, entitled The Path To Change Agent, and I believe later that weekend will be participating in an unofficial workshop with me entitled The Path To Fireball Whiskey.
3. Other Amazing Women Will Be There
Superb lesbian comedienne Tig Notaro, who I believe many of you have deep heart-shaped feelings for, will be speaking on Day One at a lunch keynote featuring the 10×10 project.
I’m also looking forward to seeing Jen Pozner at the “Freelance Lifestyle” Panel — Pozner is an “American author, anti-racist feminist, media critic, and public speaker” and the founder of Women In Media and News. I cited her excellent book Reality TV Bites Back: The Troubling Truth About Guilty Pleasure TV extensively in my article What Reality TV Does to Girls. She’ll be part of a workshop called “The Freelance Lifestyle.”
Also, Arianna Huffington, who had her hair cut by Shane in the Season Two premiere of The L Word, will be providing a keynote on “The Future of the Social Web.” IDK it looks like she owns a website of some sort? Not sure yet how much of her workshop will be about Shane.
I also have it on good authority that Autostraddle co-founder Alex Vega, and her girlfriend, the famed animal trainer Mary Tully, will be coming just to hang out. I’d like to think that’s because they want to attend my workshop, but let’s be honest, they may have other motivations, such as…
4. OLIVIA POPE WILL BE THERE
Yup, this year’s Keynote speaker is none other than Kerry Washington, aka Olivia Pope. She will be providing “an intimate keynote conversation about her work, her causes, and the power of her social platform to amplify both.” Then we will all step into the light together.
My BlogHer 2011 Haul
5. You Will Get So Much Swag
Being a panelist at San Diego BlogHer 2011 was the gift that keeps on giving — and I was so impressed by what we took home that I took a picture of it for a BlogHer recap post that I never wrote! But seriously, it’s reusable shopping bag heaven at BlogHer. That picture doesn’t even include ALL of the reusable shopping bags we acquired.
Here is where you register, and you can follow BlogHer on Twitter @BlogHer and Facebook for up-to-the-second conference information. I hope to see you there!
Let’s Do This: April 19th Is Autostraddle’s International Meet Me At The Record Store Day
Hello my little blue-bellied lizards! Remember last year, when we all met up with other like-minded music-loving queermos for International Record Store Day? If you happened to miss it (like I did), here’s your chance to fix all that. This year’s International Record Store Day takes place on April 19, and you can support your local shop while collecting super-rare and limited releases, re-releases, 7-inches, picture discs, brand new singles and other magical musical ephemera. Jack White is working to record, produce and distribute a new single in an attempt to break a world record, and some of the greatest rock bands in the world are putting out exclusive material just for the occasion.
To celebrate, Autostraddle want you to go out and meet other Straddlers in your city. If you have not been to a meetup before, here are some posts about ones we’ve done in the past:
- Meet Me At The Record Store Day 2013
- International Meet An Autostraddler Week
- International Autostraddle Summer Brunch Day
It’s a great opportunity to meet some like-minded weirdos, and what better way to break the ice than by talking about your amazing taste in music? Click here for a comprehensive list of participating record stores, and here is a comprehensive breakdown of all the exclusive releases. For what it’s worth, here’s a small list of some of my top picks for Record Store Day:
- Veruca Salt – Seether (10-inch)
- Garbage f/ Brody Dalle – Girls Talk Shit (10-inch, 4000 copies)
- The Julie Ruin – “Brightside” / “In the Picture” (7-inch, 2000 copies)
- Chvrches – “Recover” (12-inch, 2500 copies)
- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth (LP on pink vinyl, 4000 copies)
- Sky Ferreira – Night Time, My Time (Explicit picture disc LP, 800 copies)
- The Dresden Dolls – The Dresden Dolls (2LP)
- Cure/Dinosaur Jr. – “Just Like Heaven” (7-inch, white vinyl)
- Bis – Data Panik Etcetera (180g white vinyl LP)
- Bat for Lashes – “Gardens Heart” (7-inch)
- LCD Soundsystem – The Long Goodbye: LCD Soundsystem Live at Madison Square Garden (5LP box set)
- Lydia Loveless – “Mile High”/”Blind” (Ke$ha cover) (7-inch, 1000 copies)
- Henry Mancini – The Pink Panther (LP, 6000 copies on pink vinyl) (like, come on)
- Helen Marnie – The Hunter Remixed (12-inch clear vinyl, 500 copies)
- Alanis Morissette – Live at Montreux 2012 (140g 2xLP)
- Dolly Parton – “Blue Smoke”/”Home” (7-inch, 3000 copies on blue vinyl)
- Little Dragon – “Kapp Klapp” (12-inch)
- Nina Persson – “Sometimes”/”This is Heavy Metal” (demo) (7-inch on white vinyl)
- School of Seven Bells – Put Your Sad Down (LP featuring 5 unreleased tracks, with all proceeds used to benefit the foundation of Ben Curtis, 300 copies)
- Jill Sobule – Dottie’s Charm (12-inch)
- Ronnie Spector & The E-Street Band – “Say Goodbye to Hollywood”/”Baby Please Don’t Go” (7-inch, 4000 copies)
- Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – “She’s On It”/”Jack the Ripper” (Beastie Boys/Link Wray mashup) (12-inch)
- The Wizard of Oz: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (LP on yellow vinyl, 3500 copies)
As with past Autostraddle meetups, if you’re interested in hosting / coordinating a Record Store Day meetup in your city, email Carmen and Editorial Assistant Chelsey (carmen at autostraddle dot com / chelsey at autostraddle dot com) with the following info, and we’ll update this post to include your meetup!
Name
City
Record Store
Time
RSVP info (Public FB event page or email)
Special Instructions / Other Info
Sounds pretty great, right? We’ll update this post with meetups as they roll in, and we’ll see you there.
Ann Arbor, MI
Hosts: Sabrina Cook & Alice Bowe
Record Store: Encore Records (417 E Liberty St)
Time: 6pm
RSVP: FB event page or e-mail sabcook [at] umich [dot] edu
Other Info: Encore closes at 8pm, when you can join up with us at Aut Bar in Braun Court
Austin, TX
Host: Vivian
Record Store: Waterloo Records (600A N Lamar Blvd.)
Time: 3 pm
RSVP: Vivian at: mapleeis [at] gmail [dot] com
Boston, MA
Host: Cara
Record Store: Somerville Grooves (26 Union Square, Somerville)
Time: 1pm
RSVP: cara[at]autostraddle[dot]com
Other Info: We can go to Bloc 11 afterwards and use our records for coasters!
Chicago, IL
Hosts: Kay & Lanie
Record Store: Reckless Records (3126 N. Broadway)
Time: 9:30am
RSVP: FB event page or KaylienInvasion [at] gmail [dot] com for non-facebookers
Other Info: After the record store, interested persons will be going to a nearby restaurant for brunch and smiling and friendship!
Cincinnati, OH
Hosts: Caroline & Claire
Record Store: Shake It! Records (4156 Hamilton Ave.)
Time: 4pm
RSVP: FB event page
Claremont, CA
Hosts: Brittany & Sydni
Record Store: Rhino Records (235 Yale Ave.)
Time: 3pm
RSVP: FB event page
Other Info: Gay-owned The Spot Cafe for food afterwards. Then Rhino’s sister store Mad Platter Records in Riverside. Also also also lesbian-fronted indie rock band Maria Sweet is playing a show in Riverside at Clash City Studios/Casbah Lounge later in the evening.
Denton, TX
Host: April
Record Store: Mad World Records (115 W Hickory St.)
Time: 5pm
RSVP: FB event page to come!
Other Info: Let’s listen to some tunes, support local music, and make friends! Woo!
Tempe, AZ
Host: Cynthia
Record Store: Revolver Records (3306 S McClintock Dr.)
Time: 2:30pm
RSVP: cynthia.lujanjenkins [at] gmail [dot] com
Other Info: We’ll probably grab coffee and/or food&drinks after.
I’m Going to Washington DC For The LGBT Media Journalists Convening, Come Hang Out With Me
Hello, internet! Today I come to you with a very important announcement: this weekend I am honored to have been invited to The 5th Annual LGBT Media Journalists Convening in Washington DC, hosted by The National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association and sponsored by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund. It’s an important thing for grown-up journalists and famous important people will be there talking about important things in the shadows of large white important buildings.
Olivia will probably also be there
My number one feeling about this situation is that it’ll be the first time in my life I’ve gone to a business thing without a co-worker/friend EVER which means I’ll probably be spending a lot of time between then and now googling “how to talk to people.” Because there are gonna be some really amazing people there that I should talk to.
My number two feeling is that two of the events on my agenda are “business casual” and I think that means I need to buy some pants. I thought nobody expected lesbians to look nice, ever, like how Ellen wears sneakers on the television? Don’t worry I got this on lock.
My number three feeling is that there’s a thing on Saturday night that’s open to the public! So, if you live in Washington DC and want to come see me spill something on my new pants on Saturday March 1st, there’s a situation happening on the second floor of The Green Lantern at 9:30 PM.
No, BUT SERIOUSLY, I’m really really honored to have been invited to this event and really excited about it. I’m gonna be in the same room as about a billion of the wisest queerest minds currently making LGBT journalism happen. This year’s theme is “The Hunger Games.” Just kidding, it’s “Honing Our Game.” Witness:
The goal of the forum is to strengthen the capacity of LGBT members of the media and blogosphere to more deeply understand and more effectively communicate critical issues facing the LGBT community, as well as assist in increasing the presence and diversity of LGBT bloggers in the national blogging community.
I’m super thrilled for Friday night, when Andrea Mitchell will be delivering a speech to us about “Climbing Your Way To The Top As A Female Journalist.” There are heaps of other influential humans I’m excited to see and hear, like bisexual activist Robin Ochs, The Bilerco Project’s Bil Browning, Transgriot‘s Monica Roberts, Mara Keisling of the National Center for Transgender Equality, ElixHER‘s Kimberly McLeod, Feministing’s Joss Truitt and activist Reina Gossett. There will be journalists from all the major players, like Buzzfeeed, Think Progress, The Advocate, The Huffington Post, AfterEllen and Slate.
I will return to you having built my journalism skills, learned about LGBT-centric topics beyond marriage equality and “expanded audiences through on-site media training with broadcast experts.” Plus, it’s all being sponsored by The Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund which is just quite simply awesome.
Oh and I should tell you this:
Attendees will report, blog, livestream, tweet, etc., all through the event. NLGJA members not attending are invited to follow the social media action, to join the conversation and learn as well. Follow #LGBTMedia14 to be part of the conversation.
You Basically Have to Go: Talking Pictures Movie Interruption with Autostraddle’s Finest
Back at A-Camp 4.0, a gaggle of funny queer women decided to try their hand at interrupting a movie. It was quite the success, which made them think, “Hey! Maybe we should do this again.” So they’ve got the band back together to interrupt Bound on February 20th at 9pm at Los Angeles’ Downtown Independent Theater.
This particular gang consists of Hannah Hart, DeAnne Smith, Brittani Nichols and Carly Usdin for an event they’re calling Talking Pictures. This group of friends will watch movies alongside the audience and let you know exactly what they think about whatever is happening on screen. Expect a lot of feelings, a lot of jokes, and some brutal honesty. You can get your tickets now and RSVP for the event on Facebook. Tell everyone you know! We’re bringing queer comedians and movies to the masses.
You Should Go: DapperQ Fashion Show Extravaganza
Hello beautiful weirdos, my people, the loves of my little queer life. I wanna tell you about a thing you should go to! Let’s all gather round the sexy imaginary campfire and listen up.
NEW YORK CITY FASHION WEEK IS COMING. Normally that means that a bunch of crazy looking, fly ass creative outsiders will invade our city and turn it into a flash mob of outfits, designers, lights, lattes, and all sorts of other fashion-y things. Really it’s a time for me to avoid the city and just eat pizza in the Bronx per ushe. But then I got invited by Anita Dolce Vita of DapperQ to walk in this amazing queer fashion show and then I fainted. Because wtf, me in a fashion show? It took me a minute to own that I’m going to be involved in this, to own my body, my shaky confidence, and to find pride in the amazing way that I’ve been asked to be a part of queer culture and QPOC visibility. When I think of NYC fashion week, runway models, and that whole world, I don’t ever think of regular people with round bodies, brown bodies, queer presentations: I think of Kate Moss and all the people that look like her.
But this event, The DapperQ Fashion Show, is an act of revolt. It’s a fist in the air for dykes, queer people, gender neutral people, trans people, all the fucking fabulous beautiful people to shout We belong here and We will create our own spaces. So, please come through and support the hard work of DapperQ, Whitney Day, and all the designers and brands that have been brought together for the DapperQ Fashion Show Extravaganza.
February 16th, Whitney Day Events in association with New York Fashion week will be presenting the Dapper Q Fashion show. The fashion show and all night after party serve to commemorate DapperQ’s fifth anniversary and its unwavering commitment to transcending heteronormative fashion. From its formation in 2009, DapperQ strived to showcase QPOC and GNC individuals as models, as the faces and bodies of radical style who move the culture forward with every step we take. Susan Herr, founder of DapperQ says it so beautifully:
For dapperQ’s, fashion is not seen as an end. It is, instead, a means to expressing our ever-evolving capacity to advance change in a world that sorely needs it. dapperQ is intended not only to inform but to inspire those of us simply dressing to fight the good fight each day.
And hot damn do we fight each and every day to be seen, heard, and respected in the world at large and in our super complex and ever evolving LGBTQIA communities. So here are some of the MAJOR details y’all need to know about this sick ass fashion show that everyone is going to go to:
- LEA DELARIA IS GONNA BE THERE. Did you just faint/die/gasp? Good, you should, because Orange is the New Black and that’s all that matters.
- GIVEAWAYS: just by purchasing advance $10 tickets to the show (Yes, I said $10, nothing this badass happens in NYC for $10 so get on it), you’ll be entered to win the dopest gear from all the brands featured on the runway.
- Katrina Casiño is once again reprising their role as hottest model ever for this event.
- Comedian and New York City celebrity drag king entertainer, Murray Hill, will MC the event
- From the FB event: Combining music, culture, fashion and community, Whitney Day Events and DapperQ have teamed up to bring you the ONLY NY Fashion Week closing party featuring multiple queer designers curated just for you!
Here are the brands that will be werq-ing that runway:
- Designer Angie Chuang
- Bindle & Keep
- Bklyn Dry Goods
- Charlieboy.
- Fourteen
- Race Point Swimwear
- VEEA Androgynous Fashion
Deets:
SUNDAY, February 16th
It’s a HOLIDAY – NO WORK or SCHOOL on MONDAY!
10pm-4am @ Avenue, New York City
116 10th Ave. (17th & 18th Streets)
21+ with ID
$10 Advanced tickets
$12 Before Midnight
* Advanced tickets strongly suggested! ONLY those who purchase advanced tickets will be eligible to WIN clothing & accessory giveaways! *
Community Scrapbook: Our Second Annual International Autostraddle Meetup Week
It’s that time again, kittens. Time to make yourself a cup of tea, snuggle up with your laptop, and prepare to witness the beauty that is our Autostraddle community existing out in the wild. This year we celebrated our Second Annual International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week from October 25 – November 3 and I’m pleased to report that just like last year it was a rousing success.
graphic by geneva the great
Last year we hosted Meet-Up Week as a way to say thank you for helping us reach our IndieGoGo fundraising goal (and then some!) but we got so many emails requesting a repeat performance this year that we decided to make it an annual thing. Like so many cool things we are able to do offline and in person, we relied almost entirely on readers to host events in their locations, and you all came through so impressively! Allow me to take this moment to say thank you, thank you, thank you. We do these things because we love you, but also because you make it so easy. You all are the reason we keep striving to create tangible communities worldwide, and you are the reason we continue to grow and flourish both online and in the real world. When I say I love you, I mean it. When I say thank you, I mean that, too.
This year you guys hosted meet-ups in SO MANY PLACES: Beijing, New York, Amsterdam, Idaho, Australia, France, Alaska, Cambodia, California, Singapore, Vancouver, Toronto, Phoenix, Albany, and Florida, just to name a few. (And yes, I realize some of those are countries and some are states and some are cities but I am just trying to emphasize how many different places we exist in, and also I’m not that great with geography so please cut me some slack.) Some of you had so much fun you forgot to take pictures, which is totally okay, but some of you took really cute pictures and that’s what we’re gonna look at now!
Let’s pretend that we’re all sitting by a warm fire paging through a giant queer family scrapbook, because that’s what this feels like to me. Cheers, queers. Y’all are so damn beautiful.
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albany, NY
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- Albuquerque, NM
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- Ann Arbor, MI
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- Ann Arbor, MI
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- Ann Arbor, MI
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- Ann Arbor, MI
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- Ann Arbor, MI
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- Ashland, OR
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- Ashland, OR
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- Durham, NC
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- Durham, NC
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- Durham, NC
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Look at these queers
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Bay Area, CA
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- Beijing, China
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- Berlin, Germany
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- Berlin, Germany
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- Boston, MA
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- Brooklyn, NY
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- Chicago, IL
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- Chicago, IL
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- Chicago, IL / photo by Mary Carp
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- Chicago, IL / photo by Mary Carp
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- Chicago, IL / photo by Mary Carp
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- Chicago, IL / photo by Mary Carp
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- Chicago, IL / photo by Mary Carp
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- Cleveland, OH
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- Colorado
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- Colorado
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- Colorado
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- Colorado
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- Columbus, OH
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- Columbus, OH
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- Dallas, TX
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- DC Brunch
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- DC Brunch
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- DC Brunch
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- DC Brunch (this is the only photo I am inserting personal commentary on – I am SO GLAD I did not have to be involved with splitting that bill, holy shit, bless you all.)
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- DC Brunch
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- DC Brunch
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- Denver, CO
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- Orlando, FL
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- Halifax, Nova Scotia
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- Kalamazoo, MI
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- Kansas City, MO
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- Los Angeles, CA
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- Los Angeles, CA
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- Los Angeles, CA
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- Los Angeles, CA
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- Las Vegas, NV
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- London, UK
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- London, UK
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- London, UK
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- London, UK
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- London, UK
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- Lyon, France
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- Mexico City, Mexico
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- Mexico City, Mexico
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- Miami, FL
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- Miami, FL
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- Moscow, ID
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- Northampton, MA
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- Philly, PA
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- Phoenix, AZ
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- Phoenix, AZ
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- Pittsburgh, PA
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- Portland, OR
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- Portland, OR
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- San Diego, CA
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- Sydney, Australia
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- Sydney, Australia
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- Toronto, Canada
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- Toronto, Canada
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- Vancouver, Canada
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- Vancouver, Canada
Note: We did not include individual photo credits on images unless the photographer specifically requested it. If your photos are up here and you would like credit, please send an email to vanessa [at] autostraddle [dot] com and we’ll make it happen. Thanks!
You Should Go: Queer Ladies Speed Dating At Strand Bookstore, Holiday Edition
New York City, I have some crazysexycool exciting news for you! On Tuesday, December 10th Strand Bookstore is hosting another round of Queer Ladies Speed Dating, and Autostraddle Heroic Duo Gabby and Katrina will be starring as your rad hosts. Unfortunately I no longer live in The Best City In The World so I cannot attend, but I trust all of you single ladies (and otherwise identified homoqueers) to show up and look cute and make casual small talk about books and literature and graphic novels and all the other amazingly awkward topics of conversation you might broach with a perfect stranger while taking part in an activity like speed dating. If you’ve ever attended Queer Ladies Speed Dating at The Strand before you know how fun it is and how at ease Gabby and Katrina can make you feel, and if you’ve never attended before all I can say is damn, you are in for a treat!
Don’t you want these two to facilitate your Queer Ladies Speed Dating Experience?
Let’s go over the basics: Strand Bookstore has continuously proven itself to be an excellent ally to New York City queer women. The bookstore first offered Queer Ladies Speed Dating back in June 2012 and it has continued to host the popular event which is both super well-attended and also super duper fun. (You can check out what past Queer Ladies Speed Dating events at The Strand have looked like here and here!) I have it on good authority that several Autostraddlers have found love at this event but for real, even if you don’t find a sexytimes activity partner you are guaranteed to make a few new friends, engage in some clever conversation, and enjoy some delicious treats. There is no downside.
No pressure but this could be you!
Now that winter is properly upon us, Strand is back with the Holiday (HoliGAY?) edition of Queer Ladies Speed Dating. It will take place on Tuesday, December 10th at 7:30pm. Admission to the event is $20 per person and tickets must be purchased in advance. Spots are limited so if you wanna go, make sure to buy a ticket ASAP! Refreshments will be provided in the form of alcoholic beverages and yummy treats from Prohibition Bakery, and prizes will be awarded to a few lucky participants from local restaurants and shops including Brooklyn Farmacy & Soda Fountain. Seriously, let’s do some math: cute single ladies plus Autostraddle’s finest hosts plus delicious food and drink plus literary trivia plus Strand Bookstore? All of that equals a best-seller evening in my very humble opinion.
Buy your ticket today and we’ll see you at The Strand!
This could also be you!
The event will be located in the Strand’s 3rd floor Rare Book Room at 828 Broadway at 12th Street, Union Square, New York City.