personal essay

body image

personal essay

first person

My Trans Body as a State of Desire

“My brain is lit like the map of a major metropolis at night. My body is, too. ‘I am at one with a sea of sensations, glitter, silk, skin, eyes,…

Colette Arrand —

Feb 17, 2016

baby-making

gay moms

parenting & family

I Thought Getting Pregnant Was Hard; Then I Had a Toddler

“It’s funny. We have legal documents declaring our marriage valid in two different states. We’ve been together and in love for years. But it was the birth of our daughter…

Candice —

Feb 16, 2016

female masculinity

masculine-of-center fashion

queer fashion

My Superhero Shirt and the Allure of the Unflattering

“Objectively, aesthetically, I find women’s clothes attractive. Just… on other women. But I’m intensely uncomfortable wearing them. There’s something about the way they’re made that make me feel like I’m…

amber —

Feb 15, 2016

personal essay

first person

Laying Down My Bullshit and Dancing at Dawn

“In Berlin people talk about it, expats especially, in hushed, reverent tones. The sound system, which is supposed to be one of the best in the world. The DJ acts…

Maree —

Feb 10, 2016

bottoms up

kink

lesbian sex

Bottoms Up: That Time I Told My Boifriend I Liked Being Told What to Do

How do you tell someone, “Hey, I’d love it if you’d slap me around and tell me what to do”? Turns out, you tell them just like that.

Ari —

Feb 9, 2016

musicals

personal essay

first person

When Real Life’s Getting More Like Fiction Each Day

When I say I was obsessed with RENT, I mean obsessed. I grew straight out of American Girl Magazine into the world of wildly risqué musical theatre. My mother tended…

Ari —

Feb 3, 2016

gay marriage

grown-ups

first person

So, We’re Getting Married Now?

“Neither of us were comfy with the public spectacle of the thing, especially G. She didn’t like the thought of publicizing our private relationship. We also felt a bit blah…

Caitlin Crawshaw —

Jan 28, 2016

greatest hits

personal essay

lesbian sex

Love Non-Orgasmically: She’s Not Coming But We’re Still Here

“I came. You didn’t. I’d kind of expected it to happen because of our connection – hoped egotistically anyway. I was disappointed but figured I’d give it time.”

Guest —

Jan 19, 2016

family

greatest hits

first person

If I’m Queer But I’m A Preacher, Maybe He’ll Love Me

“My father has very few admirable qualities when it comes to our relationship: he doesn’t follow through on his promises, he doesn’t compromise, and he has a God complex. ”

Ari —

Jan 4, 2016

personal essay

stand-up comedy

comedy

Coming Out To 50 People At Once Was So Much Easier Than Doing It One-on-One

“That’s right!” I shouted, feeding off their energy. “Clap because I’m gay!”

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya —

Dec 22, 2015

fullscreen

international transgender day of remembrance

first person

On The 6: Confronting the Mortality of Girls Like Me

“Trauma wasn’t meant to happen at 9 a.m. on that August morning. Not when I was running on time, and somehow missed the long line for the day’s first cup…

Devan Diaz —

Nov 20, 2015

personal essay

trans awareness week

first person

17 Incredible Autostraddle Personal Essays By Trans Women

This post is 25% Mey Rude Appreciation Club and 75% “personal essays by trans women oh my gosh how do I pick only 16.” (I picked 17.)

Riese —

Nov 19, 2015