personal essay

education

personal essay

book features

How I Let Queer Literature Come Out to my Middle School Students for Me

Middle school is weird. It was awkward as hell when I was a hormonal, monstrous, uncertain twelve-year-old, and only slightly less so when I went back to teach English. So…

Samantha Panepinto —

Apr 17, 2019

personal essay

sex education on netflix

tv feature

“Sex Education” Taught Me How to Masturbate

“I wanted to be single so I could explore my sexuality. Instead I was exploring other people’s.”

Drew Burnett Gregory —

Apr 4, 2019

personal essay

the birthday issue

issues

A Tale of Two Mommies (Or Who Wore the Maternity Pants?)

“She would have loved to carry our child. Would have met the body changes with joy. That she was physically barred from being pregnant did not make the situation easier.…

Christina —

Mar 12, 2019

personal essay

the birthday issue

issues

Birthdays I Remember

Melanie was born on August 5, 1982. I know this because I fell in love with her in fifth grade.

Micha Rahder —

Feb 19, 2019

personal essay

the birthday issue

first person

How to Be a Grown Woman

“Maybe I could teach you how to do that and you could teach me a couple of things I’ve been wonderin’,” I told her. She shook my hand. It was…

Heather Hogan —

Feb 14, 2019

personal essay

transgender

first person

You Don’t Always Transition Once

Transitioning is stigmatized as betraying our assigned gender. Sometimes, though, it takes two betrayals to get where we need to be.

Esther Nikbin —

Jan 30, 2019

cats

mental health

pets & animals

How My Cat’s Anxiety Helped Me Be Gentler With Myself About My Own

“Why would I be gentle with myself when I was very clearly doing this thing — like so many other things in my life — wrong? No, I didn’t need…

Heather Hogan —

Jan 28, 2019

a-camp

kristin russo

first person

The Might-Have-Been

I was only pregnant for seven and a half weeks before my miscarriage. There was no body, no breath; there was no measurable part of a lifetime spent together. I’d…

Kristin —

Jan 16, 2019

2018 end of year list

end-of-year-list

first person

20 of the Best Personal Essays on Autostraddle in 2018

We published so much good work this year, and here is a fraction of it we think you will particularly enjoy reading back through!

Rachel —

Dec 31, 2018

christianity

hanukkah

first person

The Life We Never Knew Would Find Us: Navigating Loss as an Interfaith Queer Couple

“We’re in Lancaster County at Erin’s family’s house, surrounded by plastic Bible quiz trophies adorned with gold crosses and family portraits taken at national parks. My bewildered partner comes to…

J.E. Reich —

Dec 10, 2018

but make it fashion

India

issues

Hippie Pants Make Me Feel Pretty — and Guilty

“I wear Spiritual Awakening Pants, because I look good in them and sometimes I crave that feeling. I feel guilty while I do it, like I’m legitimising the remnants of…

bee —

Dec 6, 2018

but make it fashion

personal essay

issues

I Still Don’t Look Like Myself

“I can’t be a woman without the right clothes. I’ve been on HRT a year by now, but I still haven’t been gendered correctly by a stranger. It’s a lot…

Jacqueline —

Dec 5, 2018