the speakeasy

AAPI Heritage Month

Honor Trans Elders

politics + activism

Honor Trans Elders: Cecilia Chung Is the Mother We All Wanted

Cecilia Chung described three ways: hilarious, survivor, and one of the mothers of the modern trans movement.

xoai pham —

May 7, 2020

Asian American

netflix

movie features

Six Queer Asian Artists on “The Half of It” and the Future of Queer Asian Cinema

Alice Wu’s “The Half of It” has been for out less than a week, and it’s already become a classic. We brought together some of Autostraddle’s queer and trans Asian…

The Speakeasy —

May 6, 2020

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American

identity

Four Transracial Asian Adoptees on Body, Place, Family, and Race

I believe my queerness makes my Asian-ness and my adoptee-ness stronger. I am more myself when I hold all these truths together than when I try to compartmentalize them.

KaeLyn —

May 5, 2020

Fire In The Belly

the speakeasy

issues

We Deserve To Be Selfish

I was ready to declare myself and to bring everyone else who was ready along for the ride. I thought, “I’m going to put as many women as I can…

Taylor Ursula —

May 5, 2020

AAPI Heritage Month

Asian American

first person

The Illusion Of Safety

I don’t want to be caught parading around in last generation’s false sense of security. I’m kicking off Autostraddle’s first Asian Pacific Islander American (APIA) Heritage month by exploring the…

Kamala Puligandla —

May 1, 2020

audre lorde

queer theory

book features

Year of Our (Audre) Lorde: April’s Arithmetics of Distance

This is dedicated to those who are just trying to make it through every day. It’s been gratifying on an almost cellular level to find that the queen mother Audre…

Jehan —

Apr 29, 2020

starz

the speakeasy

tv reviews

“Vida” Ends as It Began: A Queer Love Letter to Chicanx and Latinx Communities

Much like the Hernandez sisters, Vida is Tanya Saracho’s bar, her nightclub — and no one gets to push her out before last call without a fight. Few get to…

Carmen Phillips —

Apr 27, 2020

foolish child

Saturday Morning Cartoons

webcomics

Foolish Child #70: Karen

You… don’t know what the word “slur” actually means… do you?

Dickens —

Apr 23, 2020

identity

the speakeasy

first person

Finding My Own Chinese American Community Through KTV

I’ve heard so many times that Asian America is about being caught tragically in the space between, never fully accepted in the U.S. and too Westernized to ever be Asian.…

L —

Apr 9, 2020

In Another World

queer theory

issues

Enduring “Straight Time” to Build Our Own Radical Queer Utopia

The world tells us that we should not want anything beyond what is here and now, right in front of us, but what’s in front of us is violent and…

Nik Valdez —

Mar 31, 2020

da brat

the speakeasy

celebrities (vapid fluff)

In Love Wit Chu: Rapper Da Brat Has a Girlfriend, Is Dating Jesseca Dupart

Y’all the world is not ending. Far from it! Black queer love is alive and thriving!! Girls are still buying girls extravagant gifts and presenting them with huge custom made…

Ari —

Mar 26, 2020

audre lorde

queer theory

book features

Year of Our (Audre) Lorde: March’s Poetry Is Not a Luxury

One of the biggest lessons of Audre Lorde’s work is the strength of coalitional politics. I need a movement that can hold my anger. I need a movement that can…

Jehan —

Mar 26, 2020