Letter From Your Editors

These are the queer hands that make Autostraddle work!

1st: laneia // kayla // riese // nicole // vanessa
2nd: meg // drew // shelli // sarah
3rd: heather // valerie anne // stef // ro // carmen

Hello from August 31st, the (unofficial) last day of summer. It feels like a lifetime has passed since we last saw each other! And it has!

There’s been quite a few seismic shifts. The one that still hurts the most — deep, directly in my ribcage area — is that after an incredible 12 years at Autostraddle, beginning as an intern and growing into our Managing Editor, head bisexual-in-charge Rachel Kincaid left us for a new role at Study Hall. We’re so proud!!!! (Also? Still not over it, definitely always ready with a sob emoji about it). And Then as a part of our ongoing restructuring of our senior team for Autostraddle’s next chapter, we welcomed Ro White as our new Sex and Dating editor, which is something we simply cannot stop ecstatically all caps scream typing to each other about. Ro has already taken to the role like a fish to water (do people still say that? Do I sound like someone’s grandpa right now?) and seriously, it’s amazing. And Then! Just last week! We announced that we are hiring THREE NEW SENIOR MANAGEMENT ROLES: Managing Editor, Deputy Editor, and an Advertising & Affiliate Marketing Director. This is the culmination of months of brainstorming and careful planning, taking seriously how our team can sustainably and efficiently grow into our strongest position for Autostraddle’s next chapter. In every way, we’re just late summer plums quite simply over the moon about these new prospects.

( — and please, tell your friends about these new roles. As I told our team, in the OG L Word Alice would have called this “Believe in the power of the lesbian phone tree.” QTPOC are especially encouraged to apply. —)

Change is big and if you’re an anxious person like me, change can be scary. I know that I’ve spent countless hours this month with our entire senior staff meticulously planning for what’s ahead. Of course we’re at least a little nervous as we look into the unknown, that’s natural — but also? Last week it was 11pm and I was sitting in my sports bra in the sweat-drenched August heat on a phone call with Laneia as we just talked over ourselves; we were so excited for what’s next. It was a never-ending cycle of “OK I’ve kept you too long, I have to go!” “Oh just ONE MORE THING!” across time zones, until finally our hunger and tiredness won out, but even then my body was positively buzzing. Autostraddle was built out of a community of love and passion, and we’re not done yet. We are building something that will outlive us, and that’s enthralling and exhilarating and has never been more clear.

OK! It’s not all work, there’s also been sweltering days spent reading by the pool with Spotify on speakers (for me), home renovations (for Nicole), BEATING GIRLFRIENDS AT BANANAGRAMS (for Laneia), winning kickball championships (for Riese) and abundant joy had by all. We also had some really kickass A+ content, so let’s see about that:

• Two Advice Boxes: The general advice box, with the excellent title When There Hasn’t Been Sex in a Long Time and the themed advice box, Making Adult Friends
• We also had a special stand alone advice column, I’m Afraid Having a Day Job Makes Me a Creative Sellout
• We said goodbye to Rachel with a special edition Themed Insider in Her Honor (what did I tell you about the sobbing emojis 😭 😭 😭)
• We had two SLICKS: Caterpillar Girls by Shelly Jay Shore and Lobsterotica by Gay Squid
• We sure did answer some of the questions that you’ve been asking us!

I think I’m going to have some pink lemonade frosé when I get out of here. I have a batch pre-frozen in my freezer, just waiting to get thrown in a blender. What’s your late summer refresher of choice?

Love,

Carmen / Heather / Laneia / Sarah / Nicole / Riese

Top 10 Most Popular Posts From July 2021

These posts were hella popular last month

1. Quiz: Which Lesbian TV Trope Are You?, by Riese
2. Meet The 42 Gay Women and Non-Binary Soccer Players of the Tokyo Summer Olympics, by Heather
3. Quiz: What Disney Channel Original Movie Made You Gay?, by Kayla
4. Quiz: Which Lesbian or Bisexual Woman in Space Are You?, by Sally
5. July 2021: What’s New, Gay and Streaming on Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and Amazon Prime!, by Riese
6. “American Horror Stories” Is Ryan Murphy At His Worst, by Drew
7. Let’s Get Grounded: A Tarot Spread and Reading for Finding Our Footing, by Meg
8. It’s Time to Talk about It, “Never Have I Ever” Has a Race Problem, by Himani
9. What’s The Gayest Zodiac Sign?, by The Team
10. Queer Horoscopes for July 2021: What’s Your Sign’s Relationship Strategy for July?, by Corinna

Nine Important Excerpts From Editorial Conversations

Laneia: also just sharing this newsletter/carol feedback:
“Sudden realization: that picture of Carol watching women’s softball through a chain-link fence is my root
I’ll go lie down now, thanks.”
Riese: awwwwwww
omg that’s such a cute thing 2 say about carol watching us play kickball
i’m gonna tell carol
Laneia: oh no i def said softball in my alt text
next week’s newsletter will contain a correction
Riese: that’s cute that you think i have the hand-eye coordination to play softball
actually i would play softball
actually i wouldn’t because of my arm
gonna stick to kickball
thank you for joining me on this journey
Laneia: i feel better
Riese: me too

Laneia: anyone here have a great idea for the insider collage theme for august?
Shelli Nicole: HANDS
LESBIAN QUEER HANDS
Laneia: !
like our faces and our hands somehow? or literally just our hands
Shelli Nicole: Just our hands!
Laneia: ok well i love this for us
Shelli Nicole: Like that one tweet that asked “if you’re a lesbian is sending a pic of your hands a sext”
Laneia: what was the consensus there
bc yes it is

Heather: well i love carrie rosie kennard
Drew: The best thing Gen Q has done that isn’t a sex scene by far

Carmen: Valerie is Jamie a lead character in the ghost manor show?
this gay person right here, is whom I’m talking about. A lead or a supporting character?

Ok nevermind! Google says lead! thanks google
WAIT ok so then who is Dani?
OK OK OKAY
so Dani is the lead, Jamie is her girlfriend, google was wrong?
(hope you’re all enjoying the live blog of me trying to understand sci-fi things)
Maybe they are both leads?
Heather: they’re both leads, i would say!
lol ghost manor! i love you carmen!
Carmen: thank you heather! 👻
Valerie: Sorry yes agree they are both leads
I did mean to nominate them for gay emmys and forgot I’m sorry
Carmen: No sorries! Just drinking a smoothie and combing through old tv lists like its my job (lol it is)

Nicole: back, finally — and in possession of the post office’s largest possible box
Sarah: perfect
Riese: GET THAT BIG BOX
Nicole: THE BIGGEST
also I saw this title and was like “there’s been NOTHING fun about shipping lately what are they talking about” and then I realized like OH that kind of shipping. just where my head’s at these days.

Carmen: Nicole!!!

Sarah: someone on instagram was like “i didn’t sign up for a sponsored l word account, unfollowing”
Riese: hahahaha
Sarah: i passive aggressively liked it
Riese: “i didn’t sign up for y’all to get paid to work, unfollowing”

Natalie: well, shit. now i have to watch this show.
Heather: lolol we should do like an autostraddle tv team “will we watch this show” flow chart
Drew: Me pondering if my love for Angelica Ross was really worth American Horror Story becoming my beat

Dani: Interesting

Went to my first @WNBA game. I am in love and constantly inspired by strong, athletic, and beautiful women 😌🥰

— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@naomiosaka) August 28, 2021

Heather: mmhmm! SURE IS.
Dani: Getting into the WNBA is like the third step in sapphic training

Natalie: Wtf, MSNBC? Rachel Maddow Considers Possible Exit From MSNBC At End Of Contract
Carmen: WHAT
NATALIE
WHY
WOULD YOU
DO THIS
TO MEEEEEEEEEE
Riese: maybe she could work here
a new Rachel

LESBIANS ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO STEAL MY SPERM

Ro: I have a question for an article I’m working on! This one is for the L Word superfans: do any of the characters on the original L Word ever mention safer sex or safer sex barriers (other than condoms)? I really don’t think they do, but I want to double check.
Laneia: tagging riese specifically bc i am busybody
Heather: in the pilot bette and tina bring home some random guy for a threesome for some sperm and they’re like “no need to wear a condom” and he’s like “LESBIANS ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO STEAL MY SPERM!!!!” and then he gets on a motorcycle and rides off into the night in a huff
Ro: Oh, to be a fly on the wall in that writers room.
Laneia: is there a body horror film about lesbians literally trying to steal men’s sperm, like with covert surgery?
i would watch this
Stef: It happens in Hannibal actually. But it’s for revenge
Heather: i think it also might be the plot of under the skin
Stef: Actually no. In under the skin she’s seducing them so she can bring them back to her alien farm where they fatten them up and send them back to her planet for meat. At least in the book. In the movie idk she’s making them sink into some black goo
I am surprised to learn this is a topic I am knowledgeable about
Heather: ohhhh!
that makes more sense
Stef: The book is pretty good. The movie was kinda weird for the sake of weird. I saw it with Chelsey petty and we left upset
Heather: lololol stacy is saying the same
Stef: In Hannibal Margot can’t inherit her father’s fortune without a male heir and her brother literally gave her a hysterectomy against her will, so she and her girlfriend steal his sperm
And then feed him to an eel
And then ride away in a helicopter with their son
It’s very satisfying actually

Laneia: so what i’m hearing is that if you’re rich you can have a helicopter and eels
Ro: Do we need to publish a “Best Movies That Feature Lesbians Stealing Sperm From Cis Men” listicle?
Laneia: !
Rachel: i want a lesbian heist movie set at a sperm bank so bad
Stef: To be fair Hannibal is the show
Laneia: why stop at tv and film, i’m open to books i’m open to short stories on n+1, i’m open to paintings
Stef: i’ll happily paint margot and alana doing literally anything
there was a really epic and terrible kaleidoscope sex scene
here they are escorting their son they conceived with stolen sperm to their helicopter
Shelli Nicole: Hello I will write that movie
The lesbian sperm heist one
And I am incredibly serious
Stef: shelli can i do the score
i feel inspired
Vanessa: shelli thank god. this news makes my friday
Shelli Nicole: Yes please — the soundtrack will also be stunning

What We’ve Been Reading

Heather: The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri

Drew: I Hope We Choose Love by Kai Cheng Thom

Ro: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson

Nicole: Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Riese: ​​Girlhood by Melissa Febos and Genuine Fraud by E. Lockhart

Sarah: Thirsty Mermaids by Kat Leyh

Laneia: Please Miss: A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Penis by Grace Lavery

RO! RO! RO! RO! RO! RO! RO!

Laneia: hey @channel i have a really exciting announcement !! with rachel’s departure, the shifting workload that creates on top of the already shifted workload, the upcoming round of hiring we’re gearing up for, and because the work they’ve done in and around this vertical for the past year+ has been game-changing, last week we offered @Ro the position of sex & dating subj editor, and they’ve accepted! ro originally pitched this position to us when we put out the internal call for subj editors several months ago, and it would’ve been amazing to give them the position at that time bc rachel really needed the support that would’ve provided, but we just didn’t have the funds for more than one new SE then. this isn’t super vital info or anything, i just wanted to be as transparent with y’all as possible bc this took place without another internal call, and it’s really important to me (to all of us!) that you feel like you can trust our processes and feel comfortable asking questions.

so anyway back to ro! they start this month, right now, and will be your go-to person if you have pitches that would fall under the sex & dating umbrella! i’ll let them fill you in on their vision for the vertical and i’m sure they’ll be in here posting calls asap. please join me in welcoming ro to this role!  🎉🧁(<–gluten-free)

(if anyone has the time and wants to make a dental dam emoji for us, i’d just be so thrilled, bc it’s a real shame i couldn’t incl a dental dam emoji here)

Heather: ro! i am so excited for you and for our readers and for everyone who will write for you!
Bren: ❤️
Nicole: huge congrats, Ro!
Ro: Thanks for the warm welcome! I’m so thrilled and honored to take on this position. This channel will be getting some calls for pitches from me soon (and in the meantime, if there’s anything you want to write in the sex/dating category, please shoot me a message!).
Sarah: so excited for you ro! and excited for us too.
Himani: Congrats Ro!!!
Riese: YAY RO
KaeLyn: Awesome, Ro!!!
Shelli Nicole: Yay ro!!!
Drew Gregory: Yay!!!!! I’m so excited about this! Congrats Ro!
Natalie: Congratulations Ro!
Carmen: Ro! I’m so excited to be able to work with you in these new capacities and thank you so much for joining us. Congratulations!
Ro: Thank you everyone!!
Casey: 💖 💖 💖 💖 Yay Ro!
Archie: Congrats Ro!
Meg: ro this is fantastic news! congratulations!
Stef: Ro that’s sick, I promise to do my best to make a dental dam emoji

Stef: ok it’s not my best work but

i’m gonna keep at it
wow finding pictures of them being used…. around teeth…. because that’s what they’re for

LET’S MAKE A SUN

Sepideh Moafi as Gigi in THE L WORD: GENERATION Q “Late to the Party”. Photo Credit: Liz Morris/SHOWTIME.

Part One: August 1, 2021

Sarah: when would you be able to get me social copy for this clip [link to clip of Gigi and Bette kissing in the first episode of TLW that we put on our instagram]
Riese: femme on femme loveeeee
can the social copy just be like “GET IT GIRLS”
the captions on the l word showitme’s official instagram are usually like one line
Sarah:  yeah
#femmeonfemmelove #twotopscantstop
#wannabethethird
#imadeaddyke
Riese:  #curlsoncurls
Sarah:  #fuckthepatriarchygetthematriarchy
#curlgirls
#fuckasisterbutnotgenetic
Riese: #MOM4MOM
Sarah: #iamgay
#mommimommimommiiloveyou
Riese: #MOMMIHELPME
Sarah: #whatafeeling
Riese: #POWERLESBIANLOVE
Sarah:  ok i feel like we pointed out a lot of important things with this hashtag discussion that could go beyond “get it girls”
Riese:   EXCLUSIVE BRAND NEW CLIP from sho_thelword: We’re SO here for this mommi-on-mommi femme4femme curl-son-curls power-lesbian-love
Sarah: curl son girl
lol
curl son curls
Riese: hahaha
Sarah: i love that
Riese: curl-son-curls
Sarah: yeah a son
Riese: that’s what i say to my future unborn son
Sarah:  spoiler
Riese: “curl, son”
Sarah: THEY HAVE A SON
in that moment
Riese: let’s add that to the caption
Sarah: ok
Riese: #ARETHEYGONNAHAVEASONTOGETHER
#willbettecarrytheson
#sonrisesunset
Sarah: #SONDAYFUN
#canlesbiansprocreate
LMAO
SONRISE
#SONogram
Riese: #hotfudgeson-day
Sarah: #sonnydaysahead
lolol
Riese: #herecomestheson
Sarah: SON DAY
lmao
Riese: #sondaybrunch
Sarah: i actually want to use these hashtags in the post
Riese: #sonsalutation
Sarah: #herecomestheson
lolol
OMG
PUT THIS IN THE INSIDER
i’m dead

Part Two: August 6, 2021

Sarah:  [link to clip]
its a shane/tess clip of them flirting.
can we do something similar to what we did for bette/gigi?
Riese:   aw that’s a cute clip
Sarah:   right?
Riese:   the convo before this in the episode is so stupid it made me want to lie down
but this part is cute
ok how is this:

We’ve got another exclusive brand new clip from the next episode of @sho_thelword Generation Q! Shane and Tess are PRETTY CUTE GUYS, Shane’s blushing so hard we might forget that she recently slept with Tess’s ex Lena while Lena and Tess were still together?? Bring on the messy sex scene and/or relationship! #workplaceromance #pokerinthefrontliquorintherear #dontfuckwhereyoueat #nippleconfidence

??!

Sarah: lol lol
nipple confidence
this is fabulous. i’d maybe change the hashtags to: #WorkplaceRomance #FuckWhereYouEat #SweetFeralCatForHotOwner #GayBlushing #BeingMeanIsFlirting
Riese: looks good
Sarah: do you have any more hashtags
jw
curls on curls
Riese:   hmmmm
Sarah:   #ARETHEYGONNAHAVEABABY
#THEYREGONNAHAVEASON
#HERECOMESTHESUN
Riese:  definitely put in a bunch of sun hashtags
ppl will be wondering are they gonna have a son
#1 question
#somedaysonday
Sarah: lolol
#SweetFeralCarol
#DogsAreCats
#ShanesDogIsADogBecauseItsAPitbull
Riese:  #ShanesDogIsntAsCuteAsMyDog
#handplay
#makeusblushtess
Sarah: ooh!
#TessIsATop
#TopOff
#ShanesABottomNow
#TessIsAFlirtingTop
#ShaneIsAFeralCatTop
Riese: yeah the last one
#FeralCatTop
that’s really good!
i feel like tess is a bottom or a switch
Shane is a top to hook up but a switch in relationships
in this paper i will —
Sarah: lolol
yeah tess is a bottom
this paper sounds bad tbh but it will get a lot of accolades
Riese:   thank you for your support
Sarah:   i feel like feral cat top is definitely an identity a portlander will deeply relate to and identify with
Riese:  absolutely yes
start sketching up the t-shirt

You’re Feeling Very Shane Today

Welcome to our new feature in which we will be sharing an infographic of the results from one of our many personality quizzes. Today we look at our most popular quiz of all time — “Which L Word Character Are You” Quiz — which 47k of you took!

Snack Time

Carmen: Do we support an ice cold beer and a small cheese plate on this sticky August Friday?
Laneia: we do and we’re also interested in what kind of beer
Nicole: that sounds wonderful
Carmen: And once again I so appreciate you both for having my back!
Laneia, it’s the Sierra Nevada Hazy Little Thing IPA you put me on to a few years ago, actually! I always think of it as the unofficial beer of august now. an ideal late summer beer
Nicole: i’m going to go make an ice cream sundae brb i hope this is approved
Carmen: APPROVED! 👩🏾‍⚖️
Nicole: yesss the judge emoji
Laneia: wow thriving
Nicole: This is the sundae:

Carmen: OH MY GOD
Laneia: coming out to support the variety of sprinkles your household is in possession of
Nicole: I LOVE sprinkles.
Laneia: spooky sprinkles in august is like, if someone asked me what is the most nicole thing you can think of wrt sprinkles i would be like, spookly sprinkles in august obvs
Nicole: gotta hold out for my season
Carmen: I think the linen napkin/tablecloth it’s own is… spiderwebs?
With the black cherries on top
This is without a doubt the most Halloween sundae I have ever seen in my life and I love it
Nicole: yes, my cloth napkin options are black or spider web
Carmen: Nicole
Nicole: i prefer to buy homewares during spooky season only
Carmen: What does it feel like to be officially the spookiest person on our team?
Laneia: i bet nicole is the spookiest person in most scenarios
old hat
Nicole: it has always been like this, it’s true. as soon as i could articulate interests.
but also i enjoy spooky company! so it feels sad.
it’s lonely at the top, is what i’m saying
in the attic of the haunted house

X0X0

Team Autostraddle

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