2009

“i love everybody! today is the day i understand the internet! i feel like that girl in mean girls who just wants to bake a cake with rainbows for everybody, but she doesn’t go to their school, but i actually do go to this school.”
CARLY USDIN, AUGUST 5, 2009

Team & Intern Army before marching in the Pride Parade with the “NYC Bloggers” Group (New York, NY)
Riese, Carly, Alex & Robin: Team Meeting (New York, NY)
Alex & friends spreading Autostraddle propaganda at Dinah Shore (Palm Springs, CA)
Carly and Robin at the Pride Parade (New York, NY) (photo by E. Choo)
Alex and Riese at the 2009 NewNowNext Awards (New York, NY) (Photo by Robin Roemer)
Waiting for the video chat to connect us with an intern who just came out to her parents (New York, NY) (photo by E.Choo)
Stef and Brooke at Rodeo Disco (New York, NY) (photo by Robin Roemer)
DJ Carlytron and DJ Lady Starlight at Rodeo Disco (New York, NY) (photo by Robin Roemer)
Watching “The L Word” in Riese’s living room (New York, NY) (photo by Robin Roemer)
Team at the National Equality March (Washington DC)
Phoenix at Rodeo Disco (New York, NY) (photo by Robin Roemer)
Phoenix, Riese, Emily Choo, Laura & Lily at the National Equality March (Washington DC)
Julia, Riese & Alex on Sweet Lesbian Vacation (Cozumel, Mexico)
Alex, Natalie and Jess at dinner in Little Italy on Pride Weekend (New York, NY)
Intern X & Intern Phoenix in Riese’s neighborhood (New York, NY) (photo by E.Choo)
Interns do a great job working the door at Rodeo Disco (New York, NY)
Intern Laura & Intern Phoenix in Riese’s living room (New York, NY) (photo by E.Choo)
Alex as Adam Lambert and Riese as Lady Gaga — the two people we wrote about more than anybody else in 2009! — at Robin & Carly’s Halloween Party (New York, NY)

see the website in 2009

"It felt important." — see laneia’s story

freshmen

In the beginning, Autostraddle.com was just Riese and her friends. Nobody got paid back then (and it would take many years for everybody to get paid), we just all did it because we believed in it. So did you — and that’s where the “Intern Army” came from — readers who wanted to help, and did.

“I’d be like hey, hold on a sec I have a patient and go like literally put a lab coat on and draw someone’s blood… then come back to my desk and draw some weird cartoon about fisting”
Read Taylor Hatmaker’s memory >

When I first started writing for Autostraddle back in 2009 I still worked full-time doing something that wasn’t putting words on the internet. I met Riese at a Halloween party at Robin and Carly’s place in midtown that I went to with Kip. Back then I still thought I was going to go into something related to clinical psychology (that was the plan!) so I was working doing clinical neuropsych research in a hospital in Manhattan, gchatting with Riese and everyone else most of the day at work. I’d be like hey, hold on a sec I have a patient and go like literally put a lab coat on and draw someone’s blood… then come back to my desk and draw some weird cartoon about fisting or write something for Technostraddle (RIP). I honestly don’t remember why I told Riese I would launch a tech vertical for Autostraddle when we were drunk at that party, but it accidentally changed the course of my career! Also I made a lot of really weird friends and now we all see each other at our annual mid/quarterlife proto-retirement gathering, A-Camp.

—Taylor Hatmaker

most popular posts

Top Ten Best Lesbian Movies: Queer Girl Movies That Don’t Suck, by The Team
Top 10 Lesbian Fashion and Style Icons, by Riese and Alex
Maine and Washington Gay Marriage Election Day “Live-Blog”!, by Riese
Top Ten Queer Girl Movies That Don’t Suck: Top Ten Lesbian Movies Part 2, by The Team
The Top 10 (Okay, Top 15) L Word Sex Scenes of All Time, by Riese
Boyshorts 101: Your Complete Guide to Successful Underpants, by The Team
Lady Gaga and Adam Lambert on American Music Awards: Performance Art and Dirty Talk, by Riese
The Sweet Cruise Live-Blogged by Alex and Riese For Autostraddle, by Alex and Riese
A Shot at Tila Tequila: The Autostraddle Interview, by Lola
Reviewing Tegan and Sara: Sainthood Track-by-Track, by Emily

To Marie [Riese]: you are a visionary and a writer’s writer and oh so kind, and curious and smart – she’s always paying attention, isn’t she? – and all the beautiful people that were there at the beginning and continue to be apart of Autostraddle: you did it! I am soooooo honored to have been a little part of the beginning, to have contributed to this amazing space, and I support it with all my heart. Happy Birthday! Here’s to another 10!
Natalie Raaber

see the team’s “roles” from am early draft of a business plan developed to get investors (we didn’t get investors)

see the dramatic note riese left for alex on her notes for a post about lesbian movies

the year of us

this year we did a lot of…

Interviews / Photoshoots by Robin Roemer
“Girl Galleries”
Prop 8 coverage

awards

Sisters Talk Radio Best Lesbian Website
Golden Kitty Award for Best Lesbian Website (from Lesbian Lounge)
Lezzy Award for Best New Blog
Mashable Open Web Awards: Best Online Magazine

most prolific writers

the year of…

tv

pop culture

Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson break up
Lady Gaga bisexual rises to fame
Adam Lambert becomes a thing on American Idol
Rosie O’Donnell and Kelli Carpenter break up

movies

Jennifer’s Body
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (Swedish version)
Whip It

politics

Ballot amendments/propositions outlawing same-sex marriage fail in Washington, pass in Maine
NOM / Gathering Storm
October 2009 Equality March in Washington DC
Iowa, New Hampshire and Vermont legalize same sex marriage
Obama opens for Lady Gaga at the annual HRC Gala
Houston elects a lesbian mayor

The Autostraddle Yearbook: A Decade Of Gay Work