Autostraddle took me in from the cold when I was unceremoniously not invited to continue working at the website I was writing for because of a change in management. I was immediately welcomed and not treated like an outsider. The half-camp A-Camp in Wisconsin happened right after I got asked to work for Autostraddle, but before I actually started, and I was feeling a little nervous, but as soon as Riese saw me at registration, she gave me a big hug and welcomed me to the team. That’s when I knew I was home. My first full A-Camp as staff, I was also nervous, because it was experiencing camp in a whole new way, and I also was still feeling a little like a Freshman in a camp full of upperclasspeople, but I was immediately made to feel welcome there, both in official meetings, and also on the first night of pre-camp when my roommate made sure to let me know where Staff was hanging out after staff duties were done for the day. It’s little things like this that make my anxious, shy self feel truly welcome.

The creation of the TV Team was also a turning point for me, because it’s been really fun to work on shaping content and making team decisions about which roundtables we do and which shows we cover and how. (It’s also great because between the lot of us, we pretty much watch every show ever, so I don’t feel as much pressure to watch ALL THE GAY CONTENT but can still be keeping up on the goings-on.)

Overall, also, seeing the behind-the-scenes has been a real eye-opener. I already respected everyone involved in Autostraddle so much, but seeing JUST how much work, conversation, planning, compromising, (talking, crying, dreaming) goes on makes me all the more impressed by these dedicated, genius humans that keep the show going day in and day out.

—Valerie Anne