The Autostraddle Yearbook: A Decade Of Gay Work

I think Rodeo Disco, Autostraddle’s first Pride situation, is my fondest memory. The whole weekend, actually. The Intern Army crammed sardine-style into one hotel room (and one cab, once, which horrified the driver!) Meeting everyone in person for the first time, but feeling like we already knew each other. For me it was my first accepting queer community, and I was a new baby queer, even then in my late 20s.

Elli Bradshaw

the sarahs we met along the way

1. Sarah Palmer
2. Sara Medd
   
3. Sarah Croce
   
4. Sarah Hall
   
5. Sarah Fonseca
   
6. Sarah Kasulke
   
7. Sarah Hansen
8. Sarah David
9. Sarah Dufrau
   
10. Sarah Sarwar

I met Riese because I commented on her blog in 2007. I was living in Orlando and had just gotten fired from my job and was going through a breakup and was about to move to NYC and thought we could be pals.

I had no idea we’d become such good friends and had no idea we’d try to create a TV show together and had no idea I’d get to be a part of the Autostraddle founding team in 2009 and had no idea we’d still be in each other’s lives in 2019.

When the site launched I was writing TV recaps. Eventually I had to leave but I was always part of the family, getting to contribute to occasional roundtables and then getting to be a part of A-Camp. Autostraddle has been a huge champion of my work and has supported all of my comic books and films and allows me to be a DJ once a year and I can never properly express my gratitude for that.

Because of Autostraddle and A-Camp I’ve met some of my favorite people and made some incredible memories. I am so, so proud of what Riese has created and what we’ve all gotten to be a part of. This is such a special community and it will be a part of my life forever.

Carly Usdin