Welcome Our New Managing Editor, Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya!

Hi Autostraddle! It’s me! Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya (but you can just call me Kaylaβ€”or KKU, which I also like), longtime writer/Riverdale defender/advice giver/food lover at Autostraddle dot com. I’m here to share the exciting news that, starting now, I’m the new Managing Editor of this publication that has had a profound impact on meβ€”as a writer and homosexualβ€”for the past six years of my life.

Since I’ve spent the majority of my twenties writing about just about everything for this very magazine, you probably know at least a few things about me, but here are some basic facts: I live in Miami at the moment, but I was raised in Midlothian, Virginia and have lived in Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Brooklyn. My personal style at the moment could be described as Tommy Bahama Mommi, and I own an absurd amount of white pants. When I’m not in my office, I’m probably at the beach, the pool, or happy hour. Or in the kitchen! I love to cook all kinds of food. I also write fiction and am in a writer4writer relationship with a very handsome and talented author who sometimes shows up in my essays. I’m @KaylaKumari on all social media, and I’ve been Very Online my whole life and have a very special place in my heart for tumblr, where some of my earliest writing once lived. I like hot dogs, fresh flowers, the 2001 film Spy Kids, fernet, darts in dive bars, and haunted houses.


On October 28, 2015, I sent an application to Autostraddle for a staff writer position. My friend Caroline had encouraged me to apply. I believe the words she used were perfect for you. I was 23-years-old and had been writing film and television criticism professionally for a little while. I’d been out as a lesbian for a shorter amount of time. But when I came out, I came way the hell out, seizing every possible opportunity to declare to the world I’m a QUEER! GAY! LESBIAN! I was at the beginning of my writing career and the beginning of my gay life. Autostraddle’s call for new writers came at the perfect time. I was so nervous to apply. I wanted it so badly.

Since then, I’ve written over 300 pieces for Autostraddle. I’ve recapped the chaos of Riverdale. I’ve given so much advice. I’ve invited you to happy hour. I’ve peered into your soul via personality quizzes. I’ve desperately tried to make β€œBravo Dykehappen. I ranked mozzarella sticks. I basically processed a breakup in real-time. I became a character in a Nancy Meyers movie. Like, you get it. I’ve written a lot of different stuff for this place.

And in the meantime, I’ve also written a lot of different stuff at a bunch of different places all over the internet. I’ve been a full-time freelance writer for seven years. When the pandemic hit, I lost a significant chunk of my regular assignments from other publications. Freelancing is hard, and it suddenly got harder. The one upside about losing some of those other gigs was that I had more time to focus on my work at Autostraddle, where my rates actually increased and where I felt truly supported as a writer.

WhenΒ Rachel announced she would be leaving this summer, I was genuinely sad. She is one of the best editors I’ve ever worked with, and she has been such a huge part of my Autostraddle experience. The job posting for the Managing Editor position went up, and I thought…wait…this is, to borrow my friend Caroline’s words from back in 2015, perfect for me. I’d already been writing more and more. And even though no one can replace Rachel, I knew that sitting around being bummed about her departure wouldn’t actually do anything to support Autostraddle. I was already invested in Autostraddle. Getting even more involved seemed like such a natural next step. This time, I wanted it badly again, but I didn’t feel nervous to apply. I felt ready; I felt inspired.


I have ideas and big dreams for this magazine. A whole document of ideas already actually. And they’d be too hard to enact if Autostraddle just continued to be a side gig for me. In truth, I’ve rarely thought of Autostraddle as a side gig. This is the place where I’ve been not only allowed to but encouraged to pursue my wildest, weirdest ideas. The place where I get to be the most Me in my writing. The place where I can write the term β€œdyke-noir” and not have it flagged by an editor. I found my writing voice here, and I want to continue to use and grow that voice in a bolder, more consistent way. But more than that, I want to help other writers find their voices. I want to bring in the lessons I’ve learned about publishing and media throughout the past seven years in my various roles as a reporter, writer, and editor all over the internet. I want to be what Rachelβ€”and the rest of the editorial team past and presentβ€”have been for me. This job posting, yet again, came at the perfect time.

This summer, I had my first opportunity to guest edit for the site, launching my DINNER PARTY series of micro essays about food from writers I was super excited to work with. That project was small, but it’s a little taste of what I hope to bring to my new editorial role. I want to encourage writers to pursue their wildest, weirdest ideas. I want to bring more experimental essays and mixed-genre work to the magazine. I want to meet writers where they are and help them grow. I especially want to work with BIPOC writers on whatever the fuck they want to write about, because I’ve been the token queer person of color who was expected to only write about certain things at times in my career, and I don’t think anyone should feel boxed-in when it comes to writing.

On that note, this feels important: I’ve had some, let’s just say, not-great experiences at other places during my freelance career. Throughout my time at Autostraddle, I felt respected, listened to, and supported as a writer, and that greatly informed my decision to join the team full-time. Autostraddle’s readers mean so much to me, but so do the writers. I’ve been one after all. And I want to use my experiences and insights to give the same opportunities to new and emerging writers that were given to me and to bolster the work of our existing team writers, too.

Kayla from behind in a leather jacket that reads GIRLS! GIRLS! GIRLS!

this photo was taken two days before my first personal essay went up on Autostraddle

As you probably know, Autostraddle isΒ in the midst of a fundraiser. I was told I was by no means expected to plug the fundraiser in this announcement letter. But to be honest, this announcement letter isn’t just about me. It’s about Autostraddle as a whole. And I think it speaks to my passion and excitement about this new role that I want to mention the fundraiser. Reader support from these fundraisers in the past is how Autostraddle was able to raise rates and establish an emergency relief fund for the freelancers. Without those changes, I may not have been able to continue writing here, and that would have been heartbreaking. My journey to this jobβ€”a dream job tbhβ€”was made possible by these fundraisers.

So anyway, here I am! Whether you’re a writer, a reader, both, whateverβ€”let’s chat! I want to hear your ideas! Your questions! Your wildest, weirdest musings!

KKU

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today β€” if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

Join AF+!

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya is the managing editor of Autostraddle and a lesbian writer of essays, short stories, and pop culture criticism living in Orlando. She is the assistant managing editor of TriQuarterly, and her short stories appear or are forthcoming in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Joyland, Catapult, The Offing, and more. Some of her pop culture writing can be found at The A.V. Club, Vulture, The Cut, and others. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram and learn more about her work on her website.

Kayla has written 885 articles for us.

40 Comments

  1. I was refreshing our page over and over… just WAITING FOR THIS LETTER TO PUBLISH!!!!!!

    KAYLA I AM SO EXCITED CONGRATULATIONS I AM SO EXCITED DID I SAY EXCITED ENOUGH YET

    Autostraddle’s next chapter is so bright with you at the helm!!! AHHHHHH

  2. Congrats KKU! I loved your writing at the A.V. Club, I loved seeing you arrive at AS, I’ve loved reading your work ever since. It’s so great that the new managing editor just *knows* what a kickass job Rachel did.

  3. KAYLA no words for how excited and thrilled i am about this — cannot wait to see & celebrate what you do in this position!

  4. congrats kayla! have long followed your writing a long time (we’re both umich alums, we overlapped but ran in different circles!) and am so excited about this for you! well-deserved, and excited to see the direction you take in the role!

  5. Congratulations, Kayla! I’ve loved so much of your writing, and was especially impressed/delighted by the Dinner Party series. Looking forward to reading more of what you write and edit!

  6. Congrats!!! I’ve loved your voice for ages and the Dinner Party series was amazing. Very excited to see what you do as Managing Editor!

  7. I’ve been following you on social media for years Kayla. I have enjoyed your articles on AS and I have always been rooting for you. This is such wonderful news and well deserved. Congrats!

  8. Congrats Kayla!!! I just read the Dinner Party series today (saved til life gave time) which gives extra topical excitement to this!!

  9. Amaaaazing! So happy for you, Kayla, and for me too! I think I started reading your recaps over at the AV Club even before you showed up at Autostraddle. We’re so lucky to have you here full time!

  10. I literally gasped aloud when I saw this. I’m so glad that the new Managing Editor is an Autostraddle writer! Congrats Kayla!

  11. This is like a dream come true. Congratulations ! And it really is Exciting !

    “tommy bahama mommi” energy = fasten our seatbelts

  12. Congratulations Kayla! You are consistently one of my favorite writers here and I’m so excited to see what you bring to the site in this new role!

Comments are closed.