Queer IRL: Autostraddle’s 2021 Pride Gallery!
Welcome to Queer IRL, an occasional Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2021.
This edition celebrates Pride in all its current strange and amorphous moods. My instructions were simple: Take a nice picture of yourself. That’s it! You’re you! You exist! Here’s a photo. And, if you like: tell me a bit about where you’re at, what you’re feeling, how Pride lands for you this year, etc. And you did that! You sent me some photos! You told me a bit about where you’re at! I appreciate you. Happy last day of Pride month, Straddlers. We’re so grateful for your existence, today, this month, and always.
And if you didn’t get to send in a photo for the gallery and wish you could be included, too? Feel free to share your own photos in the comments.
Ashley / she/they / 27 / Mustang Oklahoma
Pride kind of feels like a vague concept this year. Part of it’s coming off the pandemic and time being weird, but also it’s my first Pride living in the southwest and it’s a struggle here sometimes. I am very Out and there’s no hiding it and people down here can find that scary. I spend a lot of time with my buddy Skeeter (pictured). The nice thing about horses is they’re always happy to be who they are and they remind me to do the same.
Joanna / She/Her / 44 / Columbus, OH (with Spenser / 5 / Yoga Mat He Thinks is His)
When I first came out, the only places you could buy freedom rings or rainbow bumper stickers or pink triangle pins were a couple of shops in the gay part of town. So it is truly wild to me that the whole month of June is now like the annual President’s Day Mattress Sale, but for rainbow merch. And even though I roll my eyes when the algorithm shows me an ad for $89 rainbow inlaid silverware, and even though we still have a long way to go, it still brings me joy. Pride is omnipresent. When I was nineteen, it felt like the only straight people who even knew about Pride were the protesters. Now all kinds of people say, “Happy Pride” like it’s a holiday. Pride stuff used to be hard to find. Now it’s hard to get away from. Given the choice, I’ll take that as a sign of progress.
Kelly / she/her / 34 / Hampton Roads, VA
Lela / she/they / getting tested at work, Berlin
Fairly content, looking forward to attending pride events and looking4love (but not in our tester’s eyes!)
Briana / She/Her / 23 / Atlanta, GA
I’m early in my queer journey, almost 3 years out to myself and friends. I’m not out to my family, and am struggling heavily with self-esteem issues regarding my sexuality and racial identity, but I am continuing to push forwards by reading a plethora of Black queer books, utilizing therapy, attending my queer-affirming church, and connecting with my best friends.
EJ and Anna / They/Them, She/Her / 40 / Stevens Point, WI
Last weekend we attended a Pride event for the first time since 2018 (yay, vaccines!). This particular event, Stevens Point Pride, holds a special place in our hearts because Central WI didn’t have a formal Pride celebration when we lived there. It’s so heartening to see other small-town and rural queer/trans people living their best lives, especially after the year we all had. We also encountered people cheering and clapping along to Anna’s “Let’s Go Lesbians!!” shirt, so our Autostraddle merch paid dividends yet again ☺️
Erin / She/Her / 23 / Ontario, Canada
(So this picture might not meet the instructions. I forgot to find one and now it is late and I am high and confused. Hopefully this will work but if not I get that it’s my bad. Thank you. Happy Pride <3)
Nabil / He / 50 / San Francisco Mission District
It’s been a hell of a decade, but I’m still here!
Emma (username biensurmacherie) / she/they / 32 / Berlin
I’m feeling proud of myself for building the life I need, focusing on my own happiness and not what others expect from me.
Bobbie Isabel Davis / she/her / 31 / from the UK, but located in Guangzhou, southern China
I am a trans lesbian (pronouns: she/her), and am married to a gorgeous bisexual lady. Despite having the innate knowledge of who I was, fear meant I came out after we got married. I risked it all after a lifetime of hiding who I was. Now I couldn’t be happier, and am hoping we become mums via IVF soon.
Jo / they/them / 35 / Washington, DC
My girlfriend took this photo while we were waiting for the train home from the DC Dyke March. It was great to be around a bunch of queers in person again!
Athena / she/her/ 24 / rural Manitoba
Pride is really important to me this year. I recently moved from a big city to a small town in the Prairies for work and at times I feel isolated from the queer community. I’m thankful that so many Pride events are being held online again this year because it reminds me that although there is a pandemic and I have moved somewhere new I am still able to celebrate and be a part of the community.
Allison St. Rock / She/Her/Hers / 33 / Morningside Park, Harlem, NYC
Hi! I’m Allison, and I’m a singer/songwriter based in NYC! This photo was taken in the park near my house while filming my first music video for my first single, “I Wanna Feel Better,” which will release on June 25th! (The song is out now on all platforms!) I’m excited for Pride this year, even though the parade isn’t happening. I’ve never been more proud to be a queer woman, and I’ve never felt more secure with who I am. I also just released a Pride Anthem called “LGBTQIA” for us all to dance to this pride!
Caitlin / she/they / 24 / Indiana, USA
One of my favorite parts of Pride is exhausting myself at the festival, wearing not enough clothing and the sweat and makeup of a million similarly exhausted queers. I’ve missed it a lot these two panini years — seeing the overwhelmingly colorful and happy community mattered more than I realized. Next year in person!
Erin Subramanian / she/her/hers / 38 / Baltimore, Maryland
Pole dancing at home has helped a lot with my mental health during the pandemic. This trick is called “shark” and I love feeling like a kickass queer shark! I’m not doing much in person for Pride this year but the enthusiasm for it online is always nice.
Laura Mandanas / she/her / mid-30s / the beach
I am SO THANKFUL to be vaccinated and alive and gay as fuck. <3
Alex & Alicja / she/her for us both / 34 and 29 / Baltic sea coast
Jackie / She/Her / 28 / Philadelphia, PA
Since we’ve all been stuck inside for so long, Pride feels extra exciting this year. Now that it’s getting safer to go out, the queers are back to partying and nature is healing! The fifth anniversary of the Pulse Massacre also serves as a reminder that there is still work to be done and that we need to continue to claim our spaces.
Lisa / she/her / 30 / Iowa
My town of Ames doesn’t do Pride until September (when the college students come back to town), but Des Moines has decided to disperse its events throughout June as opposed to having one weekend dedicated to Pride celebrations. This is most likely due in part to Covid so I keep forgetting we are having Pride at all as it feels different than previous years.
My wife and I are both extremely busy working and saving up for our wedding this fall. We got married in November the day after Ruth Bader Ginsburg died just to be safe. We live together with our 2 cats in a tiny apartment and she’s finishing grad school while I work on repaying school loans and work full time with disabled adults.
Ashley / any pronouns / 20 / Berkeley, CA
This pride season I’m taking time to figure out what queer liberation means to me. In the age of rainbow capitalism and assimilation politics, I think it’s important that we remember the radical roots of pride and continue to push the boundaries of love, self-expression, and conscious thought. Through studying lesbian history, I have tried to pick up on certain themes or constants that have defined what it means to be a lesbian, or any other sapphic aligned identity. If there’s been one thing that has been overwhelmingly clear, it’s that, in the most spiritual and intimate sense, dykes rule the world!!!
Sarah / they/she / 28 / Talladega National Forest, Alabama
Dee / she/her or they/them / 41 years old (gasp!) / Duluth, Minnesota at Adeline Inc. (a boutique hair salon for open hearted people)
I live in Minneapolis, but Duluth is my second home. Lake Superior is a nice perk. But what’s really made Duluth home for me is Adeline’s, which is the first place I ever visited in Duluth.
I wasn’t sure how Pride was going to land for me this year, but June has been fab so far! Because I’m fully vaxxed, Pride this year has been feeling safe to do self care like going to Adeline’s. And doing the very Sagittarius thing of road tripping in my camper van.
Rachel Brown / she/ her / 35 / Alberta, Canada
I’m not sure how to feel this year. There are no Pride celebrations here, although I am doing some online events focused on Indigenous perspectives. I’m Canadian, and reckoning with our history. I work in health care and I’m burnt out.
Abelina Davis / she/her / 29 / Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
I am a bisexual cisgender woman married to a beautiful lesbian trans woman. This year’s Pride is the first one after my wife’s coming out and therefore the first one where I am visibly in a lesbian relationship. After so many years of being able to “fly under the radar” as a bi woman — I did come out at age 14 but was previously always able to choose whom to disclose my bisexuality to as I was either single or in a heterosexual relationship — it feels kinda daunting to always be automatically outed as a queer woman when I walk down the street, holding hands with my wife. At the same time, I can see how liberating it is for her to finally be able to be herself and live her truth, and that makes me happy. In a way, I had to come out all over again — I guess no one took me being bi seriously prior to my wife’s coming out — and it has made for some weird remarks (“are you lesbian now?” “Will you transition, too?”). But I am much stronger now than I was during my first coming out and I am able to educate people on my sexuality instead of simply getting angry — although it can still get incredibly frustrating.
Ann / she/her/hers / 23 / Cambridge, MA
Being queer/bi isn’t the most salient of my identities right now, but it’s still an integral part of who I am, and I love my queer community! (Boston-area folks interested in bookstore dates, hmu @garthgirl8888!)
Olivia / She/Her / 26 / NC, USA
Ellen Morton / she/her / 25 / Edinburgh, Scotland
This is my first pride being fully out to everyone everywhere (work, family, friends, literally any stranger on the street that speaks to me) which feels great. Pride in a pandemic obviously is a bit crap but I’m really getting a lot of strength and solidarity from the fact that loads of people have become so conscious of so much stuff that they weren’t before. From BLM, the Colombian strikes, Palestine solidarity, I just feel that people are all together and ready to make things change. And that means way more to me than having an in-person parade or a party. I feel that righteous gay anger is the truest pride spirit of all.
Ellie / She/Her / 37 / Paris
Caley Gervais / She/Her/Hers / 31 / Burlington, Vermont
Well, we actually celebrate Pride in September in Burlington, VT (it’s a whole thing), so I am hopeful that we may be able to have a parade/festival this year. Fingers crossed! I am just really grateful to be healthy and vaccinated and finally able to see my fellow queer bbs in the flesh! HAPPY PRIDE 🌈
Julia Rodrigues / she/her / 21
First of all, the reason I wanted to participate in this thing was to show my gratitude and how important Autostraddle has been in my journey to understand myself. Being a closet queer girl from an small religious town from Brazil meant that from the age of 14 I had to search for representation outside of my extremely heteronormative bubble. Autostraddle came into my life at that time and showed me there was a whole big world of people like me and perhaps someday I would find them. I read every article, I consider every writer like the friends I always wanted. Shout out to Valerie Anne, my favorite, who had the best recaps to my favorite tv shows and constantly succeed in making me emotional with her heartwarming words.
Right now Pride has a new meaning for me. After being pulled out of the closet at age 17, my parents are finally ok with all that I am. It’s been a hard journey of understanding myself as a bipolar bisexual woman but I can say with conviction that Autostraddle helped me all the way through it. So I thank you all for making me feel normal and part of a big family. Thank you for giving me hope.
SEREN DIVINE / Poet, Educator / she/her / 50 / Prospect Park, on the peninsula
New Yorker since 2003; Bushwick til 2013, then/now Flatbush. I am a lesbian artist, educator/teaching artist, poet, producer, photographer, lover of cats & fitness enthusiast! I love intellectual conversation, daydreaming, chess and billiards 🎱!
Stacie K / she/her/hers / 26 / Denver, CO
Pride is weird this year as I go through extensive health issues. But I’ve made a point of going out and enjoying my queer community when I’m feeling well enough, and the support really makes all the difference! Happy pride all!!
Jordan / she/her / 35 / Durham, NC
Pride feels weird this year in so many ways. I’m a pregnant, non-binary person which really has all kind of queer experiences/expectations/confusions attached to it. Has me thinking a lot about change, identity, queer family, and what do do for a party when everything is hot and all my vices are off limits! Baby pool and virgin daiquiris anyone?
Serena (on left) / she/her / 42 / San Jose, CA; Melissa (on right) / she/her / 41 / San Jose, CA; Nemo (middle) / he/him (at least for now, he likes to change them up periodically) / 4 / San Jose, CA; Charlotte (her butt and tail is photobombing the lower right corner of the pic) / she/her / 10 / San Jose, CA
We are currently super stoked to be welcoming baby #2 in early August (Melissa is carrying — Serena carried Nemo). And San Jose will be having Pride in late August (Silicon Valley Pride) and we are excited to be able to march in the parade again! Happy Pride!
Hannah Rousselot / she/her / Los Angeles
My partner took this photo of me at our very first date post vaccination. We are at a local restaurant.
Jennifer R. Ewing / she/her / 49 yo; I’ll be 50 in January / Belfast, Northern Ireland (we moved across the Atlantic about a year ago) 
This was taken just before I went to Houston Pride a few years ago.
Beck / They/She / 23 / River Legacy Park, TX
I had some big identity realizations while in quarantine the past year and a half. After years of IDing as a queer trans man, I realized that I’m a nonbinary lesbian! It’s been a little stressful to navigate telling others, but I’m happier with myself than I’ve ever been. It’s been so nice to reconnect with the sapphic community that I haven’t been an active part of since I was a teen. It’s a welcome bright spot to be going into Pride with an identity that truly fits.
Emily / she/hers / 39 / Madison, WI
I’m feeling like Pride is more important than ever, by which I mean Pride’s political origins and core purpose as a liberatory force. Here in Wisconsin, we’re fighting a whole bunch of terrible bills, including ones targeting trans students. We’re dealing with all the economic and social fallout of the pandemic and its gross mismanagement by the powers that be — fallout that has fallen disproportionately on Black and Brown and queer people and their communities. I’m trying to fight off the feelings of despair, be inspired by others, and do whatever I can, no matter how small it feels, to plug in and leverage my privilege and abilities to fight back and build a better world. And while I’m at it, I’m letting my butch self embrace her swishiest parts, too, including with this sparkly crop top. Pride should always be about embracing and celebrating ALL aspects of queerness, while also working toward political and social liberation from the ground up–and having some fun and expressing ourselves as much as we can.
Snow Fell / she/her / silver fox / The Urban Lounge Parking Lot Genderfuq 6/3/2021
My band Vengeance Tampon took the stage at Genderfuq this year, with a new line-up of queer and trans bandmates! We loved playing a show to a crowd of transgressive queers for Pride!
Tracy / she/her / 42 / Tucson, AZ
I’m Tracy. I am 42 years old, disabled and queer. I have 2 rad kids, a complicated relationship with a live-in ex-husband and a lot of health problems. I love books, birds and socks. I listen to music too loudly and play Mario Kart daily. I have absolutely no idea how to make friends off Twitter! I got clean mostly alone and have no clue how to make friends as a shy, ill, introverted sober queer person (MMJ notwithstanding), especially during this horrible pandemic. Take care of yourselves!
Tucson doesn’t celebrate Pride Month until September when the heat is more tolerable. It makes sense but it feels odd and disjointed to celebrate Pride months after everyone else.
Matilda / they/she / 30 / Oxnard, CA
Just a local lover boy celebrating my first post-top surgery Pride by reading queer books in this EXTREMELY NATURAL pose!
Gill / she/her/hers / 27 / Minnewaska State Park (New York, United States)
I’m a queer lady with a couple of cats and a tortoise trying my best to stay afloat in this place. Usually do that with lots of coffee and weed and nature explorations and naps. Pride is getting to feel fully like my weird confused constantly stoned always looking for snacks and soft nap spots self. Happy pride ❤️
Bex / she/her they/them / 30
I’m entering Pride season fully embracing my identity as a Masc of center womxn, while sharing my newfound confidence with my community.
Sammie James / she or they / 32 / my home after a recent hair cut
This butch trans woman stand up comedian is tired, it’s been a long rough year for me just like it has for a lot of people but I’m happy to be here and a little hopeful for what the rest of this year has in store, I’ve never been a big pride celebration person but I find myself craving it recently. I am craving connection with my community and look forward to spending time with them once again.
Joanna / she/her / 32 / Fredericksburg, Virginia
I’m looking forward to participating in my small town’s Pride celebration this year. I am really glad to be fully vaccinated and I’m really glad that my region has pre-pandemic covid rates. It will be great to see friends at Pride and to meet new people. I’m really looking forward to it.
Shaza / She/They / Cairo, Egypt
This is my first pride out to most of my friends. Where I come from being out isn’t very common and mostly never celebrated, so this is my way of celebrating in a way. Autostraddle has always been a comfort for me as a queer TV fanatic. Thank you 😊
Be Part of Autostraddle’s Pride 2021 Gallery!
Hello, dear queers! It’s June 11, can you even believe? When your intrepid Autostraddle editors were thinking about Pride, and what we’ve missed this past year, we all landed on one certain thing: SEEING OUR COMMUNITY. Which is to say: seeing you!
This year Pride feels strange, to say the least, and we’re working to bring you the most honest rendering of this month we possibly can. One of the things we really wanted to highlight? You, being you. So that’s what we’re asking for. Please send a photo of yourself to be featured in our Autostraddle Pride 2021 reader gallery, which will publish at the end of this month. It doesn’t have to be fancy; it doesn’t have to be filled with rainbows. We just want to see you, right now, as you are, taking up space, being here, being queer, existing.
Incase you needed some inspiration, here are some photos from our staff members that fit the vibe of this gallery perfectly:
Shelli, Abeni, Dani, Ro, Rachel, and Nicole showing us how it’s done
Okay, let’s make a Pride 2021 Gallery!
Gallery Theme: Pride 2021
Instructions
1. Take a nice picture of yourself. That’s it! You’re you! You exist! Here’s a photo.
Photos should be between 1024-3024 pixels wide so they’ll look nice on a full screen. Please don’t send anything smaller than 1024 pixels wide.
2. Send your picture and info to me at vanessa@autostraddle.com with the subject PRIDE 2021 GALLERY. Copy/paste this mini form into your email and fill in the blanks with your info!
NAME / PRONOUNS* / AGE* / PHOTO’S LOCATION
Details*: Tell me a bit about where you’re at, what you’re feeling, how Pride lands for you this year, etc.
*Optional but cool.
I reserve the right to edit your sentence/s for length or spelling errors. Your photo will appear in a full screen gallery on Autostraddle.com and might be used on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter) to promote the gallery. If you don’t want your photo to appear on social media, please make a note of that with your submission. You reserve full rights to your photo. Photos will not be used to promote anything other than this exact gallery, and will not be used in any other future post.
Deadline: Monday, June 21, 2021
FAQ
1. What is Pride?
Honestly, fuck if I know. What I know is that for Autostraddle’s Queer IRL 2021 Pride Gallery, I want to see you, right now. Existing.
2. What is a queer person?
You.
3. Do you want us to be in the photo?
I do, yes! You gotta be in the photo because that is indeed the point!
4. How sexy can we get here? Also tell me about your nudity policy.
We shan’t show nipples, genitalia, or simulated or actual sex. Sex toys or nude art are totally permitted.
Deadline: June 21, 2020
Leave your questions in the comments! Happy Pride, I’m so looking forward to seeing you in this gallery.
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer Right Here in Quarantine
Welcome to Queer IRLQueer IRL, an Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little moments of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2020.
We promised you a Queer IRL revival gallery if you could get us to $25k in our fundraiser, and boy howdy did you EVER. This gallery series first began in 2017, when it felt like we all really needed to see each other, see that we weren’t alone, weren’t as singular. (It also served as inspiration for bookshelf organization, bedroom decor, kitchen looks, vacation ideas and new pet names.) Truly can’t think of a better time to bring it back around than during a worldwide quarantine!
You’re a vast and varied group, but one thing you have in common, besides reading Autostraddle, is that you’re fucking BEAUTIFUL. I love all of you and your supportive cats, your newly adopted dogs, your newly minted U-hauls, your kitchen thirst traps, your unborn babies (!!), your exhaustion, your drive, your Zooms, your WHOLE DAMN DEALS. It was an absolute joy to put this gallery together — so much so, in fact, that I’ll be doing another one this summer! Thank you to everyone who participated, donated, joined A+, and shared the good word. We’ve said it once and we’ll say ten thousand time: we could not be doing this work without your support! xoxox
And now please enjoy Queer Right Here in Quarantine!
Chloe, Dexter, Kaya / she ᛫ they / 25.75 / Parent’s House, Alabama
“Thankful to have more fresh air and green than usually in NYC. Grateful we are safe and healthy and that my med school is online for now.”
Emma and Puck / she ᛫ they, he / 30,5 / Office
“I will write a PhD thesis (!) and Puck will check it’s good.”
Jay / they / 25 / Portland, OR
“I took this on the Spring Equinox; a day I celebrated the flowers around my neighborhood and walked around feeling comforted by the presence of growth. I took a few more walks, but 5 days later, I began to feel COVID-19 symptoms. I’m recovering now but not enough to be able to go outside yet. I miss the flowers, the trees, the view of the Willamette River from where the geese gather, and the oregano plant I dug into an isolated patch of grass but haven’t been able to check on since. I cannot wait to go back outside. I am still in bed but a part of my heart is still right there by that tree.”
Virginia and Inès / she, she / 138, 23 / London, England and Voiron, France
“All it took for this to happen was a few days of isolation with my copy of The Complete Works of Virginia Woolf and my poor mental health. By the way, the previous sentence contains a zeugma, which is a pretty cool figure of speech if you ask me.”
Nell / they / 27 / New York
“This was taken on a hike with two very dear and queer friends, Charlotte and Caleb! They introduced me to a queer youth camp that I started volunteering at in August 2018, and that’s where I’ve found my best community. (Also RIP to the flip flops I’m wearing here, they were 10 years old and fell apart at the end of the trail.)”
K. Renatus (K. R.) / they / 24 / Chicago, IL
“My fur-son was down to cuddle for purr-cisely the time it took for the first two photos to be taken- by the third, he was over it.”
Ar / 22 / North BC, Canada
“Pictured in my natural habitat – a pile of garbage and poison. Luckily I cut steel in the middle of nowhere for a living so I’m still allowed to work, but I sure miss places that aren’t my house or this abandoned mill!””
Miriam / she / 18 / Cambridge, Ontario, Canada
“Pictured at my dining room table turned desk, minutes after submitting my final project for my first year of architecture school, featuring the remains of the orange that kept me going in the final hours. I’ll be leaving for home (Toronto) in two days, a very unexpected and abrupt ending. No beautiful lighting or photogenic outfit but a very very real reality.”
Amelia / 31 / she · they / 31 / Louisville, KY
“I made my kitchen into a mask factory-I put my phone on my oven to take this picture. I’m trying to catch up on penpal letters, too. I had a happy hour earlier with my queer virtual co-working space friends and then went for a walk to look at the full moon. Tomorrow I’ll try to call the unemployment office again. It’s been mind-bending to feel so connected and so lonely at the same time.”
Ellie / she / 35 / Paris, France
QUEER IRL PHOTO GALLERY: PRIDE!
This post is sponsored by HBO and Gentleman Jack.
Welcome to Queer IRL, an occasional Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2019.
It’s Pride month; have you heard? Have you danced in the streets, wearing a rainbow flag, surrounded by topless women, shouting your queerness and here-ness, maybe honking a horn or ringing a bell? Here’s hoping! Below you’ll find 50 LGBTQ+ humans who sent in photos of themselves at past Prides and shared a story about why these specifics pictures are special to them. Good luck making it through without crying!
Feel free to share your own photos in the comments.
Ciera / Atlanta, GA / 2018
I tried to get my parents to come to Atlanta’s Pride Parade with me for years, but our schedules never lined up. This year, they made it a priority to meet up and celebrate with me. We danced in the streets for hours and racked up on tons of candy, beads, and coupons to local businesses. This picture is important because it shows a queer black woman from the south being loved on by her family.
Chelsea Amato + Mister Softee Truck / New York, NY / 2018
Rachael / Inside My Apartment, Chicago, IL / 2018
This post-Pride-Parade mirror selfie makes me smile, and not just because I’m wearing a friggin rainbow cape and giant feminist/queer buttons. I’d just moved to the city ten days ago after feeling lonely and isolated in the suburbs for over a decade, and couldn’t wait to feel like a part of the queer community. Unfortunately, the power nap I was about to take lasted about five hours too long and I wound up missing the Chicagostraddlers’ beach meet-up, but it was definitely an amazing weekend anyway!
Brittany / Madrid, Spain / 2017
Madrid Pride is already typically the largest pride event in Europe with roughly two million participants each year, but in 2017 Madrid also hosted WorldPride — making it the largest pride event in the world. I’d never been to a large pride event before (just some local parades and bars) so this was kind of baptism by fire. WorldPride is like the Olympics of Pride events with entire countries passing by waving their own rainbow flags. I feel like this could have made the whole thing too corporate, too male (as Prides notably often are), or too much of a street party for straight people (which Madrid Pride often is). But when the preceding 15 months included the attacks in Brussels, Orlando, Nice, and Manchester, WorldPride Madrid felt like the protest it should have been: fuck the fear, we will be here and loud and proud and visible together.
Robin Tatlow-Lord / Adelaide, South Australia / 2018
2018 was my first real Pride and for me it was all about bi visibility and flamboyance! I might have gone a bit extra extra to compensate for my gorgeous partner / portable closet. We had lovely pals to walk with including my beautiful friend who was extremely pregnant! I had other queers ask me about the bi colours — and black-clad teenagers thank me for wearing them and being visible.
Sam Tett / Bloomington, IN / 2017
This was my first ever Pride (I’m on the right), so it was meaningful for that reason. I also met this woman, (whom I only knew as Ari) during a block party. She was in one of the bands. We bopped around together for the entire day. People assumed we were a couple. I did not correct them.
Leora Spitzer / St. Louis, MO / 2015
This was my very first Pride, just two days after the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage. The whole crowd was euphoric. There were wedding vendors on every corner, and there were blissful newlyweds all over the place. It was one month after I had ended a two-year relationship with the boy I thought I’d marry and one week after my queer older sibling’s not-a-wedding celebration with their partner, one week since I had a kissed a beautiful woman at dusk by a lake and began to consider that maybe “queer” was a word that could describe me, too. After years of dismissing and diminishing my attraction to women, of calling myself “mostly straight,” this photo marks the first time that I said out loud, to myself and to the world, “I am here and I am queer.”
Ashleigh Mierau / Philadelphia, PA / 2018
Pride with my friend CJ is important to me because they were the first close queer friendship I’ve had. Over the last two years we have both embraced more fully our sexualities, gender, and how we choose to dress/look — in part thanks to the support of each other. This Pride happened shortly after I went to A-Camp for the first time, which inspired my Be Steadwell lyric shirt I made: it says “Let’s go home and have gay sex, we’ll do it for the President.” CJ’s shirt says “Don’t assume my gender.” I was riding a queer high! There is nothing better in this world than the love and support of queer relationships!
Sench / San Francisco, CA / 2015
My wife, Rion, and I took our son, River, to Pride in San Francisco where he was born and where we lived for eight years. We got a great spot in front of my then-office where I was able to borrow a ladder. Rion captured one of my favorite pictures that completely exemplifies being a parent. We don’t live in SF anymore, but for sure left our hearts there.
Veronica Barnes / St. Louis, MO / 2018
This is me at last year’s Pride with two very good friends (I’m in the middle, but still the third wheel) and my nine-year-old son. My son and I go to STL pride every year we can make it! It’s a huge tradition for us.
Jess / Northampton, MA / 2019
This is a picture of my best Valley friend QueenE at Northampton Pride May 2019. QueenE and I are femme sisters forever. Her Taurus-season Pride tradition involves drinking mimosas in the streets. I bought Prosecco at the Pride gas station from queers who couldn’t get the day off.
Vanessa / Portland, OR / 2018
Both these photos are from Pride in Portland, OR last year. I’m with my friends Courtney and Binky, I’m wearing a shirt I screen printed specifically for the occasion that reads PULL MY HAIR AND TELL ME I’M PRETTY, and I am very definitely living my best life. To me the best part of being queer is community. It sounds cliche but I’m very sincere. My friends are my everything. Our community is my family. These pride pictures bring me joy because they remind me that there are so many different ways to love, so many different ways to connect, so many different ways to create family, and really, so many different ways to care for each other. Happy Pride, my loves. I love you all for forever.
Cassandra Schwartz / Seattle, WA / 2016
This was my first time at a Pride event ever, I spent the day walking the parade in the Google contingent with my boyfriend (who works there) and his wife. I was so excited. I’m not normally super artistic, but I spent an afternoon designing and making my Pansexual Pride shirt, because I couldn’t find one to buy that resonated with me, and I even made sure my lips matched. I love this photo because it’s so obvious that I felt proud, cute and very fierce.
Madeleine Rossanese / San Francisco, CA / 2018
Madeleine, Sam, and Henley in love at Dyke March in Dolores Park.
Lyn White / Baltimore, MD / 2018
Sarah and I have been together for 16 years but 2018 pride was extra special — it was our first pride together as a married couple.
Jenny Eastwood / Big Gay Out, Auckland, New Zealand / 2019
These photos are special because it was my first Pride out as a single, bisexual woman. My first pride since exiting a five-year toxic relationship with my ex-girlfriend and I have worked super hard on rebuilding friendships and my relationship with myself since then. I felt so good at this Pride, so comfortable within myself and so secure in my friendships with such beautiful people. Not only am I proud to be a strong, bisexual woman but I’m proud of how far I’ve come. This felt like a monumental moment in my personal growth.
Hannah / Honolulu, HI / 2018
This is the only selfie I took, but I love it because I had just seen a bi Pride flag and the joy of that is on my face. This Pride is special because: 1) it was the first Pride I’d ever been to, and 2) I was there despite having a huge fight with my husband about going. I’d come out to him as bisexual about six months prior and he was still angry at me. We were in Honolulu for an unrelated professional meeting, I wanted to go to Pride, he was angry, I went anyway. He regularly gave me shit about going ever since. But there’s a happy ending: a month ago, I moved states and initiated a divorce and am super ready to move on with my life, being myself, and many more Prides!
Adèle Toutant / Montréal, Québec / 2017
2017 was my first Pride, oddly enough! With our rights being trampled and our safety on the line, I really felt the need to be seen, and heard, and counted ! So I did some volunteer work during Community Day for my social group, Les Chouettes. It was great fun. Here I am hanging out with our group’s owlish mascot, because “chouette” means owl, but also it means “awesomely terrific person.” Which we are!
Allison / Chișinău, Moldova / 2019
This is me and my best friend. We are Peace Corps volunteers in Moldova. Pride is the one day of the year we get to walk the streets of Moldova safely as out queer people. Due to a culture of homophobia and discrimination, Pride is a protest, also known as Marșul Solidarității (The Solidarity March). This is my second year marching and also the second year the march has ever reached the end without an emergency security evacuation! The safety precautions taken (a police barricade, evacuation buses, etc) were jarring but a meaningful reminder of the privileges I have at pride events in the U.S. This year’s campaign was “sunt ok cu mine, nu sunt ok cu ura” (I am okay with me, I am not okay with hate).
Dani Thomas / New York, NY / 2015
My fiancée, Kelsey, and I met on OkCupid so when their group was marching past us at our first NYC Pride together, my brunch mimosas encouraged me to shout my gratitude and ask if we could take a photo with them. I expected the marcher in the logo T-shirt to be in the photo and maybe a couple of others who were nearby when we caught them but when I saw this result with over a dozen members from their team gleefully joining behind us in celebration in a matter of seconds, I was overcome with happiness. This was the Pride that coincided with the Supreme Court ruling for marriage equality nationwide, so the feeling of joy and love in the air was almost palpable that day.
Alex & Jennings / Chicago, IL / 2003 & 2017
Jennings was the first human I met at college in the only moment of extroversion I’ve ever had. In 2003 we were baby 19-year-olds at our first Pride Parade where I turned down an advance from a girl because I still thought I was straight. In the years that followed, we had a lot of ups and downs but we always found our way back to each other. When I came out of the closet, Jennings was the first human I told. When he ended up in the ER after his boyfriend dumped him, I slept all night in a chair by his bed. He’s the one I process my heartbreak with, the person I called when I landed my dream job. In 2017 we marched in the Parade together representing Chicago Public Library. And if that isn’t a ‘look-at-where-we-are, look-at-where-we-started’ moment, then I don’t know what is.
Taylor / Columbus, OH / 2018
This is my girlfriend at her first ever Pride! Idk she’s pretty and I love her and I need everyone to know that.
Angela Paniccia / New York, NY / 2018
I have attended the NYC Pride parade every year since 2010. What started as a secret rendezvous to NYC, my best friend and I on the edges of the parade, quickly morphed into my favorite weekend of the year. I came out to my two older sisters (pictured — middle: Gina, right: Andrea) around 2010, and the 2018 Pride parade was the first year year we celebrated together. Standing by my side in the hot New York City sun, this picture represents how very loved, accepted and celebrated I am.
Sofia Peña and Nadia Casaperalta / Mcallen, TX / 2018
This was the first Pride I attended with both my ten-year-old daughter and my partner of two years. It’s been such an eventful and sometimes painful journey to get to my truest self, but coming out as lesbian to the world was the most freeing thing I’ve ever done. At this Pride event, it was the first time she met a drag queen, and she was immediately enamored. There was also an art installation of rainbow doors that said “God’s doors are open to all.” It felt like an important thing for my daughter to see. We live in a conservative area where being spiritual but not churchgoing (which describes our family) is frowned upon enough already, and then having two moms? That’s a lot for a child to process, not to mention for other kids and their parents. But our daughter has processed it in such a natural and enthusiastic manner, better than I could have ever imagined. I know it’s because she’s surrounded by love, and we are so proud.
Riese Bernard / New York, NY / 2009
A few months after Autostraddle’s launch we marched with the “Gay Bloggers.” I told everybody to wear cargo shorts but barely anybody did what I told them to do, which was good preparation for the rest of my career with these weirdos!
I know this is the part where I talk about that Pride but I think we’ve talked about that Pride a lot so instead I wanna talk about a different Pride that’s very relevant to that Pride. I lived in the West Village in the summer of 2004, and I went to the Parade by myself. I took pictures? I think I felt weird being alone there and if I was taking pictures all the people who were surely tracking my every move would know I was there as a photographer, not a homosexual. As you can see from the photo on the right there, I was really framing my shots and doing important work.
Great picture taken by me at Pride 2004??
Earlier that week, I’d emailed my former roommate from boarding school to ask if she was coming to the area for Pride ’cause I lived there and you know, maybe we could meet up? We’d processed our initial girl-on-girl experiences together in high school and now she was fully gay and I was … not. She was marching with the Lesbian Herstory Archives, and was down to meet up. She was waiting for me on the corner with some friends, and she was dressed like a boy with a short spiky haircut and I was wearing (I still remember) a yellow and pink t-shirt, pink sandals and a denim mini-skirt, an outfit I’d chosen to look as heterosexual as possible (which yes, I now realize was not a thing), but as soon as I was with her and her friends I wished I was wearing pants. I barely recognized her. We walked with her friends to their apartment in the Lower East Side to smoke weed and drink beer on the roof. It was so hot. Then we walked to Meow Mix only to learn that it’d already shut down, one of the first big Lesbian Bar Closings of the Lesbian Bar Closing Era. From there I think I just went home, and they went back to Brooklyn.
I tell you this story because it was weird, five years later, to have gone from somebody taking pictures from the sidelines to justify my own presence to somebody marching in the actual parade, posing with my entire team for my weird gay website while someone else took our picture. Not weird, really. Cool? It was cool.
Jessica Schanzer / Austin, TX / 2018
I moved to Austin after experiencing a “quarter life crisis.” I was hungry for a fresh start in a new (more queer) city where I could be myself not feel stifled. Uprooting the life I built for myself was terrifying, but I was determined to make it work. This photo is special because it was taken during my first Austin Pride, and it’s with my best friend Katie (aka my trusty leash holder). We clicked instantly the day we met, and I could not have asked for a better partner in ATX crime. Also we look 🔥.
Casey McCullough / San Francisco, CA / 2018
I attended my first SF Pride with two dear friends. We loved dressing up all kinds of gay, meeting new queers, and celebrating love/resisting rainbow capitalism and far-right fascism. Here to do it again this year!
Be Part of Autostraddle’s 2019 Pride Gallery
Bringing back our Queer IRL series for Trans Day of Visibility was such a success we’ve decided to keep the excitement going by putting together a community gallery for Pride! This year’s Pride month is an extra special one because it’s the 50th anniversary of Stonewall — and, of course, because it’s as vital as ever for us to assemble and be visible and stand and shout together as we march through the streets declaring our presence and pleasure at being part of the LGBTQ+ community.
Instructions
1. Send 1-2 high quality photos of you at any Pride you’ve attended and want to highlight to me at heather@autostraddle.com with the subject AUTOSTRADDLE PRIDE GALLERY. Copy/paste this mini form into your email and fill in the blanks with your info!
NAME / PRIDE LOCATION / PRIDE YEAR
Include a short paragraph explaining what we need to know about this Pride, like who’s with you and why it was special to you and why it makes you proud to share it.
Your email should look like this:
Santana Lopez / Lima, Ohio / 2016
My wife, Brittney, and I had been celebrating Pride by banging our drums in NYC’s Dyke March every year since we got married, but this was the year we returned to our hometown to join Lima’s very first Pride parade. (Official first Pride parade, I should say; every day of my life at McKinley High was some kind of Pride Parade or another. What makes this photo extra special is we didn’t know Brittney was pregnant with our daughter, Quinn Pierce-Lopez, at the time. Also, I just look extra hot.
Please keep your submission to 1-2 images only, and from only one celebration. I know it’s hard to pick just one event, and maybe even harder to choose just one photo, but it’s important! Thank you for understanding!
I reserve the right to edit your sentence/s for length or spelling errors. Your photo will appear in a full screen gallery on Autostraddle.com — the main site, not A+ — and might be used on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr) to promote the gallery. If you don’t want your photo to appear on social media, please make a note of that with your submission. You reserve full rights to your photo.
Deadline: May 24, 2019
FAQ
1. What is Pride?
Pride is a gathering in a city or a town where LGBTQ people assemble and host parades and dance and wear flags representing their identities and occasionally day-drink and just celebrate the fuck out of being who we are.
2. What is a queer person for the purposes of this post?
Queer people are lesbians, bisexuals, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks.
3. What if there were straight people at my Pride and therefore in my photo?
Listen, straight people are everywhere, and trying to keep them out of photos is like herding cats. I understand. Don’t worry if your photo includes one or more straight people, as long as it also has some queers!
4. How sexy can we get here? Also tell me about your nudity policy.
We shan’t show nipples, genitalia, or simulated or actual sex. Sex toys or nude art are totally permitted.
5. Wow, this is so cool; I wish there was a way y’all could make some money off of it!
Well, friend, thank you! And guess what: HBO is sponsoring this gallery to celebrate Gentleman Jack! So, in fact, we are making money off it, which will help us to continue to survive in this dire media landscape.
Leave your questions in the comments!
Trans Day of Visibility: An Autostraddle Community Photo Gallery
Welcome to Queer IRL, an Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives.
The first celebration of the (now International) Trans Day of Visibility happened on March 31, 2009. Activist Rachel Crandall started the holiday because she noticed a lack of holidays celebrating transgender success. The day seeks to honor the accomplishments of transgender and gender non-conforming folks, while also highlighting that there is still real work to be done to save trans lives.
It is unfortunate that most news produced about trans folks, especially trans women, centers on our deaths or harassment. Our stories contain far more than our deaths. We want to be celebrated in our lives. And so, ladies, theydies, and gentlequeers, that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Almost 100 of you amazing humans sent me pictures of your faces and sent me words that made me very emotional! You and your high-quality images stole all the space in my hard drive and also my heart! I’m so excited to share you with the world!
So world, here we are, Trans Straddlers, visible and proud!
Kitson Smyth / 24 #ariesbabe / NYC / He/They
Instagram / Finstagram / Venmo (Help me save up for top surgery pls!!)
I love being a nonbinary trans human. I love existing in my truth and giving no fucks about binary views of gender. Being visible and seeing my friends and loved ones be visible too fills with so much joy that the folks I love and I are living authentic, beautiful, messy, complex, fun lives.
Jesse Campbell / 26 / Vancouver, CANADA
I love the physical and mental strength I now possess. Before transitioning I felt like I was dragging myself through the world. Now I can carry myself. A weight has been lifted, and carrying that weight for so long has made me stronger. I can admit I’m genuinely happy. No reservations or excuses. I love the perspective and experience I have gained. I love supporting my trans family. I love my trans partner. I love watching myself grow into the best version of myself.
Terra Fox / 34 / Albuquerqe, New Mexico
Trans is beautiful… like flowers, we blossom and fearlessly show our delicate and colorful selves to a dangerous world. Like flowers, we are resilient. We can grow anywhere, from the cracks in the concrete of cities to deserts and mountaintops where the air is thin. By simply existing, we make this world a more beautiful place. My body is a flower. My body is beautiful.
Eli / 27 / he/him/they/them / Zürich, Switzerland
I am visible because I want to show that I can be trans and thrive. So much of what we associate transness with is sadness – transphobia, rejection, mental health struggles, the politicization of our bodies, and worse. The experience of being trans – the privilege of transitioning – has been hard but also joyous. I’m developing a relationship with my own body for the first time in my life, I’m happier and more at ease at work and with friends, and I’ve experienced support and love from so many places. I hope that maybe in some way my visibility and my happiness can stand in contrast to the negatives and contribute towards a different kind of trans narrative.
Martha Greaves / Brooklyn, NY / She, Her, Zer
Trans Radical Rational/e / GNZ Kennedy
Since being visible it’s like I’ve unearthed this dormant superpower. I can actually plan for the future as my true self and who knew, I’m actually am not a slacker.
Jack / 23 / San Diego / he/him
It took me a long time to love and embrace my masculinity, I think in large part because the shows I grew up watching and the queer media I consumed starred very feminine women, painting the picture in my young queer mind that femininity was much more desirable than butchness and masculinity. Ever since I came out two years ago, though, I’ve worked every day to learn to love and enjoy my masculinity, which in turn has allowed me to enjoy my femininity so much more. I love that gender expression feels like a playground now, not a performance; when I paint my nails, wear briefs, pick out a new crop top, put on men’s socks, or do a million other little things, these everyday victories grow my gender euphoria into a super bloom. It’s never been true that only feminine queer folks are attractive; my partner, a queer lady, finds me so much more attractive now that I look like myself.
simcha / 20 / pnw / they/them/theirs
I love finding shared understanding and love in being trans, I love working to shape myself into My Self, I love watching my lil mustache hairs grow and feeling a little more okay within myself. I love the strength that I’ve grown to recognize within myself as I embrace who I am.
Willow / 31 / Boston / She
Transitioning saved my life, I really wouldn’t be here otherwise. I love that I still manage to freak out conservatives by existing. I love that the horrible pain of feeling utterly alone and alien in this world made me more empathetic to others existing outside the norm. I love that when I meet another trans person we can feel like lost nomads finding each other in the desert. We can exchange just a few words but stare deeply into each other’s souls. I’ve been on hormones for 5 years now. I’m still a fairly unhappy person, but I’ve moved on to being unhappy about new things, which is a sort of progress. I love you.
Lena + Kate / 27 + 28 / Columbus, OH / they/them/theirs
Lena’s IG / Kate’s IG / Lena’s Twitter / Kate’s Twitter
From Lena: For me, being genderqueer is all about authenticity. Without the constraint of trying to be something I’m not by fitting into norms and expectations that I do not actually believe in, I’ve become free to truly know and express myself. I love being sure of myself and confident in my identity regardless of how people perceive me. But the greatest joy of trans visibility is getting to be the person I needed to see when I was younger—out and thriving!
And having an incredible partner who is also trans means that the person I love the most doesn’t require me to justify or explain who I am—we resonate with one another in so many ways, and shared identity is one. As illegible as I often am to strangers, no one has ever read me more clearly than Kate does. Plus, what’s cuter than one non-binary person? TWO non-binary people kissing!
Alexis / 25 / East Coast / they/them
One of my favorite things about being trans is giving myself room to learn more and more about myself every day. I used to be so angry with myself for not being a good enough girl, for being so bad at being a girl, and when I realized I’m not a girl (I am a black girl though), it made me able to handle myself more gently to work with my body more softly. Being trans has shown me who to trust with my most important things and who to maybe keep at a bit of a distance even if I still love them (I have a HORRIBLE time with this because I want to believe we’re all just doing the best for one another – some may call this mindset naive – and it’s like not fun finding out this isn’t true). Whenever I talk about my pronouns and I see who is taking me seriously, when I see them putting what I’ve shared about myself into appropriate action, then I can better understand who is in my corner. And even my inability to come out to certain people lets me know that my body knows something that I otherwise probably want to ignore, which I appreciate because for so long I made sure to ignore my body and what it told me. Basically, being trans makes me happier to live and more intentional in how I go through life and love others and love myself, and after feeling closer to dead for a long time, I’m really enjoying (for the most part) being alive.
Quinn + Nate / 28 + 26 / Portland, OR / they/them + he/him
From Quinn: There are a million things I love about being trans, but one of the biggest is the joy of trans friendships! The strength and celebration and pure magic of sharing life with my trans loves is one of the sweetest things I’ve ever known.
Bennett Cunningham/ 33 / from the USA, currently in Taipei, Taiwan / They/Them
Being an out genderqueer person is amazing. Allowing other people to see me is freeing. I love not feeling alone in who I am and how I relate to the world. The more open I have become, the more I meet other people who share similar feelings, the closer I feel to the people that I care about because I am not holding back anymore.
JP / 25 / Durham, NC / they/them
I love being trans because of the people I’m in community with as the facilitator of a nonbinary discussion group. I’m proud to have helped create a space that folks keep returning to. I feel conflicted about visibility but one thing I do love about it as a nonbinary person is making others question their own gender/s and gender itself. I also love being on HRT. I didn’t just go on hormones for the tits, but like I didn’t not do it for the tits. They’re great.
Penny R. / 47 / Victoria BC, Canada / she/her
While I don’t love that it took me until age 46 to come out, I am all the way out now – I’m finally coming out at work this week – and I love it. I am finally having gender euphoria. I love being seen as myself. I love not having to curate every little visible detail of my life so nobody will spot some clue and guess the truth. I love looking at my band’s new album and seeing my real name on it. I love not being afraid of everyone around me. I love that I feel like I can finally care about myself now that it’s finally my life and doesn’t feel like someone else’s. I love the feeling of finally being FREE. Also I love having boobs (They’re not big, but they’re real…and they’re spectacular – to me anyway).
Anna / 37 / Green Bay, WI / She, Her
One of the most important ways I’m visible as a trans woman is to myself. I didn’t always recognize the person in the mirror, and some days are still hard like that. As such, I’m incredibly grateful for all the moments of clarity and joy when I feel most like ‘me’.
I took this photo one evening when I felt particularly comfortable in my skin, and I appreciate the chance to share what everyday bits of trans happiness look like for me.
Ade Anderson / 24 / Ft. Worth, TX / they/he
Instagram / Twitter / GoFundMe for Top Surgery / Paypal / Cash app
Being trans is so much a part of my growth as a person and as a Christian. I love the way I have to be aware of my body, and how it relates to other bodies. My transness reminds me that we can’t survive without community, and that’s the most important lesson I think any of us will ever learn.
Sage / 26 / Ontario / they/he
I love my tiny, ridiculous moustache. I love my voice. I love writing about my transition and sharing that writing with other trans, non-binary, gender nonconforming, and questioning folks. Seeing others like myself existing in the world helped me so much with my transition and I aspire to return the favour.
Samson / 24 / Brooklyn,NY / They/them
I love being trans because I love getting to be my true and authentic self. I love the outlook that I have developed from my experiences, both good and bad, using those experiences in my art and teaching. I love being a part of a large and diverse community, and being a positive role model for young trans people.
Mel Ferrara / 25 / Philly / they/them/theirs
“I began to feel the pleasure of the weightless state between here and there” – Leslie Feinberg.
Isabella Marabeth Cavatica / 23 / Central Minnesota / Fae/Faer/Faers/Faerself
With hormones, I’ve gone from introverted to extroverted. My hips have filled out, my boobs are awesome, and looking in the mirror I see me. I am a beautiful giantess with the heart of a poet. I’m a crunchy witch with hair like the tangled roots of a tree, an appetite like a black hole, and all the joy of the sun. I am me, and it’s wonderful.
Be Part of Autostraddle’s Trans Day of Visibility Gallery!
feature image © Molly Adams for Autostraddle
Here at Autostraddle, we love seeing real-life queers, aka you! We’ve done Queer IRL galleries about your pets, your jobs, and you having a blast on vacation. Gosh, y’all are so cool, it’s honestly overwhelming. And now, because we love being overwhelmed by how cool you are, it’s time for another Queer IRL gallery, this time for Trans Day of Visibility.
Too often, trans folks are relegated to remembrance after their lives have ended. Trans Day of Visibility (TDOV) is a day to combat that: to celebrate us and our lives while we’re living them. So! This TDOV, we want to see you and we want to celebrate you! Trans straddlers, it is our time to ✨✨SHINE✨✨
Instructions
1. Send your high quality picture and info to me at alaina@autostraddle.com with the subject TDOV GALLERY. Copy/paste this mini form into your email and fill in the blanks with your info!
NAME / AGE* / LOCATION* / PRONOUNS* / LINKS TO YOUR WORK/SOCIAL MEDIA/PATREON/VENMO/ETC. ETC. (LET US SUPPORT YOU!!!).
*Optional.
Include a short paragraph about what you love about yourself or your transness. What about visibility enriches your life? What are the ways that being trans fills you with joy!
Your email should look like this:
Coach Beiste / The Gym / Lima, OH / PATREON.COM/COACHBEISTE
I love everything about being trans. I love the way my muscles have filled out. I love my facial hair. I love being seen and respected and loved as the person I am. I love that I don’t feel like I’m hiding anymore.
I reserve the right to edit your sentence/s for length or spelling errors. Your photo will appear in a full screen gallery on Autostraddle.com — the main site, not A+ — and might be used on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr) to promote the gallery. If you don’t want your photo to appear on social media, please make a note of that with your submission. You reserve full rights to your photo. Photos will not be used to promote anything other than this exact gallery, and will not be used in any other future post.
Deadline: March 28, 2019
FAQ
1. What is a trans person?
Trans people are binary and non-binary people who do not identify with the gender or sex they were assigned at birth. Trans people are not cisgender.
2. What if there are cis people photo?
Listen, cis people are everywhere, and trying to keep them out of photos is like herding cats. I understand. Don’t worry if your photo includes one or more cis people, as long as it features you, a trans person!!
2. What if I don’t do anything cool?
Hey, are you alive? That’s pretty damn cool and I want to celebrate you!
4. How sexy can we get here? Also tell me about your nudity policy.
We shan’t show nipples, genitalia, or simulated or actual sex. Sex toys or nude art are totally permitted.
Deadline: March 28, 2019
Leave your questions in the comments! Share this call with your friends!
QUEER IRL PHOTO GALLERY: Queers in Celebration!
Welcome to Queer IRL, an Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
So far this year, we’ve showcased queers doing a number of cool and beautiful things, like standing in their kitchens, being outdoors, holding a goat, reading books, and taking vacations. This gallery you’re about to stroll through is dedicated to queers celebrating, and it is GLORIOUS. We’re thrilled to be sharing it on the first annual It’s Great to Be Gay Day, while we celebrate just how wonderful it is to be our own gay selves! I hope you take some time to cheer yourself on today, and throw some confetti for your fellow queers. You’re not straight, you’re not boring, and you’re definitely not without a reason to CELEBRATE.
Claire, Izzy, Ella, Julia / 15 and 16 / Chelsea, NYC / June 2015
“In retrospect, we all agree that this was a day out in New York celebrating the fact that we all owned backpacks, and that we’d become the future members of a gay group chat even though only one of us was out at the time.”
Louisa / 21 / Graduation / Surrey, UK / 11th July 2017
“I graduated with a degree in English Literature this year! That was the second time that day I’d held that scepter. This chancellor man at my university spotted my kente cloth and asked if I was Ghanaian (I am). We got to talking and he let me hold the scepter as my class was waiting to graduate. I realised I was bisexual at university, just one of the reasons I’ll treasure the memories of my time there.”
Stuart, Tracey, Ashley, Max, Caroline, James / Celebrating Chewbacchus Parade / New Orleans, LA / Mardi Gras February 2017
Megan and Brenda / 24, 26 / WE GOT MARRIED! / Plymouth State University, Plymouth NH / July 29, 2017
“These pictures were taken on our wedding day at Plymouth State University. Brenda and I are both alums of the college, and wanted to get hitched in the place we fell in love. We were blessed to be joined by our biological AND chosen families, and many many queer friends, relatives, mentors, and community members. I love these pictures because it shows off our beautiful campus, and are thankful beyond words for our (large) bridal parties. Photo cred to another PSU alum, Nina Weinstein Photography.”
Tina, Julie, Phoebe / Tina and Julie’s Wedding / The Mount Washington, Lake Winnipesaukee / June 6, 2009
“Julie and I had wanted to get married since the day we met at nun school in 2000. Feel free to insert any irreverent joke…we have heard and laughed at them all! On June 6, 2009 we had a Civil Union ceremony on The Mount Washington (the boat not the hill) on Lake Winnipesaukee. It was an amazing day. Our daughter, Phoebe, celebrated with us – rocking on the dance floor with her aunties and uncles until the wee hours of the morning. We received our free upgrade to a marriage certificate a few months later.”
Little Mole (AKA Rous Rose), Fellow Animals, Narrator, Human Sound Effects Machine / 20, 22, 9, 27, 8 / Limburg, Belgium / 2017
“For my mother’s birthday, a few (chosen) family members and I decided to create a stage adaptation of one of her favourite children’s books: ‘The Story of the Little Mole Who Went in Search of Whodunit’. The resulting theatrical masterpiece lasted four entire minutes and involved people playing many different parts (TatMas-ing, if you will), tripping over props, lots and lots of fake poop, George Clooney (played by yours truly), and one very delighted mother.
Weirdly enough, we never heard back from the Tonys.”
Mary and Ellie / We Eloped! / Charlottesville, Virginia / May 2017
“We went into the woods and cast a queer wedding spell with poetry, rings, and our sweet pups Wulfe and Nigel.”
Abbie, Cassidy, Garrett, Megan, Brenda, Eli, Katie / Megan and Brenda’s Wedding / Plymouth, NH / July 29th, 2017
“Megan and Brenda’s wedding was perfect, fun, and full of so much love. There were many highlights of the whole wedding weekend (Golf carts! My mom doing choreography from RuPaul’s Drag Race on the dance floor! Dabbing!) but the best part for me was getting to be in Megan’s super queer bridal party. The five of us (two queer boys, two queer girls, and one token straight woman) have been best friends with Megan for so long we’re basically family. I’m so happy she had us by her side when we welcomed her wife Brenda into our little family. Also peep us singing Ingrid Michaelson’s “You And I” at the reception featuring me with my guitar looking like I’m gonna play the next Lilith Fair. Photo Credit: Nina Weinstein Photography.”
Clara and Rebecca / 27, 28 / Getting Engaged / Stockholm Sweden / June 5, 2017
Misha, Emily, Ashlynn, Liz, and Emilie / Master’s Degree Capstone Presentation Celebration / Washington, DC / 2016
“This is our capstone group from graduate school, #TeamSpiceGirls. For the last hurdle to completing our master’s degrees in public policy and public administration, we had to present our capstone to professors and our cohort. This photo was taken after our presentation (which we rocked) so we went and got drinks to celebrate. The real party started when we decided to replicate a photo of the “real” Spice Girls. Our outfits are a little more modest, but the essence of the photo is spot on (I think).”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queers with Pets
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
Let me tell you a little something about yourself: you have really, really been looking forward to this gallery. Since like, January. Over 225 of you rolled up into my inbox with your furry/feather/gilled/planted pals! That’s so many. In fact, this is our largest gallery to date!
If you’re even barely considering adopting a new pet friend of your very own, I have to warn you: this gallery will for sure put you over the edge. Proceed with extreme caution.
Ok it’s time for pets!! Place a bet: how many goats do you think are in here?
Ariana and Archer / 25, 6 / Our Apartment in Los Angeles, CA
“I adopted Archer from the South LA Animal shelter in 2013. He was the derpiest looking cat I’d ever seen. He was so friendly and chose me. We’ve been inseparable every since. I say inseparable because he was most likely abandoned as a kitten and has separation anxiety…he needs to always be near me or touching me. I named him Archer because like Sterling Archer (from FX’s Archer) he’s a loud-mouth ladies man that is also a mama’s boy! He’s been there for me through a lot – death of a family member, moving, break-ups, new jobs – but he still manages to brighten my day with cuddles and quacks (his meow is so deep and raspy it sounds like a quack!) This photo is us in front of the portrait I got of him a Disneyland which you can apparently do if you bring in a photo.”
Liz and Harper / 32, 5 / Los Angeles, CA
“Four years ago I fostered Harper through a small dog rescue in LA. He was severely malnourished and had pneumonia. He only weighed three pounds! After three months of nursing him back to health, there was no way that I could part with this little nugget! He is my first ever dog and I am in love.
Harper came with his name but sometime I think I should have named him Napoleon. The best thing about him is that he is that he loves the outdoors and hiking as much as I do! Harper might be small but he is very active like his Momma. We enjoy dog beach visits, long walks, hikes, and morning cuddles. The weirdest thing about him is that he has crooked front legs and a goofy little run. Love my little man!”
Haley and Wilma / 34, 8 / Atlanta, GA
“Rescued from the Atlanta Humane Society in the sweltering heat of August 2010, Wilma was originally supposed to be a kitten. Fortunately, her owner fell in love with her striking green eyes and decided to take a chance on a grown-ass cat.
All gruff and no meow, she takes her summers in the hall closet, and winters under a quilt. Unlimited belly rubs are the norm, with no time limit ’til impending bites or scratches like ordinary cats. She likes hair bands, quarters, and milk caps, though not in that order. Never a playful cat, she will ignore toys for weeks on end then stay up playing with them on a three-night bender, foregoing sleep for the thrill of the hunt like her ancestors upon the savannah.”
Lisa, Sampson, and Kiernan / 40, 6 months, 24 / Houston, TX
“We got our pretty boy at Houston SPCA. He frequents roller derby bouts and is a very enthusiastic supporter!
*not pictured, cats Fritz (18), Gumdrops (6), Kiri (3), Korra (3), Lilith (1), and Ramona (~3 mo)”
Alex and Kiki / 23, 6 months / Denver, CO
“Kiki was found all alone in an alley by a friend. I saw her photo on their Facebook adoption post and just immediately knew she was supposed to be a part of my family. I’ve had her since she was only six weeks old! I love the film Kiki’s Delivery Service and couldn’t let go of the idea of naming my smoky grey cat after an adorable witch. Kiki loves her fancy cat food, Trader Joe’s knock-off Cheerios, destroying my plants and climbing up her favorite people to sit on their shoulder.”
Shannon and Sprinkle Dot / Tucson, AZ
“This is one of my cockatiels, Sprinkle Dot, at the adult spelling bee in Tucson, AZ wearing the diaper and flight harness that I sewed for her. She likes to ride along on my bicycle and hang out in trees at the park. My preschool-aged child named her and our other birds when they were naked chicks (not pictured: Cinnamon and Vanilla). We often take a bird with us when we go places. They’re very sweet and social. Instagram: @superfreshcandypants”
Coco and Dog Mary Oliver / 24, 4 / Brooklyn Bridge Park, NY
“This is my pup Dog Mary Oliver (nee Oreo), who goes by Ollie or DMO. I adopted her after moving to New York because I couldn’t survive grad school on glitter trash island without the “soft animal of [my] body.” That’s a line from Mary Oliver’s poem “Wild Geese.” Ollie was an owner surrender from the Manhattan ACC; her adoption fee was only $20.16 as part of an “elect to adopt” campaign. Because my lease technically didn’t allow dogs, I went with my partner at the time (also queer) and one of his dogs; we played the “co-habitiating couple” act. We met a dog I originally wanted, then I threw up at like 10 am on the street outside the East Harlem shelter, then we went inside and met Ollie. He signed all the papers, but I walked out with her. It was all very gay. Now I live in one of those New York apartments that’s 90% hall, and Ollie and I like to play this game where I jump and pretend like I’m going to chase her and she scrambles down the hall so fast she body slams into to the wall while turning the corner. I could go on or you could just follow her femme Aries adventures on Instagram @dogmaryoliver.”
Brigid and Elliot / 22, 2 / Louisville, KY
“I adopted Elliot from a shelter about a year ago; I fell in love with his chatty and cuddly personality! He loves attention and is a total lap cat. I love coming home from work and just spending time with him. In this picture we’re watching Star Trek: The Next Generation. He loves it and luckily I do too!”
Rebecca and Stella / 24, 3 / Charles Village, Baltimore, MD
“This is my beagle mix, Stella. I adopted her last July after finally moving into a place that allows dogs. She’s named after Gillian Anderson’s character in The Fall, but fun fact: if you name your very independent dog Stella, every trip to the dog park turns into A Streetcar Named Desire. Our favorite things to do together are go for long walks around Hampden in Baltimore and snuggle on the couch watching The X-Files. The best thing about Stella is that she’s very sweet and affectionate and loves every single human she’s ever met, and the weirdest thing about her is that her favorite treat is tortillas.”
Katy and Toby / 24, 3 / Denver, CO
“I adopted Toby from a shelter a little more than a year ago. The 110-pound mastiff/lab mix came into my care with the name Toby, and it suited him so well that I stuck with it. He’s very skilled at lying down and eating things off the counter. We love going on walks together and snuggling. Toby is known for his impressive drooling and relentless pursuit of squirrels, ducks, geese and rabbits.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer in the Stacks
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
You’re such a bunch of book people!! August’s theme was all about you and your favorite words on papers and the structures within which you keep them, and WOW. Lots of books, lots of cats and puppies, one baby, so many wives, so much organization! It’s all very impressive and inspiring, seriously. Oh, you’ll also got a lot of book recommendations out of this gallery. If you’re an Autostraddle regular, you know we have an affiliate account with Amazon, meaning we get a few cents for every dollar you spend there (when you use our link) regardless of what you buy. So do me a favor! If you’re an Amazon shopper and decide to buy any of the books you see here, use this link to get to Amazon’s homepage. Then, no matter what you decide to order, you’ll be helping to support this independent queer community!
I’m trying out a slider situation for submissions that included more than one image, so let me know what you think. Enjoy your bookworm gallery!
If you don’t see your picture in this gallery, it’s likely because you used the wrong words in the subject of your email. But we can fix it! Email me again laneia@autostraddle.com with the subject line QUEER STACKS. Your submission will be added to the last page of the gallery!
Brianna / 27 / Chicago, IL
“To be honest, I have since killed that fern.”
Lillie Soukup / 18 / Charlotte, NC
“There isn’t any intentional organization in this bookshelf. These are just some of my favorite books squeezed onto two shelves. The Color Purple was one of the first quality books with queer representation that I’ve read. Because I’ve just recently come out, I’m not really familiar with other great LGBTQ works of literature.”
Mati (they·them) / 25 / Somerville, MA
“I’m a transfeminine nonbinary witch living in the Boston metropolitan area. Currently, I am reading the trilogy of books by Richard Barnett on the gruesome history of 19th-century western medical practices and their accompanying illustrations (i.e. The Sick Rose, Crucial Interventions, and The Smile Stealers). The top two shelves contain my fiction collection, which is alphabetized first by author’s last name and then title. The third shelf is for knick-knacks and trinkets. Below that is my haphazardly arranged collection of nonfiction.”
Joelle / 26 / Kenora, Ontario
“The bookshelf is a cheapie from Canadian Tire circa 2011. Pretty sure my dad and I got into a fight putting it together. It used to be alphabetized, but we moved recently and I haven’t had the energy! It’s divided into sections: Poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels. My favourite book on shelf is a copy of A New Path to the Waterfall by Raymond Carver, signed by Tess Gallagher. (The cat’s name is Garf and he is 11.)”
Charlie Porter / 35 / Daphne, AL
“It’s weird to think I used to have six bookshelves stuffed with books stacked horizontally, when I moved I added almost all that could be purchased digitally to my amazon wishlist and donated the rest to my local library. Books have always held a special place in my heart. My favorite is Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice, I also love The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley and The Crow by James O’Barr. I kept random Charmed, Supernatural and Buffy books, and my most important Wicca Books (I used to have over 200.) I have comics, and some random fiction. I decorated my shelves with crystals. I am holding my cat, Little Boo. Books are very important to me and always have been, I worked for Barnes and Noble for three years.”
Maria Aghazarian / 26 / Havertown, PA
“I work in libraries and these stacks of books are held up solely by my own desperation. Some favorites featured in this shot are Holly Black’s modern faerie tales, Chip Kidd’s The Cheese Monkeys, and towers and towers of comics, from Rocket Girl to Fish Girl to Snotgirl. The newest acquisition is Gus Was A Friendly Ghost, because Halloween is a year-round holiday and I read picture books to my friends over Snapchat. As you can see, there’s not room for much besides books, but I do have a lovely lizard wind chime, which was a gift from a dear friend.”
Tami / 31 / MD
“My bookshelf is grouped by read/ not read and then no two of the same color book touching. I was an obsessive sorter for many years so I don’t know how this happened. I always trip on the favorite book (or song, or food) question because my favorite thing is the one that gets me at the moment I need it. On my shelf you’ll find:
A lot about the beats: Novels, biographies, poetry, rarities… it’s a bit of an obsession.
Feminist and queer theory/poetry. This includes an early 90’s book titled Lesbian Psychologies which I bought when I was 18 and promptly took awkward notes in so I can never release it into the wild again.
Books on factory farming, consumer culture and vegan cooking.
Non-fiction on marketing, copy writing and the nonprofit sector.
Other beloved items include things that were my grandfather’s (he passed away when I was 14 and was the strongest dude influence on my life). There is a reproduction Japanese tin parrot that we used to play with together (my grandfather bought and sold old crap as a side hustle, which is something I still do today), and a porcelain turtle that I will never have background information on and that’s okay.”
Jessa Greenwood / 24 / Portland, OR
“I don’t have much of a bookshelf anymore. I move pretty often and these are the few books that come with me everywhere or that I’ve acquired recently. They are on the floor next to my bed, always within arm’s reach, comforting and exciting simultaneously. My art therapy source book and my sex psych texts are my favorites, particularly Sex Matters. I feel that my small collection is truly representative of myself: no real sense of organization, varied, and well-loved. My most cherished tattoo is featured in this photo which reads: “Carpe Librum” – Seize the Book. Books have been my sanctuary, my friends, and my teachers. My connections to those who resonate within me and glimpses into the profound unknown.”
Jutta and Charlotte / Together almost 80 / Dahoam, Austria
All Time favourite book (and movie) of mine is Fingersmith from Sarah Waters. My wife loves all books. Not just books but words in general. She reads, writes and talks … a lot. Guess when her first book is finished and published I have to change my favourite book. We just try to fit all our books somewhere in our apparent. Bookshelves are always to small. No matter how big they are. Kindle helps a lot about the space problem.”
Audrey / 19 / IA
“Can you tell I love the color pink?? I got my pink bookshelf on Amazon. I also have one on the other side of my futon. In the picture I am reading The Princess Saves Herself in This One by Amanda Lovelace. While I love poetry my favorite genre is fantasy/sci-fi. I recommend everything written by Malinda Lo and Octavia Butler. My bookshelves are not organized… same goes for the rest of my life tbh.”
Be Part of Autostraddle’s Queer in the Stacks Gallery!
Our June-July Queer IRL gallery was Queer on Holiday, a vitalizing journey through some of your best summer days. We saw you at the lake, on your honeymoon, jumping on the beach, going to Pride with your friends, and generally just being cute and queer and full of life. Maybe go ahead and bookmark that gallery now so you can come back to it during the chilly winter, when you just can’t go for a topless swim, no matter how much you want to.
Hey are you ready for August’s theme? COOL LET’S DO IT.
August’s Gallery Theme: Queer in the Stacks
You might think I’m talking about a public library situation here, but I’m talking about you and your personal bookshelves! Your bookcases! Your books your books your books. You’ve got ’em, now go take a picture with ’em!
Instructions
1. Take a large, high quality picture of you and your bookcase. This is doable with most smartphones, so don’t worry if you don’t have a fancy camera. You know what else works and is super fun? Disposable cameras. I keep mentioning this because I just don’t want you to forget it.
Photos should be between 1024-3024 pixels wide so they’ll look nice on a full screen. Please don’t send anything smaller than 1024 pixels wide.
2. Send your picture and info to me at laneia@autostraddle.comwith the subject QUEER STACKS. Copy/paste this mini form into your email and fill in the blanks with your info!
NAME / AGE* / LOCATION
Details: Tell me about your bookshelf, your favorite book, how you’ve got the books organized, what other beloved items are you showing off on these shelves?
*Optional but cool.
I reserve the right to edit your sentence/s for length or spelling errors. (I’m a pretty good editor though, so.) Your photo will appear in a full screen gallery on Autostraddle.com — the main site, not A+ — and might be used on social media (Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr) to promote the gallery. If you don’t want your photo to appear on social media, please make a note of that with your submission. You reserve full rights to your photo. Photos will not be used to promote anything other than this exact gallery, and will not be used in any other future post.
Deadline: Monday, August 28
FAQ
1. What is a bookcase?
A bookcase or a bookshelf or a book table or a book tower are all just places where you’re keeping and displaying your books.
2. What is a queer person?
Queer people are lesbians, bisexuals, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks.
3. Do you want us to be in the photo?
I do, yes! Yes please! I’d love that. You don’t necessarily have to be in it, but I think all your other queer person-reader friends would appreciate seeing another queer person staring back at them from their electronic screen situation. I know I do. Please be in your photo!!
4. What about my friends or my pets? Should they be in the photo?
I’d be mad if they weren’t.
5. What if my ‘bookshelf’ is really just a modest pile of books on my nightstand? What if I want to make this about my public library and not my private collection?
If you have any number of books gathered together in one location, I think that counts! If you want to make this about your public library, DO IT. Be sure to include the name of the library and why you chose it.
6. Wait wait wait, I have like 15 bookshelves! Do you really want 15 pictures?!
Thank you for checking, no I do not. It’s true that 15 photos would be outlandish. Why don’t you choose your favorite bookshelf? Or maybe your three favorites.
6. How sexy can we get here? Also tell me about your nudity policy.
We shan’t show nipples, genitalia, or simulated or actual sex. Sex toys or nude art are totally permitted.
Deadline: Monday, August 28
Leave your questions in the comments and if you have an idea for a future theme, let me know! laneia@autostraddle.com
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer on Holiday
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
I gave you two months to vacate your daily activities, travel somewhere cool, and then send me pictures of it! Some of you went on staycations, some of you drove across the country, some of you flew across the globe. Quite a few of you went on your honeymoon! The best part is that you all seem very happy and relaxed and, I presume, ready to kick patriarchal ass well into autumn. Enjoy your community gallery!
Raquel / 28 / Martha’s Vineyard
“I am watching the ferry dock while waiting to go eat oysters and a lobster roll!! As I live in Texas this is very exciting for me.”
Gabi / 29 / Croatia and Italy
“At Hvar Island and Walls of Dubronvnik, Croatia, and Venice, Italy, with my wife, Leslie, on our honeymoon!”
Anna / 18 / Toronto, ON
“When this was taken I had been up for well over 24 hours and had just gotten off my plane. My brother and I were invited to help plant trees for Earth Day and, being the over-enthusiastic tree-hugger that I am, I simply HAD to say yes!
Tree-planting may not be a typical holiday activity (especially for someone who is almost always buried in landscape design projects), but we had a blast! I was totally in my element!”
Rachel Mongeluzo and Lucy Gross / 27, 26 / Toronto, ON
“This picture was taken in the plaza outside the CN Tower and Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto. Canada is celebrating its 150th birthday this year.”
Jay, Jordan, Sierra / 27, 26, 26 / Laurel Falls, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN
“I’ve seen Boys Don’t Cry too many times so I always get really anxious about getting hate crimed when vacation in rural areas (which is a problem because we really like camping), BUT we actually saw a ton of queers, which was rad. Our 7-day camping trip became a 5-day due to severe storms and a $300 Days Inn excursion in which the wi-fi didn’t even work, but we still managed to have a lot of fun.”
Olivia / 22 / Moray Firth, near Inverness, Scotland
“I don’t have much time off this summer, so i’ve used it to run up to the highlands, stay in a yurt, and live my ideal eco-queer lifestyle ft. paints and dog.”
Cait / 27 / Saltburn-on-Sea, UK
“I have a girlfriend! We went on a bank holiday weekend trip to the seaside and had the best time skipping stones and eating ice cream and being gay as all heck!”
Emma / 26 / Litchfield County, CT
“A couple former Brooklynite friends moved out here to buy a farmhouse and host a monthly Big Gay Supper Club. We loaded up our cars with dogs and lesbians and spent Memorial Day Weekend in the woods.”
Jessica / 30 / Liberty Park Jersey City, NJ
“I’m a trans girl from North Jersey currently living in Philly. This was taken by my best friends Memorial Day Weekend when I visited. This outfit plus my current hobbies of gardening and making soap made my best friend laugh and call me a “Crunchy Granola, Earth Mother” we then went on to search crystal dildos and vagina steaming.”
Sarah Renz / 27 / Lake Union, Seattle
“After 5 years of dating in secret we came out to our friends and families and haven’t turned back. Now 2 years later we are happier than ever and enjoying our summer travels together and out!”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer at Work
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
I thought it would be cool to have a gallery of everyone working their butts off before the summer holiday — and it is, it’s super cool — but also it’s really moving?? I wasn’t prepared for that. WE ARE EVERYWHERE AND DOING SO MUCH. So much! You’re out in the world better and smarter and more fascinating, and it’s really important!
Good job, everyone. Now kick back and enjoy this gallery of nearly 100 queers doing the damn thing!
Rebecca Olivia / 30 / Tyrone, GA
One of the classic, ancient queer artist professions: barista.
Clear photo of RBF: resting barista face.
“I went back to coffee after a few years of other things, because it was one of the few things that didn’t, oddly, feel demeaning to me as an artist, and it’s flexible. I move a lot and it’s an easy job to find.
Forever trying to coax rural Georgians into drinking a proper Macchiato by day, writing scripts/plays and preparing for acting auditions by night.”
Rebecca / NY
“I study computer science and had a very stressful dream last night where my laptop fell into a river. The cat mug is an excellent gift with a cat that looks like mine but actually isn’t. I didn’t clean up my desk for this (sorry, not sorry). I love that I can see trees while I work.”
Mia Li / 26 / Adult film performer / Oakland and San Francisco, CA
Eva / 36 / Hog Island, ME
“Since I was young I have always been passionate about nature and now I have the extreme privilege to work for the National Audubon Society. I am the program manager of an adult summer camp for birdwatchers located at the historic Hog Island Audubon Camp. For five months of the year I live on a little slice of heaven and connect people to the great outdoors and the remaining months I work from home in Colorado.
Shea / 26 / Chicago, IL
“Front Office attached to a locomotive shop where I am currently emailing city transit authorities.”
India / 25 / KY
“I nanny this kiddo and do some odd jobs on the farm where he lives. I don’t know how I got so lucky. I hope he remembers me when he gets older.”
Alaina / Almost 26 / Mukwonago, WI
“I’m smiling because I didn’t throw up during my A-Camp staff reading.”
Alice / 26 / New York, NY
“I’m a research assistant at a university film library, where I watch our library’s laserdisc collection and document rare and exclusive film content. People who work in my department are always asking me, “What…exactly do you do?” I have a standard, sophisticated answer I give them but the real answer is, “I watch movies all day.” Also, since I’m used to 12″ laserdiscs, DVDs now look very small in my hand.”
Jeanne Foxe / 23 / French Countryside
“This is me! Teaching people how to build a wind turbine! That’s what I do and I love it!
I face a LOT of sexism, each course I teach brings me between 2 and 6 male specimens, older than me, who can’t believe (or can’t accept) a young queer gal like me is about to teach them how to properly use woodworking tools and how to weld. I’m always supported by my colleagues. I remain in love with my work environment despite of these sad encounters.
I feel like I’m making a change in the world, one wind turbine at a time!”
Tess / 20 / UK
“I took the first picture while I was actually at work (in a burrito restaurant – hence the bright green apron!) on the day of the Women’s March. I was working a 10-hour shift and couldn’t make it to the march in London, which I was gutted about. I tried to make up for it with the pins on my shirt.
The second picture was taken at the National Union of Students LGBT+ Conference in March, when I was all dressed up to attend a fancy dinner as a delegate of my university’s students’ union. It was the first time I’d worn a suit and I felt great!”
Fotini K / Student, Photography Apprentice
“Having the opportunity to learn about darkroom photography in a social space has been awesome for me because I get to collaborate with people that love what they do.. Also having a space outside of school to do something fun but productive is really calming.. I might get a little sweaty rolling film and stuff, but it’s definitely worth it!”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer On The Outside
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
Funny story about this gallery! For the entire month of April, I’d look at my inbox and think, “Wow, nothing. They’re not sending anything!” and I even complained to Heather Hogan about it.
How could this be? So many people had specifically requested an outdoor theme for the next gallery! The weather was gorgeous! I put off even starting to upload and format the gallery, because what was the rush? It would take less than half an hour to put together the 15 or so emails I remembered seeing here and there in my inbox. I was so sad. What had gone wrong?
I’ll tell you what: nothing.
See, I’d so cleverly set up a filter for emails with the subject line QUEER OUTSIDE , making each email bypass my inbox and go straight to handy folder, where they sat, unread. All 176 of them. Sometimes it does not pay to be organized!
Anyway, wow, you guys really love the outdoors! I’ve never in my life felt so inspired to hike to the top of something. You’re taking up space and pushing yourself and supporting each other and laughing and eating snacks and hugging chickens and goats. You’re being super alive out there! I’m so grateful to everyone who submitted to this gallery, and I hope you enjoy roaming through over 200 photos of your extended queer family!
Riley and Alex Santangelo / 27, 25 / Graphic designer; Nanny / Asbury Park Boardwalk, NJ
“My wife and I decided to do an impromptu bridal shower invitation photo shoot against the murals at Asbury Park Boardwalk in NJ. This picture is an outtake from the session (but it ended up being my favorite <3).”
Kai / 22 / Student, Peace Corps Volunteer (in 2 months!!!!) / Ireland
“In this photo I’m on a backpacking trip in Ireland! It was really cold, but I got to climb a tiny mountain and it was the best.”
Marissa / 29 / Journalist / Paradise Valley, MT
“I’m fly fishing on the Yellowstone River in February. I love fishing in the winter because fewer people do it. Plus, you feel a little badass for standing in the cold water (protected by waders and warm layers). The Yellowstone the longest undammed river in the contiguous US and one of my favorite rivers.”
Lauren / 29 / PhD Student and TA in Gender and Women’s Studies / Asilah, Morocco
“I was studying Arabic in Morocco when I came upon this amazing rainbow mural. It was the gayest thing I saw during my entire trip, so of course I made my friends take excessive pictures of me in front of it.”
Elena Zamarripa (they·them) / 24 / Beer Steward, Barista, KitchenBitch / Whatcom Falls, Bellingham, WA
“My friend snapped this disposable camera shot of me feeling the water in my future hometown. I’d already planned to move there in two years but was apprehensive until I met the falls.”
Julia H / 18 / Student / Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, AK
“Here’s a candid of me looking as sad as I felt on the inside about hiking in this gorgeous place. I made the questionable decision to have my first-ever backpacking experience be a month off-trail in Alaska…”
Analicia Hawkins (she·her), Aryn Maitland (they·them) / 23, 25 / Events Associate; Job Developer / Mount Tamalpais State Park, CA
“My partner and I went on a hike in this lovely state park just outside of San Francisco. I had just gotten my car broken into and my suitcase stolen, but this was a great stress reliever and a really cute first date!”
Ella / 18 / Student / CO
“In the backyard with the family I nanny for in Colorado.”
Anoma and Robin Stoiber / Late 30s / Police Dispatcher; Officer / Milwaukee, WI
“Taken last year at Milwaukee’s annual Pride fest.”
Annie (and Lily) / 25 / Furniture Repair Extraordinaire (Faithful Pit Bull) / Blue Ridge Parkway outside of Asheville, NC
“I love hiking every chance I get, and am lucky enough to live in beautiful Asheville, NC where I can make it a reality. Lily is a rescue from the streets of Philly who’s been by my side for two years now. Her happiness in the outdoors and away from city bustle, is pretty obvious from the big grin in this picture! We’ve hiked together all over the US and Canada, and are on track for our goal of hiking 100 miles in 2017.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer on a Friday Night
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
I recognize that the guidelines for this gallery might have felt like a little too much for some readers, and I get that. Like what if you spend your Friday night in your kitchen or your bedroom?? Because you already sent those pictures, sooooo. Or maybe you’d have to announce to a whole group of people that you needed to take a quick pic for this community gallery on this website (and then define ‘community gallery’ and also answer “why is it called Autostraddle??”), and that just seemed like a lot. I get it! So just fair warning, this gallery is smaller than the last two were, but! It’s still everything good on this planet: us just being us, right now.
I hope you enjoy this journey through what we were all doing on a Friday night in the world! If you look through this today and wish you’d submitted, I’ll accept late submissions through Sunday night and update the gallery on Monday. (See details on the last page.)
Kells (and Melissa) / 38 / Librarian-ISH / Fermentation Lounge in Tallahassee, FL
“I’m hanging out with my best friend, my Person, the human I love most in this world – Melissa – and my pup MC Sprout, on my last Friday night before I move six hours away. This night would be fantastic even if we were just hanging out at home.”
Amy / 44 / Super Sculptor / An art gallery in Indianapolis, IN
“Spent my Friday night with my wifey and best friend, greeting and meeting people at my first ever art gallery show, where I was lucky to display some of my creations!! It was just a small local art center, but it is a small step towards my dreams!”
Rachel / 21 / My bedroom in London, Ontario
“Treat Yo’ Self night: I exfoliated, moisturized, changed my sheets, lit a candle, journaled, and called my girlfriend for a long-distance date night. I am the dark blob in the corner of the FaceTime screen, trying to get a good angle and hide my nudity.”
Nico SanFilippo / 30 / General Manager-Natural Alternative Food Co-op / My house in Luck, WI
“A typical Friday night with my dog Akila watching Netflix/catching up on emails. This was our first Friday night together after I spent a month backpacking and working on an organic farm in Europe.”
Katherine (right) / 25 / Computer engineer / Meow Wolf in Santa Fe, NM
“My girlfriend (left) and I spent our Friday night at Meow Wolf, a huge, intricate art installation in a former bowling alley in Santa Fe. We admired the art, and found several clandestine make-out spots inside.”
Chandra / 40 / English Instructor / My living room
“I teach a group fitness class at my gym on Friday nights, so this is me prepping for it with the help of my cat-friend Zuzu. I had to coerce him this time but normally he winds around my legs and yells at me or flops down right where I’m trying to step, so I figured he owed me one.”
Kris / 34 / Wedding and Event planner / My room in North Louisiana
“I took this picture on my way out the door to see The Pretenders and Stevie Nicks. Chrissie Hynde sang the Tom Petty part of “Stop Dragging My Heart Around” with Stevie, and I never knew I had wanted anything so badly.”
Alexx St. Jame / 40 / Recovering Academic / My living room
“My best friend and I having one of those perfect nights with lots of laughter and love, enjoying the pleasures of being with someone who’s known you through so much.”
P. / 21 / History student / Toulouse, France
“Still living with my parents, so Friday night is… quiet. It’s the only night where I have the time to really practice my trumpet. Then I read a feminist book with my Totoro cushion, which is the recipe for happiness.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer in the Bedroom
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
Our second gallery is Queer in the Bedroom! About 170 people submitted this time around and I’m obsessed with all of you. Remember the feeling of seeing your new friend’s bedroom for the first time — like there’s a whole entire world in there and they’re letting you into it? That’s how this gallery feels. I just want to look out all of your windows and stare up at your ceilings and spend 50 years with your bookshelves.
Thanks for letting us into your personal spaces! It was truly a privilege.
Rae (and Fox Mulder and Ruth Bader Ginsburg) / 25 / Austin, TX / Cat Adoption Counselor
“My cats, my plants and I all deeply enjoy the sunspot that falls right across my bed.”
Col / 18 / A Dorm in Chicago / Student
“Before leaving for college last August, I’d lived my entire life between the same four yellow walls, with the same blue and yellow floral bedspread, and the same conservative parents overseeing my decor. This little corner of a dorm room is the first space I’ve had to decorate as mine alone, and so I decided to fill it with colors and objects that make me happiest–letters, art, plants, and of course, yellow.”
Tess / 20 / Guildford, UK / Student
“My tiny room is the smallest in the house but one wall has shelves and one wall is a pinboard so that makes up for it. I have far more sticky notes than any one person needs, and my favourite things in my room are my Pop Vinyl figures of Dana Scully and Willow Rosenberg.”
Kayla / 22 / San Diego / Barista, Emerging Documentary Filmmaker
“I just moved back home after going away for university and living abroad for 8 months, and I have plans to keep traveling, so I like the map above my bed to remind me of where I’ve been and where I’m going. This room was a junk room last week, but when I moved back I totally cleaned it up and made it my own (again).”
Hannah / 24 / Oslo, Norway / Bicycle Fixer, Master Student
“My bedroom is my sanctuary; a place that just mine in a otherwise communal living-space. My favorite item in the room is either my Klimt-Cow that lives in my bookcase (given to me by my mom when I moved out), or my papasan chair I recently found after wanting one for years.”
Ari / 20 / Boston, MA / Student, Freelance Writer, Coder
“I wanted to show off my huge collection of posters/postcards/wall decor – my favorite thing about this room/ Also it’s blizzarding here right now so that’s fun.”
Sam Polivick / 23 / Sikeston, MO / Yoga Instructor
“My room is my little creative retreat in the midst of the loud, chaotic reality of my house. My favorite things in my room right now are probably the two voodoo prints on the nightstand- they reflect my morbid obsession with love and death and are always a good inspiration.”
Simone / 18 / Chicago, IL / Student
Ocean Capewell / 34 / Oakland, CA / Social Worker
“I am not allowed to paint in my apartment, and in the Bay Area I am nervous about disobeying my landlord cuz there’s really nowhere else to go. But I couldn’t stand living in an off-white apartment any longer so one day I taped up hundreds of pieces of pink printer paper. it immediately improved my life. I found this map in a freebox. It’s a road map from 1990 and I hung it over my bed because it makes me want to go everywhere.”
Lark Malakai Grey / 29 / Ypsilanti, MI / Nutritionist
“The last thing I think of before falling asleep is Harry Potter, because I literally fall asleep reading it every single night to ward off my anxiety. The first things I think of when I wake up are these two angel-pit bull hybrids, mostly because they both sleep on top of me.”
Beatrice / 21 / Oakland, CA / Student and Legislative Analyst
“This is my fourth bedroom in as many months, but if I’ve got my Shabbat candles and my mic it’s home.”
Mickey / 25 / Suburbs / Assistant Preschool Teacher
“I hate clutter. I bought this bed when I first tried to escape, and could fit all of my belongings into eight bankers boxes. I sleep on it now that I’m back – two times over – because the memory of being thirteen under this roof doesn’t leave room for anything bigger.”
Finn and Sushi / 26, 5 months / Brodnica, Poland / English Teacher
“I live in a pretty conservative town and I’m not at all out here, so my one-room flat is my queer sanctuary. I surround myself with pictures and trinkets that remind me of my favourite humans and my community. The best part of my room is definitely my little spoon Sushi, even when he’s dive-bombing my toes at four in the morning and breaking lamps.”
Pigeon / 23 / Kent, England / Archives Assistant
“My room reflects the place I am in my life, the creative and personal freedom I had at uni vs the scary adult working world now that I’m back home. It’s small but home is where you put Jillian Holtzmann pop funko figure.”
Beth Maiden / 35 / Isle of Skye / Tarot Reader
“Our tiny house bedroom isn’t made yet, but I already love it. It is approximately one inch bigger than a mattress and has a ceiling height carefully calculated to allow for various types of bedroom activity (some carefully). My cats are not currently in this bedroom, but they will be soon and they have no idea how cosy and wonderful it’s going to be. The last thing I think of at night is my rotator cuff, which is damaged from too much DIY.”
Megan / 23 / Hilo, HI / Horticultural Therapy Guide
“Hawaii has these tiny invasive frogs called coquis, named after the super loud mating calls they make at night. When I first moved here, the sound would keep me awake, but now it’s one of my favorite things about falling asleep. There’s also a river that goes through my backyard. I love being able to hear that at night too”
Kass / 35 / Ohio / Comic, Proprietor of Funny Girl’s Vegan Bacon
“Dream vs reality. In the seconds it took me to reset the cam timer every pet decided this was THE time to get on the bed. Best aspect of room: window (obv not pictured) faces a bird feeder that also attracts deer, raccoons, and opossum. Deer bonk their heads on it to shake seeds loose. Nature!”
Cassie / 24 / Manhattan, NY / Seminary Student
“Even though I’m in a dorm, this is the first double bed I’ve ever had and I excitedly shopped for coordinated bedding months before I moved in. I spend a lot of time in bed (depression + your girlfriend being 1300 miles away + not having an actual apartment will do that) and I wanted to surround myself with comforting things– you can see my stuffed animals, and the little altar I made with my goddess tarot and a statue of the Virgin Mary.”
Colleen / 27 / Thunder Bay-ish, Ontario, Canada / Elementary Teacher
“My favourite thing about my room is the view I have of the lake. This is the view in a much different season than we’re in now, as you may have deduced based on the presence of my snowshoes.”
Alex and Gabby the Wondercat / 33, 8 / Chicago, IL / Librarian; Professional Nap Taker
“As a kid, my room was a mass of conflict between trying to be who I was “supposed” to be, and wanting to be myself. As an adult, I have created a sanctuary that is filled only with things that bring me joy and reflect self love. My favorite things are my teddy bear – the only thing from my childhood that I’ve kept, and the art I painted that hangs on the walls. The quotes above my desk inspire me to write like I’m running out of time. The Four Seasons paintings above my bed remind me that the sun comes up and the world still spins. And my cat reminds me to take a break.”
Michelle (she/her), Emma (she/her), Giles / 26, 25, 4 / Cambridge, MA / Public Health Communications; Graphic Designer; House Panther
“Michelle’s favorite item in the room is Barbar the Elephant (bottom right). Emma’s favorite item is either the boob pillow Michelle gave her for hannukah this year, or the hanging plant I stole from my office. Giles’ favorite item is Michelle’s pillow (not the one with boobs, the normal one that she sleeps on).”
Emily / 21 / Western IL / Recent Grad, Post-Bacc
“I have always loved my bedroom, but this one is especially important because it is my first room post grad in my first apartment ever. My favorite thing about my room is how much of everything in it has been given and made with love. Also the plants. Also the cemetery view.”
Bee / 27 / Sacramento, CA / Project Manager for Autism Research Studies
“When I first moved into this house, it felt too big and lonely. My girlfriend is currently living across the country (although you can see her “shrine” on the bookshelf on the left). In the fall though, I adopted my dog Beau. Now I have a live-in snuggle buddy and there are constantly paw prints all over my blankets and bedsheets.”
Katy T / 29 / Sydney, Australia / Office Worker, Psych Student
“I live with my partner but we sleep apart due to having vastly different schedules, so my bed has become a kind of a dump. I’m writing my honours thesis so this is where I try to destress whenever I get a chance. That’s why I have 6-9 books and every gadget possible within arm’s reach at all times, plus two consoles and a TV out of frame. The thing I love most about my room is the blackout curtains, which let me sink into perfect darkness whenever I need to sleep, no matter what time of day it actually is! Perfect for someone who works odd hours like me.”
Kelly / 25 / Vancouver, WA / Lesbian of an Accounting Department
“My top five favorite things in this space are as follows: 1. The nugget o’ cat currently cold shouldering the camera. 2. Beloved dick in a jar. 3. The lopsided collage of Iceland vacation photos. 4. The Victorian lace curtains, circa 2015 Ikea. 5. The craigslist dresser that nearly broke my foot.”
PHOTO GALLERY: Queer in the Kitchen
Welcome to Queer IRL, a monthly Autostraddle community photo series that gathers little clips of lesbian, bisexual, queer and otherwise-identified women, trans and non-binary folks, just living our lives in 2017.
This very first gallery is Queer in the Kitchen. Nearly 200 of you sent in photos and boy are my arms tired! If I’ve learned anything, it’s that we are an incredibly attractive group of people with lots of cabinets and pets. Oh and that I’ve never loved you more.
I hope you scroll through these many, many pictures (all nine pages!) and feel like FUCK YES, WE ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE AND WE WILL NOT GO GENTLE INTO THAT GOOD NIGHT. And I hope you submit photos for the next gallery! (More on February’s theme and deadline soon.) Thank you so so much for making this a thing, you wild and wonderful weirdos.
Rachel A. L. / 22 / Ithaca, NY / Psychology Lab Manager
“I really love my cow mat. I live alone, so I named her Genevieve.”
Nani / 25 / Minneapolis, MN / Graphic Designer at Children’s Theatre Company; Art Director at Backroom Caracas
“The kitchen is also my library.”
Casey / 28 / Vallejo, CA / Music director, vocal teacher, registered yoga teacher, performer
“The best things to prepare in my kitchen are witchy salves and oils with my roommate, lots of tea concoctions, coffee so much coffee, and homemade vegan queso. Also it smells like so much cinnamon in there because of ants and because of never wanting to use chemicals! Winter time in the Bay Area!”
Marie / 27 / Collingswood, NJ / Customer Service and Inside Sales Partner in Specialty Foods Distribution
“While I’m definitely super excited about those Compost Cookies I’m holding, my favorite dish to prepare has to be Eggplant Rollatini. I always feel like my Nanny and parents are right there with me as I put it all together.”
Liz / 20 / Wellesley MA / Student
“I live in a coop on my campus with 13 other people, and I love making food to share with others. I just moved in here this year and was excited to host my annual Friendsgayving in a kitchen that felt like home.”
Alysia Angel / 43 / Sacramento, CA / Director of Consumer Support at HealthSherpa
“I am a huge rage baker, when the systems and constructs of the world matched with the intense vibration of community woes press down on me. As of late I made cookies for the revolution, bourbon banana bread for hope, fruit pies to fuel upstarts to continue to rise up, and had a cookie decorating party for nothing other than because community and chosen family matters. I also cook savory meals in my kitchen, but baking is my passion, and it truly is one of my favorite ways to practice self care.”
Megan / 30 / Minneapolis, MN / Raging Queer Feminist Homemaker
“My kitchen is the most inconvenient, undersized, poorly put-together and annoying room in my tiny home…and I love it. I’ve found joy in covering up its damaged walls and cupboards with wild colors, starting a spaghetti noodle collection on the chipped ceiling (you can see one or two in the photo, if you look close), and sitting down at our polka-dot covered table for crowded family meals saturated in love, laughter, fart noises, and political/social/feminist rants.”
Dani Rose / 25 / Sunnyside, Queens / Assistant in the Entertainment Industry and Independent Filmmaker, Photographer, Burlesque Dancer on the side
“When I first saw a picture of my kitchen in a Naked Apartments listing, I immediately texted my boyfriend (I’m bi but in a relationship with a man) a picture of the wallpaper saying: “IT’S SO TACKY…. I NEED IT!” It was the first apartment we saw, and we moved in a few days later. We threw an ugly sweater party this past year and I have to say I think my wallpaper won the award for ‘ugliest.'”
Jen / 27 / Hamilton, Ontario / Finally Not a Cashier
“I couldn’t boil a potato before my wife got her hands on me. I tell people my brain is like a well-stocked kitchen, where all the cabinets are open.”
Megan and Alyssa Hillier-Geisler (That’s us in the picture in a popsicle frame on top of the fridge!) / 31 and 29 / Salt Lake City, UT / Innovation Manager and Communication Specialist (both at large non profits)
“Alyssa is an amazing chef with a stack of cookbooks a mile high and would be happy if she never ate the same thing twice. I basically make soup and horribly unhealthy things (all the salt, cheese, and spicy you can put together) that we call “bachelor food.” After 5 years of marriage and 4 years in SLC, we just bought our first house a few months ago. The house is microscopic so the kitchen and living room are one big room. We love that the two rooms we use the most are now together (meaning we can watch the Cubs play while we cook).”
Sandra Londino / 41 / Ithaca, NY / Certified Nurse Midwife
“I really like cooking dishes with lots of ingredients. The more small bowls filled with chopped veggies and spices all around me, the happier I am.”
Kait (human), Hercules (dog) / 27 (human years), 7 (dog years) / Indianapolis / Social Worker by day, Improviser by night.
“My favorite thing to do in the kitchen is to sautée EVERY DAMN THING.”
Emma Grinde / 26 / Viroqua, WI / Food Scientist
“What this photo doesn’t capture is the smell of a hair tie burning on the bottom of my oven (how did a hair tie make it into my oven?!) and the sound of the fan trying blow away the burning hair tie smell.
PS – Like the anonymous question-asker in Some Answers to Some Things You’ve Been Asking Us #10, I didn’t know where to put my A+ sticker. I took Yvonne’s suggestion and went with the toaster.”
Kayde Mae / 40 / İstanbul, Turkey / Artist
“Most prized kitchen item is the spice rack.”
Amelia / 23 / Leeds, UK / Working in customer service and volunteering at a rape crisis centre
“I love cooking for family and friends — especially things they’ve never had before, so I can surprise them and let them in on something great that I’ve discovered.”
An Sasala / 24 / Lawrence, KS / Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies PhD Student
“I fell in love with someone in this kitchen. Now, I’m learning how to be alone again.”
Leslie Robertson / 29 / Chicago, IL / Digital Marketing Associate
“This kitchen is the main reason we got the place. I’m a pretty casual person and not confident as a cook, so I’ll usually make some kind of chicken and rice (if it’s not a frozen Trader Joe’s dinner). My most prized kitchen item(s) are the dishes I inherited from my 98 year old grandmother.”
Amanda and Rachel Walwood + cameo from dog Willa / Amanda is 28 and Rachel is 29 (Willa is 1.5) / Amanda works in donor relations for Macalester College. Rachel is a software product manager and aspiring web developer
“Winter weekends usually mean braised meats and some combination of butter + flour + cinnamon. You can just see the top of it in the bottom right here, but our portable dishwasher is probably our most prized kitchen possession — we call it our robot butler.”
Kylie / 27 / Lincoln, NE / Mental health therapist
“I love my kitchen especially in the late afternoon when the sun is just beginning to mellow. Beer tastes better and chocolate chip cookies smell sweeter here. It’s the cat hair.”
Wiley Reading / 28 / Burlington, VT / City Kids (after school elementary) Lead Teacher, Personal Care Attendant
“My favorite thing to prepare is something that shows off my skills making something fancy out of super “humble” ingredients, like dumpster-dived kale or chicken organ meat. Examples: latte with foam and cinnamon dust WITHOUT espresso maker OR frother, or kheema paratha with only stuff I get from the discount veggie bin at the co-op and some pantry basics.
I didn’t take out the trash or recycling for this photo, and those pretty curtains in the window are actually in the window of our across-the-alleyway neighbors (also a queer household) #radicaltransparency”