Ruby Rose’s “1Up” Is a New Contender For Worst Movie Ever Made
This review of Ruby Rose’s 1Up contains mild spoilers, but it truly doesn’t matter.
I’m sure Ruby Rose is great at a whole lot of stuff. They were a presenter on MTV Australia, a VJ back when that was a thing. They even won some awards for it. They were an international model. They did a really sexy wink in Orange Is the New Black one time that set the entire gay internet’s loins on fire. They seem to have a lot of cool sneakers. Yes, I feel very sure that Ruby Rose is good at many things — but acting is not one of those things.
And there. I said it. Someone had to. I guess it had to be me because Ruby Rose keeps getting cast in queer nerd movies and TV shows that would otherwise be catnip to me, and making them nearly unwatchable. Amazon Studios’ 1Up, a GamerGate comedy directed by Kyle Newman and written by Julia Yorks, is the latest in this dorky trend that I should be feasting on, but am instead starving about.
The premise of 1Up seems rad: Vivian (Paris Berelc), known to her friends as V, lands an esports gaming scholarship to her local college, much to her parents’ chagrin. Her best friend, Sloane (Hari Nef), a cheerful lifelong gamer who can recite the original Contra Konami Code (up up down down left right left right B A start) from heart, is also on the team. Unfortunately so are a whole lot of sexist pricks who act like basically every cis dude gamer you’ve ever seen or heard of. And so V and Sloane decide to quit and make their own all-girls team. They call themselves the 8-Bits and they’re meant to represent the wide swath of women gamers who keep their microphones on mute. You know, one (1) disabled gamer, one (1) trans gamer, one (1) fat gamer, one (1) POC gamer. A pick n’ mix (limit one, each). They have to win for V to keep her scholarship, which means they need a coach who knows what they’re doing, so they recruit Parker, their Video Game History teacher, played by Rose (in a role originally meant for Elliot Page, before he came out).
There’s Dodgeball-style training montages, Pitch Perfect-esque bonding montages, and plenty of gamer deep dives. Like: Konami’s TMNT: Super Kame Ninja really is the best team coin-op game of all time! Also: There’s a scene where Hari Neff is sitting in a chair surrounded by other women and retro coin-op cabinet games, playing her Nintendo Switch, while her pals cheer “Go Timmy! Go Tommy!” at Tom Nook’s rascally little crooked raccoon nephews in Animal Crossing. That alone should have kept me spellbound for at least two hours. Alas. Ruby Rose smashes through my heart-eyed stupor by clomping out into the snow in a leather jacket and boots, emoting so incomprehensibly the writers had to add a line where the main character yells, “You’re drunk!”
They’re not drunk! They’re just acting! The creative team even let them keep their Australian accent, but it didn’t help!
There’s plenty of things that make 1Up a mess. The script reads like an early draft of an Ernst Cline novel, with mile-a-minute nerd references that are meant to cover the thin ready-bake stereotypes that make up the 8-Bits. You know: Party Girl, Girls’ Girl, Weird Girl, Girl Who’s One of the Boys, etc. Also, for a character originally conceived for one of the best queer actors of our generation, Parker’s whole deal is nonsense. She apparently did something? Or something happened to her? Or she got doxxed? She was a successful game developer, and now she’s broke and teaching at a junior college? And in the aforementioned snow emote, she pleads with V not to push her teammates away because she’ll end up playing Ms. Pac-Man alone in her garage, just like her! But there’s never any real information on how she ended up alone. Or why she has a kid who has no Australian accent. Or why she’s dressed like that when she doesn’t even own a motorcycle. The “raunchy” humor that gives the film its R rating is also just juvenile and gross.
And because everything leading up to the BIG COMPETITION falls flat, so does the ULTIMATE VICTORY.
I want to love all girl nerd movies, all gay movies, and especially all movies that are getting review bombed by actual GamerGaters. I can count on two hands the numbers of bad reviews I’ve written in my 15-year career. But 1Up is just so terrible! You should skip it and read A.E. Osworth‘s We Are Watching Eliza Bright instead — and then fully cleanse your pallet with your own personal getaway to Tom Nook’s island paradise. Yes, yes.
Ruby Rose Is Done With Being Batwoman Now
In what’s nothing short of breathtakingly shocking news, Ruby Rose has departed as the title role of The CW’s Batwoman following the series’ first season. Warner Bros. TV has announced that the role will be recast.
The breaking news comes to us just as Batwoman concluded its Season One finale on Sunday night. There’s no set timeline yet for when a new actor will take on the famous bat cowl. As all you superqueeros sitting at home will remember, Batwoman was renewed for its season season back in January along with the rest of the Arrow-verse shows. It was (and we assume for now, still is) planned to anchor the network’s Sunday night lineup starting in 2021.
Here’s the statement from Rose:
“I have made the very difficult decision to not return to Batwoman next season. This was not a decision I made lightly as I have the utmost respect for the cast, crew and everyone involved with the show in both Vancouver and in Los Angeles. I am beyond appreciative to Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Caroline Dries for not only giving me this incredible opportunity, but for welcoming me into the DC universe they have so beautifully created. Thank you Peter Roth and Mark Pedowitz and the teams at Warner Bros. and The CW who put so much into the show and always believed in me. Thank you to everyone who made season one a success — I am truly grateful.”
Batwoman made Television history as the first TV series to feature a lesbian superhero as its lead character, and that importance only increased after producers expressed desire for the role to be cast with a lesbian actor. (The recasted role will similarly go to an lesbian, queer, or bisexual actor, per the producers’ wishes).
Warner Bros. TV and Berlanti Productions released the following joint statement, congratulating Rose and discussing the show’s future:
“Warner Bros. Television, The CW and Berlanti Productions thank Ruby for her contributions to the success of our first season and wish her all the best. The studio and network are firmly committed to Batwoman’s second season and long-term future, and we — along with the show’s talented creative team — look forward to sharing its new direction, including the casting of a new lead actress and member of the LGBTQ community, in the coming months.”
So far, no one has spoken directly about Rose’s decisions to leave the series so early in its life (and with such a bright future ahead of it!). Of course, Ruby Rose famously faced backlash on social media following their casting (eventually causing them to leave Twitter, though they remain active on Instagram). However, it’s also possible that their accident earlier in the year, almost causing paralysis, might have also weighed on their decision. They posted about their surgery on Instagram. A Batwoman production assistant was also left paralyzed this year following a stunt. That said, Deadline appears to have sources that indicate Rose’s decision is not related to their on-set injury. I suppose only time will tell what’s up behind the scenes! Sadly I’m just a human drinking a beer on my couch, so I have no inside information for you at this time.
Also, holy unfortunate timing Batman! Within an hour after announcing their departure from Batwoman, it turns out Ruby Rose appeared as part of a Jeopardy clue about the show they just literally left.
https://twitter.com/MichaelAusiello/status/1262883073588330496?s=20
Like so many other series near and dear to our hearts, Batwoman was forced to end its season early due to the coronavirus pandemic. The super-powered hour finished 20 of a planned 22 episodes, with last Sunday’s installment serving as the impromptu season finale. Our TV Editor, Heather Hogan, will be back here very soon to give you a review of the finale!
Until then, on behalf of everyone at Autostraddle, we wish Ruby all the best.
The CW’s “Batwoman” Review: A Really Fun, Super Gay Romp — and Ruby Rose Is Great
I don’t know any lesbians or TV critics who were more excited or more nervous about The CW’s decision to launch a Batwoman series than me, because Batwoman — the whole Bat-family, really — has always been so important to me! Let me just say, right away, that I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot. Like a lot! I cheered, even, at one point; and gasped with my hand to my chest. It’s an excellent addition to both the cinematic Bat-universe and to The CW’s (already superqueer) superhero line-up, which is no small feat. It balances the fun and heart of Alex Danvers and Kelly Olson in National City, the cocky silliness of Sara Lance and Ava Sharpe in space-time, and the drama and grit of Anissa Pierce and Grace Choi in Freeland.
I started watching re-runs of the 1960s Batman TV show in the mid-80s when I was probably five years old, and have been basically obsessed with the whole Bat-deal ever since. I convinced my dad to take me to see Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman in theaters five times and bought the VHS the day it came out with my own allowance I’d been saving. I bought a Batman costume and wore it to play in, almost every day. I’ve even gotten into fights, in real life, defending Alicia Silverstone as Batgirl, and would still do so! Batwoman came out right around the time I did, and I reviewed her solo series of comic books every single month, every single issue, at my old job. I love superheroes in general because I’ve always been a little nerd who wants to help people. But Batman was the first character I saw who had to grapple with having two identities, something that resonated with me even in kindergarten for reasons it would take me two decades to understand. (Gay reasons.) I also loved that he and everyone who wore the cape and cowl — especially Batwoman — was, by nature, a brooder. I never had the luxury of brooding; I lived vicariously through all their punches and their scowls.
The Batwoman pilot sat, unwatched, in my CW press screening room for months because I was so afraid it wouldn’t live up to the hope in my heart. But, like I said, it did!
In this incarnation of Batwoman, Batman’s been missing from Gotham for years, while Kate Kane, Bruce’s cousin, has been out training all over the world to be part of her dad’s elite crime-fighting team, The Crows, who’ve stepped in to fill the Dark Knight’s shoes. The reason Kate is training in the wild is because she got kicked out of West Point during the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell days for being gay. Kate returns from the tundras because her ol’ army girlfriend, Sophie Moore, a soldier in her dad’s private army has been kidnapped — and, friends, their sexual tension is delightful! (All I ever want is to have my heart punched in the throat about two women longing for each other on-screen; there are only so many Bering and Wells fan videos a girl can watch!) In the process of searching for Sophie, Kate stumbles into the Bat-cave and the rest is herstory.
In addition to Kate and Sophie, Batwoman is rounded out with a female supervillain, Alice (if you know, you know; if you don’t, I won’t spoil it for you), played to absolutely unhinged perfection by Rachel Skarsten, who most of you know as Tamsin from Lost Girl. There’s also Mary Hamilton, Kate’s step-sister, who you think is going to be one kind of character but zags and becomes a whole other kind of character. She’s played by Nicole Kang, who you might remember as Kiki from Orange Is the New Black or as Lynn from Hashtag You On Lifetime. Elizabeth Anweis is Kate’s step-mom Catherine Hamilton-Kane, some kind of Bette Porter of The Crows. And Camrus Johnson is Luke Fox.
The pilot is almost shockingly gay. “Right off the Bat 😂,” Valerie Anne texted me, in fact. And “more girlfriends” is a promise from producers.
The other thing that impressed me about Batwoman’s pilot was that it balanced all the elements of really fun superhero TV well. It dug quickly and deeply into the pathos; it gave us reasons to connect with and root for the main women characters; it set up an excellent season-long hero/villain dynamic; it rolled out some exciting action sequences; and it gave us Kate’s origin story without smashing us over the head with it. And you know what else? Ruby Rose is very fun in this role. She’s cheeky and flirty and butchy and broody and punchy and I can’t wait to see what else she brings to one of my all-time favorite fictional lesbian characters.
Pop Culture Fix: Ruby Rose Is Winking Her Way Back Into Your Heart With “Batwoman”
Hello and welcome to the last Pop Culture Fix before Carol leaves Netflix! You have been warned!
+ Ruby Rose is ready to stand on her own, save Gotham, and get the girl. (There’s some legit multimedia winking going on over at Glamour for this cover story.)
+ The trailer for season two of All American is here!
+ The whole Adams Foster family is getting back together for the special Christmas episode of Good Trouble and would you get a load of Jude???
+ Ten storytellers revolutionizing TV, including Lena Waithe, Lily Singh, but inexplicably not Janet Mock.
+ The welcome rise of the stripper ensemble film.
+ Introducing the Sara Ramirez Test.
+ Issa Rae is re-imagining Set It Off.
+ Filming dates for the new season of One Day at a Time (if you’re in LA, you should go!).
+ Alia Shawkat will spend 24 hours on stage performing one scene 100 times.
+ The Transparent musical finale is the best of worst and Transparent all in one.
+ Lily Singh’s late night show premiered this week, and here is her opening monologue.
+ Stephanie Beatriz will guest star on Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor.
+ Harvey Weinstein told Cara Delevingne to hide her sexuality.
+ Cherry Jones chatted with Vulture about Secession.
+ Jane Lynch and Cyndi Lauper are developing a “Golden Girls-style” comedy for Netflix. 🧐
+ Celine Dion has dropped some new tracks from her first album in six years.
+ Man, I have no idea what’s going to happen in this final season of How to Get Away With Murder but I love hearing Annalise yelling about, “We’re going to bury it! We’re going to bury all of it!”
No Filter: Hayley Kiyoko and Ruby Rose Initiate Taylor Swift Into the Club
Would you like to know what’s going on in Footwear News, dear reader? Kristen Stewart, that’s what. She’s out there in a terrible sweater looking as gay as she possibly can, which if you’re familiar with Kristen Stewart you will recognize is QUITE A LOT. As though she sensed Kristen’s dedication to her craft, Cara Delevingne stepped it up by wearing a top hat and tails to the latest royal wedding:
Cara Delevingne is wearing top hat and tails. This is everything I didn’t know I needed 🔥😍🔥😍 #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/9YiZCukMMP
— Emma Fraser (@frazbelina) October 12, 2018
Everything is just a lot right now.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bow_4BZHKaV/?taken-by=rubyrose
I’m no Taylor Swift fan but I can appreciate her continued attempts to infiltrate the Cool Lesbian club. Are they celebrating Taylor’s initiation? Who can say???
https://www.instagram.com/p/BpA9m4flqRG/?taken-by=kingprincess69
Carol, 2015, directed by Todd Haynes.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo2HpdMH-3G/?taken-by=kehlani
Kehlani should not have to justify her pregnancy or her queerness or really anything to anyone but I will say she looks gorgeous and I am excited to watch her whole journey via Instagram with you weirdos.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo46b85g9U2/?taken-by=bishilarious
As steadfast as the tides, Brittani Nichols has come once again to steal your girl.
More classics from Stephanie Beatriz’s wedding: this face.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo9k_DOAQbC/?taken-by=gabyroad
Gaby Dunn went to an expensive woo store and bought this green stuff to make you buy her book; if this is the kind of financial advice this book holds, I’m sold.
Oh I am gonna watch the SHIT out of this movie.
These two are here for your weekly “love is not a lie” content.
What does Sandra Bullock smell like? Please answer in the comments. My best guess is money mixed with cucumber melon body spray from Bath and Body Works.
Instead of fabric softener I am switching to having Samira Wiley wear my sweaters because GODDAMN that sweater looks cuddly AF.
Just a couple of casual gentlemen discussing their tequila empires and villas in the south of Italy.
Join us next week for continued coverage of that look on Lena Waithe’s face.
Pop Culture Fix: My Friends, Lesbian Ruby Rose Is Your Lesbian Batwoman and Other Stories
Welcome to your weekly pop culture fix, featuring all the culture that is fit to pop.
+ After weeks of thirst and speculation, CW has announced that out genderfluid lesbian model/VJ Ruby Rose has snagged the role of Batwoman, a character described like so:
Armed with a passion for social justice and a flair for speaking her mind, Kate Kane soars onto the streets of Gotham as Batwoman, an out lesbian and highly trained street fighter primed to snuff out the failing city’s criminal resurgence. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, Kate must overcome her own demons before embracing the call to be Gotham’s symbol of hope.
Batwoman, initially introduced in the early ’50s, was on hiatus from the DC comics universe until 2006, when she was reintroduced as a Jewish lesbian, but rarely actually seen until 2011. Rose will debut the role in the annual December Arrowverse crossover event, and will star in the Batwoman series currently in development from out producer/directors Greg Berlanti and Caroline Dries. Some news outlets have incorrectly labeled this event as The CW’s first lesbian superhero, which is not true, that honor belongs to Anissa Pierce / Thunder on Black Lightning! However, Batwoman is the first openly gay superhero to headline a TV series AND she’s being played by an openly gay actor. I think it’s pretty great, honestly, and I’m excited to see Ruby Rose play Batwoman.
But also, lol at everybody!
https://twitter.com/BisHilarious/status/1026905009277952000
Ladies, gird your loins for Round Two of “I’m Gay For Ruby Rose: A Straight Woman’s Story”!
Also, here’s everything The Mary Sue learned about The CW’s Batwoman series and the Arrowverse at the TCA Summer Press Tour.
+ Variety‘s August issue is dedicated to “Transgender Hollywood,” and it’s pretty rad! The cover story is a really interesting roundtable with Trace Lysette, Laverne Cox, Chaz Bono, Jen Richards and Brian Michael. The article only includes clips entire roundtable is an hour-long video and it’s a very compelling watch. Alexandra Billings in particular is incredible.
This particular passage has garnered some buzz:
I’m so curious about this! Like if that’s the real reason… why didn’t he come up with a lie that would sound better than that? That is a terrible thing to say! But would also be a weird fact to get wrong! Jen Richards has tweeted that the only reason Pose actors weren’t present was because the panel took place in Los Angeles, not New York, and Ryan Murphy re-tweeted her tweet. Also, Pose‘s cast and creators have spoken extensively about trans-related issues in the press as recently as last week in The Hollywood Reporter. The Variety roundtable was moderated by Ramin Seetodeh (who you may recall from his 2010-2011 career claiming gay actors can’t play straight roles, which led to GLAAD and several prominent creatives and actors, including Ryan Murphy, calling on Newsweek to issue an apology, but they apparently sorted it out).
The Variety story also has a gallery of trans and non-binary actors to watch and an Open Letter to Hollywood from GLAAD, co-signed by a number of production companies including Berlanti Productions, SAG-AFTRA, Shondaland and Sony Pictures Classics.
We love the shout out to @poseonFX in this @buzzfeednews piece about our #TRANSformHollywood guide. Thank you @MrRPMurphy @BFalchuk and @StevenCanals and the #PoseFX team for leading the way on trans inclusion on TV! https://t.co/zgA0UE1U0z
— GLAAD (@glaad) August 7, 2018
+ In Broadway’s “Head Over Heels, The Go-Gos Music Is The Star:
…it was about an aristocratic girl in a small, mystical town in love with a boy who is beneath her social status. A servant, if you will. Said servant dresses as a girl to stay near his beloved. Mayhem ensues, lesbian love blooms, trans love is re-kindled, a marriage is put though a trial, and a lover is lost. Well, sort of.
+ The Miseducation of Cameron Post Is a Hopeful, Hilarious, Heartbreaking Lesbian Coming-of-Age Story: a wonderful review from a wonderful person.
+ Aisha Dee on Biracial Representation on Season 3 of The Bold Type
+ A Look at the Misandrist Villain In Comics
+ Orange Is The New Black Season 6 Has Strong U.S. Debut on Netflix, Nielsen Finds
+ Hayley Kiyoko May Break The VMAs — If You Vote in Time
+ An Ode to Florian, GLOW’s Lost Gay Icons
+ Trans Drama Girl Wowed Cannes, but Can It Impress American Audiences?
+ Everybody is coming back for American Horror Story: Apocalypse including Sarah Paulson!
The 2018 Met Gala’s Best Lesbian, Bi, and Queer Looks
In the fashion industry, the first Monday in May is its own kind of holiday.
The Met Gala (formerly known as the The Costume Institute Gala, and informally known to me as “your favorite celebrity’s favorite red carpet”) is a fundraiser, co-sponsored by Anna Wintour and Vogue, supporting the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Costume Institute in New York City. It’s also the soft launch of the Metropolitan Museum’s annual summer fashion exhibit. An unabashed love letter to the craft and art of fashion, the night’s red carpet is more iconic than the gala itself.
Designers invite celebrities as their guests to wear masterfully constructed, and often avant-garde, “costumes” based on a central theme. This year’s theme, “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” gave a me a bit of pause. Little did I know that 20GayTeen would once again work it’s magic when I least expected it!
Eleven out queer women and non-binary folks walked the carpet last night, more than any previous record. We have all of those looks for you here! We also included a few special extras that we didn’t want you to miss.
Grab a quick mid-afternoon lemonade and enjoy!
The Best Lesbian, Bi, and Queer Looks
Lena Waithe, in a custom Carolina Hererra.
Is there anyone else we would have started with? As a black masculine-of-center lesbian, Lena Waithe was already going to make an impact in her Met Gala debut just for walking the carpet in her signature well tailored suit and perfectly beat face. She took it further. She made sure that we were in the room, and that everyone would know it. Lena always puts her community on her back, this time literally, and we can’t help but love those who are out there loving us so openly.
To really take in the weight of this costume choice, we can’t forget that the theme of last night’s gala — “Fashion and the Catholic Imagination”. It was criticized by many for being insensitive to the history of the church’s relationship with homophobia, sexual abuse, and racism. Lena turned her red carpet moment into a statement of defiant pride, solidarity, and visibility.
A real life black lesbian superhero.
Seriously, what did we do to deserve her? What a time to be alive. Waithe also took time on the carpet to talk with Vogue about the significance of her fashion choice, including the decision to include black and brown (representing people of color) with the Pride flag rainbow.
Janelle Monáe, in Marc Jacobs with Jennifer Fisher Jewelry.
.@janellemonae is looking heavenly! #MetGala https://t.co/raXDxYUVPu pic.twitter.com/uTKDk4thMx
— NYT Fashion (@NYTFashion) May 8, 2018
Janelle Monáe returned to her iconic black & white aesthetic, using the gold brim of her hat to play on the event’s theme — it’s meant to cast a “halo” framing her face. It’s been a while since Monáe brought back the black & white uniform of her early career, but as she reminded Vanity Fair last night, “My black and white is meant to honor my working-class parents. My mother was a janitor, both my fathers, my biological father and my stepfather, were custodians, sanitation workers, post-office workers.” They wore uniforms everyday. It wasn’t about what they were wearing, but who they were.
Miley Cyrus, in Stella McCartney.
Miley, along with Autostraddle “Vapid Fluff” regular Paris Jackson and Stella McCartney, who dressed both women, talked about the future possibilities of sustainable fashion and the environment.
Amber Heard, in Carolina Herrera.
Forever crushing on Amber Heard. #MetGala #MetHeavenlyBodies https://t.co/rLv7uGXR1a pic.twitter.com/EHDT2INJ0o
— E! News (@enews) May 7, 2018
Stella Maxwell, in Moschino.
Sadly, she left KStew at home.
https://twitter.com/Moschino/status/993858197193658368
Ruby Rose, in Tommy Hilfiger with Judith Leiber Accessories.
Oh and Ruby left a ‘lil message for ya on their Instagram ?
Yeah they will.
Cara Delevingne, in Dior Haute Couture.
.@Caradelevingne is attending the #MetGala for the seventh time tonight. See more from the red carpet: https://t.co/lb4SZlV88p pic.twitter.com/jcUegkhlR6
— Vogue Magazine (@voguemagazine) May 8, 2018
No pictures of Cara with her alleged girlfriend Paris Jackson on the carpet last night, but you know, a girl can dream.
Kiersey Clemons, in a custom H&M.
.@KierseyClemons is stunning in her custom-made #METGala dress. Are you loving it as much as we are? #HM pic.twitter.com/a0zrFHf8UZ
— H&M (@hm) May 7, 2018
Did we mention that out actress Kiersey Clemons has a new gay movie coming out? It’s called Hearts Beat Loud and its going to have a limited release this summer. Be on the lookout for it!
Sasha Lane, in Tory Burch.
Speaking of young actresses to be on the lookout for, check out this bi actress and future star of the film adaption to the lesbian cult classic The Miseducation of Cameron Post. 20GayTeen is going to be her year!
Evan Rachel Wood, in a custom Altuzarra.
Angelic Vision: Evan Rachel Wood wears a Custom Altuzarra Gold Paillette and Thread Embroidered Feather Cape, Black Jumpsuit and ‘Kiss’ Bag. #MetGala #MetHeavenlyBodies @evanrachelwood pic.twitter.com/fahz2ONNmb
— ALTUZARRA (@ALTUZARRASTUDIO) May 8, 2018
Evan Rachel WOULD, indeed.
Sarah Paulson, in Prada with Tiffany & Co. Jewelry.
.@MsSarahPaulson wore #Prada while attending The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala celebrating the opening of “Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination” in New York. ⠀#PradaPeople ⠀#MetGala⠀#MetGala2018#MetHeavenlyBodies pic.twitter.com/7bvFktyjPi
— PRADA (@Prada) May 8, 2018
An icon.
Even More Looks From Favs That We Didn’t Want You To Miss!
Tessa Thompson, in Thom Browne with Tiffany & Co. Jewelry.
Damn. ¡Y Tessa Thompson! Slayyy #MetGala pic.twitter.com/sj3941pSV1
— Emilio Doménech (@Nanisimo) May 8, 2018
In her MET GALA DEBUT!!!! Come thru Tessa!!! I am so ready for your astronomical rise ?? ?? ??
Lynda Carter, in Zac Posen.
Princess Lynda Carter of Themyscira, sculpted from clay and brought to life by the gods. #MetGala pic.twitter.com/AD2ANMuGFE
— Devan Coggan (@devancoggan) May 7, 2018
Wonder Woman!!!!! Fresh out of Themyscira and into our hearts.
Rihanna, in Maison Margiela.
I went to Catholic high school, and I can 100% promise you I would have paid more attention if these pictures had been in our religion textbooks.
Damn Rih. You want to see that outfit in motion, don’t you? Well, if you watch one video from last night, let it be this one from Rihanna and Vogue.
Paris Jackson, in Stella McCartney.
.@ParisJackson was absolutely gorgeous on the #MetGala carpet! See all the pics from tonight: https://t.co/UM9hWRCA9B pic.twitter.com/1SLpJCYEMx
— ExtraTV (@extratv) May 8, 2018
Solange Knowles, in Iris van Herpen.
😭… Only 👑 @solangeknowles! Name another who could kill this look!? *Waiting* #metgala pic.twitter.com/p6e1vCwDbD
— EBONY (@EBONY) May 8, 2018
The night before the Met Gala, Solange uploaded three potential outfits from her Twitter followers to choose from. She picked this, a clever take on an hip hop angel (notice how the bottom of the outfit invokes a famous Missy Elliott aesthetic), because as one of her followers put it, “God Loves Durags.”
Cardi B, in Moschino.
Rapper Cardi B shows off her baby bump in a shimmering gown at the Met Gala https://t.co/UqUAUGAJRe pic.twitter.com/MberTjUkdA
— CNN (@CNN) May 8, 2018
Cardi B as a pregnant Madonna is what I need in my life.
Zendaya, in a custom Versace with Tiffany & Co. Jewelry.
Zendaya didn't come to play with this Joan of Arc #MetGala look, WOW!!!! pic.twitter.com/Vsz0Sgvbyu
— MTV (@MTV) May 8, 2018
Zendaya pulled her inspiration from Joan of Arc, the unofficial Catholic saint of tomboy lesbians everywhere.
Frances McDormand, in Valentino.
Frances McDormand just did that. #MetGala #MetHeavenlyBodies pic.twitter.com/gzixhs8ayO
— E! News (@enews) May 7, 2018
Stay weird. Do you.
Ashley Graham, in Prabal Gurung.
A sparkling @ashleygraham walks the #MetGala carpet. #MetHeavenlyBodies #AshleyGraham pic.twitter.com/NgkOuavmGg
— The Metropolitan Museum of Art (@metmuseum) May 7, 2018
For all of its moves towards inclusivity in recent years, the Met Gala is severely lacking when it comes to body diversity. At least Ashley Graham was there to represent — and damn does she look great! Still, it’s far from being enough. As we take in all the drama and beauty, let’s also keep pushing for more of us to be seen each year.
Did you have any favorite Met looks from 2018? Are you already custom ordering your Pride Cape for all your summer gay needs? Let us know in the comments!
If Women’s Magazine Covers Were Aimed at Queer Women, Pt. 4
Welcome back to covers of JKLAFGHD Mag, the Magazine for Women Who Aren’t Straight. Every so often we check in here to catch up on the latest not-straight trends, get updates on the not-straight classics, and check in with our favorite not-straight celebrities. Up next in our October through December issues are Ruby Rose, Sarah Paulson and Samira Wiley.
October: Ruby Rose
November: Sarah Paulson
December: Samira Wiley
No Filter: Annie Clark As The Ghost Of Easter Past
Welcome back to No Filter, your weekly dose of celebrity Instagram and unfathomable glamor. I read a lot of non-queer tabloid websites every single day in order to stay on top of all of our subjects’ goings-on, and while it hasn’t been a very busy week for our subject matter, there’s still always a whole lot happening out there. This was my favorite headline of this week:
Anyway, here are some famous queer people giving you an extra-special glimpse into their lives.
What did you do during your last flight? I drank a ginger ale and watched Star. Jen Richards got a library card. Be like Jen.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4wIaqgIDD/
I’d love to know what exactly you asked Brittani Nichols.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4QnmdDYF9/
Danielle Brooks, being the kind of vision that makes sailors crash their vessels into rocks.
There was a joke here about Laura being like a hydra but with amp heads but it isn’t coming together.
Stephanie Beatriz ordered a friendly ghost and it came in a box.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRZvCZtB8B3/
Gabby Rivera’s mom gently holds her grandbaby, issue #1 of America Chavez. No, you’re crying.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BR4HjaMBZqO
These two wore some very confusing outfits to celebrate Ruby’s birthday. Dating Ruby Rose seems to mostly consist of wandering around farmer’s markets.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRqe1epDYs4/
Every Easter, a sharply-dressed transluscent ghost wanders the streets of Dallas, searching for Easter eggs, her lost baby and the even-ghostier ghost of Kristen Stewart.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BRq7IF-jqEX/
Thought you would like to be aware of this whole situation.
Join us next week for another edition of Ghost Hunters; next week we’ll tackle the paranormal activity at Cafe Stella.
Year-End Roundup: Celebrity Breakups That Remind Us That Love Is Still A Lie
The year of our lord 2016 was a terrible year, filled with unimaginable horrors on every single level. We lost some of the greatest artists of any generation, saw the American political landscape go up in flames and watched aghast as the world ceased making any sense whatsoever. Throughout this waking nightmare, there’s been some comfort in watching a universal truth proved time and time again: that love is a lie and we are all going to die alone. No one on Earth has proved this more effectively than the queer celebrities we have so earnestly followed on Instagram; we watched their relationships bloom and thrive, only to see them wither and inevitably crumble into dust. Let’s take a look back at all of the breakups that have shaped our world during this year of perpetual sadness.
Hannah Hart & Ingrid Nilsen
These two YouTube darlings charmed the pants off the entire internet with their relationship, which came on the heels of Nilsen’s adorable coming-out video. Hannah had never talked about her relationships publicly before, and Ingrid had never been known to have openly queer relationships, so the whole thing was a milestone for their fans. Sadly, in April, both stars let it slide via Twitter that the union known universally as #Hangrid was no more.
Brittney Griner & Glory Johnson
It hurts to reflect upon these two because their relationship was so tumultuous and often upsetting, culminating in both Johnson and Griner being arrested for domestic assault in 2015. They finalized their divorce in late June, and have both hopefully moved on to healthier relationships.
Demi Lovato & All Of Us
Listen, OK, I love Demi Lovato too. “Cool For The Summer” was a pivotal moment for modern pop music, and Lovato’s sly acknowledgement of her previous queer experiences gave all of us hope that one day, Demi Lovato would be our girlfriend – nay, the people’s girlfriend. She was a colorful character in No Filter and a frequent character in Trans Editor Mey Rude’s daydreams. Everything was going to plan; she unceremoniously broke up with her longtime boyfriend Wilmer Valderrama, and it seemed that at any moment Demi Lovato would emerge as the bisexual icon we all knew she could be – and then, just as quickly as she’d arrived, she ruined it. In September, Women’s Health reported that, “many in the media speculated that when her hit song “Cool For The Summer” was released last year, she was coming out as bisexual. Demi admits that, yes, her music is fueled by personal experience, but she believes in experimentation, not labels.” While nobody is demanding that Demi label herself or behave as an official representative of the LGBTQ community, her reduction of her experience to “experimentation” was a bummer, and a beautiful dream died that day.
Ruby Rose & Harley Gusman
Honestly, this whirlwind relationship wasn’t much fun to cover, not nearly as important as Rose’s romance with Phoebe Dahl or her current rekindled love with The Veronicas’ Jessica Origliasso. Truly Organic entrepeneur Gusman celebrated the 4th of July with Ruby and Taylor Swift, appeared in a lot of cute Instagrams, and then suddenly and unceremoniously disappeared from our lives. I assume that Ruby probably still drinks a lot of cold-pressed juices, just with someone else.
Queen Latifah & Eboni Nichols
I’m not saying Queen Latifah broke up with her longtime partner this year, but if she had, she would have become an important part of this roundup.
Laura Jane Grace & Beatrice Martin
It was a magical day when Coeur de Pirate’s Beatrice Martin came out as bisexual, and our hearts exploded when it was revealed that Martin was dating punk legend and acclaimed superhero Laura Jane Grace. The pair were inseparable and totally gooey over each other on social media, which was a lot of fun for me as the editor of No Filter but also lovely to watch in general. Things seemed to be all sunshine and roses, until the pair suddenly split (Rolling Stone’s controversial article seemed to suggest that Grace was torn between Martin and her ex-wife) – but not before Grace.. maybe got a tattoo of Beatrice’s name? Nothing gold can stay.
Annie Clark & Cara Delevingne
For ages, I wondered what the hell these two talked about when they were together; Cara had always seemed like a bit of a wild child and a strange match for serene, ethereal guitar goddess Annie Clark. In February, the tabloids were breathlessly reporting that they’d gotten engaged atop the Eiffel Tower, and then suddenly before we knew what had happened, it was over. Cara’s been spotted cavorting around town with Amber Heard, but Annie? Oh, Annie…
Kristen Stewart & Alicia Cargile
Of all the gal pal splits of 2016, this one hurts the most. We were innocents when we met Alicia Cargile, the tender angel whose beachside frolics with Kristen had spurred an entire wave of intense fervor over Stewart’s sexuality. Alicia Cargile became the inspiration for a new verb I invented to describe being a relative unknown dating a celesbian: cargiling. For all of 2015, we accepted the relationship between Cargile and Stewart as an open secret in the queer community, but it wasn’t until this year that Kristen seemed to drop all the fucks she’d ever given about how she’s perceived by the world at large. Late last year, she and Alicia quietly split, and Kristen spent the early part of the year swapping spit all over Paris with Soko. Just as that relationship seemed to be solidifying into something real, they broke up – and next thing we knew, Alicia was back in business, proudly holding her girlfriend’s checkered Vans for her on the red carpet at Cannes. Kristen started talking about Alicia in interviews, calling Alicia her girlfriend for real, discussing her sudden openness about her sexuality, declaring how amazing it felt to be in love and transparent about that love… and then… and then.
Enter Annie Clark.
Look, I didn’t like this either. It’s a universally accepted truth that there’s only so many famous queer women and they’re all going to date one another at one point or another, like a class of rural high school students, but this was just cruel and absurd. I don’t believe in love, especially not for myself, but I have to admit: I truly thought Alicia and Kristen were going to make it. I believed in them, and now I feel betrayed. No matter how cute Annie and Kristen may have looked as they tenderly hold hands at fashion shows and creep around the East Village in perfectly styled slightly matchy outfits, they’ll never give me the same misguided hope that Kristen inspired in me with her relationship with Alicia – and after all of that, it looks like they may have already broken up anyway.
Love is dead. See you in 2017.
No Filter: First In Line For Ruby Rose’s Shark Movie
Welcome back to No Filter, a weekly gathering of only the finest queer celebrity Instagram postings from the previous week. This week, I learned that being a celebrity sounds horrible:
Bella Hadid caught looking at photo of ex-boyfriend The Weeknd kissing her https://t.co/TVkVIT6Jfs pic.twitter.com/eCSQ1aiz7G
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) November 30, 2016
Like, can you imagine? If some creep on the subway took a photo every time I nostalgically lurked my ex’s Instagram, I’d… Uh, that’d never happen because I never do that. Anyway, let’s get to work.
Cara Delevingne led some people at the Chateau Marmont in this mannequin challenge, a thing that doesn’t seem all that fun to do but KIDS THESE DAYS.
Laura Jane Grace met all these weed plants in garbage cans and she’s honestly never looked happier.
Mahalo, motherfucker.
Danielle Brooks’ Instagram account often gives me the false impression that we are old friends and she’s just filling me in about her day-to-day life. I would get a coffee with Danielle Brooks.
Honestly, if you think when this Ruby Rose shark movie comes out that I won’t be the first one in line to buy tickets, you are sorely mistaken. It’s my theoretical favorite movie already.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNQlLkKhhi5/
Esteemed and very famous author Gabby Rivera getting into the Christmas spirit.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BNVZaf4gdNe/
THEY GOT THIS FUCKING CAT A TENT SO HE CAN GO ON OUTDOORSY ADVENTURES BUT THIS IS ALL HE WANTS TO DO.
I forgot Ellen Page and Samantha Thomas had this dog because they have the most seemingly steady, non-dramatic, secure relationship on the entire internet, and then they posted this amazing photograph of him turning into a shark.
Man, we haven’t checked in with those two Australian Bachelorette chicks in a hot minute and uh, they’re doing this.
Join us next week, when we continue our backyard safari with Bee and Holiday Quin.
No Filter: Ruby Rose, Jessica Origliasso And This Bear Are Gonna Get Through This Thing
Welcome back to No Filter, in which we survey the week in celebrity Instagram and dissect it in order to find meaning in our own empty lives. I don’t know about you, but this week I’m still struggling to find normalcy, even after these 12 adorable photos of Samira Wiley. For that reason, this week I scoured my feed especially hard for images of famous queers being particularly precious, and I hope these posts bring you comfort in thes dark, terrifying times. Anyway, enough chatter, time to look at nice haircuts and cute puppies. Let’s get to work!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMkhr6pALEs/
Maybe this picture of Meredith Graves holding a tiny dog will heal your soul.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMvzucKAGZ0/
Or maybe you’d like to spoon with newly-reconciled Ruby Rose and Jessica from the Veronicas under the light of this majestic bear.
Perhaps you would like to scale this wall with Kate Moennig.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMrrAmRjzGp/?hl=en
Personally, I am finding healing by watching this video for six or seven minutes at a time.
Laura Jane Grace’s book came out yesterday and here she is booping herself on the nose about it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMwlVDnhvKA/
Jackie Cruz attempted the mannequin challenge, a thing that I only found out about recently so I assume it’s already over.
DIY genius Jasika Nicole built this hair all by herself.
This picture from Lea DeLaria’s feed warmed my cold dead heart.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMeJKyGj1Et/
I wanted to post this picture of Brittani and Jenny last week because it brings me such joy (GET IT?!) but here we are.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK6Ps8xAzKX/
Oh I forgot to tell you that Angel Haze adopted this puppy last month. Jury’s still out as to whether she’s cuter than that dog they used to have, but this puppy is PRETTY CUTE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMcZwy_jPKy/
Have you thought about lifting Evan Rachel Wood into the air?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMxtZ8dhgcO/
Honestly, sometimes just looking at Janelle Monae and remembering she exists is enough.
Join us next week, when somehow, I don’t know how but SOMEHOW, we’re gonna get through this and feel better.
No Filter: Gabby Rivera Joins The A-List
Welcome back to No Filter, in which we dissect the week in celebrity Instagram. This week, I’ve been very busy cataloging all of Kristen Stewart’s recent outfit choices in an effort to unlock the subliminal messages she’s been sending out into the world. Some other (more famous) people have been much more productive. Let’s get to it.
There are dozens of amazing photos of Brittani Nichols looking sharp at various screenings of Suicide Kale to choose from, but I chose this one because it was in New York and I’d like to encourage her to come here more often.
MORE LIKE “CARRIE: THIS BOOK” AMIRITE?!?!?
This is as gay as a DJ booth can possibly be. We have reached peak gay. The other gay DJs can go home.
What if you went on a rollercoaster with Ellen Page? What would that be like?
How about this picture of former Autostraddle writer and current dream person Gabrielle Korn eating this taco loco? For the uninitiated, it’s a hard taco inside a soft taco with like, beans or guac or cheese or something in the middle, it’s a whole thing. Also, the rules of New York City clearly state that it can only be consumed in the dead of night after an evening of debauchery. Anyway, hey Gabrielle, you look pretty.
What if I only post Autostraddle writers past and present named Gabrielle today? Here’s famous author Gabby Rivera and one of her fans.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BL-q7ohg1-4/
If you want Ruby Rose to fall in love with you, you should get her sardines.
So much of Jiz Lee’s feed right now is posts encouraging California residents to vote no on Prop 60, and if you live in California you should vote no on Prop 60! Also this is a great post.
Here’s St Vincent two years ago, probably wishing this flower would eventually turn into her current girlfriend Kristen Stewart. I begin each day reading about Kristen Stewart and Annie Clark’s antics. Recently, they bought dog food. Dreams do come true!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLmeLAYDBOP/
Someone last week asked if we could include Ria Mae in this week’s No Filter and I’m a people pleaser so I’m just gonna leave this here.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLxtK1CBtxl/
Are you fucking kidding me right now?
Join us next week, when for all we know Gabby Rivera will be hanging with Gwyneth Paltrow or whatever.
No Filter: You Can Wear Tegan And Sara As Socks Now I Guess
Welcome back to No Filter, in which we survey the week in celebrity Instagram and declare that it is good. This column is entering some kind of golden age in terms of lesbian media, in which we are actually getting ahold of a lot of celesbian tabloid stories before they officially break. As far as I can tell, this means we’re on the right track. Make fun of us for speculating about Carrie and Abbi all you want – it’s true, and so are Kristen and Annie, and there is nothing any of us can do about it. Kristen’s transformation into 2009-era Samantha Ronson is almost complete; she’s gotten really good at walking out of the Bowery Hotel like a grumpy, bleach-blonde little queer hipster grouch about three feet behind her obvious girlfriend. Anyway.
These two weirdos wrote a book and that book is out soon. Dan doesn’t look very sure about it.
Jiz Lee wants to talk to you about face masks.
Be Steadwell went to Miami, there are palm trees in the airport, probably got some cashews at Hudson News.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLrkvfYhq9j/
TBH this is the scariest movie I’ve watched all Halloween.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLtVV-mjpw-/
Taystee and Morello went to see Regina Spektor Monday night; personally we saw pretty much the rest of the cast rocking out to their own theme song Tuesday night. Do you think the cast of The L Word ever went to see Betty quite so passionately?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLpSgFcAc4h/
Meredith Graves is like a walking vision board.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLiRIXIA0nw/
I love when beautiful famous people post perfectly-lit selfies like, “OMG CAN YOU BELIEVE HOW AWFUL I LOOK?” Sure, Ruby, OK.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BK9XmElBqFi/
Hey, what’s up, this is Queen Latifah being hip and with it and into what the kids are into and still really confused about what I’m doing in this column.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BLrDJvCgp2P/
I literally can’t believe this exists. That’s all, I just had to share.
Join us next week, when our Ruby Rose socks finally arrive.
No Filter: Ruby Rose and Her Shark Movie Are Happening Whether We Like It Or Not
Welcome back to No Filter, the world’s most reliable source of queer tabloid Instagram hooha. This week, Kristen Stewart still hasn’t told me her secret Instagram handle and Laura Jane Grace hasn’t posted any cute pictures of her relationship so we’ll just have to work with what we’ve got. Let’s get to it.
I thought we’d start off strong with this picture of Danielle Brooks from the West Indian Day Parade which has been in an open tab in my browser since the moment I first saw it. I will never close it.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJwPQYkgjrN/
Ruby Rose is ready to play a person named Jaxx in a movie about a megalodon, which is going to be the most incredible movie any of us have ever seen and I am here for it.
Welcome to No Filter, Selena Forrest, and thank you for this weirdly angled photo that makes you kinda look like some kind of fashion centaur.
It’s weird because Jiz Lee isn’t doing any sports here, but they’re wearing a shirt featuring an X-ray of their brain thinking diligently about what sport to try next. Sports!
Leisha Hailey still wants to sell you pet wigs, I just want you to look at this dog.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ_Yj0KAzAk/
I also want you to look at these cats, just look at these cats!
If you haven’t watched Jen Richards’ very eloquent explanation of why cis actors playing trans characters is harmful, please go do that right now.
Samira Wiley looks like the cuddliest critter in this robe, like hugging her would feel like wrapping yourself up in a cloud.
I missed this one last week, but for REAL. Queen Latifah probably asked Laverne what she was doing in this column, and no one knows.
Oh, just dropping this here at the very end to casually let you guys know I met Evan Rachel Wood this week and we drank tequila and talked about bisexuality and relationships for like an hour and she’s really rad.
Join us next week, when we will look at more dogs and more cats and with any luck a lot more information about this prehistoric shark movie that’s going to change all of our lives.
No Filter: Hey Samira Wiley, Where’d You Get That Shirt?
Welcome back to No Filter, in which we survey the week in ~celesbian Instagram and declare that it is good. It’s mostly good. This week, Ruby Rose broke up with her person (more on that later), Kristen Stewart got coffee with her person and Samira Wiley took a lot of scrunch-faced selfies. Let’s get to work.
.@JanelleMonae is onto something special. Proud to support. #FemTheFuture. pic.twitter.com/pwOr33duCR
— Lupita Nyong'o (@Lupita_Nyongo) August 27, 2016
What if I turned this column into nothing but pictures of Janelle Monáe with other otherworldy beautiful humans? What would that be like?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJZiNg8g2H5/
Tegan and Sara have finally figured out how to communicate with Holiday.
I really appreciate how Samira waited until like 10 minutes after last week’s No Filter was published to post a picture of herself wearing an actual Autostraddle exclusive Gal Pal shirt designed by our own Alex Vega.
Laura Jane Grace’s autobiography isn’t even out yet and I guess it already needed a vacation.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJtMmAYjfO9/
If I have to deal with this picture, you do too.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJvKdFQAN3J/
St. Vincent is casually perfect; it’s almost obnoxious.
Ruby Rose’s acting career is uh, still happening as far as I know, but in case it should suddenly fall through for some reason she’s trying to pick up some backup gigs. Oh, also she apparently broke up with Harley Gusman. Love’s still a lie, might as well repaint your living room. She also signed on to do a giant shark movie, which is my favorite genre of movie because there is only one available plot and Jaws already exists (I see all of these movies anyway).
https://www.instagram.com/p/BJnreqyAPpi/
This picture of very famous millennial Gaby Dunn yearning for jerky feels poignant somehow.
Your girlfriend Lena Waithe hasn’t really been posting selfies too much lately
You know who doesn’t ever update their Insta but I check it every week just in case?!?!?! JENNY SHIMIZU. It’s your lucky day because sports are happening and I love sports!
OH HEY GUYS DIDN’T SEE YOU THERE. I like to imagine that all of their interactions are just like the movie Spice World, and probably they spent this entire evening assigning personalities to fish in the fish tank.
Join us next week, when Holiday creates a keyboard to communicate back.
No Filter: Annie Clark Shows Off The Latest In Toilet Fashion
Hello, it is I, No Filter, here once again to bring you only the finest in celebrity social media from this past week! A big thing that happened to me this week was the discovery of Holland Taylor’s tramp stamp, uncovered whilst she and Sarah Paulson loaded their car up with groceries from Bristol Farms. What do you think it says? What do you think Holland and Sarah bought at the grocery store? Here is a current list of items I believe they are holding in their paper bags (no reusable totes?! Really, guys?):
- English muffins
- Honeydew melon
- Avocados
- Pre-bagged, pre-washed arugula
- Rainbow carrots
They are almost definitely not purchasing celery or lacinato kale because nothing is poking above the tops of their grocery bags.
Anyway, Instagram!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHfCK3OAqWv/
We heard through the grapevine that Laura Jane Grace and Beatrice Martin have been spotted canoodling around Montreal, so we’re pretty sure the “s/o” doesn’t mean “shout out” if you know what I mean.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHaZ7S0h-ot/?hl=en
There is an entire chapter of my Maritza and Flaca fan fiction dedicated entirely to this photograph.
In the meantime, here’s what Samira and Lauren did with their time in Toronto.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHWCakfDj-3/
Here stands Mey Rude’s girlfriend Demi Lovato in a rainbow flag, sparkling in the sun. If you wanted to see some very beautiful black and white promo shots for her new single “Body Say,” they’re also on her Instagram, just throwing that out there.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHIj16lBv0o/
Angel Haze’s lyric journal has about 2353252453 songs in it and not enough of them are about that dog they used to have, who I still miss.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHGjEb2jAFn/
I didn’t know Kreayshawn’s mom was in the Trashwomen?!?!
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHShxXEhaEW/
Anyway here’s Cara Delevingne’s video of her girlfriend Annie Clark dressed up like a toilet. I suggested this outfit to Erin for What I Wore: Navigating The Heteronormative Patriarchy and it was soundly rejected BUT THAT’S FINE.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHfd35eD13p/
Also here’s what Cara and Ruby did on the 4th, I guess – neither of these people are American, but they do love being in photos with everybody’s very best friend Taylor Swift.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHWD5Dhj5RX/
Some would argue not enough.
Hello, it’s Jiz Lee with a dispatch from the butch ballet.
I keep forgetting to include this great photo of Lea DeLaria and Natasha Lyonne from a couple of weeks ago so I’m very sorry but here it is this week.
Join us next week, when hopefully more of these celebrities will pick up the latest toilet fashion craze.
No Filter: Samira Wiley And Rose Rollins Smile Together, Angels Sing
Welcome back to another rousing edition of No Filter, your weekly one-stop shop for all the news that’s unfit to print in any respectable publication. This week, a lot of people put on very shiny outfits and had their picture taken, and some other people dressed up as clowns. Let’s get down to business.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE3UQqBJqP5/
Danielle Brooks and Loretta Devine, star of my favorite breakup movie of all time (Waiting to Exhale) and also my heart. Danielle’s right – someone needs to put these two in a movie together immediately.
Oh wow. Do you think they had a cutest laugh competition? Probably woodland creatures appeared all around to cheer them on and a tiny bluebird fluttered between them and perched upon the shoulder of the winner. Who do you think it was?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE9xrJdOKvU/?hl=en
First of all, Mey’s girlfriend Demi Lovato looked amazing at the Met Gala. Second of all, Nicki Minaj looks like the singer of a band I’d listen to in high school. Third of all, the look she’s giving Demi is amazing. We’re not going to talk about Jeremy Scott.
I just assumed this was what Cara wore to the Met Gala.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE9NGxvK6cc/
Brittani Nichols keeps getting exponentially more adorable.
Oh hey, did you hire Kate Moennig for your kid’s birthday party? Cos she’s here and she’s ready to make balloon animals.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEv3J3XMZTH/
I know everyone had a lot to say about Ruby Rose’s acting skills on OITNB but these people were very nice and found her a role as a tree in their latest picture.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE8dmp2G1Qw/?hl=en
I guess Amandla, Aja and Lupita got really bored at the Met Gala.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BE7clarxx1x/
Even my grandparents would be impressed.
Join us next week, when Kate Moennig shows up with the cotton candy machine and pony rides.
No Filter: Lonely Ruby Rose Befriends A Skateboard
Welcome back to No Filter, your one-stop shop for the news that matters the most on this planet of ours. This week, Soko didn’t suck Kristen Stewart’s thumb in any parking lots as far as we’re aware, but the news is very conscious of the fact that like most queer relationships (eyeroll), this one is probably motivated by revenge against a man. In this case, tabloids are pretty convinced that Stewart’s relationships with Soko and her ex Alicia are essentially just for her ex Robert Pattinson’s benefit, to make him upset. While I am impressed that these publications have moved past describing Stewart’s companions as “roommates” or “gal pals,” I am pretty sure that none of these very very rich people care about making one another upset and most likely they are too busy swimming in giant pools of money like Scrooge McDuck to notice what Robert Pattinson is doing. Anyway, on to Instagram!
Your girlfriend Lena Waithe is really bummed about Prince’s passing, so the two of you popped some popcorn and cuddled upon the couch to watch Purple Rain together.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEhztN4H_jC/
Janelle Monae and Prince riding off into the sunset together. Honestly, Janelle is the only person I can think of who deserves to be allowed to do Prince covers from now on.
I have a giant crush on Laura Jane Grace’s entire guitar situation.
DJ Kittens is a literal balloon and would have floated off into the stratosphere if not for the calm, anchoring love of Angel Haze.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEZk8McMOxd/
Gabby Rivera is just so damn good looking, I mean damn.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEjiAxeHfkV/
I’m working under the assumption that Jiz Lee has opened the door up for queer porn stars in this column, so let’s take a minute and talk about this naked mole rat Nikki Hearts just adopted. It looks like a brain with ears.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEjYUTAmFcZ/
Never to be outdone, Sara Quin’s cat Holiday bites back with this very important #look.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEiLlj0q6Sz/
As a girl from New Jersey, I find this look irresistible.
Ruby Rose tried to make friends with an inanimate object and if we’re being real it looks more satisfying than 100% of my previous relationships.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEgcdPBJqAL/
Danielle Brooks just ran a friggin half marathon and it was very difficult to choose a picture of her for this week, but I’m choosing this one because she looks amazing.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEbgakmm1dB/?hl=en
If you get lost in London, I guess you could check Amandla Stenberg’s socks?
I usually just embed Ellen Page’s posts now but I took this screen shot so we could all enjoy Djangotoyota’s desire to be “Ellie’s” man. Oh, friend.
Join us next week, when Ruby Rose will try to make friends with trains, planes and automobiles in an attempt to replace her best friend Vin Diesel (my favorite friendship in Hollywood).
No Filter: Carrie Brownstein Rolls Deep
Welcome back to No Filter, the most important part of a nutritious breakfast. This week, Autostraddle went to the GLAAD Awards and met a lot of celebrities, which I won’t post here because it’s cheating (but trust me, it was great).
This is what your girlfriend Lena Waithe looks like with Autostraddle’s design director Alex Vega at the GLAAD Awards. It’s very casual and not a big deal at all; honestly it’s about time your girlfriend Lena Waithe started meeting your friends.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDsDoyRRx4G/
Carrie Brownstein went above and beyond to prove that all of Carmen’s favorite people know each other. Carrie Brownstein is the queen of Brunches I’d Like To Attend Someday.
Queen Latifah is really into home improvement, I guess.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDpgXcqwcYN/
Soko giving Chuckie Doll vibes in this chilling video.
Samira’s been really killing it in the cute selfie department this week, but this is the post I’ve been thinking about the most.
Cara Delevingne thinking thoughts at the Eiffel Tower, probably about that time she and St. Vincent allegedly got engaged there. Seriously though, she opened up a lot about mental health this week (and so did Ruby Rose!) and that is awesome.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDzdss5QTXf/
Probably Carly.
Join us next week, when your girlfriend Lena Waithe will finally meet your mom.