The Autostraddle Insider #106: December 2023
“Why did Riese and I write 50,000 words about this Hanukkah movie.”
Uncommon Pairings: Wines To Drink With Last-Minute Freezer Dinner
Mozzarella sticks are extremely salty, and they require something big to cut through that salt. Enter: Cab Sauv.
Sapphic Yearning, Horror, and K-Pop Blend Perfectly in “Gorgeous Gruesome Faces”
I’ve never really been a horror girlie, but in recent months, I’ve found myself intrigued by YA books that have a horror element.
LGBTQ Fiction Sales Are Up, but We Still Urgently Need Creative Ways To Fight Book Bans
What does the LGBTQ book landscape look like right now? It’s complicated.
No Filter: A Very Chrishell Christmas!
If there is one thing Janelle Monáe is gonna do it is get in that damn Grinch costume.
The History of the Color Purple Kiss
In 1982 Alice Walker wrote a Black queer text so ahead of its time, that 40 years later we’re still fighting to catch up.
Mini Crossword is Hunky-Dory
I’m only familiar with 25 letters of the alphabet.
23 Low Stakes Personal Growth Milestones I Accomplished in 2023
2. I successfully transitioned my hair from a side part to a middle part. (This was directly inspired by the feature film M3GAN.)
“Too Queer, Too Smart” for Abuse
“They didn’t hit me. They didn’t throw me. They didn’t throw the phones, the glasses, the blow dryers, at me. They were just near me and it was always somehow my fault.”
Here’s a Step-By-Step Guide on How to Find a Therapist
We’ve all been in a place where we know we should see a therapist, but the idea of even taking the steps from “yeah I should probably see someone someday” to “I called them yesterday and set up my first appointment” is daunting. I’m going to guide us through it.
6 Queer Comedy Specials That Will Restore Your Faith in the Craft
Still, there remains a discrepancy between the public’s perception of modern comedy and the comedy that gives me child-like joy to consume. The difference, I have concluded, is the lack of visibility for diverse comics, and specifically queer and trans comics of color.
I’m a Trans Woman, and This Is What’s in My Sex Bag
I have the profound misfortune of being a germaphobe who is very into anal sex.
You Need Help: How Do I Become Less Afraid of New Year’s and the Expectations it Brings?
This time of year inherently brings stress, so please treat yourself with kindness.
It’s the 2023 A+ Trivia Quiz of the Year!
Which Bachelorette star admitted she’d snagged a bachelorette of her own this August?
Alyson Stoner on the Power of Movement and Queer Joy
“One of the most beautiful things, especially in the queer experience, is joy.”
Holidays Are for Best Friends, Teletubbies, and Arthur
Every holiday season, I revisit 2000’s Arthur’s Perfect Christmas and its lessons about friendship.
Mini Crossword is a Femininomenon
How many tickles does it take to make a squid laugh?
Hallmark’s “Friends and Family Christmas” Is The Cheesy Holiday Romance Sapphics Deserve
“Friends and Family Christmas is everything that those of us who want an easy, cheesy Christmas romcom could ask for. Low stakes, lots of twinkly lights, and two openly queer actresses playing the romantic leads.”
Quiz: Plan a Christmas Party, and I’ll Give You a Gay New Year’s Resolution
What makes the resolutions gay? Well, because I said so, obviously.
Anatomy of a Queer Sex Scene: “Carol” Finds the Kink in Age Gaps
“I still love the Carol sex scene even if I’ve never been turned on by it per se.”