In November, Team Autostraddle went on their very first Olivia Travel vacation and it was really awesome and this is their story.

“As a poet, I normally have time to carefully construct my sentences, my metaphors, etc., but here I didn’t have any preparation, and honestly, I don’t think I needed any.”

Knowing I could take on a task and see it through, start to finish, reminds me that the same is true for my writing and my activism, too. I will literally start 2017 with my house in order — and the work I’ll do from there will be much better for it.

The queer aesthetic here is so strong and bold and aggressive. It looks you straight in the eye turns you queer. It’s a queer gorgon. It’s queer medusa.

Grieving a friend lost to suicide in childhood, the effects of harmful compulsory masculinity, and looking around at a life that could just barely have been imagined then.

If you’re thinking about making a career shift or adding new skill sets to your resume, then here are some factors to consider during your search for a boot camp and upcoming application prep.

Let’s be with each other on this most harrowing of days to follow updates as they come in and support each other as we drag ourselves across the finish line of this election cycle.

We have two new tops to blow your mind in colors that make you wanna eat a popsicle in the sunshine. Plus enamel pins and A-Camp swag!

Counterfeit sex toys, the secret history of graham crackers and masturbation, and some smut just for you.

“I somewhat resemble the old man from ‘Up’ in both appearance and temperament.”

Maybe I’m not the best candidate to talk politics with strangers. But I couldn’t shake the feeling — the knowledge, really — that I’d copped out. Bailing on our first female President, of all people, because you’re scared? Nah, girl. I called the guy back, told him I could make it after all, held myself accountable on social media, and freaked out for ten minutes. But it was on. I was going.

It’s called Buffering the Vampire Slayer and there’s gonna be original song recaps in each episode. It’s true!

It’s scary when evil wizards rise to power, especially if your texting isn’t encrypted.

My problem with grief is its general shape. Grief is somehow both slippery and sharp, rolling over you with sadness then sneakily attacking your soft underbelly with its claws.

“Obamacare turned me from a liability into a full citizen worth protecting, and to see it roll backward instead of march forward would be a stain on our national history and an immediate threat to countless people.”

Topics include the American Shopping Mall, going to Disneyworld alone, the Tamir Rice case, a killer in Yosemite, aesthetic homogeneity and so much more.

Here’s a video announcing the winners of the A+ Gold Membership Giveaway! Good luck, I hope it’s you!

Laura and Carmilla drop the pretense of “office furniture-related slips” and (re)confess their love for each other.

Made by an all-queer cast and crew – you might recognize a couple of familiar faces.

AfterEllen’s contribution to lesbian and bisexual visibility is incalculable. Friday is the website’s last day.