The Comment Awards Are Riding the Lesbian Party Bus

the brown and white comment dog, peering over their laptop with the words "hey did you see that comment?" the background is light blue, and there are a variety of hand-drawn pets, coins, and dollars in honor of this week's fundraiser.

Hi there, fireflies! Did you know that we’re fundraising this week? (I bet you did.) But also also also, did you know that as I write this, you’ve helped us get to 54 whole entire percent of our fundraising goal? YOU ALL ARE PERFECT AND AMAZING AND I LOVE YOU.

I’ve been putting together the Comment Awards since 2017, and I feel like I’ve gotten to know so many of you by your comments! I wrote my favorite intro to this column ever on my drive back from A-Camp once, when the highway was long and flat and I was exhausted and grubby and felt so overcome by love for this community that I had to hit record on my phone and capture some of that love to type up later. I’ve met some of my very dearest friends because of Autostraddle. I also miss the readers I no longer see around the site, and hope they’re doing well.

I tell this story all the time, but before I ever wrote for AS, when I was just coming out and my imposter syndrome was on overdrive, I worried that I would never be accepted for who I was, that no queer community would truly SEE me. In the years since then, the Autostraddle community has proved to me over and over again that I do belong, that my voice has worth, that I can be exactly who I am. This week, as always, I want to extend that gift to all of you in turn. Please know that whether you’re an avid commenter or a perpetual lurker, I see you. When I say that I believe in this community, I mean it on a deeply personal level. I’m just SO glad we’re here together. I hope I get to keep celebrating you all in the Comment Awards for another hundred years, at least. I hope Autostraddle lasts forever.

This week, The Last of Us had its season finale, and Valerie Anne and Nic were there with this recap!

I am SO excited for this new column from Sai, The Queer Mom Chronicles. As a queer person who would like to be a parent someday, I can’t wait to see what she dives into!

Dani Janae spoke to Lucy Dacus and Jane Schoenbrun about making their new music video for Nightshift! I can’t stop using exclamation marks today but you know what? Everything is worthy of them!

This made me laugh: I’ll Watch Anything About Women Bullying Men. Guess the byline!

Curious about the Autostraddle business model? Read this explainer from Nico.

Shelli Nicole is at SXSW and had this review of Bloody Hell, a movie that really could’ve made its nonbinary characters less disposable.

Niko had this lovely review and reflection on the new book Running, which looks at the sport through a queer, feminist lens.

Are you playing Autostraddle March Madness? 

A League Of Their Own, my very favorite tv show, is fighting for a full second season. Let’s let Amazon hear our voices!

Read this: How Astrology Helped Me Accept My Demisexuality.

And then there were your comments!

On “The Last of Us” Episode 109 Recap: Promises, Promises:

The Baby Girl / Apocalypse Dad Award to fridax:

Oh, baby girl and apocalypse dad, you had the worst of times and you had the best of times (so did we). I loved the giraffe scene, which was already stunning in the game, and was just as great here. (Some) actions have consequences, out of love or not. But for now, Joel and Ellie have finally found a bit of peace. Thanks for the joint recap, good fun.

On Pop Culture Fix: Sarah Paulson, Tig Notaro, Abby Wambach, etc. Sing Indigo Girls on Lesbian Party Bus:

The One Set of Footprints Award to Christina Tucker and ShrugEmoji:

I want to go on the record right now and say: I am not emotionally strong enough to handle an Allison Janney coming out arc at this time.

On Lucy Dacus, Jane Schoenbrun Talk Making Joyful Queer Music Video for “Night Shift” Starring Jasmin Savoy Brown:

The Jersey Girl Award to Amy Wesolek:

Love! And as a Jersey girl who grew up going to Caesars Pocono resorts I DEFINITELY recognized the champagne tub!

On I’ll Watch Anything About Women Bullying Men:

The Yorkshire Meanie of Renown Award to Elisabeth:

I love this so much, both the discussion of the trope and the roundup up shows/movies! Definitely adding some of these to my watch list. Also reminds me of discussing watching Gentleman Jack with my mom and how she kept getting frustrated because “She’s just so mean!

On Sarah Paulson and Tig Notaro’s Lesbian Party Bus, Explained:

The XOXO Award to Phelan Dante:

You were spot on
!!! Amanda and I actually met Tig and her lovely wife AT the premiere for Your Place or Mine, and Tig being the fabulous woman that she is, invited us to see her show in long beach.. P.S all these ladies are reading this and loving it.. Xoxo

On We Need You To Buy Us Some Time Before Time Runs Out:

The Lesbian Party Bus Assemble Award to alchemille:

where are the lesbian party bus riders when you need them?

And the Queer Blessings Award to Snaelle:

Here’s the message I missed posting on the wall – This isn’t a donation, it’s a fraction of the debt I owe you all. You have been there to celebrate my queer joy, to assuage my queer fears, to answer my queer questions. You’ve connected me to people I love, you’ve held me when I wondered how to go on. And the wonder, the joy of it all is that you haven’t done this for me ~ you’ve done it for all of us in so many different ways. You’ve grown and shifted and changed. You’ve fallen and tried and tried again, and sweated and stayed up too many late nights out of love for all of us. And you love us because you ARE us – you’re trans, you’re POC, you’re disabled, you’re parents, you’re solo polyamorous, you’re monogamous, you’re non-binary, you’re free-ass motherfuckers, you’re neurodivergent, you’re so much more and so damn incredible. Thank you, thank you for being here May you THRIVE

On A League Of Their Own Is Still Fighting For #MoreThanFour Episodes:

The Unlurk Award to HBomb:

This is my first ever comment, but I love this show enough to get me to not lurk anymore. So much of what everyone has said is true – having a show that is by us, for us, diverse and inclusive, funny and deep, is SO important. But beyond all that, I have two other reasons for LOVING this show. 1. I have rarely seen a show that so perfectly shows the reality, stress, fear, and unique challenges of being queer RIGHT ALONGSIDE all of the joy and wonder and unique amazingness of being queer. Queer joy yes, but queer joy rooted in our shared reality is something I am not used to seeing onscreen, and it captivated me. The way I BAWLED at the end of episode 6, the way I cheered (and cried) when the team helped Jo in episode 8, the way I swooned when Max did THE LEAN in episode 3, and so many other tiny beautiful moments make this show feel more real than anything else I’ve seen. 2. As a queer person who’s partner, two best friends, and three extremely close siblings are all exclusively opposite gender attracted (although one of them is ace spectrum, so at least someone’s queer!) the friendship between Max and Clance is EVERYTHING to me. To see them be each other’s team, be each other’s family, and still exist in their own unique spaces with their own unique needs, then support each other in those spaces and those needs
wow. It meant the world to me to see that. Also, this is not really about what this show means to me but it needs to be said: Carson and Lupe are actually the end-game romance for Carson, and I need to see this happen, which obviously requires #MoreThanFour episodes. I would explain but honestly, when I re-watched with this in mind it seemed SO OBVIOUS so instead I recommend you just re-watch :)

And on Save an Indie Queer Media Site, Get Cool Perks for Hot Gays:

The Throwback This Straddle Award to alchemille and Kesiena:

I used to have those red ‘straddle this’ underwear. Not the sticker, the actual underwear. From this very site.

See a comment that needs to be here? Let me know! Tag me [at] queergirl!

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Darcy

Darcy, a.k.a. Queer Girl, is your number one fan. They're a fat feminist from California who doodles hearts in the corners of their Gay Agenda. They're living through a pandemic, they're on Twitter, and they think you should drink more water! They also wanna make you laugh.

Darcy has written 376 articles for us.

27 Comments

  3. Darcy! I can’t believe you’ve been doing this since 2017!! I have a lot of favorite parts of AS, but the comments awards are definitely one of my favorite-ist. Thank you for all that you do.

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  5. darcy!! can’t believe we missed your five year comment-a-versary! i hope we can celebrate many to come! i still have a saved screenshot of my first comment award which i sent to multiple friends

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  6. Darcy, you continue to be absolutely hilarious with these award names! I crack up reading them every week. Also, feel like I need to utilize “Meanie of Renown” in some way, maybe time for a twitter handle change? 😂

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  9. Well you sure know how to make a person stay unlurked! This made my day!!!

    Also I stand by my Carson/Lupe theory and am happy to show my work in some very overlong paragraphs should it be necessary.

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  10. Darcy <3 <3 <3 your comment awards always feel like walking into a room and finding a cozy fire with the perfect comfy couch and a pup who is just so happy to see you. Thank you for all the warmth that you bring here and for everything that you build. The impact of kindness in community building sometimes is overlooked but it’s such a fundamental aspect, and you are so generous in sharing yours. You’re amazing!

    Reply to This Comment

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