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International Autostraddle Meetup Week Happened And This Is What It Looked Like

Vanessa

Posted by

on November 23, 2012

I know October seems like a lifetime ago, but remember when it happened? My October was a whirlwind of pumpkin spice lattes and Halloween and grandpa sweaters. Was that your experience too? Maybe you live in a warm-all-year city and your October looked like my July...who knows! I do know that all of our Octobers had something in common, and that something is only one of the best and most amazing things to have happened all year: We all celebrated International Autostraddle Meet-Up Week(s) together! 

Yes, it's true. Y'all helped us raise $116,645, and we really can't ever stop thanking you, and one of the perks for hitting that insane amount of money was to have a huge international meetup week. But you guys are so awesome and enthusiastic that it turned into a meetup month! And not like anyone should be surprised, because Autostraddle readers are obviously the coolest, but the meetups were really cool!

You went on hikes and climbed tress and played with your puppies. You grabbed October by the collar and hosted Halloween parties, pumpkin carving extravaganzas, and fall picnics. There were crafting days, activist events, and a Kaki King concert. A few of you crazy kids attended a clothing optional pool party (!) while others queeraokied your little hearts out. You brunched and you drank, you made new friends and potential partners, and a few of you even emailed us to let us know you kissed a pretty girl (!) and now you're dating that pretty girl (!!!) so I'm gonna go ahead and call this whole shebang a huge fucking success. As one reader said in an email: "We're all grateful for meetup week...Autostraddle for the win, as always!" To which I say, AMEN.

I also say you all are very very very cute, and I think we should take this moment to celebrate that cuteness in the form of a gallery with over 300 images. I'm warning you, clicking through all of these photos might make you die of cute, but it's totally worth it.

Thank you for participating in International Autostraddle Meetup Week(s), thank you for sending in photos, and thank you for being incredible. We love you. You love each other. Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts. Enjoy this gallery, and keep meeting up! We're gonna take over the world one day, I just know it. And we're gonna look really fucking adorable when we do.

 

Note: It was extremely labor-intensive to make this giant gallery, so we did not include individual photo credits on images unless the photographer specifically requested it. If your photos are up here and you would like credit, please send an email to vanessa [at] autostraddle [dot] com and we'll make it happen. Thanks! 

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69 responses to “International Autostraddle Meetup Week Happened And This Is What It Looked Like”

  1. Ellie
    Ellie (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 7:52 am ReplyReport user

    I’m just gonna leave this here from manchester
    http://imgur.com/kjngo
    We got to use an enigma machine!

    Thumb up 6
  2. cynthia
    cynthia (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 8:51 am ReplyReport user

    Cyber A-Camp

    Thumb up 5
  3. stef
    stef (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 9:41 am ReplyReport user

    unf, everybody is so attractive. guess i’ll crawl out of my cave and actually make it to the next one.

    Thumb up 12
  4. RoseGraced
    RoseGraced (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 9:48 am ReplyReport user

    Um guys this just made me so excited. It’s like 4 AM here, I had to get out of bed and run around showing it to everyone who is staying here (most of whom were at said meet up.)
    They don’t all apparently love AS as much as me…some even requested to “just look at it in the morning PLEASE rosalie.”
    But my AS referrer is just as happy, so we can have our own two person happy club tomorrow.
    And we all look fucking gorgeous.

    PS if there are any more Adelaide kids out there (fondly known as Adelstraddlers), we are following up our meetup with a bit of a camping adventure in January. So you should come too.

    Thumb up 5
    1. Cat
      Cat (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 5:08 pm ReplyReport user

      It was so fun, I’m excited for camping :)

      Incidentally, are you picnic-ing tomorrow?

      Thumb up 1
      1. RoseGraced
        RoseGraced (member)
        November 23, 2012 at 6:01 pm ReplyReport user

        Yes! Planning right now.

        Thumb up 1
    2. Isobel
      Isobel (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 7:24 pm ReplyReport user

      Nyawww Adelstraddlers are adorable!

      Special mentions to the Brooklyn & London groups for being all ridiculously attractive…and Washington & the Netherlands. Ok everywhere.

      Thumb up 0
  5. Lina
    Lina (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 9:49 am ReplyReport user

    chicago wins with bacon

    Thumb up 7
    1. Lucy
      Lucy
      November 23, 2012 at 3:50 pm Reply

      YUSS. I actually sent a photo to my friend whose favourite costume this year was as the bacon king. He will be happy.

      Thumb up 0
      1. Lucy
        Lucy
        November 23, 2012 at 3:51 pm Reply

        I hope I can do that, it was just an epic costume. He’ll be stoked.

        Thumb up 0
        1. Mando-Commando
          Mando-Commando (member)
          November 23, 2012 at 8:22 pm ReplyReport user

          Haha Lucy – you can totally send him the pic. If you can’t send it off of the website, I can email it to you :)

          Thumb up 0
  6. Alexandra
    Alexandra (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 9:56 am ReplyReport user

    Yay! I’m in the background of a few of these! That’s good for two reasons.

    Thumb up 1
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 3:40 pm ReplyReport user

      :)

      Thumb up 1
  7. Carmen SanDiego
    Carmen SanDiego (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 10:18 am ReplyReport user

    heeeey I’m in the background there!
    and wizarding world of harry potter? best meetup ever, for sure

    Thumb up 4
  8. Maria
    Maria (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 10:21 am ReplyReport user

    Did Berlin happen? Is Berlin in this gallery? I’d like to see what I missed. ;)

    Thumb up 0
  9. Laura
    Laura (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 10:26 am Reply

    Galicia, we are so cute.

    Everyone else is also pretty freaking adorable.

    Thumb up 4
    1. Susi
      Susi (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 3:41 pm ReplyReport user

      yes! represent!

      Thumb up 1
  10. Miriam
    Miriam (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 10:39 am ReplyReport user

    Anyone else looking at these to get new ideas for meetup activities?

    Thumb up 3
  11. Emily
    Emily (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 11:25 am ReplyReport user

    I can’t even…YOU GUYS – look at all these beautiful, diverse, wonderful queermos! This is our community! YAY!

    Thumb up 6
  12. Christie
    Christie
    November 23, 2012 at 11:54 am Reply

    Love. The. Photos. Love seeing what everyone else did :)

    Vanessa – is it too late to send in photos/add them to the gallery. I hosted a stellar pumpkin carving/cider drinking party, and I totally forgot to send in our hilarious and attractive photos. I would love you forever if I could add them, but totally understand if I can’t!! I just feel bad for the other Vancouver Straddlers who were counting on me for proof of our shenanigans!

    Thumb up 4
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 3:41 pm ReplyReport user

      hi christie! yes of course i can add them. please send them to me at vanessa [at] autostraddle [dot] com and i’ll get them in the gallery asap!

      Thumb up 1
      1. Christie
        Christie
        November 24, 2012 at 11:05 am Reply

        Thanks Vanessa!! You rock. Just sent them now. xo

        Thumb up 0
        1. Vanessa
          Vanessa (member)
          November 24, 2012 at 1:48 pm ReplyReport user

          added! and thanks for the sweet email — totally made my day. <3

          Thumb up 0
  13. Lis
    Lis (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 12:12 pm ReplyReport user

    I looooved that day. I wanna play football again!

    Thumb up 3
  14. cee
    cee (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 12:26 pm Reply

    My cat Pumpoi is famous! He’s in photo 312.

    Thumb up 9
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 25, 2012 at 10:07 am ReplyReport user

      the photo # may have changed now because i’ve added a bunch of new photos and had to keep everything alphabetized because i’m insane like that — but guys, cee’s cat is still famous!

      Thumb up 0
  15. giles
    giles
    November 23, 2012 at 12:29 pm Reply

    Wow, the back of my head looks so gay. But also THERE IS SO MUCH GOOD HAIR IN THE STRADDLEVERSE, YA’LL!

    Thumb up 11
  16. raptor
    raptor (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm ReplyReport user

    wait I had to stop and say the chicago photos are amazing

    Thumb up 6
    1. raptor
      raptor (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 1:08 pm ReplyReport user

      really all these photos are pretty quality

      next time you should post a photo from each meetup and people should have to guess where it happened…though I guess some people will know cause they were there

      Thumb up 2
  17. Tia
    Tia (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 1:00 pm ReplyReport user

    The Chicago meetup looked epic. Bacon, Binders, Babes.
    The London meetup looked like some The xx-inspired sensual orgy.
    The Portland meetup went to Kaki King?! Lucky girls.
    Also, love those glasses in photo #37.

    But, all the meetups looked great – including the one I went to.

    Thumb up 7
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 4:01 pm ReplyReport user

      right?! i can’t play favorites at all, seriously the whole gallery was such a joy to work on, the photos all make my heart so happy and melty, but for real — chicago, y’all are epic, and london, y’all are sex gods.

      Thumb up 2
    2. Lindsay
      Lindsay (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 4:06 pm ReplyReport user

      Everyone’s meetups look epic but speaking from experience Chicago was pretty excellent.

      Thumb up 2
  18. Amy
    Amy (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 1:55 pm ReplyReport user

    omg I want to go to so many places.

    Thumb up 1
  19. Jemma
    Jemma (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 1:57 pm ReplyReport user

    That…that is a binder full of women. I LOVE YOU ALL. Seriously, I wish I had been near a meetup, you looked like you all had the best time and I want to visit everywhere and every single one of you.

    Thumb up 4
    1. Kay ♥
      Kay ♥ (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 3:37 pm Reply

      Yes I wish I had been near one too! Aww!!

      Thumb up 1
  20. Dina
    Dina (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 2:05 pm ReplyReport user

    LOOK AT ALL THOSE BEAUTIFUL HUMANS

    Also – Sydney queers! Party tomorrow at 2 at Camperdown Rest Memorial Park! Bring pastry!

    Thumb up 3
  21. Sophie
    Sophie
    November 23, 2012 at 2:40 pm Reply

    Can I just attempt to ignore everyone’s adorableness and also add that I really appreciate the fact that this list was alphabetical?
    Now that that’s out of the way, EVERYONE IS ADORABLE. -hugs you all-

    Thumb up 5
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 4:02 pm ReplyReport user

      INTERN CHELSEY IS A GODDESS.

      no for real, without intern chelsey this gallery would not exist. and she is the driving force behind it’s alphabetical wonder. so this weekend let’s all be thankful for intern chelsey, without whom we could not rejoice and celebrate our amazing straddler community via this gallery of perfection.

      Thumb up 6
      1. Chelsey
        Chelsey (member)
        November 23, 2012 at 8:09 pm ReplyReport user

        GOSH I LOVE YOU.

        Thumb up 2
        1. Vanessa
          Vanessa (member)
          November 25, 2012 at 10:07 am ReplyReport user

          MUTUAL.

          Thumb up 1
    2. RoseGraced
      RoseGraced (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 10:32 pm ReplyReport user

      We decided that it was not in fact based on the alphabet, but rather on incredibleness. But we’re from Adelaide. We might have thought differently if we were from Zambia.

      Thumb up 3
  22. Kay ♥
    Kay ♥ (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 3:26 pm Reply

    It looks like awesome happy fun times with awesome happy fun people.

    Wish there had been one near me, I love happy fun times.

    Thumb up 1
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 23, 2012 at 3:48 pm ReplyReport user

      where do you live?? you should host one next time!

      Thumb up 0
      1. Kay ♥
        Kay ♥ (member)
        November 24, 2012 at 7:11 am Reply

        Newcastle, UK – up in the North East… If I had any organisational skills, I would, but I think my hamster could probably do a better job than I would!

        Thumb up 0
  23. Susi
    Susi (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 3:58 pm ReplyReport user

    Everybody looks freaking adorable.

    I personally LOVED this. I had a really good time and I thought you girls were amazing. I hope we meet again soon!

    Thumb up 1
  24. Happy1
    Happy1
    November 23, 2012 at 4:55 pm Reply

    Hawaii peeps? Anyone here? Do we have enough people for one?

    Thumb up 1
  25. JellyBean
    JellyBean (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 5:04 pm ReplyReport user

    Everyone is cuter than a bunch of puppies on petfinder.

    Thumb up 4
  26. Michelle
    Michelle
    November 23, 2012 at 8:38 pm Reply

    Thank you Heather from St. Louis for posting the pic of us at Off The G.R.I.D!! It was sooo much fun and I have since fallen in love with Shameless Grounds. I don’t know how your girl managed to make me look good in that pic cuz I usually look like shit in pictures but its much appreciated!

    Thumb up 2
  27. dizzy
    dizzy (member)
    November 23, 2012 at 9:21 pm ReplyReport user

    well, ain’t all you pretty faces a sight for sore eyes. I unfortunately had to fly home for urgent family business of the near death variety, but hope to be able to come along to the next round.

    Thumb up 2
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 25, 2012 at 10:08 am ReplyReport user

      <3 hope everything is okay now, and that you can enjoy a meetup next time

      Thumb up 2
  28. Aisha
    Aisha (member)
    November 24, 2012 at 1:05 am ReplyReport user

    awww man the pics are great…you could definitely tell everyone in those pics were having a blast.

    my favorite picture has got to be 185, props goes to the photographer.:) 333 is by far the best looking dog. And the girl in the back in black with the scarf from Netherlands in picture 329 **sighs** Gorgeous!!

    Thumb up 2
  29. Unicorn Damn-it
    Unicorn Damn-it (member)
    November 24, 2012 at 2:04 am ReplyReport user

    How is it possible that every single one of all autostraddlers is so incredibly attractive and gorgeous and aaaah!

    Thumb up 3
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 25, 2012 at 10:08 am ReplyReport user

      it’s like the rules of feminism

      Thumb up 2
  30. Hil
    Hil
    November 24, 2012 at 6:25 am Reply

    How does one hear about these?

    Thumb up 0
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 25, 2012 at 10:11 am ReplyReport user

      we posted about it on the site here: http://www.autostraddle.com/international-autostraddle-meet-up-week-youve-earned-it-147006/ and then here: http://www.autostraddle.com/its-all-happening-welcome-to-international-autostraddle-meet-up-weeks-147785/ and most people made facebook invites for the events. if you area has a fb group for straddlers you should join and they’re often posted there. if you don’t have fb you could put out some feelers (particularly on camp posts) to see if there are any straddlers in your area you can chat with. we’ll definitely have more meetups in the future so don’t fret!

      Thumb up 2
  31. Ali
    Ali (member)
    November 24, 2012 at 10:57 am ReplyReport user

    You guys, meet up happened while I was moving. :0( I am so so sad I missed out.

    Thumb up 0
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 24, 2012 at 11:28 am ReplyReport user

      darling ali, i have a feeling us brooklyn queers can make it happen again. in fact, gabrielle and i have discussed a lesbian herstory archives PART TWO event, and i can promise that when spring comes around we’ll be hosting more picnics. MEETUPS FOREVER, is what i’m saying.

      Thumb up 1
  32. Maggs
    Maggs (member)
    November 24, 2012 at 11:37 am ReplyReport user

    This is so fucking life-affirming, you guys.

    Thumb up 4
  33. Gaela
    Gaela (member)
    November 25, 2012 at 2:01 pm ReplyReport user

    dear heavens the Straddleverse is so attractive.

    Thumb up 2
  34. Julie
    Julie
    November 26, 2012 at 1:13 am Reply

    Sigh. Gotta say the Tdot short-haired blonde was cwute. I would’ve loved to meet her…had I been not at the Vancouver meetup, where I know which to have another meetup, because that one just made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

    And I had a voice and I felt nice and happy.

    Ok…more than happy. I felt appreciated and it was just nice to be there and acknowledged.

    I loved the pumpkin carving meetup. It was nice. And cute.

    Also, this is kind of the closest thing to celebrity I’ve got right now so i’m fully taking it. Next up, writing an Autostraddle-worthy article…

    Thumb up 1
  35. Lita
    Lita (member)
    November 26, 2012 at 12:21 pm ReplyReport user

    When’s the next London one? I want to come!

    Thumb up 1
  36. Christina
    Christina (member)
    November 26, 2012 at 3:01 pm ReplyReport user

    I love this!!

    Thumb up 1
    1. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 26, 2012 at 10:40 pm ReplyReport user

      good! i love your gravatar!

      Thumb up 0
  37. em
    em
    November 26, 2012 at 7:43 pm Reply

    After looking through these pictures I’ve decided that an LA meet-up is going to happen next time, even if I’m the only one there. Seriously though, LA Autostraddlers, let’s get something together!

    Thumb up 1
    1. Brittani
      Brittani (member)
      November 26, 2012 at 10:39 pm ReplyReport user

      There were several LA meetups! https://www.facebook.com/groups/199006273567075/?fref=ts

      Thumb up 1
      1. Vanessa
        Vanessa (member)
        November 26, 2012 at 10:41 pm ReplyReport user

        oh lol jinx
        i swear your comment didn’t exist when i clicked “reply”
        *embarrassing*

        Thumb up 0
    2. Vanessa
      Vanessa (member)
      November 26, 2012 at 10:41 pm ReplyReport user

      WAIT do you mean LA like los angeles or LA like louisiana
      because there were so many los angeles meet ups! but maybe you mean louisiana which would be super cool too

      Thumb up 0
  38. Sara Quinn
    Sara Quinn (member)
    November 26, 2012 at 8:07 pm ReplyReport user

    Near-death-by-cuteness experience. The best kind of near-death experience. Yep.

    Thumb up 1
  39. amarsh
    amarsh (member)
    February 9, 2013 at 7:27 am ReplyReport user

    So that’s what my drunk face looks like? Oh my.

    Thumb up 0

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