Making Out, Making Change: The History of Queer Kiss-Ins
For nearly 50 years, queer activists kissed each other as a form of protest.
Invisible Histories Won’t Let You Leave the Queer South Behind
Collectively, the states that make up the South are home to more Black people, more people of color, and more LGBTQ people than any other region of this country.
I Long for the Queer Secret Spaces of the Past
Dream with me, if you will. It’s the mid-1960s, and you and your queer friends are looking for some place to go to meet others like you when you hear rumors about a members-only club called Gateways tucked away in a hidden corner of the city.
The Queer History of the Shaven Head
Shaven heads on women have challenged and informed ideas of beauty, power and tradition for centuries. Here’s the history of a very queer style.
Alewives: The Women Who Crafted Beer and Split Hell Wide Open
For centuries, the art of brewing beer belonged to women alone. This is the story of how the church pushed them out the industry they founded and sent them riding piggy-back on demons into the flames of an eternal abyss.
Rebel Girls: 10 Feminist Gal Pals Who Made This World a More Awesome Place Together
As a follow-up to the time I used “gal pals” sarcastically and taught you all about the queer suffragists, and in honor of Gal Pal Week, this week’s Rebel Girls lesson is going to be about good, old-fashioned friendship.
More Than Words: Ra Ra Bras!
Pardon my French.
Thank The 50’s For Your Underpinnings (And Other Fashion Freedoms)
It’s because of the real-life women who took enormous risks to their personal safety, and who physically fought to wear whatever undies, clothing and footwear they damn well pleased that we can have underwear week at all.
Idol Worship: 30 Photos of Bettie Page In Underwear
Welcome to Idol Worship’s Underwear Week Edition! Speaking of which, I’m still inspired by how Bettie Page showed us her underwear so much.
More Than Words: Underwhence?
While the rest of Autostraddle talks about underwear, I will be talking about talking about underwear. You can’t hang out at the strip club all the time, you know?
Epic Gallery: 150 Years Of Lesbians And Other Lady-Loving-Ladies
Photographs of lesbian, bisexual and otherwise-identified women, 1850-1999. Seriously this is really cool.
Our Legacy: Six Lesbian Magazines From The Then Before Now
“No woman ever made a dime for her work, and some … worked themselves into a state of mental and physical decline on behalf of the magazine.”
Jewelle Gomez, Lesbian Trailblazer: The Autostraddle Interview
“There was a great heyday in the 80’s in which I felt like you could publish anything, you could say anything – any of the initials, L, G, B, or T.”
Six Ways that 1950s Butches and Femmes F*cked with Society, Were Badass
“Butches & Femmes paved the way for tons of fantastic lesbians, radical queers, revolutionary feminists, and really awful (and awesome) hairstyles that came after them.”
Queering The Library: Collecting Downtown, Riot Grrrl, Feminism & You
Vanessa chats with Marvin J. Taylor about Kathleen Hanna, Kathy Acker, lesbian comics, secret lesbians of early Hollywood and other fascinating secrets uncovered at Fales.
6 Special Ideas About What Lesbian Sex Is, 1900-1953
“From midday until 2 pm, during the hours of greatest heat, when all are in this condition and the mistress falls asleep on the sofa… all the girls, without one exception, masturbate themselves.”
15 Awesomely Named Yet Totally Defunct Lesbian Bars Of America
Whatever happened to the way we used to be, Meow Mix and Mother’s Brew, Push and Wetherbee’s?
The Ladies Of Llangollen: Runaway Romantics In 18th Century Ireland
The story of two women who escaped their homes in the middle of the night, lived in a castle and loved each other for over 50 years.
I Saw The Sign: LGBT Symbols Then And Now
Roses are red, violets are gay, if you want a queer symbol, we’ve got an array.
The Lesbian Herstory Archives: A Constant Affirmation That You Exist
“I wish that people thought of it as a place to come on a Saturday afternoon, because it is important and it’s special. It’s not just about the things. It’s about having this home.”