Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya, Author at Autostraddle

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Managing Editor

Articles written: 509

autostraddle member profile

About Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya

Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya is the managing editor of Autostraddle and a lesbian writer of essays, short stories, and pop culture criticism living in Miami. She is the assistant managing editor of TriQuarterly, and her short stories appear or are forthcoming in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Joyland, Catapult, The Offing, and more. Some of her pop culture writing can be found at The A.V. Club, Vulture, The Cut, and others. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram and learn more about her work on her website.

All Posts on Autostraddle

Puzzles

Guessing Game: Where Queer Meet Cutes Are Unleashed

A four-photo collage of Hacks, Damages, Dare Me, and Unreal

TV Feature

I’ll Watch Anything With a Toxic Mentor/Mentee Dynamic

TV Show Recaps

“Yellowjackets” Episode 201 Recap: Lend Me Your Ears

photo 1: a lineup of five drinks in cans and 1 in a bottle. photo 2: two hands clink glasses of sparkling rosé together. photo 3: snacks, including corn chips, caramelized onion dip, spicy cheese dip, and a tin of seafood pate

Relationships

Dykes on Dates: Sometimes Date Night Is Just Chips, Dips, and a Drink Tasting

Best friends Megan and Tegan in Class of '07 sit inside a gazebo

TV Reviews

Class of ’07 Is the Perfect Appetizer to Pregame Yellowjackets Season 2

an MS paint style feature image with three different drawings of managing editor kayla. she is a south asian woman with long brown hair. she is wearing white and looking serious, fun and flirty all at once. in the central drawing she is holding a pink cocktail. the background is covered in drawings of money and a pyramid

Straddleverse

Who Else Is Going To Publish a History of Lesbian Cheerleaders?

TV News & Trailers

Bravo Dyke Reacts to the Vanderpump Rules Midseason Trailer

LGBT Book Reviews

“The Fake” Is a Funny-Sad-Sexy Novel About the Psychological Damage Scammers Inflict

Puzzles

Guessing Game: Endangered Species

Photo 1: Sarah Paulson, Abby Wambach, and Tig Notaro singing on a party bus. Photo 2: A school bus decorated with a banner that says NATIONALS OR BUST from the show Glee. Photo 3: Greta in her baseball uniform stands outside the Rockford Peaches bus. Photo 4: The Spice Girls Sporty and Baby onboard the Spice Girls tour bus from Spice World.

Quizzes

Quiz: What Gay Party Bus Are You Boarding?

kayla kumari upadhyaya at age 23 wears a backwards hat and an unbutton baseeball jersey and a black sports bra and black high-waisted pleather leggings

First Person

I’ve Done This 500 Times

Faltas by Cecilia Gentili, Virology by Joseph Osmundson, Brown Neon by Raquel Gutiérrez, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, Ma and Me by Putsata Reang, How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler, Before We Were Trans by Kit Heyam, Pretty Baby by Chris Belcher, Gods of Want by K-Ming Chang, and Manywhere by Morgan Thomas

Book Features

Congratulations to the 2023 Lambda Literary Award Finalists!

A+

Editor’s Notes: Bubble Trouble

Lip Smacker chapsticks in fanta strawberry, fanta grape, fanta orange, root beer, sprite, coca-cola vanilla, cherry coke, and coca-cola classic, surrounded by gummy sodas, potato chips, and bottle caps.

Comedy

Ranking All the Lipsmackers Chapsticks in the Coca-Cola Party Pack

Van holds Taissa in the Yellowjackets season 2 trailer

TV News & Trailers

Yellowjackets Season 2 Trailer Teases Taissa/Van Reunion

an overhead shot of a homemade pizza with tiny fried eggs on it, Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya holding a chicken tikka masala pizza, and a homemade pizza on a cutting board on a table set up for date night

Relationships

Dykes on Dates: Tips for Topping (Homemade Pizza)

three cans of coca-cola classic and three cans of diet coke

First Person

Coca-Cola Used To Be Fifty Cents and We Used To Be Close

TV Reviews

Slasher-Comedy Cruise Ship Series “Wreck” Has a Wicked Twist and a Standout Queer Friendship

Food and Drink

Crack Open Something Fizzy — It’s Time for Bubble Trouble

Ariana Madix from Vanderpump Rules is a white woman with blonde hair and she is walking a red carpet in closeup

TV News & Trailers

Bravo Dyke Weighs In on the Ariana, Sandoval, and Raquel “Vanderpump Rules” Scandal

Book Lists

12 Queer Road Trip Books To Adventure With

A flag with 7 stripes: Dark purple, purple, medium lavender, off-white, light pinkish-purple, muted pastel pink, dark pink

Culture

Moon Lesbian Flag, Explained

Taissa and Van in Yellowjackets season 2 are sitting on the floor of the cabin.

TV News & Trailers

Behind the Scenes of the “Yellowjackets” Set — Plus, New Photos From Season 2!

Puzzles

Guessing Game: Buzzworthy Royalty

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns features a rearview mirror with a desi woman's face reflected in it and an air freshener on fire.

LGBT Book Reviews

“Your Driver Is Waiting” Review: I’m Obsessed With the Swole Bisexual Narrator of This Rip-Roaring Novel

a lamp shaped like a cat sitting on a crescent moon, a light-up snail figurine, a light-up toaster with a smiling toast coming out of it, two light-up crystal lamps in purple and blue, a flamingo LED light, a sheet ghost lamp, and a neon sign that says GAYMER in rainbow letters

Shopping

17 Things That Glow To Add a Little Light and Kitsch to Your Workspace or Bedside

Rosamund Pike in Gone Girl; Brian and Dom perched on a car in Fast Five; Nicole Kidman as Virginia Woolf in The Hours; Viola Davis and Elizabeth Debicki crying in Widows

Quizzes

Quiz: Answer Upsetting Questions and I’ll Tell You What Movie To Watch and Where

Two girls driving in a convertible in a still from The Bachelorette; The cover of Sleepless in Seattle, featuring the Empire State Building; the album cover of Whitney Houston's eponymous album; "He Will Break Your Heart" by Jerry Butler; two people in pirates costumes

Book Lists

Short Fiction Playlist: Five Queer Short Stories Featuring Pop Culture

Photo 1: A white man named Nicolas wears a light green suit and sits next to his fiancé, an Indian man with a beard and short hair named Amrit who wears a blue buttondown and tan buttoned vest for a testimonial on Family Karma. Photo two: A white woman named Julia wears a yellow low-cut dress for a testimonial for Real Housewives of Miami.

TV Reviews

Two Bravo Storylines Explore Paths to Queer Parenthood and Their Complications

A background of a bowling alley and then three images: one of Kristen Arnett in khakis drinking a beer and holding a bowling ball, one of a sign for Aloma Bowl against a night sky, and one of Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya from behind, bowling in a magenta jumpsuit

Relationships

Dykes on Dates: Bowling Is the Epitome of Romance

Food and Drink

It’s Honestly Upsetting How Good These Anchovies Are

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin features a woman howling and laying on the floor with a white milkmaid dress on

LGBT Book Reviews

“Big Swiss” Review: On the Queer Age Gap Novel Set in a House Full of Bees

on a desk sits a beaded jewelry box, a black clutch purse, a gray ring tray with assorted rings on it, a polaroid of Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya and Kristen Arnett on new year's 2023, and a very cool rock, bisected in the middle and sparkly on the inside

I’m a Cool Rock Lesbian

TV News & Trailers

Rachel Weisz To Deliver Horny Horror as Gay Gynecologist Twins in “Dead Ringers”

Photo 1: Kristen kisses Kayla with her hand on her throat. Photo 2: Kayla kisses Kristen's cheek in front of the castle at Disney World. Photo 3: Kristen and Kayla make out in an elevator

A+

Interview With My Fiancé: Kristen

A programmable coffeemaker connected to a Keurig sits on a counter next to a mushroom tapestry

Shopping

This Coffeemaker Changed My Life, Makes Mornings With the Sleepyhead I Love Even Sweeter

A still from Your Place or Mine: Tig Notaro in a green vest and blue buttondown holds a to-go coffee cup next to Ashton Kutcher in a black sweater and black bomber also holding a to-go coffee cup

Movie Reviews

“Your Place or Mine” Fails To Explicitly Acknowledge Bit Butch Lesbian Character

Super Bowl snack ideas: a bowl of pretzels, a plate of pigs in a blanket, a plate of wings and celery, and a plate of tortilla chips with a bowl of queso

Food Lists

30 Easy Super Bowl Snack Ideas To Make Even if You’re Not Watching the Game

Niecy Nash, Gillian Anderson, Cassandra Peterson, and Drew Barrymore

Quizzes

Quiz: Who’s Your Mommi?

Burning Butch by R/B Mertz, Brown Neon by Raquel Guitierrez, When We Were Outlaws by Jeanne Cordova, and Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Book Lists

Butch Memoirs To Check Out in Honor of “Hijab Butch Blues”

Judith Light and S. Epatha Merkerson in Poker Face look directly at the camera and look like they're upset.

TV Reviews

This Episode of “Poker Face” Could Have Been Great

Gillian Anderson sits in an armchair on Sex Education, wearing a tiny orange scarf and a gray cashmere sweater, looking down eyeglasses

Celebrities (Vapid Fluff)

Gillian Anderson Wants To Know Your Sexual Fantasies

Hong Chau in Poker Face wears a cowboy hat and looks at Natasha Lyonne in a truck bed.

TV Reviews

“Poker Face” Is a Delightfully Absurdist Murder Show With the Best Guest Stars

two queer people smiling at each other lovingly on a beach

Relationships

You Need Help: How Do I Know if I’m Really Attracted to My Partner?

a teddy bear peers up at the camera from the ground

Comedy

I Say “Hello, Nice To Meet You” to Stuffed Animals In Case Someone’s Soul Is Trapped Inside

Queer Fashion

Style Thief: Steal M3GAN’s Killer Looks

A scene from The Drop. Two women stand at an altar in white with a man between them also in white. They are under an arch on the beach, getting married by the man.

Movie Reviews

Hulu’s “The Drop” Review: Lesbian Destination Wedding Goes Wonderfully Wrong

Photo 1: Cheryl Blossom and Toni Topaz in their cheerleading uniforms on Riverdale. Photo 2: Brittany and Santana kissing on Glee. Photo 3: Beth and Addy in their cheering tracksuits on Dare Me. Photo 4: Jennifer from Jennifer's Body in her cheerleading uniform. Photo 5: A still from Knives and Skin showing a young girl in her cheerleading uniform holding hands with someone. Photo 6: A person with short brown hair making out with a blonde cheerleader.

Stunt Queens: The History and Cultural Significance of the “Queerleader” in Film and Television

Van and Taissa have their heads close to each other in the Yellowjackets season 2 trailer

TV News & Trailers

Let’s Overanalyze the “Yellowjackets” Trailer Together Like One Big Happy Cannibal Cult

TV Reviews

“Elite” Season 6 Is a Mess — and Not the Fun Kind

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Margaret Dorr On Why “Sapphic” Is Back In Style "As a blogger, I appreciate that the fantastic information you provided You Can Also Visit There For Best Discount deals…"

Lisa On Why “Sapphic” Is Back In Style "thank you for this awesome post. It really shows your immense knowledge and research on this topic. Please keep sharing"

joules On Blush and Bashful: How to Elope "Love this :) P.S. I have seen that Jane Austen musical so that was little delightful tidbit"

MUMY On Monday Roundtable: Our Worst Haircuts "My preference has always been for women with long tresses. I like we become what we behold. Congratulations on following…"

Findinaly On Finding Community, Small Talk and Alternative Lifestyle Haircuts at Queer Fashion Week "My favorite shampoo is Sonic exe!"

Supler On 86 Truly Innovative Ways You Gays Described Your Haircuts "[Sonic exe](https://sonicexe.io) is my hair-nourishing formula!"

Hanna On 86 Truly Innovative Ways You Gays Described Your Haircuts "Need help with a recipe for shiny Sonic exe hair!"

Sonic exe On How To Change Your Hair Dramatically After a Breakup "My age is quite young, but my hair is falling out rapidly every day. There is no solution yet to…"