Autostraddle Calendar Girls 2014: Brianne is Miss March

Sometimes, SOMETIMES you can’t cover your face with smokin’ hot lesbians. When this happens why not cover your walls with them instead!? That’s where the 2014 Autostraddle calendar comes in! If you haven’t picked up the 2013 calendar yet, you should probs get right on that — they’re now available in our store for only $12! For 2014 prepare to have your mind blown, among other things.

Brianne is Miss March

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Brianne in her own words:

Hello! My name is Brianne, but you can call me Bri. Or Mama Bri. I have a fierce intensity and I tend to overwhelm people. It’s okay, you’ll adjust, I promise. I’m a loud extrovert, and I will talk to just about anybody. When friends are looking for me, they usually just listen for my voice, my laugh or both. I try to kick myself out of my comfort zone, and I live life with joy.

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Get to Know Brianne

Where are you from?

I grew up in Mormon Country — American Fork, Utah to be exact. I currently attend Stanford University.

Occupation/Major/Passion:

I came to Stanford thinking I would major in International Relations, become a diplomat and then Save The World. I figured out my freshman year that I’m actually not very diplomatic. I was left trying to figure out what my passions are and I stumbled onto engineering and design. I ended up taking two years off to come out of the closet and start cultivating my mental health (which in itself is quite the story). Now I’m back at Stanford, trying to learn to live my life without having to plan out a ten-year life plan. After Stanford, I’ll take on Silicon Valley and build my own companies – but I don’t know what my future will look like, exactly. It’s going to be a great ride.

Why did you want to be part of this project?

Oh, a few reasons:

One, I was raised Mormon, in a community where upwards of 90(ish)% of the population belong to the Mormon faith. In Sunday School, I was told to wear camis underneath all shirts, because if a man saw my cleavage and “thought bad thoughts” God would hold me accountable for his sins. I now know: My Femininity is powerful. My participation in this project is another middle finger to the Mormon patriarchy I grew up under. This is my body, and I’ll do with it as I please.

Along the same lines, I am so very tired of reading about Mormon LGBTQ kids committing suicide because they feel rejected by their loved ones and their higher power. My family members’ views and beliefs have evolved over the last few years, and I am incredibly grateful for their support of who I am — even if they don’t completely understand it. Coming out: I was on Google at 2am, searching for advice and trying to find people who were in similar circumstances to mine. I hope this article will show up on someone’s screen who needs it. I wish I would’ve found someone who told me, “There is nothing wrong with or your feelings. You can create your own spiritual path. You are a good person, worthy of love – please keep going.” I’m working on a site, utahisgay.com, as resource for LGBTQ people who are Mormon or were raised within the faith.

Two, in the thread calling for submissions readers were asking for “size diversity,” but it’s impossible to show the diversity of our community when people don’t show up. I had this idea that to be an attractive queer lady, I had to have slouchy jeans and jutting hip bones. This isn’t the case. Positive body image is a motherfucker to cultivate, but it sure is a lot easier when you see someone in the media who looks like you.

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Three, I am beginning my career, and I know I am going to encounter people who critique the way I look/dress instead of how I actually run a goddamn company. I’ve decided to circumvent the critics now by taking ownership of the presentation of my body.

This experience has been incredible. The staff was so awesome and made it clear that we were only to do what we were comfortable with. (You guys should ask Robin about what Gloria Steinem said about her kicks.) All of the calendar girls are so different. We have an incredible spectrum of backgrounds, identities and dreams and I am so grateful I got to meet each of them. Models from 2014 have turned into great friends. I have lots of feelings about Autostraddle and its community and I am so grateful to be apart of it.

 

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Artist’s Statement from Robin Roemer:

I want to start off by saying I wish I had a few weeks to photograph each of our 130 applicants, because they were all beautiful and inspiring! We are honored so many of you wanted to participate and we hope, at some point, we can work with each one of you. I mean that most sincerely.

This year we went through our applicants based on the survey first, the photos sent in to me had little to do with who our final picks were. We chose based on answers to a variety of questions. We wanted people who really had a sense of what the project was all about, were readers of Autostraddle, and were involved in their communities at home. We wanted women bursting with energy and love. Second, we wanted to represent our incredibly diverse our community: beauties of all different shapes and styles and backgrounds and gender expressions. Finally we found ourselves with 13 models, its 2013 now so twelve just wouldn’t do, who we feel represent some of the most brilliant our readership has to offer. I hope each of you, especially those of you who applied and were not chosen this year, enjoy this year’s calendar.

Crew:
Co-created by Robin Roemer and Sara Medd
Photographed by Robin Roemer
Wardrobe styling by Sara Medd
Hair by Taylor Stevenson
Make-up by Marla Verdugo
Line Production, Location Scouting and Catering: Sarah Croce
Design, Location Scouting, Production assistant: Alex Vega
Lighting Assistant: Kamila Baker
Production Assistant: Christina Bly
Puppy Wrangler: Mollie Thomas

Special Note: As of December 2010, we request that the comments on Calendar Girls posts, unlike every other post on this site, be exclusively positive and remain on-topic. These posts exist to celebrate women, so any  criticisms of the model, her appearance or the appearance of the Calendar Girls as a whole will be deleted. Furthermore, any direct questions/concerns about the project in general can be directed to robin at autostraddle dot com!

Before you go! Autostraddle runs on the reader support of our AF+ Members. If this article meant something to you today — if it informed you or made you smile or feel seen, will you consider joining AF and supporting the people who make this queer media site possible?

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Robin

Robin specializes in entertainment, lifestyle and portrait photography. She's also a Creative Producer, Director of Photography and co-owner of Scheme Machine Studios LLC, her production company based in Los Angeles. Robin loves shooting for TV and film and has worked with media companies like Legendary Pictures and Viacom. She shot and directed the Pride campaign for Google called #ThisIsFamily. Robin has had the pleasure of working on national campaigns for companies like Dove and Levis, and had the unique opportunity to shoot for non-profits and initiatives such as The Black List, Save the Children, Move to End Violence, Have a Hart Day, and The Clinton Global Initiative. She is most proud of the work she has done with organizations such as The Ad Council and RAINN working on national impact campaigns. Her celebrity roster includes Cyndi Lauper, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, The B-52s, Keri Hilson, JB Smoove, Tegan and Sara, Margaret Cho, The B-52’s, Andreja Pejic, and many more. She was there for Autostraddle’s birth and proudly served as A-Camp co-director for many years.

Robin has written 82 articles for us.

123 Comments

  2. guys i am the person everyone else teases because i have such a predictable “type” — i am always attracted to the shanes of the room, the tiny boi-ish humans who look like justin bieber — and yet.

    HOLY FUCKING SHIT.

    i am left gaping at my computer screen right now. i don’t even know what to do with myself.

    BRIANNE, you are beyond gorgeous. and sexy. and and and WOW.

    yeah i can’t form coherent thoughts right now. i just…yikes. WOW.

    robin, you’ve outdone yourself. sunshine literally seeps out of every single one of these images. i just…okay yeah. you see what i mean. i’ll stop trying to speak here.

    I AM SO BLOWN AWAY BY THE GORGEOUS CRAZYSEXYCOOLNESS OF THESE IMAGES WOW.

    • hehe crushmonster

      but seriously

      DIDN’T Y’ALL READ MY TWITTER DID I NOT SAY OVERALLS ARE A THING WE SHOULD ALL BE PAYING ATTENTION TO

      hi bri i really like your overalls and i’d make a comment about getting under your overalls or something but my brain doesn’t know what are words how

      • First of all: GOOD GRAPES, you are gorgeous! I just can’t seem to stop scrolling up to gawk at your pictures (I just did it again)!

        Second of all: I saw this video today called “Coming Out as a Gay Mormon” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnhsDuj285c

        This guy comes out live to members of his Mormon family/ community and it was frankly, surprising to witness the amount of acceptance and love he received. On the same token I was deeply saddened that he’s choosing to stay in the church and remain celibate.

        Good sex and true love are both human and spiritual rights and it pains me to see anyone exempt themselves from such natural and noble life experiences for the sake of religion. SO I am just absolutely ECSTATIC that you are free to be your beautiful self and that you are educating and celebrating the Queer community in your home state. You go, girl!

      • Thank you for making utahisgay.com and thank you for being open and positive about being a curvy girl and thank you for being a part of this thing, this thing where if it were 10 years ago and I was a struggling soon-to-be ex-Mormon searching things on the Internet I shouldn’t have been searching, I might have found this and felt good about myself. You’re really awesome.

      • MRAWR!!!! i, too have been directly subjected to the crazy in price and helper utah. if you need a hug…

  3. Bri you are delicious.

    Yes, I realize saying that is creepy, but I’m not taking it back.

  4. The crew…”puppy wrangler”. Well, damn, if I’d know there were going to be puppies there I would have applied!

    Good for you Bri! I live down the road in Lindon, UT and know where you’re coming from. I too am grateful for parents who are supportive of me. Utah has the highest LGBT teen suicide rate in the country and its because of the Mormon culture and parents kicking their kids out if they’re gay. I hope lots of LGBT Mormons go to your website!

  5. Ummmm WOOOOOO WWWWWWZZZZAAAAAA!!!!! Kate Upton needs to move over because Bri has arrived!!! Love her story and her smile!!! gorgeous

  8. There’s underboob! OMIGOD THERE’S UNDERBOOB! And overalls! I’m just gonna go die now.

  9. Smokin’ hot, hell yes.

    Stanford education in eng&des, as well?
    That’s it. That’s the whole package. There can be no resistance.

  10. This is beyond awesome.

    I feel weird saying that you look hot being cousins and all but damn girl you look good. I’m glad there’s at least one fierce blazer lesbian in the family because while you were off empowering the world I sat at home and ate a pint of ice cream whilst watching HGTV.

    This is worth every gd phone call I’m about to get from the family.

    • You’re my lesbian fairygaymother. You do what you want.

      Also, sorry about the imminent phone call from Grandma.

      • Also I just thought of things I should say to you but didn’t: I neglected to tell you that I cannot WAIT for the phone calls (I have a missed call from my dad so wooo) BECAUSE I’m so goddamned excited to tell them to shove off.

        Because you ARE beautiful and its YOUR body and you are an adult and you are doing great things in this world. You call me fairy gaymother, but you’re really the trailblazer. Even though I came out first you took the worst of it. You have risen above the gross patriarchal mess with such an inspirational grace.

        And anything I can do to support you I totally will, including fun conversations with Grandma.

        • I LOVE YOU. Also, EVERYONE Cait is adorable because I called her after I had my first (sober) girl kiss, and I was sitting in my closet crying and she stayed on the phone with me to process my feelings. And her and her Tiffany are the best, and I don’t know where I would be without you. Also, she has the nerve to call me on my shit-which not a lot of people do.

  12. Alright I’m just gonna lay it down: Brianne is the hottest calendar girl thus far. How can one person contain so much magnificence, allure, intelligence and ambition? I am certain we are going to see Brianne running the world in like 2 years! Amaze! I am outdone.

  14. WELL HELLO MISS MARCH.

    You’ve provided me with the most fun activity ever. I show my friends these photos, they (obviously) comment on how gorgeous and smokin hot you are. I then tell them that you’re coming over here to visit and sit back and watch them freak the fuck out.

    • this is the best thing. THANK YOU BRIANNE FOR VOLUNTEERING AND THANK YOU ROBIN FOR TAKING THESE BEAUTIFUL PHOTOS

  15. Brianne is one of my best friends, irl. She’s an AMAZING, smart, and genius.
    She’s gonna go somewhere with her life and, she’s smoking hot, and I love her (platonically).

    I LOVE YOU BRI!!!!!!! <3

    – Paasaa

  16. I would like to stay on topic and say Hello? Call me? Smart Ladies who are fierce and have a life plan that entails taking over silicone valley? And likes to show some under-boob? PERFECT. Anyway, you look awesome.

      • OK OK!!! I met her at a conference focused on ending violence against women. I was wearing sequin sneakers and she told me she loved my shoes and that she was going to call me Twinkle Toes. Gloria Steinem called me Twinkle Toes. Claim to fame. I have accomplished all of my goals. Goodnight everybody!

  20. Bri! You look so beautiful. I loved reading your interview…what a remarkable girl and what gifts you already/will bring to the world.

  22. Absolute babe! I love your hair too. I’m jealous of it! <3

    I'm really loving this new style of photos for the calendar Robin!

  24. Thanks for all of your support everyone!! It means so much to myself and the whole team as well as these brave and beautiful models.

  27. So judging from these last three Calendar Girls posts, 2014 is the year I finally buy the Autostraddle calendar.

  28. ok ok, underboob, yes, amazing. but how does your mouth make such a perfect smile?? did you know your mouth did that — made the perfect smile? bc it does. wtf.

    • so now i feel like the gross teenage boy in the room who is like OMG BOOB and laneia is all charming and sweet and talking about perfect smiles. sigh. such a class act, that laneia.

      • I’m just going to admit now that boobs take priority. We’ll be teenaged boys together.

  30. Bri! You are such a beautiful human and am so so happy to have met you through this experience! Also, DAMN gurl, dayummmmmm <3 Look at all this love you and your underboob are getting!

  31. MISS MAAARCH. I like your boobs in your overalls. They’re kicking. Thanks for showing off your belly. This here fat girl appreciates it.

    ALSO HEY FELLOW BAY-STRADDLER. Lez hang out.

  34. Brilliant, bold and beautifully feminine photographs! Stoked on your awesome attitude, and glorious sexyfull self Brianne!

  35. Ex-mormons represent! I’ll keep saying it until the day I die: so many of the most powerful people and brightest souls are ex-mormons.

    Also, grrl, for real, you are rocking those overalls. And your smile is pure sunshine. You keep doing you, because it’s working!

  37. I keep coming back to look at picture #5.. so hot. Amazing attitude, smile.. and boobs

  38. Two thumbs up. Super sexy and I am super into opening dialogue about being queer and from a Mormon background. Awesome!

  40. I have an awful confession to make that I always start to read the interviews from the calendar girls, but I get distracted and usually never make it past the pictures. This time I read it all of the way through twice. Crushing hard, and relieved to know that I’m not the only one who owns a pair of overalls.

    Join us, guys! Overalls are the perfect outfit.

  41. As one of those gay teens who didn’t know she was gay but met talk of boy crushes with eyerolls, I totally missed out on the whole teen heartthrob phase. I’m glad to be making up for lost time with the calendar girls :D

  42. AKEWHDALSKDJBFLAWUERJH;KNJKCA;UEHFDJSABK;HFSKHJDMKJEIW.

    Is what my mind is saying right now.

    Oh my God Brianne…you’re are gorgeous. If I’m ever in your area of the woods, may I buy you some coffee or tea? We can discuss our similar experiences under church patriarchy, and I can try to make up puns about Starbucks.

    Like this one: Why are Italians so good at making coffee? Because they really know how to espresso themselves.

  43. I only know breanne for but a few encounters from my past but even then you could see the passion she radiates. Not just in her attractiveness and appeal but in everything she does. Breanne the short time we sat down for coffee and you helped me learn more about resumes I could see the drive you have. You will turn heads and turn hearts towards the ongoing struggle in Utah Sao many people I care about go through daily. Its not. A matter of if with you…but when and how extreme. Thank you for being you and trusting you.something I am still working on.

  45. Slightly chubby, closeted, raised mormon with super homophobic parents, queer kid thanks you for this.

  46. At some point in my life, I stopped thinking overalls were cool. Boy, was I wrong. Grrlyoulookgood.

  56. AH OMG I HAVE SUCH A CRUSH RIGHT NOW!

    Also that was really great to read about taking time off school – I’m currently in my 2nd year of undergrad and I’m thinking about taking some time off after this semester. I’m not happy where I am and it’s great to see someone so happy who took time off as well! I wish there were more people who talked about doing so in a positive way like that – most people discourage me.

    Beautiful photos!

    • I think people discourage others from taking time off because they want to and are too afraid. Universities have different policies regarding time off-but if yours won’t penalize you-DO IT. One of the most terrifying and best decisions I have ever made.

  57. Oh. WOW.

    *bood pressure goes through the roof*
    *slew of excitable dirty-talk runs through mind*
    …
    11/10! Mama Bri For the Win!!!

  59. Bri you are stunning! Best of luck with utahisgay.com. As someone who was raised in an ultra-conservative community, I understand how important that support is!

    xoxo

  60. love your beautiful spirit and your openness.

    I wanted to share with you this blog I’m writing for that encourages women to love their bodies..

    http://newyork.endangeredbodies.org/beautyhappy

    I wrote the first blog.. but we’re looking for people to write.. I thought I would let my community know first..

    please contact me if interested [email protected].

    Also check out the flyer for the event they did today.. was amazing on so many levels

    Caroline Rothstein did an AMAZING spoken word performance piece on her body..

    Also, check out

    Cheers :)
    Danielle..

    • there’s like sideboob and underboob and topboob and like frontboob and wow i think you’re the prettiest girl i’ve ever seen

  65. I didn’t realize how big a thing I had for underboob until today. Maybe I just have a thing for your underboob. Sorry, creepy?

    But you are so incredibly hot. Like stunningly beautifully sexy in every way, and I would be way too nervous/shy to ever talk to you if we ever met in person because I know I would just stare, stutter, and make a general fool of myself. I very, very rarely comment, so you know I have a mega mega crush here…. I almost can’t stand it.

    This post should start with a warning: These images will stop you in your tracks and distract you from anything productive you may be trying to accomplish today.

  67. You are so gorgeous and these photos and you are just full of sunshine! Wow. Also, I loved everything you had to say in the article. Inspiring. This makes me even more proud to be a March baby :)

  68. Don’t tell my girlfriend, but you are the calendar girl I am most likely to swoon over. Can’t really say anything else but that you are fantastic and gorgeous.

  70. Always good to find a fellow lesbian who survived Mormonism and came out way on top! (There are some “secret” lesbian ex-mo groups, and LGBT ex-Mo groups. Hit me up if you want to join and promote your webite!)

  71. This article is flawless.

    Bri: YOU are flawless. Dear Lord.

    As a fellow ex-mo homo, I salute you and give you virtual hugs because that’s just what I do. If you need anybody to do some legwork here in Utah, let me know. I’ll be here until April at least, but likely until September – at which point I will be leaving the awful, awful confines of BYU and the greater Utah area.

    -M

  72. What I should be doing: working on my terminal thesis due in a matter of days

    What I’m actually doing: staring at these amazing photos Brianne

    She beautiful and brilliant.

    Autostraddle, keep this lady in mind for future projects; I think I’m in lust.

  73. “Positive body image is a motherfucker to cultivate, but it sure is a lot easier when you see someone in the media who looks like you.” My favorite line out of this article. As a queer lady in the 18/20 size range I feel sometimes like I would fare better on the dating scene if I could lower those digits. I ♥ that you are one of the calendar girls and had the guts to do it. I get so much inspiration from seeing a variety of sizes in the queer scene. Thank you for being so amazingly beautiful!

  77. Definitely, what a magnificent internet site and instructive posts, I will bookmark your blog.Have an awsome day!

  81. A fellow curvy ex-Mormon gal, who’s super smart and smokin’ hot to boot? Good hot damn. I am having some stirrings of the spirit, if you know what I mean.

  83. What a total babe!

    Good luck with utahisgay.com. It sounds like a great and supportive project.

  85. Can I just… I’ve lurked on autostraddle forevs and only decided to join to say how gorgeous Briana is. Like, holy crap. Be still, my beating heart!

  86. Sweet mother of all things deep fried,you are gorgeous. Absolutely flipping beautiful. Plus,you’re a smart,empowered,sexy lady? Be still my beating heart!

  87. I’m actually a straight, cisgendered woman, but hearing your story and witnessing the beauty that you exude has really given me alot of hope. Thank you Bri! I hope you continue to empower young women everywhere, no matter their race, body size, or sexual orientation, simply by being your wonderful self! :)

  88. I want to thank all of you for your sweet comments, I really appreciate it. You’re all wonderful, and I read these comments over and over. Thank you. <3

  89. This will be the reason I buy the next calendar: I keep coming back to look at your pictures, and it makes me feel so wonderful and happy. I am so grateful for the diverse arrays of body types that autostraddle has more recently been portraying!

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