It’s a notably weird time for digital media, with AI and chatbots cannibalizing search traffic, increasing government and corporate censorship obscuring LGBTQ+ stories on social platforms and the “anti-woke” movement inspiring advertisers to slash or eliminate marketing budgets aimed towards queer and otherwise marginalized audiences. We’re determined to persevere despite all that — but we’re also fighting to keep our words and stories alive in a format that circumvents it entirely.
The Autostraddle Insider — our freshly launched print magazine packed with queer stories, advice, games, photos, art, and more — is hot off the presses. Our fall/winter 2025 issue is out now, and it features incredible stories about queer icons who never stopped fighting, no matter what the world threw at them, heroes who keep on building community today. It’s a little bit of hope in your hands, spanning generations.
LOOK AT IT!!!!
We are especially excited about our legendary cover star — Ceyenne Doroshow, the founder of G.L.I.T.S., mother to many, and a trans trailblazer. In a story by novelist Malavika Kannan, Doroshow looks back on her years of advocacy and is candid about what it takes to keep on surviving and helping others survive even as the threats and challenges keep on coming. And to accompany her brilliant words is a brilliant photoshoot of her alongside other generations of queer and trans folks.
Malavika also wants you to put some respect on DJ Rekha’s name, profiling the legendary 54-year-old DJ-producer-educator who in 1997 founded one of NYC’s longest-running club nights, Basement Bhangra. Whether you’ve partied to Rekha’s beats before or are just getting to know them, you’ll want to look at this deep dive into the intersection of nightlife and activism.
And on that note! We’ve also got a personal essay accompanied by candid disposable camera shots from AJ Mason on finding community and comfort in queer Black nightlife. The issue also features a tribute to lesbian nightlife in Orlando; queer city guides for Los Angeles, Amsterdam, and Edinburgh; crossword puzzles; and so much more.
It took a lot of sweat and spreadsheets to put this thing together with a very small team, but we’re super proud of it, and if it sells well we’ll be able to keep making it better and better.
Our All Access and Support tier members get issues shipped for free! If you haven’t purchased or upgraded your membership yet, you can still buy the new issue of the magazine as well as the first issue. Want em both? You can get them as a discounted bundle! It would make a great holiday gift or just an end-of-year reward for yourself. Supporting queer print media is one of the hottest things a person can do.
Look, it makes a great accessory! Everyone will see you carrying around a cool queer print magazine and be like wow that person is cool, I have to talk to them. This could be you:
And this could be your gay tote bag:
What are tote bags for if not carting around gorgeous magazines full of gay people’s words and faces?
We’re hard at work at the next issue, and we’re looking forward to hearing what you think of this one! So let us know!
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