It’s a Thing: International Meet an Autostraddler Week

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Remember last week when we put together a really special, informative and highly accurate / imaginative piece How to Make Gay Friends and Meet Girls: The Ultimate Guide to Effective Queer Socializing?

But it turned out that all you really needed in order to meet other queers was the freedom to post your current city and email address in the comments?

YOU GUYS COULD’VE BEEN DOING THAT THIS WHOLE TIME, WEIRDOS.

Just kidding, I love you. So much so, in fact, that we’ve declared next week International Meet an Autostraddler Week! WHAT, THAT’S EXCITING. Yes, I know. How does one celebrate International Meet an Autostraddler Week? Simple! You make plans to meet a fellow reader and then you go do that.

Some of you have celebrated early and that’s cool, don’t worry. Intern Emily apparently celebrates this holiday every weekend or something. Montreal lesbians are so lucky for so many reasons and Emily is one of those reasons! Also there’s something called ‘Faggity Ass Fridays’ which, I mean seriously, that sounds like a lot of fun.

A handful of Autostraddle team members have organized meet-ups in their respective cities. If you’re in or around these areas and would like to be part of the party, email for exact locations and more info!

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Tuesday, November 9
7pm
contact: crystal [at] autostraddle [dot] com

PHOENIX, ARIZONA

Wednesday, November 10
7pm
contact: laneia [at] autostraddle [dot] com

LONDON, ENGLAND

Saturday, November 13 / Sunday, November 14
unknown time
contact: laura [at] autostraddle [dot] com

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Monday, November 8
unknown time
contact: greenearthgirl4 [at] gmail [dot] com

GLASGOW, SCOTLAND

Flexible dates & times
contact: heathergfroehlich [at] gmail [dot] com

LONDON, ENGLAND 2

Additional meet-ups have been / will be taking place
contact: ehmerrow [at] yahoo [dot] com

MONTREAL, QUEBEC

Thursday, November 11
8pm
contact: emilychoo19 [at] gmail [dot] com

MUNICH, GERMANY

Wednesday, November 10
Noon
contact: katelynhouck [at] gmail [dot]com

VANCOUVER, B.C.

Thursday, November 11
1pm
contact: louberry76 [at] gmail [dot] com

ANTWERP, BELGIUM

Flexible dates & times
contact: daphne.vandevoorde [at] gmail [dot] com

If you’ve coordinated a meet-up in your city and would like to share your contact info, email me: laneia [at] autostraddle [dot] com. I will update this post with your name, city, email, etc.

I feel weird and nervous for you guys when you put your email addresses [you should spell them out to avoid spammers] in the comments – probably because I’m a mother and I want you to eat one green thing a day and not get abducted by strangers. So! It is with the utmost fear and hope that I encourage you to meet each other in well-lit, public places. If possible, meet in large groups and take a friend! Also it never hurts to carry a can of Mace / wiffle bat.

**DON’T POST EXACT MEETING LOCATIONS IN THESE COMMENTS! Please email each other. Jesus I’ve been gone for 24+ hours and you guys have lost your precious little minds. Email!

Additionally, several of you have emailed / tweeted / formspringed to say that Autostraddle needs a forum / social networking apparatus. Yes, we know. We’ve got big big plans for Autostraddle and I promise you’ll be super pleased. In the meantime, you’ll just have to make friends the old-fashioned way: interesting avatars, witty comments and compelling blogs.

Have you already met an Autostraddler?
Was it everything you’d hoped for?
Are there photos?
Did you compare who’d been reading Autowin the longest?
Is Autostraddle the next OkCupid?

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

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Laneia

Laneia is the Director of Operations and founding member of Autostraddle, and you're the reason she's here.

Laneia has written 930 articles for us.

610 Comments

    • Hey,

      I’m not in Dublin unfortunately, but I would be interested in whether it’s a relatively queer-friendly place. University College has an affiliation with my university and takes exchange students, and it’s on my list of really cool places I would like to study in. :)

      Reply to This Comment

      • Yes I think it is quite queer friendly. Of course you get the odd incident and there are bigots in every country in the world but all in all I think it’s great. The scene is relatively small but it’s still quite varied and friendly and there’s lots of resources for new people who want to make friends and check it out.

        Aside from that it does get cold and gloomy in the winter but if you go on little trips outside of Dublin it’s still beautiful and id highly recommend travelling around. UCD is fine, it’s a bit grey and depressing though, Havard it is certainly not…so if I was going there id stay somewhere else aside from the college maybe.

        Reply to This Comment

    • I would defo go to Dublin, if I was a millonairess, it’s soo expensive.. But I am goin out on Monday nite to RAIN in Belfast, havnt been in months cnt w8 to have a gay aul time!! :D Will anyone else be at rain tomorro nite?

      Reply to This Comment

        • Im kind of glum that hardly anyone from Ireland replied, although every time there’s a sizeable number of comments my computer just cuts them off at a certain point and alls I can see is the white background, so maybe there is loads but I just cant see them.

          Anyway, I’d love to have people here to hang out with who arent preoccupied with being in a couple like everyone else I know, all the lesbians go missing after they find another half, I hate lesbian-couple-disappearing-probably-off-spooning-syndrome, it’s a serious and evidently contagious disease, sigh.

          Reply to This Comment

  16. Anyone from Vancouver B.C.? If so I will post my info.

    Also, pleased to hear about the possibility of an auto-social-network-straddle. Might actually bother to make an account. Gosh knows I’m a lazy ho when it comes to these internet things.

    Reply to This Comment

        • I’d love to meet Vancouver Autostraddle friends! I work friday but how about Thursday? Is everybody available on Remembrance day? i’ll send out a collective email to all vancouverites i’ve seen on here, but feel free to email me at louberry76 [at] gmail [dot] com

          cheers!

          Reply to This Comment

          • Hi!

            This might be my favourite week in Vancouver so far. I’d love to meet you all. Thursday’s good for me.

            info at cassiajewelry dot com

          • I recently moved to Vancouver and would love to meet fellow Autostraddlers.
            I’m flexible, so email me for Remembrance day or any other fun times.

            cjdueck5 [at] gmail [dot] com

          • Hello!

            I’m from Vancouver as well and would love to meet new lady friends, particularly of the autostraddle persuasion. Thursday is fine with me, but I’m fairly flexible so I’m good for whenever.

            erie[dot]maxwell[at]gmail[dot]com

          • Hi there, I’m totally from Vancouver too you guys. I most definitely want to be in a posse of awesome ladies, maybe this is where it starts???

            I’m at robotmute—hotmail—com if someone’s putting together a list.

            Thanks!

    • Hey!

      I’m from Vancouver too and definitely wouldn’t mind meeting some new gay ladies who also share a love of autostraddle. I’m pretty flexible as to where and when so I’d probably be down for whatever.

      sonorific17 [at] yahoo [dot] com to let me know what’s up.

      Reply to This Comment

  18. This just sounds like a horrible idea to me. Probably because I’m underage and have been subjected to about 10,000 assemblies about never ever giving away my personal info online and never ever meeting with strangers. But you do what you want, you older, wiser lesbians, you. I just hope you’re still alive to see the epic conclusion of the Harry Potter film franchise. Instead of cut up in six coolers, which will probably happen. PROBABLY.

    Reply to This Comment

        • that’s why those assemblies failed us- they taught fear and not preparedness.

          You are 10000 times more likely to be hit by a car than be sliced up by someone from the internet. But you know to look both ways before crossing the street, and you should know to “look both ways” before meeting internet strangers.

          I made the acquaintance of the autouniverse after extended blog commenting and a perhaps not assembly friendly decision to go down to the city to have brunch. None of them turned out to be serial killers (so far) and I’ve built really incredible friendships that never would have existed had I stayed behind the internet.

          Tell someone where you’re going and your approx time frame, go with a friend, you’ll be just fine. You’ll be better than fine.

          Reply to This Comment

    • I feel you, because I grew up with those assemblies too, but I gotta tell you that I have kicked around these here internets for about ten years and met a whole bunch of internet friends and the worst experiences I’ve had have just been really really awkward. (Really awkward. But we all lived.) There definitely are predators out there, and Autostraddle is a public place, but if you meet people somewhere open, make arrangements to meet in groups, and tell people where you’re going/what you’re doing it’s really not like, all that big of a deal (I first met up with internet friends when I was 16.)

      I do think it helps to have made friends/created relationships first (apart from anything else it gives you something to talk about instead of awkward silences or, as I imagine will probably happen a lot in Meet an Autostraddler Week, Six Degrees Of Lesbians). But I don’t think this kind of thing is any more risky than, IDK, attending a public choir or knitting circle or, well, LGBT group that you’ve seen a poster for.

      Reply to This Comment

      • Well said. Basically, engage brain and you’ll be fine.

        Then again maybe it helps that I used to live in a place where people were so online that I actually got recognized at the grocery store because people saw me online. But anyway.

        Reply to This Comment

  21. I am actually curious as to whether or not there are lesbians in LA who DON’T frequent west hollywood bars (or at least don’t every single weekend). I mean I’ve been there and done that, and seen the same faces over and over, but I have this crraaaazy feeling that there are plenty of gay chicks who would rather kick it in Venice or Westwood…so let me know! Always down to meet some cool friends :)

    Reply to This Comment

    • KC area?

      Women’s Social Club- Kansas City

      Kansas City, MO
      92 Lesbian Adventurists

      This group is for Lesbian, Bisexual, Queer, and Lesbian-Friendly Women in the Kansas City area to meet for fun, casual activities and to have a good time. This is not a dating…

      Check out this Meetup Group →

      Reply to This Comment

  28. minneapolis? we could do st. paul too, but… minneapolis is just easier for girlfriend ‘n me. we live in northfield, actually (st. olaf college).

    we’d be happy to meet anyone friday/saturday/sunday. that would be super rad.

    Reply to This Comment

  30. Awe, all of the Canadians (Vancouver, Ottawa, Toronto etc.) so quick to respond make me happy. This is all so awesome/amazing/cute.

    Can everyone in Montreal plan to go to the Drugstore sometime in the next few weeks or month or whatever? I went there a few weeks ago w/ my straight women and gay men friends (my primary friend-group is always straight women and gay men) and it would have been so much more enjoyable if it were with gay women. It would have been more chill. I would have had more fun I think. So, I know it’s cliche BUT sometimes cliche is fun and the Drugstore Montreal how about it?

    Reply to This Comment

        • I’m from Pakistan too! Well like originally. This makes me feel so happy you have no idea. I wish I could tell my mom about you and be like ‘SEE MOM IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH what country I’m in!’

          Are you out? I didn’t know it was possible to be out in Pakistan?

          Reply to This Comment

          • You are? Wow, that’s cool!

            Yeah, it really does have nothing to do with what country you’re in. There’s definitely homosexuality here too (though it’s all under wraps – it very, very difficult to be out in Pakistan. That’s why I’m not out either. Pakistani society=one big headache if you try to explain/understand it) and historically speaking, there probably always has been.

            Also, The L Word is available at lots of DVD stores. SOMEONE’S GOTTA BE WATCHING IT

          • That’s really funny about the L Word. It was funny because in Summer I was shopping in Montreal for a Sari – my cousin was getting married – and I went into those indian pakistani market type stores downtown. So I was looking through stores and they had a dvd section where they had ‘I can’t think straight’.

            I guess they defs don’t know they’re selling lesbian love films.

            I get that Pakistani society etc. I mean even though I live in Canada, my mom still thinks I’m a) Possessed by the devil or b) It’s a phase (for the last 7 years.

            Also, you know how family is a big thing in our culture? Well my family would flip/disown me so it’s really tough.

            By the way this trudging through all the comments is getting frustrating. Email?

            nikush_s at hotmail dot com

          • I’ve emailed you. Somewhere in the email that i sent you is the number 6754141, so that’s how you’ll know it’s me =P

  38. im in san francisco and underage, so i can’t go to bars or anything.
    but if there are any other people who want to meet up with other autostraddlers in san francisco (especially if you are underaged too) then just reply to this or shoot me an email letting me know. (elizabeth.irishwolfhound@gmail.com)

    also, it would be cool if you could suggest a place like a cafe or bowling alley or i dont know, any other public place where you think we should meet.

    Reply to This Comment

    • Yay, Germany! Finally! I live in TĆ¼bingen, but close enough, donā€™t you think? Well, here gotta be more lesbians than me, but I know only a few, and I never met a german girl that reads autostraddle as religiously as I do, or at allā€¦

      Reply to This Comment

      • I’m american haha, aber ich habe Deutsch studiert. They brought me over to teach English in Eichstaett. Unfortuately they failed to inform me that it was literally at the end of a train line…….so yeah….

        Reply to This Comment

          • It’s never bad to hope, and there’s a reason you have never heard of it before. Es ist schoen aber todlangweilig :(. But yeah if you can make it down to Munich on Wednesday, me and other random american lesbian will be there!

          • Sadly, it’s too far away and I gotta go to university. AND wednesday’s my birthday, so I’m gonna meet up with some friends here :-) Have fun though!

          • I’m up for the German religiously reading autostraddle team as well! I live in Leipzig though, but close enough for a chat !?!

          • I’m German and I read autostraddle as well… I live in Berlin, so not close to anyone of you ;p

          • @Lillifred — I will be backpacking through Berlin in January, if you would be keen to catch up. Also, there is another mention of Berlin on the second page of comments.

            adanks91 [at] gmail [dot] com

          • Apologies for the very delayed response, but if you ever happen back along these comments, drop me a line: topscores.de [at] gmail [dot] com

            SG
            Ami in Neukƶlln

    • And me! Me, myself, and Taryn lol. I’ll be in Munich on Wednesday if you would like to meet up? I should be arriving around 1030 :) Not sure where the lesbian hang out spots are but I’m sure we can find them!

      Reply to This Comment

  52. HEY GLASGOW

    i met cassandra & Lo (separately) about a week ago; we’re working out second meet up (all together!) towards the end of november.

    Are you in glasgow (or edinburgh, for that matter!) want to meet some cool AS readers? consider yrself invited. send me an email heathergfroehlich at gmail dot com.

    Reply to This Comment

  54. It’s a longlonglonglong shot, but I’m in Fredericton, NB. Now, of course, that’s tiny and wooded and in the middle of a tiny and wooded province, so I suspect it’s just me, here, on the river. However(!), if there are any Autostraddle ladies in the Maritimes, I am SURE we could arrange some sort of get-together, some time, some where.

    So if you’re in the Maritimes and feel like starting an inter-province lesbian meet-up group of awesome friendship, well, just email me: r.wheadon [at] yahoo [dot] ca.

    Reply to This Comment