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Against a white background, there are three identical sketches in black ink of a person with short hair wearing a collared, button-up shirt. The shirt had a pocket over the left side of the chest with a pen inside. The face of each person is scribbled over.
First Person

8 Times When Strangers Misread My Gender, Ranked

There have been times when I’ve genderf*cked a little too close to the sun.

Ro White January 2, 2023 42 Comments
A person stands on a cliff
First Person

My Word of the Year Was “Closer”

For as long as I can remember, I’ve held a silent tradition of closing out each year with a word.

Em Win December 29, 2022 3 Comments
A small house in the woods near a creek
First Person

Playing House

The game is simple, really.

Autumn Fourkiller December 27, 2022 11 Comments
A leafless tree against a nightsky with a full moon
First Person

Say When

In the five years since I ended that relationship I’ve reflected on how I got into it, why I stayed, and my own part in the failure of it.

danijanae December 26, 2022 17 Comments
A woman wearing red over-the-head headphones with her eyes closed
First Person Music

What My Spotify Wrapped Should Have Said

I’ve learned that a ranked list of songs can be just as powerful as an end-of-year journal entry. 

Em Win December 26, 2022 6 Comments
Silverware on a white plate with a red ribbon tied around them. There are cranberries and a piece of a Christmas tree on the table next to the plate.
First Person Holigays

Three Stages of Never Ever Doing Holiday Meals the “Right” Way

Holiday meals have always been mired in conflict for me.

Nico December 20, 2022 22 Comments
An empty movie theater with red chairs
First Person Movie Features

Slow Takes: We Come to This Place for Magic

A movie theatre was the first reason I left my apartment after the 2016 election.

Drew Burnett Gregory December 8, 2022 7 Comments
the writer shea wesley martin stands in front of bookshelves organized by color, wearing a t-shirt that reads "Audre & Gloria & Angela & bell" with a blue beanie.
First Person

Finally — A Rainbow That Feels Like Home

I was in California for a conference when I heard about the Club Q shooting.

shea wesley martin December 5, 2022 5 Comments
An abdomen of an adult patient with Waterproof Transparent Dressing after Cholecystectomy or Laparoscopic Gallbladder Surgery for gallstones removal.
First Person Health

Goodbye to My Gallbladder

Happy Gallbladder Day on Autostraddle dot com! I’m glad you’re here and I’m glad my gallbladder is not.

Vanessa November 30, 2022 41 Comments
JoJo Siwa and Jenna Johnson dancing on Dancing With the Stars
First Person

“Dancing With the Stars” Fantasies I’ve Had About Various Phases of My Queer Life

As my opening number, I’m imaging a quickstep with JoJo Siwa. I have no explanation for this.

Em Win November 29, 2022 5 Comments
A leftover Thanksgiving sandwich with cranberry sauce and turkey on it.
First Person Thanksgiving

Why I’m Craving a Thanksgiving Sandwich 364 Days a Year

It’s November 2016, and I’m lonely and missing my family a lot more than I expected. I say I can’t come home for Thanksgiving for a mix of reasons.

Julie Gentile November 24, 2022 8 Comments
Mugworts Cabin: a cute cabin with a rainbow triangle flag banner in front sits in the woods, surrounded by tall lush green trees
Community First Person

We Need QTBIPOC Land Healing Projects

We have a responsibility to care for others. In land stewardship and land healing this means prioritizing accountability to Indigenous folks.

Gabrielle Lawrence November 24, 2022 9 Comments
An empty gym equipped with a weight sled
First Person

Working Out at a Strength Gym Has Been Great, but These Exercises Make Me Want To Scream

Even though I believe in complete body liberation and fat freedom, I don’t like to talk about my “I’ve been fat my whole life” baggage.

Stef Rubino November 21, 2022 15 Comments
A woman covers her face in anxiety
First Person

My Anxiety Turns Life Into a Horror Movie

Most of my fears are around dying, maybe because I don’t understand it.

ashni November 9, 2022 3 Comments
Maya Erskine and Anna Konkle hold hands and laugh cry looking up at a screen in the final moments of Pen15.
First Person TV Feature

Slow Takes: “Pen15” and Embracing Alternate Girlhoods

Watching the first season during what I considered my second puberty was miserable. I could acknowledge its effectiveness, but I felt alienated.

Drew Burnett Gregory November 3, 2022 6 Comments
Mary Elizabeth Winstead in 10 Cloverfield Lane wears a tank and is surrounded by skeleton hands holding out flowers
First Person Movie Features

How it Ends

I begin to realize my relationship is over when my boyfriend starts cleaning his gun in our apartment.

Darcy October 30, 2022 12 Comments
A childhood photo of Dani Janae in a field. A childhood photo of Dani Janae blowing out the candles on an orange birthday cake. A childhood photo of Dani Janae posing with a birthday cake. A present-day photo of Dani Janae wearing a pink top and glasses.
First Person

Alone but Not Lonely at the Precipice of 30

Being 30 meant I was free. In my child mind, it was the ultimate age of adulthood. It meant that no one could hurt me anymore. 

danijanae October 30, 2022 18 Comments
A Black girl with braids is repeated twice, once with her eyes open, once with her eyes closed
First Person

Black Girls Are Always at the Center of Horror

There is a haunting that black girls know.

A. Tony Jerome October 26, 2022 16 Comments
Dana Scully stands in front of an open car trunk
First Person Movie Features

The Seduction of Aliens

When I saw a UFO, I was 18 and it was the night before prom.

Nico October 25, 2022 5 Comments
A Black model poses nude with her arm on her knee while sitting and looking at the camera.
First Person

Here’s Why You Should Get a Nude Portrait of Yourself Done

We deserve to feel like art, to feel wonderfully made. 

danijanae October 13, 2022 2 Comments
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