Here’s what we loved this year, and what pained us to see.

Wine, sex, violence, and music in the woods! The Yellowjackets go full Bacchanalia in the series’ trippy, psychosexual horror episode “Doomcoming.”

The Silence of the Lambs was right. Trans women and law enforcement are enemies. All it got wrong was the villain.

We bring you for the first time the first time the A+ Community Bookshelf: a crowdsourced project where A+ members can share the LGBTQ book recs that they want the rest of the A+ community to know about.

Look, when a character takes a strap-on out of her backpack in the middle of a sex scene you know you’re in good hands.

Kate Moennig declared that “badass things happen in Philadelphia!” Also, Indya Moore with that Ivy Park drop, Stacy London birthday kisses, and Janet Mock is now and forever will be the H.B.I.C.

Lesbian and bisexual characters have been straightwashed out of existence in many beloved Hollywood films. Here are 22 examples of times queer stories were de-gayed for mainstream consumption.

“Most production companies and organizations feel like they check off their list of requirements by having one of us in the room. We need more inclusivity in lead roles, as well as behind the scenes. There is a lack of positive representations of black trans women. Why are we not celebrating the accomplishments of a demographic of women that overcome extreme adversity? We are beyond prostitution. We are more than secrets.”

As part of our three-week Spaces & Places series, we asked you if we could see your favorite spaces — and wow, did you deliver!

“So the woman who kills Terminators in her spare time is afraid to tell her parents she’s dating Kristen Stewart?”

Alex and Kelly try to have their bachelorette party but Nyxly and her boytoy have other plans for the Superfriends.

The Autostraddle team offers A+ members advice on topics from changing your name, to working as one of the only out queer teachers at a middle school, feeling pulled between different causes, maybe finally taking a break from a draining friendship, feeling like you don’t fit into queer community, and so much more!

“Imagine if all of our days were as productive as the people in The L Word. We would be cruising through life.”

Queer horror is the hottest thing happening this Halloween, scary movie lists for whatever spooky mood you’re in, Emma Roberts is making a “teen lesbian vampire” series for Netflix, Laverne Cox on the intimacy of hair, and more.

Water is joining gold and oil in being traded on Wall Street, so that’s bad. Also: an all-Muslim girls’ basketball team is kicking ass and an ad hoc awards show for the weird internet culture of quarantine.

“Ìfé is a story that not many queer people have seen come out of Nigeria. I’m really hoping that, apart from everything else that it does – normalizing the queer experience and being a great source of representation – I’m really hoping that it brings joy to the LGBT community.”

In many ways Legend of Korra is more timely than ever because it forces us to examine our hero worship and the notion that one person will save us from destruction or that the simple removal of one villain will solve all of our problems.

Stop what you’re doing right now and watch Alice Júnior on Netflix.

What’s new with LGBTQ characters on HBO Max, Amazon, Hulu and Netflix this month? Let’s find out together!

“I fully understand they have to paint a picture of the times, and deep racial trauma and pain were a part of those times, but I found myself wondering why we need another gut-wrenching Black story on film.”