I had a craving for brownies that I could not shake, so then I bought the brownies. And now I know peace.

Saw This, Thought of You

An A+ member very helpfully wanted to get the word out, Squeaky Clean Toys will take your gently used sex toys for resale, and if you want to learn more: Owners of Used Sex Toy Company Swear It’s Not Gross.

Admittedly, I don’t love the title of the article, but I do know that readers are often asking us what to do with their old sex toys! Which I think is a fair question or concern, especially when you think about both the price of toys and also just… there is limited space for waste on this planet, and the last time I checked most toys were not biodegradable (someone tell me if I’m wrong in the comments!). And not all queer couples feel the same about using old toys on multiple partners, etc etc etc. Personally, I say boil them/sanitize them/ and keep it moving for eternity — I keep toys until the motor dies out — but here are some other options.

‘I Felt Powerless’: Black Americans Suffering From Long COVID Say They Have Trouble Accessing Care

Fuck thiiisssssss. The Snitch in the Silver Hearse: The FBI Paid a Violent Felon to Infiltrate Denver’s Racial Justice Movement, “Mickey Windecker encouraged violence, accused activist leaders of being police cooperators, and tried to draw demonstrators into elaborate stings.”

Nico smartly also recommends this related reading material, Why Misogynists Make Great Informants

This one goes out to all my depressives! Too Much Serotonin Is A Bad Thing, Actually

RIP, Stripper Web. “For 20 years, the forum was a haven for new dancers seeking community.”

How Educators Secretly Remove Students With Disabilities From School. “Known as informal removals, the tactics are ‘off-the-book’ suspensions often in violation of federal civil rights protections for those with disabilities.”

This Winnie the Pooh Is Terrifying. “When the gentle bear fell into the public domain, a horror director pounced.”

Queer as in F*ck You

I didn’t know that The New York Times’ infamous Modern Love column is now a podcast? I Promised God It Was the Last Time. “After years of suppressing her gay desires, an ultra-Orthodox Jewish woman reaches her breaking point.”

TikTok’s Chief Operating Officer, Vanessa Pappas, Came Out as Nonbinary

There’s a large smattering of local state-level gay news and it is… all bad? So, ripping it off like a band-aid:

• North Carolina Senate Oks Limits on LGBTQ School Instruction
• Pence Group to Run Ads in Iowa Against School Trans Policies
• Montana Bill Would Let Students Misgender Classmates
• Tennessee Set to Pass a Law That Restricts Drag Shows
• Missouri Proposal Goes Further Than ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill

Political Snacks

Originalism Is Going to Get Women Killed. “A federal court has ruled that a law barring domestic-violence offenders from owning firearms is unconstitutional.”

It’s No Coincidence That the Midterms Turned the Blackest Parts of America Red. “While Democrats celebrate an averted crisis, the GOP campaign to quell and marginalize Black voters has only continued.”

So Tuesday was Biden’s State of the Union address, let’s see about that:

• Biden Keeps LGBTQ+ Remarks Brief in State of the Union as Queer Americans Face Hostile Legislation
• Biden Said 107 Words on Abortion and LGBTQ+ Issues in the State of the Union. Here’s Why That Matters. “The annual address always covers myriad issues — and how much the president talks about each one signals priorities.”

🙃

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?

Join AF+!