Me Time
To AI or Not to AI That Is the Question
Hey, if Taylor Swift can riff on Hamlet, so can I.
I try in this newsletter not to include content that praises the use of AI, especially in the Useful Tools section, though that's getting more and more difficult. I include info on AI when it's relevant to what's going on with book pirating or AI-generated books or how to recognize something written with AI.
But I do use AI personally to answer questions I have, and I always click on the sources provided to make sure what I've been told is accurate (and the sources aren't always helpful).
But recently, I was at a dinner and someone brought up the fact that their family use to go to a bungalow colony in Bethlehem, NH. And then I said that there used to be a women's inn in that town. When people asked me the name, I couldn't remember.
So, I went on AI and asked: what was the name of the women's inn in Bethlehem, NH. All of the responses were inaccurate. I reworded the question a few times to see if I could get a better answer--e.g., inns that have closed, inns owned by women, etc. Nothing.
It occurred to me that there was a better source. So I went on Facebook and posted "what was the name of the women's inn in Bethlehem, NH?" Within 5 minutes my friend Cheryl responded: The Highlands Inn. And then a number of people echoed her.
There's a lesson here and it's summed up in the title of an old Alix Dobkin song. When all else fails and you want some sapphic-related info, consult The Lesbian Power Authority!
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
Inside an Anthology: Living, Together ed. by Samantha Paige Rosen | LGBTQ Reads
21 writers and organizers on chosen family, hacking adulthood, and other lessons communal living can teach us about the future of housing in America
Fancy a teaser of our exclusive interview with literary legend Sarah Waters? -
In our August/September issue, the author talks lesbian fiction, book bans and long-term love
Don’t Leave Your Reader Searching for Meaning: The Importance of Protagonist Context | Jane Friedman
What is context versus perspective?
How Amazon Is Turning the BookTok Boom Into Hit TV - WSJ
“Obsessed Fest,” Amazon Prime Video’s first-ever fan convention and a declaration of its all-out push into romance. The streamer has notched hit after hit by tapping in to the fervent, rapidly growing audience of young adults hungry for coming-of-age love stories.
Out in the 17th Century: a Guest Post by My Love All Love Excels Author Norena Shopland | LGBTQ Reads
My Love All Love Excels, the biography of Katherine Philips: the seventeenth-century Welsh poet whose love for two women dominated her life
What is 'Meaningful Exposure' for Books?
Where podcasts are concerned, there are still instances when I must explain to authors that a podcast with 1000 dedicated listeners can be more meaningful than a podcast that reaches the masses. Those 1000 listeners are far more likely to engage with content and buy your book than the big, general audiences of some other podcasts.
News For A Challenging Time
Berlin Pride attack: what we know so far -
, one woman was killed, and at least 29 people were injured
Librarian shares creepy anti-gay message someone tried sneaking into a kids’ book - Queerty
If one bigoted reader believed that scrawling a warning message inside an LGBTQ-friendly kids’ book might dent its popularity, they were sorely mistaken. It only raised interest in the title.
Earlier this week, a librarian shared photos of a returned library book. It’s a middle-grade title called The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
Hilton Grand Vacations Fires Worker Who Allegedly Sent Racist Slur to WNBA Player Chelsea Gray | Them
“This was a message I received after our game vs Indy yesterday,” Gray wrote alongside a screenshot of the message. “People act like we make this shit up. And the audacity to tell us as athletes to ‘shut up and dribble.”
Gray, who is openly gay and married to former collegiate player Tipesa Gray, posted again to Instagram Stories following the news of the individual’s firing.
Culture and Joy
Every Sapphic Celeb Who's Come Out In 2026 (So Far) - GO Magazine
The gay agenda just got a little longer this year. From Hollywood stars and reality TV icons to pageant queens and villa bombshells, these women publicly embraced their LGBTQ+ identities in 2026.
Cynthia Nixon Officiating Largest Sapphic Wedding of All Time | Them
Cynthia Nixon will be the “Reverend-for-the-Day” at Bride Pride, billed as the “World’s Largest All-Girl Wedding & Renewal Ceremony."
Hockey Rivals Emily Clark And Jaime Bourbonnais Are Engaged - GO Magazine
Outside of the national team, they do have a bit of a Heated Rivalry situation going on; in the Professional Women’s Hockey League, Bourbonnais plays for the New York Sirens, while Clark recently moved from the Ottawa Charge to the newly formed PWHL Hamilton.
WNBA star Jonquel Jones has broken up with fiancée, is 'on the market' - GO Magazine
Jones, who was named MVP for the 2021 WNBA season and has been out during her career, was previously engaged to Dinesha Keeshone. Based on recent comments, she seems to be single and ready to mingle again!
WNBA All Star Weekend 2026: All The Gay Gossip and Athletic Achievements | Autostraddle
This year, on every measurable level, the gays dominated, winning every available contest, often while deeply hungover.
The Women’s Pro Baseball League Is Here — And It’s Even Gayer Than the WNBA | Them
The WPBL shared the names and jerseys of its first four teams in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco.
The WNBA Tunnel Fit Is Redefining Queer Fashion | Them
A new generation of out players is turning the arena into a sapphic runway.
From Kiss-In Protests to Ellie the Elephant: Why the WNBA Took 30 Years to Get This Gay | Them
The story of the league’s growing inclusivity is all about its players.
The StudBudz Are Just Getting Started | Them
How Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman’s friendship changed the WNBA.
Science just proved this lesbian anthem is sonically perfect - Queerty
It’s rare that a song gets to carry out its own cultural life decades past the moment of its release, but anyone who heard “Fast Car” for the first time in 1988 probably knew it was destined to live in our hearts—and ears—forever.
Science knows Chapman’s song is perfect, but our hearts knew that long before now.
7 LGBTQ+ Health Pros to Follow on Social Media -
Here are some of the LGBTQ+ activists, organizers, and writers working in various health fields to support our community:
Inside 'Cape Fear's Most Unexpected Lesbian Love Story - GO Magazine
Malia Pyles and Lily Collias reveal how vulnerability, trust, and two “lonely girls” became the beating heart of ‘Cape Fear.’
‘Jennifer’s Body 2’ Is Finally (Really) Happening Because Sapphic Fans Never Give Up | Them
A sequel to the 2009 bisexual succubus cult classic will reportedly begin filming in October, with Megan Fox returning.
Lilly Wachowski Talks “Bound”, LGBTQ Representation in Hollywood, and Anarchists United | GLAAD
GLAAD had a chance to sit down with one half of the directing duo, Lilly Wachowski, to talk about Bound, how Hollywood has changed in the last thirty years, and how her new production company, Anarchists United, seeks to change the landscape of cinematic storytelling.
Womontown: How a group of 80s lesbians built their own community to escape the patriarchy - LGBTQ Nation
In the late 1980s, two women set about creating a lesbian community in Kansas City, Missouri. The result was Womontown, an urban community of over 70 women that spanned a 12-block radius and contained 28 homes and 14 apartment buildings.
Q&A: Actress Amy Aquino on playing co-star’s real-life lesbian mother in ‘Rhythm Is a Dancer’
Ro (Caster) decides to move back in with her lesbian mother, Susan (Amy Aquino), after losing her job and ending a relationship. But Susan — a single mother who raised her daughter with the help of a “lesbian wolf pack” — has always been tough on her daughter.
See Stunning Portraits of the Queer Women of Weimar Germany - Jewish Telegraphic Agency
In Weimar Berlin, the stars seemed to align for German Jewish photographer Marianne Breslauer. Born into a family of art lovers, Breslauer was encouraged to pursue photography. She had been a pupil at the first photography school for women, studied with Man Ray in Paris, and by 1930 was back in Berlin, working at the famed Ullstein Photography Studio.
RHONY's Newest Housewife Reveals a Sapphic Love Life and Lavender Marriage in Season 16 Trailer - GO Magazine
Hailey Glassman’s queer confession steals Bravo’s first look at the new season, which is packed with fights, feuds, and fabulous mayhem.
Helpful Tools
You Can Now Talk to Spotify (and You Might Actually Want To) | Lifehacker
A new feature lets you ask the app questions about your music and listening history.
A Terrific Quote
No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself. - Inspiring Quotes
Her words here remind us that we can make more of an impact than we realize by simply being ourselves, without pretense or expectation.