Me Time
Bye Bye Summer
When I lived in Boston, September always felt like the real beginning of the year. It made sense for a city that is home to so many universities. Every Labor Day weekend, and the weeks surrounding it, every street would fill with U-Hauls and college kids lugging mattresses and boxes. Hardware stores did a bang up business. And, then, of course, for some of us, there were (and still are) the Jewish holidays, with Rosh Hashanah being the start of the new year.
So now that I'm in NYC, I still have that feeling of a new year beginning. My wife goes back to her school job so our summertime together ends and the calendar fills up with new appointments and responsibilities.
As August comes to a close, I leave it and you with a photo from our Iceland trip. Here we are floating in Forest Lagoon, one of the three hot springs we visited. All were wonderful and relaxing. You really feel like you've gotten away when you go to Iceland. The landscape is kind of moon-like and the language is challenging for non-Scandinavians. It was a great experience.
Sapphic Lit and Other Book Stuff
What Publishers Must Ask Themselves Now - cindyt.rizzo@gmail.com - Gmail
When an agent or publisher decides to pull a book due to alleged AI use, they may think they’re doing the ethical thing, but unless you can 100% prove it, isn’t it a bit unethical to cancel a book that was obtained illegally and uploaded to an AI detection platform without the author’s permission? Isn’t it unethical to give The New York Times information about a book you only found out about because of a relationship you had with Pangram? Speaking of Pangram, they are the only winners in this situation. They are getting so much free PR from these stories that it helps their funding rounds. They just raised $9M. They are making money from these accusations.
News For A Challenging Time
10 times Dolly Parton earned her LGBTQ+ icon status | Advocate.com
The country music legend demonstrated her allyship and love for her LGBTQ+ fans for decades.
Brandi Carlile Says Dolly Parton “Took a Risk” Accepting Gay Artists | Them
The multi-Grammy-winning artist shared a heart-wrenching tribute to the late musical legend.
"Tired but undeterred": A Smithsonian curator refuses to let this administration erase queer history - LGBTQ Nation
As a civil servant, Katherine Ott took an oath to uphold the Constitution. To them, that means preserving queer history.
Haters threatened an LGBTQ+ beach party. The partygoers fought back & stood proud. - LGBTQ Nation
The Big Gay Flotilla, a gay informal annual meet-up slated for last Saturday in Long Beach, California, went on as planned, despite a deluge of death threats and homophobic online attacks, according to organizer Sal Flores.
One man who posted a death threat was arrested days before the event and remains in custody, Long Beach Police said.
Video shows police arresting lesbian bar owner as she protests, "We did nothing wrong!" - LGBTQ Nation
One critic asked why police arrested her instead of just issuing a citation.
Startling new study shows 12% of US adults are LGBTQ+, the highest estimate yet - LGBTQ Nation
The analysis shows that a majority of LGBTQ+-identifying adults are below the age of 35.
Amid a housing crisis, LGBTQ+ seniors reconnect to community -
According to recent research from the Williams Institute at UCLA, about 20% of LGBTQ+ older adults in America live below the poverty line, 5 percentage points higher than straight and cisgender people. At the same time, about a quarter live alone, compared to 15% of non-LGBTQ+ Americans. Nearly a third of this population is confronting anxiety, and almost as many are dealing with depression — but about one in six struggle to access mental health support, a rate nearly double that of their straight and cisgender counterparts.
Disparities are particularly pronounced among LGBTQ+ people of color, who are more likely than white LGBTQ+ people to report food insecurity, trouble meeting household expenses, and renting a home rather than owning.
Paige Bueckers and Azzi Fudd Open Up About How Their Romance Started - GO Magazine
n Apple TV’s new three-part docuseries, The Dynasty: UConn Huskies, the Dallas Wings stars were ready to open up about where it all began while the two were in college together
Police Officer Allegedly Used Flock Cameras Over 200 Times While Tracking Her Ex’s Car | Them
In April, the month that Pacheco broke up with her ex, she reportedly ran 18 searches. By May, that number ran up to 259, with 220 searches in June,
Affirming mom Rosie O’Donnell got a “they” tattoo to help remember her child’s pronouns - LGBTQ Nation
“I am supportive of any way that they want to be in this world.”
HISTORIC: Susan Stewart elected Rehoboth’s first out mayor
Thanks LGBTQ supporters and vows to protect city’s small town charm
Culture and Joy
People are sharing amazing stories about their experiences with Rosie O’Donnell - Queerty
All the ones we’ve come across have been positive and heartwarming.
Ranking 6 Gillian Anderson roles on their big sapphic energy -
Did any of these characters spark your gay awakening?
Gillian Anderson Is Just Like Us: She Had a Secret Queer Relationship in High School | Them
Gillian Anderson said “it felt secretive and illicit and wrong, and we had to hide.”
Amber Ruffin reveals she’s “en-gay-ged” to partner Kelsi & shares double proposal story - Queerty
Congratulations to comedian and writer Amber Ruffin and partner Kelsi Cleary-Hammarstedt on their engagement.
Meet Rose and Bella: the new owners of the iconic The Dinah -
“It is a pilgrimage for the queer community”
A deep dive into the history of butches on screen -
Join us on this whistlestop tour from the 1960s to now
Our top butch and masc crushes of 2026 -
In commemoration of Butch Appreciation Day, here are some butches, mascs and studs we can’t get enough of all year round
The Toronto Tempo’s New Mascot Is a Butch With She/They Pronouns and a Gorgeous Rumored GF | Them
According to the pair’s official backstory, Dot and Dez found a “shared love of rhythm,” which feels like a euphemism for something.
Lesbian Romance ‘Maya & Samar’ Lands Distribution Deal Despite NC-17 Rating - GO Magazine
The film follows Maya (Nicolette Pearse), a Canadian journalist who embarks on a passionate romance with queer Afghan woman Samar (Amanda Babaei Vieira) following a harrowing escape from the Taliban, whom she meets in Athens.
17 Recent TV Shows With Lesbian Characters Over 40 You Need to Watch - GO Magazine
Whether you’re looking for late-in-life lesbians, sapphics still looking for love, married queer couples living their lives, or female protagonists who just casually happen to be gay, we’ve got a solid— though hardly comprehensive—list of recent TV series featuring middle-aged queer protagonists that are worth a watch.
Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat Joke About Rebooting ‘Twilight’ but Bella Is Gay This Time | Autostraddle
Andy Cohen asks a question from a fan about Kristen saying she would reboot Twilight, and Kristen says she was mostly joking but would consider doing a continuation vs. a re-hashing of the source material. Alia Shawkat jumps in and jokes, “Bella would come back and be like ‘I’m gay,” which makes Kristen Stewart double over with laughter.
Kristen Stewart Dishes On Her Status As a Gay Icon | Them
While Stewart may star in the film, her wife Dylan Meyer makes her directorial debut on the film. Meyer created to address the lack of women in traditional buddy-stoner movies. And who better to cast in the leading role than her superstar wife?
Inside Kristen Stewart and Dylan Meyer’s Connection as Married Coworkers (Exclusive)
“Making stuff together, what a way to get to know someone, man,” says Stewart of the Meyer-directed comedy ‘The Wrong Girls’
'The Hunting Wives' Drops Steamy Season 2 Photos—And A Premiere Date - GO Magazine
For any fans worried that all of the drama would result in less action between Sophie and Margo, you’ll be thrilled to know that the recently-released first look photos from the new season confirm that the chemistry between them is still going strong.
Meet Tiny Davis: The Lesbian Jazz Trumpeter That Even Louis Armstrong Was a Fan of - GO Magazine
The animated trumpet player performed with all-women bands throughout the 1930s and 1940s and even opened a queer bar with her partner in Chicago.
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A Terrific Quote
150+ Lesbian Quotes Celebrating Love, Identity & Pride
Iconic and empowering queer quotes to inspire youWhether you're proudly out, waiting for the right time, or still not even totally sure how you identify, reading the inspiring words of famous lesbians is a great way to feel more empowered...