Autostraddle Print Issue #02 — King of Hearts. Chef Melissa King on the cover.

Autostraddle Print · Issue #02 · The Food Issue

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King of Hearts. 200+ pages of queer food culture — hot chefs, recipes, reported features, a pull-out poster, and gay crosswords. Subscribe now and Issue #02 ships to your door.

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Inside the food issue

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 12 — From the issue Sara Elise meditates on queer food pleasure — an invitation to queering our tables.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 24 — Queer city guide Kristen Arnett shows you the Orlando they know and love — no mouses to be found.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 36 — From the issue The series title page: Queer & Trans Chefs of NYC, photographed by Kate Vitali.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 44 — From the issue The Queer and Trans Chefs of New York City, photographed in their kitchens — a rigorously reported (delicious) photo feature.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 46 — From the issue Ever wondered how Zhané Stimpson throws the best lesbian events ever? Malavika Kannan lays out the playbook.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 54 — Hot zine alert Every issue spotlights an up-and-coming queer zine. This time: Chapstick — for all dykes.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 56 — The cover story Jaya Saxena talks to Top Chef royalty Melissa King about third-culture cuisine, her upcoming memoir and, of course, her relationship with Padma.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 59 — The cover story Melissa King, photographed at home for the cover story — fruit bowls, pinstripes, immaculate style.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 68 — From the issue Timi Sotire digs into lesbians taking testosterone — and who gets to "own" masculinity.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 86 — The photo essay TRA — Roman Manfredi's portraits of queer masculinity in Southern Italy, drawing on the ancient Neapolitan figure of the femminiello.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 100 — From the issue Brooklyn's top lesbian pie eaters compete for delicious glory — face first, no hands, no forks. Trading cards included.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 120 — From the issue Anuhea Nihipali suggests we find the beauty in a little emotional labor between friends.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 140 — From the issue Giovanni "Gio" Luciano welcomes you into his kitchen as he makes breakfast for two hungry bisexuals — actress/motorcyclist Jordan Rand and "Gaydar" host Anania Williams.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 144 — From the issue Pretty Gay's Catherine McCafferty delivers 10 tips for a killer first date. (Do clean out your car. Don't compare the death of a dog to the death of a sibling.)

Autostraddle Issue #02, pages 156-157 — From the issue Substack icon Femcel attempts to live her dream of "having sex like a gay man" by using TikTok as a lesbian Grindr — and does, in fact, have a lot of sex.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 166 — From the issue Mia Arias Tsang crushes ten cloves of garlic and tries not to think about last night's drunken sob-shouting — and other good reasons to break up.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 172 — The erotica In an excerpt from their first romance novel, musician Be Steadwell lays out some elite erotica — illustrated by gggrimes.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 182 — From the issue Danny Lavery gets locked out of his own home by his disobedient baby — who, by the way, has committed myriad crimes in nine short months of life.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 200 — From the issue Paramita makes salmon coconut curry from the riverbeds of Connecticut and Bangladesh.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 202 — From the issue T Kira Madden thinks a lot about what will happen to her recipes when she dies — and about her father's famous Caesar salad.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 204 — The lit section Poetry from Gabrielle Grace Hogan, Grace Kwan and K-Ming Chang — plus a short story from Diamond Braxton.

Autostraddle Issue #02, page 214 — Gay puzzles Crosswords, quizzes ('Which Lesbian Drink Are You?'), astrology and advice — the back of the book delivers.

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Questions

What exactly am I getting?

A subscription to the Autostraddle print magazine. Issue #02 — King of Hearts, the food issue — ships to you now, pull-out poster and all. After that, every new issue lands on your doorstep as it comes out, four a year, 200+ pages each of essays, photoessays, reported features, fiction, poetry, comics, queer city guides, gay crosswords, astrology and advice. Your subscription also includes full AF+ digital membership — exclusive content on Autostraddle.com, member discounts on everything at For Them, and members-only newsletters.

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Issue #02, King of Hearts — the food issue — it ships when you subscribe. After that, you'll get each new issue as it's published.

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Autostraddle is one of the longest-running independent queer media outlets, published by For Them — both led by queer, trans, and lesbian editors, writers, and photographers.