Autostraddle
Autostraddle is an independently owned digital media publication and membership platform producing news, entertainment, culture, and relationship content for LGBTQ+ women and the broader queer community since 2009.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersWest Hollywood, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Autostraddle does
Autostraddle is an independently owned, digital-first media publication launched in 2009 and headquartered in West Hollywood, California, producing editorial coverage of news, entertainment, culture, relationships, and lifestyle for LGBTQ+ women and the broader queer community. The core product is the Autostraddle.com website, organized into verticals including Love & Sex, Culture, Entertainment, News, Life, and Games, supported by an archive of 3,600+ indexed pages. Around the website, the company operates a portfolio of adjacent products: the AF+ paid membership (a recurring subscription offering exclusive advice columns, essays, interviews, and members-only articles), the Autostraddle Insider print zine sold via a dedicated For Them storefront, the Encyclopedia of Lesbian Cinema reference site, an annual Yearbook, and a branded merchandise line through Hellomerch. The technology stack is a standard web publishing platform paired with a membership and digital content delivery layer, with account and subscription management centralized on the For Them platform (forthem.com).
Autostraddle's business model combines four revenue streams: AF+ recurring membership subscriptions, print zine subscriptions, branded merchandise sales, and display/sponsored advertising. Pricing for AF+ and the print zine is processed through the For Them platform but specific price points are not disclosed in the available data; AF+ is structured as a monthly subscription and the print zine as a recurring physical product. Go-to-market is community-led: editorial content drives top-of-funnel organic traffic via SEO and social channels (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, Twitter/X, Bluesky), email newsletters handle mid-funnel engagement, and AF+ converts engaged readers into paying members. The customer base is a single primary persona segment — LGBTQ+ women and queer individuals seeking representation, relationship guidance, cultural commentary, and community connection — served globally with no documented geographic restrictions.
Operationally, the company is small (11-50 employees), privately held, and currently publishes under the For Them umbrella, which provides shared membership and commerce infrastructure. Leadership is anchored by CEO Riese Bernard. There is no disclosed funding history, ownership structure, revenue figure, or AI/ML capability in the source data, and the company appears to be in steady operating mode with active publishing as of June 2026.
Autostraddle firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Autostraddle
- Legal name
- Autostraddle
- Website
- https://autostraddle.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Autostraddle is an independently owned digital media publication and membership platform producing news, entertainment, culture, and relationship content for LGBTQ+ women and the broader queer community since 2009.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Autostraddle industry classification
Industry- Product category
- LGBTQ+ Digital Media
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- akta.pro primary industry
- E-book Subscription & Bundling Services (MPAJAMAB)
Keywords
Where Autostraddle is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- West Hollywood
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Autostraddle business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- AF+ Membership Subscription: Recurring subscription revenue from premium AF+ membership offering exclusive content, advice features, personal essays, and community features. Members-only content creates a tiered access model.
- Print Magazine Subscription: Physical print magazine subscription service (Autostraddle Insider) sold through zine-subscription.forthem.com
- Merchandise Sales: Branded merchandise including apparel and goods sold through the Hellomerch platform
- Advertising: Display and sponsored content advertising across the website and digital properties
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | AF+ Membership - Premium digital subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Autostraddle product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Autostraddle operates a digital-first online magazine delivering original editorial content covering LGBTQ+ news, entertainment, relationships, culture, and lifestyle for women who love women and the broader queer community. The core offering is free editorial content supported by a premium AF+ membership subscription that unlocks exclusive advice columns, personal essays, interviews, and members-only articles, with complementary print zine and merchandise lines.
Product overview
Autostraddle is a digital-first LGBTQ+ media publication offering a unified content platform focused on lesbian and sapphic culture. The core product is the Autostraddle website delivering news, entertainment, opinion, and community content. Premium offerings include AF+ Membership for exclusive content and the Print Magazine/Zine for physical subscribers. Supporting products include the Encyclopedia of Lesbian Cinema and Yearbook as supplementary content resources, along with a Merch Store for branded merchandise.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- For Them: A related platform/brand operated by the same organization, with separate subscription service at forthem.com
Products and services
- Autostraddle Website Autostraddle's primary digital media platform delivering free news, entertainment, opinion, and community content covering LGBTQ+ culture, relationships, and lifestyle for women who love women and the broader queer community.
- AF+ Membership Recurring premium membership that unlocks exclusive AF+ advice columns, personal essays, interviews, and members-only articles for individual LGBTQ+ women and queer readers seeking deeper editorial access.
- Print Magazine (Autostraddle Insider Zine) Subscription-based physical print zine featuring curated LGBTQ+ content for individual readers who want a tangible complement to the digital publication.
- Branded Merchandise Autostraddle-branded apparel and accessories sold to individual fans and readers through a dedicated merchandise storefront.
- Encyclopedia of Lesbian Cinema Standalone editorial database and reference resource cataloging lesbian cinema, accessible as part of the Autostraddle content ecosystem for LGBTQ+ readers and film enthusiasts.
- Yearbook Annual curated collection of Autostraddle editorial highlights and best-of content, presented as a yearbook-format feature for readers.
Companies that use Autostraddle
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Autostraddle technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Autostraddle partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- For ThemcoreFor Them is the parent company/platform for Autostraddle, providing the membership infrastructure and subscription management. Autostraddle operates as a content brand under the For Them umbrella, with membership accounts and subscriptions managed through forthem.com platforms.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Autostraddle competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Them: Sister brand under the same For Them parent platform serving the LGBTQ+ audience with editorial content and membership. Directly comparable as a sibling publication with overlapping editorial mission and shared subscription infrastructure.
- Out Magazine: Long-running LGBTQ+ digital and print media publication covering news, culture, and entertainment. Directly comparable in editorial mission, target community overlap, and multi-format (digital + print + subscription) monetization.
- PinkNews: Major LGBTQ+ digital news and culture platform with large social following. Directly comparable as a community-led digital publisher serving queer audiences with editorial content and display advertising.
- The Advocate: Established LGBTQ+ news and culture publication operating across digital channels. Comparable in target demographic, editorial categories, and advertising-supported business model.
- Curve Magazine: Print and digital lesbian culture magazine. Most directly comparable as a peer focused specifically on lesbian/sapphic audiences with overlapping editorial categories and print+digital format.
- Gay Star News: Digital LGBTQ+ news and culture outlet with community-driven editorial. Comparable in digital-first publishing model, community focus, and reliance on social and search traffic.
Regional players
- Diva Magazine: UK-based lesbian print and digital magazine with overlapping editorial mission and format. Comparable in niche focus on lesbian/sapphic audiences but primarily serves a different (UK/European) geography.
Emerging players
- GO Magazine: LGBTQ+ travel and lifestyle digital publication with niche editorial focus. Comparable as an independent LGBTQ+ digital publisher with advertising and content monetization, though narrower topical scope.
Broad incumbents
- LGBTQ Nation: Broader LGBTQ+ digital news publisher covering politics, culture, and community. Comparable as an established digital LGBTQ+ media outlet with similar advertising-supported model, though less focused on the women's/sapphic niche.
Others
- Substack: Subscription publishing platform that powers many independent writers and niche newsletters, including LGBTQ+ creators. Comparable as an enabling infrastructure for subscription-based independent publishing, though not a direct editorial competitor.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Autostraddle social profiles
Digital presenceAutostraddle financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Autostraddle leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Autostraddle funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Autostraddle M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Autostraddle
What does Autostraddle do?
Autostraddle operates a digital-first online magazine delivering original editorial content covering LGBTQ+ news, entertainment, relationships, culture, and lifestyle for women who love women and the broader queer community. The core offering is free editorial content supported by a premium AF+ membership subscription that unlocks exclusive advice columns, personal essays, interviews, and members-only articles, with complementary print zine and merchandise lines.
Is Autostraddle a public or private company?
Autostraddle is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Autostraddle founded?
Autostraddle was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Autostraddle based?
Autostraddle is headquartered in West Hollywood, United States, in the North America region.
How does Autostraddle make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. AF+ Membership Subscription is the primary driver. The others are print Magazine Subscription, merchandise Sales and advertising.
Who are Autostraddle's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Them, Out Magazine, PinkNews, The Advocate, Curve Magazine and Gay Star News. Diva Magazine is listed as a regional player. GO Magazine is listed as an emerging player. LGBTQ Nation is listed as a broad incumbent. Substack is listed as an others.
Does Autostraddle have an API?
No public API is recorded for Autostraddle.
What industry is Autostraddle in?
Autostraddle's product category is LGBTQ+ Digital Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAMAB, E-book Subscription & Bundling Services. Its NAICS code is 513120.