Qstack: The LGBTQIA+ Directory on Substack
❤️🍊💛💚💙💜 Update, Call for Submissions & More!
What started out as a wish for some kind of LGBTQ+ #hashtag to increase searchability here on Substack is turning into a whole thing. Originally, I was just doing a little research to back up my impression that queer writers are not exactly front and center on this platform, but quickly realized there’s also no LGBTQ+ category tag.
See, every Substack writer chooses two categories when we start our newsletter—mine, for example, are Fiction and Humor—there are 29 in total, including Finance and Crypto (!) which I’ve heard are major player$ for Su฿stack. (Personally, I’d be much more interested in a Cryptids category, but that’s neither here nor there.)
What you won’t find are any demographic subcategories, like Women, BIPOC or LGBTQ+. This isn’t a huge problem for end-users who are receiving and reading one or more Substack newsletters by email, but for anyone using the full platform (as most Substack writers do) to make connections and access the wider community, it takes a fair amount of work to find others with similar avocations.
A Directory, Community, and Platform
First and foremost, then, we need a directory of LGBTQ+ newsletters on Substack so we don’t have to manually search for the people and content most relevant to our interests. Our community should be easy to find, not hidden behind a beaded curtain. The directory will help us to find each other in one centralized place.
But more than that, I envision a platform for queer writers to find readers, subscribers, and other writers by showcasing their work in monthly guest posts. I’m hoping to create visibility which transcends an algorithm by featuring Substack writers, their ideas, and stories from every corner of our rainbow community.
So. It’s a lot—I’m a little scared—and there’s a lot still up in the air. Good news, though…
Qstack officially has a name & logo!
You may recall the poll last month asking for your help to find a name for this endeavor. Initially, I just spitballed GAYstack, but on further reflection, felt it wasn’t inclusive of all the other letters. Then I thought, well, QUEERstack, because queer was the historically pejorative slur we reappropriated back in the 90s, and was meant to encompass the whole shebang, including letters we didn’t even know back then we would soon come to love and embrace.
The current full acronym, as far as I know, is: LGBTQQIP2SAA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Pansexual, Two-Spirit, Asexual and Allies.) THAT is quite a mouthful, and since brevity was important for the purposes of titles and logos and such, Qstack was the third option listed on the January poll, and it won with 50% of the vote.
Meanwhile, the logo itself is a super simple affair I designed with an eye toward the itty-bitty Substack avatars. It couldn’t be too complicated squeezed down to 40 by 40 pixels, and I didn’t want your standard queer flag, so a splash of rainbow felt like a perfect tie-dye-esque background (Bonus: it was free on Canva.) Also, the letter “Q” is rather strange, that little bippy (called a tail) isn’t the most enticing appendage I ever saw, and I had to go through quite a few fonts to find one with a bit of swish.
And a Launch Date: June 1st -
Just in time for Pride Month🏳️🌈
It seems like months and months away, but there’s a lot of work to be done, and this is the part where I have to ask for your assistance.
I will be relying heavily on Notes and tagging other LGBTQ+ writers and newsletters over the coming months to find relevant newsletters on Substack for listing in the directory. With your help, together we can capture and claim our visibility on the Substack platform with a robust and inclusive offering.
Please restack this post, or any Qstack Notes you see, and tag community members in the Comments who might not yet be aware of this effort and might like to be included.
Questions, Comments, Want your Substack included in the directory?
Email: mrtroyford@substack.com
Call for Submissions
Also, I’m now accepting submissions for monthly Qstack guest posts by LGBTQ+ writers. If you want to be a guest poster in any of the following categories, please use the form.
Short stories
Poetry
Art
Essays and articles on cultural and community topics
Editorial/Opinion pieces
Interviews & Podcasts
Book, movie and event reviews
Profiles of community organizations and leaders
Pretty please with glitter on top: Support Qstack and spread the word. Thank you!
And of course, if you do not want to be included in the directory, or tagged further in any Qstack Notes or posts, please just let me know. Tags will not be repeated incessantly, usually just to let you know you’re seen, and upon publication of your directory entry.
THREAD: “What we talk about when we talk about ‘Song of Myself’”
SoM, v. 8 | “What living and buried speech is always vibrating here, what howls restrain'd by decorum—” | AUDIO
God, you’re the perfect person to be doing this! You know how I enjoy your work, so I’ll keep an eye on it, but I never really think of myself as “into” Queer issues … I’m just most interested in writing that explores human depths with honesty and authenticity and hopefully humility and humor (that describes your writing I think!). What do you recommend that a guy like me do relative to what you’re starting up? It’s a totally serious question and you can answer me offline if you want, though I’m also open to however you want to reply.
Thanks for the tag! I love this so much.