Autostraddle Acquired by For Them: LGBTQ+ News Site’s Rebranding and Expansion in Its 15th Year

Autostraddle, a news and entertainment heavyweight for LGBTQ+ women and trans folks, has been acquired by wellness company For Them, and is rebranding as Autostraddle by For Them. In quiet discussions since late 2022, the all-equity acquisition deal covers every existing asset, including digital subscription service Autostraddle A+, Queer Girl City Guides, and the Autostraddle TV Awards. The merger comes halfway through the website’s 15th year of operation.

New Leadership and Rebranding

Set to retain C-suite responsibilities as the organization’s first Black chief executive officer, For Them CEO Kylo Freeman will take over the reins from Autostraddle founder Rises Bernard, who will stay onboard as editorial staff. Reporting to them will be For Them’s CMO Em Chadwick, as well as Autostraddle editor in chief Carmen Phillips, managing editor Kayla Kumari, as well as full time staff members. 

In May 2023, Autostraddle announced that it would be dissolving three subject editor independent contractor positions effective August 1, 2023. Those contractors were invited to stay on the team as writers. Along with co-founder Alexandra Vega, Bernard originally created Autostraddle as an extension of her personal blog centered around TV series The L-Word in 2009. Garnering over 2.5 million views a month, “the internet’s most popular, and oldest independently-owned, website for lesbian culture that’s inclusive of trans and nonbinary people and all queer women,” won a GLAAD Award for “Outstanding Blog” in 2015. The site has additionally won several WeBlog Awards, dating back to 2012.

Preserving Autostraddle’s Legacy

A “true labor of love,” the decision was made, according to the duo, in order “For Them to preserve and maintain Autostraddle’s legacy.” A fitting successor, Freeman grew up in Liverpool, U.K. reading the blog, with it having a profound overall impact on their career.  Despite the platform’s recent rocky history with freelancers, Freeman and Bernard see the acquisition of the Autostraddle as a significant move to expand the brand, reaffirm current audiences, and garner new community members. “I am a real fanboy of Autostraddle, (but) from a professional note, at For Them, we are trying to serve the queer and all things to make them feel authentically well. Content is an absolutely huge part of that,” Freeman recently told The Advocate.

For Them: A Wellness-Based Queer Tech Company

For Them, a wellness-based tech company who initially started out selling chest binders, offers opportunities to connect with others in the LGBTQ community while simultaneously exploring gender and identity. The merger is effective immediately. Photos courtesy of social media