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Greetings From Your New Editor-in-Chief

Dear AfterEllen Readers,

I am honored to officially take the reins as the new editor of AfterEllen.com. Please allow me to briefly introduce myself. I am a writer, editor, an out (and outspoken) lesbian, and a women’s rights activist. As a longtime reader of the site myself, I understand the deep importance the role AfterEllen has played over the years in so many of our lives. From teenage girls seeking a safe space to share their stories to women coming to terms with their sexuality later in life, and for everyone who simply wants to feel that they are not alone, AfterEllen has been the go-to online space. It has also provided us with entertainment news that is most relevant to our community, revealing and breaking down where and how we are represented in the media. In all of these ways, AfterEllen has been a kind of lighthouse. While we may be separated geographically, or by culture, or age, or race or identity, this bright light spans our vast ocean. The thought of that light being extinguished is devastating. Please be assured, the light has not been extinguished.

Many of you who have followed the site for a long time know that AfterEllen has been through some changes over the last few months. I know you have questions, so I’d like to go ahead and address some of what might be on your minds.

You may be wondering if AfterEllen will be different with a new editor, and what my plans and hopes are for the site and the community. Let me first say that I have some big shoes to fill. Sarah Warn built the site into what it is today, along with an excellent team of talented editors and writers, and of course longtime editor Karman Kregloe. The path they forged has been invaluable to me, and to all of you reading this. Acknowledging that history is a vital step in moving forward. It is not my intention to replace anyone, as I am a different person, but rather to take stock of our collective accomplishments as a community of women, and direct us into the next AfterEllen era. Yes, there will be changes, and yet many things will stay the same.

AfterEllen was created by Sarah Warn with the mission to provide a fun, feminist perspective on the way lesbian and bisexual women are portrayed in pop culture. I plan to honor that original founding objective, keeping true to a lesbian/bi perspective in entertainment news as well as lifestyle content. With a new team of writers based all over the country and internationally, women with unique views of the world will bring you Op-Eds, personal essays, celebrity news, film and book reviews, fashion articles, sports news, and of course those beloved TV recaps! As for changes, what I’d first like to see is more racial diversity and age diversity, both of which which will be at the forefront of my mind in selecting new writers as we forge ahead.

I am not going to promise I won’t make mistakes. I’m a flawed human, so mistakes are inevitable. But what I can promise is to do the best I can to bring you the quality of content you deserve, and to listen to what you really want to see here. After all, it takes a village. Please remember that our village is vast, and not everyone will always see eye to eye. But if we determine to listen to each other, we can get where we’re going.

I am excited at what the year ahead will bring, and look forward to hearing from each and every one of you. Please contact me at [email protected] with your comments, suggestions, ideas, and questions.

Warm Regards,

Memoree Joelle, Editor-in-Chief, AfterEllen.Com

 

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