Website review
This review may include AI-generated content and is not individually verified. Domain, certificate and other facts come from the observed data on this page.
What is Girls Like Us?
Girls Like Us is an independent queer magazine that publishes themed issues combining writing, images and objects. Its own framing describes queer life as “entangled and connected” rather than singular, and the issue themes shown on the site—Biography, Economy, Future—suggest an editorial approach that treats personal narrative and political economy as related subjects rather than separate sections.
What it publishes
- Themed issues: Each issue takes one broad idea and gathers contributions around it. The Economy issue, for example, is described as covering emotional labour, desire, fertility, time, queerness, politics and clicks.
- Writing and visual work: The site presents issues alongside events, a shop, and a section called “Heresies,” which appears to host essays and other contributions.
- Art and object-based projects: The homepage features “SECOND SKIN HARNESS” by Sara Manente, Inju Kaboom and Günbike Erdemir, indicating that the magazine’s scope extends beyond conventional articles to commissioned or exhibited works.
Who it is for
A reader looking for queer cultural criticism, essays and art in a magazine format—rather than news, listings or a general lifestyle publication—is the natural audience. The tone is deliberately collective and conversational, and the references range from Jonathan Richman lyrics to discussions of economies and futures, so it suits readers comfortable moving between pop culture, theory and personal writing.
A practical next step
Start with an issue whose theme matches your interest: Biography if you want life writing and narrative, Economy if you want criticism about labour, desire and money, Future if you want speculative and political writing. The issue pages are the clearest way to judge whether the magazine’s voice suits you before looking at events or shop items.
How can I buy or subscribe to Girls Like Us magazine?
Girls Like Us does not appear to sell standard subscriptions on its own site. The homepage links to a SHOP section and to individual Issues, which is where you would look for copies of specific editions such as Biography (#12), Economy (#11) or Future (#10). There is no subscription option described in the page content, so treat each issue as something you buy individually rather than as part of a recurring plan.
Practical steps
- Open the SHOP link on Girls Like Us to see what is currently listed for sale.
- Check the Issues section for the specific edition you want; older issues may be sold out even if they are still described on the site.
- Look for stockists or events, since independent queer magazines often sell through bookshops, art spaces and launch events rather than only online.
If a title is unavailable directly, the realistic routes are independent magazine shops and the publishers' event tables. As general advice rather than a feature of this site, emailing the magazine before ordering is worthwhile when you need a particular issue, because small print runs often sell through and are not reprinted.
What topics do the themed issues of Girls Like Us cover?
Girls Like Us builds each themed issue around a single concept, explored through writing, images and objects rather than a fixed editorial format. The issues named on the site include:
- Biography (Issue #12) — framed as "welcome to your queer life," treating life as a sticky, messy pile of narratives and emotions, and as entangled and connected rather than singular and individual.
- Economy (Issue #11) — economies as everywhere and inescapable, covering emotional labour, desire, love, fertility, time, minds, queerness, politics and clicks; economies that control us and ones that can be subverted for collectives.
- Future (Issue #10) — a future "outside of straight time," imagined as a shared table with friends and lovers, described as fair, fun, furry, fabulous, fierce and free.
Alongside the issues, the site lists an events strand (issue launches and club nights in Brussels, including a lesbian bar event) and a "Heresies" section, which appears to host commissioned essays — Grace Dunham's piece on YouTube is one example.
A useful next step: if you are deciding whether to read or contribute, start with the issue whose theme matches your interest. Economy suits readers thinking about labour, money and intimacy; Biography suits memoir and personal-narrative work; Future suits speculative or political writing. The recurring pattern — one abstract theme opened up through many concrete angles — is the clearest guide to what a new issue will feel like.
What kind of writing and art appears in Girls Like Us issues?
Girls Like Us publishes queer writing and art organised around themed issues rather than a single genre. The page evidence shows issue themes like Biography, Economy, Future, and Heresies, with contents spanning personal essays, poetry, interviews, visual art and objects. The tone is intimate and political: the Biography issue describes "life through writing, images and objects… a sticky, messy pile of narratives and emotions," while Economy ranges from emotional labour and desire to apps, kitchens and record collections. So expect first-person reflection, criticism and experimental formats rather than straight news or reviews.
The magazine also mixes print issues with events and projects—launch nights, performances and a "lesbian bar" event series—so the writing often sits alongside live or collaborative work. A reader who wants queer cultural criticism with a literary, diaristic edge will find it a good fit; someone seeking straightforward reporting or practical guides will find it less so.
Next step: if you're deciding whether to read or submit, start with the issue whose theme matches your interest—Biography for memoir-led writing, Economy for essays on labour and money—and use it to gauge whether the voice suits you.
Does Girls Like Us host events, and how can I attend one?
Yes. Girls Like Us presents itself as more than a magazine: its site lists an Events section alongside Issues, About, Heresies, Shop and Sound, and the page evidence shows past event listings tied to issue launches and cultural programming. The examples given are a lesbian-bar event at Beursschouwburg in Brussels across 8, 15 and 22 December 2017, and a September 2, 2017 Brussels launch for Issue #10 involving a caravan hosted by Buenos Tiempos, Int.
What the evidence supports
- Event types: issue launches and themed events, sometimes in partnership with venues or other organisers.
- Locations shown: Brussels appears in the examples; the magazine’s wider network may extend beyond that, but the page evidence does not establish a current city list.
- How to attend: the site’s Events section is the natural starting point. Look for a dated listing with a venue, then check that venue’s own programme for practical details such as start time, capacity, accessibility and whether registration is required.
A practical next step
If you are planning around a specific city, open the Events section on Girls Like Us and compare the event date and venue with the venue’s official listing. For a Brussels trip, for example, confirm the venue’s current programme rather than relying on an older magazine listing; the 2017 dates are historical examples, not a current calendar. Where an event is tied to an issue launch, reading that issue first can make the event more rewarding, but it is not a substitute for confirming attendance details.
What is the Heresies section of Girls Like Us?
The Heresies section is Girls Like Us's space for essays and first-person writing that sits apart from the magazine's themed issues. On the site it appears in the main navigation alongside Events, Issues, About and Shop, and is presented as a distinct editorial strand rather than an issue archive. The clearest example in the page material is Grace Dunham's piece "Their Trans Tube," which opens with a wry aside about YouTube being more than a home for animal videos before moving into its subject. That signals the tone: personal, opinionated, willing to start from everyday media and pull it somewhere more pointed.
How it differs from the Issues
| Issues | Heresies | |
|---|---|---|
| Format | Numbered, themed collections (#10 Future, #11 Economy, #12 Biography) | Standalone pieces outside the numbering |
| Framing | A curatorial statement sets the theme, then contributions follow | The writer's own voice and argument lead |
| Best for | Reading a theme across many contributors | Following one writer's take |
Who it suits
A reader who wants a single sustained argument rather than a survey of a theme will get more from Heresies; someone researching how a topic like economy or biography is treated across many voices should start with the Issues. If you are deciding where to begin, open "Their Trans Tube" first to test whether the register appeals, then move to Issue #12 – Biography, whose introduction frames life as "a sticky, messy pile of narratives and emotions" — the closest in spirit to the Heresies mode.
User reviews (0)