Hello there! Dani here, one of Archer’s online editors and non-binary dyke with too many Scorpio placements to have a chill existence. 

We can finally say goodbye to the harrowingly cursed void of time formally known as 2024. Everything was bad and the worst, and I have but the faintest glimmer of hope that 2025 will be much better. At least this year we got to see Kristen Stewart read a copy of Macho Sluts on screen. That was pretty cool.

Over in Archer land, small pearls of queer joy, connection and solidarity came in the form of articles by our brilliant contributors from around the world. My co-editor Alex and I are so lucky we get to work with so many talented, creative and powerful writers and artists.

We recently shared our most read pieces of the year, and now’s our chance to share some of the pieces that really stuck with us: the online editors’ top picks for 2024. 

To our readers and writers alike, thanks for being part of the Archer community. We love what we do, and we’re really grateful you’re here to share it all with.

Dani’s picks:

Dani Leever is a non-binary nonfiction writer, editor and arts worker based in Naarm. They’re Archer’s online editor by day and DJ Gay Dad by night. They collect fishing-themed hats and apparel. 

Fighting fatphobia in sapphic spaces: Give me a fat, anti-colonial baddie by Pep Phelan

Image: Taylor Neal

“Trust me when I say – fatphobia strips us all of our profound queer power, and of the incredible, blessed, rich life we all deserve.”

When I read over the first draft of this piece, I remember thinking holy shit just over and over again. This piece packs such a powerful punch. It brings no niceties to the table as it informs you that fatphobes in sapphic spaces are very present, are very dangerous and are not at all embodying the radically queer, anti-colonial values we should strive for as a community. It’s a must-read, and Pep just rules.

Dating as a queer, disabled and COVID-cautious person by Laura Pettenuzzo

Image: Millie Gryphon, cropped for web article

“Public attitudes towards COVID precautions aren’t getting any better. If anything, they’re getting worse, and for disabled people, this is beyond frustrating.”

This piece has one of my favourite final paragraphs of anything I’ve read this year. It’s an integral read; hearing Laura’s frustrating experiences navigating dating while being COVID-cautious is a reminder of how we can do so much better to show up for each other and continue to take COVID seriously. 

Baba: Grief, trauma and memory during a genocide by Nadine Chemali

Image: Courtesy of the author

“I still have not mourned. I cannot mourn yet. I am too filled with rage at the world. I’m enraged at the injustice and at the guilt of survival.”

This is an incredibly heavy and poignant read. I felt really honoured that Nadine, a writer whose work I deeply admire, shared this vulnerable piece with us. It manages to do the impossible job of putting immense grief into words, while feeling the simultaneous weight of Israel’s horrific ongoing genocide of the people of Palestine.

Palestinian solidarity: Queer disabled action against genocide by Bridget Harilaou

Image: Bakri Mahmoud, Back2Back Media.

“I have had to hone the skills and navigate the limitations that are unique to me, so I can, in every way possible, stand in solidarity with the people of Gaza and Palestine.”

Bridget Harilaou is such a powerhouse. They’re a staunch activist, a valued member of the Archer community and they also helped edit Nadine’s piece above. This piece eloquently answers the all-too-impossible question of what can I do? when we see the horrors happening in Palestine at the hands of Israel. Their words on disabled, queer solidarity are pivotal for this time.

Sex toys, gender and jerking off in sexually ‘liberated’ America by Hal Olson

“The resulting mainstream culture around masturbation (including pharmaceutical organisational practices) has become stale, and girlboss-ily gender essentialist.”

The clause “(I went to these stores for academic reasons [I’m a virgin])” made Hal and this story an instant classic for our online team. I recently bought a T-shirt that says VIRGINITY ROCKS, and I thought Hal would love this. Hal writes from a unique/virginal perspective on the archaic, gendered marketing of sex toys; it’s dripping (no pun intended) with humour and charm. What a story, what a guy. 

Alex’s picks:

Alex Creece is a writer, editor, poet, collage artist and average kook living on Wadawurrung land. Alex works in editorial roles for Archer Magazine, Cordite Poetry Review and Sunder Journal. Her first book, Potty Mouth, Potty Mouth, was published by Cordite Books this year. She collects human teeth. 

Queer rural places as safe spaces by Grace Hall

Image by: Alex Cao

“There’s nothing overtly queer about the beach, but it was a place I confided in as a teenager. I watched the waves peel and imagined myself unbridled by the fear that surrounded coming out as a lesbian.”

I live in a regional town, so I love stories that look beyond metropolitan hotspots to the experiences of our regional, rural and remote communities. Grace Hall’s piece contains gorgeous reflections from their upbringing in Red Hill, and takes a look at the work of queer groups and initiatives that exist in similar areas now. Heartwarming, relatable and informative – this story contains all that good stuff!

Beauty, family history and Chinese diaspora: Returning home by Shirley Xue Chen

Image: Courtesy of the author

“I have never found the words to articulate my own unsettled sense of beauty. It is so knotted up with uncertainty, always located in a sense of perpetual ‘awayness’.”

Beauty is such a fascinating topic – everyone’s relationship to it is deeply intimate, unique, and socio-politically influenced. Shirley Xue Chen’s article explores the concept of beauty across her family relationships, history, migration, pop culture and queerness. Shirley interweaves these threads so thoughtfully within their storytelling, and it’s a joy to read.

Queer rights in Africa: Fighting against anti-LGBTQI+ laws by O.T. Kemi

“As a young queer woman in Nigeria, I look forward to a time when I don’t have to live in the shadows – when loving who I want is not criminalised, and I can be free to exist as I choose.”

O.T. Kemi’s story is an essential piece informed by her lived experience, local knowledge and research. I love working with queer writers from all over the world – especially the non-Western world, as I always learn so much from our international contributors. I’m humbled by the strength, vulnerability and risk it takes to write a piece such as this. O.T. Kemi’s story, along with many others, need to be heard.

Pregnancy, porn and parenthood by Zahra Stardust

Image: Kim Cums

“I am proud to be a sex working mama who can equip my children with nonjudgmental, shame-free information, and nuanced communication skills that cover bodies, boundaries, touch, desires, health, safety, pleasure and care.”

Zahra Stardust’s essay, from her new book Indie Porn, is equal parts sexy and smart (gotta be one of my fave combos!). Zahra shoots a porno as a form of birth preparation, and reflects on the empowering nature of kink, sex work, family and parenthood. She’s so fucking cool.

Queer paranormal phenomena: Metaphysically speaking by Ken Summers

“I was living a double life. I was a paranormal investigator among certain conservative, quasi-religious circles while splitting my time in a nearby city at gay bars and attending queer events with a very different set of friends.”

I reached out to Ken Summers directly after becoming familiar with him through US-based queer publication Them. I love spooks and subcultures, and even moreso when examined through a queer lens. Ken discusses his unique career as a queer paranormal researcher, and how the supernatural realm can connect us to queer history. Scream queens and freak geeks, get on it!

Thank you for reading, and for joining us this year. We can’t wait to bring you more pieces next year. We love you. Happy New Years!

Over the holidays, stay in touch on our Instagram, subscribe to our eNews or even pitch us a story if you wanna see your name in lights (on this list!) next year.