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The best places to find queer joy on Instagram

This post is part of Me, online, Mashable's ongoing series digging into online identities.

If you were a queer kid growing up in the early '10s, Tumblr, not school, was where you found community.

Tumblr was home to some of the internet's gayest Disney Princess memes. It was where you went for the best transmasc fashion, queer Harry Potter fan fiction, lesbian spells, and sometimes even a little bit of love. Queer teens disproportionately used the platform, studies found. 

But Tumblr's financials are bleak, and its role in queer culture has quietly diminished. Instead, it's Instagram — an equally visual medium somewhat sheltered from Reddit's trolls, Twitter's bots, and Facebook's morons — to which queer culture has moved. 

And it's a beautiful thing. There's just so much greatness to witness, experience, and fave.

SEE ALSO: Hollywood hasn't gotten any better about LGBTQ inclusivity onscreen

Here are a few of the best queer accounts on Instagram, from queer Appalachian meme culture to LGBTQIA+ astrology— and some non-tearful reminiscing about queer platforms past.

1. For "All things dyke and beautiful," aka, vintage photos of K.D. Lang, Godimsuchadyke

Unlike many queer accounts on Instagram, the account's founder chooses to keep Godimsuchadyke anonymous. The result is less a glimpse of one person's life than it is a bird's-eye view of queer women's culture, history, and art.

It's hands down the best place on the web to find hot vintage photos of Ellen and contemporary paeans to Lena Waithe. Think of it as a collage board of 21st- and late 20th-century queer women's life.

"When I started Godimsuchadyke, it transformed Instagram from a platform that I didn’t find very useful beyond content consumption to a platform where I felt that I could share freely," the account founder told Mashable. "I think a lot of that sense of freedom has to do with my decision to keep the account anonymous and also to keep the posts curatorial, as opposed to sharing images of myself or my personal life."

It's a phenomenal account for anybody, but particularly those in the Xennial queer community desperate to see images of '90s dykes other accounts lack.

This gray tank variation of the iconic hard femme look Anjelica Huston served in Vanity Fair is everything. As a Cancerian femme, I find so much strength in iconic Cancerian women ♥️ (Anjelica Huston portrait by Annie Leibowitz for @vanityfair, 1985)

A post shared by Godimsuchadyke (@godimsuchadyke) on Mar 21, 2018 at 7:01pm PDT

Actual pic of you and bae watching your single friends get ready for yet another Friday night of bi monthly lesbian parties at the “gay” bar and empty romantic encounters (Roseanne, “Ladie’s Choice,” 1992)

A post shared by Godimsuchadyke (@godimsuchadyke) on Feb 2, 2018 at 6:28pm PST

Pam Grier’s lesbian icon status knows no bounds. The Lesbian Avengers, “We Recruit,” Designed by Carrie Moyer 💣⚢ (“The Lesbian Avengers began in New York City in 1992 as a direct action group focused on issues vital to lesbian survival and visibility. They refined media-savvy tactics, often creating actions for their visual appeal, and touched a nerve with the Lesbian Avenger Manifesto. The group quickly spread worldwide after the Avengers organized a Dyke March for lesbian visibility on the eve of the Lesbian and Gay March on Washington in 1993 that mobilized 20,000 lesbians. The Avengers also developed a civil rights organizing project that championed "out" grassroots activism, that not only fought homophobic initiatives, but worked to train activists for the longterm”) #pamgrier #lesbianavengers #werecruit #gay90s #dyke #lesbianculture #lesbianstyle

A post shared by Godimsuchadyke (@godimsuchadyke) on Mar 15, 2018 at 6:24pm PDT

While @Godimsuchadyke is proud of their work on Instagram, they're also making a call for increased representation on the platform, namely: "more archival and cultural accounts that are run by QPOC, trans people, and people with a wide array of experiences with diverse bodies, socioeconomic backgrounds, gender expressions, and sexual identities." 

2. For nerds who love to read about LGBTQIA+ history: queerbible

Account founder Jack Guinness solicits people to write about their favorite LGBTQ heroes for queerbible, then posts snippets of their always poignant essays on Instagram. There's also really charming original art, for those of us who hate to read more than 100 words on Instagram.

As a queer person, I'm not afraid to admit I always like to read about other people like me throughout history. Queerbible provides the super-gay history my high school textbooks just didn't.

SIR IAN MCKELLEN Today on The Queer Bible: ‘A major reason for me becoming a professional actor was because I’d heard you could meet gay people. Where else could you go? There were no clubs in Bolton, no bars. There’s no literature, no internet. There’s nothing on the telly, nothing on the radio. No gay plays, no gay people.’ . Link in bio . #queerhistory #queerhistorymatters #queerbible #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #gayinstagram #gayinsta #lesbian #lesbianhistory #gay #gayworld #gaypride #gaylife #gaylove #gayrights #gaygram #queer #queerart #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtmemes #lgbtproud #queerhistory #queerhistorymatters #lgbtqhistory #ianmckellen @ianmckellen

A post shared by Queer Bible (@queerbible) on May 31, 2018 at 9:50am PDT

PETER HUJAR: CHRISTOPHER ST PIER, 1976 Today on The Queer Bible: ‘Harald Smart here, taking over to introduce a selection of photographs by Peter Hujar, accompanying my essay on his life and work, now live on The Queer Bible. // Our penultimate photo is Christopher Street Pier #2 (Crossed Legs) taken in 1976 // During the 1970s the shipyards of Manhattan’s Lower West Side, which had fallen into postindustrial dilapidation, became a virtually lawless annexe for communities living on the margins of society. Hundreds of gay men explored and occupied the spaces that were made available there during this time, turning the haunting, broken buildings into makeshift canvases for radical art, and into a sprawling sexual cruising ground shot through with danger. Hujar’s photographs of this precarious pre-AIDS utopia illustrate crumbling, deserted interiors - walls covered in poetic verse or lewd, witty cartoons - contrasting them with the scantily-clad bodies sunbathing and making merry out on the riverside during the summer months.’ . Peter Hujar: Speed of Life runs until May 20th 2018, at The Morgan Library & Museum . @h__smart #queerhistory #queerhistorymatters #queerbible #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtqia #gayinstagram #gayinsta #lesbianhistory #sarahkane #gay #gayworld #gaypride #gaylife #gaylove #gayrights #gaygram #queer #queerart #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbtmemes #lgbtproud #queerhistory #andywarhol #candydarling #peterhujar #queerhistorymatters #lgbtqhistorymonth . © Peter Hujar Archive, LLC, courtesy Pace/MacGill Gallery, New York and Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco @themorganlibrary

A post shared by Queer Bible (@queerbible) on Mar 29, 2018 at 10:43am PDT

3. and 4. For the coolest contemporary queer superheroes:  Hayley Kiyoko + Janelle Monae

We all need celebrities to fantasize and gossip about with our equally mildly shallow friends. Kiyoko has been called the "lesbian Jesus." Janelle Monae made pansexual a household term.

For that, they deserve all our likes and love. The best place for that? Instagram.

@refinery29 🌹 @badfatblackgirl 🌹@sheekswinsalways🌹

A post shared by Janelle Monáe (@janellemonae) on May 17, 2018 at 3:54pm PDT

@gq

A post shared by H A Y L E Y K I Y O K O (@hayleykiyoko) on May 9, 2018 at 1:30pm PDT

5. For the best queer rural Appalachian memes (and social services), Queerappalachia

Queerappalachia is Instagram's best account for rural queer Appalachianism, even though competition is, uh, limited. It provides breaking Appalachian news, Dolly Parton memes, BDSM gingerbread iconography, and addiction recovery services for queer and trans Appalachians through a telehealth program.

"These queer [Appalachian] kids need to know about people who got out and did things," Gina Mamone, one of the founders of the account, told Mashable in May. "And that it's okay for them to stay! Stay home and build things. Or not. Whatever they want to do, it's okay. They're okay."

The #internationalgayrodeoassociation had its season opener this past weekend. Keep sending in pics of your #Electricdirt #queerappalachia #gayrodeo #queersouth

A post shared by Queer Appalachia (@queerappalachia) on Feb 20, 2018 at 4:37pm PST

#same #electricdirt

A post shared by Queer Appalachia (@queerappalachia) on Feb 15, 2018 at 3:59pm PST

Keep sending me your #holiday #electricdirt From @mrcotton_tail #queerappalachia #queersouth

A post shared by Queer Appalachia (@queerappalachia) on Dec 24, 2017 at 3:55am PST

6. For LGBT history, high and low: LGBT_History

If you're the type of person who complains that LGBT history was so much cooler back in the day, this account is for you. LGBT_History goes back — all the way back — and provides an eclectic collection of cultural images at all points along the queer timelines. The account, which has more than 283,000 followers, reflects on key moments in history as well as minor cultural shifts. 

It's delightful to look at the protest aesthetic of generations past. Teachers and gay fashionistas, take note.

“FAGGOTS ARE FANTASTIC,” Harmodius & Hoti, San Francisco, California, August 1975. Photo c/o Daniel Nicoletta (@dannic100), whose incredible book of photographs, @lgbtsanfrancisco, is available for Pride. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #Resist #Mood

A post shared by lgbt_history (@lgbt_history) on Jun 1, 2018 at 2:44pm PDT

“Now they got two nice statues in Sheridan Square Park to remember the Gay Movement. How many people have died for these two little statues to be put in the park to recognize gay people? ... . “I don’t think that as long as people with AIDS and as long as gay people don’t have their rights ... there’s no reason for celebration. That’s how come I walk every year. That’s how come I’ve been walking for Gay rights all these years. Instead of riding in cars and celebrating everything. Cause you never completely have your rights until you all have your rights.” — Marsha P. Johnson, 1992 . Pride is a protest. . Picture: Marsha P. Johnson, Christopher Street Liberation Day, New York City, c. 1989. c/o @randolfewicker. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #Resist #PayItNoMind #Night

A post shared by lgbt_history (@lgbt_history) on Jun 2, 2018 at 8:25pm PDT

"You're never given power; you have to take it." - Harvey Milk (May 22, 1930 - November 27, 1978) . “MILK for SUPERVISOR” pinback, San Francisco, California, 1973. From collection of @lgbt_history. #lgbthistory #HavePrideInHistory #Resist #Night

A post shared by lgbt_history (@lgbt_history) on May 21, 2018 at 7:04pm PDT

7. For the history they never taught you in school: BlackLesbianArchives

Queer history often bends to the cis, white, and gay. Even if you don't care about history, BlackLesbianArchives is an awesome corrective to the trend. At fewer than 1,000 followers, the account doesn't currently have the following of some of the others on this list, which is exactly why you should follow it. The account zigzags back and forth through crucial moments black lesbian history.

"The BLA was created in June 25, 2017, due to the lack of resources and representation of Black Lesbian history on the web," the account's founder, Krü Maekdo, told Mashable. "As I started coming into myself, I started to research history on my people of the past. I'm a huge history archivist, so having this information available is crucial to me. I figured if I'm searching for this, then I know there's other people in the world probably wondering where we at."

Black Lesbian Archives has since expanded into an exhibit at Affinity Community Services in Chicago.

@lesbianrepresentation Black (Lesbian) History Month: Jewelle Gomez - Author, Activist . her work often intersects and addresses multiple ethnicities as well as the ideals of lesbian/feminism and issues . published seven books, most known for “The Gilda Stories” . was on the founding board of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) in 1984 . she is currently employed as Director of Grants and Community Initiatives for Horizons Foundation, the oldest lgbt foundation in the US . married to activist Diane Sabin . #lesbians #blackhistorymonth #representationmatters #jewellegomez #gaywomen #thegildastories #lgbt #lesbianhistory #lesbian #herstory #lgbthistory #blackexcellence @lgbt_history @h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y @blackhistory

A post shared by BLA (@blacklesbianarchives) on Mar 7, 2018 at 9:30am PST

@xigammas Pat Parker’s activism included involvement with the Black Panther Movement, contributing to the Women’s Press Collective and serving as medical coordinator for the Oakland Feminist Women’s Health Center. Cheryl Clarke has said of Pat that she articulates “a black lesbian-feminist perspective of love between women and the circumstances that prevent our intimacy and liberation.” She toured with Varied Voices of Black Women, published multiple volumes of poetry, and, in 1980, founded the Black Woman’s Revolutionary Council. #WeAreBlackHistory #BlackHistory #BlackLGBTHistory #LGBTHistory #PatParker #BlackPantherParty

A post shared by BLA (@blacklesbianarchives) on Feb 26, 2018 at 4:57pm PST

@femmagradio THIS photo! This moment in herstory ... #Repost @h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y: ""This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color", published in 1981, garnered attention for women of color within the feminist movement. Hailed as a landmark book offering a collective, serious challenge to white feminists by women of color, "This Bridge" reshaped how feminism was revised, reconceptualized, expanded, and laid the groundwork for the centrality of intersectionality today. "This Bridge" is an anthology edited by Cherríe Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa that was first published in 1981 by Persephone Press and then published again in 1983 by Kitchen Table (Women of Color Press). The third edition, published by Third Woman Press, was in print until 2008. For seven years, the book was virtually gone. Some of the original contributors to This Bridge Called My Back at the Arlington Street Church, June 5, 1981. Top row, left to right: Cherrie Moraga, Gloria Anzaldua, Barbara Cameron, Rosario Morales. Bottom row, left to right: Aurora Levins Morales, Barbara Smith, Kate Rushin, Beverly Smith, Nellie Wong, Hattie Gossett. Photo by Susan Fleischmann. #lesbianculture #cherriemoraga #gloriaeanzaldúa #qpoc #feminism" #thisbridgecalledmyback #feminist #feminista

A post shared by BLA (@blacklesbianarchives) on May 9, 2018 at 8:44am PDT

8. For overall excellence in funny memes: Xenaworrierprincess

Let's not lie, 2018 is a low point for planet Earth. But Xenaworrierprincess offers some of the funniest damn queer memes on the internet, and for that, we should be grateful.

"@xenaworrierprincess is a niche lesbian meme page and queer advice zine. I started making memes after moving to a winter-y, strip mall city in the midwest for a Women's Studies grad school program," Madeline Court, the account's founder, told Mashable. "I was researching and writing about lesbian culture all day, but I didn't know any lesbians. It was a really surreal, lonely relationship to my sexuality," she says. "I started making memes and sharing them on my personal Insta because I wanted to feel some kind of connection."

XenaWorrierPrincess doesn't think that Instagram always supports their queer artists — it's not uncommon for the platform to take down posts that include the word "dyke" — but Court is glad the platform doesn't seem to have the same negative energy Tumblr once did: "Instagram prizes curation and deliberateness, I think. It's also a photo app; captions and comments are secondary. Tumblr was really, really text-heavy. A lot of the queer discourse was bad. We were all babies, trying to make sense of the world without any lived experience."

hey! if you are questioning your gender or sexuality or both your gender AND sexuality, here are some amazing resources (a lot of these are aimed at teenagers, but are really thoughtful and applicable to all ages): Autostraddle.com, scarleteen.com, and the Trevor Support Center. If you have access to a city or a university, chances are there is a LBGT community center or space that provides counseling/support. I am a dog with a blog and a creative writing MFA, but I’m sending you so much love 💕💕💕

A post shared by 🔥 FiRE SiGN OPENSWIM🔥 (@xenaworrierprincess) on Apr 5, 2018 at 12:15pm PDT

some hot tips from me to you

A post shared by 🔥 FiRE SiGN OPENSWIM🔥 (@xenaworrierprincess) on May 5, 2018 at 12:00pm PDT

I found out about butches when my English teacher gave me a Smith College prospectus in 2003 & afterwards I couldn’t eat for like 3 days, just sat in my room listening to Green Day and burning incense so YES this is an appreciation meme

A post shared by 🔥 FiRE SiGN OPENSWIM🔥 (@xenaworrierprincess) on May 29, 2018 at 8:42pm PDT

9. For representation that matters: BlairImani

Blair Imani is a black queer Muslim activist and, with more than 28,000 followers, an Instagram star. Imani's account defies constricting stereotypes that people can't be queer and Muslim or a person of color.

"A lot of people assume that I'm homophobic, or that queer Muslims could not and did not exist. I do exist," Imani told Teen Vogue recently.

Her Instagram is testament.

PRIDE. STARTS. TOMORROW. 🏳️‍🌈❤️🧡💛💚💙💜🏳️‍🌈 📸: @liaclay

A post shared by Blair Imani (@blairimani) on May 31, 2018 at 11:43am PDT

#BlackLivesMatter 📸: @heatherhazzan

A post shared by Blair Imani (@blairimani) on Jun 2, 2018 at 7:43pm PDT

10. For all the best queer women's history, high and low: Herstory

With more than 133,000 followers, Herstory is the leading queer women-specific history account on Instagram.

"I started the lesbian culture Instagram h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y, which I have been running for about three and a half years now. I post mostly herstoric photos and images from the 1800s to the late 1990s," founder Kelly Rakowski told Mashable. "It all happened organically. I didn’t plan for it to have been so popular. People seem to really respond the images and stories I post. About one and a half years ago I started @herstorypersonals, now renamed @_Personals_, on Instagram. It’s a dating and community account where followers write personals based on old-school newspaper personals ads. I’m currently fundraising on Kickstarter to turn this account into a text-based dating and community app for queers."

TRACY CHAPMAN. 1997. Photo Ernie Panniccoli (rg @cornellhiphopcollection) #lesbianculture #tracychapman #1997

A post shared by ⚢ LESBIAN CULTURE ⚢ (@h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y) on May 29, 2018 at 6:57pm PDT

Do you?🥖Found in the butch/femme folder @lesbianherstoryarchives #lesbianculture #butchfemme

A post shared by ⚢ LESBIAN CULTURE ⚢ (@h_e_r_s_t_o_r_y) on Jun 8, 2018 at 6:08am PDT

11. For queer astrology that'll make you feel all the feelings: Chani Nicholas

Astrology is having a moment, and queer astrologers like Chani Nicholas are leading the way. 

You can head to her Instagram for the best queer-friendly, loving, affirming horoscopes on the internet. 

"Queer, trans, and gender nonconforming folx, and many marginalized communities, in my experience, have always been attuned to wisdom traditions, art practices, mythologies, and story-telling that explore the value of life beyond the normative conditions we've been given, but cannot exist within joyfully," Nicholas told Mashable earlier this year.

We need more public spaces that welcome and help us hold our grief. So much of this world is constructed to make us suffer. So that we feel less than. So that we will buy more of. Forgetting who we are. Forsaking so much of what we have to give. Depression is a natural side effect of the violent systems we live within. May we all do what we can to recreate the world today as we need it to be. With room to grieve. Give. Love. And receive. Sending much love, protection, and sweetness to you and yours ❤️

A post shared by Chani Nicholas (@chaninicholas) on Jun 8, 2018 at 10:11am PDT

Mercury enters Cancer today, reminding us that when we don’t have people and places where we can articulate our feelings, they are so much more of a burden to work through. Emotions need to be expressed. Unpacked. Investigated. Left alone they fester. Twist themselves into strange monsters that lurk in the shadows of our lives. Threaten to wreck what is working. . The world is a dumpster fire of injustice. It is constructed to keep us separate from our power. From our wisdom. From our wildness. We need to both construct, and get ourselves to, the spaces that reflect our beauty and our becoming. The spaces that help us sort through the situations that bewilder, betray, and become too difficult to carry alone. . Each interaction that is done in kindness can become one of those spaces. . This month’s new moon workshop goes into great detail in regards to Mercury’s journey as it will trigger the July 12th eclipse point as it opposes Pluto. If you want to know more, please join me for A Workshop for The New Moon in Gemini and The Full Moon in Capricorn, which is now available for immediate download. . In it you’ll receive meditations, altar suggestions, and rituals specific to your sign for both the new and full moon. I’ve geared the whole course to help cleanse and clear in preparation for this summer’s eclipses as well. Hope you enjoy! #Tuesday #Mercury #NewMoon #Gemini #Astrology #ResetYourSystems

A post shared by Chani Nicholas (@chaninicholas) on Jun 12, 2018 at 7:25am PDT

12. For excellence in Samira Wiley: Whodatlikedat

Samira Wiley doesn't provide queer history or astrological wisdom on her account, and that's okay. Sometimes all you need is a simple, relentlessly positive, thirsty queer account in your feed. Bonus: she's apparently in a healthy, happy marriage that should make all of us who've experienced queer drama feel really good.

A post shared by Samira Wiley (@whododatlikedat) on Jan 6, 2018 at 8:23pm PST

Thank you, again, @disneyland for these dope #rosegoldchurros!!!!! (Yes, that is a thing). And for making our 1st anniversary so magical. :) #disneyland #getmorehappy

A post shared by Samira Wiley (@whododatlikedat) on Mar 27, 2018 at 12:18pm PDT

13. Because we all need our Queer Eye fix: Jonathan Van Ness

Jonathan Van Ness is a ray of queer sunshine, and we're all desperate for a little light in these sad times. His account features some of the best selfies on the whole damn site. Bless him.

🎆New Getting Curious 🎆Yesterday I went to see @trevorproject & interview @amitpaley the CEO of the Trevor Project who runs an incredibly important crisis & suicide hotline for LGBTQ+ youth. The challenges that our community faces are vast and can be so lonely to navigate on your own, I wanted to find out more about their orginazation and how we can help in this episode of #gettingcurious link in bio now #thetrevorproject #suicideprevention Need someone to talk to? 1-866-488-7386

A post shared by Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) on Jun 27, 2018 at 8:57am PDT

This Pride was a dream, I had friends & @florence & I got to help raise money for @humanrightscampaign , here’s to a gorge safe & not regretting it tomorrow Pride to all💙❤️💛💚💜💗

A post shared by Jonathan Van Ness (@jvn) on Jun 24, 2018 at 6:47pm PDT

14. If you feel like you want to understand queer culture but don't get half the terms: gayglossary

Listen. I'm queer and 34 years old, and I still feel like my queer vocabulary is out of date. Gayglossary provides helpful explainers and super-pretty illustrations to make learning all the less irritating. At fewer than 1,000 followers, gayglossary is still a young account, but it's growing, as well it should.

"I wanted to create a really visual glossary that helps to make sense of all LGBTQIAA+ identifying language. Honestly, even a lot of the people I started talking to about the idea didn't even know what LGBTQIAA+ stood for," Kate Carter, the account's founder, told Mashable. "Which made it even more obvious there was a need for a modern resource."

LGBTQQIAA / Acronym Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, Ally. #wordofthegay by @iamrodrigobistene #gayglossary

A post shared by Gay Glossary (@gayglossary) on Jun 5, 2018 at 12:00pm PDT

gayby / noun a baby whose parents are gay. Anecdotally, you hear a lot of stories about what is being called the 'gayby boom,' which was a boom in same-sex couples having children in 2009. Yay for gaybies! 😇🙌🏻 #wordofthegay by @shanmadeit #gayglossary

A post shared by Gay Glossary (@gayglossary) on Jun 29, 2018 at 11:24am PDT

androgyny / adjective androgyny is the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics. Usually used to describe characters or persons who have no specific gender, gender ambiguity may also be found in fashion, gender identity, sexual identity, or sexual lifestyle. This is a fun one. #wordofthegay by @therevdoctor #gayglossary

A post shared by Gay Glossary (@gayglossary) on Jun 21, 2018 at 4:39pm PDT

If you've retired from Tumblr or can't find queer community in your hometown or even your big city, you're not alone. The platforms, not the verticals, are where you'll find the best in queer culture.

There's so much queer excellence out there. You just need to know who to follow. 

WATCH: Meet the 10-year-old drag kid shaping the future of drag youth