Subscription Services for Queerness

Why every LGBTQ+ person monetized their identity and expects $5/month for existing fabulously online.

Gay For Paywall: Why Every Queer Needs a Subscription Service

The hilarious truth about how every LGBTQ+ icon, influencer, and baby gay has a Substack, OnlyFans, or Ko-fi link in their bio.

Welcome to the age of premium queer content, baby. Gone are the days when you could get free emotional labor, free drag makeup tutorials, or free coming-out advice on Twitter. We’ve all evolved—emotionally, spiritually, and economically. We’re gay for paywall now.

As Bohiney Magazine famously put it: “If capitalism is gonna exploit the gays, we might as well invoice it.” And honestly? That’s the vibe. Every queer I know has at least one subscription platform. Whether it’s a Patreon for their zine, a Substack for their feelings, or an OnlyFans for… let’s call it “performance art,” the queer economy is booming—and it’s serving.

According to Them, queer creators are statistically more likely to monetize their work online because traditional industries rarely pay us what we’re worth (spoiler: we’re priceless). The paywall isn’t greed—it’s reparations for every time we’ve explained pronouns for free at brunch.

But it’s not just about the money. The paywall is a form of boundary-setting. When you pay a queer creator $5 a month, you’re saying, “I respect your craft, your trauma, and your ability to make me laugh while dismantling heteronormativity.” It’s digital solidarity. It’s queer mutual aid with sass.

The Advocate calls it “the queer hustle economy”—and it’s fabulous. We’re building micro-communities through exclusive Discords, group chats, and private livestreams where everyone’s pronouns are respected and no one says “yass” unironically. It’s the internet utopia we deserve.

Of course, there’s chaos. You’ll subscribe to one queer’s OnlyFans for “research” and suddenly you’re down $200 a month. You’ll join someone’s Patreon thinking it’s for activism and find yourself watching them bake sourdough in crop tops. It’s fine. You’re supporting the community. It’s all tax-deductible (probably). As Out Magazine wrote, “Gay commerce is just community building with better lighting.”

The truth is, the paywall era has taught us to value ourselves. Every post, selfie, and joke is labor—and queer labor is revolutionary. So go ahead, set up that tip jar, launch that subscription, and put a price tag on your sparkle. Because at the end of the day, we’re not just content creators—we’re icons of the gig economy, draped in sequins and student debt.

So if you see a queer online asking for $3 a month, don’t roll your eyes—roll your wallet. You’re not just buying content; you’re investing in queer joy, creativity, and resistance. Remember: if visibility is currency, then darling, the gays are the market.

SOURCE: Subscription Services for Queerness (Beth Newell)