On January 20, as Trump was being sworn in to begin his second term of terror, I was focused on one thing: Love.

Instead of watching the Inauguration, reading the news, doom-scrolling social media, or coddling my brain with new episodes of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, I read through hundreds and hundreds of love notes submitted by Stranger readers to Stranger readers. At the start of the year, we put out the call for our free reader valentines, a tradition that has been around for something like 25 years, and you came through in spades, sending sweet messages to your partners, friends, family, kids, and pets.

There were notes to Potato, BUBBAROONI, and My IBS Babe, and from Cake Daddy, Noodle, and Panther. Some were celebrating decades of life together; others were glowing with the newfound giddiness that comes with discovering if it’s love, lust, or something else entirely. Goofy, sure, but it was heartwarming to get a glimpse into so many of Seattle’s love stories.

And with that, for this year’s Love & Sex issue—which kicks off our return to monthly distribution, by the way—we packed these pages full of blatant, unapologetic L-O-V-E. Not only are there something like 15,000 words worth of valentines, we also have more than a dozen stories that examine all the ways in which love exists in this world. 

Stranger contributor Kendall Turner and Hannah Murphy Winter share everything you need to know to help get and abet an abortion, regardless of which doddering goons or actual Nazis are in office because, as Shout Your Abortion has said, “everyone loves someone who’s had an abortion.” There’s a powerful feature from Vivian McCall, who spent weeks digging through 1980s queer history to show us how we can apply the activism seen during the early AIDS epidemic to the crises we face today.

There’s a lot to learn in how the LGBTQ+ community came together to share knowledge and establish solidarity to keep their peers safe and cared for at a time when the nation’s leaders sure as hell weren’t gonna do it. And what’s at the core of their ‘zines, handmade fliers, and protests? You guessed it. Love. Radical, passionate, courageous love.

And no, we have not forgotten about the SEXY part of the Love & Sex issue. Check out the results of The Stranger’s 2025 Sex Survey, where you can learn all the steamy secrets about Seattleites’ sex lives—and maybe get a few tips? In this piece, Professor Daudi Abe and Charles Mudede sit down with some of their favorite songs to explore the history of love, lust, and longing in hiphop, from Man Parrish to Doja Cat. Make your crush a mixtape! If cheese and/or drugs are more their speed, we’ve also got expert Valentine’s Day date-worthy restaurant and weed recommendations coming up in the next few days, as well as a tour of Seattle's sexiest trees. 

So get comfortable, turn off that angry and dark outside world, and dig in. Love is waiting for you.

Megan Seling

Managing Editor, The Stranger

COVER ARTWORK

Photo by Brooke Fitts, brookefitts.photo

Styling by Tyler Hill

Modeling by Julia Spee

Creative direction by Corianton Hale