Tig Notaro & Stephanie Allynne on Family Equality, living in Los Angeles, and their fave lesbian jokes
For Family Equality Night Out honorees Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, humor is everywhere.
Mark
Things are tough right now for everyone, but especially LGBTQ+ families. That’s why Family Equality is giving us a reason to laugh with a special night of comedy on Saturday, November 8, at Nya Studios WEST in Los Angeles.
The lineup includes performances by the likes of Monét X Change, Brendan Scannell, and Mo Welch. But of course, no one understands the importance of laughing through the pain like Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne. The comedic power couple will be honored with the Visibility Award, presented by Glennon Doyle and Abby Wambach.
Throughout their relationship and as they raise their family together, comedy has been essential in helping them both get through life. Although it certainly helps that “humor is everywhere,” as Notaro told us.
“Especially when things are falling apart, it’s how we remind ourselves we’re still here, still human, still paying attention,” the Emmy and Grammy-nominated comedian explained. “Sometimes the joke is just surviving. And that’s a good one.”
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Ahead of the big evening, Notaro and Allynne chatted with GayCities about the work Family Equality is doing, raising kids, and their marriage, and the art that inspires them.
Why is the work Family Equality does so important? Why does it resonate with you personally?
TIG: Stephanie and I are raising twins, and we know firsthand how critical it is to have legal, social, and emotional support. Everybody deserves a family and the ability to protect it legally. Family Equality makes it so that more families can just exist without needing a law degree.
STEPHANIE: To truly embrace family values, you must begin with family equality. All people deserve family, however it may come to be. And if people want unity, you must first have equality.
How long have you been together?
STEPHANIE: We met in 2012 on Lake Bell’s film In A World, and October 24, 2025, was our 10th wedding anniversary.
TIG: Yes, 10 years married, but if we round up, we’re going on 13 years.
The queer community has long used humor to cope during challenging times. Tig, you are hilarious. Now that our rights are under siege, how do you find humor? What do you find humorous?
TIG: Humor is everywhere. Especially when things are falling apart, it’s how we remind ourselves we’re still here, still human, still paying attention. Sometimes the joke is just surviving. And that’s a good one.
You’re a mom of twins. And you tell jokes. What’s your favorite mom joke, or favorite joke you have ever told?
TIG: As a mother of twins, any story I get to know about our sons is my favorite to tell. Their perspectives take my breath away, so anytime you hear me talking about them, know I’m as happy as can be.
What’s your favorite lesbian joke?
TIG: My favorite lesbian joke is probably my own life.
STEPHANIE: What’s the difference between a straight woman and a lesbian? Two glasses of wine.
Haha. Even the First Amendment rights of mainstream comedians like Jimmy Kimmel are under fire these days. You have been a guest on some of these shows. How can the rest of us support you all?
TIG: Don’t lose your sense of humor; keep listening and showing up to shows, conversations, and the weird parts of life where comedy happens. Comedians can handle the hecklers, so we just need audiences still willing to laugh, even when things go sideways.
What coping mechanisms in a time of strife can you share with the rest of us? We need help!
STEPHANIE: I try to remind myself that you can’t stop progress. That even when it feels like there are massive setbacks, progress is always forward-moving.
Tig, you have a background in music management and a passion for music. What’s on your playlist these days?
TIG: Mostly Eminem, Blink 182, and Kendrick Lamar, because that’s what’s on our sons’ playlists.
Tig, you wrote a memoir, I’m Just A Person. So what books are on your bedside table beside your own?
TIG: The 5 AM Club. Get it now!
What are your favorite places to hang out in Los Angeles?
STEPHANIE: We definitely frequent Dodger Stadium these days as our sons are big baseball fans. And you can’t keep Tig off the trolley at The Grove.
What shows or entertainers are you obsessed with right now?
STEPHANIE: This is not super current, but I remain blown away by Sarah Paulson as Linda Tripp in American Crime Story: Impeachment.
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