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Description
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ToC Travel Issue; Alexandra Hedison Hits the L Word by Laurie K. Schenden (p26); By the Book by Ellen Rosner Feig, Malinda Lo and Catherine Plato (p44); On the Cover: Kristann Lokken by Tim Nasson (p48); Uncovering Asian-American Lesbians by Malinda Lo (p52); Get Ready for Dinah Shore by Malinda Lo and Ariane Resnick (p56); Death and Taxes by Susy Phillips (p60); Global Girls - Lesbian Travel Goes Near and Far: Heading to Hong Kong by Jodi Helmer (p31); Living on Tokyo Time by Aefa Mulholland (p32); Finding Life in Vietname by Vanessa Barrington (p34); An American in Paris by Sara Jane Keskula (p36): Stockholm Syndrom by Angela Watrous (p38); Everthing is Big in Dallas by Kathy Belge (p40); Get Your Group On by Ariane Resnic (p42); Cover Photography by Barry J. Holmes.
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Travel Issue
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issue
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2
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Date Issued
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March 2006
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Format
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PDF/A
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Publisher
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Frances Stevens
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Identifier
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Curve_Vol16_No2_March-2006_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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Ellen'sExon Love Heartbreakand Her L Word Gi
THE
BEST-SELLING
LESBIAN
MAGAZINE
THE CURVE EXCLUSIVE
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12 Dream Destinations
BONUS TRAVEL ISSUE
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Life
Tow.urroW
Did you know that one unspayed
female cat can produce 36 cats in just one
and a half years?And an unneutered male cat
or dog can help create limitless litters!
Every year, millions of animals are euthanized in
animal shelters, and millions more are abandoned
to die on the streets. The good news is that all these deaths can be
prevented with spaying and neutering. Altering animals also prevents deadly
cancers and other diseases.
So what are you waiting for? Make an appointment to get your
animal friend spayed or neutered today, and urge everyone you
know to do the same. Remember, every single stray cat and
every neglected dog came from an animal who wasn't spayed
or neutered.
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Januar
Aroundthe World
Over the holidays, I curiously opened an
oversized card board box to uncover a
huge white cowboy hat with black trim.
The card inside th~ stately hat read,
"Happy
ew Year! Just remember, white
hats are only for summer." Last year, I was
delighted to be named an Honorary
Grand Marshal at the Dallas Pride parade.
While I was there, I casually complimented
one of my new friends on her stately cap.
Like everything else, hospitality is big in
Texas, and now I've got a big white sombrero to prove it! Y'all will get a glimpse
of their hospitality - and some of my
adventures in the Lone Star state - in our
feature on Dallas (page 40), part of our
special spring travel issue.
Frances Stevens
According to a recent survey of American
Publisher / Editor in Chief
adults (conducted by Harris Interactive
and Witeck-Combs Communications), lesLesbians are twice
bians are twice as likely as straight people
to travel internationally. With those statisas likely as straight
tics, it shouldn't come as a surprise that
people to travel
we're covering some pretty intriguing
internationally.
international
destinations
this issue,
including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Tokyo,
Paris and Stockholm. Toyko's thriving lesbian nightlife is captivating, with over 200 women's bars, host clubs, drag king
spots, lounges, dance bars and social salons hidden behind the neon skyscrapers
of one of Asia's most modern cities. Writer Aefa Mulholland offers the key to
locating these hidden gems - some of which are preciously tiny - buried in the
maze of Tokyo.
If adventure travel with a lesbian twist is more your cup of tea, we have just the
fix for you. Imagine a culinary cruise through Italy's Riviera, a bicycle trek through
the etherlands or kayaking down a pristine Wyoming river. "Get Your Group
On" (page 42) highlights lesbian-specific tour groups, ranging from $67 to $8,000,
that will help you navigate the globe with a few good sisters on your side.
But jaunting around the globe is just the beginning of what's in store for you this
issue. I'm sure the sultry eyes of our cover girl, Kristanna Loken, caught your
attention. Most recognizable as the Terminatrix in Terminator 3, Loken is the
only woman to ever whoop Arnold Schwarzenegger's on-screen ass. Now she's
back on the silver screen as the star of the vampire adventure BloodRayne, and
coming out to us in our exclusive cover interview (page 48). With a script written by lesbian writer and actress Guinevere Turner (of L Word and Go Fish
fame), and co-starring Michelle Rodriguez (who's kicking it in Lost),
BloodRayne might just end up being our next cult flick.
2 MARCH 2006
Curve
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an Francisco,
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Publisher/Editor in Chief
Frances R. teven
Executive Editor
Associate Editor
Book Review Editor
Music Review Editor
Contributmg Fd1tors
Diane Anderson-Min hall
Malinda Lo
Rachel Pepper
Margaret Coble
Julia Bloch, Victoria A. Brownworch,
retchen Lee, Sarah Warn
Laura K. Cucullu
Emmie Q. Lam, Jocelyn Yoo
Lauren Marie Fleming, Janel M.
Lynch, Ariane Resnick
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Proofreaders
Editorial Assistants
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Photo Assistant
Production Manager
Ka Neteler
athalie Peterson
Amy Silverman
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ikki Woelk
Julie Houghron
Chri Alex, Wendy Armitage, Danielle
eribo, Autumn Congrove, Annie
Daniels, Su an Hinson, Ally Miller, Eliza
Rhee, Yolanda anchez
Catalog Manager
PK McBee
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Danie Belfield, Sara Jane Keskula
(415) 863-6538
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Contrib11t111gWriters
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Beige, Nicole Cameron, Gina Daggett,
Ellen Feig, Michele Fisher, Jodi Helmer,
Karlyn Locney, Aefa Mulholland, Tim
as on, Susy Phillips, Catherine Plato,
Laurie K. chenden, Gigi Talbot,
Angela Watrous
Katherine treeter
Contributmg lllustrator
Contributing Photographers Donna Aceto, Randi Lynn Beach,
Andrew Dean, Amy Graves, Simon
Gurney, ophia Hantzes, Barry J.
Holmes, Kay Hyatt, Daniel Alexander
Jones, Linda Ki h, Sarah MattisonEarls, Doug Me zler, Tamara Murray,
Jeff Paramchuk, Maggie Parker, Alan
Peebles, Jose Carlos Pire Pereira,
Sacha Rioux,
icole Roberts,
ando
Rodriguez, Eli a Shea, Suzanne nider,
Debra St. John, Dragan Trifunovic
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 2 CURVE (ISSN
1087-867X)
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305.53'2.1997
March
2006
Volume
16#2
features
26 ALEXANDRA
HEDISON
HITSTHEL WORD
by Laurie K. Schenden
She's got a famous ex, killer booty and a great new role.
44 BYTHEBOOK
by Ellen Rosner Feig, Malinda Lo and Catherine Plato
A bevy of lesbian authors - Cheryl Peck, Sharon Bridgforth,
Julie Anne Peters, Val McDermid, Cheril N. Clarke - tell us
why they do what they do so well.
48 ONTHECOVER:
KRISTANNA
LOKEN
by Tim Nasson
The BloodRayne beauty tells us all about women.
52 UNCOVERING
ASIAN-AMERICAN
LESBIANS
by Malinda Lo
After decades of activism, can the Asian-American
lesbian community come together?
56 GETREADYFORDINAHSHORE
by Malinda Lo and Ariane Resnick
Dinah Shore's head party girl, Sandy Sachs, gives us the
lowdown on Hollywood celebs. Plus: Insider tips from a
golfer and a party girl.
60 DEATHANDTAXES
by Susy Phillips
This lesbian finance 101 offers more ways to hang on to
what you've got.
Global
Girls:
Lesbian
Travel
Goes
Near
and
Far
HEADING
TO HONGKONG
by Jodi Helmer
It' Asia's city of contradictions.
LIVINGONTOKYOTIME
by Aefa Mulholland
Imagine a thrilling, dazzling, exhausting
adrenaline rush of a destination.
FINDINGLIFEIN VIETNAM
by Vanessa Barrington
Who cares about gay culture when all of
humanity is at your fingertips?
ANAMERICAN
IN PARIS
by Sara Jane Keskula
A Yankee discovers Paree.
4 MARCH
2006
STOCKHOLM
SYNDROME
by Angela Watrous
From ice bars to lesbian clubs to ABBA
fans, Sweden's design-centric city goes all
out for Pride.
EVERYTHING
IS BIGIN DALLAS
by Kathy Beige
Southern hospitality, cute power chicks y'all come down to Texas. Plus CURVE'strip
to Dallas Pride.
GETYOURGROUPON
by Ariane Resnick
Sometimes flying solo just isn't the best
way to go. These lesbian outfitters have
the answer.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY BARRYJ. HOLMES
Freedom
started
here.
We invite you to have a great time in the place where all
SPECIALEVENTS
people were given the freedom to live life as they choose.
EqualityForum2006
We've got historical firsts, exciting cultural attractions and
The Global GLBTEvent
scores of lesbian-friendly restaurants, theaters, shops and
May 1st-7th
RECEIVEYOUR FREE
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8
CONTRIBUTORS
The gals who make it happen.
10 LffiERS
You've got to tell us about it.
12 OUTIN FRONT
Minnesota politico Karen Clark
keeps the "L" in legislature.
14 CURVATURES
Schwarzenegger's new lesbian fan,
queer on campus and aging (gay)
gracefully.
18 OPENSTUDIO
Alex Gibson puts the glamour on.
22 LIPSTICK& DIPSTICK
Sometimes you have to do the
right thing.
23 ASKFAIRYBUTCH
Well, what's your fantasy?
24 LESBOFILE
Madonna, Laila Ali and Anna
icole Smith gossip.
music that you can dance to.
24 SHESAID,SHESAID
Evangeline says she's "half-boy."
68 DYKEDRAMA
When is cheating not cheating?
62 SAPPHICSCREEN
Asian comedy, Indian drama and a
fetishy cartoon gal. Plus: up close
with filmmaker Besty Kalin.
70 BROWNWORTH
Torture in the new millennium.
71 TECHGIRL
64 IN THESTACKS
Gear and games to go.
T Cooper, Ivan Coyote and Married
Lesbians author Joanne Fleisher.
80 TOPTENREASONS
WE LOVE
66 MUSICWATCH
Author Charlotte Cooper makes us
grin like schoolgirls when she's
around.
Margaret
''
Cho, The Gossip and
Is there life after cheating? I don't know.
Some folks claim that a couple can be
even closer after an affair ... but I have
never actually met one of those couples."
They say you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. Well for those who make no distinction, the
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Call for a free catalog,
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8 MARCH 2006
I chose Vietnam as a
travel destination was
because I wanted to experience a place that's still
relatively untouched by
American culture," says
freelance writer Vanessa
Barrington, whose experiences in Vietnam are
recounted beginning on
page 34. "I was thrilled
by the absence of all
things familiar, but it's
funny how American
influence creeps in and
settles into people's psyches. On a rainy tour of
the northern countryside
in a leaky Russian jeep,
my girlfriend and I discovered the role music
has in transmitting
American pop culture.
About five minutes into
the ride, our guide yelled
over the roar of the
engine, 'So tell me, how
far do you live from this
Hotel California?' The
Eagles song was a favorite
of the dining room staff
at the hotel where we
stayed." Barrington is trying to choose between
South America and the
Balkans for her next destination, and in the meantime is working on a
cookbook proposal.
"I DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT
to expect from Alexandra
Hedison," says contributor
Laurie K. Schenden, who
spoke with Ellen
DeGeneres' ex-girlfriend
in one of her first interviews since their breakup
more than a year ago (see
page 26). "She's always
been very private - not
saying much during the
relationship and saying
even less after it ended.
But I found her warm,
approachable and surprisingly open to questions
about her life, her career
and her future - without
ever betraying her own
sense of honor." Hedison,
a photographer and actor,
will be making an appearance this season on The L
Word, and told Schenden
that her spicy guest role
was "liberating."
Schenden, a freelance
journalist and documentary filmmaker, resides in
Los Angeles.
"FOR SIX YEARS
running I've been Pippi
Longstocking for
Halloween, more out of
laziness than anything
else," laughs Angela
Watrous, who writes in
this issue (see page 38)
about her whirlwind trip
to Stockholm, Sweden,
the homebase of all
things Pippi. "If only I'd
packed my wig! It just
never occurred to me that
she'd be such a ubiquitous queer icon there,
even if she was the original tomboy." When not
globe-trotting, Watrous
writes the juicy advice
column "Kiss and Tell"
for PlanetOut.com. She's
also the co-editor of 50
Ways to Support Lesbian
and Gay Equality, which
includes essays and concrete tips on what we all
need to do to promote
queer civil rights.
"HONG
KONG HAS AN
amazing blend of Chinese
and British traditions
that make it a destination
unlike any other in the
world," says Jodi
Helmer. "I spent the
mornings touring temples
and visiting traditional
fortune teller , and the
afternoons having high
tea and shopping for
designer clothing without
traveling more than a few
blocks." Helmer spent
eight days in Hong Kong
in 2004 (see page 31) and
fell in love with the
vibrant culture and
friendly people. The one
regret Helmer has about
her trip, which included
taking a tai chi class and
making a wish at a traditional wishing tree, is
that she did not have the
courage to sample snake
soup. In addition to writing for CURVE,Helmer, a
freelance writer based in
Portland, Ore., has contributed to Yoga Journal,
Delicious Living,
Women's Health and
Fitness and Entrepreneur.
Read about her other
travel adventures at
jodihelmer.com.
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letters
Your Melissa Issue Rocked!
Thank you for the wonderful article on
Melissa Etheridge ("I'm a Survivor," Vol.
15, #8). After losing my sister at the age of
28, I witnessed the hard-fought battle
against cancer. I have always been inspired
by Melissa Etheridge, as a musician and lesbian. Now, after reading her story in your
magazine, I'm inspired by the spirit of this
woman and all women who have the
strength and courage to fight against this
vicious disease. I can imagine there were
times for her when the devastating treatments and therapies scared the hell out of
her. And then seeing her go on to perform at
the Grammys, I was blown away!
I have the cover of that issue framed as a
reminder of Melissa's beauty and strength
that shines from within her. Should I ever
face a challenge like she has, I will look
toward her as an example of the strength
and beauty we all possess. Saying "thank
you" to Melissa does not convey the gratitude I feel.
- Kathy Trautvetter,
Edison, N.J.
Missy Fan
I wanted to send a response
to the article you featured in
your December magazine
on Missy Higgins ("Missy's
Misdemeanor, Vol. 15, #8).
I have been a huge fan of
Missy's for the last year. I
was so pumped to see her.
Thank you for exposing
her, I can't stop playing her
songs on my iPod, her lyrics
are unbelievable. Keep the artists coming. I love
Om.VE;thanks for all you do.
- Jenn Gable, Grand Rapids, Mich.
More on Ugly Ducklings
Thank you so much for Aimsel L. Ponti's
piece on the Ugly Ducklings Campaign
("Ugly Ducklings Unite," Vol. 15, #8). I felt
very honored, and we are all really grateful
for the exposure for the project. I especially
appreciated the frankness about the issue of
lesbian/gay suicides ... which is something
that folks really tend to shy away from. I do
need to make a correction about the piece:
The Ugly Ducklings Campaign is being
spearheaded by Lauren Sterling and Lyn
Mikel Brown, and collaboratively pro10 MARCH 2006
duced by Hardy Girls Healthy Women,
Greater Waterville's Communities
for
Children and Youth.
- Carolyn
Gage, via e-mail
THE "30 BEST COMP~i"NIES FOR
Lesbians" (Vol. 15, #7) is a valuable tool for
SC Johnson on Animal Testing
those of us searching for a diverse work-
We were pleased to read that your magazine included SC Johnson on its recent
"Top 30 Companies for Lesbians" list (Vol.
15, #7). We also noted your comment
about animal testing and wanted to provide
you with an understanding of SC Johnson's
position on this as well as our leadership in
the movement to find alternative methods
to animal testing.
We share your concern about animal testing and we are committed to minimizing it.
We are working with the Institute for In
Vitro Sciences (IIVS) and other organizations
to develop and promote the use of alternative
test methods.
As you are probably aware, some governments require animal testing on some
products to be sure they
are safe to use. Animal
testing of SC Johnson's
products is conducted as
required by law or when
information from nonanimal tests is invalid or
insufficient to appropriately assess product safety.
We share your view that
animal testing that is not
required should be halted.
- Kelly M. Semrau,
place environment, but I was dismayed to
Vice President,
see that a number of the companies listed
are headed by males who belong to the
Augusta National Golf Club, which has a
policy barring women from membership. As
a result, women are denied the business
networking
opportunities
counterparts,
thus
of their
decreasing
male
their
chances of moving up the corporate ladder.
You may not be aware that companies
whose executive officers are members of
Augusta often attempt to downplay this by
getting their companies placed on "best of"
lists that focus on diversity. In the book Cult
of Power, Dr. Martha Burke, chair of the
National Council of Women's Organizations,
describes the "diversity dodge;' in which
such companies engage. This includes hiring outside companies whose sole purpose
is to provide other companies with information on how to get named on a "best of" list.
As a result, magazines such as yours report
the great strides that lesbians can make
working for a company that in fact is run by
men who have no intention of mentoring,
encouraging, or promoting women to higher
career positions.
I am not writing this as a criticism of your
article, but rather in the hope that you will
more carefully consider the companies you
promote in your magazine.
Global Public Affairs
- Sherri Kaplan, via e-mail
and Communication
Honestly,
Corrections
In our 2005 Lesbian Theater Awards (Vol.
15, #8), we incorrectly identified playwright
Migdalia Cruz as a lesbian, but we are still
pleased to recognize her play, Cigarettes and
Moby Dick, with a Lesbian Theater Award.
Our online holiday gift guide listed an incorrect URL for Imperfect Articles; the correct
URL is imperfectarticles.com. CURVEregrets
the errors.
we've
been
debating this issue for months now here at
CURVE,especially after two of our favorite
companies - Kimpton Hotels, where I stay
almost
every
vacation,
and
American
Airlines, an official sponsor of many CURVE
events - didn't make the cut. We realized
that big companies have big budgets that
they sometimes use to make their way onto
these "best companies" lists. We've decided
to change how we compile our list next
year and will include smaller companies
Got Something on Your Mind?
and more lesbian-owned companies in our
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to
Curve Letters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San
Francisco, CA 94103; or fax to (415) 8631609. Letters may be edited. ■
annual careers issue. Any ideas on who
we should include? Send us your suggestions to letters@curvemag.com.
ti-I
C
0
____a-rsHealthy Women,
.,dterville's Communities for
and Youth.
a..
LL.
- Carolyn Gage, via e-mail
·""'
::s
C
son on Animal Testing
pleased to read that your magauded SC Johnson on its recent
Companies for Lesbians" list (Vol.
We also noted your comment
imal testing and wanted to provide
1 an understanding of SC Johnson's
on this as well as our leadership in
ment to find alternative methods
1 testing.
are your concern about animal teste are committed to minimizing it.
working with the Institute for In
iences (IIVS)and other organizations
op and promote the use of alternative
ods.
u are probably aware, some govequire animal testing on some
products to be sure they
are safe to use. Animal
of SC Johnson's
0
Who's
more
impressive
than an openly
lesbian state legislator? One who has been elected to 13 consecutive terms, that's who. Karen Clark's 13 political wins
have made her the longest-serving openly lesbian state legislator in the United States. When her constituents voted to
return her to office in 2004, they did so with the the highest
percentage of votes (88 percent) cast for a Minnesota legislator. This well-deserved distinction comes after Clark's years
of advocating for and pursuing legislation benefiting her
constituents - members of a racially and culturally diverse
inner-city district with the lowest income in Minnesota.
Clark's devotion to social justice preceded her legislative
service when, as a nurse, she provided health care for
migrant communities and established a community health
center in the impoverished West Side of St. Paul, Minn.
In 1980, a progressive group approached Clark and asked
her to run for the legislature. Despite feeling "much more
comfortable being an outside agitator and community organizer," she eventually made the decision to run. Clark never
12 MARCH 2006
envisioned staying 26 years, but says, "I never quite thought I
was done doing the work I got elected to do, so that's why
I'm still there." Clark says being an openly lesbian politician is
gratifying and challenging. "It's the lens that a lot of people
first look at [me] through. One of the things I think happens
with anyone who is a minority in an elee:ted body," she
explains, "is that you have the privilege of becoming a voice
for people way beyond [your] geographical community."
Counted among Clark's major legislative achievements
are providing AIDS funding to communities of color, creating a Native American battered women's shelter and
adding "sexual orientation" to the Minnesota Human
Rights Act. Clark is also an environmental activist and one
of the founders of the Women's Environmental Institute.
"That's kind of where I see my future," she says. "I'll continue to work on environmental justice issues, particularly
as they affect women and kids." Her advice to other
women considering careers in politics: "Run! Do it! Get it
going, girl!" -Janel M. Lynch
ForGreatLGBT
MovieGossip,
Signupforour
e-newsletter,
TheQWorld.Fun,Fast,Free!
Seeweb site for details!
~
Wolfe·
www.WolfeVideo.com
1-800-GET-WOLFE
curvatures
Queer Campus Fights Rage On
HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CAMPUSES
across the country continue to be flash points
in the fight for gay rights, with lawsuits erupting everywhere from the O.C. to Florida.
After 17-year-old Charlene guon, a student
at Santiago High School in Orange County,
Calif., was outed by her principal to her
mother, she sued - with the assistance of the
American Civil Liberties Union - and won.
A federal court recently ruled that the chool
did not have a right to out guon to her parents, even if she was out at school. "We are
pleased that the court recognized that the
school does not have the automatic right to
disclose a student' sexual orientation just
because that student is out of the closet to his
or her friends at chool," said Christine P.
Sun, a staff attorney for the ACLU.
Meanwhile, Lambda Legal has filed suit
against Holmdel High School in
ew
Jersey on behalf of lesbian former student
Nancy Wadington, who was verbally and
physically abused for two and a half years
while attending the school. Other students
verbally harassed Wadington, destroyed
her belongings and threw objects at her,
without being stopped by school officials.
The Clay County School District in Florida
has been more proactive about stopping discrimination, especially after being threatened
with a lawsuit by the National Center for
Lesbian Rights on behalf of senior Kelli Davis,
whose photo was removed from the yearbook
because she wore a tuxedo rather than a
drape. The school board agreed to change its
senior portrait policy, which had restricted
girls from wearing tuxedos, and it will add
sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination
policy and provide diversity training to all students and staff in the school district.
CLR has also filed a lawsuit on behalf
of former basketball player Jennifer Harris
in regard to Penn State Lady Lions coach
Rene Portland's
"no lesbian" policy.
According to Harris, Portland threatened to
kick her off the team if she found out she
was lesbian, told the other players not to
associate with Harris, and eventually told
Harris to go play somewhere else.
According to CLR, this is not the first
time that Penn State has been asked to take
action against Portland because of her
homophobic behavior.
"It is particularly troubling that such
flagrant homophobia is permitted to thrive
at a school like Penn State, which has such
a strong public commitment to diversity,
tolerance and eliminating hatred ... from
the university community," said Helen
Carroll, NCLR's sports coordinator. Harris
has since transferred to James Madison
University, but because of CAA transfer
rules must sit out the 2005-2006 season.
- Lauren Marie Fleming
Tackling Murder the Lesbian Way
AUTHOR
MAGGIE
NELSON
HAD BEEN
haunted by her aunt's unsolved murder her
entire life, but after she tackled the troubling
topic in her book Jane: A Murder (Soft Skull
Press), a killer was finally brought to justice. In
Jane, elson takes a compelling look at her aunt
Jane Mixer's life and death, melding together
newspaper clippings, "true crime" books,
Mixer's journals and Nelson's own poetry.
It's a gripping emotional journey, uniquely
formed through spar e text conveying innumerable complexities. "I
never understood the form of the thing," the queer-identified elson
admits, "even while I was writing it .... Jane is a queer book, not
topically because it' about men and women's fucked-up dyads ...
but by form."
A poetry professor, elson recently moved from New York to Lo
Angeles and has previously published two poetry collections, Shiner
14 MARCH 2006
and The Latest Winter, both with Hanging Loose Press. While
publishers were interested in Jane immediately, most wanted
it in mainstream prose, and poetry editors also resisted. "I
began not to care, because if the book works, then it will."
Confessing she had written "a lot of unconscious work
that reflected Jane's murder before," it nevertheless took five
or six years for her to complete the book. "When
I finally sat down to do it, though, it took six
months." Though the case was reopened as the
book was going to print, and someone has now
been convicted in a very controversial court case
- a different someone than the serial killer who
was suspected for years - the text still stands a
a moving memoir of elson 's experience with
her aunt's murder. "The book is still about the
problem of living with something unsolved,"
she says. - Laura K. Cucullu
F
u
0
1'
cl
tl
e
a
Libraries Aren't Only for Books
FEW
LIBRARIES
CAN MATCH
THE
unprecedented queer exhibit Out at the Library
offered by the decade-old James C.
Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at
the San Francisco Public Library, but
thankfully the exhibit will now travel to libraries around the country.
If the weathered boots of Dr.
Mary Walker - the Civil War-era,
cross-dressing lady surgeon - don't
fascinate you, then perhaps the
steamy cover of Kay Addams' 1952
gay pulp paperback Warped Desires
will. Regardless, it's all here in a giant
commemoration of the first public
library repository of its kind. The
archival exhibit weaves together
unexpected connections between
objects and people to highlight the
richness and diversity of the LGBT
community in the past century. On
display are the Pulp Paperback Collection from
Naiad Press (the longest operating lesbian publishing house) and correspondence between
Naiad publisher Barbara Grier, Elsa Gidlow
and Patricia Highsmith (author of The
Talented Mr. Ripley).
The objects on display can be downright
quirky, like faded 1979 concert tickets from
the transgressive theater group the Cockettes or
a set of gold, silver and bronze medals from the
Federation of Gay Games. Other material is a
sobering look at the early days of the AIDS epidemic, with journals from the San Francisco
General Hospital and Evander Smith's diary
documenting Stonewall. Out at the Library's
unprecedented collection offers a rare glimpse
into the ordinary lives of those whose remark-
LOOKIE
LOOS:
Source: FHM magazine poll, 2005
60°/o
able, heroic efforts championed the cause of
LGBT rights.
Catch up with the exhibit at the LGBT
Community Center in New York, Provincetown
Public Library, Atlanta Central Library,
Swarthmore College Library, Dallas Central
Library or Minneapolis Central Library. Call
ahead for details. - Jaclyn Barcewski
of women say they have had or
would like to have lesbian sex.
Curve
15
rought to justice. In
elling look at her aunt
Beath, melding together
, "true crime" books,
Nelson's own poetry.
emotional journey, uniquely
parse text conveying innumerable complexities. "I
d the form of the thing," the queer-identified Nelson
while I was writing it .... Jane is a queer book, not
use it's about men and women's fucked-up dyads ...
16 MARCH 2006
YOU TOO CAN STAYAND
PLAY THE L WORD® WAY.
Relive the sexy season finale set at the
world renowned Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
The L Word®packages available.
C
Reservations 1 800 606 8244 www.fairmont.com/cwr/lword
® The L Word is a registeredtrademarkof Showtime NetworksInc.
u
H STLE
II
0
R
V\
C
s
s
2
1
When Alex Gibson was
a 9-year-old in Southern California, she saw
Nick Ut's famous photograph
of a naked
Vietnamese girl running down a street after
her home was destroyed by napalm. Gibson
(pictured above), who was moved to tears by
the image, cites this alone as the reason she
became a photojournalist. In 2001, she participated in her first exhibit, a project on homeless queer youth for the Matthew Shepard
Foundation. That in turn led to a job directing
the documentary Transgender Teens for the
Discovery Health Channel. Not too shabby for
a 24-year-old, mainly self-taught
photogra-
pher. "I always have the camera on me;'
Gibson says of her spontaneous
shooting
style, "and ... my studio will end up becoming
a club or a tent at Burning Man or ... a bathroom in a bar'.'
Often drawing from the fringes of culture,
her photography has begun to move away
from realism, recently exploring surrealist portraiture and "painting with light." Gibson often
photographs
friends and acquaintances
many of whom approach
-
her to be pho-
tographed - for whom the experience can be
quite powerful. "It's been a good ... mirror,"
Gibson muses. In this body-obsessed
cul-
ture, she appreciates the opportunity to say,
with a beautiful photograph, "This is how I
see you." - Amy Silverman
BellsWill Be
Ringing
IN DECEMBER,
THE SOUTH
African Constitutional
Court
overturned the South African
Parliament's statute that marriage
is a union between a man and a
woman, stating that South Africa's
constitution specifically prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. This move makes
South Africa the first African nation to legalize samesex marriage. - Lauren Marie Fleming
Out in Tokyo
JAPANESE
ASSEMBLYWOMAN
KANAKO
Otsuji took the Japanese population by surprise when
she came out publicly as a lesbian the day before the
2005 Tokyo Pride Parade. One of only seven women
in the 110-member Osaka assembly, Otsuji, 30, is the
youngest person ever to be elected to that position.
Though reaction to her coming-out was initially quite
negative, the public has begun to warm to her, and she
has since received letters from grateful gay Japanese
thanking her for speaking out. - Ariane Resnick
Pink
is one of
I
l/i,1mi
Ji.,vt.,,A,,,
fla-keys.com/keywest
,· ,•7~..:.,u,nJ,v,1
1-888-279-3632
Curve
19
Spring's Sneaker Road Test
OK, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS
since you re olved to get in shape, top
smoking and run in the Race for the Cure. If
you haven't already given up on those resolutions, four Curvettes have road-tested a
few of the hottest New Balance sneakers to
help get you jogging (er, panting) in no time.
If you want: athletic walking shoes that don't look hke sneakers,try the @1~•crlrrlwu
uuu-'"'""'=' ($75). Offldal word: This is a rugged suede slip-on for casual or off-road walking,
offenng exceptionalshock absorption. What Chris liked: These worked great hiking in the
woods, even though shp-ons usually don't do well in off-road settings. What Chris didn't
like: They're not what you'd call sexy shoes by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want: to skip down the street, dance
and do an occasional cart wheel, try the Off
Road Trail Runner WW1100 ($130). Official
word: This is the ultimate trail runner for
extreme off-road conditions with maximum
shock absorption, enhanced mid-foot support
and protection against rocks. What Jane
liked: The top of the sneaker has a built-in
sock-like protector. And they are sharp-looking
shoes that got me lots of compliments. What Jane didn't like: I usually wear loose Croes so
with these sneakers there is so much support that sometimes my feet felt trapped.
If you want: to wear runningshoes all day or run a marathonm sexy sneaks,
1
try the U'.:;~'~=u.:::=.:.1.1:;;
==~-'
($90). Offlclal word: Thts is a
trainerofferinga transitionalsupport systemand ABZORB 1nthe heel and forefoot for cush1on1ng
and stability,and it's water resistant.What Lynn liked:
These shoes are super comfortable,still attractiveenoughto wear to work, and
are supportiveenough to run severalmiles each day.What Lynn didn't llke:
Theheelrunsa littlelarge so checkthe S1Z1ng
if youhavenarrowheels.
T2: Judgment Gay
IN A MOVE THAT OUTRAGED CONSER-
vatives and shocked liberals, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently
appointed pro-choice, lesbian Democrat
Susan Kennedy as his chief of staff. A former
executive director of the California
Democratic Party and cabinet secretary to
ousted Gov. Gray Davis, Kennedy took a
political risk in accepting the appointment.
"There is an historic opportunity to change
the political dialogue of this state, get past
the party labels and get things done,"
Kennedy said. "I'm tired of the partisanship,
I'm tired of the intolerance that has resulted
in gridlock and I felt it was time for me as a
Democrat to put up or shut up."
20 MARCH 2006
The appointment of a
liberal to his conservative
ca bin et wa a bold move
for Schwarzenegger, who
recently vetoed a bill to
make same-sex marriage
legal in California and
spent the past several
months
pushing
voter
propositions that coincided
with his conservative platform. At her appointment
press conference, Kennedy
said she couldn't find a lot
of differences between her politics and the
governor's, stating that she voted for all four
of his proposmons despite
their party
differences.
Kennedy will be the governors right-hand woman
and will have a say in all
the policies the governor
may propose. Opinions
vary on whether Kennedy
will help or hinder the
fight for marriage equality
in California, but proponents agree it's a great day
for feminism when a lesbian can be appointed as a
Republican's chief of staff. - Lauren
Marie Fleming
B
g
a
AgingGracefully
BUOYED BY LOCAL AND STATE
government support in Santa Fe, N.M.,
RainbowVision Properties cut the multicolored ribbon last October to open the nation's
first full-service retirement resort specifically
welcoming the LGBT population.
"As LGBT people age, we may not have
the same family caretaker options
available to us as our straight
friends have," says Joy Silver, president of RainbowVision. "LGBT
people are comfortable
being
around other LGBT people because
of the common bonds we share. As
we grow older, that sense of community doesn't disappear - it only
grows stronger."
Though queer-specific retirement
housing already exists nationwide,
RainbowVision, an LGBT-owned,
-operated and -managed group, has added a
variety of resort amenities and services to create a hybrid model that hasn't existed before.
Residents can leisurely enjoy a cappuccino at
the cafe, sweat it out at the fitness center, get a
mani-pedi at the wellness spa or take in a show
at the cabaret. Another perk is the partnership
with R Family Vacations, the travel business
founded by Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell, which
allows residents to book priority reservations
and participate in social programs designed
expressly for them. RainbowVision also offers
a choice of traditional western or alternative
medicine practices, an option that many retirement homes neglect.
Key West's
Distinctive Resortfor Women
Several floor plans are available to choose
from, some of which are cheekily named
after gay meccas like the Castro District in
San Francisco and Chelsea in ew York.
Both independent and assisted living is available, as well as round-the-clock staff to
attend to residents' needs. And don't worry
about leaving Fido behind; here, pets are
family, too.
The 183,000-square-foot property is scheduled for completion this May, but several
community villages have already sold out.
This should come as no shock, considering
that Santa Fe has the highest per capita concentration of same-sex coupled seniors, second only to San Francisco. As for expansion,
Silver has her eye on - surprise, surprise the Golden State for RainbowVision's next
big hit.
For
info,
vlSlt
visionprop.com or check out
retiring.org. - Jocelyn Voo
www.pearlsrainbow.com
800. 749.6696305.292.1450
525 United Street
Key West, FL 33040
Curve
21
lipstick
& dipstick
Do the Right Thing
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm stationed in
Iraq and met a sweet Australian named
Janet in a chat room a couple months ago.
I enjoy talking to her, but a month ago I
started dating a girl in my unit, Audrey,
and am totally into her. We've made plans
to move in together when we get home
from Iraq, and I'm in love. Last week, I
started getting letters in the mail from
Janet saying she loves me and she'll wait
forever for us to be together. I don't want
to hurt this Australian girl. I told Audrey
everything and I've just been ignoring
Janet. I don't know what to say and I feel
like a total ass. - Sand in My Eye
s
(l
f
s
Lipstick: Sandy, you are a total ass, and
Lipstick is appalled that you left this little
koala cold and alone in the outback. What
can you do? You tell her you've met someone else, ding-a-ling! Like a bad case of herpes, you just can't ignore Janet. She may
stop writing and appear to go away, but
you'll always be the dyke without a spine,
the one responsible for her broken heart.
Besides, since you're in Iraq, she'll probably
think something horrible happened to you.
Because she was madly in love with her
ex, she still has issues. She says she's in
love with me but because she isn't crazy in
love, she wonders if we should be together at all. I told her as long as she feels like
I might be "the one:' I'll stick around. Am I
doing the right thing? How long will this
last? - Dedicated in Detroit
Spare this innocent girl and tell her the
truth. "Don't ask, don't tell" doesn't apply
here. Step up, soldier.
D1
Dips ic
Whoa, is this a math problem? If one
lesbian leaves Seattle on a train going 75
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm butch-crazy!
I get whiplash and warm, tingling sensa•
tions every time a butchy babe passes by.
But therein lies the problem: They pass
me by. I'm not femme and I'm not butch
either. I'm a 'tweener (fishnets under my
Carhartts). The bois don't go for me, but
the femmes do. Do I need to femme
myself out? How do I attract the overalls
without giving up my own? - 'Tween Love
and a Hard Place
Lipstick is right! And let me warn you
mph and another leaves Detroit on an air-
about looking for lesbian love in Internet
plane traveling 300 mph, what's the proba-
chat rooms. Haven't you heard? The latest
bility they'll
have sex at the Michigan
by, girlfriend? Therein lies your problem. Be
military mission isn't to catch Osama Bin
Womyn's Music Festival? I was never good
aggressive: Stop the next butch who floats
at these. I give it three more months, DD.
your boat and buy her a beer. Dykes love
1
Laden or to thwart the next attack on
Lipstick: Why are you letting them pass you
America, but instead to ambush the bush-
Lipstick: I aced math, so I give it three hours.
attention as much as gay men love anony·
loving bush (and I'm not talking about Jeb in
Double D, take a deep breath and listen
mous blow jobs, so show her you're inter·
Florida). A word of warning: Gay chat rooms
up. I've got bad news. This woman is not
ested and you'll be out of your Carhartts
are ground zero. With the electronic trail,
in love with you; in truth,
and into hers in no time.
you're more likely to be caught cybersexing
respects you. How could she when you
Janet than peeking inside Audrey's tent.
roll over so easily?
she hardly
i
T, stop thinking about yourself. If you
want to bag a butch, you need to think like a
Follow Lipstick's advice: Give the Australian
The fact that she's admitting the emotional
butch. After one look at you in your overalls,
lass her discharge papers and sign out of
hang-up tells me it's hopeless, at least for
she'll think you won't want to date her. Lipstick
the chat rooms.
now. Like many of us do, she got into this
is right - you'll have to make the first move.
relationship
Ask her to listen to a noise your car's making
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I am in a committed relationship with a woman who
had her heart ripped out for four years.
They had broken up one time for five
months. They've been split up for a year
now, and we've known each other for
three years. Seven months ago, we started
an intimate relationship; two months ago,
we made a monogamous commitment.
22 MARCH 2006
too quickly. Society
has a
word for it: rebound. Why it seems lesbos
or lift something heavy into your truck. Tell her
do this more often than other people is
you want to massage her back. Flirt extra hard,
beyond me - perhaps it's our insatiable
or else she'll think you're just another butch
need for a warm body with whom to nest;
looking for a pal. Flash your fishnets and she'll
perhaps
be the one with whiplash. ■
our voracious
yet short-lived
libido? Whatever the case, step back, pick
up your self-respect and give this woman
the space she needs to get the ex out of
her heart.
Something on your mind? Need answers to
life's most pressing questions? Drop Lipstick
and Dipstick a line at lipstickdipstick.com.
What'sYour Fantasy?
Dear Fairy Butch: I just found out that after
nine years together, my partner visits Web
sites featuring big dicks, gangbangs and
other various non-dyke forms of sexuality.
I'm understanding and considerate, but
this has bothered me so much that it's
really changed my sex life. I can't even
come anymore during sex, since I keep
remembering this and feel betrayed. I've
confronted her and told her that if this is
what she really wants, we can end the
relationship. She ends up getting all bent
out of shape, saying it's my own damn
fault for prying into others' affairs. What
should I do? - Betrayed in Baltimore
whatever Web sites she likes. And you have
to admit that your offer to end the relation-
Dear Betrayed: Well, sugar, I can understand
ship in response to finding these sites was a
how you might feel concerned, hurt and
tad bit passive-aggressive. That kind of state-
ready to let your imagination run wild. But
ment backs her into a corner and tells her
before you hit the track, let's put some
that the only satisfactory resolution, for you,
things in perspective. There are all kinds of
would be for her to disavow her penchant for
reasons why your partner may be checking
these sites and tell you that the only sexual
out these sites. Maybe she just likes to look
thoughts she's had for the past nine years
at these sites. She might find them amus-
are of you and what you do together. It's not
ing,
in a
fair, and it's not realistic, although it is human.
detached, anthropological way. It doesn't
It may be painful to acknowledge, but many folks
unbelievable
or
compelling
necessarily mean that she wants these
do have sexual thoughts of people or themes
sites to come to life with her as the star. For
outside their current relationship. I know that
example, just because I'm fascinated by
it can be a blow to one's ego, but it needn't
Karl Rove's White House connection to gay
pose a threat to a relationship. The sexual
military escort Jeff Gannon doesn't mean I
imagination can be a very unruly thing, sugar,
want to join them in a tryst!
and the trick is learning how it can be your
Another possibility is that she does have a sexual response to these themes and images in
servant rather than your master.
So instead of putting her in such an awful bind,
a constellation of other themes that com-
expand your view of the situation. Share your
prise her sexual fantasy world. Does this
feelings with her and invite her to share hers
mean she doesn't want you and that your
with you, including her fantasies, if you're
relationship is doomed? Most certainly not.
ready to hear them. Perhaps you two will find
While it's very easy to take a literal view of
that you want to bring some of her fantasy
someone else's sexual fantasies, sometimes
themes - or your own - into your sexual
a cigar just ain't a cigar. You can actually
relationship in a way that works for both of
have a sexual fantasy about something that
you. It takes some sophistication to under-
you don't want to happen in real life. Or per-
stand, but there are many ways you can
haps you'd like it to happen in a different way,
transfer the essence of a fantasy to a reality
with a different person. Fantasies such as
that looks very different from the fantasy and
these are not necessarily indicative of deep-
yet feels good to both of you.
seated desire for radical change in one's sex-
And you know what? You may just find that the
ual life. What they do likely indicate is a
whole process - sharing your fantasies and
desire to enjoy what certain metaphors, like
finding ways of incorporating some of that
big dicks or gangbangs, can provide.
essence into your sex life - can be fun and
In other words, fantasy is not simply a means of
creating a sexual shopping list. The first
exciting, and bring you closer together rather
than farther apart.
■
thing you need to do, my dear, is cool your
jets a bit. Your girlfriend is entitled to look at
Submit your queries to fb@fairybutch.com.
Curve
23
lesbofile
>> By
Nicole
Cameron
Barmaids and Boxers and Cheerleaders, Oh
EVERYBODY
SAYS THAT APRIL
IS
the cruele t month, but what about March?
It's slightly too warm for winter ports and
too cold for the beach. But there's one thing
we do know: As sure as the seasons change,
the public will never tire of salacious rumors
of girl-on-girl action - especially if it
involves cheerleaders or Angelina Jolie.
Angelina + Jenny= Fake News
We all know that Angelina Jolie had a fling
with former Calvin Klein model Jenny
Shimizu back in the mid-1990s when they
were in the girl-gang flick Foxfire. But who
knew that their love affair had continued for
the next decade - even through the Billy
Bob debacle and the advent of Brangelina?
Last December, U.K. tabloid The Sun published an interview with Shimizu in which
she was quoted as stating, "There has never
been an ending to her and I. I think there
never will be." As the media went into a
feeding frenzy over the idea that maybe Jolie
wasn't as into Brad Pitt as they thought, the
long-silent Shimizu made an appearance on
queer cable talk how On Q Live to dispel
the rumors. Shimizu said that she had never
made those statements to The Sun and that
Jolie, whom she considers a friend, had even
called to warn her that the tabloid would be
publishing the lie . Yeah, it's silly to believe
the tabloids, but that doesn't stop legions of
lesbians from wishful thinking.
Bingo for Barmaids
It appears Anna Nicole Smith was not
merely playing bingo for charity at
Hamburger Mary' in West Hollywood last
fall, as she took home a prize of her own
that night - a barmaid named Tracy- and
the photos that surfaced from her one-night
stand certainly don't leave much to the
imagination. Apparently Tracy returned to
work the next day covered with hickeys and
My!
haring photos of her elf handcuffed to a
bed, suggesting that Smith likes things a little rough. "Tracy was not keeping it a
ecret," said a source to the New York Post.
"Anna icole put her in handcuffs and her
neck was covered with hickeys. Anna icole
was also doing that butt-slapping thing - it
was bizarre." Uh, yeah, we're shocked at
Anna icole's bizarre behavior!
Straight-Laced Laila
Shortly after 2 7-year-old boxer Laila Ali,
daughter of the legendary Muhammed Ali,
announced her divorce from husband
Johnny "Yahya" McClain after five year of
marriage, rumors began to fly that he was
dating a woman. And not just any woman,
mind you - the rumor mill named actress
and rapper Queen Latifah as Ali's love
interest. But Ali was o disturbed by the gossip that she actually is ued a press relea e
denying it, stating, "Yes, I am in the process
"It's still terribly impor·
tant to unify and reach
-c,
people, even if they
would not want to reach
■-
ca
u,
~
.c
u,
haps. But I think it's
important to be open, to
try to create some kind
of understanding with
people." > > Lily Tomlin
to Lavender
"Twenty-year-olds
"My partner in crime
don't want to call
was beautiful and gor·
themselves feminists
geous and a sweet-
because, to them, that
-c,
■-
me or include me per·
ca
u,
~
.c
u,
heart. So it wasn't that
means a lot of angry
hard to pretend I was
women on a picket
attracted to this per-
line. Now, the revolu·
son. To be honest, it
tion's going to happen
was pretty damn easy;'
online." >> Susan
>> Actress Mila Kunis
Sarandon to Bust on
to Stuff magazine on
redefining feminism
playing a lesbian in
the new film After Sex
24 .MARCH 2006
"People say I'm half-boy, half-girl. I love style and dressing up, but I've also
got competitive testosterone and I'm incredibly stubborn. When I'm going
for a jog and I come up behind a guy on his bike, I try to beat him, even if it
kills me'.'>> Lost's Evangeline Lilly to Rolling Stone
of getting a divorce, but I am not dating, nor
will I ever be dating a woman, because I am
not gay." Whew! Well, thank God you
cleared that up for us, Ms. Ali.
Madonna Bathes in Gay Soap
Now that Madonna is a married mother of
two, she's had less time to court her gay fans,
but she clearly hasn't forgotten them. Her
production company, Maverick TV, recently
announced that it will be partnering with
Logo, the MTV-owned LGBT cable channel,
to create a queer prime-time soap along the
lines of Melrose Place. The show, centered
around the LGBT residents of an apartment
complex, will be created by Christian
McLaughlin and Valerie Ahern, who have
both written for the television series Clueless,
Drawn Together and Hot Properties. It's tentatively titled San Rafael, which suggests that
it might be set somewhere in California. Um,
can Shane stop by and visit?
Gimme an "5:' Gimme an "E:' Gimme an "X"
When two Carolina Panthers TopCats cheerleaders were recently arrested for having sex
with each other in a Tampa, Fla., bar bathroom, the media - we're guessing there
were a few straight men among them went crazy. An ESP article about the hot
girl-on-girl action was forwarded to more
people than any other ESPN news story, and
fascinated gossipmongers actually crashed
the football team's Web site seeking insider
info on the girls. The cheerleaders involved
in the incident, Renee Thomas, 20, and
Angela Keathley, 26, were later fired from
the Panthers for violating a TopCats code
that prohibits embarrassing conduct in public. But Thomas did more than merely make
out in public; she also punched a woman
who was waiting in line for the bathroom
and provided the police with a fake ID.
While the combination of lesbian cheerleaders, cops and public sex could make a really
interesting, um, film, let's just say this wasn't
the best way to bust open the closet doors of
the great sport of cheerleading. ■
■
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Curve
2s
So how funny is she? Halfway through the awards ceremony,
know, it's so hard to answer the questions carefully:'
Broadway singing sensation Kristin Chenoweth sang to her manager,
She did make a statement when a "day in the life of Ellen" photo spread
Dannielle Thomas, introducing Thomas as one of POWER UP's Ten
that she photographed came out in The Advocate shortly after the breakup.
Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz for 2005. It was a tough act to follow,
Asked to make a statement, she told the magazine, "I would never have
but that's what actors Hedison, Daniela Sea and Sarah Shahi had to do
done this story if I had thought we would not be together today:'
when they introduced their L Word boss, Ilene Chaiken, who was pre-
It's no wonder that she leapt at the chance to get out of town when a
sented with the Artistry Award. While Shahi confessed to being com-
call came last summer offering her an acting job on location. Ironically,
pletely mesmerized by Chenoweth's tribute, Hedison coolly voiced her
acting was a career she had decided years ago wasn't for her. Plus, the
admiration for all the honorees, soberly adding, "I'm going to sing a little
role required that she shed her clothes for a lesbian love scene.
something now:'
"I hadn't acted in, I'd say, at least five years," says Hedison, standing
With head bowed, she paused momentarily as if in preparation allowing just enough time for strangers in the crowd (the majority of us)
to wonder if she could actually sing.
on the lush courtyard patio of the venerable Beverly Hills Hotel before the
awards ceremony. "I didn't have any intention of doing it:'
But the return to acting, she explains, was well-timed. "You know, I am
"Oh, I'll do this afterward;' she said wryly, eliciting a good laugh.
actually very private, but ... there was something about ... doing a show
Great comic timing and a clear sign that her confidence and sense of
where I was out and I have to take my clothes off;' she says sardonically.
humor have returned after a year that's been no laughing matter for the
"It was a very good thing for me - it was sort of liberating in a way.
actor-turned-professional photographer.
Especially after the fact, in this year, it was important for me to be sort of
Hedison's committed relationship with DeGeneres ended in the fall of
pushed out and do things that I think I wouldn't have done:'
2004, when DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi publicly declared they had
Early on in her acting career, Hedison made one knockout of a fire-
fallen in love. Blindsided, Hedison moved into the guest quarters of
fighter in L.A. Firefighters, a short-lived TV series in 1996. She followed
another famous lesbian comic, her friend Suzanne Westenhoefer, whom
that gritty drama with guest spots on other TV shows, including a recur-
she had met in an acting class years before. "My girlfriend made her slice-
ring role on Prey with Debra Messing. She found her niche in 2000 - the
and-bake cookies to cheer her up;' says Westenhoefer.
year she began dating DeGeneres - as a professional photographer. Her
Just weeks before, in a November 2004 interview with NBC's Stone
pictures have been published in Time, Newsweek, People and USA
e lesbian breakup that provided tabloid
roves that her talk show ex shouldn't get
Phillips, DeGeneres called Hedison the love of her life. "I've never felt this
Today. Hedison was hanging her latest photography show in a West
way ~::.1ore.Ever;' DeGeneres told Phillips. "She's amazing. She's kind.
Hollywood gallery in July 2005, a follow-up to a successful exhibit she
She's funny.... I'm happier than I've been in my entire life:'
had mounted the previous year, when the call came from Showtime ask-
By mid-December, de Rossi had moved into the Hollywood Hills
home that Hedison and DeGeneres had shared. News accounts blared
about the budding
romance -
including
what de Rossi bought
DeGeneres for Christmas (surprise, it was a Porsche).
"I felt really strongly when I was in the relationship about not talking
ing her to audition for The L Word.
"I'm really good friends with Leisha Hailey, I know Ilene Chaiken and I
know Kate [Moennig] as well:' Moennig, in fact, attended Hedison's photography show in 2004. "I had to do it the same day, and it was sort of
'shoot right away; and for some reason, I just thought, 'Yeah, why not?"'
about it;' says Hedison. "I haven't talked about it since the breakup. But
Indeed. It had been just over six months since her world was turned
basically, there's nothing to talk about, because all of the information has
upside down. "Yes, yes, yes, exactly!" says Hedison, who admits that work-
been out there. Literally, it's all been out there. I couldn't believe how
ing with the close-knit L Word cast in a foreign city was a welcome change
much was public information. But I think Ellen isn't as private as I am:'
of scenery. "Basically, it was a good reason to leave L.A. for awhile. So I
She catches herself, determined to stick to the high road: "I don't
went and auditioned and I got it. ... I was on a plane four days later:'
Curve
27
While her character is a straight documentary filmmaker, this is a show where the lines of sexual identity
are not only crossed, they're blurred, stretched, twisted
and often downright
obliterated.
Dylan Moreland
(Hedison) may be straight, but she immediately zooms
in on one subject in particular -
Helena (Rachel
Shelley), who last season nearly snatched Tina permanently from Bette's bed.
"I meet Helena, and it's sort of
funny that I'm straight and she's supposedly gay;' Hedison says. "I don't
think we could look more the opposite, she's so beautiful."
Good
looks
haven't
exactly
escaped Hedison, an exotically stunning woman who's the daughter of
actor David Hedison, a soap star on
Another World and The Young and
the Restless, who became famous as
a dark and extremely handsome actor
in the 1960s TV adventure series
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
David Hedison met Bridget Mori in
Italy; they married in 1968 and had
Alexandra and her younger sister, Serena. The girls
grew up in the glare of Hollywood, where their parents'
friends were actors, writers and directors. Despite the
environment, Hedison is polite, friendly and seems not
at all the jaded Hollywood child.
"I think I have a good sense of what's real and what's not;' explains
"I'll never go back to being an actress the way I was;' she vows. "I'll
Hedison. "My parents are very grounded [they've been married nearly 40
never go back to that being my daily routine. If something came up, I
years], so I think I have a good sense of people and of myself:'
Alexandra came out when she was 18 and remains close to her fam-
might do it, but I'm still focused on my photography and on directing;
that's my main thing:'
ily. While she doesn't relate to her straight character on The L Word, she
Hedison's photography show, [Re] Building, at the White Room
understands her. "Dylan is very confused, let's put it that way;' says
Gallery in West Hollywood, included a series of abstract images of sup·
Hedison, "and she completely falls in love with Helena. [Dylan] wreaks
port beams, exposed wires, rebar and other materials - photographs that
some havoc in Helena's life. The lack of drama on the set is made up for
suggest rebuilding or construction - and delved into themes of change,
by the drama that my character brings. There's a lot of drama going on:'
transition and progress (themes that appear to coincide with Hedison's
At the Power Premiere, Hedison's rapport with co-star Shahi seemed
own life). She also did a year-end special for Logo (Year in Queer 2005)
to support the well-publicized claims that The L Word cast is like family.
that began airing in December, but working behind the camera is
"She tried to get the writers to write a scene for us together;' joked a
Hedison's real passion. In 2004 she was accepted into the American
[to do The L Word] - it
was sort of liberating in a way. specially after the fact, in this year, it
was important for me to be sort of pushed out and do things that I
think I wouldn't have done!'
playful Shahi about Hedison, while flashing a radiant smile. They con-
Film lnstitute's distinguished Directing Workshop for Women. She's
tinue to tease each other as they posed for pictures at their table,
directed two short films: In the Doghouse, which she co-wrote with
then examined the digital images.
Moon Zappa, and a documentary short for Capitol Records on the mak·
While Hedison obviously has the support of many friends and her fam-
She doesn't completely rule out acting, though, if another oppor·
"Time is a funny thing," she says thoughtfully. "I ... I need more of it:' And
tunity like The L Word comes along. "It was such a nurturing envi-
though she isn't seeing anyone romantically, she concedes good-
ronment, it was great. It was the most fun I've ever had on a set
naturedly that her role on the hit lesbian series could change that. "Yeah,
working ....
maybe;' she laughs.
don't regret it at all, although," she says with a laugh, "we'll see what
happens when I see the show!" ■
But fans looking to see more of Hedison on TV may be disappointed.
28 MARCH 2006
--
ing of Shelby Lynne's latest album that's been airing on Di recTV.
ily and says she is doing "better and better:' she still isn't 100 percent.
--
I feel really happy with what I did and I'm glad I did it. I
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Curve
29
Hong Kong is a city alive with
contradictions: Vendors sell dim sum from street carts while talking on cell phones, and businessmen practice tai chi in the park
before heading to work in skyscrapers that dot the horizon. The
unique blend of Eastern tradition and Western culture highlight the
ages-old glamour of Asia. To make the most of your trip:
Connect to the Culture
Immersing yourself in the local culture is one of the best ways to
truly experience Hong Kong, and one of the most predominant
cultural practices is martial arts. Kowloon Park is home to Kung Fu
Corner, a series of weekly demonstrations where participants
dressed in colorful silk outfits offer lively demonstrations of tai chi
and kung fu. If the demonstrations leave you feeling adventurous,
sign up for a free tai chi class. The Hong Kong Tourism Board
offers one-hour classes on the waterfront several mornings a
week. The classes, which are, trust me, much harder than they
Sample Traditional Cuisine
look, offer a glimpse into one of the oldest forms of martial arts.
Strolling along the streets of Hong Kong will definitely work up an
The practice is said to help balance yin and yang - negative and
appetite. Hong Kong is famous for its dim sum, sweet and savory
positive energies - and can provide some much-needed relax-
dishes such as shrimp dumplings or chicken's feet that are tradi-
ation after fighting throngs of people at the bustling markets.
tionally served with tea. The dishes, which are often inexpensive,
are eaten in late morning or early afternoon. The British influence is
Tour the Temples
Spend an afternoon (or an entire day) touring the ancient temples
still strong in Hong Kong and formal tea ceremonies are still prevalent. Sipping a pot of perfectly prepared green, black or oolong tea
scattered throughout Hong Kong to get a glimpse of the religions
is a great way to relax and experience a different side of the cul-
that have shaped the region. There are an estimated more than
tural coin.
600 temples and monasteries in Hong Kong, but just 40 are open
Jumbo Kingdom, a floating restaurant in Aberdeen Harbour, is
to the public. Of those, Man Mo Temple and the Po Lin Monastery
a tourist trap that cannot be missed. The cuisine is not noteworthy
are definitely worth a visit.
Man Mo Temple, located in the Hollywood District, is one of
but the spectacle of lights and adornments are enough to attract
attention. The restaurant offers a free shuttle boat from the dock
the oldest and most famous in Hong Kong. (Consider having the
but you can also hire a sampan, an old-fashioned fishing boat, for
resident fortune teller predict your future.) Po Lin Monastery on
transportation to the restaurant and a tour of the harbor.
Lontau Island is a Buddhist monastery and religious retreat where
the main attraction is the Tian Tan Buddha, the largest seated
Check out the Nightlife
Buddha statue in the world. According to legend, the shrine houses
Spending your days touring dozens of temples and walking around
a bone fragment encased in crystal of the actual cremated
the city in search of the perfect dim sum will probably leave you
Buddha. There are 260 steps leading to the statue, but the walk
craving a bit of nightlife. Hong Kong is the place to dance and drink
to the top is worth it for a breathtaking view of the island.
until dawn. Homosexuality was illegal in Hong Kong until 1992, but
when the Chinese government lifted criminal penalties, dozens of
Shop Until You Drop
clubs and saunas threw open their doors. It is still relatively uncom-
Hong Kong has a reputation as a veritable paradise for shoppers,
mon to see same-sex couples being affectionate in public (in fact,
and a quick glimpse of local residents reveals that fashion is seri-
it is pretty uncommon to see hetero couples being affectionate in
ous business. It is possible to shop just about anywhere in Hong
public), but there is a thriving gay scene in Hong Kong.
Kong, but the streets in the Tsim Sha Tsui district are lined with
The majority of the clubs are located in the Central and Tsim
designer boutiques and stores selling every electronic gadget
Sha Tsui districts. In addition to several gay and lesbian clubs,
imaginable, and the district is home to the Harbour City Mall, which
several straight clubs also have gay nights. Propaganda, a club
boasts over 700 stores.
located on Hollywood Road, i~ regarded as one of the hottest gay
One of the most popular shopping experiences, also in Tsim
dance clubs in Hong Kong and is packed almost every night of the
Sha Tsui, is the Temple Street Night Market. Starting at dusk, ven-
week. GayStation, a free paper that can be found throughout the
dors hawk wares ranging from fake designer bags and T-shirts to
city, has listings for nightlife and saunas. ■
illegal porn and sex toys. Bartering is expected and prices are generally very low.
For more places to visit in Hong Kong go to curvemag.com.
Curve
31
I have to admit: Tokyo's sheer energy
and exuberance are irresistible. The cacophony of
ntrasts within its lim-
its makes for a thrilling, dazzling, bewil_
ting adrenaline rush
or gently relaxing,
_...,i~~t.AG1rl/btd,:::.1"..t1~ ••
would be
ds. I would
every morsel
-nibited by my
• politely disbedone, however,
with overwhelming politeness.
Once there, I smirked at encountering toilets
so futuristic that they came with safety instructions for use, after getting out of beds that more
than
amply
accommodated
my
length.
"egg" in Japanese) is an upmarket drag king or
Unfortunately, the naysayers were right about
onnabe bar where women go to be served
one thing: Addresses were definitely difficult to
drinks, have cigarettes lit and be serenaded by
comprehend. Tokyo was built in a spiral around
the hot resident hosts. I was surprised to dis-
the Imperial Palace, in a manner designed to con-
cover most of the women who paid around $15
fuse enemies. Buildings are numbered but not
for kingly attention were straight office workers.
necessarily logically. Bars issue business cards
with maps - useful, as taxi drivers don't like to be
so impolite as to admit that they're lost.
For later night
entertainment,
promoter
Panache provides excellent women's options,
including salons, lounge and dance parties, but
The first night I ventured out, I opted for a taxi rather than negotiating
the big name in nightlife is Goldfinger. Held in a 1,500-capacity venue,
Tokyo's subway system and the hurdle of choosing among Shinjuku sta-
this riveting event offers a big backroom, sizzling hot dancers, tips by way
tion's 40 exits. In between the glaring neon and crashing pachinko par-
of mouth and an unforgettable way to spend last Saturdays of the month.
lors of sleazy Kabukicho and the shiny cloud-scraping towers of the
The next night I headed to the predominantly straight social mecca
municipal offices shines the dimmer glow of Shinjuku Ni-Chome. One
Roppongi. While only the very talented, or utterly oblivious, should con-
"police" box, a Shinto shrine, bookstores, numerous expensive fruit stores
template reaching for the microphone to croon in bars, fans of Lost in
and more than 200 lesbian and gay bars lurk in Ni-Chome's alleyways and
Translation shouldn't miss out on the phenomenon of the karaoke box. We
narrow side streets.
arrived at Shidax after darting through the stream of colorful two-tone
Among the 200 establishments are women's bars, drag king venues,
taxis as they blurred by orange and blue, blue and yellow, yellow and
host clubs, lounges, dance bars and social salon spaces. Barely big
turquoise. Ten dollars per person provided a private room, dancing pole,
enough to cram in a counter and a scatter of sake glasses, these spare
tambourine, microphones, two drinks each and, for those of us with Japan
bedroom-sized bars crowd on top of each other, often several to a land-
Airlines frequent flyer cards, the ability to incur miles as we sang.
ing, with exclamation-point towers of neon signs on building exteriors lur-
The following morning, with the tambourine solo from "Walk on the
ing in passersby. The miniscule dimensions are not the only differences to
Wild Side" still ringing in my ears, I scampered off to see the sights. On
be discovered in Tokyo's dyke scene. Many bars charge admission, gen-
the subway, I was relieved to have missed experiencing morning rush
erally $3-1 0. It usually provides a drink or two and a "snack'.' This can
hour. White-gloved subway "shavers" pack commuters onto morning
translate as a full meal, as plates of chocolates or as token nuts. Another
trains that run so efficiently workers are issued with late notes if the train
translation to keep in mind is that here you should forget that search for
runs over one minute late. Pink-edged sections of platforms mark women-
the Virgo of your dreams. In Japan, it's as easy as ABO: These days dat-
only subway cars to save us from being, as Ellen DeGeneres might sug-
ing is all about blood type compatibility.
gest, "packed as pickles;' alongside overly intrusive men.
Spilling out of the taxi outside Advocates and into a flirty, lesbian/gay,
In Akihabara Electric Town I was stunned by banks upon banks of
Japanese/international crowd, hot femmes in their 20s and 30s eyed all
screens chattering, selling, singing and begging me to acquire new tech-
newcomers with interest. With my Japanese vocabulary pretty much lim-
nology in every color I've ever dreamed of. A moratorium on technology
ited to "I'm allergic to MSG;' I failed to win any new friends. Only a few
means that gadgets the likes of these won't make their way into markets
doors away, a very different dynamic unfolded. Tamago (which means
abroad for three years. At the other end of the technology spectrum,
32 MARCH 2006
- --
A crush of colors - from cityscapes
(above right) to nuns (left, at the Meiji
Shrine) - complete vibrant Tokyo.
-~------~
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respected.
veet, strong Vietnamese coffee and cold baguettes, we chatted about
Jr travels and our homes. They turned out to be young, attractive and
b erman. As the day continued, I began to notice how the women sat with
Doumo Arigatou: A few common phrases go a long way, especially
Seir bodies inclined ever so slightly toward each other, their shoulders
if wanting to make new friends in the bars. Key words: Konnichiwa (hello);
SIJshing, and how their conversation in German had a slight teasing notf" I
hai and iie (yes and no, although most Japanese will say "yes" even when
gti1theruins, only one woman was taking pictures and I wondered if p~ge
they mean "no" rather than appear rude); douzo (please, as in "please
ski)s they shared more than a photo album and, before I could even
come in"); kudasai (please, as in "may I have a pen, please"); arigatou
new
(thank you); doumo arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much); sumi-
se food,
masen (excuse me); eigo ga wakarimasu ka? (do you understand
....-------------------------1Y
things,
English?); oishii (delicious).
Lay Your Head: Within strolling distance of the Imperial Palace and
grills, udon, tempura, chirash,-z
, yakitori, robata
Marunouchi business district, and at the gate of the wooded Hie Shrine,
re. During my trip, I munched my
the sleek Capitol Tokyu Hotel (capitoltokyu.com/english) has generous,
way through chewy onions that turned out to be jellyfish; unknowingly
comfortable rooms. For more traditional accommodations, roll out your
slurped down sharks' fin soup and several other very un-PC plates; thank-
futon
fully wriggled out of the culinary adventure of plunging a still-writhing shrimp
(japaneseguesthouses.com).
to its soupy demise; and eventually realized that the sake would keep flowing as long as I continued to politely sip.
on
the
tatami
floors
of
old-fashioned
ryokan
inns
Great Grub. If GW's visit there doesn't put you off your food,
Gonpachi (globaldining.com) treats diners to thrilling izakaya grilled food
And, as for sushi, it's far from a budget option in this already pricey
place, but it's fresh and fabulous in the eateries around Tsukiji fish market.
in an atmospheric wooden building. Be warned: Staff let loose disconcerting "welcoming" shouts as guests arrive.
The 60-acre market is a chaotic melee of hurtling electric carts, shouts,
Best Bar Bets: Include Tamago (1 F Nakae Building, 2-15-13), butch-
the smack of the blades hitting the morning's catch, bright red tentacles,
popular Madame Mars (homepage2.nifty.com/mars21), Mars Bar (3F
rainbow-striped shrimp and a disconcerting amount of whale blubber. I
Hosono Building, 2-15-13),
passed on the blubber and opted for modern sushi: a seaweed-bound roll
Kinswomyn
Advocates
(tokyo.to/kinswomyn)
and
(advocatesbar.net),
Chestnut
and
popular
Squirrel
with raw egg yolk quivering in its own small nori pond, a lone spear of
(k.oops.jp/cs/cs.html), a home for funky young things. Weekends pack
asparagus striping the plate. I pestered my Japanese companions to
women into these venues, while weekdays can merely showcase lines of
tec1chme the word for "delicious;'
dejected drinkers.
Clothes Encounters: Fashion runs a gorgeous gamut from occa-
Planning Ahead
t~
e
ry
sional sightings of kimono-clad socialites to designer names, schoolgirl
Getting There· Check LG BT-friendly Japan Airlines for great LGBT-spe-
chic, punk and goth. With 32 million people calling Tokyo home, every
cific packages (japanair.com/gaytravel) with departures from Vancouver,
subculture is well represented. lssey Miyake and Prada stores jostle
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
alongside each other on famed streets Omotesando and Aoyama.
. Relatively up-to-date bar info can be found at
Younger, hip shoppers flock to Harajuku and the small designer stores of
ite
utopia-asia.com. To time your visit to coincide with one of the spec-
Shibuya. Tokyo specializes in department stores the size of medium-sized
ly
tacular
U.S. states, such as the colossal Takashimaya Times Square. Shopping
n·
s.
Fin ing Fam
Goldfinger
or Panache
parties,
r
(panache.fem.jp, goldfinger-party.com).
cy
try the Tokyo Convention
Board (japantravelinfo.com).
check
their
Web
sites
For general visitor information,
in these stores can be an unforgettable experience. Buy yourself a melon
Bureau (tcvb.or.jp) or the Japan Tourist
and find yourself $20 poorer, but the proud bearer of an official stamp
and a certificate of authenticity. You won't forget it. ■
Curve
33
Here's how you cross the street in
Saigon: Slowly and deliqerately, step out into the traffic and begin walking. Swivel your head in both directions and make eye contact. Stay
steady. Do not speed up or slow down, hesitate or change direction. In
fact, saunter. Try not to show fear, or people may be tempted to play with
you. Pretend you are hiking in bear country, and puff yourself up so as to
look larger. Get into a groove, and the motorbikes and bicycles will swirl
past you like eddies around a branch in the river.
a
At some point, before you reach the other side, a Zen-like calm that
can only be described as pedestrian Nirvana will enter your body. It
begins in your chest and radiates out into your tingling limbs. Your synapses slow as if in meditation and the experience becomes pure sensation.
The bleating motorbikes and wheezing trucks blend together into one earsplitting silence. In the midst of this inconceivable calm, you will feel yourself become a part of the universe's human fabric, and small, intimate
details will begin to emerge from the chaotic scene and demand you
attention.
Out of the hundreds of bicycles coming toward me from every direction, I find myself fixated on a girl wearing a pink bandanna tied around her
mouth and nose. From the tide of motorbikes zipping between the slower
bicycle and pedestrian traffic, I pick one on which a toddler with blue
shoes stands precariously between his parents. Looking down to my left,
I see the gnarled toes of an old man pushing a three-wheeled cart loaded
high with cinder blocks. Then, I make eye contact with a young man driving a rumbling white truck as he manages to squeeze by me.
As I reach the other side of the street, a bony and nearly toothless old
man in loose pants and sandals perches on his three-wheeled cyclo and
yells, "Cyclo, lady, cyclo}'
Smile and the world smiles with you, especially in Vietnam.
I catch a glimpse of a young woman just inside a darkened doorway
holding a naked baby who wails as an older woman shaves the baby's head.
question of whether or not we'd attained happiness and prosperity.
That first day, as I stepped out into the noisy, churning mass of motors
One does not see displays of sexual affection between men and
and humanity in Vietnam's busiest city, I had no idea that I was about to
women, women and women, or men and men. It just isn't considered
commit the most intimate act of my life. I didn't know that the sights and
appropriate. One does see affectionate touching and holding hands, an
sounds and smells and tastes would weave their way into my blood-
intimacy of a friendlier sort. For my girlfriend and I to brush together as we
stream and continue circulating within me long after I returned home.
walked or to sleep in the same bed meant nothing to the Vietnamese peo-
I was prepared for crowded streets and poverty. I was ready to expe-
ple we met. Negotiating for a room at the front desk of one hotel, we were
rience a culture unlike any I was familiar with. I knew that the effects of
having trouble getting the woman to understand we only wanted one bed.
generations of war, turmoil and economic deprivation would be evident.
Once it was clear, she just smiled and laughed, telling us that Westerners
But I wasn't ready for the intense intimacy of private lives lived on side-
don't like to sleep together in one bed, not like the Vietnamese, who do it
walks and in open doorways, for the experience of moving through a
all the time. We were given a room with one bed without any sort of judg-
country where every space is public space.
ment or discomfort.
Coming from a culture that is almost pathological in its devotion to pri-
We had every intention of seeking out the handful of gay bars in Hanoi
vacy, that places little value on public space, that divides each day into
and Saigon that we'd read about in guidebooks. But our days were filled
discrete blocks of time, the astonishing thing about visiting Vietnam was
with cyclo rides through Cho Lon, Saigon's Chinatown; tours of Ho Chi
experiencing the richness of life lived in the open. There are no backyards
Minh's mausoleum in Hanoi, where his actual body lies embalmed under
in which to hide, no high walls or fences. Homes double as family busi-
glass; strolls through ancient Buddhist temples; boat tours of the floating
nesses, and the workday and family life blend together seamlessly.
markets on the Mekong Delta; and treks through the steep, terraced farm-
In the midst of this openness, the subject of sex and sexuality is off-
land in the North. It felt like quite enough to be human and American, and
limits, which served us well as lesbian travelers. People often asked us if
we didn't feel the need for our sexuality to become part of the point of our
we were married, but the query was not a tricky way of discerning our sex-
journey through Vietnam.
ual preference. In a country where marriage and children are often delayed
Despite the lack of formal gay diversions, we did meet other homo-
by economic necessity, people were really asking a more universal
sexual travelers nearly daily, and it was always exciting to experience a
34 MAR H 2006
quick flash of recognition. However, about halfway through the trip, my
aydar completely deserted me.
the "German woman or lesbian" game, they began to talk of their joint
home and business.
One morning, at 6 a.m., we climbed sleepily into a van in downtown
The ride back in an open boat on the river was intimate and even a lit-
oi An for a sunrise tour of the ancient Hindu ruins at My Son. There were
tle sexy as the four of us lounged in the sun, chatted and snapped pic-
ready two women in the seat behind the guide and driver, so we settled
tures. Back in town, we had lunch together. We parted and exchanged e-
to the bench seat behind them. Too sleepy for more than polite hellos, I
mail addresses. And though we may never see them again, I'll always
·ouldn't even place their accents on a map of Europe. Over breakfast of
remember the day.
,weet, strong Vietnamese coffee and cold baguettes, we chatted about
On our way to the airport, we rode through Saigon's deserted,
)Ur travels and our homes. They turned out to be young, attractive and
predawn streets. Enclosed in our private cab, it seemed as if we were
b3erman. As the day continued, I began to notice how the women sat with
completely alone in the sleeping city. As we glided past a park on the
Sheir bodies inclined ever so slightly toward each other, their shoulders
outskirts of town, the darkness was vibrating with movement. Once my
brushing, and how their conversation in German had a slight teasing note.
eyes adjusted, the shapes of dozens of figures jogging, walking, doing
At the ruins, only one woman was taking pictures and I wondered if per-
pushups on benches and performing the slow, graceful dance of tai chi
haps they shared more than a photo album and, before I could even play
emerged from the smoky darkness.
■
Curve
35
An An1erica
•
•
At work I'm- more accustomed to
cold
dance classic they had in the CD player.
calls and cubicles, not champagne toasts in Cannes. So imagine my
One highlight we agreed on was Parfumerie Molinard, France's oldest
delight when I found myself heading to gay Paree on a whirlwind trip
family-run perfume house in the World Perfume Capital of Grasse. Manned
with our own bottles, 80 different scents and a
organized by Maison de la France, one of the
country's travel experts. In no time I was wan-
mini' eyedropper, we received a basic lesson on
dering around the Museum of Modern and
the different notes that make up a perfume. Most
Contemporary Art in Nice, checking out the
of us were very pleased with our custom cre-
dyke scene in Paris and learning from master
ations and the others named theirs after terrible
chef Alain Llorca at Le Moulin de Mougins how
drag queens.
When our afternoon in Nice found us attend-
to make that perfect tiramisu.
ing a Calvin Klein male underwear fashion show,
I first met up with a group of queers at Paris'
Galeries Lafayette. With a beautiful glass and
I knew that the line had to be drawn. I set out for
steel dome, this 10-story department
store
Avenue Gean-Medescin, located just north of
attracts 80,000 visitors a day. Unable to find a
the train station, for some less touristy, more
male counterpart as alluring, their 2004 ad
affordable shopping. I was able to score a tres
campaign featured their icon, Laetitia Casta,
chic French Riviera jacket for only 18 Euros
posing as both a woman and a man. When I
(that's less than 20 bucks here).
finally found my traveling companions standing
Deciding how they would change the decor
behind several stacks of berets, they turned out
of Nice's avant-garde Hi Hotel, the boys didn't
to be my very own Fab Five. Apparently I would
even notice when I slipped away to the bright
be traveling with five fashion-obsessed gay men
pistachio green bar to get the address of le
and getting some life advice along the way.
Sapho bar (2 rue Colonna d'lstria) from /a belle
Quickly we boarded the Paris Metro for the
femme at the hotel's main meeting point.
10th Anniversary of Salon Du Chocolat, a five-
After a quick flight from Nice to Paris, I met
day event celebrating all that is "Cocoa Culture"
Anne Catrine and her business partner, Carol,
where 150 chocolate makers from across the
during lunch on Le Quai 55, a boat docked at the
world come together to sample and sell their
foot of the Musee d'Orsay. Its glass walls offered
newest bon/bons, chocolate liqueurs and hot
an exceptional panoramic view of the Seine
cocoas. There's even a designer chocolate
River and Paris while our hosts told us about the
dress fashion show. I waded past screaming
new concept that is pushing traditional clubbing
sugar-high petits enfants and later forced myself
in Paris aside. Now cruising on the Seine aboard
to dance through jet lag until 4 a.m. at the hot
some of Paris' most prestigious boats, Le Quai
lesbian dance club le Pulp. I sweated it out to a
was the original home to the now revolving
mix of Indian hip-hop, French house, new wave
dance party known as "Pinky Boat." The monthly
and Nirvana with a group of women even more
girls' night out brings all generations together to
diverse than the music. In the center of Paris, le
dance on the ebb and flow of the music. Taking
Pulp plays host to some of the wildest lesbians
me on a tour of gouine (that's French for "dyke")
dance parties in the French capital.
Back at the Plaza Paris Vendome Hotel with
only a few hours to spare before the departure
of our high-speed train to Avignon, I swam a
Paris, Catrine saved me from throngs of topless
allivanting around France in a Mini
'above in St. Tropez) and cruising every
irl bar on the back of Catrine's Vespa
men at Queen and instead I spent the night on
the back of her Vespa hitting every girl bar in the
Marais, Paris's red-hot gay district. We met up
few laps in the slate-paved pool and detoxed in the hammam (a Turkish-
with her friends at the crowded 3W Kafe, danced in the woman-only eel·
style steam bath) under a stunning starlit sky. On the train, 24 hours
lar at Blise Kfe and drank Fucking Mardis, the house special, at Le
after my arrival, I could finally close my eyes, relieved to know I would
Boobsbourg. We headed to the nearby Opera Quarter for one last glass
only be missing a blur as the train traveled at a record 320 mph.
of wine at La Champmesle, a lesbian landmark since 1979.
The next leg of the trip was just as fast. We explored the regions of
Arriving back at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Madeleine my last morn-
Provence and the Riviera by car, and it became clear while en route to
ing in Paris was spent much like my first. I centered myself in the ham·
Moulin de la Calanquet (the asylum in Saint Remy de Provence where
mam, drank a double shot of espresso and, without sleep, joined th
Van Gogh spent the last years of his life painting) that while I couldn't
boys on the way to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
■
take my eyes off of the breathtaking landscape of olive groves and vineyards rolling past us, the boys were more interested in the '70s disco
36 MARCH 2006
For more info on Paris, check out en.parisinfo.com.
GRAB
YOUR
POLES!
{O
be straight-acting and str ...
a troubling rise in hate crimes (
/ in
2003, a sizeable group of skinhea
i<ed participants in the Pride parade).
dss it's not surprising that national legal
rghts don't immediately bring about social
acceptance and change. Still, it's disappointing
y
de
Orbitz.com
has
greatskipackages
togay-friendly
destinations.
-.1
l
It's 11 a.m., and frenetic techno is
pulsing in the background. I stand in the white-on-white-on-white cavernous space, accented only with modern black leather furniture that's
been arranged just so, and look around for the dance floor. There's the
dry martini bar across the room, the crystalline tongues licking down from
the high ceiling, the flames rising out of the icy-stoned fireplace and the
sharply dressed urbanites wanting each other. But while this could easily be the most chic club in town, it's actually just the lobby for
ations and the others named theirs after terri
Stockholm's Nordic Light Hotel.
drag queens.
Jetlagged and slightly sweaty, I roll my generic black suitcase over to
When our afternoon in Nice found us attend-
the front desk, which is decorated in pearly Italian tiles. The staff is all sexy
fresh and clad in skin-tight T-shirts that read, "Pool Life'.' I inquire after the
pool, and the concierge smiles demurely at me, quaint American that I am.
"This;' he says, proudly gesturing to the thin strip of neon blue light
under the front desk, "is our pool." Turns out that the "pool" and the life
that revolves around it are temporary installations, which will change, as
usual, in two months' time. The Nordic Light is a "design hotel" that
promises its guests "an exceptional visual experience'.' Which means I
won't be needing that swimsuit I packed.
Looking Good
Sweden is a country obsessed with design (they even gratuitously named
2005 the Year of Design), so it makes sense that their capital city is so
stunning. Built over 14 islands, Stockholm's architecture is pleasingly Old
Europe - cobblestone streets, towering cathedral spires, narrow alleyways packed with pubs and tiny shops. But it's the backdrop of sparkling
s
clean blue waterways that makes this city so visually dramatic.
V
Beyond Stockholm proper are 24,000 islands of varying sizes and
liners headed for Finland or puttering sightseeing cruises or private
Stockholm isn't just for design buffs. Go to Stockholm Pride
the Swe Po
t,
yachts - is a popular pastime and a tourist's must. On my first day, I take
fact that Swedish marriages must be sanctioned by the state church)
c
an exhilarating spin on a Rigid Inflatable Boat. Before boarding, I gear up
But beneath this relatively glossy surface, I wonder, what's it really like tc
in the puffy, full-body, waterproof suit I'm provided, complete with leather
be queer in Stockholm?
habitability. Exploring the archipelago by water vessels - whether ocean
C
a
flying cap and large goggles. This ain't your typical sightseeing cruise.
I take a three-hour, gay-oriented tour of the city to find out. Kjell, ou c
Sure, it starts at a leisurely pace, allowing us to eyeball the elaborate gin-
guide for the day, is a middle-aged Swede in shorts and knee-high socks f,
gerbread summer homes with their matching miniature boathouses. But
As we "potter about town;' Kjell recounts milestones in LGBT Swedist
in between islands, our driver yells, "Goggles on!" before blasting for-
history and leads us to gay-friendly hotels and leather shops, past hit I<
s
ward. The wind whips us in the face, filling our mouths as we yelp with
hook-up spots of yore, and through the area of town where one can pur
delight and gallop along the waterway. Later that week, the ferry ride I will
chase cocaine and heroine, if one wishes. And just when I think this tau
take to the quiet outer island of Hasseludden won't be nearly so raucous,
is a wash for a tame girl like me, he leads us over a treacherous rock) jl
but it will be equally breathtaking.
hill, through a patch of overgrown weeds and behind a nondescript tree
c
"This;' he says, rather climatically, "is where gay men meet up today.
Form and Function
I hadn't realized this was going to be a how-to tour.
Since I'm visiting Stockholm to take in their Pride festivities, I can't help
F
Luckily, since the vast majority of Swedish people speak impeccablE F
v
but apply a basic principle of design - form meeting function - to the
English, I can cobble together my own, more lesbionic tour of Stockholm
city's queer scene. On the surface, being a lesbian in Sweden looks
I visit the Roxy, where the lesbian owners are so foxy it isn't just the del ti
attractive: Women representatives comprise roughly half of Swedish
icately flavored food that makes my mouth water, then to Club Sappho
(i
Parliament (the highest percentage in the world), and gay and lesbian
where groups of friends, cozy couples and newly out women over 3(
E
couples are offered registered partnerships, immigration rights, adoption
come together to lounge or get their groove on. I take myself to PridE ti
rights and, most recently, artificial insemination coverage under the coun-
Park, the center of the weeklong festivities; with its information booths s
try's universal health care. The issue of marriage is on the table and sup-
homespun live entertainment, food stands and mechanical bull, it's bas1· f1
ported by more than half of the populace (though it's complicated by the
cally your local county fair gone gay. And that's not a bad thing. ThE
38 MARCH 2006
..
-
-
-
-
-
.
-
atmosphere is unpretentious
Transportation Tips
and startlingly
direct (Dolly Parton covers are sincere, not
Fly Scandinavian Airlines (scandinavian.net)
camp). And the folks staffing the booths -
and splurge on the Arlanda Express (arlandaex-
earnest
gay boys touting
feminist
ideals,
press.com), the cush airport express train that
thoughtful lesbians educating about women's
stops at the Nordic Light Hotel. And don't for-
health, flamboyant Pippi Longstocking
drag
get to take an exhilarating boat trip through the
queens blowing kisses - are open to chatting
archipelago on RIB Sightseeing Centre (46 08
and giving me the inside scoop about gay life.
20 22 60).
Through these engaging conversations I discover that as progressive as Sweden is in terms
Homes Away From Home
of legal rights, there's still rampant discrimina-
Nordic Light Hotel (nordiclighthotel.se)
tion, pressure to be straight-acting and straight-
must, but Hostelling International Youth Hostel
looking and a troubling rise in hate crimes (most
af
notably, in 2003, a sizeable group of skinheads
(hihostels.com) offers a budget waterfront stay
Chapman
and
is a
Skeppsholmen
attacked participants in the Pride parade). I
in a fully-rigged ship. Yasuragi (yasuragi.se), the
guess it's not surprising that national legal
Swedish-run
Japanese
spa, offers
deluxe
rights don't immediately bring about social
overnight accommodations
where you soak
acceptance and change. Still, it's disappointing
your jetlag away in their mineral pool and out-
to realize that even when we do finally achieve
door baths (swimsuit, kimono and slippers
our full range of civil rights in the United States,
included),
we won't be done striving for equality. You can't
restaurants.
and enjoy the excellent
on-site
get the function of equality without the form of
legal rights; but the form, in all its official glory,
doesn't
mean you're immediately going to
Nightlife
Pretty gay boys performing dance routines to
ABBA-esque Swedish pop (at Club Mondo), a
achieve full-functioning equality.
On my last day, I go alone to Maria church,
a popular spot to view Stockholm's
Pride
mellow monthly lounge and dance party for
women 30 and over (at Club Sappho) and
parade. The theme for this year's festivities is
more can be found
"hate crimes and homophobia," the queer com-
Stockholm's gay paper, Gorky (corky.se).
munity's reminder to its straight supporters that
Ships
O'boy!
on the Web site of
Every Sunday
night the
there's still a battle being fought. Black clouds
docked party boat Patricia (patricia.st) goes
heavy with moisture threaten overhead, but that
gay, offering three bars, delicious dinners, late-
doesn't deter the glittery drag queens, the
night dancing and late-late-night semi-nude
scantily clad lesbians, the gay Iraqi refugees
grinding deep in its hold.
with their "Make love not war" banner, the mus-
The Absolut lcebar (nordicseahotel.se) hov-
cle-bound men in Pippi wigs, the truckloads of
ers at minus 5 degrees Celcius year-round, and
techno-crazed grinders or the angry young
the cover charge includes a space-age poncho
and gloves, admittance inside the all-ice bar,
queers chanting, "Bash back!"
I stand on the sidelines, cheering them on,
and one vodka drink in an ice glass. (I had the
along with wine-sipping straight couples and
Wolfpaw - lingonberry juice and vodka. Skol!!)
clapping babieP and seen-it-all elderly folks and
fashionably coiffed teens. Across the way, I
Oh,
and
don't
forget
Target
(target
baren.com), a classy gay bar and restaurant.
spot a newly out lesbian I met at Club Sappho,
looking sexy and excited in a shirt that reads,
Memorable Meals
"Spread Your Wings'.' The rain starts to pour
Chokladkoppen
down on us, and nobody leaves. The parade is
Take in the gay scene on the outdoor front
(Stortorget
18, Old Town):
just getting started.
porch while sipping on simply divine hot chocolate and a cinnamon roll.
~efore You Go
Roxy (roxysofo.se): Lesbian-owned restau-
Peruse and print out all of your materials about
rant that pairs a sexy urban atmosphere with
Pride before you go at stockholmpride.com. Or
truly memorable food.
visit,
in mid-June to
mid-July
(stockholm
town.com) to experience the rare midnight sun
Stockholm Fisk (stockholmfisk.se): Upscale
hotel restaurant with fish served Scandinavian
(all-day sunlight). Or, if you want a real old-time
style; it's fish stuffed with other fish covered in
European Christmas, go in December, when
a fish sauce.
the nights are crazy-long, the holiday lights
Krogkonst (Krogkonst.se): Delicious week-
shimmer and the water surrounding the city
day lunch specials
freezes over.
Moderna Museet (modernamuseet.se). ■
near the worth-seeing
Curve
39
CURVE
Gets
Some
Southern
Hospitality
by Amy Silverman
Stevens, getting her pride on at
Dallas' premier queer event.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT A CITY ROLLS
out the red carpet for a lesbian magazine, but that's what happened last
September when CURVE'Sown publisher,
Frances Stevens, served as one of two
honorary grand marshals at the 22nd
annual Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade
in Dallas. "When they called and invited
me, I was pretty surprised," admits
Stevens, who has been to more than 300
Pride festivals since she founded CURVE.
"This is my first time being asked to be
grand marshal. It's a big honor."
Along with Canadian swimmer Mark
Tewksbury, who won a gold medal in the
Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992,
Stevens rode down the parade route in an
orange Plymouth Prowler emblazoned
with her name on the side. A heat index
of more than 100 degrees did not stop
approximately 20,000 people from coming to watch the parade make its way
down Cedar Springs Road to where it
ended at Robert E. Lee Park for an
evening of performances by the winners
of a local American Idol-type competition called "Voice of Pride."
"I think the best thing about my
experience was definitely connecting
with the people of Dallas," Stevens says.
"The LGBT community there was so
amazingly welcoming from the second
we got off the plane to the time we left.
Everyone was so gracious. . .. Just nice,
down-to-earth kind of people."
When asked if she'd like to be a grand
marshal again, she doesn't hesitate before
saying, "I would be thrilled." Wouldn't
we all? ■
40 MARCH 2006
e
When I think of Dallas,
t
Corbin - you can keep an eye on the bar hop·
my mind goes to those lanky Cowboys cheer-
pers making their way from drink special to
leaders, opulent TV dramas and a red-state gov-
drink special. Inside, a DJ spins house favorites
ernor who recently told reporters that gays were
while a diverse, young crowd boogies on the
not welcome in Texas. I hardly think of Dallas as
ample dance floor. The back patio offers a more
a gay-friendly city. That all changed when I visited
intimate spot to smooch with the girl who just
and realized that deep in the Bible Belt, super-
picked you up.
a
sized Dallas is a haven for homos. When I asked
If country music is more your scene, cross
native Kathy Jack, manager of four local queer
the street to the Round-Up Saloon and two·
bars, what Dallas had to offer the lesbian tourist,
step with your sweetie in this mixed gay and les·
she was adamant with her response: "The food
bian club. Or grab a spot along the crowded
and the night clubs'.'
tti
n
s
railing and watch the cowboys and cowgirls
Like disco diva Alicia Bridges, I love the
twirl to the latest Sugarland and Faith Hill tunes.
nightlife, so what better way to begin my week-
Although there are enough bars on Cedar
end than with a tour of the city's gay bars? Like
Springs to keep one occupied for quite some
Liberty Avenue on Oueer
as Folk, Cedar
time, Sunday afternoon is the time to head over
Springs Road is where you'll find most of
to Buddies 11,a great place to wind down your
Dallas' gay bars. Dyke hotspot Sue Ellen's,
weekend playing volleyball out back or loung·
cl
named after the femme fatale in TV's beloved
ing by the pool. When have you ever been to a
s
prime time soap, is one of the friendliest
lesbian bar with a pool? (No, you can't count
i
women's bars I've been to - ever. As a matter
Dinah Shore.)
of fact, I have never been hit on so many times
Also worth a visit, if you're in town on a
in one night. My ego was lovin' Dallas within
Thursday, is Throckmorton Mining Company,
hours of my arrival.
which turns from a leather bar into a queer hip·
With live local lesbian bands four nights a
hop club that night. If salsa and tango are more
week, Sue Ellen's is my kind of bar. In the
your style, be sure to visit Kaliente (gay-owned)
spring and summer, musicians play on the front
or Bamboleo's
patio, where - when you're not listening to the
have a nice mix of male and female couples.
likes of Dallas favorites Heather Knox or Kathy
(lesbian-owned).
Both bars
After a long night of partying, it was easy to
o
find my way back to the
could, I decided to see what else Dallas had to
Melrose Hotel, which is in
offer. I headed over to the West Village for
the heart of Dallas' gay
some shopping. With everything from the Gap
community, mere blocks
to Ralph Lauren and high-end boutiques, the
from nightclubs. It's not
West Village is a great destination for those
surprising this gay-friendly
who don't have access to these stores in their
Dallas
Debs
historic hotel is popular
hometowns. My favorite? Cowboy Cool, the
with rural Texas queers
store that outfitted Ellen DeGeneres' cowgirl
coming
to town for a
makeover on her talk show's first season. With
weekend of "flaunting it:'
custom-made belt buckles, boots and cowboy
YES,
With
high
hats, dykes will enjoy playing out their Western
speed Internet and a full-
fantasies in this store. My quest for a unique
sized
the
Texas T-shirt ended not at one of the trendy
great
shopping districts or malls, but right in the gay
before: Everything is big in Texas. For
all the misconceptions about the state and the metropolis of Dallas - this one
isn't nearly as annoying, or wrong, as all
the rest. Sure, the Lone Star state has its
fair share of gun-totin' dung kickers and
flag-waving Republicans, but so does
central California. And while it was
home to G.W. Bush, well, again, you can
compare that to the supposedly liberal
left coast state that gave birth to Rev.
Lou Sheldon and the Traditional Values
Coalition.
So let's dismiss the stereotypes and
focus on what's good about Dallas from
a femmey girl's perspective: hot babes
and hot shopping. Lesbians from
throughout the South seem to have
gravitated to Dallas to form a magnetic
corps of power babes. These aren't your
fragile flowers of Southern belle fiction,
but rather
the hardscrabble
and
upwardly mobile women who use their
wiles, charm and smarts to make significant changes in the culture of Texas.
And you don't have to go to a bar to
meet them. Do what I did: Go to orth
Park Center.
One of Dallas' prestigious shopping
districts, North Park Center is a bit like
Madison Avenue with better parking
and lower prices. You can bump into
power babes at Burberry, find a gal daydreaming at Tiffany, a butch at Ralph
Lauren or a ready-for-a-fling filly at
Neiman Marcus. Top the day off with a
trip to the Spa at the Crescent (inside the
Hotel Crescent Court) where the
Hotter'n Texas Summer Rock Massage
is a dyke must.
Does shopping and spa-ing your
way to love sound shallow? Perhaps,
but with fund-raisers and parties and
social events aplenty, you don't really
even have to shop Dallas to find a girlfriend here.
But it's so fun, why wouldn't you? ■
big
Melrose
rooms,
bathtub,
was
a
choice for my weekend
mecca of Oak Lawn at gay-owned Off the
excursion. But if you want
Street pride store. It's also a great place to pick
to be treated like a rock
up rainbow paraphernalia and campy post-
star, stay where Melissa
cards to send home.
Etheridge, LL Cool J and
They do say everything is bigger in Texas and
Cher stay when they're in
certainly this is true. Dallas is proud that it's
Dallas: Hotel Zaza. Voted
home to the largest Human Rights Campaign
one of the nation's top
fundraising event in the country as well as to
boutique hotels, Zaza has
more power lesbians than on The L Word. Since
theme suites to fit your mood, everything from
this is the Bible Belt, a visit to the largest LGBT
erotica to Zen.
church in the country should certainly be on your
Although I agreed with Kathy's assessment
agenda. At any given Sunday service, about
of the bar scene, I didn't have such luck with
1,500 queers and their friends will worship with
restaurants. To be fair, Dallas has more restau-
lesbian pastor Jo Gail at Cathedral of Hope.
rants per capita than New York City, so I'm sure
If your idea of spirituality is more about com-
there are plenty of great places I missed, and
muning with nature, head over to the Dallas
the amazing food and atmosphere at Ciudad
Arboretum. Even though the theme for the
made up for the mediocre dishes eaten else-
2005 Dallas Blooms festival was "Proud as a
where. Owned by lesbian, transsexual, city
Peacock," it didn't strike me as the kind of place
council candidate Monica Green, Ciudad fea-
where you would feel comfortable
tures upscale Mexican dining to die for. I
hand in hand with your girlfriend. As a matter of
walked in with thoughts of high-carb burritos
fact,
and greasy enchiladas and left with a whole
straight families and bridal parties posing for
new appreciation for Mexican cuisine.
weekends
are crowded
walking
with
young
photo shoots. But on sticky weekdays, you can
Eating at Ciudad is a culinary experience,
find a quiet spot of cool shade under a pecan
so plan on lingering over your meal. With
tree, with breezes from White Rock Lake mak-
Mexican folk-art murals and hand-painted tiles,
ing this the perfect picnic spot.
Ciudad is a feast for the eyes as well as the
Perhaps it's not something the natives brag
palate. Arrive early and have a signature mar-
about, but Dallas is also known as the site of the
garita from one of the cute bartenders. Affluent
murder of John F. Kennedy. The Sixth Floor
lesbians tend to drop by for after-work cock-
Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the last
tails, but don't forego dinner. Shrimp cocktail
moments of Kennedy's life and his lasting impact
with salsa and avocado or ceviche are good
on American culture. History buffs and conspir-
choic:es for starters. The creamy pan-seared
acy theorists alike will thrill in the Historical
scallops with a ginger glaze practically melted
Society tour of Lee Harvey Oswald's life.
in my mouth, one of the best seafood dishes
I've ever eaten, but you can't go wrong with
the beef tenderloin or grilled salmon either.
One other restaurant bears mentioning, if
only because it serves as a great cure for the
STAY, PLAY AND PRAY
Where to stay: The Melrose Hotel (melrose
hotel.com) and Hotel Zaza (hotelzaza.com).
Where to eat: Ciudad (ciudaddf.com) and
late-night munchies. Hunky's, across from Sue
Hunky's Hamburgers (214-522-1212).
Ellen's, has consistently been voted one of
Where to play: Sue Ellen's (caven.com) and
Dallas' best restaurants for hamburgers.
Buddies II (buddiesii.com).
Having accomplished my goal of visiting as
many bars and restaurants in one weekend as I
Where
to
pray:
Cathedral
of
by Diane Anderson-Minshall
YES,
WE'VE
HEARD
IT ALL
Hope
(cathedralofhope.com). ■
Curve
41
r Gr
90..yo..f\Ole.sbio.."tro..ve.lspe.c.io..lists
Few sections of the travel
+
+
industry are booming nowadays like those that
rough it up more than you'd like. With prices
between $80 and $505, they're a delightfully
affordable option. (centennialcanoe.com)
cater to women seeking outdoor adventures.
The choices of where to go and what to do
••
"'
u
Q.)
u
bial limit with Adventure Associates, which
are now seemingly endless. Care to bicycle
organizes women-only affairs all over the world.
around a Hawaiian island? Have an urge to
They offer so many unique and worldly options,
spend two months crossing the country, eating
it is difficult to choose several to highlight. Our
healthy, gourmet food prepared daily by a trav·
favorite
eling chef? Or perhaps you've always dreamed
Tanzania Cultural and Wildlife Safari (where
of canoeing in Colorado? Whatever your les·
guests engage with traditional African tribal
bian adventure fantasy may be, there is likely an
cultures), the three-day Whale Watch Paddles
organization designed to cater to it. We've
in San Juan (with gourmet cuisine in a cabin
ones to daydream
compiled a handy guide of rugged vacation
resort)
C
options designed specifically for the individual
Adventure, which includes a visit to the matri·
and ever-changing needs of women.
lineal society of the Musuo. And don't even get
':::,
12 Muses: If high-end amenities and intellec-
tourists not only attend two festivals, they par·
C
tually stimulating conversations are prerequi-
ticipate in them as well. Wondering how much
sites for you to board a ship, lesbian-owned 1 2
of a drain on the pocketbook these treks are?
0
~
:::,
>--
...,
Q.)
>
u
Women's
Cultura1
us started on the Escape to Bhutan, where
@)
Q.)
and the China
about are the
'-
Cl.
Custom Yukon adventures
-in comfort and style
Adventure Associates: The sky is the prover·
once you get there, once few and far between,
n:l
Muses is the company for you. From the
Not nearly as much as you might fear: Prices
Culinary Cruise of Southern Italy to a golf tour
start at just $449,
of the majestic greens of Scotland, 1 2 Muses
between that and the high end of $4,395.
offers "intimate travel experiences to women
(adventureassociates.net)
with a variety of trips
who want . . . physical comforts'.' They don't
scrimp
either. Of
WomanTours: If bicycling is your pleasure
course, at $3,595 to $5,295 per cruise, let's
on the guest
lecturers,
and time is something you can plenty spare, the
hope they don't scrimp on anything at all.
largest woman-only bike tour company is prac·
(12muses.com)
tically calling your name. WomanTours hosts
cross-country bicycle outings that last upward
Journey Weavers: Founded by two women
of two months, and they care for you every
based out of Ithaca, NY, and Costa Rica,
pedal of the way. All tours are just for women,
Journey Weavers offer a wide assortment of
and two in 2006 will be specifically for les·
trip options; from a women's biking trip in the
bians. The average miles biked per day is 57
Netherlands that focuses on art history, to indi-
and the average age of an attendee is 57 as
vidually designed adventures in Costa Rica
well. The price to preserve your youth via
aimed at teaching travelers a foreign language.
cycling across America is between $930 and
They've even helped inspire women upward of
$7,690. (womantours.com)
80 years old to scale mountains. Prices range
from a budget-friendly $650 for hiking excur-
Be Parisienne: Why go to Paris to be a tourist.
sions
when you can travel there and be like a
to
$1,790
for
"multi-adventures."
(journeyweavers.com)
Parisienne with this lesbian travel group? You
and your partner or small group (five people max·
,. l
·
an
•
nn
neofthe10
Centennial Canoe Outfitters, Inc.: Pick one
/I guesthouses
In
NorthAmerica!" of 10 rivers in Colorado, Utah or Wyoming, and
-PlanetOut this company will help you either canoe or kayak
through the village of Montmartre, the 17th·
it in one weekend. Centennial's clients include
Joan of Arc. Tours are booked in half or full days.
the Women's Outdoor Club, Sierra Club and
do not include lodging and the cost ranges frorr
Girl Scouts of America. Even better, they bring
$67 to $487. (beparisienne.com) ■
..,~v
0
K
~
~.,...,
s
o
!
imum) can be guided on your choice of activities
century mansions of Marais and the haunts of
along a privacy tent with a porta-potty so your
POBox118,Bethlehem,
NH03574
overnight camping experience doesn't leave
877LES-8-INN
(537-2466)❖ 603869-3978
vacation@highlandsinn-nh.com
❖ www.highlandsinn-nh.com
you feeling like you're paying good money to
Note: Prices given do not include airfare or
gratuities and are subject to change.
42 MARCH 2006
.-----
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your first issue. CURVEis mailed discreetly in a plain wrapper.
Finding Her Voice
Author Sharon Bridgforth teaches Texas how to write. By Catherine Plato
creative writing, but I ended up kind of havof poe
A~ER
SYSTEMS
ENGINEER
bda
JUL ~s
ing to unlearn and forget the things that I
was taught because it just didn't work for
.,Anne Peters began writing fiction because she
me. So I really kind of did develop my voice
t-o,,.•
t she'd enjoy the solitary life of a writer. But
~:books
based on intuition and just pure desire ...
for children and teens have been so
bu/1received -
and then later, I was mentored by some
Luna, about a transgendered
incredible people.
(Rec.wasnominated for the National Book Award
What was the first project that brought
betw, she's had to get used to book tours and
rou recognition?
teachP banquets. Her latest novel, Far From
was 30 and I had just moved to Austin and
for Afr, tells the story of Mike Szabo, a butch les-
... there was a real cute girl who was in a
the U1wingup in small-town Coalton, Kan., who
band who was doing some work with a
methoco but fall for the new girl: the exotic, beau-
women's theater company. She
dubbed unfortunately straight) Xanadu.
told me she was a drummer, and
pened when the work got in the body of an
Your w,
musical'1ink you were unfair to the char-
I said, "Well, I'm a poet:' And she
actor, and in the mind of a director, and in
said, "Well, you should turn your
the landscape
ever a mtadu'l,.f;h-
work
whole life.
---
1 just love the musicality of lan-
into this
group.
They're
looking for one-woman
shqws."
of theater, changed
my
Do you find Austin to be a city that is
guage, and my work lives in a
So I had some scratches, hand-
particularly welcoming to new artists?
jazz aesthetic, so it is based in
written, that I thought were just
I do. In Austin, my experience, at least, has
the
the same sensibility as music.
butl-j~An
And I think that because I'm
stor1es
not a musician, what I really,
shn.-011bririgforth
really yearn for is to hear the
words become notes.
Did you ever have formal
training
unconnected
pieces,
that
I
port here. We do not have a lot of financial
is a one-woman show! We'd love
support for the arts here ... but in terms of
to do this." And so it ended up
human resources and audience support,
being
and venues that you can self-produce
a one-act,
one-woman
as
show that was produced in Austin some-
I was largely self-taught. I do have a degree in
And the process of understanding what hap-
a writer?
been that I feel I have unconditional sup-
turned in, and they said, "Oh, this
where around 1990.
in
and artists that you can collaborate with, it
is extremely rich. I feel like I've really kind
of grown up here as an artist.
■
Chick Lit for Dykes
A die-hard do-it-yourself publisher, Cheril N.
Clarke writes and publishes her own brand of lesbian drama. By Malinda Lo
DESPITE
H~R FULL-TIME
JOB AS AN
Do you feel African-American
lesbians
engineering analyst in New York, African-
are adequately represented in literature?
American author (and lesbian) Cheril N. Clarke
I think African-American lesbians are left out of
has carved out time to start her own publishing
the picture a lot. Most of the lesbian charac-
company, Dodi Press (dodipress.com), and write
ters in literature are Caucasian. I just really
three novels. Her latest, Intimate
want to show a presence. We have
Chaos, brings us dyke drama in
stories too.
all ·ts glory as it chronicles Sadira
Why did you decide to go the
ana Jessie's roller-coaster rela-
self-publishing
tionship. It's chick lit with a dyke
I decided to start my own publish-
route?
twist - plus a bunch of naughty
ing company because I love every-
bits to spice up the journey.
thing about writing . . . even the
How much of you is part of
business end of it. Also . . . you
burden, yet . . . I make more money than I
your main character, Sadira?
have more creative control when
would with a commercial publisher.
Sadira is based off who I was
you own your own company.
about two years ago. A lot of
What
the emotions, pain and frus-
lenges of self-publishing?
trations are real. The drama is mostly the
product of my wild imagination.
are
the
biggest
What's next for you?
chal-
The main challenge goes hand in hand with the
greatest reward. I have the entire financial
I expect to release [Tainted Destiny] sometime
next year. I am also working with some
other writers whom I hope to publish in the
near future.
■
Curve
45
Murder Book
Crime writer Val McDermid
tells us whodunnit. By Malinda Lo
SCOTTISH WRITER VAL MCDERMID'S
Britain is no picture-perfect village populated by
came into my head.
The thing with me as a writer [is that it] has
kindly vicars and gentle older ladies. McDermid's
always been the story that was paramount
Britain has the darker, rougher feel of urban vio-
for me. So, because I write different kinds
lence acted out in grim alleys, and even her coun-
of books - because I write different series
try villages edge into that world of half-lit malice.
and I write standalones -
It's that gritty feel - coupled with extraordinary
myself in the fortunate position of always
plotting that could run circles around any
writing the book that I want to write, the
episode of CS/ - that has made McDermid a
world-renowned writer of crime fiction.
book that excites me.
You know, when I wrote the first Lindsay
Her novels A Place of Execution and Killing
the Shadows were both New
I've found
Gordon book it never occurred to me that
York Times
she was going to be anything other than
Notable Books, and her series featuring DCI
a lesbian. And if I'd written that book five
Carol Jordan and psychologist Tony Hill has been
years later or five years earlier, it would
adapted into a critically acclaimed British televi-
have been hard to get published. But
sion series, Wire in the Blood.
because I wrote it at exactly the point that I
Amid all these honors, it's easy to forget that
0
dark; they're very intelligently plotted. The
did, it was very easy to get it published.
most important thing for me is that they're
faithful to the feel of the books, and they're
reissued in the United States by Bywater
I've noticed that you always insert a gay
or lesbian character at some point in your
books. Did you put some gay characters
in your latest, The Grave Tattoo?
Who's your favorite character that you've
invented?
Books). We recently caught up with McDermid,
Oh, yeah. I mean, I think right from the beginning,
Well, you know, it's really tragic. Here I am, a
50, who makes her home in Manchester and
you know, even writing a lesbian detective
lesbian author, created lots of gay charac·
Northumberland (both in the United Kingdom)
[series], I never wanted to write books that
ters, and the only one I really fancy is Carol
McDermid first made a name for herself by writing lesbian mysteries featuring butch journalist
Lindsay Gordon (the series has recently been
very high-quality television.
with her partner, Kelly, and their young son.
were special pleading. I don't want to live in
Jordan ... who is, you know, totally straight.
Your most recent Lindsay Gordon novel,
Hostage to Murder, sounded like it might
be the last in the series. Are you planning
to do more with her?
I don't know. I thought Linsday was done after
Booked for Murder. I had no plans for
a ghetto, so why would I want to write in a
Carol Jordan does not have the faintest H
ghetto, in a sense. I've always tried to write
inclination toward a moment of bisexuality. [I
And she is the one for me. It's tragic. ■
How do you feel about the TV series Wire
in the Blood?
For more of our interview
another Lindsay after that, but the story
I think they've done a great job. They're very
the author, check out valmcdermid.com.
Pecking Order
AUTHOR
CHERYL
PECK'S
about gay and lesbian lives within the wider
picture, the kind of lives that most of us lead.
with writer Val
McOermid, go to curvemag.com. For more on
Midwestern wordsmith Cheryl Peck gets her groove
NEWEST
satisfying for me. But as a writer,
memoir, Revenge of the Paste Eaters, is her
I write to dig down to my own
second narrative nonfiction work. Her first, Fat
truth. In other words, my writing
ba
Your Beloved is one of your R
greatest supporters. How hasg
the publication and success of th
both books affected your rela· Sa
tionship with her?
Girls and Lawn Chairs, looked at her mischie-
isn't gay enough to be a gay
vous cat, offbeat family and life as a large les-
memoir, but I'm still a lesbian.
bian. Peck lives with her cat, Babycakes, and
her partner (best known in the books as
Do you feel that your sexuality
defines the way you tell a story?
to love a woman who a) has nc
"Beloved") in Michigan.
I am a fat, white, Midwestern, middle-
interest in writing herself, b) loveE
I have had the amazing good taste
How do you feel when people label your
writing gay memoir?
class American lesbian. I also have
my writing and c) can listen to it
a vivid imagination. I love to read
over and over and over and over
As a writer it poses an interesting challenge for
and I keep a can opener handy in case I need
and over and over. She now lives or W
me, because if I were a reader looking for
an open mind about something. We are all
Singulair, and she, Babycakes and I nowY
positive gay images to emulate, neither Fat
defined to some extent by who we are, but I
live together. She is, I should note, not tha' I'll
Girls nor Paste Eaters would be all that
suppose it depends on what the story is about.
cat's aunt.
46 MAR H 2006
The Peters
Principle
Julie Anne Peters
helps queer kids cope. By Malinda Lo
WomenOn A Roll,
FORMER SYSTEMS ENGINEER JULIE
the 1' emier lesbia.nsocia.1
orga.niia.tioninvites you
to e,q,eri nc ...
Anne Peters began writing fiction because she
thought she'd enjoy the solitary life of a writer. But
her books for children and teens have been so
well-received -
Luna, about a transgendered
teen, was nominated for the National Book Award
Dina.'h.S'h.ore
- that she's had to get used to book tours and
Weekend!
awards banquets. Her latest novel, Far From
Xanadu, tells the story of Mike Szabo, a butch les-
bian growing up in small-town Coalton, Kan., who
Mcircn3.1- A7'n1 2, 2006
can't help but fall for the new girl: the exotic, beau-
(Longerstaysare availableat a reducedrate.)
tiful (and unfortunately straight) Xanadu.
Do you think you were unfair to the character Xanadu? She comes
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JUlU.
ANNI
e Confused straight girls are the
Pnus
bane of young lesbians' exis-
as a user and manipulator
Do you have any advice for
young dykes who fall for their
straight friends?
who preyed on the innocence
Give it up. Recognize that it'll only
tences. From the outset I
wanted Xanadu to be seen
and vulnerability of a girl like
bring you heartache in the end.
Mike, so that readers might
Young women need to know they
be more leery and aware of
deserve a fulfilling love relationship
consequences.
that goes both ways.
How have readers reacted?
[I get] grateful and encouraging letters from
How have school libraries
reacted to your books?
young readers who identify as lesbian or
Schools with progressive librarians have wel-
bisexual. The most unexpected responses
comed and embraced this new wave of
have come from straight teens. I think
queer literature for teens. Adding LG BTO
they're able to empathize with Mike on an
books to school library collections is not a
emotional level - with her alienation and
universal practice, of course. But schools
loss, her desire to find love and be loved.
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47
with so much venomous rage ... has major issues going on in
their head'.'
Few of Loken's fans know her as the outspoken activist
she
sounds
like
here. When
she
bared
all
in the
January/February 2006 issue of FHM magazine, Loken who has previously appeared in Maxim and other laddie
mags - did so physically, not verbally.
"I was painted in latex and it fucking hurt like a mother
fucker when they took it off;' she admits. "But the photo
shoot was fun, and doing the magazine interview was
great. If you can't have fun and [you] take life too seriously, what's the point of living?"
She did offer the boys one titillating tidbit when the
writer asked her, "Do you kiss a lot of women?" Her
response: "Well, I don't like to make anything a habit,
but I'm definitely open-minded
about kissing women'.'
Today, when I bring up the
raw, yet humorous interview,
Loken is eager to open up
even more.
"You're open-minded?"
Given a name like Kristanna Loken, you
I
ask. "What does that mean,
might expect to encounter a Nordic supermodel or at least, a Norwegian emigre. In fact,
exactly? That you would kiss a
the town Loken was born, Ghent, is not some
woman
hidden treasure in Norway where beautiful
arose?"
if
the
opportunity
blonde-haired and blue-eyed girls mature into
"Who's to say I haven't?"
six-foot-tall, striking models - but rather is a
she counters. "Like my charac-
quaint town in upstate New York, where
ter in 8/oodRayne, I think love
Loken was raised on an apple orchard by her
transcends. I have dated and have had
sex with men and women and have to
full-blooded Norwegian parents.
Loken, who bared it all as the Terminatrix
say that the relationships I have had with
in Terminator 3 (where she quite literally
certain women have been much more
kicked Arnold Schwarzenegger's tush) is
fulfilling, sexually and emotionally, than
kicking ass on the big screen again in the
those with certain men. I connect with
vampire period piece 8/oodRayne, a film writ-
an aura, with energy. And if the per-
ten by Guinevere Turner (The L Word). As
son with whom I connect happens
the title character, Loken is a half-human, half-
to be a female, that's just the way it
vampire on a mission to avenge the rape of
is. That's what makes my wheels
her mother (by her father), and is invited to
turn'.'
join a society fighting vampires.
Loken, who began acting at
I spent a recent afternoon with the 26-
13 on the daytime soap As the
Chateau
World Turns, spent a couple of
Marmont hotel in Hollywood where Loken
summers in New York City as a
admitted something that queers have long
teenager, living with her les-
year-old
Loken at the famed
guessed (especially after all those photos of
bian sister (who is 15 years
her kissing singer Pink turned up in the
older than her) and her sister's wife.
tabloids): She's one of us. But that's not the
"My sister has been married to her wife for more than a decade;'
only reason that lesbians love her.
Loken adds. "And the time I spent living with them in New York, when I
"Women would like to know there's a chance;' she admits. Seated in the
was modeling, were some of the happiest and best times of my life. My
kitchen of her suite at the Chateau Marmont, sipping from a champagne
parents couldn't care less that my sister is a lesbian [who's] married to a
flute full of sparkling water (the actual champagne comes later that night at
woman - and neither do they care about anything that makes me happy
the 8/oodRayne release party), Loken seems pleased that she has lipstick-
in life, even if it is doing a nude spread in FH Mor admitting that I have a
lesbian-loving lesbian fans. "Women are drawn to other strong women. I am
love for women. They are very supportive'.'
the only woman who has ever fought Arnold [Schwarzenegger] in any
movie and won. That might turn some women on'.'
Women,
says
same-sex
"Honestly, I couldn't get past page 30 of any of the screenplays I
relationships. "Hatred, by allegedly straight men, of men in love with men
started reading after I did T3. If I was going to make a movie, I was going
has to be based on fear that is deeply hidden within. Anyone who is filled
to make damn sure that it was something that I was going to enjoy doing.
50 MARCH 2006
Loken,
are more
comfortable
Loken, who was flooded with dozens of scripts after Terminator 3, stars
in B/oodRayne after a self-imposed hiatus from big-budget studio flicks.
with
A movie becomes your life for at least six months, and I
busy Los Angeles, the other in
wasn't going to do a shitty movie that would take control of
her preferred retreat of Cape
my life for six months just because it would put money in
my bank account:'
Town, South Africa - admits
she's not a woman to be
Whether or not Loken will become the next Hollywood
labeled or categorized. She
darling remains to be seen, but the question doesn't
wants to be her untamed
seem to be of concern to the actress.
own woman, even while
"I am on my own path, my own journey;' she says.
working
"I just allow everything that happens to be. I am
grateful for every job I have ever had and every
clubs in L.A. or New York
of anyone's success because they all have their
or anywhere in the United
own journey to make. Whatever is destined
In addition to BloodRayne, Loken has
two other projects on the horizon: a Sci-Fi
like
"I hate going out to
person who comes into my life. I am not jealous
for me will come to be."
in a town
Hollywood.
States;• she says. "I am so sick of them - sick
of the bullshit attitudes that are so prolific there. I don't have the
time or energy for any of the people there. My favorite saying that a friend of
mine just told me, referring to all the people at nightclubs in this country is,
Channel miniseries airing this month (Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King)
'There are five hundred nobodies, looking for two somebodies who are
and producing and starring in Lime Salted Love, a film that will most likely hit the festival circuit next year.
nowhere to be found'. I much prefer spending as much time as I can at my
"Lime Salted Love is my blood, sweat and tears movie;' Loken says.
"It is about a love triangle that takes place in modern day Los Angeles.
a familiarity there among people, even strangers, that you can't find in Los
place in South Africa. The people there are so much more human. There is
Angeles or New York:'
It's about the childhood trauma of one of the characters, and its effect on
Loken is on her way back to Cape Town as soon after the
the character in adult life [and] how the character deals with their sexuality. The movie was written, is directed, and co-stars one of my best
BloodRayne premiere as possible. "There is a big gay party I try to go to
every year called the Mother City Queer Project;' she says. "A couple of
friends, Danielle Agnello. She can best be described as an Italian Woody
years ago the theme was Kitschy Kitchen. And my two best friends down
Allen, with a pinch of David Lynch thrown in:'
there, a gay couple, went dressed as salt and pepper shakers. I missed
Loken, who now divides her time between her two homes - one in
this year's party, but I can't wait for the next one:• ■
When will we find the cure for breast cancer? No
one knows, but we do know we're getting closer all
the time. Which is why we're more determined than
ever to keep pushing ahead. Learn how to help by
a
a
visiting komen.org or
calling 1.800 l'M AWARE®.
rhe .. usan
J. Kornen
~reast can
:oundation
r
Thisspaceprovided
asa publicservice.
©2005,TheSusanG.Komen
Breast
Cancer
Foundation
Curve
51
L..
Q)
...c
I >
The rocky road to
building a queer
Asian community.
Q)
CJ)
~
activists
dedicated
a movement
American
three
to building
of
queer
Asian-
After
nearly
women.
decades
activism,
of
queer
can we finally
API
come
together as a coalition?
A Queer Asian
Pacific Legacy
Doreena Wong - now an attorney
with
the
National
Health
Law
Program - came out in the mid1970s during the heyday of the feminist and Asian-American civil rights
By Malinda Lo
CJ)
C:
--
E
0
the best efforts of hard-working
u.....
movements, and quickly became
involved in queer API organizing.
Though
many
queer
Asian
Americans organized locally during
Last February I went to the
the 1980s, it wasn't until the second
March on Washington in 1987 that
Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco at the last-
a national Asian-American lesbian
minute urging of a white friend. The annual event is the
organization was founded.
largest of its kind outside Asia and regularly draws a
"I was living in D.C. at the time
half-million spectators, but despite my Chinese her-
[of the march];' Wong, now 54,
itage I had never before been to the parade.
recalls. "Everyone kind of con-
Standing on the corner of Kearny and Clay in an
verged at our house, and we had
intermittent drizzle, surrounded by popping firecrack-
about 25 Asian lesbians sleeping
ers, gawking tourists and the glitter of red and gold
all over the floor, so it was really
lanterns, I watched in astonishment as a huge three-
quite fun. Then a group of us
tiered wedding
decided to hold a retreat to try to
cake made its way up the street.
Draped in rainbow bunting and flanked by a lesbian
bring together Asian lesbians in an
couple and a gay couple, it was the first-ever same-sex
organized waY:'
marriage float to appear in the Chinese New Year
With
Parade. As it went past, I felt an unexpected, unfamiliar
National
I >
burst of pride for the queer Asian-American community.
Committee,
Growing up in predominantly white Colorado and
Lesbian Network - which would
::)
then coming out in a mostly white LGBT community has
later become the Asian Pacific
meant that my Asian-American identity often comes
Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender
0
CJ)
C:
--
E
0
u
52 MARCH 2006
seed
money from the
March on Washington
the
Asian
Pacific
second. Over the years this has become the norm for
Network (aplbtn.org) - was born.
me, but seeing that float crystallized the need to inte-
APLBTN
grate both sides: something that is much easier said
regional and national retreats over
than done. Bringing together queer Asian Americans
the next 10 years, bringing hun-
convened
a series of
involves tricky negotiations around culture, national ori-
dreds
gin, gender and racism, compounded by the difficulty of
women together to network, build
political organizing in a community that is often taught
community and share their experi-
to avoid stirring up trouble.
ences in activism.
of queer Asian-American
"What our community lacks right now is visibility;'
Over the last quarter century,
stresses H.J. Chung, former board member of Boston's
groups like APLBTN have been on
Queer Asian Pacific Alliance (qapa.org), the nation's
the front lines of racist and homo-
oldest
phobic incidents that continue to
co-gender
organization
for
queer
Asian
Americans. "It's amazing what an impact visibility has'.'
My reaction to the same-sex marriage float seems to
impact
queer Asian Americans
today. A recent survey at the 2004
bear out Chung's words. But visibility - which more
Pacific Legacy Conference in New
often than not comes in the form of a Chinese face that
York -
then marginalizes non-Chinese Asian Pacific Islanders
Asian Pacific Islander activists -
- is only the tip of the iceberg. Beyond achieving a vis-
found that 82 percent of partici-
ible presence in the LG BT and API communities, there
pants
is a minefield of identity politics that can sabotage even
LG BT people experienced racism
a conference for LG BT
felt
that
Asian-American
within a white LG BT community,
and 96 percent felt that homophobia or transphobia was a problem
C
::J
within the straight Asian-American
community.
E
E
In 2000,
the Hotlanta
River
Expo, a gay circuit party in Atlanta,
featured the theme "The Year of the
Dragon." Despite well-publicized
protests, approximately 9,000 men
takes a toll on queer API groups that
~
+-'
are entirely volunteer-run and lack
steady funding.
A Fragmented
Community
0
u
The diversity
I-
within
the Asian-
American community means that it's
m
g
virtually impossible to make sure that
every ethnic and national identity is
attended the event and its subpar-
represented in a pan-Asian group,
ties, including a China Doll-themed
and South
Miss Hotlanta contest, a Shogun-
Q)
Fried Rice Party. What many Asian
Americans saw as blatantly offensive stereotypes weren't considered racist by the club's white
organizers, illustrating
divide
between
the great
Asian-American
and white LGBTs.
Queer Asian Americans also
face homophobia within their communities of origin. In April 2004,
Q)
C
Pacific
~
mostly East Asian movement. As a
~
C:
0
...c. 0
+-'
and
Islanders often feel marginalized in a
C:
themed Mr. Hotlanta contest and a
Asians
u
~
result, many who feel excluded splinter off from coalition groups to begin
...c. ....J~
their own affinity group. The San
~ &
organizations for women over 35,
+-'
E
(/)
u
ro
~
~u
C:
-~
Cl)
~
Francisco Bay area boasts separate
women
under
25,
Mandarin-
speaking lesbians and women from
.....
Singapore and Malaysia, as well as
:::i
groups for Vietnamese, Japanese,
Q)
Q)
0
Filipino and South Asian LGBTs.
more than 7,000 Asian-American
When there are so many different
Christians gathered together in San
organizations with their own activi-
Francisco's predominantly Chinese
ties, it becomes difficult to draw
Sunset District to protest same-sex
busy women to more events.
marriage. Many demonstrators wore
"You only have so much time
red T-shirts proclaiming "Marriage: 1
man + 1 woman" in English and
Chinese. Queer Asian-Americans
weren't able to organize a counterdemonstration until August, when
about a thousand religious leaders
and activists
converged
and
~~
Q)
energy,"
Wong
longtime
acknowledges.
activist
"So can
you also be part of a larger pan-
...c.
+-'
Asian group?"
~
For Hyde Revilla -
...c.
a Filipina
who lives in San Francisco with her
+-'
in the
wife, Dawn (who is white) - being
Sunset District again, this time sup-
part of a queer Asian-American
porting same-sex marriage.
group was never a priority.
Asha Leong, a senior outreach
associate
'3.t
(/)
"I'm not a joiner;' Revilla insists.
C
ro
Lambda
Legal
Defense and Education
Fund's
u
Atlanta office, notes, "For queer
Q)
APls most of our political activity
E
"I just have a hard time being part
of organizations. I find my fellow-
~
ship elsewhere;'
Revilla, 35, immigrated to the
seems to be around racism. . . . I
<(
United States from the Philippines
think that's something that's really
C
as a toddler and grew up in a large
easy to mobilize people around, but
we're constantly reactive, and it's
ro
Filipino
(/)
family
California.
<(
in
Although
Southern
her father
h&rder . . . for us to set our own
organized the local Filipino Days
proactive agenda. Because, to be
festival for a few years in the
frank, our own proactive agenda is
1980s,
not newsworthy. It's providing serv-
completely
Those much-needed social services include assistance with immigration
(69
percent
of
Asian
0
c
Q)
~
u
~
guage barriers (80 percent speak a
Q._ :
language other than English at
home). Providing those services
(\J
ro
enmeshed
to
in
"My parents spoke to me in
~u
Americans are foreign-born) and lan-
Q)
be
American society;'
4-
ices for people who need it:'
her mother "wanted
C:
-~
English, even though they spoke
Tagalog;' she recalls. "I really feel
like speaking the language is a very
Cl)
key component to my relationship
(.)
with ... being Filipino, and since I
~
don't [speak Tagalog], I really feel
g
Curve
53
like I'm disconnected."
When
Revilla
left
Southern
Q_
California to attend college in Flint,
...c
activism in both the LG BT and the
Mich., she began a decade
C/)
C:
API communities, organizing the
0
first intercollegiate LG BT group in
cu -0 .
-+-'
(1)
~
>..,
E
0
-+-'
-+-'
C:
(1)
C:
0
Q_
E
0
u
>..,
(1)
..Y.
~
(1)
-+-'
the Flint area. After moving to the
San Francisco Bay area in the
early 1990s, she worked with gay
u
youth
C:
C:
in San Francisco.
(1)
0
u
C/)
-0
E
ing
at
Fairy
Butch
(a queer
cabaret), volunteered with a safer
sex troupe
and was
a go-go
dancer at the short-lived Jaded (a
club for queer Asians).
"I was always
very visible,"
(1)
ever asked me to be part of [an]
..Y.
Asian women's queer organization.
I always felt like the Asian female
(1)
(1)
'+-
organizations
here
in
really loud, I was really obnoxious
... and I felt like I didn't fit into their
While Revilla says her perception of queer API groups
was
based on conjecture, her experi-
~
ence highlights an issue that many
C:
encountered: bringing in newcom-
0
queer Asian women's groups have
ers and encouraging them to invest
cu -0
time in making the queer Asian
::J
community their own.
0)
C:
cu
(1)
(1)
u
-+-'
0)
C:
..Y.
cu
Oueer Women and Transgender
Coalition (apiqwtc.org), suggests,
C:
"I think that the younger generation
-
meaning
let's
say
27
and
cu
younger -
0
the older generation - say 35 plus
C:
Q_
C/)
LL
(1)
0)
they don't think that
we're with the times enough. And
- they think that we're too young.
Maybe
we
just
don't
need
APIOWTC anymore'.'
C:
(1)
(1)
(1)
'+-
of San
C/)
(1)
Q_
..Y.
C.J. Jiang, co-chair
Francisco's Asian Pacific Islander
C:
...c -0
...0
...c
-+-'
Coalition Politics
Yulin Ling, 35, an activist who has
worked with queer and people-ofcolor organizations in Massachusetts
and New York for the past 1 6
years, hopes to use her experience
to make sure that New York's 0WAVE (q-wave.org) doesn't
H 2006
San
Francisco were afraid of me. I was
little clique'.'
>
cu
(1)
0)
By the late
1990s, she began stage manag-
(1)
C/)
in San Jose and drug-
addicted Asian-American women
Revilla acknowledges, "but no one
c
54 MAR
of
dis-
solve due to burnout, budget woes
or cliquish behavior. Formed during
the summer of 2004,
O-WAVE
regularly holds meetings and social
events to provide
support
empowerment
queer
for
and
Asian
women and transfolk in the New
York area. O-WAVE strives to be
consciously inclusive of all Asian
Pacific Islander women and transfolk, which is often difficult.
"We want to make sure our
inclusiveness is meant, not just
proposed;' she explains. "You can't
just state 1t in your mission and
then expect people to come'.' For
Ling, this involves making sure that
meetings include representatives
from as many ethnic and national
backgrounds as possible; being
sensitive to disability,
language
and financial issues that restrict
women from joining; and actively
including transgendered people.
In a political climate in which
many immigrants are under attack
and gay rights are being written out
of state constitutions, many queer
Asian activists are arguing that it's
time to bring the scattered queer
Asian
community
organizations
together to speak with a united
voice. Although APLBTN is currently
in a transition period due to funding
issues, Doreena Wong has recently
organized a group of queer API
women activists in Los Angeles.
"We're not going to be able to
get
everybody
acknowledges.
involved,"
she
"But you always
need a core group of people to try
to organize ... we all actually have
issues in common. I'm hoping the
time is right, now [that] people
have had time to organize within
their own separate communities ...
to come together
as a larger
group'.' ■
Note: I use the terms "Asian American,"
"Asians and Pacific Islanders," and
"AP/" interchangeably out of convenience. There continues to be debate
about which identifier is appropriate for
Asians and Pacific Islanders in the
United States.
Queer Asian
Women On-Screen
By Malinda Lo
Afterthe premierein 2005
of Saving Face, the first Asian-American lesbian
film to be theatrically relea ed in the United
States, queer Asian women became more visible
than ever before. Saving Face is a
romantic comedy about Wil Pang
(Michelle Krusiec), a medical resident
and lesbian, who is struggling to keep
her new romance with Vivian (Lynn
Chen) a secret while her mother (Joan
Chen) deals with being unmarried and
pregnant. The film addresses homophobia in the Chinese-American community as well as racism and sexism - but,
more importantly, gives Asian-American lesbians a much-needed image on the big screen.
Before Saving Face, Asian lesbians tended to
be secondary characters. In Under the Tuscan
Sun (2003), Sandra Oh played a sympathetic, pregnant Korean-American
lesbian, and in High Art (1998), Elaine
Tse played a drug-addicted butch dyke.
One of the high points of Asian lesbian
visibility on the big screen occurred in
1996, when Canadian director Deepa
Mehta's Fire told the story of two
Indian housewives who fall in love
with each other. The same year, Joan
Chen played a bisexual con artist having an
affair with a banker/prostitute played by Anne
Heche in Wild Side.
On the small creen, HBO's The Wire i the
only American television series to include an
Asian-American
lesbian character,
Korean/ African-American
Shakima
Greggs (Sonja Sohn). In Canada, the
2002 drama Edgemont introduced a
Chinese-Canadian high school student
(played by Grace Park) who developed feelings for a girl. And in
Au
lia, The Secret Life of Us featured a lesbian Asian character played
by ina Liu in 2003.
Finally, Jenny Shimizu - the upermodel who
starred in Foxfire with Angelina Jolie years ago
and has the distinction of being the most famou
Asian dyke in the United State - is back on the
radar after year of being out of the potlight.
The motorcycle mechanic-turned-model recently
made an appearance on America's Next Top
Model. Can a comeback be far behind? ■
Curve
55
••
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
On the eve of Dinah Shore Weekend, promoter
>a
I r
a...
ca
CL
and Girl Bar co-founder Sandy Sachs dishes on
what goes on behind the scenes at L.A!s poshest
lesbian club. By Malinda Lo
Fifteen years ago, Sandy Sachs never dreamed that she would
become the powerhouse club promoter and DJ that she is now.
ca
=
=
en
■--
en
a.,
TI
=
a...
CL
•••
en
---a.,
a...
=
'
v.,
'ca
=
=
■--
She wanted to be a movie star. But soon after she moved to
Los Angeles, she found herself co-hosting (with long-time partner Robin Gans) a small women's night at a gay men's video bar
- an event that grew into West Hollywood's weekly Friday night
lesbian dance club, Girl Bar. Since then Girl Bar has expanded
to Vegas (and soon, to Phoenix), and Sachs (along with Gans
and their former business partner and club promoter Mariah
Hansen) virtually created the Dinah Shore Women's Weekend,
which brings thousands of lesbians to Palm Springs for parties
(and golf) each March.
• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Your Dinah Shore lineup looks great. Do you go to all the parties?
Every one of them. You know, [when we were] 29 and 30, it was OK. Now, it's like oh my God.
... Last Dinah Shore, Robin was like, "I'm sorry, I can't go. I'm so dead, I can't make it." Passed
out on the couch .... We were so tired.
Do you go to the golf tournament at Dinah Shore?
No, God no. I went once ... a college buddy of mine was dating Rosie Jones. I never did so much
walking in my life. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk - [that's] all you do. They hit a ball, walk a mile,
hit a ball, walk a mile. So I said, you know, I think it's the kind of thing I'd rather watch on TV,
so I don't have to do so much walking.
You get lots of celebrities at Girl Bar, like Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton. What do
you think draws them to Girl Bar?
I think it's the lipstick aspect - [that's] certainly at least an image that we have, you know, that
you find lipstick lesbians here, but you find a lot of everybody else too. One of our biggest
fans, who's here all the time, almost every other weekend, is Linda Perry. We reserve her the
first couch ... and it's great, she brought Alicia Silverstone.
Who's one of the more interesting celebrities who has stopped by?
Madonna. Madonna's been to Girl Bar a few times. She actually was quite quiet when she came.
One time she came and just [recruited] one of our go-go dancers. We have really, really great
go-go dancers. You know, 95 percent of [our] dancers are professional dancers. We've had
a lot of celebrities come in ... name somebody, I bet they've been here. Name anybody.
>
Jodie Foster.
I heard rumors that she was here once, but I never saw her myself.
Have Ellen and Portia showed up there?
Ellen's been here, but not with Portia. One of my most fond memories of Ellen was dancing with
her out on the dance floor - and this was before she came out - telling me that she was
jealous of my lifestyle because I was able to be myself and be out in what I do, because I am
a lesbian club promoter. I'll never forget that conversation. Now look at her! And
then Melissa [Etheridge] ... we did Melissa's 40th birthday party here. Actually
it was the only time we've ever cancelled Girl Bar.
Really?
Yep, she just insisted. I'm like, can't you do it Thursday? Can't you do it
Saturday? I said, "I'll give you a better price, anything goes, does it have to be
Girl Bar Friday?" She said, "Yes, it has to be Girl Bar FridaY:' So we cancelled
Girl Bar for her 40th birthday here.
So has Angelina Jolie ever shown up there?
No. Trust me, if she had, she'd never leave here. I just love her.
How was Girl Bar's 15th anniversary party?
Oh my God, what a freaking zoo that was. We had over 1,000 people here. You
Christina
Aguilera (above)
greets Sachs
and Robin Gans.
Can-can girls go
wild at Dinah
(below).
couldn't move. It was a Tokyo subway. We had women coming in from all over.
Congratulations on 15 years.
It's gone by so fast. Except you get reminded of it. Like, OK, I could be everybody's mother in
here. The good news about us is that we have some really good trouper friends of ours who
are all our age who have been supporting us for 15 years, coming to the club, that we still
drag out. I think it's very cool for the 22-year-olds to meet somebody in their late 30s or early
40s hanging out, having a drink, dancing. You know, life doesn't have to end after 25. ■
For more inside scoop from Sandy Sachs, visit curvemag.com .
••••••••••••••••
•
•
••
• ••••••••••••••
The Golfer: Carrie Savioni, age 41 , from
Martinez, Calif., has been to Dinah approximately 10 times. An avid golfer, she considers
the weekend an excellent opportunity to relax
with friends over 18 holes.
What do you pack for your trip, and
what is your most essential item while
there?
WhyDoYo DoDinah?
Bathing
suit, comfortable
shoes,
sun-
screen, visor. Comfortable shoes are the
By Ariane Resnick
most important.
What do you most look forward to
about the weekend?
Myfriends, pro golfers, hanging out in sun,
This year the Dinah Shore Weekend turns a sweet
16, and the Palm Springs event is bigger than ever. With activities that include performances by comedians, endless pool parties and the infamous White Party, the 10,000-plus
women who come from around the world are practically guaranteed to have a great time.
But there's more to Dinah than partying; it takes place right next door to the Nabisco
Dinah Shore Classic Golf Tournament, and thus draws not only party girls but women
golfers (and their fans). Exactly how different are these two types of women? We set out
to uncover just that by asking one party girl and one golf enthusiast about their experiences with the weekend. We couldn't help but notice that they fell into the stereotypes
of their demographics: The twentysomething woman preferred to party it up, and the
41-year old delighted mostly in the golf tourney.
playing golf, drinks, checking out Palm
Springs.
How many nights do you spend there?
Six nights.
On how many nights do you go out to
events while there?
Up to four, usually. It depends on how much
time is spent golfing.
How do you usually feel upon returning home?
Great! Relaxed, suntanned, happy.
What is your least favorite part of the
weekend?
Nothing. It's fabulous.
The Party Girl: Maribel, age 29, from Santa
How expensive everything is.
Cruz, Calif., has attended Dinah Shore three
times. Not a big golf fan, this dyke does Dinah
What do you wish was different about
Dinah Shore?
for the parties, and as a lesbian club promot-
Last year for the first time they incorporated a
er, for the industry contacts.
What do you pack for your trip, and what
is your most essential item while there?
A white outfit, of course, some shorts and Tshirts, maybe a new hat. . . . [The] most
essential item is you - and your cell phone
to store all the numbers.
What do you most look forward to about
the weekend?
All the ladies, [and] getting
a chance to
What do you wish was different about
Dinah Shore?
That all the golfers would stay for the
parties - they leave after golf is done.
lot of hip-hop into their agenda. I wish it
It would be nice if they stayed and
was more inclusive with the ... lesbians [of
came into town.
color] that go. Maybe a Latin room would
be nice. At Dinah Shore there tends to be
a lot of older, white rich women.
Do you ever run into problems because
your friends want to party more or less
than you do? Or are you all usually there
for the same reasons?
Not with my crew, but I have heard of people
having those types of disagreements.
I
Do you ever run into problems
because your friends want to party
more or less than you do, or are you all
usually there for the same reasons?
Never an issue; we're all there for the same
reasons.
How important to you is the golf tournament?
Uno: the best, the most important thing.
exchange ideas and flyers with promoters
think the problem I faced last year was that
I've done club stuff, but I'm not a 20-
from all over. It's a very big networking
there were a lot of NorCal and SoCal girls
something anymore so partying isn't a
chance
to
increase
visibility
in your
that were hatin' on each other.
How many nights do you spend there?
Usually about three, but last time only two.
Not too important.
On how many nights do you go out to
events while there?
How important to you are the parties?
Every night!
How do you usually feel upon returning
home?
Tired, and wondering if it was worth the cost,
but then next year you're ready for it again.
What is your least favorite part of the
weekend?
to you is the
priority. I love golf.
How important
tournament?
community.
golf
Very important. I don't play golf.
How many people, on average, do you
meet while there?
I met around a few dozen new peeps.
How do you feel about the women who
go for the opposite reason from you?
For the golf? Putt on! ■
How important to you are the parties?
Not important - the pool parties are good,
but I don't like the night parties.
How many people, on average, do you
meet while there?
Thirtyish.
How do you feel about the women who
go for the opposite reason from you?
Great, good for them. I was in the same
place before. I've been partying since
before they were born!
■
Curve
59
Lesbian Finance
A FEW EASY STEPS CAN KEEP YOUR MONEY
As politicians wrangle over who
can easily be contested in probate court, a legal proceeding in
can marry whom, the good news is most lesbian couples can still
which family members can make a run for your loved one's assets.
enjoy some of the same rights as straight couples simply by get-
"If your money goes to probate, chances are your family will
ting hitched at the bank. Setting up finances jointly and drawing
get the benefits;' Trapasso says. "People can come out of the
up legal documents can protect you and your partner from being
woodwork and get that estate away from your partner."
at the mercy of malicious family members should something hap-
In order to bypass probate and make sure all your wishes are
carried out upon your death, draft a living trust, Trapasso recom-
pen to one of you.
mends. A living trust gives more control than a will and also protects both women after a breakup. Depending on the complexity
Just because you share a bed with someone may not mean you're
of your financial portfolio, the cost of setting up a trust can run
ready to share a checkbook, so it's a good idea first to come to
anywhere from $500 to $10,000.
some agreements about assets, preferably in writing. Any financial institution can set up checking services in two people's
•
Wills are still useful, according to Human Rights Campaign
spokeswoman Lara Schwartz.
names, regardless of their relationship. Once you've made your
"A will indicates the will of the deceased and can override
decisions about what cash assets you'll share, putting a special
probate;' Schwartz says. "It is considered by [some states] to
title on your account will prevent any dirty deeds by your family
protect you."
members in the event of death. Include both your names on the
Another simple but crucial step, Schwartz says, is to name
account title with the phrase "Joint Tenancy Right of Survivorship'.'
your partner as the beneficiary of your retirement and 401 (k)
While the exact wording varies from state to state, the concept of joint tenancy right of survivorship means the same everywhere: Both of you own all the funds in the account. If one of you
plans. It's free, legally sound and confidential.
The key to getting the most protection is in the details.
"To protect yourself and your responsibilities,
make sure
dies, the other has full ownership of the account - no 50 percent
you've given explicit intentions of what you want done with your
cut for a cousin Connie you've never met. The same language can
property," says Lambda Legal staff attorney Camilla Taylor.
be used on your mortgage, ensuring the surviving spouse will get
"There is no way to emulate marriage by trying to obtain certain
the home. (The title also equally obligates both women to tax
documents, but it's a good start."
responsibilities, even after a breakup.)
If you're not sharing finances but want your gal to get your
gold when you're gone, title your accounts "Payable on Death"
Finally, having documents on hand that control finances and
or "Transfer on Death" to her. If you already have joint accounts,
assets are just as crucial as financial planning in the event of dis-
just request the title be changed. If you're not out and worry
ability or the unraveling of a relationship, says Rose Greene,
about printing both your names on your checks, set up your
owner and branch manager of Rose Greene Financial Services.
accounts jointly and ask your banker to print only one of your
"Exercise caution before you mush all your assets together;' she
names on the checks. Both of you may still use check cards and
advises. "Proper documentation is more than worth any legal fee'.'
sign checks.
Private contracts between the two of you will get you talking
about your relationship, death and disability, and can keep you
from scrambling at the last minute if there's an unexpected
While sharing checking accounts may be easy, this makes up only
change in your lives. Domestic agreements or notarized docu-
a small part of your financial package. Coverage for everything
ments stating your intentions on the front end of a relationship
else is not only more complicated; it's usually more expensive and
eliminate questions and stand up in court.
resilient in court.
Smith
Barney wealth
"It is always better to plan for the worst and cut it off at the
management
specialist
Stephanie
Trapasso says a simple will is a good start, but not bullet-proof; wills
60 MARCH 2006
pass," Greene says. "Nothing will do that better than organized,
structured accounts'.' ■
Tax Tricks
It's tax time, and surely you're wondering if
you could save more if you were "married:'
or at least could file that way. Try these tips
from national financial advisors and the
Gay Financial Network (gfn.com) to keep
more of what's yours.
GOT KIDS?
I
To avoid unpleasant attention from the
I RS, gay parents must plan ahead and be
consistent. Lesbian moms should make
sure their records clearly show that investments and expenditures were made by
one mother year-round, if only one of you
is the legal guardian.
If both of you have legal guardianship,
both parents can split the cost of raising
children without losing out. Your best bet
is to pick one of the two of you to make
claims in the child's name - preferably
the mother who would otherwise pay
more taxes. One partner might make sizable long-term investments in the child's
name, while the other assumes more
mundane expenses.
Both moms can
claim deductions, just not the same ones.
The key is to decide on a family plan that
breaks up your taxable deductions in the
best possible scenario.
Another tax break available to gay parents is the Uniform Gifts (or Transfers) to
Minors Act. This scheme permits parents
to place money in a child's name so that
the income it generates is taxed at the
child's lower rate. The funds are irrevocable, which means that in addition to helping the parent out at tax time, the UGMA
acts as a trust fund for the child.
A married couple can give up to
$22,000 per year to any minor tax-free.
For a single
person, the maximum
amount is $11,000. The workaround for
lesbian moms is for each partner to give
$11,000 tax-free to a minor. If one partner
doesn't have the $11,000 to give on her
own, the other partner can give $11,000
tax-free to that partner (under I RS rules),
who can subsequently give it to the minor
tax-free.
TaxTricks...
continued
onpage72
sapphic
screen
>>By
Diane
Anderson-Minshall
Changingthe Face of Women on TV
TEEVEE,
AS MY PROGRESSIVE
FRIENDS
SNOBBISHLY
call it, does hit our cultural lows with startling accuracy, and when
one tiny channel manages to cover anything of real relevance (like,
say, transnational feminism or global warming) it often does so with
the sort of ideological absolutism that makes the average Jane turn off
the TV in boredom. Nowhere is this myopia more apparent than in
the boob tube's portrayal of women. But in the last several years, the
face of women on TV - an image that has morphed from the wifely
comic foil of I Love Lucy to the prime time bitches of Desperate
Housewives - has evolved ever so slightly, thanks to a few innovative series that are now on DVD.
CSI: The Complete Fifth Season (Paramount)
Lesbians often joke that we tune in to see forensic gals Catherine and
Sara in their white tank tops (which happened, like, twice during a
desert heat wave episode two years ago), but the truth is we watch CSI
still, five years later - and both of its spinoffs, CSI: Miami and CSI:
New York - because the women wield real, authentic power in the
management of their own lives, loves and careers. As flawed as Jorja
Fox's character Sara Sidle is - and as much as we want her to come
out on-screen and forget all about her abusive childhood and that foolish crush on Grissom - we know that she's a woman we admire
because she's just plain real. No push-up bras, no Vogue magazines
tucked under her arm (not that there's anything wrong with that) and,
by TV standards at least, no makeup. Very few TV shows offer
women who have careers as their top priority, who can stand side by
side with their male colleagues without losing their femininity and
who are as multidimensional as TV allows. Most shows that do owe
a nod to CSI. {paramount.com/homeentertainment)
to combine comic emphasis with real-life portrayals (kind of a
"Do as I say, not as I did" situation). Today Asian characters still
aren't common in film and TV, but more producers and casting
directors are placing Asian actors in roles - like gay actor B.D.
Wong on Law & Order or Sandra Oh on Grey's Anatomythat
All-American Girl: The Complete Series (Shout Factory)
Margaret Cho's groundbreaking comedy series was dreadful. Cho
hated it, and the series almost killed her when a bout of extreme dieting to please her producers led to kidney failure. But Cho's loss is
America's gain, because All-American Girl was the first TV series to
center on an Asian-American family, and it moved Asian characters
beyond the stereotypical kung fu master or heavily accented restaurant
owner. It launched Cho beyond the comedy circuit into the houses of
America so the queer icon could become a national celebrity, and it
generated conversations about race dynamics on television and how
Death to Supermodels (Sony):
Diane Delano (who often plays a
butchy, queerish character on TV
sitcoms like The Ellen Show and
Popular) is hands-down one of
the most underused actresses in
Hollywood. Which is why Death
to Supermodels, an over-the-top
62 MARCH 2006
campy comedy, is at the top of
my must-see list this month. Is it
Oscar-worthy? Uh, nowhere near.
But the story is worth more than
a few chuckles as perky magazine editor Tina (played with shrill
precision by Jaime Pressly)
strives to change her rag's demographics from a mostly queer and
incarcerated bunch to something
her hair down.
rivaling her Vogue and Glamour
(sonypictures.com)
counterparts. Delano, her butchy
The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film
boss, is happy with the plan until
Festival (Wolfe): A festival in a
supermodels - each given a milDVD, this shorts collection fealion dollars for a remote island
tures 10 festival circuit lesbian
shoot - start to die. The end is,
faves, including Chris J. Russo's
well, queer and delightfully diabolprovocative A Woman Reported
ical, and Delano gets to finally let
(starring The West Wing's Moira
weren't necessarily intended to be specifically Asian-American. The DVD also features
commentary and interviews with Cho and
Amy Hill. (shoutfactory.com)
The L Word: The Complete
Season (Showtime)
Second
Love it or hate it, The L Word has become
the lesbian national pastime in America, and
it's helped propel lesbian visibility in the
country in an astonishing and fashionable
way. One of Showtime's most-watched
series, The L Word captivated viewers with
provocative story lines and queer women
that had really never been seen before: out,
proud and flawed. Having mainstream
traight actors clamoring for roles on a show
all about dykes - where prison is (usually)
nowhere in sight - is an accomplishment
indeed, but selling over 200,000 DVD sets of
a small queer TV
1111
show from a cable
channel is even more
impressive. The L
Word is changing how
lesbians are perceived,
and capitalism, finally,
is behind us. The
•
DVD set offers sweepstakes prizes, downloadable music, L
Word balderdash and, of course, a whole lot
of Shane. (sho.com)
JE®N
f[lJX
I
Aeon Flux: The Complete
Collection (Paramount)
Animated
Forget the movie, the real Aeon Flux was
born on animated TV. Set 400 years in the
future, Aeon Flux is filled with futuristic
totalitarianism, high-tech surveillance and a
PracticingLesbianTantra
By Gigi Talbott
Betsy Kalin's latest film, the awardwinning documentary on lesbian
tantra, Hearts Cracked Open, has
exploded onto the film festival circuit
over the past year, playing in cities
from San Francisco to Paris to Zagreb,
Croatia. A sexy, playful yet sensitive
look at the ancient art of sensuality
and spirituality, this film is a groundbreaking testament
to achieving
greater intimacy. Featuring wellknown sexuality experts such as Annie
Sprinkle, the film brings together an
eclectic group of tantra experts that
speaks to gay, straight and bisexual
audiences alike.
Some people may have different interpretations of tantra.
any books, videos, or workshops that
Most people think that tantra is just about
found a lesbian tantra class, it changed
sex, but
we
my life. As a filmmaker and an activist, I
approach our everyday lives with being
knew I wanted to make this information
fully
really
present
it's
and
about
aware
moment. So cooking,
how
applied to me as a lesbian. When I finally
in
driving,
each
more accessible to our community. It's
doing
such valuable information for enhancing
dishes and making love - anything can
all areas of our lives.
levels of intimacy
Can the viewer learn tantric practices
from the film?
with yourself as well as cultivating tech-
Yes! Each teacher has a different perspec-
niques for intimacy and great sex with
tive, so the viewer can pick which style
your partner. Practicing
tantra takes
appeals the most to her. The DVD has
you to new places within your sexuality
over 50 minutes of special features
and spirituality - places much further
including an instructional section of tech-
than you even knew existed . . . and
niques to practice at home, like the fire
be done tantrically.
achieving
deeper
Tantra is about
more exciting.
breath orgasm, soul gazing, tantric pos-
How did you become interested in the
practice of tantra?
tures and G-spot massage. All in all there
I've been practicing Buddhist meditation for
seekers to spiritual seekers. ■
is something for everyone, from thrill
six years and had heard of tantra and
Sapphic
Screen... continued
onpage
72
Kelly), L Word scribe
Guinevere Turner in the controversial Dani and Alice and
Michelle Ehlen's punch-in-thegut butch flick Half Laughing.
(wolfevideo.com) - DAM
Transamerica (IFC):
Transamericais one of those
films that people will think about
wanted to learn more, but couldn't find
long after leaving the theater.
Directed by Duncan Tucker and
starring Felicity Huffman as preoperative MTF transsexual Bree
Osborne, the film garnered
praise all over the world in
2005. Huffman, known mainly
for her role as Lynette on
Desperate Housewives, takes
See heartscrackedopen.com for more info.
on the often-overlooked daily
challenges of living as a transgendered individual and succeeds. Her sensitive portrayal of
Bree is impressive not only
because she manages to lower
her voice several octaves but
also because she takes the role
beyond the myopic portrayals
we're used to seeing on-screen.
Yes, there's a metaphorical journey and personal transformation, but the issues are treated
with a humor and depth that
allow this film to transcend the
preachy or the predictable.
(transamerica-movie.com)
DVDpicks. . . continued
onpage72
Curve
63
in the
stacks
>>
y Rachel
Pepper
The Genderqueer Frontier
TWO NEW BOOKS REVEAL THE COMPLEXITIES
OF LIFE
as a gender outlaw while also delivering some great reading for a
chilly March evening.
Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes, T Cooper (Dutton)
Every year or o, a novel by a le bian or transgendered author
knock the wind right out of me. This book will be so well-written,
so stunning in cope, o adroit in it character development, that I
know the future of queer fiction till burns bright. One such title is
Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes, the second book by ew Yorkba ed T Cooper. It's a 400-page fictionalized autobiography billed as
a novel, but with so much historical detail
that Cooper has included a two-page bibliography of sources. In the novel, a tranny
named T, currently employed as an Eminem
impersonator at bar mitzvah parties, looks
Lip hitz ix. or T'l\o ngry Blondes
back upon his family history when dealing
with his parents' death . A large part of this
history includes his grandmother's obsession with Charles Lindbergh. T inherits
E ther's hatbox full of newspaper clippings,
letters and souvenirs, and takes on the task
of making ense of thi archive and how it
has shaped three generations of his family.
Before thi point in the book, however,
are 300-plu page of a fantastic Jewish
family history that spans from 1903 in
Ki hinev, Ru sia, to 1940s Amarillo, Texas,
where the family has settled after escaping
Russia's pogroms. Upon their arrival at Ellis
I land in 1907, the Lipshitz family loses
their young son Reuven in the crushing
crowds of other immigrants. He is never
found, and when Charles Lindbergh
a cends to fame, Esther, T's grandmother,
in i ts thi famous pilot is her son.
Although the Lindbergh thread runs
strongly throughout the book, the majority
of Lipshitz Six is at its heart a lushly told
drama to create a genre of her
IN BOOKSTORES
NOW:
own among the growing cannon
Distant Shores, Silent Thunder,
Radclyffe (Bold Strokes): Dr.
of Bold Strokes Books.
(boldstrokesbooks.com)
D.T. O'Bannon's life is changed by
- Lauren Marie Fleming
a brutal stabbing, forcing her back
into the life of her ex, Dr. Tory King, How the Pro-Choice Movement
Saved America, Cristina
and her new girlfriend, Officer Bri
Page (Basic Books): In this starParker. What ensues is a world
tling report on the state of
where Radclyffe mixes romance
novel, detective story and dyke
reproductive choice in America,
64 ~1 \RCH
2006
Through
Georgia's
Eyes,
Rachel Rodriguez; Rosa, Nikki
Giovanni (Henry Holt); In time for
Women's History Month come two
breathtaking children's books that
document the lives of two American
icons. Georgia's Eyes, with its stunning
paper-cut
award-winner
illustrations
by
Julie Paschkis, fol-
lows artist Georgia O'Keeffe's life from early years to adulthood.
And Rosa brings together the words of African-American
poet
Giovanni and the art of Bryan Collier to show the beauty and
determination of legendary activist Rosa Parks. Both are great for
art lovers, activists and kids of all ages. (hholt.com)
- Diane
Anderson-Minshall
immigrant Jewish family epic, full of wonderful characters like Esther,
her husband, Hersh, gay son Ben, daughter Miriam and her husband,
Sam. Told in the third person, this section ends with Esther's death, as
her hatbox of memories is narrowly saved from the dumpster. The
book then jumps to the present and switches into the first person, a
transition that causes a bit of an intentional shock for the reader.
Suddenly, we are plunged into the head of T, a shock-blond, toughtalking, angry tranny who calls himself Slim Lindy and is often mistaken for rapper Eminem. Cooper is a literary trickster, and like a few
other contemporary writers, successfully blurs the boundaries between
fact and fiction while obviously writing about himself. Astute queer
readers will not be too surprised by the story's satisfying final twist,
but will definitely enjoy the fantastic - and fantastical - joyride
along the way. (penguinputnam.com)
Loose End, Ivan Coyote
(Arsenal Pulp Press)
Ivan Coyote is an author I have been keeping a careful eye on since
stumbling upon her incredible book of stories, One Man's Trash,
In the Stacks... continued
onpage72
pro-choice activist Cristina Page
back of women's rights. This
explains how many of the rights
book will reinvigorate your supwe take for granted today port for the pro-choice movement
particularly rights to contracepand open your eyes to the many
tion, which lead directly to
ways that the growing conserwomen's sexual freedom - are
vatism in our society is curtailing
increasingly under attack from
our personal freedoms as women.
the pro-life movement, whose
(basicbooks. com)
unstated agenda is the abolition Portraits of Women in the
of contraception and a scaling
American West, ed. Dee
+
American
RedCrou
Gay After Marriage
By Victoria A. Brownworth
IN HER NEW BOOK, LIVING TWO LIVES:
Married to a Man and in Love With a Woman
(Alyson Books), psychotherapist Joanne
Fleisher delves into the issue of women who
marry men, only to discover their latent lesbian desire. Fleisher, a lesbian who has been
with her partner for 25 years and raised two
daughters, has been counseling women, lesbians and couples for more than two decades.
Her Web site lavendervisions.com is an online
counseling resource for women, and she moderates Ask Joanne, a message board for married women attracted to other women.
Why are you so interested in this topic?
Volunteer.
usually secondary.
found myself falling in love with a woman
Why do so many women marry men and
then discover their lesbian sexuality?
after being married to a man for 1 2 years.
There are a lot of internal and external homo-
My interest started 27 years ago, when I
It was the 1970s and there simply were
phobic forces that work against young
no resources. The gay hotlines acted like,
women. We think that adolescence is a
"Well,
time that we learn about our sexuality, but
what's
your problem?"
And I
couldn't talk to straight friends about it. I
it's also a time when we are expected to
wanted to provide a resource for other
fit in. There are some women who don't
women that never existed for me.
discover it until they get married. They
How is this phenomenon between
women different from the "down-low"
experience so many married men are
engaged in?
What's the most important aspect of
doing this work with other women?
Dramatically different! Men are brought up in
I try to communicate that they are not alone,
our culture to be more sexually oriented.
that this is not an abnormal experience.
respond to what they think they're supposed to.
Women are the romancers. Women are
Sexuality comprises
more likely to fall in love - that's their
things:
a lot of different
point of discovery of lesbian desire, usu-
about, who you are in love with, who you
It's who you have fantasies
ally. The things you hear women agoniz-
actually have sex with. I try to have
ing about are not wanting to hurt their
women explore the other facets
husbands or the women they have fallen
they know exactly what they do want and
in love with. The sexual component is
what feels right and authentic. ■
Garceau-Hagen
(Routledge): The history of
the American West has
long been centered on outlaws, gunslingers and pioneers who also happened
to be white and male. This
collection of essays about
women in the Old West
steps out of those bound-
aries and reveals a history
that was always complicated by gender, race and
class. We learn about
African-American Mary Ellen
Pleasant (who ran a highly
successful boarding house
in San Francisco); Chinese
immigrant Lalu Nathoy (who
homesteaded in Warren,
until
Idaho); Native American
Emma Rose Sansaver (who
who had a successful basketball carer at the Fort
Shaw Indian School in
Montana); and other women
whose lives do not fit the
common stereotypes of the
Old West. (rout/edge.com)
- Malinda Lo
Just a few hoursof your time helps
make countless services possible.
To get involved,contact your local
American Red Cross chapter or
visit www.redcross.org
Are you a s1ngle,feminine
and sensualwoman
between40 and 60,
saphistic;ated,
educated,
and stylish?Are you a
loverof adventure,artsand
culture?If so, and you
would like to meet
a Los Angeles woman who
can introduce you to the
places you haven't been,
c II this numl:ierl
TheJulietteII Agepcyis a matchmaking
service
thathasbee_n
creeUng
relattonships
forsingle
1eSblens
since 1999. Thisad hasbeencreated
behalfof one of ourmembers
and ls not a
sollcltatton
formembership
Curve
65
music
watch
Gettin' Your Groove On
"IT'S
GOT A GOOD
BEAT AND
YOU
can dance to it." Remember that classic
American Bandstand-ism? (Am I dating
myself here?) Well, it's time to shake off the
inertia of winter, so from disco-punk to
house music to modern dance-set-to-indierock, we've got just what you need to get
moving.
Standing
in
the
Way
of
Control,
The Gossip (Kill Rock Stars)
For five years, this now-Portland-based band
has made the indie kids move via their infusion of old school R&B spunk into modern
day lo-fi punk, with words like "bluesy" and
"soulful" often used to describe outspokenly
queer, Arkansas-born lead singer Beth Ditto's
gutsy vocals. But this third masterpiece of an
album catapults the trio to an all-new level of
rhythm and danceability - partially thanks
to the skillful recording finesse of Fugazi's
Guy Picciotto. Standing in the Way of
ON CD:
The Underdogs, Jen Foster (Selfreleased): Intensely personal
lyrics are the hallmark of this out
dyke rocker, whose much·
anticipated new album features
the poignant title track and the
classic breakup vignette "Taking
Bob Dylan'.' Oenfoster.com)
Stone Hits: The Very Best of
Angie Stone, Angle Stone
66 MARCH 2006
>> By
Control is straight-up disco-punk, thanks
to Brace Paine's funky fingerwork and new
drummer Hannah Blilie's (Shoplifting,
Chromatics) irresistible backbeat. Ditto's
wailing, powerful, melodic voice pulls it
all together in an amazingly cohesive way,
as evidenced on the infectious title track
and the similarly thumping "Your
Mangled Heart," easily the two strongest
cuts on the album. The heartbreaking
"Coal to Diamonds" and the moody,
introspective ballad "Dark Lines" spotlight the softer sides of Ditto's vocal range,
while "Fire With Fire," "Jealous Girls"
and "Listen Up" (love that cowbell) further the dance floor reach of this disc. The
Gossip's got the goods. Put it in and prepare to sweat! (gossipyouth.com)
Margaret
Coble
Margaret Cho: Assassin (Koch): Now
that Margaret Cho has firmly established
herselfas a Korean-Americanfag hag with a
gift for sex jokes that would shock anyone's
Global Groove, DJ Kimberly S.
parents, she turns her razor-sharpbrand of
(Centaur Music)
sarcasm to - what else? - politics.On her
Martial arts instructor by day and superstar dyke DJ by night, West
Hollywood's Kimberly S. is
noted as one of the few bigname DJs who is comfortable
and adept at spinning for both
gay male and lesbian audiences. Though this second continuous mix release from the
hottie DJ is probably more
geared toward the circuit boys
(it's positioned prominently on
the popular high-energy dance
music label Centaur), it is
nonetheless an upbeat, 77minute hands-in-the-air delight.
From the opening refrains of
(J Records): Nobody nails old·
school soul like Angie, and this
15-cut greatest-hits collection
proves it. (angiestoneonline.com)
Rise, Anoushka Shankar
(Angel/EMI): The 24-year·old
daughter of Indian sitar king Ravi
Shankar blends classic Eastern
sounds with modern Western
electronica for a gorgeous hybrid
that's all her own.
latest tour, Assassin, which is now available on both CD and DVD, Cho fires off
some killer shots at the religious right, the
pope's funeral and the Governator. Lest
you think Cho's gone all Jon Stewart on
us, never fear: Her mom and her drag
queen friends still make their signature
appearances in her comedy (not to mention a gay porn star and his, um, sex toy),
but the best joke by far has got to be
Cho's take on Laura Bush. I guarantee
you will be so floored by it, you'll feel
ashamed that you're laughing your ass
off. (margaretcho.com)-
Malinda Lo
"Celebration" by the Sweet Inspirations, it's
a 12-cut high-octane blend of progressive
(anoushkashankar. com)
the Inside" by Romanteek.
Whoop! Whoop! Rekklds
(whoop-whoop.com)
Sampler (Whoopl Whoop!): This Ultimate Collection, Eurythmics
four-track CD sampler includes
the debut release on the new
U.K. homo-underground label, a
split 7-inch single featuring the
infectious hip-hop groove "If You
Want" by Scream Club with Beth
Ditto (of the Gossip) backed with
the bumpin' electro ditty "Sexy on
(Arista): Two new songs round
out this definitive retrospective of
the iconic '80s pop band's work.
At the same time, Legacy
Recordings rolls out deluxe editions of all eight of the duo's
original albums featuring 11 pre·
viously unreleased tracks and a
~----------
house, vocal melodies and edgier tribal beats
that's full of butt-shaking energy. A great
soundtrack for that spring cleaning you've
been meaning to do. (djkimberlys.com)
Starter Set: New Dance and Music for the
Camera (Kill Rock Stars)
For those needing visual cues to get your
body parts moving, this unusual DVD project presents a low-brow-meets-high-brow
nexus of experimentally filmed modern
dance choreography set to an indie/punk
rock soundtrack. Sound a little weird? It is,
but the longer I watched, the more I was
sucked in by the dreamy cinematography,
moody music and mesmerizing movements
of the all-female dance troupes. This ambitious bicoastal endeavor was curated by the
multitalented Los Angeles-based Katie
Eastburn, a dancer, choreographer and musician (from the band Young People) who
pulled together scores of her talented friends
- other like-minded DIY and punk-influenced dancers, choreographers, musicians,
filmmakers and costume designers - to produce this first-of-its-kind underground dance
performance art project. Some pieces are
more compelling than others but I loved the
dreamlike "Senior Picture" and B-movie
musical "LaundrOdyssey." I also personally
enjoyed the music throughout - ranging
from brooding instrumentals to screaming
punk - more than the dance or film aspects.
But it's exciting to see so many creative talents culled together in such an innovative
way. It doesn't particularly matter to me that
I don't really "get it" - it still makes me
wanna dance. (killrockstars.com) ■
JuIie
o_y
________
____,
No MoreWaiting
By Ellen Rosner Feig
JULIE LOYD, RECENTLY
voted Best Folk Rocker by
the Northampton,
Mass.,
Valley Advocate,
is an
acoustic rocker with a powerful voice, poetic lyrics and a
kick-ass stage presence.
Loyd, a Virginia native, has
shared the stage with artists
such as Shawn Mullins, and
Alana Davis. She recently
released her third album, The Waiting Room, to critical acclaim.
Does being a lesbian define your music?
are 10 million women waiting for someone
My life and loves aren't considered "normal";
else to ask us to dance;' I feel like women in
that's why I'm trying to sing about them in
this society are trained to be passive. As
a way that everyone can understand.
lesbians that's a huge disadvantage in
Being a lesbian defines a lot of who I am,
terms of our love lives. We're all waiting -
and that comes out in my songwriting. In
so we have to either act or we'll all be alone
whatever direction my career goes, I don't
for a long time.
What is Pay My Rent Music Collective?
The song "The Big Goodbye" seems filled
with palpable pain. Is It biographical?
I started this collective
I was dating a woman, and we had agreed
really ever want to lose that.
with
[songwriter]
Brianna Lane ... It was all about building a
that we would break up when the lease
supportive musical community instead of a
was over. I was imagining what it would be
biting, competitive one.
Who Is your biggest musical influence?
My biggest musical influence would definitely
be Jonatha Brooke. She's the one who got
me to understand the importance of melody.
Why the song "The Waiting Room"?
This song came from a book called Roberts
Rules to Lesbian Living, which says, "We
like to date the next person knowing that I
wouldn't want any more than a rebound,
and I thought, "What if the other person
was in the exact same position?"
What does the future hold?
I'm working on it. Madonna's already claimed
the whole "ruling the world" thing, so I'll
settle for vice-empress. ■
Difranco school of folk scores
N DVD:
melodically in this out Kentucky
total of 44 additional bonus
with an 11-track winner.
Live at Montreux 2004, Suzanne
duo's sixth album release; hightracks. (eurythmics.com)
Vega (Eagle Rock): I'd forgotten
Oulieloyd.com)
lights include the whimsical politiDJ Irene Live at Spundae (Moist):
Rose Cuts the Cake, Athens
how much I love Vega's music
cal commentary "Bully Circus"
This two-disc live mixed set of
Boys Choir (Self-released):
until I watched this 90-minute live
and lesbian wedding ode
high-energy house and trance
Critically acclaimed trans wordperformance from the famed
"Outlaw Wedding."
does the diva DJ justice, captursmith Katz flies mostly solo on
Canadian jazz festival which fea(wishingchair.com)
ing the positively electric energy
this solid sophomore effort, a 13tures 21 of her finest, from fan
The Waiting Room, Julle Loyd
that emanates from this dyke
piece slam-poetry opus with spofavorites like "Calypso" to mega(Siren): This charming
dynamo. (djirene.net)
radic musical accompaniment.
hits like "Tom's Diner" and "Luka;'
Northhampton-based
out
dyke
Underdog, Wishing Chair
(athensboyschoir.com)
(suzannevega.com) - MC
acoustic spitfire from the Ani
(Terrakin): Bluegrass and folk mix
Curve
67
drama
dyke
>> By
Michele
Fisher
No Such Thing as HarmlessFlirtation
WHAT
IS
CHEATING?
FOR
SOME
women, cheating means exchanging body fluids with another person; to others, cheating
means exchanging phone numbers. But even if
people don't agree on the definition, they do
agree on one thing: It sucks to be cheated on.
Even having my house burn down and all
my possessions stolen by a burglar {these
things really did happen to me) didn't feel as
awful as being cheated on. I hadn't fallen
asleep smoking in bed or left my front door
unlocked, so I knew that neither the fire nor
the theft was my fault. But somehow, the
cheating made me feel like I was to blame.
Perhaps if I had kept her happy at home, she
would not have strayed. Or maybe I just
wasn't exciting enough to keep her interested
in the relationship. Even worse than feeling
guilty was feeling stupid. I felt like the whole
world was laughing at me for being so blind
and naive. I was also enraged and knew that
she was a big fat asshole, but I hated that I
had to feel bad about myself as well.
Why do women cheat on their lovers? If
you ask a cheater, she will give you all
kinds of justifications. She is bored; she
needs something else; she feels claustrophobic ... whatever. But ask a gal who has
been cheated on, and she will tell you that
women cheat because it is over.
We freak out when we get cheated on
because we know that cheating spells the
end. Men can cheat and then come crawling
back begging for forgiveness and really
mean it ... for a while. Men cheat to get sex
or feel important. But when a woman cheats
on you, it means she is movin' on. She might
cry when she gets caught just to make it
look good, but she is not crying because she
is sorry or wants you back.
When it happens to you, however, it is not
so easy to keep it real with yourself and face
the end. The begging, pleading and desperate
attempts to drag her to couples therapy are
only the beginning. I am never more creative
than when inventing new ways to torture
myself. Nothing whiles away an afternoon
like trying to pinpoint the exact moment when
your lover fell out of love with you; counting
the ways that you are unworthy of love can
fritter away countless hours.
If you don't feel like spending eternity in
the emotional blender, you'd better prepare
68 MARCH 2006
yourself for the potential of cheating. No,
there is no foolproof way to avoid an emotional collision with a cheater, but you can
minimize your chances. Before renting that
storage locker together, find out if she has
cheated before. Now, you're going to have
to listen closely, as most lezzies are unlikely
to blurt out that they screwed around on all
of their women. They may dance around the
issue and utter telltale phrases like "harmless flirtation" or "exploring my sexuality."
But just remember: There is no such thing as
"harmless flirtation." Flirting is just the way
a dyke dips her toe in the water to see who
might want to nibble on it. And as for
"exploring her sexuality," that is just a
fancy way of explaining why she let somebody else find her way into her pants. If she
has a bad track record, don't bet on her
fidelity this time around.
Find out just where she stands on
monogamy and get her definition of
"cheating." To her, monogamy might mean
only sleeping with one woman at a time literally - with anything short of a threeway qualifying as being monogamous.
Also, cheating does not have a universally
acceptable definition in our community, so
get hers and compare notes.
One time I broke up with a woman - or
rather, she broke up with me - and a few
weeks later, when I started seeing someone
else, I got an earful from a friend who couldn't
believe I was being so blatant with my infidelity. Turned out that my former girlfriend
didn't really mean it when she broke up with
me; therefore, in her mind, we were still
together. I had definitely never heard that one
before. And would you believe that some of
our friends sided with her? After that, I
learned to make a confirmation call after
being dumped just to make sure I am history.
You must have that discussion about
cheating before somebody cheats. It helps to
have some questions prepared.
Can a woman cheat with someone she has
never even met? Cybersex is real sex, and it
messes up plenty of households. What if there
is no cybersex, and you just tell her your deepest desires and darkest secrets? To many
dykes, that's even worse than doing yourself
on the information superhighway. What if
you are caught making a date with a woman,
but never go out on the date? Is that cheating?
I am big on intent myself. Motive + intent =
crime. But there are plenty who disagree.
What if your woman is drunk at the club, and
you walk into the bathroom and see her making out with some girl in line? If she told you
that she just has to go and is trying to move up
in line, would you buy her story? You would
be surprised at what you will fall for when
you've got it bad for a louse. To me, being
drunk isn't much of an excuse for cheating.
You can explain peeing in a corner at a party
or barfing in a mailbox, but cheating is not on
the list of forgivable drunken sins for me.
If you hate these kinds of discussions,
then don't assume you are in a committed,
monogamous relationship, no matter how
long you have been dating her. You have to
have a commitment to break one. Nothing
smarts quite like confronting a woman
about being unfaithful, then having her
laugh in your face and ask you what the hell
you're talking about while a woman's head
is still planted in her crotch.
What if you are not having sex with your
lover? Having an affair to get out of a sexless
union is both trite and chickenshit. If you have
no sex life with your lover, you had better
address that issue. Not having a good sex life is
no excuse for cheating, but it sure can make it
seem like a good idea. You may thinkyour relationship has entered a cool sexless phase that
suits both of you just fine, but desire doesn't
disappear, it only hibernates - and wakes up
hungry. (The starving ain't too picky about
where they snack, if you know what I mean.)
Is there life after cheating? I don't know.
Some folks claim that a couple can be even
closer after an affair ... but I have never actually met one of these couples.
I remember my first gay film festival in
San Francisco. One of the first films I saw
was a dyke film in which one of the leads
was a cheater. Every time she was on-screen,
the audience hissed. Throughout that week,
I saw films about murder, avarice and deception, but nobody hissed at those creeps. That
taught me a lot about just how big and bad
the sin of cheating is to lesbians.
To those of you going through this roughest of times, I wish you strength and a speedy
recovery. And stay away from any fool who
tells you not to take it personally. It's happening to you, so how are you supposed to take
it? Feel free to yell that - it's a nice break
from crying. ■
Curve
69
brownwortb
Stop Torture Now
WRITING THIS COLUMN MADE
me sick. Reading it will ,make you
sick. Since the torture at Abu
Ghraib was revealed, I have written
a great deal about torture in my syndicated newspaper columns. I have
discussed it in my college classrooms. I have started researching a
book about torture. There is only
one, unequivocal statement to be
made about torture, and that is that
torture is always wrong.
But torture has become a "talking point" in the Bush administration. President Bush lies about torture; he says America doesn't torture. But
Vice President Cheney thinks that torture is
a necessary weapon. And CIA director
Porter Goss says the CIA should be immune
from prosecution for torture.
In late November, the European Union
began an investigation into whether the
United States was contravening international
law by refueling in EU airports while transporting prisoners to so-called "black sites" in
Europe where they would be tortured.
In the United States, talk of torture is limited to alleged Islamist terrorists from whom
we want information, and we decline to
acknowledge that detainees in Guantanamo
Bay are tortured. But the International Red
Cross says they are. By us.
And there are other kinds of torture, here
and abroad, including torture of women.
According to Amnesty International, women
are tortured daily throughout the world. The
countries in which women are being tortured right now are: Iraq, Sudan,
Afghanistan, Nepal, Lebanon, South Africa,
Cuba, Nigeria, China, Bangladesh, Burma,
Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Mexico,
Congo and the United States.
Details of this torture - reported by AI,
other anti-torture groups and treatment centers for torture survivors - are grisly.
Women torture victims may have been raped
repeatedly; sodomized; had electrodes
attached to their genitalia; had their nipples,
genitals and breasts burned off; been forcefed excrement and urine; had the soles of
their feet beaten, burned or scalded; been
force-fed with spicy hot pepper water or had
it forced into their vaginas and anuses. In the
70 MARCH 2006
Congo, they have had limbs amputated.
They are beaten with nail-studded wood
planks or sexually assaulted with objects
(including flashlights, shoeshine brushes,
rope and the rungs of chairs). They are
water-boarded (a CIA and South African
specialty in which a person is made to feel as
if she were drowning). They have their eyes
put out, their eardrums punctured, their fingernails torn off, their tongues burned, their
hands and feet nailed to the floor or to
objects. They are subjected to sleep deprivation, starvation, hard labor without food or
water, standing for long periods in the blazing sun until they are burned. They are subjected to sexual and other humiliations and
psychologically tortured. There are many
horrifying examples of what someone can
do to a woman's body without actually
killing her.
Women worldwide are tortured for political, religious and social reasons - or just
because they are women. In Nepal, Tibetan
nuns have been tortured to death. In Turkey,
Kurdish women are tortured. In China,
women followers of Falun Gong are tortured.
In the United States, women are trafficked
here and held in sexual torture chambers in
nearly every one of America's big cities.
We know torture severely damages the
person being tortured, physically and mentally. It also damages the torturer. Torture
degrades everyone involved: the victim,
the perpetrator and the government or
institution officiating the torture. There
can be no "democratic" use of torture.
And there can be no moral, ethical or
political excuse for torture. There can be
>> By
Victoria
A. Brownworth
only blood on the hands of the
individuals and governments that
perpetrate torture.
Throughout the so-called "war
on terror," the Bush administration has explained what torture
can accomplish in certain circumstances. But those explanations
are lies. If someone is tearing your
fingernails out one by one or
sticking sharp objects into your
eyes, ears, vagina or anus, you
would say anything, implicate
anyone and make up whatever
you could to stop the pain. That's
what happens when people are tortured.
Survivors of torture will tell you that.
Having been tortured during a particularly
brutal rape myself, I can tell you that: You
will do and say whatever you can to stop the
torture and save your own life.
Despite the gains that women around the
world have made in asserting their rights, the
torture of women is a daily reality. It is rooted
in pervasive discrimination that continues to
deny women full equality with men and that
legitimizes violence against women.
The United States - like the nations listed
above, which are not democracies but dictatorships - engages in torture. Each one of us
as voters, as American citizens, must state
unequivocally that we are against torture, or
we become complicit in our government's
involvement in torture.
We cannot make excuses for torture. We
cannot view torture from the vantage point of
the perpetrator, but only from the vantage
point of the victim, no matter what we think
of that victim. If you would not want to be
tortured or have someone you love tortured,
then you must speak out against this vile and
barbaric practice. If we torture the "others"
we despise, we can also torture those we love.
We can end torture - at least in
America. But we have to raise our voices for
all those women and men worldwide who
are screaming even as you read this, but
whose voices have been silenced by excuses
for their torture. To do your part, visit tortureisnotus.org to send an e-mail to
Congress, or arm yourself with knowledge
at traffickinginpersons.com, godspy.com and
abolish.com. ■
Spring Gear and Games
FROM BLEMISH ZAPPERS TO ANIME LESBIANS, DYKES
are using technology in surprising (and sometimes disgusting) ways these
days. Here are a handful of new ideas to help you spring into action.
Does your cell phone look naked? Is your laptop just screaming for pink
leopard print or rainbow decor? The solution's simple: Skinlt! Made of
very thin vinyl and as easy to use as a
Are you tired of treating your
pimpled face with benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid? The
makers of a revolutionary new
acne-clearing device would like to
prevent you from ever using harsh
sticker, Skinlt is an inexpensive way to
chemicals on your skin again. Zeno is
a small, Zippe-like device that utilizes
personalize your mobile device. Skinlt
offers hundreds of designs that range from
heat to get rid of pimples. Simply place
the Zeno on your pimple for two and a
green vegetables to country flags to pirate
half minutes up to three times over a 24-
skulls. Or for an additional $5, you can
upload your own photo and proudly dis-
hour period, and your pimples disappear ...
or so the maker claims. We saw far less
play your puppy, girlfriend or favorite band
logo. They are specifically cut and shaped for your apparatus and are
interchangeable. (I have juicy cherries on the front of my phone.) The
the frequently beeping buttons complex and irritating. If you're going to spend $225 getting rid of
skins have a sleek, sexy, shiny appearance and never leave a sticky
your acne, you may be better served with spa treat-
mess. ($10 and up, skinit.com) - Ariane Resnick
ments or a visit to the dermatologist. ($225, myzeno.com) - AR
...... ........... ... . . ....
improvement than we had hoped for, and found
.
. ........
.
Unlike typical computer games, Journey to the Wild Divine has a loftier goal than mere entertainment. The game aims to help players achieve greater heart rate variability, a trend exhibited
by people who live longer and enjoy life more. In order to accomplish this goal, Journey measures sweat gland activity and heart rate and gives feedback to the player as she progresses
through the game. With Tibetan flute music and "Magic Rings" (aka biofeedback sensors), it's
clear that Journey is an unexpectedly unique experience. Here, players play not to achieve points
or speed; on the contrary, relaxation is often the key to progression, with the hope that the game
will lead to healing and transformation in their lives. ($60, wilddivine.com) - Janel M. Lynch
It
ae e e e
e e e e.
e e.
e e ea e e e e e e
•
e e
Still can't get enough of last summer's blockbuster superhero flick Fantastic Four? Here's your
chance to be Jessica Alba (and, yes, use her character's famous invisibility powers for your own
benefit) in this action-adventure video game. Though you can play on your own, the game's cooperative mode allows you to play with a friend as you battle your way through to saving the world.
Based on the movie's plot, the game also features the actors' voices and likenesses. That's right,
you can make Jessica Alba do whatever you tell her to do. ($19.99, activision.com) - Malinda Lo
... . ... ... .. . ... .... ... ...
For anyone who has ever suffered from anime withdrawal sy 1
drome, the following news should perk you up. Central Park
Media, the first company to release anime on CD-ROM, DVD
and PSP downloads, has announced that it will now make
anime video for Apple's iPod. Some current titles include
Descendants of Darkness, Hammerboy and Shadow Star
Narutaru, but our favorite queer offering is Revolutionary Girl
Utena, about a girl who looks and dresses like a prince and
fights for the ownership of the gorgeous Rose Bride. ($19.95,
centralparkmedia.com/ipod) - Lauren Marie Fleming
Curve
71
TaxTricks...
continued
frompage61
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
If one of you works and the other earns little or no money, the big wage earner may
be able to claim the other as a dependent.
This arrangement works well for part-time
workers, students, retirees, some clergywomen and other starving (or well-fed)
artists. Rules vary from state to state, but
most places have a loophole for this
major advantage.
Similarly, if one gal earns significantly
more than the other, consider putting all the
couple's charitable donations in the major
breadwinner's name. Also, allow her to
claim the interest paid on the house and
property taxes to help lower her tax bracket.
It's not always advantageous to split deductions evenly. If you're not sure what would
benefit you most, have your accountant run
the numbers both ways to see which turns
out in your favor.
INHERl·TAXES
Lesbian couples are generally doomed,
tax-wise, to pay up when they inherit
wealth from a partner who has passed
away. However, some states offer estateplanning techniques that allow you to gift
money via a series of trust accounts, averting the tax obligation for the surviving
spouse. If you're a couple with high net
worth, consult a financial advisor for creative trust strategies that could save you
thousands in the long run.
GET GAY HELP
Here are a few key Web sites can help your
bottom line.
■ H RC (hrc.org) offers a battery of sample
legal documents, including a domestic
partnership agreement, health care
proxy, will, trust and durable power of
attorney. The site's FamilyNet area offers
contact information for queers needing
outside advice.
■ Rainbow Law (rainbowlaw.com) has free
and affordable documents for estate planning, wills, trusts, guardianship and more
for LGBT families.
■ Lambda Legal (lambdalegal.org) offers
information on workplace protection,
domestic partnerships and loads of
other legal issues.
■ Gay Financial Network (gfn.com) delivers news, networking and career advice
for gays and lesbians. ■
72 MARCH 2006
In the Stacks. . . continued
frompage64
published in 2002. Unfortunately, although
there are still some winning moments in
Loose Ends, this collection is not as strong
as Trash or its predecessor, Close to Spider
Man. Most of the pieces in Loose Ends are
actually newspaper columns culled from
Xtra, Vancouver's weekly gay pub. As such,
they are a little too uniform in length, tone
and flavor, touching sweetly but vaguely on
topics like Coyote's favorite children
(including a trans-leaning 8-year-old boy
named Francis) or neighbors (like the
omnipresent tough guy in Coyote's books
who gives her he-man advice on women).
Yet much of the writing in Loose Ends
seems surprisingly bland for Coyote, who's
usually able to ignite small fires of wisdom
in a few sparse, carefully chosen words.
There is a spark missing from most of
these stories, but those that do have it shine
brightly. "What If" asks whether that nice
old lady on the plane would've still told her
life story if she knew the person next to her
wasn't actually a "handsome young fellow, a
real gentleman": "Had I deceived a kind and
sheltered woman, using her company and
confidence merely to pass the time? What
exactly was the truth, and would the truth
have made her feel any better?"Coyote asks
in retrospect. "Battle of the Bulge," about
the perils of packing, is right on the mark.
Coyote writes, "I've had a few dick-related
incidents in the past. . . . One other time I
was at a bar, and a young trans fellow was
in the bathroom stall next to me. When he
pulled his pants down and sat, his number
hit the concrete, and rolled to a flaccid stop
just in front of my right foot. Do unto others, I thought, and there but for the grace of
DVDpicks...
God go I. I silently nudged his errant prosthetic back under the wall with my foot and
never mentioned the incident, reminding
myself to be extra careful when I've been
drinking. Kind of gives 'keeping it in your
pants' a whole new meaning." Shortly after
the collection's completion, Coyote relocated
to Squamish, British Columbia, a smaller
town without the benefit of a substantial gay
community. Given that Coyote is particularly
comfortable in rural surroundings, subverting
male survival skills while adapting them to
her own queer persona, perhaps with this
change of scene Coyote's next collection will
lead the reader into slightly fresher material.
(arsenalpulp.com) ■
SapphicScreen. . . continued
frompage63
new twist on the age-old war between the
sexes. Our leather-bound and lethal hero
Aeon lives in a bizarre dystopian world
with changing allegiances and villainous
ex-lovers, and while her outfits and deadpan charm might seem aimed at commandeering viewers' libidos more than anything
else, it'd be a mistake to not take the Aeon
effect seriously.
Born on MTV's Liquid Television, the
original Aeon had no dialogue, her missions were vague, the surroundings complex. As she worked through her deadly
assassin missions, rebelling against body
implants and weak-willed warriors, the
anti-heroine Aeon Flux gave a new stoic,
polysexual face to women, often kissing
other women (and clones of herself) and
then killing them - or herself - off. The
DVD offers featurettes, The Deviant
Devices and The History of Aeon Flux.
(paramount. comlhomeentertainment) ■
continued
frompage63
Highway Courtesans
(Women Make Movies):
This documentary examines a centuries-old custom found in the
Bachara community in
central India, where
teenage girls are
expected to either marry
or become prostitutes.
Director Mystelle
Brabbee follows the lives
of three girls over nine
years. Guddi, her sister
Shana and their neighbor
Sungita all dream of marrying and having families,
but they are destined to
become prostitutes for
truck drivers on the main
highway that passes
through their town.
Brabbee does not shy
away from difficult questions as she interviews
the fathers, boyfriends
and village leader who
are all economically
dependent on this tradition. The main character
of the film, though, is
Guddi, who manages to
leave prostitution behind
five years after we first
meet her. The repercussions of her decision
become clear as every
male in her life - including
her father and brothers
turns against her. With little prospect of sustaining
herself, Guddi's fight to
exit what Sungita
describes as "the road to
nowhere" proves to be a
tough journey, but she is
determined to go against
tradition and carve out
her own destiny.
,J
(wmm.com)
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TOP TEN
POP ON TO CHARLOTTE COOPER'S
Web site, charlottecooper.net, and you'll
see right away that the keynote speaker for
the 2005 fat dyke conference NoLose is
no one-trick pony. Although the author of
Fat and Proud juggles a dozen job titles,
both a girlfriend and a boyfriend, and
countless artistic ventures, the British diva
insists that she's neither running for God
nor moonlighting as a superhero. - Jacob
Anderson-Minshall
TI~X:I::~:zJ,
Despite writing books,
maintaining an online journal, performing in
front of audiences, producing comics and
publishing zines, Cooper insists she's "just
an ordinary gal~
ac~"-·JJ
Cooper's
favorite project was recording the life stories of queer seniors. "I was incredibly privileged to be able to listen to those hidden
histories, people talking about secret lives,
their hopes and dreams, and to feel myself a
part of that queer continuum."
80 MARCH 2006
1:A!Jce.u.J~=.a
"My neighbor
chopped down a tree that is mostly in my garden," Cooper complains, adding, "but don't
shed a tear for me. I can be pretty mean
myself and I'm thinking of suing the bastard."
. • • • • Cooper calls her
1998 book, Fat and Proud: The Politics of
Size,a "political rant; and explains,"It uses a
social model to understand that challenging
fat hatred effectively entails changing the
power systems that oppress us, especially
medicalization, rather than changing ourselves to fit into the world~
have a stupid fucking monarchywho still wield
a lot of political power, and that's easily as
bad 'cause we didn't even vote for them~
• "Here are a few important facts: I
have a prolapsed disc at L5 which causes a
patch of numbness under the toes of my right
foot. ... I wish I had a swimming pool of my
own. I'm always looking for work~
After hours of Abu
Ghraib-style torture tactics, Cooper finally
breaks. "My dad used to be a spy," she
admits.
. • . , Cooper created the
Chubsters, a girl gang of lawless fatties who
can be found at chubstergang.com.
f£fll1TITI .::u..::Ali.::i.:·~ Cooper is
shopping her 2002 "dirty-mouthed dyke
smut-fest" Cherry to American publishers.
"We
don't have Bush; Cooper admits. "But we
come to your party, "Dick-sucking is unlikely."
Beyond that, she says, she doesn't do
drugs, drop litter or drive dangerously {or
vote for right-wing assholes). She also
refuses to believe it's wrong to be what she
calls "a frisky fat freak." ■
I-
t-
<
►
::i:::
►
<
:,,:
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yotwre/{./t,ei"'6
*
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See all items with this value
-
Ellen'sExon Love Heartbreakand Her L Word Gi
THE
BEST-SELLING
LESBIAN
MAGAZINE
THE CURVE EXCLUSIVE
Kristanna
Loken
Comes
PROPERTY
OF:
Our ON THE SHELF
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0 3>
12 Dream Destinations
BONUS TRAVEL ISSUE
savea
Life
Tow.urroW
Did you know that one unspayed
female cat can produce 36 cats in just one
and a half years?And an unneutered male cat
or dog can help create limitless litters!
Every year, millions of animals are euthanized in
animal shelters, and millions more are abandoned
to die on the streets. The good news is that all these deaths can be
prevented with spaying and neutering. Altering animals also prevents deadly
cancers and other diseases.
So what are you waiting for? Make an appointment to get your
animal friend spayed or neutered today, and urge everyone you
know to do the same. Remember, every single stray cat and
every neglected dog came from an animal who wasn't spayed
or neutered.
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In Select
Januar
Aroundthe World
Over the holidays, I curiously opened an
oversized card board box to uncover a
huge white cowboy hat with black trim.
The card inside th~ stately hat read,
"Happy
ew Year! Just remember, white
hats are only for summer." Last year, I was
delighted to be named an Honorary
Grand Marshal at the Dallas Pride parade.
While I was there, I casually complimented
one of my new friends on her stately cap.
Like everything else, hospitality is big in
Texas, and now I've got a big white sombrero to prove it! Y'all will get a glimpse
of their hospitality - and some of my
adventures in the Lone Star state - in our
feature on Dallas (page 40), part of our
special spring travel issue.
Frances Stevens
According to a recent survey of American
Publisher / Editor in Chief
adults (conducted by Harris Interactive
and Witeck-Combs Communications), lesLesbians are twice
bians are twice as likely as straight people
to travel internationally. With those statisas likely as straight
tics, it shouldn't come as a surprise that
people to travel
we're covering some pretty intriguing
internationally.
international
destinations
this issue,
including Hong Kong, Vietnam, Tokyo,
Paris and Stockholm. Toyko's thriving lesbian nightlife is captivating, with over 200 women's bars, host clubs, drag king
spots, lounges, dance bars and social salons hidden behind the neon skyscrapers
of one of Asia's most modern cities. Writer Aefa Mulholland offers the key to
locating these hidden gems - some of which are preciously tiny - buried in the
maze of Tokyo.
If adventure travel with a lesbian twist is more your cup of tea, we have just the
fix for you. Imagine a culinary cruise through Italy's Riviera, a bicycle trek through
the etherlands or kayaking down a pristine Wyoming river. "Get Your Group
On" (page 42) highlights lesbian-specific tour groups, ranging from $67 to $8,000,
that will help you navigate the globe with a few good sisters on your side.
But jaunting around the globe is just the beginning of what's in store for you this
issue. I'm sure the sultry eyes of our cover girl, Kristanna Loken, caught your
attention. Most recognizable as the Terminatrix in Terminator 3, Loken is the
only woman to ever whoop Arnold Schwarzenegger's on-screen ass. Now she's
back on the silver screen as the star of the vampire adventure BloodRayne, and
coming out to us in our exclusive cover interview (page 48). With a script written by lesbian writer and actress Guinevere Turner (of L Word and Go Fish
fame), and co-starring Michelle Rodriguez (who's kicking it in Lost),
BloodRayne might just end up being our next cult flick.
2 MARCH 2006
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305.53'2.1997
March
2006
Volume
16#2
features
26 ALEXANDRA
HEDISON
HITSTHEL WORD
by Laurie K. Schenden
She's got a famous ex, killer booty and a great new role.
44 BYTHEBOOK
by Ellen Rosner Feig, Malinda Lo and Catherine Plato
A bevy of lesbian authors - Cheryl Peck, Sharon Bridgforth,
Julie Anne Peters, Val McDermid, Cheril N. Clarke - tell us
why they do what they do so well.
48 ONTHECOVER:
KRISTANNA
LOKEN
by Tim Nasson
The BloodRayne beauty tells us all about women.
52 UNCOVERING
ASIAN-AMERICAN
LESBIANS
by Malinda Lo
After decades of activism, can the Asian-American
lesbian community come together?
56 GETREADYFORDINAHSHORE
by Malinda Lo and Ariane Resnick
Dinah Shore's head party girl, Sandy Sachs, gives us the
lowdown on Hollywood celebs. Plus: Insider tips from a
golfer and a party girl.
60 DEATHANDTAXES
by Susy Phillips
This lesbian finance 101 offers more ways to hang on to
what you've got.
Global
Girls:
Lesbian
Travel
Goes
Near
and
Far
HEADING
TO HONGKONG
by Jodi Helmer
It' Asia's city of contradictions.
LIVINGONTOKYOTIME
by Aefa Mulholland
Imagine a thrilling, dazzling, exhausting
adrenaline rush of a destination.
FINDINGLIFEIN VIETNAM
by Vanessa Barrington
Who cares about gay culture when all of
humanity is at your fingertips?
ANAMERICAN
IN PARIS
by Sara Jane Keskula
A Yankee discovers Paree.
4 MARCH
2006
STOCKHOLM
SYNDROME
by Angela Watrous
From ice bars to lesbian clubs to ABBA
fans, Sweden's design-centric city goes all
out for Pride.
EVERYTHING
IS BIGIN DALLAS
by Kathy Beige
Southern hospitality, cute power chicks y'all come down to Texas. Plus CURVE'strip
to Dallas Pride.
GETYOURGROUPON
by Ariane Resnick
Sometimes flying solo just isn't the best
way to go. These lesbian outfitters have
the answer.
COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY BARRYJ. HOLMES
Freedom
started
here.
We invite you to have a great time in the place where all
SPECIALEVENTS
people were given the freedom to live life as they choose.
EqualityForum2006
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8
CONTRIBUTORS
The gals who make it happen.
10 LffiERS
You've got to tell us about it.
12 OUTIN FRONT
Minnesota politico Karen Clark
keeps the "L" in legislature.
14 CURVATURES
Schwarzenegger's new lesbian fan,
queer on campus and aging (gay)
gracefully.
18 OPENSTUDIO
Alex Gibson puts the glamour on.
22 LIPSTICK& DIPSTICK
Sometimes you have to do the
right thing.
23 ASKFAIRYBUTCH
Well, what's your fantasy?
24 LESBOFILE
Madonna, Laila Ali and Anna
icole Smith gossip.
music that you can dance to.
24 SHESAID,SHESAID
Evangeline says she's "half-boy."
68 DYKEDRAMA
When is cheating not cheating?
62 SAPPHICSCREEN
Asian comedy, Indian drama and a
fetishy cartoon gal. Plus: up close
with filmmaker Besty Kalin.
70 BROWNWORTH
Torture in the new millennium.
71 TECHGIRL
64 IN THESTACKS
Gear and games to go.
T Cooper, Ivan Coyote and Married
Lesbians author Joanne Fleisher.
80 TOPTENREASONS
WE LOVE
66 MUSICWATCH
Author Charlotte Cooper makes us
grin like schoolgirls when she's
around.
Margaret
''
Cho, The Gossip and
Is there life after cheating? I don't know.
Some folks claim that a couple can be
even closer after an affair ... but I have
never actually met one of those couples."
They say you can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family. Well for those who make no distinction, the
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8 MARCH 2006
I chose Vietnam as a
travel destination was
because I wanted to experience a place that's still
relatively untouched by
American culture," says
freelance writer Vanessa
Barrington, whose experiences in Vietnam are
recounted beginning on
page 34. "I was thrilled
by the absence of all
things familiar, but it's
funny how American
influence creeps in and
settles into people's psyches. On a rainy tour of
the northern countryside
in a leaky Russian jeep,
my girlfriend and I discovered the role music
has in transmitting
American pop culture.
About five minutes into
the ride, our guide yelled
over the roar of the
engine, 'So tell me, how
far do you live from this
Hotel California?' The
Eagles song was a favorite
of the dining room staff
at the hotel where we
stayed." Barrington is trying to choose between
South America and the
Balkans for her next destination, and in the meantime is working on a
cookbook proposal.
"I DIDN'T
KNOW WHAT
to expect from Alexandra
Hedison," says contributor
Laurie K. Schenden, who
spoke with Ellen
DeGeneres' ex-girlfriend
in one of her first interviews since their breakup
more than a year ago (see
page 26). "She's always
been very private - not
saying much during the
relationship and saying
even less after it ended.
But I found her warm,
approachable and surprisingly open to questions
about her life, her career
and her future - without
ever betraying her own
sense of honor." Hedison,
a photographer and actor,
will be making an appearance this season on The L
Word, and told Schenden
that her spicy guest role
was "liberating."
Schenden, a freelance
journalist and documentary filmmaker, resides in
Los Angeles.
"FOR SIX YEARS
running I've been Pippi
Longstocking for
Halloween, more out of
laziness than anything
else," laughs Angela
Watrous, who writes in
this issue (see page 38)
about her whirlwind trip
to Stockholm, Sweden,
the homebase of all
things Pippi. "If only I'd
packed my wig! It just
never occurred to me that
she'd be such a ubiquitous queer icon there,
even if she was the original tomboy." When not
globe-trotting, Watrous
writes the juicy advice
column "Kiss and Tell"
for PlanetOut.com. She's
also the co-editor of 50
Ways to Support Lesbian
and Gay Equality, which
includes essays and concrete tips on what we all
need to do to promote
queer civil rights.
"HONG
KONG HAS AN
amazing blend of Chinese
and British traditions
that make it a destination
unlike any other in the
world," says Jodi
Helmer. "I spent the
mornings touring temples
and visiting traditional
fortune teller , and the
afternoons having high
tea and shopping for
designer clothing without
traveling more than a few
blocks." Helmer spent
eight days in Hong Kong
in 2004 (see page 31) and
fell in love with the
vibrant culture and
friendly people. The one
regret Helmer has about
her trip, which included
taking a tai chi class and
making a wish at a traditional wishing tree, is
that she did not have the
courage to sample snake
soup. In addition to writing for CURVE,Helmer, a
freelance writer based in
Portland, Ore., has contributed to Yoga Journal,
Delicious Living,
Women's Health and
Fitness and Entrepreneur.
Read about her other
travel adventures at
jodihelmer.com.
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letters
Your Melissa Issue Rocked!
Thank you for the wonderful article on
Melissa Etheridge ("I'm a Survivor," Vol.
15, #8). After losing my sister at the age of
28, I witnessed the hard-fought battle
against cancer. I have always been inspired
by Melissa Etheridge, as a musician and lesbian. Now, after reading her story in your
magazine, I'm inspired by the spirit of this
woman and all women who have the
strength and courage to fight against this
vicious disease. I can imagine there were
times for her when the devastating treatments and therapies scared the hell out of
her. And then seeing her go on to perform at
the Grammys, I was blown away!
I have the cover of that issue framed as a
reminder of Melissa's beauty and strength
that shines from within her. Should I ever
face a challenge like she has, I will look
toward her as an example of the strength
and beauty we all possess. Saying "thank
you" to Melissa does not convey the gratitude I feel.
- Kathy Trautvetter,
Edison, N.J.
Missy Fan
I wanted to send a response
to the article you featured in
your December magazine
on Missy Higgins ("Missy's
Misdemeanor, Vol. 15, #8).
I have been a huge fan of
Missy's for the last year. I
was so pumped to see her.
Thank you for exposing
her, I can't stop playing her
songs on my iPod, her lyrics
are unbelievable. Keep the artists coming. I love
Om.VE;thanks for all you do.
- Jenn Gable, Grand Rapids, Mich.
More on Ugly Ducklings
Thank you so much for Aimsel L. Ponti's
piece on the Ugly Ducklings Campaign
("Ugly Ducklings Unite," Vol. 15, #8). I felt
very honored, and we are all really grateful
for the exposure for the project. I especially
appreciated the frankness about the issue of
lesbian/gay suicides ... which is something
that folks really tend to shy away from. I do
need to make a correction about the piece:
The Ugly Ducklings Campaign is being
spearheaded by Lauren Sterling and Lyn
Mikel Brown, and collaboratively pro10 MARCH 2006
duced by Hardy Girls Healthy Women,
Greater Waterville's Communities
for
Children and Youth.
- Carolyn
Gage, via e-mail
THE "30 BEST COMP~i"NIES FOR
Lesbians" (Vol. 15, #7) is a valuable tool for
SC Johnson on Animal Testing
those of us searching for a diverse work-
We were pleased to read that your magazine included SC Johnson on its recent
"Top 30 Companies for Lesbians" list (Vol.
15, #7). We also noted your comment
about animal testing and wanted to provide
you with an understanding of SC Johnson's
position on this as well as our leadership in
the movement to find alternative methods
to animal testing.
We share your concern about animal testing and we are committed to minimizing it.
We are working with the Institute for In
Vitro Sciences (IIVS) and other organizations
to develop and promote the use of alternative
test methods.
As you are probably aware, some governments require animal testing on some
products to be sure they
are safe to use. Animal
testing of SC Johnson's
products is conducted as
required by law or when
information from nonanimal tests is invalid or
insufficient to appropriately assess product safety.
We share your view that
animal testing that is not
required should be halted.
- Kelly M. Semrau,
place environment, but I was dismayed to
Vice President,
see that a number of the companies listed
are headed by males who belong to the
Augusta National Golf Club, which has a
policy barring women from membership. As
a result, women are denied the business
networking
opportunities
counterparts,
thus
of their
decreasing
male
their
chances of moving up the corporate ladder.
You may not be aware that companies
whose executive officers are members of
Augusta often attempt to downplay this by
getting their companies placed on "best of"
lists that focus on diversity. In the book Cult
of Power, Dr. Martha Burke, chair of the
National Council of Women's Organizations,
describes the "diversity dodge;' in which
such companies engage. This includes hiring outside companies whose sole purpose
is to provide other companies with information on how to get named on a "best of" list.
As a result, magazines such as yours report
the great strides that lesbians can make
working for a company that in fact is run by
men who have no intention of mentoring,
encouraging, or promoting women to higher
career positions.
I am not writing this as a criticism of your
article, but rather in the hope that you will
more carefully consider the companies you
promote in your magazine.
Global Public Affairs
- Sherri Kaplan, via e-mail
and Communication
Honestly,
Corrections
In our 2005 Lesbian Theater Awards (Vol.
15, #8), we incorrectly identified playwright
Migdalia Cruz as a lesbian, but we are still
pleased to recognize her play, Cigarettes and
Moby Dick, with a Lesbian Theater Award.
Our online holiday gift guide listed an incorrect URL for Imperfect Articles; the correct
URL is imperfectarticles.com. CURVEregrets
the errors.
we've
been
debating this issue for months now here at
CURVE,especially after two of our favorite
companies - Kimpton Hotels, where I stay
almost
every
vacation,
and
American
Airlines, an official sponsor of many CURVE
events - didn't make the cut. We realized
that big companies have big budgets that
they sometimes use to make their way onto
these "best companies" lists. We've decided
to change how we compile our list next
year and will include smaller companies
Got Something on Your Mind?
and more lesbian-owned companies in our
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to
Curve Letters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San
Francisco, CA 94103; or fax to (415) 8631609. Letters may be edited. ■
annual careers issue. Any ideas on who
we should include? Send us your suggestions to letters@curvemag.com.
ti-I
C
0
____a-rsHealthy Women,
.,dterville's Communities for
and Youth.
a..
LL.
- Carolyn Gage, via e-mail
·""'
::s
C
son on Animal Testing
pleased to read that your magauded SC Johnson on its recent
Companies for Lesbians" list (Vol.
We also noted your comment
imal testing and wanted to provide
1 an understanding of SC Johnson's
on this as well as our leadership in
ment to find alternative methods
1 testing.
are your concern about animal teste are committed to minimizing it.
working with the Institute for In
iences (IIVS)and other organizations
op and promote the use of alternative
ods.
u are probably aware, some govequire animal testing on some
products to be sure they
are safe to use. Animal
of SC Johnson's
0
Who's
more
impressive
than an openly
lesbian state legislator? One who has been elected to 13 consecutive terms, that's who. Karen Clark's 13 political wins
have made her the longest-serving openly lesbian state legislator in the United States. When her constituents voted to
return her to office in 2004, they did so with the the highest
percentage of votes (88 percent) cast for a Minnesota legislator. This well-deserved distinction comes after Clark's years
of advocating for and pursuing legislation benefiting her
constituents - members of a racially and culturally diverse
inner-city district with the lowest income in Minnesota.
Clark's devotion to social justice preceded her legislative
service when, as a nurse, she provided health care for
migrant communities and established a community health
center in the impoverished West Side of St. Paul, Minn.
In 1980, a progressive group approached Clark and asked
her to run for the legislature. Despite feeling "much more
comfortable being an outside agitator and community organizer," she eventually made the decision to run. Clark never
12 MARCH 2006
envisioned staying 26 years, but says, "I never quite thought I
was done doing the work I got elected to do, so that's why
I'm still there." Clark says being an openly lesbian politician is
gratifying and challenging. "It's the lens that a lot of people
first look at [me] through. One of the things I think happens
with anyone who is a minority in an elee:ted body," she
explains, "is that you have the privilege of becoming a voice
for people way beyond [your] geographical community."
Counted among Clark's major legislative achievements
are providing AIDS funding to communities of color, creating a Native American battered women's shelter and
adding "sexual orientation" to the Minnesota Human
Rights Act. Clark is also an environmental activist and one
of the founders of the Women's Environmental Institute.
"That's kind of where I see my future," she says. "I'll continue to work on environmental justice issues, particularly
as they affect women and kids." Her advice to other
women considering careers in politics: "Run! Do it! Get it
going, girl!" -Janel M. Lynch
ForGreatLGBT
MovieGossip,
Signupforour
e-newsletter,
TheQWorld.Fun,Fast,Free!
Seeweb site for details!
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curvatures
Queer Campus Fights Rage On
HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE CAMPUSES
across the country continue to be flash points
in the fight for gay rights, with lawsuits erupting everywhere from the O.C. to Florida.
After 17-year-old Charlene guon, a student
at Santiago High School in Orange County,
Calif., was outed by her principal to her
mother, she sued - with the assistance of the
American Civil Liberties Union - and won.
A federal court recently ruled that the chool
did not have a right to out guon to her parents, even if she was out at school. "We are
pleased that the court recognized that the
school does not have the automatic right to
disclose a student' sexual orientation just
because that student is out of the closet to his
or her friends at chool," said Christine P.
Sun, a staff attorney for the ACLU.
Meanwhile, Lambda Legal has filed suit
against Holmdel High School in
ew
Jersey on behalf of lesbian former student
Nancy Wadington, who was verbally and
physically abused for two and a half years
while attending the school. Other students
verbally harassed Wadington, destroyed
her belongings and threw objects at her,
without being stopped by school officials.
The Clay County School District in Florida
has been more proactive about stopping discrimination, especially after being threatened
with a lawsuit by the National Center for
Lesbian Rights on behalf of senior Kelli Davis,
whose photo was removed from the yearbook
because she wore a tuxedo rather than a
drape. The school board agreed to change its
senior portrait policy, which had restricted
girls from wearing tuxedos, and it will add
sexual orientation to its nondiscrimination
policy and provide diversity training to all students and staff in the school district.
CLR has also filed a lawsuit on behalf
of former basketball player Jennifer Harris
in regard to Penn State Lady Lions coach
Rene Portland's
"no lesbian" policy.
According to Harris, Portland threatened to
kick her off the team if she found out she
was lesbian, told the other players not to
associate with Harris, and eventually told
Harris to go play somewhere else.
According to CLR, this is not the first
time that Penn State has been asked to take
action against Portland because of her
homophobic behavior.
"It is particularly troubling that such
flagrant homophobia is permitted to thrive
at a school like Penn State, which has such
a strong public commitment to diversity,
tolerance and eliminating hatred ... from
the university community," said Helen
Carroll, NCLR's sports coordinator. Harris
has since transferred to James Madison
University, but because of CAA transfer
rules must sit out the 2005-2006 season.
- Lauren Marie Fleming
Tackling Murder the Lesbian Way
AUTHOR
MAGGIE
NELSON
HAD BEEN
haunted by her aunt's unsolved murder her
entire life, but after she tackled the troubling
topic in her book Jane: A Murder (Soft Skull
Press), a killer was finally brought to justice. In
Jane, elson takes a compelling look at her aunt
Jane Mixer's life and death, melding together
newspaper clippings, "true crime" books,
Mixer's journals and Nelson's own poetry.
It's a gripping emotional journey, uniquely
formed through spar e text conveying innumerable complexities. "I
never understood the form of the thing," the queer-identified elson
admits, "even while I was writing it .... Jane is a queer book, not
topically because it' about men and women's fucked-up dyads ...
but by form."
A poetry professor, elson recently moved from New York to Lo
Angeles and has previously published two poetry collections, Shiner
14 MARCH 2006
and The Latest Winter, both with Hanging Loose Press. While
publishers were interested in Jane immediately, most wanted
it in mainstream prose, and poetry editors also resisted. "I
began not to care, because if the book works, then it will."
Confessing she had written "a lot of unconscious work
that reflected Jane's murder before," it nevertheless took five
or six years for her to complete the book. "When
I finally sat down to do it, though, it took six
months." Though the case was reopened as the
book was going to print, and someone has now
been convicted in a very controversial court case
- a different someone than the serial killer who
was suspected for years - the text still stands a
a moving memoir of elson 's experience with
her aunt's murder. "The book is still about the
problem of living with something unsolved,"
she says. - Laura K. Cucullu
F
u
0
1'
cl
tl
e
a
Libraries Aren't Only for Books
FEW
LIBRARIES
CAN MATCH
THE
unprecedented queer exhibit Out at the Library
offered by the decade-old James C.
Hormel Gay and Lesbian Center at
the San Francisco Public Library, but
thankfully the exhibit will now travel to libraries around the country.
If the weathered boots of Dr.
Mary Walker - the Civil War-era,
cross-dressing lady surgeon - don't
fascinate you, then perhaps the
steamy cover of Kay Addams' 1952
gay pulp paperback Warped Desires
will. Regardless, it's all here in a giant
commemoration of the first public
library repository of its kind. The
archival exhibit weaves together
unexpected connections between
objects and people to highlight the
richness and diversity of the LGBT
community in the past century. On
display are the Pulp Paperback Collection from
Naiad Press (the longest operating lesbian publishing house) and correspondence between
Naiad publisher Barbara Grier, Elsa Gidlow
and Patricia Highsmith (author of The
Talented Mr. Ripley).
The objects on display can be downright
quirky, like faded 1979 concert tickets from
the transgressive theater group the Cockettes or
a set of gold, silver and bronze medals from the
Federation of Gay Games. Other material is a
sobering look at the early days of the AIDS epidemic, with journals from the San Francisco
General Hospital and Evander Smith's diary
documenting Stonewall. Out at the Library's
unprecedented collection offers a rare glimpse
into the ordinary lives of those whose remark-
LOOKIE
LOOS:
Source: FHM magazine poll, 2005
60°/o
able, heroic efforts championed the cause of
LGBT rights.
Catch up with the exhibit at the LGBT
Community Center in New York, Provincetown
Public Library, Atlanta Central Library,
Swarthmore College Library, Dallas Central
Library or Minneapolis Central Library. Call
ahead for details. - Jaclyn Barcewski
of women say they have had or
would like to have lesbian sex.
Curve
15
rought to justice. In
elling look at her aunt
Beath, melding together
, "true crime" books,
Nelson's own poetry.
emotional journey, uniquely
parse text conveying innumerable complexities. "I
d the form of the thing," the queer-identified Nelson
while I was writing it .... Jane is a queer book, not
use it's about men and women's fucked-up dyads ...
16 MARCH 2006
YOU TOO CAN STAYAND
PLAY THE L WORD® WAY.
Relive the sexy season finale set at the
world renowned Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
The L Word®packages available.
C
Reservations 1 800 606 8244 www.fairmont.com/cwr/lword
® The L Word is a registeredtrademarkof Showtime NetworksInc.
u
H STLE
II
0
R
V\
C
s
s
2
1
When Alex Gibson was
a 9-year-old in Southern California, she saw
Nick Ut's famous photograph
of a naked
Vietnamese girl running down a street after
her home was destroyed by napalm. Gibson
(pictured above), who was moved to tears by
the image, cites this alone as the reason she
became a photojournalist. In 2001, she participated in her first exhibit, a project on homeless queer youth for the Matthew Shepard
Foundation. That in turn led to a job directing
the documentary Transgender Teens for the
Discovery Health Channel. Not too shabby for
a 24-year-old, mainly self-taught
photogra-
pher. "I always have the camera on me;'
Gibson says of her spontaneous
shooting
style, "and ... my studio will end up becoming
a club or a tent at Burning Man or ... a bathroom in a bar'.'
Often drawing from the fringes of culture,
her photography has begun to move away
from realism, recently exploring surrealist portraiture and "painting with light." Gibson often
photographs
friends and acquaintances
many of whom approach
-
her to be pho-
tographed - for whom the experience can be
quite powerful. "It's been a good ... mirror,"
Gibson muses. In this body-obsessed
cul-
ture, she appreciates the opportunity to say,
with a beautiful photograph, "This is how I
see you." - Amy Silverman
BellsWill Be
Ringing
IN DECEMBER,
THE SOUTH
African Constitutional
Court
overturned the South African
Parliament's statute that marriage
is a union between a man and a
woman, stating that South Africa's
constitution specifically prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation. This move makes
South Africa the first African nation to legalize samesex marriage. - Lauren Marie Fleming
Out in Tokyo
JAPANESE
ASSEMBLYWOMAN
KANAKO
Otsuji took the Japanese population by surprise when
she came out publicly as a lesbian the day before the
2005 Tokyo Pride Parade. One of only seven women
in the 110-member Osaka assembly, Otsuji, 30, is the
youngest person ever to be elected to that position.
Though reaction to her coming-out was initially quite
negative, the public has begun to warm to her, and she
has since received letters from grateful gay Japanese
thanking her for speaking out. - Ariane Resnick
Pink
is one of
I
l/i,1mi
Ji.,vt.,,A,,,
fla-keys.com/keywest
,· ,•7~..:.,u,nJ,v,1
1-888-279-3632
Curve
19
Spring's Sneaker Road Test
OK, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS
since you re olved to get in shape, top
smoking and run in the Race for the Cure. If
you haven't already given up on those resolutions, four Curvettes have road-tested a
few of the hottest New Balance sneakers to
help get you jogging (er, panting) in no time.
If you want: athletic walking shoes that don't look hke sneakers,try the @1~•crlrrlwu
uuu-'"'""'=' ($75). Offldal word: This is a rugged suede slip-on for casual or off-road walking,
offenng exceptionalshock absorption. What Chris liked: These worked great hiking in the
woods, even though shp-ons usually don't do well in off-road settings. What Chris didn't
like: They're not what you'd call sexy shoes by any stretch of the imagination.
If you want: to skip down the street, dance
and do an occasional cart wheel, try the Off
Road Trail Runner WW1100 ($130). Official
word: This is the ultimate trail runner for
extreme off-road conditions with maximum
shock absorption, enhanced mid-foot support
and protection against rocks. What Jane
liked: The top of the sneaker has a built-in
sock-like protector. And they are sharp-looking
shoes that got me lots of compliments. What Jane didn't like: I usually wear loose Croes so
with these sneakers there is so much support that sometimes my feet felt trapped.
If you want: to wear runningshoes all day or run a marathonm sexy sneaks,
1
try the U'.:;~'~=u.:::=.:.1.1:;;
==~-'
($90). Offlclal word: Thts is a
trainerofferinga transitionalsupport systemand ABZORB 1nthe heel and forefoot for cush1on1ng
and stability,and it's water resistant.What Lynn liked:
These shoes are super comfortable,still attractiveenoughto wear to work, and
are supportiveenough to run severalmiles each day.What Lynn didn't llke:
Theheelrunsa littlelarge so checkthe S1Z1ng
if youhavenarrowheels.
T2: Judgment Gay
IN A MOVE THAT OUTRAGED CONSER-
vatives and shocked liberals, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger recently
appointed pro-choice, lesbian Democrat
Susan Kennedy as his chief of staff. A former
executive director of the California
Democratic Party and cabinet secretary to
ousted Gov. Gray Davis, Kennedy took a
political risk in accepting the appointment.
"There is an historic opportunity to change
the political dialogue of this state, get past
the party labels and get things done,"
Kennedy said. "I'm tired of the partisanship,
I'm tired of the intolerance that has resulted
in gridlock and I felt it was time for me as a
Democrat to put up or shut up."
20 MARCH 2006
The appointment of a
liberal to his conservative
ca bin et wa a bold move
for Schwarzenegger, who
recently vetoed a bill to
make same-sex marriage
legal in California and
spent the past several
months
pushing
voter
propositions that coincided
with his conservative platform. At her appointment
press conference, Kennedy
said she couldn't find a lot
of differences between her politics and the
governor's, stating that she voted for all four
of his proposmons despite
their party
differences.
Kennedy will be the governors right-hand woman
and will have a say in all
the policies the governor
may propose. Opinions
vary on whether Kennedy
will help or hinder the
fight for marriage equality
in California, but proponents agree it's a great day
for feminism when a lesbian can be appointed as a
Republican's chief of staff. - Lauren
Marie Fleming
B
g
a
AgingGracefully
BUOYED BY LOCAL AND STATE
government support in Santa Fe, N.M.,
RainbowVision Properties cut the multicolored ribbon last October to open the nation's
first full-service retirement resort specifically
welcoming the LGBT population.
"As LGBT people age, we may not have
the same family caretaker options
available to us as our straight
friends have," says Joy Silver, president of RainbowVision. "LGBT
people are comfortable
being
around other LGBT people because
of the common bonds we share. As
we grow older, that sense of community doesn't disappear - it only
grows stronger."
Though queer-specific retirement
housing already exists nationwide,
RainbowVision, an LGBT-owned,
-operated and -managed group, has added a
variety of resort amenities and services to create a hybrid model that hasn't existed before.
Residents can leisurely enjoy a cappuccino at
the cafe, sweat it out at the fitness center, get a
mani-pedi at the wellness spa or take in a show
at the cabaret. Another perk is the partnership
with R Family Vacations, the travel business
founded by Rosie and Kelli O'Donnell, which
allows residents to book priority reservations
and participate in social programs designed
expressly for them. RainbowVision also offers
a choice of traditional western or alternative
medicine practices, an option that many retirement homes neglect.
Key West's
Distinctive Resortfor Women
Several floor plans are available to choose
from, some of which are cheekily named
after gay meccas like the Castro District in
San Francisco and Chelsea in ew York.
Both independent and assisted living is available, as well as round-the-clock staff to
attend to residents' needs. And don't worry
about leaving Fido behind; here, pets are
family, too.
The 183,000-square-foot property is scheduled for completion this May, but several
community villages have already sold out.
This should come as no shock, considering
that Santa Fe has the highest per capita concentration of same-sex coupled seniors, second only to San Francisco. As for expansion,
Silver has her eye on - surprise, surprise the Golden State for RainbowVision's next
big hit.
For
info,
vlSlt
visionprop.com or check out
retiring.org. - Jocelyn Voo
www.pearlsrainbow.com
800. 749.6696305.292.1450
525 United Street
Key West, FL 33040
Curve
21
lipstick
& dipstick
Do the Right Thing
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm stationed in
Iraq and met a sweet Australian named
Janet in a chat room a couple months ago.
I enjoy talking to her, but a month ago I
started dating a girl in my unit, Audrey,
and am totally into her. We've made plans
to move in together when we get home
from Iraq, and I'm in love. Last week, I
started getting letters in the mail from
Janet saying she loves me and she'll wait
forever for us to be together. I don't want
to hurt this Australian girl. I told Audrey
everything and I've just been ignoring
Janet. I don't know what to say and I feel
like a total ass. - Sand in My Eye
s
(l
f
s
Lipstick: Sandy, you are a total ass, and
Lipstick is appalled that you left this little
koala cold and alone in the outback. What
can you do? You tell her you've met someone else, ding-a-ling! Like a bad case of herpes, you just can't ignore Janet. She may
stop writing and appear to go away, but
you'll always be the dyke without a spine,
the one responsible for her broken heart.
Besides, since you're in Iraq, she'll probably
think something horrible happened to you.
Because she was madly in love with her
ex, she still has issues. She says she's in
love with me but because she isn't crazy in
love, she wonders if we should be together at all. I told her as long as she feels like
I might be "the one:' I'll stick around. Am I
doing the right thing? How long will this
last? - Dedicated in Detroit
Spare this innocent girl and tell her the
truth. "Don't ask, don't tell" doesn't apply
here. Step up, soldier.
D1
Dips ic
Whoa, is this a math problem? If one
lesbian leaves Seattle on a train going 75
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm butch-crazy!
I get whiplash and warm, tingling sensa•
tions every time a butchy babe passes by.
But therein lies the problem: They pass
me by. I'm not femme and I'm not butch
either. I'm a 'tweener (fishnets under my
Carhartts). The bois don't go for me, but
the femmes do. Do I need to femme
myself out? How do I attract the overalls
without giving up my own? - 'Tween Love
and a Hard Place
Lipstick is right! And let me warn you
mph and another leaves Detroit on an air-
about looking for lesbian love in Internet
plane traveling 300 mph, what's the proba-
chat rooms. Haven't you heard? The latest
bility they'll
have sex at the Michigan
by, girlfriend? Therein lies your problem. Be
military mission isn't to catch Osama Bin
Womyn's Music Festival? I was never good
aggressive: Stop the next butch who floats
at these. I give it three more months, DD.
your boat and buy her a beer. Dykes love
1
Laden or to thwart the next attack on
Lipstick: Why are you letting them pass you
America, but instead to ambush the bush-
Lipstick: I aced math, so I give it three hours.
attention as much as gay men love anony·
loving bush (and I'm not talking about Jeb in
Double D, take a deep breath and listen
mous blow jobs, so show her you're inter·
Florida). A word of warning: Gay chat rooms
up. I've got bad news. This woman is not
ested and you'll be out of your Carhartts
are ground zero. With the electronic trail,
in love with you; in truth,
and into hers in no time.
you're more likely to be caught cybersexing
respects you. How could she when you
Janet than peeking inside Audrey's tent.
roll over so easily?
she hardly
i
T, stop thinking about yourself. If you
want to bag a butch, you need to think like a
Follow Lipstick's advice: Give the Australian
The fact that she's admitting the emotional
butch. After one look at you in your overalls,
lass her discharge papers and sign out of
hang-up tells me it's hopeless, at least for
she'll think you won't want to date her. Lipstick
the chat rooms.
now. Like many of us do, she got into this
is right - you'll have to make the first move.
relationship
Ask her to listen to a noise your car's making
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I am in a committed relationship with a woman who
had her heart ripped out for four years.
They had broken up one time for five
months. They've been split up for a year
now, and we've known each other for
three years. Seven months ago, we started
an intimate relationship; two months ago,
we made a monogamous commitment.
22 MARCH 2006
too quickly. Society
has a
word for it: rebound. Why it seems lesbos
or lift something heavy into your truck. Tell her
do this more often than other people is
you want to massage her back. Flirt extra hard,
beyond me - perhaps it's our insatiable
or else she'll think you're just another butch
need for a warm body with whom to nest;
looking for a pal. Flash your fishnets and she'll
perhaps
be the one with whiplash. ■
our voracious
yet short-lived
libido? Whatever the case, step back, pick
up your self-respect and give this woman
the space she needs to get the ex out of
her heart.
Something on your mind? Need answers to
life's most pressing questions? Drop Lipstick
and Dipstick a line at lipstickdipstick.com.
What'sYour Fantasy?
Dear Fairy Butch: I just found out that after
nine years together, my partner visits Web
sites featuring big dicks, gangbangs and
other various non-dyke forms of sexuality.
I'm understanding and considerate, but
this has bothered me so much that it's
really changed my sex life. I can't even
come anymore during sex, since I keep
remembering this and feel betrayed. I've
confronted her and told her that if this is
what she really wants, we can end the
relationship. She ends up getting all bent
out of shape, saying it's my own damn
fault for prying into others' affairs. What
should I do? - Betrayed in Baltimore
whatever Web sites she likes. And you have
to admit that your offer to end the relation-
Dear Betrayed: Well, sugar, I can understand
ship in response to finding these sites was a
how you might feel concerned, hurt and
tad bit passive-aggressive. That kind of state-
ready to let your imagination run wild. But
ment backs her into a corner and tells her
before you hit the track, let's put some
that the only satisfactory resolution, for you,
things in perspective. There are all kinds of
would be for her to disavow her penchant for
reasons why your partner may be checking
these sites and tell you that the only sexual
out these sites. Maybe she just likes to look
thoughts she's had for the past nine years
at these sites. She might find them amus-
are of you and what you do together. It's not
ing,
in a
fair, and it's not realistic, although it is human.
detached, anthropological way. It doesn't
It may be painful to acknowledge, but many folks
unbelievable
or
compelling
necessarily mean that she wants these
do have sexual thoughts of people or themes
sites to come to life with her as the star. For
outside their current relationship. I know that
example, just because I'm fascinated by
it can be a blow to one's ego, but it needn't
Karl Rove's White House connection to gay
pose a threat to a relationship. The sexual
military escort Jeff Gannon doesn't mean I
imagination can be a very unruly thing, sugar,
want to join them in a tryst!
and the trick is learning how it can be your
Another possibility is that she does have a sexual response to these themes and images in
servant rather than your master.
So instead of putting her in such an awful bind,
a constellation of other themes that com-
expand your view of the situation. Share your
prise her sexual fantasy world. Does this
feelings with her and invite her to share hers
mean she doesn't want you and that your
with you, including her fantasies, if you're
relationship is doomed? Most certainly not.
ready to hear them. Perhaps you two will find
While it's very easy to take a literal view of
that you want to bring some of her fantasy
someone else's sexual fantasies, sometimes
themes - or your own - into your sexual
a cigar just ain't a cigar. You can actually
relationship in a way that works for both of
have a sexual fantasy about something that
you. It takes some sophistication to under-
you don't want to happen in real life. Or per-
stand, but there are many ways you can
haps you'd like it to happen in a different way,
transfer the essence of a fantasy to a reality
with a different person. Fantasies such as
that looks very different from the fantasy and
these are not necessarily indicative of deep-
yet feels good to both of you.
seated desire for radical change in one's sex-
And you know what? You may just find that the
ual life. What they do likely indicate is a
whole process - sharing your fantasies and
desire to enjoy what certain metaphors, like
finding ways of incorporating some of that
big dicks or gangbangs, can provide.
essence into your sex life - can be fun and
In other words, fantasy is not simply a means of
creating a sexual shopping list. The first
exciting, and bring you closer together rather
than farther apart.
■
thing you need to do, my dear, is cool your
jets a bit. Your girlfriend is entitled to look at
Submit your queries to fb@fairybutch.com.
Curve
23
lesbofile
>> By
Nicole
Cameron
Barmaids and Boxers and Cheerleaders, Oh
EVERYBODY
SAYS THAT APRIL
IS
the cruele t month, but what about March?
It's slightly too warm for winter ports and
too cold for the beach. But there's one thing
we do know: As sure as the seasons change,
the public will never tire of salacious rumors
of girl-on-girl action - especially if it
involves cheerleaders or Angelina Jolie.
Angelina + Jenny= Fake News
We all know that Angelina Jolie had a fling
with former Calvin Klein model Jenny
Shimizu back in the mid-1990s when they
were in the girl-gang flick Foxfire. But who
knew that their love affair had continued for
the next decade - even through the Billy
Bob debacle and the advent of Brangelina?
Last December, U.K. tabloid The Sun published an interview with Shimizu in which
she was quoted as stating, "There has never
been an ending to her and I. I think there
never will be." As the media went into a
feeding frenzy over the idea that maybe Jolie
wasn't as into Brad Pitt as they thought, the
long-silent Shimizu made an appearance on
queer cable talk how On Q Live to dispel
the rumors. Shimizu said that she had never
made those statements to The Sun and that
Jolie, whom she considers a friend, had even
called to warn her that the tabloid would be
publishing the lie . Yeah, it's silly to believe
the tabloids, but that doesn't stop legions of
lesbians from wishful thinking.
Bingo for Barmaids
It appears Anna Nicole Smith was not
merely playing bingo for charity at
Hamburger Mary' in West Hollywood last
fall, as she took home a prize of her own
that night - a barmaid named Tracy- and
the photos that surfaced from her one-night
stand certainly don't leave much to the
imagination. Apparently Tracy returned to
work the next day covered with hickeys and
My!
haring photos of her elf handcuffed to a
bed, suggesting that Smith likes things a little rough. "Tracy was not keeping it a
ecret," said a source to the New York Post.
"Anna icole put her in handcuffs and her
neck was covered with hickeys. Anna icole
was also doing that butt-slapping thing - it
was bizarre." Uh, yeah, we're shocked at
Anna icole's bizarre behavior!
Straight-Laced Laila
Shortly after 2 7-year-old boxer Laila Ali,
daughter of the legendary Muhammed Ali,
announced her divorce from husband
Johnny "Yahya" McClain after five year of
marriage, rumors began to fly that he was
dating a woman. And not just any woman,
mind you - the rumor mill named actress
and rapper Queen Latifah as Ali's love
interest. But Ali was o disturbed by the gossip that she actually is ued a press relea e
denying it, stating, "Yes, I am in the process
"It's still terribly impor·
tant to unify and reach
-c,
people, even if they
would not want to reach
■-
ca
u,
~
.c
u,
haps. But I think it's
important to be open, to
try to create some kind
of understanding with
people." > > Lily Tomlin
to Lavender
"Twenty-year-olds
"My partner in crime
don't want to call
was beautiful and gor·
themselves feminists
geous and a sweet-
because, to them, that
-c,
■-
me or include me per·
ca
u,
~
.c
u,
heart. So it wasn't that
means a lot of angry
hard to pretend I was
women on a picket
attracted to this per-
line. Now, the revolu·
son. To be honest, it
tion's going to happen
was pretty damn easy;'
online." >> Susan
>> Actress Mila Kunis
Sarandon to Bust on
to Stuff magazine on
redefining feminism
playing a lesbian in
the new film After Sex
24 .MARCH 2006
"People say I'm half-boy, half-girl. I love style and dressing up, but I've also
got competitive testosterone and I'm incredibly stubborn. When I'm going
for a jog and I come up behind a guy on his bike, I try to beat him, even if it
kills me'.'>> Lost's Evangeline Lilly to Rolling Stone
of getting a divorce, but I am not dating, nor
will I ever be dating a woman, because I am
not gay." Whew! Well, thank God you
cleared that up for us, Ms. Ali.
Madonna Bathes in Gay Soap
Now that Madonna is a married mother of
two, she's had less time to court her gay fans,
but she clearly hasn't forgotten them. Her
production company, Maverick TV, recently
announced that it will be partnering with
Logo, the MTV-owned LGBT cable channel,
to create a queer prime-time soap along the
lines of Melrose Place. The show, centered
around the LGBT residents of an apartment
complex, will be created by Christian
McLaughlin and Valerie Ahern, who have
both written for the television series Clueless,
Drawn Together and Hot Properties. It's tentatively titled San Rafael, which suggests that
it might be set somewhere in California. Um,
can Shane stop by and visit?
Gimme an "5:' Gimme an "E:' Gimme an "X"
When two Carolina Panthers TopCats cheerleaders were recently arrested for having sex
with each other in a Tampa, Fla., bar bathroom, the media - we're guessing there
were a few straight men among them went crazy. An ESP article about the hot
girl-on-girl action was forwarded to more
people than any other ESPN news story, and
fascinated gossipmongers actually crashed
the football team's Web site seeking insider
info on the girls. The cheerleaders involved
in the incident, Renee Thomas, 20, and
Angela Keathley, 26, were later fired from
the Panthers for violating a TopCats code
that prohibits embarrassing conduct in public. But Thomas did more than merely make
out in public; she also punched a woman
who was waiting in line for the bathroom
and provided the police with a fake ID.
While the combination of lesbian cheerleaders, cops and public sex could make a really
interesting, um, film, let's just say this wasn't
the best way to bust open the closet doors of
the great sport of cheerleading. ■
■
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Introducing MUSES"' LEGAL GUIDE TO LIVING TOGETHER.
Specifically created for unmarried domestic partners, this easy-to-use CD-ROM
gives you more than 150 legal agreements you and your partner can use to secure,
define and declare your rights, responsibilities, and wishes for today and tomorrow.
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Obtain state-specific customizable legal documents (see our website for a complete list).
Protect your interests in estate planning, medical care and financial matters.
Enjoy peace of mind with domestic arrangements, insurance obligations and tax matters.
Decide how many rights to share, when they become effective, or when to terminate.
View all documents in their entirety before deciding which to use.
Fill out documents on your computer or print out and complete by hand.
PROTECTINGYOUR FUTURE
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To order, call 1.866.234.1162
or visit www.MusesProducts.com
Curve
2s
So how funny is she? Halfway through the awards ceremony,
know, it's so hard to answer the questions carefully:'
Broadway singing sensation Kristin Chenoweth sang to her manager,
She did make a statement when a "day in the life of Ellen" photo spread
Dannielle Thomas, introducing Thomas as one of POWER UP's Ten
that she photographed came out in The Advocate shortly after the breakup.
Amazing Gay Women in Showbiz for 2005. It was a tough act to follow,
Asked to make a statement, she told the magazine, "I would never have
but that's what actors Hedison, Daniela Sea and Sarah Shahi had to do
done this story if I had thought we would not be together today:'
when they introduced their L Word boss, Ilene Chaiken, who was pre-
It's no wonder that she leapt at the chance to get out of town when a
sented with the Artistry Award. While Shahi confessed to being com-
call came last summer offering her an acting job on location. Ironically,
pletely mesmerized by Chenoweth's tribute, Hedison coolly voiced her
acting was a career she had decided years ago wasn't for her. Plus, the
admiration for all the honorees, soberly adding, "I'm going to sing a little
role required that she shed her clothes for a lesbian love scene.
something now:'
"I hadn't acted in, I'd say, at least five years," says Hedison, standing
With head bowed, she paused momentarily as if in preparation allowing just enough time for strangers in the crowd (the majority of us)
to wonder if she could actually sing.
on the lush courtyard patio of the venerable Beverly Hills Hotel before the
awards ceremony. "I didn't have any intention of doing it:'
But the return to acting, she explains, was well-timed. "You know, I am
"Oh, I'll do this afterward;' she said wryly, eliciting a good laugh.
actually very private, but ... there was something about ... doing a show
Great comic timing and a clear sign that her confidence and sense of
where I was out and I have to take my clothes off;' she says sardonically.
humor have returned after a year that's been no laughing matter for the
"It was a very good thing for me - it was sort of liberating in a way.
actor-turned-professional photographer.
Especially after the fact, in this year, it was important for me to be sort of
Hedison's committed relationship with DeGeneres ended in the fall of
pushed out and do things that I think I wouldn't have done:'
2004, when DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi publicly declared they had
Early on in her acting career, Hedison made one knockout of a fire-
fallen in love. Blindsided, Hedison moved into the guest quarters of
fighter in L.A. Firefighters, a short-lived TV series in 1996. She followed
another famous lesbian comic, her friend Suzanne Westenhoefer, whom
that gritty drama with guest spots on other TV shows, including a recur-
she had met in an acting class years before. "My girlfriend made her slice-
ring role on Prey with Debra Messing. She found her niche in 2000 - the
and-bake cookies to cheer her up;' says Westenhoefer.
year she began dating DeGeneres - as a professional photographer. Her
Just weeks before, in a November 2004 interview with NBC's Stone
pictures have been published in Time, Newsweek, People and USA
e lesbian breakup that provided tabloid
roves that her talk show ex shouldn't get
Phillips, DeGeneres called Hedison the love of her life. "I've never felt this
Today. Hedison was hanging her latest photography show in a West
way ~::.1ore.Ever;' DeGeneres told Phillips. "She's amazing. She's kind.
Hollywood gallery in July 2005, a follow-up to a successful exhibit she
She's funny.... I'm happier than I've been in my entire life:'
had mounted the previous year, when the call came from Showtime ask-
By mid-December, de Rossi had moved into the Hollywood Hills
home that Hedison and DeGeneres had shared. News accounts blared
about the budding
romance -
including
what de Rossi bought
DeGeneres for Christmas (surprise, it was a Porsche).
"I felt really strongly when I was in the relationship about not talking
ing her to audition for The L Word.
"I'm really good friends with Leisha Hailey, I know Ilene Chaiken and I
know Kate [Moennig] as well:' Moennig, in fact, attended Hedison's photography show in 2004. "I had to do it the same day, and it was sort of
'shoot right away; and for some reason, I just thought, 'Yeah, why not?"'
about it;' says Hedison. "I haven't talked about it since the breakup. But
Indeed. It had been just over six months since her world was turned
basically, there's nothing to talk about, because all of the information has
upside down. "Yes, yes, yes, exactly!" says Hedison, who admits that work-
been out there. Literally, it's all been out there. I couldn't believe how
ing with the close-knit L Word cast in a foreign city was a welcome change
much was public information. But I think Ellen isn't as private as I am:'
of scenery. "Basically, it was a good reason to leave L.A. for awhile. So I
She catches herself, determined to stick to the high road: "I don't
went and auditioned and I got it. ... I was on a plane four days later:'
Curve
27
While her character is a straight documentary filmmaker, this is a show where the lines of sexual identity
are not only crossed, they're blurred, stretched, twisted
and often downright
obliterated.
Dylan Moreland
(Hedison) may be straight, but she immediately zooms
in on one subject in particular -
Helena (Rachel
Shelley), who last season nearly snatched Tina permanently from Bette's bed.
"I meet Helena, and it's sort of
funny that I'm straight and she's supposedly gay;' Hedison says. "I don't
think we could look more the opposite, she's so beautiful."
Good
looks
haven't
exactly
escaped Hedison, an exotically stunning woman who's the daughter of
actor David Hedison, a soap star on
Another World and The Young and
the Restless, who became famous as
a dark and extremely handsome actor
in the 1960s TV adventure series
Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea.
David Hedison met Bridget Mori in
Italy; they married in 1968 and had
Alexandra and her younger sister, Serena. The girls
grew up in the glare of Hollywood, where their parents'
friends were actors, writers and directors. Despite the
environment, Hedison is polite, friendly and seems not
at all the jaded Hollywood child.
"I think I have a good sense of what's real and what's not;' explains
"I'll never go back to being an actress the way I was;' she vows. "I'll
Hedison. "My parents are very grounded [they've been married nearly 40
never go back to that being my daily routine. If something came up, I
years], so I think I have a good sense of people and of myself:'
Alexandra came out when she was 18 and remains close to her fam-
might do it, but I'm still focused on my photography and on directing;
that's my main thing:'
ily. While she doesn't relate to her straight character on The L Word, she
Hedison's photography show, [Re] Building, at the White Room
understands her. "Dylan is very confused, let's put it that way;' says
Gallery in West Hollywood, included a series of abstract images of sup·
Hedison, "and she completely falls in love with Helena. [Dylan] wreaks
port beams, exposed wires, rebar and other materials - photographs that
some havoc in Helena's life. The lack of drama on the set is made up for
suggest rebuilding or construction - and delved into themes of change,
by the drama that my character brings. There's a lot of drama going on:'
transition and progress (themes that appear to coincide with Hedison's
At the Power Premiere, Hedison's rapport with co-star Shahi seemed
own life). She also did a year-end special for Logo (Year in Queer 2005)
to support the well-publicized claims that The L Word cast is like family.
that began airing in December, but working behind the camera is
"She tried to get the writers to write a scene for us together;' joked a
Hedison's real passion. In 2004 she was accepted into the American
[to do The L Word] - it
was sort of liberating in a way. specially after the fact, in this year, it
was important for me to be sort of pushed out and do things that I
think I wouldn't have done!'
playful Shahi about Hedison, while flashing a radiant smile. They con-
Film lnstitute's distinguished Directing Workshop for Women. She's
tinue to tease each other as they posed for pictures at their table,
directed two short films: In the Doghouse, which she co-wrote with
then examined the digital images.
Moon Zappa, and a documentary short for Capitol Records on the mak·
While Hedison obviously has the support of many friends and her fam-
She doesn't completely rule out acting, though, if another oppor·
"Time is a funny thing," she says thoughtfully. "I ... I need more of it:' And
tunity like The L Word comes along. "It was such a nurturing envi-
though she isn't seeing anyone romantically, she concedes good-
ronment, it was great. It was the most fun I've ever had on a set
naturedly that her role on the hit lesbian series could change that. "Yeah,
working ....
maybe;' she laughs.
don't regret it at all, although," she says with a laugh, "we'll see what
happens when I see the show!" ■
But fans looking to see more of Hedison on TV may be disappointed.
28 MARCH 2006
--
ing of Shelby Lynne's latest album that's been airing on Di recTV.
ily and says she is doing "better and better:' she still isn't 100 percent.
--
I feel really happy with what I did and I'm glad I did it. I
JOIN
CURVE,
MlV'S
LOGO
AND
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USTO
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ATLAKE
TAHOE!
eebrity
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ncuding
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~~~- !~~ -~~-'!.
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~~~~~- ~i-~-~~-~P..
~~?.
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~-~.':'~~~~...~~~
Preferred
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TAHOE
Curve
29
Hong Kong is a city alive with
contradictions: Vendors sell dim sum from street carts while talking on cell phones, and businessmen practice tai chi in the park
before heading to work in skyscrapers that dot the horizon. The
unique blend of Eastern tradition and Western culture highlight the
ages-old glamour of Asia. To make the most of your trip:
Connect to the Culture
Immersing yourself in the local culture is one of the best ways to
truly experience Hong Kong, and one of the most predominant
cultural practices is martial arts. Kowloon Park is home to Kung Fu
Corner, a series of weekly demonstrations where participants
dressed in colorful silk outfits offer lively demonstrations of tai chi
and kung fu. If the demonstrations leave you feeling adventurous,
sign up for a free tai chi class. The Hong Kong Tourism Board
offers one-hour classes on the waterfront several mornings a
week. The classes, which are, trust me, much harder than they
Sample Traditional Cuisine
look, offer a glimpse into one of the oldest forms of martial arts.
Strolling along the streets of Hong Kong will definitely work up an
The practice is said to help balance yin and yang - negative and
appetite. Hong Kong is famous for its dim sum, sweet and savory
positive energies - and can provide some much-needed relax-
dishes such as shrimp dumplings or chicken's feet that are tradi-
ation after fighting throngs of people at the bustling markets.
tionally served with tea. The dishes, which are often inexpensive,
are eaten in late morning or early afternoon. The British influence is
Tour the Temples
Spend an afternoon (or an entire day) touring the ancient temples
still strong in Hong Kong and formal tea ceremonies are still prevalent. Sipping a pot of perfectly prepared green, black or oolong tea
scattered throughout Hong Kong to get a glimpse of the religions
is a great way to relax and experience a different side of the cul-
that have shaped the region. There are an estimated more than
tural coin.
600 temples and monasteries in Hong Kong, but just 40 are open
Jumbo Kingdom, a floating restaurant in Aberdeen Harbour, is
to the public. Of those, Man Mo Temple and the Po Lin Monastery
a tourist trap that cannot be missed. The cuisine is not noteworthy
are definitely worth a visit.
Man Mo Temple, located in the Hollywood District, is one of
but the spectacle of lights and adornments are enough to attract
attention. The restaurant offers a free shuttle boat from the dock
the oldest and most famous in Hong Kong. (Consider having the
but you can also hire a sampan, an old-fashioned fishing boat, for
resident fortune teller predict your future.) Po Lin Monastery on
transportation to the restaurant and a tour of the harbor.
Lontau Island is a Buddhist monastery and religious retreat where
the main attraction is the Tian Tan Buddha, the largest seated
Check out the Nightlife
Buddha statue in the world. According to legend, the shrine houses
Spending your days touring dozens of temples and walking around
a bone fragment encased in crystal of the actual cremated
the city in search of the perfect dim sum will probably leave you
Buddha. There are 260 steps leading to the statue, but the walk
craving a bit of nightlife. Hong Kong is the place to dance and drink
to the top is worth it for a breathtaking view of the island.
until dawn. Homosexuality was illegal in Hong Kong until 1992, but
when the Chinese government lifted criminal penalties, dozens of
Shop Until You Drop
clubs and saunas threw open their doors. It is still relatively uncom-
Hong Kong has a reputation as a veritable paradise for shoppers,
mon to see same-sex couples being affectionate in public (in fact,
and a quick glimpse of local residents reveals that fashion is seri-
it is pretty uncommon to see hetero couples being affectionate in
ous business. It is possible to shop just about anywhere in Hong
public), but there is a thriving gay scene in Hong Kong.
Kong, but the streets in the Tsim Sha Tsui district are lined with
The majority of the clubs are located in the Central and Tsim
designer boutiques and stores selling every electronic gadget
Sha Tsui districts. In addition to several gay and lesbian clubs,
imaginable, and the district is home to the Harbour City Mall, which
several straight clubs also have gay nights. Propaganda, a club
boasts over 700 stores.
located on Hollywood Road, i~ regarded as one of the hottest gay
One of the most popular shopping experiences, also in Tsim
dance clubs in Hong Kong and is packed almost every night of the
Sha Tsui, is the Temple Street Night Market. Starting at dusk, ven-
week. GayStation, a free paper that can be found throughout the
dors hawk wares ranging from fake designer bags and T-shirts to
city, has listings for nightlife and saunas. ■
illegal porn and sex toys. Bartering is expected and prices are generally very low.
For more places to visit in Hong Kong go to curvemag.com.
Curve
31
I have to admit: Tokyo's sheer energy
and exuberance are irresistible. The cacophony of
ntrasts within its lim-
its makes for a thrilling, dazzling, bewil_
ting adrenaline rush
or gently relaxing,
_...,i~~t.AG1rl/btd,:::.1"..t1~ ••
would be
ds. I would
every morsel
-nibited by my
• politely disbedone, however,
with overwhelming politeness.
Once there, I smirked at encountering toilets
so futuristic that they came with safety instructions for use, after getting out of beds that more
than
amply
accommodated
my
length.
"egg" in Japanese) is an upmarket drag king or
Unfortunately, the naysayers were right about
onnabe bar where women go to be served
one thing: Addresses were definitely difficult to
drinks, have cigarettes lit and be serenaded by
comprehend. Tokyo was built in a spiral around
the hot resident hosts. I was surprised to dis-
the Imperial Palace, in a manner designed to con-
cover most of the women who paid around $15
fuse enemies. Buildings are numbered but not
for kingly attention were straight office workers.
necessarily logically. Bars issue business cards
with maps - useful, as taxi drivers don't like to be
so impolite as to admit that they're lost.
For later night
entertainment,
promoter
Panache provides excellent women's options,
including salons, lounge and dance parties, but
The first night I ventured out, I opted for a taxi rather than negotiating
the big name in nightlife is Goldfinger. Held in a 1,500-capacity venue,
Tokyo's subway system and the hurdle of choosing among Shinjuku sta-
this riveting event offers a big backroom, sizzling hot dancers, tips by way
tion's 40 exits. In between the glaring neon and crashing pachinko par-
of mouth and an unforgettable way to spend last Saturdays of the month.
lors of sleazy Kabukicho and the shiny cloud-scraping towers of the
The next night I headed to the predominantly straight social mecca
municipal offices shines the dimmer glow of Shinjuku Ni-Chome. One
Roppongi. While only the very talented, or utterly oblivious, should con-
"police" box, a Shinto shrine, bookstores, numerous expensive fruit stores
template reaching for the microphone to croon in bars, fans of Lost in
and more than 200 lesbian and gay bars lurk in Ni-Chome's alleyways and
Translation shouldn't miss out on the phenomenon of the karaoke box. We
narrow side streets.
arrived at Shidax after darting through the stream of colorful two-tone
Among the 200 establishments are women's bars, drag king venues,
taxis as they blurred by orange and blue, blue and yellow, yellow and
host clubs, lounges, dance bars and social salon spaces. Barely big
turquoise. Ten dollars per person provided a private room, dancing pole,
enough to cram in a counter and a scatter of sake glasses, these spare
tambourine, microphones, two drinks each and, for those of us with Japan
bedroom-sized bars crowd on top of each other, often several to a land-
Airlines frequent flyer cards, the ability to incur miles as we sang.
ing, with exclamation-point towers of neon signs on building exteriors lur-
The following morning, with the tambourine solo from "Walk on the
ing in passersby. The miniscule dimensions are not the only differences to
Wild Side" still ringing in my ears, I scampered off to see the sights. On
be discovered in Tokyo's dyke scene. Many bars charge admission, gen-
the subway, I was relieved to have missed experiencing morning rush
erally $3-1 0. It usually provides a drink or two and a "snack'.' This can
hour. White-gloved subway "shavers" pack commuters onto morning
translate as a full meal, as plates of chocolates or as token nuts. Another
trains that run so efficiently workers are issued with late notes if the train
translation to keep in mind is that here you should forget that search for
runs over one minute late. Pink-edged sections of platforms mark women-
the Virgo of your dreams. In Japan, it's as easy as ABO: These days dat-
only subway cars to save us from being, as Ellen DeGeneres might sug-
ing is all about blood type compatibility.
gest, "packed as pickles;' alongside overly intrusive men.
Spilling out of the taxi outside Advocates and into a flirty, lesbian/gay,
In Akihabara Electric Town I was stunned by banks upon banks of
Japanese/international crowd, hot femmes in their 20s and 30s eyed all
screens chattering, selling, singing and begging me to acquire new tech-
newcomers with interest. With my Japanese vocabulary pretty much lim-
nology in every color I've ever dreamed of. A moratorium on technology
ited to "I'm allergic to MSG;' I failed to win any new friends. Only a few
means that gadgets the likes of these won't make their way into markets
doors away, a very different dynamic unfolded. Tamago (which means
abroad for three years. At the other end of the technology spectrum,
32 MARCH 2006
- --
A crush of colors - from cityscapes
(above right) to nuns (left, at the Meiji
Shrine) - complete vibrant Tokyo.
-~------~
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veet, strong Vietnamese coffee and cold baguettes, we chatted about
Jr travels and our homes. They turned out to be young, attractive and
b erman. As the day continued, I began to notice how the women sat with
Doumo Arigatou: A few common phrases go a long way, especially
Seir bodies inclined ever so slightly toward each other, their shoulders
if wanting to make new friends in the bars. Key words: Konnichiwa (hello);
SIJshing, and how their conversation in German had a slight teasing notf" I
hai and iie (yes and no, although most Japanese will say "yes" even when
gti1theruins, only one woman was taking pictures and I wondered if p~ge
they mean "no" rather than appear rude); douzo (please, as in "please
ski)s they shared more than a photo album and, before I could even
come in"); kudasai (please, as in "may I have a pen, please"); arigatou
new
(thank you); doumo arigatou gozaimasu (thank you very much); sumi-
se food,
masen (excuse me); eigo ga wakarimasu ka? (do you understand
....-------------------------1Y
things,
English?); oishii (delicious).
Lay Your Head: Within strolling distance of the Imperial Palace and
grills, udon, tempura, chirash,-z
, yakitori, robata
Marunouchi business district, and at the gate of the wooded Hie Shrine,
re. During my trip, I munched my
the sleek Capitol Tokyu Hotel (capitoltokyu.com/english) has generous,
way through chewy onions that turned out to be jellyfish; unknowingly
comfortable rooms. For more traditional accommodations, roll out your
slurped down sharks' fin soup and several other very un-PC plates; thank-
futon
fully wriggled out of the culinary adventure of plunging a still-writhing shrimp
(japaneseguesthouses.com).
to its soupy demise; and eventually realized that the sake would keep flowing as long as I continued to politely sip.
on
the
tatami
floors
of
old-fashioned
ryokan
inns
Great Grub. If GW's visit there doesn't put you off your food,
Gonpachi (globaldining.com) treats diners to thrilling izakaya grilled food
And, as for sushi, it's far from a budget option in this already pricey
place, but it's fresh and fabulous in the eateries around Tsukiji fish market.
in an atmospheric wooden building. Be warned: Staff let loose disconcerting "welcoming" shouts as guests arrive.
The 60-acre market is a chaotic melee of hurtling electric carts, shouts,
Best Bar Bets: Include Tamago (1 F Nakae Building, 2-15-13), butch-
the smack of the blades hitting the morning's catch, bright red tentacles,
popular Madame Mars (homepage2.nifty.com/mars21), Mars Bar (3F
rainbow-striped shrimp and a disconcerting amount of whale blubber. I
Hosono Building, 2-15-13),
passed on the blubber and opted for modern sushi: a seaweed-bound roll
Kinswomyn
Advocates
(tokyo.to/kinswomyn)
and
(advocatesbar.net),
Chestnut
and
popular
Squirrel
with raw egg yolk quivering in its own small nori pond, a lone spear of
(k.oops.jp/cs/cs.html), a home for funky young things. Weekends pack
asparagus striping the plate. I pestered my Japanese companions to
women into these venues, while weekdays can merely showcase lines of
tec1chme the word for "delicious;'
dejected drinkers.
Clothes Encounters: Fashion runs a gorgeous gamut from occa-
Planning Ahead
t~
e
ry
sional sightings of kimono-clad socialites to designer names, schoolgirl
Getting There· Check LG BT-friendly Japan Airlines for great LGBT-spe-
chic, punk and goth. With 32 million people calling Tokyo home, every
cific packages (japanair.com/gaytravel) with departures from Vancouver,
subculture is well represented. lssey Miyake and Prada stores jostle
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York.
alongside each other on famed streets Omotesando and Aoyama.
. Relatively up-to-date bar info can be found at
Younger, hip shoppers flock to Harajuku and the small designer stores of
ite
utopia-asia.com. To time your visit to coincide with one of the spec-
Shibuya. Tokyo specializes in department stores the size of medium-sized
ly
tacular
U.S. states, such as the colossal Takashimaya Times Square. Shopping
n·
s.
Fin ing Fam
Goldfinger
or Panache
parties,
r
(panache.fem.jp, goldfinger-party.com).
cy
try the Tokyo Convention
Board (japantravelinfo.com).
check
their
Web
sites
For general visitor information,
in these stores can be an unforgettable experience. Buy yourself a melon
Bureau (tcvb.or.jp) or the Japan Tourist
and find yourself $20 poorer, but the proud bearer of an official stamp
and a certificate of authenticity. You won't forget it. ■
Curve
33
Here's how you cross the street in
Saigon: Slowly and deliqerately, step out into the traffic and begin walking. Swivel your head in both directions and make eye contact. Stay
steady. Do not speed up or slow down, hesitate or change direction. In
fact, saunter. Try not to show fear, or people may be tempted to play with
you. Pretend you are hiking in bear country, and puff yourself up so as to
look larger. Get into a groove, and the motorbikes and bicycles will swirl
past you like eddies around a branch in the river.
a
At some point, before you reach the other side, a Zen-like calm that
can only be described as pedestrian Nirvana will enter your body. It
begins in your chest and radiates out into your tingling limbs. Your synapses slow as if in meditation and the experience becomes pure sensation.
The bleating motorbikes and wheezing trucks blend together into one earsplitting silence. In the midst of this inconceivable calm, you will feel yourself become a part of the universe's human fabric, and small, intimate
details will begin to emerge from the chaotic scene and demand you
attention.
Out of the hundreds of bicycles coming toward me from every direction, I find myself fixated on a girl wearing a pink bandanna tied around her
mouth and nose. From the tide of motorbikes zipping between the slower
bicycle and pedestrian traffic, I pick one on which a toddler with blue
shoes stands precariously between his parents. Looking down to my left,
I see the gnarled toes of an old man pushing a three-wheeled cart loaded
high with cinder blocks. Then, I make eye contact with a young man driving a rumbling white truck as he manages to squeeze by me.
As I reach the other side of the street, a bony and nearly toothless old
man in loose pants and sandals perches on his three-wheeled cyclo and
yells, "Cyclo, lady, cyclo}'
Smile and the world smiles with you, especially in Vietnam.
I catch a glimpse of a young woman just inside a darkened doorway
holding a naked baby who wails as an older woman shaves the baby's head.
question of whether or not we'd attained happiness and prosperity.
That first day, as I stepped out into the noisy, churning mass of motors
One does not see displays of sexual affection between men and
and humanity in Vietnam's busiest city, I had no idea that I was about to
women, women and women, or men and men. It just isn't considered
commit the most intimate act of my life. I didn't know that the sights and
appropriate. One does see affectionate touching and holding hands, an
sounds and smells and tastes would weave their way into my blood-
intimacy of a friendlier sort. For my girlfriend and I to brush together as we
stream and continue circulating within me long after I returned home.
walked or to sleep in the same bed meant nothing to the Vietnamese peo-
I was prepared for crowded streets and poverty. I was ready to expe-
ple we met. Negotiating for a room at the front desk of one hotel, we were
rience a culture unlike any I was familiar with. I knew that the effects of
having trouble getting the woman to understand we only wanted one bed.
generations of war, turmoil and economic deprivation would be evident.
Once it was clear, she just smiled and laughed, telling us that Westerners
But I wasn't ready for the intense intimacy of private lives lived on side-
don't like to sleep together in one bed, not like the Vietnamese, who do it
walks and in open doorways, for the experience of moving through a
all the time. We were given a room with one bed without any sort of judg-
country where every space is public space.
ment or discomfort.
Coming from a culture that is almost pathological in its devotion to pri-
We had every intention of seeking out the handful of gay bars in Hanoi
vacy, that places little value on public space, that divides each day into
and Saigon that we'd read about in guidebooks. But our days were filled
discrete blocks of time, the astonishing thing about visiting Vietnam was
with cyclo rides through Cho Lon, Saigon's Chinatown; tours of Ho Chi
experiencing the richness of life lived in the open. There are no backyards
Minh's mausoleum in Hanoi, where his actual body lies embalmed under
in which to hide, no high walls or fences. Homes double as family busi-
glass; strolls through ancient Buddhist temples; boat tours of the floating
nesses, and the workday and family life blend together seamlessly.
markets on the Mekong Delta; and treks through the steep, terraced farm-
In the midst of this openness, the subject of sex and sexuality is off-
land in the North. It felt like quite enough to be human and American, and
limits, which served us well as lesbian travelers. People often asked us if
we didn't feel the need for our sexuality to become part of the point of our
we were married, but the query was not a tricky way of discerning our sex-
journey through Vietnam.
ual preference. In a country where marriage and children are often delayed
Despite the lack of formal gay diversions, we did meet other homo-
by economic necessity, people were really asking a more universal
sexual travelers nearly daily, and it was always exciting to experience a
34 MAR H 2006
quick flash of recognition. However, about halfway through the trip, my
aydar completely deserted me.
the "German woman or lesbian" game, they began to talk of their joint
home and business.
One morning, at 6 a.m., we climbed sleepily into a van in downtown
The ride back in an open boat on the river was intimate and even a lit-
oi An for a sunrise tour of the ancient Hindu ruins at My Son. There were
tle sexy as the four of us lounged in the sun, chatted and snapped pic-
ready two women in the seat behind the guide and driver, so we settled
tures. Back in town, we had lunch together. We parted and exchanged e-
to the bench seat behind them. Too sleepy for more than polite hellos, I
mail addresses. And though we may never see them again, I'll always
·ouldn't even place their accents on a map of Europe. Over breakfast of
remember the day.
,weet, strong Vietnamese coffee and cold baguettes, we chatted about
On our way to the airport, we rode through Saigon's deserted,
)Ur travels and our homes. They turned out to be young, attractive and
predawn streets. Enclosed in our private cab, it seemed as if we were
b3erman. As the day continued, I began to notice how the women sat with
completely alone in the sleeping city. As we glided past a park on the
Sheir bodies inclined ever so slightly toward each other, their shoulders
outskirts of town, the darkness was vibrating with movement. Once my
brushing, and how their conversation in German had a slight teasing note.
eyes adjusted, the shapes of dozens of figures jogging, walking, doing
At the ruins, only one woman was taking pictures and I wondered if per-
pushups on benches and performing the slow, graceful dance of tai chi
haps they shared more than a photo album and, before I could even play
emerged from the smoky darkness.
■
Curve
35
An An1erica
•
•
At work I'm- more accustomed to
cold
dance classic they had in the CD player.
calls and cubicles, not champagne toasts in Cannes. So imagine my
One highlight we agreed on was Parfumerie Molinard, France's oldest
delight when I found myself heading to gay Paree on a whirlwind trip
family-run perfume house in the World Perfume Capital of Grasse. Manned
with our own bottles, 80 different scents and a
organized by Maison de la France, one of the
country's travel experts. In no time I was wan-
mini' eyedropper, we received a basic lesson on
dering around the Museum of Modern and
the different notes that make up a perfume. Most
Contemporary Art in Nice, checking out the
of us were very pleased with our custom cre-
dyke scene in Paris and learning from master
ations and the others named theirs after terrible
chef Alain Llorca at Le Moulin de Mougins how
drag queens.
When our afternoon in Nice found us attend-
to make that perfect tiramisu.
ing a Calvin Klein male underwear fashion show,
I first met up with a group of queers at Paris'
Galeries Lafayette. With a beautiful glass and
I knew that the line had to be drawn. I set out for
steel dome, this 10-story department
store
Avenue Gean-Medescin, located just north of
attracts 80,000 visitors a day. Unable to find a
the train station, for some less touristy, more
male counterpart as alluring, their 2004 ad
affordable shopping. I was able to score a tres
campaign featured their icon, Laetitia Casta,
chic French Riviera jacket for only 18 Euros
posing as both a woman and a man. When I
(that's less than 20 bucks here).
finally found my traveling companions standing
Deciding how they would change the decor
behind several stacks of berets, they turned out
of Nice's avant-garde Hi Hotel, the boys didn't
to be my very own Fab Five. Apparently I would
even notice when I slipped away to the bright
be traveling with five fashion-obsessed gay men
pistachio green bar to get the address of le
and getting some life advice along the way.
Sapho bar (2 rue Colonna d'lstria) from /a belle
Quickly we boarded the Paris Metro for the
femme at the hotel's main meeting point.
10th Anniversary of Salon Du Chocolat, a five-
After a quick flight from Nice to Paris, I met
day event celebrating all that is "Cocoa Culture"
Anne Catrine and her business partner, Carol,
where 150 chocolate makers from across the
during lunch on Le Quai 55, a boat docked at the
world come together to sample and sell their
foot of the Musee d'Orsay. Its glass walls offered
newest bon/bons, chocolate liqueurs and hot
an exceptional panoramic view of the Seine
cocoas. There's even a designer chocolate
River and Paris while our hosts told us about the
dress fashion show. I waded past screaming
new concept that is pushing traditional clubbing
sugar-high petits enfants and later forced myself
in Paris aside. Now cruising on the Seine aboard
to dance through jet lag until 4 a.m. at the hot
some of Paris' most prestigious boats, Le Quai
lesbian dance club le Pulp. I sweated it out to a
was the original home to the now revolving
mix of Indian hip-hop, French house, new wave
dance party known as "Pinky Boat." The monthly
and Nirvana with a group of women even more
girls' night out brings all generations together to
diverse than the music. In the center of Paris, le
dance on the ebb and flow of the music. Taking
Pulp plays host to some of the wildest lesbians
me on a tour of gouine (that's French for "dyke")
dance parties in the French capital.
Back at the Plaza Paris Vendome Hotel with
only a few hours to spare before the departure
of our high-speed train to Avignon, I swam a
Paris, Catrine saved me from throngs of topless
allivanting around France in a Mini
'above in St. Tropez) and cruising every
irl bar on the back of Catrine's Vespa
men at Queen and instead I spent the night on
the back of her Vespa hitting every girl bar in the
Marais, Paris's red-hot gay district. We met up
few laps in the slate-paved pool and detoxed in the hammam (a Turkish-
with her friends at the crowded 3W Kafe, danced in the woman-only eel·
style steam bath) under a stunning starlit sky. On the train, 24 hours
lar at Blise Kfe and drank Fucking Mardis, the house special, at Le
after my arrival, I could finally close my eyes, relieved to know I would
Boobsbourg. We headed to the nearby Opera Quarter for one last glass
only be missing a blur as the train traveled at a record 320 mph.
of wine at La Champmesle, a lesbian landmark since 1979.
The next leg of the trip was just as fast. We explored the regions of
Arriving back at the luxurious Hyatt Regency Madeleine my last morn-
Provence and the Riviera by car, and it became clear while en route to
ing in Paris was spent much like my first. I centered myself in the ham·
Moulin de la Calanquet (the asylum in Saint Remy de Provence where
mam, drank a double shot of espresso and, without sleep, joined th
Van Gogh spent the last years of his life painting) that while I couldn't
boys on the way to Charles de Gaulle Airport.
■
take my eyes off of the breathtaking landscape of olive groves and vineyards rolling past us, the boys were more interested in the '70s disco
36 MARCH 2006
For more info on Paris, check out en.parisinfo.com.
GRAB
YOUR
POLES!
{O
be straight-acting and str ...
a troubling rise in hate crimes (
/ in
2003, a sizeable group of skinhea
i<ed participants in the Pride parade).
dss it's not surprising that national legal
rghts don't immediately bring about social
acceptance and change. Still, it's disappointing
y
de
Orbitz.com
has
greatskipackages
togay-friendly
destinations.
-.1
l
It's 11 a.m., and frenetic techno is
pulsing in the background. I stand in the white-on-white-on-white cavernous space, accented only with modern black leather furniture that's
been arranged just so, and look around for the dance floor. There's the
dry martini bar across the room, the crystalline tongues licking down from
the high ceiling, the flames rising out of the icy-stoned fireplace and the
sharply dressed urbanites wanting each other. But while this could easily be the most chic club in town, it's actually just the lobby for
ations and the others named theirs after terri
Stockholm's Nordic Light Hotel.
drag queens.
Jetlagged and slightly sweaty, I roll my generic black suitcase over to
When our afternoon in Nice found us attend-
the front desk, which is decorated in pearly Italian tiles. The staff is all sexy
fresh and clad in skin-tight T-shirts that read, "Pool Life'.' I inquire after the
pool, and the concierge smiles demurely at me, quaint American that I am.
"This;' he says, proudly gesturing to the thin strip of neon blue light
under the front desk, "is our pool." Turns out that the "pool" and the life
that revolves around it are temporary installations, which will change, as
usual, in two months' time. The Nordic Light is a "design hotel" that
promises its guests "an exceptional visual experience'.' Which means I
won't be needing that swimsuit I packed.
Looking Good
Sweden is a country obsessed with design (they even gratuitously named
2005 the Year of Design), so it makes sense that their capital city is so
stunning. Built over 14 islands, Stockholm's architecture is pleasingly Old
Europe - cobblestone streets, towering cathedral spires, narrow alleyways packed with pubs and tiny shops. But it's the backdrop of sparkling
s
clean blue waterways that makes this city so visually dramatic.
V
Beyond Stockholm proper are 24,000 islands of varying sizes and
liners headed for Finland or puttering sightseeing cruises or private
Stockholm isn't just for design buffs. Go to Stockholm Pride
the Swe Po
t,
yachts - is a popular pastime and a tourist's must. On my first day, I take
fact that Swedish marriages must be sanctioned by the state church)
c
an exhilarating spin on a Rigid Inflatable Boat. Before boarding, I gear up
But beneath this relatively glossy surface, I wonder, what's it really like tc
in the puffy, full-body, waterproof suit I'm provided, complete with leather
be queer in Stockholm?
habitability. Exploring the archipelago by water vessels - whether ocean
C
a
flying cap and large goggles. This ain't your typical sightseeing cruise.
I take a three-hour, gay-oriented tour of the city to find out. Kjell, ou c
Sure, it starts at a leisurely pace, allowing us to eyeball the elaborate gin-
guide for the day, is a middle-aged Swede in shorts and knee-high socks f,
gerbread summer homes with their matching miniature boathouses. But
As we "potter about town;' Kjell recounts milestones in LGBT Swedist
in between islands, our driver yells, "Goggles on!" before blasting for-
history and leads us to gay-friendly hotels and leather shops, past hit I<
s
ward. The wind whips us in the face, filling our mouths as we yelp with
hook-up spots of yore, and through the area of town where one can pur
delight and gallop along the waterway. Later that week, the ferry ride I will
chase cocaine and heroine, if one wishes. And just when I think this tau
take to the quiet outer island of Hasseludden won't be nearly so raucous,
is a wash for a tame girl like me, he leads us over a treacherous rock) jl
but it will be equally breathtaking.
hill, through a patch of overgrown weeds and behind a nondescript tree
c
"This;' he says, rather climatically, "is where gay men meet up today.
Form and Function
I hadn't realized this was going to be a how-to tour.
Since I'm visiting Stockholm to take in their Pride festivities, I can't help
F
Luckily, since the vast majority of Swedish people speak impeccablE F
v
but apply a basic principle of design - form meeting function - to the
English, I can cobble together my own, more lesbionic tour of Stockholm
city's queer scene. On the surface, being a lesbian in Sweden looks
I visit the Roxy, where the lesbian owners are so foxy it isn't just the del ti
attractive: Women representatives comprise roughly half of Swedish
icately flavored food that makes my mouth water, then to Club Sappho
(i
Parliament (the highest percentage in the world), and gay and lesbian
where groups of friends, cozy couples and newly out women over 3(
E
couples are offered registered partnerships, immigration rights, adoption
come together to lounge or get their groove on. I take myself to PridE ti
rights and, most recently, artificial insemination coverage under the coun-
Park, the center of the weeklong festivities; with its information booths s
try's universal health care. The issue of marriage is on the table and sup-
homespun live entertainment, food stands and mechanical bull, it's bas1· f1
ported by more than half of the populace (though it's complicated by the
cally your local county fair gone gay. And that's not a bad thing. ThE
38 MARCH 2006
..
-
-
-
-
-
.
-
atmosphere is unpretentious
Transportation Tips
and startlingly
direct (Dolly Parton covers are sincere, not
Fly Scandinavian Airlines (scandinavian.net)
camp). And the folks staffing the booths -
and splurge on the Arlanda Express (arlandaex-
earnest
gay boys touting
feminist
ideals,
press.com), the cush airport express train that
thoughtful lesbians educating about women's
stops at the Nordic Light Hotel. And don't for-
health, flamboyant Pippi Longstocking
drag
get to take an exhilarating boat trip through the
queens blowing kisses - are open to chatting
archipelago on RIB Sightseeing Centre (46 08
and giving me the inside scoop about gay life.
20 22 60).
Through these engaging conversations I discover that as progressive as Sweden is in terms
Homes Away From Home
of legal rights, there's still rampant discrimina-
Nordic Light Hotel (nordiclighthotel.se)
tion, pressure to be straight-acting and straight-
must, but Hostelling International Youth Hostel
looking and a troubling rise in hate crimes (most
af
notably, in 2003, a sizeable group of skinheads
(hihostels.com) offers a budget waterfront stay
Chapman
and
is a
Skeppsholmen
attacked participants in the Pride parade). I
in a fully-rigged ship. Yasuragi (yasuragi.se), the
guess it's not surprising that national legal
Swedish-run
Japanese
spa, offers
deluxe
rights don't immediately bring about social
overnight accommodations
where you soak
acceptance and change. Still, it's disappointing
your jetlag away in their mineral pool and out-
to realize that even when we do finally achieve
door baths (swimsuit, kimono and slippers
our full range of civil rights in the United States,
included),
we won't be done striving for equality. You can't
restaurants.
and enjoy the excellent
on-site
get the function of equality without the form of
legal rights; but the form, in all its official glory,
doesn't
mean you're immediately going to
Nightlife
Pretty gay boys performing dance routines to
ABBA-esque Swedish pop (at Club Mondo), a
achieve full-functioning equality.
On my last day, I go alone to Maria church,
a popular spot to view Stockholm's
Pride
mellow monthly lounge and dance party for
women 30 and over (at Club Sappho) and
parade. The theme for this year's festivities is
more can be found
"hate crimes and homophobia," the queer com-
Stockholm's gay paper, Gorky (corky.se).
munity's reminder to its straight supporters that
Ships
O'boy!
on the Web site of
Every Sunday
night the
there's still a battle being fought. Black clouds
docked party boat Patricia (patricia.st) goes
heavy with moisture threaten overhead, but that
gay, offering three bars, delicious dinners, late-
doesn't deter the glittery drag queens, the
night dancing and late-late-night semi-nude
scantily clad lesbians, the gay Iraqi refugees
grinding deep in its hold.
with their "Make love not war" banner, the mus-
The Absolut lcebar (nordicseahotel.se) hov-
cle-bound men in Pippi wigs, the truckloads of
ers at minus 5 degrees Celcius year-round, and
techno-crazed grinders or the angry young
the cover charge includes a space-age poncho
and gloves, admittance inside the all-ice bar,
queers chanting, "Bash back!"
I stand on the sidelines, cheering them on,
and one vodka drink in an ice glass. (I had the
along with wine-sipping straight couples and
Wolfpaw - lingonberry juice and vodka. Skol!!)
clapping babieP and seen-it-all elderly folks and
fashionably coiffed teens. Across the way, I
Oh,
and
don't
forget
Target
(target
baren.com), a classy gay bar and restaurant.
spot a newly out lesbian I met at Club Sappho,
looking sexy and excited in a shirt that reads,
Memorable Meals
"Spread Your Wings'.' The rain starts to pour
Chokladkoppen
down on us, and nobody leaves. The parade is
Take in the gay scene on the outdoor front
(Stortorget
18, Old Town):
just getting started.
porch while sipping on simply divine hot chocolate and a cinnamon roll.
~efore You Go
Roxy (roxysofo.se): Lesbian-owned restau-
Peruse and print out all of your materials about
rant that pairs a sexy urban atmosphere with
Pride before you go at stockholmpride.com. Or
truly memorable food.
visit,
in mid-June to
mid-July
(stockholm
town.com) to experience the rare midnight sun
Stockholm Fisk (stockholmfisk.se): Upscale
hotel restaurant with fish served Scandinavian
(all-day sunlight). Or, if you want a real old-time
style; it's fish stuffed with other fish covered in
European Christmas, go in December, when
a fish sauce.
the nights are crazy-long, the holiday lights
Krogkonst (Krogkonst.se): Delicious week-
shimmer and the water surrounding the city
day lunch specials
freezes over.
Moderna Museet (modernamuseet.se). ■
near the worth-seeing
Curve
39
CURVE
Gets
Some
Southern
Hospitality
by Amy Silverman
Stevens, getting her pride on at
Dallas' premier queer event.
IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT A CITY ROLLS
out the red carpet for a lesbian magazine, but that's what happened last
September when CURVE'Sown publisher,
Frances Stevens, served as one of two
honorary grand marshals at the 22nd
annual Alan Ross Texas Freedom Parade
in Dallas. "When they called and invited
me, I was pretty surprised," admits
Stevens, who has been to more than 300
Pride festivals since she founded CURVE.
"This is my first time being asked to be
grand marshal. It's a big honor."
Along with Canadian swimmer Mark
Tewksbury, who won a gold medal in the
Barcelona Summer Olympics in 1992,
Stevens rode down the parade route in an
orange Plymouth Prowler emblazoned
with her name on the side. A heat index
of more than 100 degrees did not stop
approximately 20,000 people from coming to watch the parade make its way
down Cedar Springs Road to where it
ended at Robert E. Lee Park for an
evening of performances by the winners
of a local American Idol-type competition called "Voice of Pride."
"I think the best thing about my
experience was definitely connecting
with the people of Dallas," Stevens says.
"The LGBT community there was so
amazingly welcoming from the second
we got off the plane to the time we left.
Everyone was so gracious. . .. Just nice,
down-to-earth kind of people."
When asked if she'd like to be a grand
marshal again, she doesn't hesitate before
saying, "I would be thrilled." Wouldn't
we all? ■
40 MARCH 2006
e
When I think of Dallas,
t
Corbin - you can keep an eye on the bar hop·
my mind goes to those lanky Cowboys cheer-
pers making their way from drink special to
leaders, opulent TV dramas and a red-state gov-
drink special. Inside, a DJ spins house favorites
ernor who recently told reporters that gays were
while a diverse, young crowd boogies on the
not welcome in Texas. I hardly think of Dallas as
ample dance floor. The back patio offers a more
a gay-friendly city. That all changed when I visited
intimate spot to smooch with the girl who just
and realized that deep in the Bible Belt, super-
picked you up.
a
sized Dallas is a haven for homos. When I asked
If country music is more your scene, cross
native Kathy Jack, manager of four local queer
the street to the Round-Up Saloon and two·
bars, what Dallas had to offer the lesbian tourist,
step with your sweetie in this mixed gay and les·
she was adamant with her response: "The food
bian club. Or grab a spot along the crowded
and the night clubs'.'
tti
n
s
railing and watch the cowboys and cowgirls
Like disco diva Alicia Bridges, I love the
twirl to the latest Sugarland and Faith Hill tunes.
nightlife, so what better way to begin my week-
Although there are enough bars on Cedar
end than with a tour of the city's gay bars? Like
Springs to keep one occupied for quite some
Liberty Avenue on Oueer
as Folk, Cedar
time, Sunday afternoon is the time to head over
Springs Road is where you'll find most of
to Buddies 11,a great place to wind down your
Dallas' gay bars. Dyke hotspot Sue Ellen's,
weekend playing volleyball out back or loung·
cl
named after the femme fatale in TV's beloved
ing by the pool. When have you ever been to a
s
prime time soap, is one of the friendliest
lesbian bar with a pool? (No, you can't count
i
women's bars I've been to - ever. As a matter
Dinah Shore.)
of fact, I have never been hit on so many times
Also worth a visit, if you're in town on a
in one night. My ego was lovin' Dallas within
Thursday, is Throckmorton Mining Company,
hours of my arrival.
which turns from a leather bar into a queer hip·
With live local lesbian bands four nights a
hop club that night. If salsa and tango are more
week, Sue Ellen's is my kind of bar. In the
your style, be sure to visit Kaliente (gay-owned)
spring and summer, musicians play on the front
or Bamboleo's
patio, where - when you're not listening to the
have a nice mix of male and female couples.
likes of Dallas favorites Heather Knox or Kathy
(lesbian-owned).
Both bars
After a long night of partying, it was easy to
o
find my way back to the
could, I decided to see what else Dallas had to
Melrose Hotel, which is in
offer. I headed over to the West Village for
the heart of Dallas' gay
some shopping. With everything from the Gap
community, mere blocks
to Ralph Lauren and high-end boutiques, the
from nightclubs. It's not
West Village is a great destination for those
surprising this gay-friendly
who don't have access to these stores in their
Dallas
Debs
historic hotel is popular
hometowns. My favorite? Cowboy Cool, the
with rural Texas queers
store that outfitted Ellen DeGeneres' cowgirl
coming
to town for a
makeover on her talk show's first season. With
weekend of "flaunting it:'
custom-made belt buckles, boots and cowboy
YES,
With
high
hats, dykes will enjoy playing out their Western
speed Internet and a full-
fantasies in this store. My quest for a unique
sized
the
Texas T-shirt ended not at one of the trendy
great
shopping districts or malls, but right in the gay
before: Everything is big in Texas. For
all the misconceptions about the state and the metropolis of Dallas - this one
isn't nearly as annoying, or wrong, as all
the rest. Sure, the Lone Star state has its
fair share of gun-totin' dung kickers and
flag-waving Republicans, but so does
central California. And while it was
home to G.W. Bush, well, again, you can
compare that to the supposedly liberal
left coast state that gave birth to Rev.
Lou Sheldon and the Traditional Values
Coalition.
So let's dismiss the stereotypes and
focus on what's good about Dallas from
a femmey girl's perspective: hot babes
and hot shopping. Lesbians from
throughout the South seem to have
gravitated to Dallas to form a magnetic
corps of power babes. These aren't your
fragile flowers of Southern belle fiction,
but rather
the hardscrabble
and
upwardly mobile women who use their
wiles, charm and smarts to make significant changes in the culture of Texas.
And you don't have to go to a bar to
meet them. Do what I did: Go to orth
Park Center.
One of Dallas' prestigious shopping
districts, North Park Center is a bit like
Madison Avenue with better parking
and lower prices. You can bump into
power babes at Burberry, find a gal daydreaming at Tiffany, a butch at Ralph
Lauren or a ready-for-a-fling filly at
Neiman Marcus. Top the day off with a
trip to the Spa at the Crescent (inside the
Hotel Crescent Court) where the
Hotter'n Texas Summer Rock Massage
is a dyke must.
Does shopping and spa-ing your
way to love sound shallow? Perhaps,
but with fund-raisers and parties and
social events aplenty, you don't really
even have to shop Dallas to find a girlfriend here.
But it's so fun, why wouldn't you? ■
big
Melrose
rooms,
bathtub,
was
a
choice for my weekend
mecca of Oak Lawn at gay-owned Off the
excursion. But if you want
Street pride store. It's also a great place to pick
to be treated like a rock
up rainbow paraphernalia and campy post-
star, stay where Melissa
cards to send home.
Etheridge, LL Cool J and
They do say everything is bigger in Texas and
Cher stay when they're in
certainly this is true. Dallas is proud that it's
Dallas: Hotel Zaza. Voted
home to the largest Human Rights Campaign
one of the nation's top
fundraising event in the country as well as to
boutique hotels, Zaza has
more power lesbians than on The L Word. Since
theme suites to fit your mood, everything from
this is the Bible Belt, a visit to the largest LGBT
erotica to Zen.
church in the country should certainly be on your
Although I agreed with Kathy's assessment
agenda. At any given Sunday service, about
of the bar scene, I didn't have such luck with
1,500 queers and their friends will worship with
restaurants. To be fair, Dallas has more restau-
lesbian pastor Jo Gail at Cathedral of Hope.
rants per capita than New York City, so I'm sure
If your idea of spirituality is more about com-
there are plenty of great places I missed, and
muning with nature, head over to the Dallas
the amazing food and atmosphere at Ciudad
Arboretum. Even though the theme for the
made up for the mediocre dishes eaten else-
2005 Dallas Blooms festival was "Proud as a
where. Owned by lesbian, transsexual, city
Peacock," it didn't strike me as the kind of place
council candidate Monica Green, Ciudad fea-
where you would feel comfortable
tures upscale Mexican dining to die for. I
hand in hand with your girlfriend. As a matter of
walked in with thoughts of high-carb burritos
fact,
and greasy enchiladas and left with a whole
straight families and bridal parties posing for
new appreciation for Mexican cuisine.
weekends
are crowded
walking
with
young
photo shoots. But on sticky weekdays, you can
Eating at Ciudad is a culinary experience,
find a quiet spot of cool shade under a pecan
so plan on lingering over your meal. With
tree, with breezes from White Rock Lake mak-
Mexican folk-art murals and hand-painted tiles,
ing this the perfect picnic spot.
Ciudad is a feast for the eyes as well as the
Perhaps it's not something the natives brag
palate. Arrive early and have a signature mar-
about, but Dallas is also known as the site of the
garita from one of the cute bartenders. Affluent
murder of John F. Kennedy. The Sixth Floor
lesbians tend to drop by for after-work cock-
Museum at Dealey Plaza chronicles the last
tails, but don't forego dinner. Shrimp cocktail
moments of Kennedy's life and his lasting impact
with salsa and avocado or ceviche are good
on American culture. History buffs and conspir-
choic:es for starters. The creamy pan-seared
acy theorists alike will thrill in the Historical
scallops with a ginger glaze practically melted
Society tour of Lee Harvey Oswald's life.
in my mouth, one of the best seafood dishes
I've ever eaten, but you can't go wrong with
the beef tenderloin or grilled salmon either.
One other restaurant bears mentioning, if
only because it serves as a great cure for the
STAY, PLAY AND PRAY
Where to stay: The Melrose Hotel (melrose
hotel.com) and Hotel Zaza (hotelzaza.com).
Where to eat: Ciudad (ciudaddf.com) and
late-night munchies. Hunky's, across from Sue
Hunky's Hamburgers (214-522-1212).
Ellen's, has consistently been voted one of
Where to play: Sue Ellen's (caven.com) and
Dallas' best restaurants for hamburgers.
Buddies II (buddiesii.com).
Having accomplished my goal of visiting as
many bars and restaurants in one weekend as I
Where
to
pray:
Cathedral
of
by Diane Anderson-Minshall
YES,
WE'VE
HEARD
IT ALL
Hope
(cathedralofhope.com). ■
Curve
41
r Gr
90..yo..f\Ole.sbio.."tro..ve.lspe.c.io..lists
Few sections of the travel
+
+
industry are booming nowadays like those that
rough it up more than you'd like. With prices
between $80 and $505, they're a delightfully
affordable option. (centennialcanoe.com)
cater to women seeking outdoor adventures.
The choices of where to go and what to do
••
"'
u
Q.)
u
bial limit with Adventure Associates, which
are now seemingly endless. Care to bicycle
organizes women-only affairs all over the world.
around a Hawaiian island? Have an urge to
They offer so many unique and worldly options,
spend two months crossing the country, eating
it is difficult to choose several to highlight. Our
healthy, gourmet food prepared daily by a trav·
favorite
eling chef? Or perhaps you've always dreamed
Tanzania Cultural and Wildlife Safari (where
of canoeing in Colorado? Whatever your les·
guests engage with traditional African tribal
bian adventure fantasy may be, there is likely an
cultures), the three-day Whale Watch Paddles
organization designed to cater to it. We've
in San Juan (with gourmet cuisine in a cabin
ones to daydream
compiled a handy guide of rugged vacation
resort)
C
options designed specifically for the individual
Adventure, which includes a visit to the matri·
and ever-changing needs of women.
lineal society of the Musuo. And don't even get
':::,
12 Muses: If high-end amenities and intellec-
tourists not only attend two festivals, they par·
C
tually stimulating conversations are prerequi-
ticipate in them as well. Wondering how much
sites for you to board a ship, lesbian-owned 1 2
of a drain on the pocketbook these treks are?
0
~
:::,
>--
...,
Q.)
>
u
Women's
Cultura1
us started on the Escape to Bhutan, where
@)
Q.)
and the China
about are the
'-
Cl.
Custom Yukon adventures
-in comfort and style
Adventure Associates: The sky is the prover·
once you get there, once few and far between,
n:l
Muses is the company for you. From the
Not nearly as much as you might fear: Prices
Culinary Cruise of Southern Italy to a golf tour
start at just $449,
of the majestic greens of Scotland, 1 2 Muses
between that and the high end of $4,395.
offers "intimate travel experiences to women
(adventureassociates.net)
with a variety of trips
who want . . . physical comforts'.' They don't
scrimp
either. Of
WomanTours: If bicycling is your pleasure
course, at $3,595 to $5,295 per cruise, let's
on the guest
lecturers,
and time is something you can plenty spare, the
hope they don't scrimp on anything at all.
largest woman-only bike tour company is prac·
(12muses.com)
tically calling your name. WomanTours hosts
cross-country bicycle outings that last upward
Journey Weavers: Founded by two women
of two months, and they care for you every
based out of Ithaca, NY, and Costa Rica,
pedal of the way. All tours are just for women,
Journey Weavers offer a wide assortment of
and two in 2006 will be specifically for les·
trip options; from a women's biking trip in the
bians. The average miles biked per day is 57
Netherlands that focuses on art history, to indi-
and the average age of an attendee is 57 as
vidually designed adventures in Costa Rica
well. The price to preserve your youth via
aimed at teaching travelers a foreign language.
cycling across America is between $930 and
They've even helped inspire women upward of
$7,690. (womantours.com)
80 years old to scale mountains. Prices range
from a budget-friendly $650 for hiking excur-
Be Parisienne: Why go to Paris to be a tourist.
sions
when you can travel there and be like a
to
$1,790
for
"multi-adventures."
(journeyweavers.com)
Parisienne with this lesbian travel group? You
and your partner or small group (five people max·
,. l
·
an
•
nn
neofthe10
Centennial Canoe Outfitters, Inc.: Pick one
/I guesthouses
In
NorthAmerica!" of 10 rivers in Colorado, Utah or Wyoming, and
-PlanetOut this company will help you either canoe or kayak
through the village of Montmartre, the 17th·
it in one weekend. Centennial's clients include
Joan of Arc. Tours are booked in half or full days.
the Women's Outdoor Club, Sierra Club and
do not include lodging and the cost ranges frorr
Girl Scouts of America. Even better, they bring
$67 to $487. (beparisienne.com) ■
..,~v
0
K
~
~.,...,
s
o
!
imum) can be guided on your choice of activities
century mansions of Marais and the haunts of
along a privacy tent with a porta-potty so your
POBox118,Bethlehem,
NH03574
overnight camping experience doesn't leave
877LES-8-INN
(537-2466)❖ 603869-3978
vacation@highlandsinn-nh.com
❖ www.highlandsinn-nh.com
you feeling like you're paying good money to
Note: Prices given do not include airfare or
gratuities and are subject to change.
42 MARCH 2006
.-----
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Finding Her Voice
Author Sharon Bridgforth teaches Texas how to write. By Catherine Plato
creative writing, but I ended up kind of havof poe
A~ER
SYSTEMS
ENGINEER
bda
JUL ~s
ing to unlearn and forget the things that I
was taught because it just didn't work for
.,Anne Peters began writing fiction because she
me. So I really kind of did develop my voice
t-o,,.•
t she'd enjoy the solitary life of a writer. But
~:books
based on intuition and just pure desire ...
for children and teens have been so
bu/1received -
and then later, I was mentored by some
Luna, about a transgendered
incredible people.
(Rec.wasnominated for the National Book Award
What was the first project that brought
betw, she's had to get used to book tours and
rou recognition?
teachP banquets. Her latest novel, Far From
was 30 and I had just moved to Austin and
for Afr, tells the story of Mike Szabo, a butch les-
... there was a real cute girl who was in a
the U1wingup in small-town Coalton, Kan., who
band who was doing some work with a
methoco but fall for the new girl: the exotic, beau-
women's theater company. She
dubbed unfortunately straight) Xanadu.
told me she was a drummer, and
pened when the work got in the body of an
Your w,
musical'1ink you were unfair to the char-
I said, "Well, I'm a poet:' And she
actor, and in the mind of a director, and in
said, "Well, you should turn your
the landscape
ever a mtadu'l,.f;h-
work
whole life.
---
1 just love the musicality of lan-
into this
group.
They're
looking for one-woman
shqws."
of theater, changed
my
Do you find Austin to be a city that is
guage, and my work lives in a
So I had some scratches, hand-
particularly welcoming to new artists?
jazz aesthetic, so it is based in
written, that I thought were just
I do. In Austin, my experience, at least, has
the
the same sensibility as music.
butl-j~An
And I think that because I'm
stor1es
not a musician, what I really,
shn.-011bririgforth
really yearn for is to hear the
words become notes.
Did you ever have formal
training
unconnected
pieces,
that
I
port here. We do not have a lot of financial
is a one-woman show! We'd love
support for the arts here ... but in terms of
to do this." And so it ended up
human resources and audience support,
being
and venues that you can self-produce
a one-act,
one-woman
as
show that was produced in Austin some-
I was largely self-taught. I do have a degree in
And the process of understanding what hap-
a writer?
been that I feel I have unconditional sup-
turned in, and they said, "Oh, this
where around 1990.
in
and artists that you can collaborate with, it
is extremely rich. I feel like I've really kind
of grown up here as an artist.
■
Chick Lit for Dykes
A die-hard do-it-yourself publisher, Cheril N.
Clarke writes and publishes her own brand of lesbian drama. By Malinda Lo
DESPITE
H~R FULL-TIME
JOB AS AN
Do you feel African-American
lesbians
engineering analyst in New York, African-
are adequately represented in literature?
American author (and lesbian) Cheril N. Clarke
I think African-American lesbians are left out of
has carved out time to start her own publishing
the picture a lot. Most of the lesbian charac-
company, Dodi Press (dodipress.com), and write
ters in literature are Caucasian. I just really
three novels. Her latest, Intimate
want to show a presence. We have
Chaos, brings us dyke drama in
stories too.
all ·ts glory as it chronicles Sadira
Why did you decide to go the
ana Jessie's roller-coaster rela-
self-publishing
tionship. It's chick lit with a dyke
I decided to start my own publish-
route?
twist - plus a bunch of naughty
ing company because I love every-
bits to spice up the journey.
thing about writing . . . even the
How much of you is part of
business end of it. Also . . . you
burden, yet . . . I make more money than I
your main character, Sadira?
have more creative control when
would with a commercial publisher.
Sadira is based off who I was
you own your own company.
about two years ago. A lot of
What
the emotions, pain and frus-
lenges of self-publishing?
trations are real. The drama is mostly the
product of my wild imagination.
are
the
biggest
What's next for you?
chal-
The main challenge goes hand in hand with the
greatest reward. I have the entire financial
I expect to release [Tainted Destiny] sometime
next year. I am also working with some
other writers whom I hope to publish in the
near future.
■
Curve
45
Murder Book
Crime writer Val McDermid
tells us whodunnit. By Malinda Lo
SCOTTISH WRITER VAL MCDERMID'S
Britain is no picture-perfect village populated by
came into my head.
The thing with me as a writer [is that it] has
kindly vicars and gentle older ladies. McDermid's
always been the story that was paramount
Britain has the darker, rougher feel of urban vio-
for me. So, because I write different kinds
lence acted out in grim alleys, and even her coun-
of books - because I write different series
try villages edge into that world of half-lit malice.
and I write standalones -
It's that gritty feel - coupled with extraordinary
myself in the fortunate position of always
plotting that could run circles around any
writing the book that I want to write, the
episode of CS/ - that has made McDermid a
world-renowned writer of crime fiction.
book that excites me.
You know, when I wrote the first Lindsay
Her novels A Place of Execution and Killing
the Shadows were both New
I've found
Gordon book it never occurred to me that
York Times
she was going to be anything other than
Notable Books, and her series featuring DCI
a lesbian. And if I'd written that book five
Carol Jordan and psychologist Tony Hill has been
years later or five years earlier, it would
adapted into a critically acclaimed British televi-
have been hard to get published. But
sion series, Wire in the Blood.
because I wrote it at exactly the point that I
Amid all these honors, it's easy to forget that
0
dark; they're very intelligently plotted. The
did, it was very easy to get it published.
most important thing for me is that they're
faithful to the feel of the books, and they're
reissued in the United States by Bywater
I've noticed that you always insert a gay
or lesbian character at some point in your
books. Did you put some gay characters
in your latest, The Grave Tattoo?
Who's your favorite character that you've
invented?
Books). We recently caught up with McDermid,
Oh, yeah. I mean, I think right from the beginning,
Well, you know, it's really tragic. Here I am, a
50, who makes her home in Manchester and
you know, even writing a lesbian detective
lesbian author, created lots of gay charac·
Northumberland (both in the United Kingdom)
[series], I never wanted to write books that
ters, and the only one I really fancy is Carol
McDermid first made a name for herself by writing lesbian mysteries featuring butch journalist
Lindsay Gordon (the series has recently been
very high-quality television.
with her partner, Kelly, and their young son.
were special pleading. I don't want to live in
Jordan ... who is, you know, totally straight.
Your most recent Lindsay Gordon novel,
Hostage to Murder, sounded like it might
be the last in the series. Are you planning
to do more with her?
I don't know. I thought Linsday was done after
Booked for Murder. I had no plans for
a ghetto, so why would I want to write in a
Carol Jordan does not have the faintest H
ghetto, in a sense. I've always tried to write
inclination toward a moment of bisexuality. [I
And she is the one for me. It's tragic. ■
How do you feel about the TV series Wire
in the Blood?
For more of our interview
another Lindsay after that, but the story
I think they've done a great job. They're very
the author, check out valmcdermid.com.
Pecking Order
AUTHOR
CHERYL
PECK'S
about gay and lesbian lives within the wider
picture, the kind of lives that most of us lead.
with writer Val
McOermid, go to curvemag.com. For more on
Midwestern wordsmith Cheryl Peck gets her groove
NEWEST
satisfying for me. But as a writer,
memoir, Revenge of the Paste Eaters, is her
I write to dig down to my own
second narrative nonfiction work. Her first, Fat
truth. In other words, my writing
ba
Your Beloved is one of your R
greatest supporters. How hasg
the publication and success of th
both books affected your rela· Sa
tionship with her?
Girls and Lawn Chairs, looked at her mischie-
isn't gay enough to be a gay
vous cat, offbeat family and life as a large les-
memoir, but I'm still a lesbian.
bian. Peck lives with her cat, Babycakes, and
her partner (best known in the books as
Do you feel that your sexuality
defines the way you tell a story?
to love a woman who a) has nc
"Beloved") in Michigan.
I am a fat, white, Midwestern, middle-
interest in writing herself, b) loveE
I have had the amazing good taste
How do you feel when people label your
writing gay memoir?
class American lesbian. I also have
my writing and c) can listen to it
a vivid imagination. I love to read
over and over and over and over
As a writer it poses an interesting challenge for
and I keep a can opener handy in case I need
and over and over. She now lives or W
me, because if I were a reader looking for
an open mind about something. We are all
Singulair, and she, Babycakes and I nowY
positive gay images to emulate, neither Fat
defined to some extent by who we are, but I
live together. She is, I should note, not tha' I'll
Girls nor Paste Eaters would be all that
suppose it depends on what the story is about.
cat's aunt.
46 MAR H 2006
The Peters
Principle
Julie Anne Peters
helps queer kids cope. By Malinda Lo
WomenOn A Roll,
FORMER SYSTEMS ENGINEER JULIE
the 1' emier lesbia.nsocia.1
orga.niia.tioninvites you
to e,q,eri nc ...
Anne Peters began writing fiction because she
thought she'd enjoy the solitary life of a writer. But
her books for children and teens have been so
well-received -
Luna, about a transgendered
teen, was nominated for the National Book Award
Dina.'h.S'h.ore
- that she's had to get used to book tours and
Weekend!
awards banquets. Her latest novel, Far From
Xanadu, tells the story of Mike Szabo, a butch les-
bian growing up in small-town Coalton, Kan., who
Mcircn3.1- A7'n1 2, 2006
can't help but fall for the new girl: the exotic, beau-
(Longerstaysare availableat a reducedrate.)
tiful (and unfortunately straight) Xanadu.
Do you think you were unfair to the character Xanadu? She comes
off as rather manipulative.
JUlU.
ANNI
e Confused straight girls are the
Pnus
bane of young lesbians' exis-
as a user and manipulator
Do you have any advice for
young dykes who fall for their
straight friends?
who preyed on the innocence
Give it up. Recognize that it'll only
tences. From the outset I
wanted Xanadu to be seen
and vulnerability of a girl like
bring you heartache in the end.
Mike, so that readers might
Young women need to know they
be more leery and aware of
deserve a fulfilling love relationship
consequences.
that goes both ways.
How have readers reacted?
[I get] grateful and encouraging letters from
How have school libraries
reacted to your books?
young readers who identify as lesbian or
Schools with progressive librarians have wel-
bisexual. The most unexpected responses
comed and embraced this new wave of
have come from straight teens. I think
queer literature for teens. Adding LG BTO
they're able to empathize with Mike on an
books to school library collections is not a
emotional level - with her alienation and
universal practice, of course. But schools
loss, her desire to find love and be loved.
are getting there.
Friday /Saturday room rates start at
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■
Paste Eaters. By Ellen Rosner Feig
r Review after review states that you are a
gay woman of size. Do you see yourself
f this vray?
Kate
Clinton
Friday and
Saturday
Night
Carlease!
Pool Party
Saturday
Afternoon
Corday
L-Dance
Saturday
Night
the world and not see yourself reflected in the
$200 reserves your room.
Contact us at
mirrors of other people's eyes. My inner me
womenonarol
• Some days. Some days it is impossible to live in
has been a male almost as often as she's
been female. And, of course, I have that skinny woman trapped inside me. On bad days I
torture her relentlessly.
When did you come to terms with who
you are?
•I'll let you know. So far, I just have a very good
editor. ■
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woar@aol.com
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All events held at:
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Curve
47
with so much venomous rage ... has major issues going on in
their head'.'
Few of Loken's fans know her as the outspoken activist
she
sounds
like
here. When
she
bared
all
in the
January/February 2006 issue of FHM magazine, Loken who has previously appeared in Maxim and other laddie
mags - did so physically, not verbally.
"I was painted in latex and it fucking hurt like a mother
fucker when they took it off;' she admits. "But the photo
shoot was fun, and doing the magazine interview was
great. If you can't have fun and [you] take life too seriously, what's the point of living?"
She did offer the boys one titillating tidbit when the
writer asked her, "Do you kiss a lot of women?" Her
response: "Well, I don't like to make anything a habit,
but I'm definitely open-minded
about kissing women'.'
Today, when I bring up the
raw, yet humorous interview,
Loken is eager to open up
even more.
"You're open-minded?"
Given a name like Kristanna Loken, you
I
ask. "What does that mean,
might expect to encounter a Nordic supermodel or at least, a Norwegian emigre. In fact,
exactly? That you would kiss a
the town Loken was born, Ghent, is not some
woman
hidden treasure in Norway where beautiful
arose?"
if
the
opportunity
blonde-haired and blue-eyed girls mature into
"Who's to say I haven't?"
six-foot-tall, striking models - but rather is a
she counters. "Like my charac-
quaint town in upstate New York, where
ter in 8/oodRayne, I think love
Loken was raised on an apple orchard by her
transcends. I have dated and have had
sex with men and women and have to
full-blooded Norwegian parents.
Loken, who bared it all as the Terminatrix
say that the relationships I have had with
in Terminator 3 (where she quite literally
certain women have been much more
kicked Arnold Schwarzenegger's tush) is
fulfilling, sexually and emotionally, than
kicking ass on the big screen again in the
those with certain men. I connect with
vampire period piece 8/oodRayne, a film writ-
an aura, with energy. And if the per-
ten by Guinevere Turner (The L Word). As
son with whom I connect happens
the title character, Loken is a half-human, half-
to be a female, that's just the way it
vampire on a mission to avenge the rape of
is. That's what makes my wheels
her mother (by her father), and is invited to
turn'.'
join a society fighting vampires.
Loken, who began acting at
I spent a recent afternoon with the 26-
13 on the daytime soap As the
Chateau
World Turns, spent a couple of
Marmont hotel in Hollywood where Loken
summers in New York City as a
admitted something that queers have long
teenager, living with her les-
year-old
Loken at the famed
guessed (especially after all those photos of
bian sister (who is 15 years
her kissing singer Pink turned up in the
older than her) and her sister's wife.
tabloids): She's one of us. But that's not the
"My sister has been married to her wife for more than a decade;'
only reason that lesbians love her.
Loken adds. "And the time I spent living with them in New York, when I
"Women would like to know there's a chance;' she admits. Seated in the
was modeling, were some of the happiest and best times of my life. My
kitchen of her suite at the Chateau Marmont, sipping from a champagne
parents couldn't care less that my sister is a lesbian [who's] married to a
flute full of sparkling water (the actual champagne comes later that night at
woman - and neither do they care about anything that makes me happy
the 8/oodRayne release party), Loken seems pleased that she has lipstick-
in life, even if it is doing a nude spread in FH Mor admitting that I have a
lesbian-loving lesbian fans. "Women are drawn to other strong women. I am
love for women. They are very supportive'.'
the only woman who has ever fought Arnold [Schwarzenegger] in any
movie and won. That might turn some women on'.'
Women,
says
same-sex
"Honestly, I couldn't get past page 30 of any of the screenplays I
relationships. "Hatred, by allegedly straight men, of men in love with men
started reading after I did T3. If I was going to make a movie, I was going
has to be based on fear that is deeply hidden within. Anyone who is filled
to make damn sure that it was something that I was going to enjoy doing.
50 MARCH 2006
Loken,
are more
comfortable
Loken, who was flooded with dozens of scripts after Terminator 3, stars
in B/oodRayne after a self-imposed hiatus from big-budget studio flicks.
with
A movie becomes your life for at least six months, and I
busy Los Angeles, the other in
wasn't going to do a shitty movie that would take control of
her preferred retreat of Cape
my life for six months just because it would put money in
my bank account:'
Town, South Africa - admits
she's not a woman to be
Whether or not Loken will become the next Hollywood
labeled or categorized. She
darling remains to be seen, but the question doesn't
wants to be her untamed
seem to be of concern to the actress.
own woman, even while
"I am on my own path, my own journey;' she says.
working
"I just allow everything that happens to be. I am
grateful for every job I have ever had and every
clubs in L.A. or New York
of anyone's success because they all have their
or anywhere in the United
own journey to make. Whatever is destined
In addition to BloodRayne, Loken has
two other projects on the horizon: a Sci-Fi
like
"I hate going out to
person who comes into my life. I am not jealous
for me will come to be."
in a town
Hollywood.
States;• she says. "I am so sick of them - sick
of the bullshit attitudes that are so prolific there. I don't have the
time or energy for any of the people there. My favorite saying that a friend of
mine just told me, referring to all the people at nightclubs in this country is,
Channel miniseries airing this month (Dark Kingdom: The Dragon King)
'There are five hundred nobodies, looking for two somebodies who are
and producing and starring in Lime Salted Love, a film that will most likely hit the festival circuit next year.
nowhere to be found'. I much prefer spending as much time as I can at my
"Lime Salted Love is my blood, sweat and tears movie;' Loken says.
"It is about a love triangle that takes place in modern day Los Angeles.
a familiarity there among people, even strangers, that you can't find in Los
place in South Africa. The people there are so much more human. There is
Angeles or New York:'
It's about the childhood trauma of one of the characters, and its effect on
Loken is on her way back to Cape Town as soon after the
the character in adult life [and] how the character deals with their sexuality. The movie was written, is directed, and co-stars one of my best
BloodRayne premiere as possible. "There is a big gay party I try to go to
every year called the Mother City Queer Project;' she says. "A couple of
friends, Danielle Agnello. She can best be described as an Italian Woody
years ago the theme was Kitschy Kitchen. And my two best friends down
Allen, with a pinch of David Lynch thrown in:'
there, a gay couple, went dressed as salt and pepper shakers. I missed
Loken, who now divides her time between her two homes - one in
this year's party, but I can't wait for the next one:• ■
When will we find the cure for breast cancer? No
one knows, but we do know we're getting closer all
the time. Which is why we're more determined than
ever to keep pushing ahead. Learn how to help by
a
a
visiting komen.org or
calling 1.800 l'M AWARE®.
rhe .. usan
J. Kornen
~reast can
:oundation
r
Thisspaceprovided
asa publicservice.
©2005,TheSusanG.Komen
Breast
Cancer
Foundation
Curve
51
L..
Q)
...c
I >
The rocky road to
building a queer
Asian community.
Q)
CJ)
~
activists
dedicated
a movement
American
three
to building
of
queer
Asian-
After
nearly
women.
decades
activism,
of
queer
can we finally
API
come
together as a coalition?
A Queer Asian
Pacific Legacy
Doreena Wong - now an attorney
with
the
National
Health
Law
Program - came out in the mid1970s during the heyday of the feminist and Asian-American civil rights
By Malinda Lo
CJ)
C:
--
E
0
the best efforts of hard-working
u.....
movements, and quickly became
involved in queer API organizing.
Though
many
queer
Asian
Americans organized locally during
Last February I went to the
the 1980s, it wasn't until the second
March on Washington in 1987 that
Chinese New Year Parade in San Francisco at the last-
a national Asian-American lesbian
minute urging of a white friend. The annual event is the
organization was founded.
largest of its kind outside Asia and regularly draws a
"I was living in D.C. at the time
half-million spectators, but despite my Chinese her-
[of the march];' Wong, now 54,
itage I had never before been to the parade.
recalls. "Everyone kind of con-
Standing on the corner of Kearny and Clay in an
verged at our house, and we had
intermittent drizzle, surrounded by popping firecrack-
about 25 Asian lesbians sleeping
ers, gawking tourists and the glitter of red and gold
all over the floor, so it was really
lanterns, I watched in astonishment as a huge three-
quite fun. Then a group of us
tiered wedding
decided to hold a retreat to try to
cake made its way up the street.
Draped in rainbow bunting and flanked by a lesbian
bring together Asian lesbians in an
couple and a gay couple, it was the first-ever same-sex
organized waY:'
marriage float to appear in the Chinese New Year
With
Parade. As it went past, I felt an unexpected, unfamiliar
National
I >
burst of pride for the queer Asian-American community.
Committee,
Growing up in predominantly white Colorado and
Lesbian Network - which would
::)
then coming out in a mostly white LGBT community has
later become the Asian Pacific
meant that my Asian-American identity often comes
Lesbian Bisexual and Transgender
0
CJ)
C:
--
E
0
u
52 MARCH 2006
seed
money from the
March on Washington
the
Asian
Pacific
second. Over the years this has become the norm for
Network (aplbtn.org) - was born.
me, but seeing that float crystallized the need to inte-
APLBTN
grate both sides: something that is much easier said
regional and national retreats over
than done. Bringing together queer Asian Americans
the next 10 years, bringing hun-
convened
a series of
involves tricky negotiations around culture, national ori-
dreds
gin, gender and racism, compounded by the difficulty of
women together to network, build
political organizing in a community that is often taught
community and share their experi-
to avoid stirring up trouble.
ences in activism.
of queer Asian-American
"What our community lacks right now is visibility;'
Over the last quarter century,
stresses H.J. Chung, former board member of Boston's
groups like APLBTN have been on
Queer Asian Pacific Alliance (qapa.org), the nation's
the front lines of racist and homo-
oldest
phobic incidents that continue to
co-gender
organization
for
queer
Asian
Americans. "It's amazing what an impact visibility has'.'
My reaction to the same-sex marriage float seems to
impact
queer Asian Americans
today. A recent survey at the 2004
bear out Chung's words. But visibility - which more
Pacific Legacy Conference in New
often than not comes in the form of a Chinese face that
York -
then marginalizes non-Chinese Asian Pacific Islanders
Asian Pacific Islander activists -
- is only the tip of the iceberg. Beyond achieving a vis-
found that 82 percent of partici-
ible presence in the LG BT and API communities, there
pants
is a minefield of identity politics that can sabotage even
LG BT people experienced racism
a conference for LG BT
felt
that
Asian-American
within a white LG BT community,
and 96 percent felt that homophobia or transphobia was a problem
C
::J
within the straight Asian-American
community.
E
E
In 2000,
the Hotlanta
River
Expo, a gay circuit party in Atlanta,
featured the theme "The Year of the
Dragon." Despite well-publicized
protests, approximately 9,000 men
takes a toll on queer API groups that
~
+-'
are entirely volunteer-run and lack
steady funding.
A Fragmented
Community
0
u
The diversity
I-
within
the Asian-
American community means that it's
m
g
virtually impossible to make sure that
every ethnic and national identity is
attended the event and its subpar-
represented in a pan-Asian group,
ties, including a China Doll-themed
and South
Miss Hotlanta contest, a Shogun-
Q)
Fried Rice Party. What many Asian
Americans saw as blatantly offensive stereotypes weren't considered racist by the club's white
organizers, illustrating
divide
between
the great
Asian-American
and white LGBTs.
Queer Asian Americans also
face homophobia within their communities of origin. In April 2004,
Q)
C
Pacific
~
mostly East Asian movement. As a
~
C:
0
...c. 0
+-'
and
Islanders often feel marginalized in a
C:
themed Mr. Hotlanta contest and a
Asians
u
~
result, many who feel excluded splinter off from coalition groups to begin
...c. ....J~
their own affinity group. The San
~ &
organizations for women over 35,
+-'
E
(/)
u
ro
~
~u
C:
-~
Cl)
~
Francisco Bay area boasts separate
women
under
25,
Mandarin-
speaking lesbians and women from
.....
Singapore and Malaysia, as well as
:::i
groups for Vietnamese, Japanese,
Q)
Q)
0
Filipino and South Asian LGBTs.
more than 7,000 Asian-American
When there are so many different
Christians gathered together in San
organizations with their own activi-
Francisco's predominantly Chinese
ties, it becomes difficult to draw
Sunset District to protest same-sex
busy women to more events.
marriage. Many demonstrators wore
"You only have so much time
red T-shirts proclaiming "Marriage: 1
man + 1 woman" in English and
Chinese. Queer Asian-Americans
weren't able to organize a counterdemonstration until August, when
about a thousand religious leaders
and activists
converged
and
~~
Q)
energy,"
Wong
longtime
acknowledges.
activist
"So can
you also be part of a larger pan-
...c.
+-'
Asian group?"
~
For Hyde Revilla -
...c.
a Filipina
who lives in San Francisco with her
+-'
in the
wife, Dawn (who is white) - being
Sunset District again, this time sup-
part of a queer Asian-American
porting same-sex marriage.
group was never a priority.
Asha Leong, a senior outreach
associate
'3.t
(/)
"I'm not a joiner;' Revilla insists.
C
ro
Lambda
Legal
Defense and Education
Fund's
u
Atlanta office, notes, "For queer
Q)
APls most of our political activity
E
"I just have a hard time being part
of organizations. I find my fellow-
~
ship elsewhere;'
Revilla, 35, immigrated to the
seems to be around racism. . . . I
<(
United States from the Philippines
think that's something that's really
C
as a toddler and grew up in a large
easy to mobilize people around, but
we're constantly reactive, and it's
ro
Filipino
(/)
family
California.
<(
in
Although
Southern
her father
h&rder . . . for us to set our own
organized the local Filipino Days
proactive agenda. Because, to be
festival for a few years in the
frank, our own proactive agenda is
1980s,
not newsworthy. It's providing serv-
completely
Those much-needed social services include assistance with immigration
(69
percent
of
Asian
0
c
Q)
~
u
~
guage barriers (80 percent speak a
Q._ :
language other than English at
home). Providing those services
(\J
ro
enmeshed
to
in
"My parents spoke to me in
~u
Americans are foreign-born) and lan-
Q)
be
American society;'
4-
ices for people who need it:'
her mother "wanted
C:
-~
English, even though they spoke
Tagalog;' she recalls. "I really feel
like speaking the language is a very
Cl)
key component to my relationship
(.)
with ... being Filipino, and since I
~
don't [speak Tagalog], I really feel
g
Curve
53
like I'm disconnected."
When
Revilla
left
Southern
Q_
California to attend college in Flint,
...c
activism in both the LG BT and the
Mich., she began a decade
C/)
C:
API communities, organizing the
0
first intercollegiate LG BT group in
cu -0 .
-+-'
(1)
~
>..,
E
0
-+-'
-+-'
C:
(1)
C:
0
Q_
E
0
u
>..,
(1)
..Y.
~
(1)
-+-'
the Flint area. After moving to the
San Francisco Bay area in the
early 1990s, she worked with gay
u
youth
C:
C:
in San Francisco.
(1)
0
u
C/)
-0
E
ing
at
Fairy
Butch
(a queer
cabaret), volunteered with a safer
sex troupe
and was
a go-go
dancer at the short-lived Jaded (a
club for queer Asians).
"I was always
very visible,"
(1)
ever asked me to be part of [an]
..Y.
Asian women's queer organization.
I always felt like the Asian female
(1)
(1)
'+-
organizations
here
in
really loud, I was really obnoxious
... and I felt like I didn't fit into their
While Revilla says her perception of queer API groups
was
based on conjecture, her experi-
~
ence highlights an issue that many
C:
encountered: bringing in newcom-
0
queer Asian women's groups have
ers and encouraging them to invest
cu -0
time in making the queer Asian
::J
community their own.
0)
C:
cu
(1)
(1)
u
-+-'
0)
C:
..Y.
cu
Oueer Women and Transgender
Coalition (apiqwtc.org), suggests,
C:
"I think that the younger generation
-
meaning
let's
say
27
and
cu
younger -
0
the older generation - say 35 plus
C:
Q_
C/)
LL
(1)
0)
they don't think that
we're with the times enough. And
- they think that we're too young.
Maybe
we
just
don't
need
APIOWTC anymore'.'
C:
(1)
(1)
(1)
'+-
of San
C/)
(1)
Q_
..Y.
C.J. Jiang, co-chair
Francisco's Asian Pacific Islander
C:
...c -0
...0
...c
-+-'
Coalition Politics
Yulin Ling, 35, an activist who has
worked with queer and people-ofcolor organizations in Massachusetts
and New York for the past 1 6
years, hopes to use her experience
to make sure that New York's 0WAVE (q-wave.org) doesn't
H 2006
San
Francisco were afraid of me. I was
little clique'.'
>
cu
(1)
0)
By the late
1990s, she began stage manag-
(1)
C/)
in San Jose and drug-
addicted Asian-American women
Revilla acknowledges, "but no one
c
54 MAR
of
dis-
solve due to burnout, budget woes
or cliquish behavior. Formed during
the summer of 2004,
O-WAVE
regularly holds meetings and social
events to provide
support
empowerment
queer
for
and
Asian
women and transfolk in the New
York area. O-WAVE strives to be
consciously inclusive of all Asian
Pacific Islander women and transfolk, which is often difficult.
"We want to make sure our
inclusiveness is meant, not just
proposed;' she explains. "You can't
just state 1t in your mission and
then expect people to come'.' For
Ling, this involves making sure that
meetings include representatives
from as many ethnic and national
backgrounds as possible; being
sensitive to disability,
language
and financial issues that restrict
women from joining; and actively
including transgendered people.
In a political climate in which
many immigrants are under attack
and gay rights are being written out
of state constitutions, many queer
Asian activists are arguing that it's
time to bring the scattered queer
Asian
community
organizations
together to speak with a united
voice. Although APLBTN is currently
in a transition period due to funding
issues, Doreena Wong has recently
organized a group of queer API
women activists in Los Angeles.
"We're not going to be able to
get
everybody
acknowledges.
involved,"
she
"But you always
need a core group of people to try
to organize ... we all actually have
issues in common. I'm hoping the
time is right, now [that] people
have had time to organize within
their own separate communities ...
to come together
as a larger
group'.' ■
Note: I use the terms "Asian American,"
"Asians and Pacific Islanders," and
"AP/" interchangeably out of convenience. There continues to be debate
about which identifier is appropriate for
Asians and Pacific Islanders in the
United States.
Queer Asian
Women On-Screen
By Malinda Lo
Afterthe premierein 2005
of Saving Face, the first Asian-American lesbian
film to be theatrically relea ed in the United
States, queer Asian women became more visible
than ever before. Saving Face is a
romantic comedy about Wil Pang
(Michelle Krusiec), a medical resident
and lesbian, who is struggling to keep
her new romance with Vivian (Lynn
Chen) a secret while her mother (Joan
Chen) deals with being unmarried and
pregnant. The film addresses homophobia in the Chinese-American community as well as racism and sexism - but,
more importantly, gives Asian-American lesbians a much-needed image on the big screen.
Before Saving Face, Asian lesbians tended to
be secondary characters. In Under the Tuscan
Sun (2003), Sandra Oh played a sympathetic, pregnant Korean-American
lesbian, and in High Art (1998), Elaine
Tse played a drug-addicted butch dyke.
One of the high points of Asian lesbian
visibility on the big screen occurred in
1996, when Canadian director Deepa
Mehta's Fire told the story of two
Indian housewives who fall in love
with each other. The same year, Joan
Chen played a bisexual con artist having an
affair with a banker/prostitute played by Anne
Heche in Wild Side.
On the small creen, HBO's The Wire i the
only American television series to include an
Asian-American
lesbian character,
Korean/ African-American
Shakima
Greggs (Sonja Sohn). In Canada, the
2002 drama Edgemont introduced a
Chinese-Canadian high school student
(played by Grace Park) who developed feelings for a girl. And in
Au
lia, The Secret Life of Us featured a lesbian Asian character played
by ina Liu in 2003.
Finally, Jenny Shimizu - the upermodel who
starred in Foxfire with Angelina Jolie years ago
and has the distinction of being the most famou
Asian dyke in the United State - is back on the
radar after year of being out of the potlight.
The motorcycle mechanic-turned-model recently
made an appearance on America's Next Top
Model. Can a comeback be far behind? ■
Curve
55
••
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
On the eve of Dinah Shore Weekend, promoter
>a
I r
a...
ca
CL
and Girl Bar co-founder Sandy Sachs dishes on
what goes on behind the scenes at L.A!s poshest
lesbian club. By Malinda Lo
Fifteen years ago, Sandy Sachs never dreamed that she would
become the powerhouse club promoter and DJ that she is now.
ca
=
=
en
■--
en
a.,
TI
=
a...
CL
•••
en
---a.,
a...
=
'
v.,
'ca
=
=
■--
She wanted to be a movie star. But soon after she moved to
Los Angeles, she found herself co-hosting (with long-time partner Robin Gans) a small women's night at a gay men's video bar
- an event that grew into West Hollywood's weekly Friday night
lesbian dance club, Girl Bar. Since then Girl Bar has expanded
to Vegas (and soon, to Phoenix), and Sachs (along with Gans
and their former business partner and club promoter Mariah
Hansen) virtually created the Dinah Shore Women's Weekend,
which brings thousands of lesbians to Palm Springs for parties
(and golf) each March.
• •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
Your Dinah Shore lineup looks great. Do you go to all the parties?
Every one of them. You know, [when we were] 29 and 30, it was OK. Now, it's like oh my God.
... Last Dinah Shore, Robin was like, "I'm sorry, I can't go. I'm so dead, I can't make it." Passed
out on the couch .... We were so tired.
Do you go to the golf tournament at Dinah Shore?
No, God no. I went once ... a college buddy of mine was dating Rosie Jones. I never did so much
walking in my life. Walk, walk, walk, walk, walk - [that's] all you do. They hit a ball, walk a mile,
hit a ball, walk a mile. So I said, you know, I think it's the kind of thing I'd rather watch on TV,
so I don't have to do so much walking.
You get lots of celebrities at Girl Bar, like Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton. What do
you think draws them to Girl Bar?
I think it's the lipstick aspect - [that's] certainly at least an image that we have, you know, that
you find lipstick lesbians here, but you find a lot of everybody else too. One of our biggest
fans, who's here all the time, almost every other weekend, is Linda Perry. We reserve her the
first couch ... and it's great, she brought Alicia Silverstone.
Who's one of the more interesting celebrities who has stopped by?
Madonna. Madonna's been to Girl Bar a few times. She actually was quite quiet when she came.
One time she came and just [recruited] one of our go-go dancers. We have really, really great
go-go dancers. You know, 95 percent of [our] dancers are professional dancers. We've had
a lot of celebrities come in ... name somebody, I bet they've been here. Name anybody.
>
Jodie Foster.
I heard rumors that she was here once, but I never saw her myself.
Have Ellen and Portia showed up there?
Ellen's been here, but not with Portia. One of my most fond memories of Ellen was dancing with
her out on the dance floor - and this was before she came out - telling me that she was
jealous of my lifestyle because I was able to be myself and be out in what I do, because I am
a lesbian club promoter. I'll never forget that conversation. Now look at her! And
then Melissa [Etheridge] ... we did Melissa's 40th birthday party here. Actually
it was the only time we've ever cancelled Girl Bar.
Really?
Yep, she just insisted. I'm like, can't you do it Thursday? Can't you do it
Saturday? I said, "I'll give you a better price, anything goes, does it have to be
Girl Bar Friday?" She said, "Yes, it has to be Girl Bar FridaY:' So we cancelled
Girl Bar for her 40th birthday here.
So has Angelina Jolie ever shown up there?
No. Trust me, if she had, she'd never leave here. I just love her.
How was Girl Bar's 15th anniversary party?
Oh my God, what a freaking zoo that was. We had over 1,000 people here. You
Christina
Aguilera (above)
greets Sachs
and Robin Gans.
Can-can girls go
wild at Dinah
(below).
couldn't move. It was a Tokyo subway. We had women coming in from all over.
Congratulations on 15 years.
It's gone by so fast. Except you get reminded of it. Like, OK, I could be everybody's mother in
here. The good news about us is that we have some really good trouper friends of ours who
are all our age who have been supporting us for 15 years, coming to the club, that we still
drag out. I think it's very cool for the 22-year-olds to meet somebody in their late 30s or early
40s hanging out, having a drink, dancing. You know, life doesn't have to end after 25. ■
For more inside scoop from Sandy Sachs, visit curvemag.com .
••••••••••••••••
•
•
••
• ••••••••••••••
The Golfer: Carrie Savioni, age 41 , from
Martinez, Calif., has been to Dinah approximately 10 times. An avid golfer, she considers
the weekend an excellent opportunity to relax
with friends over 18 holes.
What do you pack for your trip, and
what is your most essential item while
there?
WhyDoYo DoDinah?
Bathing
suit, comfortable
shoes,
sun-
screen, visor. Comfortable shoes are the
By Ariane Resnick
most important.
What do you most look forward to
about the weekend?
Myfriends, pro golfers, hanging out in sun,
This year the Dinah Shore Weekend turns a sweet
16, and the Palm Springs event is bigger than ever. With activities that include performances by comedians, endless pool parties and the infamous White Party, the 10,000-plus
women who come from around the world are practically guaranteed to have a great time.
But there's more to Dinah than partying; it takes place right next door to the Nabisco
Dinah Shore Classic Golf Tournament, and thus draws not only party girls but women
golfers (and their fans). Exactly how different are these two types of women? We set out
to uncover just that by asking one party girl and one golf enthusiast about their experiences with the weekend. We couldn't help but notice that they fell into the stereotypes
of their demographics: The twentysomething woman preferred to party it up, and the
41-year old delighted mostly in the golf tourney.
playing golf, drinks, checking out Palm
Springs.
How many nights do you spend there?
Six nights.
On how many nights do you go out to
events while there?
Up to four, usually. It depends on how much
time is spent golfing.
How do you usually feel upon returning home?
Great! Relaxed, suntanned, happy.
What is your least favorite part of the
weekend?
Nothing. It's fabulous.
The Party Girl: Maribel, age 29, from Santa
How expensive everything is.
Cruz, Calif., has attended Dinah Shore three
times. Not a big golf fan, this dyke does Dinah
What do you wish was different about
Dinah Shore?
for the parties, and as a lesbian club promot-
Last year for the first time they incorporated a
er, for the industry contacts.
What do you pack for your trip, and what
is your most essential item while there?
A white outfit, of course, some shorts and Tshirts, maybe a new hat. . . . [The] most
essential item is you - and your cell phone
to store all the numbers.
What do you most look forward to about
the weekend?
All the ladies, [and] getting
a chance to
What do you wish was different about
Dinah Shore?
That all the golfers would stay for the
parties - they leave after golf is done.
lot of hip-hop into their agenda. I wish it
It would be nice if they stayed and
was more inclusive with the ... lesbians [of
came into town.
color] that go. Maybe a Latin room would
be nice. At Dinah Shore there tends to be
a lot of older, white rich women.
Do you ever run into problems because
your friends want to party more or less
than you do? Or are you all usually there
for the same reasons?
Not with my crew, but I have heard of people
having those types of disagreements.
I
Do you ever run into problems
because your friends want to party
more or less than you do, or are you all
usually there for the same reasons?
Never an issue; we're all there for the same
reasons.
How important to you is the golf tournament?
Uno: the best, the most important thing.
exchange ideas and flyers with promoters
think the problem I faced last year was that
I've done club stuff, but I'm not a 20-
from all over. It's a very big networking
there were a lot of NorCal and SoCal girls
something anymore so partying isn't a
chance
to
increase
visibility
in your
that were hatin' on each other.
How many nights do you spend there?
Usually about three, but last time only two.
Not too important.
On how many nights do you go out to
events while there?
How important to you are the parties?
Every night!
How do you usually feel upon returning
home?
Tired, and wondering if it was worth the cost,
but then next year you're ready for it again.
What is your least favorite part of the
weekend?
to you is the
priority. I love golf.
How important
tournament?
community.
golf
Very important. I don't play golf.
How many people, on average, do you
meet while there?
I met around a few dozen new peeps.
How do you feel about the women who
go for the opposite reason from you?
For the golf? Putt on! ■
How important to you are the parties?
Not important - the pool parties are good,
but I don't like the night parties.
How many people, on average, do you
meet while there?
Thirtyish.
How do you feel about the women who
go for the opposite reason from you?
Great, good for them. I was in the same
place before. I've been partying since
before they were born!
■
Curve
59
Lesbian Finance
A FEW EASY STEPS CAN KEEP YOUR MONEY
As politicians wrangle over who
can easily be contested in probate court, a legal proceeding in
can marry whom, the good news is most lesbian couples can still
which family members can make a run for your loved one's assets.
enjoy some of the same rights as straight couples simply by get-
"If your money goes to probate, chances are your family will
ting hitched at the bank. Setting up finances jointly and drawing
get the benefits;' Trapasso says. "People can come out of the
up legal documents can protect you and your partner from being
woodwork and get that estate away from your partner."
at the mercy of malicious family members should something hap-
In order to bypass probate and make sure all your wishes are
carried out upon your death, draft a living trust, Trapasso recom-
pen to one of you.
mends. A living trust gives more control than a will and also protects both women after a breakup. Depending on the complexity
Just because you share a bed with someone may not mean you're
of your financial portfolio, the cost of setting up a trust can run
ready to share a checkbook, so it's a good idea first to come to
anywhere from $500 to $10,000.
some agreements about assets, preferably in writing. Any financial institution can set up checking services in two people's
•
Wills are still useful, according to Human Rights Campaign
spokeswoman Lara Schwartz.
names, regardless of their relationship. Once you've made your
"A will indicates the will of the deceased and can override
decisions about what cash assets you'll share, putting a special
probate;' Schwartz says. "It is considered by [some states] to
title on your account will prevent any dirty deeds by your family
protect you."
members in the event of death. Include both your names on the
Another simple but crucial step, Schwartz says, is to name
account title with the phrase "Joint Tenancy Right of Survivorship'.'
your partner as the beneficiary of your retirement and 401 (k)
While the exact wording varies from state to state, the concept of joint tenancy right of survivorship means the same everywhere: Both of you own all the funds in the account. If one of you
plans. It's free, legally sound and confidential.
The key to getting the most protection is in the details.
"To protect yourself and your responsibilities,
make sure
dies, the other has full ownership of the account - no 50 percent
you've given explicit intentions of what you want done with your
cut for a cousin Connie you've never met. The same language can
property," says Lambda Legal staff attorney Camilla Taylor.
be used on your mortgage, ensuring the surviving spouse will get
"There is no way to emulate marriage by trying to obtain certain
the home. (The title also equally obligates both women to tax
documents, but it's a good start."
responsibilities, even after a breakup.)
If you're not sharing finances but want your gal to get your
gold when you're gone, title your accounts "Payable on Death"
Finally, having documents on hand that control finances and
or "Transfer on Death" to her. If you already have joint accounts,
assets are just as crucial as financial planning in the event of dis-
just request the title be changed. If you're not out and worry
ability or the unraveling of a relationship, says Rose Greene,
about printing both your names on your checks, set up your
owner and branch manager of Rose Greene Financial Services.
accounts jointly and ask your banker to print only one of your
"Exercise caution before you mush all your assets together;' she
names on the checks. Both of you may still use check cards and
advises. "Proper documentation is more than worth any legal fee'.'
sign checks.
Private contracts between the two of you will get you talking
about your relationship, death and disability, and can keep you
from scrambling at the last minute if there's an unexpected
While sharing checking accounts may be easy, this makes up only
change in your lives. Domestic agreements or notarized docu-
a small part of your financial package. Coverage for everything
ments stating your intentions on the front end of a relationship
else is not only more complicated; it's usually more expensive and
eliminate questions and stand up in court.
resilient in court.
Smith
Barney wealth
"It is always better to plan for the worst and cut it off at the
management
specialist
Stephanie
Trapasso says a simple will is a good start, but not bullet-proof; wills
60 MARCH 2006
pass," Greene says. "Nothing will do that better than organized,
structured accounts'.' ■
Tax Tricks
It's tax time, and surely you're wondering if
you could save more if you were "married:'
or at least could file that way. Try these tips
from national financial advisors and the
Gay Financial Network (gfn.com) to keep
more of what's yours.
GOT KIDS?
I
To avoid unpleasant attention from the
I RS, gay parents must plan ahead and be
consistent. Lesbian moms should make
sure their records clearly show that investments and expenditures were made by
one mother year-round, if only one of you
is the legal guardian.
If both of you have legal guardianship,
both parents can split the cost of raising
children without losing out. Your best bet
is to pick one of the two of you to make
claims in the child's name - preferably
the mother who would otherwise pay
more taxes. One partner might make sizable long-term investments in the child's
name, while the other assumes more
mundane expenses.
Both moms can
claim deductions, just not the same ones.
The key is to decide on a family plan that
breaks up your taxable deductions in the
best possible scenario.
Another tax break available to gay parents is the Uniform Gifts (or Transfers) to
Minors Act. This scheme permits parents
to place money in a child's name so that
the income it generates is taxed at the
child's lower rate. The funds are irrevocable, which means that in addition to helping the parent out at tax time, the UGMA
acts as a trust fund for the child.
A married couple can give up to
$22,000 per year to any minor tax-free.
For a single
person, the maximum
amount is $11,000. The workaround for
lesbian moms is for each partner to give
$11,000 tax-free to a minor. If one partner
doesn't have the $11,000 to give on her
own, the other partner can give $11,000
tax-free to that partner (under I RS rules),
who can subsequently give it to the minor
tax-free.
TaxTricks...
continued
onpage72
sapphic
screen
>>By
Diane
Anderson-Minshall
Changingthe Face of Women on TV
TEEVEE,
AS MY PROGRESSIVE
FRIENDS
SNOBBISHLY
call it, does hit our cultural lows with startling accuracy, and when
one tiny channel manages to cover anything of real relevance (like,
say, transnational feminism or global warming) it often does so with
the sort of ideological absolutism that makes the average Jane turn off
the TV in boredom. Nowhere is this myopia more apparent than in
the boob tube's portrayal of women. But in the last several years, the
face of women on TV - an image that has morphed from the wifely
comic foil of I Love Lucy to the prime time bitches of Desperate
Housewives - has evolved ever so slightly, thanks to a few innovative series that are now on DVD.
CSI: The Complete Fifth Season (Paramount)
Lesbians often joke that we tune in to see forensic gals Catherine and
Sara in their white tank tops (which happened, like, twice during a
desert heat wave episode two years ago), but the truth is we watch CSI
still, five years later - and both of its spinoffs, CSI: Miami and CSI:
New York - because the women wield real, authentic power in the
management of their own lives, loves and careers. As flawed as Jorja
Fox's character Sara Sidle is - and as much as we want her to come
out on-screen and forget all about her abusive childhood and that foolish crush on Grissom - we know that she's a woman we admire
because she's just plain real. No push-up bras, no Vogue magazines
tucked under her arm (not that there's anything wrong with that) and,
by TV standards at least, no makeup. Very few TV shows offer
women who have careers as their top priority, who can stand side by
side with their male colleagues without losing their femininity and
who are as multidimensional as TV allows. Most shows that do owe
a nod to CSI. {paramount.com/homeentertainment)
to combine comic emphasis with real-life portrayals (kind of a
"Do as I say, not as I did" situation). Today Asian characters still
aren't common in film and TV, but more producers and casting
directors are placing Asian actors in roles - like gay actor B.D.
Wong on Law & Order or Sandra Oh on Grey's Anatomythat
All-American Girl: The Complete Series (Shout Factory)
Margaret Cho's groundbreaking comedy series was dreadful. Cho
hated it, and the series almost killed her when a bout of extreme dieting to please her producers led to kidney failure. But Cho's loss is
America's gain, because All-American Girl was the first TV series to
center on an Asian-American family, and it moved Asian characters
beyond the stereotypical kung fu master or heavily accented restaurant
owner. It launched Cho beyond the comedy circuit into the houses of
America so the queer icon could become a national celebrity, and it
generated conversations about race dynamics on television and how
Death to Supermodels (Sony):
Diane Delano (who often plays a
butchy, queerish character on TV
sitcoms like The Ellen Show and
Popular) is hands-down one of
the most underused actresses in
Hollywood. Which is why Death
to Supermodels, an over-the-top
62 MARCH 2006
campy comedy, is at the top of
my must-see list this month. Is it
Oscar-worthy? Uh, nowhere near.
But the story is worth more than
a few chuckles as perky magazine editor Tina (played with shrill
precision by Jaime Pressly)
strives to change her rag's demographics from a mostly queer and
incarcerated bunch to something
her hair down.
rivaling her Vogue and Glamour
(sonypictures.com)
counterparts. Delano, her butchy
The Ultimate Lesbian Short Film
boss, is happy with the plan until
Festival (Wolfe): A festival in a
supermodels - each given a milDVD, this shorts collection fealion dollars for a remote island
tures 10 festival circuit lesbian
shoot - start to die. The end is,
faves, including Chris J. Russo's
well, queer and delightfully diabolprovocative A Woman Reported
ical, and Delano gets to finally let
(starring The West Wing's Moira
weren't necessarily intended to be specifically Asian-American. The DVD also features
commentary and interviews with Cho and
Amy Hill. (shoutfactory.com)
The L Word: The Complete
Season (Showtime)
Second
Love it or hate it, The L Word has become
the lesbian national pastime in America, and
it's helped propel lesbian visibility in the
country in an astonishing and fashionable
way. One of Showtime's most-watched
series, The L Word captivated viewers with
provocative story lines and queer women
that had really never been seen before: out,
proud and flawed. Having mainstream
traight actors clamoring for roles on a show
all about dykes - where prison is (usually)
nowhere in sight - is an accomplishment
indeed, but selling over 200,000 DVD sets of
a small queer TV
1111
show from a cable
channel is even more
impressive. The L
Word is changing how
lesbians are perceived,
and capitalism, finally,
is behind us. The
•
DVD set offers sweepstakes prizes, downloadable music, L
Word balderdash and, of course, a whole lot
of Shane. (sho.com)
JE®N
f[lJX
I
Aeon Flux: The Complete
Collection (Paramount)
Animated
Forget the movie, the real Aeon Flux was
born on animated TV. Set 400 years in the
future, Aeon Flux is filled with futuristic
totalitarianism, high-tech surveillance and a
PracticingLesbianTantra
By Gigi Talbott
Betsy Kalin's latest film, the awardwinning documentary on lesbian
tantra, Hearts Cracked Open, has
exploded onto the film festival circuit
over the past year, playing in cities
from San Francisco to Paris to Zagreb,
Croatia. A sexy, playful yet sensitive
look at the ancient art of sensuality
and spirituality, this film is a groundbreaking testament
to achieving
greater intimacy. Featuring wellknown sexuality experts such as Annie
Sprinkle, the film brings together an
eclectic group of tantra experts that
speaks to gay, straight and bisexual
audiences alike.
Some people may have different interpretations of tantra.
any books, videos, or workshops that
Most people think that tantra is just about
found a lesbian tantra class, it changed
sex, but
we
my life. As a filmmaker and an activist, I
approach our everyday lives with being
knew I wanted to make this information
fully
really
present
it's
and
about
aware
moment. So cooking,
how
applied to me as a lesbian. When I finally
in
driving,
each
more accessible to our community. It's
doing
such valuable information for enhancing
dishes and making love - anything can
all areas of our lives.
levels of intimacy
Can the viewer learn tantric practices
from the film?
with yourself as well as cultivating tech-
Yes! Each teacher has a different perspec-
niques for intimacy and great sex with
tive, so the viewer can pick which style
your partner. Practicing
tantra takes
appeals the most to her. The DVD has
you to new places within your sexuality
over 50 minutes of special features
and spirituality - places much further
including an instructional section of tech-
than you even knew existed . . . and
niques to practice at home, like the fire
be done tantrically.
achieving
deeper
Tantra is about
more exciting.
breath orgasm, soul gazing, tantric pos-
How did you become interested in the
practice of tantra?
tures and G-spot massage. All in all there
I've been practicing Buddhist meditation for
seekers to spiritual seekers. ■
is something for everyone, from thrill
six years and had heard of tantra and
Sapphic
Screen... continued
onpage
72
Kelly), L Word scribe
Guinevere Turner in the controversial Dani and Alice and
Michelle Ehlen's punch-in-thegut butch flick Half Laughing.
(wolfevideo.com) - DAM
Transamerica (IFC):
Transamericais one of those
films that people will think about
wanted to learn more, but couldn't find
long after leaving the theater.
Directed by Duncan Tucker and
starring Felicity Huffman as preoperative MTF transsexual Bree
Osborne, the film garnered
praise all over the world in
2005. Huffman, known mainly
for her role as Lynette on
Desperate Housewives, takes
See heartscrackedopen.com for more info.
on the often-overlooked daily
challenges of living as a transgendered individual and succeeds. Her sensitive portrayal of
Bree is impressive not only
because she manages to lower
her voice several octaves but
also because she takes the role
beyond the myopic portrayals
we're used to seeing on-screen.
Yes, there's a metaphorical journey and personal transformation, but the issues are treated
with a humor and depth that
allow this film to transcend the
preachy or the predictable.
(transamerica-movie.com)
DVDpicks. . . continued
onpage72
Curve
63
in the
stacks
>>
y Rachel
Pepper
The Genderqueer Frontier
TWO NEW BOOKS REVEAL THE COMPLEXITIES
OF LIFE
as a gender outlaw while also delivering some great reading for a
chilly March evening.
Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes, T Cooper (Dutton)
Every year or o, a novel by a le bian or transgendered author
knock the wind right out of me. This book will be so well-written,
so stunning in cope, o adroit in it character development, that I
know the future of queer fiction till burns bright. One such title is
Lipshitz Six, or Two Angry Blondes, the second book by ew Yorkba ed T Cooper. It's a 400-page fictionalized autobiography billed as
a novel, but with so much historical detail
that Cooper has included a two-page bibliography of sources. In the novel, a tranny
named T, currently employed as an Eminem
impersonator at bar mitzvah parties, looks
Lip hitz ix. or T'l\o ngry Blondes
back upon his family history when dealing
with his parents' death . A large part of this
history includes his grandmother's obsession with Charles Lindbergh. T inherits
E ther's hatbox full of newspaper clippings,
letters and souvenirs, and takes on the task
of making ense of thi archive and how it
has shaped three generations of his family.
Before thi point in the book, however,
are 300-plu page of a fantastic Jewish
family history that spans from 1903 in
Ki hinev, Ru sia, to 1940s Amarillo, Texas,
where the family has settled after escaping
Russia's pogroms. Upon their arrival at Ellis
I land in 1907, the Lipshitz family loses
their young son Reuven in the crushing
crowds of other immigrants. He is never
found, and when Charles Lindbergh
a cends to fame, Esther, T's grandmother,
in i ts thi famous pilot is her son.
Although the Lindbergh thread runs
strongly throughout the book, the majority
of Lipshitz Six is at its heart a lushly told
drama to create a genre of her
IN BOOKSTORES
NOW:
own among the growing cannon
Distant Shores, Silent Thunder,
Radclyffe (Bold Strokes): Dr.
of Bold Strokes Books.
(boldstrokesbooks.com)
D.T. O'Bannon's life is changed by
- Lauren Marie Fleming
a brutal stabbing, forcing her back
into the life of her ex, Dr. Tory King, How the Pro-Choice Movement
Saved America, Cristina
and her new girlfriend, Officer Bri
Page (Basic Books): In this starParker. What ensues is a world
tling report on the state of
where Radclyffe mixes romance
novel, detective story and dyke
reproductive choice in America,
64 ~1 \RCH
2006
Through
Georgia's
Eyes,
Rachel Rodriguez; Rosa, Nikki
Giovanni (Henry Holt); In time for
Women's History Month come two
breathtaking children's books that
document the lives of two American
icons. Georgia's Eyes, with its stunning
paper-cut
award-winner
illustrations
by
Julie Paschkis, fol-
lows artist Georgia O'Keeffe's life from early years to adulthood.
And Rosa brings together the words of African-American
poet
Giovanni and the art of Bryan Collier to show the beauty and
determination of legendary activist Rosa Parks. Both are great for
art lovers, activists and kids of all ages. (hholt.com)
- Diane
Anderson-Minshall
immigrant Jewish family epic, full of wonderful characters like Esther,
her husband, Hersh, gay son Ben, daughter Miriam and her husband,
Sam. Told in the third person, this section ends with Esther's death, as
her hatbox of memories is narrowly saved from the dumpster. The
book then jumps to the present and switches into the first person, a
transition that causes a bit of an intentional shock for the reader.
Suddenly, we are plunged into the head of T, a shock-blond, toughtalking, angry tranny who calls himself Slim Lindy and is often mistaken for rapper Eminem. Cooper is a literary trickster, and like a few
other contemporary writers, successfully blurs the boundaries between
fact and fiction while obviously writing about himself. Astute queer
readers will not be too surprised by the story's satisfying final twist,
but will definitely enjoy the fantastic - and fantastical - joyride
along the way. (penguinputnam.com)
Loose End, Ivan Coyote
(Arsenal Pulp Press)
Ivan Coyote is an author I have been keeping a careful eye on since
stumbling upon her incredible book of stories, One Man's Trash,
In the Stacks... continued
onpage72
pro-choice activist Cristina Page
back of women's rights. This
explains how many of the rights
book will reinvigorate your supwe take for granted today port for the pro-choice movement
particularly rights to contracepand open your eyes to the many
tion, which lead directly to
ways that the growing conserwomen's sexual freedom - are
vatism in our society is curtailing
increasingly under attack from
our personal freedoms as women.
the pro-life movement, whose
(basicbooks. com)
unstated agenda is the abolition Portraits of Women in the
of contraception and a scaling
American West, ed. Dee
+
American
RedCrou
Gay After Marriage
By Victoria A. Brownworth
IN HER NEW BOOK, LIVING TWO LIVES:
Married to a Man and in Love With a Woman
(Alyson Books), psychotherapist Joanne
Fleisher delves into the issue of women who
marry men, only to discover their latent lesbian desire. Fleisher, a lesbian who has been
with her partner for 25 years and raised two
daughters, has been counseling women, lesbians and couples for more than two decades.
Her Web site lavendervisions.com is an online
counseling resource for women, and she moderates Ask Joanne, a message board for married women attracted to other women.
Why are you so interested in this topic?
Volunteer.
usually secondary.
found myself falling in love with a woman
Why do so many women marry men and
then discover their lesbian sexuality?
after being married to a man for 1 2 years.
There are a lot of internal and external homo-
My interest started 27 years ago, when I
It was the 1970s and there simply were
phobic forces that work against young
no resources. The gay hotlines acted like,
women. We think that adolescence is a
"Well,
time that we learn about our sexuality, but
what's
your problem?"
And I
couldn't talk to straight friends about it. I
it's also a time when we are expected to
wanted to provide a resource for other
fit in. There are some women who don't
women that never existed for me.
discover it until they get married. They
How is this phenomenon between
women different from the "down-low"
experience so many married men are
engaged in?
What's the most important aspect of
doing this work with other women?
Dramatically different! Men are brought up in
I try to communicate that they are not alone,
our culture to be more sexually oriented.
that this is not an abnormal experience.
respond to what they think they're supposed to.
Women are the romancers. Women are
Sexuality comprises
more likely to fall in love - that's their
things:
a lot of different
point of discovery of lesbian desire, usu-
about, who you are in love with, who you
It's who you have fantasies
ally. The things you hear women agoniz-
actually have sex with. I try to have
ing about are not wanting to hurt their
women explore the other facets
husbands or the women they have fallen
they know exactly what they do want and
in love with. The sexual component is
what feels right and authentic. ■
Garceau-Hagen
(Routledge): The history of
the American West has
long been centered on outlaws, gunslingers and pioneers who also happened
to be white and male. This
collection of essays about
women in the Old West
steps out of those bound-
aries and reveals a history
that was always complicated by gender, race and
class. We learn about
African-American Mary Ellen
Pleasant (who ran a highly
successful boarding house
in San Francisco); Chinese
immigrant Lalu Nathoy (who
homesteaded in Warren,
until
Idaho); Native American
Emma Rose Sansaver (who
who had a successful basketball carer at the Fort
Shaw Indian School in
Montana); and other women
whose lives do not fit the
common stereotypes of the
Old West. (rout/edge.com)
- Malinda Lo
Just a few hoursof your time helps
make countless services possible.
To get involved,contact your local
American Red Cross chapter or
visit www.redcross.org
Are you a s1ngle,feminine
and sensualwoman
between40 and 60,
saphistic;ated,
educated,
and stylish?Are you a
loverof adventure,artsand
culture?If so, and you
would like to meet
a Los Angeles woman who
can introduce you to the
places you haven't been,
c II this numl:ierl
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Curve
65
music
watch
Gettin' Your Groove On
"IT'S
GOT A GOOD
BEAT AND
YOU
can dance to it." Remember that classic
American Bandstand-ism? (Am I dating
myself here?) Well, it's time to shake off the
inertia of winter, so from disco-punk to
house music to modern dance-set-to-indierock, we've got just what you need to get
moving.
Standing
in
the
Way
of
Control,
The Gossip (Kill Rock Stars)
For five years, this now-Portland-based band
has made the indie kids move via their infusion of old school R&B spunk into modern
day lo-fi punk, with words like "bluesy" and
"soulful" often used to describe outspokenly
queer, Arkansas-born lead singer Beth Ditto's
gutsy vocals. But this third masterpiece of an
album catapults the trio to an all-new level of
rhythm and danceability - partially thanks
to the skillful recording finesse of Fugazi's
Guy Picciotto. Standing in the Way of
ON CD:
The Underdogs, Jen Foster (Selfreleased): Intensely personal
lyrics are the hallmark of this out
dyke rocker, whose much·
anticipated new album features
the poignant title track and the
classic breakup vignette "Taking
Bob Dylan'.' Oenfoster.com)
Stone Hits: The Very Best of
Angie Stone, Angle Stone
66 MARCH 2006
>> By
Control is straight-up disco-punk, thanks
to Brace Paine's funky fingerwork and new
drummer Hannah Blilie's (Shoplifting,
Chromatics) irresistible backbeat. Ditto's
wailing, powerful, melodic voice pulls it
all together in an amazingly cohesive way,
as evidenced on the infectious title track
and the similarly thumping "Your
Mangled Heart," easily the two strongest
cuts on the album. The heartbreaking
"Coal to Diamonds" and the moody,
introspective ballad "Dark Lines" spotlight the softer sides of Ditto's vocal range,
while "Fire With Fire," "Jealous Girls"
and "Listen Up" (love that cowbell) further the dance floor reach of this disc. The
Gossip's got the goods. Put it in and prepare to sweat! (gossipyouth.com)
Margaret
Coble
Margaret Cho: Assassin (Koch): Now
that Margaret Cho has firmly established
herselfas a Korean-Americanfag hag with a
gift for sex jokes that would shock anyone's
Global Groove, DJ Kimberly S.
parents, she turns her razor-sharpbrand of
(Centaur Music)
sarcasm to - what else? - politics.On her
Martial arts instructor by day and superstar dyke DJ by night, West
Hollywood's Kimberly S. is
noted as one of the few bigname DJs who is comfortable
and adept at spinning for both
gay male and lesbian audiences. Though this second continuous mix release from the
hottie DJ is probably more
geared toward the circuit boys
(it's positioned prominently on
the popular high-energy dance
music label Centaur), it is
nonetheless an upbeat, 77minute hands-in-the-air delight.
From the opening refrains of
(J Records): Nobody nails old·
school soul like Angie, and this
15-cut greatest-hits collection
proves it. (angiestoneonline.com)
Rise, Anoushka Shankar
(Angel/EMI): The 24-year·old
daughter of Indian sitar king Ravi
Shankar blends classic Eastern
sounds with modern Western
electronica for a gorgeous hybrid
that's all her own.
latest tour, Assassin, which is now available on both CD and DVD, Cho fires off
some killer shots at the religious right, the
pope's funeral and the Governator. Lest
you think Cho's gone all Jon Stewart on
us, never fear: Her mom and her drag
queen friends still make their signature
appearances in her comedy (not to mention a gay porn star and his, um, sex toy),
but the best joke by far has got to be
Cho's take on Laura Bush. I guarantee
you will be so floored by it, you'll feel
ashamed that you're laughing your ass
off. (margaretcho.com)-
Malinda Lo
"Celebration" by the Sweet Inspirations, it's
a 12-cut high-octane blend of progressive
(anoushkashankar. com)
the Inside" by Romanteek.
Whoop! Whoop! Rekklds
(whoop-whoop.com)
Sampler (Whoopl Whoop!): This Ultimate Collection, Eurythmics
four-track CD sampler includes
the debut release on the new
U.K. homo-underground label, a
split 7-inch single featuring the
infectious hip-hop groove "If You
Want" by Scream Club with Beth
Ditto (of the Gossip) backed with
the bumpin' electro ditty "Sexy on
(Arista): Two new songs round
out this definitive retrospective of
the iconic '80s pop band's work.
At the same time, Legacy
Recordings rolls out deluxe editions of all eight of the duo's
original albums featuring 11 pre·
viously unreleased tracks and a
~----------
house, vocal melodies and edgier tribal beats
that's full of butt-shaking energy. A great
soundtrack for that spring cleaning you've
been meaning to do. (djkimberlys.com)
Starter Set: New Dance and Music for the
Camera (Kill Rock Stars)
For those needing visual cues to get your
body parts moving, this unusual DVD project presents a low-brow-meets-high-brow
nexus of experimentally filmed modern
dance choreography set to an indie/punk
rock soundtrack. Sound a little weird? It is,
but the longer I watched, the more I was
sucked in by the dreamy cinematography,
moody music and mesmerizing movements
of the all-female dance troupes. This ambitious bicoastal endeavor was curated by the
multitalented Los Angeles-based Katie
Eastburn, a dancer, choreographer and musician (from the band Young People) who
pulled together scores of her talented friends
- other like-minded DIY and punk-influenced dancers, choreographers, musicians,
filmmakers and costume designers - to produce this first-of-its-kind underground dance
performance art project. Some pieces are
more compelling than others but I loved the
dreamlike "Senior Picture" and B-movie
musical "LaundrOdyssey." I also personally
enjoyed the music throughout - ranging
from brooding instrumentals to screaming
punk - more than the dance or film aspects.
But it's exciting to see so many creative talents culled together in such an innovative
way. It doesn't particularly matter to me that
I don't really "get it" - it still makes me
wanna dance. (killrockstars.com) ■
JuIie
o_y
________
____,
No MoreWaiting
By Ellen Rosner Feig
JULIE LOYD, RECENTLY
voted Best Folk Rocker by
the Northampton,
Mass.,
Valley Advocate,
is an
acoustic rocker with a powerful voice, poetic lyrics and a
kick-ass stage presence.
Loyd, a Virginia native, has
shared the stage with artists
such as Shawn Mullins, and
Alana Davis. She recently
released her third album, The Waiting Room, to critical acclaim.
Does being a lesbian define your music?
are 10 million women waiting for someone
My life and loves aren't considered "normal";
else to ask us to dance;' I feel like women in
that's why I'm trying to sing about them in
this society are trained to be passive. As
a way that everyone can understand.
lesbians that's a huge disadvantage in
Being a lesbian defines a lot of who I am,
terms of our love lives. We're all waiting -
and that comes out in my songwriting. In
so we have to either act or we'll all be alone
whatever direction my career goes, I don't
for a long time.
What is Pay My Rent Music Collective?
The song "The Big Goodbye" seems filled
with palpable pain. Is It biographical?
I started this collective
I was dating a woman, and we had agreed
really ever want to lose that.
with
[songwriter]
Brianna Lane ... It was all about building a
that we would break up when the lease
supportive musical community instead of a
was over. I was imagining what it would be
biting, competitive one.
Who Is your biggest musical influence?
My biggest musical influence would definitely
be Jonatha Brooke. She's the one who got
me to understand the importance of melody.
Why the song "The Waiting Room"?
This song came from a book called Roberts
Rules to Lesbian Living, which says, "We
like to date the next person knowing that I
wouldn't want any more than a rebound,
and I thought, "What if the other person
was in the exact same position?"
What does the future hold?
I'm working on it. Madonna's already claimed
the whole "ruling the world" thing, so I'll
settle for vice-empress. ■
Difranco school of folk scores
N DVD:
melodically in this out Kentucky
total of 44 additional bonus
with an 11-track winner.
Live at Montreux 2004, Suzanne
duo's sixth album release; hightracks. (eurythmics.com)
Vega (Eagle Rock): I'd forgotten
Oulieloyd.com)
lights include the whimsical politiDJ Irene Live at Spundae (Moist):
Rose Cuts the Cake, Athens
how much I love Vega's music
cal commentary "Bully Circus"
This two-disc live mixed set of
Boys Choir (Self-released):
until I watched this 90-minute live
and lesbian wedding ode
high-energy house and trance
Critically acclaimed trans wordperformance from the famed
"Outlaw Wedding."
does the diva DJ justice, captursmith Katz flies mostly solo on
Canadian jazz festival which fea(wishingchair.com)
ing the positively electric energy
this solid sophomore effort, a 13tures 21 of her finest, from fan
The Waiting Room, Julle Loyd
that emanates from this dyke
piece slam-poetry opus with spofavorites like "Calypso" to mega(Siren): This charming
dynamo. (djirene.net)
radic musical accompaniment.
hits like "Tom's Diner" and "Luka;'
Northhampton-based
out
dyke
Underdog, Wishing Chair
(athensboyschoir.com)
(suzannevega.com) - MC
acoustic spitfire from the Ani
(Terrakin): Bluegrass and folk mix
Curve
67
drama
dyke
>> By
Michele
Fisher
No Such Thing as HarmlessFlirtation
WHAT
IS
CHEATING?
FOR
SOME
women, cheating means exchanging body fluids with another person; to others, cheating
means exchanging phone numbers. But even if
people don't agree on the definition, they do
agree on one thing: It sucks to be cheated on.
Even having my house burn down and all
my possessions stolen by a burglar {these
things really did happen to me) didn't feel as
awful as being cheated on. I hadn't fallen
asleep smoking in bed or left my front door
unlocked, so I knew that neither the fire nor
the theft was my fault. But somehow, the
cheating made me feel like I was to blame.
Perhaps if I had kept her happy at home, she
would not have strayed. Or maybe I just
wasn't exciting enough to keep her interested
in the relationship. Even worse than feeling
guilty was feeling stupid. I felt like the whole
world was laughing at me for being so blind
and naive. I was also enraged and knew that
she was a big fat asshole, but I hated that I
had to feel bad about myself as well.
Why do women cheat on their lovers? If
you ask a cheater, she will give you all
kinds of justifications. She is bored; she
needs something else; she feels claustrophobic ... whatever. But ask a gal who has
been cheated on, and she will tell you that
women cheat because it is over.
We freak out when we get cheated on
because we know that cheating spells the
end. Men can cheat and then come crawling
back begging for forgiveness and really
mean it ... for a while. Men cheat to get sex
or feel important. But when a woman cheats
on you, it means she is movin' on. She might
cry when she gets caught just to make it
look good, but she is not crying because she
is sorry or wants you back.
When it happens to you, however, it is not
so easy to keep it real with yourself and face
the end. The begging, pleading and desperate
attempts to drag her to couples therapy are
only the beginning. I am never more creative
than when inventing new ways to torture
myself. Nothing whiles away an afternoon
like trying to pinpoint the exact moment when
your lover fell out of love with you; counting
the ways that you are unworthy of love can
fritter away countless hours.
If you don't feel like spending eternity in
the emotional blender, you'd better prepare
68 MARCH 2006
yourself for the potential of cheating. No,
there is no foolproof way to avoid an emotional collision with a cheater, but you can
minimize your chances. Before renting that
storage locker together, find out if she has
cheated before. Now, you're going to have
to listen closely, as most lezzies are unlikely
to blurt out that they screwed around on all
of their women. They may dance around the
issue and utter telltale phrases like "harmless flirtation" or "exploring my sexuality."
But just remember: There is no such thing as
"harmless flirtation." Flirting is just the way
a dyke dips her toe in the water to see who
might want to nibble on it. And as for
"exploring her sexuality," that is just a
fancy way of explaining why she let somebody else find her way into her pants. If she
has a bad track record, don't bet on her
fidelity this time around.
Find out just where she stands on
monogamy and get her definition of
"cheating." To her, monogamy might mean
only sleeping with one woman at a time literally - with anything short of a threeway qualifying as being monogamous.
Also, cheating does not have a universally
acceptable definition in our community, so
get hers and compare notes.
One time I broke up with a woman - or
rather, she broke up with me - and a few
weeks later, when I started seeing someone
else, I got an earful from a friend who couldn't
believe I was being so blatant with my infidelity. Turned out that my former girlfriend
didn't really mean it when she broke up with
me; therefore, in her mind, we were still
together. I had definitely never heard that one
before. And would you believe that some of
our friends sided with her? After that, I
learned to make a confirmation call after
being dumped just to make sure I am history.
You must have that discussion about
cheating before somebody cheats. It helps to
have some questions prepared.
Can a woman cheat with someone she has
never even met? Cybersex is real sex, and it
messes up plenty of households. What if there
is no cybersex, and you just tell her your deepest desires and darkest secrets? To many
dykes, that's even worse than doing yourself
on the information superhighway. What if
you are caught making a date with a woman,
but never go out on the date? Is that cheating?
I am big on intent myself. Motive + intent =
crime. But there are plenty who disagree.
What if your woman is drunk at the club, and
you walk into the bathroom and see her making out with some girl in line? If she told you
that she just has to go and is trying to move up
in line, would you buy her story? You would
be surprised at what you will fall for when
you've got it bad for a louse. To me, being
drunk isn't much of an excuse for cheating.
You can explain peeing in a corner at a party
or barfing in a mailbox, but cheating is not on
the list of forgivable drunken sins for me.
If you hate these kinds of discussions,
then don't assume you are in a committed,
monogamous relationship, no matter how
long you have been dating her. You have to
have a commitment to break one. Nothing
smarts quite like confronting a woman
about being unfaithful, then having her
laugh in your face and ask you what the hell
you're talking about while a woman's head
is still planted in her crotch.
What if you are not having sex with your
lover? Having an affair to get out of a sexless
union is both trite and chickenshit. If you have
no sex life with your lover, you had better
address that issue. Not having a good sex life is
no excuse for cheating, but it sure can make it
seem like a good idea. You may thinkyour relationship has entered a cool sexless phase that
suits both of you just fine, but desire doesn't
disappear, it only hibernates - and wakes up
hungry. (The starving ain't too picky about
where they snack, if you know what I mean.)
Is there life after cheating? I don't know.
Some folks claim that a couple can be even
closer after an affair ... but I have never actually met one of these couples.
I remember my first gay film festival in
San Francisco. One of the first films I saw
was a dyke film in which one of the leads
was a cheater. Every time she was on-screen,
the audience hissed. Throughout that week,
I saw films about murder, avarice and deception, but nobody hissed at those creeps. That
taught me a lot about just how big and bad
the sin of cheating is to lesbians.
To those of you going through this roughest of times, I wish you strength and a speedy
recovery. And stay away from any fool who
tells you not to take it personally. It's happening to you, so how are you supposed to take
it? Feel free to yell that - it's a nice break
from crying. ■
Curve
69
brownwortb
Stop Torture Now
WRITING THIS COLUMN MADE
me sick. Reading it will ,make you
sick. Since the torture at Abu
Ghraib was revealed, I have written
a great deal about torture in my syndicated newspaper columns. I have
discussed it in my college classrooms. I have started researching a
book about torture. There is only
one, unequivocal statement to be
made about torture, and that is that
torture is always wrong.
But torture has become a "talking point" in the Bush administration. President Bush lies about torture; he says America doesn't torture. But
Vice President Cheney thinks that torture is
a necessary weapon. And CIA director
Porter Goss says the CIA should be immune
from prosecution for torture.
In late November, the European Union
began an investigation into whether the
United States was contravening international
law by refueling in EU airports while transporting prisoners to so-called "black sites" in
Europe where they would be tortured.
In the United States, talk of torture is limited to alleged Islamist terrorists from whom
we want information, and we decline to
acknowledge that detainees in Guantanamo
Bay are tortured. But the International Red
Cross says they are. By us.
And there are other kinds of torture, here
and abroad, including torture of women.
According to Amnesty International, women
are tortured daily throughout the world. The
countries in which women are being tortured right now are: Iraq, Sudan,
Afghanistan, Nepal, Lebanon, South Africa,
Cuba, Nigeria, China, Bangladesh, Burma,
Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Guatemala, Mexico,
Congo and the United States.
Details of this torture - reported by AI,
other anti-torture groups and treatment centers for torture survivors - are grisly.
Women torture victims may have been raped
repeatedly; sodomized; had electrodes
attached to their genitalia; had their nipples,
genitals and breasts burned off; been forcefed excrement and urine; had the soles of
their feet beaten, burned or scalded; been
force-fed with spicy hot pepper water or had
it forced into their vaginas and anuses. In the
70 MARCH 2006
Congo, they have had limbs amputated.
They are beaten with nail-studded wood
planks or sexually assaulted with objects
(including flashlights, shoeshine brushes,
rope and the rungs of chairs). They are
water-boarded (a CIA and South African
specialty in which a person is made to feel as
if she were drowning). They have their eyes
put out, their eardrums punctured, their fingernails torn off, their tongues burned, their
hands and feet nailed to the floor or to
objects. They are subjected to sleep deprivation, starvation, hard labor without food or
water, standing for long periods in the blazing sun until they are burned. They are subjected to sexual and other humiliations and
psychologically tortured. There are many
horrifying examples of what someone can
do to a woman's body without actually
killing her.
Women worldwide are tortured for political, religious and social reasons - or just
because they are women. In Nepal, Tibetan
nuns have been tortured to death. In Turkey,
Kurdish women are tortured. In China,
women followers of Falun Gong are tortured.
In the United States, women are trafficked
here and held in sexual torture chambers in
nearly every one of America's big cities.
We know torture severely damages the
person being tortured, physically and mentally. It also damages the torturer. Torture
degrades everyone involved: the victim,
the perpetrator and the government or
institution officiating the torture. There
can be no "democratic" use of torture.
And there can be no moral, ethical or
political excuse for torture. There can be
>> By
Victoria
A. Brownworth
only blood on the hands of the
individuals and governments that
perpetrate torture.
Throughout the so-called "war
on terror," the Bush administration has explained what torture
can accomplish in certain circumstances. But those explanations
are lies. If someone is tearing your
fingernails out one by one or
sticking sharp objects into your
eyes, ears, vagina or anus, you
would say anything, implicate
anyone and make up whatever
you could to stop the pain. That's
what happens when people are tortured.
Survivors of torture will tell you that.
Having been tortured during a particularly
brutal rape myself, I can tell you that: You
will do and say whatever you can to stop the
torture and save your own life.
Despite the gains that women around the
world have made in asserting their rights, the
torture of women is a daily reality. It is rooted
in pervasive discrimination that continues to
deny women full equality with men and that
legitimizes violence against women.
The United States - like the nations listed
above, which are not democracies but dictatorships - engages in torture. Each one of us
as voters, as American citizens, must state
unequivocally that we are against torture, or
we become complicit in our government's
involvement in torture.
We cannot make excuses for torture. We
cannot view torture from the vantage point of
the perpetrator, but only from the vantage
point of the victim, no matter what we think
of that victim. If you would not want to be
tortured or have someone you love tortured,
then you must speak out against this vile and
barbaric practice. If we torture the "others"
we despise, we can also torture those we love.
We can end torture - at least in
America. But we have to raise our voices for
all those women and men worldwide who
are screaming even as you read this, but
whose voices have been silenced by excuses
for their torture. To do your part, visit tortureisnotus.org to send an e-mail to
Congress, or arm yourself with knowledge
at traffickinginpersons.com, godspy.com and
abolish.com. ■
Spring Gear and Games
FROM BLEMISH ZAPPERS TO ANIME LESBIANS, DYKES
are using technology in surprising (and sometimes disgusting) ways these
days. Here are a handful of new ideas to help you spring into action.
Does your cell phone look naked? Is your laptop just screaming for pink
leopard print or rainbow decor? The solution's simple: Skinlt! Made of
very thin vinyl and as easy to use as a
Are you tired of treating your
pimpled face with benzyl peroxide and salicylic acid? The
makers of a revolutionary new
acne-clearing device would like to
prevent you from ever using harsh
sticker, Skinlt is an inexpensive way to
chemicals on your skin again. Zeno is
a small, Zippe-like device that utilizes
personalize your mobile device. Skinlt
offers hundreds of designs that range from
heat to get rid of pimples. Simply place
the Zeno on your pimple for two and a
green vegetables to country flags to pirate
half minutes up to three times over a 24-
skulls. Or for an additional $5, you can
upload your own photo and proudly dis-
hour period, and your pimples disappear ...
or so the maker claims. We saw far less
play your puppy, girlfriend or favorite band
logo. They are specifically cut and shaped for your apparatus and are
interchangeable. (I have juicy cherries on the front of my phone.) The
the frequently beeping buttons complex and irritating. If you're going to spend $225 getting rid of
skins have a sleek, sexy, shiny appearance and never leave a sticky
your acne, you may be better served with spa treat-
mess. ($10 and up, skinit.com) - Ariane Resnick
ments or a visit to the dermatologist. ($225, myzeno.com) - AR
...... ........... ... . . ....
improvement than we had hoped for, and found
.
. ........
.
Unlike typical computer games, Journey to the Wild Divine has a loftier goal than mere entertainment. The game aims to help players achieve greater heart rate variability, a trend exhibited
by people who live longer and enjoy life more. In order to accomplish this goal, Journey measures sweat gland activity and heart rate and gives feedback to the player as she progresses
through the game. With Tibetan flute music and "Magic Rings" (aka biofeedback sensors), it's
clear that Journey is an unexpectedly unique experience. Here, players play not to achieve points
or speed; on the contrary, relaxation is often the key to progression, with the hope that the game
will lead to healing and transformation in their lives. ($60, wilddivine.com) - Janel M. Lynch
It
ae e e e
e e e e.
e e.
e e ea e e e e e e
•
e e
Still can't get enough of last summer's blockbuster superhero flick Fantastic Four? Here's your
chance to be Jessica Alba (and, yes, use her character's famous invisibility powers for your own
benefit) in this action-adventure video game. Though you can play on your own, the game's cooperative mode allows you to play with a friend as you battle your way through to saving the world.
Based on the movie's plot, the game also features the actors' voices and likenesses. That's right,
you can make Jessica Alba do whatever you tell her to do. ($19.99, activision.com) - Malinda Lo
... . ... ... .. . ... .... ... ...
For anyone who has ever suffered from anime withdrawal sy 1
drome, the following news should perk you up. Central Park
Media, the first company to release anime on CD-ROM, DVD
and PSP downloads, has announced that it will now make
anime video for Apple's iPod. Some current titles include
Descendants of Darkness, Hammerboy and Shadow Star
Narutaru, but our favorite queer offering is Revolutionary Girl
Utena, about a girl who looks and dresses like a prince and
fights for the ownership of the gorgeous Rose Bride. ($19.95,
centralparkmedia.com/ipod) - Lauren Marie Fleming
Curve
71
TaxTricks...
continued
frompage61
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES
If one of you works and the other earns little or no money, the big wage earner may
be able to claim the other as a dependent.
This arrangement works well for part-time
workers, students, retirees, some clergywomen and other starving (or well-fed)
artists. Rules vary from state to state, but
most places have a loophole for this
major advantage.
Similarly, if one gal earns significantly
more than the other, consider putting all the
couple's charitable donations in the major
breadwinner's name. Also, allow her to
claim the interest paid on the house and
property taxes to help lower her tax bracket.
It's not always advantageous to split deductions evenly. If you're not sure what would
benefit you most, have your accountant run
the numbers both ways to see which turns
out in your favor.
INHERl·TAXES
Lesbian couples are generally doomed,
tax-wise, to pay up when they inherit
wealth from a partner who has passed
away. However, some states offer estateplanning techniques that allow you to gift
money via a series of trust accounts, averting the tax obligation for the surviving
spouse. If you're a couple with high net
worth, consult a financial advisor for creative trust strategies that could save you
thousands in the long run.
GET GAY HELP
Here are a few key Web sites can help your
bottom line.
■ H RC (hrc.org) offers a battery of sample
legal documents, including a domestic
partnership agreement, health care
proxy, will, trust and durable power of
attorney. The site's FamilyNet area offers
contact information for queers needing
outside advice.
■ Rainbow Law (rainbowlaw.com) has free
and affordable documents for estate planning, wills, trusts, guardianship and more
for LGBT families.
■ Lambda Legal (lambdalegal.org) offers
information on workplace protection,
domestic partnerships and loads of
other legal issues.
■ Gay Financial Network (gfn.com) delivers news, networking and career advice
for gays and lesbians. ■
72 MARCH 2006
In the Stacks. . . continued
frompage64
published in 2002. Unfortunately, although
there are still some winning moments in
Loose Ends, this collection is not as strong
as Trash or its predecessor, Close to Spider
Man. Most of the pieces in Loose Ends are
actually newspaper columns culled from
Xtra, Vancouver's weekly gay pub. As such,
they are a little too uniform in length, tone
and flavor, touching sweetly but vaguely on
topics like Coyote's favorite children
(including a trans-leaning 8-year-old boy
named Francis) or neighbors (like the
omnipresent tough guy in Coyote's books
who gives her he-man advice on women).
Yet much of the writing in Loose Ends
seems surprisingly bland for Coyote, who's
usually able to ignite small fires of wisdom
in a few sparse, carefully chosen words.
There is a spark missing from most of
these stories, but those that do have it shine
brightly. "What If" asks whether that nice
old lady on the plane would've still told her
life story if she knew the person next to her
wasn't actually a "handsome young fellow, a
real gentleman": "Had I deceived a kind and
sheltered woman, using her company and
confidence merely to pass the time? What
exactly was the truth, and would the truth
have made her feel any better?"Coyote asks
in retrospect. "Battle of the Bulge," about
the perils of packing, is right on the mark.
Coyote writes, "I've had a few dick-related
incidents in the past. . . . One other time I
was at a bar, and a young trans fellow was
in the bathroom stall next to me. When he
pulled his pants down and sat, his number
hit the concrete, and rolled to a flaccid stop
just in front of my right foot. Do unto others, I thought, and there but for the grace of
DVDpicks...
God go I. I silently nudged his errant prosthetic back under the wall with my foot and
never mentioned the incident, reminding
myself to be extra careful when I've been
drinking. Kind of gives 'keeping it in your
pants' a whole new meaning." Shortly after
the collection's completion, Coyote relocated
to Squamish, British Columbia, a smaller
town without the benefit of a substantial gay
community. Given that Coyote is particularly
comfortable in rural surroundings, subverting
male survival skills while adapting them to
her own queer persona, perhaps with this
change of scene Coyote's next collection will
lead the reader into slightly fresher material.
(arsenalpulp.com) ■
SapphicScreen. . . continued
frompage63
new twist on the age-old war between the
sexes. Our leather-bound and lethal hero
Aeon lives in a bizarre dystopian world
with changing allegiances and villainous
ex-lovers, and while her outfits and deadpan charm might seem aimed at commandeering viewers' libidos more than anything
else, it'd be a mistake to not take the Aeon
effect seriously.
Born on MTV's Liquid Television, the
original Aeon had no dialogue, her missions were vague, the surroundings complex. As she worked through her deadly
assassin missions, rebelling against body
implants and weak-willed warriors, the
anti-heroine Aeon Flux gave a new stoic,
polysexual face to women, often kissing
other women (and clones of herself) and
then killing them - or herself - off. The
DVD offers featurettes, The Deviant
Devices and The History of Aeon Flux.
(paramount. comlhomeentertainment) ■
continued
frompage63
Highway Courtesans
(Women Make Movies):
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Brabbee does not shy
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TOP TEN
POP ON TO CHARLOTTE COOPER'S
Web site, charlottecooper.net, and you'll
see right away that the keynote speaker for
the 2005 fat dyke conference NoLose is
no one-trick pony. Although the author of
Fat and Proud juggles a dozen job titles,
both a girlfriend and a boyfriend, and
countless artistic ventures, the British diva
insists that she's neither running for God
nor moonlighting as a superhero. - Jacob
Anderson-Minshall
TI~X:I::~:zJ,
Despite writing books,
maintaining an online journal, performing in
front of audiences, producing comics and
publishing zines, Cooper insists she's "just
an ordinary gal~
ac~"-·JJ
Cooper's
favorite project was recording the life stories of queer seniors. "I was incredibly privileged to be able to listen to those hidden
histories, people talking about secret lives,
their hopes and dreams, and to feel myself a
part of that queer continuum."
80 MARCH 2006
1:A!Jce.u.J~=.a
"My neighbor
chopped down a tree that is mostly in my garden," Cooper complains, adding, "but don't
shed a tear for me. I can be pretty mean
myself and I'm thinking of suing the bastard."
. • • • • Cooper calls her
1998 book, Fat and Proud: The Politics of
Size,a "political rant; and explains,"It uses a
social model to understand that challenging
fat hatred effectively entails changing the
power systems that oppress us, especially
medicalization, rather than changing ourselves to fit into the world~
have a stupid fucking monarchywho still wield
a lot of political power, and that's easily as
bad 'cause we didn't even vote for them~
• "Here are a few important facts: I
have a prolapsed disc at L5 which causes a
patch of numbness under the toes of my right
foot. ... I wish I had a swimming pool of my
own. I'm always looking for work~
After hours of Abu
Ghraib-style torture tactics, Cooper finally
breaks. "My dad used to be a spy," she
admits.
. • . , Cooper created the
Chubsters, a girl gang of lawless fatties who
can be found at chubstergang.com.
f£fll1TITI .::u..::Ali.::i.:·~ Cooper is
shopping her 2002 "dirty-mouthed dyke
smut-fest" Cherry to American publishers.
"We
don't have Bush; Cooper admits. "But we
come to your party, "Dick-sucking is unlikely."
Beyond that, she says, she doesn't do
drugs, drop litter or drive dangerously {or
vote for right-wing assholes). She also
refuses to believe it's wrong to be what she
calls "a frisky fat freak." ■
I-
t-
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►
::i:::
►
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:,,:
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