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Description
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ToC On the Cover: Sarah Shahi and Daniella Sea [The L Word's Carmen and Moira]; Get Ready For A Road Trip by Jocelyn Voo (p26); Hit the Slopes by Ariane Resnick (p30); Nip/Tuck Sexpot To Come Out (p32); The L Word's Carmen by Tracy E. Gilchrist (46); The L Word's New Girl by Diane Anderson-Minshall (p50); The Sex Issue - You Know You Want It: Get on The Road and Get Laid by Diana Cage (p34); Are You Too Greedy in Bed by Kate Lacey (p36); Astrological Erotica by Charlene Lichenstein (p37): Putting the Ex in Sex by Candace Parker (p41); Shine On by Malinda Lo (p42); Is Safe Sex Still Hot Sex? by Zak Szymanski (p44); Cover Photo by Brie Childers.
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Sex Issue
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issue
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1
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Date Issued
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February 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_No1_February-2006_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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CURVE
Goes Monthly
There is so much happening this month at
CURVE. Not only do we have two gorgeous
L Word cast members on the cover, but we
also have some very big announcements.
Starting this month, CURVE is adding two
issues to our publishing schedule; we're
now going to be published ten times a year.
That means CURVE will now be a monthly
magazine with two double issues, one in
January/February
and the other m
July/August. If you've been meaning to subscribe or renew, there's never been a better
time - you can still score the old price until
the new price kicks in next month.
We decided to increase our frequency
because of your feedback to our last reader
survey, where 81 percent of you told us that
you loved CURVE, but wanted more of it.
Since then, we have been hard at work to
fulfill your request. Last year, we redesigned
the magazine, added the perfect-bound
spine and beefed up the content with 20
percent more pages.
Proofreaders
Editorial Assistants
Art Director
Photography Editor
Photo Assistant
Production Manager
Frances Stevens
Publisher / Editor in Chief
Over 80 percent of you
said you wanted more
CURVE.Well, guesswhat?
We're coming out
monthly now!
Our reader survey, on the other hand, only happens every other year, and asks more
in-depth questions about you, your family, your interests and your relationship with
CURVE. We want to know about your life as a whole, and some of the questions
you'll find on page 67 are obviously geared towards marketing and demographics.
To us, these questions give us incredible insight into your psychographics. Do you
drive a Subaru, Saturn or Land Rover? Do you wear Banana Republic, Diesel or
Levi's? Do you go clubbing every Saturday or stay in and watch DVDs? These types
of questions tell us about your overall attitudes, values, lifestyle and opinions.
These questions also give you the opportunity to let us know which of CURVE'S
departments and features you love and which ones you loathe. Is it time we brought
back horoscopes? Do you still enjoy Lesbofile, with its gossip, rumors and tidbits
from the lesbian nation? Do you like our new department, Top Ten Reasons? Do
you care who is on the cover?
We want to get to know you better. We started with over 300 questions and narrowed them down to the ones we felt were most important. Now, it's your turn.
Please take the time to complete your survey and send it in. It's the single most
important insight we have into your lives. So, please, stand up and be counted.
2006
San Francisco Office
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 510
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Contributing Editors
We truly pay very close attention to your
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we take them to heart. They tell us how you feel about specific articles or issues,
and while we adore it when you tell us that a feature hit a positive chord with you,
we also appreciate your honest criticism and input.
2 FEBRUARY
Curve
Frances R. Stevens
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Malinda Lo
Rachel Pepper
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Julia Bloch, Victoria A. Brownworrh,
Gretchen Lee, Sarah Warn
Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Laura K.
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Fisher, Tracy E. Gilchrist, Kate Lacey,
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Jenny Miyasaki, Candice Parker,
Catherine Plato, Beth Schwartzapfel,
Elizabeth Stark, Zak Szymanski, Jocelyn
Yoo, Renee Westbrook
Greg Draper, Katherine Streeter
Contributing Illustrator
Contributing Photographers Lorenzo Agius, Joe Augustine, Erica
Beckman, Gina Belleci,Thomas
Brostrom, Brie Childers, Phyllis
Christopher, Austin Donohue, Allison
Dyer, Prashant Gupta, Sophia Hantzes,
Jessica Israel, Lana Lawrence, Phil Lobel,
Dan Lutger, Manta Ray Arts, Signe Mae
Olson, Maggie Parker, Jose Carlos Pires
Pereira, Sara Press, Thomas Reekie,
Sarada Shanti, Elisa Shea, Elisa Shebaro,
Debra St. John, Ellen G. Schlossberg,
Denis Slogar, George Su, Peter Van Praag
Contributing Writers
VOLUME 16 ISSUE 1 CURVE (ISSN 1087-867X)
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February
2006
Volume
16#1
26 GETREADY
FORA ROADTRIP
by Jocelyn Voo
From mermaid festivals to Ladyfest, we've
mapped out the parties to last you through
the year.
30 HITTHESLOPES
by Ariane Resnick
From Park City to Lake Tahoe, queer
chicks are hitting the slopes for gay ski
weeks around the country.
32 NIP/fUCKSEXPOT
TOCOMEOUT
by Diane Anderson-Minshall
Jessalyn Gilsig is back on Nip/Tuck, as
feisty as ever and with a lesbian lover
to boot.
vi'
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46 THEL WORD'SCARMEN
by Tracy E. Gilchrist
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takes us inside season three of The L Word.
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by Diane Anderson-Minshall
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Daniela Sea joins the cast of The L Word, and
we promise you'll forget all about Shane.
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COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIE CHILDERS
Antiquing_ Hiking. Dancing the
night away_ Pennsylvania has '
enough action to tucker anyone '
out. Which makes a little R&R
at any of our B&as even more
enjoyable. Make sure You come
out this fall. Start Planning
Your long Weekend getaway
With our Online itineraries.
Then hit the road in the
STATEOF INDEPENDENCE.
departments
8
CONTRIBUTORS
Who did what this month.
10 LETTERS
You like us, you really like us.
12 OUTIN FRONT
Former Atlanta cop Connie Locke
can bust us anytime.
14 CURVATURES
Bra chains, Sheryl Swoopes, tit tees
and Nancy Drew.
18 OPENSTUDIO
Sculptor Danielle Anjou hears voices.
23 LESBOFILE
Is Condi Rice gay?
24 LIPSTICK
& DIPSTICK
How to make phone sex hot.
25 ASKFAIRYBUTCH
Um, what's a stone butch?
24 SHESAID,SHESAID
Musings from Hilary Swank and
Jodie Foster.
64 BROWNWORTH
Resolve to fight the GOP.
58 SAPPHIC
SCREEN
Girl Wrestler, Buoyant and up close
with director Debra Chasnoff.
65 TECHGIRL
Phone it in with these 10 hot new
tech toys.
60 IN THESTACKS
Lesbian Pulp Fiction and other page
turners, plus author Katia Noyes.
66 DYKEDRAMA
When an S/M scene isn't what you
hoped for on Valentine's Day.
62 MUSICWATCH
Triple Creme tops our list, and the
Reptoids give up the inside scoop.
80 TOPTENREASONS
WE LOVE
Dirty Tarot creator Dori Midnight.
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©2005 Mercedes-Benz
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Theysay you can chooseyour friends, but you can't chooseyour family. Well for those who make no distinction, the
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8
FEBRUARY
2006
"I ALWAYS FIGURED
"I WAS OVERJOYED·
that the potential for hooking up at a women's weekend was pretty high, but
I'm usually at those events
because I'm teaching a
workshop," says Diana
Cage. "I never even have
time to flirt with anyone. It
turns out, though, that I've
been missing out. Those
girls are certainly having a
good time. Some of the stories I heard while I was
researching this piece were
shocking even to me, and
I'm a sex educator!" Cage,
whose sexy research
appears on page 35, is the
author of Box Lunch: The
Layperson's Guide to
Cunnilingus and former
editor of On Our Backs
to write about the
Governor Girlie Man antiArnold Schwarzegger doll,
especially since I'm also
the spokesmodel for the
product," says CURVEeditorial assistant Ariane
Resnick. A writer, dancer
and model whose credits
range from Princeton
Review subway ads in
New York City to Sega
Genesis commercials,
Resnick is eagerly lapping
up every writing
"I CONSIDER
MYSELF
quite fortunate to have
made it into my 40s without having had my heart
broken," muses Candice
Parker, "but the perspective gained from the experience makes it one I'm glad I
lived through." Her guide
to surviving a breakup is on
page 41. Parker now plans
to make time between
coaching Little League
Baseball and indulging her
Texas hold 'em obsession to
put more thoughts to paper,
and aspires to have her
memoirs prominently displayed in bookstores next
to the works of David
Sedaris and Augusten
Burroughs.
opportunity CURVEis feeding her in the hopes of
showing the world that
pretty women can also be
empowered and wellspoken. "It's a thrill to be
seen and heard in the
same magazine," notes
Resnick. She plans to
attend graduate school
next fall to pursue a master's degree in magazine
journalism, and recently
appeared on the Tyra
Banks Show to discuss
race issues.
book revieweditor RachelPepper
wrotea seriesof articlesfor CURVE
about her experiences
tryingto get
pregnant,therewere few published
resourcesspecificallyfor lesbians
considering the parenting path.
Pepper's Ultimate Guide to
Pregnancyfor Lesbians,first pub·
lished in 1999, was one of the first
guides written from the perspectiveof one lesbian'sjourney
through pregnancyand into parenthood.It has recentlybeen
reissued by Cleis Press in a revised second edition with
oodles of new informationfor prospectivemoms.
Written in Pepper's humorous, friendly voice, Thf!
Ultimate Guide takes you through the mystery of figuring
out your own body's fertility and the complex process of
finding a sperm donor, and shows you how to weather a
pregnancy with your sanity intact. This second edition
has been updated with the most recent information on
fertility treatments and legal rights for lesbian families,
as well as a thorough resource guide to sperm banks,
birth centers and more. It's the perfect book for any lesbian planning to start her family - whether she's partnered or single - and Pepper's comforting, big-sister
tone turns what could be an overwhelming decision into
a manageable one. - Ma/Inda Lo
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1O Issues in 2
GET 10 BIG ISSUES OF CURVE
FOR THE PRICE OF 8!
5'JYES!
SEND ME 10 ISSUES FOR JUST $21.95
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an envelope to: CURVE,PO Box 17138, N. Hollywood CA 91615-7138. Allow 6-8 weeks for delivery of your first issue. CURVEis mailed discreetly in a plain wrapper. Offer Expires Feb. 1, 2006.
letters
All's Well at Wells Fargo
I'm writing to you on behalf of Wells Fargo
and Company. We were thrilled to be
ranked No. 8 in your list of the "Top 30
Companies for Lesbians" (Vol. 15, #7).
However, we wanted to point out an inaccuracy in the brief article about Wells
Fargo. The article states that Wells Fargo
"doesn't offer diversity training about gender identity and expression." We are not
sure where you got that information. All of
our team members participate in diversity
training, and information about gender
identity and expression is included in the
core curriculum.
- Linda McConley,
Diversity
Manager,
Wells Fargo & Company
I'm writing to inform you of two errors I
have spotted in the article that interviews
Idina Menzel and Tracie Thoms. The first
[mistake] stated that Jonathan Larson died
hours before the Broadway debut of Rent.
Jonathan passed away the night before the
opening night of the workshop at the New
York Theatre Workshop. The second [mistake] was in a quote by Ms. Thoms. She
states that Rent was workshopped at
Dartmouth five years ago. Actually, it was
workshopped at the NYTW almost 15
years ago, between 1992 and 1995.
- Natalie
D., Phoenix, Ariz.
Dyke Psychics Unite
No Envy Here
Has [Kathy Belge] lost her mind when she
states, "admit it, you envy them" in the
article "Top 10 Lesbian Power Couples"
(Vol. 15, #7), following it
up with Ellen and Portia
as the number one power
couple? I'm sorry, but
these two women are not
what I see as a "couple"
that I would look up to in
any way. They may have
power in their fame and
money, but not in morals.
Please stop promoting
these two women as
though their union is to
be celebrated. It's not.
- Patricia M. Johnson,
Parker, via e-mail
Rent-heads Unite
I was thrilled to receive your recent issue
with the ladies of Rent on the cover. Loved,
loved, loved the article ("Paying the Rent,"
Vol. 15, #7). Also, very happy that there
was not a huge focus on Rosario Dawson
FEBRUARY
2006
- J., San Francisco
Many of the articles in CURVEhave seemed
to soothe my soul and delight my imagination, but this month's issue (Vol. 15, #7)
was extraordinary! The
article "Dyke Psychics"
by Kathy Belge was one
of the best yet.
I have been a professional psychic for many
years and am the third
generation of my family
to utilize our gifts. Being
a lesbian in this field has
offered some unique
insights into the way the
straight world perceives
our world. I wish more
dykes would consult
compassionate and accurate psychics. ot all of us are Miss Cleo,
and many of us have been tested
by authentic institutions of psychic analysis. I have averaged an 85 percent accuracy
rate and I am the first to tell people that
this means that 15 percent of the time I'm
going to get it wrong. It's important to find
a psychic who knows their limits and
admits them!
- Jessalyn
10
(most other mags focus on her instead of
the entire cast). Thanks so much!
Charleston,
S. C.
We're Lovin' on the Kings, Too
Thank you for your coverage of the 7th
Annual
International
Drag
King
Extravaganza
hosted by GenderPlay
Cabaret [last October] ... in Winnipeg,
Canada ("Bois, Bois, Bois," Vol. 15, #7).
There was a time, not so long ago, when
none of the national lesbian magazines
would cover this event, so it is great to see
this has changed. Along with Sile Singleton
and myself, Julie Applegate and Shani Scott
were founders of IDKE. Without them and
the help of countless community members
in Columbus, Ohio, the first IDKE would
never have happened.
The name of the event has changed to
the International Drag KingCommunity
Extravaganza (still IDKE for short) to better
reflect all the folks who helped make this
event so extraordinary from the start.
- Donna Jean Troka, Chair,
I DKE Steering
Guide to Taxes and Financial Records, is the
only small-business tax book I've seen that
talks about how domestic partners can split
income. It's really helpful.
- Adrian Hall, San Francisco
Committee
But What About ... ?
I was surprised when I opened my new
issue of CURVEand saw you mentioned
Tegan and Sara as having a great blog
("Blog Stars," Vol 15, #7). I love their Web
site but instead of just writing a little blurb
about the group, why not expose them to a
much larger audience?
- Sarah St. Meyer, via e-mail
Thanks for including the info about
LifeMoxie! ("Girls With Moxie," Vol. 15,
#7) and the various resources for selfemployed people in the November issue. I
was surprised that you didn't mention our
very own dyke tax preparer and author, Jan
Zobel. Her book, Minding Her Own
Business: The Self-Employed Woman's
Tracy Chapman has just released a new
album this September. Will your publication have a forthcoming in-depth interview
or article on Tracy that is more than just
the standard music review blurb? The coverage of women of color in the queer community is still quite lacking.
- Clarissa,
via e-mail
I would like to see an issue of your magazine with information on lesbian weddings.
I'm not talking about all the legalities - I
want ideas of what to wear. I'm not a girl
who wears dresses, but I'm not a butch
who wants tuxedos, either.
- Kim, via e-mail
Editor's note: Guess what? This spring
we'll offer plenty of wedding fashion ideas.
Tegan and Sara will definitely show up in
these pages soon, and Clarissa, I share your
passion about Tracy Chapman. We've been
requesting an interview with Chapman for
several years now, but the notoriously shy
singer has always declined. We're still
working hard at increasing the visibility of
women of color in our pages. Oh, and Jan
Zobel is indeed a finance goddess (look for
more on her at curvemag.com).
Corrections
Several comments in the article "Rainbows
and Lollipops: Lesley Gore Comes Out" by
Victoria A. Brownworth (Vol. 15, #7) were
inadvertently attributed to the PBS show In
the Life. AfterEllen.com should have been
credited as the source of those comments.
CURVEapologizes for the errors.
Got Something on Your Mind?
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to
CURVELetters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510,
San Francisco, CA 94103; or fax to (415)
863-1609. Letters may be edited. ■
■
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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.
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■ Fill out documents on your computer or print out and complete by hand.
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Curve
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Comingto a Theater Soon
WHILE
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INDIE
FILMS
ARE
BEING
MADE
Hopefully
BY
large studios, queer filmmakers continue to struggle to make movies
that reflect their experiences. Some lesbian filmmakers have decided
to use grass-roots fund-raising strategies rather than waiting around
for their big break.
"Every time a lesbian movie comes out, go see it," says writerdirector Erin Greenwell. "It says, 'My vote has been cast - I want
to see a film that features gay characters."
Greenwell wrote and shot her new film Mom (momthemovie.com)
with $35,000 she raised through individual donations, grants, fundraising events and the Internet. After she received a $5,000 POWER UP
filmmaker's grant, the money started to come in steadily. Greenwell
can't emphasize enough the importance of perseverance.
"People who get projects made don't give up .... If you keep
showing up, something will happen."
The three women of Heroine Films lost funding for The Gladdest
Thing (heroinefilms.net) when a key investor pulled out because the
main character was a lesbian. Amanda Deibert, the lead actress and
one of the producers at Heroine, knew there had to be a way to get
their film made. She simply asked: "What if 500,000 people donated
one dollar?" -which set into motion an intense fund-raising effort on
their Web site. A local North Carolina company donated T-shirts,
word spread and dollars started rolling in. With the donations, they
were able to make a trailer for the film. "It restores my faith in the
industry when people want to see a movie that we want to make,"
says writer and producer Mel Robertson.
Luane Beck does her own fund-raising, too. Her first feature, the
lesbian romance Intentions, got picked up for distribution by
Ariztical Entertainment. Soon Beck began fund-raising for her next
project, Bridging the Gap - a documentary about the Bible, homosexuality and family values - by throwing fund-raising parties.
Citing growing outlets for gay programming and distribution,
such as Showtime, HBO, Logo, here!, Q Television, Wolfe Video and
more, Greenwell says she thinks the market is ripe for all kinds of
stories to be told. She brings it back to her horse race anologies:
"The horse doesn't care who's betting on it. It always runs just as
fast. I need to put blinders on and just run." -Amy Silverman
;::-
Making Herstory
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QUEER ACTIVISTS AND HISTORY BUFFS CAME DRESSED
to the nines to celebrate the GLBT Historical Society's 20th anniversary at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In addition
to a silent auction, the event featured a smorgasboard of delectable
appetizers from the Bay area's best restaurants and caterers.
The night was capped off by the presentation of the Clio Awards
- named after the ancient Greek muse - to California state senator Carole Migden and California state assemblyman Mark Leno
(who recently authored California's bill to legalize same-sex marriage). San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom dropped by to show his
support - and to offer a few choice words criticizing Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's choice to veto the bill, which was passed by the
14
FEBRUARY
2006
state legislature in September.
Originally housed in the living room of co-founder Bill Walker,
the GLBT Historical Society is now located at 657 Mission St. in San
Francisco's museum district, and plans are underway to build the
world's first full-scale museum dedicated to LGBT history. The society's collection includes original manuscripts and document archives
(including the papers of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, founders of
the Daughters of Bilitis, the country's first national lesbian organization), a periodicals collection of over 2,300 queer titles (yes, CURVE
is among them), ephemera ranging from political buttons to club flyers, and a growing collection of oral histories. For more information,
check them out at glbthistory.org. - Malinda Lo
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Pink Is the New BlackTie
NEITHER BILL CLINTON NOR ARNOLD
Schwarzenegger has likely ever worn a dress
in public. Why, then, do two products on the
market depict the politicians in pink dresses
replete with high heels?
The Governor Girlie Man (governor
girlieman.com) is a best-selling bobblehead
doll of California governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger holding a machine gun and
wearing a magazine of bullets as if .it were a
beauty
pageant
sash. Angered
by
Schwarzenegger's conservative antics and
quasi-homophobic remarks, designer John
Edgell sold out of his original Arnold in a
Pink Dress dolls, which looked similar but
appeared sans rifle, in 2004, and is back this
year with an entire line of anti-Arnold products that includes lipstick, condoms, nail
polish and an "Arnold Says 'Eating Is Not
Cheating"' thong.
On the flip side, the delightful Bill Clinton
doll (billforfirstlady.com) was created by a
group of gay Democrats, co-headed by Luke
Montgomery, to show support for Hillary
Clinton as a presidential candidate. In a
slightly more standard political fashion, the
line consists of pins, stickers, magnets, coffee
cups, shirts and hats.
I confess, as the spokesmodel for
Governor Girlie Man (yes, that's me in the
Arnold thong), I am naturally a bit biased on
the issue of which toy makes for a better
purchase. While "Mr. First Lady" does have
a magnificently transgendered ring to it and we're all for a 2008 Hillary run - the
bruising that sales of the Governor Girlie
Man must deliver to Schwarzenegger's ego
gives it more consumer power, especially
now that the Governator has vetoed
California's historic gay marriage bill.
Known for his excessive machismo,
Schwarzenegger sued Edgell - and ended
up settling - in 2004, so one can presume
that the mere fact that this doll is still available for purchase angers him. Still,
Schwarzenegger is the guy known for
quotes like "If I see a girl with big tits, I'm
going to stare," and that alone should motivate people to buy products that humiliate
him. - Ariane Resnick
Bill FOR
FIRST
LADY
*COM
2008.-----
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16 FEBRUARY 2006
CunvE'
s11th
Annual
Lesbian
Life
Photo
Contes
What does your life look like? Send us up to five photos that let
us into your world and you might win some fabulous prizes! Submit
your photos by mail with the 2006 Photo Contest Entry Form or download the entry form at www.curvemag.com.
PROUDLY
SPONSORED
All entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2006. Our esteemed
panel of judges will announce the winners in an upcoming issue of
CURVE.So read over the rules on page 72, check out these prizes, and
get out those cameras!
BY
DAMRON
[!t]
WOMEN'S
TRAVELLER
Prizes
_20.Q.e_eb.PJQ_QQotestf.Qtry_form
_______________________________
.
Grand Prize: Four days/three
PHOTOGRAPHER(PLEASEPRINT):
nights' accommodations for two at a
Joie de Vivre Hotel in San Francisco,
courtesy of the Damron Company.
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP:
DAYTIMEPHONE:
E-MAILADDRESS:
First Prize: $300 gift certificate good for accommodations at
Pearl's Rainbow in Key West, Fla.
Second Prize: $200 gift certificate for CDs from Goldenrod.com.
Third Prize: Ten books from
Bella Books.
Honorable Mentions:
A one-year subscription to CURVE
and a fun pack from Oatridge.com.
PHOTOTITLE/DESCRIPTION:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I have read and understand all the rules and regulations of CURVE'S2006 Lesbian Life Photo
Contest as printed on page 72 and accept all the conditions stated therein.
Signature: _____________________
_
Mail submissions to: CURVEPhoto Contest, 1550 Bryant Street, Suite 510,
San Francisco, CA 941 03.
Please include the appropriate processing fee (Please check box): [ ] $5 for 1 photo,
[ ] $10 for 2 photos, [ ] $15 for 3-5 photos. Please make checks payable to CURVEMagazine.
Curve
17
Artist Danielle Anjou
hears voices, and if she has learned anything in the 15 years since she became a
sculptor, it is to listen. "When I was 15 .. .
I heard a voice that said I should sculpt .. .
and it came from nowhere. It's like hearing
a voice saying you should sing opera
when you can't even carry a tune!'
It was another 15 years before Anjou
decided to take a sculpture class at the
New York Academy of Art. To her surprise,
her first piece looked exactly like the model,
and that was when she realized she had no
choice but to pursue her true calling.
Anjou's most recent project, Titans,
grew out of an earlier work called
Olympians that consisted of figures of 11
athletes. Anjou had heard the voice telling
her to create Titans, but it was only later,
after researching the subject, that she
learned that in Greek mythology, the Titans
ruled the earth before the Olympians.
Works of art, says Anjou, get under her
skin and end up "screaming to be done!'
Her process is collaborative and time consuming. She sees the finished piece in her
mind, but must first start building it with
armature wire that provides a frame for the
mixture of oil and clay with which she
works. The clay piece then goes to a
foundry and takes on a life of its own as the
foundry workers create the mold and cast
the bronze. The pieces continually evolve,
and the finishing touch is an acid patina
that colors the metal. Infinite, subtle variations are possible, and a certain amount of
faith is required.
"I just encourage people to pay attention to what their soul or spirit is asking
them to do .... I mean, I really had to step
up beyond common sense and beyond
any evidence that I had any artistic ability.
I tried it, and then found that I had this gift.
So I'd say, 'Step up ladies. Step up to any
dream you've got and even if it's just for
your own pleasure . . . step up into your
dreams'." - Amy Silverman
18 FEBRUARY 2006
Sheryl Swoopes
Comes Out
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When three-time WNBA
MVP Sheryl Swoopes of
the Houston Comets came
out in a well-orchestrated
media blitz last fall, she
became the first openly
lesbian African-American
athlete in the United
States. "I'm just at a point
in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be
somebody I'm not," she told ESPN magazine. "I'm
tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I
care about. About the person I love."
Swoopes has been in a relationship with former
Houston Comets assistant coach Alisa Scott for
seven years, and the two of them co-parent her 8year-old son from a previous marriage.
Her coming-out coincided with an endorsement
deal with Olivia Cruises and Resorts and may lead
to more acceptance within pro sports. After all, as
she told ESPN, "Sexuality and gender don't change
anyone's performance on the court." - Malinda Lo
We all wantthe samething.
/
Come to a place that's more than ;ust hot for gay travelers. Key West recently received four ..Reader's Choice" best awards in
The Out Traveler magazine, including one of the Best Gay Resort Towns in the world. We all want a little r,ccognition,too .
..,,__.,
fla-keys.com/keywest
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1-888-279-3632
Curve
19
Talkto the Chest:What'sYourFavoriteSlogan?
EVER GET TIRED OF ALL THE ATTENTION HAPPENING
A FOOT
below your head? We do too, which is why we were so excited when this funky
new line of personal protest tees from TittyTops.com arrived at the office that
we had to don them immediately ourselves. If you could design your own line
of protest tees, what would you say? Send us your own original T-shirt slogan
by March 1, and you could win Muffy Rout's Pocket of Pleasure, the ultimate
lesbian dating game. We'll randomly select two lucky winners from all the
entries received.
Email us at letters@curvemag.com or send a postcard to 1550 Bryant St.,
Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103.
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Not YourAverage Cover Model Contest
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JOINING THE RANKS OF NEW AND
original concepts is Martin RawlingsFein's recent creation, the Men of FTM
International 2006 calendar (lulu.corn/
ftrni). Featuring 16 months of female-tomale transhunks, the subjects were chosen
through a photography contest to reflect
the diversity of the FTM population.
The imagery is both wholesome and
attractive, and does an excellent job of
portraying the models in a casual
lifestyle context. Rawlings-Fein, a bisexual transsexual FTM activist, has successfully conveyed the range of cultures, livelihoods and
ethnicities of transgendered men in a beautifully artistic publication. -Ariane Resnick
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20 FEBRUARY 2006
Move Over, Cleopatra
EGYPTIAN
QUEEN
HATSHEPSUT'S
reign (circa 1479-1458 B.C.) has long
intrigued scholars of ancient Egypt because
she was the first female ruler
to assume the title of king.
Now the enigmatic pharaoh's
life and rule is revealed in
Hatshepsut: From Queen to
Pharaoh, the
inaugural
exhibit at San Francisco's
new de Young Musuem. The
exhibit explores the soapy
drama of Hatshepsut's rise to
power, which involved marriage to her half-brother and
a co-regency with her young
nephew, Thutmose III, before
she declared herself king of Egypt.
One of the most interesting things about
Hatshepsut is that though early statues of her
depict her as a woman, after she becomes
king she is often shown as a man, complete
with strapped-on false beard. Egyptologists
have long debated what really happened during her rule because after her death,
Thutmose III had her monuments destroyed
and her name literally scratched out of historical records. Consequently, 19th-century
Egyptologists theorized that Hatshepsut had
been a manipulative woman who usurped
young Thutmose Ill's throne, and that he
destroyed her images out of resentment. But
more recent Egyptologists have discovered
that Hatshepsut reigned over a time of relative peace and artistic creativity, and now
argue that her name was erased in order to
suppress the history of a
strong female ruler.
The exhibit contains nearly
300 objects from her reign,
ranging from monumental
sculptures of Hatshepsut as a
man to finely crafted furniture
and quirky cosmetic spoons
carved in the shapes of animals. These objects, several of
which have never before been
seen in the United States, will
be on view at the de Young
Museum (thinker.org)through
Feb. 5, then at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art in New York (metmuseum.org; March 21
to July 9) and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort
Worth, Texas (kimbellart.org; Aug. 27 to Dec.
10). After wandering through the exhibit's
imposing statuary and impressive displays of
sparkling jewelry, you'll have to agree that
while Cleopatra may be the best-known
female ruler of ancient Egypt, Hatshepsut was
the more significant one. - Malinda Lo
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Curve
21
V-Day Gifts to Get Her Grooving
FLOWERS, CHOCOLATE AND JEWELRY
might be the holy trinity of Valentine's Day presents, but a few different dandies might help you
more quickly get in her panties. Try these nouveau chic ideas this February:
Proof
IsinthePaper
The IOU Sex coupon book is the gift that
keeps on giving with IOUs for everything from a
trip downtown to a striptease or a serious
makeout session. ($5.95, chroniclebooks.com)
Love Yourself affirmation cards are perfect
for that artistic soul in your life. Drawn and created by a lesbian artist, Love Yourself cards feature women and girls of all shapes, colors and
ages alongside lesbian-positive messages
about inner beauty. ($9.99, cherylrainfield.com)
Amplify
Her
Desire
There's no better time for a sexy new CD,
and a cluster of recent releases promise to
please. Lola's Take It Like I Give It is sexy from
beginning to end, but the casual sex fantasy
"No Strings" will say it loud and clear (with
lyrics like "Let's do it right here").
(Iola-music.com)
Lesbians can get frisky at the Hilton
Say it with the Va Va Va Bloom bouquet
chocolate from lesbian-owned Poco Dolce. A
sample of four features bittersweet chocolate
tiles - in almond, burnt caramel toffee, Aztec
chile and crystallized ginger - topped with
grey sea salt. ($32, pocodolce.com)
with celebs like Angelina Jolie and Liv Tyler.
(cocodemerusa.com)
Junior's New York Cheesecake, the world's
most fabulous cheesecake, will melt her heart
with the wickedly delicious (and kosher) Cherry
Heart cheesecake on a base of chocolate, with
cherry pie filling. ($46, 1-800-flowers.com)
The Pussycat Dolls' female empowerment
meets sluttiness debut release, PCD, is as
naughty as the girls' stage act (get her a CD and Flowers aren't always passe. Case in point:
a poster for her wall), while Jessica Vale's The the Va Va Va Bloom, a sexy bouquet in a racy
Sex Album could turn any encounter into a love bustier vase that'll let her know just what's on
match. Nearly every instrumental sound on the your mind, or the Gerbera Silk Tote from floral
erotic CD was created by manipulating record- expert Jane Carroll, with its hot pink daisies,
ings of live sex - from seven couples of different •that say "I like you" without taking it straight
sexual orientations - into ambient and industrial to the bedroom. ($70 each, 1-800music. (pcdmusic.com, thesexalbum.com)
flowers.com)
And if you're wooing an ex? Play "Make-Up
Sex;' the first single from the debut CD of the
Duran-Duran-meets-Prince-meets-the-Killers
band, Clear Static. (clearstaticmusic.com)
Sensual
Flavors
Lube isn't a very pretty gift - that is, until
now. The sexy new lubricant Pink comes in a
glass bottle and a pink Tiffany-style box, and
looks like perfume when it's sitting on her nightstand. ($24.95, 10percentgirl.com)
OK, candy is always good, especially
when it's the amazingly delicious, handmade
22 FEBRUARY 2006
Ecco Bella's Health by Chocolate series is
a great gift for a cocoa hound - get her the
Chocolate Lovers Gift Set, replete with organic dark chocolate face mask, Woman's Wonder
Bar and the Instant Bliss Beauty Bar. ($50,
www.eccobella.com)
Always
onHer
Mind
If you want her to find her faves, get her a
gift certificate to Coco de Mer, the erotic
emporium founded by Sam Roddick, daughter
of Body Shop founder, Anita. Roddick set out
to create a much different sex shop, and her
art-gallery-meets-sex-couture boutique is a hit
The Better Sex Through Yoga DVD series
(please God, start with the beginner level
unless you're gifted) from Jacquie Noelle will
walk you through a series of safe, sensual
breathing and strengthening poses perfect for
that athletic gal on the go. ($15, goldhil
entertainment.com)
Say
ItWith
Jewelry
Diamonds may or may not be a girl's best
friend, but almost any of the sexy and unique
designs of Tere Hernandez-Bonet at My
Precious Studio will set a dyke's heart afire.
(mypreciousstudio.com)
Time
foraMini
Break
The Enclave at the Hilton San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter lets same-sex couples walk
on the wild side with their Frisky on Fifth package. Think cocktails and fire pits, private
whirlpool baths and a Splash gift basket with
an aphrodisiac massage bar, soaps and their
delish tangerine honey Hand Job hand cream.
($495, hiltongaslamp.com)
Chicago's Hotel Monaco is sure to please
you both with their Oh Baby, Baby! package. It
comes replete with Victoria's Secret gift certificate, massage oil, chocolatey aphrodisiac
treat, champagne, mood music and breakfast in
bed. ($269, monaco-chicago.com) - Diane
Anderson-Minshall
Who's Gay Now?
WE'RE
SIX
YEARS
INTO THE NEW
millennium now, but being openly lesbian
can still be a rocky road to take. Even Anne
Heche, who we thought had left that tour a
long time ago, is still dealing with fallout
from her breakup with Ellen DeGeneres.
And did you hear about Kate Moss? It
turns out that sleeping with women can still
ruin your career. Wait - unless it was the
drugs that did it. Who can tell?
>> By
has nothing to do with any
decision I make. It has always
disturbed me the way religion
can twist something to make
people feel badly about themselves. Isn't a loving heart an
accepting,
caring
heart?
Certainly my mother has
never been 'loving."' Ouch.
Love Connection for Condi?
Prayed Straight?
Our favorite hasbian, Anne Heche,
recently popped up on our gaydar again
when her conservative Christian mom,
Nancy Heche, publicly claimed that her
prayers for Anne to no longer be gay
caused her breakup with Ellen DeGeneres
and her subsequent straight marriage.
Anne showed some latent Sapphic pride
when she responded to her mom on her
Web site's guestbook, writing, "My mother
Yeah, we all knew National
Security Adviser Condoleeza
Rice gave off a little bit of that lesbian vibe.
But those signals (constantly being single,
wearing too many ugly power suits) were
given new meaning last fall during an interview with Fox News correspondent James
Rosen, when he suggested that Rice might
"have an interest in knowing" Fox News
anchor Lauren Green (described as "beautiful" and "single"). Green had even given
Nicole
Cameron
Rosen a gift for Rice, a CD
recording of her playing several classical piano pieces
(Rice also likes to tickle the
ivories). In response, Rice
said she would "look forward to seeing her" and suggested they "maybe even play
dual piano." Unfortunately,
Green denied the possibility
of romance when she later
told the Minneapolis Star
Tribune that although "gay is
cool," she is "very straight." Right. That's
what they all say.
The Domino Effect
I hate to be the one to break the news to
you gals and bois, but it looks like Domino
Harvey - the hottie butch bounty hunter
Lesbofile
. . . continued
onpage71
-a
ca
·u,
"Just now, after my workout, I was feelin' all tough and found
myself thinking, Am I a man or a woman? I think that's a very
creative way to feel:'>>
Gwen Stefani to Fashion Rocks
~
"I tried to find the humanity
that transcended gender. I
didn't play Brandon as an
"It's fascinating, the stuff
being a parent brings up. The
alter male ego. I didn't think
it was a gender that I was
playing - it was something
smallest detail of their lives is
like a direct drug that goes to
deeper than that, a quality
that we all have as humans."
your senses in ways that
nothing else does - a total
and complete connection
>> Hilary Swank, on playing Brandon Teena, to
Hilary Magazine
with what they're feeling. I
don't have that connection
with my own feelings." >>
Jodie Foster (above in Flight
Plan) to Premiere
.c
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Curve
23
Talk Sexy to Me
Dear Dipstick: My girlfriend and I are living in different cities right now and we
can only talk on the phone. I miss her
and especially miss the serious anal and
oral sex we had. Lately, when we talk, it's
not romantic at all. It's boring. How do I
make her feel me around? And if she
can't, how do I go about finding a new
girlfriend? - Long Distance Lover
Dipstick: How the hell do I know? I've never
had phone sex in my life. Unless you count
that one time at my parents' house when
this hot number I met at Womyn's Fest was
trying to talk sexy in my ear. The phone cord
got wrapped around my crotch while my
parents ate dinner a few feet away. This
was before cordless phones, before I could
actually walk away from the dinner table.
Like you, Dipstick prefers the real thing, so
either move to her city or find yourself a
new gal.
Lipstick: What gives, LDL? Did you not want
Lipstick's two cents? Even though you
shelves to gain courage. Slowly, I worked
my way over, straining my eyes to see the
weren't after my girlie guidance, I'll throw
in my pennies anyway. First of all, you are
I got within eyeshot, insecurity kicked in and
I was out of there. Since then (praise God),
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: When my girlfriend and I have sex, she never gets off.
She says that she's always been this
way. We try toys and everything, but
nothing seems to work. Do you have any
ideas? - Dry as a Bone in Illinois
all over the map. Do you want to learn how
to have stellar phone sex or how to nab a
I have had no problem reaching for anything
and everything lesbian - this includes a lus-
Lipstick: Sweet Jesus, this woman has
new nympho for your "serious" anal? And
cious female body. Post-closet, I found
while I'm the one asking questions, what
does "feel me around" mean? Unlike Dip,
Early Embraces by Lindsey Elder. It's not
erudite literature, but the sweet stories, writ-
I've had plenty of phone sex. I even had a
special headset when my girlfriend and I
ten by women musing on their first girl-ongirl experiences, are sure to keep you warm
strategy was subtle: I surfed the adjacent
lesbian titles. The sad pants that I was, once
on these cold January nights.
were dating long-distance. If you're really •
dialed in, phone sex is a great way to make Dipstick: I found my first lesbian book by accident when I was looking for a book on
a carnal connection when separated, but
you've got to up the erotic ante, girlfriend,
by masturbating beforehand. Get yourself
good and horny before dialing her digits.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm a bookaholic and even though I love gay and
lesbian literature, I'm afraid to venture
into the queer section. The few times I
have looked, all I found were lesbian
erotica books, but no simple, sappy
lesbian love stories. Do you have any
suggestions for lesbian lit that isn't
dominated by erotica? - Embarrassed
by Erotica
Lipstick: You're not alone! Way back when
Lipstick was in the closet, I too had a heck
of a time browsing the LG BT section. My
24 FEBRUARY 2006
African tree frogs in my junior high library. I
don't recall the title, but I do remember
reading and rereading the lesbian makeout
scene. Eventually, I had to return the tattered book, but not before it influenced my
destiny. From that moment, I knew I was a
writer and a lesbian. Young thing, why not
start in your school or public library? Unlike
Lipstick's nosy clerks, librarians are champions of free speech and will take your tender hand and guide you through_the LG BT
stacks. (Which reminds me of a librarian I
met in Cleveland - she had a stack that
inspired some writing, but you're not interested in those kinds of stories.) Check out
and try
Alyson.com and BellaBooks.com for all
kinds of lesbian romance novels.
Best
Lesbian
Love
Stories,
never had an orgasm? God bless her
tightly wound soul. Yes, I have an idea put her in the car and drive straight to the
doctor! She can't even imagine what
she's missing!
Dipstick: Believe it or not, many women suffer from orgasm problems - probably
more than men, but do you see any TV ads
addressing this issue? Hell no! In fact,
WebM D.com reports that 40 percent of
women complain of sexual dysfunction.
Certain medications, including those that
treat depression, can inhibit orgasm. The
problem could also be psychological; if
your partner is the survivor of sexual
abuse, this could prevent her from letting
go. Even the shame of internalized homophobia can thwart some women's sex
lives. Masturbation can help. Buy her a
sexy book or DVD, light some candles and
leave her alone in the bedroom. And if this
fails, Lipstick is right. Get the lady to a
~
doctor. Something must be done! ■
~
0..
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Ask us anything about sex, love or lesbians :;
<
at www.lipstickdipstick.com.
::e
ask
fairy
butch
No More Stone Butch Blues
Dear Fairy Butch:I have recently started to
date an old-world dyke; I guess you'd call
her a "stone butch!' I haven't had sex with
her yet. Truth be told, I have no clue
what's acceptable to her sexually. I hear
so often that stone butches allow certain
things to be done to them sexually, but
don't allow others. I'm so confused. I
don't want to mess anything up. What is
the true definition of a stone butch?
- Befuddled in Baltimore
ure? If so, and
wouldlike to me
s An eles womanwho
tt intro
the
es you a
Dear Befuddled: Well, sugar plum, the obvious
answer to your query is to simply ask her
what s/he wants sexually.But to be fair, there
are scores of gals just like you who have told
me they've asked their stone butch lovers
considerably more than 20 questions and
are still left wondering what to do. Why?
Well, sexual communication can be daunting
have their masculinity affirmed through sex. It
could mean your butch has the desire to
have hir body parts referred to by their
homologous male counterparts, such as
cock and pees for cfit and breasts. It could
for anyone, but stone butch sexuality is par-
mean that s/he doesn't want to have sex
without a dildo strapped to hir. It could mean
ticularly enigmatic.
Some folks say a stone butch is a masculine
pussy to refer to hir body, even when you're
woman who doesn't like to be touched during
in it elbow-deep. The plain fact of the matter
sexual contact. Others says/he (we're doing
the best we can with those pronouns) is
someone who gets hir sexual pleasure primarily from bringing physical pleasure to hir part·
ner. Still others insist that s/he will not allow
hirself to be penetrated. While these definitions describe the behavior of many stone
butches, they lack a holistic approach. It also
gets pretty slippery trying to assign stone
butch identity to specific practices - you'll
find your definition changes as soon as a few
other stone butches join the conversation.
Instead, I conceptualize the essence of stone
butch in a retro '70s Shaft sort of way,
wherein "stone" means thoroughly, genuinely, as in "stone fox:' So, in this context, it
would mean: "I'm butch when it's in fashion
and safe, and I'm butch when it's out of fashion and dangerous. I'm butch in New York
that s/he doesn't want you to use the word
is, there is no one vocabulary or practice that
confers stone butchdom; it's unique to each
individual stone butch. And to make things
even more confusing, the rules often shift.
For example, some stone butches like to be pen-
••
ers. It's tough, because you may not know
how to approach hir during sex and s/he may
not know how well-versed you'll be in
responding sexually to the heavily nuanced
phenomenon of hir gender. The best advice I
can give in general is to maintain a deep
respect for hir masculinity, even when you're
both confronted by a physical femaleness
that, during sex, can be tough to disguise.
For some practical tips on getting busy with
stone butches, check out my workshop
"Romancing the Stone: What Does Stone
Butch
Really
FairyButch.com.
petit fours with my grandmother. That is, I'm
not just butch tonight at the club or tonight
butches is a bit like going for the brass ring
at the carnival: It's pretty tough to pull off,
between the sheets. I'm always butch, and
no matter what we do together sexually,I am
but if you do, you're going to land yourself
one sweet-ass teddy bear! ■
wit: Stone butches are female-born, masculine people whose sexual preference is to
90.ya.l\O lub;o." +ra.vel specia.lis+.s
etrated in certain circumstances, but not in
others. Or by certain lovers, but not by oth-
and I'm butch in Peoria. I'm butch on my construction job and I'm butch when I'm having
stone butch and you need to remember this:'
How is this helpful? Well, I think it sets the stage
for a more expansive and useful definition. To
TheJuliette
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service
thathas~ cte&Ung
relaHonships
forsingle
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1999.Thisad hasbeencrealed
~ df oneof ourmembers
andis nota
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Want
in Bed?"
at
Making love to stone
Gentle Readers: To submit your queries
regarding the finer points of lesbian life, sexuality, romance and other matters of the
heart, send a note to fb@fairybutch.com.
Curve
25
Ladies, start your engines. CURVE maps out some of
the best lesbian road trips for 2006. By Jocelyn Voo
THE WINNEBAGO
IS PACKED, YOU
and your gal pals are ready for a coast-tocoast adventure, but what if the destination
is still undetermined? Here's a dozen of the
year's must-see events and the best little festivals you've never heard of. Just make sure to
pack a calling card and leave a sock full of
bail money with a stay-at-home friend before
you head out - and don't say we didn't
warn you.
Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival
Walhalla, Mich.
Aug.8-13
ASPEN GAY AND LESBIAN SKI
WEEK (ASPEN, COLO.)
Jan.15-22
As the first official gay ski week, this 28year-old tradition still boasts ski bunnies so
hot you might want to reconsider your
travel buddy. Beyond thrashing through
some of the nation's best powder, Gay Ski
Week offers indoor and outdoor pool parties, costumed ski events, world-class comedy nights and signature cocktails paired
with live DJ acts. (gayskiweek.com)
INTERNATIONAL CLITORIS DAY
CELEBRATION (SAN FRANCISCO)
March 20
Ring in International Clitoris Day with the
aptly titled off-Broadway show Clitoris
Celebration: Think Outside the Box, a hilarious production
featuring mus1c1ans,
dancers and drummers, written by comedian
Sia Amma and performed by an all-women
troupe. (celebrateclitoris.com)
Shore Weekend
Springs, Calif.
29-Aprll 2
DINAH SHORE WEEKEND
(PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.)
March 29-April 2
Put on by Los Angeles' Girl Bar, Dinah
Shore Weekend is the largest four-day event
of its kind, with thousands of frisky gals
going poolside by day and on the dance
floor by night. (dinahshoreweekend.com)
Aquagirl
Miami Beach, Fla.
May 11-14
QUEER FASHION SHOW, UC SANTA
CRUZ (SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.)
May
In addition to hair bands, the '80s spawned
something else completely awesome: the
Alternative Fashion Show, now known as
the Queer Fashion Show, at UC Santa Cruz.
26 FEBRUARY 2006
curve
2?
Created by gay and lesbian students, the oft
sold-out show is now a high-tech performance arts extravaganza. In the past, mezzosopranos have belted out Gounod's "Ave
Maria," and a curvy female student stripped
off a shirt made of magazine cutouts of
waifish models to expose red-painted breasts
in a one-woman show. If that's not a good
enough reason to pay the five bucks admission, I don't know what is. (ucsc.edu)
AQUAGIRL (MIAMI
BEACH, FLA.)
May 11-14
Love girls in bikinis but also like to help out
a worthy cause? Head down to sun-drenched
Miami Beach, Fla., for a weekend of dancing,
comedy, live music and scrumptious pool parties, complete with scads of scantily clad
dykes. You can feel good while partying up a
storm because the nonprofit Aquagirl benefits
the Women's Community Fund, which supports lesbians in South Florida. (aquagirl.org)
CONEY ISLAND MERMAID
(NEW YORK)
PARADE
June 24
Forget the traditional beauty pageant winner
riding atop a flower-encrusted float. The
largest parade in the nation pays homage to
Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras.
Revelers prancing down the boardwalk in
handmade sea creature costumes are
presided over by a celebrity King Neptune
and Queen Mermaid. Following daytime festivities is the Mermaid Parade Ball with live
music, burlesque and sideshow acts.
(www.coneyisland.com/mermaid)
GAY GAMES VII (CHICAGO)
re's White Party
Cross the Border for
More Fun
LADYFEST MEXICO
(MONTERREY, MEXICO)
Feb.12-13
ladyfest.org
INSIDE OUT GAY AND LESBIAN
Fl LM FESTIVAL (TORONTO)
May 18-28
insideout.on.ca
1ST WORLD OUTGAMES
(MONTREAL)
July 29-Aug. 5
montreal2006.org
identity differs from their biological sex.
(homoagogo.com)
NATIONAL POETRY SLAM
(AUSTIN, TEXAS)
MICHIGAN WOMYN'S MUSIC
FESTIVAL (WALHALLA, MICH.)
Aug.8-13
If roughing it is more your style, camp out
with thousands of other women in a femalecentric community where 650 acres of lush
woodlands give way to dozens of musical
performances, a film festival, a crafts fair,
and fitness and dance classes where you can
learn everything from stilt walking to the
merengue. (michfest.com)
LADYFEST SOUTH (ATLANTA)
Fall
You don't have to be a superstar to participate
in the Gay Games - there are only a few
requirements. More than 70 countries will be
represented in the seventh Gay Games, showcasing 12,000 participants in 30 competitive
sports, band and choral performances, and a
week-long arts festival. (chicago2006.org)
August
National Poetry Slam is the largest team performance poetry event in the world. Teams
from all over North America (and a few
from other places) converge in a different
city every summer for four days of poetry,
revelry and competition. (poetryslam.com)
Since Ladyfest started in 2000, the little festival that could has grown into an international phenomenon. The nonprofit four-day
extravaganza showcases stage acts and
activism to raise money for various social
service projects that assist women. But make
no mistake - this Southern belle could still
kick your ass. (ladyfestsouth.com)
HOMO A GO GO (OLYMPIA, WASH.)
FRINGE FESTIVAL
(MINNEAPOLIS)
WOMEN'S WEEK
(PROVINCETOWN,
July 15-22
Aug.1-6
The biannual act1v1st festival encourages
anti-label ideals (anti-war, anti-capitali_st,
anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-classist, etc.)
while providing a venue for nonmainstream queer -culture. Proceeds from
the event benefit the Olympia-based
Gender Variant Health Project, a nonprofit
organization devoted to health issues and
health care needs of those whose gender
28 FEBRUARY 2006
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Aug.3-13
Get more theater, dance, puppetry, spoken
word and storytelling than you ever wanted
at the 11-day festival. The best news? Fringe
Festival is a worldwide phenomenon, with
festivals as far flung as Vancouver, Seattle,
San Francisco, Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
London, Dublin, Melbourne and Hong
Kong. (fringefestival.org)
Oct. 6-15
Return to the lesbian mothership (just in
time for New England's picture-perfect fall
weather) for a week of beachside clambakes, wet T-shirt contests and tea dances
at dusk. (womeninnkeepers.com) ■
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YOU TOO CAN STAY AND
PLAY THE L WORD® WAY.
Relive the sexy season finale set at the
world renowned Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
The L Word®packagesavailable.
·~~
CHATEAU WHISTLER
Reservations 1 800 606 8244 www.fairmont.com/ cwr/lword
e The L Word Is a registeredtrademark of Showtlme Networks Inc.
Carve
29
Pride on the Slopes_~~~-~----~~~~~~--.
WITH SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
SEASON UPON US, HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE WHICH RESORT TO GIVE
your hard-earned money to? We suggest packing your snowsuit and heading to one of the many queer ski weeks that happen at a
wide variety of ski resorts.
Gay ski weeks boast a host of activities, including parties, dinners, social events on the mountains and occasionally even discount
lift tickets and condos. And, of course, the hundreds of sexy Sapphic snow bunnies are a perk, too.
Looking for something special, like a winter wonderland ball or private lodge accessible only by helicopter? Not to worry, the
choices are many. For more detailed information on individual travel packages, visit Out and About Travel (outandaboutravel.com)
or sign up for any one of these 2006 shindigs:
PARK CITY GAY AND LESBIAN
SKI WEEK (PARK CITY, UTAH)
Jan.4-8
Ski at Park City, Deer Valley or the Canyons
and dine with fellow Sapphic skiers in the
Sundance Film Festival's home town. Stay a
month and you can catch some glitterati.
(communityvisions.org!SKI I NG lindexu.htm)
ski week, this event takes over the Rockies'
superb powder on the slopes of Breckenridge,
Vail and Keystone. (gayoutdoors.org)
ALTITUDE (WHISTLER,
B.C.)
Feb.4-13
Thousands conglomerate in Whistler for a
full week of fine powder, concerts and parties. (outontheslopes. com)
POWDER AND PRIDE
(LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA)
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
SKI WEEK (MT. ASSINIBOINE,
Jan.21-23
A winter wonderland ball and nightly DJ
dancing liven up this event hosted by
GayOutdoors.com. (ubproductions. com)
Feb. 11-19
Spend your days on the slopes and your
nights in a homey, rustic and helicopteraccessible lodge. (outandaboutravel.coml
adventure 1.htm)
VAIL GAY AND LESBIAN SKI
WEEK (VAIL, COLO.)
Feb. 4-11
Put on by the organizers of Park City's queer
WINTER EXPLOSION
(KERHONKSON,
N.Y.)
Feb. 17-20
B.C.)
Specifically aimed at African-American
queer folk, Winter Explosion is the longest
running and biggest event of its type.
(www.winterexp/osion.com)
ASCENT WINTER PARTY AT LAKE
TAHOE (LAKE TAHOE, NEV.)
Feb. 26-March 5
Ice skating, snowshoeing, nightly cocktails
and lots of lesbians - what more could you
ask for? (ascent/aketahoe.com)
ELEVATION
(MAMMOTH
LAKES, CALIF.)
March 15-19
Boasting "1,500 riders, seven parties, and
zero attitude," Mammoth Gay Ski Week
will definitely put a queer spin on one of
the top snowboarding locations in the
United States. (mammothgayski.com)
- Ariane Resnick
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30 FEBRUARY 2006
ride
Nip/Tuck is such a riveting show. Does that ~ake your job easier as an actress?
Absolutely. I think that viewers respond to it because it's challenging ...
as much as it's entertaining, it's also ... very provocative. It's very
intelligently written, and as an actress, it's really engaging to work on.
Let's talk a little bit about your character, Gina. How did you
conceive of her struggle with herself?
When I first started working on the show, she was just supposed to
appear for two episodes and she was just sort of a character that
wouldn't go away, and they continued to write for her. So I think that
she came ... trying to give the impression that she was in control,
but I think in reality she's very much out of control and very damaged,
you know, and very, very lonely.
Do you share any of Gina's traits?
I think that I actually might have some of the opposite extreme, which is
that I tend to overcensor. Sometimes I wish that I moved a little bit
more on instinct and didn't overthink. I think when you overthink
things, you miss the moment. As much as I think she's her own worst
enemy ... I like playing her because I like playing someone who says
exactly what's on the tip of her brain. Which I think is not the kind of
32 FEBRUARY 2006
person that I am.
This year you're going to have a bigger arc with a lesbian twist?
That's what I've heard. It hasn't started yet, so I am hoping that it's going
to pick up in the next script.
Can you tell me a little bit more about it?
To be honest, I don't know that much ... [and I don't want to] let the cat
out of the bag. But yeah, [Gina's] supposed to [have a relationship]
with one of the other regulars on the show. We're both hoping it happens, the actress and I; we both really think it would be interesting.
It would be really interesting for Gina, because we're hoping that it
would be a healthy relationship.
And would that be a new thing for Gina?
Yes, I think so. It might actually be someone who really cares about her
and hopefully who she really cares about.
Will viewers complain that the sex addict is now having a lesbian affair?
You know with this show, I have to say I don't think people complain
that much-about anything. I like to think that this show, as much as
it is stylized and obviously there's an element of glamour, I think it's
very human. And so I would assume that if we do get to explore the
basic
I can't imagine
relationship,
Dr.
Liz is openlyaod
story line, it's going to come from a place that's
very believable ... but it's also got an undercurrent of motivation for both of the characters
that's grounded in something that you've
already learned about them. [Our] audience is
pretty in tune with the characters, I think.
Nip/Tuck has a sort of a matter-offactness around sexuality. Are the cre•
ators trying to push the envelope?
I don't want to speak on behalf of the creator
and the writer, but I would say that being there
and working on it, one of the things I really like
about this job is that it's a very mature environment. I actually think that the show is just very realistic ...
[though] television has a tendency to oversimplify, and obviously
living in our everyday lives, there's a complexity to every person and
to everything which makes us up, which includes our sexuality. So
I almost feel like the show is just sort of so adult - and I don't mean
that in the sense of, like, R-rated - but I just mean in the sense that
it's very honest, very candid and it reflects all the colors that are
present in the world. Not just [that] this is the gay character, this is
the straight womanizing character. That's not how life works ...
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that's not how we work as human beings.
What did you think when you were first told that you were going
to have a lesbian storyline this season?
It's funny because when you're an actor and you're sitting at home and
you think, well, what should we do next? And you come up with all
these ideas, and then they always bring me something and I think, "I
never would have thought of that:' I don't know how [the lesbianism]
is going to play out, but the way that I responded to it that made
sense to me was, this woman really, in her core - as [do] all of us wants a connection and is terrified of making one. So I was hoping
... [this was] a relationship with someone ... she could make a real
connection with and feel safe doing that.
Have you had a similar experience that you can bring to the role?
I think that anybody can identify with that feeling. I think the older you
get, the more you realize it doesn't have that much to do with ...
labels and categories or anything like that - it's about people. I feel
like I can relate to that. At first you have a preconceived idea of what
your connection is going to look like, and then the older you get the
more you realize it's not really something you're supposed to control,
it's something you're supposed to just listen to and let it guide you.
Do you think straight actresses have to struggle with believ•
ability when they play queer women?
It would seem to me that when you're playing a character who's gay or
a character who's straight ... it's the relationship you're talking about
- people who are in love, or people who are in good relationships or
unhealthy relationships. I don't know why people think that's necessarily such a stretch. I think unfortunately we're still at a phase where
[the difficulty] is almost overrated. [I] could play somebody who lived
in the 19th century - I'm never going to live in the 19th century that seems more complicated to me than being able to identify with
somebody's heart and their emotions and their sexual attractions.
That's definitely something I have a little bit more experience with.
I was just reading a new study that claims 20 percent of all young
women have had some sexual experience with another woman. I
feel like women feel differently about sexuality than men do.
I think that's true and I hope that's where the world is going, that people can be free. I mean, for heaven's sake, you only live once, so people should be free to follow their emotions, follow their hearts and
also to honor them.
What do you want lesbian viewers to take away from your performances of Gina this season?
I just hope that whatever the story line is and how I participate in it
that people think it's honest and grounded in something that has
a truth to it. ■
Curve
33
AreYou
TooGreedy
inBed?
Ahandy
quiz
tofindoutif you're
really
allthat.
ByKate
Lacey
In bed, your lover does her darndest to get you to see fireworks. Afterward, do you turn
over and go to sleep, leaving your girlfriend to fend for herself, or do you spend the
next eight hours being there for her? The truly greedy gals never seem to know who
they are (even when you tell them), so we've devised this little quiz so you can see how
you measure up.
SCORING
You get 1 point for each A, 2 points for
each B, 3 points for C and 4 points for D.
5-7 points means you're STARVING.
You're obviously the Mother Teresa of sex,
but even the most charitable gal needs a little action now and then. Exert your presence
and start making her work for her pleasure.
1. Your partner's role during sex is:
(D)To have more Os than Joan Rivers has had
(A)A one-woman show.
face-lifts.
(B) A halfhearted pat or two before giving it up.
(C) Tit for tat, baby.
(D) Oh, was my partner there?
to finish up the job. Your honey is making a
4. If your sex life were a meal, it
would be:
slight effort to reciprocate - in the way that
rain makes an effort to water down the
(A) As fulfilling as handing out Halloween
2. Which cliche best reflects your sex life?
(A)If you want something done right,
Sahara. Get her ADD butt in gear and
candy.
make her finish the job.
(B) Fast food - a McDonald's Happy Meal,
do it yourself.
8-11 points makes you HUNGRY. You
shouldn't have to plug in a surrogate lover
12-16 points signals you're a girl who is
with just a tiny prize inside.
(B) What goes around usually comes around.
(C)A candlelit gourmet dinner for two.
(C)lt takes two to tango.
(D) An all-she-can-eat buffet.
FULL. You and your lover are sickeningly
well-balanced. Dr. Phil would be proud of
your team-player approach to sex.
(D) It's all about me.
You are the Donald Trump of sex - greedier
(A)To enjoy the pleasure I give to others.
5. Which song best reflects your typical
sexual encounter?
(A) "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
(B) To get through it like a challenge on
(B) "Give a Little Bit"
surprised if your thong doesn't read, "It's all
Amazing Race.
(C)To trade intimacy like L Word autographs
on eBay.
(C)"Just You and I"
about me:' You might want to recognize
(D) "Light My Fire"
that your lover is a real human being with
3. The ultimate goal of sex is:
17-20 points means you're a GLUTTON.
than the Grinch who stole sex-mas. I'd be
needs, not just your glorified vibrator.
■
It's Gettin9 Hot Out Here ... continued
frompage
35
people with extreme genders like I am. The only time I've ever met
someone else and made a huge scene. I was really glad when it was
anyone is when I've left the event out of frustration and gone some-
time to go home."
where else."
Leather events are another option for hooking up on the road. Ian,
a 40-something
Irena attended
her first Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival last
leather dyke, says that not all events are created
summer. "It was disappointing," she recalls. "I'd heard so many stones
equal, but overall if she sees someone who sparks her interest, she's
about Michfest hookups and how there were play parties every night.
usually successful in getting them to play. The big problem is when
But in reality I felt isolated. It's almost like there was too much choice.
people are too shy to approach each other.
I felt overwhelmed and withdrawn."
was WALP; it's the
Irena admits she was turned off by the preponderance of camping
women's leather pride celebration in Amsterdam. Essentially the rea-
attire. "I was traveling with my housemate Renee, and at the end of
son it worked so well was because a really tall, German leather dyke
the week we were tired of camping. We caught a ride off the land and
·-1 couldn~t hcl1c\'C ho\v sex,·
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girl up in the hotel bar and took her back to the room. We both had
"The most successful event I've attended
stayed overnight in a hotel in Grand Rapids. Renee actually picked a
l
hkc th~n
tlt
more luck in a random hotel bar than in a designated women's space
attended by thousands of lesbians:'
So are women's weekends the answer to your hookup prayers? "It
hon1c.
depends on what you're looking for and where you go;' insists Amy. a
New York party promoter. "I've certainly had some great times at lesbian
took control and assigned people to each other. She stood in the
events. but sometimes the drinking and craziness can get a little over
center of the room and pointed to different women and said, 'You play
the top. I've thrown parties where women have gotten so crazy that
with her, you play with her.' And everyone had a great time."
fights have broken out, and I've also attended events that were poorly
Don't fret if you haven't gotten the hookup yourself. Not all events
promise free lesbo love. Irena, a 30-year-old
attended and kind of boring. I'd say, if you are ready to get really wild
mechanical engineer
and let down your inhibitions, there are many events, especially summer
with gorgeous eyes and a high-femme aesthetic, says, "I never do
ones, where you can make that happen. Your best bet is to ask around
well at women's events. I think these events are poorly attended by
and get information from other dykes before you go:·
36 FEBRUARY 2006
■
Forget all about lesbian
a crab dyke. She is more mothering than sexy
Add to it sexy, intense and mysterious, and that
bars and Sapphic speed dating. All you need to
know about your perfect hookup is written in
but is no slouch in the lovemaking department.
Woo her with candlelight and hot chocolate
pretty much sums it up. She has an unquenchable love of nature. Bring extra water! What
the stars. Charlene Lichtenstein, author of the
recently rereleased HerScopes: A Guide to
(and don't skimp on the whipped cream). What
brings her to new heights? Start at her mount of
makes her warm and mushy? Gently massage
Venus anp explore further.
A§trology for Lesbians (thestarryeye.com),
comes to the rescue with ro antic astrological
advice for Valentine's Day.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
What is it about the lambda ram that is so
powerful and lusty? Maybe it's her take-noprisoners approach to love. She is not shy, and
when she sees who she wants, she makes the
move, or there is no dance. How do you catch
the attention of this lusty lass? Wave a red
teddy flag! What gets her fired up? Nibble on
her earlobes.
her breasts, especially around the nipples.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Who needs constant attention and adulation?
Proud lionesses live and love to be admired.
She is very aware of her appearance and is
regally beautiful. Despite her high maintenance,
she is very generous and randy. Note that she
loves an audience, so consider adding a large
mirror to your boudoir, or go outdoors. What
gets her hot? Rub her solar plexus.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
There is something seductive about a lesbian
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sapphic bulls !oooove sex but need an enterprising lady to prod them into action. Though she
is slow to move, once she gets going there is no
stopping her. How do you get this bulldozer to
plow your field? How about a wonderful meal,
lots of wine and thou? What charges her up?
Nuzzle her on the side of her nose or on her neck.
LU
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
She is flirty, skirty and loads of fun. But can you
get her to commit? Girl-girl twins are more platonic than passionate, but they are very acrobatic and love the chase. How do you hogtie
and brand this wandering babe? Catch her eye
and then play hard to get. What electrifies her?
Kiss the area around her collarbone.
Virgo. Maybe it's because she is so earthy and
sensual under all those layers of flannel.
Actually, the real reason is because she will
always be there for you. OK, maybe with a bit
of a disapproving look as you skulk home at 3
a.m. She can be the mistress of discipline - if
you are lucky! What are her pertinent details?
Give her a good, strong hug.
Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)
There is no one more physically beautiful than a
lesbian Libra. She is very charismatic, sociable
and used to being the center of attention. How
can you catch the eye and soul of such a treasure? Be a bit sexy yourself and generous with
the cash. What energizes her? Give her tummy
love-bites.
:..:
LU
LU
O<
Vl
q::
::E
0
::c:
f-
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
If you. are in the mood to be coddled, cuddled
and overwhelmed with love, look no further than
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Passionate, jealous and possessive all describe
a Sapphic Scorp's love nature. Most of it is true.
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Amazon archers are not known for their sensuality, although with the right lovergrrl they can
singe any sheet. She is independent and
friendly, and she gravitates to the exotic. Catch
her attention by being fun-loving and independent yourself. Tie her up when she is not looking.
To get her going: Lick her inner thighs.
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Although she appears to be practical and conservative, lesbian Caps are really just waiting
for the right woman to sweep them off their
feet. She is earthy and sexy, but will not peel
her layers for just anyone. Show her why you
are deserving. What brings her to a higher
level? Give her a hot-oil massage.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Aqueerians love all womankind. How can you
get her to concentrate on just one woman at a
time? Be unusual, interesting and unorthodox.
She has the sexiest mind and can weave a
seduction that will drive you wild. What sets her
on a course? Caress her ankles and calves.
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
There is no one more romantic and naively optimistic about love than a guppie, so don't disappoint her. She is sensitive to environments,
especially scents and light, and is the siren of
the Zodiac who will steal your heart. Spoil her
with a champagne bubble bath by candlelight.
What reels her in? Suck on her toes. ■
Curve
37
Putting
the"Ex"
inSex
There
are11steps
toevery
lesbian
breakup.
Learn
them
now,
and
you'll
beback
inthesaddle
before
you
know
it.ByCandice
Parker
This weekendwill mark
the formal end of your relationship as your now
ex-girlfriend packs her belongings and.sets off to
make her home somewhere else, leaving you
alone in the place you once called paradise
together. You'veknown this day was looming ever
since she dropped the bomb: "It's not you, it's
me, blah blah blah'.'The bottom line: She wants
out of the relationship.The last month or so has
been a roller coaster of emotions, with you wishing her gone one moment, then crying yourself to
sleep wishing she'd stay the next. But this weekend, she leaves.As she does, let these 11 steps
guide you back to Sapphic single-hood.
1. You will always love her. You'll sift
through the good and the bad, you'll waiver
between angst and anger, and you'll analyze
and re-analyzeevery step of the relationship trying to figure out what went wrong, what you did
wrong. This analysis will lead your heart and
mind in circles but will yield no answers. And
you will always love her.
2. Even if she doesn't admit it or show it in
6. You will often take two steps forward
understand that she wasn't insane when she
any way, she will miss you, too.
and one step back as you attempt to let go. You
will start making plans in advance, no longer
keeping your evenings and weekends free in
tried to call you day after day, sent you mixed
CDs with songs that reminded her of you and
3. Forget the lesbian obsession with staying friends. It will be a long time before you can
truly be friends. She was "the one," and you
won't soon be equipped to hear about how
well she's doing or with whom she's doing it.
hope that she'll call and want to get together.
But then you will hear a song on the radio that
reminds you of her, and you will be surprised at
how easily it still brings you to tears - even
though months have passed.
4. You will lose patience with friends who
offer cliched platitudes like "Time heals" and
"You're right - you won't meet anyone else like
7. For weeks and months, you will compare
her; you'll meet someone better than her'.' You
will think they don't understand; you will think
cute, funny, sexy or intelligent as she was.
that what they're saying is patronizing; but they
do understand, and it's not patronizing.
5. You'll make plans to get together with
her at some point much too soon. A cocktail of
emotions will swirl within you -
repressed
anger and unprocessed sorrow will mix with
anyone new you meet to her. No one will be as
8. Holidays, birthdays and anniversaries
will be difficult, especially the first year. When
Christmas comes, you will unpack the ornaments, only to find the one she bought you last
year. You will stand there holding it, wondering
if you should gently wrap it back up in its tissue
paper, hang it on the tree or shatter it on the
sidewalk in front of the house. You will probably
opt for one of the first two choices.
the elation that comes from seeing her again and if you're like a lot of dyke exes, you'll end
up in bed that night. Your healing process will
take a few steps backward as a result, but
9. You will realize how your previous ex
you'll do it anyway.
felt when you broke up with her. You will
literally begged you not to leave. You may even
call her to apologize.This may lead to rebound
sex, but you'll do it anyway.
1O. At some point when you least expect
it, you will meet someone to whom you are
drawn, and you will be both surprised and
elated that your capacity to be attracted to
someone besides "her" has been restored.
This new person may or may not reciprocate
your feelings, but either way you will know that
your ability to feel and your willingness to do
so remains intact.
11. There is life after her, love after her,
and you will meet someone at some point who
will leave you wondering how you ever thought
you'd never love again. You will realize that the
heart, just like any other muscle, is made
stronger by first being broken. You will heal, you
will laugh, you will love, you will make love
again - and the person with whom you find that
joy will be an incredibly fortunate woman. ■
Curve
41
She's
a Very
DirtyGirl
The
transformation
from
artstudent
topornographer
was
asimple
one
for
queer
auteur
Shine
Louise
Houston.
ByMalinda
Lo
Talking about porn on a
sunny Friday afternoon isn't exactly the worst job I've ever
had - and it's even more fun when the conversation partner
is Shine Louise Houston, the founder of Pink and White
Productions, a new porn production company that recently
released its first video, The Crash Pad.
Houston, a 31-year-old Southern California native with a
penchant for breaking into loud, snorting guffaws when she
cracks herself up, sounds both amazed and thrilled at the
success 'of her fledgling venture, as if it's all been a fortuitous accident. But make no mistake - Houston knows the
business and has plenty of ideas for making queer porn
that's both hot and politically aware.
"I think that a lot of porn [is] considered hot [because of]
what you can see. But for me, I don't think my brain works
that way:' she says. "The approach that I'm taking is not
making the actual sex the focus or the center. The focus is
on that dynamic in which the sex is happening. Take, for
example . . . [the] composition of Eastern paintings. If you
draw an X in the center ... there's nothing. It's always
funding from Blowfish.com, an online retailer.
"I'm hanging out with Tony and the crew;' she recalls,
"and then Christophe [Pettus, the founder of Blowfish]
shows up just to check out what's happening . . . and
Christophe was like, 'So, uh, what do you do?' And I looked
at Christophe and I said, 'I'm gonna be the best porn maker
in San Francisco:" Houston sounds bemused at her own
gutsiness and emphasizes, "I was half joking. I wasn't serious, like, I wasn't thinking anything was going to come out
of this conversation at all}'
But Pettus was impressed by her attitude, and by
November 2004, Houston had filmed a demo video for
$800 and shown it to Pettus, who immediately offered to
finance a full-length production.
Over the summer of 2005, Houston put together a crew,
rented film equipment and cast local Bay area women in a
five-day shoot at a friend's loaned apartment.
"For the first time in my life I'm managing a crew of six
or seven people at a time, and then three or four actors
on set at a time," she recalls in wonder. "In the middle of
"There is power in creating images, and for ... a woman
of color and a queer to take that power .... I don't find it
exploitative; I think it's necessary."
empty. Which, actually, seriously activates the whole composition. So the idea is, the sex is going to be more interesting when it's not exactly the focus:'
If Houston sounds like a former art student, that's
because, well, she is: She graduated from the prestigious
San Francisco Art Institute in 1998 with a B.F.A. in film. "My
senior projects were actually film installations where I was
using re-projected film and then interacting with the film with
my shadow;' she admits with a grin.
But finding a job in filmmaking after graduation was near
impossible, so she began working at Good Vibrations, the
worker-owned San Francisco area sex toy store.
"I kind of chalk up my time at [Good Vibrations] as five
years of marketing research;'she says dryly. She would often
get the same questions from customers, particularly lesbians:
"So what do you have in your dyke section?" And despite a
small revival in the dyke porn market - from Jackie Strano and
Shar Rednour's How to Fuck in High Heels to Dirty Pillows'
Pornograflics - Houston acknowledges that "there's not a lot
that I could direct lesbians to, or I could say, 'That shit is hot:"
By June 2004, Houston decided to rectify what she saw
as a gap in the porn market, and with the assistance of porn
producer Tony Comstock - "He shoots all on film, very
classy, [with] real couples;' Houston explains - she landed
42 FEBRUARY 2006
production I'm watching all this shit happen, and then
that's when it hits me: I'm making a film."
Pink and White Productions promises to produce sexy,
exciting images that reflect today's blurred gender lines
and fluid sexualities, and Houston's first film, The Crash
Pad, is indeed a frisky romp through the genderqueer sexual universe. But while many dykes may welcome
Houston's sexy new spin on porn, for many others, porn
still carries a stigma of exploitation of women.
"That's lending itself to a lot of assumptions about porn;'
Houston objects. "I mean, who's to say that the men in porn
aren't also being exploited? There is power in creating
images, and for ... a woman of color and [a] queer to take that
power.... I don't find it exploitative; I think it's necessary."
Houston is now looking forward to expanding the offerings
on her Web site, pinkwhite.biz, and working to develop the
porn genre itself. "This film genre is so stunted, compared to
all other genres;' she declares. "I want [my films to be] as
good as independent films. I want that film language to grow.
"Not that I single-handedly want to change the porn
industry;' she says. "[I want to] just make the best damn
porn I can possibly make}' ■
Visit curvemag.com for more from Shine Houston.
PHOTO
GRAP HY BY PHYLLIS
CHRISTOPHER
IsSafe
SexStill
HotSex?
Some
lesbians
say
it'stime
tore-examine
thesafe
sex
messages
fordykes.
ByZak
Szymanski
Six years ago, Lanie came of age in
a New York sex-positive dyke culture that emphasized communication,
experimentation and safety - specifically, the use of dental dams and
many other viruses generally cannot live outside the body for longer than
several hours, but sharing a sex toy that exchanges blood or sexual fluids within a short time span means a greater chance of infection.
gloves during almost any erotic activity she could imagine. Before they
"We can describe the category of 'women who have sex with women'
met, Lanie's girlfriend Beth was also sexing her way through the 1990s,
but remembers "watching all these baby dykes wrap themselves in latex"
and come to the conclusion that it is not a high-risk group;' says Kindrick.
"But that's not the same thing as saying that high-risk behavior between
while she made a conscious choice not to use any safer sex barriers with
women cannot transmit the virus:'
Simultaneously, the time has come, many providers believe, to
her partners.
Both women have recently turned 28, and neither has ever tested
positive for a sexually transmitted disease. Lanie chalks this up to her
latex vigilance whenever she wasn't in a monogamous relationship, but
Beth believes many lesbians have been duped into sexual practices that
aren't based upon realistic risks. So, who's right?
They both are.
The early days of Al DS brought a hypervigilance about safer sex, but
acknowledge that hands are not an efficient delivery method for many
sexually transmitted diseases. After all, most doctors don't tell straight
couples to glove up for digital penetration, and even in San Francisco,
with its high incidence of HIV among men who have sex with men (an
estimated one-fourth are infected), the San Francisco Department of
Public Health's City Clinic Internet advice column recently informed one
gay man that fisting at sex clubs is "not considered a high-risk activity:'
as the epidemic and its research evolved, so too did the messages for
male couples and opposite-sex couples. For instance, American health
The obligatory dyke latex message could be harmless overkill:
Despite a variety of WSW sexual activities, it remains true that this
officials now believe that receptive partners, or "bottoms;' are at greater
population is considered the lowest risk group for sexually transmitted
Co 11" i d c r th is stag g tT 1n g 11c \Vs: ~ o 111c 111c d ical cs ti 1n at cs s av th a t 8 0
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111their lives.
risk for contracting HIV than tops, meaning that transmissions from women
to rrien during vaginal intercourse are very low in this country.
diseases among the sexually active, even while anecdotal evidence
suggests that less than 25 percent of women regularly use protection
But despite the best efforts of a handful of concerned health
during sexual activity outside of a long-term monogamous relationship.
providers and sex toy shops, most women who sleep with women
(WSW) have yet to receive updated safer sex messages for their own
population group. There still is limited surveillance data and very little
research to document STD transmissions between lesbians. And yet
what really matters, according to medical experts, has very little to do
with sexual orientation or gender at all.
"What we really need to know in terms of infection transmission is
what is actually happening between two people;• says Dr. Amy Kindrick
of the National HIV/AIDS Clinicians' Consultation Center. Kindrick attributes a good portion of the dyke information drought to false assumptions
about what two women do in bed.
When it comes to HIV, she explains, "What matters from a medical
standpoint is what kind of bodily contact and fluids are involved, and how
likely it is that one of the partners is infected. If we knew those things it
wouldn't matter if we were talking about a man and a woman, a transgender man and a gay man, or two women:'
Blood and semen are considered the two most highly infectious
agents, says Kindrick, which already eliminates a risk factor for women
who don't ever have penetrative sex with a biological penis.
But automatically putting biologically female couples in a lower risk
category only makes sense if they never share straws or needles when
using drugs, never play vigorously enough to tear skin and never have
sex during menstruation. The highly publicized woman-to-woman HIV
transmission case of 2003, for instance, involved the presence of blood
and the sharing of toys during numerous sexual encounters. HIV and
44 FEBRUARY 2006
On the other hand, the message that using gloves and dams equals
safe sex could also lead to a false sense of security, says Dr. Lisa Pratt,
medical director of San Francisco's Community Clinic Consortium.
"I wouldn't recommend that people not use latex barriers, but having
said that, there are some things that still are transmissible despite latex
barriers;' Pratt adds.
SAFE
SEX
DANGERS
The reality of dykes and safer sex is that the infections most likely to be
passed between female bodies are also among the hardest to recognize
and protect against. Both the wart-causing strains of the human papilloma
virus and the herpes simplex virus (which causes sores on the lips and
genital area) are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. Barriers could
prevent transmission if all affected areas are covered, but those areas are
difficult to determine in people who have no visible symptoms.
Genital warts, for instance, can't be diagnosed unless they are present, but they generally arise only when a person's immune system is suppressed and could take years to show up after an initial infection. Blood
tests for herpes often only identify HSV-II, or "genital herpes" (though
newer tests can distinguish between HSV-I and HSV-I1),when in reality
HSV-I can be transmitted genitally as well.
UJ
Embarrassing or painful though it may be to have such symptoms, it's
hardly unusual to contract and carry the viruses that cause them. Some
medical estimates say that 90 percent of those who carry genital herpes
are unaware of it, and 80 percent of sexually active women will carry
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some form of HPV at some point in their lives, an incidence so high that
of these women are not coinfected with another STD, suggesting that
some doctors tell their patients that "everybody has it:' according to
WSW may be at higher risk for this infection for reasons that are unc.lear.
Pratt, who adds that the types of HPV indicated by irregular Pap smears
"We're seeing a lot of BV among this population and we don't under-
need to be monitored for the risk of cervical cancer. External genital
stand why;' says Marrazzo,who also has documented clear cases of HPV
warts are considered harmless and are removed only for cosmetic rea-
and herpes transmissions between women. BV is diagnosed by a pelvic
sons, according to a variety of different STD clinicians.
exam and testing the pH of the vaginal fluid. Roughly half the cases diag-
Other diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea are transmitted through
nosed at Marrazzo's clinic come from women who have no symptoms at all.
vaginal fluid, which theoretically could be passed between hands and vagi-
Regardless of the data available, lesbians like Lanie and Beth are
nas. But to be effective, latex barriers must not come in contact with both
pretty typical of all couples: Their sexual activities, past partners and drug
partners, a task that can be difficult to navigate in the throes of passion.
histories all factor into their STD risks. Considering that both women
In Seattle, one of the few places where woman-to-woman STD transmission is being studied, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo - an assistant professor of
have been sexually active for several years, it is also quite likely that they
carry some form of HPV or HSV and may never know it.
infectious disease and founder of LesbianSTD.com - has noticed a newer
What Marrazzo wants women to remember is that identities and sex-
trend: 25 percent of the lesbians coming into her clinic have bacterial vagi-
ual activities play a.role in STD risk, but they don't tell the full story. "It's
nosis, a bacterial overgrowth of the vagina characterized by a foul-smelling
not just the behavior and what women are doing:' she explains, "but how
discharge that is often mistaken for a yeast infection.
This is a higher rate than is seen among other populations, and most
likely they are to come into contact with someone who is infected in the
first place;'
■
Curve
45
bred in the panhandle town of Euless, Texas, Shahi's mother is Spanish and her paternal
-grandfa her was an Iranian Shah. But there's more to the raven-haired Shahi than what
I brown eyes. Her estimable acting chops have earned her some noteworthy big
s. She did a stint on Alias and appeared in the Will Ferrell vehicle Old School.
e set of The L Word, Shahi is busy bolstering her film career, recently wrapping the longopher Guest film, For Your Consideration. CURVE caught up with Shahi while she drove
eles with her Jack Russell, Eddie, who occasionally barked at passing motorcycles.
How are you able to step foot out in pub•
lie without being mobbed by screaming L
Word devotees?
I'm so not Julia Roberts. I wouldn't be recognized if it weren't for the show. I never put it
together when people come up to me in public. They say, "You're Carmen. You're on The
L Word. We love you:' I'm so not famous.
The girls went nuts from the moment you
stepped out on the screen.
They can all come see me and make a big fuss.
You just wrapped one film and you're
working on another. Has the show helped
you garner other acting gigs?
The L Word has definitely helped me out in
terms of my credibility. It's launched me to
a new plateau. On an actor level there are
only so many jobs. It's hard just to book a
job in this town. And it's so different from
anything else you'll play in your life. You
can't be green and be on The L Word.
When you signed on for the show were·
you aware of how much the first season
had impacted lesbians?
The thing about The L Word is it's such a cultural phenomenon.
Have you had any potentially moving
encounters with fans?
I haven't had as much as some of the characters
who were on the first season. I've had people tell me I was an inspiration. I think it taps
into something. It's absolutely amazing what
the show has the power to do.
Have you had any feedback from Latina
women on Carmen being an inspiration?
It seems to be that I am liked. They're invested
in a Latina character. But I don't have
Spanish women bringing me tamales.
Did you know about the show before you
got the role?
I was living in L.A., and I saw the billboards. I
was just another actor living hand to
mouth. I was upset that I didn't go out for
it. I didn't have Showtime. I didn't even
have cable.
How was this year's shoot compared with
your first year?
I knew the girls more intimately.
So indulge your fans for a moment and
48 FEBRUARY 2006
tell me that the cast of The L Word
hangs around on the set in their pj's,
painting each other's toenails and giving each other backrubs.
Yes, everything you said. It's all true. That's the
deal. I spend 14 hours a day at least with
these people. We have such a great time
being on the set together. The girls have a
great camaraderie. It's a great cast.
It seems to me that Carmen was a little
unfair to Jenny last season.
I agree with you. Carmen has definitely made
some changes. Last season we didn't dive
too deeply into Carmen's closet to who she
was as a person. We get to see more of her.
Me personally, I don't do that.
Treat people that w.ay?
I truly struggled with that. But there's no bullshit about her. No game playing. She loves
to love.
Any trepidation about being pigeonholed
after playing a lesbian character?
Oh God no, no, no, no, no. It's an added bonus.
It's like an added ingredient.
Did you research the role?
I took DJ classes. I live in L.A. I have plenty of
friends who are gay. I mentioned once in an
interview that I'd had some of my own experiences with women and now it always pops
up. Actually, I was so na'i've.I didn't even
know there were books about lesbians.
Are you pulling my leg?
I'm being facetious.
I have another prurient question. Any
chance we might see Carmen in a short
skirt shaking a set of pompoms?
Whoa! Carmen? Nol Sarah, definitely.
How do you view Carmen on a
butch/femme scale?
She's not butch. She's edgier than femme. She
likes to show off her assets, but she's not
going hiking in a pair of heels. She's not
Carrie Bradshaw.
Season three was shot during a political
climate that is particularly polarizing
around gay and lesbian issues. How do
you feel The L Word helps to illuminate
the issues for people?
I think it's awareness. You can accomplish so
much just by being aware. All of the
characters have such strong voices. They
speak what's on their minds. But it's entertainment. It's not headline news.
You had quite a few steamy sex scenes
last season. Are they old hat by now?
I enjoy doing sex scenes with women because
they haveyour body. They're more aware than
guys. I can say, "Can you move your hands?
... I don't want the camera to see the left side
of my nipple:' I quite enjoy doing scenes with
women but it's always awkward. Who wants
to watch themselves kiss? I was watching the
first sex scene Kate and I did together, and I
said, "Oh my God, that's the way I look when
I kiss?"
What have you learned from Carmen?
I've learned to be more patient. Carmen has a
bit of a temper. Here's what I love about
Carmen. She fucking says what's on her
mind. You always know where she's coming from. There's no fa9ade. I think the
world, especially Hollywood, needs more
of that.
So your father is Iranian and your mother
is Spanish, both culturally conservative
communities. Do they watch the show?
They're actually supportive and love it. When I
told my mother about it she said, "The el
word?" What is that? Now she's on the
Web site. She eats this up more than I do.
Does she have a favorite character?
You mean be~ides her daughter? Who doesn't
love Kate and Leisha?
Okay, so I promise I won't tell but who's
the better kisser, Mia or Kate?
Oh my God! Wow, I can't answer that. I'm
definitely lucky that I've been able to kiss
both of them. Mia and I are both feminine
girls. Kate and I are such opposites. We
can be a little raunchier. I can't believe you
asked that!
I didn't really think you'd answer.
I wish I could kiss all of them so I'd know what
they all kiss like.
All right, this may break a lot of hearts but
are you attached?
I am, yeah.... If I ever turn, my gay fans will be
the first to know. ■
By Diane Anderson-Minshall
The L Word has a new girl in town, and sexy,
gender-ambiguous, surfer, rocker and former
circus performer Daniela Sea is guaranteed to
make you forget all about Shane.
There's something wickedly sexy about Daniela Sea. Perhaps it's the fact that she has been a
nomadic world traveler, her wanderlust taking her from her Southern California roots to as far away
as Kurdistan and India, where she spent eight months passing as a man.
The child of hippie artists and intellectuals, Sea was just 3 years old when her father came out as
a gay man. A mere three years later, after her mother remarried, Sea took to the surf under the
tutelege of her stepfather, a former Motown exec who moved the family to Hawaii to catch more
waves. By the age of 12, Sea had taken a job at a biker bar, serving pitchers of brew and dreaming
of getting her own car, and by 16, she had moved to San Francisco to join the punk artist feminist
collective Gilman Street Project (which was home to Green Day and Miranda July, among others).
And that's not the half of it. Long before she hit Hollywood, this L Word hottie was living every
bit the cinematic life - playing guitar with The Gr'ups, herding goats in abandoned villages in Italy,
hitchhiking through Turkey and Eastern Europe, hiking for a month through India's Rishekesh while
drinking water from the Ganges and collecting wild plants for food. In Poland, she joined a traveling circus and spent years with the same tribe doing performances on the streets of Europe,
traveling by foot, living off the earth and cooking over open fires.
Flash forward to 2006, and Sea is the hottest new star of Showtime's hit lesbian drama The L Word.
She's got a superstar girlfriend (Capital B, the musician formerly known as Bitch), a home in Brooklyn
and a plum little role in John Cameron Mitchell's much talked about new film, Shortbus. We caught up
with the performer-turned-actor to find out how it feels to be the L's new "it" girl.
Curve
s1
You have such a richly textured background, it's almost hard to see you in
Hollywood.
I know, it's funny, right?
Is it surprising to you that you're at this
position?
It's surprising to a lot of the people I've known,
but it kind of weirdly makes sense, also. It's
like the next adventure. It's weird, I would
never have expected it in my life a few years
ago, and it's all been a whirlwind, but you
know [in a] strange way it seems to be kind
of fitting. It's almost like everything's coming
back to where I started.
Full circle; that makes sense.
Yeah, like right now I'm sitting on the highway
up above where I grew up in L.A., where I
used to wait for the school bus beside the
highway. I just think it's kind of funny
because I left home so young.
Do you have any issues about that? About
coming full circle.
Well, what has it brought up for me? I guess a
lot of the judgments I would have made
when I was younger about show business .
. . . I feel like maybe I made a blanket statement about the whole thing as if it was all,
you know, somehow corporate or something like that. And I'm realizing now that ...
there are a lot of people with a lot of great
things to say and they're ... making their art
and making things different in the world, but
it's kind of in the landscape [that] I wouldn't
have expected when I was younger.
How did your parents react when you
came out?
I guess they weren't that surprised. They were
really supportive, you know, and most of all
my grandparents also were really supportive,
and they're a traditional Christian family. But
yeah, on that end it was pretty easy. I mean,
my mom was a bit worried. . . . I remember
the first time she said, "Well, you don't call
yourself a lesbian though, do you?" And I
guess we just had to redefine what that
meant in her mind because she had been
raised with a whole different thing about that.
It's interesting how much cultural baggage can come along with just one word.
Mm hmm. She was fine with me being in love
with a girl who she met, but then the idea
that I was a lesbian meant something else to
her at the time.
Well, tell me how you ended up as a
series regular on The L Word without
even having an agent.
Almost two years ago ... I decided I wanted to
pursue acting. I was living in New York and
I'd been touring with my girlfriend, Bitch ...
and I'd been living in Europe for a lot of
women. But then another side of me says:
years, traveling and stuff. When I was in
amazing, and I think that it's really very
thoughtful. The people who are doing the
New York, I just ... had this deep sadness
writing and creating it are not - it's not just
where I got really sick, and I didn't leave the
making a TV show, they are definitely socially
side of yourself. I definitely identify as a
house for like a week and a half or some-
responsible and thinking about -
tomboy. I've always been a tomboy ...
thing ... and I talked to my mom, and she
said, "You know, I think that there's some-
Representation?
thing you need to hear about yourself that
you're not hearing, and you gotta listen to
That's such a heady task, too.
Representing us, yeah.
Yeah, it is. I mean, we are never going to be sat-
definitely genderqueer. I see gender as
pretty fluid and it's hard to nail down one
that's the first thing that anybody teased
me for when I was like 6.
Some people will interpret that as a lesbian experience and some interpret that
as a typical trans experience.
what it is. Listen to yourself;' So a couple
isfied, right? As a people, I mean, I say "we"
days later I just had this epiphany. I realized
that I missed acting so much. It was some-
meaning women, queer, lesbian, trans, whatever, all of us on that spectrum of people who
Yeah, and to be honest, I can relate with both.
thing I really loved ... and I just missed it.
have been women in the past and are politically active, sometimes I feel like we expect a
my friends who . . . deal with it in physical
And I realized: Why can't I just pursue this if
it's something that I love so much? There's
I'm not sure what differentiates me from all
lot, but I think that also makes us really aware
ways, you know, getting surgery or taking T
or using a male pronoun or something. I
got to be a place for someone like me.
... and really struggling for good causes.
think really it's the stubborn, hippie, political
So soon after . . . I heard about an audition for
John Cameron Mitchell's
new film,
Mm hmm. Yeah, sometimes it's good to
be demanding.
side of me that says I'm going to keep what
Shortbus, and I auditioned for it ... and then
finally I got the part and I workshopped it,
and during that time . . . I got a book on
Yeah, I'm proud of us in that way. Even if we
can be, you know, a little ornery sometimes.
I feel like trans is the new butch in our lesbian community.
Tell me about your character, Moira.
Sometimes I feel like that, and sometimes I
iMovie from the library and I made myself a
Moira is pretty f-ing cool. I really like her; I have
reel. I just had some little vignettes from
[when] I'd been in some music videos ...
a soft place in my heart for her. She's a girl
selves, and people can be what they've
from the suburbs outside of Chicago, early
20s, and she's kind of a computer - not
always wanted to be, you know?
and it took me forever 'cause I'm not the
most computer-adept person yet. I just figured it out and then I sent it off ... [to] someone I knew who was writing for the show
who I'd known years before. I just called her
and asked her if I could send her this package and would she pass it on to the right
people. And she said sure, so she did, and
sooner or later I got a call asking for an audition tape, and then I got a call on a Thursday
night. I was at my restaurant job and they
said, "Can you be here in L.A. tomorrow at
noon for this audition?" And I thought to
myself, heck yeah, I'll do it. I used my last
money and I borrowed some money from
my roommate, and I bought a ticket and I
came out, and then within like five days I
was in Vancouver shooting the first scene,
which happened to be a make-out scene
with Mia's character, and that's how it happened. I'd never even seen the show before.
Had you followed the whole ferocity with
which women are attuned to The L Word?
I actually hadn't realized how intense it was
because . . . I just kind of stay at home and
make stuff, or else I go see music or theater. I
don't usually watch TV myself. . . . So then
whenever anyone would bring it up after I got
the job, I realized almost everybody I know
who is a lesbian or queer watches the show even my doorman who's a good straight guy.
It wasn't that I was opposed to it; I just never
found the time, but I [have] definitely watched
all the episodes now, and I'm excited to be
part of it. It's something I really think is pretty
I was given and make space for that as it is.
don't. Wow, now we can finally liberate our-
So, how does it feel now to be the second
L Word cast member to be openly gay?
It feels fine. I never questioned doing it any
away when I started learning about her
other way. I've been out since I knew. I've
[that] she hasn't reached her potential yet,
been telling everybody, and I think there's
like there's something else waiting and it's
something really powerful in that actually - I
not just the trans thing. There's more to her
don't think it ghettoizes me, particularly.
than just living in the suburbs she grew up You were in the San Francisco Pride
in, you know, and so she meets Jenny parade. Do experiences like that change
Schecter and Jenny says that she's going
how you look at the queer community?
back to Los Angeles, and Moira says she
No, not really. It was cool . . . to be riding and
wants to come with her, so we get to see
seeing all these faces looking at me and
them on this journey out to L.A. And then we
getting to see glimpses of all different kinds
get to see Moira in L.A. in this environment
of people who came to the parade - people
of pretty well-to-do - well, like all Jenny's
with their kids, older, younger, all different
friends are mostly pretty upscale.
ethnicities, you know how the Bay area is
Affluent, right.
lucky in that way.... I feel so strong and so
Obviously you see that she sticks out like a_
part of [the gay community] since I was litsore thumb, and then you get to see the diftle, even before I knew I was gay. It's just
ferent ways that she deals with it, and the
part of my everyday life.
way people deal with her and how they What made you fall in love with Bitch?
react. Sometimes it's pretty strong, you
Ha! Well ... I'd been living in Europe for a lot of
know. It's just fun to play. I love that because
years, so I didn't know about her and I'd
I can relate to that feeling, you know, feeling
never heard her work or anything, which is
a little bit outside. She's very good-hearted
crazy because ... we have common friends.
like a gentleman, a real gentleman kind of
But I'd just been not really living under a
woman. I like her.
rock, but just living in another whole reality.
How about yourself? How do you see A different world, right.
yourself on the genderqueer spectrum? Yeah. And so I'd been in L.A. for about six
How do you identify?
months taking care of my cousin who had
Well, I guess it depends on who I'm around,
cancer. I'd been living in India, and then I
because I think that also makes a difference
got this e-mail from her, and so I came back.
politically. Politically, I like to identify as a
I hadn't been back to the U.S. for two years.
woman because I think it's really important
. . . And then she went into remission and
to show that there's all different kinds of
she's like, "I'm ready to take my life back:' so
exactly a nerd, but she does computer tech
stuff, like a programmer. . . . I sensed right
Cawve53
I'm [thinking that I'm] going to go back to
Europe, but I thought I'd stop through the
Bay area, where a lot of my chosen family
lives, for a month or so.
When I went there, my friend Sini Anderson
was putting on this cool intergenerational
series where an older and a younger band
of each genre would be playing in the same
night. So Sini was like, will you come every
night? So I came almost every night and I
kept seeing this woman, and there was just
something about her. And I could see that
she kept seeing me; we kept catching each
other's eyes and we had some different little funny exchanges, but when we finally
hooked up ... it was just like - I don't know
if I can explain it, but I know you probably
know. It was just ... like so meant to be, and
it still feels like that. It's been three and a
half years, and it still feels just like we have
so much to share. We're actually really"creative together; we're a really good collaborative team with writing and music.
You share that creative spirit?
Exactly. And that traveler spirit. I went on the
road pretty soon after with her and Animal,
and ... we went to Bulgaria to visit some old
kinds of ego battles. It was more about what
was best for all of us in the moment, and I
learned a lot from that.
Now, hitchhiking alone, I learned a lot about trusting people. I luckily didn't have very many bad
experiences and nothing too tragic, but I
know a lot of my friends have, so I wouldn't
say to you, "Oh, it's the best thing in the world
to do'.' But for me personally,to just stand on
the side of a road and be able to be in a
whole other reality within some hours and
meet all kinds of people - it just was really
freeing. I had no money for years.... It made
me have more faith in people and feel like I
belonged in the world, actually,and made me
feel proud to be part of the world instead of
like when I was younger [and was] this rebellious punk rocker who never felt like I
belonged anywhere.
You lived in India for eight months while
you were passing as a man.
I was, uh huh.
How do you think that that shaped your
experience there?
I think it gave me a lot of access .... I didn't
consciously say ... "I'm going to India as a
man'.'It just kind of morphed into that. When
And also, they could be like, "Hey, let me
show you the field we're working;' or, "Hey,
will you help us push this cart?" - taking part
instead of being coddled.
Your life is like this big, fascinating freeform narrative. What do you look forward
to in the future?
I made an exerted effort all my life to make my life
my art. I wasn't even necessarily going to
make much that I could leave behind, you
know. But I had this feeling, which reflected
my hippie upbringing, which was that the
greatest art is actually all around us everyday,
and I wanted to just meld into that and tread
lightly. And then I realized that I don't know if
[I] really want to tread lightly in that way. I feel
like I can make a big impact, maybe, in the
world. At least I can just share who I am and
could be inspiring to somebody or something, and I see in my future just continuing
with that.
I would love to make more films 'cause it's something I really love being part of.... I would
love to keep . . . exploring the world and
bringing back the tales that I learned in other
places, and mostly just keep being an openhearted and free person. I believe that we
"For me the sexiest kind of woman is a really
outspoken, liberated feminist. And that's what
I find sexy - her mind!'
friends of mine, and we like to travel and
cook over the fire and whatever; we're kind
of hippies in a way.
Do you feel like she's changed your life?
Definitely, definitely. I feel like vice versa, both
ways, we've definitely helped each other
change. In fact, that was one of the first
promises we ever made to each other - that
we were going to allow each other to
change, and the people we knew now might
not be who we would be with some years
later, but ... just to leave it open for change.
And that's made a big difference because
we are both really different from when we
met, but we're both really just fulfilling our
dreams and helping each other with that.
What did you learn from hitchhiking in
Eastern Europe?
Hitchhiking in countries with people who didn't
grow up under capitalism, and living outside, and staying in villages and being a
guest of people taught me a lot about
human nature. It was easy to live communally with people who were brought up that
way, because you didn't have the same
54 FEBRUARY 2006
I was there, you had to choose, in a way •especially in the traditional areas - if you
were going to wear traditional clothes,
which when I was in Pakistan we had to. So
I actually chose the girls' gender clothing
first ... and I watched as my girlfriend at the
time was in the boys' gender clothing, and
the different kind of access she had.
And then as we passed into India ... I think I just
slowly morphed. Then I got my haircut 'cause
it was already kind of short, and then one day
people thought I was a boy, and I just kind of
went with that. So I chose clothes actually
more close to what I would wear here. And
then I just started referring to myself as "he;'
and slowly it just started morphing into this
thing that I was living as a man. I never corrected anyone. I'd done that in other villages
too, 'cause especially in rural places - I love
spending time with villagers - I feel like it just
makesthings easier if in a group there's some
men and some women. Because then you're
safe in a different way, and people can just
relax and be your friend instead of trying to
make out with you or do something crazy.
can totally change the world and that social
change is all about loving ourselves and our
neighbors, and that's why I think a great way
to love people is to make your art and to be
as big as you can be. You can still make a big
difference by being kind or generous or loving. And that can be your art.
OK, one last question. This article is actually going in our annual sex issue, so tell
me something sexy. Tell me something
about sex every woman should know.
I think ... OK, give me just a minute. [Pauses.]
For me, the sexiest kind of woman is a really
outspoken, liberated, feminist woman. And
that's what I find really sexy: somebody's
mind. Not just their mind, but their expression
of themselves. That's what I think is sexy. I
mean, there are different physical things, but·
that all depends on the person.
Great. Super. Which probably explains
why you fell in love with Bitch. [Laughs.]
Yes. ■
For exclusive outtakes from our interview with
Daniela Sea, visit curvemag.com.
-
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M
.1997
Helen Boyd's 2004 memoir, My Husband Betty: Love,
Sex and Life With a Crossdresser (myhusband
betty.com), is one of the few books written from the
perspective of a transgendered person's significant
other. Her upcoming book, Boy Meets Girl, about
"what it means to our romance if my husband becomes
my wife:' will document her MTF lesbian partner's transition and her changing views on gender and identity.
We talked with Boyd recently about heteroflexibility, genderbending and the thrill of having a hot woman
in your bed.
In My Husband Betty, you're critical of some parts of the crossdresser community, especially the venerable Tri-Ess organization. What has the response been to the book?
The thanks I've gotten has far outweighed the negativity. Cross-dressers
are happy to have a book to give to a wife, parent, friend or therapist.
The nationalorganizationfor CDs, Tri-Ess,isn't happy with the book, but
wonder about the advice they've given. ... All three of them were
latent transsexuals, not cross-dressers,but all three of them gave
advice as cross-dressers!'Do you think transitioning invalidates a
person's previous experience? In our community, for example,
advice columnist Pat Califia transitioned as an FTM. Should all of
his previous advice to lesbians be thrown out?
Sometimes transpeople seem to see any gender variance as latent
transsexualism. Kind of like when you learn a new word and it shows
up three times in a week. When you have transsexuals saying, "I
should have known the first time I put on a dress or a tie that I'd end
up having surgery:' it prevents people from exploring. Like with most
advice, I think you have to know the context.
You've described yourself as a bit of a tomboy. Have you faced
gender discrimination for not being feminine enough?
I was called both "butch" and "dyke" before I was 12 and learned not to
listen, to be honest. There's definitely a downside to not being traditionally feminine. . . . My social life suffered, and working as a temp
was brutal, because they expected me to be some kind of girl secretary. My one requirement for a job after college was one where I
From Strai
Gay
HELEN BOYD ON
REDRESSING MARRIAGE.
BY JACOB ANDERSON-MINSHALL
I criticized that organizationfor transphobic and homophobic attitudes,
so that wasn't a surprise. What I've been most pleased about is how
many people find it a valuable book about gender and feminism, and
how many other kinds of transpeople ... find it useful.
You've called for cross-dressers and their wives to accept they
are less than "straight" and challenged them to form bridges
with the GLBTQ and alternative sex communities. Have you
found support for those ideas?
There are cross-dressers who resent being told that wearing a dress
somehow means they don't like women - especially if they questioned their own identity at some point. But when a CD writes to me
about baking cookies for a local GLBT center fund-raiser - and in
heels, no less! - I know there's progress.
You've explained that when your husband is en homme, the two
of you are straight, and when he's en femme, you're a lesbian
couple. Is that how you really feel?
I'm not sure I can really know "what a lesbian feels like:' but I do butch
up when I'm out with Betty - I become more protective, open
doors, pay for drinks. I definitely have to think like a lesbian in terms
of safety. Privately - well, I like doing the seducing, and I like
watching Betty blush if I tell her she looks beautiful, and I feel like
my dick's a little bigger when someone else finds her attractive·. I'm
not sure what that makes me.
You write, 'When 'certified aoss-dressers' ... opt to transition, I
56 FEBRUARY 2006
didn't have to wear a skirt.
You created your own support group after being evicted from a
cross-dressers' wives' group for "suggesting that women who
were at least bi-curious might have an easier time being married to a cross-dresser;' and breaking a rule by saying the Lword out loud. Are members of your group more flexible with
their sexual identifications?
Yes, absolutely. The MTF community, especially the cross-dressing segment, is still casting off the heterosexual model. Plenty of people
were out there looking for somewhere to say "I'm bi" or "I want to be
submissive" or "I really enjoy anal plugs" or whatever their thing is.
They're what I'd call "heteroflexible" or maybe just adventurous, and
have done some work dealing with shame and guilt about unusual
sexual desires, and with that comes a greater openness for accepting others' sexual orientations and preferences.
Tell me about your new book project, Boy Meets Girl.
It'll be about the important things I learned ... from being married to
someone who's trans, and about what I've learned in general about
being part of the trans community. I feel useful as an insider [and]
outsider because I understand in some ways how many people still
find trans "weird," but I also get how it feels to be trans.
Is there anything else about you CURVEreaders should know?
That my partner, and many MTFs like her, really appreciate the lesbians
who welcome lesbian-identified MTFs into their community. ■
Curve
57
For the Love of the Game
WITH
THE
PROLIFERATION
OF
WOMEN'S
>> By
Tracy
E. Gilchrist
SPORTS,
the phrase "You fight like a girl" isn't quite the put-down it once was. But
along with the increased visibility of women in nontraditional sports
comes the backlash that demands they conform to age-old gender roles.
Women Make Movies has just released three sports-oriented documentaries that dive into gender and body image issues. The films run the
gamut of female representation in sports, from a whimsical look at overweight synchronized swimmers who eschew 1940s Hollywood's obsession with turning women's bodies into fetishized abstract formations, to
a poignant and unsentimental portrait of a female boxer who keeps up
the good fight, to a tenacious teen wrestler. Like all great sports films,
these documentaries tell stories of athletes who overcome ostensibly
insurmountable odds for the love of the game - all the while contending
with their most menacing opponent: cultural perceptions of femininity.
Buoyant (Women Make Movies)
Fat floats, as evidenced by the Padded Lilies, an exuberant troupe of fat
synchronized swimmers profiled in Julie Wyman's experimental documentary. Wyman juxtaposes images of the Padded Lilies rehearsing for
a once-in-a-lifetimeappearance on the Tonight Show with what appears
to be vintage black-and-white footage of a swimsuit-and-goggle-clad
woman attempting to navigate Greek mathematician Archimedes' "drystroke swimulator." But it is Wyman herself who climbs into the system
of ropes and pulleys that resembles something the Marquis de Sade may
have used as furniture. A soothing voiceover reminiscent of a '50s-style
informational filmstrip explains Archimedes' theories to the viewer.
Wyman's camera is at once static and electric, and her spot-on
editing draws parallels between the Padded Lilies' bodies and
Archimedes' obsession with measuring volume. The Padded Lilies
- big, beautiful and meticulous in honing their routine - provide
an unabashed celebration of the larger ladies' form. With just a
hint of irony, the Lilies empower the "jazz hands" move when they
include it in their act. Esther Williams, sporting her signature flowered latex bathing cap, would be proud. (wmm.com)
Girl Wrestler (Women Make Movies)
At 13, Tara Neal is just a regular teenage girl who eats ice cream,
shops and calls boy after boy to the mat, but her wrestling career is
just about finished. Emmy Award-winning documentarian (for her
work on Moving Stories) Diane Zander chronicles Neal's final year
of coed wrestling under a Texas state athletics guideline that prohibits girls from wrestling boys after they reach age 14. With so few
female wrestlers on high school teams, Neal is destined to warm the
bench. Using talking-head interviews and footage of Neal folding
boys into pretzels on the mat, Zander builds a complex relationship
between the wrestling audience, Neal's supporters and detractors,
DVD Picks
FEATURES
Bad Girls (Capital Entertainment):
Now about to enter its eighth
season, the notorious - and critically acclaimed - U.K. women's
prison drama is finally available on
DVD in the United States. The
first season reveals the sordid
(yet instantly addictive) politicking
58 FEBRUARY 2006
involved when the new female
governor (the stern but beautiful
Simo~e Lahbib) butts up against
prison officer Jim Fenner (Jack
Ellis), who sees nothing wrong
with taking advantage of the
inmates. Throw in some dyke
drama - what, you didn't think
there'd be any? - and you've got
a fascinating, though somewhat
trashy, modern version of
Chained Girls. Yeah, it's a little
strange that all the prisoners
seem to have access to lipstick
and fashionable clothes, but hey,
I'm not complaining.
(capitalent.com) - Malinda Lo
Ladies Room (lndican Pictures):
This short film by Kate Bernstein
captures every interaction you
could imagine happening in a
bathroom. In private and public,
women gaze into mirrors, steal
kisses from strangers, commiserate, complain and even find inspiration. Bernstein wittily reveals
the ways that women bond - or
and Neal, who just plain loves the sport. While
she grapples with opponents, Zander's film
grapples with the issues of girls' roles in sports
and notions of femininity. She illuminates the
threat that Neal's physical strength - and
refusal to acquiesce to a traditional feminine
role - poses for her young male opponents
and their overzealous parents. Also at issue in
the film is Title IX, which called for the creation of women's sports programs but has subsequently been blamed for diverting funding
from men's sports to women's, thereby causing
the elimination of men's sports programs
around the country. (wmm.com)
A Knock Out (Women Make Movies)
4
In the world of professional women's boxing,
Michele Aboro is the wrong kind of knockout. Her nearly shaven head and rock-hard,
lithe body are hardly pinup material for the
typical male seeking a Penthouse pet.
Director Tessa Boerman highlights the disparities in women's boxing that call for the
sexualization of the female boxer outside the
ring. Despite Aboro's impressive pro boxing
record of 21 wins, 18 of which were knockouts, her promoter dropped her, claiming she
was "not promotable." Meanwhile, Regina
Halmlich, professional boxer and erstwhile
!lx kitten - who poses in bikinis for magazine covers - continues to slug away in the
ring. Aboro, a mixed-race lesbian from tough
South London, fought her way to the top of
women's boxing only to be beaten down in
her prime by her refusal to play the sexpot
outside the ring. Although sexism unjustly
ended Aboro's professional career, Boerman
leaves the viewer with a sense of hope and
captures Aboro's indomitable spirit and continued devotion to the sport. (wmm.com) ■
Changingthe World
By Catherine Plato
I hear you were an economics major
back in college. When and how did you
learn about filmmaking?
DVDpicks. . . continued
onpage72
□
No. 1 about documentary filmmaking:
Yes, I was! I studied economics because I
Pick a topic you really want to see a film
about - even better, pick a topic that ...
can really change the world. •
wanted to understand who has power in
the world. I was drawn to documentary
How did you come up with the idea to
make One Wedding and a Revolution?
filmmaking by a group called Angry Arts
in Cambridge, Mass. I loved going to
their screenings and I had a dream that
I didn't! I got a call on Feb. 12, 2004, from
my friend Joyce Newstat, who was
someday I could make a film that Angry
Arts would show. They did! I learned how
to make my first film from Margaret
Lazarus, a documentary filmmaker who
had made several feminist films. She let
us use her editing room and taught us
about fund-raising and finding the right
production crew.
What drew you to that medium?
I was very frustrated with the mainstream
media's portrayal of our lives, and . . . I
thought I could reach thousands of peo-
not. An added bonus is the mock commercial for PlaytymeTamponsmidway
through the film. Three beautiful women
wearing T-shirtsthat read "cunt;' "twat"
and "pussy" explainthe virtues of a tampon that resemblesa candy bar so "no
one will know;' while a jingle cheerily
chants, "Plug it up with Playtyme"in the
~J
Good thing someone was
there with a camera that
fateful February morning
when San Francisco mayor
Gavin Newsom began
issuing the first same-sex
marriage licenses. Better
yet, it was Academy
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Debra
Chasnoff, whose films
have been teaching schoolchildren and adults alike
about and gay and lesbian
issues for the past 20 years. Her 19-minute documentary One Wedding and a
Revolution reveals the l~gal and · political processes that eventually led to San
Francisco's first lesbian wedding of longtime (52 years and counting!) partners Del
Martin and Phyllis Lyon (pictured above in a scene from the film).
ple with the message of the film. My first
film was Choosing Children, a documentary I made in 1984 with my partner at
the time, Kim Klausner, about lesbians
becoming parents. At that time it was still
considered impossible to become a
mother if you were a lesbian, unless you
had kids from a previous straight relationship. And we were very inter~sted in
having kids ourselves. So I learned rule
Gavin Newsom's policy director. She
told me to grab a camera and get down
to City Hall right away because they
were going to marry Phyllis and Del. It
was an amazing experience .... It was my
whole life as a lesbian activist
telegraphed into one beautiful moment.
Later, Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian
Rights, approached me about turning
that priceless historical footage into a
short documentary, and I agreed.
What are you working on these days?
I'm making a film for high school students
that will . . . look at how they twist themselves into pretzels to avoid being called
gay. It's part of our Respect for All
Project - a series of award-winning docs
that addresses prejudice among kids.
We had our first shoot recently - it was
very moving getting these boys to talk
about how they wear baggy pants just so
they won't get called "tag:' ■
Curve
59
Legends of Pulp Fiction
>> By
Rachel
Pepper
WHEN LESBIAN PULP NOVELS WERE IN THEIR GOLDEN
age during the 1950s, finding a good book about a lesbian who
didn't kill herself at the end was nearly impossible. Thankfully,
times have changed - so much so that finding dykes in Antarctica
is commonplace - but we can still appreciate the kitsch and lustiness of those paperback novels.
Women's Barracks, Tereska Torres (Feminist Press)
Lesbian Pulp Fiction, ed. Katherine V. Forrest (Cleis Press)
The lesbian pulp fiction revival rages on! These two volumes join a
cadre of recently republished pulp that is enjoying its second, joyous
life. The paperback novel, a format that
emerged from the confessional pulp magazines of the 19.30s,increasingly grew in popularity in the postwar years. Lesbian pulps,
written by lesbians (but also straight men and
women), were even sold in drugstores in the
'50s at the height of their success. The first
books about lesbians sold commercially, they
provided an otherwise isolated lesbian population with the beginnings of a community,
even if only on paper. Although many of the
early pulps had tragic endings (due to bizarre
postal code regulations), they still allowed
women to connect to one another and kickstarted the queer publishing revolution.
Originally published in 1950, Tereska
Torres' Women's Barracks was perhaps the
seminal book of the lesbian pulp genre, selling more than 4 million copies in its day. It
has now been reprinted in a new edition
(with original cover art) that includes an
interview with the author, as well as an
informative prologue and afterword.
In her compilation Lesbian Pulp Fiction,
Katherine V. Forrest has collected selections
from that era's best in lesbian pulp, starting
with an excerpt from Women's Barracks and
proceeding through the vital years of the
1'1leC.11of fhe Datlr, eel.
&z,mansld (Bella Books): This collectionof eroticlesbiantmes of the
supernatural
includes
haunting,aeduc·
tive stories from the likesof Rachel
KramerBuaael,PattyG. He11deraon,
Radclyffe, Karin Kallmaker 811d
CuAYE's
own VICtoria
A. Brownworth.
A delightfulone-handedread about
thingsthatgo bump(or hump)in the
night.(bellabooks.com) - Diane Anderson_,,l,,.,,./1
'50s and '60s. Writers included are the
better-known names in the genre
(Valerie Taylor, Paula Christian and
Ann Bannon) as well as others not as
known (Shirley Verel and Joan Ellis). In
selections with enticing titles like "The
Whispered Sex" and "The Dark Side of
Venus," we get a true taste of the times,
and the real - or sometimes imagined
- community that inhabited it, often in
society's shadows. Forrest writes, "The
importance of all our pulp fiction novels cannot possibly be overstated. . ..
Because they told us about each other,
they led us to look for and find each other.... And once we found each
other, once we began to question the judgments made of us, our civil
rights movement was born." (feministpress.org, cleispress.com)
On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station,
Antarctica, Gretchen Legler (Milkweed)
Fleeing a broken heart caused by her first lesbian relationship,
Gretchen Legler fled to the world's farthest point south- the magical
In the Stacks... continued
onpage72
OJberPaae Turners
IN BOOKSTORES
NOW:
Black Sexual Politics: African
Americans, Gender, and the
New Racism, Patricia Hill
Collins (Routledge): Revisiting
concepts covered in most
university-level black studies
courses since the early '80s,
Collins dissects the standardized
myths found in heterosexual black
60 FEBRUARY 2006
sexual politics and shines a brilliant light on LG BT black sexual
politics. Her most fascinating
example is the contrast between
the murders of Sakia Gunn, a 15year-old black lesbian, and
Matthew Shepard. While the
Shepard case, for which candlelight vigils were held all over the
world, became a favored child in
the fight for federal hate crime legislation, Gunn's murder barely registered on the Richter scale of
national outcries. (rout/edge.com)
- Renee Westbrook
Mouths of Babes, Stella Duffy
(Serpent's Tail): Saz Martin is settling into motherhood with her
partner, Molly, and their daughter
Matilda, vowing not to veer from
the mommy track with any more
of her private eye cases. But a
famous friend from the past
comes calling, and Martin must
confront her childhood foibles.
Duffy, the author of four previous
Saz Martin mysteries, offers up a
gripping page turner full of twists
worthy of the genre's masters.
(serpentstai/.com)
~
Dina.'h
Snore
_QN~J. Weekend!
Mcirch31 cinclAJ>ril1, 2006
Our Girl
(Longerstaysare availableat a reducedrate.)
By Elizabeth Stark
Katia Noyes pulls out e-mails from a farm
wife and a homeless vagabond, drawings
by 17-year-olds and National Geographic
panoramas of middle America to show me
some of what brought her novel, Crashing
America, to vivid life. It delivers the most
exciting literary heroine I've encountered in
the form of street punk Girl, who's on the
run from fate and seeking redemption.
CrashingAmerica.com features excerpts, a
blog, raves from great writers and even
photos of Wolf, her giant cat.
Your book started out as a travelogue.
What changed?
I was very curious about this mythic, cornfield, apple-pie place I had never been. I
wanted to get out there and explore. I
J
met all these teenagers and saw all these
Christian punk-rock stud guy is a combi-
incredible things. I thought, oh, I don't
nation
want to write a book about me in the
describes stealing a tomato from a small
heartland, I want to write about this root-
store? Someone, at 3 a.m., told me that
less, wild California kid. I just plucked her
memory. Someone else, again at 3 a.m.,
out [of an earlier short story] and put her
had that accent. I love these little pieces I
in Nebraska.
of
many
people.
When
he
can draw on and splash down in a book.
What question taps the edgy, lyrical
spirit that drives this novel?
I think Crashing America might be the
great American novel.
If I was going to tell a story at 3 a.m. after I've
Let's hope that the great American novel can
had sex and I wanted to tell the deepest
have a lesbian voice, can have whatever is
truth, what would that be?
lyrical, down-to-earth, honest, sexual, irrev-
Girl steals two cars, a tiny china hen, a
credit card, a photograph, a motorcycle,
a ring and a pie. Did you pilfer anything
for this book?
thought, damn it, this is what a lesbian can
I stole from all kinds of memories. Joey, the
do, this is what is possible. ■
erent, won't take no ... shit. I'm thinking of
Ali Liebegott's The Beautifully Worthless
because I saw all that in her book, and I
Women On A Roll
is taking over the entire
Palm Mountain Resort
in the heart of Palm Springs!
Friday/Saturday room rates start at
$199 (plus tax)
Thursday/Sundayroom rates only
$149 (plus tax)
Event Schedule
WelcomeReceptionThursday
An Intimate Evening
with Kate Clinton
T RetroDanceFriday
"Y PoolPartySaturday
T The "L"Dance
Saturday
Sunday Night FarewellDinner
GuidedHikeand BikeRidewill be
availableto hotelguestsonly.
$200 reservesyour room.
- Diane Anderson-Minshall
Necklace of Kisses,
Francesca Lia Block
(Harper Collins): Fans who
grew up with Block's postpunk Weetzie Bat have the
joy of meeting up with her
in adulthood in this incredibly enchanting new tome,
where we find that life is
no less tricky and no less
full of wonder. As she turns
40, and her relationship
with her secret-agent lover
falls apart, Weetzie packs
her suitcase and heads for
a magical pink hotel for
healing and self-discovery.
Facing a midlife crisis, she
encounters and befriends
an entourage of quirky
characters. While collecting kisses from sushieating mermaids and drag
queen divas, Weetzie is
able to come to terms with
who she was and who she
has become.
(francescaliab/ock.com)
- Sara Jane Keskula
Contact us at
womenonaroll.com
woar@aol.com
310-5 78-8888
A reservationpacket will be mailed
to you once reservationis received.
All events held at:
Palm Mountain Resort&:Spa
155 S. Belardo,Palm Springs
Curve
61
New Queer Year
WHILE
RECENT YEARS
HAVE SEEN
the demise of such indie queer benchmarks as
feminist music label Mr. Lady Records •and
role-model bands like the Butchies, 2006 is
already shaping up to be a good year, if recent
releases by Triple Creme, Sarah Dougher and
Katastrophe are any indication.
This Might Hurt, Triple Creme (Self-released)
Christina Mazzalupo, Robin Pickering,
Terry Lafrazia and Tif Wolf are four of the
hardest rocking dykes I know. It's always a
challenge to try to describe their sound,
because they don't fit comfortably into any
neat box - theirs is a smart, aggressive, passionate ·brand of queer-centric rock that
exudes the urgency and spirit of classic punk
with a bit of the bombast of metal and the
angst of emocore, but is more complex than
generic descriptors like "hard," "indie" or
"underground" can convey. Their press kit
describes them as "textured melodic rock
>> By
meets rhythmic dark-pop," and they cite
bands like Fugazi and Blonde Redhead as
influences; regardless, the Brooklyn-based
band's third self-released album consists
of 10 tracks that offer a fierce wall of
sound, strong vocal and guitar hooks,
driving bass, tight beats and aching lyrics
that speak from their screaming queer
hearts. From the opening assault that is
"Brooklyn," which sets the dream-like
mood and geographic context for the set,
to the catchy "Hurricane," with its plaintive "Please stop loving me" refrain,
Triple Creme pulls you in and won't let
go. Be on the lookout for their video for
"Team Queen" - the song that tips a hat
to Black Sabbath via an "Iron Man" guitar bit - at a queer film festival near you,
featuring queer underground N.Y.C. personality Murray Hill. (triplecreme.com)
Harper's
Arrow,
Sarah
Dougher
(Cherchez La Femme Projects)
The Portland-based out singersongwriter, college professor
and journalist has been through
a lot in the past few years including breast cancer - but
her fourth solo album is finally
seeing the light of day on
Cherchez La Femme Projects, a
new music label and art distribution company focusing primarily
on women and queers begun by
Dougher and her friends. The 16
tracks found here are loosely
inspired by ideas from Homer's
Odyssey but are filtered through
Margaret
Coble
One Klas Can Lull to Another: Girl
Gl'Of!P Sounda, I.oat ud
Fo1111d
(Rhino):Call me corny,but I loveKissfor
its total package:It's the first girl group
box set ever, with 107 artists,120 songs
and four CDs in a groovyblack-and-white
mod hatbox,plusa bookthat lookslike a
girl's diary and CO digipaksshapedlike
makeupcompacts.Even better?A hardto..findand kiok·assoriginalof Dee Dee
Warwick(aiaterof Dionne)singing11You're
Ne Gooct: long before Linda Rondatadt
made it popular. (rhino.com) - Diane
Anderson••lnshall
a contemporary lens and reflect Dougher's
personal and political concerns about war
and violence. The title track implores us to
"Turn off the TV," while "Oh My Glory"
demands, "Turn the radio off, now, turn the
radio off," underscoring Dougher's critiques
of the use of media to distract us from the
violence of war. Though a book could be
Other Licks
ON CD:
Flo'ology, Floetry (Geffen):
Romance and relationships
serve as inspiration for the 1 2
tracks of the Grammy Awardwinning, London-born female
duo's sophomore album of spoken-word-infused soulful hiphop. (f/oetry.net)
East Village Opera Company
(Decca): Out lesbian alto
62 FEBRUARY 2006
AnnMarie Milazzo gives this
downtown New York hipster
band dyke cred as they reinterpret classic opera arias as fullthrottle rock anthems. (east
villageoperacompany.com)
Portal, Margie Adam (Pleiades):
The pioneering women's music
star returns with another superb
solo piano album and accompanying mesmerizing DVD featuring
a slide show of her own stunning
photos of Scotland's Callanish
Stones. (margieadam.com)
Troublesome Bubblegum,
Electrocute (Emperor Norton):
Cherry, Lisa Shaw (Naked Music
NYC): The sultry, soulful voice of
many Naked Music and other
underground deep house labels'
hits shine on Shaw's debut solo
album, running the gamut from
slinky R&B to sensual house
music. (www.naked-music.com)
Berlin brat-grrl duo fuses candycoated vocals with hooky garagepunk guitars, raunchy lyrics and
electro beats for a pappier
Retrospective 1995-2005,
Natalie Merchant (Elektra): The
Peaches-light dance-party experience. (electrocute.de)
definitive "best of" collection
""
~,
I-
z
<(
::E
:,.:
I
~
al
<(
u
.,..
""
written about her poetic parallels, it shouldn't be lost that Harper's Arrow is also a
hauntingly beautiful indie folk rock album,
with songs like "Keep One Hand on the
Rudder" and "String Inside the Harp" sticking in your brain after just one listen.
(sarahdougher. com)
Fault, Lies and Faultlines, Katastrophe
(Cherchez La Femme Projects)
On tour this past fall with Triple Creme
and now on Sarah Dougher's new record
label, San Francisco FTM wordsmith
Katastrophe (aka Rocco Kayiatos) continues his reign as the king of queer hip-hop
with this sophomore release. Dubbed
Producer of the Year by the Out Music
Awards and featured in the documentary
Pick Up the Mic: The (r)Evolution of Queer
Hip Hop, he's also toured with Sister Spit's
Rambling Road Show and performed with
his own spoken-word hip-hop collective the
End of the World. On this new 17-track
disc, he collaborates with many notable
names in the queer hip-hop world, including
Cindy Wonderful from Scream Club,
QuakeTrap's Shaggy Manatee, Romanteek's
R~by Valentine and Deep DicKollective's JB
Raps and Juba Kalamka. Sometimes delivering like a Controversy-era Prince on T
("Diamond Rings"), a tranny Peaches
("Read Me"), or a queer, politically radical
Eminem ("The Life"), Katastrophe mixes
elements of rap, ghetto-tech, spoken word,
electro and other beat-heavy subgenres far
a danceable, deftly-worded delight that will
have you thinking as well as getting down.
(katastropherap.com) ■
Badass Rock Stars
By Jocelyn Yoo
Nearly two years ago,
Melissa Koehl and Megan
Thomas answered an ad
placed by Karen Binor in a
small Chicago pa per, and
together they've been stripping the paint from the walls
with their aggressive garage
rock ever since. The Reptoids
are active in the local music
scene, yet the 20-something
bandmates still have time to watch zombie flicks, release their second EP (Park a Tiger)
and drink each other under the table. Watch out: These are the types of girls your mother
probably warned you about - and precisely the girls everyone wants to hang with.
What was it like in the early stages?
M I ss : The first guitar I used in our first gig
of Chicago and be more known nationally,
[belonged to] . . . an ex-boyfriend of my
but I would never sell my music to any
large corporation or [use it] to sell prod-
roommate's. All of our gear was used and
kind of beat-up. And I think I had a bladder
You guys sound pretty rough-and-tumble.
ucts. Unless it was Jager.
infection right about then that hindered
practice. I had to cancel practice because
I was peeing blood. . . . Our old bassist
found that interesting, so he made sure
we put that in the bio.
Right now you're the local prize of
Chicago. Are you secretly hoping to
someday have your music included in
iPod commercials and the soundtrack
for The O.C.?
Karen: I would never want our music on the
: Totally. We're badasses. But if you
met any one of us in our personal lives,
you'd probably have no idea that we write
music that sounds the way it does.
So say Karen and PJ Harvey were in a
barbed wire steel cagematch. Who
would you put your money on?
Oh, Karen, for sure.
Karen: PJHarvey's tiny. She's, what, 5-foot-2?
I could take her.
Megan: Yeah, Karen comes across as being
soundtrack of The O.C., that's for sure. I
mean, I would certainly like to branch out
guitar-based compositions from
contains 13 hits from the former
her homeland. (www.universal
10,000 Maniacs singer; a limited
classics.com)
deluxe version offers an additional
disc of 15 rarities and live tracks. Paradise Hotel, Eliza Gilkyson
(Red House): This veteran
(nataliemerchant.com)
Austin-based singer-songwriter
Corazon Libre, Mercedes Sosa
(Universal Classics): The now 70only gets better with age.
year-old Argentinean folk music
Paradise, her ninth release, is a
icon and human rights activist
masterpiece of personal- and
offers 16 beautifully melodic claspolitical-themed roots-folk.
sic and contemporary
(elizagilkyson.com)
extremely passive, but you don't want to
cross this girl. Believe me. ■
ON VINYL:
Standing in the Way of Control,
The Gossip (Kill Rock Stars): Le
Tigre offers a subtly souped-up
remix of the Arkansas-rooted,
now Portland-based queer trio's
super-hot disco-punk single.
(killrockstars. com)
ON DVD:
Live in Hollywood, Marianne
Faithful! (Eagle Vision): This
live CD/DVD package celebrates 40 years of one of the
most enduring, controversial
female rock icons of our time.
The concert, recorded in the
spring of 2005, features 18
classic tracks spanning her
career. Plus there's a bonus
interview and music video on the
DVD. (eaglerockent.com) - MC
Curve
63
Resolve to Oust Republicans
SO
MANY
REPUBLICANS,
so little time.
That's the mantra for the new
year. In 2006, many Republicans
are up for re-election, some of
them the most odious anti-queer
and anti-woman
voices in
Washington. They must be voted
out, and we must do it - hence
the mantra.
Our lives as women and queers
are on the line.
Republicansnow have a stranglehold on every branch of American
government: In addition to the executive branch, Republicans dominate the House series of senators - all Republicans - who
of Representatives and the Senate. President refused to sign a bill apologizing for the
Bush has also made stuffing the judiciary with Senate's failure to stop lynching.
right-wing ideologues the focus of his second
Utah's senator Orrin Hatch is another powterm. Bush has railed against so-called erful Republican up for re-election. Hatch has
"activist judges" who interpret the been the Senate's staunchest anti-choice vote
Constitution to include the rights of minorities and has made anti-gay comments over the
and women, even as he has appointed judges years, including statements regarding same-sex
who are conservative activists who will rescind marriage, queers in the military and the adoplaws already in place that protect women and tion rights of gays and lesbians. He, too,
minorities in America.
refused to sign the lynching bill, as did Sen. Jon
The country has taken a giant step toward Kyl, R-Ariz., and Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo.
the right - the far, extreme, ideologically
Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, isn't just
terrifying right. Right-wing ideologues, with a good friend of George W. Bush; she's his
Bush at their helm, want to return America ideological soul mate. A hard-line antito a 1950s-era white supremacist,
choice candidate and proponent of the death
McCarthyesque, fundamentalist Christian
penalty, she was one of the first senators to
style of governance. Voting them out is in the support Bush's illegal invasion of Iraq. She
best interest of every American.
helped draft the Federal Marriage
Start with the third most powerful
Amendment opposing same-sex marriage,
Republican in the Senate, Rick Santorum, opposes queers in the military, declined to
R-Pa. For months Santorum has been touting sign the lynching bill and has been indicted
his new book, It Takes a Family, which three times by the same prosecutor who
details why women belong in the home, fol- indicted Tom Delay. Vote her out.
lowing the biblical dictate to be subservient to
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, isn't as notomen. Santorum also spews vitriolic anti-gay rious as Santorum, except to lesbians, women
rhetoric, likening same-sex marriage to incest, and people of color. DeWine has been tied to
bestiality and pedophilia. He has stated that questionable polling practices in Ohio that
the priest sex abuse scandal in Boston was .kept people of color from voting and shifted
due to the "liberal attitudes" promulgated in the Electoral College in Bush's favor in the
Massachusetts, which led to "obscenities" 2004 election. What's more, DeWine, a
like the legalization of same-sex marriage. staunch Bush supporter, has been rumored to
And Santorum wants to repeal Roe v. Wade. have been linked to facilitating the 11th hour
Other powerful Republicans up for re- referendum that put prohibition of same-sex
election include the infamous former Senate marriage on the ballot in 2004.
majority leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. Lott was
Other Republicans to be campaigned
forced to resign from that position after against in 2006 are Sen. George F. Allen, Rmaking racist remarks. Lott is also one of a Va., Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., Sen. Conrad
64 FEBRUARY 2006
>> By
Victoria
A. Brownworth
Burns, R-Mont. and Sen. John
Ensign, R-Nev. - all anti-choice,
anti-gay and defiant supporters of
the far-right Bush agenda.
Democrats who deserve support in their re-election campaigns
in 2006 include Edward Kennedy,
D-Mass., one of the Senate's most
liberal voices and among the most
vociferous critics of the Bush
administration
and the war.
Although Kennedy does not at this
time support same-sex marriage,
just civil unions, he has voted
against laws like DOMA that prohibit queers from marrying. He has been a
strong voice for women's health and universal health care for decades.
Also declaratively liberal are Maria
Cantwell, D-Wash., and Debbie Stabenow,
D-Mich., who were both in very tight races
in their last senatorial bids. Although Hillary
Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif., have partially supported
the war in Iraq, both have among the most
liberal voting records in the Senate and
deserve re-election based on the larger scope
of their political achievements.
There are five open Senate seats in 2006
- three Democratic seats in Maryland, New
Jersey and Minnesota, one Independent seat
in Vermont and one Republican seat in
Tennessee.
The damage done to the nation by Bush
and the Republican Party in 2005 was
immense. The harrowing images from New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the
arrogant responses of the Bush administration and its supporters (Santorum suggested
bringing criminal charges against those who
didn't leave the city) made it apparent that
Republicans have little concern for the poor,
disabled or people of color.
We have an opportunity in 2006 to alter
the configuration of the Senate, where
Republicans now hold a 55-44 majority.
Maintaining all the Democratic seats as well
as voting out these dangerous Republicans
could shift the balance of power in
Washington, D.C. Doing all we can to oust
Republicans opposed to our privacy and
freedom should be our primary goal in
2006. Let's get to work now! ■
tech
girl
10 Hot New Cell Phones
.•
.
MOBILE PHONES SEEM TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL THESE :
days. Camera phones now play music over high-quality speakers, have :
wireless Internet capabilities and enough memory to replace that old •
Palm Pilot you've been schlepping around. Here's why the next genera- :
•
tion of cellular phones is so much smarter.
.•.
.
- Jaclyn Barcewski and Malinda Lo
WALKMANS
ARE BACK
• SIMPLICITY
WORKS,
TOO
Remember Walkmans from the pre-iPod • Not into the do-it-all phone frenzy? Try Sprint PCS' Sanyo Vl-2300,
era? They're back now as MP3 players and : which is available in six different colors and comes with haute couture
have been fully integrated into Sony : Dooney & Bourke carrying cases designed to personalize whichever
Ericsson's new line of Walkman phones. : phone you choose. Sprint PCS Vision compatibility and Ready Link make
•
The W800 comes with a 512 MB memory ! the Vl-2300's screen easily readable both inside and outside, and it also
stick, a 2-megapixel camera with video : features a built-in speakerphone and a long battery life. The Vl-2300's
.
recording ability and Bluetooth capabilities. : sister phone, the SCP-200, has an embedded GPS and a 1.6-inch color
The W600 can swivel open or closed, depending on whether you're using : screen and comes in funky teen-centric colors like pink fusion. Both
its 1.3-megapixel camera, playing games (multiplayer games are possible •: Sanyo models are great products for anyone who doesn't want a camera
via Bluetooth), or listening to your favorite tunes. You'll never be bored on : phone but still craves added functionality and style at an affordable price.
the subway again. ($429 and up, sonyericsson.com/walkmanphone)
: ($190 and up, sprint.com)
•
••
.....................................................................................................................
IT'S A SNAP
Samsung unveiled its MM-A800 last spring - the first phone offered in
the United States with a 2-megapixel camera and a media player. The
upgraded model will feature a 3GB hard drive that will hold 1,000 songs
and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Samsung has also developed the SCH-
V?]O,which is distinctive because it looks a lot like a regular digital camera. The phone's backside has a 2-inch, color, thin film transistor display
with 320-by-240-pixel resolution and 3X zoom. Its MP3 player, video
capture mode and business card reader make the the SCH-V770 a great
phone for tech-savvy gabbers. ($299, samsung.com)
..
TO THE NTH DEGREE
Nokia's sleek new multimedia-rich N
series is sure to satisfy your inner gadget guru. The N90's Transformerslike clamshell has a high-resolution LCD screen that twists 90 degrees
for better image-taking. The N91 can hold nearly 3,000 songs and play
them as a mobile jukebox while simultaneously managing files and incoming calls. The N70 looks like a small digital camera on one side, sliding
open to reveal a sleek little lens. With its built-in flash, you can quickly and
easily take 2-megapixel images, and with Nokia's XpressTransfer, the
phone acts as a digital storage unit ready to show wherever and whenever. ($675 and up, nokia.com/nseries)
...................................................
NEVER ENOUGH
ITUNES
Apple and iPod groupies can rejoice - now there's a phone just for you.
The Motorola ROKR E1, the only phone designed to play your iTunes,
weighs in at a mere 3. 7 ounces, offers 6.5 hours of talk time, and has
side grills in five color choices that light up. Your music will automatically pause when an incoming call is received, but you can continue to
listen while text-messaging your buds. ($250, cingular.com)
dyke
drama
My UnfunnyValentine
>> By
Michele
Fisher
AT LEAST THIS YEAR, I DON'T HAVE
to worry about going home with a stranger and
having her toss me around like a rag doll.
It was just after midnight on the eve of
February 14. I had spent my evening serving
lovey-dovey gay couples the Sweetheart
Special at the diner where I worked. For 50
bucks, the lucky couple got a Caesar salad,
chicken marsala or pasta primavera, a heartshaped strawberry shortcake and a bottle of
cheap red wine. I was exhausted and I smelled
like the Sweetheart Special. I didn't feel like
going home, but I couldn't conjure up the
energy for a night out, either.
I decided to hit the bar next door to the
restaurant. I had developed a rapport with one
of the bartenders there; I would serve him
breakfast at five in the afternoon before his
shift started, and he would pour me a nightcap
(or six) at midnight after mine ended. It was a
men's bar, but so were all the bars on the street.
It was a leather bar, but I just needed somebody
to whip me up a drink.
I had never seen another woman in the
place before, and I wouldn't have seen this one
either, except she kept leaning forward on her
barstool trying to make eye contact with me. I
ignored her the first few times she did it.
Normally, I felt delighted to be one of the
swinging singles set, but that particular night
- after I'd heard those couples say "I love
you" to each other about 60 billion times - I
had decided to feel sorry for myself. As I sat
there calculating the many ways that life had
done me wrong, my bartender pointed out
that there was a woman about to break her
nose on the bar a few stools down the way.
And she looked pretty good ... for a girl.
The bartender sent her a drink from me
without asking me first. Within a few minutes,
she was standing behind my barstool, breathing fresh liquor fumes on the back of my neck.
She thanked me for the drink and then asked
me to go home with her, all in the same husky,
whispered sentence. I hesitated and tried to
gauge just how committed I was to wallowing
in self-pity that night. I quickly decided to save
that for some other holiday and followed her
out into a waiting cab.
She wasn't much for small talk. I thought
it downright odd that she sat on her side of the
back seat, staring out at the passing scenery,
without paying me any mind at all. I reasoned
66 FEBRUARY 2006
that she must be closeted and was worried the
taxi driver might blab her business around
town. The ride was short. By the time I was
out of the cab, she was already in her apartment building and heading up a flight of stairs
in the lobby. Maybe she thought I was right
behind her.
I barely caught the front door before it
locked me out in the cold night. I heard footsteps directly overhead, so I assumed she must
be on the second floor. Maybe she had left
something on the stove or needed to make an
important phone call. At the landing, I heard
some keys hit a hard surface and saw a light
in the hallway where a door had been left
open. I walked toward the light and hoped it
was her apartment. •
As I poked my head through the crack in
the door to make sure, a hand cuffed me
across the back of my head. I was startled, but
I assumed she was making a lustful grab for
me and just missed her target. I entered her
apartment and pushed the door closed. This
time, two hands grabbed me by the ears and
dragged me into the living room. I noted the
beautiful hardwood floors as we made our
way to the couch, where she threw me down
and mounted me like a bank robber astride a
getaway horse in the Old West. Passion was
one thing, but this girl was acting like she just
got off death row. She began tearing at my
clothes, and I began to suspect that something
was amiss. I tried to lighten the mood by talking to her, but she was not interested and
rather rudely told me to "Shut the f- up."
I finally understood that she had been at
the leather bar for a reason. She was into
rough sex and we were doing a "scene." It
was SIM, she was the S, and I was the M.
DykeDrama... continued
onpage71
2006 Curve Confidential Reader Survey
1. Do you subscribe to Curve?
D Yes
D No
2. Including you, how many people read or looked into your last issue of Curve?
D None D 1
D 2
D 3
D 4
D 5 or more
3. Of the following sections, please indicate which you like most, like a little and
like least to read in Curve. (Give answer for each)
Like
Like a
Like
most
little
Least
Ask Fairy Butch ............................ D
Lipstick & Dipstick ....................... D
Brownworth ................................... D
Dyke Drama .................................. D
Movie, music or book reviews ...... D
D
Top Ten Reasons We Love ........... D
Tech Girl ....................................... D
Open Studio ................................... D
Curvatures ..................................... D
Out in Front.. .................................
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
4. Which of the following topics would you like to see covered more in Curve?
(Check all that apply)
D Fashion & Design
D Automotive
D Food & Entertainment D Horoscopes
D DIY and Crafters
D Travel
D Politics
D Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies
D None of these
D Technology
5. On which of the following topics
Curve? (Check all that apply)
D What to wear
D
D Parenting
D
D Home
D
improvement
D Young adult issues D
D
D Career issues
would you like to receive more advice from
Relationships/
dating
Technology
Do-it-Yourself
Cooking
Automotive
D Financial
D Travel
D What's new and
upcoming trends
D Other
D No more advice
6. Which of the following actions have you taken in the past 12 months as a result
of seeing advertising in Curve? (Check all that apply)
D Purchased an advertised product or service
D Contacted an advertiser for more information
D Visited an advertiser's website
D Saved an ad for reference
D None of these
7. What do you usually do with your copy of Curve after you have finished
reading it? (Check all that apply)
D Clip/copy articles and/or
D Save for reference
advertisements of interest
D Pass it on to someone else
D Other
D Place it in a public area
0 Discard it
8. How did you first find out about Curve? (Check only ONE)
D Mainstream
D Word of Mouth (friends/
bookstore/newsstand
acquaintances)
D Found Curve's website online
D Gay/lesbian/women's
D Event/pride festival
bookstore
D Other
D Advertisement
9. What age group should the women featured in the magazine be?
D 18 - 24
D 31 - 40
D Over 50
D 25 - 30
D 41 - 50
D All ages
10. How often do you visit Curve's website?
D Daily
D Only when I am looking for something in
D Weekly
particular
D Monthly
D Never
11. How likely would you be to purchase a brand which markets to you and how
you identify (i.e., lesbian, queer, bisexual, trans, etc.)?
D Very likely
I D Somewhat likely
I D Not at all likely
12. When shopping for a product, would you prefer to a pay a higher pric.e to a
socially responsible company or save money by buying from a socially
irresponsible company?
D Pay more to a responsible company
D No preference
D Pay less to an irresponsible company
13. Before deciding whether or not to buy a product or service, do you always,
sometimes or never try to find out whether or not the company is gay friendly?
D Always
D Sometimes D Never
About Your Activities, Interests, Entertainment & Shopping
14. Which of the following types
apply)
D Women's
D Other gay/lesbian
D Home
D Parenting
D Do-it-Yourself
D Fashion
D Financial
of glossy magazines do you read? (Check all that
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
In-flight
Regional
Sports
Extreme sports
Food/cooking
Entertainment
Political
D Travel
D Outdoor
recreation/Nature
D News and current
events
D Other
D None of these
15. Which of the following magazines do you read regularly (at least 3 out of 4
issues)? (Check all that apply)
□ The Advocate
D Jane
D Passport
D Bon Appetit
D Lesbian Connection
D Premiere
D Bust
D Lesbian News
D Rolling Stone
D Cosmopolitan
D Money
D She
D Entertainment
D Newsweek
□ Time
Weekly
D The New Yorker
D Vogue
D Forbes
D On Our Backs
D Wired
D Fortune
D Out
D Other
D Girlfriends
D Out Traveler
D None of these
16. Do you or your household subscribe to or regularly watch Cable TV and/or
Satellite TV?
□ CableTV
D Neither, but planning to subscribe to Cable TV
D Satellite TV
D Neither, but planning to subscribe to Satellite TV
D Both
D None of these
17. How frequently do you watch The L Word?
D Always
D Sometimes
D Rarely
D
Never
18. Please check which of the following cable networks and premium movies
channels you view in a typical week. (Check all that apply)
D A&E
D Here!
D Showtime
D Bravo
D HBO
D Starz
D Cinemax
D Lifetime
D Sundance
D CNN
D LOGO
D TBS
D Comedy Channel
D MTV
D TNT
D Discovery Channel D The Movie Channel
D USA Network
D Encore
D Oxygen
D VH-1
D ESPN
D Q Television
D None of these
19. Do you subscribe or plan to listen to satellite radio programming?
D Yes
D No
20. What do you typically do on weekends or time off from work? (Check all
that apply)
D Shopping
D Exercise
D Travel/weekend getaways
D Read/listen to music
D Home improvement
D Surf the Web
D Clubbing/bar scene
D TV and movies
D Dining out/coffee shops
D Theaters, museums & art galleries
D Outdoor activities/sports
D Wine tasting
D Entertaining others at home D Other
21. If you had to choose from the following options, who would best represent
your personal hero? (Check only one)
D Angelina Jolie
D Hillary Clinton
D Oprah Winphrey
D Madonna
D Mother Teresa
22. What is most important to you right now? (Check up to 3)
D Career building
D Starting a family
D Retirement planning
D Having a good time
D Finding love
D Other
35. How often, on average, do you go to bars or dance clubs?
D 3 or 4 times a week
D 1- 3 times a month
D l or 2 times a week
D Less than once a month
23. Which of the following medical services have you or other members of your
housebold used in the last 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Women's
D Cosmetic dentistry D Reproductive services
health
D Dermatology
D Psychiatric/counseling
D Other
D Gender surgery
D Nursing home
36. What was the total number of trips for business and pleasure taken by you or
other members of your household in the last 12 months (excluding train/bus for
travel to and from work)? (Give answer for each)
Domestic
InternatBoat/
air
ional air
Train
Bus
Cruise
None ................... □
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
3-5 .................... □
□
□
□
□
6-10 .................. □
□
□
□
□
11-20 ................ □
□
□
□
□
20 or more .......... D
□
□
□
□
l or 2
24. In the past 30 days, approximately how many meals (lunch & dinner) have you
and other members of your household eaten in a restaurant? (Give answer for
business and for pleasure)
A.
B.
For Business
For Pleasure
None ................... □
□
1 or2 .................. □
□
3-7 .................... □
□
8-15 .................. □
□
16-29 ................ □
□
30-49 ................ □
□
50 or more .......... □
□
38. Which of the following is your preferred car rental agency? (Check up to 2)
D Avis
D Dollar
D ational
D ever rent
D Alamo
D Enterprise
D Payless
D one of these
D Budget
D Hertz
D Thrifty
D Vegan
D None of these
27. Which of the following beverages were consumed or served by you at home or
away from home in the last 30 days? (Check all that apply)
D Bottled spring/
D Domestic beer
D Rum
mineral water
D Imported beer
D Vodka
D Health/energy
D Domestic wine
D Gin
drinks
D Imported wine
D Tequila
D Soda
D Champagne
D Scotch
D Coffee
D Cordials or
D Bourbon
D Juice
liqueurs
D Whiskey
D tea
D Brandy
D Other
28. In an average week, how many alcoholic beverages do you drink?
D 1- 2
D 11 - 20
D 31 or more
D 3-10
D 21-30
D None
29. How often do you smoke cigarettes?
D Never
D Seldom
30. How often do you vote?
D Always
D Usually
D Occasionally
• D Seldom
31. How do you identify politically?
D Republican
D Independent
D Democrat
D Green
.................
□
37. How many times have you used a rental car in the last 12 months?
D Never
D 3 -4 times
D 10- 19 times
D 1 or 2 times
D 5 - 9 times
D 20 times or more
25. In an average month, approximately how many times do you or another
member of your household entertain others at home?
D Never
D 3-6times
D ll-19times
D 1 or 2 times
D 7 - 10 times
D 20 times or more
26. Are you?
D Vegetarian
D Primarily vegetarian
D Never
D Regularly
D Never
39. Which is your preferred domestic airline carrier? (Check
D American Airlines
D Horizon Air
D
D American Trans Air D Independence
D Aloha
D JetBlue
D
D Alaska
D Frontier
D
D Delta
D orthwest
D
D Continental
D Southwest
D
40. What is your preferred
D Expedia
D Hotwire
D Orbitz
online travel booking agency? (Check up to 2)
D Priceline
D Hotel's website
D Travelocity
D Other
D Airline's website
D Do not book online
41. What do you enjoy doing when you travel?
D Relax
D
D Adventure travel
D
D Organized tours
D
D Sight-seeing
D
D Check out the nightlife
D
32. How do you support non-profit organizations? (Check all that apply)
D With donations when asked
D With donations without being asked
D With volunteering when asked
D With volunteering without being asked
D I work full time for a non-profit organization
D I don't support non-profit organizations
33. Which types of non-profit organizations interest you most?
D LGBT related
D Political
D Religious/spiritual
D Social justice
D Cultural/arts
D None of these
34. On average, how much in total do you donate in a given year?
□ Nothing
□ $500 - $999
□ $7,500 - $9,999
D Less than $100 D $1,000-$2,499
D $10,000-$19,999
D $100 - $299
D $2,500 - $4,999 D $20,000 or more
□ $300 - $499
□ $5,000 - $7,499
(Check all that apply)
Cultural activities
Attend LGBT events
Shopping
Combine business and pleasure
Other
42. Which of the following destinations have you or other household members
visited in the past 12 months and/or plan to visit in the next 12 months? (Check
all that apply)
D San Diego, CA
D France
Domestic
D Boston,MA
D San Francisco, CA
□ Chicago, IL
□ Lake Tahoe, CA
D Dallas, TX
D Fort Lauderdale, FL
D Washington, DC
D Wine Country, CA
□ Key West, FL
D No political affiliations
D Other
up to 3)
USAir/ America
West
United
Spirit Airlines
Other
Do not fly
D Hawaiian Islands
D Las Vegas, NV
D Los Angeles, CA
□ Miami,FL
D New York, NY
D Palm Springs, CA
□ Philadelphia, PA
□ Portland, OR
D Provincetown, MA
D Reno,NV
International
D Argentina
D Asia/Pacific Rim
D Australia
D Austria
D Belgium
D Brazil
D Canada
D Caribbean
D Costa Rica
D Finland
D Germany
D Holland
D Iceland
□ Italy
D
D
D
D
D
D
Japan
Mexico
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
□ Tahiti
D South Pacific
D United Kingdom
D Uruguay
D None of these
43. Which of the following have you or other members of your household attended
or engaged in during the last 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Art gallery
D Looked at real
D Theater
D Ballet/opera
estate
D Visited a casino
D Bought gourmet
D Movie
D Wine collecting
foods
D Museum
or tasting
D Live concert
D Resort or Spa
D None of these
44. In which of the following sports and other outdoor activities have you and
other members of your household actively participated within the last
12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Backpacking/camping
D Rock-climbing
D Bicycling
D Ski diving/parasailing/hangD Boating/sailing
gliding
D Fishing
D Skiing/snowboarding
D Surfing/skateboarding
□ Golf
D Team sports (soccer, softball)
D Horseback riding
D Tennis
D Jogging/running/walking
D Other
D Kayaking/rafting/canoeing
45. To which of the following do you hold season passes, tickets or memberships?
(Check all that apply)
D Professional Men's
D Theater
sporting events
D Rock-climbing gym
D Professional Women's
D Health club
sporting events
□ Other
D Ski & Snowboard resort
□ None of these
56. Which types of personal computer do you plan to purchase in the next
12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Desktop D Handheld/PDNSmart phone/Blackberry
D Laptop
D None
57. What type oflnternet access do you currently have at home?
D Dial-up
D DSL
D Wireless D Cable
58. To which of the following
D Cingular
D Nextel
D Verizon
D None
mobile phone service providers do you subscribe?
D Sprint
D Other
D T-Mobile
D None of these
D U.S. Cellular
59. Do you plan to change service providers when your contract ends?
D Yes
D No
D Maybe
60. Within the next 12 months, which of the following products or services do you
A.) plan to purchase in a store, and B.) which do you plan to purchase online?
(Check all that apply)
A.
B.
In a store
46. Which of the following department or retail stores have you or other members
of your household shopped in the past 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Bloomingdale's
D JC Penny
D Saks Fifth Avenue
D Costco
D Macy's
D Sears
D Dillard's
D Marshalls
D Steinmart
D Hot Topic
D Mervyns
D Target
D Kmart
D Neiman Marcus D Wal-Mart
D Kohls
D Nordstrom
D Other
D Lord & Taylor
D Ross
D None of these
47. Which of the following fashion brands (clothing, shoes, accessories, etc.) have
you purchased in the last 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Clarks
D Kenneth Cole
D Abercrombie &
Fitch
□ Cole Haan
□ Levi Strauss
□ American
□ Oakley
□ DKNY
Apparel
□ Old Navy
□ Donna Karan
□ American Eagle
□ Paul Frank
□ Eddie Bauer
□ Banana Republic
□ Ralph Lauren
□ Express/The
□ Bebe
Limited
□ Seven for All
□ Benetton
Mankind
□ Diesel/ Fossil
□ Bostonian
□ Steve Madden
□ Gap
Calvin Klein
□ Swatch
□ Guess
Coach
□ Tommy Hilfiger
□ J. Crew
_g
Online
Travel package/cruise .................................. D
□
Books ........................................................... D
□
Music ............................................................ D
□
Computer hardware/software ....................... D
□
Electronics (i.e., MP3 player, TV, digital
camera, camcorder, laptop, PDA, etc.) .... D
□
Flowers/gifts ................................................ D
□
Movie or event tickets .................................. D
□
Health/mind/body products ......................... D
□
Fashion (clothing, shoes, accessories, etc) .. D
□
Home style/furniture .................................... D
□
Movies/DVDs .............................................. D
□
Designer fragrances ..................................... D
□
61. Which of the following credit
(Check all that apply)
□ American Express
□ Diners Club
□ Discover
□ MasterCard
cards do you currently have in your name?
□
□
□
□
VISA
Frequent Flyer Card
Gas cards
Department store cards
□ Gift card
□ Other
□ None
48. On average, how much do you spend per month on clothing, shoes, and
accessories?
0 $500-$999
□ $1,500-$1,999
0 $1-$249
D $1,000 - $1,499 D $2,000 or more
0 $250-$499
62. Are you planning to apply for another or new credit card within the next
12 months?
D Yes
D No
D Maybe
49. When it comes to trying a new product or brand, which of the following best
describes your attitude?
D Enthusiastic D I wait for a friend to suggest a new product/ brand
D Hesitant
D I don't try anything new
63. For which of the following do you normally use your credit
that apply)
D Fashion
D Restaurants/bars
D
D Travel
D Cultural entertainment
D
D Technology
D Outdoor athletic
activities
D
D Home
50. What degree of interest do you have in Motorola brands?
D Never heard of them
D Interested in knowing more
D Somewhat familiar with them D Planning to purchase
64.
52. Have you personally used cosmetics, hair care items, or skin care items in the
past month?
D Yes
D No
53. When you purchase cosmetics, hair or skin care products, do you generally buy
the least expensive brand or a higher quality brand?
D Least expensive brand
D Higher quality brand
54. Do you like to be the first to buy or upgrade to a new electronic gadget?
D Yes
D No
55. Which types of personal computers do you own? (Check all that apply)
0 Desktop □ Handheld/PDNSmart phone/Blackberry
D Laptop
D Do not own a computer
65.
General purchases
Do not have a
credit card
None of these
How many of these types of vehicles do you currently own/lease and which
do you plan to purchase/lease in the next 12 months? (Answer all that apply)
Currently
own/lease
51. Have you personally used a cologne, perfume or fragrance in the past month?
D Yes
D No
card? (Check all
Plan to
buy/lease
Currently
own/lease
Plan to
buy/lease
Compact Car ..... __
□
SUV .................. .
Mid-Size Car .....
□
Van/minivan ..... .
□
Full-Size Car .....
□
Pickup Truck .....__
□
Sports Car .......... __
□
None ..................
Luxury Car ........ __
□
Which make(s) of vehicle do you prefer?
0 Acura
O Ford
D
0 Audi
O Honda
D
0 Buick
O Hummer D
□ BMW
□ Hyundai
□
0 Cadillac
□ Infiniti
D
0 Chevy
O Jaguar
D
0 Chrysler
O Jeep
D
0 Dodge
O Kia
D
□
0
(Check all that apply)
Land Rover
O
Lexus
O
Lincoln
O
Mazda
□
Mercedes Benz
O
Mercury
O
Mitsubishi
O
Nissan
O
□
Pontiac
Saab
Saturn
Subaru
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo
Other
66. How much do you intend to spend on your next vehicle?
D Less than $20,000
D $40,000-$49,999
D $70,000-$79,999
D $20,000 - $29,999
D $50,000- $59,999 D $80,000 or more
0 $30,000 - $39,999 0 $60,000 - $69,999
67. How important is each of the following when selecting a vehicle? (Give
answer for each)
Somewhat
Very
Not very
Not at all
important
important
important
important
Reliability .............. 0
□
□
□
Price ....................... □
□
□
□
Safety ..................... □
□
□
□
Gas mileage ........... D
□
□
□
Style/appearance ... D
□
□
□
Brand name ........... D
□
□
□
Cargo size .............. D
□
□
□
4-wheel drive ......... D
□
□
□
Emissions .............. D
□
□
□
68. What degree of interest do you have in Vespa brands?
D Never heard of them
D Interested in knowing more
D Somewhat familiar with them D Planning to purchase
69. Which of the following do you typically spend your discretionary (spare)
monthly income on? (Check up to 3)
D Fashion/shopping
D Cultural entertainment
D Home improvement
D Outdoor entertainment/exercise
D Restaurants/bars
D Savings/investments
70. Do you conduct your banking online?
D Yes, all of it
D Yes, some of it
□ No
72. What is your ethnicity?
D African American
□ Asian American /
Pacific Islander
73. Which ONE of the following
ONE)
□ Lesbian/Gay
□ Straight
□ Bisexual
D Intersex
□ Caucasian (white)
□ Latina/o
□ Native American
D Other
□ Mixed race
□ Other
best describes how you identify? (Check only
□ Bi-curious
□ Trans gender
□ Genderqueer
□ Queer
□ Other
74. How do you think a mainstream onlooker/acquaintance would describe your
general style and appearance? (Check only ONE)
D Femme
D Butch
D Androgynous
D Divorced
D Widowed
□ 25-29
□ 30-34
□ 35-39
83. What is the highest level of education
D High school or less
D Some college
D Technical degree/
certification
□ 40-44
□ 45-49
□ 50-54
□ 55-59
□ 60-64
□ 65 or older
you have completed?
D Associate degree(s)
D Graduated 4-year college
D Some postgraduate study
D Postgraduate degree(s)
84. Counting all sources, what is the total combined annual income before taxes of
all members of your household?
D Less than $25,000
□ $80,000 - $99,999
□ $25,000 - $34,999
0 $100,000-$124,999
□ $35,000 - $49,999
□ $125,000-$149,999
□ $50,000 - $64,999
□ $150,000-$199,999
□ $65,000 - $79,999
D $200,000 or more
85. Which of the following best describes your current employment status?
D Unemployed
D Management
D Service industry
D Entry level
D Skilled trade
D Self-employed
D Professional
D Executive
D Other
86. Which of the following best describes your current place of residence?
D House/condo you own
D College dormitory
D House/apartment you rent
D Other
D Yes
D No
88. Which of the following investments do you or other members of your
household current hold? (Check all that apply)
D Stocks
D Money market account
D Bonds
D Real estate (other than your
D Mutual funds
primary residence)
0 40l(k) plan
D Art/collectibles/antiques
D IRA/Keogh/other pension plan D None of these
D Certificates of Deposit
89. Where do you live?
□ Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA)
□ Southeast (DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL)
□ North Central (OH, IN, MI, WI, IL, MN, IA, MO, ND, SD, NE, KS)
□ South Central (KY, TN, MS, AR, LA, OK, TX)
□ West (MT, WY, CO, NM, ID, UT, AZ, WA, OR, CA, NV, AK, HI)
D Canada
D Outside of the U.S. and Canada
90. For each of the following 2005 covers of Curve, please circle your favorite and
put ~_:~~:_~h_:oughyour l~~!~.;'~ite.
75. To whom are you out? (Check only ONE)
D Totally out
D Out to some people
D Out to most people
D Not out at all
76. Are you? (Check only ONE)
D Single
D Married
D Partnered
D Engaged
82. What is your age?
D Under 18
□ 18-20
□ 21-24
87. Do you plan to buy or sell a home in the next 24 months?
About You and Your Household
71. How do you identify? (Check only ONE)
D Female
D Male
D Trans
81. How much, in total, do you spend annually on your pet(s)?
D Less than $500
0 $1,000 - $2,499
□ $5,000 - $9,999
□ $900-$999
□ $2,500 - $4,999
□ $10,000 or more
1
D Polyamorous
D Other
77. Are you planning a wedding or commitment ceremony in the next 24 months?
D Yes
D No
D Maybe
If"Yes," how much do you plan to spend on your wedding or commitment
ceremony? (Check only ONE)
D Less than $1,000 D $5,000- $7,499
□ $20,000 - $29,999
0 $1,000-$2,999
0 $7,500-$9,999
0 $30,000 - $49,999
□ $3,000- $4,999
□ $10,000- $19,999
D $50,000 or more
·
78. Do you have any children?
D Yes
□ No
79. Which of the following pets do you have?
D Cat(s) D Dog(s)
D Other
D None
80. Do you buy specialty pet food?
□ No
D Yes
Thank You for supporting Curve!
To enter the drawing, please clearly fill in the information below in dark ink and clip
and mail this survey to: Research USA, PO Box 68369, Schaumburg, IL 601680369 If you don't wish to participate in the contest, mail in questionnaire and leave
this section bank.
Name: _____________________
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City, State, Zip: __________________
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)9
,re
der
Lesbofile
.. . continued
frompage23
; of
No
went to rehab to kick her cocaine
habit and consequently lost her
modeling
contracts
with
Burberry, H&M and Chanel.
Let's face it, she's probably not
the only model doing coke. And
as Catherine Deneuve said on
FemaleFirst.co.uk, "If she's ruining her personal life, that belongs
to her. What she does in her private life is very private." But what
if she does it in public? According
to the Press Association, fashion
photographer
Mario Testino
defended her as "never less than
professional."
However, her
exploits with Jude Law's ex-wife,
Sadie Frost, and English actress
Davinia Taylor have been noted
in publications around the world
as if they were more evidence of
her complete loss of control.
We're with Rupert Everett, who
said, "What's wrong with her
having had sex with another
woman?" Um, if Sadie Frost was
my best friend ... ■
on whose life the movie Domino (starring Keira Knightley) was based _ wasn't really a lesbian. In a Los
Angeles Times interview last July, her
uncle declared that at the time of her
death, Harvey was preparing suits
against the rehabilitation clinic at
which she was a patient and the
tabloids that had proclaimed she was a
lesbian. Her mother also denied the
rumors during a New York Times interview in October, stating that she dated
a series of men and was especially
"captivated by those with a dark side."
You may be thinking that dark side
might be a shadow cast by a rainbow,
but don't get too excited - Harvey
herself told New York Post columnist
Liz Smith last February that she was
not gay. At least there's still hope for
Knightley (like you haven't wondered).
Poor Katie
Geez, who knew the life of a supermodel could be so rough? Kate Moss
DykeDrama. . . continued
frompage
66
and
clip
8ve
I attempted to explain to her that this was
all a silly misunderstanding. As I spoke, I
tried to squirm out from beneath her, but
that only encouraged her to get more physical. She grabbed a handful of my hair and
yanked my head back down on the couch.
I remembered reading a story about the
leather scene that mentioned a "safe word."
There was supposed to be a secret code word
that you used if you wanted the scene to stop.
"What's the safe word?" I asked her. She
paused for a second, and then a really nasty
look crossed her face. I decided it was time to
go before I was in the dyke remake of
Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
I reached behind my head, grabbed a
couch cushion and clobbered her on the side
of the head. As she slid off the couch and
onto the floor, I jumped up and backed
toward the front door, continuing to try to
convince her it was all a silly mistake. She
didn't laugh. She just sat there staring at me
with her mouth open. I got out of there and
spent the whole freezing walk home looking
over my shoulder, praying that her scary ass
was not behind me.
But that wasn't my worst Valentine's Day.
I remember one I spent on my own, surrounded by candles and flowers that were
meant for a woman who never showed up.
She didn't know that I had decorated the
house for her or that I had made lasagna.
She just thought that two single friends
were going to spend Valentine's Day watching movies and bitching about women. I
had been carrying a torch for her for a
while and I was pretty sure she felt the same
way. I guess I was wrong. She called about
an· hour before she was due to come over
and told me she just wanted to stay home
and sleep until it was February 15. For once
in my life I opted not to humiliate myself,
so I didn't tell her about the lasagna or my
feelings. Therefore, that wasn't the worst
Valentine's Day ever, either. How about the
Valentine's Day where I got drunk and
barfed? Well, I've done that on plenty of
holidays, so that wouldn't make it particularly memorable or upsetting.
Nope. The worst Valentine's Day I ever
had occurred when I was sitting with my
then-girlfriend in a fancy restaurant at a
table overlooking the ocean. As we sat there
eating and looking at the pretty lights, I
suddenly realized that I was miserable. I was
lonely within my relationship, and I had
never known - until that moment - that
it's the worst kind of loneliness of all.
No, I didn't tell the woman that night.
No use making it her worst Valentine's Day,
too. But soon afterward, I did make some
changes in my life. I made a promise to
myself to never settle for anything - or anyone - again. Maybe I wouldn't find true
love, but at least I wouldn't loathe myself for
giving up.
Settling is worse than being a fool for
love or being rejected or even getting
thrown around a strange apartment by a
drunken sadist. I should know. ■
Curve
71
2006 Photo Contest
RulR~
Who may enter: Anyone is eligible, except
employees of CURVE,Outspoken Enterprises
Inc. and sponsors or members of their families.
An entry fee is required for each entry: $5 for
one photo, $1 0 for two photos, and $1 5 for
three to five photos. Deadline: Entries must be
postmarked no later than February 1, 2006. The
winners will be announced in an upcoming issue
of CURVE.Entries and specifications: All photographs must be submitted with the printed
entry form (available online at curvemag.com)
signed to CURVE Magazine Photo Contest,
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 51 0, San Francisco,
CA 941 03, and labeled "Do Not Bend." We
cannot accept postage-due mail. The entry form
must be completed and enclosed in the envelope. If submitted by mail, each print/slide must
be labeled with the image name and the
address
and phone
number of the
Photographer. Contestants must know the
names and addresses of all identifiable persons
in their photographs. "Photographer" specifies
the individual who took the photo. Only the
Photographer can enter her/his photo. Models
and/or individuals, whether pictured in the photograph or not, are not eligible to submit photographs on behalf of the Photographer. All entries
become the property of CURVEMagazine and
will not be acknowledged or returned. CURVE
assumes no responsibility for photographs. Do
not send original negatives/slides. Do not e-mail
submissions. Late, mutilated or previously published photos are not eligible and will not be
considered. The contest coordinator's determination regarding late, mutilated, lost or previously published entries shall be final. Photos containing nudity will not be considered. Prizes: All
winners will receive a complimentary one-year
subscription to CURVEMagazine. Other prizes to
be awarded at several levels of recognition,
including: grand prize overall; first, second and
third place prizes. Specific prizes are listed on
page 17.Only one prize will be awarded per person. Winners: Contestants formally designated
as award winners will be required to supply the
original negative or transparency of the winning
photograph. Winners also will be required to
sign and deliver to CURVEa publicity release.
With submission of materials, all entrants consent to give permission for CURVEMagazine to
reprint the photograph in various media, and this
serves as an affidavit of eligibility. Also, your signature on the entry form is a guarantee that you
have a signed release from every identifiable
person in each photo submitted and that you are
the sole artist. Submission of materials:
Submission of materials constitutes consent by
winners to the use of their photographs, names
and likenesses by CURVEand their licensees for
advertising; editorial purposes concerning the
contest or succeeding contests in CURVE,books,
and elsewhere; and publicity, online uses and
advertising purposes in connection with promoting CURVEMagazine, CURVEPersonals, other
contests, succeeding contests or in any other
manner.Winners may also be requested to grant
CURVEconsent to use their photographs for
other editorial, trade and/or advertising purposes
at a compensation to be mutually agreed upon.
72 FEBRUARY 2006
In the Stacks. . . continued
frompageso
continent of Antarctica. While on sabbatical
from her teaching job over the winter of
1997-98, Legler, a recipient of a National
Science Foundation award for writers, lived
among the thousand or so people who
inhabit McMurdo Station on the world's
most inhospitable chunk of land. There, she
vowed to write, rest and reinvent herself in a
place that could provide space to "embark
not only upon a journey of physical exploration and discovery of new lands, but also
on an exploration of inner worlds."
The collective result of her time there,
recently published in a single volume, is On
the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at
McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Having lived
previously in Alaska, Legler was no stranger
to isolated lands, and as the author of much
literature on women and nature (including
All the Powerful Invisible Things: A
Sportswoman's Notebook) she knew something of what to expect.
Still, she wondered, would she be a lone
woman among a pack of grubby men
eager to make her an "ice wife"?
Thankfully, no. In fact, she found that not
only were many women now living in
Antarctica (they were finally allowed to
live there in 1974, and now constitute 40
percent of the population), but there was
a thriving lesbian community.
"In fact," Legler writes, "there was a
joke: How do you get a date with a woman
in· Antarctica? Answer: Be one." Soon after
her arrival, she meets Ruth, an electrician,
and a lovely, gently told romance blooms. As
Legler's heart opens to Ruth, so too do her
mind and soul come to appreciate all that is
unique to Antarctica. Her awakening to the
harsh but beautiful continent is described
throughout the book, whether she is capturing her walk around the actual South Pole,
discovering the multicolored wonder of
nacreous clouds, seeing penguins and whales
in their natural habitat or simply lying in the .
snow, staring up at the night sky.
She also captures much of the history of
the continent, from its early exploration by
men like Robert Falcon Scott (whose hut still
stands there) to a brief herstory of women in
Antarctica, to descriptions of the ragtag
group of yearly arrivals who mix with the
long-term workers and scientists, all getting
along in a remote place free from "normal"
social conventions.
Braving temperatures too cold to consider,
constantly bundled in parkas just to step
outside to pee and living a spartan existence
with minimal finery, Legler nevertheless
begins to find herself. "How do you come ro
know place, especially a place so vast and
wild as Antarctica? How do you come to
know self? How do you come to know anything? ... When would I get there, if ever?
First, you show up, I thought. First you are
present, then you can begin. That, I was trying to do." When I finished the book, I was
in awe of this magnificent continent I had
previously been so unknowledgeable about,
and soothed by Legler's sweet telling of it. ■
DVDpicks. . . continued
frompage59
background. Available only
on the Young Unknowns
DVD. (indican
pictures.com) - Amy
Silverman
Dildo Diaries (RoadTrip
Productions): Didactic yet
thoroughly entertaining,
Dildo Diaries is a tragically
humorous look at the illegality of sex toys in the
state of Texas, where adult
stores must refer to products as "educational models" and "demonstrators"
to avoid violating the law.
With quotes ranging from
"We don't use the O-word"
to "More guns kill people
than vibrators~ and destinations including Topco
Sales' adult toy factory
and the Museum of
Questionable Medical
Devices, directors Laura
Barton and Judy Wilder
compress a wealth of information into this 63-minute
doc. (dildodiaries.net)
- Ariane Resnick
Dominatrix Waltrlx (Fatale
Media): The premise of
Edith Edit's short "sci-fi
queer sex romp" is noble:
People who work in the
food service industry are
overworked, underpaid
and, apparently, undersexed. Dominatrix Waitrix
is a campy, kinky and
bizarre fantasy of exorcising the inner dominatrix on
rude and demanding customers, which those of us
who have waited tables
have no doubt dreamed
about. Thankfully, condoms are used, because if
you have ever worked
in a restaurant you know
just how rarely those pepper grinders actually
get washed.
(dominatrixwaitrix.com)
- Jenny Miyasaki
Face (Tartan): A freelance
forensic sculptor is reconstructing the faces of
murder victims when suddenly his daughter begins
to hear screams and have
visions of a woman in
white. As Pop tries to
save the girl from these
deadly visions, the film
adopts a feminist undercurrent that pairs the danger of the female body
with Grudge-style Asian
horror. (tartanvideo.com)
- Diane AndersonMinshall
CLASSIC MOMENTS
CALENDAR
Judy Francesconi, the eye behind
the Provocateur: Women calendar,
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moments of love and romance.
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Curve
73
I'
Maggie meets the
woman of her dreams just as her mother and
brother move in with
he&Quirk and sexy.
t
t
I
:
<)1{1<,IN/\.1
'"~ Ul .. uH>ut<>d
VI
l~-..,l(lN
Tl11 .,,,.alh
An lina Jolie is a sexy
~n
supermodel in
the trut bio&ra~ set
in - drua-naied days
of StudiQ J.t.
an inteiue attraction
developsbetween their
current lovers.
I•',
• •
74 f/dl.UAJ.Y 2006
omo link to the
town's water su_pply.
All hell breaks loose.
I
I
Bi comic Margaret
Cho's triumphant
return to the screen
with her no-holdsbarred humor.
SEASON
TWO
An astonis •ngly erotic
tale about former
lovers and the passion
and obsession that
reunites them .
....
-
-
•
~
,;(.
<
..
-
-w·
.
•
!!IX
When married Annie
meets Maggie, she discovers something in
herself she never even
knew existed.
Superb women's music
doc with Holly Near,
Meg Christian, Bitch
and Animal, Ani
Difranco and more.
Naomi ~ 1ttobillsby
directing lesbimporn
in this sexy, unforgettable Japanese romantic comedy.
.,
Her live, sold-out show
is bold. brash and funny
in all the best politically
incorrect ways.
Powerful BBC drama
offers a moving
account of a YO!!D8
woman who will win
our heart.
Exciting collection of
lesbian short films,
including the hilarious
Interviews With My
Next Girlfriend.
Cla'll975
CURVEBoutique: back issues
VOL 15#8
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BACK ISSUES: $5.95 each•
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76 FEBRUARY 2006
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Starting this month, CURVE is adding two
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That means CURVE will now be a monthly
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Over 80 percent of you
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February
2006
Volume
16#1
26 GETREADY
FORA ROADTRIP
by Jocelyn Voo
From mermaid festivals to Ladyfest, we've
mapped out the parties to last you through
the year.
30 HITTHESLOPES
by Ariane Resnick
From Park City to Lake Tahoe, queer
chicks are hitting the slopes for gay ski
weeks around the country.
32 NIP/fUCKSEXPOT
TOCOMEOUT
by Diane Anderson-Minshall
Jessalyn Gilsig is back on Nip/Tuck, as
feisty as ever and with a lesbian lover
to boot.
vi'
0
46 THEL WORD'SCARMEN
by Tracy E. Gilchrist
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takes us inside season three of The L Word.
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by Diane Anderson-Minshall
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Daniela Sea joins the cast of The L Word, and
we promise you'll forget all about Shane.
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COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY BRIE CHILDERS
Antiquing_ Hiking. Dancing the
night away_ Pennsylvania has '
enough action to tucker anyone '
out. Which makes a little R&R
at any of our B&as even more
enjoyable. Make sure You come
out this fall. Start Planning
Your long Weekend getaway
With our Online itineraries.
Then hit the road in the
STATEOF INDEPENDENCE.
departments
8
CONTRIBUTORS
Who did what this month.
10 LETTERS
You like us, you really like us.
12 OUTIN FRONT
Former Atlanta cop Connie Locke
can bust us anytime.
14 CURVATURES
Bra chains, Sheryl Swoopes, tit tees
and Nancy Drew.
18 OPENSTUDIO
Sculptor Danielle Anjou hears voices.
23 LESBOFILE
Is Condi Rice gay?
24 LIPSTICK
& DIPSTICK
How to make phone sex hot.
25 ASKFAIRYBUTCH
Um, what's a stone butch?
24 SHESAID,SHESAID
Musings from Hilary Swank and
Jodie Foster.
64 BROWNWORTH
Resolve to fight the GOP.
58 SAPPHIC
SCREEN
Girl Wrestler, Buoyant and up close
with director Debra Chasnoff.
65 TECHGIRL
Phone it in with these 10 hot new
tech toys.
60 IN THESTACKS
Lesbian Pulp Fiction and other page
turners, plus author Katia Noyes.
66 DYKEDRAMA
When an S/M scene isn't what you
hoped for on Valentine's Day.
62 MUSICWATCH
Triple Creme tops our list, and the
Reptoids give up the inside scoop.
80 TOPTENREASONS
WE LOVE
Dirty Tarot creator Dori Midnight.
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... so vast as Antarctica? How do
you come to know self?
First, you show up."
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FEBRUARY
2006
"I ALWAYS FIGURED
"I WAS OVERJOYED·
that the potential for hooking up at a women's weekend was pretty high, but
I'm usually at those events
because I'm teaching a
workshop," says Diana
Cage. "I never even have
time to flirt with anyone. It
turns out, though, that I've
been missing out. Those
girls are certainly having a
good time. Some of the stories I heard while I was
researching this piece were
shocking even to me, and
I'm a sex educator!" Cage,
whose sexy research
appears on page 35, is the
author of Box Lunch: The
Layperson's Guide to
Cunnilingus and former
editor of On Our Backs
to write about the
Governor Girlie Man antiArnold Schwarzegger doll,
especially since I'm also
the spokesmodel for the
product," says CURVEeditorial assistant Ariane
Resnick. A writer, dancer
and model whose credits
range from Princeton
Review subway ads in
New York City to Sega
Genesis commercials,
Resnick is eagerly lapping
up every writing
"I CONSIDER
MYSELF
quite fortunate to have
made it into my 40s without having had my heart
broken," muses Candice
Parker, "but the perspective gained from the experience makes it one I'm glad I
lived through." Her guide
to surviving a breakup is on
page 41. Parker now plans
to make time between
coaching Little League
Baseball and indulging her
Texas hold 'em obsession to
put more thoughts to paper,
and aspires to have her
memoirs prominently displayed in bookstores next
to the works of David
Sedaris and Augusten
Burroughs.
opportunity CURVEis feeding her in the hopes of
showing the world that
pretty women can also be
empowered and wellspoken. "It's a thrill to be
seen and heard in the
same magazine," notes
Resnick. She plans to
attend graduate school
next fall to pursue a master's degree in magazine
journalism, and recently
appeared on the Tyra
Banks Show to discuss
race issues.
book revieweditor RachelPepper
wrotea seriesof articlesfor CURVE
about her experiences
tryingto get
pregnant,therewere few published
resourcesspecificallyfor lesbians
considering the parenting path.
Pepper's Ultimate Guide to
Pregnancyfor Lesbians,first pub·
lished in 1999, was one of the first
guides written from the perspectiveof one lesbian'sjourney
through pregnancyand into parenthood.It has recentlybeen
reissued by Cleis Press in a revised second edition with
oodles of new informationfor prospectivemoms.
Written in Pepper's humorous, friendly voice, Thf!
Ultimate Guide takes you through the mystery of figuring
out your own body's fertility and the complex process of
finding a sperm donor, and shows you how to weather a
pregnancy with your sanity intact. This second edition
has been updated with the most recent information on
fertility treatments and legal rights for lesbian families,
as well as a thorough resource guide to sperm banks,
birth centers and more. It's the perfect book for any lesbian planning to start her family - whether she's partnered or single - and Pepper's comforting, big-sister
tone turns what could be an overwhelming decision into
a manageable one. - Ma/Inda Lo
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GET 10 BIG ISSUES OF CURVE
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letters
All's Well at Wells Fargo
I'm writing to you on behalf of Wells Fargo
and Company. We were thrilled to be
ranked No. 8 in your list of the "Top 30
Companies for Lesbians" (Vol. 15, #7).
However, we wanted to point out an inaccuracy in the brief article about Wells
Fargo. The article states that Wells Fargo
"doesn't offer diversity training about gender identity and expression." We are not
sure where you got that information. All of
our team members participate in diversity
training, and information about gender
identity and expression is included in the
core curriculum.
- Linda McConley,
Diversity
Manager,
Wells Fargo & Company
I'm writing to inform you of two errors I
have spotted in the article that interviews
Idina Menzel and Tracie Thoms. The first
[mistake] stated that Jonathan Larson died
hours before the Broadway debut of Rent.
Jonathan passed away the night before the
opening night of the workshop at the New
York Theatre Workshop. The second [mistake] was in a quote by Ms. Thoms. She
states that Rent was workshopped at
Dartmouth five years ago. Actually, it was
workshopped at the NYTW almost 15
years ago, between 1992 and 1995.
- Natalie
D., Phoenix, Ariz.
Dyke Psychics Unite
No Envy Here
Has [Kathy Belge] lost her mind when she
states, "admit it, you envy them" in the
article "Top 10 Lesbian Power Couples"
(Vol. 15, #7), following it
up with Ellen and Portia
as the number one power
couple? I'm sorry, but
these two women are not
what I see as a "couple"
that I would look up to in
any way. They may have
power in their fame and
money, but not in morals.
Please stop promoting
these two women as
though their union is to
be celebrated. It's not.
- Patricia M. Johnson,
Parker, via e-mail
Rent-heads Unite
I was thrilled to receive your recent issue
with the ladies of Rent on the cover. Loved,
loved, loved the article ("Paying the Rent,"
Vol. 15, #7). Also, very happy that there
was not a huge focus on Rosario Dawson
FEBRUARY
2006
- J., San Francisco
Many of the articles in CURVEhave seemed
to soothe my soul and delight my imagination, but this month's issue (Vol. 15, #7)
was extraordinary! The
article "Dyke Psychics"
by Kathy Belge was one
of the best yet.
I have been a professional psychic for many
years and am the third
generation of my family
to utilize our gifts. Being
a lesbian in this field has
offered some unique
insights into the way the
straight world perceives
our world. I wish more
dykes would consult
compassionate and accurate psychics. ot all of us are Miss Cleo,
and many of us have been tested
by authentic institutions of psychic analysis. I have averaged an 85 percent accuracy
rate and I am the first to tell people that
this means that 15 percent of the time I'm
going to get it wrong. It's important to find
a psychic who knows their limits and
admits them!
- Jessalyn
10
(most other mags focus on her instead of
the entire cast). Thanks so much!
Charleston,
S. C.
We're Lovin' on the Kings, Too
Thank you for your coverage of the 7th
Annual
International
Drag
King
Extravaganza
hosted by GenderPlay
Cabaret [last October] ... in Winnipeg,
Canada ("Bois, Bois, Bois," Vol. 15, #7).
There was a time, not so long ago, when
none of the national lesbian magazines
would cover this event, so it is great to see
this has changed. Along with Sile Singleton
and myself, Julie Applegate and Shani Scott
were founders of IDKE. Without them and
the help of countless community members
in Columbus, Ohio, the first IDKE would
never have happened.
The name of the event has changed to
the International Drag KingCommunity
Extravaganza (still IDKE for short) to better
reflect all the folks who helped make this
event so extraordinary from the start.
- Donna Jean Troka, Chair,
I DKE Steering
Guide to Taxes and Financial Records, is the
only small-business tax book I've seen that
talks about how domestic partners can split
income. It's really helpful.
- Adrian Hall, San Francisco
Committee
But What About ... ?
I was surprised when I opened my new
issue of CURVEand saw you mentioned
Tegan and Sara as having a great blog
("Blog Stars," Vol 15, #7). I love their Web
site but instead of just writing a little blurb
about the group, why not expose them to a
much larger audience?
- Sarah St. Meyer, via e-mail
Thanks for including the info about
LifeMoxie! ("Girls With Moxie," Vol. 15,
#7) and the various resources for selfemployed people in the November issue. I
was surprised that you didn't mention our
very own dyke tax preparer and author, Jan
Zobel. Her book, Minding Her Own
Business: The Self-Employed Woman's
Tracy Chapman has just released a new
album this September. Will your publication have a forthcoming in-depth interview
or article on Tracy that is more than just
the standard music review blurb? The coverage of women of color in the queer community is still quite lacking.
- Clarissa,
via e-mail
I would like to see an issue of your magazine with information on lesbian weddings.
I'm not talking about all the legalities - I
want ideas of what to wear. I'm not a girl
who wears dresses, but I'm not a butch
who wants tuxedos, either.
- Kim, via e-mail
Editor's note: Guess what? This spring
we'll offer plenty of wedding fashion ideas.
Tegan and Sara will definitely show up in
these pages soon, and Clarissa, I share your
passion about Tracy Chapman. We've been
requesting an interview with Chapman for
several years now, but the notoriously shy
singer has always declined. We're still
working hard at increasing the visibility of
women of color in our pages. Oh, and Jan
Zobel is indeed a finance goddess (look for
more on her at curvemag.com).
Corrections
Several comments in the article "Rainbows
and Lollipops: Lesley Gore Comes Out" by
Victoria A. Brownworth (Vol. 15, #7) were
inadvertently attributed to the PBS show In
the Life. AfterEllen.com should have been
credited as the source of those comments.
CURVEapologizes for the errors.
Got Something on Your Mind?
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to
CURVELetters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510,
San Francisco, CA 94103; or fax to (415)
863-1609. Letters may be edited. ■
■
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■ 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.
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Curve
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curvatures
Comingto a Theater Soon
WHILE
MORE
INDIE
FILMS
ARE
BEING
MADE
Hopefully
BY
large studios, queer filmmakers continue to struggle to make movies
that reflect their experiences. Some lesbian filmmakers have decided
to use grass-roots fund-raising strategies rather than waiting around
for their big break.
"Every time a lesbian movie comes out, go see it," says writerdirector Erin Greenwell. "It says, 'My vote has been cast - I want
to see a film that features gay characters."
Greenwell wrote and shot her new film Mom (momthemovie.com)
with $35,000 she raised through individual donations, grants, fundraising events and the Internet. After she received a $5,000 POWER UP
filmmaker's grant, the money started to come in steadily. Greenwell
can't emphasize enough the importance of perseverance.
"People who get projects made don't give up .... If you keep
showing up, something will happen."
The three women of Heroine Films lost funding for The Gladdest
Thing (heroinefilms.net) when a key investor pulled out because the
main character was a lesbian. Amanda Deibert, the lead actress and
one of the producers at Heroine, knew there had to be a way to get
their film made. She simply asked: "What if 500,000 people donated
one dollar?" -which set into motion an intense fund-raising effort on
their Web site. A local North Carolina company donated T-shirts,
word spread and dollars started rolling in. With the donations, they
were able to make a trailer for the film. "It restores my faith in the
industry when people want to see a movie that we want to make,"
says writer and producer Mel Robertson.
Luane Beck does her own fund-raising, too. Her first feature, the
lesbian romance Intentions, got picked up for distribution by
Ariztical Entertainment. Soon Beck began fund-raising for her next
project, Bridging the Gap - a documentary about the Bible, homosexuality and family values - by throwing fund-raising parties.
Citing growing outlets for gay programming and distribution,
such as Showtime, HBO, Logo, here!, Q Television, Wolfe Video and
more, Greenwell says she thinks the market is ripe for all kinds of
stories to be told. She brings it back to her horse race anologies:
"The horse doesn't care who's betting on it. It always runs just as
fast. I need to put blinders on and just run." -Amy Silverman
;::-
Making Herstory
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QUEER ACTIVISTS AND HISTORY BUFFS CAME DRESSED
to the nines to celebrate the GLBT Historical Society's 20th anniversary at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. In addition
to a silent auction, the event featured a smorgasboard of delectable
appetizers from the Bay area's best restaurants and caterers.
The night was capped off by the presentation of the Clio Awards
- named after the ancient Greek muse - to California state senator Carole Migden and California state assemblyman Mark Leno
(who recently authored California's bill to legalize same-sex marriage). San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom dropped by to show his
support - and to offer a few choice words criticizing Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger's choice to veto the bill, which was passed by the
14
FEBRUARY
2006
state legislature in September.
Originally housed in the living room of co-founder Bill Walker,
the GLBT Historical Society is now located at 657 Mission St. in San
Francisco's museum district, and plans are underway to build the
world's first full-scale museum dedicated to LGBT history. The society's collection includes original manuscripts and document archives
(including the papers of Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, founders of
the Daughters of Bilitis, the country's first national lesbian organization), a periodicals collection of over 2,300 queer titles (yes, CURVE
is among them), ephemera ranging from political buttons to club flyers, and a growing collection of oral histories. For more information,
check them out at glbthistory.org. - Malinda Lo
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Pink Is the New BlackTie
NEITHER BILL CLINTON NOR ARNOLD
Schwarzenegger has likely ever worn a dress
in public. Why, then, do two products on the
market depict the politicians in pink dresses
replete with high heels?
The Governor Girlie Man (governor
girlieman.com) is a best-selling bobblehead
doll of California governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger holding a machine gun and
wearing a magazine of bullets as if .it were a
beauty
pageant
sash. Angered
by
Schwarzenegger's conservative antics and
quasi-homophobic remarks, designer John
Edgell sold out of his original Arnold in a
Pink Dress dolls, which looked similar but
appeared sans rifle, in 2004, and is back this
year with an entire line of anti-Arnold products that includes lipstick, condoms, nail
polish and an "Arnold Says 'Eating Is Not
Cheating"' thong.
On the flip side, the delightful Bill Clinton
doll (billforfirstlady.com) was created by a
group of gay Democrats, co-headed by Luke
Montgomery, to show support for Hillary
Clinton as a presidential candidate. In a
slightly more standard political fashion, the
line consists of pins, stickers, magnets, coffee
cups, shirts and hats.
I confess, as the spokesmodel for
Governor Girlie Man (yes, that's me in the
Arnold thong), I am naturally a bit biased on
the issue of which toy makes for a better
purchase. While "Mr. First Lady" does have
a magnificently transgendered ring to it and we're all for a 2008 Hillary run - the
bruising that sales of the Governor Girlie
Man must deliver to Schwarzenegger's ego
gives it more consumer power, especially
now that the Governator has vetoed
California's historic gay marriage bill.
Known for his excessive machismo,
Schwarzenegger sued Edgell - and ended
up settling - in 2004, so one can presume
that the mere fact that this doll is still available for purchase angers him. Still,
Schwarzenegger is the guy known for
quotes like "If I see a girl with big tits, I'm
going to stare," and that alone should motivate people to buy products that humiliate
him. - Ariane Resnick
Bill FOR
FIRST
LADY
*COM
2008.-----
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16 FEBRUARY 2006
CunvE'
s11th
Annual
Lesbian
Life
Photo
Contes
What does your life look like? Send us up to five photos that let
us into your world and you might win some fabulous prizes! Submit
your photos by mail with the 2006 Photo Contest Entry Form or download the entry form at www.curvemag.com.
PROUDLY
SPONSORED
All entries must be postmarked by February 1, 2006. Our esteemed
panel of judges will announce the winners in an upcoming issue of
CURVE.So read over the rules on page 72, check out these prizes, and
get out those cameras!
BY
DAMRON
[!t]
WOMEN'S
TRAVELLER
Prizes
_20.Q.e_eb.PJQ_QQotestf.Qtry_form
_______________________________
.
Grand Prize: Four days/three
PHOTOGRAPHER(PLEASEPRINT):
nights' accommodations for two at a
Joie de Vivre Hotel in San Francisco,
courtesy of the Damron Company.
ADDRESS:
CITY:
STATE:
ZIP:
DAYTIMEPHONE:
E-MAILADDRESS:
First Prize: $300 gift certificate good for accommodations at
Pearl's Rainbow in Key West, Fla.
Second Prize: $200 gift certificate for CDs from Goldenrod.com.
Third Prize: Ten books from
Bella Books.
Honorable Mentions:
A one-year subscription to CURVE
and a fun pack from Oatridge.com.
PHOTOTITLE/DESCRIPTION:1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
I have read and understand all the rules and regulations of CURVE'S2006 Lesbian Life Photo
Contest as printed on page 72 and accept all the conditions stated therein.
Signature: _____________________
_
Mail submissions to: CURVEPhoto Contest, 1550 Bryant Street, Suite 510,
San Francisco, CA 941 03.
Please include the appropriate processing fee (Please check box): [ ] $5 for 1 photo,
[ ] $10 for 2 photos, [ ] $15 for 3-5 photos. Please make checks payable to CURVEMagazine.
Curve
17
Artist Danielle Anjou
hears voices, and if she has learned anything in the 15 years since she became a
sculptor, it is to listen. "When I was 15 .. .
I heard a voice that said I should sculpt .. .
and it came from nowhere. It's like hearing
a voice saying you should sing opera
when you can't even carry a tune!'
It was another 15 years before Anjou
decided to take a sculpture class at the
New York Academy of Art. To her surprise,
her first piece looked exactly like the model,
and that was when she realized she had no
choice but to pursue her true calling.
Anjou's most recent project, Titans,
grew out of an earlier work called
Olympians that consisted of figures of 11
athletes. Anjou had heard the voice telling
her to create Titans, but it was only later,
after researching the subject, that she
learned that in Greek mythology, the Titans
ruled the earth before the Olympians.
Works of art, says Anjou, get under her
skin and end up "screaming to be done!'
Her process is collaborative and time consuming. She sees the finished piece in her
mind, but must first start building it with
armature wire that provides a frame for the
mixture of oil and clay with which she
works. The clay piece then goes to a
foundry and takes on a life of its own as the
foundry workers create the mold and cast
the bronze. The pieces continually evolve,
and the finishing touch is an acid patina
that colors the metal. Infinite, subtle variations are possible, and a certain amount of
faith is required.
"I just encourage people to pay attention to what their soul or spirit is asking
them to do .... I mean, I really had to step
up beyond common sense and beyond
any evidence that I had any artistic ability.
I tried it, and then found that I had this gift.
So I'd say, 'Step up ladies. Step up to any
dream you've got and even if it's just for
your own pleasure . . . step up into your
dreams'." - Amy Silverman
18 FEBRUARY 2006
Sheryl Swoopes
Comes Out
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When three-time WNBA
MVP Sheryl Swoopes of
the Houston Comets came
out in a well-orchestrated
media blitz last fall, she
became the first openly
lesbian African-American
athlete in the United
States. "I'm just at a point
in my life where I'm tired of having to pretend to be
somebody I'm not," she told ESPN magazine. "I'm
tired of having to hide my feelings about the person I
care about. About the person I love."
Swoopes has been in a relationship with former
Houston Comets assistant coach Alisa Scott for
seven years, and the two of them co-parent her 8year-old son from a previous marriage.
Her coming-out coincided with an endorsement
deal with Olivia Cruises and Resorts and may lead
to more acceptance within pro sports. After all, as
she told ESPN, "Sexuality and gender don't change
anyone's performance on the court." - Malinda Lo
We all wantthe samething.
/
Come to a place that's more than ;ust hot for gay travelers. Key West recently received four ..Reader's Choice" best awards in
The Out Traveler magazine, including one of the Best Gay Resort Towns in the world. We all want a little r,ccognition,too .
..,,__.,
fla-keys.com/keywest
clf9[AiuA.~
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1-888-279-3632
Curve
19
Talkto the Chest:What'sYourFavoriteSlogan?
EVER GET TIRED OF ALL THE ATTENTION HAPPENING
A FOOT
below your head? We do too, which is why we were so excited when this funky
new line of personal protest tees from TittyTops.com arrived at the office that
we had to don them immediately ourselves. If you could design your own line
of protest tees, what would you say? Send us your own original T-shirt slogan
by March 1, and you could win Muffy Rout's Pocket of Pleasure, the ultimate
lesbian dating game. We'll randomly select two lucky winners from all the
entries received.
Email us at letters@curvemag.com or send a postcard to 1550 Bryant St.,
Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103.
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Not YourAverage Cover Model Contest
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JOINING THE RANKS OF NEW AND
original concepts is Martin RawlingsFein's recent creation, the Men of FTM
International 2006 calendar (lulu.corn/
ftrni). Featuring 16 months of female-tomale transhunks, the subjects were chosen
through a photography contest to reflect
the diversity of the FTM population.
The imagery is both wholesome and
attractive, and does an excellent job of
portraying the models in a casual
lifestyle context. Rawlings-Fein, a bisexual transsexual FTM activist, has successfully conveyed the range of cultures, livelihoods and
ethnicities of transgendered men in a beautifully artistic publication. -Ariane Resnick
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20 FEBRUARY 2006
Move Over, Cleopatra
EGYPTIAN
QUEEN
HATSHEPSUT'S
reign (circa 1479-1458 B.C.) has long
intrigued scholars of ancient Egypt because
she was the first female ruler
to assume the title of king.
Now the enigmatic pharaoh's
life and rule is revealed in
Hatshepsut: From Queen to
Pharaoh, the
inaugural
exhibit at San Francisco's
new de Young Musuem. The
exhibit explores the soapy
drama of Hatshepsut's rise to
power, which involved marriage to her half-brother and
a co-regency with her young
nephew, Thutmose III, before
she declared herself king of Egypt.
One of the most interesting things about
Hatshepsut is that though early statues of her
depict her as a woman, after she becomes
king she is often shown as a man, complete
with strapped-on false beard. Egyptologists
have long debated what really happened during her rule because after her death,
Thutmose III had her monuments destroyed
and her name literally scratched out of historical records. Consequently, 19th-century
Egyptologists theorized that Hatshepsut had
been a manipulative woman who usurped
young Thutmose Ill's throne, and that he
destroyed her images out of resentment. But
more recent Egyptologists have discovered
that Hatshepsut reigned over a time of relative peace and artistic creativity, and now
argue that her name was erased in order to
suppress the history of a
strong female ruler.
The exhibit contains nearly
300 objects from her reign,
ranging from monumental
sculptures of Hatshepsut as a
man to finely crafted furniture
and quirky cosmetic spoons
carved in the shapes of animals. These objects, several of
which have never before been
seen in the United States, will
be on view at the de Young
Museum (thinker.org)through
Feb. 5, then at the Metropolitan Museum of
Art in New York (metmuseum.org; March 21
to July 9) and the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort
Worth, Texas (kimbellart.org; Aug. 27 to Dec.
10). After wandering through the exhibit's
imposing statuary and impressive displays of
sparkling jewelry, you'll have to agree that
while Cleopatra may be the best-known
female ruler of ancient Egypt, Hatshepsut was
the more significant one. - Malinda Lo
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Curve
21
V-Day Gifts to Get Her Grooving
FLOWERS, CHOCOLATE AND JEWELRY
might be the holy trinity of Valentine's Day presents, but a few different dandies might help you
more quickly get in her panties. Try these nouveau chic ideas this February:
Proof
IsinthePaper
The IOU Sex coupon book is the gift that
keeps on giving with IOUs for everything from a
trip downtown to a striptease or a serious
makeout session. ($5.95, chroniclebooks.com)
Love Yourself affirmation cards are perfect
for that artistic soul in your life. Drawn and created by a lesbian artist, Love Yourself cards feature women and girls of all shapes, colors and
ages alongside lesbian-positive messages
about inner beauty. ($9.99, cherylrainfield.com)
Amplify
Her
Desire
There's no better time for a sexy new CD,
and a cluster of recent releases promise to
please. Lola's Take It Like I Give It is sexy from
beginning to end, but the casual sex fantasy
"No Strings" will say it loud and clear (with
lyrics like "Let's do it right here").
(Iola-music.com)
Lesbians can get frisky at the Hilton
Say it with the Va Va Va Bloom bouquet
chocolate from lesbian-owned Poco Dolce. A
sample of four features bittersweet chocolate
tiles - in almond, burnt caramel toffee, Aztec
chile and crystallized ginger - topped with
grey sea salt. ($32, pocodolce.com)
with celebs like Angelina Jolie and Liv Tyler.
(cocodemerusa.com)
Junior's New York Cheesecake, the world's
most fabulous cheesecake, will melt her heart
with the wickedly delicious (and kosher) Cherry
Heart cheesecake on a base of chocolate, with
cherry pie filling. ($46, 1-800-flowers.com)
The Pussycat Dolls' female empowerment
meets sluttiness debut release, PCD, is as
naughty as the girls' stage act (get her a CD and Flowers aren't always passe. Case in point:
a poster for her wall), while Jessica Vale's The the Va Va Va Bloom, a sexy bouquet in a racy
Sex Album could turn any encounter into a love bustier vase that'll let her know just what's on
match. Nearly every instrumental sound on the your mind, or the Gerbera Silk Tote from floral
erotic CD was created by manipulating record- expert Jane Carroll, with its hot pink daisies,
ings of live sex - from seven couples of different •that say "I like you" without taking it straight
sexual orientations - into ambient and industrial to the bedroom. ($70 each, 1-800music. (pcdmusic.com, thesexalbum.com)
flowers.com)
And if you're wooing an ex? Play "Make-Up
Sex;' the first single from the debut CD of the
Duran-Duran-meets-Prince-meets-the-Killers
band, Clear Static. (clearstaticmusic.com)
Sensual
Flavors
Lube isn't a very pretty gift - that is, until
now. The sexy new lubricant Pink comes in a
glass bottle and a pink Tiffany-style box, and
looks like perfume when it's sitting on her nightstand. ($24.95, 10percentgirl.com)
OK, candy is always good, especially
when it's the amazingly delicious, handmade
22 FEBRUARY 2006
Ecco Bella's Health by Chocolate series is
a great gift for a cocoa hound - get her the
Chocolate Lovers Gift Set, replete with organic dark chocolate face mask, Woman's Wonder
Bar and the Instant Bliss Beauty Bar. ($50,
www.eccobella.com)
Always
onHer
Mind
If you want her to find her faves, get her a
gift certificate to Coco de Mer, the erotic
emporium founded by Sam Roddick, daughter
of Body Shop founder, Anita. Roddick set out
to create a much different sex shop, and her
art-gallery-meets-sex-couture boutique is a hit
The Better Sex Through Yoga DVD series
(please God, start with the beginner level
unless you're gifted) from Jacquie Noelle will
walk you through a series of safe, sensual
breathing and strengthening poses perfect for
that athletic gal on the go. ($15, goldhil
entertainment.com)
Say
ItWith
Jewelry
Diamonds may or may not be a girl's best
friend, but almost any of the sexy and unique
designs of Tere Hernandez-Bonet at My
Precious Studio will set a dyke's heart afire.
(mypreciousstudio.com)
Time
foraMini
Break
The Enclave at the Hilton San Diego
Gaslamp Quarter lets same-sex couples walk
on the wild side with their Frisky on Fifth package. Think cocktails and fire pits, private
whirlpool baths and a Splash gift basket with
an aphrodisiac massage bar, soaps and their
delish tangerine honey Hand Job hand cream.
($495, hiltongaslamp.com)
Chicago's Hotel Monaco is sure to please
you both with their Oh Baby, Baby! package. It
comes replete with Victoria's Secret gift certificate, massage oil, chocolatey aphrodisiac
treat, champagne, mood music and breakfast in
bed. ($269, monaco-chicago.com) - Diane
Anderson-Minshall
Who's Gay Now?
WE'RE
SIX
YEARS
INTO THE NEW
millennium now, but being openly lesbian
can still be a rocky road to take. Even Anne
Heche, who we thought had left that tour a
long time ago, is still dealing with fallout
from her breakup with Ellen DeGeneres.
And did you hear about Kate Moss? It
turns out that sleeping with women can still
ruin your career. Wait - unless it was the
drugs that did it. Who can tell?
>> By
has nothing to do with any
decision I make. It has always
disturbed me the way religion
can twist something to make
people feel badly about themselves. Isn't a loving heart an
accepting,
caring
heart?
Certainly my mother has
never been 'loving."' Ouch.
Love Connection for Condi?
Prayed Straight?
Our favorite hasbian, Anne Heche,
recently popped up on our gaydar again
when her conservative Christian mom,
Nancy Heche, publicly claimed that her
prayers for Anne to no longer be gay
caused her breakup with Ellen DeGeneres
and her subsequent straight marriage.
Anne showed some latent Sapphic pride
when she responded to her mom on her
Web site's guestbook, writing, "My mother
Yeah, we all knew National
Security Adviser Condoleeza
Rice gave off a little bit of that lesbian vibe.
But those signals (constantly being single,
wearing too many ugly power suits) were
given new meaning last fall during an interview with Fox News correspondent James
Rosen, when he suggested that Rice might
"have an interest in knowing" Fox News
anchor Lauren Green (described as "beautiful" and "single"). Green had even given
Nicole
Cameron
Rosen a gift for Rice, a CD
recording of her playing several classical piano pieces
(Rice also likes to tickle the
ivories). In response, Rice
said she would "look forward to seeing her" and suggested they "maybe even play
dual piano." Unfortunately,
Green denied the possibility
of romance when she later
told the Minneapolis Star
Tribune that although "gay is
cool," she is "very straight." Right. That's
what they all say.
The Domino Effect
I hate to be the one to break the news to
you gals and bois, but it looks like Domino
Harvey - the hottie butch bounty hunter
Lesbofile
. . . continued
onpage71
-a
ca
·u,
"Just now, after my workout, I was feelin' all tough and found
myself thinking, Am I a man or a woman? I think that's a very
creative way to feel:'>>
Gwen Stefani to Fashion Rocks
~
"I tried to find the humanity
that transcended gender. I
didn't play Brandon as an
"It's fascinating, the stuff
being a parent brings up. The
alter male ego. I didn't think
it was a gender that I was
playing - it was something
smallest detail of their lives is
like a direct drug that goes to
deeper than that, a quality
that we all have as humans."
your senses in ways that
nothing else does - a total
and complete connection
>> Hilary Swank, on playing Brandon Teena, to
Hilary Magazine
with what they're feeling. I
don't have that connection
with my own feelings." >>
Jodie Foster (above in Flight
Plan) to Premiere
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Curve
23
Talk Sexy to Me
Dear Dipstick: My girlfriend and I are living in different cities right now and we
can only talk on the phone. I miss her
and especially miss the serious anal and
oral sex we had. Lately, when we talk, it's
not romantic at all. It's boring. How do I
make her feel me around? And if she
can't, how do I go about finding a new
girlfriend? - Long Distance Lover
Dipstick: How the hell do I know? I've never
had phone sex in my life. Unless you count
that one time at my parents' house when
this hot number I met at Womyn's Fest was
trying to talk sexy in my ear. The phone cord
got wrapped around my crotch while my
parents ate dinner a few feet away. This
was before cordless phones, before I could
actually walk away from the dinner table.
Like you, Dipstick prefers the real thing, so
either move to her city or find yourself a
new gal.
Lipstick: What gives, LDL? Did you not want
Lipstick's two cents? Even though you
shelves to gain courage. Slowly, I worked
my way over, straining my eyes to see the
weren't after my girlie guidance, I'll throw
in my pennies anyway. First of all, you are
I got within eyeshot, insecurity kicked in and
I was out of there. Since then (praise God),
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: When my girlfriend and I have sex, she never gets off.
She says that she's always been this
way. We try toys and everything, but
nothing seems to work. Do you have any
ideas? - Dry as a Bone in Illinois
all over the map. Do you want to learn how
to have stellar phone sex or how to nab a
I have had no problem reaching for anything
and everything lesbian - this includes a lus-
Lipstick: Sweet Jesus, this woman has
new nympho for your "serious" anal? And
cious female body. Post-closet, I found
while I'm the one asking questions, what
does "feel me around" mean? Unlike Dip,
Early Embraces by Lindsey Elder. It's not
erudite literature, but the sweet stories, writ-
I've had plenty of phone sex. I even had a
special headset when my girlfriend and I
ten by women musing on their first girl-ongirl experiences, are sure to keep you warm
strategy was subtle: I surfed the adjacent
lesbian titles. The sad pants that I was, once
on these cold January nights.
were dating long-distance. If you're really •
dialed in, phone sex is a great way to make Dipstick: I found my first lesbian book by accident when I was looking for a book on
a carnal connection when separated, but
you've got to up the erotic ante, girlfriend,
by masturbating beforehand. Get yourself
good and horny before dialing her digits.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm a bookaholic and even though I love gay and
lesbian literature, I'm afraid to venture
into the queer section. The few times I
have looked, all I found were lesbian
erotica books, but no simple, sappy
lesbian love stories. Do you have any
suggestions for lesbian lit that isn't
dominated by erotica? - Embarrassed
by Erotica
Lipstick: You're not alone! Way back when
Lipstick was in the closet, I too had a heck
of a time browsing the LG BT section. My
24 FEBRUARY 2006
African tree frogs in my junior high library. I
don't recall the title, but I do remember
reading and rereading the lesbian makeout
scene. Eventually, I had to return the tattered book, but not before it influenced my
destiny. From that moment, I knew I was a
writer and a lesbian. Young thing, why not
start in your school or public library? Unlike
Lipstick's nosy clerks, librarians are champions of free speech and will take your tender hand and guide you through_the LG BT
stacks. (Which reminds me of a librarian I
met in Cleveland - she had a stack that
inspired some writing, but you're not interested in those kinds of stories.) Check out
and try
Alyson.com and BellaBooks.com for all
kinds of lesbian romance novels.
Best
Lesbian
Love
Stories,
never had an orgasm? God bless her
tightly wound soul. Yes, I have an idea put her in the car and drive straight to the
doctor! She can't even imagine what
she's missing!
Dipstick: Believe it or not, many women suffer from orgasm problems - probably
more than men, but do you see any TV ads
addressing this issue? Hell no! In fact,
WebM D.com reports that 40 percent of
women complain of sexual dysfunction.
Certain medications, including those that
treat depression, can inhibit orgasm. The
problem could also be psychological; if
your partner is the survivor of sexual
abuse, this could prevent her from letting
go. Even the shame of internalized homophobia can thwart some women's sex
lives. Masturbation can help. Buy her a
sexy book or DVD, light some candles and
leave her alone in the bedroom. And if this
fails, Lipstick is right. Get the lady to a
~
doctor. Something must be done! ■
~
0..
UJ
Ask us anything about sex, love or lesbians :;
<
at www.lipstickdipstick.com.
::e
ask
fairy
butch
No More Stone Butch Blues
Dear Fairy Butch:I have recently started to
date an old-world dyke; I guess you'd call
her a "stone butch!' I haven't had sex with
her yet. Truth be told, I have no clue
what's acceptable to her sexually. I hear
so often that stone butches allow certain
things to be done to them sexually, but
don't allow others. I'm so confused. I
don't want to mess anything up. What is
the true definition of a stone butch?
- Befuddled in Baltimore
ure? If so, and
wouldlike to me
s An eles womanwho
tt intro
the
es you a
Dear Befuddled: Well, sugar plum, the obvious
answer to your query is to simply ask her
what s/he wants sexually.But to be fair, there
are scores of gals just like you who have told
me they've asked their stone butch lovers
considerably more than 20 questions and
are still left wondering what to do. Why?
Well, sexual communication can be daunting
have their masculinity affirmed through sex. It
could mean your butch has the desire to
have hir body parts referred to by their
homologous male counterparts, such as
cock and pees for cfit and breasts. It could
for anyone, but stone butch sexuality is par-
mean that s/he doesn't want to have sex
without a dildo strapped to hir. It could mean
ticularly enigmatic.
Some folks say a stone butch is a masculine
pussy to refer to hir body, even when you're
woman who doesn't like to be touched during
in it elbow-deep. The plain fact of the matter
sexual contact. Others says/he (we're doing
the best we can with those pronouns) is
someone who gets hir sexual pleasure primarily from bringing physical pleasure to hir part·
ner. Still others insist that s/he will not allow
hirself to be penetrated. While these definitions describe the behavior of many stone
butches, they lack a holistic approach. It also
gets pretty slippery trying to assign stone
butch identity to specific practices - you'll
find your definition changes as soon as a few
other stone butches join the conversation.
Instead, I conceptualize the essence of stone
butch in a retro '70s Shaft sort of way,
wherein "stone" means thoroughly, genuinely, as in "stone fox:' So, in this context, it
would mean: "I'm butch when it's in fashion
and safe, and I'm butch when it's out of fashion and dangerous. I'm butch in New York
that s/he doesn't want you to use the word
is, there is no one vocabulary or practice that
confers stone butchdom; it's unique to each
individual stone butch. And to make things
even more confusing, the rules often shift.
For example, some stone butches like to be pen-
••
ers. It's tough, because you may not know
how to approach hir during sex and s/he may
not know how well-versed you'll be in
responding sexually to the heavily nuanced
phenomenon of hir gender. The best advice I
can give in general is to maintain a deep
respect for hir masculinity, even when you're
both confronted by a physical femaleness
that, during sex, can be tough to disguise.
For some practical tips on getting busy with
stone butches, check out my workshop
"Romancing the Stone: What Does Stone
Butch
Really
FairyButch.com.
petit fours with my grandmother. That is, I'm
not just butch tonight at the club or tonight
butches is a bit like going for the brass ring
at the carnival: It's pretty tough to pull off,
between the sheets. I'm always butch, and
no matter what we do together sexually,I am
but if you do, you're going to land yourself
one sweet-ass teddy bear! ■
wit: Stone butches are female-born, masculine people whose sexual preference is to
90.ya.l\O lub;o." +ra.vel specia.lis+.s
etrated in certain circumstances, but not in
others. Or by certain lovers, but not by oth-
and I'm butch in Peoria. I'm butch on my construction job and I'm butch when I'm having
stone butch and you need to remember this:'
How is this helpful? Well, I think it sets the stage
for a more expansive and useful definition. To
TheJuliette
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Want
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at
Making love to stone
Gentle Readers: To submit your queries
regarding the finer points of lesbian life, sexuality, romance and other matters of the
heart, send a note to fb@fairybutch.com.
Curve
25
Ladies, start your engines. CURVE maps out some of
the best lesbian road trips for 2006. By Jocelyn Voo
THE WINNEBAGO
IS PACKED, YOU
and your gal pals are ready for a coast-tocoast adventure, but what if the destination
is still undetermined? Here's a dozen of the
year's must-see events and the best little festivals you've never heard of. Just make sure to
pack a calling card and leave a sock full of
bail money with a stay-at-home friend before
you head out - and don't say we didn't
warn you.
Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival
Walhalla, Mich.
Aug.8-13
ASPEN GAY AND LESBIAN SKI
WEEK (ASPEN, COLO.)
Jan.15-22
As the first official gay ski week, this 28year-old tradition still boasts ski bunnies so
hot you might want to reconsider your
travel buddy. Beyond thrashing through
some of the nation's best powder, Gay Ski
Week offers indoor and outdoor pool parties, costumed ski events, world-class comedy nights and signature cocktails paired
with live DJ acts. (gayskiweek.com)
INTERNATIONAL CLITORIS DAY
CELEBRATION (SAN FRANCISCO)
March 20
Ring in International Clitoris Day with the
aptly titled off-Broadway show Clitoris
Celebration: Think Outside the Box, a hilarious production
featuring mus1c1ans,
dancers and drummers, written by comedian
Sia Amma and performed by an all-women
troupe. (celebrateclitoris.com)
Shore Weekend
Springs, Calif.
29-Aprll 2
DINAH SHORE WEEKEND
(PALM SPRINGS, CALIF.)
March 29-April 2
Put on by Los Angeles' Girl Bar, Dinah
Shore Weekend is the largest four-day event
of its kind, with thousands of frisky gals
going poolside by day and on the dance
floor by night. (dinahshoreweekend.com)
Aquagirl
Miami Beach, Fla.
May 11-14
QUEER FASHION SHOW, UC SANTA
CRUZ (SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.)
May
In addition to hair bands, the '80s spawned
something else completely awesome: the
Alternative Fashion Show, now known as
the Queer Fashion Show, at UC Santa Cruz.
26 FEBRUARY 2006
curve
2?
Created by gay and lesbian students, the oft
sold-out show is now a high-tech performance arts extravaganza. In the past, mezzosopranos have belted out Gounod's "Ave
Maria," and a curvy female student stripped
off a shirt made of magazine cutouts of
waifish models to expose red-painted breasts
in a one-woman show. If that's not a good
enough reason to pay the five bucks admission, I don't know what is. (ucsc.edu)
AQUAGIRL (MIAMI
BEACH, FLA.)
May 11-14
Love girls in bikinis but also like to help out
a worthy cause? Head down to sun-drenched
Miami Beach, Fla., for a weekend of dancing,
comedy, live music and scrumptious pool parties, complete with scads of scantily clad
dykes. You can feel good while partying up a
storm because the nonprofit Aquagirl benefits
the Women's Community Fund, which supports lesbians in South Florida. (aquagirl.org)
CONEY ISLAND MERMAID
(NEW YORK)
PARADE
June 24
Forget the traditional beauty pageant winner
riding atop a flower-encrusted float. The
largest parade in the nation pays homage to
Coney Island's forgotten Mardi Gras.
Revelers prancing down the boardwalk in
handmade sea creature costumes are
presided over by a celebrity King Neptune
and Queen Mermaid. Following daytime festivities is the Mermaid Parade Ball with live
music, burlesque and sideshow acts.
(www.coneyisland.com/mermaid)
GAY GAMES VII (CHICAGO)
re's White Party
Cross the Border for
More Fun
LADYFEST MEXICO
(MONTERREY, MEXICO)
Feb.12-13
ladyfest.org
INSIDE OUT GAY AND LESBIAN
Fl LM FESTIVAL (TORONTO)
May 18-28
insideout.on.ca
1ST WORLD OUTGAMES
(MONTREAL)
July 29-Aug. 5
montreal2006.org
identity differs from their biological sex.
(homoagogo.com)
NATIONAL POETRY SLAM
(AUSTIN, TEXAS)
MICHIGAN WOMYN'S MUSIC
FESTIVAL (WALHALLA, MICH.)
Aug.8-13
If roughing it is more your style, camp out
with thousands of other women in a femalecentric community where 650 acres of lush
woodlands give way to dozens of musical
performances, a film festival, a crafts fair,
and fitness and dance classes where you can
learn everything from stilt walking to the
merengue. (michfest.com)
LADYFEST SOUTH (ATLANTA)
Fall
You don't have to be a superstar to participate
in the Gay Games - there are only a few
requirements. More than 70 countries will be
represented in the seventh Gay Games, showcasing 12,000 participants in 30 competitive
sports, band and choral performances, and a
week-long arts festival. (chicago2006.org)
August
National Poetry Slam is the largest team performance poetry event in the world. Teams
from all over North America (and a few
from other places) converge in a different
city every summer for four days of poetry,
revelry and competition. (poetryslam.com)
Since Ladyfest started in 2000, the little festival that could has grown into an international phenomenon. The nonprofit four-day
extravaganza showcases stage acts and
activism to raise money for various social
service projects that assist women. But make
no mistake - this Southern belle could still
kick your ass. (ladyfestsouth.com)
HOMO A GO GO (OLYMPIA, WASH.)
FRINGE FESTIVAL
(MINNEAPOLIS)
WOMEN'S WEEK
(PROVINCETOWN,
July 15-22
Aug.1-6
The biannual act1v1st festival encourages
anti-label ideals (anti-war, anti-capitali_st,
anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-classist, etc.)
while providing a venue for nonmainstream queer -culture. Proceeds from
the event benefit the Olympia-based
Gender Variant Health Project, a nonprofit
organization devoted to health issues and
health care needs of those whose gender
28 FEBRUARY 2006
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Aug.3-13
Get more theater, dance, puppetry, spoken
word and storytelling than you ever wanted
at the 11-day festival. The best news? Fringe
Festival is a worldwide phenomenon, with
festivals as far flung as Vancouver, Seattle,
San Francisco, Philadelphia, Cincinnati,
London, Dublin, Melbourne and Hong
Kong. (fringefestival.org)
Oct. 6-15
Return to the lesbian mothership (just in
time for New England's picture-perfect fall
weather) for a week of beachside clambakes, wet T-shirt contests and tea dances
at dusk. (womeninnkeepers.com) ■
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Note: All dates subject to change. More
events at curvemag.com.
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YOU TOO CAN STAY AND
PLAY THE L WORD® WAY.
Relive the sexy season finale set at the
world renowned Fairmont Chateau Whistler.
The L Word®packagesavailable.
·~~
CHATEAU WHISTLER
Reservations 1 800 606 8244 www.fairmont.com/ cwr/lword
e The L Word Is a registeredtrademark of Showtlme Networks Inc.
Carve
29
Pride on the Slopes_~~~-~----~~~~~~--.
WITH SKIING AND SNOWBOARDING
SEASON UPON US, HOW WILL YOU CHOOSE WHICH RESORT TO GIVE
your hard-earned money to? We suggest packing your snowsuit and heading to one of the many queer ski weeks that happen at a
wide variety of ski resorts.
Gay ski weeks boast a host of activities, including parties, dinners, social events on the mountains and occasionally even discount
lift tickets and condos. And, of course, the hundreds of sexy Sapphic snow bunnies are a perk, too.
Looking for something special, like a winter wonderland ball or private lodge accessible only by helicopter? Not to worry, the
choices are many. For more detailed information on individual travel packages, visit Out and About Travel (outandaboutravel.com)
or sign up for any one of these 2006 shindigs:
PARK CITY GAY AND LESBIAN
SKI WEEK (PARK CITY, UTAH)
Jan.4-8
Ski at Park City, Deer Valley or the Canyons
and dine with fellow Sapphic skiers in the
Sundance Film Festival's home town. Stay a
month and you can catch some glitterati.
(communityvisions.org!SKI I NG lindexu.htm)
ski week, this event takes over the Rockies'
superb powder on the slopes of Breckenridge,
Vail and Keystone. (gayoutdoors.org)
ALTITUDE (WHISTLER,
B.C.)
Feb.4-13
Thousands conglomerate in Whistler for a
full week of fine powder, concerts and parties. (outontheslopes. com)
POWDER AND PRIDE
(LAKE LOUISE, ALBERTA)
WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
SKI WEEK (MT. ASSINIBOINE,
Jan.21-23
A winter wonderland ball and nightly DJ
dancing liven up this event hosted by
GayOutdoors.com. (ubproductions. com)
Feb. 11-19
Spend your days on the slopes and your
nights in a homey, rustic and helicopteraccessible lodge. (outandaboutravel.coml
adventure 1.htm)
VAIL GAY AND LESBIAN SKI
WEEK (VAIL, COLO.)
Feb. 4-11
Put on by the organizers of Park City's queer
WINTER EXPLOSION
(KERHONKSON,
N.Y.)
Feb. 17-20
B.C.)
Specifically aimed at African-American
queer folk, Winter Explosion is the longest
running and biggest event of its type.
(www.winterexp/osion.com)
ASCENT WINTER PARTY AT LAKE
TAHOE (LAKE TAHOE, NEV.)
Feb. 26-March 5
Ice skating, snowshoeing, nightly cocktails
and lots of lesbians - what more could you
ask for? (ascent/aketahoe.com)
ELEVATION
(MAMMOTH
LAKES, CALIF.)
March 15-19
Boasting "1,500 riders, seven parties, and
zero attitude," Mammoth Gay Ski Week
will definitely put a queer spin on one of
the top snowboarding locations in the
United States. (mammothgayski.com)
- Ariane Resnick
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30 FEBRUARY 2006
ride
Nip/Tuck is such a riveting show. Does that ~ake your job easier as an actress?
Absolutely. I think that viewers respond to it because it's challenging ...
as much as it's entertaining, it's also ... very provocative. It's very
intelligently written, and as an actress, it's really engaging to work on.
Let's talk a little bit about your character, Gina. How did you
conceive of her struggle with herself?
When I first started working on the show, she was just supposed to
appear for two episodes and she was just sort of a character that
wouldn't go away, and they continued to write for her. So I think that
she came ... trying to give the impression that she was in control,
but I think in reality she's very much out of control and very damaged,
you know, and very, very lonely.
Do you share any of Gina's traits?
I think that I actually might have some of the opposite extreme, which is
that I tend to overcensor. Sometimes I wish that I moved a little bit
more on instinct and didn't overthink. I think when you overthink
things, you miss the moment. As much as I think she's her own worst
enemy ... I like playing her because I like playing someone who says
exactly what's on the tip of her brain. Which I think is not the kind of
32 FEBRUARY 2006
person that I am.
This year you're going to have a bigger arc with a lesbian twist?
That's what I've heard. It hasn't started yet, so I am hoping that it's going
to pick up in the next script.
Can you tell me a little bit more about it?
To be honest, I don't know that much ... [and I don't want to] let the cat
out of the bag. But yeah, [Gina's] supposed to [have a relationship]
with one of the other regulars on the show. We're both hoping it happens, the actress and I; we both really think it would be interesting.
It would be really interesting for Gina, because we're hoping that it
would be a healthy relationship.
And would that be a new thing for Gina?
Yes, I think so. It might actually be someone who really cares about her
and hopefully who she really cares about.
Will viewers complain that the sex addict is now having a lesbian affair?
You know with this show, I have to say I don't think people complain
that much-about anything. I like to think that this show, as much as
it is stylized and obviously there's an element of glamour, I think it's
very human. And so I would assume that if we do get to explore the
basic
I can't imagine
relationship,
Dr.
Liz is openlyaod
story line, it's going to come from a place that's
very believable ... but it's also got an undercurrent of motivation for both of the characters
that's grounded in something that you've
already learned about them. [Our] audience is
pretty in tune with the characters, I think.
Nip/Tuck has a sort of a matter-offactness around sexuality. Are the cre•
ators trying to push the envelope?
I don't want to speak on behalf of the creator
and the writer, but I would say that being there
and working on it, one of the things I really like
about this job is that it's a very mature environment. I actually think that the show is just very realistic ...
[though] television has a tendency to oversimplify, and obviously
living in our everyday lives, there's a complexity to every person and
to everything which makes us up, which includes our sexuality. So
I almost feel like the show is just sort of so adult - and I don't mean
that in the sense of, like, R-rated - but I just mean in the sense that
it's very honest, very candid and it reflects all the colors that are
present in the world. Not just [that] this is the gay character, this is
the straight womanizing character. That's not how life works ...
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that's not how we work as human beings.
What did you think when you were first told that you were going
to have a lesbian storyline this season?
It's funny because when you're an actor and you're sitting at home and
you think, well, what should we do next? And you come up with all
these ideas, and then they always bring me something and I think, "I
never would have thought of that:' I don't know how [the lesbianism]
is going to play out, but the way that I responded to it that made
sense to me was, this woman really, in her core - as [do] all of us wants a connection and is terrified of making one. So I was hoping
... [this was] a relationship with someone ... she could make a real
connection with and feel safe doing that.
Have you had a similar experience that you can bring to the role?
I think that anybody can identify with that feeling. I think the older you
get, the more you realize it doesn't have that much to do with ...
labels and categories or anything like that - it's about people. I feel
like I can relate to that. At first you have a preconceived idea of what
your connection is going to look like, and then the older you get the
more you realize it's not really something you're supposed to control,
it's something you're supposed to just listen to and let it guide you.
Do you think straight actresses have to struggle with believ•
ability when they play queer women?
It would seem to me that when you're playing a character who's gay or
a character who's straight ... it's the relationship you're talking about
- people who are in love, or people who are in good relationships or
unhealthy relationships. I don't know why people think that's necessarily such a stretch. I think unfortunately we're still at a phase where
[the difficulty] is almost overrated. [I] could play somebody who lived
in the 19th century - I'm never going to live in the 19th century that seems more complicated to me than being able to identify with
somebody's heart and their emotions and their sexual attractions.
That's definitely something I have a little bit more experience with.
I was just reading a new study that claims 20 percent of all young
women have had some sexual experience with another woman. I
feel like women feel differently about sexuality than men do.
I think that's true and I hope that's where the world is going, that people can be free. I mean, for heaven's sake, you only live once, so people should be free to follow their emotions, follow their hearts and
also to honor them.
What do you want lesbian viewers to take away from your performances of Gina this season?
I just hope that whatever the story line is and how I participate in it
that people think it's honest and grounded in something that has
a truth to it. ■
Curve
33
AreYou
TooGreedy
inBed?
Ahandy
quiz
tofindoutif you're
really
allthat.
ByKate
Lacey
In bed, your lover does her darndest to get you to see fireworks. Afterward, do you turn
over and go to sleep, leaving your girlfriend to fend for herself, or do you spend the
next eight hours being there for her? The truly greedy gals never seem to know who
they are (even when you tell them), so we've devised this little quiz so you can see how
you measure up.
SCORING
You get 1 point for each A, 2 points for
each B, 3 points for C and 4 points for D.
5-7 points means you're STARVING.
You're obviously the Mother Teresa of sex,
but even the most charitable gal needs a little action now and then. Exert your presence
and start making her work for her pleasure.
1. Your partner's role during sex is:
(D)To have more Os than Joan Rivers has had
(A)A one-woman show.
face-lifts.
(B) A halfhearted pat or two before giving it up.
(C) Tit for tat, baby.
(D) Oh, was my partner there?
to finish up the job. Your honey is making a
4. If your sex life were a meal, it
would be:
slight effort to reciprocate - in the way that
rain makes an effort to water down the
(A) As fulfilling as handing out Halloween
2. Which cliche best reflects your sex life?
(A)If you want something done right,
Sahara. Get her ADD butt in gear and
candy.
make her finish the job.
(B) Fast food - a McDonald's Happy Meal,
do it yourself.
8-11 points makes you HUNGRY. You
shouldn't have to plug in a surrogate lover
12-16 points signals you're a girl who is
with just a tiny prize inside.
(B) What goes around usually comes around.
(C)A candlelit gourmet dinner for two.
(C)lt takes two to tango.
(D) An all-she-can-eat buffet.
FULL. You and your lover are sickeningly
well-balanced. Dr. Phil would be proud of
your team-player approach to sex.
(D) It's all about me.
You are the Donald Trump of sex - greedier
(A)To enjoy the pleasure I give to others.
5. Which song best reflects your typical
sexual encounter?
(A) "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction"
(B) To get through it like a challenge on
(B) "Give a Little Bit"
surprised if your thong doesn't read, "It's all
Amazing Race.
(C)To trade intimacy like L Word autographs
on eBay.
(C)"Just You and I"
about me:' You might want to recognize
(D) "Light My Fire"
that your lover is a real human being with
3. The ultimate goal of sex is:
17-20 points means you're a GLUTTON.
than the Grinch who stole sex-mas. I'd be
needs, not just your glorified vibrator.
■
It's Gettin9 Hot Out Here ... continued
frompage
35
people with extreme genders like I am. The only time I've ever met
someone else and made a huge scene. I was really glad when it was
anyone is when I've left the event out of frustration and gone some-
time to go home."
where else."
Leather events are another option for hooking up on the road. Ian,
a 40-something
Irena attended
her first Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival last
leather dyke, says that not all events are created
summer. "It was disappointing," she recalls. "I'd heard so many stones
equal, but overall if she sees someone who sparks her interest, she's
about Michfest hookups and how there were play parties every night.
usually successful in getting them to play. The big problem is when
But in reality I felt isolated. It's almost like there was too much choice.
people are too shy to approach each other.
I felt overwhelmed and withdrawn."
was WALP; it's the
Irena admits she was turned off by the preponderance of camping
women's leather pride celebration in Amsterdam. Essentially the rea-
attire. "I was traveling with my housemate Renee, and at the end of
son it worked so well was because a really tall, German leather dyke
the week we were tired of camping. We caught a ride off the land and
·-1 couldn~t hcl1c\'C ho\v sex,·
Kc \ • \'(\·st w a i..i. I 11c \ c r g L' t 1ct 1<>n
girl up in the hotel bar and took her back to the room. We both had
"The most successful event I've attended
stayed overnight in a hotel in Grand Rapids. Renee actually picked a
l
hkc th~n
tlt
more luck in a random hotel bar than in a designated women's space
attended by thousands of lesbians:'
So are women's weekends the answer to your hookup prayers? "It
hon1c.
depends on what you're looking for and where you go;' insists Amy. a
New York party promoter. "I've certainly had some great times at lesbian
took control and assigned people to each other. She stood in the
events. but sometimes the drinking and craziness can get a little over
center of the room and pointed to different women and said, 'You play
the top. I've thrown parties where women have gotten so crazy that
with her, you play with her.' And everyone had a great time."
fights have broken out, and I've also attended events that were poorly
Don't fret if you haven't gotten the hookup yourself. Not all events
promise free lesbo love. Irena, a 30-year-old
attended and kind of boring. I'd say, if you are ready to get really wild
mechanical engineer
and let down your inhibitions, there are many events, especially summer
with gorgeous eyes and a high-femme aesthetic, says, "I never do
ones, where you can make that happen. Your best bet is to ask around
well at women's events. I think these events are poorly attended by
and get information from other dykes before you go:·
36 FEBRUARY 2006
■
Forget all about lesbian
a crab dyke. She is more mothering than sexy
Add to it sexy, intense and mysterious, and that
bars and Sapphic speed dating. All you need to
know about your perfect hookup is written in
but is no slouch in the lovemaking department.
Woo her with candlelight and hot chocolate
pretty much sums it up. She has an unquenchable love of nature. Bring extra water! What
the stars. Charlene Lichtenstein, author of the
recently rereleased HerScopes: A Guide to
(and don't skimp on the whipped cream). What
brings her to new heights? Start at her mount of
makes her warm and mushy? Gently massage
Venus anp explore further.
A§trology for Lesbians (thestarryeye.com),
comes to the rescue with ro antic astrological
advice for Valentine's Day.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
What is it about the lambda ram that is so
powerful and lusty? Maybe it's her take-noprisoners approach to love. She is not shy, and
when she sees who she wants, she makes the
move, or there is no dance. How do you catch
the attention of this lusty lass? Wave a red
teddy flag! What gets her fired up? Nibble on
her earlobes.
her breasts, especially around the nipples.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Who needs constant attention and adulation?
Proud lionesses live and love to be admired.
She is very aware of her appearance and is
regally beautiful. Despite her high maintenance,
she is very generous and randy. Note that she
loves an audience, so consider adding a large
mirror to your boudoir, or go outdoors. What
gets her hot? Rub her solar plexus.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
There is something seductive about a lesbian
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sapphic bulls !oooove sex but need an enterprising lady to prod them into action. Though she
is slow to move, once she gets going there is no
stopping her. How do you get this bulldozer to
plow your field? How about a wonderful meal,
lots of wine and thou? What charges her up?
Nuzzle her on the side of her nose or on her neck.
LU
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
She is flirty, skirty and loads of fun. But can you
get her to commit? Girl-girl twins are more platonic than passionate, but they are very acrobatic and love the chase. How do you hogtie
and brand this wandering babe? Catch her eye
and then play hard to get. What electrifies her?
Kiss the area around her collarbone.
Virgo. Maybe it's because she is so earthy and
sensual under all those layers of flannel.
Actually, the real reason is because she will
always be there for you. OK, maybe with a bit
of a disapproving look as you skulk home at 3
a.m. She can be the mistress of discipline - if
you are lucky! What are her pertinent details?
Give her a good, strong hug.
Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)
There is no one more physically beautiful than a
lesbian Libra. She is very charismatic, sociable
and used to being the center of attention. How
can you catch the eye and soul of such a treasure? Be a bit sexy yourself and generous with
the cash. What energizes her? Give her tummy
love-bites.
:..:
LU
LU
O<
Vl
q::
::E
0
::c:
f-
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
If you. are in the mood to be coddled, cuddled
and overwhelmed with love, look no further than
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Passionate, jealous and possessive all describe
a Sapphic Scorp's love nature. Most of it is true.
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Amazon archers are not known for their sensuality, although with the right lovergrrl they can
singe any sheet. She is independent and
friendly, and she gravitates to the exotic. Catch
her attention by being fun-loving and independent yourself. Tie her up when she is not looking.
To get her going: Lick her inner thighs.
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Although she appears to be practical and conservative, lesbian Caps are really just waiting
for the right woman to sweep them off their
feet. She is earthy and sexy, but will not peel
her layers for just anyone. Show her why you
are deserving. What brings her to a higher
level? Give her a hot-oil massage.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Aqueerians love all womankind. How can you
get her to concentrate on just one woman at a
time? Be unusual, interesting and unorthodox.
She has the sexiest mind and can weave a
seduction that will drive you wild. What sets her
on a course? Caress her ankles and calves.
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
There is no one more romantic and naively optimistic about love than a guppie, so don't disappoint her. She is sensitive to environments,
especially scents and light, and is the siren of
the Zodiac who will steal your heart. Spoil her
with a champagne bubble bath by candlelight.
What reels her in? Suck on her toes. ■
Curve
37
Putting
the"Ex"
inSex
There
are11steps
toevery
lesbian
breakup.
Learn
them
now,
and
you'll
beback
inthesaddle
before
you
know
it.ByCandice
Parker
This weekendwill mark
the formal end of your relationship as your now
ex-girlfriend packs her belongings and.sets off to
make her home somewhere else, leaving you
alone in the place you once called paradise
together. You'veknown this day was looming ever
since she dropped the bomb: "It's not you, it's
me, blah blah blah'.'The bottom line: She wants
out of the relationship.The last month or so has
been a roller coaster of emotions, with you wishing her gone one moment, then crying yourself to
sleep wishing she'd stay the next. But this weekend, she leaves.As she does, let these 11 steps
guide you back to Sapphic single-hood.
1. You will always love her. You'll sift
through the good and the bad, you'll waiver
between angst and anger, and you'll analyze
and re-analyzeevery step of the relationship trying to figure out what went wrong, what you did
wrong. This analysis will lead your heart and
mind in circles but will yield no answers. And
you will always love her.
2. Even if she doesn't admit it or show it in
6. You will often take two steps forward
understand that she wasn't insane when she
any way, she will miss you, too.
and one step back as you attempt to let go. You
will start making plans in advance, no longer
keeping your evenings and weekends free in
tried to call you day after day, sent you mixed
CDs with songs that reminded her of you and
3. Forget the lesbian obsession with staying friends. It will be a long time before you can
truly be friends. She was "the one," and you
won't soon be equipped to hear about how
well she's doing or with whom she's doing it.
hope that she'll call and want to get together.
But then you will hear a song on the radio that
reminds you of her, and you will be surprised at
how easily it still brings you to tears - even
though months have passed.
4. You will lose patience with friends who
offer cliched platitudes like "Time heals" and
"You're right - you won't meet anyone else like
7. For weeks and months, you will compare
her; you'll meet someone better than her'.' You
will think they don't understand; you will think
cute, funny, sexy or intelligent as she was.
that what they're saying is patronizing; but they
do understand, and it's not patronizing.
5. You'll make plans to get together with
her at some point much too soon. A cocktail of
emotions will swirl within you -
repressed
anger and unprocessed sorrow will mix with
anyone new you meet to her. No one will be as
8. Holidays, birthdays and anniversaries
will be difficult, especially the first year. When
Christmas comes, you will unpack the ornaments, only to find the one she bought you last
year. You will stand there holding it, wondering
if you should gently wrap it back up in its tissue
paper, hang it on the tree or shatter it on the
sidewalk in front of the house. You will probably
opt for one of the first two choices.
the elation that comes from seeing her again and if you're like a lot of dyke exes, you'll end
up in bed that night. Your healing process will
take a few steps backward as a result, but
9. You will realize how your previous ex
you'll do it anyway.
felt when you broke up with her. You will
literally begged you not to leave. You may even
call her to apologize.This may lead to rebound
sex, but you'll do it anyway.
1O. At some point when you least expect
it, you will meet someone to whom you are
drawn, and you will be both surprised and
elated that your capacity to be attracted to
someone besides "her" has been restored.
This new person may or may not reciprocate
your feelings, but either way you will know that
your ability to feel and your willingness to do
so remains intact.
11. There is life after her, love after her,
and you will meet someone at some point who
will leave you wondering how you ever thought
you'd never love again. You will realize that the
heart, just like any other muscle, is made
stronger by first being broken. You will heal, you
will laugh, you will love, you will make love
again - and the person with whom you find that
joy will be an incredibly fortunate woman. ■
Curve
41
She's
a Very
DirtyGirl
The
transformation
from
artstudent
topornographer
was
asimple
one
for
queer
auteur
Shine
Louise
Houston.
ByMalinda
Lo
Talking about porn on a
sunny Friday afternoon isn't exactly the worst job I've ever
had - and it's even more fun when the conversation partner
is Shine Louise Houston, the founder of Pink and White
Productions, a new porn production company that recently
released its first video, The Crash Pad.
Houston, a 31-year-old Southern California native with a
penchant for breaking into loud, snorting guffaws when she
cracks herself up, sounds both amazed and thrilled at the
success 'of her fledgling venture, as if it's all been a fortuitous accident. But make no mistake - Houston knows the
business and has plenty of ideas for making queer porn
that's both hot and politically aware.
"I think that a lot of porn [is] considered hot [because of]
what you can see. But for me, I don't think my brain works
that way:' she says. "The approach that I'm taking is not
making the actual sex the focus or the center. The focus is
on that dynamic in which the sex is happening. Take, for
example . . . [the] composition of Eastern paintings. If you
draw an X in the center ... there's nothing. It's always
funding from Blowfish.com, an online retailer.
"I'm hanging out with Tony and the crew;' she recalls,
"and then Christophe [Pettus, the founder of Blowfish]
shows up just to check out what's happening . . . and
Christophe was like, 'So, uh, what do you do?' And I looked
at Christophe and I said, 'I'm gonna be the best porn maker
in San Francisco:" Houston sounds bemused at her own
gutsiness and emphasizes, "I was half joking. I wasn't serious, like, I wasn't thinking anything was going to come out
of this conversation at all}'
But Pettus was impressed by her attitude, and by
November 2004, Houston had filmed a demo video for
$800 and shown it to Pettus, who immediately offered to
finance a full-length production.
Over the summer of 2005, Houston put together a crew,
rented film equipment and cast local Bay area women in a
five-day shoot at a friend's loaned apartment.
"For the first time in my life I'm managing a crew of six
or seven people at a time, and then three or four actors
on set at a time," she recalls in wonder. "In the middle of
"There is power in creating images, and for ... a woman
of color and a queer to take that power .... I don't find it
exploitative; I think it's necessary."
empty. Which, actually, seriously activates the whole composition. So the idea is, the sex is going to be more interesting when it's not exactly the focus:'
If Houston sounds like a former art student, that's
because, well, she is: She graduated from the prestigious
San Francisco Art Institute in 1998 with a B.F.A. in film. "My
senior projects were actually film installations where I was
using re-projected film and then interacting with the film with
my shadow;' she admits with a grin.
But finding a job in filmmaking after graduation was near
impossible, so she began working at Good Vibrations, the
worker-owned San Francisco area sex toy store.
"I kind of chalk up my time at [Good Vibrations] as five
years of marketing research;'she says dryly. She would often
get the same questions from customers, particularly lesbians:
"So what do you have in your dyke section?" And despite a
small revival in the dyke porn market - from Jackie Strano and
Shar Rednour's How to Fuck in High Heels to Dirty Pillows'
Pornograflics - Houston acknowledges that "there's not a lot
that I could direct lesbians to, or I could say, 'That shit is hot:"
By June 2004, Houston decided to rectify what she saw
as a gap in the porn market, and with the assistance of porn
producer Tony Comstock - "He shoots all on film, very
classy, [with] real couples;' Houston explains - she landed
42 FEBRUARY 2006
production I'm watching all this shit happen, and then
that's when it hits me: I'm making a film."
Pink and White Productions promises to produce sexy,
exciting images that reflect today's blurred gender lines
and fluid sexualities, and Houston's first film, The Crash
Pad, is indeed a frisky romp through the genderqueer sexual universe. But while many dykes may welcome
Houston's sexy new spin on porn, for many others, porn
still carries a stigma of exploitation of women.
"That's lending itself to a lot of assumptions about porn;'
Houston objects. "I mean, who's to say that the men in porn
aren't also being exploited? There is power in creating
images, and for ... a woman of color and [a] queer to take that
power.... I don't find it exploitative; I think it's necessary."
Houston is now looking forward to expanding the offerings
on her Web site, pinkwhite.biz, and working to develop the
porn genre itself. "This film genre is so stunted, compared to
all other genres;' she declares. "I want [my films to be] as
good as independent films. I want that film language to grow.
"Not that I single-handedly want to change the porn
industry;' she says. "[I want to] just make the best damn
porn I can possibly make}' ■
Visit curvemag.com for more from Shine Houston.
PHOTO
GRAP HY BY PHYLLIS
CHRISTOPHER
IsSafe
SexStill
HotSex?
Some
lesbians
say
it'stime
tore-examine
thesafe
sex
messages
fordykes.
ByZak
Szymanski
Six years ago, Lanie came of age in
a New York sex-positive dyke culture that emphasized communication,
experimentation and safety - specifically, the use of dental dams and
many other viruses generally cannot live outside the body for longer than
several hours, but sharing a sex toy that exchanges blood or sexual fluids within a short time span means a greater chance of infection.
gloves during almost any erotic activity she could imagine. Before they
"We can describe the category of 'women who have sex with women'
met, Lanie's girlfriend Beth was also sexing her way through the 1990s,
but remembers "watching all these baby dykes wrap themselves in latex"
and come to the conclusion that it is not a high-risk group;' says Kindrick.
"But that's not the same thing as saying that high-risk behavior between
while she made a conscious choice not to use any safer sex barriers with
women cannot transmit the virus:'
Simultaneously, the time has come, many providers believe, to
her partners.
Both women have recently turned 28, and neither has ever tested
positive for a sexually transmitted disease. Lanie chalks this up to her
latex vigilance whenever she wasn't in a monogamous relationship, but
Beth believes many lesbians have been duped into sexual practices that
aren't based upon realistic risks. So, who's right?
They both are.
The early days of Al DS brought a hypervigilance about safer sex, but
acknowledge that hands are not an efficient delivery method for many
sexually transmitted diseases. After all, most doctors don't tell straight
couples to glove up for digital penetration, and even in San Francisco,
with its high incidence of HIV among men who have sex with men (an
estimated one-fourth are infected), the San Francisco Department of
Public Health's City Clinic Internet advice column recently informed one
gay man that fisting at sex clubs is "not considered a high-risk activity:'
as the epidemic and its research evolved, so too did the messages for
male couples and opposite-sex couples. For instance, American health
The obligatory dyke latex message could be harmless overkill:
Despite a variety of WSW sexual activities, it remains true that this
officials now believe that receptive partners, or "bottoms;' are at greater
population is considered the lowest risk group for sexually transmitted
Co 11" i d c r th is stag g tT 1n g 11c \Vs: ~ o 111c 111c d ical cs ti 1n at cs s av th a t 8 0
pc r cc n t o f sc x u a 11y J ct i vc \ v o 111c n \\' ilI L' ~1r r y "o 111c fo r 111 o f l--1
u n 1a 11
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P~1pillotn~1 \'irus
t. .
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•
point
111their lives.
risk for contracting HIV than tops, meaning that transmissions from women
to rrien during vaginal intercourse are very low in this country.
diseases among the sexually active, even while anecdotal evidence
suggests that less than 25 percent of women regularly use protection
But despite the best efforts of a handful of concerned health
during sexual activity outside of a long-term monogamous relationship.
providers and sex toy shops, most women who sleep with women
(WSW) have yet to receive updated safer sex messages for their own
population group. There still is limited surveillance data and very little
research to document STD transmissions between lesbians. And yet
what really matters, according to medical experts, has very little to do
with sexual orientation or gender at all.
"What we really need to know in terms of infection transmission is
what is actually happening between two people;• says Dr. Amy Kindrick
of the National HIV/AIDS Clinicians' Consultation Center. Kindrick attributes a good portion of the dyke information drought to false assumptions
about what two women do in bed.
When it comes to HIV, she explains, "What matters from a medical
standpoint is what kind of bodily contact and fluids are involved, and how
likely it is that one of the partners is infected. If we knew those things it
wouldn't matter if we were talking about a man and a woman, a transgender man and a gay man, or two women:'
Blood and semen are considered the two most highly infectious
agents, says Kindrick, which already eliminates a risk factor for women
who don't ever have penetrative sex with a biological penis.
But automatically putting biologically female couples in a lower risk
category only makes sense if they never share straws or needles when
using drugs, never play vigorously enough to tear skin and never have
sex during menstruation. The highly publicized woman-to-woman HIV
transmission case of 2003, for instance, involved the presence of blood
and the sharing of toys during numerous sexual encounters. HIV and
44 FEBRUARY 2006
On the other hand, the message that using gloves and dams equals
safe sex could also lead to a false sense of security, says Dr. Lisa Pratt,
medical director of San Francisco's Community Clinic Consortium.
"I wouldn't recommend that people not use latex barriers, but having
said that, there are some things that still are transmissible despite latex
barriers;' Pratt adds.
SAFE
SEX
DANGERS
The reality of dykes and safer sex is that the infections most likely to be
passed between female bodies are also among the hardest to recognize
and protect against. Both the wart-causing strains of the human papilloma
virus and the herpes simplex virus (which causes sores on the lips and
genital area) are transmitted through skin-to-skin contact. Barriers could
prevent transmission if all affected areas are covered, but those areas are
difficult to determine in people who have no visible symptoms.
Genital warts, for instance, can't be diagnosed unless they are present, but they generally arise only when a person's immune system is suppressed and could take years to show up after an initial infection. Blood
tests for herpes often only identify HSV-II, or "genital herpes" (though
newer tests can distinguish between HSV-I and HSV-I1),when in reality
HSV-I can be transmitted genitally as well.
UJ
Embarrassing or painful though it may be to have such symptoms, it's
hardly unusual to contract and carry the viruses that cause them. Some
medical estimates say that 90 percent of those who carry genital herpes
are unaware of it, and 80 percent of sexually active women will carry
z
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0
some form of HPV at some point in their lives, an incidence so high that
of these women are not coinfected with another STD, suggesting that
some doctors tell their patients that "everybody has it:' according to
WSW may be at higher risk for this infection for reasons that are unc.lear.
Pratt, who adds that the types of HPV indicated by irregular Pap smears
"We're seeing a lot of BV among this population and we don't under-
need to be monitored for the risk of cervical cancer. External genital
stand why;' says Marrazzo,who also has documented clear cases of HPV
warts are considered harmless and are removed only for cosmetic rea-
and herpes transmissions between women. BV is diagnosed by a pelvic
sons, according to a variety of different STD clinicians.
exam and testing the pH of the vaginal fluid. Roughly half the cases diag-
Other diseases like chlamydia and gonorrhea are transmitted through
nosed at Marrazzo's clinic come from women who have no symptoms at all.
vaginal fluid, which theoretically could be passed between hands and vagi-
Regardless of the data available, lesbians like Lanie and Beth are
nas. But to be effective, latex barriers must not come in contact with both
pretty typical of all couples: Their sexual activities, past partners and drug
partners, a task that can be difficult to navigate in the throes of passion.
histories all factor into their STD risks. Considering that both women
In Seattle, one of the few places where woman-to-woman STD transmission is being studied, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo - an assistant professor of
have been sexually active for several years, it is also quite likely that they
carry some form of HPV or HSV and may never know it.
infectious disease and founder of LesbianSTD.com - has noticed a newer
What Marrazzo wants women to remember is that identities and sex-
trend: 25 percent of the lesbians coming into her clinic have bacterial vagi-
ual activities play a.role in STD risk, but they don't tell the full story. "It's
nosis, a bacterial overgrowth of the vagina characterized by a foul-smelling
not just the behavior and what women are doing:' she explains, "but how
discharge that is often mistaken for a yeast infection.
This is a higher rate than is seen among other populations, and most
likely they are to come into contact with someone who is infected in the
first place;'
■
Curve
45
bred in the panhandle town of Euless, Texas, Shahi's mother is Spanish and her paternal
-grandfa her was an Iranian Shah. But there's more to the raven-haired Shahi than what
I brown eyes. Her estimable acting chops have earned her some noteworthy big
s. She did a stint on Alias and appeared in the Will Ferrell vehicle Old School.
e set of The L Word, Shahi is busy bolstering her film career, recently wrapping the longopher Guest film, For Your Consideration. CURVE caught up with Shahi while she drove
eles with her Jack Russell, Eddie, who occasionally barked at passing motorcycles.
How are you able to step foot out in pub•
lie without being mobbed by screaming L
Word devotees?
I'm so not Julia Roberts. I wouldn't be recognized if it weren't for the show. I never put it
together when people come up to me in public. They say, "You're Carmen. You're on The
L Word. We love you:' I'm so not famous.
The girls went nuts from the moment you
stepped out on the screen.
They can all come see me and make a big fuss.
You just wrapped one film and you're
working on another. Has the show helped
you garner other acting gigs?
The L Word has definitely helped me out in
terms of my credibility. It's launched me to
a new plateau. On an actor level there are
only so many jobs. It's hard just to book a
job in this town. And it's so different from
anything else you'll play in your life. You
can't be green and be on The L Word.
When you signed on for the show were·
you aware of how much the first season
had impacted lesbians?
The thing about The L Word is it's such a cultural phenomenon.
Have you had any potentially moving
encounters with fans?
I haven't had as much as some of the characters
who were on the first season. I've had people tell me I was an inspiration. I think it taps
into something. It's absolutely amazing what
the show has the power to do.
Have you had any feedback from Latina
women on Carmen being an inspiration?
It seems to be that I am liked. They're invested
in a Latina character. But I don't have
Spanish women bringing me tamales.
Did you know about the show before you
got the role?
I was living in L.A., and I saw the billboards. I
was just another actor living hand to
mouth. I was upset that I didn't go out for
it. I didn't have Showtime. I didn't even
have cable.
How was this year's shoot compared with
your first year?
I knew the girls more intimately.
So indulge your fans for a moment and
48 FEBRUARY 2006
tell me that the cast of The L Word
hangs around on the set in their pj's,
painting each other's toenails and giving each other backrubs.
Yes, everything you said. It's all true. That's the
deal. I spend 14 hours a day at least with
these people. We have such a great time
being on the set together. The girls have a
great camaraderie. It's a great cast.
It seems to me that Carmen was a little
unfair to Jenny last season.
I agree with you. Carmen has definitely made
some changes. Last season we didn't dive
too deeply into Carmen's closet to who she
was as a person. We get to see more of her.
Me personally, I don't do that.
Treat people that w.ay?
I truly struggled with that. But there's no bullshit about her. No game playing. She loves
to love.
Any trepidation about being pigeonholed
after playing a lesbian character?
Oh God no, no, no, no, no. It's an added bonus.
It's like an added ingredient.
Did you research the role?
I took DJ classes. I live in L.A. I have plenty of
friends who are gay. I mentioned once in an
interview that I'd had some of my own experiences with women and now it always pops
up. Actually, I was so na'i've.I didn't even
know there were books about lesbians.
Are you pulling my leg?
I'm being facetious.
I have another prurient question. Any
chance we might see Carmen in a short
skirt shaking a set of pompoms?
Whoa! Carmen? Nol Sarah, definitely.
How do you view Carmen on a
butch/femme scale?
She's not butch. She's edgier than femme. She
likes to show off her assets, but she's not
going hiking in a pair of heels. She's not
Carrie Bradshaw.
Season three was shot during a political
climate that is particularly polarizing
around gay and lesbian issues. How do
you feel The L Word helps to illuminate
the issues for people?
I think it's awareness. You can accomplish so
much just by being aware. All of the
characters have such strong voices. They
speak what's on their minds. But it's entertainment. It's not headline news.
You had quite a few steamy sex scenes
last season. Are they old hat by now?
I enjoy doing sex scenes with women because
they haveyour body. They're more aware than
guys. I can say, "Can you move your hands?
... I don't want the camera to see the left side
of my nipple:' I quite enjoy doing scenes with
women but it's always awkward. Who wants
to watch themselves kiss? I was watching the
first sex scene Kate and I did together, and I
said, "Oh my God, that's the way I look when
I kiss?"
What have you learned from Carmen?
I've learned to be more patient. Carmen has a
bit of a temper. Here's what I love about
Carmen. She fucking says what's on her
mind. You always know where she's coming from. There's no fa9ade. I think the
world, especially Hollywood, needs more
of that.
So your father is Iranian and your mother
is Spanish, both culturally conservative
communities. Do they watch the show?
They're actually supportive and love it. When I
told my mother about it she said, "The el
word?" What is that? Now she's on the
Web site. She eats this up more than I do.
Does she have a favorite character?
You mean be~ides her daughter? Who doesn't
love Kate and Leisha?
Okay, so I promise I won't tell but who's
the better kisser, Mia or Kate?
Oh my God! Wow, I can't answer that. I'm
definitely lucky that I've been able to kiss
both of them. Mia and I are both feminine
girls. Kate and I are such opposites. We
can be a little raunchier. I can't believe you
asked that!
I didn't really think you'd answer.
I wish I could kiss all of them so I'd know what
they all kiss like.
All right, this may break a lot of hearts but
are you attached?
I am, yeah.... If I ever turn, my gay fans will be
the first to know. ■
By Diane Anderson-Minshall
The L Word has a new girl in town, and sexy,
gender-ambiguous, surfer, rocker and former
circus performer Daniela Sea is guaranteed to
make you forget all about Shane.
There's something wickedly sexy about Daniela Sea. Perhaps it's the fact that she has been a
nomadic world traveler, her wanderlust taking her from her Southern California roots to as far away
as Kurdistan and India, where she spent eight months passing as a man.
The child of hippie artists and intellectuals, Sea was just 3 years old when her father came out as
a gay man. A mere three years later, after her mother remarried, Sea took to the surf under the
tutelege of her stepfather, a former Motown exec who moved the family to Hawaii to catch more
waves. By the age of 12, Sea had taken a job at a biker bar, serving pitchers of brew and dreaming
of getting her own car, and by 16, she had moved to San Francisco to join the punk artist feminist
collective Gilman Street Project (which was home to Green Day and Miranda July, among others).
And that's not the half of it. Long before she hit Hollywood, this L Word hottie was living every
bit the cinematic life - playing guitar with The Gr'ups, herding goats in abandoned villages in Italy,
hitchhiking through Turkey and Eastern Europe, hiking for a month through India's Rishekesh while
drinking water from the Ganges and collecting wild plants for food. In Poland, she joined a traveling circus and spent years with the same tribe doing performances on the streets of Europe,
traveling by foot, living off the earth and cooking over open fires.
Flash forward to 2006, and Sea is the hottest new star of Showtime's hit lesbian drama The L Word.
She's got a superstar girlfriend (Capital B, the musician formerly known as Bitch), a home in Brooklyn
and a plum little role in John Cameron Mitchell's much talked about new film, Shortbus. We caught up
with the performer-turned-actor to find out how it feels to be the L's new "it" girl.
Curve
s1
You have such a richly textured background, it's almost hard to see you in
Hollywood.
I know, it's funny, right?
Is it surprising to you that you're at this
position?
It's surprising to a lot of the people I've known,
but it kind of weirdly makes sense, also. It's
like the next adventure. It's weird, I would
never have expected it in my life a few years
ago, and it's all been a whirlwind, but you
know [in a] strange way it seems to be kind
of fitting. It's almost like everything's coming
back to where I started.
Full circle; that makes sense.
Yeah, like right now I'm sitting on the highway
up above where I grew up in L.A., where I
used to wait for the school bus beside the
highway. I just think it's kind of funny
because I left home so young.
Do you have any issues about that? About
coming full circle.
Well, what has it brought up for me? I guess a
lot of the judgments I would have made
when I was younger about show business .
. . . I feel like maybe I made a blanket statement about the whole thing as if it was all,
you know, somehow corporate or something like that. And I'm realizing now that ...
there are a lot of people with a lot of great
things to say and they're ... making their art
and making things different in the world, but
it's kind of in the landscape [that] I wouldn't
have expected when I was younger.
How did your parents react when you
came out?
I guess they weren't that surprised. They were
really supportive, you know, and most of all
my grandparents also were really supportive,
and they're a traditional Christian family. But
yeah, on that end it was pretty easy. I mean,
my mom was a bit worried. . . . I remember
the first time she said, "Well, you don't call
yourself a lesbian though, do you?" And I
guess we just had to redefine what that
meant in her mind because she had been
raised with a whole different thing about that.
It's interesting how much cultural baggage can come along with just one word.
Mm hmm. She was fine with me being in love
with a girl who she met, but then the idea
that I was a lesbian meant something else to
her at the time.
Well, tell me how you ended up as a
series regular on The L Word without
even having an agent.
Almost two years ago ... I decided I wanted to
pursue acting. I was living in New York and
I'd been touring with my girlfriend, Bitch ...
and I'd been living in Europe for a lot of
women. But then another side of me says:
years, traveling and stuff. When I was in
amazing, and I think that it's really very
thoughtful. The people who are doing the
New York, I just ... had this deep sadness
writing and creating it are not - it's not just
where I got really sick, and I didn't leave the
making a TV show, they are definitely socially
side of yourself. I definitely identify as a
house for like a week and a half or some-
responsible and thinking about -
tomboy. I've always been a tomboy ...
thing ... and I talked to my mom, and she
said, "You know, I think that there's some-
Representation?
thing you need to hear about yourself that
you're not hearing, and you gotta listen to
That's such a heady task, too.
Representing us, yeah.
Yeah, it is. I mean, we are never going to be sat-
definitely genderqueer. I see gender as
pretty fluid and it's hard to nail down one
that's the first thing that anybody teased
me for when I was like 6.
Some people will interpret that as a lesbian experience and some interpret that
as a typical trans experience.
what it is. Listen to yourself;' So a couple
isfied, right? As a people, I mean, I say "we"
days later I just had this epiphany. I realized
that I missed acting so much. It was some-
meaning women, queer, lesbian, trans, whatever, all of us on that spectrum of people who
Yeah, and to be honest, I can relate with both.
thing I really loved ... and I just missed it.
have been women in the past and are politically active, sometimes I feel like we expect a
my friends who . . . deal with it in physical
And I realized: Why can't I just pursue this if
it's something that I love so much? There's
I'm not sure what differentiates me from all
lot, but I think that also makes us really aware
ways, you know, getting surgery or taking T
or using a male pronoun or something. I
got to be a place for someone like me.
... and really struggling for good causes.
think really it's the stubborn, hippie, political
So soon after . . . I heard about an audition for
John Cameron Mitchell's
new film,
Mm hmm. Yeah, sometimes it's good to
be demanding.
side of me that says I'm going to keep what
Shortbus, and I auditioned for it ... and then
finally I got the part and I workshopped it,
and during that time . . . I got a book on
Yeah, I'm proud of us in that way. Even if we
can be, you know, a little ornery sometimes.
I feel like trans is the new butch in our lesbian community.
Tell me about your character, Moira.
Sometimes I feel like that, and sometimes I
iMovie from the library and I made myself a
Moira is pretty f-ing cool. I really like her; I have
reel. I just had some little vignettes from
[when] I'd been in some music videos ...
a soft place in my heart for her. She's a girl
selves, and people can be what they've
from the suburbs outside of Chicago, early
20s, and she's kind of a computer - not
always wanted to be, you know?
and it took me forever 'cause I'm not the
most computer-adept person yet. I just figured it out and then I sent it off ... [to] someone I knew who was writing for the show
who I'd known years before. I just called her
and asked her if I could send her this package and would she pass it on to the right
people. And she said sure, so she did, and
sooner or later I got a call asking for an audition tape, and then I got a call on a Thursday
night. I was at my restaurant job and they
said, "Can you be here in L.A. tomorrow at
noon for this audition?" And I thought to
myself, heck yeah, I'll do it. I used my last
money and I borrowed some money from
my roommate, and I bought a ticket and I
came out, and then within like five days I
was in Vancouver shooting the first scene,
which happened to be a make-out scene
with Mia's character, and that's how it happened. I'd never even seen the show before.
Had you followed the whole ferocity with
which women are attuned to The L Word?
I actually hadn't realized how intense it was
because . . . I just kind of stay at home and
make stuff, or else I go see music or theater. I
don't usually watch TV myself. . . . So then
whenever anyone would bring it up after I got
the job, I realized almost everybody I know
who is a lesbian or queer watches the show even my doorman who's a good straight guy.
It wasn't that I was opposed to it; I just never
found the time, but I [have] definitely watched
all the episodes now, and I'm excited to be
part of it. It's something I really think is pretty
I was given and make space for that as it is.
don't. Wow, now we can finally liberate our-
So, how does it feel now to be the second
L Word cast member to be openly gay?
It feels fine. I never questioned doing it any
away when I started learning about her
other way. I've been out since I knew. I've
[that] she hasn't reached her potential yet,
been telling everybody, and I think there's
like there's something else waiting and it's
something really powerful in that actually - I
not just the trans thing. There's more to her
don't think it ghettoizes me, particularly.
than just living in the suburbs she grew up You were in the San Francisco Pride
in, you know, and so she meets Jenny parade. Do experiences like that change
Schecter and Jenny says that she's going
how you look at the queer community?
back to Los Angeles, and Moira says she
No, not really. It was cool . . . to be riding and
wants to come with her, so we get to see
seeing all these faces looking at me and
them on this journey out to L.A. And then we
getting to see glimpses of all different kinds
get to see Moira in L.A. in this environment
of people who came to the parade - people
of pretty well-to-do - well, like all Jenny's
with their kids, older, younger, all different
friends are mostly pretty upscale.
ethnicities, you know how the Bay area is
Affluent, right.
lucky in that way.... I feel so strong and so
Obviously you see that she sticks out like a_
part of [the gay community] since I was litsore thumb, and then you get to see the diftle, even before I knew I was gay. It's just
ferent ways that she deals with it, and the
part of my everyday life.
way people deal with her and how they What made you fall in love with Bitch?
react. Sometimes it's pretty strong, you
Ha! Well ... I'd been living in Europe for a lot of
know. It's just fun to play. I love that because
years, so I didn't know about her and I'd
I can relate to that feeling, you know, feeling
never heard her work or anything, which is
a little bit outside. She's very good-hearted
crazy because ... we have common friends.
like a gentleman, a real gentleman kind of
But I'd just been not really living under a
woman. I like her.
rock, but just living in another whole reality.
How about yourself? How do you see A different world, right.
yourself on the genderqueer spectrum? Yeah. And so I'd been in L.A. for about six
How do you identify?
months taking care of my cousin who had
Well, I guess it depends on who I'm around,
cancer. I'd been living in India, and then I
because I think that also makes a difference
got this e-mail from her, and so I came back.
politically. Politically, I like to identify as a
I hadn't been back to the U.S. for two years.
woman because I think it's really important
. . . And then she went into remission and
to show that there's all different kinds of
she's like, "I'm ready to take my life back:' so
exactly a nerd, but she does computer tech
stuff, like a programmer. . . . I sensed right
Cawve53
I'm [thinking that I'm] going to go back to
Europe, but I thought I'd stop through the
Bay area, where a lot of my chosen family
lives, for a month or so.
When I went there, my friend Sini Anderson
was putting on this cool intergenerational
series where an older and a younger band
of each genre would be playing in the same
night. So Sini was like, will you come every
night? So I came almost every night and I
kept seeing this woman, and there was just
something about her. And I could see that
she kept seeing me; we kept catching each
other's eyes and we had some different little funny exchanges, but when we finally
hooked up ... it was just like - I don't know
if I can explain it, but I know you probably
know. It was just ... like so meant to be, and
it still feels like that. It's been three and a
half years, and it still feels just like we have
so much to share. We're actually really"creative together; we're a really good collaborative team with writing and music.
You share that creative spirit?
Exactly. And that traveler spirit. I went on the
road pretty soon after with her and Animal,
and ... we went to Bulgaria to visit some old
kinds of ego battles. It was more about what
was best for all of us in the moment, and I
learned a lot from that.
Now, hitchhiking alone, I learned a lot about trusting people. I luckily didn't have very many bad
experiences and nothing too tragic, but I
know a lot of my friends have, so I wouldn't
say to you, "Oh, it's the best thing in the world
to do'.' But for me personally,to just stand on
the side of a road and be able to be in a
whole other reality within some hours and
meet all kinds of people - it just was really
freeing. I had no money for years.... It made
me have more faith in people and feel like I
belonged in the world, actually,and made me
feel proud to be part of the world instead of
like when I was younger [and was] this rebellious punk rocker who never felt like I
belonged anywhere.
You lived in India for eight months while
you were passing as a man.
I was, uh huh.
How do you think that that shaped your
experience there?
I think it gave me a lot of access .... I didn't
consciously say ... "I'm going to India as a
man'.'It just kind of morphed into that. When
And also, they could be like, "Hey, let me
show you the field we're working;' or, "Hey,
will you help us push this cart?" - taking part
instead of being coddled.
Your life is like this big, fascinating freeform narrative. What do you look forward
to in the future?
I made an exerted effort all my life to make my life
my art. I wasn't even necessarily going to
make much that I could leave behind, you
know. But I had this feeling, which reflected
my hippie upbringing, which was that the
greatest art is actually all around us everyday,
and I wanted to just meld into that and tread
lightly. And then I realized that I don't know if
[I] really want to tread lightly in that way. I feel
like I can make a big impact, maybe, in the
world. At least I can just share who I am and
could be inspiring to somebody or something, and I see in my future just continuing
with that.
I would love to make more films 'cause it's something I really love being part of.... I would
love to keep . . . exploring the world and
bringing back the tales that I learned in other
places, and mostly just keep being an openhearted and free person. I believe that we
"For me the sexiest kind of woman is a really
outspoken, liberated feminist. And that's what
I find sexy - her mind!'
friends of mine, and we like to travel and
cook over the fire and whatever; we're kind
of hippies in a way.
Do you feel like she's changed your life?
Definitely, definitely. I feel like vice versa, both
ways, we've definitely helped each other
change. In fact, that was one of the first
promises we ever made to each other - that
we were going to allow each other to
change, and the people we knew now might
not be who we would be with some years
later, but ... just to leave it open for change.
And that's made a big difference because
we are both really different from when we
met, but we're both really just fulfilling our
dreams and helping each other with that.
What did you learn from hitchhiking in
Eastern Europe?
Hitchhiking in countries with people who didn't
grow up under capitalism, and living outside, and staying in villages and being a
guest of people taught me a lot about
human nature. It was easy to live communally with people who were brought up that
way, because you didn't have the same
54 FEBRUARY 2006
I was there, you had to choose, in a way •especially in the traditional areas - if you
were going to wear traditional clothes,
which when I was in Pakistan we had to. So
I actually chose the girls' gender clothing
first ... and I watched as my girlfriend at the
time was in the boys' gender clothing, and
the different kind of access she had.
And then as we passed into India ... I think I just
slowly morphed. Then I got my haircut 'cause
it was already kind of short, and then one day
people thought I was a boy, and I just kind of
went with that. So I chose clothes actually
more close to what I would wear here. And
then I just started referring to myself as "he;'
and slowly it just started morphing into this
thing that I was living as a man. I never corrected anyone. I'd done that in other villages
too, 'cause especially in rural places - I love
spending time with villagers - I feel like it just
makesthings easier if in a group there's some
men and some women. Because then you're
safe in a different way, and people can just
relax and be your friend instead of trying to
make out with you or do something crazy.
can totally change the world and that social
change is all about loving ourselves and our
neighbors, and that's why I think a great way
to love people is to make your art and to be
as big as you can be. You can still make a big
difference by being kind or generous or loving. And that can be your art.
OK, one last question. This article is actually going in our annual sex issue, so tell
me something sexy. Tell me something
about sex every woman should know.
I think ... OK, give me just a minute. [Pauses.]
For me, the sexiest kind of woman is a really
outspoken, liberated, feminist woman. And
that's what I find really sexy: somebody's
mind. Not just their mind, but their expression
of themselves. That's what I think is sexy. I
mean, there are different physical things, but·
that all depends on the person.
Great. Super. Which probably explains
why you fell in love with Bitch. [Laughs.]
Yes. ■
For exclusive outtakes from our interview with
Daniela Sea, visit curvemag.com.
-
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M
.1997
Helen Boyd's 2004 memoir, My Husband Betty: Love,
Sex and Life With a Crossdresser (myhusband
betty.com), is one of the few books written from the
perspective of a transgendered person's significant
other. Her upcoming book, Boy Meets Girl, about
"what it means to our romance if my husband becomes
my wife:' will document her MTF lesbian partner's transition and her changing views on gender and identity.
We talked with Boyd recently about heteroflexibility, genderbending and the thrill of having a hot woman
in your bed.
In My Husband Betty, you're critical of some parts of the crossdresser community, especially the venerable Tri-Ess organization. What has the response been to the book?
The thanks I've gotten has far outweighed the negativity. Cross-dressers
are happy to have a book to give to a wife, parent, friend or therapist.
The nationalorganizationfor CDs, Tri-Ess,isn't happy with the book, but
wonder about the advice they've given. ... All three of them were
latent transsexuals, not cross-dressers,but all three of them gave
advice as cross-dressers!'Do you think transitioning invalidates a
person's previous experience? In our community, for example,
advice columnist Pat Califia transitioned as an FTM. Should all of
his previous advice to lesbians be thrown out?
Sometimes transpeople seem to see any gender variance as latent
transsexualism. Kind of like when you learn a new word and it shows
up three times in a week. When you have transsexuals saying, "I
should have known the first time I put on a dress or a tie that I'd end
up having surgery:' it prevents people from exploring. Like with most
advice, I think you have to know the context.
You've described yourself as a bit of a tomboy. Have you faced
gender discrimination for not being feminine enough?
I was called both "butch" and "dyke" before I was 12 and learned not to
listen, to be honest. There's definitely a downside to not being traditionally feminine. . . . My social life suffered, and working as a temp
was brutal, because they expected me to be some kind of girl secretary. My one requirement for a job after college was one where I
From Strai
Gay
HELEN BOYD ON
REDRESSING MARRIAGE.
BY JACOB ANDERSON-MINSHALL
I criticized that organizationfor transphobic and homophobic attitudes,
so that wasn't a surprise. What I've been most pleased about is how
many people find it a valuable book about gender and feminism, and
how many other kinds of transpeople ... find it useful.
You've called for cross-dressers and their wives to accept they
are less than "straight" and challenged them to form bridges
with the GLBTQ and alternative sex communities. Have you
found support for those ideas?
There are cross-dressers who resent being told that wearing a dress
somehow means they don't like women - especially if they questioned their own identity at some point. But when a CD writes to me
about baking cookies for a local GLBT center fund-raiser - and in
heels, no less! - I know there's progress.
You've explained that when your husband is en homme, the two
of you are straight, and when he's en femme, you're a lesbian
couple. Is that how you really feel?
I'm not sure I can really know "what a lesbian feels like:' but I do butch
up when I'm out with Betty - I become more protective, open
doors, pay for drinks. I definitely have to think like a lesbian in terms
of safety. Privately - well, I like doing the seducing, and I like
watching Betty blush if I tell her she looks beautiful, and I feel like
my dick's a little bigger when someone else finds her attractive·. I'm
not sure what that makes me.
You write, 'When 'certified aoss-dressers' ... opt to transition, I
56 FEBRUARY 2006
didn't have to wear a skirt.
You created your own support group after being evicted from a
cross-dressers' wives' group for "suggesting that women who
were at least bi-curious might have an easier time being married to a cross-dresser;' and breaking a rule by saying the Lword out loud. Are members of your group more flexible with
their sexual identifications?
Yes, absolutely. The MTF community, especially the cross-dressing segment, is still casting off the heterosexual model. Plenty of people
were out there looking for somewhere to say "I'm bi" or "I want to be
submissive" or "I really enjoy anal plugs" or whatever their thing is.
They're what I'd call "heteroflexible" or maybe just adventurous, and
have done some work dealing with shame and guilt about unusual
sexual desires, and with that comes a greater openness for accepting others' sexual orientations and preferences.
Tell me about your new book project, Boy Meets Girl.
It'll be about the important things I learned ... from being married to
someone who's trans, and about what I've learned in general about
being part of the trans community. I feel useful as an insider [and]
outsider because I understand in some ways how many people still
find trans "weird," but I also get how it feels to be trans.
Is there anything else about you CURVEreaders should know?
That my partner, and many MTFs like her, really appreciate the lesbians
who welcome lesbian-identified MTFs into their community. ■
Curve
57
For the Love of the Game
WITH
THE
PROLIFERATION
OF
WOMEN'S
>> By
Tracy
E. Gilchrist
SPORTS,
the phrase "You fight like a girl" isn't quite the put-down it once was. But
along with the increased visibility of women in nontraditional sports
comes the backlash that demands they conform to age-old gender roles.
Women Make Movies has just released three sports-oriented documentaries that dive into gender and body image issues. The films run the
gamut of female representation in sports, from a whimsical look at overweight synchronized swimmers who eschew 1940s Hollywood's obsession with turning women's bodies into fetishized abstract formations, to
a poignant and unsentimental portrait of a female boxer who keeps up
the good fight, to a tenacious teen wrestler. Like all great sports films,
these documentaries tell stories of athletes who overcome ostensibly
insurmountable odds for the love of the game - all the while contending
with their most menacing opponent: cultural perceptions of femininity.
Buoyant (Women Make Movies)
Fat floats, as evidenced by the Padded Lilies, an exuberant troupe of fat
synchronized swimmers profiled in Julie Wyman's experimental documentary. Wyman juxtaposes images of the Padded Lilies rehearsing for
a once-in-a-lifetimeappearance on the Tonight Show with what appears
to be vintage black-and-white footage of a swimsuit-and-goggle-clad
woman attempting to navigate Greek mathematician Archimedes' "drystroke swimulator." But it is Wyman herself who climbs into the system
of ropes and pulleys that resembles something the Marquis de Sade may
have used as furniture. A soothing voiceover reminiscent of a '50s-style
informational filmstrip explains Archimedes' theories to the viewer.
Wyman's camera is at once static and electric, and her spot-on
editing draws parallels between the Padded Lilies' bodies and
Archimedes' obsession with measuring volume. The Padded Lilies
- big, beautiful and meticulous in honing their routine - provide
an unabashed celebration of the larger ladies' form. With just a
hint of irony, the Lilies empower the "jazz hands" move when they
include it in their act. Esther Williams, sporting her signature flowered latex bathing cap, would be proud. (wmm.com)
Girl Wrestler (Women Make Movies)
At 13, Tara Neal is just a regular teenage girl who eats ice cream,
shops and calls boy after boy to the mat, but her wrestling career is
just about finished. Emmy Award-winning documentarian (for her
work on Moving Stories) Diane Zander chronicles Neal's final year
of coed wrestling under a Texas state athletics guideline that prohibits girls from wrestling boys after they reach age 14. With so few
female wrestlers on high school teams, Neal is destined to warm the
bench. Using talking-head interviews and footage of Neal folding
boys into pretzels on the mat, Zander builds a complex relationship
between the wrestling audience, Neal's supporters and detractors,
DVD Picks
FEATURES
Bad Girls (Capital Entertainment):
Now about to enter its eighth
season, the notorious - and critically acclaimed - U.K. women's
prison drama is finally available on
DVD in the United States. The
first season reveals the sordid
(yet instantly addictive) politicking
58 FEBRUARY 2006
involved when the new female
governor (the stern but beautiful
Simo~e Lahbib) butts up against
prison officer Jim Fenner (Jack
Ellis), who sees nothing wrong
with taking advantage of the
inmates. Throw in some dyke
drama - what, you didn't think
there'd be any? - and you've got
a fascinating, though somewhat
trashy, modern version of
Chained Girls. Yeah, it's a little
strange that all the prisoners
seem to have access to lipstick
and fashionable clothes, but hey,
I'm not complaining.
(capitalent.com) - Malinda Lo
Ladies Room (lndican Pictures):
This short film by Kate Bernstein
captures every interaction you
could imagine happening in a
bathroom. In private and public,
women gaze into mirrors, steal
kisses from strangers, commiserate, complain and even find inspiration. Bernstein wittily reveals
the ways that women bond - or
and Neal, who just plain loves the sport. While
she grapples with opponents, Zander's film
grapples with the issues of girls' roles in sports
and notions of femininity. She illuminates the
threat that Neal's physical strength - and
refusal to acquiesce to a traditional feminine
role - poses for her young male opponents
and their overzealous parents. Also at issue in
the film is Title IX, which called for the creation of women's sports programs but has subsequently been blamed for diverting funding
from men's sports to women's, thereby causing
the elimination of men's sports programs
around the country. (wmm.com)
A Knock Out (Women Make Movies)
4
In the world of professional women's boxing,
Michele Aboro is the wrong kind of knockout. Her nearly shaven head and rock-hard,
lithe body are hardly pinup material for the
typical male seeking a Penthouse pet.
Director Tessa Boerman highlights the disparities in women's boxing that call for the
sexualization of the female boxer outside the
ring. Despite Aboro's impressive pro boxing
record of 21 wins, 18 of which were knockouts, her promoter dropped her, claiming she
was "not promotable." Meanwhile, Regina
Halmlich, professional boxer and erstwhile
!lx kitten - who poses in bikinis for magazine covers - continues to slug away in the
ring. Aboro, a mixed-race lesbian from tough
South London, fought her way to the top of
women's boxing only to be beaten down in
her prime by her refusal to play the sexpot
outside the ring. Although sexism unjustly
ended Aboro's professional career, Boerman
leaves the viewer with a sense of hope and
captures Aboro's indomitable spirit and continued devotion to the sport. (wmm.com) ■
Changingthe World
By Catherine Plato
I hear you were an economics major
back in college. When and how did you
learn about filmmaking?
DVDpicks. . . continued
onpage72
□
No. 1 about documentary filmmaking:
Yes, I was! I studied economics because I
Pick a topic you really want to see a film
about - even better, pick a topic that ...
can really change the world. •
wanted to understand who has power in
the world. I was drawn to documentary
How did you come up with the idea to
make One Wedding and a Revolution?
filmmaking by a group called Angry Arts
in Cambridge, Mass. I loved going to
their screenings and I had a dream that
I didn't! I got a call on Feb. 12, 2004, from
my friend Joyce Newstat, who was
someday I could make a film that Angry
Arts would show. They did! I learned how
to make my first film from Margaret
Lazarus, a documentary filmmaker who
had made several feminist films. She let
us use her editing room and taught us
about fund-raising and finding the right
production crew.
What drew you to that medium?
I was very frustrated with the mainstream
media's portrayal of our lives, and . . . I
thought I could reach thousands of peo-
not. An added bonus is the mock commercial for PlaytymeTamponsmidway
through the film. Three beautiful women
wearing T-shirtsthat read "cunt;' "twat"
and "pussy" explainthe virtues of a tampon that resemblesa candy bar so "no
one will know;' while a jingle cheerily
chants, "Plug it up with Playtyme"in the
~J
Good thing someone was
there with a camera that
fateful February morning
when San Francisco mayor
Gavin Newsom began
issuing the first same-sex
marriage licenses. Better
yet, it was Academy
Award-winning documentary filmmaker Debra
Chasnoff, whose films
have been teaching schoolchildren and adults alike
about and gay and lesbian
issues for the past 20 years. Her 19-minute documentary One Wedding and a
Revolution reveals the l~gal and · political processes that eventually led to San
Francisco's first lesbian wedding of longtime (52 years and counting!) partners Del
Martin and Phyllis Lyon (pictured above in a scene from the film).
ple with the message of the film. My first
film was Choosing Children, a documentary I made in 1984 with my partner at
the time, Kim Klausner, about lesbians
becoming parents. At that time it was still
considered impossible to become a
mother if you were a lesbian, unless you
had kids from a previous straight relationship. And we were very inter~sted in
having kids ourselves. So I learned rule
Gavin Newsom's policy director. She
told me to grab a camera and get down
to City Hall right away because they
were going to marry Phyllis and Del. It
was an amazing experience .... It was my
whole life as a lesbian activist
telegraphed into one beautiful moment.
Later, Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National Center for Lesbian
Rights, approached me about turning
that priceless historical footage into a
short documentary, and I agreed.
What are you working on these days?
I'm making a film for high school students
that will . . . look at how they twist themselves into pretzels to avoid being called
gay. It's part of our Respect for All
Project - a series of award-winning docs
that addresses prejudice among kids.
We had our first shoot recently - it was
very moving getting these boys to talk
about how they wear baggy pants just so
they won't get called "tag:' ■
Curve
59
Legends of Pulp Fiction
>> By
Rachel
Pepper
WHEN LESBIAN PULP NOVELS WERE IN THEIR GOLDEN
age during the 1950s, finding a good book about a lesbian who
didn't kill herself at the end was nearly impossible. Thankfully,
times have changed - so much so that finding dykes in Antarctica
is commonplace - but we can still appreciate the kitsch and lustiness of those paperback novels.
Women's Barracks, Tereska Torres (Feminist Press)
Lesbian Pulp Fiction, ed. Katherine V. Forrest (Cleis Press)
The lesbian pulp fiction revival rages on! These two volumes join a
cadre of recently republished pulp that is enjoying its second, joyous
life. The paperback novel, a format that
emerged from the confessional pulp magazines of the 19.30s,increasingly grew in popularity in the postwar years. Lesbian pulps,
written by lesbians (but also straight men and
women), were even sold in drugstores in the
'50s at the height of their success. The first
books about lesbians sold commercially, they
provided an otherwise isolated lesbian population with the beginnings of a community,
even if only on paper. Although many of the
early pulps had tragic endings (due to bizarre
postal code regulations), they still allowed
women to connect to one another and kickstarted the queer publishing revolution.
Originally published in 1950, Tereska
Torres' Women's Barracks was perhaps the
seminal book of the lesbian pulp genre, selling more than 4 million copies in its day. It
has now been reprinted in a new edition
(with original cover art) that includes an
interview with the author, as well as an
informative prologue and afterword.
In her compilation Lesbian Pulp Fiction,
Katherine V. Forrest has collected selections
from that era's best in lesbian pulp, starting
with an excerpt from Women's Barracks and
proceeding through the vital years of the
1'1leC.11of fhe Datlr, eel.
&z,mansld (Bella Books): This collectionof eroticlesbiantmes of the
supernatural
includes
haunting,aeduc·
tive stories from the likesof Rachel
KramerBuaael,PattyG. He11deraon,
Radclyffe, Karin Kallmaker 811d
CuAYE's
own VICtoria
A. Brownworth.
A delightfulone-handedread about
thingsthatgo bump(or hump)in the
night.(bellabooks.com) - Diane Anderson_,,l,,.,,./1
'50s and '60s. Writers included are the
better-known names in the genre
(Valerie Taylor, Paula Christian and
Ann Bannon) as well as others not as
known (Shirley Verel and Joan Ellis). In
selections with enticing titles like "The
Whispered Sex" and "The Dark Side of
Venus," we get a true taste of the times,
and the real - or sometimes imagined
- community that inhabited it, often in
society's shadows. Forrest writes, "The
importance of all our pulp fiction novels cannot possibly be overstated. . ..
Because they told us about each other,
they led us to look for and find each other.... And once we found each
other, once we began to question the judgments made of us, our civil
rights movement was born." (feministpress.org, cleispress.com)
On the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at McMurdo Station,
Antarctica, Gretchen Legler (Milkweed)
Fleeing a broken heart caused by her first lesbian relationship,
Gretchen Legler fled to the world's farthest point south- the magical
In the Stacks... continued
onpage72
OJberPaae Turners
IN BOOKSTORES
NOW:
Black Sexual Politics: African
Americans, Gender, and the
New Racism, Patricia Hill
Collins (Routledge): Revisiting
concepts covered in most
university-level black studies
courses since the early '80s,
Collins dissects the standardized
myths found in heterosexual black
60 FEBRUARY 2006
sexual politics and shines a brilliant light on LG BT black sexual
politics. Her most fascinating
example is the contrast between
the murders of Sakia Gunn, a 15year-old black lesbian, and
Matthew Shepard. While the
Shepard case, for which candlelight vigils were held all over the
world, became a favored child in
the fight for federal hate crime legislation, Gunn's murder barely registered on the Richter scale of
national outcries. (rout/edge.com)
- Renee Westbrook
Mouths of Babes, Stella Duffy
(Serpent's Tail): Saz Martin is settling into motherhood with her
partner, Molly, and their daughter
Matilda, vowing not to veer from
the mommy track with any more
of her private eye cases. But a
famous friend from the past
comes calling, and Martin must
confront her childhood foibles.
Duffy, the author of four previous
Saz Martin mysteries, offers up a
gripping page turner full of twists
worthy of the genre's masters.
(serpentstai/.com)
~
Dina.'h
Snore
_QN~J. Weekend!
Mcirch31 cinclAJ>ril1, 2006
Our Girl
(Longerstaysare availableat a reducedrate.)
By Elizabeth Stark
Katia Noyes pulls out e-mails from a farm
wife and a homeless vagabond, drawings
by 17-year-olds and National Geographic
panoramas of middle America to show me
some of what brought her novel, Crashing
America, to vivid life. It delivers the most
exciting literary heroine I've encountered in
the form of street punk Girl, who's on the
run from fate and seeking redemption.
CrashingAmerica.com features excerpts, a
blog, raves from great writers and even
photos of Wolf, her giant cat.
Your book started out as a travelogue.
What changed?
I was very curious about this mythic, cornfield, apple-pie place I had never been. I
wanted to get out there and explore. I
J
met all these teenagers and saw all these
Christian punk-rock stud guy is a combi-
incredible things. I thought, oh, I don't
nation
want to write a book about me in the
describes stealing a tomato from a small
heartland, I want to write about this root-
store? Someone, at 3 a.m., told me that
less, wild California kid. I just plucked her
memory. Someone else, again at 3 a.m.,
out [of an earlier short story] and put her
had that accent. I love these little pieces I
in Nebraska.
of
many
people.
When
he
can draw on and splash down in a book.
What question taps the edgy, lyrical
spirit that drives this novel?
I think Crashing America might be the
great American novel.
If I was going to tell a story at 3 a.m. after I've
Let's hope that the great American novel can
had sex and I wanted to tell the deepest
have a lesbian voice, can have whatever is
truth, what would that be?
lyrical, down-to-earth, honest, sexual, irrev-
Girl steals two cars, a tiny china hen, a
credit card, a photograph, a motorcycle,
a ring and a pie. Did you pilfer anything
for this book?
thought, damn it, this is what a lesbian can
I stole from all kinds of memories. Joey, the
do, this is what is possible. ■
erent, won't take no ... shit. I'm thinking of
Ali Liebegott's The Beautifully Worthless
because I saw all that in her book, and I
Women On A Roll
is taking over the entire
Palm Mountain Resort
in the heart of Palm Springs!
Friday/Saturday room rates start at
$199 (plus tax)
Thursday/Sundayroom rates only
$149 (plus tax)
Event Schedule
WelcomeReceptionThursday
An Intimate Evening
with Kate Clinton
T RetroDanceFriday
"Y PoolPartySaturday
T The "L"Dance
Saturday
Sunday Night FarewellDinner
GuidedHikeand BikeRidewill be
availableto hotelguestsonly.
$200 reservesyour room.
- Diane Anderson-Minshall
Necklace of Kisses,
Francesca Lia Block
(Harper Collins): Fans who
grew up with Block's postpunk Weetzie Bat have the
joy of meeting up with her
in adulthood in this incredibly enchanting new tome,
where we find that life is
no less tricky and no less
full of wonder. As she turns
40, and her relationship
with her secret-agent lover
falls apart, Weetzie packs
her suitcase and heads for
a magical pink hotel for
healing and self-discovery.
Facing a midlife crisis, she
encounters and befriends
an entourage of quirky
characters. While collecting kisses from sushieating mermaids and drag
queen divas, Weetzie is
able to come to terms with
who she was and who she
has become.
(francescaliab/ock.com)
- Sara Jane Keskula
Contact us at
womenonaroll.com
woar@aol.com
310-5 78-8888
A reservationpacket will be mailed
to you once reservationis received.
All events held at:
Palm Mountain Resort&:Spa
155 S. Belardo,Palm Springs
Curve
61
New Queer Year
WHILE
RECENT YEARS
HAVE SEEN
the demise of such indie queer benchmarks as
feminist music label Mr. Lady Records •and
role-model bands like the Butchies, 2006 is
already shaping up to be a good year, if recent
releases by Triple Creme, Sarah Dougher and
Katastrophe are any indication.
This Might Hurt, Triple Creme (Self-released)
Christina Mazzalupo, Robin Pickering,
Terry Lafrazia and Tif Wolf are four of the
hardest rocking dykes I know. It's always a
challenge to try to describe their sound,
because they don't fit comfortably into any
neat box - theirs is a smart, aggressive, passionate ·brand of queer-centric rock that
exudes the urgency and spirit of classic punk
with a bit of the bombast of metal and the
angst of emocore, but is more complex than
generic descriptors like "hard," "indie" or
"underground" can convey. Their press kit
describes them as "textured melodic rock
>> By
meets rhythmic dark-pop," and they cite
bands like Fugazi and Blonde Redhead as
influences; regardless, the Brooklyn-based
band's third self-released album consists
of 10 tracks that offer a fierce wall of
sound, strong vocal and guitar hooks,
driving bass, tight beats and aching lyrics
that speak from their screaming queer
hearts. From the opening assault that is
"Brooklyn," which sets the dream-like
mood and geographic context for the set,
to the catchy "Hurricane," with its plaintive "Please stop loving me" refrain,
Triple Creme pulls you in and won't let
go. Be on the lookout for their video for
"Team Queen" - the song that tips a hat
to Black Sabbath via an "Iron Man" guitar bit - at a queer film festival near you,
featuring queer underground N.Y.C. personality Murray Hill. (triplecreme.com)
Harper's
Arrow,
Sarah
Dougher
(Cherchez La Femme Projects)
The Portland-based out singersongwriter, college professor
and journalist has been through
a lot in the past few years including breast cancer - but
her fourth solo album is finally
seeing the light of day on
Cherchez La Femme Projects, a
new music label and art distribution company focusing primarily
on women and queers begun by
Dougher and her friends. The 16
tracks found here are loosely
inspired by ideas from Homer's
Odyssey but are filtered through
Margaret
Coble
One Klas Can Lull to Another: Girl
Gl'Of!P Sounda, I.oat ud
Fo1111d
(Rhino):Call me corny,but I loveKissfor
its total package:It's the first girl group
box set ever, with 107 artists,120 songs
and four CDs in a groovyblack-and-white
mod hatbox,plusa bookthat lookslike a
girl's diary and CO digipaksshapedlike
makeupcompacts.Even better?A hardto..findand kiok·assoriginalof Dee Dee
Warwick(aiaterof Dionne)singing11You're
Ne Gooct: long before Linda Rondatadt
made it popular. (rhino.com) - Diane
Anderson••lnshall
a contemporary lens and reflect Dougher's
personal and political concerns about war
and violence. The title track implores us to
"Turn off the TV," while "Oh My Glory"
demands, "Turn the radio off, now, turn the
radio off," underscoring Dougher's critiques
of the use of media to distract us from the
violence of war. Though a book could be
Other Licks
ON CD:
Flo'ology, Floetry (Geffen):
Romance and relationships
serve as inspiration for the 1 2
tracks of the Grammy Awardwinning, London-born female
duo's sophomore album of spoken-word-infused soulful hiphop. (f/oetry.net)
East Village Opera Company
(Decca): Out lesbian alto
62 FEBRUARY 2006
AnnMarie Milazzo gives this
downtown New York hipster
band dyke cred as they reinterpret classic opera arias as fullthrottle rock anthems. (east
villageoperacompany.com)
Portal, Margie Adam (Pleiades):
The pioneering women's music
star returns with another superb
solo piano album and accompanying mesmerizing DVD featuring
a slide show of her own stunning
photos of Scotland's Callanish
Stones. (margieadam.com)
Troublesome Bubblegum,
Electrocute (Emperor Norton):
Cherry, Lisa Shaw (Naked Music
NYC): The sultry, soulful voice of
many Naked Music and other
underground deep house labels'
hits shine on Shaw's debut solo
album, running the gamut from
slinky R&B to sensual house
music. (www.naked-music.com)
Berlin brat-grrl duo fuses candycoated vocals with hooky garagepunk guitars, raunchy lyrics and
electro beats for a pappier
Retrospective 1995-2005,
Natalie Merchant (Elektra): The
Peaches-light dance-party experience. (electrocute.de)
definitive "best of" collection
""
~,
I-
z
<(
::E
:,.:
I
~
al
<(
u
.,..
""
written about her poetic parallels, it shouldn't be lost that Harper's Arrow is also a
hauntingly beautiful indie folk rock album,
with songs like "Keep One Hand on the
Rudder" and "String Inside the Harp" sticking in your brain after just one listen.
(sarahdougher. com)
Fault, Lies and Faultlines, Katastrophe
(Cherchez La Femme Projects)
On tour this past fall with Triple Creme
and now on Sarah Dougher's new record
label, San Francisco FTM wordsmith
Katastrophe (aka Rocco Kayiatos) continues his reign as the king of queer hip-hop
with this sophomore release. Dubbed
Producer of the Year by the Out Music
Awards and featured in the documentary
Pick Up the Mic: The (r)Evolution of Queer
Hip Hop, he's also toured with Sister Spit's
Rambling Road Show and performed with
his own spoken-word hip-hop collective the
End of the World. On this new 17-track
disc, he collaborates with many notable
names in the queer hip-hop world, including
Cindy Wonderful from Scream Club,
QuakeTrap's Shaggy Manatee, Romanteek's
R~by Valentine and Deep DicKollective's JB
Raps and Juba Kalamka. Sometimes delivering like a Controversy-era Prince on T
("Diamond Rings"), a tranny Peaches
("Read Me"), or a queer, politically radical
Eminem ("The Life"), Katastrophe mixes
elements of rap, ghetto-tech, spoken word,
electro and other beat-heavy subgenres far
a danceable, deftly-worded delight that will
have you thinking as well as getting down.
(katastropherap.com) ■
Badass Rock Stars
By Jocelyn Yoo
Nearly two years ago,
Melissa Koehl and Megan
Thomas answered an ad
placed by Karen Binor in a
small Chicago pa per, and
together they've been stripping the paint from the walls
with their aggressive garage
rock ever since. The Reptoids
are active in the local music
scene, yet the 20-something
bandmates still have time to watch zombie flicks, release their second EP (Park a Tiger)
and drink each other under the table. Watch out: These are the types of girls your mother
probably warned you about - and precisely the girls everyone wants to hang with.
What was it like in the early stages?
M I ss : The first guitar I used in our first gig
of Chicago and be more known nationally,
[belonged to] . . . an ex-boyfriend of my
but I would never sell my music to any
large corporation or [use it] to sell prod-
roommate's. All of our gear was used and
kind of beat-up. And I think I had a bladder
You guys sound pretty rough-and-tumble.
ucts. Unless it was Jager.
infection right about then that hindered
practice. I had to cancel practice because
I was peeing blood. . . . Our old bassist
found that interesting, so he made sure
we put that in the bio.
Right now you're the local prize of
Chicago. Are you secretly hoping to
someday have your music included in
iPod commercials and the soundtrack
for The O.C.?
Karen: I would never want our music on the
: Totally. We're badasses. But if you
met any one of us in our personal lives,
you'd probably have no idea that we write
music that sounds the way it does.
So say Karen and PJ Harvey were in a
barbed wire steel cagematch. Who
would you put your money on?
Oh, Karen, for sure.
Karen: PJHarvey's tiny. She's, what, 5-foot-2?
I could take her.
Megan: Yeah, Karen comes across as being
soundtrack of The O.C., that's for sure. I
mean, I would certainly like to branch out
guitar-based compositions from
contains 13 hits from the former
her homeland. (www.universal
10,000 Maniacs singer; a limited
classics.com)
deluxe version offers an additional
disc of 15 rarities and live tracks. Paradise Hotel, Eliza Gilkyson
(Red House): This veteran
(nataliemerchant.com)
Austin-based singer-songwriter
Corazon Libre, Mercedes Sosa
(Universal Classics): The now 70only gets better with age.
year-old Argentinean folk music
Paradise, her ninth release, is a
icon and human rights activist
masterpiece of personal- and
offers 16 beautifully melodic claspolitical-themed roots-folk.
sic and contemporary
(elizagilkyson.com)
extremely passive, but you don't want to
cross this girl. Believe me. ■
ON VINYL:
Standing in the Way of Control,
The Gossip (Kill Rock Stars): Le
Tigre offers a subtly souped-up
remix of the Arkansas-rooted,
now Portland-based queer trio's
super-hot disco-punk single.
(killrockstars. com)
ON DVD:
Live in Hollywood, Marianne
Faithful! (Eagle Vision): This
live CD/DVD package celebrates 40 years of one of the
most enduring, controversial
female rock icons of our time.
The concert, recorded in the
spring of 2005, features 18
classic tracks spanning her
career. Plus there's a bonus
interview and music video on the
DVD. (eaglerockent.com) - MC
Curve
63
Resolve to Oust Republicans
SO
MANY
REPUBLICANS,
so little time.
That's the mantra for the new
year. In 2006, many Republicans
are up for re-election, some of
them the most odious anti-queer
and anti-woman
voices in
Washington. They must be voted
out, and we must do it - hence
the mantra.
Our lives as women and queers
are on the line.
Republicansnow have a stranglehold on every branch of American
government: In addition to the executive branch, Republicans dominate the House series of senators - all Republicans - who
of Representatives and the Senate. President refused to sign a bill apologizing for the
Bush has also made stuffing the judiciary with Senate's failure to stop lynching.
right-wing ideologues the focus of his second
Utah's senator Orrin Hatch is another powterm. Bush has railed against so-called erful Republican up for re-election. Hatch has
"activist judges" who interpret the been the Senate's staunchest anti-choice vote
Constitution to include the rights of minorities and has made anti-gay comments over the
and women, even as he has appointed judges years, including statements regarding same-sex
who are conservative activists who will rescind marriage, queers in the military and the adoplaws already in place that protect women and tion rights of gays and lesbians. He, too,
minorities in America.
refused to sign the lynching bill, as did Sen. Jon
The country has taken a giant step toward Kyl, R-Ariz., and Sen. Craig Thomas, R-Wyo.
the right - the far, extreme, ideologically
Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, isn't just
terrifying right. Right-wing ideologues, with a good friend of George W. Bush; she's his
Bush at their helm, want to return America ideological soul mate. A hard-line antito a 1950s-era white supremacist,
choice candidate and proponent of the death
McCarthyesque, fundamentalist Christian
penalty, she was one of the first senators to
style of governance. Voting them out is in the support Bush's illegal invasion of Iraq. She
best interest of every American.
helped draft the Federal Marriage
Start with the third most powerful
Amendment opposing same-sex marriage,
Republican in the Senate, Rick Santorum, opposes queers in the military, declined to
R-Pa. For months Santorum has been touting sign the lynching bill and has been indicted
his new book, It Takes a Family, which three times by the same prosecutor who
details why women belong in the home, fol- indicted Tom Delay. Vote her out.
lowing the biblical dictate to be subservient to
Sen. Mike DeWine, R-Ohio, isn't as notomen. Santorum also spews vitriolic anti-gay rious as Santorum, except to lesbians, women
rhetoric, likening same-sex marriage to incest, and people of color. DeWine has been tied to
bestiality and pedophilia. He has stated that questionable polling practices in Ohio that
the priest sex abuse scandal in Boston was .kept people of color from voting and shifted
due to the "liberal attitudes" promulgated in the Electoral College in Bush's favor in the
Massachusetts, which led to "obscenities" 2004 election. What's more, DeWine, a
like the legalization of same-sex marriage. staunch Bush supporter, has been rumored to
And Santorum wants to repeal Roe v. Wade. have been linked to facilitating the 11th hour
Other powerful Republicans up for re- referendum that put prohibition of same-sex
election include the infamous former Senate marriage on the ballot in 2004.
majority leader Trent Lott, R-Miss. Lott was
Other Republicans to be campaigned
forced to resign from that position after against in 2006 are Sen. George F. Allen, Rmaking racist remarks. Lott is also one of a Va., Sen. Jim Talent, R-Mo., Sen. Conrad
64 FEBRUARY 2006
>> By
Victoria
A. Brownworth
Burns, R-Mont. and Sen. John
Ensign, R-Nev. - all anti-choice,
anti-gay and defiant supporters of
the far-right Bush agenda.
Democrats who deserve support in their re-election campaigns
in 2006 include Edward Kennedy,
D-Mass., one of the Senate's most
liberal voices and among the most
vociferous critics of the Bush
administration
and the war.
Although Kennedy does not at this
time support same-sex marriage,
just civil unions, he has voted
against laws like DOMA that prohibit queers from marrying. He has been a
strong voice for women's health and universal health care for decades.
Also declaratively liberal are Maria
Cantwell, D-Wash., and Debbie Stabenow,
D-Mich., who were both in very tight races
in their last senatorial bids. Although Hillary
Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Dianne
Feinstein, D-Calif., have partially supported
the war in Iraq, both have among the most
liberal voting records in the Senate and
deserve re-election based on the larger scope
of their political achievements.
There are five open Senate seats in 2006
- three Democratic seats in Maryland, New
Jersey and Minnesota, one Independent seat
in Vermont and one Republican seat in
Tennessee.
The damage done to the nation by Bush
and the Republican Party in 2005 was
immense. The harrowing images from New
Orleans after Hurricane Katrina and the
arrogant responses of the Bush administration and its supporters (Santorum suggested
bringing criminal charges against those who
didn't leave the city) made it apparent that
Republicans have little concern for the poor,
disabled or people of color.
We have an opportunity in 2006 to alter
the configuration of the Senate, where
Republicans now hold a 55-44 majority.
Maintaining all the Democratic seats as well
as voting out these dangerous Republicans
could shift the balance of power in
Washington, D.C. Doing all we can to oust
Republicans opposed to our privacy and
freedom should be our primary goal in
2006. Let's get to work now! ■
tech
girl
10 Hot New Cell Phones
.•
.
MOBILE PHONES SEEM TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL THESE :
days. Camera phones now play music over high-quality speakers, have :
wireless Internet capabilities and enough memory to replace that old •
Palm Pilot you've been schlepping around. Here's why the next genera- :
•
tion of cellular phones is so much smarter.
.•.
.
- Jaclyn Barcewski and Malinda Lo
WALKMANS
ARE BACK
• SIMPLICITY
WORKS,
TOO
Remember Walkmans from the pre-iPod • Not into the do-it-all phone frenzy? Try Sprint PCS' Sanyo Vl-2300,
era? They're back now as MP3 players and : which is available in six different colors and comes with haute couture
have been fully integrated into Sony : Dooney & Bourke carrying cases designed to personalize whichever
Ericsson's new line of Walkman phones. : phone you choose. Sprint PCS Vision compatibility and Ready Link make
•
The W800 comes with a 512 MB memory ! the Vl-2300's screen easily readable both inside and outside, and it also
stick, a 2-megapixel camera with video : features a built-in speakerphone and a long battery life. The Vl-2300's
.
recording ability and Bluetooth capabilities. : sister phone, the SCP-200, has an embedded GPS and a 1.6-inch color
The W600 can swivel open or closed, depending on whether you're using : screen and comes in funky teen-centric colors like pink fusion. Both
its 1.3-megapixel camera, playing games (multiplayer games are possible •: Sanyo models are great products for anyone who doesn't want a camera
via Bluetooth), or listening to your favorite tunes. You'll never be bored on : phone but still craves added functionality and style at an affordable price.
the subway again. ($429 and up, sonyericsson.com/walkmanphone)
: ($190 and up, sprint.com)
•
••
.....................................................................................................................
IT'S A SNAP
Samsung unveiled its MM-A800 last spring - the first phone offered in
the United States with a 2-megapixel camera and a media player. The
upgraded model will feature a 3GB hard drive that will hold 1,000 songs
and a 1.3-megapixel camera. Samsung has also developed the SCH-
V?]O,which is distinctive because it looks a lot like a regular digital camera. The phone's backside has a 2-inch, color, thin film transistor display
with 320-by-240-pixel resolution and 3X zoom. Its MP3 player, video
capture mode and business card reader make the the SCH-V770 a great
phone for tech-savvy gabbers. ($299, samsung.com)
..
TO THE NTH DEGREE
Nokia's sleek new multimedia-rich N
series is sure to satisfy your inner gadget guru. The N90's Transformerslike clamshell has a high-resolution LCD screen that twists 90 degrees
for better image-taking. The N91 can hold nearly 3,000 songs and play
them as a mobile jukebox while simultaneously managing files and incoming calls. The N70 looks like a small digital camera on one side, sliding
open to reveal a sleek little lens. With its built-in flash, you can quickly and
easily take 2-megapixel images, and with Nokia's XpressTransfer, the
phone acts as a digital storage unit ready to show wherever and whenever. ($675 and up, nokia.com/nseries)
...................................................
NEVER ENOUGH
ITUNES
Apple and iPod groupies can rejoice - now there's a phone just for you.
The Motorola ROKR E1, the only phone designed to play your iTunes,
weighs in at a mere 3. 7 ounces, offers 6.5 hours of talk time, and has
side grills in five color choices that light up. Your music will automatically pause when an incoming call is received, but you can continue to
listen while text-messaging your buds. ($250, cingular.com)
dyke
drama
My UnfunnyValentine
>> By
Michele
Fisher
AT LEAST THIS YEAR, I DON'T HAVE
to worry about going home with a stranger and
having her toss me around like a rag doll.
It was just after midnight on the eve of
February 14. I had spent my evening serving
lovey-dovey gay couples the Sweetheart
Special at the diner where I worked. For 50
bucks, the lucky couple got a Caesar salad,
chicken marsala or pasta primavera, a heartshaped strawberry shortcake and a bottle of
cheap red wine. I was exhausted and I smelled
like the Sweetheart Special. I didn't feel like
going home, but I couldn't conjure up the
energy for a night out, either.
I decided to hit the bar next door to the
restaurant. I had developed a rapport with one
of the bartenders there; I would serve him
breakfast at five in the afternoon before his
shift started, and he would pour me a nightcap
(or six) at midnight after mine ended. It was a
men's bar, but so were all the bars on the street.
It was a leather bar, but I just needed somebody
to whip me up a drink.
I had never seen another woman in the
place before, and I wouldn't have seen this one
either, except she kept leaning forward on her
barstool trying to make eye contact with me. I
ignored her the first few times she did it.
Normally, I felt delighted to be one of the
swinging singles set, but that particular night
- after I'd heard those couples say "I love
you" to each other about 60 billion times - I
had decided to feel sorry for myself. As I sat
there calculating the many ways that life had
done me wrong, my bartender pointed out
that there was a woman about to break her
nose on the bar a few stools down the way.
And she looked pretty good ... for a girl.
The bartender sent her a drink from me
without asking me first. Within a few minutes,
she was standing behind my barstool, breathing fresh liquor fumes on the back of my neck.
She thanked me for the drink and then asked
me to go home with her, all in the same husky,
whispered sentence. I hesitated and tried to
gauge just how committed I was to wallowing
in self-pity that night. I quickly decided to save
that for some other holiday and followed her
out into a waiting cab.
She wasn't much for small talk. I thought
it downright odd that she sat on her side of the
back seat, staring out at the passing scenery,
without paying me any mind at all. I reasoned
66 FEBRUARY 2006
that she must be closeted and was worried the
taxi driver might blab her business around
town. The ride was short. By the time I was
out of the cab, she was already in her apartment building and heading up a flight of stairs
in the lobby. Maybe she thought I was right
behind her.
I barely caught the front door before it
locked me out in the cold night. I heard footsteps directly overhead, so I assumed she must
be on the second floor. Maybe she had left
something on the stove or needed to make an
important phone call. At the landing, I heard
some keys hit a hard surface and saw a light
in the hallway where a door had been left
open. I walked toward the light and hoped it
was her apartment. •
As I poked my head through the crack in
the door to make sure, a hand cuffed me
across the back of my head. I was startled, but
I assumed she was making a lustful grab for
me and just missed her target. I entered her
apartment and pushed the door closed. This
time, two hands grabbed me by the ears and
dragged me into the living room. I noted the
beautiful hardwood floors as we made our
way to the couch, where she threw me down
and mounted me like a bank robber astride a
getaway horse in the Old West. Passion was
one thing, but this girl was acting like she just
got off death row. She began tearing at my
clothes, and I began to suspect that something
was amiss. I tried to lighten the mood by talking to her, but she was not interested and
rather rudely told me to "Shut the f- up."
I finally understood that she had been at
the leather bar for a reason. She was into
rough sex and we were doing a "scene." It
was SIM, she was the S, and I was the M.
DykeDrama... continued
onpage71
2006 Curve Confidential Reader Survey
1. Do you subscribe to Curve?
D Yes
D No
2. Including you, how many people read or looked into your last issue of Curve?
D None D 1
D 2
D 3
D 4
D 5 or more
3. Of the following sections, please indicate which you like most, like a little and
like least to read in Curve. (Give answer for each)
Like
Like a
Like
most
little
Least
Ask Fairy Butch ............................ D
Lipstick & Dipstick ....................... D
Brownworth ................................... D
Dyke Drama .................................. D
Movie, music or book reviews ...... D
D
Top Ten Reasons We Love ........... D
Tech Girl ....................................... D
Open Studio ................................... D
Curvatures ..................................... D
Out in Front.. .................................
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
4. Which of the following topics would you like to see covered more in Curve?
(Check all that apply)
D Fashion & Design
D Automotive
D Food & Entertainment D Horoscopes
D DIY and Crafters
D Travel
D Politics
D Weddings & Commitment Ceremonies
D None of these
D Technology
5. On which of the following topics
Curve? (Check all that apply)
D What to wear
D
D Parenting
D
D Home
D
improvement
D Young adult issues D
D
D Career issues
would you like to receive more advice from
Relationships/
dating
Technology
Do-it-Yourself
Cooking
Automotive
D Financial
D Travel
D What's new and
upcoming trends
D Other
D No more advice
6. Which of the following actions have you taken in the past 12 months as a result
of seeing advertising in Curve? (Check all that apply)
D Purchased an advertised product or service
D Contacted an advertiser for more information
D Visited an advertiser's website
D Saved an ad for reference
D None of these
7. What do you usually do with your copy of Curve after you have finished
reading it? (Check all that apply)
D Clip/copy articles and/or
D Save for reference
advertisements of interest
D Pass it on to someone else
D Other
D Place it in a public area
0 Discard it
8. How did you first find out about Curve? (Check only ONE)
D Mainstream
D Word of Mouth (friends/
bookstore/newsstand
acquaintances)
D Found Curve's website online
D Gay/lesbian/women's
D Event/pride festival
bookstore
D Other
D Advertisement
9. What age group should the women featured in the magazine be?
D 18 - 24
D 31 - 40
D Over 50
D 25 - 30
D 41 - 50
D All ages
10. How often do you visit Curve's website?
D Daily
D Only when I am looking for something in
D Weekly
particular
D Monthly
D Never
11. How likely would you be to purchase a brand which markets to you and how
you identify (i.e., lesbian, queer, bisexual, trans, etc.)?
D Very likely
I D Somewhat likely
I D Not at all likely
12. When shopping for a product, would you prefer to a pay a higher pric.e to a
socially responsible company or save money by buying from a socially
irresponsible company?
D Pay more to a responsible company
D No preference
D Pay less to an irresponsible company
13. Before deciding whether or not to buy a product or service, do you always,
sometimes or never try to find out whether or not the company is gay friendly?
D Always
D Sometimes D Never
About Your Activities, Interests, Entertainment & Shopping
14. Which of the following types
apply)
D Women's
D Other gay/lesbian
D Home
D Parenting
D Do-it-Yourself
D Fashion
D Financial
of glossy magazines do you read? (Check all that
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
In-flight
Regional
Sports
Extreme sports
Food/cooking
Entertainment
Political
D Travel
D Outdoor
recreation/Nature
D News and current
events
D Other
D None of these
15. Which of the following magazines do you read regularly (at least 3 out of 4
issues)? (Check all that apply)
□ The Advocate
D Jane
D Passport
D Bon Appetit
D Lesbian Connection
D Premiere
D Bust
D Lesbian News
D Rolling Stone
D Cosmopolitan
D Money
D She
D Entertainment
D Newsweek
□ Time
Weekly
D The New Yorker
D Vogue
D Forbes
D On Our Backs
D Wired
D Fortune
D Out
D Other
D Girlfriends
D Out Traveler
D None of these
16. Do you or your household subscribe to or regularly watch Cable TV and/or
Satellite TV?
□ CableTV
D Neither, but planning to subscribe to Cable TV
D Satellite TV
D Neither, but planning to subscribe to Satellite TV
D Both
D None of these
17. How frequently do you watch The L Word?
D Always
D Sometimes
D Rarely
D
Never
18. Please check which of the following cable networks and premium movies
channels you view in a typical week. (Check all that apply)
D A&E
D Here!
D Showtime
D Bravo
D HBO
D Starz
D Cinemax
D Lifetime
D Sundance
D CNN
D LOGO
D TBS
D Comedy Channel
D MTV
D TNT
D Discovery Channel D The Movie Channel
D USA Network
D Encore
D Oxygen
D VH-1
D ESPN
D Q Television
D None of these
19. Do you subscribe or plan to listen to satellite radio programming?
D Yes
D No
20. What do you typically do on weekends or time off from work? (Check all
that apply)
D Shopping
D Exercise
D Travel/weekend getaways
D Read/listen to music
D Home improvement
D Surf the Web
D Clubbing/bar scene
D TV and movies
D Dining out/coffee shops
D Theaters, museums & art galleries
D Outdoor activities/sports
D Wine tasting
D Entertaining others at home D Other
21. If you had to choose from the following options, who would best represent
your personal hero? (Check only one)
D Angelina Jolie
D Hillary Clinton
D Oprah Winphrey
D Madonna
D Mother Teresa
22. What is most important to you right now? (Check up to 3)
D Career building
D Starting a family
D Retirement planning
D Having a good time
D Finding love
D Other
35. How often, on average, do you go to bars or dance clubs?
D 3 or 4 times a week
D 1- 3 times a month
D l or 2 times a week
D Less than once a month
23. Which of the following medical services have you or other members of your
housebold used in the last 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Women's
D Cosmetic dentistry D Reproductive services
health
D Dermatology
D Psychiatric/counseling
D Other
D Gender surgery
D Nursing home
36. What was the total number of trips for business and pleasure taken by you or
other members of your household in the last 12 months (excluding train/bus for
travel to and from work)? (Give answer for each)
Domestic
InternatBoat/
air
ional air
Train
Bus
Cruise
None ................... □
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
□
3-5 .................... □
□
□
□
□
6-10 .................. □
□
□
□
□
11-20 ................ □
□
□
□
□
20 or more .......... D
□
□
□
□
l or 2
24. In the past 30 days, approximately how many meals (lunch & dinner) have you
and other members of your household eaten in a restaurant? (Give answer for
business and for pleasure)
A.
B.
For Business
For Pleasure
None ................... □
□
1 or2 .................. □
□
3-7 .................... □
□
8-15 .................. □
□
16-29 ................ □
□
30-49 ................ □
□
50 or more .......... □
□
38. Which of the following is your preferred car rental agency? (Check up to 2)
D Avis
D Dollar
D ational
D ever rent
D Alamo
D Enterprise
D Payless
D one of these
D Budget
D Hertz
D Thrifty
D Vegan
D None of these
27. Which of the following beverages were consumed or served by you at home or
away from home in the last 30 days? (Check all that apply)
D Bottled spring/
D Domestic beer
D Rum
mineral water
D Imported beer
D Vodka
D Health/energy
D Domestic wine
D Gin
drinks
D Imported wine
D Tequila
D Soda
D Champagne
D Scotch
D Coffee
D Cordials or
D Bourbon
D Juice
liqueurs
D Whiskey
D tea
D Brandy
D Other
28. In an average week, how many alcoholic beverages do you drink?
D 1- 2
D 11 - 20
D 31 or more
D 3-10
D 21-30
D None
29. How often do you smoke cigarettes?
D Never
D Seldom
30. How often do you vote?
D Always
D Usually
D Occasionally
• D Seldom
31. How do you identify politically?
D Republican
D Independent
D Democrat
D Green
.................
□
37. How many times have you used a rental car in the last 12 months?
D Never
D 3 -4 times
D 10- 19 times
D 1 or 2 times
D 5 - 9 times
D 20 times or more
25. In an average month, approximately how many times do you or another
member of your household entertain others at home?
D Never
D 3-6times
D ll-19times
D 1 or 2 times
D 7 - 10 times
D 20 times or more
26. Are you?
D Vegetarian
D Primarily vegetarian
D Never
D Regularly
D Never
39. Which is your preferred domestic airline carrier? (Check
D American Airlines
D Horizon Air
D
D American Trans Air D Independence
D Aloha
D JetBlue
D
D Alaska
D Frontier
D
D Delta
D orthwest
D
D Continental
D Southwest
D
40. What is your preferred
D Expedia
D Hotwire
D Orbitz
online travel booking agency? (Check up to 2)
D Priceline
D Hotel's website
D Travelocity
D Other
D Airline's website
D Do not book online
41. What do you enjoy doing when you travel?
D Relax
D
D Adventure travel
D
D Organized tours
D
D Sight-seeing
D
D Check out the nightlife
D
32. How do you support non-profit organizations? (Check all that apply)
D With donations when asked
D With donations without being asked
D With volunteering when asked
D With volunteering without being asked
D I work full time for a non-profit organization
D I don't support non-profit organizations
33. Which types of non-profit organizations interest you most?
D LGBT related
D Political
D Religious/spiritual
D Social justice
D Cultural/arts
D None of these
34. On average, how much in total do you donate in a given year?
□ Nothing
□ $500 - $999
□ $7,500 - $9,999
D Less than $100 D $1,000-$2,499
D $10,000-$19,999
D $100 - $299
D $2,500 - $4,999 D $20,000 or more
□ $300 - $499
□ $5,000 - $7,499
(Check all that apply)
Cultural activities
Attend LGBT events
Shopping
Combine business and pleasure
Other
42. Which of the following destinations have you or other household members
visited in the past 12 months and/or plan to visit in the next 12 months? (Check
all that apply)
D San Diego, CA
D France
Domestic
D Boston,MA
D San Francisco, CA
□ Chicago, IL
□ Lake Tahoe, CA
D Dallas, TX
D Fort Lauderdale, FL
D Washington, DC
D Wine Country, CA
□ Key West, FL
D No political affiliations
D Other
up to 3)
USAir/ America
West
United
Spirit Airlines
Other
Do not fly
D Hawaiian Islands
D Las Vegas, NV
D Los Angeles, CA
□ Miami,FL
D New York, NY
D Palm Springs, CA
□ Philadelphia, PA
□ Portland, OR
D Provincetown, MA
D Reno,NV
International
D Argentina
D Asia/Pacific Rim
D Australia
D Austria
D Belgium
D Brazil
D Canada
D Caribbean
D Costa Rica
D Finland
D Germany
D Holland
D Iceland
□ Italy
D
D
D
D
D
D
Japan
Mexico
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
Switzerland
□ Tahiti
D South Pacific
D United Kingdom
D Uruguay
D None of these
43. Which of the following have you or other members of your household attended
or engaged in during the last 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Art gallery
D Looked at real
D Theater
D Ballet/opera
estate
D Visited a casino
D Bought gourmet
D Movie
D Wine collecting
foods
D Museum
or tasting
D Live concert
D Resort or Spa
D None of these
44. In which of the following sports and other outdoor activities have you and
other members of your household actively participated within the last
12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Backpacking/camping
D Rock-climbing
D Bicycling
D Ski diving/parasailing/hangD Boating/sailing
gliding
D Fishing
D Skiing/snowboarding
D Surfing/skateboarding
□ Golf
D Team sports (soccer, softball)
D Horseback riding
D Tennis
D Jogging/running/walking
D Other
D Kayaking/rafting/canoeing
45. To which of the following do you hold season passes, tickets or memberships?
(Check all that apply)
D Professional Men's
D Theater
sporting events
D Rock-climbing gym
D Professional Women's
D Health club
sporting events
□ Other
D Ski & Snowboard resort
□ None of these
56. Which types of personal computer do you plan to purchase in the next
12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Desktop D Handheld/PDNSmart phone/Blackberry
D Laptop
D None
57. What type oflnternet access do you currently have at home?
D Dial-up
D DSL
D Wireless D Cable
58. To which of the following
D Cingular
D Nextel
D Verizon
D None
mobile phone service providers do you subscribe?
D Sprint
D Other
D T-Mobile
D None of these
D U.S. Cellular
59. Do you plan to change service providers when your contract ends?
D Yes
D No
D Maybe
60. Within the next 12 months, which of the following products or services do you
A.) plan to purchase in a store, and B.) which do you plan to purchase online?
(Check all that apply)
A.
B.
In a store
46. Which of the following department or retail stores have you or other members
of your household shopped in the past 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Bloomingdale's
D JC Penny
D Saks Fifth Avenue
D Costco
D Macy's
D Sears
D Dillard's
D Marshalls
D Steinmart
D Hot Topic
D Mervyns
D Target
D Kmart
D Neiman Marcus D Wal-Mart
D Kohls
D Nordstrom
D Other
D Lord & Taylor
D Ross
D None of these
47. Which of the following fashion brands (clothing, shoes, accessories, etc.) have
you purchased in the last 12 months? (Check all that apply)
D Clarks
D Kenneth Cole
D Abercrombie &
Fitch
□ Cole Haan
□ Levi Strauss
□ American
□ Oakley
□ DKNY
Apparel
□ Old Navy
□ Donna Karan
□ American Eagle
□ Paul Frank
□ Eddie Bauer
□ Banana Republic
□ Ralph Lauren
□ Express/The
□ Bebe
Limited
□ Seven for All
□ Benetton
Mankind
□ Diesel/ Fossil
□ Bostonian
□ Steve Madden
□ Gap
Calvin Klein
□ Swatch
□ Guess
Coach
□ Tommy Hilfiger
□ J. Crew
_g
Online
Travel package/cruise .................................. D
□
Books ........................................................... D
□
Music ............................................................ D
□
Computer hardware/software ....................... D
□
Electronics (i.e., MP3 player, TV, digital
camera, camcorder, laptop, PDA, etc.) .... D
□
Flowers/gifts ................................................ D
□
Movie or event tickets .................................. D
□
Health/mind/body products ......................... D
□
Fashion (clothing, shoes, accessories, etc) .. D
□
Home style/furniture .................................... D
□
Movies/DVDs .............................................. D
□
Designer fragrances ..................................... D
□
61. Which of the following credit
(Check all that apply)
□ American Express
□ Diners Club
□ Discover
□ MasterCard
cards do you currently have in your name?
□
□
□
□
VISA
Frequent Flyer Card
Gas cards
Department store cards
□ Gift card
□ Other
□ None
48. On average, how much do you spend per month on clothing, shoes, and
accessories?
0 $500-$999
□ $1,500-$1,999
0 $1-$249
D $1,000 - $1,499 D $2,000 or more
0 $250-$499
62. Are you planning to apply for another or new credit card within the next
12 months?
D Yes
D No
D Maybe
49. When it comes to trying a new product or brand, which of the following best
describes your attitude?
D Enthusiastic D I wait for a friend to suggest a new product/ brand
D Hesitant
D I don't try anything new
63. For which of the following do you normally use your credit
that apply)
D Fashion
D Restaurants/bars
D
D Travel
D Cultural entertainment
D
D Technology
D Outdoor athletic
activities
D
D Home
50. What degree of interest do you have in Motorola brands?
D Never heard of them
D Interested in knowing more
D Somewhat familiar with them D Planning to purchase
64.
52. Have you personally used cosmetics, hair care items, or skin care items in the
past month?
D Yes
D No
53. When you purchase cosmetics, hair or skin care products, do you generally buy
the least expensive brand or a higher quality brand?
D Least expensive brand
D Higher quality brand
54. Do you like to be the first to buy or upgrade to a new electronic gadget?
D Yes
D No
55. Which types of personal computers do you own? (Check all that apply)
0 Desktop □ Handheld/PDNSmart phone/Blackberry
D Laptop
D Do not own a computer
65.
General purchases
Do not have a
credit card
None of these
How many of these types of vehicles do you currently own/lease and which
do you plan to purchase/lease in the next 12 months? (Answer all that apply)
Currently
own/lease
51. Have you personally used a cologne, perfume or fragrance in the past month?
D Yes
D No
card? (Check all
Plan to
buy/lease
Currently
own/lease
Plan to
buy/lease
Compact Car ..... __
□
SUV .................. .
Mid-Size Car .....
□
Van/minivan ..... .
□
Full-Size Car .....
□
Pickup Truck .....__
□
Sports Car .......... __
□
None ..................
Luxury Car ........ __
□
Which make(s) of vehicle do you prefer?
0 Acura
O Ford
D
0 Audi
O Honda
D
0 Buick
O Hummer D
□ BMW
□ Hyundai
□
0 Cadillac
□ Infiniti
D
0 Chevy
O Jaguar
D
0 Chrysler
O Jeep
D
0 Dodge
O Kia
D
□
0
(Check all that apply)
Land Rover
O
Lexus
O
Lincoln
O
Mazda
□
Mercedes Benz
O
Mercury
O
Mitsubishi
O
Nissan
O
□
Pontiac
Saab
Saturn
Subaru
Toyota
Volkswagen
Volvo
Other
66. How much do you intend to spend on your next vehicle?
D Less than $20,000
D $40,000-$49,999
D $70,000-$79,999
D $20,000 - $29,999
D $50,000- $59,999 D $80,000 or more
0 $30,000 - $39,999 0 $60,000 - $69,999
67. How important is each of the following when selecting a vehicle? (Give
answer for each)
Somewhat
Very
Not very
Not at all
important
important
important
important
Reliability .............. 0
□
□
□
Price ....................... □
□
□
□
Safety ..................... □
□
□
□
Gas mileage ........... D
□
□
□
Style/appearance ... D
□
□
□
Brand name ........... D
□
□
□
Cargo size .............. D
□
□
□
4-wheel drive ......... D
□
□
□
Emissions .............. D
□
□
□
68. What degree of interest do you have in Vespa brands?
D Never heard of them
D Interested in knowing more
D Somewhat familiar with them D Planning to purchase
69. Which of the following do you typically spend your discretionary (spare)
monthly income on? (Check up to 3)
D Fashion/shopping
D Cultural entertainment
D Home improvement
D Outdoor entertainment/exercise
D Restaurants/bars
D Savings/investments
70. Do you conduct your banking online?
D Yes, all of it
D Yes, some of it
□ No
72. What is your ethnicity?
D African American
□ Asian American /
Pacific Islander
73. Which ONE of the following
ONE)
□ Lesbian/Gay
□ Straight
□ Bisexual
D Intersex
□ Caucasian (white)
□ Latina/o
□ Native American
D Other
□ Mixed race
□ Other
best describes how you identify? (Check only
□ Bi-curious
□ Trans gender
□ Genderqueer
□ Queer
□ Other
74. How do you think a mainstream onlooker/acquaintance would describe your
general style and appearance? (Check only ONE)
D Femme
D Butch
D Androgynous
D Divorced
D Widowed
□ 25-29
□ 30-34
□ 35-39
83. What is the highest level of education
D High school or less
D Some college
D Technical degree/
certification
□ 40-44
□ 45-49
□ 50-54
□ 55-59
□ 60-64
□ 65 or older
you have completed?
D Associate degree(s)
D Graduated 4-year college
D Some postgraduate study
D Postgraduate degree(s)
84. Counting all sources, what is the total combined annual income before taxes of
all members of your household?
D Less than $25,000
□ $80,000 - $99,999
□ $25,000 - $34,999
0 $100,000-$124,999
□ $35,000 - $49,999
□ $125,000-$149,999
□ $50,000 - $64,999
□ $150,000-$199,999
□ $65,000 - $79,999
D $200,000 or more
85. Which of the following best describes your current employment status?
D Unemployed
D Management
D Service industry
D Entry level
D Skilled trade
D Self-employed
D Professional
D Executive
D Other
86. Which of the following best describes your current place of residence?
D House/condo you own
D College dormitory
D House/apartment you rent
D Other
D Yes
D No
88. Which of the following investments do you or other members of your
household current hold? (Check all that apply)
D Stocks
D Money market account
D Bonds
D Real estate (other than your
D Mutual funds
primary residence)
0 40l(k) plan
D Art/collectibles/antiques
D IRA/Keogh/other pension plan D None of these
D Certificates of Deposit
89. Where do you live?
□ Northeast (ME, NH, VT, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA)
□ Southeast (DE, MD, DC, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL, AL)
□ North Central (OH, IN, MI, WI, IL, MN, IA, MO, ND, SD, NE, KS)
□ South Central (KY, TN, MS, AR, LA, OK, TX)
□ West (MT, WY, CO, NM, ID, UT, AZ, WA, OR, CA, NV, AK, HI)
D Canada
D Outside of the U.S. and Canada
90. For each of the following 2005 covers of Curve, please circle your favorite and
put ~_:~~:_~h_:oughyour l~~!~.;'~ite.
75. To whom are you out? (Check only ONE)
D Totally out
D Out to some people
D Out to most people
D Not out at all
76. Are you? (Check only ONE)
D Single
D Married
D Partnered
D Engaged
82. What is your age?
D Under 18
□ 18-20
□ 21-24
87. Do you plan to buy or sell a home in the next 24 months?
About You and Your Household
71. How do you identify? (Check only ONE)
D Female
D Male
D Trans
81. How much, in total, do you spend annually on your pet(s)?
D Less than $500
0 $1,000 - $2,499
□ $5,000 - $9,999
□ $900-$999
□ $2,500 - $4,999
□ $10,000 or more
1
D Polyamorous
D Other
77. Are you planning a wedding or commitment ceremony in the next 24 months?
D Yes
D No
D Maybe
If"Yes," how much do you plan to spend on your wedding or commitment
ceremony? (Check only ONE)
D Less than $1,000 D $5,000- $7,499
□ $20,000 - $29,999
0 $1,000-$2,999
0 $7,500-$9,999
0 $30,000 - $49,999
□ $3,000- $4,999
□ $10,000- $19,999
D $50,000 or more
·
78. Do you have any children?
D Yes
□ No
79. Which of the following pets do you have?
D Cat(s) D Dog(s)
D Other
D None
80. Do you buy specialty pet food?
□ No
D Yes
Thank You for supporting Curve!
To enter the drawing, please clearly fill in the information below in dark ink and clip
and mail this survey to: Research USA, PO Box 68369, Schaumburg, IL 601680369 If you don't wish to participate in the contest, mail in questionnaire and leave
this section bank.
Name: _____________________
_
Address: ____________________
_
City, State, Zip: __________________
_
)9
,re
der
Lesbofile
.. . continued
frompage23
; of
No
went to rehab to kick her cocaine
habit and consequently lost her
modeling
contracts
with
Burberry, H&M and Chanel.
Let's face it, she's probably not
the only model doing coke. And
as Catherine Deneuve said on
FemaleFirst.co.uk, "If she's ruining her personal life, that belongs
to her. What she does in her private life is very private." But what
if she does it in public? According
to the Press Association, fashion
photographer
Mario Testino
defended her as "never less than
professional."
However, her
exploits with Jude Law's ex-wife,
Sadie Frost, and English actress
Davinia Taylor have been noted
in publications around the world
as if they were more evidence of
her complete loss of control.
We're with Rupert Everett, who
said, "What's wrong with her
having had sex with another
woman?" Um, if Sadie Frost was
my best friend ... ■
on whose life the movie Domino (starring Keira Knightley) was based _ wasn't really a lesbian. In a Los
Angeles Times interview last July, her
uncle declared that at the time of her
death, Harvey was preparing suits
against the rehabilitation clinic at
which she was a patient and the
tabloids that had proclaimed she was a
lesbian. Her mother also denied the
rumors during a New York Times interview in October, stating that she dated
a series of men and was especially
"captivated by those with a dark side."
You may be thinking that dark side
might be a shadow cast by a rainbow,
but don't get too excited - Harvey
herself told New York Post columnist
Liz Smith last February that she was
not gay. At least there's still hope for
Knightley (like you haven't wondered).
Poor Katie
Geez, who knew the life of a supermodel could be so rough? Kate Moss
DykeDrama. . . continued
frompage
66
and
clip
8ve
I attempted to explain to her that this was
all a silly misunderstanding. As I spoke, I
tried to squirm out from beneath her, but
that only encouraged her to get more physical. She grabbed a handful of my hair and
yanked my head back down on the couch.
I remembered reading a story about the
leather scene that mentioned a "safe word."
There was supposed to be a secret code word
that you used if you wanted the scene to stop.
"What's the safe word?" I asked her. She
paused for a second, and then a really nasty
look crossed her face. I decided it was time to
go before I was in the dyke remake of
Looking for Mr. Goodbar.
I reached behind my head, grabbed a
couch cushion and clobbered her on the side
of the head. As she slid off the couch and
onto the floor, I jumped up and backed
toward the front door, continuing to try to
convince her it was all a silly mistake. She
didn't laugh. She just sat there staring at me
with her mouth open. I got out of there and
spent the whole freezing walk home looking
over my shoulder, praying that her scary ass
was not behind me.
But that wasn't my worst Valentine's Day.
I remember one I spent on my own, surrounded by candles and flowers that were
meant for a woman who never showed up.
She didn't know that I had decorated the
house for her or that I had made lasagna.
She just thought that two single friends
were going to spend Valentine's Day watching movies and bitching about women. I
had been carrying a torch for her for a
while and I was pretty sure she felt the same
way. I guess I was wrong. She called about
an· hour before she was due to come over
and told me she just wanted to stay home
and sleep until it was February 15. For once
in my life I opted not to humiliate myself,
so I didn't tell her about the lasagna or my
feelings. Therefore, that wasn't the worst
Valentine's Day ever, either. How about the
Valentine's Day where I got drunk and
barfed? Well, I've done that on plenty of
holidays, so that wouldn't make it particularly memorable or upsetting.
Nope. The worst Valentine's Day I ever
had occurred when I was sitting with my
then-girlfriend in a fancy restaurant at a
table overlooking the ocean. As we sat there
eating and looking at the pretty lights, I
suddenly realized that I was miserable. I was
lonely within my relationship, and I had
never known - until that moment - that
it's the worst kind of loneliness of all.
No, I didn't tell the woman that night.
No use making it her worst Valentine's Day,
too. But soon afterward, I did make some
changes in my life. I made a promise to
myself to never settle for anything - or anyone - again. Maybe I wouldn't find true
love, but at least I wouldn't loathe myself for
giving up.
Settling is worse than being a fool for
love or being rejected or even getting
thrown around a strange apartment by a
drunken sadist. I should know. ■
Curve
71
2006 Photo Contest
RulR~
Who may enter: Anyone is eligible, except
employees of CURVE,Outspoken Enterprises
Inc. and sponsors or members of their families.
An entry fee is required for each entry: $5 for
one photo, $1 0 for two photos, and $1 5 for
three to five photos. Deadline: Entries must be
postmarked no later than February 1, 2006. The
winners will be announced in an upcoming issue
of CURVE.Entries and specifications: All photographs must be submitted with the printed
entry form (available online at curvemag.com)
signed to CURVE Magazine Photo Contest,
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 51 0, San Francisco,
CA 941 03, and labeled "Do Not Bend." We
cannot accept postage-due mail. The entry form
must be completed and enclosed in the envelope. If submitted by mail, each print/slide must
be labeled with the image name and the
address
and phone
number of the
Photographer. Contestants must know the
names and addresses of all identifiable persons
in their photographs. "Photographer" specifies
the individual who took the photo. Only the
Photographer can enter her/his photo. Models
and/or individuals, whether pictured in the photograph or not, are not eligible to submit photographs on behalf of the Photographer. All entries
become the property of CURVEMagazine and
will not be acknowledged or returned. CURVE
assumes no responsibility for photographs. Do
not send original negatives/slides. Do not e-mail
submissions. Late, mutilated or previously published photos are not eligible and will not be
considered. The contest coordinator's determination regarding late, mutilated, lost or previously published entries shall be final. Photos containing nudity will not be considered. Prizes: All
winners will receive a complimentary one-year
subscription to CURVEMagazine. Other prizes to
be awarded at several levels of recognition,
including: grand prize overall; first, second and
third place prizes. Specific prizes are listed on
page 17.Only one prize will be awarded per person. Winners: Contestants formally designated
as award winners will be required to supply the
original negative or transparency of the winning
photograph. Winners also will be required to
sign and deliver to CURVEa publicity release.
With submission of materials, all entrants consent to give permission for CURVEMagazine to
reprint the photograph in various media, and this
serves as an affidavit of eligibility. Also, your signature on the entry form is a guarantee that you
have a signed release from every identifiable
person in each photo submitted and that you are
the sole artist. Submission of materials:
Submission of materials constitutes consent by
winners to the use of their photographs, names
and likenesses by CURVEand their licensees for
advertising; editorial purposes concerning the
contest or succeeding contests in CURVE,books,
and elsewhere; and publicity, online uses and
advertising purposes in connection with promoting CURVEMagazine, CURVEPersonals, other
contests, succeeding contests or in any other
manner.Winners may also be requested to grant
CURVEconsent to use their photographs for
other editorial, trade and/or advertising purposes
at a compensation to be mutually agreed upon.
72 FEBRUARY 2006
In the Stacks. . . continued
frompageso
continent of Antarctica. While on sabbatical
from her teaching job over the winter of
1997-98, Legler, a recipient of a National
Science Foundation award for writers, lived
among the thousand or so people who
inhabit McMurdo Station on the world's
most inhospitable chunk of land. There, she
vowed to write, rest and reinvent herself in a
place that could provide space to "embark
not only upon a journey of physical exploration and discovery of new lands, but also
on an exploration of inner worlds."
The collective result of her time there,
recently published in a single volume, is On
the Ice: An Intimate Portrait of Life at
McMurdo Station, Antarctica. Having lived
previously in Alaska, Legler was no stranger
to isolated lands, and as the author of much
literature on women and nature (including
All the Powerful Invisible Things: A
Sportswoman's Notebook) she knew something of what to expect.
Still, she wondered, would she be a lone
woman among a pack of grubby men
eager to make her an "ice wife"?
Thankfully, no. In fact, she found that not
only were many women now living in
Antarctica (they were finally allowed to
live there in 1974, and now constitute 40
percent of the population), but there was
a thriving lesbian community.
"In fact," Legler writes, "there was a
joke: How do you get a date with a woman
in· Antarctica? Answer: Be one." Soon after
her arrival, she meets Ruth, an electrician,
and a lovely, gently told romance blooms. As
Legler's heart opens to Ruth, so too do her
mind and soul come to appreciate all that is
unique to Antarctica. Her awakening to the
harsh but beautiful continent is described
throughout the book, whether she is capturing her walk around the actual South Pole,
discovering the multicolored wonder of
nacreous clouds, seeing penguins and whales
in their natural habitat or simply lying in the .
snow, staring up at the night sky.
She also captures much of the history of
the continent, from its early exploration by
men like Robert Falcon Scott (whose hut still
stands there) to a brief herstory of women in
Antarctica, to descriptions of the ragtag
group of yearly arrivals who mix with the
long-term workers and scientists, all getting
along in a remote place free from "normal"
social conventions.
Braving temperatures too cold to consider,
constantly bundled in parkas just to step
outside to pee and living a spartan existence
with minimal finery, Legler nevertheless
begins to find herself. "How do you come ro
know place, especially a place so vast and
wild as Antarctica? How do you come to
know self? How do you come to know anything? ... When would I get there, if ever?
First, you show up, I thought. First you are
present, then you can begin. That, I was trying to do." When I finished the book, I was
in awe of this magnificent continent I had
previously been so unknowledgeable about,
and soothed by Legler's sweet telling of it. ■
DVDpicks. . . continued
frompage59
background. Available only
on the Young Unknowns
DVD. (indican
pictures.com) - Amy
Silverman
Dildo Diaries (RoadTrip
Productions): Didactic yet
thoroughly entertaining,
Dildo Diaries is a tragically
humorous look at the illegality of sex toys in the
state of Texas, where adult
stores must refer to products as "educational models" and "demonstrators"
to avoid violating the law.
With quotes ranging from
"We don't use the O-word"
to "More guns kill people
than vibrators~ and destinations including Topco
Sales' adult toy factory
and the Museum of
Questionable Medical
Devices, directors Laura
Barton and Judy Wilder
compress a wealth of information into this 63-minute
doc. (dildodiaries.net)
- Ariane Resnick
Dominatrix Waltrlx (Fatale
Media): The premise of
Edith Edit's short "sci-fi
queer sex romp" is noble:
People who work in the
food service industry are
overworked, underpaid
and, apparently, undersexed. Dominatrix Waitrix
is a campy, kinky and
bizarre fantasy of exorcising the inner dominatrix on
rude and demanding customers, which those of us
who have waited tables
have no doubt dreamed
about. Thankfully, condoms are used, because if
you have ever worked
in a restaurant you know
just how rarely those pepper grinders actually
get washed.
(dominatrixwaitrix.com)
- Jenny Miyasaki
Face (Tartan): A freelance
forensic sculptor is reconstructing the faces of
murder victims when suddenly his daughter begins
to hear screams and have
visions of a woman in
white. As Pop tries to
save the girl from these
deadly visions, the film
adopts a feminist undercurrent that pairs the danger of the female body
with Grudge-style Asian
horror. (tartanvideo.com)
- Diane AndersonMinshall
CLASSIC MOMENTS
CALENDAR
Judy Francesconi, the eye behind
the Provocateur: Women calendar,
reveals her best shots of classic
moments of love and romance.
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Curve
73
I'
Maggie meets the
woman of her dreams just as her mother and
brother move in with
he&Quirk and sexy.
t
t
I
:
<)1{1<,IN/\.1
'"~ Ul .. uH>ut<>d
VI
l~-..,l(lN
Tl11 .,,,.alh
An lina Jolie is a sexy
~n
supermodel in
the trut bio&ra~ set
in - drua-naied days
of StudiQ J.t.
an inteiue attraction
developsbetween their
current lovers.
I•',
• •
74 f/dl.UAJ.Y 2006
omo link to the
town's water su_pply.
All hell breaks loose.
I
I
Bi comic Margaret
Cho's triumphant
return to the screen
with her no-holdsbarred humor.
SEASON
TWO
An astonis •ngly erotic
tale about former
lovers and the passion
and obsession that
reunites them .
....
-
-
•
~
,;(.
<
..
-
-w·
.
•
!!IX
When married Annie
meets Maggie, she discovers something in
herself she never even
knew existed.
Superb women's music
doc with Holly Near,
Meg Christian, Bitch
and Animal, Ani
Difranco and more.
Naomi ~ 1ttobillsby
directing lesbimporn
in this sexy, unforgettable Japanese romantic comedy.
.,
Her live, sold-out show
is bold. brash and funny
in all the best politically
incorrect ways.
Powerful BBC drama
offers a moving
account of a YO!!D8
woman who will win
our heart.
Exciting collection of
lesbian short films,
including the hilarious
Interviews With My
Next Girlfriend.
Cla'll975
CURVEBoutique: back issues
VOL 15#8
VOL 15#4
VOL 15#7
VOL.15#3
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76 FEBRUARY 2006
VOL 13#7
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BEST
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2005
New romantic fiction
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Edited by Karen X.
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in the best-sellinglesbian erotica series gets
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THE6000VIBRATIONS
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TOSEX
The most complete sex
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UPALLNIGHT:
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Brand-new collection
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WOMEN'S
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AWAKENING
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The most up-to-date
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