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Description
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ToC On the Cover: Joan Jett; Gay Games - Special Section by Colleen Lee, Jodi Helmer, Trish Bendix, Diane Anderson-Minshall and Jennifer Corday; I Love Rock and Roll by Margaret Coble (p40); 2006 Music Issue - 19 Hot Singers: Indie Rock Fests by Beth Schwartzapfel (p48); Tommy Boy's Lesbian by Margaret Coble (p50); Tegan and Sara by Courtney Becks (p51); Sarah Bettens by Jennifer Corday (p52); Shannon Blowtorch by Dana Kaye (p53); Melissa Ferrick by Shauna Swartz (p54); Debi Graham and Carolyn Berk by Jennifer Corday and Page McBee (p55); JenRO, Sean Wiggins, Sarah Dougher by Margaret Coble and Susan Calhoun; Candye Kane, Racchael Sage, Myanna Pontoppidan by Margaret Coble and Renée Westbrook (p58); Wicked Wisdom, Sistas in the Pit, SoNIA by Renée Westbrook and Ariane Conrad; Cover Photo by Cory Smith.
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Music Issue
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issue
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6
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Date Issued
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July-August 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_No6_July-August-2006_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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Jada Pinket_
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FranklySpeaking
Let the Gay Games Begin!
"I have always had hopes that
one day the Games would
host as many women as men.
With the majority of senior
board members and staffers
being lesbian, it seems like the
organizersof the Chicago Gay
Games havethe same vision."
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
VOLUME 16 NUMBER 6
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Publisher/Editor in Chief
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Book Review Editor
Music Review Editor
Contributing Editors
Copy Chief
Proofreaders
Editorial Assistants
Frances Stevens Publisher/Editor in Chief
It only happens every four years and whether it is softball, soccer, track or just girl watching, I am in countdown mode for Gay Games VII to kick off in Chicago. We've been gearing up for the Games for months.
This will be the fourth time I have attended, and I always return from them recharged with a greater sense
of our amazing community. And I have been fortunate to meet some great friends from all over the world.
In this issue we are getting a jumpstart on the Games by introducing you to some of the key players.
You'll meet Martje Hoekmeijer, an out and proud athlete from the Netherlands, and be inspired by
basketball player Conscious Soden. Plus, our feature on where to go and what to do in the Windy City
will blow you away.
I have always hoped that one day the Games would host as many women as men. With the majority
of senior board members and staffers being lesbian, it seems like the organizers of the Chicago Gay
Games have the same vision. This year they expect 40 to 50 percent of the participants to be playing
for our side. We at CURVE are doing our part to make all the girls have a great time. We are hosting Girl
Games, a series of official, affiliated events. Each event will be a team effort, incorporating local and
national lesbian party producers and benefiting nonprofit partners. Live music and special guest performers will give you the opportunity to meet some of the fabulous women profiled in CURVE.
Our goal is to make sure that you have lots of afforda~le social events geared specifically toward women.
And all of our events start early and go on into the wee hours so that the athletes can party and get their
rest, too. The schedule of events kicks off on Friday with a welcome cocktail party for women from around the world to get to know each other right off the bat.
a meet-and-greet
For the Black Bra Internationale, CURVE is teaming up with ChixMix, the popular promoters of some of
Chicago's best women's events. We hope everyone sports their favorite black bra at this sexy dance party
with five bars, three DJs and live entertainment from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. Our guests
include comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer as well as some surprise celebs.
Then there is Score!, a fabulous ChixMix circuit party with top Chicago DJs, go-go dancers and an intense
light show. After closing ceremonies, we'll wind up at Adrenaline for our amazing farewell party. Just two
blocks from Wrigley Field, come as you are and dance the night away in celebration of the Games and the
dynamic community that makes them happen. Don't miss a thing: Purchase a Party Pass at curvemag.com.
Go to the events section and for as little as $50, you can join all the festivities. We hope to see you there.
21curve
curve
Art Director
Photography Editor
Photo Assistant
Production Manager
Web Producer
Catalog Manager
Advertising
Frances Stevens
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Malinda Lo
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Volume 16 Issue 6 Curve (ISSN 1087-867)() is published monthly (except for
Januaiy and July) by Outspoken Enterprises, Inc., 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510,
San Francisco, CA 94103. Subscription price: $31.60/year, $43.60 Canadian
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Printedin the U.S.
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Keyword: Curvemag Web site: curvemag.com
Features July/August2006
"I get a lot
of weird
looks.Even
when I'm
not wearing leather,
when I
don't have
makeupon,
when I'm
just regular.
It'sjust
reallyweird
sometimes."
page 40
26 GAY GAMES: SPECIAL SECTION Goodwill
Ambassadors Leigh-Ann Naidoo and Judith Arndt,
Volume 16#6
52 Sarah Bettens The sexy tomboy from K's Choice
is out. By Jennifer Corday
performer Suzanne Westenhoefer and athletes
from around the globe. This is your lesbian guide
to the Gay Games. Plus: a bonus travel guide on
53 Shannon Blowtorch She rocked the stage with
All the Pretty Horses. By Dana Kaye
places to hit while you're in Chicago. By Colleen
Lee, Jodi Helmer, Trish Bendix, Diane AndersonMinshall and Jennifer Corday
54 Melissa Ferrick Get ready to drool. Over her
guitar skills, of course. By Shauna Swartz
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40 I Love Rock and Roll Rock's premier dyke icon
55 Debi Graham and Carolyn Berk From Salt
and perennial bad girl Joan Jett comes clean.
Lake City to San Francisco, these girls wail and
By Margaret Coble
wonder. By Jennifer Corday and Page McBee
2006 Music Issue: 19 Hot Singers
48 lndie Rock Fests From Ladyfest to Homo A Go
Go. By Beth Schwartzapfel
50 Tommy Boy's Lesbian Rosie Lopez heads a
new LGBT music label. By Margaret Coble
56 JenRO, Sean Wiggins, Sarah Dougher
Wordsmiths that make us listen. By Jennifer
Corday, Margaret Coble and Susan Calhoun
58 Candye Kane, Rachael Sage, Myanna
Pontoppidan Bi babes, blues and the joy of sax.
By Margaret Coble and Renee Westbrook
51 Tegan and Sara These tempestuous twins give
Cover Photo by
Cory Smith
41
curve
indie music a good name. By Courtney Becks
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60 Wicked Wisdom, Sistas in the Pit, SoNiA
Metal mavens, black rockers and a poli-sci folkster.
By Renee Westbrook and Ariane Conrad
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Thank you for letting us 6ea part of your commun·tI y.
FDIC Insured
wamu .com/pride
Departments July/August 2006
"Text her the
truth: 'tired of
fighting?' No, that
sounds too much
like a breakup
message.
Remember when
you sent her the
'I can't do this
anymore'
message? She
didn't call for
days because
she thought you
had broken up
with her."
page 70
2
Frankly Speaking Our illustrious
publisher tackles the issue.
8
Contributors So many articles, so little
time. Read why they do it.
10 Letters Bisexuals, brides and more
about The L Word.
12 Out in Front Portland's Stacy Bias, San
Diego's Tryce Czyczynska and New York
power dyke Christine Quinn.
14 Curvatures Portia comes out as
anorexic, Madonna worries, and Bravo
goes gay. Plus, Israeli comics, lesbians
at ACLU, Catholics with a conscience
and a Carolina controversy.
16 Open Studio Keren Richter's vertigo-
Icurve
on Nicky Click, Diana Jones and WedRock. Plus: Portland's indie rocker
Ashleigh Flynn and Chrissie Hynde.
22 Ask Fairy Butch "Help, my fantasies
are immoral." Aren't they all?
23 Lipstick & Dipstick Tell us how to
68 Tech Girl It's prime time for camping,
but don't think you have to leave your
toys at home.
know when to run the other way.
24 Astro Grrl Astrologer Charlene
Lichtenstein offers your summer signs.
62 Sapphic Screen Diane AndersonMinshall looks at Black Aura on an Angel,
Loving Annabelle and Cake. Plus: The
Journey's director and DVDs galore.
64 In the Stacks Rachel Pepper looks
at Norah Vincent's life as a man.
Plus: a Q&A with photographer Judy
Francesconi.
6
66 Music Watch Margaret Coble takes
inducing worlds.
69
Politics Victoria A. Brownworth tells
us why Pink rocks - and leads the
way for smart girls all around.
70 Dyke Drama Michele Fisher takes us
inside the life of a lesbian couple through
one very long night of processing.
80 Top Ten Reasons We Love Florida's
lnternetworking lesbian guru
Suzanne Noe.
BRIDliESTORE
PASSION
for EXCELLENCE
bridgestonetire.com
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tiresafety.com
VISIT THE TIRE EXPERTS WHEREVER YOU SEE THE BRIDGESTONE
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Contributors
MargaretCoble,cuRvE s music review editor, admits that she was
nervous about interviewing rock legend Joan Jett for the cover of this
issue (see page 40)."ButJoan caught me off guard and put me right at
ease;' Coble says, "opening our conversation by asking me about how I
was doing post~Katrina. She really wanted to hear my story and extend
her concern and compassion. That blew me away!" Coble, who was
displaced by Katrina and now divides her time between New Orleans
and Louisville, Ky., has written about music professionally since the early
1990s for a wide variety of print and online publications, including The
Advocate,Southern Voiceand Lesbianation.com, and she was editor in
chief of Dance Music Authority magazine for three years. A retired club
DJ and occasional show promoter, she is currently in the midst of
launching her next career as a DIY art~and~craftivist via her fledgling
Web site, artbymags.com.
1
Freelance writer ShaunaSwartz,who interviews folk diva Melissa Ferrick
for this issue (see page 54), first saw Ferrick perform only two days
before their scheduled interview. "She broke a string within the first 20
minutes of her set and made a crack about how that never happens to
her;• Swartz recalls. 'J\fter being blown away by the energy she exuded
onstage, it occurred to me that she could have named her upcoming
album Never Let Up rather than Never Give Up. But I can't imagine her
doing either:' Swartz is a regular contributor to After Ellen.com and
freelances for other publications on pop culture, food and other
pleasures. Her work can also be found in two anthologies: ReadingThe L
Word: Outing ContemporaryTelevisionand Bitchfest:Ten Yearsof Cultural
Criticismfrom the Pagesof Bitch Magazine.
• eedto get away?
Wehavethe perfectplace.
Act11ally,
w have9,000.
Ourguidesarepackedwith
bars,
LGBT
accommodations,
bookstores,
caf&s& more,
acrossthe US,Canada,
E.irope& beyond.
"When Eminem broke out with 'My Name Is; lots of people hated on him;'
says CURVE contributor Renee
Westbrook.
"Whether you think he's a
misogynistic homophobe or not, you have to give him credit for his rhymes.
You can't disregard his music just because he's a white rapper:' Westbrook
thinks the same rule should apply to Jada Pinkett Smith - whom she
interviewed for this issue (see page 60) - and Pinkett Smith's heavy metal
band, Wicked Wisdom. The kingdom of mainstream metal is presided over
by white musicians, but Westbrook believes that genre, like all music genres,
should be open to any musician who belongs there.
TrishBendix,
who wrote about lesbian Chicago for this issue (see page
26), came out and turned 21 at the same time, so learning to navigate the
gay clubs was a natural progression. "Chicago's got a great lesbian scene;'
Bendix says, "so narrowing down the choices for the Gay Games guide
was like playing favorites with children!" Bendix writes for the gay and
lesbian section of Time Out Chicagoand has also contributed to the
VillageVoice,Rockpilemagazine and Pistil magazine, where she is the
assistant music editor. Bendix, who recently joined a queer girls' soccer
team called the Oddballs, says she will admire the Gay Games from the
stands as a spectator, where she can hang out with her girlfriend, Jamie,
and her black pug, Stella.
s I curve
GAY GAMES®VII
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WHERE WOMEN OF THE WORLD MEET
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Be There for dozens of special events for women
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world's best promoters.
GayGamesChicago.org
(773) 907-2006
North Avenue Beach - Home of Gay Games VII Beach Volleyball
Gay Games VII Creative Services:
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Curve
Letters
"If you want to see your group represented, get off
your butt and do it yourself instead of sitting back and
expecting Ilene Chaiken to do it for you."
C'mon, cuRvE!
failed miserably. The fact that I'm a lesbian does
necessary? A diagnosis of cancer is scary. I know,
I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw Katherine
not give me license to behave selfishly. Call me
small-minded, but such behavior doesn't fly in this
because at age 34 I am already a cancer survivor
Moennig on the cover of the May issue with the
word "Shane!" plastered across it (Vol. 16, #4).
However, I felt totally misled when I discovered
lesbian's book.
- Jeanne Westby, via e-mail
that the interview took place before the first season of The L Word and it was an excerpt from
My desk at my college is cluttered with past issues
somewhere else. And you couldn't even include
of Cosmopolitan,CURVE,art supplies and photos
any new pictures of one of the most loved lesbian
characters on TV? You can do better than that!
of my friends and (ex-)lovers. Typical college student? Yes. Bisexual? Yes. Usually . . . when I open
- JessieMortimer, Philadelphia
the pages of CURVEthere is some comment from
a reader who is having issues with her bisexual
Bridal Bonanza
My partner and I love your magazine. It is the
perfect blend of current news, fashion and pop
culture. The article "Confessions of a DIY Bride"
(Vol. 16, #4) featured a beautiful silver barkstyle ring. I contacted its Boston-based designer,
Kristina Pitaniello, and found her jewelry beautiful and affordable. What's more, she was thrilled
to hear feedback from the lesbian community.
Great job on finding gay/lesbian-friendly artists.
- TeresaQuint, Rochester,N.H.
girlfriend - but this time there was not one antibisexual tone in CURVE!There was actually an
article about bisexual dykes who had married men.
I find that there is resistance and discomfort in both
the queer and straight communities when it comes
to bisexuality. And while that sucks, I have come to
terms with it. So this letter ... is reallyjust a thankyou for running that article. It was refreshing to see
that CURVEis supportive of their bisexual readers
and understands how one can be attracted to both
sexes and married to one.
(Hodgkin's lymphoma). I do not deny that there is
a clear correlation between cancer and death, but
wouldn't we have been well-served to see Dana go
through the struggle of chemotherapy, immune
deficiency and eventual remission?
- Kristy Daniels, Charlestown,Mass.
Where Can I Get More cuRvE?
Your magazine is great! Why isn't it available in
more places and more often?
- Anonymous, via e-mail
Editor'snote:You canfind CURVEat retailerslike
Borders,Barnes and Noble and Hastings, as well as
most women's and LGBT bookstores.But we often
sell out early, so the best way to make sure you always get CURVEis to subscribe.Plus, ifyou buy the
magazinedirectlyfrom us, we make about threetimes
more per issue - and that's more money to help us
keeppublishingCURVEand still donate our time and
energy(and cash)to our readers'favorite charities.
- RebeccaDavidson, Sarasota,Fla.
Be a Man About It
After reading the article "Married to the Man''
(Vol.16, #4), I had to scratch my head and think to
myself, "Is this supposed to be OK?"For example,
author Lori Selke writes that Sherrie, one of the
women in the story, "finds her local community to
be a bit small - and sometimes, small-minded;'
referring to ... many women's [lack of) desire to
date her. Then Selke goes on to report, "She is
frank about the factors that keep her in her marriage. 'I have two young children. I don't have a college education. Ibave no marketable job skills:"
What I really want to say to her is, get yourself
a job and enroll in college or a trade school. Stop
using your husband, because it sends a terrible
message to those two young children of yours ....
If it was the author's intent to convince me that
these "lesbians"
101 curve
e simply misunderstood,
she
Morel
Drama
, I am sick and tired of listening to so many lesbians bitch and whine about The L Word's failure
to represent all lesbians. That's a pretty unrealistic expectation. It's television; it's supposed to be
Got Something on Your Mind?
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE
Letters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco,
CA 94103; or fax to (415) 863-1609. Please
include your name, city and state. Letters may be
edited for clarity and length.
entertaining. If you don't like it, don't watch it. If
you want to see your group represented, get off
your butt and do it yourself instead of sitting back
Corrections
In our May 2006 issue (Vol. 16, #4), details
and expecting Ilene Chaiken to do it for you.
on Ocean Edge Resort's wedding packages
("Confessions of a DIY Bride") were incorrect.
For up-to-date information, visit oceanedge.com.
- Jodie Ferraro,Mystic, Conn.
Word for bringing forth the issue of breast cancer
In the same issue, we stated that Encyclopediaof
Arab Women Filmmakers (In the Stacks) did not
in the lesbian and bisexual community, a sector
of the population that is often reluctant to seek
medical attention because of sexuality-related
concerns, anxiety and fear. But was Dana's death
include women of Iranian cinema. As Iran is not
an Arab country, one would not normally expect
an encyclopedia of Arab filmmakers to include
women from Iran. CuRvE regrets the
I commend Ilene, the cast and the crew of The L
"~&/...
&Yt.5ffe
-fal/-6otli
/1\.tfe.. Yi&
Fat Girl Speaks
Hidden Power
New York's No. 1 Lesbian
StacyBias,the founding designer of
Apathy stops many of us from pursuing our
dreams, but it only fuels feng shui practitioner
with
and LGBT activist TryceCzyczynska
outrage. She defines her activism by simply
being a global citizen. Not only has she
donated her feng shui expertise to San Diego's
Women's Resource Center, she has provided
temporary housing to LGBT youth who
would otherwise be living on the city streets.
''A woman comes into her own by ...
coming to the realization that 'I can make a
change. I've empowered other women;" she
The average person would not think on first
Quinn,with her warm,
glance that Christine
brown eyes and friendly smile, is "the most
powerful openly lesbian or gay official in the
country:• But that's exactly how important
she is, says Matt Foreman, the executive
director of the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force.
Quinn, who was recently honored at
the Task Force's New York Leadership
Awards, is the first openly lesbian speaker
on the New York City Council. Her turf
includes world-famous neighborhoods in
Manhattan, including the West Village,
Soho and Hell's Kitchen.
Quinn has not shied away from her identity as many other politicians have - in fact,
she says, she not only feels comfortable but
feels she has an 'obligation to be true to the
entirety of who I am:•
Before being elected as council speaker,
Quinn served as executive director of the
New York City Gay and Lesbian AntiViolence Project. She also worked as chief
of staff to New York state's first openly gay
and openly HIV-positive senator, Thomas K.
Duane, when he was serving on the New York
City Council. She has fought for living wages
for New Yorkers, the extension of health
benefits to the partners of city-contracted
workers, and for the rights of the LGBT community to march in the annual St. Patrick's
Day parade.
When she gave her acceptance speech,
Quinn told her colleagues, "I am incredibly
proud that in the most diverse city in the
world, that diversity is seen as a strength, not
an impediment:' - Allison Steinberg
Dyke Tees.com, the Web guru behind
TechnoDyke.com, the tireless tester of Pussy
Pucker Pots lip balms and the voice of Fat
Girl Speaks, the nation's largest fat activist
event, has been a queer activist for six years
and a fat activist for three.
"I became an activist in the areas I need
the most help and support in;' Bias·says. "If
I need it, probably others do, too. We are
taught from the earliest age to be dissatisfied
with our bodies. Baby fat, right? And this
is enforced and reinforced every single day
by the media, by pharmaceutical companies
who sponsor medical studies, whose skewed
results are then sensationalized by the
media, which in turn gives the diet industry
... the perfect platform from which to torment the public into self-loathing. The 'war
on obesity' is very lucrative. Self-loathing is
very lucrative:•
As Cupcake, her monthly dance party for
fat women and their allies in Portland, Ore.,
sashays past its four-month anniversary, Bias
is already working on her next project. She
is planning a book, tentatively titled Fat Girl
Speaks,which tackles issues of body image.
"The goal of the book is ... to look at
the ways that people perceive themselves.
To speak the truths we feel are so shameful
- the dirty secrets that we think are unique
to us, but which are truly the most common
experiences for all of us. Because the only
platform for positive change emotionally is
security in the knowledge that we deserve it:'
If you're interested in being interviewed
for Bias' book, drop her a note at
stacy@fatpdx.com. - Aef a Mulholland
says proudly.
A 1998 Ms. Gay San Diego winner,
Czyczynska graduated from Evergreen State
College, a groundbreaking alternative university, where she studied energy. But it wasn't
until she studied massage therapy at Mueller
College in San Diego that she stumbled into
her life's passion: the ancient Chinese practice
of feng shui.
During her four-year feng shui apprenticeship, Czyczynska worked with abused horses.
''I've always been intrigued by an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving;' she
notes. "Feng shui empowers people through
their environment by freeing up energy in a
powerful way:'
In 2005, Czyczynska became the San
Diego LGBT Community Center's hostess
for a series of events dubbed Coffee and
Conversation with Cool Women, which
highlights some of today's most remarkable
community heroines in a public interview
forum at the center.
As Czyczynska points out, "In San
Diego, it's about finding hidden talent and
hidden power:' - Maria Ayala
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zoom. With enough room for a 2.8" LCD, image-stabilized TV-quality video and II,
Bluetooth® wireless technology. Zoom in. Expect big things. Visit kodak.com/go/v610
Always choose Kodak memory cards.
Curvatures
Waters' Lesbian Agenda
OBSESSIVE
LWORDFAN
ALERT NO. 270
It might be expected that countless lesbian readers
have become fans of Sarah Waters' historical
novels about the thrilling, bawdy lives of lesbians
Ourintrepidreporter
Jennifer
in Victorian London, but Waters' contributions
Corday
wentto theLos
to literature and to lesbian culture are even more
Angeles
launchof thenew
Apothiascentinspiredbythe
significant because she has been embraced by the
lovelies
of TheL Word.
With
mainstream. London's Independent even described
perfume
andmicrophone
her as "one of the best storytellers alive today:•
in handat FredSegal,she
Her latest novel, TheNight Watch,which unpacks
managed
to squeeze
in a few
sillyqueriesfor ourlesbian the intermingled lives of three women and one
leadingladies.Ourtwofaves: man in World War II London, has not only been
shortlisted for the Orange Prize - an international
literary award for women writers - it's also been
published in 23 different countries. Recently, the
London Observerlisted Waters as No. 14 on its list of
the 50 most influential people in British publishing,
stating that "she has taken lesbian writing well and
truly into the mainstream:•
Waters has indeed come a long way from her
days as a Ph.D. student in gay and lesbian historical
Katherine
Moennig(Shane) literature, ~hen she first came across a Victorian
onwhyshedoesn'tdiscuss
slang term for cunnilingus: "tipping the velvet:' Her
herprivatelife:"I don'tthink
first novel, named after that slang term, was initially
it's important.
I don't
rejected by 10 publishers before being picked up
thinkit's necessary
that
peopleexpose
theirlives." by Virago for a modest print run of 5,000 copies.
It wasn't until the BBC's television adaptation of
Tipping the Velvethit the small screen in 2002 that
Waters' tale oflesbian love on the stages and streets of Victorian
London really took off. In the first two weeks after Tippingthe
Velvetaired on the BBC, 60,000 copies were reportedly sold,
quickly turning Waters into an icon of contemporary literature
- queer or otherwise.
Her second novel, Affinity, garnered her the Sunday Times'
Young Writer of the Year award. Her third novel, Fingersmith,
MiaKirshner
(Jenny)
on
howshemaynotbestraight: was nominated for the Man Booker Prize, one of the world's
"I justfeellike- andI'm
reallynotsayingthisto
besensationalistic
or coy
- I justfeellike,whywould
anybody
thinkI'mgayor
not,andwhydoesit really
matter?I thinka lotof people When Lieutenant Laurel Hester of Ocean County,
sayit to titillate,butI'm not
N.J., was diagnosed with inoperable lung
sayingit forthosereasons.
cancer last year, she took a step that many
I justdon'tthinkit matters
if peoplearegayorstraight. in her position would take: She asked that
Whywouldyouassume her police pension be passed onto her
What partner, Stacie Andree. Had Hester been
thatI wasstraight'?
difference
doesit make?I'm
in a heterosexual relationship, it's likely
verycomfortable
sayingthat
her request would have been granted, but
I thinkmenarebeautiful
and
I thinkwomenarebeautiful. because she and Andree were in a same~
... I thinkit's verypersonal sex partnership, her request resulted in a
andI justdon'tthinkit
lengthy and controversial struggle with Ocean
mattersanymore."
County. One of the county's five conservative
Republican freeholders (the equivalent of city
8
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most prestigious literary awards, and was adapted into a
second, critically acclaimed, BBC miniseries. The Night Watch,
with its measured, intimate postwar tone, has shown that
Waters can write more than lush, Victorian melodrama, but
it also shows that Waters continues to be dedicated to writing
about lesbians. 'Tm writing with a clear lesbian agenda in
the novels;• she told After Ellen.com in April. "It's right there at
the heart of the books:' - Malinda Lo
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council members), John Kelly, maintained
that granting partner benefits would
"violate the sanctity of marriage:•
Then, less than one month befor~
Hester died in February 2006, the
freeholders did something incredible.
Faced with public outrage and
protests, they reversed their decision.
Now, New Jersey laws governing
inheritance are likely to be changed due
to Hester's fight, and a scholarship in her
name has been founded to help queer youth.
- Ariane Conrad
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There's No Place Like
Hotnecotning
Being elected homecoming queen was no big deal for Jen
Wohlner, a 17 -year-old senior at Buffalo Grove High School
in suburban Chicago. That is, until the media made a big deal
of it. Wohlner and the boy elected to the post of king, Ryan
Cooperman, are both school leaders - and they're both openly
gay. When they won the homecoming election last winter,
everyone from MSNBC to the Illinois Family Institute had
something to say about it.
"We didn't think it was a big deal. But the generation that's
a little older than us, they blew this way out of proportion;'
Wohlner says. ''At the same time, it's cool. We do show that
progress has been made:'
She says other students at her school were impressed. "The
other students thought it was cool that the school was on TV,"
Wohlner admits. "But more importantly, (it was cool] that
the kids that won weren't jocks or cheerleaders, they were just
everyday people" - even though they are gay.
If most of the students were supportive, the faculty,Wohlner
reports, were split. "Some teachers thought it was great. They
said, 'I've been teaching here for 20 years, and I've never seen
anything like this:" She says she only experienced discrimination
from a substitute teacher who found out she was gay.
Wohlner took criticism from anti-gay groups, including
the Illinois Family Institute, in stride. "It's kind of ridiculous.
I felt honored, like, 'Wow, you think I have the power to
dismantle the family union,"' she says with a laugh. "That's
kind of cool:'
Meanwhile, at Hood College in Maryland, out lesbian
Jennifer Jones was crowned homecoming king. The 2,100student campus in western Maryland, which was an all-women's
college until 2002, held its second homecoming in February
2006, and Jones beat out three men for the honor.
"It is cool that Hood allows people to be themselves;' Jones
told the FrederickNews-Post."If people didn't want me to be
king, they wouldn't have nominated me and voted for me:'
But some students did remark on their discontent. Santo
Provenzano, a student who competed for king, told The
t;
LU
Associated Press that it made the event seem like a joke. And
!:!:!.
a:
Singleton Newman, nominee for queen, also told AP, "She is
a:
LU
::.:: not a man. It is a gender issue, and she is a woman:'
z
0
It was not reported whether Jones danced with the queen at
I
the
homecoming dance. - Kathy Belge
(/)
"I think it's even more flattering if a woman finds you
attractive. I'm a girls' girl. I love girls. I'm definitely
down for girls.">> Carmen Electra to She
"I had a girlfriend when I was 13, and she left me for
my brother. That kind of fucked me up. We held
hands and we kissed and that was my girlfriend,
that's what you do when you're 13. And she left
me for my fucking brother!" >> Rocker girl Pink
to The Independent
"Lillith Fair was awesome and I did it for two years, but
that just fucked us all up. Now anytime anybody
sees a girl with an acoustic guitar they think it's
going to be this sad, sappy elevator music."
>> Out lesbian singer-songwriter Garrison
Starr to AfterEllen.com
"I hope I can be a role model to all of the other athletes
who are hiding who they really are. I hope I can
inspire them to make the same choice I made: to
be free.">> WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes,
upon accepting the Spirit Award at the
National Center for Lesbian Rights' annual
gala in San Francisco
_J
July/August 2006
I 15
t
Keren Richter
IARTIST I
New York,based artist KerenRichter's
interests range from thrift stores and dirty nurses
to paint,by,number kits and girlie drinks. That may explain her often surreal, storybook,
style illustrations, which Detroit's Metro Times said had "a vertigo,inducing consumption
numbness to them, sad and frightening in a way, but too surreal to elicit actual fear:' Richter·
herself admits her characters inhabit an often chaotic world inspired by '60s fashion and
pop iconography, nostalgic and fantastical elements from childhood, and her love of music.
In addition to making artwork, Richter volunteers with art collectives for kids (and hopes
to run her own someday), has illustrated a music video for the Joggers and an animation
for MTV2, has created artwork for several record labels as well as AddVice promotions for
the Donnas, and is the creative director behind the clothing line Blood Is the New Black.
See more of her work at kerenrichter.com. - Diane Anderson,Minshall
16
Icurve
Curvatures
A Carolina Controversy
In 1991, Laurel Scherer was a
conservative Christian in the Air
Force Academy dealing with her
emerging homosexuality. Today, she
and her partner of four years,Virginia
Balfour,are spearheading the struggle
for equal employment rights for
the LGBT community in western
North Carolina. The couple - who
were married in Provincetown,
Mass., in late 2005 - published
a wedding announcement in the
Asheville Citizen Times a few days
later. "Running the announcement
was just a normal part of getting married;' Balfour says.
But the fallout from the announcement was far from normal.
Scherer and Balfour own and operate All Terrain Images, an
action-photography business. The women had enjoyed working
at Wolf Laurel Ski Resort in Madison County, S.C., for two
successful ski seasons, and they say they had a verbal agreement
with co-owner Orville English to return. In exchange for the
use of a 60-square-foot space in the lodge, Wolf Laurel used
Scherer's photographs to market the resort.
''The guests loved our services;'Balfour recalls,and the women
considered English a friend, taking pictures of his grandchildren
and retouching his old photos as favors. But two days before ski
season began, Scherer was setting up her booth when she was
told by English that she might not want to do that.
"He wouldn't look me in the eye when he spoke to me;' she
remembers. Initially confused by the encounter, it didn't take her
-long to figure out what was going on. When pressed, English
and co-owner Rick Bussey finally
admitted the couple was dismissed
because homosexuality was not "in
line with their moral values:'
While
Asheville
has
a
nondiscrimination policy in place,
Madison County about 30
minutes away - does not. The
women, who lost around $25,000
from missing the ski season at
the resort, were dismayed to find
that they had no legal recourse
for discrimination against gays
and lesbians. When Scherer sent
out a press release, she says, the response was overwhelming.
They received e-mails of support from all over the world, the
National Organization for Women planned a rally around the
issue, and LGBT television station Logo is spotlighting Scherer
in a documentary on discrimination.
Currently, the women report that Wolf Laurel Ski Resort
is still using about $10,000 worth of Scherer's photographs on
billboards and in publications, despite her request that they stop.
As a result, Scherer plans to sue for copyright infringement.
Additionally, Wolf Laurel refuses to reimburse her for $1,500 she
spent on supplies for the season if she does not agree to give up
her rights to take legal action against them. (As of our press date,
Wolf Laurel has not returned our calls requesting a statement.)
Determined to use their experience as a catalyst for positive
change, Scherer and Balfour have created Equal Employment
for Gays and Lesbians (eegl.org), a group dedicated to education
and creating workplace equality. - GiselleKovac
LITIGATING
FOR EQUALITY
Chicago
lawyer,
community
activistandPEZ-dispenser
collector
JillMetzkeeps
busy.Earlier
thisyear,the
lesbian
litigator
became
boardpresident
oftheIllinois
chapter
of theACLU.
The
director
of herownlawfirm,
Metzhaslongspecialized
in providing
protection
for
same-sex
couples,
andshe's
a supporter
of numerous
queergroups,
including
the
Stonewall
Democrats,
Human
RightsCampaign,
Lambda
LegalDefense
Fund,GLSEN,
theLesbian
Community
Cancer
Project,
theNational
Center
forLesbian
Rights
and
Equality
Illinois.
Gaymarriage,
shesays,isa cornerstone
issuefortheACLU
now:
"Thereforms
thatmarriage
wouldimplement
wouldbe
massive,
evenwithsomething
liketaxes.
Thefactisthat
othersarebuilding
wealth
andeconomy
onourbacks."
-Ariane Conrad
Ultiinate Lesbian Bedrootn
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Ladies, it's time to upgrade your bed linens: A
new wave of femme-friendly bedding has hit the
market, and the styles are sexy without being
overtly perverse. Here's a roundup of fun bedding
that guarantees, at least, a girl to go home to.
Sin in Linen:The brainchild of Seattle local
Sandy Glaze (aka Rat City Rollers roller derby team
member Ann Munition), Sin in Linen's Joie de Viv
print bedsheets feature a classic blonde bombshell
'50s pinup girl smiling seductively as she unhooks
her black strapless bra. With these sheets, as their
tagline reads, "She might not make you breakfast,
but she's always in bed:' (sininlinen.com)
SheetsGoneWild:Damon Anthony's Sheets
Gone Wild are naked Twister, swinger style. The
300-thread-count cotton sheets are divided into
squares, each one depicting a couple engaged in a
different sexual position. With the help of a
couple of game pieces and a few modifications
on the male-female suggestions in the booklet
(included with the sheets), these sheets
encourage experimentation and add spice to
the bedroom. (damonanthony.com)
Reality Bedding:Combining English
photographer Tanya Chalkin's iconic blackand-white photograph "Kiss" and a more
provocative eye for bedding design, this new,
Atlanta-based line of bedding is a cheeky take on
artful aesthetics and the idea that no one should go
to bed alone. Four patterns are currently available,
including "Kiss" and "Sleeping Beauties" images.
(realitybedding.com)
Groovy0: From a distance, Groovy Q'.s Girl
Power sheets look like a delicate, pink-and-white
toile print. Up close, you can see that the print is
comprised ofleather-clad women doing decidedly,
um, indelicate things to each other, with the
help of some whips and handcuffs and paddles.
Groovy Q'.s aptly named Dirty Linens also come
in a martini-and-tattoo-inspired print called Vice.
(groovyq.com) - Jocelyn Voo
July/ August 2006
I
17
Curvatures
Lesbofile
Hot Fun in the Summertime
Madonna's still talking about Britney, and Tammy Lynn's pregnant. I ByJocelyn Voo
There are some things you can depend upon each
summer. Girls in bikinis. Mind-numbing heat
waves. But Portia de Rossi, fat:' Reality television,
real:' Hang onto your hats, ladies: The world is
clearly coming to an end.
Immaculate Conception
Being the good mother that she is, Madonna
explained, "I am the mommy pop star and she is
the baby pop star. I am kissingher to pass my
energy on to her."
Who knew that when legendary recording artist
Madonna famously tongued pop tart-turned-sugar
mama Britney Spears in an ill-advised publicity
stunt at MTV's 2003 Video Music Awards, the
material girl would still be paying for it to this day:'
According to British newspaper TheSun, Madonna's
daughter, Lourdes, has become "obsessed" with gay
issues since witnessing the kiss, so being the good
mother that she is, Madonna explained, "I am the
mommy pop star and she is the baby pop star. I
am kissing her to pass my energy on to her:' I guess
that's one way to avoid having to go into, um, exploitation of lesbianism for fun and profit.
Only in Paris
Whether it's in public or in private, Paris Hilton
just can't stay away from the camera. Playboy
bunny Nicole Lenz claims she and the socialiteturned-accidental porn star made a steamy film
of their own in a Las Vegas Bellagio Hotel room,
reports Britain's News of the World."The moment
we were in the room, Paris had only one thing on
her mind - sex;' Lenz says. "We lied down on a
king-size bed and took it in turns to play with each
other. It wasn't long before we were naked and rolling around together:' By the time this column is in
print, that video should be packaged and available
for download on iT unes.
Coming Out
For Portia de Rossi to be considered "the fat one;'
she'd have to be standing next to a stick - a stick
that, in this case, we'd like to call Calista Flockhart.
Despite years of denial to the press, de Rossi
finally admitted in the April issue of Voguethat she
struggled with anorexia during her Ally McBeal
years. 'Tve often wondered if I wasn't on that show,
if it [anorexia] may not have happened;' says de
Rossi, who cited her thin co-stars as her "role models" and weighed a skeletal 82 pounds in 1999. But
with the help of partner Ellen DeGeneres, de Rossi
found courage to speak out about her past trials.
"We've talked a lot about this. I'm not proud of this
struggle .... [While I was anorexic,] it just seemed
1s
I
curve
like I literally wanted to disappear. And now I
would like to reappear:' Welcome back, Portia!
has two children from her previous relationship
with actor Julie Cypher, with sperm donated by
rocker David Crosby.
Double Duty
Now that Baby Brangelina Watch '06 has
come to a close, it's time for a new countdown:
Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge and her wife
of five years, actor Tammy Lynn Michaels (you
last saw her as Shane's stalker on Showtime's The
L Word), are expecting twins. "We are thrilled to
announce that Tammy is pregnant and expecting our twins sometime around this fall;' a post
on Etheridge's Web site announced. "To answer
the obvious question: We used an anonymous
donor from a bank:' Though these will be
Michaels' first biological children, Etheridge
Warped Reality
Everyone knows that reality television isn't real
unless the majority of the population spen,ds ,at
least 75 percent of their lives cavorting around
hot tubs in their bikinis. But when Project
Runway and Top Chef producers resisted exploiting lesbian fashion designer Zulema Griffin and
bisexual chef-in-training Tiffani Faison for their
sexuality to boost TV ratings like so many other
shows have in the past, that's what made headlines. Reality television actually being tasteful:'
•Now that's just
Curvatures
Comical Reality
A far cry from traditional American comic book
artists who create the ubiquitous good,triumphs,
over,evil superhero stories, Dimona Comix is
a group of five Israeli graphic artists who live
and work in Tel Aviv, and create works that are
deeply personal portraits of 20,something life in
Israel. The result? Comics that experiment with
and challenge the genre, particularly in an arena
dominated by its American counterparts.
Since its start in 2002, Dimona Comix has
produced three graphic novel compilations (the
Dimona series) and one sex comedy graphic novella
(Shirley!). The third installment of the Dimona series, like the
previous two anthologies, is full of raw, often unsettling tales.
"Sharona;• a vignette in Dimona 3, features a chronically depressed
girl who seeks happiness but seems to only spread despair despite
her best intentions. Dimona 2's "Lucky Star" is about a girl who
dreams of becoming a Bollywood singing superstar but ends up
slitting her wrists in the last panel.
But Dimona is more eye,opening than depressing. The
stories may feature neurotic, anxiety,ridden characters, but
when juxtaposed with the colorful artwork, they make for
poignant, deliberate artistic expression. The protagonists are
CoNs'ciENCE
---·
--
CATHOLICS
WITHA
CONSCIENCE
more anti,heroes than heroes, and readers can't help but relate
to their Holden Caulfield outlook on life.
"We'd like readers to taste something new, fresh and
different, and also read about Israeli people's lives and feelings
in a context other than that of the wars going on in this region;'
says Amitai Sandy, Dimona Comix's publisher and one of the
graphic illustrators.
Dimona has already been featured in Europe and Israel, but
it is only now making its debut in the United States through
Diamond Comics Distribution. For more information, checkout
dimonacomix.com. - Jocelyn Voo
Ready
totietheknot?
Whynotdoit ina placethatrecognizes
loveisloveanda
celebration
isa celebration.
Packyoursense
of adventure,
yourcuriosity
and
yourtuxedo
andcome
down
theaisle.
TheSpring2006issue
of Conscience:
TheNews
Journalof Catholic
Opinion
tacklessubjects
most
religious
textswon't,
including
sexualand
reproductive
healthand
rights.Withtheheadline
"Catholic
Pride... and
Prejudice"
emblazoned
acrosstwocutepunkgirls
kissing,
theissuetakesa
hardlookat thechurch
hierarchy's
obsession
with
sexuality.
Checkit outat
catholicsforchoice.com.
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
CANADA
KffpExplorlng
www.Canada.travel/gay
GO
1 Out WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes (second from left) pals around with her partner,
Alisa Scott (left), National Center for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendall and
California State Assemblymember Mark Leno (right) at the NCLR gala in San Francisco
2 San Francisco girls celebrating CURVE s bold new look at our Sneak Peak Party 3 Honey
Labrador (left) and friend at Dinah Shore 4 Girls abound at a Dinah Shore pool party
5 Debra J. Markert and Lisa K. Johnson at the Seattle Equality March 6 Paris is Burning
and Who'.s the Top? filmmaker Jennie Livingston (left) and friend at author Sarah Waters'
exclusive book release party in New York 7 Sarah Waters (left) and CURVE s own book review
editor, Rachel Pepper, celebrate at Waters' book release party for her new novel, The Night
Watch, in New York
1
1
20
Icurve
Advice
FIVE WAYS
TO EXORCISE
YOUR EX
Yourexhastakencustody
of yourdogandhalfyour
wardrobe
andmovedon.But
whileyoumightbetempted
to wallowin self-pityandeat
yourbodyweightinTwinkies,
instead
takethesestepsto
getpastthepain.
Eradicate all reminders of your ex. Yes,that
meansremoving
the10-foot
muralyoupaintedonyour
walldepicting
theevolution
of yourlovetogether.
Fire
upthegrillandtorchevery
letter,photoandpieceof
clothingsheleftbehind.
Get busy. Throwyourself
intoa projectthatwilloccupy
yourmindandhands.Nothing
says"healing"
likedemolishingtheverybedroom
where
youusedto havewildand
crazymonkey
sex.However,
donotbuilda shrineto herin
theruins.
Feed your brain. Learn
a foreignlanguage,
plana
tripto Europe,
develop
your
interestin Buddhism,
Pilates
or paintingnudewomen.
Justdosomething
to wake
upyourbrainfromthezone
of numbness
youbuiltto
protectyourself
at theendof
therelationship.
Play ball. Thepowerof
therebound
asanelixirfor
loneliness
cannotbedenied.
Sure,it's random,
mindless
anddevoidof realemotional
attachment,
butit beatsthe
battery-powered
orgasm
everytime.Beclearwithyour
rebound
girlaboutyourlack
of intentions.
Though
you
maybetempted,
donotgive
heryouraddress,
yourhouse
keyor yourATMPIN.
Make some new
friends. Starthanging
out
withsomeflamboyant
drag
queens
to distractyoufrom
yourgloomanddoomwith
theirshiny,happylifestyle.
Reconnect
withyourold
friends,too.Sure,youblew
themoffwhenyouwere
struckwiththetunnelvision
of love,butthey'retherefor
you,justwaitingto say"I told
youso"and"Welcome
back
to yourreallife.Wemissed
yououthere."-Kate Lacey
22
I
curve
Ask Fairy Butch
The Wants and the Want-Nots
Dear Fairy Butch: My girlfriend of several months and
I started out thinking we'd have a brief, casual relationship. We've both had a number of relationships
under our belts, and we're not feeling ready for a major
relationship right now. Of course, we found that we
were very compatible and fell in love. We have great
fun together, great sex, we share interests but are different enough for things to be interesting. The problem: She decided that she isn't "emotionally ready" for
a serious relationship, and we are on a trajectory to
something serious. She says she needs space. Why
am I taking this so personally when she says it isn't
about me and she still loves me? - Paired in P-town
Dear Paired: Darling, give her the space. I know that it's tough
to pull back when you've got your mojo workin, but I'd give
good odds that once she feels your absence, she'll be longing to
feel your presence before too long. On the other hand, if you
push her too hard, she might feel crowded and grow to resent
you. Then she'll have an "out" at the ready whenever there may
be a wrinkle in your relationship. I know it's tough to hold back,
but allow her this time and perhaps negotiate a later time at
which you can revisit the conversation. Best of luck, bubula!
Dear Fairy Butch: I am a 28-year-old dyke who has had
a pretty typical lesbian sex life. Lately, I've wanted to
delve further into the realm of fantasy, but some of the
thoughts I've had aren't particularly kosher, as in legal
or "moral." (Like playing with big age differences and
things like that.) How do I go about turning them into
something I can actually do with a consenting partner?
- Curious in Cordova
Dear Curious: Well, sugar, this is a tricky one, by gum. As you
inferred, lots of folks are disturbed by recurring fantasies that
are wildly inapprop~iate, such as sex with young people, rape,
or coercing sex from someone employed by you. Or perhaps
you are trying to reconcile fantasies of being penetrated by a
man, for example, with the reality of a monogamous relation~
ship with a woman. Fantasies such as these can be truly discon~
certing when they are looked at literally and allowed to shape
your life in their unmitigated form.
Fret not, though: Many folks have taboo sexual fantasies
such as these. But if you want to use the fire from these notions
to fuel sex that is legally and ethically acceptable, consider tak~
ing a page from modern sadomasochism and its various sub~
cultures. Sadomasochism? Yes, indeed. Whether you harbor
fantasies of yourself as a dick~wielding dominatrix or just want
to facilitate sex in as safe and pleasurable a manner as possible,
S/M practitioners have much to teach us about bringing sexual
fantasies to life in safe and fulfilling ways.
Depending on your sexual experience, it may be frightening
for you at first to apply the tenets of S/M to your sexual activity,
but there are many excellent general principles adhered to in the
S/M community that have nothing to do with archetypes such
as pain or bondage. How can fantasies outside the traditional
purview of sadomasochistic activity be reckoned in this manner?
Well, consider that rule No. 1 in all S/M activities states that
fantasies should be brought to life in a manner that is safe, sane
and consensual. This means, for example, that because kids
cannot provide meaningful consent with regard to having sex
with adults, it is under no circumstances acceptable behavior
for adults to engage in sexual activity with children. However,
if your fantasies include such themes as vast age differences or
other power imbalances, it is certainly possible to find a will~
ing adult partner to help you create a situation in which you
can transfer the essence of your fantasy - perhaps themes
of corporal punishment, reward or parental nurturing - to
a different form. This takes a bit of sophistication to under~
stand. While raping or abusing one's spouse is clearly reprehen~
sible, the same physical act as a negotiated, agreed~upon part
of a controlled setting is quite different. (For a more thorough
exploration of S/M itself, check out Patrick Califia's Sensuous
Magic or Jay Wiseman's SM 101.)
An understanding of S/M can assist you in thinking of
sex as a theatrical construct, a safe context in time and space•
wherein you and your partners have agreed sanely, and without
the influence of intoxicants or coercion, to allow your sexual
fantasies to fuel your actions. You may be surprised to find that
the fulfillment of your desires not only is an end in itself, but
can be a means to connect those extra~special secret places in
yourself with those of a partner.
To submit your queries regardingthe finer points of lesbian life,
sexualityand romance,send a note toJb@Jairybutch.com.
Lipstick & Dipstick
Advice
Back Away From the Bunny
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I live in a small
Midwestern town and have known I love
women since puberty, but married my high
school sweetheart anyway. I had been
unhappy for a long time, but I finally decided
to do something about it, so I joined the local
gym, hired a personal trainer and asked my
husband for a divorce. Since then, I've been
going to the gym five days a week, look
and feel great, and have fallen in love with
my trainer, who's married with kids. She's
also the aerobics instructor, so I go to her
classes four days a week, and her constant
gyrating is really starting to get to me! A few
months ago, we went out for a girls' night
out and did the touchy feely thing. We had
a great time, but we haven't really gone out
like that again. For my birthday, she gave
me a massage with a card saying what a
close friend I am. I know there's a deep connection between us, and I swear my gaydar
goes nuts when I'm with her. Last week, she
even told me I have a nice ass! The trouble
is, every time I ask her to do something, just
the two of us, she always comes up with an
excuse. I've dropped every hint to her I can.
Please help. - Gym Bunny
'in
...J
a:
(/)
Dipstick: Bunny, she's paid to tell you your ass
looks good. And just because the two of you
groped over martinis one night doesn't mean a
thing. News flash! Lots of straight ladies like to
play footsie, especially when cerebrally lubricated.
Normally, I would whip you with a rolled-up
gym towel for falling for a straight girl, but since
you're new to the world oflesbian love, I'll cut you
some slack. However, falling for a married woman
is akin to running a marathon without training.
Even if you limp your way through, you'll be so
beat-up and bloody, you'll wish you had stayed in
bed. Lipstick, am I repeating myself :1Falling for a
straighty seems to be an epidemic with the lezzies,
and you're not the first to fall for a flirty personal
trainer - which is, I might add, almost as bad as
falling for your therapist. Quit asking her out, sign
up for a new aerobics class, and instead of lusting
after the teacher, look around the room for girls
with asses you admire who don't have wedding
bands on their hands.
Lipstick: Gosh, Dipstick, you're beginning to
sound like a broken record playing over and over.
Dip's greatest hits: "Straight Schoolgirl Shuffle;'
"Back Away From the Bitch" and, my personal
favorite, that monster ballad you wrote when you
had a mullet: "Foolish Femme:' Don't you have anything else to sing besides that same old do-not-fallfor-straight-chicks tune:' For the record, my first hit
was a "straight" friend of mine, and while she did
break my heart, my achy breaky heart, it was a glorious way to discover that I was multi-orgasmic. But
for you, Gym Bunny, Lipstick's afraid this woman
isn't interested, so it's time to face the music. Sure,
there may be isolated sparks of attraction, but don't
expect her to tie you up with leg warmers or bend
you over the yoga ball any time soon.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm currently
on active duty in Germany and am getting
ready to be deployed back home. I met my
girlfriend, Sylvia, a fellow soldier here in
Stuttgart, about 10 months ago, and we've
been together ever since. In the first month
of our relationship, I cheated on her and
didn't tell her about it until recently. She
forgave me, but I know she hasn't forgotten, which, of course, I understand. Since
then, I've sucked face with a few other girls.
I know being drunk is no excuse, but the
liquid courage did help. I love my girlfriend
very much and know she loves me. When
we get home, do you think us moving in
together is a bad idea? - Clueless Cadet
Lipstick: Holy hell! Did I read this correctly:'
Yes, Clueless, moving in together is a horrible idea!
I mean, come on, use your head - if you're in a
monogamous relationship, wouldn't it be best if you
figured out how to be faithful first:' Cohabiting will
not stop your adulterous ways; in fact, it will only
further complicate things when she kicks your ass
to the curb (which you'll deserve) for cheating on
her. Unless you want to destroy this relationship, no
more St. Pauli Girl for you - in the bottle or in the
sheets! To stop making poor choices, you need to
control the drinking as well as the other lube that's
getting you in trouble: your raging libido.
Dipstick: Cadet, I think sucking face
counts as cheating, too. Not that I
blame you; it sounds like you still have
some wild oats to sow. Why, I remember my women's festival years ... there
was no point in trying to be loyal to one
woman; Dipstick needed to be free to
explore life's herizons. My advice: Don't
set yourself up like that. Head home
and tell Sylvia you love her but you want
to see other people as well. Get yourself
a sweet bachelorette pad and live the
life you've been denied while defending
Uncle
(/)
i2
0
S2
UJ
0
-,
Ask us anything aboutsex, loveor lesbians
at lipstickdipstick.com.
July/August 2006
I23
Advice
WITHOUT
A
Astro Grrl
Your Summer Lovin'
FRIEND
THEY'RE
DOUBLE
TROPHIES.
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Sex:Lambda crabs have oodles of charisma
chis summer. You are sexy, alluring and
charming. I don't recognize you. Career:
Get your face out in front at work. Take
credit where credit is due, and maybe even
in instances where it is not due.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex:A secret admirer makes herself known to
you. Will you fall head over heels or be content
to just lie back and enjoy it? Career:
You get
chat long-overdue raise this summer. If not,
you find money from other sources. Try looking under the couch cushions.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:A certain platonic girlfriend captures your
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Sex:Spending more time in the gym not only
improves your health, it also improves your love
heart. But will you let yourself be taken prisoner? Career:Make your own career success this
life - especially if you hang out in the sauna.
Career:Your career takes a deep and penetrating
summer, and spread your circle of contacts into
turn. Will you probe all avenues to success?
a globe and get out there. Mingle and swingle,
queer virgin.
Libra (Sept. 24-0ct. 23)
Sex:Lesbian Libras find love in the corner office
this summer. Be sure to lock the door before you
start. Career:Work secretly behind the scenes
BECAUSE
OF THEIR
UNIQUE
SCIMITAR-HORNED
WERE
HUNTED
IF FRIENDS
TO
PROTECT
IN
NATURE,
WE'LL
SEE
HUNTER'S
BARS
AND
FREEDOM
ON
PLEASE
TO
CALL
THE
THE
SPEAK
FEW
THE
UP
REMAINING
ONLY
PLACE
ORYX
IS ON
OR
BEHIND
WALL
HELP
OTHER
NATIVE
203.656.
A
US KEEP
ANIMALS
THEIR
BE A FRIEND
Icurve
EXTINCTION.
DON'T
FRI EN DSOFAN
24
ORYXES
IN A ZOO.
THESE
HORNS,
1522
LANDS.
OR VISIT
I MALS.ORG.
FOR
IN
LIFE.
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
Sex:Life is all fun and games this summer. Play
spin the champagne bottle, guppie. Career:
Stumped in your career progress? Partners have
some sage advice. No, it is not early retirement!
to solidify your corporate standing this summer.
Machiavelli has nothing on you now!
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Sex:You get more action hanging around the house
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Sex:Love is waiting for you on the other side of
Any action has its price tag now, honey. Career:
Lesbian rams pour on the effort at work all through
than being footloose and fancy-free. Did I say"free"
the world. Any excuse to take an exotic, expensive
the summer. Late nights, weekends - lucky you.
vacation! Career:Sapphic Scorps have girlfriends
in high places. Good: You will need to tap into
their influence ... among other things.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex:Don't be shy around lovergrrls. Sapphic bulls
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:You are on fire sexually all through the sum-
have to spell it out to get what they want. Speak
loud, proud and queer. Pack a dictionary, too.
Career:Try to spice up your work environment.
mer. Will you get toasted, grilled, singed or totally
burned? Career:Senior staff take a liking to you.
Do I see a playful flirtation brewing around the
water cooler? Dive in and get wet!
Amazon archers are doing all the right things at
work. Hopefully, it carries over into other aspects of
your life.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Sex:Money is honey, twin. Slather it on and enjoy
Capricorn {Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Sex: Relationships have their spark this summer. If you are on the prowl, try wearing something electrifying. Career:Lambda Caps will
travel for business, but what they do there is no
one else's business.
as all the little bees lick it off you. But watch out
for insects. Career:
Use any excuse co take time off
from work and putter around the house this summer. Do you need an excuse?
For more advice from the stars, visit our astrologer,
Charlene Lichtenstein, online at thestarryeye.com.
<(
a:
:J
CD
a:
0
do you have the
compassionate
gene?
considerthe compassionatecareer.
For some of us the desire to help comes naturally. We try to connect.
We try to give back. We just feel more empathy for other people. At
Cortiva Institute, we call this the "compassionate gene."
As a family of massage therapy schools, we bring compassion right
into the classroom. Its at the core of everything we teach. So you learn
more than massage techniques. You learn how to tap your compassion
so you can put those techniques into practice for the greater good.
And thats the highest education standard of all.
take the cortiva compassion index test.
go to cortiva.com/curveor call 1.866.616.2772
It could be the start of a career that puts your compassion
to work every day.
·-·
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••
••••••••
cortiva institute
Seattle, WA
Tampa, FL Chicago, IL Piscataway, NJ
Boston, MA
Tucson, AZ. Denver, CO
Philadelphia, PA
© 2006 Cortiva Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cortiva Institute 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY l 0 l 69. Financial aid available for those who qualify.
*
26
GAY
Icurve
GAME
Where to Eat and Drink: T's (5025 N. Clark
St., 773-784-6000)
In Andersonville (aka Chicago's lesbian haven), T's
is the neighborhood hotspot, with great food, big
drinks, a pool table and seating by the fire. But most
girls don't go there for sitting. T's is always buzz,
ing with ladies, especially on nights when they host
events, like weekly L Word parties that have lines
out the door. If you're looking for some great food
and scenery, T's is definitely the place to be.
Where to Meet the Single Girls: ChixMix
(3641 N. Halsted St., circuitchicago.com)
The girls take over Circuit on Friday nights, and
ChixMix Productions goes to all lengths to make
sure it's the best night of the week. Circuit has a
large dance floor, leaving plenty of room near the
posh bars if you're too shy to move to the DJ's mix
of contemporary pop, hip,hop and dance remixes.
And while there are a good amount of couples lin,
gering around Circuit, it's usually a large singles
mixer, especially during Pride. One can only hope
it's as good during the Gay Games.
Where to Take Your Gay Boyfriend:
Hydrate (3458 N. Halsted St., hydrate
chicago.com)
If you have to please both ends of the gay spectrum,
and bring your platonic boyfriend out for the night,
Hydrate is where you'll find the best,mixed crowd
(even if it's still a little boy,heavy.) The music videos
of Kelly Clarkson are reason enough to stay, as well as
getting compliments all night from fabulous gay men.
The drinks are cheap and the dance floor is always hop,
ping, so the only reason not to go is if you're looking for
a quiet evening alone.
Where to Meet a Bookish Gal: Women &
Children First (5233 N. Clark St., women
andchildrenfirst.com)
You can't dance the whole week through, so when you
have some downtime from the partying and sport play,
ing, check out Women & Children First bookstore. It's
got everything from popular chick lit to feminist les,
bian handbooks. Even their magazine selection is on
estrogen overload with publications you might have
never known existed. The ladies who work there are
always willing to give new customers suggestions or aid
them in finding something, so don't be afraid to ask.
Where to Do Some Thrifting: The Brown
Elephant (5228 N. Clark St., 773-549-5943)
2s
Icurve
The Brown Elephant has everything in its three loca,
tions, and all profits are donated to AIDS research.
Thrifting is made easy and fun at the store, where you
can often haggle with the employees. If you're looking
for a couch, a cheap CD, a blender for your hotel room
or a new outfit, the Brown Elephant has it for you, if
you have the money for the cause.
Where to Find Vegan Grub: Chicago Diner
(3411 N. Halsted St., veggiediner.com)
This Chicago Diner is in Boystown, a perfect location
for the meat,conscious attending the Gay Games. The
generous portions of salads and entrees like Thai tofu
not only make it a great place for vegetarians, but for
carnivores as well. Plus, they have a pleasant selection
of organic wines, bottled brews and cocktails.
Where to Get Your Groove On: Outdanced
at Funky Buddha Lounge (728 W. Grand
Ave., funkybuddha.com)
Hailed for its incomparable atmosphere and music,
Funky Buddha Lounge has hosted its own dyke night
each Tuesday for over a year. Recently expanded to
let in the dancing gay boys as well, it's likely to con,
tinue to be a younger crowd, but everyone's welcome
at Funky Buddha.
Where to Go for Insider Info: The Field
Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago (lake
claremont.com)
For more information on how to navigate gay Chicago,
pick up this first travel guide for LGBT travelers vis,
icing the Windy City. Written by Kathy Bergquist
and Robert McDonald, two spunky, opinionated
Chicagoans who did their time behind the counters of
two of Chicago's best,known gay bookstores, The Field
Guide includes hundreds of tips on where to find your
own unique gay Chicago. And yes, there are special sec,
tions just for us girls.
To checkout thefull schedulefor the 2006 Gay Games,
visitgaygameschicago.org.
tY\
NEWSWIMSUIT
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GAV
GAME
Lesbian athletes to keep your eyes on this summer.
Conscious
Soden
Age: 41
Sport: Basketball (Team Chicago Pow-Wow)
Day Job: Producer and author from Miami Beach, Fla.
Why She's Hot: Soden, the HIV-positive, lesbian, streetwise author whose book, Getting
Unstuck, inspired a film starring rapper Eve, has been playing b-ball since she was 5. Soden is
also a mom and, in 1999, was the music manager for the Queen Latifah Show. She says that
she's at the Games to show others how to bounce back from enormous obstacles. "Basketball
is my first love, and no matter what I have been through in my life, a good game of ball helped
me through the day .... It's time to give back to society what I've learned."
30
I curve
Martje
Hoekmeijer
Age:26
Sport: Track and Field
Day Job: Professional athlete from the
Netherlands
Why She's Hot: A track and field star who
won second, third and fourth place respectively at the Dutch National Championships
for three years in a row, and set the 2005
Dutch National record in the Swedish
relay, Hoekmeijer is clearly the girl to beat.
Competing for almost 20 years now,
Hoekmeijer now trains six days a week,
overcoming injuries and winning events as
an out lesbian. "This is who I am," she says.
"I did not want to hide it anymore!" Though
she's one of a minority of Gay Games participants who have competed professionally,
Hoekmeijer isn't planning to cut her competitors any slack. "[I'm] going for gold!"
•Gay Games Ambassador Leigh,Ann Naidoo never planned to break down
racial barriers or become a role model for dykes in professional sports. The
29,year,old South African just wanted to play volleyball. The moment
Naidoo first stepped on the court in high school, she knew that the privileges
she had as an athlete were hard,won.
"Growing up, indoor volleyball was played by underprivileged kids in
poor schools, and beach volleyball was predominately a sport for white kids
of privilege;' Naidoo explains. "I was one of the first people of color to move
from playing indoor volleyball to playing beach volleyball, and it was a dif,
ficult transition:'
Naidoo, who made the move to the beach volleyball court in 1997, had to
learn a whole new way of playing the game in which players are involved in
every play and must be strong in all aspects of the sport.
"To be good at beach volleyball, you have to do everything really well;'
Naidoo says. "It was such a physical challenge:'
Naidoo also quickly discovered that transitioning to beach volleyball was
also an emotional challenge, but instead of returning to indoor volleyball, she
was determined to prove herself capable of great success. In 1995, Naidoo
led the South African student volleyball team to the World Student Games
in Japan and went on to become the youngest person on the South African
senior national team at the All Africa Games.
In 2002, Naidoo played on the indoor national team, where she met Julia
Willand. The pair connected on the court and eventually began talking about
playing in the Olympics. They agreed that they had a better chance of sue,
cess pairing up to play beach volleyball, and began exploring the qualification
procedures for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
"We put together a sponsorship proposal but it was hard for us to muster
up support;' Naidoo says."I depend on sponsorships and the support of athletic
federations, and a lot of times the people in those positions are homophobic. A
sporting career is important to me, but I am not going to try to protect people
from the truth because of what I think their response might be:'
Naidoo and Willand launched their own fundraising campaign and even,
tually connected with an entrepreneur who wanted to support their dream.
"She said, 'I see your passion and I love the way you communicate; I want
to make a financial pledge to support what you are doing;" Naidoo recalls. "It
was like someone saying, 'I believe in your dream:"
The pair played in international competitions in Indonesia, Brazil and
Italy that helped them solidify a place in the 2004 Olympics. Their role as
the first South African beach volleyball team to play in an Olympics earned
Naidoo and Willand a lot of attention. The media frenzy allowed Naidoo,
one of the few out athletes at the Olympic Games, to speak openly about her
commitment to her life partner, Kelly Gillespie, and the gay community.
"Suddenly, we became transformation leaders;' Naidoo says. "We were
the team with the possibility of Olympic success across all barriers - racial,
cultural, sexual preference - it was something we never expected:'
Naidoo and Willand finished 19th at the 2004 Olympics and the life les,
sons that the teammates took away from Athens were as valuable as a gold
medal. Naidoo relocated to Chicago with Gillespie, a student at the University
of Chicago, and is now the first African to be a Gay Games Ambassador.
"The Gay Games are such an amazing event and I think it is important
for me to take on this role as an activist;' she says. "I have always been very
discreet about my personal life, because I have a very particular idea of what a
role model is, but I am coming to learn that being a role model is about being
true to who I
July/ August 2006
I33
•
GAY
GAMES@@@:@.
The Games' dykes. By Jennifer Corday
Described as "a gay softball World Series meets a
March on Washington meets a Pride festival;' the
Gay Games in Chicago is the place to be this summer - and it wouldn't have happened without a
fascinating group of power lesbians.
Tracy Baim, co-vice chair of the Chicago Gay
Games, has been involved since 1999, when the
city first bid to host the 2006 event. A Chicago
native and the publisher of the Windy City Times,
Baim -
who previously founded the Chicago
Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and has
been working in the queer community since 1983
- is one of 15 board members who are making
this amazing world-class event a reality.
"People that come to the Games return to
their community completely changed;' she says. "It
validates you as a human being. Just by being there,
you're a winner. From high-school athletes to professionals like Greg Louganis to an 80-year-old marathoner, we are getting all kinds of participants:•
Unlike the Sydney Gay Games, where only
12 percent of participants were women, Chicago's
lesbian planners are hoping for 40 percent. "Our
target is 40 percent, but of course we'd love to hit
50 percent;' insists Elizabeth Valenti, the director
of operations and finance for the Gay Games. "It's
such a life-changing event. So all the women on the
staff really made it a mission to get more women
to participate this year. The staff is predominantly
composed of women, and all but two senior board
members are women, so I think that really helped.
We decided who we wanted to target early on and
created promotional ads that included women:•
Valenti feels the Women's Sports Association,
"From the design of the medals to the opening
processional and overture to the closing ceremonies, it's all art;' Carter says. 'Tm always paying
a nonprofit organization formed to help girls and
women find their power through sports, has also
attention to lighting, sound, background music,
color and costumes. Those cultural aspects add
helped bring more women out to compete. "It
started 15 years ago and was exclusively designed
the goose bumps to the moment:'
Carter, who also holds a black belt in Tai Kwon
Do, is producing three events, including a cheer
to get more women involved in competitive sports.
There are many more local teams now, and to
them, the Gay Games represents the culminating
event as an athlete:•
It's also a huge event for artists, and that's where
culture director C.C. Carter, a well-known lesbian
spoken-word performer, comes in. The founder of
Performers or Writers for Women on Women's
Issues - aka POW-WOW, the only weekly, lesbian-run, spoken-word venue in the country -
34
Icurve
by Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler.
Carter is one of two U.S. women selected from
around the world to be named a Vagina Warrior
and color guard expedition that will feature more
than 150 groups, a 400-voice choral concert and a
huge symphonic band concert.
Each woman is hoping to show to lesbians
around the globe the joy of the Gay Games - and
the wonder of Chicago. "We've had great cooperation from the city;' Baim says. "The Cubs donated
the use of Wrigley Field for closing ceremonies.
. . . Many people are taking the whole week off
to watch. We're also getting tremendous support
from the Midwest:'
en
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From TV to Chicago, she's everywhere. By Jennifer Corday
Imagine my surprise to find out I've Got a Secret, the new Game Show
Network series featuring an all-gay cast, stars one of my favorite lesbian comics, Suzanne Westenhoefer. This morning Westenhoefer is wide-awake and
full of energy. "I wake up at 6:30 every morning," she boasts. Today she is
dio and the blinds are drawn. We're not allowed to leave and get our own
food. We have security, and the people who go back and forth, like makeup
people and such, are not allowed to speak to us. We don't know squat:'
Hosted by stand-up comedian Bil Dwyer, Secret cast members include
on her way to taping one of the last four episodes of Secret,a recreation of a
popular 1950s game show in which every episode features four panelists who
have 40 seconds each to find out one big secret. The secret has been revealed
to the at-home audience and host, but if the panelists haven't figured out the
secret by the end of the question phase, the guest wins $1,000 and dinner for
two in Beverly Hills.
"For 15 years it was in the top 10,"Westenhoefer explains. "It was created
by the guy who also created To Tell the Truth and Whats My Line?,and they
were all huge, giant successes:'
Paying homage to one of the longest running and most popular game
shows, I've Got a Secrettakes viewers back in time to this same classic panel
show, replete with haute couture, a contemporary theme song and four witty
and comical personalities who will say anything to find out the secrets of their
guests. The secrets (which range from, "I hold the world record for kicking
myself in the head;' to "I went to the prom with Elvis") are usually vetted by
the panelists, but not before the viewers get to enjoy the naughty questions
and sly deductions, with often hilarious results.
Westenhoefer was the last person to join the cast.
"They went around for like six months to a year auditioning cast members,
and halfway through they decided they needed a lesbian. The exec producers
... probably auditioned 1,000 queers until they found the right combination.
To find four people that would get along, have the right chemistry and not
overshadow one another - I think that part was really a challenge:'
The group, laughs Westenhoefer, is pretty isolated.
"The whole panel is sequestered. We're kept 20 yards away from the stu-
ex-major league baseball player Billy Bean, pop-culture aficionado Frank
DeCaro, actor-dancer Jermaine Taylor and our Westenhoefer. Though all the
cast members are gay, the guests don't always know.
"They don't tell the guests one way or another," she explains. "So I had one
celebrity get up after we got the secret and he was kissing me on-camera, and
I thought, 'He doesn't friggin' know!' So I say, 'Can you please stop putting
your tongue down my throat?' And then they turn off the camera, and he's
whisked away, and everyone cracks up thinking, 'Just wait until he finds our:"
Obviously the show should generate a huge gay following, but it's not trying to be exclusive or sensational. "There's no way even queers can make it
controversial;' says Westenhoefer. "It's just a half-hour fun show. Obviously
we're trying to get queers to watch, but I think it will be a mixed audience:'
This season's guests include Corbin Bernsen, George Wendt, Tom Green,
Adam West, Tom Bergeron, Lorenzo Lamas, Jerry Springer and Phyllis
Diller, who was wild on the set, according to Westenhoefer.
"Phyllis Diller walked in and she looked right at me and said, 'Ha! You
have my hair!' You'd think after spending this kind of money, getting my hair
done in Beverly Hills, thinking I'm the shit, all Shaned out, and then Phyllis
Diller walks in and ... fuck, ya know what I mean? It was awesome!"
After taping in Los Angeles, Westenhoefer resumes her busy schedule
touring the country, including a special performance at the Gay Games in
July. This year Westenhoefer is changing up her routine by poking fun at her
new girlfriend, Jennifer.
"We've been together about two years. I went right from one girlfriend to
the other. Being a lesbian, there's no reason for
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Olympian Judith Arndt. By Colleen Lee
Ranked first in the sport in 2004, lesbian cyclist
Judith Arndt helped the German women's cycling
team win the Olympic silver that year. She's a 19time, German bike champion, a two-time overall winner of the Tour de 11\ude and now a Gay
Games ambassador. One of the best in the sport
of cycling, Arndt has had her share of controversy.
People are still talking about her one-fingered gesture to the German Cycling Federation during the
2004 Olympics. (For those in the dark, she flipped
off the GCF while crossing the finish line. Rumor
is she gestured because they refused to give her
girlfriend, Petra Rossner, a place on the German
Olympic team.) Luckily for us, Arndt was candid
about her love of cycling - and women.
Why did you get into cycling?
When I was a kid I did long bike tours with my
parents .... But I wanted to go faster so I got a
race bike. Later, I decided to become a member
of a cycling club, only for fun though. The very
first race, I crashed maybe 500 meters into the
race. I didn't brake fast enough. My first race
on a track, my coach sent me to warm up, but
I was so scared, I didn't move. And then in the
when one part of the couple has never been
race, I just went full on the whole time and
would rather go and sit on the couch, and you
into sports. You cannot go shopping for three
hours after you have trained for five hours. You
are lucky if your girlfriend is still smiling then.
won - accidentally. It was a points race, and I
really had no idea how it worked. I only knew
When did you discover that you and Petra
I had to be fast to not fall down.
both had interest in each other?
What is the most difficult aspect of racing?
Being away from home all the time, I get homesick.
The travel part gets worse as I grow older.
We have been friends since I met her in 1995 at
the world's championship in Colombia. We
have been a couple since 2000.
What are your plans after cycling?
What kind of reception did you receive when
Is there a life after cycling? Raising kids ....
you first went public with your relationship?
You and Petra are thinking of having kids?
Yes, we are.
It was not a big deal .... We both had relationships
with girls before, and everybody knew about it.
It must be easier having Petra around when
Are there many gay women racers?
you are racing.
I don't know. Many people say there are a lot of
Yes, it is nice to have her around. We don't have
gay women racers, but I think it's not more.
much time for each other though, when we
travel, since she is a team director. Actually, her
than everywhere else. Maybe you look gay
when you're racing on a bike and are sweaty.
spare time begins when I have to go to bed.
Maybe when women do sports, they find out
more about their bodies and what they like;
Is it difficult to balance a relationship and
your biking career?
No .... Petra has been a bike rider for 20 years, so
she knows what it is about. She is very helpful
and supportive ... and I try to spend time with
my bike as little as possible, and with her as
much as possible. I guess it's probably difficult
to balance a relationship and a sports career
or they get more self-confidence when they
have strong bodies and win races, and then
they don't have a problem to say they are gay.
Maybe it is because you spend the whole time
with only women and you get to know each
other very well, and then you fall in love with
another
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July/August 2006
I
39
Joan Jett is a rock 'n' roll
feminist and, yes, a lesbian
icon. From her punk rock
beginnings in the mid1970s with teen girl band
the Runaways through her
prolific solo career with her
band the Blackhearts, with
whom she's racked up
nine Top 40 hit singles and
eight platinum and gold
albums, she's been a force
to reckon with. And she
wants you to know she's
still going strong.
Since starting her own independent label in order
to self-release her debut solo album in 1980, which
went on to make her an international star with the
1982 hit"I Love Rock'n'RolI;'JoanJett has sold millions of records worldwide and toured relentlessly,
all the while helming Blackheart Records, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. She's produced scores
of bands, from '80s-era punk rockers the Germs
to '90s riot grrls Bikini Kill to recent garage-punk
discoveries the Eyeliners and the Vacancies. She's
collaborated with everyone from the Sex Pistols
to Peaches; starred in numerous films and television shows; appeared on Broadway in The Rocky
Horror Picture Show; and just recently became a
DJ on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Little Steven's
Underground Garage Network. There's not really
much Jett hasn'tdone.
Except, of course, talk openly about her sexuality. Even though she allegedly - or at least subtly
- came out in a magazine article in the 1990s and
is often referred to as "openly lesbian'' in the press,
Jett has stated, as recently as this spring, that she
has never publicly issued a statement about her
sexuality. She openly flirts with her lesbian fans at
concerts, sports a "Dykes Rule" sticker on her guitar and even played an intimate gig at this year's
Dinah Shore Weekend, but she still refuses to field
questions on the topic. On the day I called for our
phone interview, her only interest was in talking
about her new 15-track album, Sinner.
Jett does, however, have a history of speaking
her mind via her lyrics, both subtly and overtly,
and Sinner's no different. As with her earliest hit
"Bad Reputation" and many after it, several songs
July/August 2006
I41
on Sinner reveal Jett's thoughts on topics political,
sexual and of the heart. And though much of Sinner
is not technically new -
the bulk of the CD ap,
peared on the 2004 Japanese release Naked, which
has since been remastered or re,recorded - the
vast majority of its material has never been widely
released to a U.S. audience, making it new to the
ears of all but the most diehard fans. Sinner paints
an intriguing picture of the notorious badass who's
still rocking just as steady and hard as she has for
the last 25 years but is also perhaps maturing a bit,
taking some time to reflect on where and who she's
been and turning an eye to the future.
Jett is in the studio finalizing the last tracks on
Sinner when I get her on the phone. Her writing
and producing partner of 25 years, Kenny Laguna,
can be heard crackingjokes in the background.
"It is great;' she says with a laugh, referring to
her relationship with Laguna. "It's like any close
relationship; you go through arguments and stuff.
But I'm also trying to grow up past that stuff. You
gotta remember, we ve both been doing this since we
were teenagers. We're both arrested adolescents:'
It's hard to imagine what the course of rock 'n'
roll history might have been had Jett not decided
as a teenager to pick up a guitar, drop out of school
and form the Runaways. Jett, too, has no idea what
she would have done.
"I can't really even imagine;' she says, thinking
back.'J\fter the Runaways broke up, I briefly enter,
tained the thought of joining the military, because
I was so lost. I was out of it, depressed because my
world just ended. The Runaways meant so much
to me. People were just laughing at it, and saying,
'We told you it wouldn't work: And I just thought,
I need to get my shit together. At least here I'll
get my butt kicked and maybe it'll give me time to
think, and I'll learn a little bit of something. But
then I met Kenny, and we started writing songs,
and my life took a different turn:'
It hasn't been an easy ride, though. Despite
all of her success, Jett's had to battle sexism every
step of the way. "I don't think a lot has changed
in a long time;' she says, reflecting on the state of
the music industry today. Especially for females
starting out, Jett notes, the industry is still a
tough world. "Except a lot of the technology has
changed, which I think may be to the girls' advan,
tage. They can actually get things out there to a
wide audience without a record company now:'
Still, she knows how hard it is. "Girls take a lot
of shit. A girl who is a serious musician who wants
to succeed is a threat. I've been spit on and had shit
thrown at me, just for being a girl. And you can re,
spond in two ways. Some girls say, 'Fuck this shit,
I'm outta here. I don't want to have to deal with
this. It's not worth my self,esteem: And I think
that's 100 percent valid, because it's hard. You just
have to make your own decision on what it is that
you want to do. For me, I had to say, Tm not getting
off this stage. I have just as much right to be on this
stage as you do, and I'm not getting of£"
That right there is the answer to the infamous
question emblazoned on so manyT-shirts:"What
WouldJoanJett Do?"
"I don't really know what to think;' Jett says
about the shirt. 'Tm flattered. I don't really try to
hold myself up as saying, 'Do what I do: What I do
is OK for me, but you have to decide for yourself
what's right for you:•
The conversation turns to her new album,
Sinner, which Jett is excited to talk about. As we go
through the songs track by track, she says something that surprises me, even though I know she's
joking. I think. "Wow, this is like a self-help album!"
It's not exactly what I expected the reigning
queen of rock 'n' roll to say about an album called
Sinner - though, to be fair, she's talking specifically about the song"Turn It Around;' explaining
that it's about one's tendency to lose oneself in
others, especially during relationships. "It's about
getting your shit together, getting back to your
own self' Jett sounds just as surprised as I am to
hear herself talking like a new-age guru.
'Tm in this real sort of process now;• she says,
moving on to describe "Naked:'"! don't know if you
want to call it a spiritual thing or whatever, but I'm
just trying to figure out what it means to be, to exist.
Who am I? What does it mean?"
Aren't we all. And yet, it's strange to hear this
from the same person who wrote - and who still
sings, with just as much conviction as ever - "I
don't give a damn about my reputation;' but this is
clearly where Jett, now in her 40s, is at in her life.
"'Naked; to me, is really about introspection.
And looking at your own sel£ You keep peeling
back the layers. It's about when the denial for your
own self doesn't work anymore. When you can't
fool yourself anymore, and you know when you're
bullshitting people, when it's just too real. You can
apply that to any issue that you're talking about on
a personal level. It's each person's journey, I guess:•
Don't, however, interpret that to mean Sinner
is some woo-woo, navel-gazing, repenting-forpast-bad-behavior kind of confession. Far from
it. Though Jett does get a little Zen-like on some
songs, the same brash, outspoken Joan is there.
Take, for example, "Riddles;' a new, politically
bent collaboration with lesbian superstar producer
Linda Perry. "The state of our country and the way
that we'retalked to, by our government ... everything
is very 1984;' she says, getting audibly riled. "'Clean
air' means that you put shit in the air. 'Healthy forest' means you cut it down and put roads in there.
Everything is such a riddle. What the hell are they
talking about?"
The song ends cheekily with "riddle''-like samples of Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush.
It's quite a bold statement. Meanwhile, "Everyone
Knows" is this album's "fuck you" song. "This was
pretty specifically kinda taking the piss outta the
way people are always looking at ya;' Jett explains.
"I wear leather a lot, and I get a lot of weird looks.
People just look at me. Even when I'm not wearing
leather, when I don't have makeup on, when I'm
just regular. It's just really weird sometimes:'
It's hard to consider what being 'Just regular"
means for Jett, but I think that's exactly what she
wants us to realize - that she is.
"Five;' one of four songs on Sinner co~written
with Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna, deals with issues
surrounding her sexuality. The lyrics 'Tm fall~
ing over something/ That I just can't explain ...
You want me to / But I can't define desire" seem
pretty obvious to me. She goes on to ask, "Do you
want me to come out / Ready or not / Do you
want big proof / Is that what you need / Do you
wanna watch me squirm / Do you wanna watch
me bleed?"
"It's about tabloidy sort of press, or just press
that parade as real press but are always just look~
ing for the sensationalism kind of things;' she
explains, stopping short of saying that the song
refers to her sexuality. As usual, listeners will have
to draw their own conclusions.
Jett's inclusion of the Paul Westerberg classic
'J\ndrogynous;' which has long been a staple of
her live sets, offers perhaps the best summary of
her relationship to both gender and sexuality. "I
like what it says;' she explains. "We all have these
qualities - and we're not even talking necessarily
about gender. I don't like to be pinned down:'
There you have it.
There's plenty more sexually provocative mate~
rial on this album - from "Fetish;' an explicit SIM
song from the 1999 album of the same name which
talks of latex, getting off, and having rough sex
within the first verse, to the similarly S/M~vibed
"Kiss on the Lips" and the retro bisexual romp
';\CDC:' a cover of a song by Jett's favorite glitter
rock band, the Sweet. But it's the new, softer, more
contemplative side of Jett that I find most compel~
ling. Maybe I'm showing my age, but if the two
newest compositions, the aforementioned "Riddles"
and her latest collaboration with the Vacancies,
"Change the World;' are any indication, I'd love
to see what an album of all~newJoan Jett material
would sound like.
"By radiating as much light as you can, hope~
fully, you do your bit to change the world;'Jett says,
describing "Change the World:' I can tell she's not
just talking about the song. "We're all in this place
together. We gotta deal with it. We don't own this
46
Icurve
earth. Can we learn to not live hating each other:'
If you can change your own little world in your
head, then maybe you can change the world. That's
really what it's
I
I
In August 2000, thousands of ladies converged on Olympia, Wash., for six
days of workshops, panels and, most importantly, music. With headliners like
Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power, Bratmobile and the Butchies, Ladyfestset the bar
high for ind.iemusic festivals.In the years since, the original spawned many satellite Ladyfests, related in spirit and name to the original; last year, there were 31
Ladyfests held in 15 countries. So far, only one is scheduled in the United States
for 2006: Ladyfest Las Vegas, to be held at the University of.Nevada, Las Vegas,
fromJuly 15-17.
Meanwhile, the underground queer arts festival HomoA GoGowill return to Olympia this year on Aug. 1. "Olympia may be Washington's capital
city, but it's still very much a small town;' says Sara Seinberg, Homo A Go
Go's programming director. ''.And for six days, it's like the whole town turns
pink:' This year's lineup includes indie performers that Homo A Go Go is
known for, like trans rapper Katastrophe and Northwest-based punk band
the Gossip, but look out for some less "underground" names, too. The Indigo
Girls played in 2004, ruffling some punk-rock-or-die feathers, but Seinberg
says that all queer artists have a place at Homo A Go Go.
"There's a way this festival honors what's current and whose shoulders
we're standing on at the same time;' she says. Plus, all proceeds benefit the
Olympia-based Gender Variant Health Project.
the festival that
This year also marks the 11th anniversary of Queerstock,
gives a venue to "queer artists who aren't usually booked at Pride;' according
to organizer Doria Roberts, an indie rocker and spoken-word artist. Since
48
Icurve
1995, when activists took over Judy Garland Park during Philadelphia Pride
and assembled an "impromptu, illegal, community-based festival;' Queerstock
has offered some big names, such as Melissa Ferrick, the Butchies and Pansy
Division. For many years, it was "the little festival that could;' and now many of
the Queerstocks around the country are organized by locals with Roberts' help.
MusicandCultureFestival
will take place
Chicago's 4th annual Estrojam
Sept. 28-30. Featuring shows, parties, workshops and a film festival, Estrojam
focuses on "breaking down the barriers between the stage and the audience;'
according to Executive Director Khyentse James. There are after-parties following most shows, in which the performers mingle with their fans. Emerging
artists are booked alongside big names, and the festival's organizers "pull from
the past to pair legendary performers with newer, hot artists;' James says.
This year's headliners include German legend Nina Hagen and a reunion
of punk superstars Team Dresch. Each year, the festival's organizers choose a
handful of nonprofits to benefit from its proceeds. Audience members were
so moved by speakers from one of last year's recipient organizations, the U.S.
Campaign for Burma, that they threw money on the stage. Those attending
Estrojam should look forward to a lot of friendly partying, James advises.
"There's this family type of atmosphere that you'd find at the Michigan
Womyn's Music Festival, but it also has that edgy, city feel to
Checkout thesefestivals onlineat ladyfest.org,homoagogo.com,
queerstock.organd
estrojam.org.
Within the first few moments of our conversation, I can tell
Rosie Lopez loves her job. And what lesbian music junkie
wouldn't? As the head of marketing for pioneering independent record label Tommy Boy Entertainment, as well as the
co-founder of Tommy Boy's new LGBT imprint, Silver Label,
and the co-producer of the soundtrack CDs for all three seasons of Showtime's The L Word, she's quite the power broker in
the queer music world.
With audible enthusiasm, Lopez recounts the story of how
Silver Label came about as the first full-service, pop LGBT lifestyle label.
"In 2003, I signed the Queer as Folk soundtrack, and in 2004
I signed the L Word soundtrack;' she recalls. ';\t that point, I
said to Victor (Lee, her co-founder at Silver Label, who is also
openly gay], 'Don't you think it makes sense for us to actually
move out on our own and make Silver Label a stand-alone label
that caters to the GLBT audience - but in addition takes the
gay aesthetic and markets it to the masses?"'
Lee, who founded the original Tommy Boy Silver Label in
2000 as a dance music imprint geared toward the circuit party
crowd, agreed. So did Tommy Boy Entertainment CEO and
founder Tom Silverman, an industry maverick long devoted
to "the voice of the street;' as Lopez puts it. They decided to
drop "Tommy Boy" from the label's name in order to give it a
fresh new identity, and Silver Label was born - just in time for
Tommy Boy Entertainment's 25th anniversary.
"The end of last year and this year, our energy has been
really put into developing artists;• Lopez explains, listing out
lesbian Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas and former
Chanticleer vocalist Matt Alber as their first artist releases.
"Chavela has been compared to Billie Holiday - she's very
dramatic;' Lopez gushes. "She's an icon ... something really special. And she's beautiful:'
Many more artist releases are in the development stage, but
Lopez steers my attention back to the Silver Label release of which
she's most proud: The L Word Season3 soundtrack. Working with
music supervisor Natasha Duprey, music supervisor and director Elizabeth Ziff and executive producer Ilene Chaiken, Lopez
has played a very big role in the production of all three L Word
soundtracks, from suggesting music before shooting begins to
adjusting the final track listing once the entire team has heard
her preliminary soundtrack demos after shooting of the season has wrapped.
"I might start with 60 songs;• she says, referring to the amount of music
actually appearing in the episodes of the series as either live performances or
background music. "I start narrowing it down, putting them in order:'
What stays with Lopez most about the process of compiling L Word
soundtrack discs is the entire team's dedication to independent and up-andcoming artists, many of whom are openly gay.
"I giveIlene credit for being brave and loving music so much that she was willing to use her show as a way to help break new artists;• she says."Ilene, Natasha
and Eli~abeth reallyknow our culture, our community. We could use Indigo Girls
so Icurve
or Ani DiFranco, but it reallywouldn't be breaking any boundaries or introducing
anything new. We try to give people something that hopefully is going to make
them want to look into these artists and buy their albums:•
The commitment to breaking new queer artists dovetails nicely with
Silver Label's mission as a lifestyle imprint.
'Tm not just trying to sell to the gay and lesbian audience;' Lopez insists.
'Tm trying to (introduce listeners to] the gay aesthetic, which could be so
many things, anything that has that edge, is ahead of the curve .... It's the
music that we love and listen to. It just makes sense to release these artists and
market them to the masses:•
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Suppose Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin - the 26-year-old
Canadian twins known to fans as Tegan and Sara - read like a book that
could be neatly divided into chapters. The main one, the really big one, would
be the release of their fourth album, So Jealous, a 2004 award-winner hailed
by music critics everywhere.
In this chapter, one of the hugest bands in the world, the White Stripes,
not only play "Walking With a Ghost;' (arguably the most rocking song of the
Tegan and Sara oeuvre) but also record and release it as a single.
"Initially we heard they were playing it live;' Sara said. "We thought that
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was insane:•
The So Jealous chapter also includes accomplishments like playing
Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals for the first time, a spot on MTV and
famously being cited in Rolling Stone as one of the 50 best albums of 2004.
Yet Tegan and Sara Quin will point out to any journalist lazy enough
to employ the old so-wow-you're-really-hoc-now rubric that such rhetoric
doesn't work on chem. Their career has always been fortuitous. Signed to Neil
Young's label before the age most people's acne clears up, the Alberta-born sisters have toured extensively with bands including the Killers, the Pretenders,
Bryan Adams and Young himsel£
"(We're] building a long story, and we think we have a long way to go;'
says Tegan.
In 2006, the band had a guest spot on Showtime's The L Word and found
themselves on numerous soundtracks including Grey's Anatomy and Veronica
Mars. Next up is the release of their first DVD, It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!
"Over the last two years, we accumulated a lot of footage from touring,"Sara
said. "We started speaking with the label about the possibility of getting somebody we like to record a concert. You know, we wanted to filla couple hours with
stuff that was interesting to people who like us:•It's Not Fun. Don't Do It! includes
a tour documentary shot by Tegan and Sara, a fullconcert, all their music videos
and plenty of bonus commentary.
A mere week after wrapping up an 18-month tour, the duo is back in the
studio, employing their trans-Canadian method of songwriting: Tegan works
in Vancouver, while Sara works in Montreal.
"Our writing processes are really different;' Sara said. "Tegan writes so
fast. She tends to be more straight-ahead or pappier. My songs seem to be
weird. I never think they'll make it onto the album. It's hard to put it into
perspective. The older we get, the better our songwriting gets. I look forward
to recording and getting some more ideas out in the summer:'
July/ August 2006
I51
International singer~songwriter Sarah Bettens has written chart~topping
radio hits (including"Not an Addict;'"Believe'' and 'J\lmost Happy"). She's
had gold and platinum records in Europe. Magazines from Rolling Stone to
Vogue have heralded her work. But after years of success as frontwoman for
the band K's Choice, Bettens was ready for a change. The band, founded by
Bettens and her brother Gert, was beginning to feel like work.
"We both knew we needed something new ... something that would be
exciting again;' she explains. 'J\fter 12 years, there was a hint of routine creep~
ing in, and we wanted to get rid of that:' So Bettens went solo and released
her first record last year.
"It's definitely like starting over;' she says, admitting she's anxious to move
on. "It's part of the excitement, but at some point, you want to move on and
not linger in the back~to~basics:•
That's likely to change with the success of her debut album, Scream. The
record includes the rockin' title track, the jangly lilting love song "Stay;' and
the politically charged "Not Insane:•
"I wrote that song right when I was coming out, and it was right at the
time of gay marriage debates, and Bush and the election, so there was a lot of
stuff to think about;' she explains.
"Not Insane'' is an impassioned attack on small~minded people who can't
accept others who are different - especially queers.
"I feel like this society is so fear~driven and people are so afraid of change
that they can't accept anyone or anything that's different. Basically,this song is
saying,'Hey, you think I'm crazy, but you're the one who's messed up:"
It may surprise fans to hear that the sexy,blue~eyed, Belgium~born tomboy
came out less than five years ago. Prior to that, she was married to a man.
"I just didn't know I was gay. I had my experiments in high school (with
women), but then I fell in love with a man and got married;' she says.
Bettens spent her married years touring with her band before meeting the
woman who would change her life. She's been with her ever since.
"I thought I was fine, until I met my current girlfriend and I realized, I'm
not fine;' she says. "It's funny how one thing in your life can be not right, and
then when it is right, everything else in your life falls into place:•
Bettens is happier performing and touring now that everything has settled
down in her personal life. The gay community immediately embraced her, but
in hindsight, Bettens admits, her fans probably knew all along.
"I think they all knew I was gay before I did. Even before I came out, I had
a strong lesbian fan base. But I'm starting to discover there are more and more
(fans] since I came out, because lesbians like other lesbians' music:'
As a musician, Bettens insists she's only getting better: "I feel I have more
to give ... now that I am not consumed with my own problems and issues. I
have other things to talk
"I just didn't know I was gay. I thought I was fine, until
I met my current girlfriend and I realized, I'm not fine."
52
Icurve
started yelling:' After quelling the confrontation, Blowtorch
aproached Venus and said, "I belong in your band:'
She began dancing with the glam rock group equally
famous for its male-to-female transgender bandmates as for
erotic performances that pushed the boundaries of gender
norms. But beer bottle incidents weren't the end of the altercations. Members have been groped and assaulted, and the band
even receiveddeath threats.
Playing Midwestern towns may have subjected them to
more risk, but Blowtorch claims it's important exposure.
"People are scared of what they don't know;' she states.
"Once people talk to me, they see I'm a nice person:'
Today Blowtorch works behind the scenes of the music
industry, managing various projects, including the Flaming
Film Festival and Venus' burgeoning solo career.
'Tm cursed with a business mind;' she says with a laugh.
"Well, I guess it's a blessing and a curse' Using her networking skills, she's promoting Homocore Minneapolis, a collective not-for-profit that works to attract more queer bands to
perform in Minneapolis, online at myspace.com/homocore.
If they perform in Chicago, even Madison, Blowtorch wants
Shannon Blowtorch, dancer for the now-defunct band All the Pretty Horses,
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is known for her stage presence, sex appeal, metal underwear and tons of
tattoos, including "piss off" inked on the inside of her lip. Complete with a
mohawk and piercings, she has had the same style since she was a queer teen.
Blowtorch got involved with the band at an outdoor concert in Minneapolis,
where she's lived for years. An inebriated woman threw a bottle at lead singer
Venus and Blowtorch stepped in: "Venus took her top off and I guess pissed
off this woman;' Blowtorch recalls, "and I politely asked her to leave. She
them in the Twin Cities, sometimes offering to put bands up in hotels and always
assuring a safe venue for their performance.
She's also involved with a not-for-profit organization that works with
street youth. Kicked out at 15 for being gay, Blowtorch grew up homeless, and
uses her experience to reach out to kids. She encourages them to get involved
with music, even gives them free concert tickets when they're good, knowing
from experience how beneficial music can be to struggling youth.
"Music is the thing that kept me alive for so long; still does to this
"Hervocalssimultaneously
call to mindthe ethereal
toneof PattyGriffinand the grit of LucindaWilliams
..."
·PERFORMING
SONGWRITER
"...everysongon THESOUNDOFYOU& ME
is a mini-masterpiece."
•VINTAGEGUITAR
NEWALBUMIN STORESNOW
Forstreamingmusic,tour datesand more:garrlsonstarr.com
July/ August 2006
I53
Lesbian singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick first gained notice
as an opening act for Morrissey. Fifteen years and 11 albums
later, she still treats her loyal and growing fan base (dubbed
"Ferrickheads") to supercharged live performances that showcase her mean guitaring and occasional trumpeting alongside
fervent vocals. Besides touring, 35-year-old Ferrick has been
busy recording her upcoming release, Never Give Up, which
will feature guest vocalists Erin McKeown and Tegan and
Sara. Her band includes drummer Allison Miller, who has
played with Natalie Merchant, and keyboardist Julie Wolf,
who played for many years with Ani Difranco and has also
performed with the Indigo Girls and Dar Williams.
The remarkably energetic Ferrick took a few minutes to
talk with us - after seven consecutive nights of performing
and an all-night drive from New York back to her home north
of Boston.
How did you come to do an anti-fur spot for PETA
when you're not a vegetarian?
They came to me, and I didn't want to do it because it felt
hypocritical. But I think the fur industry is disgusting
and, unless you live in the Arctic, I don't get it. They were
down with me just talking about what I felt. I wanted to
be truthful because there are a lot of people who do still
eat steak, hate the fur industry and dig what PETA's doing. It's like the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival: You
don't necessarily agree with all of the political stances but
it doesn't mean you can't be a part of it.
What else have you been up to?
I got to open for Moe again this summer. As a woman whose
audience is mostly queer, to be able to get onstage solo in
front of maybe 1,500 men from the ages of 17 to 25 is just
awesome. When guys who've never seen me before start
hooting and hollering and I get them to sing along, I feel
like I'm still winning fans over from a completely different
walk of life, and that's really inspiring.
What's your audience like now?
The dykes I draw know I want to make this a safe space for
everybody. You gotta be able to fuckin' make out with
your girlfriend in the crowd and not get slapped in the
back of the head. I think the guys that come to my shows
know they should feel as accepted and as comfortable.
It's important to be accepting of a straight couple in my
crowd that wants to grind and drive like the dykes in the
front row.
What new musical terrain do you hope to venture into?
"There are a lot of people who do still eat
steak, hate the fur industry and dig what
PETA's doing."
I would love to do a side project, something electronic. Yaz,
This Mortal Coil, Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins - an
album like that. I love how the Cocteau Twins had so
many vocals that you couldn't understand. I'd love to make a record with
no words, just vocals - where our voices would be more atmospheric and
convey emotion musically, without words.
Are you still an L Word fan?
Don't tell me anything because I'm behind! I just watched the episode last
54
Icurve
night when Dana dies, and of course she was my favorite character. Bitch
came to the show last night in New York, and it's so awesome that her
girlfriend, Daniela (Sea], is on [the show]. Her character is so important
and she's doing a great job. I only met Daniela once, and I was just stunned
at how beautiful her spirit and her outsides are.
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regrets.
ByPageMcBee
Groovy, sexy, cool. Aggressive acoustic rocker Debi Graham is creating a smooth underground buzz in Salt Lake City, breaking the conventional molds of this largely conservative
Mormon town. Currently involved in several projects - including the promotion of four
national compilations that feature her music, and writing a movie score - Graham is touring this summer with her band to support her upcoming live release.
Sleep With Heat, the third release from the Athens/
Boston/Portland-based outfit Lovers, is a lush and
gorgeous ode to brokenhearted hope. Carolyn
Berk, Lovers' queer head philosopher and lyricist,
offers up a relentlessly brave collection of song
snapshots, exploring the age-old themes of ill-fated
Your drummer, Maria Galiano, totally rocks, and I understand she's your girl-
love and regret-tinged road trips. Lovers' sound
friend. What came first, the relationship or the band?
is dark, symphonic folk-pop that calls to mind the
She is phenomenal! She's been playing since she was 11. Both of us had extreme respect for
one another on a musical level,but we actually really hated each other at first. After we were
in the band together, we started to get along and we became best friends. It's so important
for me to be with someone [who] has passion for something, so to be with someone that
is also passionate about music is awesome. We've only been dating for a couple of months.
We made a vow that if it doesn't work out we will stay together as band mates.
Magnetic Fields, if the Magnetic Fields were led
instead by a warm-voiced troubadour like 27 -yearold Berk, and if they composed music while sitting
around their kitchen table, strung out on heartache
and herbal tea while speaking honestly of ghosts.
Berk has been photographed by Michael Stipe
You have amazing skill on the acoustic. You've been compared to Ani Difranco.
for Jane magazine, and even accompanied Patti
Where did you learn to play?
Smith live. But for all of her straight-world cred,
My mom bought me a pawnshop guitar when I was 11. I took one lesson, but ... I think it's
better to learn on your own, to put your own personal rhythm into the strumming of the
guitar. If somebody teaches you, they are teaching you their rhythm.
Berk's sexuality does play a role in her artistry.
of an outsider, an observer, a critic," she says. "I
"I think that being queer can make you more
So when did you start playing with a band?
also think it can make you a more sensitive and
I joined a band when I was 18, in St. George, Utah, a tiny little Mormon town an hour and a
half east of Vegas. But when I moved to the big city, I realized I wanted to do something
bigger. I had a lot of anger I wanted to get out. I was on my own personal soul quest.
compassionate person."
Tell me about that.
music is striking.
Well, I was going through a lot. You get baptized when you're 8 years old, when you have no
idea what the hell you're doing. And if you don't live by [the church's] rules they excommunicate you. I didn't really know what was up until I moved to a bigger city. Once I
was away from that small town, when I wasn't in their grips anymore, I realized I was an
adult. And I realized I had a lot to say.
Compassion is one of Berk's fortes. Lyrically and
emotionally, Berk's nakedly honest approach to
"I once had a girl at a show tell me that our first
album, Starlit Sunken Ship, had literally saved her
life. She'd been suicidal and somehow found comfort in that record. That was pretty overwhelming."
Though it may appear that Lovers is all peace
What's the gay scene like in Utah?
and, well, love, Berk doesn't want you to get the
Well, there isn't a huge one here, there are only two lesbian bars and we have a residency at
wrong idea.
one of them. But the lesbian community is really,really loyal; they are great, and it's pretty
impressive. The LOS (Latter Day Saints] don't drink or smoke, so they don't go to the bars
"I think anger is OK, but for a long time I didn't
want to make any song that had anything mean in
to support local music. And whenever you have that type of oppression, you have that 180-
it." On Sleep With Heat, that's changed. "Now I'm
degree backlash. So we all stick together in a way that I haven't experienced in other cities,
just trying to let myself be whoever I am and not
like (Los Angeles]. The lesbian community is pretty tight. Here, everybody knows every
worry about it."
single person. When I go to the local bar, people just want to drink some beer, have a good
time. In L.A., people seem more focused on trying to hook up.
Lovers can be found online at loverstheband.com.
July/ August 2006
I55
-----------------.
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It's a Rap
At10,JenRO
wasalready
a
rapper.
Today
she'sa lesbian
rap
superstar.
ByJennifer
Corday
When she was just 10 years old and at
summer camp, JenRO (nee Jennifer Robles)
performed a rap about raccoons and hating
her cabin leader, which didn't go over so well
with the camp counselors.
"They physically pulled me off the stage
and put me in detention, even though the
kids were loving it." This experience was the
beginning of a life-long journey for JenRO to
express herself.
At 17, the Salvadorian-Filipino JenRO
starred in the documentary Rebel Girls, which
was based on one of her raps; today she's
an established rap artist who stars in the
queerhop/rap doc Pick Up the Mic and has
performed everywhere from the Philippines to
San Quentin State Penitentiary. Her first full-
"If I am not playing live somewhere, I am sad;' says Los Angeles~based out lesbian singer~songwriter
Sean Wiggins, who played more than 200 live gigs last year - "andloved every minute of it:'
The hardworking, 30~something guitarist and vocalist offers a fresh mix of country, folk, rock and
blues that often garners comparisons to Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge and Dusty Springfield. "I like to
write more wordy stuff but sing it with a more soulful approach;' she says of her style.
Born in New York, Wiggins was lead vocalist in her high~school jazz band, which included jazz
length album, Unreleased and Uncensored,
Volume 1, was an underground queer hit, and
great Chick Coreas kids. By the time she was 17, she was recording in Coreas studio. After a brief
her follow-up will be released this month.
JenRO - who got the nickname in high
tive rock scene in Los Angeles, taking turns in various metal, punk and funk bands on her way to
school - came out when she was 13 years
old and her mother discovered a flyer that
catered to queer youth in San Francisco. "I
stint at UCLA to study music, she worked her way up from New York cabarets to the competi~
solidifying her own, more acoustic~roots style. Her fourth and latest self~releasedalbum, EverydayLife
(recorded, she says, along with some great Nashville musicians), showcases 13 beautifully produced roots~
country tunes, including the hook~filled, country~rocking"BusinessAsUsual;' which will no doubt garner
feel very lucky. My older brother is gay, and
her comparisons to Mary Chapin Carpenter due to the song'splayful pop~friendliness.
he came out to her eight years before that, so
I got it a little easier."
ing about how hard it can be to pursue your dreams and to live the life you want to live;' she explains.
As JenRO got older she was always told
that girls should never rap. Even now, free-
ment that says,go out and breathe,notice the beauty around you, and go back and start again:'
style-rap competitions are still tough.
"Right away I get rhymes like 'bitch, suck
done pretty well on her own, getting airplay on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's OutQ as well as various
b
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my dick,' and they're going to call me a dyke,
whether they know it or not."
other Internet and indie radio outlets in the United States, Europe and Japan. Her songs can also be
heard on the soundtrack to the lesbian short film Gillery'sLittle Secret,starring Annabeth Gish, and
w
JenRO not only holds her own but often
wins the competition, raising a few eyebrows
and changing attitudes about girls and rap.
"They got to give me my propers. They talk
smack before the competition, but after it's
over they don't really say
56
I curve
The inspirational title track sums up Wiggins' personal philosophy on life. "Basically,_Iam talk~
"Sometimes it feels likeit isn't worth it, or sometimes it seems impossible. The tune is just a simple state~
Though a lack of cash for promotion is Wiggins' biggest hurdle as an independent artist, she's
on the gay marriage~themed CD compilation Fromthe Heart.
And aside from appearances at major Pride celebrations around the country this year, including
New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, Wiggins hopes to tour the U.S. this fall. "My everyday life is just
making music and loving it no matter how much money is coming in:'
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For more on Sean Wiggins, visit seanwiggins.com.
@
Curvemag.com
Exclusive
interviews
withEllis,
JenFoster,
Marsha
Stevens,
Maia
Sharp,
TinaScheleski
andmore.
Sarah Dougher is a serious multi,tasker. While simultaneously holding down her former full,time job
as a news editor at Portland, Oregon's LGBT paper Just Out as well as teaching courses like the History
of Women in Rock to students at Portland State University and serving as an instructor at the Rock 'n'
Roll Camp for Girls, the former Crabs, the Lookers, and Cadallaca member somehow found the time
last year to finally self,release her three,years,in,the,making concept album Harper's Arrow on her own
new, independent queer,feminist record and art label, Cherchez La Femme. All this after two trying
years battling breast cancer that, after surgery and treatment, went into remission in 2005.
In the mold of Dougher's previous record label, the infamous Mr. Lady - which was founded in
the mid,1990s by Kaia Wilson of the Butchies and Wilson's then,girlfriend, video artist Tammy Rae
Carland, and went defunct in 2004 - Cherchez La Femme (a French idiom which loosely translates
to "look for the woman'' or "find a woman'') was formed to continue the work of spotlighting the
underground music and art of women and queers.
"I felt like the cultural void that the end of Mr. Lady left for my community was sort of signifi,
cant;' she says."The processes of creating community around art can and needs to still happen around
feminist and queer politics. That was sort of my hope for the label:'
Dougher says Cherchez La Femme is not as full,service as its predecessor: "It's definitely in the
same kind of spirit, yet it's very different in terms of the power behind it ... because I have to juggle
it along with all these other [jobs];' she admits, adding that Cherchez La Femme will be more about
helping artists empower themselves. "I have a lot of advice and a lot of contacts that I can give to
people, but I can't do their work for them. I want to help them figure out how they can work with
integrity, and encourage them, because I got a lot of encouragement when I was young, and I feel like
it's important to be that to other people:'
Though Dougher is at the helm of this new label project, she doesn't feel like it's solely her baby.
"What I'm trying to do is motivate people to tell me about their visions, so that we can incorpo,
rate all these things we re interested
in seeing in the world:'
It's an ambitious project, to be
sure. But so far, Dougher seems on
track. Beyond her own Harper's
Arrow - an indie folk,rock literary
concept album that uses Homer's
Odyssey as a metaphor to explore
her thoughts on war and violence which was the label's debut release
last year, Dougher put out Bay Area
trans hip,hop king Katastrophes
sophomore album, Fault, Lies, and
Faultlines, to much critical acclaim
last fall, and more recently released
a solo EP from Erase Errata guitar,
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ist Sarah Jaffe. Future plans include a
new album from Portland band the
Swallows, and possibly a collection
from Olympia, Wash., electro,hop
band Romanteek.
"It feels like I'll never have
enough time to do all the things
I want to do with [Cherchez La
Femme), but then we sort of inch
forward;' Dougher laughs.
Contemporary Christian music went into an
uproar when Marsha Stevens (above right,
with her partner) came out. Now she runs a
record label and a music training program for
musicians in ministry to the LGBT community.
Interview by Susan Calhoun
Minneapolis-based, Texas-born musician and
dyke heartthrob Ellis is a fixture at Michigan
Womyn's Music Festival, with adoring lesbian
fans everywhere, thanks in part to her latest
album, Evidence of Joy. Interview by Margaret
Coble
With her Underdogs album earning almost
universal praise, Jen Foster is music's new
"it" girl, but that status didn't come easy.
"I had to go into rehab in 2004, and once I
made the decision to stop drinking and focus
on my personal life, all of the distractions fell
away and I started getting my career going,"
she explains. Interview by Jennifer Corday
Musician Maia Sharp is on a roll. Her songs
are recorded by everyone from the Dixie
Chicks and Cher to Bonnie Raitt and Trisha
Yearwood (and she makes appearances on
Yearwood's last two albums as well). "Bonnie
Raitt was, in a word, unbelievable." Interview
by Aimsel Ponti
PLUS: Beth Schwartzapfel talks about her
experience at Portland's Ladies' Rock Camp,
Jennifer Corday helps you join Sarah Bettens'
hot Scream Team, and Zoe Gemelli talks to
Tina Scheleski.
July/ August 2006
I57
Often compared to the iconoclastic piano pop of Tori Amos or the feminist folk of Ani Difranco, New
York-based, bisexual singer-songwriter Rachael Sage is one of those genre-hopping artists whose sound
is hard to describe. The multitalented songstress - musician, dancer, poet, visual artist - recently selfreleased her second solo album, The Blistering Sun, a 15-track set about vision, clarity and facing life head
on, on her own indie label, MPress.
Big,BigLove
Talking
trashwithfatactivist
andbluesbabeCandye
Kane.
Westbrook
ByRenee
She's a combinationof Bette Midleron acid
and a black drag queentrapped in a white
woman's body. But she sure can sing. San
Diego Music Award winner Candye Kane is
back with a new CD, White TrashGirl,which •
complements her tradition of naughtybig-girl
power with songs like "EstrogenBomb" and
"MasturbationBlues."
What's your favorite cut on White Trash?
How do you describe what you do?
I think my music is on the art side of the spectrum. I don't really think it's as much folk or rock as much as it's
defined by my sensibility as a visual artist. I think I'm painting with music. The people who've informed
what I do are people who really mix a lot of metaphors. That's why I call it art pop or chamber pop.
Are there other artists on your label MPress, or is it mostly for your own pursuits?
We're just starting to sign other artists; this compilation that we just did is our first non-me effort.
Tell us about that.
We did a compilation to raise funds for hurricane relief and recovery. It's called New Arrivals Volume
One. It's a series of new, emerging artists. It was already in the works when Hurricane Katrina happened, and immediately we decided that that's what we should do with it.
Where does the title of your new album, The Blistering Sun, come from?
It's a lyric in the song"Surprise;' ... (which] I wrote for my sister's wedding.
What is that song, and this album, about?
That duality, that constant flip side to every aspect of our lives, (from] moment to moment, or in the
larger sense, in our relationships ... that as difficult or challenging as it gets, on a different day, you flip
that around, and the enormous power we have to change ourselves, our own lives, our world ... it's
still there. It's all how you look at it, your attitude about it. I struggle myself with my own motivation,
my own lack of will to stay positive. But I know that, through music, I'm able to hold
My favorite cut is "What Happened to the
Girl:' It's different from everything else on
the album, and my 17-year-old son wrote
the main idea of the song.
Why is "white trash" positive?
I'm all about desensitizing the words. Let's take
the word "pussy;' for instance. "Pussy" gets
a bad rap. I think pussy is the most sacred,
holy thing we have. We all owe our lives to a
pussy somewhere.
Was it hard to move beyond your past?
It was hard to leave porn at first, because there
were some wonderfully empowering things
about it that made my life better. I got to fly
on an airplane for the first time, and I realized that I was bisexual and I love women.
Mainstream lesbians view bisexuality as a
fence in sexual-orientation land.
w
Sometimes people have a need to put labels on
things and to categorize each other. I think all
people are basically bisexual. But hey, maybe
I really am a dyke waiting to come out.
::i:
What's the best thing about being a plussize woman?
The best part about being a big woman is when
I write a blog and get tons of fat women
who write back and tell me about their experiences.
58
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Myanna Pontoppidan has been playingjazz saxophone for over 30 years. Having studied with drum leg,
end Max Roach, she later played with 1970s Northampton lesbian band Lilith, 1980s female band Girls
Night Out, and since the early 1990s, her own quartet, as well as the Boston,based Love Dogs. Though
she's garnered much critical praise for being a pioneering female jazz player, few have ever picked up on
the fact that she's been an out lesbian for her entire career. Her most recent self,produced album, One
Never Knows, Do One?, is a funky jazz journey that blows her male contemporaries out of the water.
"This is Sage the
storytellerin her
primeandfolk
at it's finest."
- VENUS
*
Did being an out lesbian ever affect your musical career?
(Not] that I know about. I think just being a woman has had a much greater impact - both positive
and negative. Sometimes I probably get more attention just for being female, and at other times I'm
too easily dismissed.
Did you ever think, when you were first starting out, that what you were doing was pioneering?
No, I was just doing what came naturally to me. I never felt a pull to do anything but music.
Did you have any female role models, in terms of instrumentalists, who inspired you?
I'm afraid not. I listened to a lot of great sax players: Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet,
Cannonball Adderley. But apart from the occasional Mary Lou Williams or Marian McPartland
track, they were all men. The best female role model I had was my mother, who was an amazing artist
and still managed to do a fine job raising three children.
*
& AT RAPIO NOii/!
What do you hope listeners "get" from hearing your music?
I hope that people find it enjoyable to listen to - and possibly dance to - and that they hear the emo,
tion coming through the music. When I play, I always try to give it my all - to get in touch with the
inner me and release it through the music. To me, chat is the essence of being an artist. The technique
is just the means to that end.
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July/ August 2006
I59
HeavyMetalMaven
There's
moretoJadaPinkett
Smiththanherfamous
husband.
Westbrook
ByRenee
It's been a busy year for Jada Pinkett Smith
and Wicked Wisdom. They released a selftitled debut album, toured with headliner
Sevendust and even managed to suNive
Ozzfest. Wisdom's amalgamation of melodic
hard rock, speed and funk metal is suprisingly
good - and so is the front woman. No one
thought the Matrix Revolutionsco-star could
deliver the goods.
Why did you want to front a metal band?
I've always loved heavy rock, and the music we
created just has metal influences in it. I wasn't
really in search of making a metal band. I just
made the music that I like.
How was Ozzfest?
The first week~and~a~halfwas really rough. Then
as we became more confident about what we
were doing and what was going on, the whole
vibe of Ozzfest started to change. You still have
people out there dealing with racial issues, but
they're not the majority.
What's your favorite lyric you've written?
Maybe "set me free" would be the most meaning~
ful line, because it's indicative of the whole idea
of this project, which is setting ourselves free
from the parameters that people create for us.
Who is Jada Koren?
Koren is my middle name. That voice that you're
hearing on that CD, that's Jada Koren.
What does singing metal music do for you
that acting doesn't?
It gives me a place where Jada can explore herself,
whereas in acting, I'm playing a character. I can
explore more of the bad witch as well as the
good witch, because they both live.... for me
to stay balanced and sane, I need a place where
that bad witch can live and not be judged.
60
Icurve
If Lenny Kravitz were a female rocker in his early career, his music would probably sound like Sistas
in the Pit. Their current release, The Missing Piece,showcases everything from bass~heavy grunge
funk ("Black Girl" and "Liar") to rootsy acoustic ("Open'') and nouveau blues ("Walkin Cane"). A
recent opening act for Macy Gray, Kofy Brown (bass), leela Grant (drums) and Anita "Pa" Lofton
(guitar) boast their own brand of rock 'n' roll: sexy rock, black~girl style. The San Francisco~area
power trio took time out of a Sunday afternoon rehearsal to chat.
Why don't some people get the black rock thing?
Brown: Because they associate black people with funk and soul, and they don't associate us with rock
music. But we re going to change that.
Who are the band's major influences?
Lofton: The Stones, the Who, Tool, Prince, Grace Jones, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder.
Are your audiences primarily gay or straight?
Brown: It's a mixture. I think were kind of getting a reputation as a rockin' band, so you've got all
sorts there.
Is there a difference between straight and lesbian audiences?
Lofton: Our audiences are human. We get love from everybody. We really haven't noticed
a difference.
What's the hardest thing about being an all-female, black rock band?
Grant: People aren't really used to seeing all~black, female rock bands, so it's kind of a showstopper
anyway. But we come out rocking hard, and I think they end up getting turned on and excited
because it's a fresh and new kind of thing for them.
Do you think The L Word needs a little more chocolate in its sundae?
Grant: We actually got our CD to Ilene Chaiken, and were waiting to hear from her.
When it comes to gay marriage, is the U.S. ahead or behind the times?
Brown: Behind the times. If you look at other countries, like the Netherlands or even Canada, they're
a lot more progressive than we are.
Do you consider George W. Bush a sinner or saint?
Lofton: Satan.
Grant: He has completely derailed the United States of America, and he is using our constitutional
rights as toilet paper in the Oval Office. He can kiss my ass.
What's next for you ladies?
Brown: We were invited to SXSW [South by Southwest) this year. Were very happy about
u'i
en
Ir
::s
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1n
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er
LU
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LU
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LU
SoNiA, the outspoken front,woman for the pro,
what's changed is that it's become more main,
gressive folk rock band Disappear Fear is such a
larger,than,life person that one interview can't
stream (to be critical of the United States].
I can speak as an American to the sentiment
of most of the people around me, which is
against the war in Iraq. And to certainly ex,
plore and use as much alternative energy as
we can, you know, moving away from oil and
contain her. Her exclusive - about music, rape,
politics and lesbians - is on curvemag.com, but
we couldn't resist printing a few outtakes here.
Has the reception you get as a U.S. citizen
z
0
(/)
z
u..
0
0
big cars that use lots of petroleum.
traveling in the rest of the world changed at
Has the world changed in its perception of
all in the past few years?
you as a queer performer since you got your
Absolutely. Not that I was traveling ever when
the U.S. wasn't in some sort of military con,
flict, because I didn't really start touring inter,
nationally until the end of the '90s. I think
what's happened is, while in the 1990s the
anti,American feeling might have just been in
more progressive movements in Australia and
other Western countries where the negativity
towards Americans was more just towards
American policy in terms of our gluttonous
outlook about using oil and other resources
- we use 30 percent of the world's resources
and that's a lot, consider we're something like
5 percent of the world's population - but
start in 1987?
(Being lesbian] is much more mainstream than it's
ever been. But I think it's like anything, it's like
it's a seed that's become this huge tree. There
were just, like, seeds in different places. And
it provides a much stronger, louder voice. You
know, when I was a vegetarian back in high
school, I just wanted everyone to be a vegetar,
ian, because I knew that eating cows took up 60
percent more land than it did to grow soy That's the same reason I'm a vegetarian!
Yeah, and I wanted everyone to be. I was pretty
judgmental if you weren't one. But that's defi,
nitely changed for me. Again, I think that it's
t:IIIIES
IIM:IIOIJEll#Yi'!
~W1J11ll
ONLY
onL-wonl.com
IMllt:TION
better to eat less meat if at all. But I mean, if
you want to, I feel that I don't want to say,"You
should never eat meat:' I feel like there's room
for everything in the world. I feel ... eventu,
ally, the world will be a place where humans
won't eat meat, because it's just kind of silly
and primitive. But at the same time, sometimes
it's good - this is going to sound barbaric
- to indulge. But my point is, most of all, (it's
important] to allow people to figure it out for
themselves and not just make my authority
... a prison for them. That they can't choose
for themselves.
thellife.com
Thehottest,
fastest
growing
lesbian
hangoutonline!
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July/August 2006
I61
Reviews
Sapphic Screen
Lesbians Behind the Lens
Films, by and about lesbians, you may have missed.
IBy Diane Anderson~Minshall
EDITOR'S
PICK
The Joy of Life
(Frameline):
Thirty-seven
minutesinto
JenniOlson'snontraditionalfilm TheJoyof Lite
(available
July25 onDVD),
SanFrancisco's
Golden
GateBridgeappears
asthe
film'snarrator,
performance
artistHarriet"Harry"Dodge,
says,"Morethan1,300
peoplehaveendedtheir
livesbyjumpingoffof this
monumental
structure.
My
friendMarkwasoneof
them."It wasalmost10
yearsearlierthatMarkFinch,
formerartisticdirectorof the
SanFrancisco
International
Lesbian
andGayFilm
Festival,
committed
suicide.
In TheJoyof Life,Olson
Lesbian films are always feast or famine, with a new batch of origexamines
SanFrancisco
with
a magnifying
glass,showing inals hitting the festival circuit (and sometimes DVD shelves)
buildings,
streetcorners each summer. This year a few must-see flicks may have been overandotherdetailsin a light
looked even though a lesbian auteur was behind the lens.
thatmanylikelyhavenever
seenbefore.Lingering,
static
Loving Annabelle (Loving Annabelle Pictures)
shotsforcecontemplation
as
onelistensto thediary-like In an era when teens are hypersexualized by Abercrombie
detailsof thenarrator's ads and 12-year-old girls can buy cartoon-clad thong panties
pastloveaffairs.Midway
at Wal-Mart, it's hard to imagine that a contemporary retellthroughthefilm,anecdotes
ing of the 1931 German lesbian classic Maedchen in Uniform
aboutbutchidentity,
sex,
dating,intimacy
andgender could be as compelling - or as titillating - as its predecessor.
rolesgivewayto a history But Loving Annabelle,a lively and thought-provoking feature
of suicidebarriersonthe
debut by hotshot TV director Katherine Brooks (who also
bridge.
Thetransition
is
co-created The Complex,the best lesbian series you never saw)
somewhat
abrupt,butwhat
is indeed compelling.
holdsit alltogetheristhe
Slickly produced with production costs matching a
presence
of SanFrancisco
in nearlyeveryframeof film.
Hollywood blockbuster, Loving is the controversial story of
IntheyearsinceTheJoyof
Simone (played with palpable repression by Diane Gaidry, who
Lifepremiered
at the2005
has a slight resemblance - physically and in method - to
Sundance
FilmFestival,
theGolden
GateBridge Felicity Huffman), a Catholic boarding school poetry teacher
who is courted by a new rebellious and charismatic female stuboardof directors
votedto
spend$2 millionto explore dent, Annabelle.
theinstallation
of a barrier.
Erin Kelly, the actor who plays Annabelle, is more than a
Olson's
filmandtherevelapromising actor - she's a ready-for-prime time player whom
tionthatanother
filmmaker
captured
19 peoplejumping I can already imagine taking roles from Evan Rachel Wood.
to theirdeathsin 2004were She plays Annabelle with a wonderfully willful sophistication
instrumental
in theirdecision. that lets us suspend our concern, momentarily, about the fact
Ooyoflifemovie.com)that this is essentially a story about an adult having sex with a
-Amy Silverman
minor. The religious isolation of the boarding school coupled
62
I
curve
with Simone's claustrophobic sense of physical repression actually make us root for the two women to get together (the same
way TV news viewers feel for Mary Kay Letourneau) without
giving thought to the moral complexities of their relationship. It's no surprise that it won the Audience Choice Award
at the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this spring.
(lovingannabelle.com)
Black Aura on an Angel (Blue Butterfly)
Feature films about African-American lesbians are so rare that
it's hard not to be thrilled at the news of one. Thankfully, Black
Aura on an Angel is worthy of that attention. A dramatic thriller about how mental illness affects a relationship, Black Aura
is based on a true story that inspired director Faith T rimmel
in Atlanta years ago. A modern jill-of-all-trades, Trimmel, as
the film's writer, director, producer, film editor, music supervisor and co-star, easily brings the best performance to the film.
While lesbian filmmakers shudder at portraying psycho dykes
and bizarre bisexuals, Black Aura shows us why violence and
the use of archetypes can sometimes be necessary, even engaging, and while indie production values and the heavy subject
matter may keep some lesbians away, I promise it's worthy of
your time. (blackauraonanangel.com)
Cake (Lions Gate)
Indian-American director Nisha Ganatra was a lesbian superstar when her dyke insemination flick Chutney Popcorncame
out. Her follow-up, the even more polished and delightful
Lesbians Behind the Lens continued on page 71
OTHER PICKS
Strangers With Candy
Swain(theKnickscheerleader
whom
(Thinkfilm):
AmySedaris
hitthe
youmightrecallfromMissyElliottand
silverscreen
thissummer
withthis
Madonna
videos),
Abdulgoesthrough
long-anticipated
prequel
tothehit
manycheerpositions
andjumps,and
Comedy
Central
series,
in which
throwsin someawesome
abworkas
47-year-old
bisexual
boozer,
userand
well.Whydoyoucare?C-h-e-e-r-1-eloserJerriBlankheadshometofind
a-d-e+s!(dnastudio.com)
Daddy
in a coma.Determined
tocure
him,shereturns
to highschool
to battle Pornography: A Secret
theperilsof adolescence.
Muchof
History of Civilization (Koch
theoriginal
castresurfaces,
including
Fenton
Vision):Fromgayproducers
Jerri'scloseted
gayteachers,
Chuck
BaileyandRandyBarbato(Party
Noblet
(Stephen
Colbert)
andGeoffrey Monster,
comes
InsideDeepThroat)
Jellineck
(PaulDinello).
MariaThayer
thissix-part,two-DVD
miniseries
reprises
coppertop
Tammi
Littlenut,
aboutthehistoryof titillation,from
onwhomJerridropstheline,"What's
explicitartifactsin Pompeii
to the
up,Red?Carpet
matchthedrapes?"
pornochicmovement
of the '?Os
Cameos
include
Matthew
Broderick,
to thedigitalageof pornotopia
(the
SarahJessica
Parker,
PhilipSeymour
latterfeaturesinterview
withformer
Hoffman
andAllison
Janney.
Modeled
OnOurBackseditorLisaPalac).
onafter-school
specials,
Strangers
With (kochvision.com)
presents
realteenage
problems
Candy
withcomically
obscene
resolutions.
In
thisfilm,Jerrilearns
themeaning
of
friendship,
winsthestatescience
fair,
savesherfatherand,ultimately,
sets
thegymonfire.(thinkfilmcompany.com)
- Winnie
McCray
Imagine Me & You (Fox
PiperPerabo.
Lesbian
Searchlight):
love- onDVD,noless.Dykeybonus
features.
Whatmoredoyouneed?
(imaginemeandyou.
com)
The Prizewinner of Defiance,
Lesbian
author
Ohio (Dreamworks):
Terry"Tuff"Ryan'sheart-tugging
book
abouthermom(played
byJulianne
Moore),
a womanwhosupports
1Okids
inthe'50sbywritingjinglesandwinningprizes,is nowonDVD.Directed
bylesbian
auteurJaneAnderson
(The
TruthAboutJane)- whoprovides
commentary
in thebonusfeatures
Aeon Flux: Special
- thefilmeschews
sapin favorof
Collector's Edition
sympathetic
realism.
Ryanmakesan
(Paramount):
Director
KarynKusama
appearance
neartheendof thefilmas
(ofGir/fightfame)
knowswhatlesbians
well.(dreamworks.com)
likein a DVD:rebelchicksandCharlize
Theron
in a catsuit.Castasideyour
Cardio Cheer (DNAStudio):
to theoriginalMTVseries,
PaulaAbdul,theformerLakerscheer- attachment
andenjoyliveAeon.(paramount.com/
leaderwhois nowthequeenof nice
homeentertainmen0
onAmerican
Idol,hascreated
a new
fitnesssensation
- a comboof highenergycheerleading
anddancefitness Beautiful Daughters (Logo):
Thisenchanting,
moving,
original
- whichyoucannowlearnwiththis
Logodocumentary
followsanallfive-DVD
boxset.Withthehelpof a
transgender
castperforming
a special
fewothercheermasters,
including
the
of EveEnsler's
L.A.Clippers'
Lindsay
Rosenberg
(who V-Daypresentation
award-winning
Vagina
Monologues.
choreographs
competition
routines
for
(logoonline.com)
- DAM
deafcheerleading
squads)
andTraci
Ligy J. Pullappally
I
DIRECTOR AND ACTIVIST
I
After writing and directing her first stage play at 13, Ligy J.Pullappally went on to
attend law school, maintain a successful law practice for seven years and make two
short films. In 2002, she won the Sunshine Peace Award for her work on domestic
violence cases; the money allowed her to bring art and activism together by devoting
herself full time to writing and directing TheJourney,a heartwarming film about two
young female lovers in the conservative Indian state of Kerala. - JanelM. Lynch
You wrote and directed a play when you were only 13. Is filmmaking
something you were always interested in?
No, actually, writing was something that I was always interested in, and
the stage play was just another way to achieve expression of my writing ....
Making (the short film) was just another way to see my writing in action, and
that's how I stumbled into film.
What inspired you to leave your law career in Chicago and move to India
to make The Journey?
There is something of an epidemic of lesbian suicides in the south Indian
state of Kerala. I wondered, what skills did I haver It's not like I could take
my skills as a lawyer and go to India and do something as an attorney. But I
did have this experience in making two short films and writing and directing
stage plays. So, I thought maybe I can make a positive media representation
of young gay people, and that would serve to break some of the isolation.
Has the film been shown in India? What kind of response has it received
in that country?
It has been really critically acclaimed in India. It won an award for India's best
debut director, and that was a huge honor.
Did you face difficulties attempting to make a lesbian-themed film
in India?
I instructed my entire cast and my crew that if anybody approached them with
a question as to what kind of film are you making, they were just to say this is a
family drama ... and so we managed to have our production schedule uninter~
rupted, thankfully. At a couple of the screenings, there (were) ... people heckling
and shouting and trying to stop the film from being screened, but if you see the
film, you'll see that it is simply a love story. I didn't make a film for shock value,I
made a film to relate a tale of true love,and that is all.
July/August 2006 j 63
Reviews
In the Stacks
Keeping It Real
I
A lesbian journalist spends a year living as a man. By Rachel Pepper
Somewhere between the genres of investigative journalism
and memoir lies the terrain of the book-length magazine feature. Both Self-MadeMan, in which lesbian journalist Norah
Vincent passes as a man for more than a year, and Give It Up,
a memoir of a year in which a woman gives up all her vices, fall
into this category. A bit more dense than paperback romances,
a bit less intellectual than New Yorkerarticles, these are books
you won't feel embarrassed about bringing on your next lesbian
beach trip.
EDITOR'S
PICK
Self-Made Man: One Woman's
Journey Into Manhood and Back
StrangePieceof Paradise, Again, Norah Vincent (Viking)
TerriJentz(Farrar,
Straus
The idea of "passing" is not a new concept
& Giroux):
Ina yearwhen
to lesbians. Far from being a journalistic
Brokeback
Mountain
gotall
theattention
thatCapote whim, most passing is done out of necesdeserved,
another
true-crime sity. If you dig carefully, history is full of
writeris worthyof accolades. accounts of women who, because of need
TerriJentz'sownreturnto
or personal ambitio~, chose to live as men.
theAmerican
West(namely,
Two
such examples in more recent times
a smalltownnearBend,
Ore.)to investigate
anattack have been the jazz musician Billie Tipton
20 yearspriorthatalmost and the novelist and doctor Alan Hart.
killedherandblindedher
But these gals didn't have the luxury or
friendShayna
makesfora
motivation of journalist Norah Vincent,
brilliant,rivetingandcompellingpieceof drama.
That who was driven by a book contract to live
Jentzstartsto understand as her alter ego, Ned, for 18 months.
herrelationship
withShayna
During this time, aided by a change of outfit, some gluedonlyaftertheyarebrutallyaton facial hair, new glasses, and voice lessons to deepen her
tackedbya manwithanaxe
speech, Vincent was able to pass easily as a man. She joined
anda pickuptruckmakesfor
a bookthatis easilycoded a men's bowling league, lived in a monastery, participated in a
men's movement group, and worked as a salesman for a testosaslesbian,
butwithoutthe
ideological
absolutism
that
terone-driven direct marketing company. In her most titillating
comesfrombeinga "gay task, she fulfilled the fantasy of many lesbians: dating straight
book."Moreover,
it leaves
women. Her experiences are compellingly detailed in the enyoureading
withbreathless
wonder,
curiousasto exactly lightening - and frustrating - chapter "Love:' Bringing a fewhen,whereandhowJentz male perspective to dating other women while in drag, Vincent
willfindherself- andher
also reveals the advantage of being a true chameleon. She is a
attacker.
(fsgbooks.com) lesbian and already dates women, but usually only other dykes,
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
and never in the gender-stereotypical and limiting way of mainstream heterosexuality. "Love" will make you squirm, and most
64
Icurve
lesbian readers will feel definite relief at being queer.
"It's a wonder that men and women ever get together;•
Vincent writes. "Their signals, by necessity, are crossed, their
behaviors at cross-purposes from the start. I was beginning to
feel happier and happier than ever to be a dyke:• As Ned, she
dated several women, whom she met primarily online. Several
of these women - all identifying as straight - even made
the decision to become more intimately involved with Vincent
after she revealed she was a woman. This led her to wonder,
"Is an attraction real if it is attached to something illusory?
Perhaps Ned was an object lesson in that principle, or at least
in lust, if not love:'
Over the course of her time as Ned, Vincent also developed a keen empathy for straight men, especially for having to
continually field potential rejection by women. "Dating women
as a man was a lesson in female power, and it made me, of
all things, a momentary misogynist. I saw my own sex from
the other side, and I disliked women irrationally for a while
because of it:' This viewpoint, that men have it rougher
than we think because women actually
hold all the power, is a problematic one.
While empathy for men is certainly a
natural byproduct of living as one, Vincent
negates the history of women's oppression by not taking into account the reasons that straight women, much more
so than lesbians, feel they must use their
"female charms" to control men. What
Vincent doesn't see is that given the
extreme rigidity of sex roles, most of which
women did not create, men have left women
no recourse but to manipulate them.
Although I found Vincent's book engaging, well-written and definitely insightful
about what it's like to be a man, I was disappointed by her conclusion - that men have
it a lot rougher than we women can ever
know. As if to prove her
own point, Vincent had
a small breakdown as her
life as Ned came to a close,
writing that "in the end I
paid a higher emotional
price for my circumstantial deceptions than any
to Live Better
of my subjects did:' This
with Less
may be true, and one does
admire her strength both
in passing so successfully
(no one ever fully comprehended she was a woman
until she told them) and in writing so passionately about it. But
will this book actually help the sexes understand each other better, or help spur the changes necessary to help both women and
men lead more fulfilling, less gender-restricted lives? Or will
Vincent's account prove mere passing interest for gawkers? That,
dear readers, still remains to be seen. (us.penguingroup.com)
ive It Up!
Give It Up: My Year of Learning to Live Better With
Less, Mary Carlomagno (William Morrow)
It's the middle of the year. Do you know where your resolutions
Keeping It Real continued on page 71
PAGE TURNERS
BeautyQueen:
HereSheComes,
ElissaStein(Chronicle
Books):
Asthe1986MissAppleBlossom
Princess,
I can'thelpbutlovethis
witty,wholesome
butsnarkylittlebook.
Including
beautypageants
bigand
small,BeautyQueen
celebrates
the
glitzandgloryof pageants
throughout
theageswithmorethan100vintage
photos.
Chapters
onfashion,
bathing
suitsandcongeniality
arepacked
with
insiderinfo,triviaandsecretsto winningthecrown.(chroniclebooks.com)
Judy
Francesconi
Worldof Women,
CarolCaine(Cleis
Press):Fromthepublishers
ofAnn
I PHOTOGRAPHER I
Bannon's
classiclesbianpulpBeebo
Brinkerseries,comesthisundiscoveredlesbianpulpclassic.
AsfreeSensual. Sweet. Tender. Provocative. Fine-art photographer Judy
spiritKatprowlstheshadowy
world
Francesconi has captured women on film for more than 15 years.
of dykedom
hersexualrestlessness
Best known for her classical, erotic calendars and lithographs (like
intensifies,
butbackat homeshe's
her image above), she has also self-published two books. Let's peek
usingblackmail
andseduction
to win
herapartment
backfroma newtenant. inside her beautiful mind. - Carol Bryant
(cleispress.com)
How would you describe your work?
WildWomen
andBooks:
Each of my photographs portrays love between women in a
Bibllophlles,Bluestockings,and
positive,
emotional, affirming, sensual way.
ProlificPens,BrendaKnight
Is it true that Ann-Margret tapped into the erotic lens of
(ConariPress):
A foreword
by
Ntozake
Shange
kicksoffthisslightly
Judy Francesconi?
incomplete
butwell-intentioned
celThere has never been anything remotely erotic between me
ebration
of revered
andradicalwomen
and Ann-Margret, unfortunately! She is, however, the reason
writers,bothhistorical
andcontemI am a photographer.
porary.
Withmorethan100women
profiled,
fromAnneRiceto ZoraNeale What do you say to your nude models before a shoot?
Hurston,
it's a niceintroto femalebook
I usually show them a picture or sketch so they know what
lovers.(redwheelweiser.
com)
I want, then I teasingly get right to the point: "Off with your
TheBurningTime,RobinMorgan
(MelvilleHouse):If youonlyknow
RobinMorganastheeditorbehind
Sisterhood
Is Powerful
andMs.
magazine,
it's timeto pickupone
of herworksfromrecentyears.Her
latest,TheBurningTime,is drawn
fromactualcourtrecordsof thefirst
witchcrafttrialin Irelandandthefight
of noblewoman
LadyAlyceKyteler.
(mhpbooks.
com)
TheGoodParts:EroticPoetry
. forWomen,
S.Valentine
King
(Outskirts
Press):Richlytextured
andteasinglyseductive,
TheGood
Partsis a tantalizing
lesbianliterary
aphrodisiac
of sexypoetry.
- Diane
(valentineking.blogspot.com)
Anderson-Minshall
clothes and down on your knees, please!" [Laughs.]
Are you living some of your fantasies vicariously through
the lens?
I am actually shy and quiet, very much the artist. My Women
With Women series began after a devastating breakup. My
unfulfilled fantasy at the time was to have that undeniable connection again. I am happy to say that has since been fulfilled.
Do you connect with the notoriety and attention?
No. I am often surprised at the reactions I receive and [feel]
fortunate my work touches so many.
What is the typical sort of feedback you receive?
Most important are the simple thank-yous for giving people
the sense of freedom to be who they are and to love who they
love; seeing themselves reflected in my work is monumental.
Where do you get ideas for your works?
Many ways. I saw William Wegman's alphabet of dogs on
Sesame Street. Three of my favorite works, "Hearts;' "Pride;'
and "Womyn;' are inspired by that.
Are you finding more mainstream acceptance of your work?
Yes;however, the acceptance level is not nearly enough despite
more recent portrayal of lesbians such as in The L Word.
For more on Francesconi,visit her online at judyfrancesconi.com.
July/ August 2006
I65
Reviews
Music Watch
New Discoveries
Nicky Click, Rose Melbergand DianaJones. I By Margaret Coble
After 15 years of writing about music, I get
really excited when something new, well,
genuinely excites me. Believe me: It doesn't
happen all that often. So even though Diana
Jones and Rose Melberg are not new to the
music industry, they are new to me - and
probably to many of you -
and I can't stop
playing their albums. And Nicky Click,
well, she just puts a smile on my face.
You're Already a Member, Nicky
Click (Crunks Not Dead)
EDITOR'S
PICK
Nicky Click is a part of a collective of
underground electro,hop artists - along
with frequent collaborators Scream Club
- based in Olympia, Wash., who have
PirateRadio,
The
begun a new, queer, indie record label
Pretenders
(Rhino):
called Crunks Not Dead. Also a DJ, film,
American
expatChrissie
maker, multimedia artist and community
HyndeformedthePretenders
in Londonin thelate1970s, organizer, Click identifies as a femme and
andtheentirehistoryof the
a feminist. Though her music career is a
rockin'quartetis playedout
fairly new endeavor, begun with a used
in thisimpressive,
careerdrum machine a little more than a year
spanning,
four-disc-andago, her ascent has been swift, culminating
one-DVD
boxset.Including
in an opening slot last winter for Lady Sovereign in Europe.
81 songsand19videos,
the
five-hour
setincludes
British Click has just returned from a spring American tour with
TVperformances
(witha
Scream Club, and her debut album has just been released.
muchyounger
butstilltough
It's filled with electro,synchpop jams that are at once silly,
Hynde)
andunreleased
conrighteous, disarming and totally entertaining. From the femi,
certrecordings.
Thebestpart
nist
"Don't Call Me Baby" to the femme,on,femme roller,
- besides
beingbothlulled
andagitatedbyHynde's skating love ditty"Two Femme Girls" and the sex,as,exercise
show-stopping
lyricismand
ode "I Wanna Excercise" (sic), Click's ironic, droning voice is
- isthe
gutturalinformality
hypnotic - before you know it, you'll be singing and dancing
band'scoverof Morrissey's
"EveryDayIsLikeSunday," along. Catch Click live if you have the chance; the memory of
whichoriginally
appeared her flitting around the stage in hl:!r stripy leotard always lifts
ontheBoysontheSide my spirits. (nickyclick.com,crunksnotdead.com)
soundtrack.
(rhino.com)
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
Cast Away the Clouds,
(Double Agent)
Rose Melberg
Some might recognize Rose Melberg's name from her many
former indie and punk rock projects that stretch back as far as
1992, including Tiger Trap, the Softies, Go Sailor and Gaze.
From her straight,outta,high,school beginnings in the early '90s
indie pop scene to her first solo album, Portola,in 1998 and her
last Softies recording in 2001, Melberg has been a prolific and
poetic songwriter with an angelic voice and a personal, confes,
sional lyrical style. For the past five years she's been on hiatus,
having taken time out to start a family in a small Canadian
lakeside town. Cast Away the Clouds is a welcome and trium,
66 Icurve
phant return. It's hypnotic, moody and introspective in a way
I haven't experienced since my late '80s days of obsessively
listening to Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt's early solo albums.
The lead,off track, "Take Some Time;' is classic Softies mellow,
acoustic,guitar,and,piano fare, while cuts like "Irene" venture to
be a little more up,tempo via bouncy piano work. The entire
album definitely fits into the sad and melancholy category, but
it's still a joy to listen to from beginning to end. I dare you not to
become addicted to this. (doubleagentrecords.com/rose)
My Remembrance
Song Recordings)
Hands,down,
of You, Diana Jones (New
chis is one of my favorite new bluegrass and
Americana albums in a long time. Diana Jones has a distinc,
tive, somewhat muted alto voice, and her music blends folk
and roots influences with a pop sheen that makes it acces,
sible to all without watering it down. Her lyrics cover themes
everyone can relate to - love, loss and redemption - and
while it's not necessarily obvious from reading them, Jones is
an out lesbian. She has built a solid following on the folk and
women's music festival circuits ( this August she'll be at the
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival), and with this release,
she's sure to garner more attention from critics, public radio
and television. Every song's a winner here, but check out the
lead,off, "Pretty Girl;' which shares the sexual abuse story of
one of Jones' friends, and "Pony," a poignant tale about the
injustices suffered by Native children at the hands of the
U.S. government in the 1800s, on which Ferron sings har,
mony. Just beautiful. (dianajonesmusic.com)
OTHER LICKS
ColourtheSmallOne,Sia
(Astralwerks):
Knownfor herwork
withchilloutbandZero7 andher
SixFeetUnderhit"Breathe
Me,"the
Australian-born
singerservesa 16-cut
sophomore
discof lush,down-tempo
pop.(astralwerks.com)
Reintarnation,
k.d.lang(Rhino):
An
excellent
early-hits
collection
featuring
20 songsranging
fromhercow-punk
beginnings
in '83 to hercontributions
to EvenCowgirls
GettheBluesin '93
- plusthepreviously
unreleased
"Changed
MyMind."(rhino.com)
Wed-Rock:
A BenefitforFreedom
toMarry,VariousArtists(Centaur):
Produced
byJohnCameron
Mitchell,
thisentertaining
liverecording
of
theone-night-only
benefitforthe
organization
Freedom
to Marryfeatures
memorable
performances
byLeTigre,
Margaret
Cho,Sandra
Bernhard,
Sleater-Kinney,
AlanCumming
and
more.(centaurmusic.com)
By day, singer-songwriter Ashleigh Flynn works as a development
director for a nonprofit that runs a gay youth resource center. But
by night she is an active musician and has recently released her third
album, Live at MississippiStudios,a collaboration with queer band
Sneakin' Out. This spring you can catch her on tour from Texas to
Boston (and places in between) or in her residency at Pianos in New
York City. - Kathy Belge
I really like the song "Devil's Pass." What is it about?
That song is based on the character Shed from a book by
Tom Spanbauer, The Man Who Fellin Love With the Moon.
Ir takes place in the frontier era of America. It's such a beautiful, colorful love story. Of course, it ends tragically. I loved the
book so much. It was one of the easiest songs to write.
Where do you normally get your inspiration?
You only have three minutes to say something [in a song). It
might as well be the stuff oflegend. The song"Chokecherry" is
also from a book, Toni Morrison's Beloved.A freed slave [has)
a set of scars from the lashings that she got. Ir's in the shape of
a chokecherry tree. That, to me, was the most poignant image.
The reason that I get into those stories is because I feel we
Thunderbird,
Cassandra
Wilson
(BlueNote):Working
withrockerturned-producer
T BoneBurnett,
the
dusky-throated
divadelivers
a totally
newandengaging
soundthat'sa more
postmodern
expression
of rootsmusic
thanherusualretrojazz-blues
flavor.
(cassandrawilson.
com)
Other Licks continued on page 71
need to bear witness. We've got all these stories in our history.
We live cushy lives, us kids over here in the U.S.A.
Do you feel like that's what you do? Tell stories?
Yeah. It's about stories. Sometimes it's more ethereal than
a sequence of events. Sometimes it's more dreamy. When I
think oflove songs, it can be for whomever. It can be for whoever'sin love or heartbroken; it doesn't matter if you're gay or
you're straight or queer or trans or genderqueer.
What do you hope for?
Experience the historic
April 2002 live solo show at
Carnegie Hall, featuring
the first NYCperformance
of the epic poem"self evident."
Ani delivers a must-have recording
to the listening
world.
For more info, visit us
at www.righteousbabe.com
I don't want to be on a big label, but I want to have some business support behind me [that's) songwriter- and very queerfriendly. Is there a label like that? I want to be out playing
music at least half the year. And I want to play on the Olivia
Cruise lines.
July/August 2006
I67
Reviews Tech Girl
Head for the Woods
Lesbian camping must--haves. I By MalindaLo
It's that time of year again: camping season. Like many a lesbian camper, you may already
have a storage unit full of fabulous gear to make your camping experience the best it can be.
But why rest on your laurels - or your gear from last year? Whether you're taking your
backpack on the trails or driving your RV to the Michigan woods, here are some nifty gadgets to make your outdoor experience even better than last time.
A Tool for All Seasons
Be prepared for anything with the nifty
Leatherman
JuiceXE6,a metallic purple
multitool that includes a straight-edged knife,
corkscrew and bottle opener. It's also fitted with a
serrated knife (for cutting rope) and a mean-looking
saw (for cutting down small trees to fashion a splint
for your friend who twisted her ankle while hauling all
your luxury camping gear to your campsite). If you're looking for something a little more butch, check out the Leatherman
Wave,a stainless steel stunner with a 3-inch blade and two different
wire cutters for, well, more serious"work:' ($96 and up, leatherman.com)
Clockwise from above: The Coleman Camping
Coffeemaker, the Leatherman Juice XE6, the Vortex
Hand Crank Blender and the Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp will make camping sweet this summer.
Coffee's On
If you can't live without your morning caffeine fix, Coleman's
Camping
Coffeemaker
will save you from yet
another badly brewed cup of campfire coffee.It works just like your drip coffee maker at home, but instead
of using electricity to heat the water, you place it over one burner of a two-burner camp stove. Because it
brews up to 10 cups of coffee, it's ideal for large camping groups, and as long as you're driving into your
campsite and plan to stay there for a while (can you say,"Michigan''?), the breakable glass carafe won't be
much of a problem. ($39.99, coleman.com)
Light up the Night
Hiking through the dark is much easier with the PetzlTikkaXP Headlamp,
a hands-free light source
that uses new LED technology to deliver 80 percent brighter light than earlier models and lasts for 20
percent longer (up to 120 hours) without an increase in battery consumption (it requires three AAA
batteries). It has three different lighting levels as well as an emergency blinking mode, can be angled
up or down, and is worn on a soft, comfortable elastic strap. What's even cooler is that it comes with a
transparent, wide-angle lens, available in red, blue, green and clear, which you can slide over the bulb to
see more of what's ahead of you. ($32.95, ems.com)
Not Your Mama's Spork
Adventure-sports enthusiasts can't go wrong with gadgets from T.A.D.Gear,a boutique operation that
creates cool tools for your inner Lara Croft. For lightweight utensils you can pack up in a snap, try their
titanium (that's right, titanium) spork, which folds up and fits neatly in your pocket, or the aluminumand-hardwood, retractable Snowpeak Travel Chopsticks. For minimalists who still appreciate a hot beverage at the end of the trail, the sleek, perforated, stainless steel Hot Beverage Infuser allows you to steep
loose tea or coffee grounds in the wild. ($3.95 and up, tadgear.com)
Blend up a Party
If you're looking to throw a party in the woods - or anywhere without electricity (tailgate parties come to
HandCrankBlender
enables you to make your
mind) - this is a gadget for you. The hand-powered Vortex
68
Icurve
own frozen margaritas or smoothies in the great outdoors. The sturdy base comes with a C-clamp that stabilizes it against a picnic table (or, with a handy attachment, your rear bumper), and a powerful gear system
and ergonomic handle allow you to blend at high and low speeds. Plus, the pitcher is made of Lexan plastic,
so you can throw it in the trunk without worries of breakage. ($69.95, gsioutdoors.com)
VictoriaA. Brownworth Politics
Don't Be Stupid, Girls
Pink shows us how to protest the celebrity--obsessed status quo.
I
love protest songs; I always have. I grew up
in the 1960s listening to my parents' music:
Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs - and no
one does a protest song like Phil Ochs. While
my classmates were singing songs by Herman's
Hermits or the Supremes, I was singing songs of
revolution. But one doesn't hear too many pro,
test songs these days.
In the 1970s, women's music produced a
few good protest songs, and in the 1980s there
were punk protest songs. The 1990s intro,
duced some rap and hip,hop with a political
edge. But the era of the protest song - the
1960s - seems truly a thing of the past.
So of course I was tickled, well, pink, when
I saw the video for "Stupid Girls;' the latest hit
from pop music's bad white chick, Pink. The
song takes on the trend of girls who are pur,
posefully stupid. As Pink noted with disgust
in an interview with Oprah back in April, 'J\.nd
now it's cool to have a sex tape. Are you kidding
met She was referring to Paris Hilton and other celebrities - and the young
girls copying their antics - whose sexual exploits have been videotaped and
broadcast across the Internet.
Pink's hot little protest tune is about girls following the wrong role models
- the Hilton sisters instead 0£ say,the Blackwell sisters. (Elizabeth Blackwell
was the first woman doctor in the United States, and her sister Emily, also a
doctor, opened the first clinic for women.)
In "Stupid Girls;' Pink sings: "What happened to the dreams of a girl
president / She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent / They travel in packs
of two or three / With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny,weeny tees /
Where, oh where, have the smart people gonet
Dylan would have asserted that the answer is blowing in the wind, but the
answer is as close as the nearest TV. It's celebrity that every girl now strives
for. Not the celebrity of smartness - no one wants to be Oprah (inexplicably,
as she is undeniably the most powerful woman in America and creates real
change wherever she goes) - but rather the celebrity of absolute, dumb,as,
a,box,of,rocks stupidity: a ghastly mix of bulimia of the body and anorexia
of the mind.
As one daughter of the last generation of American women who didn't
really have choices, I realize the mothers of my generation were themselves
"stupid girls:' Whether they were smart or not, they deferred to men. To do
otherwise simply wasn't acceptable. Eleanor Roosevelt, for example, might
have been a powerhouse, but she was a wife and a first lady, not a president.
My generation changed all that. We were the ones who, in the 1970s,
uncovered our hidden heritage, bringing to light the women who did things,
the female success stories through the ages. As a 20,year,old history major,
then as a women's studies major, I discovered many women I had never heard
0£ All the role models I had been denied as a girl were finally revealed to
me. I hadn't known about the Blackwell sisters or their good friend, Alice
Hamilton, another doctor, who brought attention not only to women's health
concerns, but also to workplace health dangers.
Hamilton pioneered OSHA, the occupational
safety branch of the U.S. government that
oversees safety on the job.
Nor did I know about Jane Addams, a
Nobel Prize winner, co,founder of the ACLU,
peace activist and founder of the social work
movement in America: arguably the most im,
portant woman of the 20th century. Nor did I
know about all the women writers and artists
who were just as good as men. Nor about the
scientists and explorers or the whole panoply
of girls who were not stupid.
That revelation came decades ago, but only
after a childhood spent as a little girl with big
dreams but no role models for achieving them.
Those role models are everywhere now. But
do little girls know about them any better than
I did when I was a girl? They've read about
Fantasia (the American Idol star, not the clas,
sic animated film), Raven, Tyra Banks and fill,
in,the,blank movie stars, but do they know about Addams or the Blackwell
sisters? Do they know which countries have female heads of state? Do they
know how many women are in the Senate? Do they know how many women
have won the Nobel Prize? Do they know that they can be something other
than a rock singer or a video whore?
Pink's acid protest song says no - they only know what they see on TV,
they only do what they're told by TV. Pink points out the dangers for girls
who chase the elusive and illusory celebrity lifestyle. There are physical tolls
to pay for a perfect body: "Oh my God you guys, I totally had more that 300
calories / That was so not sexy, no / Good one, can I borrow that? (Vomits] I
will be skinny:' And if a girl gets that perfect body, then there are other prices
to pay: "Pretty will you fuck me girl, silly as a lucky girl / Pull my head and
suck it girl, stupid girl:'
The protest songs I grew up on were about the need to change the danger,
ous, violent, racist world. Pink's protest song is a direct descendant of tracks
by Dylan, Baez and the rest. She calls girls out for buying into the wrong
dream. Fame might be something to strive for, but glitzy clothes, lots of bling
and screwing anyone who asks is not a dream but a nightmare. The real
dreams, Pink tells girls, are ones that emphasize your brain and your acumen,
not your looks and your clothes.
We've gotten complacent all these years without protest songs. Women
got complacent too, thinking the work of feminism was complete because
girls could do whatever they wanted. But will they? Our girls are in trouble,
whether they're queer, straight or in between, and only other women can res,
cue them. If you know a girl under 18, make sure she knows how varied her
options are. She can be queer or straight, bi or trans, she doesn't have to be
stick,thin, she can be smart. Deflect her attention away from the celebrity
chase. Remind her that she can be president of a Fortune 500 company or
of the United States. And remember: The world is full of stupid men. So we
really don't need stupid
July/ August 2006
I69
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
It'sOK
for Now
One night in the hyperprocessy life of a dyke with a whole lotta drama.
Y
ou're staring at the phone with a tear,stained
face again. It's time to have a talk with your,
self. You're the one who hung up on her.
Well, you actually hung up on her several
times tonight, and then called her back. You tried
to call her back again, but this time, she left her
phone off the hook. How could she?
You could go over there. But she gets really
mad when you knock on her door in the middle
of the night after you two have had a fight. You tell
yourself that it's not really the middle of the night;
it's only 11 p.m. What if her roommate answers?
Her roomie was really nice a couple of weeks ago
when you went over there and inadvertently woke
her up. She even told you not to worry about it
and that everybody has drama.
However, she looked a little less understand,
ing last Saturday when you woke her up. She
looked tired and pissed, but even so, she said it
was OK. Your girlfriend had to go on and on
that night about how inconsiderate you are, even
though her roommate said it was no big deal. She
probably kept her roommate awake with all that
preaching.
You had better not go over there tonight.
Keep trying the phone to see if she puts it
back in the cradle. She won't pick up her cell; the
ringer's off for sure. And even if it isn't, she'll see
your number and ignore the call. You could use
your roommate's phone. Your girl has fallen for that
before. She's not likely to fall for it again. You could
go down the street and use the pay phone at the
Laundromat, but it's raining. Every junkie and
drunk in the neighborhood will be in that place
stinking it up and looking for somebody to hassle
or rob. Although, it might be worth it if she does
answer. In fact, she may be so worried about you that she'll forget all the trouble
exhausted. Don't you think it should be a little easier than all this? Make some
you two have had and insist on picking you up. Letting her rescue you might
save this miserable night.
tea and go to sleep. You don't even drink tea. Who cares? Just grab that teabag
out of your junk drawer. That teabag came with the apartment. If you are going
Yeah, maybe it will be like that night you two were arguing in your car by
the club. She got mad, got out and started walking home. But she called a few
minutes later because some guy in a Camaro started following her and tried
to get her to get in his car. You swooped in like Wonder Woman and saved the
to keep seeing this woman, you are going to have to stock up on herbal tea. They
have all kinds of formulas to cure everything from bunions to crotch rot. There
must be one made for coping with late,night relationship drama.
day. The creep in the Camaro was gone, and your girl was too scared to give
you grief. You two went to her place, ate cereal and had great sex.
The Laundromat sounds like the plan. Better put on some sexy under,
wear just in case.
An hour wasted at the Suds and Duds. You risked getting a disease from
the public phone receiver only to have her cell go straight to voice mail, and her
land line is still off the hook. Maybe you should just go to bed. It's almost 1 a.m.
You are exhausted. Ever since you have been with this woman, you have been
70
Icurve
Fine, you made tea and you still can't sleep. No wonder: It smells like you
poured boiling water in your junk drawer.
You could text her. Text messaging is the best thing to happen to drama
since self,help books. Text messaging is good because it takes a while to peck
out what you want to say. Each letter takes effort, and creating a sentence is
like a project. Sentences come out too fast when you are talking on the phone.
The faster you talk, the more you say what you don't mean.
So what are you texting? An apology? But you weren't wrong. You always
apologize. This whole relationship has been one long apology from you. She
a:
w
ti
w
a:
w
z
a:
w
I
always has that smug look on her face when she gets an apology. You won't have
Calm down. That was a sign. It is almost 2 a.m., and you have to be up in
to see that smug look if you text her, but an apology still doesn't feel right.
Text her the truth: "tired of fighting:' No, that sounds too much like a
five hours for work. Go to bed.
Even if you make up tonight, it will mean more heartbreak tomorrow. You
breakup message. Remember when you sent her "I can't do this anymore"?
two are not compatible. What is it about this sick dynamic that keeps you
She didn't call for days because she thought you had broken up with her. The
coming back for more? Just what is your limit? Do you have one? You are not
15 anymore. You can't make her jealous by sitting next to somebody else in
truth is, you did hope she'd think you were breaking up with her when you
sent that message, but you hadn't banked on her taking the news so well. You
ended up apologizing to her smug little mug then, too. She has all the power
in this relationship. It isn't healthy. You are always crying or complaining, and
she is always lecturing and analyzing. Don't you wish that just once, she would
call you hysterical and tearful, and you could be the cold and critical one?
E-mail her - no, IM her. She's always on the computer after you have
an argument. Instant message her while she's surfing. You two do a lot better
on the computer than you do on the phone. After that big fight you had on
Halloween, you two IMed for three hours.
You cannot IM for three hours tonight; you have to go to work in the
morning. Just log on to see if she is logged on. Yep, there's her smiley face;
she's logged on. Probably going to the dyke dating sites again. You're never
enough for her; that's part of the problem. She says you are, but then why is
she always on those sites?
study hall. You don't have time for games. Everybody you know is in a stable
relationship.
What is wrong with you, anyway?
A cell phone text message is the only option now. "I can't sleep:' Good.
Send that one. Why isn't she responding? You need a drink. She hates it when
you use liquor to solve your problems. Well then, she shouldn't cause them.
It's been five minutes. Take a hint: She is ignoring you. It's too late to go
over there. You have become an obsessive wreck of a lesbian. This desperate
and empty feeling is what you need to remember the next time you go back
for more with her.
There are worse things than being alone, and this relationship is proof of
that. You weren't lonely before you started seeing her.
Yes,you were. You must have been. Why else would you put up with a situation like this? You have to get strong and stay strong. Tonight you will stop the
keep an eye on that smiley and figure out what to write to her. Maybe a quote
or a cute knock-knock joke. Or forget clever; just say "hi:'
madness. If it is finally over, then be relieved. Now, will you please go to bed?
What is that noise?
Your phone. You have a new message. It's from her. Don't read it. Her text
Her smiley has gone gray! You must have scared her off. She saw your
smiley and ran. You took too friggin' long to make contact. Now she's gone,
says that she can't sleep either. Serves her right.
And she's coming over.
No need to be anxious. Perhaps you should check your e-mail first. Just
you idiot. Try the phone again. It's busy.
Yippie!
Lesbians Behind the Lens continued from page 62
Other Licks continued from page 67
Cake, got nary a nod. Perhaps that's because lesbians dis-
daughter to edit his bridal magazine, Wedding Bells.In a
missed it as straight girl stuff best left to sorority chicks
and women who like Lifetime movies. But they're wrong.
straight reading of Tassie Cameron's script, this is a simple
romantic comedy where we actually root for the feminist
Cake follows Heather Graham as Pippa, a feminist, free-
to find the joy oflove (and men). But it's not that simple;
in Ganatra's hands, Cake isn't a run-of-the-mill romantic
spirited travel writer who is surrounded by independent
women friends (notably Greys Anatomy's Sandra Oh and
Scrubs'Sara Chalke) and estranged from her publishing
magnate father (think William Randolph Hearst). When
Pippa's papa is hospitalized, he asks his anti-marriage
comedy but rather a genuinely funny, feminist send-up of
the genre. Stereotypes are turned on their heads, and the
Pursuitof Happiness!
Arthurloves
Plastic(MachineHeart):From
chill-lounge
to houseto techno,
anothersuperb,self-released
electronic
delightfromD.C.-based,
outlesbian,producer-remixer-DJ
Bev
com)
Stanton.(arthurlovesplastic.
moral of the story isn't necessarily about a women's desires
at all. (lionsgate.com)
Keeping It Real continued from page 64
went? If it's time to check back into your program of self-
side our:' Her month reading the works of poets such as
improvement, some inspiration can be found in Give It
Up. Each month for one year, Mary Carlomagno made a
vow to choose one of her favorite vices, give it up, then
chronicle her life's changes as a result. It would become, she
wrote, her"year to live with less:'
Stressed out, overscheduled, overwhelmed by clutter, addicted to her cell phone and drinks after work, she
Walt Whitman, Christina Rossetti and Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Carlomagno writes, was like 'gaining admission
finds salvation in the cold-turkey approach, giving up a
hodgepodge of addictions, including alcohol, television,
taxicabs, elevators, coffee and even newspapers, substituting instead the stacks of unread poetry she has accumulated over the years. This chapter was one of my favorites
because it actually marked a change in the author, who
was seeking not another year of empty resolutions, but
one in which she could "make herself over, from the in-
to the most elite reading group and being rewarded with a
new enlightenment:'
Light in spirit, the book contains various truths, some
of which made me laugh aloud. This is not to say that
Carlomagno, like most mortals, was able to rid herself of
every modern convenience. Most difficult of all, it seems,
was her attempt not to use a cell phone for a whole month.
But her journey through each month, both for herself and
her readers, leads to numerous revelations about what is
truly necessary, and what can be made less so. After reading Give It Up, you may even find inspiration, to stop compulsively shopping, overeating or cursing. It's never too late
for a good resolution to take hold. (harpercollins.com)
I
Addicted2Fiction,
Addicted2Fiction
Likea new,queer
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July/August 2006 j 75
VOL.16#5
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VOL. 16#4
VOL. 15#8
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I 79
Top Ten Reasons We Love Suzanne Noe
She's a clean,cut, all,American, born,again Christian
lesbian who knows the pulse of gay women's
lives all over central Florida - and helps keep
that pulse vibrantly alive through her Web site,
ProSuzy.com. At 57 years old, Suzanne Noe is
an activity coordinator, community activist, social
butterfly and matchmaker rolled into one, and she
makes us wonder just what's in her daily vitamins.
- Sheryl Kay
1. Withouther,thousandsof womenwouldbe
clueless.From a modest start of only 39 names
six years ago, Noe has built an incredible e,list
of more than 5,000 lesbians who receive her
free weekly activities listings for Tampa Bay and
beyond. "I had one woman on the list all the
way from Australia;' Noe says, "until she wrote
to me and said that after receiving the list for a
year and seeing all that was going on down here,
she decided to move to Florida:'
2. Now she's buildingProSuzyinto a money
maker.Noe has teamed up with well,recognized
names like Wolfe Video and Amazon, and lined
up promotional gigs with Cirque du Soleil, Olivia
Cruises and the Dinah Shore Classic.
3. Shebrought4-minutespeeddatingto the area.
Driven to help women help themselves, Noe has
coordinated several speed,dating events where
women interview each other and decide on the
spot if there's some attraction.
4. She'sa U.S.NationalTableTennisChamp.And
she's not ashamed to tell you it was for the Senior
OlympicsGames.Aswithmostofherendeavors,
she's a ball of energy on the court, working up
quite the glisten on her freckled skin. "OK, yes, I
do look good;' she admits.
"I don'twantto givemy bodyto everybodyoutthere,
and I don'twantto sleepwithsomeonewho does."
7. In her heart,there'sno conflictbetweenher
and her pridein beinga
5. Atanysocialfunction,
she'sneverseenwithout devotionto Christianity
hergirlfriend.
The thing is, it's never the same girl. lesbian.Noe calls herself a born,again Christian
Noe's had a few great relationships, but concedes
that it's tough for most women to keep up with
her. 'Tm a hard person to live with;' she says. "I
push myself to do things well, to complete tasks,
to make things work right, and I just have not
found someone who could love me for who I am:'
6. Sheneverwearsmakeupbutalwayslookshot.
Noe is quite the sight at formal dances in her tux and
cummerbund, and never uses a stitch of makeup.
"My eyes are bright enough without the makeup,
and my smile is what attracts the ladies;' she says.
"Besides,it takes way too much time to put on:'
so Icurve
and is quick to quote chapter and verse about
every believer receiving eternal salvation. "God did
not make any mistakes with us;' she explains. "I
am not a mistake:'
8. She'snot a show-off.While she owns a slick,
black Jeep, Noe usually drives her well,worn, 1986
Chevy Caprice Classic. Though it actually gets 24
miles per gallon, Noe says the main reason she
drives it is because its roof is home to her kayak.
And besides, she says, "Every lesbian owns a black
Jeep Wrangler, but when I pull up in the blue
Caprice, women take notice:'
9. Foralmost10 years,she'sbeena live-incaregiverto her elderlyparents.She first cared for
her mom, who passed away three years after Noe
arrived in Florida, and for the past six years she
has looked after her Dad. "If your lifestyle allows
it, it's a wonderful thing to do for your parents;'
she says.
10.Withherintensesocialcalendarshe'salways
surrounded
by dozensof women,but she'sonly
lookingfor one. She concedes her weakness is
women, and she does indeed love to hang out with
all kinds. But at the end of the day, Noe only wants
one. "I am monogamous;' she says."I don't want to
give my body to everybody out there, and I don't
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FranklySpeaking
Let the Gay Games Begin!
"I have always had hopes that
one day the Games would
host as many women as men.
With the majority of senior
board members and staffers
being lesbian, it seems like the
organizersof the Chicago Gay
Games havethe same vision."
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
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It only happens every four years and whether it is softball, soccer, track or just girl watching, I am in countdown mode for Gay Games VII to kick off in Chicago. We've been gearing up for the Games for months.
This will be the fourth time I have attended, and I always return from them recharged with a greater sense
of our amazing community. And I have been fortunate to meet some great friends from all over the world.
In this issue we are getting a jumpstart on the Games by introducing you to some of the key players.
You'll meet Martje Hoekmeijer, an out and proud athlete from the Netherlands, and be inspired by
basketball player Conscious Soden. Plus, our feature on where to go and what to do in the Windy City
will blow you away.
I have always hoped that one day the Games would host as many women as men. With the majority
of senior board members and staffers being lesbian, it seems like the organizers of the Chicago Gay
Games have the same vision. This year they expect 40 to 50 percent of the participants to be playing
for our side. We at CURVE are doing our part to make all the girls have a great time. We are hosting Girl
Games, a series of official, affiliated events. Each event will be a team effort, incorporating local and
national lesbian party producers and benefiting nonprofit partners. Live music and special guest performers will give you the opportunity to meet some of the fabulous women profiled in CURVE.
Our goal is to make sure that you have lots of afforda~le social events geared specifically toward women.
And all of our events start early and go on into the wee hours so that the athletes can party and get their
rest, too. The schedule of events kicks off on Friday with a welcome cocktail party for women from around the world to get to know each other right off the bat.
a meet-and-greet
For the Black Bra Internationale, CURVE is teaming up with ChixMix, the popular promoters of some of
Chicago's best women's events. We hope everyone sports their favorite black bra at this sexy dance party
with five bars, three DJs and live entertainment from Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami. Our guests
include comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer as well as some surprise celebs.
Then there is Score!, a fabulous ChixMix circuit party with top Chicago DJs, go-go dancers and an intense
light show. After closing ceremonies, we'll wind up at Adrenaline for our amazing farewell party. Just two
blocks from Wrigley Field, come as you are and dance the night away in celebration of the Games and the
dynamic community that makes them happen. Don't miss a thing: Purchase a Party Pass at curvemag.com.
Go to the events section and for as little as $50, you can join all the festivities. We hope to see you there.
21curve
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Volume 16 Issue 6 Curve (ISSN 1087-867)() is published monthly (except for
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Keyword: Curvemag Web site: curvemag.com
Features July/August2006
"I get a lot
of weird
looks.Even
when I'm
not wearing leather,
when I
don't have
makeupon,
when I'm
just regular.
It'sjust
reallyweird
sometimes."
page 40
26 GAY GAMES: SPECIAL SECTION Goodwill
Ambassadors Leigh-Ann Naidoo and Judith Arndt,
Volume 16#6
52 Sarah Bettens The sexy tomboy from K's Choice
is out. By Jennifer Corday
performer Suzanne Westenhoefer and athletes
from around the globe. This is your lesbian guide
to the Gay Games. Plus: a bonus travel guide on
53 Shannon Blowtorch She rocked the stage with
All the Pretty Horses. By Dana Kaye
places to hit while you're in Chicago. By Colleen
Lee, Jodi Helmer, Trish Bendix, Diane AndersonMinshall and Jennifer Corday
54 Melissa Ferrick Get ready to drool. Over her
guitar skills, of course. By Shauna Swartz
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55 Debi Graham and Carolyn Berk From Salt
and perennial bad girl Joan Jett comes clean.
Lake City to San Francisco, these girls wail and
By Margaret Coble
wonder. By Jennifer Corday and Page McBee
2006 Music Issue: 19 Hot Singers
48 lndie Rock Fests From Ladyfest to Homo A Go
Go. By Beth Schwartzapfel
50 Tommy Boy's Lesbian Rosie Lopez heads a
new LGBT music label. By Margaret Coble
56 JenRO, Sean Wiggins, Sarah Dougher
Wordsmiths that make us listen. By Jennifer
Corday, Margaret Coble and Susan Calhoun
58 Candye Kane, Rachael Sage, Myanna
Pontoppidan Bi babes, blues and the joy of sax.
By Margaret Coble and Renee Westbrook
51 Tegan and Sara These tempestuous twins give
Cover Photo by
Cory Smith
41
curve
indie music a good name. By Courtney Becks
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60 Wicked Wisdom, Sistas in the Pit, SoNiA
Metal mavens, black rockers and a poli-sci folkster.
By Renee Westbrook and Ariane Conrad
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page 70
2
Frankly Speaking Our illustrious
publisher tackles the issue.
8
Contributors So many articles, so little
time. Read why they do it.
10 Letters Bisexuals, brides and more
about The L Word.
12 Out in Front Portland's Stacy Bias, San
Diego's Tryce Czyczynska and New York
power dyke Christine Quinn.
14 Curvatures Portia comes out as
anorexic, Madonna worries, and Bravo
goes gay. Plus, Israeli comics, lesbians
at ACLU, Catholics with a conscience
and a Carolina controversy.
16 Open Studio Keren Richter's vertigo-
Icurve
on Nicky Click, Diana Jones and WedRock. Plus: Portland's indie rocker
Ashleigh Flynn and Chrissie Hynde.
22 Ask Fairy Butch "Help, my fantasies
are immoral." Aren't they all?
23 Lipstick & Dipstick Tell us how to
68 Tech Girl It's prime time for camping,
but don't think you have to leave your
toys at home.
know when to run the other way.
24 Astro Grrl Astrologer Charlene
Lichtenstein offers your summer signs.
62 Sapphic Screen Diane AndersonMinshall looks at Black Aura on an Angel,
Loving Annabelle and Cake. Plus: The
Journey's director and DVDs galore.
64 In the Stacks Rachel Pepper looks
at Norah Vincent's life as a man.
Plus: a Q&A with photographer Judy
Francesconi.
6
66 Music Watch Margaret Coble takes
inducing worlds.
69
Politics Victoria A. Brownworth tells
us why Pink rocks - and leads the
way for smart girls all around.
70 Dyke Drama Michele Fisher takes us
inside the life of a lesbian couple through
one very long night of processing.
80 Top Ten Reasons We Love Florida's
lnternetworking lesbian guru
Suzanne Noe.
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Contributors
MargaretCoble,cuRvE s music review editor, admits that she was
nervous about interviewing rock legend Joan Jett for the cover of this
issue (see page 40)."ButJoan caught me off guard and put me right at
ease;' Coble says, "opening our conversation by asking me about how I
was doing post~Katrina. She really wanted to hear my story and extend
her concern and compassion. That blew me away!" Coble, who was
displaced by Katrina and now divides her time between New Orleans
and Louisville, Ky., has written about music professionally since the early
1990s for a wide variety of print and online publications, including The
Advocate,Southern Voiceand Lesbianation.com, and she was editor in
chief of Dance Music Authority magazine for three years. A retired club
DJ and occasional show promoter, she is currently in the midst of
launching her next career as a DIY art~and~craftivist via her fledgling
Web site, artbymags.com.
1
Freelance writer ShaunaSwartz,who interviews folk diva Melissa Ferrick
for this issue (see page 54), first saw Ferrick perform only two days
before their scheduled interview. "She broke a string within the first 20
minutes of her set and made a crack about how that never happens to
her;• Swartz recalls. 'J\fter being blown away by the energy she exuded
onstage, it occurred to me that she could have named her upcoming
album Never Let Up rather than Never Give Up. But I can't imagine her
doing either:' Swartz is a regular contributor to After Ellen.com and
freelances for other publications on pop culture, food and other
pleasures. Her work can also be found in two anthologies: ReadingThe L
Word: Outing ContemporaryTelevisionand Bitchfest:Ten Yearsof Cultural
Criticismfrom the Pagesof Bitch Magazine.
• eedto get away?
Wehavethe perfectplace.
Act11ally,
w have9,000.
Ourguidesarepackedwith
bars,
LGBT
accommodations,
bookstores,
caf&s& more,
acrossthe US,Canada,
E.irope& beyond.
"When Eminem broke out with 'My Name Is; lots of people hated on him;'
says CURVE contributor Renee
Westbrook.
"Whether you think he's a
misogynistic homophobe or not, you have to give him credit for his rhymes.
You can't disregard his music just because he's a white rapper:' Westbrook
thinks the same rule should apply to Jada Pinkett Smith - whom she
interviewed for this issue (see page 60) - and Pinkett Smith's heavy metal
band, Wicked Wisdom. The kingdom of mainstream metal is presided over
by white musicians, but Westbrook believes that genre, like all music genres,
should be open to any musician who belongs there.
TrishBendix,
who wrote about lesbian Chicago for this issue (see page
26), came out and turned 21 at the same time, so learning to navigate the
gay clubs was a natural progression. "Chicago's got a great lesbian scene;'
Bendix says, "so narrowing down the choices for the Gay Games guide
was like playing favorites with children!" Bendix writes for the gay and
lesbian section of Time Out Chicagoand has also contributed to the
VillageVoice,Rockpilemagazine and Pistil magazine, where she is the
assistant music editor. Bendix, who recently joined a queer girls' soccer
team called the Oddballs, says she will admire the Gay Games from the
stands as a spectator, where she can hang out with her girlfriend, Jamie,
and her black pug, Stella.
s I curve
GAY GAMES®VII
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WHERE WOMEN OF THE WORLD MEET
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Be There for dozens of special events for women
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world's best promoters.
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Curve
Letters
"If you want to see your group represented, get off
your butt and do it yourself instead of sitting back and
expecting Ilene Chaiken to do it for you."
C'mon, cuRvE!
failed miserably. The fact that I'm a lesbian does
necessary? A diagnosis of cancer is scary. I know,
I was absolutely ecstatic when I saw Katherine
not give me license to behave selfishly. Call me
small-minded, but such behavior doesn't fly in this
because at age 34 I am already a cancer survivor
Moennig on the cover of the May issue with the
word "Shane!" plastered across it (Vol. 16, #4).
However, I felt totally misled when I discovered
lesbian's book.
- Jeanne Westby, via e-mail
that the interview took place before the first season of The L Word and it was an excerpt from
My desk at my college is cluttered with past issues
somewhere else. And you couldn't even include
of Cosmopolitan,CURVE,art supplies and photos
any new pictures of one of the most loved lesbian
characters on TV? You can do better than that!
of my friends and (ex-)lovers. Typical college student? Yes. Bisexual? Yes. Usually . . . when I open
- JessieMortimer, Philadelphia
the pages of CURVEthere is some comment from
a reader who is having issues with her bisexual
Bridal Bonanza
My partner and I love your magazine. It is the
perfect blend of current news, fashion and pop
culture. The article "Confessions of a DIY Bride"
(Vol. 16, #4) featured a beautiful silver barkstyle ring. I contacted its Boston-based designer,
Kristina Pitaniello, and found her jewelry beautiful and affordable. What's more, she was thrilled
to hear feedback from the lesbian community.
Great job on finding gay/lesbian-friendly artists.
- TeresaQuint, Rochester,N.H.
girlfriend - but this time there was not one antibisexual tone in CURVE!There was actually an
article about bisexual dykes who had married men.
I find that there is resistance and discomfort in both
the queer and straight communities when it comes
to bisexuality. And while that sucks, I have come to
terms with it. So this letter ... is reallyjust a thankyou for running that article. It was refreshing to see
that CURVEis supportive of their bisexual readers
and understands how one can be attracted to both
sexes and married to one.
(Hodgkin's lymphoma). I do not deny that there is
a clear correlation between cancer and death, but
wouldn't we have been well-served to see Dana go
through the struggle of chemotherapy, immune
deficiency and eventual remission?
- Kristy Daniels, Charlestown,Mass.
Where Can I Get More cuRvE?
Your magazine is great! Why isn't it available in
more places and more often?
- Anonymous, via e-mail
Editor'snote:You canfind CURVEat retailerslike
Borders,Barnes and Noble and Hastings, as well as
most women's and LGBT bookstores.But we often
sell out early, so the best way to make sure you always get CURVEis to subscribe.Plus, ifyou buy the
magazinedirectlyfrom us, we make about threetimes
more per issue - and that's more money to help us
keeppublishingCURVEand still donate our time and
energy(and cash)to our readers'favorite charities.
- RebeccaDavidson, Sarasota,Fla.
Be a Man About It
After reading the article "Married to the Man''
(Vol.16, #4), I had to scratch my head and think to
myself, "Is this supposed to be OK?"For example,
author Lori Selke writes that Sherrie, one of the
women in the story, "finds her local community to
be a bit small - and sometimes, small-minded;'
referring to ... many women's [lack of) desire to
date her. Then Selke goes on to report, "She is
frank about the factors that keep her in her marriage. 'I have two young children. I don't have a college education. Ibave no marketable job skills:"
What I really want to say to her is, get yourself
a job and enroll in college or a trade school. Stop
using your husband, because it sends a terrible
message to those two young children of yours ....
If it was the author's intent to convince me that
these "lesbians"
101 curve
e simply misunderstood,
she
Morel
Drama
, I am sick and tired of listening to so many lesbians bitch and whine about The L Word's failure
to represent all lesbians. That's a pretty unrealistic expectation. It's television; it's supposed to be
Got Something on Your Mind?
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE
Letters, 1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco,
CA 94103; or fax to (415) 863-1609. Please
include your name, city and state. Letters may be
edited for clarity and length.
entertaining. If you don't like it, don't watch it. If
you want to see your group represented, get off
your butt and do it yourself instead of sitting back
Corrections
In our May 2006 issue (Vol. 16, #4), details
and expecting Ilene Chaiken to do it for you.
on Ocean Edge Resort's wedding packages
("Confessions of a DIY Bride") were incorrect.
For up-to-date information, visit oceanedge.com.
- Jodie Ferraro,Mystic, Conn.
Word for bringing forth the issue of breast cancer
In the same issue, we stated that Encyclopediaof
Arab Women Filmmakers (In the Stacks) did not
in the lesbian and bisexual community, a sector
of the population that is often reluctant to seek
medical attention because of sexuality-related
concerns, anxiety and fear. But was Dana's death
include women of Iranian cinema. As Iran is not
an Arab country, one would not normally expect
an encyclopedia of Arab filmmakers to include
women from Iran. CuRvE regrets the
I commend Ilene, the cast and the crew of The L
"~&/...
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-fal/-6otli
/1\.tfe.. Yi&
Fat Girl Speaks
Hidden Power
New York's No. 1 Lesbian
StacyBias,the founding designer of
Apathy stops many of us from pursuing our
dreams, but it only fuels feng shui practitioner
with
and LGBT activist TryceCzyczynska
outrage. She defines her activism by simply
being a global citizen. Not only has she
donated her feng shui expertise to San Diego's
Women's Resource Center, she has provided
temporary housing to LGBT youth who
would otherwise be living on the city streets.
''A woman comes into her own by ...
coming to the realization that 'I can make a
change. I've empowered other women;" she
The average person would not think on first
Quinn,with her warm,
glance that Christine
brown eyes and friendly smile, is "the most
powerful openly lesbian or gay official in the
country:• But that's exactly how important
she is, says Matt Foreman, the executive
director of the National Gay and Lesbian
Task Force.
Quinn, who was recently honored at
the Task Force's New York Leadership
Awards, is the first openly lesbian speaker
on the New York City Council. Her turf
includes world-famous neighborhoods in
Manhattan, including the West Village,
Soho and Hell's Kitchen.
Quinn has not shied away from her identity as many other politicians have - in fact,
she says, she not only feels comfortable but
feels she has an 'obligation to be true to the
entirety of who I am:•
Before being elected as council speaker,
Quinn served as executive director of the
New York City Gay and Lesbian AntiViolence Project. She also worked as chief
of staff to New York state's first openly gay
and openly HIV-positive senator, Thomas K.
Duane, when he was serving on the New York
City Council. She has fought for living wages
for New Yorkers, the extension of health
benefits to the partners of city-contracted
workers, and for the rights of the LGBT community to march in the annual St. Patrick's
Day parade.
When she gave her acceptance speech,
Quinn told her colleagues, "I am incredibly
proud that in the most diverse city in the
world, that diversity is seen as a strength, not
an impediment:' - Allison Steinberg
Dyke Tees.com, the Web guru behind
TechnoDyke.com, the tireless tester of Pussy
Pucker Pots lip balms and the voice of Fat
Girl Speaks, the nation's largest fat activist
event, has been a queer activist for six years
and a fat activist for three.
"I became an activist in the areas I need
the most help and support in;' Bias·says. "If
I need it, probably others do, too. We are
taught from the earliest age to be dissatisfied
with our bodies. Baby fat, right? And this
is enforced and reinforced every single day
by the media, by pharmaceutical companies
who sponsor medical studies, whose skewed
results are then sensationalized by the
media, which in turn gives the diet industry
... the perfect platform from which to torment the public into self-loathing. The 'war
on obesity' is very lucrative. Self-loathing is
very lucrative:•
As Cupcake, her monthly dance party for
fat women and their allies in Portland, Ore.,
sashays past its four-month anniversary, Bias
is already working on her next project. She
is planning a book, tentatively titled Fat Girl
Speaks,which tackles issues of body image.
"The goal of the book is ... to look at
the ways that people perceive themselves.
To speak the truths we feel are so shameful
- the dirty secrets that we think are unique
to us, but which are truly the most common
experiences for all of us. Because the only
platform for positive change emotionally is
security in the knowledge that we deserve it:'
If you're interested in being interviewed
for Bias' book, drop her a note at
stacy@fatpdx.com. - Aef a Mulholland
says proudly.
A 1998 Ms. Gay San Diego winner,
Czyczynska graduated from Evergreen State
College, a groundbreaking alternative university, where she studied energy. But it wasn't
until she studied massage therapy at Mueller
College in San Diego that she stumbled into
her life's passion: the ancient Chinese practice
of feng shui.
During her four-year feng shui apprenticeship, Czyczynska worked with abused horses.
''I've always been intrigued by an interdisciplinary approach to problem solving;' she
notes. "Feng shui empowers people through
their environment by freeing up energy in a
powerful way:'
In 2005, Czyczynska became the San
Diego LGBT Community Center's hostess
for a series of events dubbed Coffee and
Conversation with Cool Women, which
highlights some of today's most remarkable
community heroines in a public interview
forum at the center.
As Czyczynska points out, "In San
Diego, it's about finding hidden talent and
hidden power:' - Maria Ayala
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Curvatures
Waters' Lesbian Agenda
OBSESSIVE
LWORDFAN
ALERT NO. 270
It might be expected that countless lesbian readers
have become fans of Sarah Waters' historical
novels about the thrilling, bawdy lives of lesbians
Ourintrepidreporter
Jennifer
in Victorian London, but Waters' contributions
Corday
wentto theLos
to literature and to lesbian culture are even more
Angeles
launchof thenew
Apothiascentinspiredbythe
significant because she has been embraced by the
lovelies
of TheL Word.
With
mainstream. London's Independent even described
perfume
andmicrophone
her as "one of the best storytellers alive today:•
in handat FredSegal,she
Her latest novel, TheNight Watch,which unpacks
managed
to squeeze
in a few
sillyqueriesfor ourlesbian the intermingled lives of three women and one
leadingladies.Ourtwofaves: man in World War II London, has not only been
shortlisted for the Orange Prize - an international
literary award for women writers - it's also been
published in 23 different countries. Recently, the
London Observerlisted Waters as No. 14 on its list of
the 50 most influential people in British publishing,
stating that "she has taken lesbian writing well and
truly into the mainstream:•
Waters has indeed come a long way from her
days as a Ph.D. student in gay and lesbian historical
Katherine
Moennig(Shane) literature, ~hen she first came across a Victorian
onwhyshedoesn'tdiscuss
slang term for cunnilingus: "tipping the velvet:' Her
herprivatelife:"I don'tthink
first novel, named after that slang term, was initially
it's important.
I don't
rejected by 10 publishers before being picked up
thinkit's necessary
that
peopleexpose
theirlives." by Virago for a modest print run of 5,000 copies.
It wasn't until the BBC's television adaptation of
Tipping the Velvethit the small screen in 2002 that
Waters' tale oflesbian love on the stages and streets of Victorian
London really took off. In the first two weeks after Tippingthe
Velvetaired on the BBC, 60,000 copies were reportedly sold,
quickly turning Waters into an icon of contemporary literature
- queer or otherwise.
Her second novel, Affinity, garnered her the Sunday Times'
Young Writer of the Year award. Her third novel, Fingersmith,
MiaKirshner
(Jenny)
on
howshemaynotbestraight: was nominated for the Man Booker Prize, one of the world's
"I justfeellike- andI'm
reallynotsayingthisto
besensationalistic
or coy
- I justfeellike,whywould
anybody
thinkI'mgayor
not,andwhydoesit really
matter?I thinka lotof people When Lieutenant Laurel Hester of Ocean County,
sayit to titillate,butI'm not
N.J., was diagnosed with inoperable lung
sayingit forthosereasons.
cancer last year, she took a step that many
I justdon'tthinkit matters
if peoplearegayorstraight. in her position would take: She asked that
Whywouldyouassume her police pension be passed onto her
What partner, Stacie Andree. Had Hester been
thatI wasstraight'?
difference
doesit make?I'm
in a heterosexual relationship, it's likely
verycomfortable
sayingthat
her request would have been granted, but
I thinkmenarebeautiful
and
I thinkwomenarebeautiful. because she and Andree were in a same~
... I thinkit's verypersonal sex partnership, her request resulted in a
andI justdon'tthinkit
lengthy and controversial struggle with Ocean
mattersanymore."
County. One of the county's five conservative
Republican freeholders (the equivalent of city
8
z
z
most prestigious literary awards, and was adapted into a
second, critically acclaimed, BBC miniseries. The Night Watch,
with its measured, intimate postwar tone, has shown that
Waters can write more than lush, Victorian melodrama, but
it also shows that Waters continues to be dedicated to writing
about lesbians. 'Tm writing with a clear lesbian agenda in
the novels;• she told After Ellen.com in April. "It's right there at
the heart of the books:' - Malinda Lo
I
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14
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council members), John Kelly, maintained
that granting partner benefits would
"violate the sanctity of marriage:•
Then, less than one month befor~
Hester died in February 2006, the
freeholders did something incredible.
Faced with public outrage and
protests, they reversed their decision.
Now, New Jersey laws governing
inheritance are likely to be changed due
to Hester's fight, and a scholarship in her
name has been founded to help queer youth.
- Ariane Conrad
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There's No Place Like
Hotnecotning
Being elected homecoming queen was no big deal for Jen
Wohlner, a 17 -year-old senior at Buffalo Grove High School
in suburban Chicago. That is, until the media made a big deal
of it. Wohlner and the boy elected to the post of king, Ryan
Cooperman, are both school leaders - and they're both openly
gay. When they won the homecoming election last winter,
everyone from MSNBC to the Illinois Family Institute had
something to say about it.
"We didn't think it was a big deal. But the generation that's
a little older than us, they blew this way out of proportion;'
Wohlner says. ''At the same time, it's cool. We do show that
progress has been made:'
She says other students at her school were impressed. "The
other students thought it was cool that the school was on TV,"
Wohlner admits. "But more importantly, (it was cool] that
the kids that won weren't jocks or cheerleaders, they were just
everyday people" - even though they are gay.
If most of the students were supportive, the faculty,Wohlner
reports, were split. "Some teachers thought it was great. They
said, 'I've been teaching here for 20 years, and I've never seen
anything like this:" She says she only experienced discrimination
from a substitute teacher who found out she was gay.
Wohlner took criticism from anti-gay groups, including
the Illinois Family Institute, in stride. "It's kind of ridiculous.
I felt honored, like, 'Wow, you think I have the power to
dismantle the family union,"' she says with a laugh. "That's
kind of cool:'
Meanwhile, at Hood College in Maryland, out lesbian
Jennifer Jones was crowned homecoming king. The 2,100student campus in western Maryland, which was an all-women's
college until 2002, held its second homecoming in February
2006, and Jones beat out three men for the honor.
"It is cool that Hood allows people to be themselves;' Jones
told the FrederickNews-Post."If people didn't want me to be
king, they wouldn't have nominated me and voted for me:'
But some students did remark on their discontent. Santo
Provenzano, a student who competed for king, told The
t;
LU
Associated Press that it made the event seem like a joke. And
!:!:!.
a:
Singleton Newman, nominee for queen, also told AP, "She is
a:
LU
::.:: not a man. It is a gender issue, and she is a woman:'
z
0
It was not reported whether Jones danced with the queen at
I
the
homecoming dance. - Kathy Belge
(/)
"I think it's even more flattering if a woman finds you
attractive. I'm a girls' girl. I love girls. I'm definitely
down for girls.">> Carmen Electra to She
"I had a girlfriend when I was 13, and she left me for
my brother. That kind of fucked me up. We held
hands and we kissed and that was my girlfriend,
that's what you do when you're 13. And she left
me for my fucking brother!" >> Rocker girl Pink
to The Independent
"Lillith Fair was awesome and I did it for two years, but
that just fucked us all up. Now anytime anybody
sees a girl with an acoustic guitar they think it's
going to be this sad, sappy elevator music."
>> Out lesbian singer-songwriter Garrison
Starr to AfterEllen.com
"I hope I can be a role model to all of the other athletes
who are hiding who they really are. I hope I can
inspire them to make the same choice I made: to
be free.">> WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes,
upon accepting the Spirit Award at the
National Center for Lesbian Rights' annual
gala in San Francisco
_J
July/August 2006
I 15
t
Keren Richter
IARTIST I
New York,based artist KerenRichter's
interests range from thrift stores and dirty nurses
to paint,by,number kits and girlie drinks. That may explain her often surreal, storybook,
style illustrations, which Detroit's Metro Times said had "a vertigo,inducing consumption
numbness to them, sad and frightening in a way, but too surreal to elicit actual fear:' Richter·
herself admits her characters inhabit an often chaotic world inspired by '60s fashion and
pop iconography, nostalgic and fantastical elements from childhood, and her love of music.
In addition to making artwork, Richter volunteers with art collectives for kids (and hopes
to run her own someday), has illustrated a music video for the Joggers and an animation
for MTV2, has created artwork for several record labels as well as AddVice promotions for
the Donnas, and is the creative director behind the clothing line Blood Is the New Black.
See more of her work at kerenrichter.com. - Diane Anderson,Minshall
16
Icurve
Curvatures
A Carolina Controversy
In 1991, Laurel Scherer was a
conservative Christian in the Air
Force Academy dealing with her
emerging homosexuality. Today, she
and her partner of four years,Virginia
Balfour,are spearheading the struggle
for equal employment rights for
the LGBT community in western
North Carolina. The couple - who
were married in Provincetown,
Mass., in late 2005 - published
a wedding announcement in the
Asheville Citizen Times a few days
later. "Running the announcement
was just a normal part of getting married;' Balfour says.
But the fallout from the announcement was far from normal.
Scherer and Balfour own and operate All Terrain Images, an
action-photography business. The women had enjoyed working
at Wolf Laurel Ski Resort in Madison County, S.C., for two
successful ski seasons, and they say they had a verbal agreement
with co-owner Orville English to return. In exchange for the
use of a 60-square-foot space in the lodge, Wolf Laurel used
Scherer's photographs to market the resort.
''The guests loved our services;'Balfour recalls,and the women
considered English a friend, taking pictures of his grandchildren
and retouching his old photos as favors. But two days before ski
season began, Scherer was setting up her booth when she was
told by English that she might not want to do that.
"He wouldn't look me in the eye when he spoke to me;' she
remembers. Initially confused by the encounter, it didn't take her
-long to figure out what was going on. When pressed, English
and co-owner Rick Bussey finally
admitted the couple was dismissed
because homosexuality was not "in
line with their moral values:'
While
Asheville
has
a
nondiscrimination policy in place,
Madison County about 30
minutes away - does not. The
women, who lost around $25,000
from missing the ski season at
the resort, were dismayed to find
that they had no legal recourse
for discrimination against gays
and lesbians. When Scherer sent
out a press release, she says, the response was overwhelming.
They received e-mails of support from all over the world, the
National Organization for Women planned a rally around the
issue, and LGBT television station Logo is spotlighting Scherer
in a documentary on discrimination.
Currently, the women report that Wolf Laurel Ski Resort
is still using about $10,000 worth of Scherer's photographs on
billboards and in publications, despite her request that they stop.
As a result, Scherer plans to sue for copyright infringement.
Additionally, Wolf Laurel refuses to reimburse her for $1,500 she
spent on supplies for the season if she does not agree to give up
her rights to take legal action against them. (As of our press date,
Wolf Laurel has not returned our calls requesting a statement.)
Determined to use their experience as a catalyst for positive
change, Scherer and Balfour have created Equal Employment
for Gays and Lesbians (eegl.org), a group dedicated to education
and creating workplace equality. - GiselleKovac
LITIGATING
FOR EQUALITY
Chicago
lawyer,
community
activistandPEZ-dispenser
collector
JillMetzkeeps
busy.Earlier
thisyear,the
lesbian
litigator
became
boardpresident
oftheIllinois
chapter
of theACLU.
The
director
of herownlawfirm,
Metzhaslongspecialized
in providing
protection
for
same-sex
couples,
andshe's
a supporter
of numerous
queergroups,
including
the
Stonewall
Democrats,
Human
RightsCampaign,
Lambda
LegalDefense
Fund,GLSEN,
theLesbian
Community
Cancer
Project,
theNational
Center
forLesbian
Rights
and
Equality
Illinois.
Gaymarriage,
shesays,isa cornerstone
issuefortheACLU
now:
"Thereforms
thatmarriage
wouldimplement
wouldbe
massive,
evenwithsomething
liketaxes.
Thefactisthat
othersarebuilding
wealth
andeconomy
onourbacks."
-Ariane Conrad
Ultiinate Lesbian Bedrootn
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Ladies, it's time to upgrade your bed linens: A
new wave of femme-friendly bedding has hit the
market, and the styles are sexy without being
overtly perverse. Here's a roundup of fun bedding
that guarantees, at least, a girl to go home to.
Sin in Linen:The brainchild of Seattle local
Sandy Glaze (aka Rat City Rollers roller derby team
member Ann Munition), Sin in Linen's Joie de Viv
print bedsheets feature a classic blonde bombshell
'50s pinup girl smiling seductively as she unhooks
her black strapless bra. With these sheets, as their
tagline reads, "She might not make you breakfast,
but she's always in bed:' (sininlinen.com)
SheetsGoneWild:Damon Anthony's Sheets
Gone Wild are naked Twister, swinger style. The
300-thread-count cotton sheets are divided into
squares, each one depicting a couple engaged in a
different sexual position. With the help of a
couple of game pieces and a few modifications
on the male-female suggestions in the booklet
(included with the sheets), these sheets
encourage experimentation and add spice to
the bedroom. (damonanthony.com)
Reality Bedding:Combining English
photographer Tanya Chalkin's iconic blackand-white photograph "Kiss" and a more
provocative eye for bedding design, this new,
Atlanta-based line of bedding is a cheeky take on
artful aesthetics and the idea that no one should go
to bed alone. Four patterns are currently available,
including "Kiss" and "Sleeping Beauties" images.
(realitybedding.com)
Groovy0: From a distance, Groovy Q'.s Girl
Power sheets look like a delicate, pink-and-white
toile print. Up close, you can see that the print is
comprised ofleather-clad women doing decidedly,
um, indelicate things to each other, with the
help of some whips and handcuffs and paddles.
Groovy Q'.s aptly named Dirty Linens also come
in a martini-and-tattoo-inspired print called Vice.
(groovyq.com) - Jocelyn Voo
July/ August 2006
I
17
Curvatures
Lesbofile
Hot Fun in the Summertime
Madonna's still talking about Britney, and Tammy Lynn's pregnant. I ByJocelyn Voo
There are some things you can depend upon each
summer. Girls in bikinis. Mind-numbing heat
waves. But Portia de Rossi, fat:' Reality television,
real:' Hang onto your hats, ladies: The world is
clearly coming to an end.
Immaculate Conception
Being the good mother that she is, Madonna
explained, "I am the mommy pop star and she is
the baby pop star. I am kissingher to pass my
energy on to her."
Who knew that when legendary recording artist
Madonna famously tongued pop tart-turned-sugar
mama Britney Spears in an ill-advised publicity
stunt at MTV's 2003 Video Music Awards, the
material girl would still be paying for it to this day:'
According to British newspaper TheSun, Madonna's
daughter, Lourdes, has become "obsessed" with gay
issues since witnessing the kiss, so being the good
mother that she is, Madonna explained, "I am the
mommy pop star and she is the baby pop star. I
am kissing her to pass my energy on to her:' I guess
that's one way to avoid having to go into, um, exploitation of lesbianism for fun and profit.
Only in Paris
Whether it's in public or in private, Paris Hilton
just can't stay away from the camera. Playboy
bunny Nicole Lenz claims she and the socialiteturned-accidental porn star made a steamy film
of their own in a Las Vegas Bellagio Hotel room,
reports Britain's News of the World."The moment
we were in the room, Paris had only one thing on
her mind - sex;' Lenz says. "We lied down on a
king-size bed and took it in turns to play with each
other. It wasn't long before we were naked and rolling around together:' By the time this column is in
print, that video should be packaged and available
for download on iT unes.
Coming Out
For Portia de Rossi to be considered "the fat one;'
she'd have to be standing next to a stick - a stick
that, in this case, we'd like to call Calista Flockhart.
Despite years of denial to the press, de Rossi
finally admitted in the April issue of Voguethat she
struggled with anorexia during her Ally McBeal
years. 'Tve often wondered if I wasn't on that show,
if it [anorexia] may not have happened;' says de
Rossi, who cited her thin co-stars as her "role models" and weighed a skeletal 82 pounds in 1999. But
with the help of partner Ellen DeGeneres, de Rossi
found courage to speak out about her past trials.
"We've talked a lot about this. I'm not proud of this
struggle .... [While I was anorexic,] it just seemed
1s
I
curve
like I literally wanted to disappear. And now I
would like to reappear:' Welcome back, Portia!
has two children from her previous relationship
with actor Julie Cypher, with sperm donated by
rocker David Crosby.
Double Duty
Now that Baby Brangelina Watch '06 has
come to a close, it's time for a new countdown:
Grammy winner Melissa Etheridge and her wife
of five years, actor Tammy Lynn Michaels (you
last saw her as Shane's stalker on Showtime's The
L Word), are expecting twins. "We are thrilled to
announce that Tammy is pregnant and expecting our twins sometime around this fall;' a post
on Etheridge's Web site announced. "To answer
the obvious question: We used an anonymous
donor from a bank:' Though these will be
Michaels' first biological children, Etheridge
Warped Reality
Everyone knows that reality television isn't real
unless the majority of the population spen,ds ,at
least 75 percent of their lives cavorting around
hot tubs in their bikinis. But when Project
Runway and Top Chef producers resisted exploiting lesbian fashion designer Zulema Griffin and
bisexual chef-in-training Tiffani Faison for their
sexuality to boost TV ratings like so many other
shows have in the past, that's what made headlines. Reality television actually being tasteful:'
•Now that's just
Curvatures
Comical Reality
A far cry from traditional American comic book
artists who create the ubiquitous good,triumphs,
over,evil superhero stories, Dimona Comix is
a group of five Israeli graphic artists who live
and work in Tel Aviv, and create works that are
deeply personal portraits of 20,something life in
Israel. The result? Comics that experiment with
and challenge the genre, particularly in an arena
dominated by its American counterparts.
Since its start in 2002, Dimona Comix has
produced three graphic novel compilations (the
Dimona series) and one sex comedy graphic novella
(Shirley!). The third installment of the Dimona series, like the
previous two anthologies, is full of raw, often unsettling tales.
"Sharona;• a vignette in Dimona 3, features a chronically depressed
girl who seeks happiness but seems to only spread despair despite
her best intentions. Dimona 2's "Lucky Star" is about a girl who
dreams of becoming a Bollywood singing superstar but ends up
slitting her wrists in the last panel.
But Dimona is more eye,opening than depressing. The
stories may feature neurotic, anxiety,ridden characters, but
when juxtaposed with the colorful artwork, they make for
poignant, deliberate artistic expression. The protagonists are
CoNs'ciENCE
---·
--
CATHOLICS
WITHA
CONSCIENCE
more anti,heroes than heroes, and readers can't help but relate
to their Holden Caulfield outlook on life.
"We'd like readers to taste something new, fresh and
different, and also read about Israeli people's lives and feelings
in a context other than that of the wars going on in this region;'
says Amitai Sandy, Dimona Comix's publisher and one of the
graphic illustrators.
Dimona has already been featured in Europe and Israel, but
it is only now making its debut in the United States through
Diamond Comics Distribution. For more information, checkout
dimonacomix.com. - Jocelyn Voo
Ready
totietheknot?
Whynotdoit ina placethatrecognizes
loveisloveanda
celebration
isa celebration.
Packyoursense
of adventure,
yourcuriosity
and
yourtuxedo
andcome
down
theaisle.
TheSpring2006issue
of Conscience:
TheNews
Journalof Catholic
Opinion
tacklessubjects
most
religious
textswon't,
including
sexualand
reproductive
healthand
rights.Withtheheadline
"Catholic
Pride... and
Prejudice"
emblazoned
acrosstwocutepunkgirls
kissing,
theissuetakesa
hardlookat thechurch
hierarchy's
obsession
with
sexuality.
Checkit outat
catholicsforchoice.com.
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
CANADA
KffpExplorlng
www.Canada.travel/gay
GO
1 Out WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes (second from left) pals around with her partner,
Alisa Scott (left), National Center for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendall and
California State Assemblymember Mark Leno (right) at the NCLR gala in San Francisco
2 San Francisco girls celebrating CURVE s bold new look at our Sneak Peak Party 3 Honey
Labrador (left) and friend at Dinah Shore 4 Girls abound at a Dinah Shore pool party
5 Debra J. Markert and Lisa K. Johnson at the Seattle Equality March 6 Paris is Burning
and Who'.s the Top? filmmaker Jennie Livingston (left) and friend at author Sarah Waters'
exclusive book release party in New York 7 Sarah Waters (left) and CURVE s own book review
editor, Rachel Pepper, celebrate at Waters' book release party for her new novel, The Night
Watch, in New York
1
1
20
Icurve
Advice
FIVE WAYS
TO EXORCISE
YOUR EX
Yourexhastakencustody
of yourdogandhalfyour
wardrobe
andmovedon.But
whileyoumightbetempted
to wallowin self-pityandeat
yourbodyweightinTwinkies,
instead
takethesestepsto
getpastthepain.
Eradicate all reminders of your ex. Yes,that
meansremoving
the10-foot
muralyoupaintedonyour
walldepicting
theevolution
of yourlovetogether.
Fire
upthegrillandtorchevery
letter,photoandpieceof
clothingsheleftbehind.
Get busy. Throwyourself
intoa projectthatwilloccupy
yourmindandhands.Nothing
says"healing"
likedemolishingtheverybedroom
where
youusedto havewildand
crazymonkey
sex.However,
donotbuilda shrineto herin
theruins.
Feed your brain. Learn
a foreignlanguage,
plana
tripto Europe,
develop
your
interestin Buddhism,
Pilates
or paintingnudewomen.
Justdosomething
to wake
upyourbrainfromthezone
of numbness
youbuiltto
protectyourself
at theendof
therelationship.
Play ball. Thepowerof
therebound
asanelixirfor
loneliness
cannotbedenied.
Sure,it's random,
mindless
anddevoidof realemotional
attachment,
butit beatsthe
battery-powered
orgasm
everytime.Beclearwithyour
rebound
girlaboutyourlack
of intentions.
Though
you
maybetempted,
donotgive
heryouraddress,
yourhouse
keyor yourATMPIN.
Make some new
friends. Starthanging
out
withsomeflamboyant
drag
queens
to distractyoufrom
yourgloomanddoomwith
theirshiny,happylifestyle.
Reconnect
withyourold
friends,too.Sure,youblew
themoffwhenyouwere
struckwiththetunnelvision
of love,butthey'retherefor
you,justwaitingto say"I told
youso"and"Welcome
back
to yourreallife.Wemissed
yououthere."-Kate Lacey
22
I
curve
Ask Fairy Butch
The Wants and the Want-Nots
Dear Fairy Butch: My girlfriend of several months and
I started out thinking we'd have a brief, casual relationship. We've both had a number of relationships
under our belts, and we're not feeling ready for a major
relationship right now. Of course, we found that we
were very compatible and fell in love. We have great
fun together, great sex, we share interests but are different enough for things to be interesting. The problem: She decided that she isn't "emotionally ready" for
a serious relationship, and we are on a trajectory to
something serious. She says she needs space. Why
am I taking this so personally when she says it isn't
about me and she still loves me? - Paired in P-town
Dear Paired: Darling, give her the space. I know that it's tough
to pull back when you've got your mojo workin, but I'd give
good odds that once she feels your absence, she'll be longing to
feel your presence before too long. On the other hand, if you
push her too hard, she might feel crowded and grow to resent
you. Then she'll have an "out" at the ready whenever there may
be a wrinkle in your relationship. I know it's tough to hold back,
but allow her this time and perhaps negotiate a later time at
which you can revisit the conversation. Best of luck, bubula!
Dear Fairy Butch: I am a 28-year-old dyke who has had
a pretty typical lesbian sex life. Lately, I've wanted to
delve further into the realm of fantasy, but some of the
thoughts I've had aren't particularly kosher, as in legal
or "moral." (Like playing with big age differences and
things like that.) How do I go about turning them into
something I can actually do with a consenting partner?
- Curious in Cordova
Dear Curious: Well, sugar, this is a tricky one, by gum. As you
inferred, lots of folks are disturbed by recurring fantasies that
are wildly inapprop~iate, such as sex with young people, rape,
or coercing sex from someone employed by you. Or perhaps
you are trying to reconcile fantasies of being penetrated by a
man, for example, with the reality of a monogamous relation~
ship with a woman. Fantasies such as these can be truly discon~
certing when they are looked at literally and allowed to shape
your life in their unmitigated form.
Fret not, though: Many folks have taboo sexual fantasies
such as these. But if you want to use the fire from these notions
to fuel sex that is legally and ethically acceptable, consider tak~
ing a page from modern sadomasochism and its various sub~
cultures. Sadomasochism? Yes, indeed. Whether you harbor
fantasies of yourself as a dick~wielding dominatrix or just want
to facilitate sex in as safe and pleasurable a manner as possible,
S/M practitioners have much to teach us about bringing sexual
fantasies to life in safe and fulfilling ways.
Depending on your sexual experience, it may be frightening
for you at first to apply the tenets of S/M to your sexual activity,
but there are many excellent general principles adhered to in the
S/M community that have nothing to do with archetypes such
as pain or bondage. How can fantasies outside the traditional
purview of sadomasochistic activity be reckoned in this manner?
Well, consider that rule No. 1 in all S/M activities states that
fantasies should be brought to life in a manner that is safe, sane
and consensual. This means, for example, that because kids
cannot provide meaningful consent with regard to having sex
with adults, it is under no circumstances acceptable behavior
for adults to engage in sexual activity with children. However,
if your fantasies include such themes as vast age differences or
other power imbalances, it is certainly possible to find a will~
ing adult partner to help you create a situation in which you
can transfer the essence of your fantasy - perhaps themes
of corporal punishment, reward or parental nurturing - to
a different form. This takes a bit of sophistication to under~
stand. While raping or abusing one's spouse is clearly reprehen~
sible, the same physical act as a negotiated, agreed~upon part
of a controlled setting is quite different. (For a more thorough
exploration of S/M itself, check out Patrick Califia's Sensuous
Magic or Jay Wiseman's SM 101.)
An understanding of S/M can assist you in thinking of
sex as a theatrical construct, a safe context in time and space•
wherein you and your partners have agreed sanely, and without
the influence of intoxicants or coercion, to allow your sexual
fantasies to fuel your actions. You may be surprised to find that
the fulfillment of your desires not only is an end in itself, but
can be a means to connect those extra~special secret places in
yourself with those of a partner.
To submit your queries regardingthe finer points of lesbian life,
sexualityand romance,send a note toJb@Jairybutch.com.
Lipstick & Dipstick
Advice
Back Away From the Bunny
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I live in a small
Midwestern town and have known I love
women since puberty, but married my high
school sweetheart anyway. I had been
unhappy for a long time, but I finally decided
to do something about it, so I joined the local
gym, hired a personal trainer and asked my
husband for a divorce. Since then, I've been
going to the gym five days a week, look
and feel great, and have fallen in love with
my trainer, who's married with kids. She's
also the aerobics instructor, so I go to her
classes four days a week, and her constant
gyrating is really starting to get to me! A few
months ago, we went out for a girls' night
out and did the touchy feely thing. We had
a great time, but we haven't really gone out
like that again. For my birthday, she gave
me a massage with a card saying what a
close friend I am. I know there's a deep connection between us, and I swear my gaydar
goes nuts when I'm with her. Last week, she
even told me I have a nice ass! The trouble
is, every time I ask her to do something, just
the two of us, she always comes up with an
excuse. I've dropped every hint to her I can.
Please help. - Gym Bunny
'in
...J
a:
(/)
Dipstick: Bunny, she's paid to tell you your ass
looks good. And just because the two of you
groped over martinis one night doesn't mean a
thing. News flash! Lots of straight ladies like to
play footsie, especially when cerebrally lubricated.
Normally, I would whip you with a rolled-up
gym towel for falling for a straight girl, but since
you're new to the world oflesbian love, I'll cut you
some slack. However, falling for a married woman
is akin to running a marathon without training.
Even if you limp your way through, you'll be so
beat-up and bloody, you'll wish you had stayed in
bed. Lipstick, am I repeating myself :1Falling for a
straighty seems to be an epidemic with the lezzies,
and you're not the first to fall for a flirty personal
trainer - which is, I might add, almost as bad as
falling for your therapist. Quit asking her out, sign
up for a new aerobics class, and instead of lusting
after the teacher, look around the room for girls
with asses you admire who don't have wedding
bands on their hands.
Lipstick: Gosh, Dipstick, you're beginning to
sound like a broken record playing over and over.
Dip's greatest hits: "Straight Schoolgirl Shuffle;'
"Back Away From the Bitch" and, my personal
favorite, that monster ballad you wrote when you
had a mullet: "Foolish Femme:' Don't you have anything else to sing besides that same old do-not-fallfor-straight-chicks tune:' For the record, my first hit
was a "straight" friend of mine, and while she did
break my heart, my achy breaky heart, it was a glorious way to discover that I was multi-orgasmic. But
for you, Gym Bunny, Lipstick's afraid this woman
isn't interested, so it's time to face the music. Sure,
there may be isolated sparks of attraction, but don't
expect her to tie you up with leg warmers or bend
you over the yoga ball any time soon.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm currently
on active duty in Germany and am getting
ready to be deployed back home. I met my
girlfriend, Sylvia, a fellow soldier here in
Stuttgart, about 10 months ago, and we've
been together ever since. In the first month
of our relationship, I cheated on her and
didn't tell her about it until recently. She
forgave me, but I know she hasn't forgotten, which, of course, I understand. Since
then, I've sucked face with a few other girls.
I know being drunk is no excuse, but the
liquid courage did help. I love my girlfriend
very much and know she loves me. When
we get home, do you think us moving in
together is a bad idea? - Clueless Cadet
Lipstick: Holy hell! Did I read this correctly:'
Yes, Clueless, moving in together is a horrible idea!
I mean, come on, use your head - if you're in a
monogamous relationship, wouldn't it be best if you
figured out how to be faithful first:' Cohabiting will
not stop your adulterous ways; in fact, it will only
further complicate things when she kicks your ass
to the curb (which you'll deserve) for cheating on
her. Unless you want to destroy this relationship, no
more St. Pauli Girl for you - in the bottle or in the
sheets! To stop making poor choices, you need to
control the drinking as well as the other lube that's
getting you in trouble: your raging libido.
Dipstick: Cadet, I think sucking face
counts as cheating, too. Not that I
blame you; it sounds like you still have
some wild oats to sow. Why, I remember my women's festival years ... there
was no point in trying to be loyal to one
woman; Dipstick needed to be free to
explore life's herizons. My advice: Don't
set yourself up like that. Head home
and tell Sylvia you love her but you want
to see other people as well. Get yourself
a sweet bachelorette pad and live the
life you've been denied while defending
Uncle
(/)
i2
0
S2
UJ
0
-,
Ask us anything aboutsex, loveor lesbians
at lipstickdipstick.com.
July/August 2006
I23
Advice
WITHOUT
A
Astro Grrl
Your Summer Lovin'
FRIEND
THEY'RE
DOUBLE
TROPHIES.
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Sex:Lambda crabs have oodles of charisma
chis summer. You are sexy, alluring and
charming. I don't recognize you. Career:
Get your face out in front at work. Take
credit where credit is due, and maybe even
in instances where it is not due.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex:A secret admirer makes herself known to
you. Will you fall head over heels or be content
to just lie back and enjoy it? Career:
You get
chat long-overdue raise this summer. If not,
you find money from other sources. Try looking under the couch cushions.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:A certain platonic girlfriend captures your
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Sex:Spending more time in the gym not only
improves your health, it also improves your love
heart. But will you let yourself be taken prisoner? Career:Make your own career success this
life - especially if you hang out in the sauna.
Career:Your career takes a deep and penetrating
summer, and spread your circle of contacts into
turn. Will you probe all avenues to success?
a globe and get out there. Mingle and swingle,
queer virgin.
Libra (Sept. 24-0ct. 23)
Sex:Lesbian Libras find love in the corner office
this summer. Be sure to lock the door before you
start. Career:Work secretly behind the scenes
BECAUSE
OF THEIR
UNIQUE
SCIMITAR-HORNED
WERE
HUNTED
IF FRIENDS
TO
PROTECT
IN
NATURE,
WE'LL
SEE
HUNTER'S
BARS
AND
FREEDOM
ON
PLEASE
TO
CALL
THE
THE
SPEAK
FEW
THE
UP
REMAINING
ONLY
PLACE
ORYX
IS ON
OR
BEHIND
WALL
HELP
OTHER
NATIVE
203.656.
A
US KEEP
ANIMALS
THEIR
BE A FRIEND
Icurve
EXTINCTION.
DON'T
FRI EN DSOFAN
24
ORYXES
IN A ZOO.
THESE
HORNS,
1522
LANDS.
OR VISIT
I MALS.ORG.
FOR
IN
LIFE.
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
Sex:Life is all fun and games this summer. Play
spin the champagne bottle, guppie. Career:
Stumped in your career progress? Partners have
some sage advice. No, it is not early retirement!
to solidify your corporate standing this summer.
Machiavelli has nothing on you now!
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Sex:You get more action hanging around the house
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Sex:Love is waiting for you on the other side of
Any action has its price tag now, honey. Career:
Lesbian rams pour on the effort at work all through
than being footloose and fancy-free. Did I say"free"
the world. Any excuse to take an exotic, expensive
the summer. Late nights, weekends - lucky you.
vacation! Career:Sapphic Scorps have girlfriends
in high places. Good: You will need to tap into
their influence ... among other things.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex:Don't be shy around lovergrrls. Sapphic bulls
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:You are on fire sexually all through the sum-
have to spell it out to get what they want. Speak
loud, proud and queer. Pack a dictionary, too.
Career:Try to spice up your work environment.
mer. Will you get toasted, grilled, singed or totally
burned? Career:Senior staff take a liking to you.
Do I see a playful flirtation brewing around the
water cooler? Dive in and get wet!
Amazon archers are doing all the right things at
work. Hopefully, it carries over into other aspects of
your life.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Sex:Money is honey, twin. Slather it on and enjoy
Capricorn {Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Sex: Relationships have their spark this summer. If you are on the prowl, try wearing something electrifying. Career:Lambda Caps will
travel for business, but what they do there is no
one else's business.
as all the little bees lick it off you. But watch out
for insects. Career:
Use any excuse co take time off
from work and putter around the house this summer. Do you need an excuse?
For more advice from the stars, visit our astrologer,
Charlene Lichtenstein, online at thestarryeye.com.
<(
a:
:J
CD
a:
0
do you have the
compassionate
gene?
considerthe compassionatecareer.
For some of us the desire to help comes naturally. We try to connect.
We try to give back. We just feel more empathy for other people. At
Cortiva Institute, we call this the "compassionate gene."
As a family of massage therapy schools, we bring compassion right
into the classroom. Its at the core of everything we teach. So you learn
more than massage techniques. You learn how to tap your compassion
so you can put those techniques into practice for the greater good.
And thats the highest education standard of all.
take the cortiva compassion index test.
go to cortiva.com/curveor call 1.866.616.2772
It could be the start of a career that puts your compassion
to work every day.
·-·
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••
••••••••
cortiva institute
Seattle, WA
Tampa, FL Chicago, IL Piscataway, NJ
Boston, MA
Tucson, AZ. Denver, CO
Philadelphia, PA
© 2006 Cortiva Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Cortiva Institute 230 Park Avenue, New York, NY l 0 l 69. Financial aid available for those who qualify.
*
26
GAY
Icurve
GAME
Where to Eat and Drink: T's (5025 N. Clark
St., 773-784-6000)
In Andersonville (aka Chicago's lesbian haven), T's
is the neighborhood hotspot, with great food, big
drinks, a pool table and seating by the fire. But most
girls don't go there for sitting. T's is always buzz,
ing with ladies, especially on nights when they host
events, like weekly L Word parties that have lines
out the door. If you're looking for some great food
and scenery, T's is definitely the place to be.
Where to Meet the Single Girls: ChixMix
(3641 N. Halsted St., circuitchicago.com)
The girls take over Circuit on Friday nights, and
ChixMix Productions goes to all lengths to make
sure it's the best night of the week. Circuit has a
large dance floor, leaving plenty of room near the
posh bars if you're too shy to move to the DJ's mix
of contemporary pop, hip,hop and dance remixes.
And while there are a good amount of couples lin,
gering around Circuit, it's usually a large singles
mixer, especially during Pride. One can only hope
it's as good during the Gay Games.
Where to Take Your Gay Boyfriend:
Hydrate (3458 N. Halsted St., hydrate
chicago.com)
If you have to please both ends of the gay spectrum,
and bring your platonic boyfriend out for the night,
Hydrate is where you'll find the best,mixed crowd
(even if it's still a little boy,heavy.) The music videos
of Kelly Clarkson are reason enough to stay, as well as
getting compliments all night from fabulous gay men.
The drinks are cheap and the dance floor is always hop,
ping, so the only reason not to go is if you're looking for
a quiet evening alone.
Where to Meet a Bookish Gal: Women &
Children First (5233 N. Clark St., women
andchildrenfirst.com)
You can't dance the whole week through, so when you
have some downtime from the partying and sport play,
ing, check out Women & Children First bookstore. It's
got everything from popular chick lit to feminist les,
bian handbooks. Even their magazine selection is on
estrogen overload with publications you might have
never known existed. The ladies who work there are
always willing to give new customers suggestions or aid
them in finding something, so don't be afraid to ask.
Where to Do Some Thrifting: The Brown
Elephant (5228 N. Clark St., 773-549-5943)
2s
Icurve
The Brown Elephant has everything in its three loca,
tions, and all profits are donated to AIDS research.
Thrifting is made easy and fun at the store, where you
can often haggle with the employees. If you're looking
for a couch, a cheap CD, a blender for your hotel room
or a new outfit, the Brown Elephant has it for you, if
you have the money for the cause.
Where to Find Vegan Grub: Chicago Diner
(3411 N. Halsted St., veggiediner.com)
This Chicago Diner is in Boystown, a perfect location
for the meat,conscious attending the Gay Games. The
generous portions of salads and entrees like Thai tofu
not only make it a great place for vegetarians, but for
carnivores as well. Plus, they have a pleasant selection
of organic wines, bottled brews and cocktails.
Where to Get Your Groove On: Outdanced
at Funky Buddha Lounge (728 W. Grand
Ave., funkybuddha.com)
Hailed for its incomparable atmosphere and music,
Funky Buddha Lounge has hosted its own dyke night
each Tuesday for over a year. Recently expanded to
let in the dancing gay boys as well, it's likely to con,
tinue to be a younger crowd, but everyone's welcome
at Funky Buddha.
Where to Go for Insider Info: The Field
Guide to Gay and Lesbian Chicago (lake
claremont.com)
For more information on how to navigate gay Chicago,
pick up this first travel guide for LGBT travelers vis,
icing the Windy City. Written by Kathy Bergquist
and Robert McDonald, two spunky, opinionated
Chicagoans who did their time behind the counters of
two of Chicago's best,known gay bookstores, The Field
Guide includes hundreds of tips on where to find your
own unique gay Chicago. And yes, there are special sec,
tions just for us girls.
To checkout thefull schedulefor the 2006 Gay Games,
visitgaygameschicago.org.
tY\
NEWSWIMSUIT
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GAV
GAME
Lesbian athletes to keep your eyes on this summer.
Conscious
Soden
Age: 41
Sport: Basketball (Team Chicago Pow-Wow)
Day Job: Producer and author from Miami Beach, Fla.
Why She's Hot: Soden, the HIV-positive, lesbian, streetwise author whose book, Getting
Unstuck, inspired a film starring rapper Eve, has been playing b-ball since she was 5. Soden is
also a mom and, in 1999, was the music manager for the Queen Latifah Show. She says that
she's at the Games to show others how to bounce back from enormous obstacles. "Basketball
is my first love, and no matter what I have been through in my life, a good game of ball helped
me through the day .... It's time to give back to society what I've learned."
30
I curve
Martje
Hoekmeijer
Age:26
Sport: Track and Field
Day Job: Professional athlete from the
Netherlands
Why She's Hot: A track and field star who
won second, third and fourth place respectively at the Dutch National Championships
for three years in a row, and set the 2005
Dutch National record in the Swedish
relay, Hoekmeijer is clearly the girl to beat.
Competing for almost 20 years now,
Hoekmeijer now trains six days a week,
overcoming injuries and winning events as
an out lesbian. "This is who I am," she says.
"I did not want to hide it anymore!" Though
she's one of a minority of Gay Games participants who have competed professionally,
Hoekmeijer isn't planning to cut her competitors any slack. "[I'm] going for gold!"
•Gay Games Ambassador Leigh,Ann Naidoo never planned to break down
racial barriers or become a role model for dykes in professional sports. The
29,year,old South African just wanted to play volleyball. The moment
Naidoo first stepped on the court in high school, she knew that the privileges
she had as an athlete were hard,won.
"Growing up, indoor volleyball was played by underprivileged kids in
poor schools, and beach volleyball was predominately a sport for white kids
of privilege;' Naidoo explains. "I was one of the first people of color to move
from playing indoor volleyball to playing beach volleyball, and it was a dif,
ficult transition:'
Naidoo, who made the move to the beach volleyball court in 1997, had to
learn a whole new way of playing the game in which players are involved in
every play and must be strong in all aspects of the sport.
"To be good at beach volleyball, you have to do everything really well;'
Naidoo says. "It was such a physical challenge:'
Naidoo also quickly discovered that transitioning to beach volleyball was
also an emotional challenge, but instead of returning to indoor volleyball, she
was determined to prove herself capable of great success. In 1995, Naidoo
led the South African student volleyball team to the World Student Games
in Japan and went on to become the youngest person on the South African
senior national team at the All Africa Games.
In 2002, Naidoo played on the indoor national team, where she met Julia
Willand. The pair connected on the court and eventually began talking about
playing in the Olympics. They agreed that they had a better chance of sue,
cess pairing up to play beach volleyball, and began exploring the qualification
procedures for the 2004 Olympics in Athens.
"We put together a sponsorship proposal but it was hard for us to muster
up support;' Naidoo says."I depend on sponsorships and the support of athletic
federations, and a lot of times the people in those positions are homophobic. A
sporting career is important to me, but I am not going to try to protect people
from the truth because of what I think their response might be:'
Naidoo and Willand launched their own fundraising campaign and even,
tually connected with an entrepreneur who wanted to support their dream.
"She said, 'I see your passion and I love the way you communicate; I want
to make a financial pledge to support what you are doing;" Naidoo recalls. "It
was like someone saying, 'I believe in your dream:"
The pair played in international competitions in Indonesia, Brazil and
Italy that helped them solidify a place in the 2004 Olympics. Their role as
the first South African beach volleyball team to play in an Olympics earned
Naidoo and Willand a lot of attention. The media frenzy allowed Naidoo,
one of the few out athletes at the Olympic Games, to speak openly about her
commitment to her life partner, Kelly Gillespie, and the gay community.
"Suddenly, we became transformation leaders;' Naidoo says. "We were
the team with the possibility of Olympic success across all barriers - racial,
cultural, sexual preference - it was something we never expected:'
Naidoo and Willand finished 19th at the 2004 Olympics and the life les,
sons that the teammates took away from Athens were as valuable as a gold
medal. Naidoo relocated to Chicago with Gillespie, a student at the University
of Chicago, and is now the first African to be a Gay Games Ambassador.
"The Gay Games are such an amazing event and I think it is important
for me to take on this role as an activist;' she says. "I have always been very
discreet about my personal life, because I have a very particular idea of what a
role model is, but I am coming to learn that being a role model is about being
true to who I
July/ August 2006
I33
•
GAY
GAMES@@@:@.
The Games' dykes. By Jennifer Corday
Described as "a gay softball World Series meets a
March on Washington meets a Pride festival;' the
Gay Games in Chicago is the place to be this summer - and it wouldn't have happened without a
fascinating group of power lesbians.
Tracy Baim, co-vice chair of the Chicago Gay
Games, has been involved since 1999, when the
city first bid to host the 2006 event. A Chicago
native and the publisher of the Windy City Times,
Baim -
who previously founded the Chicago
Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and has
been working in the queer community since 1983
- is one of 15 board members who are making
this amazing world-class event a reality.
"People that come to the Games return to
their community completely changed;' she says. "It
validates you as a human being. Just by being there,
you're a winner. From high-school athletes to professionals like Greg Louganis to an 80-year-old marathoner, we are getting all kinds of participants:•
Unlike the Sydney Gay Games, where only
12 percent of participants were women, Chicago's
lesbian planners are hoping for 40 percent. "Our
target is 40 percent, but of course we'd love to hit
50 percent;' insists Elizabeth Valenti, the director
of operations and finance for the Gay Games. "It's
such a life-changing event. So all the women on the
staff really made it a mission to get more women
to participate this year. The staff is predominantly
composed of women, and all but two senior board
members are women, so I think that really helped.
We decided who we wanted to target early on and
created promotional ads that included women:•
Valenti feels the Women's Sports Association,
"From the design of the medals to the opening
processional and overture to the closing ceremonies, it's all art;' Carter says. 'Tm always paying
a nonprofit organization formed to help girls and
women find their power through sports, has also
attention to lighting, sound, background music,
color and costumes. Those cultural aspects add
helped bring more women out to compete. "It
started 15 years ago and was exclusively designed
the goose bumps to the moment:'
Carter, who also holds a black belt in Tai Kwon
Do, is producing three events, including a cheer
to get more women involved in competitive sports.
There are many more local teams now, and to
them, the Gay Games represents the culminating
event as an athlete:•
It's also a huge event for artists, and that's where
culture director C.C. Carter, a well-known lesbian
spoken-word performer, comes in. The founder of
Performers or Writers for Women on Women's
Issues - aka POW-WOW, the only weekly, lesbian-run, spoken-word venue in the country -
34
Icurve
by Vagina Monologues playwright Eve Ensler.
Carter is one of two U.S. women selected from
around the world to be named a Vagina Warrior
and color guard expedition that will feature more
than 150 groups, a 400-voice choral concert and a
huge symphonic band concert.
Each woman is hoping to show to lesbians
around the globe the joy of the Gay Games - and
the wonder of Chicago. "We've had great cooperation from the city;' Baim says. "The Cubs donated
the use of Wrigley Field for closing ceremonies.
. . . Many people are taking the whole week off
to watch. We're also getting tremendous support
from the Midwest:'
en
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From TV to Chicago, she's everywhere. By Jennifer Corday
Imagine my surprise to find out I've Got a Secret, the new Game Show
Network series featuring an all-gay cast, stars one of my favorite lesbian comics, Suzanne Westenhoefer. This morning Westenhoefer is wide-awake and
full of energy. "I wake up at 6:30 every morning," she boasts. Today she is
dio and the blinds are drawn. We're not allowed to leave and get our own
food. We have security, and the people who go back and forth, like makeup
people and such, are not allowed to speak to us. We don't know squat:'
Hosted by stand-up comedian Bil Dwyer, Secret cast members include
on her way to taping one of the last four episodes of Secret,a recreation of a
popular 1950s game show in which every episode features four panelists who
have 40 seconds each to find out one big secret. The secret has been revealed
to the at-home audience and host, but if the panelists haven't figured out the
secret by the end of the question phase, the guest wins $1,000 and dinner for
two in Beverly Hills.
"For 15 years it was in the top 10,"Westenhoefer explains. "It was created
by the guy who also created To Tell the Truth and Whats My Line?,and they
were all huge, giant successes:'
Paying homage to one of the longest running and most popular game
shows, I've Got a Secrettakes viewers back in time to this same classic panel
show, replete with haute couture, a contemporary theme song and four witty
and comical personalities who will say anything to find out the secrets of their
guests. The secrets (which range from, "I hold the world record for kicking
myself in the head;' to "I went to the prom with Elvis") are usually vetted by
the panelists, but not before the viewers get to enjoy the naughty questions
and sly deductions, with often hilarious results.
Westenhoefer was the last person to join the cast.
"They went around for like six months to a year auditioning cast members,
and halfway through they decided they needed a lesbian. The exec producers
... probably auditioned 1,000 queers until they found the right combination.
To find four people that would get along, have the right chemistry and not
overshadow one another - I think that part was really a challenge:'
The group, laughs Westenhoefer, is pretty isolated.
"The whole panel is sequestered. We're kept 20 yards away from the stu-
ex-major league baseball player Billy Bean, pop-culture aficionado Frank
DeCaro, actor-dancer Jermaine Taylor and our Westenhoefer. Though all the
cast members are gay, the guests don't always know.
"They don't tell the guests one way or another," she explains. "So I had one
celebrity get up after we got the secret and he was kissing me on-camera, and
I thought, 'He doesn't friggin' know!' So I say, 'Can you please stop putting
your tongue down my throat?' And then they turn off the camera, and he's
whisked away, and everyone cracks up thinking, 'Just wait until he finds our:"
Obviously the show should generate a huge gay following, but it's not trying to be exclusive or sensational. "There's no way even queers can make it
controversial;' says Westenhoefer. "It's just a half-hour fun show. Obviously
we're trying to get queers to watch, but I think it will be a mixed audience:'
This season's guests include Corbin Bernsen, George Wendt, Tom Green,
Adam West, Tom Bergeron, Lorenzo Lamas, Jerry Springer and Phyllis
Diller, who was wild on the set, according to Westenhoefer.
"Phyllis Diller walked in and she looked right at me and said, 'Ha! You
have my hair!' You'd think after spending this kind of money, getting my hair
done in Beverly Hills, thinking I'm the shit, all Shaned out, and then Phyllis
Diller walks in and ... fuck, ya know what I mean? It was awesome!"
After taping in Los Angeles, Westenhoefer resumes her busy schedule
touring the country, including a special performance at the Gay Games in
July. This year Westenhoefer is changing up her routine by poking fun at her
new girlfriend, Jennifer.
"We've been together about two years. I went right from one girlfriend to
the other. Being a lesbian, there's no reason for
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Olympian Judith Arndt. By Colleen Lee
Ranked first in the sport in 2004, lesbian cyclist
Judith Arndt helped the German women's cycling
team win the Olympic silver that year. She's a 19time, German bike champion, a two-time overall winner of the Tour de 11\ude and now a Gay
Games ambassador. One of the best in the sport
of cycling, Arndt has had her share of controversy.
People are still talking about her one-fingered gesture to the German Cycling Federation during the
2004 Olympics. (For those in the dark, she flipped
off the GCF while crossing the finish line. Rumor
is she gestured because they refused to give her
girlfriend, Petra Rossner, a place on the German
Olympic team.) Luckily for us, Arndt was candid
about her love of cycling - and women.
Why did you get into cycling?
When I was a kid I did long bike tours with my
parents .... But I wanted to go faster so I got a
race bike. Later, I decided to become a member
of a cycling club, only for fun though. The very
first race, I crashed maybe 500 meters into the
race. I didn't brake fast enough. My first race
on a track, my coach sent me to warm up, but
I was so scared, I didn't move. And then in the
when one part of the couple has never been
race, I just went full on the whole time and
would rather go and sit on the couch, and you
into sports. You cannot go shopping for three
hours after you have trained for five hours. You
are lucky if your girlfriend is still smiling then.
won - accidentally. It was a points race, and I
really had no idea how it worked. I only knew
When did you discover that you and Petra
I had to be fast to not fall down.
both had interest in each other?
What is the most difficult aspect of racing?
Being away from home all the time, I get homesick.
The travel part gets worse as I grow older.
We have been friends since I met her in 1995 at
the world's championship in Colombia. We
have been a couple since 2000.
What are your plans after cycling?
What kind of reception did you receive when
Is there a life after cycling? Raising kids ....
you first went public with your relationship?
You and Petra are thinking of having kids?
Yes, we are.
It was not a big deal .... We both had relationships
with girls before, and everybody knew about it.
It must be easier having Petra around when
Are there many gay women racers?
you are racing.
I don't know. Many people say there are a lot of
Yes, it is nice to have her around. We don't have
gay women racers, but I think it's not more.
much time for each other though, when we
travel, since she is a team director. Actually, her
than everywhere else. Maybe you look gay
when you're racing on a bike and are sweaty.
spare time begins when I have to go to bed.
Maybe when women do sports, they find out
more about their bodies and what they like;
Is it difficult to balance a relationship and
your biking career?
No .... Petra has been a bike rider for 20 years, so
she knows what it is about. She is very helpful
and supportive ... and I try to spend time with
my bike as little as possible, and with her as
much as possible. I guess it's probably difficult
to balance a relationship and a sports career
or they get more self-confidence when they
have strong bodies and win races, and then
they don't have a problem to say they are gay.
Maybe it is because you spend the whole time
with only women and you get to know each
other very well, and then you fall in love with
another
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July/August 2006
I
39
Joan Jett is a rock 'n' roll
feminist and, yes, a lesbian
icon. From her punk rock
beginnings in the mid1970s with teen girl band
the Runaways through her
prolific solo career with her
band the Blackhearts, with
whom she's racked up
nine Top 40 hit singles and
eight platinum and gold
albums, she's been a force
to reckon with. And she
wants you to know she's
still going strong.
Since starting her own independent label in order
to self-release her debut solo album in 1980, which
went on to make her an international star with the
1982 hit"I Love Rock'n'RolI;'JoanJett has sold millions of records worldwide and toured relentlessly,
all the while helming Blackheart Records, now celebrating its 25th anniversary. She's produced scores
of bands, from '80s-era punk rockers the Germs
to '90s riot grrls Bikini Kill to recent garage-punk
discoveries the Eyeliners and the Vacancies. She's
collaborated with everyone from the Sex Pistols
to Peaches; starred in numerous films and television shows; appeared on Broadway in The Rocky
Horror Picture Show; and just recently became a
DJ on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's Little Steven's
Underground Garage Network. There's not really
much Jett hasn'tdone.
Except, of course, talk openly about her sexuality. Even though she allegedly - or at least subtly
- came out in a magazine article in the 1990s and
is often referred to as "openly lesbian'' in the press,
Jett has stated, as recently as this spring, that she
has never publicly issued a statement about her
sexuality. She openly flirts with her lesbian fans at
concerts, sports a "Dykes Rule" sticker on her guitar and even played an intimate gig at this year's
Dinah Shore Weekend, but she still refuses to field
questions on the topic. On the day I called for our
phone interview, her only interest was in talking
about her new 15-track album, Sinner.
Jett does, however, have a history of speaking
her mind via her lyrics, both subtly and overtly,
and Sinner's no different. As with her earliest hit
"Bad Reputation" and many after it, several songs
July/August 2006
I41
on Sinner reveal Jett's thoughts on topics political,
sexual and of the heart. And though much of Sinner
is not technically new -
the bulk of the CD ap,
peared on the 2004 Japanese release Naked, which
has since been remastered or re,recorded - the
vast majority of its material has never been widely
released to a U.S. audience, making it new to the
ears of all but the most diehard fans. Sinner paints
an intriguing picture of the notorious badass who's
still rocking just as steady and hard as she has for
the last 25 years but is also perhaps maturing a bit,
taking some time to reflect on where and who she's
been and turning an eye to the future.
Jett is in the studio finalizing the last tracks on
Sinner when I get her on the phone. Her writing
and producing partner of 25 years, Kenny Laguna,
can be heard crackingjokes in the background.
"It is great;' she says with a laugh, referring to
her relationship with Laguna. "It's like any close
relationship; you go through arguments and stuff.
But I'm also trying to grow up past that stuff. You
gotta remember, we ve both been doing this since we
were teenagers. We're both arrested adolescents:'
It's hard to imagine what the course of rock 'n'
roll history might have been had Jett not decided
as a teenager to pick up a guitar, drop out of school
and form the Runaways. Jett, too, has no idea what
she would have done.
"I can't really even imagine;' she says, thinking
back.'J\fter the Runaways broke up, I briefly enter,
tained the thought of joining the military, because
I was so lost. I was out of it, depressed because my
world just ended. The Runaways meant so much
to me. People were just laughing at it, and saying,
'We told you it wouldn't work: And I just thought,
I need to get my shit together. At least here I'll
get my butt kicked and maybe it'll give me time to
think, and I'll learn a little bit of something. But
then I met Kenny, and we started writing songs,
and my life took a different turn:'
It hasn't been an easy ride, though. Despite
all of her success, Jett's had to battle sexism every
step of the way. "I don't think a lot has changed
in a long time;' she says, reflecting on the state of
the music industry today. Especially for females
starting out, Jett notes, the industry is still a
tough world. "Except a lot of the technology has
changed, which I think may be to the girls' advan,
tage. They can actually get things out there to a
wide audience without a record company now:'
Still, she knows how hard it is. "Girls take a lot
of shit. A girl who is a serious musician who wants
to succeed is a threat. I've been spit on and had shit
thrown at me, just for being a girl. And you can re,
spond in two ways. Some girls say, 'Fuck this shit,
I'm outta here. I don't want to have to deal with
this. It's not worth my self,esteem: And I think
that's 100 percent valid, because it's hard. You just
have to make your own decision on what it is that
you want to do. For me, I had to say, Tm not getting
off this stage. I have just as much right to be on this
stage as you do, and I'm not getting of£"
That right there is the answer to the infamous
question emblazoned on so manyT-shirts:"What
WouldJoanJett Do?"
"I don't really know what to think;' Jett says
about the shirt. 'Tm flattered. I don't really try to
hold myself up as saying, 'Do what I do: What I do
is OK for me, but you have to decide for yourself
what's right for you:•
The conversation turns to her new album,
Sinner, which Jett is excited to talk about. As we go
through the songs track by track, she says something that surprises me, even though I know she's
joking. I think. "Wow, this is like a self-help album!"
It's not exactly what I expected the reigning
queen of rock 'n' roll to say about an album called
Sinner - though, to be fair, she's talking specifically about the song"Turn It Around;' explaining
that it's about one's tendency to lose oneself in
others, especially during relationships. "It's about
getting your shit together, getting back to your
own self' Jett sounds just as surprised as I am to
hear herself talking like a new-age guru.
'Tm in this real sort of process now;• she says,
moving on to describe "Naked:'"! don't know if you
want to call it a spiritual thing or whatever, but I'm
just trying to figure out what it means to be, to exist.
Who am I? What does it mean?"
Aren't we all. And yet, it's strange to hear this
from the same person who wrote - and who still
sings, with just as much conviction as ever - "I
don't give a damn about my reputation;' but this is
clearly where Jett, now in her 40s, is at in her life.
"'Naked; to me, is really about introspection.
And looking at your own sel£ You keep peeling
back the layers. It's about when the denial for your
own self doesn't work anymore. When you can't
fool yourself anymore, and you know when you're
bullshitting people, when it's just too real. You can
apply that to any issue that you're talking about on
a personal level. It's each person's journey, I guess:•
Don't, however, interpret that to mean Sinner
is some woo-woo, navel-gazing, repenting-forpast-bad-behavior kind of confession. Far from
it. Though Jett does get a little Zen-like on some
songs, the same brash, outspoken Joan is there.
Take, for example, "Riddles;' a new, politically
bent collaboration with lesbian superstar producer
Linda Perry. "The state of our country and the way
that we'retalked to, by our government ... everything
is very 1984;' she says, getting audibly riled. "'Clean
air' means that you put shit in the air. 'Healthy forest' means you cut it down and put roads in there.
Everything is such a riddle. What the hell are they
talking about?"
The song ends cheekily with "riddle''-like samples of Donald Rumsfeld and George W. Bush.
It's quite a bold statement. Meanwhile, "Everyone
Knows" is this album's "fuck you" song. "This was
pretty specifically kinda taking the piss outta the
way people are always looking at ya;' Jett explains.
"I wear leather a lot, and I get a lot of weird looks.
People just look at me. Even when I'm not wearing
leather, when I don't have makeup on, when I'm
just regular. It's just really weird sometimes:'
It's hard to consider what being 'Just regular"
means for Jett, but I think that's exactly what she
wants us to realize - that she is.
"Five;' one of four songs on Sinner co~written
with Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna, deals with issues
surrounding her sexuality. The lyrics 'Tm fall~
ing over something/ That I just can't explain ...
You want me to / But I can't define desire" seem
pretty obvious to me. She goes on to ask, "Do you
want me to come out / Ready or not / Do you
want big proof / Is that what you need / Do you
wanna watch me squirm / Do you wanna watch
me bleed?"
"It's about tabloidy sort of press, or just press
that parade as real press but are always just look~
ing for the sensationalism kind of things;' she
explains, stopping short of saying that the song
refers to her sexuality. As usual, listeners will have
to draw their own conclusions.
Jett's inclusion of the Paul Westerberg classic
'J\ndrogynous;' which has long been a staple of
her live sets, offers perhaps the best summary of
her relationship to both gender and sexuality. "I
like what it says;' she explains. "We all have these
qualities - and we're not even talking necessarily
about gender. I don't like to be pinned down:'
There you have it.
There's plenty more sexually provocative mate~
rial on this album - from "Fetish;' an explicit SIM
song from the 1999 album of the same name which
talks of latex, getting off, and having rough sex
within the first verse, to the similarly S/M~vibed
"Kiss on the Lips" and the retro bisexual romp
';\CDC:' a cover of a song by Jett's favorite glitter
rock band, the Sweet. But it's the new, softer, more
contemplative side of Jett that I find most compel~
ling. Maybe I'm showing my age, but if the two
newest compositions, the aforementioned "Riddles"
and her latest collaboration with the Vacancies,
"Change the World;' are any indication, I'd love
to see what an album of all~newJoan Jett material
would sound like.
"By radiating as much light as you can, hope~
fully, you do your bit to change the world;'Jett says,
describing "Change the World:' I can tell she's not
just talking about the song. "We're all in this place
together. We gotta deal with it. We don't own this
46
Icurve
earth. Can we learn to not live hating each other:'
If you can change your own little world in your
head, then maybe you can change the world. That's
really what it's
I
I
In August 2000, thousands of ladies converged on Olympia, Wash., for six
days of workshops, panels and, most importantly, music. With headliners like
Sleater-Kinney, Cat Power, Bratmobile and the Butchies, Ladyfestset the bar
high for ind.iemusic festivals.In the years since, the original spawned many satellite Ladyfests, related in spirit and name to the original; last year, there were 31
Ladyfests held in 15 countries. So far, only one is scheduled in the United States
for 2006: Ladyfest Las Vegas, to be held at the University of.Nevada, Las Vegas,
fromJuly 15-17.
Meanwhile, the underground queer arts festival HomoA GoGowill return to Olympia this year on Aug. 1. "Olympia may be Washington's capital
city, but it's still very much a small town;' says Sara Seinberg, Homo A Go
Go's programming director. ''.And for six days, it's like the whole town turns
pink:' This year's lineup includes indie performers that Homo A Go Go is
known for, like trans rapper Katastrophe and Northwest-based punk band
the Gossip, but look out for some less "underground" names, too. The Indigo
Girls played in 2004, ruffling some punk-rock-or-die feathers, but Seinberg
says that all queer artists have a place at Homo A Go Go.
"There's a way this festival honors what's current and whose shoulders
we're standing on at the same time;' she says. Plus, all proceeds benefit the
Olympia-based Gender Variant Health Project.
the festival that
This year also marks the 11th anniversary of Queerstock,
gives a venue to "queer artists who aren't usually booked at Pride;' according
to organizer Doria Roberts, an indie rocker and spoken-word artist. Since
48
Icurve
1995, when activists took over Judy Garland Park during Philadelphia Pride
and assembled an "impromptu, illegal, community-based festival;' Queerstock
has offered some big names, such as Melissa Ferrick, the Butchies and Pansy
Division. For many years, it was "the little festival that could;' and now many of
the Queerstocks around the country are organized by locals with Roberts' help.
MusicandCultureFestival
will take place
Chicago's 4th annual Estrojam
Sept. 28-30. Featuring shows, parties, workshops and a film festival, Estrojam
focuses on "breaking down the barriers between the stage and the audience;'
according to Executive Director Khyentse James. There are after-parties following most shows, in which the performers mingle with their fans. Emerging
artists are booked alongside big names, and the festival's organizers "pull from
the past to pair legendary performers with newer, hot artists;' James says.
This year's headliners include German legend Nina Hagen and a reunion
of punk superstars Team Dresch. Each year, the festival's organizers choose a
handful of nonprofits to benefit from its proceeds. Audience members were
so moved by speakers from one of last year's recipient organizations, the U.S.
Campaign for Burma, that they threw money on the stage. Those attending
Estrojam should look forward to a lot of friendly partying, James advises.
"There's this family type of atmosphere that you'd find at the Michigan
Womyn's Music Festival, but it also has that edgy, city feel to
Checkout thesefestivals onlineat ladyfest.org,homoagogo.com,
queerstock.organd
estrojam.org.
Within the first few moments of our conversation, I can tell
Rosie Lopez loves her job. And what lesbian music junkie
wouldn't? As the head of marketing for pioneering independent record label Tommy Boy Entertainment, as well as the
co-founder of Tommy Boy's new LGBT imprint, Silver Label,
and the co-producer of the soundtrack CDs for all three seasons of Showtime's The L Word, she's quite the power broker in
the queer music world.
With audible enthusiasm, Lopez recounts the story of how
Silver Label came about as the first full-service, pop LGBT lifestyle label.
"In 2003, I signed the Queer as Folk soundtrack, and in 2004
I signed the L Word soundtrack;' she recalls. ';\t that point, I
said to Victor (Lee, her co-founder at Silver Label, who is also
openly gay], 'Don't you think it makes sense for us to actually
move out on our own and make Silver Label a stand-alone label
that caters to the GLBT audience - but in addition takes the
gay aesthetic and markets it to the masses?"'
Lee, who founded the original Tommy Boy Silver Label in
2000 as a dance music imprint geared toward the circuit party
crowd, agreed. So did Tommy Boy Entertainment CEO and
founder Tom Silverman, an industry maverick long devoted
to "the voice of the street;' as Lopez puts it. They decided to
drop "Tommy Boy" from the label's name in order to give it a
fresh new identity, and Silver Label was born - just in time for
Tommy Boy Entertainment's 25th anniversary.
"The end of last year and this year, our energy has been
really put into developing artists;• Lopez explains, listing out
lesbian Mexican ranchera singer Chavela Vargas and former
Chanticleer vocalist Matt Alber as their first artist releases.
"Chavela has been compared to Billie Holiday - she's very
dramatic;' Lopez gushes. "She's an icon ... something really special. And she's beautiful:'
Many more artist releases are in the development stage, but
Lopez steers my attention back to the Silver Label release of which
she's most proud: The L Word Season3 soundtrack. Working with
music supervisor Natasha Duprey, music supervisor and director Elizabeth Ziff and executive producer Ilene Chaiken, Lopez
has played a very big role in the production of all three L Word
soundtracks, from suggesting music before shooting begins to
adjusting the final track listing once the entire team has heard
her preliminary soundtrack demos after shooting of the season has wrapped.
"I might start with 60 songs;• she says, referring to the amount of music
actually appearing in the episodes of the series as either live performances or
background music. "I start narrowing it down, putting them in order:'
What stays with Lopez most about the process of compiling L Word
soundtrack discs is the entire team's dedication to independent and up-andcoming artists, many of whom are openly gay.
"I giveIlene credit for being brave and loving music so much that she was willing to use her show as a way to help break new artists;• she says."Ilene, Natasha
and Eli~abeth reallyknow our culture, our community. We could use Indigo Girls
so Icurve
or Ani DiFranco, but it reallywouldn't be breaking any boundaries or introducing
anything new. We try to give people something that hopefully is going to make
them want to look into these artists and buy their albums:•
The commitment to breaking new queer artists dovetails nicely with
Silver Label's mission as a lifestyle imprint.
'Tm not just trying to sell to the gay and lesbian audience;' Lopez insists.
'Tm trying to (introduce listeners to] the gay aesthetic, which could be so
many things, anything that has that edge, is ahead of the curve .... It's the
music that we love and listen to. It just makes sense to release these artists and
market them to the masses:•
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Suppose Tegan Rain Quin and Sara Kiersten Quin - the 26-year-old
Canadian twins known to fans as Tegan and Sara - read like a book that
could be neatly divided into chapters. The main one, the really big one, would
be the release of their fourth album, So Jealous, a 2004 award-winner hailed
by music critics everywhere.
In this chapter, one of the hugest bands in the world, the White Stripes,
not only play "Walking With a Ghost;' (arguably the most rocking song of the
Tegan and Sara oeuvre) but also record and release it as a single.
"Initially we heard they were playing it live;' Sara said. "We thought that
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was insane:•
The So Jealous chapter also includes accomplishments like playing
Coachella and Lollapalooza festivals for the first time, a spot on MTV and
famously being cited in Rolling Stone as one of the 50 best albums of 2004.
Yet Tegan and Sara Quin will point out to any journalist lazy enough
to employ the old so-wow-you're-really-hoc-now rubric that such rhetoric
doesn't work on chem. Their career has always been fortuitous. Signed to Neil
Young's label before the age most people's acne clears up, the Alberta-born sisters have toured extensively with bands including the Killers, the Pretenders,
Bryan Adams and Young himsel£
"(We're] building a long story, and we think we have a long way to go;'
says Tegan.
In 2006, the band had a guest spot on Showtime's The L Word and found
themselves on numerous soundtracks including Grey's Anatomy and Veronica
Mars. Next up is the release of their first DVD, It's Not Fun. Don't Do It!
"Over the last two years, we accumulated a lot of footage from touring,"Sara
said. "We started speaking with the label about the possibility of getting somebody we like to record a concert. You know, we wanted to filla couple hours with
stuff that was interesting to people who like us:•It's Not Fun. Don't Do It! includes
a tour documentary shot by Tegan and Sara, a fullconcert, all their music videos
and plenty of bonus commentary.
A mere week after wrapping up an 18-month tour, the duo is back in the
studio, employing their trans-Canadian method of songwriting: Tegan works
in Vancouver, while Sara works in Montreal.
"Our writing processes are really different;' Sara said. "Tegan writes so
fast. She tends to be more straight-ahead or pappier. My songs seem to be
weird. I never think they'll make it onto the album. It's hard to put it into
perspective. The older we get, the better our songwriting gets. I look forward
to recording and getting some more ideas out in the summer:'
July/ August 2006
I51
International singer~songwriter Sarah Bettens has written chart~topping
radio hits (including"Not an Addict;'"Believe'' and 'J\lmost Happy"). She's
had gold and platinum records in Europe. Magazines from Rolling Stone to
Vogue have heralded her work. But after years of success as frontwoman for
the band K's Choice, Bettens was ready for a change. The band, founded by
Bettens and her brother Gert, was beginning to feel like work.
"We both knew we needed something new ... something that would be
exciting again;' she explains. 'J\fter 12 years, there was a hint of routine creep~
ing in, and we wanted to get rid of that:' So Bettens went solo and released
her first record last year.
"It's definitely like starting over;' she says, admitting she's anxious to move
on. "It's part of the excitement, but at some point, you want to move on and
not linger in the back~to~basics:•
That's likely to change with the success of her debut album, Scream. The
record includes the rockin' title track, the jangly lilting love song "Stay;' and
the politically charged "Not Insane:•
"I wrote that song right when I was coming out, and it was right at the
time of gay marriage debates, and Bush and the election, so there was a lot of
stuff to think about;' she explains.
"Not Insane'' is an impassioned attack on small~minded people who can't
accept others who are different - especially queers.
"I feel like this society is so fear~driven and people are so afraid of change
that they can't accept anyone or anything that's different. Basically,this song is
saying,'Hey, you think I'm crazy, but you're the one who's messed up:"
It may surprise fans to hear that the sexy,blue~eyed, Belgium~born tomboy
came out less than five years ago. Prior to that, she was married to a man.
"I just didn't know I was gay. I had my experiments in high school (with
women), but then I fell in love with a man and got married;' she says.
Bettens spent her married years touring with her band before meeting the
woman who would change her life. She's been with her ever since.
"I thought I was fine, until I met my current girlfriend and I realized, I'm
not fine;' she says. "It's funny how one thing in your life can be not right, and
then when it is right, everything else in your life falls into place:•
Bettens is happier performing and touring now that everything has settled
down in her personal life. The gay community immediately embraced her, but
in hindsight, Bettens admits, her fans probably knew all along.
"I think they all knew I was gay before I did. Even before I came out, I had
a strong lesbian fan base. But I'm starting to discover there are more and more
(fans] since I came out, because lesbians like other lesbians' music:'
As a musician, Bettens insists she's only getting better: "I feel I have more
to give ... now that I am not consumed with my own problems and issues. I
have other things to talk
"I just didn't know I was gay. I thought I was fine, until
I met my current girlfriend and I realized, I'm not fine."
52
Icurve
started yelling:' After quelling the confrontation, Blowtorch
aproached Venus and said, "I belong in your band:'
She began dancing with the glam rock group equally
famous for its male-to-female transgender bandmates as for
erotic performances that pushed the boundaries of gender
norms. But beer bottle incidents weren't the end of the altercations. Members have been groped and assaulted, and the band
even receiveddeath threats.
Playing Midwestern towns may have subjected them to
more risk, but Blowtorch claims it's important exposure.
"People are scared of what they don't know;' she states.
"Once people talk to me, they see I'm a nice person:'
Today Blowtorch works behind the scenes of the music
industry, managing various projects, including the Flaming
Film Festival and Venus' burgeoning solo career.
'Tm cursed with a business mind;' she says with a laugh.
"Well, I guess it's a blessing and a curse' Using her networking skills, she's promoting Homocore Minneapolis, a collective not-for-profit that works to attract more queer bands to
perform in Minneapolis, online at myspace.com/homocore.
If they perform in Chicago, even Madison, Blowtorch wants
Shannon Blowtorch, dancer for the now-defunct band All the Pretty Horses,
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is known for her stage presence, sex appeal, metal underwear and tons of
tattoos, including "piss off" inked on the inside of her lip. Complete with a
mohawk and piercings, she has had the same style since she was a queer teen.
Blowtorch got involved with the band at an outdoor concert in Minneapolis,
where she's lived for years. An inebriated woman threw a bottle at lead singer
Venus and Blowtorch stepped in: "Venus took her top off and I guess pissed
off this woman;' Blowtorch recalls, "and I politely asked her to leave. She
them in the Twin Cities, sometimes offering to put bands up in hotels and always
assuring a safe venue for their performance.
She's also involved with a not-for-profit organization that works with
street youth. Kicked out at 15 for being gay, Blowtorch grew up homeless, and
uses her experience to reach out to kids. She encourages them to get involved
with music, even gives them free concert tickets when they're good, knowing
from experience how beneficial music can be to struggling youth.
"Music is the thing that kept me alive for so long; still does to this
"Hervocalssimultaneously
call to mindthe ethereal
toneof PattyGriffinand the grit of LucindaWilliams
..."
·PERFORMING
SONGWRITER
"...everysongon THESOUNDOFYOU& ME
is a mini-masterpiece."
•VINTAGEGUITAR
NEWALBUMIN STORESNOW
Forstreamingmusic,tour datesand more:garrlsonstarr.com
July/ August 2006
I53
Lesbian singer-songwriter Melissa Ferrick first gained notice
as an opening act for Morrissey. Fifteen years and 11 albums
later, she still treats her loyal and growing fan base (dubbed
"Ferrickheads") to supercharged live performances that showcase her mean guitaring and occasional trumpeting alongside
fervent vocals. Besides touring, 35-year-old Ferrick has been
busy recording her upcoming release, Never Give Up, which
will feature guest vocalists Erin McKeown and Tegan and
Sara. Her band includes drummer Allison Miller, who has
played with Natalie Merchant, and keyboardist Julie Wolf,
who played for many years with Ani Difranco and has also
performed with the Indigo Girls and Dar Williams.
The remarkably energetic Ferrick took a few minutes to
talk with us - after seven consecutive nights of performing
and an all-night drive from New York back to her home north
of Boston.
How did you come to do an anti-fur spot for PETA
when you're not a vegetarian?
They came to me, and I didn't want to do it because it felt
hypocritical. But I think the fur industry is disgusting
and, unless you live in the Arctic, I don't get it. They were
down with me just talking about what I felt. I wanted to
be truthful because there are a lot of people who do still
eat steak, hate the fur industry and dig what PETA's doing. It's like the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival: You
don't necessarily agree with all of the political stances but
it doesn't mean you can't be a part of it.
What else have you been up to?
I got to open for Moe again this summer. As a woman whose
audience is mostly queer, to be able to get onstage solo in
front of maybe 1,500 men from the ages of 17 to 25 is just
awesome. When guys who've never seen me before start
hooting and hollering and I get them to sing along, I feel
like I'm still winning fans over from a completely different
walk of life, and that's really inspiring.
What's your audience like now?
The dykes I draw know I want to make this a safe space for
everybody. You gotta be able to fuckin' make out with
your girlfriend in the crowd and not get slapped in the
back of the head. I think the guys that come to my shows
know they should feel as accepted and as comfortable.
It's important to be accepting of a straight couple in my
crowd that wants to grind and drive like the dykes in the
front row.
What new musical terrain do you hope to venture into?
"There are a lot of people who do still eat
steak, hate the fur industry and dig what
PETA's doing."
I would love to do a side project, something electronic. Yaz,
This Mortal Coil, Throwing Muses, Cocteau Twins - an
album like that. I love how the Cocteau Twins had so
many vocals that you couldn't understand. I'd love to make a record with
no words, just vocals - where our voices would be more atmospheric and
convey emotion musically, without words.
Are you still an L Word fan?
Don't tell me anything because I'm behind! I just watched the episode last
54
Icurve
night when Dana dies, and of course she was my favorite character. Bitch
came to the show last night in New York, and it's so awesome that her
girlfriend, Daniela (Sea], is on [the show]. Her character is so important
and she's doing a great job. I only met Daniela once, and I was just stunned
at how beautiful her spirit and her outsides are.
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regrets.
ByPageMcBee
Groovy, sexy, cool. Aggressive acoustic rocker Debi Graham is creating a smooth underground buzz in Salt Lake City, breaking the conventional molds of this largely conservative
Mormon town. Currently involved in several projects - including the promotion of four
national compilations that feature her music, and writing a movie score - Graham is touring this summer with her band to support her upcoming live release.
Sleep With Heat, the third release from the Athens/
Boston/Portland-based outfit Lovers, is a lush and
gorgeous ode to brokenhearted hope. Carolyn
Berk, Lovers' queer head philosopher and lyricist,
offers up a relentlessly brave collection of song
snapshots, exploring the age-old themes of ill-fated
Your drummer, Maria Galiano, totally rocks, and I understand she's your girl-
love and regret-tinged road trips. Lovers' sound
friend. What came first, the relationship or the band?
is dark, symphonic folk-pop that calls to mind the
She is phenomenal! She's been playing since she was 11. Both of us had extreme respect for
one another on a musical level,but we actually really hated each other at first. After we were
in the band together, we started to get along and we became best friends. It's so important
for me to be with someone [who] has passion for something, so to be with someone that
is also passionate about music is awesome. We've only been dating for a couple of months.
We made a vow that if it doesn't work out we will stay together as band mates.
Magnetic Fields, if the Magnetic Fields were led
instead by a warm-voiced troubadour like 27 -yearold Berk, and if they composed music while sitting
around their kitchen table, strung out on heartache
and herbal tea while speaking honestly of ghosts.
Berk has been photographed by Michael Stipe
You have amazing skill on the acoustic. You've been compared to Ani Difranco.
for Jane magazine, and even accompanied Patti
Where did you learn to play?
Smith live. But for all of her straight-world cred,
My mom bought me a pawnshop guitar when I was 11. I took one lesson, but ... I think it's
better to learn on your own, to put your own personal rhythm into the strumming of the
guitar. If somebody teaches you, they are teaching you their rhythm.
Berk's sexuality does play a role in her artistry.
of an outsider, an observer, a critic," she says. "I
"I think that being queer can make you more
So when did you start playing with a band?
also think it can make you a more sensitive and
I joined a band when I was 18, in St. George, Utah, a tiny little Mormon town an hour and a
half east of Vegas. But when I moved to the big city, I realized I wanted to do something
bigger. I had a lot of anger I wanted to get out. I was on my own personal soul quest.
compassionate person."
Tell me about that.
music is striking.
Well, I was going through a lot. You get baptized when you're 8 years old, when you have no
idea what the hell you're doing. And if you don't live by [the church's] rules they excommunicate you. I didn't really know what was up until I moved to a bigger city. Once I
was away from that small town, when I wasn't in their grips anymore, I realized I was an
adult. And I realized I had a lot to say.
Compassion is one of Berk's fortes. Lyrically and
emotionally, Berk's nakedly honest approach to
"I once had a girl at a show tell me that our first
album, Starlit Sunken Ship, had literally saved her
life. She'd been suicidal and somehow found comfort in that record. That was pretty overwhelming."
Though it may appear that Lovers is all peace
What's the gay scene like in Utah?
and, well, love, Berk doesn't want you to get the
Well, there isn't a huge one here, there are only two lesbian bars and we have a residency at
wrong idea.
one of them. But the lesbian community is really,really loyal; they are great, and it's pretty
impressive. The LOS (Latter Day Saints] don't drink or smoke, so they don't go to the bars
"I think anger is OK, but for a long time I didn't
want to make any song that had anything mean in
to support local music. And whenever you have that type of oppression, you have that 180-
it." On Sleep With Heat, that's changed. "Now I'm
degree backlash. So we all stick together in a way that I haven't experienced in other cities,
just trying to let myself be whoever I am and not
like (Los Angeles]. The lesbian community is pretty tight. Here, everybody knows every
worry about it."
single person. When I go to the local bar, people just want to drink some beer, have a good
time. In L.A., people seem more focused on trying to hook up.
Lovers can be found online at loverstheband.com.
July/ August 2006
I55
-----------------.
-.
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It's a Rap
At10,JenRO
wasalready
a
rapper.
Today
she'sa lesbian
rap
superstar.
ByJennifer
Corday
When she was just 10 years old and at
summer camp, JenRO (nee Jennifer Robles)
performed a rap about raccoons and hating
her cabin leader, which didn't go over so well
with the camp counselors.
"They physically pulled me off the stage
and put me in detention, even though the
kids were loving it." This experience was the
beginning of a life-long journey for JenRO to
express herself.
At 17, the Salvadorian-Filipino JenRO
starred in the documentary Rebel Girls, which
was based on one of her raps; today she's
an established rap artist who stars in the
queerhop/rap doc Pick Up the Mic and has
performed everywhere from the Philippines to
San Quentin State Penitentiary. Her first full-
"If I am not playing live somewhere, I am sad;' says Los Angeles~based out lesbian singer~songwriter
Sean Wiggins, who played more than 200 live gigs last year - "andloved every minute of it:'
The hardworking, 30~something guitarist and vocalist offers a fresh mix of country, folk, rock and
blues that often garners comparisons to Janis Joplin, Melissa Etheridge and Dusty Springfield. "I like to
write more wordy stuff but sing it with a more soulful approach;' she says of her style.
Born in New York, Wiggins was lead vocalist in her high~school jazz band, which included jazz
length album, Unreleased and Uncensored,
Volume 1, was an underground queer hit, and
great Chick Coreas kids. By the time she was 17, she was recording in Coreas studio. After a brief
her follow-up will be released this month.
JenRO - who got the nickname in high
tive rock scene in Los Angeles, taking turns in various metal, punk and funk bands on her way to
school - came out when she was 13 years
old and her mother discovered a flyer that
catered to queer youth in San Francisco. "I
stint at UCLA to study music, she worked her way up from New York cabarets to the competi~
solidifying her own, more acoustic~roots style. Her fourth and latest self~releasedalbum, EverydayLife
(recorded, she says, along with some great Nashville musicians), showcases 13 beautifully produced roots~
country tunes, including the hook~filled, country~rocking"BusinessAsUsual;' which will no doubt garner
feel very lucky. My older brother is gay, and
her comparisons to Mary Chapin Carpenter due to the song'splayful pop~friendliness.
he came out to her eight years before that, so
I got it a little easier."
ing about how hard it can be to pursue your dreams and to live the life you want to live;' she explains.
As JenRO got older she was always told
that girls should never rap. Even now, free-
ment that says,go out and breathe,notice the beauty around you, and go back and start again:'
style-rap competitions are still tough.
"Right away I get rhymes like 'bitch, suck
done pretty well on her own, getting airplay on SIRIUS Satellite Radio's OutQ as well as various
b
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my dick,' and they're going to call me a dyke,
whether they know it or not."
other Internet and indie radio outlets in the United States, Europe and Japan. Her songs can also be
heard on the soundtrack to the lesbian short film Gillery'sLittle Secret,starring Annabeth Gish, and
w
JenRO not only holds her own but often
wins the competition, raising a few eyebrows
and changing attitudes about girls and rap.
"They got to give me my propers. They talk
smack before the competition, but after it's
over they don't really say
56
I curve
The inspirational title track sums up Wiggins' personal philosophy on life. "Basically,_Iam talk~
"Sometimes it feels likeit isn't worth it, or sometimes it seems impossible. The tune is just a simple state~
Though a lack of cash for promotion is Wiggins' biggest hurdle as an independent artist, she's
on the gay marriage~themed CD compilation Fromthe Heart.
And aside from appearances at major Pride celebrations around the country this year, including
New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, Wiggins hopes to tour the U.S. this fall. "My everyday life is just
making music and loving it no matter how much money is coming in:'
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For more on Sean Wiggins, visit seanwiggins.com.
@
Curvemag.com
Exclusive
interviews
withEllis,
JenFoster,
Marsha
Stevens,
Maia
Sharp,
TinaScheleski
andmore.
Sarah Dougher is a serious multi,tasker. While simultaneously holding down her former full,time job
as a news editor at Portland, Oregon's LGBT paper Just Out as well as teaching courses like the History
of Women in Rock to students at Portland State University and serving as an instructor at the Rock 'n'
Roll Camp for Girls, the former Crabs, the Lookers, and Cadallaca member somehow found the time
last year to finally self,release her three,years,in,the,making concept album Harper's Arrow on her own
new, independent queer,feminist record and art label, Cherchez La Femme. All this after two trying
years battling breast cancer that, after surgery and treatment, went into remission in 2005.
In the mold of Dougher's previous record label, the infamous Mr. Lady - which was founded in
the mid,1990s by Kaia Wilson of the Butchies and Wilson's then,girlfriend, video artist Tammy Rae
Carland, and went defunct in 2004 - Cherchez La Femme (a French idiom which loosely translates
to "look for the woman'' or "find a woman'') was formed to continue the work of spotlighting the
underground music and art of women and queers.
"I felt like the cultural void that the end of Mr. Lady left for my community was sort of signifi,
cant;' she says."The processes of creating community around art can and needs to still happen around
feminist and queer politics. That was sort of my hope for the label:'
Dougher says Cherchez La Femme is not as full,service as its predecessor: "It's definitely in the
same kind of spirit, yet it's very different in terms of the power behind it ... because I have to juggle
it along with all these other [jobs];' she admits, adding that Cherchez La Femme will be more about
helping artists empower themselves. "I have a lot of advice and a lot of contacts that I can give to
people, but I can't do their work for them. I want to help them figure out how they can work with
integrity, and encourage them, because I got a lot of encouragement when I was young, and I feel like
it's important to be that to other people:'
Though Dougher is at the helm of this new label project, she doesn't feel like it's solely her baby.
"What I'm trying to do is motivate people to tell me about their visions, so that we can incorpo,
rate all these things we re interested
in seeing in the world:'
It's an ambitious project, to be
sure. But so far, Dougher seems on
track. Beyond her own Harper's
Arrow - an indie folk,rock literary
concept album that uses Homer's
Odyssey as a metaphor to explore
her thoughts on war and violence which was the label's debut release
last year, Dougher put out Bay Area
trans hip,hop king Katastrophes
sophomore album, Fault, Lies, and
Faultlines, to much critical acclaim
last fall, and more recently released
a solo EP from Erase Errata guitar,
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ist Sarah Jaffe. Future plans include a
new album from Portland band the
Swallows, and possibly a collection
from Olympia, Wash., electro,hop
band Romanteek.
"It feels like I'll never have
enough time to do all the things
I want to do with [Cherchez La
Femme), but then we sort of inch
forward;' Dougher laughs.
Contemporary Christian music went into an
uproar when Marsha Stevens (above right,
with her partner) came out. Now she runs a
record label and a music training program for
musicians in ministry to the LGBT community.
Interview by Susan Calhoun
Minneapolis-based, Texas-born musician and
dyke heartthrob Ellis is a fixture at Michigan
Womyn's Music Festival, with adoring lesbian
fans everywhere, thanks in part to her latest
album, Evidence of Joy. Interview by Margaret
Coble
With her Underdogs album earning almost
universal praise, Jen Foster is music's new
"it" girl, but that status didn't come easy.
"I had to go into rehab in 2004, and once I
made the decision to stop drinking and focus
on my personal life, all of the distractions fell
away and I started getting my career going,"
she explains. Interview by Jennifer Corday
Musician Maia Sharp is on a roll. Her songs
are recorded by everyone from the Dixie
Chicks and Cher to Bonnie Raitt and Trisha
Yearwood (and she makes appearances on
Yearwood's last two albums as well). "Bonnie
Raitt was, in a word, unbelievable." Interview
by Aimsel Ponti
PLUS: Beth Schwartzapfel talks about her
experience at Portland's Ladies' Rock Camp,
Jennifer Corday helps you join Sarah Bettens'
hot Scream Team, and Zoe Gemelli talks to
Tina Scheleski.
July/ August 2006
I57
Often compared to the iconoclastic piano pop of Tori Amos or the feminist folk of Ani Difranco, New
York-based, bisexual singer-songwriter Rachael Sage is one of those genre-hopping artists whose sound
is hard to describe. The multitalented songstress - musician, dancer, poet, visual artist - recently selfreleased her second solo album, The Blistering Sun, a 15-track set about vision, clarity and facing life head
on, on her own indie label, MPress.
Big,BigLove
Talking
trashwithfatactivist
andbluesbabeCandye
Kane.
Westbrook
ByRenee
She's a combinationof Bette Midleron acid
and a black drag queentrapped in a white
woman's body. But she sure can sing. San
Diego Music Award winner Candye Kane is
back with a new CD, White TrashGirl,which •
complements her tradition of naughtybig-girl
power with songs like "EstrogenBomb" and
"MasturbationBlues."
What's your favorite cut on White Trash?
How do you describe what you do?
I think my music is on the art side of the spectrum. I don't really think it's as much folk or rock as much as it's
defined by my sensibility as a visual artist. I think I'm painting with music. The people who've informed
what I do are people who really mix a lot of metaphors. That's why I call it art pop or chamber pop.
Are there other artists on your label MPress, or is it mostly for your own pursuits?
We're just starting to sign other artists; this compilation that we just did is our first non-me effort.
Tell us about that.
We did a compilation to raise funds for hurricane relief and recovery. It's called New Arrivals Volume
One. It's a series of new, emerging artists. It was already in the works when Hurricane Katrina happened, and immediately we decided that that's what we should do with it.
Where does the title of your new album, The Blistering Sun, come from?
It's a lyric in the song"Surprise;' ... (which] I wrote for my sister's wedding.
What is that song, and this album, about?
That duality, that constant flip side to every aspect of our lives, (from] moment to moment, or in the
larger sense, in our relationships ... that as difficult or challenging as it gets, on a different day, you flip
that around, and the enormous power we have to change ourselves, our own lives, our world ... it's
still there. It's all how you look at it, your attitude about it. I struggle myself with my own motivation,
my own lack of will to stay positive. But I know that, through music, I'm able to hold
My favorite cut is "What Happened to the
Girl:' It's different from everything else on
the album, and my 17-year-old son wrote
the main idea of the song.
Why is "white trash" positive?
I'm all about desensitizing the words. Let's take
the word "pussy;' for instance. "Pussy" gets
a bad rap. I think pussy is the most sacred,
holy thing we have. We all owe our lives to a
pussy somewhere.
Was it hard to move beyond your past?
It was hard to leave porn at first, because there
were some wonderfully empowering things
about it that made my life better. I got to fly
on an airplane for the first time, and I realized that I was bisexual and I love women.
Mainstream lesbians view bisexuality as a
fence in sexual-orientation land.
w
Sometimes people have a need to put labels on
things and to categorize each other. I think all
people are basically bisexual. But hey, maybe
I really am a dyke waiting to come out.
::i:
What's the best thing about being a plussize woman?
The best part about being a big woman is when
I write a blog and get tons of fat women
who write back and tell me about their experiences.
58
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Myanna Pontoppidan has been playingjazz saxophone for over 30 years. Having studied with drum leg,
end Max Roach, she later played with 1970s Northampton lesbian band Lilith, 1980s female band Girls
Night Out, and since the early 1990s, her own quartet, as well as the Boston,based Love Dogs. Though
she's garnered much critical praise for being a pioneering female jazz player, few have ever picked up on
the fact that she's been an out lesbian for her entire career. Her most recent self,produced album, One
Never Knows, Do One?, is a funky jazz journey that blows her male contemporaries out of the water.
"This is Sage the
storytellerin her
primeandfolk
at it's finest."
- VENUS
*
Did being an out lesbian ever affect your musical career?
(Not] that I know about. I think just being a woman has had a much greater impact - both positive
and negative. Sometimes I probably get more attention just for being female, and at other times I'm
too easily dismissed.
Did you ever think, when you were first starting out, that what you were doing was pioneering?
No, I was just doing what came naturally to me. I never felt a pull to do anything but music.
Did you have any female role models, in terms of instrumentalists, who inspired you?
I'm afraid not. I listened to a lot of great sax players: Sonny Rollins, Dexter Gordon, Illinois Jacquet,
Cannonball Adderley. But apart from the occasional Mary Lou Williams or Marian McPartland
track, they were all men. The best female role model I had was my mother, who was an amazing artist
and still managed to do a fine job raising three children.
*
& AT RAPIO NOii/!
What do you hope listeners "get" from hearing your music?
I hope that people find it enjoyable to listen to - and possibly dance to - and that they hear the emo,
tion coming through the music. When I play, I always try to give it my all - to get in touch with the
inner me and release it through the music. To me, chat is the essence of being an artist. The technique
is just the means to that end.
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July/ August 2006
I59
HeavyMetalMaven
There's
moretoJadaPinkett
Smiththanherfamous
husband.
Westbrook
ByRenee
It's been a busy year for Jada Pinkett Smith
and Wicked Wisdom. They released a selftitled debut album, toured with headliner
Sevendust and even managed to suNive
Ozzfest. Wisdom's amalgamation of melodic
hard rock, speed and funk metal is suprisingly
good - and so is the front woman. No one
thought the Matrix Revolutionsco-star could
deliver the goods.
Why did you want to front a metal band?
I've always loved heavy rock, and the music we
created just has metal influences in it. I wasn't
really in search of making a metal band. I just
made the music that I like.
How was Ozzfest?
The first week~and~a~halfwas really rough. Then
as we became more confident about what we
were doing and what was going on, the whole
vibe of Ozzfest started to change. You still have
people out there dealing with racial issues, but
they're not the majority.
What's your favorite lyric you've written?
Maybe "set me free" would be the most meaning~
ful line, because it's indicative of the whole idea
of this project, which is setting ourselves free
from the parameters that people create for us.
Who is Jada Koren?
Koren is my middle name. That voice that you're
hearing on that CD, that's Jada Koren.
What does singing metal music do for you
that acting doesn't?
It gives me a place where Jada can explore herself,
whereas in acting, I'm playing a character. I can
explore more of the bad witch as well as the
good witch, because they both live.... for me
to stay balanced and sane, I need a place where
that bad witch can live and not be judged.
60
Icurve
If Lenny Kravitz were a female rocker in his early career, his music would probably sound like Sistas
in the Pit. Their current release, The Missing Piece,showcases everything from bass~heavy grunge
funk ("Black Girl" and "Liar") to rootsy acoustic ("Open'') and nouveau blues ("Walkin Cane"). A
recent opening act for Macy Gray, Kofy Brown (bass), leela Grant (drums) and Anita "Pa" Lofton
(guitar) boast their own brand of rock 'n' roll: sexy rock, black~girl style. The San Francisco~area
power trio took time out of a Sunday afternoon rehearsal to chat.
Why don't some people get the black rock thing?
Brown: Because they associate black people with funk and soul, and they don't associate us with rock
music. But we re going to change that.
Who are the band's major influences?
Lofton: The Stones, the Who, Tool, Prince, Grace Jones, Tina Turner and Stevie Wonder.
Are your audiences primarily gay or straight?
Brown: It's a mixture. I think were kind of getting a reputation as a rockin' band, so you've got all
sorts there.
Is there a difference between straight and lesbian audiences?
Lofton: Our audiences are human. We get love from everybody. We really haven't noticed
a difference.
What's the hardest thing about being an all-female, black rock band?
Grant: People aren't really used to seeing all~black, female rock bands, so it's kind of a showstopper
anyway. But we come out rocking hard, and I think they end up getting turned on and excited
because it's a fresh and new kind of thing for them.
Do you think The L Word needs a little more chocolate in its sundae?
Grant: We actually got our CD to Ilene Chaiken, and were waiting to hear from her.
When it comes to gay marriage, is the U.S. ahead or behind the times?
Brown: Behind the times. If you look at other countries, like the Netherlands or even Canada, they're
a lot more progressive than we are.
Do you consider George W. Bush a sinner or saint?
Lofton: Satan.
Grant: He has completely derailed the United States of America, and he is using our constitutional
rights as toilet paper in the Oval Office. He can kiss my ass.
What's next for you ladies?
Brown: We were invited to SXSW [South by Southwest) this year. Were very happy about
u'i
en
Ir
::s
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1n
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er
LU
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LU
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LU
SoNiA, the outspoken front,woman for the pro,
what's changed is that it's become more main,
gressive folk rock band Disappear Fear is such a
larger,than,life person that one interview can't
stream (to be critical of the United States].
I can speak as an American to the sentiment
of most of the people around me, which is
against the war in Iraq. And to certainly ex,
plore and use as much alternative energy as
we can, you know, moving away from oil and
contain her. Her exclusive - about music, rape,
politics and lesbians - is on curvemag.com, but
we couldn't resist printing a few outtakes here.
Has the reception you get as a U.S. citizen
z
0
(/)
z
u..
0
0
big cars that use lots of petroleum.
traveling in the rest of the world changed at
Has the world changed in its perception of
all in the past few years?
you as a queer performer since you got your
Absolutely. Not that I was traveling ever when
the U.S. wasn't in some sort of military con,
flict, because I didn't really start touring inter,
nationally until the end of the '90s. I think
what's happened is, while in the 1990s the
anti,American feeling might have just been in
more progressive movements in Australia and
other Western countries where the negativity
towards Americans was more just towards
American policy in terms of our gluttonous
outlook about using oil and other resources
- we use 30 percent of the world's resources
and that's a lot, consider we're something like
5 percent of the world's population - but
start in 1987?
(Being lesbian] is much more mainstream than it's
ever been. But I think it's like anything, it's like
it's a seed that's become this huge tree. There
were just, like, seeds in different places. And
it provides a much stronger, louder voice. You
know, when I was a vegetarian back in high
school, I just wanted everyone to be a vegetar,
ian, because I knew that eating cows took up 60
percent more land than it did to grow soy That's the same reason I'm a vegetarian!
Yeah, and I wanted everyone to be. I was pretty
judgmental if you weren't one. But that's defi,
nitely changed for me. Again, I think that it's
t:IIIIES
IIM:IIOIJEll#Yi'!
~W1J11ll
ONLY
onL-wonl.com
IMllt:TION
better to eat less meat if at all. But I mean, if
you want to, I feel that I don't want to say,"You
should never eat meat:' I feel like there's room
for everything in the world. I feel ... eventu,
ally, the world will be a place where humans
won't eat meat, because it's just kind of silly
and primitive. But at the same time, sometimes
it's good - this is going to sound barbaric
- to indulge. But my point is, most of all, (it's
important] to allow people to figure it out for
themselves and not just make my authority
... a prison for them. That they can't choose
for themselves.
thellife.com
Thehottest,
fastest
growing
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hangoutonline!
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July/August 2006
I61
Reviews
Sapphic Screen
Lesbians Behind the Lens
Films, by and about lesbians, you may have missed.
IBy Diane Anderson~Minshall
EDITOR'S
PICK
The Joy of Life
(Frameline):
Thirty-seven
minutesinto
JenniOlson'snontraditionalfilm TheJoyof Lite
(available
July25 onDVD),
SanFrancisco's
Golden
GateBridgeappears
asthe
film'snarrator,
performance
artistHarriet"Harry"Dodge,
says,"Morethan1,300
peoplehaveendedtheir
livesbyjumpingoffof this
monumental
structure.
My
friendMarkwasoneof
them."It wasalmost10
yearsearlierthatMarkFinch,
formerartisticdirectorof the
SanFrancisco
International
Lesbian
andGayFilm
Festival,
committed
suicide.
In TheJoyof Life,Olson
Lesbian films are always feast or famine, with a new batch of origexamines
SanFrancisco
with
a magnifying
glass,showing inals hitting the festival circuit (and sometimes DVD shelves)
buildings,
streetcorners each summer. This year a few must-see flicks may have been overandotherdetailsin a light
looked even though a lesbian auteur was behind the lens.
thatmanylikelyhavenever
seenbefore.Lingering,
static
Loving Annabelle (Loving Annabelle Pictures)
shotsforcecontemplation
as
onelistensto thediary-like In an era when teens are hypersexualized by Abercrombie
detailsof thenarrator's ads and 12-year-old girls can buy cartoon-clad thong panties
pastloveaffairs.Midway
at Wal-Mart, it's hard to imagine that a contemporary retellthroughthefilm,anecdotes
ing of the 1931 German lesbian classic Maedchen in Uniform
aboutbutchidentity,
sex,
dating,intimacy
andgender could be as compelling - or as titillating - as its predecessor.
rolesgivewayto a history But Loving Annabelle,a lively and thought-provoking feature
of suicidebarriersonthe
debut by hotshot TV director Katherine Brooks (who also
bridge.
Thetransition
is
co-created The Complex,the best lesbian series you never saw)
somewhat
abrupt,butwhat
is indeed compelling.
holdsit alltogetheristhe
Slickly produced with production costs matching a
presence
of SanFrancisco
in nearlyeveryframeof film.
Hollywood blockbuster, Loving is the controversial story of
IntheyearsinceTheJoyof
Simone (played with palpable repression by Diane Gaidry, who
Lifepremiered
at the2005
has a slight resemblance - physically and in method - to
Sundance
FilmFestival,
theGolden
GateBridge Felicity Huffman), a Catholic boarding school poetry teacher
who is courted by a new rebellious and charismatic female stuboardof directors
votedto
spend$2 millionto explore dent, Annabelle.
theinstallation
of a barrier.
Erin Kelly, the actor who plays Annabelle, is more than a
Olson's
filmandtherevelapromising actor - she's a ready-for-prime time player whom
tionthatanother
filmmaker
captured
19 peoplejumping I can already imagine taking roles from Evan Rachel Wood.
to theirdeathsin 2004were She plays Annabelle with a wonderfully willful sophistication
instrumental
in theirdecision. that lets us suspend our concern, momentarily, about the fact
Ooyoflifemovie.com)that this is essentially a story about an adult having sex with a
-Amy Silverman
minor. The religious isolation of the boarding school coupled
62
I
curve
with Simone's claustrophobic sense of physical repression actually make us root for the two women to get together (the same
way TV news viewers feel for Mary Kay Letourneau) without
giving thought to the moral complexities of their relationship. It's no surprise that it won the Audience Choice Award
at the Melbourne Gay and Lesbian Film Festival this spring.
(lovingannabelle.com)
Black Aura on an Angel (Blue Butterfly)
Feature films about African-American lesbians are so rare that
it's hard not to be thrilled at the news of one. Thankfully, Black
Aura on an Angel is worthy of that attention. A dramatic thriller about how mental illness affects a relationship, Black Aura
is based on a true story that inspired director Faith T rimmel
in Atlanta years ago. A modern jill-of-all-trades, Trimmel, as
the film's writer, director, producer, film editor, music supervisor and co-star, easily brings the best performance to the film.
While lesbian filmmakers shudder at portraying psycho dykes
and bizarre bisexuals, Black Aura shows us why violence and
the use of archetypes can sometimes be necessary, even engaging, and while indie production values and the heavy subject
matter may keep some lesbians away, I promise it's worthy of
your time. (blackauraonanangel.com)
Cake (Lions Gate)
Indian-American director Nisha Ganatra was a lesbian superstar when her dyke insemination flick Chutney Popcorncame
out. Her follow-up, the even more polished and delightful
Lesbians Behind the Lens continued on page 71
OTHER PICKS
Strangers With Candy
Swain(theKnickscheerleader
whom
(Thinkfilm):
AmySedaris
hitthe
youmightrecallfromMissyElliottand
silverscreen
thissummer
withthis
Madonna
videos),
Abdulgoesthrough
long-anticipated
prequel
tothehit
manycheerpositions
andjumps,and
Comedy
Central
series,
in which
throwsin someawesome
abworkas
47-year-old
bisexual
boozer,
userand
well.Whydoyoucare?C-h-e-e-r-1-eloserJerriBlankheadshometofind
a-d-e+s!(dnastudio.com)
Daddy
in a coma.Determined
tocure
him,shereturns
to highschool
to battle Pornography: A Secret
theperilsof adolescence.
Muchof
History of Civilization (Koch
theoriginal
castresurfaces,
including
Fenton
Vision):Fromgayproducers
Jerri'scloseted
gayteachers,
Chuck
BaileyandRandyBarbato(Party
Noblet
(Stephen
Colbert)
andGeoffrey Monster,
comes
InsideDeepThroat)
Jellineck
(PaulDinello).
MariaThayer
thissix-part,two-DVD
miniseries
reprises
coppertop
Tammi
Littlenut,
aboutthehistoryof titillation,from
onwhomJerridropstheline,"What's
explicitartifactsin Pompeii
to the
up,Red?Carpet
matchthedrapes?"
pornochicmovement
of the '?Os
Cameos
include
Matthew
Broderick,
to thedigitalageof pornotopia
(the
SarahJessica
Parker,
PhilipSeymour
latterfeaturesinterview
withformer
Hoffman
andAllison
Janney.
Modeled
OnOurBackseditorLisaPalac).
onafter-school
specials,
Strangers
With (kochvision.com)
presents
realteenage
problems
Candy
withcomically
obscene
resolutions.
In
thisfilm,Jerrilearns
themeaning
of
friendship,
winsthestatescience
fair,
savesherfatherand,ultimately,
sets
thegymonfire.(thinkfilmcompany.com)
- Winnie
McCray
Imagine Me & You (Fox
PiperPerabo.
Lesbian
Searchlight):
love- onDVD,noless.Dykeybonus
features.
Whatmoredoyouneed?
(imaginemeandyou.
com)
The Prizewinner of Defiance,
Lesbian
author
Ohio (Dreamworks):
Terry"Tuff"Ryan'sheart-tugging
book
abouthermom(played
byJulianne
Moore),
a womanwhosupports
1Okids
inthe'50sbywritingjinglesandwinningprizes,is nowonDVD.Directed
bylesbian
auteurJaneAnderson
(The
TruthAboutJane)- whoprovides
commentary
in thebonusfeatures
Aeon Flux: Special
- thefilmeschews
sapin favorof
Collector's Edition
sympathetic
realism.
Ryanmakesan
(Paramount):
Director
KarynKusama
appearance
neartheendof thefilmas
(ofGir/fightfame)
knowswhatlesbians
well.(dreamworks.com)
likein a DVD:rebelchicksandCharlize
Theron
in a catsuit.Castasideyour
Cardio Cheer (DNAStudio):
to theoriginalMTVseries,
PaulaAbdul,theformerLakerscheer- attachment
andenjoyliveAeon.(paramount.com/
leaderwhois nowthequeenof nice
homeentertainmen0
onAmerican
Idol,hascreated
a new
fitnesssensation
- a comboof highenergycheerleading
anddancefitness Beautiful Daughters (Logo):
Thisenchanting,
moving,
original
- whichyoucannowlearnwiththis
Logodocumentary
followsanallfive-DVD
boxset.Withthehelpof a
transgender
castperforming
a special
fewothercheermasters,
including
the
of EveEnsler's
L.A.Clippers'
Lindsay
Rosenberg
(who V-Daypresentation
award-winning
Vagina
Monologues.
choreographs
competition
routines
for
(logoonline.com)
- DAM
deafcheerleading
squads)
andTraci
Ligy J. Pullappally
I
DIRECTOR AND ACTIVIST
I
After writing and directing her first stage play at 13, Ligy J.Pullappally went on to
attend law school, maintain a successful law practice for seven years and make two
short films. In 2002, she won the Sunshine Peace Award for her work on domestic
violence cases; the money allowed her to bring art and activism together by devoting
herself full time to writing and directing TheJourney,a heartwarming film about two
young female lovers in the conservative Indian state of Kerala. - JanelM. Lynch
You wrote and directed a play when you were only 13. Is filmmaking
something you were always interested in?
No, actually, writing was something that I was always interested in, and
the stage play was just another way to achieve expression of my writing ....
Making (the short film) was just another way to see my writing in action, and
that's how I stumbled into film.
What inspired you to leave your law career in Chicago and move to India
to make The Journey?
There is something of an epidemic of lesbian suicides in the south Indian
state of Kerala. I wondered, what skills did I haver It's not like I could take
my skills as a lawyer and go to India and do something as an attorney. But I
did have this experience in making two short films and writing and directing
stage plays. So, I thought maybe I can make a positive media representation
of young gay people, and that would serve to break some of the isolation.
Has the film been shown in India? What kind of response has it received
in that country?
It has been really critically acclaimed in India. It won an award for India's best
debut director, and that was a huge honor.
Did you face difficulties attempting to make a lesbian-themed film
in India?
I instructed my entire cast and my crew that if anybody approached them with
a question as to what kind of film are you making, they were just to say this is a
family drama ... and so we managed to have our production schedule uninter~
rupted, thankfully. At a couple of the screenings, there (were) ... people heckling
and shouting and trying to stop the film from being screened, but if you see the
film, you'll see that it is simply a love story. I didn't make a film for shock value,I
made a film to relate a tale of true love,and that is all.
July/August 2006 j 63
Reviews
In the Stacks
Keeping It Real
I
A lesbian journalist spends a year living as a man. By Rachel Pepper
Somewhere between the genres of investigative journalism
and memoir lies the terrain of the book-length magazine feature. Both Self-MadeMan, in which lesbian journalist Norah
Vincent passes as a man for more than a year, and Give It Up,
a memoir of a year in which a woman gives up all her vices, fall
into this category. A bit more dense than paperback romances,
a bit less intellectual than New Yorkerarticles, these are books
you won't feel embarrassed about bringing on your next lesbian
beach trip.
EDITOR'S
PICK
Self-Made Man: One Woman's
Journey Into Manhood and Back
StrangePieceof Paradise, Again, Norah Vincent (Viking)
TerriJentz(Farrar,
Straus
The idea of "passing" is not a new concept
& Giroux):
Ina yearwhen
to lesbians. Far from being a journalistic
Brokeback
Mountain
gotall
theattention
thatCapote whim, most passing is done out of necesdeserved,
another
true-crime sity. If you dig carefully, history is full of
writeris worthyof accolades. accounts of women who, because of need
TerriJentz'sownreturnto
or personal ambitio~, chose to live as men.
theAmerican
West(namely,
Two
such examples in more recent times
a smalltownnearBend,
Ore.)to investigate
anattack have been the jazz musician Billie Tipton
20 yearspriorthatalmost and the novelist and doctor Alan Hart.
killedherandblindedher
But these gals didn't have the luxury or
friendShayna
makesfora
motivation of journalist Norah Vincent,
brilliant,rivetingandcompellingpieceof drama.
That who was driven by a book contract to live
Jentzstartsto understand as her alter ego, Ned, for 18 months.
herrelationship
withShayna
During this time, aided by a change of outfit, some gluedonlyaftertheyarebrutallyaton facial hair, new glasses, and voice lessons to deepen her
tackedbya manwithanaxe
speech, Vincent was able to pass easily as a man. She joined
anda pickuptruckmakesfor
a bookthatis easilycoded a men's bowling league, lived in a monastery, participated in a
men's movement group, and worked as a salesman for a testosaslesbian,
butwithoutthe
ideological
absolutism
that
terone-driven direct marketing company. In her most titillating
comesfrombeinga "gay task, she fulfilled the fantasy of many lesbians: dating straight
book."Moreover,
it leaves
women. Her experiences are compellingly detailed in the enyoureading
withbreathless
wonder,
curiousasto exactly lightening - and frustrating - chapter "Love:' Bringing a fewhen,whereandhowJentz male perspective to dating other women while in drag, Vincent
willfindherself- andher
also reveals the advantage of being a true chameleon. She is a
attacker.
(fsgbooks.com) lesbian and already dates women, but usually only other dykes,
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
and never in the gender-stereotypical and limiting way of mainstream heterosexuality. "Love" will make you squirm, and most
64
Icurve
lesbian readers will feel definite relief at being queer.
"It's a wonder that men and women ever get together;•
Vincent writes. "Their signals, by necessity, are crossed, their
behaviors at cross-purposes from the start. I was beginning to
feel happier and happier than ever to be a dyke:• As Ned, she
dated several women, whom she met primarily online. Several
of these women - all identifying as straight - even made
the decision to become more intimately involved with Vincent
after she revealed she was a woman. This led her to wonder,
"Is an attraction real if it is attached to something illusory?
Perhaps Ned was an object lesson in that principle, or at least
in lust, if not love:'
Over the course of her time as Ned, Vincent also developed a keen empathy for straight men, especially for having to
continually field potential rejection by women. "Dating women
as a man was a lesson in female power, and it made me, of
all things, a momentary misogynist. I saw my own sex from
the other side, and I disliked women irrationally for a while
because of it:' This viewpoint, that men have it rougher
than we think because women actually
hold all the power, is a problematic one.
While empathy for men is certainly a
natural byproduct of living as one, Vincent
negates the history of women's oppression by not taking into account the reasons that straight women, much more
so than lesbians, feel they must use their
"female charms" to control men. What
Vincent doesn't see is that given the
extreme rigidity of sex roles, most of which
women did not create, men have left women
no recourse but to manipulate them.
Although I found Vincent's book engaging, well-written and definitely insightful
about what it's like to be a man, I was disappointed by her conclusion - that men have
it a lot rougher than we women can ever
know. As if to prove her
own point, Vincent had
a small breakdown as her
life as Ned came to a close,
writing that "in the end I
paid a higher emotional
price for my circumstantial deceptions than any
to Live Better
of my subjects did:' This
with Less
may be true, and one does
admire her strength both
in passing so successfully
(no one ever fully comprehended she was a woman
until she told them) and in writing so passionately about it. But
will this book actually help the sexes understand each other better, or help spur the changes necessary to help both women and
men lead more fulfilling, less gender-restricted lives? Or will
Vincent's account prove mere passing interest for gawkers? That,
dear readers, still remains to be seen. (us.penguingroup.com)
ive It Up!
Give It Up: My Year of Learning to Live Better With
Less, Mary Carlomagno (William Morrow)
It's the middle of the year. Do you know where your resolutions
Keeping It Real continued on page 71
PAGE TURNERS
BeautyQueen:
HereSheComes,
ElissaStein(Chronicle
Books):
Asthe1986MissAppleBlossom
Princess,
I can'thelpbutlovethis
witty,wholesome
butsnarkylittlebook.
Including
beautypageants
bigand
small,BeautyQueen
celebrates
the
glitzandgloryof pageants
throughout
theageswithmorethan100vintage
photos.
Chapters
onfashion,
bathing
suitsandcongeniality
arepacked
with
insiderinfo,triviaandsecretsto winningthecrown.(chroniclebooks.com)
Judy
Francesconi
Worldof Women,
CarolCaine(Cleis
Press):Fromthepublishers
ofAnn
I PHOTOGRAPHER I
Bannon's
classiclesbianpulpBeebo
Brinkerseries,comesthisundiscoveredlesbianpulpclassic.
AsfreeSensual. Sweet. Tender. Provocative. Fine-art photographer Judy
spiritKatprowlstheshadowy
world
Francesconi has captured women on film for more than 15 years.
of dykedom
hersexualrestlessness
Best known for her classical, erotic calendars and lithographs (like
intensifies,
butbackat homeshe's
her image above), she has also self-published two books. Let's peek
usingblackmail
andseduction
to win
herapartment
backfroma newtenant. inside her beautiful mind. - Carol Bryant
(cleispress.com)
How would you describe your work?
WildWomen
andBooks:
Each of my photographs portrays love between women in a
Bibllophlles,Bluestockings,and
positive,
emotional, affirming, sensual way.
ProlificPens,BrendaKnight
Is it true that Ann-Margret tapped into the erotic lens of
(ConariPress):
A foreword
by
Ntozake
Shange
kicksoffthisslightly
Judy Francesconi?
incomplete
butwell-intentioned
celThere has never been anything remotely erotic between me
ebration
of revered
andradicalwomen
and Ann-Margret, unfortunately! She is, however, the reason
writers,bothhistorical
andcontemI am a photographer.
porary.
Withmorethan100women
profiled,
fromAnneRiceto ZoraNeale What do you say to your nude models before a shoot?
Hurston,
it's a niceintroto femalebook
I usually show them a picture or sketch so they know what
lovers.(redwheelweiser.
com)
I want, then I teasingly get right to the point: "Off with your
TheBurningTime,RobinMorgan
(MelvilleHouse):If youonlyknow
RobinMorganastheeditorbehind
Sisterhood
Is Powerful
andMs.
magazine,
it's timeto pickupone
of herworksfromrecentyears.Her
latest,TheBurningTime,is drawn
fromactualcourtrecordsof thefirst
witchcrafttrialin Irelandandthefight
of noblewoman
LadyAlyceKyteler.
(mhpbooks.
com)
TheGoodParts:EroticPoetry
. forWomen,
S.Valentine
King
(Outskirts
Press):Richlytextured
andteasinglyseductive,
TheGood
Partsis a tantalizing
lesbianliterary
aphrodisiac
of sexypoetry.
- Diane
(valentineking.blogspot.com)
Anderson-Minshall
clothes and down on your knees, please!" [Laughs.]
Are you living some of your fantasies vicariously through
the lens?
I am actually shy and quiet, very much the artist. My Women
With Women series began after a devastating breakup. My
unfulfilled fantasy at the time was to have that undeniable connection again. I am happy to say that has since been fulfilled.
Do you connect with the notoriety and attention?
No. I am often surprised at the reactions I receive and [feel]
fortunate my work touches so many.
What is the typical sort of feedback you receive?
Most important are the simple thank-yous for giving people
the sense of freedom to be who they are and to love who they
love; seeing themselves reflected in my work is monumental.
Where do you get ideas for your works?
Many ways. I saw William Wegman's alphabet of dogs on
Sesame Street. Three of my favorite works, "Hearts;' "Pride;'
and "Womyn;' are inspired by that.
Are you finding more mainstream acceptance of your work?
Yes;however, the acceptance level is not nearly enough despite
more recent portrayal of lesbians such as in The L Word.
For more on Francesconi,visit her online at judyfrancesconi.com.
July/ August 2006
I65
Reviews
Music Watch
New Discoveries
Nicky Click, Rose Melbergand DianaJones. I By Margaret Coble
After 15 years of writing about music, I get
really excited when something new, well,
genuinely excites me. Believe me: It doesn't
happen all that often. So even though Diana
Jones and Rose Melberg are not new to the
music industry, they are new to me - and
probably to many of you -
and I can't stop
playing their albums. And Nicky Click,
well, she just puts a smile on my face.
You're Already a Member, Nicky
Click (Crunks Not Dead)
EDITOR'S
PICK
Nicky Click is a part of a collective of
underground electro,hop artists - along
with frequent collaborators Scream Club
- based in Olympia, Wash., who have
PirateRadio,
The
begun a new, queer, indie record label
Pretenders
(Rhino):
called Crunks Not Dead. Also a DJ, film,
American
expatChrissie
maker, multimedia artist and community
HyndeformedthePretenders
in Londonin thelate1970s, organizer, Click identifies as a femme and
andtheentirehistoryof the
a feminist. Though her music career is a
rockin'quartetis playedout
fairly new endeavor, begun with a used
in thisimpressive,
careerdrum machine a little more than a year
spanning,
four-disc-andago, her ascent has been swift, culminating
one-DVD
boxset.Including
in an opening slot last winter for Lady Sovereign in Europe.
81 songsand19videos,
the
five-hour
setincludes
British Click has just returned from a spring American tour with
TVperformances
(witha
Scream Club, and her debut album has just been released.
muchyounger
butstilltough
It's filled with electro,synchpop jams that are at once silly,
Hynde)
andunreleased
conrighteous, disarming and totally entertaining. From the femi,
certrecordings.
Thebestpart
nist
"Don't Call Me Baby" to the femme,on,femme roller,
- besides
beingbothlulled
andagitatedbyHynde's skating love ditty"Two Femme Girls" and the sex,as,exercise
show-stopping
lyricismand
ode "I Wanna Excercise" (sic), Click's ironic, droning voice is
- isthe
gutturalinformality
hypnotic - before you know it, you'll be singing and dancing
band'scoverof Morrissey's
"EveryDayIsLikeSunday," along. Catch Click live if you have the chance; the memory of
whichoriginally
appeared her flitting around the stage in hl:!r stripy leotard always lifts
ontheBoysontheSide my spirits. (nickyclick.com,crunksnotdead.com)
soundtrack.
(rhino.com)
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
Cast Away the Clouds,
(Double Agent)
Rose Melberg
Some might recognize Rose Melberg's name from her many
former indie and punk rock projects that stretch back as far as
1992, including Tiger Trap, the Softies, Go Sailor and Gaze.
From her straight,outta,high,school beginnings in the early '90s
indie pop scene to her first solo album, Portola,in 1998 and her
last Softies recording in 2001, Melberg has been a prolific and
poetic songwriter with an angelic voice and a personal, confes,
sional lyrical style. For the past five years she's been on hiatus,
having taken time out to start a family in a small Canadian
lakeside town. Cast Away the Clouds is a welcome and trium,
66 Icurve
phant return. It's hypnotic, moody and introspective in a way
I haven't experienced since my late '80s days of obsessively
listening to Tracey Thorn and Ben Watt's early solo albums.
The lead,off track, "Take Some Time;' is classic Softies mellow,
acoustic,guitar,and,piano fare, while cuts like "Irene" venture to
be a little more up,tempo via bouncy piano work. The entire
album definitely fits into the sad and melancholy category, but
it's still a joy to listen to from beginning to end. I dare you not to
become addicted to this. (doubleagentrecords.com/rose)
My Remembrance
Song Recordings)
Hands,down,
of You, Diana Jones (New
chis is one of my favorite new bluegrass and
Americana albums in a long time. Diana Jones has a distinc,
tive, somewhat muted alto voice, and her music blends folk
and roots influences with a pop sheen that makes it acces,
sible to all without watering it down. Her lyrics cover themes
everyone can relate to - love, loss and redemption - and
while it's not necessarily obvious from reading them, Jones is
an out lesbian. She has built a solid following on the folk and
women's music festival circuits ( this August she'll be at the
Michigan Womyn's Music Festival), and with this release,
she's sure to garner more attention from critics, public radio
and television. Every song's a winner here, but check out the
lead,off, "Pretty Girl;' which shares the sexual abuse story of
one of Jones' friends, and "Pony," a poignant tale about the
injustices suffered by Native children at the hands of the
U.S. government in the 1800s, on which Ferron sings har,
mony. Just beautiful. (dianajonesmusic.com)
OTHER LICKS
ColourtheSmallOne,Sia
(Astralwerks):
Knownfor herwork
withchilloutbandZero7 andher
SixFeetUnderhit"Breathe
Me,"the
Australian-born
singerservesa 16-cut
sophomore
discof lush,down-tempo
pop.(astralwerks.com)
Reintarnation,
k.d.lang(Rhino):
An
excellent
early-hits
collection
featuring
20 songsranging
fromhercow-punk
beginnings
in '83 to hercontributions
to EvenCowgirls
GettheBluesin '93
- plusthepreviously
unreleased
"Changed
MyMind."(rhino.com)
Wed-Rock:
A BenefitforFreedom
toMarry,VariousArtists(Centaur):
Produced
byJohnCameron
Mitchell,
thisentertaining
liverecording
of
theone-night-only
benefitforthe
organization
Freedom
to Marryfeatures
memorable
performances
byLeTigre,
Margaret
Cho,Sandra
Bernhard,
Sleater-Kinney,
AlanCumming
and
more.(centaurmusic.com)
By day, singer-songwriter Ashleigh Flynn works as a development
director for a nonprofit that runs a gay youth resource center. But
by night she is an active musician and has recently released her third
album, Live at MississippiStudios,a collaboration with queer band
Sneakin' Out. This spring you can catch her on tour from Texas to
Boston (and places in between) or in her residency at Pianos in New
York City. - Kathy Belge
I really like the song "Devil's Pass." What is it about?
That song is based on the character Shed from a book by
Tom Spanbauer, The Man Who Fellin Love With the Moon.
Ir takes place in the frontier era of America. It's such a beautiful, colorful love story. Of course, it ends tragically. I loved the
book so much. It was one of the easiest songs to write.
Where do you normally get your inspiration?
You only have three minutes to say something [in a song). It
might as well be the stuff oflegend. The song"Chokecherry" is
also from a book, Toni Morrison's Beloved.A freed slave [has)
a set of scars from the lashings that she got. Ir's in the shape of
a chokecherry tree. That, to me, was the most poignant image.
The reason that I get into those stories is because I feel we
Thunderbird,
Cassandra
Wilson
(BlueNote):Working
withrockerturned-producer
T BoneBurnett,
the
dusky-throated
divadelivers
a totally
newandengaging
soundthat'sa more
postmodern
expression
of rootsmusic
thanherusualretrojazz-blues
flavor.
(cassandrawilson.
com)
Other Licks continued on page 71
need to bear witness. We've got all these stories in our history.
We live cushy lives, us kids over here in the U.S.A.
Do you feel like that's what you do? Tell stories?
Yeah. It's about stories. Sometimes it's more ethereal than
a sequence of events. Sometimes it's more dreamy. When I
think oflove songs, it can be for whomever. It can be for whoever'sin love or heartbroken; it doesn't matter if you're gay or
you're straight or queer or trans or genderqueer.
What do you hope for?
Experience the historic
April 2002 live solo show at
Carnegie Hall, featuring
the first NYCperformance
of the epic poem"self evident."
Ani delivers a must-have recording
to the listening
world.
For more info, visit us
at www.righteousbabe.com
I don't want to be on a big label, but I want to have some business support behind me [that's) songwriter- and very queerfriendly. Is there a label like that? I want to be out playing
music at least half the year. And I want to play on the Olivia
Cruise lines.
July/August 2006
I67
Reviews Tech Girl
Head for the Woods
Lesbian camping must--haves. I By MalindaLo
It's that time of year again: camping season. Like many a lesbian camper, you may already
have a storage unit full of fabulous gear to make your camping experience the best it can be.
But why rest on your laurels - or your gear from last year? Whether you're taking your
backpack on the trails or driving your RV to the Michigan woods, here are some nifty gadgets to make your outdoor experience even better than last time.
A Tool for All Seasons
Be prepared for anything with the nifty
Leatherman
JuiceXE6,a metallic purple
multitool that includes a straight-edged knife,
corkscrew and bottle opener. It's also fitted with a
serrated knife (for cutting rope) and a mean-looking
saw (for cutting down small trees to fashion a splint
for your friend who twisted her ankle while hauling all
your luxury camping gear to your campsite). If you're looking for something a little more butch, check out the Leatherman
Wave,a stainless steel stunner with a 3-inch blade and two different
wire cutters for, well, more serious"work:' ($96 and up, leatherman.com)
Clockwise from above: The Coleman Camping
Coffeemaker, the Leatherman Juice XE6, the Vortex
Hand Crank Blender and the Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp will make camping sweet this summer.
Coffee's On
If you can't live without your morning caffeine fix, Coleman's
Camping
Coffeemaker
will save you from yet
another badly brewed cup of campfire coffee.It works just like your drip coffee maker at home, but instead
of using electricity to heat the water, you place it over one burner of a two-burner camp stove. Because it
brews up to 10 cups of coffee, it's ideal for large camping groups, and as long as you're driving into your
campsite and plan to stay there for a while (can you say,"Michigan''?), the breakable glass carafe won't be
much of a problem. ($39.99, coleman.com)
Light up the Night
Hiking through the dark is much easier with the PetzlTikkaXP Headlamp,
a hands-free light source
that uses new LED technology to deliver 80 percent brighter light than earlier models and lasts for 20
percent longer (up to 120 hours) without an increase in battery consumption (it requires three AAA
batteries). It has three different lighting levels as well as an emergency blinking mode, can be angled
up or down, and is worn on a soft, comfortable elastic strap. What's even cooler is that it comes with a
transparent, wide-angle lens, available in red, blue, green and clear, which you can slide over the bulb to
see more of what's ahead of you. ($32.95, ems.com)
Not Your Mama's Spork
Adventure-sports enthusiasts can't go wrong with gadgets from T.A.D.Gear,a boutique operation that
creates cool tools for your inner Lara Croft. For lightweight utensils you can pack up in a snap, try their
titanium (that's right, titanium) spork, which folds up and fits neatly in your pocket, or the aluminumand-hardwood, retractable Snowpeak Travel Chopsticks. For minimalists who still appreciate a hot beverage at the end of the trail, the sleek, perforated, stainless steel Hot Beverage Infuser allows you to steep
loose tea or coffee grounds in the wild. ($3.95 and up, tadgear.com)
Blend up a Party
If you're looking to throw a party in the woods - or anywhere without electricity (tailgate parties come to
HandCrankBlender
enables you to make your
mind) - this is a gadget for you. The hand-powered Vortex
68
Icurve
own frozen margaritas or smoothies in the great outdoors. The sturdy base comes with a C-clamp that stabilizes it against a picnic table (or, with a handy attachment, your rear bumper), and a powerful gear system
and ergonomic handle allow you to blend at high and low speeds. Plus, the pitcher is made of Lexan plastic,
so you can throw it in the trunk without worries of breakage. ($69.95, gsioutdoors.com)
VictoriaA. Brownworth Politics
Don't Be Stupid, Girls
Pink shows us how to protest the celebrity--obsessed status quo.
I
love protest songs; I always have. I grew up
in the 1960s listening to my parents' music:
Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Phil Ochs - and no
one does a protest song like Phil Ochs. While
my classmates were singing songs by Herman's
Hermits or the Supremes, I was singing songs of
revolution. But one doesn't hear too many pro,
test songs these days.
In the 1970s, women's music produced a
few good protest songs, and in the 1980s there
were punk protest songs. The 1990s intro,
duced some rap and hip,hop with a political
edge. But the era of the protest song - the
1960s - seems truly a thing of the past.
So of course I was tickled, well, pink, when
I saw the video for "Stupid Girls;' the latest hit
from pop music's bad white chick, Pink. The
song takes on the trend of girls who are pur,
posefully stupid. As Pink noted with disgust
in an interview with Oprah back in April, 'J\.nd
now it's cool to have a sex tape. Are you kidding
met She was referring to Paris Hilton and other celebrities - and the young
girls copying their antics - whose sexual exploits have been videotaped and
broadcast across the Internet.
Pink's hot little protest tune is about girls following the wrong role models
- the Hilton sisters instead 0£ say,the Blackwell sisters. (Elizabeth Blackwell
was the first woman doctor in the United States, and her sister Emily, also a
doctor, opened the first clinic for women.)
In "Stupid Girls;' Pink sings: "What happened to the dreams of a girl
president / She's dancing in the video next to 50 Cent / They travel in packs
of two or three / With their itsy bitsy doggies and their teeny,weeny tees /
Where, oh where, have the smart people gonet
Dylan would have asserted that the answer is blowing in the wind, but the
answer is as close as the nearest TV. It's celebrity that every girl now strives
for. Not the celebrity of smartness - no one wants to be Oprah (inexplicably,
as she is undeniably the most powerful woman in America and creates real
change wherever she goes) - but rather the celebrity of absolute, dumb,as,
a,box,of,rocks stupidity: a ghastly mix of bulimia of the body and anorexia
of the mind.
As one daughter of the last generation of American women who didn't
really have choices, I realize the mothers of my generation were themselves
"stupid girls:' Whether they were smart or not, they deferred to men. To do
otherwise simply wasn't acceptable. Eleanor Roosevelt, for example, might
have been a powerhouse, but she was a wife and a first lady, not a president.
My generation changed all that. We were the ones who, in the 1970s,
uncovered our hidden heritage, bringing to light the women who did things,
the female success stories through the ages. As a 20,year,old history major,
then as a women's studies major, I discovered many women I had never heard
0£ All the role models I had been denied as a girl were finally revealed to
me. I hadn't known about the Blackwell sisters or their good friend, Alice
Hamilton, another doctor, who brought attention not only to women's health
concerns, but also to workplace health dangers.
Hamilton pioneered OSHA, the occupational
safety branch of the U.S. government that
oversees safety on the job.
Nor did I know about Jane Addams, a
Nobel Prize winner, co,founder of the ACLU,
peace activist and founder of the social work
movement in America: arguably the most im,
portant woman of the 20th century. Nor did I
know about all the women writers and artists
who were just as good as men. Nor about the
scientists and explorers or the whole panoply
of girls who were not stupid.
That revelation came decades ago, but only
after a childhood spent as a little girl with big
dreams but no role models for achieving them.
Those role models are everywhere now. But
do little girls know about them any better than
I did when I was a girl? They've read about
Fantasia (the American Idol star, not the clas,
sic animated film), Raven, Tyra Banks and fill,
in,the,blank movie stars, but do they know about Addams or the Blackwell
sisters? Do they know which countries have female heads of state? Do they
know how many women are in the Senate? Do they know how many women
have won the Nobel Prize? Do they know that they can be something other
than a rock singer or a video whore?
Pink's acid protest song says no - they only know what they see on TV,
they only do what they're told by TV. Pink points out the dangers for girls
who chase the elusive and illusory celebrity lifestyle. There are physical tolls
to pay for a perfect body: "Oh my God you guys, I totally had more that 300
calories / That was so not sexy, no / Good one, can I borrow that? (Vomits] I
will be skinny:' And if a girl gets that perfect body, then there are other prices
to pay: "Pretty will you fuck me girl, silly as a lucky girl / Pull my head and
suck it girl, stupid girl:'
The protest songs I grew up on were about the need to change the danger,
ous, violent, racist world. Pink's protest song is a direct descendant of tracks
by Dylan, Baez and the rest. She calls girls out for buying into the wrong
dream. Fame might be something to strive for, but glitzy clothes, lots of bling
and screwing anyone who asks is not a dream but a nightmare. The real
dreams, Pink tells girls, are ones that emphasize your brain and your acumen,
not your looks and your clothes.
We've gotten complacent all these years without protest songs. Women
got complacent too, thinking the work of feminism was complete because
girls could do whatever they wanted. But will they? Our girls are in trouble,
whether they're queer, straight or in between, and only other women can res,
cue them. If you know a girl under 18, make sure she knows how varied her
options are. She can be queer or straight, bi or trans, she doesn't have to be
stick,thin, she can be smart. Deflect her attention away from the celebrity
chase. Remind her that she can be president of a Fortune 500 company or
of the United States. And remember: The world is full of stupid men. So we
really don't need stupid
July/ August 2006
I69
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
It'sOK
for Now
One night in the hyperprocessy life of a dyke with a whole lotta drama.
Y
ou're staring at the phone with a tear,stained
face again. It's time to have a talk with your,
self. You're the one who hung up on her.
Well, you actually hung up on her several
times tonight, and then called her back. You tried
to call her back again, but this time, she left her
phone off the hook. How could she?
You could go over there. But she gets really
mad when you knock on her door in the middle
of the night after you two have had a fight. You tell
yourself that it's not really the middle of the night;
it's only 11 p.m. What if her roommate answers?
Her roomie was really nice a couple of weeks ago
when you went over there and inadvertently woke
her up. She even told you not to worry about it
and that everybody has drama.
However, she looked a little less understand,
ing last Saturday when you woke her up. She
looked tired and pissed, but even so, she said it
was OK. Your girlfriend had to go on and on
that night about how inconsiderate you are, even
though her roommate said it was no big deal. She
probably kept her roommate awake with all that
preaching.
You had better not go over there tonight.
Keep trying the phone to see if she puts it
back in the cradle. She won't pick up her cell; the
ringer's off for sure. And even if it isn't, she'll see
your number and ignore the call. You could use
your roommate's phone. Your girl has fallen for that
before. She's not likely to fall for it again. You could
go down the street and use the pay phone at the
Laundromat, but it's raining. Every junkie and
drunk in the neighborhood will be in that place
stinking it up and looking for somebody to hassle
or rob. Although, it might be worth it if she does
answer. In fact, she may be so worried about you that she'll forget all the trouble
exhausted. Don't you think it should be a little easier than all this? Make some
you two have had and insist on picking you up. Letting her rescue you might
save this miserable night.
tea and go to sleep. You don't even drink tea. Who cares? Just grab that teabag
out of your junk drawer. That teabag came with the apartment. If you are going
Yeah, maybe it will be like that night you two were arguing in your car by
the club. She got mad, got out and started walking home. But she called a few
minutes later because some guy in a Camaro started following her and tried
to get her to get in his car. You swooped in like Wonder Woman and saved the
to keep seeing this woman, you are going to have to stock up on herbal tea. They
have all kinds of formulas to cure everything from bunions to crotch rot. There
must be one made for coping with late,night relationship drama.
day. The creep in the Camaro was gone, and your girl was too scared to give
you grief. You two went to her place, ate cereal and had great sex.
The Laundromat sounds like the plan. Better put on some sexy under,
wear just in case.
An hour wasted at the Suds and Duds. You risked getting a disease from
the public phone receiver only to have her cell go straight to voice mail, and her
land line is still off the hook. Maybe you should just go to bed. It's almost 1 a.m.
You are exhausted. Ever since you have been with this woman, you have been
70
Icurve
Fine, you made tea and you still can't sleep. No wonder: It smells like you
poured boiling water in your junk drawer.
You could text her. Text messaging is the best thing to happen to drama
since self,help books. Text messaging is good because it takes a while to peck
out what you want to say. Each letter takes effort, and creating a sentence is
like a project. Sentences come out too fast when you are talking on the phone.
The faster you talk, the more you say what you don't mean.
So what are you texting? An apology? But you weren't wrong. You always
apologize. This whole relationship has been one long apology from you. She
a:
w
ti
w
a:
w
z
a:
w
I
always has that smug look on her face when she gets an apology. You won't have
Calm down. That was a sign. It is almost 2 a.m., and you have to be up in
to see that smug look if you text her, but an apology still doesn't feel right.
Text her the truth: "tired of fighting:' No, that sounds too much like a
five hours for work. Go to bed.
Even if you make up tonight, it will mean more heartbreak tomorrow. You
breakup message. Remember when you sent her "I can't do this anymore"?
two are not compatible. What is it about this sick dynamic that keeps you
She didn't call for days because she thought you had broken up with her. The
coming back for more? Just what is your limit? Do you have one? You are not
15 anymore. You can't make her jealous by sitting next to somebody else in
truth is, you did hope she'd think you were breaking up with her when you
sent that message, but you hadn't banked on her taking the news so well. You
ended up apologizing to her smug little mug then, too. She has all the power
in this relationship. It isn't healthy. You are always crying or complaining, and
she is always lecturing and analyzing. Don't you wish that just once, she would
call you hysterical and tearful, and you could be the cold and critical one?
E-mail her - no, IM her. She's always on the computer after you have
an argument. Instant message her while she's surfing. You two do a lot better
on the computer than you do on the phone. After that big fight you had on
Halloween, you two IMed for three hours.
You cannot IM for three hours tonight; you have to go to work in the
morning. Just log on to see if she is logged on. Yep, there's her smiley face;
she's logged on. Probably going to the dyke dating sites again. You're never
enough for her; that's part of the problem. She says you are, but then why is
she always on those sites?
study hall. You don't have time for games. Everybody you know is in a stable
relationship.
What is wrong with you, anyway?
A cell phone text message is the only option now. "I can't sleep:' Good.
Send that one. Why isn't she responding? You need a drink. She hates it when
you use liquor to solve your problems. Well then, she shouldn't cause them.
It's been five minutes. Take a hint: She is ignoring you. It's too late to go
over there. You have become an obsessive wreck of a lesbian. This desperate
and empty feeling is what you need to remember the next time you go back
for more with her.
There are worse things than being alone, and this relationship is proof of
that. You weren't lonely before you started seeing her.
Yes,you were. You must have been. Why else would you put up with a situation like this? You have to get strong and stay strong. Tonight you will stop the
keep an eye on that smiley and figure out what to write to her. Maybe a quote
or a cute knock-knock joke. Or forget clever; just say "hi:'
madness. If it is finally over, then be relieved. Now, will you please go to bed?
What is that noise?
Your phone. You have a new message. It's from her. Don't read it. Her text
Her smiley has gone gray! You must have scared her off. She saw your
smiley and ran. You took too friggin' long to make contact. Now she's gone,
says that she can't sleep either. Serves her right.
And she's coming over.
No need to be anxious. Perhaps you should check your e-mail first. Just
you idiot. Try the phone again. It's busy.
Yippie!
Lesbians Behind the Lens continued from page 62
Other Licks continued from page 67
Cake, got nary a nod. Perhaps that's because lesbians dis-
daughter to edit his bridal magazine, Wedding Bells.In a
missed it as straight girl stuff best left to sorority chicks
and women who like Lifetime movies. But they're wrong.
straight reading of Tassie Cameron's script, this is a simple
romantic comedy where we actually root for the feminist
Cake follows Heather Graham as Pippa, a feminist, free-
to find the joy oflove (and men). But it's not that simple;
in Ganatra's hands, Cake isn't a run-of-the-mill romantic
spirited travel writer who is surrounded by independent
women friends (notably Greys Anatomy's Sandra Oh and
Scrubs'Sara Chalke) and estranged from her publishing
magnate father (think William Randolph Hearst). When
Pippa's papa is hospitalized, he asks his anti-marriage
comedy but rather a genuinely funny, feminist send-up of
the genre. Stereotypes are turned on their heads, and the
Pursuitof Happiness!
Arthurloves
Plastic(MachineHeart):From
chill-lounge
to houseto techno,
anothersuperb,self-released
electronic
delightfromD.C.-based,
outlesbian,producer-remixer-DJ
Bev
com)
Stanton.(arthurlovesplastic.
moral of the story isn't necessarily about a women's desires
at all. (lionsgate.com)
Keeping It Real continued from page 64
went? If it's time to check back into your program of self-
side our:' Her month reading the works of poets such as
improvement, some inspiration can be found in Give It
Up. Each month for one year, Mary Carlomagno made a
vow to choose one of her favorite vices, give it up, then
chronicle her life's changes as a result. It would become, she
wrote, her"year to live with less:'
Stressed out, overscheduled, overwhelmed by clutter, addicted to her cell phone and drinks after work, she
Walt Whitman, Christina Rossetti and Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Carlomagno writes, was like 'gaining admission
finds salvation in the cold-turkey approach, giving up a
hodgepodge of addictions, including alcohol, television,
taxicabs, elevators, coffee and even newspapers, substituting instead the stacks of unread poetry she has accumulated over the years. This chapter was one of my favorites
because it actually marked a change in the author, who
was seeking not another year of empty resolutions, but
one in which she could "make herself over, from the in-
to the most elite reading group and being rewarded with a
new enlightenment:'
Light in spirit, the book contains various truths, some
of which made me laugh aloud. This is not to say that
Carlomagno, like most mortals, was able to rid herself of
every modern convenience. Most difficult of all, it seems,
was her attempt not to use a cell phone for a whole month.
But her journey through each month, both for herself and
her readers, leads to numerous revelations about what is
truly necessary, and what can be made less so. After reading Give It Up, you may even find inspiration, to stop compulsively shopping, overeating or cursing. It's never too late
for a good resolution to take hold. (harpercollins.com)
I
Addicted2Fiction,
Addicted2Fiction
Likea new,queer
(Heartcore):
Depeche
Mode,theLosAngeles-based
bandmakes'80sthrowback
"darkwave
synthpop,"
ranging
frommoodyto
(addicted2
propulsive
electronica.
fiction.com)
TheLittleWillies,
Thelittle Willies
(MilkingBull/EMI):
Norah.Jones'
rootsysidebandoffersthisgreatset
of classicAmerican
music,mining
theworkof thelikesof HankWilliams
(thelittlewillies.com)
andWillieNelson.
-MC
July/August 2006 j 71
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I 73
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July/August 2006 j 75
VOL.16#5
VOL.16#1
VOL. 16#4
VOL. 15#8
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I 79
Top Ten Reasons We Love Suzanne Noe
She's a clean,cut, all,American, born,again Christian
lesbian who knows the pulse of gay women's
lives all over central Florida - and helps keep
that pulse vibrantly alive through her Web site,
ProSuzy.com. At 57 years old, Suzanne Noe is
an activity coordinator, community activist, social
butterfly and matchmaker rolled into one, and she
makes us wonder just what's in her daily vitamins.
- Sheryl Kay
1. Withouther,thousandsof womenwouldbe
clueless.From a modest start of only 39 names
six years ago, Noe has built an incredible e,list
of more than 5,000 lesbians who receive her
free weekly activities listings for Tampa Bay and
beyond. "I had one woman on the list all the
way from Australia;' Noe says, "until she wrote
to me and said that after receiving the list for a
year and seeing all that was going on down here,
she decided to move to Florida:'
2. Now she's buildingProSuzyinto a money
maker.Noe has teamed up with well,recognized
names like Wolfe Video and Amazon, and lined
up promotional gigs with Cirque du Soleil, Olivia
Cruises and the Dinah Shore Classic.
3. Shebrought4-minutespeeddatingto the area.
Driven to help women help themselves, Noe has
coordinated several speed,dating events where
women interview each other and decide on the
spot if there's some attraction.
4. She'sa U.S.NationalTableTennisChamp.And
she's not ashamed to tell you it was for the Senior
OlympicsGames.Aswithmostofherendeavors,
she's a ball of energy on the court, working up
quite the glisten on her freckled skin. "OK, yes, I
do look good;' she admits.
"I don'twantto givemy bodyto everybodyoutthere,
and I don'twantto sleepwithsomeonewho does."
7. In her heart,there'sno conflictbetweenher
and her pridein beinga
5. Atanysocialfunction,
she'sneverseenwithout devotionto Christianity
hergirlfriend.
The thing is, it's never the same girl. lesbian.Noe calls herself a born,again Christian
Noe's had a few great relationships, but concedes
that it's tough for most women to keep up with
her. 'Tm a hard person to live with;' she says. "I
push myself to do things well, to complete tasks,
to make things work right, and I just have not
found someone who could love me for who I am:'
6. Sheneverwearsmakeupbutalwayslookshot.
Noe is quite the sight at formal dances in her tux and
cummerbund, and never uses a stitch of makeup.
"My eyes are bright enough without the makeup,
and my smile is what attracts the ladies;' she says.
"Besides,it takes way too much time to put on:'
so Icurve
and is quick to quote chapter and verse about
every believer receiving eternal salvation. "God did
not make any mistakes with us;' she explains. "I
am not a mistake:'
8. She'snot a show-off.While she owns a slick,
black Jeep, Noe usually drives her well,worn, 1986
Chevy Caprice Classic. Though it actually gets 24
miles per gallon, Noe says the main reason she
drives it is because its roof is home to her kayak.
And besides, she says, "Every lesbian owns a black
Jeep Wrangler, but when I pull up in the blue
Caprice, women take notice:'
9. Foralmost10 years,she'sbeena live-incaregiverto her elderlyparents.She first cared for
her mom, who passed away three years after Noe
arrived in Florida, and for the past six years she
has looked after her Dad. "If your lifestyle allows
it, it's a wonderful thing to do for your parents;'
she says.
10.Withherintensesocialcalendarshe'salways
surrounded
by dozensof women,but she'sonly
lookingfor one. She concedes her weakness is
women, and she does indeed love to hang out with
all kinds. But at the end of the day, Noe only wants
one. "I am monogamous;' she says."I don't want to
give my body to everybody out there, and I don't
want to sleep with someone who does:'
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