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Description
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ToC On the Cover: Chrissy Gephardt; Radio Babes by Jenny Sherwin (p44); Tattoo Darling by Sara Seinberg (p46); Top Chef by Lori Selke (p47); Heavenly Delight by Tania Hammidi (p48); Mayor of WeHo by Tracy E. Gilchrist (p49); Ms. Missile Tester by Laurie K. Schenden (p50); Mixing for Moolah by Aefa Mulholland (p51); Recipe for Success by Jodi Helmer (p52); Companies We Love The Right Cut by Aefa Mulholland (p54); Competitive Edge by Aefa Mulholland (p55); The Erotic Oasis by Karen Loftus (p56); Charting Our Success by Candace Moore (p58); Courageous Clothing by Tania Hammick (p60); Hot Lesbian Businesses by Sarah E. Brown (p64); 10 Top Companies by Katie Peoples (p66); Going Green Ready to Go Green easy guide by Victoria A. Brownworth (p32); A Different Vacation by Jodi Helmer (p34); How We Went Green by Victoria A. Brownworth (p37); What’s Hot and Green by Staff (p38). Cover photo by Erica Beckman.
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issue
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9
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Date Issued
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November 2007
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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_Vol17_No9_November-2007_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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I
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FranklySpeaking
curve
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
VOLUME 17 NUMBER 9
Chicks in Charge
Lesbians often seem
to start businesses by
first thinking about the
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 51 0
San Francisco, California 94103
Phone 415-863-6538 Facsimile 415-863-1609
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Publisher/Editor in Chief
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Book Review Editor
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Contributing Editors
greater good. I think
we may have mastered the "do what you
love and money will
follow" credo.
Frances Stevens Publisher/Editor in Chief
It struck me while we were compiling this year's jam-packed careers and companies issue which, I might
add, is crammed with more fascinating women to read about than any issue before it, that there really is
a difference between women and men. At least in business. Like a lot of the lesbians in this issue, female
entrepreneurs often seem to start by thinking about the greater good-whether it's a well-funded startup like Washington, D.C:s OurChart (already one of the biggest lesbian sites on the Web, co-founded
by powerhouse CEO Hilary Rosen) or Portland, Ore:s Black Sheep Bakery (Amanda Felt's one-gal
operation that now sells vegan baking mixes in narural food stores nationwide). While some may envy
men's abilities to march into banks demanding scads of cash to launch multinational, cross-platform,
multimillion-dollar corporations, I think women-especially lesbians-might acrually have better mastered the "do what you love and the money will follow" credo. (Not that we don't deserve multinational
companies, too, so get on that, sister!)
over 51 comWith over 39 women profiled-from 13 different states and 3 different countries-and
Top 10
Annual
our
is
which
of
least
the
panies included, there's lot to read about in this issue, not
Companies for Lesbians list (penned by our new assistant edito·r,Katie Peoples), which tackles what the
Fortune 500 is doing for us this year. In addition to being chocked full of interesting women in business,
we're going full throttle on how to be ecofriendly with our first Going Green special report. We cover
everything from the most rousing environmentally friendly advenrures to finding planet-caring vacation
accommodations and even how to deal with eco differences in your relationship.
We're thrilled that power politico Chrissy Gephardt, an openly gay Christian, graces our cover this
month. Gephardt's own coming out and her parents' quiet acceptance and ability to reconcile their faith
with their daughter's sexuality is the kind of story that we all need to hear, especially as we approach the
holidays. When millions of Americans are celebrating (or protesting) Thanksgiving this month, a whole
lot of lesbians are dreading what lies ahead. The F-word: Family. Here's hoping the Gephardts might
offer a nice example of how powerful family acceptance really is.
21curve
Proofreaders
Art Director
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Editorial Assistants
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Frances Stevens
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Sara Jane Keskula
Colleen M. Lee
Katie Peoples
Rachel Pepper
Margaret Coble
Julia Bloch, Victoria A.
Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Gretchen Lee
Theresa Johnson, Rachel
Leach, Michelle Ma, Remy
Ramirez and Katherine
Wright
Stefanie Liang
Amy Silverman
Ondine Kilker
Kelly Nuti
Nikki Woelk
Flo Enriquez
Holly DeMaagd
Diana L Beny, Rivendell Media
Lindsey Taylor
Amanda Campa
Tammy Lam
Mea Chavez, Jenna V. Loceff,
Kristin A Smith,Lina Swislocki
Nicole Teichman
Contributing Writers Kathy Beige, Sarah E. Brown,
Jennifer Corday, Tracy E. Gilchrist, Maria Ginsbourg,
Lily-Rygh Glen, Michele Fisher, Lauren Marie Fleming,
Tania Hammidi, Susan Hernandez, Jodi Helmer,
Elle Kaycee, Kate Lacey, Kar1yn Lotney, Char1ene
Lichtenstein, Dana Kay Litoff, Karen Loftus, Candace
Moore, Aefa Mulholland, Alison Peters, Catherine Plato,
Alena M. Scarver, Laurie K. Schenden, Sara Seinberg,
Lori Selke, Jenny Sherwin, Stephanie Schroeder, Ursula
Steck, Jocelyn Voo
Illustrators Phil Cho, Katherine Streeter
Contributing Photographers Erica Beckman, Erica Berger,
Myles Boisen, Skip Bolen, Niall Carroll, David Cooper,
Bob D'Amico, Sharon Dominick, Juan Estey, Daria
Gamliel, Leah Gordon, Sara Jorde, Jen Kennedy, Gary
Kline, Brian Knopp, Amal Kouttab, Michael Loccisano,
Terrence McCarthy, Maggie Parker, Chris Polk, Jacklyn
Resciniti, Kathy Sauber, Virginia Sherwood, Don Spiro,
Shea Steel, Willie B Thomas, Denise Truscella, John Valls,
Todd Williams,Kina Williams
Volume 17 Issue 9 Curve (ISSN 1087-867X) is published monthly (except for
January/February and July/ August) by Outspoken Enterprises, Inc., 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103. Subscription price: $49.95/year,
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Contents of Curve Magazine may not be reproduced in any manner, either
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Lack of any representation only signifies insufficient materials. Submissions
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Keyword: Curvemag Web site: curvemag.com
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Features
November 2007
"You can
make
religion anything you
want it to
be ... you
can use it
to condemn
others ... to
justify saying that
someone
else's life- Best Places to Work
Our Annual Business Low Down
style or
44 Radio Babes The women of Sirius Radio are on our side.
someone
By Jenny Sherwin
Darling Malia Spanyol is revolutionizing the tattoo
else's life is 46 Tattoo
industry. Does she sleep? By Sara Seinberg
Chef Citizen Cake's star owner Elizabeth Falkner is
wrong." 47 Top
hot. She was on TY, too. Yum. By Lori Selke
Chrissy Gephardt
page 43
48
Heavenly Delight Director Pratibha Parmar is behind the
camera again. By Tania Hammidi
49
Mayor of WeHo Party promoter Shannon Kampa is making
a name for herself in L.A. By Tracy E. Gilchrist
50
Ms. Missile Tester Making it in a man's world.
By Laurie K. Schenden
51
52
Cover photo by
Erica Beckman
Recipe for Success Vegan baker Amanda Felt can cook
for us anytime. By Jodi Helmer
54
55
Competitive Edge EcoToner outsmarts the competition.
41curve
60
10 Top Companies American
Express, Gap, Wells Fargo-did your company make the cut? By Katie Peoples
66
40
COVER: Chrissy Gephardt She
loves politics, God and apple pie. Does
it get any more American than gay
activist Chrissy Gephardt? Doubt it.
By Tania Hammidi
By Aefa Mulholland
The Erotic Oasis The Body Shop spawn mix fashion,
politics and sex in a groovy boutique. By Karen Loftus
Charting Our Success This dyke-centric social networking
site is taking the Internet by storm. By Candace Moore
Courageous Clothing Duds to make you feel good.
By Tania Hammidi
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throws one back. By Aefa Mulholland
The Right Cut Montreal's ladies know how to do lesbian
fashion. By Aefa Mulholland
58
Hot Lesbian Busineses From
California to Savannah, Ga., long live the little
gal. By Sarah E. Brown
64
Mixing for Moolah Cocktail impresario Lucy Brennan
Companies We Love
56
Volume 17#9
Going Green
32
Ready to Go Green? An easy guide
to making the move. By Victoria A.
Brownworth
34 A Different Vacation Time to plan
for an ecoadventure. By Jodi Helmer
37
How We Went Green Sometimes
the wife needs a little enouragement.
By Victoria A. Brownworth
38 What's Hot and Green We've got
the enviro bling you need. By Staff
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Departments
November 2007
"I spentyearsout
on the town.,I
oncerackedup a
1,098-daystreak
of goingout to the
clubs.I havethe
diaryto proveit,
althoughmuchof
the writingis
illegibleor
gibberish."
page 26
2
Frankly Speaking Our fearless
publisher in her own words.
18 Lesbofile Celebrity lesbi-flexibility,
new and not so improved.
28 Politics Reviving the debate over bad
girls and the double standard.
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Contributors Get to know your
CURVE writers
and photographers.
10 Letters Readers give thanks for our
coverage of voices rarely heard. And how
do you become a rich lesbian anyway?
12 Out in Front From a kid's pioneer, to a
young Latino filmmaker to a retired civic
officer now collecting lesbian stories, we
run the age gamut this month.
13 Curvatures Break dancing is gay and
gender safe schools exist. Plus: Scarlett
Johansson looks like a boy? Pu-shaw!
14 Open Studio Genderqueer tagger Lara
Muffley is obsessed with spray paint.
20 Scene Bringing you more hot lady
pix than you can handle.
22 Lipstick & Dipstick What advice
do you give when a bull dyke is a
homophobe?
23 Relationships What your girlfriend
doesn't need to know.
24 Astro Grrl Giving thanks to all the
girls, or shall we say trashy gal pals.
25 Ask Fairy Butch A possible prude
has her first encounter with a packing
partner.
26 Dyke Drama Analyzing your bad
habits. Are they really that bad?
68 In the Stacks The trends of queer
pregnancy and reproduction, and our
take on war stories.
71 Sapphic Screen Heavenly creatures
and biological clocks, oh my. Plus, a
Jewish high school student on film.
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74 Music Watch New girl groups like the
Pipettes make Margaret Coble sing. Up
close with rapper Victoria Collins and CD
picks you'll dig.
76 I Tried It Going to the opera doesn't
have to be an elitist experience.
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Vermillion Lies How can you not love
a morbid vaudeville-inspired show?
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Contributors·
"I never understood that my interest in fashion was about pictorial pictography;' says Tania
a freelance writer and doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside. But after
Hammidi,
interviewing the FeelingBold and Liv'n Out Loud clothing designers, the genderqueer performance
artist and graduate student realized that fabric and images are a very cool, complex system, where
the integrity of the human spirit meets the T,shirt canvas. Hammidi believes it is no coincidence
that lesbians and trans folk are at the helm of this art,historical dance party. She says, "We were
once called'the magical sign; weren't wet Hammidi is currently researching her dissertation on
censorship and drag king cabaret. Goals? To write a nonfiction book on mental health and clothing.
"I travel a lot and have found that it's getting much easier to plan an ecofriendly vacation;' says Jodi
Helmerwhose article on green travel appears in this issue. "This was such a great piece to write
because I found resources that I'm using to plan a trip to Spain this fall:' Helmer is a freelance
writer who moved from Portland, Ore., to Charlotte, N.C., several months ago. She writes for
magazines like Hemispheres, AAA Living, YogaJournal and Womens Health while drinking sweet
tea and eating biscuits.
Comedian, Tennessee Williams Fellow and award,winning playwright KarenLoftushas toured
the world, most recently with her solo comedy show American Woman: A One Woman Comedic
Invasion. Loftus teaches Body Comedy-a program she developed using humor to heal-to
those who have experienced abuse on the body. A true Irish storyteller, she loves to weave words.
Finishing up her book of essays, Mis.fit, Loftus is always up for a bit of adventure and a good glass
of red. Whether discussing lesbian fashion, journaling about booze Down Under or exploring the
pleasure and principles of one's own sexuality with Coco de Mer's founders, Loftus swears every
word written for CURVE is a pleasure and a privilege.
Check 'em Out
AstroGrrl's illustrious Charlene
Lichtenstein is toasting her good
fortune. Her book HerScopes: A
Guide to Astrology for Lesbians
(Simon & Schuster) has gone into
its seventh printing. Congrats!
s Icurve
Ursula Steck writes movie
reviews tor CURVE.She
knows that this is one of
the most luxurious assignments possible. Steck
mainly has to watch loads
of DVDs (yes, it can be
painful sometimes, but mostly it's great
fun, and something you don't have to do alone), and then
she writes a few lines of happy recommendation or dark
warning for the readers. Once she's done with this sweatinducing labor, she sits down and writes lesbian mystery
novels. Steck's latest-the second in a series involving
one-eyed, Asian German American San Francisco detective Anna Spring-is Laura's War (Bella Books), and Steck
hopes that her readers will be equally enthralled, creeped
out and touched by her characters' adventures.
Bobby Riley (Pete Jones) is a regular guy who
loves his family, his beer, and the Chicago Cubs.
Oh yeah, and his boyfriend. In this charming
ensemble film, see what happens when Bobby
finally tells his Irish-Catholic brothers (one of
whom is a priest) that he's gay. And, they think
he's joking! Also stars Nathan Fillion (Serenity,
Firefly, Desperate Housewives). 88 min. CC
DVDsAvailableat:
Wolfe
Wolfe
Video.com
curve
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
CurveMag.com
BARNES&NOB
www.bn.com
Letters
"I'd known something about cuRvE,of course,
and I'd itched to read it. I didn't want to hide
in one little trans sub-community niche, and
Would you like
to see entire
issues of
CURVE Online?*
60%
Hellyes,I wouldloveto
readit on mycomputer
8%
Nope,I enjoy
holdingmymagazine
andreadingit
29%
I wantbothchoices1'm highmaintenance
3%
It doesn'tmatter,
I'm easylikethat
*According
toa
curvemag.com
poll.Go
onlineto vote.
my wife and I have to deal with being seen
as lesbians."
A Community in Transition
I wanted to thank you for your Helen Boyd and Julia Serano
interview (Vol.17 #7]. I appreciated the interview for its
own merits (informed, deep, novel and often-overlooked
perspectives).
I'd known something about CURVE, of course, and I'd itched
to read it. I didn't want to hide in one little trans sub-community
niche, and my wife and I have to deal with being seen as lesbians.
Still, I've felt uncertainty about reading a magazine designated
for lesbians. There's been so much heat and noise online about
the appropriateness of MTF participation in the lesbian community. The thought that I might be committing some sort of
male intrusion or appropriation kept me away.Your article sent
a nice, clear signal that readers like me are genuinely welcome
at CURVE, and that's exactly what I needed.
- Catherine,via e-mail
It meant a lot to me to see your interview of Helen Boyd and
Julia Serano in the September issue. So much so that I am now,
finally, a subscriber. Of course, I'm a big fan of their writings.
But more importantly, seeing that interview in your magazine
told me that your readers are open to hearing what they have
to say. I had thought that would not be the case. I transitioned
from male to female very aware of Janice Raymond's cautions about transsexual lesbian femin,ists like me. But I prefer
to work within the system, and so I have simply avoided any
women's space for fear of being confronted or thrown out. That
was not hard to do when I was married (my spouse of27 years
lovingly stayed with me after transition), but as the memory of
Barbara's 2006 death fades, I find myself wanting to meet other
women. I'm still working through my fear of women's space,
but at least I know I now have a window into it through CURVE,
and that reading CURVE won't make me feel bad about mysel£
- Joanne Herman, Boston,Mass.
Editor's Note: Yay! It's always nice when we do something that
makes other womenfeel welcomeand appreciated.C'mon out!
You Like Me, You Really Like Me
10
Icurve
I was so surprised by the article that your magazine did on my
art (Vol. 17 #7]. Never did I expect a fullpage, wonderful photos
and such flattering words. I am usually fighting, defending, and
explaining my art. I now say nothing and just keep painting.
This felt so good. Candy, my girlfriend, has not seen it yet as
she is on the road, but I have e-mailed it to her, and she was as
excited as I am. It was a nice time for something good to happen.
I am exhibiting in NYC in October, plus I am beginning a new
series of paintings, attempting to land grant money and moving
to Canada. Your profile on me was a very nice pick-me-up.
- Anna-Marie Lopez, via e-mail
Show Me the Money
Greetings! I read where it said that the majority of your readers
earn around $85,000 a year. I've asked, "How can lesbians
earn so much?" I got the reply that many lesbians are very
"industrious" in their occupations, almost sounding like most
are workaholics.
But I don't know if that is true or these are isolated circumstances. Is there an inclination to higher education that leads
to higher income? Is their devotion to the job leading to higher
positions? Do lesbians go into more lucrative businesses? If
that is true, what are the career clusters?
- Berski, via e-mail
Editor's Note: Good questions,Berski. While openly gay women
tend to have higher rates of secondaryeducation, how it affects
theirpaycheckis somethingthat our officefull of workaholicsis still
debating.Ihis issue, though,we talk with dozens of lesbianprofessionals who are passionate about what they do. Hopefully you'll
find as much inspirationfrom their storiesas we do.
Got Something on Your Mind?
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE at Letters, 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to 415-8631609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters may be
edited for clarity and length.
Corrections
You can find more information on The Old Women's Project
and TheEdge of Each Other'sBattles: Ihe Vision of Audre Lorde
at jenniferabod.com. The annual Balloon Fiesta celebrated its
36th year, not 24th year.
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NCLR Latina Filmmaker
Telling Herstories
Through her art and activism, 27-yea.r-old Monica Since her retirement from the Houston
Enriquez-Enriqu
a queer
ez, Latina filmmaker from
Independent School District, ArdenEversmeyer
Colombia, is building community here in the U.S.
has been leading a life full of stories.
Since 2001, she has produced some powerfully
She's been a Civic Club officer,a Houston Zoo
evocative documentaries about persecution due to
docent, the PFLAG Houston archivist, a founder
gender identity and sexual orientation.
of Lesbians Over Age Fifty, a member of OLOC
After only two yea.rs in the U.S., EnriquezEnriquez (yes, it's a double hyphenate) made A
Journey Home, a nine-minute documentary that
explores the issues of immigration and sexuality; it
received the Best Lesbian Film Award at the 2004
International Latino Film Festival.
"It was the moment when I realized how video-making can be a tool for building community
and contributing to the dialogues and actions that
can foster social change;' she says.
Earlier this year she produced Intimate
Margins/Margenes Intimas, a bilingual video installation that features interviews with three Latina
lesbian immigrants in the Santa Cruz, Cali£, area.
The piece speaks to the issues of forced immigration based on sexual orientation.
Enriquez-Enriquez's work evokes emotions
that serve as a starring point for communicating
resistance to oppression, racism and xenophobia.
In her newest project, Queer Asylum, EnriquezEnriquez interviews people who have applied for,
or who have been granted, asylum to the U.S.
based on gender identity or sexual orientation. It's
not always easy.
"It's almost a given that I would be persecuted
for my sexual orientation in Colombia; however, I
experience discrimination and have to go through
many obstacles in the U.S.;• she says.
If you know of any LGBT activists
or any women who are Out in Front
at work, home or in the community,
please let us know by writing to
curvesoutinfront@hotm~il.com.
12
Icurve
(Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) and a mayoral appointee to the Houston area's Agency on
Aging.
Now she's collecting other lesbians' stories for a
venture called the Herstory Project, sponsored by
OLOC (oloc.org/projects/herstory.html). As she
travels the country for the group, Eversmeyer has
been interviewing women over 70 yea.rs old, collecting their biographies and putting them into an
archival format.
She's gathered the life stories of 93 women
from every imaginable background. Three were
communists, four are ex-nuns and six were in the
military. There are whites, blacks and lesbians of
every religious background, including pagans and
atheists. Fifty-four have college degrees, seven of
whom are Ph.D. holders.
Their va,rieddemographics are only surpassed
by the diversity of their life stories. One woman
left a tenured professorship to sail the South
Pacific with her lover for a decade. Another was
a mountain guide for Ernest Hemingway, while a
third was a horse wrangle'r on Georgia O'Keeffe's
Ghost Ranch.
And there is pain, too. Many of the women
recall the horrors-the police raids, arrests for
cross-dressing, being outed in newspapers, hospitalization for"the cure'' (shock treatment), and, of
course, gay bashings and the loss of jobs and family
that still occur today.
'The sense of urgency never leaves as this generation of amazing women disappears;' Eversmeyer
says."It is important that these women become a
documented part of our history:'
LGBT Kids Pioneer
Since 1991, NormaBowles
has been a pioneer in
helping to reach at-risk youth.
With her L.A.-based Fringe Benefits, an educational theater group, Bowles brings together
homeless LGBT youth and leads them in developing tolerance-promoting theater and performance
art. Through discussion and improvisation, the
youth transformed their experiences of homophobia into powerful plays, including People Who Live
in Glass Houses, Street Dish and Friendly Fire.
'The work was profoundly challenging and rewarding emotionally, intellectually and artistically;'
says Bowles."Together, we created powerful, exciting theater:'
As the group toured high schools on the West
Coast, Bowles continuously heard a demand for a
similar program geared toward elementary-school
children. So she responded with Cootie Shots:
Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids,
Parents and Teachers (cootieshots.org).
Originally published as an anthology of 50
plays, songs, poems and works of art, then rewritten for the stage, Cootie Shots teaches tolerance and
celebrates diversity, presenting role models from
many different races, cultures, genders, sexual
orientations, classes, religions and ages. Over the
years, Cootie Shots has been performed for more
than 50,000 students, and she recently announced
that it will soon be availableon video.
Bowles knows all about the hate firsthand.
"From the time I was a very young girl, right
through my graduation from Princeton University,
I was deathly afraid of people finding out that I was
gay;' says Bowles.''.Allthe put-downs and derogatory jokes I heard on a daily basis directed against
gays and lesbians fostered an environment of fear.
Prejudice and discrimination of this sort affect all
of us. It's important to teach children to be proud
of themselves and to do the right thing by treating
everyone with dignity and respect:'
Curvatures
FatGirls Speak Up and Garner Fans
Dipstick:I agree. When Lipstick and I left FGS, we were
proud to be fat, even though were not. It was a variety show,
of sorts-right from the start a fat girl fashion show, I was
transfixed. Big, bold and sexy women, butch and femme, gay
and straight, were swaggering across the stage in outfits from
fat,positive designers like Diesel Femme Wear, Size Queen
Clothing and Hips and Curves. As the appreciative crowd
cheered and the amateur models amped up their sass and
chutzpah, Lipstick and I went crazy.
"I don't think I knew exactly why I started it until I stood in
the back of the first event, watching the unexpectedly sold,out
crowd screaming at the top of their lungs;' remembers Stacy
Bias, founder of FatGirl Speaks. Ten years ago, when Bias de,
cided she was tired of feeling bad about hersel£ the Queen Diva
of Fat did what all women should do when they're unsatisfied
with their current lot in life: She started a revolution! Bias-a
longtime writer, musician, grassroots organizer and activistrecently rolled out her third celebration of size, self and sexual
orientation in Portland, Ore. The event, which seeks to energize,
empower, uplift and celebrate women of size, drew thousands of
people from all over the country, including staunch (but unfor,
tunately skinny) allies Lipstick & Dipstick.
Lipstick:
It was a fabulous event, and Dipstick and I adore Bias.
And it's not only because she is woman, hear her roar, take her
how she is or go to hell, but also because she is a creative storm
who inspires dcoves of women to stand up and be proud of who
they are.
Lipstick:If only I could get my paws on lingerie as hot as
I saw at the FGS show. Victoria and her little secret have
nothing on the steamy models that strutted their stuff that
night. And the talent at that event! My favorite act (except
for our girl Bias and her band, Fatty & the Ham Slappers)
"All That Jazz:' Instead, they sang'J\11
was a take off on Chicago's
That Flab!"
Dipstick:It was classic and wildly entertaining. If there's one
thing I love, it's women who combine their politics with good
raucous fun. FGS, online at fatgirlspeaks.com, was loaded with
talent. Check out who performed and how to get involved.
Lipstick:After her third annual FGS celebration was behind
her, Bias told us, 'Tve never had a prouder or more joyful mo,
ment in my life than I did standing and sobbing and smiling
at the back of the first FGS, knowing that these brave women
were experiencing true moments of love and appreciation for
their entire being:'
"So, what's it all about?" we asked Bias, our own pompoms
in hand.
"Self,love;' she said. "My own and everyone elses. It's time to
Must-See Theater
Don'tmissSinsInvalid:
An Unshamed
Claimto
Beautyin theFaceof
Invisibility,
a groundbreakingreviewof
embodiment
with
queerandstraight
performance
andvideo
artists,heldNov.2-3 at
SanFrancisco's
Brava
Theater.
Theshowtacklestaboosthatsurround
sexualityanddisability
andpromises
thoughtprovoking
(andexplicit)
content.Ticketsare
$10-$15,andtheshow
is wheelchair
accessible
andASLinterpreted.
For
moreinfo,call510-6498438or sinsinvalid07@
yahoo.com.
Formoreon
SinsInvalid,seecuRVE's
upcoming
theaterissue.
-DAM
stop apologizing:' Rock on, sister! We love you!
CURVATURES
WRITTEN
BY
ElleKaycee,
Colleen
M.Lee,Lipstick
andDipstick,
Katie
Peoples,
Uly-Rygh
GlenandSusan
Hernandez
November 2007
I 13
Lara Muffley
Lara Muffley's prints seem to be of women with beards, men with soft, feminine features and individuals whose sex is impossible to figure out.
Ironically, all this androgyny is in black and white. The art seems to be saying, "People see the world through binaries: black-white, male-female,
good-evil, but look at these faces-the world's more complicated than that:' It comes as no surprise that Muffley titled her show GQ; short for
genderqueer. The exhibition features images of minor celebrities who fall under the definition of"female masculinity;' which is to say they are
women who are not feminine. Using stencils and spray paint, Muffley creates portraits of vaudeville actors, writers, transsexuals, drag kings, artists, musicians, gender abolitionists, gender illusionists, Elvis impersonators and explorers. In effect, she creates a sort of visual hall of fame for
gender revolutionaries like Murray Hill and Judith Halberstam (above).
Featured notables include Isabelle Eberhardt (who in the late 19th century left an aristocratic life in Switzerland to travel through North Africa
dressed as a man), Frida Kahlo (a 20th-century bisexual Mexican painter)
and Maureen Fischer (aka drag king Mo B. Dick) who once said, "Gender
is fluid. It shimmers with ambiguity. It is confusing, not confining. It is
dangerously delicious:'
In 2005, Muffley left her home in Seattle to live with her partner in
Oaxaca, Mexico. There, she started taking photos of graffiti. Since she's
an artist, it didn't take long for her to pick up a can of spray paint and an
X-ACTO knife and use them to explore her other obsession-all things
drag. It evolved from there.
When she's not creating gender-bending art, Muffley takes amazing
photos, often of small, intricate objects: shells, plants, doorknobs. After all,
she's a research scientist by day, using her electron microscope to see ~he
world up close. (genderqueerproject.blogspot.com)
14
Icurve
Curvatures
Break Dancing Is So Gay
Hikida, who works at Communities Against Rape and
Abuse and teaches a free break dancing class for queer youth,
isn't just a patient teacher who looks like a cockroach on speed
when she is dancing-she is also an activist who wanted to
create a class that would facilitate dialogue along the lines of
homophobia, sexism, racism and what she calls "the controlling
images of women and the queer community" within hip,hop.
In short, Hikida's mission is two,fold: first, to teach healthy, em,
powering and exciting forms of movement to as many lesbians
as possible; and second, to foster
inter,hip,hop revolution in
the process:"! needed the queer hip,hop community. I [hadn't]
been able to find it, so I decided to create it mysel£ I wanted to
... participate in hip,hop and also challenge the sexism and ho,
mophobia inherent in the hip,hop community;' she says.
No wonder her students can't stop hugging. - LRG
Do The Turtle
Freeze
JennaHikidademonstratestheTurtleFreeze
in foureasysteps:
an
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If you're one of those people who thinks break dancing went
the way of parachute pants, Flock of Seagulls records and Molly
Ringwald movies, 23,year,old Seattle resident Jenna Hikida
has news for you: Not only is breakin' alive and well, but after
all these years, it's finally come out of the closet.
Hikida, who has been breakin' for over seven years, recently
unleashed Breakin' Out, a series of weekly one,hour break danc,
ing classes for queer b,girl and b,boy fans and wannabes. While
the class is technically open to all queer,identified or queer,allied
people, the students are overwhelmingly young urban females
whose motivation for taking the class runs the gamut from politi,
cal ("Subvert the dominant paradigm of competition and hierar,
chy") to social ("to impress girls on the dance floor") to ridiculous
("I just have huge muthafuckin' balls"). While it would be easy
to typecast her students, Hikida stresses that break dancing is
accessible to people of all ages and body types, even those with
physical disabilities. "One of the things that's special to breakin' is
that you get to learn to be comfortable with your own body move,
ment and create your own style."So it's just like yoga, right?
Not exactly. Breakiri, which originated among blacks and
Latinos in 1970s New York City, is primarily a competitive
dance form in which battles are an essential component. In fact,
Hikida makes a point of teaching her students not just the fun,
damental moves of break dancing itself but battle techniques
in particular, encouraging them to taunt their opponent: "Grab
your cock, grab your titties, shove it in their face" is a favorite
rallying cry. Still, Hikida has to remind her students that it's
not appropriate to "hug the other team;' and there's a serious
sense of camaraderie among her students as they share tricks
they have discovered to make otherwise,impossible,looking
maneuvers attainable.
1. Startby kneelingon
yourleft knee,withyour
rightkneebentandfoot
flat onthefloor.
4.Loweryourheadto the
ground,andlift yourleft
legintothe air.Holdas
longasyoudare!
November 2007
I 15
Curvatures
Are schools gender safe?
for all students at schools across the country;' said
Riki Wilchins, GenderPAC's executive director.
'J\t the same time, GenderPAC urges and expects
that schools still without the protections will
implement policies to ensure that their campuses
are GenderSAFE-supportive,
protective and
equitable for all students, whether or not they fit
expectations for masculinity or femininity:'
networking site
do you like
the most?*
MySpace.com
(It'striedandtrue)
Facebook.com
(It'll makeyouforget
MySpace) A new report from the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition,
14%
None
{Mysocialnetworking
is still softball
andcircuitparties)
10%
dubbed the 2007 GENIUS (Gender Equality National Index
for Universities and Schools) Index, tracks and evaluates the
efforts of colleges, universities and K-12 school districts to prohibit discrimination and promote awareness of gender identity
and expression in their policies. The report analyzes and enumerates nondiscrimination policies, gender-neutral bathrooms,
gender-neutral housing and anti-harassment policies.
The 2007 Index noted an increase in the number of uni-
OurChart.comversities
specifically banning discrimination based on gender
(Alllesbian,
identity or expression: 147 colleges and universities currently
all thetime)
have such policies, as compared to 131 in 2006. More than 100
public K-12 school districts, encompassing thousands of indi2%
vidual schools, have extended similar protections to nearly 3.5
Fabfemme.com
(I lovethe ladies) million children in 23 states.
"We are proud that there are more gender-based protections
2%
Glee.com
(AnLGBTnetwork
for all of us)
1%
The issue of safety, says Wilchins, affects
students of all genders and ages. Supporters say
there's an 'ongoing epidemic of gender-based
prejudice, discrimination and violence:' A recent
GenderPAC survey, of 651 students currently
enrolled at U.S.-based colleges and universities,
found that 30 percent had been harassed or discriminated against on campus, 13 percent had
been harassed for using a restroom and 25 percent
had felt unsafe in campus housing-all because they didn't fit
expectations of masculinity or femininity.
According to GenderPAC's youth program coordinator,
Brittney Hoffman, students across the country have been rallying support on their campuses to get the more inclusive policies
and practices enacted. "We work every day with student activists who are trying to create GenderSAFE campuses;' she says.
"Our GENIUS Action Tool Kit provides student activists with
the resources necessary to organize on their own campuses, and
in their communities, around these issues:'
There are already 63 GenderYOUTH chapters across the
United States, says Hoffman, with "over 300 progressive student and youth leaders working to raise awareness about gender
stereotypes, gender-motivated violence, and gender as a human
rights issue:'
For a full copy of the report, visit gpac.org. - SH
BicycleEnthusiast
Leaves Legacy
Linked
In.com
(I'mmoreof a Fast and Fabulous ride leader, New York City bus
professional driver and bicycle enthusiast Lee Gorman, who
networker) organized the historic NYC rally for the lesbian
grandmothers who biked from San Francisco to
New York, died of a "cardiac event" in late summer
curvemag.com
poll.Go
(fastnfab.org/leegormanmemorial.html). The NYC
onlineto vote.
rally was picked up by all the major news stations
and called attention to its cause: the need for marriage equality. Gorman, was known for her smile, her
encouragement and recycleabicycle.org,her advocacy
site that promotes everyday bicycle use for "positive,
forward-thinking NYC youth:' - CML
* According
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Katherine Heigl
Jennifer Lopez
"I think I look kind of like a boy. I mean, not my body
obviously.">> Scarlett Johansson, to Parade
Latina Activist
Dies of Cancer
Pioneer Latina lesbian activist Yolanda Retter Vargas died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles on Aug. 18, after a short illness.
She was 59. A carpenter, a librarian and a licensed plane mechanic,
Vargas was born in December 1947 in Connecticut to an American
father and Peruvian mother and spent much of her childhood in
El Salvador. At 12, she returned to school in Connecticut, and the
racism she experienced there inspired her activism.
Vargas earned a bachelor's degree in sociology at Pitzer
College in California and became involved in the lesbian movement in Southern California. She earned two master's degrees
a.
9from UCLA: one in library science in 1983 and one in social work
z
0
in 1987. She was a member of the National Conference Planning
Cf)
a:
Committee of Lesbians of Color from 1978 to 1983 and was a
a:
founding member of Lesbianas Latinas in 1980.
w
From 1980 to 1991, Vargas ran the Los Angeles Public
;
Library Chicano Resource Collection. She created the first Latin
Biography database and was a research consultant for exhibits and
films. Vargas also worked as a volunteer in prison and parole proz
.;~ grams of the Gay and Lesbian Community Service Center.
Vargas won numerous awards and honors, including a Lifetime
Achievement Award at the University of Southern California
()
ft Queer Frontiers conference in 1995. She also received a Rainbow
Key Award from the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board of the West
Hollywood City Council in June 2007 for her contributions and
::i dedication to "making lesbian and Latina lesbian history materials
5
widely available to researchers and the writers who tell our stories:• Vargas leaves behind her partner of 13 years, Leslie Golden
::i Stampler, and Stampler's two children. - KP
"Obviously creative girl producers like Missy Elliott,
Peaches and M.I.A. [are] credited in the press as
only singers, and then whatever guy who was in a
5-meter radius when the recording happened gets
all the production credit, even though it says on the
CD cover credit that they produced it. But I feel it is
changing now. Everybody has computers; everybody is writing music on their computers at home,
including girls." >> Bjork, to metromix.com
"Oh, there's always been the occasion where I run into
a woman and think, Wow, she's really attractive. I'd
do her." >> Katherine Heigl, to the Advocate
"When a girl comes on to you really strong and grabs
you and tries to make out with you, it's not as
strange as when a guy does that. I'm much more
wanting to when it's a really hot chick trying to
kiss me versus anything else." >> Dresden Dolls'
Amanda Palmer, to AfterEllen.com
"I have a butt, I have boobs and I have a woman's
curves ... I hate to look in a magazine and see a
picture of a girl who looks so thin she looks unhappy and as if she just needs someone to give her a
good meal.">> Jennifer Lopez, to British Elle
November 2007
I 17
Curvatures
Lesbofile
In and Out and In-Between
Welcome to the new and not--so--improved celebrity lesbi--flexibility. I By Jocelyn Voo
Whether you're in the closet, out of the closet, or
just constantly getting photographed by paparazzi
toeing the line, we will find you out.
Ann Coulter Is a "Tennis Lesbian"
There's little to say about this one because the title
says it all. During a guest stint on the Stephanie
Miller Radio Show to promote her off-Broadway
play The Sensuous Woman, MargaretChorips conservative AnnCoultera new one. "I just think she's
such a tennis lesbian;' Cho says. "She just looks
like your tennis instructor you have a crush on,
but you can't help it, because you hate her:'
Bye, Bi Angie
Shed a tear, girls: The No. 1 fantasy woman for
men and women alike, Angelina
Jolie,has gone the
straight and narrow-possibly
for good. "I have
never hidden my bisexuality;' she said to France's
Public magazine. "But since I've been with Brad
[Pitt],I abandoned women. Now there is no room
for that or S&M in my life:' Her most notable
long-term female relationship was with model
JennyShimizu,whom she met on the set of Fox.fire
in 1996. However, this mom of four had been exhibiting calmer ways long before she hooked up
with JenniferAniston's
ex. You may be gone now,
Ang, but not forgotten.
Recreational Play
Few would argue that BritneySpearsis not a living, breathing, slow-motion train wreck. However,
OK! magazine is now reporting, with photographic evidence, that the mother of two is also
a "recreational lesbian:' At Los Angeles' Standard
Downtown Hotel, Spears was spotted kissing and
frolicking topless in the pool with another woman,
identified as Shannon Funk, a one-time assistant
to the pop tart. But this wasn't an isolated incident.
Porn stars JennaJameson
and TeraPatrick,as well
as an anonymous former employee, all claim that
Spears likes to dabble in the pink. Considering
the singer's recent track record, including multiple
vag-flashings and physical assaults on paparazzi,
we'd say she's fast approaching the last stop on the
Meltdown Express.
Shed a tear, girls:The No. 1 fantasywoman for men
and women alike,AngelinaJolie,has gone the straight
en
a:
and narrow-possibly for good.
tt
a..
(/)
was spotted dining at Leonor's vegetarian Mexican
restaurant in Los Angeles' Studio City, according
to Janet Charlton's blog. They're "taking turns;'
Some say it was her way of coming out; others
disagree. In the article, a reporter asks about a ring
on Foster's wedding finger.
the couple's first child, Levi, in 2004. Gilbert gave
birth to their second child, a girl named Sawyer,
on August 2.
"This ond It's Tiffany, an eternity ring;' Foster
says. "I don't take it off:' When the reporter asks if
wearing a ring like that on her wedding finger raises questions, Foster responds, "Well, but that's my
life. I thought about this recently: I had a nightmare the other night ... " And then, with minimal
Charlton writes, referring to the fact that the former Roseanne actor's partner, AllisonAdler,had
For All Eternity
Some have speculated that actor Jodie Foster
is hiding in the closet ( Out magazine even went
so far as to list the actor as No. 43 on its list of
Hollywood's most powerful gays). But in a recent
Birthing Equality
When it comes to lesbian mothering, everybody
issue of More magazine, she deftly avoids the subgets a turn. In July, a very pregnant Sara Gilbert ject in a way that lesbian fans are still debating.
1s
I
curve
prodding, Foster launches into a full description
of a nightmare involving, of all things, being accused of anti-Semitism, completely deflecting any
further talk of the suspicious bauble, or of her
sexual preference.
Seriously? An "eternity ring" that she never removes? On her wedding finger? We get it.
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Get Your Geek On
Admit it. You like all the newest shiny gadgets,
but you get tired of the boring spec lists and dude,
heavy drivel. Thankfully, a number of Web sites
She'sa verygeekygirl
I'm not a big fan of pink, but I can look past it
to visit Geeksugar.com. Mixing together how,to
help, reviews and the funky Geek Gear section,
this site serves up a great mix of gadgets and info.
Parent company Sugar Publishing offers other
niche sites, like Buzzsugar.com, which covers en,
tertainment, and the celebrity,focused Popsugar.
com.
Ooh,pretty...
Again, the pink design motif predominates, but
ShinyShiny.tv has a whole section just for Hello
Kitty, so it has a good excuse. Plus, it goes the ex,
tra mile to include, uh, personal electronics in its
Naughty Toys section.
Muchmorethanpop
gather up the things we ladies might like and pres,
ent them without making us feel like silly little girls
(except for their stereotypical pink design moti£ of
course). When you're not whiling away your time
on OurChart.com, pay these pages a visit. - EK
Popgadget.net has info on a broad range of top,
ics, such as lifestyle and technology for women:
categories include body, ecol green and pet gear.
And finally, nothing is pink! Check out their
Deals section for discounts on products, Web
services and more. Techno,moms should also
check out its sister site, Babygadget.net.
TakeAmerica's
favoriteLGBTtravel
guideswithyou!
It's a Boy!
He's the comedian that Margaret Cho can't stop
raving about. The transgender funny man Ian
Harvie has been working his way into the hearts
of lesbians everywhere. So much so, he even has
groupies (CURVE staffers included). He's worked
on some of Cho's latest projects, like music videos
for Garrison Starr and is a regular cast member of
Sensuous Woman. He also joined the likes of Alanis
Morissette and Morgan Freeman; he played God
in the short filmJames Lipton Is Dead.
"Basical y,I just keep saying yes to everything until I
decide it's something that doesn't fit well anymore;'
he says. ''Then I'll say yes to something else:• His
comedy touches on adolescence, family relation,
ships, sexuality and substance abuse. "Some people
(u
see a butch lesbian, some see a trans guy and well,
<(
;;.. some even see a gay guy;' he says. - KP
0
a:
a: See curvemag.com for an exclusive interview with
Cl)
Harvie, and check out our December issue, in which
z
0
0
we gush about other boys we love.
November 2007 j 19
1 The OutFest debut of POWER UP's !tty Bitty Titty Committee brought out (from
left) Jenny Shimizu, Clea Du Vall and director Jamie Babbit 2 LGBT Family Week in
Provincetown, Mass. 3 POWER UP and !tty Bitty at OutFest. Top row, from left: Clea
Du Vall, Guin Turner, Lisa Thrasher,Jamie Babbit, Stacy Codikow, Melanie Diaz, Melanie
Mayron. Bottom row from left: Mav Viola, Rene Santos, Lauren Mollica and Jenny Shimizu
4 Helping Heroes' CEO Michelle Bart, Last Comic Standing's Sabrina Matthews and
GLAAD's Carrie Belin at cuRvE's L.A. bash at the Bel Age hotel 5 Jessica from Logo's Curl
Girls with fans at Girl4Girl Portland Pride 6 Honey Labrador (second from right) and pals
at the CURVEbash in Los Angeles
20
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7 Getting hot at Girl4Girl Seattle Pride (clockwise from top left): God-des, DJ Spinderella,
Miss Chica Boom, She and Jenna Hikida 8 cuRvE's lovely columnists Lipstick and Dipstick
flank comic Suzanne Westenhoeffer at Portland, Ore:s Festival of the Babes 9 Rosie
O'Donnell packs 'em in to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the Las Vegas kickoff of the
True Colors tour 10 Filmmaker du jour Andrea Meyerson (second from right) with JD
DiSalvatore (far right) and friends at the CURVEbash in L.A. 11 Curl Girls'Jessica (right)
is bringing sexy back 12 This little guy and his moms are enjoying P-town's Family Week
13 Raising money at a P-town auction 14 JD DiSalvatore (left) with Paul Naccachian of
Beyond Vision United and Michelle Bart at the GLAAD Media Awards
November 2007
I21
Advice
Lipstick & Dipstick
The Church Lady Needs Help
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: My buddy "Karen"
is a sweet and loving friend to me and the
whole gang we run around with, but unfortunately, even though she looks like a bull
dyke, she is the most internally homophobic
person I know because of her Christian upbringing. How can we help our friend accept
herself? - Secular in San Jose
Dipstick:
My guess is that Karen enjoys feeling bad
about herself, and she feeds on the sympathy you
give her. I just did a quick search on gaycburch.org
and found 649 gay-friendly churches in California,
25 of those in San Jose. So feeling bad about being gay because of your religion just doesn't cut it
anymore. Times have changed. Everybody knows
that Jesus was a radical, and if he were alive today
he would happily hang out with the drag queens,
butches and peace activists. Tell your friend to
check out a gay-friendly church and get over her
victim complex.
Lipstick:Oh Dip, you need a vacation-all that
pent-up energy is making you narrow-minded and
insensitive. Internalized homophobia lives in all of
us, even you. It's one of those things that creeps up
on us when we're least expecting it, too, like a yeast
infection or an extra 10 pounds.
Dipstick:Or a broken crankshaft. It' in your
engine.
Lipstick:
[shaking her
head)
Internalized
homophobia
manifests itself in many
different ways. It could
be the reason you haven't
come out of the closet: You're ashamed
and think it will hurt your other relationships and/
or your career. It could be why you avoid Gay Pride
or why you don't want to have kids. Regardless of
how it rears its ugly head, internalized homophobia
grows from unresolved issues, those that were conceived at church, at the dinner table or on the evening news. How to get rid of them? Get to the root
of those prejudices (especially ones about yourself)
and unearth them. There's nothing wrong with
being gay-just ask a pastor at one of the queerfriendly churches Dip recommended.
DearLipstick& Dipstick:
I have been with my girlfriend for three year and I love her very much.
She is the only girl I've ever been with. However,
we just moved to Tennessee and have made a few
new friends, one of whom I'm very attracted to.
I would never cheat on my girlfriend, but I feel
guilty for the thoughts that go through my head,
especially when we have sex. I visualize sleeping
with my friend while I'm sleeping with my girlfriend. I know this is wrong but I don't know what
to do about it! - Messed Up in Memphis
Lipstick:I'd be worried if you didn't fantasize!
Don't be so hard on yourself; we all enjoy a good
fantasy. In fact, I had one the other night where I
was getting it on with Hillary Clinton. I've never found her attractive, but my perspective sure
changed when she picked me out of the crowd to
show the world where she stands with the gays.
Believe me, there's no guessing anymore: It's right
between my legs.
Dipstick:Lipstick is right. Crushes are normal,
even if you are in love with someone else. It's
even OK to think about your crush when you're
sexing your partner (as long as you don't tell her
about it). I once had a flurry of fantasies about
my boss dragging me into her office and pressing
me for details about the budget while pressing me
against the wall. There's something about a power
femme in a suit ... but it never happened. That's
the key. Give yourself permission to fantasize.
You're human after all. You can't control your at-
Relationships Advice
Admit Nothing
traction, but you can control your actions. As long
For the sake of maintaining your relationship
How you close the deal
as you're not cheating or leading the other girl on,
and your sanity, you may want to keep your
work and home situations as distant as Lindsay
Common knowledge: More business deals are
we say you're fine. Let go of the guilt!
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I've been in a
long-distance relationship for almost five
years now with a woman I met in a chat
room. She visited me several times and
stayed for over a month each time, even
though she was still married to her husband. She's had relationships with women
before me. Last year, her husband died and
I thought we'd be free, but she's still not
ready to tell the world about our beautiful union. She's my first, and the only one
I will ever love. I know that she loves me as
much as I love her, but she just wants us to
be in the closet forever. What should I do?
- Lonely Asian Girl
Lipstick:Oh lord, you should get your crowbar
0
a)
miniskirt and show more cleavage than Pamela
Anderson. Like it or not, working the double Os
to know in order for you to keep the peace. The
and double Xs is more effective with the Trumps
last thing you need is to upset your sweetheart
about the grindstone to which you're pressing
than corning out of the supply closet like Rosie
0, with power staplers blazing. Keep the seduc,
your nose.
rive tools of your business trade stowed neatly
away at the office and she'll never be the wiser.
Your straightwife
A straight wife is a devoted cu tie who flirts, gossips
and lunches with you from 9 to 5 but is otherwise
completely heterosexual. Once you punch out on
the time clock, you two go your separate ways to
play catch for your own respective teams. There
is no sex, but the flirtation makes the workday
go quickly and can actually spice up your love life
at home. Even so, you'd be wise to withhold the
an Angelina film fest. No matter what you say, she
won't believe that you are not providing hands,on
she has no intention of standing in her truth, no
matter how much you love her, start making plans
service to your straight wife in the cubicle. Better
to file this one under "harmless, but discreet:'
of your own. First on your list, Lonely Girl: come
out for yourself! And it may be a news flash, but
You got a big raise
she's not the only one for you. There are plenty of
other lezbots out there to fall in love with when
The faster you make money, the faster she will
spend it. Historically, this is called dating a worn,
the closet gets the better of you. And trust me, it
will. Staying in the closet is relationship suicide.
an. Sure, she'll be proud of you for getting that
merit raise, but she'll be prouder of the Prada
shoes that she can buy with the cash. Let her
Dipstick:Okay, Lip, now who's being insensitive?
think you're living beyond your means, while your
means are earning interest toward retirement.
some slack, unlike Lipstick. But she is right about
one thing: Five years in the dark is too long. It's
a)
ture on a contract, you might have to slip into a
ing on your spouse. Even so, there are a number
of things your girlfriend doesn't necessarily need
on their way out. There are no permanent passes
left-Hollywood
bought all of those years ago. If
never experienced anything else, I will cut you
o
should be chaste and not a playground for cheat,
news of your platonic fling from your girlfriend,
whose jealousy will rage like Jennifer Aniston at
Asian Girl, life in the closet? Ick! Because you've
0
closed with sugar than with vinegar. Your girl
may not understand that in order to get a signa,
served for military girls only, and women who are
and start prying her out slowly. The closet is re,
0
Lohan from an AA meeting. Your corporate life
-Kate Lacey
"Wheninterrogated,you
shouldanswer,'The
poor,hideousthing.Well,
at leastshe is a whiz at
PowerPoint.'Compare
yourassistantto a yeti,
a wookie ... "
That nest egg will last longer than the golden,
egg,laying goose she has to have. The last place
you want to end up at age 65 is on BrokeDyke
Mountain.
time you brought this relationship out into the
light. The problem is that you can't force your
girlfriend to move faster than she's ready to. She's
Your assistantis hot
probablf mourning her husband, plus she's guilty
about cheating on him while he was alive. Give
As far as your girlfriend is concerned, your as,
sistant resembles Rush Limbaugh. When inter,
the girl a year. Gradually venture out of the closet
on your own and report back to her all that she's
missing. Coming out can be scary-two steps out,
rogated, you should answer, "The poor, hideous
thing. Well, at least she is a whiz at PowerPoinr:'
Compare your assistant to a yeti, a wookie or your
one step back-but
stay steady on your course
and if she can't follow, then you'll eventually be
happier without her, believe me.
mother-any
similarly undesirable beast will
do. If your girl gets a look at your hot assistant,
feign blindness: "I don't see it:' Deny, deny, deny.
Ask us anythingaboutsex, loveor lesbiansat lipstick
dipstick.com.
Playing dumb will get you farther than claiming
you're not interested.
November 2007
I23
Advice
Astro Grrl
For Girls, I Give Thanks
Willyou
find a jewel
among your
trashygal
palsthis
month,
Scorpio?It
depends.
You may
actuallybe
intotrash.
Aries {March 21-April 20)
Sex: A secret lover makes herself known, much to your surprise.
She upends your world. Prepare to go head over heels and back
again. Lucky you, Ram! Career:
November is a good time co travel. Not only does it open up new vistas, it opens up a few other
things as well. You become an open book, with smudge prints.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex: November can bring you coo much of a good thing, sexually.
And yet, can you ever have too much of a good thing, sexually?
Career:You put a great deal of thought and effort into your job
now. Just be sure chat you are well paid for it!
Gemini {May 22-June 21)
Sex: Warm your chesmuts by an open fire chis November. le is
chilly outside but hoc and heavy at home with you-know-who ...
or do you? Career:Surprises on the job can steer you off track,
derailed and headed for a full stop. Not a moment too soon! You
need a change. Brush yourself off and cry again.
Cancer {June 22-July 23)
Sex: You may chink that you are hoc stuff, but check yourself
out in the mirror ... twice! Turn up your heat slowly and simmer.
Career:A bolt of good luck zaps you in your career. Will you be
shocked or electrified? Light up a few new opportunities while
you are ablaze with potential.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex: Don't keep any secrets from her chis November. Lionesses
need to call it as they see it. Are your eyes coo big for your appe-
tite? Good! Career:
Your love life and your career don't mix right
now. But if you wait long enough, they will blend nicely as you
are shaken, stirred and tasted for good measure.
Virgo {Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:Gal pals get you into happy trouble, but partners and wouldbe lovergrrls are not amused. Make everyone happy by planning
your jollies with the whole gang in mind. Career:
You are caught
goofing off on the job again. Maybe it's time to plan for a very
early retirement.
Libra {Sept. 24-0ct. 23)
Sex: There is something charming and charismatic about you this
November. You are turning heads, and that is much better than
causing eyes to roll. Career:
Make your mark in your career early
in the month. Afrer that, your best-laid plans may lay an egg.
Scorpio {Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
24
I
curve
Sagittarius {Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:Admirers talk about you behind your back. They think
you are sexy, deep and constant. Ah, if they only knew the
truth! Career:
They love you at work, but don't let it go to your
head. Sooner or later, every dust bunny you have swept under
the rug comes out. Achoo!
Capricorn {Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Sex: Put more effort into partnerships early this ovember
when others demand your attention. More! More! More! It will
make you yearn for a little alone rime. Career:
It will be hard to
get yourself out from under at work. This is not a bad thing.
Who is she, anyway?
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Sex: If you can put out even a small bit of effort in your lovemaking, it will pay off in big dividends. Take stock of your
bonds this November. Career:Even Aqueerians can come
up with great ideas at work on occasion. The secret is to get
noticed and appreciated by the top guns before you shoot off
your mouth again.
Pisces {Feb. 20-March 20)
Sex:Love and sex seem to be more in your head chis November.
You talk a great game but fail to act. Typical. Career:
Guppies
Sex: Will you find a jewel among your trashy gal pals this month,
are at the top of their corporate form this November and can
Scorpio? It depends. You may actually be into trash. Career: do no wrong. Make hay while the sun shines, whatever that
Business travel will bring its rewards. Then you can rest on your
laurels and slack off on the job. Long lunch, anyone?
For more advicefrom the stars, visit thestarryeye.com.
Fairy Butch
Advice
Am I Too Vanilla?
Dear Fairy Butch: Thank you for helping us queer folk
out with your words of wisdom. OK, so my dilemma
is, I am a 25-year-old femme lesbian of color who
considers herself fairly enlightened about matters of
gender and sexuality. So here's my issue. After beating myself up when first coming out and trying to be
a monodyke, I am now cool with the fact that I'm a
femme in the "old school" sense-in that the kind of
partners that I desire are butches or (trans) bois. I've
been in a few long-term relationships and realize that
for me, two things are true. First of all, I am not capable of having one-night stands. I must have some
emotional involvement with my partner to feel healthy
upstairs. Secondly, sex to me is just an added bonus
in life. I'm not saying I'm not a sexual being because I
do have needs and enjoy sex, I just don't have the sex
drive of my queer gal contemporaries. Also, I guess
I'm a bit of a vanilla bore when
it comes to sex. I'm willing to
explore, but don't feel the need
to add a huge list of things to
my sexual resume. I mean, recently I experienced my part-
just don't have the sex drive of my queer gal contemporaries."
That said, sex can be a pretty fabulous part of life, and it
sounds like you may possibly hold out hope for something a
bit more earth-shattering than you have experienced. You've
identified yourself as a butch- and tranny-desiring femme, and
there's a lot of potential heat to be mined in such a coupling. You
used the word "desire" and that's what makes me want to push
you further to explore your potential for fireworks. Perhaps perusing the erotic fiction section at the local bookstore will help
you focus that desire. Also, sex classes on various topics might
go far in helping you locate your sexual interests.
Likewise, my dear, it is possible that you just haven't met the
partner with whom you're going to have explosive sex, and you
I
I
a.
Dear Fairy Butch: I love the advice you give. My
question is this: My parents are very religious, and
I was also raised attending church. They find homosexuality immoral. Just recently, they found out
about me being a lesbian, even though I am totally out to everyone else. Ever since, my father has
treated me differently. He either won't talk to me
or just acts really strange. My mother, on the other
hand, is very supportive, and he's upset at her for
supporting me. I hate confrontations. How should
not a sexual being because I do have needs and enjoy sex, I
DearPrude:Sugar plum, the Lesbian Nation accommodates
women of varying sex drives, so you needn't chastise yourself
or call yourself a"prude" or a"vanilla bore" when taking account
of the sexual territory you've staked out for yourself. And to
that end, I don't think that your situation merits the diagnosis
"unhealthy" either. The question is, how well do your proclivities serve you and the partners you've chosen for yourself?
0
come and so will you.
"Sex to me is just an added bonus in life. I'm not saying I'm
ner packing for the first time, if
you know what I mean. It was nice, but it didn't make
me want to shout from the rooftops. Am I a prude? Is
this completely unhealthy? Or have I just not found
the right partner with whom I can jell to make all this
work out? Help! - Prude in Pittsburgh?
()
....J
So please don't worry about
pathologizing yourself or characterizing yourself as a prude because sex isn't the be-all and end-all
for you. Don't worry, cupcake, it'll
don't need to give it up on the first date to find out what kind of
chemistry you're going to have. Even without sex, you can usually discern whether there's a spark between you and your date.
I go about handling this situation? Most of the time
I'm never home, because I try to stay out of his way.
Thanks so much, cutie. - Raised Religious in Racine
DearReligious:
I'm glad to hear about your mom, sweetheart! One supportive parent is one more than a lot of us folks
get dealt in our homosexual poker hands. As for your dadhon, he's going to take some time and, if you're up to it, some
intervention. You don't mention your religious orientation,
but many faiths these days have some representation in the
queer community. There are groups you can join and books
you can read to find places where people have come together
to create a positive coexistence between their faith and their
queerness.
It would be great for you to meet folks who can share their
experiences and help you to prepare for a future chat with
your father. It's not that you have to prepare a PowerPoint
presentation, but you would do well to be sufficiently
equipped when engaging him in a (nonconfrontational) conversation about your life. I found an amazing resource online
that directs members of numerous faiths to support groups
and materials. Whether you're Lutheran, Jehovah's Witness,
Messianic or Catholic, you'll find what you're looking for at
the Gay Religion resource page at hirr.hartsem.edu/ gayreligion/ resource.htm. Be patient and understanding, and if you
can possibly get him to attend a Parents, Family and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays meeting, so much the better.
Have a sexuality or romancequery, e-mailJb@Jairybutch.com.
November 2007
I 25
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
Are Your Habits Habit-Forming:
Routine behavior sometimes takes you farther than you'd think.
Everybody thinks they were better-looking than they really were when they
were young, even butt-ugly people. I suppose, then, that I am just one of the
many that thumb through the old photo album and wonder where that tan,
lithe, vivacious party gal went. Life was all about swim-up bars and muff diving 'round the world. (The soundtrack to American Gigoloshould be playing
in your head as you read this.)
I am not sure how I afforded the life I recall, particularly since I made
less than $20,000 a year as a waitress, but that is how I remember it, anyway.
How did I get from there to here:' If only I could remember ...
I spent years out on the town. I once racked up a 1,098-day streak of going out to the clubs. I have the diary to prove it, although much of the writing
is illegible and/ or gibberish.
No day was sacred, not Christmas, not Yorn Kippur-not even getting
dumped could keep me out of the dyke bars and fag bars (and straight bars,
ifl was trawling for closet cases). I would get up at noon and go to work at
five and then come home, shower, and go right out to the bars to shake my
tail feathers until closing time. Then it was either a lace-night bite or a latenight lick, depending on how the clubbing had gone. I do remember having a
menu in my hands more often than
a stranger's underwear, but that
didn't stop me from trying.
People used to ask me if I ever
got sick of going out with my friends
and dancing. Nope, I never did. I
loved the excitement, the lights, the
music and even the drama. Since I
haven't been to the bars in centuries,
now folks ask me if I miss going out
every night. Nope.
Nothing bad happened the last
time I went out. Actually, something bad may have happened, but
whatever happened that night, it
wasn't memorable. I didn't find
Jesus or abandon the Blue Nun. I
didn't decide chat I was never going
out again. I just never did.
Quitting smoking, on the other
hand, was a conscious decision.
People tell me that I am much better off as a nonsmoker. I suppose
they are right, although the prospect of going through life without
a cigarette still gives me a fright. I
haven't had so much as a puff since
2001, although I have been known
to invade a smoker's personal space
so that I might enjoy a good inhale.
The first three days were the worst,
but day four through right now is
26
I
curve
just about the same-f-ing hard. I still can't believe that I quit. I never turned
into one of those militant nonsmokers who start coughing and complaining
when they're in the same county with a lit cigarette. Not a day goes by when I
don't think about how great it would be to have one ... or 40. I haven't given
in yet. It isn't willpower that keeps me going-it is my habitual nature. I am
used to not smoking now, so if I started, I would have to rearrange my life all
over again.
My wife has never seen me smoke, so I would have to explain to her that
smoking is just another one of those quirky things that she has grown to love
about me. Cancer caused by exposure to secondhand smoke is a steep price
to pay for putting up with a quirk, but my girl is a pretty good sport, so she
might be OK with it.
I could not hold my liquor, but I didn't let that stop me.
I wasn't just a lampshade drunk-I was a lamp.
For some people, waking up in their own vomit is the end of their drinking career, but to me, it was just the worst meal of the day.
I didn't get tipsy or buzzed; I got fallin'-down, stinkin' drunk. Anything
worth doing is worth doing to excess.
Many were the days when I
couldn't get out of bed for the weight
of the shame, as the events of the
night before began to tumble into
my consciousness. The blackouts
were the best, until one of my helpful friends called me up and filled my
blissful blanks with searing bits of
humiliation.
The very first time I drank
(Mickey's malt liquor in the widemouth bottles), I drank way too
much and barfed.
The last time I drank-vodka,
wine, some orange cough syrup-tasting scuff-I drank too much and
barfed.
The fact that those two events
were a couple of decades apart means
that something about boozing it up
is pretty appealing to me.
Hangovers never curbed my
thirst. I knew from thousands of bad
mornings that by lunchtime I would
forget all about it, and by dinnertime
I would be doing it all over again.
I haven't been drunk in a long
time. The last time was at my nephew's fourth birthday party. Nothing
makes a preschooler's party swing
like a drunk dyke singing disco songs
and doing impressions of other
relatives ... in front of them. Sounds pretty bad, but on my 10-point scale of
alcohol-induced shameful activities it barely rated a four.
The movie of my life, during the liquor years, would have been called Bar
(fruit)Fly.I fell down embankments, peed in public, broke furniture-well, I
was quite the mess.
I dunno why I haven't been drunk in years. Maybe my liver laid down the
law to my brain. Or maybe I was just too lazy or broke one night to go out and
buy a bottle. Perhaps I just forgot to get drunk one night. And then a night
turned into a week and a week turned into a year, and now it seems like I'm
a bloody schoolmarm.
I exercise when I can, but exercise does not come naturally to me. When
we were little, my kid sister used to ask me to jump rope with her when she
was bored so that she could laugh at my uncoordinated fl.ailing,which left
me tangled up and rolling around on the ground like a lassoed calf. By the
time I entered high school, I had failed in soccer, cross country, basketball
and softball. When I was 17, I finally discovered something I could do: lift
weights. And when I was too broke to find some iron to push, I just walked
around town until I found someplace worth stopping. I have been pumping
and wandering ever since because I can't do anything else.
I loved the sun. I used to work nights just so I could maximize my sun time
and be the tannest of the tan. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who was the darkest of them all? My dermatologist warned me about the dangers of the sun,
but I just assumed that her pale ass was jealous. Then one day, my boss said
I'd better start showing up for work in the mornings instead of the evenings.
Within a few months, my tan had faded until I was as white as my grousing
dermatologist, and by then it seemed like it was just too much trouble to try
and find enough sun to get brown again.
I don't know how I got into a stable, loving relationship. I had just gotten
out of another one of my inappropriate situations and resigned myself to a
life of more of the same when I met her.
She could just as easily have turned out to be a loon or a sad sack instead
of my dream girl.
More than one dyke has asked me how I did it. Chloroform and a rag is
what I tell them.
I don't know why this relationship worked out. I didn't do anything different the last 30 times. My material hasn't improved. I didn't win the lottery or
get therapy or cosmetic surgery (but all of those things are on my to-do list).
I wish I could give everybody who asks me for it the secret to my happiness,
but I can't because I was just plain lucky.
What a shock it is to read this about myself and know that I am a teetotaling, nonsmoking, pale, iron-pumping, happily married woman. And I still
haven't figured out how I got here.
I never meant to do any of it.
I didn't settle down. I haven't matured. I just picked up some new
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November 2007
I27
Politics
VictoriaA. Brownworth
Bad Girls Wanted
The recent gang of party chicks exposes a well-known double standard.
So there I was, watching Lindsay Lohan get arrested for the fifth time in as
many months and then return to rehab. This was after Britney Spears got
out of rehab and after Paris Hilton got out of jail and after Winona Ryder
appeared on the cover of Vogueand said in her interview that stealing wasn't a
big deal, and after Lil' Kim got released from prison, but before ...
It's hard to keep track of the Bad Girls. The Bad Girls are the hottest
infotainment trend and we simply cannot get enough of them.
I was a Bad Girl in my 20s, too, but I wasn't a Hollywood Bad Girl. I was
never rich, and I never liked Hollywood when I was working there. I was also
never arrested on a DUI, never drove the wrong way down any freeway, never
had a cocaine or alcohol addiction and never got arrested for driving with a
suspended license. And while I did at one time have a reputation for stripping at parties and flipping up my skirts to reveal no panties, like some of the
current Bad Girl crop, I never did this for the paparazzi, just for my coterie
of lesbian friends.
I would add that while being a Bad Girl did take up a considerable amount
of my time, it was not my career. This, too, would distinguish me from the re-
28
Icurve
cent Bad Girls, many of whom seem to have no career but Bad Girl.
Ostensibly, these women are actors or singers, but they act more like girls
that just hang out, get drunk or high, then get into a car and drive off to their
next DUI. (Or, in as Winona Ryder's case, shoplift a few thousand dollars'
worth of merchandise that she could easily afford to pay for, or in Lil' Kim's
case, get busted for lying about a gangsta rap shooting.)
So why would any girl choose a career as a Bad Girl?
Well, speaking from past experience, being a Bad Girl can be fun. It's a
party all the time. Very little day and lots of night. Music, alcohol and lots of
dancing, with and without clothes. There are lots of women (if you're alesbian) and lots of men (if you aren't). There's lots of sex of all sorts, but mostly I
of the unremembered kind. And Bad Girls say whatever they want. Bad Girls
are outrageous.
Being a Bad Girl should only ever be a part-time job, as it was for me,
rather than a full-time career. I don't recommend the Bad Girl career move.
There are big problems with choosing Bad Girl as your career. First, being
a Bad Girl can tum, well, bad. Depending on the "bad" you choose, you can
get in a lot of trouble. Danger stalks Bad Girls. Even if
you really want to be a Bad Girl only part time, you could
completely ruin your chances at whatever it is you wanted
to do full time, if your Bad Girl rep goes global.
Another downside to being a Bad Girl is that Bad Girl
behavior doesn't age well. Bad Girls who cruise into their
30s still thinking they can be the Bad Girl generally end up
in a bad place. Think Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole
Smith. Or Courtney Love-still alive, but what a mess.
And yet, even though it's a terrible career choice, not
only do girls keep choosing the Bad Girl life, but people
continue to be fascinated by them. They also really like to
hate Bad Girls.
When Paris Hilton went to prison, everybody cheered.
People like to live vicariously through Bad Girls, but they
also like to see them get caught. Our love affair with
Bad Girls is short-lived and complicated; very Carson
McCullers and Somerset Maugham.
Perhaps it's because Bad Girl appears on my own resume, but I never did understand why Paris Hilton went
to prison, whether it was for four days or four weeks. How
many people go to jail for driving with a suspended license
or for a DUI? And in Hollywood, no less. Anyone remember seeing Mel Gibson in jail? What about Billy Baldwin?
And when was the last time you saw someone go to
prison for perjury? Lil' Kim did. But Scooter Libby didn't.
Whyr Martha Stewart went to prison for fraud, but Ken
Lay didn't-he died of a heart attack while skiing.
One of the perils of being a Bad Girl is the double
standard. That's another reason not to take that career
path. Think about it: Paris Hilton spent more time in jail
for drunk driving than O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake did
for killing their wives. (I know, Simpson and Blake were
acquitted, which just proves how bad Hilton's attorney was.)
The real reason no chick should choose Bad
Girl for a career, however, is because when it comes
anger is considered a leadership quality for men
on the job. In women, however, it is considered a
sign of weakness and hysteria. Thus, Dick Cheney
can shoot a man in the face and end up with an
"Morethan anything,it seemsto demean [Hilton
and Lohan].But I alsodon't thinkthey shouldbe
singledout for doingwhat Bad Boyshavedone for
eonswith narya blinkof a falseeyelash."
to glass ceilings, the sky's the limit on what Bad
Girls can do, but the penalties are huge. After all,
Bad Girl is what other people call you, not what
you call yourself
That means almost any woman can become a
Bad Girl just because someone else says she is, or
because she says or does something only men are
allowed to do.
My guess is that Hillary Clinton never danced
on a tabletop showing her Brazilian to the crowd,
but she got branded as a Bad Girl nevertheless
because she did the political equivalent of flash-
apology from his victim; Bush can scream and yell
at reporters and still retain a hefty approval rating
among his base. But if Clinton raises her voice, the
press can't mouth the word "shrill" fast enough.
I don't approve of the bad behavior that Hilton
and Lohan and the other Bad Girls have been exhibiting. More than anything, it seems to demean
them. But I also don't think they should be singled
out for doing what Bad Boys have done for eons
with nary a blink of a false eyelash.
In 2007, women should be able to do whatever
they want without facing repercussions men don't
ing her pudendum to the audience: She decided
to play the boys' game like they did, instead oflike
a girl.
Clinton's a political Bad Girl. Being one doesn't
land you in jail, but it can land you on the conservatives 10 most wanted list. Remember Jane
Fonda? Barbarella got branded for life as the Bad
Girl-Hanoi
Jane. Mitt Romney even referred
to her during a debate recently because, 35 years
later, her name still draws ire from the Right.
Being a Bad Girl is about not following the
rules. There are, for example, plenty of Bad Boys
in Hollywood, boys who make K-Fed look wholesome. But they don't get the headlines that the
Bad Girls d.9 because being a Bad Boy is considered sexy. Boys can be bad for decades. Even Mel
Gibson was able to shrug off his anti-Semitic
tirade with a week in rehab and then go back to
being the hunky leading man.
In politics, as in Hollywood, a double standard applies to "bad" behavior. Men can say what
they want, however they want. George Bush has
been angry throughout his tenure as president.
He snaps at reporters and Congresspeople alike.
But then, as a study released in August showed,
have to face. With choice comes responsibility, of
course. No one advocates drunk driving. But if we
punish the girls, why not the boys?
In another year, Hillary Clinton could be
elected president. But until then, the Bad Girl litany will repeat in the media and there will be more
written and said about her tone and her manner
than the substance of her words.
I'd like to take the spotlight off the Bad Girls
and shine it on the Bad Boys. Take it off Clinton
and shine it on Bush and Cheney. Off Lohan,
Hilton and Spears and onto the many boys behaving badly. I'd like to see the word "antics" applied
to men for a while, instead of to women when it
regards their personal or political behavior.
A century ago, if a woman showed an ankle
or spoke without being spoken to, she was a
Bad Girl. The clothes-or lack of them-may
have changed, but the attitudes remain the same.
When women do what men have always done
with impunity, they are branded for life. As long as
that double standard prevails, women will not be
equal-being a Bad Girl won't be a career choice
as much as another version of Hester Prynne's
scarlet letter.
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November 2007
I29
30
Icurve
Specs ahoy (clockwise from top left): Writer Asiana Ponciano is posh in turquoise tan stripe 'Hicks.' Superfreak! star Shawn is smashing
in blue to purple 'Topkapis.' Asiana rocks the red chili 'Surenot' specs. Artist Nicole Robbins is quirky cool in black and white 'Junebugs.'
Shawn is blue green with envy in 'Chavo.' Opposite page: Asiana beams in grape-butter split 'Crewcut' frames (left), while Shawn is all
smiles in orange-berry split 'Sawtelle.' All frames designed by Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds and courtesy of I.a. Eyeworks.
November 2007
I31
READY TO GO GREEN?
Here's an easy how-to guide. By VictoriaA. Brownworth
RECYCLE EVERYTHING
Green is the new black. It's everywhere. Suddenly,
it's tres chic to be green, and everyone is falling all
There are things that never biodegrade. Plastic is
over themselves trying to obliterate as many car,
one of them. Most municipalities recycle cans, glass
bon footprints as possible. Any celebrity worth
and paper. Be sure you always recycle these items.
Many municipalities do not recycle plastic, even
her Botox has jumped on the green bandwagon.
But thinking green and going green are very differ,
though this is the most important item to recycle.
ent things. We all want to, but as Kermit the Frog
Find out where you can recycle plastics in your area
said so profoundly, it's not easy being green.
and start collecting them for recycling. Once you
see all the bottles, jars and other containers you've
The first step toward going green is thinking
green. This means thinking about what you waste.
Think about it a lot, because the United States is
been tossing, you'll be glad you did.
Never throw away fabric, clothes or shoes.
the most wasteful nation on earth. Here are some
TU RN OFF THE TAP
other easy steps you can take to get there now.
Everyone talks about the importance of oil in the
world, but the most important commodity on the
planet is water. More than two,thirds of people
Like plastic, these things do not biodegrade. You
can deposit all old fabric, clothing and shoes in
Planet Aid boxes, which are now in 19 states
(PlanetAid.org). What can't be reused in its cur,
on earth don't have access to clean, potable water.
rent state gets shredded for reuse. If there are no
Americans do, and as a consequence we tend to
Planet Aid boxes in your area, check out one of
waste it. When you don't have to carry it five miles
on your head in the broiling sun, you don't think
the many clothing exchanges around the country
or visit Lime.com, which will tell you how to re,
about where it comes from or how much of it you
cycle any product.
use. Yet thousands of people are dying every day
from a lack of clean water.
Begin by turning off the tap. Don't run water
when you aren't using it, like when you are brush,
ing your teeth or washing dishes. Two gallons of
water comes out of the tap every minute.
Turn off the water when you are showering.
The average shower uses two to five gallons of wa,
CUT BACK ON PAPER
Sheryl Crow got a lot of crap for suggesting we all
use only one square of toilet paper. Oprah balked
at the five,minute shower limit. Cameron Diaz
got the water industry in a tizzy for saying we
should stop using bottled water. Yet wasting water
and paper are two of the most damaging things we
do in the developed world.
One square of toilet paper isn't realistic most
of the time. But four squares is very doable. Cut
back on the toilet paper. You'll save money, trees
and energy. Speaking of toilet paper, use recycled
paper products whenever possible. Trader Joe's
and other local and national chain stores carry
them. Check the label for the little green recycled
products insignia. If the store where you shop
doesn't carry recycled paper products, ask them
why not. If enough people do this, the store will
start carrying them.
32
Icurve
ter per minute. Get wet, soap up, turn the water
off, scrub, turn the water back on and rinse off. It's
incredibly easy and will save more than 20,50 gal,
Ions of water, since the average person spends at
least 10 minutes in the shower.
Don't run the dishwasher unless it's full. Don't
run the washing machine unless it's full. The aver,
age dishwasher and washing machine use between
15 and 41 gallons of water per cycle, respectively.
Bottled water is convenient and we love it. I
know there is a landfill out there with my name
on it filled with Evian bottles. I'm not sure how
long I will have to spend in purgatory for that
crime against nature, but I am breaking myself of
the habit.
Get a water filter for your tap and some refill,
POWER DOWN
able bottles, so you can carry filtered tap water just
the way you carry bottled water now. The financial
savings alone will stun you, and you can feel good
about eliminating yet another wasteful action in
How much energy do you use? Most of us are
emitting more carbons than a Hummer, just from
what we do in our own homes. Begin by turning
things off. We use electricity without even know,
your life.
ing it. All those appliances not in use? Turn them
SUSTAINAB LE
NOOKY?
Sex toys have gone green.
By Kristin A. Smith and
Sarah E. Brown
off and unplug chem. Anything chat is plugged into
an electrical outlet, even if it is turned off, is using
electricity. So: unplug the computer, microwave,
coffee maker, DVD player and CD player when
you aren't using chem. These are called "vampire"
If you think they're too weird, don't look at
them. Just put them in and forget about them.
And since they last an average of five years, you
can readily forget chem-at huge savings in cash
appliances. Bending over to plug chem back in is
the kind of energy you should be expending.
Speaking of expending energy, one of the ways
we most waste energy in the United States is with
The light they cast is different, and the bulbs
themselves have to warm up. It'll be dim for a few
seconds before the heat hits the core of the bulb.
But don't let the word "fluorescent" scare you:
Although you may have thought sex was only
about meeting the demands of your woman,
these days when you hop in the sack you have
to consider the needs of the environment, too.
our lighcbulbs. Walk, don't drive, to get new lightbulbs for all your fixtures. When a lightbulb burns
These bulbs don't cast chat awful bright-white
light you associate with old-time office buildings. It's a warm glow, just not quite as bright as
Want to make both bedfellows happy? Check
out these ecofriendly, sustainable products and
realize just how good sustainable sex can be.
and energy.
an incandescent. While incandescents are going
the way of the eighMrack tape, these bulbs are the
wave of the future. Change your bulbs now and
save more energy.
THINK
ABOUT THE NOSH
Most people don't chink about food when they
talk about greening the planet, but food is a big
energy consumer. Buy locally whenever possible.
Most cheeses and other dairy products are made
in the United States, as is most soy, so those are
easy. Try to get locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and grains. The less the travel time for your
products, the lighter the carbon footprint.
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RUBBER
Leatherless and made from
100 percent recycled rubber, In Her Tube's 100
percent organic harnesses come in such a
variety of styles and cuts
chat one will surely suit your
style of strapping it on. After your
amorous activities, make sure you don't
leave your harness in the sun or around
to manufacturers, these ba.pets-according
bies "melt under extreme heat and make excellent chew toys:' (inhertube.com)
GET GOING
out, replace the old incandescent one with a new
compact fluorescent. Hate how they look? Well,
they are being made in all kinds of shapes now, not
just the wild squiggly ones. Every household chat
replaces these bulbs takes the equivalent of 1,000
cars off the road.
w
::J
....J
3:
Whenever possible, walk or bicycle, don't drive.
Not only will this keep you more fit, but it will
also save the planet. The bottom line on going
green is to be conscious of what you use, where it
comes from and where it goes when you are done
with it. Few of us have ever had these thoughts because we didn't know we had to change; but now
we know we must. Going green can't hurt you or
anyone else. But not doing it can kill us all.
To calculate your emissions, visit epa.gov
ECOEROTIC TOYS
There's nothing better than a good sex coy,but
there may be hidden dangers in your favorite
vibe. Many are made from PVC, notoriously
toxic to you and the environment. Before your
next purchase, learn the safe words: 100 percent silicon, glass, medical-grade surgical steel
and ceramic. (badvibes.com)
THE MOIST MAKER
Sensua Organic's chemical-free, water-based lubes are certified organic,
don't stain and use a special formula
designed to "allow for continuous
of lesbianspreferto pay morefor
productsfroma sociallyresponsible
companythanto savemoneyby
company.
buyingfroma sociallyirresponsible
rehydration, using the body's own
moisture:' Indulge in light, natural-tasting flavors like Peach and
Luscious Flower Libido or opt for
the tasteless, odorless Unflavored.
*Aceo,dlng to 8 2008 CURVEsurvey
( ripnroll.com/ sensua.htm)
November 2007
I33
UNDERSTANDING ECOADVENTURES
Yes, you can enjoy the environment and protect it at the same time. By Jodi Helmer
schedules up to 50 trips per year throughout Canada.
"The male model of survival-of-the-fittest is such a turnoff;'
notes Beth Mairs, owner of Wild Women Expeditions."On our
trips, we focus on the idea that adventure travel is about community, about women helping and supporting other women.
The women who choose ecoadventures want to do more than
soak up the sun and the tequila. These are women who are
seeking out an adventure that is unpredictable and exciting,
and they want to share their experiences with a group of other
women:'
Planning a green vacation is easier than ever: Pack a picnic
lunch of farm-fresh fruit to eat beneath the Eiffel Tower, ride
the streetcar in San Francisco instead of renting a car, and leave
no trace during a camping trip in Colorado. Need more suggestions for an ecoadventure? Check out these popular options.
Trekking through the jungles of Borneo, snorkeling off the
coast of the Galapagos Islands and paddling a canoe down the
Amazon River are popular trips for ecoconscious adventureseekers. Planning a trip that combines adventurous activities
with a commitment to protecting the environment does not
have to mean spending a week in the middle of nowhere, slathering on mosquito repellant and noshing on foraged berries. In
fact, as ecotourism has become more popular, the options have
grown to include big cities and small villages, accommodations
ranging from primitive ecolodges to luxurious five-star hotels,
and world-class sights as well as off-the-beaten-path attractions.
Ecotourism involves conserving the environment and improving the welfare of local
communities while you travel. The trend, also
known as sustainable travel or green vacations,
has surged over the past decade. According to
the Adventure Travel Trade Association, in
2006 research found that women make up the
largest group of ecotourists and are responsible for the growing demand in adventure
activities.
To meet these needs, an increasing number of outfitters are offering trips catering
to women, and several have begun scheduling trips for queer female travelers. Ontario,
34
Icurve
Canada-based Wild Women Expeditions
began offering LesBi trips in 1991 and now
RAISE HELL ON WHEELS
Break a sweat on some of the hottest-and
hardest-mountain bike trails in the United States. Marquette, Mich., is part of
a 384-mile stretch of land that makes up the Upper Peninsula,
or the U.P.,which lies along the shores of Lake Superior and is
dotted with sandstone cliffs, thundering waterfalls and acres of
pristine wilderness.
Bike magazine named Marquette one of Americas Top Five
Mountain Biking Towns, and the combination of rugged trails
and paved bike paths helps it live up to its reputation.
"We have great terrain for mountain biking that is quite
technical;' notes Susan Brian, a former pro mountain biker
and the executive director of the Noquemanon Trail Network.
"There is such a beautiful and vast wilderness that surrounds
Marquette and it is known for having some premier trails:'
There are several bike trails that run straight through
Marquette. A 12~mile paved trail runs along the shores of Lake
Superior, past boating marinas and docks to 328~acre Presque
Isle Park, with its gorgeous views of downtown Marquette. A
section of the North Country Trail, which stretches from New
York to North Dakota, also runs right through Marquette.
Experienced mountain bikers and adventure~seekers can
travel a few miles outside of Marquette where pine trees and
rushing streams replace brick buildings and asphalt streets. A
series of trails cuts through the wilderness with runs that chal~
lenge even the most experienced mountain bikers. One of the
best is a trail on Grand Island's National Recreation Area, 40
miles off of the coast of Marquette; it was designed for expert
riders and is reputed to be the best place in the U.P. for moun~
tain biking.
TAKE A HIKE
North Carolina is one of the most geographically diverse states
in the nation. Its scenery ranges from sand dunes and coastal
plains in the east to rolling hills and mountains in the west.
The hiking trails in North Carolina are as diverse as the state
itself: There are short urban hikes in cities like Charlotte and
Raleigh~Durham as well as an extensive network of challenging
trails in the mountains and along the coast.
There are 750 hiking trails totaling more than 2,500 miles
scattered throughout the Tar Heel State. The most popular
trails are located in the mountains. A narrow corner of the state
is home to thousands of acres of wilderness, numerous national
parks and the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests. One of
the most challenging hikes leads to the top of Mount Mitchell,
which at 6,684 feet is the tallest mountain in North Carolina
and the highest peak east of the Mississippi. It is a strenuous
11.S~mile hike to the summit, but the spectacular views are
worth the climb.
PADDLE FOR PLEASURE
Getting up close to otters and harbor seals is as simple as hopping
in a kayak and gliding across the water in the San Juan Islands.
The San Juan Islands are off the coast of Washington state and
offer spectacular views of Mount Baker and the Cascades. The
islands are sheltered from the swells of the Pacific Ocean, mak~
ing them one of the best paddling destinations in the United
States.
Admire orcas frolicking in the waves and watch bald eagles
soaring overhead on a morning paddle, or go our in the evening
for a sunset paddle and spend hours stargazing from the wa~
ter. The waters off the shores of the San Juan Islands are calm
enough for beginners but offer enough of a challenge for experi~
enced paddlers. Dozens of outfitters like Adventure Associates
GET PACKING, LADY
Everything you need to know to plan an ecofriendly vacation
A bit of research and some advanced planning make taking a green
vacation easier than ever. Follow these tips to plan a vacation with the
environment in mind:
FIND GREEN ACCOMMODATIONS
The Green Hotels Association (greenhotels.com) maintains a listing of
hotels, motels and inns that are committed to the environment. Their
accommodations have implemented policies ranging from using nontoxic cleaners to saving water and reducing solid waste.
A few hotels in Canada and the United States are rated according to
the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program (greenhotelsonline.com).
The program ranks properties on their environmental policies, giving
them a grade ranging from one to five leaves. Right now, there is just
one five-leaf hotel, the solar-powered Aurum Lodge in Alberta.
Hotel chains like La Quinta Inns, Marriott and the Hyatt let guests
decide how often to have their sheets and towels changed. Conserve
water by requesting fewer linen changes during your vacation.
TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF ECOFRIENDLY TRANSPORTATION
OPTIONS
Delta, Continental and Scandinavian Airlines have launched carbonoffset programs. For a small fee ($5.50 for a domestic flight and $11
for an international trip on Continental), passengers can support the
airline's programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Renting a car on vacation? EV Rental Cars·(evrental.com) has fleets
of hybrid vehicles in Las Vegas, Phoenix and several California locations. The Better World Club (betterworldclub.com) is an organization like AAA that offers nationwide roadside assistance as well as
discounts for renting hybrid and electric cars. The organization also
offers a roadside bicycle assistance program-the first of its kind in the
United States.
THINK
LOCAL
Instead of booking all-inclusive packages through multinational tour
providers, book tours through local tourism companies, stay in locally
owned hotels and eat at mom-and-pop eateries instead of large chain
restaurants.
Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com) offers an extensive database of tour companies and accommodations worldwide. Listings are
divided into categories-locations,
types of activities and last-minute
getaways-to make it simple to find an ecofriendly tour.
November 2007
I35
•
HELPFUL
RESOURCES
Planning
a green
vacation?
Checkout
theseWebsitesfor
organized
tours.
SIERRA
CLUB
outings.sierraclub.
org
of Washington offer paddling trips on the San Juan Islands with
tours ranging from hour,long outings in double kayaks to over,
night adventures in sport kayaks. Going with a guide is helpful
for learning about the area, spotting wildlife and learning about
on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Some schools offer single
lessons and week,long kiteboarding schools; several also offer
women,only classes.
''There is a learning curve involved in controlling the kite and
the flora and fauna.
riding the board;' explains Pantu. "You wouldn't give someone
TAKE FLIGHT
the equipment and put them out on the water without lessons.
It's a sport that requires some one,on,one instruction:'
The power of Mother Nature is enough to carve tracks through
the waves, launch riders into the air and send them off into the
sunset on the deck of a kiteboard. Kiteboarding is a hot new
ADVENTURE adventure sport that combines parasailing and surfing. Riders
use harnesses to attach themselves to oversized kites and hit the
ASSOCIATES
OF
WASHINGTON waves with their feet strapped to a small surfboard.
adventureassociates.net
''The word people use most often to describe kiteboard,
ing is 'freedom;" notes Stefan Pantu, manager of South Florida
WILDWOMEN
K.iteboarding, a school with several locations in Florida."It is such
EXPEDITIONS
a rush to be out on the water letting the wind power the kite:•
wildwomenexp.com
HANG TEN
Surfing is not for the faint of heart: Racing into the ocean,
plunging into the surf and battling giant waves requires courage.
Riding a wave for the first time-or the 101st time-is worth
the challenge.
Surf schools for women dot the California coast from San
Francisco to San Diego, where wannabe surfer girls learn the
art
of the pop,up (moving from paddling the board into the waves
Despite the high,caliber adrenaline rush, kiteboarding is
standing up and surfing), and how to ride the waves.
It can take hours for the perfect wave to appear, but in
ALYSON
ADVENTURES less complicated than surfing-and a lot more fun than flying a
alysonadventures.com kite. Unlike other airborne sports, kiteboarding doesn't require
California, waiting means sitting on a surfboard in the beautiful
Pacific Ocean, admiring the views of the rugged coastline-a
PRIDEGIRLTRAVEL
pridegirltravel.com
a gas,guzzling engine or a paved landing strip, just a body of
water and a gust of wind-and Florida has a lot of both.
There are kiteboarding schools along the Atlantic Coast and
to
perfect chance to feel at one with nature. Once the perfect wave
does appear, the thrill of catching it and riding its crest makes
the wait worthwhile.
SO YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S A VEGAN
One intrepid dyke asks the age-old question: Do you eat meat? By Sarah E. Brown
I recently had dinner with a lesbian friend of
mine at a chic vegan restaurant in downtown San
Francisco. While we were midway through our
meal of lime,marinated oyster mushrooms and
tofu,ricotta lasagna, my friend dunked her toasted
crostini in sun,dried tomato pesto and was about
to take a bite when she blurted out, "Do you see
how many chicks are in this place? Why are so
many of us vegan:>"
Her question was one that I have fielded many
times before. It is undeniable that both vegan and
lesbian communities draw from each other, both
for support and membership. Lesbian,oriented
events in big cities are almost always catered vegan,
or at least provide vegan options. Geographically
speaking, communities with significant lesbian
populations, such as Portland, Ore., Berkeley,
Cali£, and Brooklyn, N.Y., are also well,known
vegan havens. Yet there still seems to be a lot of
misunderstanding both within and outside the
lesbian communities.
Why are there so many queer female vegans:'
While each person comes to veganism on her own
terms, there are great incentives for women of all
36
Icurve
sexualities to be vegan. To understand the signifi,
cance of the vagitarian,vegetarian connection, it is
and animals, arguing that their oppressions are
interrelated.
necessary to see the interconnected relationships
In understanding that one can and must be
interested in animal rights and feminist issues con,
among veganism, lesbianism and feminism.
In her essay "Pepperoni or Broccoli:' On the
Cutting Wedge of Feminist Environmentalism;'
feminist Joni Seager argues that feminism and
animal rights are directly related and that their
goals are inextricably intertwined. Seager pro,
poses that animal rights discourse reveals the
problematic nature of concrete identity categories.
Many feminists have also advocated this approach
to subvert traditional patriarchical gender roles.
Seager also speaks of a similarity in the ways
in which both animals and women have been sub,
ordinated: "Debates about animals unmistakably
echo familiar racist and sexist ideologies about
'natural affinities; categories authorized by na,
currently, it is clear to me that efforts to increase
rights for animals and women of
all sexual orientations are not
mutually exclusive. Just
as one person's choice
to invest in sustainable
energy sources affects
the global environment,
the positive implica,
tions of veganism extend
BIT
ME
way beyond the individual
or family dinner table. Eating
and using animal products reinforces
ture, destinies inscribed in biology, and 'scientific
proofs' of the limited capacities of the 'other' that
have rumbled through the centuries to justify slav,
the universal oppression of women-lesbian or
otherwise. Thus, negotiating both a vegan and a
lesbian identity can provide a real opportunity for
positive change.
that are simultaneously oppressive to both women
So the next time you find yourself dating an
herbivore, perhaps the real question you should be
asking yourself is, "Why aren't I a
ery [and J the oppression of women:' Like other
feminists, Seager suggests we critique structures
Tracking the smell led me to the recycling container-inside the kitchen
closet. "The recycling container needs to live outside the back door, honey;' I
explained, as I scooped maggots from the closet.
"But if it's outside, I won't remember to do it;' she complained.
Paper was easier than the cat food cans had been. After all, I don't think
she'd ever thrown away a piece of paper in her life before I suggested it. Soon
How
I TURNED
MY WI FE GREEN
A cautionary tale. By Victoria A. Brownworth
Not all lesbians are created green. While I'm a veritable caricature-or at least
a PC character out of Dykes to Watch Out For-my beloved is, well, less so.
A lot less so.
My wife is an artist, but don't let that fool you. If you are thinking
Birkenstocks and tie,dye, go back a few more decades-she loves the look of
the beatnik era. In the black,on,black world ( the only splash of color being her
vampire,red lipstick) in which my beloved Madelaine lives, green just didn't
seem to have a place.
I got her to kick the cigarettes the old,fashioned way-I told her no kiss,
ing until she stopped smoking. She wore five nicotine patches on each arm for
a year, but she quit. But could I get her to go really green? Some of you may
have faced this same problem: "Dear Abby: I love to recycle,but my wife keeps
throwing everything in the trash! She refuses to compost! Can this marriage
be saved?"
We started small. Very small. We talked about the environment and she
agreed with everything I said. Of course she wanted to save the planet. What
did I take her for? Hadn't she walked everywhere for years? "Well;' I said,
"Could you stop dry cleaning everything?" The thing about black is, it doesn't
stay black for long if you wash it. So you· take it to the dry cleaner and they
toss it in a vat of toxic chemicals, then run it through a steam machine that
sends the toxic steam out into the atmosphere, then they wrap it in the kind of
plastic that never biodegrades and voila! Still black, but a carbon footprint to
literally die for. "No;' she said, simply.
"Can't we try washing these clothes? Just for a while?"
"I don't want all my clothes to look faded, like yours do;' she said, clearly
unaware of the insult.
"Yours might not fade;' I suggested."Besides, charcoal gray is almost black:'
(.)
She agreed to stop dry cleaning. Giddy with my success, I forged on.
(J)
"Could you ... start recycling?"
"Sure;' she replied, and gave me one of those vampire,red kisses. But a
ill
z
week later, where was the recycling bucket when it was time to put it out for
=3
-, the recycling truck? And what was that awful smell in her kitchen?
::,c
we were on our way to greening our relationship. Blissful.
Well, not ... quite. There was the matter of the kitty litter.
"I don't care if the clumping kind doesn't biodegrade, I don't want to spend
my life changing cat boxes!" And who does? I run a cat shelter (ffur.org), so I
do spend a lot of my life changing cat boxes, and it is not a fun gig. But the
old litter had to go. Feline Pine was introduced to her household. Apparently
the cats were just as uninterested in going green as their mama. Use the paper
under the cat box filled with Feline Pine biodegradable litter? Absolutely. Use
the actual litter? No. Apparently, it feels funny on delicate footpads. Gradually
mixing the new litter with the old got the cats on board the green train.
We'd covered toxic chemicals, recycling and biodegradability, but could
we take on Windex with Ammonia 0? My darling loves a clean sink-and a
clean kitchen counter and bathroom. These are admirable qualities that previ,
ous partners of mine haven't shared, so I was loath to complain about cleanli,
ness. I love cleanliness. What I don't love are all those chemicals going into
the environment. It's difficult to explain to someone who isn't actually viewing
the array what a huge cabinet stocked full of every cleaning supply known to
Procter & Gamble looks like when it's not in, say, a hotel or a large institution.
"We have to get rid of these;' I proclaimed as I put them all in a box to go to
hazardous materials heaven.
"How ... will ... I ... clean?" Her voice hit a high C.
"We'll go to Whole Foods and get the organic stuff that Oprah was talk,
ing about;' I soothed, knowing that she was not about to use my white vinegar,
lemon juice and salt concoction. Off we trekked to Whole Foods, where an
entire aisle of organic cleaners awaited us. None were blue. None were vis,
cous green. None were even pink. All were deceptively clear. Which scared
my sweetheart.
Her big, smoky eyes with the ultra,long black lashes narrowed. "These
don't look like they'd clean anything organic;' she hissed, "let alone my white
tile bathroom floor:' It was true. They didn't look like they'd clean anything.
And I knew how often that floor had to be cleaned. Had I gone too far?
"Let's just try this one;' I said, more assurance in my voice.I grabbed the all,
purpose glass, metal, tile, plastic and baby cleaner with the neat spray top and
off we went. I could always dump the stuff out and replace it with my white
vinegar, lemon juice and salt concoction, I thought.
But it worked. As usual, Oprah did not steer me wrong. It was only a little
more costly than the scary green stuff and smelled lightly of saving the planet.
We were almost there. We'd even gone to Home Depot and gotten the squig,
gly fluorescent light bulbs together. We were almost true,green lesbian soul
mates! Was there something I was missing?
Food.
I am, naturally, a vegetarian. My sweetheart is a carnivore. Not the a,little,
chicken,once,in,a,while kind of carnivore, but a cavegirl kind of carnivore. If
mastodon was available, she'd eat it. When forced, she will eat a vegetable or a
fruit, but doesn't believe they should be eaten on the same day. Meat, on the
other hand-red meat-now, that she could eat three times a day or more.
"Darling;' I proposed, "about the meat ..:' That was when she said green
might not be her color after all. And so I drove her to McDonald's and thought,
hmm, maybe
November 2007
I37
WHAT'S HOT AND GREEN ALL OVER
So many cool ecoconcious products, so little time. Here are but a few.
SUSTAINABLY
STYLISH
So you're an outdoorsy kind
of girl who wants to look
good when kayaking or climbing that
peak, but without
compromising
your
environmental
values. Look no further
than Tarma Designs.
This green company
based in Petaluma,
Calif., uses recycled
materials in all its
jewelry. Mining for
gold and silver can wreak havoc on the environment, so Sky and Stephanie George decided to
create a more sustainable and ecofriendly alternative to regular jewelry. Their collection is made
from lightweight recycled stainless steel and is
etched with beautifully simple designs that reflect the outdoors. You can express your love of
hiking on a pendant or display balance and harmony with their cairn design, which resembles a
stone path. They also have a new line of Easterninspired pieces that reflect the yoga lifestyle, including om and lotus blossom designs in earrings,
pendants and wristbands. Adventurous people
will love that the straps are made of nylon webbing to stand up to the wilderness. The fit is snug,
not tight, so nothing slips, dangles or threatens to
fall off into that canyon. Outdoorsy jewelry never
looked so good. ( tarmadesigns.com)
NATURE'S CALLING
Sick of hearing Jay Z and Ja Rule and "Crazy
Bitch" every time a phone rings:' Us too. So was
the Center for Biological Diversity, which is why
38
I curve
it is offering its
Endangered Wildlife
Ringtones-fo
r
free. This assortment of natural
sounds (like the
boreal owl and the
beluga whale) are
in sharp contrast to
the jarring jangle of
most electronica and an educational
reminder about the extinction crisis. Load one up and be prepared
to explain to passsersby why you
may be one of the last to hear
that sound on the planet. (rareearthtones.com/ringtones)
HAVE AN ENERGY BALL
Chocolate Goji Treats are
jam-packed with antioxidants
and made with USDA certified organic ingredients like
Goji berries, cacao, agave nectar
and maca root. They're low in sugar, so you won't
crash an hour later. An added bonus: The little
yellow bag is created out of biodegradable film.
(SuperfoodSnacks.com)
A REALLY GOOD RACK ...
Of magazines, that is. If you love the planet but
aren't sure what else you can do, snag a copy of
E, the environmental magazine that goes inside
all things green
with investigative
articles ( the new
nuclear
renaissance),
advice,
news, green marketplace ideas and
tools for green living. (emagazine.
com) Sure, there's
Vegetarian Times
and other foodie
mags for those
alt-leaning sorts,
but VegNews,with
its
in-your-face
vegan snootiness, a bevy of cute, queer-tattooed
contributors and must-read articles like "10 Ecofabulous Urban Hotspots" is tops on our to-do
list. There are interviews (a vegan Fall Out Boy:'),
recipes (chocolate chiffon mousse cupcakes, oh
my) and groovy product reviews. What's not to
love:' (vegnews.com) And, your home is ready for
a healthier life too, so why not check out Natural
Home magazine:' With articles that tackle regional needs (climate-friendly in Chicago, green grows
in Brooklyn) and natural shoppers'
guides, this mag is a must for any
ecohomeowner.
(naturalhomemagazine.com) And, of course,
we still love the 15-year-old Green
Money Journal (greenmoney.com),
which takes you from the supermaket to the stock room.
ORGANIC READING
In To Buy or Not to Buy Organic,
(Marlowe & Company), former
chef and food journalist Cindy Burke
explains the history of organic certification, revealing how large, male-dominated
agribusiness has turned a well-intentioned movement to provide consumers with pesticide-free,
sustainable food into another opportunity to cash
in on an expanding market. The movement has
hurt many local farmers, Burke argues, since consumers are unaware that some small farmers follow
all the organic growing guidelines, yet are unable to
afford the expensive certification, and are therefore
unable to market their organic produce as such.
She advocates that we avoid the "dirty dozen;'
the 12 types of fruits and vegetables, ranging
from celery to peaches, that absolutely must
be bought organic, due to their high susceptibility to pesticides. She also lists produce that
research has shown to be safe when grown conventionally, saving shoppers from shelling out
unnecessarily. Burke includes a primer to help
make the transition to a more organic, sustainable lifestyle as easy and affordable as possible.
To Buy or Not to Buy Organicis an invaluable resource that's not to be missed. (avalonpub.com)
SKIP THE ATKINS
In moderation,
carbs
are an essential part of
any girl's diet, which
is why we dig Rudi's
Organic Bakery, now
30 years old and still
making small-batch,
certified-organic
bread. Rudi's Honey
Sweet Whole Wheat,
Apple 'n Spice or 7-Grain with Flax are all rich,
moist and full of whole grains (including spelt,
quinoa and flax),making for a nutty and satisfying staple. And they support organic farmers
who minimize agriculture's impact on Earth's
resources. Can Wonder Bread say
that? (rudisbakery.com)
IT'S IN THE WATER
Bottled water isn't all bad, at
least not Ethos Water, which
donates five cents from every
sale to help bring clean water to the developing world.
Though that sounds like mere
pennies (especially now that
Ethos is owned by megagiant
Starbucks), the water has so
far raised more than $2 mil-
VIGAN (M, ADJ.): Since the dairyand egg industrysupportsthe meat industrydirectly(dairycows and chickens, even on "free-range," "cage-free" or "organic"farms
are killed for theirfleshonce their production slows),vegans refuse to consumeanimal pn:,ductsof any kind. These days, being a vegan is easier than ever; anyvegan
worth herweight in hummus knows that meat-, honey-, dairy- and egg-he food
can be bothdeliciousand extremely healthy.In conjunctionwith sustainablegrowing practices, no diet has as great a potential for making a positiveimpact on your
heatlh.Forrecipesand infonnation on goingvegan, checkout vegsource.com.
M.L,.WATURAL (ADJ.): Beware of this phrase. The Food and O,ug Admlnialration
currenttydoes not regulate this tenn, and its signiftcance is often decepltve. For
occuningforms(such as com)
Instance, things that are innocuousin their nat'Urally
-frucbecometoxic when they are refined(such • In the fattening,sweetenet
becauaethey.,. derivedfrom
com$Yl'UP),yet stillget to be called•afl:..nm:urm"
been
has~
sources.Evenmonosodiumglutamate(MSG), which
migrainesand selzul9I, ii allowed in
lhked to a bevy of health problems,includlnCJ
all-naturalfood.There is one exception: Some localgrowenswho enaaae austainable, peaticide-free growingpractices lack the size and funds to affOtdthe expensive organic certificationand thereforetag this unregutatedterm ontotheirproduce
or products.
FOGOMILES(N): How far food has traveledto reachyourplate.
to reach the co,18'ill•;
takes less 8n8fVY
hsh. 8',pports localfarmers
__. tw,
the best placesto find local food, but If you don'thave
marbla•
don'tht. Many gn,cery storas,includinglarge chains, stock... ahelVes
localproduce.Also,somesmallfanns use sustainablepractices bUtan, unable
to
to afford1heexpensive"organic"label. Check with the farmeror~
Go to
and whaMver possible. bur.
your localgrowers'methods.
learn
to find a fa,mera market near you.
~/fannersmarkets/
OMANIC (ADJ.): Grownwithoutpesticides, GMOs, gn:,wtll
fartlbc Orpnic food 18becoming more~
organic: entirely made of organic iftgl9dlems.
100 JMIIC'l1l
Organic:containsat least 95 percent organic ir.g,edleftts.
tc ingn9dients:containsat teaat10-Madewith
ihan 70 percent organic~~
U. frOntof tta. package.
miles ln mind whenyoubuy~
a lot of oil to reach your
lion. (ethoswater.com)
Compiledby SarahE. Brown,
Katie Peoples,Maria Ginsbourg
and Diane Anderson-Minshall
ora,ynthelc
1
f0od
but wflttmcn 0111111b
comasthe need for moreeducation.Ba illfarmedaboutthe U$DA
fUI
MODIFDD
to enhanceor an.
healthrisks,
haa
I •
be
You Gotta Have
•
Congressional daughter
Chrissy Gephardt tackles
politics and religion and
lives to tell the tale.
P
erhaps Chrissy Gephardt has been lucky. Her family, unlike many
birth families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth,
not only purports unconditional love and acceptance, but actually practices it. Certainly we saw this when she came out as a lesbian in
2003, to the nation, while campaigning for her father, then-Congressman
Richard Gephardt's 2004 presidential campaign. Turns out, the politician
not only supports his daughter personally, but politically as well.
This fall we got an even more intimate view of how the
Gephardts-mother
Jane, father Richard, daughter Chrissymodel family values. In Daniel G. Karslake's high,profile docu,
mentary For the Bible Tells Me So, the Gephardts are one of the
five American families interviewed about reconciling religious
faith with homosexuality.
The topic is an age,old concern for queer women raised in
religious or spiritual communities. Many churches still claim
homosexuality is a sin or an abomination according to the Bible
and which often leave their LGBT members feeling isolated.
With appearences by such esteemed religious leaders in,
eluding Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Episcopal Bishop
Gene Robinson and former Methodist minister Jimmy Creech,
For the Bible insists that it is not the word of God, but a climate
of hate that truly harms those in the queer community.
Karslake edited down hours of Gephardt home footage and
exclusive interviews to share this loving family's perspective on
recognizing, understanding, supporting and honoring the deci,
sions that people make: about gender identity, sexual preference,
religious belie£ spiritual practice and even their coffee house.
Chrissy Gephardt, a passionate advocate for the LGBT com,
munity as well as for youth, homeless and abused women-and
her family-takes her place on the silver screen with the ease, can,
dor and clarity of someone who has learned self love and true fam,
ily values. Gephardt, who survived political campaigns, The Daily
Show and coming out in public, talks about the film.
How did you get involved in For the Bible Tells Me So?
While I was working for my father's presidential campaign,
back in 2003, the creator and director of the film, Daniel
Karslake, contacted my father's campaign headquarters. He
said, "We think that Dick and Chrissy would be great for
this film because your family really espouses the values of
loving your children no matter what, and we would love to
have you in the film:' He told me about the movie, and I
was just floored. I said, this is something I don't think I can
refuse, given how the church is so oppressive when it comes
to issues of homosexuality:'
Are you pleased with the footage he selected?
It's interesting to watch yourself on film. I think Dan did a great
job of capturing the essence of what my family is about, which
is acceptance and unconditional love and feeling like you can
be yourself and that you don't have to hide who you are.
What impact will the film have on other children of public families?
I think, first of all, in terms of my story and my family's story,
(the film) is really powerful because when families who
aren't in the public spotlight see this, they say,"Wow, look at
Dick and Jane Gephardt, they have quote unquote a lot to
lose from a public perspective and they're willing to stand up
on the podium and say,'I have a gay daughter and I love her
no matter what:" Love is the most important thing. I think
it really says a lot to see a family that is so publicly out there
and they are not ashamed of it. That can really help other
people along in the process.
People go up to my family and say,"You really do embody what
a family is about and that is about love ... [about) not dis~
owning your children for something called religion:' I mean,
what is that? You know, I mean, it is about love: That is what
religion is about. I think (the film) is powerful for people in
religious communities.
The deconstruction of abomination in the film is really
powerful.
I thought that, too. You know, it is so interesting, when I watched
that film it made so much sense to me how you can make
religion anything you want it to be. It is all what you make
it. You can use it to condemn others. If you use it to justify
saying that someone else's lifestyle or someone else's life is
wrong or someone else's existence is wrong, you can do that.
Or you can use it to do good, to help people, to accept people
for love. It is amazing what a powerful thing religion is.
There is tragedy in the film ...
Anne's suicide in the film is absolutely tragic, and so common.
As the movie shows (that) kids and teenagers who don't
come from families who are accepting [can) have major
mental health issues-depression and suicidal thoughts ...
Maybe bringing that to light is why you are here.
We have to do something about it. Show people that there is a
different way of loving and accepting your children.
Love would be part of your platform ...
I would say so.
Are you religious?
I very much do believe in God. I have faith.
Are you still a social worker?
Well, they say,once a social worker always a social worker. But, no,
I don't practice it anymore. I go to law school at Georgetown
University Law Center, part time, at night. During the day,
I work for my father's company, The Gephardt Group. We
do political consulting, labor organizing negotiations, other
kinds of business development.
What is your focus in law school?
My interest lies in public interest law.
What kind of work do we need to do as a community?
It is so important to have tight~knit communities of gay and
lesbian people who support each other. That is why (for) gay
and lesbian people, their (birth) families are not necessar~
ily their primary families. Instead, it is their gay and lesbian
friends, because we feel more accepted among people who
are like us than among people who are different than us and
who have a history of rejecting us, whether that be our fami~
lies of origin, or the world outside. We need to stick together
to empower each other and make each other feel like we do
belong somewhere.
I think there is nothing worse than feeling like we don't belong
in the world. But there are places you can go where there are
people like you, members of the community you know, who
think that you are not an outcast.
I think we need to do a better job of reaching out and asserting
our presence. We are here to help, we are a community and
we would love for you to be a part of it.
The film is a nice start.
It's been a ride, it's been a pleasure, it's been nothing but a good
experience.
Gays and God
In Daniel Karslake's documentary, For
the Bible Tells Me So, five very average,
Christian American families handle (and
sometimes tragically mishandle) having a
gay child. Aimed at a middle-America audience, the film (forthebibletellsmeso.org),
tries to reconcile the rift between homosexuality and Christianity. Using a style similar
to Michael Moore's successful documentaries (music, video, humor), For the Bible is
an intriguing look at how a fundamentalist
view of the Bible, and the churches that
support it, has been used to encourage
hatred and prejudice against homosexuals.
Karslake interviews parents and religious
leaders, who consistently point out that
literal readings of the Bible are more often
than not taken out of context. Sometimes
funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but always
interesting, For the Bible Tells Me So should
not be missed. - Katie Peoples
November 2007
I43
For Love or Money
Not all high-powered businesswomen wear suits and work in
offices. Our "Chicks in Charge" section offers several ass-kicking
women making their mark in the workplace while our "Companies
We Love" spread looks at 51 of our favorite companies. Salute!
FOR DECADES, the LGBT community had little luck finding radio programs it could relate to, as talk radio was geared toward the average heterosexual. Topics ripped from the pages of Cosmopolitan and Maxim, such as
"Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" and "Can Men and Women
Really Just Be Friends?"
may be entertaining to
the mainstream, but
have little or no appeal
to the average queer radio listener. But all of
Queer Talk
By Jenny Sherwin
that changed four years
ago, when Sirius Satellite Radio launched its OutQ Channel, with 100 percent queer talk and music brought to you by 100 percent homo hosts. And
it's not only the boys who just wanna have fun. Breaking the stereotype that
lesbian radio is a sociopolitical anger fest, the girls of Sirius OutQ are smart,
fun, informative, flirty, raunchy and in your face, and they're tearing up the
airwaves with their new brand of edgy queer talk.
Is it hard to be a woman in the men's world of radio? Does being on
a gay radio station make it easier?
DianaCage:I don't really feel like I'm in a man's world. Sirius is great in that
way. They have so many female voices. It's so thrilling to be talking about
dyke lives on the air that sometimes I can't believe the show really exists.
KathySanchez:Being a woman in a man's world is hard. Radio is no differ-
44
Icurve
ent. The reality is that it took Sirius four years before we had a womanfocused show on OutQ. We still have a long way to go to be completely
well-rounded, but we're getting there.
Do you mix gay politics with entertainment in your shows?
DoriaBiddle:If I think that we make a statement every day by
being ourselves and being out-I'm very sensitive to women's
issues and I'll jump on any hint of misogyny that creeps into
the show, but I also want to help get rid of the lesbian stereo-
types. We can be funny, we can take a joke and we can be wellgroomed. And not all of us are dragging U-Haul trailers behind
our cars.
RomainePatterson:
It is my job to entertain people, and I personally find
politics boring! Every day I make it my job to go on the air and give people
a reason to forget about their day's work and laugh. Besides, aren't topics
like blow-up dolls and poop more interesting?
Do you think It's more Important to cover gay topics, or to cover all
topics from a gay perspective?
Sanchez:I really don't see a difference in the two. Every law, every headline
affects at least one queer person ... thus it affects us all.
CynthiaFrawley:Topically, issues facing our community need to have a voice,
but I think focusing on a gay perspective alone is, in a way, a mistake. It
keeps that us-versus-them vibe going strong.
How much of your on-air personality and experience is really you
and how much is embellished?
Patterson:
There is very little about my life that is not reflected on the air.
Sometimes it gets me in trouble, like that time my mother called and asked
me what a glory hole was. She is still pissed that we play that clip.
Cage:I tell stories from my personal life constantly. I really don't embellish
things. My show is pretty much about bringing a queer woman's life to
the air.
Is there anythi'1g you will not talk about on the air? Why?
Patterson:
The only time that I have really had to censor myself was when I
was dating the drill sergeant, while she was still on active duty in the Air
Force. I had to come up with a way to talk about her without giving away
any information about her identity.
Biddle:
I only skim the surface of my personal life on the air. I know that only
makes some people more curious, but I'm not comfortable making deeply
personal revelations. People either think I'm a prude or a closet pervert.
Do you ever discuss topics that you're worried might upset your more
serious lesbian listeners?
Patterson:
Those lesbians hate me! I am always saying something that pisses
them off. I am way too over the top for them, which is just the way I like it.
So keep that hate mail coming, all you serious lesbians out there!
Frawley:
I am more than willing to hear anyone's perspective on anything. I
will not listen to anyone who negates my opinion because I'm not as gay
as they are.
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Have you ever said anything irreverent on the air that's upset your
significant other or friends?
Patterson:
There have been a times where I was afraid to go home after the
show-I thought my partner would kill me for my on-air antics. I simply
remind her that she knew who she was getting involved with when she
met me.
Sanchez:
My personal life is up for grabs on the show. But, my close friends ex-
pect me to use aliases when referring to them. If not, I get a snarky e-mail.
Has being a hot queer radio star netted you any dirty, sexy or creepy
UJ
Cu fan letters from your adoring fans, obsessed listeners or potential
6
stalkers?
UJ
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Patterson:
Kiss and tell? Let's just say that I have had my fair share of listener
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love letters, and I love the really hot ones!
Biddle:One woman started out innocently enough, writing a basic fan letter
about how much she enjoyed the show. I sent her a generic reply.After that,
the floodgates opened and she started writing me several times a day. I only
ever responded that first time and I think my silence sent her over the edge,
as her e-mails got angrier. She began to dissect my character in unflattering
ways. Her last e-mail was a plea for my used panties. I keep wondering if
she's the one that got away.Just kidding.
Laughing Matters
By Tracy E. Gilchrist
"PUSHIN. I want to get a dose-up of her hands. That looks greatt
director Andrea Meyerson tells her cameraperson from the director's
booth at Los Angdes' Jazz Bakery.It's a steamy July night, and the
woman who's carved out a name for herself directing the Laughing
Matters series has beenat it for upward of 14 hours. But Meyerson's
cheerfuland excited about her latest project, a documentary about jazz
musicianJennifer Leitham.
"I want to make sure audiences really understand the beauty of
her music,"Meyerson says about Leitham.,who transitioned fiveyears
ago from John to Jennifer.As John, Leitham was a highlytouted name
on the jazz circuit who played with Doc Severinson,Md Tonne and
PeggyLee.
In Meyerson'sdebut 61m,2004's Laughing
Matters,featuring Kate
Clinton, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Karen Williams and Marga Gomez,
and in Laughing Matters ... Mord, she used comedyas a catalystto lever her subjects'tales of family,comingout, relationahii,Jandthe AIDS
epidemic.
So it's no wonder that Meyei:wnlatched
on to Leitham'sstory."My
goalis to tell the story of a very happy woman," Meyerson
tays. There
are so many important and tragic stories about people who transition,
Meyerson says,that i ' important to highlight the joy fur someonelike
Leitham who'salready gotten to the other side of that suuale.
Meyerson'stold dozens of LGBT successtales with the La,,gbing
Matters series, but her own journey from a married woman to an out
lesbian entrepreneur and a highly reoognizahle
mover in LosAngeles'
LGBT community is as inspiring as any of her subjects'lives.
"Conung out late and livinglife as a heterosexualwasthe path I was
supposed to take,"says Meyerson, who-although ,he says she loved
and slept with women throughout her 20s-came out in her m.id-30s.
When Meyerson's not behind the camera, she's organizing and
running events for Women on a Roll (WOAR), Los Angeles'lesbian
social organization. Not one to wait for an opportunity to present itsel£ Meyerson took a look at the scant socialactivitiesavailableand
created WOAR.
"1here were bars and there was softball,"Meyetson says. Missing
the myriad of cultural opportunities that were availableto her as a
straight woman, Meyerson says,"I decided to do something about it. I
was so hungry for the life I knew we all deserved. I didn't want to compromise."
Lesbianstand-up showswere Meyerson's
first touchstone with the lesbian worldoutside the bar scene, she says.It's kismetthat
Clinton's and Westenhoefer's staad-up
shows influenced Meyerson in her nascent
coming-out stage. And
thanks to
Meyerson's unwavering ambition and fore..
sight, her documentary of Clim:ona25th
anniversary tour is running on Logo,while
she's putting the finiahing
touc:bee
on her
film ofWestenhoekr's A &ttomDW lop.
At this pace, it's jUSt a matter of time
befure a young, lesbian documentary filmmaker snatches up Meyerson'&
ownatory.
Chicks in Charge
II
Red Rat Pack
IT'S JUST BEFORE noon on a gorgeous Sunday in San Francisco's outer
Icurve
Her first job was as a buser. After
that she was a dishwasher, a bartender
at a pool hall, a dildo craftsperson, a
bar back, a self-taught bookkeeper
and now an entrepreneur. Never one
to tire, the friendly Spanyol recently
expanded her empire, adding yet another bar, Thee Parkside (myspace.com/
theeparkside), to her list of businesses she runs.
Spanyol has no regrets, despite the grueling hours, the bar antics and the
frequent need to use her drunken-whisperer skills, or the difficulty in getting
a vacation. She wouldn't change a
By Sara Seinberg
Mission District. Malia Spanyol walks
into Pop's Bar (myspace.com/popsbar) with her runty, dea£ spotty, impossibly
handsome cattle dog, Goose, who has no idea that the Scorpions are pouring
from the jukebox while the beer is flowing from the taps. Spanyol opened
Pop's in 2003 with her business partner, Harmony Urmstrom. Each had
experience working in bars, plus Spanyol already had two business-owner
credits under her belt. The first was Sparky's Bookkeeping.
Sparky's had Spanyol running all over town setting up QuickBooks
for punk-rock, rockabilly and classic heavy metal business owners of every
stripe. Clients ranged from shop and cafe owners to independent contractors.
Spanyol still toils away during long April nights during tax season, as well as
doing consulting work for her friends.
"One of my dirtbag friends will approach me and say, 'I have this idea.
Fill in the blank. I don't want to work for anyone anymore. I just want to do
what you do. How did you do it?' So I sit and talk to them about how things
work, where you can start, and mostly just assure them that they can do it;'
Spanyol says.
Spanyol closed the books each night, but her day was far from over. Red
Rat Industries (redratindustries.com) started in Spanyol's garage. Having
spent many hours in the tattoo chair already, she had plenty of time to talk to
tattoo artists about how the vibration of the machines took its toll on gifted
hands and exhausted nerves. She and a skin artist friend talked at length
about a simple device that would slip onto the machine, absorb vibration
and withstand the sterilization heat of the autoclave. Using a tried-and-true
46
trial-and-error technique of mixes, Spanyol
poured molds in her leased parking space
alongside her sputtering car until the prototype was perfected. Eight years later, Red Rat
now has its own warehouse, small staff, pallet
jack and loyal clientele of both legendary and
emerging tattoo artists.
But building a desk-based life wasn't
Spanyol's vision for herself. So together
she and Urmstrom opened Pop's neighborhood dive to the celebratory response of San
Francisco's fine citizens. Spanyol wanted to
own the kind of place she would want to go
to: loud, affordable, rough around the edges
and ambitiously fun.
Spanyol grew up on Oahu. Even though
it's one of the most beautiful places on earth
and she misses it desperately, she plans never
to leave San Francisco. In 1989, she packed
her bags in the middle of her college career in
Arizona to move to the City by the Bay after
a mere weekend visit. She pretty much moved
here to be hersel£ And for the ladies.
"It was the first time I ever really felt comfortable. I can be covered in tattoos and feel
totally at home. I can be a total dirtbag and
never sit behind a desk and have a really good life:'
AslruloglcalSlgn:Sag
Wbatdoyoudo for,_.,,,
MuayThaiboxing,
tattoos
W8sIt whatyoudreamed?
I didn't know what it meant to own a bar.
What kind of work it entailed. I just knew I wantedto open a bar
where you could be anyone and come in and have a drink,hangout
with your friends and be yourself. I wanted a place that lookedand felt
likeme. No neon. No velvet.
Whodoe&
yGIR'books?
Sparky.
Hownay howl a night do JOUlleap? Depends if I'm datingor not.
Four to six. Maybe seven.
Hawmanydays a WIik do,OU wark?Seven.
Cara advice?Do something you like.No matter who you are, no
matter what you looklike, there is always an opportunity to buildyour
world around yoursel£ You don't have to wear a power suit. You really
can pick something you likeand do it.
ELIZABETHFALKNERis the executive chef and owner of Citizen Cake,
a bakery and restaurant located in San Francisco. Her talent is recognized
nationwide-Bon Appetit named her Pastry Chef of the Year in 2006, and
she has appeared on Iron Chef America. Her desserts are witty and visually
creative. They taste fantastic. And although they may be ambitious in con,
struction, Falkner's desserts are also surprisingly democratic. The first section
in her debut cookbook, Demolition Desserts, consists of five variations on a
chocolate chip cookie.
I sat down with Falkner (pictured below) and her gal pal and business
partner, Sabrina Riddle, to discuss Falkner's
new ventures, her anime alter ego, and how to
cover a street with chocolate ganache.
Let's start with the book.
Falkner: The book is came out in September,
and it's really cool. It's called Demolition
Desserts and it's my first book. So it's defi,
By Lori Selke
books.
Yes. I thought so too.
Falkner: We also have this little anime character that we introduce in the
book, Caremi. She's fun, she's inquisitive, she wants to push the boundar,
ies and shes empowered. She is the alter ego of me, the little super,artist
who wants to take pastry ingredients and make much,larger,than,the,plate
sculptures.
Riddle:Talk about the name.
Falkner: Yeah, we gave her a name, Caremi Keiki, because I love the way [the]
Japanese take a Western word and make it [their] own. So when they say
"cake' in Japan, it's keiki. Then there's a very famous pastry chef, Antonin
Careme. Careme was rea}.lyfamous for building huge cities out of cream
puffs, and sugar sculptures, all that kind of stufE Actually, I've been called
the West Coast version of Careme by
Gourmet magazine a couple of years ago. I
do like to make these crazy sculptures, al,
covered street!
If you could, though?
Falkner: If I could, I would. Oh yeah.
I also thought that the character really
helped to convey the playfulness of dessert baking.
Falkner: We have a lot of fun with baking, with
creating names for our desserts. When we
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in
have new pastry chefs here-nobody
their past has ever told them, "Please don't
make symmetrical things. Don't ever pres,
ent me with something with strawberries
fanned out perfectly, because I will not like
that at all:'
Tell me about your new restaurant, Orson.
Falkner: We're in the middle of construction
using fresh seasonal ingredients, but pushing it a little bit in terms of the
techniques used.
What techniques are you referring to?
Falkner: Like cooking sous,vide style, where you put things in a vacuum bag
Cake (De)Constructed
nitely been an educational experience. It's got a lot of recipes that I've done
in the past and revised for the home cook or baker; and stuff that's fantas,
tical, somewhat architectural, definitely component driven, but not hard
to make. Demolition Desserts is about deconstructing classical ideas and
remodeling them for today. It's very different looking from a lot of baking
though it's easier for Caremi to do it in the
book than it is for me to, say, get a bunch of
big mixers out to do a chocolate,ganache,
right now. It's a big, beautiful building, authentic beams and cement walls
and skylights. We both walked into the space and fell in love. It'll be a really
fun, sexy, cool, lofty living room kind of environment, with a huge bar in
the middle and a great cocktail program. Lots of stuff you want to eat when
you're hanging out with friends. Were calling it edgy California cuisine. It's
and cook them at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. As some,
one who's focused on pastry for such a long time-most of the technology,
whether it's aerating things or better emulsification machinery, most of that
comes from the pastry department. Now we're seeing all that stuff utilized
throughout the kitchen, and it gives you a lot of creative freedom.
How long have you guys been together?
Falkner: Nine years.
So that's the entire history of Citizen Cake?
Falkner: Almost. We opened Citizen Cake in 1997, so Citizen Cake is 10
years old on Halloween.
A woman running the kitchen is still unusual, and it's still a stereotype that if women are going to be chefs, they're going to be pastry
chefs. How have you handled that In your career?
Falkner: I do find myself sometimes wanting to be direct and being treated
like, well, you're a woman telling me what to do. But that's probably com,
mon in every profession, you know? I mean, I've known female chefs who
are as macho as male chefs.
Riddle:I hear you talk more about the difference in food.
Falkner: Yes, I do, that's another side of it.
That's kind of stereotypical, too, because I do
know some male chefs who are quite feminine
in their food making, if you can put those sorts
of labels on it.
Yes, I would like to know what you mean
by masculine and feminine food. I've
certainly heard other people talk about it
that way.
Falkner: It's just like any art-you have a more
aggressive side that's expressed in whatever
medium, and a more sensitive side. Sometimes
guys are more showy about making the food.
You see guys flambeing, that sort of stufE
Riddle:And on the plate?
Falkner: It's a hard thing to talk about. There
are some people who have really beautiful, fe,
male food. It's not ever showy. And it's more
nurturing. And some of my favorite masculine
chefs-it's just more aggressive, sometimes in
flavor and sometimes in presentation. And big,
ger. It's always more food!
November 2007
I47
Chicks in Charge
II
RENOWNED U.K.-BASED lesbian filmmaker Pratibha Parmar, best known
for her documentary on female genital mutilation, Warrior Marks, has ventured into new waters: a feature film. Made to appeal to a mainstream audience, Nina's Heavenly Delights (ninasheavenlydelights.com) sacrifices nothing
in its depiction of South Asian queer sexuality, grief and inner wisdom. With
delicious cooking, highland-dance skirts and a great many plot twists, Nina's
Heavenly Delights has hit the silver screen to sold-out shows in New York,
San Francisco, Boston, Miami and beyond. Have you heard of gastronomical
erotica? Here you go, ladies, lesbian food porn at its best: with intelligence.
Nina's Heavenly Delights reveals the best of Parmar's rich cinematic eye in this
moving story of family, friendship and some very spicy love.
You've been selling out in the United States. How is Nina's Heavenly
Oh, totally. Bobbi is simply divine. He is so true to himse1£ even when it's
tough to look the way he does on the streets of Glasgow, but he doesn't
know any other way of being. There is wisdom in him, but he is also an innocent who steals your heart, and you just want to dance out of the cinema
with him.
Can you imagine a world without dancing?
Oh my God ... no way. For me that would be a certain kind of death. I have
always loved dancing. You know, in most of my films, documentaries too,
I have used dance as a storytelling device, somehow. I have a secret fantasy
to be this shit-hot dancer. Sometimes if I am feeling stuck or in a blah
kind of mood, I will put on a dance album and dance around my living
room. I always feel so much better about life after that. It's a total cure for
all kinds of ailments, trust me.
Delights doing internationally?
I was in New Delhi where the film screened as part of a film festival on gender and sexuality. To have a really great response from a mainly straight
audience was stellar. People came up to me after the screening, saying
how they appreciated the sensitive way in which I handled the lesbian
love story. I think what appeals to people across the board is that the
Shah family in the film is real, and they are not stereotypes; their story is
a universal story. They are grieving after the death of the father, and it's
through their grief that they all learn to connect with each other again.
Each one of the family members has a secret, and that secret has to do
with different kinds of forbidden love, except in the case of Nina's little
sister, who is a closet highland dancer. She is a total hoot.
How is it to travel with your films?
I feel so lucky that I have been invited to all these film festivals around the
world and have been able to share the film. It took seven years for me to
make this movie. I know: crazy, right? To be able to finally sit in a cinema
with three or four hundred people who are laughing, crying and enjoying
the film has been really quite precious.
You've met so many lesbians!
You know, the one thing I truly believe is [at the screenings] queer desire
in all its multiple manifestations is being celebrated, regardless of the
culture or country it's in. Many of us all over the world have often gone
through tough times to define ourselves on our own terms, and some
queers are still fighting for the right to exist, let alone love.
What do you put on?
If I need to shake my booty, a Bollywood song called "Chaiyya
Heavenly Delight
By Tania Hammidi
Chaiyya" from a film called Dil Se. It has mesmerizing percussion
beats. Another fave is Beth Ditto [from The Gossip], "Standing
in the Way of Control:'
In the film, the main character, Nina, decides to win back
the restaurant her father lost in a bet, even though her
family has let it go. Why?
The film is set in Glasgow. What is it like there?
The first time I went to Glasgow, my partner, Shaheen, came with me and
planned the whole trip around buildings and architectural sites. It was
great to walk around this city, craning my neck, looking at details and
shapes and the way light fell on the buildings. She has taught me how to
look beyond the surface to shapes, shadows and how space can change
the way we experience the world. We went to an Indian restaurant and
all the Indian waiters were wearing kilts and turbans and spoke with a
wonderful, lilting Scottish-Indian accent, which made me smile. This was
an opportunity to make a film that also challenged ideas of nation and
identity.
The drag queen in the film seems to be a symbol of hope.
48
Icurve
Nina's father always said to her, "Follow your heart;' and that is
what she tries to do after his death, but she has to go through internal
turmoil to find that courage to be true to herself Many a journey of selfdiscovery is fraught with doubt and insecurity, but hey, that's what growing up is all about.
Are you as stubborn as Nina?
Oh yes, without sheer determination and bloodymindedness this film would
never have got made. I can't hear the word "no;' which is the most-used
word in the film industry. For me, every "no" meant I had to find another
door to push open.
Was your first date with your lover as delicious as Nina and Lisa's?
Just as delicious, if not more! I can't remember the food but totally remember
the lips and the mouth that ate the food!
FOR NEWCOMERS to the Los Angeles scene, strolling into West
into one of the most recognizable figures in L.A:s LGBT community a~ a
promoter, entrepreneur and publicist, Kampa, with her piercing blue eyes and
Ivory Girl skin, is still the girl next door. At East/West she makes the rounds,
introducing newcomers to tried-and-true Thursday night patrons, and even
goes the extra step to remember names and to greet as many as possible.
"My job here is to be the hostess and to ensure that everyone is having a
good time. There's no drama and there are no divas here," Kampa says. While
women's nights in Hollywood come and go, East/West Thursdays are strong
and steady after 18 months. She attributes her success to creating an atmosphere for women to network and talk in a mellow environment, where the·
music is kept to a reasonable level for chatting.
Born in St. Cloud, Minn., and raised all around the country due to her
father's military career, Kampa grew up in a "very religious" fundamentalist
Baptist household. A Midwestern gal who can "sing 'Amazing Grace' back-
So how did this Midwestern girl wind up entertaining lesbians at a staple
Los Angeles women's night? She originally headed to Southern California
several years ago for a job in business and organizational psychology. Kampa
wasn't discouraged when that position didn't pan out.
With her entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to give back to the gay and
lesbian community, it was no time at all before Kampa wandered into ultra-gay
West Hollywood."! ventured to West Hollywood on my own two weeks after I
moved here. I went to GirlBar and Sandy and Robin took me under their wing,"
she says. Kampa credits the wildly successful GirlBar's promoters, Sandy Sachs
and Robin Gans, with helping her kickstart her promoting career.
Despite East/West's clientele, a
steady stream of hot lesbians bolstered
occasionally by the likes of Jackie
Warner, The L Word clan, Dante's Cove's
Michelle Wolff and Jenny Shimizu, and
even some famous straight allies including Sharon Stone and director Oliver Stone, Kampa remains humble about
her night. "It started slowly and it's been very consistent;' she says. The night
has grown strictly via word of mouth, and she credits East/West's owner,
Trip Wilmot, for providing the classy venue.
But Kampa's work in the community goes beyond East/West's doors. One
need not look any further than the clothes on her back to understand Kampa's
commitment to the gay community at large. Happy to create buzz and business for LGBT community members, Kampa enthusiastically describes the
beater and jacket she's wearing as part of Maryam Dalan's Peeler Gear clothing line. For jeans she's sporting the "Kit" from Honey Labrador's Honey L
Designs, The L Word collection. "I want to celebrate people like Maryam and
Honey Labrador, who are out there trying to make a difference in our community;' Kampa says. She's truly a gal who's got her hands in manypies-Dinah
Shore attendees might have spotted Kampa decked out with a headset and cell
wards;' Kampa became highly visible in Los Angeles' difficult-to-penetrate
gay community.
"Coming out was a huge process;' Kampa explains. The only daughter in a
family of four children, she admits that her coming out threw a wrench in her
parents' expectations of her, but adds, "They're accepting of my happiness:'
phone as the talent and VIP liaison for Dinah Shore's Club Skirts.
Kampa is looking forward to spearheading fashion and music events
while continuing her publicity work and, of course, her night as East/West's
women's night hostess plus. "This is my community. Every part of the LGBT
community is part of me," Kampa says.
Hollywood's East/West Lounge on a Thursday night is like walking into a
scene from The L Word. And at the helm of the most classy girl night in Los
Angeles is promoter extraordinaire Shannon Kampa.
But while the house that Kampa built offers up plenty of eye candy and
Hollywood glamour-femme, butch and otherwise-and a few celebrities,it also
gives off a decidedly down-home feel, thanks to Kampa's Minnesotan roots.
"I want people to feel as if they're walking into my home [and] I want my
nights to have an authentic, good-feeling vibe;' Kampa says. Having evolved
Midwestern Hollywood
By Tracy E. Gilchrist
November 2007
I49
Chicks in Charge
II
AN FA-18 MILITARY JET rumbles across the sky. Moments later, the pilot
releases a missile that streaks toward a small vacant building and explodes in
partner is disabled and I can go away on my business trips and I know E.J. is
taken care of'
a fiery puff of smoke.
Armitage has a history of challenging attitudes about gender and sexual
preference. When she mentioned to her high school counselor that she might
be interested in computer science, a new field when she entered California State
University, Northridge in the early 1980s, "he said that girls didn't like that,
it was too hard:' She marched out, demanded a new counselor and pursued
computer science.
"I had no idea of how I would make a living, but no one tells me that I
can't because I'm a girl:'
After graduating in 1984, Armitage worked on the Airborne Early
Warning System on p, 3 Orions and the Stealth Fighter at Lockheed
Corporation in Burbank, Cali£
She loved being part of Lockheed. A softball player and coach for much
"Did you see that?" says Sue Armitage, pointing to the replay that, even
in slow motion, is almost too fast for the untrained eye. "It went into this
window as opposed to that one:•
That's one smart weapon. "(It] can take out one room, where the bad guys
are, without destroying the entire building," she says.
Armitage, an upbeat, 40,something engineer with one of the country's top
defense contractors, oversees the testing of smart weapons used by the U.S.
military. The tests show the capabilities of a missile system that Armitage and
her team have spent the past year monitoring at China Lake, the U.S. Navy's
test facility in the high desert north of Los Angeles.
Armitage is the senior principal systems engineer in the Strike Department,
which sounds like something out of a Robert Ludlum novel. She works side
Ms. Missile Tester
By Laurie K. Schenden
by side with military personnel, yet she could not actually be in the military
and live the way she does now-as an out lesbian.
While the military-as well as most of us living in the United Statesdepends on experts like Armitage, it cannot officially accept gays and lesbians
into its ranks.
"I feel like I work for the military;' says the Pittsburgh native, who has
worked for several defense contractors. She's perplexed by the arguments be,
hind the "don't ask, don't tell" policy because of the many talented people who
are affected.
"There are people in the military just like me, who are smart, capable and
committed. You want to kick them out because they are gay?"
Armitage, who lives in Tucson, Ariz., with E.J., her partner of 17 years,
has dark, youthful features and big brown eyes. She earned a master's degree
with honors in engineering from Texas Tech and has a rather cheerful dispo,
sition for someone whose job has such serious objectives. But with the sup,
port of her family, she is proud of her country and loves her work.
Before this, Armitage worked for Kaman Aerospace, testing its Magic
Lantern mine,hunting system. "I used to fly in the back of the helicopter and
teach the Navy guys how to run that system. The pilots treated me like one
of the crew:'
In each of her defense jobs, her experience with military personnelmostly men-has been positive. Their primary concern, she says, is whether
you can do the job.
"It's a joint effort to get this done, and when something goes well we're all
in the range center, high,fiving, patting each other on the back:'
It's not the rank and file who have a problem with gays in the military,
she explains.
The negative attitude, she believes, "flows from the top down:'
"If you look at our company, the president is absolutely 100 percent for
diversity and equal rights," she says."You look at the military, do they have the
same situation?"
Her employer was one of the first defense contractors to grant domestic
partner benefits, says Armitage. "Not only is it the right thing to do, but also
from a business standpoint, it takes that worry away for people like me. My
50
Icurve
of her youth, she helped to start a coed softball team composed of Lockheed
software engineers-it was called the Fatal Errors (yes, computer geeks do
have a sense of humor!).
After her current team finishes testing at China Lake, Armitage is head,
ing to Turkey, where she will integrate a missile system onto F, 16s purchased
from Lockheed Martin.
While Armitage doesn't fear losing her job because of her sexual prefer,
ence, there are other issues with which she must contend.
''I've been at gay events such as Out & Equal, where being gay and work,
ing in the defense industry isn't always popular;' she says. "What folks don't
realize is how much of what we discover in the defense development world
finds its way into the mainstream. And sometimes the best offense is a good
defense.
"Do I like war? No! But history tells us that it still seems to be a necessary
part of our world:'
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LUCY BRENNANtook a rather circuitous route to Portland, Ore:s North
Russell Street, where she owns her own restaurant and lounge. After living
in New York and working on Wall Street, she moved to San Francisco, but
couldn't find work in the Financial District.
"A friend of a friend said, 'They' re hiring at the Park Hyatt, graveyard room
service waitress, and I was like, I've got to pay my rent, I'll do it;' she says. She
worked at the Park Hyatt for five years, eventually taking on a management
role. After transferring to Portland, she wanted less responsibility and started
tending bar. Before long she was shaking things up as the bar
manager at Portland's hip, gay-owned Saucebox. Five years
later she left to open Mint and 820.
Established in 2001, Brennan's venues (mintand820.com)
boast a cocktail menu with thrilling concoctions-from the
tantalizing Mandarin Margarita to the beet-infused Ruby to
the banana, rum and cream-tastic Sweet Love.
It's not just local imbibers who have eagerly waited in line
to sample her distinctive drinks. She has won the attention of industry names
such as Bon Appetit magazine, which has described the British bar maven as
one of nation's 10 best mixologists, and Playboy, which rates Brennan on its
teaches popular cocktail classes and does consulting work. Her list of clients
include Oregon's SakeOne and Bendistillery. 'Tm very fortunate to have had
my manager with me since the beginning. She's also my ex-girlfriend. I must
be doing something right because we re still best friends:'
Brennan is renowned for her use of intriguing ingredients. Her drinks
feature items more commonly found in grocery aisles than on liquor store
shelves. "I love simple, well-balanced drinks. [The ingredients are) not that
foreign. I mean, you eat cilantro. Mint has always been a common ingredient
Mixing for Moolah
By Aefa Mulholland
list of America's top 10 bartenders.
I ask Brennan whether Mint and 820 are popular with the city's lesbian
contingent. She tells me, "I am actually very impressed with the community,
both boys and girls, who support me, but particularly the girls who, because
of writers who write me up as 'openly gay; respond and want to support [lesbian-owned venues). I am very thankful for that:'
Mint and 820 are appealingly mixed, neither "heavy straight or heavy gay;'
according to Brennan. "It's who I am, pretty much open to everybody:' Like
Portland? I suggest, and she agrees.
Although she doesn't spends long stints behind the bar anymore, Brennan
in cocktails. Avocado is like a banana:'
With a restaurant and lounge, the classes and a book with Carolyn
Burleigh, Hip Sips, already to her credit, Brennan is looking to the future. "I
would love something on the Food Network;' she enthuses. "I would love to
teach people how to make decent cocktails. Another book has been talked
about-you know, pairing it with foods. Another lounge is on the table. But
I'm focusing on my personal life right now, actually. Keeping it balanced. I feel
very fortunate, very blessed:'
She continues, "I absolutely love what I do. I dream about cocktails. Not
actually drinking them;' she quickly adds, "but coming up with more drinks.
I'm doing what I love. And people are enjoying it, too:'
It's the perfect recipe.
Get Brennan's book, Hip Sips, at Chronicle Books (chroniclebooks.com)
Chicks in Charge
II
she recalls."It felt dirty, watching them
to see their reaction. It was surreal:'
The combination of consumer demand and lack of competition led to
the almost overnight success of Black
Sheep. The business took off much
faster than anticipated, and soon her
products were showing up at small
coffee shops as well as huge chains.
The growth spurt forced Felt to go
from being a one-woman operation to
a business with three staff members.
There were growing pains associated
with hiring staff: Felt had to relinquish control of duties like baking in
exchange for dealing with administrative issues. Hiring staff also put added
pressure on Felt to ensure that Black
Sheep continued to meet its sales
goals-and it did. The business continued to introduce new products and
attract new accounts.
There were also setbacks: Felt underestimated her costs, a move that
Vegan Recipe for Success
AMANDAFELTis in love.
By Jodi Helmer
The objects of her affection are chocolate-peanut
butter brownies and maple and spice coffeecake, made from vegan recipes
that she developed hersel£
Felt began to bake when she was just old enough to help stir the cookie
dough. She started experimenting with vegan recipes to impress a woman
and realized she'd stumbled on a good business plan.
"There was not a single place in Portland [Ore.) serving vegan baked
goods;' explains the 30-year-old Felt. "It was a fun challenge to develop the
recipes, and at the same time, I saw it as a chance to run a business doing
something I love:'
In 1999, Felt rented space in a commercial kitchen and began adapting
traditional recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins and brownies and turning them
into vegan fare.
For months, Felt spent her mornings as a cook at a popular cafe in
Portland, and her afternoons measuring, mixing and baking thousands of
different vegan treats. She took detailed notes about the mixes that worked
and those that flopped and began talking to coffee shop owners about her
products.
Felt had three clients lined up before the first mixes hit the market. For the
first few months, she balanced her full-time job with her fledgling business,
shopping for ingredients on her breaks, baking after hours and making deliveries in the mornings. Then it was official: Black Sheep Bakery was a hit.
Felt was determined to succeed as an entrepreneur, even though the
schedule was draining. The minute her client list grew to 10 accounts, she
gave notice at the cafe and devoted all of her time to Black Sheep.
"I still remember the first time I saw someone eating something I made;'
52
Icurve
required her to lay off her staff and almost caused Black Sheep to go bankrupt. Instead of dwelling on her mistakes, Felt looked at them as a natural
part of doing business and credits her success to a willingness to experiment.
Once, when a customer asked her to ship a dozen cupcakes to an outof-state address, Felt jumped at the chance to find out whether her baked
goods would survive shipping. Hours after the cupcakes arrived, Felt got a
call from the customer: The box was delivered upside down, with cupcakes
oozing from the seams of the box.
"It was a complete disaster, but at least I learned that it's a bad idea to mail
cupcakes;' she laughs.
One of her mistakes turned out to be one of her biggest successes.
During a recipe development session, Felt made the mistake of adding too
much bran into a batch of muffin mix. In order to balance out the taste, she
added handfuls of cranberries and dried apples to the mix. The result was a
cran-apple multigrain muffin that has become one of her bestsellers.
Seven years after Felt began selling vegan baking mixes, Black Sheep is
more popular than ever. The mixes are sold at the Portland Farmers Market,
natural food stores across the U.S. and through the Web site blacksheepbakery.com, as well as in the new bricks-and-mortar location that Felt opened in
a hip Portland neighborhood last spring.
Felt is relishing the success of Black Sheep and wondering what the future
holds.
"I have no idea where the business is going to go;' she admits. "I know it'll
move forward, but in what direction and with which products, I'm not sure,
but I'm excited to find
Mo Butta Blues
By Alison Peters
ON MORE THAN ONE occasion I've considered the possibility that Christiana
Remington has an identical twin sister she's hiding from the rest of the world. I
have no other way to explain the energy required to live a life that includes rais,
ing four teenagers, running a women's promotion company and, in her spare
time, whipping up meals for nonprofit organizations like Covenant House.
She's come a long way, baby. In 2001, Remington was supporting her
family by working at Starbucks, where she was a barista in just about every
cafe in San Francisco. An intimate of the San Francisco club scene, the petite
Remington also frequented pre,emininent club Backstreet, where a bevy of
colorful women danced the night away on three stages of hip hop, salsa and
house music. Never afraid of a challenge, she made a name for herself as one
of the scene's first plus,size dancers.
In 2003, while recovering from surgery, Remington fulfilled a long,held
dream when she opened Butta, her version of the afternoon tea dance. "Butta
is a place where women who love women can get together, have some drinks,
dance, eat some good, home,cooked soul food and just be comfortable;' she
explains, justifiably proud of the space she's created. Held at the Oasis, a
beach,scene,muraled, indoor,outdoor space lined with comfy couches and
dotted with plants, Butta has become a lesbian tradition in Oakland.
"Venues are so important;' she explains. "The Oasis had just the right ame,
nities and funky look to have a backyard barbecue. I felt instantly inspired. I
wanted to provide a sense of home and family;•which comes complete with
DJ Olga T, family as support staff and, of course, free, tasty nosh.
'J\hhh, the free food;' she laughs, giving the impression that it's a uniquely
difficult concept for people to accept. "I have always believed that the soul
needs food to grow. I have always fed people. It's just a part of who I am. If
you came to my house for dinner I wouldn't charge you, I'd ask you to bring
drinks. Butta is my home so food is on me-until it runs out!"
Remington wanted the ever,popular Butta to be a whole experience with
dance, spoken word, and something more than just "drinking and cruising:•
For Remington, whose is initial vision metamorphosed into Butterfly
Productions (which produces events like Mo Butta, an official San Francisco
Pride party), and Lil Somthin Somthin catering. And as she says, she didn't
do it alone.
"Blood is not the only definition of family. I believe that it's what we bring
to each other's lives, and how we grow with each other. Family is also a root of
unconditional love. I have many folks close to me, and that I consider family.
I am
Working Girl
U.S. to be an out lesbian.
"The first thing I did when
I was hired was to look for
GLEAM, the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgen,
der employees group at
Microsoft;' she says."Yes,I was out, really out ... pushing the Brazilian samba
Microsoft float in every Gay Pride parade while I was there:•
But even at Microsoft, a company committed to diversity,says Bittencourt,
things are not always picture perfect, and she ended up leaving.
In the end, it may have been the best thing that happened to her. "There
are times in your life when you take a break from your day,by,day and think
what is really important;' she says. "I was earning a great salary, in a great
company, but somehow, I was not really happy:•
At the same time, her diabetes started to catch up with her, and
Bittencourt's health started to decline. Ever the problem solver, Bittencourt
launched Nutrihand, an online service that helps people plan, track and re,
port their meals, exercise and medical information (nutrihand.com). Users
can determine how food and exercise affect their health, and prevent and con,
By Sheryl Kay
::i
IN THE ANNALS of computer and software development technology, Soraya
Bittencourt's name is prominent.
After a highly successful engineering career in her native Brazil, launching
I= the first Latin America communications satellite, Bittencourt came to the U.S.
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today's most robust Web,based tools.
And unlike in her native Brazil, Bittencourt found it somewhat easier in the
trol chronic diseases.
She followed up with Nutrihand Pro, a professional service for nutrition,
ists to analyze clients' information, create personalized plans and then monitor
those plans online.
Today, she has over 1 million consumers and 4,000 dietitians using the ser,
vice."Nutrihand has given me the chance to learn more about people, to think
more about what is important in life, and to do it every day;•she says.
November 2007
I53
Companies We Love
II
ing to settle for second-rate wardrobes, she
created Mad- Ame to offer "casual clothes
with lesbian sensibilities;' items she says
are "comfortable, affordable, local, socially
and/ or ecologically conscious, easily modifiable and sexy, too:'
Labels and designers that fit the bill
include Covet, Eve Gravel, Dinh Ba,
Valerie Dumaine, Fairyesque, Plain Jane,
Karv, Logik, Oom, Termite, Barila and
Gwendoline. A large amount of stock
comes from local Montreal or LGBT designers, as does an exciting supply of accessories, such as distinctive belt buckles, sexy
suspenders, stylish fedoras, fun mittens
and more. An impressive array of underwear ranges from Vulvarific's "hotshorts"
and g-strings to Canadian label Ginch
Gonch's "beaver eaters" boy-cut briefs and
tanks. The result is a diverse and unique
shopping experience. Commenting on her
wares, Skinner says, "Most design houses
follow the typical four-season schedule,
THE WOMENOF Montreal have
The Right Cut
a rather unique shopping option:
Mad-Ame caters
Mad-Ame (mad-ame.ca), a lesbianowned and -operated boutique
planned, owner Amy Skinner says,"with lesbian styles in mind:'
Skinner observed that across Canada, from Vancouver to Montreal, there
were no clothing stores explicitly appealing to a lesbian clientele. While teaching in the women's studies department at Montreal's McGill University, she
studied clothing patterns as a means of sexual self-identification and discovered a dearth of designers creating fashions specifically for lesbians.
Skinner is quoted on Montreal's lesbian Web site, NoMorePotlucks.org,
as saying, "It frustrates me to hear those stereotypes: lumberjack shirts, front
pleated jeans and terrible shoes. The lesbian imagery in popular culture seems
to be either that of a stone butch in ill-fitting men's wear or a straight-looking
porn star, when in reality we cover an incredible span of styles. A particularly
common frustration experienced
(is) finding butch wear, but in
women's sizes and cuts, and club
wear that doesn't involve tube
tops. Women looking to attract
women really do want something
different than those trying to attract men, so it's understandable
that we have been underwhelmed
and not willing to invest in mainstream options:'
Undaunted,
Skinner
decided to do something about
this. Singlehandedly saving the
women of Montreal from hav-
54
Icurve
to a wide range of tastes. By Aefa Mulholland
but we are able to bring in items from smaller designers, and really, these tend
to be the most fun stuff!"
For those of us accustomed to having to make do with clothes that don't
quite fit right, Mad-Ame is reason enough on its own to visit Montreal.
Determined to make all items work perfectly for her clientele, Skinner guarantees that her prices include tailoring or modifying all of the items in her
workshop. Orders for custom work are also accepted. Skinner's really is an
operation that caters to each individual shopper."Make the clothes fit the person, not the person fit the clothes;' trumpets the Web site, and they sure do
try. To keep everyone, of every size, happy, the store stocks clothes designed
for larger sizes, several lines that range from sizes 1 to 15, and garments in
men's sizes that can then be tailored to fit the wearer.
Skinner has instituted a frequent shopper rewards system. Customers are
given their purchases in heavy-duty fabric bags, and when they bring the bag
back, Skinner says, "They receive five percent off regular-priced items. These
are also the shoppers who get first notice of sales and an advance day of shopping at sale prices:'
Other incentives to visit the boutique include shopping parties with generous discounts and drinks for groups, as well as the services of an in-house
stylist or a guest tailor. Once everyone is all togged out in their new attire,
they can sashay along to one of the nearby clubs for which Mad-Ame's staff
arranges VIP guest listing. The L Word screenings and movie nights also lure
prospective shoppers to the store, which includes a chill-out area complete
with an original Ms. Pacman machine and espresso maker.
Next time you look at your wardrobe or shopping options with dismay,
book that flight to Montreal and go one-stop shopping.
model to help my community in a different way. I
understand that people have to buy office supplies.
However, they do not have to buy them from the
three big office-supply chains, which donated 85
percent of their political contributions to parties
that do not fight for the interests of the LGBT
community:'
Along with George Pieper, Ackerman founded
OutSmart Office Solutions, Inc. (outsmartoffice.
com). The company, launched in September 2007,
gives a percentage of all sales to LGBT nonprofits
Holding All the Cards
Woman leads three companies. By Aefa Mulholland
DAWNACKERMANis a woman with a lot of different business cards. The CEO and founder of the
office equipment and supplies consulting company
EcoToner (ecotoner.com) is also the vice president of Los Angeles' Gay and Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce, the co-founder of the LGBT community-supporting OutSmart Office Solutions
and the COO of the LGBT recruiting services and
products company CandidateFive.
Ackerman, an entrepreneur with an eye for
business opportunity and a passion for helping
both the environment and the LGBT community,
started EcoToner in 1997. 'i\ft:er graduating from
college with a degree in biology and psychology, I
decided I wanted to go into business for myself.
A friend of mine and I thought that helping companies recycle toner cartridges would be a good
business to start and so we started Eco Toner:'
Tackling the toner cartridge challenge has not
been easy. Ackerman explains, "Unfortunately, as
time progresses, the printer manufacturers have
worked hard to be sure that every time they make
a new printer model they create a new toner or ink
cartridge. There are even more companies manufacturing printers and doing whatever they can to
lock out compatible or remanufactured alternatives. The industry has changed dramatically over
the last 10 years. Sadly,just when more people are
trying to focus on being green, it is even harder
when it comes to office equipment and supplies:'
She continues, "The manufacturers sell printers super cheap and then gouge customers with the cost
of the cartridges. It becomes cheaper to get a new
printer than to buy refills. Many of those discarded
printers go straight to landfill:'
The Los Angeles-based entrepreneur has also
sought out other ways to make a positive impact on
our world. "I have decided to change my business
through donations and sponsorships. Ackerman
adds, "We also give GLBT and allied nonprofits significant discounts on all their office-supply
needs. It has always seemed extremely unreasonable to me that a nonprofit has to spend so much of
their operating money on office supplies and equipment when it should be going to the services they
provide. So we are helping them save where we can.
We also offer free recycling labels to our customers
so that they can send their used cartridges that can
be recycled back to us for remanufacturing:'
The third of Ackerman's LGBT-positive businesses is CandidateFive (candidatefive.com), a
company that provides LGBT recruiting products
and services to Fortune 500 companies. Ackerman
explains the company's mission: "We help Fortune
500 companies recruit LGBT employees for workplace diversity. Many members of our community
are educated, experienced professionals looking
for a place to work where they can be themselves.
We help them do that. Only when you are able
to be yourself is your true potential unleashed.
Fortunately, corporate America is realizing that
(having] LGBT (individuals] in their workforce
adds to their diversity and increases their bottom
line:'
CandidateFive organizes career forums where
Fortune500 companies can set up booths and interview LGBT professionals on the spot. Ackerman
contends that Fortune500 companies actually want
to fulfill diversity requirements. "They want to hire
LGBT people, but can't ask someone if they're gay
in an interview. They can assume that if someone
has come to a specifically gay job fair, that they're
gay allies or LGBT themselves:'
With this innovative trio of business successes
and her driving passion, Ackerman's future success
is in the cards.
Going It Alone
of womendreaming
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Idiot'sGuideto StartingYour
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businessor franchise.Bonuspointsfor the CD
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with over100documents
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Idiot'sGuideto GrantWriting
TheComplete
(Alpha):If youcan'tfaceonemorebakesalefor
the locallibrary,if yournonprofitneedscashto
keepafloator if you'rea starvingartist,do read
guide
funnyandno-nonsense
WaddyThompson's
to findinggrantsand
writing"fund-winning"
(idiotsguides.
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com)
Howto Starta HomeBasedProfessional
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Organizing
(GlobePequot):Ladies
who'dloveto organize
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whichcoversall theaspectsof becomguidebook,
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ing andthrivingasa professional
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a Bed& Breakfast(Globe
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of people,owna guestroom
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realbusiness.(globepequot.com)
November 2007
I55
Companies We Love
II
sisters Samantha and Justine Roddick, the proprietresses of
pleasure. Their place is about much more than just pleasure,
though; it's political through and through. Theirs is a family
of activists.
Sisters mix sex and politics. By Karen Loftus
Their late mother, Anita Roddick, was the founder of
the Body Shop, which is all about giving back and actively
addressing the issues and needs of the global community.
I WAS RUNNING LATE, talking to my mom on my cell, weaving in and out
Their father co-founded the U.K.-based paper, The Big Issue, which is sold
of traffic, trying to find parking in a permit-only parking zone so I could make
by homeless people. Sam says, "I was an activist by the age of 3, encouraging
a quick stop at a new store opening before hitting a media dinner in Santa
my mom:'
Monica. It was just another day in Los Angeles, or so I thought. As I was runAll of their sex toys boast of being noncarcinogenic, which caused me to
ning up Little Melrose in West Hollywood, across from the famed spiritual
pause. The ones that I have, I never knew to ask about. Garments, toys and
bookstore the Bodhi Tree and next to the Zenlike bar, Elixir, I was subtly or
clothes are made in communities that receive a percentage of the profits after
seductively reminded to slow down.
the items are sold, and the running theme throughout the store is respect,
Once I walked under the Coco de Mer archway, I knew I had crossed over permission and pleasure. As Sam says, "There's no shame, no violence, no
to another world. Like Alice in Wonderland, it was both fantasy and fairy taleseductive, yet playful. In the courtyard, I was greeted by an oversized, perfectly
manicured, phallus-shaped bush. I knew then there was more fun to come.
Once in the lush burgundy boudoir, I was surrounded by suggestive silks, lingerie and wraps, glass and jade dildos, multi-pearl rings, paddles, whips, vintage erotica, harnesses, blindfolds, leather goods by U.K. designer Alexander
McQueen and erotic furniture with hidden sexual functions, all presented in
an aesthetically pleasing museum quality manner. A wave then came over me,
that feeling of complete relaxation and joy that you feel after a yoga class, a
deep belly laugh or an outrageous orgasm. It was tip-to-toe pleasure, where all
my senses were active, open and relaxed. I didn't know where to cast my eye, as judgment. And with clear boundaries, there is a lot of pleasure:•
everywhere I looked was pleasing, stimulating and enlightening.
They're never heavy-handed, and there is an incredible sense of humor
Before I made a move, I was introduced to the lovely and impassioned
and whimsy throughout the store, from the Peep Show in the changing room,
The Erotic Oasis
Like Alice in Wonderland, it
was both fantasy and fairy
tale-seductive, yet playful.
56
Icurve
where your lover can literally peep through a window to view you in your
seductive wares, to Mr. Permissions Office, where you can view saucy movies and record or listen to a prerecorded confessional on the antique phone.
Seduction never looked or felt so good.
Sam runs the U.K. boutique, while Justine manages the Los Angeles one.
Justine, who's been in a relationship with a woman for several years, says that
a lot of gay women frequent the Los Angeles store, from the hip, rock 'n' roll,
L Word lesbians to the 50- and 60-something women in long-term relationships. They often leave saying, thank you, this is just what we needed. Their
customers run the full spectrum of the Kinsey scale.
Though Coco de Mer comes from a definitively feminine perspective, Sam
admits, "We have great men standing beside us:' Dave Stewart, activist, artist and musician best known from the Eurythmics, is the third partner of
Coco de Mer."We didn't need the money. We wanted Dave to join the family;'
continues Sam.
A few weeks later, I returned to the boutique for the official launch party
where Stewart hosted, inviting a few of his closest friends: Ringo Starr, Eric
Idle (a.k.a. Monty Python), Lily Tomlin, Debi Mazar and Deepak Chopra
were a few of the famous creative and comedic faces at the fete. "I have tried
every product in this shop;' says Stewart, who then broke into "Walk on the
Wild Side;' while a curvaceous Marilyn Monroe look-alike mesmerized us
with burlesque dancing in the background. It was truly a celebration of sexuality and art.
Deepak Chopra later took the stage, beginning with: "Dave and I have been
friends for 15 years, done many projects together and gotten into many scrapes,
but this is definitely the biggest:' He then launched in to an impassioned speech
about how sexuality is a creative force of nature essential to spiritual enlightenment. Who knew you could reach orgasm and nirvana? Heaven.
Community Coffee
Less than a year ago, Patti Lucia and Desiree Ramos-Aponti opened
Les Beans Coffee, a coffee house dedicated to Fair Trade, organic and
shade-grown coffee beans, and it has already affected its community
of Lake Forth, Fla. In a town where there isn't much for lesbians,
Lucia and Ramos-Aponti have created a space where everyone is
welcome and there is more to do than just sip coffee. Les Beans hosts
writing workshops, open mies, game nights and live music. They even
compiled a banned book library in their cafe, which houses tides such
as Of Mice and Men and Anne Frank:The Diary of a YoungGirl.
"The art on the walls is by local artists, and most of the bands
that play are local musicians;' states Lucia. "We wanted to use this
company to give back to the community:'
But the community of Lake Forth isn't the only one they're giving
back to. From the beginning, both owners were committed to selling
only Fair Trade, organic beans. One of their bean suppliers is an allwoman, Peruvian coffee collective, Cafe Femenino.
"Many places use pesticides that are illegal in the U.S.;' states
Lucia. "Organic isn't just better for people, it's better for the farmers
as well:' She explains that as the demand for organic coffee grows,
more farms will stop using harmful pesticides.
These beans don't just help overseas farmers; they make for a
great-tasting cup of coffee with a higher caffeine count. "The quality
of our coffee is superb because it is slow roasted in small batches;'
says Ramos-Aponti. "Coffee is not supposed to taste burnt and bitter unless it is over-roasted. Many people mistake a bitter aftertaste
with a high caffeine content. When they drink our coffee, they not
only enjoy a smoother cup of coffee, they feel the difference in the
caffeine level:'
In the hope of spreading Les Beans nationwide, Lucia and RamosAponti are looking for people interested in licensing the name and
coffee products. With delicious coffee, a full lineup of events and a
positive mission statement, this wonderful coffee house would be
welcome in any community. - Dana Kay Litojf
November 2007
I57
Companies We Love
II
The L Word has been a social connection for
lesbians in a really unique way. With the advent
of a huge number of social networks online, it
made perfect sense to take that experience and
see what else we could do with it. So we came
up with the plan and talked to Jennifer [Beals),
Leisha [Hailey), and Kate [Moennig), because
we knew that if we were going to be successful
we had to have the actors involved.
Those three went in as partners, correct?
Is that a financial as well as a spokesperson level of support?
Yes, they are owners and founders. Kara knew
a woman named Beth Callaghan, who had
been the editor-in-chief at PlanetOut.com
for many years. She came in as our technology partner. So basically, the seven of us
created this social network with the chart at
the center of it. In large measure because of
Ilene, Kate, Leisha and Jennifer, who have a
lot of creative ideas, we wanted to make sure
it was a haven for additional creative content.
AFTER LAUNCHING less than a year ago OurChart.com
has quickly become one of the most visited and populated
Screw MySpace!
OurChart has more to offer. By Candace Moore
forums devoted to lesbians on the Web. The site had 500,000
individual visits in its first three months and its steady growth clearly shows
that the company's promotional theatrics have paid off.
Advertised within the storyline of Showtime's The L Word and touted by
cast members in segments surrounding episodes of season four, OurChart,
owned in part by the show's creator, Ilene Chaiken, was conceived not just as
a spinoff fan site with behind-the-scenes footage but rather as a technological
marvel, providing voice and connective tissue to an international lesbian community poised to take some of the creative reins into its own hands. What
started as a cute model of the six (or two) degrees of separation between
lesbians everywhere has become a literal cyberspace "friends tree" and communication venue.
While OurChart has not quite conquered the entire dyke world, it has
become a popular alternative to MySpace, designed for and by queer women,
as well as a premier site for quality media content and celesbian biogs. The
president of the company, Hilary Rosen, is the former head of the Recording
Industry Association of America. She spoke with CuRvE about the site's exciting features, the brains behind the business and the business behind this
burgeoning lesbian online community.
Viewers of The L Word already know the story of how Alice starts
obse sively charting lesbian hookups and, in season four, turns her
"chart" into a Web site. What is the story of how the real OurChart
got started?
Early last summer, Kara Swisher, a tech guru who writes for The Wall Street
Journal, and Ilene Chaiken came up with the idea of putting the chart online and creating an online social network. They came to me to help raise
the money and design the business end. Ilene has felt for a long time that
58
Icurve
Why the decision to marry these different formats-to include media
content and webisodes along with editorial pieces, biogs and networking?
We felt we had something unique to offer. There were lesbian news sites,
there were lesbian travel sites, there were fledgling lesbian dating sites,
but nothing that, in our view, combined the stickiness of a social network
with original content. One of the reasons a lot of sites don't create original
programming is because it's expensive, and these sites don't tend to generate much revenue. So it's really an investment in getting more users and
the series paying off. With respect to the original content, we are going to
commission as much as we can and do as much as we can. So hopefully,
that will be several good original series a year and several shorter video
projects.
I noticed OurChart has a photo journal of lesbian nightlife. Sort of
the real face of what The L Word portrays.
The corresponding piece is people's own individual L Worlds. The party scene
is fun. It's our own little TMZ meets YouTube. User generated. We're
open to people's ideas for more of that.
Do you think that people's comfort with the MySpace and Friendster
formats has made the transition to this forum easier? When new
users go to create profiles, they see something pretty familiar. Yet
on OurChart you're also offered more options for describing your
sexuality and gender, while MySpace has limited categories.
Well, if we can't get that right! This is a place for us, rather than being a place
that someone else has made that welcomes us. I think most of the women
who have profiles on the chart also have a MySpace or Facebook profile,
and that's okay. The online world replicates a little bit how we experience
our lives, which is that were very integrated for the most part, and assimilated. On the other hand, sometimes on a regular basis, we just want
kind of the safety and comfort and sexiness of being with lesbians-using
lesbian in the broadest sense of the word.
How much time does the average user spend on the site?
The industry average of page views on a Web site is something like three-anda-half to four [minutes], and our average page views are like, 10 [minutes],
so we know people are enjoying it.
If you were going to give advice to someone creating a business
plan for a project like this, something that requires a lot of investment and time, what advice would you give them for starting out?
Aside from the general, really important emotional and spiritual mantra of
believing in yourself, which is critical, I think from a practical business
standpoint, it's know your scale. If you've got a product in service that's
going to be most viable for a targeted group of people, start there and scale
up to get wider. Sometimes, business dreams fail because peoples dreams
are too big and the execution falls short. It's important to be able to scale
right at the beginning-and you can always scale up.
You definitely targeted users through The L Word and through advertising on Showtime. What is OurChart's relationship with Showtime?
Do they have a share?
CBS and Showtime are principal investment partners. They've been great
partners.
Are there other ways you targeted the lesbian community, outside of
The L Word?
We spent the first three quarters focusing on getting our technical features
right, developing some deep content and preparing ourselves for the next
level. Like most social networks, we haven't spent any money on marketing or advertising.
You've let it go through word of mouth.
Totally viral! For the most part we continue to take that approach, but
we're starting to partner with organizations like the National Center for
Lesbian Rights and the Human Rights Campaign and AfterEllen.com
and places in the community where we can share traffic and trade. We
strongly believe that this is an ecosystem that benefits from everybody
working together and sharing each other's users and partners and information. We think of this as coop-etition as opposed to competition on
all fronts. This whole market is poised for exciting growth, and hopefully,
we'll be right up there.
What do you think that OurChart has to offer lesbians that a more
general site like MySpace doesn't?
MySpace in particular has gotten pretty messy. OurChart is an environment
where people can come and find something in common with everybody
and move through the network with a sense of interest and safety that I
don't think you can find as a queer woman on any other site.
And how would you compare OurChart to sites like Gay.com, which
offers chatting features as well as content?
First of all, [Gay.com is] very male focused, so there's no comparison in terms
of the size of the lesbian user community. Were just so much larger. You
can look at our content and see that we're lesbian focused, and that makes
z
the chart experience that much better.
LU
Could you tell us about any new site features coming around the
f;.
bend?
The thing that our users are talking to us most about right now are additional
technical features they want, so in the next two months we'll be adding
videos, photos, we'll be adding more inter-user transparency-so that you
can see what other people are doing on the site-and a richer forum and
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discussion. And of course, we will be adding the all-important Friends
Plus, which was the essence of the chart originally.
Yeah, Alice's chart was about charting hookups.
Not starting with hookups was a very deliberate strategy on our part. We
felt that as exciting and titillating as it was on the show, it was probably
intimidating in an online environment, right away.
There could be privacy issues, perhaps?
We weren't so worried about privacy issues, because you can't be added to
somebody's chart unless you consent to it, but we really wanted to focus
on building community. On the other hand, we know that people want
that extra excitement and sexy factor, and so Friends Plus is on its way.
People will be able to designate people who are [already] on their chart as
a [past] hookup or a present hookup.
It seems like OurChart is becoming its own entity, separate from The
L Word, while having been born by it, or in relationship to it. Are you
going to have content on other lesbian-related TV shows or media?
What we are looking for is what's coming down the pike that's compelling.
We have a good relationship with AfterEllen.com. In terms of content
sharing-they cover every lesbian who's ever sneezed in a movie or on
a TV show, and that's what they do. We don't need to replicate that. So
when we have unique behindthe-scenes access to something,
or when we have an actor or a
creator who's reaching beyond
an audience, I think we see us as
"value added" to some of those
other efforts and not as a recap
or review site.
What have Jennifer, Leisha and
Kate been working on lately
with regards to the site, and
what is their level of involvement on a month-to-month
basis?
Jennifer is loving selecting the photographs. I think she is going
to be doing more [of that], and
I think we are going to be offering her photographs for sale.
Leisha's really busy with her band now, and we're talking about ways to integrate some of her band's activities onto the site. Kate just did a fabulous
piece with homeless youth in New York City, "My Address;• and she's very
interested in social justice and will continue to work on projects like that.
Right now they're all in production, so we're spending time on behindthe-scenes L Word stuff for them. Once production ends in October, we'll
start again with some original projects.
How would you describe OurChart's appeal to someone who has not
yet seen it?
The big challenge with online social networks is finding a reason for people
to keep coming back. What's most compelling about OurChart is that
our users, the ones who keep coming back, they're telling us that they're
making friends all over the world, they're learning about new music and
movies and political views that they hadn't experienced before, and their
worlds are expanding just a little. Considering the media onslaught that
we all experience, with the multitude of online sites and the multitude of
offiine media, to know that there is one place you can go to that is always
going to efficiently satisfy you is a great thing.
November 2007
I59
Companies We Love
II
that turned near deadly.
Overcoming the experience
brought Liv'n Out Loud into being."Just putting something strong
Companies wear hearts on their sleeves. By Tania Hammidi
and uplifting on your chest makes
you feel better;' says Bruu.
The messages of Liv'n Out
MEETING LIFE'S CHALLENGES takes the right clothes, and that's no
Loud "uplift the human spirit" and "empower and inspire' people from all
joke. Dykes in charge know that, and so do our spirits and bodies. When
walks oflife (livnoutloud.com). Their watermelon V-neck tee reads,"Become
we're under the weather, our skin gets sensitive. When were well, we deserve
your own hero:' A sunbeam V-neck tee reads 'Tm not beautiful like you, I'm
healthy fabrics, positive messages and stunning colors. So believe the designbeautiful like me:' For sure, it is the colors combined with the messages that
ers of FeelingBold and Liv'n Out Loud, two lesbian-owned businesses with
bring Liv'n Out Loud oodles of compliments. Bruu says,"Next to the'sayings'
100 percent cotton, soothing and empowering clothing at their core. These
on our tees, what we hear most is 'the colorsare amazing: We select colors that
companies are catching national attention like wildfire, for the ways both
evoke something, colors that stir the spirit and enliven the soul:'
the clothing-and the companies' owners-are showing us how to meet the
And souls have been stirred in Hollywood. Late one April afternoon
world dressed in courage.
in 2007, while Bruu and Fichers were having a routine day of work, the
The New Hampshire-based clothing company Liv'n Out Loud was born of
phone rang, and the life of their small company was about to change forever.
a major health crisis. Co-founders Alyson Bruu and Kristine Fichers, lovers for
The pair says, "The phone rang, and as is customary when the phone rings,
13 years, saw Fichers through a major glitch during a routine surgery in 2004
Alyson yells, 'Hi, Oprah!' Kris yells across the hall, 'It could be ... it's coming
through as unknown: With that, Kris answers the phone and a woman with
a lovely voice and accent starts speaking: 'I received your stunning tees in
my gift bag ... "'
The lovely voice was none other than Oscar winner Helen Mirren's.
Mirren received a complimentary Liv'n Out Loud T-shirt in her celebrity gift
bag at the Academy Awards. Bruu continues, "She then proceeded to order
six [shirts] ... two for her and four for her husband. When the call ended, we
jumped up and down ... screaming, laughing, high-6.ving:'
The Denver-based FeelingBold partners likewise know that overcoming
obstacles requires the right fit-in a shirt, and a lover. Since meeting three
years ago, founder Claudine O'Leary and partner Jean "Gio" Giovetti overcame cancer, negotiated immigration hold-ups (O'Leary is U.K.-born, Gio
from the U.S.), and realized their common interest in creating"an industry of
positivity" for women and girls. Launching FeelingBold in March 2006, the
couple designed 100 percent free-trade organic T-shirts and their signature
Bold Bead bracelets "from scratch at the kitchen table of a friend's house:'
O'Leary is the dreaming "blue sky:' Giovetti is the practical "green grass:'
Together, their spirits are made in elegant, soulful messages. A small, circular
two-tone patch on the sleeve of a long-sleeved shirt reads, "We can do this:' In
the center of another T-shirt is the positive message "Breathe. Believe. Heal:'
The Bold Bead, O'Leary says, is "designed to be worn every day as a reminder
to girls and women to internalize their personal and positive declaration of
'I am: I am powerful. I am happy. I am a beautiful work in progress. I am
ready:' And each garment has Sita, the FeelingBold icon, with arms raised
and chest out.
O'Leary says, "FeelingBold is an organization built on a solid foundation
of positive values, conscious thought and integrity. We support and encourage women to live life wi~h a positive intent and boldness of spirit:'
Indeed, the couple have put their own beliefs to the test. A month after
they launched the company (feelingbold.com), O'Leary was denied entry into
the United States. "It was deemed I'd visited too often;' she said. Since they've
discovered the elusive E2 Investor's Visa, O'Leary and Giovetti now have two
years of togetherness at a time. In 2004, Giovetti was diagnosed with a rare
form of salivary cancer. Yet she survived the cancer, literally dressed in positivity. O'Leary says,"Gio felt such a strong need to actually put positivity on her
body that every day she wore clothing that contained positive words. These
words helped her maintain her faith, courage and resilience during some incredibly rough
Courageous Clothing
60lcurve
All The King's Women
Gallery finds new home after Katrina. By Karen Loftus
ANGELA KING'S GALLERY on Royal Street in the French Quarter was the
perfect official start to my week in New Orleans. I was lucky to have this as
my first impression of the city: I was definitely impressed. Hers was one of
the most stunning galleries I have ever been in. The space itself was as much
a work of art, carefully sculpted and crafted by King and her crew, as the art
it showcased.
Like many, King left New Orleans in the face of Hurricane Katrina for
what she thought would be only three days. With her long-term partner Julie
and 10 others, she made her way to Florida, where the crew would spend a
wrenching six weeks. But King is a woman who does what she's got to do,
and 10 days after Katrina struck, she snuck back into the city, breezing past a
dozen National Guardsmen. Once in, King made her way through the city in
the dark, with no power or sunlight, checking in on everyone's houses to see
that things were OK. That's the kind of king she is. She looks after her own.
Returning weeks later to an abandoned city, she found that many, includ-
ing her then-business partner, her director and the co-owner of the Hansen
Gallery, also on Royal Street, had left. Both the city and her business were
in ruins. So King did what any leader would do: She made a bold move that
inspired those around her.
A small woman with a strong, positive presence, she decided not only to
stay, but to take over a bigger space up the street. She renovated an 1856
storefront, once an old shoe factory run by the original owner of the famed
Monteleone Hotel, at the corner of Royal and Bienville. She, with the help of
friends, colleagues and her partner Julie Jacobs, transported 28 years and four
floors' worth of her art and furniture, one dolly at a time. She remortgaged all
but her own shoes to make the move happen. Half a million dollars in debt,
relying largely on tourists, she didn't have much of an income coming in.
"I didn't have the capital to hire somebody, so I took it upon myself one
week at a time. What had to happen is that individuals pulled up their bootstraps, hiring people throughout Louisiana. I did outreach locally to all sorts
of people to be part of the rebirth process;' King says.
The new space was much larger in scale than her previous gallery and in
need of a great deal of work. She stripped off the pink walls to expose brick,
pulled up flooring and peeled bricks off the large bay windows outside to
showcase the stunning space. It was a brave move, one that after 30 years in
New Orleans earned her respect and acceptance in the otherwise old-school
Southern enclave of Royal Street. She infused faith and built morale in the
local and creative community beyond the Quarter.
"I developed relationships with so many artists over the years, they just
stepped up to the plate like you wouldn't believe. I am working with the best
of the best. Charlie Tysall sent me five of his paintings and told me to sell
them just to get going again. Gary Patterson and Marion Barnes offered
theirs at half price. I called an interested party and said, "That $6,000 painting is now $3,ooo:·
The Angela King Gallery (angelakinggallery.com) officially opened 20
months later, with 15 invited artists and a large local turnout. Humble and incredibly grateful, she said, "I took care of folks and they took care of
November 2007
I61
Companies We Love
II
for this site). Unlike YouTube, though,
Tello produces original content-both
film and series-for and about lesbi,
ans. Another difference between the
two video sites is that Baker and Rabe
will have control over content, but they
welcome the experienced filmmaker as
well as novices-anyone with a vision
and a need to tell a story to or about
the queer community. Think of it as
Lifetime for the lesbian community,
where the number one purpose is to
entertain.
"There's a huge need to see our
lives as lesbians reflected in TV and
film;' Rabe says."lt's annoying to go on
Netflix and search lesbian entertain,
ment. There's a low supply of video
content for or about lesbians despite
You Had Me at Tello
The new lesbian online film company is ready for it's closeup. By Karen Loftus
WHENNICOLERABEand Christin Baker met in a soccer league in Chicago
the high demand:'
Baker pipes in, "It's what we want and need, but can't find:'
"We want it to be a user,friendly, high,quality site that meets and exceeds
the demands;' Rabe says. "We are trying to provide an outlet for the commu,
nity to see more than two hot chicks kissing when they type in 'lesbian' on a
YouTube or Google site. The content is about us or by us. You don't have to be
a lesbian to submit [a video], but you should have lesbian appeal or [a lesbian]
story line or you can be a lesbian and submit any content:'
Tello is busy with many projects. They recently shot their own pilot and
are working on a not,for,profit portion to the site, which will focus on those
who come from alternative families as well as aiding gay youth, creating or
retelling their story through film.
Rabe and Baker have diverse, yet complementary skill sets. Baker moved
to Los Angeles after college, working first at Regency Films and later at The
Writer's Guild, where she found a passion for the writers and their rights.
An artist at heart, Baker flew to Albania on a whim to make the documen,
tary Mr. Karaoke in Albania. Always a good problem,solver, Baker worked
out how to get a karaoke machine in to a refugee camp to make her film.
Today Baker is still producing. She recently shot a pilot for Tello and is
juggling the nuts and bolts on the production side as company co,founder
they had the makings of a community and a company that seemingly just fell and CEO, while Rabe, co,founder and chief of marketing, focuses on figur,
in to place.
ing out what the consumers want, how best to make their site user friendly
They called their video content site, Tello (tellofilms.com). The site is sim,
and how to market the community that they are building to the audience
ilar to YouTube, because it depends on word,of,mouth to reach its audience,
they want.
as opposed to traditional marketing strategies (no commercials or advertising •
Their future looks
they knew they had more in common than kicking balls. With similar inter,
ests socially and politically, the two women took to chatting over cocktails
and Rabe told the other woman, "If you and I ever came up with an idea we
both agreed on, we could really make something happen:'
That very night, the duo decided to start a Web site. Believers of TheSecret
(the ubiquitous Australian film turned cult classic), Rabe and Baker utilized
the, well, secrets to help them plan. A few days and several conversations later,
"We are trying to provide an outlet
for the community to see more than
two hot chicks kissing when they
type in 'lesbian' on a YouTube or
Google site."
62
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Eye Candy
Savvy ladies make specs cool. By Jennifer Corday
L.A. EYEWORKS co-owners and co-designers Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds have changed
_ the way people think about eyewear, creating original, invigorating eyeglasses since 1979. That was the
year the two women opened their first store on Los Angeles' now famous Melrose Avenue. It has since
blossomed into a multimillion-dollar worldwide enterprise. Once lovers, now friends (they call themselves co-wives), they have years of shared experiences together and clearly get a great sense of joy out of
operating La. Eyeworks.
They met in high school in sunny Huntington Beach, Cali£, and were immediately inseparable after
realizing they had innumerable traits in common. "I had the worst crush on Gai;' admits McReynolds.
"We lived at the beach, so we did all those beach things together-we surfed, we hung out at the Golden
Bear and we were always out for an adventure:'
McReynolds was openly gay. Gherardi was not, but on a vacation to the Colorado River, camping
under a moonlit sky, the two, uh, changed "the nature of their friendship:'
Back in California, the high school friends became increasingly frustrated with the eyeglass scene, or
lack thereof: "Tue frames at the time were God-awful. Pretty ugly. There was a certain look in the early
'?Os-they were these huge things obstructing the face;' says McReynolds.
More than that, says Gherardi, the duo had a desire to revolutionize the eyeglass industry. "A pair of
eyeglasses can transform you in a spiritual way-they can open that big wonderful door to let the person
on the inside come out and be shared with the rest of the world;' she admits.
The ugly styles, combined with a lack of customer service in the industry, sparked their entrepreneurial urge, and they decided to open their first store on Melrose Avenue; at that time, it was a quiet,
deserted sector of Los Angeles.
"It was in the middle of nowhere, a real diamond in the rough, and there was no place like it;' says
McReynolds. The first jewel in the La. Eyeworks collection was called the Beat, a chunky plastic frame
available in over 22 outrageous colors, meant to accentuate and celebrate an infinite spectrum of unique
personalities. Hungry for frames with style and individuality, people quickly clamored for more.
Two young customers saw the craze and convinced the women to hire them for an ad campaign featuring the tag line ''A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame;' which instantly
branded La. Eyeworks worldwide.
Their first ad was a full-page spread in Andy Warhol's Interview magazine. The
oversized magazine was the first to celebrate fame and was the
place to be seen. The black-and-white ads, shot by Greg
Gorman, have now featured nearly 200 extraordinary
faceswearing La. Eyeworks glasses, from Jodie Foster to
RuPaul, Pee Wee Herman and John Waters. Gorman's
photo of Andy Warhol sporting their L.A.X. frame is
even the trademark image for the Warhol Museum.
"It was always our intention to be really celebratory of the face and how that face presented itself
on the planet;' says Gherardi. "It would have been
really easy to have drop-dead gorgeous models, but
we were more interested in presenting the face of
our community:'
Today there are over 600 designs available,three
brick-and-mortar boutiques-two in Los Angeles
and one in Costa Mesa, Cali£-and an online store
(laeyeworks.com). Immediately recognizable for
their modern strokes and bold color innovations,
La. Eyeworks frames have thoroughly infiltrated
the popular culture landscape.
"We like stretching the limits of how the
world perceives beauty;' McReynolds says.
November 2007
I 63
Companies We Love
II
Long Live the Little Gals
Ten small lesbian businesses we adore. By Sarah E. Brown
SURE, WE LOVE Olivia, Wolfe, Babeland and the (largely queer) California
corporation, Good Vibes, but there are some lesser-known, lesbian-owned
companies making their mark on the business world.
THE SMITTEN KITTEN (MINNEAPOLIS)
This les-owned sex shop sets the gold standard. Jessica Giordani and Jennifer
Pritchett's store, housed in an artsy, cultural district in the Twin Cities, offers
a much classier experience than you'll find at other adult emporiums of its
kind. Sip tea, coffee or spring water while browsing the finest, hand-selected
sex accoutrements, in a boutique-style atmosphere."Integrity;' say the owners,
"is the centerpiece ... of the Smitten Kitten:' (smittenkittenonline.com)
SKY SPORT & SPA (BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.)
Thanks to her hit Bravo reality television series Work
Out, personal trainer, clothing designer and Sky
Sport & Spa founder and owner Jackie Warner has
become a lesbian household name. Warner, who is
quite the specimen herself, has made it her life goal to
help others achieve theirs. While television exposure
can't hurt, it's clear that her business' success is due to
the fact that it offers a superior product-a workout
that produces results. (skysportspa.com)
FREE CITY SUPERSHOP (MALIBU, CALIF.)
JUNIE MOONIES NATURAL SOAP COMPANY (BATON ROUGE, LA.)
Founded by registered nurse Ann Warner, Junie Moonies uses only natural
salts, oils and herbs, offering a unique take on holistic hygiene. Customers
love it that Junie's soaps look like candy, but it's their natural ingredients and
cruelty-free testing practices that truly set them apart. Junie Moonies even
makes soaps for pets. Pampering yourself or your pooch has never been so
dyke-friendly. (juniemoonies.com)
From customized bicycles to handmade tees, Nina
Garduno has created a business that has redefined
the shopping experience, creating a museum-like environment for customers
to explore. "It's not practical;' says Garduno of her shop, yet the celebrities
and fashionistas who flock to her gorgeous, funky Malibu establishment don't
seem to mind. Garduno fuses her extensive fashion business background with
her drive to capture abstract ideas in her designs, like authenticity, which she
believes to be sorely lacking in mainstream fashion. 'J\ny company would sell
to me;' says Garduno. "But this is what I want to do:' (freecitysupershop.com)
PACIFIC REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES (SAN FRANCISCO)
This progressive, lesbian-owned sperm bank was founded in 1984 with a
mission to serve women of all sexual orientations looking to start alternative
families. Specializing in "willing to be known" donors, who allow offspring
to contact them (at least once) when they reach 18, Pacific Reproductive
Services, says founder Sherron Mills, "understands the societal, cultural, legal
and financial issues all types of families face in the decision to pursue artificial
insemination with donor sperm:' (pacrepro.com)
KNEES AND TOES WEB DESIGN (SAVANNAH, GA.)
Jesse Harold is a self-described"visual artist and Web geek:' She has designed
funky, unique Web sites for companies, nonprofits, even the actress Ellen
Burstyn. On being a successful, self-employed dyke, Harold says, 'Tm ...
quite visibly queer-looking ... I'm pretty sure that a conservative, high-profile
design firm would want nothing to do with me. Freelancing is a great option
for women who are very masculine or otherwise alternative-looking, who find
themselves lacking the cultural capital that office environments require and
that a more traditional gender presentation would buy you:' Vive la butch.
(kneesandtoes.org)
SHAKE YOUR BOOTY (WASHINGTON, D.C.)
Who says lesbians can't be fashionable and fabulous? When Kathy Amoroso
opened this shop in 1996, D.C. gained a trendy outlet for shoes, clothes and
handbags. While the shop mostly draws a young professional crowd, owner
Amoroso made sure to keep prices down with frequent, massive sales so that
more ladies-straight and gay-could enjoy her goods.
Long Live the Little Gals continuedon page 77
Personal Health Record
Me, my doctor,
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You can make history with the Personal
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to help you achieve optimal health. When
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you'll receive automatic alerts. Make
history today. Ask your employer, or visit
us online at aetna.com/makehistory.
We want you to know~
·XAetna
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andits affiliates.
Healthbenefitsandhealthinsuranceplanscontainexclusions
andltm1tat1ons.
200793REV07/07
Companies We Love
II
Top Companies for Lesbians
These dyke-friendly workplaces top our 2007 list. By Katie Peoples
SOMETIMES IT SEEMS like big business is more concerned with profits than people, but more and
more Fortune 500s prove that companies can take care of their employees and still make major money.
For our fourth annual Top Companies list, we looked at past winners as well as companies making their
first entry in to the top echelon of the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index in 2006. The
index rates companies based on their commitment to staff diversity, their antidiscrimination policies and
thier equal treatment of spouses and same~sex partners-and
we only considered companies that scored a
perfect 100 on those issues. "They really are leaders;' says Eric Bloem, the deputy director of the Workplace
Project of the HRC. "Companies are recognizing that inclusion is important. Increasingly, companies are find~
ing they don't want to be left behind in their industries:• But since CURVE readers care about more than just LGBT
issues, we cross~referenced a handful of other sources to come up with our 2007 list. Among them were Diversity, Inc., the online magazine that put these
companies at the top of its list for retention of diverse employees (people of color, immigrants, the disabled and queers, among others), and Working Mother,
the magazine that gives props to corps that are the best places for working moms. Talk about a triple threat!
So here are CURVE s 10 Best Companies to Work For in 2007 (in alphabetical order).
1
AMERICAN EXPRESS: Great benefits, retention for em~
ployees, and it had Ellen DeGeneres kick off its latest ad
campaign,"My life. My card:' American Express is once again
on our list of best companies. Not only does it support its
LGBT employees, but it also sponsors LGBT business
events, including the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of
Commerce.
CITIGROUP: The worldwide organization recognizes that
more diversity means more business-and
makes it work
through benefit packages that recognize same~sex domestic
partnerships and encourage networking between its LGBT
and women employees. It's been widely recognized for these
networking groups and also for supporting working parents
with dependent care options that offer childcare programs
and elderly care management services.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE: Deloitte & Touche makes an effort
to include all aspects of an individual when it considers its
efforts to diversify the workplace. Deloitte has relationships
with recruiting organizations like Out, Equal Workplace
Advocates and Reaching Out MBAs and retains them with a
commitment to inclusion for all its employees.
GAP INC.: Come on, who doesn't want the clothing dis~
count? The California clothing retailers at Gap Inc. offer a
wide range of perks for foldingT~shirts. Not only can you get
health care for yourself and your partner, Gap has plenty of
places and opportunities to grow within the company-with
the extra protection of a Zero Means Zero policy against
discrimination.
GENERAL MILLS: Known for tasty cereals like Lucky
Charms and Cheerios, General Mills is also recognized for
offering a great working environment. Not only does it pro~
vide medical and dental benefits to spouses and same~sex
66
I curve
Other Great Companies
We Wish Were Paying Us
partners, but employees are eligible for coverage on the first
day! General Mills also provides infant, backup and sick child
care, maternity leave and two weeks' paid leave for employees
adopting children.
Well, they can't all be in the top 10, but that doesn't mean we don't love
them. The following companies all scored 100 on the HRC's Corporate
Equality Index and have earned kudos from a variety of sources from
Working Mother to the EPA. - Katie Peoples
JP MORGAN CHASE: The financial services powerhouse
XEROX: Requires diversity training and provides benefits to same-sex
partners. It's also one of only 13 companies to score 100 on the HRC's
Corporate Equality Index since it began in 2002.
believes in diversity so much, it made it the foundation of its
culture. Believing (and rightly so) that diversity brings the di verse opinions that make the company a better competitor,
it recruits through partnerships with organizations like the
National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the
Financial Women's Association.
MERCK & CO.: Merck shows support of LGBT employees
by offering full benefits to same-sex partners. In addition, it
believes strongly in affirmative action and in correcting imbalances in every aspect of business. It works with external
groups like the Society of Women Engineers and supports
internal groups like the Gay Lesbian Employee Association
at Merck. Not to mention, it is well-known for its HIV/
AIDS drug treatments.
PEPSICO, INC.: Pepsi's recognitions and awards for diver-
sity are as numerous as its product lines, so it's no surprise
that the giant food and beverage company is on the list. In
addition to its promise to "deal fairly and honestly" with all
its employees, in 2006 Pepsi also granted $500,000 over two
years to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to come
up with cutting-edge tools a,nd Web-based resources aimed
at improving equality in business.
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS: This global consulting
firm is loud and proud about its commitment to its LGBT
employees. It approaches diversity as an effort to make everyone feel welcome and included. And it has an LGBT Partner
!\,dvisory Board and 11 LGBT Networking Circles to back
up that commitment. PwC can also boast about its success
with the ladies: Over half of its new employees each year are
women, and there has been a 30 percent increase in female
partners from 2001 to 2006. In addition, PwC offers benefits
like new mom lactation programs and paid adoption leave.
WELLS FARGO: The San Francisco-based bank has made it
a priority to foster and retain a diverse workforce. Women's
magazines and LGBT advocacy groups have recognized
Wells Fargo as one of the best companies for hiring and retaining women and LGBT employees. It has also made the
very public point that it proudly supports the LGBT community through donations to GLAAD and by refusing to cave to
a Focus on the Family boycott of the bank in 2005.
WACHOVIA: Focuses on promoting people based on individuality.
SPRINT: Encourages a diverse workforce and is an EPA Top 25 Green
Power Partner.
SEMPRA ENERGY: Has a 31 percent nonwhite workforce and was
honored by NAWBO.
PRUDENTIAL: Continues to be on Working Mother's Top 100 list.
METLIFE: Actively recruits employees from an array of backgrounds.
KIMPTON HOTELS: Offers a newlywed package for gay and lesbian
couples.
KAISER PERMANENTE: Offers culturally specific care.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON: Makes it a point to protect the environment
and natural resources.
HEWLETT PACKARD: Cultivates and appreciates diversity.
ERNST & YOUNG: Is one of the top 100 companies to work for, according to Working Mother.
FORD MOTORS: Includes gender and sexual orientation in its hiring
policies.
DELL: Has diverse women and gay networking groups for employees.
DAIMLERCHRYSLER: Covers all transgender benefits.
CUMMINS INC.: Has affinity groups for LGBT and women.
CHUBB CORP.: Covers most transgender benefits.
BAUSCH & LOMB: Covers sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination
policy.
BANK OF AMERICA CORP.: Supports its workforce with an LGBT
affinity group.
AT&T: Is committed to diversity and has a multicultural outreach
program.
CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO.: Is one of the largest investor-owned
power companies.
AETNA: Shows its top-down support by having its new president (a
straight white male) take the role of senior-executive sponsor of Aetna's
LGBT group.
November 2007
I67
Reviews In the Stacks
Death to Conception
We offer up unplanned death and planned birth. I By Rachel Pepper
EDITOR'S
PICK
From the mysterious death of a sister in a novel noir to the
mysteries of conception explained in two new works, this
month's picks span the spectrum of nonfiction. So whether
you're looking for a novel to curl up with on a crisp winter
night or prefer to read about the fascinating new world of assisted reproductive technology, these are the books for you.
SkirtFullof Black,
SunYungShin(Coffee
House):
In Shin'sglar- The Skin Beneath, Nairne Holtz (Insomniac Press)
inglyalivefirst bookof Canadian author and editor Nairne Holtz delivers an atmopoems,the politicsof spheric debut novel. The story, told retrospectively about the retransnational
adop- lationship between two
tionandthe ethicsof sisters, Chloe and Sam,
language
intersect. reaches back in time to
Poemslike"Immigrant discover the truth beSong"explorea hind Chloe's
death. Sam,
keenawareness
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a capable and somewhat
language's
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20-somenature:"Fromlandover
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Keepcamping/ Plant
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Shinintersperses
clini- City hotel. Sam moves to
cal-sounding
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abouttheadoptionof
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Koreans
byU.S.famisome shady characters
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along the way, and enters into a relationship with her sister's old
'demand'/ for adopted
childrenhascontinued roommate. Eventually, Sam does find the truth, but that turns
to risein the industrial- out to feel much like an afterthought. Instead, the strengths of
izedworld,fertilityhas this mystery really lie in its smoky atmosphere and well-drawn
fallen."Thebookends scenes and characters. There's the restaurant where Sam ends
with"Vestibulary,"
a up working in Montreal, the parties she attends, the nightclubs
25-pagetransforma- where her girlfriend works as a stripper. And the players themtionof the Korean selves: Sam's gay father and his much younger lover, Steven;
Hangulalphabet.
Shin, conspiracy theorist Francis; Sam's volatile new femme girlfriend,
a Minneapolis-based
Romey; Omar, Chloe's mysterious ex-boyfriend; and Chloe
teacherandactivist,has
herself, revealed only by association now, through the distant
createdsomeof most
stunningnewpoetry memories of those who knew her. Finally, there's Sam: tattooed,
to comeoutthisyear. tall, slightly butch, emotionally detached but determined to find
the answers, even if it puts her right in harm's way. So many
(coffeehousepress.org)
lesbian
mysteries are devoid of any detail, floating along on the
- JuliaBloch
merest shreds of evidence, with no meaty characters to care
about. Enjoy The Skin Beneath for its depth and breadth and its
long slow pull toward the finish line. (insomniacpress.com)
68
Icurve
Everything Conceivable, Liza Mundy (Knopf)
and Queering Reproduction, Laura M_amo (Duke
University Press)
First came the how-to books for hopeful lesbian moms. Having
written one of those, I know a bit about the topic. The next wave
of books promoted the use of assisted reproductive technologies to achieve pregnancy, at any price. And now, riding the crest
of that wave, come the books examining the ones that came
before and critiquing the often unbelievable efforts of women
who will stop at nothing to have a baby. Liz Mundy, a reporter
for the Washington Post Magazine, strives high with Everything
Conceivable.She introduces complicated legal and familial settings whereby people at last achieve a biological child-whether
by surrogacy, egg transfer, sperm donorship by gay dads, single
moms or lesbians. In fact, there are entire chapters on lesbian
mothers and single moms (though not much overlap, unfortunately, for us single lesbian moms out there). Extensive research on the explosion in multiple births exposes the dangers
to parents' finances as well as their mental and physical health.
Mundy also tracks how the pro-life movement has actually
contributed to the rise in super multiples and how families are
bearing the brunt of this. There is a lot of queer inclusion here,
from profiles of gay dads
LAURAMAMO
to research on the identity-release sperm banks
that women initiated, to
eproduction
an interview with past
CURVE editor Gretchen
Lee about the conception and birth of her
daughter Rose. Mundy's
tone is mostly upbeat,
even while she describes
the agonizing choices
that parents-to-be and
doctors must make on
hhiemg Pregnancy
in i,e Age cl Technoscienc:e
the path toward creating
a healthy child, or deciding what to do with the rising glut of leftover embryos.
Queering Reproduction,by Laura Mamo, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Maryland, is a less enjoyable tome. Although well researched, it reads very much like a
scholarly paper by a non-mother and thus may turn off some
hopeful lesbian moms just looking for a good read on the topic.
Still, (Jthough a few important facts, like the popularity of the
pregnancy books cited, seem wrong or extremely out of date)
Mamo has done most of her homework well and works her way
through topics such as selecting a sperm donor and what she
calls technosperm, self-insemination, the biomedicine of assisted reproductive technologies, and the tensions between lesbian
motherhood as both a mainstream and revolutionary activity.
(dukeupress.edu)
.
ueer1ng
PAGE TURNERS
herownlife.Shecoversthespectrum
of sexuality,
frommildto wild,and
explainshowherreaders
canfind
theirownsexuality.
(tenspeed.com)
- KatiePeoples
Exit strategy what? Whether you're sick of the nevcrending"war on
terror" or just sick of the longstanding order not to ask or tell, this
reading list will increase your own military intelligence. -
CP
One of the Guys: Women as Aggressors
and Torturers, Ed. Tara McKelvey (Seal
Press): Though we usually think of women as the
Longing,
LustandLove,Ed.Shonia
L.Brown(Nghosi)
Browngetsit just
rightwith Longing,
LusfandLove,
a newcollection
of erotictalesby
AfricanAmerican
queerwomenfrom
all overthecountry.Longing's
authors
rangein experience;
however,
none
of thewomenarethe bignamesyou
mightfindin a mainstream
anthology
of lesbiansmut,andthe newvoices
aremostlyrefreshing.
Thebookis
dividedintothreesections,
which
compose
theanthology's
title,each
beginning
witha poem.In "Phase1:
Longing,"
womensharestoriesof first
encounters
andunfulfilledwishes.In
"Phase2: Lust,"onestorytellsof hot
lesbianescortsworkingin NewYork
City.Lastly,"Phase3: Love"is full of
real-deal,
"let's-snuggle-by-the-fireplace-and-ignore-all-our-friends"
stories,somedirtierthanothers.Though
someof thestoriesareunpolished
andamateur,
theauthorsabound
withspirit,sincerityandrawpassion.
Browngivesspaceandattentionto
voicesthatareneverloudenough.
(nghosi.com)-Catherine
Plato
victims of abuse and violence, when photos of the
Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal surfaced in 2004,
one of the most shocking was of then 21-year-old
Lynndie England, holding a male prisoner by a dog
leash. This collection of essays, including work by Eve
Ensler and Angela Davis, uses the Abu Ghraib scandal as a jumping-off point for a discussion of women's involvement
in abuse and torture. (sealpress.com)
TheYoga
Facelift:
TheAll-Natural,
Do-It-Yourself
Program
forLooking
Younger
andFeeling
Better,
MarieVeronique
Nadeau
(Conari):
Finally,
yogafor lazypeople!
Actually,
that's
Ask and Tell: Gay and Lesbian V..w
Speak Out,
nottoofarfromthetruth.Yoga
Facelift
Steve Estes (University of North Caronna
doespromote
relaxation
overexertion ".:;-1
J>ress):EstCfJinterview gayandlesbianveterans from
,
f,
I
asa wayoffightingsagging
andwrin- '
,
World War II through Iraq, tracingthe recent history
klingthroughtheyears.Hermethodof
t:.
of
U.S.military service leadingup to our current policy.
stretching
andworkingoutthefacial
This
essential
history colectiontellsthe stories we
muscles
followsthesamelogicas
were
never
meant
to
hear and.ultimatdy,ealls fur an end
exercise:
workit outor it sags.There
to one of America's
bastionsof homophobia.
(unc.eau)
aregeneral
exercises
aswellasones
SteveEstes
meantto targettroublespotslikethe
eyes.Andhey,it's cheaper
thanBotox.
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities,
(conari.com)
- KP
Rebecca Solnit (Nation Books): It's easy to feel -powerless
Gleason's
GymTotalBodyBoxing
Workout
forWomen,
HectorRoca
andBruceSilverglade
(Fireside):
Afterweeksspenttrainingat
Gleason's
Gymfor MillionDollarBaby,
HilarySwankcameoutlookingfierce.
Shewassoinspiredbyhertransformation
thatsheagreedto write
UrbanTantra,
BarbaraCarrellas
theforeword
to Gleason's
Gym.In
(TenSpeed):BarbaraCarrellas
brings
thisnew,user-friendly
guide,boxing
herexperience
asa queerurbansex
expertsRocaandSilverglade
show
workerandherlessonsin Tantratoyouhowto swingbyfollowingtheir
getherin UrbanTantra.
Carrellas,
who
illustrated
workoutandnutritional
wasdissatisfied
withwhite,middletrainingplan.Beginners
will haveno
class,NewAgeTantraworkshops,
problempickingupthemoves,while
hascarvedoutherownlessonson
moreexperienced
boxersbenefit
howto havepassionate,
spiritualsex.
fromspecifictips.(simonsays.com)
Sheoutlinesthe basicsofTantraand
- SarahE.Brown
explainshowshehasadaptedit to
.
t'
.-
:
when it comes to world politics, but Solnit defends optimism and the
power of the individual in this slightly disorganized, ultimately inspiring celebration of activism. (nationbooks.org)
Women In the Line of Fire: What You Should Know
About WomenIn the Military, Erin Solan>{Seal Press):
Thoughwomen have traditionally served an invaluable role as auxiliaries or in extremis temporarycombatants,the U.S. hasresisted
giving military women the same status and responsibilityit givesto
In 2004 and 2005,journalist and
their male colleagues.
former army reserve lieutenant Solarotra¥eledt'O Iraq attd
Afghanistan to 6.nd women actuallyfightingand domi
so
again-st
successfully. Shedeconsrructs traditional argu.mma
women's full participation in battleandcallsfor an endto
one of the last formal barriers to our equality
at citizens.
(sealpress.com)
Baghdad Burning II: More Girl Blog from Iraq,
Riverbend (Feminist Press): In 2005, a 20-something middleclass Iraqi woman, known by her screen name Riverbend, published
her blog posts on life in her wartorn country as BaghdadBurning.This
sequel picks up in October 2004, just before Bush's re-election, and
begins with an open letter to Americans warning them about Dubya's
potential to worsen life for Iraqis as well as his own citizens. It continues to outline the struggles of Iraqi civilians, particularly young
women grappling with an increasingly fundamentalist government.
(feministpress.org)
November 2007
I69
Q+A
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
Serena Anderlini- D'Onofrio is an Italian, bisexual
grandmother in her 50s living in the Caribbean.
Her recently published book, Eros: A Journey of
Multiple Loves, was a finalist at the 2007 Lambda
Literary Awards. She arrived at this queer literary
gala in New York City in the early summer heat
with her poly girlfriend, another sexy grandma.
- StephanieSchroeder
How did the bisexual category
at the
Lammys come about?
I guess they felt it was about time. Also, [bisexual
activist) Sheela Lambert advocated for it-it was
time to fill the gap. It is rewarding in the sense that
there are certain books that would never make it onto the list if not for this category.
Why is it even important for bisexual to be a category?
The younger age groups take bisexuality for granted, I think, and don't understand that we
have had to fight for our rights both in the queer and straight communities. Lambda mirrors the larger queer scene and that is why it is important to be visible on their list.
How did you come to bisexual activism?
I came out in the bisexual community in San Diego at BiForum, which was a fantastic community with people like the late Fritz Klein (author of The Bisexual Option) and Regina
Reinhardt, Ph.D.
How does postmodern queer theory intersect or contrast with bisexual theory?
The queer theory argument defines gender as the most important factor, yet ignores the fact
that positing homosexual versus heterosexual erases those categories in between and creates a binarized system. In bisexual theory, and in my own scholarship, I see psychological differences where gender is much more complicated: There are intersex individuals,
queers, transgender people, etc. Of course, there is a surgical binary that exploits male
and female gender roles and imposes society's gender expectations on intersex and other
individuals.
Since you were married and have a child, when and how did you come to terms
with your queer sexuality?
I was married to an expat Frenchman, and there were always queer hints in my life, such as
looking at displays in sex shops, sexy queer postcards and various things with a queer
ingredient. In fact, my former husband was a cross-dressing performer at carnivals. My
first long-term female partner identified as a lesbian. And it was important historically to
establish that it was not important for her not to have men in her life in the sexual realm,
and I think that is true of the "pure'' lesbian community.
Tell us about your book.
I at first resisted the title Eros because of all the different associations. It's about Gaia, who
represents the politics of love. But, the other part of Eros is an evolving narrative toward
a personal history.
Gaia is theoretical. She represents the ecology of love and abundance, the sharing of resources,
the sharing of love and lovers, so that we always have what we need. And I think the sharing of love, polyamor}i is still a radical concept.
How did you find community in Puerto Rico?
Well, I work with an intentional community that embraces all sexualities, and I am beginning
to gather a group of like-minded academics at the university. At first I had conflict with
the administration of the department, but now we are proceeding with c'.1utionto create a
department within the college devoted to sexuality studies.
70
I curve
andthePMS,offersa
"PMSSurvivalGuide"to
straightmen.Theadvice
is pretty,um,straightforward-shut yourmouth
anddoanythingto make
herhappyif youwantto
getoutalive.Theoverall
toneof thebookblows
PMSoutof proportion-it
turnswomenintocartoon
characters
andmen
TheHedonist's
Guideto
pansies.
Marrakech,
PaulSullivan intoblubbering
- KatiePeoples
(Filmer,Ltd.):Whenyou
thinkof Marrakech,
do
youthink"hedonistic?"
Well,if not,thinkagain.
TheHedonist's
Guide
to Marrakech
is slightly
largerthanyourpocket
guideandprovidesthe
self-indulgent
travelerwith
information
onall eight
covetedhedonistsins:
playing,shopping,
partying,
snacking,
eating,drinking RisingStorm,Jlee
Meyer(BoldStrokes):
andsleeping.
Withglossy
picturesanddescriptions Thesagaof FirstInstinct
continues
for Conn,a
suchasthese-"if you
secret
operative,
andher
preferluxuryandpamperlover,
Leigh.
Hiding
away,
ingoverlocalexperience"
theyaresafefromConn's
and"vastandridiculouslyopulent"-this guide world.Whentheircover
showseveninexperienced is blown,theyareforced
intoaction.Buttheynever
pleasure-seekers
howto
forget
to getit onbetween
beexcessive.
(hg2.com)
harrowingescapescenes.
- ColleenM.Lee
(boldstrokesbooks.
com)
Jenna
V.
Loceff
ThePrincessflhe
Prince
andthePMS,Elizabeth
TheHedonist's
Guide
Goodman,
BrianYoung
to
London,
FleurBritten
andHerbTanzer
(Filmer,
Ltd.):Thisguide
(Quantum
Leaves):
Half
tackles
the
Londonscene
of thisbookwill bealmost
withits characteristic
completely
useless
to the
and
cuRVEaudience,
sincehalfof flairfor decadence
debauchery.
It
features
tips
thebookis targetedat men
ranging
from
which
pubs
dealingwiththeirfemale
will helpyougetsoused
partners'PMS.Though
queerpennedThePrincess likea localto thebest
placesto gorgeyourself
andthePMSseems
after
a longdayof cultural
targetedat theaverage
and
artistic
indulgence.
straightwomandealing
withhermassivehormone- It's hardnotto likea guide
that'sbrimmingoverwith
chargedmoodswings.
tips
to helpyouliveit up.
Toutingitselfas"ThePMS
Despite
thefactthatit
Owner'sManual,"it deals
lacks
a
section
onwhere
outmedicaldefinitions
thegirlsare,slang-infused
andtracesthehistory
clubdescriptions
will help
of PMS(formerlyknown
you
party
like
a
lady-killer
ashysteriaandtreated
nomatterwhereyougo.
withvibrators-ah,the
(hg2.com)
- SarahE.
goodolddays).Theflip
Brown
side(literally),ThePrince
Sapphic Screen
Reviews
Girl Love Goes International
I
Lesbian romantic comedies aren'tjust a U.S. speciality. By Candace Moore
Lesbian rom-coms have certainly become more plentiful, and
they've also gotten thematically broader lately. These new feelgood flicks feature an ensemble cast, and while two girls in
love is still the typical plotline, family, friends and intertwined
strangers create full, complex story arcs.
Nina's Heavenly Delights (Regent Releasing)
The delights of director Pratibha Parmar's new film register on
all the senses. After skipping out on an arranged marriage to
Sanjay Khanna (Raji James), the heir to Glasgow curry house
The Jewel in the Crown, Nina Shah (Shelley Conn) returns to
Scotland to attend her father's funeral. When she finds out that
her dad entered their family restaurant, The New Taj, into a
curry competition before he died, Nina takes up his cause of
returning the eatery to its former glory rather than selling out
to the Khannas. With the help of her cute neighbor Lisa, who
turns up the heat on her sauces, as well as the cheers of her
ffi'
8
(.)
o
o
family and friends and a few spiritual cooking lessons from her
dad's ghost, Nina battles the finalist chefs (including Sanjay)
in her father's place. When Lisa makes it clear that she'd like
to do more for Nina than prep in the kitchen, Nina finds the
courage to "follow her heart:' Full of Indian-accented Scottish
brogues, Bollywood dance numbers camped up by the "Chutney
Queens;' colorful costumes and mouthwatering dishes parading
across the screen, Nina's Heavenly Delights simmers with sensual
and multicultural pleasures. The movie is as much about honor-
ing family and tradition as it is about enjoying and celebrating
variety. As Nina learns, it's not about precision ingredients, it's
about pleasure, trust and love. (regentreleasing.com)
Tick Tock Lullaby (Valiant Doll)
Tick Tock is an elegant and irreverent British comedy about two
30-something lesbians who decide to become parents, go about
"stalking" sperm and come to grips with how improvisational
their adulthood still feels. Sasha (Lisa Gornick) is a cartoonist
who's set up housekeeping with saucy attorney Maya (Raquel
Cassidy). In love, the two are also constantly at play, tumbling
about in the park, riding each other like horsies in the living
room, calling whomever mounts the other (sexually) "Big Boy:'
As they collaborate and carp over which one will get preggers
first and expose their fears about measuring up as moms, Sasha's
ink-wash drawings and contemplative voiceovers guide a mercilessly funny exploration of their undertaking. Posed hypotheticals, intimate experiences and made-up characters line-drawn
within Sasha's comic come to life in the film, as it cuts musically
between art, life and the imagined lives of two straight women
who are also trying to get knocked up. The actors reveal every
scrap of their quirky characters, and the camera catches many
face one gives when telling a
expressions that ring true-the
necessary lie to a lover or sneaking a smoke-along with selfconscious ones-when the script and actors simply outsmart
and strip down the guise of the film, peel it away and hit home.
ExesandOhs(Logo):
If youhaven'tcaught
in an
MichelleParadise
episodeof Logo'snew
ExesandOhs,runto the
TVremoteandcatchit
whilefreshepsarestill
airing.Thissexyand
hilariousseriesfrom
directorLeeFriedlander
andwriter/starMichelle
is theteleviParadise,
of their
sionadaptation
funnyandsardonicshort
A Lesbian
film TheRules:
Paradise
SurvivalGuide.
playsa not-so-recently
dumpeddocumentary
filmmakerwithanactive
bringing
imagination,
to the rolea dyke-nextdoorvibeandsuperb
comictiming.Witha
castof sexy,kookyand
sublimefriendslikeSam
(MarnieAlton)andGen
Y-erCrutch(Heather
Exesis
Matarazzo),
engaging.
thoroughly
ButbeyondParadise
there'soneotherscene
stealerin theshow:
actorMeganCavanagh.
Thatchick-who's
from
beenin everything
and
HomeImprovement
A Leagueof TheirOwn
to JimmyNeutronand
Friends-isfreakin'
hilarious.Catchit in
rerunsif youhaveto.
com)
(logononline.
-DAM
November 2007
j
71
Q+A
Irena Fayngold
Director Irena Fayngold's documentary Hineini (boston-keshet.org)
is about a teen's struggle to form a
gay-straight alliance in her Jewish
high school in Boston and how the
process changed everyone, including
four closeted gay teachers who came
out. Fayngold tells CURVE about the
experience.- SheelaLambert
What does hineini mean?
Hineini is Hebrew for "here I am:'
Why this documentary? What
were you hoping to show people by documenting Shulamit's
struggle?
I wanted to show what it takes to
make change. Shulamit is so successful not just because she is brave.
One of her greatest strengths as
a leader is her ability to reach out
to others. She took risks by seeking out students and teachers who
would help her. They could have rejected her-and some did. But she took that risk and because
of it many did step up. This is not one girl's story. It takes a community of people to change an
institution and her strength was that she was able to understand that.
I was amazed by the catalyst effect Shulamit had on her school. Eventually, four teachers who had been in the closet came out. I was surprised that there were any gay
teachers at a religious school, let alone four.
I think that gay teachers, even closeted ones, were attracted to this school because it was pluralistic (inclusive of orthodox, conservative, reform and secular students]. The New Jewish High
School of greater Boston took on the challenge of pluralism very sincerely. How often in our
daily lives are we given a chance to openly and respectfully engage with a person who has opposing points of view? This happened every day at the school.
Were there any surprises? Challenges?
Our biggest challenge was access to the school. The day after our first video shoot for Hineini we got
a phone call from the headmaster, Rabbi Lehmann. The school board voted to deny us permission to film on school property, reversing Lehmann's decision to allow it. It was a huge hurdle for
us. How could we tell a visual story about a school without any video images of it? Fortunately,
after two and half years of production, the board finally reversed its decision. So it's a good thing
it took us so long to make.
As a woman with a husband and a baby, what was your connection to the queer
community at the time you started out, and how has doing this film deepened your
understanding?
I am very happily married to a man, but I think deep down I am bi. Since I had questioned my own
sexuality at one time in my life, this gave me some insight as I began to do research and meet the
students and teachers I would interview for the film.
In the film, Shulamit thought it might be her calling to reinterpret the Torah in light of
her understanding that being Jewish and gay is OK. Has she follo~ed up on that?
Shulamit is entering rabbinical school this upcoming fall at the Reconstructionist Seminary.
72
Icurve
Honest sex talk is fluid here and isn't all tied up in
identity, but the film also revels in role-play and
fantasy as the intellectual equivalent of sex. The
film asks, How can we play out our curiosities?
The film also provides the answer: through the
imagination and through art itself Lisa Gornick
wrote, directed, produced, starred in (and drew!)
this film. A rarity: smart, light, deep, fun, very
witty and very queer. (valiantdoll.co.uk)
Out at the Wedding (Goff-Kellam
Productions)
Lee Friedlander's newest film has the edginess,
humanity and humor of her last, Girl Play, but
this time her work looks less low-budget-and
Out at the Wedding'snot just slicker, it's more fully
realized. A string of plot dominos first gets flicked
when New Yorker Alex (Andrea Marcellus), back
in the South for her sister's wedding, is confronted with the rumor that she's a lesbian. Jonathan
(Charlie Schlatter) is Alex's gay best friend and
is as close to a stereotype as possible without inviting GLAAD hate mail. Schlatter, however,
charmingly carries Jonathan off with such malevolent glee (he's renovating a fixer-upper boyfriend
by slowly starving and secretly exercising him)
that the character actually works and, not only
that, provides hilarity. Unknown to her family,
the very straight Alex has already accepted a ring
from a guy (Mystro Clark) she clearly loves, but
she's so afraid of telling the Wonder Breads that
he's half black that she enacts her own form of racism, assuming the family will digest girl-on-girl
better than interracial love. (OK, there's definitely
room to be offended here.) Things get infinitely
more palatable, though, when all the film's characters start to talk about how crummy Alex's paradigm is. Things also improve when Risa (Cathy
DeBuono), a softball-loving, sober, vegan handywoman (who is mad handsome!) literally falls in
Alex's lap. So what does Alex do, at Jonathan's
urging? When her sister flies into the Big Apple to
meet Alex's new Sapphic sweetie, she pays Risa to
pretend to be starry-eyed, but not to fall head over
heels. Foolishness ensues, but old and newfound
family ties prevail. With unapologetic, fast-paced
humor, this movie pokes fun at the masquerades
we so often make ourselves play. (golfkellam.com)
ally against a pharmaceutical compan
DVD PICKS
MaplePalm(FATfilms):
American
AmyandQuebecoise
Nicolehavelivedasa couple
for 15yearsin LosAngeles,
untila trip to theStatueof
Liberty-that iconof American
refuge-ironicallyoutsNicole
asan illegalimmigrant.
When
an immigration
officerhunts
themdown,thecouplemust
decidewhetherto fleenorthwardtogetheror partways.
Neitherthescriptnortheacting
is Oscar-worthy
(thoughthe
screenplay
didgarneracclaim
fromthe Independent
Feature
Project),
andthesoundtrack
will embarrass
youin frontof
yourstraightfriends,but Maple
Palm'sstoryis compelling
enoughto carryit throughsome
of its moreamateurmoments.
Aboveall,thefilm drawsattentionto the absolutenecessityof same-sexmarriageand
immigration
rightsin a tangible
way.(maplepalmmovie.com)
- Catherine
Plato
in a mostdeadlyfashion.Ina
funandmovingdocumentary
certainway,it's theoldtale
experience,
dueto thespiritual
of thefemalespiderandher
sincerety,
youthfulgoofiness
unfortunate
mate.Thestoryis
andintelligentreflections
of the
notparticularly
well-rounded
or film'syounglesbiansandgays.
logicalasa mystery,andit was (logoonline.com)-US
oddto seeit setin a French
insteadof a Britishcontext.
Butthe characters
retaintheir
fascination,
andSmet'sSentais
a superb,classicfemmefatale
whoradiatesacrossthescreen
andletstheviewersimultaneouslyunderstand,
envyandpity
Philippe.
(firstrunfeatures.com)
- UrsulaSteck
lHflllfflfltWMAf·
m.EVE.
~:
/
Ride a motorcycle across Wisconsin
trip your way through law school?
Build your own house.
... .._,
Stephanie
Daley(Regent
I loveddirector
Releasing):
HilaryBrougher's
first feature,
thesci-ti,timetravelqueer'50s
noirStickyFingersof Time,so
muchsothat I namedoneof
myownfictionalcharacters
afterits heroine.
Thatprobably
won'thappenwith Stephanie
quiet
Daley,anextradordinarily
butprovocative
film starring
CampOut(Logo):
A Bible
TildaSwintonand
campexclusively
for gayyouth? powerhouse
AmberTamblyn,
Whatmaysoundlikea contra- a remarkable
butonlybecause
the unraveling
dictionin termsactuallytook
mysteryof thefilm, in which
placein Minnesota
in 2004,
is a 16-yearoldfacing
andthe 1Oteenagers
involved Tamblyn
murderchargesin thedeathof
showandeloquently
describe
hernewborn,
is soinsidiously
thespiritual,personal
and
politicalexploration
thatoccurs startlingthat I wantedto shake
thefilm off for daysafterit
duringtheirdaysat camp.For
ended.Handsdownoneof the
mostof themtheircoming
bestactorsof hergeneraoutautomatically
putthem
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(FirstRun
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longedfor butbetrayed
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andcrumblingmarriage.
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duringthedaysat camp,which an unusualaddedbonus:the
wovenfromthe samefabric.
filmmakerspartnered
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Planned
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of the mysterious,
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Howmanyfilmmakersdothat?
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l
CuRvE's readers are among the
most fascinating women out
there, which is why you make
for the most interesting interviews. Are you ready to share
your story with the world?
If so, we want to hear it.
Tell us your story at
editor@curvemag.com and
you may just find yourself in
the pages of cuRvE.
Where your story is our story ...
November 2007
I 73
Reviews Music Watch
,_. Girl
I
·.~
Groups Galore
I
Watch out, here they come in all their riot glory. By Margaret Coble
EDITOR'S
PICK
WhenYourFeetHit
theStars,CarrieBiell
(self-released):
Seattle'sCarrieBiell
hasbeentaking
the musicworldby
stormsinceshewas
17.Raisedbydeaf
parents,thistalented
ladygotherstart
playingin Seattle's
cafeswith hertwin
sisterin 8th grade.
Herlatestreleaseis
the perfectrainyday,
I-want-to-write-in-myjournalkindof music.
Biell'ssoft,breathy
voiceandsoulful
lyrics,combined
with
anacousticguitar,
hearkenbackto '70s
folk rock.You'llwantto
Since the days of Motown and Phil Spector, girl groups have been
gazeouta windowall
a constant on the musical landscape-albeit in a wide array of
day.(carriebiell.com)
- KatiePeoples configurations and musical styles. The U.K:s the Pipettes, Japan's
Oreskaband and France's Plastiscines all offer their unique, new,
millennial take on the concept, with compelling results.
Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me, EP,The Pipettes
(Cherrytree/lnterscope)
74
Icurve
Purportedly lashing out at the plethora of too,serious male indie
rock bands on the scene in recent years, and in celebration of all
things pop, silly and fun, hipster Brits the Pipettes (pronounced
"pip;' not "pipe") have created quite a retro,mod,cum,indie,pop
stir. The three members of the Pipettes-RiotBecki, Rosay and
Gwenno-write
all their own songs and style their own im,
age, unlike many of their early predecessors (to whom they pay
tribute). Their backup band, called the Cassettes, is all male and
consists of Jon, Robin, Seb and Monster Bobby. Highly polished
and sing,along catchy, they update the traditional '50s and '60s
girl,group sound with modern lyrics and attitude while retaining
the synchronized outfits, the hair and the dance moves of yore.
This four,song EP marks their U.S. debut, after they took the
U.K. and Europe by storm in 2005 and 2006; the U.S. release
of their 2006 U.K. debut album We Are the Pipettes will be out
by the time you read this. Of the four cuts offer_edon this EP,
the lead,off "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" is the straight,
away winner. I challenge anyone to stay still while listening to
this hand,clapping, jangly guitar dance ditty. The other cuts, "I
Love You;' "Really That Bad;' and "Guess Who Ran Off With
the Milkman?" aren't as instantly infectious, but are variations on
similar musical themes. Check their U.K. Web site for videos and
an audio stream of their full,length album, including their smash
hit"Pull Shapes:' Fun stuff. (thepipettes.co.uk)
Oreskaband, Oreskaband (Terry Dollar Records)
Working the androgynous school kid uniform, complete with
ties, this six,piece Japanese ska band has become an international
sensation this year. Formed in 2003, when band members Ikasu,
Tae,San, Leader, Saki, Moriko and Tomi were middle school
classmates in Osaka, Oreskaband quickly gained recognition
around Japan due to its high,energy live shows. By the time the
girls entered high school, they'd landed a major label record deal
with Sony Music Japan. They made their U.S. debut last spring
at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas,
and they played several dates on the Vans Warped Tour last sum,
mer, as well. All hype aside, though, Oreskaband very successfully
put its own ska,pop twist on the girl,group formula, resulting
in an ultra,catchy, super,bubbly, irresistibly danceable sound,
sung partly in Japanese, partly in English. This U.S. debut disc
combines material from the Japanese debut EP Ore and 2007 LP
Girl Groups Galore continuedon page 77
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including
ite collaborators,
Basie,JoePassandAndrePrevin.
com)
(concordmusicgroup.
EllenCherry(self-rleased):
Years,
singer-songBaltimore-based
writerandhistorymajorKristin
alteregooffersan
Putchinski's
conceptalbumfeaturing
engaging
from
vignettes
six period-piece
of variouswomen
theperspective
in differentwalksof life,e.g.,a
widow("1864:A CivilWar
mourning
survivor("1912:
Bride"),a Titanic
VioletSwims")anda stifledsubur("1950:InsideThe
banhousewife
MusicBox").(ellencherry.com)
Redcar
Can'tBeStopped,
HeatherReid
Ex-Murmur,
(Phyllis):
hasa new
(akaHeatherGrady),
bandproject,namedfor hermothhometown.
er's NorthernEngland
popdebut
This10-trackalternative
spotlightsReid'sdistinctiveclasvocalsand
sic-rock-meets-Bjork
oncutslike
masterfulsongwriting
thetitle trackandtheJill Sobule
"LongSleeves(Anne
collaboration
Marie)."(myspace.com/redcarrocl(J
Q+A
Victoria Collins
Victoria Collins, an out lesbian rapper
who performs under the stage name
Young V, grew up in Bronzeville, Ill.
and now resides in the Englewood
neighborhood on the South Side of
Chicago. Entertainment has always
been a major part of Collins' life. She
has worked in radio, television and
theater, and has sung in choirs. She
became interested in rap after listening to a group of young guys freestyling and was encouraged to write her
own music. - Alena M. Scarver
What is the major content of
your music and what motivates
you to speak out about those
topics?
StereoTotal(Kill
Paris-Berlin,
RockStars):ThezanyBerlinduoare
based,French-German
set
backwithanothertresEuropean
electroof ironic,lo-ti,synth-pop
punkthatcallsto mindeverything
to '90s
I SeeRed,UhHuhHer(Plaid):This from'60sFrenchchansons
in
techno,andeverything
German
five-songEPfrom TheL Wordstar
Whoelsecouldpulloff an
between.
LeishaHaileyandhernewmusi(stereototal.de)
odeto PattyHearst?
cal partnerCamilaGreyhasfans
eagerlyawaitingtheiranticipated
spring2008full-lengthalbum.Don't
2.0,though.
expectthe Murmurs
Thisnew,ripe-for-the-dance-floor
soundis equalpartselectronicand
pop-rock,withcooingvocalsontop.
(uhhuhher.com)
OnDVD
AdriAnne
Liveat theSouthern,
a
Recorded
Lenker(LucidTunes):
few daysbeforeher15thbirththe
day,thislivesetshowcases
talentsof theMinneapolisamazing
whois
basedsinger-songwriter,
LoveLettersfromElla,Ella
dueto
Jewel,
to
compared
often
(Concord/Starbucks):
Fitzgerald
sound
acoustic-pop
the late,greatvocalist's herhushed,
Celebrating
andsoft,breathyvoice.A nicely
9othbirthday,this collectionof
callingcardforthissureproduced
lovesongs
unreleased
previously
(adrianne.com)-MC
star.
to-be
favorfeaturessomeof Fitzgerald's
For the most part, I rap about gentrification, the Iraq War, teenage
pregnancy, and elementary and
high school drop-out rates. I try
to incorporate issues that will transcend to various cities nationwide. I
stay away from love songs because this is a male-dominated industry. If a
female rapper openly expresses how she feels about a woman the way men
do, it wouldn't be accepted. And people would judge me more on sexuality
than talent.
How does music fit into your future plans?
I want to be an all-around entertainer. My future plans include acting, directing [films], and promoting entertainers. I would like to start a performing
arts center for youth in Chicago. Every child can be inspired if you provide
an outlet as a pathway for success.
Who are some of the people that you admire in life?
My parents, and Tupac and Nikki Giovanni. My parents have always passed
on knowledge and history to me. They always taught me to be dedicated
and never give up. Tupac is one of the greatest rappers in history. You can
listen to a Tupac song and envision everything he's talking about. Nikki
Giovanni is one of my most favorite poets. She is a strong, beautiful black
woman. Tupac and Nikki like are political poets.
You are currently an unsigned recording artist. So how do you promote your music?
My producer is responsible for my promotion. I finished a mix tape, and he
wants me to come to Atlanta to ,start working on a media package. He is
in Atlanta pitching my music and trying to promote me for entertainment
venues.
What do you hope people will learn by listening to your music?
I want people to learn that you don't always have to make dance music in
order to get people to listen. I want to go back to the original hip-hop. I
want to show people that women don't have to rap about sex, money, cars
and clothes. You can be successful if you have
November 2007 j 75
Reviews
I Tried It
My First Opera Outing
I learned to love opera despite its apparent lack of diversity.
I By Kate Lacey
To our right sat a very pregnant African American woman in her 30s with
her very dapper husband. Behind us were four African American teenagers.
This was their first opera, too. They had won their tickets at school and were
excited. We were seeing Aida by Verdi. It deals with Egyptian and African
culture, which has a more diverse appeal than, say, The Barber of Seville. Not
many lesbians seemed to be gracing these hallowed halls, though I did note a
few gay male couples. And for bonus points, I spotted one African American
gay male couple. It seemed to me that the drama, the jealousies, the socially
unacceptable love triangles would be right up the lesbian alley. But you just
don't know what you're missing until you give it a try.
I was relieved to note the TV screens plastered throughout the auditorium, and the giant screen above the stage that would convert the words being
sung from Italian to English. And I could see the appeal of the opera to gay
men. Even the female divas looked like drag queens, with their larger-thanlife costumes and caked-on makeup. Every man in the cast wore a dress. OK,
actually, they wore tunics, as per ancient Egyptian culture, but still, a lot of
leg was being shown.
I did note some similarities between baseball and the opera. The graceful movement of the conductor was not unlike the seamless windup of the
pitcher. The crowd had their favorite players, like the flawless Lisa Daltirus,
Sometimes you have to do things to appease your partner. My girlfriend will
sit through nine innings of baseball, even though the pace of the game makes
her want to poke out her eyes. To pay her back, I purchased opera tickets for
her birthday. The only Opry I was familiar with was called the Grand 01:
Now, don't get me wrong-I'm not totally bereft of culture. I love Broadway
musicals and theater. I just hadn't taken that leap to the higher octaves.
I was under the impression that the opera was for rich, white, straight
people who like to put on fancy duds to listen to a cacophony of screechingin another language, no less. I felt that the opera was elitist and inaccessible
to the average person. My girlfriend disagreed, noting that music is universal
and that passion is timeless. It sounded a bit high-falutin' to me, but I paid the
exorbitant price for orchestra seats.
I own neither a ball gown nor a tuxedo, so I slapped on a black suit and
my girlfriend got all dolled up in a lovely,flowy dress. Getting dressed up, she
told me, is half the fun. Wincing in my tight dress shoes, I couldn't imagine
what the other half was.
Our city's music hall is a breathtakingly beautiful venue, with grandiose
architecture, high ceilings and lavish chandeliers. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the music, I grew excited as I walked into the lobby. I noticed that it
was shoulder to shoulder with the over-50 crowd. They formed a bobbing sea
of white heads in long gowns and tuxedos. Picture an AARP Lilith Fair and
you get the idea. Instead of hemp necklaces, they fondled opera glasses that
cost more than my car payment. I was just about to turn to my companion
and reiterate my assertion regarding the demographic being served by this
event-old, white, straight and rich-when I stopped to notice that we were
surrounded by African Americans.
76
I curve
I was underthe impressionthat opera
was for rich,white, straightpeoplewho
liketo put on fancydudsto listento a
cacophonyof screeching- in another
language,no less.
who played Aida. Her arias were the equivalent of home runs, but rather than
doing the wave, polite clapping and an occasional shout of"Brava" was all the
support she got from this crowd. Rather than a seventh-inning stretch, we
got intermissions-four
of them in all-each featuring the all-too-familiar
line to the women's room. And, just like at a sporting event, we used binoculars (i.e., opera glasses) to get a better look at the action. No beer, however.
Patrons of the arts sip champagne and nibble designer chocolates rather than
peanuts. And finally, there is no lack of athleticism in the dancers or in the
stamina of the opera stars, who sing nonstop at dizzying depths and heights
for close to three hours.
I was mesmerized by the intricate sets, and as the music swept over and
through me during a powerful aria I suddenly understood why my girlfriend
loved the opera so much. It gave me chills. The complex harmonies and layers of sound make the Indigo Girls sound one-dimensional. But by the end
of the very long show, we were getting a bit slap-happy as the singers were
making the most of their tragic situation, wailing, "Oh, sweet joyous death" at
the prospect of being buried alive together. Maybe three acts are all any show
needs. My girlfriend has claimed that five innings are plenty for a ball game.
I hope more operas will explore diverse cultures, including gay culture.
Who knows, perhaps someone will write an opera about the drama of Ellen
and Ann Heche. Now that's one I'd pay good money to see.
Long Live the Little Gals continued from page 64
Girl Groups Galore continued from page 74
TACO CHULO (WILLIAMSBURG, N.Y.)
WAO!! ("We Are Oreskaband!!"), with 13 solid
cuts that result in a cohesively exuberant album.
Greta Dana and Dija Amer infused this comfortably upscale, vegan-friendly Brooklyn establishment with enough West Coast flavor to satisfy
even the most demanding palates. Fans come from
all over the East Coast to get a taste of their authentic "pimped-out burritos;' homemade salsas,
guacamole, horchata and other sensational grub.
Taco Chulo proves that fresh, well-seasoned
Mexican food served in a lesbian-owned New
York joint can be just as fabulous as anything
dished up in the West. (tacochulo.com)
From the horn-filled intro rev-up "Pantime;• to
singles like "Pinocchio" and "Knife & Folk;' the
girls prove themselves to be highly skilled musicians who know their way around a ska song with
plenty of pop sheen. They even offer a cover of the
ska classic"Monkey Man (Monkey Monkey Man)"
by the Specials, in collaboration with ska legend
Rico Rodriguez, in addition to harder rock-outs
like"U:'
RUB-A-DUB DOG DO-IT-YOURSELF DOG
WASH (SEATTLE)
When Carrie Eschenken opened Seattle's first
do-it-yourself dog wash, she wanted to create a
place for "big, hairy, stinky dogs and their owners:•
Nearly 10 years later, Rub-a-Dub offers the best
of both worlds for pet owners: they can get down
and dirty with their dogs and Rub-a-Dub handles
the cleanup. Yay! No more dog hair in the drains.
(rubadubdog.biz)
SABLE MAGAZINE (NEW YORK CITY)
Now that Venus is no longer aimed at the LGBT
community, we hope lesbians of color turn to the
five-year-old bimonthly online Sable magazine.
Founder Susan A. Webley and her editorial team
have put together a site that speaks to the multifaceted experiences of queer women of color. It's
free to join, but users are charged a small fee in
8' order to take advantage of all its offerings, like artides, personals and community forums. Aiming
to "celebrate her relationships, value her families
::::,
cJi ... (and) give her the motivation to go a little furi ther, reach a little higher;' Sable provides a space
ti:
x'.
for less-heard queer voices. (sablemagazine.com)
LP1, Plastiscines(Virgin Music)
With a more straight-up retro punk/new wave
vibe, the French quartet Plastiscines are another under-20 group offering a different take
on the standard girl group formula. Originating
from the same Paris high school in 2004, Katty
Besnard, Marine Neuilly, Louise Basilien and
Zazie Tavitian took their name from a line in the
Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds;•
and have been equally influenced by '70s and '80s
rockers-from the Ramones to the B-52s-as
well as modern indie-rock groups like the Strokes
and the White Stripes. In true punk rock fashion, their entire 13-track debut album clocks in
at under 27 minutes, averaging barely two minutes a piece-ironic, yes, for an album titled LPl
(LP being an acronym for "long-playing"). But
their brevity does not cut down on their fun or
danceability factor. The brash lead-off cut "Shake
(Twist Around The Fire)" and bouncy "Rake"
are two of the band's earliest efforts, but they fit
right in with more recent fare like the first single,
"Loser;' sung entirely in French except the title
refrain. "Pop In, Pop Out!" has a very groovy '60s
feel to it, like the French pop of that era; "(Zazie
Fait de la) Bicyclette" is a whimsical new wave
ditty; "Mister Driver" has a tinge of classic rock
mixed in with its new wave; and "Human Rights"
is their political anthem. A very solid album that
deserves to be heard from beginning to end ... on
repeat. (myspace.com/plastiscine)
2007 Statement of Ownership
Publication Title: Curve.
Publication No.: 0010-355.
Filing Date: Sept.17, 2007.
Issue Frequency: Monthly except bi-monthly
Jan/Feb and July/ Aug. Number oflssues Published
Annually: 10; Annual Subscription Price: $49.95
Complete Mailing Address: 1550 Bryant St. Ste.
510, San Francisco, CA 94103-4856.
Contact Person: Sara Jane Keskula
Telephone: (415) 863-6538 xlO.
Publisher: Frances Stevens, 1550 Bryant St. Ste.
510, San Francisco, CA 94103-4856. Editor:
Diane Anderson-Minshall, 1550 Bryant St. Ste.
510, San Francisco, CA 94103-4856. Managing
Editor: Colleen Lee, 1550 Bryant St. Ste. 510, San
Francisco, CA 94103-4856. Owner(s): Outspoken
Enterprises, 1550 Bryant St. Ste. 510, San
Francisco, CA 94103-4856; Frances Stevens, 1550
Bryant St. Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 941034856; Katie Sanborn, 116 Bark Ct.,
Half Moon Bay,CA 94109.
Publication Title: Curve.
Issue Date for Circulation Data: Oct. 2007.
Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average
No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12
Months: A) Total No. Copies Net Press Run:
71,445. B) Paid Circulation. (By Mail and Outside
the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 18,010; (2)
Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on
Form 3541: O;(3) Paid Distribution Outside
the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and
Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other
Paid Distribution outside USPS: 42,888; (4) Paid
Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the
USPS: 1,098. C) Total Paid Distribution: 61,996.
D) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution by Mail
and Outside the Mail: (1) Free or Nominal Rate
Outside-County Copies included on Form 3541:
1,513; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies
included on Form 3541: 46; (3) Free or Nominal
Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Mailed
Through the USPS: 440; (4) Free orNominal Rate
Distribution Outside the Mail: 4,500. E) Total
Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 6,499. F) Total
Distribution: 68,495. G) Copies Not Distributed:
2,950. H) Total: 71,445. I) Percent Paid 90.51%.
Extent and Nature of Circulation/No. Copies of
Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date A)
Total No. Copies Net Press Run: 72,681. B) Paid
Circulation. (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1)
Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated
on Form 3541: 18,082; (2) Mailed In-County
Paid Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 O;(3)
Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including
Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street
Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS:
43,203; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes
of Mail Through the USPS: 1,022. C) Total Paid
Distribution: 62,307. D) Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution (by Mail and Outside the Mail): (1)
Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County as Stated
on Form 3541: 1,525; (2) Free or Nominal Rate
In-County Copies included on Form 3541: 46;
(3) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Mailed at
Other Classes Through the USPS: 450; (4) Free
or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail:
4,550. E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution:
6,571. F) Total Distribution: 68,878. G) Copies
Not Distributed: 3,803. H) Total: 72,681. I)
Percent Paid: 90.46%. Publication of Statement of
Ownership: November 2007.
November 2007
I 77
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November 2007
I 79
Top Ten Reasons We love Vermillion Lies
have to be only sexy or only smart or only silly-it
can be all of those things at once:'
4. Youcan participate,too. In fact, you have no
choice. "Our performance is like theater;' Zoe
says. "We can't just do it without anyone paying
attention:' From playing a handed-out instrument to singing along, these girls inspire-and
require-full audience participation.
5. TheirnewEPis a "scream-along."
Along with
an exceptionally participatory audience, the girls
arranged an EP full of songs that allow for various
forms of singing along-including screaming.
6. Theymake musicfor peoplewho wear hats.
These sisters love wearing hats, "fluffy undies;'
corsets and any other vaudeville-inspired garment, and they encourage anyone coming to their
shows to do the same.
7. Theyrollwith a posse.The Vermillion Sisters,
groups of burlesque-inspired dancers, have joined
them on stage in many towns along their tour.
In addition to these sexy sirens, the sisters often
share the stage with other cabaret comrades, and
they are always looking for people to join in the
fun.
8. Their parentslove them and so shouldyou!
Recently their mother arranged a show for them
in Toronto and brought 150 of her friends to
come see it; their father bought them a van to go
on tour.
What do global warming, lobster squeaky toys
and a circus of zombies have in common? They're
all a part of the "thrift store cabaret" that is
Vermillion Lies. Drawing upon the dance, circus
and art classes they took as kids, Zoe and Kim
Boekbinder (vermillionlies.com) have put together a vaudeville-inspired show that will quite
litera).ly have you laughing your pants off. Their
quirky quips and amusing antics form an engaginging and entertaining experience. - Lauren
Marie Fleming
1. They'remorbidbutnotmorose.
And their lyrics
are reminiscent of the scary stories we were told
as children. Zoe's known to be jazzier, Kim likes
a good ballad, and together they create whimsically bizarre fairy tales and fables set to the kind
of lighthearted music that you would hear at a
circus or carnival.
so Icurve
"A show doesn'thaveto
be onlysexyor onlysmart
or onlysilly-it can be all
of thosethingsat once."
2.Theyplaythebarbecue
grill.And the typewriter,
tricycle bell, accordion, air vent and pretty much
anything else they have around. They used to play
the plastic squeaky lobster, but he ran away. If you
see him, they ask you to please ship him home.
3. Theysingwiththeirpantsdown."There is supposed to be this sexy thing when a woman takes
her clothes off;' Kim says. "But we're making it
really silly:' She insists that their motto applies
to the rest of their show as well: "A show doesn't
9. They'renot just anotherfolkie duo singing
aboutthe environment.
They are actually making
a difference. Along with videos, pictures and an
interesting story about the band, the Vermillion
Lies Web site includes a link to an informed
global warming page. Encouraged by their song
about the phenomenon, an environmental policy
analyst has helped them to create a page that is
insightful and informatative on how you too can
actually make a difference.
10.They'reinspiring.
After watching a Vermillion
Lies show, I guarantee that you'll want to join
the circus, ride a tricycle, wear a hat, stop global
warming, sing with your pants down and maybe
even write an article professing your love for this
quirky twosome.
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curve
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
VOLUME 17 NUMBER 9
Chicks in Charge
Lesbians often seem
to start businesses by
first thinking about the
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 51 0
San Francisco, California 94103
Phone 415-863-6538 Facsimile 415-863-1609
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greater good. I think
we may have mastered the "do what you
love and money will
follow" credo.
Frances Stevens Publisher/Editor in Chief
It struck me while we were compiling this year's jam-packed careers and companies issue which, I might
add, is crammed with more fascinating women to read about than any issue before it, that there really is
a difference between women and men. At least in business. Like a lot of the lesbians in this issue, female
entrepreneurs often seem to start by thinking about the greater good-whether it's a well-funded startup like Washington, D.C:s OurChart (already one of the biggest lesbian sites on the Web, co-founded
by powerhouse CEO Hilary Rosen) or Portland, Ore:s Black Sheep Bakery (Amanda Felt's one-gal
operation that now sells vegan baking mixes in narural food stores nationwide). While some may envy
men's abilities to march into banks demanding scads of cash to launch multinational, cross-platform,
multimillion-dollar corporations, I think women-especially lesbians-might acrually have better mastered the "do what you love and the money will follow" credo. (Not that we don't deserve multinational
companies, too, so get on that, sister!)
over 51 comWith over 39 women profiled-from 13 different states and 3 different countries-and
Top 10
Annual
our
is
which
of
least
the
panies included, there's lot to read about in this issue, not
Companies for Lesbians list (penned by our new assistant edito·r,Katie Peoples), which tackles what the
Fortune 500 is doing for us this year. In addition to being chocked full of interesting women in business,
we're going full throttle on how to be ecofriendly with our first Going Green special report. We cover
everything from the most rousing environmentally friendly advenrures to finding planet-caring vacation
accommodations and even how to deal with eco differences in your relationship.
We're thrilled that power politico Chrissy Gephardt, an openly gay Christian, graces our cover this
month. Gephardt's own coming out and her parents' quiet acceptance and ability to reconcile their faith
with their daughter's sexuality is the kind of story that we all need to hear, especially as we approach the
holidays. When millions of Americans are celebrating (or protesting) Thanksgiving this month, a whole
lot of lesbians are dreading what lies ahead. The F-word: Family. Here's hoping the Gephardts might
offer a nice example of how powerful family acceptance really is.
21curve
Proofreaders
Art Director
Photo Editor
Production Manager
Production Artist
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Operations Director
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Marketing Representative
Editorial Assistants
Photo Assistant
Frances Stevens
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Sara Jane Keskula
Colleen M. Lee
Katie Peoples
Rachel Pepper
Margaret Coble
Julia Bloch, Victoria A.
Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Gretchen Lee
Theresa Johnson, Rachel
Leach, Michelle Ma, Remy
Ramirez and Katherine
Wright
Stefanie Liang
Amy Silverman
Ondine Kilker
Kelly Nuti
Nikki Woelk
Flo Enriquez
Holly DeMaagd
Diana L Beny, Rivendell Media
Lindsey Taylor
Amanda Campa
Tammy Lam
Mea Chavez, Jenna V. Loceff,
Kristin A Smith,Lina Swislocki
Nicole Teichman
Contributing Writers Kathy Beige, Sarah E. Brown,
Jennifer Corday, Tracy E. Gilchrist, Maria Ginsbourg,
Lily-Rygh Glen, Michele Fisher, Lauren Marie Fleming,
Tania Hammidi, Susan Hernandez, Jodi Helmer,
Elle Kaycee, Kate Lacey, Kar1yn Lotney, Char1ene
Lichtenstein, Dana Kay Litoff, Karen Loftus, Candace
Moore, Aefa Mulholland, Alison Peters, Catherine Plato,
Alena M. Scarver, Laurie K. Schenden, Sara Seinberg,
Lori Selke, Jenny Sherwin, Stephanie Schroeder, Ursula
Steck, Jocelyn Voo
Illustrators Phil Cho, Katherine Streeter
Contributing Photographers Erica Beckman, Erica Berger,
Myles Boisen, Skip Bolen, Niall Carroll, David Cooper,
Bob D'Amico, Sharon Dominick, Juan Estey, Daria
Gamliel, Leah Gordon, Sara Jorde, Jen Kennedy, Gary
Kline, Brian Knopp, Amal Kouttab, Michael Loccisano,
Terrence McCarthy, Maggie Parker, Chris Polk, Jacklyn
Resciniti, Kathy Sauber, Virginia Sherwood, Don Spiro,
Shea Steel, Willie B Thomas, Denise Truscella, John Valls,
Todd Williams,Kina Williams
Volume 17 Issue 9 Curve (ISSN 1087-867X) is published monthly (except for
January/February and July/ August) by Outspoken Enterprises, Inc., 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103. Subscription price: $49.95/year,
$62.95 Canadian (U.S. funds only) and $71.95 international(U.S. funds only).
Returned checks wiUbe assessed a $25 surcharge. Periodicals postage paid
at San Francisco, CA 94114 and at addttionalmailing offices (USPS0010-355).
Contents of Curve Magazine may not be reproduced in any manner, either
whole or in part, without written permission from the publisher. Publication of
the name or photograph of any persons or organizationsappearing, advertising
or listing in Curve may not be taken as an indication of the sexual orientation
of that individual or group unless specifically stated. Curve welcomeS letters,
queries, unsolictted manuscripts and artwork. Include SASE for response.
Lack of any representation only signifies insufficient materials. Submissions
cannot be returned unless a self-addressedstamped envelope is included. No
responsibilityis assumed for loss or damages. The contents do not necessarily
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discreetly. Subscription Inquiries: Please write to Curve, 1550 Bryant Street,
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A.
Keyword: Curvemag Web site: curvemag.com
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Features
November 2007
"You can
make
religion anything you
want it to
be ... you
can use it
to condemn
others ... to
justify saying that
someone
else's life- Best Places to Work
Our Annual Business Low Down
style or
44 Radio Babes The women of Sirius Radio are on our side.
someone
By Jenny Sherwin
Darling Malia Spanyol is revolutionizing the tattoo
else's life is 46 Tattoo
industry. Does she sleep? By Sara Seinberg
Chef Citizen Cake's star owner Elizabeth Falkner is
wrong." 47 Top
hot. She was on TY, too. Yum. By Lori Selke
Chrissy Gephardt
page 43
48
Heavenly Delight Director Pratibha Parmar is behind the
camera again. By Tania Hammidi
49
Mayor of WeHo Party promoter Shannon Kampa is making
a name for herself in L.A. By Tracy E. Gilchrist
50
Ms. Missile Tester Making it in a man's world.
By Laurie K. Schenden
51
52
Cover photo by
Erica Beckman
Recipe for Success Vegan baker Amanda Felt can cook
for us anytime. By Jodi Helmer
54
55
Competitive Edge EcoToner outsmarts the competition.
41curve
60
10 Top Companies American
Express, Gap, Wells Fargo-did your company make the cut? By Katie Peoples
66
40
COVER: Chrissy Gephardt She
loves politics, God and apple pie. Does
it get any more American than gay
activist Chrissy Gephardt? Doubt it.
By Tania Hammidi
By Aefa Mulholland
The Erotic Oasis The Body Shop spawn mix fashion,
politics and sex in a groovy boutique. By Karen Loftus
Charting Our Success This dyke-centric social networking
site is taking the Internet by storm. By Candace Moore
Courageous Clothing Duds to make you feel good.
By Tania Hammidi
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throws one back. By Aefa Mulholland
The Right Cut Montreal's ladies know how to do lesbian
fashion. By Aefa Mulholland
58
Hot Lesbian Busineses From
California to Savannah, Ga., long live the little
gal. By Sarah E. Brown
64
Mixing for Moolah Cocktail impresario Lucy Brennan
Companies We Love
56
Volume 17#9
Going Green
32
Ready to Go Green? An easy guide
to making the move. By Victoria A.
Brownworth
34 A Different Vacation Time to plan
for an ecoadventure. By Jodi Helmer
37
How We Went Green Sometimes
the wife needs a little enouragement.
By Victoria A. Brownworth
38 What's Hot and Green We've got
the enviro bling you need. By Staff
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Departments
November 2007
"I spentyearsout
on the town.,I
oncerackedup a
1,098-daystreak
of goingout to the
clubs.I havethe
diaryto proveit,
althoughmuchof
the writingis
illegibleor
gibberish."
page 26
2
Frankly Speaking Our fearless
publisher in her own words.
18 Lesbofile Celebrity lesbi-flexibility,
new and not so improved.
28 Politics Reviving the debate over bad
girls and the double standard.
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Contributors Get to know your
CURVE writers
and photographers.
10 Letters Readers give thanks for our
coverage of voices rarely heard. And how
do you become a rich lesbian anyway?
12 Out in Front From a kid's pioneer, to a
young Latino filmmaker to a retired civic
officer now collecting lesbian stories, we
run the age gamut this month.
13 Curvatures Break dancing is gay and
gender safe schools exist. Plus: Scarlett
Johansson looks like a boy? Pu-shaw!
14 Open Studio Genderqueer tagger Lara
Muffley is obsessed with spray paint.
20 Scene Bringing you more hot lady
pix than you can handle.
22 Lipstick & Dipstick What advice
do you give when a bull dyke is a
homophobe?
23 Relationships What your girlfriend
doesn't need to know.
24 Astro Grrl Giving thanks to all the
girls, or shall we say trashy gal pals.
25 Ask Fairy Butch A possible prude
has her first encounter with a packing
partner.
26 Dyke Drama Analyzing your bad
habits. Are they really that bad?
68 In the Stacks The trends of queer
pregnancy and reproduction, and our
take on war stories.
71 Sapphic Screen Heavenly creatures
and biological clocks, oh my. Plus, a
Jewish high school student on film.
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74 Music Watch New girl groups like the
Pipettes make Margaret Coble sing. Up
close with rapper Victoria Collins and CD
picks you'll dig.
76 I Tried It Going to the opera doesn't
have to be an elitist experience.
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Vermillion Lies How can you not love
a morbid vaudeville-inspired show?
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Contributors·
"I never understood that my interest in fashion was about pictorial pictography;' says Tania
a freelance writer and doctoral student at the University of California, Riverside. But after
Hammidi,
interviewing the FeelingBold and Liv'n Out Loud clothing designers, the genderqueer performance
artist and graduate student realized that fabric and images are a very cool, complex system, where
the integrity of the human spirit meets the T,shirt canvas. Hammidi believes it is no coincidence
that lesbians and trans folk are at the helm of this art,historical dance party. She says, "We were
once called'the magical sign; weren't wet Hammidi is currently researching her dissertation on
censorship and drag king cabaret. Goals? To write a nonfiction book on mental health and clothing.
"I travel a lot and have found that it's getting much easier to plan an ecofriendly vacation;' says Jodi
Helmerwhose article on green travel appears in this issue. "This was such a great piece to write
because I found resources that I'm using to plan a trip to Spain this fall:' Helmer is a freelance
writer who moved from Portland, Ore., to Charlotte, N.C., several months ago. She writes for
magazines like Hemispheres, AAA Living, YogaJournal and Womens Health while drinking sweet
tea and eating biscuits.
Comedian, Tennessee Williams Fellow and award,winning playwright KarenLoftushas toured
the world, most recently with her solo comedy show American Woman: A One Woman Comedic
Invasion. Loftus teaches Body Comedy-a program she developed using humor to heal-to
those who have experienced abuse on the body. A true Irish storyteller, she loves to weave words.
Finishing up her book of essays, Mis.fit, Loftus is always up for a bit of adventure and a good glass
of red. Whether discussing lesbian fashion, journaling about booze Down Under or exploring the
pleasure and principles of one's own sexuality with Coco de Mer's founders, Loftus swears every
word written for CURVE is a pleasure and a privilege.
Check 'em Out
AstroGrrl's illustrious Charlene
Lichtenstein is toasting her good
fortune. Her book HerScopes: A
Guide to Astrology for Lesbians
(Simon & Schuster) has gone into
its seventh printing. Congrats!
s Icurve
Ursula Steck writes movie
reviews tor CURVE.She
knows that this is one of
the most luxurious assignments possible. Steck
mainly has to watch loads
of DVDs (yes, it can be
painful sometimes, but mostly it's great
fun, and something you don't have to do alone), and then
she writes a few lines of happy recommendation or dark
warning for the readers. Once she's done with this sweatinducing labor, she sits down and writes lesbian mystery
novels. Steck's latest-the second in a series involving
one-eyed, Asian German American San Francisco detective Anna Spring-is Laura's War (Bella Books), and Steck
hopes that her readers will be equally enthralled, creeped
out and touched by her characters' adventures.
Bobby Riley (Pete Jones) is a regular guy who
loves his family, his beer, and the Chicago Cubs.
Oh yeah, and his boyfriend. In this charming
ensemble film, see what happens when Bobby
finally tells his Irish-Catholic brothers (one of
whom is a priest) that he's gay. And, they think
he's joking! Also stars Nathan Fillion (Serenity,
Firefly, Desperate Housewives). 88 min. CC
DVDsAvailableat:
Wolfe
Wolfe
Video.com
curve
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
CurveMag.com
BARNES&NOB
www.bn.com
Letters
"I'd known something about cuRvE,of course,
and I'd itched to read it. I didn't want to hide
in one little trans sub-community niche, and
Would you like
to see entire
issues of
CURVE Online?*
60%
Hellyes,I wouldloveto
readit on mycomputer
8%
Nope,I enjoy
holdingmymagazine
andreadingit
29%
I wantbothchoices1'm highmaintenance
3%
It doesn'tmatter,
I'm easylikethat
*According
toa
curvemag.com
poll.Go
onlineto vote.
my wife and I have to deal with being seen
as lesbians."
A Community in Transition
I wanted to thank you for your Helen Boyd and Julia Serano
interview (Vol.17 #7]. I appreciated the interview for its
own merits (informed, deep, novel and often-overlooked
perspectives).
I'd known something about CURVE, of course, and I'd itched
to read it. I didn't want to hide in one little trans sub-community
niche, and my wife and I have to deal with being seen as lesbians.
Still, I've felt uncertainty about reading a magazine designated
for lesbians. There's been so much heat and noise online about
the appropriateness of MTF participation in the lesbian community. The thought that I might be committing some sort of
male intrusion or appropriation kept me away.Your article sent
a nice, clear signal that readers like me are genuinely welcome
at CURVE, and that's exactly what I needed.
- Catherine,via e-mail
It meant a lot to me to see your interview of Helen Boyd and
Julia Serano in the September issue. So much so that I am now,
finally, a subscriber. Of course, I'm a big fan of their writings.
But more importantly, seeing that interview in your magazine
told me that your readers are open to hearing what they have
to say. I had thought that would not be the case. I transitioned
from male to female very aware of Janice Raymond's cautions about transsexual lesbian femin,ists like me. But I prefer
to work within the system, and so I have simply avoided any
women's space for fear of being confronted or thrown out. That
was not hard to do when I was married (my spouse of27 years
lovingly stayed with me after transition), but as the memory of
Barbara's 2006 death fades, I find myself wanting to meet other
women. I'm still working through my fear of women's space,
but at least I know I now have a window into it through CURVE,
and that reading CURVE won't make me feel bad about mysel£
- Joanne Herman, Boston,Mass.
Editor's Note: Yay! It's always nice when we do something that
makes other womenfeel welcomeand appreciated.C'mon out!
You Like Me, You Really Like Me
10
Icurve
I was so surprised by the article that your magazine did on my
art (Vol. 17 #7]. Never did I expect a fullpage, wonderful photos
and such flattering words. I am usually fighting, defending, and
explaining my art. I now say nothing and just keep painting.
This felt so good. Candy, my girlfriend, has not seen it yet as
she is on the road, but I have e-mailed it to her, and she was as
excited as I am. It was a nice time for something good to happen.
I am exhibiting in NYC in October, plus I am beginning a new
series of paintings, attempting to land grant money and moving
to Canada. Your profile on me was a very nice pick-me-up.
- Anna-Marie Lopez, via e-mail
Show Me the Money
Greetings! I read where it said that the majority of your readers
earn around $85,000 a year. I've asked, "How can lesbians
earn so much?" I got the reply that many lesbians are very
"industrious" in their occupations, almost sounding like most
are workaholics.
But I don't know if that is true or these are isolated circumstances. Is there an inclination to higher education that leads
to higher income? Is their devotion to the job leading to higher
positions? Do lesbians go into more lucrative businesses? If
that is true, what are the career clusters?
- Berski, via e-mail
Editor's Note: Good questions,Berski. While openly gay women
tend to have higher rates of secondaryeducation, how it affects
theirpaycheckis somethingthat our officefull of workaholicsis still
debating.Ihis issue, though,we talk with dozens of lesbianprofessionals who are passionate about what they do. Hopefully you'll
find as much inspirationfrom their storiesas we do.
Got Something on Your Mind?
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE at Letters, 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to 415-8631609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters may be
edited for clarity and length.
Corrections
You can find more information on The Old Women's Project
and TheEdge of Each Other'sBattles: Ihe Vision of Audre Lorde
at jenniferabod.com. The annual Balloon Fiesta celebrated its
36th year, not 24th year.
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Telling Herstories
Through her art and activism, 27-yea.r-old Monica Since her retirement from the Houston
Enriquez-Enriqu
a queer
ez, Latina filmmaker from
Independent School District, ArdenEversmeyer
Colombia, is building community here in the U.S.
has been leading a life full of stories.
Since 2001, she has produced some powerfully
She's been a Civic Club officer,a Houston Zoo
evocative documentaries about persecution due to
docent, the PFLAG Houston archivist, a founder
gender identity and sexual orientation.
of Lesbians Over Age Fifty, a member of OLOC
After only two yea.rs in the U.S., EnriquezEnriquez (yes, it's a double hyphenate) made A
Journey Home, a nine-minute documentary that
explores the issues of immigration and sexuality; it
received the Best Lesbian Film Award at the 2004
International Latino Film Festival.
"It was the moment when I realized how video-making can be a tool for building community
and contributing to the dialogues and actions that
can foster social change;' she says.
Earlier this year she produced Intimate
Margins/Margenes Intimas, a bilingual video installation that features interviews with three Latina
lesbian immigrants in the Santa Cruz, Cali£, area.
The piece speaks to the issues of forced immigration based on sexual orientation.
Enriquez-Enriquez's work evokes emotions
that serve as a starring point for communicating
resistance to oppression, racism and xenophobia.
In her newest project, Queer Asylum, EnriquezEnriquez interviews people who have applied for,
or who have been granted, asylum to the U.S.
based on gender identity or sexual orientation. It's
not always easy.
"It's almost a given that I would be persecuted
for my sexual orientation in Colombia; however, I
experience discrimination and have to go through
many obstacles in the U.S.;• she says.
If you know of any LGBT activists
or any women who are Out in Front
at work, home or in the community,
please let us know by writing to
curvesoutinfront@hotm~il.com.
12
Icurve
(Old Lesbians Organizing for Change) and a mayoral appointee to the Houston area's Agency on
Aging.
Now she's collecting other lesbians' stories for a
venture called the Herstory Project, sponsored by
OLOC (oloc.org/projects/herstory.html). As she
travels the country for the group, Eversmeyer has
been interviewing women over 70 yea.rs old, collecting their biographies and putting them into an
archival format.
She's gathered the life stories of 93 women
from every imaginable background. Three were
communists, four are ex-nuns and six were in the
military. There are whites, blacks and lesbians of
every religious background, including pagans and
atheists. Fifty-four have college degrees, seven of
whom are Ph.D. holders.
Their va,rieddemographics are only surpassed
by the diversity of their life stories. One woman
left a tenured professorship to sail the South
Pacific with her lover for a decade. Another was
a mountain guide for Ernest Hemingway, while a
third was a horse wrangle'r on Georgia O'Keeffe's
Ghost Ranch.
And there is pain, too. Many of the women
recall the horrors-the police raids, arrests for
cross-dressing, being outed in newspapers, hospitalization for"the cure'' (shock treatment), and, of
course, gay bashings and the loss of jobs and family
that still occur today.
'The sense of urgency never leaves as this generation of amazing women disappears;' Eversmeyer
says."It is important that these women become a
documented part of our history:'
LGBT Kids Pioneer
Since 1991, NormaBowles
has been a pioneer in
helping to reach at-risk youth.
With her L.A.-based Fringe Benefits, an educational theater group, Bowles brings together
homeless LGBT youth and leads them in developing tolerance-promoting theater and performance
art. Through discussion and improvisation, the
youth transformed their experiences of homophobia into powerful plays, including People Who Live
in Glass Houses, Street Dish and Friendly Fire.
'The work was profoundly challenging and rewarding emotionally, intellectually and artistically;'
says Bowles."Together, we created powerful, exciting theater:'
As the group toured high schools on the West
Coast, Bowles continuously heard a demand for a
similar program geared toward elementary-school
children. So she responded with Cootie Shots:
Theatrical Inoculations Against Bigotry for Kids,
Parents and Teachers (cootieshots.org).
Originally published as an anthology of 50
plays, songs, poems and works of art, then rewritten for the stage, Cootie Shots teaches tolerance and
celebrates diversity, presenting role models from
many different races, cultures, genders, sexual
orientations, classes, religions and ages. Over the
years, Cootie Shots has been performed for more
than 50,000 students, and she recently announced
that it will soon be availableon video.
Bowles knows all about the hate firsthand.
"From the time I was a very young girl, right
through my graduation from Princeton University,
I was deathly afraid of people finding out that I was
gay;' says Bowles.''.Allthe put-downs and derogatory jokes I heard on a daily basis directed against
gays and lesbians fostered an environment of fear.
Prejudice and discrimination of this sort affect all
of us. It's important to teach children to be proud
of themselves and to do the right thing by treating
everyone with dignity and respect:'
Curvatures
FatGirls Speak Up and Garner Fans
Dipstick:I agree. When Lipstick and I left FGS, we were
proud to be fat, even though were not. It was a variety show,
of sorts-right from the start a fat girl fashion show, I was
transfixed. Big, bold and sexy women, butch and femme, gay
and straight, were swaggering across the stage in outfits from
fat,positive designers like Diesel Femme Wear, Size Queen
Clothing and Hips and Curves. As the appreciative crowd
cheered and the amateur models amped up their sass and
chutzpah, Lipstick and I went crazy.
"I don't think I knew exactly why I started it until I stood in
the back of the first event, watching the unexpectedly sold,out
crowd screaming at the top of their lungs;' remembers Stacy
Bias, founder of FatGirl Speaks. Ten years ago, when Bias de,
cided she was tired of feeling bad about hersel£ the Queen Diva
of Fat did what all women should do when they're unsatisfied
with their current lot in life: She started a revolution! Bias-a
longtime writer, musician, grassroots organizer and activistrecently rolled out her third celebration of size, self and sexual
orientation in Portland, Ore. The event, which seeks to energize,
empower, uplift and celebrate women of size, drew thousands of
people from all over the country, including staunch (but unfor,
tunately skinny) allies Lipstick & Dipstick.
Lipstick:
It was a fabulous event, and Dipstick and I adore Bias.
And it's not only because she is woman, hear her roar, take her
how she is or go to hell, but also because she is a creative storm
who inspires dcoves of women to stand up and be proud of who
they are.
Lipstick:If only I could get my paws on lingerie as hot as
I saw at the FGS show. Victoria and her little secret have
nothing on the steamy models that strutted their stuff that
night. And the talent at that event! My favorite act (except
for our girl Bias and her band, Fatty & the Ham Slappers)
"All That Jazz:' Instead, they sang'J\11
was a take off on Chicago's
That Flab!"
Dipstick:It was classic and wildly entertaining. If there's one
thing I love, it's women who combine their politics with good
raucous fun. FGS, online at fatgirlspeaks.com, was loaded with
talent. Check out who performed and how to get involved.
Lipstick:After her third annual FGS celebration was behind
her, Bias told us, 'Tve never had a prouder or more joyful mo,
ment in my life than I did standing and sobbing and smiling
at the back of the first FGS, knowing that these brave women
were experiencing true moments of love and appreciation for
their entire being:'
"So, what's it all about?" we asked Bias, our own pompoms
in hand.
"Self,love;' she said. "My own and everyone elses. It's time to
Must-See Theater
Don'tmissSinsInvalid:
An Unshamed
Claimto
Beautyin theFaceof
Invisibility,
a groundbreakingreviewof
embodiment
with
queerandstraight
performance
andvideo
artists,heldNov.2-3 at
SanFrancisco's
Brava
Theater.
Theshowtacklestaboosthatsurround
sexualityanddisability
andpromises
thoughtprovoking
(andexplicit)
content.Ticketsare
$10-$15,andtheshow
is wheelchair
accessible
andASLinterpreted.
For
moreinfo,call510-6498438or sinsinvalid07@
yahoo.com.
Formoreon
SinsInvalid,seecuRVE's
upcoming
theaterissue.
-DAM
stop apologizing:' Rock on, sister! We love you!
CURVATURES
WRITTEN
BY
ElleKaycee,
Colleen
M.Lee,Lipstick
andDipstick,
Katie
Peoples,
Uly-Rygh
GlenandSusan
Hernandez
November 2007
I 13
Lara Muffley
Lara Muffley's prints seem to be of women with beards, men with soft, feminine features and individuals whose sex is impossible to figure out.
Ironically, all this androgyny is in black and white. The art seems to be saying, "People see the world through binaries: black-white, male-female,
good-evil, but look at these faces-the world's more complicated than that:' It comes as no surprise that Muffley titled her show GQ; short for
genderqueer. The exhibition features images of minor celebrities who fall under the definition of"female masculinity;' which is to say they are
women who are not feminine. Using stencils and spray paint, Muffley creates portraits of vaudeville actors, writers, transsexuals, drag kings, artists, musicians, gender abolitionists, gender illusionists, Elvis impersonators and explorers. In effect, she creates a sort of visual hall of fame for
gender revolutionaries like Murray Hill and Judith Halberstam (above).
Featured notables include Isabelle Eberhardt (who in the late 19th century left an aristocratic life in Switzerland to travel through North Africa
dressed as a man), Frida Kahlo (a 20th-century bisexual Mexican painter)
and Maureen Fischer (aka drag king Mo B. Dick) who once said, "Gender
is fluid. It shimmers with ambiguity. It is confusing, not confining. It is
dangerously delicious:'
In 2005, Muffley left her home in Seattle to live with her partner in
Oaxaca, Mexico. There, she started taking photos of graffiti. Since she's
an artist, it didn't take long for her to pick up a can of spray paint and an
X-ACTO knife and use them to explore her other obsession-all things
drag. It evolved from there.
When she's not creating gender-bending art, Muffley takes amazing
photos, often of small, intricate objects: shells, plants, doorknobs. After all,
she's a research scientist by day, using her electron microscope to see ~he
world up close. (genderqueerproject.blogspot.com)
14
Icurve
Curvatures
Break Dancing Is So Gay
Hikida, who works at Communities Against Rape and
Abuse and teaches a free break dancing class for queer youth,
isn't just a patient teacher who looks like a cockroach on speed
when she is dancing-she is also an activist who wanted to
create a class that would facilitate dialogue along the lines of
homophobia, sexism, racism and what she calls "the controlling
images of women and the queer community" within hip,hop.
In short, Hikida's mission is two,fold: first, to teach healthy, em,
powering and exciting forms of movement to as many lesbians
as possible; and second, to foster
inter,hip,hop revolution in
the process:"! needed the queer hip,hop community. I [hadn't]
been able to find it, so I decided to create it mysel£ I wanted to
... participate in hip,hop and also challenge the sexism and ho,
mophobia inherent in the hip,hop community;' she says.
No wonder her students can't stop hugging. - LRG
Do The Turtle
Freeze
JennaHikidademonstratestheTurtleFreeze
in foureasysteps:
an
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If you're one of those people who thinks break dancing went
the way of parachute pants, Flock of Seagulls records and Molly
Ringwald movies, 23,year,old Seattle resident Jenna Hikida
has news for you: Not only is breakin' alive and well, but after
all these years, it's finally come out of the closet.
Hikida, who has been breakin' for over seven years, recently
unleashed Breakin' Out, a series of weekly one,hour break danc,
ing classes for queer b,girl and b,boy fans and wannabes. While
the class is technically open to all queer,identified or queer,allied
people, the students are overwhelmingly young urban females
whose motivation for taking the class runs the gamut from politi,
cal ("Subvert the dominant paradigm of competition and hierar,
chy") to social ("to impress girls on the dance floor") to ridiculous
("I just have huge muthafuckin' balls"). While it would be easy
to typecast her students, Hikida stresses that break dancing is
accessible to people of all ages and body types, even those with
physical disabilities. "One of the things that's special to breakin' is
that you get to learn to be comfortable with your own body move,
ment and create your own style."So it's just like yoga, right?
Not exactly. Breakiri, which originated among blacks and
Latinos in 1970s New York City, is primarily a competitive
dance form in which battles are an essential component. In fact,
Hikida makes a point of teaching her students not just the fun,
damental moves of break dancing itself but battle techniques
in particular, encouraging them to taunt their opponent: "Grab
your cock, grab your titties, shove it in their face" is a favorite
rallying cry. Still, Hikida has to remind her students that it's
not appropriate to "hug the other team;' and there's a serious
sense of camaraderie among her students as they share tricks
they have discovered to make otherwise,impossible,looking
maneuvers attainable.
1. Startby kneelingon
yourleft knee,withyour
rightkneebentandfoot
flat onthefloor.
4.Loweryourheadto the
ground,andlift yourleft
legintothe air.Holdas
longasyoudare!
November 2007
I 15
Curvatures
Are schools gender safe?
for all students at schools across the country;' said
Riki Wilchins, GenderPAC's executive director.
'J\t the same time, GenderPAC urges and expects
that schools still without the protections will
implement policies to ensure that their campuses
are GenderSAFE-supportive,
protective and
equitable for all students, whether or not they fit
expectations for masculinity or femininity:'
networking site
do you like
the most?*
MySpace.com
(It'striedandtrue)
Facebook.com
(It'll makeyouforget
MySpace) A new report from the Gender Public Advocacy Coalition,
14%
None
{Mysocialnetworking
is still softball
andcircuitparties)
10%
dubbed the 2007 GENIUS (Gender Equality National Index
for Universities and Schools) Index, tracks and evaluates the
efforts of colleges, universities and K-12 school districts to prohibit discrimination and promote awareness of gender identity
and expression in their policies. The report analyzes and enumerates nondiscrimination policies, gender-neutral bathrooms,
gender-neutral housing and anti-harassment policies.
The 2007 Index noted an increase in the number of uni-
OurChart.comversities
specifically banning discrimination based on gender
(Alllesbian,
identity or expression: 147 colleges and universities currently
all thetime)
have such policies, as compared to 131 in 2006. More than 100
public K-12 school districts, encompassing thousands of indi2%
vidual schools, have extended similar protections to nearly 3.5
Fabfemme.com
(I lovethe ladies) million children in 23 states.
"We are proud that there are more gender-based protections
2%
Glee.com
(AnLGBTnetwork
for all of us)
1%
The issue of safety, says Wilchins, affects
students of all genders and ages. Supporters say
there's an 'ongoing epidemic of gender-based
prejudice, discrimination and violence:' A recent
GenderPAC survey, of 651 students currently
enrolled at U.S.-based colleges and universities,
found that 30 percent had been harassed or discriminated against on campus, 13 percent had
been harassed for using a restroom and 25 percent
had felt unsafe in campus housing-all because they didn't fit
expectations of masculinity or femininity.
According to GenderPAC's youth program coordinator,
Brittney Hoffman, students across the country have been rallying support on their campuses to get the more inclusive policies
and practices enacted. "We work every day with student activists who are trying to create GenderSAFE campuses;' she says.
"Our GENIUS Action Tool Kit provides student activists with
the resources necessary to organize on their own campuses, and
in their communities, around these issues:'
There are already 63 GenderYOUTH chapters across the
United States, says Hoffman, with "over 300 progressive student and youth leaders working to raise awareness about gender
stereotypes, gender-motivated violence, and gender as a human
rights issue:'
For a full copy of the report, visit gpac.org. - SH
BicycleEnthusiast
Leaves Legacy
Linked
In.com
(I'mmoreof a Fast and Fabulous ride leader, New York City bus
professional driver and bicycle enthusiast Lee Gorman, who
networker) organized the historic NYC rally for the lesbian
grandmothers who biked from San Francisco to
New York, died of a "cardiac event" in late summer
curvemag.com
poll.Go
(fastnfab.org/leegormanmemorial.html). The NYC
onlineto vote.
rally was picked up by all the major news stations
and called attention to its cause: the need for marriage equality. Gorman, was known for her smile, her
encouragement and recycleabicycle.org,her advocacy
site that promotes everyday bicycle use for "positive,
forward-thinking NYC youth:' - CML
* According
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Katherine Heigl
Jennifer Lopez
"I think I look kind of like a boy. I mean, not my body
obviously.">> Scarlett Johansson, to Parade
Latina Activist
Dies of Cancer
Pioneer Latina lesbian activist Yolanda Retter Vargas died of cancer at her home in Los Angeles on Aug. 18, after a short illness.
She was 59. A carpenter, a librarian and a licensed plane mechanic,
Vargas was born in December 1947 in Connecticut to an American
father and Peruvian mother and spent much of her childhood in
El Salvador. At 12, she returned to school in Connecticut, and the
racism she experienced there inspired her activism.
Vargas earned a bachelor's degree in sociology at Pitzer
College in California and became involved in the lesbian movement in Southern California. She earned two master's degrees
a.
9from UCLA: one in library science in 1983 and one in social work
z
0
in 1987. She was a member of the National Conference Planning
Cf)
a:
Committee of Lesbians of Color from 1978 to 1983 and was a
a:
founding member of Lesbianas Latinas in 1980.
w
From 1980 to 1991, Vargas ran the Los Angeles Public
;
Library Chicano Resource Collection. She created the first Latin
Biography database and was a research consultant for exhibits and
films. Vargas also worked as a volunteer in prison and parole proz
.;~ grams of the Gay and Lesbian Community Service Center.
Vargas won numerous awards and honors, including a Lifetime
Achievement Award at the University of Southern California
()
ft Queer Frontiers conference in 1995. She also received a Rainbow
Key Award from the Lesbian and Gay Advisory Board of the West
Hollywood City Council in June 2007 for her contributions and
::i dedication to "making lesbian and Latina lesbian history materials
5
widely available to researchers and the writers who tell our stories:• Vargas leaves behind her partner of 13 years, Leslie Golden
::i Stampler, and Stampler's two children. - KP
"Obviously creative girl producers like Missy Elliott,
Peaches and M.I.A. [are] credited in the press as
only singers, and then whatever guy who was in a
5-meter radius when the recording happened gets
all the production credit, even though it says on the
CD cover credit that they produced it. But I feel it is
changing now. Everybody has computers; everybody is writing music on their computers at home,
including girls." >> Bjork, to metromix.com
"Oh, there's always been the occasion where I run into
a woman and think, Wow, she's really attractive. I'd
do her." >> Katherine Heigl, to the Advocate
"When a girl comes on to you really strong and grabs
you and tries to make out with you, it's not as
strange as when a guy does that. I'm much more
wanting to when it's a really hot chick trying to
kiss me versus anything else." >> Dresden Dolls'
Amanda Palmer, to AfterEllen.com
"I have a butt, I have boobs and I have a woman's
curves ... I hate to look in a magazine and see a
picture of a girl who looks so thin she looks unhappy and as if she just needs someone to give her a
good meal.">> Jennifer Lopez, to British Elle
November 2007
I 17
Curvatures
Lesbofile
In and Out and In-Between
Welcome to the new and not--so--improved celebrity lesbi--flexibility. I By Jocelyn Voo
Whether you're in the closet, out of the closet, or
just constantly getting photographed by paparazzi
toeing the line, we will find you out.
Ann Coulter Is a "Tennis Lesbian"
There's little to say about this one because the title
says it all. During a guest stint on the Stephanie
Miller Radio Show to promote her off-Broadway
play The Sensuous Woman, MargaretChorips conservative AnnCoultera new one. "I just think she's
such a tennis lesbian;' Cho says. "She just looks
like your tennis instructor you have a crush on,
but you can't help it, because you hate her:'
Bye, Bi Angie
Shed a tear, girls: The No. 1 fantasy woman for
men and women alike, Angelina
Jolie,has gone the
straight and narrow-possibly
for good. "I have
never hidden my bisexuality;' she said to France's
Public magazine. "But since I've been with Brad
[Pitt],I abandoned women. Now there is no room
for that or S&M in my life:' Her most notable
long-term female relationship was with model
JennyShimizu,whom she met on the set of Fox.fire
in 1996. However, this mom of four had been exhibiting calmer ways long before she hooked up
with JenniferAniston's
ex. You may be gone now,
Ang, but not forgotten.
Recreational Play
Few would argue that BritneySpearsis not a living, breathing, slow-motion train wreck. However,
OK! magazine is now reporting, with photographic evidence, that the mother of two is also
a "recreational lesbian:' At Los Angeles' Standard
Downtown Hotel, Spears was spotted kissing and
frolicking topless in the pool with another woman,
identified as Shannon Funk, a one-time assistant
to the pop tart. But this wasn't an isolated incident.
Porn stars JennaJameson
and TeraPatrick,as well
as an anonymous former employee, all claim that
Spears likes to dabble in the pink. Considering
the singer's recent track record, including multiple
vag-flashings and physical assaults on paparazzi,
we'd say she's fast approaching the last stop on the
Meltdown Express.
Shed a tear, girls:The No. 1 fantasywoman for men
and women alike,AngelinaJolie,has gone the straight
en
a:
and narrow-possibly for good.
tt
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was spotted dining at Leonor's vegetarian Mexican
restaurant in Los Angeles' Studio City, according
to Janet Charlton's blog. They're "taking turns;'
Some say it was her way of coming out; others
disagree. In the article, a reporter asks about a ring
on Foster's wedding finger.
the couple's first child, Levi, in 2004. Gilbert gave
birth to their second child, a girl named Sawyer,
on August 2.
"This ond It's Tiffany, an eternity ring;' Foster
says. "I don't take it off:' When the reporter asks if
wearing a ring like that on her wedding finger raises questions, Foster responds, "Well, but that's my
life. I thought about this recently: I had a nightmare the other night ... " And then, with minimal
Charlton writes, referring to the fact that the former Roseanne actor's partner, AllisonAdler,had
For All Eternity
Some have speculated that actor Jodie Foster
is hiding in the closet ( Out magazine even went
so far as to list the actor as No. 43 on its list of
Hollywood's most powerful gays). But in a recent
Birthing Equality
When it comes to lesbian mothering, everybody
issue of More magazine, she deftly avoids the subgets a turn. In July, a very pregnant Sara Gilbert ject in a way that lesbian fans are still debating.
1s
I
curve
prodding, Foster launches into a full description
of a nightmare involving, of all things, being accused of anti-Semitism, completely deflecting any
further talk of the suspicious bauble, or of her
sexual preference.
Seriously? An "eternity ring" that she never removes? On her wedding finger? We get it.
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Get Your Geek On
Admit it. You like all the newest shiny gadgets,
but you get tired of the boring spec lists and dude,
heavy drivel. Thankfully, a number of Web sites
She'sa verygeekygirl
I'm not a big fan of pink, but I can look past it
to visit Geeksugar.com. Mixing together how,to
help, reviews and the funky Geek Gear section,
this site serves up a great mix of gadgets and info.
Parent company Sugar Publishing offers other
niche sites, like Buzzsugar.com, which covers en,
tertainment, and the celebrity,focused Popsugar.
com.
Ooh,pretty...
Again, the pink design motif predominates, but
ShinyShiny.tv has a whole section just for Hello
Kitty, so it has a good excuse. Plus, it goes the ex,
tra mile to include, uh, personal electronics in its
Naughty Toys section.
Muchmorethanpop
gather up the things we ladies might like and pres,
ent them without making us feel like silly little girls
(except for their stereotypical pink design moti£ of
course). When you're not whiling away your time
on OurChart.com, pay these pages a visit. - EK
Popgadget.net has info on a broad range of top,
ics, such as lifestyle and technology for women:
categories include body, ecol green and pet gear.
And finally, nothing is pink! Check out their
Deals section for discounts on products, Web
services and more. Techno,moms should also
check out its sister site, Babygadget.net.
TakeAmerica's
favoriteLGBTtravel
guideswithyou!
It's a Boy!
He's the comedian that Margaret Cho can't stop
raving about. The transgender funny man Ian
Harvie has been working his way into the hearts
of lesbians everywhere. So much so, he even has
groupies (CURVE staffers included). He's worked
on some of Cho's latest projects, like music videos
for Garrison Starr and is a regular cast member of
Sensuous Woman. He also joined the likes of Alanis
Morissette and Morgan Freeman; he played God
in the short filmJames Lipton Is Dead.
"Basical y,I just keep saying yes to everything until I
decide it's something that doesn't fit well anymore;'
he says. ''Then I'll say yes to something else:• His
comedy touches on adolescence, family relation,
ships, sexuality and substance abuse. "Some people
(u
see a butch lesbian, some see a trans guy and well,
<(
;;.. some even see a gay guy;' he says. - KP
0
a:
a: See curvemag.com for an exclusive interview with
Cl)
Harvie, and check out our December issue, in which
z
0
0
we gush about other boys we love.
November 2007 j 19
1 The OutFest debut of POWER UP's !tty Bitty Titty Committee brought out (from
left) Jenny Shimizu, Clea Du Vall and director Jamie Babbit 2 LGBT Family Week in
Provincetown, Mass. 3 POWER UP and !tty Bitty at OutFest. Top row, from left: Clea
Du Vall, Guin Turner, Lisa Thrasher,Jamie Babbit, Stacy Codikow, Melanie Diaz, Melanie
Mayron. Bottom row from left: Mav Viola, Rene Santos, Lauren Mollica and Jenny Shimizu
4 Helping Heroes' CEO Michelle Bart, Last Comic Standing's Sabrina Matthews and
GLAAD's Carrie Belin at cuRvE's L.A. bash at the Bel Age hotel 5 Jessica from Logo's Curl
Girls with fans at Girl4Girl Portland Pride 6 Honey Labrador (second from right) and pals
at the CURVEbash in Los Angeles
20
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7 Getting hot at Girl4Girl Seattle Pride (clockwise from top left): God-des, DJ Spinderella,
Miss Chica Boom, She and Jenna Hikida 8 cuRvE's lovely columnists Lipstick and Dipstick
flank comic Suzanne Westenhoeffer at Portland, Ore:s Festival of the Babes 9 Rosie
O'Donnell packs 'em in to the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the Las Vegas kickoff of the
True Colors tour 10 Filmmaker du jour Andrea Meyerson (second from right) with JD
DiSalvatore (far right) and friends at the CURVEbash in L.A. 11 Curl Girls'Jessica (right)
is bringing sexy back 12 This little guy and his moms are enjoying P-town's Family Week
13 Raising money at a P-town auction 14 JD DiSalvatore (left) with Paul Naccachian of
Beyond Vision United and Michelle Bart at the GLAAD Media Awards
November 2007
I21
Advice
Lipstick & Dipstick
The Church Lady Needs Help
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: My buddy "Karen"
is a sweet and loving friend to me and the
whole gang we run around with, but unfortunately, even though she looks like a bull
dyke, she is the most internally homophobic
person I know because of her Christian upbringing. How can we help our friend accept
herself? - Secular in San Jose
Dipstick:
My guess is that Karen enjoys feeling bad
about herself, and she feeds on the sympathy you
give her. I just did a quick search on gaycburch.org
and found 649 gay-friendly churches in California,
25 of those in San Jose. So feeling bad about being gay because of your religion just doesn't cut it
anymore. Times have changed. Everybody knows
that Jesus was a radical, and if he were alive today
he would happily hang out with the drag queens,
butches and peace activists. Tell your friend to
check out a gay-friendly church and get over her
victim complex.
Lipstick:Oh Dip, you need a vacation-all that
pent-up energy is making you narrow-minded and
insensitive. Internalized homophobia lives in all of
us, even you. It's one of those things that creeps up
on us when we're least expecting it, too, like a yeast
infection or an extra 10 pounds.
Dipstick:Or a broken crankshaft. It' in your
engine.
Lipstick:
[shaking her
head)
Internalized
homophobia
manifests itself in many
different ways. It could
be the reason you haven't
come out of the closet: You're ashamed
and think it will hurt your other relationships and/
or your career. It could be why you avoid Gay Pride
or why you don't want to have kids. Regardless of
how it rears its ugly head, internalized homophobia
grows from unresolved issues, those that were conceived at church, at the dinner table or on the evening news. How to get rid of them? Get to the root
of those prejudices (especially ones about yourself)
and unearth them. There's nothing wrong with
being gay-just ask a pastor at one of the queerfriendly churches Dip recommended.
DearLipstick& Dipstick:
I have been with my girlfriend for three year and I love her very much.
She is the only girl I've ever been with. However,
we just moved to Tennessee and have made a few
new friends, one of whom I'm very attracted to.
I would never cheat on my girlfriend, but I feel
guilty for the thoughts that go through my head,
especially when we have sex. I visualize sleeping
with my friend while I'm sleeping with my girlfriend. I know this is wrong but I don't know what
to do about it! - Messed Up in Memphis
Lipstick:I'd be worried if you didn't fantasize!
Don't be so hard on yourself; we all enjoy a good
fantasy. In fact, I had one the other night where I
was getting it on with Hillary Clinton. I've never found her attractive, but my perspective sure
changed when she picked me out of the crowd to
show the world where she stands with the gays.
Believe me, there's no guessing anymore: It's right
between my legs.
Dipstick:Lipstick is right. Crushes are normal,
even if you are in love with someone else. It's
even OK to think about your crush when you're
sexing your partner (as long as you don't tell her
about it). I once had a flurry of fantasies about
my boss dragging me into her office and pressing
me for details about the budget while pressing me
against the wall. There's something about a power
femme in a suit ... but it never happened. That's
the key. Give yourself permission to fantasize.
You're human after all. You can't control your at-
Relationships Advice
Admit Nothing
traction, but you can control your actions. As long
For the sake of maintaining your relationship
How you close the deal
as you're not cheating or leading the other girl on,
and your sanity, you may want to keep your
work and home situations as distant as Lindsay
Common knowledge: More business deals are
we say you're fine. Let go of the guilt!
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I've been in a
long-distance relationship for almost five
years now with a woman I met in a chat
room. She visited me several times and
stayed for over a month each time, even
though she was still married to her husband. She's had relationships with women
before me. Last year, her husband died and
I thought we'd be free, but she's still not
ready to tell the world about our beautiful union. She's my first, and the only one
I will ever love. I know that she loves me as
much as I love her, but she just wants us to
be in the closet forever. What should I do?
- Lonely Asian Girl
Lipstick:Oh lord, you should get your crowbar
0
a)
miniskirt and show more cleavage than Pamela
Anderson. Like it or not, working the double Os
to know in order for you to keep the peace. The
and double Xs is more effective with the Trumps
last thing you need is to upset your sweetheart
about the grindstone to which you're pressing
than corning out of the supply closet like Rosie
0, with power staplers blazing. Keep the seduc,
your nose.
rive tools of your business trade stowed neatly
away at the office and she'll never be the wiser.
Your straightwife
A straight wife is a devoted cu tie who flirts, gossips
and lunches with you from 9 to 5 but is otherwise
completely heterosexual. Once you punch out on
the time clock, you two go your separate ways to
play catch for your own respective teams. There
is no sex, but the flirtation makes the workday
go quickly and can actually spice up your love life
at home. Even so, you'd be wise to withhold the
an Angelina film fest. No matter what you say, she
won't believe that you are not providing hands,on
she has no intention of standing in her truth, no
matter how much you love her, start making plans
service to your straight wife in the cubicle. Better
to file this one under "harmless, but discreet:'
of your own. First on your list, Lonely Girl: come
out for yourself! And it may be a news flash, but
You got a big raise
she's not the only one for you. There are plenty of
other lezbots out there to fall in love with when
The faster you make money, the faster she will
spend it. Historically, this is called dating a worn,
the closet gets the better of you. And trust me, it
will. Staying in the closet is relationship suicide.
an. Sure, she'll be proud of you for getting that
merit raise, but she'll be prouder of the Prada
shoes that she can buy with the cash. Let her
Dipstick:Okay, Lip, now who's being insensitive?
think you're living beyond your means, while your
means are earning interest toward retirement.
some slack, unlike Lipstick. But she is right about
one thing: Five years in the dark is too long. It's
a)
ture on a contract, you might have to slip into a
ing on your spouse. Even so, there are a number
of things your girlfriend doesn't necessarily need
on their way out. There are no permanent passes
left-Hollywood
bought all of those years ago. If
never experienced anything else, I will cut you
o
should be chaste and not a playground for cheat,
news of your platonic fling from your girlfriend,
whose jealousy will rage like Jennifer Aniston at
Asian Girl, life in the closet? Ick! Because you've
0
closed with sugar than with vinegar. Your girl
may not understand that in order to get a signa,
served for military girls only, and women who are
and start prying her out slowly. The closet is re,
0
Lohan from an AA meeting. Your corporate life
-Kate Lacey
"Wheninterrogated,you
shouldanswer,'The
poor,hideousthing.Well,
at leastshe is a whiz at
PowerPoint.'Compare
yourassistantto a yeti,
a wookie ... "
That nest egg will last longer than the golden,
egg,laying goose she has to have. The last place
you want to end up at age 65 is on BrokeDyke
Mountain.
time you brought this relationship out into the
light. The problem is that you can't force your
girlfriend to move faster than she's ready to. She's
Your assistantis hot
probablf mourning her husband, plus she's guilty
about cheating on him while he was alive. Give
As far as your girlfriend is concerned, your as,
sistant resembles Rush Limbaugh. When inter,
the girl a year. Gradually venture out of the closet
on your own and report back to her all that she's
missing. Coming out can be scary-two steps out,
rogated, you should answer, "The poor, hideous
thing. Well, at least she is a whiz at PowerPoinr:'
Compare your assistant to a yeti, a wookie or your
one step back-but
stay steady on your course
and if she can't follow, then you'll eventually be
happier without her, believe me.
mother-any
similarly undesirable beast will
do. If your girl gets a look at your hot assistant,
feign blindness: "I don't see it:' Deny, deny, deny.
Ask us anythingaboutsex, loveor lesbiansat lipstick
dipstick.com.
Playing dumb will get you farther than claiming
you're not interested.
November 2007
I23
Advice
Astro Grrl
For Girls, I Give Thanks
Willyou
find a jewel
among your
trashygal
palsthis
month,
Scorpio?It
depends.
You may
actuallybe
intotrash.
Aries {March 21-April 20)
Sex: A secret lover makes herself known, much to your surprise.
She upends your world. Prepare to go head over heels and back
again. Lucky you, Ram! Career:
November is a good time co travel. Not only does it open up new vistas, it opens up a few other
things as well. You become an open book, with smudge prints.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex: November can bring you coo much of a good thing, sexually.
And yet, can you ever have too much of a good thing, sexually?
Career:You put a great deal of thought and effort into your job
now. Just be sure chat you are well paid for it!
Gemini {May 22-June 21)
Sex: Warm your chesmuts by an open fire chis November. le is
chilly outside but hoc and heavy at home with you-know-who ...
or do you? Career:Surprises on the job can steer you off track,
derailed and headed for a full stop. Not a moment too soon! You
need a change. Brush yourself off and cry again.
Cancer {June 22-July 23)
Sex: You may chink that you are hoc stuff, but check yourself
out in the mirror ... twice! Turn up your heat slowly and simmer.
Career:A bolt of good luck zaps you in your career. Will you be
shocked or electrified? Light up a few new opportunities while
you are ablaze with potential.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex: Don't keep any secrets from her chis November. Lionesses
need to call it as they see it. Are your eyes coo big for your appe-
tite? Good! Career:
Your love life and your career don't mix right
now. But if you wait long enough, they will blend nicely as you
are shaken, stirred and tasted for good measure.
Virgo {Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:Gal pals get you into happy trouble, but partners and wouldbe lovergrrls are not amused. Make everyone happy by planning
your jollies with the whole gang in mind. Career:
You are caught
goofing off on the job again. Maybe it's time to plan for a very
early retirement.
Libra {Sept. 24-0ct. 23)
Sex: There is something charming and charismatic about you this
November. You are turning heads, and that is much better than
causing eyes to roll. Career:
Make your mark in your career early
in the month. Afrer that, your best-laid plans may lay an egg.
Scorpio {Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
24
I
curve
Sagittarius {Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:Admirers talk about you behind your back. They think
you are sexy, deep and constant. Ah, if they only knew the
truth! Career:
They love you at work, but don't let it go to your
head. Sooner or later, every dust bunny you have swept under
the rug comes out. Achoo!
Capricorn {Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Sex: Put more effort into partnerships early this ovember
when others demand your attention. More! More! More! It will
make you yearn for a little alone rime. Career:
It will be hard to
get yourself out from under at work. This is not a bad thing.
Who is she, anyway?
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Sex: If you can put out even a small bit of effort in your lovemaking, it will pay off in big dividends. Take stock of your
bonds this November. Career:Even Aqueerians can come
up with great ideas at work on occasion. The secret is to get
noticed and appreciated by the top guns before you shoot off
your mouth again.
Pisces {Feb. 20-March 20)
Sex:Love and sex seem to be more in your head chis November.
You talk a great game but fail to act. Typical. Career:
Guppies
Sex: Will you find a jewel among your trashy gal pals this month,
are at the top of their corporate form this November and can
Scorpio? It depends. You may actually be into trash. Career: do no wrong. Make hay while the sun shines, whatever that
Business travel will bring its rewards. Then you can rest on your
laurels and slack off on the job. Long lunch, anyone?
For more advicefrom the stars, visit thestarryeye.com.
Fairy Butch
Advice
Am I Too Vanilla?
Dear Fairy Butch: Thank you for helping us queer folk
out with your words of wisdom. OK, so my dilemma
is, I am a 25-year-old femme lesbian of color who
considers herself fairly enlightened about matters of
gender and sexuality. So here's my issue. After beating myself up when first coming out and trying to be
a monodyke, I am now cool with the fact that I'm a
femme in the "old school" sense-in that the kind of
partners that I desire are butches or (trans) bois. I've
been in a few long-term relationships and realize that
for me, two things are true. First of all, I am not capable of having one-night stands. I must have some
emotional involvement with my partner to feel healthy
upstairs. Secondly, sex to me is just an added bonus
in life. I'm not saying I'm not a sexual being because I
do have needs and enjoy sex, I just don't have the sex
drive of my queer gal contemporaries. Also, I guess
I'm a bit of a vanilla bore when
it comes to sex. I'm willing to
explore, but don't feel the need
to add a huge list of things to
my sexual resume. I mean, recently I experienced my part-
just don't have the sex drive of my queer gal contemporaries."
That said, sex can be a pretty fabulous part of life, and it
sounds like you may possibly hold out hope for something a
bit more earth-shattering than you have experienced. You've
identified yourself as a butch- and tranny-desiring femme, and
there's a lot of potential heat to be mined in such a coupling. You
used the word "desire" and that's what makes me want to push
you further to explore your potential for fireworks. Perhaps perusing the erotic fiction section at the local bookstore will help
you focus that desire. Also, sex classes on various topics might
go far in helping you locate your sexual interests.
Likewise, my dear, it is possible that you just haven't met the
partner with whom you're going to have explosive sex, and you
I
I
a.
Dear Fairy Butch: I love the advice you give. My
question is this: My parents are very religious, and
I was also raised attending church. They find homosexuality immoral. Just recently, they found out
about me being a lesbian, even though I am totally out to everyone else. Ever since, my father has
treated me differently. He either won't talk to me
or just acts really strange. My mother, on the other
hand, is very supportive, and he's upset at her for
supporting me. I hate confrontations. How should
not a sexual being because I do have needs and enjoy sex, I
DearPrude:Sugar plum, the Lesbian Nation accommodates
women of varying sex drives, so you needn't chastise yourself
or call yourself a"prude" or a"vanilla bore" when taking account
of the sexual territory you've staked out for yourself. And to
that end, I don't think that your situation merits the diagnosis
"unhealthy" either. The question is, how well do your proclivities serve you and the partners you've chosen for yourself?
0
come and so will you.
"Sex to me is just an added bonus in life. I'm not saying I'm
ner packing for the first time, if
you know what I mean. It was nice, but it didn't make
me want to shout from the rooftops. Am I a prude? Is
this completely unhealthy? Or have I just not found
the right partner with whom I can jell to make all this
work out? Help! - Prude in Pittsburgh?
()
....J
So please don't worry about
pathologizing yourself or characterizing yourself as a prude because sex isn't the be-all and end-all
for you. Don't worry, cupcake, it'll
don't need to give it up on the first date to find out what kind of
chemistry you're going to have. Even without sex, you can usually discern whether there's a spark between you and your date.
I go about handling this situation? Most of the time
I'm never home, because I try to stay out of his way.
Thanks so much, cutie. - Raised Religious in Racine
DearReligious:
I'm glad to hear about your mom, sweetheart! One supportive parent is one more than a lot of us folks
get dealt in our homosexual poker hands. As for your dadhon, he's going to take some time and, if you're up to it, some
intervention. You don't mention your religious orientation,
but many faiths these days have some representation in the
queer community. There are groups you can join and books
you can read to find places where people have come together
to create a positive coexistence between their faith and their
queerness.
It would be great for you to meet folks who can share their
experiences and help you to prepare for a future chat with
your father. It's not that you have to prepare a PowerPoint
presentation, but you would do well to be sufficiently
equipped when engaging him in a (nonconfrontational) conversation about your life. I found an amazing resource online
that directs members of numerous faiths to support groups
and materials. Whether you're Lutheran, Jehovah's Witness,
Messianic or Catholic, you'll find what you're looking for at
the Gay Religion resource page at hirr.hartsem.edu/ gayreligion/ resource.htm. Be patient and understanding, and if you
can possibly get him to attend a Parents, Family and Friends
of Lesbians and Gays meeting, so much the better.
Have a sexuality or romancequery, e-mailJb@Jairybutch.com.
November 2007
I 25
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
Are Your Habits Habit-Forming:
Routine behavior sometimes takes you farther than you'd think.
Everybody thinks they were better-looking than they really were when they
were young, even butt-ugly people. I suppose, then, that I am just one of the
many that thumb through the old photo album and wonder where that tan,
lithe, vivacious party gal went. Life was all about swim-up bars and muff diving 'round the world. (The soundtrack to American Gigoloshould be playing
in your head as you read this.)
I am not sure how I afforded the life I recall, particularly since I made
less than $20,000 a year as a waitress, but that is how I remember it, anyway.
How did I get from there to here:' If only I could remember ...
I spent years out on the town. I once racked up a 1,098-day streak of going out to the clubs. I have the diary to prove it, although much of the writing
is illegible and/ or gibberish.
No day was sacred, not Christmas, not Yorn Kippur-not even getting
dumped could keep me out of the dyke bars and fag bars (and straight bars,
ifl was trawling for closet cases). I would get up at noon and go to work at
five and then come home, shower, and go right out to the bars to shake my
tail feathers until closing time. Then it was either a lace-night bite or a latenight lick, depending on how the clubbing had gone. I do remember having a
menu in my hands more often than
a stranger's underwear, but that
didn't stop me from trying.
People used to ask me if I ever
got sick of going out with my friends
and dancing. Nope, I never did. I
loved the excitement, the lights, the
music and even the drama. Since I
haven't been to the bars in centuries,
now folks ask me if I miss going out
every night. Nope.
Nothing bad happened the last
time I went out. Actually, something bad may have happened, but
whatever happened that night, it
wasn't memorable. I didn't find
Jesus or abandon the Blue Nun. I
didn't decide chat I was never going
out again. I just never did.
Quitting smoking, on the other
hand, was a conscious decision.
People tell me that I am much better off as a nonsmoker. I suppose
they are right, although the prospect of going through life without
a cigarette still gives me a fright. I
haven't had so much as a puff since
2001, although I have been known
to invade a smoker's personal space
so that I might enjoy a good inhale.
The first three days were the worst,
but day four through right now is
26
I
curve
just about the same-f-ing hard. I still can't believe that I quit. I never turned
into one of those militant nonsmokers who start coughing and complaining
when they're in the same county with a lit cigarette. Not a day goes by when I
don't think about how great it would be to have one ... or 40. I haven't given
in yet. It isn't willpower that keeps me going-it is my habitual nature. I am
used to not smoking now, so if I started, I would have to rearrange my life all
over again.
My wife has never seen me smoke, so I would have to explain to her that
smoking is just another one of those quirky things that she has grown to love
about me. Cancer caused by exposure to secondhand smoke is a steep price
to pay for putting up with a quirk, but my girl is a pretty good sport, so she
might be OK with it.
I could not hold my liquor, but I didn't let that stop me.
I wasn't just a lampshade drunk-I was a lamp.
For some people, waking up in their own vomit is the end of their drinking career, but to me, it was just the worst meal of the day.
I didn't get tipsy or buzzed; I got fallin'-down, stinkin' drunk. Anything
worth doing is worth doing to excess.
Many were the days when I
couldn't get out of bed for the weight
of the shame, as the events of the
night before began to tumble into
my consciousness. The blackouts
were the best, until one of my helpful friends called me up and filled my
blissful blanks with searing bits of
humiliation.
The very first time I drank
(Mickey's malt liquor in the widemouth bottles), I drank way too
much and barfed.
The last time I drank-vodka,
wine, some orange cough syrup-tasting scuff-I drank too much and
barfed.
The fact that those two events
were a couple of decades apart means
that something about boozing it up
is pretty appealing to me.
Hangovers never curbed my
thirst. I knew from thousands of bad
mornings that by lunchtime I would
forget all about it, and by dinnertime
I would be doing it all over again.
I haven't been drunk in a long
time. The last time was at my nephew's fourth birthday party. Nothing
makes a preschooler's party swing
like a drunk dyke singing disco songs
and doing impressions of other
relatives ... in front of them. Sounds pretty bad, but on my 10-point scale of
alcohol-induced shameful activities it barely rated a four.
The movie of my life, during the liquor years, would have been called Bar
(fruit)Fly.I fell down embankments, peed in public, broke furniture-well, I
was quite the mess.
I dunno why I haven't been drunk in years. Maybe my liver laid down the
law to my brain. Or maybe I was just too lazy or broke one night to go out and
buy a bottle. Perhaps I just forgot to get drunk one night. And then a night
turned into a week and a week turned into a year, and now it seems like I'm
a bloody schoolmarm.
I exercise when I can, but exercise does not come naturally to me. When
we were little, my kid sister used to ask me to jump rope with her when she
was bored so that she could laugh at my uncoordinated fl.ailing,which left
me tangled up and rolling around on the ground like a lassoed calf. By the
time I entered high school, I had failed in soccer, cross country, basketball
and softball. When I was 17, I finally discovered something I could do: lift
weights. And when I was too broke to find some iron to push, I just walked
around town until I found someplace worth stopping. I have been pumping
and wandering ever since because I can't do anything else.
I loved the sun. I used to work nights just so I could maximize my sun time
and be the tannest of the tan. Mirror, mirror on the wall, who was the darkest of them all? My dermatologist warned me about the dangers of the sun,
but I just assumed that her pale ass was jealous. Then one day, my boss said
I'd better start showing up for work in the mornings instead of the evenings.
Within a few months, my tan had faded until I was as white as my grousing
dermatologist, and by then it seemed like it was just too much trouble to try
and find enough sun to get brown again.
I don't know how I got into a stable, loving relationship. I had just gotten
out of another one of my inappropriate situations and resigned myself to a
life of more of the same when I met her.
She could just as easily have turned out to be a loon or a sad sack instead
of my dream girl.
More than one dyke has asked me how I did it. Chloroform and a rag is
what I tell them.
I don't know why this relationship worked out. I didn't do anything different the last 30 times. My material hasn't improved. I didn't win the lottery or
get therapy or cosmetic surgery (but all of those things are on my to-do list).
I wish I could give everybody who asks me for it the secret to my happiness,
but I can't because I was just plain lucky.
What a shock it is to read this about myself and know that I am a teetotaling, nonsmoking, pale, iron-pumping, happily married woman. And I still
haven't figured out how I got here.
I never meant to do any of it.
I didn't settle down. I haven't matured. I just picked up some new
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November 2007
I27
Politics
VictoriaA. Brownworth
Bad Girls Wanted
The recent gang of party chicks exposes a well-known double standard.
So there I was, watching Lindsay Lohan get arrested for the fifth time in as
many months and then return to rehab. This was after Britney Spears got
out of rehab and after Paris Hilton got out of jail and after Winona Ryder
appeared on the cover of Vogueand said in her interview that stealing wasn't a
big deal, and after Lil' Kim got released from prison, but before ...
It's hard to keep track of the Bad Girls. The Bad Girls are the hottest
infotainment trend and we simply cannot get enough of them.
I was a Bad Girl in my 20s, too, but I wasn't a Hollywood Bad Girl. I was
never rich, and I never liked Hollywood when I was working there. I was also
never arrested on a DUI, never drove the wrong way down any freeway, never
had a cocaine or alcohol addiction and never got arrested for driving with a
suspended license. And while I did at one time have a reputation for stripping at parties and flipping up my skirts to reveal no panties, like some of the
current Bad Girl crop, I never did this for the paparazzi, just for my coterie
of lesbian friends.
I would add that while being a Bad Girl did take up a considerable amount
of my time, it was not my career. This, too, would distinguish me from the re-
28
Icurve
cent Bad Girls, many of whom seem to have no career but Bad Girl.
Ostensibly, these women are actors or singers, but they act more like girls
that just hang out, get drunk or high, then get into a car and drive off to their
next DUI. (Or, in as Winona Ryder's case, shoplift a few thousand dollars'
worth of merchandise that she could easily afford to pay for, or in Lil' Kim's
case, get busted for lying about a gangsta rap shooting.)
So why would any girl choose a career as a Bad Girl?
Well, speaking from past experience, being a Bad Girl can be fun. It's a
party all the time. Very little day and lots of night. Music, alcohol and lots of
dancing, with and without clothes. There are lots of women (if you're alesbian) and lots of men (if you aren't). There's lots of sex of all sorts, but mostly I
of the unremembered kind. And Bad Girls say whatever they want. Bad Girls
are outrageous.
Being a Bad Girl should only ever be a part-time job, as it was for me,
rather than a full-time career. I don't recommend the Bad Girl career move.
There are big problems with choosing Bad Girl as your career. First, being
a Bad Girl can tum, well, bad. Depending on the "bad" you choose, you can
get in a lot of trouble. Danger stalks Bad Girls. Even if
you really want to be a Bad Girl only part time, you could
completely ruin your chances at whatever it is you wanted
to do full time, if your Bad Girl rep goes global.
Another downside to being a Bad Girl is that Bad Girl
behavior doesn't age well. Bad Girls who cruise into their
30s still thinking they can be the Bad Girl generally end up
in a bad place. Think Marilyn Monroe and Anna Nicole
Smith. Or Courtney Love-still alive, but what a mess.
And yet, even though it's a terrible career choice, not
only do girls keep choosing the Bad Girl life, but people
continue to be fascinated by them. They also really like to
hate Bad Girls.
When Paris Hilton went to prison, everybody cheered.
People like to live vicariously through Bad Girls, but they
also like to see them get caught. Our love affair with
Bad Girls is short-lived and complicated; very Carson
McCullers and Somerset Maugham.
Perhaps it's because Bad Girl appears on my own resume, but I never did understand why Paris Hilton went
to prison, whether it was for four days or four weeks. How
many people go to jail for driving with a suspended license
or for a DUI? And in Hollywood, no less. Anyone remember seeing Mel Gibson in jail? What about Billy Baldwin?
And when was the last time you saw someone go to
prison for perjury? Lil' Kim did. But Scooter Libby didn't.
Whyr Martha Stewart went to prison for fraud, but Ken
Lay didn't-he died of a heart attack while skiing.
One of the perils of being a Bad Girl is the double
standard. That's another reason not to take that career
path. Think about it: Paris Hilton spent more time in jail
for drunk driving than O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake did
for killing their wives. (I know, Simpson and Blake were
acquitted, which just proves how bad Hilton's attorney was.)
The real reason no chick should choose Bad
Girl for a career, however, is because when it comes
anger is considered a leadership quality for men
on the job. In women, however, it is considered a
sign of weakness and hysteria. Thus, Dick Cheney
can shoot a man in the face and end up with an
"Morethan anything,it seemsto demean [Hilton
and Lohan].But I alsodon't thinkthey shouldbe
singledout for doingwhat Bad Boyshavedone for
eonswith narya blinkof a falseeyelash."
to glass ceilings, the sky's the limit on what Bad
Girls can do, but the penalties are huge. After all,
Bad Girl is what other people call you, not what
you call yourself
That means almost any woman can become a
Bad Girl just because someone else says she is, or
because she says or does something only men are
allowed to do.
My guess is that Hillary Clinton never danced
on a tabletop showing her Brazilian to the crowd,
but she got branded as a Bad Girl nevertheless
because she did the political equivalent of flash-
apology from his victim; Bush can scream and yell
at reporters and still retain a hefty approval rating
among his base. But if Clinton raises her voice, the
press can't mouth the word "shrill" fast enough.
I don't approve of the bad behavior that Hilton
and Lohan and the other Bad Girls have been exhibiting. More than anything, it seems to demean
them. But I also don't think they should be singled
out for doing what Bad Boys have done for eons
with nary a blink of a false eyelash.
In 2007, women should be able to do whatever
they want without facing repercussions men don't
ing her pudendum to the audience: She decided
to play the boys' game like they did, instead oflike
a girl.
Clinton's a political Bad Girl. Being one doesn't
land you in jail, but it can land you on the conservatives 10 most wanted list. Remember Jane
Fonda? Barbarella got branded for life as the Bad
Girl-Hanoi
Jane. Mitt Romney even referred
to her during a debate recently because, 35 years
later, her name still draws ire from the Right.
Being a Bad Girl is about not following the
rules. There are, for example, plenty of Bad Boys
in Hollywood, boys who make K-Fed look wholesome. But they don't get the headlines that the
Bad Girls d.9 because being a Bad Boy is considered sexy. Boys can be bad for decades. Even Mel
Gibson was able to shrug off his anti-Semitic
tirade with a week in rehab and then go back to
being the hunky leading man.
In politics, as in Hollywood, a double standard applies to "bad" behavior. Men can say what
they want, however they want. George Bush has
been angry throughout his tenure as president.
He snaps at reporters and Congresspeople alike.
But then, as a study released in August showed,
have to face. With choice comes responsibility, of
course. No one advocates drunk driving. But if we
punish the girls, why not the boys?
In another year, Hillary Clinton could be
elected president. But until then, the Bad Girl litany will repeat in the media and there will be more
written and said about her tone and her manner
than the substance of her words.
I'd like to take the spotlight off the Bad Girls
and shine it on the Bad Boys. Take it off Clinton
and shine it on Bush and Cheney. Off Lohan,
Hilton and Spears and onto the many boys behaving badly. I'd like to see the word "antics" applied
to men for a while, instead of to women when it
regards their personal or political behavior.
A century ago, if a woman showed an ankle
or spoke without being spoken to, she was a
Bad Girl. The clothes-or lack of them-may
have changed, but the attitudes remain the same.
When women do what men have always done
with impunity, they are branded for life. As long as
that double standard prevails, women will not be
equal-being a Bad Girl won't be a career choice
as much as another version of Hester Prynne's
scarlet letter.
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November 2007
I29
30
Icurve
Specs ahoy (clockwise from top left): Writer Asiana Ponciano is posh in turquoise tan stripe 'Hicks.' Superfreak! star Shawn is smashing
in blue to purple 'Topkapis.' Asiana rocks the red chili 'Surenot' specs. Artist Nicole Robbins is quirky cool in black and white 'Junebugs.'
Shawn is blue green with envy in 'Chavo.' Opposite page: Asiana beams in grape-butter split 'Crewcut' frames (left), while Shawn is all
smiles in orange-berry split 'Sawtelle.' All frames designed by Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds and courtesy of I.a. Eyeworks.
November 2007
I31
READY TO GO GREEN?
Here's an easy how-to guide. By VictoriaA. Brownworth
RECYCLE EVERYTHING
Green is the new black. It's everywhere. Suddenly,
it's tres chic to be green, and everyone is falling all
There are things that never biodegrade. Plastic is
over themselves trying to obliterate as many car,
one of them. Most municipalities recycle cans, glass
bon footprints as possible. Any celebrity worth
and paper. Be sure you always recycle these items.
Many municipalities do not recycle plastic, even
her Botox has jumped on the green bandwagon.
But thinking green and going green are very differ,
though this is the most important item to recycle.
ent things. We all want to, but as Kermit the Frog
Find out where you can recycle plastics in your area
said so profoundly, it's not easy being green.
and start collecting them for recycling. Once you
see all the bottles, jars and other containers you've
The first step toward going green is thinking
green. This means thinking about what you waste.
Think about it a lot, because the United States is
been tossing, you'll be glad you did.
Never throw away fabric, clothes or shoes.
the most wasteful nation on earth. Here are some
TU RN OFF THE TAP
other easy steps you can take to get there now.
Everyone talks about the importance of oil in the
world, but the most important commodity on the
planet is water. More than two,thirds of people
Like plastic, these things do not biodegrade. You
can deposit all old fabric, clothing and shoes in
Planet Aid boxes, which are now in 19 states
(PlanetAid.org). What can't be reused in its cur,
on earth don't have access to clean, potable water.
rent state gets shredded for reuse. If there are no
Americans do, and as a consequence we tend to
Planet Aid boxes in your area, check out one of
waste it. When you don't have to carry it five miles
on your head in the broiling sun, you don't think
the many clothing exchanges around the country
or visit Lime.com, which will tell you how to re,
about where it comes from or how much of it you
cycle any product.
use. Yet thousands of people are dying every day
from a lack of clean water.
Begin by turning off the tap. Don't run water
when you aren't using it, like when you are brush,
ing your teeth or washing dishes. Two gallons of
water comes out of the tap every minute.
Turn off the water when you are showering.
The average shower uses two to five gallons of wa,
CUT BACK ON PAPER
Sheryl Crow got a lot of crap for suggesting we all
use only one square of toilet paper. Oprah balked
at the five,minute shower limit. Cameron Diaz
got the water industry in a tizzy for saying we
should stop using bottled water. Yet wasting water
and paper are two of the most damaging things we
do in the developed world.
One square of toilet paper isn't realistic most
of the time. But four squares is very doable. Cut
back on the toilet paper. You'll save money, trees
and energy. Speaking of toilet paper, use recycled
paper products whenever possible. Trader Joe's
and other local and national chain stores carry
them. Check the label for the little green recycled
products insignia. If the store where you shop
doesn't carry recycled paper products, ask them
why not. If enough people do this, the store will
start carrying them.
32
Icurve
ter per minute. Get wet, soap up, turn the water
off, scrub, turn the water back on and rinse off. It's
incredibly easy and will save more than 20,50 gal,
Ions of water, since the average person spends at
least 10 minutes in the shower.
Don't run the dishwasher unless it's full. Don't
run the washing machine unless it's full. The aver,
age dishwasher and washing machine use between
15 and 41 gallons of water per cycle, respectively.
Bottled water is convenient and we love it. I
know there is a landfill out there with my name
on it filled with Evian bottles. I'm not sure how
long I will have to spend in purgatory for that
crime against nature, but I am breaking myself of
the habit.
Get a water filter for your tap and some refill,
POWER DOWN
able bottles, so you can carry filtered tap water just
the way you carry bottled water now. The financial
savings alone will stun you, and you can feel good
about eliminating yet another wasteful action in
How much energy do you use? Most of us are
emitting more carbons than a Hummer, just from
what we do in our own homes. Begin by turning
things off. We use electricity without even know,
your life.
ing it. All those appliances not in use? Turn them
SUSTAINAB LE
NOOKY?
Sex toys have gone green.
By Kristin A. Smith and
Sarah E. Brown
off and unplug chem. Anything chat is plugged into
an electrical outlet, even if it is turned off, is using
electricity. So: unplug the computer, microwave,
coffee maker, DVD player and CD player when
you aren't using chem. These are called "vampire"
If you think they're too weird, don't look at
them. Just put them in and forget about them.
And since they last an average of five years, you
can readily forget chem-at huge savings in cash
appliances. Bending over to plug chem back in is
the kind of energy you should be expending.
Speaking of expending energy, one of the ways
we most waste energy in the United States is with
The light they cast is different, and the bulbs
themselves have to warm up. It'll be dim for a few
seconds before the heat hits the core of the bulb.
But don't let the word "fluorescent" scare you:
Although you may have thought sex was only
about meeting the demands of your woman,
these days when you hop in the sack you have
to consider the needs of the environment, too.
our lighcbulbs. Walk, don't drive, to get new lightbulbs for all your fixtures. When a lightbulb burns
These bulbs don't cast chat awful bright-white
light you associate with old-time office buildings. It's a warm glow, just not quite as bright as
Want to make both bedfellows happy? Check
out these ecofriendly, sustainable products and
realize just how good sustainable sex can be.
and energy.
an incandescent. While incandescents are going
the way of the eighMrack tape, these bulbs are the
wave of the future. Change your bulbs now and
save more energy.
THINK
ABOUT THE NOSH
Most people don't chink about food when they
talk about greening the planet, but food is a big
energy consumer. Buy locally whenever possible.
Most cheeses and other dairy products are made
in the United States, as is most soy, so those are
easy. Try to get locally grown fresh fruits, vegetables and grains. The less the travel time for your
products, the lighter the carbon footprint.
A DIFFERENT TYPE OF RUBBER
Leatherless and made from
100 percent recycled rubber, In Her Tube's 100
percent organic harnesses come in such a
variety of styles and cuts
chat one will surely suit your
style of strapping it on. After your
amorous activities, make sure you don't
leave your harness in the sun or around
to manufacturers, these ba.pets-according
bies "melt under extreme heat and make excellent chew toys:' (inhertube.com)
GET GOING
out, replace the old incandescent one with a new
compact fluorescent. Hate how they look? Well,
they are being made in all kinds of shapes now, not
just the wild squiggly ones. Every household chat
replaces these bulbs takes the equivalent of 1,000
cars off the road.
w
::J
....J
3:
Whenever possible, walk or bicycle, don't drive.
Not only will this keep you more fit, but it will
also save the planet. The bottom line on going
green is to be conscious of what you use, where it
comes from and where it goes when you are done
with it. Few of us have ever had these thoughts because we didn't know we had to change; but now
we know we must. Going green can't hurt you or
anyone else. But not doing it can kill us all.
To calculate your emissions, visit epa.gov
ECOEROTIC TOYS
There's nothing better than a good sex coy,but
there may be hidden dangers in your favorite
vibe. Many are made from PVC, notoriously
toxic to you and the environment. Before your
next purchase, learn the safe words: 100 percent silicon, glass, medical-grade surgical steel
and ceramic. (badvibes.com)
THE MOIST MAKER
Sensua Organic's chemical-free, water-based lubes are certified organic,
don't stain and use a special formula
designed to "allow for continuous
of lesbianspreferto pay morefor
productsfroma sociallyresponsible
companythanto savemoneyby
company.
buyingfroma sociallyirresponsible
rehydration, using the body's own
moisture:' Indulge in light, natural-tasting flavors like Peach and
Luscious Flower Libido or opt for
the tasteless, odorless Unflavored.
*Aceo,dlng to 8 2008 CURVEsurvey
( ripnroll.com/ sensua.htm)
November 2007
I33
UNDERSTANDING ECOADVENTURES
Yes, you can enjoy the environment and protect it at the same time. By Jodi Helmer
schedules up to 50 trips per year throughout Canada.
"The male model of survival-of-the-fittest is such a turnoff;'
notes Beth Mairs, owner of Wild Women Expeditions."On our
trips, we focus on the idea that adventure travel is about community, about women helping and supporting other women.
The women who choose ecoadventures want to do more than
soak up the sun and the tequila. These are women who are
seeking out an adventure that is unpredictable and exciting,
and they want to share their experiences with a group of other
women:'
Planning a green vacation is easier than ever: Pack a picnic
lunch of farm-fresh fruit to eat beneath the Eiffel Tower, ride
the streetcar in San Francisco instead of renting a car, and leave
no trace during a camping trip in Colorado. Need more suggestions for an ecoadventure? Check out these popular options.
Trekking through the jungles of Borneo, snorkeling off the
coast of the Galapagos Islands and paddling a canoe down the
Amazon River are popular trips for ecoconscious adventureseekers. Planning a trip that combines adventurous activities
with a commitment to protecting the environment does not
have to mean spending a week in the middle of nowhere, slathering on mosquito repellant and noshing on foraged berries. In
fact, as ecotourism has become more popular, the options have
grown to include big cities and small villages, accommodations
ranging from primitive ecolodges to luxurious five-star hotels,
and world-class sights as well as off-the-beaten-path attractions.
Ecotourism involves conserving the environment and improving the welfare of local
communities while you travel. The trend, also
known as sustainable travel or green vacations,
has surged over the past decade. According to
the Adventure Travel Trade Association, in
2006 research found that women make up the
largest group of ecotourists and are responsible for the growing demand in adventure
activities.
To meet these needs, an increasing number of outfitters are offering trips catering
to women, and several have begun scheduling trips for queer female travelers. Ontario,
34
Icurve
Canada-based Wild Women Expeditions
began offering LesBi trips in 1991 and now
RAISE HELL ON WHEELS
Break a sweat on some of the hottest-and
hardest-mountain bike trails in the United States. Marquette, Mich., is part of
a 384-mile stretch of land that makes up the Upper Peninsula,
or the U.P.,which lies along the shores of Lake Superior and is
dotted with sandstone cliffs, thundering waterfalls and acres of
pristine wilderness.
Bike magazine named Marquette one of Americas Top Five
Mountain Biking Towns, and the combination of rugged trails
and paved bike paths helps it live up to its reputation.
"We have great terrain for mountain biking that is quite
technical;' notes Susan Brian, a former pro mountain biker
and the executive director of the Noquemanon Trail Network.
"There is such a beautiful and vast wilderness that surrounds
Marquette and it is known for having some premier trails:'
There are several bike trails that run straight through
Marquette. A 12~mile paved trail runs along the shores of Lake
Superior, past boating marinas and docks to 328~acre Presque
Isle Park, with its gorgeous views of downtown Marquette. A
section of the North Country Trail, which stretches from New
York to North Dakota, also runs right through Marquette.
Experienced mountain bikers and adventure~seekers can
travel a few miles outside of Marquette where pine trees and
rushing streams replace brick buildings and asphalt streets. A
series of trails cuts through the wilderness with runs that chal~
lenge even the most experienced mountain bikers. One of the
best is a trail on Grand Island's National Recreation Area, 40
miles off of the coast of Marquette; it was designed for expert
riders and is reputed to be the best place in the U.P. for moun~
tain biking.
TAKE A HIKE
North Carolina is one of the most geographically diverse states
in the nation. Its scenery ranges from sand dunes and coastal
plains in the east to rolling hills and mountains in the west.
The hiking trails in North Carolina are as diverse as the state
itself: There are short urban hikes in cities like Charlotte and
Raleigh~Durham as well as an extensive network of challenging
trails in the mountains and along the coast.
There are 750 hiking trails totaling more than 2,500 miles
scattered throughout the Tar Heel State. The most popular
trails are located in the mountains. A narrow corner of the state
is home to thousands of acres of wilderness, numerous national
parks and the Nantahala and Pisgah national forests. One of
the most challenging hikes leads to the top of Mount Mitchell,
which at 6,684 feet is the tallest mountain in North Carolina
and the highest peak east of the Mississippi. It is a strenuous
11.S~mile hike to the summit, but the spectacular views are
worth the climb.
PADDLE FOR PLEASURE
Getting up close to otters and harbor seals is as simple as hopping
in a kayak and gliding across the water in the San Juan Islands.
The San Juan Islands are off the coast of Washington state and
offer spectacular views of Mount Baker and the Cascades. The
islands are sheltered from the swells of the Pacific Ocean, mak~
ing them one of the best paddling destinations in the United
States.
Admire orcas frolicking in the waves and watch bald eagles
soaring overhead on a morning paddle, or go our in the evening
for a sunset paddle and spend hours stargazing from the wa~
ter. The waters off the shores of the San Juan Islands are calm
enough for beginners but offer enough of a challenge for experi~
enced paddlers. Dozens of outfitters like Adventure Associates
GET PACKING, LADY
Everything you need to know to plan an ecofriendly vacation
A bit of research and some advanced planning make taking a green
vacation easier than ever. Follow these tips to plan a vacation with the
environment in mind:
FIND GREEN ACCOMMODATIONS
The Green Hotels Association (greenhotels.com) maintains a listing of
hotels, motels and inns that are committed to the environment. Their
accommodations have implemented policies ranging from using nontoxic cleaners to saving water and reducing solid waste.
A few hotels in Canada and the United States are rated according to
the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program (greenhotelsonline.com).
The program ranks properties on their environmental policies, giving
them a grade ranging from one to five leaves. Right now, there is just
one five-leaf hotel, the solar-powered Aurum Lodge in Alberta.
Hotel chains like La Quinta Inns, Marriott and the Hyatt let guests
decide how often to have their sheets and towels changed. Conserve
water by requesting fewer linen changes during your vacation.
TAKE ADVANTAGE
OF ECOFRIENDLY TRANSPORTATION
OPTIONS
Delta, Continental and Scandinavian Airlines have launched carbonoffset programs. For a small fee ($5.50 for a domestic flight and $11
for an international trip on Continental), passengers can support the
airline's programs to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Renting a car on vacation? EV Rental Cars·(evrental.com) has fleets
of hybrid vehicles in Las Vegas, Phoenix and several California locations. The Better World Club (betterworldclub.com) is an organization like AAA that offers nationwide roadside assistance as well as
discounts for renting hybrid and electric cars. The organization also
offers a roadside bicycle assistance program-the first of its kind in the
United States.
THINK
LOCAL
Instead of booking all-inclusive packages through multinational tour
providers, book tours through local tourism companies, stay in locally
owned hotels and eat at mom-and-pop eateries instead of large chain
restaurants.
Responsible Travel (responsibletravel.com) offers an extensive database of tour companies and accommodations worldwide. Listings are
divided into categories-locations,
types of activities and last-minute
getaways-to make it simple to find an ecofriendly tour.
November 2007
I35
•
HELPFUL
RESOURCES
Planning
a green
vacation?
Checkout
theseWebsitesfor
organized
tours.
SIERRA
CLUB
outings.sierraclub.
org
of Washington offer paddling trips on the San Juan Islands with
tours ranging from hour,long outings in double kayaks to over,
night adventures in sport kayaks. Going with a guide is helpful
for learning about the area, spotting wildlife and learning about
on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico. Some schools offer single
lessons and week,long kiteboarding schools; several also offer
women,only classes.
''There is a learning curve involved in controlling the kite and
the flora and fauna.
riding the board;' explains Pantu. "You wouldn't give someone
TAKE FLIGHT
the equipment and put them out on the water without lessons.
It's a sport that requires some one,on,one instruction:'
The power of Mother Nature is enough to carve tracks through
the waves, launch riders into the air and send them off into the
sunset on the deck of a kiteboard. Kiteboarding is a hot new
ADVENTURE adventure sport that combines parasailing and surfing. Riders
use harnesses to attach themselves to oversized kites and hit the
ASSOCIATES
OF
WASHINGTON waves with their feet strapped to a small surfboard.
adventureassociates.net
''The word people use most often to describe kiteboard,
ing is 'freedom;" notes Stefan Pantu, manager of South Florida
WILDWOMEN
K.iteboarding, a school with several locations in Florida."It is such
EXPEDITIONS
a rush to be out on the water letting the wind power the kite:•
wildwomenexp.com
HANG TEN
Surfing is not for the faint of heart: Racing into the ocean,
plunging into the surf and battling giant waves requires courage.
Riding a wave for the first time-or the 101st time-is worth
the challenge.
Surf schools for women dot the California coast from San
Francisco to San Diego, where wannabe surfer girls learn the
art
of the pop,up (moving from paddling the board into the waves
Despite the high,caliber adrenaline rush, kiteboarding is
standing up and surfing), and how to ride the waves.
It can take hours for the perfect wave to appear, but in
ALYSON
ADVENTURES less complicated than surfing-and a lot more fun than flying a
alysonadventures.com kite. Unlike other airborne sports, kiteboarding doesn't require
California, waiting means sitting on a surfboard in the beautiful
Pacific Ocean, admiring the views of the rugged coastline-a
PRIDEGIRLTRAVEL
pridegirltravel.com
a gas,guzzling engine or a paved landing strip, just a body of
water and a gust of wind-and Florida has a lot of both.
There are kiteboarding schools along the Atlantic Coast and
to
perfect chance to feel at one with nature. Once the perfect wave
does appear, the thrill of catching it and riding its crest makes
the wait worthwhile.
SO YOUR GIRLFRIEND'S A VEGAN
One intrepid dyke asks the age-old question: Do you eat meat? By Sarah E. Brown
I recently had dinner with a lesbian friend of
mine at a chic vegan restaurant in downtown San
Francisco. While we were midway through our
meal of lime,marinated oyster mushrooms and
tofu,ricotta lasagna, my friend dunked her toasted
crostini in sun,dried tomato pesto and was about
to take a bite when she blurted out, "Do you see
how many chicks are in this place? Why are so
many of us vegan:>"
Her question was one that I have fielded many
times before. It is undeniable that both vegan and
lesbian communities draw from each other, both
for support and membership. Lesbian,oriented
events in big cities are almost always catered vegan,
or at least provide vegan options. Geographically
speaking, communities with significant lesbian
populations, such as Portland, Ore., Berkeley,
Cali£, and Brooklyn, N.Y., are also well,known
vegan havens. Yet there still seems to be a lot of
misunderstanding both within and outside the
lesbian communities.
Why are there so many queer female vegans:'
While each person comes to veganism on her own
terms, there are great incentives for women of all
36
Icurve
sexualities to be vegan. To understand the signifi,
cance of the vagitarian,vegetarian connection, it is
and animals, arguing that their oppressions are
interrelated.
necessary to see the interconnected relationships
In understanding that one can and must be
interested in animal rights and feminist issues con,
among veganism, lesbianism and feminism.
In her essay "Pepperoni or Broccoli:' On the
Cutting Wedge of Feminist Environmentalism;'
feminist Joni Seager argues that feminism and
animal rights are directly related and that their
goals are inextricably intertwined. Seager pro,
poses that animal rights discourse reveals the
problematic nature of concrete identity categories.
Many feminists have also advocated this approach
to subvert traditional patriarchical gender roles.
Seager also speaks of a similarity in the ways
in which both animals and women have been sub,
ordinated: "Debates about animals unmistakably
echo familiar racist and sexist ideologies about
'natural affinities; categories authorized by na,
currently, it is clear to me that efforts to increase
rights for animals and women of
all sexual orientations are not
mutually exclusive. Just
as one person's choice
to invest in sustainable
energy sources affects
the global environment,
the positive implica,
tions of veganism extend
BIT
ME
way beyond the individual
or family dinner table. Eating
and using animal products reinforces
ture, destinies inscribed in biology, and 'scientific
proofs' of the limited capacities of the 'other' that
have rumbled through the centuries to justify slav,
the universal oppression of women-lesbian or
otherwise. Thus, negotiating both a vegan and a
lesbian identity can provide a real opportunity for
positive change.
that are simultaneously oppressive to both women
So the next time you find yourself dating an
herbivore, perhaps the real question you should be
asking yourself is, "Why aren't I a
ery [and J the oppression of women:' Like other
feminists, Seager suggests we critique structures
Tracking the smell led me to the recycling container-inside the kitchen
closet. "The recycling container needs to live outside the back door, honey;' I
explained, as I scooped maggots from the closet.
"But if it's outside, I won't remember to do it;' she complained.
Paper was easier than the cat food cans had been. After all, I don't think
she'd ever thrown away a piece of paper in her life before I suggested it. Soon
How
I TURNED
MY WI FE GREEN
A cautionary tale. By Victoria A. Brownworth
Not all lesbians are created green. While I'm a veritable caricature-or at least
a PC character out of Dykes to Watch Out For-my beloved is, well, less so.
A lot less so.
My wife is an artist, but don't let that fool you. If you are thinking
Birkenstocks and tie,dye, go back a few more decades-she loves the look of
the beatnik era. In the black,on,black world ( the only splash of color being her
vampire,red lipstick) in which my beloved Madelaine lives, green just didn't
seem to have a place.
I got her to kick the cigarettes the old,fashioned way-I told her no kiss,
ing until she stopped smoking. She wore five nicotine patches on each arm for
a year, but she quit. But could I get her to go really green? Some of you may
have faced this same problem: "Dear Abby: I love to recycle,but my wife keeps
throwing everything in the trash! She refuses to compost! Can this marriage
be saved?"
We started small. Very small. We talked about the environment and she
agreed with everything I said. Of course she wanted to save the planet. What
did I take her for? Hadn't she walked everywhere for years? "Well;' I said,
"Could you stop dry cleaning everything?" The thing about black is, it doesn't
stay black for long if you wash it. So you· take it to the dry cleaner and they
toss it in a vat of toxic chemicals, then run it through a steam machine that
sends the toxic steam out into the atmosphere, then they wrap it in the kind of
plastic that never biodegrades and voila! Still black, but a carbon footprint to
literally die for. "No;' she said, simply.
"Can't we try washing these clothes? Just for a while?"
"I don't want all my clothes to look faded, like yours do;' she said, clearly
unaware of the insult.
"Yours might not fade;' I suggested."Besides, charcoal gray is almost black:'
(.)
She agreed to stop dry cleaning. Giddy with my success, I forged on.
(J)
"Could you ... start recycling?"
"Sure;' she replied, and gave me one of those vampire,red kisses. But a
ill
z
week later, where was the recycling bucket when it was time to put it out for
=3
-, the recycling truck? And what was that awful smell in her kitchen?
::,c
we were on our way to greening our relationship. Blissful.
Well, not ... quite. There was the matter of the kitty litter.
"I don't care if the clumping kind doesn't biodegrade, I don't want to spend
my life changing cat boxes!" And who does? I run a cat shelter (ffur.org), so I
do spend a lot of my life changing cat boxes, and it is not a fun gig. But the
old litter had to go. Feline Pine was introduced to her household. Apparently
the cats were just as uninterested in going green as their mama. Use the paper
under the cat box filled with Feline Pine biodegradable litter? Absolutely. Use
the actual litter? No. Apparently, it feels funny on delicate footpads. Gradually
mixing the new litter with the old got the cats on board the green train.
We'd covered toxic chemicals, recycling and biodegradability, but could
we take on Windex with Ammonia 0? My darling loves a clean sink-and a
clean kitchen counter and bathroom. These are admirable qualities that previ,
ous partners of mine haven't shared, so I was loath to complain about cleanli,
ness. I love cleanliness. What I don't love are all those chemicals going into
the environment. It's difficult to explain to someone who isn't actually viewing
the array what a huge cabinet stocked full of every cleaning supply known to
Procter & Gamble looks like when it's not in, say, a hotel or a large institution.
"We have to get rid of these;' I proclaimed as I put them all in a box to go to
hazardous materials heaven.
"How ... will ... I ... clean?" Her voice hit a high C.
"We'll go to Whole Foods and get the organic stuff that Oprah was talk,
ing about;' I soothed, knowing that she was not about to use my white vinegar,
lemon juice and salt concoction. Off we trekked to Whole Foods, where an
entire aisle of organic cleaners awaited us. None were blue. None were vis,
cous green. None were even pink. All were deceptively clear. Which scared
my sweetheart.
Her big, smoky eyes with the ultra,long black lashes narrowed. "These
don't look like they'd clean anything organic;' she hissed, "let alone my white
tile bathroom floor:' It was true. They didn't look like they'd clean anything.
And I knew how often that floor had to be cleaned. Had I gone too far?
"Let's just try this one;' I said, more assurance in my voice.I grabbed the all,
purpose glass, metal, tile, plastic and baby cleaner with the neat spray top and
off we went. I could always dump the stuff out and replace it with my white
vinegar, lemon juice and salt concoction, I thought.
But it worked. As usual, Oprah did not steer me wrong. It was only a little
more costly than the scary green stuff and smelled lightly of saving the planet.
We were almost there. We'd even gone to Home Depot and gotten the squig,
gly fluorescent light bulbs together. We were almost true,green lesbian soul
mates! Was there something I was missing?
Food.
I am, naturally, a vegetarian. My sweetheart is a carnivore. Not the a,little,
chicken,once,in,a,while kind of carnivore, but a cavegirl kind of carnivore. If
mastodon was available, she'd eat it. When forced, she will eat a vegetable or a
fruit, but doesn't believe they should be eaten on the same day. Meat, on the
other hand-red meat-now, that she could eat three times a day or more.
"Darling;' I proposed, "about the meat ..:' That was when she said green
might not be her color after all. And so I drove her to McDonald's and thought,
hmm, maybe
November 2007
I37
WHAT'S HOT AND GREEN ALL OVER
So many cool ecoconcious products, so little time. Here are but a few.
SUSTAINABLY
STYLISH
So you're an outdoorsy kind
of girl who wants to look
good when kayaking or climbing that
peak, but without
compromising
your
environmental
values. Look no further
than Tarma Designs.
This green company
based in Petaluma,
Calif., uses recycled
materials in all its
jewelry. Mining for
gold and silver can wreak havoc on the environment, so Sky and Stephanie George decided to
create a more sustainable and ecofriendly alternative to regular jewelry. Their collection is made
from lightweight recycled stainless steel and is
etched with beautifully simple designs that reflect the outdoors. You can express your love of
hiking on a pendant or display balance and harmony with their cairn design, which resembles a
stone path. They also have a new line of Easterninspired pieces that reflect the yoga lifestyle, including om and lotus blossom designs in earrings,
pendants and wristbands. Adventurous people
will love that the straps are made of nylon webbing to stand up to the wilderness. The fit is snug,
not tight, so nothing slips, dangles or threatens to
fall off into that canyon. Outdoorsy jewelry never
looked so good. ( tarmadesigns.com)
NATURE'S CALLING
Sick of hearing Jay Z and Ja Rule and "Crazy
Bitch" every time a phone rings:' Us too. So was
the Center for Biological Diversity, which is why
38
I curve
it is offering its
Endangered Wildlife
Ringtones-fo
r
free. This assortment of natural
sounds (like the
boreal owl and the
beluga whale) are
in sharp contrast to
the jarring jangle of
most electronica and an educational
reminder about the extinction crisis. Load one up and be prepared
to explain to passsersby why you
may be one of the last to hear
that sound on the planet. (rareearthtones.com/ringtones)
HAVE AN ENERGY BALL
Chocolate Goji Treats are
jam-packed with antioxidants
and made with USDA certified organic ingredients like
Goji berries, cacao, agave nectar
and maca root. They're low in sugar, so you won't
crash an hour later. An added bonus: The little
yellow bag is created out of biodegradable film.
(SuperfoodSnacks.com)
A REALLY GOOD RACK ...
Of magazines, that is. If you love the planet but
aren't sure what else you can do, snag a copy of
E, the environmental magazine that goes inside
all things green
with investigative
articles ( the new
nuclear
renaissance),
advice,
news, green marketplace ideas and
tools for green living. (emagazine.
com) Sure, there's
Vegetarian Times
and other foodie
mags for those
alt-leaning sorts,
but VegNews,with
its
in-your-face
vegan snootiness, a bevy of cute, queer-tattooed
contributors and must-read articles like "10 Ecofabulous Urban Hotspots" is tops on our to-do
list. There are interviews (a vegan Fall Out Boy:'),
recipes (chocolate chiffon mousse cupcakes, oh
my) and groovy product reviews. What's not to
love:' (vegnews.com) And, your home is ready for
a healthier life too, so why not check out Natural
Home magazine:' With articles that tackle regional needs (climate-friendly in Chicago, green grows
in Brooklyn) and natural shoppers'
guides, this mag is a must for any
ecohomeowner.
(naturalhomemagazine.com) And, of course,
we still love the 15-year-old Green
Money Journal (greenmoney.com),
which takes you from the supermaket to the stock room.
ORGANIC READING
In To Buy or Not to Buy Organic,
(Marlowe & Company), former
chef and food journalist Cindy Burke
explains the history of organic certification, revealing how large, male-dominated
agribusiness has turned a well-intentioned movement to provide consumers with pesticide-free,
sustainable food into another opportunity to cash
in on an expanding market. The movement has
hurt many local farmers, Burke argues, since consumers are unaware that some small farmers follow
all the organic growing guidelines, yet are unable to
afford the expensive certification, and are therefore
unable to market their organic produce as such.
She advocates that we avoid the "dirty dozen;'
the 12 types of fruits and vegetables, ranging
from celery to peaches, that absolutely must
be bought organic, due to their high susceptibility to pesticides. She also lists produce that
research has shown to be safe when grown conventionally, saving shoppers from shelling out
unnecessarily. Burke includes a primer to help
make the transition to a more organic, sustainable lifestyle as easy and affordable as possible.
To Buy or Not to Buy Organicis an invaluable resource that's not to be missed. (avalonpub.com)
SKIP THE ATKINS
In moderation,
carbs
are an essential part of
any girl's diet, which
is why we dig Rudi's
Organic Bakery, now
30 years old and still
making small-batch,
certified-organic
bread. Rudi's Honey
Sweet Whole Wheat,
Apple 'n Spice or 7-Grain with Flax are all rich,
moist and full of whole grains (including spelt,
quinoa and flax),making for a nutty and satisfying staple. And they support organic farmers
who minimize agriculture's impact on Earth's
resources. Can Wonder Bread say
that? (rudisbakery.com)
IT'S IN THE WATER
Bottled water isn't all bad, at
least not Ethos Water, which
donates five cents from every
sale to help bring clean water to the developing world.
Though that sounds like mere
pennies (especially now that
Ethos is owned by megagiant
Starbucks), the water has so
far raised more than $2 mil-
VIGAN (M, ADJ.): Since the dairyand egg industrysupportsthe meat industrydirectly(dairycows and chickens, even on "free-range," "cage-free" or "organic"farms
are killed for theirfleshonce their production slows),vegans refuse to consumeanimal pn:,ductsof any kind. These days, being a vegan is easier than ever; anyvegan
worth herweight in hummus knows that meat-, honey-, dairy- and egg-he food
can be bothdeliciousand extremely healthy.In conjunctionwith sustainablegrowing practices, no diet has as great a potential for making a positiveimpact on your
heatlh.Forrecipesand infonnation on goingvegan, checkout vegsource.com.
M.L,.WATURAL (ADJ.): Beware of this phrase. The Food and O,ug Admlnialration
currenttydoes not regulate this tenn, and its signiftcance is often decepltve. For
occuningforms(such as com)
Instance, things that are innocuousin their nat'Urally
-frucbecometoxic when they are refined(such • In the fattening,sweetenet
becauaethey.,. derivedfrom
com$Yl'UP),yet stillget to be called•afl:..nm:urm"
been
has~
sources.Evenmonosodiumglutamate(MSG), which
migrainesand selzul9I, ii allowed in
lhked to a bevy of health problems,includlnCJ
all-naturalfood.There is one exception: Some localgrowenswho enaaae austainable, peaticide-free growingpractices lack the size and funds to affOtdthe expensive organic certificationand thereforetag this unregutatedterm ontotheirproduce
or products.
FOGOMILES(N): How far food has traveledto reachyourplate.
to reach the co,18'ill•;
takes less 8n8fVY
hsh. 8',pports localfarmers
__. tw,
the best placesto find local food, but If you don'thave
marbla•
don'tht. Many gn,cery storas,includinglarge chains, stock... ahelVes
localproduce.Also,somesmallfanns use sustainablepractices bUtan, unable
to
to afford1heexpensive"organic"label. Check with the farmeror~
Go to
and whaMver possible. bur.
your localgrowers'methods.
learn
to find a fa,mera market near you.
~/fannersmarkets/
OMANIC (ADJ.): Grownwithoutpesticides, GMOs, gn:,wtll
fartlbc Orpnic food 18becoming more~
organic: entirely made of organic iftgl9dlems.
100 JMIIC'l1l
Organic:containsat least 95 percent organic ir.g,edleftts.
tc ingn9dients:containsat teaat10-Madewith
ihan 70 percent organic~~
U. frOntof tta. package.
miles ln mind whenyoubuy~
a lot of oil to reach your
lion. (ethoswater.com)
Compiledby SarahE. Brown,
Katie Peoples,Maria Ginsbourg
and Diane Anderson-Minshall
ora,ynthelc
1
f0od
but wflttmcn 0111111b
comasthe need for moreeducation.Ba illfarmedaboutthe U$DA
fUI
MODIFDD
to enhanceor an.
healthrisks,
haa
I •
be
You Gotta Have
•
Congressional daughter
Chrissy Gephardt tackles
politics and religion and
lives to tell the tale.
P
erhaps Chrissy Gephardt has been lucky. Her family, unlike many
birth families of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth,
not only purports unconditional love and acceptance, but actually practices it. Certainly we saw this when she came out as a lesbian in
2003, to the nation, while campaigning for her father, then-Congressman
Richard Gephardt's 2004 presidential campaign. Turns out, the politician
not only supports his daughter personally, but politically as well.
This fall we got an even more intimate view of how the
Gephardts-mother
Jane, father Richard, daughter Chrissymodel family values. In Daniel G. Karslake's high,profile docu,
mentary For the Bible Tells Me So, the Gephardts are one of the
five American families interviewed about reconciling religious
faith with homosexuality.
The topic is an age,old concern for queer women raised in
religious or spiritual communities. Many churches still claim
homosexuality is a sin or an abomination according to the Bible
and which often leave their LGBT members feeling isolated.
With appearences by such esteemed religious leaders in,
eluding Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Episcopal Bishop
Gene Robinson and former Methodist minister Jimmy Creech,
For the Bible insists that it is not the word of God, but a climate
of hate that truly harms those in the queer community.
Karslake edited down hours of Gephardt home footage and
exclusive interviews to share this loving family's perspective on
recognizing, understanding, supporting and honoring the deci,
sions that people make: about gender identity, sexual preference,
religious belie£ spiritual practice and even their coffee house.
Chrissy Gephardt, a passionate advocate for the LGBT com,
munity as well as for youth, homeless and abused women-and
her family-takes her place on the silver screen with the ease, can,
dor and clarity of someone who has learned self love and true fam,
ily values. Gephardt, who survived political campaigns, The Daily
Show and coming out in public, talks about the film.
How did you get involved in For the Bible Tells Me So?
While I was working for my father's presidential campaign,
back in 2003, the creator and director of the film, Daniel
Karslake, contacted my father's campaign headquarters. He
said, "We think that Dick and Chrissy would be great for
this film because your family really espouses the values of
loving your children no matter what, and we would love to
have you in the film:' He told me about the movie, and I
was just floored. I said, this is something I don't think I can
refuse, given how the church is so oppressive when it comes
to issues of homosexuality:'
Are you pleased with the footage he selected?
It's interesting to watch yourself on film. I think Dan did a great
job of capturing the essence of what my family is about, which
is acceptance and unconditional love and feeling like you can
be yourself and that you don't have to hide who you are.
What impact will the film have on other children of public families?
I think, first of all, in terms of my story and my family's story,
(the film) is really powerful because when families who
aren't in the public spotlight see this, they say,"Wow, look at
Dick and Jane Gephardt, they have quote unquote a lot to
lose from a public perspective and they're willing to stand up
on the podium and say,'I have a gay daughter and I love her
no matter what:" Love is the most important thing. I think
it really says a lot to see a family that is so publicly out there
and they are not ashamed of it. That can really help other
people along in the process.
People go up to my family and say,"You really do embody what
a family is about and that is about love ... [about) not dis~
owning your children for something called religion:' I mean,
what is that? You know, I mean, it is about love: That is what
religion is about. I think (the film) is powerful for people in
religious communities.
The deconstruction of abomination in the film is really
powerful.
I thought that, too. You know, it is so interesting, when I watched
that film it made so much sense to me how you can make
religion anything you want it to be. It is all what you make
it. You can use it to condemn others. If you use it to justify
saying that someone else's lifestyle or someone else's life is
wrong or someone else's existence is wrong, you can do that.
Or you can use it to do good, to help people, to accept people
for love. It is amazing what a powerful thing religion is.
There is tragedy in the film ...
Anne's suicide in the film is absolutely tragic, and so common.
As the movie shows (that) kids and teenagers who don't
come from families who are accepting [can) have major
mental health issues-depression and suicidal thoughts ...
Maybe bringing that to light is why you are here.
We have to do something about it. Show people that there is a
different way of loving and accepting your children.
Love would be part of your platform ...
I would say so.
Are you religious?
I very much do believe in God. I have faith.
Are you still a social worker?
Well, they say,once a social worker always a social worker. But, no,
I don't practice it anymore. I go to law school at Georgetown
University Law Center, part time, at night. During the day,
I work for my father's company, The Gephardt Group. We
do political consulting, labor organizing negotiations, other
kinds of business development.
What is your focus in law school?
My interest lies in public interest law.
What kind of work do we need to do as a community?
It is so important to have tight~knit communities of gay and
lesbian people who support each other. That is why (for) gay
and lesbian people, their (birth) families are not necessar~
ily their primary families. Instead, it is their gay and lesbian
friends, because we feel more accepted among people who
are like us than among people who are different than us and
who have a history of rejecting us, whether that be our fami~
lies of origin, or the world outside. We need to stick together
to empower each other and make each other feel like we do
belong somewhere.
I think there is nothing worse than feeling like we don't belong
in the world. But there are places you can go where there are
people like you, members of the community you know, who
think that you are not an outcast.
I think we need to do a better job of reaching out and asserting
our presence. We are here to help, we are a community and
we would love for you to be a part of it.
The film is a nice start.
It's been a ride, it's been a pleasure, it's been nothing but a good
experience.
Gays and God
In Daniel Karslake's documentary, For
the Bible Tells Me So, five very average,
Christian American families handle (and
sometimes tragically mishandle) having a
gay child. Aimed at a middle-America audience, the film (forthebibletellsmeso.org),
tries to reconcile the rift between homosexuality and Christianity. Using a style similar
to Michael Moore's successful documentaries (music, video, humor), For the Bible is
an intriguing look at how a fundamentalist
view of the Bible, and the churches that
support it, has been used to encourage
hatred and prejudice against homosexuals.
Karslake interviews parents and religious
leaders, who consistently point out that
literal readings of the Bible are more often
than not taken out of context. Sometimes
funny, sometimes heartbreaking, but always
interesting, For the Bible Tells Me So should
not be missed. - Katie Peoples
November 2007
I43
For Love or Money
Not all high-powered businesswomen wear suits and work in
offices. Our "Chicks in Charge" section offers several ass-kicking
women making their mark in the workplace while our "Companies
We Love" spread looks at 51 of our favorite companies. Salute!
FOR DECADES, the LGBT community had little luck finding radio programs it could relate to, as talk radio was geared toward the average heterosexual. Topics ripped from the pages of Cosmopolitan and Maxim, such as
"Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus" and "Can Men and Women
Really Just Be Friends?"
may be entertaining to
the mainstream, but
have little or no appeal
to the average queer radio listener. But all of
Queer Talk
By Jenny Sherwin
that changed four years
ago, when Sirius Satellite Radio launched its OutQ Channel, with 100 percent queer talk and music brought to you by 100 percent homo hosts. And
it's not only the boys who just wanna have fun. Breaking the stereotype that
lesbian radio is a sociopolitical anger fest, the girls of Sirius OutQ are smart,
fun, informative, flirty, raunchy and in your face, and they're tearing up the
airwaves with their new brand of edgy queer talk.
Is it hard to be a woman in the men's world of radio? Does being on
a gay radio station make it easier?
DianaCage:I don't really feel like I'm in a man's world. Sirius is great in that
way. They have so many female voices. It's so thrilling to be talking about
dyke lives on the air that sometimes I can't believe the show really exists.
KathySanchez:Being a woman in a man's world is hard. Radio is no differ-
44
Icurve
ent. The reality is that it took Sirius four years before we had a womanfocused show on OutQ. We still have a long way to go to be completely
well-rounded, but we're getting there.
Do you mix gay politics with entertainment in your shows?
DoriaBiddle:If I think that we make a statement every day by
being ourselves and being out-I'm very sensitive to women's
issues and I'll jump on any hint of misogyny that creeps into
the show, but I also want to help get rid of the lesbian stereo-
types. We can be funny, we can take a joke and we can be wellgroomed. And not all of us are dragging U-Haul trailers behind
our cars.
RomainePatterson:
It is my job to entertain people, and I personally find
politics boring! Every day I make it my job to go on the air and give people
a reason to forget about their day's work and laugh. Besides, aren't topics
like blow-up dolls and poop more interesting?
Do you think It's more Important to cover gay topics, or to cover all
topics from a gay perspective?
Sanchez:I really don't see a difference in the two. Every law, every headline
affects at least one queer person ... thus it affects us all.
CynthiaFrawley:Topically, issues facing our community need to have a voice,
but I think focusing on a gay perspective alone is, in a way, a mistake. It
keeps that us-versus-them vibe going strong.
How much of your on-air personality and experience is really you
and how much is embellished?
Patterson:
There is very little about my life that is not reflected on the air.
Sometimes it gets me in trouble, like that time my mother called and asked
me what a glory hole was. She is still pissed that we play that clip.
Cage:I tell stories from my personal life constantly. I really don't embellish
things. My show is pretty much about bringing a queer woman's life to
the air.
Is there anythi'1g you will not talk about on the air? Why?
Patterson:
The only time that I have really had to censor myself was when I
was dating the drill sergeant, while she was still on active duty in the Air
Force. I had to come up with a way to talk about her without giving away
any information about her identity.
Biddle:
I only skim the surface of my personal life on the air. I know that only
makes some people more curious, but I'm not comfortable making deeply
personal revelations. People either think I'm a prude or a closet pervert.
Do you ever discuss topics that you're worried might upset your more
serious lesbian listeners?
Patterson:
Those lesbians hate me! I am always saying something that pisses
them off. I am way too over the top for them, which is just the way I like it.
So keep that hate mail coming, all you serious lesbians out there!
Frawley:
I am more than willing to hear anyone's perspective on anything. I
will not listen to anyone who negates my opinion because I'm not as gay
as they are.
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Have you ever said anything irreverent on the air that's upset your
significant other or friends?
Patterson:
There have been a times where I was afraid to go home after the
show-I thought my partner would kill me for my on-air antics. I simply
remind her that she knew who she was getting involved with when she
met me.
Sanchez:
My personal life is up for grabs on the show. But, my close friends ex-
pect me to use aliases when referring to them. If not, I get a snarky e-mail.
Has being a hot queer radio star netted you any dirty, sexy or creepy
UJ
Cu fan letters from your adoring fans, obsessed listeners or potential
6
stalkers?
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Patterson:
Kiss and tell? Let's just say that I have had my fair share of listener
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love letters, and I love the really hot ones!
Biddle:One woman started out innocently enough, writing a basic fan letter
about how much she enjoyed the show. I sent her a generic reply.After that,
the floodgates opened and she started writing me several times a day. I only
ever responded that first time and I think my silence sent her over the edge,
as her e-mails got angrier. She began to dissect my character in unflattering
ways. Her last e-mail was a plea for my used panties. I keep wondering if
she's the one that got away.Just kidding.
Laughing Matters
By Tracy E. Gilchrist
"PUSHIN. I want to get a dose-up of her hands. That looks greatt
director Andrea Meyerson tells her cameraperson from the director's
booth at Los Angdes' Jazz Bakery.It's a steamy July night, and the
woman who's carved out a name for herself directing the Laughing
Matters series has beenat it for upward of 14 hours. But Meyerson's
cheerfuland excited about her latest project, a documentary about jazz
musicianJennifer Leitham.
"I want to make sure audiences really understand the beauty of
her music,"Meyerson says about Leitham.,who transitioned fiveyears
ago from John to Jennifer.As John, Leitham was a highlytouted name
on the jazz circuit who played with Doc Severinson,Md Tonne and
PeggyLee.
In Meyerson'sdebut 61m,2004's Laughing
Matters,featuring Kate
Clinton, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Karen Williams and Marga Gomez,
and in Laughing Matters ... Mord, she used comedyas a catalystto lever her subjects'tales of family,comingout, relationahii,Jandthe AIDS
epidemic.
So it's no wonder that Meyei:wnlatched
on to Leitham'sstory."My
goalis to tell the story of a very happy woman," Meyerson
tays. There
are so many important and tragic stories about people who transition,
Meyerson says,that i ' important to highlight the joy fur someonelike
Leitham who'salready gotten to the other side of that suuale.
Meyerson'stold dozens of LGBT successtales with the La,,gbing
Matters series, but her own journey from a married woman to an out
lesbian entrepreneur and a highly reoognizahle
mover in LosAngeles'
LGBT community is as inspiring as any of her subjects'lives.
"Conung out late and livinglife as a heterosexualwasthe path I was
supposed to take,"says Meyerson, who-although ,he says she loved
and slept with women throughout her 20s-came out in her m.id-30s.
When Meyerson's not behind the camera, she's organizing and
running events for Women on a Roll (WOAR), Los Angeles'lesbian
social organization. Not one to wait for an opportunity to present itsel£ Meyerson took a look at the scant socialactivitiesavailableand
created WOAR.
"1here were bars and there was softball,"Meyetson says. Missing
the myriad of cultural opportunities that were availableto her as a
straight woman, Meyerson says,"I decided to do something about it. I
was so hungry for the life I knew we all deserved. I didn't want to compromise."
Lesbianstand-up showswere Meyerson's
first touchstone with the lesbian worldoutside the bar scene, she says.It's kismetthat
Clinton's and Westenhoefer's staad-up
shows influenced Meyerson in her nascent
coming-out stage. And
thanks to
Meyerson's unwavering ambition and fore..
sight, her documentary of Clim:ona25th
anniversary tour is running on Logo,while
she's putting the finiahing
touc:bee
on her
film ofWestenhoekr's A &ttomDW lop.
At this pace, it's jUSt a matter of time
befure a young, lesbian documentary filmmaker snatches up Meyerson'&
ownatory.
Chicks in Charge
II
Red Rat Pack
IT'S JUST BEFORE noon on a gorgeous Sunday in San Francisco's outer
Icurve
Her first job was as a buser. After
that she was a dishwasher, a bartender
at a pool hall, a dildo craftsperson, a
bar back, a self-taught bookkeeper
and now an entrepreneur. Never one
to tire, the friendly Spanyol recently
expanded her empire, adding yet another bar, Thee Parkside (myspace.com/
theeparkside), to her list of businesses she runs.
Spanyol has no regrets, despite the grueling hours, the bar antics and the
frequent need to use her drunken-whisperer skills, or the difficulty in getting
a vacation. She wouldn't change a
By Sara Seinberg
Mission District. Malia Spanyol walks
into Pop's Bar (myspace.com/popsbar) with her runty, dea£ spotty, impossibly
handsome cattle dog, Goose, who has no idea that the Scorpions are pouring
from the jukebox while the beer is flowing from the taps. Spanyol opened
Pop's in 2003 with her business partner, Harmony Urmstrom. Each had
experience working in bars, plus Spanyol already had two business-owner
credits under her belt. The first was Sparky's Bookkeeping.
Sparky's had Spanyol running all over town setting up QuickBooks
for punk-rock, rockabilly and classic heavy metal business owners of every
stripe. Clients ranged from shop and cafe owners to independent contractors.
Spanyol still toils away during long April nights during tax season, as well as
doing consulting work for her friends.
"One of my dirtbag friends will approach me and say, 'I have this idea.
Fill in the blank. I don't want to work for anyone anymore. I just want to do
what you do. How did you do it?' So I sit and talk to them about how things
work, where you can start, and mostly just assure them that they can do it;'
Spanyol says.
Spanyol closed the books each night, but her day was far from over. Red
Rat Industries (redratindustries.com) started in Spanyol's garage. Having
spent many hours in the tattoo chair already, she had plenty of time to talk to
tattoo artists about how the vibration of the machines took its toll on gifted
hands and exhausted nerves. She and a skin artist friend talked at length
about a simple device that would slip onto the machine, absorb vibration
and withstand the sterilization heat of the autoclave. Using a tried-and-true
46
trial-and-error technique of mixes, Spanyol
poured molds in her leased parking space
alongside her sputtering car until the prototype was perfected. Eight years later, Red Rat
now has its own warehouse, small staff, pallet
jack and loyal clientele of both legendary and
emerging tattoo artists.
But building a desk-based life wasn't
Spanyol's vision for herself. So together
she and Urmstrom opened Pop's neighborhood dive to the celebratory response of San
Francisco's fine citizens. Spanyol wanted to
own the kind of place she would want to go
to: loud, affordable, rough around the edges
and ambitiously fun.
Spanyol grew up on Oahu. Even though
it's one of the most beautiful places on earth
and she misses it desperately, she plans never
to leave San Francisco. In 1989, she packed
her bags in the middle of her college career in
Arizona to move to the City by the Bay after
a mere weekend visit. She pretty much moved
here to be hersel£ And for the ladies.
"It was the first time I ever really felt comfortable. I can be covered in tattoos and feel
totally at home. I can be a total dirtbag and
never sit behind a desk and have a really good life:'
AslruloglcalSlgn:Sag
Wbatdoyoudo for,_.,,,
MuayThaiboxing,
tattoos
W8sIt whatyoudreamed?
I didn't know what it meant to own a bar.
What kind of work it entailed. I just knew I wantedto open a bar
where you could be anyone and come in and have a drink,hangout
with your friends and be yourself. I wanted a place that lookedand felt
likeme. No neon. No velvet.
Whodoe&
yGIR'books?
Sparky.
Hownay howl a night do JOUlleap? Depends if I'm datingor not.
Four to six. Maybe seven.
Hawmanydays a WIik do,OU wark?Seven.
Cara advice?Do something you like.No matter who you are, no
matter what you looklike, there is always an opportunity to buildyour
world around yoursel£ You don't have to wear a power suit. You really
can pick something you likeand do it.
ELIZABETHFALKNERis the executive chef and owner of Citizen Cake,
a bakery and restaurant located in San Francisco. Her talent is recognized
nationwide-Bon Appetit named her Pastry Chef of the Year in 2006, and
she has appeared on Iron Chef America. Her desserts are witty and visually
creative. They taste fantastic. And although they may be ambitious in con,
struction, Falkner's desserts are also surprisingly democratic. The first section
in her debut cookbook, Demolition Desserts, consists of five variations on a
chocolate chip cookie.
I sat down with Falkner (pictured below) and her gal pal and business
partner, Sabrina Riddle, to discuss Falkner's
new ventures, her anime alter ego, and how to
cover a street with chocolate ganache.
Let's start with the book.
Falkner: The book is came out in September,
and it's really cool. It's called Demolition
Desserts and it's my first book. So it's defi,
By Lori Selke
books.
Yes. I thought so too.
Falkner: We also have this little anime character that we introduce in the
book, Caremi. She's fun, she's inquisitive, she wants to push the boundar,
ies and shes empowered. She is the alter ego of me, the little super,artist
who wants to take pastry ingredients and make much,larger,than,the,plate
sculptures.
Riddle:Talk about the name.
Falkner: Yeah, we gave her a name, Caremi Keiki, because I love the way [the]
Japanese take a Western word and make it [their] own. So when they say
"cake' in Japan, it's keiki. Then there's a very famous pastry chef, Antonin
Careme. Careme was rea}.lyfamous for building huge cities out of cream
puffs, and sugar sculptures, all that kind of stufE Actually, I've been called
the West Coast version of Careme by
Gourmet magazine a couple of years ago. I
do like to make these crazy sculptures, al,
covered street!
If you could, though?
Falkner: If I could, I would. Oh yeah.
I also thought that the character really
helped to convey the playfulness of dessert baking.
Falkner: We have a lot of fun with baking, with
creating names for our desserts. When we
>z
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cf
u.
LU
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cf
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in
have new pastry chefs here-nobody
their past has ever told them, "Please don't
make symmetrical things. Don't ever pres,
ent me with something with strawberries
fanned out perfectly, because I will not like
that at all:'
Tell me about your new restaurant, Orson.
Falkner: We're in the middle of construction
using fresh seasonal ingredients, but pushing it a little bit in terms of the
techniques used.
What techniques are you referring to?
Falkner: Like cooking sous,vide style, where you put things in a vacuum bag
Cake (De)Constructed
nitely been an educational experience. It's got a lot of recipes that I've done
in the past and revised for the home cook or baker; and stuff that's fantas,
tical, somewhat architectural, definitely component driven, but not hard
to make. Demolition Desserts is about deconstructing classical ideas and
remodeling them for today. It's very different looking from a lot of baking
though it's easier for Caremi to do it in the
book than it is for me to, say, get a bunch of
big mixers out to do a chocolate,ganache,
right now. It's a big, beautiful building, authentic beams and cement walls
and skylights. We both walked into the space and fell in love. It'll be a really
fun, sexy, cool, lofty living room kind of environment, with a huge bar in
the middle and a great cocktail program. Lots of stuff you want to eat when
you're hanging out with friends. Were calling it edgy California cuisine. It's
and cook them at a lower temperature for a longer period of time. As some,
one who's focused on pastry for such a long time-most of the technology,
whether it's aerating things or better emulsification machinery, most of that
comes from the pastry department. Now we're seeing all that stuff utilized
throughout the kitchen, and it gives you a lot of creative freedom.
How long have you guys been together?
Falkner: Nine years.
So that's the entire history of Citizen Cake?
Falkner: Almost. We opened Citizen Cake in 1997, so Citizen Cake is 10
years old on Halloween.
A woman running the kitchen is still unusual, and it's still a stereotype that if women are going to be chefs, they're going to be pastry
chefs. How have you handled that In your career?
Falkner: I do find myself sometimes wanting to be direct and being treated
like, well, you're a woman telling me what to do. But that's probably com,
mon in every profession, you know? I mean, I've known female chefs who
are as macho as male chefs.
Riddle:I hear you talk more about the difference in food.
Falkner: Yes, I do, that's another side of it.
That's kind of stereotypical, too, because I do
know some male chefs who are quite feminine
in their food making, if you can put those sorts
of labels on it.
Yes, I would like to know what you mean
by masculine and feminine food. I've
certainly heard other people talk about it
that way.
Falkner: It's just like any art-you have a more
aggressive side that's expressed in whatever
medium, and a more sensitive side. Sometimes
guys are more showy about making the food.
You see guys flambeing, that sort of stufE
Riddle:And on the plate?
Falkner: It's a hard thing to talk about. There
are some people who have really beautiful, fe,
male food. It's not ever showy. And it's more
nurturing. And some of my favorite masculine
chefs-it's just more aggressive, sometimes in
flavor and sometimes in presentation. And big,
ger. It's always more food!
November 2007
I47
Chicks in Charge
II
RENOWNED U.K.-BASED lesbian filmmaker Pratibha Parmar, best known
for her documentary on female genital mutilation, Warrior Marks, has ventured into new waters: a feature film. Made to appeal to a mainstream audience, Nina's Heavenly Delights (ninasheavenlydelights.com) sacrifices nothing
in its depiction of South Asian queer sexuality, grief and inner wisdom. With
delicious cooking, highland-dance skirts and a great many plot twists, Nina's
Heavenly Delights has hit the silver screen to sold-out shows in New York,
San Francisco, Boston, Miami and beyond. Have you heard of gastronomical
erotica? Here you go, ladies, lesbian food porn at its best: with intelligence.
Nina's Heavenly Delights reveals the best of Parmar's rich cinematic eye in this
moving story of family, friendship and some very spicy love.
You've been selling out in the United States. How is Nina's Heavenly
Oh, totally. Bobbi is simply divine. He is so true to himse1£ even when it's
tough to look the way he does on the streets of Glasgow, but he doesn't
know any other way of being. There is wisdom in him, but he is also an innocent who steals your heart, and you just want to dance out of the cinema
with him.
Can you imagine a world without dancing?
Oh my God ... no way. For me that would be a certain kind of death. I have
always loved dancing. You know, in most of my films, documentaries too,
I have used dance as a storytelling device, somehow. I have a secret fantasy
to be this shit-hot dancer. Sometimes if I am feeling stuck or in a blah
kind of mood, I will put on a dance album and dance around my living
room. I always feel so much better about life after that. It's a total cure for
all kinds of ailments, trust me.
Delights doing internationally?
I was in New Delhi where the film screened as part of a film festival on gender and sexuality. To have a really great response from a mainly straight
audience was stellar. People came up to me after the screening, saying
how they appreciated the sensitive way in which I handled the lesbian
love story. I think what appeals to people across the board is that the
Shah family in the film is real, and they are not stereotypes; their story is
a universal story. They are grieving after the death of the father, and it's
through their grief that they all learn to connect with each other again.
Each one of the family members has a secret, and that secret has to do
with different kinds of forbidden love, except in the case of Nina's little
sister, who is a closet highland dancer. She is a total hoot.
How is it to travel with your films?
I feel so lucky that I have been invited to all these film festivals around the
world and have been able to share the film. It took seven years for me to
make this movie. I know: crazy, right? To be able to finally sit in a cinema
with three or four hundred people who are laughing, crying and enjoying
the film has been really quite precious.
You've met so many lesbians!
You know, the one thing I truly believe is [at the screenings] queer desire
in all its multiple manifestations is being celebrated, regardless of the
culture or country it's in. Many of us all over the world have often gone
through tough times to define ourselves on our own terms, and some
queers are still fighting for the right to exist, let alone love.
What do you put on?
If I need to shake my booty, a Bollywood song called "Chaiyya
Heavenly Delight
By Tania Hammidi
Chaiyya" from a film called Dil Se. It has mesmerizing percussion
beats. Another fave is Beth Ditto [from The Gossip], "Standing
in the Way of Control:'
In the film, the main character, Nina, decides to win back
the restaurant her father lost in a bet, even though her
family has let it go. Why?
The film is set in Glasgow. What is it like there?
The first time I went to Glasgow, my partner, Shaheen, came with me and
planned the whole trip around buildings and architectural sites. It was
great to walk around this city, craning my neck, looking at details and
shapes and the way light fell on the buildings. She has taught me how to
look beyond the surface to shapes, shadows and how space can change
the way we experience the world. We went to an Indian restaurant and
all the Indian waiters were wearing kilts and turbans and spoke with a
wonderful, lilting Scottish-Indian accent, which made me smile. This was
an opportunity to make a film that also challenged ideas of nation and
identity.
The drag queen in the film seems to be a symbol of hope.
48
Icurve
Nina's father always said to her, "Follow your heart;' and that is
what she tries to do after his death, but she has to go through internal
turmoil to find that courage to be true to herself Many a journey of selfdiscovery is fraught with doubt and insecurity, but hey, that's what growing up is all about.
Are you as stubborn as Nina?
Oh yes, without sheer determination and bloodymindedness this film would
never have got made. I can't hear the word "no;' which is the most-used
word in the film industry. For me, every "no" meant I had to find another
door to push open.
Was your first date with your lover as delicious as Nina and Lisa's?
Just as delicious, if not more! I can't remember the food but totally remember
the lips and the mouth that ate the food!
FOR NEWCOMERS to the Los Angeles scene, strolling into West
into one of the most recognizable figures in L.A:s LGBT community a~ a
promoter, entrepreneur and publicist, Kampa, with her piercing blue eyes and
Ivory Girl skin, is still the girl next door. At East/West she makes the rounds,
introducing newcomers to tried-and-true Thursday night patrons, and even
goes the extra step to remember names and to greet as many as possible.
"My job here is to be the hostess and to ensure that everyone is having a
good time. There's no drama and there are no divas here," Kampa says. While
women's nights in Hollywood come and go, East/West Thursdays are strong
and steady after 18 months. She attributes her success to creating an atmosphere for women to network and talk in a mellow environment, where the·
music is kept to a reasonable level for chatting.
Born in St. Cloud, Minn., and raised all around the country due to her
father's military career, Kampa grew up in a "very religious" fundamentalist
Baptist household. A Midwestern gal who can "sing 'Amazing Grace' back-
So how did this Midwestern girl wind up entertaining lesbians at a staple
Los Angeles women's night? She originally headed to Southern California
several years ago for a job in business and organizational psychology. Kampa
wasn't discouraged when that position didn't pan out.
With her entrepreneurial mindset and a desire to give back to the gay and
lesbian community, it was no time at all before Kampa wandered into ultra-gay
West Hollywood."! ventured to West Hollywood on my own two weeks after I
moved here. I went to GirlBar and Sandy and Robin took me under their wing,"
she says. Kampa credits the wildly successful GirlBar's promoters, Sandy Sachs
and Robin Gans, with helping her kickstart her promoting career.
Despite East/West's clientele, a
steady stream of hot lesbians bolstered
occasionally by the likes of Jackie
Warner, The L Word clan, Dante's Cove's
Michelle Wolff and Jenny Shimizu, and
even some famous straight allies including Sharon Stone and director Oliver Stone, Kampa remains humble about
her night. "It started slowly and it's been very consistent;' she says. The night
has grown strictly via word of mouth, and she credits East/West's owner,
Trip Wilmot, for providing the classy venue.
But Kampa's work in the community goes beyond East/West's doors. One
need not look any further than the clothes on her back to understand Kampa's
commitment to the gay community at large. Happy to create buzz and business for LGBT community members, Kampa enthusiastically describes the
beater and jacket she's wearing as part of Maryam Dalan's Peeler Gear clothing line. For jeans she's sporting the "Kit" from Honey Labrador's Honey L
Designs, The L Word collection. "I want to celebrate people like Maryam and
Honey Labrador, who are out there trying to make a difference in our community;' Kampa says. She's truly a gal who's got her hands in manypies-Dinah
Shore attendees might have spotted Kampa decked out with a headset and cell
wards;' Kampa became highly visible in Los Angeles' difficult-to-penetrate
gay community.
"Coming out was a huge process;' Kampa explains. The only daughter in a
family of four children, she admits that her coming out threw a wrench in her
parents' expectations of her, but adds, "They're accepting of my happiness:'
phone as the talent and VIP liaison for Dinah Shore's Club Skirts.
Kampa is looking forward to spearheading fashion and music events
while continuing her publicity work and, of course, her night as East/West's
women's night hostess plus. "This is my community. Every part of the LGBT
community is part of me," Kampa says.
Hollywood's East/West Lounge on a Thursday night is like walking into a
scene from The L Word. And at the helm of the most classy girl night in Los
Angeles is promoter extraordinaire Shannon Kampa.
But while the house that Kampa built offers up plenty of eye candy and
Hollywood glamour-femme, butch and otherwise-and a few celebrities,it also
gives off a decidedly down-home feel, thanks to Kampa's Minnesotan roots.
"I want people to feel as if they're walking into my home [and] I want my
nights to have an authentic, good-feeling vibe;' Kampa says. Having evolved
Midwestern Hollywood
By Tracy E. Gilchrist
November 2007
I49
Chicks in Charge
II
AN FA-18 MILITARY JET rumbles across the sky. Moments later, the pilot
releases a missile that streaks toward a small vacant building and explodes in
partner is disabled and I can go away on my business trips and I know E.J. is
taken care of'
a fiery puff of smoke.
Armitage has a history of challenging attitudes about gender and sexual
preference. When she mentioned to her high school counselor that she might
be interested in computer science, a new field when she entered California State
University, Northridge in the early 1980s, "he said that girls didn't like that,
it was too hard:' She marched out, demanded a new counselor and pursued
computer science.
"I had no idea of how I would make a living, but no one tells me that I
can't because I'm a girl:'
After graduating in 1984, Armitage worked on the Airborne Early
Warning System on p, 3 Orions and the Stealth Fighter at Lockheed
Corporation in Burbank, Cali£
She loved being part of Lockheed. A softball player and coach for much
"Did you see that?" says Sue Armitage, pointing to the replay that, even
in slow motion, is almost too fast for the untrained eye. "It went into this
window as opposed to that one:•
That's one smart weapon. "(It] can take out one room, where the bad guys
are, without destroying the entire building," she says.
Armitage, an upbeat, 40,something engineer with one of the country's top
defense contractors, oversees the testing of smart weapons used by the U.S.
military. The tests show the capabilities of a missile system that Armitage and
her team have spent the past year monitoring at China Lake, the U.S. Navy's
test facility in the high desert north of Los Angeles.
Armitage is the senior principal systems engineer in the Strike Department,
which sounds like something out of a Robert Ludlum novel. She works side
Ms. Missile Tester
By Laurie K. Schenden
by side with military personnel, yet she could not actually be in the military
and live the way she does now-as an out lesbian.
While the military-as well as most of us living in the United Statesdepends on experts like Armitage, it cannot officially accept gays and lesbians
into its ranks.
"I feel like I work for the military;' says the Pittsburgh native, who has
worked for several defense contractors. She's perplexed by the arguments be,
hind the "don't ask, don't tell" policy because of the many talented people who
are affected.
"There are people in the military just like me, who are smart, capable and
committed. You want to kick them out because they are gay?"
Armitage, who lives in Tucson, Ariz., with E.J., her partner of 17 years,
has dark, youthful features and big brown eyes. She earned a master's degree
with honors in engineering from Texas Tech and has a rather cheerful dispo,
sition for someone whose job has such serious objectives. But with the sup,
port of her family, she is proud of her country and loves her work.
Before this, Armitage worked for Kaman Aerospace, testing its Magic
Lantern mine,hunting system. "I used to fly in the back of the helicopter and
teach the Navy guys how to run that system. The pilots treated me like one
of the crew:'
In each of her defense jobs, her experience with military personnelmostly men-has been positive. Their primary concern, she says, is whether
you can do the job.
"It's a joint effort to get this done, and when something goes well we're all
in the range center, high,fiving, patting each other on the back:'
It's not the rank and file who have a problem with gays in the military,
she explains.
The negative attitude, she believes, "flows from the top down:'
"If you look at our company, the president is absolutely 100 percent for
diversity and equal rights," she says."You look at the military, do they have the
same situation?"
Her employer was one of the first defense contractors to grant domestic
partner benefits, says Armitage. "Not only is it the right thing to do, but also
from a business standpoint, it takes that worry away for people like me. My
50
Icurve
of her youth, she helped to start a coed softball team composed of Lockheed
software engineers-it was called the Fatal Errors (yes, computer geeks do
have a sense of humor!).
After her current team finishes testing at China Lake, Armitage is head,
ing to Turkey, where she will integrate a missile system onto F, 16s purchased
from Lockheed Martin.
While Armitage doesn't fear losing her job because of her sexual prefer,
ence, there are other issues with which she must contend.
''I've been at gay events such as Out & Equal, where being gay and work,
ing in the defense industry isn't always popular;' she says. "What folks don't
realize is how much of what we discover in the defense development world
finds its way into the mainstream. And sometimes the best offense is a good
defense.
"Do I like war? No! But history tells us that it still seems to be a necessary
part of our world:'
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LUCY BRENNANtook a rather circuitous route to Portland, Ore:s North
Russell Street, where she owns her own restaurant and lounge. After living
in New York and working on Wall Street, she moved to San Francisco, but
couldn't find work in the Financial District.
"A friend of a friend said, 'They' re hiring at the Park Hyatt, graveyard room
service waitress, and I was like, I've got to pay my rent, I'll do it;' she says. She
worked at the Park Hyatt for five years, eventually taking on a management
role. After transferring to Portland, she wanted less responsibility and started
tending bar. Before long she was shaking things up as the bar
manager at Portland's hip, gay-owned Saucebox. Five years
later she left to open Mint and 820.
Established in 2001, Brennan's venues (mintand820.com)
boast a cocktail menu with thrilling concoctions-from the
tantalizing Mandarin Margarita to the beet-infused Ruby to
the banana, rum and cream-tastic Sweet Love.
It's not just local imbibers who have eagerly waited in line
to sample her distinctive drinks. She has won the attention of industry names
such as Bon Appetit magazine, which has described the British bar maven as
one of nation's 10 best mixologists, and Playboy, which rates Brennan on its
teaches popular cocktail classes and does consulting work. Her list of clients
include Oregon's SakeOne and Bendistillery. 'Tm very fortunate to have had
my manager with me since the beginning. She's also my ex-girlfriend. I must
be doing something right because we re still best friends:'
Brennan is renowned for her use of intriguing ingredients. Her drinks
feature items more commonly found in grocery aisles than on liquor store
shelves. "I love simple, well-balanced drinks. [The ingredients are) not that
foreign. I mean, you eat cilantro. Mint has always been a common ingredient
Mixing for Moolah
By Aefa Mulholland
list of America's top 10 bartenders.
I ask Brennan whether Mint and 820 are popular with the city's lesbian
contingent. She tells me, "I am actually very impressed with the community,
both boys and girls, who support me, but particularly the girls who, because
of writers who write me up as 'openly gay; respond and want to support [lesbian-owned venues). I am very thankful for that:'
Mint and 820 are appealingly mixed, neither "heavy straight or heavy gay;'
according to Brennan. "It's who I am, pretty much open to everybody:' Like
Portland? I suggest, and she agrees.
Although she doesn't spends long stints behind the bar anymore, Brennan
in cocktails. Avocado is like a banana:'
With a restaurant and lounge, the classes and a book with Carolyn
Burleigh, Hip Sips, already to her credit, Brennan is looking to the future. "I
would love something on the Food Network;' she enthuses. "I would love to
teach people how to make decent cocktails. Another book has been talked
about-you know, pairing it with foods. Another lounge is on the table. But
I'm focusing on my personal life right now, actually. Keeping it balanced. I feel
very fortunate, very blessed:'
She continues, "I absolutely love what I do. I dream about cocktails. Not
actually drinking them;' she quickly adds, "but coming up with more drinks.
I'm doing what I love. And people are enjoying it, too:'
It's the perfect recipe.
Get Brennan's book, Hip Sips, at Chronicle Books (chroniclebooks.com)
Chicks in Charge
II
she recalls."It felt dirty, watching them
to see their reaction. It was surreal:'
The combination of consumer demand and lack of competition led to
the almost overnight success of Black
Sheep. The business took off much
faster than anticipated, and soon her
products were showing up at small
coffee shops as well as huge chains.
The growth spurt forced Felt to go
from being a one-woman operation to
a business with three staff members.
There were growing pains associated
with hiring staff: Felt had to relinquish control of duties like baking in
exchange for dealing with administrative issues. Hiring staff also put added
pressure on Felt to ensure that Black
Sheep continued to meet its sales
goals-and it did. The business continued to introduce new products and
attract new accounts.
There were also setbacks: Felt underestimated her costs, a move that
Vegan Recipe for Success
AMANDAFELTis in love.
By Jodi Helmer
The objects of her affection are chocolate-peanut
butter brownies and maple and spice coffeecake, made from vegan recipes
that she developed hersel£
Felt began to bake when she was just old enough to help stir the cookie
dough. She started experimenting with vegan recipes to impress a woman
and realized she'd stumbled on a good business plan.
"There was not a single place in Portland [Ore.) serving vegan baked
goods;' explains the 30-year-old Felt. "It was a fun challenge to develop the
recipes, and at the same time, I saw it as a chance to run a business doing
something I love:'
In 1999, Felt rented space in a commercial kitchen and began adapting
traditional recipes for cookies, cakes, muffins and brownies and turning them
into vegan fare.
For months, Felt spent her mornings as a cook at a popular cafe in
Portland, and her afternoons measuring, mixing and baking thousands of
different vegan treats. She took detailed notes about the mixes that worked
and those that flopped and began talking to coffee shop owners about her
products.
Felt had three clients lined up before the first mixes hit the market. For the
first few months, she balanced her full-time job with her fledgling business,
shopping for ingredients on her breaks, baking after hours and making deliveries in the mornings. Then it was official: Black Sheep Bakery was a hit.
Felt was determined to succeed as an entrepreneur, even though the
schedule was draining. The minute her client list grew to 10 accounts, she
gave notice at the cafe and devoted all of her time to Black Sheep.
"I still remember the first time I saw someone eating something I made;'
52
Icurve
required her to lay off her staff and almost caused Black Sheep to go bankrupt. Instead of dwelling on her mistakes, Felt looked at them as a natural
part of doing business and credits her success to a willingness to experiment.
Once, when a customer asked her to ship a dozen cupcakes to an outof-state address, Felt jumped at the chance to find out whether her baked
goods would survive shipping. Hours after the cupcakes arrived, Felt got a
call from the customer: The box was delivered upside down, with cupcakes
oozing from the seams of the box.
"It was a complete disaster, but at least I learned that it's a bad idea to mail
cupcakes;' she laughs.
One of her mistakes turned out to be one of her biggest successes.
During a recipe development session, Felt made the mistake of adding too
much bran into a batch of muffin mix. In order to balance out the taste, she
added handfuls of cranberries and dried apples to the mix. The result was a
cran-apple multigrain muffin that has become one of her bestsellers.
Seven years after Felt began selling vegan baking mixes, Black Sheep is
more popular than ever. The mixes are sold at the Portland Farmers Market,
natural food stores across the U.S. and through the Web site blacksheepbakery.com, as well as in the new bricks-and-mortar location that Felt opened in
a hip Portland neighborhood last spring.
Felt is relishing the success of Black Sheep and wondering what the future
holds.
"I have no idea where the business is going to go;' she admits. "I know it'll
move forward, but in what direction and with which products, I'm not sure,
but I'm excited to find
Mo Butta Blues
By Alison Peters
ON MORE THAN ONE occasion I've considered the possibility that Christiana
Remington has an identical twin sister she's hiding from the rest of the world. I
have no other way to explain the energy required to live a life that includes rais,
ing four teenagers, running a women's promotion company and, in her spare
time, whipping up meals for nonprofit organizations like Covenant House.
She's come a long way, baby. In 2001, Remington was supporting her
family by working at Starbucks, where she was a barista in just about every
cafe in San Francisco. An intimate of the San Francisco club scene, the petite
Remington also frequented pre,emininent club Backstreet, where a bevy of
colorful women danced the night away on three stages of hip hop, salsa and
house music. Never afraid of a challenge, she made a name for herself as one
of the scene's first plus,size dancers.
In 2003, while recovering from surgery, Remington fulfilled a long,held
dream when she opened Butta, her version of the afternoon tea dance. "Butta
is a place where women who love women can get together, have some drinks,
dance, eat some good, home,cooked soul food and just be comfortable;' she
explains, justifiably proud of the space she's created. Held at the Oasis, a
beach,scene,muraled, indoor,outdoor space lined with comfy couches and
dotted with plants, Butta has become a lesbian tradition in Oakland.
"Venues are so important;' she explains. "The Oasis had just the right ame,
nities and funky look to have a backyard barbecue. I felt instantly inspired. I
wanted to provide a sense of home and family;•which comes complete with
DJ Olga T, family as support staff and, of course, free, tasty nosh.
'J\hhh, the free food;' she laughs, giving the impression that it's a uniquely
difficult concept for people to accept. "I have always believed that the soul
needs food to grow. I have always fed people. It's just a part of who I am. If
you came to my house for dinner I wouldn't charge you, I'd ask you to bring
drinks. Butta is my home so food is on me-until it runs out!"
Remington wanted the ever,popular Butta to be a whole experience with
dance, spoken word, and something more than just "drinking and cruising:•
For Remington, whose is initial vision metamorphosed into Butterfly
Productions (which produces events like Mo Butta, an official San Francisco
Pride party), and Lil Somthin Somthin catering. And as she says, she didn't
do it alone.
"Blood is not the only definition of family. I believe that it's what we bring
to each other's lives, and how we grow with each other. Family is also a root of
unconditional love. I have many folks close to me, and that I consider family.
I am
Working Girl
U.S. to be an out lesbian.
"The first thing I did when
I was hired was to look for
GLEAM, the gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgen,
der employees group at
Microsoft;' she says."Yes,I was out, really out ... pushing the Brazilian samba
Microsoft float in every Gay Pride parade while I was there:•
But even at Microsoft, a company committed to diversity,says Bittencourt,
things are not always picture perfect, and she ended up leaving.
In the end, it may have been the best thing that happened to her. "There
are times in your life when you take a break from your day,by,day and think
what is really important;' she says. "I was earning a great salary, in a great
company, but somehow, I was not really happy:•
At the same time, her diabetes started to catch up with her, and
Bittencourt's health started to decline. Ever the problem solver, Bittencourt
launched Nutrihand, an online service that helps people plan, track and re,
port their meals, exercise and medical information (nutrihand.com). Users
can determine how food and exercise affect their health, and prevent and con,
By Sheryl Kay
::i
IN THE ANNALS of computer and software development technology, Soraya
Bittencourt's name is prominent.
After a highly successful engineering career in her native Brazil, launching
I= the first Latin America communications satellite, Bittencourt came to the U.S.
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She went on to develop several major applications for Lotus Corporation, and
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then joined the leadership team at Microsoft. It was there that she received
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perhaps her greatest international recognition for creating Expedia, one of
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today's most robust Web,based tools.
And unlike in her native Brazil, Bittencourt found it somewhat easier in the
trol chronic diseases.
She followed up with Nutrihand Pro, a professional service for nutrition,
ists to analyze clients' information, create personalized plans and then monitor
those plans online.
Today, she has over 1 million consumers and 4,000 dietitians using the ser,
vice."Nutrihand has given me the chance to learn more about people, to think
more about what is important in life, and to do it every day;•she says.
November 2007
I53
Companies We Love
II
ing to settle for second-rate wardrobes, she
created Mad- Ame to offer "casual clothes
with lesbian sensibilities;' items she says
are "comfortable, affordable, local, socially
and/ or ecologically conscious, easily modifiable and sexy, too:'
Labels and designers that fit the bill
include Covet, Eve Gravel, Dinh Ba,
Valerie Dumaine, Fairyesque, Plain Jane,
Karv, Logik, Oom, Termite, Barila and
Gwendoline. A large amount of stock
comes from local Montreal or LGBT designers, as does an exciting supply of accessories, such as distinctive belt buckles, sexy
suspenders, stylish fedoras, fun mittens
and more. An impressive array of underwear ranges from Vulvarific's "hotshorts"
and g-strings to Canadian label Ginch
Gonch's "beaver eaters" boy-cut briefs and
tanks. The result is a diverse and unique
shopping experience. Commenting on her
wares, Skinner says, "Most design houses
follow the typical four-season schedule,
THE WOMENOF Montreal have
The Right Cut
a rather unique shopping option:
Mad-Ame caters
Mad-Ame (mad-ame.ca), a lesbianowned and -operated boutique
planned, owner Amy Skinner says,"with lesbian styles in mind:'
Skinner observed that across Canada, from Vancouver to Montreal, there
were no clothing stores explicitly appealing to a lesbian clientele. While teaching in the women's studies department at Montreal's McGill University, she
studied clothing patterns as a means of sexual self-identification and discovered a dearth of designers creating fashions specifically for lesbians.
Skinner is quoted on Montreal's lesbian Web site, NoMorePotlucks.org,
as saying, "It frustrates me to hear those stereotypes: lumberjack shirts, front
pleated jeans and terrible shoes. The lesbian imagery in popular culture seems
to be either that of a stone butch in ill-fitting men's wear or a straight-looking
porn star, when in reality we cover an incredible span of styles. A particularly
common frustration experienced
(is) finding butch wear, but in
women's sizes and cuts, and club
wear that doesn't involve tube
tops. Women looking to attract
women really do want something
different than those trying to attract men, so it's understandable
that we have been underwhelmed
and not willing to invest in mainstream options:'
Undaunted,
Skinner
decided to do something about
this. Singlehandedly saving the
women of Montreal from hav-
54
Icurve
to a wide range of tastes. By Aefa Mulholland
but we are able to bring in items from smaller designers, and really, these tend
to be the most fun stuff!"
For those of us accustomed to having to make do with clothes that don't
quite fit right, Mad-Ame is reason enough on its own to visit Montreal.
Determined to make all items work perfectly for her clientele, Skinner guarantees that her prices include tailoring or modifying all of the items in her
workshop. Orders for custom work are also accepted. Skinner's really is an
operation that caters to each individual shopper."Make the clothes fit the person, not the person fit the clothes;' trumpets the Web site, and they sure do
try. To keep everyone, of every size, happy, the store stocks clothes designed
for larger sizes, several lines that range from sizes 1 to 15, and garments in
men's sizes that can then be tailored to fit the wearer.
Skinner has instituted a frequent shopper rewards system. Customers are
given their purchases in heavy-duty fabric bags, and when they bring the bag
back, Skinner says, "They receive five percent off regular-priced items. These
are also the shoppers who get first notice of sales and an advance day of shopping at sale prices:'
Other incentives to visit the boutique include shopping parties with generous discounts and drinks for groups, as well as the services of an in-house
stylist or a guest tailor. Once everyone is all togged out in their new attire,
they can sashay along to one of the nearby clubs for which Mad-Ame's staff
arranges VIP guest listing. The L Word screenings and movie nights also lure
prospective shoppers to the store, which includes a chill-out area complete
with an original Ms. Pacman machine and espresso maker.
Next time you look at your wardrobe or shopping options with dismay,
book that flight to Montreal and go one-stop shopping.
model to help my community in a different way. I
understand that people have to buy office supplies.
However, they do not have to buy them from the
three big office-supply chains, which donated 85
percent of their political contributions to parties
that do not fight for the interests of the LGBT
community:'
Along with George Pieper, Ackerman founded
OutSmart Office Solutions, Inc. (outsmartoffice.
com). The company, launched in September 2007,
gives a percentage of all sales to LGBT nonprofits
Holding All the Cards
Woman leads three companies. By Aefa Mulholland
DAWNACKERMANis a woman with a lot of different business cards. The CEO and founder of the
office equipment and supplies consulting company
EcoToner (ecotoner.com) is also the vice president of Los Angeles' Gay and Lesbian Chamber
of Commerce, the co-founder of the LGBT community-supporting OutSmart Office Solutions
and the COO of the LGBT recruiting services and
products company CandidateFive.
Ackerman, an entrepreneur with an eye for
business opportunity and a passion for helping
both the environment and the LGBT community,
started EcoToner in 1997. 'i\ft:er graduating from
college with a degree in biology and psychology, I
decided I wanted to go into business for myself.
A friend of mine and I thought that helping companies recycle toner cartridges would be a good
business to start and so we started Eco Toner:'
Tackling the toner cartridge challenge has not
been easy. Ackerman explains, "Unfortunately, as
time progresses, the printer manufacturers have
worked hard to be sure that every time they make
a new printer model they create a new toner or ink
cartridge. There are even more companies manufacturing printers and doing whatever they can to
lock out compatible or remanufactured alternatives. The industry has changed dramatically over
the last 10 years. Sadly,just when more people are
trying to focus on being green, it is even harder
when it comes to office equipment and supplies:'
She continues, "The manufacturers sell printers super cheap and then gouge customers with the cost
of the cartridges. It becomes cheaper to get a new
printer than to buy refills. Many of those discarded
printers go straight to landfill:'
The Los Angeles-based entrepreneur has also
sought out other ways to make a positive impact on
our world. "I have decided to change my business
through donations and sponsorships. Ackerman
adds, "We also give GLBT and allied nonprofits significant discounts on all their office-supply
needs. It has always seemed extremely unreasonable to me that a nonprofit has to spend so much of
their operating money on office supplies and equipment when it should be going to the services they
provide. So we are helping them save where we can.
We also offer free recycling labels to our customers
so that they can send their used cartridges that can
be recycled back to us for remanufacturing:'
The third of Ackerman's LGBT-positive businesses is CandidateFive (candidatefive.com), a
company that provides LGBT recruiting products
and services to Fortune 500 companies. Ackerman
explains the company's mission: "We help Fortune
500 companies recruit LGBT employees for workplace diversity. Many members of our community
are educated, experienced professionals looking
for a place to work where they can be themselves.
We help them do that. Only when you are able
to be yourself is your true potential unleashed.
Fortunately, corporate America is realizing that
(having] LGBT (individuals] in their workforce
adds to their diversity and increases their bottom
line:'
CandidateFive organizes career forums where
Fortune500 companies can set up booths and interview LGBT professionals on the spot. Ackerman
contends that Fortune500 companies actually want
to fulfill diversity requirements. "They want to hire
LGBT people, but can't ask someone if they're gay
in an interview. They can assume that if someone
has come to a specifically gay job fair, that they're
gay allies or LGBT themselves:'
With this innovative trio of business successes
and her driving passion, Ackerman's future success
is in the cards.
Going It Alone
of womendreaming
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Idiot'sGuideto StartingYour
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the locallibrary,if yournonprofitneedscashto
keepafloator if you'rea starvingartist,do read
guide
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Howto Starta HomeBasedProfessional
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Organizing
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whichcoversall theaspectsof becomguidebook,
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November 2007
I55
Companies We Love
II
sisters Samantha and Justine Roddick, the proprietresses of
pleasure. Their place is about much more than just pleasure,
though; it's political through and through. Theirs is a family
of activists.
Sisters mix sex and politics. By Karen Loftus
Their late mother, Anita Roddick, was the founder of
the Body Shop, which is all about giving back and actively
addressing the issues and needs of the global community.
I WAS RUNNING LATE, talking to my mom on my cell, weaving in and out
Their father co-founded the U.K.-based paper, The Big Issue, which is sold
of traffic, trying to find parking in a permit-only parking zone so I could make
by homeless people. Sam says, "I was an activist by the age of 3, encouraging
a quick stop at a new store opening before hitting a media dinner in Santa
my mom:'
Monica. It was just another day in Los Angeles, or so I thought. As I was runAll of their sex toys boast of being noncarcinogenic, which caused me to
ning up Little Melrose in West Hollywood, across from the famed spiritual
pause. The ones that I have, I never knew to ask about. Garments, toys and
bookstore the Bodhi Tree and next to the Zenlike bar, Elixir, I was subtly or
clothes are made in communities that receive a percentage of the profits after
seductively reminded to slow down.
the items are sold, and the running theme throughout the store is respect,
Once I walked under the Coco de Mer archway, I knew I had crossed over permission and pleasure. As Sam says, "There's no shame, no violence, no
to another world. Like Alice in Wonderland, it was both fantasy and fairy taleseductive, yet playful. In the courtyard, I was greeted by an oversized, perfectly
manicured, phallus-shaped bush. I knew then there was more fun to come.
Once in the lush burgundy boudoir, I was surrounded by suggestive silks, lingerie and wraps, glass and jade dildos, multi-pearl rings, paddles, whips, vintage erotica, harnesses, blindfolds, leather goods by U.K. designer Alexander
McQueen and erotic furniture with hidden sexual functions, all presented in
an aesthetically pleasing museum quality manner. A wave then came over me,
that feeling of complete relaxation and joy that you feel after a yoga class, a
deep belly laugh or an outrageous orgasm. It was tip-to-toe pleasure, where all
my senses were active, open and relaxed. I didn't know where to cast my eye, as judgment. And with clear boundaries, there is a lot of pleasure:•
everywhere I looked was pleasing, stimulating and enlightening.
They're never heavy-handed, and there is an incredible sense of humor
Before I made a move, I was introduced to the lovely and impassioned
and whimsy throughout the store, from the Peep Show in the changing room,
The Erotic Oasis
Like Alice in Wonderland, it
was both fantasy and fairy
tale-seductive, yet playful.
56
Icurve
where your lover can literally peep through a window to view you in your
seductive wares, to Mr. Permissions Office, where you can view saucy movies and record or listen to a prerecorded confessional on the antique phone.
Seduction never looked or felt so good.
Sam runs the U.K. boutique, while Justine manages the Los Angeles one.
Justine, who's been in a relationship with a woman for several years, says that
a lot of gay women frequent the Los Angeles store, from the hip, rock 'n' roll,
L Word lesbians to the 50- and 60-something women in long-term relationships. They often leave saying, thank you, this is just what we needed. Their
customers run the full spectrum of the Kinsey scale.
Though Coco de Mer comes from a definitively feminine perspective, Sam
admits, "We have great men standing beside us:' Dave Stewart, activist, artist and musician best known from the Eurythmics, is the third partner of
Coco de Mer."We didn't need the money. We wanted Dave to join the family;'
continues Sam.
A few weeks later, I returned to the boutique for the official launch party
where Stewart hosted, inviting a few of his closest friends: Ringo Starr, Eric
Idle (a.k.a. Monty Python), Lily Tomlin, Debi Mazar and Deepak Chopra
were a few of the famous creative and comedic faces at the fete. "I have tried
every product in this shop;' says Stewart, who then broke into "Walk on the
Wild Side;' while a curvaceous Marilyn Monroe look-alike mesmerized us
with burlesque dancing in the background. It was truly a celebration of sexuality and art.
Deepak Chopra later took the stage, beginning with: "Dave and I have been
friends for 15 years, done many projects together and gotten into many scrapes,
but this is definitely the biggest:' He then launched in to an impassioned speech
about how sexuality is a creative force of nature essential to spiritual enlightenment. Who knew you could reach orgasm and nirvana? Heaven.
Community Coffee
Less than a year ago, Patti Lucia and Desiree Ramos-Aponti opened
Les Beans Coffee, a coffee house dedicated to Fair Trade, organic and
shade-grown coffee beans, and it has already affected its community
of Lake Forth, Fla. In a town where there isn't much for lesbians,
Lucia and Ramos-Aponti have created a space where everyone is
welcome and there is more to do than just sip coffee. Les Beans hosts
writing workshops, open mies, game nights and live music. They even
compiled a banned book library in their cafe, which houses tides such
as Of Mice and Men and Anne Frank:The Diary of a YoungGirl.
"The art on the walls is by local artists, and most of the bands
that play are local musicians;' states Lucia. "We wanted to use this
company to give back to the community:'
But the community of Lake Forth isn't the only one they're giving
back to. From the beginning, both owners were committed to selling
only Fair Trade, organic beans. One of their bean suppliers is an allwoman, Peruvian coffee collective, Cafe Femenino.
"Many places use pesticides that are illegal in the U.S.;' states
Lucia. "Organic isn't just better for people, it's better for the farmers
as well:' She explains that as the demand for organic coffee grows,
more farms will stop using harmful pesticides.
These beans don't just help overseas farmers; they make for a
great-tasting cup of coffee with a higher caffeine count. "The quality
of our coffee is superb because it is slow roasted in small batches;'
says Ramos-Aponti. "Coffee is not supposed to taste burnt and bitter unless it is over-roasted. Many people mistake a bitter aftertaste
with a high caffeine content. When they drink our coffee, they not
only enjoy a smoother cup of coffee, they feel the difference in the
caffeine level:'
In the hope of spreading Les Beans nationwide, Lucia and RamosAponti are looking for people interested in licensing the name and
coffee products. With delicious coffee, a full lineup of events and a
positive mission statement, this wonderful coffee house would be
welcome in any community. - Dana Kay Litojf
November 2007
I57
Companies We Love
II
The L Word has been a social connection for
lesbians in a really unique way. With the advent
of a huge number of social networks online, it
made perfect sense to take that experience and
see what else we could do with it. So we came
up with the plan and talked to Jennifer [Beals),
Leisha [Hailey), and Kate [Moennig), because
we knew that if we were going to be successful
we had to have the actors involved.
Those three went in as partners, correct?
Is that a financial as well as a spokesperson level of support?
Yes, they are owners and founders. Kara knew
a woman named Beth Callaghan, who had
been the editor-in-chief at PlanetOut.com
for many years. She came in as our technology partner. So basically, the seven of us
created this social network with the chart at
the center of it. In large measure because of
Ilene, Kate, Leisha and Jennifer, who have a
lot of creative ideas, we wanted to make sure
it was a haven for additional creative content.
AFTER LAUNCHING less than a year ago OurChart.com
has quickly become one of the most visited and populated
Screw MySpace!
OurChart has more to offer. By Candace Moore
forums devoted to lesbians on the Web. The site had 500,000
individual visits in its first three months and its steady growth clearly shows
that the company's promotional theatrics have paid off.
Advertised within the storyline of Showtime's The L Word and touted by
cast members in segments surrounding episodes of season four, OurChart,
owned in part by the show's creator, Ilene Chaiken, was conceived not just as
a spinoff fan site with behind-the-scenes footage but rather as a technological
marvel, providing voice and connective tissue to an international lesbian community poised to take some of the creative reins into its own hands. What
started as a cute model of the six (or two) degrees of separation between
lesbians everywhere has become a literal cyberspace "friends tree" and communication venue.
While OurChart has not quite conquered the entire dyke world, it has
become a popular alternative to MySpace, designed for and by queer women,
as well as a premier site for quality media content and celesbian biogs. The
president of the company, Hilary Rosen, is the former head of the Recording
Industry Association of America. She spoke with CuRvE about the site's exciting features, the brains behind the business and the business behind this
burgeoning lesbian online community.
Viewers of The L Word already know the story of how Alice starts
obse sively charting lesbian hookups and, in season four, turns her
"chart" into a Web site. What is the story of how the real OurChart
got started?
Early last summer, Kara Swisher, a tech guru who writes for The Wall Street
Journal, and Ilene Chaiken came up with the idea of putting the chart online and creating an online social network. They came to me to help raise
the money and design the business end. Ilene has felt for a long time that
58
Icurve
Why the decision to marry these different formats-to include media
content and webisodes along with editorial pieces, biogs and networking?
We felt we had something unique to offer. There were lesbian news sites,
there were lesbian travel sites, there were fledgling lesbian dating sites,
but nothing that, in our view, combined the stickiness of a social network
with original content. One of the reasons a lot of sites don't create original
programming is because it's expensive, and these sites don't tend to generate much revenue. So it's really an investment in getting more users and
the series paying off. With respect to the original content, we are going to
commission as much as we can and do as much as we can. So hopefully,
that will be several good original series a year and several shorter video
projects.
I noticed OurChart has a photo journal of lesbian nightlife. Sort of
the real face of what The L Word portrays.
The corresponding piece is people's own individual L Worlds. The party scene
is fun. It's our own little TMZ meets YouTube. User generated. We're
open to people's ideas for more of that.
Do you think that people's comfort with the MySpace and Friendster
formats has made the transition to this forum easier? When new
users go to create profiles, they see something pretty familiar. Yet
on OurChart you're also offered more options for describing your
sexuality and gender, while MySpace has limited categories.
Well, if we can't get that right! This is a place for us, rather than being a place
that someone else has made that welcomes us. I think most of the women
who have profiles on the chart also have a MySpace or Facebook profile,
and that's okay. The online world replicates a little bit how we experience
our lives, which is that were very integrated for the most part, and assimilated. On the other hand, sometimes on a regular basis, we just want
kind of the safety and comfort and sexiness of being with lesbians-using
lesbian in the broadest sense of the word.
How much time does the average user spend on the site?
The industry average of page views on a Web site is something like three-anda-half to four [minutes], and our average page views are like, 10 [minutes],
so we know people are enjoying it.
If you were going to give advice to someone creating a business
plan for a project like this, something that requires a lot of investment and time, what advice would you give them for starting out?
Aside from the general, really important emotional and spiritual mantra of
believing in yourself, which is critical, I think from a practical business
standpoint, it's know your scale. If you've got a product in service that's
going to be most viable for a targeted group of people, start there and scale
up to get wider. Sometimes, business dreams fail because peoples dreams
are too big and the execution falls short. It's important to be able to scale
right at the beginning-and you can always scale up.
You definitely targeted users through The L Word and through advertising on Showtime. What is OurChart's relationship with Showtime?
Do they have a share?
CBS and Showtime are principal investment partners. They've been great
partners.
Are there other ways you targeted the lesbian community, outside of
The L Word?
We spent the first three quarters focusing on getting our technical features
right, developing some deep content and preparing ourselves for the next
level. Like most social networks, we haven't spent any money on marketing or advertising.
You've let it go through word of mouth.
Totally viral! For the most part we continue to take that approach, but
we're starting to partner with organizations like the National Center for
Lesbian Rights and the Human Rights Campaign and AfterEllen.com
and places in the community where we can share traffic and trade. We
strongly believe that this is an ecosystem that benefits from everybody
working together and sharing each other's users and partners and information. We think of this as coop-etition as opposed to competition on
all fronts. This whole market is poised for exciting growth, and hopefully,
we'll be right up there.
What do you think that OurChart has to offer lesbians that a more
general site like MySpace doesn't?
MySpace in particular has gotten pretty messy. OurChart is an environment
where people can come and find something in common with everybody
and move through the network with a sense of interest and safety that I
don't think you can find as a queer woman on any other site.
And how would you compare OurChart to sites like Gay.com, which
offers chatting features as well as content?
First of all, [Gay.com is] very male focused, so there's no comparison in terms
of the size of the lesbian user community. Were just so much larger. You
can look at our content and see that we're lesbian focused, and that makes
z
the chart experience that much better.
LU
Could you tell us about any new site features coming around the
f;.
bend?
The thing that our users are talking to us most about right now are additional
technical features they want, so in the next two months we'll be adding
videos, photos, we'll be adding more inter-user transparency-so that you
can see what other people are doing on the site-and a richer forum and
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discussion. And of course, we will be adding the all-important Friends
Plus, which was the essence of the chart originally.
Yeah, Alice's chart was about charting hookups.
Not starting with hookups was a very deliberate strategy on our part. We
felt that as exciting and titillating as it was on the show, it was probably
intimidating in an online environment, right away.
There could be privacy issues, perhaps?
We weren't so worried about privacy issues, because you can't be added to
somebody's chart unless you consent to it, but we really wanted to focus
on building community. On the other hand, we know that people want
that extra excitement and sexy factor, and so Friends Plus is on its way.
People will be able to designate people who are [already] on their chart as
a [past] hookup or a present hookup.
It seems like OurChart is becoming its own entity, separate from The
L Word, while having been born by it, or in relationship to it. Are you
going to have content on other lesbian-related TV shows or media?
What we are looking for is what's coming down the pike that's compelling.
We have a good relationship with AfterEllen.com. In terms of content
sharing-they cover every lesbian who's ever sneezed in a movie or on
a TV show, and that's what they do. We don't need to replicate that. So
when we have unique behindthe-scenes access to something,
or when we have an actor or a
creator who's reaching beyond
an audience, I think we see us as
"value added" to some of those
other efforts and not as a recap
or review site.
What have Jennifer, Leisha and
Kate been working on lately
with regards to the site, and
what is their level of involvement on a month-to-month
basis?
Jennifer is loving selecting the photographs. I think she is going
to be doing more [of that], and
I think we are going to be offering her photographs for sale.
Leisha's really busy with her band now, and we're talking about ways to integrate some of her band's activities onto the site. Kate just did a fabulous
piece with homeless youth in New York City, "My Address;• and she's very
interested in social justice and will continue to work on projects like that.
Right now they're all in production, so we're spending time on behindthe-scenes L Word stuff for them. Once production ends in October, we'll
start again with some original projects.
How would you describe OurChart's appeal to someone who has not
yet seen it?
The big challenge with online social networks is finding a reason for people
to keep coming back. What's most compelling about OurChart is that
our users, the ones who keep coming back, they're telling us that they're
making friends all over the world, they're learning about new music and
movies and political views that they hadn't experienced before, and their
worlds are expanding just a little. Considering the media onslaught that
we all experience, with the multitude of online sites and the multitude of
offiine media, to know that there is one place you can go to that is always
going to efficiently satisfy you is a great thing.
November 2007
I59
Companies We Love
II
that turned near deadly.
Overcoming the experience
brought Liv'n Out Loud into being."Just putting something strong
Companies wear hearts on their sleeves. By Tania Hammidi
and uplifting on your chest makes
you feel better;' says Bruu.
The messages of Liv'n Out
MEETING LIFE'S CHALLENGES takes the right clothes, and that's no
Loud "uplift the human spirit" and "empower and inspire' people from all
joke. Dykes in charge know that, and so do our spirits and bodies. When
walks oflife (livnoutloud.com). Their watermelon V-neck tee reads,"Become
we're under the weather, our skin gets sensitive. When were well, we deserve
your own hero:' A sunbeam V-neck tee reads 'Tm not beautiful like you, I'm
healthy fabrics, positive messages and stunning colors. So believe the designbeautiful like me:' For sure, it is the colors combined with the messages that
ers of FeelingBold and Liv'n Out Loud, two lesbian-owned businesses with
bring Liv'n Out Loud oodles of compliments. Bruu says,"Next to the'sayings'
100 percent cotton, soothing and empowering clothing at their core. These
on our tees, what we hear most is 'the colorsare amazing: We select colors that
companies are catching national attention like wildfire, for the ways both
evoke something, colors that stir the spirit and enliven the soul:'
the clothing-and the companies' owners-are showing us how to meet the
And souls have been stirred in Hollywood. Late one April afternoon
world dressed in courage.
in 2007, while Bruu and Fichers were having a routine day of work, the
The New Hampshire-based clothing company Liv'n Out Loud was born of
phone rang, and the life of their small company was about to change forever.
a major health crisis. Co-founders Alyson Bruu and Kristine Fichers, lovers for
The pair says, "The phone rang, and as is customary when the phone rings,
13 years, saw Fichers through a major glitch during a routine surgery in 2004
Alyson yells, 'Hi, Oprah!' Kris yells across the hall, 'It could be ... it's coming
through as unknown: With that, Kris answers the phone and a woman with
a lovely voice and accent starts speaking: 'I received your stunning tees in
my gift bag ... "'
The lovely voice was none other than Oscar winner Helen Mirren's.
Mirren received a complimentary Liv'n Out Loud T-shirt in her celebrity gift
bag at the Academy Awards. Bruu continues, "She then proceeded to order
six [shirts] ... two for her and four for her husband. When the call ended, we
jumped up and down ... screaming, laughing, high-6.ving:'
The Denver-based FeelingBold partners likewise know that overcoming
obstacles requires the right fit-in a shirt, and a lover. Since meeting three
years ago, founder Claudine O'Leary and partner Jean "Gio" Giovetti overcame cancer, negotiated immigration hold-ups (O'Leary is U.K.-born, Gio
from the U.S.), and realized their common interest in creating"an industry of
positivity" for women and girls. Launching FeelingBold in March 2006, the
couple designed 100 percent free-trade organic T-shirts and their signature
Bold Bead bracelets "from scratch at the kitchen table of a friend's house:'
O'Leary is the dreaming "blue sky:' Giovetti is the practical "green grass:'
Together, their spirits are made in elegant, soulful messages. A small, circular
two-tone patch on the sleeve of a long-sleeved shirt reads, "We can do this:' In
the center of another T-shirt is the positive message "Breathe. Believe. Heal:'
The Bold Bead, O'Leary says, is "designed to be worn every day as a reminder
to girls and women to internalize their personal and positive declaration of
'I am: I am powerful. I am happy. I am a beautiful work in progress. I am
ready:' And each garment has Sita, the FeelingBold icon, with arms raised
and chest out.
O'Leary says, "FeelingBold is an organization built on a solid foundation
of positive values, conscious thought and integrity. We support and encourage women to live life wi~h a positive intent and boldness of spirit:'
Indeed, the couple have put their own beliefs to the test. A month after
they launched the company (feelingbold.com), O'Leary was denied entry into
the United States. "It was deemed I'd visited too often;' she said. Since they've
discovered the elusive E2 Investor's Visa, O'Leary and Giovetti now have two
years of togetherness at a time. In 2004, Giovetti was diagnosed with a rare
form of salivary cancer. Yet she survived the cancer, literally dressed in positivity. O'Leary says,"Gio felt such a strong need to actually put positivity on her
body that every day she wore clothing that contained positive words. These
words helped her maintain her faith, courage and resilience during some incredibly rough
Courageous Clothing
60lcurve
All The King's Women
Gallery finds new home after Katrina. By Karen Loftus
ANGELA KING'S GALLERY on Royal Street in the French Quarter was the
perfect official start to my week in New Orleans. I was lucky to have this as
my first impression of the city: I was definitely impressed. Hers was one of
the most stunning galleries I have ever been in. The space itself was as much
a work of art, carefully sculpted and crafted by King and her crew, as the art
it showcased.
Like many, King left New Orleans in the face of Hurricane Katrina for
what she thought would be only three days. With her long-term partner Julie
and 10 others, she made her way to Florida, where the crew would spend a
wrenching six weeks. But King is a woman who does what she's got to do,
and 10 days after Katrina struck, she snuck back into the city, breezing past a
dozen National Guardsmen. Once in, King made her way through the city in
the dark, with no power or sunlight, checking in on everyone's houses to see
that things were OK. That's the kind of king she is. She looks after her own.
Returning weeks later to an abandoned city, she found that many, includ-
ing her then-business partner, her director and the co-owner of the Hansen
Gallery, also on Royal Street, had left. Both the city and her business were
in ruins. So King did what any leader would do: She made a bold move that
inspired those around her.
A small woman with a strong, positive presence, she decided not only to
stay, but to take over a bigger space up the street. She renovated an 1856
storefront, once an old shoe factory run by the original owner of the famed
Monteleone Hotel, at the corner of Royal and Bienville. She, with the help of
friends, colleagues and her partner Julie Jacobs, transported 28 years and four
floors' worth of her art and furniture, one dolly at a time. She remortgaged all
but her own shoes to make the move happen. Half a million dollars in debt,
relying largely on tourists, she didn't have much of an income coming in.
"I didn't have the capital to hire somebody, so I took it upon myself one
week at a time. What had to happen is that individuals pulled up their bootstraps, hiring people throughout Louisiana. I did outreach locally to all sorts
of people to be part of the rebirth process;' King says.
The new space was much larger in scale than her previous gallery and in
need of a great deal of work. She stripped off the pink walls to expose brick,
pulled up flooring and peeled bricks off the large bay windows outside to
showcase the stunning space. It was a brave move, one that after 30 years in
New Orleans earned her respect and acceptance in the otherwise old-school
Southern enclave of Royal Street. She infused faith and built morale in the
local and creative community beyond the Quarter.
"I developed relationships with so many artists over the years, they just
stepped up to the plate like you wouldn't believe. I am working with the best
of the best. Charlie Tysall sent me five of his paintings and told me to sell
them just to get going again. Gary Patterson and Marion Barnes offered
theirs at half price. I called an interested party and said, "That $6,000 painting is now $3,ooo:·
The Angela King Gallery (angelakinggallery.com) officially opened 20
months later, with 15 invited artists and a large local turnout. Humble and incredibly grateful, she said, "I took care of folks and they took care of
November 2007
I61
Companies We Love
II
for this site). Unlike YouTube, though,
Tello produces original content-both
film and series-for and about lesbi,
ans. Another difference between the
two video sites is that Baker and Rabe
will have control over content, but they
welcome the experienced filmmaker as
well as novices-anyone with a vision
and a need to tell a story to or about
the queer community. Think of it as
Lifetime for the lesbian community,
where the number one purpose is to
entertain.
"There's a huge need to see our
lives as lesbians reflected in TV and
film;' Rabe says."lt's annoying to go on
Netflix and search lesbian entertain,
ment. There's a low supply of video
content for or about lesbians despite
You Had Me at Tello
The new lesbian online film company is ready for it's closeup. By Karen Loftus
WHENNICOLERABEand Christin Baker met in a soccer league in Chicago
the high demand:'
Baker pipes in, "It's what we want and need, but can't find:'
"We want it to be a user,friendly, high,quality site that meets and exceeds
the demands;' Rabe says. "We are trying to provide an outlet for the commu,
nity to see more than two hot chicks kissing when they type in 'lesbian' on a
YouTube or Google site. The content is about us or by us. You don't have to be
a lesbian to submit [a video], but you should have lesbian appeal or [a lesbian]
story line or you can be a lesbian and submit any content:'
Tello is busy with many projects. They recently shot their own pilot and
are working on a not,for,profit portion to the site, which will focus on those
who come from alternative families as well as aiding gay youth, creating or
retelling their story through film.
Rabe and Baker have diverse, yet complementary skill sets. Baker moved
to Los Angeles after college, working first at Regency Films and later at The
Writer's Guild, where she found a passion for the writers and their rights.
An artist at heart, Baker flew to Albania on a whim to make the documen,
tary Mr. Karaoke in Albania. Always a good problem,solver, Baker worked
out how to get a karaoke machine in to a refugee camp to make her film.
Today Baker is still producing. She recently shot a pilot for Tello and is
juggling the nuts and bolts on the production side as company co,founder
they had the makings of a community and a company that seemingly just fell and CEO, while Rabe, co,founder and chief of marketing, focuses on figur,
in to place.
ing out what the consumers want, how best to make their site user friendly
They called their video content site, Tello (tellofilms.com). The site is sim,
and how to market the community that they are building to the audience
ilar to YouTube, because it depends on word,of,mouth to reach its audience,
they want.
as opposed to traditional marketing strategies (no commercials or advertising •
Their future looks
they knew they had more in common than kicking balls. With similar inter,
ests socially and politically, the two women took to chatting over cocktails
and Rabe told the other woman, "If you and I ever came up with an idea we
both agreed on, we could really make something happen:'
That very night, the duo decided to start a Web site. Believers of TheSecret
(the ubiquitous Australian film turned cult classic), Rabe and Baker utilized
the, well, secrets to help them plan. A few days and several conversations later,
"We are trying to provide an outlet
for the community to see more than
two hot chicks kissing when they
type in 'lesbian' on a YouTube or
Google site."
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Eye Candy
Savvy ladies make specs cool. By Jennifer Corday
L.A. EYEWORKS co-owners and co-designers Gai Gherardi and Barbara McReynolds have changed
_ the way people think about eyewear, creating original, invigorating eyeglasses since 1979. That was the
year the two women opened their first store on Los Angeles' now famous Melrose Avenue. It has since
blossomed into a multimillion-dollar worldwide enterprise. Once lovers, now friends (they call themselves co-wives), they have years of shared experiences together and clearly get a great sense of joy out of
operating La. Eyeworks.
They met in high school in sunny Huntington Beach, Cali£, and were immediately inseparable after
realizing they had innumerable traits in common. "I had the worst crush on Gai;' admits McReynolds.
"We lived at the beach, so we did all those beach things together-we surfed, we hung out at the Golden
Bear and we were always out for an adventure:'
McReynolds was openly gay. Gherardi was not, but on a vacation to the Colorado River, camping
under a moonlit sky, the two, uh, changed "the nature of their friendship:'
Back in California, the high school friends became increasingly frustrated with the eyeglass scene, or
lack thereof: "Tue frames at the time were God-awful. Pretty ugly. There was a certain look in the early
'?Os-they were these huge things obstructing the face;' says McReynolds.
More than that, says Gherardi, the duo had a desire to revolutionize the eyeglass industry. "A pair of
eyeglasses can transform you in a spiritual way-they can open that big wonderful door to let the person
on the inside come out and be shared with the rest of the world;' she admits.
The ugly styles, combined with a lack of customer service in the industry, sparked their entrepreneurial urge, and they decided to open their first store on Melrose Avenue; at that time, it was a quiet,
deserted sector of Los Angeles.
"It was in the middle of nowhere, a real diamond in the rough, and there was no place like it;' says
McReynolds. The first jewel in the La. Eyeworks collection was called the Beat, a chunky plastic frame
available in over 22 outrageous colors, meant to accentuate and celebrate an infinite spectrum of unique
personalities. Hungry for frames with style and individuality, people quickly clamored for more.
Two young customers saw the craze and convinced the women to hire them for an ad campaign featuring the tag line ''A face is like a work of art. It deserves a great frame;' which instantly
branded La. Eyeworks worldwide.
Their first ad was a full-page spread in Andy Warhol's Interview magazine. The
oversized magazine was the first to celebrate fame and was the
place to be seen. The black-and-white ads, shot by Greg
Gorman, have now featured nearly 200 extraordinary
faceswearing La. Eyeworks glasses, from Jodie Foster to
RuPaul, Pee Wee Herman and John Waters. Gorman's
photo of Andy Warhol sporting their L.A.X. frame is
even the trademark image for the Warhol Museum.
"It was always our intention to be really celebratory of the face and how that face presented itself
on the planet;' says Gherardi. "It would have been
really easy to have drop-dead gorgeous models, but
we were more interested in presenting the face of
our community:'
Today there are over 600 designs available,three
brick-and-mortar boutiques-two in Los Angeles
and one in Costa Mesa, Cali£-and an online store
(laeyeworks.com). Immediately recognizable for
their modern strokes and bold color innovations,
La. Eyeworks frames have thoroughly infiltrated
the popular culture landscape.
"We like stretching the limits of how the
world perceives beauty;' McReynolds says.
November 2007
I 63
Companies We Love
II
Long Live the Little Gals
Ten small lesbian businesses we adore. By Sarah E. Brown
SURE, WE LOVE Olivia, Wolfe, Babeland and the (largely queer) California
corporation, Good Vibes, but there are some lesser-known, lesbian-owned
companies making their mark on the business world.
THE SMITTEN KITTEN (MINNEAPOLIS)
This les-owned sex shop sets the gold standard. Jessica Giordani and Jennifer
Pritchett's store, housed in an artsy, cultural district in the Twin Cities, offers
a much classier experience than you'll find at other adult emporiums of its
kind. Sip tea, coffee or spring water while browsing the finest, hand-selected
sex accoutrements, in a boutique-style atmosphere."Integrity;' say the owners,
"is the centerpiece ... of the Smitten Kitten:' (smittenkittenonline.com)
SKY SPORT & SPA (BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.)
Thanks to her hit Bravo reality television series Work
Out, personal trainer, clothing designer and Sky
Sport & Spa founder and owner Jackie Warner has
become a lesbian household name. Warner, who is
quite the specimen herself, has made it her life goal to
help others achieve theirs. While television exposure
can't hurt, it's clear that her business' success is due to
the fact that it offers a superior product-a workout
that produces results. (skysportspa.com)
FREE CITY SUPERSHOP (MALIBU, CALIF.)
JUNIE MOONIES NATURAL SOAP COMPANY (BATON ROUGE, LA.)
Founded by registered nurse Ann Warner, Junie Moonies uses only natural
salts, oils and herbs, offering a unique take on holistic hygiene. Customers
love it that Junie's soaps look like candy, but it's their natural ingredients and
cruelty-free testing practices that truly set them apart. Junie Moonies even
makes soaps for pets. Pampering yourself or your pooch has never been so
dyke-friendly. (juniemoonies.com)
From customized bicycles to handmade tees, Nina
Garduno has created a business that has redefined
the shopping experience, creating a museum-like environment for customers
to explore. "It's not practical;' says Garduno of her shop, yet the celebrities
and fashionistas who flock to her gorgeous, funky Malibu establishment don't
seem to mind. Garduno fuses her extensive fashion business background with
her drive to capture abstract ideas in her designs, like authenticity, which she
believes to be sorely lacking in mainstream fashion. 'J\ny company would sell
to me;' says Garduno. "But this is what I want to do:' (freecitysupershop.com)
PACIFIC REPRODUCTIVE SERVICES (SAN FRANCISCO)
This progressive, lesbian-owned sperm bank was founded in 1984 with a
mission to serve women of all sexual orientations looking to start alternative
families. Specializing in "willing to be known" donors, who allow offspring
to contact them (at least once) when they reach 18, Pacific Reproductive
Services, says founder Sherron Mills, "understands the societal, cultural, legal
and financial issues all types of families face in the decision to pursue artificial
insemination with donor sperm:' (pacrepro.com)
KNEES AND TOES WEB DESIGN (SAVANNAH, GA.)
Jesse Harold is a self-described"visual artist and Web geek:' She has designed
funky, unique Web sites for companies, nonprofits, even the actress Ellen
Burstyn. On being a successful, self-employed dyke, Harold says, 'Tm ...
quite visibly queer-looking ... I'm pretty sure that a conservative, high-profile
design firm would want nothing to do with me. Freelancing is a great option
for women who are very masculine or otherwise alternative-looking, who find
themselves lacking the cultural capital that office environments require and
that a more traditional gender presentation would buy you:' Vive la butch.
(kneesandtoes.org)
SHAKE YOUR BOOTY (WASHINGTON, D.C.)
Who says lesbians can't be fashionable and fabulous? When Kathy Amoroso
opened this shop in 1996, D.C. gained a trendy outlet for shoes, clothes and
handbags. While the shop mostly draws a young professional crowd, owner
Amoroso made sure to keep prices down with frequent, massive sales so that
more ladies-straight and gay-could enjoy her goods.
Long Live the Little Gals continuedon page 77
Personal Health Record
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andltm1tat1ons.
200793REV07/07
Companies We Love
II
Top Companies for Lesbians
These dyke-friendly workplaces top our 2007 list. By Katie Peoples
SOMETIMES IT SEEMS like big business is more concerned with profits than people, but more and
more Fortune 500s prove that companies can take care of their employees and still make major money.
For our fourth annual Top Companies list, we looked at past winners as well as companies making their
first entry in to the top echelon of the Human Rights Campaign's Corporate Equality Index in 2006. The
index rates companies based on their commitment to staff diversity, their antidiscrimination policies and
thier equal treatment of spouses and same~sex partners-and
we only considered companies that scored a
perfect 100 on those issues. "They really are leaders;' says Eric Bloem, the deputy director of the Workplace
Project of the HRC. "Companies are recognizing that inclusion is important. Increasingly, companies are find~
ing they don't want to be left behind in their industries:• But since CURVE readers care about more than just LGBT
issues, we cross~referenced a handful of other sources to come up with our 2007 list. Among them were Diversity, Inc., the online magazine that put these
companies at the top of its list for retention of diverse employees (people of color, immigrants, the disabled and queers, among others), and Working Mother,
the magazine that gives props to corps that are the best places for working moms. Talk about a triple threat!
So here are CURVE s 10 Best Companies to Work For in 2007 (in alphabetical order).
1
AMERICAN EXPRESS: Great benefits, retention for em~
ployees, and it had Ellen DeGeneres kick off its latest ad
campaign,"My life. My card:' American Express is once again
on our list of best companies. Not only does it support its
LGBT employees, but it also sponsors LGBT business
events, including the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of
Commerce.
CITIGROUP: The worldwide organization recognizes that
more diversity means more business-and
makes it work
through benefit packages that recognize same~sex domestic
partnerships and encourage networking between its LGBT
and women employees. It's been widely recognized for these
networking groups and also for supporting working parents
with dependent care options that offer childcare programs
and elderly care management services.
DELOITTE & TOUCHE: Deloitte & Touche makes an effort
to include all aspects of an individual when it considers its
efforts to diversify the workplace. Deloitte has relationships
with recruiting organizations like Out, Equal Workplace
Advocates and Reaching Out MBAs and retains them with a
commitment to inclusion for all its employees.
GAP INC.: Come on, who doesn't want the clothing dis~
count? The California clothing retailers at Gap Inc. offer a
wide range of perks for foldingT~shirts. Not only can you get
health care for yourself and your partner, Gap has plenty of
places and opportunities to grow within the company-with
the extra protection of a Zero Means Zero policy against
discrimination.
GENERAL MILLS: Known for tasty cereals like Lucky
Charms and Cheerios, General Mills is also recognized for
offering a great working environment. Not only does it pro~
vide medical and dental benefits to spouses and same~sex
66
I curve
Other Great Companies
We Wish Were Paying Us
partners, but employees are eligible for coverage on the first
day! General Mills also provides infant, backup and sick child
care, maternity leave and two weeks' paid leave for employees
adopting children.
Well, they can't all be in the top 10, but that doesn't mean we don't love
them. The following companies all scored 100 on the HRC's Corporate
Equality Index and have earned kudos from a variety of sources from
Working Mother to the EPA. - Katie Peoples
JP MORGAN CHASE: The financial services powerhouse
XEROX: Requires diversity training and provides benefits to same-sex
partners. It's also one of only 13 companies to score 100 on the HRC's
Corporate Equality Index since it began in 2002.
believes in diversity so much, it made it the foundation of its
culture. Believing (and rightly so) that diversity brings the di verse opinions that make the company a better competitor,
it recruits through partnerships with organizations like the
National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce and the
Financial Women's Association.
MERCK & CO.: Merck shows support of LGBT employees
by offering full benefits to same-sex partners. In addition, it
believes strongly in affirmative action and in correcting imbalances in every aspect of business. It works with external
groups like the Society of Women Engineers and supports
internal groups like the Gay Lesbian Employee Association
at Merck. Not to mention, it is well-known for its HIV/
AIDS drug treatments.
PEPSICO, INC.: Pepsi's recognitions and awards for diver-
sity are as numerous as its product lines, so it's no surprise
that the giant food and beverage company is on the list. In
addition to its promise to "deal fairly and honestly" with all
its employees, in 2006 Pepsi also granted $500,000 over two
years to the Human Rights Campaign Foundation to come
up with cutting-edge tools a,nd Web-based resources aimed
at improving equality in business.
PRICE WATERHOUSE COOPERS: This global consulting
firm is loud and proud about its commitment to its LGBT
employees. It approaches diversity as an effort to make everyone feel welcome and included. And it has an LGBT Partner
!\,dvisory Board and 11 LGBT Networking Circles to back
up that commitment. PwC can also boast about its success
with the ladies: Over half of its new employees each year are
women, and there has been a 30 percent increase in female
partners from 2001 to 2006. In addition, PwC offers benefits
like new mom lactation programs and paid adoption leave.
WELLS FARGO: The San Francisco-based bank has made it
a priority to foster and retain a diverse workforce. Women's
magazines and LGBT advocacy groups have recognized
Wells Fargo as one of the best companies for hiring and retaining women and LGBT employees. It has also made the
very public point that it proudly supports the LGBT community through donations to GLAAD and by refusing to cave to
a Focus on the Family boycott of the bank in 2005.
WACHOVIA: Focuses on promoting people based on individuality.
SPRINT: Encourages a diverse workforce and is an EPA Top 25 Green
Power Partner.
SEMPRA ENERGY: Has a 31 percent nonwhite workforce and was
honored by NAWBO.
PRUDENTIAL: Continues to be on Working Mother's Top 100 list.
METLIFE: Actively recruits employees from an array of backgrounds.
KIMPTON HOTELS: Offers a newlywed package for gay and lesbian
couples.
KAISER PERMANENTE: Offers culturally specific care.
JOHNSON & JOHNSON: Makes it a point to protect the environment
and natural resources.
HEWLETT PACKARD: Cultivates and appreciates diversity.
ERNST & YOUNG: Is one of the top 100 companies to work for, according to Working Mother.
FORD MOTORS: Includes gender and sexual orientation in its hiring
policies.
DELL: Has diverse women and gay networking groups for employees.
DAIMLERCHRYSLER: Covers all transgender benefits.
CUMMINS INC.: Has affinity groups for LGBT and women.
CHUBB CORP.: Covers most transgender benefits.
BAUSCH & LOMB: Covers sexual orientation in its nondiscrimination
policy.
BANK OF AMERICA CORP.: Supports its workforce with an LGBT
affinity group.
AT&T: Is committed to diversity and has a multicultural outreach
program.
CONSOLIDATED EDISON CO.: Is one of the largest investor-owned
power companies.
AETNA: Shows its top-down support by having its new president (a
straight white male) take the role of senior-executive sponsor of Aetna's
LGBT group.
November 2007
I67
Reviews In the Stacks
Death to Conception
We offer up unplanned death and planned birth. I By Rachel Pepper
EDITOR'S
PICK
From the mysterious death of a sister in a novel noir to the
mysteries of conception explained in two new works, this
month's picks span the spectrum of nonfiction. So whether
you're looking for a novel to curl up with on a crisp winter
night or prefer to read about the fascinating new world of assisted reproductive technology, these are the books for you.
SkirtFullof Black,
SunYungShin(Coffee
House):
In Shin'sglar- The Skin Beneath, Nairne Holtz (Insomniac Press)
inglyalivefirst bookof Canadian author and editor Nairne Holtz delivers an atmopoems,the politicsof spheric debut novel. The story, told retrospectively about the retransnational
adop- lationship between two
tionandthe ethicsof sisters, Chloe and Sam,
language
intersect. reaches back in time to
Poemslike"Immigrant discover the truth beSong"explorea hind Chloe's
death. Sam,
keenawareness
of
a capable and somewhat
language's
material
boi-leaning
20-somenature:"Fromlandover
thing
dyke,
puzzles
over
seaI It's a hardlyric...
an
anonymous
postcard
Keepcamping/ Plant
theflag/ Burytheburial that arrives five years afmound/ Putthe popin ter her older sister suppopular/Andthesigh posedly died of a drug
in science."Elsewhere, overdose in a New York
Shinintersperses
clini- City hotel. Sam moves to
cal-sounding
statistics Montreal to retrace her
abouttheadoptionof
sister's last year, meeting
Koreans
byU.S.famisome shady characters
lies-"a full-fledged
along the way, and enters into a relationship with her sister's old
'demand'/ for adopted
childrenhascontinued roommate. Eventually, Sam does find the truth, but that turns
to risein the industrial- out to feel much like an afterthought. Instead, the strengths of
izedworld,fertilityhas this mystery really lie in its smoky atmosphere and well-drawn
fallen."Thebookends scenes and characters. There's the restaurant where Sam ends
with"Vestibulary,"
a up working in Montreal, the parties she attends, the nightclubs
25-pagetransforma- where her girlfriend works as a stripper. And the players themtionof the Korean selves: Sam's gay father and his much younger lover, Steven;
Hangulalphabet.
Shin, conspiracy theorist Francis; Sam's volatile new femme girlfriend,
a Minneapolis-based
Romey; Omar, Chloe's mysterious ex-boyfriend; and Chloe
teacherandactivist,has
herself, revealed only by association now, through the distant
createdsomeof most
stunningnewpoetry memories of those who knew her. Finally, there's Sam: tattooed,
to comeoutthisyear. tall, slightly butch, emotionally detached but determined to find
the answers, even if it puts her right in harm's way. So many
(coffeehousepress.org)
lesbian
mysteries are devoid of any detail, floating along on the
- JuliaBloch
merest shreds of evidence, with no meaty characters to care
about. Enjoy The Skin Beneath for its depth and breadth and its
long slow pull toward the finish line. (insomniacpress.com)
68
Icurve
Everything Conceivable, Liza Mundy (Knopf)
and Queering Reproduction, Laura M_amo (Duke
University Press)
First came the how-to books for hopeful lesbian moms. Having
written one of those, I know a bit about the topic. The next wave
of books promoted the use of assisted reproductive technologies to achieve pregnancy, at any price. And now, riding the crest
of that wave, come the books examining the ones that came
before and critiquing the often unbelievable efforts of women
who will stop at nothing to have a baby. Liz Mundy, a reporter
for the Washington Post Magazine, strives high with Everything
Conceivable.She introduces complicated legal and familial settings whereby people at last achieve a biological child-whether
by surrogacy, egg transfer, sperm donorship by gay dads, single
moms or lesbians. In fact, there are entire chapters on lesbian
mothers and single moms (though not much overlap, unfortunately, for us single lesbian moms out there). Extensive research on the explosion in multiple births exposes the dangers
to parents' finances as well as their mental and physical health.
Mundy also tracks how the pro-life movement has actually
contributed to the rise in super multiples and how families are
bearing the brunt of this. There is a lot of queer inclusion here,
from profiles of gay dads
LAURAMAMO
to research on the identity-release sperm banks
that women initiated, to
eproduction
an interview with past
CURVE editor Gretchen
Lee about the conception and birth of her
daughter Rose. Mundy's
tone is mostly upbeat,
even while she describes
the agonizing choices
that parents-to-be and
doctors must make on
hhiemg Pregnancy
in i,e Age cl Technoscienc:e
the path toward creating
a healthy child, or deciding what to do with the rising glut of leftover embryos.
Queering Reproduction,by Laura Mamo, an assistant sociology professor at the University of Maryland, is a less enjoyable tome. Although well researched, it reads very much like a
scholarly paper by a non-mother and thus may turn off some
hopeful lesbian moms just looking for a good read on the topic.
Still, (Jthough a few important facts, like the popularity of the
pregnancy books cited, seem wrong or extremely out of date)
Mamo has done most of her homework well and works her way
through topics such as selecting a sperm donor and what she
calls technosperm, self-insemination, the biomedicine of assisted reproductive technologies, and the tensions between lesbian
motherhood as both a mainstream and revolutionary activity.
(dukeupress.edu)
.
ueer1ng
PAGE TURNERS
herownlife.Shecoversthespectrum
of sexuality,
frommildto wild,and
explainshowherreaders
canfind
theirownsexuality.
(tenspeed.com)
- KatiePeoples
Exit strategy what? Whether you're sick of the nevcrending"war on
terror" or just sick of the longstanding order not to ask or tell, this
reading list will increase your own military intelligence. -
CP
One of the Guys: Women as Aggressors
and Torturers, Ed. Tara McKelvey (Seal
Press): Though we usually think of women as the
Longing,
LustandLove,Ed.Shonia
L.Brown(Nghosi)
Browngetsit just
rightwith Longing,
LusfandLove,
a newcollection
of erotictalesby
AfricanAmerican
queerwomenfrom
all overthecountry.Longing's
authors
rangein experience;
however,
none
of thewomenarethe bignamesyou
mightfindin a mainstream
anthology
of lesbiansmut,andthe newvoices
aremostlyrefreshing.
Thebookis
dividedintothreesections,
which
compose
theanthology's
title,each
beginning
witha poem.In "Phase1:
Longing,"
womensharestoriesof first
encounters
andunfulfilledwishes.In
"Phase2: Lust,"onestorytellsof hot
lesbianescortsworkingin NewYork
City.Lastly,"Phase3: Love"is full of
real-deal,
"let's-snuggle-by-the-fireplace-and-ignore-all-our-friends"
stories,somedirtierthanothers.Though
someof thestoriesareunpolished
andamateur,
theauthorsabound
withspirit,sincerityandrawpassion.
Browngivesspaceandattentionto
voicesthatareneverloudenough.
(nghosi.com)-Catherine
Plato
victims of abuse and violence, when photos of the
Abu Ghraib prison-abuse scandal surfaced in 2004,
one of the most shocking was of then 21-year-old
Lynndie England, holding a male prisoner by a dog
leash. This collection of essays, including work by Eve
Ensler and Angela Davis, uses the Abu Ghraib scandal as a jumping-off point for a discussion of women's involvement
in abuse and torture. (sealpress.com)
TheYoga
Facelift:
TheAll-Natural,
Do-It-Yourself
Program
forLooking
Younger
andFeeling
Better,
MarieVeronique
Nadeau
(Conari):
Finally,
yogafor lazypeople!
Actually,
that's
Ask and Tell: Gay and Lesbian V..w
Speak Out,
nottoofarfromthetruth.Yoga
Facelift
Steve Estes (University of North Caronna
doespromote
relaxation
overexertion ".:;-1
J>ress):EstCfJinterview gayandlesbianveterans from
,
f,
I
asa wayoffightingsagging
andwrin- '
,
World War II through Iraq, tracingthe recent history
klingthroughtheyears.Hermethodof
t:.
of
U.S.military service leadingup to our current policy.
stretching
andworkingoutthefacial
This
essential
history colectiontellsthe stories we
muscles
followsthesamelogicas
were
never
meant
to
hear and.ultimatdy,ealls fur an end
exercise:
workit outor it sags.There
to one of America's
bastionsof homophobia.
(unc.eau)
aregeneral
exercises
aswellasones
SteveEstes
meantto targettroublespotslikethe
eyes.Andhey,it's cheaper
thanBotox.
Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities,
(conari.com)
- KP
Rebecca Solnit (Nation Books): It's easy to feel -powerless
Gleason's
GymTotalBodyBoxing
Workout
forWomen,
HectorRoca
andBruceSilverglade
(Fireside):
Afterweeksspenttrainingat
Gleason's
Gymfor MillionDollarBaby,
HilarySwankcameoutlookingfierce.
Shewassoinspiredbyhertransformation
thatsheagreedto write
UrbanTantra,
BarbaraCarrellas
theforeword
to Gleason's
Gym.In
(TenSpeed):BarbaraCarrellas
brings
thisnew,user-friendly
guide,boxing
herexperience
asa queerurbansex
expertsRocaandSilverglade
show
workerandherlessonsin Tantratoyouhowto swingbyfollowingtheir
getherin UrbanTantra.
Carrellas,
who
illustrated
workoutandnutritional
wasdissatisfied
withwhite,middletrainingplan.Beginners
will haveno
class,NewAgeTantraworkshops,
problempickingupthemoves,while
hascarvedoutherownlessonson
moreexperienced
boxersbenefit
howto havepassionate,
spiritualsex.
fromspecifictips.(simonsays.com)
Sheoutlinesthe basicsofTantraand
- SarahE.Brown
explainshowshehasadaptedit to
.
t'
.-
:
when it comes to world politics, but Solnit defends optimism and the
power of the individual in this slightly disorganized, ultimately inspiring celebration of activism. (nationbooks.org)
Women In the Line of Fire: What You Should Know
About WomenIn the Military, Erin Solan>{Seal Press):
Thoughwomen have traditionally served an invaluable role as auxiliaries or in extremis temporarycombatants,the U.S. hasresisted
giving military women the same status and responsibilityit givesto
In 2004 and 2005,journalist and
their male colleagues.
former army reserve lieutenant Solarotra¥eledt'O Iraq attd
Afghanistan to 6.nd women actuallyfightingand domi
so
again-st
successfully. Shedeconsrructs traditional argu.mma
women's full participation in battleandcallsfor an endto
one of the last formal barriers to our equality
at citizens.
(sealpress.com)
Baghdad Burning II: More Girl Blog from Iraq,
Riverbend (Feminist Press): In 2005, a 20-something middleclass Iraqi woman, known by her screen name Riverbend, published
her blog posts on life in her wartorn country as BaghdadBurning.This
sequel picks up in October 2004, just before Bush's re-election, and
begins with an open letter to Americans warning them about Dubya's
potential to worsen life for Iraqis as well as his own citizens. It continues to outline the struggles of Iraqi civilians, particularly young
women grappling with an increasingly fundamentalist government.
(feministpress.org)
November 2007
I69
Q+A
Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio
Serena Anderlini- D'Onofrio is an Italian, bisexual
grandmother in her 50s living in the Caribbean.
Her recently published book, Eros: A Journey of
Multiple Loves, was a finalist at the 2007 Lambda
Literary Awards. She arrived at this queer literary
gala in New York City in the early summer heat
with her poly girlfriend, another sexy grandma.
- StephanieSchroeder
How did the bisexual category
at the
Lammys come about?
I guess they felt it was about time. Also, [bisexual
activist) Sheela Lambert advocated for it-it was
time to fill the gap. It is rewarding in the sense that
there are certain books that would never make it onto the list if not for this category.
Why is it even important for bisexual to be a category?
The younger age groups take bisexuality for granted, I think, and don't understand that we
have had to fight for our rights both in the queer and straight communities. Lambda mirrors the larger queer scene and that is why it is important to be visible on their list.
How did you come to bisexual activism?
I came out in the bisexual community in San Diego at BiForum, which was a fantastic community with people like the late Fritz Klein (author of The Bisexual Option) and Regina
Reinhardt, Ph.D.
How does postmodern queer theory intersect or contrast with bisexual theory?
The queer theory argument defines gender as the most important factor, yet ignores the fact
that positing homosexual versus heterosexual erases those categories in between and creates a binarized system. In bisexual theory, and in my own scholarship, I see psychological differences where gender is much more complicated: There are intersex individuals,
queers, transgender people, etc. Of course, there is a surgical binary that exploits male
and female gender roles and imposes society's gender expectations on intersex and other
individuals.
Since you were married and have a child, when and how did you come to terms
with your queer sexuality?
I was married to an expat Frenchman, and there were always queer hints in my life, such as
looking at displays in sex shops, sexy queer postcards and various things with a queer
ingredient. In fact, my former husband was a cross-dressing performer at carnivals. My
first long-term female partner identified as a lesbian. And it was important historically to
establish that it was not important for her not to have men in her life in the sexual realm,
and I think that is true of the "pure'' lesbian community.
Tell us about your book.
I at first resisted the title Eros because of all the different associations. It's about Gaia, who
represents the politics of love. But, the other part of Eros is an evolving narrative toward
a personal history.
Gaia is theoretical. She represents the ecology of love and abundance, the sharing of resources,
the sharing of love and lovers, so that we always have what we need. And I think the sharing of love, polyamor}i is still a radical concept.
How did you find community in Puerto Rico?
Well, I work with an intentional community that embraces all sexualities, and I am beginning
to gather a group of like-minded academics at the university. At first I had conflict with
the administration of the department, but now we are proceeding with c'.1utionto create a
department within the college devoted to sexuality studies.
70
I curve
andthePMS,offersa
"PMSSurvivalGuide"to
straightmen.Theadvice
is pretty,um,straightforward-shut yourmouth
anddoanythingto make
herhappyif youwantto
getoutalive.Theoverall
toneof thebookblows
PMSoutof proportion-it
turnswomenintocartoon
characters
andmen
TheHedonist's
Guideto
pansies.
Marrakech,
PaulSullivan intoblubbering
- KatiePeoples
(Filmer,Ltd.):Whenyou
thinkof Marrakech,
do
youthink"hedonistic?"
Well,if not,thinkagain.
TheHedonist's
Guide
to Marrakech
is slightly
largerthanyourpocket
guideandprovidesthe
self-indulgent
travelerwith
information
onall eight
covetedhedonistsins:
playing,shopping,
partying,
snacking,
eating,drinking RisingStorm,Jlee
Meyer(BoldStrokes):
andsleeping.
Withglossy
picturesanddescriptions Thesagaof FirstInstinct
continues
for Conn,a
suchasthese-"if you
secret
operative,
andher
preferluxuryandpamperlover,
Leigh.
Hiding
away,
ingoverlocalexperience"
theyaresafefromConn's
and"vastandridiculouslyopulent"-this guide world.Whentheircover
showseveninexperienced is blown,theyareforced
intoaction.Buttheynever
pleasure-seekers
howto
forget
to getit onbetween
beexcessive.
(hg2.com)
harrowingescapescenes.
- ColleenM.Lee
(boldstrokesbooks.
com)
Jenna
V.
Loceff
ThePrincessflhe
Prince
andthePMS,Elizabeth
TheHedonist's
Guide
Goodman,
BrianYoung
to
London,
FleurBritten
andHerbTanzer
(Filmer,
Ltd.):Thisguide
(Quantum
Leaves):
Half
tackles
the
Londonscene
of thisbookwill bealmost
withits characteristic
completely
useless
to the
and
cuRVEaudience,
sincehalfof flairfor decadence
debauchery.
It
features
tips
thebookis targetedat men
ranging
from
which
pubs
dealingwiththeirfemale
will helpyougetsoused
partners'PMS.Though
queerpennedThePrincess likea localto thebest
placesto gorgeyourself
andthePMSseems
after
a longdayof cultural
targetedat theaverage
and
artistic
indulgence.
straightwomandealing
withhermassivehormone- It's hardnotto likea guide
that'sbrimmingoverwith
chargedmoodswings.
tips
to helpyouliveit up.
Toutingitselfas"ThePMS
Despite
thefactthatit
Owner'sManual,"it deals
lacks
a
section
onwhere
outmedicaldefinitions
thegirlsare,slang-infused
andtracesthehistory
clubdescriptions
will help
of PMS(formerlyknown
you
party
like
a
lady-killer
ashysteriaandtreated
nomatterwhereyougo.
withvibrators-ah,the
(hg2.com)
- SarahE.
goodolddays).Theflip
Brown
side(literally),ThePrince
Sapphic Screen
Reviews
Girl Love Goes International
I
Lesbian romantic comedies aren'tjust a U.S. speciality. By Candace Moore
Lesbian rom-coms have certainly become more plentiful, and
they've also gotten thematically broader lately. These new feelgood flicks feature an ensemble cast, and while two girls in
love is still the typical plotline, family, friends and intertwined
strangers create full, complex story arcs.
Nina's Heavenly Delights (Regent Releasing)
The delights of director Pratibha Parmar's new film register on
all the senses. After skipping out on an arranged marriage to
Sanjay Khanna (Raji James), the heir to Glasgow curry house
The Jewel in the Crown, Nina Shah (Shelley Conn) returns to
Scotland to attend her father's funeral. When she finds out that
her dad entered their family restaurant, The New Taj, into a
curry competition before he died, Nina takes up his cause of
returning the eatery to its former glory rather than selling out
to the Khannas. With the help of her cute neighbor Lisa, who
turns up the heat on her sauces, as well as the cheers of her
ffi'
8
(.)
o
o
family and friends and a few spiritual cooking lessons from her
dad's ghost, Nina battles the finalist chefs (including Sanjay)
in her father's place. When Lisa makes it clear that she'd like
to do more for Nina than prep in the kitchen, Nina finds the
courage to "follow her heart:' Full of Indian-accented Scottish
brogues, Bollywood dance numbers camped up by the "Chutney
Queens;' colorful costumes and mouthwatering dishes parading
across the screen, Nina's Heavenly Delights simmers with sensual
and multicultural pleasures. The movie is as much about honor-
ing family and tradition as it is about enjoying and celebrating
variety. As Nina learns, it's not about precision ingredients, it's
about pleasure, trust and love. (regentreleasing.com)
Tick Tock Lullaby (Valiant Doll)
Tick Tock is an elegant and irreverent British comedy about two
30-something lesbians who decide to become parents, go about
"stalking" sperm and come to grips with how improvisational
their adulthood still feels. Sasha (Lisa Gornick) is a cartoonist
who's set up housekeeping with saucy attorney Maya (Raquel
Cassidy). In love, the two are also constantly at play, tumbling
about in the park, riding each other like horsies in the living
room, calling whomever mounts the other (sexually) "Big Boy:'
As they collaborate and carp over which one will get preggers
first and expose their fears about measuring up as moms, Sasha's
ink-wash drawings and contemplative voiceovers guide a mercilessly funny exploration of their undertaking. Posed hypotheticals, intimate experiences and made-up characters line-drawn
within Sasha's comic come to life in the film, as it cuts musically
between art, life and the imagined lives of two straight women
who are also trying to get knocked up. The actors reveal every
scrap of their quirky characters, and the camera catches many
face one gives when telling a
expressions that ring true-the
necessary lie to a lover or sneaking a smoke-along with selfconscious ones-when the script and actors simply outsmart
and strip down the guise of the film, peel it away and hit home.
ExesandOhs(Logo):
If youhaven'tcaught
in an
MichelleParadise
episodeof Logo'snew
ExesandOhs,runto the
TVremoteandcatchit
whilefreshepsarestill
airing.Thissexyand
hilariousseriesfrom
directorLeeFriedlander
andwriter/starMichelle
is theteleviParadise,
of their
sionadaptation
funnyandsardonicshort
A Lesbian
film TheRules:
Paradise
SurvivalGuide.
playsa not-so-recently
dumpeddocumentary
filmmakerwithanactive
bringing
imagination,
to the rolea dyke-nextdoorvibeandsuperb
comictiming.Witha
castof sexy,kookyand
sublimefriendslikeSam
(MarnieAlton)andGen
Y-erCrutch(Heather
Exesis
Matarazzo),
engaging.
thoroughly
ButbeyondParadise
there'soneotherscene
stealerin theshow:
actorMeganCavanagh.
Thatchick-who's
from
beenin everything
and
HomeImprovement
A Leagueof TheirOwn
to JimmyNeutronand
Friends-isfreakin'
hilarious.Catchit in
rerunsif youhaveto.
com)
(logononline.
-DAM
November 2007
j
71
Q+A
Irena Fayngold
Director Irena Fayngold's documentary Hineini (boston-keshet.org)
is about a teen's struggle to form a
gay-straight alliance in her Jewish
high school in Boston and how the
process changed everyone, including
four closeted gay teachers who came
out. Fayngold tells CURVE about the
experience.- SheelaLambert
What does hineini mean?
Hineini is Hebrew for "here I am:'
Why this documentary? What
were you hoping to show people by documenting Shulamit's
struggle?
I wanted to show what it takes to
make change. Shulamit is so successful not just because she is brave.
One of her greatest strengths as
a leader is her ability to reach out
to others. She took risks by seeking out students and teachers who
would help her. They could have rejected her-and some did. But she took that risk and because
of it many did step up. This is not one girl's story. It takes a community of people to change an
institution and her strength was that she was able to understand that.
I was amazed by the catalyst effect Shulamit had on her school. Eventually, four teachers who had been in the closet came out. I was surprised that there were any gay
teachers at a religious school, let alone four.
I think that gay teachers, even closeted ones, were attracted to this school because it was pluralistic (inclusive of orthodox, conservative, reform and secular students]. The New Jewish High
School of greater Boston took on the challenge of pluralism very sincerely. How often in our
daily lives are we given a chance to openly and respectfully engage with a person who has opposing points of view? This happened every day at the school.
Were there any surprises? Challenges?
Our biggest challenge was access to the school. The day after our first video shoot for Hineini we got
a phone call from the headmaster, Rabbi Lehmann. The school board voted to deny us permission to film on school property, reversing Lehmann's decision to allow it. It was a huge hurdle for
us. How could we tell a visual story about a school without any video images of it? Fortunately,
after two and half years of production, the board finally reversed its decision. So it's a good thing
it took us so long to make.
As a woman with a husband and a baby, what was your connection to the queer
community at the time you started out, and how has doing this film deepened your
understanding?
I am very happily married to a man, but I think deep down I am bi. Since I had questioned my own
sexuality at one time in my life, this gave me some insight as I began to do research and meet the
students and teachers I would interview for the film.
In the film, Shulamit thought it might be her calling to reinterpret the Torah in light of
her understanding that being Jewish and gay is OK. Has she follo~ed up on that?
Shulamit is entering rabbinical school this upcoming fall at the Reconstructionist Seminary.
72
Icurve
Honest sex talk is fluid here and isn't all tied up in
identity, but the film also revels in role-play and
fantasy as the intellectual equivalent of sex. The
film asks, How can we play out our curiosities?
The film also provides the answer: through the
imagination and through art itself Lisa Gornick
wrote, directed, produced, starred in (and drew!)
this film. A rarity: smart, light, deep, fun, very
witty and very queer. (valiantdoll.co.uk)
Out at the Wedding (Goff-Kellam
Productions)
Lee Friedlander's newest film has the edginess,
humanity and humor of her last, Girl Play, but
this time her work looks less low-budget-and
Out at the Wedding'snot just slicker, it's more fully
realized. A string of plot dominos first gets flicked
when New Yorker Alex (Andrea Marcellus), back
in the South for her sister's wedding, is confronted with the rumor that she's a lesbian. Jonathan
(Charlie Schlatter) is Alex's gay best friend and
is as close to a stereotype as possible without inviting GLAAD hate mail. Schlatter, however,
charmingly carries Jonathan off with such malevolent glee (he's renovating a fixer-upper boyfriend
by slowly starving and secretly exercising him)
that the character actually works and, not only
that, provides hilarity. Unknown to her family,
the very straight Alex has already accepted a ring
from a guy (Mystro Clark) she clearly loves, but
she's so afraid of telling the Wonder Breads that
he's half black that she enacts her own form of racism, assuming the family will digest girl-on-girl
better than interracial love. (OK, there's definitely
room to be offended here.) Things get infinitely
more palatable, though, when all the film's characters start to talk about how crummy Alex's paradigm is. Things also improve when Risa (Cathy
DeBuono), a softball-loving, sober, vegan handywoman (who is mad handsome!) literally falls in
Alex's lap. So what does Alex do, at Jonathan's
urging? When her sister flies into the Big Apple to
meet Alex's new Sapphic sweetie, she pays Risa to
pretend to be starry-eyed, but not to fall head over
heels. Foolishness ensues, but old and newfound
family ties prevail. With unapologetic, fast-paced
humor, this movie pokes fun at the masquerades
we so often make ourselves play. (golfkellam.com)
ally against a pharmaceutical compan
DVD PICKS
MaplePalm(FATfilms):
American
AmyandQuebecoise
Nicolehavelivedasa couple
for 15yearsin LosAngeles,
untila trip to theStatueof
Liberty-that iconof American
refuge-ironicallyoutsNicole
asan illegalimmigrant.
When
an immigration
officerhunts
themdown,thecouplemust
decidewhetherto fleenorthwardtogetheror partways.
Neitherthescriptnortheacting
is Oscar-worthy
(thoughthe
screenplay
didgarneracclaim
fromthe Independent
Feature
Project),
andthesoundtrack
will embarrass
youin frontof
yourstraightfriends,but Maple
Palm'sstoryis compelling
enoughto carryit throughsome
of its moreamateurmoments.
Aboveall,thefilm drawsattentionto the absolutenecessityof same-sexmarriageand
immigration
rightsin a tangible
way.(maplepalmmovie.com)
- Catherine
Plato
in a mostdeadlyfashion.Ina
funandmovingdocumentary
certainway,it's theoldtale
experience,
dueto thespiritual
of thefemalespiderandher
sincerety,
youthfulgoofiness
unfortunate
mate.Thestoryis
andintelligentreflections
of the
notparticularly
well-rounded
or film'syounglesbiansandgays.
logicalasa mystery,andit was (logoonline.com)-US
oddto seeit setin a French
insteadof a Britishcontext.
Butthe characters
retaintheir
fascination,
andSmet'sSentais
a superb,classicfemmefatale
whoradiatesacrossthescreen
andletstheviewersimultaneouslyunderstand,
envyandpity
Philippe.
(firstrunfeatures.com)
- UrsulaSteck
lHflllfflfltWMAf·
m.EVE.
~:
/
Ride a motorcycle across Wisconsin
trip your way through law school?
Build your own house.
... .._,
Stephanie
Daley(Regent
I loveddirector
Releasing):
HilaryBrougher's
first feature,
thesci-ti,timetravelqueer'50s
noirStickyFingersof Time,so
muchsothat I namedoneof
myownfictionalcharacters
afterits heroine.
Thatprobably
won'thappenwith Stephanie
quiet
Daley,anextradordinarily
butprovocative
film starring
CampOut(Logo):
A Bible
TildaSwintonand
campexclusively
for gayyouth? powerhouse
AmberTamblyn,
Whatmaysoundlikea contra- a remarkable
butonlybecause
the unraveling
dictionin termsactuallytook
mysteryof thefilm, in which
placein Minnesota
in 2004,
is a 16-yearoldfacing
andthe 1Oteenagers
involved Tamblyn
murderchargesin thedeathof
showandeloquently
describe
hernewborn,
is soinsidiously
thespiritual,personal
and
politicalexploration
thatoccurs startlingthat I wantedto shake
thefilm off for daysafterit
duringtheirdaysat camp.For
ended.Handsdownoneof the
mostof themtheircoming
bestactorsof hergeneraoutautomatically
putthem
TheBridesmaid
(FirstRun
tion,Swintonplaysa pregnant
at oddswiththechurches
of
Features):
Whatan interestforensicpsychologist
leftwith
theirchildhood,
whichnotonly
ingproject:ClaudeChabrol,
thetaskof breakingthroughthe
deniedtheseChristian
youths
grandmaster
of creepyFrench
emotionally
catatonicTamblyn's
thesupportandstructurethey
cinema,takesa bookbyRuth
longedfor butbetrayed
(oreven wallsto findoutwhatreally
Rendell,
queenof the British
happened,
all thewhilejuggling
outrightdestroyed)
theirtrust
psycho-mystery,
andturnsit
herownhighriskpregnancy
in organized
religion.Someof
intoa movie.Andyoucantell
andcrumblingmarriage.
In
thesewoundsbeginto heal
thattheirmindsarecertainly
duringthedaysat camp,which an unusualaddedbonus:the
wovenfromthe samefabric.
filmmakerspartnered
with
is organized
bygaypastor
TheBridesmaid
tellsthe story
Planned
Parenthood
during
Jay,whohimselfstill hasto
of the mysterious,
beautiful,
theirmarketing
of thefilm and
facediscrimination
withinhis
butclearlycrazySenta(Laura
DVDrelease.
Church, thissubsequent
Smet),whoenchantsbathroom LutheranEpiscopalian
Howmanyfilmmakersdothat?
whereonlyhisownconsalesman
Philippe(Benoit
(stephaniedaley-themovie.
com)
and
Magimel)
andchallenges
himto gregationhasaccepted
- DianeAnderson-Minshall
ordainedhim.CampOutisa
provetheirlovefor eachother
l
CuRvE's readers are among the
most fascinating women out
there, which is why you make
for the most interesting interviews. Are you ready to share
your story with the world?
If so, we want to hear it.
Tell us your story at
editor@curvemag.com and
you may just find yourself in
the pages of cuRvE.
Where your story is our story ...
November 2007
I 73
Reviews Music Watch
,_. Girl
I
·.~
Groups Galore
I
Watch out, here they come in all their riot glory. By Margaret Coble
EDITOR'S
PICK
WhenYourFeetHit
theStars,CarrieBiell
(self-released):
Seattle'sCarrieBiell
hasbeentaking
the musicworldby
stormsinceshewas
17.Raisedbydeaf
parents,thistalented
ladygotherstart
playingin Seattle's
cafeswith hertwin
sisterin 8th grade.
Herlatestreleaseis
the perfectrainyday,
I-want-to-write-in-myjournalkindof music.
Biell'ssoft,breathy
voiceandsoulful
lyrics,combined
with
anacousticguitar,
hearkenbackto '70s
folk rock.You'llwantto
Since the days of Motown and Phil Spector, girl groups have been
gazeouta windowall
a constant on the musical landscape-albeit in a wide array of
day.(carriebiell.com)
- KatiePeoples configurations and musical styles. The U.K:s the Pipettes, Japan's
Oreskaband and France's Plastiscines all offer their unique, new,
millennial take on the concept, with compelling results.
Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me, EP,The Pipettes
(Cherrytree/lnterscope)
74
Icurve
Purportedly lashing out at the plethora of too,serious male indie
rock bands on the scene in recent years, and in celebration of all
things pop, silly and fun, hipster Brits the Pipettes (pronounced
"pip;' not "pipe") have created quite a retro,mod,cum,indie,pop
stir. The three members of the Pipettes-RiotBecki, Rosay and
Gwenno-write
all their own songs and style their own im,
age, unlike many of their early predecessors (to whom they pay
tribute). Their backup band, called the Cassettes, is all male and
consists of Jon, Robin, Seb and Monster Bobby. Highly polished
and sing,along catchy, they update the traditional '50s and '60s
girl,group sound with modern lyrics and attitude while retaining
the synchronized outfits, the hair and the dance moves of yore.
This four,song EP marks their U.S. debut, after they took the
U.K. and Europe by storm in 2005 and 2006; the U.S. release
of their 2006 U.K. debut album We Are the Pipettes will be out
by the time you read this. Of the four cuts offer_edon this EP,
the lead,off "Your Kisses Are Wasted on Me" is the straight,
away winner. I challenge anyone to stay still while listening to
this hand,clapping, jangly guitar dance ditty. The other cuts, "I
Love You;' "Really That Bad;' and "Guess Who Ran Off With
the Milkman?" aren't as instantly infectious, but are variations on
similar musical themes. Check their U.K. Web site for videos and
an audio stream of their full,length album, including their smash
hit"Pull Shapes:' Fun stuff. (thepipettes.co.uk)
Oreskaband, Oreskaband (Terry Dollar Records)
Working the androgynous school kid uniform, complete with
ties, this six,piece Japanese ska band has become an international
sensation this year. Formed in 2003, when band members Ikasu,
Tae,San, Leader, Saki, Moriko and Tomi were middle school
classmates in Osaka, Oreskaband quickly gained recognition
around Japan due to its high,energy live shows. By the time the
girls entered high school, they'd landed a major label record deal
with Sony Music Japan. They made their U.S. debut last spring
at the South by Southwest Music Conference in Austin, Texas,
and they played several dates on the Vans Warped Tour last sum,
mer, as well. All hype aside, though, Oreskaband very successfully
put its own ska,pop twist on the girl,group formula, resulting
in an ultra,catchy, super,bubbly, irresistibly danceable sound,
sung partly in Japanese, partly in English. This U.S. debut disc
combines material from the Japanese debut EP Ore and 2007 LP
Girl Groups Galore continuedon page 77
a
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OTHER LICKS
Count
including
ite collaborators,
Basie,JoePassandAndrePrevin.
com)
(concordmusicgroup.
EllenCherry(self-rleased):
Years,
singer-songBaltimore-based
writerandhistorymajorKristin
alteregooffersan
Putchinski's
conceptalbumfeaturing
engaging
from
vignettes
six period-piece
of variouswomen
theperspective
in differentwalksof life,e.g.,a
widow("1864:A CivilWar
mourning
survivor("1912:
Bride"),a Titanic
VioletSwims")anda stifledsubur("1950:InsideThe
banhousewife
MusicBox").(ellencherry.com)
Redcar
Can'tBeStopped,
HeatherReid
Ex-Murmur,
(Phyllis):
hasa new
(akaHeatherGrady),
bandproject,namedfor hermothhometown.
er's NorthernEngland
popdebut
This10-trackalternative
spotlightsReid'sdistinctiveclasvocalsand
sic-rock-meets-Bjork
oncutslike
masterfulsongwriting
thetitle trackandtheJill Sobule
"LongSleeves(Anne
collaboration
Marie)."(myspace.com/redcarrocl(J
Q+A
Victoria Collins
Victoria Collins, an out lesbian rapper
who performs under the stage name
Young V, grew up in Bronzeville, Ill.
and now resides in the Englewood
neighborhood on the South Side of
Chicago. Entertainment has always
been a major part of Collins' life. She
has worked in radio, television and
theater, and has sung in choirs. She
became interested in rap after listening to a group of young guys freestyling and was encouraged to write her
own music. - Alena M. Scarver
What is the major content of
your music and what motivates
you to speak out about those
topics?
StereoTotal(Kill
Paris-Berlin,
RockStars):ThezanyBerlinduoare
based,French-German
set
backwithanothertresEuropean
electroof ironic,lo-ti,synth-pop
punkthatcallsto mindeverything
to '90s
I SeeRed,UhHuhHer(Plaid):This from'60sFrenchchansons
in
techno,andeverything
German
five-songEPfrom TheL Wordstar
Whoelsecouldpulloff an
between.
LeishaHaileyandhernewmusi(stereototal.de)
odeto PattyHearst?
cal partnerCamilaGreyhasfans
eagerlyawaitingtheiranticipated
spring2008full-lengthalbum.Don't
2.0,though.
expectthe Murmurs
Thisnew,ripe-for-the-dance-floor
soundis equalpartselectronicand
pop-rock,withcooingvocalsontop.
(uhhuhher.com)
OnDVD
AdriAnne
Liveat theSouthern,
a
Recorded
Lenker(LucidTunes):
few daysbeforeher15thbirththe
day,thislivesetshowcases
talentsof theMinneapolisamazing
whois
basedsinger-songwriter,
LoveLettersfromElla,Ella
dueto
Jewel,
to
compared
often
(Concord/Starbucks):
Fitzgerald
sound
acoustic-pop
the late,greatvocalist's herhushed,
Celebrating
andsoft,breathyvoice.A nicely
9othbirthday,this collectionof
callingcardforthissureproduced
lovesongs
unreleased
previously
(adrianne.com)-MC
star.
to-be
favorfeaturessomeof Fitzgerald's
For the most part, I rap about gentrification, the Iraq War, teenage
pregnancy, and elementary and
high school drop-out rates. I try
to incorporate issues that will transcend to various cities nationwide. I
stay away from love songs because this is a male-dominated industry. If a
female rapper openly expresses how she feels about a woman the way men
do, it wouldn't be accepted. And people would judge me more on sexuality
than talent.
How does music fit into your future plans?
I want to be an all-around entertainer. My future plans include acting, directing [films], and promoting entertainers. I would like to start a performing
arts center for youth in Chicago. Every child can be inspired if you provide
an outlet as a pathway for success.
Who are some of the people that you admire in life?
My parents, and Tupac and Nikki Giovanni. My parents have always passed
on knowledge and history to me. They always taught me to be dedicated
and never give up. Tupac is one of the greatest rappers in history. You can
listen to a Tupac song and envision everything he's talking about. Nikki
Giovanni is one of my most favorite poets. She is a strong, beautiful black
woman. Tupac and Nikki like are political poets.
You are currently an unsigned recording artist. So how do you promote your music?
My producer is responsible for my promotion. I finished a mix tape, and he
wants me to come to Atlanta to ,start working on a media package. He is
in Atlanta pitching my music and trying to promote me for entertainment
venues.
What do you hope people will learn by listening to your music?
I want people to learn that you don't always have to make dance music in
order to get people to listen. I want to go back to the original hip-hop. I
want to show people that women don't have to rap about sex, money, cars
and clothes. You can be successful if you have
November 2007 j 75
Reviews
I Tried It
My First Opera Outing
I learned to love opera despite its apparent lack of diversity.
I By Kate Lacey
To our right sat a very pregnant African American woman in her 30s with
her very dapper husband. Behind us were four African American teenagers.
This was their first opera, too. They had won their tickets at school and were
excited. We were seeing Aida by Verdi. It deals with Egyptian and African
culture, which has a more diverse appeal than, say, The Barber of Seville. Not
many lesbians seemed to be gracing these hallowed halls, though I did note a
few gay male couples. And for bonus points, I spotted one African American
gay male couple. It seemed to me that the drama, the jealousies, the socially
unacceptable love triangles would be right up the lesbian alley. But you just
don't know what you're missing until you give it a try.
I was relieved to note the TV screens plastered throughout the auditorium, and the giant screen above the stage that would convert the words being
sung from Italian to English. And I could see the appeal of the opera to gay
men. Even the female divas looked like drag queens, with their larger-thanlife costumes and caked-on makeup. Every man in the cast wore a dress. OK,
actually, they wore tunics, as per ancient Egyptian culture, but still, a lot of
leg was being shown.
I did note some similarities between baseball and the opera. The graceful movement of the conductor was not unlike the seamless windup of the
pitcher. The crowd had their favorite players, like the flawless Lisa Daltirus,
Sometimes you have to do things to appease your partner. My girlfriend will
sit through nine innings of baseball, even though the pace of the game makes
her want to poke out her eyes. To pay her back, I purchased opera tickets for
her birthday. The only Opry I was familiar with was called the Grand 01:
Now, don't get me wrong-I'm not totally bereft of culture. I love Broadway
musicals and theater. I just hadn't taken that leap to the higher octaves.
I was under the impression that the opera was for rich, white, straight
people who like to put on fancy duds to listen to a cacophony of screechingin another language, no less. I felt that the opera was elitist and inaccessible
to the average person. My girlfriend disagreed, noting that music is universal
and that passion is timeless. It sounded a bit high-falutin' to me, but I paid the
exorbitant price for orchestra seats.
I own neither a ball gown nor a tuxedo, so I slapped on a black suit and
my girlfriend got all dolled up in a lovely,flowy dress. Getting dressed up, she
told me, is half the fun. Wincing in my tight dress shoes, I couldn't imagine
what the other half was.
Our city's music hall is a breathtakingly beautiful venue, with grandiose
architecture, high ceilings and lavish chandeliers. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the music, I grew excited as I walked into the lobby. I noticed that it
was shoulder to shoulder with the over-50 crowd. They formed a bobbing sea
of white heads in long gowns and tuxedos. Picture an AARP Lilith Fair and
you get the idea. Instead of hemp necklaces, they fondled opera glasses that
cost more than my car payment. I was just about to turn to my companion
and reiterate my assertion regarding the demographic being served by this
event-old, white, straight and rich-when I stopped to notice that we were
surrounded by African Americans.
76
I curve
I was underthe impressionthat opera
was for rich,white, straightpeoplewho
liketo put on fancydudsto listento a
cacophonyof screeching- in another
language,no less.
who played Aida. Her arias were the equivalent of home runs, but rather than
doing the wave, polite clapping and an occasional shout of"Brava" was all the
support she got from this crowd. Rather than a seventh-inning stretch, we
got intermissions-four
of them in all-each featuring the all-too-familiar
line to the women's room. And, just like at a sporting event, we used binoculars (i.e., opera glasses) to get a better look at the action. No beer, however.
Patrons of the arts sip champagne and nibble designer chocolates rather than
peanuts. And finally, there is no lack of athleticism in the dancers or in the
stamina of the opera stars, who sing nonstop at dizzying depths and heights
for close to three hours.
I was mesmerized by the intricate sets, and as the music swept over and
through me during a powerful aria I suddenly understood why my girlfriend
loved the opera so much. It gave me chills. The complex harmonies and layers of sound make the Indigo Girls sound one-dimensional. But by the end
of the very long show, we were getting a bit slap-happy as the singers were
making the most of their tragic situation, wailing, "Oh, sweet joyous death" at
the prospect of being buried alive together. Maybe three acts are all any show
needs. My girlfriend has claimed that five innings are plenty for a ball game.
I hope more operas will explore diverse cultures, including gay culture.
Who knows, perhaps someone will write an opera about the drama of Ellen
and Ann Heche. Now that's one I'd pay good money to see.
Long Live the Little Gals continued from page 64
Girl Groups Galore continued from page 74
TACO CHULO (WILLIAMSBURG, N.Y.)
WAO!! ("We Are Oreskaband!!"), with 13 solid
cuts that result in a cohesively exuberant album.
Greta Dana and Dija Amer infused this comfortably upscale, vegan-friendly Brooklyn establishment with enough West Coast flavor to satisfy
even the most demanding palates. Fans come from
all over the East Coast to get a taste of their authentic "pimped-out burritos;' homemade salsas,
guacamole, horchata and other sensational grub.
Taco Chulo proves that fresh, well-seasoned
Mexican food served in a lesbian-owned New
York joint can be just as fabulous as anything
dished up in the West. (tacochulo.com)
From the horn-filled intro rev-up "Pantime;• to
singles like "Pinocchio" and "Knife & Folk;' the
girls prove themselves to be highly skilled musicians who know their way around a ska song with
plenty of pop sheen. They even offer a cover of the
ska classic"Monkey Man (Monkey Monkey Man)"
by the Specials, in collaboration with ska legend
Rico Rodriguez, in addition to harder rock-outs
like"U:'
RUB-A-DUB DOG DO-IT-YOURSELF DOG
WASH (SEATTLE)
When Carrie Eschenken opened Seattle's first
do-it-yourself dog wash, she wanted to create a
place for "big, hairy, stinky dogs and their owners:•
Nearly 10 years later, Rub-a-Dub offers the best
of both worlds for pet owners: they can get down
and dirty with their dogs and Rub-a-Dub handles
the cleanup. Yay! No more dog hair in the drains.
(rubadubdog.biz)
SABLE MAGAZINE (NEW YORK CITY)
Now that Venus is no longer aimed at the LGBT
community, we hope lesbians of color turn to the
five-year-old bimonthly online Sable magazine.
Founder Susan A. Webley and her editorial team
have put together a site that speaks to the multifaceted experiences of queer women of color. It's
free to join, but users are charged a small fee in
8' order to take advantage of all its offerings, like artides, personals and community forums. Aiming
to "celebrate her relationships, value her families
::::,
cJi ... (and) give her the motivation to go a little furi ther, reach a little higher;' Sable provides a space
ti:
x'.
for less-heard queer voices. (sablemagazine.com)
LP1, Plastiscines(Virgin Music)
With a more straight-up retro punk/new wave
vibe, the French quartet Plastiscines are another under-20 group offering a different take
on the standard girl group formula. Originating
from the same Paris high school in 2004, Katty
Besnard, Marine Neuilly, Louise Basilien and
Zazie Tavitian took their name from a line in the
Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds;•
and have been equally influenced by '70s and '80s
rockers-from the Ramones to the B-52s-as
well as modern indie-rock groups like the Strokes
and the White Stripes. In true punk rock fashion, their entire 13-track debut album clocks in
at under 27 minutes, averaging barely two minutes a piece-ironic, yes, for an album titled LPl
(LP being an acronym for "long-playing"). But
their brevity does not cut down on their fun or
danceability factor. The brash lead-off cut "Shake
(Twist Around The Fire)" and bouncy "Rake"
are two of the band's earliest efforts, but they fit
right in with more recent fare like the first single,
"Loser;' sung entirely in French except the title
refrain. "Pop In, Pop Out!" has a very groovy '60s
feel to it, like the French pop of that era; "(Zazie
Fait de la) Bicyclette" is a whimsical new wave
ditty; "Mister Driver" has a tinge of classic rock
mixed in with its new wave; and "Human Rights"
is their political anthem. A very solid album that
deserves to be heard from beginning to end ... on
repeat. (myspace.com/plastiscine)
2007 Statement of Ownership
Publication Title: Curve.
Publication No.: 0010-355.
Filing Date: Sept.17, 2007.
Issue Frequency: Monthly except bi-monthly
Jan/Feb and July/ Aug. Number oflssues Published
Annually: 10; Annual Subscription Price: $49.95
Complete Mailing Address: 1550 Bryant St. Ste.
510, San Francisco, CA 94103-4856.
Contact Person: Sara Jane Keskula
Telephone: (415) 863-6538 xlO.
Publisher: Frances Stevens, 1550 Bryant St. Ste.
510, San Francisco, CA 94103-4856. Editor:
Diane Anderson-Minshall, 1550 Bryant St. Ste.
510, San Francisco, CA 94103-4856. Managing
Editor: Colleen Lee, 1550 Bryant St. Ste. 510, San
Francisco, CA 94103-4856. Owner(s): Outspoken
Enterprises, 1550 Bryant St. Ste. 510, San
Francisco, CA 94103-4856; Frances Stevens, 1550
Bryant St. Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 941034856; Katie Sanborn, 116 Bark Ct.,
Half Moon Bay,CA 94109.
Publication Title: Curve.
Issue Date for Circulation Data: Oct. 2007.
Extent and Nature of Circulation: Average
No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12
Months: A) Total No. Copies Net Press Run:
71,445. B) Paid Circulation. (By Mail and Outside
the Mail) (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid
Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541: 18,010; (2)
Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated on
Form 3541: O;(3) Paid Distribution Outside
the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and
Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other
Paid Distribution outside USPS: 42,888; (4) Paid
Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the
USPS: 1,098. C) Total Paid Distribution: 61,996.
D) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution by Mail
and Outside the Mail: (1) Free or Nominal Rate
Outside-County Copies included on Form 3541:
1,513; (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies
included on Form 3541: 46; (3) Free or Nominal
Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Mailed
Through the USPS: 440; (4) Free orNominal Rate
Distribution Outside the Mail: 4,500. E) Total
Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 6,499. F) Total
Distribution: 68,495. G) Copies Not Distributed:
2,950. H) Total: 71,445. I) Percent Paid 90.51%.
Extent and Nature of Circulation/No. Copies of
Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date A)
Total No. Copies Net Press Run: 72,681. B) Paid
Circulation. (By Mail and Outside the Mail) (1)
Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions Stated
on Form 3541: 18,082; (2) Mailed In-County
Paid Subscriptions Stated on Form 3541 O;(3)
Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including
Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street
Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Non-USPS:
43,203; (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes
of Mail Through the USPS: 1,022. C) Total Paid
Distribution: 62,307. D) Free or Nominal Rate
Distribution (by Mail and Outside the Mail): (1)
Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County as Stated
on Form 3541: 1,525; (2) Free or Nominal Rate
In-County Copies included on Form 3541: 46;
(3) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Mailed at
Other Classes Through the USPS: 450; (4) Free
or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail:
4,550. E) Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution:
6,571. F) Total Distribution: 68,878. G) Copies
Not Distributed: 3,803. H) Total: 72,681. I)
Percent Paid: 90.46%. Publication of Statement of
Ownership: November 2007.
November 2007
I 77
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Whole Lesbian Sex Book
A Passionate Guide
for All of Us
by Felice Newman
All-new second edition completely revised and
updated throughout
$24.95, 300 pages ISBN 1·57344-199-6
Call to Order! (800) 780-2279
or order online: www.cleispress.com
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vintagebedsofdistinetion.1:0111
November 2007
I 79
Top Ten Reasons We love Vermillion Lies
have to be only sexy or only smart or only silly-it
can be all of those things at once:'
4. Youcan participate,too. In fact, you have no
choice. "Our performance is like theater;' Zoe
says. "We can't just do it without anyone paying
attention:' From playing a handed-out instrument to singing along, these girls inspire-and
require-full audience participation.
5. TheirnewEPis a "scream-along."
Along with
an exceptionally participatory audience, the girls
arranged an EP full of songs that allow for various
forms of singing along-including screaming.
6. Theymake musicfor peoplewho wear hats.
These sisters love wearing hats, "fluffy undies;'
corsets and any other vaudeville-inspired garment, and they encourage anyone coming to their
shows to do the same.
7. Theyrollwith a posse.The Vermillion Sisters,
groups of burlesque-inspired dancers, have joined
them on stage in many towns along their tour.
In addition to these sexy sirens, the sisters often
share the stage with other cabaret comrades, and
they are always looking for people to join in the
fun.
8. Their parentslove them and so shouldyou!
Recently their mother arranged a show for them
in Toronto and brought 150 of her friends to
come see it; their father bought them a van to go
on tour.
What do global warming, lobster squeaky toys
and a circus of zombies have in common? They're
all a part of the "thrift store cabaret" that is
Vermillion Lies. Drawing upon the dance, circus
and art classes they took as kids, Zoe and Kim
Boekbinder (vermillionlies.com) have put together a vaudeville-inspired show that will quite
litera).ly have you laughing your pants off. Their
quirky quips and amusing antics form an engaginging and entertaining experience. - Lauren
Marie Fleming
1. They'remorbidbutnotmorose.
And their lyrics
are reminiscent of the scary stories we were told
as children. Zoe's known to be jazzier, Kim likes
a good ballad, and together they create whimsically bizarre fairy tales and fables set to the kind
of lighthearted music that you would hear at a
circus or carnival.
so Icurve
"A show doesn'thaveto
be onlysexyor onlysmart
or onlysilly-it can be all
of thosethingsat once."
2.Theyplaythebarbecue
grill.And the typewriter,
tricycle bell, accordion, air vent and pretty much
anything else they have around. They used to play
the plastic squeaky lobster, but he ran away. If you
see him, they ask you to please ship him home.
3. Theysingwiththeirpantsdown."There is supposed to be this sexy thing when a woman takes
her clothes off;' Kim says. "But we're making it
really silly:' She insists that their motto applies
to the rest of their show as well: "A show doesn't
9. They'renot just anotherfolkie duo singing
aboutthe environment.
They are actually making
a difference. Along with videos, pictures and an
interesting story about the band, the Vermillion
Lies Web site includes a link to an informed
global warming page. Encouraged by their song
about the phenomenon, an environmental policy
analyst has helped them to create a page that is
insightful and informatative on how you too can
actually make a difference.
10.They'reinspiring.
After watching a Vermillion
Lies show, I guarantee that you'll want to join
the circus, ride a tricycle, wear a hat, stop global
warming, sing with your pants down and maybe
even write an article professing your love for this
quirky twosome.
z
LU
U)
0
en
U)
LU
) Towatch a Vermillion Lies video,visit curvemag.com.
...J
>-
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