-
Description
-
ToC Christmas in N'Awlins by Diane Anderson-Minshall (p32); History's First Drag King (p34); Feeling Righteous by David Steinfeld (p38); Cover: Heather Matarazzo and Caroline Murphy by Stephanie Schroeder (p40); All Grown Up by Diane Anderson-Minshall (p46); Making it Big by Diane Anderson-Minshall (p48); Women in Theater: Laurie Metcalf by Stephanie Schroeder (p50); Mindful Motion by Kristin A. Smith (p51); Center Stage Actor by Tamara N. Boyton and Melany Walters-Beck (p52); Poetic License by Stephanie Schroeder (p53); Proving It On Us by Fernanda Silva (p54); Absolutely Uncensored by Kamala Puligandia and Rachel Beebe (p55); Great Gifts: Time to Boost the Economy! (p56). Cover photo by Erica Beckman.
See all items with this value
-
Holiday Gift Guide
See all items with this value
-
issue
-
10
-
Date Issued
-
December 2008
-
Format
-
PDF/A
-
Publisher
-
Frances Stevens
-
Identifier
-
Curve_Vol18_No10_December-2008_0CR_PDFa.pdf
-
extracted text
-
ESBIAN MAGAZINE
great
gifts.
t er
Matarazz
Caroline Murp
Share Their
Holiday Romance - ~-'
l;,;..-t,;,.Jt!i;}-,~~
PROPERTY
OF:
CURVEMAG.COM
12
OUT N THE SHELF
WWW.0UT0NTHESHELF.CA
25274 80539 6
A new eco-friendly l bi
el company
dedicated to
the w r d
ab tteTplace w'1/le a
__....._t.
REALITY
FranklySpeaking
curve
THE BEST-SELLING
VO
Curve Goes Digital
of your own computer.
Frances Stevens Publisher
I'm not big on change. If I had my way, I'd stay in the same house forever, wearing my favorite jacket,
hanging out with the friends I've had for a decade, and, well, you get the drift. But, the magazine
is entering its biggest year yet. More than ever before, curve is set to change the face of lesbian
publishing-just
like we did 18 years ago-with a brand-new digital edition and a Web 2.0, powerpacked new site curvemag.com.
I know, I know, I sang the praises of our new site last month, but honestly, it's taken the crew
hundreds of hours to pull it all together. And just as we got the site up in beta, we started work on
the new digital edition of the magazine. Now it's our production manager, Ondine Kilker, who is
losing sleep in order to roll out the new digi-edition for the Jan/Feb 2009 issue.
Why a digital edition? Because it's about time. With the new digital editon, you can read curveall of curve-from the comfort of your computer, without having to deal with toting a magazine
or recycling or off-setting your carbon. You can flip through pages (which look on-screen exactly
like they do in print), insert bookmarks, search back issues and send articles to your friends (or
maybe one of our, uh, romantic advice guru's tips on the Big O as a hint to your girlfriend).
Even better, when you read about a musician or filmmaker and you want to learn more, you can
click on the articles and, in many instances, hear song samples or watch films clips instantly. I love
print magazines, but really, they'll never be able to do that. If you are an active subscriber and we
have your email address on file, you will automatically get our first digital edition free! Visit our
Subscriber Services section of our Website and enter the information from the label on the wrapper
of your subscription issue to see if we have your email address on file.
Of course, print will always be our baby, and we promise to keep bringing you an awesome
magazine, no matter what medium you choose. This month, we're thrilled to showcase our big annual gift guide, go one-on-one with several queer icons like Ariel Schrag and Ani Difranco, and go
inside the very charming romance of actor Heather Matarazzo and her fiancee, musician Caroline
Murphy. Twenty years ago, we didn't have young lesbian women in love on the cover of magazines.
Forget the digital revolution; it's the love revolution that impresses me the most. Warm winter wishes to them-and
all of you!
Publisher
Editor in Chief
Associate Publisher
Managing Editor
Assistant Editor
Book Review Editor
Music Review Editor
Contributing Editors
Copyeditor
Proofreaders
Art Director
Photo Editor
Production Manager
Production Artist
Web Producer
Operations Director
Subscriptions Manager
Advertising Sales
Editorial Assistants
Photo Assistants
Frances Stevens
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Sara Jane Keskula
Katie Peoples
Rachel Beebe
Rachel Pepper
Margaret Coble
Julia Bloch, Victoria A.
Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Gretchen Lee,
Stephanie Schroeder, Rachel
Shatto
Katherine Wright
Patsy Kaye, Remy Ramirez
Tina Rodia
Stefanie Liang
Nicole Arseneault
Ondine Kilker
Kelly Nuti
Nikki Woelk
Flo Enriquez
Holly DeMaagd
Diana L Berry, Rivendell Media
Kriti Ashok, Mary Foulk,
LaKeisha Hughes, Rachel
Lastra, Anna Lonnberg,
Fernanda Silva, Arisa White
Katy Gross,
Kasey Neuenschwander
Contributing Writers Kathy Beige, Stacy Bias, Lya
Carrera, Kelsy Chauvin, Teresa Coates, Jennifer Corday,
Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Michele Fisher, Tania Hammidi,
Jodi Helmer, Kathi lsserrnan, Gillian Kendall, Kate Lacey,
Colleen M. Lee, Charlene Lichtenstein, Jenna V. Loceff,
Karlyn Latney, Colleen McCaffrey, Candace Moore,
Talia Phillips, Catherine Plato, Aimsel L. Ponti, Laurie K.
Schenden, Kristin A. Smith, Ursula Steck, Edie Stull, Lina
Swislocki, Jocelyn Voo, Melany Walters-Beck
Illustrators Phil Cho, Katherine Streeter
Contributing PhotographersChloe Aftel, Michelle Bart, Erica
Beckman, Cheryl Craig, Tony Donaldson, Sophia Hantzes,
Gabriela Hashun, Soloman Lawrence, Cheryl Mazak,
Connie L. Merchant, Mia Nakano, Cassandra Olander,
Maggie Parker, Elisa Shebaro, Jeff Singer, Greg Speck,
Paul Thomas, Kina Williams, Misty Winter, Sara Zofko
Volume 18 Issue 10 Curve (ISSN 1087-867)() is published monthly (except for
bimonthly January/Februaryand July/August) by Outspoken Enterpnses, Inc.,
1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco,CA 94103. Subscnption price: $49.95/
year, $62.95 Canadian (U.S. funds only) and $71.95 Internat1onal(U.S. funds
only). Returned checks wlll be assessed a $25 surcharge. Periodicals postage
paid at San Francisco, CA 94114 and at additional mailing offices (USPS
0010-355). Contents of Curve Magazinemay not be reproduced in any manner,
either whole or In part, without written perrrnssionfrom the publisher.Publication
of the name or photograph of any persons or organizations appearing,
advertising or listing in Curve may not be taken as an indicat,on of the sexual
orientation of that individualor group unless specificallystated. Curve welcomes
letters,queries, unsolicitedmanuscnpts and artwork. Include SASE for response.
Lack of any representation only signifies insufficient materials. Submissions
cannot be returned unless a seff-addressedstamped envelope is included. No
responsibilityis assumed for loss or damages. The contents do not necessarily
represent the opinions of the editor, unless specifically stated. All magazines
sent discreetly. Subscription lnquines: Please write to Curve, 1550 Bryant
Street, Suite 510, San Francisco, CA 94103, e-mail shop@curvemag.com, or
call 818-286-3102. Canadian Agreement Number: 40793029. Postmaster:Send
Ganadianaddresschangesto shop@curvemag.com,
Curve,PO Box 122, Niagara
Falls, ON L2E 6S8. Send U.S. addresschangesto shop@curvemag.com,
Curve,
PO Box17138,N. Hollywood,CA 91615-7138.Pnnted,nthe U.S.
L
A
21curve
8 t-.UMBE R 10
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 510
San Francisco, California 94103
Phone 415-863-6538 Facsimile 415-863-1609
Advertising Sales 415-863-6538 ext. 10 or 212-446-6700
Subscription Inquiries 818-286-3102
Advertising Email advertising@curvemag.com
Editorial Email editor@curvemag.com
Letters to the Editor Email letters@curvemag.com
Why do we need
a digital edition?
Because it's about
time. Get, and read,
curve wherever you
want from the comfort
MF
LESBIAN MAGAZINE
Keyword: Curvemag Website: curvemag.com
Life insurance is a vital part of planning to protect your loved ones. At Prudential,
we understand the challenges gay and lesbian couples face when it comes to
passing on your assets.
That's why every life insurance policy from the Prudential companies offers
Rock Solid'&benefits that include:
Life Insurance
from The Rock®
• Legal wealth transfer to your partner or child, not subject to probate
• You choose your beneficiary, under a legally binding contract
• Helps replace assets lost to the federal unlimited marital deduction
• Accelerated death benefits for terminal illness or nursing home costs*
And, Prudential agents receive ongoing training to better serve your needs.
Visit prudential.com to find a Prudential financial professional.
Let usbeyourRock.
~l~~~I
2009 for LGBT Equality
100% CORPORATE EQUALITY INDE~
©2008LifeInsurance
issued
byThePrudential
Insurance
Company
ofAmerica,
Newark,
NJanditsaffiliates.
Ourpolicies
contain
exclusions,
limitations,
reductions
inbenefits
and
terms
forkeeping
them
inforce.
Ourlicensed
financial
professionals
conprovide
youwithcosts
andcomplete
details.
*Subject
toterms
andconditions
ofthebenefit.
When
wepayaclaim
under
thisrider,
theamount
youreceive
isreduced
forearly
payment
anda$150processing
fee.Each
policy
used
forthesome
claim
willhave
onadditional
processing
feeofupto$150.Theaccelerated
benefit
received
may
betaxable
andmayalsoaffect
youreligibility
forpublic
assistance
programs,
soweurge
youtoseek
theadvice
ofapersonal
taxadvisor
if youwish
tomake
aclaim.
The
Living
Needs
Benefit
isnotavailable
inMinnesota
tonewpurchasers
over
age65untilthepolicy
hosbeen
inforce
foroneyear,
andthenursing
home
option
isnotavailable
inNew
York
ortheDistrict
ofColumbia.
This
rider
isnotavailable
inMassachusetts.
IFS·A
155661Ed.09/08
Features
"Carol'ne
pointedout
the one gift
left under
the tree. It
was a small
box and
writtenon
it were the
yricsto a
songs e
had written
rightafter
we met:
'Heather-is
t the shade
of color,or
a kindof
tree or Just
the name
of the g rl
whos gonna
marryme?'
December 2008
32
Christmas in N'Awlins There's more to this
Southern gem than boozy nights-especially during
the holidays. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
Volume 18#10
w
50
By Stephanie Schroeder
34
History's First Drag King We explore the legacy
of Hatshepsut, the drag king pharaoh. Plus, Kara
Cooney digs into the Hatshepsut discovery and
Justine Saracen gets inspired by ancient Egypt.
38
Feeling Righteous Ani DiFranco is back with a
vengance. By David Steinfeld
40
Heather Matarazzo and Caroline Murphy
These two stars tell all about their Christmas
engagement, their wedding plans and their future.
By Stephanie Schroeder
46
48
All Grown Up In high school, Ariel Shrag mesmerized us with her graphic novels. Now she's ready to
wow us again. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
Making It Big Lesbian New York Times best seller
Jennifer McMahon gets literary about her success.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall
5
Mindful Motion Famed lesbian choreographer
Anne Bluethenthal combines the mind and the
body. By Kristin A. Smith
5
Center Stage Actor Jennifer Lanier takes on
gender roles. And a look at Trailerville. By Tamara N.
Boyton and Melany Walters-Beck
53
Poetic License Lenelle Mo'i'se's multicultural
background brings new life to poetry. By Stephanie
Schroeder
5
Proving It On Us Dee Jae Cox's Jazz-Era production sheds light on interracial lesbian love. By
Fernanda Silva
5
Absolutely Uncensored Julie Potter raps about
everyday life. Plus, Sins Invalid breaks down stereotypes. By Kamala Puligandla and Rachel Beebe
97
5
4
I curve
Laurie Metcalf What's it like to play a lesbian
presidential speechwriter in a political dramedy?
Time to Boost the Economy! We've got something for everyone on your naughty and nice list.
Departments
December 2008
"Wantto reallyget
away from holiday
drama? Flyto an
Israeliresort,where
it'sneverChristmas.
Or visitIndonesia,
whereyou can
pretendit'sJulyall
monthlong. Money
doesn't buy happiness?Of course
it does. But if you
had moneyto burn,
you wouldn'tbe
lookingfor answers
in a magazine."
page 28
2
9
21
Frankly Speaking And now, a word
from our leader.
20 Open Studio Queenie Yuk's very cute
Editor's Note We celebrated Christmas
in October to bring you our annual musthave gift guide.
21 Lesbofile Who's hookin' up with who
characters make us smile.
(and who's gettin' hitched) in La-La Land.
22 Astro Grrl What's in the stars for you this
10 Contributors See what our peeps are
holiday season?
27 Money Tips for buying your own home.
And, how safe is your online reputation?
28 Dyke Drama Are you alone this season?
Or do you just want to be?
30 Politics Victoria A. Brownworth takes a
look at God and gays.
publishing now.
23 Relationships What do you do if you've
12 Letters Just say no to fur!
14 Scene Cool chicks in hot spots.
cheated on your girl?
24 Lipstick & Dipstick How do I get busy
68 I Tried It One shutterbug dishes on
shooting a red carpet and finding out what
it's like to be on the other side of the velvet rope.
at her parents' house for the holidays?
72 Top Ten Reasons We Love Chagmion
16 Out in Front Activists changing our world.
26 Health One intrepid couple takes on Blue
17 Curvatures Feminist mag BUST turns
15. Lisa Thrasher goes global.
6
Icurve
Cross Blue Shield.
Antoine The hot young correspondent for
CBS News on Logo keeps us informed.
l11:z'$
Leg
TM F-d to ......
We proudly donate a portion of
the proceeds from this awareness
jewelry to Liz's Legacy.
,~ C•..u• Rew...r
Spectacular
Breast Cancer
Awareness
Bracelet
w
PANDORAtM'
Breast Cancer Ribbon
check out our new look at curvemag.com
f
~
w
I~
w
w
I
('.)
<(
0
:J
>I
Cl.
:::f
...J
<(
I
Cf)
z
~
z
0
Cf)
a:
w
0
z
~
Cf)
'.:2
<(
:J
...J
~
<(
z
~
s I curve
Editor's Note
OK, first off, don't panic
when you flip to page 65
and discover that something
big is missing from the
magazine this month. Our award-winning entertainment reviews
section-the 8 to 10 pages of film, music and book reviews we
do every issue-is indeed missing. We gave our hardworking writers a month off while we retool that entire section
to surprise you with our 2009 redesign. We promise to pack
more into each issue in 2009, from better musician and filmmaker Q&As (like our interview with songstress Natalie Stewart,
pictured below) to new micro reviews of what you should read,
watch or listen to (in 20 words or less!).
Needless to say, it's been another hectic month here at curve.
In addition to our redesign, we also started prepping for the
holidays in late summer, so I had the fortune of working on our
massive gift guide while also heading out to speak at Lincoln
City, Oregon's first annual Pride festival. In this tourist hamlet of
about 7,500 year-round residents, I was welcomed by such an
enthusiastic crowd of locals, queer and straight, that I remembered
what Pride-real, year-round, old fashioned queer pride-was
all about. And, it seemed like there were more girls than boys at
some events, which is a rarity at Pride; in the author's tent, poor
Marc Acito was outnumbered 10-to-one.
Meanwhile in Vancouver, Sara Jane Keskula, our associate
publisher, was giving her first big speech to the folks at the Gay
and Lesbian Tourism Marketing Conference (to rousing applause).
And, we've added another new face to the team. One of our
popular entertainment writers,
Rachel Shatto, joined us as a
contributing editor. Vay!
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Editor in Chief
December 2008
I9
Contributors
New Books From Some of Our Own
What have our contributors been up to this last year, other than writing smart, sexy and compelling articles
for the enjoyment of the curve community? Believe it or not, some of them have had time to write smart,
sexy and compelling books, as well. Here are seven of the latest Curvette publications.
classic, providing knowledge
of families whose children identify
and support for women, their
outside these traditional categories.
husbands and their families.
Extensively researched and written
(routledge.com)
with sensitivity and compassion, it
covers the developmental stages of
Jrans People in Love, Eds.
the transgender child from birth to
Katrina
FoxandTracieO'Keefe
college and provides strategies for
(Routledge):
O'Keefe, a clini,
parents and therapists to offer sup,
cal hypnotherapist,
coun,
port and guidance to children as they
mature and become increasingly self
TRlCIE
O'IEEFE
• Ulllll FOX selor and sex therapist, and
Fox, a contributing writer
aware. This pioneering book will help
for curve, bring together
parents answer the most relevant and
the most difficult questions they face in raising a 25 personal accounts from a variety of trans
transgendered child. (cleispress.com)
people, across a wide gender spectrum. These
diverse accounts are honest, moving, irreverent,
Married Women Who sexy, passionate, funny and sad. This is a must,
Love Women,Second read, not only because it includes a chapter
Edition,CarrenStrock written by a Curvette's spouse (and features the
(Routledge): It has
two at their wedding on the cover!), but also
been 10 years since
because it is a candid and thorough examina,
contributing
writ,
tion of trans identities and relationships from
er Carren Strock's
the perspective of people who have experienced
groundbreaking book
them. (routledge.com)
hit
the
shelves
and
ad,
Girlon a Stick,KathleenBryson(She
A Handbookfor
Devll Press): Contributing writer
dressed the issues of
TheAntonymof Apathy,Hilary Kyle (Antonym
Fami1esand
Kathleen Bryson's second novel is a
an entire community
Publishing):Both female,centric and political,
Professionals
of lesbians married
dark comedy set in London's East
Kyle's first novel is part historical fiction, part
End. It follows the twists and turns
to men for the first
speculative fiction and part women's lit. It de,
of a hetero relationship between an
time. Every chapter
picts a series of strong,willed, intelligent female
American studying in London and
in the second edition
characters who follow their compulsions to
her sexy Norwegian lover. "The nov,
has been updated,
impact the future of the United States. "Part of
el is very intentionally about heterosexuality;'
and it includes two new chapters, "The Single
the credo of The Antonym of Apathy is that each
Lovers of Married Women" and "Redefined
says Bryson, who has had longterm lesbian and
person must find their own way to enact change;'
Marriages:' Born out of Strock's own experi,
straight relationships, "but the theme of gender
says Kyle. "For me, it is writing and storytelling.
struggle both within and outside the system is ence of being married to a man and discovering
I hope the book will help people see a larger,
especially relevant to queer people:' It's got a her lesbian sexuality, and including interviews
more expansive world than they saw before. I
with hundreds of women who have had the
page,turner plot but is also a critique of power
hope they feel better about the world, better
same experience, the book is
and its misuse. (suspectthoughts.com)
about the possibilities, better about the
both a personal account and
people in it, better
TheTransgender
Child:A Handbookfor Families a sociological study. As the
about where we can
and Professionals,
StephanieBrill and Rachel traditional terms of marriage
go. It is in our ideas
Pepper(Clels Press):"Is it a girl or a boy?" is continue to evolve and pro,
and our willingness
gressive family situations be,
often the first question people ask when they
to pursue the power
learn about the birth of a new baby, but curve's come more the norm, Strock's
within them that
book remains at the forefront
book review editor, Rachel Pepper, and her
we expand what is
WhoLoveWomen
of the discussion, and it con,
co,author, Stephanie Brill, have written this
StcondEdition
possible:' (antonym,
tinues to be an undisputed
first,of,its,kind guidebook for the thousands
pub.com)
Carren
Strock
T
Married
Women
10
Icurve
Hilary Kyle
Blind Faith, DianeandJacobAnderson-Minshall
(BoldStrokesBooks):Our editor in chief and her
co-pilot offer up the third installment of their
award-winning Blind Eye mystery series, which
critics have called "electrifying" and About.com
named a "Top Ten Lesbian Read:' Blind investigator Yoshi Yakamota and her crew face their
most dangerous mission, figuring out why two
lesbian teens plunged to their death off the
California coast. When it turns out that both
kids were enrolled at the controversial Pioneer
Institute, a residential reparitive therapy
program for youth, the Pls uncover even
more disturbing secrets about the locked
down ex-gay center. Activists and lesbian
mystery fans are already hailing it as a
must-read. (boldstrokesbooks.com)
The Trouble with
Emily Dickinson,
Lyndsey D'Arcangelo (Alpha World
Press): Contributing writer Lyndsey
D'.A.rcangelo has written a debut novel
that's billed as a significant contribution to the LGBT young adult genre.
Centering on the love story between two
adolescent girls from different worlds, the book
weaves Emily Dickinson's poetry and themes
into the story, thereby introducing young les-
bians to one of the most
celebrated writers of all
time. It is a positive, realistic take on what it's
like to be a teenager in
love with someone of
the same gender. Young
readers will see themselves reflected in the
characters, and will take away the importance
of being true to themselves and proud of who
they are. (alphawordpress.com) ■
Become a curve
VIP-for Free!
Sign up for Around the Curve, our
free bi-weekly email newsletter
blast, and get connected to the
events, news and topics you're most
interested in. Get the inside scoop
on exclusive VIP curve events (like the San Francisco Pride Party with Rose
Rollins, pictured here), where you'll meet the hottest lesbian celebrities and the
women behind the pages of the nation's best-selling lesbian magazine. Keep
up to date on the issues that affect your life-from entertainment to politics,
and everything in between. And best of all, you'll discover Web exclusives and
extended interviews. Subscribe for FREE today at curvemag.com.
December 2008
! 11
Letters
"As someone who lives as cruelty-free as
possible, it feels so good to know my yearly
subscription to your magazine goes to support
Christmas
carols-you
know,thesixstaple
songsplayingin
rotationin everymall
andpublicbuilding
sinceThanksgiving
33%
Doingcatch-upwork
duringmysupposed
"vacation"
16%
Drivingcross-country
to seemyparents,then
drivingbackto seemy
girlfriend'sparents
12%
Vacuuming
upthose
darnpineneedlesfor a
weekafterthe 25
5%
a company that respects all creatures, great
and small."
While informative, sadly, the article "Working Girls: On the
Clock" [Vol. 18 #8] came a little too late for me. I recently came
out at a new job and quickly received an awkward phone
call from my boss, informing me that the institution has a
"don't ask, don't tell" policy surrounding homosexuality. Like
many other working lesbians, I am now in a position to reconsider supporting an organization which openly discriminates against homosexuals (an out lesbian was fired not too
long ago), or playing it straight to keep my job. The article
"Working Girls" is a must-read for any lesbian, as job discrimination is not simply a mishap or coincidence, it is patent
inequality, which leaves many lesbians caught between a rock
and hard, heterosexual place. Kudos to out lesbians working and striving! Many thanks for spreading awareness and
acceptance, as only with education and determination can we
breed equality.
- Jane Smith, Findlay, Ohio
Receiving
packaged
fruitcakethat has
enoughpreservatives
to I just received the October issue of curve magazine and
regiftnextyear I am shocked and appalled that you printed Victoria A.
Brownworth's article, "My November Surprise" [Vol. 18
*According
to a
#8]. The subtitle for this article should be renamed "How
curvemag.com
poll
to make sure John McCain gets elected president:' If I
wanted to hear lies and propaganda about Barack Obama,
I would watch Fox News. I had hoped that Obama would
pick Clinton as his running mate, but her campaign's many
false and negative statements about him made it impossible
for him to pick her. The McCain camp would have used
her statements against them. She didn't do the "good girl"
thing when she threw her support to Obama. She did the
right thing. Hillary loves her country and the Democratic
Party, and she knows that there is too much at stake. No
Democratic candidate for president will ever meet the extremist srandards of the Green Party, because if they did they
wouldn't stand a chance in hell of being elected. By vot-
121curve
ing for a Green Party candidate, all you do is help elect a
Republican, and this country can't take four more years of
that.
- Susie Leverington,Dallas
I just finished reading your September issue (Vol. 18 #7],
(I know, I'm late) and I was almost in tears. I've never seen
a magazine cover fashion for plus-sized girls like mysel£
and it made me so happy. I was going to sign up for Weight
Watchers once again tonight, but now I don't think I will. I
realized that I can be fat, fashionable and sexy. Thank you for
showing me that.
- ChristaHolt, Vienna, Va.
Just a note to let you know how pleased I was to read about
Gulfport, Fla., in the article, "Twilight Years in the Sunshine
State" [Vol. 18 #8]. It is a great place to live. Don't forget to
check outprosuzy.com for networking and social activities in
our area. Thanks again for the article; come visit!
- Julie McNichol, Gulfport,Fla.
I just wanted to say thank you for your stand on fur and animal rights [Vol.18 #8]! As someone who lives as cruelty-free
as possible, it feels so good to know my yearly subscription to
your magazine goes to support a company that respects all
creatures, great and small. As a mommy to seven cats and a
bird, my whole family thanks you!
- Lauren T. Cox, Fort Smith, Ariz.
Email letters@curvemag.com; write to curve Letters, 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to (415)
863-1609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters
may be edited for clarity and length. ■
r
TheGuitar
lttyBittyTlttyCCJl11ittee
Sundance
sensation
starring
SaffronBurrowsl
"Ferociously
erotic".DarkHorizons
Sexystory of the romance
betweena coupleof hipand
feistyfeminists.
On Sale $19.95
On Sale $19.95
SheLikesGirls3
funny,sad,romanticand ,~~
ramaticlesbianshortfilms.
f
I
FourMinutes
~~~;.Li,Ull.&l.:U,jl.l:.lj
1
Thethrillingstoryof a piano
prodigywhois in prisonfor
murder.
On Sale $19.95
"lntelllgent"
-VOl»fy
ThisKiss
t
Childhood
friendsLucyand
Juliethavea surprising
reunionasadults.
Ii
e
ll
0
)
Finn'sGirl
Sexy,suspenseful
taleof a
lesbiandoctorwhois alsoa
singlemom.
'
1 •
~
a:
LJ.J
Ill
z
LJ.J
LJ.J
a:
(.'.)
1.
:J
I
1.
:ry"
1 Jenny Shimizu came out to support the Itty Bitty Titty Committee Los Angeles DVD
release party 2 Suzanne Westenhoefer (left) and Jennifer Houston (right) were mar~
ried by Rev. Lorelei Starbuck at the Hollywood Chapel in West Hollywood, Cali£ 3
DesperateHousewives'(from left) Kathryn Joosten, Dana Delany and Heather Tom at
the Love Honor Cherish event, which was held (in conjunction with Equality California
and GLAAD) to raise money to fight Proposition 8 4 Curvettes (from right) Kathy
Beige, Diane Anderson~Minshall, Gina Daggett and (back left) Sara Jane Keskula hang
with readers at curve'sWomen's Retreat Weekend at Vino Bello Resort in Napa,
Cali£ 5 Rocks tar Melissa Etheridge shows off her tank at the Stand Up 2 Cancer ben~
efit event 6 Partygoers celebrate BUST magazine's 15th anniversary at Spiegelworld in
New York City
14lcurve
J'
~
(!)
a:
UJ
CXl
zUJ
lJ.J
a:
(.!)
:i..
:J
I:i..
:ry'
J:
.lJ
:::::i
z
:i
:)
~
:::::i
z
:t:
/)
/)
:t:
.)
~
,,.
~
~
C
!
u
C
~
(
~
D
r-
3
at
ia
I
y
g
a,
nin
7 Someday Souvenir bandmembers (from left) Stephanie Wood, Chris DeRado
and Dari Mahnic attend the Rock 4 Choice benefit concert for W.O.M.E.N. held at
Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, Fla. 8 Portia de Rossi (left) and wife Ellen DeGeneres
at a Yes on Proposition 2 fundraiser in California 9 Hula-hoopers take over the dance
floor at BUSTs anniversary party 10 Itty Bitty partygoers 11 Switchblade Sisters
Candy Korn (left) and Kat AKillzem at the Tampa Roller Derby Championships 12
Lorna Bracewell and Lexi Pierson (right) perform at Pro-Star Recording Studio in St.
Petersburg, Fla., at the Thanks for the Mammories concert 13 Lea Delaria (right) and
her girlfriend, producer Janette Mason, backstage in New York City 14 Liz Margolies,
executive director, National LGBT Cancer Network with curve contributing editor
Stephanie Schroeder right the CANCER101 benefit in New York City
December 2008
I 15
□
□
Ai
a
C
□
VI
SI
Jus ice for A
Gu
ng 0
Rg
s
A Day m the L1fe
Orq
M
For DaraSilverman,
being queer is inextricably linked to her fight for social justice.
Silverman should know. As a young girl,
she joined her mother at the Women's Peace
Encampment (a female and primarily queer
antimilitarism camp outside the Seneca
Army Depot) and at 12, Silverman organized
her first protest, getting a group of kids from
her school to oppose CIA recruitment on the
campus of Cornell University.
Today she serves as the director of Jews for
Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), a group
that organizes Jews from across Manhattan
to work in support of communities directly
impacted by municipal and state policies.
Silverman currently oversees two campaigns:
one for domestic workers' rights, and one for
housing rights and against gentrification.
She's creative as well. When the United
States invaded Iraq in 2002, Silverman and
her best friend penned a special prayer book
for Passover that compared the story of
Passover (a liberation struggle) to the fight
for queer and trans rights, and against militarism around the world.
While she's all for recognizing progress,
Silverman is quick to point out the problems
that still face our community.
''As queers, we are affected by a whole
range of social justice issues;' she says. "Don't
see political action as ending after a big election because that's when we most need to
hold elected officials accountable:•
16
Icurve
It took getting fired to really fire up Charlene
Genther.
After more than 14 years as a Detroit
police officer, Genther was asked by Sister
Lenore Pochelski to work as a security officer
at Marian High School, a Catholic all-girls
magnet school where Genther's daughter was
a senior. Pochelski was well acquainted with
Genther and her partner.
Yet Genther was fired by Pochelski four
years after the nun read her 2002 autobiography, Badge 3483, A True Story, because, she
was told, it revealed that she is a lesbian.
"I was totally devastated and in a state of
disbelief;' she says. "Through tears, I told her,
'Jesus would never fire me:"
Later, she was told it was OK to be gay,just
not to go public with the information, because
the school did not want to risk losing donations
for an upcoming building campaign drive.
Genther has since gone on to more accepting pastures, serving as a security officer at
Marygrove College in Detroit (where she's out
and protected by the school's nondiscrimination
policy). But her firing propelled her to action.
Since then, Genther has lobbied for Matt's
Safe School Law to end harassment of any kind
in schools. She's also spoken before the state legislators on the inequities of people being fired
because of their sexual and gender orientation.
Last year, she received the Michigan Pride
Award for her work.
''The only way to change things is to make
non-GLBTQ people aware that we are just like
them;' she says."We are in their families, we work
with them, we sit next to them in church or synagogue and we deserve the right to be married,
adopt children, have our spouses on our health
plan, and everything else they are entitled to:•
Few people know the Washington, D.C.,
African American lesbian scene better than
SheilaAlexander-Reid.
Years ago, she was an event promoter,
throwing infamous house parties. Then she
moved to the club scene, organizing social
events under the name Women in the Life.
But it was never just about partying for
Alexander-Reid.
"Over the years I was given the honor of
providing safe spaces for lesbians of color to
gather to socialize, raise funds, network and
exchange both ideas and phone numbers;' she
says. "I can't tell you how many couples have
recounted stories of how they met at a Women
in the Life function, and that speaks volumes:•
It was while working on a grant from
Avon and the Mautner Project to promote
breast cancer awareness in the lesbians-ofcolor community that she realized she might
have more of an impact through activism,
and became a full-time activist. She kept the
name, but turned Women in the Life into a
nonprofit foundation.
At the top of her list these days are two
projects: Wanda's Will, a program that organizes attorneys (working pro bona) to lead
workshops and discuss the legal forms necessary to protect same-sex couples, and No
More Drama, a project created to address the
growing problem of domestic violence in the
lesbian community.
"I have said, and I continue to say, that
women of color are at the bottom of the
totem pole," she says. "The only thing we
can do is to bring attention to the disparities so that the funding is made available for
outreach, education and research to reverse
these trends:•
Fof
Curvatures
Sisters Do It For Themselves
When Lisa Thrasher, president of film produc,
tion and distribution at POWER UP, produced
the organization's first feature film, Itty Bitty Titty
Committee, she wasn't sure how the 'gentle call
to arms within a love story;' as she describes the
film, would appeal to general audiences. For a
fortysomething who grew up with feminism as a
worldview, Thrasher is aware that many issues in
the film are yet to be resolved. In fact, it was well,
received, has won a slew of awards and came out
on DVD to great acclaim in September.
Interest in the film from the international
community of women filmmakers and film stu,
dents led a group of female South Korean stu,
dents to meet Thrasher (pictured at left with
filmmakers Lisa Gornick and Guinevere Turner)
at Taiwan Gay Pride and invite her to be a visiting
professor at Chung, Ang University's Film School
in Seoul, South Korea, the most prestigious film
school in Korea. Thrasher developed and taught
"Producing Independent and Women's Films" to
a group of eager students for whom independent
filmmaking is not necessarily a part of their regu,
lar curriculum or national landscape. "I wanted to
show the students how to make an independent
film, from raising capital to writing, casting and
directing, to copyrighting and antipiracy issues,
to finding distribution channels:• Thrasher says
the thrust of the South Korean movie industry is
heavily skewed toward action films and romance
movies, whereas lesbians (whether they are out or
not) are making documentaries."Just like lesbians
everywhere;' she says.
While her course was not geared specifically
to lesbians, or even women, Thrasher says that a
lot of women were interested in her expertise and
she hung out mostly with the female graduate stu,
dents and female professors. "Unlike Tokyo and
other places where you just show up and then go
home, Seoul is very welcoming. South Koreans
love to socialize. I have also come to realize that
lesbians are lesbians are lesbians-anywhere in
the world. It amazes me that The L Wordhas had
such massive impact around the globe. At lesbian
bars in Seoul, I saw the Alice haircuts and Shane
outfits;' laughs Thrasher.
In the fall Thrasher taught "The Legal Aspects
of Film'' in both Capetown and Johannesburg,
South Africa. - SS
WHAT'S HOT: 'Tis the Season to Indulge
Thisholidayseasonstartthinking
likea gourmand.
Ourfavoritetreats
areperfectgiftsfor foodiesandthe
girlswholovethem.
86 PercentCacao-Belgian
Dark
Chocolate
Confection,
NairOrangeBelgianDarkChocolate
Confection
withcandiedorangepeelandLait
Intense-Belgian
MilkChocolate
Confection
with dark
GetYourGrains
chocolate
filling.($3and
Startyourmorningsright
up,cotedorus.com)
withJapanese
10 Grain
Germinated
Porridge.
Thisthickand
Brown Rice
creamybreakfastpacks
WantMoreThan
~
morethanjustoatsTwoBuckChuck?
"Jf
it's low-fatandhigh
Trythesehousewines
1;
in energy.Forlunch
fromthe Magnificent
Wine
or dinnerfaretry the
Company
in Washington.
California-grown
Multi
RankedNo.2 HottestSmall
GrainRicemadewith
WineBrandof 2006by
a combination
of six
WineBusiness
Monthly,this
differenttypesof rice.Ordig into
winerywill sendyoua $1O
theGerminated
BrownRicePotage
bottlethatwill makeyoufeelright
asanappetizer
or stand-alone
snack. at home.Trythe HouseWineRedor
Yum!($3andup,dhccare.com)
Whiteandthe Cabernet.
($1Oand
up,magnificentwine.com)
SpoilHerwith Chocolate
Coted'Or,Belgium'sNo.1 chocolate Skipthe Tuna
brand,is nowavailablein the United KanaKampachi
is a mercury-free
StatesandCanada.
WelovedNair
Hawaiian
yellowtailfish raisedoff
-
*
thecoastof Kanain a sustain- ,.
ableeco-friendly
way-and it's
a greatalternative
to tuna.Have
youromega3s andhealthyoceans.
($43andup,kona-blue.com)
EvenSaltCanBe Fancy
Eachof the saltsin theArtisanSalt
Samplercomesfroma specific
region,whichgivesthemtheirown
uniqueflavors.SaltsfromBalito
Perugivetheseriousfoodiethe
chanceto cookwith subtlenuances
of flavor.Andthedisplaycaseain't
badeither.($150,redenvelope.com)
ChaChaCha
Japanese
greentea,or "cha,"is
someof thefinestin theworldand
nowlyemonChabringsits flavorto
the UnitedStates.Masterblenders
havecreateda refreshing
andslightly bittercoldbottledbeverage
that'll
giveSnapplea runfor its money.($3,
suntory.
com/iyemon_
cha)
CURVATURES
WRITTEN
BY
AnnaLonnberg,
Kate
Goldsworthy,
Stephanie
Schroeder,
Solomon
Lawrence
December 2008
I 17
Curvatures
BUSTing out All Over
The feisty DIY feminist publication BUST
magazine celebrated its 15th anniversary in
craftacular style with nouveau cirque-variety
acts and a stellar concert performed by some
of the best female entertainment around. The
event, (see pg 14)hosted by ubiquitous BUST
cover girl, comic Amy Sedaris, drew supportive readers and loyal fans to honor this
groundbreaking women's lifestyle magazine.
Founded in 1993 by publishers Debbie Stoller
(editor-in-chief) and Laurie Henzel (creative director
and fashion editor), BUST is geared toward cuttingedge young women who are proud to be female. The
publication's somewhat revolutionary approach to
women's interests, including an unabashed wallowing in pop culture and a sexy, yet sensible, approach
to (mainly heterosexual) female sexual pleasure has
hooked savvy readers for the past decade and a half
while sometimes offending potential advertisers.
"Without advertising support from the DIY and
women's business and a few larger sponsors, we will
go out of business because we realize it is a business
and without ads we will die;' says Henzel. "But we
will not change our content because a potential advertiser wants the sex-which we are known for, but is
a small part of our editorial mix-cut. We just won't
do it:' Snagging larger and well-funded advertisers
is a common concern among all alternative women's
publications. But, women-owned businesses and
female performers, other artists and authors continue to be the mainstay advertising supporters of
women's alternative publications. Others, like Bitch,
are nonprofit endeavors.
Premised on the intelligence
of women readers, Stoller says
"Unlike other women's magazine,
we assume our readers don't need
to be pandered to; they are not
fragile human beings who need to
be protected. We sweep away the
Victorian ideas about women and
sex such as women either need to be protected from
men or protected by men:'
Stoller and Henzel contrast other women's publications that never encourage straight women's
sexuality and never really cover what gives them
pleasure, alone, together or in whatever situation
they choose to pursue sexual fulfillment. Both publishers indicate that other magazines' coverage of
female sexuality centers around how not to contract
STDs, avoid date rape or how to trap and please a
man. "BUST is special and more well-rounded and
readers love it," proclaims Stoller.
However, BUST fights against the notion that
it is specifically for lesbians, often hidden away in
the gay and lesbian ghetto section in bookstores or
because of the name of the magazine. "People get
confused," says Henzel. 'J\nd then lesbians get mad
at us for a bait-and-switch we have nothing to do
with. However, BUST is extremely queer-friendly
even while we don't feel like 50 percent of content
must be lesbian-specific, our queer female readerships probably is reflective of the percentage of lesbians in the female population:' - SS
Remembering Queer Victims
Berlin'sopenlygaymayor,KlausWowereit,
inaugurated
a
memorialto thegayandlesbianvictimsof the Holocaust,
but-like manymemorialsin Berlin-not withoutyears
of controversy.
Theloopedvideovisitorsseeof two men
kissingwhenthey peekinsidethe monumentitselfwill
beexchanged
everycoupleyearswithoneof twowomen
kissingbecause
of pressure
fromlesbiangroups.Theimageof two menkissingattracteda differentkindof controversywhen,accordingto the artists,the federalcommissionerfor culturedidn'tallowthemto usethe image
of kissingmenonthe officialinvitationto the memorial's
opening.Thedesign,by the artist-duoIngarDragsetand
MichaelElmgreen,
mirrorsthe cementblocksthat make
up the Memorialto the MurderedJewsof Europeacross
the street.- SL
1s1curve
NEWS NOTES
LaprissGilbertofVanNuys,Calif.,
wasescortedoutof a federal
buildinglastAugustfor wearing
a T-shirtwith"Lesbian.com"
acrossthe chest.Theguardtold
hertheT-shirtwas"offensive"and
shethreatened
witharrestif she
didnotleavethegrounds.
Although
shewaseventually
let backinto
thebuilding,the Department
of
Homeland
Security,
theguard's
employer,deniesawarenessof
the incident.
TheCatholic
Churchwantsto
exhumethe bodyof a cardinal
buriedin theU.K.whodiedover
100 yearsagoandwaslaidto rest,
at hisrequest,in thesamegrave
asFatherAmbrose
St.John.Gay
activistssaythattheexhumation
is aneffortto coverupCardinal
Newman's
homosexuality,
butthe
Vaticaninsiststhetwo menwere
justclosefriends.
(
>
(
a
2)
'.)
3
C
)
TheU.S.militarycontinues
to dischargegaymenandlesbiansunder
the"Don'tAsk,Don'tTell"policy.
Morethan10,000personnel
have
beendroppedfromthe military,
andtheU.S.Armyhasturnedto
findinghighschooldropouts
to add
to theirnumbers.
Toappealto the
candidates,
theArmyhasopened
a prepschoolenablingsoldiersto
obtaina GED.
A newonlinemagazine,
Bekhsoos,
for lesbian,bisexual,
transgenderandqueerwomenhasbeen
launched
in Beirut,Lebanon.
Bekhsoos
is beinglaudedasthe
first onlinemagazine
of its kindto
comeoutof theArabworld.Mostof
the Bekhsoos
staffandcontributors
havechosento remainanonymous
dueto thefactthat homosexuality
is still illegalin Lebanon.
It hasbeenestimated
thatthe
numberofAmericans
age65
andolderwill reacha totalof 20
percentof thepopulation,
in the
next25 years.Ofthat 20 percent,
it is thoughtthat7 to 10 percent
of seniorswill be individuals
whoarelesbian,gay,bisexualor
transgender.
-AL
Netflix Gets Gay
Good news for TV addicts: Logo and Netflix have teamed
up in what Joanne Jacobson, Logo's vice president of business
development, calls "an industry-breaking, ground-breaking"
venture. Logo, Viacom's successful gay and lesbian network,
has agreed to grant Netflix, the world's largest online filmrental service, access to some of Logo's original programs not
found elsewhere on DVD or On Demand.
These programs include Curl Girls, a reality show about
lesbian surfers in Los Angeles that AfterEllen described as
"part music video and part surf porn:' Other available programs include Wisecrack and the Visible Vote '08 Presidential
Forum. According to Jacobson, the Netflix-Logo deal also
involves "special promotions and brandings" for Logo, as well
as "co-acquisition;' meaning that the two companies will
"acquire certain tides together:'
"Netflix has never done a deal like this before;' says
Jacobson."There's no other deal like this in the industry. This
indicates two things: the importance of the LGBT community to Netflix, and Logo bringing to bear its wealth of content and its ability to reach the LGBT audience. [Netflix]
wanted to partner with us because we develop programming
that resonates with this audience:'
In an official statement, Liesl Copland, head of Netflix's
original content division, said,
"Netflix is committed to expanding the reach of a broad range of
diverse content, using multiple
channels to speak to varied
audiences:•
Fans say it's refreshing to
see such a major player in the
entertainment
industry take
an interest in our community.
"We're really excited about
this;' says Jacobson. "It's a tribute to the power of the LGBT
audience:' - KG
"You know who I think is flawless? Alicia Keys. I think
she's absolutely beautiful, such a sweetheart,
down to earth. So maybe Alicia Keys."
t
y
"When I have sex with my husband these days, I fantasize I am with someone like Keith Urban or a
petite, hot young woman."
"Much like Rosie O'Donnell, the announcement that
Clay Aiken is gay reinforces a simple reality: The
American public can no longer say it does not
know a gay or lesbian parent. Clay Aiken's desire
to raise a child in an open and honest manner will
make his life, and his son's, all the better. We hope
he and his son find all the happiness they deserve,
and the Family Equality Council will work toward
the day that Clay and Parker Foster Aiken can
enjoy the same rights as other American families."
"It's hard to find girls or guys who are attractive and
funny. You have to be willing to get ugly if you want
to make someone laugh. Some girls just don't
want to do that. I like all the flaws to be seen."
>
T
0
December 2008
I 19
The Fantastic Toast and Pat O'Butter (left);
Picnictastic with Gary and Fifi (top); Cheese
Diddle Grrr meets Canary Safety Sheers
(bottom)
Queenie Yuk
When people first visit artist Queenie Yuk's website, Q-You.net, they are immediately greeted by colorful characters jumping on a psychedelic
lime-green background.
Like the story of her alter ego, SuperJuicyChicken, who has traveled on an atomic-powered bicycle "from the dying embers of a distant
galaxy" to "our world bent on total conquest;' San Francisco-based Yuk and her illustrations are out of this world.
The illustrations on her website feature"Friendlees;• colorful and silly characters such as a pirate named Mr. Argh, an owl named Muhammad
Owly and a scissors-bird hybrid named Canary Safety Sheers.
However, unlike SuperJuicyChicken, Yuk says she had no specific reason (such as "total conquest") for creating or naming the Friendlees,
and doesn't know how many of them there actually are, because she is constantly adding new ones (her guess is about 50).
"The Friendlees were inspired by stuff that I grew up with-the love of Hello Kitty and all the Japanese cuteness I was surrounded with;'
says Yuk, who was born in Hong Kong and has been drawing since she was a child. Yuk's characters show her playful and sometimes twisted
imagination. One of the characters is a fish-girl hybrid, but instead of the typical pretty mermaid one might expect, the result is "Sandy
Bottomfeeder;' which she proudly calls a "monstrosity:'
However, that's all she'll say about the characters. "They don't have their own world. There's no stories
behind the characters since they are just like anyone around;' she says.
For years, Yuk worked at a real estate investment company while doing freelance illustration and graphic
design. She dabbled in many styles and media, including oil illustration, computer rendering and straigl:tforward drawing (at the request of her clients), but her favorite artwork involves her Friendlees. She was do:ng
illustrations for family and friends when people started asking her if she had any T-shirts featuring the
characters.
Inspired, Yuk decided to quit her job at the investment company in 2004 and took a year off to prepare
to officially launch her illustration business, Q-You.
"I [started using) my characters on T-shirts, since it was the most economic way to spread my work;'
she says.
Her T-shirt line soon sparked another idea: turning her Friendlees into plush animals. Yuk, 32, is modest about starting her company. "I just want people to like my stuff;' she says. "It makes me happy just to
know that someone appreciates what I do:•
20
I curve
Lesbofile Curvatures
A Marriage? A Breakup?
Looks like a lot of people have been naughty in Hollywood lately.
I
y Jocelyn 'oo
This month: a marriage, a breakup and a whole
bunch of in between.
Before AlanisMorissettewas engaged to Ryan
Reynolds (who later dumped her, and is now
married to sexpot ScarlettJohansson),
she had
some dalliances with women.
During her teens and early 20s, she experimented. 'Tm pretty heterosexual ... It was just
kind of a go-with-it thing, explore, you know,
sort of experience;' she said on The Howard
Stern Show.'Tm an experience junkie. So I like to
experience everything and then step back and go,
'Does that work for met I like to connect with
people. Women like to have sort of connection,
some kind of intimacy:'
Later, she elaborated to The Advocate: "I
think it's a beautiful rite of passage for everyone
to play with their sexuality at some point, so I
did exactly that. And it was great!"
Damn right. But we have to say, we're not
exactly surprised-you
didn't think that kiss
with SarahJessicaParkerduring her cameo on
Sex and the City was her first lesbian encounter,
did you?
OK, try to keep this one straight (har har har):
Courtenay
Semel,the daughter of an ex-Yahoo!
billionaire, is a D-list actor whose part in the
2005 E! reality series Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive
eclipses any cameos she made in legitimate
movies. (Think the poor woman's gay, brunette
ParisHilton.)
Anyway, Semel has been all over the Sapphic
map: She claims to be Lindsay Lohan's first lady
interest ("everyone thinks Samantha [Ronson]
is Lindsay's first lesbian love, but we were very
passionate until her fear of being found out
drove us apart;' she reportedly said), then was
linked with Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey
Johnson
but now has finally found U- Haul love
with none other than the exotic, elfin TilaTequila,
who was dumped by model KristyMorganon
the finale of her own reality TV show earlier
this year.
'Td seen the show [A Shot at Love] and just
needed to meet her ... and it just happened;'
Semel told People magazine.
Adds Tequila, "There are no games. It's true
what they say about lesbians-you
meet and
then the next day you move in together, because
I can't get rid of her. She pretty much lives at
my house:'
Another notch on the bedpost? Your call.
For all you naysayers about the LiRo handholding-could it be true that Lindsay
Lohanand
Samantha
Ronson
are really going to get married?
According to the Sun, during her DJ set at the
Chateau Marmont, Ronson told lucky dubbers,
"By the end of this year, my love will be Mrs.
Ronson:' Though her publicist says they aren't
engaged, Lohan already confirmed that she and
Ronson have been dating for "a very long time;'
the two have matching star tattoos and Ronson
gave Lohan quite the rock earlier this year ...
Between her fake obsession with Tom Cruise
on her once-upon-a-time self-tided TV talk
show and her zany blog outbursts, we'd say pairing up with Kelli Carpenter is one of the saner
things that RosieO'Donnell
has done in her life.
But after years of coupledom, there's talk of a
split. The New York Post gossip columnist Cindy
Adamsreported that the twosome "may not be
so together anymore:'
Rest assured, it's not true. O'Donnell denied
the claim, even cyber joking to gossip blogger
Perez Hilton, "cindy adams and i r having a full
blown affair. she is a lesbian:'
Phew. ■
December
2ooa121
Advice
Astro Grrl
Unwrap Your Gifts
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:You can charm the underpants off any-
CAN YOU TRUST
A PISCES?
one this December. But don't open up just
anyone's Pandora's Box. You never know what ,
or who you will unleash. Career:Your endof-year bonus check is in the mail. Will you
spend it all in one place or on one woman?
Only if you are very lucky!
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
"Evenwhencaughtwith
Sex:
It is worth it to take the extra time on
yourpantsdown,in midgifts
and holiday merriment this December.
thrustin yourpartner's
bestfriend'sbed,with Not only can you dazzle her with your generMarvinGayeonthe mp3 osity, she will have to reciprocate accordingly.
anda plateof half-eaten Career:You make a dramatic first impression
oystersonthefloor,you with the powers-that-be. But maybe that
denyeverything.
It's not impression should not be made sitting on the
whatit lookslike.You corporate Xerox machine.
fell outof a passing747
broughtunexpectedly
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
low byturbulence;you
Sex:Aqueerians are oozing with sex appeal and charisma this
wereon yourwayto
Scranton,N.J.,to visit December. Will you be able to find someone able and allura sickauntwhocraves ing to swab it up? Career:Not only can you overcome any
oysters-how kindare obstacles at work, you unmask a secret enemy and triumph
you.Thepartner'sbest over evil. Not bad for a lazy holiday month!
friendRohypnoled
your
Sprite.Youdid it for Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
yourpartner;youdidn't Sex:Send out some good vibes and see who responds. It may
wantto upsettheirbest surprise you. Keep your affections light and frothy so you can
friendwhowasbegging whip it up in time for New Year's Eve. Eve who ... ? Career:
for it. Anywayit's your
Gal pals can provide you with valuable career advice this
partner'sfaultfor getting
December. However quitting your job and retiring to Tahiti
sofat youhadto go
is
not valuable advice.
elsewhere;
besides,you
thoughtthe relationshipwasan openone,
becausetheyoncesaid
theyhada thingfor Brad
Pitt.Whendumped,you
sulkandbitch,andget
otherpeopleto buyyou
drinks,thentell them
howcruellyyou've
beentreated."- from
DarksideZodiacin Love
by StellaHyde
(redwheelweiser.
com)
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Sex:A certain gal pal wants more from the relationship. Are
you really interested or just flirting around for a New Year's
invite? Career:While you prefer to glide through the holidays,
December delivers a missive from Santa: Get back to work ...
and back under the company mistletoe.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex:A certain sexy stranger is waiting for you. Consider taking a winter jaunt to explore some exotic caves and coves.
Career:Not only do you make a stunning impression with the
corporate big wigs, you charm your way into getting the big
bucks. And it only requires some small change on your part
and job-related issues can be settled amiably if you rest your case
with the right lady. Lucky for you
the jury is Out!
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Sex:Santa leaves you your heart's
desire under the tree. That is
great but wouldn't you prefer
her in your bed instead? Career:
Business relationships can be
cemented this December. Of
course that does not mean that
you can glide by on oily charm.
Substance is more important
than style. Drat.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex: Girlfriends are especially
attentive and lovey-dovey this
December. What are they up to ... ? Lionesses on the prowl
have no trouble culling from the herd. Career:Your job is
much busier than usual. Will she believe that you are always
working late at the office? If not, try to take some time off.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:Romance is possible on the job if you know where to look.
You are the belle of the office Christmas party. Ring-a-ding.
Career:Find creative ways to strut your professional stuff at
work. If that doesn't work, turn all that valuable creativity into
profitable after work activities. Anyone we know?
Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)
Sex:Turn on the charm this December. You are bursting with
enthusiasm, love and affection to all comers. What? No gift?
Career:Family issues get in the way of your career progress.
Balance and patience will be required but remember who
keeps you warm at night. Err ... the heater in your office?
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Sex:Entertain more at home this holiday season. Not only
will you find the right lady to fill your stocking, you will also
get a certain someone to trim your tree. Yippee! Career:Ask
and you shall receive at work. But if you ask for too big a
raise you may have to work much harder for it. Compromise
and relax. ■
Astrologer Charlene Lichtenstein is the author of
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Sex:Twins are especially sexy and sizzly this December. Melt
some snow with you-know-who or whoever. Career:Legal
22
I curve
Herscopes: A Guide to Astrology for Lesbians. To
seewhat elseis in your stars,visit thestarryeye.comor
go to her blogat thestarryeye.typepad.com.
Relationships . Advice
What To Do When You've Cheated
Should you come clean after you've been playing dirty?I By Kate Lacey
se
u
ly
is
lS
tys
ok.
g.
at
to
th
ft:1
ss.
ho
There are times when even the best-intentioned woman goes astray.
Maybe you had an Anne Heche moment, losing your mind, wandering
the streets, accidentally bumping naked bodies with some other woman.
Whatever your reasons, or lack thereo£ if you wish it hadn't happened and
you want to keep your relationship intact, the first thing you'll probably
want to do, of course, is to come clean to your girl and hope for the best.
tivities on a television show, or anywhere in public at all, is in poor taste.
While breaking up is a good thing to do in public, bearing your cheating
heart is not something you want to do with an audience. The other restaurant patrons will all side with her anyway, so by keeping it private you
will be removing persecutors who will hold you down while she works you
over with a salad fork.
Why Ask Why?
GiveIt the Finger.You'll be tempted to point the finger back at her while
she is giving it to you. Dyke up and accept that you screwed up and your
woman has earned the right to say so. Again and again, ad nauseam. Give
it some time before you get to the fact that it was she who stopped having
sex with you and you were beginning to forget what another woman's fun
zone looked like.
The truth may set you freer than you really want to be. Consider this:
Freedom is just another word for"you screwed up so much that you've got
no one counting on you for anything:' Don't expect instant forgiveness and
a lightened load on your heart. Watching someone crumble as a result of
your bad behavior will likely hurt you as much as keeping it a secret. Let
that serve as a deterrent for you.
If you want to confess because somewhere between last call and beer
goggles, you made a horrible, Don Rickles-ugly error in judgment, you'll
need to come to terms with why you broke your vows in the first place.
That's right, you'll need to do some soul-searching.
But maybe it's not you. Maybe you need a whip, Cheez-Whiz and a
Dust Buster to get your motor running, but you haven't been able to find
the Hallmark card that expresses just this need. Whatever you lack, whatever "pushed" you in front of a naked woman, is something you need to
work through with your partner, if
you stand any chance of remaining
committed-if she takes your sorry
butt back.
But Should You?
TooMuchof a BadThing.Out of morbid curiosity, she'll want details.
She will want to know everything
that happened. No matter how she
cajoles you, how "fine" with your
transgression she seems, do not
under any circumstances give her
the gory, sexy details. Regardless of
what she thinks, she doesn't need
to know what sexual positions you
assumed, in what public places you
left your combined DNA and how
incredible she was at making you
squeal. Discretion, in this case, is the
better part of saving your relationship, not to mention your butt. Just
say you don't want to discuss it.
Jerry! Jerry! Contrary to what
we've learned from Jerry Springer,
confessing your extracurricular ac-
JustifyYourLove.Do not try to justify your mistake by saying your torrid
night or months or years of sex with this other woman meant nothing to
you. This only puts a giant spotlight on the fact that people mean nothing
to you and that this person, who has less value to you than bellybutton
lint, was worth throwing away whatever semblance of fidelity you had.
Sparringfor One.A little self-flagellation will go a long way. But trying to get
her to feel sorry for you because of your self-hatred and low self-esteem
is just another way of risking that
she'll totally agree with you and
kick your sorry self to the curb.
Take the blame, but save the theatrics and self-loathing for the Emo
boy bands.
How To Do It
The Falwell.Fashioned in the '80s,
like Jerry Falwell's super soaked
public confession, this technique
requir "S waterworks and the declaration "I have sinned:' A waterlogged apology can go a long way
toward taking the first slippery
step to restoring your relationship.
TheBestPolicy.OK, this may be new
for you, but try this thing called being honest with your honey. She deserves to know who you cheated on
her with, even if it was her mother
or her ex-girlfriend. She deserves to
know how long your sordid activity went on. She deserves to know
just how much you feel like a total
BrokenGlass continuedon page 25
December 2008
I23
Advice
Lipstick & Dipstick
Under the Mistletoe
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: Last year I went
home with my girl for the holidays. It was my
first time meeting her family. Everything was
going great until she stuck her hand down
my pants. I freaked out because her parents
were in the next room! How do we get busy
when there are others around for the holidays? - Santa's Not the Only One Coming
lipstick:Try using Christmas ribbon or some
other sort of gag to keep your moans to a minimum. Grandma's fruitcake might also work.
Dipstick:
Either get a hotel or a chastity belt. I
think for a few days you can keep your mittens
inside your own flannel pj's. Allow the sexual
tension to build and let it out with a big blast on
New Year's Eve.
Lipstick:
When did you turn prude, Dipstick?
Damning that tension will only give you
headaches and blue balls. Don't listen to her,
SNTOOC. Precarious sex at the holidays is the
Christmas spice missing in her dad's eggnog and
the one thing that will keep you sane amidst the
chaos. Choose your moments carefully, but remember to always tease her with tinsel and cop
a feel when no one's looking. Take the mistletoe
into the pantry. It's a great place, as long as Baby
Sister doesn't need a fruit rollup before dinner.
Try the shower, too, or be the first to volunteer
when Mom needs something from the market.
You can scream all you want in the backseat of
the family wagon.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm 18, I've had
six partners and I've never orgasmed. Sex is
great and I understand
that coming isn't everything, but I'm frustrated.
What can I do to have
one? - Bored Bush
Lipstick:What do you mean, coming isn't everything? And let me get this straight: You've already
had six partners and you're only 18? Wow, I
hardly feel sorry for your bush. Maybe you've
never had an orgasm because you're always
halfway out the door each time you're almost
there-on
to your next conquest. Give it some
time. I don't know about you, but orgasms come
a lot easier for me if I'm a) in love, b) shamelessly attracted to the woman I'm shagging and
c) looking hard into her eyes while she fastens
on the nipple clamps. Give it some time, Busy
Puss, and let yourself open up to these women
with whom you're trying to connect.
Dipstick:
You're such a romantic, Lip. You always
need love in the equation (and some sort of sexual accoutrement). Not me. While love is nice,
I can come if the temperature is just right and
women's basketball is on the TV.
lipstick: Dip, I know you like ESPN, but who
knew you were such a sports whore! Busy Puss,
instead of focusing on tickling your Tootsie
Roll, why not give love a shot and see what happens. Allow your relationships and your body
more time to mature. Once you're in love, if
there's still no jingle in your jangle, then head
to your gyno for some help. There may be more
going on.
E
k
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: How many times
have you heard this? I let a good friend stay
with me for two weeks and we ended up
hooking up on several occasions. The first
time we were drunk, but every other time ~
we were both sober. The thing is, this girl is _.,,
"straight," or at least she says she is. She
went home, and now she's back in town.
But, this time she didn't even tell me she
was coming back and has been avoiding
me. Then, the other night, we got into an
argument about this. She told me to stop
acting like a dude who's in love with her
and that she knows I have hopes for some-
Damning that tension will only give you headaches
and blue balls. Don't listen to Dipstick. Precarious
sex at the holidays is the Christmas spice missing in
the eggnog and the one thing that will keep you sane
amidst the chaos.
thing more, and she is just protecting me.
I haven't treated her any differently than
before we hooked up. I don't want to be
with her, and I knew from the start it was
just sex, so I'm at a loss. What is going on
in this girl's head? Please, oh wise ones,
help me out. - Miserable in Missouri
e,
0
Lipstick:
(Clank!) I just smacked my computer
screen and it was intended to be upside your
head, Miss Mo. Not only do you deserve a little
slap (you might actually like it), but Lipstick
calls your bluff. Yeah, right, it was just sex.
Being a lezzie, that's like a drug addict saying it
was just a line of coke. You set yourself up for
this, honey, I'm sorry to say (because you damn
dykes will never learn), and you likely deserve
this. You've got to quit boning the breeder. Stop
licking her and, instead, lick your wounds. After
that, ignore the bitch and act like you don't care.
Eventually-if you're lucky-you won't.
s,
e
y
tf
d
e
y
p
Dipstick:
Why on goddess' Earth do you chicks
keep cruising past the Do Not Enter signs
Lipstick and I have placed in front of the
straight chicks? Lipstick is right-sex is a drug
and your little statement "at least she says she
is" straight is telling. It means you' re hoping
she isn't. Which is just another example of the
delusional thinking of an addict. I'm not sure
what's going on in the straight girl's head, but
I know what's going on in yours. And if I were
her, I'd be avoiding you too.
Fairy Butch
Is on Vacation
Our beloved strap-on specialist is taking a break this month
but you can get your Fairy Butch
fix online at curvemag.com.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I am a 55-yearold single dyke living in NYC. I find myself
attracted to younger women, but it's hard
to find a younger femme who will date
an older butch. Mostly they either want a
femme (go figure) or a trans man. I'm finding younger women are not interested
in butches in general. It's all about looking straight, and you certainly don't look
straight with a nice handsome butch on
your arm. Dip, have you experienced this
anti-butch trend in our all-accepting queer
community? If so, what's a single butch to
do? - Studly Suitor
Dipstick:
Don't give up hope, Mature Stud. Yes,
I've noticed this trend of femme on femme. I
don't think it's anything to be afraid 0£ just a subpopulation of our community finding their day
in the sun. Shows like The L Word have given
femmes permission to explore their attraction to
other girly girls, the same way Stone Butch Blues
paved the way for the butch-femme renaissance
in the 1990s. I'm not sure where you're meeting women, but I suggest staying away from the
iiber-trendy lesbot nightclubs and circuit parties. Why not join the amazing online community butch-femme.com? There at least you'll be
fishing in the right pond for femme fry.
Lipstick:Good advice, Dip, but who knew
younger dames weren't into butches? You get
hit on all the time at book signings by baby
femmes, while they just ask me if I'm really gay.
Seriously? Anyhoo, don't lose faith, Butcharino.
Keep those boots shined and that hat cocked
just right and you'll eventually land a femmelina in no time. ■
These advice gurus are the authors
of Lipstick & Dipstick's Essential
Guide to Lesbian Relationships.
Ask them anything at lipstickdipstick.com.
Broken Glass continued from page 23
schmuck. See "What Not to Do" for information
that she does not need to know.
The Final Frontier.You may not like it, but you
need to give her some space to process your
stupidity. Don't be those girls who pretend
everything is status quo and continue to cohabitate-but move in a new roomie named "Miss
Passive Aggression:' Do you really want to be
there when she snaps at the sight of you and
burns all your clothes in that BBQ pit you love
so much? Make sure you are accessible and you
stay in touch with her. But give her some time
and space to process her sense of loss.
The HumblePie. While it's not OK to confess
your transgressions via texting or email (you big
chicken!), you should write down your feelings
for her in a card to give it to her after you've confronted this difficult issue. While she is taking
her time and space, these words could keep the
rickety bridge between you standing. Tell her
why you want to be with her. Apologize with
humility.
The Kid Gloves-Off. If you want to save your
relationship, have a plan to make your wrong as
right as you possibly can. This means you line up
a couples therapist for the following day so you
can answer her primary questions, which will be
'/\re you crazy?" and "Why?" A good therapist
can help gee to those answers and also help the
two of you create a plan of action chat will help
you get your head out of your unspeakable place
and save your relationship.
The Journey of 1,000 Steps
on Broken GI
Trust can be rebuilt by your actions and your
reassurances. You'll have co call her often to
report what you're doing and who you are doing
it with. You'll have to be open about your emails
and phone calls. You'll have to spend as much
time in her presence as possible for a long time.
And, of course, you'll have to say goodbye to
your lover, in every sense of the word. Another
small note here: you'll have to quit cheating on
her with ocher women.
All this work is the least you can do. le is a
mountain the size of Everest and you will have
to carry her up like a loving Sherpa. You'll have
to know that the load and the journey are worth
it and then convince her of the same. ■
December 2008
I25
Advice
Health
Winning the Right to Family Health Care
Makingthe switch
froma collegelife to a
9-to-5 careertooka toll
on my usualroutineof
sleepinguntil 11 a.m.
My magicbulletwasa
doseof CyenceLabs
L-Tryptophan
1,000
mgtwicea day.It's a
chemicalmostpeople When Jeanne Kornowicz applied for spousal healthcare benknowof fromtheir efits through her employer last February, she had no idea she
Thanksgiving
turkey was about to embark on a six-month battle that would eventudinnerthat makes ally draw national media attention.
yousleepy,butwas
Kornowicz, a school psychologist in the Cheektowaga
linkedto an outbreak
Central School District, near Buffalo, N.Y., and her partner,
of eosinophilia-myalgia
syndromein 1989that Joy Higgins, were married legally in Canada two years ago and
ledthe FDAto banthe started a family. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 2007
supplement.
Nowunder and Kornowicz legally adopted her in January of this year.
"Joy was carrying family health insurance and I was carrystricterregulations,
this naturallyderived ing single;' said Kornowicz. 'i\.nd her family health insurance
productis back.This was way more expensive than mine. So we thought it would be
wassupposed
to even best for her to come on mine:'
out mysleeppatternsin
Kornowicz asked the Cheektowaga Central School District
a naturalway butto be to provide health coverage for her spouse in February after
honest,I didn'tnotice
learning about a New York State Civil Liberties Union victory
a hugedifferenceother
in a similar lawsuit against Monroe County involving Patricia
thanthat it balanced
out my caffeineintake. Martinez, an employee of Monroe Community College. The
Thesupplementhas appeals court unanimously decided that Martinez's marriage
alsobeenrecommended to her partner was entitled to recognition under the marriage
for smokingcessation, recognition rule.
Within three days, the school officials at Cheektowaga
depression
andtreating
PMSsymptoms. Central were more than happy to comply with Kornowicz's
($20,gnc.com) request. "I was relieved because I did not want to have to fight
- KatiePeoples my employer. I just didn't want to go through that;' she said.
Unfortunately, Blue Cross Blue Shield was not as cooperative. The company saw the issue as a domestic partner situa-
tion even though the couple had legal
documentation of their marriage.
Kornowicz and Higgins decided
to approach the situation as amicably as possible but were given the
runaround.
"We tried to contact Blue Cross
Blue Shield with letters and phone
calls to rectify the situation;' said
Kornowicz.'i\.nd they didn't respond
in any way. They did a lot of stalling
and left us with no other option but
to pursue a legal case:'
"They thought we'd go away;'
added Higgins.
But the couple didn't go away.
Instead, they contacted the NYCLU,
which immediately believed the
case was a no-brainer. In July, the
NYCLU filed a lawsuit against Blue
Cross Blue Shield on behalf of the
couple.
"We weren't suing for 'emotional
distress' or anything frivolous like
that;' said Kornowicz. "We just
wanted to be covered on our health
insurance like everybody else:'
Soon after the lawsuit was filed,
Matthew Failella, the couple's lawyer
36%
Gay women who
believeroutine
pap smearsare
necessary,but
admitto not
havingthem
becausethey
eitherdon't
have health
insuranceor
don't believe
that they are
as necessary
for lesbians.
According to a Seattle
lesbianhealth study published
by the Centersfor Disease
Control and Prevention
through the NYCLU, suggested that
they go public with the case in order to put some pressure on
Blue Cross Blue Shield after the company had ignored numerous letters, emails and phone calls. As a result, Kornowicz and
Higgins found themselves in the media spotlight and labeled
as advocates for gay rights.
"It was surreal;' said Higgins. "We decided not to make
any public statements regarding the case, but the story was
everywhere:' The media pressure worked and 19 days after
the lawsuit was filed, the Western New York insurance giant
finally agreed to provide healthcare benefits for all legally married same-sex couples.
Though the struggle to get health care benefits for their
family dragged on from February to July, both Kornowicz and
Higgins are pleased with the outcome.
"I really feel good that Joy is on the insurance now, but also
because other people like us can benefit from this situation as
well. Just as we benefited from Martinez;' said Kornowicz.
"Martinez really opened the door for us;' added Higgins.
"She was the trailblazer:' And the timing couldn't be better.
"Our family is growing;' Higgins announced happily.
"We just learned that I am pregnant again ... with twins!"
- LyndseyD:A.rcangelo
26
Icurve
Money
Advice
You Can Still Buy Solo
Deal breakers, personal ads and wish lists have traditionally been useful to
singles seeking mates, but in her new book, Own It! The Ups and Downs of
Homebuyingfor Women Who Go It Alone (sealpress.com),Jennifer Musselman
encourages women to use the same techniques for seeking homes of their
own. Stuffed full of advice from her own experience and the lessons she's
gleaned from others, Own It! includes some helpful hints. - Teresa Coates
,.. Getcleverwith fundingthe downpayment,not
forgettingthata cheaperhouseis alwaysanoption.
,.. Nontraditional
girlscangetnontraditional
loans.HUD,
theVAandowe
areall acronymsto learnanduse.
,.. Getthe411on prospective
realtors.
They'regoingto playan integralpartin
yourlife for the nextfew months.
,.. Don'tfearonlinehousehunting;
it's
oftenmoresuccessful
thanonlinemate
,.. Locationis key.Isthereroomfor a pet?Arethereshops, hunting.
hospitalsor restaurants
nearby?
,.. Bebrave,pickyourbattlescarefully
,.. Cruisethe aislesof HomeDepotandperuseissuesof
andarmyourselfwith information.
home-decor
magazines
for ideas.
,.. Don'tforgetto factorin yoursafetyas a singlewoman.
Geta dog,a peepholeor a homesecuritysystem.Heck,
get all threeif you'rethe panickytype.
,.. Makesureyourcreditscoreis accurate,thenget it (or
keepit) up.
MOVEOVER,PAYPAL
;,:w
z
0
6~
0
0
f-
Cf)
~
~
I
n.
:c
There's a reson your lesbian friends are switching
from PayPal to Revolution MoneyExchange.Unlike
PayPal,it's completely free and it's aimed less at
paying bills (or eBay) and more at finding quick
ways to send cash to your friends (to split the tab
at the pub or pull togethercash for the office party).
Revolution MoneyExchangeprovides users with a
secure, PIN-protectedaccount.Throughthe website,
you can instantly check your balanceand send moneyto a fellow user via her email address.
Shereceivesa notification,and the moneyis depositeddirectly into her account.For iPhoneand
Blackberryusers, you don't even need a computer.The only catch is that all parties involved
must haveaccountson revolutionmoneyexchange.com.
It is free to registerand free to perform
transactions-otherwise,you'reonlybilledfor standardbankaccountstuff, like overdrawingyour
account,withdrawingmoneyby checkor requestinga paperstatement.- KelseyTruman
~
fQ.
w
2
i=
Cf)
2
u)
0:
0
~
20%
17.3%
Lesbians who
own a singlefamily home.
Lesbians who
have children
younger than
18 years of age.
Lesbians who
purchased a
plasma or HD lV
in the last year.
Only 41 percent of gay
men can say the same.
This is true for only 5
percent of gay men.
59%
~
2
fi
0::LU
LU
_.J
0LU
'.2
~
'.2
<I'.
LU
a:
>w
~
w
2
i=
Cf)
2
<(
w
0:
0
~
0
>
:l
_.J
0
>
<I'.
0
2'.
I
w
••
•
••
f....,
>
••
•
••
•
••
•
•
••
Twenty percent of gay men
report having done so.
HOW'S YOUR
REPUTATION?
We've all heard the
scary stories-a
potential employer
turning down an
otherwise qualified
applicant because her Sapphic
YouTube bathtub
video turned up
online, or students
suspended from
school after authorities stumbled upon
Facebook photos of
them bongin' beers in the student
center after hours, or the chick who
called in sick, only to post pictures
of her "staycation" on her MySpace
page. In an age when anyone can
mine your darkest secrets faster
than you can say "Google me,
baby," is there no sanctuary?
Turns out, there is. The folks
behind MyReputation.com heard
the cries of the unemployed and
the expelled and want to protect
the rest of us. For $10 a month, a
team of Web experts trawls the
Internet looking for incriminating
information about you-and deletes
it. "But can't I just delete my incendiary blog post about hating Rosie
O'Donnel or my skanky Halloween
costume pies or my drunken
love ode to my best friend's
ex-girlfriend?" you may wonder.
MyReputation claims to have the
resources to go deeper into a place
they call "the invisible Web"-where
they can dig up and delete the dirtiest dirt before anyone sees it.
A MyReputation membership
gets you a personal "search agent"
who updates you on what others can see about you online and
sends a monthly report filling you
in on your online reputation. It does
seem worth it when you've lost the
login for your ninth-grade blog,
where you posted all that awful
poetry. - Kelsey Truman
(According to a survey completed by Community Marketing Inc.)
December 2008 \ 27
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
Presents of Mind
It's holiday time again, and that means one thing-dyke
drama.
I am so broke from all the wedding gifts, bridal showers and "best wom- get presents and putting up with 50 channels of stupid holiday specials
an" suits I have had to buy this year that I cannot afford to celebrate can exact a heavy toll on anyone's disposition. And no one is immune to
Christmas. I couldn't even afford Halloween this year. I resorted to giving , the feelings of despair brought on by watching other people kiss, espethe kids things out of my junk drawer. The vampire who got the flashlight
cially unattractive ones on New Year's Eve.
key chain took it well, but the sawed-off Hannah Montana who got half
To get through this time of year without resorting to therapy or lifea box of birthday candles became so petulant I had to give her an NFL
wrecking debt, you need a plan. That's right-I don't think therapy is the
fridge magnet to get rid of her. Next year, I am turning out the lights and answer to the holiday blues. Before you spend your Xmas Club money
hiding, like the rest of the old fogies on the block.
on MFCC sessions, let me give you a little rundown about what she is
As much as I wish I could get back the bucks I have spent on other
going to tell you. You will start your session with a little background inpeoples' nuptials, I do hope that by the time you read this our unions will formation about your family and how you spent your holidays as a child.
not be outlawed. Better to be squeezed by our friends than robbed by our
Everything that follows will be tied to that first session. You will learn
government. But enough of the gloom and doom. The holidays are about
that your responses are normal and that negative emotions brought on by
fun and nostalgia, giving thanks and getting presents.
the holidays are manifestations of a) unfulfilled childhood promises or b)
Now anybody can be happy during the holidays when she has the per- overly romanticized memories of holidays past. She will prescribe a new
fect little partner at home to celebrate with. You know who you are, you view of this time of year, as just another month. She will encourage you to
two lovebirds by the fire, with your tiny tree and your ceramic mugs of focus on other goals in life, such as education, charity or fitness. There, I
fair-trade organic cocoa and your cats-wearing-reindeer-antlers and your just saved you a thousand bucks by telling you what you already knew but
special-order Christmas cards. Arrgghhh.
thought might help you if you had to pay to hear it. But now you know
This here column is dedicated to the rest of the girls, who know it must
that it would not.
be the holiday season because they are alone again. And you don't have to
Want to really get away from holiday drama? Fly to an Israeli resort,
believe in Jesus to be roughed up by the holidays. I know many a Jewish
where it is never Christmas. Or how about visiting your own island in
girl who has been infected with the Christmas blues. Watching other kids Indonesia, where you can pretend it is July all month long? No kidding,
does money buy happiness? Of course it does. But if you had money to
burn, you wouldn't be looking for answers in a magazine. Sure, if you can
afford to wash away your sorrows with imported bubbly on first-class
flights with sexy, multilingual flight attendants who are willing to snuggle
with you on the way to Everywhere, then by all means get going. But if
your finances dictate that you tough it out closer to home, then read on.
Your first defensive move is to load up that portable electronic device
with horrible Christmas music. The worse, the better. Avoiding holiday
tunes is impossible, so you must be ready to drown them out with your
own carefully chosen selections. Hanson, Yanni, David Hasselhoff and
Air Supply have all done holiday collections. Did you know that there is
a Star Wars Christmas Album? It is awful, and the perfect remedy for an
overdose of nostalgia-loaded tunes. "Hung for the Holidays" sounds like
gay men's porn, but it is Christmas music sung by William Hung. If you,
like me, only know of one phrase sung by Hung, that is, "she bang," you
will no doubt be disturbed by his vocal slayings-I mean stylings. What
is your musical displeasure? Glam rock? Country? Punk? You can find it
all, and most of it is so bad that the downloads are free. Carry your horrible holiday selections everywhere with you: in the car, on the train, at
work and especially in stores, where you are most vulnerable to attacks of
holiday-induced blues.
Actually, I recommend avoiding department stores and grocery stores
altogether until mid-January. December should be all about Asian takeout
and liquor stores. If you simply must enter a store between Thanksgiving
and New Year's, I suggest you employ the old medical examiners' trick of
the trade and dab a small amount of mentholated rub under your nose.
That way you will be immune to misery-inducing scents like bayberry,
new leather, sugar cookies and pine.
Whatever you do, do not tell your friends that you are having a hard
time with the holidays. You think you got the blues now, just wait until
they get through cheering you up. Part of the do-gooder's holiday merriment comes from helping those resplendent with less holiday cheer to experience the magic of the season. So you will be forced to buy new clothes
and pretend that you are all aglow with the fellowship of the season.
Nothing makes a girl more depressed than acting happy. Best to just bow
out of one holiday event by claiming a previous commitment to another
holiday event. Your friends needn't know that your prior commitment is
to stay at home biting the heads off gingerbread men while watching a
holiday-themed slasher flick like SilentNight DeadlyNight.
The best part of the holiday season is finding other desperate and
lonely women. But beware of old girlfriends! Right around the beginning
of December, even the worst ex can seem like the one that got away. Add a
little chardonnay and you will find yourself asking her over in the middle
of the night. Few things are as regrettable as yuletide sex with a nightmare
ex-except trying to explain it to your friends.
No, to keep those seasonal blues at bay, you need an accommodating
stranger. Loneliness and bad office Christmas parties drive women who
normally are not suited to bars or casual sex into both. These Christmas
refugees are easy to spot. They tend to be just a little overdressed and
visibly self-conscious, because they are obviously out of their element.
Sit right next to her and ask her about anything but the "C" word. Now,
should she bring up the topic, you must sit there in rapt silence and wait
for the right moment to offer your comfort. You may at that point commiserate with about the evils of the season; however, do not overshadow
her gloom. You are supposed to be her port in the storm, not her iceberg.
Shopping mall food courts, bookstores and cafes are also great places
to find holiday woe-afflicted females. But beware of bummed-out straight
girls who might lead you on and let you hang out with them for a while,
but then opt out at an inopportune time (like when you are naked with
them). There ain't enough eggnog in the world to take the sting out of that
kind of holiday humiliation.
If done correctly, placing yourself on that naughty list by having a
sexual liaison with a fellow humbugger is bound to put you in better spirits. Go ahead and unwrap that new vagina. Take two-they're small. For
those of you afraid of the empty feeling that comes after a meaningless
sexual encounter, I say there is no such thing as a meaningless sexual encounter. Just because it doesn't end with "I do" doesn't mean you shouldn't
do it. Some women are for rolling around with, some are for dating and
one is for marrying. The trick is to know who is who.
But if you really want to, you can embark on an ill-advised romance
with a woman who shares nothing with you but your despair over not
finding true love during the holidays. Then you two can break up around
the middle of February. Why settle for just a stinky Christmas and a
sucky New Year's when you can have the dyke drama trifecta by ruining
Valentine's Day as well:' ■
0:
~w
a:
ti;
w
December 2008 \ 29
Politics
VictoriaA. Brownworth
A Matter of Faith
The holiday season is a much--needed yearly reminder to bridge differences with love.
This is my favorite time of year, as regular readers of this space know. I love
the holidays-the crisp, cold nights, the sparkling lights, the festive music,
the hustle and bustle. Magic is in the air. In childhood I yearned for storybook holidays like the ones I read about. As an adult, I have tried to create
that elusive magic for myself, my partner and my friends.
The holidays, however, are not just about all things festive. For me, the
holidays are about giving and about faith. I usually write about the power
and the promise of giving in this holiday column, because I think giving is
something we can all do and something everyone reaps great benefits from.
In all these years of writing about the holidays, however, I have never
written about faith. Perhaps I have simply found it easier to express the
power of my faith by discussing the act of giving, which exemplifies faith
tome.
But I also know that discussing religion and queers in the same conversation tends to lead to conflict, no matter whether the discussion is with
straights or queers or both.
Faith is the essence of the holiday season, whether one is celebrating
the birth of Jesus, the rededication of the temple and the rescue of the
Maccabees or the festival of light at the winter solstice.
When I celebrate Christmas, that celebration is thoroughly connected
to my religious faith. There is nothing secular about it. As I attend the
Christmas Eve vigil-a three-hour high Mass-I am definitely suffused
with the power of my faith.
Yet while religion and faith are discussed avidly in the culture at large,
queers are largely kept out of that discourse, except when queers are used as
an example of what God is against. Religion is the basic argument against
queer civil rights in our society: Citing Leviticus and Judges, many religious
leaders argue that God did not create lesbians and gay men, and same-sex
practices are anathema to him.
As a consequence, many religious groups have either banned queers
altogether or come up with triangulated perspectives like the one in my
30
I curve
own Catholic Church, which states that"homosexuality" is a sin, but a nonpracticing"homosexual" is not a sinner.
As a practicing "homosexual" and a practicing Catholic, it could be argued that I am clearly in violation of a tenet of my religion. But my reading
of Christ's teachings is succinct: He loved all those who followed him. He
didn't discriminate.
Religions, however, do discriminate, and that makes many lesbians and
gay men feel ostracized from a society immersed in religious celebration
during the holiday season.
The answer to feeling excluded is often to avoid religion altogether and
cease to embrace faith. I have met numerous queers in my adult life who
have told me that they don't feel welcome in their church or synagogue,
mosque or temple. But isn't the entire concept of faith in God predicated
on the idea that God is much bigger than we are and can embrace difference in ways we cannot?
I don't remember how old I was when church became my refuge during
the holiday season, but I was 9 when I joined the choir. My soprano voice
gave me the freedom to enter into parts of the church where girls were
never allowed, except to receive communion. I couldn't be an altar girl-it
was 1994 before the Catholic Church said girls could serve the priest at
Mass. But I could sing, and I loved every part of being in the choir, particularly being in the chancel of the church, the sanctuary.
What I felt in church as a child and an adolescent was sanctuary from
the suffering I experienced in all the other aspects of my life. I felt safe and
blessed while I was in church. I felt a connection I still feel when I go to
Mass-not just at the major holidays like Christmas and Easter-but on
any ordinary day.
When I enter my church today, I feel that same embrace of sanctuary
I felt as a girl. I feel safe, I feel blessed, I feel the magic that is faith wash
over me.
This is the season of religion in America, when our Judeo-Christian
Just Between Girlz·
tradition shifts into high gear. Holiday music
and decorations are ubiquitous. But there's little
discussion of what drives that Judeo-Christian
tradition, what's behind the sparkling lights and
the candles.
When it's not the holiday season, there's a lot
of public discourse about religion, particularly
in relation to politics, but there's not much discussion of spirituality. Yet spirituality is the true
foundation of faith and the holiday season-so
why can't we talk about it:' Why can't we talk
about the feelings of spirituality we all experience, regardless of our religious belief or our lack
of religious belief:' Why do we only talk about
religion in the context of how our faith is right
and all the other faiths are wrong:' Why is the
emphasis on exclusion, instead of the inclusiveness of God's love:'
Most people feel drawn to the magic of faith
the way I feel drawn to the magic of the holidays.
We want to believe in something larger than
ourselves-something
or someone who can do
what we cannot: be pure of spirit, be generous of
heart and mete out fairness and justice in an intolerably unfair and unjust world. What confuses
many people is that religion-not spiritualityis often the source of the mean-spiritedness, in-
justice and outright violence in the world.
For women and queers, religion is often dangerous territory in which our spiritual inclinations are ignored because our sexual identity is
predominant and at the same time excoriated as
evil. We have often been left at the door of the
church, synagogue, mosque or temple.
Yet if God-your
God or mine-is indeed
divine and not just some petty human being,
then aren't we all welcome in all of God's houses
all the time:'
Perhaps this holiday season the gift we
should give ourselves, whether we follow a specific religious belief system or not, is the gift of
faith-faith in ourselves and in one another. We
must remember-and
remind others-that
the
basis of all religious faith, the essence of all spirituality, is love.
Deus caritas est-God is love-and
those
who abide in love abide in God. Whether we
believe in a specific religion or not, we all can
believe in the divinity of loving and caring for
one another, regardless of our differences in race,
gender or sexual orientation.
That is what this season-and
every other
season-is and should be about. This is a faith
we can all strive to believe in. ■
lavenaer lineN
18+
TRY FOR FREE!
1.800.688.6880
and use code 6224
new members 50% off
lavenderline.net
Kq Wut~ Distinctive Ruort for Ki,men
IN THE NEWS
exemptfromcertainstatelaws,
andthereforehastherightto
authorize
the bondsbetween
same-sex
couples.
zz
g_
~
(.)
~
Cl)
Oregon's
Coquille
IndianTribe
;;:: Approves
Lesbian
Marriage
IJ.J
..J
0
JeniBrantingandKitzenDoyle
lL
z
IJ.J
havebeensweethearts
since
>
IJ.J
ftheirteensandengagedsince
Cl)
(if
2001. Theirdreamto marrycame
..J
a.
truewhenthe CoquilleIndian
:J
0
~
tribedecidedto recognize
samez
<t:
sexmarriages.
Theyplanto wed
z
0
nextspring.Doyleis a Coquille
0
IJ.J
cc
Indian,andoncethetwo are
0
IJ.J
legallybound,JeniBrantingwill
I
becomea member
~IJ.J automaticaUy
fof thetribe.Thiswill giveherthe
I
0
IJ.J
benefitsthat Doylehas,including
CD
0
healthcare.
TheCoquilleIndian
:J
0
0
tribeis a sovereign
nation,
SpermDonors
Liable
forChildSupport
A Pennsylvania
SuperiorCourt
hasruledthat spermdonorscan
be heldliablefor
childsupport.The
rulingcameafter
onespermdonor,
whosedonation
helpeda lesbian
couplehavetwo
children,wentonto
becomeinvolved
with
thefamily,which
includedgivingthem
money.Thoughthe
mandiedwhilethe casewas
still pending,expertssaythat
this rulingsetsa precedentin
determining
whocanlegallybe
responsible
for a child.
GayMarriageLegalin
Connecticut
In October,
Connecticut
became
the third statein the U.S.to
legalizegaymarriage.The
Connecticut
SupremeCourt
ruledby a four-threevotethatto
denymarriagerightsto gayand
lesbiancoupleswasunconstitutional.The
rulingis the result
of a casefiled by
GLADin 2004,on
the behalfof eight
same-sexcouples
whowererefused
marriagelicenses
in the state.As
with Californiaand
Massachusetts,
the
othertwo states
that allowgaymarriage,out-ofstatesame-sexcoupleswill be
ableto marryin Connecticut.
- AnnaLdnnberg,
RachelLastra
andArisaWhite
Voted BestLesbianPropertyby
ONtTmveller
Readen
'-i>earl'shasit all."~ CurveMagazine
December 2008
I 31
Christmasin the
I
Skipthe crowdedmallsand
make New Orleansyour
holidaygiftto yourself.
By DianeAnderson-Minshall
I'm sitting in the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Harrah's Hotel in
New Orleans, just minutes before it reopens to the public-a
first for the chain in its hometown since it moved its headquaters to Florida after Hurricane Katrina-and I'm flanked
by a beautiful blond lesbian named Loanne on one side and
a second-line jazz parade on the other. I'm drunk and happy
and horny, which is, of course, how I spend nearly every visit
to the Big Easy.
This time, I'm staying at the new Harrah's Hotel, an
outgrowth of the popular casino. Today, post-Katrina, it's a
24-hour entertainment-industrial complex with fine dining,
hotels, nightclubs, underground walkways and more. It's steps
from the French Quarter, but if I didn't love New Orleans so
much I'd be tempted to just stay here, inside, moving from Besh
Steak (run by Iron Chef contender John Besh) to Masquerade's
ice bar (cool drinks, hot girls, what's not to love?) to the Asianfusion Bambu (think Honey Wasabi Shrimp) and back to my
big window on the Mississippi River.
On my first trip to New Orleans, I was amazed at Bourbon
Street-the
unbridled wildness in the midst of Southern
gentility, the semi-dad women, men in drag, lesbian couples,
homeless musicians clanging on drums for enough cash to get
another cocktail. I knew then and there that I would return to
the city. And I did: 38 times so far. I try to go back every year
and have found that no time in New Orleans is more charming than the holidays.
"New Orleans is a beautiful city any time of the year;' says
curve's music editor Margaret Coble, who, with the exception of a few post-Katrina years as an evacuee, has lived
in New Orleans almost 20 years. 'J\nd Christmas is a great
time because the weather is so nice. The rest of the country is
getting actual winter and ours is mild in comparision:' That
means temperatures in the 60s. It's friendly, uncrowded and
the spirit in the air is one of good tidings.
You can still do all the usual New Orleans stuff-swamp
boats, voodoo and cemetary tours-but
first, embrace the
schmaltz to feel like you're in a kinky Dickens classic. The
French Quarter is awash with twinkling lights, streetcars are
decked out in garlands and Victorian characters are wandering about. Miracle on Fulton Street is a delightful (free) winter wonderland attraction attached to Harrah's in December,
with real snow, giant arches in LED lights and huge fleur de
lis ornaments. There are gospel choirs and big-name local
musicians like Marva Wright. A quick tour of Celebration in
32 Icurve
the Oaks, the Annual Holiday Lights at City Park's Botanical
Garden, will open you up to the wonder. Walk around the exhibits and attractions or just drive through the park, which is
lit up almost the entire month of December. During the day
is a great time to enjoy the Papa Noel Tea at the Ritz Carlton.
It's a classic tea with all the fixings, and while you're waiting for
Papa Noel (the local version of Santa Claus) you can dine on
Christmas classics like figgy pudding and sugar plum tarts.
And the nightlife is still thriving, even in the winter. Try
the Bourbon Pub (which hosts a dyke-filled drag king night on
Tuesdays), Oz (where you'll find both lesbians and heteros on
the dance floor), and the dyke favorite, Good Friends. I spent
my last visit surrounded by cute college girls at an uptown dive
aptly named for the holidays: Snake and Jake's Christmas Club
Lounge. It's dark and tiny inside and, according to my new
friend Jessica, you'll want to take a dental dam and sunglasses
because when you leave at closing time (7 a.m.!), you'll want
both. If you're in the city on Dec. 3, you can catch Pat O'Brien's
75th Anniversary Block Party, a huge event that includes hurricane cocktails from the piano bar that invented the party.
The best part of New Orleans at Christmas is the feux de
joie (fires of joy) that are lit along the banks of the Mississippi
from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, meant to guide Papa Noel
as he glides down the river in his paddleboat. The tradition began with Cajuns in the 1700s and today it includes the bonfires
(from wooden crates stacked 40 feet high, sometimes shaped
like objects), big boat parades, music and more. On Christmas
Eve, folks gather on well-lit paddlewheelers to party, travel up
the river and watch the bonfires.
You can also head to Oak Alley Plantation's 32nd Annual
Bonfire Party on Dec. 6. The plantation has been signaling the
holiday season with Creole Christmas finery, a Cajun buffet,
dance bands, guides in antebellum dresses and a brass quartet.
At 8:00, a parade goes up the illuminated alley to the levee
for the lighting of the bonfire and Christmas caroling on the
banks of the Mississippi River.
One last local tradition passed down from the French is
the recently revived reveillon dinner. Traditionally, folks fast
on Christmas Eve before attending Midnight Mass and then
they attend a giant reveillon dinner. In New Orleans, you can
skip the fast and the Mass and go straight to eat at worldfamous Brennan's, where they serve an 1800s-style spread with
so much food and alcohol, you won't want to move for the rest
of the day. But you will because Bourbon Street beckons. ■
and her gender performances? Was she a butch dyke, or a proto-FTM?
hanks to a tooth fragment stored in her mummified liver, not
Was there, as some scholars believe, a sexual dynamic to her public perto mention CAT scans and 3-D computer modeling, Pharaoh
sona? Or was being pharaoh and being depicted as male a dirty job, but
Hatshepsut-history's
first great drag king-has finally been
found. Before the Discovery Channel produced a documentary
somebody had to do it?
Dr. Kara Cooney, a Stanford teaching fellow who was "the story(Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen) on this achievement, if you'd ever
teller and the teacher" for the Discovery Channel's documentary, says
heard of Hatshepsut, you were either an Egyptologist, an anHatshepsut was "probably partly forced into" becoming pharaoh. This role
cient history geek, a Civilization IV player or possibly an Afrocentrist who claimed her as a black historical figure. Me, I'm a ' was indeed sexual, because the king was part of the creation myth: Horus
on Earth, becoming Osiris after death. But representations of her afterlife,
lesbian-feminist hippie who traveled to Egypt for a total solar eclipse. But
I also went looking to see this legend's monuments for myself.
says Cooney, show that she expected to exist there as a female.
Most likely, Hatshepsut had herself crowned pharaoh because this was
My search for Hatshepsut began in San Francisco a month before my
a
key
role in Egyptian society: the pharaoh became divine at coronation,
trip to Egypt, at the de Young Museum's maiden exhibition, "Hatshepsut:
and kept the balance between the divine world and the human world. The
From Queen to Pharaoh:' Here, a long row of statues demonstrated the
evolution of Hatshepsut's iconography, from a woman in both male and
latest Hatshepsut scholarship describes her as experimenting, during her
female clothing, to a woman in male clothing, to a male figure with a womyears as regent, with ways not only to wield power, but also to present heran's head. One pink granite statue stopped me dead in my tracks. Here
self to the public as a traditional ruler. As she developed her public gender
was a young woman in both a long dress and a pharaoh's nemes headdress,
presentation over five years, Hatshepsut never hid the fact that she was a
with a peaceful, contented smile on her face-a woman who'd taken on a woman. Her inscriptions call her king but use feminine word endings.
bigjob and was enjoying the heck out of it.
The most striking feature of all of Hatshepsut's statues is her smile.
Even in her most butch, breast-free poses, she's one happy gal. At the temHatshepsut went in drag as a real king. She was an 18th-dynasty
Egyptian queen who declared herself pharaoh in the 15th century B.C.E.
ple complex of Karnak, one obelisk that Thutmose III merely had walled
and was depicted wearing a king's clothing-fake beard and all. The daughoff shows both her mix-and-match gender presentation and her joy at
ter of Thutmose I, she was married off to her half brother, Thutmose II,
being the great god Amun's earthly representative. On a block from a diswhen she was about 12, so he could be pharaoh. He died three years later,
mantled shrine at Karnak, she is shown in women's clothes, performing
leaving Hatshepsut to act as the regent for her infant nephew-stepson,
the kingly duty of offering wine to Amun, with her feet set close together
Thutmose III. Within seven years, she'd had herself crowned pharaoh.
in the feminine style, but she wears the tall atef crown that links kings
Then she ruled for another 15 years. After her death, Thutmose III had
with the sun god. The inscription calls her both King of Upper and Lower
her image and cartouche chiseled off most of her monuments, had her
Egypt and Mistress of the Two Lands. Scenes honoring Thutmose II at a
statues pulled down at her great temple over the ridge from the Valley Nubian temple then show Hatshepsut in feminine garb, including a long
of the Kings and had her written her out of the official history of the
gown, but in a masculine striding pose.
kings of Egypt. In the 1920s, an excavation sponsored by New York's
I found her pylon at Karnak, and baksheeshed my way into a roped-off
Metropolitan Museum of Art found a pit full of smashed art from her
area where reliefs depicting her in the stylized "pharaoh kicking Egypt's
temple. The ancient workers had chiseled her off the reliefs on top of the
enemies' butts" poses had the typical Hatshepsut smile. I was pleasantly
stones but hadn't bothered to turn them over to do a thorough job. And
surprised to find that a Polish archaeology team had done a good deal
so, Hatshepsut began to emerge from obscurity.
of restoration to her famous mortuary temple. The classic symmetry
Male scholars depicted her as a wicked stepmother who stole the throne
that predates the Parthenon can be appreciated again, even if the long
from Thurmose III, figuring he'd wiped out her memory in revenge. Some
rows of Hatshepsut-headed sphinxes that lined the pathway from the
called her the pawn (and lover) of her chief adviser, Senenmut. Feminists,
Nile are gone. Half a dozen of her Pharaoh-as-Osiris statues have been
rediscovering her in the 1970s, said she was written out of history simply
restored on the top landing. One head lies on the ground, about a yard
for being a powerful woman who dared to do a man's job; Judy Chicago
high and still has half its original paint. It depicts the happiest pharaoh
you've ever seen.
made her a plate for The Dinner Party.
But in the 1990s, scholars figured out that Thutmose III was merely
Upon being crowned pharaoh, Hatshepsut gave the tide that used to
trying to cover up his insufficiently royal origins for the benefit of his sucbe her favorite, God's Wife of Amun, to her daughter Neferura, and took
cessor. After all, he had left Hatshepsut's monuments alone for 20 years, on all of her father's tides except the Great Bull. She may not, then, have
and his campaign stopped short of totally destroying them. Moreover, he
been a "bull" dyke, but was so devoted to her wet nurse, Sitre, that she gave
was the head of her army, but never attempted a coup.
her a burial in the Valley of the Kings and mummification in the royal,
Hatshepsut now enjoys a reputation as one of Egypt's greatest phaarms-crossed pose-a rare honor with decidedly Sapphic overtones.
raohs. Within a century of the expulsion of the foreign Hyksos rulers
Back in the States, I read that the day I visited Hatshepsut's temple
and the reuniting of Upper and Lower Egypt into the New Kingdom,
the Egyptian antiquities official announced the finding of her mummy.
Hatshepsut restored temples and the ritual calendar; built new temples;
Three weeks later, the international edition of Newsweek published an arand re-established trade with the Horn of Africa, the Near East, and
ticle on her that compared her favorably with Elizabeth I of England and
Crete and the Aegean Islands. As a result, the arts flourished during her
Catherine the Great of Russia, and gave her credit for "an artistic renaisreign, incorporating new forms and techniques.
sance that would influence ancient Egyptian design and culture for centuNow, after 3,500 years of spin, what do we do know about Hatshepsut
ries:' By now, I was a fan and happy to see her finally getting her due. ■
34
Icurve
By Beth Elliott
KARACOONEYDIGSUP THE DIRT
An experton Hatshepsutgivesus the insidescoop. By ColleenM. Lee
was created, and all of them start with a male sexual act, the god hav,
ing sex with himself, and all creation comes from it. It's the opposite of
the way that we think of the Earth Mother. [Hatshepsut] had to become
king, so she wore a false beard, she walks around topless. You have to won,
Ancient Egyptian FuneraryArt in the RamessidePeriod, 'der if the high priests are a little bit uncomfortable or freaked out about
the team archaeology expert on Diggingfor the Truth on that, because toward the end of her life, she was a big, obese, scary,looking
the History Channel and the host of the documentary Secretsof Egypt's woman. Drag queens usually try to keep a fitter form.
Lost Queen on the Discovery Channel. The documentary searches for the Is there any evidence or history that shows Cleopatra in men's clothing?
lost tomb of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's most powerful pharaohs. The
Cleopatra didn't go that route, and this is interesting. A woman in the
surprising element is that Hatshepsut was a woman who posed as a man
ancient world [has] two choices. She can become masculine and try to live
to rule over the beginning of Egypt's golden age-and the riches that King that fiction, or she can use her sexuality, and Cleopatra went the second
Tut would inherit.
route. So if you look at the choices that she made, Caesar comes over to
Egypt, she's like, "Oh, Caesar, great. I'm going to meet Julius Caesar;' and
Why is Hatshepsut so important?
she bears him children. So she actually has a child with him and tries to
She's important right now because it was a major discovery that identi,
solidify her power using her sexuality as a woman.
fied her mummy and her mummy had never been identified before. Her
Has there been a positive response to your work with the subject?
images had been erased. Some people had assumed that her mummy had
I've had a ton of emails from girls in school, between the ages of 6 to
been burned or destroyed. They'd tried to erase her from the very afterlife
college [age women], and it really excites people that a woman was able
existence that she may have wanted. So finding her mummy and making
to pull this off. Yeah, I get a lot of popular response over what she was
that link was a big deal for a lot of people and especially for the public. I able to do. ■
think it really fired up the public imagination in a new way. Everybody
loves Egypt. Everybody knows about King Tut and Cleopatra. To add an,
other image or face to that story, I think, just fired up the imagination even
more. Especially a female face.
e girls have always wanted a female Indiana Jones. Now
we have one in Dr. Kara Cooney-and
she's hotter
than Indy. Dr. Cooney is an Egyptologist, the author
of The Cost of Death: The Socialand Economic Value of
Is she also important because of a woman's role back in her day, and
what she accomplished in spite of that?
This is a big question, because when you think about ancient history [you
want to] look at other female rulers. There's got to be some, but there
aren't any. And then you're like, "OK, why is that:"' In an agriculturally
based society like ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia or ancient China-any
ancient civilization-you
can go anywhere in the ancient world, women
do not share power with men. You only see a woman becoming powerful
with the rise of the nation,states. In the ancient world, masculine pow,
er was everything and a woman had no place in that. Well, what about
Cleopatra? Cleopatra was the end of her line, the end of a Greek line that
was ruling in Egypt, who was taken out by the Roman Empire. So that's
not really a very good argument because the line died with her, and you
do see women taking power in the ancient world during times of civil war,
when the women have to go off and fight the battles.
Would you consider Hatshepsut a B.C.E. drag king?
Absolutely. A B.C.E. drag king-there's no other way to put it, because to
fulfill her role religiously and socially she had to become a man. At least in
the way that she represented herself and [in] very formal rituals. So that's
not to say that she walked around the palace topless all the time and tried
to pretend to be a man. It means that in her ritual activity as pharaoh, as
king, she had to become a man.
So it was a necessity rather than a preference?
There was no word for "queen" in the ancient Egyptian language, except
"the wife of the king," so there's no such thing as a female ruler, and mas,
culine power in Egypt is everything. If you want to get really nitty,gritty,
there's a number of creation mythologies that talk about how the world
36
Icurve
That accessibility-plus being in the tomb of Merneptah in the Valley
of the Kings, or in the presence of the Ramses the Great, seeing the full
display of the Tutankhamun treasures, many of which have never been
outside of Egypt, and standing among the columns at Karnak-left
me
awestruck. While I get to live in fantasy, my Egyptological friend meanwhile has had to get real and is working now with mummy DNA, both
inside and outside of Egypt. She is in the IMAX documentary Secrets of
the Pharaohs, with Zahi Hawass, head of the Egypt's Supreme Council of
Antiquities, and she was involved in the DNA studies of the mummy that
Hawass unearthed in the Cairio Museum, which is now widely assumed
to be Hatshepsut. Flashy stuff, but as a scholar and scientist, she is stuck
in laboratories, in isolation suits, poking and picking at extremely dead
people, while I can still make things up. Obviously, I am the one having
more fun.
You led a team of authors on a press tour of Belgium and Amsterdam. Can you tell me a bit about that?
LESLitSHEWROTE
An amateur Egyptologistdigs intothe past
for inspiration.
The tour began as my effort to bring lesbian writers to lesbian readers.
In any case, the tour through Amsterdam, Brussels and Antwerp was
very successful. We sold quite a lot of books, made friends and contacts,
and had a fantastic time. It helped that a group of five authors was small
enough to stay at my house, and that we all were friends. We went everywhere by train and there were moments when it felt like we were a traveling rock band-without
the drugs and groupies. We discussed doing it
again next year and adding France and Germany.
How old were you when you wrote your first novel? Did you do something before you were a writer?
ustine Saracen has just arrived from the airport on her way
back from Amsterdam and Brussels, where she did a DIY
book tour, but this mild-mannered former academicwho went from teaching German language and literature at
Stanford University to writing lesbian fiction-can always
spare a few moments to talk about her adventure series, The
Ibis Prophecy, including The 100th Generation and Vulture's
Kiss. Her third Bold Strokes novel, Sistine Heresy, comes out
in February. While primarily an adventure story, complete
with mummies, temples and camel chases, it also examines
theological issues. It just may raise the pope's ire by suggesting that there was gay inspiration for Michelangelo's Sistine
Chapel. - Diane Anderson-Minshall
Your novels combine lesbian life and Egyptology in a way
no other writer is doing right now. How did you come to this
topic?
I had the good fortune of traveling to Egypt with a real Egyptologist
who could read hieroglyphics and knew the Egyptian theology in all its
permutations. So, for me, Egypt was a revelation. Everywhere we went
in the tombs and temples, she could read the walls. And I'm telling you,
ancient Egypt was billboard city. Every surface had a message: "Praise Ra,
Horus is the Light;' "His Majesty goes forth unto the horizon;' etc. etc.
And when you can read the walls, Egyptian civilization becomes in-yourface real.
Like most published writers, and probably everyone on
the staff of this magazine, I wrote oodles. I was a literature professor and published a scholarly book and articles.
Yeah, I can hear the readers snoring already. Scholarly
critique is not something you take to read in the bathtub.
For me, however, it was a sort of boot camp for writing.
It taught me discipline, a purposeful focus on drawing
the reader down the page to a conclusion. In lesbian fiction, you're not proving a point, but you still need to keep
your reader with you, o urge them from paragraph to
paragraph, page to page, to a dramatic, emotional highpoint. In short: same technique, different climax.
What's next for you?
I've just finished Sistine Heresy, an LGBT novel about
Michelangelo and the inspirations for the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel. It portrays him as gay, unmistakably, and
the narrator is a lesbian, so there are two developing love
stories. Given the corruption of the Renaissance Church, not to mention
the Inquisition roasting people just across the Mediterranean in Spain,
the novel could not help but also be a critique of the Church. It is the most
"visual" of my novels, with Vatican splendor, banquets, frescoes, fabulous
costumes. There's also more graphic sex-of every kind. The novel gives
a wide panorama of the historical events of the time and of the new ideas
that were blowing over the continent, although I am sure some might simply call it a dirty book. ■
December 2008
I 37
heather caro1ne
I
••
Actor Heather Matara1zo often plays unloved quirky
outsiders; she now finds herse1fon the good sioe
of love. How musician and playwright Caroline
Murphy stole Heather's heart and vice versa.
By Stephanie Schroeder • Photos by Erica Beckman
Hair stylist: Topher Gross I Makeup artist: Brianne Chappell
Prop stylist: Lauren Shields I Photo assistant: Marissa Manning
December 2008
I41
Stacy Merkin is engaged ... or rather! Heather Matarazzo 261 the actor who
l
playea the wicked curve writer on The L Word in season four! has been
engaged to the musician Caroline Murphy! 281 for about a year and a half.
We talt<edt0 the couple in Manhattan this fall. They had just moved to
he Upper East Side from Midtown the day before their cover shoot and had
slept on an air
attress. Yet they arrived looking preternaturally beautiful in
boots, jeans, and scrubbed-clean skin. The sheer volume of hair between
:he two warren was awe-inspiring and when the makeup artist and hair
1
stylist went to work! we started asking questions.
Obviously very much in love and full of strongly held opin,
ions, the two finish each others' sentences or yield a point
when telling stories about their life together. In a refreshingly
unpretentious manner, the two tell how they met.
Murphy recounts their first meeting at the 2007 GO
Magazine Nightlife Awards. She was there representing the
Cattyshack (a popular lesbian bar in Park Slope, Booklyn),
where she worked, and Matarazzo had been invited as a guest.
"Heather happened to be sitting at the Cattyshack table. I
was late to the event, so by the time I arrived the entire place
was packed. There was one seat left and it happened to be the
one next to Heather:' They both grin. "I was there with an ex,
who said, 'You will not believe who you are sitting next to:
Stacy Merkin!' and I thought, That bitch, because that char,
acter was so awful. Heather didn't notice me sitting next to
her and I just thought, Fuck Stacy Merkin. I went outside to
smoke and when I came in we saw each other from across the
room. Heather said, 'I know you from somewhere: I replied,
'It's possible, but not likely: But our eye contact was such that
the world stopped and we just stared into each other's eyes. I
was totally conflicted, as if I were looking at a character from
television but also my best friend and future wife. A lot of
feelings were going on for me at that moment:'
Murphy continues, "I was walking by Heather with two
drinks in my hand and my phone was ringing and I was furn,
bling to answer ic:'
And, says Matarazzo, "It seemed the most natural thing
in the world chat I just take the drinks and hold chem so she
could answer her phone. It was an instinctive reflex and it
was like we had known each other forever:'
"Later;' says Murphy, "I overheard Heather tell a friend
she had met her soul mate and I thought, You don't know
just how right you are:' Murphy admits chat five years previ,
ous she had seen a spiritual advisor who described her future
wife: "She told me chis woman would be Italian, but not to,
tally. She would have long dark hair and be petite. And she
would be famous. So I called all my friends chat night and
told them I had met my wife!"
42
I curve
The couple now lives with a blended family of animals,
Caroline's cat, Suzy Sally Pants, and Matarazzo's two res,
cues, a cat, Fiero, and Henry Miller, a yellow Laborador, Pit
Bull mix. The two women have lived together almost since
they first met.
Matarazzo, whose credits include Hostel II, Saved!,
The Princess Diaries and her famed role in Welcome to the
Dollhouse, is Irish, but grew up as an adopted child in an
Italian Roman Catholic family on Long Island. "My mom
is an amazing cook, we are close and she is very support,
ive. She gave her time to me, so I could pursue my dreams
of performing. My mom is one of my closest friends;' says
Matarazzo definitively.
Matarazzo's birth mother died soon after the two met.
Matarazzo is very measured with her words: "It was exactly
what it was supposed to be. I met her when we were meant
to meet and it was a reflection of everything I never wanted
to be. That might sound horrible, but it made me incredibly
grateful for what I have. It was a real sense of completion,
because I went looking for answers and to feel whole ....she
gave birch to me, but Camille Matarazzo is my mother. Being
related by blood doesn't always mean very much:'
Murphy is a musical playwright from Dallas. She gradu,
ated from Hampshire College and also has an MA from
NYU's graduate playwriting program. She says her family
has always been very accepting and "supremely supportive:'
While her mom and dad are very metaphysical and business,
oriented, her younger sister Emily and her brother Scott are
both artistic as well. In fact, both siblings also live in New
York City and are in musical cheater, with Emily perform,
ing and Scott writing for the stage. Murphy is also a singer,
songwriter trying to kick,start a solo music career.
"I play guitar in that folksy lesbian tradition;' she jokes,
but she is totally serious about her music. "I ran the open mic
night at Cattyshack for years:'
"When people ask if I've been thrust into the spotlight,
I think, Yes, a bit, but not against my will;' says Murphy.
"It's been a bizarre way to come out to certain friends and
"Caroline pointed out the one gift left under the
tree. It was a small box, and written on it were
the lyrics to a song she had written right after
we met ... I read them and then Caroline got
down on one knee."
extended family, but there are worse ways to come out. In
this case, people are more surprised that I'm in a magazine
wearing makeup than that I'm gay:' On why they publicly
announced their engagement, says Matarazzo, "There were
a couple of rumors that persisted about my relationship and
reporters kept calling my mom, so my publicist decided to
publicly acknowledge our engagement:'
"I proposed to you on Christmas. Tell them;' Murphy
nudges.
"It was pretty romantic;' Matarazzo confirms. "We were at
Caroline's family's place in Dallas and her family was hiding in
the next room. Caroline pointed out the one giftleft under the
tree. It was a small box, and written on it were the lyrics to a song
she had written right after we met: 'Heather-is it the shade of
color, or a kind of tree, or just the name of the girl who's gonna
marry me?' I read them and then Caroline got down on one
knee. I opened the box and there was a ring-not a traditional
diamond but a sapphire surrounded by diamonds. And right
when I said 'Yes; Caroline's family come out from hiding, sing,
ing, 'Here comes the bride: Caroline also made it dear that we
wouldn't be officially engaged until I also proposed to her:' Of
course, Matarazzo did, sometime later, and gave Murphy a ruby
with a Celtic cross on the band, which she'd designed.
The two women are planning a 2009 wedding with the
backing of GBK Productions and Gavin Keilly, who produc,
es the Same Sex in the City LGBT wedding expos. "We are
waiting to see if Prop 8 (California's general election measure
to eliminate same,sex marriage] passes;' Matarazzo says,
clearly infuriated. Both are passionate about lesbian rights.
"It's what keeps us up at night:'
The two say they are constantly on the go and don't have
much time to and for themselves. "We would just cuddle in
our bed under the covers with all our animals and watch Cold
Case, if we ever had any downtime:' They both chortle, the
youthful laugh of two women with boundless energy.
What is on the horizon for Heather Matarazzo and Caroline
Murphy? Murphy's musical, Beneath the Surface, is being work,
shopped and they have plans for Matarazzo to star in the stage
version. Matarazzo has a few things in the works. A movie, New
York, I Love You, was just released and she did a guest role on
Life on Mars. "I am also working with Fat Girls director Ash
Christian on a film we are going to do in Louisiana:' And she
is, of course, working with Murphy on her musical. "I love the
stage;' says Matarazzo. "It's a passion for many actors. These
days, the lines are so blurred between real actors and celebri,
ties who happen to make movies:'
The photographer calls the two women to the set and
starts snapping pictures. They look deeply into each other's
eyes, hold each other tight, dance together. You can see they
are just real people, two girls passionately in love, enjoying
each other's company and taking their commitment to each
other-and their careers-very seriously. ■
Her comics are a candid take on adolescence. Now, this
film and children's books. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
Ariel Schrag turned high school's horrors on their heads by chronicling
each year at Berkeley High School in a self-published comic zine. Each
book-Awkward,
Definitioin, Potential and Likewise-documented
her
crushes and friendships, her coming out, falling in love, losing her virginity and so much more. They made her an underground dyke icon for
millions of baby dykes. Now, re-released as a series by Simon & Schuster,
the books are being heralded by a new generation. Though 29-year-old
Schrag is miles away from the high schooler she once was (she was, in fact
a writer on The L Word's seasons three and four), she's still got pen and
paper in hand at all times.
When I was doing the high school comics, it wasn't so much that I neeclea.
to hold onto the past, [but) that I wanted to do something with it. I want,ed to take in all these feelings and turn them into something. So I feel the
same way now, whether it's an autobiographical thing or a fictional thing.
It's still the same feeling of using your life to create omething.
How about something like Sinful Cynthia. Ar
ts of an
autobiography in that?
No, not at all. Except that the main character looks like the girlfriend that
I had at the time. [Laughs]
It seems like with the re-release of the books, you're going to continue
to enrapture new audiences, and presumably young r audiences.
Each summer, you used to write a comic summarizing the last year's
events. Do you get to do anything like that now that you're almost 30?
I do still have the same compulsion to document or to hold onto the past.
And so, you know, I take photos and write in my journal. But that's very
different from sort of creating an alternate universe, which is that thing.
The people that they did reach, you know, really responded, but, you know,
I always felt like they never got to reach as many people as they could. o
maybe that might happen this time around. You know, I still get emails
and MySpace messages and everything from teenagers. [The characters]
might not be IMing or texring but [the books have) no writing, and it's
really not all that different.
Right, there's this certain universality to it.
Yeah, and the other thing about the book is that in a weird way, because
I grew up in Berkeley and it's so liberal, everything was so ahead of time.
So, in a way, it was sort of the attitude that my school had toward queers,
or just weirdness in general, is now just starting to be more accepted.
Actually, I've gotten some comments and people will be like, "I don't like
this book because this isn't what it's like for gay kids. Gay kids have it horrible!" So, yeah, I've gotten that reaction and I think it's just kind of sad.
But I think now, you know, it's still horrible for so many gay kids, but [the
experiences are] becoming more acceptable, at least in more places.
Originally, you were self-publishing, then you were with Slave Labor
Graphics, and now you're with Touchstone. Why the moves?
I was really trying to think of a way for the book to reach more people,
because it wasn't really getting out into that many stores through Slave
Labor. I would always get these messages like, "I can't find your book anywhere;' so I was getting really frustrated. So that's when I sent out a proposal for Likewise to find a publisher. And Touchstone was interested in
redoing the whole series.
Now that you're speaking with audiences, are they filled with teenagers, or are they mostly middle-aged lesbians?
It really depends on the event. In the beginning, the majority of the people
chat were reading my books were these sort of middle-aged men, because
those were just the people char read comics. And nobody else really read
them at the time. So I was trying really hard to get teenage girls to read
them, but they would just never go into a comic shop unless they were
sold, so it was really hard in the beginning. But now comics are definitely
getting more popular and it's really helping.
In your books, you give an authentic view of high school: your first
real love, trying to lose your virginity, drinking and smoking pot. Were
your parents reading your work?
Yeah, they would read it when it came out.
Is that a Berkeley thing, or are your parents just cool and liberal?
Mtt.(
o,11nef we -;tarted W<1ll::1n9
to
V"\eet t'fieothe0 Glod ended vp w,th
ovrot'\"115cxrolJl"ldov<snovlders
It
<,ee'l'lt'd to me l,Ke she had ,11,tiatec:I
S•~~ t\,,~jS
,t O.l\d I ½oped ti,, s was the
wovlc\ tvn, vp
You know, I think it's both. When they would actually sit down and read
it, I would suddenly have a moment of, "Wait, this is a little bit awkward:'
I would say, like, "You can't comment on any of the sex stuff:' And they
would be like,"Oh, OK:' I always felt like because everything seemed OK
with my parents, it was in a way up to me to watch out for myself, so I
was always too scared to try really hard drugs because I felt like, you know
what, I could do this, but do I really want tor
Potential is going to be made into a film directed by Rose Troche.
How did Killer Films discover you? I mean, was Christine Vachon
trolling in the comic aisles?
It was actually Jocelyn Hayes, one of the producers there, and yeah, she
was just trolling the comic aisles. I think she was in Forbidden Planet in
New York City, and I really think she just saw the color and liked it.
So you actually adapted Potential, the screenplay, yourself, right?
Well, what was really cool about when I first met with them, actually, was
that Jocelyn found the book ....They were basically like, "We read these
books, we really liked them. What are you interested in doing?" It wasn't
like, "We want this book, were going to option it and do whatever we want
with it:' It was just like,"We want to work with you:' And I felt that Potential
could be a really good movie, so I told them that's what I wanted to do and
they said, "Great, wed like you to adapt it:' It was just awesome.
Was adapting it as hard a process as it seems like it would be?
I think adapting a novel would be much more work. Because a novel is all
about setting a mood with words, and they're so dense. A comic is much
more like a movie, the pacing is much more cinematic, the majority of it
is made up of dialogue so it felt to me like a pretty easy transition. When
I did my first draft though, it was basically like a script of the comic. It did
not make a good movie. [Laughs]
How about your more recent work?
I do definitely want to have a cameo. I don't know what it's going to be
yet, though.
Basically, I'm just working on finishing Likewise. It's been the main project
because it's so long. But I'm going to start working on a children's book with
my friend Toby, the guy that I wrote Sinful Cynthia with. I might use different names or something. I don't want them to be tied to each other. But
he's, like, a fabulous musician, so we have an idea were going to work on this
children's book together, we're going to come up with a story together. He's
going to write the rhymes and I'm going to do the drawings and he's going
to make a CD [of] songs to insert in i '-'o that'll be cool. And I have some
other television ideas that I'm going to start working on.
So did you work with Rose when you were a staff writer or story edi-
Yeah, that's how we met. Actually we shared the same entertainment lawyer, Jodi Peikoff. I told Jody that I wanted to write for The L Word, and
she brought my book and screenplays to Rose. So that's how I ended up
working on the show, and then got to know Rose on the show, and we just
got along really well and she decided she really wanted to do the movie.
How did your style or writing translate to writing for television?
So you're working with different forms of media?
I think, again, that the comic format is very similar to television ....in a
way, it was kind of like they were friends and I was writing their stories,
which is kind of cool. I knew all their habits and their back stories and
everything, and got to work from there.
There's so much that I love about each medium and I also want to start
writing prose, like a book. I think that ultimately, comics are-I just relate to them the most, so it comes the most naturally for me. But I love
television because it's so great. I remember the first time I saw something
I wrote on The L Word be aired, and it was a seriously amazing, like, godlike feeling, just to have created [it]. And it's great to be able to work with
actors. You know the limitation of comics and books is mainly the sound.
You can't really add in a tone of voice with the same subtlety as an actor
can. You can't have music or sound effects in the same way. And in books,
there's just so much more room for density and detail.
The fourth season was one of the most hotly debated-around
Max's
character, for example. Were you involved with that?
~
I
0
(/)
.J
UJ
Oh, that was fabulous. I had a wonderful time playing Mabel the
Hunchback. I would love to continue acting.
Will you have a little cameo in the film?
tor on The L Word?
0
tell me about that?
I was a big part of that. I think that was a big part of why Ilene [Chaiken]
wanted me to work on the show-because they were interested in exploring
a trans character, and because it was sort of an age thing, you know. I was
younger than a lot of the other writers and I was at that age where, like, suddenly everyone I knew is transitioning. It was perfect. And I had also dated a
trans woman for a long time. And some of my close male friends were trans,
so I just happened to be very involved. So I had a lot to bring .
a:
<(
You made your own film debut in a short film called Fighter. Can you
You once fainted onstage at a Gwen Stefani concert. Who do you
adore now so much that you'd faint on their stage.
I've always had a big crush on A.M. Homes. We worked together on The
L Word. I sat on her lap. [Laughs] ■
December 2008
I 47
Best-selling author Jennifer McMahon discusses finally making it and the worst-case scenarios
that got her there. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
The media loves Jennifer McMahon. Peoplecalled her "whip smart;' and
everyone from Entertainment Weekly to The Today Show to Amazon
lauded her debut psychological thriller, PromiseNot to Tell. Her second
novel, Island of Lost Girls-the chilling story of a woman who witnesses
a kidnapping and must revisit a past crime to understand it all-hit No.
17 on the New York Times Best Seller list and a third, Tiki Girl is already
tops with fans. Surprisingly, McMahon, who lives in Barre, Vermont with
her partner Drea and their daughter Zella, is refreshingly nonplussed by
all the attention.
Island of Lost Girls was number 17 on the New York Times Best
Seller list. How does that feel?
It's amazing. I'm still completely stunned. I still don't believe it.
In Island, Rhonda is so completely caught off guard that she is unable to act when she sees what's happening. Have you ever been
that surprised by something?
I don't think so, no. But I've obviously wondered what would happen if I
were. The inspiration for Island of Lost Girlscame when I had stopped for
gas at a little town outside a state park in Vermont. I was standing there
pumping my gas and I saw a woman pull in and leave her little girl in the
backseat while she ran into the store. The car was running and of course
my imagination was going-because I'm a worst-case scenario kind of
person. [Laughs]I was absolutely convinced that someone was going to
pull up and take this little girl. And I'm thinking, What am I going to do:'
What am I going to do:' What if it's a guy:' What if it's a big guy:' What
if there are several big guys:' Will I still stand up and try to help the little
girl:' Then I thought, And what if it's something really weird:' Like, what
if it's Santa Claus:' Or what if it's the Easter Bunny:' I would probably just
be too freaked out and I would be paralyzed. [Laughs]I don't think that's
ever actually happened in real life, but it's certainly possible.
1
'/
~'
I anrvwh6,/anrv,a;nd,(6't/tattd/t«te1,,
You've said that My Tiki Girl was the book you wish you had read
~aw~~~~j~1TlR/a;nd,
when you were 13. Did you set out to write a book for teenagers?
ruwwMW*
&wir Utt-&~, tlr.vrv~ Utt-
I did not, no. Tiki Girl was written for an adult audience, and the first
draft of it was much darker. One of the characters ended up dead, one was
brain damaged, there was a rape and a teen pregnancy and it was really
sort of dark. Gruesome, almost. I showed it to my agent and he said, "You
know, I think that this could really work as a young adult book:' And I
said, "Young adult book:' I don't even know what that means:' So I started
reading some young adult fiction, thought about it and revised it specifically for that market, and I'm excited.
You spent some time living in a cabin with no electricity or running
What about when you were 13? What books were you reading then?
water. Was that a stressful experience or a nice retreat?
I don't know if it was when I was 13, probably around that time, I was
really into S.E. Hinton. The Outsidersand all those books, I really loved
those. I thought those were great. I was probably around 13, maybe a
little younger, when I read To Kill a Mockingbird,and it just completely
blew my mind. That was the book that made me realize I really wanted
to be a writer. I reread it about every year or so, and I always take away
something new from it ... And then, I think I was a freshman in college
when I read RubyfruitJungle,and that was the first gay or lesbian book
that had a character like that. And I was blown away.
A little of both. While we were doing that, we were trying to build our
own house, which was the really stressful part. My partner and I almost
never fight and we fought so much-it was a huge strain on our relationship. I think it was the combination of building the house and living like
that, living with no electricity, water or bathroom, and having to hike into
town.
48 I curve
~ wh6,~ ~ ~-''
It's amazing how the market has grown.
Yeah, it sure is. And now Rita Mae Brown is writing mysteries with her
kitty cat.
Before you worked full-time as a writer, did you have an assortment
of jobs?
I did. I studied poetry in school, so I figured that I'd spend the rest of
~
I
I-
~
a:
0
my life being this poor struggling poet, and I was going to be delivering
pizzas and doing whatever while I wrote poems and tried to have them
published. And then-I was in graduate school when I wrote a poem that
turned into, like, a long prose poem, and it turned into a short story, and it
kept going. I was like, "Oh my God, I've got 100 pages. What am I doing?
Is this a novel? What do I know?"
Did that novel turn into one of the ones that you've published?
It did not. That is the one novel that has not gone anywhere. It is sitting in the drawer and maybe it will one
day, but that novel actually landed me my first agent. I
was so excited. And that's what inspired me to quit my
job.
Are you one of those writers who maps out a chapter plan or an outline before you create? Or are you creating completely organically,
from A to Z.
With PromiseNot to Tell and Island of Lost Girls-and Tiki, too-I did
all three without an outline or any kind of road map ...l just had the vaguest of ideas. Like, with Island of Lost Girls,I thought of the little girl and
her mom pulling into the parking lot and I went home and that was what
started the whole book. I had no idea where it was going
to go. I think that's part of the fun of writing for mehaving no idea what characters are going to show up and
where the story's going to go.
You're not just a writer-you're
also a work-at-home
How long was it between quitting your job and the
mom, too. How does that affect your work?
offers rolling in?
It affected my work a great deal. When I was pregnant,
I had this idea that I was going to have this baby and
I would be able to stay home and write and she would
just play happily by my feet. And it never worked out. I
learned to write in, like, 15-minute increments here and
there. And we were going to be one of those families who
never let our child watch any sort of television, and now
it's like,"Please, go watch a little public television!
Go watch Reading Rainbow for a few minutes. I
want to finish up this paragraph:' But I always
carry a notebook or index cards or something
with me wherever I go. Whether I'm taking her
to play dates or whatever, I'm scribbling away as
I'm pushing her on the swings.
Oh, gosh. Years. [Laughs] And my agent actually
dumped me eventually. She sent me a letter saying that
it's time that we part company, and that she didn't really
do ghost stories, and the book just didn't really work for
her and she hadn't had any luck selling my earlier two
books. I was so absolutely devastated. I came really close
to quitting. I thought, This is it. I put everything I had
into this book, and here was this woman who was my
lifeline to the publishing world-she was going to make
all my dreams come true-and she dumped me. I felt very sorry
for myself, and I drank too much tequila. [Laughs]
Who do you think your audience is?
I know a lot of writers sit down and write a book thinking about
who their audience is, and maybe I should be doing that, but I
don't. My audience is all over the place. I hear from high school
students who are picking up PromiseNot to Telland Island of Lost
Girls and absolutely loving it. I'm hearing from a lot of people
who call themselves "nonreaders;' or people who never finish
books, who are just completely engrossed, who actually
take the time out of their day to write me and say,"Your
book is the first book I've finished in 10 years!" I think
that's wonderful. And then I'm hearing from mysterylovers, I'm hearing from people who enjoy a good comingof age [story] and stories with kids in them. So it seems to
be all over the place. I think that when I sit down to write,
I just write what I feel like, what compels me-what I feel
like I would want to pick up and read. PromiseNot to Tell
became a mystery completely by accident. I didn't intend
to write a mystery, and a lot of people are calling me a
mystery writer. I do write books that have mysteries in
them, but I don't really know a lot about writing mysteries. [Laughs]
Does it feel sort of marginalizing to be in that niche
genre?
I'm just writing the books I want to write, and it just so happens that I
discovered that I really like making terrible things happen to people on
paper, and I really like putting the mystery stuff in there. I really like doing
all the twists and turns and surprises. As I'm writing, I'm going along and
I'm surprising myself, and I think that's what I get a kick out of, and hopefully that's what my readers will enjoy, too.
There aren't very many writers on the New
York Times Best Seller list who are openly
gay, or as matter-of-factly gay as you are. Did
you ever have any concerns about being so
open on your bio?
No, I didn't. I figure, I am who I am, and if that
drives people away or makes people judge me
and not want to buy the book, then they're the
ones who are missing out.
It's nice to see that it's not having an effect on your
bottom line.
Yeah, I think a lot of that has to do with living in
Vermont. It doesn't feel like a big deal to me. Orea and
I are treated as a couple wherever we go. We feel pretty
accepted here, and I think that has sort of flowed over
into all aspects of my life.
What's next for you?
I'm hard at work finishing up edits for the book that will
come out in 2009, and it is tentatively titled Dismantled.
The story is also set in Vermont. It's about a group of
four college friends who form a sort of band of outlaw
artists called the Compassionate Dismantlers, who believe that true art is
about taking things apart. They spend the summer after college together,
and at the end of the summer one of them ends up dead. The book takes
place nine years later, the rest of them sort of coming to terms with that.
And there is a lesbian character-actually,
there are a couple of lesbian
characters in it. ■
December 2008
I49
Rock the Yote
W
E ALL rooted for Laurie Metcalf to come out as a lesbian
when she played Roseanne Conner's rather butchy factory
worker,turned,police officer sister,Jackie, on the hit television
comedy Roseanne. While there were many queer characters on that show,
Jackie was not among them. She may have ended up with a guy onscreen
and off-Metcalf married the actor who played her abusive boyfriend, Matt
Roth-but she never stopped pinging our gaydar. She played a lesbian cop
in Internal Affairs-a role chat was originally written for a man-and this
year she was heralded for her role as a lesbian speechwriter opposite Nathan
Lane in David Mamet's election,year dramedy, November.
Metcalf, 52, who has three kids, including her adult daughter, Zoe Perry
(named for Metcalf's Pulitzer Prize,winning playwright aunt, Zoe Akins),
Mae (born through a surrogate) and Will, has continued to show up on
prime time, too, with stints on Desperate Housewives and The Big Bang
Theory and as a headliner on this fall's CW dramedy, Easy Money.
'Just knowing Nathan was starring and Joe [Mantella] was directing
was enough;' says Metcalf, about her interest in November. "I said, 'Sign
me up: " What Metcalf signed up for was playing straight man to Lane's
farcical president, Charles Smith. Metcalf portrays a speechwriter, Clarice
Bernstein, a lesbian who has just stepped off the plane from adopting a baby
girl in China with her partner, Daisy.
Clarice is somewhat stereotypical, sporting an amulet that she picked up
at the adoption agency (with Chinese characters meaning love and family)
and wearing sweatpants and clogs to the office. She's got wildly frizzy red
hair, funky glasses and, the prop de resistance, a cloth Whole Foods bag in
which she keeps her yellow legal pad-you see, she's old,fashioned enough
to still write in longhand (as does Mamet).
Metcalf, who was nominated for a Tony for November, is no stranger to
the stage. It was in her home state oflllinois that she met actor,comrades John
Malkovich,Joan Allen and Gary Sinise, who went on to establish Chicago's
famed SteppenwolfTheatre Company, where Metcalf began her profession,
al career. Craving New York and live theater, even while tied to Los Angeles
by her TV work, Metcalf says that with Steppenwolf in its 32nd year (and
their production of August: Osage County just down the street), her turn on
Broadway is like a geHogether with her Chicago family for eight months.
"I love New York, the pace and the pulse;' says Metcal£ "I would love to
split my time between New York and Chicago, while popping into L.A. for
some occasional work. I love Chicago, there's nothing like it:'
A true Midwesterner at heart, Metcalf thinks that while November is
somewhat of a departure for Mamet, who is better known for his gritty psy,
chological dramas. His writing and timing are so precise and his language so
rich and colorful (read: a lot of cursing) that she is not even sure the average
our,of town theater,goer gets all the references. The basic premise of the
play is that Lane is a first,term president who is such a screw,up chat he has
been abandoned, even by his own party. He is so desperate to be re,elected
that he will do anything to make it happen.
There is much cursing, deal,making and underhanded manipulation.
And, of course, hilarity ensues every minute Lane is on stage (which is the
entire play). Enter Metcalf's Clarice, just off a 16,hour plane ride, with a
horrific cold. She just wants to stay home with her new baby and her lesbian
partner. But no, Smith summons her to the Oval Office to write the speech
that will get him re,elected. Metcalf says, "It's funny because it's so over the
so Icurve
top. If anyone thought that this
is what really happens or has
happened in the Oval Office, it
wouldn't be at all funny:'
What happens over the
course of the third act is a psy,
chological and moral struggle
for both characters. As it turns
out, Clarice writes "the speech that will get Smith re,elected;' but will not give
it to him until he allows queers to marry. Smith agrees. Getting re,elected
is his primary goal, after all. Mixed messages result when Clarice enters the
Oval Office in her wedding gown (with blue sneakers) and things go ter,
ribly awry.
In the end, November is not only about the human face behind politics,
but also about individual worth, equal rights, friendship and caring. It cuts
across party lines.
Hoping to bring to life a character that is not just funny but believable,
Metcalf says she, along with the director, Joe Mantella, made all the deci,
sions about Clarice Bernstein. Metcalf chose the frizzy red wig "because I
like kooky hair:' She agrees that playing a lesbian, especially on stage, is no
longer a career,killer. But for her it all came down to playing a character who
maintains a good working relationship and a casual, respectful friendship
with her boss, even though their belief systems are different. In the end, the
Bernstein character is just as manipulative as President Smith in getting
what she wants, which is equality in marriage.
"I was concerned with making her human, first and foremost. That was
my goal:' [STEPHANIE
SCHROEDER]
■
Laurie Metcalf brings
a lesbian presence to
Broadway's electionyear dramedy,
November.
L
<
I
f2
ll.
I
~
Dance Doctor
A
NNE Bluethenthal began her career as a choreographer in
an unlikely place-a science lab at Oberlin College in Ohio.
Studying psychobiology, a major intended mainly for pre-med
students, Bluethenthal hoped to explore the connection between mind
and body. But experimenting on lab rats offered her little insight into the
human condition. In her sophomore year, she began supplementing her
education with dance classes. Thirty years later, Bluethenthal continues to
use the dance studio to understand the world, and that means diving into
the complex issues of politics, sexuality and spirituality.
Bluethenthal says she was" weaned on politics:' With her mother on the
local board of education during school desegregation, she was exposed co
political action at a young age. But from her vantage point, grassroots politics, for all its power, was often heartbreaking. "I was motivated to create
something on stage that I couldn't create in the world;' says Bluechenthal.
"The political world was so fraught with compromise, but there was some
way chat I could be really uncompromising as an arcisc:'
Part of being uncompromising as an artist was being honest with
herself. Today, Bluechenchal is a respected lesbian choreographer in San
Francisco, but when she began, she considered herself straighc."Whac was
interesting, looking back, is chat I was making what I considered to be
very lesbian work. Thar's the neat thing about being an artist-your work
is way ahead of you;' says Bluethenthal.
Ir's easy co see why her work is considered lesbian-Bluechenchal's
productions are woman-centered, and often the cast consists entirely of
women. Her most recent production, Carino: Economy of the Heart, features an all-woman dance troupe and incorporates the work of the lesbian
poet Judy Grahn, as well as women singers and visual artiscs."Women need
co have images of themselves char are life-affirming;' says Bluechenthal.
In addition co focusing on women, Bluechenthal's work often incorporates elements of spirituality-she has a master's degree in women's spirituality. Bluethenchal consciously began her spiritual path when her best
friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in the early '90s. "When you first
bump up against mortality as an adult, it catapults you into the spiritual;'
she says. "Ir just breaks your heart open:'
Anne Bluethenthal
connects the mind
and body-through
dance.
Buejust as she created her early
lesbian work before she came out,
Bluechenchal had a spiritual practice long before she pursued spirituality. "As I began co look into the
mysteries, I realized I had already
been involved in a spiritual practice.
I just hadn't seen it as such:' That practice was the Alexander Technique.
The Alexander Technique is designed to help people remove tension
from the body in order to focus on what Bluechenthal describes as "more
wakeful doing:' The technique also helps people find a conscious way to
have more energy.
Bluethenthal says the technique is hard to describe in words, but "the
one-sentence answer is, it's training in wakeful doing. The two-sentence
answer is, it teaches people to acquire more conscious control over how
they use themselves. And the three-sentence answer is chat we are all
shaped by our unconscious patterns of moving:'
Bluethenthal uses chis belief to help train her dancers to be more
harmonious in their expression. "Ir's real commitment to movement
chat is humane, and an aesthetic chat allows for more freedom of movement:' Bluechenchal says the goal is co have this harmony flow from the
dancers and into the audience. "If I can embody this sort of interconnectedness of stage, in a sense, everyone in the audience absorbs the
energy and is elevated:'
Bluechenthal's belief in the Alexander Technique mixed with her
expertise in women's spirituality and a deep-rooted political focus have
led her to choreograph productions ranging from Global Heart, a look at
the universal, political heart of the world, co Unsing the Song, a full-length
production presented alongside a multimedia exhibit called "Speaking
the Unspeakable: Rwandan Women's Stories of Resistance:' Having just
finished Carino, Bluechenchal is taking some time off to focus on her next
project. While she doesn't know what it will be, she does have faith chat
"these things usually bubble up:' For now, she'll return co the studio co
continue her very personal study of psychobiology. [KRISTIN
A.SMITH]■
December 2008
I51
Jennifer Lanier captivates
with humor while exploring
the complexities of identity.
♦♦♦
W
HAT do you get when you combine sheer talent, rainbow
moccasins and a traditional family? None of the Above, a phenomenal autobiographical performance by Jennifer Lanier.
Exploring her complex racial identity, first relationships, sexual identity, the perfect lesbian wedding, and all of the nuances that come with
them, Lanier mesmerizes her audience with her ability to relate to life's
many crossroads. "Black, white, gay, straight, feminine, masculine; I don't
feel that there are just two choices:' Funny, emotional, and timeless, this
piece garnered two awards from the 2006 Columbus National Gay and
Lesbian Theatre Festival: Best Socio-Political and Best of the Festival
Solo. Unfortunately,Jennifer will not be taking any honors home this year
since the festival was cancelled.
However, that hasn't slowed her down one bit. You can spot Lanier
all over the country as she performs regularly for college diversity workshops and trainings. In Portland, Ore., where she is happy to call home,
you can find her or her alter ego Bruce the Drag King, teaming up with
the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (ifccarts.org), guest hosting
shows at The Embers Ave, or across the bridge as a regular cast member
at The Northbank's Lipz Cabaret every second and fourth Saturday in
Vancouver, Wash.
"(Performing] is a fascinating kind of one night stand;' says Lanier
passionately. "The intensity! There's so much you want to communicate in
a short space of time, it is fun and it's always exciting:' Jennifer is also managing to showcase others' talents through her Many Horses Production
Company. A standout on the schedule is the annual benefit variety show,
Super Queer Lusty Fun Xtravaganza!
"We have a risque juggling duo that is really sensuous. It's playful, sexy,
52
Icurve
Drag King
erotica-you know nothing too heavy. We feature erotic spoken word,
burlesque dancers and drag kings:' The first run was such a hit, the show
returned to Portland at Berbati's Pan last month.
Lanier is hot, but rest assured Bruce the Drag King is not sitting idly
by letting Lanier get all of the attention. He has taken the Northwest
by storm; garnering top nods as the first drag king to be voted Mr. Gay
Pride Vancouver 2008. Unfortunately single ladies, Bruce wasn't alone
at his celebration; Ms. Gay Pride Vancouver 2008 was none other than
Lanier's partner Dustina Haas, the title traditionally held by a drag
queen. [TAMARA
N. BOYNTON]
■
Finding Love in Trailerville
Los Angeles is definitely a movie town. The evidence is
everywhere, from the craft services trucks blocking alleys
to the filming notices taped up on every other doorway from
Koreatown to Los Feliz. So it's easy to forget about the city's
fertile independent theater community, which has consistently proven to be a haven for inspiring gay-themed productions with budgets the size of a takeout order.
Hannah Logan's ode to white trash redemption, Trailerville, takes place in the early 1970s and explores the lives
of the residents of the Lakeview Mobile Home Park in the
fictional DeSales County. The bicoastal From the Ground Up
Theatre Company put on the play at the Moving Arts Theater
in lesbo-loving Silver Lake, Calif. The theater itself is tiny,
barely large enough to house the production's enormous
cast, not to mention the audience of discriminating theatre
junkies. Seating is-in a word-cozy.
The rapid-fire scene changes challenge the audience to
connect quickly with nine interwoven storylines and their
unexpected results. The main character and narrator, Holly, a
child genius played by Jennifer Cetrone, is inspired if occasionally grating. Her loud nasal drone, though at times over-
Lenelle Mo"iseis taking the queer
cultural scene by storm with her
poetry, performance art and activism.
It's Story Time
L
ENELLE MoYseruffles feathers with her politically driven poetry.
We find out how this "culturally hyphenated, pomosexual poet"
makes storytelling her life's work.
about two women who grew up in the projects and how they live out their
lives. It's about people I know. Some are self-destructive and some self-destruct because of stunted opportunities, hatred and prejudice. It's also about
finding home, which to me is not a place but a feeling, or community.
You've been called just about every adjective in the political lexicon.
How have you become a self-supporting artist at such a young age?
How do you actually identify yourself?
How do you identify in terms of your sexuality?
I was told that I could not be an artist because I am from the projects,
but I met a great drama teacher in high school and he modeled for me
what I knew I could become. I think my work appeals to a broad cross
section of many communities, so word gets out and people come to see
my performances or buy my CDs and support me. I also take on way too
much just to stay afloat. I am just now allowing myself to start teaching at
universities and other programs and workshops.
I call myself a dyke, and own that. I have never enjoyed the word "lesbian:'
I like the play on words of the Haitian derogation of lesbian-madivinez- "my divine:' I am also a feminist and the theme of me loving women
and making feminist-womanist-humanist art is (central to] what I do. I
tell universal stories through the lens of queered bodies.
James Baldwin, who said to use any form to communicate your message.
The late Cherrie Moraga was a great influence. I was very influenced by
the PomoAfroHomos. Nancy Bereano, founder of the now-defunct Firebrand
Books, is a great support. [STEPHANIE
SCHROEDER]
■
I am Haitian American, but I am also neither Haitian nor American. I consider myself a politicized poet, an activist artist. I scrutinize the intersection
of race, class, sexuality, gender and resistance in my work. The resistance
part is very important to me. And that work takes different forms: poetry,
theater, prose, film and video performance.
Who are your influences?
What about your recent theater piece, the rock musical Expatriate?
I didn't want to hammer numbers and demographics to tell the story. It's
f:IT
~
::2
(:)
z
:J
~
~
~
z
uf
'~
0
6~
(:)
a:
~
~
IB
z
~
reaching, personifies the most irritating
stages of childhood. Toting her "scab jar,"
Cetrone moves through her scenes with
wide-eyed innocence, tempered by her
circumstance as a throwaway kid whose
mother is the town tramp.
Several standout performances include
the rural lesbian character played by
Jackie Jones, who does a regular stint at
the Comedy Store and is traveling with
the troupe as they move on to the Kraine
Theatre Red Room in New York City's East
Village. Her imploring monologue is the
capstone of a subtle, slow-burning performance. As Joan, a garage mechanic,
she is goaded to a simmering boil by the
saccharine-sweet, Bible-quoting Betty Sue
Lincoln (Lauren Benge), who teases out
information about Joan's sexuality with
biting, homophobic digs. The audience
sympathizes as Joan is needled into an
emotional confession that ultimately sets
her free. Jones plays the androgynous role
with a sweet, hat-in-hand awkwardness
reminiscent of Laurel Holloman's Randy
Dean in the seminal dyke drama The
Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in
Love.
With actors from CSI, Party of Five and
a smattering of feature films, Trailerville
evolves through themes of misfortune to
ultimate redemption as each character
reaches his or her own epiphany with the
help of the town's motley residents. They
include a cross-carrying bum (Glen Anthony Vaughan), an overweight shut-in (Cheri
Johnson), the town hunk (Lester Keefe), a
hippie earth mother (Monica Martin) and
a fading starlet tarted up like Tammy Faye
Bakker at a tent revival (Lonna Montrose).
The characters just barely avoid becoming
caricatures, thanks to the able talents of
first-time director Eileen Galindo.
At its essence, "Trai/erville shows how
every human travels a spiritual road in life,
aware of it or not-sometimes by choice,
sometimes kicking and screaming." And
as a waitress named Higher Power (Kath-
leen Ingle) belts out her gospel-tinged
numbers a la a Greek chorus to each of
the characters at their moment of need,
the audience is alerted to the climax of
each story line.
At over two and a half hours long,
Trailerville contains some less than stellar
sequences, but the diverse collection of
characters means there's bound to be one
that each audience member can relate to
and perhaps even take some nugget of
wisdom from. Trailerville is a funny and
often poignant exploration of love, acceptance and triumph that asks the question,
Does where we come from make us who
we are? [MELANY
WALTERS-BECK]
■
December 2008
I53
LAYWRIGHT
Dee Jae Cox, author of The Rape of Djuna
Barnes and Letters Home, had two hits this year: the opening of
her wildly popular Prove It On Me and the launch of the Los
Angeles Women's Theatre Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to
create opportunity for women in the performing arts.
Prove It On Me was released at the beginning of 2008 to outstanding reviews. The play tells the story of Georgia, an African American
female blues singer living in Harlem in the 1920s. Georgia is in love with
a white female socialite and the play deals with the misery of their secret
relationship, while also tapping into the larger social issues of the era.
Although the play isn't a musical, it is enriched by the original blues score
that accompanies it.
Prove It On Me was the launching pad for Cox's second big endeavorthe LA Women's Theatre Project. "We needed something to help establish us, and I had this play I wanted to produce. It was a very good
takeoff point for us, it helped to get our name out there;' Cox says.
P
Playwright Dee Jae
Cox took on secret
love and the LA theater
scene this year.
Cox, who began writting plays a decade ago, said
she took a few years to finish Prove It On Me because
she intensively researched
each character. According
to Cox, Georgia turned out
to be one of the most remarkable characters she has ever created. "There
was something about her character that came to me, and wouldn't let go;'
she says.
Cox says she developed Georgia's character by fleshing out each of her
movements and every aspect of her dialogue so that the character would
come alive on the stage.
By the time Prove It On Me opened,
Cox was also primed to help launch the
LA Women's Theatre Project.
The organization supports productions with mostly female casts and
crews. After the opening of Prove It
On Me, the LA Women's Theatre Project itself promoted the 20 Percent
New Works Festival, which was set up by Cox and her partner, composer
Michele Weiss, to help women writers share their work with an audience.
The 20 Percent project brought together 70 artistic women-from playwrights, directors, actors and producers to technical crew members.
According to Cox, the festival was named after a statistic released
in a 2002 study by the New York State Council on the Arts Theater
Program: Only about 20 percent of professionals working in theater are
women. Not that Cox is against working with men, just that she likes to
put her energy more toward things that are of interest to women.
The small number of women working in theater inspired Cox and
Weiss to found the LA Women's Theatre Project. "It is phenomenal;'
Cox says. "If you think that theater reflects our culture and community ...
women's voices and their perspective are not being heard:'
The LA Women's Theatre Project is currently looking for a venue in
Palm Springs, Calif., to present Prove It On Me at Dinah Shore Week next
year and is using its website, lawomenstheatreproject.com, to get the word
out and drum up support for the show. [FERNANDA
SILVA]■
~
z
1-
(J',
'.2
u:
I
u:
<(
I
C
(u
~
IJ.J
a
LL
z
0
(/)
u_j
0
~
(/)
~
0
<{
~
C
e
~
C
aLL
~
C
LL
<{
LL
a:
a:
'.2
<:
~
<:
:'5
aJ
f3
z
zIJ.J
a.
Q,
X
0
0
>a:
<{
'.2
a:
0
LL
a:
u2
a:
LL
ff
<:
2
z
s
C
C
C
a:
<(
I
C
a
Let's Get Physical
EmbodiedPolitic
You might not believe that somebody who has
given herself the F-word as a middle name
would be as much fun as Julie Fucking Potter.
But it's true. This rapper-comic-performer
who hails from Bakersfield, Calif., and currently resides in West Hollywood, has got the
good life figured out. With her album, Exodus,
which came out last year, her recent participation in the Homorevolution Tour and her gig
at a three-month inspirational writing retreat
in Amsterdam, well, things seem to be coming
together for this feisty lady. She's even an
underground hit on CDbaby.com.
If you've never listened to Potter's music
or seen her with her improv group, Crisis
Hopkins, it's important to note that this
woman has a serious message, but also has
a sense of humor about herself. Her album
tackles a range of issues, and you'll find her
feeling downright spiteful about everything
from straight women who tease, to anyone who doesn't appreciate Nancy
Pelosi's position as Speaker of the House. But the real treat in Potter's
music is that it's grounded in the specificity of an unglamorous world.
"It's a crazy thing to work as a server," she says in "Server Homies,"
her homage to those in food service. "You run around like a mad person,
but you have to give good service at the table. I think you learn so much
about someone when you go out to eat with them and you see how they
treat their server."
Potter's "Run. Bust. Blow." outlines three attainable steps to happiness: running (at least 20 minutes, three times a week), masturbating
(it relieves stress) and smoking pot (to slow down and enjoy yourself).
Surprised to find a rapper who promotes exercise? Well, Potter isn't
your average rapper. In addition to playing softball and football, she runs
marathons and has a college degree in kinesiology.
So how did this girl-jock get into rapping? "I've always wanted to be
on stage ... ! grew up in the golden age of West Coast gangster rap ... the
raw expressiveness and emotion connected to rap is what I fell in love
with." But it wasn't until 2004, during her time abroad in Amsterdam, that
Potter took some acting classes and actually started appearing on stage.
"lmprov really gives you that no-fear quality ... You realize that you're
never going to fail as long as you're doing it, which is the whole entire
point of improv: Just do it and you are successful."
Four years later, here she is in your face. Something has to be said for
having the kind of drive that's created her success, but Potter is nonchalant about it: "Just believe in yourself. If you don't believe in you, how
can anybody else?"
So Potter has returned to Amsterdam, the place where it all began,
and is currently working on new material for another album. She plans to
produce the beats for this album with her wife, Caroline Dream, whose
violin work can be heard on the "San Francisco Values" track. Some of
her new lyrics feel reflective, introspective and more personal than her
previous work. It's different, but Potter feels confident about it, as she
does about most things.
"I have willed so much just by believing it and thinking about it," she
Asthe nationaldirectorof SinsInvalid:An
Unshamed
Claimto Beautyin theFaceof
Invisibility,andas a queer,disabledwoman
of color,PatriciaBerne(picturedleft) is a
leaderin whatshecalls"the secondwave
of the disabilityrightsmovement."
Sins
Invalidis a performance
projectof spoken
word,theater,poetry,danceandmusicthat
exploressexualityin the livesof peoplewith
disabilities.Nowin its third year,SinsInvalidhasgrown
fromwhat Berneadmitswasa "regrettablynovelidea"into
oneof the mostrevolutionary
artisticexpressions
of sexuality anddisabilityin the UnitedStates.
Theshowwasbornof Berneandco-founderLeroy
Moore'sfrustrationat the lackof positiverepresentations
of
the sexualityof people.Thetwo wereequallydisappointed
that LGBTpeopleandpeopleof colorhadbeenroutinely
under-represented
by mostdisabilityadvocacygroups.
Theydecidedto founda projectthat wouldfill thesegaps
andsimultaneously
sparkthe secondwaveBernerefers
to-one that wouldbe inclusive,honestandhealing.
Theperformances
explorethe intersections
of identity
andconfrontculturaltaboosheadon,withoutflinchingand
withoutresortingto tokenism.Theycomplicateidentity
politicsby presentingsituationsthat areambiguousand
emotionallycharged.Thisyear'sshow,FromSacrificedto
Sacred,wasthe mostprovocative
yet. Its objectivewas
to challengestereotypes
that havean overtlyreligious
subtext.Theconceptgrewout of discussions
amongstthe
performers,all of whomhadstoriesof negativeexperiences
with a stronglyreligiouselement.Forinstance,Bernecan
remember,
as a child,havingpeoplestoponthe streetand
offerhertheir prayers.Sherecountsthat eventhoughthey
wereintendedto be healingandgenerous,gestureslike
this fell wideof the mark.SinsInvalidis rootedin politics
andbridgesseveralrightsmovements,
saysBerne.She
seesnaturalalliancesbetweenthe disabledcommunity
andthe genderqueer
community."Todenya persontheir
sexualityis to denythemwhotheyare,"saysBerne"[Sins
Invalid]comesfrom , e framingof sexualliteracyandsexuality as a humanright,andfurther,as a divineright.Thatby
natureof existenceour bodiesaresacred,andby natureof
says. And it must be working. [KAMALA
PUUGANDLA]
■
existenceoursexualitiesaresacred."[RACHEL
BEEBE]
■
CD
10.CanineWorkout
Lookat this andtell meit doesn'tremindyouof The
Jetsons.PetZenhasfounda wayto walkyourbest
friendindoorson its veryowntreadmill.Greatfor toy
dogs.($500andup,petzenproducts.com)
1. VintageWitha Twist
Travelin stylewith Dayof the Deadandtattoo-inspiredluggagefromOregon's50fifty3Eachpieceis
handcrafted
anddesignedbythe store'sownerand
they'reall coolas hell.($45andup,50fifty3.com)
2. EeenyMeenyMinyMaria
Thehotlineof geometricbagsfor the "urban
nomad"fromEenamaria's
lesbiandesigner,
Sarah
Morgan,aresimplydivine.Weespeciallylovethe
ChelseaBoiclutches.($19andup,eenamaria.com)
7. BlackandWhite
andPinkAllOver
Femmeslovepracticalas
muchasthe nextbutchbut
whycan'tit bea littlegirly?
ThisBlackandWhiteAllPurpose
TotefromBoston-based
SaraCampbell
is
sleek,utilitariananddownrightpretty.A percentage
of thesalesgoesto the BreastCancerResearch
Foundation.
($88,saracampbell.com)
8. ForMountain
Women
3. LumbarLux
Madefromrecycledbottles,the
Theultra-comfyHealthyBackBagis an ergonomic, Mountainsmith
TourLumbar
kidney-shaped
totethatwill conformto hercurves. Packworksasa fannypackor
She'llbe practicallyposhin Paris,or perfectlypreshoulderbagandhasenough
paredonthetrails.($14-$40,ameribag.com)
roomto carryall the essentialsfor a dayhike.($70,
4. Onthe Edge
mountainsmith.com)
MobileEdgehasbeenmakingfantasticlaptopcases
for years,andthis rockgirl Pink-Faux-Croc
portfolio 9. Goingto SchoolYouAre
bagis noexception.
($60,mobileedge.com)
TheYodaPlushbackpackfromComic
Imagesis sureto ticklethefunny
5. ThinkPink
boneof everychild(orevery
ThePacificDesignNucleuslaptopportfoliobagis
childat heart).($35,
lightweightanddurable.Sureto keepyourlaptop
thinkgeek.com)
protectedwithoutdraggin'youdown.($19,amazon.
com)
11.GoWest
Welovethe eco-friendly,
Montanta-based
pet
companyWestPawandcan'tgetenoughof its
adorabletoys,likethe Frog,Salamander
and
Gustfor Kitty)Turtle,whichholdssome-aptly
named-RockyMountainHighcatnip.($8andup,
westpawdesigns.com)
12.Excuse
You!
Fromthe creatorsof Dottie's
MagicPockets,
comesUncanny
the SingingCanBurpT-shirts.
Availablein redandblackthe kid's
sizeglowsin thedark.Impress
yourtike by breakingoutyour
innerjuvenile.($18andup,
dottiesmagicpockets.com)
15.BowlFidoOver
Makedinneranddessertfor yourdogspecialwith
ZenCeramicFoodBowlsbyWetnoz.Eachone
comesin a sweetcolorandhasa separateplaceto
holdtreats.($20,wetnoz.com)
16.NotPictured:
TastyTreatsfor Fluffy
ForTreatsSakePeanutButterBlisswill haveyour
dogsbarkingfor more.Theycontainnowheat,corn
or preservatives.
Handmade
in the UnitedStates,
theymakea greatafter-dinner
treatfor a good
doggie.Andthe barkingtin is adorable,
too.($13,
fortreatssake.
com)
13.GamesWitha Twist
Eco-friendly
companyBlueOrangebringsus a new
twist on oldgames.TryBendomino,
dominoswith a
curve,andDoubleShutter,a fun gameoutof a tin
box.($17andup,blueorangegames.com)
17.ScopeIt Out
Gogreenandgeeky
withthis adorable
Kaleidoscope
Nature
Kit.Createyourown
scopeagainand
againwith differenteffects.($13,brightworld.com)
14.NowIt's OKto EatPlayDough
Maketheweeoneshappywith CookiePlay
Dough-multicolored
doughyoucanplaywith and
thenbakeandeat.Yum!($33,1-800-Bakery.com)
18.Stairwayto Heaven
Witha littlehelpfromPupSTEP
PlusPetStairsGinger,
ourownIii' BeverlyHillsChihuahua,
canmakeit to
bedin princess
style.($34,thepamperedpetmart.
com)
19.ChickenTonight
Pet'n Shape's
Chik'nDumbells
makemydoghappierthananythingonthis earth.The1DO-percent
naturalchickenandotherhealthyingredients
make
mehappytoo.($6,Petnshape.com)
20.SplishSplash
Kidshaveall thefun this
seasonwiththe Piggy
ShowerCap.($7,
thespoonsisters.
com)
0
6. FortheShopper
Lookspiffyat thefarmersmarketwiththe Envirosax
GraphicSeriesof eco-friendly
bags.Rollthemup
andtakethemeverywhere
in a purse,backpackor
coatpocket.($9,envirosax.com)
21.MadeWithLove
TheTilanoFrescoDaVinci
TileKitwill givethe kids
something
specialto makefor Mom.Thiskit will
let youtransfera phototo a lovelypieceof tile for a
pictureshewill treasure.($25,tilano.net)
December 2008
I57
22.SexyFour-Eyes
Transform
the dusty-librarian
on yourlist intoa sexy
secretarywith readingglassesfromICUEyewear
likethe ferociousanimalprintsor brightpaisleys.
Youcaneven"readfor a cure"with blackandpink
rhinestone
framesthat benefitbreastcancerawareness.($15andup,icueyewear.com)
23.WearYourVeggies
Showyourlovefor all thingsorganicwiththese
darling,sterlingsilverpeapodearringsfromSudlow
Jewelry.($43,sudlow.etsy.com)
30.A TastyTub
Yummy-smelling
Soapsicles
(in rainbowcolors!).
Makebathtime evenmorefun.($9,thespoonsisters.com)
24.FierceFashion
Thistee,designedby ProjectRunway'sChristian
Sirianofor HRC,is a hot mess.($38,hrc.org/shop)
25.WristWrangler
Goodbye
bulkypockets,hellosleekcurves!Sassy,
comfortable
andhandy,Banjeesarereversible
walletswornonthe wristthat canholdkeys,money,
cardsandevena contactlenscase.Cutewinter
stylesaremadeof warm,fuzzyfleece.Perfectpaired
with legwarmers!($15,sprigsville.com)
26.DIVJewelry
Makesomethingspecialthis yearfor yoursweetie
with the DIVPhotoJewelryMakingkit. It comes
with thejewelryandthe software-just uploadyour
photos,printthemout andgluethemon.It's that
easy.($13andup,photojewelrymaking.com)
Hi-Tops
WithFlair
~•
PhotoeditorNicoleArsenaultwishes
shewasrunningarounddoingherlastminuteshoppingin Pastry'sGlamPie,Fab
CookieHi-tops,or Marshmallow
Bootswhichareavailablein a
varietyof colors.Alsocheck
out othercoolsneakerstyles
fromDereonandSteve
Madden.($70andup,
finishline.com)
27.Rigging
Out
If youhaven'theardof the highlytalentedParisa,
thenthis queercoreRecycled
VintageLadykiller
HeartJacketis the perfectintroduction.
($65,
riggedoutfit.com)
28.Poping
theQuestion
overKwanzaa?
Trya differentkindof ring-Melissa Joy
Manning'sgorgeous-limited-edition
14Kgoldbezel-setlabradoritering.
($625,mjmmetal.com)
29.NotPictured:
Backless
NoMore!
Wantto takeyoursexybackless
shoesfromnightto day?TryMuelos,a
simplestrapthat wrapsaroundyourshoeandkeeps
yourfootin place.($12,thespoonsisters.com)
31.SoapThatPops
Treatthe dog-loveror the popartloverin yourlife withthe PopInk
SoapCleanandSlobberset of four
hand-milledsoapsin delightfuldoggie
designs.($20,mrfrench.com)
32.RosesandPomegranates
Thisaromaticcollectionof candles,
soapsandbubblebathfromGreenleaf
Giftswill leaveyourhomesmellingsweetthis
season.Weespeciallylovethe RoseCandle
CubeVotiveandthe Pomegranate
BathSalts
($2andup,greenleafgifts.com)
33.All MadeUp
You'reonyourowngift list,right?WithLooks
that KillfromMedusa'sMakeup,you'llcatchthe
eyeof anyoneyoudesire.($9andup,medusasmakeup.com)
35.BetterThanCampbell's
Soup
InspiredbyAndyWarhol'swhimsicalshoeperiod,
ultra-chicNewYorkscentdesignerBondNo.9's
newfragrance,AndyWarholLexingtonAvenue,
hasbeencomparedto an "outrageously
luxuriouspairof stilletoheels."A perfectfit
for the fashion-forward.
($135andup,
bondno9fragrances.com)
40.GoAhead,GetDirty
Getmuddywith BaindeTerreBotanicals'hair
strengthening
mudmasque-a spaliketreatMom
will love.($16,beautydeals.net)
41. Beautyto Go
LisaHoffmanis alwaysonthe
goandhadher"ah ha!" moment
in a dream:Put1Opacketsof
dayandnightskinformulasin
36.Nourishment
fortheEyes
a compactcase.Readyfor any
Nutrient-infused
shadowsprovento condition aroundthe eyes,in colorcombinations suitcase,thesewill beoneless
thingto worryaboutat the airport.
likethe cremecaramelandsweetdusk.
($20,lisahoffmanbeauty.com)
($9andup,Neutrogena.com)
37.SkinfulIndulgence
Regaleherskinwith sumptuous
treatsfrom
Marie-Veronique.
Thetherapeuticproducts
arecreatedin the traditionof artisan
Frenchbakers.Welikethe Serumdipity
for
additionalrepairandrejuvenation.
($40,
marieveronique.net)
42.PeelAway
TKOOrganicall-in-onepurifiedorangepeelcleans
anything.($15andup,tuftsorganics.com)
43.What'sthe302?
302is a non-acidmoleculefoundin avocados
that
restoreoptimumfunctionto skincells,sustainsprotein growth.TheRecovery
Plus,Cleanser,
Calming
Mist-are all great.($50andup,302skincare.com)
38.Olfactory
Gratification
Independent
perfumedesignerNeilMorrisFragrances givesyou100uniquearomasto choosefrom.The 44.SetUp
Admitit-many of youwearmakeupor havea
rich,boldscentshaveevocativenameslike Fetish
34.SoapforButches
andMidnightTryst.($95,neilmorrisfragrances.com)girlfriendwhodoes.Forher,a perfectgift-Model in
ThebrightlycoloredSoapRocks
Dozen
a Bottlemakeup-setting
spraythat'scruelty-free
and
GiftSet,Palmstones
arethe perfect
U.S.-made.
($18,modelinabottle.com)
39.ScrubWith
marriageof formandfunctionwhile
YourVeggies
still lookingtoughin a bathroom.
45. NotPictured:
Southern
Comfort
Scrubthatdrywinter
($67,soaprocks.com)
Thinkoats,milkandhoneyarejust for
skinawaywith Zia
breakfast?
Thinkagainwith Southern
FacialMasks.They
Pleasures
Bath& Body'sluxeolive
smelldelicious,
oil-basedOatmeal,Milk& Honey
unclogporesandare
soapbar.Evenbetter,the Energy
paraben-free.
Perfect
soap(madewith Japanese
grapefruit,
for theall-natural
spearmintandavocadooil).($4andup,
girl in yourlife.($20,
southernpleasuresbathandbody.com)
zianatural.com)
46.TheBestDetox
Takethatspaexperience
homewithElemis
Cellutox
HerbalBathSynergy.
Alsoavailable
in a
spraywithdriedalgae,seabuckthom,
seafennel,
juniperandlemon-the ultimatebodycleansing
anddetoxprogram.
($176,timetospa.com)
December 2008
I 59
51.Likea BurnBookforAdults
ColorMeFierce!,the new
"fashionactivitybook,"comes
completewith crayonsso youcancolor,cut and
pasteyourrevengeagainstshallowHollywood
celebutantes.
Perfectfor the passive-aggressive
OK!
readerin yourlife.($13,quirkbooks.com)
47.WeHeartBrooklyn
Girls
The2009pinupcalendaris hereandthistimethe
cutiesof lesbianhotspotBrooklyn,N.Y.,areshowing
uswheretheywork.($12,iheartbrooklyngirls.com) 52.NotPictured:
MoonWomen
TheWe'MooncollectionAt the Crossroads
for 2009
will bringoutthe girl-powersideof yourfeminist
48. FortheBabyDyke
Withthe FirstTimer'sKit:TheSafe,EffectiveWay
aunt.Thecollectionincludesa beautifulcalendar,
datebookandtwo setsof greetingcards.($1Oand
to LoseYourVirginity,
she'lllearnhowto findthe
perfectgalto grindandevenearna frameworthy
up,wemoon.ws)
certificateof copulation.
($15,quirkbooks.com)
53.HotIce
49. FreezeFrame
Thinkit's toocoldfor icy
•o•
The5 SecondSlideandStorephotoframeis the gift treats?Pops!says,Think
for girlson the go.Makeshangingphotosa snap
again.TheEggnogPopsare
with automatting,photostoragepocketsandbuiltperfectfor firesidegatherin hangers.($12andup,5second.com)
ings.($16,Quirkbooks.com)
e
ICYTUATS
l!Yll'tO"II!
Rockin'Roku
No,it's nota massagetechniqueor a
potterymethod.AssociatepublisherSara
JaneKeskuladigsthe Rokumovie-playing
device,designedto let youwatchmoviesstraightfromthe Netflixsite.Nomore
waitingfor the redenvelope
to arrive!($100,
roku.com)
50.ChicksDigCars
Gota tastefor the butchiersideof life?Checkout
the FemaleMechanics
Calendar
2009for picturesof
hot ladiesfixingautos.($10,sarahlyon.com)
54.NotPictured:
WhereAreYouHeaded?
LittleCreamBook:Drivesor Romance
offeronetrip
for eachletterof the alphabetin thesepreciouslittle
fabric-covered
books.($20,littlecreambook.com)
55.ButchIt Up
TheButchCookBook,ed by LeeLynch,SueHardestyandNelWardis a must."Actually,we originally
thoughtall we'dgetwouldbe 75 macandcheese
recipessowe embraced
the humor.Youknowhow
seriousbutchescanbeaboutmajoraccomplishments,"saysLynch"TheonlyrecipeI havemade
fromthe booksofar is hotdogson a raft."($19,
thebutchcookboook.com)
56.MoreTomesforYourTopChef
Getcookingwithrecipetomesto droolover:Sarah
Kramer'sVegan
A Go-Go!
(veganagogo.com),
Jill
Charlotte
Stanford'sTheCowgirl'sCookbook
(globepequot.com),
RickMoonenandRoyFinamore's
FishWithouta Doubt(hmco.com),
MarilynOdesserTorpey'sTheHershey,
Pennsylvania
Cookbook
(globepequot.com),
YvonneShortandDumiNdlovu's
A KitchenSafari(struik.co.za),
RonnieFein's
HipKosher(persueusbooks.com),
JaeSteele's
GetIt Ripe(arsenalpulp.com),
MissyChase
Lapine'sTheSneakyChef(runningpress.
com),JanetandGretaPosleski's
Eat,Shrink
andBeMerry(eatshirnkandbemerry.com),
WarrrenBrownandReneeCornet'sCake
Love(stcbooks.com),
SandraRamacher's
HealingFoods(CCCCIBS.com).
57. IronManUltimateTwo-DiscEdition
Oneof the coolestsuperhero
moviesevermade
is finallyavailableon DVD.Thetwo-discset(with
easyqueersubtext)hasdeletedscenesandtonsof
extras.($23,amazon.com)
58. TheSimpsons:
TheComplete
Eleventh
Season
Huckleberry
Houndcomesoutduring
a revealingBehindtheLaughter.
($50,
fox.com)
59.WhatWouldJesusBuy?
Seewhatdocumentary
filmmaker
MorganSpurlockhasbeenupto
withthe Morgan
SpurlockBoxSet
featuring3 DVDs:
Confessions
of a Superhero,WhatWould
JesusBuy?andChalk.($20,
artsallianceamerica.com)
ProjectRunway-lovers,
getready.Season
four
is hereon DVD!Nowyoucan
watchRami Kashou,
Jillian
Lewisandeverybody's
fave,
ChristianSiriano,worktheir
magicanytimeyouplease.
($28,bravotv.com)
•••
61. KungFuPanda
AngelinaJolielendsher
voiceto the roleof Tigress
($17,amazon.com)
62.OtherMust-BuyDVDs
TheGodfather:
TheCoppola
Restoration.
The
beautifully
darktrilogyasthedirector
originally
envisioned
it, perfectfor
butches
or boys;CS/:TheComplete
SeventhSeason;CS/:Miami-The
SixthSeason(EmilyProctorand
KhandiAlexander
weartanktops!)
andCS/:NY-The Complete
Third
Season(featuresan episodewith
real-lifeSuicideGirls).($39andup,
Amazon.com).
Don'tforget:Paget
Brewster'sCriminalMinds:The
Complete
ThridSeason.
($39,
amazon.com),
ButchJamie($18,
wolfevideo.com)
and TheL Word:The
Complete
FifthSeason(twowords:dyke
drama).($39,sho.com).
LydiaLaPlante,
creatorof PrimeSuspect,hastwoseries
youshouldget:Trial& Retribution:
Set
1and TheCommander:
Set 1.Thelatter
followsScotland
Yard'shighestrankingfemale
($60,acornmedia.com).
FamilyGuyVolume
Sixand
the newfeaturelengthDVDof Futurama:
Bender's
Game.
AlsoavailaiJle
for Blu-ray,Bender'sGameis
chockfull of specialfeaturesincludingcommentary
andan anti-piracymessage
straightfromthe lovable,hard-drinking
robot.($20andup,amazon.com)
64.FortheScrooge
Everyfamilyhasa jokerwhois alwaysreadywith a
pithycomment-KnockKnockhasjust the rightstockingstufferfor them:HolidayRemarks& RepliesforAll
Occasions
or the "NiceBalls"stickynotepad.($8and
$3, knockknock.biz)
65.SleepLight
TheTravelRestUltimateTravelPillowinflatesfast,rolls
upsmallandis the besttravelpillowoutthere,thanks
to its ergonomic
shape.($27,travelrest.net)
66. NotPictured:
BetterThanEarMuffs
Keepwinterat baywith Earbagsbandless
fleeceear
warmers.($15,earbagsus.com
or sprigsville.com)
63. Fitness
Getfit with TiffanyChen'sStep-by-Step
TaiChi,
Hoopnotica,
Bol/ywood
Burn,ErinO'Brien'sStrong
Body,AgelessBodyor DesiBartlett's3-in-1 Total
BodyFitness.Learnto dance
likea pro(ora ho)withthe
NightclubDanceSeriesfor
Women
(try Girl'sNightOut
or SexyMovesfor theClub).
($15-20,acacialifestyle.com
or learnclubdance.com)
TheSkyy'sthe Limit
Theholidaysaremadefor veggingonthe
couch,soassociatepublisherSaraJane
Keskula'sDVDpick,SexandtheCity.TheMovie
(specialedition),is boundto be on yourlist,too.
($23,amazon.com)
Whileyou'rewatchingthe
movie,whynotsip on a Skyyvodkacocktail
andfeel likea Manhattanite
(evenif youwear
Manoloknockoffs)?
Skyyhasbroughtout
recipesinspiredbythe Sexandthe City
ladies.Lookfor themon curvemag.com
and
take'emfor a spin.
67. Bea Guppie
Orat leasthaveoneon hand.Thei.D.
WorksLil' Guppiemulti-toolhasfour
handytoolsfor the butchin youandthe
cutest,tiniestdesignfor thefemmein
you.($20,thinkgeek.com)
68. Gorilla'sIn the Midsts
Skullrilla(pictured),
Robotrilla
andGorilla
Ashtraysby designiconDavidWeeksrock!We
lovethe PoMopinkone.($25,velocityartanddesign.com)
December 2008
I61
69.Onthe Record
Forthe acereporter(orthe wannabe)in your
life youcan'tbeatthe Ultra-Thin
VoiceRecorder.
Smallenoughto slip intoa backpocket.($70,
thinkgeek.com)
70.OldSchoolto NewSchool
It's timeto updateyourmusiccollectionandbring
yourpreciousPoisoncassettetapeintothe 21st
centurywiththe IonUSBCassetteDeck.Ripthe
songsfromyouranalogmediaandmakethem
digital.($160,thinkgeek.com)
71. MixIt Up
Createa modernmixtapewithoutlosingthat old
schoolcharmwiththe MixTapeUSBStick.Perfect
for anyoccasion.($20,wishingfish.com)
72. Forthe GreatSchlep
If you'revisitingGrandma
this year(andSarah
Silvermansaysyoushould),take herthe GE
PhotoPhone.
It will keepyouin touchandgiveher
somethingprettyto lookat. ($160,ge.com/phones)
73. FortheRoadWarrior
Onlinebackupservice,restoration
of deletedfiles,
hardwareencryptionanda slick,ruggedtitanium
case-what workinggirl wouldn'tlovethe SanDisk
UltraCruzerTitaniumPlusflashdrive?($30,sandisk.
com)
HelloKittyRocks~
Whatdoyougetwhen_!~~~~:~~
the pre-teenpinkcutenessof Hello
Kittywith the rockin'kick assnessof
a FenderStrat?Contributing
editor
RachelShatto'spick,the Squierby
FenderHelloKittyStratocaster
Electric Guitar.It's adorablyawesome.
($200,guitarcenter.com)
i
74. Bye-Bye,
MixedTapes
Availableonlyfrom Hammacher
Schlemmer
(thestorewith hundredsof amazingtoys),the
LPandCassette
to CDRecorder
StereoSystem
allowsyouto recordmusicfromyourvintage
vinylandold cassettesdirectlyontoCDs,pausing
if youliketo recordonlycertainsongsor to make
yourowncompilations.
It alsohasa built-inradio
andregularCDplayer.Nowyoudon'thaveto go
out andbuyall yourfavoritealbumsagain.($400,
hammacher.com)
75. BePrepared
for YouTube
Fame
Geta betterpoint-and-shoot
with the CasioExilim
EX-79,the 8.1 megapixelcamerathat hasa
YouTubecapturemode.It comesin funkycolorsand
accessories
likethe 40-meterunderwaterhousing
let youtakepix undertheseaon yournextOlivia
cruise.($160andup,Casio.com)
79.TheNewBoombox
83.TheNewBoombox
TheHoMedics
HMDX-Speaker-onTheSprocketPortableSpeakersynchsupto your
the-Gowill let youblastthe music
iPod/mp3,
computeror CDplayerandprovides
on yourMP3playerwhereveryougo.
lmpromtudanceparty,anyone?($10,amazon.com) decentvolume.($15,HMDXAudio.com)
76. NotPictured:
StuffThisin YourLaptop
Withthe newSamsungSolidStateDrive,you'll
neversufferanotherheadcrash.
Thedrivehasno
movingpartsandcomesin both64 and128GB
sizes,puttingit amonglargestSSDsonthe market.
($700,newegg.com)
80. PlugIt In
PowerPortMiniCharger& Battery-Charge
youriPod,
Blackberry-one
in all anywhere.
Twofull charges
andhoursof backuppower.Canberecharged
upto
500times.($50,lenmar.com)
77.ZuneZune!
Thesemp3playersfromMicrosoft(in4 to 6 GB
versions)will playall musicformatsandvideo,have
wirelessfeaturesandcoolestof all,an FMradio.
Seriously,
youhaveno ideahowneatit is untilyou
try it. ($130andup,zune.net)
78. NotPictured:
DigitalRevolution
Enano'senergy-efficient
ex2130PCis designed
to changehowwe usecomputers.Packedwith
featuresincludinga built-in BluetoothoptionalTV
tunerandwireless,it uses78 percentlessenergy
thana standarddesktopcomputer.($780,enanocomputers.com)
81. Clothes
forYourComputer
Designer
Sleeves'laptopsleevescombine
awesome,
boldcolorgraphicswithwetsuit-styleneoprene
for fun,shock-resistant
protection.
Theprofessional
serieshasan
exteriorpocketfor extracords,USBdevices
andmore.($35andup,designersleeves.com)
~
-
82.Createa Community
Xbox360offersthe nextbigthingin gaming,Xbox
LIVECommunity
Games,
whichallowanyonewith
the driveandknow-howto
-developa gamefor Xbox360
andshareit with millionsof
othermembers.
($99peryear
to join,creators.xna.com)
84. RainbowConnection
Whywaitfor Pride?Thisrainbow-colored
USB
hubaddsfour USBportsto yourcomputer.
($22,
fredflare.com)
85.JustBreathe
BactrackB70Breathalyzer
comes
with BluFireTechnology,
a carrying
pouchandeasyinstructions.
It quickly
andeasilyestimatesyourbloodalcoholcontent.($80,target.com)
Squad.Grabyourpompoms,
createyouravatar,get
promotedto captainandleadyourteamto BringIt
On-stylevictory.($40,thq.com)
90. NotPictured:
FromCamerato CoffeeTable
Getyourpreciousphotosoff yourmemorycards
andintoa beautifulSmileBook
for yourcoffeetable.
Perfectgift for the grandparents.
($1Oandup,
smilebooks.com)
86. MovieGames
Hollywood
gamingis
possiblewiththesesuper-funvideo
games,includingWall•Eforthe
PlayStation
2 andSpongeBob's
Drawnto Lifetor the NintendoOS.
($20andup,bestbuy.com)
87.NotPictured:
LoudandClear
Getcleansoundanda hotlook
withAudio-Technica's
portableheadphones
with
28-millimeterspeakers,
tangle-freecordwrapand
pouch.Designed
for womenandavailablein blue,
green,pink,or silver.($80,audio-technica.com)
88.SexyGirlMonsters
LisaPetrucci'sadorablevinylfigureslikethese
Kick-AssCuties,DevilishDollyandLil' MissMonster,
will lookgreatin anycomicgeek'scollection.($23,
tfaw.com)
89. LiveOutYourDreamof Being
a HotLesbianCheerleader
Getoff yourbuttwiththeWiiFit-you'll beso into
it, youwon't evenrealizeyou'reexercising.
Our
editorin chief'snewfavoritegameis All StarCheer
WheelsThatRockandRoll
Fromflamesto skullsto corazonhearts,
the Coloursin Motionwheelchairslet differentlyabledchicksrockthewaytheyshould.
TheKryptowheelchairis uniquelydesigned
andtotallyadjustable-whichis whyour
publisherlovesit. (pricesvary,colourswheelchair.com)
December 2008
I63
104.ThePerfectBalance
BalanceBangles
fromSoul'sCallingusepositive
energytransfer-one has"reachin" and"reach
out"-and youwearthemonyin or yangsides,
depending
onyourneeds.Partof the profitsgoto
charity.($45,soulscalling.com)
91. It Wasan ltsy-Bitsy
...
Tiredof beingknownas Drunken
AuntieG?TheTeenyWeenyMartinisetwill helpyoumonitoryourintakeand
is just plainfun.Comeswith a 32-pagebookon mixing
up martinis.($9,runningpress.com)
101.GiveThanks
TheGratitudeKitis a uniquewayto saythankyou.
It includes48 quotesfrominspirational
andspiritual
leaders,a mini-easel
to displaya favoritedailycard,
an eco-friendly
lemongrass
candleanda pewter
pocketstone.($30,gratitudekit.com)
92.Chocolate
andTea
TheTeaSalonGiftSetfromMarieBelle
NewYorkis the
perfectmatch:biscuitauchocolatandyourchoice
amongthreehand-blended
teas.($32,mariebelle.com)
~
WarmHerCockles
Chocaholic
subscription
manager,
Holly_
i...--"'
-~
DeMaagd,lovesRecchiutiConfection's
hand-crafted
chocolates
andnogift is moreperfectlyDecember
thantheDarkHotChocolate
Indulgence
Boxwith Dark
HotChocolate
Pistoles,
VanillaBeanMarshmallows,
BurntCaramel
withtwo hotchocolatecupsfromSausalito'sHeathCeramics.($60,recchiuti.com)
93.She'llWantS'More
Giveyourgirl someluscioustreatsfromDeBrand
chocolatier.
Trythe keylimeor whitepecantruffles,
or getfancywiththeconnoisseur
collection.Ourfave
is the S'MoreTrayGiftBasket,whichincludesgraham
crackers,chocolateandfourflavorsof marshmallows.
($15andup,debrand.com)
94.SpiritLifter
Thenamesaysit all.ZenGreenTeaLiqueuris
derivedfromJapanese
greentea leaves,lemongrass,herbsandspirits.($27andup,zenliqueur.
com)
95. GooeyTreats
Chocolate
TurtleSaucyCakesarelikethe deathby-chocolate
treatsat fineeateries,exceptthey
comein the mail.($33,1-800-Bakery.com)
96.A TreatforYourChefbian
TreatyourfoodieloverightwiththeTspSpices
SweetBasicscollection.
Theseseasonal,
tasty
organicspicescomein individually
wrapped,
pre-measured
packetsfor freshness
andconvenience.($42,tspspices.com)
97. Foodfor Kids
Feeda kid bytotinggroceriesin a Feed1 bag.Each
purchasewill feedonehungrychildin schoolfor one
wholeyearthroughthe UNWorldFeedProgram.
($60,
Feedprojects.org)
98. HearttheEarth
Aspartof theirpartnership
with Conservation
International,SaveYourWorldoffersluxuriousbodyproducts
thataregoodfor boththeskinandthe planet.Welike
the HappyHolidaysRainforest
GiftBag,which
includeslotion,showergel,shampoo,
conditionerandsoap,all scentedwith sultry
wood-berry.
($60,saveyourworld.com)
99.CharityGrilling
Helpstopbreastcancerwiththesweet,
pink,KitchenAid
Cookfor theCure
GrillPanSet.KitchenAid
will donate
upto $50for eachitempurchased
to SusanG.Komenfor the Cure.
($48,shopkitchenaid.com)
100.MamaSaidRecycle
GeckoTraders'100percent
recycledriceandfeedbagsmade
by disabledanddisadvantaged
workers.TheRiceandFeed
LaundryBagandWastebasket
aremust-haves.
($20andup,
vivaterra.com)
105.NotPictured:
Sharea Visionof Hope
Checkoutthe newWorldVisionGiftCatalog,
where
giftslikefarm-startinganimalsanddonations
to the
CleanWaterFundhelpimprovethe livesof children
andfamiliesin the UnitedStatesandaroundthe
world.Choose
fromover100gifts.($20andup,
WorldVision.org)
106.FeedtheAnimals
Heat-resistant,
easily-cleaned
102.Bedazzling
Jewelry
andin a hotfire-engine
ElisaIlanaCustomDesigns
offersornate,handcrafted
red,this RedDog
bracelets
andearrings.
Profitsfromeachawareness
SiliconOvenMittwill
braceletaredonated
to thecharityandhavecolored
protectyourhands
jewelsthattie in witheachcause(fromdiabetes
whiletheAnimalRescue
to ovariancancer).
Bestyet:Theysubtlebutsweet
Sitewill fund14 bowlsof
motherbracelets.
($40andup,elisailana.com)
foodfor animalsin shelterswith
eachmitt purchased.
($9,theanimalrescuesite.com)
103.DonWeNowOurResponsible
Apparel
Madeusingbamboo,organiccotton,andrecycled
107.0 Christmas
Tree
polyester,
the Meto We:[Responsible
Style]tees
Connect
with peoplewhoshareyourvaluesand
areproducedethicallyand50 percentof the projoin upwiththe causesyoufeelstronglyabout
ceedsgoto its sistercharity,Freethe Children.
The
with GoodTree.com,
thewebportalthat allowsyou
charityandOprah'sAngelsNetworkhavepaired
to makea differencein the worldjust bysurfing
upto formthe OAmbassadors
Initiative,which
the Net.
supportsyouthastheytry to achievethe UNMillenniumDevelopment
Goals.Checkoutthe specially
108.SmartShopping
designedOAmbassadors
tee,too.($30andup,
Thisyear,savingmoneyaroundthe holidaysis
metowestyle.com)
moreimportantthanever.Butthat doesn'tmean
youcan'tbuythe coolgiftsthat'll knockyourloved
one'ssocksoff. Checkout Extrabux.com,
a free
comparison
shoppingsitethatofferscouponsand
cash-backrebates.
~ ~
Gift guide photos courtesy of: Jacob AndersonMinshall, Katy Gross, Darcy Kiefel/H~ifer International, Kasey Neuenschwander, Leshe Van Stelten for
Rigged Outfitters, Kina Williams
QuitetheHeifer
Production
managerOndineKil~~rL
. .u.,~
wishesshecouldhavethis waterbuffalo
for herself.Alas!
Luckily,shecan
buyit for another
family.($250,
Heifer.org)
109.HotforTeacher?
Giveheroneof theseadorablehand-knitapple
jackets.($20curiosityshoppeonline.com}
110.Givea Hoot-and a SweetDIVGift
LittleOwlPatterns& AtelierChouetteDesign'sBaby
OwlandFlatFrontWaistApronsewingkits arecute
andcrafty,froma onewoman,carbon-free
operation! ($10andup,atelierchouette.etsy.com}
111.FancyMeasures
Thisgorgeous,
pewterEquivalents
Hookfrom
BeehiveKitchenware
Co.hasthe conversions
to
helpyoucookwhateveryourheartdesires.Makes
a greatplaceto hangthe tea towel!($35,beehivekitchenware.com}
112.HookYouUp
FluffyCo'shand-printed
andscreen-printed
birds
of preywall hookis modern,simpleandperfectly
lovely.($34,fluffyco.com)
FancyJoe
Fromthe makerof someof the
acclaimedautomaticcoffeecenters,JuraCapresso,
comesthe amazingEnaline.
AssistanteditorRachelBeebeis in lovewith
this slimmestof automaticcoffeecenters.
It brewsbythe cupand
makesperfectcappuccinosandlattes.($900and
up,capresso.com)
113.Affirmed
Nomatterwhatthe otherscalesmaytell you,this
AffirmationScalefromArt deToilettewill nevercall
youanythingbutgorgeous.
($95,artdetoilette.com)
114.Grillto Go
Camping?
Beach?
Woods?Orhowabout
the tiny balconyat
yourapartment?
Wherever
youfeelthe
needto fire upthe
barbee,the HotspotNotebook
PortableGrillhasgot
youcovered.($40,firebox.com)
115.Sunin a Bottle
Thesolar-powered
SunJar will casta prettyglow
overanyholidaytable.Leaveit in the sunto store
energyduringthe dayandenjoya candlelikebrightnessat night.Lastsfive hourson onecharge.
($40,wishingfish.com}
116.ForYourForgetful
Femme
TheHookmaker
by DesignGlutis an earthenware
hanginghalf-cupthat hooks,hangsandholdsthose
thingsyoualwayslose,andlookscooldoingso.
($30,velocityartanddesign.com)
117.SleepyTime
TheBeatingHeartStressReliefPillowpoundsout a
uniquerhythmeachtimeyouturn it onto helpyou
restandrelax-perfect for grabbingsomeZ's at
MomandDad's.($35andup,thinkgeek.com)
118.OpenWide
Whoneedsa boringbottleopenerwhenyoucan
havea DamienLigierRitzenhoff
bottleopener?
Weespeciallylikethe motifo~ OscarCliment
Ollet'sRedRidingHood.($22,ritzenhoffusa.
com}
@
123.LightMyFire
Noopenfiresthis year?Ormaybeyou'retiredof the
bathroomsmellinglike lavender.
Trythe Ober-butchy
BurnFirewoodEmbersscentedcandleinsteadand
toughenupthe room.($55,beautyhabit.com)
124.NosGustan
Immortalize
the 1953Mexicanfilm LasCarinosas
(featuringthreehotnursesfallingin love}with
a beautifullypaintedwoodenplaquewith glitter
accentsfromFunkyCo.Madera.
And,for an earthfriendlytwist,the hangersonthe backaremade
fromthe recycledpop-topsof sodacans.($15,
funkycomadera.etsy.com}
119.WritingontheWall
Gorgeous
printswith affirmativesayings
are must-haves.
Theseblack-and-white
Silhouettes
frompunkcardcompanyVol.25
will lookgreatin anyhome.($35a set,www.
vol25.com)
120.ArtsyFartsy
Thesebeautifullycraftedwhiteresinhandsare
basedonthe designerHarryAllen'sown.They
makelovelysoapdishesor candle
holders.($75,velocityartanddesign.
com)
121.NeverTooEarlyto Thinkof Summer
Noonelooksgoodin a heatwave,so pickup this
cool,portable,windowlessPersonal
Air Conditioner.
($300,brookstone.com)
122.Branching
Out
Thisgorgeous,
320-thread-count,
made-in-America
duvetcoverfromBranchis sustainable,
prettyand
will bringa senseof Zenintoyourroom.($330and
up,branchhome.com)
127.It's a Magnet!It's a Tack!
It's a MagTack!
Treatyourpicturesrightwith the OXO
GoodGripsMagTack.
Thishybridallows
youto stickit on yourwall or corkboard
andthenusethe magnetendto secure
yourphotosandnoteswithoutmaking
holesin them.($7,oxo.com)
128.Pressed
forTime?
Onthe go but wanta cupof freshly
pressedjoe?Trythe BodumBistroMugPressfor a
singlecupof French-style
coffee.($20,target.com)
129.SuckIt Up
Neversettlefor an uglyvacuumcleaneragain.The
DirtDevil'sDesignerSeriescontainseverything
fromthe subtleKoneto the understated
Kruzto the
feminine-looking
Kurv.($33andup,dirtdevil.com)
130.Everything
in Its Place
TheVitraUten.Silowill keepall yourknickknacks,
tools,utensilsor eventoysfromclutteringyour
space.($395,velocityartanddesign.com}
125.Grannies
GoneWild
Lonelysofa,meethipsterneedlepoint
pillows(like
ModModelandDiscoLady}fromourfavegaydesign
maven,Jonathan
Adler.($165,jonathanadler.com)
126.Birdof Prey
Whatbetterallythan
this luminousPorcelain
NightOwllamp could
youhaveto standguard
againstbaddreams?
($149,vivaterra.com)
131.Toughen
UpYourKitchen
Zelco'sFoodToolis a Leatherman
for the kitchen
with built-inS&Pshakers,canopener,screwdriver,
knife,bottleopenerandTefloncorkscrew.It's all you
need.($41,zelco.com}
133.LightUpYourLife
Thelesbian-made
Fotolytewill brighten
up anyroom.Buyit
pre-madewith vintage,
magiclanternglass
slides,or haveone
custom-made
with your
ownphoto.(pricesvary,
fotolyte.com)
134.Relivethe GoodOI'Days
Celebrate
whereall videogamesstartedwiththe
full-sized25thAnniversary
Ms.Pac-Manarcade
game.($3,000,brookstone.com)
132.One-of-a-Kind
Pottery
Dayof the Deadmugsanda rainbow-painted
sake
set arejust a few of the coolhandmade
ceramics
fromartistthe DianaBaz.Shealsotakescustom
orders.($15andup,DianaBazPottery.etsy.com)
December 2008
I 67
Reviews I Tried It
Red Carpet Reflections
I wanted to be a serious photojournalist. First stop? The red carpet. I By Erin Siegal
face time. Most were downright rude,
oftentimes goading their subjects into
a stray glance via a nasty remark. But
this guy-the
wacko whose trademark
scream was "front page news" -always
took the cake. His very presence drove
home the fact that the camera,wield,
ing news photographers-yes,
photojournalists-were
serious
at this moment
indistinguishable from the car,chasing
paparazzi.
At the time, I had just started work,
ing as a young freelancer for a top news
agency in New York. As both the young,
est and the newest addition to its roster,
I received lots of"entertainment
assign,
ments;' also known as "red carpets;'
everything from movie premieres to
galas to festive charity balls. I'd bite my
tongue and sullenly cover what the press
grimly refers to as "grip 'n' grin" work.
Christi11a Aguilera stepped out onto the red carpet. She eyed the teeming
mass of photographers and videographers in front on her, and made her way
to the center of the tiny publicity tent pitched on the sidewalk in front of the
club. Over the span of a few seconds, the singer stopped, struck a pose and
rotated her head right to left.
Twenty flashes popped simultaneously. We each tried to take as many
shots as possible, enough to compensate for the negating effect that our flash,
es inevitably had-that
is, the annihilation of the lighting in at least half the
shots. Everyone needed the same thing-to
capture that "decisive moment"
when the celeb appeared to be looking straight into camera, staring down
whoever might see the image. Editors think it creates intimacy.
Two seconds had already passed. Christina's head, with the grace of an
old turtle, was almost through with its dutiful canvass.
A wild shriek filled the air.
"CHRISTIIIIIINAAAAAAAA!"
The screech of the man who stood two rows behind me was still reverber,
ating. I cringed, and could feel the shame of every other news photographer
straining against the velvet rope beside me. At that moment, each photojour,
Don't get me wrong-as
a twentysomething, I was thrilled to be working
at all, not to speak of stringing for this agency. Yet I was the high,minded
nalist covering the event was struggling to swallow a sour, shared wave of
kind of camera geek who wanted to-of
embarrassment.
"PLEEEEEEASE!
work. I wanted to make a career out of exposing injustice and dealing with
LOOK HERE! FRONT
BABY! SWEETHEART,
PAGE NEWS!
HERE!
PLEASE!"
Of course, there were always at least two or three paparazzi inexorably
shrieking at their subjects, trying to catch a few more seconds of valuable
68 I curve
course-make
a difference with my
gravely important issues, working as a visual muckraker. I wanted to cover the
_j
kinds of stories that got regularly booted in lieu of a picture of Paris Hilton
@
falling down drunk. Somehow, someway, I thought I could work my way up
to doing real journalism.
~
ffi
Hot in Hollywood
But first I had to prove that I could shoot a red carpet.
As someone with little to no interest in the lives of the stars, I found
W
that basic celebrity recognition soon turned out to be a problem. I invariably
found myself smiling-that
York press-and
was an alien act amongst the bitter, weary New
nudging whoever happened to be next to me in the press
pit. "Is that Minnie Driver?" "That woman-she
Close? How do you spell that?"
looks familiar. Glenn who?
The first thing a photographer has to do when getting to a red carpet is to
stake out a spot. Upon arriving, I'd find my 12-inch-by-12-inch square of real
estate in the tent, demarcated with scotch tape. Usually there'd be an index
card with my agency's name on it. Given that I worked for a highly credible
news agency, rather than a celeb-stalking wire, my placement was generally in
front. If it hadn't, I would have been thrown into the swarm.
With flashes cocked and ready, we would wait for the glittery, makeupencrusted star parade to begin.
Some starsrefusedto removetheir
sunglasses.Otherswould blinkat an
alarmingrate of speed, renderingmost
photosunusable.Often,the biggest
name wouldskipthe red carpetformalitiesaltogether-opting for a quiet
side entrance.
Once the stars were herded onto the carpet, a new set of problems arose.
Some would refuse to remove their sunglasses. Others would show up and
blink at an alarming rate of speed, rendering most photos unusable due to a
less than sober, hooded-eyed look. And, of course, a problem for press and
publicist alike was whether or not the promised stars would even show up at
all. Often, the biggest name on the tip sheet would just skip the red carpet
formalities altogether-opting
instead for a quiet side entrance.
Afterward, I'd search for ways to console myse1£ At least I wasn't shooting advertising, taking pictures to sell people stuff, right? But then again, I
was responsible for putting photos of the bleached and anorexic out into the
world.
One night, while clicking through photo news on the Web, I stumbled
across a highly published (meaning highly profitable) photo of Paris Hilton,
~z
z<(
~
w
...J
...J
w
I
()
~
accredited to an AP photographer. Looking closer at the caption, I realized
I should have been happy. Jane
Lynch (who's done so many great
films it's hard to pick one, but
let's just say, of L Word fame) had
just given me a hug, Ugly Betty
star America Ferrera was blushing, Jason Biggs was joking about
Ellen's wedding ("Want to know
what she was wearing? Nothing!")
and gay marriage ("My husband
and I are totally onboard for it,").
Emily Deschanel from Bones, had
just forsaken the Associated Press
to talk with me about
saving the earth through
vintage dresses, and oh ...
my...God, Tila Tequila
seemed to have just outed
her power lesbian relationship with heiress-player
Courtney Semel. It was
all a celebrity skirt-chaser
could want. But after I
had a fight with one TV
tabloid and a mad PR gal
at the red carpet opening
of the Third Annual Hot in
Hollywood charity benefit,
I'm rethinking tinseltown
altogether.
the picture had been taken by none other than Nick Ut, the man responsible
for one of the most compelling photographs of all time-a
young Vietnamese
girl running naked from napalm, a giant mushroom cloud erupting in the distance behind her.
So, if Ut was doing it, it was less bad, right? ■
On the red carpet (clockwise
from right): American Ferrara;
Emily Deschanel; Tila Tequila
and Courtenay Semel
Read more about
Jennifer Corday's catastrophe on the red carpet
at curvemag.com.
December 2008
I69
Reviews Tech Girl
Vlogging Killed the TV Star
These vlogs are sure to cut in on your reality shows.
IBy Kyra Thomson
I remember my maiden voyage into the World Wide Web. It's dif-
diminish the distance associated with blogging. For this reason,
ficult now to imagine, but in 1997 the Internet didn't hav~ graphNeitherUrbanElle.com,ics and the term "blog" had yet to be coined. Yet, I was amazed
Exes and Ohs actor Cathy DeBuono decided to use her degree in
telecommunications to create the Whats YOUR Problem?vlog
HOT NEW SITE
the newwebsitecater- by the new blogging technology that allowed me instant access
ingto lesbiansof color, to anonymous discussion groups and
norits creator,Michelle free guitar tabs. The digital revolution
Mitchell,dothingshalf- had only just begun. Over the next
assed-as editorof the decade, the proliferation of personal
site,I shouldknow.From commentary through text-based
dayone,whenMitchell
blogs would explode. These were folwasstill tossingaround
lowed quickly by vlogs, and many lesnamesanddesigning
bians leapt on the new format.
a logo,sheenvisioned
Although YouTube is synonya sitethatwouldbe
mous
with the Internet's vlog revolulargerthanlife,with an
tion,
a
more fruitful search for lesbian
international
perspective.
"Lesbians-especially voices would be through AfterEllen,
lesbiansof color-are where the cornucopia of online video
notonedimensional.
We fare has been harvested into a unique collection of female vlogs.
areartists,partychicks,
From Kate Clinton to Mombian.corn's Dana and Helen,
wives,mothersand and with various weekly contributors in between, the vlogs at
workingwomen,"she
After Ellen cover a multitude of topics. But one common interest
explains.Lookingfor a
among all the vloggers-even the girls who review video gamesnewclubin yourtown?
is providing commentary on the latest episode of The L Word.L
Wantto debatethe merits
of pedicures
onstudbois Word fans can also satisfy their needs through OurChart, which
or reada personalac- features episode discussions, exclusive vlog footage and video
countof insemination
and contributions from cast members such as Leisha Hailey, who says
childbirth?UrbanElle's OurChart is a way to "reach out from the alienation of modern
gotyoucovered. life in order to make connections:'
-Alison Peters
Delivering content through video rather than text helps to
for AfterEllen. She has since moved the vlog to SheWired.com.
DeBuono's background in acting has attracted an impressive list of guest stars,
but it is her master's degree in clinical
psychology that gives her a unique credibility when offering advice to viewers.
Her massage therapy credentials have
yet to be used on the vlog, but her suave
flirting with each guest and wine-induced
silliness is undeniably entertaining.
DeBuono's first crossover from actor
to psychologist occurred while answering listeners' questions as a guest host on
TheFrankDeCaroShow."I liked the idea
of being able to 'look' at the people I was talking to, so to speak;'
DeBuono explains. "There is a personal connection felt with video
biogs that you can't replicate with written blog or even on radio:'
The visual aspect is also rewarding for an actor because vlogs
provide unlimited exposure and publicity. Rosie O'Donnell was
one of the first celebrities to innovatively use Rosie.com to interact with fans and voice her opinions. Her stark blog entries are
simple and honest, as are her answers to online questions. She
uses vlogging to film her family, promote her books and record
live answers to fan and hate mail.
Rather than fret that vlogs will kill the TV star, perhaps it's
time to embrace this digital revolution. ■
EIGHT PODCASTS FOR LESBIANS
2 Homos(2homos.com):
Roxanne
andVirginiaarethesmart,hilarious2
Homosof thetitle.Short,sweetand
to thepoint,thesefrequentpodcasts
runabout10to 15 minutesapieceand
rangefromdiscussions
of whatthey
woulddoif theyran TheL Wordto
findinga stripperheelonthefenceof
theirhouse.
TheLesbianLounge(mylesbianradio.com):
Thesultryintrovoiceover
declares,
"Getreadyto laughyourass
off."Denise
andDonnahostthisshow
onMyLesbianRadio.com.
It hasa good
mixof celebrityinterviews,
sextips,
discussions
withchatroom
visitors
(Lipstick
andDipstickandoureditor
in chief,DianeAnderson-Minshall,
are
frequentguests).
GirlMeetsGirl(girlmeetsgirlpodcast.com):SienaLeeandToastTajiri,
two youngHawaiian
womenwho
makeupthe acousticduoMAKENA,
offerquietlythoughtfulyetfun weekly
discussions
aboutthingsthat are
importantto them,rangingfrombeing
AsianAmericanveganlesbians,
to
the Hawaiianmusicscene,to current
eventsandsports.
A Blackanda Jew (ablackandaJew.com):
L.A.-basedActionJackson
andChinChinshootthe,um,breeze
aboutall mannerof things.Checkout
theirarchivefor their"TheL Word
Sucks"podcast,wheretheyrant
aboutthe hit Showtimeseries(which,
incidentally,
theyseemto watch
religiously).
DykeDrama(dykedrama.
podshow.com):
Podcasting
from
oppositesidesof thecountry-rural
Pennsylvania
for Evangeline
"Vangie"
Martinezandthe SanFrancisco
Bay
Areafor NikiHutson-theseentertainingwomentalk aboutLGBTtopicsin
the news,relationships,
familyand
work.Theyalsooffertwo monthly
reviewsegments,
"ToysforTwats"
(sextoys,duh)and"ThatOneTimeWe
WereDrunk"(beerandwinereviews).
TheL Word(sho.com):Here'sa
straight-up(oh,nevermind)treat
for TheL Wordjunkies.Although
eachpodcastis brief-about four
minutes-youdo getvideointerviews
withyourfavoritecastmembers.
And,astheshowheadsintoits final
season,
this is a greatwayto relive
theseries.
ThePlanet(theplanetcast.blogspot.com.):
Thisis a funny,smart,
fan-o-rificdiscussion
aboutTheL
here!with JoshandSarah(heretv. Word-the showyoulove(orloveto
com):JoshandSarah'sweeklypod- hate).Spoilersaboundhere,so logon
castfromNewYorkis a popculture- afteryou'veseenthe show,thenhang
fueled,newsydiscussion
of current
outfor somelaughs.You'llalsofind
events,rangingfromAmerican
/do/to podcasts
of TheChart-a gigglycallreligionto literaryinterviews.
They've in showakinto Alice'sL Wordradio
beenso successful,
it's nowonTV.
show.- RobinSchwartz
0
z
0
::,
co
IJ.J
g,
z
N
z
UJ
a:
::.::
fi
a:
UJ
::.::
70
I
curve
Let u • create your trip
of a lifetime!
www.wildrainbowsafaris.com
(415)552,8321
1
i
_J
)
'
'1-Ct Jfll
\'lf\M\'f
1-888
420
MOVE
(0683)
HAWAII
tours &
complete
vacations
... buildingfamilies
Lesbian-owned and operated.
Fantastic off-the-beaten path
Oahu, Hawaii day tours & complete
10-day vacations plus a special Curve
reader vacation offer in January 2008.
Check out our websiteor one toda
Providing Quality Donor Semen
Licensed in New York & California
Shipping to 50 Stall'
.....,
11 -~•,_
since 1987.
www.reproductiveresources.com
1-800-227-4561
....,y,:,.•~-._
..
f'EENY 'fINY
Gf
OUR
COMPANY
www.TeenyTinyTourCompany.com
PEE
RADIN&IP!
•iMd•♦
Disposable • Hygienic• Freedom
SexToys
BDSMDVDS
Lingerie Art
Mermaidsl
nTheSack.
net
888-868-3216
lladewllllWCydlblellllllllllL
QulclLCllln.
.........
Pb dlecrNllr
Inpocat•
Shlpedto
........
.......
...,
P-StandingUp.com
orS00-247-6817~
December 2008
I 71
Top Ten Reasons We Love Chagmion Antoine
new and I knew it had never been done before.
I wanted to be a part of it;' says Antoine.
5. She's been with Logosince the beginning.
Court Passant, executive producer of Logo,
spotted Antoine at an annual convention of
the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists
Association in New York City. She was just
an intern, but Passant was impressed with her
confidence, storytelling and delivery. He mentioned the Logo idea to her and Antoine says,
"As soon as I heard the idea, I said, 'That's what
I want to do!'"
6. She coversimportantstoriesthat the mainstream news doesn't approach. Recently,
Antoine delivered an in-depth and intimate
story about breast cancer in transgender individuals, a story unlikely to be seen on the mainstream nightly news.
7. She'shot.Hey, it's probably why she's not in
radio. And we're not the only ones who think
she's fine. Antoine said that only two weeks after
CBS News on Logo began, a silver Lexus with two
sexy ladies pulled up beside her in Union Square
and "the hottest one, she winked at me and said,
'Want a ride?' I respectfully declined, but that
rocked my world!"
Chagmion Antoine isn't your typical television
newscaster-she's
young, African American
and openly bisexual. And she doesn't work
for your typical network. Chagmion Antoine
(pronounced sham-ion an-twon) is a correspondent for CBS News on Logo, which, in less
than three years, has become the go-to show
for all-gay news. - Kristin A. Smith
"We'reverytalented,but
we do thingsour own way.
I get to be myselfand I
don't feel compelledto fit
intoany specificmold."
8. Shelovesherjob.Antoine says that even if she
had only gotten a byline or an occasional story,
she still would have dropped everything to jump
onboard the Logo train. "I wanted to be a part of
it ... this is a part of history;' says Antoine.
9. Shelivesin thepresent.When asked about her
plans for the future, the 26-year-old said, "I plan
on setting my alarm for exactly 6:00 tomorrow. I
3. Shegivesus a queerview of Hollywood
every plan on getting dressed and coming in to work:'
1. She has a great name. Just saying it makes
you sound cool. Try it: Chagmion Antoine is a week.Antoine, along with AfterEllen founder
broadcaster for Logo. Chagmion Antoine did a Sarah Warn, host She Said What?, a weekly 10. She'spurelyChagmion.
"We're very talented,
online lesbian entertainment show. With a but we do things our own way;' Antoine says of
great story about lesbian porn. I really like that
similar format to The View, this show is much
Chagmion Antoine. Wasn't that fun?
the Logo staff: "I get to be myself and I don't feel
more Rosie O'Donnell than Barbara Walters.
compelled to fitinto any specific mold:' And we're
2. She has a classictelevision-journalist
voice.
glad she doesn't, because Chagmion Antoine is a
Close your eyes and Antoine sounds just like 4. She'spavingthe way. As a bisexual woman
representation of the changing face of journalof color on an all-gay news network, Antoine
the local news anchor from your childhood.
ism and the success of Logo is a reminder that,
is breaking new ground in the business. "The as lesbians, it's important to stay... um ... abreast
That is, if your small-town anchor talked about
reason I wanted to do this job is because it was of all the issues that affect us. ■
sex toys, trans issues and lesbian politics.
72 I curve
-
►►
Ring in 2009 with
curve's
new digital
magazine!
Reduce your carbon footprint!
Subscribe to our interactive digital
version and get curve in your
inbox before it hits the stands.
Only $24.95 for a one-year subscription!
That's a 65% savings over
newsstand prices!
With the digital edition
you'll be able to:
>> Flip through the pages, use keyword
searches and bookmark your favorite
stories.
>> Forward pages to friends and let
them know about the latest advice
from Lipstick and Dipstick.
>> Click from the page directly to
the women artists we cover.
>> Enjoy rich media content like
song samples and videos.
>> Download ::md save your
magazine o I your hard drive.
(No more stacks of magazines
to recycle!)
See all items with this value
-
ESBIAN MAGAZINE
great
gifts.
t er
Matarazz
Caroline Murp
Share Their
Holiday Romance - ~-'
l;,;..-t,;,.Jt!i;}-,~~
PROPERTY
OF:
CURVEMAG.COM
12
OUT N THE SHELF
WWW.0UT0NTHESHELF.CA
25274 80539 6
A new eco-friendly l bi
el company
dedicated to
the w r d
ab tteTplace w'1/le a
__....._t.
REALITY
FranklySpeaking
curve
THE BEST-SELLING
VO
Curve Goes Digital
of your own computer.
Frances Stevens Publisher
I'm not big on change. If I had my way, I'd stay in the same house forever, wearing my favorite jacket,
hanging out with the friends I've had for a decade, and, well, you get the drift. But, the magazine
is entering its biggest year yet. More than ever before, curve is set to change the face of lesbian
publishing-just
like we did 18 years ago-with a brand-new digital edition and a Web 2.0, powerpacked new site curvemag.com.
I know, I know, I sang the praises of our new site last month, but honestly, it's taken the crew
hundreds of hours to pull it all together. And just as we got the site up in beta, we started work on
the new digital edition of the magazine. Now it's our production manager, Ondine Kilker, who is
losing sleep in order to roll out the new digi-edition for the Jan/Feb 2009 issue.
Why a digital edition? Because it's about time. With the new digital editon, you can read curveall of curve-from the comfort of your computer, without having to deal with toting a magazine
or recycling or off-setting your carbon. You can flip through pages (which look on-screen exactly
like they do in print), insert bookmarks, search back issues and send articles to your friends (or
maybe one of our, uh, romantic advice guru's tips on the Big O as a hint to your girlfriend).
Even better, when you read about a musician or filmmaker and you want to learn more, you can
click on the articles and, in many instances, hear song samples or watch films clips instantly. I love
print magazines, but really, they'll never be able to do that. If you are an active subscriber and we
have your email address on file, you will automatically get our first digital edition free! Visit our
Subscriber Services section of our Website and enter the information from the label on the wrapper
of your subscription issue to see if we have your email address on file.
Of course, print will always be our baby, and we promise to keep bringing you an awesome
magazine, no matter what medium you choose. This month, we're thrilled to showcase our big annual gift guide, go one-on-one with several queer icons like Ariel Schrag and Ani Difranco, and go
inside the very charming romance of actor Heather Matarazzo and her fiancee, musician Caroline
Murphy. Twenty years ago, we didn't have young lesbian women in love on the cover of magazines.
Forget the digital revolution; it's the love revolution that impresses me the most. Warm winter wishes to them-and
all of you!
Publisher
Editor in Chief
Associate Publisher
Managing Editor
Assistant Editor
Book Review Editor
Music Review Editor
Contributing Editors
Copyeditor
Proofreaders
Art Director
Photo Editor
Production Manager
Production Artist
Web Producer
Operations Director
Subscriptions Manager
Advertising Sales
Editorial Assistants
Photo Assistants
Frances Stevens
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Sara Jane Keskula
Katie Peoples
Rachel Beebe
Rachel Pepper
Margaret Coble
Julia Bloch, Victoria A.
Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Gretchen Lee,
Stephanie Schroeder, Rachel
Shatto
Katherine Wright
Patsy Kaye, Remy Ramirez
Tina Rodia
Stefanie Liang
Nicole Arseneault
Ondine Kilker
Kelly Nuti
Nikki Woelk
Flo Enriquez
Holly DeMaagd
Diana L Berry, Rivendell Media
Kriti Ashok, Mary Foulk,
LaKeisha Hughes, Rachel
Lastra, Anna Lonnberg,
Fernanda Silva, Arisa White
Katy Gross,
Kasey Neuenschwander
Contributing Writers Kathy Beige, Stacy Bias, Lya
Carrera, Kelsy Chauvin, Teresa Coates, Jennifer Corday,
Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Michele Fisher, Tania Hammidi,
Jodi Helmer, Kathi lsserrnan, Gillian Kendall, Kate Lacey,
Colleen M. Lee, Charlene Lichtenstein, Jenna V. Loceff,
Karlyn Latney, Colleen McCaffrey, Candace Moore,
Talia Phillips, Catherine Plato, Aimsel L. Ponti, Laurie K.
Schenden, Kristin A. Smith, Ursula Steck, Edie Stull, Lina
Swislocki, Jocelyn Voo, Melany Walters-Beck
Illustrators Phil Cho, Katherine Streeter
Contributing PhotographersChloe Aftel, Michelle Bart, Erica
Beckman, Cheryl Craig, Tony Donaldson, Sophia Hantzes,
Gabriela Hashun, Soloman Lawrence, Cheryl Mazak,
Connie L. Merchant, Mia Nakano, Cassandra Olander,
Maggie Parker, Elisa Shebaro, Jeff Singer, Greg Speck,
Paul Thomas, Kina Williams, Misty Winter, Sara Zofko
Volume 18 Issue 10 Curve (ISSN 1087-867)() is published monthly (except for
bimonthly January/Februaryand July/August) by Outspoken Enterpnses, Inc.,
1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco,CA 94103. Subscnption price: $49.95/
year, $62.95 Canadian (U.S. funds only) and $71.95 Internat1onal(U.S. funds
only). Returned checks wlll be assessed a $25 surcharge. Periodicals postage
paid at San Francisco, CA 94114 and at additional mailing offices (USPS
0010-355). Contents of Curve Magazinemay not be reproduced in any manner,
either whole or In part, without written perrrnssionfrom the publisher.Publication
of the name or photograph of any persons or organizations appearing,
advertising or listing in Curve may not be taken as an indicat,on of the sexual
orientation of that individualor group unless specificallystated. Curve welcomes
letters,queries, unsolicitedmanuscnpts and artwork. Include SASE for response.
Lack of any representation only signifies insufficient materials. Submissions
cannot be returned unless a seff-addressedstamped envelope is included. No
responsibilityis assumed for loss or damages. The contents do not necessarily
represent the opinions of the editor, unless specifically stated. All magazines
sent discreetly. Subscription lnquines: Please write to Curve, 1550 Bryant
Street, Suite 510, San Francisco, CA 94103, e-mail shop@curvemag.com, or
call 818-286-3102. Canadian Agreement Number: 40793029. Postmaster:Send
Ganadianaddresschangesto shop@curvemag.com,
Curve,PO Box 122, Niagara
Falls, ON L2E 6S8. Send U.S. addresschangesto shop@curvemag.com,
Curve,
PO Box17138,N. Hollywood,CA 91615-7138.Pnnted,nthe U.S.
L
A
21curve
8 t-.UMBE R 10
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 510
San Francisco, California 94103
Phone 415-863-6538 Facsimile 415-863-1609
Advertising Sales 415-863-6538 ext. 10 or 212-446-6700
Subscription Inquiries 818-286-3102
Advertising Email advertising@curvemag.com
Editorial Email editor@curvemag.com
Letters to the Editor Email letters@curvemag.com
Why do we need
a digital edition?
Because it's about
time. Get, and read,
curve wherever you
want from the comfort
MF
LESBIAN MAGAZINE
Keyword: Curvemag Website: curvemag.com
Life insurance is a vital part of planning to protect your loved ones. At Prudential,
we understand the challenges gay and lesbian couples face when it comes to
passing on your assets.
That's why every life insurance policy from the Prudential companies offers
Rock Solid'&benefits that include:
Life Insurance
from The Rock®
• Legal wealth transfer to your partner or child, not subject to probate
• You choose your beneficiary, under a legally binding contract
• Helps replace assets lost to the federal unlimited marital deduction
• Accelerated death benefits for terminal illness or nursing home costs*
And, Prudential agents receive ongoing training to better serve your needs.
Visit prudential.com to find a Prudential financial professional.
Let usbeyourRock.
~l~~~I
2009 for LGBT Equality
100% CORPORATE EQUALITY INDE~
©2008LifeInsurance
issued
byThePrudential
Insurance
Company
ofAmerica,
Newark,
NJanditsaffiliates.
Ourpolicies
contain
exclusions,
limitations,
reductions
inbenefits
and
terms
forkeeping
them
inforce.
Ourlicensed
financial
professionals
conprovide
youwithcosts
andcomplete
details.
*Subject
toterms
andconditions
ofthebenefit.
When
wepayaclaim
under
thisrider,
theamount
youreceive
isreduced
forearly
payment
anda$150processing
fee.Each
policy
used
forthesome
claim
willhave
onadditional
processing
feeofupto$150.Theaccelerated
benefit
received
may
betaxable
andmayalsoaffect
youreligibility
forpublic
assistance
programs,
soweurge
youtoseek
theadvice
ofapersonal
taxadvisor
if youwish
tomake
aclaim.
The
Living
Needs
Benefit
isnotavailable
inMinnesota
tonewpurchasers
over
age65untilthepolicy
hosbeen
inforce
foroneyear,
andthenursing
home
option
isnotavailable
inNew
York
ortheDistrict
ofColumbia.
This
rider
isnotavailable
inMassachusetts.
IFS·A
155661Ed.09/08
Features
"Carol'ne
pointedout
the one gift
left under
the tree. It
was a small
box and
writtenon
it were the
yricsto a
songs e
had written
rightafter
we met:
'Heather-is
t the shade
of color,or
a kindof
tree or Just
the name
of the g rl
whos gonna
marryme?'
December 2008
32
Christmas in N'Awlins There's more to this
Southern gem than boozy nights-especially during
the holidays. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
Volume 18#10
w
50
By Stephanie Schroeder
34
History's First Drag King We explore the legacy
of Hatshepsut, the drag king pharaoh. Plus, Kara
Cooney digs into the Hatshepsut discovery and
Justine Saracen gets inspired by ancient Egypt.
38
Feeling Righteous Ani DiFranco is back with a
vengance. By David Steinfeld
40
Heather Matarazzo and Caroline Murphy
These two stars tell all about their Christmas
engagement, their wedding plans and their future.
By Stephanie Schroeder
46
48
All Grown Up In high school, Ariel Shrag mesmerized us with her graphic novels. Now she's ready to
wow us again. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
Making It Big Lesbian New York Times best seller
Jennifer McMahon gets literary about her success.
By Diane Anderson-Minshall
5
Mindful Motion Famed lesbian choreographer
Anne Bluethenthal combines the mind and the
body. By Kristin A. Smith
5
Center Stage Actor Jennifer Lanier takes on
gender roles. And a look at Trailerville. By Tamara N.
Boyton and Melany Walters-Beck
53
Poetic License Lenelle Mo'i'se's multicultural
background brings new life to poetry. By Stephanie
Schroeder
5
Proving It On Us Dee Jae Cox's Jazz-Era production sheds light on interracial lesbian love. By
Fernanda Silva
5
Absolutely Uncensored Julie Potter raps about
everyday life. Plus, Sins Invalid breaks down stereotypes. By Kamala Puligandla and Rachel Beebe
97
5
4
I curve
Laurie Metcalf What's it like to play a lesbian
presidential speechwriter in a political dramedy?
Time to Boost the Economy! We've got something for everyone on your naughty and nice list.
Departments
December 2008
"Wantto reallyget
away from holiday
drama? Flyto an
Israeliresort,where
it'sneverChristmas.
Or visitIndonesia,
whereyou can
pretendit'sJulyall
monthlong. Money
doesn't buy happiness?Of course
it does. But if you
had moneyto burn,
you wouldn'tbe
lookingfor answers
in a magazine."
page 28
2
9
21
Frankly Speaking And now, a word
from our leader.
20 Open Studio Queenie Yuk's very cute
Editor's Note We celebrated Christmas
in October to bring you our annual musthave gift guide.
21 Lesbofile Who's hookin' up with who
characters make us smile.
(and who's gettin' hitched) in La-La Land.
22 Astro Grrl What's in the stars for you this
10 Contributors See what our peeps are
holiday season?
27 Money Tips for buying your own home.
And, how safe is your online reputation?
28 Dyke Drama Are you alone this season?
Or do you just want to be?
30 Politics Victoria A. Brownworth takes a
look at God and gays.
publishing now.
23 Relationships What do you do if you've
12 Letters Just say no to fur!
14 Scene Cool chicks in hot spots.
cheated on your girl?
24 Lipstick & Dipstick How do I get busy
68 I Tried It One shutterbug dishes on
shooting a red carpet and finding out what
it's like to be on the other side of the velvet rope.
at her parents' house for the holidays?
72 Top Ten Reasons We Love Chagmion
16 Out in Front Activists changing our world.
26 Health One intrepid couple takes on Blue
17 Curvatures Feminist mag BUST turns
15. Lisa Thrasher goes global.
6
Icurve
Cross Blue Shield.
Antoine The hot young correspondent for
CBS News on Logo keeps us informed.
l11:z'$
Leg
TM F-d to ......
We proudly donate a portion of
the proceeds from this awareness
jewelry to Liz's Legacy.
,~ C•..u• Rew...r
Spectacular
Breast Cancer
Awareness
Bracelet
w
PANDORAtM'
Breast Cancer Ribbon
check out our new look at curvemag.com
f
~
w
I~
w
w
I
('.)
<(
0
:J
>I
Cl.
:::f
...J
<(
I
Cf)
z
~
z
0
Cf)
a:
w
0
z
~
Cf)
'.:2
<(
:J
...J
~
<(
z
~
s I curve
Editor's Note
OK, first off, don't panic
when you flip to page 65
and discover that something
big is missing from the
magazine this month. Our award-winning entertainment reviews
section-the 8 to 10 pages of film, music and book reviews we
do every issue-is indeed missing. We gave our hardworking writers a month off while we retool that entire section
to surprise you with our 2009 redesign. We promise to pack
more into each issue in 2009, from better musician and filmmaker Q&As (like our interview with songstress Natalie Stewart,
pictured below) to new micro reviews of what you should read,
watch or listen to (in 20 words or less!).
Needless to say, it's been another hectic month here at curve.
In addition to our redesign, we also started prepping for the
holidays in late summer, so I had the fortune of working on our
massive gift guide while also heading out to speak at Lincoln
City, Oregon's first annual Pride festival. In this tourist hamlet of
about 7,500 year-round residents, I was welcomed by such an
enthusiastic crowd of locals, queer and straight, that I remembered
what Pride-real, year-round, old fashioned queer pride-was
all about. And, it seemed like there were more girls than boys at
some events, which is a rarity at Pride; in the author's tent, poor
Marc Acito was outnumbered 10-to-one.
Meanwhile in Vancouver, Sara Jane Keskula, our associate
publisher, was giving her first big speech to the folks at the Gay
and Lesbian Tourism Marketing Conference (to rousing applause).
And, we've added another new face to the team. One of our
popular entertainment writers,
Rachel Shatto, joined us as a
contributing editor. Vay!
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Editor in Chief
December 2008
I9
Contributors
New Books From Some of Our Own
What have our contributors been up to this last year, other than writing smart, sexy and compelling articles
for the enjoyment of the curve community? Believe it or not, some of them have had time to write smart,
sexy and compelling books, as well. Here are seven of the latest Curvette publications.
classic, providing knowledge
of families whose children identify
and support for women, their
outside these traditional categories.
husbands and their families.
Extensively researched and written
(routledge.com)
with sensitivity and compassion, it
covers the developmental stages of
Jrans People in Love, Eds.
the transgender child from birth to
Katrina
FoxandTracieO'Keefe
college and provides strategies for
(Routledge):
O'Keefe, a clini,
parents and therapists to offer sup,
cal hypnotherapist,
coun,
port and guidance to children as they
mature and become increasingly self
TRlCIE
O'IEEFE
• Ulllll FOX selor and sex therapist, and
Fox, a contributing writer
aware. This pioneering book will help
for curve, bring together
parents answer the most relevant and
the most difficult questions they face in raising a 25 personal accounts from a variety of trans
transgendered child. (cleispress.com)
people, across a wide gender spectrum. These
diverse accounts are honest, moving, irreverent,
Married Women Who sexy, passionate, funny and sad. This is a must,
Love Women,Second read, not only because it includes a chapter
Edition,CarrenStrock written by a Curvette's spouse (and features the
(Routledge): It has
two at their wedding on the cover!), but also
been 10 years since
because it is a candid and thorough examina,
contributing
writ,
tion of trans identities and relationships from
er Carren Strock's
the perspective of people who have experienced
groundbreaking book
them. (routledge.com)
hit
the
shelves
and
ad,
Girlon a Stick,KathleenBryson(She
A Handbookfor
Devll Press): Contributing writer
dressed the issues of
TheAntonymof Apathy,Hilary Kyle (Antonym
Fami1esand
Kathleen Bryson's second novel is a
an entire community
Publishing):Both female,centric and political,
Professionals
of lesbians married
dark comedy set in London's East
Kyle's first novel is part historical fiction, part
End. It follows the twists and turns
to men for the first
speculative fiction and part women's lit. It de,
of a hetero relationship between an
time. Every chapter
picts a series of strong,willed, intelligent female
American studying in London and
in the second edition
characters who follow their compulsions to
her sexy Norwegian lover. "The nov,
has been updated,
impact the future of the United States. "Part of
el is very intentionally about heterosexuality;'
and it includes two new chapters, "The Single
the credo of The Antonym of Apathy is that each
Lovers of Married Women" and "Redefined
says Bryson, who has had longterm lesbian and
person must find their own way to enact change;'
Marriages:' Born out of Strock's own experi,
straight relationships, "but the theme of gender
says Kyle. "For me, it is writing and storytelling.
struggle both within and outside the system is ence of being married to a man and discovering
I hope the book will help people see a larger,
especially relevant to queer people:' It's got a her lesbian sexuality, and including interviews
more expansive world than they saw before. I
with hundreds of women who have had the
page,turner plot but is also a critique of power
hope they feel better about the world, better
same experience, the book is
and its misuse. (suspectthoughts.com)
about the possibilities, better about the
both a personal account and
people in it, better
TheTransgender
Child:A Handbookfor Families a sociological study. As the
about where we can
and Professionals,
StephanieBrill and Rachel traditional terms of marriage
go. It is in our ideas
Pepper(Clels Press):"Is it a girl or a boy?" is continue to evolve and pro,
and our willingness
gressive family situations be,
often the first question people ask when they
to pursue the power
learn about the birth of a new baby, but curve's come more the norm, Strock's
within them that
book remains at the forefront
book review editor, Rachel Pepper, and her
we expand what is
WhoLoveWomen
of the discussion, and it con,
co,author, Stephanie Brill, have written this
StcondEdition
possible:' (antonym,
tinues to be an undisputed
first,of,its,kind guidebook for the thousands
pub.com)
Carren
Strock
T
Married
Women
10
Icurve
Hilary Kyle
Blind Faith, DianeandJacobAnderson-Minshall
(BoldStrokesBooks):Our editor in chief and her
co-pilot offer up the third installment of their
award-winning Blind Eye mystery series, which
critics have called "electrifying" and About.com
named a "Top Ten Lesbian Read:' Blind investigator Yoshi Yakamota and her crew face their
most dangerous mission, figuring out why two
lesbian teens plunged to their death off the
California coast. When it turns out that both
kids were enrolled at the controversial Pioneer
Institute, a residential reparitive therapy
program for youth, the Pls uncover even
more disturbing secrets about the locked
down ex-gay center. Activists and lesbian
mystery fans are already hailing it as a
must-read. (boldstrokesbooks.com)
The Trouble with
Emily Dickinson,
Lyndsey D'Arcangelo (Alpha World
Press): Contributing writer Lyndsey
D'.A.rcangelo has written a debut novel
that's billed as a significant contribution to the LGBT young adult genre.
Centering on the love story between two
adolescent girls from different worlds, the book
weaves Emily Dickinson's poetry and themes
into the story, thereby introducing young les-
bians to one of the most
celebrated writers of all
time. It is a positive, realistic take on what it's
like to be a teenager in
love with someone of
the same gender. Young
readers will see themselves reflected in the
characters, and will take away the importance
of being true to themselves and proud of who
they are. (alphawordpress.com) ■
Become a curve
VIP-for Free!
Sign up for Around the Curve, our
free bi-weekly email newsletter
blast, and get connected to the
events, news and topics you're most
interested in. Get the inside scoop
on exclusive VIP curve events (like the San Francisco Pride Party with Rose
Rollins, pictured here), where you'll meet the hottest lesbian celebrities and the
women behind the pages of the nation's best-selling lesbian magazine. Keep
up to date on the issues that affect your life-from entertainment to politics,
and everything in between. And best of all, you'll discover Web exclusives and
extended interviews. Subscribe for FREE today at curvemag.com.
December 2008
! 11
Letters
"As someone who lives as cruelty-free as
possible, it feels so good to know my yearly
subscription to your magazine goes to support
Christmas
carols-you
know,thesixstaple
songsplayingin
rotationin everymall
andpublicbuilding
sinceThanksgiving
33%
Doingcatch-upwork
duringmysupposed
"vacation"
16%
Drivingcross-country
to seemyparents,then
drivingbackto seemy
girlfriend'sparents
12%
Vacuuming
upthose
darnpineneedlesfor a
weekafterthe 25
5%
a company that respects all creatures, great
and small."
While informative, sadly, the article "Working Girls: On the
Clock" [Vol. 18 #8] came a little too late for me. I recently came
out at a new job and quickly received an awkward phone
call from my boss, informing me that the institution has a
"don't ask, don't tell" policy surrounding homosexuality. Like
many other working lesbians, I am now in a position to reconsider supporting an organization which openly discriminates against homosexuals (an out lesbian was fired not too
long ago), or playing it straight to keep my job. The article
"Working Girls" is a must-read for any lesbian, as job discrimination is not simply a mishap or coincidence, it is patent
inequality, which leaves many lesbians caught between a rock
and hard, heterosexual place. Kudos to out lesbians working and striving! Many thanks for spreading awareness and
acceptance, as only with education and determination can we
breed equality.
- Jane Smith, Findlay, Ohio
Receiving
packaged
fruitcakethat has
enoughpreservatives
to I just received the October issue of curve magazine and
regiftnextyear I am shocked and appalled that you printed Victoria A.
Brownworth's article, "My November Surprise" [Vol. 18
*According
to a
#8]. The subtitle for this article should be renamed "How
curvemag.com
poll
to make sure John McCain gets elected president:' If I
wanted to hear lies and propaganda about Barack Obama,
I would watch Fox News. I had hoped that Obama would
pick Clinton as his running mate, but her campaign's many
false and negative statements about him made it impossible
for him to pick her. The McCain camp would have used
her statements against them. She didn't do the "good girl"
thing when she threw her support to Obama. She did the
right thing. Hillary loves her country and the Democratic
Party, and she knows that there is too much at stake. No
Democratic candidate for president will ever meet the extremist srandards of the Green Party, because if they did they
wouldn't stand a chance in hell of being elected. By vot-
121curve
ing for a Green Party candidate, all you do is help elect a
Republican, and this country can't take four more years of
that.
- Susie Leverington,Dallas
I just finished reading your September issue (Vol. 18 #7],
(I know, I'm late) and I was almost in tears. I've never seen
a magazine cover fashion for plus-sized girls like mysel£
and it made me so happy. I was going to sign up for Weight
Watchers once again tonight, but now I don't think I will. I
realized that I can be fat, fashionable and sexy. Thank you for
showing me that.
- ChristaHolt, Vienna, Va.
Just a note to let you know how pleased I was to read about
Gulfport, Fla., in the article, "Twilight Years in the Sunshine
State" [Vol. 18 #8]. It is a great place to live. Don't forget to
check outprosuzy.com for networking and social activities in
our area. Thanks again for the article; come visit!
- Julie McNichol, Gulfport,Fla.
I just wanted to say thank you for your stand on fur and animal rights [Vol.18 #8]! As someone who lives as cruelty-free
as possible, it feels so good to know my yearly subscription to
your magazine goes to support a company that respects all
creatures, great and small. As a mommy to seven cats and a
bird, my whole family thanks you!
- Lauren T. Cox, Fort Smith, Ariz.
Email letters@curvemag.com; write to curve Letters, 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to (415)
863-1609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters
may be edited for clarity and length. ■
r
TheGuitar
lttyBittyTlttyCCJl11ittee
Sundance
sensation
starring
SaffronBurrowsl
"Ferociously
erotic".DarkHorizons
Sexystory of the romance
betweena coupleof hipand
feistyfeminists.
On Sale $19.95
On Sale $19.95
SheLikesGirls3
funny,sad,romanticand ,~~
ramaticlesbianshortfilms.
f
I
FourMinutes
~~~;.Li,Ull.&l.:U,jl.l:.lj
1
Thethrillingstoryof a piano
prodigywhois in prisonfor
murder.
On Sale $19.95
"lntelllgent"
-VOl»fy
ThisKiss
t
Childhood
friendsLucyand
Juliethavea surprising
reunionasadults.
Ii
e
ll
0
)
Finn'sGirl
Sexy,suspenseful
taleof a
lesbiandoctorwhois alsoa
singlemom.
'
1 •
~
a:
LJ.J
Ill
z
LJ.J
LJ.J
a:
(.'.)
1.
:J
I
1.
:ry"
1 Jenny Shimizu came out to support the Itty Bitty Titty Committee Los Angeles DVD
release party 2 Suzanne Westenhoefer (left) and Jennifer Houston (right) were mar~
ried by Rev. Lorelei Starbuck at the Hollywood Chapel in West Hollywood, Cali£ 3
DesperateHousewives'(from left) Kathryn Joosten, Dana Delany and Heather Tom at
the Love Honor Cherish event, which was held (in conjunction with Equality California
and GLAAD) to raise money to fight Proposition 8 4 Curvettes (from right) Kathy
Beige, Diane Anderson~Minshall, Gina Daggett and (back left) Sara Jane Keskula hang
with readers at curve'sWomen's Retreat Weekend at Vino Bello Resort in Napa,
Cali£ 5 Rocks tar Melissa Etheridge shows off her tank at the Stand Up 2 Cancer ben~
efit event 6 Partygoers celebrate BUST magazine's 15th anniversary at Spiegelworld in
New York City
14lcurve
J'
~
(!)
a:
UJ
CXl
zUJ
lJ.J
a:
(.!)
:i..
:J
I:i..
:ry'
J:
.lJ
:::::i
z
:i
:)
~
:::::i
z
:t:
/)
/)
:t:
.)
~
,,.
~
~
C
!
u
C
~
(
~
D
r-
3
at
ia
I
y
g
a,
nin
7 Someday Souvenir bandmembers (from left) Stephanie Wood, Chris DeRado
and Dari Mahnic attend the Rock 4 Choice benefit concert for W.O.M.E.N. held at
Skipper's Smokehouse in Tampa, Fla. 8 Portia de Rossi (left) and wife Ellen DeGeneres
at a Yes on Proposition 2 fundraiser in California 9 Hula-hoopers take over the dance
floor at BUSTs anniversary party 10 Itty Bitty partygoers 11 Switchblade Sisters
Candy Korn (left) and Kat AKillzem at the Tampa Roller Derby Championships 12
Lorna Bracewell and Lexi Pierson (right) perform at Pro-Star Recording Studio in St.
Petersburg, Fla., at the Thanks for the Mammories concert 13 Lea Delaria (right) and
her girlfriend, producer Janette Mason, backstage in New York City 14 Liz Margolies,
executive director, National LGBT Cancer Network with curve contributing editor
Stephanie Schroeder right the CANCER101 benefit in New York City
December 2008
I 15
□
□
Ai
a
C
□
VI
SI
Jus ice for A
Gu
ng 0
Rg
s
A Day m the L1fe
Orq
M
For DaraSilverman,
being queer is inextricably linked to her fight for social justice.
Silverman should know. As a young girl,
she joined her mother at the Women's Peace
Encampment (a female and primarily queer
antimilitarism camp outside the Seneca
Army Depot) and at 12, Silverman organized
her first protest, getting a group of kids from
her school to oppose CIA recruitment on the
campus of Cornell University.
Today she serves as the director of Jews for
Racial and Economic Justice (JFREJ), a group
that organizes Jews from across Manhattan
to work in support of communities directly
impacted by municipal and state policies.
Silverman currently oversees two campaigns:
one for domestic workers' rights, and one for
housing rights and against gentrification.
She's creative as well. When the United
States invaded Iraq in 2002, Silverman and
her best friend penned a special prayer book
for Passover that compared the story of
Passover (a liberation struggle) to the fight
for queer and trans rights, and against militarism around the world.
While she's all for recognizing progress,
Silverman is quick to point out the problems
that still face our community.
''As queers, we are affected by a whole
range of social justice issues;' she says. "Don't
see political action as ending after a big election because that's when we most need to
hold elected officials accountable:•
16
Icurve
It took getting fired to really fire up Charlene
Genther.
After more than 14 years as a Detroit
police officer, Genther was asked by Sister
Lenore Pochelski to work as a security officer
at Marian High School, a Catholic all-girls
magnet school where Genther's daughter was
a senior. Pochelski was well acquainted with
Genther and her partner.
Yet Genther was fired by Pochelski four
years after the nun read her 2002 autobiography, Badge 3483, A True Story, because, she
was told, it revealed that she is a lesbian.
"I was totally devastated and in a state of
disbelief;' she says. "Through tears, I told her,
'Jesus would never fire me:"
Later, she was told it was OK to be gay,just
not to go public with the information, because
the school did not want to risk losing donations
for an upcoming building campaign drive.
Genther has since gone on to more accepting pastures, serving as a security officer at
Marygrove College in Detroit (where she's out
and protected by the school's nondiscrimination
policy). But her firing propelled her to action.
Since then, Genther has lobbied for Matt's
Safe School Law to end harassment of any kind
in schools. She's also spoken before the state legislators on the inequities of people being fired
because of their sexual and gender orientation.
Last year, she received the Michigan Pride
Award for her work.
''The only way to change things is to make
non-GLBTQ people aware that we are just like
them;' she says."We are in their families, we work
with them, we sit next to them in church or synagogue and we deserve the right to be married,
adopt children, have our spouses on our health
plan, and everything else they are entitled to:•
Few people know the Washington, D.C.,
African American lesbian scene better than
SheilaAlexander-Reid.
Years ago, she was an event promoter,
throwing infamous house parties. Then she
moved to the club scene, organizing social
events under the name Women in the Life.
But it was never just about partying for
Alexander-Reid.
"Over the years I was given the honor of
providing safe spaces for lesbians of color to
gather to socialize, raise funds, network and
exchange both ideas and phone numbers;' she
says. "I can't tell you how many couples have
recounted stories of how they met at a Women
in the Life function, and that speaks volumes:•
It was while working on a grant from
Avon and the Mautner Project to promote
breast cancer awareness in the lesbians-ofcolor community that she realized she might
have more of an impact through activism,
and became a full-time activist. She kept the
name, but turned Women in the Life into a
nonprofit foundation.
At the top of her list these days are two
projects: Wanda's Will, a program that organizes attorneys (working pro bona) to lead
workshops and discuss the legal forms necessary to protect same-sex couples, and No
More Drama, a project created to address the
growing problem of domestic violence in the
lesbian community.
"I have said, and I continue to say, that
women of color are at the bottom of the
totem pole," she says. "The only thing we
can do is to bring attention to the disparities so that the funding is made available for
outreach, education and research to reverse
these trends:•
Fof
Curvatures
Sisters Do It For Themselves
When Lisa Thrasher, president of film produc,
tion and distribution at POWER UP, produced
the organization's first feature film, Itty Bitty Titty
Committee, she wasn't sure how the 'gentle call
to arms within a love story;' as she describes the
film, would appeal to general audiences. For a
fortysomething who grew up with feminism as a
worldview, Thrasher is aware that many issues in
the film are yet to be resolved. In fact, it was well,
received, has won a slew of awards and came out
on DVD to great acclaim in September.
Interest in the film from the international
community of women filmmakers and film stu,
dents led a group of female South Korean stu,
dents to meet Thrasher (pictured at left with
filmmakers Lisa Gornick and Guinevere Turner)
at Taiwan Gay Pride and invite her to be a visiting
professor at Chung, Ang University's Film School
in Seoul, South Korea, the most prestigious film
school in Korea. Thrasher developed and taught
"Producing Independent and Women's Films" to
a group of eager students for whom independent
filmmaking is not necessarily a part of their regu,
lar curriculum or national landscape. "I wanted to
show the students how to make an independent
film, from raising capital to writing, casting and
directing, to copyrighting and antipiracy issues,
to finding distribution channels:• Thrasher says
the thrust of the South Korean movie industry is
heavily skewed toward action films and romance
movies, whereas lesbians (whether they are out or
not) are making documentaries."Just like lesbians
everywhere;' she says.
While her course was not geared specifically
to lesbians, or even women, Thrasher says that a
lot of women were interested in her expertise and
she hung out mostly with the female graduate stu,
dents and female professors. "Unlike Tokyo and
other places where you just show up and then go
home, Seoul is very welcoming. South Koreans
love to socialize. I have also come to realize that
lesbians are lesbians are lesbians-anywhere in
the world. It amazes me that The L Wordhas had
such massive impact around the globe. At lesbian
bars in Seoul, I saw the Alice haircuts and Shane
outfits;' laughs Thrasher.
In the fall Thrasher taught "The Legal Aspects
of Film'' in both Capetown and Johannesburg,
South Africa. - SS
WHAT'S HOT: 'Tis the Season to Indulge
Thisholidayseasonstartthinking
likea gourmand.
Ourfavoritetreats
areperfectgiftsfor foodiesandthe
girlswholovethem.
86 PercentCacao-Belgian
Dark
Chocolate
Confection,
NairOrangeBelgianDarkChocolate
Confection
withcandiedorangepeelandLait
Intense-Belgian
MilkChocolate
Confection
with dark
GetYourGrains
chocolate
filling.($3and
Startyourmorningsright
up,cotedorus.com)
withJapanese
10 Grain
Germinated
Porridge.
Thisthickand
Brown Rice
creamybreakfastpacks
WantMoreThan
~
morethanjustoatsTwoBuckChuck?
"Jf
it's low-fatandhigh
Trythesehousewines
1;
in energy.Forlunch
fromthe Magnificent
Wine
or dinnerfaretry the
Company
in Washington.
California-grown
Multi
RankedNo.2 HottestSmall
GrainRicemadewith
WineBrandof 2006by
a combination
of six
WineBusiness
Monthly,this
differenttypesof rice.Ordig into
winerywill sendyoua $1O
theGerminated
BrownRicePotage
bottlethatwill makeyoufeelright
asanappetizer
or stand-alone
snack. at home.Trythe HouseWineRedor
Yum!($3andup,dhccare.com)
Whiteandthe Cabernet.
($1Oand
up,magnificentwine.com)
SpoilHerwith Chocolate
Coted'Or,Belgium'sNo.1 chocolate Skipthe Tuna
brand,is nowavailablein the United KanaKampachi
is a mercury-free
StatesandCanada.
WelovedNair
Hawaiian
yellowtailfish raisedoff
-
*
thecoastof Kanain a sustain- ,.
ableeco-friendly
way-and it's
a greatalternative
to tuna.Have
youromega3s andhealthyoceans.
($43andup,kona-blue.com)
EvenSaltCanBe Fancy
Eachof the saltsin theArtisanSalt
Samplercomesfroma specific
region,whichgivesthemtheirown
uniqueflavors.SaltsfromBalito
Perugivetheseriousfoodiethe
chanceto cookwith subtlenuances
of flavor.Andthedisplaycaseain't
badeither.($150,redenvelope.com)
ChaChaCha
Japanese
greentea,or "cha,"is
someof thefinestin theworldand
nowlyemonChabringsits flavorto
the UnitedStates.Masterblenders
havecreateda refreshing
andslightly bittercoldbottledbeverage
that'll
giveSnapplea runfor its money.($3,
suntory.
com/iyemon_
cha)
CURVATURES
WRITTEN
BY
AnnaLonnberg,
Kate
Goldsworthy,
Stephanie
Schroeder,
Solomon
Lawrence
December 2008
I 17
Curvatures
BUSTing out All Over
The feisty DIY feminist publication BUST
magazine celebrated its 15th anniversary in
craftacular style with nouveau cirque-variety
acts and a stellar concert performed by some
of the best female entertainment around. The
event, (see pg 14)hosted by ubiquitous BUST
cover girl, comic Amy Sedaris, drew supportive readers and loyal fans to honor this
groundbreaking women's lifestyle magazine.
Founded in 1993 by publishers Debbie Stoller
(editor-in-chief) and Laurie Henzel (creative director
and fashion editor), BUST is geared toward cuttingedge young women who are proud to be female. The
publication's somewhat revolutionary approach to
women's interests, including an unabashed wallowing in pop culture and a sexy, yet sensible, approach
to (mainly heterosexual) female sexual pleasure has
hooked savvy readers for the past decade and a half
while sometimes offending potential advertisers.
"Without advertising support from the DIY and
women's business and a few larger sponsors, we will
go out of business because we realize it is a business
and without ads we will die;' says Henzel. "But we
will not change our content because a potential advertiser wants the sex-which we are known for, but is
a small part of our editorial mix-cut. We just won't
do it:' Snagging larger and well-funded advertisers
is a common concern among all alternative women's
publications. But, women-owned businesses and
female performers, other artists and authors continue to be the mainstay advertising supporters of
women's alternative publications. Others, like Bitch,
are nonprofit endeavors.
Premised on the intelligence
of women readers, Stoller says
"Unlike other women's magazine,
we assume our readers don't need
to be pandered to; they are not
fragile human beings who need to
be protected. We sweep away the
Victorian ideas about women and
sex such as women either need to be protected from
men or protected by men:'
Stoller and Henzel contrast other women's publications that never encourage straight women's
sexuality and never really cover what gives them
pleasure, alone, together or in whatever situation
they choose to pursue sexual fulfillment. Both publishers indicate that other magazines' coverage of
female sexuality centers around how not to contract
STDs, avoid date rape or how to trap and please a
man. "BUST is special and more well-rounded and
readers love it," proclaims Stoller.
However, BUST fights against the notion that
it is specifically for lesbians, often hidden away in
the gay and lesbian ghetto section in bookstores or
because of the name of the magazine. "People get
confused," says Henzel. 'J\nd then lesbians get mad
at us for a bait-and-switch we have nothing to do
with. However, BUST is extremely queer-friendly
even while we don't feel like 50 percent of content
must be lesbian-specific, our queer female readerships probably is reflective of the percentage of lesbians in the female population:' - SS
Remembering Queer Victims
Berlin'sopenlygaymayor,KlausWowereit,
inaugurated
a
memorialto thegayandlesbianvictimsof the Holocaust,
but-like manymemorialsin Berlin-not withoutyears
of controversy.
Theloopedvideovisitorsseeof two men
kissingwhenthey peekinsidethe monumentitselfwill
beexchanged
everycoupleyearswithoneof twowomen
kissingbecause
of pressure
fromlesbiangroups.Theimageof two menkissingattracteda differentkindof controversywhen,accordingto the artists,the federalcommissionerfor culturedidn'tallowthemto usethe image
of kissingmenonthe officialinvitationto the memorial's
opening.Thedesign,by the artist-duoIngarDragsetand
MichaelElmgreen,
mirrorsthe cementblocksthat make
up the Memorialto the MurderedJewsof Europeacross
the street.- SL
1s1curve
NEWS NOTES
LaprissGilbertofVanNuys,Calif.,
wasescortedoutof a federal
buildinglastAugustfor wearing
a T-shirtwith"Lesbian.com"
acrossthe chest.Theguardtold
hertheT-shirtwas"offensive"and
shethreatened
witharrestif she
didnotleavethegrounds.
Although
shewaseventually
let backinto
thebuilding,the Department
of
Homeland
Security,
theguard's
employer,deniesawarenessof
the incident.
TheCatholic
Churchwantsto
exhumethe bodyof a cardinal
buriedin theU.K.whodiedover
100 yearsagoandwaslaidto rest,
at hisrequest,in thesamegrave
asFatherAmbrose
St.John.Gay
activistssaythattheexhumation
is aneffortto coverupCardinal
Newman's
homosexuality,
butthe
Vaticaninsiststhetwo menwere
justclosefriends.
(
>
(
a
2)
'.)
3
C
)
TheU.S.militarycontinues
to dischargegaymenandlesbiansunder
the"Don'tAsk,Don'tTell"policy.
Morethan10,000personnel
have
beendroppedfromthe military,
andtheU.S.Armyhasturnedto
findinghighschooldropouts
to add
to theirnumbers.
Toappealto the
candidates,
theArmyhasopened
a prepschoolenablingsoldiersto
obtaina GED.
A newonlinemagazine,
Bekhsoos,
for lesbian,bisexual,
transgenderandqueerwomenhasbeen
launched
in Beirut,Lebanon.
Bekhsoos
is beinglaudedasthe
first onlinemagazine
of its kindto
comeoutof theArabworld.Mostof
the Bekhsoos
staffandcontributors
havechosento remainanonymous
dueto thefactthat homosexuality
is still illegalin Lebanon.
It hasbeenestimated
thatthe
numberofAmericans
age65
andolderwill reacha totalof 20
percentof thepopulation,
in the
next25 years.Ofthat 20 percent,
it is thoughtthat7 to 10 percent
of seniorswill be individuals
whoarelesbian,gay,bisexualor
transgender.
-AL
Netflix Gets Gay
Good news for TV addicts: Logo and Netflix have teamed
up in what Joanne Jacobson, Logo's vice president of business
development, calls "an industry-breaking, ground-breaking"
venture. Logo, Viacom's successful gay and lesbian network,
has agreed to grant Netflix, the world's largest online filmrental service, access to some of Logo's original programs not
found elsewhere on DVD or On Demand.
These programs include Curl Girls, a reality show about
lesbian surfers in Los Angeles that AfterEllen described as
"part music video and part surf porn:' Other available programs include Wisecrack and the Visible Vote '08 Presidential
Forum. According to Jacobson, the Netflix-Logo deal also
involves "special promotions and brandings" for Logo, as well
as "co-acquisition;' meaning that the two companies will
"acquire certain tides together:'
"Netflix has never done a deal like this before;' says
Jacobson."There's no other deal like this in the industry. This
indicates two things: the importance of the LGBT community to Netflix, and Logo bringing to bear its wealth of content and its ability to reach the LGBT audience. [Netflix]
wanted to partner with us because we develop programming
that resonates with this audience:'
In an official statement, Liesl Copland, head of Netflix's
original content division, said,
"Netflix is committed to expanding the reach of a broad range of
diverse content, using multiple
channels to speak to varied
audiences:•
Fans say it's refreshing to
see such a major player in the
entertainment
industry take
an interest in our community.
"We're really excited about
this;' says Jacobson. "It's a tribute to the power of the LGBT
audience:' - KG
"You know who I think is flawless? Alicia Keys. I think
she's absolutely beautiful, such a sweetheart,
down to earth. So maybe Alicia Keys."
t
y
"When I have sex with my husband these days, I fantasize I am with someone like Keith Urban or a
petite, hot young woman."
"Much like Rosie O'Donnell, the announcement that
Clay Aiken is gay reinforces a simple reality: The
American public can no longer say it does not
know a gay or lesbian parent. Clay Aiken's desire
to raise a child in an open and honest manner will
make his life, and his son's, all the better. We hope
he and his son find all the happiness they deserve,
and the Family Equality Council will work toward
the day that Clay and Parker Foster Aiken can
enjoy the same rights as other American families."
"It's hard to find girls or guys who are attractive and
funny. You have to be willing to get ugly if you want
to make someone laugh. Some girls just don't
want to do that. I like all the flaws to be seen."
>
T
0
December 2008
I 19
The Fantastic Toast and Pat O'Butter (left);
Picnictastic with Gary and Fifi (top); Cheese
Diddle Grrr meets Canary Safety Sheers
(bottom)
Queenie Yuk
When people first visit artist Queenie Yuk's website, Q-You.net, they are immediately greeted by colorful characters jumping on a psychedelic
lime-green background.
Like the story of her alter ego, SuperJuicyChicken, who has traveled on an atomic-powered bicycle "from the dying embers of a distant
galaxy" to "our world bent on total conquest;' San Francisco-based Yuk and her illustrations are out of this world.
The illustrations on her website feature"Friendlees;• colorful and silly characters such as a pirate named Mr. Argh, an owl named Muhammad
Owly and a scissors-bird hybrid named Canary Safety Sheers.
However, unlike SuperJuicyChicken, Yuk says she had no specific reason (such as "total conquest") for creating or naming the Friendlees,
and doesn't know how many of them there actually are, because she is constantly adding new ones (her guess is about 50).
"The Friendlees were inspired by stuff that I grew up with-the love of Hello Kitty and all the Japanese cuteness I was surrounded with;'
says Yuk, who was born in Hong Kong and has been drawing since she was a child. Yuk's characters show her playful and sometimes twisted
imagination. One of the characters is a fish-girl hybrid, but instead of the typical pretty mermaid one might expect, the result is "Sandy
Bottomfeeder;' which she proudly calls a "monstrosity:'
However, that's all she'll say about the characters. "They don't have their own world. There's no stories
behind the characters since they are just like anyone around;' she says.
For years, Yuk worked at a real estate investment company while doing freelance illustration and graphic
design. She dabbled in many styles and media, including oil illustration, computer rendering and straigl:tforward drawing (at the request of her clients), but her favorite artwork involves her Friendlees. She was do:ng
illustrations for family and friends when people started asking her if she had any T-shirts featuring the
characters.
Inspired, Yuk decided to quit her job at the investment company in 2004 and took a year off to prepare
to officially launch her illustration business, Q-You.
"I [started using) my characters on T-shirts, since it was the most economic way to spread my work;'
she says.
Her T-shirt line soon sparked another idea: turning her Friendlees into plush animals. Yuk, 32, is modest about starting her company. "I just want people to like my stuff;' she says. "It makes me happy just to
know that someone appreciates what I do:•
20
I curve
Lesbofile Curvatures
A Marriage? A Breakup?
Looks like a lot of people have been naughty in Hollywood lately.
I
y Jocelyn 'oo
This month: a marriage, a breakup and a whole
bunch of in between.
Before AlanisMorissettewas engaged to Ryan
Reynolds (who later dumped her, and is now
married to sexpot ScarlettJohansson),
she had
some dalliances with women.
During her teens and early 20s, she experimented. 'Tm pretty heterosexual ... It was just
kind of a go-with-it thing, explore, you know,
sort of experience;' she said on The Howard
Stern Show.'Tm an experience junkie. So I like to
experience everything and then step back and go,
'Does that work for met I like to connect with
people. Women like to have sort of connection,
some kind of intimacy:'
Later, she elaborated to The Advocate: "I
think it's a beautiful rite of passage for everyone
to play with their sexuality at some point, so I
did exactly that. And it was great!"
Damn right. But we have to say, we're not
exactly surprised-you
didn't think that kiss
with SarahJessicaParkerduring her cameo on
Sex and the City was her first lesbian encounter,
did you?
OK, try to keep this one straight (har har har):
Courtenay
Semel,the daughter of an ex-Yahoo!
billionaire, is a D-list actor whose part in the
2005 E! reality series Filthy Rich: Cattle Drive
eclipses any cameos she made in legitimate
movies. (Think the poor woman's gay, brunette
ParisHilton.)
Anyway, Semel has been all over the Sapphic
map: She claims to be Lindsay Lohan's first lady
interest ("everyone thinks Samantha [Ronson]
is Lindsay's first lesbian love, but we were very
passionate until her fear of being found out
drove us apart;' she reportedly said), then was
linked with Johnson & Johnson heiress Casey
Johnson
but now has finally found U- Haul love
with none other than the exotic, elfin TilaTequila,
who was dumped by model KristyMorganon
the finale of her own reality TV show earlier
this year.
'Td seen the show [A Shot at Love] and just
needed to meet her ... and it just happened;'
Semel told People magazine.
Adds Tequila, "There are no games. It's true
what they say about lesbians-you
meet and
then the next day you move in together, because
I can't get rid of her. She pretty much lives at
my house:'
Another notch on the bedpost? Your call.
For all you naysayers about the LiRo handholding-could it be true that Lindsay
Lohanand
Samantha
Ronson
are really going to get married?
According to the Sun, during her DJ set at the
Chateau Marmont, Ronson told lucky dubbers,
"By the end of this year, my love will be Mrs.
Ronson:' Though her publicist says they aren't
engaged, Lohan already confirmed that she and
Ronson have been dating for "a very long time;'
the two have matching star tattoos and Ronson
gave Lohan quite the rock earlier this year ...
Between her fake obsession with Tom Cruise
on her once-upon-a-time self-tided TV talk
show and her zany blog outbursts, we'd say pairing up with Kelli Carpenter is one of the saner
things that RosieO'Donnell
has done in her life.
But after years of coupledom, there's talk of a
split. The New York Post gossip columnist Cindy
Adamsreported that the twosome "may not be
so together anymore:'
Rest assured, it's not true. O'Donnell denied
the claim, even cyber joking to gossip blogger
Perez Hilton, "cindy adams and i r having a full
blown affair. she is a lesbian:'
Phew. ■
December
2ooa121
Advice
Astro Grrl
Unwrap Your Gifts
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:You can charm the underpants off any-
CAN YOU TRUST
A PISCES?
one this December. But don't open up just
anyone's Pandora's Box. You never know what ,
or who you will unleash. Career:Your endof-year bonus check is in the mail. Will you
spend it all in one place or on one woman?
Only if you are very lucky!
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
"Evenwhencaughtwith
Sex:
It is worth it to take the extra time on
yourpantsdown,in midgifts
and holiday merriment this December.
thrustin yourpartner's
bestfriend'sbed,with Not only can you dazzle her with your generMarvinGayeonthe mp3 osity, she will have to reciprocate accordingly.
anda plateof half-eaten Career:You make a dramatic first impression
oystersonthefloor,you with the powers-that-be. But maybe that
denyeverything.
It's not impression should not be made sitting on the
whatit lookslike.You corporate Xerox machine.
fell outof a passing747
broughtunexpectedly
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
low byturbulence;you
Sex:Aqueerians are oozing with sex appeal and charisma this
wereon yourwayto
Scranton,N.J.,to visit December. Will you be able to find someone able and allura sickauntwhocraves ing to swab it up? Career:Not only can you overcome any
oysters-how kindare obstacles at work, you unmask a secret enemy and triumph
you.Thepartner'sbest over evil. Not bad for a lazy holiday month!
friendRohypnoled
your
Sprite.Youdid it for Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
yourpartner;youdidn't Sex:Send out some good vibes and see who responds. It may
wantto upsettheirbest surprise you. Keep your affections light and frothy so you can
friendwhowasbegging whip it up in time for New Year's Eve. Eve who ... ? Career:
for it. Anywayit's your
Gal pals can provide you with valuable career advice this
partner'sfaultfor getting
December. However quitting your job and retiring to Tahiti
sofat youhadto go
is
not valuable advice.
elsewhere;
besides,you
thoughtthe relationshipwasan openone,
becausetheyoncesaid
theyhada thingfor Brad
Pitt.Whendumped,you
sulkandbitch,andget
otherpeopleto buyyou
drinks,thentell them
howcruellyyou've
beentreated."- from
DarksideZodiacin Love
by StellaHyde
(redwheelweiser.
com)
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Sex:A certain gal pal wants more from the relationship. Are
you really interested or just flirting around for a New Year's
invite? Career:While you prefer to glide through the holidays,
December delivers a missive from Santa: Get back to work ...
and back under the company mistletoe.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex:A certain sexy stranger is waiting for you. Consider taking a winter jaunt to explore some exotic caves and coves.
Career:Not only do you make a stunning impression with the
corporate big wigs, you charm your way into getting the big
bucks. And it only requires some small change on your part
and job-related issues can be settled amiably if you rest your case
with the right lady. Lucky for you
the jury is Out!
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Sex:Santa leaves you your heart's
desire under the tree. That is
great but wouldn't you prefer
her in your bed instead? Career:
Business relationships can be
cemented this December. Of
course that does not mean that
you can glide by on oily charm.
Substance is more important
than style. Drat.
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex: Girlfriends are especially
attentive and lovey-dovey this
December. What are they up to ... ? Lionesses on the prowl
have no trouble culling from the herd. Career:Your job is
much busier than usual. Will she believe that you are always
working late at the office? If not, try to take some time off.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:Romance is possible on the job if you know where to look.
You are the belle of the office Christmas party. Ring-a-ding.
Career:Find creative ways to strut your professional stuff at
work. If that doesn't work, turn all that valuable creativity into
profitable after work activities. Anyone we know?
Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)
Sex:Turn on the charm this December. You are bursting with
enthusiasm, love and affection to all comers. What? No gift?
Career:Family issues get in the way of your career progress.
Balance and patience will be required but remember who
keeps you warm at night. Err ... the heater in your office?
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Sex:Entertain more at home this holiday season. Not only
will you find the right lady to fill your stocking, you will also
get a certain someone to trim your tree. Yippee! Career:Ask
and you shall receive at work. But if you ask for too big a
raise you may have to work much harder for it. Compromise
and relax. ■
Astrologer Charlene Lichtenstein is the author of
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Sex:Twins are especially sexy and sizzly this December. Melt
some snow with you-know-who or whoever. Career:Legal
22
I curve
Herscopes: A Guide to Astrology for Lesbians. To
seewhat elseis in your stars,visit thestarryeye.comor
go to her blogat thestarryeye.typepad.com.
Relationships . Advice
What To Do When You've Cheated
Should you come clean after you've been playing dirty?I By Kate Lacey
se
u
ly
is
lS
tys
ok.
g.
at
to
th
ft:1
ss.
ho
There are times when even the best-intentioned woman goes astray.
Maybe you had an Anne Heche moment, losing your mind, wandering
the streets, accidentally bumping naked bodies with some other woman.
Whatever your reasons, or lack thereo£ if you wish it hadn't happened and
you want to keep your relationship intact, the first thing you'll probably
want to do, of course, is to come clean to your girl and hope for the best.
tivities on a television show, or anywhere in public at all, is in poor taste.
While breaking up is a good thing to do in public, bearing your cheating
heart is not something you want to do with an audience. The other restaurant patrons will all side with her anyway, so by keeping it private you
will be removing persecutors who will hold you down while she works you
over with a salad fork.
Why Ask Why?
GiveIt the Finger.You'll be tempted to point the finger back at her while
she is giving it to you. Dyke up and accept that you screwed up and your
woman has earned the right to say so. Again and again, ad nauseam. Give
it some time before you get to the fact that it was she who stopped having
sex with you and you were beginning to forget what another woman's fun
zone looked like.
The truth may set you freer than you really want to be. Consider this:
Freedom is just another word for"you screwed up so much that you've got
no one counting on you for anything:' Don't expect instant forgiveness and
a lightened load on your heart. Watching someone crumble as a result of
your bad behavior will likely hurt you as much as keeping it a secret. Let
that serve as a deterrent for you.
If you want to confess because somewhere between last call and beer
goggles, you made a horrible, Don Rickles-ugly error in judgment, you'll
need to come to terms with why you broke your vows in the first place.
That's right, you'll need to do some soul-searching.
But maybe it's not you. Maybe you need a whip, Cheez-Whiz and a
Dust Buster to get your motor running, but you haven't been able to find
the Hallmark card that expresses just this need. Whatever you lack, whatever "pushed" you in front of a naked woman, is something you need to
work through with your partner, if
you stand any chance of remaining
committed-if she takes your sorry
butt back.
But Should You?
TooMuchof a BadThing.Out of morbid curiosity, she'll want details.
She will want to know everything
that happened. No matter how she
cajoles you, how "fine" with your
transgression she seems, do not
under any circumstances give her
the gory, sexy details. Regardless of
what she thinks, she doesn't need
to know what sexual positions you
assumed, in what public places you
left your combined DNA and how
incredible she was at making you
squeal. Discretion, in this case, is the
better part of saving your relationship, not to mention your butt. Just
say you don't want to discuss it.
Jerry! Jerry! Contrary to what
we've learned from Jerry Springer,
confessing your extracurricular ac-
JustifyYourLove.Do not try to justify your mistake by saying your torrid
night or months or years of sex with this other woman meant nothing to
you. This only puts a giant spotlight on the fact that people mean nothing
to you and that this person, who has less value to you than bellybutton
lint, was worth throwing away whatever semblance of fidelity you had.
Sparringfor One.A little self-flagellation will go a long way. But trying to get
her to feel sorry for you because of your self-hatred and low self-esteem
is just another way of risking that
she'll totally agree with you and
kick your sorry self to the curb.
Take the blame, but save the theatrics and self-loathing for the Emo
boy bands.
How To Do It
The Falwell.Fashioned in the '80s,
like Jerry Falwell's super soaked
public confession, this technique
requir "S waterworks and the declaration "I have sinned:' A waterlogged apology can go a long way
toward taking the first slippery
step to restoring your relationship.
TheBestPolicy.OK, this may be new
for you, but try this thing called being honest with your honey. She deserves to know who you cheated on
her with, even if it was her mother
or her ex-girlfriend. She deserves to
know how long your sordid activity went on. She deserves to know
just how much you feel like a total
BrokenGlass continuedon page 25
December 2008
I23
Advice
Lipstick & Dipstick
Under the Mistletoe
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: Last year I went
home with my girl for the holidays. It was my
first time meeting her family. Everything was
going great until she stuck her hand down
my pants. I freaked out because her parents
were in the next room! How do we get busy
when there are others around for the holidays? - Santa's Not the Only One Coming
lipstick:Try using Christmas ribbon or some
other sort of gag to keep your moans to a minimum. Grandma's fruitcake might also work.
Dipstick:
Either get a hotel or a chastity belt. I
think for a few days you can keep your mittens
inside your own flannel pj's. Allow the sexual
tension to build and let it out with a big blast on
New Year's Eve.
Lipstick:
When did you turn prude, Dipstick?
Damning that tension will only give you
headaches and blue balls. Don't listen to her,
SNTOOC. Precarious sex at the holidays is the
Christmas spice missing in her dad's eggnog and
the one thing that will keep you sane amidst the
chaos. Choose your moments carefully, but remember to always tease her with tinsel and cop
a feel when no one's looking. Take the mistletoe
into the pantry. It's a great place, as long as Baby
Sister doesn't need a fruit rollup before dinner.
Try the shower, too, or be the first to volunteer
when Mom needs something from the market.
You can scream all you want in the backseat of
the family wagon.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm 18, I've had
six partners and I've never orgasmed. Sex is
great and I understand
that coming isn't everything, but I'm frustrated.
What can I do to have
one? - Bored Bush
Lipstick:What do you mean, coming isn't everything? And let me get this straight: You've already
had six partners and you're only 18? Wow, I
hardly feel sorry for your bush. Maybe you've
never had an orgasm because you're always
halfway out the door each time you're almost
there-on
to your next conquest. Give it some
time. I don't know about you, but orgasms come
a lot easier for me if I'm a) in love, b) shamelessly attracted to the woman I'm shagging and
c) looking hard into her eyes while she fastens
on the nipple clamps. Give it some time, Busy
Puss, and let yourself open up to these women
with whom you're trying to connect.
Dipstick:
You're such a romantic, Lip. You always
need love in the equation (and some sort of sexual accoutrement). Not me. While love is nice,
I can come if the temperature is just right and
women's basketball is on the TV.
lipstick: Dip, I know you like ESPN, but who
knew you were such a sports whore! Busy Puss,
instead of focusing on tickling your Tootsie
Roll, why not give love a shot and see what happens. Allow your relationships and your body
more time to mature. Once you're in love, if
there's still no jingle in your jangle, then head
to your gyno for some help. There may be more
going on.
E
k
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: How many times
have you heard this? I let a good friend stay
with me for two weeks and we ended up
hooking up on several occasions. The first
time we were drunk, but every other time ~
we were both sober. The thing is, this girl is _.,,
"straight," or at least she says she is. She
went home, and now she's back in town.
But, this time she didn't even tell me she
was coming back and has been avoiding
me. Then, the other night, we got into an
argument about this. She told me to stop
acting like a dude who's in love with her
and that she knows I have hopes for some-
Damning that tension will only give you headaches
and blue balls. Don't listen to Dipstick. Precarious
sex at the holidays is the Christmas spice missing in
the eggnog and the one thing that will keep you sane
amidst the chaos.
thing more, and she is just protecting me.
I haven't treated her any differently than
before we hooked up. I don't want to be
with her, and I knew from the start it was
just sex, so I'm at a loss. What is going on
in this girl's head? Please, oh wise ones,
help me out. - Miserable in Missouri
e,
0
Lipstick:
(Clank!) I just smacked my computer
screen and it was intended to be upside your
head, Miss Mo. Not only do you deserve a little
slap (you might actually like it), but Lipstick
calls your bluff. Yeah, right, it was just sex.
Being a lezzie, that's like a drug addict saying it
was just a line of coke. You set yourself up for
this, honey, I'm sorry to say (because you damn
dykes will never learn), and you likely deserve
this. You've got to quit boning the breeder. Stop
licking her and, instead, lick your wounds. After
that, ignore the bitch and act like you don't care.
Eventually-if you're lucky-you won't.
s,
e
y
tf
d
e
y
p
Dipstick:
Why on goddess' Earth do you chicks
keep cruising past the Do Not Enter signs
Lipstick and I have placed in front of the
straight chicks? Lipstick is right-sex is a drug
and your little statement "at least she says she
is" straight is telling. It means you' re hoping
she isn't. Which is just another example of the
delusional thinking of an addict. I'm not sure
what's going on in the straight girl's head, but
I know what's going on in yours. And if I were
her, I'd be avoiding you too.
Fairy Butch
Is on Vacation
Our beloved strap-on specialist is taking a break this month
but you can get your Fairy Butch
fix online at curvemag.com.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I am a 55-yearold single dyke living in NYC. I find myself
attracted to younger women, but it's hard
to find a younger femme who will date
an older butch. Mostly they either want a
femme (go figure) or a trans man. I'm finding younger women are not interested
in butches in general. It's all about looking straight, and you certainly don't look
straight with a nice handsome butch on
your arm. Dip, have you experienced this
anti-butch trend in our all-accepting queer
community? If so, what's a single butch to
do? - Studly Suitor
Dipstick:
Don't give up hope, Mature Stud. Yes,
I've noticed this trend of femme on femme. I
don't think it's anything to be afraid 0£ just a subpopulation of our community finding their day
in the sun. Shows like The L Word have given
femmes permission to explore their attraction to
other girly girls, the same way Stone Butch Blues
paved the way for the butch-femme renaissance
in the 1990s. I'm not sure where you're meeting women, but I suggest staying away from the
iiber-trendy lesbot nightclubs and circuit parties. Why not join the amazing online community butch-femme.com? There at least you'll be
fishing in the right pond for femme fry.
Lipstick:Good advice, Dip, but who knew
younger dames weren't into butches? You get
hit on all the time at book signings by baby
femmes, while they just ask me if I'm really gay.
Seriously? Anyhoo, don't lose faith, Butcharino.
Keep those boots shined and that hat cocked
just right and you'll eventually land a femmelina in no time. ■
These advice gurus are the authors
of Lipstick & Dipstick's Essential
Guide to Lesbian Relationships.
Ask them anything at lipstickdipstick.com.
Broken Glass continued from page 23
schmuck. See "What Not to Do" for information
that she does not need to know.
The Final Frontier.You may not like it, but you
need to give her some space to process your
stupidity. Don't be those girls who pretend
everything is status quo and continue to cohabitate-but move in a new roomie named "Miss
Passive Aggression:' Do you really want to be
there when she snaps at the sight of you and
burns all your clothes in that BBQ pit you love
so much? Make sure you are accessible and you
stay in touch with her. But give her some time
and space to process her sense of loss.
The HumblePie. While it's not OK to confess
your transgressions via texting or email (you big
chicken!), you should write down your feelings
for her in a card to give it to her after you've confronted this difficult issue. While she is taking
her time and space, these words could keep the
rickety bridge between you standing. Tell her
why you want to be with her. Apologize with
humility.
The Kid Gloves-Off. If you want to save your
relationship, have a plan to make your wrong as
right as you possibly can. This means you line up
a couples therapist for the following day so you
can answer her primary questions, which will be
'/\re you crazy?" and "Why?" A good therapist
can help gee to those answers and also help the
two of you create a plan of action chat will help
you get your head out of your unspeakable place
and save your relationship.
The Journey of 1,000 Steps
on Broken GI
Trust can be rebuilt by your actions and your
reassurances. You'll have co call her often to
report what you're doing and who you are doing
it with. You'll have to be open about your emails
and phone calls. You'll have to spend as much
time in her presence as possible for a long time.
And, of course, you'll have to say goodbye to
your lover, in every sense of the word. Another
small note here: you'll have to quit cheating on
her with ocher women.
All this work is the least you can do. le is a
mountain the size of Everest and you will have
to carry her up like a loving Sherpa. You'll have
to know that the load and the journey are worth
it and then convince her of the same. ■
December 2008
I25
Advice
Health
Winning the Right to Family Health Care
Makingthe switch
froma collegelife to a
9-to-5 careertooka toll
on my usualroutineof
sleepinguntil 11 a.m.
My magicbulletwasa
doseof CyenceLabs
L-Tryptophan
1,000
mgtwicea day.It's a
chemicalmostpeople When Jeanne Kornowicz applied for spousal healthcare benknowof fromtheir efits through her employer last February, she had no idea she
Thanksgiving
turkey was about to embark on a six-month battle that would eventudinnerthat makes ally draw national media attention.
yousleepy,butwas
Kornowicz, a school psychologist in the Cheektowaga
linkedto an outbreak
Central School District, near Buffalo, N.Y., and her partner,
of eosinophilia-myalgia
syndromein 1989that Joy Higgins, were married legally in Canada two years ago and
ledthe FDAto banthe started a family. Their daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 2007
supplement.
Nowunder and Kornowicz legally adopted her in January of this year.
"Joy was carrying family health insurance and I was carrystricterregulations,
this naturallyderived ing single;' said Kornowicz. 'i\.nd her family health insurance
productis back.This was way more expensive than mine. So we thought it would be
wassupposed
to even best for her to come on mine:'
out mysleeppatternsin
Kornowicz asked the Cheektowaga Central School District
a naturalway butto be to provide health coverage for her spouse in February after
honest,I didn'tnotice
learning about a New York State Civil Liberties Union victory
a hugedifferenceother
in a similar lawsuit against Monroe County involving Patricia
thanthat it balanced
out my caffeineintake. Martinez, an employee of Monroe Community College. The
Thesupplementhas appeals court unanimously decided that Martinez's marriage
alsobeenrecommended to her partner was entitled to recognition under the marriage
for smokingcessation, recognition rule.
Within three days, the school officials at Cheektowaga
depression
andtreating
PMSsymptoms. Central were more than happy to comply with Kornowicz's
($20,gnc.com) request. "I was relieved because I did not want to have to fight
- KatiePeoples my employer. I just didn't want to go through that;' she said.
Unfortunately, Blue Cross Blue Shield was not as cooperative. The company saw the issue as a domestic partner situa-
tion even though the couple had legal
documentation of their marriage.
Kornowicz and Higgins decided
to approach the situation as amicably as possible but were given the
runaround.
"We tried to contact Blue Cross
Blue Shield with letters and phone
calls to rectify the situation;' said
Kornowicz.'i\.nd they didn't respond
in any way. They did a lot of stalling
and left us with no other option but
to pursue a legal case:'
"They thought we'd go away;'
added Higgins.
But the couple didn't go away.
Instead, they contacted the NYCLU,
which immediately believed the
case was a no-brainer. In July, the
NYCLU filed a lawsuit against Blue
Cross Blue Shield on behalf of the
couple.
"We weren't suing for 'emotional
distress' or anything frivolous like
that;' said Kornowicz. "We just
wanted to be covered on our health
insurance like everybody else:'
Soon after the lawsuit was filed,
Matthew Failella, the couple's lawyer
36%
Gay women who
believeroutine
pap smearsare
necessary,but
admitto not
havingthem
becausethey
eitherdon't
have health
insuranceor
don't believe
that they are
as necessary
for lesbians.
According to a Seattle
lesbianhealth study published
by the Centersfor Disease
Control and Prevention
through the NYCLU, suggested that
they go public with the case in order to put some pressure on
Blue Cross Blue Shield after the company had ignored numerous letters, emails and phone calls. As a result, Kornowicz and
Higgins found themselves in the media spotlight and labeled
as advocates for gay rights.
"It was surreal;' said Higgins. "We decided not to make
any public statements regarding the case, but the story was
everywhere:' The media pressure worked and 19 days after
the lawsuit was filed, the Western New York insurance giant
finally agreed to provide healthcare benefits for all legally married same-sex couples.
Though the struggle to get health care benefits for their
family dragged on from February to July, both Kornowicz and
Higgins are pleased with the outcome.
"I really feel good that Joy is on the insurance now, but also
because other people like us can benefit from this situation as
well. Just as we benefited from Martinez;' said Kornowicz.
"Martinez really opened the door for us;' added Higgins.
"She was the trailblazer:' And the timing couldn't be better.
"Our family is growing;' Higgins announced happily.
"We just learned that I am pregnant again ... with twins!"
- LyndseyD:A.rcangelo
26
Icurve
Money
Advice
You Can Still Buy Solo
Deal breakers, personal ads and wish lists have traditionally been useful to
singles seeking mates, but in her new book, Own It! The Ups and Downs of
Homebuyingfor Women Who Go It Alone (sealpress.com),Jennifer Musselman
encourages women to use the same techniques for seeking homes of their
own. Stuffed full of advice from her own experience and the lessons she's
gleaned from others, Own It! includes some helpful hints. - Teresa Coates
,.. Getcleverwith fundingthe downpayment,not
forgettingthata cheaperhouseis alwaysanoption.
,.. Nontraditional
girlscangetnontraditional
loans.HUD,
theVAandowe
areall acronymsto learnanduse.
,.. Getthe411on prospective
realtors.
They'regoingto playan integralpartin
yourlife for the nextfew months.
,.. Don'tfearonlinehousehunting;
it's
oftenmoresuccessful
thanonlinemate
,.. Locationis key.Isthereroomfor a pet?Arethereshops, hunting.
hospitalsor restaurants
nearby?
,.. Bebrave,pickyourbattlescarefully
,.. Cruisethe aislesof HomeDepotandperuseissuesof
andarmyourselfwith information.
home-decor
magazines
for ideas.
,.. Don'tforgetto factorin yoursafetyas a singlewoman.
Geta dog,a peepholeor a homesecuritysystem.Heck,
get all threeif you'rethe panickytype.
,.. Makesureyourcreditscoreis accurate,thenget it (or
keepit) up.
MOVEOVER,PAYPAL
;,:w
z
0
6~
0
0
f-
Cf)
~
~
I
n.
:c
There's a reson your lesbian friends are switching
from PayPal to Revolution MoneyExchange.Unlike
PayPal,it's completely free and it's aimed less at
paying bills (or eBay) and more at finding quick
ways to send cash to your friends (to split the tab
at the pub or pull togethercash for the office party).
Revolution MoneyExchangeprovides users with a
secure, PIN-protectedaccount.Throughthe website,
you can instantly check your balanceand send moneyto a fellow user via her email address.
Shereceivesa notification,and the moneyis depositeddirectly into her account.For iPhoneand
Blackberryusers, you don't even need a computer.The only catch is that all parties involved
must haveaccountson revolutionmoneyexchange.com.
It is free to registerand free to perform
transactions-otherwise,you'reonlybilledfor standardbankaccountstuff, like overdrawingyour
account,withdrawingmoneyby checkor requestinga paperstatement.- KelseyTruman
~
fQ.
w
2
i=
Cf)
2
u)
0:
0
~
20%
17.3%
Lesbians who
own a singlefamily home.
Lesbians who
have children
younger than
18 years of age.
Lesbians who
purchased a
plasma or HD lV
in the last year.
Only 41 percent of gay
men can say the same.
This is true for only 5
percent of gay men.
59%
~
2
fi
0::LU
LU
_.J
0LU
'.2
~
'.2
<I'.
LU
a:
>w
~
w
2
i=
Cf)
2
<(
w
0:
0
~
0
>
:l
_.J
0
>
<I'.
0
2'.
I
w
••
•
••
f....,
>
••
•
••
•
••
•
•
••
Twenty percent of gay men
report having done so.
HOW'S YOUR
REPUTATION?
We've all heard the
scary stories-a
potential employer
turning down an
otherwise qualified
applicant because her Sapphic
YouTube bathtub
video turned up
online, or students
suspended from
school after authorities stumbled upon
Facebook photos of
them bongin' beers in the student
center after hours, or the chick who
called in sick, only to post pictures
of her "staycation" on her MySpace
page. In an age when anyone can
mine your darkest secrets faster
than you can say "Google me,
baby," is there no sanctuary?
Turns out, there is. The folks
behind MyReputation.com heard
the cries of the unemployed and
the expelled and want to protect
the rest of us. For $10 a month, a
team of Web experts trawls the
Internet looking for incriminating
information about you-and deletes
it. "But can't I just delete my incendiary blog post about hating Rosie
O'Donnel or my skanky Halloween
costume pies or my drunken
love ode to my best friend's
ex-girlfriend?" you may wonder.
MyReputation claims to have the
resources to go deeper into a place
they call "the invisible Web"-where
they can dig up and delete the dirtiest dirt before anyone sees it.
A MyReputation membership
gets you a personal "search agent"
who updates you on what others can see about you online and
sends a monthly report filling you
in on your online reputation. It does
seem worth it when you've lost the
login for your ninth-grade blog,
where you posted all that awful
poetry. - Kelsey Truman
(According to a survey completed by Community Marketing Inc.)
December 2008 \ 27
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
Presents of Mind
It's holiday time again, and that means one thing-dyke
drama.
I am so broke from all the wedding gifts, bridal showers and "best wom- get presents and putting up with 50 channels of stupid holiday specials
an" suits I have had to buy this year that I cannot afford to celebrate can exact a heavy toll on anyone's disposition. And no one is immune to
Christmas. I couldn't even afford Halloween this year. I resorted to giving , the feelings of despair brought on by watching other people kiss, espethe kids things out of my junk drawer. The vampire who got the flashlight
cially unattractive ones on New Year's Eve.
key chain took it well, but the sawed-off Hannah Montana who got half
To get through this time of year without resorting to therapy or lifea box of birthday candles became so petulant I had to give her an NFL
wrecking debt, you need a plan. That's right-I don't think therapy is the
fridge magnet to get rid of her. Next year, I am turning out the lights and answer to the holiday blues. Before you spend your Xmas Club money
hiding, like the rest of the old fogies on the block.
on MFCC sessions, let me give you a little rundown about what she is
As much as I wish I could get back the bucks I have spent on other
going to tell you. You will start your session with a little background inpeoples' nuptials, I do hope that by the time you read this our unions will formation about your family and how you spent your holidays as a child.
not be outlawed. Better to be squeezed by our friends than robbed by our
Everything that follows will be tied to that first session. You will learn
government. But enough of the gloom and doom. The holidays are about
that your responses are normal and that negative emotions brought on by
fun and nostalgia, giving thanks and getting presents.
the holidays are manifestations of a) unfulfilled childhood promises or b)
Now anybody can be happy during the holidays when she has the per- overly romanticized memories of holidays past. She will prescribe a new
fect little partner at home to celebrate with. You know who you are, you view of this time of year, as just another month. She will encourage you to
two lovebirds by the fire, with your tiny tree and your ceramic mugs of focus on other goals in life, such as education, charity or fitness. There, I
fair-trade organic cocoa and your cats-wearing-reindeer-antlers and your just saved you a thousand bucks by telling you what you already knew but
special-order Christmas cards. Arrgghhh.
thought might help you if you had to pay to hear it. But now you know
This here column is dedicated to the rest of the girls, who know it must
that it would not.
be the holiday season because they are alone again. And you don't have to
Want to really get away from holiday drama? Fly to an Israeli resort,
believe in Jesus to be roughed up by the holidays. I know many a Jewish
where it is never Christmas. Or how about visiting your own island in
girl who has been infected with the Christmas blues. Watching other kids Indonesia, where you can pretend it is July all month long? No kidding,
does money buy happiness? Of course it does. But if you had money to
burn, you wouldn't be looking for answers in a magazine. Sure, if you can
afford to wash away your sorrows with imported bubbly on first-class
flights with sexy, multilingual flight attendants who are willing to snuggle
with you on the way to Everywhere, then by all means get going. But if
your finances dictate that you tough it out closer to home, then read on.
Your first defensive move is to load up that portable electronic device
with horrible Christmas music. The worse, the better. Avoiding holiday
tunes is impossible, so you must be ready to drown them out with your
own carefully chosen selections. Hanson, Yanni, David Hasselhoff and
Air Supply have all done holiday collections. Did you know that there is
a Star Wars Christmas Album? It is awful, and the perfect remedy for an
overdose of nostalgia-loaded tunes. "Hung for the Holidays" sounds like
gay men's porn, but it is Christmas music sung by William Hung. If you,
like me, only know of one phrase sung by Hung, that is, "she bang," you
will no doubt be disturbed by his vocal slayings-I mean stylings. What
is your musical displeasure? Glam rock? Country? Punk? You can find it
all, and most of it is so bad that the downloads are free. Carry your horrible holiday selections everywhere with you: in the car, on the train, at
work and especially in stores, where you are most vulnerable to attacks of
holiday-induced blues.
Actually, I recommend avoiding department stores and grocery stores
altogether until mid-January. December should be all about Asian takeout
and liquor stores. If you simply must enter a store between Thanksgiving
and New Year's, I suggest you employ the old medical examiners' trick of
the trade and dab a small amount of mentholated rub under your nose.
That way you will be immune to misery-inducing scents like bayberry,
new leather, sugar cookies and pine.
Whatever you do, do not tell your friends that you are having a hard
time with the holidays. You think you got the blues now, just wait until
they get through cheering you up. Part of the do-gooder's holiday merriment comes from helping those resplendent with less holiday cheer to experience the magic of the season. So you will be forced to buy new clothes
and pretend that you are all aglow with the fellowship of the season.
Nothing makes a girl more depressed than acting happy. Best to just bow
out of one holiday event by claiming a previous commitment to another
holiday event. Your friends needn't know that your prior commitment is
to stay at home biting the heads off gingerbread men while watching a
holiday-themed slasher flick like SilentNight DeadlyNight.
The best part of the holiday season is finding other desperate and
lonely women. But beware of old girlfriends! Right around the beginning
of December, even the worst ex can seem like the one that got away. Add a
little chardonnay and you will find yourself asking her over in the middle
of the night. Few things are as regrettable as yuletide sex with a nightmare
ex-except trying to explain it to your friends.
No, to keep those seasonal blues at bay, you need an accommodating
stranger. Loneliness and bad office Christmas parties drive women who
normally are not suited to bars or casual sex into both. These Christmas
refugees are easy to spot. They tend to be just a little overdressed and
visibly self-conscious, because they are obviously out of their element.
Sit right next to her and ask her about anything but the "C" word. Now,
should she bring up the topic, you must sit there in rapt silence and wait
for the right moment to offer your comfort. You may at that point commiserate with about the evils of the season; however, do not overshadow
her gloom. You are supposed to be her port in the storm, not her iceberg.
Shopping mall food courts, bookstores and cafes are also great places
to find holiday woe-afflicted females. But beware of bummed-out straight
girls who might lead you on and let you hang out with them for a while,
but then opt out at an inopportune time (like when you are naked with
them). There ain't enough eggnog in the world to take the sting out of that
kind of holiday humiliation.
If done correctly, placing yourself on that naughty list by having a
sexual liaison with a fellow humbugger is bound to put you in better spirits. Go ahead and unwrap that new vagina. Take two-they're small. For
those of you afraid of the empty feeling that comes after a meaningless
sexual encounter, I say there is no such thing as a meaningless sexual encounter. Just because it doesn't end with "I do" doesn't mean you shouldn't
do it. Some women are for rolling around with, some are for dating and
one is for marrying. The trick is to know who is who.
But if you really want to, you can embark on an ill-advised romance
with a woman who shares nothing with you but your despair over not
finding true love during the holidays. Then you two can break up around
the middle of February. Why settle for just a stinky Christmas and a
sucky New Year's when you can have the dyke drama trifecta by ruining
Valentine's Day as well:' ■
0:
~w
a:
ti;
w
December 2008 \ 29
Politics
VictoriaA. Brownworth
A Matter of Faith
The holiday season is a much--needed yearly reminder to bridge differences with love.
This is my favorite time of year, as regular readers of this space know. I love
the holidays-the crisp, cold nights, the sparkling lights, the festive music,
the hustle and bustle. Magic is in the air. In childhood I yearned for storybook holidays like the ones I read about. As an adult, I have tried to create
that elusive magic for myself, my partner and my friends.
The holidays, however, are not just about all things festive. For me, the
holidays are about giving and about faith. I usually write about the power
and the promise of giving in this holiday column, because I think giving is
something we can all do and something everyone reaps great benefits from.
In all these years of writing about the holidays, however, I have never
written about faith. Perhaps I have simply found it easier to express the
power of my faith by discussing the act of giving, which exemplifies faith
tome.
But I also know that discussing religion and queers in the same conversation tends to lead to conflict, no matter whether the discussion is with
straights or queers or both.
Faith is the essence of the holiday season, whether one is celebrating
the birth of Jesus, the rededication of the temple and the rescue of the
Maccabees or the festival of light at the winter solstice.
When I celebrate Christmas, that celebration is thoroughly connected
to my religious faith. There is nothing secular about it. As I attend the
Christmas Eve vigil-a three-hour high Mass-I am definitely suffused
with the power of my faith.
Yet while religion and faith are discussed avidly in the culture at large,
queers are largely kept out of that discourse, except when queers are used as
an example of what God is against. Religion is the basic argument against
queer civil rights in our society: Citing Leviticus and Judges, many religious
leaders argue that God did not create lesbians and gay men, and same-sex
practices are anathema to him.
As a consequence, many religious groups have either banned queers
altogether or come up with triangulated perspectives like the one in my
30
I curve
own Catholic Church, which states that"homosexuality" is a sin, but a nonpracticing"homosexual" is not a sinner.
As a practicing "homosexual" and a practicing Catholic, it could be argued that I am clearly in violation of a tenet of my religion. But my reading
of Christ's teachings is succinct: He loved all those who followed him. He
didn't discriminate.
Religions, however, do discriminate, and that makes many lesbians and
gay men feel ostracized from a society immersed in religious celebration
during the holiday season.
The answer to feeling excluded is often to avoid religion altogether and
cease to embrace faith. I have met numerous queers in my adult life who
have told me that they don't feel welcome in their church or synagogue,
mosque or temple. But isn't the entire concept of faith in God predicated
on the idea that God is much bigger than we are and can embrace difference in ways we cannot?
I don't remember how old I was when church became my refuge during
the holiday season, but I was 9 when I joined the choir. My soprano voice
gave me the freedom to enter into parts of the church where girls were
never allowed, except to receive communion. I couldn't be an altar girl-it
was 1994 before the Catholic Church said girls could serve the priest at
Mass. But I could sing, and I loved every part of being in the choir, particularly being in the chancel of the church, the sanctuary.
What I felt in church as a child and an adolescent was sanctuary from
the suffering I experienced in all the other aspects of my life. I felt safe and
blessed while I was in church. I felt a connection I still feel when I go to
Mass-not just at the major holidays like Christmas and Easter-but on
any ordinary day.
When I enter my church today, I feel that same embrace of sanctuary
I felt as a girl. I feel safe, I feel blessed, I feel the magic that is faith wash
over me.
This is the season of religion in America, when our Judeo-Christian
Just Between Girlz·
tradition shifts into high gear. Holiday music
and decorations are ubiquitous. But there's little
discussion of what drives that Judeo-Christian
tradition, what's behind the sparkling lights and
the candles.
When it's not the holiday season, there's a lot
of public discourse about religion, particularly
in relation to politics, but there's not much discussion of spirituality. Yet spirituality is the true
foundation of faith and the holiday season-so
why can't we talk about it:' Why can't we talk
about the feelings of spirituality we all experience, regardless of our religious belief or our lack
of religious belief:' Why do we only talk about
religion in the context of how our faith is right
and all the other faiths are wrong:' Why is the
emphasis on exclusion, instead of the inclusiveness of God's love:'
Most people feel drawn to the magic of faith
the way I feel drawn to the magic of the holidays.
We want to believe in something larger than
ourselves-something
or someone who can do
what we cannot: be pure of spirit, be generous of
heart and mete out fairness and justice in an intolerably unfair and unjust world. What confuses
many people is that religion-not spiritualityis often the source of the mean-spiritedness, in-
justice and outright violence in the world.
For women and queers, religion is often dangerous territory in which our spiritual inclinations are ignored because our sexual identity is
predominant and at the same time excoriated as
evil. We have often been left at the door of the
church, synagogue, mosque or temple.
Yet if God-your
God or mine-is indeed
divine and not just some petty human being,
then aren't we all welcome in all of God's houses
all the time:'
Perhaps this holiday season the gift we
should give ourselves, whether we follow a specific religious belief system or not, is the gift of
faith-faith in ourselves and in one another. We
must remember-and
remind others-that
the
basis of all religious faith, the essence of all spirituality, is love.
Deus caritas est-God is love-and
those
who abide in love abide in God. Whether we
believe in a specific religion or not, we all can
believe in the divinity of loving and caring for
one another, regardless of our differences in race,
gender or sexual orientation.
That is what this season-and
every other
season-is and should be about. This is a faith
we can all strive to believe in. ■
lavenaer lineN
18+
TRY FOR FREE!
1.800.688.6880
and use code 6224
new members 50% off
lavenderline.net
Kq Wut~ Distinctive Ruort for Ki,men
IN THE NEWS
exemptfromcertainstatelaws,
andthereforehastherightto
authorize
the bondsbetween
same-sex
couples.
zz
g_
~
(.)
~
Cl)
Oregon's
Coquille
IndianTribe
;;:: Approves
Lesbian
Marriage
IJ.J
..J
0
JeniBrantingandKitzenDoyle
lL
z
IJ.J
havebeensweethearts
since
>
IJ.J
ftheirteensandengagedsince
Cl)
(if
2001. Theirdreamto marrycame
..J
a.
truewhenthe CoquilleIndian
:J
0
~
tribedecidedto recognize
samez
<t:
sexmarriages.
Theyplanto wed
z
0
nextspring.Doyleis a Coquille
0
IJ.J
cc
Indian,andoncethetwo are
0
IJ.J
legallybound,JeniBrantingwill
I
becomea member
~IJ.J automaticaUy
fof thetribe.Thiswill giveherthe
I
0
IJ.J
benefitsthat Doylehas,including
CD
0
healthcare.
TheCoquilleIndian
:J
0
0
tribeis a sovereign
nation,
SpermDonors
Liable
forChildSupport
A Pennsylvania
SuperiorCourt
hasruledthat spermdonorscan
be heldliablefor
childsupport.The
rulingcameafter
onespermdonor,
whosedonation
helpeda lesbian
couplehavetwo
children,wentonto
becomeinvolved
with
thefamily,which
includedgivingthem
money.Thoughthe
mandiedwhilethe casewas
still pending,expertssaythat
this rulingsetsa precedentin
determining
whocanlegallybe
responsible
for a child.
GayMarriageLegalin
Connecticut
In October,
Connecticut
became
the third statein the U.S.to
legalizegaymarriage.The
Connecticut
SupremeCourt
ruledby a four-threevotethatto
denymarriagerightsto gayand
lesbiancoupleswasunconstitutional.The
rulingis the result
of a casefiled by
GLADin 2004,on
the behalfof eight
same-sexcouples
whowererefused
marriagelicenses
in the state.As
with Californiaand
Massachusetts,
the
othertwo states
that allowgaymarriage,out-ofstatesame-sexcoupleswill be
ableto marryin Connecticut.
- AnnaLdnnberg,
RachelLastra
andArisaWhite
Voted BestLesbianPropertyby
ONtTmveller
Readen
'-i>earl'shasit all."~ CurveMagazine
December 2008
I 31
Christmasin the
I
Skipthe crowdedmallsand
make New Orleansyour
holidaygiftto yourself.
By DianeAnderson-Minshall
I'm sitting in the Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Harrah's Hotel in
New Orleans, just minutes before it reopens to the public-a
first for the chain in its hometown since it moved its headquaters to Florida after Hurricane Katrina-and I'm flanked
by a beautiful blond lesbian named Loanne on one side and
a second-line jazz parade on the other. I'm drunk and happy
and horny, which is, of course, how I spend nearly every visit
to the Big Easy.
This time, I'm staying at the new Harrah's Hotel, an
outgrowth of the popular casino. Today, post-Katrina, it's a
24-hour entertainment-industrial complex with fine dining,
hotels, nightclubs, underground walkways and more. It's steps
from the French Quarter, but if I didn't love New Orleans so
much I'd be tempted to just stay here, inside, moving from Besh
Steak (run by Iron Chef contender John Besh) to Masquerade's
ice bar (cool drinks, hot girls, what's not to love?) to the Asianfusion Bambu (think Honey Wasabi Shrimp) and back to my
big window on the Mississippi River.
On my first trip to New Orleans, I was amazed at Bourbon
Street-the
unbridled wildness in the midst of Southern
gentility, the semi-dad women, men in drag, lesbian couples,
homeless musicians clanging on drums for enough cash to get
another cocktail. I knew then and there that I would return to
the city. And I did: 38 times so far. I try to go back every year
and have found that no time in New Orleans is more charming than the holidays.
"New Orleans is a beautiful city any time of the year;' says
curve's music editor Margaret Coble, who, with the exception of a few post-Katrina years as an evacuee, has lived
in New Orleans almost 20 years. 'J\nd Christmas is a great
time because the weather is so nice. The rest of the country is
getting actual winter and ours is mild in comparision:' That
means temperatures in the 60s. It's friendly, uncrowded and
the spirit in the air is one of good tidings.
You can still do all the usual New Orleans stuff-swamp
boats, voodoo and cemetary tours-but
first, embrace the
schmaltz to feel like you're in a kinky Dickens classic. The
French Quarter is awash with twinkling lights, streetcars are
decked out in garlands and Victorian characters are wandering about. Miracle on Fulton Street is a delightful (free) winter wonderland attraction attached to Harrah's in December,
with real snow, giant arches in LED lights and huge fleur de
lis ornaments. There are gospel choirs and big-name local
musicians like Marva Wright. A quick tour of Celebration in
32 Icurve
the Oaks, the Annual Holiday Lights at City Park's Botanical
Garden, will open you up to the wonder. Walk around the exhibits and attractions or just drive through the park, which is
lit up almost the entire month of December. During the day
is a great time to enjoy the Papa Noel Tea at the Ritz Carlton.
It's a classic tea with all the fixings, and while you're waiting for
Papa Noel (the local version of Santa Claus) you can dine on
Christmas classics like figgy pudding and sugar plum tarts.
And the nightlife is still thriving, even in the winter. Try
the Bourbon Pub (which hosts a dyke-filled drag king night on
Tuesdays), Oz (where you'll find both lesbians and heteros on
the dance floor), and the dyke favorite, Good Friends. I spent
my last visit surrounded by cute college girls at an uptown dive
aptly named for the holidays: Snake and Jake's Christmas Club
Lounge. It's dark and tiny inside and, according to my new
friend Jessica, you'll want to take a dental dam and sunglasses
because when you leave at closing time (7 a.m.!), you'll want
both. If you're in the city on Dec. 3, you can catch Pat O'Brien's
75th Anniversary Block Party, a huge event that includes hurricane cocktails from the piano bar that invented the party.
The best part of New Orleans at Christmas is the feux de
joie (fires of joy) that are lit along the banks of the Mississippi
from Baton Rouge to New Orleans, meant to guide Papa Noel
as he glides down the river in his paddleboat. The tradition began with Cajuns in the 1700s and today it includes the bonfires
(from wooden crates stacked 40 feet high, sometimes shaped
like objects), big boat parades, music and more. On Christmas
Eve, folks gather on well-lit paddlewheelers to party, travel up
the river and watch the bonfires.
You can also head to Oak Alley Plantation's 32nd Annual
Bonfire Party on Dec. 6. The plantation has been signaling the
holiday season with Creole Christmas finery, a Cajun buffet,
dance bands, guides in antebellum dresses and a brass quartet.
At 8:00, a parade goes up the illuminated alley to the levee
for the lighting of the bonfire and Christmas caroling on the
banks of the Mississippi River.
One last local tradition passed down from the French is
the recently revived reveillon dinner. Traditionally, folks fast
on Christmas Eve before attending Midnight Mass and then
they attend a giant reveillon dinner. In New Orleans, you can
skip the fast and the Mass and go straight to eat at worldfamous Brennan's, where they serve an 1800s-style spread with
so much food and alcohol, you won't want to move for the rest
of the day. But you will because Bourbon Street beckons. ■
and her gender performances? Was she a butch dyke, or a proto-FTM?
hanks to a tooth fragment stored in her mummified liver, not
Was there, as some scholars believe, a sexual dynamic to her public perto mention CAT scans and 3-D computer modeling, Pharaoh
sona? Or was being pharaoh and being depicted as male a dirty job, but
Hatshepsut-history's
first great drag king-has finally been
found. Before the Discovery Channel produced a documentary
somebody had to do it?
Dr. Kara Cooney, a Stanford teaching fellow who was "the story(Secrets of Egypt's Lost Queen) on this achievement, if you'd ever
teller and the teacher" for the Discovery Channel's documentary, says
heard of Hatshepsut, you were either an Egyptologist, an anHatshepsut was "probably partly forced into" becoming pharaoh. This role
cient history geek, a Civilization IV player or possibly an Afrocentrist who claimed her as a black historical figure. Me, I'm a ' was indeed sexual, because the king was part of the creation myth: Horus
on Earth, becoming Osiris after death. But representations of her afterlife,
lesbian-feminist hippie who traveled to Egypt for a total solar eclipse. But
I also went looking to see this legend's monuments for myself.
says Cooney, show that she expected to exist there as a female.
Most likely, Hatshepsut had herself crowned pharaoh because this was
My search for Hatshepsut began in San Francisco a month before my
a
key
role in Egyptian society: the pharaoh became divine at coronation,
trip to Egypt, at the de Young Museum's maiden exhibition, "Hatshepsut:
and kept the balance between the divine world and the human world. The
From Queen to Pharaoh:' Here, a long row of statues demonstrated the
evolution of Hatshepsut's iconography, from a woman in both male and
latest Hatshepsut scholarship describes her as experimenting, during her
female clothing, to a woman in male clothing, to a male figure with a womyears as regent, with ways not only to wield power, but also to present heran's head. One pink granite statue stopped me dead in my tracks. Here
self to the public as a traditional ruler. As she developed her public gender
was a young woman in both a long dress and a pharaoh's nemes headdress,
presentation over five years, Hatshepsut never hid the fact that she was a
with a peaceful, contented smile on her face-a woman who'd taken on a woman. Her inscriptions call her king but use feminine word endings.
bigjob and was enjoying the heck out of it.
The most striking feature of all of Hatshepsut's statues is her smile.
Even in her most butch, breast-free poses, she's one happy gal. At the temHatshepsut went in drag as a real king. She was an 18th-dynasty
Egyptian queen who declared herself pharaoh in the 15th century B.C.E.
ple complex of Karnak, one obelisk that Thutmose III merely had walled
and was depicted wearing a king's clothing-fake beard and all. The daughoff shows both her mix-and-match gender presentation and her joy at
ter of Thutmose I, she was married off to her half brother, Thutmose II,
being the great god Amun's earthly representative. On a block from a diswhen she was about 12, so he could be pharaoh. He died three years later,
mantled shrine at Karnak, she is shown in women's clothes, performing
leaving Hatshepsut to act as the regent for her infant nephew-stepson,
the kingly duty of offering wine to Amun, with her feet set close together
Thutmose III. Within seven years, she'd had herself crowned pharaoh.
in the feminine style, but she wears the tall atef crown that links kings
Then she ruled for another 15 years. After her death, Thutmose III had
with the sun god. The inscription calls her both King of Upper and Lower
her image and cartouche chiseled off most of her monuments, had her
Egypt and Mistress of the Two Lands. Scenes honoring Thutmose II at a
statues pulled down at her great temple over the ridge from the Valley Nubian temple then show Hatshepsut in feminine garb, including a long
of the Kings and had her written her out of the official history of the
gown, but in a masculine striding pose.
kings of Egypt. In the 1920s, an excavation sponsored by New York's
I found her pylon at Karnak, and baksheeshed my way into a roped-off
Metropolitan Museum of Art found a pit full of smashed art from her
area where reliefs depicting her in the stylized "pharaoh kicking Egypt's
temple. The ancient workers had chiseled her off the reliefs on top of the
enemies' butts" poses had the typical Hatshepsut smile. I was pleasantly
stones but hadn't bothered to turn them over to do a thorough job. And
surprised to find that a Polish archaeology team had done a good deal
so, Hatshepsut began to emerge from obscurity.
of restoration to her famous mortuary temple. The classic symmetry
Male scholars depicted her as a wicked stepmother who stole the throne
that predates the Parthenon can be appreciated again, even if the long
from Thurmose III, figuring he'd wiped out her memory in revenge. Some
rows of Hatshepsut-headed sphinxes that lined the pathway from the
called her the pawn (and lover) of her chief adviser, Senenmut. Feminists,
Nile are gone. Half a dozen of her Pharaoh-as-Osiris statues have been
rediscovering her in the 1970s, said she was written out of history simply
restored on the top landing. One head lies on the ground, about a yard
for being a powerful woman who dared to do a man's job; Judy Chicago
high and still has half its original paint. It depicts the happiest pharaoh
you've ever seen.
made her a plate for The Dinner Party.
But in the 1990s, scholars figured out that Thutmose III was merely
Upon being crowned pharaoh, Hatshepsut gave the tide that used to
trying to cover up his insufficiently royal origins for the benefit of his sucbe her favorite, God's Wife of Amun, to her daughter Neferura, and took
cessor. After all, he had left Hatshepsut's monuments alone for 20 years, on all of her father's tides except the Great Bull. She may not, then, have
and his campaign stopped short of totally destroying them. Moreover, he
been a "bull" dyke, but was so devoted to her wet nurse, Sitre, that she gave
was the head of her army, but never attempted a coup.
her a burial in the Valley of the Kings and mummification in the royal,
Hatshepsut now enjoys a reputation as one of Egypt's greatest phaarms-crossed pose-a rare honor with decidedly Sapphic overtones.
raohs. Within a century of the expulsion of the foreign Hyksos rulers
Back in the States, I read that the day I visited Hatshepsut's temple
and the reuniting of Upper and Lower Egypt into the New Kingdom,
the Egyptian antiquities official announced the finding of her mummy.
Hatshepsut restored temples and the ritual calendar; built new temples;
Three weeks later, the international edition of Newsweek published an arand re-established trade with the Horn of Africa, the Near East, and
ticle on her that compared her favorably with Elizabeth I of England and
Crete and the Aegean Islands. As a result, the arts flourished during her
Catherine the Great of Russia, and gave her credit for "an artistic renaisreign, incorporating new forms and techniques.
sance that would influence ancient Egyptian design and culture for centuNow, after 3,500 years of spin, what do we do know about Hatshepsut
ries:' By now, I was a fan and happy to see her finally getting her due. ■
34
Icurve
By Beth Elliott
KARACOONEYDIGSUP THE DIRT
An experton Hatshepsutgivesus the insidescoop. By ColleenM. Lee
was created, and all of them start with a male sexual act, the god hav,
ing sex with himself, and all creation comes from it. It's the opposite of
the way that we think of the Earth Mother. [Hatshepsut] had to become
king, so she wore a false beard, she walks around topless. You have to won,
Ancient Egyptian FuneraryArt in the RamessidePeriod, 'der if the high priests are a little bit uncomfortable or freaked out about
the team archaeology expert on Diggingfor the Truth on that, because toward the end of her life, she was a big, obese, scary,looking
the History Channel and the host of the documentary Secretsof Egypt's woman. Drag queens usually try to keep a fitter form.
Lost Queen on the Discovery Channel. The documentary searches for the Is there any evidence or history that shows Cleopatra in men's clothing?
lost tomb of Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's most powerful pharaohs. The
Cleopatra didn't go that route, and this is interesting. A woman in the
surprising element is that Hatshepsut was a woman who posed as a man
ancient world [has] two choices. She can become masculine and try to live
to rule over the beginning of Egypt's golden age-and the riches that King that fiction, or she can use her sexuality, and Cleopatra went the second
Tut would inherit.
route. So if you look at the choices that she made, Caesar comes over to
Egypt, she's like, "Oh, Caesar, great. I'm going to meet Julius Caesar;' and
Why is Hatshepsut so important?
she bears him children. So she actually has a child with him and tries to
She's important right now because it was a major discovery that identi,
solidify her power using her sexuality as a woman.
fied her mummy and her mummy had never been identified before. Her
Has there been a positive response to your work with the subject?
images had been erased. Some people had assumed that her mummy had
I've had a ton of emails from girls in school, between the ages of 6 to
been burned or destroyed. They'd tried to erase her from the very afterlife
college [age women], and it really excites people that a woman was able
existence that she may have wanted. So finding her mummy and making
to pull this off. Yeah, I get a lot of popular response over what she was
that link was a big deal for a lot of people and especially for the public. I able to do. ■
think it really fired up the public imagination in a new way. Everybody
loves Egypt. Everybody knows about King Tut and Cleopatra. To add an,
other image or face to that story, I think, just fired up the imagination even
more. Especially a female face.
e girls have always wanted a female Indiana Jones. Now
we have one in Dr. Kara Cooney-and
she's hotter
than Indy. Dr. Cooney is an Egyptologist, the author
of The Cost of Death: The Socialand Economic Value of
Is she also important because of a woman's role back in her day, and
what she accomplished in spite of that?
This is a big question, because when you think about ancient history [you
want to] look at other female rulers. There's got to be some, but there
aren't any. And then you're like, "OK, why is that:"' In an agriculturally
based society like ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia or ancient China-any
ancient civilization-you
can go anywhere in the ancient world, women
do not share power with men. You only see a woman becoming powerful
with the rise of the nation,states. In the ancient world, masculine pow,
er was everything and a woman had no place in that. Well, what about
Cleopatra? Cleopatra was the end of her line, the end of a Greek line that
was ruling in Egypt, who was taken out by the Roman Empire. So that's
not really a very good argument because the line died with her, and you
do see women taking power in the ancient world during times of civil war,
when the women have to go off and fight the battles.
Would you consider Hatshepsut a B.C.E. drag king?
Absolutely. A B.C.E. drag king-there's no other way to put it, because to
fulfill her role religiously and socially she had to become a man. At least in
the way that she represented herself and [in] very formal rituals. So that's
not to say that she walked around the palace topless all the time and tried
to pretend to be a man. It means that in her ritual activity as pharaoh, as
king, she had to become a man.
So it was a necessity rather than a preference?
There was no word for "queen" in the ancient Egyptian language, except
"the wife of the king," so there's no such thing as a female ruler, and mas,
culine power in Egypt is everything. If you want to get really nitty,gritty,
there's a number of creation mythologies that talk about how the world
36
Icurve
That accessibility-plus being in the tomb of Merneptah in the Valley
of the Kings, or in the presence of the Ramses the Great, seeing the full
display of the Tutankhamun treasures, many of which have never been
outside of Egypt, and standing among the columns at Karnak-left
me
awestruck. While I get to live in fantasy, my Egyptological friend meanwhile has had to get real and is working now with mummy DNA, both
inside and outside of Egypt. She is in the IMAX documentary Secrets of
the Pharaohs, with Zahi Hawass, head of the Egypt's Supreme Council of
Antiquities, and she was involved in the DNA studies of the mummy that
Hawass unearthed in the Cairio Museum, which is now widely assumed
to be Hatshepsut. Flashy stuff, but as a scholar and scientist, she is stuck
in laboratories, in isolation suits, poking and picking at extremely dead
people, while I can still make things up. Obviously, I am the one having
more fun.
You led a team of authors on a press tour of Belgium and Amsterdam. Can you tell me a bit about that?
LESLitSHEWROTE
An amateur Egyptologistdigs intothe past
for inspiration.
The tour began as my effort to bring lesbian writers to lesbian readers.
In any case, the tour through Amsterdam, Brussels and Antwerp was
very successful. We sold quite a lot of books, made friends and contacts,
and had a fantastic time. It helped that a group of five authors was small
enough to stay at my house, and that we all were friends. We went everywhere by train and there were moments when it felt like we were a traveling rock band-without
the drugs and groupies. We discussed doing it
again next year and adding France and Germany.
How old were you when you wrote your first novel? Did you do something before you were a writer?
ustine Saracen has just arrived from the airport on her way
back from Amsterdam and Brussels, where she did a DIY
book tour, but this mild-mannered former academicwho went from teaching German language and literature at
Stanford University to writing lesbian fiction-can always
spare a few moments to talk about her adventure series, The
Ibis Prophecy, including The 100th Generation and Vulture's
Kiss. Her third Bold Strokes novel, Sistine Heresy, comes out
in February. While primarily an adventure story, complete
with mummies, temples and camel chases, it also examines
theological issues. It just may raise the pope's ire by suggesting that there was gay inspiration for Michelangelo's Sistine
Chapel. - Diane Anderson-Minshall
Your novels combine lesbian life and Egyptology in a way
no other writer is doing right now. How did you come to this
topic?
I had the good fortune of traveling to Egypt with a real Egyptologist
who could read hieroglyphics and knew the Egyptian theology in all its
permutations. So, for me, Egypt was a revelation. Everywhere we went
in the tombs and temples, she could read the walls. And I'm telling you,
ancient Egypt was billboard city. Every surface had a message: "Praise Ra,
Horus is the Light;' "His Majesty goes forth unto the horizon;' etc. etc.
And when you can read the walls, Egyptian civilization becomes in-yourface real.
Like most published writers, and probably everyone on
the staff of this magazine, I wrote oodles. I was a literature professor and published a scholarly book and articles.
Yeah, I can hear the readers snoring already. Scholarly
critique is not something you take to read in the bathtub.
For me, however, it was a sort of boot camp for writing.
It taught me discipline, a purposeful focus on drawing
the reader down the page to a conclusion. In lesbian fiction, you're not proving a point, but you still need to keep
your reader with you, o urge them from paragraph to
paragraph, page to page, to a dramatic, emotional highpoint. In short: same technique, different climax.
What's next for you?
I've just finished Sistine Heresy, an LGBT novel about
Michelangelo and the inspirations for the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel. It portrays him as gay, unmistakably, and
the narrator is a lesbian, so there are two developing love
stories. Given the corruption of the Renaissance Church, not to mention
the Inquisition roasting people just across the Mediterranean in Spain,
the novel could not help but also be a critique of the Church. It is the most
"visual" of my novels, with Vatican splendor, banquets, frescoes, fabulous
costumes. There's also more graphic sex-of every kind. The novel gives
a wide panorama of the historical events of the time and of the new ideas
that were blowing over the continent, although I am sure some might simply call it a dirty book. ■
December 2008
I 37
heather caro1ne
I
••
Actor Heather Matara1zo often plays unloved quirky
outsiders; she now finds herse1fon the good sioe
of love. How musician and playwright Caroline
Murphy stole Heather's heart and vice versa.
By Stephanie Schroeder • Photos by Erica Beckman
Hair stylist: Topher Gross I Makeup artist: Brianne Chappell
Prop stylist: Lauren Shields I Photo assistant: Marissa Manning
December 2008
I41
Stacy Merkin is engaged ... or rather! Heather Matarazzo 261 the actor who
l
playea the wicked curve writer on The L Word in season four! has been
engaged to the musician Caroline Murphy! 281 for about a year and a half.
We talt<edt0 the couple in Manhattan this fall. They had just moved to
he Upper East Side from Midtown the day before their cover shoot and had
slept on an air
attress. Yet they arrived looking preternaturally beautiful in
boots, jeans, and scrubbed-clean skin. The sheer volume of hair between
:he two warren was awe-inspiring and when the makeup artist and hair
1
stylist went to work! we started asking questions.
Obviously very much in love and full of strongly held opin,
ions, the two finish each others' sentences or yield a point
when telling stories about their life together. In a refreshingly
unpretentious manner, the two tell how they met.
Murphy recounts their first meeting at the 2007 GO
Magazine Nightlife Awards. She was there representing the
Cattyshack (a popular lesbian bar in Park Slope, Booklyn),
where she worked, and Matarazzo had been invited as a guest.
"Heather happened to be sitting at the Cattyshack table. I
was late to the event, so by the time I arrived the entire place
was packed. There was one seat left and it happened to be the
one next to Heather:' They both grin. "I was there with an ex,
who said, 'You will not believe who you are sitting next to:
Stacy Merkin!' and I thought, That bitch, because that char,
acter was so awful. Heather didn't notice me sitting next to
her and I just thought, Fuck Stacy Merkin. I went outside to
smoke and when I came in we saw each other from across the
room. Heather said, 'I know you from somewhere: I replied,
'It's possible, but not likely: But our eye contact was such that
the world stopped and we just stared into each other's eyes. I
was totally conflicted, as if I were looking at a character from
television but also my best friend and future wife. A lot of
feelings were going on for me at that moment:'
Murphy continues, "I was walking by Heather with two
drinks in my hand and my phone was ringing and I was furn,
bling to answer ic:'
And, says Matarazzo, "It seemed the most natural thing
in the world chat I just take the drinks and hold chem so she
could answer her phone. It was an instinctive reflex and it
was like we had known each other forever:'
"Later;' says Murphy, "I overheard Heather tell a friend
she had met her soul mate and I thought, You don't know
just how right you are:' Murphy admits chat five years previ,
ous she had seen a spiritual advisor who described her future
wife: "She told me chis woman would be Italian, but not to,
tally. She would have long dark hair and be petite. And she
would be famous. So I called all my friends chat night and
told them I had met my wife!"
42
I curve
The couple now lives with a blended family of animals,
Caroline's cat, Suzy Sally Pants, and Matarazzo's two res,
cues, a cat, Fiero, and Henry Miller, a yellow Laborador, Pit
Bull mix. The two women have lived together almost since
they first met.
Matarazzo, whose credits include Hostel II, Saved!,
The Princess Diaries and her famed role in Welcome to the
Dollhouse, is Irish, but grew up as an adopted child in an
Italian Roman Catholic family on Long Island. "My mom
is an amazing cook, we are close and she is very support,
ive. She gave her time to me, so I could pursue my dreams
of performing. My mom is one of my closest friends;' says
Matarazzo definitively.
Matarazzo's birth mother died soon after the two met.
Matarazzo is very measured with her words: "It was exactly
what it was supposed to be. I met her when we were meant
to meet and it was a reflection of everything I never wanted
to be. That might sound horrible, but it made me incredibly
grateful for what I have. It was a real sense of completion,
because I went looking for answers and to feel whole ....she
gave birch to me, but Camille Matarazzo is my mother. Being
related by blood doesn't always mean very much:'
Murphy is a musical playwright from Dallas. She gradu,
ated from Hampshire College and also has an MA from
NYU's graduate playwriting program. She says her family
has always been very accepting and "supremely supportive:'
While her mom and dad are very metaphysical and business,
oriented, her younger sister Emily and her brother Scott are
both artistic as well. In fact, both siblings also live in New
York City and are in musical cheater, with Emily perform,
ing and Scott writing for the stage. Murphy is also a singer,
songwriter trying to kick,start a solo music career.
"I play guitar in that folksy lesbian tradition;' she jokes,
but she is totally serious about her music. "I ran the open mic
night at Cattyshack for years:'
"When people ask if I've been thrust into the spotlight,
I think, Yes, a bit, but not against my will;' says Murphy.
"It's been a bizarre way to come out to certain friends and
"Caroline pointed out the one gift left under the
tree. It was a small box, and written on it were
the lyrics to a song she had written right after
we met ... I read them and then Caroline got
down on one knee."
extended family, but there are worse ways to come out. In
this case, people are more surprised that I'm in a magazine
wearing makeup than that I'm gay:' On why they publicly
announced their engagement, says Matarazzo, "There were
a couple of rumors that persisted about my relationship and
reporters kept calling my mom, so my publicist decided to
publicly acknowledge our engagement:'
"I proposed to you on Christmas. Tell them;' Murphy
nudges.
"It was pretty romantic;' Matarazzo confirms. "We were at
Caroline's family's place in Dallas and her family was hiding in
the next room. Caroline pointed out the one giftleft under the
tree. It was a small box, and written on it were the lyrics to a song
she had written right after we met: 'Heather-is it the shade of
color, or a kind of tree, or just the name of the girl who's gonna
marry me?' I read them and then Caroline got down on one
knee. I opened the box and there was a ring-not a traditional
diamond but a sapphire surrounded by diamonds. And right
when I said 'Yes; Caroline's family come out from hiding, sing,
ing, 'Here comes the bride: Caroline also made it dear that we
wouldn't be officially engaged until I also proposed to her:' Of
course, Matarazzo did, sometime later, and gave Murphy a ruby
with a Celtic cross on the band, which she'd designed.
The two women are planning a 2009 wedding with the
backing of GBK Productions and Gavin Keilly, who produc,
es the Same Sex in the City LGBT wedding expos. "We are
waiting to see if Prop 8 (California's general election measure
to eliminate same,sex marriage] passes;' Matarazzo says,
clearly infuriated. Both are passionate about lesbian rights.
"It's what keeps us up at night:'
The two say they are constantly on the go and don't have
much time to and for themselves. "We would just cuddle in
our bed under the covers with all our animals and watch Cold
Case, if we ever had any downtime:' They both chortle, the
youthful laugh of two women with boundless energy.
What is on the horizon for Heather Matarazzo and Caroline
Murphy? Murphy's musical, Beneath the Surface, is being work,
shopped and they have plans for Matarazzo to star in the stage
version. Matarazzo has a few things in the works. A movie, New
York, I Love You, was just released and she did a guest role on
Life on Mars. "I am also working with Fat Girls director Ash
Christian on a film we are going to do in Louisiana:' And she
is, of course, working with Murphy on her musical. "I love the
stage;' says Matarazzo. "It's a passion for many actors. These
days, the lines are so blurred between real actors and celebri,
ties who happen to make movies:'
The photographer calls the two women to the set and
starts snapping pictures. They look deeply into each other's
eyes, hold each other tight, dance together. You can see they
are just real people, two girls passionately in love, enjoying
each other's company and taking their commitment to each
other-and their careers-very seriously. ■
Her comics are a candid take on adolescence. Now, this
film and children's books. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
Ariel Schrag turned high school's horrors on their heads by chronicling
each year at Berkeley High School in a self-published comic zine. Each
book-Awkward,
Definitioin, Potential and Likewise-documented
her
crushes and friendships, her coming out, falling in love, losing her virginity and so much more. They made her an underground dyke icon for
millions of baby dykes. Now, re-released as a series by Simon & Schuster,
the books are being heralded by a new generation. Though 29-year-old
Schrag is miles away from the high schooler she once was (she was, in fact
a writer on The L Word's seasons three and four), she's still got pen and
paper in hand at all times.
When I was doing the high school comics, it wasn't so much that I neeclea.
to hold onto the past, [but) that I wanted to do something with it. I want,ed to take in all these feelings and turn them into something. So I feel the
same way now, whether it's an autobiographical thing or a fictional thing.
It's still the same feeling of using your life to create omething.
How about something like Sinful Cynthia. Ar
ts of an
autobiography in that?
No, not at all. Except that the main character looks like the girlfriend that
I had at the time. [Laughs]
It seems like with the re-release of the books, you're going to continue
to enrapture new audiences, and presumably young r audiences.
Each summer, you used to write a comic summarizing the last year's
events. Do you get to do anything like that now that you're almost 30?
I do still have the same compulsion to document or to hold onto the past.
And so, you know, I take photos and write in my journal. But that's very
different from sort of creating an alternate universe, which is that thing.
The people that they did reach, you know, really responded, but, you know,
I always felt like they never got to reach as many people as they could. o
maybe that might happen this time around. You know, I still get emails
and MySpace messages and everything from teenagers. [The characters]
might not be IMing or texring but [the books have) no writing, and it's
really not all that different.
Right, there's this certain universality to it.
Yeah, and the other thing about the book is that in a weird way, because
I grew up in Berkeley and it's so liberal, everything was so ahead of time.
So, in a way, it was sort of the attitude that my school had toward queers,
or just weirdness in general, is now just starting to be more accepted.
Actually, I've gotten some comments and people will be like, "I don't like
this book because this isn't what it's like for gay kids. Gay kids have it horrible!" So, yeah, I've gotten that reaction and I think it's just kind of sad.
But I think now, you know, it's still horrible for so many gay kids, but [the
experiences are] becoming more acceptable, at least in more places.
Originally, you were self-publishing, then you were with Slave Labor
Graphics, and now you're with Touchstone. Why the moves?
I was really trying to think of a way for the book to reach more people,
because it wasn't really getting out into that many stores through Slave
Labor. I would always get these messages like, "I can't find your book anywhere;' so I was getting really frustrated. So that's when I sent out a proposal for Likewise to find a publisher. And Touchstone was interested in
redoing the whole series.
Now that you're speaking with audiences, are they filled with teenagers, or are they mostly middle-aged lesbians?
It really depends on the event. In the beginning, the majority of the people
chat were reading my books were these sort of middle-aged men, because
those were just the people char read comics. And nobody else really read
them at the time. So I was trying really hard to get teenage girls to read
them, but they would just never go into a comic shop unless they were
sold, so it was really hard in the beginning. But now comics are definitely
getting more popular and it's really helping.
In your books, you give an authentic view of high school: your first
real love, trying to lose your virginity, drinking and smoking pot. Were
your parents reading your work?
Yeah, they would read it when it came out.
Is that a Berkeley thing, or are your parents just cool and liberal?
Mtt.(
o,11nef we -;tarted W<1ll::1n9
to
V"\eet t'fieothe0 Glod ended vp w,th
ovrot'\"115cxrolJl"ldov<snovlders
It
<,ee'l'lt'd to me l,Ke she had ,11,tiatec:I
S•~~ t\,,~jS
,t O.l\d I ½oped ti,, s was the
wovlc\ tvn, vp
You know, I think it's both. When they would actually sit down and read
it, I would suddenly have a moment of, "Wait, this is a little bit awkward:'
I would say, like, "You can't comment on any of the sex stuff:' And they
would be like,"Oh, OK:' I always felt like because everything seemed OK
with my parents, it was in a way up to me to watch out for myself, so I
was always too scared to try really hard drugs because I felt like, you know
what, I could do this, but do I really want tor
Potential is going to be made into a film directed by Rose Troche.
How did Killer Films discover you? I mean, was Christine Vachon
trolling in the comic aisles?
It was actually Jocelyn Hayes, one of the producers there, and yeah, she
was just trolling the comic aisles. I think she was in Forbidden Planet in
New York City, and I really think she just saw the color and liked it.
So you actually adapted Potential, the screenplay, yourself, right?
Well, what was really cool about when I first met with them, actually, was
that Jocelyn found the book ....They were basically like, "We read these
books, we really liked them. What are you interested in doing?" It wasn't
like, "We want this book, were going to option it and do whatever we want
with it:' It was just like,"We want to work with you:' And I felt that Potential
could be a really good movie, so I told them that's what I wanted to do and
they said, "Great, wed like you to adapt it:' It was just awesome.
Was adapting it as hard a process as it seems like it would be?
I think adapting a novel would be much more work. Because a novel is all
about setting a mood with words, and they're so dense. A comic is much
more like a movie, the pacing is much more cinematic, the majority of it
is made up of dialogue so it felt to me like a pretty easy transition. When
I did my first draft though, it was basically like a script of the comic. It did
not make a good movie. [Laughs]
How about your more recent work?
I do definitely want to have a cameo. I don't know what it's going to be
yet, though.
Basically, I'm just working on finishing Likewise. It's been the main project
because it's so long. But I'm going to start working on a children's book with
my friend Toby, the guy that I wrote Sinful Cynthia with. I might use different names or something. I don't want them to be tied to each other. But
he's, like, a fabulous musician, so we have an idea were going to work on this
children's book together, we're going to come up with a story together. He's
going to write the rhymes and I'm going to do the drawings and he's going
to make a CD [of] songs to insert in i '-'o that'll be cool. And I have some
other television ideas that I'm going to start working on.
So did you work with Rose when you were a staff writer or story edi-
Yeah, that's how we met. Actually we shared the same entertainment lawyer, Jodi Peikoff. I told Jody that I wanted to write for The L Word, and
she brought my book and screenplays to Rose. So that's how I ended up
working on the show, and then got to know Rose on the show, and we just
got along really well and she decided she really wanted to do the movie.
How did your style or writing translate to writing for television?
So you're working with different forms of media?
I think, again, that the comic format is very similar to television ....in a
way, it was kind of like they were friends and I was writing their stories,
which is kind of cool. I knew all their habits and their back stories and
everything, and got to work from there.
There's so much that I love about each medium and I also want to start
writing prose, like a book. I think that ultimately, comics are-I just relate to them the most, so it comes the most naturally for me. But I love
television because it's so great. I remember the first time I saw something
I wrote on The L Word be aired, and it was a seriously amazing, like, godlike feeling, just to have created [it]. And it's great to be able to work with
actors. You know the limitation of comics and books is mainly the sound.
You can't really add in a tone of voice with the same subtlety as an actor
can. You can't have music or sound effects in the same way. And in books,
there's just so much more room for density and detail.
The fourth season was one of the most hotly debated-around
Max's
character, for example. Were you involved with that?
~
I
0
(/)
.J
UJ
Oh, that was fabulous. I had a wonderful time playing Mabel the
Hunchback. I would love to continue acting.
Will you have a little cameo in the film?
tor on The L Word?
0
tell me about that?
I was a big part of that. I think that was a big part of why Ilene [Chaiken]
wanted me to work on the show-because they were interested in exploring
a trans character, and because it was sort of an age thing, you know. I was
younger than a lot of the other writers and I was at that age where, like, suddenly everyone I knew is transitioning. It was perfect. And I had also dated a
trans woman for a long time. And some of my close male friends were trans,
so I just happened to be very involved. So I had a lot to bring .
a:
<(
You made your own film debut in a short film called Fighter. Can you
You once fainted onstage at a Gwen Stefani concert. Who do you
adore now so much that you'd faint on their stage.
I've always had a big crush on A.M. Homes. We worked together on The
L Word. I sat on her lap. [Laughs] ■
December 2008
I 47
Best-selling author Jennifer McMahon discusses finally making it and the worst-case scenarios
that got her there. By Diane Anderson-Minshall
The media loves Jennifer McMahon. Peoplecalled her "whip smart;' and
everyone from Entertainment Weekly to The Today Show to Amazon
lauded her debut psychological thriller, PromiseNot to Tell. Her second
novel, Island of Lost Girls-the chilling story of a woman who witnesses
a kidnapping and must revisit a past crime to understand it all-hit No.
17 on the New York Times Best Seller list and a third, Tiki Girl is already
tops with fans. Surprisingly, McMahon, who lives in Barre, Vermont with
her partner Drea and their daughter Zella, is refreshingly nonplussed by
all the attention.
Island of Lost Girls was number 17 on the New York Times Best
Seller list. How does that feel?
It's amazing. I'm still completely stunned. I still don't believe it.
In Island, Rhonda is so completely caught off guard that she is unable to act when she sees what's happening. Have you ever been
that surprised by something?
I don't think so, no. But I've obviously wondered what would happen if I
were. The inspiration for Island of Lost Girlscame when I had stopped for
gas at a little town outside a state park in Vermont. I was standing there
pumping my gas and I saw a woman pull in and leave her little girl in the
backseat while she ran into the store. The car was running and of course
my imagination was going-because I'm a worst-case scenario kind of
person. [Laughs]I was absolutely convinced that someone was going to
pull up and take this little girl. And I'm thinking, What am I going to do:'
What am I going to do:' What if it's a guy:' What if it's a big guy:' What
if there are several big guys:' Will I still stand up and try to help the little
girl:' Then I thought, And what if it's something really weird:' Like, what
if it's Santa Claus:' Or what if it's the Easter Bunny:' I would probably just
be too freaked out and I would be paralyzed. [Laughs]I don't think that's
ever actually happened in real life, but it's certainly possible.
1
'/
~'
I anrvwh6,/anrv,a;nd,(6't/tattd/t«te1,,
You've said that My Tiki Girl was the book you wish you had read
~aw~~~~j~1TlR/a;nd,
when you were 13. Did you set out to write a book for teenagers?
ruwwMW*
&wir Utt-&~, tlr.vrv~ Utt-
I did not, no. Tiki Girl was written for an adult audience, and the first
draft of it was much darker. One of the characters ended up dead, one was
brain damaged, there was a rape and a teen pregnancy and it was really
sort of dark. Gruesome, almost. I showed it to my agent and he said, "You
know, I think that this could really work as a young adult book:' And I
said, "Young adult book:' I don't even know what that means:' So I started
reading some young adult fiction, thought about it and revised it specifically for that market, and I'm excited.
You spent some time living in a cabin with no electricity or running
What about when you were 13? What books were you reading then?
water. Was that a stressful experience or a nice retreat?
I don't know if it was when I was 13, probably around that time, I was
really into S.E. Hinton. The Outsidersand all those books, I really loved
those. I thought those were great. I was probably around 13, maybe a
little younger, when I read To Kill a Mockingbird,and it just completely
blew my mind. That was the book that made me realize I really wanted
to be a writer. I reread it about every year or so, and I always take away
something new from it ... And then, I think I was a freshman in college
when I read RubyfruitJungle,and that was the first gay or lesbian book
that had a character like that. And I was blown away.
A little of both. While we were doing that, we were trying to build our
own house, which was the really stressful part. My partner and I almost
never fight and we fought so much-it was a huge strain on our relationship. I think it was the combination of building the house and living like
that, living with no electricity, water or bathroom, and having to hike into
town.
48 I curve
~ wh6,~ ~ ~-''
It's amazing how the market has grown.
Yeah, it sure is. And now Rita Mae Brown is writing mysteries with her
kitty cat.
Before you worked full-time as a writer, did you have an assortment
of jobs?
I did. I studied poetry in school, so I figured that I'd spend the rest of
~
I
I-
~
a:
0
my life being this poor struggling poet, and I was going to be delivering
pizzas and doing whatever while I wrote poems and tried to have them
published. And then-I was in graduate school when I wrote a poem that
turned into, like, a long prose poem, and it turned into a short story, and it
kept going. I was like, "Oh my God, I've got 100 pages. What am I doing?
Is this a novel? What do I know?"
Did that novel turn into one of the ones that you've published?
It did not. That is the one novel that has not gone anywhere. It is sitting in the drawer and maybe it will one
day, but that novel actually landed me my first agent. I
was so excited. And that's what inspired me to quit my
job.
Are you one of those writers who maps out a chapter plan or an outline before you create? Or are you creating completely organically,
from A to Z.
With PromiseNot to Tell and Island of Lost Girls-and Tiki, too-I did
all three without an outline or any kind of road map ...l just had the vaguest of ideas. Like, with Island of Lost Girls,I thought of the little girl and
her mom pulling into the parking lot and I went home and that was what
started the whole book. I had no idea where it was going
to go. I think that's part of the fun of writing for mehaving no idea what characters are going to show up and
where the story's going to go.
You're not just a writer-you're
also a work-at-home
How long was it between quitting your job and the
mom, too. How does that affect your work?
offers rolling in?
It affected my work a great deal. When I was pregnant,
I had this idea that I was going to have this baby and
I would be able to stay home and write and she would
just play happily by my feet. And it never worked out. I
learned to write in, like, 15-minute increments here and
there. And we were going to be one of those families who
never let our child watch any sort of television, and now
it's like,"Please, go watch a little public television!
Go watch Reading Rainbow for a few minutes. I
want to finish up this paragraph:' But I always
carry a notebook or index cards or something
with me wherever I go. Whether I'm taking her
to play dates or whatever, I'm scribbling away as
I'm pushing her on the swings.
Oh, gosh. Years. [Laughs] And my agent actually
dumped me eventually. She sent me a letter saying that
it's time that we part company, and that she didn't really
do ghost stories, and the book just didn't really work for
her and she hadn't had any luck selling my earlier two
books. I was so absolutely devastated. I came really close
to quitting. I thought, This is it. I put everything I had
into this book, and here was this woman who was my
lifeline to the publishing world-she was going to make
all my dreams come true-and she dumped me. I felt very sorry
for myself, and I drank too much tequila. [Laughs]
Who do you think your audience is?
I know a lot of writers sit down and write a book thinking about
who their audience is, and maybe I should be doing that, but I
don't. My audience is all over the place. I hear from high school
students who are picking up PromiseNot to Telland Island of Lost
Girls and absolutely loving it. I'm hearing from a lot of people
who call themselves "nonreaders;' or people who never finish
books, who are just completely engrossed, who actually
take the time out of their day to write me and say,"Your
book is the first book I've finished in 10 years!" I think
that's wonderful. And then I'm hearing from mysterylovers, I'm hearing from people who enjoy a good comingof age [story] and stories with kids in them. So it seems to
be all over the place. I think that when I sit down to write,
I just write what I feel like, what compels me-what I feel
like I would want to pick up and read. PromiseNot to Tell
became a mystery completely by accident. I didn't intend
to write a mystery, and a lot of people are calling me a
mystery writer. I do write books that have mysteries in
them, but I don't really know a lot about writing mysteries. [Laughs]
Does it feel sort of marginalizing to be in that niche
genre?
I'm just writing the books I want to write, and it just so happens that I
discovered that I really like making terrible things happen to people on
paper, and I really like putting the mystery stuff in there. I really like doing
all the twists and turns and surprises. As I'm writing, I'm going along and
I'm surprising myself, and I think that's what I get a kick out of, and hopefully that's what my readers will enjoy, too.
There aren't very many writers on the New
York Times Best Seller list who are openly
gay, or as matter-of-factly gay as you are. Did
you ever have any concerns about being so
open on your bio?
No, I didn't. I figure, I am who I am, and if that
drives people away or makes people judge me
and not want to buy the book, then they're the
ones who are missing out.
It's nice to see that it's not having an effect on your
bottom line.
Yeah, I think a lot of that has to do with living in
Vermont. It doesn't feel like a big deal to me. Orea and
I are treated as a couple wherever we go. We feel pretty
accepted here, and I think that has sort of flowed over
into all aspects of my life.
What's next for you?
I'm hard at work finishing up edits for the book that will
come out in 2009, and it is tentatively titled Dismantled.
The story is also set in Vermont. It's about a group of
four college friends who form a sort of band of outlaw
artists called the Compassionate Dismantlers, who believe that true art is
about taking things apart. They spend the summer after college together,
and at the end of the summer one of them ends up dead. The book takes
place nine years later, the rest of them sort of coming to terms with that.
And there is a lesbian character-actually,
there are a couple of lesbian
characters in it. ■
December 2008
I49
Rock the Yote
W
E ALL rooted for Laurie Metcalf to come out as a lesbian
when she played Roseanne Conner's rather butchy factory
worker,turned,police officer sister,Jackie, on the hit television
comedy Roseanne. While there were many queer characters on that show,
Jackie was not among them. She may have ended up with a guy onscreen
and off-Metcalf married the actor who played her abusive boyfriend, Matt
Roth-but she never stopped pinging our gaydar. She played a lesbian cop
in Internal Affairs-a role chat was originally written for a man-and this
year she was heralded for her role as a lesbian speechwriter opposite Nathan
Lane in David Mamet's election,year dramedy, November.
Metcalf, 52, who has three kids, including her adult daughter, Zoe Perry
(named for Metcalf's Pulitzer Prize,winning playwright aunt, Zoe Akins),
Mae (born through a surrogate) and Will, has continued to show up on
prime time, too, with stints on Desperate Housewives and The Big Bang
Theory and as a headliner on this fall's CW dramedy, Easy Money.
'Just knowing Nathan was starring and Joe [Mantella] was directing
was enough;' says Metcalf, about her interest in November. "I said, 'Sign
me up: " What Metcalf signed up for was playing straight man to Lane's
farcical president, Charles Smith. Metcalf portrays a speechwriter, Clarice
Bernstein, a lesbian who has just stepped off the plane from adopting a baby
girl in China with her partner, Daisy.
Clarice is somewhat stereotypical, sporting an amulet that she picked up
at the adoption agency (with Chinese characters meaning love and family)
and wearing sweatpants and clogs to the office. She's got wildly frizzy red
hair, funky glasses and, the prop de resistance, a cloth Whole Foods bag in
which she keeps her yellow legal pad-you see, she's old,fashioned enough
to still write in longhand (as does Mamet).
Metcalf, who was nominated for a Tony for November, is no stranger to
the stage. It was in her home state oflllinois that she met actor,comrades John
Malkovich,Joan Allen and Gary Sinise, who went on to establish Chicago's
famed SteppenwolfTheatre Company, where Metcalf began her profession,
al career. Craving New York and live theater, even while tied to Los Angeles
by her TV work, Metcalf says that with Steppenwolf in its 32nd year (and
their production of August: Osage County just down the street), her turn on
Broadway is like a geHogether with her Chicago family for eight months.
"I love New York, the pace and the pulse;' says Metcal£ "I would love to
split my time between New York and Chicago, while popping into L.A. for
some occasional work. I love Chicago, there's nothing like it:'
A true Midwesterner at heart, Metcalf thinks that while November is
somewhat of a departure for Mamet, who is better known for his gritty psy,
chological dramas. His writing and timing are so precise and his language so
rich and colorful (read: a lot of cursing) that she is not even sure the average
our,of town theater,goer gets all the references. The basic premise of the
play is that Lane is a first,term president who is such a screw,up chat he has
been abandoned, even by his own party. He is so desperate to be re,elected
that he will do anything to make it happen.
There is much cursing, deal,making and underhanded manipulation.
And, of course, hilarity ensues every minute Lane is on stage (which is the
entire play). Enter Metcalf's Clarice, just off a 16,hour plane ride, with a
horrific cold. She just wants to stay home with her new baby and her lesbian
partner. But no, Smith summons her to the Oval Office to write the speech
that will get him re,elected. Metcalf says, "It's funny because it's so over the
so Icurve
top. If anyone thought that this
is what really happens or has
happened in the Oval Office, it
wouldn't be at all funny:'
What happens over the
course of the third act is a psy,
chological and moral struggle
for both characters. As it turns
out, Clarice writes "the speech that will get Smith re,elected;' but will not give
it to him until he allows queers to marry. Smith agrees. Getting re,elected
is his primary goal, after all. Mixed messages result when Clarice enters the
Oval Office in her wedding gown (with blue sneakers) and things go ter,
ribly awry.
In the end, November is not only about the human face behind politics,
but also about individual worth, equal rights, friendship and caring. It cuts
across party lines.
Hoping to bring to life a character that is not just funny but believable,
Metcalf says she, along with the director, Joe Mantella, made all the deci,
sions about Clarice Bernstein. Metcalf chose the frizzy red wig "because I
like kooky hair:' She agrees that playing a lesbian, especially on stage, is no
longer a career,killer. But for her it all came down to playing a character who
maintains a good working relationship and a casual, respectful friendship
with her boss, even though their belief systems are different. In the end, the
Bernstein character is just as manipulative as President Smith in getting
what she wants, which is equality in marriage.
"I was concerned with making her human, first and foremost. That was
my goal:' [STEPHANIE
SCHROEDER]
■
Laurie Metcalf brings
a lesbian presence to
Broadway's electionyear dramedy,
November.
L
<
I
f2
ll.
I
~
Dance Doctor
A
NNE Bluethenthal began her career as a choreographer in
an unlikely place-a science lab at Oberlin College in Ohio.
Studying psychobiology, a major intended mainly for pre-med
students, Bluethenthal hoped to explore the connection between mind
and body. But experimenting on lab rats offered her little insight into the
human condition. In her sophomore year, she began supplementing her
education with dance classes. Thirty years later, Bluethenthal continues to
use the dance studio to understand the world, and that means diving into
the complex issues of politics, sexuality and spirituality.
Bluethenthal says she was" weaned on politics:' With her mother on the
local board of education during school desegregation, she was exposed co
political action at a young age. But from her vantage point, grassroots politics, for all its power, was often heartbreaking. "I was motivated to create
something on stage that I couldn't create in the world;' says Bluechenthal.
"The political world was so fraught with compromise, but there was some
way chat I could be really uncompromising as an arcisc:'
Part of being uncompromising as an artist was being honest with
herself. Today, Bluechenchal is a respected lesbian choreographer in San
Francisco, but when she began, she considered herself straighc."Whac was
interesting, looking back, is chat I was making what I considered to be
very lesbian work. Thar's the neat thing about being an artist-your work
is way ahead of you;' says Bluethenthal.
Ir's easy co see why her work is considered lesbian-Bluechenchal's
productions are woman-centered, and often the cast consists entirely of
women. Her most recent production, Carino: Economy of the Heart, features an all-woman dance troupe and incorporates the work of the lesbian
poet Judy Grahn, as well as women singers and visual artiscs."Women need
co have images of themselves char are life-affirming;' says Bluechenthal.
In addition co focusing on women, Bluechenthal's work often incorporates elements of spirituality-she has a master's degree in women's spirituality. Bluethenchal consciously began her spiritual path when her best
friend was diagnosed with breast cancer in the early '90s. "When you first
bump up against mortality as an adult, it catapults you into the spiritual;'
she says. "Ir just breaks your heart open:'
Anne Bluethenthal
connects the mind
and body-through
dance.
Buejust as she created her early
lesbian work before she came out,
Bluechenchal had a spiritual practice long before she pursued spirituality. "As I began co look into the
mysteries, I realized I had already
been involved in a spiritual practice.
I just hadn't seen it as such:' That practice was the Alexander Technique.
The Alexander Technique is designed to help people remove tension
from the body in order to focus on what Bluechenthal describes as "more
wakeful doing:' The technique also helps people find a conscious way to
have more energy.
Bluethenthal says the technique is hard to describe in words, but "the
one-sentence answer is, it's training in wakeful doing. The two-sentence
answer is, it teaches people to acquire more conscious control over how
they use themselves. And the three-sentence answer is chat we are all
shaped by our unconscious patterns of moving:'
Bluethenthal uses chis belief to help train her dancers to be more
harmonious in their expression. "Ir's real commitment to movement
chat is humane, and an aesthetic chat allows for more freedom of movement:' Bluechenchal says the goal is co have this harmony flow from the
dancers and into the audience. "If I can embody this sort of interconnectedness of stage, in a sense, everyone in the audience absorbs the
energy and is elevated:'
Bluechenthal's belief in the Alexander Technique mixed with her
expertise in women's spirituality and a deep-rooted political focus have
led her to choreograph productions ranging from Global Heart, a look at
the universal, political heart of the world, co Unsing the Song, a full-length
production presented alongside a multimedia exhibit called "Speaking
the Unspeakable: Rwandan Women's Stories of Resistance:' Having just
finished Carino, Bluechenchal is taking some time off to focus on her next
project. While she doesn't know what it will be, she does have faith chat
"these things usually bubble up:' For now, she'll return co the studio co
continue her very personal study of psychobiology. [KRISTIN
A.SMITH]■
December 2008
I51
Jennifer Lanier captivates
with humor while exploring
the complexities of identity.
♦♦♦
W
HAT do you get when you combine sheer talent, rainbow
moccasins and a traditional family? None of the Above, a phenomenal autobiographical performance by Jennifer Lanier.
Exploring her complex racial identity, first relationships, sexual identity, the perfect lesbian wedding, and all of the nuances that come with
them, Lanier mesmerizes her audience with her ability to relate to life's
many crossroads. "Black, white, gay, straight, feminine, masculine; I don't
feel that there are just two choices:' Funny, emotional, and timeless, this
piece garnered two awards from the 2006 Columbus National Gay and
Lesbian Theatre Festival: Best Socio-Political and Best of the Festival
Solo. Unfortunately,Jennifer will not be taking any honors home this year
since the festival was cancelled.
However, that hasn't slowed her down one bit. You can spot Lanier
all over the country as she performs regularly for college diversity workshops and trainings. In Portland, Ore., where she is happy to call home,
you can find her or her alter ego Bruce the Drag King, teaming up with
the Interstate Firehouse Cultural Center (ifccarts.org), guest hosting
shows at The Embers Ave, or across the bridge as a regular cast member
at The Northbank's Lipz Cabaret every second and fourth Saturday in
Vancouver, Wash.
"(Performing] is a fascinating kind of one night stand;' says Lanier
passionately. "The intensity! There's so much you want to communicate in
a short space of time, it is fun and it's always exciting:' Jennifer is also managing to showcase others' talents through her Many Horses Production
Company. A standout on the schedule is the annual benefit variety show,
Super Queer Lusty Fun Xtravaganza!
"We have a risque juggling duo that is really sensuous. It's playful, sexy,
52
Icurve
Drag King
erotica-you know nothing too heavy. We feature erotic spoken word,
burlesque dancers and drag kings:' The first run was such a hit, the show
returned to Portland at Berbati's Pan last month.
Lanier is hot, but rest assured Bruce the Drag King is not sitting idly
by letting Lanier get all of the attention. He has taken the Northwest
by storm; garnering top nods as the first drag king to be voted Mr. Gay
Pride Vancouver 2008. Unfortunately single ladies, Bruce wasn't alone
at his celebration; Ms. Gay Pride Vancouver 2008 was none other than
Lanier's partner Dustina Haas, the title traditionally held by a drag
queen. [TAMARA
N. BOYNTON]
■
Finding Love in Trailerville
Los Angeles is definitely a movie town. The evidence is
everywhere, from the craft services trucks blocking alleys
to the filming notices taped up on every other doorway from
Koreatown to Los Feliz. So it's easy to forget about the city's
fertile independent theater community, which has consistently proven to be a haven for inspiring gay-themed productions with budgets the size of a takeout order.
Hannah Logan's ode to white trash redemption, Trailerville, takes place in the early 1970s and explores the lives
of the residents of the Lakeview Mobile Home Park in the
fictional DeSales County. The bicoastal From the Ground Up
Theatre Company put on the play at the Moving Arts Theater
in lesbo-loving Silver Lake, Calif. The theater itself is tiny,
barely large enough to house the production's enormous
cast, not to mention the audience of discriminating theatre
junkies. Seating is-in a word-cozy.
The rapid-fire scene changes challenge the audience to
connect quickly with nine interwoven storylines and their
unexpected results. The main character and narrator, Holly, a
child genius played by Jennifer Cetrone, is inspired if occasionally grating. Her loud nasal drone, though at times over-
Lenelle Mo"iseis taking the queer
cultural scene by storm with her
poetry, performance art and activism.
It's Story Time
L
ENELLE MoYseruffles feathers with her politically driven poetry.
We find out how this "culturally hyphenated, pomosexual poet"
makes storytelling her life's work.
about two women who grew up in the projects and how they live out their
lives. It's about people I know. Some are self-destructive and some self-destruct because of stunted opportunities, hatred and prejudice. It's also about
finding home, which to me is not a place but a feeling, or community.
You've been called just about every adjective in the political lexicon.
How have you become a self-supporting artist at such a young age?
How do you actually identify yourself?
How do you identify in terms of your sexuality?
I was told that I could not be an artist because I am from the projects,
but I met a great drama teacher in high school and he modeled for me
what I knew I could become. I think my work appeals to a broad cross
section of many communities, so word gets out and people come to see
my performances or buy my CDs and support me. I also take on way too
much just to stay afloat. I am just now allowing myself to start teaching at
universities and other programs and workshops.
I call myself a dyke, and own that. I have never enjoyed the word "lesbian:'
I like the play on words of the Haitian derogation of lesbian-madivinez- "my divine:' I am also a feminist and the theme of me loving women
and making feminist-womanist-humanist art is (central to] what I do. I
tell universal stories through the lens of queered bodies.
James Baldwin, who said to use any form to communicate your message.
The late Cherrie Moraga was a great influence. I was very influenced by
the PomoAfroHomos. Nancy Bereano, founder of the now-defunct Firebrand
Books, is a great support. [STEPHANIE
SCHROEDER]
■
I am Haitian American, but I am also neither Haitian nor American. I consider myself a politicized poet, an activist artist. I scrutinize the intersection
of race, class, sexuality, gender and resistance in my work. The resistance
part is very important to me. And that work takes different forms: poetry,
theater, prose, film and video performance.
Who are your influences?
What about your recent theater piece, the rock musical Expatriate?
I didn't want to hammer numbers and demographics to tell the story. It's
f:IT
~
::2
(:)
z
:J
~
~
~
z
uf
'~
0
6~
(:)
a:
~
~
IB
z
~
reaching, personifies the most irritating
stages of childhood. Toting her "scab jar,"
Cetrone moves through her scenes with
wide-eyed innocence, tempered by her
circumstance as a throwaway kid whose
mother is the town tramp.
Several standout performances include
the rural lesbian character played by
Jackie Jones, who does a regular stint at
the Comedy Store and is traveling with
the troupe as they move on to the Kraine
Theatre Red Room in New York City's East
Village. Her imploring monologue is the
capstone of a subtle, slow-burning performance. As Joan, a garage mechanic,
she is goaded to a simmering boil by the
saccharine-sweet, Bible-quoting Betty Sue
Lincoln (Lauren Benge), who teases out
information about Joan's sexuality with
biting, homophobic digs. The audience
sympathizes as Joan is needled into an
emotional confession that ultimately sets
her free. Jones plays the androgynous role
with a sweet, hat-in-hand awkwardness
reminiscent of Laurel Holloman's Randy
Dean in the seminal dyke drama The
Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in
Love.
With actors from CSI, Party of Five and
a smattering of feature films, Trailerville
evolves through themes of misfortune to
ultimate redemption as each character
reaches his or her own epiphany with the
help of the town's motley residents. They
include a cross-carrying bum (Glen Anthony Vaughan), an overweight shut-in (Cheri
Johnson), the town hunk (Lester Keefe), a
hippie earth mother (Monica Martin) and
a fading starlet tarted up like Tammy Faye
Bakker at a tent revival (Lonna Montrose).
The characters just barely avoid becoming
caricatures, thanks to the able talents of
first-time director Eileen Galindo.
At its essence, "Trai/erville shows how
every human travels a spiritual road in life,
aware of it or not-sometimes by choice,
sometimes kicking and screaming." And
as a waitress named Higher Power (Kath-
leen Ingle) belts out her gospel-tinged
numbers a la a Greek chorus to each of
the characters at their moment of need,
the audience is alerted to the climax of
each story line.
At over two and a half hours long,
Trailerville contains some less than stellar
sequences, but the diverse collection of
characters means there's bound to be one
that each audience member can relate to
and perhaps even take some nugget of
wisdom from. Trailerville is a funny and
often poignant exploration of love, acceptance and triumph that asks the question,
Does where we come from make us who
we are? [MELANY
WALTERS-BECK]
■
December 2008
I53
LAYWRIGHT
Dee Jae Cox, author of The Rape of Djuna
Barnes and Letters Home, had two hits this year: the opening of
her wildly popular Prove It On Me and the launch of the Los
Angeles Women's Theatre Project, a nonprofit organization that aims to
create opportunity for women in the performing arts.
Prove It On Me was released at the beginning of 2008 to outstanding reviews. The play tells the story of Georgia, an African American
female blues singer living in Harlem in the 1920s. Georgia is in love with
a white female socialite and the play deals with the misery of their secret
relationship, while also tapping into the larger social issues of the era.
Although the play isn't a musical, it is enriched by the original blues score
that accompanies it.
Prove It On Me was the launching pad for Cox's second big endeavorthe LA Women's Theatre Project. "We needed something to help establish us, and I had this play I wanted to produce. It was a very good
takeoff point for us, it helped to get our name out there;' Cox says.
P
Playwright Dee Jae
Cox took on secret
love and the LA theater
scene this year.
Cox, who began writting plays a decade ago, said
she took a few years to finish Prove It On Me because
she intensively researched
each character. According
to Cox, Georgia turned out
to be one of the most remarkable characters she has ever created. "There
was something about her character that came to me, and wouldn't let go;'
she says.
Cox says she developed Georgia's character by fleshing out each of her
movements and every aspect of her dialogue so that the character would
come alive on the stage.
By the time Prove It On Me opened,
Cox was also primed to help launch the
LA Women's Theatre Project.
The organization supports productions with mostly female casts and
crews. After the opening of Prove It
On Me, the LA Women's Theatre Project itself promoted the 20 Percent
New Works Festival, which was set up by Cox and her partner, composer
Michele Weiss, to help women writers share their work with an audience.
The 20 Percent project brought together 70 artistic women-from playwrights, directors, actors and producers to technical crew members.
According to Cox, the festival was named after a statistic released
in a 2002 study by the New York State Council on the Arts Theater
Program: Only about 20 percent of professionals working in theater are
women. Not that Cox is against working with men, just that she likes to
put her energy more toward things that are of interest to women.
The small number of women working in theater inspired Cox and
Weiss to found the LA Women's Theatre Project. "It is phenomenal;'
Cox says. "If you think that theater reflects our culture and community ...
women's voices and their perspective are not being heard:'
The LA Women's Theatre Project is currently looking for a venue in
Palm Springs, Calif., to present Prove It On Me at Dinah Shore Week next
year and is using its website, lawomenstheatreproject.com, to get the word
out and drum up support for the show. [FERNANDA
SILVA]■
~
z
1-
(J',
'.2
u:
I
u:
<(
I
C
(u
~
IJ.J
a
LL
z
0
(/)
u_j
0
~
(/)
~
0
<{
~
C
e
~
C
aLL
~
C
LL
<{
LL
a:
a:
'.2
<:
~
<:
:'5
aJ
f3
z
zIJ.J
a.
Q,
X
0
0
>a:
<{
'.2
a:
0
LL
a:
u2
a:
LL
ff
<:
2
z
s
C
C
C
a:
<(
I
C
a
Let's Get Physical
EmbodiedPolitic
You might not believe that somebody who has
given herself the F-word as a middle name
would be as much fun as Julie Fucking Potter.
But it's true. This rapper-comic-performer
who hails from Bakersfield, Calif., and currently resides in West Hollywood, has got the
good life figured out. With her album, Exodus,
which came out last year, her recent participation in the Homorevolution Tour and her gig
at a three-month inspirational writing retreat
in Amsterdam, well, things seem to be coming
together for this feisty lady. She's even an
underground hit on CDbaby.com.
If you've never listened to Potter's music
or seen her with her improv group, Crisis
Hopkins, it's important to note that this
woman has a serious message, but also has
a sense of humor about herself. Her album
tackles a range of issues, and you'll find her
feeling downright spiteful about everything
from straight women who tease, to anyone who doesn't appreciate Nancy
Pelosi's position as Speaker of the House. But the real treat in Potter's
music is that it's grounded in the specificity of an unglamorous world.
"It's a crazy thing to work as a server," she says in "Server Homies,"
her homage to those in food service. "You run around like a mad person,
but you have to give good service at the table. I think you learn so much
about someone when you go out to eat with them and you see how they
treat their server."
Potter's "Run. Bust. Blow." outlines three attainable steps to happiness: running (at least 20 minutes, three times a week), masturbating
(it relieves stress) and smoking pot (to slow down and enjoy yourself).
Surprised to find a rapper who promotes exercise? Well, Potter isn't
your average rapper. In addition to playing softball and football, she runs
marathons and has a college degree in kinesiology.
So how did this girl-jock get into rapping? "I've always wanted to be
on stage ... ! grew up in the golden age of West Coast gangster rap ... the
raw expressiveness and emotion connected to rap is what I fell in love
with." But it wasn't until 2004, during her time abroad in Amsterdam, that
Potter took some acting classes and actually started appearing on stage.
"lmprov really gives you that no-fear quality ... You realize that you're
never going to fail as long as you're doing it, which is the whole entire
point of improv: Just do it and you are successful."
Four years later, here she is in your face. Something has to be said for
having the kind of drive that's created her success, but Potter is nonchalant about it: "Just believe in yourself. If you don't believe in you, how
can anybody else?"
So Potter has returned to Amsterdam, the place where it all began,
and is currently working on new material for another album. She plans to
produce the beats for this album with her wife, Caroline Dream, whose
violin work can be heard on the "San Francisco Values" track. Some of
her new lyrics feel reflective, introspective and more personal than her
previous work. It's different, but Potter feels confident about it, as she
does about most things.
"I have willed so much just by believing it and thinking about it," she
Asthe nationaldirectorof SinsInvalid:An
Unshamed
Claimto Beautyin theFaceof
Invisibility,andas a queer,disabledwoman
of color,PatriciaBerne(picturedleft) is a
leaderin whatshecalls"the secondwave
of the disabilityrightsmovement."
Sins
Invalidis a performance
projectof spoken
word,theater,poetry,danceandmusicthat
exploressexualityin the livesof peoplewith
disabilities.Nowin its third year,SinsInvalidhasgrown
fromwhat Berneadmitswasa "regrettablynovelidea"into
oneof the mostrevolutionary
artisticexpressions
of sexuality anddisabilityin the UnitedStates.
Theshowwasbornof Berneandco-founderLeroy
Moore'sfrustrationat the lackof positiverepresentations
of
the sexualityof people.Thetwo wereequallydisappointed
that LGBTpeopleandpeopleof colorhadbeenroutinely
under-represented
by mostdisabilityadvocacygroups.
Theydecidedto founda projectthat wouldfill thesegaps
andsimultaneously
sparkthe secondwaveBernerefers
to-one that wouldbe inclusive,honestandhealing.
Theperformances
explorethe intersections
of identity
andconfrontculturaltaboosheadon,withoutflinchingand
withoutresortingto tokenism.Theycomplicateidentity
politicsby presentingsituationsthat areambiguousand
emotionallycharged.Thisyear'sshow,FromSacrificedto
Sacred,wasthe mostprovocative
yet. Its objectivewas
to challengestereotypes
that havean overtlyreligious
subtext.Theconceptgrewout of discussions
amongstthe
performers,all of whomhadstoriesof negativeexperiences
with a stronglyreligiouselement.Forinstance,Bernecan
remember,
as a child,havingpeoplestoponthe streetand
offerhertheir prayers.Sherecountsthat eventhoughthey
wereintendedto be healingandgenerous,gestureslike
this fell wideof the mark.SinsInvalidis rootedin politics
andbridgesseveralrightsmovements,
saysBerne.She
seesnaturalalliancesbetweenthe disabledcommunity
andthe genderqueer
community."Todenya persontheir
sexualityis to denythemwhotheyare,"saysBerne"[Sins
Invalid]comesfrom , e framingof sexualliteracyandsexuality as a humanright,andfurther,as a divineright.Thatby
natureof existenceour bodiesaresacred,andby natureof
says. And it must be working. [KAMALA
PUUGANDLA]
■
existenceoursexualitiesaresacred."[RACHEL
BEEBE]
■
CD
10.CanineWorkout
Lookat this andtell meit doesn'tremindyouof The
Jetsons.PetZenhasfounda wayto walkyourbest
friendindoorson its veryowntreadmill.Greatfor toy
dogs.($500andup,petzenproducts.com)
1. VintageWitha Twist
Travelin stylewith Dayof the Deadandtattoo-inspiredluggagefromOregon's50fifty3Eachpieceis
handcrafted
anddesignedbythe store'sownerand
they'reall coolas hell.($45andup,50fifty3.com)
2. EeenyMeenyMinyMaria
Thehotlineof geometricbagsfor the "urban
nomad"fromEenamaria's
lesbiandesigner,
Sarah
Morgan,aresimplydivine.Weespeciallylovethe
ChelseaBoiclutches.($19andup,eenamaria.com)
7. BlackandWhite
andPinkAllOver
Femmeslovepracticalas
muchasthe nextbutchbut
whycan'tit bea littlegirly?
ThisBlackandWhiteAllPurpose
TotefromBoston-based
SaraCampbell
is
sleek,utilitariananddownrightpretty.A percentage
of thesalesgoesto the BreastCancerResearch
Foundation.
($88,saracampbell.com)
8. ForMountain
Women
3. LumbarLux
Madefromrecycledbottles,the
Theultra-comfyHealthyBackBagis an ergonomic, Mountainsmith
TourLumbar
kidney-shaped
totethatwill conformto hercurves. Packworksasa fannypackor
She'llbe practicallyposhin Paris,or perfectlypreshoulderbagandhasenough
paredonthetrails.($14-$40,ameribag.com)
roomto carryall the essentialsfor a dayhike.($70,
4. Onthe Edge
mountainsmith.com)
MobileEdgehasbeenmakingfantasticlaptopcases
for years,andthis rockgirl Pink-Faux-Croc
portfolio 9. Goingto SchoolYouAre
bagis noexception.
($60,mobileedge.com)
TheYodaPlushbackpackfromComic
Imagesis sureto ticklethefunny
5. ThinkPink
boneof everychild(orevery
ThePacificDesignNucleuslaptopportfoliobagis
childat heart).($35,
lightweightanddurable.Sureto keepyourlaptop
thinkgeek.com)
protectedwithoutdraggin'youdown.($19,amazon.
com)
11.GoWest
Welovethe eco-friendly,
Montanta-based
pet
companyWestPawandcan'tgetenoughof its
adorabletoys,likethe Frog,Salamander
and
Gustfor Kitty)Turtle,whichholdssome-aptly
named-RockyMountainHighcatnip.($8andup,
westpawdesigns.com)
12.Excuse
You!
Fromthe creatorsof Dottie's
MagicPockets,
comesUncanny
the SingingCanBurpT-shirts.
Availablein redandblackthe kid's
sizeglowsin thedark.Impress
yourtike by breakingoutyour
innerjuvenile.($18andup,
dottiesmagicpockets.com)
15.BowlFidoOver
Makedinneranddessertfor yourdogspecialwith
ZenCeramicFoodBowlsbyWetnoz.Eachone
comesin a sweetcolorandhasa separateplaceto
holdtreats.($20,wetnoz.com)
16.NotPictured:
TastyTreatsfor Fluffy
ForTreatsSakePeanutButterBlisswill haveyour
dogsbarkingfor more.Theycontainnowheat,corn
or preservatives.
Handmade
in the UnitedStates,
theymakea greatafter-dinner
treatfor a good
doggie.Andthe barkingtin is adorable,
too.($13,
fortreatssake.
com)
13.GamesWitha Twist
Eco-friendly
companyBlueOrangebringsus a new
twist on oldgames.TryBendomino,
dominoswith a
curve,andDoubleShutter,a fun gameoutof a tin
box.($17andup,blueorangegames.com)
17.ScopeIt Out
Gogreenandgeeky
withthis adorable
Kaleidoscope
Nature
Kit.Createyourown
scopeagainand
againwith differenteffects.($13,brightworld.com)
14.NowIt's OKto EatPlayDough
Maketheweeoneshappywith CookiePlay
Dough-multicolored
doughyoucanplaywith and
thenbakeandeat.Yum!($33,1-800-Bakery.com)
18.Stairwayto Heaven
Witha littlehelpfromPupSTEP
PlusPetStairsGinger,
ourownIii' BeverlyHillsChihuahua,
canmakeit to
bedin princess
style.($34,thepamperedpetmart.
com)
19.ChickenTonight
Pet'n Shape's
Chik'nDumbells
makemydoghappierthananythingonthis earth.The1DO-percent
naturalchickenandotherhealthyingredients
make
mehappytoo.($6,Petnshape.com)
20.SplishSplash
Kidshaveall thefun this
seasonwiththe Piggy
ShowerCap.($7,
thespoonsisters.
com)
0
6. FortheShopper
Lookspiffyat thefarmersmarketwiththe Envirosax
GraphicSeriesof eco-friendly
bags.Rollthemup
andtakethemeverywhere
in a purse,backpackor
coatpocket.($9,envirosax.com)
21.MadeWithLove
TheTilanoFrescoDaVinci
TileKitwill givethe kids
something
specialto makefor Mom.Thiskit will
let youtransfera phototo a lovelypieceof tile for a
pictureshewill treasure.($25,tilano.net)
December 2008
I57
22.SexyFour-Eyes
Transform
the dusty-librarian
on yourlist intoa sexy
secretarywith readingglassesfromICUEyewear
likethe ferociousanimalprintsor brightpaisleys.
Youcaneven"readfor a cure"with blackandpink
rhinestone
framesthat benefitbreastcancerawareness.($15andup,icueyewear.com)
23.WearYourVeggies
Showyourlovefor all thingsorganicwiththese
darling,sterlingsilverpeapodearringsfromSudlow
Jewelry.($43,sudlow.etsy.com)
30.A TastyTub
Yummy-smelling
Soapsicles
(in rainbowcolors!).
Makebathtime evenmorefun.($9,thespoonsisters.com)
24.FierceFashion
Thistee,designedby ProjectRunway'sChristian
Sirianofor HRC,is a hot mess.($38,hrc.org/shop)
25.WristWrangler
Goodbye
bulkypockets,hellosleekcurves!Sassy,
comfortable
andhandy,Banjeesarereversible
walletswornonthe wristthat canholdkeys,money,
cardsandevena contactlenscase.Cutewinter
stylesaremadeof warm,fuzzyfleece.Perfectpaired
with legwarmers!($15,sprigsville.com)
26.DIVJewelry
Makesomethingspecialthis yearfor yoursweetie
with the DIVPhotoJewelryMakingkit. It comes
with thejewelryandthe software-just uploadyour
photos,printthemout andgluethemon.It's that
easy.($13andup,photojewelrymaking.com)
Hi-Tops
WithFlair
~•
PhotoeditorNicoleArsenaultwishes
shewasrunningarounddoingherlastminuteshoppingin Pastry'sGlamPie,Fab
CookieHi-tops,or Marshmallow
Bootswhichareavailablein a
varietyof colors.Alsocheck
out othercoolsneakerstyles
fromDereonandSteve
Madden.($70andup,
finishline.com)
27.Rigging
Out
If youhaven'theardof the highlytalentedParisa,
thenthis queercoreRecycled
VintageLadykiller
HeartJacketis the perfectintroduction.
($65,
riggedoutfit.com)
28.Poping
theQuestion
overKwanzaa?
Trya differentkindof ring-Melissa Joy
Manning'sgorgeous-limited-edition
14Kgoldbezel-setlabradoritering.
($625,mjmmetal.com)
29.NotPictured:
Backless
NoMore!
Wantto takeyoursexybackless
shoesfromnightto day?TryMuelos,a
simplestrapthat wrapsaroundyourshoeandkeeps
yourfootin place.($12,thespoonsisters.com)
31.SoapThatPops
Treatthe dog-loveror the popartloverin yourlife withthe PopInk
SoapCleanandSlobberset of four
hand-milledsoapsin delightfuldoggie
designs.($20,mrfrench.com)
32.RosesandPomegranates
Thisaromaticcollectionof candles,
soapsandbubblebathfromGreenleaf
Giftswill leaveyourhomesmellingsweetthis
season.Weespeciallylovethe RoseCandle
CubeVotiveandthe Pomegranate
BathSalts
($2andup,greenleafgifts.com)
33.All MadeUp
You'reonyourowngift list,right?WithLooks
that KillfromMedusa'sMakeup,you'llcatchthe
eyeof anyoneyoudesire.($9andup,medusasmakeup.com)
35.BetterThanCampbell's
Soup
InspiredbyAndyWarhol'swhimsicalshoeperiod,
ultra-chicNewYorkscentdesignerBondNo.9's
newfragrance,AndyWarholLexingtonAvenue,
hasbeencomparedto an "outrageously
luxuriouspairof stilletoheels."A perfectfit
for the fashion-forward.
($135andup,
bondno9fragrances.com)
40.GoAhead,GetDirty
Getmuddywith BaindeTerreBotanicals'hair
strengthening
mudmasque-a spaliketreatMom
will love.($16,beautydeals.net)
41. Beautyto Go
LisaHoffmanis alwaysonthe
goandhadher"ah ha!" moment
in a dream:Put1Opacketsof
dayandnightskinformulasin
36.Nourishment
fortheEyes
a compactcase.Readyfor any
Nutrient-infused
shadowsprovento condition aroundthe eyes,in colorcombinations suitcase,thesewill beoneless
thingto worryaboutat the airport.
likethe cremecaramelandsweetdusk.
($20,lisahoffmanbeauty.com)
($9andup,Neutrogena.com)
37.SkinfulIndulgence
Regaleherskinwith sumptuous
treatsfrom
Marie-Veronique.
Thetherapeuticproducts
arecreatedin the traditionof artisan
Frenchbakers.Welikethe Serumdipity
for
additionalrepairandrejuvenation.
($40,
marieveronique.net)
42.PeelAway
TKOOrganicall-in-onepurifiedorangepeelcleans
anything.($15andup,tuftsorganics.com)
43.What'sthe302?
302is a non-acidmoleculefoundin avocados
that
restoreoptimumfunctionto skincells,sustainsprotein growth.TheRecovery
Plus,Cleanser,
Calming
Mist-are all great.($50andup,302skincare.com)
38.Olfactory
Gratification
Independent
perfumedesignerNeilMorrisFragrances givesyou100uniquearomasto choosefrom.The 44.SetUp
Admitit-many of youwearmakeupor havea
rich,boldscentshaveevocativenameslike Fetish
34.SoapforButches
andMidnightTryst.($95,neilmorrisfragrances.com)girlfriendwhodoes.Forher,a perfectgift-Model in
ThebrightlycoloredSoapRocks
Dozen
a Bottlemakeup-setting
spraythat'scruelty-free
and
GiftSet,Palmstones
arethe perfect
U.S.-made.
($18,modelinabottle.com)
39.ScrubWith
marriageof formandfunctionwhile
YourVeggies
still lookingtoughin a bathroom.
45. NotPictured:
Southern
Comfort
Scrubthatdrywinter
($67,soaprocks.com)
Thinkoats,milkandhoneyarejust for
skinawaywith Zia
breakfast?
Thinkagainwith Southern
FacialMasks.They
Pleasures
Bath& Body'sluxeolive
smelldelicious,
oil-basedOatmeal,Milk& Honey
unclogporesandare
soapbar.Evenbetter,the Energy
paraben-free.
Perfect
soap(madewith Japanese
grapefruit,
for theall-natural
spearmintandavocadooil).($4andup,
girl in yourlife.($20,
southernpleasuresbathandbody.com)
zianatural.com)
46.TheBestDetox
Takethatspaexperience
homewithElemis
Cellutox
HerbalBathSynergy.
Alsoavailable
in a
spraywithdriedalgae,seabuckthom,
seafennel,
juniperandlemon-the ultimatebodycleansing
anddetoxprogram.
($176,timetospa.com)
December 2008
I 59
51.Likea BurnBookforAdults
ColorMeFierce!,the new
"fashionactivitybook,"comes
completewith crayonsso youcancolor,cut and
pasteyourrevengeagainstshallowHollywood
celebutantes.
Perfectfor the passive-aggressive
OK!
readerin yourlife.($13,quirkbooks.com)
47.WeHeartBrooklyn
Girls
The2009pinupcalendaris hereandthistimethe
cutiesof lesbianhotspotBrooklyn,N.Y.,areshowing
uswheretheywork.($12,iheartbrooklyngirls.com) 52.NotPictured:
MoonWomen
TheWe'MooncollectionAt the Crossroads
for 2009
will bringoutthe girl-powersideof yourfeminist
48. FortheBabyDyke
Withthe FirstTimer'sKit:TheSafe,EffectiveWay
aunt.Thecollectionincludesa beautifulcalendar,
datebookandtwo setsof greetingcards.($1Oand
to LoseYourVirginity,
she'lllearnhowto findthe
perfectgalto grindandevenearna frameworthy
up,wemoon.ws)
certificateof copulation.
($15,quirkbooks.com)
53.HotIce
49. FreezeFrame
Thinkit's toocoldfor icy
•o•
The5 SecondSlideandStorephotoframeis the gift treats?Pops!says,Think
for girlson the go.Makeshangingphotosa snap
again.TheEggnogPopsare
with automatting,photostoragepocketsandbuiltperfectfor firesidegatherin hangers.($12andup,5second.com)
ings.($16,Quirkbooks.com)
e
ICYTUATS
l!Yll'tO"II!
Rockin'Roku
No,it's nota massagetechniqueor a
potterymethod.AssociatepublisherSara
JaneKeskuladigsthe Rokumovie-playing
device,designedto let youwatchmoviesstraightfromthe Netflixsite.Nomore
waitingfor the redenvelope
to arrive!($100,
roku.com)
50.ChicksDigCars
Gota tastefor the butchiersideof life?Checkout
the FemaleMechanics
Calendar
2009for picturesof
hot ladiesfixingautos.($10,sarahlyon.com)
54.NotPictured:
WhereAreYouHeaded?
LittleCreamBook:Drivesor Romance
offeronetrip
for eachletterof the alphabetin thesepreciouslittle
fabric-covered
books.($20,littlecreambook.com)
55.ButchIt Up
TheButchCookBook,ed by LeeLynch,SueHardestyandNelWardis a must."Actually,we originally
thoughtall we'dgetwouldbe 75 macandcheese
recipessowe embraced
the humor.Youknowhow
seriousbutchescanbeaboutmajoraccomplishments,"saysLynch"TheonlyrecipeI havemade
fromthe booksofar is hotdogson a raft."($19,
thebutchcookboook.com)
56.MoreTomesforYourTopChef
Getcookingwithrecipetomesto droolover:Sarah
Kramer'sVegan
A Go-Go!
(veganagogo.com),
Jill
Charlotte
Stanford'sTheCowgirl'sCookbook
(globepequot.com),
RickMoonenandRoyFinamore's
FishWithouta Doubt(hmco.com),
MarilynOdesserTorpey'sTheHershey,
Pennsylvania
Cookbook
(globepequot.com),
YvonneShortandDumiNdlovu's
A KitchenSafari(struik.co.za),
RonnieFein's
HipKosher(persueusbooks.com),
JaeSteele's
GetIt Ripe(arsenalpulp.com),
MissyChase
Lapine'sTheSneakyChef(runningpress.
com),JanetandGretaPosleski's
Eat,Shrink
andBeMerry(eatshirnkandbemerry.com),
WarrrenBrownandReneeCornet'sCake
Love(stcbooks.com),
SandraRamacher's
HealingFoods(CCCCIBS.com).
57. IronManUltimateTwo-DiscEdition
Oneof the coolestsuperhero
moviesevermade
is finallyavailableon DVD.Thetwo-discset(with
easyqueersubtext)hasdeletedscenesandtonsof
extras.($23,amazon.com)
58. TheSimpsons:
TheComplete
Eleventh
Season
Huckleberry
Houndcomesoutduring
a revealingBehindtheLaughter.
($50,
fox.com)
59.WhatWouldJesusBuy?
Seewhatdocumentary
filmmaker
MorganSpurlockhasbeenupto
withthe Morgan
SpurlockBoxSet
featuring3 DVDs:
Confessions
of a Superhero,WhatWould
JesusBuy?andChalk.($20,
artsallianceamerica.com)
ProjectRunway-lovers,
getready.Season
four
is hereon DVD!Nowyoucan
watchRami Kashou,
Jillian
Lewisandeverybody's
fave,
ChristianSiriano,worktheir
magicanytimeyouplease.
($28,bravotv.com)
•••
61. KungFuPanda
AngelinaJolielendsher
voiceto the roleof Tigress
($17,amazon.com)
62.OtherMust-BuyDVDs
TheGodfather:
TheCoppola
Restoration.
The
beautifully
darktrilogyasthedirector
originally
envisioned
it, perfectfor
butches
or boys;CS/:TheComplete
SeventhSeason;CS/:Miami-The
SixthSeason(EmilyProctorand
KhandiAlexander
weartanktops!)
andCS/:NY-The Complete
Third
Season(featuresan episodewith
real-lifeSuicideGirls).($39andup,
Amazon.com).
Don'tforget:Paget
Brewster'sCriminalMinds:The
Complete
ThridSeason.
($39,
amazon.com),
ButchJamie($18,
wolfevideo.com)
and TheL Word:The
Complete
FifthSeason(twowords:dyke
drama).($39,sho.com).
LydiaLaPlante,
creatorof PrimeSuspect,hastwoseries
youshouldget:Trial& Retribution:
Set
1and TheCommander:
Set 1.Thelatter
followsScotland
Yard'shighestrankingfemale
($60,acornmedia.com).
FamilyGuyVolume
Sixand
the newfeaturelengthDVDof Futurama:
Bender's
Game.
AlsoavailaiJle
for Blu-ray,Bender'sGameis
chockfull of specialfeaturesincludingcommentary
andan anti-piracymessage
straightfromthe lovable,hard-drinking
robot.($20andup,amazon.com)
64.FortheScrooge
Everyfamilyhasa jokerwhois alwaysreadywith a
pithycomment-KnockKnockhasjust the rightstockingstufferfor them:HolidayRemarks& RepliesforAll
Occasions
or the "NiceBalls"stickynotepad.($8and
$3, knockknock.biz)
65.SleepLight
TheTravelRestUltimateTravelPillowinflatesfast,rolls
upsmallandis the besttravelpillowoutthere,thanks
to its ergonomic
shape.($27,travelrest.net)
66. NotPictured:
BetterThanEarMuffs
Keepwinterat baywith Earbagsbandless
fleeceear
warmers.($15,earbagsus.com
or sprigsville.com)
63. Fitness
Getfit with TiffanyChen'sStep-by-Step
TaiChi,
Hoopnotica,
Bol/ywood
Burn,ErinO'Brien'sStrong
Body,AgelessBodyor DesiBartlett's3-in-1 Total
BodyFitness.Learnto dance
likea pro(ora ho)withthe
NightclubDanceSeriesfor
Women
(try Girl'sNightOut
or SexyMovesfor theClub).
($15-20,acacialifestyle.com
or learnclubdance.com)
TheSkyy'sthe Limit
Theholidaysaremadefor veggingonthe
couch,soassociatepublisherSaraJane
Keskula'sDVDpick,SexandtheCity.TheMovie
(specialedition),is boundto be on yourlist,too.
($23,amazon.com)
Whileyou'rewatchingthe
movie,whynotsip on a Skyyvodkacocktail
andfeel likea Manhattanite
(evenif youwear
Manoloknockoffs)?
Skyyhasbroughtout
recipesinspiredbythe Sexandthe City
ladies.Lookfor themon curvemag.com
and
take'emfor a spin.
67. Bea Guppie
Orat leasthaveoneon hand.Thei.D.
WorksLil' Guppiemulti-toolhasfour
handytoolsfor the butchin youandthe
cutest,tiniestdesignfor thefemmein
you.($20,thinkgeek.com)
68. Gorilla'sIn the Midsts
Skullrilla(pictured),
Robotrilla
andGorilla
Ashtraysby designiconDavidWeeksrock!We
lovethe PoMopinkone.($25,velocityartanddesign.com)
December 2008
I61
69.Onthe Record
Forthe acereporter(orthe wannabe)in your
life youcan'tbeatthe Ultra-Thin
VoiceRecorder.
Smallenoughto slip intoa backpocket.($70,
thinkgeek.com)
70.OldSchoolto NewSchool
It's timeto updateyourmusiccollectionandbring
yourpreciousPoisoncassettetapeintothe 21st
centurywiththe IonUSBCassetteDeck.Ripthe
songsfromyouranalogmediaandmakethem
digital.($160,thinkgeek.com)
71. MixIt Up
Createa modernmixtapewithoutlosingthat old
schoolcharmwiththe MixTapeUSBStick.Perfect
for anyoccasion.($20,wishingfish.com)
72. Forthe GreatSchlep
If you'revisitingGrandma
this year(andSarah
Silvermansaysyoushould),take herthe GE
PhotoPhone.
It will keepyouin touchandgiveher
somethingprettyto lookat. ($160,ge.com/phones)
73. FortheRoadWarrior
Onlinebackupservice,restoration
of deletedfiles,
hardwareencryptionanda slick,ruggedtitanium
case-what workinggirl wouldn'tlovethe SanDisk
UltraCruzerTitaniumPlusflashdrive?($30,sandisk.
com)
HelloKittyRocks~
Whatdoyougetwhen_!~~~~:~~
the pre-teenpinkcutenessof Hello
Kittywith the rockin'kick assnessof
a FenderStrat?Contributing
editor
RachelShatto'spick,the Squierby
FenderHelloKittyStratocaster
Electric Guitar.It's adorablyawesome.
($200,guitarcenter.com)
i
74. Bye-Bye,
MixedTapes
Availableonlyfrom Hammacher
Schlemmer
(thestorewith hundredsof amazingtoys),the
LPandCassette
to CDRecorder
StereoSystem
allowsyouto recordmusicfromyourvintage
vinylandold cassettesdirectlyontoCDs,pausing
if youliketo recordonlycertainsongsor to make
yourowncompilations.
It alsohasa built-inradio
andregularCDplayer.Nowyoudon'thaveto go
out andbuyall yourfavoritealbumsagain.($400,
hammacher.com)
75. BePrepared
for YouTube
Fame
Geta betterpoint-and-shoot
with the CasioExilim
EX-79,the 8.1 megapixelcamerathat hasa
YouTubecapturemode.It comesin funkycolorsand
accessories
likethe 40-meterunderwaterhousing
let youtakepix undertheseaon yournextOlivia
cruise.($160andup,Casio.com)
79.TheNewBoombox
83.TheNewBoombox
TheHoMedics
HMDX-Speaker-onTheSprocketPortableSpeakersynchsupto your
the-Gowill let youblastthe music
iPod/mp3,
computeror CDplayerandprovides
on yourMP3playerwhereveryougo.
lmpromtudanceparty,anyone?($10,amazon.com) decentvolume.($15,HMDXAudio.com)
76. NotPictured:
StuffThisin YourLaptop
Withthe newSamsungSolidStateDrive,you'll
neversufferanotherheadcrash.
Thedrivehasno
movingpartsandcomesin both64 and128GB
sizes,puttingit amonglargestSSDsonthe market.
($700,newegg.com)
80. PlugIt In
PowerPortMiniCharger& Battery-Charge
youriPod,
Blackberry-one
in all anywhere.
Twofull charges
andhoursof backuppower.Canberecharged
upto
500times.($50,lenmar.com)
77.ZuneZune!
Thesemp3playersfromMicrosoft(in4 to 6 GB
versions)will playall musicformatsandvideo,have
wirelessfeaturesandcoolestof all,an FMradio.
Seriously,
youhaveno ideahowneatit is untilyou
try it. ($130andup,zune.net)
78. NotPictured:
DigitalRevolution
Enano'senergy-efficient
ex2130PCis designed
to changehowwe usecomputers.Packedwith
featuresincludinga built-in BluetoothoptionalTV
tunerandwireless,it uses78 percentlessenergy
thana standarddesktopcomputer.($780,enanocomputers.com)
81. Clothes
forYourComputer
Designer
Sleeves'laptopsleevescombine
awesome,
boldcolorgraphicswithwetsuit-styleneoprene
for fun,shock-resistant
protection.
Theprofessional
serieshasan
exteriorpocketfor extracords,USBdevices
andmore.($35andup,designersleeves.com)
~
-
82.Createa Community
Xbox360offersthe nextbigthingin gaming,Xbox
LIVECommunity
Games,
whichallowanyonewith
the driveandknow-howto
-developa gamefor Xbox360
andshareit with millionsof
othermembers.
($99peryear
to join,creators.xna.com)
84. RainbowConnection
Whywaitfor Pride?Thisrainbow-colored
USB
hubaddsfour USBportsto yourcomputer.
($22,
fredflare.com)
85.JustBreathe
BactrackB70Breathalyzer
comes
with BluFireTechnology,
a carrying
pouchandeasyinstructions.
It quickly
andeasilyestimatesyourbloodalcoholcontent.($80,target.com)
Squad.Grabyourpompoms,
createyouravatar,get
promotedto captainandleadyourteamto BringIt
On-stylevictory.($40,thq.com)
90. NotPictured:
FromCamerato CoffeeTable
Getyourpreciousphotosoff yourmemorycards
andintoa beautifulSmileBook
for yourcoffeetable.
Perfectgift for the grandparents.
($1Oandup,
smilebooks.com)
86. MovieGames
Hollywood
gamingis
possiblewiththesesuper-funvideo
games,includingWall•Eforthe
PlayStation
2 andSpongeBob's
Drawnto Lifetor the NintendoOS.
($20andup,bestbuy.com)
87.NotPictured:
LoudandClear
Getcleansoundanda hotlook
withAudio-Technica's
portableheadphones
with
28-millimeterspeakers,
tangle-freecordwrapand
pouch.Designed
for womenandavailablein blue,
green,pink,or silver.($80,audio-technica.com)
88.SexyGirlMonsters
LisaPetrucci'sadorablevinylfigureslikethese
Kick-AssCuties,DevilishDollyandLil' MissMonster,
will lookgreatin anycomicgeek'scollection.($23,
tfaw.com)
89. LiveOutYourDreamof Being
a HotLesbianCheerleader
Getoff yourbuttwiththeWiiFit-you'll beso into
it, youwon't evenrealizeyou'reexercising.
Our
editorin chief'snewfavoritegameis All StarCheer
WheelsThatRockandRoll
Fromflamesto skullsto corazonhearts,
the Coloursin Motionwheelchairslet differentlyabledchicksrockthewaytheyshould.
TheKryptowheelchairis uniquelydesigned
andtotallyadjustable-whichis whyour
publisherlovesit. (pricesvary,colourswheelchair.com)
December 2008
I63
104.ThePerfectBalance
BalanceBangles
fromSoul'sCallingusepositive
energytransfer-one has"reachin" and"reach
out"-and youwearthemonyin or yangsides,
depending
onyourneeds.Partof the profitsgoto
charity.($45,soulscalling.com)
91. It Wasan ltsy-Bitsy
...
Tiredof beingknownas Drunken
AuntieG?TheTeenyWeenyMartinisetwill helpyoumonitoryourintakeand
is just plainfun.Comeswith a 32-pagebookon mixing
up martinis.($9,runningpress.com)
101.GiveThanks
TheGratitudeKitis a uniquewayto saythankyou.
It includes48 quotesfrominspirational
andspiritual
leaders,a mini-easel
to displaya favoritedailycard,
an eco-friendly
lemongrass
candleanda pewter
pocketstone.($30,gratitudekit.com)
92.Chocolate
andTea
TheTeaSalonGiftSetfromMarieBelle
NewYorkis the
perfectmatch:biscuitauchocolatandyourchoice
amongthreehand-blended
teas.($32,mariebelle.com)
~
WarmHerCockles
Chocaholic
subscription
manager,
Holly_
i...--"'
-~
DeMaagd,lovesRecchiutiConfection's
hand-crafted
chocolates
andnogift is moreperfectlyDecember
thantheDarkHotChocolate
Indulgence
Boxwith Dark
HotChocolate
Pistoles,
VanillaBeanMarshmallows,
BurntCaramel
withtwo hotchocolatecupsfromSausalito'sHeathCeramics.($60,recchiuti.com)
93.She'llWantS'More
Giveyourgirl someluscioustreatsfromDeBrand
chocolatier.
Trythe keylimeor whitepecantruffles,
or getfancywiththeconnoisseur
collection.Ourfave
is the S'MoreTrayGiftBasket,whichincludesgraham
crackers,chocolateandfourflavorsof marshmallows.
($15andup,debrand.com)
94.SpiritLifter
Thenamesaysit all.ZenGreenTeaLiqueuris
derivedfromJapanese
greentea leaves,lemongrass,herbsandspirits.($27andup,zenliqueur.
com)
95. GooeyTreats
Chocolate
TurtleSaucyCakesarelikethe deathby-chocolate
treatsat fineeateries,exceptthey
comein the mail.($33,1-800-Bakery.com)
96.A TreatforYourChefbian
TreatyourfoodieloverightwiththeTspSpices
SweetBasicscollection.
Theseseasonal,
tasty
organicspicescomein individually
wrapped,
pre-measured
packetsfor freshness
andconvenience.($42,tspspices.com)
97. Foodfor Kids
Feeda kid bytotinggroceriesin a Feed1 bag.Each
purchasewill feedonehungrychildin schoolfor one
wholeyearthroughthe UNWorldFeedProgram.
($60,
Feedprojects.org)
98. HearttheEarth
Aspartof theirpartnership
with Conservation
International,SaveYourWorldoffersluxuriousbodyproducts
thataregoodfor boththeskinandthe planet.Welike
the HappyHolidaysRainforest
GiftBag,which
includeslotion,showergel,shampoo,
conditionerandsoap,all scentedwith sultry
wood-berry.
($60,saveyourworld.com)
99.CharityGrilling
Helpstopbreastcancerwiththesweet,
pink,KitchenAid
Cookfor theCure
GrillPanSet.KitchenAid
will donate
upto $50for eachitempurchased
to SusanG.Komenfor the Cure.
($48,shopkitchenaid.com)
100.MamaSaidRecycle
GeckoTraders'100percent
recycledriceandfeedbagsmade
by disabledanddisadvantaged
workers.TheRiceandFeed
LaundryBagandWastebasket
aremust-haves.
($20andup,
vivaterra.com)
105.NotPictured:
Sharea Visionof Hope
Checkoutthe newWorldVisionGiftCatalog,
where
giftslikefarm-startinganimalsanddonations
to the
CleanWaterFundhelpimprovethe livesof children
andfamiliesin the UnitedStatesandaroundthe
world.Choose
fromover100gifts.($20andup,
WorldVision.org)
106.FeedtheAnimals
Heat-resistant,
easily-cleaned
102.Bedazzling
Jewelry
andin a hotfire-engine
ElisaIlanaCustomDesigns
offersornate,handcrafted
red,this RedDog
bracelets
andearrings.
Profitsfromeachawareness
SiliconOvenMittwill
braceletaredonated
to thecharityandhavecolored
protectyourhands
jewelsthattie in witheachcause(fromdiabetes
whiletheAnimalRescue
to ovariancancer).
Bestyet:Theysubtlebutsweet
Sitewill fund14 bowlsof
motherbracelets.
($40andup,elisailana.com)
foodfor animalsin shelterswith
eachmitt purchased.
($9,theanimalrescuesite.com)
103.DonWeNowOurResponsible
Apparel
Madeusingbamboo,organiccotton,andrecycled
107.0 Christmas
Tree
polyester,
the Meto We:[Responsible
Style]tees
Connect
with peoplewhoshareyourvaluesand
areproducedethicallyand50 percentof the projoin upwiththe causesyoufeelstronglyabout
ceedsgoto its sistercharity,Freethe Children.
The
with GoodTree.com,
thewebportalthat allowsyou
charityandOprah'sAngelsNetworkhavepaired
to makea differencein the worldjust bysurfing
upto formthe OAmbassadors
Initiative,which
the Net.
supportsyouthastheytry to achievethe UNMillenniumDevelopment
Goals.Checkoutthe specially
108.SmartShopping
designedOAmbassadors
tee,too.($30andup,
Thisyear,savingmoneyaroundthe holidaysis
metowestyle.com)
moreimportantthanever.Butthat doesn'tmean
youcan'tbuythe coolgiftsthat'll knockyourloved
one'ssocksoff. Checkout Extrabux.com,
a free
comparison
shoppingsitethatofferscouponsand
cash-backrebates.
~ ~
Gift guide photos courtesy of: Jacob AndersonMinshall, Katy Gross, Darcy Kiefel/H~ifer International, Kasey Neuenschwander, Leshe Van Stelten for
Rigged Outfitters, Kina Williams
QuitetheHeifer
Production
managerOndineKil~~rL
. .u.,~
wishesshecouldhavethis waterbuffalo
for herself.Alas!
Luckily,shecan
buyit for another
family.($250,
Heifer.org)
109.HotforTeacher?
Giveheroneof theseadorablehand-knitapple
jackets.($20curiosityshoppeonline.com}
110.Givea Hoot-and a SweetDIVGift
LittleOwlPatterns& AtelierChouetteDesign'sBaby
OwlandFlatFrontWaistApronsewingkits arecute
andcrafty,froma onewoman,carbon-free
operation! ($10andup,atelierchouette.etsy.com}
111.FancyMeasures
Thisgorgeous,
pewterEquivalents
Hookfrom
BeehiveKitchenware
Co.hasthe conversions
to
helpyoucookwhateveryourheartdesires.Makes
a greatplaceto hangthe tea towel!($35,beehivekitchenware.com}
112.HookYouUp
FluffyCo'shand-printed
andscreen-printed
birds
of preywall hookis modern,simpleandperfectly
lovely.($34,fluffyco.com)
FancyJoe
Fromthe makerof someof the
acclaimedautomaticcoffeecenters,JuraCapresso,
comesthe amazingEnaline.
AssistanteditorRachelBeebeis in lovewith
this slimmestof automaticcoffeecenters.
It brewsbythe cupand
makesperfectcappuccinosandlattes.($900and
up,capresso.com)
113.Affirmed
Nomatterwhatthe otherscalesmaytell you,this
AffirmationScalefromArt deToilettewill nevercall
youanythingbutgorgeous.
($95,artdetoilette.com)
114.Grillto Go
Camping?
Beach?
Woods?Orhowabout
the tiny balconyat
yourapartment?
Wherever
youfeelthe
needto fire upthe
barbee,the HotspotNotebook
PortableGrillhasgot
youcovered.($40,firebox.com)
115.Sunin a Bottle
Thesolar-powered
SunJar will casta prettyglow
overanyholidaytable.Leaveit in the sunto store
energyduringthe dayandenjoya candlelikebrightnessat night.Lastsfive hourson onecharge.
($40,wishingfish.com}
116.ForYourForgetful
Femme
TheHookmaker
by DesignGlutis an earthenware
hanginghalf-cupthat hooks,hangsandholdsthose
thingsyoualwayslose,andlookscooldoingso.
($30,velocityartanddesign.com)
117.SleepyTime
TheBeatingHeartStressReliefPillowpoundsout a
uniquerhythmeachtimeyouturn it onto helpyou
restandrelax-perfect for grabbingsomeZ's at
MomandDad's.($35andup,thinkgeek.com)
118.OpenWide
Whoneedsa boringbottleopenerwhenyoucan
havea DamienLigierRitzenhoff
bottleopener?
Weespeciallylikethe motifo~ OscarCliment
Ollet'sRedRidingHood.($22,ritzenhoffusa.
com}
@
123.LightMyFire
Noopenfiresthis year?Ormaybeyou'retiredof the
bathroomsmellinglike lavender.
Trythe Ober-butchy
BurnFirewoodEmbersscentedcandleinsteadand
toughenupthe room.($55,beautyhabit.com)
124.NosGustan
Immortalize
the 1953Mexicanfilm LasCarinosas
(featuringthreehotnursesfallingin love}with
a beautifullypaintedwoodenplaquewith glitter
accentsfromFunkyCo.Madera.
And,for an earthfriendlytwist,the hangersonthe backaremade
fromthe recycledpop-topsof sodacans.($15,
funkycomadera.etsy.com}
119.WritingontheWall
Gorgeous
printswith affirmativesayings
are must-haves.
Theseblack-and-white
Silhouettes
frompunkcardcompanyVol.25
will lookgreatin anyhome.($35a set,www.
vol25.com)
120.ArtsyFartsy
Thesebeautifullycraftedwhiteresinhandsare
basedonthe designerHarryAllen'sown.They
makelovelysoapdishesor candle
holders.($75,velocityartanddesign.
com)
121.NeverTooEarlyto Thinkof Summer
Noonelooksgoodin a heatwave,so pickup this
cool,portable,windowlessPersonal
Air Conditioner.
($300,brookstone.com)
122.Branching
Out
Thisgorgeous,
320-thread-count,
made-in-America
duvetcoverfromBranchis sustainable,
prettyand
will bringa senseof Zenintoyourroom.($330and
up,branchhome.com)
127.It's a Magnet!It's a Tack!
It's a MagTack!
Treatyourpicturesrightwith the OXO
GoodGripsMagTack.
Thishybridallows
youto stickit on yourwall or corkboard
andthenusethe magnetendto secure
yourphotosandnoteswithoutmaking
holesin them.($7,oxo.com)
128.Pressed
forTime?
Onthe go but wanta cupof freshly
pressedjoe?Trythe BodumBistroMugPressfor a
singlecupof French-style
coffee.($20,target.com)
129.SuckIt Up
Neversettlefor an uglyvacuumcleaneragain.The
DirtDevil'sDesignerSeriescontainseverything
fromthe subtleKoneto the understated
Kruzto the
feminine-looking
Kurv.($33andup,dirtdevil.com)
130.Everything
in Its Place
TheVitraUten.Silowill keepall yourknickknacks,
tools,utensilsor eventoysfromclutteringyour
space.($395,velocityartanddesign.com}
125.Grannies
GoneWild
Lonelysofa,meethipsterneedlepoint
pillows(like
ModModelandDiscoLady}fromourfavegaydesign
maven,Jonathan
Adler.($165,jonathanadler.com)
126.Birdof Prey
Whatbetterallythan
this luminousPorcelain
NightOwllamp could
youhaveto standguard
againstbaddreams?
($149,vivaterra.com)
131.Toughen
UpYourKitchen
Zelco'sFoodToolis a Leatherman
for the kitchen
with built-inS&Pshakers,canopener,screwdriver,
knife,bottleopenerandTefloncorkscrew.It's all you
need.($41,zelco.com}
133.LightUpYourLife
Thelesbian-made
Fotolytewill brighten
up anyroom.Buyit
pre-madewith vintage,
magiclanternglass
slides,or haveone
custom-made
with your
ownphoto.(pricesvary,
fotolyte.com)
134.Relivethe GoodOI'Days
Celebrate
whereall videogamesstartedwiththe
full-sized25thAnniversary
Ms.Pac-Manarcade
game.($3,000,brookstone.com)
132.One-of-a-Kind
Pottery
Dayof the Deadmugsanda rainbow-painted
sake
set arejust a few of the coolhandmade
ceramics
fromartistthe DianaBaz.Shealsotakescustom
orders.($15andup,DianaBazPottery.etsy.com)
December 2008
I 67
Reviews I Tried It
Red Carpet Reflections
I wanted to be a serious photojournalist. First stop? The red carpet. I By Erin Siegal
face time. Most were downright rude,
oftentimes goading their subjects into
a stray glance via a nasty remark. But
this guy-the
wacko whose trademark
scream was "front page news" -always
took the cake. His very presence drove
home the fact that the camera,wield,
ing news photographers-yes,
photojournalists-were
serious
at this moment
indistinguishable from the car,chasing
paparazzi.
At the time, I had just started work,
ing as a young freelancer for a top news
agency in New York. As both the young,
est and the newest addition to its roster,
I received lots of"entertainment
assign,
ments;' also known as "red carpets;'
everything from movie premieres to
galas to festive charity balls. I'd bite my
tongue and sullenly cover what the press
grimly refers to as "grip 'n' grin" work.
Christi11a Aguilera stepped out onto the red carpet. She eyed the teeming
mass of photographers and videographers in front on her, and made her way
to the center of the tiny publicity tent pitched on the sidewalk in front of the
club. Over the span of a few seconds, the singer stopped, struck a pose and
rotated her head right to left.
Twenty flashes popped simultaneously. We each tried to take as many
shots as possible, enough to compensate for the negating effect that our flash,
es inevitably had-that
is, the annihilation of the lighting in at least half the
shots. Everyone needed the same thing-to
capture that "decisive moment"
when the celeb appeared to be looking straight into camera, staring down
whoever might see the image. Editors think it creates intimacy.
Two seconds had already passed. Christina's head, with the grace of an
old turtle, was almost through with its dutiful canvass.
A wild shriek filled the air.
"CHRISTIIIIIINAAAAAAAA!"
The screech of the man who stood two rows behind me was still reverber,
ating. I cringed, and could feel the shame of every other news photographer
straining against the velvet rope beside me. At that moment, each photojour,
Don't get me wrong-as
a twentysomething, I was thrilled to be working
at all, not to speak of stringing for this agency. Yet I was the high,minded
nalist covering the event was struggling to swallow a sour, shared wave of
kind of camera geek who wanted to-of
embarrassment.
"PLEEEEEEASE!
work. I wanted to make a career out of exposing injustice and dealing with
LOOK HERE! FRONT
BABY! SWEETHEART,
PAGE NEWS!
HERE!
PLEASE!"
Of course, there were always at least two or three paparazzi inexorably
shrieking at their subjects, trying to catch a few more seconds of valuable
68 I curve
course-make
a difference with my
gravely important issues, working as a visual muckraker. I wanted to cover the
_j
kinds of stories that got regularly booted in lieu of a picture of Paris Hilton
@
falling down drunk. Somehow, someway, I thought I could work my way up
to doing real journalism.
~
ffi
Hot in Hollywood
But first I had to prove that I could shoot a red carpet.
As someone with little to no interest in the lives of the stars, I found
W
that basic celebrity recognition soon turned out to be a problem. I invariably
found myself smiling-that
York press-and
was an alien act amongst the bitter, weary New
nudging whoever happened to be next to me in the press
pit. "Is that Minnie Driver?" "That woman-she
Close? How do you spell that?"
looks familiar. Glenn who?
The first thing a photographer has to do when getting to a red carpet is to
stake out a spot. Upon arriving, I'd find my 12-inch-by-12-inch square of real
estate in the tent, demarcated with scotch tape. Usually there'd be an index
card with my agency's name on it. Given that I worked for a highly credible
news agency, rather than a celeb-stalking wire, my placement was generally in
front. If it hadn't, I would have been thrown into the swarm.
With flashes cocked and ready, we would wait for the glittery, makeupencrusted star parade to begin.
Some starsrefusedto removetheir
sunglasses.Otherswould blinkat an
alarmingrate of speed, renderingmost
photosunusable.Often,the biggest
name wouldskipthe red carpetformalitiesaltogether-opting for a quiet
side entrance.
Once the stars were herded onto the carpet, a new set of problems arose.
Some would refuse to remove their sunglasses. Others would show up and
blink at an alarming rate of speed, rendering most photos unusable due to a
less than sober, hooded-eyed look. And, of course, a problem for press and
publicist alike was whether or not the promised stars would even show up at
all. Often, the biggest name on the tip sheet would just skip the red carpet
formalities altogether-opting
instead for a quiet side entrance.
Afterward, I'd search for ways to console myse1£ At least I wasn't shooting advertising, taking pictures to sell people stuff, right? But then again, I
was responsible for putting photos of the bleached and anorexic out into the
world.
One night, while clicking through photo news on the Web, I stumbled
across a highly published (meaning highly profitable) photo of Paris Hilton,
~z
z<(
~
w
...J
...J
w
I
()
~
accredited to an AP photographer. Looking closer at the caption, I realized
I should have been happy. Jane
Lynch (who's done so many great
films it's hard to pick one, but
let's just say, of L Word fame) had
just given me a hug, Ugly Betty
star America Ferrera was blushing, Jason Biggs was joking about
Ellen's wedding ("Want to know
what she was wearing? Nothing!")
and gay marriage ("My husband
and I are totally onboard for it,").
Emily Deschanel from Bones, had
just forsaken the Associated Press
to talk with me about
saving the earth through
vintage dresses, and oh ...
my...God, Tila Tequila
seemed to have just outed
her power lesbian relationship with heiress-player
Courtney Semel. It was
all a celebrity skirt-chaser
could want. But after I
had a fight with one TV
tabloid and a mad PR gal
at the red carpet opening
of the Third Annual Hot in
Hollywood charity benefit,
I'm rethinking tinseltown
altogether.
the picture had been taken by none other than Nick Ut, the man responsible
for one of the most compelling photographs of all time-a
young Vietnamese
girl running naked from napalm, a giant mushroom cloud erupting in the distance behind her.
So, if Ut was doing it, it was less bad, right? ■
On the red carpet (clockwise
from right): American Ferrara;
Emily Deschanel; Tila Tequila
and Courtenay Semel
Read more about
Jennifer Corday's catastrophe on the red carpet
at curvemag.com.
December 2008
I69
Reviews Tech Girl
Vlogging Killed the TV Star
These vlogs are sure to cut in on your reality shows.
IBy Kyra Thomson
I remember my maiden voyage into the World Wide Web. It's dif-
diminish the distance associated with blogging. For this reason,
ficult now to imagine, but in 1997 the Internet didn't hav~ graphNeitherUrbanElle.com,ics and the term "blog" had yet to be coined. Yet, I was amazed
Exes and Ohs actor Cathy DeBuono decided to use her degree in
telecommunications to create the Whats YOUR Problem?vlog
HOT NEW SITE
the newwebsitecater- by the new blogging technology that allowed me instant access
ingto lesbiansof color, to anonymous discussion groups and
norits creator,Michelle free guitar tabs. The digital revolution
Mitchell,dothingshalf- had only just begun. Over the next
assed-as editorof the decade, the proliferation of personal
site,I shouldknow.From commentary through text-based
dayone,whenMitchell
blogs would explode. These were folwasstill tossingaround
lowed quickly by vlogs, and many lesnamesanddesigning
bians leapt on the new format.
a logo,sheenvisioned
Although YouTube is synonya sitethatwouldbe
mous
with the Internet's vlog revolulargerthanlife,with an
tion,
a
more fruitful search for lesbian
international
perspective.
"Lesbians-especially voices would be through AfterEllen,
lesbiansof color-are where the cornucopia of online video
notonedimensional.
We fare has been harvested into a unique collection of female vlogs.
areartists,partychicks,
From Kate Clinton to Mombian.corn's Dana and Helen,
wives,mothersand and with various weekly contributors in between, the vlogs at
workingwomen,"she
After Ellen cover a multitude of topics. But one common interest
explains.Lookingfor a
among all the vloggers-even the girls who review video gamesnewclubin yourtown?
is providing commentary on the latest episode of The L Word.L
Wantto debatethe merits
of pedicures
onstudbois Word fans can also satisfy their needs through OurChart, which
or reada personalac- features episode discussions, exclusive vlog footage and video
countof insemination
and contributions from cast members such as Leisha Hailey, who says
childbirth?UrbanElle's OurChart is a way to "reach out from the alienation of modern
gotyoucovered. life in order to make connections:'
-Alison Peters
Delivering content through video rather than text helps to
for AfterEllen. She has since moved the vlog to SheWired.com.
DeBuono's background in acting has attracted an impressive list of guest stars,
but it is her master's degree in clinical
psychology that gives her a unique credibility when offering advice to viewers.
Her massage therapy credentials have
yet to be used on the vlog, but her suave
flirting with each guest and wine-induced
silliness is undeniably entertaining.
DeBuono's first crossover from actor
to psychologist occurred while answering listeners' questions as a guest host on
TheFrankDeCaroShow."I liked the idea
of being able to 'look' at the people I was talking to, so to speak;'
DeBuono explains. "There is a personal connection felt with video
biogs that you can't replicate with written blog or even on radio:'
The visual aspect is also rewarding for an actor because vlogs
provide unlimited exposure and publicity. Rosie O'Donnell was
one of the first celebrities to innovatively use Rosie.com to interact with fans and voice her opinions. Her stark blog entries are
simple and honest, as are her answers to online questions. She
uses vlogging to film her family, promote her books and record
live answers to fan and hate mail.
Rather than fret that vlogs will kill the TV star, perhaps it's
time to embrace this digital revolution. ■
EIGHT PODCASTS FOR LESBIANS
2 Homos(2homos.com):
Roxanne
andVirginiaarethesmart,hilarious2
Homosof thetitle.Short,sweetand
to thepoint,thesefrequentpodcasts
runabout10to 15 minutesapieceand
rangefromdiscussions
of whatthey
woulddoif theyran TheL Wordto
findinga stripperheelonthefenceof
theirhouse.
TheLesbianLounge(mylesbianradio.com):
Thesultryintrovoiceover
declares,
"Getreadyto laughyourass
off."Denise
andDonnahostthisshow
onMyLesbianRadio.com.
It hasa good
mixof celebrityinterviews,
sextips,
discussions
withchatroom
visitors
(Lipstick
andDipstickandoureditor
in chief,DianeAnderson-Minshall,
are
frequentguests).
GirlMeetsGirl(girlmeetsgirlpodcast.com):SienaLeeandToastTajiri,
two youngHawaiian
womenwho
makeupthe acousticduoMAKENA,
offerquietlythoughtfulyetfun weekly
discussions
aboutthingsthat are
importantto them,rangingfrombeing
AsianAmericanveganlesbians,
to
the Hawaiianmusicscene,to current
eventsandsports.
A Blackanda Jew (ablackandaJew.com):
L.A.-basedActionJackson
andChinChinshootthe,um,breeze
aboutall mannerof things.Checkout
theirarchivefor their"TheL Word
Sucks"podcast,wheretheyrant
aboutthe hit Showtimeseries(which,
incidentally,
theyseemto watch
religiously).
DykeDrama(dykedrama.
podshow.com):
Podcasting
from
oppositesidesof thecountry-rural
Pennsylvania
for Evangeline
"Vangie"
Martinezandthe SanFrancisco
Bay
Areafor NikiHutson-theseentertainingwomentalk aboutLGBTtopicsin
the news,relationships,
familyand
work.Theyalsooffertwo monthly
reviewsegments,
"ToysforTwats"
(sextoys,duh)and"ThatOneTimeWe
WereDrunk"(beerandwinereviews).
TheL Word(sho.com):Here'sa
straight-up(oh,nevermind)treat
for TheL Wordjunkies.Although
eachpodcastis brief-about four
minutes-youdo getvideointerviews
withyourfavoritecastmembers.
And,astheshowheadsintoits final
season,
this is a greatwayto relive
theseries.
ThePlanet(theplanetcast.blogspot.com.):
Thisis a funny,smart,
fan-o-rificdiscussion
aboutTheL
here!with JoshandSarah(heretv. Word-the showyoulove(orloveto
com):JoshandSarah'sweeklypod- hate).Spoilersaboundhere,so logon
castfromNewYorkis a popculture- afteryou'veseenthe show,thenhang
fueled,newsydiscussion
of current
outfor somelaughs.You'llalsofind
events,rangingfromAmerican
/do/to podcasts
of TheChart-a gigglycallreligionto literaryinterviews.
They've in showakinto Alice'sL Wordradio
beenso successful,
it's nowonTV.
show.- RobinSchwartz
0
z
0
::,
co
IJ.J
g,
z
N
z
UJ
a:
::.::
fi
a:
UJ
::.::
70
I
curve
Let u • create your trip
of a lifetime!
www.wildrainbowsafaris.com
(415)552,8321
1
i
_J
)
'
'1-Ct Jfll
\'lf\M\'f
1-888
420
MOVE
(0683)
HAWAII
tours &
complete
vacations
... buildingfamilies
Lesbian-owned and operated.
Fantastic off-the-beaten path
Oahu, Hawaii day tours & complete
10-day vacations plus a special Curve
reader vacation offer in January 2008.
Check out our websiteor one toda
Providing Quality Donor Semen
Licensed in New York & California
Shipping to 50 Stall'
.....,
11 -~•,_
since 1987.
www.reproductiveresources.com
1-800-227-4561
....,y,:,.•~-._
..
f'EENY 'fINY
Gf
OUR
COMPANY
www.TeenyTinyTourCompany.com
PEE
RADIN&IP!
•iMd•♦
Disposable • Hygienic• Freedom
SexToys
BDSMDVDS
Lingerie Art
Mermaidsl
nTheSack.
net
888-868-3216
lladewllllWCydlblellllllllllL
QulclLCllln.
.........
Pb dlecrNllr
Inpocat•
Shlpedto
........
.......
...,
P-StandingUp.com
orS00-247-6817~
December 2008
I 71
Top Ten Reasons We Love Chagmion Antoine
new and I knew it had never been done before.
I wanted to be a part of it;' says Antoine.
5. She's been with Logosince the beginning.
Court Passant, executive producer of Logo,
spotted Antoine at an annual convention of
the National Gay and Lesbian Journalists
Association in New York City. She was just
an intern, but Passant was impressed with her
confidence, storytelling and delivery. He mentioned the Logo idea to her and Antoine says,
"As soon as I heard the idea, I said, 'That's what
I want to do!'"
6. She coversimportantstoriesthat the mainstream news doesn't approach. Recently,
Antoine delivered an in-depth and intimate
story about breast cancer in transgender individuals, a story unlikely to be seen on the mainstream nightly news.
7. She'shot.Hey, it's probably why she's not in
radio. And we're not the only ones who think
she's fine. Antoine said that only two weeks after
CBS News on Logo began, a silver Lexus with two
sexy ladies pulled up beside her in Union Square
and "the hottest one, she winked at me and said,
'Want a ride?' I respectfully declined, but that
rocked my world!"
Chagmion Antoine isn't your typical television
newscaster-she's
young, African American
and openly bisexual. And she doesn't work
for your typical network. Chagmion Antoine
(pronounced sham-ion an-twon) is a correspondent for CBS News on Logo, which, in less
than three years, has become the go-to show
for all-gay news. - Kristin A. Smith
"We'reverytalented,but
we do thingsour own way.
I get to be myselfand I
don't feel compelledto fit
intoany specificmold."
8. Shelovesherjob.Antoine says that even if she
had only gotten a byline or an occasional story,
she still would have dropped everything to jump
onboard the Logo train. "I wanted to be a part of
it ... this is a part of history;' says Antoine.
9. Shelivesin thepresent.When asked about her
plans for the future, the 26-year-old said, "I plan
on setting my alarm for exactly 6:00 tomorrow. I
3. Shegivesus a queerview of Hollywood
every plan on getting dressed and coming in to work:'
1. She has a great name. Just saying it makes
you sound cool. Try it: Chagmion Antoine is a week.Antoine, along with AfterEllen founder
broadcaster for Logo. Chagmion Antoine did a Sarah Warn, host She Said What?, a weekly 10. She'spurelyChagmion.
"We're very talented,
online lesbian entertainment show. With a but we do things our own way;' Antoine says of
great story about lesbian porn. I really like that
similar format to The View, this show is much
Chagmion Antoine. Wasn't that fun?
the Logo staff: "I get to be myself and I don't feel
more Rosie O'Donnell than Barbara Walters.
compelled to fitinto any specific mold:' And we're
2. She has a classictelevision-journalist
voice.
glad she doesn't, because Chagmion Antoine is a
Close your eyes and Antoine sounds just like 4. She'spavingthe way. As a bisexual woman
representation of the changing face of journalof color on an all-gay news network, Antoine
the local news anchor from your childhood.
ism and the success of Logo is a reminder that,
is breaking new ground in the business. "The as lesbians, it's important to stay... um ... abreast
That is, if your small-town anchor talked about
reason I wanted to do this job is because it was of all the issues that affect us. ■
sex toys, trans issues and lesbian politics.
72 I curve
-
►►
Ring in 2009 with
curve's
new digital
magazine!
Reduce your carbon footprint!
Subscribe to our interactive digital
version and get curve in your
inbox before it hits the stands.
Only $24.95 for a one-year subscription!
That's a 65% savings over
newsstand prices!
With the digital edition
you'll be able to:
>> Flip through the pages, use keyword
searches and bookmark your favorite
stories.
>> Forward pages to friends and let
them know about the latest advice
from Lipstick and Dipstick.
>> Click from the page directly to
the women artists we cover.
>> Enjoy rich media content like
song samples and videos.
>> Download ::md save your
magazine o I your hard drive.
(No more stacks of magazines
to recycle!)
See all items with this value
