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Description
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ToC Here's 20 Powerful Academics by Rachel Pepper (p31); Isn't She Love-ly? By Julia Bloch (p36); Tackling Teen Issues by Lyndsey D'Arcangelo (p38);A National Interest by Catherine Plato (p40); Cover: k.d. lang Gets Happy by Stephanie Schroeder (p44); Is Batwoman Gay? by Alice Clarke (p64); Runaway Romance by Alice Clarke (p66); A Different Kind of Family Vacation by Teresa Coates (p48); Ditch It All by Barbara Maxfield (p50); Tea Party, Darling? by Carole Terwilliger Meyers (p51); Golf Around the Globe by Karen Loftus (p52); Swimming with Fishes by Mary McGrath (p56); Peter Rabbit's Home by Carole Terwilliger Meyers (p58); Sea of Love by Marie "Riese' Lyn Bernard (p 60); Winter Wonderland by Amelia Pyxus (p62); Travel Issue; Cover Photo by Jeri Heiden.
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issue
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2
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Date Issued
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March 2008
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PDF/A
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Frances Stevens
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Curve_Vol18_No2_March-2008_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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atwoma
How You
Can ...
> Globe-Trot
on a Dime
> Keep the
Sex Alive
> Change
the World
on Vacation
CURVEMAG.COM
03
o
74470 80539
MARCH 2008
7
I
VOLUME 18#2
sors
REALITY
curve
Frankly Speakin~T~
THE BEST-SELLING LESBIAN MAGAZINE
VOLUME 18 NUMBER 2
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 E-mail advertising@curvemag.com
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Publisher/Editor in Chief
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Editorial Assistants
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Frances Stevens
Diane Anderson-Minshall
Sara Jane Keskula
Colleen M. Lee
Katie Peoples
MeaChavez
Rachel Pepper
Margaret Coble
Julia Bloch, Victoria A.
Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Gretchen Lee
Theresa Johnson, Rachel
Leach, Remy Ramirez,
Katherine Wright
Stefanie Liang
Ondine Kilker
Kelly Nuti
Nicole Teichman
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Heather Gilligan, Jenna V.
Loceff, Colleen McCaffrey
Kristin A Smith, Lina Swiskx:ki
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Contributing Writers Elizabeth Allen, Kathy Beige,
Jennifer Corday, Michele Fisher, Lauren Marie Fleming,
Tania Hammidi, Jodi Helmer, Gillian Kendall, Kathi
lssennan, Kate Lacey, Sheila Lambert, Charlene
Lichenstein, Karen Loftus, Karlyn Lotney, Candace
Moore, Aefa Mulholland, Catherine Plato, Laurie
Schenden, Stephanie Schroder, Sara Seinberg, Jenny
Sherwin, Ursula Steck, Jocelyn Voo, Melany WaltersBeck
Illustrators Phil Cho, Katherine Streeter
Contributing PhotographersCheryl Craig, Sarah Deragon,
Amelia R. English, Sophia Hantzes, Gabriela Hashun, Jodi
Heiden, Kathi lssennan, Elizabeth Labedz, Mary McGrath,
Maggie Parker, Phillips/Torres for POWER UP, Marilou
Sturges, Misty Winter
\bk.me 18 Issue 2 Curve OSSN1087-867)() is pubished monthly (except for
bimonthly Jariuary/February and July/August) by Outspoken Enterprises, Inc..
1550 Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103. Subscription price:
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S. fims only). Returned checks wl be assessed a $25 51.«:harge. Periodicals
postage paid at San Francisco, CA 94114 and at additional mamng offices
(USPS 0010-355). Contents of Curve Magazine may not be reproduced
in any manner, either whole or in pert, without written permission from the
publisher.Publicationof the name or photograph of any pe,-sonsor organizatiQns
appearing, acMlrtisingor listing in Curve may not be taken as an indication of
the sexual orientationof that indvidualor Qr0\4:l ITTBSS
specificaly stated. Curve
welcomes letters, queries,IXISOlicited
and Mwor1<.lncWe SA.SE
for response. Lack of arry rep,esentation orly signifies insufficient materials.
SLt>misslonsCMnOt be ret\med ITT8SSa self-adctessedsta11)ed 8l1ll8lopeis
included. No responsibilityis assuned for loss or ca-nages.
The contents do
not necessarily represent the opinions of the editor, unless specificallystated. Al
magazines sent discreetly. Su~
Inquiries: Please write to Curve, 1550
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com, or call 818-286-3102. Canadian Agreement Number: 40793029.
Postmaster:Send Ganadai addresschanges to shopOruvernag.com,Clive, PO Box
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com,Curve,PO Box 17138,N. Holywood,
CA91615-7138.Printedinthe U.S.
A
The Serious Side of k.d.
Lang seems different than
she did the last time we
interviewedher. Older?
Yes. Wiser? Maybe.
More serious? Definitely!
Frances Stevens Publisher/Editor in Chief
I've got big news this month: CuRvE will soon be available at Albertsons and Lucky stores, so ask the
store's manager for details. It's a huge feat for any independent magazine to make it into big grocery
stores, and we want to make it convenient for our readers who, try as they might,just can't find it in their
local bookstores.
This month, though, we have another surprise, and that's how, well, "frankly" k.d. lang is speaking
these days. As she sat down with us at her New York City record label headquarters, lang seemed different than she did the last time we interviewed her. Older? Yes. Wiser? Maybe. More serious? Definitely!
Lang explains to Stephanie Schroeder (pg. 44) that she's had her 15 minutes of fame, and now she's left
the Hollywood scene behind to focus more on her "music, Buddhism, family,motorcycles and dogs:'
After 20 years in the biz, the one-time ingenue seems more grounded and focused, and for the first
time she's not only writing and recording but also producing for hersesl£ Her new album, Watershed, was
released in February, and she has has begun touring, even appearing for the first time on an Olivia Cruise.
She's also more serious and revealing about her personal life. Sorry ladies, she's off the market and leaving
behind the days where there was a girl in every port. She speaks honestly about her partner, monogamy
and how she juggles hitting the road on tour and keeping the harmony at home.
K.d. isn't the only one with a purpose these days. We sent a team of writers around the globe to
report back for our first travel issue of the year. Let me tell you, with spring around the corner (but not
close enough for me), I'm not feeling too sorry for the gals who were snorkeling in Barbados or partying
en route to the Bahamas on an R Family Vacations cruise. If you're anything like me, you'll be daydreaming of your next adventure before you finish reading our 15-page special section.
As Dinah Shore rolls around, golf and parties may be on your mind. Thankfully, we've got articles
on both. But it's not all manicured greens and swank hotels. We also peer inside the trunk of one couple
that ditches it all to hit the open road for the adventure of a lifetime, and we follow along as a single mom
takes the kids to Vietnam for a very different family vacation (volunteering at an orphanage). Whatever
may inspire you, it's time to pack your bags, jump online and prepare for your own fun-filled adventure.
After you read the magazine in your hand, of course.
Keyword: Curvernag Website: curvernag.com
March 2008
I
1
Features
March 2008
"I thinkthe gay
community
has grownup
and evolved.
It'sa more
expansive
culturethat is
acceptingof
transgendered
people,
bisexuals
and others.
Remember
when we used
to hatethe
bisexuals?"
k.d. lang
page 44
31
Here's 20 Powerful Academics We're giving
props to the lesbians who make the halls of academia exciting places to be. By Rachel Pepper
36
Travel with a Purpose
48 A Different Kind of Family Vacation A single
mom takes her two kids to Vietnam to volunteer at
an orphanage. By Teresa Coates
Isn't She Love-ly? Ivy Leaguer Heather Love
may be the next Judith Butler. By Julia Bloch
38
Volume 18#2
50
Tackling Teen Issues Lauren Collins plays sexually flexible Paige Michalchuk in the teen drama
Oegrassi. By Lyndsey O'Arcangelo
51 Tea Party, Darling? Cross the pond and check
out these classic spots for afternoon tea. By
40 A National Interest Nicola Griffith discusses
Carole Terwilliger Meyers
the struggle with immigration and her latest novel.
Plus, genderqueer musician Jasper James tries
out acting. By Catherine Plato
44
Cover: k.d. lang Gets Happy After 20 years in
the music business, k.d. lang is older, wiser and
zen. She talks about her new album Watershed.
By Stephanie Schroeder
64
highlight the hottest lesbian moments in comics.
By Alice Clarke
66
Cover photo by
Jeri Heiden
52
Runaway Romance She got her girlfriend interested in her geeky hobby with this gender-bending, sci-fi, romantic comic. By Alice Clarke
Golf Around the Globe Hit up these resorts with
the best links. By Karen Loftus
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56
Swimming with Fishes A photographer meets
sea turtles off Barbados. By Mary McGrath
58
Is Batwoman Gay? DC Comics is getting
Sapphic with a new kind of dynamic duo. Plus, we
Ditch It All One couple tweaks their views on life
and money when they head out on the open road.
By Barbara Maxfield
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Peter Rabbit's Home Explore the book's English
0
backdrops. By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
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60 Sea of Love How Rosie O'Donnell's cruise
changed this girl's life. By Marie "Riese" Lyn
Bernard
Q.
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Winter Wonderland British Columbia has everything a lezzie snow bunny could want. By Amelia
Pyxus
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21
curve
Homemadesoap.
Baked Pita Chips.
(Somebodgget memgbanngslippers!)
Departments
March 2008
"I don't know what
attracted me to
the dyke-whocouldn't-apologize;
I suppose it was
her confidence.
Later,I realizedthat
what passedfor
confidenceearly
on in the relationship was just plain
arrogance."
page 26
1
Frankly Speaking Our publisher
speaks her mind.
6
8
Contributors Find out about the
women behind the stories.
Letters Much love for Melissa
Etheridge, and the difference between
orientation and preference.
14 Out in Front A software engineer fights
28 Politics We've got your heart, and your
best interest in mind.
for equal rights, a promoter has her finger on the pulse on the national nightlife
and a fundraiser gets the money needed
to do the job.
18 Lesbofile Beyonce hangs out in strip
clubs, Queen Latifah keeps her personal
life quiet and Dear Abby is gay-friendly.
68
Sapphic Screen Candace Moore gives
the thumbs up to these tense, psychological dramas. Plus, Borat's lesbian dupe.
71 In the Stacks Rachel Pepper takes
a look at three memoirs on childhood
trauma. Plus, a new mystery writer.
10 Scene These chicks are ca/iente!
12 Open Studio Venezuela-native Teresa
Brazen showcases her amazing work
and her doodle-a-day project.
22 Lipstick & Dipstick Just how does a
teenager go about finding femmes?
23 Astro Grrl It's time for a fresh start this
spring. What's in the stars for you?
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74 Music Watch Margaret Coble gets
into the groove with some old and new
faces on the scene. Plus, a "smartpop"
musician.
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13 Curvatures The great ENDA debate,
looking back on the life of Jane Rule and
San Joaquin, Calif., gets a Pride center.
24 Keep the Spark How to keep the love
alive in a long-distance relationship.
77 I Tried It Kristin A. Smith has a session
in art therapy that helps her bridge the
gap between her old and new lives.
26 Dyke Drama She'll make you sorry you
ever dated her.
80 Top Ten Reasons We Love Kelly
McAlister This spunky former TV show
host is a role model for Sactown kids.
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Contributors
New From
Our Curvettes
When AliceClarkewas 7, she shocked a few people (but surprised no one)
at her rural Australian primary school when she innocently announced,
"When I grow up, I want to be a lesbian:' Twelve years later and fresh
out of high school, Clarke now has her dream job, but has broadened the
description to include 'Journalist:' Her average work day involves watching
bad movies and good TV, and reading reasonable comics (see her take on
Runawaysand a lesbian Batwoman),then getting paid to rant about them.
TravelwriterMaryMcGrath
apparently
likesto croon,too.Shecollaborated
with
a groupof musicians
in creatingLuxury
LoungeVolume1.It fusesjazzwithambient-house
overtones,
andis thefirst CD
to featureMcGrath's
lyricsandvocals.
(cdbaby.com/cd/mcgrathnasr)
'Tm known to be pretty cynical and sarcastic, so when I responded to 'How
was the Rosie cruise?' with 'It was the best week of my life; people assumed
I was being facetious. But it truly was, to the point where writing it felt
both sentimental and honest, which is not typical for me;' Marie"Riese"
LynBernard
says of her article on her two R Family vacations. Bernard is
the recap-blogger for thelwordonline.com. She freelances in New York
City and most recently contributed to the upcoming Dirty Girls:Eroticafor
Women.
Some call it courageous and others call it nuts, but Barbara
Maxfield
says her life-altering travel adventure is both brave and crazy, and she has
no regrets. In 2004, she and her partner, Lisa, decided to trade all the
conveniences of modem life for a life on the road. After traveling through
the U.S., Canada, Europe and recently Central America, Maxfield is now
exploring the next phase of life by writing about her experiences and encouraging others to be brave and crazy in realizing a life full of travel.
shouted excitedly. One month
'Tm going to Barbados!" MaryMcGrath
later, there she was, enjoying the glistening sands of Crane Beach, camera
in one hand, notepad in the other. Barbados is one of the many exciting
destinations McGrath has visited, after making a major career change a few
years ago. As a freelance writer and photographer she has contributed to a
number of magazines, newspapers, books and websites. "Life is good when
you follow your passions;' she says.
"Who knew I would be so lucky as to get to research stories on both
Beatrix Potter and on tea time in my very favorite city in the worldLondont asks Carole
Terwilliger
Meyers."This just might be my most .
favorite assignment ever:' But it wasn't all fun and games. When Meyers
arrived in Ambleside, she found herself without a room. One terribly efficient
staff member made a room in a closed-off section of the hotel. Meyers is
the author of 18 books, including WeekendAdventuresin San Franciscoand
NorthernCalifornia.
and
StefanieLiang,ourever-positive
freakishly
talentedart director,recentlydesignedthechildren'sbookJulieBlackBelt:
(writtenbyOliver
TheKungFuChronicles
Chin,illustratedbyCharlene
Chua).
That's
heramazing
workabove.(immedium.com)
MEETOUREDITOR
AND
& DIPSTICK
LIPSTICK
Ourillustriousexecutive
editoris ontour
withhernewmysterynovel,BlindLeap.
If youmissedherlastmonthat the Palm
SpringsLesbianBookFestival
youcanstill
catchDianeAnderson-Minshall
at these
events:
> FEB.28 at In OtherWords,
thefeminist
bookstore
in Portland,
Ore.,whereshe'll
bejoinedbyadvicecolumnists
Lipstick
& DipstickandauthorGabrielle
Goldsby.
(inotherwords.org)
> MARCH
15 at theMainLibraryin
Hayward,
Calif.whereshe'llbespeaking
as
partof theLesbianGenreFictionAuthors'
Tour.(library.ci.hayward.ca.us)
> MAY8-11 at theSaints& Sinners
LiteraryFestival
in NewOrleans,
speaking
alongside
luminaries
Dorothy
Allisonand
ValMcDermid.
(sasfest.org)
6 Icurve
Letters
"Todaywas a good day for me when I
opened the envelopeand I saw Melissa
Etheridgeon the cover. MelissaEtheridge
has always made my days better through
her music and I consider her a role model.
Thank you cuRvEfor making a Melissa
Etheridgefan happy."
Where do you
land on the faith
sp
52%
I'm notreligiousbutI'm A Rose Is a Rose
spiritual.(AndI sleepin Why does your magazine insist on using the words "sexual prefonSundays,
too.)
erence" over "sexual orientation":' I noticed this more than once.
25% Who knew Victoria Brownworth had a humorous side:' It was
I'm atheisVagnostic.nice to see it in the "going green" issue ["How I Turned My Wife
(ButI believein all Green" Vol. 17, #9). It was a nice change of pace from all her
thingslesbian.) serious stuff, and quite funny!
- Jen, via email
14%
I worshipevery Editor's Note: Jen, we prefer "orientation" too, but some writers
weekend.
(Andsome like to use the term sexual preference, and to keep the writing auweekdays,
justto beon thentic we stick with their preference.
thesafeside.)
6%
Love for Melissa
I have been reading CURVE since 1999, a subscriber since 2002,
I'veestablished
my
and
an everyday member of curvemag.com since 2000. Today
ownChurchof TheL
was
a
good day for me when I opened the envelope and I saw
Word.(I'mjustthat
obsessed.) Melissa Etheridge on the cover of CURVE (Vol. 17, #10). I read
the entire article and I want to thank CURVE for making my
2% day a little brighter. Melissa Etheridge has always made my
I'm actuallyordained. days better through her music and I consider her a role model.
(Anyone
needa Once again, thank you CURVE for making a Melissa Etheridge
minister?) fan happy.
- Rebecca, via email
Great Advice on Coming Out
I absolutely loved your article about how to come out to your
parents (Vol.17, #8)! If only I would have read this article before ruining Mother's Day. Now that the very hard part is done,
Mom can joke about it. I am debating how to tell them that I
now finally have a girlfriend. I am hoping that won't result in
Mom watching a church service on TV again with a box of tissues. Keep up the greatwork and keep putting smiles on our faces!
- Ed, Winnipeg, Manitoba
a French expatriate, but I did live with a fellow graduate student
from Paris while in the Ph.D. program at UC Riverside. My now
ex-husband is from Italy, and he still cross-dresses at Carnivals,
with much fun of all the family.We bisexuals value all of our
ex-partners regardless of gender, and I would appreciate if you
could clarify this for your readers. Gaia is the name of the main
character in my fictionalized memoir, Eros, and the main title
word of a forthcoming book on the earth and sustainable forms
of love, including bisexual and polyamorous lovestyles. These are
two separate books even as they mirror each other in many ways:
One is more personal, the other more political. Finally, I have
been treated very fairly by the University of Puerto Rico, which
has actively supported my research on sexual diversities. The new
programs we are creating include these areas even as they are not
entirely devoted to them.
- Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, via email
Shimmy Coco Bop
My girlfriend and I totally love CocoRosie. Ever write anything
about them:' You've given me great advice about other musical
goddesses so check them out; you won't be disappointed.
- Elerie Dial , via email
Editor's Note: We did. The sister act CocoRosie was showered
with our love in our annual music issue ["Six Questions for Two
Odd Chicks" Vol.17, #6].
Corrections
Danye Voorheis did not win an L Word competition. The
Twin Cities 20% Theater's website is tctwentypercent.org. The
correct spelling of the homocidal lesbian of love is HotHead
Paisan. Alexandra Bauermeister did not author the letter about
mombian.com.
Got Something on Your Mind?
Clearing Up a Few Things
s I curve
Thanks to you and Stephanie Schroeder for interviewing me. I
write to correct and clarify,especially in relation to the last three
questions of my interview (Vol.17, #9). I was never married to
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE Letters, 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to 415-8631609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters may be
edited for clarity and length.
IX:
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MIAMIANDBEACHES.COM or call 1-888-76-MIAMI
Four of Miami's most popular and renowned annual celebrations
highlight a noteworthy calendar of events. attracting visitors
from across the country and around the world.
For a complete
Additional
list of Miami events, visit FestivalSeason.com
information
can be found
at GoGayMiami.com
• Winter Party Festival (2/27/2008 - 3/3/2008)
• Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (4/25/2008 - 5/4/2008)
• Aqua Girl (May 2008)
• White Party (November 2008)
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10 Icurve
1 Cheers with Carrie Belin, JD DiSalvatore, C. Fitz and Doria Biddle (left to right) at the
GLAAD Media Circle Holiday Soiree 2 Colette Divine (left) with POWER UP's Lisa
Thrasher at the 7th Annual Power Premiere Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel 3 Cuties Ellie
Antico, Erin Bowman and Sarah Deragon (from left to right) at Center Women Present's
one-year-queer anniversary party at Paper Dolls in San Francisco 4 Partygoers (from left
to right) Laurie Lindsey, Amanda Rosenblum, Becki Tinsley (with hat), Elizabeth Labedz
and Lani Klaphaak dancing at Paper Dolls 5 Nikki Flux (left) and Honey Labrador at the
Power Premiere Awards 6 Lesbian volunteers were out in droves at California's East Bay
Labyrinth Project to create a labyrinth with 'caution" tape and tent stakes at their Berkeley
Marina site. Walking labyrinths is an increasingly popular calming exercise.
;
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Love is Not
a "MortalSin"
7 God-dess and She at Chicago's Hogs and Honeys hosted by DITC/Chicago Dirty Girls
8
s executive editor, Diane Anderson-Minshall (second from right), at the Lesbian
Genre Authors' Tour at San Francisco's Femina Potens, with CURVE contributor Ursula
Steck (bottom right), her partner Yvette Fang and (top row, left to right) authors Jacob
Anderson-Minshall, Karin Kallmaker, Anna Furtado andJLee Meyer 9 Daniela Sea speaks
at a University of California, Santa Barbara ENDA rally 10 Authors Meyer, Austin and
Andrews at Now Voyager in Providence, R.I., for the Women's Week Bold Strokes Books
author signings 11 UCSB Queer Student Union officer Sandy Weber shows off her shirt
at the ENDA rally 12 Michelle Clunie (left) and Thea Gill reunited at the Power Premiere
Awards 13 Cheryl Dun ye (right) and pal at the POWER UP gala 14 Protest of Archbishop
Nienstedt in St. Paul, Minn.
CURVE
1
March 2008
l 11
Teresa Brazen
While employed as a communications manager at a nonprofit agency, Teresa Brazen went though a major life change. The suicide of a man she
regarded as a mentor and father figure shook her to the core. "I made a promise to myself that I would choose paths that would give me joy;' she
says. And she has. She had been painting for herself for years, but never had the courage to share her work publicly.
Brazen spent the early part of her life in a small village in Venezuela. It fostered a fascination with other cultures. "In my exploration;' she says,
'Tve come to see firsthand that we are not really as different as we think we are. As a friend of mine once said, 'We all bleed the same blood:"
A painter and a videographer, Brazen centers her work on the
concept of what it means to be human. A trained dancer, she focuses
on the minute shifts in gaze and body language that illustrate emotion and the moments in between. She says,"My paintings and video
art are expressions of our innermost thoughts. I aim to illustrate
that we all feel the same inside, regardless of our differences. I believe
that the recognition of these shared emotions can reconnect us:•
Once she decided to make her artwork public, Brazen showed
wherever she could, determined to work her way up the art-world
ladder. Her first exhibit was a group show at a community art space
in Atlanta called Art Farm.
Since then, she has had numerous shows featuring both her
paintings and her video art, as well as the doodle-a-day project that
can be found on her website, brazenart.com. She modeled the project on a friend's idea to create a painting every day. Brazens doodles
serve as spaces for her to experiment-they are multimedia and may
or may not inspire her to create a finalproject.
Brazen counts Frida Kahlo, Anna Deavere Smith and videographer Pipilotti Rist as influences, as well as her experiences in everyday life. In her video art particularly, she likes to create a sense
of intimacy. "As for muses, when I glimpse the inside of someone,
that resonates with me, sometimes they end up in my work, even
if abstractly," says Brazen. 'Tuat could be a close friend, someone I
just met or a lover."
12
I curve
Curvatures
Stockton Gets a Pride Center
The San Joaquin Pride Center in Stockton, Cali£, has officially
joined the ranks of the 169 LGBT community centers in the
United States. According to Board President LeJames Melton,
last year's August opening was long overdue.
"I was born and raised here in Stockton, and there's never
really been a place for young or old gay people to gather and
just be safe, neutral and together;' the 42,year,old Melton says.
'J\fter all these years of traveling around and living in different
places, I got some ideas from some of the other (centers] and
decided Stockton needed that:'
Along with board members Lynne Moore (vice president),
Katherine Compton (treasurer) and Renee Elliott (secre,
tary), Melton hopes the SJPC will provide a link between the
Stanislaus County and Sacramento County centers. They also
want the 480,square,foot facility to be an informational hub.
Although services are limited, resources include
connections with three gay,friendly religious outlets
and the San Joaquin AIDS Foundation, as well as a
collaboration with the Delta Gay Straight Alliance.
For large centers in metropolitan areas, finding
money to build programs is no problem. HIV testing
and prevention, support groups, mental health coun,
seling and job referral services are pretty much stan,
dard. But for a small hub like SJPC, money is always
a challenge.
Until the center irons out its nonprofit status, it
will operate on fundraising revenue and private dona,
tions. Compton estimates the center's annual budget
to be about $16,000.
Budget building is not the only obstacle new or,
ganizations encounter. According to the National
Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and T ransgender
Community Centers, newcomers like the SJPC typically strug,
gle to find the best mix of volunteers and leadership.
Executive Director Terry Stone explains, 'J\.ll newly formed
small organizations go through that process of determining
who is going to perform what kind of function within the or,
ganization .... They have to figure out how to make a cohesive
community center with all the players working together:'
LGBT centers in the United States serve at least 1.5 mil,
lion people. No matter how large the budgets or how small the
hubs, they offer members a place to gather and a chance to safely
network and be who they are.
The SJPC is proud to serve the community and happy to be
on the map. Compton emphasizes, "We are so very excited ...
and we know we have the energy and the community to accom,
plish our goals:' - RW
Sippin' On
The Big Easy
Absoluthasunveiled
a newlimitededitionlineof flavored
vodkasnamedafter
andinspiredbycitiesfromaroundthe
UnitedStates,andthe
first choicewasNew
Orleans.
Infusedwith
mangoandspicedwith
blackpepper,
thisliquor
hasa surprisingly
interestingflavor,bothfruity
andspicy.Asanadded
bonus,100 percentof
all profitsforthesales
goto GulfCoastregion
charities.Checkout
Absolut.com
for recipes
andvoteforthe nextcity
Absolutshouldspotlight.
-KP
))
Formoregreat drmk ideas,
visit curvemag.comand
search"drinks"
Homos for Hillary
No matter what your political affiliation, there's no denying Hillary Clinton is
one hell of a ball,breaker. Thank God someone is finally capitalizing on that fact
with the Hillary Nutcracker, a replica of Hillary in her smarty pantsuit and, well,
nutcracking abilities. The creators of my new favorite toy, Fun With Nuts, also did
an online poll to find out who would be voted "the nut I'd most like to see cracked:'
The winner? President George W. Bush. Ve~p Dick Cheney came in third place
(after Al Gore!) but Senator Larry Craig had a respectable showing. (Oddly,
Britney Spears was the only woman to get a significant number of votes as a nut.)
As for upcoming nutcrackers, both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey got
mad props, but it was Ann Coulter who garnered over 10,000 votes. Which means
we'll be able to have bipartisan crack,offs, although, says an unnamed spokesper,
son for HillaryNutcracker.com, "We are not sure if the email to Ms. Coulter in,
forming her of these results was received. If you bump into her, please tell her:'
($25, hillarynutcracker.com)-DAM
CURVATURES
WRITTEN
BY
DianeAndersonMinshall,
Mea
Chavez,
JennaV.
Loceff,LeeLynch,
Colleen
Mccaffrey,
KatiePeoples,
Stephanie
Schroeder,
LinaSwislocki,
ReneeWestbrook
March 2008
I 13
Building Workplace Equality
Finding the Night Life Online
Louise YOlHIQ,a senior software engineer at
When she was in her early 20s, Beth McGurr
took to the road hoping to expand her own
personal horizons. She soon realized that there
wasn't much nightlife for lesbians in most places,
and that the dubs that did exist were often hard
to find.
With her background in dub promotion and
her technical savvy,McGurr decided to reach out
digitally to lesbians across the country by creating
LesbianNightLife.com.
"It's a free interactive website promoting
women's events all over the country;' says McGurr,
now 29 years old. "lhe idea was to give lesbians
one place to look to find out what's going on in
Every cause needs financial support, and Katherine
key is not afraid to ask for it.
With 40 years of civil rights activism under
their city,also makingit easier for dubs
the word about their events.n
McGurr's hometown of Boston was the first
city she featured on the site.Now LesbianNightLife
provides dub and event information for 20 cities,
and she is adding new ones each month. Listings
include dates, times, locations and even maps.
Ever the traveler and party girl hersel£
McGurr took her message to the masses while
doing a little firsthand research in her U NEED
ME tour last year.
"We wanted to visit each venue event and see
for ourselves what the 'scene'was like,nshe says.
Covering over 5,000 miles in Chuletta, her
graffiti-covered van and home, McGurr and her
assistant, Heather McFarland, partied with girls all
over the country, from New York to Los Angeles.
Astraea, it's about expanding resources and giving
people the opportunity to makea major impact by
collectivelypooling their money.
Acey, who has been a board or advisory
member for organizations like Women in the
Arts, the Center for Anti-Violence Education,
New York Women Against Rape, MADRE
and the Arab Women's Gathering Organizing
Committee, says that fundraising has gotten
tougher in the past few years, given the tremendous needs of many communities and the
widening economic gap in the United States
and around the globe. But she does see a few
encouraging signs.
"I see people stretching their giving,both those
with limited resources and those with substantial
assets;' she says.
(Poor things.)
McGurr says the website is successful because
it's free, national and updated constantly, and it
covers a wide range of venues."New York girls can
see what's going on in New York, but they can also
find out what's happening in L.A.;' she says."We
believe that by linking everyone together we can
help build a stronger community and better nightlife for women everywhere.n
In the near future, Acey says,Astraea willreach
out more aggressivelyto the straight community.
"We have the responsibility to communicate
clearly the work of our grantee partners, and how
allies can be more engaged in key issues, as well as
provide critical support;' she says."I believe many
allies of Astraea and the LGBTI community
connect deeply to the socialjustice/ feminist framework we espouse.n
Raytheon Company in Plano, Texas, got involved
in workplace activism back when most companies
didn't even recognize sexual orientation or gender
identification as part of their EEO policies-never
mind offering domestic partner benefits.
The 30-year veteran engineer experienced the
prejudice firsthand when, in 1974, she took a oneyear sabbatical from a teachingjob to complete her
Ph.D. and was not rehired. She later learned that it
was because she was a lesbian, even though she was
not open about her sexual orientation on campus.
'The incident did propel me into activism;•she
says."We spend a majority of our time at work. I
believe it to be crucial that we as LGBT employees
have a safe and secure workplace, with equitable
policies and benefits:'
With management support and the long-term
encouragement of her life partner of 37 years,
Vivienne Armstrong, Young has championed
enormous advances at Raytheon (where she
founded the LGBT employee resource group),
including the addition of sexualorientation language to the EEO policy and domestic partner
benefits. Then, in 2005, Raytheon became the
first aerospace and defense company to add gender
identity and expression to its EEO Policy and score
100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's
Corporate Equality Index.
Young says that there have been huge successes for fairness and equality,but to her,"LGBT
people coming out to friends, f.unily and co-workers remains the most powerful tool that will drive
our progress.n
If you know of any LGBT activists or
any women who are Out in Front at
work, at home or in the community,
please let us know by writing to
curvesoutinfrontOhotrnail.com.
14
I curve
to
spread
oney Makes Changes
her belt, and as executive director of the Astraea
Lesbian Foundation for Justice for the past 20,
Acey freely admits that she enjoys fundraising and
sees it as an important aspect of crucial political
work.
"I believe that asking for money for what you
believe in is a political ace;•says Acey."What we
give is truly a reflection of our values:•
Fundraising, she says,allows her to be an advocate for lesbians and the LGBT community, focusing on both feminist and racialjustice issues. For
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Curvatures
A Taste of the Rainbow
Amber Rose McDowell, the 25-year-old CEO and founder of the Sacramento, Cali£-based.Skittle* Project,
is not just an ordinary entrepreneur. She's taken the tired idea of the pinup-girl calendar and made it something refreshingly lesbian.
In 2002, afrer earning a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising at Union Institute in Stockton, the
same school her mother got a Ph.D. from, McDowell started a backyard business designing handmade
clothing that promotes positive images of the LGBT community. She took the goal of creating positive images a little further when, early in 2007, McDowell decided to create a calendar of luscious lesbians from
all walks of life and of different ages and ethnicities. The models range in age from 19 to 46. There are male
impersonators, fetish models, a former WNBA player and the owner of a spoken word club. McDowell is
proud of her work and feels that she has done her job. "I wanted to be able to use these images so we can have
a reflection of ourselves in ads and editorials;' she says. "It doesn't always have to be straight images; we buy
the same products as everybody else. We all do the same thing, whatever our orientation is:'
She and her photographer, friend and business associate Falaah Shabazz, searched all over for the perfect
women. McDowell, or A. Diva (''X'for'i\ccidental"), a~ she calls hersel£ posted bulletins on MySpace first and
then anywhere she could think 0£ She ended up with" women all over:' Not that she's complaining. More than
5,000 women applied to be in the calendar. McDowell says it was a difficult task narrowing it down to just
18. Shoots have taken place in Florida, New York, Georgia, California and Illinois."! didn't realize how much
work it would be;' she says. But the workload hasn't slowed her down. After releasing the 2008 calendar ($20,
SkittleProject.com), she is concentrating on getting a larger office, so she can have the space to create media, a
photo studio and graphic design, all focusing on the lesbian and gay community. - JVL
* Skittles is a registeredtrademarkof the Mars Candy Co.
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Curvatures
Remembering a Literary Giant
for me. I know that I have only got to the point
where I am . . . because I am standing on giants'
shoulders. Jane Rule was one of those giants:'
I was disappointed and a bit unforgiving when
Rule gave up writing. I should have been more sensitive to the infirmities that come with age, even to
walking monuments like her. I should have known
that losing one's life partner might have made life
less appealing. By then, Rule had given her readers
and literary progeny so much.
"For women of our generation, she was one of
the few lights in a dark valley. I hope that in her
final hours she knew that;' says Belgian author
Jane Rule woke me up.
When I was in my teens, in the 1960s, I despaired over writing about my life or lesbians. I wrote
poetry without pronouns and fiction I couldn't
share. Later, in the mail, I received from Barbara
Grier, then editor of The Ladder, a hardcover copy
of Desert of the Heart. Rule's picture was on the
back cover; her face that of a classic young lesbian.
After reading that book, I knew my life's work
would be writing. I didn't believe I would ever be
as wise or as good a writer as Rule, but I hoped
I could do for readers what she had done for me:
Take them out of a world of oppression and hiding
and into a reality where women like ourselves might
suffer, but would ultimately thrive-together.
"She was a fearless giant, a rare personality and
we've all benefited from the fact that she was there
before us, both as writers and as lesbians in the
world;' says American author Karin Kallmaker.
Jane was one of my literary parents, a hero and
a role model. She was my guide to possibilities for
lesbians. She openly wrote well about us, positively
and truthfully, and she found acceptance and respect in both the gay and straight literary worlds.
"Ms. Rule has been an icon in lesbian literature;'
says Kathy Smith, director of the Golden Crown
Literary Society. "Sadly, the moment she passed, a
16
I
curve
pivotal chapter in the history book of lesbian literature ended:'
Her courage cannot be faulted. "Jane Rule immigrated to Canada when homosexuality was still
illegal, and never would marry because she didn't
believe in it;' says Canadian poet J.E. Knowles."Ifl
had my hat on, I would take it off.'
I got to hang out with Rule and her partner,
Helen Sontoff, one mid-'80s weekend in Seattle
where she was doing a writing workshop at the
University of Washington. I was so beside myself
with shyness and self-consciousness, I barely remember anything past her first words to me: 'Tm
surprised to see you here. You don't need this workshop:' Of course, I did need it and needed to connect with this woman who had so influenced my
life. But Rule was a teacher of the highest order:
She knew how to encourage others.
"I remember reading that when Desert of the
Heart was published, there was a real risk that Jane
Rule might lose her job. In writing and submitting
for publication a work of fiction with lesbians as
main characters, Jane Rule was taking huge risks;'
wrote British author Jane Fletcher, on hearing of
Rule's death. "These are risks that I have never taken. They are risks I did not need to take, because
people like Jane Rule h~d already fought the battles
Justine Saracen.
"I couldn't stop hoping for one last book;'
wrote American author Cate Culpepper. "Does it
feel to you like we're starting to lose our pioneers,
one by one?''
Rule had an attractively deep and husky voice.
She was tall and handsome. She had a writing
career in Canada that included a series of short
stories that ran in a magazine. The central characters were a nongay couple. Rule did not want to
be known solely as a lesbian writer, which infuriated me because I wanted all her talent focused on
us. But Kallmaker says, "Whenever I would run
across an interview or essay of hers, my interest
was always caught by her perspective, which was
usually not the prevailing left-right dichotomy, but
uniquely Jane Rule's:'
In a 1988 interview on National Public Radio,
Rule was asked if she was bothered with being
known as a lesbian writer. She explained, "The only
trouble with labels is they can get in between you
and your readers:' With her characteristic humor,
she added, "I am also known as a woman writer, a
Canadian writer, an American writer and as a 6foot-lady writer:'
In the same interview, Jane talked about her
annual trips to the desert. She lived on an island
in the Pacific Northwest and would make these
treks because she believed that going into the desert cleared her vision. "I think;' she said, "you see
freshly when you move into a landscape whose
colors and texture are very different from the ones
you're used to:'
Rule's clear vision and her ability to renew that
clarity were gifts she gave to me and every other
reader. She even, by example, made writers out of
some of us. - Specialguest writer Lee Lynch
) ReadJaneRule'slast cuRveinterviewat curvemag.com.
Rita Mae Brown
Advocates for Better
LGBT Healthcare
LGBT people have dramatically higher risks for many types of cancer and often avoid heath screenings, according to Liz Margolies,
LCSW, the original coordinator of the Lesbian Cancer Initiative.
These higher risks are associated with stress-related, high-risk
behavior and HIV status, she says, and when clients fear going to a
healthcare provider for regular screenings, often their cancers are
detected at stages that are difficult to treat.
But her latest endeavor, the LGBT Cancer Project in New •
York City, seeks to improve services for queer cancer survivors and
those at risk by providing advocacy and training to healthcare providers, social service agencies and researchers. The project-funded by individuals, nonprofit organizations and corporations-is
an effort to break down the barriers to quality healthcare that
LGBT clients face by educating those who provide medical and
psychological help.
"I envision a more sensitive healthcare system;' the 54-year-old
says. She points out that no one pays attention to anal cancer or
gives anal pap smears. And people with HIV are more vulnerable
to some cancers. 'J\.cross the country there just is not support for
gay men and trans people or lesbians;' she says.
Only a smattering of lesbians, for example, attend lesbianspecific cancer groups and even fewer gay men and trans-identified individuals with cancer seek-or find-help from sensitive
healthcare practioners, Margolies says, from her 20-plus years as
both an LGBT political activist and a psychotherapist.
Along with the support of her 15-year-old son, Wolfe, and 50year-old partner Randi Weingarten, who is the chief of New York
City's United Federation of Teachers and very publicly came out in
0
a:
October, Margolies is working hard for LGBT medical rights.
!E..
"For a long time I was a lesbian professional;' jokes Margolies,
who still maintains a part-time private practice. "Now I am a proo
j fessional lesbian:'
f
~o
For more information about The LGBT Cancer Project, write
thelgbtcancerproject@earthlink.net. - SS
Michelle Shocked
"Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common."
>>Dorothy Parker
"I became a lesbian out of devout Christian charity. All
those women out here praying for a man, and I
gave them my share." >>Rita Mae Brown
"I resent like hell that I was maybe 18 before I ever
heard the L-word. It would have made all the
difference for me had I grown up knowing that
the reason I didn't fit in was because they hadn't
told me there were more categories to fit into."
>>Michelle Shocked
"I am not, I repeat, not a lesbian-even though I'd like
to be one when I grow up." >>Dawn French
"I love doing lesbian love scenes. Before I did my
lesbian scenes in Gia, I talked to actresses who
said love scenes are easier with another woman
than a man. Bound's Gina Gershon and Jennifer
Tilly said they'd lie there and discuss the sale at
Barney's between takes." >>Angelina Jolie
"If Michelangelo had been straight, the Sistine Chapel
would have been wallpapered." >>Robin Tyler
All quotes courtesy of the must-have resource
Women Know Everything!(quirkbooks.com)
March 2008
I 17
Curvatures
Lesbofile
Just for the Record
Some ladies dear up rumors, but others create more buzz.
I By Jocelyn Voo
Musicians know how to party like rock stars, both
onstage and off. This month, a roundup of gossip
in the pink music world.
Reading and Rocking
Who knew that Carrie Brownstein,
a former
member of the now-disbanded Sleater-Kinney,
could write as well as rock? She is now composing
Monitor Mix, a music blog at NPR's new music
site, which features vintage, pre-breakup SleaterKinney, as well as tracks from the IndigoGirls,Ani
Difrancoand TeganandSara,among others.
Not much of an audiophile? Brownstein assures
readers,'The blogwillfeaturewritingandmusings on
music, but since music is often terrible, the blog will
also delve into topics such as film, books, dogs and
television:' And we all know from EllenDeGeneres'
pet adoption fiasco-and subsequent emotional
outburst on her award-winning talk show-how
much airtime (or in this case, how many column
inches) we can suck up talking about our dogs.
More Than Just Bootylicious
Beyonce
Knowles
is certainly "ready for this jelly:'
In October, the "Bootylicious" singer was seen
whooping it up in the private VIP area of the New
York City club The Box as two women got it on in
a hot burlesque show onstage.
"She was really making the most of the burlesque strip show. She was on the table in the
balcony cheering loudly as two girls got naked
and licked each other's feet;' an onlooker told the
British newspaper Metro.
Dear Abby
JeannePhillips,better known as Abigail Van
"She was on the table in the balcony cheering loudly
as two girls got naked and licked each other's feet."
Th.e Gossip Mill Keeps Churning
Rumors started flying about the young Jodi·e
Buren of "Dear Abby" advice columnist fame, has
Fosterlook-alike LeeleeSobieskiafter photolong treaded water when it came to giving advice graphs of the scantily clad actor-turned-designer
about sexual orientation. But now let it be known:
TaraSubkoffsitting on her lap started circulating
Abby is pro same-sex marriage.
on the Internet last year.
"I believe if two people want to commit to each
However, Sobieski cut the gossip (and all of
other, God bless 'em;' Phillips told The Associated our hopes) short when she told The Observerthat
Press.'That is the highest form of commitment,
a quote she had given someone had been misconfor heaven's sake:' Parents, Families and Friends of
strued. "I have friends of all sorts and I judge nothLesbians and Gays (PFLAG) honored Phillips for ing, but I like men;' she told the magazine. "I said
her views.
one thing, and it really came out differently:'
'Tm trying to tell kids if they are gay, it's OK
Girl Friend or Girlfriend?
to be gay;' Phillips said. 'T ve tried to tell families if
they have a gay family member to accept them and
Actor and CoverGirl spokesmodel QueenLatifah
love them as they always have:'
has come a long way since her days of rapping in
1s
Icurve
the late '80s and '90s. But she has yet to comment
on her personal life.
Latifah was on the cover of Peoplemagazine
in late October. When prompted to speak about
her relationship status, she demurred, saying, "My
private life is my private life. Whomever I might
be with, I don't feel the need to share it. I don't
think I ever will:'
But Latifah's relationship with Jeanette Jenkins,
presumably her personal trainer, is certainly being
shared among gossipmongers. Photographs of the
twosome have been making the rounds, and blogger Perez Hilton maintains "the pair have been
dating for several years now:'
Will the Queen eventually open up about her
royal court? You make the call.
Curvatures
MORE TIDBITS
Lesbian
singer
Danielle
Egnewwon
BestKeyboardist
- Pop/
Alternative
Glamanda
People's
Choice
Awardat
theAllAccessMusicAwards
lastNovember.
Krystal Etsitty worked as a bus driver for the Utah
Transit Authority until she was fired for using women's
public restrooms. The UTA considered her a liability because she might make other patrons uncomfortable. But
no complaints were ever filed, and the UTA even told
Etsitty that she would be eligible for rehire-once her
MTF transition was complete.
Thefirst-ever,
half-hour
gay
newsshow,CBSNewson
Logo,will nowairweeklyon
Mondays
at 7 p.m.EST/PST
andstreamon365gay.com.
Chagmion
Antoineis oneof
thefeaturedcorrespondents.
Etsitty was fired for being transgender. She took the
UTA to court, ultimately winding up in the 10th Circuit
Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court's ruling against her: Etsitty's termination was perfectly legal.
According to the majority opinion, "Protection extends
to transsexual employees only if they are discriminated
against because they are male or because they are female:•
A London
manwho
donated
spermto a lesbian
coupleis beingforcedby
thegovernment
to paychild
support,
eventhoughhehas
nolegalrightsto norhashe
everbeeninvolved
withthe
twochildren.
Lesbofavefeministmag
Bitchwasawarded
a
grantworthnearly$6,000
throughtheRegional
Arts
andCultureCouncil
for an
expanded
Nairissueto be
released
in December.
The
issuewillfeaturea metallic
inkedcover,a 16-pagecolor
sectionanda comicfeature.
ThelargestLGBT
groupin
Nepal,BlueDiamond,
is
warningthegovernment
thatit will conductmass
protestsif theharassment
andarrestsof gayand
transgender
peopledon't
stop.Thepolicearrested
26
transgender
peoplein one
raidalonelastyear.
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It's the ENDA the World as We Know It
Thefirstnational
LGBT
conference
in Brazilwill
takeplaceMay 11.The
conference
will propose
guidelines
for publicpolicies,citizenship
andhuman
rights.-KP
Any change in that language has to come from Congress.
This, of course, is exactly the problem. In 31 states it is
legal to fire someone for being gay or lesbian, and in 38 it
is legal to fire someone for being transgender. In an effort
to ameliorate this discrimination, Rep. Barney Frank (DMass.) sponsored two bills in 2007.
By the end of September, however, Frank concluded that there
were not enough votes to pass a
gender identity-inclusive bill in
the House. So he presented the
Employment Non-Discrimination
Act (ENDA), which includes protections for sexual orientation. It
passed with an astounding majority
of 235-184 in the House and will be
presented to the Senate by Edward
Kennedy-despite
widespread
community disappointment.
The ENDA bill is not entirely
without LGBT supporters. Going against the tide of
community disapproval, several big-name LGBT rights
organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign,
supported the bill-and have taken a lot of flack for their
position. Many ENDA opponents have seen this move as
pointless. Others as a cold betrayal.
The HRC Deputy Communications Director, Trevor
Thomas, says that the HRC worked hard for an inclusive
bill, but ultimately they didn't want ENDA to "crash and
burn, knowing that it was a step forward for GLB people
nationwide:'
Whether or not it actually is a step forward is debatable. Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National
Center for Lesbian Rights, says it's impossible to separate gender discrimination from discrimination based on
sexual orientation. "I think that it was a shallow victory.
... Gay men and lesbians are discriminated against and
reviled by some preciselybecause we're not being the right
kind of men or the right kind of women:'
According to Kristina Wertz, the legal director of the
Transgender Law Center (TLC), many people-transgender or otherwise-who have been fired for their gender identity or expression have been able to go to court
under existing gender protection laws. Separating the
rights of transgender people from inherent gender rights,
she says, calls into question legislative intent, and makes
gender discrimination an affirmative defense.
"So, 'I didn't fire you because you are a woman, I fired
you because you used to look like a man' would be a legitimate court defense;' Wertz says.
The bill may also lead to problems for more inclusive
laws at the state level, where 12 states already offer inclusive nondiscrimination laws, says Masen Davis, the executive director of the TLC. Omitting transgender from
ENDA sets a precedent to not include transgender under
future state bills.
"It has a real chance of impeding progress on the state
level;' he says. "It's not just that
it doesn't protect folks, but
it's going against a successful
policy:•
And the bill may not even
pass in the Senate, where
transgender protection may be
reintroduced. Either way, the
Bush administration is recommending a presidential veto.
"So there was this enormous political fight, part of
our community being told
they were sacrificial lambs for,
at best, an apparent victory;'
Kendell says. "We can do better than that:'
Thomas says that because of the strong opposition to
the act, it's important to make the legislation as palatable
as possible for moderate voters.
"We cannot forget that the far right were working every single day, pushing their members to call Congress
and tell them not to support any ENDA. It's so important that when we have this debate in our community we
not forget that there are other people working against all
of us;' Thomas says.
Still, even the most ardent opponents of ENDA are
heartened by the community response.
"Without our sisters and brothers this would have
been a very different experience;' says Davis. "To see everyone stand together reflects that we are an inclusive
community. And by staying together and having a strong
alliance with our community, we will pass an inclusive
ENDA:'-LS
March 2008
j
19
Curvatures
Intimate Leibovitz Exhibit .on Tour
C,
2
Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz reveals the intimacies of her
life through photographs in an international exhibit, 'J\nnie Leibovitz: A
Photographer's Life, 1990-2005;' at art museums across the globe this year.
Leibovitz opened up about her primary means of expression and how it has affected her life in her new book with the same title, released last year. Although
pregnant. Discussing
the collection's diversity, Leibovitz says, "I
don't have two lives.
This is one life, and
most of the exhibit's photographs are porthe personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it:' Her collectraits of famous people, family and friends or
tion includes masterpieces of the 20th and 21st centuries.
landscapes, the collection has a journal-like
Leibovitz began her career at Rolling Stone in 1970. After three years, she
quality to it. The exhibit debuted in 2006
became their chief photographer. At 26, she toured with the Rolling Stones,
at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and
capturing intimate photos of the band. Leibovitz worked at Rolling Stone for
has been on display at the High Museum
13 years, then went on to Vanity Fair and Vogue. - MC
in Atlanta, the
Museum of Art
at Balboa Park in
San Diego and
the
Corcoran
Gallery of Art in
• Cutethankyoucards,or really arecute,hipandfunny.Much,
Washington, D.C.
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Thoseintotheretro-rockacareenoughto
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increasing
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(naughtybettyinc. witha pulpfictionart stylewill
she shot while reporting the siege of Sarajevo,
wry,sarcasticcardswith
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posed nude for the cover of Vanity Fair while
WHAT'S HOT: Hip Greeting Cards
20
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Curvatures
The Almighty Lavender Dollar
It is not just through protests that people become activists and advocates. How money is spent makes a significant impact on the economy. And it's quite clear that lesbians are very aware of the impact their money can have on a business.
In the spring of 2007, two gay companies-San Francisco-based Community Marketing, Inc. and New Jersey's
Rivendell Media, Inc. -joined together to study lesbian consumers for 34 days to find out when, where, how, why and on
what they spend their money.
"The lesbian markets have been largely ignored by corporate America," says Jerry McHugh, the senior research director at Community Marketing. "With a few exceptions, like Subaru, we don't see much attention given to this large and
diverse group. Some companies have special women's market initiatives, but is this enough?"
Over 10,000 self-identified lesbian women were polled about where they spend, how much they save and who is
and isn't on their list of companies to support in the most inclusive and representative study of its kind to date. Here are
some of study's more interesting findings, but the full 137-page report is available at gayconsumerindex.com. - JVL
In one eek,
e bians>>>
Watched
10 HOURS
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CURVE
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March
2ooaj 21
Advice
Lipstick & Dipstick
Calling All Femmes
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm 16 and only
attracted to feminine women. Where is
the best place to meet femmes? And if a
butch asks me out, how can I just say no?
- Focused on Fondling Femmes
Lipstick:Focused fondler, some of us are only at,
tracted to lipsticks. Your heart is its own connois,
seur, so stop worrying about that. As far as how
to meet femmes, I've got two bits of advice. First,
if it's safe for you to do so, make sure you're out
and proud. If people don't know you're gay, then
how can the hot femmes find you? Second, pick
up a tennis racquet and join the tennis team, as it's
loaded with budding lipsticks. When you hit the
road for your first away game, make sure you take
some bait, so there's no guessing which players are
looking for a love match. Bring the new Tegan and
Sara CD, a copy of CURVE and some hummus.
Pay attention to who dips the chips. All dykes love
hummus-right, Dipstick?
Dipstick:
That's right. The three things you always
see at a lesbian party are dogs, an ex,girlfriend
and hummus. FFF, I'll tell ya where to meet the
femmes-the same places I met them when I was
your age: the cheerleading squad, the swim team
and the debate club. Beyond those spots, you've
got a few places I didn't have, like gay,straight al,
liances and queer youth groups. Online, chat with
other teens on youth,safe sites, like the forum
Gayteens.Aboutcom. Finally, as for turning down
22
Icurve
butches, just be polite-tell them you're flattered
but just want to be friends. Later, ask them if
they know any cute femmes who are single.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I have been
with my partner for six years. I love her very
much. The problem is that when we got together she was with another woman, who
she stayed with for another two years. For
a while, we all tried to be together in one
relationship, and it was a total mess. The
first girlfriend finally left and it's just been
us for four years-and we're having major
trust issues. Every time we fight, I feel like
it would be easier to start over. I used to
think this was forever love, but now I'm not
so sure. I was too young when we got together. I want to explore and play. I need
to figure out what I want. My friends don't
like her so they are no help. I need someone
else's advice. - Toxic in Toronto
Dipstick:
Toxic, I see my young self in your situa,
tion. I, too, was involved with someone I thought I
would be with forever. But one year in, she decided
she wanted to open the relationship up-and date
our roommate. When I tried to tell her my heart
couldn't handle it, she said if I was a true feminist
and secure in my own sel£ their screaming orgasms
from the next room wouldn't bother me. She sug,
gested that I should be delighted at their newfound
joy. What a bunch of crap. When I complained
about the situation to my
friends, they gave me the
advice I'm about to give you:
Either stand up for yourself
or get out. There's a reason
your friends don't like her.
It's because she treats you
like shit. I say, ask their ad,
vice and heed it. They've got
your best interest at heart.
Lipstick:
Sometimes people
just need their asses kicked.
I'm wearing my cowboy
boots today, Toxic, so watch
out. You're having major
trust issues? Well, what a
surprise. Wake up and get
the hell out of this mess.
You've already made your
decision. Reread
your letter: "I was
too young when
we got together.
I want to explore
and play:' Um, hel,
lo? Where's the confusion
in that? Youjust need to get a backbone. Go home,
grab your things and quit wallowing. Break up
with her and get on with your life. You've got a lot
of growing and living to do, so start today.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: My problem is
my boss. He believes he's God's gift to women and he's a total know-it-all, so he thinks
he can "turn" me back to being straight.
He will not leave me alone. He knows I'm
with a woman and that I love her, and I'm
just sick of hearing his BS about how being
gay is some kind of choice. I can't afford to
quit my job, and I am really good at what I
do, but I've gotten to the point where I can't
take it anymore. - Boiling Over in Biloxi
Dipstick:
I'm boiling, too! The prick. While I can
sit here and fantasize about taking his jewels out
with a blow dart, what you've got to deal with is
a bona fide case of sexual harassment. You need
to start documenting all the things he has said to
you. If they're in an email or voice message, save
them. Take notes and keep evidence. And then
march yourself right up to human resources and
don't leave until a complaint has been filed. You
may even want to talk with a lawyer first to get a
bit of advice. This is serious and I hope you nail
his ass to the wall and get him fired.
Lipstick:Or you can turn this around-if
you
can't beat the truth into him, why not beat up
on his ego? Threaten a lawsuit and then tell him
it's because of chauvinistic assholes like him that
you're gay. But be careful-in Mississippi, he can
fire you for being a lesbian. Like Dip said, keep a
paper trail at home. If our government won't pro,
tect us, we've got to take it upon
Ask us anythingaboutsex, loveor lesbiansat lipstick,
dipstick.com.
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Q.
Astro Grrl Advice
A Spring Fling:'
There is a
flattering
pinklight
shiningon
you through
March,
Pisces.
You look
gorgeous,
but, of
course,
that'sall
external.
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
Sex:There is a flattering pink light shining on you through March,
Pisces. You look gorgeous, but, of course, that's all external. Work
Senior staff sits up
to improve on all surfaces and levels. Career:
and takes notice of you. That's a good thing ... especially if you
avoid long lunches and early departures.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Sex:Will you come out as a Lion or a lambda Ram this March?
It doesn't really matter as long as you make the most of your love
life in any and all forms. Career:
You find that working from home
has its advantages now. And yet there appears to be no advantage
to calling in sick.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex:Check out your usual group of gal pals and find an unusual
dalliance. Will it turn into something more? Well, more or less,
Sapphic Bulls may say one thing too many on
I suppose. Career:
the job this March. As a result, you may have to decide whether
to march forth or march out.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Sex:Twins find a little love at work. Just how little is up to you. It
all depends upon whether you are able to let your guard (among
March can open up new vistas and
other things) down. Career:
new professional opportunities for you. Think of fresh ways to
get ahead in life and how much head that will entail.
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Sex:Your sexual tastes run to the extreme and the exotic, and
you become insatiable. Will you bite off more than you can chew?
Good. Career:
Step into the limelight and make your professional
mark this March. Alas, will it be just a skid mark?
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex:Bring out the whipped cream and sashes, Lioness. March
makes you seductive and irresistible. Hurry up before you
Look behind the scenes to
become quite resistible again. Career:
find the answers at work. You may even find a few questionable
characters that need to be queried further.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:Take your lovergrrl by the hand and get into some mischief
A cer,
In fact, grab her and get into something even deeper. career:
tain girlfriend can get you out of a professional jam and help you
preserve your reputation. Ask for help before you become toast.
Libra (Sept. 24-0ct. 23)
Sex:Expand your social circle at the health dub this March. You
0
>fB never know who you might meet. Heck, make any excuse to hang
You are a shooting corporate star
around the steam room. Career:
::::,
0
(.)
now. That is, of course, if you can avoid shooting off your mouth.
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Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Sex:Love and romance follow you all through March. Why
not slow down so they can catch up to you? Career:Expect
(or plan) a great deal of business travel all through the month.
There are deals to be made. Meet, greet and send all the bills
to corporate.
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:You sizzle this March and can attract any woman you
want. Sex can be all,consuming if you let your g,string lead
Continue to maintain your patience at
to your g,spot. Career:
work, even if things seem to move too slowly. You may want to
vacation instead ... er, for the entire month?
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Sex:March provides you with ample opportunity to either improve
a current relationship or find a new one. The most important
thing is to connect and create electricity. Career:There are
opportunities to make more money than usual early in the
month. After that, you will spend until it hurts. Ouch.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Sex:Your best moves may not hit the mark in love. Review your
style and make some changes. And if you can't charm them, why
Aqueerians can advance to
not just buy their affections? Career:
upper management if they actively manage their careers. Go
hunting for big corporate game. How about a few
For more advicefrom the stars,visit thestarryeye.com.
March 2008
I 23
Advice
Relationships
Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind
Going the distance when you live far apart. I By Kate Lacey
When your super-jealous girlfriend lives one state
away and rants the diche "out of sight, out of
mind" as she bums all of your emails on the front
lawn, she isn't embracing the fact that this adage
was coined before the days of telecommuting, the
Internet, text messaging and videoconferencing.
With a mouse click, the size of the world becomes
smaller than Pamela Anderson's hope chest, unless your girl is living on a deserted island as part
of a reality show. Even so, when you are out of her
sight, out of town, out of state or maybe even out
of the country, dating can take on a set of challenges that the faint of heart may not be prepared
to handle.
The traps of a long-distance relationship
are well-known. If that tired old saying that
being out of sight is true, then why is she obsessed with what you are doing, who you are doing it with and why you are not doing it with her?
The problem is simple. Since you are out of her
sight, she assumes chat she is out of your mind,
which ultimately makes her go out of her mind.
Distance challenges the sense of trust in almost any relationship. It's just natural. Each
person must have a strong sense of self-esteem in order to avoid falling prey to insecurities. Being apart will blast chem into outrageous proportions, and you both must learn
how to work around the physical separation and
its challenges to your intimate relations. This
requires a commitment to reinforce the importance of your partner on a daily basis, with greater
frequency than you would if you were living in the
same town or household.
In day-to-day life, we are dependent upon
sight to provide a sense of security with our lovers. Visual cues like smiles, eye contact and body
language inform our fragile sense of connection.
We rely on the sense of touch to provide satisfying intimate interactions. We are programmed to
depend on these two senses to provide communication regarding love and trust to our partners.
The absence of touch and visual confirmation
is the hardest part of being in a long-distance
relationship and the key factor that you and your
partner must work to overcome.
So now that you know what the pitfalls are,
what kind of things can you do to beat them and
have a long-distance relationship that will go the
distance?
24
Icurve
SUGGESTIONS
Goto the samemovieat the sametime andcall
Whenthe two of youare together,
take as many eachotherimmediately
afterto talkaboutit Read
photosas the paparazzi
would. or only will you the same books, rent the same movies, listen to
be able to see her happy face along with your own,
but you'll have a happy memory of the two of you
together to get you through the times when you are
not. While you're apart, continue to share photosthough sending the pictures of the wild office party
where you're having the time of your life with the hot
sales rep might not be the message you want to send.
These days a webcam is not just for celebrities making sex videos to "accidentally" release for
sale on the Internet. For about 20, you and your
honey can see each other head to toe in real time
and full color. (However, do remember anything
you transmit can be recorded and put on YouTube
after you break up.)
Thenexttime youvisit,leavesomeclotheswith
yourscentonthemforher.Do not leave your rank
workout clothes-I promise you, no matter how
good you think your sweat smells, no woman in the
world would smell your skanky laundry and callit
romantic. (Take note, Matthew McConaughey.)
Keep a bottle of her favorite perfume with you and
lightly spritz your sheets. Have her do the same
and call each other from bed. Talk each other to
sleep or wherever your imaginations take you.
the same CDs, see the same plays. Watch sporting
events or programs on television simultaneously.
It will be as though you did it together. Anything
you can do to emphasize you are experiencing life
in tandem will strengrhen your bond.
Mailhercards.Don't just depend on text messages
and email. An old-fashioned love letter in your
handwriting will go a long way in reassuring her
of how special she is to you.
Leaveher a voicemail
whenyouknowshecan't
answer,soshecanlistento it morethanonce.Be
sweet. Be sexy.Be explicit. I don't suggest you leave
this on a work voicemail that can be monitored for
"quality assurance:·
Remindheroftenof whatyouloveabouther.Tell
her every day, in writing and on the phone. Often,
just saying, "I love you" is not enough and can lose
its impact. There are unique things about her that
do it for you-her dimples, her crazy curly hair,
her cute obsession with belly button lint. The farther apart you are, the more specific you must be
when you speak and write to her. Avoid telling her
chat the part you love most is all the space she gives
you-since she has no real choice in that matter.
restaurant, include a CD with the music chat was
playing, the food that you ate and a wine glass with
a bottle of what you had to drink that night. Try a
Obtaincredit cards that give the both of you book, a mug and a latte mix from when you met in
frequentflier miles.Save chem for each ocher or a bookstore coffee shop. For a re,creation of your
first movie date, send a copy of the DVD, some
better yet, meet in some exotic, romantic locale.
popcorn and the soda she spilled all over your
Whenyoutalk on the phone,don'tsimplyshare shoes. With enough creativity and a credit card,
the mundane
detailsof yourday.Talk about your
chis can be priceless.
feelings, your good memories with her. Talk about
Useyourimagination
andhelpyourgirtusehers.
the future, your fantasies, your desire for her. Tell
Embrace the technology available to you. Start
her what she means to you. This will reignite your
with chatting online together whenever you can.
passion and reassure her that out of sight is not
Play games online to,
out of mind.
gecher chat allow you
Make her a mix CD with
to
interact-though
blowing each ocher into
songsthat remindyou of
her.Include any songs play,
smithereens in World
of Warcraft may lack a
ing during your firsts-first
certain je ne sais quoi.
kiss, first look, first dance ...
Open yourself up to
unless it was the "Chicken
Dance."
o one wants
engaging in phone sex
and cyber sex. You'll
to hear that tune outside
surprise yourself with
Oktoberfest or a wedding.
what you can do with
Send a letter with the CD or
one hand, not to men,
talk at length on the phone
tion the freedom of hands,free technology. Read
about how the songs relate to the two of you. Make
Distancechallengesthe
senseof trust in any
relationship.
Each person
mustavoidfallingpreyto
insecurities.Beingapart
willblastthem intooutrageousproportions.
a copy for yourself and listen to it together.
some smutty novels or look online for books on
how to talk or write "dirt{ A long,distance rela,
Sendherfavoritethingsto herhometo showyou
are thinkingof her.These days you can send any,
tionship cannot afford the luxury of shyness or
self,consciousness.
thing-cookies, flowers, ribs, wine. If you look
hard enough, you could probably find an Eel of the
Month Club, if chat's what she's into. Try re,cre,
ating your first date by packing things into a box
to ship to her. For that first dinner at the Italian
Gettogetherwheneveryoucan and alwaysplan
yourvisitsahead.This will give you both some,
thing to look forward to. ShorMerm goals are im,
portant. Whether it's Pride weekend or yet another
Law & Ordermarathon, knowing the two of you
will be together for it will make it a special event.
The key to a successful long,distance relation,
ship is to consciously decide to do things each day
to remind her chat you are thinking of her. You
should expect natural emotions like insecurity, ap,
prehension and loneliness to appear faster than you
can say"GPS" when the two of you are apart. What
bridges the distance and keeps these emotions in
check is facing them as a couple. Take action chat
will reassure both of you chat you are in this to,
gether. If she reciprocates, the relationship has the
potential to be even stronger than it would be if you
were living down the street from one another.
March 2008
I25
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
The Long Wait for Those Three Words
Why wouldn't her sorry butt just say she was sorry:
"Love means never having to say you're sorry:'That is what Ali McGraw said
in the movie Love Story. She was wrong-hot, but still wrong. It was the '70s
and she was heavily medicated and terminally heterosexual.
Love means saying you're sorry all the time. It means saying you're
sorry when you commit a transgression, whether intentional or not. It
means apologizing when you think you may have been wrong and even
when you know damn well that you were right. To forgive is divine, but a
well-executed apology is heavenly.
I don't know what attracted me to the dyke-who-couldn't-apologize; I
suppose it was her confidence. Later I realized that what passed for confidence early on in the relationship was just plain arrogance. She always knew
what was wrong with the world and everybody in it. At first I would delight in
her diagnoses and prescriptions for the ills of the planet. Rapt, I would sit in
a cafewith her as she would pontificate about how simple life could be if only
people would allow themselves to see with the clarity that she possessed.
Her ex-lovers, it seemed, did not understand her giftsand would become
angry or jealous, thus spoiling the relationship with her. I listened carefully
and vowed not to make the same mistakes.
She talked a lot. I know now that talking too much is a warning sign. But
then again so is a willingness to listen to hours of bullshit. Sometimes she
talked so long that her coffee got cold and so did mine,
because I didn't want her to think I wasn't paying attention
by looking down at my cup in order to grasp it and take
a drink. Cocktails were easier because I could snatch the
stem of a martini glass and gulp half the contents without
spilling a drop or breaking her intense gaze.
Looking back, the liquor was probably a bad idea.
Perhaps if I had been in my right mind more of the time,
I might have gotten out of the situation with a cute little
story about a bad date rather than a drawn-out tale about
a dyke who couldn't ask for forgiveness.
She was hung up on her ex-lover, but she wouldn't
admit it. Kai was the ex before me, the one that apparently got away. Lucky her. She described Kai as emotionally unavailable and incapable of empathy. She said she fel~
fortunate to be out of the situation with Kai, but her thin
quivery voice gave a different impression. It was another
warning flag; but if a girl has to brake for every lesbian who
has issues with an ex, she will have limited life experience.
She didn't stay in contact with Kai or any of her other
ex-lovers. She thought that lesbians who kept old girlfriends around were emotionally stunted and lacked the
ability to go on with their lives in healthy and prosperous
ways. Of course, many of my pals were former flames who
turned out to be better suited for friendship. She called
every woman I ever slept with an ex. She would shake her
head and tsk-tsk me when she heard that I was getting
together with one of them. She would warn me that such
fraternization would only lead to trouble in my life and
eventually trouble with her.
26
Icurve
A few months into the relationship, or after I joined the cult, as my sister
called it, I stumbled upon my girlfriend dining with Kai. Yes, the Kai. Imagine
my surprise when I stopped in to a restaurant for a quick bite after work and
saw my girlfriend looking soulfully into the eyes of the woman sitting across
the table from her. They were sharing a salad and although they were not
feeding each other, they were eating from the same plate. I wondered just how
far up someone's ass I could shove a free-range chicken.
On shaky legs, I walked over to them and made my presence known.
Everything clever I had planned to say evaporated in my throat like the spit
had in my mouth when my darling immediately jumped up and embraced me
like she hadn't seen me in years and introduced me to her"friend;' Kai. I stood
there and muttered a few idiotic words about the restaurant or the weather or
how awful it was to be me at that moment and then excused myself and left
without picking up my food.
I didn't know what to make of the situation, but I needn't have worried
because she did. She called a few hours later and acted as light and breezy as
could be. She asked about my evening and chatted about her day at work. I
wondered when she would get to the part of the day where she was sitting
down to dinner with her ex-girlfriend, a fact she had neglected to mention to
me earlier, when we had spoken about our respective plans for the evening.
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Finally I couldn't take it any more and I said, "Why were you having dinner with Kai tonight?" Why was I talking to her like that, she wanted to know.
And then we had a half-hour discussion about my attitude and my jealousy
and how crappy both things were. Three hang-ups later, she told me that Kai
had called to ask her for some advice about her new relationship. She felt that
it would have been wrong to turn her "friend" away in a time of need.
I was the one who spent my life hanging out with old girlfriends. And I
was the one who had made other plans for the evening. And didn't I feel terrible for being jealous and angry? As always, she persuaded me to see things
her way. Instead of receiving an apology, I wound up making several.
It was shortly after that incident that I noticed she was never wrong and
therefore never needed to apologize. I really thought about it and realized
that she had not uttered an apology once in the entire time I had known her.
Not to me, not to anyone.
I started paying attention to this facet of her personality. She would arrive
late and blame the other motorists on the road for her tardiness.
She would step on somebody's foot in an elevator and explain that she was
pushed or assert that she was the victim of a faulty shoe manufacturer.
When it came to our relationship, no matter what she did, her butt was
never sorry. When she yelled, I drove her to it. When she dropped my car
keys down the street drain, she asked me why my keys were so slippery.
Her refusal to admit that she was at fault would have been fascinating
if I were her therapist, but seeing as I was her lover, it was exhausting and
annoying.
We continued on our unmerry path together for a couple more months,
until I found Kai's underwear tangled in her sheets.
Of course I didn't know it was Kai's right away. My righteous woman tried
to tell me that the underwear I had found in her bed was my own. I told her
that it was not. Then she told me that it was hers. I held it aloft in disbelie£
Kai was a big girl. My soon to be ex-girlfriend was speechless for about 30
seconds, which was a record in our relationship.
Finally, she spoke. And spoke. And spoke. She talked about all that was
wrong about us. She blustered about how far she had gotten from her emotions. She acknowledged that she had some unresolved issues with Kai, but
since those unresolved issues were mostly sexual in nature, she saw no reason
why we could not continue our relationship while she worked on sex with
Kai. She couldn't really remember how many times she and Kai had slept
together in the past few months, but claimed that such details were unimportant. What was important was that she was making real progress and that
she was sure that after having sex with Kai a few more times, her issues would
work themselves out.
I told her that I would not be waiting around to find out how the Kai
saga ended. I told her that the time I spent with her had been a waste and
that she was a selfish, lying creep who owed me and the entire lesbian nation
an apology.
As my back was almost out her door, I heard her sputter, "I am sorry ...
you feel that waY:'
March 2008
I27
Politics
VictoriaA. Brownworth
The Heart of the Matter
Fat is a feminist issue. Then again, so is heart disease.
so. For two decades there was a decline in death from heart disease among
women. Social and cultural changes, however, have reversed this trend. The
growing problem of obesity in the United States, the alarming increase in
diabetes and the great number of women who are smoking as well as drinking
to excess, have turned heart disease into a more deadly killer than ever.
Women are having heart attacks and heart-related strokes at· earlier and
earlier ages, even in their 20s.
A study from December 2007 by the American Heart Association shows
that women under 40 are dying more frequently from heart attacks that are
the result of clogged arteries, while men of similar ages are not.
In addition, heart disease isn't just about dropping dead of a heart attack
or a stroke. It's often a debilitating, long-term disease that can rob you of the
fullness of your life long before it actually kills you. You can become a "cardiac
cripple:'
Lesbians are notorious for ignoring their own healthcare. It's tragic, actually, as lesbians have been at the forefront of the healthcare movement for
women and for gay men with HIV/ AIDS. Yet when it comes to their own
health, lesbians throw common sense out the window. I have found it next to
impossible to get my otherwise smart and savvy lesbian friends to have annual
physicals and the tests that go with them.
More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight and, of those, most
qualify as obese. Most of my closest women friends qualify as obese. So do I.
If you think obesity means what one acquaintance unkindly refers to as
"circus fat;' think again. Obesity is characterized as being 20 percent over the
ideal weight for your height. Morbid obesity is being more than 40 percent
Valentine's Day helps break up the awfulness of winter and the long, dismal
period between New Year's and spring. It gives us a reason to shower our
lovers with gifts.
As Valentine's Day approached, hearts were ubiquitous.
Contemplating the symbolism of the heart, and the ring on my left hand
from my beloved, inevitablyled me to think about the heart's more literalaspects.
Our hearts are more than just symbols of love. That ring is on my left ring
finger because it was once thought that the vein just above that finger led directly to the heart. This isn't actually true, but tradition is tradition. The point
is, the heart and romance are inextricably connected.
So, too, is life inextricably connected to the heart. Every beat pulses blood
throughout our bodies, keeping us alive. Thus, our hearts can be broken in far
more than metaphoric ways.
We all are familiar with the pink ribbons symbolizing breast cancer awareness. But heart disease is far and away the leading cause of death for women
of all ages. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for everyone in the
United States, killing three-quarters of a million Americans each year.
Added to that disquieting fact comes a new and disturbing statistic:
Among women under 40, death from heart disease is on the rise. Significantly
28
Icurve
over your ideal weight.
This means the average American woman, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall with
a medium frame, should weigh 120 pounds. So if you are 5 feet 4 inches
and weigh 144 pounds, you are obese because you are 20 percent over your
ideal weight. The ideal weight for women is 100 pounds at 5 feet tall and 5
pounds more for each additional inch. For every decade over 30, add an additional 5 to 10 pounds for "spread" and you still remain in the ideal weight
range. It's not just about weight. High cholesterol-anything over 190 as a
combined score-is a silent killer, as is high blood sugar. High blood pressure, anything above 120/80, is a stress on your heart and predisposes you
to having a stroke.
African American and Latina women are more likely to have high blood
pressure and high blood sugar than white women. Asian women have the
lowest rate of heart disease, but they also tend to have the lowest overall body
fat. So what can we do to save our lives from this killer disease that more than
80 percent of us will eventually have?
• If you smoke, stop. There is nothing worse for your overall health and
heart than smoking.
• If you drink, keep it moderate. More than two glasses of wine or two
ounces of hard liquor a day is too much for women's hearts.
• Exercise and watch your diet. A fellow contributing editor at CURVE is
probably the fittest person I know. She gets up at dawn to run or do Pilates
before her graduate school classes. She eats a vegetarian diet with lots of raw
fruits and vegetables, eats a lot of soy and puts flax seed in everything. She
looks healthy and attractive and seems to have a lot of energy. I admire her
IN THE NEWS
discipline and imagine her arteries are totally clear
of plaque. That kind of discipline takes years to
build, but there are some small changes in lifestyle
you can make to improve your overall health.
• The easiest thing to do to control your
weight, blood pressure and blood sugar is to walk,
walk, walk. Walking 10,000 steps a day will give
you the same results as hard exercise. Get a pedometer and start with 1,000 steps a day ( unbelievably, most of us rarely break 1,000 a day; we
are that sedentary).
• Taking the salt out of your diet will lower
your blood pressure almost overnight. Drinking
plenty of water every day will make you eat less
and cleanse your body of fat and toxins. (Most of
us barely drinkthree.) Often we eat when we are
actuallyjust thirsty.
Lesbians are notorious for
ignoring their own health
care. It's tragic, actually,
as lesbians have been in
the forefront of the movement for women and for
gay men with
HIV/AIDS.
• Stop eating two, or preferably three, hours
before bedtime. Most women eat at night. They
starve themselves throughout the day and then
"graze"all evening until bedtime.
g
3
>-
• Eat a real breakfast with protein and slowrelease carbohydrates, like cereal, bread and fruit.
Snack often with small portions of vegetables,
fruits or nuts. Thiskeeps your insulin levels even
throughout the day.
Taking these few steps will lower your risk of
8
heart disease. If you already have heart disease,
.,,
they will keep it from progressing.
0
We owe it to ourselves and our partners to stay
healthy. My New Year'sresolution was to lose that
20 percent over my ideal weight. Make a commitment to yourself to make your heart healthy this
t;;
I
N
$
Lutheran
Church
Ordains
Lesbian
A Lutheran
churchin Chicago
ordained27-yearoldlesbianJenRudeasa ministerwithoutmakinghertakethevowof celibacyrequiredbythe
Evangelical
Lutheran
Churchin America(ELCA).
Rudecalledthevow,requisite
onlyfor homosexual
ministers,
discriminatory
andrefused
to takeit.WhileChicago's
bishop,WayneMiller,
agreedthecelibacyruleshouldbereversed
and
didnotblockherordainment,
hedidn'tattendthe
ceremony
at Resurrection
Lutheran
Churcheither.
Morethan100members
of the church
showedupto supportRude,despitethefact
thatthecongregation
couldbeexpelled
from
the ELCA
denomination-thelargestLutheran
denomination
in theUnitedStates-if the ELCA
decidedto enforcethepolicylater.
nizationGender
Education
andAdvocacy
does
keeptrackof transkillings.Itswebsite(gender.
org)includesa pageof 11victimsof anti-trans
violencein 2007andlistscausesof death
suchasblunt-force
traumaanddenialofAIDS
treatment.
HateCrimesin U.S.Upby8 Percent
FBIstatisticsreleased
in late2007show1,195
instances
of hatecrimesin whichtheperpetrator'smotivating
factorwasthevictim's
actualor perceived
sexualorientation.
Instances
of hate
crimesbasedon
sexualorientation
changed
onlyslightly.
Theyaccounted
for 14
BillGivesSame-Sex
Couples
IVFAccess
percentof totalhate
A Catholic
clergyman
is havinga tizzyin England
crimesin 2005but
overthethoughtof lesbian
couples
havingchildren
wentupto 15 percentin 2006,whilehatecrimes
through-i)asp!-in vitrofertilization.
in totalwentup8 percent.
Cardinal
CormacMurphyCitieswiththe highestnumberof sexual
O'Connor
saidin a letterto
orientation-based
hatecrimeswere,notsurprisTheTimesof Londonthat
ingly,someof thelargest:NewYorkCity(59),
the HumanFertilisation
and
andBoston(38
Embryology
Bill,whichwould LosAngeles(42),SanFrancisco
D.C.(36).
allowsame-sex
couples
access each),andWashington,
Galifomia
reportedthemostsexualorientato IVF,wouldundermine
the
tion-based
hatecrimes,with246instances.
roleof fathers.
"Thisradicallyundermines
Same-Sex
Couples
Playing
House
theplaceof thefatherin a
child'slife,"hewrote,"and
A reportreleased
in November
2007bythe
WilliamsInstitutefor SexualOrientation
Lawand
makesthe naturalrightsof
of Galifomia,
Los
thechildsubordinate
to thedesiresof thecouple." PublicPolicyat theUniversity
ThegayrightsgroupStonewall,
however,
says AngelesSchoolof Lawstatesthatthenumber
couplesshackingupin theU.S.
thatthe bill merelyextendsrightsto homosexual of same-sex
since1990.
couples
thatarealreadyavailable
to heterosexual quadrupled
Theincreases
arehighestin Mountain,
couples.
MidwestandSouthern
states-you know,the
Transgender
VictimsHonored
Nationwide
conservative
ones.
Intheyear2000,therewere600,000selfVigilswereheldin 250citieslastNovember
in
proclaimed
same-sex
couples;in 2006,there
honorof the ninthannualTransgender
Dayof
were777,000.In 2006,of th·eeightstatesthat
Remembrance.
hadan initiativeonthe ballotto bansame-sex
Theevent,whichbeganin SanFrancisco
in
marriage,
sixof themhadincreases
of morethan
1999,is heldto memorialize
peoplekilledby
anti-transgender
violence.
30 percentthe nationalrate.
Whilethe FBIdoesn'tkeeprecordsof antiGaryGates,
theauthorof thestudyanda
transgender
killings,reportsfromtransgender
SeniorResearch
Fellowat theWilliamsInstitute,
advocacy
groupssaythathundreds
havebeen
saysoneof the biggestreasons
for theincrease
killedin the pastdecade,
andsomestudiesshow is that moresame-sex
couplesarecomfortable
identifying
assuch.
thatanti-transThisstudy,alongwiththe GayandLesbian
genderviolence
Consumer
IndexandHumanRightscampaign's
accounts
for 1O
"Buyingfor Equality"
shopping
guide,shows
percentof all vioa probability
thatmorelesbianandgayvoters
lentcrimesin the
will showupat the pollsin November.
- Katie
UnitedStates.
Peoples
andJennaV.Loceff
ButtheorgaMarch 2008
I29
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
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CIPTR
n
Theseare the researchers
who changedthe Ivory Towerand
are now changingthe world. By Rachel Pepper
ci+--a
ITH SEVERAL CURVE contributors and editors working inside academia by day (the author of thislist is, in fact,
the coordinator of LGBT studies at Yale),it seemed timely to profile some top lesbian professors as part of our ongoing
"10 Powerful Lesbians" series. But as the nominations began
to pour in &omelectronic mailing
lists and academic queer
peers, it became dear that a scholarly chord badbeenstrudc and chatwe couldn't just stop at 10. So out of hundreds
of nominations, how did we select our top 20i It wasn't easy,but w started with some obvious tried-and-true pioneers
(there are more than youa think), and then included some outstanding professional women at the summit of their
careers. To levd the playing field, we also added in some rising young academic rockstars who make the halls of higher
learning such exciting places to be. In their o~n way,each of these women possesses a certain special something that just
makes them stand out from a powerhouse field of contenders. Through some combination of teaching, writing, research and leadenhip, all
these women are changing the &ceof academia, a world that, until recently,has been run exclusivelyby straight white men.
Our top 20 (profiled here in alphabetical order) is an impressive list of scholars, all of whom are equally deserving of our accolades.We
alaoknow that without lesbian~istrators
and support staff, universities simply could not run. So our special commendations go out in
honor and recognition of all the lesbian and bi~dyke administrative, technical, clerical and service workers who keep academia functioning
and improving every day,fromthe inside out. No doubt we've missedcowidess women (if you'd like to see even more honorable mentions,
go to C1.ll'ftfflag.COm)
andwe ham't even begun to tackle all of you K-12 teachers (but it's in the worb ), so please tell us whowe missed this
time around (by writing to assiatanteditor@curvemag.com) and you may see them in our pages soon enough.
Specialthanksto theNationalConsortium
of Directors
of LGBTResources
in HigherEducation
andthea StudiesListServfor theirthoughtfulsuggestions.
1
Sara Ahmed
Goldsmiths, University of London
Sara Ahmed writes that
she works at "the intersection between feminist theory, critical race
and postcolonial theory
and queer studies:• In
academic code talk,
this is a fancy way of
saying she writes about everything that's currently
important. A professor of race and cultural studies
in the department of media and communications
at Goldsmiths, University of London, Ahmed is a
prolific author. In addition to contributing to many
books and periodicals, she has written and edited
seven of her own books in the last 10 years. The
most recent, Queer Phenomenology: Orientations,
Objects, Others, which was published in 2006, explores "how orientations affect how bodies inhabit
time and space;' and led one online reviewer to
comment that "I never thought tables could be so
interesting, but once you read this book, you will
keep noticing them! And of course, the table becomes queer .... This book makes furniture something to think about. Wow!" Ahmed is currently
working on a book about happiness, and another
on diversity and racism in higher education.
2
M.V. Lee Badgett
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
The field of economics
is usually thought of as
a man's domain, but the
intersection of economics and sexual orientation is M.V. Lee Badgett's
comfort zone. Badgett
is the author of Money, Myths and Change: The
Economic Lives of Lesbians and Gay Men, and is
a professor at the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst. She's the research director of the
Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies,
a national think tank focusing on policy issues
related to sexual orientation. Often examining
labor market discrimination resulting from factors likeorientation, race, gender and family status,
Badgett also explores the controversial concept of
gay affluence, which she discredits. Another topic
that she has been writing on is the economic effects
of same-sex marriage. Knowing that some lesbian
professors are watching out for our monetary interests-and indeed making this their life's work-is
something we can all feel good about.
32
Icurve
3
Carolyn R. Bertozzi
University of California, Berkeley
In academia, women in science are finally beginning
to get their due. One such accomplished scientist
is UC Berkeley's Carolyn Bertozzi, whose honors
and awards could fill this whole page. Currently,
this researcher in cellular immunology is the
T.Z. and Irmgard Chu Distinguished Professor
of Chemistry, and a professor of molecular and
cell biology at Berkeley. She's also been the recipient of the Ernst Schering Prize and a MacArthur
Foundation Award, popularly known as a "genius
award;' and recently
she received the 2007
GLBT Scientist of the
Year Award, given an,
nually by the National
Organization of Gay
and Lesbian Scientists
and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) for her
"outstanding achievements in applying chemistry
to help answer biological questions related to human health and disease."
4
Judith Buder
University of California, Berkeley
The queen of queer theory, Butler is probably
the best,known lesbian academic working today. Her first book, Gender Trouble, published in
1990, set the tone for her many works to follow,
and remains a classic in its field. Although many
find Butler's dense, poststructuralist wriring hard
to read, her work is critically important in philosophical and theoretical circles. Butler received her
Ph.D. from Yale and returned to receive its prestigious Brudner Prize for excellence in 2004, joining
the ranks of esteemed academics such as Lillian
Faderman and Eve
5
Tammy Rae Carland
California College of the Arts
How many lesbian
academics
can
say they've run a
record label spe,
cializing in dyke
queercore musicians? Credit Carland, of the now-defunct Mr.
Lady Records, with this amazing first. Carland
started the label with her then-girlfriend, musician
Kaia Wilson, and it became home to such acts as
the Butchies and Le Tigre. Carland's career path
and output will strike a chord with a new generation of lesbian artists. She's been featured in Ms.
magazine, and included in Harmony Hammond's
Lesbian Art in America: A Contemporary History;
she has exhibited her artwork at the Los Angeles
LACE gallery and her films have screened at the
Frameline San Francisco International Gay and
Lesbian Film Festival, among many other exhibitions and festivals. An experimental filmmaker,
photographer and video artist, Carland has been
an associate professor in the photography department at California College of the Arts since 2002.
6
Cathy Cohen
University of Chicago
Cathy Cohen has long been an advocate for
communities of color, both as a writer and as an
academic. A former director of the Center for
the Study of Race,
Politics, and Culture
at the University of
Chicago, a founding
board member of the
Audre Lorde Project
in New York, and a
KosofskySedgwick. former board memOther notable books
ber of Kitchen Table:
Women of Color Press,
by Butler include
Undoing Gender and
Cohen has won many awards, including a Robert
Bodies That Matter:
Wood Johnson Investigator's Award and a Ford
On the Discursive Foundation research award. From 1993 to 2000
Limits
of
"Sex:' Cohen was a professor at Yale. She was the third
Butler has become such a well-known culturalfig- African American woman to receive tenure there
ure in academia that there have been entire zincs
and the first to receive it in the social sciences. She
written about her. A documentary film about her
also founded Yale'sCenter for the Study of Race,
life, her work and her philosophy, Judith Butler: Inequality, and Politics. Cohen is the author of The
PhilosophicalEncounters of the Third Kind,was re- Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown
leased in 2007.
of Black Politicsand is never shy about proclaiming
her dual identity as an African American woman
and a lesbian. Cohen is currently a professor of
political science at the University of Chicago.
z
:::J
ju..
I
7
Ann Cvetkovich
University of Texas, Austin
A shining example of a
lesbian academic in her
prime, Ann Cvetkovich
is an associate professor
of English and women's
and gender studies at
the University of Texas, Austin, and the chair of
the LGBTQ/Sexualities Research Cluster at
the University of Texas. She is the author of two
books, Mixed Feelings:Feminism, Mass Culture and
Victorian Sensationalism and An Archive of Feelings:
Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Culture, and
has contributed to many other books and periodicals. With Ann Pellegrini, Cvetkovich edited
"Public Sentiments;' a special issue of The Scholar
and the Feminist Online, and is the co-editor of the
influential queer academic journal GLQ: A Journal
of Lesbian and Gay Studies. She's currently working on two articles, one on the Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival and utopian communities, and another on Alison Bechdel's book Fun Home, and
her new book project is on the topic of depression.
Cvetkovich is also the long-term partner of Two
Nice Girls' ex-front woman Gretchen Phillips,
making these two a star-studded pair indeed. And
rare proof that academia and pop culture can occasionally, and happily, coexist.
8
0
JillDolan
University of Texas, Austin
A pioneer in the field of
lesbian theater, Dolan has
been the president of the
Association for Theatre
in Higher Education, and
the former executive director of the Center for
Lesbian and Gay Studies
at the Graduate Center of
the City University of New York; she has written
several books, including the classic The Feminist
Spectator as Critic and the recently published
Utopia in Performance: Finding Hope at the Theatre.
Her latest book projects include writing a critical
memoir entitled From Flannel to Fleece:A Lesbian
of a Certain Age, and editing a collection of feminist
plays. Dolan is also tackling more contemporary
topics in her writing, including an essay on TheL
Word, and she even has a blog. The future of lesbian feminist theater has never looked brighter.
9
Lisa Duggan
New York University
Lisa Duggan was repeatedly recommended by her
peers; one colleague called her an "outstanding,
groundbreaking, lesbian queer studies professor,
historian, and activist;' adding that "her works and
sharp analyses of cultural politics, neoliberalism,
and sexual dissent have all been incredibly influential in the field ofLGBT studies:' A professor of social and cultural analysis
at New York University,
and the director of
its American Studies
Program, Duggan has
done extensive research in
gender and LGBT studies, teaching courses that
deconstruct whiteness in
the U.S. and examine critical and queer historiographies. Her books include Sapphic Slashers: Sex,
Violence and American Modernity and Sex Wars:
Sexual Dissent and Political Culture.
10
Anne Fausto-Sterling
Brown University
One of the most outstanding lesbian scientists, An,ne FaustoSterling may be most
renowned for her work
in the field of human
gender
development
and
sexuality. Her
books, Sexing the Body
and Myths of Gender, are classics, and articles she
has written, including one in the quarterly The
Sciences entitled 'The Five Sexes;' have inspired
much debate on the topic of gender difference, and
have renewed interest in the subject of people born
intersex. Heavily referenced for her work on childhood gender development, and body and cultural
differences, Fausto-Sterling has won numerous
awards, including a National Science Foundation
Grant, a Mellon Fellowship from the Wellesley
Center for Research on Women, and a Women of
Distinction Award &om the City University of New
York.A professor of biology and gender studies for
more than 30 years, Fausto-Sterling married the
playwright Paula Vogel in Truro, Mass., in 2004.
11
Gayatri Gopinath
New York University
The face of academia
is changing. Not only
is it no longer solely
the terrain of straight
white men-the
fact
is women of color are
responsible for some
of the most exciting
research to emerge
from the academy
today. No one stands
out more than Gayatri Gopinath, who is currently
an associate professor in the department of social
and cultural analysis at New York University. She
is best known for her book, Impossible Desires:
Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures,
published by Duke University Press in 2005,
which an online reviewer called "the most important book of queer South Asian identity politics
in the 21st century:' A specialist in postcolonial
literatures, feminist and queer theory, and popular
culture, especially pertaining to the Asian diaspora, Gopinath has written extensively about Deepa
Mehtis lesbian-themed movie Fire, and how alternative sexualities are encoded in movies from queer
Bollywood.
12
Clare Hemmings, Gender Institute,
London School of Economics and
Political Science
As stylish as she is accomplished, this young
Brit has worked extensively on the significance
of bisexuality in sexuality
studies, a subject reflected in two of her books,
The Bisexual Imaginary:
Representation, Identity, and Desire, and Bisexual
Spaces: A Geography of Sexuality and Gender. A
forthcoming book, Telling Feminist Stories, explores
another interest of hers, feminist historiography
and epistemology. Hemmings is a senior lecturer
in gender studies and gender theory at the London
School of Economics, and was the co-chair of the
U.K. and Ireland's Feminist and Women's Studies
Association from 2002 to 2004.
March 2008
I33
13
Nan Hunter
Brooklyn Law School
When you think of the quintessential lesbian professor, you
could easily imagine someone just like Nan Hunter.
Professorial yet approachable,
impressively credentialed and
ambitious, always tirelessly
working for lesbian and gay legal rights, and yet
looking like someone you'd love to chat with over
tea, Hunter is an obvious choice for our top 20.
A professor of law at Brooklyn Law School since
1990, Hunter also founded and became the first
director of the ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights
and AIDS Project, an incredibly important civil
rights organization for our community. She co-authored the influential casebook Sexuality, Gender
and the Law, now in its second edition, as well as
The Powerof Procedure,which is used in many law
school classrooms. Hunter has been widely published in the areas of state regulation of sexuality
and gender, and health law and procedure, in addition to speaking publicly and writing on samesex marriage. She served as deputy general counsel
for the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services from 1993 to 1996 and received a 2000
Civil Rights Pioneer award from amFAR. Now if
we could only get her appointed to the Supreme
Court.
14
Esther Newton, Purchase College,
State University of New York
A true pioneer in LGBT studies, long-esteemed researcher
and writer Esther Newton
has penned some of the most
groundbreaking books on
queer history. These include
CherryGrove,FireIsland:Sixty
Yearsin Americas FirstGay and LesbianTown and
Mother Camp: Female Impersonatorsin America.
She has won the Ruth Benedict Prize from the
Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists,
among other honors, and is reportedly currently
working on a memoir called My Butch Career.She
is a professor of anthropology, women's studies and
American culture at Purchase College. In addition
to being widely recognized for her landmark academic work, she is, as one peer wrote, "absolutely
adored" by her students.
34
Icurve
15
Trinity Ordona
City College of San Francisco
Not many lesbian academics can claim that they
are ordained ministers (in the Church of Natural
Grace), cult survivors and teachers of self-healing
through meditation and guided imagery. An instructor at several Bay
Area colleges with
accessible admission
policies and affordable tuition, such as
City College of San
Francisco, Ordona is
a longtime activist for civil rights and queer rights,
and has long-standing memberships in various organizations for Asian Pacific Islander women. She
has contributed to many anthologies and exhibits
about Asian Pacific Islander women, and is the author of Coming Out Together:An Ethnohistoryof
17
Tiina Rosenberg
Lund University, Sweden
Tiina
Rosenberg
is not only accomplished in academia,
writing extensively
on the performing
arts, queer theory
and feminism, but
she is also one of the
co-founders of the Feminist Initiative and of the
Swedish feminist party. Her books include (these
titles are in translation) Desiring Pants, Queer
Feminist Agenda, Gender Is Burning!, L-Word:
Where Have All the LesbiansGone?and a collec-
tion of Judith Butler's texts in Swedish. Rosenberg
is a professor of gender studies and the director of
the Centre for Gender Studies at Lund University
in Sweden, and proves without a doubt that our
the Asian and PacificIslanderQueer Women'.sand international sisters are more than pulling their
TransgenderedPeoplesMovement of San Francisco. weight in queering up the canon.
Ordona is also the former associate director of the
Lesbian Health Research Center at the University
RonniSanlo
of California, San Francisco, and gives workshops
University of California, Los Angeles
for women who are survivors of trauma, including
incest and rape.
Ronni Sanlo may not
be a household name in
Ann Pellegrini
the lesbian community,
Tisch School for the Arts
but she's a great example
of how one hard-workIt wasn't _easy picking just one academic in the
ing, inspired individual
field of queer theology, but we knew we couldn't can drastically change the educational climate fur
go wrong with Ann Pellegrini. This associate proLGBT people. Sanlo is currently the director of
fessor of performance studies and religious studies
the UCLA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender
has a diverse CV overflowing with remarkable ac- (LGBT) Campus Resource Center and the foundcomplishments, including books, articles and panel er of the National Consortium of Directors of
appearances at both queer events and mainstream
LGBT Resources in Higher Education, an imporreligious conferences, on topics like radical gay tant networking group for queer professionals in
sex, the plays of Paula Vogel,Jewish performativhigher education. She currently serves on the naity, Madonna, homophobia and faith, and sexual- tional board of the Council fur the Advancement
ity. Her most recent of Standards in Higher Education and is on the
book is Love the Sin: editorial board of the Journal of Gay and Lesbian
SexualRegulationand Issuesin Education.The author of books dealing
the Limits of Religious specifically with queer college students, including
Tolerance,
and in 2006
Workingwith LGBT CollegeStudents:A Handbook
she was awarded for Facultyand Administratorsand New Directions
the Fulbright-Freud
in Student Services:Sexual Orientationand Gender
Visiting Scholar of Psychoanalysis grant. Past Identity in StudentAffairs,Sanlo has done groundawards for Pellegrini have included the Mellon breaking work fur both queer college students and
Fellowship in the Humanities, and the Arnold
educators, ultimately benefiting the entire educational system.
Grossman Award for Outstanding Faculty/Staff
Services to the LGBT Community from New
York University in 2005.
18
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19
Paula Vogel
Brown University
Paula Vogel is an award,
winning playwright. She
won the 1998 Pulitzer
Prize for drama for How
I Learned to Drive, which
sensitively explores the re,
lationship between a teen,
age girl and the uncle who
molests her. Vogel also
won an Obie in 1992 for her play The Baltimore
Waltz, which deals with AIDS, and received the
2004 Award for Literature from the American
Academy of Arts and Letters. She is currently the
Adele Kellenberg Seaver Professor of Creative
Writing at Brown University. She inspires the next
generation through her teaching, and as an accom,
plished writer she shows them that openly queer
playwrights can indeed make it on Broadway.
20
5'
en
Karina Walters
University of Washington
Karina Walters is now living among the Maori
in New Zealand on a much,coveted, year,long
Fulbright Senior Scholar Award. This came af,
ter she spent the last year in New Zealand as an
Honorary Visiting Scholar, also working with
the Maori. Her list of awards and accomplish,
ments includes an Excellence in Science award
from Women of Color
Empowered, a Professor
of the Year award from
the Columbia University
School of Social Work,
and an Association for
Women in Psychology
2002 Women of Color
Psychologies Award. She is
also a member of the Choctaw Nation. Her disser,
tation for her Ph.D. in social welfare was entitled
HONORABLE
MENTIONS
Thesewomentop contenders
all-also deservea
printednodfor their
exemplary
work
bothin andoutof
academia.
All arestill
working,if notstill
teaching.
1. SarahBay-Cheng,
StateUniversity
of
NewYork,Buffalo
2. Charlotte
Bunch,
Rutgers
University
3. MelindaChen,
University
of California,
Berkeley
4. LillianFadennan,
California
State
University,
Fresno
5. NikkiGiovanni,
VirginiaPolytechnic
InstituteandState
University
6.Jacqueline
Goldsby,
University
of Chicago
7. NadineHubbs,
University
of Michigan
8. Catherine
Lord,
University
of
California,
Irvine
9. HeatherLove,
University
of
Pennsylvania
1O.SharonMarcus,
Columbia
University
11.Joanne
Meyerowitz,
YaleUniversjty
Urban American Indian Identity and Psychological 12.Adrienne
Rich,
Wellness. Besides working with the Maori, she University
of Illinois,
has researched, written and taught extensively on
Urbana
the cultural, historical and social factors affect,
ing indigenous peoples, whose health problems
include diabetes, HIV/ AIDS, mental health and
ff,
substance abuse. An advocate for American Indians
(!)
and Native Alaskans, as well as Two,Spirit people,
crl
en
0
cc Walters shows that the work academics do is more
..J
0
than just pontification on dusty old topics-it can,
cc
(3 and does, save lives.
13.EveKosofsky
Sedgwick,
City
University
of NewYork
Graduate
Center
14.AmyVillarejo,
Harvard
University
15.KateWeston,
Harvard
University
Funding Future Scholars
ThePointFoundation
awards
scholarships
eachyeartooutstanding
students
fromtheLGBT
community.
Thedeserving
winners
notonlygetfinancial
support,
but
alsoareassigned
a mentor
from
theirfieldofstudy.
With12full-time
• staffers
anda fewpart-timers,
the
PointFoundation
hasbeenawarding
scholarships
since2001.
Ph.D.candidate
StacyWelbley
isoneofthelatestto beawarded
a scholarship.
Sheisattending
the
JohnsHopkins
University's
School
of PublicHealthontheWomen's
Health
Track.Herundergraduate
workwascompleted
at Colgate,
hermaster'sat AmericanUniversity.
Herexperience
withthePoint
Foundation
hasbeenrewardingbothfinanciallyandemotionally.
Thefinancialhelpwaskey.Thoughherpreviousacademic
work
wascompleted
with the helpof meritscholarships,
Weibleysays,
"It is difficultto findfundingaroundthe issuesthat I amstudying
now.I amdoingmydissertation
oninternalized
homophobia
among
lesbiansandthis is notsomething
that is popularin publichealth;
mostof thestudentsseekandreceivegovernment
fundingand,
giventhecurrentadministration,
it is notsomething
thatI amlikely
to getfundingfor."
Butmorethanthat,the mentoringprogramhasservedherwell.
"I reallyneededa senseof familyandcommunity,
andI neededthe
nurturing[Pointprovided].I havea disconnect
with myfamilyin
sadwayssinceI cameout.Thesenseof familyI havegainedextendspast the mentorrelationship
to theentirePointFoundation."
Theprogramnotonlyoffersits scholarsmoneyandtime,but
putsthemin touchwith otherscholarsin the program----current
and
alumni-througheventsaroundthecountry.
"Wethinkit's importantthat Pointscholarsstayin contactwith
eachother.Ourfoundationis aboutscholarsandwe wantto make
surethatit stayslikethatandtheyaredefinitelyconnected,"
says
JenniferKolmel,thecommunications
andmarketingmanager
at the
PointFoundation.
Thoughthestudentswill haveto showtheyareactivein the
LGBT
community-manystartedGayStraightAlliancesat theirhigh
schoolsandhavea community
servicebackground-thedisciplinestheychoosedonotmatter.
"It hasalwaysbeenourphilosophy
to havescholarsin a wide
rangeof interestsandmajors;we'veevenhada masterof dMnities
student,"saysKolmel.
Fundingfor the PointFoundation
comesfroma varietyof
places,fromprivatedonorsto grantsbasedoncorporatepartners
thathavenamedscholarships.
Theymakea four-yearcommitment
of $25,000peryear.Thenamedscholarships
includeTimeWarner,
HBOandMTW.
Amongthe2007scholarsareAmyAndre,AngelaClements,
LIiiaEspinoza,
KimHackford-Peer,
KathrynJerman,TinaOwen,
JoelleRubyRyanandEmilyWilliams.Fora full list of recipientsand
infonnationonthe PointFoundation,
includinghowto donateor
becomea mentor,goto pointfoundation.org
- JennaV.Loceff
March 2008
I 35
TOUCHY--FEEU¥ QUEE
With FeelingBackward,Heather Love may just be "the next Judith Butler:' ByJulia Bloch
The book makes an argument on behalf of forms of queer life that have
lately been marked as out-of-date or embarrassing. I have been pretty disturbed by the talk about the post-gay moment: Not only does
it seem wrong to say that gayness is not a category that matters in
the present, but I also don't want to be post-gay. I like gay culture,
even-or perhaps especially-the shameful or depressing aspects of
it .... In FeelingBackward,I look at some dark texts from the early
20th century (The Well of Lonelinessis perhaps the prime example),
and argue that, along with stories of triumph and progress, we also
need stories of failure and mourning-that along with moving forward, we can allow ourselves to feel backward.
In 2003, you participated in the International Gay Shame
conference. How does the notion of grassroots "gay shame"
to fight the commodification of Pride relate to your scholar1y
work?
ITH THE SURNAME Love, this University of
Pennsylvania prof was easy prey for a sarcastic Wall
StreetJournaleditorial that attacked her courses on gender and sexuality for "having zilch to do with English
lit:' Luckily, her students know better: In 2006, Love garnered an award
for innovative teaching at that Ivy League school, where she's quickly
made a name for herself as a leading voice in new queer studies. When
CURVE started searching for the next Judith Butler, Love was at the top
of our list for her work on how literature can teach us about the role of
feelings and emotions in queer life.
How did the field change after Butler's Gender Trouble came
out in 1990?
One of the striking things aoout GenderTroubleis that the field of queer
studies didn't exist when it came out. The book was bridge between
feminist theory of the 1980s-with its debates over identity, sexuality and power-and queer theory as we know it now.
What's queer studies dealing with now?
I am personally interested in recent work on affect and emotion, queer
diaspora and the intersection between queer studies and disability
studies. A lot of vital issues are emerging in the relatively new field of
transgender and transsexual studies. I don't know if people have realized the full impact of this work yet, which challenges many of the
foundational concepts of queer theory. Some trans critics have taken
Gender Troubleas a jumping-off point. For instance, Jay Prosser's
book SecondSkins argues that the who e notion of gender performativity, which has been so much at the heart of queer studies, is
inappropriate for thinking about transsexual embodiment.
Your new book, Feeling Backward, is just out from Harvard
University Press. Can you explain?
36
Icurve
I really admire the Gay Shame movement. They've been very effective
in challenging the commodification and mainstreaming that have
defined the public face of the gay and lesbian movement for the past
decade or so. But scholars and activists didn't actually get along very
well at the Gay Shame conference. Some of the activists felt that
the academics were elitist and were appropriating their language and
their activism without really wanting to make social change; the academics felt like the activists failed to recognize their genuine social
commitment. I lik:ethe in-your-face tactics of the Gay Shame movement, but it's true that personally I tend to be more retiring, which
is partly why academia is a good fit for me. And, in general, I am
interested in shame as something that can impede action as much as
it can spur it on, and that is obviously a problem from the point of
view of activism.
Did you always imagine yourself in academia?
I did a lot of other jobs before deciding to go to graduate school: landscaping, farming, construction, the furniture business. I'm from
Kentucky, and not from a professional background. Academia
seemed like kind of a stretch. It was partly the rise of queer studies in
the early '90s that helped me get up my courage to try it out. While
I had always felt somewhat alienated by academic life,the possibility
of being very openly gay and making that the focus of my work made
it more comfortable. I felt that gave me implicit license to dress, talk
and act less like a "professor" and more like mysel£
Do you have a new book in the works?
I am working on the history of social stigma since around 1850 in literature, film and the social sciences.While I was working on my first
book I got interested in the "labor of representation'' that socialoutsiders perform on behalf of the population at large. My working title is
Markedfor Life,a quote I took from a Judith Buderessay.
I really like
that essay because instead of refusing the idea of stigma,or the notion
that we may in fact be "damaged goods;' she admits it, and takesthat
as a reason for political hope. That seems just right to me.
'LesbiannGeneration
A teen show takes on real issues.By LyndseyD'Arcangelo
Degrassi:TheNext Generationis the most watched domestic drama series in
Canada, and the highest rated show on Nickelodeon's The N in the United
States. Degrassi,often described as a cult classic, garners rave reviews from
critics for its uninhibited exploration of such "taboo" topics as abortion, rape,
alcoholism, domestic violence and, yes, even homosexuality among teens.
And really, what would a hit teenage television series be without a little lesbian drama?
Lauren Collins, who plays the quick-witted, somewhat superficial and
sexually flexible Paige Michalchuk, talks with CURVE about Degrassi'sapJ
peal, her first lesbian kiss and the possibility of playing gay characters in the
future.
How does it feel to be a part of a groundbreaking series addressing
issues such as homosexuality?
It's amazing. When we started filming seven years ago, we never expected the
show to be this successful. I think it's because we talk about things that
really happen in the lives of everyday teenagers. They have something to
identify with, because we are so visible. Degrassitalks about things that
other teenage shows are afraid to talk about.
How did you react when you were told Paige was going to be involved in a lesbian relationship with Alex?
I was excited because it was a role I knew I was ready to cake on. But the biggest thing for me was that I wanted the story line to make sense. I didn't
want it to seem out of character or forced.
Is Paige bisexual or gay? It seems as if she falls for the person
inside rather than the gender.
That's exactly how we decided to spin it. We wanted her relationship with
Alex to be about a love story rather than be about orientation. It was more
organic char way, since Paige had been boy crazy in the past. Paige didn't
want to label herself or put herself in a box. And that helped her to make
sense of what she was feeling.
What was it like to play a gay character?
My character has gone through so much on the show already with being
raped and flunking out of college that I was ready for anything at this
point. I wasn't scared of tackling any topic. I consider myself to be a serious actor and I want to take on more challenging roles.
Possibly. There are so many gay male characters on television but lesbians
often get overlooked. Especially lesbian teens. Ifl can be a face for lesbian
teens, that's an amazing thing. That's why I wanted the story line to be as
real as possible. I wanted it to be something lesbian teens could relate to.
Has playing the role of Paige changed or influenced your perspective around sexuality?
Well, I come from a pretty liberal family, so I've always been open~minded.
But what it did was give me the chan e to walk in the shoes of a lesbian
teen. I got to experience the kinds of challenges they face on a regular
basis and it made me more aware of the things they go through.
Was it awkward to shoot your first lesbian kissing scene?
The build-up was far worse. It was the last scene of the day, so there was all
this hype about it. But I talked it over with Deanna Casaluce, who plays
che role of Alex. She and I are such good friends chat it didn't matter. We
just wanced co make it believable. So we were like, let's knock this kiss out
of the park.
Sadly, Peige and Alex have broken up. Where does Paige go from
here?
There was so much outrage when the relationship ended, I think because
people were afraid that the lesbian story line would end. But Alex opened
up Paige's eyes to the face that love isn't about the gender; it's about the
person. I think Paige is ready for anyone to come along at this point, boy
or girl.
How has Paige evolved over the course of the series?
Paige was always this person who appeared to have it all together when she's
reallyjust a scared, confused little girl. She has really had to figure herself
out and Alex helped her find her way.
What about you? Would you be open to taking on any other gay
roles?
I'd definitely be more inclined to now. I've had the chance to experience it and
I'm totally open to the possibility. Acting is the one thing I can honestly
say that I am ecstatic doing. It's infectious and I hope to be able to do it
the rest of my life.
What if The L Word decided to cast a younger character such as Paige?
Oh my God! I would be so honored. The show is shot in Canada, so we have
something in common already.
Do you sometimes get mistaken for being gay in real life?
Paige would probably love The L Word. What movie actor do you
The lines between the characters you play and who you are in real life often
get blurred. It hasn't happened that much to me yet, though I sometimes
read things on the Internet about it.
think she'd have a crush on?
Is that because of your new lesbian following?
Considering where Paige is at right now, it would have to be someone who
reminded her of Alex, someone strong and the exact opposite of her.
Someone like Penelope Cruz or Angelina Jolie.
I
March 2008 39
Write for Your Rights
AuthorNicolaGriffith'sfightfor her residency.By Catherine Plato
Nicola Griffith is officially here "in the national interest;' according to the U.S.
State Department-or
at least that's what her green card used to say. Griffith,
who was born in Yorkshire, England, published her first novel, the sci-fi thriller
Ammonite, in 1993, and is still enjoying life in the U.S. with her partner, writer
Kelley Eskridge, thanks to its success.
Griffith first crossed the pond to attend a writers' workshop at Michigan
State University in 1988, a time when it was illegal for LGBT folks or anyone
HIV-positive to enter the country. It was at Michigan
State that she met Eskridge and fell "helplessly,hopelessly,unexpectedly, inconveniently in love:' When the
workshop ended, Griffith returned to England, kept
in touch with Eskridge, and came back to the U.S.
a year later on a tourist visa. A hopeless romantic,
Griffith soon sold her house and bade farewell to her
family and friends in England, determined to make
her relationship with her American sweetheart work.
"It was the start of a two-year nightmare;' she remembers. "I had no job, so I had to leave the country every six months and come back on a tourist visa.
Then I managed to get the six-month tourist visa
extended to one year, so [we] had a bit of a breather,
time to figure stuff out and line up enough credit cards
to start tackling the issue:• Without much money,
the couple had little hope of hiring a good immigration lawyer. For Griffith
with lesbian sex"-was granted a green card, which ironically, was pink. Her
case made new law and appeared in law journals: She was the first openly
queer-identified person to receive a national interest waiver. The Wall Street
Journal approached her for an interview. The story, which declared Griffith a
kook and criticized the government's poor judgment, landed on the ]ournar s
front page. "But;' boasts Griffith, "I can live with Kelley here for the rest of my
life, and I didn't have to lie about anything:'
Griffith went on to publish four more
novels, beginning with Slow River in 1995.
The next three-The Blue Place (1998), Stay
(2002) and her most recent work, Always
(2007)-feature •her recurring protagonist:
Aud Torvingen, a 6-foot-tall, fearless, sexy
Norwegian lesbian sleuth, who is adored by
readers and reviewers alike. Griffith says that
Aud came to her in a dream 11 years ago. In
the dream, a woman is sleeping naked on a
carpet in her new, unfurnished apartment on
an exceptionally hot night. She wakes up to
find a man pointing a gun at her. Without
hesitating or thinking, the woman rises and
instantly breaks his neck with a flashlight lying next to her. "I woke up thinking, whoa,
what kind of person could do that:"' says Griffith. ''A few weeks later, I was
to obtain a green card, she had three choices: invest major dollars in a business that could provide jobs for American citizens, marry a man or become
famous and prove herself an "alien of exceptional ability;' whose citizenship
would be considered by the State Department to be in the national interest.
"The first two were either materially impossible or morally repugnant, so I
set my will to stun, and picked door number three;' explains Griffith. "I wrote
a novel, Ammonite, that was published in eight countries, won national and
international [awards], and started being taught at universitie~ and colleges
in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere:• Though the case for exceptional ability now
seemed fairly obvious, Griffith still had more hurdles to jump: Ammonite features lesbian characters and a planet where the male gender has been completely obliterated. Reviews that praised the novel also contained explicit references
to Griffith's own sexuality. Griffith's new immigration lawyer warned her about
revealing her orientation to the State Department; though George H. W. Bush
had recently passed legislation lifting the ban on queer and HIV-positive people
entering the country, her sexuality still had the potential to further complicate
an already difficult request. Out since age 16, Griffith refused to go back in the
closet, so she and her lawyer turned to the national interest waiver.
To secure her green card, Griffith would have to collect as many testimonials to her talent as possible, from acquaintances as well as prominent literary
and political figures. "Begging is horrible and soul-scratching, whether it's for
food, money or favors;' says Griffith. "But I did it, and everyone I asked said
yes. I got letters from professors all over the world ... from Allen Ginsburg,
from Ursula Le Guin, from the governor of Georgia. It was quite humbling.
I realized that people love to help. I've never forgotten that:' It worked, and
Griffith-a self-proclaimed "right old dyke, who wrote science fiction stuffed
in my local library and stumbled across a book about Norwegian architecture, which led me to a book of Norwegian history where I found mention
of a ninth-century queen called Aud the Deepminded. My brain sat up and
drooled. The woman in the dream was Norwegian, she was called Aud:'
In Always, Aud, still grieving the shooting death of her lover, Julia, travels with her friend Matthew Dornan from her home in Atlanta to investigate a case of real-estate fraud and also visit family in Seattle. Their vacation
is disrupted by the sabotage of a TV pilot and the introduction of Victoria
"Kiele"Kuiper-a caterer and former stuntwoman who charms both Aud and
Matthew. Interspersed with disturbing flashbacks of the self-defense class Aud
taught back in Atlanta, Always lends added dimension and depth to one of
the most alluring lesbian characters in contemporary literature. But, though
Griffith's prized protagonist is an attractive, short-haired, ass-kicking, ex-cop
dyke, Griffith doesn't like her work to be pigeonholed as explicitly lesbian.
Always has enjoyed an especially warm mainstream reception compared to her
earlier work. ''As I've climbed the publishing prestige ladder, reviewers are beginning to forget to mention (sexuality]. That pleases me;' she says."My novels
are about women who grow and change and save the world and blow shit up,
and the people they have sex with are mostly women. It makes as much sense
to talk about my novels being lesbian novels as to say The Da Vinci Code is a
straight novel:'
40
I curve
Griffith claims it is now time to begin her magnum opus. She's not giving
out many details, but fans can certainly expect it to be a bit of a departure from
her past work. ''All I'm prepared to say at this stage is that it's set in the seventh
century and it's the novel I was born to write;' she says. "It makes me tremble
with excitement:' And with a past like Griffith's, that's not an easy feat.
ome James
Alaska'sgqt one hot rocker chick.
If you've seen Shorthus-the 2006
John Cameron Mitchell film where
art, self-consciousness and homosexual hedonism converge in an un,
derground Brooklyn utopia-you've
heard the work of Jasper James.
With the now-disbanded Jetset,
genderqueer singer-songwriter James performed the film's infectious rock 'n' soul theme song,
"This House;' one track off their five-song debut EP-which, by the way,is arguably the best sex
soundtrack of the past decade. James has since recorded a new solo album, ConsciousLiving, set
up camp in Alaska and has begun acting, composing tracks and working on the sound arrangement for a new film, Amhulomancy. - Catherine Plato
I heard you got your start working in opera.
No, the first thing I did musically was gospel. My mom was a preacher and a missionary. So I got
my start singing in church, pretty much. I got into opera in my high school years. The chorus
teacher just kind of like, nagged me to join the choir, because my brother was in choir prior to
me.... That's kind of how it started, then I started to sing in cathedrals and stuff.
So you came from a musical family then?
With my mom being a minister, basically we were just kind of like the entertainment all the time.
The church started off really small. It was just basically family members. And now it's grown a
considerable amount. There was no way for us to get around it. We just ended up singing.
Do you identify as a Christian?
I think ... I am a Christian in a different sense of the word. I've gone away from the dogmatic
elements of what Christianity has become, and I pretty much have pulled it back together in
terms of what it was really about. Because Christianity came from ... pagan symbols. And be,
ing a queer individual, that was really our heritage. It was paganism and wiccanism.... Now it's
about going back and reclaiming those symbols and helping other queer individuals who have
gone through similar things that I have.
Tell me about your character in Ambulomancy.
Well, this is a very artistic, avant-garde kind of film.... Most of the movie is based in this fantasy
realm. In that realm, my character is known as "The Watcher:• I oversee the goings on of the
cast in their dream-fantasy state. My "real" character .is a musician who has decided to leave
my longtime home in Alaska to travel down to the lower 48 (states) to expand (and) pursue
my music career. What makes the movie amazing is that the entire thing is based loosely on
nonscripted ideas, and everything that you see in the film is improvised, like one long jazz jam
session.
So what is It like living In Alaska?
Alaska is amazing and magical, the most beautiful place I've ever been to. It's like its own little country that's slightly stuck in the '90s. There are no major banks here in Alaska ... I can honestly say
I love this place and the people. I feel truly honored to have been chosen to experience it.
Are the other actors and musicians Alaskans, or are they there to work on the film?
No, everyone was flown out to Alaska. There was a total of 20 girls that came, all underground,
queer female artists that were involved in some way with the now-defunct DUMBA collective.
We also included local Alaska staples-the Saw Sisters, two dykes that own their own cutting
business. They are infamous around here, and hot!
And what is your upcoming album llke compared to your release with Jetset?
It's more electronic, but still uses organic instruments. In making this album it was very important
to shed light on the balance between raw animal sensuality [or) sexuality and spirit. [I was)
looking for that way to merge the two. If you think you had good sex to the EP ...
March 2008 j 41
The queen of c
111s e
Now k.£ la::.ntg•
newfound serenity, monogam
and love of six yea
y Stephanie Schroeder
I noticek.d. lang
is just about my size, perhaps a bit more
broad--shouldered and with a very handsome, square jaw line. But all and
all, we are just two dykes with short, dark hair. We both stand 5 feet 8
inches or so. Were in jeans and sweatshirts. Her hair is perfect. Mine is
not. I have 40 minutes.
Lang is in New York City at NoneSuch (her record label) in the
Warner Brothers Music building in East Midtown. She launched her new
CD, Watershed,in the U.S. in early February, and kicked off her world
tour by headlining onboard shows for Olivia Cruises' 35th anniversary in
January. Many of the concerts on her 2008 tour are already sold out, and
the single "I Dream of Spring" has been released on Australian television.
CURVEgot lang to open up about her life, her loves and her pursuit of
happiness.
Shes very composed, pensive and ... well, zen. I would have said brood-ing, but that's the lang of the past. Today, she is bright, cheerful and "on:'
March 2008
I45
for Peace) for six years. The organization is an arts program for the
young based on the symbolism of
the Tibetan Shi-Tro mandala. It is
dedicated to teaching compassion for
others and gaining natural wisdom.
Lang and Price met at an event given by their Buddhist teacher, Lama
Gyatso, who leads Tools for Peace.
And, for the first time in her life,
lang has been monogamous. She no
longer has a girl in every port. "Jamie
wouldn't stand for that;' she says,
grinning that famous, sexy, dimpled
grin. The two seem to have settled
into a comfortable routine and lang
jokes that they secure their privacy,
even in the hills of Los Angeles, by
"keeping to the northern part, the
Valley,rather than on the Hollywood
side:'
Is she, in fact, happy? Yes, definitely. Both within herself and
with her partner of six years, Jamie Price. Both are Buddhists
who live clean lives, which means being vegetarian, working
out, practicing daily meditation and cultivating a coveted private existence in Los Angeles, where media coverage can often
be blinding. Today, lang has carved out a sacred personal life,
which she and Price have studiously and deliberately protected.
However, this wasn't always so.
Winning several Grammys shot lang into superstardom. She .
found herself in the Los Angeles limelight, living the Hollywood
lifestyle she had earned, along with fame and fortune, after putting 20 years of effort into her music. Dazzled, she partied with
Hollywood's elite.
"L.A. is intriguing," she says. "It's like dabbling in a substance. L.A. is definitely the material side of life. It's all about
impressions, and it moves really fast. It does not feed anything,
but seems much like a sugar burn. It's not sustaining or fulfilling for me:'
Her CD All You Can Eat was about the incredible celebrity
machine that is Los Angeles, and how that machine can make
or break a career-or a person. ''I've had my 15 minutes, now I
don't participate in that world. I'm more focused on my music,
Buddhism, family, motorcycles and dogs;' but not necessarily in
that order, she emphasizes.
Lang's 40s have been her own personal watershed. Now
46, she points out that she has been with Price (a nonpracticing attorney who volunteers full-time for the nonprofit Tools
46 Icurve
Lang's gearing up to tour, and she
admits she lives a very monastic life
even on the road: She doesn't like to
socialize or even be around lots of
people when she's touring. "I need
to conserve my energy. I basically start preparing for the show
when I wake up. I eat healthy, I work out and I meditate before
each show so that I can not only give the best performance, but
also get the most out of it for myself and enjoy it:'
And, for the firsttime in her life,lang has been
monogamous.She no longerhas a girlin every
port. "Jamiewouldn'tstandfor that,"she says,
grinningthat famous,sexy, dimpledgrin.
Does Price tour with her? Lang says that unless there are a
slew of museums for Price to visit, or some other spectacular
events, the two are really apart for the duration. "The re-entry to
home life is particularly hard, and then going out to tour again is
even harder. I mean, just getting back into the routine of things
you do at home that you cannot do in a hotel room is a real
effort:'
Lang says she has come to a place of peace with her past
through reflection-about
her relationship to hersel£ to the
arts, to former lovers and to the world around her. ''I've been
delving deep into my own thoughts about my choices and interactions in the world, my relationships in general, and I find
that I'm not finished there. Change is hard, but I find it is very
necessary. Writing, producing and recording Watershed at this
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point in my life is about facing my own habitual patterns and
fears, sitting down and sifting out the cliflicult stuff.''
Lang suddenly gets very serious. "It all seems ominous on
the one hand, while emancipating on the other:• She says staying in a relationship, experiencing new emotions rather than
shutting down, is also a challenge. "But it's what's right for the
relationship. It's different, not something I've practiced before.
It's good for mC:'
Watershed is also new for lang in many ways: Although she
wrote and recorded with her crew of usual suspects, she is talcing an entirely new band on the road with her. "My regular guys
are in such demand, I can't hold them back from playing for
other singers. Plus, I've gathered some really great young talent that I am excited about and confident that the tour will be
spectacular."
Lang also produced Watershed, a first for her, and wrote or
co-wrote all the songs, which are quietly beautiful, incredibly
intense and very subdued-a real departure from the belting,
big-voice vocals she's been known for during most of her career. On this CD, lang shares intimate, understated and often
extremely sexy vocal moments. Watershed was six years in the
malcing, and, with remarkable instrumentalism to back her up,
she actually did a few of the cuts on the first talce, in her kitchen.
"For example, the vocal on 'Shadow and the Frame; " she explains, "that's the first time I sang it. I tried to capture the most
real, the most honest performance to me. In a lot of cases, it was
the very first one."
After she came out publicly in 1992, lang says, for a good
He loves to talk-politics, art, culture ... and that enriches me
as a person, to have the proximity to someone like that who has
the life-wisdom he does:•
Another elder with whom lang was very close is the late
Minnie Pearl. "We're both Scorpios, she was just like me. I had
a big crush on her-she was a really smart and beautiful person
. .. and I think she had a crush on me, too;' lang says, sotto voce,
smiling again, sultry and impish, and blushing a bit. "I think
that part of our society is a tremendous void-the treatment of
our elders. We live in such a youth-oriented culture, and we are
missing so much wisdom by not cultivating relationships with
older people, and by not bridging generations through knowledge and the access that binds traditional culture with contemporary culturC:'
For example, lang says her mother is "the world to me. I love
being around her. She is a blueprint for growing older. She continues to be productive and expand her heart and mind:' We
get the two-minute warning from lang's publicist and I ask one
last question-boxers or briefs? Lang laughs a hearty laugh and
breaks form. "Boxers, of course:•
When it's time to leave, lang shalces my hand, admonishing, "Malce sure you wrap up, it's really cold out:' I tell her I'm
from the Midwest and don't think New York City ever gets too
cold. "I must have lost my Canadian then;' lang smiles casually,
"'cause I think it's really cold:'
I walk out of the giant skyscraper alone-it's blustery after
all-and disappear into the crowd on the anonymous streets of
ew York City.
10 to 15 years all the media and fan focus was on her sexuality.
" ow, the focus is shifting back to my music. I think that is fueling (interest from) the LGBT community more and more, and,
in tum, it lets me embrace the community on a more natural
level, and I'm really excited about that. I think the gay community has grown up and evolved. There's a new driver and vehicle
to explore and a wider spectrum of existence not focused only
on corning out-it's a more expansive culture that is accepting of transgendered people, bisexuals and others. Remember
when we used to hate the bisexuals?" She laughs the laugh of a
wizened elder of the queer community. "I think society is more
open about sexual orientation in general. Look at Larry Craig or
the whole Catholic Church scandal. It's not all black and white
anymore; even in the gay and lesbian community there is a spectrum. And that's very heartening:•
Shifting gears a bit, I tell lang I think Joaquin Phoenix could
play her in a biopic. She gets into that. "Really? I think he's totally awesome, really sexy. I also think Brandi Carlile could play
me," she puts forth, "or some really cute boy."
Where does she plan to end up? "I want to stay around as
long as Tony; she states. Lang is referring to Tony Bennett,
with whom she recorded the Grammy-winning duet album The
Great American Songbook. "Tony is the kind of friend everyone
dreams 0£ Or at least that I dream 0£ I revere our friendship
and my friendships with other elders. I see Tony as a mentor.
March 2008
I4 7
In central Vietnam,
a single-parent
family finds purpose.
By Teresa Coates
T
HE YOUNG children, barely able to
the children would have to be pried off his back,
der-to-shoulder
shoulders and legs.
across the cement
steps of the Tam Ky Baby Orphanage,
Audrey, my 9-year-old daughter, let her nur-
straining to see us, the new pale-skinned volunteers
turing instincts shine through and spent much of
tucked into an aging white Fiat.
Our first meeting was a clumsy mix of high
the time with a trio of orphans we nicknamed the
Three Musketeers-they
were always together.
fives, stares and run-by leg slaps. The orphans
Our daily visits promoted a wonderful friendship
were just testing us, I'd later realize, but l worried
and she became particularly dose to Kieu, a spunky
at first that committing to be a volunteer at the
little 2-year-old girl who had been abandoned with-
orphanage for two months was the worst idea I'd
in the first few days of our arrival.
ever follow:ed through on.
Quang, a delightful 5-year-old, had immediate-
Ten months earlier, l had suggested volunteer-
ly connected with Stuart, and the two developed a
ing in Vietnam to my two children, then 8 and 13.
relationship that ended all too abruptly when an
They agreed, and over the summer, the fall and into
American family came to adopt him. It was bitter-
the winter we made preparations: obtaining pass-
sweet, saying goodbye yet knowing his life would
ports, applying for visas and selling most of our
be filled with love from this family.
belongings to finance the trip.
Despite our inability to communicate, or even
Now, as l stood in the chilly, concrete play area,
pronounce their names correctly, my family devel-
surrounded by faces filled with curiosity, doubt
oped a fondness for the many children who called
and a tinge of fear, I couldn't help but wonder what
this place home. Some had been there for years.
exactly I had gotten us into. But after the first hour,
Others, like Kieu, had been there a short while.
when l heard my kids and the orphans both gig-
They all had their own personalities and their faces
are emblazoned on our memories for a lifetime.
gling, I no longer worried. This was indeed worth
everything we'd sacrificed to get here.
While my children played with the orphans, I
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Every morning for the next eight weeks, we vis-
often found myself in the baby room, barren except
ited the baby orphanage, a small cement complex
of rooms, to play with the children. My son, Stuart,
for the large, wooden slat beds where the babies
0
were laid until we came to hold them. Covered with
interact with the children, was
mosquito nets that sat over them like small umbrel-
>z
an immediate rock star. At each arrival he was
las, the babies were eager to be cuddled, kissed and
as the only male
48 I curve
swarmed by his admiring fans, and two hours later
conceal their anticipation, stood shoul-
to
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GIRLS IN EVERY PORT
A new site that will help you find the ladies.
By Colleen McCaffrey
sung to; I was more than happy to oblige.
The orphanage (like the country as a whole)
was very poor. The food it provided for the children
was limited to rice gruel three times a day-a diet
lacking in many of the vitamins and minerals that
young children need. To combat the problem in
some small way, we brought fruit every day, and
learned the Vietnamese word for each kind, yell,
ing out a mangled "dua" or "le"as we brought in the
bags.
Several children faced serious malnutrition
issues prior to their arrival and simply couldn't
put on much weight despite all that the orphan,
age "mothers" could do. We brought along sua chua
(yogurt) for the extra calories they so desperately
needed.
Our two months as volunteers were filled with
activity: playing near,constant games of chase (my
son was the official rough,houser of the group),
consoling the criers, playing house with a few bat,
tered toys and bottle,feeding the babies. I watched
from the side many mornings, pleased to see my
children sharing themselves with others as they
quickly made friends, regardless of the cultural dif,
ferences. Communication was limited to gestures,
but somehow the kids managed-even flourished.
This, the connection between cultures, between
countries, was what I had hoped for all those
months ago, sitting in a cafe on a March morn,
ing in Portland, Ore., when I marked on my
volunteer application: Vietnamese orphanage, two
T
ANYA CHURCHMAN, a lifelong traveler, was fed up with the scarcity of
travel sites catering exclusively to lesbian and bisexual women, so in September
2007 she launched Girlports (girlports.com). Maybe the best thing to happen
to travel since the portable MP3 player, the website is designed to help women
find the lesbian and bisexual community in many other parts of the world. "It is important
to support lesbian, and gay,owned businesses;' says the 38,year,old journalist and sole
writer for the site. The still,evolving site covers events, organizations, restaurants, nightlife
and lodging, and Churchman hopes it can serve as a worldwide online community for busi,
nesses both owned and operated by lesbians, or those boasting a primarily lesbian clientele.
Girlports, which caters primarily to women in the 30, to 50,year,old range, features 19
destinations on five continents and will soon include Key West and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Designed by the crew at Plank in Montreal, Canada, the site also features a unique
mapping tool called Passports, which allows the adventurous vagabond to highlight places
of interest and then print out an individualized map with her preferred destinations, like
Pride in South Africa or Girlfest in
Australia (a Dinah Shore,like event
Down Under).
Churchman also loves finding
part of the community in a new place,
which can be beneficial to travelers
as well as to locals who live in areas
that lack a central lesbian guidebook.
"Some cities have a community be,
cause of the efforts of two or three
women organizing, and collaborating
and making a huge effort [to build
one]," says Churchman.
One of the most fascinating fea,
tures on the site is an audio transla,
tion section, which Churchman says
"provides lesbian,centric phrases"
such as how to ask a girl if you can
buy her a drink in French, because
"the idea is just to have fun, at the end
of the day:' And if an afternoon flirting
with Parisian gals at a local watering
hole is not your idea of fun, you can
always tell a German curie how much
you like her accent in her mother tongue.
Churchman has big plans for Girlports. She wants the site to transcend her creation
and become an interactive tool for women, an online resource and community that encour,
ages feedback on events and establishments. Already in the works are a monthly newsletter
and a homepage ticker scrolling the newest updates and events.
"'There are places with interesting and vibrant lesbian communities [e.g., Seoul, South
Korea] that if you're not looking for it you wouldn't know. They're more underground but
so vibrant; it's a different little world filled with community spirit;' she says about her mo,
tivation for starting the site. Covering worldwide places of interest is quite an undertaking,
and while Churchman notes that processing the amount of information currently available
is daunting (even when she gets help from new media strategist Rebecca Coggan from
Exalt Creativity), Girlports makes an effort to provide information for women in all walks
of life-young, old, transgender, bi, lesbian-and of every
March 2008
I49
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE
By Barbara Maxfield
MAGINE: NO CAREER, no house, no debt, no timelines, just the
open road and adventure waiting around every comer. That's the life
my partner and I have created for ourselves. We are living our dream of
traveling the world; not in high style, or even in RV style, and not using
two or three weeks of paid time off. We are two women who abandoned the
normal structure of society and almost all its obligations and set out on a quest
to live simple yet worldly lives. We left our careers, sold our homes and most of
our belongings, and put the rest into storage. We thought our adventure could
last only as long as the funds we had put aside, so we planned well, survived on
very little and thought creatively.We drove off with a little apprehension, a lot
of enthusiasm and only a general idea of where we'd end up.
To make this lifestyle possible, we arranged for all of our financial matters
to be accessible via the Internet. Our yearly checkups were out of the way before our new, high-deductible medical insurance policies went into effect. We
stocked up on vitamins and bought natural remedies for everything from the
common cold to food poisoning. A new joint email address allowed us to send
updates and photos, and we printed it on business cards to hand out to new
friends. We joined Hostelling International (hiusa.org), renewed our AAA
membership (aaa.com), bought a National Parks Pass (store.usgs.gov/pass)
and joined US SERVAS (usservas.org), a travel and host organization with a
mission to promote peace.
"Minimize" became the name of the game: our small SUV was packed
with camping gear, a cooler that operates on energy from a utility outlet, basic
clothing and personal care items, and lots of maps and books. We prepared for
over a year, but we were still arranging our possessions in the car until right
before we hit the road.
It might seem unbelievable, but we transitioned very smoothly into our
new life. We missed friends and family but didn't give unemployment
or homelessness a second thought. Our car became our new home, and
the myriad decisions that we faced every day became our new full-time jobs.
Over a period of 18 months, we traveled 60,000 miles through 48 states and
eight Canadian provinces. We visited dozens of national parks, mastered the
streets and subways of many large U.S. cities, backpacked through Europe for
seven weeks, hopped aboard an Alaskan cruise and volunteered with the postKatrina animal rescue efforts in Mississippi. After our first year and a ha1£ we
felt as if we'd had a lifetime of adventure, even though we'd seen only a small
portion of our world.
Staying in host homes along the way enriched our travel. Not only were
we able to meet new friends, but we enjoyed warm showers, soft beds and
delicious meals without spending a dime. Hostelling afforded another cheap
and fun way to make connections and meet people from overseas. At a hostel
near Yosemite, we shared our spaghetti dinner and laptop with a woman from
France who later hosted us in Europe. She generously spent four days driving
us to Roman ruins, medieval castles and wineries all over Provence. It turns
out that travelers create their own networks, look out for one another, stay in
touch and extend invitations to visit.
People marveled that we each averaged just $1,000 per month in expenses,
but actually, we could have done it for less by staying at more SERVAS host
homes. Over the past three years, we have stopped to work for periods of time
when funds became low. It seems entirely possible to continue our journey in
this manner as long as we have the desire to see more of the incredible world
we live in.
This unique way of living is about more than just finding inexpensive
ways to travel and meet people. It reflects our guiding principle: We open
ourselves to the richness of the world while connecting with others as fellow
travelers and lifelong learners. Our way of living challenges society's rules and
expectations about job security, retirement planning and home ownership. It
lets go of the fear that keeps people stuck in jobs they don't enjoy. It requires
trUSting in yourself and knowing that living a life you love will ultimately take
you where you need to be. Opportunities that you would never have imagined
will be available because of the space you've made for them to appear.
We have found that our openness to whatever comes our way always
makes for a good lesson and a wonderful story to tell as we're sitting around
a campfire or a communal dinner table. We look forward to the next steps
in our journey, and encourage others to expand and enrich their lives
so I curve
through travel.
EA IS THE NEW WINE. It's almost as complex, and after visiting a
few of London's top tearooms you will start to detect nuances. If you're
one of those women who as a little girl hosted imaginary tea parties, this
is a dream vacation.
The Lanesborough Hotel, just across from Hyde Park, is everyone's fantasy spot for a refined afternoon tea. Diners in the newly refurbished, light-filled
conservatory sit on posh sofas and chairs, and live piano music sets just the
right tone. Fresh strawberries and cream arrive along with flutes of Taittinger
Champagne. They are followed by a small pot of panna cotta topped with
blood orange puree. This is the top-of-the-line Belgravia Tea, named for the
area of London.
The preparation of the tea itself is overseen by tea sommelier Karl Kessab,
who says,"I've taken tea here to a higher level."He is passionate about his craft
and uses a modem silver samovar to heat water to precise temperatures for
specific teas, all of which are served in graceful silver teapots. Kessab says that
because "people are more savvy about tea now, like wine," he personally visits
tea estates in Sri Lanka to select only extraordinary leaves.
Guests can try several teas and even start with one and finish with another-not a bad idea if you're trying to minimize caffeine. The signature
Lanesborough Afternoon Blend created just for this tearoom consists of
Darjeeling, China Keemum and whole rosebuds. A Forest Berries Infusion
(herbal tea) produces a gorgeous muted brew. Several rarer teas can be sipped
for a small additional charge, including a mellow hand-picked Hajua Estate
White Assam that is known for being especially rich in antioxidants.
Katie Fluester, who oversees the tea service here and whose high energy is
probably enhanced by caffeine, enthuses, "We are trying to make the Orangery
a center of excellence for tea. We are precise about the temperature of the water and brew tea at the optimum brewing time." About the T regothnan Single
Estate tea, available with tea service for an additional $79 per person, she adds,
"We're the only restaurant in the world that serves the pure, unblended version
of this rare domestic black tea, grown right here in Cornwall, England."
At these prices, perhaps we're heading back to the days when tea was so
By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Three-tiered trays hold sandwich squares, triangles and circles filled with
egg, tuna and salmon, as well as curried chicken on wheatberry, and cucumber and cream cheese on white. Walnut bread, lemon-poppyseed sponge cake
and heavenly buttered cinnamon teacakes are paired with house-made strawberry jam and dotted cream. The scones come with butter and lemon curd,
and sweet endings include tiny pistachio cakes topped with a circle of fresh
raspberries and petite Black Forest cake circles. Oh my.
And all the while, servers flutter around pouring more tea and making sure
all is well. (Afternoon Tea, $61, Belgravia Tea $77.)
Another day, another tea. A visit to the Orangery in Kensington Gardens
at Kensington Palace (where Princess Diana lived from 1981 to 1997) ties in
well with a walk through the park and a visit to its free Serpentine Gallery.
CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU GO
Afternoon tea in London is usually is served between
3 p.m. and 5 p.m. For more info, visit:
> The Lanesborough, starwoodhotels.com
> The Orangery, hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace
> The Four Seasons Hotel, fourseasons.com/london
> London's official site, visitlondon.com
> The LGBT guide to Britain, visitbritain.com/rainbow
dear that it was kept in a locked chest, and the lady of the house wore the key
around her neck. After brewing the tea in those days, the servants would be
given the leftover leaves as a bonus.
A mega-cake table laden with an array of sweets greets diners at the entry,
providing food for thought about delights to come. The Orangery Tea includes
traditional sandwiches and scones, and among the sweets are its famous orange pound cake and Victoria sponge cake with thick cream. (Orangery Tea
$24, Single Estate English Afternoon Tea $89.)
Our last and most exceptional tea was at the Four Seasons Hotel London.
The Four Seasons has been serving its seasonal Champagne Afternoon Tea
for 35 years now. It begins with a glassof Louis Roederer Champagne and a
choice of more than 60 teas and fruit infusions (the whole rosebuds might be
the most lovely). The hotel's own Anniversary Blend combines four ingredients-lemon, orange, cornflower and bergamot-each representing a season
of the year. Delightful, hand-tied, flowering green tea is also an option.
To excite your palate, a three-tiered tray holds the traditional British items
but with an Asian twist, and the menu changes with the seasons. Sandwiches
might be Thai chicken salad on a round coconut brioche or lemongrassbraised beef on granary bread. Freshly baked scones come with pear-ginger
jam and the de rigeur Devonshire dotted cream, while sweets are presented on
a separate elegant tray. Selecting only two from an eye-popping assortment of
five-perhaps a sour cherry chocolate and pistachio roulade or an orange and
strawberry mousse tarclet-is difficult ($50-$75).
After any of these teas, you'll be good for the evening. Plan your time well,
and you'll be able to dash out afterward for clubbing or a blockbuster play.
March 2008
I 51
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE
OLF WAS ONCE just for the good ol' boys. But the
game has changed, and lesbian players are now at the
front of the field.
In addition to St. Andrews in Scotland (where some say the
game was originally played) and the can't-miss classics in Ireland
and Northern Ireland, there are plenty of queer-friendly resorts
where you can get your global game on.
Here is a snapshot of top golf resorts that are as serious about
spas and gastronomy as they are about the great game itsel£
Three domestic beauties are dose to hearth and home-in
the California wine country, on the rugged coast of Oregon and
in Wisconsin. And, for you global golf warriors, fear not. Plenty
of far-flung locations offer a great cultural backdrop to complement stunning scenery,posh pampering and of course a golf experience that will not soon be forgotten.
So pack your bags and get in the game. The tee awaits you.
52
Icurve
FORGET YOUR PASSPORT
These three U.S. destinations will have you dicking your golf
shoes and saying, "There's no place like home, there's no place
like home:•
Golfers, like the U.S. settlers, hit the East first, then went
west. But skip over the well-known courses in southern Florida
and the California desert. Some of the finest and most LGBTfriendly golf resorts are in Wisconsin, Oregon and the foothills
of California.
These blazing hot American resorts rival anything Europe
has to offer.
Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits
Kohler, Wisconsin
This Midwestern gem (destinationkohler.com) is ranked among
the top golf resorts in the U.S. None other than the legendary
Pete Dye designed its four championship golf courses.
Blackwolf Run opened in 1988 with two courses, Meadow
Valleys and The River, which are among the most challenging
courses in North America. Blackwolf,which was formed from
glacial runoff, has hosted the U.S. Women's Open and the
World Championship of Got£
The raw and rugged Whistling Straits is designed like a true
Irish links course, sculpted into a coastline. But in this case it's
the Wisconsin coast, overlooking Lake Michigan. "If you dose
your eyes, you could swear you were in Ireland," says Irish golfer
Anna Donohue.
Whistling Straits, host to the PGA Championship and the
Palmer Cup, is the newer of the two, but is more classic in its
appeal. It greeted golfers in '98 with two courses, the traditional
links, walking-only course, The Straits and the inland course,
Irish.
"From a golf perspective, you can have four distinctively
i
Europe, but quite rare in the U.S. Ir's consistent with Ireland's
Ballybunion or Scotland's St. Andrews.
"The ball hits hard and fast or bumps and runs;• says Gothe.
"It forces y~u to be more creative. You get more out of the game:'
Great golfers love a great challenge. The players that pull in to
this secluded, ouc-ofthe-way oasis, a short
Hight from queer hotspot Portland, are serious about their game.
Gothe says, "They like
challenging yet fun golf
courses." Most guests,
typically very athletic,
stay at Bandon three
or four nights and play
four to six rounds of
golf, a quick 18 when
they arrive and 36 holes
each day. This walkingonly facility embraces the more personal caddy culture, so leave
your fossil fuels behind.
Postgame, you can pop in to The Gallery Restaurant for
fine Pacific orthwest cuisine paired with world-class and local Oregon wines. For a more Celtic kick, hit McKee's Pub for
rnicrobrews, single malts and pub grub.
There's no spa here. The peace you feel is solely from stepping onto this stunning course. Ir doesn't matter if you win or
lose. Youjust have to play.
§
Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains,
CordeValle (cordevalle.com), a Rosewood resort, is a mere 30
different golf experiences, different architecturally, in ambience
and in setting," says Dirk Williams, manager of golf operations.
"Typically, people come for an average of two and a half days
and in chat period play all four courses:•
With luxury-plumbing manufacturer Kohler at the helm,
there is a high standard of excellence in every detail of chis resort,
from restrooms on the course, to
the Kohler Waters Spa (ranked
the No. 1 resort spa by the tony
folks at Conde ast Traveler),to
the many restaurants on site and
at the American Club. To unwind from golf, you can opt for
yoga, golf or one of 400 vintages
at the Winery Bar, paired with
award-winning cheeses exclusive
co Wisconsin. Perfect for a gay
gourmet.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon
Listening to Jonathon Gothe, Bandon Dunes' (bandondunesgol£com) director of golf, you feel you are not only in the
presence of a great golfer, but a great artist. "We are a part of
a renaissance of a naturalistic golf culture," he says. The resort
VJ
boasts three courses: Bandon Dunes, designed by Scottish ar=>
0
chitect David McClay; Pacific Dunes, designed by Tom Doak;
z
g and the newest of the three, Bandon Trails, co-designed by Bill
z
Coore and Ben Crenshaw. All are highly ranked. Golf is defini9
tively first and foremost here.
0
ID
At Bandon, built on the wild and rugged Oregon coast,
0
the weather and the elements change with each hole, shoe and
hazard. This is in line with true links tradition, common in
DIDYOUKNOW?
Linkscoursesare
usuallysituated
nextto or neara
largebodyof water,
typicallyhavefew,
if any,treesandare
defended
bythe
wind,diabolical
bunkersandthedeep
fescue,heatherand
gorsegrasses
found
in therough.
Parkland
coursesare
situatedinlandand
aretree-lined,like
mostcoursesin the
UnitedStates.
CordeValle, San Martin, California
March 2008
I 53
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE
minutes from Silicon Valley. Yet when you enter its secluded
property, 1,700 acres of unspoiled land complete with a private
winery, you feel worlds away. The Old World charm is perfectly
paired with modern amenities and impeccable service.
The resort pro, Travis Skeesick, says, "It's all about the golf:'
Corde Valle is modern in design, well,bunkered, with four sets
of tees celebrating and supporting all levels of golf. It is ranked
the No. 2 golf resort in California and No. 11 in North America
by the golf authority, GolfDigest.
OVER THE HILLS AND FAR, FAR AWAY
It's hard to talk about golf without mentioning Ireland, but re,
sorts in Spain and South Africa also offer two luxury gems that
are sure to give the Emerald Isle a run for its money.
The K Club, County Kildare, Ireland
54
I curve
The K Club (kclub.com), a 6ve,star hotel in the countryside (not
the coast) of County Kildare, is a quick 40,minute drive from
Dublin. The two courses, the Palmer Course and the Smurfit
Course, both designed by American icon Arnold Palmer, are
considered two of Ireland's finest championship golf courses
and hosted the 2006 Ryder Cup.
The opulent, restored hotel, The Scraffan House, dates back
to 550 A.D., with a rebuild in 1831, and is inspired by a chateau
in France that'll bring out the femme in any dyke. If sport is
your thing, fly,fuhing, skeet shooting and horseback riding can
complement your game. Or perhaps you'll want a dip apres gal£
as the tubs are made for love, or a bit of a swim. (They're that
grand.)
For culinary kicks, there are two excellent options on site.
You can hit Legends at the Arnold Palmer Clubhouse, with its
views of the Ryder Cup Course. It's sure to sate any golfer's ap,
petite. For fine dining, there's the Byerly Turk, one of Ireland's
finest restaurants. Today's Irish cuisine rivals any in Europe, and
is similar to Kiwi cuisine, with the freshest of ingredients.
Abama Hotel Resort, Tenerife, Spain
This five,star, recently acquired Ritz,Carlton resort is a quick
two,hour flight from mainland Spain and four from other key
European cities. One of the top 10 resorts in the world, Abama
(abamahotelresort.com), on the west coast of Tenerife Island,
sits atop a cliff overlooking the Atlantic. It's a favorite among the
European jet set.
According to Abama's golf director, British,qualified golfer
Mark Dursey, "Everyone who comes out here returns:' There's
one 18,hole course, but Dursey says, "There are two different
nines. The first nine you're going uphill towards the mountain.
The back nine you are coming back down:' The weather allows
Pezula is an oasis for the athletic dyke. You can play 18
holes of championship golf, pick up a game of tennis,
swim, go horseback riding or stroll along the beach,
followed by a bit of pampering in Pezula's Spa ...
golf 365 days of the year, and each game, each hole, offers a view
of the sea.
This challenging course is for serious players only. Women
muse have a handicap of 36 or lower co play; paperwork and
proof of handicap are required. That aside, it's all about a good
time.
The Wellness Spa center is good for body, mind and spirit
with a variety of options: the African sauna, the snow cabin and
a world of showers.
There are 10 luxury restaurants, all supervised by three-scar
Michelin chef Martin Berasategui. For lighter fare,
hit the Wine Bar whose international wine list
includes Spanish wines of course, and excellent
tasting menus.
Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa,
Pezula, South Africa
Pezula is an African word chat means "high up
with the gods:' This heavenly gem, with panoramic
views of the Indian Ocean and the Knysna Lagoon,
borders the rugged cliffs of the Southern Cape
coast.
The internationally acclaimed golf course,
designed by Ronald Fream and David Dale of
GolfPlan USA, offers a challenging game, requiring a full range of shoes. Unlike Bandon Dunes'
caddy culture, Pezula, which opened in 2005, is a
golf-care-only facility.
Pezula is an oasis for the athletic dyke. You can
play 18 holes of championship golf, pick up a game
of tennis, swim, go horseback riding or stroll along the beach,
followed by a bit of pampering in Pezula's Spa, recognized as
one of the best in South Africa.
There's pleasure for every diner's palace. Zachary's restaurant can provide picnics. The Boma on Pezula's Private Estate is
ideal for a private romantic function under the African sky. Try
a midday snack at Pezula's Castle on the beach. Whatever you
choose, you are sure to feellike an African queen.
So get golfing girls. I'll see you on the 19th
TAG YOUR BAG
Everyone's bag but yours is going around and around
on the conveyor belt. Your ride is here and you can't
distinguish your black suitcase from everyone else's
ebony tote. You would love to be unique, but a bright
green Hawaiian print suitcase isn't your style. Identify
your bag fast with a personalized tag from YourBagTag.
com. For $12, owner and operator Rebecca Wilson will
embroider it herself for you in your favorite color combination with a polka dot or striped ribbon, and your
business card can be inserted inside. I am so excited
to have my pretty and unique bag tag that I can't wait
to pick up my suitcase in the baggage claim next holiday. No more staring at the luggage carousel in vain.
-Mea Chavez
March 2008
I 55
OU'VE MET THE woman of your dreams. You want to
get away to an idyllic spot, but you've already done Cancun
and Caho. How about Barbados? It's a lover's hideaway, and the
wildlife here is the kind you don't want to go extinct.
We were in Barbados about a month ago. I had been there
several years before, and I must say that the island has changed
since then. For the uninitiated, Barbados, which is part of
the West Indies, is situated in the Southeastern part of the
Caribbean, about 200 miles above South America. Though
Barbados gained its full independence from Britain 40 years
ago, the British influence remains. The island is a bit reserved
by nature, so it's not uncommon to see people dressed up for diri,
ner, with their good manners on display.For you femmes, here's a
chance to don your lipstick and sundresses and be right at home.
Barbados has one of the highest standards of living and
literacy rates in the Caribbean. A popular wedding destination,
Barbados' cup floweth over with sugar cane and rum and unlike
Caho, you're more likely to see a rousing game of cricket than
you are beach volleyball. Bikini bod not required here.
We came for the crystal dear aquamarine waters where we
could see at least 40 feet below the surface. I was most excited to
embark on our catamaran cruise, where I could immerse myself
in wet turquoise and frolic with the undersea community.
If you've never snorkeled, the idea of smacking goggles _on
your face and sticking your head underwater to breathe through
a rubber hose might seem pretty daunting. I met a woman who
was petrified to snorkel. I could see her hyperventilating as our
guide instructed us to put on our life jackets and adjust our
masks accordingly. But I had once been a camp counselor, so
I helped her adjust her equipment, even though I couldn't do
much to assuage her fear that some angelfish might bite off her
big toe and send her to a local hospital.
I grabbed her arm and tried to assure her that once she took
the plunge, she wouldn't regret it. She nodded, but I noticed that
her pupils were still the size of saucers.
Slowly,the ladder was lowered into the water. I couldn't wait
for the other 40 people to lumber down, so I made sure I was one
of the first to abandon ship. Soon, I was with the unruly under,
sea inhabitants, swimming with all the pals Ia seen in Bora Bora,
Mexico, Hawaii, and other parts of the Caribbean.
If you've already snorkeled, you've probably seen coral, with
its jagged rainbow planes of color. You've probably flirted with
a zillion fish that become your best friends when you bring out
the frozen peas.
And in Barbados there are sea turtles.
The grace of sea turtles is very different from that of other
undersea life. Unlike the hyperactive fish, sea turtles are under,
water poetry, their cadence a slow iambic pentameter.
As sea turtles cascade toward you, their flippers row like huge
paddles. They glide through the water looking for scraps of food,
not in a frenetic fashion, but with patience and wisdom, as if they
know they'll get what they need if they simply bide their time.
At one point, three huge sea turtles were in my field of vision,
along with some sharklike things prowling on the ocean floor.
I found out later they were tarpon, the submarines of the sea.
They swim in straight lines until they chance upon some fish
food, at which point they dartlike missiles after their target.
Our guides fed our flippered friends, and soon we were back
on the catamaran to discover another spot.
The excursion took us over part of an old shipwreck, where
we watched a variety of undersea life bob at the barnacles and
other minute items of interest.
The catamaran then found a deserted stretch of beach where
we could swim, and soon I was in the water again, bobbing about
like a buoy, the surf playing tag with me as the sun kissed my
back. Did this excursion ever have to end? Unfortunately yes, but
thankfully, Barbados is filled with other natural wonders.
Back on land, Horizon Coaches and Tours will gladly take
you around the island, so you can get up dose and personal with
some of the wildlife that resides there. You Jane Goodall types
will be happy to know that the heralded green monkey makes its
home on the island.
This creature propagates freely on Barbados. In fact, one of
the most prestigious golf courses there, at the Sandy Lane Hotel,
is named after this gregarious animal. I spotted one from the van
and I stupidly tried to get it to come closer by making one of my
famous monkey calls.I must have been speaking chimpanzee,
because it quickly ducked into a ditch.
Driving up the road, we then spotted what we thought were
goats. According to our guide, Emerson, these were blackbelly
sheep. No wool on these guys, so no sweaters. And I didn't see
them munching on any tin cans.
Mongooses that looked a bit like ground squirrels also popu,
late the island, dashing across the road like kids late for school.
One of the more miraculous sounds on the island is the
symphony of whispering frogs. A bit flutelike, these creatures
begin their serenade in the hush of dusk, singing to one another
with pure abandon. Couple thiswith the percussion of toads and
crickets and you can see why it's so easy to spend so much time
outdoors.
For me, of course, the chance to engage with the wildlifeespecially the underwater kind-made visiting Barbados and
experiencing the wonders of the Caribbean worth any jet lag I
may have had coming
WHERE
TOSTAY
TheCraneBeach
Resortis idealfor
loverswhowant
privacy,
a plethoraof
swimming
poolsand
a dynamite
restaurant,
aptlynamedZenfor its
fusionofAsiandelights.
(thecrane.com)
TheSandyLaneHotel
is anothergoodchoice.
Therichandfamous
oftenstayhere,andits
locationonthebeach
makesthisa great
placeto indulgein
manyoutdooractivities.Theplaceis also
kid-friendly
andgreat
for familyvacations.
(sandylane.com)
WHERE
TODINE
CheckoutPisces,
withits waterfront
viewsandsucculent,
sweetlobster.
(piscesbarbados.com)
Cheletteis the
McDonald's
of
Barbados,
butin a good
way.Youwon'tgobroke
at thispopularchain.
(chefette.com)
FLIGHT
TIME
Righttimesfromthe
U.S.vary.FromMiami,
thetrip is onlythree
anda halfhours;from
NewYork,~r. and
fromLosAngeles,
nine.
Thelocaltourismboard
cantell youall you
needto knowabout
transporation
andmore.
(visitbarbados.org)
SEA TURTLE SWIM
Story and Photos by Mary McGrath
March 2008
I57
By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
HO KNEW that
children's book
Potter, the woman beloved
by legions of lesbians for her
book The Taleof PeterRabbit,
was also an acclaimed mycologist who painted nuanced
watercolors of fungi?
Who knew that she was also a passionate conservationistspending her book royalties to buy up Lake District farms and
save them from developers?
Or that she had a dog named Spot and pet bunnies named
Peter Piper and Benjamin H. Bouncer?
Well, we did get an inkling of Beatrix Potter's personality in
Miss Potter,the movie starring Renee Zellweger. Ir's certainly inspirational, and it was wonderful to see some of her darling characters dancing around on her "picture letters" and manuscripts.
But it is so much better to actually visit her stomping grounds
and learn intriguing bits and pieces about her as you go along.
In the beautiful country that is England's Lake District, it
does seem as if the environment-the twittering birds, the lush
vegetation, the Lakeland scenery-was just begging someone to
is also home to the country's largest lake and steepest road-not
to mention William Wordsworth's charming Dove Cottage and
the diminutive Grasmere Gingerbread Shop-it makes sense to
allow yourself enough time to visit many of these sights. Three
nights is ideal.
Though I spent only two nights-one in Hawkshead and
another in Ambleside-1 knew I was hot on Potter's trail when
I relaxed over a cup of tea in the posh drawing room at staid
Storrs Hall and saw naughty Peter Rabbit cottontails hopping
carelessly over the expansive, very, very green and plush lakeside
lawn. Wouldn't you know that long ago Potter herself visited
here, too?
Potter first came to the Lake District from London, on holiday with her parents in 1882, when she was 16. They stayed with
friends at Wray Castle, a mock fortress built earlier in the 1800s.
Today, you can walk through the grounds and arboretum.
Indeed, hikers wielding walking sticks can be seen throughout the area. The easy, paved path around lovely forested Tarn
Hows Lake-its name means "the tear lake in the hills"-is a
popular one and takes only about an hour. Potter bequeathed
this land to the National Trust.
Many people continue on from Tarn Hows to Yew Tree
Farm via a short walk down a scenic lane. "The walk slows you
come along and write the famous children's tales.
Since the region contains 16 lakes, as well as England's five
highest mountains and thousands of miles of walking trails, and
down, and when you get here you appreciate that our food is
home-cooked;' says the current owner, Caroline Watson.
Yew Tree Farm was purchased by Potter in 1930 to save
TOUR GUIDES: GET LOST
Tourgi is where you want it to be, when you want it to be there.
THERE ARE many thingsyou wish you had
when vacationing:umbrellasfor sudden
downpoursin New York,sweatshirtsfor
foggy summersin San Franciscoand a
gay-friendlytour guide on your cell phone
for navigatingthe anti-gridstreets of
Boston.With TourgiYourTourGuide, you
can, at least, have the latter.You won't
have time to worry about pickpockets
when you have a narratedtour of some
of the nation'smost well-traveledcities,
which you can listento at your own pace.
There are two ways to utilizeTourgi:online and via cell phone or PDA device. The
saI curve
mobile editionsof Tourgiare free; however,
knowingyour server'sdata plan reduces
the risk of findingunexpectedchargeson
your next bill. While the browser-based
versionsupportsmaps, the Java editions
do not. Tourgiis convenientlyavailableby
email to answer any questionsabout what
versionworks best with your handheld
device.
Still kickingaroundwith that old-school
freebie phone?Don't sweat it. Tourgioffers
its city narrativesin downloadableMP3
form as well, which you can take with you
via any playeror put on a CD to create
your own bus tour in your compact rental
car "upgrade."If you are fond of the idea
but are not satisfiedwith the audio clips
providedby OmniNav,TourgiYourTour
Guide offersyou the opportunityto help
others navigatetheir favoritecities by
it from developers. Like J.K. Rowling, the author of the other
Potter stories, Beatrix became wealthy from her book royalties.
She welcomed anyone to stay at the farm during hard times, and
in 1933 she helped set up a small tearoom in the front parlor
and dining room of the house to supplement her tenant farmers'
incomes. Eventually,Potter herself became involved in farming.
The farm's tearoom is now restored and decorated with
Potter's original furnishings, paintings and collectibles. Lunch
and tea are also served out in the front yard at picnic tables
positioned within the property's dry stone walls. On the menu
is what just might be the biggest, best scone ever-served up
with heavenly clotted cream and scrumptious, homemade wild
Damson plum jam. Herdwick sheep and black-and-white Belted
Galloway cows (also called "Oreo cows") graze on the property,
which was a key location in the Miss Potterfilm.
Three tranquil B&B rooms are available upstairs. They have
tremendous character, with a high bed here and an oversized,
contemporary round bathtub there; dramatic "rectory red" walls
in one and a low, mind-your-head ceiling in another. Slate on
the bathroom floors comes from the hills behind the farm, and
amenities are made locally.
Throughout this area of narrow lanes lined with dry stonewalls and hedgerows, are Potter's beloved Herdwick sheep.
These darling animals are born jet black in February or March.
In their first year their bodies turn chocolate brown and their
faces become white, making them look like little cows.
In the tiny village of Hawkshead, the Beatrix Potter Gallery
is housed within a 17th-century building that once held the legal offices of her husband, William Heelis, whom she married
when she was 47. This old cottage has a low door-mind your
hea~ again-and ancient bowed bookshelves. That Potter was
first and foremost an artist-writing was secondary-becomes
more apparent as you study her original sketches and watercolor
providing registered users the opportunity to post
their own compatible audio bits. For $22 you can
have access to all narratives and maps for a year.
No longer do you have to fret about the lack of
~throom breaks on your tours. Since Tourgi is
on your time, you can stop and go whenever you
please, take a break for lunch and pick up on a
new tour halfway across town. Most clips give the
exact address of landmarks but neglect to give all
the cross streets, which are usually more helpful
when navigating a strange city. Yet they do give
extra, tourist-friendly info, like a phone number for
where you can get an hour-long backstage tour of
the Apollo Theater. Get off those double-decker
buses, lose the guides and get Tourgi.
(tourgi.com) - Colleen McCaffrey
illustrations here.
Hawkshead itself is a delight. Filled with half-timbered
buildings and narrow cobblestone streets, it is the English village
of your dreams. And perhaps everyone else's, too, as it can be
quite congested during the day.
But if you spend the night here in The Queen's Head Hotel,
as I did, you'll see another side. This welcoming 16th-century
inn is at the center of the village and comes complete with fireplaces to warm yourself and ancient oak beams. It was around
when William Wordsworth attended the local grammar school
and when Potter lived on her farm just up the road. It has a bit of
a FawltyTowersthing going on, with stairs going up, then down,
and with mazelike halls. Hearty pub fare is made from fresh
local produce, with no genetically modified ingredients, and ales
come from the local Hawkshead brewery.
Potter wrote most of her books at Hill Top Farm, in the
tiny, creaky-floored, 17th-century cottage she purchased with
the royalties from her first "little book;' The Taleof PeterRabbit.
She lived here from 1905 until 1913 before moving to Lakeland.
PeterRabbit,based on her pet bunny Peter Piper and the first
in her series of 23 tales, was rejected by at least six publishers
before Potter self-published it. It has now sold more than 40
million copies in more than 35 languages and has never been
out of print.
The original furnishings, library and gardens are maintained
exactly as she left them. It is delightful to see the house as it is
depicted in The Taleof SamuelWhiskers,and the cottage garden
in The TaleofJemima Puddle-Duckand The Taleof Tom Kitten.
Many of Potter's collectibles are displayed, including six spinning wheels and a lovely selection of porcelain, and, of course,
there is a flower garden and vegetable patch.
Visitors can get a snack or spend the night next door at the
Tower Bank Arms pub. Depicted in one of the sketches in The
TaleofJemimaPuddle-Duck,this 17th-century inn offers an extensive selection of traditional local ales. Upstairs, the rooms are
simple, compact and cozy, with a lovely rural view and a bathroom en suite.
Ambleside's Armitt Collection presents Potter's more
serious side. In addition to some of her early drawings, it displays
a large collection of her more than 500 watercolors and drawings
of fungi. Potter studied mycology at London's Kew Gardens and
painted true-to-life specimens-the false death caps and scarlet
elf caps are particularly lovely-but she ran into the glass ceiling
of her day in a male-dominated field. Though she discovered the
process by which some fungi reproduce, her research was not
acknowledged until the 1990s.
Photos of Potter in her later years remind me of the actor
Joan Hickson portraying Miss Marple. She looks v~ry dear in
her floppy hat and matronly suit.
Potter died in 1943 at age 77, and her ashes were scattered
near Hill Top Farm. But her story, and her storybooks, live on.
Who knew it would be so much fun, and so interesting, to
follow in her footsteps?
ONLINE
INFORMATION
• TheLakeDistrict
golakes.co.uk
• LakeDistrict
Outdoors
lakedistrictoutdoors.
CO.Uk
• VisitBritain
visitgaybritain.com
• BeatrixPotter's
LakeDistrict
visitmisspotter.com
• StorrsHall
elh.co.uk.
• TarnHows
tarnhows.co.uk
• YewTreeFarm
yewtree-farm.com
• BeatrixPotter
GalleryandHillTop
Farmhouse
nationaltrust.org.uk
• TheQueen's
HeadHotel
queensheadhotel.
CO.Uk.
• TowerBankArms
towerbankarms.
CO.Uk
• TheArmitt
Collection
armitt.com
MORETIPS
Trailmapsof the
areacanbeeasily
purchased
upon
yourarrival.
Thedelightful
Walking
withBeatrix
Potter
canbeordered
fromAmazon.
Mountain
Goat
Holidays
offerstwo
dailyBeatrixPotter
tours(beatrlx-potterlakeland.com).
A trainfromLondon
to Windermere
takes
justoverthreeand
a halfhourson
weekdays,
longeron
weekends.
March 2008
I59
By Marie "Riese" Lyn Bernard
F
OR THE FIRST hour of our 2007
cruise video, it's Heather and me on
the balcony of the suite she's sharing
with her girlfriend Haviland Stillwell
(my best friend) on the Norwegian Dawn. We're
bubbling with vodka tonics and sticky happiness,
and the boat's just started sailing from New York
to Key West.
The sunset's reflected off the surface of sliding
glass doors, and I get up, lean over the railing, tum
to Heather and say,"You know, I'm not into like,
sentiment or scenery, but this, right here, is more
or less perfect:' And there it is again: the waves rise
and lilt, everything is beautiful, everyone is gay,
we're all on this boat, cruisin' together, more or less
perfect.
My first R Family cruise was to Alaska (Juneau,
Skagway and Ketchikan) and Victoria, British
Columbia in 2006. Haviland, who knows Rosie
O'Donnell from Fiddler on the Roof, is performing
in the Rosie's Broadway Belters show and she invites
me as her plus-one. So I fly to Seattle from New
York City, meet up with Hav at the airport, and we
bus to the docks. Along with a platoon of gay families radiating contagious enthusiasm, we board,
and in the seven days between that moment and
our return to the world, I am transformed.
"I wish we were on the boat right now;'
Haviland is liable to moan on any of the 358 days
of the year she's not on it. After the boat, there is
only "boat" and "not-boar:'
The first night in Alaska, the khaki- and pinstripe-clad R Family team starts off in the Stardust
Theater with a clever opening number, "Big Gay
Cruise Ship;' peppered with gay in-jokes and ending in a crescendo of "What's better than being
on a cruise ship where almost everyone is gay?"
That "almost" is key. Kelli O'Donnell, who co-
Bernard (top right) and friend; Ross the Intern and
friends chow down; Bernard (left) and McArdle try
their hands at the slots; Bernard (center) and friend
entertain the crowd.
60
I curve
owns R Family Vacations with Gregg Kaminsky,
says: "We're all-inclusive; the only gay and lesbian
travel company that invites gays, lesbians and their
straight friends and family on board our trips. We
embrace everybody:'
Rosie easily charms the crowd. These are her
people; we're on her side. We're on Susan Powter's
side, too, and that's why in a few days we're in our
sweatpants at 8 a.m., upside down, pressing our
toes into sticky purple mats with the intent to
erase the patriarchy. Susan's got big white-andpink dreadlocks, a million tattoos and the most
contagious narcissism I've ever encountered. We
love her. Susan teaches daily yoga and gives motivational speeches.
Norwegian's cruises are "freestyle;'which means
you're free to eat and entertain as you please.The
food is fine-to-decent and something's always open.
The Freestyle Daily newsletter, delivered nightly
along with gift bags from assorted gay-friendly
donors, details the next day's activities: themed
dinners, parties, cooking lessons with Martha
Stewart's che£ adoption seminars, auctions, football camp with Esera Tuaolo, presentations, films
and shore excursions when the boat is docked.
"If you don't have children, our trips are just as
applicable to you. We have specialty dining, adultgeared entertainment, disco, casino, piano bars
with Broadway star talent and plenty of daytime
programming," Kelli points out. "We've got singles
mixers and dinners on board for those looking to
meet other singles:'
Alaska is beautiful and chilly-the snowcapped mountains, glaciers-all of it. Excursions
like dog sledding or glacier watching are available
for between $50 and $1,000. Haviland and I usuallyjust grab snacks and reboard-with the children
gone, we've got the entire silent sun to ourselves, all
of it. These are some of our favorite moments.
In Ketchikan, Kathy Griffin and her assistant Jessica spot Haviland and me in the piano
bar: "Are you a gay?" Kathy asks. "We need some
gays to guide us off this boat; we're lost. We need
someone who knows the territory:' The boat feels
like an artists' colony, but earnest and cleaner. It's
so lovely that I soar past nauseated to genuine
ecstasy. Performers include Cyndi Lauper, Kathy
Griffin, Audra McDonald, Elvira Kurt, Jill Sobule
and tremendous Broadway talent. The Broadway
Belters show, including scenes from Wicked, Evita
and Les Miserables, often features a role's original
performer, and I actually cry when Haviland sings,
even though she's dressed like a cupcake.
On the second to last night, we're dining in La
T rattoria with a group that includes two straight
couples and their children. Esera smiles at me
and Haviland, mimes taking our photograph and
mouthes "Beautiful:' We're so high on life that
(!)
a:
0
>,:
I
a..
5
(!)
I
a..
w
§
uJ
g
:5
;
READY, SET, FISH
were not sure if it's just us or if the boat's actually
rocking a little-languid sinking and rising floor.
Am I drunk, or is this a storm?
Were walking past the casino and the piano
bar, and walking isn't working. Walking is a lot like
falling. "It's like the tsunami," I exclaim as we push
the heavy doors out to the deck, where waves shoot
triumphantly over the railings onto the shuffleboard courts. The wind tries to kill us. Laurie, our
friend and one of Ro's production assistants, takes
us to her suite-so we can stand on the balcony
and get drenched by ambitious waves. 'This is so
cool," Haviland says. I'm hoping this means she
won't throw up later, but she does. We both do.
The next morning it feels like weve all been
through trauma together and we're bonded by the
experience of those waves-the earth's failed embraces lumbering back at us, and failing again to
hold on. As Elvira Kurt pointed out in her dosingnight act, although many passengers were literally
throwing up in the hallways,Kelli was together and
with it, cheerful as if magnetized, which is why,like
Rosie, we're all in love with her.
So much happens every single day: Your skin
changes color; you randomly converse with someone brilliant and interesting from far, far away; you
dress up like a girl without worrying you'll be mistaken fur straight. It's summer camp fur kids who
got beat up at summer camp. It's magic. Everything
that makes me scowl in the real world is better here
because were all different, and therefure we're all
the same.
To be honest, I'd take an R Family Cruise to
Somalia; destination is an afterthought. The crowd
is mixed, though there are more people our age in
2007-mid-20s to mid-30s. You find each other
quiclcly.
On the Bahamas and Florida cruise, optional
excursions include Universal Studios, historic
Cocoa Beach or, while in the Bahamas, snorkeling and parasailing. We hit Key West at mid-afternoon, my skin feels like microwaved butter. A
drag queen snatches our crowd from the street into
a half-empty bar and cajoles Haviland into singing "Like a Prayer" karaoke, while patrons the color
of orange rinds and coffee stare, languid and awestruck. We film and cheer.
The 2007 talent includes Erasure, Sandra
Bernhard, Judy Gold and a revival of Annie starring Broadway's Annie, Andrea McArdle. The
Family Pride coalition hosts a panel and Sharon
Gless participates in fullDebbie Novonty costume
(as her "proud gay morn" character from Queer as
Folk).I practically hyperventilate. It's cool here that
I have a gay mom, too; it's almost assumed. It's Gay
Opposite Day all the time.
Heather and I hit happy hour always-we
dash across the deck in our bathing suits to
make it before 6 p.m. It's The Amazing Race
with babies as obstacles; we're running down
to the icy-cool bar, were picking up friends on
the way and we're all around the bar like bees
to nectar if nectar was two-for-$9.
Mid-trip, Heather and I get the idea to
put on a staged reading of a sitcom I've been
writing with a buddy, and McArdle reads
the lead. It's a writer's dream-so much accessible talent. Later that night (but there
is no time, really), I'm IM-ing my co-writer from
the overpriced Internet cafe while Ross the Intern
awaits the upload of his Rosie vlog.It takes so long
it's hard to believe that someone had the patience
to leak Rosies anti-Hasselback shtick from the first
night's performance onto YouTube.
In Grand Stirrup Cay,the water's the same color that water is in dreams-dean aqua. Our limbs
echo and ripple underwater as we paddle out and
lie in the sun all afrernoon, just drifring, miles from
home. At night theres a luau, drunken dancing
and glowsticks.We hear two women having sex in
the ocean. Wecl thought one of them was straight.
Well, she has her fun. We all have our fun.
Theres drama, because were lesbians, and that's
how these things go. Ambiguous couplings, fights
in public, tales of morning-afrer walks-of-shame,
like Jen's, in a mini-skirt and boots, to the front
desk to replace a demagnetized key card.
They spin pop hits all night in the Spinnaker
Lounge. This is where you can find people, or else
on the pool deck or the Market Cafe. I feel like
were alwayswearing exactly what we want to wear,
always a little tanner, less hungry and more relaxed. Theres always something to do-too many
things to do, sometimes. However, there is plenty
included in the ticket price-we only spend extra
on alcohol and Internet access.
I never expected to love something that sold
plush toys of its logo, photographed you every 10
minutes or hosted Pirate Night. But I get it, why
everyone cried at the end ofi\11 Aboard;' like they cl
died and gone to heaven, only to be thrust mercilessly back into the rest of the world. It's hard, readjusting to the world. I often think, "Wow, I didn't
realize there were so many hot gay girls in the city,"
and then I remember that not everyones probably
gay anymore.
Kelli says this: "Mostly,I believe that the magic
onboard our ship is truly hard to define in words.
It's an experience that'll transform you for a week
into a place that feels free, open, wrapped in love
and acceptance." See that? I totally buy it, every
Dreaming
of tossing
a lineintoa steady
stream?Morewomen
thaneveraretaking
quickfly-fishingtripson
theirweekend
getaways.
Theseeasy,surefiretips
will getyouintowaders
in notime.- LindseyJ.
Taylor
WHERETO
GO
ElysiaResort& Lodge,
Quesnallake,British
Columbia:
Locatedin thecaribooregionof BC,
thisresortoffersromanticgetaways
andwater
excursions.
Thewomen-only
fly-fishingclasses
will helpperfectyourcraft.(e/ysiaresort.com)
Amangani
Resort,
Jackson,
Wyo.:Thisresort
hasit all.Theycaterto womenfly fishers,and
yoururbangirlfriendcanstayinsideandnever
knowshe'sin thewilderness.
(amanresorts.com)
cant.:This
CedarPinesRVResort,Dunsmuir,
beautifully
women-friendly
resortletsyoupullin a
rig or pitcha tentandfish.Perfectfor DIVdykes.
(cedarpinesrvresort.com)
TheOldPostandVillage,LakeSt Joseph,
Ontario:
Thisquantcanadianfishingvillagein
northwest
OntariocoversfishingfromA to Z. Real,
ruralandfisherwomen-friendly.
(o/dpost.com)
WHOTOGOWITH
Therearedozensof women'sfishingclubs.
Here'sjusta starter,butyoucanfindmoreat
womensflyfishing.net/clubs.
• DameJulianaAnglers,
Tempe,
Ariz.
(damejulianaanglers.com)
• Delaware
ValleyWomen's
FlyAshing
Association,
BrynMawr,Penn.(dvwffa.org)
• Georgia
WomenFlyfishers,
Loganville,
Ga.
(georgiaflyfishing.com)
• WomenFlyfishers
of Idaho,Boise,Idaho
(wffid.com)
• Flygirlsof Michigan,
RoyalOak,Mich.
ws)
(f/ygirfs.
WHENTOGO
Depending
onthetypeof fishyou'retryingto
catchandtheareayouarein,differenttimesof
theyearbringdifferentbitesto yourline.January
throughMaybringssteelhead,
andJunethrough
November
is perfectfor salmon.(neffguide.com)
WHATTOTAKEWITHYOU
Thereareaccessories
thatyouneedandthen
therearethosethatyouwant.Youwill needa fly
rod,a fly reel,waders,wadingboots,fly linesand
backing,fliesandfly tying.Thingsthatareniceto
have:sunglasses,
binoculars,
a camera,a hat,a
vestanda fannypack.Onlinestoresthatspecializein women'sfly-fishingaccessories
include
cabelasandOrvis.(Orvis.com,
cabelas.
Patagonia,
com,andpatagonia.com)
March 2008
I 61
TRAVELING MOMS
MicheleDurstandLizSpadaro
havelong
shareda lovefortheoutdoors,
kidsand
eachother.Imagine
theirhorror,then,
whentheyreada spring2005articlein
OutTraveler
abouta popularvacationrental
siteremoving
LGBTreferences
fromads.
Angeredbythearticleanddrivenby
a desireto travelasanLGBTfamily,
thecouplecombined
Durst'ssystems
experience
{hard-won
afteryearsonWall
Street)withSpadaro's
background
as
an Englishteacherto startPinkPavilions
{pinkpavilions.com).
Thistravelrentalsite
notonlyrefersto theLGBTcommunity
in
ads,it catersto it specifically-targeting
a varietyof locations,
frombigcitiesand
placesfor familiesto clubbingscenesand
partyislands.
"Whena needarose,wesaid'Oh,wecan
dothis,'"saysSpadaro.
Thisattitudeappliesbothto LGBT
vacationrentalsandto
thecouple'sotherbiginterest-kids.They
bothworkedasSunday
schoolteachers
andforTrueExpressions,
anorganization
thathelpsChristian
youthcomeoutand
findacceptance
in theirfaithcommunities.
NowSpadaro
andDurstwantto extend
thathelpinghandto kidswho needit.
DurstandSpadaro
alsospendwhatfree
timetheyhavewritingweeklylettersto
localandfederalrepresentatives
about
LGBTissues,andhopeto usesomeof
PinkPavilions'
revenue
to sponsor
college
scholarships
for LGBT
youthwhohave
a demonstrated
involvement
withthe
community.
Ofcourse,thebestwayto helpkidsmay
beto seta goodexample.
"Weallwant
thesamething-to loveandbeloved,"
Spadaro
says."Wejusthaveto accept
ourselves
andbeourselves
andnotcowto
thisinsanity.
I don'twantthesekidsto feel
guiltyfor beingthemselves."
Thisstrategyseemsto beworking.Durst's
straightnephewwasresponsible
for organizinga dayof silencefor LGBT
students
at hishighschoolin NewYork."I wasvery
proudof himandI hopethatsomeof our
actionsdemonstrate
thatwe'recomfortablewithourselves,"
Durstsays.
- LinaSwislocki
62
I curve
By Amelia Pyxus
S
OME 2 MILLION people visit
Whistler, British Columbia, every
year. Most of these travelers-many
of them gay and lesbian-go for
its world-class skiing; the picturesque resort village and neighboring Blackcomb Mountains are
consistently ranked the No. 1 ski resort in North
America. Adventure-seeking visitors also come to
snowboard, dog sled, ice climb and snowmobile all
8,100 acres of incredibly diverse terrain. Whistler's
repertoire isn't limited to flurry-filled activities,
though. The village is also famous for its mountain biking-its summer mountain bike park is
regarded as the best in the world. And with three
championship designer courses, this haven has
made itself Canada's No. 1 golf destination ... and
it has the Dinah Shore lesbians flying in from all
over the world to prove it.
While helicopteMkiing and dog-sledding adventures have their allure, my buddy Syd and I had
tickets to Whistler Winter Pride (gaywhistler .com)
and a completely different kind of agenda in mind
for our weekend in the snow. Winter Pride is a
weeklong festival featuring not only skiing, but also
educational workshops, nightly apres skis, sexy
dance parties and world-class entertainment.
We drank Bloody Caesars (the Canadian take
on our Bloody Mary) at the Vancouver airport
bar with a couple of dykes we ran into from San
Francisco, and then boarded the Perimeter Bus
shuttle (perimeterbus.com). I kept my eyes peeled
in hopes of a Bette or Tina sighting as we rode
through the streets of Vancouver, but my attention
was soon captivated by incredible views of British
Columbia's coastline: amazing waterfalls, snowcovered rainforests and glacial peaks on the Seato-Sky Highway.
It's easy to get around without a car once you
get to Whistler, so save your cash for lift tickets.
The lovely resort village is designed for pedestrians only, so you can meander (with or without
ski poles) around the valley's lively centerpiece,
discovering its stores, spas, restaurants, bars and
night clubs.
We stayed at the luxurious Pan Pacific Whistler
Village Centre (panpacific.com) in a suite right
in the heart of town. I was delighted to spend my
afternoons relaxing in the outdoor hot tubs-surrounded by snow-capped mountains, big white
snowflakes falling on my face-and chatting with
friendly folks from all over the world. Syd and I ignited our evenings by joining the Centre's nightly
happy hour with beer and wine in front of the
fireplace.
Sure, the more than 200 trails, three glaciers,
33 lifts and 12 alpine bowls were tempting, but the
closest we actually came to hitting the slopes was
on a breathtaking sunset gondola ride to the top
of the mountain. Each view of the valley was more
magnificent than the last, and left Syd and me in
WITNESS WOMEN'S
HISTORY IN AFRICA
complete awe of Whistler's natural beauty.
Winter Pride's opening night banquet was our
first taste of gay Whistler. Unbelievable performances from Cirque du Soleil, fabulous drag queens and
the very kinky Vancouver-based burlesque troupe
Stilettos and Strap-ons marked the beginning of a
weekend full of celebrations. Over dinner, we met
Valentina-the adorable manager of a local sex toy
boutique, the Love Nest (lovenest.ca)-and she invited us to come by her store the next day to check
o~t its vast array of romantic accessories.
After shopping for funky new hats at the Whistler
Hat Gallery, and indulging in homemade cones at
Pasta Lupino, Beetroot Cafe and Ciao-Thyme
Bistro.
Prior to reveling in deep-tissue massages at lesbian-owned Solarice, one of Whistler's 20 day spas,
Syd and I met with co-owner Lisa to hear about the
different types of traditional Chinese medicine treatments and yoga retreats she offers with her partner,
Amy, at their two Whistler locations (solarice.com).
Being the die-hard L Word fans that we are, Syd
and I had to check out the Fairmont Chateau-site
of Shane and Carmen's almost Canadian wedding.
Even if you're not a fan of the show, the grandiose
hotel is worth checking out solely for its traditional
Whistler has an array of options for snow bunnies
and party girls alike, so while the siren song might
be enough to bring any girl back, those cocktail
waitresses are the icing on the cake.
Cow's Ice Cream (cows.ca), we made our way over to
the Love Nest. The members of Stilettos and Strapons had the same idea and waltzed in while we were
quizzing Valentina on the lesbian scene in Whistler.
Excited by all the different costume options available,
the dancers were inspired to put on an impromptu
in-store fashion show for Syd, Valentina and me. To
our delight, they pranced around the store dressed
up like risque Mounties and firefighters.
Syd and I were overwhelmed by Whistler's 90
different tantalizing dining options and embraced
Valentina's attempt to ameliorate our situation by
recommending a few don't-miss restaurants. Hot
spots on her list included the Mix by Ric's, Elements,
It's one thing to sit in your
women's studies discussion group
at your local feminist coffee
shop and discuss female genital
circumcision practices in African
countries. It's quite another to
discuss it at a women's conference
in Seregunda, Gambia, where
you see the issue from an African
woman's perspective. On the 1st
World Family's Women's History Month Tour, a 10-day trip in
March to Senegal and Gambia,
you will learn about modern Africa
and discuss women's rights,
marriage, polygamy, female
circumcision, HIV, the damages
of war and the role of multiple
religions from the people that live
with these issues day to day.
This trip isn't purely academic,
though. You will get to play, too.
Choose from a variety of biking,
hiking and walking tours. Go
horseback riding, take drumming
circle and dance lessons, attend
live outdoor music shows and visit
museums and historical sites.
You'll also meet families in nearby
villages during your stay to get a
sense of the local life and culture.
Go there to learn and you surely
will. Each tour is limited to 15
people. The price is $1,900 and
includes airfare, lodging and
tours. (1stworldfamily.org)
-MeaChavez
daily high tea (fairmont.com/whistler).
On Saturday night, Maxx Fish played host to
the L Party-Winter Pride's women's closing dance
party. Lesbians from far and wide packed the club,
and the night heated up with arousing performances
from provocative go-go girls. We partied along with
our dyke friends from San Francisco, Valentina, Lisa
and Amy. The end of the evening found us all basking in the sight of scantily clad cocktail waitresses
dancing and kissing on top of the bar.
Whistler has an array of options for snow bunnies and party girls alike, so while the siren song
might be enough to bring any girl back, those cocktail waitresses are the icing on the cake.
March 2008
I63
RUNAWAY
ROHANCE
My comicbook relationship:
can it be saved?
By Alice Clarke
I love comics. So when I started a relationship
with a non,geek in January, I immediately set
about the task of finding the perfect introductory
comic for her.
My first thought, not wanting to start her on
the harder stuff, was the original Buffy comic. She
was a Buffy fan, and there was a new series due out
later this year. But not even the Willow and Tara
special issues could hold her interest, becauselee'sface it-the original Buffy series was terrible.
So my next thought was the Underworld adap,
tation, forgetting, of course, that Kate Beckinsale
was the only reason anyone saw the films and no,
body likes a movie adaptation.
Finally, I turned to the good people at my
friendly neighborhood comic book shop, who
suggested Runaways, a series created and written
by Brian K. Vaughan (who also did The Last Man
and writes for the TV show Lost).
Their reasons for suggesting the series: The
alien Karolina is a tastefully handled lesbian, her
friend Nico is hot, Joss Whedon (of Buffy fame)
was going to take over the writing in April, and
the story is interesting and not too intense for a
newbie. So I bought the first trade paperback, and
it had everything: murder, mystery, mutants, be,
trayal, telepathic dinosaurs and latent lesbianism.
We both loved it and couldn't wait to get the next
installments, and she, too, started looking forward
to comic shop Wednesday.
The next three books kept up the same level
of intrigue. Would the runaways be able to stop
Karolina didn't choose to be in this relationship and
makes it clear that she would rather be in a relationship with someone who is all-girl, all the time.
their evil parents:' Who was
the betrayer in their midst:'
Would Karolina ever make a
move on Nico:'
Unfortunately, as my relationship started to go downhill, so did the comic.
The fifthbook was the beginning of the end. Karolina
finally makes her move on
ico and is thoroughly shut
down. Which would have
been OK had it not been for
what happens next. A genderless skrull named Xavin,
a shape-shifter who normally
has a male appearance, arrives
in a spaceship a few pages later to inform Karolina
of their arranged marriage and its essential role in
ending an interplanetary war that could destroy
Earth. At first, Karolina declines the proposal, not
wanting to be in the closet anymore. That lasts
about a page, until Xavin takes on the appearance
of a girl, and they blast off into space together with
the intention of never coming back.
On the upside, they didn't follow the dead/ evil
cliche. But holy triple fish god, Batman! ot only
ui
did they get rid of their only gay character, presum?i
ably to avoid dealing with her, but
z
:::> they undermined her gayness by
!;.
forcing her into a marriage with
0
en someone who usually has a pea:
nis. If you squint a little, this
could be seen as a challenge to
(.)
the traditional idea of there be...J
ing only two clear-cut sexes, but
it really isn't a win for anyone.
Karolina didn't choose to be in
0
J:
this relationship and makes it
< clear that she would rather be in
a: a relationship with someone who
0
< is all-girl, all the time. And Xavin
u.
him/herself would clearly rather
:::>
be
a man, judging by the physical
w
en
a:
form
s/he usually chooses and
0
J:
the
gender
pronouns used for
::.::
him/her throughout the rest of
>the series. A forced marriage that
undermines
gender and sexual
:::>
8 choices isn't something to cheer Runaways
I
I
f
about. Neither were the sixth
and seventh books.
Finally came the issues
written by Joss Whedon, who
started making little digs and
comments about the validity
of Xavin and Karolina's relationship. At the start of his
first issue he states that their
relationship, homosexual or
otherwise, is irrelevant to
the workings of the team. He
also writes Karolina so that
she refuses to kiss Xavin unless she (note the change in
pronoun) is in female form,
and he gives Karolina a munber of conversations where she tells Nico that she
doesn't need to justify her relationship to anyone
except hersel£ Plus, Whedon's issues, as usual, are
the funniest.
Unfortunately, even though Whedon managed to save the comic, he didn't manage to save
my relationship.
On the upside, the Buffy Season 8 comic is
both out and awesome. And provided Brian K.
Vaughan doesn't manage to ruin it, perhaps it can
be the comic I introduce my next girlfriend to.
G~EA1
HOHEMS
INCOHIC
GAYNESS
1941: We get our first glimpse of
everyone's favorite Amazon princess, Wonder Woman.
1994: We're introduced to Johnny
Flagg's lesbian assistant, Mary, in
issue No. 2 of Fighting American, by
DC Comics.
January 2001: Willow's girlfriend,
Tara, makes her first appearance in
issue No. 29 of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer.
April 2001: The first Willow and Tara
centric comic, Wanna Blessed Be, is
co-written by Amber Benson (who
played Tara) and released by Dark
Horse.
March 2002: Holly Robinson
starts dating Karon in issue No. 3,
Catwoman, Series 2.
2005: Karolina comes out and
reveals her feelings for Nico in issue No. 7 of the second series of
Marvel's Runaways.
May 2006: DC begins the weekly
series 52, which features Renee
Montoya as a major player in a world
without Batman, Supennan and
Wonder Woman.
May 2006: Holly Robinson's first
appearance as the new Catwoman:
issue No. 53, Catwoman, Series 2.
June 2006: Renee Montoya is
outed in issues No. 6-10 of Gotham
Central.
August 2007: Marvel characters
Phyla-Veit and Heather (aka Quasar
and MoonDragon) reveal they are
lovers.
December 2007: DC introduces
an alternative universe, Earth 11, in
Countdown where genders are reversed. Batwoman and Superwoman
battle against Wonder Man and his
burly Amazons.
January 2008: Willow has a rather
hilarious fantasy about Tina Fey in
Marvel's Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Season 8. - Alice Clarke
March 2008 I 67
Reviews Sapphic Screen
Triangles and Triptychs
These arty flickspose questions about life, love and the universe.
If youwatchnothing
elsethismonth,watch
thesetwo incredible
series.Thefifth seasons
of bothHBO'sTheWire
andShowtime'sTheL
Wordarecaptivating
workfeaturingsexy
lesbiancharacters
anddeserveyour
full attention.TheL
Wordhasdykedrama,
L.A.-specitcbarbsand
anAlicestorylinethat
makesmeproudto be
a lesbianjournalist.Gals
will loveit. Butit's The
Wire,with gayoutlaw
vigilanteOmar(the
excellentMichael
Kenneth
Williams)
andAfricanAmerican
lesbiancopShakima
Strangers, sisters, rivals, lovers and others: The women of these
Griggs(theunderstated
three indie films search for, stumble upon, resist and explore
SonjaSohn),whose
crime,dramaandgritty one another in scenarios that tend toward the complicated.
urbanlife is filmedso
pitch-perfectly
that Vivere (Regent Releasing):Three German women of difyou'llthinkyou'reon fering generations travel to Rotterdam by night in this structurthestreetsof Baltimore ally artful, beautifully rendered film, their stories diverging and
yourself.Betteryet, intersecting again and again as they lose and find one another
watchseasons
one (and themselves). Director Angelina Maccarone has trumped
throughfourof both her last exquisite, quiet feature, Unveiied,perhaps the smartest
serieson DVDto lesbian-themed film of 2005. Vivere confirms that Maccarone
remember
why you
may indeed be a queer, female, German Krzysztof Kieslowski;
lovethem.(sho.com;
we're tempted to buy into the auteur theory solely on her achbo.com)
- Diane
Anderson-Minshallcount. Her use of subjective music, the camera and time has a
poetic delicacy that reverberates; scenes feel hand-sewn rather
than cut. The pot slowly starting to boil to the right of a stunning older woman (Hannelore Elsner) who is miserable eating alone; the blaring rock music in the car of the frustrated
20-something dyke (Esther Zimmering) who mothers her sister; the pregnant teenager (Kim Schnitzer) who runs through
turnstiles and vomits in a train station far from home-this
film is all in the details, spaces, silences and carefully chosen
words. (regentreleasing.com)
68 I curve
IBy Candace Moore
When Night Is Falling (Wolfe):Released in its intended,
unrated version for the first time on DVD, along with director Patricia Rozema's 25-minute short, Passion,1995's When
Night Is Fallingis the latest sparkler in Wolfe's vintage collection. This sumptuous Canadian romance between a tightly
wound Christian schoolteacher, Camille (Pascale Bussieres),
and a big-hearted "Sirkus of Sorts" performer, Petra (Rachael
Crawford), who juggles glowing lights and dances with irons,
seems forged between elements, equally frozen by snow and
singed by heat. After a "switcheroo" in a laundromat, Petra
plays Cupid to Camille's Psyche, shooting cute note-arrows
in through her apartment window and taking her flying on a
hang glider. At first, Camille's petrified of her own desires, of
the open sky and the expanse of ground beneath, but the film
shows her embracing tender lovemaking with Petra while reforming her theological notions. Camille tries to break it off
with her condescending boyfriend and explain to her minister
that God might want her to be happy with a woman, but both
men just talk over her, hoping to "love the sinner and hate the
sin:• More than a coming-out narrative set against religious
tensions, though, this film ends up being about queer worldmaking, the divine places we create together with a little faith.
(wolfevideo.com)
Red Is the Color Of (Bear Island Films):
Each time Mary Shaw (Finnish film star Irina
Bjorklund) feels career angst or marriage beddeath bubbling up, she eases a fresh syringe
into her arm. Not to shoot up, but to download
blood-her signature paint. The art world's darling, Mary is in her 30s and ostensibly has it all: the
chic looks, the spacious studio, the fey agent, and
rabid fans from a proto-feminist girl group, the
Bloody Marys, who stalk her. She even bankrolls
her husband David's dead-end realist art practice,
shelling out for his nude muse, Julie, a sarcastic
grad student with a luscious, dirty mouth. When
Julie's red skivvies surface under her bed, rather
than oust the nymphet, Mary pulls her in closer,
making sure the younger woman's shot glass never runs dry. The two women tumble into a deep
entanglement that causes even the voracious but
emotionally cold Julie to develop feelings. Their
"romantic friendship" (for lack of a better word)
propels the drama as it careens to the brink of the
physical, but hovers there confoundedly, leaving
this tale to yawn out to a hetero forgone conclusion. Bjorklund's rendition of a neurotic artist who
keeps herself from going all tigress, because "they
shoot tigers;' bolsters a smart and quirky film
that falls somewhere between Red Shoe Diaries
and Sex and the City, thematically. Here, however,
red is the color of bi-erotic foreplay pitched for
mostly straight titillation.
(redisthecolorofcom)
Q+A
Linda Stein
The sculptor Linda Stein may be best known as one of the "commoners" duped by Sacha Baron
Cohen in his 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan-and for writing and giving interviews about that experience-but she has the last
laugh. Her female Knights (lindastein.com), three larger-than-life bronze sculptures, have been chosen as the central sculpture commission for the $4 million Walk of the Heroines at Portland State
University in Oregon. CuRvE spoke with Stein at her studio in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood. - Stephanie Schroeder
How has the Borat incident affected your life and art?
At the time the movie came out, the New York Post did a story on me and called me Borat's "big
catch." Media coverage after that snowballed and I was interviewed by news outlets around the
world. I was recently interviewed by the BBC, based on my exhibition at Rutgers [which featured three 7 -foot bronze and paper knights paired with shadowy images of Borat, Wonder
Woman and Marilyn Monroe, respectively]. A reporter from the BBC asked about my sculpture
incorporating Borat's image. He
said that he noticed I had given
him a small phallus and didn't
I think it was a low blow? I
replied I was simply continuing the conversation Borat
started about sexism, homophobia and racism,
and that he could use a
little exposure himself
Why did you start
making female knights
and woman warriors?
What is your theory about
female heroism?
Post-9/11, the media, Bush and
his administration were determined to bring back men-in a
John Wayne-cowboy way-and
make them heroes in every scenario,
while rendering all women damsels in distress. Women such as the 9/11 widows were portrayed
as weak and vulnerable-their husbands were the heroes, not them. If the widows were career
women or did heroic things themselves, the media weren't interested. But if the women were
housewives or otherwise nonthreatening, then the media made a big showing of how Americaand American women-needed men as heroes.
My work is a corrective to that notion. I have chosen to highlight females as heroes and have chosen
as source material Wonder Woman, the anime of Princess Mononoke and the Asian goddess of
compassion, Kuan-yin.
And then I wondered how I, as a pacifist, a jogger who steps around anthills, was creating these
warriors. When I stumbled on Wonder Woman, whom I had loved as a kid, and also thought of
knights in shining armor, they were always female. It's the female knight who is the real hero.
March 2008
I69
Skip the Gym,
Work Out at Home
DVD PICKS
TraceyDeerwent
ferencebetweendesegregation Filmmaker
throughthe sameexperience
a
andintegration
throughcandid
interviewswithcurrentstudents decadeearlierandwith empathy
andhumorfollowsthe girlsover
andteachersat CentralHigh
two years.(wmm.com)
- US
Schoolin LittleRock,Ark.,and
with community
members
from
variousracialandsocioeconomic
backgrounds.
(hbo.com/docs)
- Colleen
Mccaffrey
MarriedinAmerica2
(FaithandValuesMedia):
Documentary
filmmakerMichael
Apted
visits
the
ninecouples
Youpromisedyourselfyouaregoingto get
he
featured
in
the
first partof
fit but haven'tdoneit?Takeyourpick,take
the
series
once
again
in 2006,
the plungeandtry something
new.-Diane
exactlyfiveyearsafterthey
Anderson-Minshall
andLinaSwislocki
tiedthe knot.Theirstoriesare
LeslieSanson'sWalkSlim4 FastMiles
as diverseastheyaretouching
(WalkProductions):
Therearenoexcuses.
andintriguing.
Theonelesbian
Youcando a fastfour-milewalkingworkout
couplehassincegivenbirthto
Enemies
of Happiness
(Women
inside.Markerslet yougetoff at one,two,
twinsandarestill fightingfor
MakeMovies):
Thistreasureof
threeor fourmiles.(Walkathome
.com)
the legalrightto marry.Married a documentary
follows27-yearin
America
2
is
a
great
social
old
Malalai
Joya
on herpathto
TheBollywood
DanceWorkoutwith
documentary
project,
a
portrait
becoming
a
member
of parliaHamalayaa
(Acacia):
campy,certainly.Fun,
of
the
individual
couples
and
a
ment
in
the
first
parliamentary
definitely.
Andif youcanremember
anyof
sliceof Americanlife.
electionsin Afghanistan
in 35
the movesyoucanbustthemoutthe next
com)
years.Joyais oneof onlya few
timeyou'reat the club.(acaciacatalog.com) (marriedinamerica.
- UrsulaSteck
womenrunningandhassurvived
TheBiggestWinner:Howto Winby
fourassassination
attempts.
Losing(Genius
Entertainment):
Jillian
Watching
this politicianinteract
Michaels,
starof TheBiggestLoser,expands
with herconstituents
is a lesson
herexerciseeffortswiththisvideothat is
in basicdemocracy,
human
sureto getyouresults.(geniusproducts.com)
rightsandfeminism.(wmm.com)
-US
JodieStolove'sChairDancing
ThroughtheDecades(ChairDancing
International):
Goodfor youandentertaining,it hasonehugeadvantage:
If you
TheGodfather
of Disco
memorize
the routinesandyoucandothem
(Payback
Industries):
Extensive
everywhere.
(chairdancing.com)
interviewswith MelCherenpresentanoralhistoryof the music
TheTrainer'sEdge:BodyLift withUz
movement
that shapedthe early
Gillies(KochVision):
Thisvideogivesthose
'70s.TheGodfather
of Disco,
of uswith postureissuesmodelsof whatwe
directedby GeneGraham,
is a
shouldbefocusingonaswe completethe
fascinating
documentary
chroniexercises.
(kochvision.com)
clingthe pioneersof the biggest
TaiChifor WellBeingwithRobinUnde
discolabelof all time,WestEnd
(Tricycle
Studios):
Straightforward,
simple
Records.
Cherenshowsthatthe
MohawkGirls(Women
andgentle,thisworkoutwill keepyou
historyof discois notonlythe
MakeMovies):Felicia,Amy
stretchedandmoving.(tricyclestudios.com)
historyof racesunitingthrough andLaurenareteenagegirls.
musicalcollaboration,
butalso
TheyareCanadian
andthey
RockYourBodywithJamieKing(GT
the historyof the gayscene,
livein Quebec,
buttheyspeak
Media/Rodde):
JamieKing'sfitnessproqueerrightsandtheonsetof
English.
Thethreecouldn'tbe
gramoffership-hop-inspired
dancemoves
AIDS.- MeaChavez
moredifferent,andstill society
that'lltoneyouupandmakeyoufeellikea
definesthembythe ethnic
rockstar.(Rockyourbodyprogram.com)
LittleRockCentral:
50 Years
heritagetheyshare:Theyall are
Later(HBODocumentary
Mohawkandaregrowingup in
) For extendedreviews, v1s1tcurvemag.com.
Films):BrentandCraig
the Kahnawake
NativeReserve
Renaud's
film illustratesthedifacrossthe riverfromMontreal.
70
I curve
TheVictim(Tartan):
In
Thailand'slatestforayintothe
supernatural,
Ting,a would-be
actor,takespartin a police
re-enactment
videoto helpsolve
a crime,whichleadsto a new
careerpathfor her.Afterone
grislyre-enactment
film,Ting
feelsfar too muchof thevictim's
pain.Fansof TheEyewill loveit.
(thevictimthemovie.com)
-DAM
Apartment
Zero(UnionStation
Media)This1988gayclassic
hasbeenreleased
on DVDin
the uncuttheatricalversion.The
storyof two menwhodisplay
traitsof mentaldisorders
and
aredrawnto eachotheris a
postmodern
film thatalternates
betweenhorrorandtongue-incheeksurrealism.
Belowall the
testosterone-infused
eroticism
andgoofythrillerelements,
runs
a strongsociopolitical
subtext.
(unionstationmedia.com)US
q
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0
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Cl)
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8
In the Stacks
Reviews
Exposing Themselves
Three women reveal their lives in intimate memoirs. I By Rachel Pepper
Three recent memoirs from female writers deal with overlapping themes of anxiety, depression, family secrecy, alcoholism,
drug abuse and even attempted suicide. Two have lesbian narrators-Jennifer Storm and Janine Avril-while Terri Cheney
is straight. All three women battle demons that rage quietly
through their childhoods, then erupt in their early adolescence.
But by each book's end, the three narrators come to understand,
and at least partially deal with, the factors and conditions that
have shaped them into the women they are.
Nightlight, Janine Avril (Alyson): In her spare but affect-
ing memoir, Nightlight,Janine Avril deals with the terrible loss
of both her parents at a young age, and the belated revelation
that her father died of AIDS, possibly also causing her mother's
death from an AIDS-related cancer. From an uncle previously
sworn to secrecy, Avril learns that her father, a popular New
York restaurant chef in the 1980s, had at least one secret sexual
encounter with a
man, and quite possibly was bisexual.
In tones reminiscent
of Alison Bechdel's
Fun Home, Avril
ends her book with
her own bittersweet
reckoning: She had
come out as gay to
her father before
his death, but he
remained closeted
•to her. "My anger
subsided when I
was able to link
Papa's identity with
my own. The fact
that I was able to do
something that he could not: live openly and freely as who I was
gave me more compassion for his struggle."
What works best in Nightlightis Avril's thoughtful yet determined research into her father's secret life, bound by her
own sense of self to expose family secrets that others wished
to remain hidden. She is also resolutely honest about her own
bouts of depression, and readers will identify with her struggle
to come to terms with the tragic death of both parents. What
works less well in the book are the unexplained time lags, its
sometimes abruptly short chapters (most are one to three pages
long), a few outmoded and potentially politically contentious
terms such as 'J\.IDS sufferer" and 'J\.IDS patient;' and the way
openly gay Avril's teenage yearnings for other girls is detailed,
but without much adult resolution.
Blackout Girl, Jennifer Storm (Hazelden): Of the three
books featured here, BlackoutGirl reads the most like a confessional. Readers who have suffered the debilitating after-effects
of childhood sexual abuse or faced a descent into addictions like
the ones that Storm details, will find much to empathize with
here. There is a lot of detail about her family: her empathetic but
non-reactive father, her distant mother, and her enabling brothers, as well as the small town in Pennsylvania where she grew up,
host to many adolescent tragedies. Similarly, there is a full sense
of how traumatic assaults on Storm as a girl led to suppressed
anger and helplessness, which then exploded into self-destructive behavior. She simply did not care if she lived or died, and
given the amount of
alcohol and drugs
she ingested as a
teenager, it's truly
amazing that she
survived. Eventually
ending up in rehab
after years of blackouts, self-loathing,
and several suicide
attempts,
Storm
finally made the decision to live. Today
she works as a victim's rights advocate
in
Pennsylvania,
assisting
others
who have shared
her path. Although
Storm's writing is not the most polished of this authorial trio,
readers will be rooting for her right up until the book's final
pages.
Manic: A Memoir, Terri Cheney (William Morrow):
Terri Cheney suffers from bipolar disorder, a condition affecting more than 10 million Americans, and one that she captures
well in Manic: A Memoir. A successful attorney who worked on
high-profile cases, representing celebrities like Michael Jackson
and Quincy Jones, Cheney secretly suffered from the debilitating depression and extreme mood swings common to bipolar
people. Prone to seductive behavior and crazy stunts (like kiteflying in electrical storms, or playing at night in the ocean's dangerous riptides), she found herself increasingly unable to work,
date, or live "normally:' Her descriptions of her difficulties are
vivid and moving, especially when she so accurately portrays
what it's like to feel that she has turned "into something so
foul and loathsome that even I have to drape towels over the
Expoing Themselves continued on page 73
EDITOR'S
PICK
Bookof theDead,
PatriciaCornwell
(G.P.Putnam'sSons):
It's probablybaffling
to somelebianlit-fie
fansto seeprecious
spacewastedon a
bookas mainstream
as Cornwell'slastest
blockbuster.
Afterall, it
shotto No.1 in a week
andis in everyairport
in the U.S.Butwhether
or nottheauthoris gay
(orout),sinceher1990
debutwith Postmortem,
oneof hercharacters,
LucyFarinelli,has
alwaysbeenout.Lucy's
aunt,the infamousforensicspathologist
Kay
Scarpetta,
will godown
in historyasoneof the
mostcomplex,modern,
post'90swomen.This
booktackleseverything
fromexploited
female
celebs(a la Britney)
to mysogyny
to 'roid
rageto Dr.Laura-esque
mediamanipulation
andfriend-on-friend
sexualassaultin a
worldAgathaChristie
couldhavenever
imagined.
Forthat,
Cornwelldeserves
accolades.
(penguingroup.com)
- Diane
Anderson-Minshall
March 2008
I 71
Q+A
Carla Blake
British author Carla Blake
has written her first novel,
Protection, about a lesbian
bodyguard and a budding
starlet's love affair that faces
more than one threat. I chat,
ted with Blake about the craft
of writing a mystery,romance
novel, how chocolate cake pre,
vents writer's block and self,
publishing on Lulu.com. A
potential sequel is in store, and
this lesbian writer from across
the pond couldn't be happier.
-Mea
Chavez
What was it like getting your first novel published?
There's no other feeling like it. My partner initially read it, loved
it, had faith in it, and then because we didn't have a large
budget, [we) decided to try self,publishing with Lulu. When
it was finally on there, after several false starts and debates
over the cover picture, the feeling and relief was immense.
Although Protection is written in the third person, the
point of view shifts. Why did you make the decision to
format it like that?
Mainly to keep the readers interested and guessing. There's
nothing worse than getting to know a character so well you
can almost second,guess what they are going to say or do.
Also, switching viewpoints helps keep the story fresh and
interesting for me as I write.
It was a risk to have a sex scene in the first chapter, but
it definitely draws the reader in. Where did you get the
inspiration for that scene?
I wanted to draw the reader in from the very first and nothing
does that like a good old,fashioned sex scene. Inspiration?
Well, let's just say the Christmas party scene wasn't entirely
down to my imagination.
What projects are you working on now?
I'm currently working on another novel, this time drawing on
more of my own life experiences. We plan to publish this
on Lulu next spring, but I'm sure Carrie and Andrea will be
back in a sequel. My characters are too enthusiastic to stay
off the page for long. Such slave drivers.
How do you call your muse?
How do I call my muse? Easy. A cup of tea and a chocolate cake.
Does it for me every time. I do keep a diary, but more often
than not, instead of what happened during my day, it has
plot plans and snatches of imagined conversations written
beneath the date.
72
Icurve
PAGE TURNERS
assexyandintoxicating
as Harvey'soriginal.
(continuumbooks.com)
- Colleen
Mccaffrey
'
t
HowtoBecome
a
FamousWriterBefore
You're
Dead,ArielGore
(Randomhouse):
Thelesbianbehindthe modern
parenting'zineHipMama,
ArielGore,is the master
of givingoutpractical
advice,evenwhenit
comesto something
as
elusiveas publishing.
She
combines
inspirational
guidancewith momlike,
no-nonsense
business
advicein this guideto
conquering
the industry.
Beyondherownexperienceandinsights,Gore
alsoincludesinterviews
with someof the biggest
namesin comtemporary
lit. (randomhouse.com)
- Catherine
Plato
D ES
I R
11_,._,
differentwriting_
styles
havejoinedforcesto entertainuswitha themed
eroticaanthology.
The
bookreadssomewhat
like
a novelastheauthors
successfully
createcontinuityby usingcrossover
characters
andby using
a cruiseweekagendato
informthe stories.This
winningcombination
givesusfantasy,romance
andsmutthroughout.
Theanthology
is truly
groundbreaking
in that
Radclyffe
andKallmaker
writefor differentpublishers,andneitherhasever
collaborated
ona book
before.(bellabooks.com)
- Kathilsserman
Desire:Women
Write
AboutWanting,
ed.Lisa
SolodWarren(Seal
Press):Captivating
voicesspeakout in this
collectionof smart,bold
essaysaboutdesireand
the socialrestrictions
imposedonwomen's
sexuality.Daphne
Gottliebs'"Make-upand
MudPuddles"explores
the desireto transcend
thefemme-butch
stereotypein a sassytaleof lust
andlonging.JuliaSerano
is "At Odds"in heressay
aboutherlifelongdesire
to bea girl.Thisis an em- AwayFromtheDawn,
poweringcollectionabout KateSweeney
(Intaglio
burninginnerflamesand Publications):
If you
howliberatingit is to give wantto reada bookthat
themroomto breathe
is a littledifferentfrom
andflourishontheirown. thestandardvampiretale,
(seatpress.com)-CM
this is theonefor you.It
is down-to-earth,
even
pokingfun at vampire
myths.Theprotagonist,
Sebastian,
is caught
betweenbeinga vampire
andwantingto live
Ridof Me:A Story,Kate
alongside
humans.
SheIs
Schatz(Continuum):
warnedby hersometimes
KateSchatz'sdelightfully
vamp"mistress"thatshe
queerworkof fictionhas
wouldbe makinga choice
all the elementsof a solid
withdireconsequences
album:desire,darkness,
if shefell in love.But
sexandtransformation.
Sebastian
can'thelp
Smoldering
with resemIn DeepWaters:Volume herself.Thisveryreadable
blanceto its musical
One:Cruising
theSeas, lovestoryis sprinkled
muse,the PJHarvyalbum KarinKallmaker
and
withwell-placed
humor,
Ridof Me,thisfireballof
Radclyffe
(BellaBooks): makingit a fun read.
a readcapturesan interTwoaward-winning
les(intagtiopub.com)-KI
pretativelyricalundertone bianauthorswithvastly
Exposing Themselves continued from page71
towels over the mirrors until the worst of it passes." In one section, Cheney describes the agony of
confronting her neighbor about noise, knowing
that she will probably end up coming on to him
in the process: "In retrospect, it must have been
that dizzy, precarious moment when my chemical balance starts to topple, when almost stable
turns into almost
not. One minute
I was contemplating soundproofing
the windows with
Scotch tape, the next
I was pawing through
my closet, looking
for the sexiest confront-your-neighbor
outfit that I could."
In another chapter, a
trip to Africa shows
her clearly the divide
between herself and
others with more "normal" emotions: "It was the
lions that finally did me in. They were so golden and glorious, it was all too much. Too much
beauty. I started to sob and couldn't stop .... Had
I crossed the invisible line that separates me from
'normal' peopler'
This idea of such a split-the seemingly successful and attractive woman we might see at a
party, who then states that she's mentally ill, is a
hard concept for most people to grasp. Cheney
doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of manic
depression-her own multiple suicide attempts
are detailed here, and she can no longer practice
law. But with this brave book, hopefully readers
will come to see that although there is no cure for
manic-depression, increased societal understanding can only help those it affiicts.
Self-Made Women
These intrepid authors skipped the big
publishers and broke out on their own.
The Forest of Life, Helen
Taylor Little (iUniverse):
Alluding metaphorically to the
darkness that drives us to seek
change, The Forest of Life may
perhaps be somewhat autobiographical. A type-A workaholic,
the protagonist, Alexandra
Nottingham, seemingly has it
all-the luxury office, the hot
broad, the successful portfolio-until a surprise afternoon
tryst spirals her into a whirlwind
of life-altering choices, and she
makes discoveries about herself
along the way. (iuniverse.com)
Sometimes it's the little, self-published
lesbian books that interest us, and they
do so without expensive covers, marketing budgets, websites, or even rigorous
copyediting. Here are a few that caught
our attention in the recent months.
Orchids II: Reality or Fantasy, Kimberly
Q., aka The Lesbian Goddess (Women
of Choice): Pure imagination and arousal,
Kimberly Q. delivers juicy sagas of sex
and fantasy in her follow-up to One Night
Stands. The heavy use of exclamation
points is a slight buzz kill, but the climax
of the story makes it all worthwhile.
(womenofchoice. com)
IN HER FANTASIES
InAlayaDawnJohnson's
debut
novel,RacingtheDark(agatepublishing.com),
womenhave
allthepowerandgirlscallthe
shots.Whythematriarchal
society?"I'vealwaysbeen
interested
in writingfantasy
storiesaboutwomen,"says
Johnson.
"ButI noticethat
mostof whatI readtends
In the Dark ... I Hide, Tracy J.
Martin (Self): This tiny work is
reminiscent of the love poems
we got from high school sweethearts and the kind of tragic
journaling where the sublime
rears its head on the pages we wrote
furiously. This collection of poems has
an echo we all can recognize from those
first moments of self-awareness, lust and
lost love.
The Good Parts: Erotic Poetry for
Women, S. Valentine King (Outskirts
Press): A mature, powerful voice of erotic
poetry, King eloquently delivers words
with decadent substance and titillating
style. The ardor and arousal these poems
elicit cannot be contained between the
lines-or the sheets, for that matter. (outskirtspress.com) - Colleen McCaffrey
thesethemes-TheSongof theLioness
Quartet
byTamoraPierce,
for example-I
wantedto try something
a littledifferent.I
to focusonthemesof singularwomen
likethe ideaof matriarchal
societies,
and
'makingit' or 'overcoming
odds'in what
thoughthegovernments
in thebook's
is incontrovertibly
a man'sworld.This
largerworldaren'tasstrictlymatriarchal
makessense,because
mostfantasy
asthesocietyon Lana'slittleisland,I
novelsareset in verypatriarchal
societattempted
to createa worldwherethe
iesbasedonthoseof WesternEurope.
patriarchy
had
Thus,if youfocusona femalecharacter, conceptof a Western-style
a greatdealof theadversity
sheis faced neverexisted.I wantedto writea story
withis necessarily
coupledwithhergen- aboutwomenthatwasn'tdefinedaround
men."Sounds
goodto us.- MeaChavez
der.WhileI enjoymanynovelsthatuse
March 2008
I 73
Reviews Music Watch
Their Personal Best
I
A superstar and two sophomores showcase their finest work yet. By Margaret Coble
GirlsandAirplanes,
AnneE.DeChant
(FunnyManMusic):
Withmelodicballads,
countrytwangand
make-you-want-todance,sure-to-be-hits,
Cleveland's
local
girlturnedstarAnne
Dechantenchants
usagainwith her
newalbumGirlsand
Airplanes.
Artbecomes
activismin hersongs
as shelyricallyfights
for same-sex
marriage,
amongothergayand
lesbianrights.A Lilith
Fairveteran,DeChant
standsalonewitha
uniquesoundand
story-weaving
ability.
Somanyawardsline
herwalls,includingthe recentBest
Singer/Songwriter
from
theSceneCleveland
MusicAwardsand Though they are at different points in their musical careers,
BestFemale
Singer/ Garrison Starr, Ani Difranco and Nicky Click have all put
Songwriter
fromthe out strong albums in recent months that show them at their
Cleveland
FreeTimes best. Starr, after a string of underperforming CDs for vari,
Readers
Poll.Shehas ous labels, has gone the self,reliant route, putting out her lat,
openedfor rockstars est on her own, and finally seems to have found the right for,
likeStevieNicks,Joan mula for success. Difranco, having recently given birth, has
JettandNoraJones.
worked on projects that can be done from home, including a
Herpoignant
voiceis
career,spanning retrospective. And Click, the youngster of the
sureto impressmore
thanjustfolk lovers. three, offers a second CD and DVD that flesh out who she is: an
(anneedechantcom)up,and,comer to keep an eye on.
-MeaChavez
The Girl That Killed September, Garrison Starr
(Media Creature Music/12x12): From the first time I
74
Icurve
heard Mississippi,born, out,dyke Garrison Starr opening for
Melissa Ferrick years ago, her voice pulled me in. She has a voice
soaked in all manner of melancholy, making you long to know the
stories behind the woman from whom the voice emanates. Her
music, steeped in her Southern roots, has ranged from straight,
up folk to more rocking fare and at best has been inconsistent at
matching up with her always emotionally charged lyrics. But on
this latest album, Starr has finally hit her mark. Everythingjells
on this 11,track disc produced in Nashville by friend and col,
laborator Neilson Hubbard-her
gritty but melodic voice; the
Sheryl,Crow,meets,Lucinda,Williams alt,pop,rock tunes; and
the always,down,to,earth, passionate lyrics. From the opening,
radio,friendly pop folk of "Unchangeable;' about Starr's disillu,
sionment with the teachers and students of her Christian educa,
tion, to the hand,clapping pop ditty "40 Days;' which belies the
sadness and loneliness of the ode to lost love, Starr has never
sounded so good. And don't miss the Margaret Cho,directed
video for another standout cut, "Understood;' currently in high
rotation on YouTube and starring Chewbacca and Wonder
Woman! (garrisonstarr.com)
Canon, Ani Difranco (Righteous Babe): I feel like I
ran out of interesting ways to write about Ani DiFranco years
ago, as I think I've covered just about every single one of her 19
studio albums since her 1990 start. And yet here I go again, try,
ing to capture the endless font of creativity and inspiration that is
Ani, on the occasion of the release of this first,ever career retro,
spective album. Featuring 36 songs from her remarkable catalog,
including five rerecorded tracks ("Shameless;'"Napoleon;'"Your
Next Bold Move;"'Overlap" and "Both Hands"), the two,disc set
8
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of "the little folksinger" since
her spunky self-titled debut.
The 1997 live compendium
Living in Clip is often regarded
as her first "greatest hits" callee,
tion, but Canon reaches further
and benefits from having a de,
cade more of Difranco gems
from which to choose. It is also
being released in tandem with
Verses, DiFranco's first book of
poetry, illustrated with her own artwork. A musthave for fans, and a great introduction for anyone
somehow not familiar with her prolific output.
(righteous babe.com)
I'm on My Cell Phone, Nicky Click (Foxie/
Crunks Not Dead)
Member! Musically, she lives
somewhere in the zone between Tracy and the Plastics
and Scream Club. Her music
is heavy on the arty irony yet
simple in its repetition and
composition, and ultimately
danceable, if silly. This time
around she features several
guest artists, many of whom
are stars of the underground
queer rap/ electro scene in
their own right, including
JenRO, Katastrophe, Johnny Dangerous, Cathy
Cathodic and Hornet Leg. Standout cuts include
the catchy title track, the classic old,school rap
"Crazy Shir;' (which could easily be confused for
a Northern State song), and the retro '80s blipfest
"Who's Laughing Now;' featuring Danny Damage.
Frankly, I find that Click's best work is in her per,
formances and visual arts-it's what pulls it all to,
Nicky Click is an emerging performance artist/
filmmaker /beat-producer/ rapper who got her start
in the Olympia, Wash., underground scene, but is
now living in Durham, N.H., where she grew up.
On this sophomore album, Click serves up more
gether. Hence, her recently released Handcuffs &
Handbags DVD, containing seven music and art
videos, including some of the stronger cuts from
her debut CD, like "I Wanna Exercise" and "Two
of her lo-fi electro-pop dance music, which first
caught my ear on her debut disc, You're Already a
Femme Girls;' is worth checking out. Ultimately,
Click continues to captivate. (nickyclick.com)
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March 2008
I 75
OTHER LICKS
Q+A
Mara Levi
With the release of her
second album, What Are
You?, and her award-winning "The Homo Song,"
Mara Levi (maralevi.com)
is creating her own niche
in the music market. This
multitalented artist presents not only the captivating vocals but also a
potpourri of music with
scents of folk, rock, classical and "smartpop" -a
term she dubbed to describe a genre of music
that is catchy and accessible, but also intricate and
shrewd. - Elise Roy
Your new album is called
What Are You? Why this
title?
Musically, and also in terms of
where I fit on the gender spectrum, people always want to
know how I define myself-it
helps them make assumptions
about what I must be like. ... I
chose that title because I hope it makes people think a little about
how they define themselves for other people, or why.
What experiences inspired you to write "The Homo Song?"
Unfortunately, there were many. From girlfriends to good friends to
fans, I've encountered so many people with stories about homophobic parents who make it difficult for them to feel accepted for who
they are. So this is my way of poking fun at everyone involved fur
getting so caught up in this one part of who they are.
Your lyrics for "The Homo Song" are confrontational and
honest. What was your parents' reaction to the lyrics?
They definitely didn't like it at first. Particularly, the line "It's only gir~s
that make her wet ..:•[is) not a mom-pleaser. But I think my parents
understand that I am trying to be confrontational with this song,
trying to make people deal with the things about sex or sexuality
that might make them cringe, and trying to get them to get over
that a little.
Has anything outrageous happened to you while touring?
Once, someone was writing during my entire set .... She showed it to
me afterwards, and it was a journal entry about how she wanted to
have sex with me. [It) kind of made me uncomfortable and I didn't
really know how to react, so I thanked her for being so brave and
sharing that with me. Then she pretty much bolted for the door.
76
I curve
CloudMachines,
Swallows(Church
of Girl):ThePortland,
Ore.,queer
duoreturnwitha solidfive-songEP
follow-upto lastyear'sMewithTrees
Towering,
filledwithdarkbutperky
emopsychedelia-grunge
thatowesas
muchto DIYpunkas it doesto '7Osart
rock.(songsofswallows.
com)
Rhythm
ofLife,EmiliaSosa(5
Points):
AftersurvivingKatrina,
this
NewOrleans
nativeresettledin Seattle,
whereherslinkyelectronica
has
founda devoted
audience.
Fromthe
openingrock-tronica
"Rhythmof Life,"
to theaccordion-flavored
trip-hopper
"NothingGoodto Say,"this11-track
albumis sexy,soulfulandhypnotic,
withSosa'svoiceflowinggorgeously
acrossit all.(emiliamusic.com)
ii>llr'
.~
'-t
TheKitchen
Sink,SeanWiggins
& IOnegOat(self-released):
I still
don'tunderstand
whythis LA-based,
out-lesbian,
bluesycountry-rocker
who
soundslikea crossbetweenMelissa
Etheridge
andMaryChapincarpenter
isn'ta hugestar.Herlatest13-cut
albumprovesthatsheshouldbe.
(seanwiggins.
com)
WorldHits,VariousArtists
(Putumayo):
With11 classicworld
musicfavorites,
thiscollectionis a
no-brainer.
MiriamMakeba's
"Pata
Pata"andYoussou
N'DourandNeneh
Cherry's"7 Seconds"
aretwo of my
personal
favorites,butinternational
hitslikeSantana's
"OyeComoVa,"
JimmyCliff's"TheHarderTheyCome,"
andManuDibango's
"SoulMakossa"
areessentials
for everyone's
music
collection.(putumayo.com)
l
;,
•
r ,~'
- r4
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,;,
• I
t
.
After,RonndaCadle& TheString
Poets(NickelandDimeStudios):
Thisgorgeous
folk-classical
instrumentalalbumfromtheAtlanta-based
quartetheadedbyoutsinger-songwriterCadlewouldbeperfectfor your
nextmassage
or meditation,
orfor
just relaxingat home.Filledwithrich
acousticguitars,viola,bass,various
percussion
anddrums,it's anaural
treatthathasa visceral,calmingeffect,butisn'tcheesylikea lot of New
Agemusicis. (ronndacad/e.com)
Whatever
Happened
to Romance?
VictoriaHart(Decca):If youlikethat
classic,big-bandjazzvocalsound,
then19-year-old
blondbombshell
Hart
shouldbeonyourlistto checkout.
Her13-cutdebutcontainsonlyone
cover(theRayDavies/Kinks
classic
"SunnyAfternoon"),
withtherestof
thesongswritteneitherfor or byher,
andincludingpop,jazz,swing,blues
andevensalsa.Everysong'sa winner.
(victoriahart.com)-MC
d.
8
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c(
::r:
Cl)
I Tried It Reviews
All Tied Up
Some scarves help a former hippie open up. j By Kristin.A. Smith
I grew up in a house of therapists-my father used
psychodrama to help Vietnam vets and my mother
worked with students with behavioral disorders.
Many of our other co,op members were Buddhist
and trans,personal psychologists. What I'm saying
is, I'm no newbie to alternative therapy.
My editors knew nothing of my upbringing
when they sent me to The Center for the Living
Arts, an art,based therapy organization in Oakland,
Cali£ To them, it was just another assignment. For
me, it was the perfect opportunity to connect my
hippie upbringing with my writing career.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I found
myself-in the waiting room. After a few minutes
of waiting, Amanda came out and greeted me. She
-had a familiar look, with her urban hippie outfit
and generous smile.
We started the session like most therapy be,
gins-in opposing chairs. I told her about my
recent move, how I had traded the stability of my
Seattle life for the chaos and excitement of my San
Francisco one. We decided to focus the session on
bridging the gap between the two worlds.
"Why don't we lie on the floor?"Amanda asked.
So I joined her on the berber carpet. This is where
the session really began. She grabbed a pile of multi,
colored scarves from the corner and laid them on
8 the floor."Show me your new world;' she said.
l'cn
I grabbed most of the pile, tied it up in knots
~0
and threw it on the floor. It was a mess."Now show
me a peaceful place;•she said. I picked up the re,
V5 maining scarves, folded them into a pile and lined
a:
the outside with a soothing pink. "It looks like a
nest;' Amanda offered. "Why don't you sit in the
<(
nest?"
For many people, this is the mo,
ment that would se~d them running,
but I spent every summer in a hand,
built sweat lodge with my mother,
so the idea of sitting in my nest of
scarves is not completely out of my
comfort zone.
I played along. I nested. I roosted.
On Amanda's suggestion, I looked to
the pile of scarves and tried to em,
body it. "I am a mess;• I said. "I am
without order. I am chaotic. I am
disorganized:' It was a strange act of
personification-a sort of antithesis
to Stewart Smallie'saffirmations.
Amanda then asked me to sit in the pile of
disorganization and begin naming the nest. "I am
orderly. I am clean. I am peaceful. I am stagnant:'
Hmmm. Realization number one: my former life
wasn't as perfect as I had thought.
Amanda told me to visually connect the two
worlds and to imagine that there was a guard on
each side. She asked me what I would say to each
gatekeeper.
It was hard not to ask Amanda if she was "the
key master:• But I put that scene aside and held up
the disorganized pile saying,"I like you, but I can't
be with you forever:•And then I picked up the nest
and said,'Tm leaving,but I'll be back:' It was aweird
puppet show, and I kind of wish that Amanda and
I had acted out the gatekeeper/key master scene in,
stead. But hey, that's a different kind of therapy.
Finally Amanda asked me to take things from
the comfort to the chaos. What could I bring (rep,
resented in scarves, of course) from my old life to
the new? I started with the mundane-a candle,
my wooden boxes, some lamps, and then it dawned
on me. I wanted to take my cat. But my cat, which
had stayed at my partner's parents' house during the
transition, had run away.
I wasn't expecting it, but I began to cry. I cried
into my nest of scarves and thought about the cat
that I had lost. And then I cried to think that I was
on an officecarpet, crying in a pile of scarves.
I hadn't expected to be moved by the experience.
I knew I was open to alternative therapy, but what
I didn't expect was that in being open to alternative
therapy, I would open up a part of myself I had kept
hidden-a loss that I had not talked about. I walked
out through the heavy door and I felt lighter.
March 2008
I 77
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I 79
Top Ten Reasons We Love Kelly McAlister
"1200 Curfews" kept her healing. That's why she
played it every single day for six months. Today
when she hears a song from the double disc album
it takes her right back to that time in her life-in
a good way..
4.She'sa rolemodel.At the Monarchs' games she's
often recognized by young girls and their moms.
The preteen accolades run the gamut from "You're
totally cool" to "We love your style:• The 26-yearold believes young girls need their own identities
and is proud to be a beacon of inspiration.
5. She'sa dragking.Her group The Pacmen was
the winning troupe in 2007's San Francisco Drag
King Contest. Her alter ego, Mikey Lykesit, is as
charming as they come. A self-described prince
and lady-loving, hard-working kind of fella, he
tells kingsofdrag.com, "Don't let the 'rough around
the edges' exterior fool you though. I am just a kitten in a tiger's body.... "
6. She'snotafraidto takechances.
The Southern
California native pulled a Britney and shaved her
head at least three times in her young life. She told
viewers on her My58 blog that it was a great way
to get a fresh start. If Britney ever decides to go
commando on her cabezaagain, McAlister advises, "Wear sunscreen!"
7. Shehasa fetish.A shoe fetish that is. Not the
If in the straight world there's something about
Mary, in the lesbian world there's definitely something about Kelly McAlister. One of the most
charming women you'll ever meet, the former cohost ofMy58's Sunday night show GarageCinema
is also witty, full of unbridled optimism and just
downright enthusiastic. Hooking up with her is
out of the question though, ladies. Marci, her livein love of four years, wouldn't like that. Neither
would the kids: Bandit, a cocker spaniel and Bahr,
a sheltie. Marci and the kids love her and here are
some facts that will make you fall in love with her,
too. - Renee Westbrook
1. Shewasa TVshowhost.In 2006, she won the
My58 Host Hunt Contest and a one-year contract.
During the part-time gig at Sacramento's KQCA,
she interviewed Mayor Heather Fargo, Monarchs
guard Kara Lawson and the macho mixed martial arts men of the International Fight League.
Although her hosting duties ended last October,
McAlister still does promos for the station and
wants to pursue other TV gigs, as well. Logo and
here! TV, she's ready for her close-up.
soI curve
Manolo Blahnik or the D&G kind either. Like
any self-respecting tomboy, it's Puma, Converse
Chuck Taylors, Ice Creams, Vans ... the list goes
on. The U.S. Lesbian Tomboy Association thanks
you, Ms. McAlister.
The preteen accolades
run the gamut from
"You'retotally cool" to
"We love your style."
8. Shehasa veryspecialtalent She can roll her
2. She'san out lesbian.Both at My58 (part of
tongue like a wave. No need to clarify. Check out
the clip at My58.com.
the Fox News Corporation) and at her day job as
a compliance auditor for Nationwide Insurance,
she is ot1;t and proud. The Carmichael, Cali£,
resident has been open about her sexuality since
day one and has great relationships with her
co-workers. She says it's all about projection.
"If you project your life as normal, you're comfortable with who you are, who you love and
who you're with, I think people pick up on that:'
3. EllenDeGeneres
andthe IndigoGirlseasedthe
transitionintolesbianlife. She came out around
the same time Ellen publicly outed herself. Ellen's
comedy, courage and unrelenting spirit gave a then
16-year-old McAlister much-needed hope. While
Ellen's comedy kept her laughing, the Indigo Girls'
9. Sheplaysfavorites.
At least where TheL Wordis
concerned. She most identifies with Alice because
the character is uncompromising in who she is and
is "sort of ovaries to the wall:' When it comes to
romantic evenings, however, McAlister would like
to spend a night consoling her favorite left-at-thealtar lesbian, Carmen de la Pica Morales. That, of
course, means she would become part of the constellation that lies in the universe of Shane.
1o.Heroptimism
andenthusiasm
arecontagious.
Have a 20-minute conversation with her. When
cc
it's over you'll want to run down the street sing- . cri
ing the theme song from Flashdance.Yeah. There's
definitely something about Kelly McAlister.
i
It's called the common cold. But with an infant, it might seem
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down the fever while also easing aches and pains. And it's the
brand of pain reliever pediatricians recommend most. Just be
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MARCH 2008
7
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The Serious Side of k.d.
Lang seems different than
she did the last time we
interviewedher. Older?
Yes. Wiser? Maybe.
More serious? Definitely!
Frances Stevens Publisher/Editor in Chief
I've got big news this month: CuRvE will soon be available at Albertsons and Lucky stores, so ask the
store's manager for details. It's a huge feat for any independent magazine to make it into big grocery
stores, and we want to make it convenient for our readers who, try as they might,just can't find it in their
local bookstores.
This month, though, we have another surprise, and that's how, well, "frankly" k.d. lang is speaking
these days. As she sat down with us at her New York City record label headquarters, lang seemed different than she did the last time we interviewed her. Older? Yes. Wiser? Maybe. More serious? Definitely!
Lang explains to Stephanie Schroeder (pg. 44) that she's had her 15 minutes of fame, and now she's left
the Hollywood scene behind to focus more on her "music, Buddhism, family,motorcycles and dogs:'
After 20 years in the biz, the one-time ingenue seems more grounded and focused, and for the first
time she's not only writing and recording but also producing for hersesl£ Her new album, Watershed, was
released in February, and she has has begun touring, even appearing for the first time on an Olivia Cruise.
She's also more serious and revealing about her personal life. Sorry ladies, she's off the market and leaving
behind the days where there was a girl in every port. She speaks honestly about her partner, monogamy
and how she juggles hitting the road on tour and keeping the harmony at home.
K.d. isn't the only one with a purpose these days. We sent a team of writers around the globe to
report back for our first travel issue of the year. Let me tell you, with spring around the corner (but not
close enough for me), I'm not feeling too sorry for the gals who were snorkeling in Barbados or partying
en route to the Bahamas on an R Family Vacations cruise. If you're anything like me, you'll be daydreaming of your next adventure before you finish reading our 15-page special section.
As Dinah Shore rolls around, golf and parties may be on your mind. Thankfully, we've got articles
on both. But it's not all manicured greens and swank hotels. We also peer inside the trunk of one couple
that ditches it all to hit the open road for the adventure of a lifetime, and we follow along as a single mom
takes the kids to Vietnam for a very different family vacation (volunteering at an orphanage). Whatever
may inspire you, it's time to pack your bags, jump online and prepare for your own fun-filled adventure.
After you read the magazine in your hand, of course.
Keyword: Curvernag Website: curvernag.com
March 2008
I
1
Features
March 2008
"I thinkthe gay
community
has grownup
and evolved.
It'sa more
expansive
culturethat is
acceptingof
transgendered
people,
bisexuals
and others.
Remember
when we used
to hatethe
bisexuals?"
k.d. lang
page 44
31
Here's 20 Powerful Academics We're giving
props to the lesbians who make the halls of academia exciting places to be. By Rachel Pepper
36
Travel with a Purpose
48 A Different Kind of Family Vacation A single
mom takes her two kids to Vietnam to volunteer at
an orphanage. By Teresa Coates
Isn't She Love-ly? Ivy Leaguer Heather Love
may be the next Judith Butler. By Julia Bloch
38
Volume 18#2
50
Tackling Teen Issues Lauren Collins plays sexually flexible Paige Michalchuk in the teen drama
Oegrassi. By Lyndsey O'Arcangelo
51 Tea Party, Darling? Cross the pond and check
out these classic spots for afternoon tea. By
40 A National Interest Nicola Griffith discusses
Carole Terwilliger Meyers
the struggle with immigration and her latest novel.
Plus, genderqueer musician Jasper James tries
out acting. By Catherine Plato
44
Cover: k.d. lang Gets Happy After 20 years in
the music business, k.d. lang is older, wiser and
zen. She talks about her new album Watershed.
By Stephanie Schroeder
64
highlight the hottest lesbian moments in comics.
By Alice Clarke
66
Cover photo by
Jeri Heiden
52
Runaway Romance She got her girlfriend interested in her geeky hobby with this gender-bending, sci-fi, romantic comic. By Alice Clarke
Golf Around the Globe Hit up these resorts with
the best links. By Karen Loftus
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56
Swimming with Fishes A photographer meets
sea turtles off Barbados. By Mary McGrath
58
Is Batwoman Gay? DC Comics is getting
Sapphic with a new kind of dynamic duo. Plus, we
Ditch It All One couple tweaks their views on life
and money when they head out on the open road.
By Barbara Maxfield
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Peter Rabbit's Home Explore the book's English
0
backdrops. By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
0
60 Sea of Love How Rosie O'Donnell's cruise
changed this girl's life. By Marie "Riese" Lyn
Bernard
Q.
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Winter Wonderland British Columbia has everything a lezzie snow bunny could want. By Amelia
Pyxus
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21
curve
Homemadesoap.
Baked Pita Chips.
(Somebodgget memgbanngslippers!)
Departments
March 2008
"I don't know what
attracted me to
the dyke-whocouldn't-apologize;
I suppose it was
her confidence.
Later,I realizedthat
what passedfor
confidenceearly
on in the relationship was just plain
arrogance."
page 26
1
Frankly Speaking Our publisher
speaks her mind.
6
8
Contributors Find out about the
women behind the stories.
Letters Much love for Melissa
Etheridge, and the difference between
orientation and preference.
14 Out in Front A software engineer fights
28 Politics We've got your heart, and your
best interest in mind.
for equal rights, a promoter has her finger on the pulse on the national nightlife
and a fundraiser gets the money needed
to do the job.
18 Lesbofile Beyonce hangs out in strip
clubs, Queen Latifah keeps her personal
life quiet and Dear Abby is gay-friendly.
68
Sapphic Screen Candace Moore gives
the thumbs up to these tense, psychological dramas. Plus, Borat's lesbian dupe.
71 In the Stacks Rachel Pepper takes
a look at three memoirs on childhood
trauma. Plus, a new mystery writer.
10 Scene These chicks are ca/iente!
12 Open Studio Venezuela-native Teresa
Brazen showcases her amazing work
and her doodle-a-day project.
22 Lipstick & Dipstick Just how does a
teenager go about finding femmes?
23 Astro Grrl It's time for a fresh start this
spring. What's in the stars for you?
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74 Music Watch Margaret Coble gets
into the groove with some old and new
faces on the scene. Plus, a "smartpop"
musician.
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13 Curvatures The great ENDA debate,
looking back on the life of Jane Rule and
San Joaquin, Calif., gets a Pride center.
24 Keep the Spark How to keep the love
alive in a long-distance relationship.
77 I Tried It Kristin A. Smith has a session
in art therapy that helps her bridge the
gap between her old and new lives.
26 Dyke Drama She'll make you sorry you
ever dated her.
80 Top Ten Reasons We Love Kelly
McAlister This spunky former TV show
host is a role model for Sactown kids.
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Contributors
New From
Our Curvettes
When AliceClarkewas 7, she shocked a few people (but surprised no one)
at her rural Australian primary school when she innocently announced,
"When I grow up, I want to be a lesbian:' Twelve years later and fresh
out of high school, Clarke now has her dream job, but has broadened the
description to include 'Journalist:' Her average work day involves watching
bad movies and good TV, and reading reasonable comics (see her take on
Runawaysand a lesbian Batwoman),then getting paid to rant about them.
TravelwriterMaryMcGrath
apparently
likesto croon,too.Shecollaborated
with
a groupof musicians
in creatingLuxury
LoungeVolume1.It fusesjazzwithambient-house
overtones,
andis thefirst CD
to featureMcGrath's
lyricsandvocals.
(cdbaby.com/cd/mcgrathnasr)
'Tm known to be pretty cynical and sarcastic, so when I responded to 'How
was the Rosie cruise?' with 'It was the best week of my life; people assumed
I was being facetious. But it truly was, to the point where writing it felt
both sentimental and honest, which is not typical for me;' Marie"Riese"
LynBernard
says of her article on her two R Family vacations. Bernard is
the recap-blogger for thelwordonline.com. She freelances in New York
City and most recently contributed to the upcoming Dirty Girls:Eroticafor
Women.
Some call it courageous and others call it nuts, but Barbara
Maxfield
says her life-altering travel adventure is both brave and crazy, and she has
no regrets. In 2004, she and her partner, Lisa, decided to trade all the
conveniences of modem life for a life on the road. After traveling through
the U.S., Canada, Europe and recently Central America, Maxfield is now
exploring the next phase of life by writing about her experiences and encouraging others to be brave and crazy in realizing a life full of travel.
shouted excitedly. One month
'Tm going to Barbados!" MaryMcGrath
later, there she was, enjoying the glistening sands of Crane Beach, camera
in one hand, notepad in the other. Barbados is one of the many exciting
destinations McGrath has visited, after making a major career change a few
years ago. As a freelance writer and photographer she has contributed to a
number of magazines, newspapers, books and websites. "Life is good when
you follow your passions;' she says.
"Who knew I would be so lucky as to get to research stories on both
Beatrix Potter and on tea time in my very favorite city in the worldLondont asks Carole
Terwilliger
Meyers."This just might be my most .
favorite assignment ever:' But it wasn't all fun and games. When Meyers
arrived in Ambleside, she found herself without a room. One terribly efficient
staff member made a room in a closed-off section of the hotel. Meyers is
the author of 18 books, including WeekendAdventuresin San Franciscoand
NorthernCalifornia.
and
StefanieLiang,ourever-positive
freakishly
talentedart director,recentlydesignedthechildren'sbookJulieBlackBelt:
(writtenbyOliver
TheKungFuChronicles
Chin,illustratedbyCharlene
Chua).
That's
heramazing
workabove.(immedium.com)
MEETOUREDITOR
AND
& DIPSTICK
LIPSTICK
Ourillustriousexecutive
editoris ontour
withhernewmysterynovel,BlindLeap.
If youmissedherlastmonthat the Palm
SpringsLesbianBookFestival
youcanstill
catchDianeAnderson-Minshall
at these
events:
> FEB.28 at In OtherWords,
thefeminist
bookstore
in Portland,
Ore.,whereshe'll
bejoinedbyadvicecolumnists
Lipstick
& DipstickandauthorGabrielle
Goldsby.
(inotherwords.org)
> MARCH
15 at theMainLibraryin
Hayward,
Calif.whereshe'llbespeaking
as
partof theLesbianGenreFictionAuthors'
Tour.(library.ci.hayward.ca.us)
> MAY8-11 at theSaints& Sinners
LiteraryFestival
in NewOrleans,
speaking
alongside
luminaries
Dorothy
Allisonand
ValMcDermid.
(sasfest.org)
6 Icurve
Letters
"Todaywas a good day for me when I
opened the envelopeand I saw Melissa
Etheridgeon the cover. MelissaEtheridge
has always made my days better through
her music and I consider her a role model.
Thank you cuRvEfor making a Melissa
Etheridgefan happy."
Where do you
land on the faith
sp
52%
I'm notreligiousbutI'm A Rose Is a Rose
spiritual.(AndI sleepin Why does your magazine insist on using the words "sexual prefonSundays,
too.)
erence" over "sexual orientation":' I noticed this more than once.
25% Who knew Victoria Brownworth had a humorous side:' It was
I'm atheisVagnostic.nice to see it in the "going green" issue ["How I Turned My Wife
(ButI believein all Green" Vol. 17, #9). It was a nice change of pace from all her
thingslesbian.) serious stuff, and quite funny!
- Jen, via email
14%
I worshipevery Editor's Note: Jen, we prefer "orientation" too, but some writers
weekend.
(Andsome like to use the term sexual preference, and to keep the writing auweekdays,
justto beon thentic we stick with their preference.
thesafeside.)
6%
Love for Melissa
I have been reading CURVE since 1999, a subscriber since 2002,
I'veestablished
my
and
an everyday member of curvemag.com since 2000. Today
ownChurchof TheL
was
a
good day for me when I opened the envelope and I saw
Word.(I'mjustthat
obsessed.) Melissa Etheridge on the cover of CURVE (Vol. 17, #10). I read
the entire article and I want to thank CURVE for making my
2% day a little brighter. Melissa Etheridge has always made my
I'm actuallyordained. days better through her music and I consider her a role model.
(Anyone
needa Once again, thank you CURVE for making a Melissa Etheridge
minister?) fan happy.
- Rebecca, via email
Great Advice on Coming Out
I absolutely loved your article about how to come out to your
parents (Vol.17, #8)! If only I would have read this article before ruining Mother's Day. Now that the very hard part is done,
Mom can joke about it. I am debating how to tell them that I
now finally have a girlfriend. I am hoping that won't result in
Mom watching a church service on TV again with a box of tissues. Keep up the greatwork and keep putting smiles on our faces!
- Ed, Winnipeg, Manitoba
a French expatriate, but I did live with a fellow graduate student
from Paris while in the Ph.D. program at UC Riverside. My now
ex-husband is from Italy, and he still cross-dresses at Carnivals,
with much fun of all the family.We bisexuals value all of our
ex-partners regardless of gender, and I would appreciate if you
could clarify this for your readers. Gaia is the name of the main
character in my fictionalized memoir, Eros, and the main title
word of a forthcoming book on the earth and sustainable forms
of love, including bisexual and polyamorous lovestyles. These are
two separate books even as they mirror each other in many ways:
One is more personal, the other more political. Finally, I have
been treated very fairly by the University of Puerto Rico, which
has actively supported my research on sexual diversities. The new
programs we are creating include these areas even as they are not
entirely devoted to them.
- Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, via email
Shimmy Coco Bop
My girlfriend and I totally love CocoRosie. Ever write anything
about them:' You've given me great advice about other musical
goddesses so check them out; you won't be disappointed.
- Elerie Dial , via email
Editor's Note: We did. The sister act CocoRosie was showered
with our love in our annual music issue ["Six Questions for Two
Odd Chicks" Vol.17, #6].
Corrections
Danye Voorheis did not win an L Word competition. The
Twin Cities 20% Theater's website is tctwentypercent.org. The
correct spelling of the homocidal lesbian of love is HotHead
Paisan. Alexandra Bauermeister did not author the letter about
mombian.com.
Got Something on Your Mind?
Clearing Up a Few Things
s I curve
Thanks to you and Stephanie Schroeder for interviewing me. I
write to correct and clarify,especially in relation to the last three
questions of my interview (Vol.17, #9). I was never married to
E-mail letters@curvemag.com; write to CURVE Letters, 1550
Bryant St., Ste. 510, San Francisco, CA 94103; fax to 415-8631609. Please include your name, city and state. Letters may be
edited for clarity and length.
IX:
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MIAMIANDBEACHES.COM or call 1-888-76-MIAMI
Four of Miami's most popular and renowned annual celebrations
highlight a noteworthy calendar of events. attracting visitors
from across the country and around the world.
For a complete
Additional
list of Miami events, visit FestivalSeason.com
information
can be found
at GoGayMiami.com
• Winter Party Festival (2/27/2008 - 3/3/2008)
• Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (4/25/2008 - 5/4/2008)
• Aqua Girl (May 2008)
• White Party (November 2008)
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10 Icurve
1 Cheers with Carrie Belin, JD DiSalvatore, C. Fitz and Doria Biddle (left to right) at the
GLAAD Media Circle Holiday Soiree 2 Colette Divine (left) with POWER UP's Lisa
Thrasher at the 7th Annual Power Premiere Awards at the Beverly Hills Hotel 3 Cuties Ellie
Antico, Erin Bowman and Sarah Deragon (from left to right) at Center Women Present's
one-year-queer anniversary party at Paper Dolls in San Francisco 4 Partygoers (from left
to right) Laurie Lindsey, Amanda Rosenblum, Becki Tinsley (with hat), Elizabeth Labedz
and Lani Klaphaak dancing at Paper Dolls 5 Nikki Flux (left) and Honey Labrador at the
Power Premiere Awards 6 Lesbian volunteers were out in droves at California's East Bay
Labyrinth Project to create a labyrinth with 'caution" tape and tent stakes at their Berkeley
Marina site. Walking labyrinths is an increasingly popular calming exercise.
;
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Love is Not
a "MortalSin"
7 God-dess and She at Chicago's Hogs and Honeys hosted by DITC/Chicago Dirty Girls
8
s executive editor, Diane Anderson-Minshall (second from right), at the Lesbian
Genre Authors' Tour at San Francisco's Femina Potens, with CURVE contributor Ursula
Steck (bottom right), her partner Yvette Fang and (top row, left to right) authors Jacob
Anderson-Minshall, Karin Kallmaker, Anna Furtado andJLee Meyer 9 Daniela Sea speaks
at a University of California, Santa Barbara ENDA rally 10 Authors Meyer, Austin and
Andrews at Now Voyager in Providence, R.I., for the Women's Week Bold Strokes Books
author signings 11 UCSB Queer Student Union officer Sandy Weber shows off her shirt
at the ENDA rally 12 Michelle Clunie (left) and Thea Gill reunited at the Power Premiere
Awards 13 Cheryl Dun ye (right) and pal at the POWER UP gala 14 Protest of Archbishop
Nienstedt in St. Paul, Minn.
CURVE
1
March 2008
l 11
Teresa Brazen
While employed as a communications manager at a nonprofit agency, Teresa Brazen went though a major life change. The suicide of a man she
regarded as a mentor and father figure shook her to the core. "I made a promise to myself that I would choose paths that would give me joy;' she
says. And she has. She had been painting for herself for years, but never had the courage to share her work publicly.
Brazen spent the early part of her life in a small village in Venezuela. It fostered a fascination with other cultures. "In my exploration;' she says,
'Tve come to see firsthand that we are not really as different as we think we are. As a friend of mine once said, 'We all bleed the same blood:"
A painter and a videographer, Brazen centers her work on the
concept of what it means to be human. A trained dancer, she focuses
on the minute shifts in gaze and body language that illustrate emotion and the moments in between. She says,"My paintings and video
art are expressions of our innermost thoughts. I aim to illustrate
that we all feel the same inside, regardless of our differences. I believe
that the recognition of these shared emotions can reconnect us:•
Once she decided to make her artwork public, Brazen showed
wherever she could, determined to work her way up the art-world
ladder. Her first exhibit was a group show at a community art space
in Atlanta called Art Farm.
Since then, she has had numerous shows featuring both her
paintings and her video art, as well as the doodle-a-day project that
can be found on her website, brazenart.com. She modeled the project on a friend's idea to create a painting every day. Brazens doodles
serve as spaces for her to experiment-they are multimedia and may
or may not inspire her to create a finalproject.
Brazen counts Frida Kahlo, Anna Deavere Smith and videographer Pipilotti Rist as influences, as well as her experiences in everyday life. In her video art particularly, she likes to create a sense
of intimacy. "As for muses, when I glimpse the inside of someone,
that resonates with me, sometimes they end up in my work, even
if abstractly," says Brazen. 'Tuat could be a close friend, someone I
just met or a lover."
12
I curve
Curvatures
Stockton Gets a Pride Center
The San Joaquin Pride Center in Stockton, Cali£, has officially
joined the ranks of the 169 LGBT community centers in the
United States. According to Board President LeJames Melton,
last year's August opening was long overdue.
"I was born and raised here in Stockton, and there's never
really been a place for young or old gay people to gather and
just be safe, neutral and together;' the 42,year,old Melton says.
'J\fter all these years of traveling around and living in different
places, I got some ideas from some of the other (centers] and
decided Stockton needed that:'
Along with board members Lynne Moore (vice president),
Katherine Compton (treasurer) and Renee Elliott (secre,
tary), Melton hopes the SJPC will provide a link between the
Stanislaus County and Sacramento County centers. They also
want the 480,square,foot facility to be an informational hub.
Although services are limited, resources include
connections with three gay,friendly religious outlets
and the San Joaquin AIDS Foundation, as well as a
collaboration with the Delta Gay Straight Alliance.
For large centers in metropolitan areas, finding
money to build programs is no problem. HIV testing
and prevention, support groups, mental health coun,
seling and job referral services are pretty much stan,
dard. But for a small hub like SJPC, money is always
a challenge.
Until the center irons out its nonprofit status, it
will operate on fundraising revenue and private dona,
tions. Compton estimates the center's annual budget
to be about $16,000.
Budget building is not the only obstacle new or,
ganizations encounter. According to the National
Association of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and T ransgender
Community Centers, newcomers like the SJPC typically strug,
gle to find the best mix of volunteers and leadership.
Executive Director Terry Stone explains, 'J\.ll newly formed
small organizations go through that process of determining
who is going to perform what kind of function within the or,
ganization .... They have to figure out how to make a cohesive
community center with all the players working together:'
LGBT centers in the United States serve at least 1.5 mil,
lion people. No matter how large the budgets or how small the
hubs, they offer members a place to gather and a chance to safely
network and be who they are.
The SJPC is proud to serve the community and happy to be
on the map. Compton emphasizes, "We are so very excited ...
and we know we have the energy and the community to accom,
plish our goals:' - RW
Sippin' On
The Big Easy
Absoluthasunveiled
a newlimitededitionlineof flavored
vodkasnamedafter
andinspiredbycitiesfromaroundthe
UnitedStates,andthe
first choicewasNew
Orleans.
Infusedwith
mangoandspicedwith
blackpepper,
thisliquor
hasa surprisingly
interestingflavor,bothfruity
andspicy.Asanadded
bonus,100 percentof
all profitsforthesales
goto GulfCoastregion
charities.Checkout
Absolut.com
for recipes
andvoteforthe nextcity
Absolutshouldspotlight.
-KP
))
Formoregreat drmk ideas,
visit curvemag.comand
search"drinks"
Homos for Hillary
No matter what your political affiliation, there's no denying Hillary Clinton is
one hell of a ball,breaker. Thank God someone is finally capitalizing on that fact
with the Hillary Nutcracker, a replica of Hillary in her smarty pantsuit and, well,
nutcracking abilities. The creators of my new favorite toy, Fun With Nuts, also did
an online poll to find out who would be voted "the nut I'd most like to see cracked:'
The winner? President George W. Bush. Ve~p Dick Cheney came in third place
(after Al Gore!) but Senator Larry Craig had a respectable showing. (Oddly,
Britney Spears was the only woman to get a significant number of votes as a nut.)
As for upcoming nutcrackers, both Rosie O'Donnell and Oprah Winfrey got
mad props, but it was Ann Coulter who garnered over 10,000 votes. Which means
we'll be able to have bipartisan crack,offs, although, says an unnamed spokesper,
son for HillaryNutcracker.com, "We are not sure if the email to Ms. Coulter in,
forming her of these results was received. If you bump into her, please tell her:'
($25, hillarynutcracker.com)-DAM
CURVATURES
WRITTEN
BY
DianeAndersonMinshall,
Mea
Chavez,
JennaV.
Loceff,LeeLynch,
Colleen
Mccaffrey,
KatiePeoples,
Stephanie
Schroeder,
LinaSwislocki,
ReneeWestbrook
March 2008
I 13
Building Workplace Equality
Finding the Night Life Online
Louise YOlHIQ,a senior software engineer at
When she was in her early 20s, Beth McGurr
took to the road hoping to expand her own
personal horizons. She soon realized that there
wasn't much nightlife for lesbians in most places,
and that the dubs that did exist were often hard
to find.
With her background in dub promotion and
her technical savvy,McGurr decided to reach out
digitally to lesbians across the country by creating
LesbianNightLife.com.
"It's a free interactive website promoting
women's events all over the country;' says McGurr,
now 29 years old. "lhe idea was to give lesbians
one place to look to find out what's going on in
Every cause needs financial support, and Katherine
key is not afraid to ask for it.
With 40 years of civil rights activism under
their city,also makingit easier for dubs
the word about their events.n
McGurr's hometown of Boston was the first
city she featured on the site.Now LesbianNightLife
provides dub and event information for 20 cities,
and she is adding new ones each month. Listings
include dates, times, locations and even maps.
Ever the traveler and party girl hersel£
McGurr took her message to the masses while
doing a little firsthand research in her U NEED
ME tour last year.
"We wanted to visit each venue event and see
for ourselves what the 'scene'was like,nshe says.
Covering over 5,000 miles in Chuletta, her
graffiti-covered van and home, McGurr and her
assistant, Heather McFarland, partied with girls all
over the country, from New York to Los Angeles.
Astraea, it's about expanding resources and giving
people the opportunity to makea major impact by
collectivelypooling their money.
Acey, who has been a board or advisory
member for organizations like Women in the
Arts, the Center for Anti-Violence Education,
New York Women Against Rape, MADRE
and the Arab Women's Gathering Organizing
Committee, says that fundraising has gotten
tougher in the past few years, given the tremendous needs of many communities and the
widening economic gap in the United States
and around the globe. But she does see a few
encouraging signs.
"I see people stretching their giving,both those
with limited resources and those with substantial
assets;' she says.
(Poor things.)
McGurr says the website is successful because
it's free, national and updated constantly, and it
covers a wide range of venues."New York girls can
see what's going on in New York, but they can also
find out what's happening in L.A.;' she says."We
believe that by linking everyone together we can
help build a stronger community and better nightlife for women everywhere.n
In the near future, Acey says,Astraea willreach
out more aggressivelyto the straight community.
"We have the responsibility to communicate
clearly the work of our grantee partners, and how
allies can be more engaged in key issues, as well as
provide critical support;' she says."I believe many
allies of Astraea and the LGBTI community
connect deeply to the socialjustice/ feminist framework we espouse.n
Raytheon Company in Plano, Texas, got involved
in workplace activism back when most companies
didn't even recognize sexual orientation or gender
identification as part of their EEO policies-never
mind offering domestic partner benefits.
The 30-year veteran engineer experienced the
prejudice firsthand when, in 1974, she took a oneyear sabbatical from a teachingjob to complete her
Ph.D. and was not rehired. She later learned that it
was because she was a lesbian, even though she was
not open about her sexual orientation on campus.
'The incident did propel me into activism;•she
says."We spend a majority of our time at work. I
believe it to be crucial that we as LGBT employees
have a safe and secure workplace, with equitable
policies and benefits:'
With management support and the long-term
encouragement of her life partner of 37 years,
Vivienne Armstrong, Young has championed
enormous advances at Raytheon (where she
founded the LGBT employee resource group),
including the addition of sexualorientation language to the EEO policy and domestic partner
benefits. Then, in 2005, Raytheon became the
first aerospace and defense company to add gender
identity and expression to its EEO Policy and score
100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign's
Corporate Equality Index.
Young says that there have been huge successes for fairness and equality,but to her,"LGBT
people coming out to friends, f.unily and co-workers remains the most powerful tool that will drive
our progress.n
If you know of any LGBT activists or
any women who are Out in Front at
work, at home or in the community,
please let us know by writing to
curvesoutinfrontOhotrnail.com.
14
I curve
to
spread
oney Makes Changes
her belt, and as executive director of the Astraea
Lesbian Foundation for Justice for the past 20,
Acey freely admits that she enjoys fundraising and
sees it as an important aspect of crucial political
work.
"I believe that asking for money for what you
believe in is a political ace;•says Acey."What we
give is truly a reflection of our values:•
Fundraising, she says,allows her to be an advocate for lesbians and the LGBT community, focusing on both feminist and racialjustice issues. For
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A Taste of the Rainbow
Amber Rose McDowell, the 25-year-old CEO and founder of the Sacramento, Cali£-based.Skittle* Project,
is not just an ordinary entrepreneur. She's taken the tired idea of the pinup-girl calendar and made it something refreshingly lesbian.
In 2002, afrer earning a bachelor's degree in fashion merchandising at Union Institute in Stockton, the
same school her mother got a Ph.D. from, McDowell started a backyard business designing handmade
clothing that promotes positive images of the LGBT community. She took the goal of creating positive images a little further when, early in 2007, McDowell decided to create a calendar of luscious lesbians from
all walks of life and of different ages and ethnicities. The models range in age from 19 to 46. There are male
impersonators, fetish models, a former WNBA player and the owner of a spoken word club. McDowell is
proud of her work and feels that she has done her job. "I wanted to be able to use these images so we can have
a reflection of ourselves in ads and editorials;' she says. "It doesn't always have to be straight images; we buy
the same products as everybody else. We all do the same thing, whatever our orientation is:'
She and her photographer, friend and business associate Falaah Shabazz, searched all over for the perfect
women. McDowell, or A. Diva (''X'for'i\ccidental"), a~ she calls hersel£ posted bulletins on MySpace first and
then anywhere she could think 0£ She ended up with" women all over:' Not that she's complaining. More than
5,000 women applied to be in the calendar. McDowell says it was a difficult task narrowing it down to just
18. Shoots have taken place in Florida, New York, Georgia, California and Illinois."! didn't realize how much
work it would be;' she says. But the workload hasn't slowed her down. After releasing the 2008 calendar ($20,
SkittleProject.com), she is concentrating on getting a larger office, so she can have the space to create media, a
photo studio and graphic design, all focusing on the lesbian and gay community. - JVL
* Skittles is a registeredtrademarkof the Mars Candy Co.
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Curvatures
Remembering a Literary Giant
for me. I know that I have only got to the point
where I am . . . because I am standing on giants'
shoulders. Jane Rule was one of those giants:'
I was disappointed and a bit unforgiving when
Rule gave up writing. I should have been more sensitive to the infirmities that come with age, even to
walking monuments like her. I should have known
that losing one's life partner might have made life
less appealing. By then, Rule had given her readers
and literary progeny so much.
"For women of our generation, she was one of
the few lights in a dark valley. I hope that in her
final hours she knew that;' says Belgian author
Jane Rule woke me up.
When I was in my teens, in the 1960s, I despaired over writing about my life or lesbians. I wrote
poetry without pronouns and fiction I couldn't
share. Later, in the mail, I received from Barbara
Grier, then editor of The Ladder, a hardcover copy
of Desert of the Heart. Rule's picture was on the
back cover; her face that of a classic young lesbian.
After reading that book, I knew my life's work
would be writing. I didn't believe I would ever be
as wise or as good a writer as Rule, but I hoped
I could do for readers what she had done for me:
Take them out of a world of oppression and hiding
and into a reality where women like ourselves might
suffer, but would ultimately thrive-together.
"She was a fearless giant, a rare personality and
we've all benefited from the fact that she was there
before us, both as writers and as lesbians in the
world;' says American author Karin Kallmaker.
Jane was one of my literary parents, a hero and
a role model. She was my guide to possibilities for
lesbians. She openly wrote well about us, positively
and truthfully, and she found acceptance and respect in both the gay and straight literary worlds.
"Ms. Rule has been an icon in lesbian literature;'
says Kathy Smith, director of the Golden Crown
Literary Society. "Sadly, the moment she passed, a
16
I
curve
pivotal chapter in the history book of lesbian literature ended:'
Her courage cannot be faulted. "Jane Rule immigrated to Canada when homosexuality was still
illegal, and never would marry because she didn't
believe in it;' says Canadian poet J.E. Knowles."Ifl
had my hat on, I would take it off.'
I got to hang out with Rule and her partner,
Helen Sontoff, one mid-'80s weekend in Seattle
where she was doing a writing workshop at the
University of Washington. I was so beside myself
with shyness and self-consciousness, I barely remember anything past her first words to me: 'Tm
surprised to see you here. You don't need this workshop:' Of course, I did need it and needed to connect with this woman who had so influenced my
life. But Rule was a teacher of the highest order:
She knew how to encourage others.
"I remember reading that when Desert of the
Heart was published, there was a real risk that Jane
Rule might lose her job. In writing and submitting
for publication a work of fiction with lesbians as
main characters, Jane Rule was taking huge risks;'
wrote British author Jane Fletcher, on hearing of
Rule's death. "These are risks that I have never taken. They are risks I did not need to take, because
people like Jane Rule h~d already fought the battles
Justine Saracen.
"I couldn't stop hoping for one last book;'
wrote American author Cate Culpepper. "Does it
feel to you like we're starting to lose our pioneers,
one by one?''
Rule had an attractively deep and husky voice.
She was tall and handsome. She had a writing
career in Canada that included a series of short
stories that ran in a magazine. The central characters were a nongay couple. Rule did not want to
be known solely as a lesbian writer, which infuriated me because I wanted all her talent focused on
us. But Kallmaker says, "Whenever I would run
across an interview or essay of hers, my interest
was always caught by her perspective, which was
usually not the prevailing left-right dichotomy, but
uniquely Jane Rule's:'
In a 1988 interview on National Public Radio,
Rule was asked if she was bothered with being
known as a lesbian writer. She explained, "The only
trouble with labels is they can get in between you
and your readers:' With her characteristic humor,
she added, "I am also known as a woman writer, a
Canadian writer, an American writer and as a 6foot-lady writer:'
In the same interview, Jane talked about her
annual trips to the desert. She lived on an island
in the Pacific Northwest and would make these
treks because she believed that going into the desert cleared her vision. "I think;' she said, "you see
freshly when you move into a landscape whose
colors and texture are very different from the ones
you're used to:'
Rule's clear vision and her ability to renew that
clarity were gifts she gave to me and every other
reader. She even, by example, made writers out of
some of us. - Specialguest writer Lee Lynch
) ReadJaneRule'slast cuRveinterviewat curvemag.com.
Rita Mae Brown
Advocates for Better
LGBT Healthcare
LGBT people have dramatically higher risks for many types of cancer and often avoid heath screenings, according to Liz Margolies,
LCSW, the original coordinator of the Lesbian Cancer Initiative.
These higher risks are associated with stress-related, high-risk
behavior and HIV status, she says, and when clients fear going to a
healthcare provider for regular screenings, often their cancers are
detected at stages that are difficult to treat.
But her latest endeavor, the LGBT Cancer Project in New •
York City, seeks to improve services for queer cancer survivors and
those at risk by providing advocacy and training to healthcare providers, social service agencies and researchers. The project-funded by individuals, nonprofit organizations and corporations-is
an effort to break down the barriers to quality healthcare that
LGBT clients face by educating those who provide medical and
psychological help.
"I envision a more sensitive healthcare system;' the 54-year-old
says. She points out that no one pays attention to anal cancer or
gives anal pap smears. And people with HIV are more vulnerable
to some cancers. 'J\.cross the country there just is not support for
gay men and trans people or lesbians;' she says.
Only a smattering of lesbians, for example, attend lesbianspecific cancer groups and even fewer gay men and trans-identified individuals with cancer seek-or find-help from sensitive
healthcare practioners, Margolies says, from her 20-plus years as
both an LGBT political activist and a psychotherapist.
Along with the support of her 15-year-old son, Wolfe, and 50year-old partner Randi Weingarten, who is the chief of New York
City's United Federation of Teachers and very publicly came out in
0
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"For a long time I was a lesbian professional;' jokes Margolies,
who still maintains a part-time private practice. "Now I am a proo
j fessional lesbian:'
f
~o
For more information about The LGBT Cancer Project, write
thelgbtcancerproject@earthlink.net. - SS
Michelle Shocked
"Heterosexuality is not normal, it's just common."
>>Dorothy Parker
"I became a lesbian out of devout Christian charity. All
those women out here praying for a man, and I
gave them my share." >>Rita Mae Brown
"I resent like hell that I was maybe 18 before I ever
heard the L-word. It would have made all the
difference for me had I grown up knowing that
the reason I didn't fit in was because they hadn't
told me there were more categories to fit into."
>>Michelle Shocked
"I am not, I repeat, not a lesbian-even though I'd like
to be one when I grow up." >>Dawn French
"I love doing lesbian love scenes. Before I did my
lesbian scenes in Gia, I talked to actresses who
said love scenes are easier with another woman
than a man. Bound's Gina Gershon and Jennifer
Tilly said they'd lie there and discuss the sale at
Barney's between takes." >>Angelina Jolie
"If Michelangelo had been straight, the Sistine Chapel
would have been wallpapered." >>Robin Tyler
All quotes courtesy of the must-have resource
Women Know Everything!(quirkbooks.com)
March 2008
I 17
Curvatures
Lesbofile
Just for the Record
Some ladies dear up rumors, but others create more buzz.
I By Jocelyn Voo
Musicians know how to party like rock stars, both
onstage and off. This month, a roundup of gossip
in the pink music world.
Reading and Rocking
Who knew that Carrie Brownstein,
a former
member of the now-disbanded Sleater-Kinney,
could write as well as rock? She is now composing
Monitor Mix, a music blog at NPR's new music
site, which features vintage, pre-breakup SleaterKinney, as well as tracks from the IndigoGirls,Ani
Difrancoand TeganandSara,among others.
Not much of an audiophile? Brownstein assures
readers,'The blogwillfeaturewritingandmusings on
music, but since music is often terrible, the blog will
also delve into topics such as film, books, dogs and
television:' And we all know from EllenDeGeneres'
pet adoption fiasco-and subsequent emotional
outburst on her award-winning talk show-how
much airtime (or in this case, how many column
inches) we can suck up talking about our dogs.
More Than Just Bootylicious
Beyonce
Knowles
is certainly "ready for this jelly:'
In October, the "Bootylicious" singer was seen
whooping it up in the private VIP area of the New
York City club The Box as two women got it on in
a hot burlesque show onstage.
"She was really making the most of the burlesque strip show. She was on the table in the
balcony cheering loudly as two girls got naked
and licked each other's feet;' an onlooker told the
British newspaper Metro.
Dear Abby
JeannePhillips,better known as Abigail Van
"She was on the table in the balcony cheering loudly
as two girls got naked and licked each other's feet."
Th.e Gossip Mill Keeps Churning
Rumors started flying about the young Jodi·e
Buren of "Dear Abby" advice columnist fame, has
Fosterlook-alike LeeleeSobieskiafter photolong treaded water when it came to giving advice graphs of the scantily clad actor-turned-designer
about sexual orientation. But now let it be known:
TaraSubkoffsitting on her lap started circulating
Abby is pro same-sex marriage.
on the Internet last year.
"I believe if two people want to commit to each
However, Sobieski cut the gossip (and all of
other, God bless 'em;' Phillips told The Associated our hopes) short when she told The Observerthat
Press.'That is the highest form of commitment,
a quote she had given someone had been misconfor heaven's sake:' Parents, Families and Friends of
strued. "I have friends of all sorts and I judge nothLesbians and Gays (PFLAG) honored Phillips for ing, but I like men;' she told the magazine. "I said
her views.
one thing, and it really came out differently:'
'Tm trying to tell kids if they are gay, it's OK
Girl Friend or Girlfriend?
to be gay;' Phillips said. 'T ve tried to tell families if
they have a gay family member to accept them and
Actor and CoverGirl spokesmodel QueenLatifah
love them as they always have:'
has come a long way since her days of rapping in
1s
Icurve
the late '80s and '90s. But she has yet to comment
on her personal life.
Latifah was on the cover of Peoplemagazine
in late October. When prompted to speak about
her relationship status, she demurred, saying, "My
private life is my private life. Whomever I might
be with, I don't feel the need to share it. I don't
think I ever will:'
But Latifah's relationship with Jeanette Jenkins,
presumably her personal trainer, is certainly being
shared among gossipmongers. Photographs of the
twosome have been making the rounds, and blogger Perez Hilton maintains "the pair have been
dating for several years now:'
Will the Queen eventually open up about her
royal court? You make the call.
Curvatures
MORE TIDBITS
Lesbian
singer
Danielle
Egnewwon
BestKeyboardist
- Pop/
Alternative
Glamanda
People's
Choice
Awardat
theAllAccessMusicAwards
lastNovember.
Krystal Etsitty worked as a bus driver for the Utah
Transit Authority until she was fired for using women's
public restrooms. The UTA considered her a liability because she might make other patrons uncomfortable. But
no complaints were ever filed, and the UTA even told
Etsitty that she would be eligible for rehire-once her
MTF transition was complete.
Thefirst-ever,
half-hour
gay
newsshow,CBSNewson
Logo,will nowairweeklyon
Mondays
at 7 p.m.EST/PST
andstreamon365gay.com.
Chagmion
Antoineis oneof
thefeaturedcorrespondents.
Etsitty was fired for being transgender. She took the
UTA to court, ultimately winding up in the 10th Circuit
Court of Appeals, which upheld the lower court's ruling against her: Etsitty's termination was perfectly legal.
According to the majority opinion, "Protection extends
to transsexual employees only if they are discriminated
against because they are male or because they are female:•
A London
manwho
donated
spermto a lesbian
coupleis beingforcedby
thegovernment
to paychild
support,
eventhoughhehas
nolegalrightsto norhashe
everbeeninvolved
withthe
twochildren.
Lesbofavefeministmag
Bitchwasawarded
a
grantworthnearly$6,000
throughtheRegional
Arts
andCultureCouncil
for an
expanded
Nairissueto be
released
in December.
The
issuewillfeaturea metallic
inkedcover,a 16-pagecolor
sectionanda comicfeature.
ThelargestLGBT
groupin
Nepal,BlueDiamond,
is
warningthegovernment
thatit will conductmass
protestsif theharassment
andarrestsof gayand
transgender
peopledon't
stop.Thepolicearrested
26
transgender
peoplein one
raidalonelastyear.
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It's the ENDA the World as We Know It
Thefirstnational
LGBT
conference
in Brazilwill
takeplaceMay 11.The
conference
will propose
guidelines
for publicpolicies,citizenship
andhuman
rights.-KP
Any change in that language has to come from Congress.
This, of course, is exactly the problem. In 31 states it is
legal to fire someone for being gay or lesbian, and in 38 it
is legal to fire someone for being transgender. In an effort
to ameliorate this discrimination, Rep. Barney Frank (DMass.) sponsored two bills in 2007.
By the end of September, however, Frank concluded that there
were not enough votes to pass a
gender identity-inclusive bill in
the House. So he presented the
Employment Non-Discrimination
Act (ENDA), which includes protections for sexual orientation. It
passed with an astounding majority
of 235-184 in the House and will be
presented to the Senate by Edward
Kennedy-despite
widespread
community disappointment.
The ENDA bill is not entirely
without LGBT supporters. Going against the tide of
community disapproval, several big-name LGBT rights
organizations, including the Human Rights Campaign,
supported the bill-and have taken a lot of flack for their
position. Many ENDA opponents have seen this move as
pointless. Others as a cold betrayal.
The HRC Deputy Communications Director, Trevor
Thomas, says that the HRC worked hard for an inclusive
bill, but ultimately they didn't want ENDA to "crash and
burn, knowing that it was a step forward for GLB people
nationwide:'
Whether or not it actually is a step forward is debatable. Kate Kendell, the executive director of the National
Center for Lesbian Rights, says it's impossible to separate gender discrimination from discrimination based on
sexual orientation. "I think that it was a shallow victory.
... Gay men and lesbians are discriminated against and
reviled by some preciselybecause we're not being the right
kind of men or the right kind of women:'
According to Kristina Wertz, the legal director of the
Transgender Law Center (TLC), many people-transgender or otherwise-who have been fired for their gender identity or expression have been able to go to court
under existing gender protection laws. Separating the
rights of transgender people from inherent gender rights,
she says, calls into question legislative intent, and makes
gender discrimination an affirmative defense.
"So, 'I didn't fire you because you are a woman, I fired
you because you used to look like a man' would be a legitimate court defense;' Wertz says.
The bill may also lead to problems for more inclusive
laws at the state level, where 12 states already offer inclusive nondiscrimination laws, says Masen Davis, the executive director of the TLC. Omitting transgender from
ENDA sets a precedent to not include transgender under
future state bills.
"It has a real chance of impeding progress on the state
level;' he says. "It's not just that
it doesn't protect folks, but
it's going against a successful
policy:•
And the bill may not even
pass in the Senate, where
transgender protection may be
reintroduced. Either way, the
Bush administration is recommending a presidential veto.
"So there was this enormous political fight, part of
our community being told
they were sacrificial lambs for,
at best, an apparent victory;'
Kendell says. "We can do better than that:'
Thomas says that because of the strong opposition to
the act, it's important to make the legislation as palatable
as possible for moderate voters.
"We cannot forget that the far right were working every single day, pushing their members to call Congress
and tell them not to support any ENDA. It's so important that when we have this debate in our community we
not forget that there are other people working against all
of us;' Thomas says.
Still, even the most ardent opponents of ENDA are
heartened by the community response.
"Without our sisters and brothers this would have
been a very different experience;' says Davis. "To see everyone stand together reflects that we are an inclusive
community. And by staying together and having a strong
alliance with our community, we will pass an inclusive
ENDA:'-LS
March 2008
j
19
Curvatures
Intimate Leibovitz Exhibit .on Tour
C,
2
Renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz reveals the intimacies of her
life through photographs in an international exhibit, 'J\nnie Leibovitz: A
Photographer's Life, 1990-2005;' at art museums across the globe this year.
Leibovitz opened up about her primary means of expression and how it has affected her life in her new book with the same title, released last year. Although
pregnant. Discussing
the collection's diversity, Leibovitz says, "I
don't have two lives.
This is one life, and
most of the exhibit's photographs are porthe personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it:' Her collectraits of famous people, family and friends or
tion includes masterpieces of the 20th and 21st centuries.
landscapes, the collection has a journal-like
Leibovitz began her career at Rolling Stone in 1970. After three years, she
quality to it. The exhibit debuted in 2006
became their chief photographer. At 26, she toured with the Rolling Stones,
at the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and
capturing intimate photos of the band. Leibovitz worked at Rolling Stone for
has been on display at the High Museum
13 years, then went on to Vanity Fair and Vogue. - MC
in Atlanta, the
Museum of Art
at Balboa Park in
San Diego and
the
Corcoran
Gallery of Art in
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Curvatures
The Almighty Lavender Dollar
It is not just through protests that people become activists and advocates. How money is spent makes a significant impact on the economy. And it's quite clear that lesbians are very aware of the impact their money can have on a business.
In the spring of 2007, two gay companies-San Francisco-based Community Marketing, Inc. and New Jersey's
Rivendell Media, Inc. -joined together to study lesbian consumers for 34 days to find out when, where, how, why and on
what they spend their money.
"The lesbian markets have been largely ignored by corporate America," says Jerry McHugh, the senior research director at Community Marketing. "With a few exceptions, like Subaru, we don't see much attention given to this large and
diverse group. Some companies have special women's market initiatives, but is this enough?"
Over 10,000 self-identified lesbian women were polled about where they spend, how much they save and who is
and isn't on their list of companies to support in the most inclusive and representative study of its kind to date. Here are
some of study's more interesting findings, but the full 137-page report is available at gayconsumerindex.com. - JVL
In one eek,
e bians>>>
Watched
10 HOURS
of television
Spent
10 HOURS
online
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Reada varietyof national
magazines,
CURVE
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March
2ooaj 21
Advice
Lipstick & Dipstick
Calling All Femmes
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm 16 and only
attracted to feminine women. Where is
the best place to meet femmes? And if a
butch asks me out, how can I just say no?
- Focused on Fondling Femmes
Lipstick:Focused fondler, some of us are only at,
tracted to lipsticks. Your heart is its own connois,
seur, so stop worrying about that. As far as how
to meet femmes, I've got two bits of advice. First,
if it's safe for you to do so, make sure you're out
and proud. If people don't know you're gay, then
how can the hot femmes find you? Second, pick
up a tennis racquet and join the tennis team, as it's
loaded with budding lipsticks. When you hit the
road for your first away game, make sure you take
some bait, so there's no guessing which players are
looking for a love match. Bring the new Tegan and
Sara CD, a copy of CURVE and some hummus.
Pay attention to who dips the chips. All dykes love
hummus-right, Dipstick?
Dipstick:
That's right. The three things you always
see at a lesbian party are dogs, an ex,girlfriend
and hummus. FFF, I'll tell ya where to meet the
femmes-the same places I met them when I was
your age: the cheerleading squad, the swim team
and the debate club. Beyond those spots, you've
got a few places I didn't have, like gay,straight al,
liances and queer youth groups. Online, chat with
other teens on youth,safe sites, like the forum
Gayteens.Aboutcom. Finally, as for turning down
22
Icurve
butches, just be polite-tell them you're flattered
but just want to be friends. Later, ask them if
they know any cute femmes who are single.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I have been
with my partner for six years. I love her very
much. The problem is that when we got together she was with another woman, who
she stayed with for another two years. For
a while, we all tried to be together in one
relationship, and it was a total mess. The
first girlfriend finally left and it's just been
us for four years-and we're having major
trust issues. Every time we fight, I feel like
it would be easier to start over. I used to
think this was forever love, but now I'm not
so sure. I was too young when we got together. I want to explore and play. I need
to figure out what I want. My friends don't
like her so they are no help. I need someone
else's advice. - Toxic in Toronto
Dipstick:
Toxic, I see my young self in your situa,
tion. I, too, was involved with someone I thought I
would be with forever. But one year in, she decided
she wanted to open the relationship up-and date
our roommate. When I tried to tell her my heart
couldn't handle it, she said if I was a true feminist
and secure in my own sel£ their screaming orgasms
from the next room wouldn't bother me. She sug,
gested that I should be delighted at their newfound
joy. What a bunch of crap. When I complained
about the situation to my
friends, they gave me the
advice I'm about to give you:
Either stand up for yourself
or get out. There's a reason
your friends don't like her.
It's because she treats you
like shit. I say, ask their ad,
vice and heed it. They've got
your best interest at heart.
Lipstick:
Sometimes people
just need their asses kicked.
I'm wearing my cowboy
boots today, Toxic, so watch
out. You're having major
trust issues? Well, what a
surprise. Wake up and get
the hell out of this mess.
You've already made your
decision. Reread
your letter: "I was
too young when
we got together.
I want to explore
and play:' Um, hel,
lo? Where's the confusion
in that? Youjust need to get a backbone. Go home,
grab your things and quit wallowing. Break up
with her and get on with your life. You've got a lot
of growing and living to do, so start today.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: My problem is
my boss. He believes he's God's gift to women and he's a total know-it-all, so he thinks
he can "turn" me back to being straight.
He will not leave me alone. He knows I'm
with a woman and that I love her, and I'm
just sick of hearing his BS about how being
gay is some kind of choice. I can't afford to
quit my job, and I am really good at what I
do, but I've gotten to the point where I can't
take it anymore. - Boiling Over in Biloxi
Dipstick:
I'm boiling, too! The prick. While I can
sit here and fantasize about taking his jewels out
with a blow dart, what you've got to deal with is
a bona fide case of sexual harassment. You need
to start documenting all the things he has said to
you. If they're in an email or voice message, save
them. Take notes and keep evidence. And then
march yourself right up to human resources and
don't leave until a complaint has been filed. You
may even want to talk with a lawyer first to get a
bit of advice. This is serious and I hope you nail
his ass to the wall and get him fired.
Lipstick:Or you can turn this around-if
you
can't beat the truth into him, why not beat up
on his ego? Threaten a lawsuit and then tell him
it's because of chauvinistic assholes like him that
you're gay. But be careful-in Mississippi, he can
fire you for being a lesbian. Like Dip said, keep a
paper trail at home. If our government won't pro,
tect us, we've got to take it upon
Ask us anythingaboutsex, loveor lesbiansat lipstick,
dipstick.com.
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Astro Grrl Advice
A Spring Fling:'
There is a
flattering
pinklight
shiningon
you through
March,
Pisces.
You look
gorgeous,
but, of
course,
that'sall
external.
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
Sex:There is a flattering pink light shining on you through March,
Pisces. You look gorgeous, but, of course, that's all external. Work
Senior staff sits up
to improve on all surfaces and levels. Career:
and takes notice of you. That's a good thing ... especially if you
avoid long lunches and early departures.
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Sex:Will you come out as a Lion or a lambda Ram this March?
It doesn't really matter as long as you make the most of your love
life in any and all forms. Career:
You find that working from home
has its advantages now. And yet there appears to be no advantage
to calling in sick.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Sex:Check out your usual group of gal pals and find an unusual
dalliance. Will it turn into something more? Well, more or less,
Sapphic Bulls may say one thing too many on
I suppose. Career:
the job this March. As a result, you may have to decide whether
to march forth or march out.
Gemini (May 22-June 21)
Sex:Twins find a little love at work. Just how little is up to you. It
all depends upon whether you are able to let your guard (among
March can open up new vistas and
other things) down. Career:
new professional opportunities for you. Think of fresh ways to
get ahead in life and how much head that will entail.
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
Sex:Your sexual tastes run to the extreme and the exotic, and
you become insatiable. Will you bite off more than you can chew?
Good. Career:
Step into the limelight and make your professional
mark this March. Alas, will it be just a skid mark?
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sex:Bring out the whipped cream and sashes, Lioness. March
makes you seductive and irresistible. Hurry up before you
Look behind the scenes to
become quite resistible again. Career:
find the answers at work. You may even find a few questionable
characters that need to be queried further.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Sex:Take your lovergrrl by the hand and get into some mischief
A cer,
In fact, grab her and get into something even deeper. career:
tain girlfriend can get you out of a professional jam and help you
preserve your reputation. Ask for help before you become toast.
Libra (Sept. 24-0ct. 23)
Sex:Expand your social circle at the health dub this March. You
0
>fB never know who you might meet. Heck, make any excuse to hang
You are a shooting corporate star
around the steam room. Career:
::::,
0
(.)
now. That is, of course, if you can avoid shooting off your mouth.
:i:
>
u..
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Sex:Love and romance follow you all through March. Why
not slow down so they can catch up to you? Career:Expect
(or plan) a great deal of business travel all through the month.
There are deals to be made. Meet, greet and send all the bills
to corporate.
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Sex:You sizzle this March and can attract any woman you
want. Sex can be all,consuming if you let your g,string lead
Continue to maintain your patience at
to your g,spot. Career:
work, even if things seem to move too slowly. You may want to
vacation instead ... er, for the entire month?
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
Sex:March provides you with ample opportunity to either improve
a current relationship or find a new one. The most important
thing is to connect and create electricity. Career:There are
opportunities to make more money than usual early in the
month. After that, you will spend until it hurts. Ouch.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Sex:Your best moves may not hit the mark in love. Review your
style and make some changes. And if you can't charm them, why
Aqueerians can advance to
not just buy their affections? Career:
upper management if they actively manage their careers. Go
hunting for big corporate game. How about a few
For more advicefrom the stars,visit thestarryeye.com.
March 2008
I 23
Advice
Relationships
Out of Sight, Not Out of Mind
Going the distance when you live far apart. I By Kate Lacey
When your super-jealous girlfriend lives one state
away and rants the diche "out of sight, out of
mind" as she bums all of your emails on the front
lawn, she isn't embracing the fact that this adage
was coined before the days of telecommuting, the
Internet, text messaging and videoconferencing.
With a mouse click, the size of the world becomes
smaller than Pamela Anderson's hope chest, unless your girl is living on a deserted island as part
of a reality show. Even so, when you are out of her
sight, out of town, out of state or maybe even out
of the country, dating can take on a set of challenges that the faint of heart may not be prepared
to handle.
The traps of a long-distance relationship
are well-known. If that tired old saying that
being out of sight is true, then why is she obsessed with what you are doing, who you are doing it with and why you are not doing it with her?
The problem is simple. Since you are out of her
sight, she assumes chat she is out of your mind,
which ultimately makes her go out of her mind.
Distance challenges the sense of trust in almost any relationship. It's just natural. Each
person must have a strong sense of self-esteem in order to avoid falling prey to insecurities. Being apart will blast chem into outrageous proportions, and you both must learn
how to work around the physical separation and
its challenges to your intimate relations. This
requires a commitment to reinforce the importance of your partner on a daily basis, with greater
frequency than you would if you were living in the
same town or household.
In day-to-day life, we are dependent upon
sight to provide a sense of security with our lovers. Visual cues like smiles, eye contact and body
language inform our fragile sense of connection.
We rely on the sense of touch to provide satisfying intimate interactions. We are programmed to
depend on these two senses to provide communication regarding love and trust to our partners.
The absence of touch and visual confirmation
is the hardest part of being in a long-distance
relationship and the key factor that you and your
partner must work to overcome.
So now that you know what the pitfalls are,
what kind of things can you do to beat them and
have a long-distance relationship that will go the
distance?
24
Icurve
SUGGESTIONS
Goto the samemovieat the sametime andcall
Whenthe two of youare together,
take as many eachotherimmediately
afterto talkaboutit Read
photosas the paparazzi
would. or only will you the same books, rent the same movies, listen to
be able to see her happy face along with your own,
but you'll have a happy memory of the two of you
together to get you through the times when you are
not. While you're apart, continue to share photosthough sending the pictures of the wild office party
where you're having the time of your life with the hot
sales rep might not be the message you want to send.
These days a webcam is not just for celebrities making sex videos to "accidentally" release for
sale on the Internet. For about 20, you and your
honey can see each other head to toe in real time
and full color. (However, do remember anything
you transmit can be recorded and put on YouTube
after you break up.)
Thenexttime youvisit,leavesomeclotheswith
yourscentonthemforher.Do not leave your rank
workout clothes-I promise you, no matter how
good you think your sweat smells, no woman in the
world would smell your skanky laundry and callit
romantic. (Take note, Matthew McConaughey.)
Keep a bottle of her favorite perfume with you and
lightly spritz your sheets. Have her do the same
and call each other from bed. Talk each other to
sleep or wherever your imaginations take you.
the same CDs, see the same plays. Watch sporting
events or programs on television simultaneously.
It will be as though you did it together. Anything
you can do to emphasize you are experiencing life
in tandem will strengrhen your bond.
Mailhercards.Don't just depend on text messages
and email. An old-fashioned love letter in your
handwriting will go a long way in reassuring her
of how special she is to you.
Leaveher a voicemail
whenyouknowshecan't
answer,soshecanlistento it morethanonce.Be
sweet. Be sexy.Be explicit. I don't suggest you leave
this on a work voicemail that can be monitored for
"quality assurance:·
Remindheroftenof whatyouloveabouther.Tell
her every day, in writing and on the phone. Often,
just saying, "I love you" is not enough and can lose
its impact. There are unique things about her that
do it for you-her dimples, her crazy curly hair,
her cute obsession with belly button lint. The farther apart you are, the more specific you must be
when you speak and write to her. Avoid telling her
chat the part you love most is all the space she gives
you-since she has no real choice in that matter.
restaurant, include a CD with the music chat was
playing, the food that you ate and a wine glass with
a bottle of what you had to drink that night. Try a
Obtaincredit cards that give the both of you book, a mug and a latte mix from when you met in
frequentflier miles.Save chem for each ocher or a bookstore coffee shop. For a re,creation of your
first movie date, send a copy of the DVD, some
better yet, meet in some exotic, romantic locale.
popcorn and the soda she spilled all over your
Whenyoutalk on the phone,don'tsimplyshare shoes. With enough creativity and a credit card,
the mundane
detailsof yourday.Talk about your
chis can be priceless.
feelings, your good memories with her. Talk about
Useyourimagination
andhelpyourgirtusehers.
the future, your fantasies, your desire for her. Tell
Embrace the technology available to you. Start
her what she means to you. This will reignite your
with chatting online together whenever you can.
passion and reassure her that out of sight is not
Play games online to,
out of mind.
gecher chat allow you
Make her a mix CD with
to
interact-though
blowing each ocher into
songsthat remindyou of
her.Include any songs play,
smithereens in World
of Warcraft may lack a
ing during your firsts-first
certain je ne sais quoi.
kiss, first look, first dance ...
Open yourself up to
unless it was the "Chicken
Dance."
o one wants
engaging in phone sex
and cyber sex. You'll
to hear that tune outside
surprise yourself with
Oktoberfest or a wedding.
what you can do with
Send a letter with the CD or
one hand, not to men,
talk at length on the phone
tion the freedom of hands,free technology. Read
about how the songs relate to the two of you. Make
Distancechallengesthe
senseof trust in any
relationship.
Each person
mustavoidfallingpreyto
insecurities.Beingapart
willblastthem intooutrageousproportions.
a copy for yourself and listen to it together.
some smutty novels or look online for books on
how to talk or write "dirt{ A long,distance rela,
Sendherfavoritethingsto herhometo showyou
are thinkingof her.These days you can send any,
tionship cannot afford the luxury of shyness or
self,consciousness.
thing-cookies, flowers, ribs, wine. If you look
hard enough, you could probably find an Eel of the
Month Club, if chat's what she's into. Try re,cre,
ating your first date by packing things into a box
to ship to her. For that first dinner at the Italian
Gettogetherwheneveryoucan and alwaysplan
yourvisitsahead.This will give you both some,
thing to look forward to. ShorMerm goals are im,
portant. Whether it's Pride weekend or yet another
Law & Ordermarathon, knowing the two of you
will be together for it will make it a special event.
The key to a successful long,distance relation,
ship is to consciously decide to do things each day
to remind her chat you are thinking of her. You
should expect natural emotions like insecurity, ap,
prehension and loneliness to appear faster than you
can say"GPS" when the two of you are apart. What
bridges the distance and keeps these emotions in
check is facing them as a couple. Take action chat
will reassure both of you chat you are in this to,
gether. If she reciprocates, the relationship has the
potential to be even stronger than it would be if you
were living down the street from one another.
March 2008
I25
Dyke Drama
Michele Fisher
The Long Wait for Those Three Words
Why wouldn't her sorry butt just say she was sorry:
"Love means never having to say you're sorry:'That is what Ali McGraw said
in the movie Love Story. She was wrong-hot, but still wrong. It was the '70s
and she was heavily medicated and terminally heterosexual.
Love means saying you're sorry all the time. It means saying you're
sorry when you commit a transgression, whether intentional or not. It
means apologizing when you think you may have been wrong and even
when you know damn well that you were right. To forgive is divine, but a
well-executed apology is heavenly.
I don't know what attracted me to the dyke-who-couldn't-apologize; I
suppose it was her confidence. Later I realized that what passed for confidence early on in the relationship was just plain arrogance. She always knew
what was wrong with the world and everybody in it. At first I would delight in
her diagnoses and prescriptions for the ills of the planet. Rapt, I would sit in
a cafewith her as she would pontificate about how simple life could be if only
people would allow themselves to see with the clarity that she possessed.
Her ex-lovers, it seemed, did not understand her giftsand would become
angry or jealous, thus spoiling the relationship with her. I listened carefully
and vowed not to make the same mistakes.
She talked a lot. I know now that talking too much is a warning sign. But
then again so is a willingness to listen to hours of bullshit. Sometimes she
talked so long that her coffee got cold and so did mine,
because I didn't want her to think I wasn't paying attention
by looking down at my cup in order to grasp it and take
a drink. Cocktails were easier because I could snatch the
stem of a martini glass and gulp half the contents without
spilling a drop or breaking her intense gaze.
Looking back, the liquor was probably a bad idea.
Perhaps if I had been in my right mind more of the time,
I might have gotten out of the situation with a cute little
story about a bad date rather than a drawn-out tale about
a dyke who couldn't ask for forgiveness.
She was hung up on her ex-lover, but she wouldn't
admit it. Kai was the ex before me, the one that apparently got away. Lucky her. She described Kai as emotionally unavailable and incapable of empathy. She said she fel~
fortunate to be out of the situation with Kai, but her thin
quivery voice gave a different impression. It was another
warning flag; but if a girl has to brake for every lesbian who
has issues with an ex, she will have limited life experience.
She didn't stay in contact with Kai or any of her other
ex-lovers. She thought that lesbians who kept old girlfriends around were emotionally stunted and lacked the
ability to go on with their lives in healthy and prosperous
ways. Of course, many of my pals were former flames who
turned out to be better suited for friendship. She called
every woman I ever slept with an ex. She would shake her
head and tsk-tsk me when she heard that I was getting
together with one of them. She would warn me that such
fraternization would only lead to trouble in my life and
eventually trouble with her.
26
Icurve
A few months into the relationship, or after I joined the cult, as my sister
called it, I stumbled upon my girlfriend dining with Kai. Yes, the Kai. Imagine
my surprise when I stopped in to a restaurant for a quick bite after work and
saw my girlfriend looking soulfully into the eyes of the woman sitting across
the table from her. They were sharing a salad and although they were not
feeding each other, they were eating from the same plate. I wondered just how
far up someone's ass I could shove a free-range chicken.
On shaky legs, I walked over to them and made my presence known.
Everything clever I had planned to say evaporated in my throat like the spit
had in my mouth when my darling immediately jumped up and embraced me
like she hadn't seen me in years and introduced me to her"friend;' Kai. I stood
there and muttered a few idiotic words about the restaurant or the weather or
how awful it was to be me at that moment and then excused myself and left
without picking up my food.
I didn't know what to make of the situation, but I needn't have worried
because she did. She called a few hours later and acted as light and breezy as
could be. She asked about my evening and chatted about her day at work. I
wondered when she would get to the part of the day where she was sitting
down to dinner with her ex-girlfriend, a fact she had neglected to mention to
me earlier, when we had spoken about our respective plans for the evening.
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Finally I couldn't take it any more and I said, "Why were you having dinner with Kai tonight?" Why was I talking to her like that, she wanted to know.
And then we had a half-hour discussion about my attitude and my jealousy
and how crappy both things were. Three hang-ups later, she told me that Kai
had called to ask her for some advice about her new relationship. She felt that
it would have been wrong to turn her "friend" away in a time of need.
I was the one who spent my life hanging out with old girlfriends. And I
was the one who had made other plans for the evening. And didn't I feel terrible for being jealous and angry? As always, she persuaded me to see things
her way. Instead of receiving an apology, I wound up making several.
It was shortly after that incident that I noticed she was never wrong and
therefore never needed to apologize. I really thought about it and realized
that she had not uttered an apology once in the entire time I had known her.
Not to me, not to anyone.
I started paying attention to this facet of her personality. She would arrive
late and blame the other motorists on the road for her tardiness.
She would step on somebody's foot in an elevator and explain that she was
pushed or assert that she was the victim of a faulty shoe manufacturer.
When it came to our relationship, no matter what she did, her butt was
never sorry. When she yelled, I drove her to it. When she dropped my car
keys down the street drain, she asked me why my keys were so slippery.
Her refusal to admit that she was at fault would have been fascinating
if I were her therapist, but seeing as I was her lover, it was exhausting and
annoying.
We continued on our unmerry path together for a couple more months,
until I found Kai's underwear tangled in her sheets.
Of course I didn't know it was Kai's right away. My righteous woman tried
to tell me that the underwear I had found in her bed was my own. I told her
that it was not. Then she told me that it was hers. I held it aloft in disbelie£
Kai was a big girl. My soon to be ex-girlfriend was speechless for about 30
seconds, which was a record in our relationship.
Finally, she spoke. And spoke. And spoke. She talked about all that was
wrong about us. She blustered about how far she had gotten from her emotions. She acknowledged that she had some unresolved issues with Kai, but
since those unresolved issues were mostly sexual in nature, she saw no reason
why we could not continue our relationship while she worked on sex with
Kai. She couldn't really remember how many times she and Kai had slept
together in the past few months, but claimed that such details were unimportant. What was important was that she was making real progress and that
she was sure that after having sex with Kai a few more times, her issues would
work themselves out.
I told her that I would not be waiting around to find out how the Kai
saga ended. I told her that the time I spent with her had been a waste and
that she was a selfish, lying creep who owed me and the entire lesbian nation
an apology.
As my back was almost out her door, I heard her sputter, "I am sorry ...
you feel that waY:'
March 2008
I27
Politics
VictoriaA. Brownworth
The Heart of the Matter
Fat is a feminist issue. Then again, so is heart disease.
so. For two decades there was a decline in death from heart disease among
women. Social and cultural changes, however, have reversed this trend. The
growing problem of obesity in the United States, the alarming increase in
diabetes and the great number of women who are smoking as well as drinking
to excess, have turned heart disease into a more deadly killer than ever.
Women are having heart attacks and heart-related strokes at· earlier and
earlier ages, even in their 20s.
A study from December 2007 by the American Heart Association shows
that women under 40 are dying more frequently from heart attacks that are
the result of clogged arteries, while men of similar ages are not.
In addition, heart disease isn't just about dropping dead of a heart attack
or a stroke. It's often a debilitating, long-term disease that can rob you of the
fullness of your life long before it actually kills you. You can become a "cardiac
cripple:'
Lesbians are notorious for ignoring their own healthcare. It's tragic, actually, as lesbians have been at the forefront of the healthcare movement for
women and for gay men with HIV/ AIDS. Yet when it comes to their own
health, lesbians throw common sense out the window. I have found it next to
impossible to get my otherwise smart and savvy lesbian friends to have annual
physicals and the tests that go with them.
More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight and, of those, most
qualify as obese. Most of my closest women friends qualify as obese. So do I.
If you think obesity means what one acquaintance unkindly refers to as
"circus fat;' think again. Obesity is characterized as being 20 percent over the
ideal weight for your height. Morbid obesity is being more than 40 percent
Valentine's Day helps break up the awfulness of winter and the long, dismal
period between New Year's and spring. It gives us a reason to shower our
lovers with gifts.
As Valentine's Day approached, hearts were ubiquitous.
Contemplating the symbolism of the heart, and the ring on my left hand
from my beloved, inevitablyled me to think about the heart's more literalaspects.
Our hearts are more than just symbols of love. That ring is on my left ring
finger because it was once thought that the vein just above that finger led directly to the heart. This isn't actually true, but tradition is tradition. The point
is, the heart and romance are inextricably connected.
So, too, is life inextricably connected to the heart. Every beat pulses blood
throughout our bodies, keeping us alive. Thus, our hearts can be broken in far
more than metaphoric ways.
We all are familiar with the pink ribbons symbolizing breast cancer awareness. But heart disease is far and away the leading cause of death for women
of all ages. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for everyone in the
United States, killing three-quarters of a million Americans each year.
Added to that disquieting fact comes a new and disturbing statistic:
Among women under 40, death from heart disease is on the rise. Significantly
28
Icurve
over your ideal weight.
This means the average American woman, who is 5 feet 4 inches tall with
a medium frame, should weigh 120 pounds. So if you are 5 feet 4 inches
and weigh 144 pounds, you are obese because you are 20 percent over your
ideal weight. The ideal weight for women is 100 pounds at 5 feet tall and 5
pounds more for each additional inch. For every decade over 30, add an additional 5 to 10 pounds for "spread" and you still remain in the ideal weight
range. It's not just about weight. High cholesterol-anything over 190 as a
combined score-is a silent killer, as is high blood sugar. High blood pressure, anything above 120/80, is a stress on your heart and predisposes you
to having a stroke.
African American and Latina women are more likely to have high blood
pressure and high blood sugar than white women. Asian women have the
lowest rate of heart disease, but they also tend to have the lowest overall body
fat. So what can we do to save our lives from this killer disease that more than
80 percent of us will eventually have?
• If you smoke, stop. There is nothing worse for your overall health and
heart than smoking.
• If you drink, keep it moderate. More than two glasses of wine or two
ounces of hard liquor a day is too much for women's hearts.
• Exercise and watch your diet. A fellow contributing editor at CURVE is
probably the fittest person I know. She gets up at dawn to run or do Pilates
before her graduate school classes. She eats a vegetarian diet with lots of raw
fruits and vegetables, eats a lot of soy and puts flax seed in everything. She
looks healthy and attractive and seems to have a lot of energy. I admire her
IN THE NEWS
discipline and imagine her arteries are totally clear
of plaque. That kind of discipline takes years to
build, but there are some small changes in lifestyle
you can make to improve your overall health.
• The easiest thing to do to control your
weight, blood pressure and blood sugar is to walk,
walk, walk. Walking 10,000 steps a day will give
you the same results as hard exercise. Get a pedometer and start with 1,000 steps a day ( unbelievably, most of us rarely break 1,000 a day; we
are that sedentary).
• Taking the salt out of your diet will lower
your blood pressure almost overnight. Drinking
plenty of water every day will make you eat less
and cleanse your body of fat and toxins. (Most of
us barely drinkthree.) Often we eat when we are
actuallyjust thirsty.
Lesbians are notorious for
ignoring their own health
care. It's tragic, actually,
as lesbians have been in
the forefront of the movement for women and for
gay men with
HIV/AIDS.
• Stop eating two, or preferably three, hours
before bedtime. Most women eat at night. They
starve themselves throughout the day and then
"graze"all evening until bedtime.
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• Eat a real breakfast with protein and slowrelease carbohydrates, like cereal, bread and fruit.
Snack often with small portions of vegetables,
fruits or nuts. Thiskeeps your insulin levels even
throughout the day.
Taking these few steps will lower your risk of
8
heart disease. If you already have heart disease,
.,,
they will keep it from progressing.
0
We owe it to ourselves and our partners to stay
healthy. My New Year'sresolution was to lose that
20 percent over my ideal weight. Make a commitment to yourself to make your heart healthy this
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$
Lutheran
Church
Ordains
Lesbian
A Lutheran
churchin Chicago
ordained27-yearoldlesbianJenRudeasa ministerwithoutmakinghertakethevowof celibacyrequiredbythe
Evangelical
Lutheran
Churchin America(ELCA).
Rudecalledthevow,requisite
onlyfor homosexual
ministers,
discriminatory
andrefused
to takeit.WhileChicago's
bishop,WayneMiller,
agreedthecelibacyruleshouldbereversed
and
didnotblockherordainment,
hedidn'tattendthe
ceremony
at Resurrection
Lutheran
Churcheither.
Morethan100members
of the church
showedupto supportRude,despitethefact
thatthecongregation
couldbeexpelled
from
the ELCA
denomination-thelargestLutheran
denomination
in theUnitedStates-if the ELCA
decidedto enforcethepolicylater.
nizationGender
Education
andAdvocacy
does
keeptrackof transkillings.Itswebsite(gender.
org)includesa pageof 11victimsof anti-trans
violencein 2007andlistscausesof death
suchasblunt-force
traumaanddenialofAIDS
treatment.
HateCrimesin U.S.Upby8 Percent
FBIstatisticsreleased
in late2007show1,195
instances
of hatecrimesin whichtheperpetrator'smotivating
factorwasthevictim's
actualor perceived
sexualorientation.
Instances
of hate
crimesbasedon
sexualorientation
changed
onlyslightly.
Theyaccounted
for 14
BillGivesSame-Sex
Couples
IVFAccess
percentof totalhate
A Catholic
clergyman
is havinga tizzyin England
crimesin 2005but
overthethoughtof lesbian
couples
havingchildren
wentupto 15 percentin 2006,whilehatecrimes
through-i)asp!-in vitrofertilization.
in totalwentup8 percent.
Cardinal
CormacMurphyCitieswiththe highestnumberof sexual
O'Connor
saidin a letterto
orientation-based
hatecrimeswere,notsurprisTheTimesof Londonthat
ingly,someof thelargest:NewYorkCity(59),
the HumanFertilisation
and
andBoston(38
Embryology
Bill,whichwould LosAngeles(42),SanFrancisco
D.C.(36).
allowsame-sex
couples
access each),andWashington,
Galifomia
reportedthemostsexualorientato IVF,wouldundermine
the
tion-based
hatecrimes,with246instances.
roleof fathers.
"Thisradicallyundermines
Same-Sex
Couples
Playing
House
theplaceof thefatherin a
child'slife,"hewrote,"and
A reportreleased
in November
2007bythe
WilliamsInstitutefor SexualOrientation
Lawand
makesthe naturalrightsof
of Galifomia,
Los
thechildsubordinate
to thedesiresof thecouple." PublicPolicyat theUniversity
ThegayrightsgroupStonewall,
however,
says AngelesSchoolof Lawstatesthatthenumber
couplesshackingupin theU.S.
thatthe bill merelyextendsrightsto homosexual of same-sex
since1990.
couples
thatarealreadyavailable
to heterosexual quadrupled
Theincreases
arehighestin Mountain,
couples.
MidwestandSouthern
states-you know,the
Transgender
VictimsHonored
Nationwide
conservative
ones.
Intheyear2000,therewere600,000selfVigilswereheldin 250citieslastNovember
in
proclaimed
same-sex
couples;in 2006,there
honorof the ninthannualTransgender
Dayof
were777,000.In 2006,of th·eeightstatesthat
Remembrance.
hadan initiativeonthe ballotto bansame-sex
Theevent,whichbeganin SanFrancisco
in
marriage,
sixof themhadincreases
of morethan
1999,is heldto memorialize
peoplekilledby
anti-transgender
violence.
30 percentthe nationalrate.
Whilethe FBIdoesn'tkeeprecordsof antiGaryGates,
theauthorof thestudyanda
transgender
killings,reportsfromtransgender
SeniorResearch
Fellowat theWilliamsInstitute,
advocacy
groupssaythathundreds
havebeen
saysoneof the biggestreasons
for theincrease
killedin the pastdecade,
andsomestudiesshow is that moresame-sex
couplesarecomfortable
identifying
assuch.
thatanti-transThisstudy,alongwiththe GayandLesbian
genderviolence
Consumer
IndexandHumanRightscampaign's
accounts
for 1O
"Buyingfor Equality"
shopping
guide,shows
percentof all vioa probability
thatmorelesbianandgayvoters
lentcrimesin the
will showupat the pollsin November.
- Katie
UnitedStates.
Peoples
andJennaV.Loceff
ButtheorgaMarch 2008
I29
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CIPTR
n
Theseare the researchers
who changedthe Ivory Towerand
are now changingthe world. By Rachel Pepper
ci+--a
ITH SEVERAL CURVE contributors and editors working inside academia by day (the author of thislist is, in fact,
the coordinator of LGBT studies at Yale),it seemed timely to profile some top lesbian professors as part of our ongoing
"10 Powerful Lesbians" series. But as the nominations began
to pour in &omelectronic mailing
lists and academic queer
peers, it became dear that a scholarly chord badbeenstrudc and chatwe couldn't just stop at 10. So out of hundreds
of nominations, how did we select our top 20i It wasn't easy,but w started with some obvious tried-and-true pioneers
(there are more than youa think), and then included some outstanding professional women at the summit of their
careers. To levd the playing field, we also added in some rising young academic rockstars who make the halls of higher
learning such exciting places to be. In their o~n way,each of these women possesses a certain special something that just
makes them stand out from a powerhouse field of contenders. Through some combination of teaching, writing, research and leadenhip, all
these women are changing the &ceof academia, a world that, until recently,has been run exclusivelyby straight white men.
Our top 20 (profiled here in alphabetical order) is an impressive list of scholars, all of whom are equally deserving of our accolades.We
alaoknow that without lesbian~istrators
and support staff, universities simply could not run. So our special commendations go out in
honor and recognition of all the lesbian and bi~dyke administrative, technical, clerical and service workers who keep academia functioning
and improving every day,fromthe inside out. No doubt we've missedcowidess women (if you'd like to see even more honorable mentions,
go to C1.ll'ftfflag.COm)
andwe ham't even begun to tackle all of you K-12 teachers (but it's in the worb ), so please tell us whowe missed this
time around (by writing to assiatanteditor@curvemag.com) and you may see them in our pages soon enough.
Specialthanksto theNationalConsortium
of Directors
of LGBTResources
in HigherEducation
andthea StudiesListServfor theirthoughtfulsuggestions.
1
Sara Ahmed
Goldsmiths, University of London
Sara Ahmed writes that
she works at "the intersection between feminist theory, critical race
and postcolonial theory
and queer studies:• In
academic code talk,
this is a fancy way of
saying she writes about everything that's currently
important. A professor of race and cultural studies
in the department of media and communications
at Goldsmiths, University of London, Ahmed is a
prolific author. In addition to contributing to many
books and periodicals, she has written and edited
seven of her own books in the last 10 years. The
most recent, Queer Phenomenology: Orientations,
Objects, Others, which was published in 2006, explores "how orientations affect how bodies inhabit
time and space;' and led one online reviewer to
comment that "I never thought tables could be so
interesting, but once you read this book, you will
keep noticing them! And of course, the table becomes queer .... This book makes furniture something to think about. Wow!" Ahmed is currently
working on a book about happiness, and another
on diversity and racism in higher education.
2
M.V. Lee Badgett
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
The field of economics
is usually thought of as
a man's domain, but the
intersection of economics and sexual orientation is M.V. Lee Badgett's
comfort zone. Badgett
is the author of Money, Myths and Change: The
Economic Lives of Lesbians and Gay Men, and is
a professor at the University of Massachusetts,
Amherst. She's the research director of the
Institute for Gay and Lesbian Strategic Studies,
a national think tank focusing on policy issues
related to sexual orientation. Often examining
labor market discrimination resulting from factors likeorientation, race, gender and family status,
Badgett also explores the controversial concept of
gay affluence, which she discredits. Another topic
that she has been writing on is the economic effects
of same-sex marriage. Knowing that some lesbian
professors are watching out for our monetary interests-and indeed making this their life's work-is
something we can all feel good about.
32
Icurve
3
Carolyn R. Bertozzi
University of California, Berkeley
In academia, women in science are finally beginning
to get their due. One such accomplished scientist
is UC Berkeley's Carolyn Bertozzi, whose honors
and awards could fill this whole page. Currently,
this researcher in cellular immunology is the
T.Z. and Irmgard Chu Distinguished Professor
of Chemistry, and a professor of molecular and
cell biology at Berkeley. She's also been the recipient of the Ernst Schering Prize and a MacArthur
Foundation Award, popularly known as a "genius
award;' and recently
she received the 2007
GLBT Scientist of the
Year Award, given an,
nually by the National
Organization of Gay
and Lesbian Scientists
and Technical Professionals (NOGLSTP) for her
"outstanding achievements in applying chemistry
to help answer biological questions related to human health and disease."
4
Judith Buder
University of California, Berkeley
The queen of queer theory, Butler is probably
the best,known lesbian academic working today. Her first book, Gender Trouble, published in
1990, set the tone for her many works to follow,
and remains a classic in its field. Although many
find Butler's dense, poststructuralist wriring hard
to read, her work is critically important in philosophical and theoretical circles. Butler received her
Ph.D. from Yale and returned to receive its prestigious Brudner Prize for excellence in 2004, joining
the ranks of esteemed academics such as Lillian
Faderman and Eve
5
Tammy Rae Carland
California College of the Arts
How many lesbian
academics
can
say they've run a
record label spe,
cializing in dyke
queercore musicians? Credit Carland, of the now-defunct Mr.
Lady Records, with this amazing first. Carland
started the label with her then-girlfriend, musician
Kaia Wilson, and it became home to such acts as
the Butchies and Le Tigre. Carland's career path
and output will strike a chord with a new generation of lesbian artists. She's been featured in Ms.
magazine, and included in Harmony Hammond's
Lesbian Art in America: A Contemporary History;
she has exhibited her artwork at the Los Angeles
LACE gallery and her films have screened at the
Frameline San Francisco International Gay and
Lesbian Film Festival, among many other exhibitions and festivals. An experimental filmmaker,
photographer and video artist, Carland has been
an associate professor in the photography department at California College of the Arts since 2002.
6
Cathy Cohen
University of Chicago
Cathy Cohen has long been an advocate for
communities of color, both as a writer and as an
academic. A former director of the Center for
the Study of Race,
Politics, and Culture
at the University of
Chicago, a founding
board member of the
Audre Lorde Project
in New York, and a
KosofskySedgwick. former board memOther notable books
ber of Kitchen Table:
Women of Color Press,
by Butler include
Undoing Gender and
Cohen has won many awards, including a Robert
Bodies That Matter:
Wood Johnson Investigator's Award and a Ford
On the Discursive Foundation research award. From 1993 to 2000
Limits
of
"Sex:' Cohen was a professor at Yale. She was the third
Butler has become such a well-known culturalfig- African American woman to receive tenure there
ure in academia that there have been entire zincs
and the first to receive it in the social sciences. She
written about her. A documentary film about her
also founded Yale'sCenter for the Study of Race,
life, her work and her philosophy, Judith Butler: Inequality, and Politics. Cohen is the author of The
PhilosophicalEncounters of the Third Kind,was re- Boundaries of Blackness: AIDS and the Breakdown
leased in 2007.
of Black Politicsand is never shy about proclaiming
her dual identity as an African American woman
and a lesbian. Cohen is currently a professor of
political science at the University of Chicago.
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ju..
I
7
Ann Cvetkovich
University of Texas, Austin
A shining example of a
lesbian academic in her
prime, Ann Cvetkovich
is an associate professor
of English and women's
and gender studies at
the University of Texas, Austin, and the chair of
the LGBTQ/Sexualities Research Cluster at
the University of Texas. She is the author of two
books, Mixed Feelings:Feminism, Mass Culture and
Victorian Sensationalism and An Archive of Feelings:
Trauma, Sexuality, and Lesbian Public Culture, and
has contributed to many other books and periodicals. With Ann Pellegrini, Cvetkovich edited
"Public Sentiments;' a special issue of The Scholar
and the Feminist Online, and is the co-editor of the
influential queer academic journal GLQ: A Journal
of Lesbian and Gay Studies. She's currently working on two articles, one on the Michigan Womyn's
Music Festival and utopian communities, and another on Alison Bechdel's book Fun Home, and
her new book project is on the topic of depression.
Cvetkovich is also the long-term partner of Two
Nice Girls' ex-front woman Gretchen Phillips,
making these two a star-studded pair indeed. And
rare proof that academia and pop culture can occasionally, and happily, coexist.
8
0
JillDolan
University of Texas, Austin
A pioneer in the field of
lesbian theater, Dolan has
been the president of the
Association for Theatre
in Higher Education, and
the former executive director of the Center for
Lesbian and Gay Studies
at the Graduate Center of
the City University of New York; she has written
several books, including the classic The Feminist
Spectator as Critic and the recently published
Utopia in Performance: Finding Hope at the Theatre.
Her latest book projects include writing a critical
memoir entitled From Flannel to Fleece:A Lesbian
of a Certain Age, and editing a collection of feminist
plays. Dolan is also tackling more contemporary
topics in her writing, including an essay on TheL
Word, and she even has a blog. The future of lesbian feminist theater has never looked brighter.
9
Lisa Duggan
New York University
Lisa Duggan was repeatedly recommended by her
peers; one colleague called her an "outstanding,
groundbreaking, lesbian queer studies professor,
historian, and activist;' adding that "her works and
sharp analyses of cultural politics, neoliberalism,
and sexual dissent have all been incredibly influential in the field ofLGBT studies:' A professor of social and cultural analysis
at New York University,
and the director of
its American Studies
Program, Duggan has
done extensive research in
gender and LGBT studies, teaching courses that
deconstruct whiteness in
the U.S. and examine critical and queer historiographies. Her books include Sapphic Slashers: Sex,
Violence and American Modernity and Sex Wars:
Sexual Dissent and Political Culture.
10
Anne Fausto-Sterling
Brown University
One of the most outstanding lesbian scientists, An,ne FaustoSterling may be most
renowned for her work
in the field of human
gender
development
and
sexuality. Her
books, Sexing the Body
and Myths of Gender, are classics, and articles she
has written, including one in the quarterly The
Sciences entitled 'The Five Sexes;' have inspired
much debate on the topic of gender difference, and
have renewed interest in the subject of people born
intersex. Heavily referenced for her work on childhood gender development, and body and cultural
differences, Fausto-Sterling has won numerous
awards, including a National Science Foundation
Grant, a Mellon Fellowship from the Wellesley
Center for Research on Women, and a Women of
Distinction Award &om the City University of New
York.A professor of biology and gender studies for
more than 30 years, Fausto-Sterling married the
playwright Paula Vogel in Truro, Mass., in 2004.
11
Gayatri Gopinath
New York University
The face of academia
is changing. Not only
is it no longer solely
the terrain of straight
white men-the
fact
is women of color are
responsible for some
of the most exciting
research to emerge
from the academy
today. No one stands
out more than Gayatri Gopinath, who is currently
an associate professor in the department of social
and cultural analysis at New York University. She
is best known for her book, Impossible Desires:
Queer Diasporas and South Asian Public Cultures,
published by Duke University Press in 2005,
which an online reviewer called "the most important book of queer South Asian identity politics
in the 21st century:' A specialist in postcolonial
literatures, feminist and queer theory, and popular
culture, especially pertaining to the Asian diaspora, Gopinath has written extensively about Deepa
Mehtis lesbian-themed movie Fire, and how alternative sexualities are encoded in movies from queer
Bollywood.
12
Clare Hemmings, Gender Institute,
London School of Economics and
Political Science
As stylish as she is accomplished, this young
Brit has worked extensively on the significance
of bisexuality in sexuality
studies, a subject reflected in two of her books,
The Bisexual Imaginary:
Representation, Identity, and Desire, and Bisexual
Spaces: A Geography of Sexuality and Gender. A
forthcoming book, Telling Feminist Stories, explores
another interest of hers, feminist historiography
and epistemology. Hemmings is a senior lecturer
in gender studies and gender theory at the London
School of Economics, and was the co-chair of the
U.K. and Ireland's Feminist and Women's Studies
Association from 2002 to 2004.
March 2008
I33
13
Nan Hunter
Brooklyn Law School
When you think of the quintessential lesbian professor, you
could easily imagine someone just like Nan Hunter.
Professorial yet approachable,
impressively credentialed and
ambitious, always tirelessly
working for lesbian and gay legal rights, and yet
looking like someone you'd love to chat with over
tea, Hunter is an obvious choice for our top 20.
A professor of law at Brooklyn Law School since
1990, Hunter also founded and became the first
director of the ACLU Lesbian and Gay Rights
and AIDS Project, an incredibly important civil
rights organization for our community. She co-authored the influential casebook Sexuality, Gender
and the Law, now in its second edition, as well as
The Powerof Procedure,which is used in many law
school classrooms. Hunter has been widely published in the areas of state regulation of sexuality
and gender, and health law and procedure, in addition to speaking publicly and writing on samesex marriage. She served as deputy general counsel
for the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services from 1993 to 1996 and received a 2000
Civil Rights Pioneer award from amFAR. Now if
we could only get her appointed to the Supreme
Court.
14
Esther Newton, Purchase College,
State University of New York
A true pioneer in LGBT studies, long-esteemed researcher
and writer Esther Newton
has penned some of the most
groundbreaking books on
queer history. These include
CherryGrove,FireIsland:Sixty
Yearsin Americas FirstGay and LesbianTown and
Mother Camp: Female Impersonatorsin America.
She has won the Ruth Benedict Prize from the
Society of Lesbian and Gay Anthropologists,
among other honors, and is reportedly currently
working on a memoir called My Butch Career.She
is a professor of anthropology, women's studies and
American culture at Purchase College. In addition
to being widely recognized for her landmark academic work, she is, as one peer wrote, "absolutely
adored" by her students.
34
Icurve
15
Trinity Ordona
City College of San Francisco
Not many lesbian academics can claim that they
are ordained ministers (in the Church of Natural
Grace), cult survivors and teachers of self-healing
through meditation and guided imagery. An instructor at several Bay
Area colleges with
accessible admission
policies and affordable tuition, such as
City College of San
Francisco, Ordona is
a longtime activist for civil rights and queer rights,
and has long-standing memberships in various organizations for Asian Pacific Islander women. She
has contributed to many anthologies and exhibits
about Asian Pacific Islander women, and is the author of Coming Out Together:An Ethnohistoryof
17
Tiina Rosenberg
Lund University, Sweden
Tiina
Rosenberg
is not only accomplished in academia,
writing extensively
on the performing
arts, queer theory
and feminism, but
she is also one of the
co-founders of the Feminist Initiative and of the
Swedish feminist party. Her books include (these
titles are in translation) Desiring Pants, Queer
Feminist Agenda, Gender Is Burning!, L-Word:
Where Have All the LesbiansGone?and a collec-
tion of Judith Butler's texts in Swedish. Rosenberg
is a professor of gender studies and the director of
the Centre for Gender Studies at Lund University
in Sweden, and proves without a doubt that our
the Asian and PacificIslanderQueer Women'.sand international sisters are more than pulling their
TransgenderedPeoplesMovement of San Francisco. weight in queering up the canon.
Ordona is also the former associate director of the
Lesbian Health Research Center at the University
RonniSanlo
of California, San Francisco, and gives workshops
University of California, Los Angeles
for women who are survivors of trauma, including
incest and rape.
Ronni Sanlo may not
be a household name in
Ann Pellegrini
the lesbian community,
Tisch School for the Arts
but she's a great example
of how one hard-workIt wasn't _easy picking just one academic in the
ing, inspired individual
field of queer theology, but we knew we couldn't can drastically change the educational climate fur
go wrong with Ann Pellegrini. This associate proLGBT people. Sanlo is currently the director of
fessor of performance studies and religious studies
the UCLA Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender
has a diverse CV overflowing with remarkable ac- (LGBT) Campus Resource Center and the foundcomplishments, including books, articles and panel er of the National Consortium of Directors of
appearances at both queer events and mainstream
LGBT Resources in Higher Education, an imporreligious conferences, on topics like radical gay tant networking group for queer professionals in
sex, the plays of Paula Vogel,Jewish performativhigher education. She currently serves on the naity, Madonna, homophobia and faith, and sexual- tional board of the Council fur the Advancement
ity. Her most recent of Standards in Higher Education and is on the
book is Love the Sin: editorial board of the Journal of Gay and Lesbian
SexualRegulationand Issuesin Education.The author of books dealing
the Limits of Religious specifically with queer college students, including
Tolerance,
and in 2006
Workingwith LGBT CollegeStudents:A Handbook
she was awarded for Facultyand Administratorsand New Directions
the Fulbright-Freud
in Student Services:Sexual Orientationand Gender
Visiting Scholar of Psychoanalysis grant. Past Identity in StudentAffairs,Sanlo has done groundawards for Pellegrini have included the Mellon breaking work fur both queer college students and
Fellowship in the Humanities, and the Arnold
educators, ultimately benefiting the entire educational system.
Grossman Award for Outstanding Faculty/Staff
Services to the LGBT Community from New
York University in 2005.
18
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19
Paula Vogel
Brown University
Paula Vogel is an award,
winning playwright. She
won the 1998 Pulitzer
Prize for drama for How
I Learned to Drive, which
sensitively explores the re,
lationship between a teen,
age girl and the uncle who
molests her. Vogel also
won an Obie in 1992 for her play The Baltimore
Waltz, which deals with AIDS, and received the
2004 Award for Literature from the American
Academy of Arts and Letters. She is currently the
Adele Kellenberg Seaver Professor of Creative
Writing at Brown University. She inspires the next
generation through her teaching, and as an accom,
plished writer she shows them that openly queer
playwrights can indeed make it on Broadway.
20
5'
en
Karina Walters
University of Washington
Karina Walters is now living among the Maori
in New Zealand on a much,coveted, year,long
Fulbright Senior Scholar Award. This came af,
ter she spent the last year in New Zealand as an
Honorary Visiting Scholar, also working with
the Maori. Her list of awards and accomplish,
ments includes an Excellence in Science award
from Women of Color
Empowered, a Professor
of the Year award from
the Columbia University
School of Social Work,
and an Association for
Women in Psychology
2002 Women of Color
Psychologies Award. She is
also a member of the Choctaw Nation. Her disser,
tation for her Ph.D. in social welfare was entitled
HONORABLE
MENTIONS
Thesewomentop contenders
all-also deservea
printednodfor their
exemplary
work
bothin andoutof
academia.
All arestill
working,if notstill
teaching.
1. SarahBay-Cheng,
StateUniversity
of
NewYork,Buffalo
2. Charlotte
Bunch,
Rutgers
University
3. MelindaChen,
University
of California,
Berkeley
4. LillianFadennan,
California
State
University,
Fresno
5. NikkiGiovanni,
VirginiaPolytechnic
InstituteandState
University
6.Jacqueline
Goldsby,
University
of Chicago
7. NadineHubbs,
University
of Michigan
8. Catherine
Lord,
University
of
California,
Irvine
9. HeatherLove,
University
of
Pennsylvania
1O.SharonMarcus,
Columbia
University
11.Joanne
Meyerowitz,
YaleUniversjty
Urban American Indian Identity and Psychological 12.Adrienne
Rich,
Wellness. Besides working with the Maori, she University
of Illinois,
has researched, written and taught extensively on
Urbana
the cultural, historical and social factors affect,
ing indigenous peoples, whose health problems
include diabetes, HIV/ AIDS, mental health and
ff,
substance abuse. An advocate for American Indians
(!)
and Native Alaskans, as well as Two,Spirit people,
crl
en
0
cc Walters shows that the work academics do is more
..J
0
than just pontification on dusty old topics-it can,
cc
(3 and does, save lives.
13.EveKosofsky
Sedgwick,
City
University
of NewYork
Graduate
Center
14.AmyVillarejo,
Harvard
University
15.KateWeston,
Harvard
University
Funding Future Scholars
ThePointFoundation
awards
scholarships
eachyeartooutstanding
students
fromtheLGBT
community.
Thedeserving
winners
notonlygetfinancial
support,
but
alsoareassigned
a mentor
from
theirfieldofstudy.
With12full-time
• staffers
anda fewpart-timers,
the
PointFoundation
hasbeenawarding
scholarships
since2001.
Ph.D.candidate
StacyWelbley
isoneofthelatestto beawarded
a scholarship.
Sheisattending
the
JohnsHopkins
University's
School
of PublicHealthontheWomen's
Health
Track.Herundergraduate
workwascompleted
at Colgate,
hermaster'sat AmericanUniversity.
Herexperience
withthePoint
Foundation
hasbeenrewardingbothfinanciallyandemotionally.
Thefinancialhelpwaskey.Thoughherpreviousacademic
work
wascompleted
with the helpof meritscholarships,
Weibleysays,
"It is difficultto findfundingaroundthe issuesthat I amstudying
now.I amdoingmydissertation
oninternalized
homophobia
among
lesbiansandthis is notsomething
that is popularin publichealth;
mostof thestudentsseekandreceivegovernment
fundingand,
giventhecurrentadministration,
it is notsomething
thatI amlikely
to getfundingfor."
Butmorethanthat,the mentoringprogramhasservedherwell.
"I reallyneededa senseof familyandcommunity,
andI neededthe
nurturing[Pointprovided].I havea disconnect
with myfamilyin
sadwayssinceI cameout.Thesenseof familyI havegainedextendspast the mentorrelationship
to theentirePointFoundation."
Theprogramnotonlyoffersits scholarsmoneyandtime,but
putsthemin touchwith otherscholarsin the program----current
and
alumni-througheventsaroundthecountry.
"Wethinkit's importantthat Pointscholarsstayin contactwith
eachother.Ourfoundationis aboutscholarsandwe wantto make
surethatit stayslikethatandtheyaredefinitelyconnected,"
says
JenniferKolmel,thecommunications
andmarketingmanager
at the
PointFoundation.
Thoughthestudentswill haveto showtheyareactivein the
LGBT
community-manystartedGayStraightAlliancesat theirhigh
schoolsandhavea community
servicebackground-thedisciplinestheychoosedonotmatter.
"It hasalwaysbeenourphilosophy
to havescholarsin a wide
rangeof interestsandmajors;we'veevenhada masterof dMnities
student,"saysKolmel.
Fundingfor the PointFoundation
comesfroma varietyof
places,fromprivatedonorsto grantsbasedoncorporatepartners
thathavenamedscholarships.
Theymakea four-yearcommitment
of $25,000peryear.Thenamedscholarships
includeTimeWarner,
HBOandMTW.
Amongthe2007scholarsareAmyAndre,AngelaClements,
LIiiaEspinoza,
KimHackford-Peer,
KathrynJerman,TinaOwen,
JoelleRubyRyanandEmilyWilliams.Fora full list of recipientsand
infonnationonthe PointFoundation,
includinghowto donateor
becomea mentor,goto pointfoundation.org
- JennaV.Loceff
March 2008
I 35
TOUCHY--FEEU¥ QUEE
With FeelingBackward,Heather Love may just be "the next Judith Butler:' ByJulia Bloch
The book makes an argument on behalf of forms of queer life that have
lately been marked as out-of-date or embarrassing. I have been pretty disturbed by the talk about the post-gay moment: Not only does
it seem wrong to say that gayness is not a category that matters in
the present, but I also don't want to be post-gay. I like gay culture,
even-or perhaps especially-the shameful or depressing aspects of
it .... In FeelingBackward,I look at some dark texts from the early
20th century (The Well of Lonelinessis perhaps the prime example),
and argue that, along with stories of triumph and progress, we also
need stories of failure and mourning-that along with moving forward, we can allow ourselves to feel backward.
In 2003, you participated in the International Gay Shame
conference. How does the notion of grassroots "gay shame"
to fight the commodification of Pride relate to your scholar1y
work?
ITH THE SURNAME Love, this University of
Pennsylvania prof was easy prey for a sarcastic Wall
StreetJournaleditorial that attacked her courses on gender and sexuality for "having zilch to do with English
lit:' Luckily, her students know better: In 2006, Love garnered an award
for innovative teaching at that Ivy League school, where she's quickly
made a name for herself as a leading voice in new queer studies. When
CURVE started searching for the next Judith Butler, Love was at the top
of our list for her work on how literature can teach us about the role of
feelings and emotions in queer life.
How did the field change after Butler's Gender Trouble came
out in 1990?
One of the striking things aoout GenderTroubleis that the field of queer
studies didn't exist when it came out. The book was bridge between
feminist theory of the 1980s-with its debates over identity, sexuality and power-and queer theory as we know it now.
What's queer studies dealing with now?
I am personally interested in recent work on affect and emotion, queer
diaspora and the intersection between queer studies and disability
studies. A lot of vital issues are emerging in the relatively new field of
transgender and transsexual studies. I don't know if people have realized the full impact of this work yet, which challenges many of the
foundational concepts of queer theory. Some trans critics have taken
Gender Troubleas a jumping-off point. For instance, Jay Prosser's
book SecondSkins argues that the who e notion of gender performativity, which has been so much at the heart of queer studies, is
inappropriate for thinking about transsexual embodiment.
Your new book, Feeling Backward, is just out from Harvard
University Press. Can you explain?
36
Icurve
I really admire the Gay Shame movement. They've been very effective
in challenging the commodification and mainstreaming that have
defined the public face of the gay and lesbian movement for the past
decade or so. But scholars and activists didn't actually get along very
well at the Gay Shame conference. Some of the activists felt that
the academics were elitist and were appropriating their language and
their activism without really wanting to make social change; the academics felt like the activists failed to recognize their genuine social
commitment. I lik:ethe in-your-face tactics of the Gay Shame movement, but it's true that personally I tend to be more retiring, which
is partly why academia is a good fit for me. And, in general, I am
interested in shame as something that can impede action as much as
it can spur it on, and that is obviously a problem from the point of
view of activism.
Did you always imagine yourself in academia?
I did a lot of other jobs before deciding to go to graduate school: landscaping, farming, construction, the furniture business. I'm from
Kentucky, and not from a professional background. Academia
seemed like kind of a stretch. It was partly the rise of queer studies in
the early '90s that helped me get up my courage to try it out. While
I had always felt somewhat alienated by academic life,the possibility
of being very openly gay and making that the focus of my work made
it more comfortable. I felt that gave me implicit license to dress, talk
and act less like a "professor" and more like mysel£
Do you have a new book in the works?
I am working on the history of social stigma since around 1850 in literature, film and the social sciences.While I was working on my first
book I got interested in the "labor of representation'' that socialoutsiders perform on behalf of the population at large. My working title is
Markedfor Life,a quote I took from a Judith Buderessay.
I really like
that essay because instead of refusing the idea of stigma,or the notion
that we may in fact be "damaged goods;' she admits it, and takesthat
as a reason for political hope. That seems just right to me.
'LesbiannGeneration
A teen show takes on real issues.By LyndseyD'Arcangelo
Degrassi:TheNext Generationis the most watched domestic drama series in
Canada, and the highest rated show on Nickelodeon's The N in the United
States. Degrassi,often described as a cult classic, garners rave reviews from
critics for its uninhibited exploration of such "taboo" topics as abortion, rape,
alcoholism, domestic violence and, yes, even homosexuality among teens.
And really, what would a hit teenage television series be without a little lesbian drama?
Lauren Collins, who plays the quick-witted, somewhat superficial and
sexually flexible Paige Michalchuk, talks with CURVE about Degrassi'sapJ
peal, her first lesbian kiss and the possibility of playing gay characters in the
future.
How does it feel to be a part of a groundbreaking series addressing
issues such as homosexuality?
It's amazing. When we started filming seven years ago, we never expected the
show to be this successful. I think it's because we talk about things that
really happen in the lives of everyday teenagers. They have something to
identify with, because we are so visible. Degrassitalks about things that
other teenage shows are afraid to talk about.
How did you react when you were told Paige was going to be involved in a lesbian relationship with Alex?
I was excited because it was a role I knew I was ready to cake on. But the biggest thing for me was that I wanted the story line to make sense. I didn't
want it to seem out of character or forced.
Is Paige bisexual or gay? It seems as if she falls for the person
inside rather than the gender.
That's exactly how we decided to spin it. We wanted her relationship with
Alex to be about a love story rather than be about orientation. It was more
organic char way, since Paige had been boy crazy in the past. Paige didn't
want to label herself or put herself in a box. And that helped her to make
sense of what she was feeling.
What was it like to play a gay character?
My character has gone through so much on the show already with being
raped and flunking out of college that I was ready for anything at this
point. I wasn't scared of tackling any topic. I consider myself to be a serious actor and I want to take on more challenging roles.
Possibly. There are so many gay male characters on television but lesbians
often get overlooked. Especially lesbian teens. Ifl can be a face for lesbian
teens, that's an amazing thing. That's why I wanted the story line to be as
real as possible. I wanted it to be something lesbian teens could relate to.
Has playing the role of Paige changed or influenced your perspective around sexuality?
Well, I come from a pretty liberal family, so I've always been open~minded.
But what it did was give me the chan e to walk in the shoes of a lesbian
teen. I got to experience the kinds of challenges they face on a regular
basis and it made me more aware of the things they go through.
Was it awkward to shoot your first lesbian kissing scene?
The build-up was far worse. It was the last scene of the day, so there was all
this hype about it. But I talked it over with Deanna Casaluce, who plays
che role of Alex. She and I are such good friends chat it didn't matter. We
just wanced co make it believable. So we were like, let's knock this kiss out
of the park.
Sadly, Peige and Alex have broken up. Where does Paige go from
here?
There was so much outrage when the relationship ended, I think because
people were afraid that the lesbian story line would end. But Alex opened
up Paige's eyes to the face that love isn't about the gender; it's about the
person. I think Paige is ready for anyone to come along at this point, boy
or girl.
How has Paige evolved over the course of the series?
Paige was always this person who appeared to have it all together when she's
reallyjust a scared, confused little girl. She has really had to figure herself
out and Alex helped her find her way.
What about you? Would you be open to taking on any other gay
roles?
I'd definitely be more inclined to now. I've had the chance to experience it and
I'm totally open to the possibility. Acting is the one thing I can honestly
say that I am ecstatic doing. It's infectious and I hope to be able to do it
the rest of my life.
What if The L Word decided to cast a younger character such as Paige?
Oh my God! I would be so honored. The show is shot in Canada, so we have
something in common already.
Do you sometimes get mistaken for being gay in real life?
Paige would probably love The L Word. What movie actor do you
The lines between the characters you play and who you are in real life often
get blurred. It hasn't happened that much to me yet, though I sometimes
read things on the Internet about it.
think she'd have a crush on?
Is that because of your new lesbian following?
Considering where Paige is at right now, it would have to be someone who
reminded her of Alex, someone strong and the exact opposite of her.
Someone like Penelope Cruz or Angelina Jolie.
I
March 2008 39
Write for Your Rights
AuthorNicolaGriffith'sfightfor her residency.By Catherine Plato
Nicola Griffith is officially here "in the national interest;' according to the U.S.
State Department-or
at least that's what her green card used to say. Griffith,
who was born in Yorkshire, England, published her first novel, the sci-fi thriller
Ammonite, in 1993, and is still enjoying life in the U.S. with her partner, writer
Kelley Eskridge, thanks to its success.
Griffith first crossed the pond to attend a writers' workshop at Michigan
State University in 1988, a time when it was illegal for LGBT folks or anyone
HIV-positive to enter the country. It was at Michigan
State that she met Eskridge and fell "helplessly,hopelessly,unexpectedly, inconveniently in love:' When the
workshop ended, Griffith returned to England, kept
in touch with Eskridge, and came back to the U.S.
a year later on a tourist visa. A hopeless romantic,
Griffith soon sold her house and bade farewell to her
family and friends in England, determined to make
her relationship with her American sweetheart work.
"It was the start of a two-year nightmare;' she remembers. "I had no job, so I had to leave the country every six months and come back on a tourist visa.
Then I managed to get the six-month tourist visa
extended to one year, so [we] had a bit of a breather,
time to figure stuff out and line up enough credit cards
to start tackling the issue:• Without much money,
the couple had little hope of hiring a good immigration lawyer. For Griffith
with lesbian sex"-was granted a green card, which ironically, was pink. Her
case made new law and appeared in law journals: She was the first openly
queer-identified person to receive a national interest waiver. The Wall Street
Journal approached her for an interview. The story, which declared Griffith a
kook and criticized the government's poor judgment, landed on the ]ournar s
front page. "But;' boasts Griffith, "I can live with Kelley here for the rest of my
life, and I didn't have to lie about anything:'
Griffith went on to publish four more
novels, beginning with Slow River in 1995.
The next three-The Blue Place (1998), Stay
(2002) and her most recent work, Always
(2007)-feature •her recurring protagonist:
Aud Torvingen, a 6-foot-tall, fearless, sexy
Norwegian lesbian sleuth, who is adored by
readers and reviewers alike. Griffith says that
Aud came to her in a dream 11 years ago. In
the dream, a woman is sleeping naked on a
carpet in her new, unfurnished apartment on
an exceptionally hot night. She wakes up to
find a man pointing a gun at her. Without
hesitating or thinking, the woman rises and
instantly breaks his neck with a flashlight lying next to her. "I woke up thinking, whoa,
what kind of person could do that:"' says Griffith. ''A few weeks later, I was
to obtain a green card, she had three choices: invest major dollars in a business that could provide jobs for American citizens, marry a man or become
famous and prove herself an "alien of exceptional ability;' whose citizenship
would be considered by the State Department to be in the national interest.
"The first two were either materially impossible or morally repugnant, so I
set my will to stun, and picked door number three;' explains Griffith. "I wrote
a novel, Ammonite, that was published in eight countries, won national and
international [awards], and started being taught at universitie~ and colleges
in the U.S., U.K. and elsewhere:• Though the case for exceptional ability now
seemed fairly obvious, Griffith still had more hurdles to jump: Ammonite features lesbian characters and a planet where the male gender has been completely obliterated. Reviews that praised the novel also contained explicit references
to Griffith's own sexuality. Griffith's new immigration lawyer warned her about
revealing her orientation to the State Department; though George H. W. Bush
had recently passed legislation lifting the ban on queer and HIV-positive people
entering the country, her sexuality still had the potential to further complicate
an already difficult request. Out since age 16, Griffith refused to go back in the
closet, so she and her lawyer turned to the national interest waiver.
To secure her green card, Griffith would have to collect as many testimonials to her talent as possible, from acquaintances as well as prominent literary
and political figures. "Begging is horrible and soul-scratching, whether it's for
food, money or favors;' says Griffith. "But I did it, and everyone I asked said
yes. I got letters from professors all over the world ... from Allen Ginsburg,
from Ursula Le Guin, from the governor of Georgia. It was quite humbling.
I realized that people love to help. I've never forgotten that:' It worked, and
Griffith-a self-proclaimed "right old dyke, who wrote science fiction stuffed
in my local library and stumbled across a book about Norwegian architecture, which led me to a book of Norwegian history where I found mention
of a ninth-century queen called Aud the Deepminded. My brain sat up and
drooled. The woman in the dream was Norwegian, she was called Aud:'
In Always, Aud, still grieving the shooting death of her lover, Julia, travels with her friend Matthew Dornan from her home in Atlanta to investigate a case of real-estate fraud and also visit family in Seattle. Their vacation
is disrupted by the sabotage of a TV pilot and the introduction of Victoria
"Kiele"Kuiper-a caterer and former stuntwoman who charms both Aud and
Matthew. Interspersed with disturbing flashbacks of the self-defense class Aud
taught back in Atlanta, Always lends added dimension and depth to one of
the most alluring lesbian characters in contemporary literature. But, though
Griffith's prized protagonist is an attractive, short-haired, ass-kicking, ex-cop
dyke, Griffith doesn't like her work to be pigeonholed as explicitly lesbian.
Always has enjoyed an especially warm mainstream reception compared to her
earlier work. ''As I've climbed the publishing prestige ladder, reviewers are beginning to forget to mention (sexuality]. That pleases me;' she says."My novels
are about women who grow and change and save the world and blow shit up,
and the people they have sex with are mostly women. It makes as much sense
to talk about my novels being lesbian novels as to say The Da Vinci Code is a
straight novel:'
40
I curve
Griffith claims it is now time to begin her magnum opus. She's not giving
out many details, but fans can certainly expect it to be a bit of a departure from
her past work. ''All I'm prepared to say at this stage is that it's set in the seventh
century and it's the novel I was born to write;' she says. "It makes me tremble
with excitement:' And with a past like Griffith's, that's not an easy feat.
ome James
Alaska'sgqt one hot rocker chick.
If you've seen Shorthus-the 2006
John Cameron Mitchell film where
art, self-consciousness and homosexual hedonism converge in an un,
derground Brooklyn utopia-you've
heard the work of Jasper James.
With the now-disbanded Jetset,
genderqueer singer-songwriter James performed the film's infectious rock 'n' soul theme song,
"This House;' one track off their five-song debut EP-which, by the way,is arguably the best sex
soundtrack of the past decade. James has since recorded a new solo album, ConsciousLiving, set
up camp in Alaska and has begun acting, composing tracks and working on the sound arrangement for a new film, Amhulomancy. - Catherine Plato
I heard you got your start working in opera.
No, the first thing I did musically was gospel. My mom was a preacher and a missionary. So I got
my start singing in church, pretty much. I got into opera in my high school years. The chorus
teacher just kind of like, nagged me to join the choir, because my brother was in choir prior to
me.... That's kind of how it started, then I started to sing in cathedrals and stuff.
So you came from a musical family then?
With my mom being a minister, basically we were just kind of like the entertainment all the time.
The church started off really small. It was just basically family members. And now it's grown a
considerable amount. There was no way for us to get around it. We just ended up singing.
Do you identify as a Christian?
I think ... I am a Christian in a different sense of the word. I've gone away from the dogmatic
elements of what Christianity has become, and I pretty much have pulled it back together in
terms of what it was really about. Because Christianity came from ... pagan symbols. And be,
ing a queer individual, that was really our heritage. It was paganism and wiccanism.... Now it's
about going back and reclaiming those symbols and helping other queer individuals who have
gone through similar things that I have.
Tell me about your character in Ambulomancy.
Well, this is a very artistic, avant-garde kind of film.... Most of the movie is based in this fantasy
realm. In that realm, my character is known as "The Watcher:• I oversee the goings on of the
cast in their dream-fantasy state. My "real" character .is a musician who has decided to leave
my longtime home in Alaska to travel down to the lower 48 (states) to expand (and) pursue
my music career. What makes the movie amazing is that the entire thing is based loosely on
nonscripted ideas, and everything that you see in the film is improvised, like one long jazz jam
session.
So what is It like living In Alaska?
Alaska is amazing and magical, the most beautiful place I've ever been to. It's like its own little country that's slightly stuck in the '90s. There are no major banks here in Alaska ... I can honestly say
I love this place and the people. I feel truly honored to have been chosen to experience it.
Are the other actors and musicians Alaskans, or are they there to work on the film?
No, everyone was flown out to Alaska. There was a total of 20 girls that came, all underground,
queer female artists that were involved in some way with the now-defunct DUMBA collective.
We also included local Alaska staples-the Saw Sisters, two dykes that own their own cutting
business. They are infamous around here, and hot!
And what is your upcoming album llke compared to your release with Jetset?
It's more electronic, but still uses organic instruments. In making this album it was very important
to shed light on the balance between raw animal sensuality [or) sexuality and spirit. [I was)
looking for that way to merge the two. If you think you had good sex to the EP ...
March 2008 j 41
The queen of c
111s e
Now k.£ la::.ntg•
newfound serenity, monogam
and love of six yea
y Stephanie Schroeder
I noticek.d. lang
is just about my size, perhaps a bit more
broad--shouldered and with a very handsome, square jaw line. But all and
all, we are just two dykes with short, dark hair. We both stand 5 feet 8
inches or so. Were in jeans and sweatshirts. Her hair is perfect. Mine is
not. I have 40 minutes.
Lang is in New York City at NoneSuch (her record label) in the
Warner Brothers Music building in East Midtown. She launched her new
CD, Watershed,in the U.S. in early February, and kicked off her world
tour by headlining onboard shows for Olivia Cruises' 35th anniversary in
January. Many of the concerts on her 2008 tour are already sold out, and
the single "I Dream of Spring" has been released on Australian television.
CURVEgot lang to open up about her life, her loves and her pursuit of
happiness.
Shes very composed, pensive and ... well, zen. I would have said brood-ing, but that's the lang of the past. Today, she is bright, cheerful and "on:'
March 2008
I45
for Peace) for six years. The organization is an arts program for the
young based on the symbolism of
the Tibetan Shi-Tro mandala. It is
dedicated to teaching compassion for
others and gaining natural wisdom.
Lang and Price met at an event given by their Buddhist teacher, Lama
Gyatso, who leads Tools for Peace.
And, for the first time in her life,
lang has been monogamous. She no
longer has a girl in every port. "Jamie
wouldn't stand for that;' she says,
grinning that famous, sexy, dimpled
grin. The two seem to have settled
into a comfortable routine and lang
jokes that they secure their privacy,
even in the hills of Los Angeles, by
"keeping to the northern part, the
Valley,rather than on the Hollywood
side:'
Is she, in fact, happy? Yes, definitely. Both within herself and
with her partner of six years, Jamie Price. Both are Buddhists
who live clean lives, which means being vegetarian, working
out, practicing daily meditation and cultivating a coveted private existence in Los Angeles, where media coverage can often
be blinding. Today, lang has carved out a sacred personal life,
which she and Price have studiously and deliberately protected.
However, this wasn't always so.
Winning several Grammys shot lang into superstardom. She .
found herself in the Los Angeles limelight, living the Hollywood
lifestyle she had earned, along with fame and fortune, after putting 20 years of effort into her music. Dazzled, she partied with
Hollywood's elite.
"L.A. is intriguing," she says. "It's like dabbling in a substance. L.A. is definitely the material side of life. It's all about
impressions, and it moves really fast. It does not feed anything,
but seems much like a sugar burn. It's not sustaining or fulfilling for me:'
Her CD All You Can Eat was about the incredible celebrity
machine that is Los Angeles, and how that machine can make
or break a career-or a person. ''I've had my 15 minutes, now I
don't participate in that world. I'm more focused on my music,
Buddhism, family, motorcycles and dogs;' but not necessarily in
that order, she emphasizes.
Lang's 40s have been her own personal watershed. Now
46, she points out that she has been with Price (a nonpracticing attorney who volunteers full-time for the nonprofit Tools
46 Icurve
Lang's gearing up to tour, and she
admits she lives a very monastic life
even on the road: She doesn't like to
socialize or even be around lots of
people when she's touring. "I need
to conserve my energy. I basically start preparing for the show
when I wake up. I eat healthy, I work out and I meditate before
each show so that I can not only give the best performance, but
also get the most out of it for myself and enjoy it:'
And, for the firsttime in her life,lang has been
monogamous.She no longerhas a girlin every
port. "Jamiewouldn'tstandfor that,"she says,
grinningthat famous,sexy, dimpledgrin.
Does Price tour with her? Lang says that unless there are a
slew of museums for Price to visit, or some other spectacular
events, the two are really apart for the duration. "The re-entry to
home life is particularly hard, and then going out to tour again is
even harder. I mean, just getting back into the routine of things
you do at home that you cannot do in a hotel room is a real
effort:'
Lang says she has come to a place of peace with her past
through reflection-about
her relationship to hersel£ to the
arts, to former lovers and to the world around her. ''I've been
delving deep into my own thoughts about my choices and interactions in the world, my relationships in general, and I find
that I'm not finished there. Change is hard, but I find it is very
necessary. Writing, producing and recording Watershed at this
Cl)
w
5
a:
Cl)
(.)
<(
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:J
0
>-
6:
:::>
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point in my life is about facing my own habitual patterns and
fears, sitting down and sifting out the cliflicult stuff.''
Lang suddenly gets very serious. "It all seems ominous on
the one hand, while emancipating on the other:• She says staying in a relationship, experiencing new emotions rather than
shutting down, is also a challenge. "But it's what's right for the
relationship. It's different, not something I've practiced before.
It's good for mC:'
Watershed is also new for lang in many ways: Although she
wrote and recorded with her crew of usual suspects, she is talcing an entirely new band on the road with her. "My regular guys
are in such demand, I can't hold them back from playing for
other singers. Plus, I've gathered some really great young talent that I am excited about and confident that the tour will be
spectacular."
Lang also produced Watershed, a first for her, and wrote or
co-wrote all the songs, which are quietly beautiful, incredibly
intense and very subdued-a real departure from the belting,
big-voice vocals she's been known for during most of her career. On this CD, lang shares intimate, understated and often
extremely sexy vocal moments. Watershed was six years in the
malcing, and, with remarkable instrumentalism to back her up,
she actually did a few of the cuts on the first talce, in her kitchen.
"For example, the vocal on 'Shadow and the Frame; " she explains, "that's the first time I sang it. I tried to capture the most
real, the most honest performance to me. In a lot of cases, it was
the very first one."
After she came out publicly in 1992, lang says, for a good
He loves to talk-politics, art, culture ... and that enriches me
as a person, to have the proximity to someone like that who has
the life-wisdom he does:•
Another elder with whom lang was very close is the late
Minnie Pearl. "We're both Scorpios, she was just like me. I had
a big crush on her-she was a really smart and beautiful person
. .. and I think she had a crush on me, too;' lang says, sotto voce,
smiling again, sultry and impish, and blushing a bit. "I think
that part of our society is a tremendous void-the treatment of
our elders. We live in such a youth-oriented culture, and we are
missing so much wisdom by not cultivating relationships with
older people, and by not bridging generations through knowledge and the access that binds traditional culture with contemporary culturC:'
For example, lang says her mother is "the world to me. I love
being around her. She is a blueprint for growing older. She continues to be productive and expand her heart and mind:' We
get the two-minute warning from lang's publicist and I ask one
last question-boxers or briefs? Lang laughs a hearty laugh and
breaks form. "Boxers, of course:•
When it's time to leave, lang shalces my hand, admonishing, "Malce sure you wrap up, it's really cold out:' I tell her I'm
from the Midwest and don't think New York City ever gets too
cold. "I must have lost my Canadian then;' lang smiles casually,
"'cause I think it's really cold:'
I walk out of the giant skyscraper alone-it's blustery after
all-and disappear into the crowd on the anonymous streets of
ew York City.
10 to 15 years all the media and fan focus was on her sexuality.
" ow, the focus is shifting back to my music. I think that is fueling (interest from) the LGBT community more and more, and,
in tum, it lets me embrace the community on a more natural
level, and I'm really excited about that. I think the gay community has grown up and evolved. There's a new driver and vehicle
to explore and a wider spectrum of existence not focused only
on corning out-it's a more expansive culture that is accepting of transgendered people, bisexuals and others. Remember
when we used to hate the bisexuals?" She laughs the laugh of a
wizened elder of the queer community. "I think society is more
open about sexual orientation in general. Look at Larry Craig or
the whole Catholic Church scandal. It's not all black and white
anymore; even in the gay and lesbian community there is a spectrum. And that's very heartening:•
Shifting gears a bit, I tell lang I think Joaquin Phoenix could
play her in a biopic. She gets into that. "Really? I think he's totally awesome, really sexy. I also think Brandi Carlile could play
me," she puts forth, "or some really cute boy."
Where does she plan to end up? "I want to stay around as
long as Tony; she states. Lang is referring to Tony Bennett,
with whom she recorded the Grammy-winning duet album The
Great American Songbook. "Tony is the kind of friend everyone
dreams 0£ Or at least that I dream 0£ I revere our friendship
and my friendships with other elders. I see Tony as a mentor.
March 2008
I4 7
In central Vietnam,
a single-parent
family finds purpose.
By Teresa Coates
T
HE YOUNG children, barely able to
the children would have to be pried off his back,
der-to-shoulder
shoulders and legs.
across the cement
steps of the Tam Ky Baby Orphanage,
Audrey, my 9-year-old daughter, let her nur-
straining to see us, the new pale-skinned volunteers
turing instincts shine through and spent much of
tucked into an aging white Fiat.
Our first meeting was a clumsy mix of high
the time with a trio of orphans we nicknamed the
Three Musketeers-they
were always together.
fives, stares and run-by leg slaps. The orphans
Our daily visits promoted a wonderful friendship
were just testing us, I'd later realize, but l worried
and she became particularly dose to Kieu, a spunky
at first that committing to be a volunteer at the
little 2-year-old girl who had been abandoned with-
orphanage for two months was the worst idea I'd
in the first few days of our arrival.
ever follow:ed through on.
Quang, a delightful 5-year-old, had immediate-
Ten months earlier, l had suggested volunteer-
ly connected with Stuart, and the two developed a
ing in Vietnam to my two children, then 8 and 13.
relationship that ended all too abruptly when an
They agreed, and over the summer, the fall and into
American family came to adopt him. It was bitter-
the winter we made preparations: obtaining pass-
sweet, saying goodbye yet knowing his life would
ports, applying for visas and selling most of our
be filled with love from this family.
belongings to finance the trip.
Despite our inability to communicate, or even
Now, as l stood in the chilly, concrete play area,
pronounce their names correctly, my family devel-
surrounded by faces filled with curiosity, doubt
oped a fondness for the many children who called
and a tinge of fear, I couldn't help but wonder what
this place home. Some had been there for years.
exactly I had gotten us into. But after the first hour,
Others, like Kieu, had been there a short while.
when l heard my kids and the orphans both gig-
They all had their own personalities and their faces
are emblazoned on our memories for a lifetime.
gling, I no longer worried. This was indeed worth
everything we'd sacrificed to get here.
While my children played with the orphans, I
5='
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Every morning for the next eight weeks, we vis-
often found myself in the baby room, barren except
ited the baby orphanage, a small cement complex
of rooms, to play with the children. My son, Stuart,
for the large, wooden slat beds where the babies
0
were laid until we came to hold them. Covered with
interact with the children, was
mosquito nets that sat over them like small umbrel-
>z
an immediate rock star. At each arrival he was
las, the babies were eager to be cuddled, kissed and
as the only male
48 I curve
swarmed by his admiring fans, and two hours later
conceal their anticipation, stood shoul-
to
a:
CD
0
I
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GIRLS IN EVERY PORT
A new site that will help you find the ladies.
By Colleen McCaffrey
sung to; I was more than happy to oblige.
The orphanage (like the country as a whole)
was very poor. The food it provided for the children
was limited to rice gruel three times a day-a diet
lacking in many of the vitamins and minerals that
young children need. To combat the problem in
some small way, we brought fruit every day, and
learned the Vietnamese word for each kind, yell,
ing out a mangled "dua" or "le"as we brought in the
bags.
Several children faced serious malnutrition
issues prior to their arrival and simply couldn't
put on much weight despite all that the orphan,
age "mothers" could do. We brought along sua chua
(yogurt) for the extra calories they so desperately
needed.
Our two months as volunteers were filled with
activity: playing near,constant games of chase (my
son was the official rough,houser of the group),
consoling the criers, playing house with a few bat,
tered toys and bottle,feeding the babies. I watched
from the side many mornings, pleased to see my
children sharing themselves with others as they
quickly made friends, regardless of the cultural dif,
ferences. Communication was limited to gestures,
but somehow the kids managed-even flourished.
This, the connection between cultures, between
countries, was what I had hoped for all those
months ago, sitting in a cafe on a March morn,
ing in Portland, Ore., when I marked on my
volunteer application: Vietnamese orphanage, two
T
ANYA CHURCHMAN, a lifelong traveler, was fed up with the scarcity of
travel sites catering exclusively to lesbian and bisexual women, so in September
2007 she launched Girlports (girlports.com). Maybe the best thing to happen
to travel since the portable MP3 player, the website is designed to help women
find the lesbian and bisexual community in many other parts of the world. "It is important
to support lesbian, and gay,owned businesses;' says the 38,year,old journalist and sole
writer for the site. The still,evolving site covers events, organizations, restaurants, nightlife
and lodging, and Churchman hopes it can serve as a worldwide online community for busi,
nesses both owned and operated by lesbians, or those boasting a primarily lesbian clientele.
Girlports, which caters primarily to women in the 30, to 50,year,old range, features 19
destinations on five continents and will soon include Key West and Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
Designed by the crew at Plank in Montreal, Canada, the site also features a unique
mapping tool called Passports, which allows the adventurous vagabond to highlight places
of interest and then print out an individualized map with her preferred destinations, like
Pride in South Africa or Girlfest in
Australia (a Dinah Shore,like event
Down Under).
Churchman also loves finding
part of the community in a new place,
which can be beneficial to travelers
as well as to locals who live in areas
that lack a central lesbian guidebook.
"Some cities have a community be,
cause of the efforts of two or three
women organizing, and collaborating
and making a huge effort [to build
one]," says Churchman.
One of the most fascinating fea,
tures on the site is an audio transla,
tion section, which Churchman says
"provides lesbian,centric phrases"
such as how to ask a girl if you can
buy her a drink in French, because
"the idea is just to have fun, at the end
of the day:' And if an afternoon flirting
with Parisian gals at a local watering
hole is not your idea of fun, you can
always tell a German curie how much
you like her accent in her mother tongue.
Churchman has big plans for Girlports. She wants the site to transcend her creation
and become an interactive tool for women, an online resource and community that encour,
ages feedback on events and establishments. Already in the works are a monthly newsletter
and a homepage ticker scrolling the newest updates and events.
"'There are places with interesting and vibrant lesbian communities [e.g., Seoul, South
Korea] that if you're not looking for it you wouldn't know. They're more underground but
so vibrant; it's a different little world filled with community spirit;' she says about her mo,
tivation for starting the site. Covering worldwide places of interest is quite an undertaking,
and while Churchman notes that processing the amount of information currently available
is daunting (even when she gets help from new media strategist Rebecca Coggan from
Exalt Creativity), Girlports makes an effort to provide information for women in all walks
of life-young, old, transgender, bi, lesbian-and of every
March 2008
I49
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE
By Barbara Maxfield
MAGINE: NO CAREER, no house, no debt, no timelines, just the
open road and adventure waiting around every comer. That's the life
my partner and I have created for ourselves. We are living our dream of
traveling the world; not in high style, or even in RV style, and not using
two or three weeks of paid time off. We are two women who abandoned the
normal structure of society and almost all its obligations and set out on a quest
to live simple yet worldly lives. We left our careers, sold our homes and most of
our belongings, and put the rest into storage. We thought our adventure could
last only as long as the funds we had put aside, so we planned well, survived on
very little and thought creatively.We drove off with a little apprehension, a lot
of enthusiasm and only a general idea of where we'd end up.
To make this lifestyle possible, we arranged for all of our financial matters
to be accessible via the Internet. Our yearly checkups were out of the way before our new, high-deductible medical insurance policies went into effect. We
stocked up on vitamins and bought natural remedies for everything from the
common cold to food poisoning. A new joint email address allowed us to send
updates and photos, and we printed it on business cards to hand out to new
friends. We joined Hostelling International (hiusa.org), renewed our AAA
membership (aaa.com), bought a National Parks Pass (store.usgs.gov/pass)
and joined US SERVAS (usservas.org), a travel and host organization with a
mission to promote peace.
"Minimize" became the name of the game: our small SUV was packed
with camping gear, a cooler that operates on energy from a utility outlet, basic
clothing and personal care items, and lots of maps and books. We prepared for
over a year, but we were still arranging our possessions in the car until right
before we hit the road.
It might seem unbelievable, but we transitioned very smoothly into our
new life. We missed friends and family but didn't give unemployment
or homelessness a second thought. Our car became our new home, and
the myriad decisions that we faced every day became our new full-time jobs.
Over a period of 18 months, we traveled 60,000 miles through 48 states and
eight Canadian provinces. We visited dozens of national parks, mastered the
streets and subways of many large U.S. cities, backpacked through Europe for
seven weeks, hopped aboard an Alaskan cruise and volunteered with the postKatrina animal rescue efforts in Mississippi. After our first year and a ha1£ we
felt as if we'd had a lifetime of adventure, even though we'd seen only a small
portion of our world.
Staying in host homes along the way enriched our travel. Not only were
we able to meet new friends, but we enjoyed warm showers, soft beds and
delicious meals without spending a dime. Hostelling afforded another cheap
and fun way to make connections and meet people from overseas. At a hostel
near Yosemite, we shared our spaghetti dinner and laptop with a woman from
France who later hosted us in Europe. She generously spent four days driving
us to Roman ruins, medieval castles and wineries all over Provence. It turns
out that travelers create their own networks, look out for one another, stay in
touch and extend invitations to visit.
People marveled that we each averaged just $1,000 per month in expenses,
but actually, we could have done it for less by staying at more SERVAS host
homes. Over the past three years, we have stopped to work for periods of time
when funds became low. It seems entirely possible to continue our journey in
this manner as long as we have the desire to see more of the incredible world
we live in.
This unique way of living is about more than just finding inexpensive
ways to travel and meet people. It reflects our guiding principle: We open
ourselves to the richness of the world while connecting with others as fellow
travelers and lifelong learners. Our way of living challenges society's rules and
expectations about job security, retirement planning and home ownership. It
lets go of the fear that keeps people stuck in jobs they don't enjoy. It requires
trUSting in yourself and knowing that living a life you love will ultimately take
you where you need to be. Opportunities that you would never have imagined
will be available because of the space you've made for them to appear.
We have found that our openness to whatever comes our way always
makes for a good lesson and a wonderful story to tell as we're sitting around
a campfire or a communal dinner table. We look forward to the next steps
in our journey, and encourage others to expand and enrich their lives
so I curve
through travel.
EA IS THE NEW WINE. It's almost as complex, and after visiting a
few of London's top tearooms you will start to detect nuances. If you're
one of those women who as a little girl hosted imaginary tea parties, this
is a dream vacation.
The Lanesborough Hotel, just across from Hyde Park, is everyone's fantasy spot for a refined afternoon tea. Diners in the newly refurbished, light-filled
conservatory sit on posh sofas and chairs, and live piano music sets just the
right tone. Fresh strawberries and cream arrive along with flutes of Taittinger
Champagne. They are followed by a small pot of panna cotta topped with
blood orange puree. This is the top-of-the-line Belgravia Tea, named for the
area of London.
The preparation of the tea itself is overseen by tea sommelier Karl Kessab,
who says,"I've taken tea here to a higher level."He is passionate about his craft
and uses a modem silver samovar to heat water to precise temperatures for
specific teas, all of which are served in graceful silver teapots. Kessab says that
because "people are more savvy about tea now, like wine," he personally visits
tea estates in Sri Lanka to select only extraordinary leaves.
Guests can try several teas and even start with one and finish with another-not a bad idea if you're trying to minimize caffeine. The signature
Lanesborough Afternoon Blend created just for this tearoom consists of
Darjeeling, China Keemum and whole rosebuds. A Forest Berries Infusion
(herbal tea) produces a gorgeous muted brew. Several rarer teas can be sipped
for a small additional charge, including a mellow hand-picked Hajua Estate
White Assam that is known for being especially rich in antioxidants.
Katie Fluester, who oversees the tea service here and whose high energy is
probably enhanced by caffeine, enthuses, "We are trying to make the Orangery
a center of excellence for tea. We are precise about the temperature of the water and brew tea at the optimum brewing time." About the T regothnan Single
Estate tea, available with tea service for an additional $79 per person, she adds,
"We're the only restaurant in the world that serves the pure, unblended version
of this rare domestic black tea, grown right here in Cornwall, England."
At these prices, perhaps we're heading back to the days when tea was so
By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
Three-tiered trays hold sandwich squares, triangles and circles filled with
egg, tuna and salmon, as well as curried chicken on wheatberry, and cucumber and cream cheese on white. Walnut bread, lemon-poppyseed sponge cake
and heavenly buttered cinnamon teacakes are paired with house-made strawberry jam and dotted cream. The scones come with butter and lemon curd,
and sweet endings include tiny pistachio cakes topped with a circle of fresh
raspberries and petite Black Forest cake circles. Oh my.
And all the while, servers flutter around pouring more tea and making sure
all is well. (Afternoon Tea, $61, Belgravia Tea $77.)
Another day, another tea. A visit to the Orangery in Kensington Gardens
at Kensington Palace (where Princess Diana lived from 1981 to 1997) ties in
well with a walk through the park and a visit to its free Serpentine Gallery.
CHECK IT OUT BEFORE YOU GO
Afternoon tea in London is usually is served between
3 p.m. and 5 p.m. For more info, visit:
> The Lanesborough, starwoodhotels.com
> The Orangery, hrp.org.uk/KensingtonPalace
> The Four Seasons Hotel, fourseasons.com/london
> London's official site, visitlondon.com
> The LGBT guide to Britain, visitbritain.com/rainbow
dear that it was kept in a locked chest, and the lady of the house wore the key
around her neck. After brewing the tea in those days, the servants would be
given the leftover leaves as a bonus.
A mega-cake table laden with an array of sweets greets diners at the entry,
providing food for thought about delights to come. The Orangery Tea includes
traditional sandwiches and scones, and among the sweets are its famous orange pound cake and Victoria sponge cake with thick cream. (Orangery Tea
$24, Single Estate English Afternoon Tea $89.)
Our last and most exceptional tea was at the Four Seasons Hotel London.
The Four Seasons has been serving its seasonal Champagne Afternoon Tea
for 35 years now. It begins with a glassof Louis Roederer Champagne and a
choice of more than 60 teas and fruit infusions (the whole rosebuds might be
the most lovely). The hotel's own Anniversary Blend combines four ingredients-lemon, orange, cornflower and bergamot-each representing a season
of the year. Delightful, hand-tied, flowering green tea is also an option.
To excite your palate, a three-tiered tray holds the traditional British items
but with an Asian twist, and the menu changes with the seasons. Sandwiches
might be Thai chicken salad on a round coconut brioche or lemongrassbraised beef on granary bread. Freshly baked scones come with pear-ginger
jam and the de rigeur Devonshire dotted cream, while sweets are presented on
a separate elegant tray. Selecting only two from an eye-popping assortment of
five-perhaps a sour cherry chocolate and pistachio roulade or an orange and
strawberry mousse tarclet-is difficult ($50-$75).
After any of these teas, you'll be good for the evening. Plan your time well,
and you'll be able to dash out afterward for clubbing or a blockbuster play.
March 2008
I 51
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE
OLF WAS ONCE just for the good ol' boys. But the
game has changed, and lesbian players are now at the
front of the field.
In addition to St. Andrews in Scotland (where some say the
game was originally played) and the can't-miss classics in Ireland
and Northern Ireland, there are plenty of queer-friendly resorts
where you can get your global game on.
Here is a snapshot of top golf resorts that are as serious about
spas and gastronomy as they are about the great game itsel£
Three domestic beauties are dose to hearth and home-in
the California wine country, on the rugged coast of Oregon and
in Wisconsin. And, for you global golf warriors, fear not. Plenty
of far-flung locations offer a great cultural backdrop to complement stunning scenery,posh pampering and of course a golf experience that will not soon be forgotten.
So pack your bags and get in the game. The tee awaits you.
52
Icurve
FORGET YOUR PASSPORT
These three U.S. destinations will have you dicking your golf
shoes and saying, "There's no place like home, there's no place
like home:•
Golfers, like the U.S. settlers, hit the East first, then went
west. But skip over the well-known courses in southern Florida
and the California desert. Some of the finest and most LGBTfriendly golf resorts are in Wisconsin, Oregon and the foothills
of California.
These blazing hot American resorts rival anything Europe
has to offer.
Blackwolf Run and Whistling Straits
Kohler, Wisconsin
This Midwestern gem (destinationkohler.com) is ranked among
the top golf resorts in the U.S. None other than the legendary
Pete Dye designed its four championship golf courses.
Blackwolf Run opened in 1988 with two courses, Meadow
Valleys and The River, which are among the most challenging
courses in North America. Blackwolf,which was formed from
glacial runoff, has hosted the U.S. Women's Open and the
World Championship of Got£
The raw and rugged Whistling Straits is designed like a true
Irish links course, sculpted into a coastline. But in this case it's
the Wisconsin coast, overlooking Lake Michigan. "If you dose
your eyes, you could swear you were in Ireland," says Irish golfer
Anna Donohue.
Whistling Straits, host to the PGA Championship and the
Palmer Cup, is the newer of the two, but is more classic in its
appeal. It greeted golfers in '98 with two courses, the traditional
links, walking-only course, The Straits and the inland course,
Irish.
"From a golf perspective, you can have four distinctively
i
Europe, but quite rare in the U.S. Ir's consistent with Ireland's
Ballybunion or Scotland's St. Andrews.
"The ball hits hard and fast or bumps and runs;• says Gothe.
"It forces y~u to be more creative. You get more out of the game:'
Great golfers love a great challenge. The players that pull in to
this secluded, ouc-ofthe-way oasis, a short
Hight from queer hotspot Portland, are serious about their game.
Gothe says, "They like
challenging yet fun golf
courses." Most guests,
typically very athletic,
stay at Bandon three
or four nights and play
four to six rounds of
golf, a quick 18 when
they arrive and 36 holes
each day. This walkingonly facility embraces the more personal caddy culture, so leave
your fossil fuels behind.
Postgame, you can pop in to The Gallery Restaurant for
fine Pacific orthwest cuisine paired with world-class and local Oregon wines. For a more Celtic kick, hit McKee's Pub for
rnicrobrews, single malts and pub grub.
There's no spa here. The peace you feel is solely from stepping onto this stunning course. Ir doesn't matter if you win or
lose. Youjust have to play.
§
Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains,
CordeValle (cordevalle.com), a Rosewood resort, is a mere 30
different golf experiences, different architecturally, in ambience
and in setting," says Dirk Williams, manager of golf operations.
"Typically, people come for an average of two and a half days
and in chat period play all four courses:•
With luxury-plumbing manufacturer Kohler at the helm,
there is a high standard of excellence in every detail of chis resort,
from restrooms on the course, to
the Kohler Waters Spa (ranked
the No. 1 resort spa by the tony
folks at Conde ast Traveler),to
the many restaurants on site and
at the American Club. To unwind from golf, you can opt for
yoga, golf or one of 400 vintages
at the Winery Bar, paired with
award-winning cheeses exclusive
co Wisconsin. Perfect for a gay
gourmet.
Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Bandon, Oregon
Listening to Jonathon Gothe, Bandon Dunes' (bandondunesgol£com) director of golf, you feel you are not only in the
presence of a great golfer, but a great artist. "We are a part of
a renaissance of a naturalistic golf culture," he says. The resort
VJ
boasts three courses: Bandon Dunes, designed by Scottish ar=>
0
chitect David McClay; Pacific Dunes, designed by Tom Doak;
z
g and the newest of the three, Bandon Trails, co-designed by Bill
z
Coore and Ben Crenshaw. All are highly ranked. Golf is defini9
tively first and foremost here.
0
ID
At Bandon, built on the wild and rugged Oregon coast,
0
the weather and the elements change with each hole, shoe and
hazard. This is in line with true links tradition, common in
DIDYOUKNOW?
Linkscoursesare
usuallysituated
nextto or neara
largebodyof water,
typicallyhavefew,
if any,treesandare
defended
bythe
wind,diabolical
bunkersandthedeep
fescue,heatherand
gorsegrasses
found
in therough.
Parkland
coursesare
situatedinlandand
aretree-lined,like
mostcoursesin the
UnitedStates.
CordeValle, San Martin, California
March 2008
I 53
TRAVEL WITH A PURPOSE
minutes from Silicon Valley. Yet when you enter its secluded
property, 1,700 acres of unspoiled land complete with a private
winery, you feel worlds away. The Old World charm is perfectly
paired with modern amenities and impeccable service.
The resort pro, Travis Skeesick, says, "It's all about the golf:'
Corde Valle is modern in design, well,bunkered, with four sets
of tees celebrating and supporting all levels of golf. It is ranked
the No. 2 golf resort in California and No. 11 in North America
by the golf authority, GolfDigest.
OVER THE HILLS AND FAR, FAR AWAY
It's hard to talk about golf without mentioning Ireland, but re,
sorts in Spain and South Africa also offer two luxury gems that
are sure to give the Emerald Isle a run for its money.
The K Club, County Kildare, Ireland
54
I curve
The K Club (kclub.com), a 6ve,star hotel in the countryside (not
the coast) of County Kildare, is a quick 40,minute drive from
Dublin. The two courses, the Palmer Course and the Smurfit
Course, both designed by American icon Arnold Palmer, are
considered two of Ireland's finest championship golf courses
and hosted the 2006 Ryder Cup.
The opulent, restored hotel, The Scraffan House, dates back
to 550 A.D., with a rebuild in 1831, and is inspired by a chateau
in France that'll bring out the femme in any dyke. If sport is
your thing, fly,fuhing, skeet shooting and horseback riding can
complement your game. Or perhaps you'll want a dip apres gal£
as the tubs are made for love, or a bit of a swim. (They're that
grand.)
For culinary kicks, there are two excellent options on site.
You can hit Legends at the Arnold Palmer Clubhouse, with its
views of the Ryder Cup Course. It's sure to sate any golfer's ap,
petite. For fine dining, there's the Byerly Turk, one of Ireland's
finest restaurants. Today's Irish cuisine rivals any in Europe, and
is similar to Kiwi cuisine, with the freshest of ingredients.
Abama Hotel Resort, Tenerife, Spain
This five,star, recently acquired Ritz,Carlton resort is a quick
two,hour flight from mainland Spain and four from other key
European cities. One of the top 10 resorts in the world, Abama
(abamahotelresort.com), on the west coast of Tenerife Island,
sits atop a cliff overlooking the Atlantic. It's a favorite among the
European jet set.
According to Abama's golf director, British,qualified golfer
Mark Dursey, "Everyone who comes out here returns:' There's
one 18,hole course, but Dursey says, "There are two different
nines. The first nine you're going uphill towards the mountain.
The back nine you are coming back down:' The weather allows
Pezula is an oasis for the athletic dyke. You can play 18
holes of championship golf, pick up a game of tennis,
swim, go horseback riding or stroll along the beach,
followed by a bit of pampering in Pezula's Spa ...
golf 365 days of the year, and each game, each hole, offers a view
of the sea.
This challenging course is for serious players only. Women
muse have a handicap of 36 or lower co play; paperwork and
proof of handicap are required. That aside, it's all about a good
time.
The Wellness Spa center is good for body, mind and spirit
with a variety of options: the African sauna, the snow cabin and
a world of showers.
There are 10 luxury restaurants, all supervised by three-scar
Michelin chef Martin Berasategui. For lighter fare,
hit the Wine Bar whose international wine list
includes Spanish wines of course, and excellent
tasting menus.
Pezula Resort Hotel and Spa,
Pezula, South Africa
Pezula is an African word chat means "high up
with the gods:' This heavenly gem, with panoramic
views of the Indian Ocean and the Knysna Lagoon,
borders the rugged cliffs of the Southern Cape
coast.
The internationally acclaimed golf course,
designed by Ronald Fream and David Dale of
GolfPlan USA, offers a challenging game, requiring a full range of shoes. Unlike Bandon Dunes'
caddy culture, Pezula, which opened in 2005, is a
golf-care-only facility.
Pezula is an oasis for the athletic dyke. You can
play 18 holes of championship golf, pick up a game
of tennis, swim, go horseback riding or stroll along the beach,
followed by a bit of pampering in Pezula's Spa, recognized as
one of the best in South Africa.
There's pleasure for every diner's palace. Zachary's restaurant can provide picnics. The Boma on Pezula's Private Estate is
ideal for a private romantic function under the African sky. Try
a midday snack at Pezula's Castle on the beach. Whatever you
choose, you are sure to feellike an African queen.
So get golfing girls. I'll see you on the 19th
TAG YOUR BAG
Everyone's bag but yours is going around and around
on the conveyor belt. Your ride is here and you can't
distinguish your black suitcase from everyone else's
ebony tote. You would love to be unique, but a bright
green Hawaiian print suitcase isn't your style. Identify
your bag fast with a personalized tag from YourBagTag.
com. For $12, owner and operator Rebecca Wilson will
embroider it herself for you in your favorite color combination with a polka dot or striped ribbon, and your
business card can be inserted inside. I am so excited
to have my pretty and unique bag tag that I can't wait
to pick up my suitcase in the baggage claim next holiday. No more staring at the luggage carousel in vain.
-Mea Chavez
March 2008
I 55
OU'VE MET THE woman of your dreams. You want to
get away to an idyllic spot, but you've already done Cancun
and Caho. How about Barbados? It's a lover's hideaway, and the
wildlife here is the kind you don't want to go extinct.
We were in Barbados about a month ago. I had been there
several years before, and I must say that the island has changed
since then. For the uninitiated, Barbados, which is part of
the West Indies, is situated in the Southeastern part of the
Caribbean, about 200 miles above South America. Though
Barbados gained its full independence from Britain 40 years
ago, the British influence remains. The island is a bit reserved
by nature, so it's not uncommon to see people dressed up for diri,
ner, with their good manners on display.For you femmes, here's a
chance to don your lipstick and sundresses and be right at home.
Barbados has one of the highest standards of living and
literacy rates in the Caribbean. A popular wedding destination,
Barbados' cup floweth over with sugar cane and rum and unlike
Caho, you're more likely to see a rousing game of cricket than
you are beach volleyball. Bikini bod not required here.
We came for the crystal dear aquamarine waters where we
could see at least 40 feet below the surface. I was most excited to
embark on our catamaran cruise, where I could immerse myself
in wet turquoise and frolic with the undersea community.
If you've never snorkeled, the idea of smacking goggles _on
your face and sticking your head underwater to breathe through
a rubber hose might seem pretty daunting. I met a woman who
was petrified to snorkel. I could see her hyperventilating as our
guide instructed us to put on our life jackets and adjust our
masks accordingly. But I had once been a camp counselor, so
I helped her adjust her equipment, even though I couldn't do
much to assuage her fear that some angelfish might bite off her
big toe and send her to a local hospital.
I grabbed her arm and tried to assure her that once she took
the plunge, she wouldn't regret it. She nodded, but I noticed that
her pupils were still the size of saucers.
Slowly,the ladder was lowered into the water. I couldn't wait
for the other 40 people to lumber down, so I made sure I was one
of the first to abandon ship. Soon, I was with the unruly under,
sea inhabitants, swimming with all the pals Ia seen in Bora Bora,
Mexico, Hawaii, and other parts of the Caribbean.
If you've already snorkeled, you've probably seen coral, with
its jagged rainbow planes of color. You've probably flirted with
a zillion fish that become your best friends when you bring out
the frozen peas.
And in Barbados there are sea turtles.
The grace of sea turtles is very different from that of other
undersea life. Unlike the hyperactive fish, sea turtles are under,
water poetry, their cadence a slow iambic pentameter.
As sea turtles cascade toward you, their flippers row like huge
paddles. They glide through the water looking for scraps of food,
not in a frenetic fashion, but with patience and wisdom, as if they
know they'll get what they need if they simply bide their time.
At one point, three huge sea turtles were in my field of vision,
along with some sharklike things prowling on the ocean floor.
I found out later they were tarpon, the submarines of the sea.
They swim in straight lines until they chance upon some fish
food, at which point they dartlike missiles after their target.
Our guides fed our flippered friends, and soon we were back
on the catamaran to discover another spot.
The excursion took us over part of an old shipwreck, where
we watched a variety of undersea life bob at the barnacles and
other minute items of interest.
The catamaran then found a deserted stretch of beach where
we could swim, and soon I was in the water again, bobbing about
like a buoy, the surf playing tag with me as the sun kissed my
back. Did this excursion ever have to end? Unfortunately yes, but
thankfully, Barbados is filled with other natural wonders.
Back on land, Horizon Coaches and Tours will gladly take
you around the island, so you can get up dose and personal with
some of the wildlife that resides there. You Jane Goodall types
will be happy to know that the heralded green monkey makes its
home on the island.
This creature propagates freely on Barbados. In fact, one of
the most prestigious golf courses there, at the Sandy Lane Hotel,
is named after this gregarious animal. I spotted one from the van
and I stupidly tried to get it to come closer by making one of my
famous monkey calls.I must have been speaking chimpanzee,
because it quickly ducked into a ditch.
Driving up the road, we then spotted what we thought were
goats. According to our guide, Emerson, these were blackbelly
sheep. No wool on these guys, so no sweaters. And I didn't see
them munching on any tin cans.
Mongooses that looked a bit like ground squirrels also popu,
late the island, dashing across the road like kids late for school.
One of the more miraculous sounds on the island is the
symphony of whispering frogs. A bit flutelike, these creatures
begin their serenade in the hush of dusk, singing to one another
with pure abandon. Couple thiswith the percussion of toads and
crickets and you can see why it's so easy to spend so much time
outdoors.
For me, of course, the chance to engage with the wildlifeespecially the underwater kind-made visiting Barbados and
experiencing the wonders of the Caribbean worth any jet lag I
may have had coming
WHERE
TOSTAY
TheCraneBeach
Resortis idealfor
loverswhowant
privacy,
a plethoraof
swimming
poolsand
a dynamite
restaurant,
aptlynamedZenfor its
fusionofAsiandelights.
(thecrane.com)
TheSandyLaneHotel
is anothergoodchoice.
Therichandfamous
oftenstayhere,andits
locationonthebeach
makesthisa great
placeto indulgein
manyoutdooractivities.Theplaceis also
kid-friendly
andgreat
for familyvacations.
(sandylane.com)
WHERE
TODINE
CheckoutPisces,
withits waterfront
viewsandsucculent,
sweetlobster.
(piscesbarbados.com)
Cheletteis the
McDonald's
of
Barbados,
butin a good
way.Youwon'tgobroke
at thispopularchain.
(chefette.com)
FLIGHT
TIME
Righttimesfromthe
U.S.vary.FromMiami,
thetrip is onlythree
anda halfhours;from
NewYork,~r. and
fromLosAngeles,
nine.
Thelocaltourismboard
cantell youall you
needto knowabout
transporation
andmore.
(visitbarbados.org)
SEA TURTLE SWIM
Story and Photos by Mary McGrath
March 2008
I57
By Carole Terwilliger Meyers
HO KNEW that
children's book
Potter, the woman beloved
by legions of lesbians for her
book The Taleof PeterRabbit,
was also an acclaimed mycologist who painted nuanced
watercolors of fungi?
Who knew that she was also a passionate conservationistspending her book royalties to buy up Lake District farms and
save them from developers?
Or that she had a dog named Spot and pet bunnies named
Peter Piper and Benjamin H. Bouncer?
Well, we did get an inkling of Beatrix Potter's personality in
Miss Potter,the movie starring Renee Zellweger. Ir's certainly inspirational, and it was wonderful to see some of her darling characters dancing around on her "picture letters" and manuscripts.
But it is so much better to actually visit her stomping grounds
and learn intriguing bits and pieces about her as you go along.
In the beautiful country that is England's Lake District, it
does seem as if the environment-the twittering birds, the lush
vegetation, the Lakeland scenery-was just begging someone to
is also home to the country's largest lake and steepest road-not
to mention William Wordsworth's charming Dove Cottage and
the diminutive Grasmere Gingerbread Shop-it makes sense to
allow yourself enough time to visit many of these sights. Three
nights is ideal.
Though I spent only two nights-one in Hawkshead and
another in Ambleside-1 knew I was hot on Potter's trail when
I relaxed over a cup of tea in the posh drawing room at staid
Storrs Hall and saw naughty Peter Rabbit cottontails hopping
carelessly over the expansive, very, very green and plush lakeside
lawn. Wouldn't you know that long ago Potter herself visited
here, too?
Potter first came to the Lake District from London, on holiday with her parents in 1882, when she was 16. They stayed with
friends at Wray Castle, a mock fortress built earlier in the 1800s.
Today, you can walk through the grounds and arboretum.
Indeed, hikers wielding walking sticks can be seen throughout the area. The easy, paved path around lovely forested Tarn
Hows Lake-its name means "the tear lake in the hills"-is a
popular one and takes only about an hour. Potter bequeathed
this land to the National Trust.
Many people continue on from Tarn Hows to Yew Tree
Farm via a short walk down a scenic lane. "The walk slows you
come along and write the famous children's tales.
Since the region contains 16 lakes, as well as England's five
highest mountains and thousands of miles of walking trails, and
down, and when you get here you appreciate that our food is
home-cooked;' says the current owner, Caroline Watson.
Yew Tree Farm was purchased by Potter in 1930 to save
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THERE ARE many thingsyou wish you had
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for navigatingthe anti-gridstreets of
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when you have a narratedtour of some
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which you can listento at your own pace.
There are two ways to utilizeTourgi:online and via cell phone or PDA device. The
saI curve
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knowingyour server'sdata plan reduces
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Still kickingaroundwith that old-school
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providedby OmniNav,TourgiYourTour
Guide offersyou the opportunityto help
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it from developers. Like J.K. Rowling, the author of the other
Potter stories, Beatrix became wealthy from her book royalties.
She welcomed anyone to stay at the farm during hard times, and
in 1933 she helped set up a small tearoom in the front parlor
and dining room of the house to supplement her tenant farmers'
incomes. Eventually,Potter herself became involved in farming.
The farm's tearoom is now restored and decorated with
Potter's original furnishings, paintings and collectibles. Lunch
and tea are also served out in the front yard at picnic tables
positioned within the property's dry stone walls. On the menu
is what just might be the biggest, best scone ever-served up
with heavenly clotted cream and scrumptious, homemade wild
Damson plum jam. Herdwick sheep and black-and-white Belted
Galloway cows (also called "Oreo cows") graze on the property,
which was a key location in the Miss Potterfilm.
Three tranquil B&B rooms are available upstairs. They have
tremendous character, with a high bed here and an oversized,
contemporary round bathtub there; dramatic "rectory red" walls
in one and a low, mind-your-head ceiling in another. Slate on
the bathroom floors comes from the hills behind the farm, and
amenities are made locally.
Throughout this area of narrow lanes lined with dry stonewalls and hedgerows, are Potter's beloved Herdwick sheep.
These darling animals are born jet black in February or March.
In their first year their bodies turn chocolate brown and their
faces become white, making them look like little cows.
In the tiny village of Hawkshead, the Beatrix Potter Gallery
is housed within a 17th-century building that once held the legal offices of her husband, William Heelis, whom she married
when she was 47. This old cottage has a low door-mind your
hea~ again-and ancient bowed bookshelves. That Potter was
first and foremost an artist-writing was secondary-becomes
more apparent as you study her original sketches and watercolor
providing registered users the opportunity to post
their own compatible audio bits. For $22 you can
have access to all narratives and maps for a year.
No longer do you have to fret about the lack of
~throom breaks on your tours. Since Tourgi is
on your time, you can stop and go whenever you
please, take a break for lunch and pick up on a
new tour halfway across town. Most clips give the
exact address of landmarks but neglect to give all
the cross streets, which are usually more helpful
when navigating a strange city. Yet they do give
extra, tourist-friendly info, like a phone number for
where you can get an hour-long backstage tour of
the Apollo Theater. Get off those double-decker
buses, lose the guides and get Tourgi.
(tourgi.com) - Colleen McCaffrey
illustrations here.
Hawkshead itself is a delight. Filled with half-timbered
buildings and narrow cobblestone streets, it is the English village
of your dreams. And perhaps everyone else's, too, as it can be
quite congested during the day.
But if you spend the night here in The Queen's Head Hotel,
as I did, you'll see another side. This welcoming 16th-century
inn is at the center of the village and comes complete with fireplaces to warm yourself and ancient oak beams. It was around
when William Wordsworth attended the local grammar school
and when Potter lived on her farm just up the road. It has a bit of
a FawltyTowersthing going on, with stairs going up, then down,
and with mazelike halls. Hearty pub fare is made from fresh
local produce, with no genetically modified ingredients, and ales
come from the local Hawkshead brewery.
Potter wrote most of her books at Hill Top Farm, in the
tiny, creaky-floored, 17th-century cottage she purchased with
the royalties from her first "little book;' The Taleof PeterRabbit.
She lived here from 1905 until 1913 before moving to Lakeland.
PeterRabbit,based on her pet bunny Peter Piper and the first
in her series of 23 tales, was rejected by at least six publishers
before Potter self-published it. It has now sold more than 40
million copies in more than 35 languages and has never been
out of print.
The original furnishings, library and gardens are maintained
exactly as she left them. It is delightful to see the house as it is
depicted in The Taleof SamuelWhiskers,and the cottage garden
in The TaleofJemima Puddle-Duckand The Taleof Tom Kitten.
Many of Potter's collectibles are displayed, including six spinning wheels and a lovely selection of porcelain, and, of course,
there is a flower garden and vegetable patch.
Visitors can get a snack or spend the night next door at the
Tower Bank Arms pub. Depicted in one of the sketches in The
TaleofJemimaPuddle-Duck,this 17th-century inn offers an extensive selection of traditional local ales. Upstairs, the rooms are
simple, compact and cozy, with a lovely rural view and a bathroom en suite.
Ambleside's Armitt Collection presents Potter's more
serious side. In addition to some of her early drawings, it displays
a large collection of her more than 500 watercolors and drawings
of fungi. Potter studied mycology at London's Kew Gardens and
painted true-to-life specimens-the false death caps and scarlet
elf caps are particularly lovely-but she ran into the glass ceiling
of her day in a male-dominated field. Though she discovered the
process by which some fungi reproduce, her research was not
acknowledged until the 1990s.
Photos of Potter in her later years remind me of the actor
Joan Hickson portraying Miss Marple. She looks v~ry dear in
her floppy hat and matronly suit.
Potter died in 1943 at age 77, and her ashes were scattered
near Hill Top Farm. But her story, and her storybooks, live on.
Who knew it would be so much fun, and so interesting, to
follow in her footsteps?
ONLINE
INFORMATION
• TheLakeDistrict
golakes.co.uk
• LakeDistrict
Outdoors
lakedistrictoutdoors.
CO.Uk
• VisitBritain
visitgaybritain.com
• BeatrixPotter's
LakeDistrict
visitmisspotter.com
• StorrsHall
elh.co.uk.
• TarnHows
tarnhows.co.uk
• YewTreeFarm
yewtree-farm.com
• BeatrixPotter
GalleryandHillTop
Farmhouse
nationaltrust.org.uk
• TheQueen's
HeadHotel
queensheadhotel.
CO.Uk.
• TowerBankArms
towerbankarms.
CO.Uk
• TheArmitt
Collection
armitt.com
MORETIPS
Trailmapsof the
areacanbeeasily
purchased
upon
yourarrival.
Thedelightful
Walking
withBeatrix
Potter
canbeordered
fromAmazon.
Mountain
Goat
Holidays
offerstwo
dailyBeatrixPotter
tours(beatrlx-potterlakeland.com).
A trainfromLondon
to Windermere
takes
justoverthreeand
a halfhourson
weekdays,
longeron
weekends.
March 2008
I59
By Marie "Riese" Lyn Bernard
F
OR THE FIRST hour of our 2007
cruise video, it's Heather and me on
the balcony of the suite she's sharing
with her girlfriend Haviland Stillwell
(my best friend) on the Norwegian Dawn. We're
bubbling with vodka tonics and sticky happiness,
and the boat's just started sailing from New York
to Key West.
The sunset's reflected off the surface of sliding
glass doors, and I get up, lean over the railing, tum
to Heather and say,"You know, I'm not into like,
sentiment or scenery, but this, right here, is more
or less perfect:' And there it is again: the waves rise
and lilt, everything is beautiful, everyone is gay,
we're all on this boat, cruisin' together, more or less
perfect.
My first R Family cruise was to Alaska (Juneau,
Skagway and Ketchikan) and Victoria, British
Columbia in 2006. Haviland, who knows Rosie
O'Donnell from Fiddler on the Roof, is performing
in the Rosie's Broadway Belters show and she invites
me as her plus-one. So I fly to Seattle from New
York City, meet up with Hav at the airport, and we
bus to the docks. Along with a platoon of gay families radiating contagious enthusiasm, we board,
and in the seven days between that moment and
our return to the world, I am transformed.
"I wish we were on the boat right now;'
Haviland is liable to moan on any of the 358 days
of the year she's not on it. After the boat, there is
only "boat" and "not-boar:'
The first night in Alaska, the khaki- and pinstripe-clad R Family team starts off in the Stardust
Theater with a clever opening number, "Big Gay
Cruise Ship;' peppered with gay in-jokes and ending in a crescendo of "What's better than being
on a cruise ship where almost everyone is gay?"
That "almost" is key. Kelli O'Donnell, who co-
Bernard (top right) and friend; Ross the Intern and
friends chow down; Bernard (left) and McArdle try
their hands at the slots; Bernard (center) and friend
entertain the crowd.
60
I curve
owns R Family Vacations with Gregg Kaminsky,
says: "We're all-inclusive; the only gay and lesbian
travel company that invites gays, lesbians and their
straight friends and family on board our trips. We
embrace everybody:'
Rosie easily charms the crowd. These are her
people; we're on her side. We're on Susan Powter's
side, too, and that's why in a few days we're in our
sweatpants at 8 a.m., upside down, pressing our
toes into sticky purple mats with the intent to
erase the patriarchy. Susan's got big white-andpink dreadlocks, a million tattoos and the most
contagious narcissism I've ever encountered. We
love her. Susan teaches daily yoga and gives motivational speeches.
Norwegian's cruises are "freestyle;'which means
you're free to eat and entertain as you please.The
food is fine-to-decent and something's always open.
The Freestyle Daily newsletter, delivered nightly
along with gift bags from assorted gay-friendly
donors, details the next day's activities: themed
dinners, parties, cooking lessons with Martha
Stewart's che£ adoption seminars, auctions, football camp with Esera Tuaolo, presentations, films
and shore excursions when the boat is docked.
"If you don't have children, our trips are just as
applicable to you. We have specialty dining, adultgeared entertainment, disco, casino, piano bars
with Broadway star talent and plenty of daytime
programming," Kelli points out. "We've got singles
mixers and dinners on board for those looking to
meet other singles:'
Alaska is beautiful and chilly-the snowcapped mountains, glaciers-all of it. Excursions
like dog sledding or glacier watching are available
for between $50 and $1,000. Haviland and I usuallyjust grab snacks and reboard-with the children
gone, we've got the entire silent sun to ourselves, all
of it. These are some of our favorite moments.
In Ketchikan, Kathy Griffin and her assistant Jessica spot Haviland and me in the piano
bar: "Are you a gay?" Kathy asks. "We need some
gays to guide us off this boat; we're lost. We need
someone who knows the territory:' The boat feels
like an artists' colony, but earnest and cleaner. It's
so lovely that I soar past nauseated to genuine
ecstasy. Performers include Cyndi Lauper, Kathy
Griffin, Audra McDonald, Elvira Kurt, Jill Sobule
and tremendous Broadway talent. The Broadway
Belters show, including scenes from Wicked, Evita
and Les Miserables, often features a role's original
performer, and I actually cry when Haviland sings,
even though she's dressed like a cupcake.
On the second to last night, we're dining in La
T rattoria with a group that includes two straight
couples and their children. Esera smiles at me
and Haviland, mimes taking our photograph and
mouthes "Beautiful:' We're so high on life that
(!)
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READY, SET, FISH
were not sure if it's just us or if the boat's actually
rocking a little-languid sinking and rising floor.
Am I drunk, or is this a storm?
Were walking past the casino and the piano
bar, and walking isn't working. Walking is a lot like
falling. "It's like the tsunami," I exclaim as we push
the heavy doors out to the deck, where waves shoot
triumphantly over the railings onto the shuffleboard courts. The wind tries to kill us. Laurie, our
friend and one of Ro's production assistants, takes
us to her suite-so we can stand on the balcony
and get drenched by ambitious waves. 'This is so
cool," Haviland says. I'm hoping this means she
won't throw up later, but she does. We both do.
The next morning it feels like weve all been
through trauma together and we're bonded by the
experience of those waves-the earth's failed embraces lumbering back at us, and failing again to
hold on. As Elvira Kurt pointed out in her dosingnight act, although many passengers were literally
throwing up in the hallways,Kelli was together and
with it, cheerful as if magnetized, which is why,like
Rosie, we're all in love with her.
So much happens every single day: Your skin
changes color; you randomly converse with someone brilliant and interesting from far, far away; you
dress up like a girl without worrying you'll be mistaken fur straight. It's summer camp fur kids who
got beat up at summer camp. It's magic. Everything
that makes me scowl in the real world is better here
because were all different, and therefure we're all
the same.
To be honest, I'd take an R Family Cruise to
Somalia; destination is an afterthought. The crowd
is mixed, though there are more people our age in
2007-mid-20s to mid-30s. You find each other
quiclcly.
On the Bahamas and Florida cruise, optional
excursions include Universal Studios, historic
Cocoa Beach or, while in the Bahamas, snorkeling and parasailing. We hit Key West at mid-afternoon, my skin feels like microwaved butter. A
drag queen snatches our crowd from the street into
a half-empty bar and cajoles Haviland into singing "Like a Prayer" karaoke, while patrons the color
of orange rinds and coffee stare, languid and awestruck. We film and cheer.
The 2007 talent includes Erasure, Sandra
Bernhard, Judy Gold and a revival of Annie starring Broadway's Annie, Andrea McArdle. The
Family Pride coalition hosts a panel and Sharon
Gless participates in fullDebbie Novonty costume
(as her "proud gay morn" character from Queer as
Folk).I practically hyperventilate. It's cool here that
I have a gay mom, too; it's almost assumed. It's Gay
Opposite Day all the time.
Heather and I hit happy hour always-we
dash across the deck in our bathing suits to
make it before 6 p.m. It's The Amazing Race
with babies as obstacles; we're running down
to the icy-cool bar, were picking up friends on
the way and we're all around the bar like bees
to nectar if nectar was two-for-$9.
Mid-trip, Heather and I get the idea to
put on a staged reading of a sitcom I've been
writing with a buddy, and McArdle reads
the lead. It's a writer's dream-so much accessible talent. Later that night (but there
is no time, really), I'm IM-ing my co-writer from
the overpriced Internet cafe while Ross the Intern
awaits the upload of his Rosie vlog.It takes so long
it's hard to believe that someone had the patience
to leak Rosies anti-Hasselback shtick from the first
night's performance onto YouTube.
In Grand Stirrup Cay,the water's the same color that water is in dreams-dean aqua. Our limbs
echo and ripple underwater as we paddle out and
lie in the sun all afrernoon, just drifring, miles from
home. At night theres a luau, drunken dancing
and glowsticks.We hear two women having sex in
the ocean. Wecl thought one of them was straight.
Well, she has her fun. We all have our fun.
Theres drama, because were lesbians, and that's
how these things go. Ambiguous couplings, fights
in public, tales of morning-afrer walks-of-shame,
like Jen's, in a mini-skirt and boots, to the front
desk to replace a demagnetized key card.
They spin pop hits all night in the Spinnaker
Lounge. This is where you can find people, or else
on the pool deck or the Market Cafe. I feel like
were alwayswearing exactly what we want to wear,
always a little tanner, less hungry and more relaxed. Theres always something to do-too many
things to do, sometimes. However, there is plenty
included in the ticket price-we only spend extra
on alcohol and Internet access.
I never expected to love something that sold
plush toys of its logo, photographed you every 10
minutes or hosted Pirate Night. But I get it, why
everyone cried at the end ofi\11 Aboard;' like they cl
died and gone to heaven, only to be thrust mercilessly back into the rest of the world. It's hard, readjusting to the world. I often think, "Wow, I didn't
realize there were so many hot gay girls in the city,"
and then I remember that not everyones probably
gay anymore.
Kelli says this: "Mostly,I believe that the magic
onboard our ship is truly hard to define in words.
It's an experience that'll transform you for a week
into a place that feels free, open, wrapped in love
and acceptance." See that? I totally buy it, every
Dreaming
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WHOTOGOWITH
Therearedozensof women'sfishingclubs.
Here'sjusta starter,butyoucanfindmoreat
womensflyfishing.net/clubs.
• DameJulianaAnglers,
Tempe,
Ariz.
(damejulianaanglers.com)
• Delaware
ValleyWomen's
FlyAshing
Association,
BrynMawr,Penn.(dvwffa.org)
• Georgia
WomenFlyfishers,
Loganville,
Ga.
(georgiaflyfishing.com)
• WomenFlyfishers
of Idaho,Boise,Idaho
(wffid.com)
• Flygirlsof Michigan,
RoyalOak,Mich.
ws)
(f/ygirfs.
WHENTOGO
Depending
onthetypeof fishyou'retryingto
catchandtheareayouarein,differenttimesof
theyearbringdifferentbitesto yourline.January
throughMaybringssteelhead,
andJunethrough
November
is perfectfor salmon.(neffguide.com)
WHATTOTAKEWITHYOU
Thereareaccessories
thatyouneedandthen
therearethosethatyouwant.Youwill needa fly
rod,a fly reel,waders,wadingboots,fly linesand
backing,fliesandfly tying.Thingsthatareniceto
have:sunglasses,
binoculars,
a camera,a hat,a
vestanda fannypack.Onlinestoresthatspecializein women'sfly-fishingaccessories
include
cabelasandOrvis.(Orvis.com,
cabelas.
Patagonia,
com,andpatagonia.com)
March 2008
I 61
TRAVELING MOMS
MicheleDurstandLizSpadaro
havelong
shareda lovefortheoutdoors,
kidsand
eachother.Imagine
theirhorror,then,
whentheyreada spring2005articlein
OutTraveler
abouta popularvacationrental
siteremoving
LGBTreferences
fromads.
Angeredbythearticleanddrivenby
a desireto travelasanLGBTfamily,
thecouplecombined
Durst'ssystems
experience
{hard-won
afteryearsonWall
Street)withSpadaro's
background
as
an Englishteacherto startPinkPavilions
{pinkpavilions.com).
Thistravelrentalsite
notonlyrefersto theLGBTcommunity
in
ads,it catersto it specifically-targeting
a varietyof locations,
frombigcitiesand
placesfor familiesto clubbingscenesand
partyislands.
"Whena needarose,wesaid'Oh,wecan
dothis,'"saysSpadaro.
Thisattitudeappliesbothto LGBT
vacationrentalsandto
thecouple'sotherbiginterest-kids.They
bothworkedasSunday
schoolteachers
andforTrueExpressions,
anorganization
thathelpsChristian
youthcomeoutand
findacceptance
in theirfaithcommunities.
NowSpadaro
andDurstwantto extend
thathelpinghandto kidswho needit.
DurstandSpadaro
alsospendwhatfree
timetheyhavewritingweeklylettersto
localandfederalrepresentatives
about
LGBTissues,andhopeto usesomeof
PinkPavilions'
revenue
to sponsor
college
scholarships
for LGBT
youthwhohave
a demonstrated
involvement
withthe
community.
Ofcourse,thebestwayto helpkidsmay
beto seta goodexample.
"Weallwant
thesamething-to loveandbeloved,"
Spadaro
says."Wejusthaveto accept
ourselves
andbeourselves
andnotcowto
thisinsanity.
I don'twantthesekidsto feel
guiltyfor beingthemselves."
Thisstrategyseemsto beworking.Durst's
straightnephewwasresponsible
for organizinga dayof silencefor LGBT
students
at hishighschoolin NewYork."I wasvery
proudof himandI hopethatsomeof our
actionsdemonstrate
thatwe'recomfortablewithourselves,"
Durstsays.
- LinaSwislocki
62
I curve
By Amelia Pyxus
S
OME 2 MILLION people visit
Whistler, British Columbia, every
year. Most of these travelers-many
of them gay and lesbian-go for
its world-class skiing; the picturesque resort village and neighboring Blackcomb Mountains are
consistently ranked the No. 1 ski resort in North
America. Adventure-seeking visitors also come to
snowboard, dog sled, ice climb and snowmobile all
8,100 acres of incredibly diverse terrain. Whistler's
repertoire isn't limited to flurry-filled activities,
though. The village is also famous for its mountain biking-its summer mountain bike park is
regarded as the best in the world. And with three
championship designer courses, this haven has
made itself Canada's No. 1 golf destination ... and
it has the Dinah Shore lesbians flying in from all
over the world to prove it.
While helicopteMkiing and dog-sledding adventures have their allure, my buddy Syd and I had
tickets to Whistler Winter Pride (gaywhistler .com)
and a completely different kind of agenda in mind
for our weekend in the snow. Winter Pride is a
weeklong festival featuring not only skiing, but also
educational workshops, nightly apres skis, sexy
dance parties and world-class entertainment.
We drank Bloody Caesars (the Canadian take
on our Bloody Mary) at the Vancouver airport
bar with a couple of dykes we ran into from San
Francisco, and then boarded the Perimeter Bus
shuttle (perimeterbus.com). I kept my eyes peeled
in hopes of a Bette or Tina sighting as we rode
through the streets of Vancouver, but my attention
was soon captivated by incredible views of British
Columbia's coastline: amazing waterfalls, snowcovered rainforests and glacial peaks on the Seato-Sky Highway.
It's easy to get around without a car once you
get to Whistler, so save your cash for lift tickets.
The lovely resort village is designed for pedestrians only, so you can meander (with or without
ski poles) around the valley's lively centerpiece,
discovering its stores, spas, restaurants, bars and
night clubs.
We stayed at the luxurious Pan Pacific Whistler
Village Centre (panpacific.com) in a suite right
in the heart of town. I was delighted to spend my
afternoons relaxing in the outdoor hot tubs-surrounded by snow-capped mountains, big white
snowflakes falling on my face-and chatting with
friendly folks from all over the world. Syd and I ignited our evenings by joining the Centre's nightly
happy hour with beer and wine in front of the
fireplace.
Sure, the more than 200 trails, three glaciers,
33 lifts and 12 alpine bowls were tempting, but the
closest we actually came to hitting the slopes was
on a breathtaking sunset gondola ride to the top
of the mountain. Each view of the valley was more
magnificent than the last, and left Syd and me in
WITNESS WOMEN'S
HISTORY IN AFRICA
complete awe of Whistler's natural beauty.
Winter Pride's opening night banquet was our
first taste of gay Whistler. Unbelievable performances from Cirque du Soleil, fabulous drag queens and
the very kinky Vancouver-based burlesque troupe
Stilettos and Strap-ons marked the beginning of a
weekend full of celebrations. Over dinner, we met
Valentina-the adorable manager of a local sex toy
boutique, the Love Nest (lovenest.ca)-and she invited us to come by her store the next day to check
o~t its vast array of romantic accessories.
After shopping for funky new hats at the Whistler
Hat Gallery, and indulging in homemade cones at
Pasta Lupino, Beetroot Cafe and Ciao-Thyme
Bistro.
Prior to reveling in deep-tissue massages at lesbian-owned Solarice, one of Whistler's 20 day spas,
Syd and I met with co-owner Lisa to hear about the
different types of traditional Chinese medicine treatments and yoga retreats she offers with her partner,
Amy, at their two Whistler locations (solarice.com).
Being the die-hard L Word fans that we are, Syd
and I had to check out the Fairmont Chateau-site
of Shane and Carmen's almost Canadian wedding.
Even if you're not a fan of the show, the grandiose
hotel is worth checking out solely for its traditional
Whistler has an array of options for snow bunnies
and party girls alike, so while the siren song might
be enough to bring any girl back, those cocktail
waitresses are the icing on the cake.
Cow's Ice Cream (cows.ca), we made our way over to
the Love Nest. The members of Stilettos and Strapons had the same idea and waltzed in while we were
quizzing Valentina on the lesbian scene in Whistler.
Excited by all the different costume options available,
the dancers were inspired to put on an impromptu
in-store fashion show for Syd, Valentina and me. To
our delight, they pranced around the store dressed
up like risque Mounties and firefighters.
Syd and I were overwhelmed by Whistler's 90
different tantalizing dining options and embraced
Valentina's attempt to ameliorate our situation by
recommending a few don't-miss restaurants. Hot
spots on her list included the Mix by Ric's, Elements,
It's one thing to sit in your
women's studies discussion group
at your local feminist coffee
shop and discuss female genital
circumcision practices in African
countries. It's quite another to
discuss it at a women's conference
in Seregunda, Gambia, where
you see the issue from an African
woman's perspective. On the 1st
World Family's Women's History Month Tour, a 10-day trip in
March to Senegal and Gambia,
you will learn about modern Africa
and discuss women's rights,
marriage, polygamy, female
circumcision, HIV, the damages
of war and the role of multiple
religions from the people that live
with these issues day to day.
This trip isn't purely academic,
though. You will get to play, too.
Choose from a variety of biking,
hiking and walking tours. Go
horseback riding, take drumming
circle and dance lessons, attend
live outdoor music shows and visit
museums and historical sites.
You'll also meet families in nearby
villages during your stay to get a
sense of the local life and culture.
Go there to learn and you surely
will. Each tour is limited to 15
people. The price is $1,900 and
includes airfare, lodging and
tours. (1stworldfamily.org)
-MeaChavez
daily high tea (fairmont.com/whistler).
On Saturday night, Maxx Fish played host to
the L Party-Winter Pride's women's closing dance
party. Lesbians from far and wide packed the club,
and the night heated up with arousing performances
from provocative go-go girls. We partied along with
our dyke friends from San Francisco, Valentina, Lisa
and Amy. The end of the evening found us all basking in the sight of scantily clad cocktail waitresses
dancing and kissing on top of the bar.
Whistler has an array of options for snow bunnies and party girls alike, so while the siren song
might be enough to bring any girl back, those cocktail waitresses are the icing on the cake.
March 2008
I63
RUNAWAY
ROHANCE
My comicbook relationship:
can it be saved?
By Alice Clarke
I love comics. So when I started a relationship
with a non,geek in January, I immediately set
about the task of finding the perfect introductory
comic for her.
My first thought, not wanting to start her on
the harder stuff, was the original Buffy comic. She
was a Buffy fan, and there was a new series due out
later this year. But not even the Willow and Tara
special issues could hold her interest, becauselee'sface it-the original Buffy series was terrible.
So my next thought was the Underworld adap,
tation, forgetting, of course, that Kate Beckinsale
was the only reason anyone saw the films and no,
body likes a movie adaptation.
Finally, I turned to the good people at my
friendly neighborhood comic book shop, who
suggested Runaways, a series created and written
by Brian K. Vaughan (who also did The Last Man
and writes for the TV show Lost).
Their reasons for suggesting the series: The
alien Karolina is a tastefully handled lesbian, her
friend Nico is hot, Joss Whedon (of Buffy fame)
was going to take over the writing in April, and
the story is interesting and not too intense for a
newbie. So I bought the first trade paperback, and
it had everything: murder, mystery, mutants, be,
trayal, telepathic dinosaurs and latent lesbianism.
We both loved it and couldn't wait to get the next
installments, and she, too, started looking forward
to comic shop Wednesday.
The next three books kept up the same level
of intrigue. Would the runaways be able to stop
Karolina didn't choose to be in this relationship and
makes it clear that she would rather be in a relationship with someone who is all-girl, all the time.
their evil parents:' Who was
the betrayer in their midst:'
Would Karolina ever make a
move on Nico:'
Unfortunately, as my relationship started to go downhill, so did the comic.
The fifthbook was the beginning of the end. Karolina
finally makes her move on
ico and is thoroughly shut
down. Which would have
been OK had it not been for
what happens next. A genderless skrull named Xavin,
a shape-shifter who normally
has a male appearance, arrives
in a spaceship a few pages later to inform Karolina
of their arranged marriage and its essential role in
ending an interplanetary war that could destroy
Earth. At first, Karolina declines the proposal, not
wanting to be in the closet anymore. That lasts
about a page, until Xavin takes on the appearance
of a girl, and they blast off into space together with
the intention of never coming back.
On the upside, they didn't follow the dead/ evil
cliche. But holy triple fish god, Batman! ot only
ui
did they get rid of their only gay character, presum?i
ably to avoid dealing with her, but
z
:::> they undermined her gayness by
!;.
forcing her into a marriage with
0
en someone who usually has a pea:
nis. If you squint a little, this
could be seen as a challenge to
(.)
the traditional idea of there be...J
ing only two clear-cut sexes, but
it really isn't a win for anyone.
Karolina didn't choose to be in
0
J:
this relationship and makes it
< clear that she would rather be in
a: a relationship with someone who
0
< is all-girl, all the time. And Xavin
u.
him/herself would clearly rather
:::>
be
a man, judging by the physical
w
en
a:
form
s/he usually chooses and
0
J:
the
gender
pronouns used for
::.::
him/her throughout the rest of
>the series. A forced marriage that
undermines
gender and sexual
:::>
8 choices isn't something to cheer Runaways
I
I
f
about. Neither were the sixth
and seventh books.
Finally came the issues
written by Joss Whedon, who
started making little digs and
comments about the validity
of Xavin and Karolina's relationship. At the start of his
first issue he states that their
relationship, homosexual or
otherwise, is irrelevant to
the workings of the team. He
also writes Karolina so that
she refuses to kiss Xavin unless she (note the change in
pronoun) is in female form,
and he gives Karolina a munber of conversations where she tells Nico that she
doesn't need to justify her relationship to anyone
except hersel£ Plus, Whedon's issues, as usual, are
the funniest.
Unfortunately, even though Whedon managed to save the comic, he didn't manage to save
my relationship.
On the upside, the Buffy Season 8 comic is
both out and awesome. And provided Brian K.
Vaughan doesn't manage to ruin it, perhaps it can
be the comic I introduce my next girlfriend to.
G~EA1
HOHEMS
INCOHIC
GAYNESS
1941: We get our first glimpse of
everyone's favorite Amazon princess, Wonder Woman.
1994: We're introduced to Johnny
Flagg's lesbian assistant, Mary, in
issue No. 2 of Fighting American, by
DC Comics.
January 2001: Willow's girlfriend,
Tara, makes her first appearance in
issue No. 29 of Buffy the Vampire
Slayer.
April 2001: The first Willow and Tara
centric comic, Wanna Blessed Be, is
co-written by Amber Benson (who
played Tara) and released by Dark
Horse.
March 2002: Holly Robinson
starts dating Karon in issue No. 3,
Catwoman, Series 2.
2005: Karolina comes out and
reveals her feelings for Nico in issue No. 7 of the second series of
Marvel's Runaways.
May 2006: DC begins the weekly
series 52, which features Renee
Montoya as a major player in a world
without Batman, Supennan and
Wonder Woman.
May 2006: Holly Robinson's first
appearance as the new Catwoman:
issue No. 53, Catwoman, Series 2.
June 2006: Renee Montoya is
outed in issues No. 6-10 of Gotham
Central.
August 2007: Marvel characters
Phyla-Veit and Heather (aka Quasar
and MoonDragon) reveal they are
lovers.
December 2007: DC introduces
an alternative universe, Earth 11, in
Countdown where genders are reversed. Batwoman and Superwoman
battle against Wonder Man and his
burly Amazons.
January 2008: Willow has a rather
hilarious fantasy about Tina Fey in
Marvel's Buffy the Vampire Slayer:
Season 8. - Alice Clarke
March 2008 I 67
Reviews Sapphic Screen
Triangles and Triptychs
These arty flickspose questions about life, love and the universe.
If youwatchnothing
elsethismonth,watch
thesetwo incredible
series.Thefifth seasons
of bothHBO'sTheWire
andShowtime'sTheL
Wordarecaptivating
workfeaturingsexy
lesbiancharacters
anddeserveyour
full attention.TheL
Wordhasdykedrama,
L.A.-specitcbarbsand
anAlicestorylinethat
makesmeproudto be
a lesbianjournalist.Gals
will loveit. Butit's The
Wire,with gayoutlaw
vigilanteOmar(the
excellentMichael
Kenneth
Williams)
andAfricanAmerican
lesbiancopShakima
Strangers, sisters, rivals, lovers and others: The women of these
Griggs(theunderstated
three indie films search for, stumble upon, resist and explore
SonjaSohn),whose
crime,dramaandgritty one another in scenarios that tend toward the complicated.
urbanlife is filmedso
pitch-perfectly
that Vivere (Regent Releasing):Three German women of difyou'llthinkyou'reon fering generations travel to Rotterdam by night in this structurthestreetsof Baltimore ally artful, beautifully rendered film, their stories diverging and
yourself.Betteryet, intersecting again and again as they lose and find one another
watchseasons
one (and themselves). Director Angelina Maccarone has trumped
throughfourof both her last exquisite, quiet feature, Unveiied,perhaps the smartest
serieson DVDto lesbian-themed film of 2005. Vivere confirms that Maccarone
remember
why you
may indeed be a queer, female, German Krzysztof Kieslowski;
lovethem.(sho.com;
we're tempted to buy into the auteur theory solely on her achbo.com)
- Diane
Anderson-Minshallcount. Her use of subjective music, the camera and time has a
poetic delicacy that reverberates; scenes feel hand-sewn rather
than cut. The pot slowly starting to boil to the right of a stunning older woman (Hannelore Elsner) who is miserable eating alone; the blaring rock music in the car of the frustrated
20-something dyke (Esther Zimmering) who mothers her sister; the pregnant teenager (Kim Schnitzer) who runs through
turnstiles and vomits in a train station far from home-this
film is all in the details, spaces, silences and carefully chosen
words. (regentreleasing.com)
68 I curve
IBy Candace Moore
When Night Is Falling (Wolfe):Released in its intended,
unrated version for the first time on DVD, along with director Patricia Rozema's 25-minute short, Passion,1995's When
Night Is Fallingis the latest sparkler in Wolfe's vintage collection. This sumptuous Canadian romance between a tightly
wound Christian schoolteacher, Camille (Pascale Bussieres),
and a big-hearted "Sirkus of Sorts" performer, Petra (Rachael
Crawford), who juggles glowing lights and dances with irons,
seems forged between elements, equally frozen by snow and
singed by heat. After a "switcheroo" in a laundromat, Petra
plays Cupid to Camille's Psyche, shooting cute note-arrows
in through her apartment window and taking her flying on a
hang glider. At first, Camille's petrified of her own desires, of
the open sky and the expanse of ground beneath, but the film
shows her embracing tender lovemaking with Petra while reforming her theological notions. Camille tries to break it off
with her condescending boyfriend and explain to her minister
that God might want her to be happy with a woman, but both
men just talk over her, hoping to "love the sinner and hate the
sin:• More than a coming-out narrative set against religious
tensions, though, this film ends up being about queer worldmaking, the divine places we create together with a little faith.
(wolfevideo.com)
Red Is the Color Of (Bear Island Films):
Each time Mary Shaw (Finnish film star Irina
Bjorklund) feels career angst or marriage beddeath bubbling up, she eases a fresh syringe
into her arm. Not to shoot up, but to download
blood-her signature paint. The art world's darling, Mary is in her 30s and ostensibly has it all: the
chic looks, the spacious studio, the fey agent, and
rabid fans from a proto-feminist girl group, the
Bloody Marys, who stalk her. She even bankrolls
her husband David's dead-end realist art practice,
shelling out for his nude muse, Julie, a sarcastic
grad student with a luscious, dirty mouth. When
Julie's red skivvies surface under her bed, rather
than oust the nymphet, Mary pulls her in closer,
making sure the younger woman's shot glass never runs dry. The two women tumble into a deep
entanglement that causes even the voracious but
emotionally cold Julie to develop feelings. Their
"romantic friendship" (for lack of a better word)
propels the drama as it careens to the brink of the
physical, but hovers there confoundedly, leaving
this tale to yawn out to a hetero forgone conclusion. Bjorklund's rendition of a neurotic artist who
keeps herself from going all tigress, because "they
shoot tigers;' bolsters a smart and quirky film
that falls somewhere between Red Shoe Diaries
and Sex and the City, thematically. Here, however,
red is the color of bi-erotic foreplay pitched for
mostly straight titillation.
(redisthecolorofcom)
Q+A
Linda Stein
The sculptor Linda Stein may be best known as one of the "commoners" duped by Sacha Baron
Cohen in his 2006 film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of
Kazakhstan-and for writing and giving interviews about that experience-but she has the last
laugh. Her female Knights (lindastein.com), three larger-than-life bronze sculptures, have been chosen as the central sculpture commission for the $4 million Walk of the Heroines at Portland State
University in Oregon. CuRvE spoke with Stein at her studio in New York City's Tribeca neighborhood. - Stephanie Schroeder
How has the Borat incident affected your life and art?
At the time the movie came out, the New York Post did a story on me and called me Borat's "big
catch." Media coverage after that snowballed and I was interviewed by news outlets around the
world. I was recently interviewed by the BBC, based on my exhibition at Rutgers [which featured three 7 -foot bronze and paper knights paired with shadowy images of Borat, Wonder
Woman and Marilyn Monroe, respectively]. A reporter from the BBC asked about my sculpture
incorporating Borat's image. He
said that he noticed I had given
him a small phallus and didn't
I think it was a low blow? I
replied I was simply continuing the conversation Borat
started about sexism, homophobia and racism,
and that he could use a
little exposure himself
Why did you start
making female knights
and woman warriors?
What is your theory about
female heroism?
Post-9/11, the media, Bush and
his administration were determined to bring back men-in a
John Wayne-cowboy way-and
make them heroes in every scenario,
while rendering all women damsels in distress. Women such as the 9/11 widows were portrayed
as weak and vulnerable-their husbands were the heroes, not them. If the widows were career
women or did heroic things themselves, the media weren't interested. But if the women were
housewives or otherwise nonthreatening, then the media made a big showing of how Americaand American women-needed men as heroes.
My work is a corrective to that notion. I have chosen to highlight females as heroes and have chosen
as source material Wonder Woman, the anime of Princess Mononoke and the Asian goddess of
compassion, Kuan-yin.
And then I wondered how I, as a pacifist, a jogger who steps around anthills, was creating these
warriors. When I stumbled on Wonder Woman, whom I had loved as a kid, and also thought of
knights in shining armor, they were always female. It's the female knight who is the real hero.
March 2008
I69
Skip the Gym,
Work Out at Home
DVD PICKS
TraceyDeerwent
ferencebetweendesegregation Filmmaker
throughthe sameexperience
a
andintegration
throughcandid
interviewswithcurrentstudents decadeearlierandwith empathy
andhumorfollowsthe girlsover
andteachersat CentralHigh
two years.(wmm.com)
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Schoolin LittleRock,Ark.,and
with community
members
from
variousracialandsocioeconomic
backgrounds.
(hbo.com/docs)
- Colleen
Mccaffrey
MarriedinAmerica2
(FaithandValuesMedia):
Documentary
filmmakerMichael
Apted
visits
the
ninecouples
Youpromisedyourselfyouaregoingto get
he
featured
in
the
first partof
fit but haven'tdoneit?Takeyourpick,take
the
series
once
again
in 2006,
the plungeandtry something
new.-Diane
exactlyfiveyearsafterthey
Anderson-Minshall
andLinaSwislocki
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Watching
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JodieStolove'sChairDancing
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livein Quebec,
buttheyspeak
Media/Rodde):
JamieKing'sfitnessproqueerrightsandtheonsetof
English.
Thethreecouldn'tbe
gramoffership-hop-inspired
dancemoves
AIDS.- MeaChavez
moredifferent,andstill society
that'lltoneyouupandmakeyoufeellikea
definesthembythe ethnic
rockstar.(Rockyourbodyprogram.com)
LittleRockCentral:
50 Years
heritagetheyshare:Theyall are
Later(HBODocumentary
Mohawkandaregrowingup in
) For extendedreviews, v1s1tcurvemag.com.
Films):BrentandCraig
the Kahnawake
NativeReserve
Renaud's
film illustratesthedifacrossthe riverfromMontreal.
70
I curve
TheVictim(Tartan):
In
Thailand'slatestforayintothe
supernatural,
Ting,a would-be
actor,takespartin a police
re-enactment
videoto helpsolve
a crime,whichleadsto a new
careerpathfor her.Afterone
grislyre-enactment
film,Ting
feelsfar too muchof thevictim's
pain.Fansof TheEyewill loveit.
(thevictimthemovie.com)
-DAM
Apartment
Zero(UnionStation
Media)This1988gayclassic
hasbeenreleased
on DVDin
the uncuttheatricalversion.The
storyof two menwhodisplay
traitsof mentaldisorders
and
aredrawnto eachotheris a
postmodern
film thatalternates
betweenhorrorandtongue-incheeksurrealism.
Belowall the
testosterone-infused
eroticism
andgoofythrillerelements,
runs
a strongsociopolitical
subtext.
(unionstationmedia.com)US
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Pleasure
Collection
(Genious
Products):
Wantmoreof this
l5
8
addictively
campy,queergoth
soap?Trythis DVDset,which
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featuresthefirst twoseasons
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alongwithauditiontapes,
the never-before-seen
pilot
episodeandintrosfromhere!VP 0
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8
In the Stacks
Reviews
Exposing Themselves
Three women reveal their lives in intimate memoirs. I By Rachel Pepper
Three recent memoirs from female writers deal with overlapping themes of anxiety, depression, family secrecy, alcoholism,
drug abuse and even attempted suicide. Two have lesbian narrators-Jennifer Storm and Janine Avril-while Terri Cheney
is straight. All three women battle demons that rage quietly
through their childhoods, then erupt in their early adolescence.
But by each book's end, the three narrators come to understand,
and at least partially deal with, the factors and conditions that
have shaped them into the women they are.
Nightlight, Janine Avril (Alyson): In her spare but affect-
ing memoir, Nightlight,Janine Avril deals with the terrible loss
of both her parents at a young age, and the belated revelation
that her father died of AIDS, possibly also causing her mother's
death from an AIDS-related cancer. From an uncle previously
sworn to secrecy, Avril learns that her father, a popular New
York restaurant chef in the 1980s, had at least one secret sexual
encounter with a
man, and quite possibly was bisexual.
In tones reminiscent
of Alison Bechdel's
Fun Home, Avril
ends her book with
her own bittersweet
reckoning: She had
come out as gay to
her father before
his death, but he
remained closeted
•to her. "My anger
subsided when I
was able to link
Papa's identity with
my own. The fact
that I was able to do
something that he could not: live openly and freely as who I was
gave me more compassion for his struggle."
What works best in Nightlightis Avril's thoughtful yet determined research into her father's secret life, bound by her
own sense of self to expose family secrets that others wished
to remain hidden. She is also resolutely honest about her own
bouts of depression, and readers will identify with her struggle
to come to terms with the tragic death of both parents. What
works less well in the book are the unexplained time lags, its
sometimes abruptly short chapters (most are one to three pages
long), a few outmoded and potentially politically contentious
terms such as 'J\.IDS sufferer" and 'J\.IDS patient;' and the way
openly gay Avril's teenage yearnings for other girls is detailed,
but without much adult resolution.
Blackout Girl, Jennifer Storm (Hazelden): Of the three
books featured here, BlackoutGirl reads the most like a confessional. Readers who have suffered the debilitating after-effects
of childhood sexual abuse or faced a descent into addictions like
the ones that Storm details, will find much to empathize with
here. There is a lot of detail about her family: her empathetic but
non-reactive father, her distant mother, and her enabling brothers, as well as the small town in Pennsylvania where she grew up,
host to many adolescent tragedies. Similarly, there is a full sense
of how traumatic assaults on Storm as a girl led to suppressed
anger and helplessness, which then exploded into self-destructive behavior. She simply did not care if she lived or died, and
given the amount of
alcohol and drugs
she ingested as a
teenager, it's truly
amazing that she
survived. Eventually
ending up in rehab
after years of blackouts, self-loathing,
and several suicide
attempts,
Storm
finally made the decision to live. Today
she works as a victim's rights advocate
in
Pennsylvania,
assisting
others
who have shared
her path. Although
Storm's writing is not the most polished of this authorial trio,
readers will be rooting for her right up until the book's final
pages.
Manic: A Memoir, Terri Cheney (William Morrow):
Terri Cheney suffers from bipolar disorder, a condition affecting more than 10 million Americans, and one that she captures
well in Manic: A Memoir. A successful attorney who worked on
high-profile cases, representing celebrities like Michael Jackson
and Quincy Jones, Cheney secretly suffered from the debilitating depression and extreme mood swings common to bipolar
people. Prone to seductive behavior and crazy stunts (like kiteflying in electrical storms, or playing at night in the ocean's dangerous riptides), she found herself increasingly unable to work,
date, or live "normally:' Her descriptions of her difficulties are
vivid and moving, especially when she so accurately portrays
what it's like to feel that she has turned "into something so
foul and loathsome that even I have to drape towels over the
Expoing Themselves continued on page 73
EDITOR'S
PICK
Bookof theDead,
PatriciaCornwell
(G.P.Putnam'sSons):
It's probablybaffling
to somelebianlit-fie
fansto seeprecious
spacewastedon a
bookas mainstream
as Cornwell'slastest
blockbuster.
Afterall, it
shotto No.1 in a week
andis in everyairport
in the U.S.Butwhether
or nottheauthoris gay
(orout),sinceher1990
debutwith Postmortem,
oneof hercharacters,
LucyFarinelli,has
alwaysbeenout.Lucy's
aunt,the infamousforensicspathologist
Kay
Scarpetta,
will godown
in historyasoneof the
mostcomplex,modern,
post'90swomen.This
booktackleseverything
fromexploited
female
celebs(a la Britney)
to mysogyny
to 'roid
rageto Dr.Laura-esque
mediamanipulation
andfriend-on-friend
sexualassaultin a
worldAgathaChristie
couldhavenever
imagined.
Forthat,
Cornwelldeserves
accolades.
(penguingroup.com)
- Diane
Anderson-Minshall
March 2008
I 71
Q+A
Carla Blake
British author Carla Blake
has written her first novel,
Protection, about a lesbian
bodyguard and a budding
starlet's love affair that faces
more than one threat. I chat,
ted with Blake about the craft
of writing a mystery,romance
novel, how chocolate cake pre,
vents writer's block and self,
publishing on Lulu.com. A
potential sequel is in store, and
this lesbian writer from across
the pond couldn't be happier.
-Mea
Chavez
What was it like getting your first novel published?
There's no other feeling like it. My partner initially read it, loved
it, had faith in it, and then because we didn't have a large
budget, [we) decided to try self,publishing with Lulu. When
it was finally on there, after several false starts and debates
over the cover picture, the feeling and relief was immense.
Although Protection is written in the third person, the
point of view shifts. Why did you make the decision to
format it like that?
Mainly to keep the readers interested and guessing. There's
nothing worse than getting to know a character so well you
can almost second,guess what they are going to say or do.
Also, switching viewpoints helps keep the story fresh and
interesting for me as I write.
It was a risk to have a sex scene in the first chapter, but
it definitely draws the reader in. Where did you get the
inspiration for that scene?
I wanted to draw the reader in from the very first and nothing
does that like a good old,fashioned sex scene. Inspiration?
Well, let's just say the Christmas party scene wasn't entirely
down to my imagination.
What projects are you working on now?
I'm currently working on another novel, this time drawing on
more of my own life experiences. We plan to publish this
on Lulu next spring, but I'm sure Carrie and Andrea will be
back in a sequel. My characters are too enthusiastic to stay
off the page for long. Such slave drivers.
How do you call your muse?
How do I call my muse? Easy. A cup of tea and a chocolate cake.
Does it for me every time. I do keep a diary, but more often
than not, instead of what happened during my day, it has
plot plans and snatches of imagined conversations written
beneath the date.
72
Icurve
PAGE TURNERS
assexyandintoxicating
as Harvey'soriginal.
(continuumbooks.com)
- Colleen
Mccaffrey
'
t
HowtoBecome
a
FamousWriterBefore
You're
Dead,ArielGore
(Randomhouse):
Thelesbianbehindthe modern
parenting'zineHipMama,
ArielGore,is the master
of givingoutpractical
advice,evenwhenit
comesto something
as
elusiveas publishing.
She
combines
inspirational
guidancewith momlike,
no-nonsense
business
advicein this guideto
conquering
the industry.
Beyondherownexperienceandinsights,Gore
alsoincludesinterviews
with someof the biggest
namesin comtemporary
lit. (randomhouse.com)
- Catherine
Plato
D ES
I R
11_,._,
differentwriting_
styles
havejoinedforcesto entertainuswitha themed
eroticaanthology.
The
bookreadssomewhat
like
a novelastheauthors
successfully
createcontinuityby usingcrossover
characters
andby using
a cruiseweekagendato
informthe stories.This
winningcombination
givesusfantasy,romance
andsmutthroughout.
Theanthology
is truly
groundbreaking
in that
Radclyffe
andKallmaker
writefor differentpublishers,andneitherhasever
collaborated
ona book
before.(bellabooks.com)
- Kathilsserman
Desire:Women
Write
AboutWanting,
ed.Lisa
SolodWarren(Seal
Press):Captivating
voicesspeakout in this
collectionof smart,bold
essaysaboutdesireand
the socialrestrictions
imposedonwomen's
sexuality.Daphne
Gottliebs'"Make-upand
MudPuddles"explores
the desireto transcend
thefemme-butch
stereotypein a sassytaleof lust
andlonging.JuliaSerano
is "At Odds"in heressay
aboutherlifelongdesire
to bea girl.Thisis an em- AwayFromtheDawn,
poweringcollectionabout KateSweeney
(Intaglio
burninginnerflamesand Publications):
If you
howliberatingit is to give wantto reada bookthat
themroomto breathe
is a littledifferentfrom
andflourishontheirown. thestandardvampiretale,
(seatpress.com)-CM
this is theonefor you.It
is down-to-earth,
even
pokingfun at vampire
myths.Theprotagonist,
Sebastian,
is caught
betweenbeinga vampire
andwantingto live
Ridof Me:A Story,Kate
alongside
humans.
SheIs
Schatz(Continuum):
warnedby hersometimes
KateSchatz'sdelightfully
vamp"mistress"thatshe
queerworkof fictionhas
wouldbe makinga choice
all the elementsof a solid
withdireconsequences
album:desire,darkness,
if shefell in love.But
sexandtransformation.
Sebastian
can'thelp
Smoldering
with resemIn DeepWaters:Volume herself.Thisveryreadable
blanceto its musical
One:Cruising
theSeas, lovestoryis sprinkled
muse,the PJHarvyalbum KarinKallmaker
and
withwell-placed
humor,
Ridof Me,thisfireballof
Radclyffe
(BellaBooks): makingit a fun read.
a readcapturesan interTwoaward-winning
les(intagtiopub.com)-KI
pretativelyricalundertone bianauthorswithvastly
Exposing Themselves continued from page71
towels over the mirrors until the worst of it passes." In one section, Cheney describes the agony of
confronting her neighbor about noise, knowing
that she will probably end up coming on to him
in the process: "In retrospect, it must have been
that dizzy, precarious moment when my chemical balance starts to topple, when almost stable
turns into almost
not. One minute
I was contemplating soundproofing
the windows with
Scotch tape, the next
I was pawing through
my closet, looking
for the sexiest confront-your-neighbor
outfit that I could."
In another chapter, a
trip to Africa shows
her clearly the divide
between herself and
others with more "normal" emotions: "It was the
lions that finally did me in. They were so golden and glorious, it was all too much. Too much
beauty. I started to sob and couldn't stop .... Had
I crossed the invisible line that separates me from
'normal' peopler'
This idea of such a split-the seemingly successful and attractive woman we might see at a
party, who then states that she's mentally ill, is a
hard concept for most people to grasp. Cheney
doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of manic
depression-her own multiple suicide attempts
are detailed here, and she can no longer practice
law. But with this brave book, hopefully readers
will come to see that although there is no cure for
manic-depression, increased societal understanding can only help those it affiicts.
Self-Made Women
These intrepid authors skipped the big
publishers and broke out on their own.
The Forest of Life, Helen
Taylor Little (iUniverse):
Alluding metaphorically to the
darkness that drives us to seek
change, The Forest of Life may
perhaps be somewhat autobiographical. A type-A workaholic,
the protagonist, Alexandra
Nottingham, seemingly has it
all-the luxury office, the hot
broad, the successful portfolio-until a surprise afternoon
tryst spirals her into a whirlwind
of life-altering choices, and she
makes discoveries about herself
along the way. (iuniverse.com)
Sometimes it's the little, self-published
lesbian books that interest us, and they
do so without expensive covers, marketing budgets, websites, or even rigorous
copyediting. Here are a few that caught
our attention in the recent months.
Orchids II: Reality or Fantasy, Kimberly
Q., aka The Lesbian Goddess (Women
of Choice): Pure imagination and arousal,
Kimberly Q. delivers juicy sagas of sex
and fantasy in her follow-up to One Night
Stands. The heavy use of exclamation
points is a slight buzz kill, but the climax
of the story makes it all worthwhile.
(womenofchoice. com)
IN HER FANTASIES
InAlayaDawnJohnson's
debut
novel,RacingtheDark(agatepublishing.com),
womenhave
allthepowerandgirlscallthe
shots.Whythematriarchal
society?"I'vealwaysbeen
interested
in writingfantasy
storiesaboutwomen,"says
Johnson.
"ButI noticethat
mostof whatI readtends
In the Dark ... I Hide, Tracy J.
Martin (Self): This tiny work is
reminiscent of the love poems
we got from high school sweethearts and the kind of tragic
journaling where the sublime
rears its head on the pages we wrote
furiously. This collection of poems has
an echo we all can recognize from those
first moments of self-awareness, lust and
lost love.
The Good Parts: Erotic Poetry for
Women, S. Valentine King (Outskirts
Press): A mature, powerful voice of erotic
poetry, King eloquently delivers words
with decadent substance and titillating
style. The ardor and arousal these poems
elicit cannot be contained between the
lines-or the sheets, for that matter. (outskirtspress.com) - Colleen McCaffrey
thesethemes-TheSongof theLioness
Quartet
byTamoraPierce,
for example-I
wantedto try something
a littledifferent.I
to focusonthemesof singularwomen
likethe ideaof matriarchal
societies,
and
'makingit' or 'overcoming
odds'in what
thoughthegovernments
in thebook's
is incontrovertibly
a man'sworld.This
largerworldaren'tasstrictlymatriarchal
makessense,because
mostfantasy
asthesocietyon Lana'slittleisland,I
novelsareset in verypatriarchal
societattempted
to createa worldwherethe
iesbasedonthoseof WesternEurope.
patriarchy
had
Thus,if youfocusona femalecharacter, conceptof a Western-style
a greatdealof theadversity
sheis faced neverexisted.I wantedto writea story
withis necessarily
coupledwithhergen- aboutwomenthatwasn'tdefinedaround
men."Sounds
goodto us.- MeaChavez
der.WhileI enjoymanynovelsthatuse
March 2008
I 73
Reviews Music Watch
Their Personal Best
I
A superstar and two sophomores showcase their finest work yet. By Margaret Coble
GirlsandAirplanes,
AnneE.DeChant
(FunnyManMusic):
Withmelodicballads,
countrytwangand
make-you-want-todance,sure-to-be-hits,
Cleveland's
local
girlturnedstarAnne
Dechantenchants
usagainwith her
newalbumGirlsand
Airplanes.
Artbecomes
activismin hersongs
as shelyricallyfights
for same-sex
marriage,
amongothergayand
lesbianrights.A Lilith
Fairveteran,DeChant
standsalonewitha
uniquesoundand
story-weaving
ability.
Somanyawardsline
herwalls,includingthe recentBest
Singer/Songwriter
from
theSceneCleveland
MusicAwardsand Though they are at different points in their musical careers,
BestFemale
Singer/ Garrison Starr, Ani Difranco and Nicky Click have all put
Songwriter
fromthe out strong albums in recent months that show them at their
Cleveland
FreeTimes best. Starr, after a string of underperforming CDs for vari,
Readers
Poll.Shehas ous labels, has gone the self,reliant route, putting out her lat,
openedfor rockstars est on her own, and finally seems to have found the right for,
likeStevieNicks,Joan mula for success. Difranco, having recently given birth, has
JettandNoraJones.
worked on projects that can be done from home, including a
Herpoignant
voiceis
career,spanning retrospective. And Click, the youngster of the
sureto impressmore
thanjustfolk lovers. three, offers a second CD and DVD that flesh out who she is: an
(anneedechantcom)up,and,comer to keep an eye on.
-MeaChavez
The Girl That Killed September, Garrison Starr
(Media Creature Music/12x12): From the first time I
74
Icurve
heard Mississippi,born, out,dyke Garrison Starr opening for
Melissa Ferrick years ago, her voice pulled me in. She has a voice
soaked in all manner of melancholy, making you long to know the
stories behind the woman from whom the voice emanates. Her
music, steeped in her Southern roots, has ranged from straight,
up folk to more rocking fare and at best has been inconsistent at
matching up with her always emotionally charged lyrics. But on
this latest album, Starr has finally hit her mark. Everythingjells
on this 11,track disc produced in Nashville by friend and col,
laborator Neilson Hubbard-her
gritty but melodic voice; the
Sheryl,Crow,meets,Lucinda,Williams alt,pop,rock tunes; and
the always,down,to,earth, passionate lyrics. From the opening,
radio,friendly pop folk of "Unchangeable;' about Starr's disillu,
sionment with the teachers and students of her Christian educa,
tion, to the hand,clapping pop ditty "40 Days;' which belies the
sadness and loneliness of the ode to lost love, Starr has never
sounded so good. And don't miss the Margaret Cho,directed
video for another standout cut, "Understood;' currently in high
rotation on YouTube and starring Chewbacca and Wonder
Woman! (garrisonstarr.com)
Canon, Ani Difranco (Righteous Babe): I feel like I
ran out of interesting ways to write about Ani DiFranco years
ago, as I think I've covered just about every single one of her 19
studio albums since her 1990 start. And yet here I go again, try,
ing to capture the endless font of creativity and inspiration that is
Ani, on the occasion of the release of this first,ever career retro,
spective album. Featuring 36 songs from her remarkable catalog,
including five rerecorded tracks ("Shameless;'"Napoleon;'"Your
Next Bold Move;"'Overlap" and "Both Hands"), the two,disc set
8
i
u.
9.
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::::i
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Find someone
you clickwith on
pinksofa.com
does an amazingjob of captur,
ing the essence and evolution
of "the little folksinger" since
her spunky self-titled debut.
The 1997 live compendium
Living in Clip is often regarded
as her first "greatest hits" callee,
tion, but Canon reaches further
and benefits from having a de,
cade more of Difranco gems
from which to choose. It is also
being released in tandem with
Verses, DiFranco's first book of
poetry, illustrated with her own artwork. A musthave for fans, and a great introduction for anyone
somehow not familiar with her prolific output.
(righteous babe.com)
I'm on My Cell Phone, Nicky Click (Foxie/
Crunks Not Dead)
Member! Musically, she lives
somewhere in the zone between Tracy and the Plastics
and Scream Club. Her music
is heavy on the arty irony yet
simple in its repetition and
composition, and ultimately
danceable, if silly. This time
around she features several
guest artists, many of whom
are stars of the underground
queer rap/ electro scene in
their own right, including
JenRO, Katastrophe, Johnny Dangerous, Cathy
Cathodic and Hornet Leg. Standout cuts include
the catchy title track, the classic old,school rap
"Crazy Shir;' (which could easily be confused for
a Northern State song), and the retro '80s blipfest
"Who's Laughing Now;' featuring Danny Damage.
Frankly, I find that Click's best work is in her per,
formances and visual arts-it's what pulls it all to,
Nicky Click is an emerging performance artist/
filmmaker /beat-producer/ rapper who got her start
in the Olympia, Wash., underground scene, but is
now living in Durham, N.H., where she grew up.
On this sophomore album, Click serves up more
gether. Hence, her recently released Handcuffs &
Handbags DVD, containing seven music and art
videos, including some of the stronger cuts from
her debut CD, like "I Wanna Exercise" and "Two
of her lo-fi electro-pop dance music, which first
caught my ear on her debut disc, You're Already a
Femme Girls;' is worth checking out. Ultimately,
Click continues to captivate. (nickyclick.com)
1 week free trial
Just enter the promo code
CUrve03 when you join
~sofa.com
connecting lesbians
q
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March 2008
I 75
OTHER LICKS
Q+A
Mara Levi
With the release of her
second album, What Are
You?, and her award-winning "The Homo Song,"
Mara Levi (maralevi.com)
is creating her own niche
in the music market. This
multitalented artist presents not only the captivating vocals but also a
potpourri of music with
scents of folk, rock, classical and "smartpop" -a
term she dubbed to describe a genre of music
that is catchy and accessible, but also intricate and
shrewd. - Elise Roy
Your new album is called
What Are You? Why this
title?
Musically, and also in terms of
where I fit on the gender spectrum, people always want to
know how I define myself-it
helps them make assumptions
about what I must be like. ... I
chose that title because I hope it makes people think a little about
how they define themselves for other people, or why.
What experiences inspired you to write "The Homo Song?"
Unfortunately, there were many. From girlfriends to good friends to
fans, I've encountered so many people with stories about homophobic parents who make it difficult for them to feel accepted for who
they are. So this is my way of poking fun at everyone involved fur
getting so caught up in this one part of who they are.
Your lyrics for "The Homo Song" are confrontational and
honest. What was your parents' reaction to the lyrics?
They definitely didn't like it at first. Particularly, the line "It's only gir~s
that make her wet ..:•[is) not a mom-pleaser. But I think my parents
understand that I am trying to be confrontational with this song,
trying to make people deal with the things about sex or sexuality
that might make them cringe, and trying to get them to get over
that a little.
Has anything outrageous happened to you while touring?
Once, someone was writing during my entire set .... She showed it to
me afterwards, and it was a journal entry about how she wanted to
have sex with me. [It) kind of made me uncomfortable and I didn't
really know how to react, so I thanked her for being so brave and
sharing that with me. Then she pretty much bolted for the door.
76
I curve
CloudMachines,
Swallows(Church
of Girl):ThePortland,
Ore.,queer
duoreturnwitha solidfive-songEP
follow-upto lastyear'sMewithTrees
Towering,
filledwithdarkbutperky
emopsychedelia-grunge
thatowesas
muchto DIYpunkas it doesto '7Osart
rock.(songsofswallows.
com)
Rhythm
ofLife,EmiliaSosa(5
Points):
AftersurvivingKatrina,
this
NewOrleans
nativeresettledin Seattle,
whereherslinkyelectronica
has
founda devoted
audience.
Fromthe
openingrock-tronica
"Rhythmof Life,"
to theaccordion-flavored
trip-hopper
"NothingGoodto Say,"this11-track
albumis sexy,soulfulandhypnotic,
withSosa'svoiceflowinggorgeously
acrossit all.(emiliamusic.com)
ii>llr'
.~
'-t
TheKitchen
Sink,SeanWiggins
& IOnegOat(self-released):
I still
don'tunderstand
whythis LA-based,
out-lesbian,
bluesycountry-rocker
who
soundslikea crossbetweenMelissa
Etheridge
andMaryChapincarpenter
isn'ta hugestar.Herlatest13-cut
albumprovesthatsheshouldbe.
(seanwiggins.
com)
WorldHits,VariousArtists
(Putumayo):
With11 classicworld
musicfavorites,
thiscollectionis a
no-brainer.
MiriamMakeba's
"Pata
Pata"andYoussou
N'DourandNeneh
Cherry's"7 Seconds"
aretwo of my
personal
favorites,butinternational
hitslikeSantana's
"OyeComoVa,"
JimmyCliff's"TheHarderTheyCome,"
andManuDibango's
"SoulMakossa"
areessentials
for everyone's
music
collection.(putumayo.com)
l
;,
•
r ,~'
- r4
·.::':
,;,
• I
t
.
After,RonndaCadle& TheString
Poets(NickelandDimeStudios):
Thisgorgeous
folk-classical
instrumentalalbumfromtheAtlanta-based
quartetheadedbyoutsinger-songwriterCadlewouldbeperfectfor your
nextmassage
or meditation,
orfor
just relaxingat home.Filledwithrich
acousticguitars,viola,bass,various
percussion
anddrums,it's anaural
treatthathasa visceral,calmingeffect,butisn'tcheesylikea lot of New
Agemusicis. (ronndacad/e.com)
Whatever
Happened
to Romance?
VictoriaHart(Decca):If youlikethat
classic,big-bandjazzvocalsound,
then19-year-old
blondbombshell
Hart
shouldbeonyourlistto checkout.
Her13-cutdebutcontainsonlyone
cover(theRayDavies/Kinks
classic
"SunnyAfternoon"),
withtherestof
thesongswritteneitherfor or byher,
andincludingpop,jazz,swing,blues
andevensalsa.Everysong'sa winner.
(victoriahart.com)-MC
d.
8
::r:
c(
::r:
Cl)
I Tried It Reviews
All Tied Up
Some scarves help a former hippie open up. j By Kristin.A. Smith
I grew up in a house of therapists-my father used
psychodrama to help Vietnam vets and my mother
worked with students with behavioral disorders.
Many of our other co,op members were Buddhist
and trans,personal psychologists. What I'm saying
is, I'm no newbie to alternative therapy.
My editors knew nothing of my upbringing
when they sent me to The Center for the Living
Arts, an art,based therapy organization in Oakland,
Cali£ To them, it was just another assignment. For
me, it was the perfect opportunity to connect my
hippie upbringing with my writing career.
Pushing open the heavy wooden door, I found
myself-in the waiting room. After a few minutes
of waiting, Amanda came out and greeted me. She
-had a familiar look, with her urban hippie outfit
and generous smile.
We started the session like most therapy be,
gins-in opposing chairs. I told her about my
recent move, how I had traded the stability of my
Seattle life for the chaos and excitement of my San
Francisco one. We decided to focus the session on
bridging the gap between the two worlds.
"Why don't we lie on the floor?"Amanda asked.
So I joined her on the berber carpet. This is where
the session really began. She grabbed a pile of multi,
colored scarves from the corner and laid them on
8 the floor."Show me your new world;' she said.
l'cn
I grabbed most of the pile, tied it up in knots
~0
and threw it on the floor. It was a mess."Now show
me a peaceful place;•she said. I picked up the re,
V5 maining scarves, folded them into a pile and lined
a:
the outside with a soothing pink. "It looks like a
nest;' Amanda offered. "Why don't you sit in the
<(
nest?"
For many people, this is the mo,
ment that would se~d them running,
but I spent every summer in a hand,
built sweat lodge with my mother,
so the idea of sitting in my nest of
scarves is not completely out of my
comfort zone.
I played along. I nested. I roosted.
On Amanda's suggestion, I looked to
the pile of scarves and tried to em,
body it. "I am a mess;• I said. "I am
without order. I am chaotic. I am
disorganized:' It was a strange act of
personification-a sort of antithesis
to Stewart Smallie'saffirmations.
Amanda then asked me to sit in the pile of
disorganization and begin naming the nest. "I am
orderly. I am clean. I am peaceful. I am stagnant:'
Hmmm. Realization number one: my former life
wasn't as perfect as I had thought.
Amanda told me to visually connect the two
worlds and to imagine that there was a guard on
each side. She asked me what I would say to each
gatekeeper.
It was hard not to ask Amanda if she was "the
key master:• But I put that scene aside and held up
the disorganized pile saying,"I like you, but I can't
be with you forever:•And then I picked up the nest
and said,'Tm leaving,but I'll be back:' It was aweird
puppet show, and I kind of wish that Amanda and
I had acted out the gatekeeper/key master scene in,
stead. But hey, that's a different kind of therapy.
Finally Amanda asked me to take things from
the comfort to the chaos. What could I bring (rep,
resented in scarves, of course) from my old life to
the new? I started with the mundane-a candle,
my wooden boxes, some lamps, and then it dawned
on me. I wanted to take my cat. But my cat, which
had stayed at my partner's parents' house during the
transition, had run away.
I wasn't expecting it, but I began to cry. I cried
into my nest of scarves and thought about the cat
that I had lost. And then I cried to think that I was
on an officecarpet, crying in a pile of scarves.
I hadn't expected to be moved by the experience.
I knew I was open to alternative therapy, but what
I didn't expect was that in being open to alternative
therapy, I would open up a part of myself I had kept
hidden-a loss that I had not talked about. I walked
out through the heavy door and I felt lighter.
March 2008
I 77
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I 79
Top Ten Reasons We Love Kelly McAlister
"1200 Curfews" kept her healing. That's why she
played it every single day for six months. Today
when she hears a song from the double disc album
it takes her right back to that time in her life-in
a good way..
4.She'sa rolemodel.At the Monarchs' games she's
often recognized by young girls and their moms.
The preteen accolades run the gamut from "You're
totally cool" to "We love your style:• The 26-yearold believes young girls need their own identities
and is proud to be a beacon of inspiration.
5. She'sa dragking.Her group The Pacmen was
the winning troupe in 2007's San Francisco Drag
King Contest. Her alter ego, Mikey Lykesit, is as
charming as they come. A self-described prince
and lady-loving, hard-working kind of fella, he
tells kingsofdrag.com, "Don't let the 'rough around
the edges' exterior fool you though. I am just a kitten in a tiger's body.... "
6. She'snotafraidto takechances.
The Southern
California native pulled a Britney and shaved her
head at least three times in her young life. She told
viewers on her My58 blog that it was a great way
to get a fresh start. If Britney ever decides to go
commando on her cabezaagain, McAlister advises, "Wear sunscreen!"
7. Shehasa fetish.A shoe fetish that is. Not the
If in the straight world there's something about
Mary, in the lesbian world there's definitely something about Kelly McAlister. One of the most
charming women you'll ever meet, the former cohost ofMy58's Sunday night show GarageCinema
is also witty, full of unbridled optimism and just
downright enthusiastic. Hooking up with her is
out of the question though, ladies. Marci, her livein love of four years, wouldn't like that. Neither
would the kids: Bandit, a cocker spaniel and Bahr,
a sheltie. Marci and the kids love her and here are
some facts that will make you fall in love with her,
too. - Renee Westbrook
1. Shewasa TVshowhost.In 2006, she won the
My58 Host Hunt Contest and a one-year contract.
During the part-time gig at Sacramento's KQCA,
she interviewed Mayor Heather Fargo, Monarchs
guard Kara Lawson and the macho mixed martial arts men of the International Fight League.
Although her hosting duties ended last October,
McAlister still does promos for the station and
wants to pursue other TV gigs, as well. Logo and
here! TV, she's ready for her close-up.
soI curve
Manolo Blahnik or the D&G kind either. Like
any self-respecting tomboy, it's Puma, Converse
Chuck Taylors, Ice Creams, Vans ... the list goes
on. The U.S. Lesbian Tomboy Association thanks
you, Ms. McAlister.
The preteen accolades
run the gamut from
"You'retotally cool" to
"We love your style."
8. Shehasa veryspecialtalent She can roll her
2. She'san out lesbian.Both at My58 (part of
tongue like a wave. No need to clarify. Check out
the clip at My58.com.
the Fox News Corporation) and at her day job as
a compliance auditor for Nationwide Insurance,
she is ot1;t and proud. The Carmichael, Cali£,
resident has been open about her sexuality since
day one and has great relationships with her
co-workers. She says it's all about projection.
"If you project your life as normal, you're comfortable with who you are, who you love and
who you're with, I think people pick up on that:'
3. EllenDeGeneres
andthe IndigoGirlseasedthe
transitionintolesbianlife. She came out around
the same time Ellen publicly outed herself. Ellen's
comedy, courage and unrelenting spirit gave a then
16-year-old McAlister much-needed hope. While
Ellen's comedy kept her laughing, the Indigo Girls'
9. Sheplaysfavorites.
At least where TheL Wordis
concerned. She most identifies with Alice because
the character is uncompromising in who she is and
is "sort of ovaries to the wall:' When it comes to
romantic evenings, however, McAlister would like
to spend a night consoling her favorite left-at-thealtar lesbian, Carmen de la Pica Morales. That, of
course, means she would become part of the constellation that lies in the universe of Shane.
1o.Heroptimism
andenthusiasm
arecontagious.
Have a 20-minute conversation with her. When
cc
it's over you'll want to run down the street sing- . cri
ing the theme song from Flashdance.Yeah. There's
definitely something about Kelly McAlister.
i
It's called the common cold. But with an infant, it might seem
more like the constant one. Most children get anywhere from
8 to 10 colds before their second birthday. Colds that can come
with a fever. Infants' Tylenol® works with little bodies to bring
down the fever while also easing aches and pains. And it's the
brand of pain reliever pediatricians recommend most. Just be
sure to ask your doctor before giving Infants' Tylenol to your
baby. And relax because frequent colds are normal at this age.
But so are speedy recoveries.
Feel better,
TYLENOL.
INFANTS'
Use only as directed.
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