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Description
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ToC Cover: Peace of Her Heart [Heather Peace] by Rachel Shatto (p50); Travel & Style Special Issue; Out in America by Janelle Sorenson (p30); Back with a Banga by Dave Steinfeld (p34); Namaste and Away by Constance Parten (p44); Traci Dinwiddie Down Under (p55); Top and Autum by Claire Moseley (p38); Harem Couture by Kim Hoffman (p46); Fabulous Fiji by Gilian Kendall (p60): Midwestern Magic by Kathy Belge (p64); The Charm of Queer Berlin by Stephanie Schoeder (p68): Cover Photo by Andrew Winton.
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Travel Issue
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issue
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7
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Date Issued
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September 2012
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Format
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PDF/A
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Publisher
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Frances Stevens
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Identifier
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Curve_Vol22_No7_September-2012_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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Features
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SEPTEMBER
2012
Peace of Her Heart
The star of the sizzling Lip Service reveals her
reasons for coming out and what it feels like to
balance 1V fame with her skyrocketing music
career. By Rachel Shatto
30
Out in America
Around America, queer women are considering
who to vote for and why. By Janelle Sorenson
34
Back With a Banga
Androgynous music legend Patti Smith reflects
on her career. By Dave Steinfeld
44
Namaste and Away
Look stylish in the yoga studio and in the street
with this great gear. By Constance Parten
55
Traci Dinwiddie Down Under
The Supernatural star's Australian adventure.
By Traci Dinwiddie
Travel& Stile Sgecial
Visit some of the hottest destinations on
the planet and make sure that you're
dressed for success this Fall.
38
Top and Autumn
Advice on all the essentials you need this
season. By Claire Moseley
46
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Harem Couture
Lesbian fashion designer Sheila
Rashid explores androgynous femininity.
By Kim Hoffman
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The exotic South Pacific destination offers
a warm welcome and lesbian-friendly luxury.
By Gillian Kendall
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Midwestern Magic
Wisconsin delivers food, wine and outdoor
adventure in Door County. By Kathy Beige
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The Charm of Queer Berlin
Life is a cabaret in the lesbian capitol of
Europe. By Stephanie Schroeder
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8
10
12
19
20
22
27
80
24
Queer Queens of Qomedy alum Michele Balan
is more than just another "lesbian comic."
Letters
Editor's Letter
Contributors
26
The Two of Us
Our monthly profile of lesbian couples
who live, love and work together.
28
Lesbofile
Lipstick & Dipstick
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Politics
In spite of a gradual advancement of rights,
violence against lesbians continues.
By Victoria A. Brownworth
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Stars
Butch fashion goes beyond flannel;
Seattle photographer Molly
Landreth creates queer portraits;
catch up with what happened
around the world in the Rundown.
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Laugh Track
Music: We listened to the latest albums
from Gossip, Crys Matthews, Ladyhawke
and Vicci Martinez.
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Books: Author and therapist Rachel Pepper
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Desiree Lim
Meet the Chinese lesbian filmmaker behind
the mind-bending thriller, The House. Lim
shares how she is exploring new genres while
remaining true to her cultural roots.
Dance Music Revolution
Catch up with JD Samson, the dapper-queer
electro musician as she embarks on new journeys
with the performance collective group that is MEN.
e
Gay Greetings
Dina and Dina of Teazled cards, the all LGBT-themed
greeting card company, share the expansion of
their company and their ongoing fight with a major
greeting card company over their trademark.
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L.A. artist Michelle
Robinson explores the
shape and color of
femininity and sensuality
with her breathtaking
canvases of overlapping
stylized figures.
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curve
LETTERS
Brandi Carlile Joan As Police Woman Cat Cora
ll#fu#M?f11jp
Memorable Music
Thank you for your wonderful music issue.
It was good to catch up with Brandi Carlile
again (love her) and also to learn about some
new lesbian musicians I had never heard before.
Your celebrity playlist was great (listening to
it right now!) but I especially loved the piece
on Janis Joplin ("The Pearl;' Vol. 22#6]. She
is a queer musician who should never, ever
be forgotten by lesbians. She paved the way
for so many others and I don't think I have
read a better summation of her relevance
than in this issue of curve. Keep up the
good work.
-Chris Morrish, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sapphic Suggestions
Pitch-Perfect Politics
Way to go Victoria Brownworth for your
thoughts on Obama ("End of the Rainbow;'
Vol. 22#6]. It was music to my ears. We were
all so quick to feel euphoric about his promarriage statement but are we going to hold
him to his rainbow baiting? As my mother
used to say,"The trick to a happy life is know ing when to ask for what you need:' Well, we
need equal rights now and I hope all lesbians
will ask-no-demand
them this year.
-Erin Stanley, Brooklyn, N.Y.
I have just started watching Lip Service and
I am a huge fan. Please, please, please do an
interview with Ruta Gedmintas who plays
Frankie. OMFG! Shane who? Frankie is
hotness personified. Please put her on the
cover and I will wallpaper my bedroom with
curve issues!
-Ella "Lippy" Hitchens, Washington D.C.
I would like to see more articles about
lesbians in business. The only successful
people in life are not celebrities on one hand
and activists on the other. What about the
women who are working to generate wealth
and create jobs for others? I would like to
hear more from them.
-Financial Femme, via email
Editor's Note: Stay tuned for more on Lip
Service and don't miss our October Power Issue
which focuses on business-minded lesbians.
A cute new gay housemate
moves in. You:
66%
13%
11%
10%
CORRECTION
In the fashion spread "Tomboy Chic" (Vol.
22#5], Kenya, one of the models' names,
was missing.
From Curve's
Facebook Wall
OMG,sheis so beautiful... I wish
I couldkeephittingthe like button.
-Diane Spignesi-Dillman
OMG!!!LucyLawless... she'sback!
StunningandHOTas usual.
-Marjory Lefevre
I am prettysuremyjaw just dropped!!!
Wow!-Julie Coulombe
FABULOUS-she
so belongsthere!!!
Gorgeously
coolwoman.
-Kristina Niemann
A beautiful& remarkableladyof a kind
sheis & oneof the earliestfemale
crushesI everhad.LonglivetheWarrior
Princess.Xenaandhersubtextis for
eternity.:D-Eva MercedesReichmann
Goodgodsheis a turn on maybeit's just
the Xenathing?-Marcey Anderson
Aaaaaaah!!!
Sexcellent;)
-Martine McDermott
Lucymakesmewannado badthings:)
-C.d. Kirven
I think it's stunningandI'll be buying
one!-Donna Kaye
Yummy!Aw... l adoreher,really.Great
heartandfunnyas hellsenseof humor.
I'll be buyingmycopythis weektosho!
-Jodi Boye
Thisis annoyingbecauseyourcovers
aresoooogoodthat my vocabularyhas
run out of stock:-DDDcurve, you're
awesome!-Evelyne Plate/
Aresoexcitedto have
a partnerin crime
Climbintoherbedand
seewhathappens
Panicandhide
inyourroom
Introduce
herto
yoursinglefriend
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CRAVINGTHE ULTIMATE
REEN
RAVEL
ACKAGE?
FUN. COURTESY OF
TRAVEL
W\SCflNSIN
-.COM-
EDITOR'S
NOTE
T
curve
THE BEST-SELLING
LESBIAN
MAGAZINE
HISIS OURTRAVEL
ANDSTYLEISSUE,and while they
may at first seem incongruent, any seasoned traveler
will tell you that moving through exotic locales with a
sense of the local style is as important as a passport. Recently, I
got to thinking again about the thorny issue oflesbian style and
whether we ought to embrace it.
The L Word provided us with a revelation of sorts, with its
high~fashion portrayal of go~getting lesbians. The Real L Word
presents yet another image of trendy lesbians- this time from
real life.
At a recent dot429 event in New York City for Pride
(dot429 is the premier networking organization for the LGBT
community and its allies) I was not altogether surprised that
lesbians were scarce at a swish cocktail~
and~canape mixer in a luxury penthouse.
The cover ($85) was hefty, but it included
all~you~could~drink premium wine and
spirits, sumptuous hors d'oeuvres, decor
to die for, interesting company (I mixed
with Jane Velez~Mitchell and others in
media and finance) and A~list Manhattan
views. But why so few lesbians? In New
York, most nights on the town with food
and booze will set you back at least $85.
The lesbians I did meet that night
were stylish and well~traveled (although
these were no trust~fund kids). Rebecca,
for example, designs lingerie under the
name Bex NYC. A lesbian who married
her girlfriend, Rebecca (who also works
for Playboy)expressed dismay at lesbians'
ambivalence toward a style staple with
which she is familiar: lingerie.
"I think women, regardless of their ori~
entation, love feeling sexy;' said Bex. "Sexy
to me is exuding a sense of confidence. A girl who rocks a pair
of boxer briefs with a great fit and kickass attitude is far sexier
than someone who tries to self~consciously force themselves
into what they feel society portrays as seductive:'
Customers, friends and even her wife have told her that they
are uncomfortable wearing sexy lingerie. "However, when I've
given them a great~fitting bra or pair of panties, they have come
back to me saying, 'I never knew I could wear that, and I love
the way they make me feel:"
So, ladies, whether you rock a pair of boxers or the latest
lacy intimates, let's head for the penthouse! We belong there as
much as anywhere else.
Fitting
Rooms
~~,_.
Merryn
Editor-i
merryn@curvemag.com
s I curve
SEPTEMBER
2012
I VOLUME 22 NUMBER 7
Publisher Silke Bader
Founding Publisher Frances Stevens
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Merryn Johns
Managing Editor Rachel Shatto
Associate Editor Jillian Eugenios
Book Review Editor Rachel Pepper
Contributing Editors Victoria A. Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Stephanie Schroeder, Constance Parten
Copy Editor Katherine Wright
Editorial Assistants Adam Brinklow, Kim Hoffman
OPERATIONS
Director of Operations Laura McConnell
ADVERTISING
National Sales
Rivendell Media (908)232-2021, todd@curvemag.com
East Coast Sales
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West Coast & Midwest Sales
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Business Development
Sallyanne Monti (510) 545-4986, sallyanne@curvemag.com
ART/PRODUCTION
Art Director Stefanie Liang
Production Artist Kelly Nuti
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Kathy Beige, Kelsy Chauvin, Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Maria De La
0, Jill Goldstein, Lisa Gunther, Melany Joy Beck, Kristin Flickinger,
Gillian Kendall, Charlene Lichtenstein, Karen Loftus, Sassafras
Lowrey, Ariel Messman-Rucker, Constance Parten, Laurie K.
Schenden, Stephanie Schroeder, Lori Selke, Kristin Smith, Janelle
Sorenson, Allison Steinberg, Dave Steinfeld, Edie Stull, Yana
Tallon-Hicks, Tina Vasquez, Jocelyn Voo
CONTRIBUTING
ILLUSTRATORS
& PHOTOGRAPHERS
Erica Beckman, Meagan Cignoli, JD Disalvatore, Sophia Hantzes,
Syd London, Cheryl Mazak, Maggie Parker, Constance Parten,
Leslie Van Stelten, Katherine Streeter, Kina Williams
PO Box 467
New York, NY i 0034
Phone (415) 871-0569 Fax (510) 380-7487
Advertising Sales (415) 692-5420
Subscription Inquiries (800) 705-0070 (toll-free in us only)
(818) 286-31 02 (outside US)
Digital Edition Subscriptions zinio.com/digital.curvemag
Advertising Email advertising@curvemag.com
Editorial Email editor@curvemag.com
Letters to the Editor Email letters@curvemag.com
Volume 22 Issue 7 Curve (ISSN 1087-867X) is published monthly (except for bimonthly
January/February and July/August) by Avalon Media, LLC, PO Box 467, New York NY
10034. Subscription price: $59.90/year, $59.90 Canadian (U.S. funds only) and $89.95
international (U.S. funds only). Returned checks will be assessed a $25 surcharge. Periodicals
postage paid at San Francisco, CA 94114 and at additional mailing offices (USPS 0010-355).
Contents of Curve Magazine may not be reproduced in any manner, either whole or in part,
without written permission from the publisher. Publication of the name or photograph of any
persons or organizations appearing, advertising or listing in Curve may not be taken as an
indication of the sexual orientation of that individual or group unless specifically stated. Curve
welcomes letters, queries, unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Include SASE for response.
Lack of any representation only signifies insufficient materials. Submissions cannot be
returned unless a self-addressed stamped envelope is included. No responsibility is assumed
for loss or damages. The contents do not necessaraly represent the opinions of the editor,
unless specifically stated. All magazines sent discreetly. Subscription Inquiries: Please write
to Curve, Avalon Media LLC., PO Box 467 New York NY 10034, email crvcs@magserv.com.
Canadian Agreement Number: 40793029. Postmaster:Send Canadianaddresschangesto crvcs@
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Curve, PO Box 17138, N. Hollywood,CA 91615-7138. Printedin the U.S.
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CONTRIBUTORS
Block
,o I curve
TraciDinwiddie
is best known for her award-winning performance as Peyton Lombard in Elena Undone.To sci-fi fans
she is Pamela Barnes, the flirty and feisty blind psychic on
CW's Supernatural.When not on set, she fills her days with
Anusara yoga, trapeze training, West African drumming
and making guerilla-style #MoustacheMonday videos. A
social media maven, Traci helms a cyber-tribe of T ~bugs
through her Facebook fan page, Twitter @groovegoddess
and her website tracidinwiddie.com. There, she shares her
passion for fitness, travel, marriage equality and her own
philosophy of healthy, creative living: "Good lsness:'
GillianKendallhas written more travel features for curve
than for any other publication. After selling her house
and sort of breaking up with her longtime partner in
May 2011 (see "Getting Over Her on Oahu;' Vol. 21#7),
she has divided her time between the U.S. and the UK.,
while 99 percent of her possessions and a sizable chunk
of her heart remain in Melbourne, Australia. Co-author
of How I Became a Human Being, author of the New York
Times notable book of the year Mr. Ding's Chicken Feet,
and editor of Something to Declare:Good Lesbian Travel
Writing, she loves going to new places, revisiting old ones
and writing about her experiences. (gilliankendall.org,
"I wanted to become a journalist because I have an abiding
love of being hung up on and told to get lost;' says curve
editorial assistant AdamL. Brinklow."The slightly befuddled tone that someone adopts when you show up out
of nowhere and ask them questions is surpassed only by
their total mystification when you come back the next day:'
This month's fashion contributors were more cooperative
than most people, "Probably because they saw my outfit
and realized just how much help I really needed;' he jokes.
Adam works as a screenwriter for Truism Media in San
Francisco and has been featured in SOMA Magazine.
blogodonia.wordpress.com)
JennyBlockis the author of the Lambda Literary Awardwinning book Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open
Marriage. She is also a freelance writer and the social
media strategist for Nia Technique (nianow.com). Her
writing has appeared in and on outlets all around the
world, including HuffingtonPost.com, Newsweek.com,
Macau Closer, Dallas Morning News, EdgeDallas.com,
Dallas Voice,American Way, Feministing.com and many
others. (jennyonthepage.com)
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The Universal Butch
Fashion for the stud in all of us. By Adam L. Brinklow
From stone cold to high femme, we all have a little butch in
us. Which is why Jessica "ToeB" Berry created her BOTCH
Clothing line. "What I wanted was an iconic brand;' Berry says.
She observes that most successful clothing labels started with
a niche, and cites examples like Lacoste and Adidas, before
expanding, diversifying, then marketing worldwide. "If you
can get a gay brand to be worldwide, what better way to be
inclusive?;' she says.
Berry's initial concept was for a clothing line made in men's
wear style but fit to a woman's body. She noticed that some of her
straight male friends were opting to buy women's jeans because
they fit better, and some women preferred men's jeans. "Whoever
is cutting these patterns is just doing it wrong;' she thought, so
she decided to simply produce the clothes she would want to buy,
matching style to fit in a suit~yourself way.
BOTCH clothes are for people who want to make a state~
ment; loud, confident and straightforward. But you don't have to
be butch to wear BOTCH. Who wouldn't want to liven up their
look with a trucker hat that boldly declares "I Dig Chicks!;' or
maybe enjoy the solid comfort of women's boxer briefs (the
product catalog promises "No front opening").
There's one particular element of the BOTCH line that never
fails to draw attention, and that's the logo. Berry thought about
the Lacoste alligator and wanted to develop something equally
iconic. She considered a bulldog but decided that it was a little
too on~the~nose. Her solution? A rooster. Which poses a poten~
tially delicate question: Why the cock?
"There's a double entendre there, obviously;' Berry says. "I
wanted something that didn't have just one definition:' And the
rooster is a playful homage to her favorite lesbian fashion trend,
the fauxhawk. "I love it. I mean, a rooster uses that to attract
females, and we use it to attract women. It's perfect. The cock is a
no~brainer:' We'll leave it up to you to parse that last comment.
Berry made BOTCH with butch lesbians in mind, but she
doesn't hesitate to market the brand's unapologetic attitude to
a wider clientele. Trans gender people, femmes and even straight
and gay men (bears love BOTCH, she says) can all find some~
thing for themselves in her catalog. "It's a gay brand first;' she
says, "but I want all people to be able to come to the tent:' If
the label can become successful enough that non~gay people
are comfortable wearing a gay brand, that's the ultimate vie~
tory for Berry. But no matter how universal the label's appeal
might become, Berry isn't about to forget her own community:
BOTCH's online store has a "Cause" tab that discusses the
company's donations to the Human Rights Campaign in the
name of legalizing same~sex marriage. (hutchclothingco.com) ■
September 2012
I 13
CURVATURES
Molly Landreth Shoots the Real Story
This photographer's projects have a mission: Get it right. By Adam L. Brinklow
Seattle photographer Molly Landreth went to the Royal Pavilion in
Brighton, England, knowing only that she was scheduled to shoot
a subject for her Queer Brighton photo project there. She had no
idea what he would be wearing or what the actual composition of
the shot would be.
When Brighton teenager Zack showed up in a vintage-style
beige-and-white pinstriped suit, accessorized with a small-brimmed
straw hat and a double- Albert fob chain, she was a little taken aback.
"Do you dress like this every day?" Landreth asked.
"Of course I don't;' Zack said.'Td never wear beige in the winter
or fall:'
With Queer Brighton and her ongoing domestic project, Embodiment, Landreth wants to
portray LGBT people in their own spaces and
their own lives, without allowing preconceptions
to get in the way. "The queer community is so
often underrepresented or misrepresented;' she
says. "This project is about getting it right:'
Landreth wants her subjects-ordinary,
everyday queer folks from all walks of life-to
be her collaborators on each shoot. When she
meets them, she does a short interview, then lets
them suggest a location that would make a good
backdrop for the story of their life.
Wardrobe is chosen by the subject as well. Landreth wants her
subjects to wear something that will make a statement about who
they are. "There's a performance in all of our lives, and a theatricality;' she says, "especially in the queer community, because we, a lot
of us, don't live life in a mainstream waY:' Are Landreth's photos
natural or theatrical? Are her subjects wearing clothes or costumes?
A little of both. Conceptually, Embodiment is about how people are
and how they would like to be.
Fashion, according to Landreth, is part of how people tell society
their story. "There's a million different ways that queer people dress;'
she says, "so there's not really a [single] queer fashion:' But her subjects are, of course, making a statement and leaving an impression.
Landreth gets her fair share of surprises from collaborators, like
the lesbian couple who dressed in drag as Orthodox Jewish men
(costumes from a play they were performing), or the genderqueer
man who wore homemade disco ball earrings the size of grapefruits,
or the leather-dad biker who talked about her knife collection and
her band, Sisters from Hell, during the interview, but on the day of
the shoot answered the door in an ankle-length floral dress, having
just left a church bake sale.
And there are quieter statements too: crisp jeans, hooded sweatshirts, old coats, bare legs and chests. Even the most casual-seeming
arrangements are there to tell the viewer something. The photos in
14
I curve
Embodiment are about identity, in every sense of the word.
Zack's unseasonably colored dandy wear was not the only surprise Landreth got on that Royal Pavilion shoot. The pillar in the
photograph is apparently an off-limits area, and no sooner did
she shoot the picture than she and Zack were greeted by security.
"We set off all the alarms;' she says. Looking at the finished image,
that's no surprise. (mollylandreth.com)■
"THERE'S A
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ESRECIALLY
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COMMUNllY,
BECAUSE WE, A
LOll OF US, DON'T
LIV LIFE IN A
MAI STREAM WAY"
September 2012
I 15
CURVATURES
the rundown
TheU.S.National
Longitudinal
Lesbian
FamilyStudyexplored the impact on children's
development due to a lack of male role models by utilizing the testimony of 78
teenagers growing up in lesbian households. The study concluded that neither the
psychological well~being nor the gender development in the children of lesbian
couples was impacted by the existence or lack thereof of a father figure ... Dr.Keren
from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle has released
Lehavot
a new study exploring the rates of sexual assault in sexual minority women. Dr.
Lehavot found that adult lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to report
childhood abuse and adult sexual assault than their heterosexual counterparts.
Specifically, butch women report more physical and emotional abuse as children,
a lesbian
and femmes experience more sexual assaults as adults ... LizaFriedlander,
in Queens, New York has been awarded a $25,000 settlement following an
incident which took place in a Sizzler restaurant last year. The restaurant manager physically assaulted her while yelling
homophobic slurs, and other customers at the restaurant continued to assault Friedlander until police arrived after friends,
was being held hostage in her parents' home
whom she was dining with, called 911... Kenyan lesbian JoanSandyAchieng
when she committed suicide. After learning that she was a lesbian, Achieng's parents forced her to return to their home,
cut off her communication to her friends and community, and close friends reported being attacked when they attempted
to visit her. She also reported being forcibly married off to an older male family friend. Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya
and punishable by 5-14 years imprisonment. Prior to
her suicide Achieng managed to contact a friend and
reportedly warned them she'd "had enough and was ready
to take her life and the misery that had become her life:'...
who started working for
Out lesbian writer JudyFreudberg,
SesameStreetin 1971 has died, she was 63. Freudberg was
responsible for the creation of Sesame Street classics like
Elmo's World and earned 17 Emmy Awards. She also was
the writer behind children's movie classics An American
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HONORARY
LIFETIME
LESBIAN
MEMBERSHIP
OUTINFRONT
Creative
Minds
Two lesbians who use activism,
education and interconnectedness
to strengthen LGBT civil rights.
By Sheryl Kay
Auteur Advocate
Attending aJesuit day school in Singapore
Lim.At age
was no easy task for Madeleine
15, she started dating her first girlfriend,
was outed by her school's vice~principal,
and was quickly shunned by all. In an
effort to be supportive, one teacher told
Lim, "You're such a good student, you can't
be a lesbian:'
It's not surprising that Lim recalls that
time as one of the low points in her life, she
even contemplated suicide. "I felt so isolated
and alienated;' she says. "That time in my life
really fueled my commitment to build com~
munity, to feel like I had some place or some
space where I belonged:'
It was around then, with many of her
friends and associates being thrown in jail
without a trial, that Lim began to see the
authentic drama in her own story, and also
began to explore the ways in which this nar~
rative might play out in a movie. When she
was 23, Lim left Singapore for the United
States, ready to take up the cause of LGBT
civil rights-and use her love of film to do it.
Today, at age 48, Lim is the award~win~
ning founder and executive director of the
Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project
(QWOCMAP),
based in San Francisco.
6' Her films have debuted around the world,
z
6 and she's a noted public speaker on the subject
c
g of filmmaking and social justice.
~
Last year, QWOCMAP
Productions
~ premiered The Gift of Family, about black
;}j
z lesbians and their children, as part of its Faith
z
~ and Family series, and Family Blessings, about
~ queer Asian Pacific Islander women rais~
~ ing children, premiered in June at the 2012
0
ffi Queer Women of Color Film Festival. "The
0..
~ whole series is important because it shows
~ us being queer within our own cultures, not
~ outside of them;' says Lim. "Lesbians and
gays are often
associated with
being white, and people of color are often
presumed to be straight, so it is important to
show us as we really are-living at the inter~
sections of race, gender and sexuality, queer
women of color who are raising children,
loving our families and loving our partners:'
Lim strongly believes that the only way to
strengthen LGBT civil rights is by building
alliances with the greater world community.
"It's an integrated and holistic way oflooking
at the interconnections of who we are:'
A Mighty Pen
Abe LouiseYoungsays her life has always
been about creative writing, listening, loving
oral history and other people's stories. Over
the last 15 years, Young has worked with
youth, queer elders, educators, activists and
communities in crisis. Writing and publish~
ing her own poetry and essays, she says, is
integral to that work, 'Just like teaching and
activism are totally intertwined:'
The great recurring theme in Young's
work is the advancement of communication
and bringing generations together. A recent
example is the guide she wrote last year,
entitled Queer Youth Advice for Educators:
How to Respect and Protect Your Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students.
'i\ny one of us can be a bridge between the
generations and connect the ends of that
precious thread;' she says.
Having just finished teaching a semester~
long high school writing workshop for LGBT
youth called Dynamite Voices: Writing to
Change Your World, Young is currently
working with a coalition of family violence
programs in all 254 counties in Texas. The
goal is to engage youth in ending violence
against women and girls. She's also working
on a memoir. Set in her hometown of New
Orleans, it's about queerness, childhood
trauma, and the healing power of creativity.
Many social issues are more related to
LGBT concerns than one might think,
Young notes. "The movement to end violence
against women and girls is hand~in~hand
with the movement for LGBT rights, because
both are rooted in patriarchy:'
Having spent a great deal of time on the
road in Texas, meeting with students and
educators alike, Young says she understands
the hardships kids endure, and the courage
it takes to come out in rural, religious, Bible
Belt USA. She thinks each person needs to
determine when the time is right, and when
it's safe.
"I know that every gay or lesbian child
who sees an out adult is one step closer to
self~love and happiness;' she says.
"Coming out isn't just for oneself. It
can change the vision of everyone around
you, expanding freedom, especially for the
youth:' ■
September 2012
I 19
LESBOFILE
Lezzie L'amour It's all about weddings, engagements and relationship updates
for our celesbians this month. By Jocelyn Voo
You know what they say: If ifs not
on Facebookl it neverhappened,
TV Wedding
On-again, off-again, and now really, really
on again: The Real L Word stars Whitney
Mixter and Sara Bettencourt are reportedly
making it official.
Sources tell Radar Online that nuptials
in California are imminent. And since their
entire romance occurred with the cameras
rolling, it's only appropriate to have the
engagement be aired as well. Time to
program those DVRs, ladies!
American Bi-dol
DVR guilty pleasure American Idol has
produced quite a few stars in the LGBT
community, like guylinered season eight
runner-up Adam Lambert (who's now
fronting the legendary glam-rock band
Queen) and season two's born-againChristian-but-also-now-out
Clay Aiken,
who netted $1.5 million last year. However,
there's been a dearth of gay female contestants-until
now.
You may remember Frenchie Davis, the
soulful R&B singer with the shaved head,
who got booted off season two when topless
20
I curve
photos taken during her youth surfaced. In
more recent (and fully clothed) times, she
starred in Rent on Broadway and also reality
show-hopped to The Voice. But looks like it
hasn't been all work and no play for herthe singer recently revealed that she had
been dating a woman for the past year.
"I wasn't out before the relationship,
but I wasn't in;' she told the St. Louis PostDispatch. "I dated men and women, though
lesbians weren't feeling the bisexual thing.
Now I'm in love with a woman I think I
can be with forever:'
Sapphic Status Update
You know what they say: If it's not on
Facebook, it never happened.
Mary Cheney, daughter of the former
vice president, took to the social network
to announce her wedding to longtime partner Heather Poe: "Very happy to announce
that as of this morning, Heather and I are
legally married (at least in DC). 20 years to
the day after our first date:'
In a statement, former Vice President
Cheney said, "Mary and Heather and their
children are very important and muchloved members of our family and we wish
them every happiness:'
Now that's some good politics.
Gay is as Gay Does
Being in the public eye and being open
about your sexuality is complicated ( see:
Ellen DeGeneres, Cynthia Nixon, Wanda
Sykes, Meredith Baxter). But potentially
being outed publicly on national TV?
That may have be the case for Good
Morning America host Robin Roberts,
who had the distinction of being selected
to speak with Barack Obama for his historic gay marriage interview.
However, it appears that Obama's
camp didn't know about the whispers of
Roberts being gay-and
now the interview has created murmurings targeting
the ABC newswoman's sexuality.
So, let's get this straight: 51-year-old
careerwoman who lives with her Jack
Russell terrier on N.Y.C:s Upper West
Side equals gay? Please. We all know she'd
be in Park Slope. ■
She Said
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September 2012
I 21
Should I Come Out at School?
Am I a failure as a teacher? Am I setting a bad example? By Lipstick and Dipstick
Dear Lipstick & Dipstick: As a substitute teacher, I have opted to keep my
sexuality and love life quiet. I suspected that I would be in schools all over and
would never build friendships in any one place. As it turns out, I spend most
of my time working in the same school. I have come to know the staff-I
share
in their lunchtime chatter about their significant others and am sometimes
invited to join them in get-togethers outside of work. The problem is, after
Dipstick:I'm not suggesting she be passive,
Lipstick. You yourself said-and I agreethat most of the teachers probably already
know. The fact that they're talking about
their spouses and not asking about yours
proves it, Subster. Being subtle is not the
same as being passive.
knowing them all for over a year, it feels awkward and strange to suddenly
say, "Oh, by the way, I'm a lesbian who has been living with her girlfriend for
the entire time you've known me." I'm also worried about the repercussions.
In addition to feeling terrible that I can't share the biggest part of my life with
my co-workers, I feel like a failure as a teacher. I want to be able to show the
LGBT students at the school that there is no shame in being who they are, and
there is nothing to hide. But how can I do that when I've been in the closet
all this time? I'm not sure what it is about the workplace that makes me so
skittish. I can't imagine saying it point-blank. Are there more subtle ways I can
let it be known?-Substitute
Shame, Room 8
Lipstick:Great question! Thanks for writing to us-your
predicament, no doubt,
resonates with many readers. Sometimes
it's hard to know the right time to come
out. My advice is, do it during the week of
October 11, in honor of National Coming
Out Day. It will start the conversation and
also give you a context, so it kills the awkward "Oh, by the way" vibe. Start with an
email to your closest friends on the staff.
Most likely, they already know and are talking about you behind your back. Give them
permission to tell whomever they'd like.
This will take away the fear that consumes
you, because you can then assume everyone
knows. It'll travel like wildfire-your blessing will be the fuel that spreads it. Does the
school have a GSA? If so, contact them
and go visit with the students. If the school
doesn't, join forces with a straight ally and
start one. At your first meeting, tell everyone what you just told us: that you want
to set a strong example by living honestly,
without shame. Tell your story. Not only
will it be liberating, it'll be inspiring. I'll
bet my favorite Prada boots that you'll see
22
I curve
way more positives than negatives. Hate
is out of style, and there's been a real sea
change in people's thinking. Like Obama,
the world is awakening and realizing love
should be the driving force in our lives,
not judgment.
Dipstick:I disagree. You don't need to come
out and make some big announcement.
It's a new school year, so the next time the
teachers are all gabbing about their exciting
weekend barbeques and kids' soccer tournaments, casually mention that you and
your partner took a trip to Home Depot
over the weekend to fix the screen door.
Just act as if you've been out to them this
whole time.
Lipstick:Nope. Passivity is out of style, too,
Dip. Didn't you get the memo? Be bold and
be brave! Roomie, your students need you
to be courageous. Think of the gay kids who
are being bullied right under your queer
nose at that school. You can do it, Substitute
Shame! We believe in you! For additional
support, go to hrc.org and glsen.org.
DearLipstick& Dipstick:I'vebeenwithabout
30 womenin my life.A few brokemy heart
and I've brokena few. I finallylearnedwhat
worksand I'm runningwith it in my current
relationship.
I still have one issue,though.
Howdo I interactwith pastloves,the heartbrokenand vice versa?I know time has
passed,butseeingthemstill reallysucks.HealedUpin Healdsburg
Dipstick:Are you sure you're healed up,
Healdsburg? Perhaps you've got lingering
feelings for all these women ...
Lipstick:
If you don't want those ex encounters to sting, make amends. Forgive the ones
who've hurt you, and humbly own up to your
own path of destruction. Also important:
Forgive yoursel£ Once you've done these
things in earnest, you'll be able to detach
from the past and something marvelous will
Lipstick& Dipstick ADVICE
happen. It won't burn anymore, because you
have set down those hot coals you've been
carrying around.
Dipstick::
Oh God, Lipstick, when did you
become Dr. Phil? Dealing with past lovers is
easy.Just look them in the eye, say hello, and
ask how they're doing. Let go of the past
and start living in the present.
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WhatdoI do?I feelhorrible,
butmostlyabout
thefactthatI'm keepingthingsfromher,and
that I mightloseherfor it. Help?-Perplexed
in P-Town
Lipstick:
Lordy lezzie mercy. Listen careful~
ly, Perplexed. First, do not move anywhere.
Stay put. Second, come clean and end the
long~distance relationship. Tell her that
you're sorry. Tell her that you're lost. Now,
DearLipstick
& Dipstick:
I'm 20 yearsoldand take a deep breath and relax. You're caught
I'vebeenin a long-distance
relationship
with up in the cyclone of sexual discovery and it's
my girlfriend
for a yearanda half.It's been quite a beast. What you're feeling is actu~
a rollercoaster
ride.We'vetalkedaboutevery- ally pretty normal, the first time you fall in
thinganddecidedI shouldmoveto her city love. For the next two years, resist the urge
becauseI was planning
to movesomewhere to merge. That means no relationships. Stay
elseanyway.I'vesavedupthemoneyandI'm single and just float, allowing yourself to
readyto go.Theproblemis, I havenoclueif feel and do what you must until the world
thisrelationship
wasevenrightto beginwith. comes into focus. I'm not saying be reckless,
I wasveryattracted
to herwhenwe firstmet. but just love yourself unconditionally and
Eventually
we fell in love,andI still loveher listen very carefully to your own deep
so much,but,to be honest,I've alsohadmy intuition, which will get louder
doubts.Sometimes
it seemsas thoughwe and clearer as you get older. It
havenothing
incommon-thatscaresme.I'm won't steer you wrong.
veryliberal,andshe'sveryconventional
and
conservative.
I feellikeshedoesn'tunderstand Dipstick:
Oh, it steered me wrong
me.I alsohavea fewskeletons
in mycloset.I once, and I ended up cold and
cheatedon hertwice.Whenshefirst moved alone on a rainy night at the end
away,I kissedthisguy.Thenyesterday
I had of the pier, Provincetown.
sex with him.ShouldI comeclean?I don't
wantto loseher.I'd reallyloveto bewithher Lipstick:Dip, I told you Mustang
and take our relationship
further.Especially Sally was too good to be true and
now that the day is comingwhenI'll leave was probably just a guy pretend~
hereandliveina citywithnofamilyorfriends. ing in his Midwestern basement.
Dipstick:That's a night I'd rather forget!
Even though you were right then, Lipstick,
you're wrong here. Telling a lesbian to stay
single is like asking that P~Town ocean
to hold back its tide. And obviously,
Perplexed's intuition isn't fully formed
yet-otherwise,
she would have listened
to her doubts in the first place. Perplexed,
bite the bullet and fess up. Tell your girl~
friend about your infidelities. That kind
of secret will only fester like a boil, until it
suddenly pops all over your laptop during
a Skype date.
Lipstick:Ewwww! Now who's emulating
TV, Dr. Oz?
Dipstick:
Sometimes you need to be graphic
to get these girls to listen, Lipstick. I'll
second one piece of advice the
femme gave, Perplexed:
You need to break up
with the long~distance
lover. Someday down
the road-once you
find a girl who's as
liberal as you are,
who gets your quirky
sense of humor, and
on whom you'd never
even consider cheating-then
you'll thank the Goddess
that you ended this first love
when you did. ■
September 2012
I 23
LAUGH
TRACK
A Stand Up Gal
Don't tell outspoken New York comic, Michele Balan, that women aren't funny.
By Kim Hoffman
Before Michele Balan became a standup comic, she was impersonat,
ing Bette Midler at gay clubs in New York in the '70s. While it gave
her certain recognition among gays, she wanted more. Fast forward
to 2006 where Balan had the chance to showcase what she's best at
on Last Comic Standing-witty one,liners that poke fun at getting
older and being a brash New Yorker.
She's produced such comedy shows as We're Still Standing and
Women Are F*@&ing Funny but on her bucket list, however, is a
guest,spot on The Ellen Show, where she says women comics like
her would love a chance to grace the stage. If you're looking for jokes
about lesbian bed death and U,Hauls, you won't find that here. But
you will find someone who's unafraid to tell it like it is-who knows
that once you label yoursel£ that's all you'll ever be-especially in
this biz. She's made Debra Messing laugh so hard she claimed to
pee her pants, and even though Balan has a subscription to AARP,
she's among the many late,in,life comics who hope the next show
will still go on.
It doesn't
seemlikeyou'vepigeonholed
yourcomedy
tobejustforgays.
Exactly. Even when I do gay events, I just do my comedy. So, my
act, even from the very beginning, even though I was a lesbian, was
geared toward everybody. I used to take offense when people would
call me a "lesbian comic:' What does my sexuality have to do with
my career:' I mean they never say, We're going to have a straight
comic tonight! Why do you have to say that? Funny is funny.
Inyouract,isthereanything
youeverlimityourself
fromtalkingabout?
I believe that good comedy is based on good observations-human
nature-and also I'm very honest about who I am. One thing that
people have said is that even though I'm a tough New Yorker, there's
vulnerability about me because I am honest. I don't care what I say.
As long as I make you laugh, I'll tell you anything about me-I
should try being that honest in relationships [laughs]. The one
thing I don't do: I don't pretend that I'm straight either. But they
wouldn't know either way. I refer to myself as bicomical. I perform
for both gay and straight.
It seemslikewomencomicshavebeenfightingforequalityinthespotlightformanyyearsnow.What'syourtakeonthat?
Remember the old days with Phyllis Diller and Moms Mabley? All
those women were on more late night shows than we can get on
today. Once in a while we get on. But if a late night show will use a
woman comedian, they'll use somebody like Ellen DeGeneres, but
they'll use some unknown guy that nobody's ever heard of...I got
lucky and I was asked to do the Tonight Show a couple of times, but
of course, they always called me last,minute, and could you believe
it: four times I couldn't do it. I know how to hurt my career [laughs].
I don't need help! If anybody's going to sabotage it, it's going to be
24
I curve
me! But I always hear, "Women aren't funny;' and I think, are you
kidding me?
Youpokefunat youragea lot.Howdoesa woman'sagefactorintoher
placeintoday'sentertainment
industry?
Unfortunately, the hardest thing is not only sexism but ageism. The
only one doing well is Betty White because she's 90. And I'm sure if
I make it to 90, things will go great for me. So, right now, I'm at that
awkward age between 20 and 90. And in this business with women,
they either want you to be under 30 or over 90. Seriously. Years ago,
especially in standup comedy, like with Totie Fields and when Joan
Rivers started, none of them were young. They all started comedy
late in life.
Howcanwomenchangethisdoublestandard?
Ellen's mom Betty DeGeneres, she's done a couple of cruises I've
been on, and she's always been a big fan of mine. And I'm think,
ing, Why don't you have your daughter put me on her show? I did
a show in New York called Women Are F*@&ing Funny, and I
put new women comics on. I want to give them a chance. Women
should help other women. (comicbalan.com)■
THETWOOFUS
Wendi and Maggie
The bond between JCPenney's poster lesbians. By Jenny Block
A Mother's Day ad featuring a beautiful family could make people
angry and hateful? You bet. That's exactly what happened when
JCPenney featured lesbian couple Wendi Hollenbeck and Maggie
Shults and their daughters Clover and Raven in an ad alongside
Wendi's mom Carolyn. But the happy couple has no regrets.
How they met
Wendi:I went with a friend to Maggie's house for a barbeque. I
thought she was gorgeous and hilarious and I couldn't stop thinking
about her for days. After dating for six months we made it official
and started dating exclusively.It'll be five years in August.
Landing the JCPenney May book for Mother's Day
Wendi:A friend of mine in marketing at J CPenney knew that we
had just been a part of another LGBT ad and asked if we would like
to submit a picture of our family. So we did, and they picked us!
Surprises on the set
Wendi:None of us realized a writer was going to interview us for
a short editorial piece in the spread. But we loved sharing stories
about my and Maggie's art background; how the girls were brought
up in the Art Factory-my little art school in Colorado-and how
Maggie was a potter at a boarding school. Also, when we went to
wardrobe, Maggie looked at her outfit, a white crocheted top and
a white skirt, and motioned for me to come over to her, a look of
discontent on her face. Not to say she's never worn a dress, but it's
no longer her style. We spoke to the stylist and she switched the
skirt out for a pair of cute white pants. The shoot was also on our
daughter Clover's 7th birthday. So she was pretty excited and felt
pretty special all day.
Reactions to the ad
Wendi:It was positive and negative and somewhat overwhelming.
Still, we weren't surprised about all of the attention from the
press. And all of the love and support we received from friends,
family and the public was thrilling.
Maggie:It was wild to see it on the news and the kids thought it
was pretty cool too. They were and are proud of our family and
they understand that not everybody likes gay people in the same
way some people are racially prejudiced.
Feelings about One Million Moms' call for a boycott
Maggie:How many? 46,000 bullies is more like it.
Wendi:I think it's sad to see mothers spewing hate at our family
and other families with two moms or two dads. It's basically
bullying, and it teaches children that it's OK to bully people if
they aren't just like you. Mothers are supposed to be uncondi~
tionally loving and protective. I don't understand these women
at all.
Why they'd do it all over again
Wendi:We were all so proud of the piece, my mom included.
And the teachers at the girls' school treated them like rock stars
and showed the class their spread and both emailed us saying
how proud they were and how beautiful our family is.
Why they're so good together
Maggie:Because we fit. We balance each other out and we are
both committed to the relationship and our family.
Wendi:Respect, love, friendship and a strong commitment to
each other and our family. She is my best friend. We even got
each other the same Mother's Day gift this year, a wishbone
charm. We both thought the other was hinting at wanting it.
When we were poor we ate a lot of rotisserie chicken and always
did the wishbone. ■
26
I curve
SCENE
Literary Lesbians
Insidethe 24th Annual Lambda LiteraryAwards. By Sassafras Lowrey
On the evening of June 4 the who's who of the queer liter~
ary world gathered in New York City for the sold~out 24th
Annual Lambda Literary Awards. The Lammys, as they
are most commonly referred to, are the largest and most
prestigious LGBT literature awards given to the top queer
books each year in 24 categories. Lesbian icon Kate Clinton
brought her notorious humor and pointed commentary to
her role as this year's Master of Ceremonies, making this the
event to attend for any book~loving lesbian.
Top Lesbian winners this year included Six Metres of
Pavement by Farzana Doctor (Lesbian Fiction), Zipper
Mouth by Laurie Weeks (Lesbian Debut Fiction), When We
Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love & Revolution by Jeanne
Cordova (Lesbian Memoir/Biography), Kim Baldwin and
Xenia Alexiou's Dying to Live (Lesbian Mystery), Love Cake
by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna~Samarasinha (Lesbian Poetry),
Taken by Surpriseby Kenna White (Lesbian Romance) and
Debra Hyde's Story of L (Lesbian Erotica).
Women were big winners in general this year, with Barbara
Browning's The CorrespondenceArtist winning Bisexual
Fiction, Jan Steckel's The Horizontal Poet winning Bisexual
Nonfiction, Sister Arts: The Eroticsof Lesbian Landscapesby
Lisa L. Moore LGBT Studies, Tristan Taormino's anthology
Take Me There: Trans and GenderqueerEroticaT ransgender
Fiction, and Peggy Shaw's A Menopausal Gentleman: The
SoloPeiformancesof PeggyShaw LGBT Drama. Lesbians also
took home additional prestigious awards with Kate Millett
receiving a standing ovation as she accepted the Pioneer
Award, and Stacey D'Erasmo taking home the prize for
Outstanding Mid~Career Novelist. (lambdaliterary.org)■
September 2012
I 27
POLITICS
Acts of Violence
The recent shooting of two lesbians in Texas is a grim indicator of intolerance.
By Victoria A. Brownworth
Most of us were celebrating Pride when
Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene
Chapa, 18, were found in Violet Andrews
Park in Portland, Texas, a small suburb
of Corpus Christi. Both young women
had been shot in the head. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene. Chapa was
taken to the hospital in critical condition. A
witness described their assailant as a lightskinned male in his 20s. The young women
may have been stalked.
Local police noted that there had not been
a murder in Portland since 2010. Several
days after the June 22 shooting, candlelight
vigils were held in cities across the country,
including San Francisco, Philadelphia and
Boston. Chapa's family kept a vigil at her
bedside. Unable to speak, Chapa repeatedly
wrote the word "Mollie" on a notepad, but
her family feared telling her that her girlfriend had died, because of her fragile state.
Even the doctors weren't sure how Chapa
had survived. A bullet fired from the same
trajectory had killed her girlfriend. The
crime against Olgin and Chapa was horrifyingly familiar.
In May of 1988, I was a reporter for a daily
newspaper when a single paragraph came
2s
I curve
over the AP wire about two young women
who had been shot a few days earlier. They'd
been hiking together. I read it several times
and thought, The women must be lesbians.
Claudia Brenner was 31; Rebecca Wight
was 28. Women that age, hiking together
without any men:' I knew. And I feared
that if I was right, this wasn't just a random
shooting but a hate crime.
Claudia Brenner and Rebecca Wight
were shot while hiking the Appalachian
Trail in Pennsylvania. Wight was killed,
Brenner survived. Stephen Roy Carr was
convicted of the shootings. He had stalked
the two women and shot them eight times
as they were kissing in a secluded campground, where they thought they were safe.
I was in the small courtroom in Adams
County, Penn., when Carr was sentenced,
after Brenner's and Wight's families gave
emotional victim impact statements.
Later, when I met with the prosecutor, we
discussed the case and how integral the survivor, Brenner, has been to the conviction.
But how hard it had been to make a deal
with Carr-a deal made in order to keep the
women's sexual orientation out of the case.
In 1988, I was afraid the story might not go
national-just as Olgin
and Chapa's story didn't
hit the national news
right after the shooting,
despite those vigils in
LG BT communities. I
knew in 1988 that we
have to report the crimes against us. Claudia
Brenner had done that. When she was finally
picked up, staggering by the side of the road
near Shippensburg, Penn., drenched in
blood like someone in a horror movie, she
went directly to the police to report what
had happened and to try to save the life of
her lover, who-although she did not know
it then-was already dead.
I pitched the story to my editor. I knew
it deserved to get bigger. I covered the story
from start to finish. I remember trying not
to cry when I interviewed Brenner, the survivor, as she described trying to save Wight's
life (no one could have-a
bullet had
pierced her liver and she bled to death) and
then deciding to go for help. Brenner was
brave. Brave enough to survive despite the
bullets that had torn through her throat and
caused blood to course out of her neck as
she hiked four miles-a trip that took her
three hours-to
the nearest road for help.
She had taken five of the eight bullets Carr
had shot at the women. Later he would tell
police he thought they were deer.
I remember how dose I felt to the story,
because of my own experience with violence,
and the crimes against other lesbians I
knew. We had all been victims, we had all
survived. But once someone else has held
your life in his hands, the world becomes
a very different place. Mary Kristene Chapa
will discover that, too, as she recovers from
her wounds. Carr, the 22-year-old man
who shot Wight and Brenner in 1988,
alleged that the couple had, had sex to taunt
him. He was sentenced to life in prison.
A 1991 appeal was denied. In 1993, as a
columnist for The PhiladelphiaDaily News
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and one of only two out lesbian reporters
at a U.S. daily, I wrote again about Claudia
Brenner, who was now an activist, speaking
out against anti,gay discrimination and
violence. Five years had passed since I first
read that paragraph on the wire, and in
that time I'd covered so many other crimes
against LGBT people that it had begun to
feel like my own dreadful, special beat.
Now, here it is, 24 years since I broke
Brenner and Wight's story, and yet another
lesbian couple has been shot in a secluded
area, after, perhaps, being stalked by yet
another gunman. There has been no cessa,
tion in the violence against us, even as we are
more visible, less afraid. Most of the people
who knew Mollie and Mary Kristene knew
that they were a couple. And the ones who
discovered it later felt only support mixed
with outrage over the shootings.
The photos of the two young women are
heartbreaking. Mollie Olgin is a fresh,faced
blonde and Mary Kristene Chapa is a cute
butch whose brother Hilario says she loved
to play softball.
The Chapa family didn't know Mary
Kristene was a lesbian until she was shot.
But they couldn't imagine that she had been
the victim of a life,endangering hate crime.
South Texas, Hilario says, is not like that.
And yet those of us who have been victims
of violent crimes because we are lesbians
know otherwise. The tragedy of these two
shootings almost a quarter century apart,
and all the crimes in between, reminds us
that so many people still hate us, that so
many people still want us dead. Only a
month before this sweet, young couple were
shot in the head on Pride weekend in a town
where no one gets shot, a Southern pastor
exhorted Americans to round up lesbians
and gay men and put them in electrified
pens until they all died out.
That kind of hate doesn't just evapo,
rate. Put a gun and that hate together and
you have one dead college freshman, and
her softball,loving girlfriend fighting for
her life.
When I first saw the wire story about
Olgin and Chapa being shot, I had an eerie
sense of deja vu. I tweeted an R.LP. to
Mollie and a prayer for the survival of Mary
Kristene. But I remembered a conversation
I had with Claudia Brenner years after her
ordeal. She had written a book about the
crime and was settled, had a child. But you
never escape the memories, she told me.
It's better that we not escape the memories,
I think. It's better to remember that while
we might be survivors- I survived a brutal
sexual assault and beating in 2002-we
have also been victims. We're told we should
own our survivorship. And we should. But
we should never, ever forget that we have
been victims, that we have been shot or
stabbed or beaten or raped, that we have
lived through unspeakable acts of violence.
Because it is the victim, not the survivor,
who cries out for justice.
We need to remember our victims:
Rebecca Wight, Mollie Olgin, so many
others.
We need to remember that until we are
equal, until they stop hating us, we will
never, ever be truly safe. ■
FOR MORE INFO
CALL 954.288.8691 OR
AMY@PANDORAEVENTS.COM
September 2012
I 29
IN AMERICA~
THE 2012 ELECTION is turning out to be one of the
most divisive in recent history. With women's and LGBT
issues taking center stage, we find ourselves in double jeopardy.
Because our civil rights, reproductive rights and pay equality
are threatened, as well as the right to choose, the results of
the 2012 election will have an extremely important effect on
the way we live in America. The hot-button issue creating
much of the passionate divide is same-sex marriage. Though
many states with GOP leadership are passing laws that
mandate a woman's reproductive rights, redefine rape and
reduce access to contraception, a primary aim of the GOP is
to stop marriage equality.
So, what's it like being an out queer woman at a time when
your marriage status can change if you step over a state line,
when walking down the street hand in hand with your partner
can incite derogatory slurs and when equal rights under the
law can seem like a far-off dream:' To get some idea of what's
going on in our country, I spoke with four women from three
states; each woman has her own political leanings and has a
different job.
Kaitlin Noss, who teaches in the Cultural and Regional
Studies Program at Prescott College in Arizona, is fired up. A
queer woman in a red state, Noss sees the effects of the policies
that red states share, and Arizona's immigration issue as well.
'Tm pretty sure you could call it a white supremacist state;'
Noss says. 'Tm white and have citizenship papers in Arizona.
Both of those factors make my interaction with the law extremely
privileged;' Noss says."I can buy airline tickets and fly anywhere
in the world, I can enroll in school and seek medical care without
fear of being detained, harassed or deported:'
However, many Arizona citizens do live in fear because of
their race and are made to feel vulnerable on a regular basis.
"It's never been more clear to me than in the past 10 years,
living in Arizona, that being queer may be difficult in this
country, but being marginalized by your immigration status
makes people vulnerable to extreme state violence, which I
simply do not face because of where I was born;' Noss says.
"Being queer or transgendered and undocumented presents a
really unique and difficult situation for people:'
Noss considers herself fortunate to have a position at a liberal
arts college where she and her partner are given domestic partnership benefits and are supported by friends and colleagues.
But the off-campus community hasn't been so inviting. "It's not
easy being out in a small rural Arizona town. I've definitely had
people yell 'Dyke!' out the window. I even got spit on once at
the mall while holding hands with my partner;' says Noss.
But being part of a small town also lends itself to a feeling of
unity within the queer community that isn't always present in
bigger cities. The sense that"we're in it together" creates strong
relationships and strong bonds.
"It really makes me question the current priorities of many
LGBT groups that are focusing on marriage campaigns while
so many people in our community are facing life-threatening
exclusion by the state;' Noss says."I can't even think about trying
to fight for the right to marry in Arizona when so many people
are fighting to stay alive and safe in this state:'
Noss mentions three local groups that are doing great work
as allies to the queer and immigrant communities: 3rd Space,
Puente and the Hummingbird Collective. When asked about
the upcoming election, Noss says her concerns are twofold.
'Tm worried that it will be Romney, but I'm also worried that
Obama will continue to be too soft on the legislation Arizona
is passing [such as SB 1070, which some say promotes racial
profiling, or HB 2281, which bans ethnic studies]. Obama
deported a record 400,000 people this past year, but he also
supports the DREAM Act. It could be worse, but it could be
better;' Noss says. "I don't want to leave the health and well~
being of the people of Arizona up to the November elections,
but I will definitely vote for Obama:'
In a different part of the country, Sergeant Heather Patterson
is proud to be a "Christian lesbian from Texas who is in the
Marines:' Currently stationed at Camp Lejeune in North
Carolina, Patterson has a unique perspective from inside one
of the most notoriously conservative professions in the country.
Though both Texas and North Carolina are red states, Patterson
asserts that when you are in the Marines, physical location has
little influence on the political climate.
"Even though the military consists of people from all over
the states, the climate is largely conservative;' Patterson says.
Despite the repeal of DADT, gays in the Marines are still
excluded from protection under its Equal Opportunity Policy,
which still does not include protection against discrimination
based on sexual orientation.
"I haven't experienced
any blatant discrimination aimed specifically at me. However,
the military is still not exactly a gay~friendly environment;'
Patterson says.''Anti~gayslurs and comments are pretty constant,
though the people I work with have learned to not say certain
things around me:'
Patterson believes there is a very good candidate for presi~
dent this year, but many people are not really considering what
he can offer.
"I am voting for Dr. Ron Paul, who is running as a Republican
at the moment but is a Libertarian;' Patterson says. "I believe
without any doubt that he is what's best for this country:'
Patterson believes that many people assume that they won't
agree with Paul because he's running as a Republican.
"What a lot of people don't know is that he has proven to
be far more anti~war than Obama, he intends to decriminalize
marijuana use and he believes that the government has no
right to tell people they can't get married or to amend the
Constitution;' Patterson says. "In my opinion, the most
terrifying example of us losing civil liberties is the National
Defense Authorization Act;' Patterson says, arguing that
every citizen should read it before voting.
Because she is in the military, Patterson maintains that her
sexuality and professional life rarely intersect. "My job has
nothing to do with my sexuality. Personal relationships don't
have a place at work, especially in the military. Outside of work,
my sexuality affects most areas of my life, although it doesn't
September 2012
I 31
different queer women's lives in the United States can be.
define who I am any more than being from Texas or being in
Another successful lesbian writer with popular websites
the military:'
(YourDailyLesbianMoment.blogspot.com, arlanwashere.com)
Trish Bendix, the managing editor at lesbian website
is Arlan Hamilton. Currently living in Houston, Hamilton
AfterEllen.com, currently lives in Portland, Ore., with her
wife, and has experienced life on different sides of the mar~ also works as a production coordinator for touring musicians
like Cee Lo Green. After moving from California to Texas,
riage equality line.
Hamilton said she "immediately felt the difference in climate:'
"I just moved to Portland less than a year ago, so I'm still
As a lesbian blogger with a cult following, being out is normal
learning about all of the statewide laws and leanings;' says
for Hamilton, who is an advocate for being true to yoursel£
Bendix. "It seems to be a tad more (liberal] than conservative.
"Texas isn't the most tolerant state. There are definitely
But since I live in the city, I feel like I live in a bubble:'
Having lived in Chicago before she moved to the Pacific pockets that are great, but [go] a couple of miles away in any
direction and you'd have to think twice about holding hands
Northwest, Bendix and her wife were married in Iowa in May
with someone of the same sex;' Hamilton says."I think twice ...
2011.
then I do it anyway:'
"Since we lived in Illinois [at the time], where we had only
Hamilton will be voting for Obama.
lived a month or so after being granted civil
union status, it was made oh~so~apparent
"If I could vote for him more than
"IT'S NOT EASY BEING
that on one side of the river we could be
once, I would. I don't agree with every~
OUT
IN A SMALL RURAL thing Obama has said or done, and I
seen as spouses, and as unwedded part~
ARIZONA TOWN.
ners on the other;' Bendix says. "It's such a
don't think of him as the second com~
l'VE DEFINITELY
mindfuck! Moving to a new state, you have
ing, but he has done more to help push
to learn what you are allowed to bethere:'
the U.S. forward than any other presi~
HAD PEOPLE YELL
dent in my lifetime;' Hamilton says."If
With laws varying-literally, state by
'DYKE!' ... I EVEN GOT
Romney is elected, I'll move to another
state-a matter of a mile can make or
SPIT ON ONCE AT THE
continent:'
break the legality of a union.
MALL WHILE HOLDING
"Straight people are married once and
When asked about the Republican
HANDS WITH MY
it's done. I have to keep altering things in
war on women, Hamilton shares the
PARTNER."
my life based on my location, and it's just
same "attack on one, attack on all"
ridiculous;' she continues. "Soon, when I
perspective as Bendix. ''Anytime one
woman is attacked, I am attacked. The GOP is attacking
drive 10 minutes to Vancouver, Washington, I'll be back to that
same one~side~of~the~riverscenario:'
millions. Redefining rape is horrifying. Taking away Planned
Parenthood funding is deplorable. So even though it doesn't
When asked about the upcoming election, Bendix says she
affect my physical body right now, at this moment, it most
will lend her support to President Obama. "He's done some
certainly affects me personally-and
should affect us all;' she
good things for our LGBT community while in office. Sure, he
could have a better track record, but at least he's acknowledging
says.
Like Bendix, Hamilton's online identity is strongly tied to
our wants and needs:'
her out~and~proud sexuality. "My sexuality is as much a part of
If you've paid any attention to politics in recent months, it
me as my race. So it depends on how you look at it;' she says.
has become apparent that the conservatives are waging war
"In some ways, it's one of the biggest things that defines me.
on women across the country. It is a misconception that queer
Both are what I wake up as and what I am so proud to be. I live
women are not also affected by these mandates.
to be black and gay, and I'd die defending either:'
"It comes down to this: It's our bodies, ourselves, dudes! I
She recently wrote an open letter online to "hypocrites who
don't want anyone to tell me, my mother, my sister, my friend,
what can or can't happen, for me, my uterus, my mind or my will allow a fabulous gay man to design their wedding gown,
family;' Bendix says. "It is mind~boggling that women who are but who then vote against that man's right to marry the person
he loves. Or someone who'll allow their children to be educated
part of any facet of the GOP could even pretend to agree with
by a gay teacher, but then doesn't think that woman should be
the patriarchal notions that are trying to keep women under
allowed to marry her partner because of something the Bible
the thumb of the powers that be.
has told them;' she explains. ''As a black woman who grew up
"It's maddening, especially when you know people in your
in Jackson, Mississippi, I obviously have seen and heard about
own family who vote Republican. I have some of those, and
this all my life. My issue is with hypocrites:'
they say it's about unions, or labor laws or money. To me, those
When asked what it would mean for her if a Republican gets
things will never be as important as an individual's ability to
into office, Hamilton says, "If a Republican wins, my state will
decide for themselves;' she continues.
Because she writes and edits for a popular queer website,
probably jump for joy, and celebrate by shooting guns in the
air, barbecuing something large and murdering a few abortion
Bendix holds a different view than Patterson. "Yes, my job
has almost everything to do with my sexuality, and vice versa. docs-legally. While they're doing that, I'll be gassing up the
While I don't separate myself and my sexual identity, I fully car, readying myself for that midnight run to the private airstrip
respect and understand that many people do. However, my day where I'll stow away on someone's cargo plane. They have gay
dubs in Beirut, right:"' ■
job is Googling 'lesbian' all day;' Bendix says, proving just how
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Patti Smith is one of a select group of musicians whose
work truly deserves to be described as "legendary" and
'groundbreaking:' Smith-born in Chicago, raised mainly
in New Jersey-has had a career as a professional artist
for nearly four decades now. During that time, not only
has she released 11 studio albums, she's also established
herself as a poet, a painter and, most recently, a writer.
Her first book of prose, Just Kids, a memoir about her
relationship with the late Robert Mapplethorpe, won the
National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2010.
Still, if Smith is known for anything, it's her music.
Along with bands like Talking Heads, Blondie, the
Ramones and Suicide, she was part of the, yes, legendary
scene that grew out of such Lower Manhattan haunts as
CBGB and Max's Kansas City in the mid-1970s. Before
that, though, all Smith knew was that she wanted to be
an artist of some sort and that New York was the place
o do it. She initially pursued studio art, drawing in parfr and wrote poetry; over the years, people she knew
(including Mapplethorpe) encouraged her to perform her
poems in front of an audience. After giving a well-received
poetry reading in 1971 backed by a local guitarist, Lenny
l<aye, she slowly put together the band that would become
the Patti Smith Group. In addition to Kaye, the PSG
U).cluded second guitarist Ivan Kral, drummer Jay Dee
[)augherty and piano player Richard Sohl.
Smith's critically acclaimed 1975 debut, Horses,merged
poetry with primal rock in the tradition of the Velvet
Underground and was highlighted by her astounding, gender-bending cover of the Van Morrison classic
oria:' Horses was followed by Radio Ethiopia-which
aed such top-notch tunes as ''Ask the Angels" and
t Strange:' Her third album, Easter, actually got
radio courtesy of"Because the Night;' a pow~ she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen. After
g Wave in 1979, Smith left rock'n' roll-and even
York City for quite a while. She married former
itarist Fred "Sonic" Smith and the couple moved
it to raise a family. Aside from one album, 1988's
of Life, Smith stayed out of the spotlight for more
than a decade. But this was by choice, and it's important
to note that for the most part these were very happy years
for her; she embraced being a wife and mother with the
same passion that she had embraced being a rocker.
At the tail end of the 1980s, Mapplethorpe succumbed
to AIDS. Over the next few years, Smith would endure
a series of tragic, almost unbelievable, losses. Between
1990 and '94, Richard Sohl, Fred "Sonic" Smith and
Todd Smith (Patti's brother) all died of heart failure. A
short time later, Smith returned to the life of a performer
and a recording artist, partially as a means of healing. She
also returned to New York City. Since the mid-1990s, she
has unveiled six studio albums, a pair of anthologies and
lots of work apart from music. She was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 and was the subject of
Steven Sebring's documentary, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, a
year later. The core of her current band is still Lenny Kaye
and Jay Dee Daugherty, plus a new bassist, Tony Shanahan.
Forty years after she gave that pivotal poetry reading with
Kaye, Patti Smith remains a unique, inspiring and eclectic
artist who is still passionate about her work.
Smith's latest album, Banga, came out in June and is her
first album of original material in eight years (her previous disc, Twelve, was a collection of covers). Running an
hour in length and containing a dozen songs, Banga covers
a very broad musical spectrum. ''April Fool" is probably
the most musically conventional song on the album, a
catchy tune whose lyrics were inspired by the Russian
writer Nikolai Gogol. And there are also longer freeform
pieces-"Constantine's Dream" will please fans of Smith's
more experimental work. The title track is a rocker, while
the ballads "This Is the Girl" and "Maria" are odes to Amy
Winehouse and the actor Maria Schneider. Both died in
2011-one at 27, the other at 58.''Amerigo;' which opens
Banga, combines cinematic music with some spokenword passages and is based on "imagining the voyage of
Amerigo Vespucci to the New World in 1497;' while
"Nine;' which is indeed the album's ninth track, was written as a birthday gift to Johnny Depp. Banga closes with
a sparse, haunting cover of Neil Young's ''After the Gold
Rush;' on which Smith is joined by her son and daughter, and a children's chorus. Basically, this album touches
on all the different musical styles she has explored in the
past, and even some new ones. Smith has never really
liked being called a punk rocker and it's no wonder; her
music transcends that label.
The title track-which
features Depp on guitar-is
actually one of the few songs on this outing that does
sound a bit like punk rock. It was also the first song Smith
wrote for the album. "Banga is the dog in The Master
and Margarita, the masterpiece (by Mikhail] Bulgakov;'
Smith reveals. "In this book, there's parallel stories. One
of the stories talks of Pontius Pilate having to speak with
Jesus when he was on trial. Then, of course, he [has to]
sentence Jesus, and it really bothers him. After the crucifixion, he gets very depressed. He's sitting there with his big
dog, Banga-a big, Roman dog. And when Pontius Pilate
dies, he's on the edge of heaven, and he says, 'Please. I just
want to talk to Jesus. I need to talk to him one more time:
(But] Jesus is always busy. So year after year, decade after
decade, 2,000 years go by and Pontius Pilate is still sittin'
there-and Banga is still by his side! Finally, they say,'All
September 2012
I 35
right. You!' And he goes off and talks to Jesus and Banga
trots [along]. I thought, 'In all of literature, was there ever
a dog more loving and loyal than to sit ruietly for 2,000
years?' I mean, he wasn't runnin' all over &eaven, lookin' for
dog bones. He was there with his master. And I thought,
Tm gonna write that dog a song:"
In contrast, the inspiration for "This Is the Girl" was
someone a lot more modern. Smith was an unabashed
Winehouse fan, and the song recalls the late singer's styleit's a soulful ballad with an early '60s, girl,group influence.
Asked her thoughts on Winehouse, slie says, "That girl
was amazing. She sang songs from my
generation-R&B
songs and jazz and
doo,wop-with
no sixth degree of sep,
aration. She really comprehended this
music and delivered something extra.
And I really admired. her:' Smith lists
Grace Slick, Edith Piaf, Joni Mitchell,
Tina Turner and Lotte Lenya as some
of the other female singers she admires.
Asked why she herself has influenced
so many women, Smith says she isn't
sure. "I can't presume to know the
answer to that;' she admits.'Tve never
been concerned alfout my gender,
[even as] a child. And because I was
never worried about it, I've never been
fettered with it. Maybe [that] gives me
an air of freedom tHat [women] like:'
She adds, "My work is not gender,spe,
cific-[ it's] for all people. And in terms
of people's sexual or religious persua,
sion, if they're good Beople, I don't care
what choices people make. It's really
that simple:' This is completely valid,
of course, but there's definitely something ironic about a
musician of Smith's caliber not being corcerned with her
gender, while profoundly less talented female recording art,
ists have ridden empty "Girl Power" manifestos all the way
to the bank.
On a somewhat related note, Smith has always culti,
vated an androgynous image, especially in the early days.
She writes about this numerous times in Just Kids. On a
hot day during her childhood, after playing outside with
her siblings, Smith went back home-without
a shirt.
Her mother was aghast.
"Patricia," my mother scolded, 'put a shirt on!"
"It's too hot," I moaned. "No one else has one on."
"Hot or not, it's time you started weaLng a shirt. You're
about to become a young lady."
Smith has been busy and creative these past few years;
it's just that her creativity didn't take t e form of a new
CD. "The album that I did in 2004, Trampin; was a very
political album;' she says. "I was very angry [at] the Bush
administration's decision to go into Iraq. And I felt that
36
I cu ve
after September 11, the people in America had really lost
some of their willingness to unite and challenge the gov,
ernment. So that record reflected those thoughts. After
that, I got very involved in political issues. I was writing
quite a bit, touring a lot, and I was really just gathering
new information. I'm not the kind of artist who just keeps
churning stuff out, you know, for money, or because that's
what you're supposed to do. I don't like to put a record
out unless I have something to say. Then my book came
out, Just Kids, which was very successful and took a lot
of my attention. But I'm at the point now where I've been
working on songs and it just seemed like the right time [to
release a new album]:•
When I ask her what she gets from making an album
that she doesn't get when she's involved in other art forms,
she replies, "That's a good question. Two things. One is
the camaraderie aspect of it. I mean, I work [alone] when
I draw or write or paint. All these things are endeavors
that require my solitude or require my concentration. But
making a record is a collaborative experience. You have
your technicians, your musicians, the people you write
songs with. That's the first [thing]. And then the main
thing is, really, [that] making records is one of the most
direct ways to reach the world. The listening population
mostly speaks English, or understands [it], and you can
reach millions of people. Obviously, I'm not a pop star. I
don't sell millions and millions of records. But the poten,
tial is there to reach a lot of people. It's exciting:'
It's true, of course, that Smith is not a pop star. One
of the things that is most admirable about her is that she
neither seeks commercial success nor shuns it: She simply
does the work she wants to do, when she is inspired to do
it, and lets the chips fall where they may. And whether
you like her work or not, make no mistake: Patti Smith
is an artist.
During my roundtable interview with Smith, one of the
other journalists made the mistake of comparing her to
Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. He drew a parallel between
Smith's status as an outsider back in the day and theirs,
adding that women like Gaga work really hard to be sue,
cessful. "Well, they're working really hard, but they're on
a whole other level;' Smith replies. "What I work really
hard on is my work. I don't work really hard on getting
noticed. There's a difference between working really hard
on a career and working really hard on being a celebrity. I
mean, I don't want to do that work! I don't want to sit in
a chair having somebody doing my hair and makeup for
four hours and putting on some outfit. I'd rather spend
that time working out a certain paragraph in a story I'm
trying to write. It's just a different focus:'
"People make their own choices;' she continues.
"Nobody has to do anything. People used to say to me,
'You have to put this record out [now]; or 'You have to
take [the word] "pissing" off that song:'No, I don't! What
do you have, a gun?' And then they say,'Well, if you don't,
you'll sell a lot less records; or 'You'll be banned in the
South: OK! We make our own choices:' (pattismith.net) ■
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Fall is here and with it all-new trendy fashions, but don't get
too caught up in the fads and overdo it-nothing is worse than
looking like you've tried too hard. Good taste focuses on one
thing instead of many and a great place to start is with the right
te.e of!e i d myself in search of the perfect T-shirt. It's not
shirt that hangs loose on the neck and cuts off right below your
belt loops is perfection to me. With that said, a T-shirt can also
be a great way to express yourself. Check out and support the
"It Gets Better" shirts being sold at the Acehotel.com.
Another common style faux pas is not trusting your intuition.
I have made the mistake too many times of wearing something
I thought I should like, but really didn't feel comfortable wearing.
In style, self-assurance is key, so when in doubt, go with what
feels best and provides you with the most confidence. My
number one rule is go with what you like and it will take that
outfit to the next level. For these five looks, I have focused on
my three essentials in every ensemble: Classic blazer, vintageinspired T-shirts and stylish jeans. In an outfit you want one
item to stand out, whether it be a bright tee, a leather-trimmed
blazer or green jeans. Kick off the cool weather with confidence
and style! (aninitial.com)
~~~
Photographer: Rob Hoffman
robhoffmanphotos.com
Hair and Makeup: Marissa Machado
celestineagency.com
Stylist: Claire Campbell Moseley
an initial.com
@campbellmoseley
38
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Real L World alum
and L.A. fashionista
Claire Moseley styles
five no-fuss, must-have
looks for Fall.
American Apparel $22
T-SHIRT:
JEANS:G-Star $230
David Yurman $950
NECKLACE:
ei8ht by
BRACELET:
Ziggy Pedone
In style, self-.
assurance Is
key, so when
in doubt, go
w1th what
feels best and
provides you
w1th the most
conndence,
P\qJECT
T-SHIRT:It Gets Better,
Acehotel.com, $35
Diesel, $298
JEANJACKET:
G-Star, $150
KHAKIS:
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JACKET:Forever 21 , $28
T-SHIRT:Alexander Wang, $86
JEANS:J brand, $17 4
BRACELET:
ei8ht by
Ziggy Pedone
LL
0
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(l)
0
0:
September 2012
I 41
T-SHIRT:Madewell, $30
SWEATER:
J Crew, $80
KHAKIS:G-Star, $150
BOOTS:
All Saints, $148
HAT:Vintage Boy Scouts $6
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42
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VINTAGE
T-SHIRT
JEANS:Current Elliot, $165
SHOES:
Steve Madden, $40
I
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A shirt
that hangs
loose on
the neck
and cuts
off right
below your
belt loops is
perfection
tome,
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September 2012
I 43
•
Namoste
Go from asana to out and about in these
chic yoga clothes. By Constance Parten
e brunch and bottomless
as with your gal pals is right
ur yoga session. Should you
ouble the clothes or look like
a fru py fashion failure in front of
you J'.iends?
MeSheeky solves that problem
with cleverly designed yoga clothes
that take you from the studio to
the street-without
changing. Yogi
Sarah Tomson Beyer envisaged
stylish activewear that actually
works: These yoga clothes come in
a range of fresh colors, fit snugly,
flatter curves and move like water
during the most challenging yoga
positions. And best of all, with a
bit of accessorizing they can be
transformed into elegant casual
urban wear. So now you'll not only
feel good after your yoga session you'll look good too, and be
appropriately attired to get on with
your busy day. (mesheeky.com) ■
I
•
44
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TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
TRIXIEPANT,$88
TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
NICOSKIRT$58
•
TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
NICOSKIRT$58;
ODETTE
CAPRI$78
•
TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
TRIXIEPANT,$88;
ELLEPONCHO,
$148
September 2012
I 45
•
Harem
ou ure
Up-and-coming lesbian designer, Sheila Rashid, channels
androgynous femininity in her latest clothing line.
By Kim Hoffman
maki g a name for herself in ways she never
. "I initially wanted to be a journalist
agazine," says Rashid. But in high
bitions took a turn when she
-shirts and hoodies. By the
in her journa • m dreams for fashion design
and applied t
rt school, eventually landing
ith Chicago-based designer,
Horacio Nieto.
That bold decision has led Rashid to the
forefront of up-and-coming fashion designers
who live and breathe the foundation of their
brand. "The message behind the Sheila Rashid
brand is the result of how women (or men) feel
when they put on a pair of drop crotch pants
or a dress; to be comfortable, confident and
powerful. The Sheila Rashid woman feels royal
and humbly vain," says Rashid, who says she
is inspired by style icons in the fashion industry
like edgy, avant-garde designers Alexander
Wang and Jeremy Scott.
Her first collection for Spring/Summer
2011 -which she debuted in September of
2010-introduced
impeccable, tailored pieces,
like her signature drop crotch and harem pants,
calling to mind a high-fashion take on 1980s
Brooklyn. In her blog, Rashid showcases her
many made-to-order designs, stating: "Will
swag out anyone for any occasion." Her site
features an online store where you can browse
all her latest garb including her harem pants and
power dresses. Most of her pieces range in gold
hues and denim, along with hip, clever T-shirts
that take her back to her design roots.
Rashid is lending her skills to the art of timelessness. "Each piece is set apart by the subtle
change of rules in design, such as a zipper
going down the sleeve of a dress," she explains,
focusing mostly on "androgynous influences
and feminine power." Rashid's dresses are all
about the shoulders. But perhaps it's her attention to detail that makes the brand function so
well. "The styles I am most drawn to are the
details in each garment. The seams are inspired
by geometric shapes, which gives the collection
a fresh, stylistic edge, but a classy feel." And
with that meticulousness comes finding the
perfect blend without over-mixing her vision.
"I'm challenged with keeping a balance between
too much and not enough details."
It's that seesaw of craftsmanship that brought
Rashid an invite to be one of eight designers
at the Italian Expo in Chicago in 2011 -her
home turf. In that same year, her collection was
featured in the Emerge! Fashion Show for New
York Fashion Week. America's Next Top Model
stars Kayla Ferrel and Keenyah Hill have worn
Rashid's pieces-Hill posed most recently for
the 2012 collection. And Rashid notes one event
in particular, a meet and greet she made happen
at Remix the Runway in 2010 with model Keri
Hilson, in which she gifted her with an original
Sheila Rashid dress.
As a young designer with a fresh take on
shapes, patterns, and the way a piece of clothing can so perfectly accent your best features,
Sheila Rashid is reinstating the most classic
mantra of all, in fashion and in life: There is
nothing sexier than confidence, and wearing
that confidence well. (sheilarashid.com) ■
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PRE-FALL
2012: The
Denim Collection
September 2012
I 47
The Sheila
Rashrd
woman
feels
royal and
hu,mbly
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•
CROPJACKET,
$200;
KEENYAH
SKIRT,
$100
PE CE
OF HESl HEAstT
ACTOR TURNED SINGER-SONGWRITER
HEATHER PEACE IS READY TO TAKE THE U.S. BY STORM.
BY RACHEL SHATTO
H
EATHEl:lPEACEis a star. The out actor
and musician boasts roles on not one but
two hit UK. television series, Lip Service
and Waterloo Road, and her new album,
Fairytales,is tearing up the indie charts. She's also
a drop~dead gorgeous soft butch. As steadfast,
square~jawed, husky~voiced Detective Sergeant
Sam Murray on Lip Service, she looks so hot
in a vest it should be a crime. But to talk to the
down~to~earth and effortlessly likeable Peace you
would never guess it. She may have been Britain's
best~kept lezzie secret, but Peace is about to earn
herself a horde of new American fangirls. After
two successful seasons in the UK., the thoroughly
addictive Lip Service, which follows the lives and
loves of a group of thirty~something lesbians
in Scotland (think The L Word but with sexier
accents), has finally made its way here and is
now available on Netflix's streaming service. This
incredibly sexy series, with its perfect balance of
drama, romance and humor, is the lezzie show
you must track down by any means.
Fortunately, in season two of Lip Service, the
role of Sam Murray expands from a supporting
character-the
cuckolded member of a love tri~
angle that includes Cat and Frankie (who many
have called the British Shane)-to a full~fledged
cast member. "They've really built the part;' says
Peace. "They go a little bit more into her work
stuff and her relationship with her male-you
know, straight-partner,
which I think is a really
interesting dynamic:'
This expanded role requires Peace to go to
some very dark places. Her character is dealing
with the death of a loved one, living through
turmoil on the job, even fighting panic attacks, an
issue that the actor has had to deal with herself
in the past. Perhaps it was this link that caused
Peace-who typically isn't a method actor-to
struggle to keep her onscreen role separate from
her personal life. "We see everyone's vulnerabili~
ties this year, and we see breakdowns because of
the things that go on, and so it was a tough part
to play this time, and I sometimes couldn't shake
it off when I came home:' Peace would even find
herself crying uncontrollably after certain episodes
had wrapped, but the result speaks for itsel£ and
her performance in the second season is riveting
as well as heartbreaking.
"You know, the thing about Sam is that I think
she is so brilliant at everything else as a detec~
tive ... she is so instinctive with her work, and yet
the one thing that is right in front of her nose she
either chooses to ignore, even though she knows
it is going on, or she just doesn't see it. I think
that's really poignant:'
While Peace hasn't been closeted for quite
some time, her role as the dashing OS-and
the fact that she's the only openly lesbian cast
member-has
made her very visible, but it's an
opportunity Peace revels in. "You know, what's
been really fab is being able to wear a pair of really
sturdy flat shoes, and knowing that you can sit
with your legs open, because I'm a little bit like
that myself anyways:'
But don't think that because Peace is the resi~
dent lezzie on the set she's doling out sex tips to
her cast mates."They didn't ask me about having
sex, because I'm really bad in bed;' jokes Peace.
'Tm really crap. No, you know whatr I think
the sex aspect of it, apart from the fact that it is
usually well written out, with stage directions, I
think when you're acting and play out the scene,
the girls were really in strum with it, they just
an exclusive.They can just say what they want. And so I left,
and it was that night that I thought that the story was on, but
then another story broke about one of our soap stars, and that
was the big story, and they just never bothered me again:'
Despite having dodged the outing bullet, Peace can still
recall how it felt to have her sexuality used as a threat. "It
was really frightening. I was 24 years old. You're so vulnerable
at that age. People shouldn't be able to do that. But they
wouldn't, now-that's how much things have changed:'
Peace has come a long way since then, both in her career
and in how she feels about being out publicly about her
sexuality. "I don't think I was ready, earlier in my life. But
in the last 10 years, things have changed. I always talked
to the producers of the shows that I have done, and they
said that it would be better if people didn't know that I was
gay. Because I was always playing a female character in a
male world. I played a firefighter, and then I played the only
woman in the SS, so there was a lot of action stuff. Once I
started with WaterlooRoad, which is set in a school, I was
a little worried. But [my] music career had taken off and I
thought, So be it. But as soon as I got the role in Waterloo
Road, I knew I had made the right decision:'
went for it. So, no, they didn't ask me for tips:'
Being out hasn't slowed her down one bit. With all her
Peace came out to her friends and family at 19, while
success, Peace now finds herself juggling two careers, and she
she was still in college. However, things were a little trickier
seems to be handling it well. In fact, in the past, one career
has even helped to bail out the other.'Tve been a professional
professionally, and early on she chose to keep her sexualactress for 16 years, so my career's gone through [ups and
ity private. In fact, at one point early in her career Peace
downs]. I know there are actresses that
was contacted by a member of the
hit that 30 barrier and they sort of go by
press who was intent on outing
''WHAT'S
the wayside a little bit, so I had a couple of
her. "Today, a paper could just not
HAPPENING?
contact you, and could legitimately
really tough years where I was just trying
I DON'T l(NOW
to make ends meet:'
print something like, 'Oh, they're
WHAT'S GOING
In 2000, before her success with Lip
gay: But then, it was considered
ON. l'VE GIGGED
Service, a career in music beckoned.
kind of like a bloody witch-hunt,
ALL MY LIFE, WHY
Peace was briefly signed by Simon
and they were doing it to all sorts
Cowell, and released a cover of "The
of people;' says Peace.
ALL OF A SUDDEN
Rose:' When the contract ended, ami"When I was in London'sBurning,
IS EVE~YBODY
which was the biggest TV drama
cably,
due to creative differences, Peace
INTE~ESTED?
here in the U.K., we got a call
decided to focus on her acting. This time
AND IT'S ALL
from London Weekend Television.
around, Peace decided if she was going
JUST O~GANICALLY to return to making music, it would be
They've got this building on the
G~OWN F~OM
South Bank, and we all joked that
on her own terms. "That's when I just
THE~E."
started nailing down writing and getting
the 22nd floor was somewhere you
never wanted to go-because that
back out gigging, because that was the
is where you would go if you were sort of in trouble, or
other string to my bow, something else that I could earn a
if something was going to come out in the press. I was
living from. By then, of course, Lip Service had come out,
and I'd booked all these tiny gigs in Britain-they just kept
summoned in, and they just said, 'They're going to out
selling out within an hour. And I was like, What's happening?
you tomorrow: And I thought, What? Why? They said,
I don't know what's going on. I've gigged all my life, why all
'You have two options. You can either cooperate with them
of a sudden is everybody interested? And it's all just organiand have an interview-that
way you get your part of the
cally grown from there:'
story, they get an exclusive-or you don't do an interview
It's thanks to all the fervent fan interest that Peace was
and they'll just say what they like, and it will basically,
able to release her first album, Fairytales."Crowd funding
probably, sound more smutty than it actually is: And I
has been the best thing that's ever happened;' says Peace,
remember standing there in tears, and thinking, You know
who is thrilled to see this direct, participatory democracy at
what? I'm not giving them an interview. I'm not giving them
52
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work in music. "People are no longer wanting to be spoon~
fed what they think they should be listening to. We're not
told that there are just three major labels that operate every~
thing. We wanted to make a video. We had to raise £7,000
(almost $11,000). So, we went on Pledge Music-and we
raised it!"
Peace is incredibly grateful for all the support. "They're
responsible for my career-the
fans, quite frankly. But
it's great, and they're such a fantastic bunch. Loads of
people have gotten together-friendships,
relationshipsthrough what I'm doing. So, I'm just absolutely thrilled:'
The fans certainly got what they paid for. Fairytales is a
brilliant album, brimming with heartfelt ballads that show
off Peace's classical jazz training and skillful piano work.
However, she is quick to say that the sound definitely
leans more toward pop than jazz. "There are elements of
(jazz]-you
know, there's a bit of scatting and stuff, but
definitely the chord structure ... is not jazz. There's a couple
of tracks that I specifically spoke to a bassist and said, 'Get
that bass line in there, Sade~feel; and that's the route we
went down with those. And then there's a couple that have
really great chords, with strings and a gospel choir:'
The album's title comes from the last track, and Peace is
definitely using the word "fairytales" ironically. "The song
is about how we grow, and this image of, you know, the
prince kisses the princess and then they live happily ever
after. And the song basically is saying, Well, we all know
that's not the case, and we were all cheated when we were
kids, because actually, when the prince kisses the princess,
that's just the start of everything. Nobody told us about the
arguments, and drinking too much, or whatever. Although
the title is very sweet, it's a very cynical song. It has an
undercurrent throughout the rest of the album. There are
some dark lyrics on there. And then there are some songs
that I wrote since I met [my partner] Ellie, where you're
reaching a place where you're happy, and you're settled.
But, like with anybody's album, it's a little bit of therapy, of
churning out all the old stuff:'
Despite its title, the themes explored on the album
are anything but twee. In the song "Better Than You"
Peace delves into the darker side of love, one that is often
left unspoken, the issue of emotional abuse in lesbian
relationships. Peace explains, 'Tm kind of that type of
girl that people fall in love with, but once they've fallen
in love with me, then they want to change me. I'm very
sociable, and once they've got me, they don't want me to be
like that anymore. And it's that very, very subtle emotional
abuse that you don't even notice is going on until it's too
late. And that's what the song's about. It's not like being
punched around, or anything like that, it's just that very
subtle, manipulative work going on. And I think most
people have experienced that, at some point:'
However, like the best fairytales, Peace's had a happy
ending-"You're
for Keeps" is all about falling for her
partner.
As if acting and touring weren't enough to keep Peace
busy, in her spare time she is giving back. "I've just gotten
involved with a charity called Diversity Role Modelsbasically, taking people who are gay into schools to talk to
kids. I did my first one this week, and I've just suddenly
made my decision to get really involved with them, 'cause
at the beginning of the lesson you have 9~ and ll~year~
olds putting their hands up to say that they wouldn't
think it was cool to have a gay friend, and by the end of
the hour, when you've spent time with them and you've
talked to them and all of that stuff, then nobody puts
their hand up.
"The word gay' over here, with kids, means a bit nasty, or
a bit rubbish. So they go, 'Oh God, that's so gay: Meaning
rubbish, right? So we've been taking that word and we've
been going in and saying, 'Listen, would you say, Oh that's
so Christian? Or, That's so black?' And as soon as we point
that out to ll~year~olds, that when you say,'That's so gay;
you're essentially calling me rubbish, they were so shocked.
They were like, 'Oh, I hadn't even considered that: So, you
know, hopefully each class that we do, there's 25 of the
kids going out saying, 'You can't say that:"
If anyone can change hearts and minds, no doubt that
person is Peace.
Having achieved so much success overseas, it's only a
matter of time until Peace will be extending her tour to
America. So, when will we get to see her on this side of the
pond? 'Tm going to sort it out next year. I don't want to
run before I can walk. I was thinking of doing it this year,
but then I was like, No, keep concentrating on the UK.
and make sure that is sorted, and then we can see about
Europe and America. Maybe a better way to do it would
be to initially play at some of the Pride festivals, you know,
like San Francisco:'
Peace is worth the wait, and in the meantime we'll just
have to satisfy ourselves with watching Lip Service reruns
and playing Fairytaleson repeat. Which is actually not a
shabby way to spend some time. (heatherpeace.com)■
LEZZIE LIGHTNING I\OUND
WITH HEATHEI\ PEACE
ON l(ISSING HEst FlstST GIIUFstlEND= "I was sitting on the lawn
at a little place called Canal Street, which is the gay street of
Manchester. And then I kissed my first girlfriend and it was a
hot summer day, and as we kissed it started to rain. I swear
people think I'm making that up but it is the honest truth. I
remember us getting on the bus home together and there was
steam coming off of our clothes, 'cause we were soaked. It
was brilliant. It just couldn't have been any better. It was a
sign, you see-I made the right decision."
ON TOUstlNG WITH HEl:t FATHEst: "My dad drives the
tour bus. He's an odd-job man, so basically I pay my
dad what he'd get paid to go and do his odd jobs,
and then he comes and drives the tour bus. So
that's been fantastic, especially when I'm a bit
nervous-there's nothing like your dad
putting his arms around you. That's
really cool."
ON HEl:t BIGGEST CIUTIC. Hist DOG BUNGLE,
WHO HIDES UNDEl:tTHI BED WHEN SHE stEHEAstSES:
"I thought it just might be the sound of the guitar that's a bit
weird on his ears, but I had another musician stay with me here
when we rehearsed, and she was playing the guitar
and singing-and he loved it! Now that's offensive!"
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ULTIMATE AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL ADVENTURE.
WORDS AND IMAGES BY TRACI DINWIDDIE
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l t I have a h1g t h t 1·s connecte
shot t ro ~ . Australia w1t
.
y 1rgm
.1
d at eas
k f y ear
I
spine on
ll-intentioneu an .
. at the bac o rn
ctice for rne, t
Sigh. It was w~ but wonder if this painbe rnuch like a yoga _prarnent. It inspires
I cannot he Ph known, 'travel ~an
lf to a new environ ;i What arn I
c
oft e un
d hgn rnyse
l · ortant.
to rny rear
e present an a . . What is tru y irnp
;i
forces rne t~ bec~:ential questions h\\.e rne? Will I like thetn•idation over rny
rne to ponuer ex world? Will they 1
xciternent and tre~
ear buds.
"buting to the
"llate between e
B b Marley into rny
contn
. . as I vac1
sorne o
I feel like a v1rg1n l rny nerves and po~
tender little bean,
0 I sett e
. h e I rn a
first trip to z.
, Be gentle w1t rn •
.i
here I corne.
Syuney,
1
v --
71ila:r().J-J
~
We arrive in Sydney at the butt crack of dawn. After a flustered TSA agent confiscates my blush-worthy sized cucumber,
we beeline to the first local coffee shop to stay awake and explore the city. Yes, this is an English speaking country. However,
there are obvious cultural differences. This would be my first lesson in Aussie coffee orders. I ask the fella behind the counter
for four espresso shots. His eyes bulge and he says (in an adorable Australian accent), "This isn't American coffee, mate. It's
espresso:'I smile and confirm that I am aware of this. The barista whispers "FourShots?"He looks at her and shrugs yes. I
wonder if this is going to be a repeat offense, as I shall require this order to be fulfilled each morning for the next 17 days.
Today is mostly filled with getting lost hoofing around town. We are out-of-our-minds-exhausted but on our wild-goosechase to find a Bi-Lo grocery store, we stumble upon a natural food store called Wholesome Foods. I'm a careful eater with
important restrictions like no sugar, flour or gluten. This is the perfect place for me to stock up on delicious healthy eats
with no worries. Hoorah!
We top off our dizzy day by swimming in the hotel pool. I pull my lady into my arms and gallop her around the pool
while singing a hero theme song ... "Dah Dah DAAAAH! Dah Dah DAAAAAAH!" Tip for jetlagged travelers: A bit of
silly fun in warm water eases the entry (and is very nice on an achy back.) In bed by 7 p.m., and that's damn good in my
book. Nighty nite.
~~4,
+ul!kr~
~~fJ-,
~
We rush
1
down to th Q
ga s as tnore and
e uay for soh-,e , r· .
ent1re
• h arbo . tnore b u1"ld·ings 1•,,,h v1v1dL·Ive actio , i r
r 1s agl
1g t up . h
n. vve a
A. cross the barb
ow, especially S d
, Wit bright rainb re two giddy
girl doing rand or, the Opera Ho/
neys Contetnporar
ow colors. The
largest sail Sb of stretching exer _sehas projections of y Museum of Art
Next, a sh;d e s owly rolls up an~1ses with her legs s a scantily dad
•
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ifd~ffb,:~;:;:f;::;l::i::d~oo::~;:;r
:tey.
course I b
an
Utt fl•
Ins1 e Tb
•
'<extstop is a ~
op onto one for
er Ies for the little • . ere is a
tny beloved T-bu Private tour of the S a Wee spin.
princesses in
while Florence gs, Works at the sohdney ?Pera Hous
e. Kate, one of
Every inch of + The Machine is .
a?d Invites us
"1'r
l
,~tis theatrical ::s:cto~ self is titill;:~ :~~ hing up thei~::u!~ a tek
1
I e spying into
c eek.
ump out" s
erp1ece of a build.
si,ngle night. J;.st:111~y ~hicb it can b:ng. Its underbelly b:~e coc!<Jesof
Its record b kY_u d1dnt know. I ·11.reset for a whol
a unique
rea in , 'Tl
, w1 JU
l
e new
n r g. J.nere are fi
st te 1 you th
h. . opera every
on all of th
ve sepa
at t is I
em. vv h ~ , i r
If you th
h y. vvhy not~
rate stages I w
s not normal
h
oug t h •
•
• ant to d
•
owever, I'm n
ht is night should b
o cartwheels
th
ow eaded
e over
e upernaturalfand
/ut to the first of tn right there With
om or the Weekend tnany tneet and g you;_
•
reets With
s
56
I curve
w~
Par!
Before gearing up for an intensely busy
weekend of appearances, Dear One and I take
a lovely 45-minute train ride outside of Sydney
to Featherdale Wildlife Park. This is a wildlife
preserve that cares for a number of endangered
Australian native species. They have very successful
breeding and conservation programs as well as
an inviting, spirited staff. We spend hours gazing
incredulously at some of Australia's local creatures.
I have the immense joy of petting a sleepy Koala,
wallabies and an Eastern Grey kangaroo. It is a
gay girl's heaven. Ever since I saw the animated
film Dot and the Kangaroo as a young girl, I
dreamt of having a deep conversation with a
kangaroo. It turns out the conversation I finally
had was more along the lines of, "Hey you, my
finger is not a part of this food offering!"
It amuses me how it took an otherworldly
place to ground me. Here I am among dingoes,
Tasmanian devils and hopping kangaroos with
the soundscape of kookaburras singing and bats
chattering, and all the while my heart is peacefully
at home among the wilderness. Have you ever
seen a cassowary? This amazing, huge bird has
an electric blue face with a hard "hat" shaped like
a mohawk and has the personality to match. I
believe he's part of the emu family, but is distinctive
all on his own. Featherdale is awesome, and I
highly recommend a visit.
r .
,~ x.e..,
~~ch1
en
a fr etic s h
ou h .
I only have en .} time to explore
It's been su
c edule t?at eak. Aft
in
en
r
ev
e
th
br
er a guted m assage from the ve
fv!elbourne in n d.
g on a qu1c. k .
with
tio
y
d
w
en
an
,
ie
nv
ni
rv
rs
in
te
to
co
G
In
ec
k
nd
1r
ki
a qu1c
rite mate,
aint
y on Jo F
a brisk ~r/a~o
qu
et
ry
ke
ci
H
ta
ve
So
I
a
er
d
h
an
ug
at
t ro
~y1!~dy
along
le, high-e nd
There am
o ms Street. t-of- h. ong these ad: or. ab
~ighborhood
I
l
al
e
~a
ar
gr d.lHtl. ts, fine art, street
fes
with ou
t is-world
s ops and ca
eyways filled
!
ad
style. R
.
I
t
Th e conv ent1•0n comes to ~ ose W1tha final desser party. I boldly sport my
a
~
"M
25
d.
•
r
in
fo
sh
this
ig. J.O my su~prise, tables of ladies
ustache Rides f
Cents tee to
au
N
le
s.
pi
a
in
h
e
pk
ac
ad
na
0 moust
per
have m
? ty.
a~s-out of pa
I'
xual ori
ussion
tant about m
g my own se
m
hve been hesi
a point of disc
.
ung bt~;at10n
lm
until m
Fi
yo
ts
a
en
ce
ed
ev
an
e
lp
nd
es
he
Su
t
ou
at t
y at a
in my Q&A' s to ask th fandom to stand
last yea:
~a e a chance
:es~ival Q&A deav
,b
Id h e
w
e
th
en
ve and
or to ring more awareness to
es1de me as I
t at love is lo
or
ep
pr
d
ul
m • ge equality needs to h
co
the response.
n. Nothing
Tharna
t'a; ~e for
clap h af pe
or
r
pp
ee
su
ch
r
,
ts
ei
am
th
ey scre
~roup consis
and stomp
tra spe. ·a1Is
h~ter;se::i
ex
usiasm.
th
is
of
en
it
r
dy
so
ei
an
,
th
in
l
en
r~dom
m Clh to ~e ftened.
s I u wom
of
ar
te
ck
in
ba
e
er
Th
ov
ed.
y eart is so
t ends me
, am so mov
L~
;~~ml
f
the
~
eekend with
,~~
fter a busy w
A
.
st
at
ju
tre
s
~~q
re
em
ra
se
is a
nd
lice Springs
us remote la
rgeo
Flying into A
Suddenly,
urney to a go
s and miles.
ural fans, a jo
ile
at
m
rn
r
pe
fo
Su
nt.
rth
ild
ea
w
red
is land is pote
e the rippling
e energy of th
Th
e.
ty
ac
right. I can se
au
pl
be
t
a
cturesque,
iet, very far-ou
constantly pi
we are in a qu
ng or
it. The sky is
el
re I am walki
fe
he
ly
w
al
er
ch
at
w
to
f
el
You can lit
w
ys
m
traveling ith
ve to remind
ve my partner
ha
to
so surreal I ha
y
ck
surrounds
lu
the gorgeous
pping. I feel
one to gaze at
I'll end up tri
g
in
w
lo
al
s
take turn
ork.
me. We each
oting. Teamw
ds Art
e have
ed and
watches our fo
to Many Han
r
he
us
ot
donations. W
s
e
ke
mely surpris
th
ta
le
e
lic
whi
A
e
s entirely on
Th
lie
tor I am extre
re
in
si
d
e
vi
apaltjarri,
ur
an
a
N
nt
s
k
A
ed
ve
ic
at
t.
ad
dd
er
in
Our first
as they pa
ned and op
to Linda Sy
e
ow
em
m
th
al
s
in
ce
ng
am from
rig
du
si
bo
es
is A
and witn
Centre, intro
ention that I
Centre, which
rvice to this
me until I m
e local artists
se
th
in
e're both
in
g
st
W
e
tin
re
at
:
te
ee
ci
on
in
m
so
m
of
She takes no
hing in com
Bendor, an as
:'
the pleasure
et
is
m
en
Ir
m
so
e.
o
ve
m
ro
ha
co
"Kanga
el so wel
alize we
r paintings of
pleased to fe
ith Linda I re
arly 11
famous for he
r chatting w
ite
fte
qu
A
t
.
tis
ile
rtners for ne
ar
sm
l
lfa loca
have been pa
mine!
ey
of
, I earn a ha
le. The
ly
Th
op
nd
.
en
ie
pe
ks
dd
fr
d
ar
a
Su
an
M
vironment
Hollywood.
fan of E.T. is
n and Yilpi
en
ia
ny
its
am
A
D
ct
T.
pi
t,
E.
an almost
de
in
,
the film
as they pa
mbolism to
s of dots in
huge fans of
aring a canvas
to place field
own unique sy
s
sh
its
ue
le
midst of
in
es
up
e
nt
us
th
co
co
a
be
In
bes. Each tri
story, his wife
h painting.
There is also
s
tri
ug
t
hi
ro
en
of
th
er
s
ts
ff
ie
bi
di
or
their st
n shares
from two
ss, to weave
While Damia
years and are
er, too.
The spinifex.
eir togetherne
th
n.
stories togeth
re
in
r
,
ild
ou
e local active
ay
ch
w
ve
e
a
ea
Th
d
w
l
un
e'l
fo
river.
w
NT, and som
,
s
ve
ay
ha
m
ed
is
ey
m
ur
Th
So
To
.
n.
ok
io
om
r decaf coffee
lo
fr
sh
t
d we clink ou
Alice mates
trance-like fa
I share a quie
an
w
,
d
ne
er
r
an
nd
ou
U
er
n
ith
rtn
my pa
chat w
inah Dow
this moment,
and wonderful
of having a D
ght. How
licious lunch
ea comes up
de
id
a
e
ve
Th
.
ha
bed for the ni
e
ity
W
BT commun
eepy tush into
as we drive
sl
LG
y
gy
m
e's
er
d
lic
en
.
A
pe
of
m
members of
a new wave
uld have plop
ing that drea
d
co
st
I
fin
ife
ndan
y
e,
an
is
kl
m
ic
rw
a.
of
pes
his mam Py
, eh? I qu
of time, othe
together in ho
circles around
in the Outback
We
duled ahead
g
le
!
in
he
hi
er
sc
w
nc
itt
is
da
el
sp
e
m
a
lly
t
ca
rid
Our camel
camel playfu
hed and isn'
like riding a
tc
el
ld
ra
fe
-o
sc
lly
th
to
fu
ad
t
on
ht
he
no
m
of me
to see a 7to have her
oo. It is delig
curmudgeonly
e just in time
e
a wild kangar
a, who loves
th
ng
g
nn
ra
A
h
tin
e
ot
ug
th
ed
sp
ro
m
to
th
ly
na
land
sauntering
le occasional
le
gentle camel
hi
hi
a
w
through the
w
ith
ge
al
.
w
ic
an
er
R
ag
up
nd
Down U
hooks us
Mountain
en more m
one seems ev
ck for Dinah
Camel Tracks
t MacDonnell
ba
is
es
ut
th
W
O
er
e
tic
ev
th
es
w
aj
ss
g the m
sunsets; ho
l trek acro
ride her alon
next time, I'l
esmerized by
ld be a sight.
ways been m
camel. Maybe
al
e
ly
ow that wou
I'v
N
nd
ie
?
l.
fr
et
ea
t,
rr
ns
su
su
an
gi
e
a
th
of
to
in
ck
on the ba
ing camels
windy fields
oflesbians rid
e thousands
se
st
ju
u
yo
Can
2012 / 57
September
~JI,
t,{k(A_,
We ta'1e
a hike th
rough o
approxim
ne of the
ately 36
divides in
domed ro
dome, M
Kata Tju
cks. Its a
t. Olga th
ta, an e
lternative
at takes
behold th
normous
name is T
its name
is giant c
outcroppin
h
fr
e Olgas,
o
m
o
nglomera
a
sandstone
n
g of
h
is
in honor
to
rical que
te gem.
rock whic
of the hig
N
e
n
e
.
x
t,
I
h
c
w
ascends
e
h
rt
This land
e
est
a
ta
in
k
ly
e
a five~ho
from the
feel like
belongs
royalty a
ur tour o
earth app
up your
to the A
sI
f Uluru,
roximately
spine. Th
nangu na
a very sa
e natives
tives. It h
350 kilom
cred red
ask that
olds an e
eters or
visitors re
nergy tha
so.
spect the
t you can
ir wishes
for people feel zigzagging
There is
not to cli
already a
mb Uluru
visible sc
where to
.
ar that y
urists ha
ou can se
ve trudge
areas are
e
d
.
O
marked w
ther sensi
here pho
tive
prohibite
tography
d. This
is
is strictly
sa
the land.
id to pro
tect the
It seems
spirits of
the nativ
caught b
es have b
etween a
een litera
ro
ck and a
attraction
lly
hard plac
is what b
e as this
rings mu
their com
c
h
~
munities.
needed fu
Still, a ba
nds to
Walking
lance can
the surro
be found
u
n
d
magical,
s below
.
if not mo
Uluru is
re.
just as
They say
it only ra
times eac
ins on U
luru a ha
h year. A
ndful of
s we prep
around th
are to ta
e outskir
ke a walk
ts, the p
seen sail
uffiest clo
towards
uds I've
us. Our jo
us rain g
ever
lly guide
ear just in
, James,
case and
1 percent
offers
mentions
have eve
that only
r seen ra
later, my
in here. A
lady and
half~hou
I are pelt
downpou
r
ed with
r. Uluru
a sudden
immediate
electric c
ly lights
olor as so
up with
shoulder
meone in
"Rainbow
as I run,
the distan
!" I bolt
I catch a
c
e
her pride
a
s
sings out
fa
c
a
st
ll
glimpse
ing out to
as I can to
and glory
of purple
my lady
find it w
stretched
s
We are so
a
to
hile
n
d
jo
in
re
o
ut over th
ds. There
me. Look
aked wit
is amazin
she is, a
ing over
magical o
h rain an
g mass o
double ra
my
d tears o
ther worl
f earth.
inbow in
f happine
d where
since we
ss as we
all of
rainbows
opted no
g
rest and
aze at it
t to clim
in respec
until it v
replenish
b Uluru
ting the
anishes b
. I feel li
even thou
native lan
who share
ke it is a
ack into
g
h
d
it
s and the
w
blessing
the
a
s this resp
s
o
p
en to do
ir tribes'
and good
ect with
so. We b
wishes. It
omen
me. I'll c
oth stron
's a wond
arry this
gly belie
erful thin
glorious
ve
g to hav
memory
e a partne
of Uluru
r
with me
forever.
f)~~,9~~
We aren't quite sure we have enough in us to take on another part of
Australia. I'm so pleased to report that Gold Coast was the place to land!
The moist, warm air is a refreshing welcome. Sheraton Mirage provides us
with a charming room including windows that slide open to an ocean view,
and the tub is big enough for both of us to soak our weary bodies together.
It doesn't hurt to have a lullaby of waves crashing softly to the shore as we
sleep through the night.
We have the alarm set for 5 a.m. to scoot out the door at 5:30 for our
day tour. The alarm does not go off and the next thing I know, it's 5:55 a.m. and the
tour guide is calling my room wondering if we're coming. (Wish that were the case.) We skip breakfast, my
ridiculous coffee and other morning rituals to bolt out the door.
Once our double propped plane lifts into the wondrous sky, my spirits soar right along with it. The sun is beginning
to rise and the sight is extraordinary. We fly for two hours through storms and patches of glittering sunlight. I am
reminded of the fun days of flying with my stepdad as a kiddo. A grassy runway meets our wheels as we touch down
on Lady Elliot Island. Our guide, Yugi, gives us a ground tour and then sits us down overlooking the turquoise sea for
a yummy breakfast. After our bellies are satisfied, we take a walk to the ocean's edge and feed the fish while Yugi points
out starfish, conchs and sea cucumbers nearby. We scoot out into the Pacific on a glass-bottomed boat for an afternoon
snorkel. The turtles glide alongside the boat as a Great Barrier Reef welcoming committee. Once we dive in, our part
mermaid LEI dive mate Nikki shows us some hidden "swim throughs" in the reef and introduces us to a 15-year-old
turtle. We swim beside him for a long time, simply taking in his easy paddle. What a presence! The island is luscious
and pristine thanks to the special care taken by the guides and management. If you are as eco-friendly as I am, this is a
magnificent place to support. They are solar-powered, compost almost all materials, and re-forest the lands regularly.
i..::::1!o&E~
~
~4
~
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a nifi.cent
, c1,.
or.-·
c(f
t(;hisentire rn gl_n'\b1We
ale o
- ec
h••
the grand.fi.~ \-{arbour brid.~ carabiners
or
h SyuneY
a - ht suits,
b
-ourney, t e
\ooks like u1g - b is a corn o
) ear up in what 'The Brid.ge_
chm rnarad.erie
~nd. fanny pha~ktso.
rical ed.ucanobn,
~\ cool guid.e
.1
1s
hr or.,..
f e"l{erc1se, of the a .
top, a.nu
o d.the best v1eW~ture at the npP~fying that we
-fi_catevert
an .i akes our pie
d.uuet
with a certl
A+.
k.esus out
lt gets an
st~ b d.that pupPY·
chm e
Seaduction
- hteexperience is a del · Wtt s
fr
1c1ous1 h
Coast Tourism Thorne un local peeps fr unc at
0
and funny' ,1, ·h ese people are my r
~ Gay Gold
ravont k· d
• vve app"l r
h
I y reast togeth
h e In -fun
c e£ Steve 2 b
a o g
b
er as t
taste bud
. : oes a ove and b
e executive
s are t1t 111 d
eyond to
ensure our
proud parrne
ate • Mary Caldw 11
share their exr~ ~nd active tnernbers oefGand Sharon Dibb
ay G ld
'
Queensland isciting
th news of their upcorn o Coast,
unions. Still - , e only Australian st
tng Wedding.
, Its a go d
ate to re
.
Just when I h. k ? start.
cogn1ze civil
Shar
t In It can't
They ~:;euhll oudta handful of ::g%~etter, Mary and
.
ear of rn M
ucent rn
h
Instigate on rn f
y oustache M d oustac es!
Y
an
pag
d
on
ay
sh
·
party going r
.
e, an airn to k
enan1gans
I
•
ror rne In O Th
eep the h •
Is completely celebr
z. e atmosphere of h airy-lipped
Goodbyes are thea~orY-not a frown in th t e restaurant
Coast advent
S
ardest part of th.
. e house!
with our soon~re. o much so that I 1t ent~re Gold
Would happ ·1 to-be-wed couple th PI nt a little seed
at arn
I y retu
d elight them M
rn to officiate the.
d a_reverend and
tr we d 1 1'f •
• ore t 0 b
e revealed...
ng It Would
l:::~~~a=b~:a
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me-I
was born naughty. I've a heart full of gratitude and a lot less
pain-turns
out, they liked me and I liked them. Thank you,
Australia. I'll most certainly see you again!
September 2012
I 59
Arri
ational Airport, and
everyone you make eye confi!tctwith smiles and exclaims, "Bula!
Welcome in Fiji!" You're tired, and if you've missed the last ferry
or small-plane flight to your destination, you take a taxi from the
airport to the nearby manmade island of Denaru. Your taxi driver
smiles and exclaims, "Bula! Welcome in Fiji!"
At first, you distrust the warm greetings. Surely, everyone
around you is just acting this way because they're paid to be nice
to tourists. After all, the whole purpose of Denaru, this highly
developed spit of sand, is to support rich travelers in transit: Its
high-end tourism facilities ease you over your jetlag and prepare
erestmg and authentic resorts
at=are spread over Fiji's 330-odd islands. These include beachside bures (thatched cottages) on Oarsman's Bay in the Yasawa
Group archipelago, as well as the high-end eco-luxurious JeanMichel Cousteau Resort in a marine sanctuary on Vanua Levu.
But you get acclimated fast, or at least I did. On my last trip,
I spent two days in transition-sleeping
in, eating fruity breakfasts at the morning buffet, and getting a massage at the Harmony
Retreat Spa and a body wrap to refresh my Jet-lagged skin. By my
first morning, everyone who worked there seemed to know my
name (and that of every other guest). They didn't use it oppressively, like a car salesman, but as a friend would. I've been told
that if I were to return in a year, or even five years, everyone would
remember me, too-a theory I plan to test.
September 2012
I 61
Starfish, a specialty of the South Pacific;
Five-star luxury at the Radisson Blu Resort
By my first evening, I was relaxing on a balcony bar, drinking
a neon-blue martini with a heavyset, deep-voiced woman I'd just
met. She was knocking back French champagne and talking about
the recent legislation that decriminalized homosexuality in Fiji.
Here's the good news: Homosexual conduct is legal under the
Crimes Decree of 2010. The bad news is that in May of 2012, a
planned "anti-homophobia" march in the city of Suva was cancelled
by police for "safety reasons:'
According to my new friend, finding a date on this island can be
tough. "It's BYOL;' she said. Bring your own lesbian. She and her
partner have many friends, both gay and straight, whom they
entertain often, but they know of no venue (besides their own
home) where lezzies routinely hang out.
But who would care about clubbing herd In the background
were a waterfall, the sweet, unfamiliar chirps of small green finches
and a Fijian singer in the Orchid Lounge. The air around us was
soft, everyone was a little late for everything and a frangipani tree
was blooming within smelling distance. People were lying around
in the late-evening sunlight, reading thick paperbacks, eating sushi,
drinking rainbow-colored beverages and talking. Only a few
were (horrors!) working on laptops. No one seemed to miss the
city. Meanwhile, the woman across from me explained how she
thought The L Word could be improved (the characters should
visit Australia, to shatter stereotypes) and told me of her plans
to invite gay revelers to the island next year, before or after Mardi
Gras in Sydney. Already, I wanted to come back.
Whether you're part of a family with kids, or you're just plain
"family;' the Radisson Blu on Denarau is one of the best places
to start or finish a trip to these islands. Voted one of the Top 10
Family Resorts in 2011 by Holidays with Kids, it offers all-day
children's play programs, to the delight of couples wanting some
private time. And for those of us who are child-free, a separate
pool, hot tubs and dining areas are exclusively for grownups.
62
I curve
With room upgrades available most nights for just FJ $25
(about $14 US), it's worth splurging on the suites, which are large,
with big balconies, workable kitchens and even washers and dryers,
making a long stay seem oh-so-affordable. After all, you make up
for the extra cost in what you save on room service and laundry
charges, rightr Am I rightr
Rested and rehydrated by day two, I took my first adventure of
the trip with Adrenalin Fiji. No bloated cruising with fakey onboard bands and all-you-can-eat seafood buffet here: Adrenalin
took half a dozen of us out in a small boat (way out, beyond the
reef), to explore the soft-coral, kaleidoscopic landscape beneath
the turquoise surface. Of the dozens of boating and dive outfits
vying for tourists' time and hard currency, Adrenalin Fiji offers the
best soft-adventure quotient at the most reasonable prices. FJ $95
(about $50 US) buys a morning's snorkeling in primo dive spots;
about $185 ($100 US) buys a one-tank dive for certified divers.
After a day or two on Denarau, most people are ready for the
boat trip or small-craft flight to another tropical island, one that is
not man-made, not expensive, and not, thank the Goddess, set up
primarily to make Westerners feel at home. There your real journey starts. Get to know the locals who work at or own the place
where you're staying. Visit a village, take supplies to a school, and
hike in the rainforest. You'll meet some of the friendliest people
in the world-but don't be offended if someone asks where your
husband is: Our kind of queer culture isn't on rural Fiji's radar.
When the schoolgirls asked me, "Gillian, you have husbandt
I just pointed to my partner and said, "She's it!" They giggled,
a little confused, and then went on telling me their names, and
telling me all about their families as they braided my hair with
flowers. I relaxed, accepting their warmth and really returning
their real smiles. Maybe we have to bring our own dates, and
maybe it takes us a day or two to relax, but we truly are "welcome
in Fiji:' ■
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Brandi Carlile I Joan As Police Woman
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MIDWESTERN
MAGIC
T
he waves on Lake Michigan were too choppy, so our
boat tour was cancelled. Secretly, I was glad. The midOctober wind was battering me, despite all my layers,
and this wasn't the last time I'd regret not bringing
my winter coat. I took refuge from the blustery day in the Bayside
Tavern in Fish Creek and sat down at the bar next to Kenny, a balding, muscular guy in his 50s who'd come all the way from Missouri
to go fishing, but whose day trip had also been cancelled. Under a
mounted walleye, and over a couple of local Billy's Bayside brews,
Kenny and I got acquainted. Shortly after I outed mysel£ the questions started, as I figured they would, and for the next hour or so,
I answered every question Kenny had about lesbian life, including, of course, the requisite "I know this gal, and she's so pretty,
she could have anyone. I just don't understand why she wants to
be with someone who looks and acts like a man:' I launched into
Butch/Femme 101. Then I struggled to answer why a self-identified lesbian friend admitted she was attracted to
him. "Because you're a good looking guy and she was
drunk:' Just a guess.
The advice columnist in me enjoyed every minute
of this conversation. Actually, it wasn't just Kennyeveryone else I met in Door County was pretty gayfriendly. It's just that there weren't very many gays
around. In fact, in four days I saw only one other lesbian. The visitor's bureau is working hard to remedy that,
reaching out and advertising to the LGBT community.
64
I curve
GAY-FRIENDLY DOORS ARE STARTING
TO OPEN IN WISCONSIN.
BY KATHY BELGE
Regardless, the Door County peninsula is a great
place to vacation i£ like me, you love outdoor activities. In the upper reaches of the Midwest, nestled
between two bodies of water, Lake Michigan and
Green Bay, the whole peninsula is a playground for the residents
of Chicago, Minneapolis and Madison. Although the area is
lovely in the fall, when the leaves start changing like they do in
New England, and there are wine and cider tastings, and plenty
of places to go biking and hiking, I couldn't help but wonder, as I
pulled my hood up and dug my hands into my pockets, what it's
like in the heart of the summer, when swimming, kayaking and
boating are the main activities.
Too cold to swim, I signed up for a Segway tour in the town
of Sturgeon Bay. I'd never been on one of those battery-powered
people movers and thought it would be a fun thing to try, but even
with borrowed gloves and bundled up in every piece of polar fleece
I own, I was shaking so hard by the end of the 90-minute tour that
I could barely concentrate on maneuvering the Segway down sidewalks and over curbs. I just didn't account for the wind chill when I
packed for this trip.
When the winds died down, I rented a bicycle for an easy 10-mile ride
through Peninsula State Park, where
nuthatches climbed up and down
the pine trees, blue jays squawked
from birch to birch, and chickadees
chirped in the muddled sunlight.
After warming up with wood-fired
gluten-free pizza at Wild Tomato
back in Fish Creek, I drove over to
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We are welcome here.
From left: Dine on bountiful Door County produce;
kayak to Cana Island lighthouse; sip wine at
sunset or visit a winery for a local libation
Visit our website to discover
businesses that truly welcome
us with open arms in all four
corners of the globe.
www.lgbt.travel
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Whitefish Dunes State Park for a hike. The highlight was stepping out
from the trail and seeing an amazing double rainbow over a deserted
beach that would have been packed with bathers in the summer.
Whenever I travel, I like to taste the local fare. And since this is
Wisconsin, there's cheese at every meal. Because Door County is the
fourth,largest producer of cherries in the nation, there's also cherry pie
at every meal. You can opt for pie and deep,fried cheese curds at any
number of restaurants, but I preferred the artisan cheeses at Wisconsin
Cheese Masters-paired
with cherry wine from Harbor Ridge Winery
followed by chocolate covered cherries. There are plenty of places to eat a
fancy meal, but other than dining at gay,owned Trio, a French bistro, I'd
recommend sticking to casual local fare.
The big food event in Door County, though, has to be the fish boil.
Fish boils are more of a cultural event than a foodie attraction. Started
as an economical way to feed large groups of people, the boil is a Door
County tradition. Crowds gather outside, around a bonfire, as a cook
loads potatoes, onions and mild Michigan whitefish into a big pot, which
boils over in a fiery display. Although bony, the fish is sweet and mild,
and served up with drawn butter and sides of cole slaw, potatoes and
macaroni salad.
Since nightlife in Door County involves either snuggling beneath a
blanket and watching for shooting stars, or catching a double feature at
one of America's few remaining drive,in movie theaters, it's a great
romantic getaway. Gay,owned Chanticleer Guest House in Sturgeon
Bay is the perfect place to rekindle your romance or have a commit,
ment ceremony.
Not just for couples only, Door County is also a great place to take the
kids camping, or spend an outdoorsy weekend with friends, biking, fishing
or playing golf. Just remember to check the weather forecast-and pack
as though it's going to be 10 degrees colder. (doorcounty.com)■
International
Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
IGLTA Platinum Partners:
RESORTSA._ D E LT A
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INTERNATIONAL
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WORLDWIDE
CHIC
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IGLTA Gold Partners:
American Airlines, Barefoot Wine,
Expedia, Hyatt, LAN
HOW
GAY-FRIENDLY
IS YOUR
AIRLINE?
OUR GUIDE TO THE AIRLINES THAT CARE ABOUT
DIVERSITY AS MUCH AS DESTINATION.
BY GILLIAN KENDALL
nyone who's ever sought travel sponsorship for a
queer event knows that AmericanAirlinesworks
hard to earn our true~blue loyalty and our lavender
dollars. The Human Rights Campaign's Corporate
Equality Index-a no~nonsense, statistically based list of what
corporations are doing to advance LGBT equality-has given AA
more than a decade of 100 percent ratings. No other airline has
matched that record.
And no other airline has pioneered so many LGBT~positive
measures. Back in 1999, AA was the first major airline to volun~
A
tarily offer employee partner benefits (includ~
ing travel perks!) to same~sex partners. It was
also the first to endorse the Employment Non~
Discrimination Act (2008) and the Tax Equity
for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act (2009).
Having sponsored many international events, including the
2006 Gay Games, AA is the official airline for dozens of LGBT
66
I
curve
Beaut~ Queen
organizations, from Lambda Legal to HRC
to the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce.
Though curve doesn't have an official airline
(yet!), AA (in partnership with British Airways)
has made many of our travel features possible by hosting press trips.
For our community, AA is to travel what Absolut vodka is to parties.
Among the other airlines, VirginAtlanticis moving the fastest to
woo and win us. Spokesperson Joshua Crouthamel says, "Virgin
Atlantic loves the LGBT community!" Founder Richard Branson
has made a straight~talking Out4Marriage video, and whoever is
designing the pin~up~girl artwork that adorns every VA aircraft
has their finger on the, um, pulse of our campy queer commu~
nity. Tubular Belle, Queen of the Skies, Dancing Queen and Miss
Behavin sound like high~flying drag performers, but they're actu~
ally fabulous components of the VA fleet.
Remember the incident last year when L Word
star Leisha Hailey and her girlfriend, Camila Grey,
were escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight after
other passengers complained about their "excessive"
PDA:' Asked how Virgin Atlantic would have re~
sponded in a similar situation, Crouthamel says, ''A
kiss between a loving couple, lesbian or straight, is
to be expected when they fly Upper Class with us!
It's a sexy cabin:'
Bob Witeck, a PR and marketing consultant for
American Airlines, is openly gay,and confident enough
about Al\.s reputation to joke about what would've
happened if Hailey had kissed a girl on an AA flight:
"She'd have gone right to prison!" But
seriously, folks, he says, "No other
airline that is customer service~ori~
ented has schadenfreude over that
Southwest event. No one is glad that
it happened, because it's always bad.
"I assume that Hailey told the
truth over what happened, and
therefore it's fair to say the kiss was
not the issue:' The issue, he con~
tinued, was a failure in training or
communication: The flight attend~
ant who responded to other passengers' complaints of"excessive"
behavior did not make Hailey feel respected. "You have to train
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people to reflect sensitivity;' Witeck says. "If an attendant
witnesses inappropriate behavior between any two people,
and reminds them that intimacy is best left at home, that can
be done with sensitivity. It's the behavior, not the [sexual]
identity, that's the issue. The language has got to be nonex~
ceptional [for gaysJ:'In other words, AA staff members treat
gays and straights equally well.
American Airlines' longtime companion, BritishAirways,
is my favorite Northern Hemisphere airline, but for a per~
sonal, not a political, reason: They make tea in teapots. Even
in Economy Class, on a BA flight an attendant would no
sooner hand you a teabag and a cup of hot water than she
would spit in your gin and tonic.
Besides brewing a good cuppa, the airline offers health
msurance benefits to same~sex domestic partners in the U.S. (in
England, gays can legally marry their spouses, so there's no issue on
that side of the pond). BA is also a Stonewall Diversity Champion,
which means they have made a commitment to working with Britain's
peak LGBT charity to improve the workplace for LGBT personnel.
Transwoman Suzi James, an IT portfolio manager at British Airways,
writes on the website (onedestination.co.uk/ diversity~and~inclusion)
that "British Airways wants people of every sexual orientation to feel
valued at work-it provides us with the strength to deliver excellent
customer service worldwide:• She's part of the BA employee group that
has the cutest acronym ever: BANGLES (British Airways Network for
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Employees). Nice.
Recently, my own four flights on AirPacifichave confirmed its motto:
"The world's friendliest airline:• Senior flight attendant Viktor, who has
worked with AP for 18 years and took care of me in Pacific Voyager
Class ( upstairs!) from Sydney, Australia, to Nadi, Fiji, says the airline
respects all passengers and employees as individuals. "Fiji is a highly
multicultural country;' he points out. The population includes indig~
enous Fijians, Indians, Samoans, Tongans, Caucasians, Chinese and
many mixed~race people. According to Viktor, "There is a visible gay
population in Fiji, mostly in cities, and lots of them work in tourism:'
While there may be some bigotry in rural areas of the country, he says,
on an AP flight there is "no problem" with a gay couple holding hands or
being similarly affectionate. His colleague Lorraine, a flight attendant,
adds with a stunning Fijian smile, "We are all fruit salad!" and goes to
fix me another Bloody Mary.
Airberlin,a sponsor of 2012 L.A. Pride, has policies to support
nondiscrimination against gay passengers and employees. Product
manager Madeleine Vogelsang says, "All our employees, whether
married or not, are eligible to take their companions traveling as
part of their employee benefits, as for general health and life benefits.
Germany ... recognize[ s] domestic partners as legally married, so they
are entitled to equal benefits:• Though declining to comment further
on the Hailey fiasco, she says, "I have not heard of this type of incident
ever happening on Airberlin:'
If not exactly gushing with gay gusto, JapanAirlinesdid respond to
our informal survey with satisfactory answers. Spokesperson Carol
Anderson says, "Our policy is to treat each and every customer with the
same level of genuine hospitality and attentive service, without bias:•
If you're flying with another airline, curve suggests that further
research is needed: Next time you fly, give your sweetie a good~luck
smooch at takeoff and have a good trip! ■
September 2012
I 67
THE QUIET
CHARM
OF QUEER
BERLIN
Lush life:
Artemisia is the
first women-only
hotel in Berlin
AN ENTICING CITY WITH SOFT-SPOKEN APPEAL,
BERLIN REVEALS SOME OF ITS SECRETS TO WOMEN ONLY.
BY STEPHANIE SCHROEDER
B
erlin is an understated metropolis with a quiet yet
distinctive charm. Nothing is excessive, and even
the one-napkin and water-on-request-only
custom
in restaurants seems to make sense in a culture
conservative with its resources, but liberal with its hospitality and
endlessly creative.
In this cool international city, the lesbian community is just
as centered on Kajfee and Kultur as on Bier (beer) and Kneipes
(pubs). In cafes, at cultural outposts for women only, as well as
Relaxing at the Lustgarten,
Museum Island Berlin
along the activist spectrum, Berlin's lesbians are not opposed
joining with others to form a solid counterculture. Queerxxcentered anarcha-feminism
(liebig34.blogsport.de)
and the
squatter's movement ( tacheles.de, schokoladen-mitte.de)
are
major areas where lesbians fit within broader radical movements for social and economic change.
Cafes and other community gathering places are also points of
entry for queer women who enjoy the arts, who want to provide or
receive health outreach and community counseling, or who want
to ensure the well-being and preservation of women's sexuality
and lesbian herstory. Regularly scheduled women's parties are also
a highlight of Berlin's lesbian scene.
The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro may
not be optimal, but Berlin is an inexpensive city to visit. A euro
goes a long way, groceries are cheap, dining out does not need to
break the bank, and you'll find that you can easily stay within your
budget, however modest.
Getting around Berlin is easy. The city has an excellent public
transportation system (bvg.de); however, the best way to navigate
Berlin and explore the city's delights is to rent a bicycle ( approx.
$15/day, $63/week or $125/month). There are bike lanes and
bike paths almost everywhere. You can plan specific routes and
also allow for spontaneous stops at all the places where Berlin's
cultural, architectural and gastronomical juxtapositions intersect.
If you're simply looking to have a beer or coffee among the sisterhood, the Begine Cafe Bistro Bar is a fun spot in central Berlin.
You might also want to linger on a weekend evening when the cafe
is open later and live music, dancing and other art and cultural
activities take place (begine.de).
The Mondo Klit Rock Party for Girls and Friends-with
its
hardcore DJs, cheap drinks and sexy bartenders-takes
place in a
former motorcycle clubhouse, Roadrunner's Rock & Motor Club.
This dance party, held every third Saturday, costs $10 to enter and
the doors open at 10 p.m. But the party doesn't really start rockin'
until after midnight, when lesbians from all over Berlin fill this
giant retro club (roadrunners-paradise.de).
Knowing that lesbian herstory is being preserved all around
the world can be very reassuring. To find the Sapphic roots of
Berlin, visit Spinnboden, the city's lesbian archive and library, in
the eastern part of the city. Through two enchanting courtyards
lies a comfortable second-floor space that will grant you access to
German lesbian newspapers circa 1920, an extensive movie collection, a general lending library with books of every genre, and a
separate research room of noncirculating books, periodicals and
other material (spinnboden.de).
If you're undecided about what to do and where to go, you can
find loads of information about community-related events at the
Berlin Lesbian Community Center (lesbenberatung-berlin.de).
The low-key Das Verborgene Museum (translation: the Hidden
Museum) is literally hidden in a courtyard behind a nondescript
building along a mixed commercial and residential street. This
museum is a nonprofit arts organization and features a gallery
housing an archive of women artists while also exhibiting contemporary and historical women's art. The feminist artist and art
historian Gisela Breitling was a founder of the Hidden Museum
in 1986 (dasverborgenemuseum.de).
Also in 1986, Manuela Polidori and Renata Buhler opened
the only hotel in Berlin that's just for women, Frauenhotel
Artemisia Berlin. Seeing a need for accommodation for women
traveling alone or in couples, the two best friends established
this unique hotel, which occupies three floors of a residential
Minimalism and perfection at Q! hotel spa (left)
and get your bearings at the Brandenburg Gate
September 2012
I 69
Dine with the girls at Artemisia (left)
and enjoy a suite and stylish stay at Q!
-
building in the older section of Charlottenburg. With 19 guest
rooms, a conference area, a dining room, a lounge/Internet cafe,
and a sunny roof deck overlooking western Berlin, Artemisia is a
cozy, comfortable, and affordable choice for travelers on a budget.
Standard single rooms start at $74 and extra-large double rooms
go for $135 in the high-traffic seasons of spring and fall (frauenhotel-berlin.de ).
If you are looking for award-winning mad-mod design, check
out the Q! Hotel. This funky hotel in the newer chi-chi part of
Charlottenburg is a funhouse of contemporary architecture and
top-shelf amenities. Some rooms have deep bathtubs, fun for a
bubble bath with someone special, or just for relaxation after a
long day of sightseeing. The guests- and members-only Q! Bar
boasts quite an international clientele, including celebrities who
like to frolic in their own private scene. The hotel's spa is a calm
respite with reasonably priced massages, yoga and Pilates classes,
and other wellness services. Prices for a double room range from
$73 to $138; bathtub rooms are $158 to $175; studios, $242
to $269. Book well in advance to save 10 percent online (loockhotels.com).
Do not leave Berlin without visiting the Original Berlin
Currywurst hut at the northwest corner of Savignyplatz, just a
short walk from the Q! Hotel. For about $5 the stolid German
proprietor will serve you authentic grilled German wurst and
pomme frites with a motherly smile and a generous helping of
homemade curried ketchup.
If you prefer vegetarian fare, in Berlin's Mitte (center) across the
way from the Arthouse Tacheles squat you will find Dada Falafel.
The exquisite and utterly delicious plates run around $9 and will
fuel you for the day. You might even be lucky enough to catch a
Dadaist performance while you're there (dadafalafel.de).
The Turkish Market in Kreuzberg is a highlight of any visit to
Berlin. The Turkenmarkt lines the banks of the Landwehr Canal
(Landwehrkanal in German), with dozens of vendors selling
70
I curve
everything from exotic spices and imported fabric, to salty licorice
and other sweet treats, to fresh produce and savory homemade
food. The market is open every Tuesday and Friday between
lla.m. and 6:30 p.m. (tuerkenmarkt.de).
Another Turkish ritual is going to the Hamam, a Turkish bath
for women only. It's dedicated to cleansing you, body and soul,
and fostering relaxation and communication in a convivial environment. Housed in a former chocolate factory, the Hamam is a
project of the Schokoladenfabrik Women's Center. A three-hour
visit, including the Hamam, the sauna, and use of the salon and
courtyard costs $17.50 (hamamberlin.de).
The coffee in Berlin is strong, the flora is bright and lush and the
charms, particularly for women, are many. The magic of the city
and the nonchalant attitude of its residents lend an allure that is
quite irresistible. ■
-1-f
~ 7ff y,d:~e,,
Airberlin has regular midweek sales, so keep
your eyes peeled (and your online travel
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lu(flnf
{kL,
-;f;t,e_,,
sired:
L-Mag is the nationwide monthly magazine
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ExBerliner is an English-language magazine
and website with guides to what's on and
where. (exberliner.com)
Music Watch REVIEWS
Hot Licks
Gossip
A Joyful Noise
(Columbia Records)
Back for their fifth studio album,
Gossip continues to evolve its sound
on A Joyful Noise. While some of the
reckless abandon of earlier efforts has
given way to studio polish, lead singer
Beth Ditto's vocals have lost none of
their triumphant bite. The record kicks
off with the moody and bass heavy
"Melody Emergency," and from the first
note it's clear that listeners are in for a
treat. "Move in the Right Direction" is
an uplifting disco anthem that calls to
mind the power of "I Will Survive." Once
again Ditto and crew don't disappoint.
The album delivers track after track of
if)
~
w
I
~
6
(/)
I-
a:
w
CI)
0
dance floor friendly hooks that call to
mind Madonna, Michael Jackson and
David Bowie-and
that blend of sound
is a joyful noise indeed.
CrysMatthews
A LessonLearned
(CrysMatthews)
Ladyhawke
VicciMartinez
Anxiety
Vicci
(Casablanca
Records) (Universal
Republic)
Singer-songwriter
Crys
Matthews'newalbum
A LessonLearned
soundslikehowa
glassof icedteatastes:
familiar,comfortable
andrefreshing.
That's
because
on hersecond
soloalbumMatthewsis
talkingaboutlifeexperiencesthatfeelreal
anduniversal:
struggle,
prejudice,
self-doubt,
fallingin loveand
growingup in a part
of theworldwhere
intolerance
undermines
youridentity.Infact,
"WordsofWisdom"is
a callfor othersfacing
similarsituations
to
feelempowered
to take
controlof theirown
destinyandencourage
themselves.
Fansof
TracyChapman
andAni
DiFranco
will find plenty
to lovewiththisalbum,
as Matthewsshares
theirgiftsof telling
simultaneously
intimate
andrelatable
stories,
all whilecontinuing
to
refineherownunique
brandof R&Bfolk.
Afterfourlongyears
VicciMartinezstoleour
of anticipation,
New
heartswithhercover
Zealand's
reigning
of "Jolene"onseason
lesbianqueen(Pip
oneof TheVoice,
and
Browncameoutin
nowtheoutlesbian
2010) of electro-pop hasreleased
herfirst
hasfinallyreleased
album.Thosewho
hersecondalbum,
fell in lovewiththe
Anxie"ly.
Fortunately
for sassylesbianwiththe
Ladyhawke
fansthis
gutsyvoiceontheTV
highlyaddictiverecord competition
arein for
proveswellworththe
a treat.Witha voice
wait.Thistimearound, andpresence
thatcan
Brownhasoptedto
bedescribed
asJoss
dialbackthesynthto
StonemeetsChristine
makeroomfor more
Martucci,Martinez
traditionalinstrumenta- clearlyhasthe goods
tion.However,
despite to goa longwayasshe
thechanges,
it still
beltsoutradio-ready
manages
to soundvery jamslike"RunRun
muchlikea Ladyhawke Run"and"I WantYour
record-and a stellar
Kiss."Likethevariety
oneat that.Among
showthatkick-started
theset list'sstrongest hercareer,thereis
tracksare"Sunday
a littlesomething
Drive,"whichfeatures for everyone
onthis
the kindof catchyhook album:dance,soul,
andlonginglyricsthat
popandcountry-it's
aresureto makeit a
all here.Whilethat
lezziemixtapestaple canmakeit feela bit
for theforeseeable
scattered,
it's clearthat
future,and"TheQuick Martinezis a realtalent
andthe Dead,"a down- andwith Viccishe'soff
temposongwith plenty to anauspicious
and
of rebellion
to spare.
melodicstart.
a:
0
z<(
September 2012
I 71
REVIEWSIn The Stacks
TellingTales
A sneak peek inside Rachel Pepper's new book, Transitionsof the Heart.
As our Books Editor, award,winning journalist and therapist
Rachel Pepper is well acquainted with the struggles of the LGBT
community. Her latest book shares stories by mothers of gender
variant children and in this excerpt, a lesbian mother addresses her
community about their behavior toward her son's female identity.
world. We sat in bed with my big belly talking about gender,
neutral names for our baby and how we were going to make
everything available to him or her and not be limited by gender
stereotyping. The day you told me that you would not support
our child's love of dresses and all things sparkly was the day our
child became a battleground. You
What I Didn't Say: Letters From a Mother
took him to Karate class and cut
By Anna Randolph
his hair short and talked to your
stepdaughter in his presence
To the principal of my child's elementary school,
about how wrong it was that I let
gay like me, who said, "It makes me sick to think
STORI.S
OFLOVESTRUGGLE
AN ACCEPTANCE
BY
him wear dresses. He and I went
about what would happen to your child if he came
underground then.
to school in a dress:' Though your words stabbed me
in the heart, I thank you for your honesty about your
In my house he had dresses and
MOTHERS
OFTRANSGENDER
AD
jewelry and could wear what he
inability to protect my child on your playground. I
liked. He had friends who loved
understand that you could not singlehandedly hold
him and dressed up with him.
up the promise of those welcoming rainbow posters
I lived in constant fear that you
in the front hall and that this was a battle you could
would take him from me. This is
not fight. You made me understand that my child
what I imagined: on one side of
would have to wait for a while longer before
he could try out his "girl,self" in public.
the court, the lesbian single mom
who dresses her little boy in girl
To the music teacher at the same
clothes; on the other, the hetero,
school, also gay, thank you for casting
sexual couple who know what
my child as the Queen of Hearts in
the fourth, and fifth,grade produc,
"normal" is. "Yes, your honor, my
child loves to wear dresses and I
tion of Alice in Wonderland. It was
believe in and support his right to express himself as he likes.
a role he was born for. To be able
No, he is not too young to know what feels right for him:'
to be on stage in front of the whole
To the sixth,grade teacher I met with before my child entered
school and community wearing his
your school: you are so far the only one who has made me cry, in
favorite red gown and black heels, swirl,
one of my attempts at educating the people who will be involved
ing the red cape I knitted with white hearts
with my child. Thank you for your bluntness and not holding back
around the bottom, was such an affirmation of my child who had
your opinion that there is no way a child this young can know
to leave his 'girl,self" literally in the closet every time he walked
what he wants to wear. I learned from you that even this new
out the door.
liberal school was no safer than anywhere else. It was clear my
To the pediatrician who thought I was asking for sex reassign,
child should not be in your classroom ....
ment surgery for my ten,year,old: I felt so alone after we met,
Did you think this was some weird whim I pulled out of my
and wondered, again, if I was crazy. You reminded me, because
hat? Did you think I was a sick person who wanted my son to be
I always forget, that a boy who wants to dress like a girl is so for,
a girl? Did you think I did not love my child and want what's best
eign-and scary-to most people. Though you did not accept my
for him? That I haven't thought about the issues you raised already
expertise about my child, you did call the head of child psychiatry
a hundred times, or done my research? Couldn't you see that I was
at our local medical school, who, lucky for us, knew something
asking for your help in being on the side of a child who needed
about gender identity in children. He told you that, "this mother
your compassion and understanding?
is right;' and that there may be a need for medical intervention
To transgender adults that have grown up in times before now:
at puberty. Thank you for sending us to him, and for educating
yourself. May the next mother who comes to you with her girly thank you for your courage in standing up for yourselves. Your
stories of oppression and of violence against you, of alienation by
boy have an easier time with you.
others and of the feelings of alienation within your own bodies
To my child's other parent: did you know that your boyfriend
have made me passionate about educating myself and others about
told our child that he can't "pee like a girl"? You were a lesbian once,
and we were partners in life and in bringing this child into the
what my child needs to grow up healthy and safe. They inspire me
721
curve
to change the little piece of the world that
I can, so that my child can thrive. Thank
you for sharing your stories so I could
better understand my child ....
To transgender adults who have com~
municated to me that since I had not let
her transition earlier I was not being accept~
ing of my child: I want to tell you that my
child is not growing up in the same world
you did. I want you to know that I am
committed to helping her live freely in her
affirmed gender, whatever it may be. I am
also passionately opposed to forcing my
child into a decision that neither of us are
ready for and that could have a potentially
negative impact on her life. Even if it is
true, it is not helpful to me when you say
to me "your child is transgender" without
knowing anything about us. It has been
implied that I am harming, even abusing,
my child by not letting her transition at
age nine or ten. You do not know or bother
to ask about our circumstances, or attempt
to understand why I make the choices I do.
You do not see the
many ways I con~
vey my love and
acceptance to my
child while keep~
ing her safe. You
are not responsible
for every aspect of
this child's well be~
ing, as I am.
To other parents
of kids like mine:
thank you for shar~
ing your thoughts
and astruggles and
triumphs. I respect
the different ways
we have chosen to respond to our children.
There is no easy answer or"right"way to do
this job of parenting. I spend many hours
reading, listening to other parents, and
consulting with professionals as I make
decisions on this journey, but ultimately
this is between my child and me. ...
To my mother, who told me when I was
twenty~one how hard it is to be a lesbian,
and that no one would want me around
their kids, and that I should keep it quiet
at my job at a summer camp, and that
lesbians have unstable relationships and
unhappy lives: I understand the heart~
stopping terror of seeing your child on
a path fraught with more than the usual
amount of struggle and danger. I know
what it is like to hear stories of shootings
in classrooms, and crucifixions on rural
fences, and suicides of bullied gay and
trans youth, and know that that child
could be my child. I understand that
you were scared for your young lesbian
daughter setting off into the world. But
what you did not understand was that it
was not my choice. Trust me, I would not
have chosen to be a second~class citizen,
prohibited from marrying the one I love
or receiving her Social Security benefits
if she dies before me.
I know my child has not chosen this
path; it simply is her path. This child
let me know who she was the minute
she could make her fashion preferences
known. I know you loved me, Mom, and
wanted me to be okay, but you saw con~
forming as the way to acceptance. I'm
not sure you ever
understood
that
the challenge I felt
was not so much
due to the fact that
I was a lesbian,
but that I did not
have your support
and understand~
ing. May my child
always know that
I love him just as
she is, and that I
will always do my
best to provide
her a safe place to
be herself, while I
work to change the world. The 21~year~
old me would never have imagined that
my mother could now call my son by his
girl name, and has invited her to come
dressed as she likes to parties amongst
all her friends. Things change, and I am
May my childalways
know that I love himjust
as she is, and that I will
alwaysdo my best to
provideher a safe place
to be herself,while I
work to change
the world.
grateful. ■
Reprinted from Transitions of the Heart:
Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance
by Mothers of Transgender and Gender
Variant Children,edited by Rachel Pepper
(Cleis Press)
*Offergoodin the U.S.Mail-inclaimformrequired.
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**Imagescourtesy
of Nintendo.
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Bridgestone
retailer.
Eligible
tiresmustbepurchased
froma participating
Bridgestone
retailer'sinventorybetweenAugust27 and September
30, 2012.
Certainrestrictionsandlimitationsapply.Offerexcludes
Costco
and
SeeyourparticipatingBridgestone
retailer,
GMDealership
purchases.
bridgestonetire.com
orcall 1-877-TIRE
USAfor complete
details.
American
Express
andNintendo
arenotsponsors
of this promotion.
REVIEWSSapphic Screen
The Last SocialTaboo
Katherine Brooks throws down the gauntlet to her Facebook friends. By Laurie K. Schenden
Emmy Award-winning director Katherine
Brooks is seated in that lavish Hollywood
movie palace Grauman's Chinese Theatre,
waiting to watch the world premiere of her
latest film, Face2Face. Her mother sits next
to her, wearing a grin that could fill a widescreen. In a theater packed with friends, fans
and supporters, she is a world away from the
suicide attempt that inspired her to create
the film.
But why would this young filmmaker,
who has such an enviable career in TV and
on the big screen (Loving Annabelle), ever
try to kill herself? According to Brooks, it
took a combination of events to trigger her
attempted suicide: chucking her reality TV
career, recovering from major surgery and
feeling all alone in a town full of superficial
wannabes. "I had worked on a reality show
that was just really soul-sucking for me;'
explains Brooks, who's also directed The
Osbournes, The Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica,
and The Real World. "Between the surgery,
and leaving the job I had for 10 years and
suffering from depression, it was a recipe for
catastrophe:'
74
I curve
Her story provides some strong evidence
that depression, which still carries a significant social stigma, is exacerbated by a
dependence on social media.
It's fitting that the project began with a
Facebook status update by Brooks: "I have
5,000 friends on Facebook and it's been
a month since I had a hug:' That was part
of her motivation to hit the road to make
Face2Face. Brooks decided to travel around
the country to meet 50 of her "cyber friends"
in person. What she didn't mention, until
the cameras started rolling, was that this
was her first step on a journey to save her
own life, after downing what she thought
"When you grow up
an only child in a small
town, and you' re a loner,
a lot of your life lessons
are learned through
watching movies."
was a lethal dose of pills. ''As a filmmaker,
I was like, 'That's something that if people
could see, maybe they would think twice
about doing it:"
We see some of the actual footage of her
tearful suicide attempt, which she recorded
on her phone and found only when she was
deleting other images during her recovery.
She doesn't remember the recording, but
she does know that it took guts to publicly reveal it, warts and all, and that's what
Brooks does in Face2Face. But before she
turned on the camera, she had to ask herself, ''Am I willing to put that out there to
the world?" In the film, we hear her agent
and lawyer begging her not to include the
footage, because it would be career suicide.
It was a risk Brooks had to take.
The film is deeply personal. Brooks shares
horrendous personal details that begin when
she was a child in Louisiana. Adopted by
alcoholics, she was molested at an early age,
raped at 15 and bullied for being gay. Then,
she dropped out of high school. In a final
kick to the curb, she was rejected by her first
crush. This woman just happens to be No.
50 of the Facebook friends-mostly
strangers-she visits in Face2Face.
"I knew at an early age that I wanted
to make movies, to be a part of making
that magic happen;' says Brooks the day
after the premiere, sitting poolside at
the Hollywood Hills home of friends.
"When you grow up an only child in
a small town, and you're a loner, a lot
of your life lessons are learned through
watching movies:'
Like a lot of teens who find their
way to Hollywood, Brooks got a lessthan-glamorous reception in the town
known for making dreams come true.
"I lived in the parking lot of a pretty
seedy Hollywood motel and started
panhandling ... ! got into the wrong
crowd. I did drugs from the time I was
15 until I was 21:•
Even through those difficult years,
Brooks didn't forget her dream. "There
between L.A. and New Orleans, and is
was a [Super 8] camera in a pawn shop that
I wanted, so I managed to get enough money
editing Off the Record, her second lesbian
feature film, in which she also acts. "I play
together to get it. I started shooting the kids
a music journalist who's doing a story on a
on the street ... then just started to make
really tortured rock star. It's the story of two
them into short films. "My film school was
very tortured souls coming together and
kind of my street life, you know:' I never lost
having a connection:'
sight [that] my dream was to make movies,
not be a drug~addict homeless kid
living on the streets in Hollywood.
"I started giving tours on horse~
back, because I still wasn't old enough
to get a real job. That's where I met
somebody who actually produced
films, and I showed them a lot of
the footage that I shot. [They] were
really impressed with it and kind of
took me under their wing:'
Despite its poignant origins, the
film is a cathartic journey filled
Conceiving
Family
Tomboy
with upbeat and positive images;
(WolfeVideo)
(Watershed
ultimately, Face2Face endorses the
Productions)
value of personal connection. Plus,
In Tomboy,
the latest
Brooks' decision to throw caution
Istheresomeone
in
film fromCeline
to the winds and make the film is
Sciamma
(WaterLilies), yourlifewhobelieves
paying off-in addition to its sue~
same-sex
couples
the lesbiandirector
cess in theaters, she's even getting
continues
herexplora- shouldn'tbeallowedto
offers to turn Face2Faceinto a TV
adopt?Werecommend
tionof burgeoning
series. Needless to say, the lawyer
pre-adolescent
sexuality sendingthema copy
of Conceiving
Family,
and the agent who warned her that
andgenderidentity.
a documentary
which
Thefilm followsa
the material might ruin her career
tomboynamedLaure followsfiveLGBT
are no longer representing her.
couplesastheyshare
who,whenmovingto
Both Loving Annabelle, her first
their
adoptionstories.
a
new
neighborhood,
lesbian feature, and Face2Face are
Thefilm openswith
is
mistaken
for
a
boy.
"projects that really come from
Amy
Ratherthancorrecther thefilmmakers,
the heart and from the soul, and
andJane
newfriendssheseizes Bohigian
aren't about money and aren't
ontheopportunity
and Byers,makingthe lifeabout fame. And that's why those
alteringdecision
to start
reinventsherselfas
two projects mean so much to me;'
a familybyadopting.
Mickael.In hernew
Brooks explains.
Wefollowthemthrough
personasheis ableto
"When I actually started making
frightcapitalize
onthe privi- thesometimes
ening,heartbreaking
money, I got wrapped up in the
legeaffordedto boys
onthe playground
and andultimatelymoving
whole lifestyle of having the best
processof adoption
even
discovers
puppy
car, and a nice house, and it's
which
seesthem
love.
Delivered
with
an
about awards and money. On the
almostdreamlike
quality facingdiscrimination
outside, it looked like I was living
fromadoptionservices
bya talentedand
the dream, but on the inside I was
naturalistic
youngcast, andthe evangelical
a fraud, because I compromised my
fosterfamily
thefilm feelsincredibly Christian
own integrity as an artist, which is
intimateandnostalgic. of thetwinstheyhope
what made me go into such a deep
to adopt.Alongwith
It alsosuccessfully
depression. But I needed to learn
andByers'
raisesmorequestions Bohigian
that lesson. I needed to learn that
thanit answersabout tale,fourothersameart and the expression of the art are
sexcouplessharetheir
the oh-so-complex
what motivate me, not the money
adoptionexperiences,
conceptsof gender
bothdomestically
and not the fame [or] awards:'
identityandinnate
andabroad.
sexuality.
Now, Brooks divides her time
Doing projects that are close to her heart
may hurt her career, says Brooks, "but at
least I'll be doing real artistic expression.
And if I have to get a job as a horseback
rider [laughs], I'll just keep making my
artistic projects and my gay movies myself'
(face2facemovie.com)■
Prettylittle liars:
TheComplete
SecondSeason
(ABCFamily)
TheGuestHouse
(WolfeVideo)
If youask us,there's
nosuchthingas too
Thisincrediblyaddic- manylesbianromance
tive showgetseven
films.Whetherthey
moresothe second
aresteamy,passionate,
time around.After
cornyor evenbitthe untimelydeath
tersweet,wejust can't
of theirseasonone
resista lezzielove
primesuspect,the
storyand TheGuest
girlsare backwhere
Houseis the latest
theystarted,tryingto
must-havefilm to add
discoverthe identityof to our lesbianlibrary.
their blackmailer,
the
Thefilm followsthe
mysterious
A.A's con- rebelliousRachel
tinuingshenanigans who,whilestayingat
makelife difficultfor
herfather'shouse,
all the girls,nonemore meetshis employee
so thanEmilywhois
Amywhohastaken
nowoutto everyone up residencein the
andis dabblingin baby guesthouse.
Rachel
dykedrama,juggling is a wild childand
no lessthanthree
Amyis (seemingly)
ladyloveinterests.
conservative
but,
Non-stopplottwists
despitetheirsurface
andmelodramamake differences,
the two
indulgingin this guilty still strikeup a friendpleasureoh-so-satisfy- ship.Theyspendthe
ing.Addto thatthe fact weekendsightseeing,
that Emilyremainsone gettingto knowone
of the mostlikeable
anotherandbefore
andrelatablelesbian theyknowit the bond
charactersonTVand
theyaredeveloping
this is an absolute
turnsromanticandthe
lezziemust-watch.In
guesthouse
becomes
short,we giveseason the loveshack.
two anA.
Hotstuff.
September 2012
I 75
REVIEWSTech Girl
Back to the Future
The glamour of the past meets the gadgets of the present. By Rachel Shatto
Who says gadgetry has to be utilitarian? As any lezzie tech lover will tell you, the aesthetic of a gizmo is half the appeal.
(Don't believe it? Check your toy drawer, chances are there is a work of art or two tucked away in there.) While sleek and
futuristic has its appeal, modern technology comes alive visually when its advanced functionality is juxtaposed with the
sophistication of vintage design. Here are five devices wooing us with their romantic take on today's tech.
CLASSY CHROME CANS
CLOCKWORK CALLS
Modernaudiotechnology
meetsgorgeous
classic
stylingin the oh-so-chicThroneWhiteDevil
headphones
fromI-MEGO.
Takingits cuefrom
the cleanandsophisticated
linesof a 1950s-era
microphone
anddeckedout in chrome,luxurious
whiteleatherandfeaturingcrystalclearaudio,
theseheadphones
arethe perfectmarriage
of formandfunction.($140,i-mego.com)
Steamyphonecallstake on a
wholenew meaningwith the
iRetrofoneSteampunkBase.
This iPhonedockfeatures
a fully functionalhandset
and is hand-sculptedand
hand-castin urethaneresin.
Distressedbronzeandgear
detailscompletethis edgy
Victorianaesthetic.
($350,iretrofone.etsy.com)
THE GREAT CAPS KEY
All the architectural
sophisticationof the JazzAge
meetsmodernfunctionality
in Datamancer's
customNew
Yorkerkeyboard.Inspired
by the ChryslerBuildingthis
stunningbit of techfeatures
polishedbrassandaluminum
to createa shinyfacadethat
practicallyglowswith the
glamourof that goldenage.
Buyingit customwill run you
a prettypenny,so unless
youhavea Gatsby-sized
pocketbook,
we suggest
optingfor the DIVmod-kit.
($1,500,datamancer.com)
76
I curve
RADIO DAYS 2.0
ModernInternetradiomeetsthe gracefullinesof a
1940sradioin GraceDigitalAudio'sVictoriaNostalgic
Radio.Despiteits retroappearance
it supportsa
varietyof contemporary
freeandsubscription
stations
includingPandora,
NPR,Rhapsody
andSiriusXM.
So
sleekyoumayforgetaboutyourTVentirely.
($230,gracedigitalaudio.com)
.-----
Modern
technology
comes alive
visuallywhen
its advanced
functionalityis
juxtaposedwith
the sophistication
of vintagedesign.
TYPING POOL TABLET
Whosaidthetypewriteris obsolete?
Notthetechieup-stylersbehind
the USBTypewriter
Computer
Keyboard
whohavemodified
antiquetypewritersto workas
keyboards
for the iPad,MacandPC.
Picturedhereis theirready-to-use
model,butfor thetechnologically
savvy(andbudgetconscious)
a DIY
conversion
kit is alsoavailable.
($74 andup,usbtypewriter.etsy.com)
September 2012
I 77
REVIEWSFood
EpicureanAdventurer
Nicole Lou's Vietnameseheritagecomes in handy in the kitchen.
By LaniayaAlesia Hoofatt
With reality food shows popping up everywhere on TV, Bravo is stirring the pot these
days with Around the World in 80 Plates,
which meshes together the components of
several cooking, strategy and travel shows.
The cooking competition spans the globe
and tests the culinary skills of 12 chefs, who
also try to learn about the country and the
culture they find themselves in. The show is
a pressure cooker and the judges expect perfection, so even the smallest mishap can send
a contestant home. Best of all, it features two
queer women, host Cat Cora and cheftestant
Nicole Lou.
Lou, a San Francisco-based che£ leapt
at the chance to test her talents on the series
and because it meant she was able to
travel, explore and cook-all the things she
loves. The show has since wrapped and Lou
is back home in San Francisco, where she
has settled back into actual reality.
"Life was still moving when I returned
from the show, so all I had to do was roll
back into it, except now people want my
autograph. It's weird;' she says.
Although Lou was always passionate
about cooking, she wasn't always set on a
culinary career, having previously spent time
working for Gap Inc. "I was bored and at
an age where I felt it was reasonable to take
the leap. It was very much a do-or-die situation;' says Lou about making the decision
to quit the corporate world and attend the
California Culinary Academy.
After an apprenticeship at the awardwinning Japanese restaurant Nobu, in New
York City, Lou returned to San Francisco
to work for Robbie Lewis at Bacar. While
there, she was a line chef and later moved
up to sous chef.
"My first experience in a New York
City restaurant felt like a fantasy. I had big
dreams. Man, was I on cloud nine. It wasn't
until I worked at Bacar in S.F. that my eyes
opened for the first time. The harsh reality
of what happens behind the scenes
is not like anything you've ever
experienced. Every cook knows what I'm
talking about;' says Lou.
Her fascination with pork and charcuterie
took her to Perbacco in San Francisco, where
she helped chef Staffan Terje win the 2010
Cochon 555, a pork-centric farm-to-table
cooking competition held at the Fairmont
Hotel. You can now sample her fare at BushiTei in San Francisco's Japantown.
Lou is already confident in Mediterranean,
Japanese and Chinese cuisines, but now she's
focusing more on her Vietnamese heritage.
Indeed, her early memories of her grandmother and Vietnamese food could be one
reason she became a chef in the first place.
"I am in the stages of figuring out what I
like and what I'm really good at. Southeast
Asian cooking is next on the list, but focusing
on Vietnamese cuisine, as I have found, is
better suited in more intimate kitchens;' says
Lou, who plans to travel through Southeast
Asia to perfect her techniques. "I have a better understanding of what it means to fuse
two very different flavor profiles and cooking techniques into my dishes. I tend to err
on the more traditional side. The flavors are
more profound, have depth;' says Lou.
Lou has gained a lot of attention from
the LGBT community since her appearance
on the show (she's an out lesbian who never
considered hiding her sexuality from the TV
audience). But she hasn't let the limelight
derail her plans. First and foremost, Lou is a
dedicated che£ and one who wants her talent
with food to speak for her. ( nicolelou.com)■
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September 2012
I 79
STARS
Risky Business
This month, don't be afraid to be adventurous-or amorous.
By Charlene Lichtenstein
Virgo(Aug.24-Sept. 23)
There is some scuttlebutt making its way around
town and behind your back. Is it your own secret
that is about to be released or is it someone else's
secret that you are destined to hear? Whatever the
fates have in store, be prepared to be fully exposed.
Virgo(Aug.24-Sept.23)
WhenMs. Rightdoescome
alongfor the lovingVirgolady,
stand back or be singedby the
fireworks!The lesbianVirgin
possessesgreat emotional
depthand a sizzlingsensuality
that can satisfy any voracious
appetite.(Threecheersfor
those lusty earth signs!)
And she is loyal;onceshe
commits,she's in it for the
long term. Don't be surprised
if, after the seconddate,she
pulls up to your front door
with a U-Haulcontainingall
her worldly possessions.(All
labeledin neatlysealedboxes,
no doubt.)But beforeyou
panic,just imagineall those
yearsto comewith a cleanly
scrubbedbathtub!
Libra(Sept.24-0ct. 23)
Find new ways to connect with your usual crowd of
girlfriends and spice up the social scene with some
fresh faces. This may require a small infusion of
funds to get the party rolling. Spend what you can
afford to spend, and no more. Even in thrifty ways
you will have many chances to show off your best
assets in front of adoring fly-girls.
Aries(March21-April 20)
Lambda Rams are especially sexy this September.
Make good use of your zesty oomph in any creative,
artistic or just plain fun enterprise. Inspiration
strikes! Before you know it, you are the one to see
and to be seen with. Follow your muse and she will
lead you into temptation.
Scorpio(Oct.24-Nov.22)
There is nothing that you cannot do or achieve this
September. But all work, machinations and ambitions with no frivolous play makes Scorpio a powerful
but dull girl. Release yourself from the need to overachieve and see what you can do to relax and enjoy. It
is a time to reap the rewards.
Taurus(April21-May 21)
Home is not only where the heart is, it is where all
the action is too. Try to plan several intimate gettogethers with your best bosom buddies all through
the month. It is also an opportune time to reassess
and refresh your abode with a new look or maybe
even a complete renovation.
Sagittarius(Nov.23-Dec. 22)
Adventure awaits if you open your front door and
step outside. There are unseen forces that are compelling you to expand your horizons-physical
and
mental. If time and money are tight, seek excitement
closer to home. But if you have the resources, travel
far afield and explore every nook and cranny. You
never know what can happen!
Gemini(May 22-June 21)
Romance is just around the corner. Maybe she is
waiting for you at the corner bar or at the gym or
maybe in line at the supermarket as you squeeze
the grapefruits. So be aware of your immediate surroundings all through the month. There are plenty of
joyous opportunities and way too little time to taste
them all.
Capricorn(Dec.23-Jan. 20)
A current gal pal is very interested in upping the ante
in your relationship if you give her a chance. Is a love
affair with her advisable? Open yourself up to taking
risks and enjoying new emotional experiences. Allow
your heart to soar. If you are currently in a relationship, seek ways to add spice to her sauce.
Cancer(June22-July 23)
Money may not be able to buy happiness but at least
in September you can use a bit of it to gild your Lily
and grease your Pam. Enjoy life and love and enhance
the experience with something totally frivolous and
slightly extravagant. It is not bad to spoil the one you
love, even if it is just yourself. They say that we only
live once, as far as we know.
Aquarius(Jan.21-Feb. 19)
There is someone who is influential and powerful
who takes a shine to you and may try to help you up
Charlene
Lichtenstein
is
theauthorofHerScopes: the organizational ladder. Grab it with both hands,
Aqueerius, and see how far up you can climb this
A Guideto Astrology
month. Lovergrrls may feel neglected so to avoid the
for Lesbians
(Simon&
drama be sure to balance your time between climbing
Schuster)
(tinyurl.com/HerScopes).
Nowavailableasan ebook.
up and getting down.
so I curve
Pisces(Feb.20-March 20)
There may be some legal issues to tie up this
September. Maybe it is for a happy occasion like a
wedding or maybe it is precautionary like drafting a
will. Whatever you need to do, take care of it now.
You have much greater powers of attention and
persuasion.
Leo(July 24-Aug.23)
Proud Lionesses are in the center of all the social
activity this September. Assess the landscape and see
where you need to go and in what circles you need
to enter. Then meet, greet and sweet-talk the most
influential power brokers. Those who you meet now
can directly impact your future plans. ■
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Features
50
SEPTEMBER
2012
Peace of Her Heart
The star of the sizzling Lip Service reveals her
reasons for coming out and what it feels like to
balance 1V fame with her skyrocketing music
career. By Rachel Shatto
30
Out in America
Around America, queer women are considering
who to vote for and why. By Janelle Sorenson
34
Back With a Banga
Androgynous music legend Patti Smith reflects
on her career. By Dave Steinfeld
44
Namaste and Away
Look stylish in the yoga studio and in the street
with this great gear. By Constance Parten
55
Traci Dinwiddie Down Under
The Supernatural star's Australian adventure.
By Traci Dinwiddie
Travel& Stile Sgecial
Visit some of the hottest destinations on
the planet and make sure that you're
dressed for success this Fall.
38
Top and Autumn
Advice on all the essentials you need this
season. By Claire Moseley
46
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Harem Couture
Lesbian fashion designer Sheila
Rashid explores androgynous femininity.
By Kim Hoffman
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The exotic South Pacific destination offers
a warm welcome and lesbian-friendly luxury.
By Gillian Kendall
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Midwestern Magic
Wisconsin delivers food, wine and outdoor
adventure in Door County. By Kathy Beige
24
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Life is a cabaret in the lesbian capitol of
Europe. By Stephanie Schroeder
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IN EVERY ISSUE
6
8
10
12
19
20
22
27
80
24
Queer Queens of Qomedy alum Michele Balan
is more than just another "lesbian comic."
Letters
Editor's Letter
Contributors
26
The Two of Us
Our monthly profile of lesbian couples
who live, love and work together.
28
Lesbofile
Lipstick & Dipstick
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Politics
In spite of a gradual advancement of rights,
violence against lesbians continues.
By Victoria A. Brownworth
0
- - - -
Stars
Butch fashion goes beyond flannel;
Seattle photographer Molly
Landreth creates queer portraits;
catch up with what happened
around the world in the Rundown.
iii
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Out in Front
Laugh Track
Music: We listened to the latest albums
from Gossip, Crys Matthews, Ladyhawke
and Vicci Martinez.
72
Books: Author and therapist Rachel Pepper
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documentary.
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Tech: Sexy retro goodies give your home a
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nostalgic and nifty look.
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K12778
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Desiree Lim
Meet the Chinese lesbian filmmaker behind
the mind-bending thriller, The House. Lim
shares how she is exploring new genres while
remaining true to her cultural roots.
Dance Music Revolution
Catch up with JD Samson, the dapper-queer
electro musician as she embarks on new journeys
with the performance collective group that is MEN.
e
Gay Greetings
Dina and Dina of Teazled cards, the all LGBT-themed
greeting card company, share the expansion of
their company and their ongoing fight with a major
greeting card company over their trademark.
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L.A. artist Michelle
Robinson explores the
shape and color of
femininity and sensuality
with her breathtaking
canvases of overlapping
stylized figures.
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curve
LETTERS
Brandi Carlile Joan As Police Woman Cat Cora
ll#fu#M?f11jp
Memorable Music
Thank you for your wonderful music issue.
It was good to catch up with Brandi Carlile
again (love her) and also to learn about some
new lesbian musicians I had never heard before.
Your celebrity playlist was great (listening to
it right now!) but I especially loved the piece
on Janis Joplin ("The Pearl;' Vol. 22#6]. She
is a queer musician who should never, ever
be forgotten by lesbians. She paved the way
for so many others and I don't think I have
read a better summation of her relevance
than in this issue of curve. Keep up the
good work.
-Chris Morrish, Auckland, New Zealand.
Sapphic Suggestions
Pitch-Perfect Politics
Way to go Victoria Brownworth for your
thoughts on Obama ("End of the Rainbow;'
Vol. 22#6]. It was music to my ears. We were
all so quick to feel euphoric about his promarriage statement but are we going to hold
him to his rainbow baiting? As my mother
used to say,"The trick to a happy life is know ing when to ask for what you need:' Well, we
need equal rights now and I hope all lesbians
will ask-no-demand
them this year.
-Erin Stanley, Brooklyn, N.Y.
I have just started watching Lip Service and
I am a huge fan. Please, please, please do an
interview with Ruta Gedmintas who plays
Frankie. OMFG! Shane who? Frankie is
hotness personified. Please put her on the
cover and I will wallpaper my bedroom with
curve issues!
-Ella "Lippy" Hitchens, Washington D.C.
I would like to see more articles about
lesbians in business. The only successful
people in life are not celebrities on one hand
and activists on the other. What about the
women who are working to generate wealth
and create jobs for others? I would like to
hear more from them.
-Financial Femme, via email
Editor's Note: Stay tuned for more on Lip
Service and don't miss our October Power Issue
which focuses on business-minded lesbians.
A cute new gay housemate
moves in. You:
66%
13%
11%
10%
CORRECTION
In the fashion spread "Tomboy Chic" (Vol.
22#5], Kenya, one of the models' names,
was missing.
From Curve's
Facebook Wall
OMG,sheis so beautiful... I wish
I couldkeephittingthe like button.
-Diane Spignesi-Dillman
OMG!!!LucyLawless... she'sback!
StunningandHOTas usual.
-Marjory Lefevre
I am prettysuremyjaw just dropped!!!
Wow!-Julie Coulombe
FABULOUS-she
so belongsthere!!!
Gorgeously
coolwoman.
-Kristina Niemann
A beautiful& remarkableladyof a kind
sheis & oneof the earliestfemale
crushesI everhad.LonglivetheWarrior
Princess.Xenaandhersubtextis for
eternity.:D-Eva MercedesReichmann
Goodgodsheis a turn on maybeit's just
the Xenathing?-Marcey Anderson
Aaaaaaah!!!
Sexcellent;)
-Martine McDermott
Lucymakesmewannado badthings:)
-C.d. Kirven
I think it's stunningandI'll be buying
one!-Donna Kaye
Yummy!Aw... l adoreher,really.Great
heartandfunnyas hellsenseof humor.
I'll be buyingmycopythis weektosho!
-Jodi Boye
Thisis annoyingbecauseyourcovers
aresoooogoodthat my vocabularyhas
run out of stock:-DDDcurve, you're
awesome!-Evelyne Plate/
Aresoexcitedto have
a partnerin crime
Climbintoherbedand
seewhathappens
Panicandhide
inyourroom
Introduce
herto
yoursinglefriend
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CRAVINGTHE ULTIMATE
REEN
RAVEL
ACKAGE?
FUN. COURTESY OF
TRAVEL
W\SCflNSIN
-.COM-
EDITOR'S
NOTE
T
curve
THE BEST-SELLING
LESBIAN
MAGAZINE
HISIS OURTRAVEL
ANDSTYLEISSUE,and while they
may at first seem incongruent, any seasoned traveler
will tell you that moving through exotic locales with a
sense of the local style is as important as a passport. Recently, I
got to thinking again about the thorny issue oflesbian style and
whether we ought to embrace it.
The L Word provided us with a revelation of sorts, with its
high~fashion portrayal of go~getting lesbians. The Real L Word
presents yet another image of trendy lesbians- this time from
real life.
At a recent dot429 event in New York City for Pride
(dot429 is the premier networking organization for the LGBT
community and its allies) I was not altogether surprised that
lesbians were scarce at a swish cocktail~
and~canape mixer in a luxury penthouse.
The cover ($85) was hefty, but it included
all~you~could~drink premium wine and
spirits, sumptuous hors d'oeuvres, decor
to die for, interesting company (I mixed
with Jane Velez~Mitchell and others in
media and finance) and A~list Manhattan
views. But why so few lesbians? In New
York, most nights on the town with food
and booze will set you back at least $85.
The lesbians I did meet that night
were stylish and well~traveled (although
these were no trust~fund kids). Rebecca,
for example, designs lingerie under the
name Bex NYC. A lesbian who married
her girlfriend, Rebecca (who also works
for Playboy)expressed dismay at lesbians'
ambivalence toward a style staple with
which she is familiar: lingerie.
"I think women, regardless of their ori~
entation, love feeling sexy;' said Bex. "Sexy
to me is exuding a sense of confidence. A girl who rocks a pair
of boxer briefs with a great fit and kickass attitude is far sexier
than someone who tries to self~consciously force themselves
into what they feel society portrays as seductive:'
Customers, friends and even her wife have told her that they
are uncomfortable wearing sexy lingerie. "However, when I've
given them a great~fitting bra or pair of panties, they have come
back to me saying, 'I never knew I could wear that, and I love
the way they make me feel:"
So, ladies, whether you rock a pair of boxers or the latest
lacy intimates, let's head for the penthouse! We belong there as
much as anywhere else.
Fitting
Rooms
~~,_.
Merryn
Editor-i
merryn@curvemag.com
s I curve
SEPTEMBER
2012
I VOLUME 22 NUMBER 7
Publisher Silke Bader
Founding Publisher Frances Stevens
EDITORIAL
Editor in Chief Merryn Johns
Managing Editor Rachel Shatto
Associate Editor Jillian Eugenios
Book Review Editor Rachel Pepper
Contributing Editors Victoria A. Brownworth, Gina Daggett,
Sheryl Kay, Stephanie Schroeder, Constance Parten
Copy Editor Katherine Wright
Editorial Assistants Adam Brinklow, Kim Hoffman
OPERATIONS
Director of Operations Laura McConnell
ADVERTISING
National Sales
Rivendell Media (908)232-2021, todd@curvemag.com
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Business Development
Sallyanne Monti (510) 545-4986, sallyanne@curvemag.com
ART/PRODUCTION
Art Director Stefanie Liang
Production Artist Kelly Nuti
CONTRIBUTING
WRITERS
Kathy Beige, Kelsy Chauvin, Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Maria De La
0, Jill Goldstein, Lisa Gunther, Melany Joy Beck, Kristin Flickinger,
Gillian Kendall, Charlene Lichtenstein, Karen Loftus, Sassafras
Lowrey, Ariel Messman-Rucker, Constance Parten, Laurie K.
Schenden, Stephanie Schroeder, Lori Selke, Kristin Smith, Janelle
Sorenson, Allison Steinberg, Dave Steinfeld, Edie Stull, Yana
Tallon-Hicks, Tina Vasquez, Jocelyn Voo
CONTRIBUTING
ILLUSTRATORS
& PHOTOGRAPHERS
Erica Beckman, Meagan Cignoli, JD Disalvatore, Sophia Hantzes,
Syd London, Cheryl Mazak, Maggie Parker, Constance Parten,
Leslie Van Stelten, Katherine Streeter, Kina Williams
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Volume 22 Issue 7 Curve (ISSN 1087-867X) is published monthly (except for bimonthly
January/February and July/August) by Avalon Media, LLC, PO Box 467, New York NY
10034. Subscription price: $59.90/year, $59.90 Canadian (U.S. funds only) and $89.95
international (U.S. funds only). Returned checks will be assessed a $25 surcharge. Periodicals
postage paid at San Francisco, CA 94114 and at additional mailing offices (USPS 0010-355).
Contents of Curve Magazine may not be reproduced in any manner, either whole or in part,
without written permission from the publisher. Publication of the name or photograph of any
persons or organizations appearing, advertising or listing in Curve may not be taken as an
indication of the sexual orientation of that individual or group unless specifically stated. Curve
welcomes letters, queries, unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Include SASE for response.
Lack of any representation only signifies insufficient materials. Submissions cannot be
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CONTRIBUTORS
Block
,o I curve
TraciDinwiddie
is best known for her award-winning performance as Peyton Lombard in Elena Undone.To sci-fi fans
she is Pamela Barnes, the flirty and feisty blind psychic on
CW's Supernatural.When not on set, she fills her days with
Anusara yoga, trapeze training, West African drumming
and making guerilla-style #MoustacheMonday videos. A
social media maven, Traci helms a cyber-tribe of T ~bugs
through her Facebook fan page, Twitter @groovegoddess
and her website tracidinwiddie.com. There, she shares her
passion for fitness, travel, marriage equality and her own
philosophy of healthy, creative living: "Good lsness:'
GillianKendallhas written more travel features for curve
than for any other publication. After selling her house
and sort of breaking up with her longtime partner in
May 2011 (see "Getting Over Her on Oahu;' Vol. 21#7),
she has divided her time between the U.S. and the UK.,
while 99 percent of her possessions and a sizable chunk
of her heart remain in Melbourne, Australia. Co-author
of How I Became a Human Being, author of the New York
Times notable book of the year Mr. Ding's Chicken Feet,
and editor of Something to Declare:Good Lesbian Travel
Writing, she loves going to new places, revisiting old ones
and writing about her experiences. (gilliankendall.org,
"I wanted to become a journalist because I have an abiding
love of being hung up on and told to get lost;' says curve
editorial assistant AdamL. Brinklow."The slightly befuddled tone that someone adopts when you show up out
of nowhere and ask them questions is surpassed only by
their total mystification when you come back the next day:'
This month's fashion contributors were more cooperative
than most people, "Probably because they saw my outfit
and realized just how much help I really needed;' he jokes.
Adam works as a screenwriter for Truism Media in San
Francisco and has been featured in SOMA Magazine.
blogodonia.wordpress.com)
JennyBlockis the author of the Lambda Literary Awardwinning book Open: Love, Sex, and Life in an Open
Marriage. She is also a freelance writer and the social
media strategist for Nia Technique (nianow.com). Her
writing has appeared in and on outlets all around the
world, including HuffingtonPost.com, Newsweek.com,
Macau Closer, Dallas Morning News, EdgeDallas.com,
Dallas Voice,American Way, Feministing.com and many
others. (jennyonthepage.com)
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The Universal Butch
Fashion for the stud in all of us. By Adam L. Brinklow
From stone cold to high femme, we all have a little butch in
us. Which is why Jessica "ToeB" Berry created her BOTCH
Clothing line. "What I wanted was an iconic brand;' Berry says.
She observes that most successful clothing labels started with
a niche, and cites examples like Lacoste and Adidas, before
expanding, diversifying, then marketing worldwide. "If you
can get a gay brand to be worldwide, what better way to be
inclusive?;' she says.
Berry's initial concept was for a clothing line made in men's
wear style but fit to a woman's body. She noticed that some of her
straight male friends were opting to buy women's jeans because
they fit better, and some women preferred men's jeans. "Whoever
is cutting these patterns is just doing it wrong;' she thought, so
she decided to simply produce the clothes she would want to buy,
matching style to fit in a suit~yourself way.
BOTCH clothes are for people who want to make a state~
ment; loud, confident and straightforward. But you don't have to
be butch to wear BOTCH. Who wouldn't want to liven up their
look with a trucker hat that boldly declares "I Dig Chicks!;' or
maybe enjoy the solid comfort of women's boxer briefs (the
product catalog promises "No front opening").
There's one particular element of the BOTCH line that never
fails to draw attention, and that's the logo. Berry thought about
the Lacoste alligator and wanted to develop something equally
iconic. She considered a bulldog but decided that it was a little
too on~the~nose. Her solution? A rooster. Which poses a poten~
tially delicate question: Why the cock?
"There's a double entendre there, obviously;' Berry says. "I
wanted something that didn't have just one definition:' And the
rooster is a playful homage to her favorite lesbian fashion trend,
the fauxhawk. "I love it. I mean, a rooster uses that to attract
females, and we use it to attract women. It's perfect. The cock is a
no~brainer:' We'll leave it up to you to parse that last comment.
Berry made BOTCH with butch lesbians in mind, but she
doesn't hesitate to market the brand's unapologetic attitude to
a wider clientele. Trans gender people, femmes and even straight
and gay men (bears love BOTCH, she says) can all find some~
thing for themselves in her catalog. "It's a gay brand first;' she
says, "but I want all people to be able to come to the tent:' If
the label can become successful enough that non~gay people
are comfortable wearing a gay brand, that's the ultimate vie~
tory for Berry. But no matter how universal the label's appeal
might become, Berry isn't about to forget her own community:
BOTCH's online store has a "Cause" tab that discusses the
company's donations to the Human Rights Campaign in the
name of legalizing same~sex marriage. (hutchclothingco.com) ■
September 2012
I 13
CURVATURES
Molly Landreth Shoots the Real Story
This photographer's projects have a mission: Get it right. By Adam L. Brinklow
Seattle photographer Molly Landreth went to the Royal Pavilion in
Brighton, England, knowing only that she was scheduled to shoot
a subject for her Queer Brighton photo project there. She had no
idea what he would be wearing or what the actual composition of
the shot would be.
When Brighton teenager Zack showed up in a vintage-style
beige-and-white pinstriped suit, accessorized with a small-brimmed
straw hat and a double- Albert fob chain, she was a little taken aback.
"Do you dress like this every day?" Landreth asked.
"Of course I don't;' Zack said.'Td never wear beige in the winter
or fall:'
With Queer Brighton and her ongoing domestic project, Embodiment, Landreth wants to
portray LGBT people in their own spaces and
their own lives, without allowing preconceptions
to get in the way. "The queer community is so
often underrepresented or misrepresented;' she
says. "This project is about getting it right:'
Landreth wants her subjects-ordinary,
everyday queer folks from all walks of life-to
be her collaborators on each shoot. When she
meets them, she does a short interview, then lets
them suggest a location that would make a good
backdrop for the story of their life.
Wardrobe is chosen by the subject as well. Landreth wants her
subjects to wear something that will make a statement about who
they are. "There's a performance in all of our lives, and a theatricality;' she says, "especially in the queer community, because we, a lot
of us, don't live life in a mainstream waY:' Are Landreth's photos
natural or theatrical? Are her subjects wearing clothes or costumes?
A little of both. Conceptually, Embodiment is about how people are
and how they would like to be.
Fashion, according to Landreth, is part of how people tell society
their story. "There's a million different ways that queer people dress;'
she says, "so there's not really a [single] queer fashion:' But her subjects are, of course, making a statement and leaving an impression.
Landreth gets her fair share of surprises from collaborators, like
the lesbian couple who dressed in drag as Orthodox Jewish men
(costumes from a play they were performing), or the genderqueer
man who wore homemade disco ball earrings the size of grapefruits,
or the leather-dad biker who talked about her knife collection and
her band, Sisters from Hell, during the interview, but on the day of
the shoot answered the door in an ankle-length floral dress, having
just left a church bake sale.
And there are quieter statements too: crisp jeans, hooded sweatshirts, old coats, bare legs and chests. Even the most casual-seeming
arrangements are there to tell the viewer something. The photos in
14
I curve
Embodiment are about identity, in every sense of the word.
Zack's unseasonably colored dandy wear was not the only surprise Landreth got on that Royal Pavilion shoot. The pillar in the
photograph is apparently an off-limits area, and no sooner did
she shoot the picture than she and Zack were greeted by security.
"We set off all the alarms;' she says. Looking at the finished image,
that's no surprise. (mollylandreth.com)■
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September 2012
I 15
CURVATURES
the rundown
TheU.S.National
Longitudinal
Lesbian
FamilyStudyexplored the impact on children's
development due to a lack of male role models by utilizing the testimony of 78
teenagers growing up in lesbian households. The study concluded that neither the
psychological well~being nor the gender development in the children of lesbian
couples was impacted by the existence or lack thereof of a father figure ... Dr.Keren
from the VA Puget Sound Health Care System in Seattle has released
Lehavot
a new study exploring the rates of sexual assault in sexual minority women. Dr.
Lehavot found that adult lesbian and bisexual women are more likely to report
childhood abuse and adult sexual assault than their heterosexual counterparts.
Specifically, butch women report more physical and emotional abuse as children,
a lesbian
and femmes experience more sexual assaults as adults ... LizaFriedlander,
in Queens, New York has been awarded a $25,000 settlement following an
incident which took place in a Sizzler restaurant last year. The restaurant manager physically assaulted her while yelling
homophobic slurs, and other customers at the restaurant continued to assault Friedlander until police arrived after friends,
was being held hostage in her parents' home
whom she was dining with, called 911... Kenyan lesbian JoanSandyAchieng
when she committed suicide. After learning that she was a lesbian, Achieng's parents forced her to return to their home,
cut off her communication to her friends and community, and close friends reported being attacked when they attempted
to visit her. She also reported being forcibly married off to an older male family friend. Homosexuality is illegal in Kenya
and punishable by 5-14 years imprisonment. Prior to
her suicide Achieng managed to contact a friend and
reportedly warned them she'd "had enough and was ready
to take her life and the misery that had become her life:'...
who started working for
Out lesbian writer JudyFreudberg,
SesameStreetin 1971 has died, she was 63. Freudberg was
responsible for the creation of Sesame Street classics like
Elmo's World and earned 17 Emmy Awards. She also was
the writer behind children's movie classics An American
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HONORARY
LIFETIME
LESBIAN
MEMBERSHIP
OUTINFRONT
Creative
Minds
Two lesbians who use activism,
education and interconnectedness
to strengthen LGBT civil rights.
By Sheryl Kay
Auteur Advocate
Attending aJesuit day school in Singapore
Lim.At age
was no easy task for Madeleine
15, she started dating her first girlfriend,
was outed by her school's vice~principal,
and was quickly shunned by all. In an
effort to be supportive, one teacher told
Lim, "You're such a good student, you can't
be a lesbian:'
It's not surprising that Lim recalls that
time as one of the low points in her life, she
even contemplated suicide. "I felt so isolated
and alienated;' she says. "That time in my life
really fueled my commitment to build com~
munity, to feel like I had some place or some
space where I belonged:'
It was around then, with many of her
friends and associates being thrown in jail
without a trial, that Lim began to see the
authentic drama in her own story, and also
began to explore the ways in which this nar~
rative might play out in a movie. When she
was 23, Lim left Singapore for the United
States, ready to take up the cause of LGBT
civil rights-and use her love of film to do it.
Today, at age 48, Lim is the award~win~
ning founder and executive director of the
Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project
(QWOCMAP),
based in San Francisco.
6' Her films have debuted around the world,
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~
Last year, QWOCMAP
Productions
~ premiered The Gift of Family, about black
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~ and Family series, and Family Blessings, about
~ queer Asian Pacific Islander women rais~
~ ing children, premiered in June at the 2012
0
ffi Queer Women of Color Film Festival. "The
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~ whole series is important because it shows
~ us being queer within our own cultures, not
~ outside of them;' says Lim. "Lesbians and
gays are often
associated with
being white, and people of color are often
presumed to be straight, so it is important to
show us as we really are-living at the inter~
sections of race, gender and sexuality, queer
women of color who are raising children,
loving our families and loving our partners:'
Lim strongly believes that the only way to
strengthen LGBT civil rights is by building
alliances with the greater world community.
"It's an integrated and holistic way oflooking
at the interconnections of who we are:'
A Mighty Pen
Abe LouiseYoungsays her life has always
been about creative writing, listening, loving
oral history and other people's stories. Over
the last 15 years, Young has worked with
youth, queer elders, educators, activists and
communities in crisis. Writing and publish~
ing her own poetry and essays, she says, is
integral to that work, 'Just like teaching and
activism are totally intertwined:'
The great recurring theme in Young's
work is the advancement of communication
and bringing generations together. A recent
example is the guide she wrote last year,
entitled Queer Youth Advice for Educators:
How to Respect and Protect Your Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Students.
'i\ny one of us can be a bridge between the
generations and connect the ends of that
precious thread;' she says.
Having just finished teaching a semester~
long high school writing workshop for LGBT
youth called Dynamite Voices: Writing to
Change Your World, Young is currently
working with a coalition of family violence
programs in all 254 counties in Texas. The
goal is to engage youth in ending violence
against women and girls. She's also working
on a memoir. Set in her hometown of New
Orleans, it's about queerness, childhood
trauma, and the healing power of creativity.
Many social issues are more related to
LGBT concerns than one might think,
Young notes. "The movement to end violence
against women and girls is hand~in~hand
with the movement for LGBT rights, because
both are rooted in patriarchy:'
Having spent a great deal of time on the
road in Texas, meeting with students and
educators alike, Young says she understands
the hardships kids endure, and the courage
it takes to come out in rural, religious, Bible
Belt USA. She thinks each person needs to
determine when the time is right, and when
it's safe.
"I know that every gay or lesbian child
who sees an out adult is one step closer to
self~love and happiness;' she says.
"Coming out isn't just for oneself. It
can change the vision of everyone around
you, expanding freedom, especially for the
youth:' ■
September 2012
I 19
LESBOFILE
Lezzie L'amour It's all about weddings, engagements and relationship updates
for our celesbians this month. By Jocelyn Voo
You know what they say: If ifs not
on Facebookl it neverhappened,
TV Wedding
On-again, off-again, and now really, really
on again: The Real L Word stars Whitney
Mixter and Sara Bettencourt are reportedly
making it official.
Sources tell Radar Online that nuptials
in California are imminent. And since their
entire romance occurred with the cameras
rolling, it's only appropriate to have the
engagement be aired as well. Time to
program those DVRs, ladies!
American Bi-dol
DVR guilty pleasure American Idol has
produced quite a few stars in the LGBT
community, like guylinered season eight
runner-up Adam Lambert (who's now
fronting the legendary glam-rock band
Queen) and season two's born-againChristian-but-also-now-out
Clay Aiken,
who netted $1.5 million last year. However,
there's been a dearth of gay female contestants-until
now.
You may remember Frenchie Davis, the
soulful R&B singer with the shaved head,
who got booted off season two when topless
20
I curve
photos taken during her youth surfaced. In
more recent (and fully clothed) times, she
starred in Rent on Broadway and also reality
show-hopped to The Voice. But looks like it
hasn't been all work and no play for herthe singer recently revealed that she had
been dating a woman for the past year.
"I wasn't out before the relationship,
but I wasn't in;' she told the St. Louis PostDispatch. "I dated men and women, though
lesbians weren't feeling the bisexual thing.
Now I'm in love with a woman I think I
can be with forever:'
Sapphic Status Update
You know what they say: If it's not on
Facebook, it never happened.
Mary Cheney, daughter of the former
vice president, took to the social network
to announce her wedding to longtime partner Heather Poe: "Very happy to announce
that as of this morning, Heather and I are
legally married (at least in DC). 20 years to
the day after our first date:'
In a statement, former Vice President
Cheney said, "Mary and Heather and their
children are very important and muchloved members of our family and we wish
them every happiness:'
Now that's some good politics.
Gay is as Gay Does
Being in the public eye and being open
about your sexuality is complicated ( see:
Ellen DeGeneres, Cynthia Nixon, Wanda
Sykes, Meredith Baxter). But potentially
being outed publicly on national TV?
That may have be the case for Good
Morning America host Robin Roberts,
who had the distinction of being selected
to speak with Barack Obama for his historic gay marriage interview.
However, it appears that Obama's
camp didn't know about the whispers of
Roberts being gay-and
now the interview has created murmurings targeting
the ABC newswoman's sexuality.
So, let's get this straight: 51-year-old
careerwoman who lives with her Jack
Russell terrier on N.Y.C:s Upper West
Side equals gay? Please. We all know she'd
be in Park Slope. ■
She Said
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September 2012
I 21
Should I Come Out at School?
Am I a failure as a teacher? Am I setting a bad example? By Lipstick and Dipstick
Dear Lipstick & Dipstick: As a substitute teacher, I have opted to keep my
sexuality and love life quiet. I suspected that I would be in schools all over and
would never build friendships in any one place. As it turns out, I spend most
of my time working in the same school. I have come to know the staff-I
share
in their lunchtime chatter about their significant others and am sometimes
invited to join them in get-togethers outside of work. The problem is, after
Dipstick:I'm not suggesting she be passive,
Lipstick. You yourself said-and I agreethat most of the teachers probably already
know. The fact that they're talking about
their spouses and not asking about yours
proves it, Subster. Being subtle is not the
same as being passive.
knowing them all for over a year, it feels awkward and strange to suddenly
say, "Oh, by the way, I'm a lesbian who has been living with her girlfriend for
the entire time you've known me." I'm also worried about the repercussions.
In addition to feeling terrible that I can't share the biggest part of my life with
my co-workers, I feel like a failure as a teacher. I want to be able to show the
LGBT students at the school that there is no shame in being who they are, and
there is nothing to hide. But how can I do that when I've been in the closet
all this time? I'm not sure what it is about the workplace that makes me so
skittish. I can't imagine saying it point-blank. Are there more subtle ways I can
let it be known?-Substitute
Shame, Room 8
Lipstick:Great question! Thanks for writing to us-your
predicament, no doubt,
resonates with many readers. Sometimes
it's hard to know the right time to come
out. My advice is, do it during the week of
October 11, in honor of National Coming
Out Day. It will start the conversation and
also give you a context, so it kills the awkward "Oh, by the way" vibe. Start with an
email to your closest friends on the staff.
Most likely, they already know and are talking about you behind your back. Give them
permission to tell whomever they'd like.
This will take away the fear that consumes
you, because you can then assume everyone
knows. It'll travel like wildfire-your blessing will be the fuel that spreads it. Does the
school have a GSA? If so, contact them
and go visit with the students. If the school
doesn't, join forces with a straight ally and
start one. At your first meeting, tell everyone what you just told us: that you want
to set a strong example by living honestly,
without shame. Tell your story. Not only
will it be liberating, it'll be inspiring. I'll
bet my favorite Prada boots that you'll see
22
I curve
way more positives than negatives. Hate
is out of style, and there's been a real sea
change in people's thinking. Like Obama,
the world is awakening and realizing love
should be the driving force in our lives,
not judgment.
Dipstick:I disagree. You don't need to come
out and make some big announcement.
It's a new school year, so the next time the
teachers are all gabbing about their exciting
weekend barbeques and kids' soccer tournaments, casually mention that you and
your partner took a trip to Home Depot
over the weekend to fix the screen door.
Just act as if you've been out to them this
whole time.
Lipstick:Nope. Passivity is out of style, too,
Dip. Didn't you get the memo? Be bold and
be brave! Roomie, your students need you
to be courageous. Think of the gay kids who
are being bullied right under your queer
nose at that school. You can do it, Substitute
Shame! We believe in you! For additional
support, go to hrc.org and glsen.org.
DearLipstick& Dipstick:I'vebeenwithabout
30 womenin my life.A few brokemy heart
and I've brokena few. I finallylearnedwhat
worksand I'm runningwith it in my current
relationship.
I still have one issue,though.
Howdo I interactwith pastloves,the heartbrokenand vice versa?I know time has
passed,butseeingthemstill reallysucks.HealedUpin Healdsburg
Dipstick:Are you sure you're healed up,
Healdsburg? Perhaps you've got lingering
feelings for all these women ...
Lipstick:
If you don't want those ex encounters to sting, make amends. Forgive the ones
who've hurt you, and humbly own up to your
own path of destruction. Also important:
Forgive yoursel£ Once you've done these
things in earnest, you'll be able to detach
from the past and something marvelous will
Lipstick& Dipstick ADVICE
happen. It won't burn anymore, because you
have set down those hot coals you've been
carrying around.
Dipstick::
Oh God, Lipstick, when did you
become Dr. Phil? Dealing with past lovers is
easy.Just look them in the eye, say hello, and
ask how they're doing. Let go of the past
and start living in the present.
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WhatdoI do?I feelhorrible,
butmostlyabout
thefactthatI'm keepingthingsfromher,and
that I mightloseherfor it. Help?-Perplexed
in P-Town
Lipstick:
Lordy lezzie mercy. Listen careful~
ly, Perplexed. First, do not move anywhere.
Stay put. Second, come clean and end the
long~distance relationship. Tell her that
you're sorry. Tell her that you're lost. Now,
DearLipstick
& Dipstick:
I'm 20 yearsoldand take a deep breath and relax. You're caught
I'vebeenin a long-distance
relationship
with up in the cyclone of sexual discovery and it's
my girlfriend
for a yearanda half.It's been quite a beast. What you're feeling is actu~
a rollercoaster
ride.We'vetalkedaboutevery- ally pretty normal, the first time you fall in
thinganddecidedI shouldmoveto her city love. For the next two years, resist the urge
becauseI was planning
to movesomewhere to merge. That means no relationships. Stay
elseanyway.I'vesavedupthemoneyandI'm single and just float, allowing yourself to
readyto go.Theproblemis, I havenoclueif feel and do what you must until the world
thisrelationship
wasevenrightto beginwith. comes into focus. I'm not saying be reckless,
I wasveryattracted
to herwhenwe firstmet. but just love yourself unconditionally and
Eventually
we fell in love,andI still loveher listen very carefully to your own deep
so much,but,to be honest,I've alsohadmy intuition, which will get louder
doubts.Sometimes
it seemsas thoughwe and clearer as you get older. It
havenothing
incommon-thatscaresme.I'm won't steer you wrong.
veryliberal,andshe'sveryconventional
and
conservative.
I feellikeshedoesn'tunderstand Dipstick:
Oh, it steered me wrong
me.I alsohavea fewskeletons
in mycloset.I once, and I ended up cold and
cheatedon hertwice.Whenshefirst moved alone on a rainy night at the end
away,I kissedthisguy.Thenyesterday
I had of the pier, Provincetown.
sex with him.ShouldI comeclean?I don't
wantto loseher.I'd reallyloveto bewithher Lipstick:Dip, I told you Mustang
and take our relationship
further.Especially Sally was too good to be true and
now that the day is comingwhenI'll leave was probably just a guy pretend~
hereandliveina citywithnofamilyorfriends. ing in his Midwestern basement.
Dipstick:That's a night I'd rather forget!
Even though you were right then, Lipstick,
you're wrong here. Telling a lesbian to stay
single is like asking that P~Town ocean
to hold back its tide. And obviously,
Perplexed's intuition isn't fully formed
yet-otherwise,
she would have listened
to her doubts in the first place. Perplexed,
bite the bullet and fess up. Tell your girl~
friend about your infidelities. That kind
of secret will only fester like a boil, until it
suddenly pops all over your laptop during
a Skype date.
Lipstick:Ewwww! Now who's emulating
TV, Dr. Oz?
Dipstick:
Sometimes you need to be graphic
to get these girls to listen, Lipstick. I'll
second one piece of advice the
femme gave, Perplexed:
You need to break up
with the long~distance
lover. Someday down
the road-once you
find a girl who's as
liberal as you are,
who gets your quirky
sense of humor, and
on whom you'd never
even consider cheating-then
you'll thank the Goddess
that you ended this first love
when you did. ■
September 2012
I 23
LAUGH
TRACK
A Stand Up Gal
Don't tell outspoken New York comic, Michele Balan, that women aren't funny.
By Kim Hoffman
Before Michele Balan became a standup comic, she was impersonat,
ing Bette Midler at gay clubs in New York in the '70s. While it gave
her certain recognition among gays, she wanted more. Fast forward
to 2006 where Balan had the chance to showcase what she's best at
on Last Comic Standing-witty one,liners that poke fun at getting
older and being a brash New Yorker.
She's produced such comedy shows as We're Still Standing and
Women Are F*@&ing Funny but on her bucket list, however, is a
guest,spot on The Ellen Show, where she says women comics like
her would love a chance to grace the stage. If you're looking for jokes
about lesbian bed death and U,Hauls, you won't find that here. But
you will find someone who's unafraid to tell it like it is-who knows
that once you label yoursel£ that's all you'll ever be-especially in
this biz. She's made Debra Messing laugh so hard she claimed to
pee her pants, and even though Balan has a subscription to AARP,
she's among the many late,in,life comics who hope the next show
will still go on.
It doesn't
seemlikeyou'vepigeonholed
yourcomedy
tobejustforgays.
Exactly. Even when I do gay events, I just do my comedy. So, my
act, even from the very beginning, even though I was a lesbian, was
geared toward everybody. I used to take offense when people would
call me a "lesbian comic:' What does my sexuality have to do with
my career:' I mean they never say, We're going to have a straight
comic tonight! Why do you have to say that? Funny is funny.
Inyouract,isthereanything
youeverlimityourself
fromtalkingabout?
I believe that good comedy is based on good observations-human
nature-and also I'm very honest about who I am. One thing that
people have said is that even though I'm a tough New Yorker, there's
vulnerability about me because I am honest. I don't care what I say.
As long as I make you laugh, I'll tell you anything about me-I
should try being that honest in relationships [laughs]. The one
thing I don't do: I don't pretend that I'm straight either. But they
wouldn't know either way. I refer to myself as bicomical. I perform
for both gay and straight.
It seemslikewomencomicshavebeenfightingforequalityinthespotlightformanyyearsnow.What'syourtakeonthat?
Remember the old days with Phyllis Diller and Moms Mabley? All
those women were on more late night shows than we can get on
today. Once in a while we get on. But if a late night show will use a
woman comedian, they'll use somebody like Ellen DeGeneres, but
they'll use some unknown guy that nobody's ever heard of...I got
lucky and I was asked to do the Tonight Show a couple of times, but
of course, they always called me last,minute, and could you believe
it: four times I couldn't do it. I know how to hurt my career [laughs].
I don't need help! If anybody's going to sabotage it, it's going to be
24
I curve
me! But I always hear, "Women aren't funny;' and I think, are you
kidding me?
Youpokefunat youragea lot.Howdoesa woman'sagefactorintoher
placeintoday'sentertainment
industry?
Unfortunately, the hardest thing is not only sexism but ageism. The
only one doing well is Betty White because she's 90. And I'm sure if
I make it to 90, things will go great for me. So, right now, I'm at that
awkward age between 20 and 90. And in this business with women,
they either want you to be under 30 or over 90. Seriously. Years ago,
especially in standup comedy, like with Totie Fields and when Joan
Rivers started, none of them were young. They all started comedy
late in life.
Howcanwomenchangethisdoublestandard?
Ellen's mom Betty DeGeneres, she's done a couple of cruises I've
been on, and she's always been a big fan of mine. And I'm think,
ing, Why don't you have your daughter put me on her show? I did
a show in New York called Women Are F*@&ing Funny, and I
put new women comics on. I want to give them a chance. Women
should help other women. (comicbalan.com)■
THETWOOFUS
Wendi and Maggie
The bond between JCPenney's poster lesbians. By Jenny Block
A Mother's Day ad featuring a beautiful family could make people
angry and hateful? You bet. That's exactly what happened when
JCPenney featured lesbian couple Wendi Hollenbeck and Maggie
Shults and their daughters Clover and Raven in an ad alongside
Wendi's mom Carolyn. But the happy couple has no regrets.
How they met
Wendi:I went with a friend to Maggie's house for a barbeque. I
thought she was gorgeous and hilarious and I couldn't stop thinking
about her for days. After dating for six months we made it official
and started dating exclusively.It'll be five years in August.
Landing the JCPenney May book for Mother's Day
Wendi:A friend of mine in marketing at J CPenney knew that we
had just been a part of another LGBT ad and asked if we would like
to submit a picture of our family. So we did, and they picked us!
Surprises on the set
Wendi:None of us realized a writer was going to interview us for
a short editorial piece in the spread. But we loved sharing stories
about my and Maggie's art background; how the girls were brought
up in the Art Factory-my little art school in Colorado-and how
Maggie was a potter at a boarding school. Also, when we went to
wardrobe, Maggie looked at her outfit, a white crocheted top and
a white skirt, and motioned for me to come over to her, a look of
discontent on her face. Not to say she's never worn a dress, but it's
no longer her style. We spoke to the stylist and she switched the
skirt out for a pair of cute white pants. The shoot was also on our
daughter Clover's 7th birthday. So she was pretty excited and felt
pretty special all day.
Reactions to the ad
Wendi:It was positive and negative and somewhat overwhelming.
Still, we weren't surprised about all of the attention from the
press. And all of the love and support we received from friends,
family and the public was thrilling.
Maggie:It was wild to see it on the news and the kids thought it
was pretty cool too. They were and are proud of our family and
they understand that not everybody likes gay people in the same
way some people are racially prejudiced.
Feelings about One Million Moms' call for a boycott
Maggie:How many? 46,000 bullies is more like it.
Wendi:I think it's sad to see mothers spewing hate at our family
and other families with two moms or two dads. It's basically
bullying, and it teaches children that it's OK to bully people if
they aren't just like you. Mothers are supposed to be uncondi~
tionally loving and protective. I don't understand these women
at all.
Why they'd do it all over again
Wendi:We were all so proud of the piece, my mom included.
And the teachers at the girls' school treated them like rock stars
and showed the class their spread and both emailed us saying
how proud they were and how beautiful our family is.
Why they're so good together
Maggie:Because we fit. We balance each other out and we are
both committed to the relationship and our family.
Wendi:Respect, love, friendship and a strong commitment to
each other and our family. She is my best friend. We even got
each other the same Mother's Day gift this year, a wishbone
charm. We both thought the other was hinting at wanting it.
When we were poor we ate a lot of rotisserie chicken and always
did the wishbone. ■
26
I curve
SCENE
Literary Lesbians
Insidethe 24th Annual Lambda LiteraryAwards. By Sassafras Lowrey
On the evening of June 4 the who's who of the queer liter~
ary world gathered in New York City for the sold~out 24th
Annual Lambda Literary Awards. The Lammys, as they
are most commonly referred to, are the largest and most
prestigious LGBT literature awards given to the top queer
books each year in 24 categories. Lesbian icon Kate Clinton
brought her notorious humor and pointed commentary to
her role as this year's Master of Ceremonies, making this the
event to attend for any book~loving lesbian.
Top Lesbian winners this year included Six Metres of
Pavement by Farzana Doctor (Lesbian Fiction), Zipper
Mouth by Laurie Weeks (Lesbian Debut Fiction), When We
Were Outlaws: A Memoir of Love & Revolution by Jeanne
Cordova (Lesbian Memoir/Biography), Kim Baldwin and
Xenia Alexiou's Dying to Live (Lesbian Mystery), Love Cake
by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna~Samarasinha (Lesbian Poetry),
Taken by Surpriseby Kenna White (Lesbian Romance) and
Debra Hyde's Story of L (Lesbian Erotica).
Women were big winners in general this year, with Barbara
Browning's The CorrespondenceArtist winning Bisexual
Fiction, Jan Steckel's The Horizontal Poet winning Bisexual
Nonfiction, Sister Arts: The Eroticsof Lesbian Landscapesby
Lisa L. Moore LGBT Studies, Tristan Taormino's anthology
Take Me There: Trans and GenderqueerEroticaT ransgender
Fiction, and Peggy Shaw's A Menopausal Gentleman: The
SoloPeiformancesof PeggyShaw LGBT Drama. Lesbians also
took home additional prestigious awards with Kate Millett
receiving a standing ovation as she accepted the Pioneer
Award, and Stacey D'Erasmo taking home the prize for
Outstanding Mid~Career Novelist. (lambdaliterary.org)■
September 2012
I 27
POLITICS
Acts of Violence
The recent shooting of two lesbians in Texas is a grim indicator of intolerance.
By Victoria A. Brownworth
Most of us were celebrating Pride when
Mollie Judith Olgin, 19, and Mary Kristene
Chapa, 18, were found in Violet Andrews
Park in Portland, Texas, a small suburb
of Corpus Christi. Both young women
had been shot in the head. Olgin was pronounced dead at the scene. Chapa was
taken to the hospital in critical condition. A
witness described their assailant as a lightskinned male in his 20s. The young women
may have been stalked.
Local police noted that there had not been
a murder in Portland since 2010. Several
days after the June 22 shooting, candlelight
vigils were held in cities across the country,
including San Francisco, Philadelphia and
Boston. Chapa's family kept a vigil at her
bedside. Unable to speak, Chapa repeatedly
wrote the word "Mollie" on a notepad, but
her family feared telling her that her girlfriend had died, because of her fragile state.
Even the doctors weren't sure how Chapa
had survived. A bullet fired from the same
trajectory had killed her girlfriend. The
crime against Olgin and Chapa was horrifyingly familiar.
In May of 1988, I was a reporter for a daily
newspaper when a single paragraph came
2s
I curve
over the AP wire about two young women
who had been shot a few days earlier. They'd
been hiking together. I read it several times
and thought, The women must be lesbians.
Claudia Brenner was 31; Rebecca Wight
was 28. Women that age, hiking together
without any men:' I knew. And I feared
that if I was right, this wasn't just a random
shooting but a hate crime.
Claudia Brenner and Rebecca Wight
were shot while hiking the Appalachian
Trail in Pennsylvania. Wight was killed,
Brenner survived. Stephen Roy Carr was
convicted of the shootings. He had stalked
the two women and shot them eight times
as they were kissing in a secluded campground, where they thought they were safe.
I was in the small courtroom in Adams
County, Penn., when Carr was sentenced,
after Brenner's and Wight's families gave
emotional victim impact statements.
Later, when I met with the prosecutor, we
discussed the case and how integral the survivor, Brenner, has been to the conviction.
But how hard it had been to make a deal
with Carr-a deal made in order to keep the
women's sexual orientation out of the case.
In 1988, I was afraid the story might not go
national-just as Olgin
and Chapa's story didn't
hit the national news
right after the shooting,
despite those vigils in
LG BT communities. I
knew in 1988 that we
have to report the crimes against us. Claudia
Brenner had done that. When she was finally
picked up, staggering by the side of the road
near Shippensburg, Penn., drenched in
blood like someone in a horror movie, she
went directly to the police to report what
had happened and to try to save the life of
her lover, who-although she did not know
it then-was already dead.
I pitched the story to my editor. I knew
it deserved to get bigger. I covered the story
from start to finish. I remember trying not
to cry when I interviewed Brenner, the survivor, as she described trying to save Wight's
life (no one could have-a
bullet had
pierced her liver and she bled to death) and
then deciding to go for help. Brenner was
brave. Brave enough to survive despite the
bullets that had torn through her throat and
caused blood to course out of her neck as
she hiked four miles-a trip that took her
three hours-to
the nearest road for help.
She had taken five of the eight bullets Carr
had shot at the women. Later he would tell
police he thought they were deer.
I remember how dose I felt to the story,
because of my own experience with violence,
and the crimes against other lesbians I
knew. We had all been victims, we had all
survived. But once someone else has held
your life in his hands, the world becomes
a very different place. Mary Kristene Chapa
will discover that, too, as she recovers from
her wounds. Carr, the 22-year-old man
who shot Wight and Brenner in 1988,
alleged that the couple had, had sex to taunt
him. He was sentenced to life in prison.
A 1991 appeal was denied. In 1993, as a
columnist for The PhiladelphiaDaily News
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and one of only two out lesbian reporters
at a U.S. daily, I wrote again about Claudia
Brenner, who was now an activist, speaking
out against anti,gay discrimination and
violence. Five years had passed since I first
read that paragraph on the wire, and in
that time I'd covered so many other crimes
against LGBT people that it had begun to
feel like my own dreadful, special beat.
Now, here it is, 24 years since I broke
Brenner and Wight's story, and yet another
lesbian couple has been shot in a secluded
area, after, perhaps, being stalked by yet
another gunman. There has been no cessa,
tion in the violence against us, even as we are
more visible, less afraid. Most of the people
who knew Mollie and Mary Kristene knew
that they were a couple. And the ones who
discovered it later felt only support mixed
with outrage over the shootings.
The photos of the two young women are
heartbreaking. Mollie Olgin is a fresh,faced
blonde and Mary Kristene Chapa is a cute
butch whose brother Hilario says she loved
to play softball.
The Chapa family didn't know Mary
Kristene was a lesbian until she was shot.
But they couldn't imagine that she had been
the victim of a life,endangering hate crime.
South Texas, Hilario says, is not like that.
And yet those of us who have been victims
of violent crimes because we are lesbians
know otherwise. The tragedy of these two
shootings almost a quarter century apart,
and all the crimes in between, reminds us
that so many people still hate us, that so
many people still want us dead. Only a
month before this sweet, young couple were
shot in the head on Pride weekend in a town
where no one gets shot, a Southern pastor
exhorted Americans to round up lesbians
and gay men and put them in electrified
pens until they all died out.
That kind of hate doesn't just evapo,
rate. Put a gun and that hate together and
you have one dead college freshman, and
her softball,loving girlfriend fighting for
her life.
When I first saw the wire story about
Olgin and Chapa being shot, I had an eerie
sense of deja vu. I tweeted an R.LP. to
Mollie and a prayer for the survival of Mary
Kristene. But I remembered a conversation
I had with Claudia Brenner years after her
ordeal. She had written a book about the
crime and was settled, had a child. But you
never escape the memories, she told me.
It's better that we not escape the memories,
I think. It's better to remember that while
we might be survivors- I survived a brutal
sexual assault and beating in 2002-we
have also been victims. We're told we should
own our survivorship. And we should. But
we should never, ever forget that we have
been victims, that we have been shot or
stabbed or beaten or raped, that we have
lived through unspeakable acts of violence.
Because it is the victim, not the survivor,
who cries out for justice.
We need to remember our victims:
Rebecca Wight, Mollie Olgin, so many
others.
We need to remember that until we are
equal, until they stop hating us, we will
never, ever be truly safe. ■
FOR MORE INFO
CALL 954.288.8691 OR
AMY@PANDORAEVENTS.COM
September 2012
I 29
IN AMERICA~
THE 2012 ELECTION is turning out to be one of the
most divisive in recent history. With women's and LGBT
issues taking center stage, we find ourselves in double jeopardy.
Because our civil rights, reproductive rights and pay equality
are threatened, as well as the right to choose, the results of
the 2012 election will have an extremely important effect on
the way we live in America. The hot-button issue creating
much of the passionate divide is same-sex marriage. Though
many states with GOP leadership are passing laws that
mandate a woman's reproductive rights, redefine rape and
reduce access to contraception, a primary aim of the GOP is
to stop marriage equality.
So, what's it like being an out queer woman at a time when
your marriage status can change if you step over a state line,
when walking down the street hand in hand with your partner
can incite derogatory slurs and when equal rights under the
law can seem like a far-off dream:' To get some idea of what's
going on in our country, I spoke with four women from three
states; each woman has her own political leanings and has a
different job.
Kaitlin Noss, who teaches in the Cultural and Regional
Studies Program at Prescott College in Arizona, is fired up. A
queer woman in a red state, Noss sees the effects of the policies
that red states share, and Arizona's immigration issue as well.
'Tm pretty sure you could call it a white supremacist state;'
Noss says. 'Tm white and have citizenship papers in Arizona.
Both of those factors make my interaction with the law extremely
privileged;' Noss says."I can buy airline tickets and fly anywhere
in the world, I can enroll in school and seek medical care without
fear of being detained, harassed or deported:'
However, many Arizona citizens do live in fear because of
their race and are made to feel vulnerable on a regular basis.
"It's never been more clear to me than in the past 10 years,
living in Arizona, that being queer may be difficult in this
country, but being marginalized by your immigration status
makes people vulnerable to extreme state violence, which I
simply do not face because of where I was born;' Noss says.
"Being queer or transgendered and undocumented presents a
really unique and difficult situation for people:'
Noss considers herself fortunate to have a position at a liberal
arts college where she and her partner are given domestic partnership benefits and are supported by friends and colleagues.
But the off-campus community hasn't been so inviting. "It's not
easy being out in a small rural Arizona town. I've definitely had
people yell 'Dyke!' out the window. I even got spit on once at
the mall while holding hands with my partner;' says Noss.
But being part of a small town also lends itself to a feeling of
unity within the queer community that isn't always present in
bigger cities. The sense that"we're in it together" creates strong
relationships and strong bonds.
"It really makes me question the current priorities of many
LGBT groups that are focusing on marriage campaigns while
so many people in our community are facing life-threatening
exclusion by the state;' Noss says."I can't even think about trying
to fight for the right to marry in Arizona when so many people
are fighting to stay alive and safe in this state:'
Noss mentions three local groups that are doing great work
as allies to the queer and immigrant communities: 3rd Space,
Puente and the Hummingbird Collective. When asked about
the upcoming election, Noss says her concerns are twofold.
'Tm worried that it will be Romney, but I'm also worried that
Obama will continue to be too soft on the legislation Arizona
is passing [such as SB 1070, which some say promotes racial
profiling, or HB 2281, which bans ethnic studies]. Obama
deported a record 400,000 people this past year, but he also
supports the DREAM Act. It could be worse, but it could be
better;' Noss says. "I don't want to leave the health and well~
being of the people of Arizona up to the November elections,
but I will definitely vote for Obama:'
In a different part of the country, Sergeant Heather Patterson
is proud to be a "Christian lesbian from Texas who is in the
Marines:' Currently stationed at Camp Lejeune in North
Carolina, Patterson has a unique perspective from inside one
of the most notoriously conservative professions in the country.
Though both Texas and North Carolina are red states, Patterson
asserts that when you are in the Marines, physical location has
little influence on the political climate.
"Even though the military consists of people from all over
the states, the climate is largely conservative;' Patterson says.
Despite the repeal of DADT, gays in the Marines are still
excluded from protection under its Equal Opportunity Policy,
which still does not include protection against discrimination
based on sexual orientation.
"I haven't experienced
any blatant discrimination aimed specifically at me. However,
the military is still not exactly a gay~friendly environment;'
Patterson says.''Anti~gayslurs and comments are pretty constant,
though the people I work with have learned to not say certain
things around me:'
Patterson believes there is a very good candidate for presi~
dent this year, but many people are not really considering what
he can offer.
"I am voting for Dr. Ron Paul, who is running as a Republican
at the moment but is a Libertarian;' Patterson says. "I believe
without any doubt that he is what's best for this country:'
Patterson believes that many people assume that they won't
agree with Paul because he's running as a Republican.
"What a lot of people don't know is that he has proven to
be far more anti~war than Obama, he intends to decriminalize
marijuana use and he believes that the government has no
right to tell people they can't get married or to amend the
Constitution;' Patterson says. "In my opinion, the most
terrifying example of us losing civil liberties is the National
Defense Authorization Act;' Patterson says, arguing that
every citizen should read it before voting.
Because she is in the military, Patterson maintains that her
sexuality and professional life rarely intersect. "My job has
nothing to do with my sexuality. Personal relationships don't
have a place at work, especially in the military. Outside of work,
my sexuality affects most areas of my life, although it doesn't
September 2012
I 31
different queer women's lives in the United States can be.
define who I am any more than being from Texas or being in
Another successful lesbian writer with popular websites
the military:'
(YourDailyLesbianMoment.blogspot.com, arlanwashere.com)
Trish Bendix, the managing editor at lesbian website
is Arlan Hamilton. Currently living in Houston, Hamilton
AfterEllen.com, currently lives in Portland, Ore., with her
wife, and has experienced life on different sides of the mar~ also works as a production coordinator for touring musicians
like Cee Lo Green. After moving from California to Texas,
riage equality line.
Hamilton said she "immediately felt the difference in climate:'
"I just moved to Portland less than a year ago, so I'm still
As a lesbian blogger with a cult following, being out is normal
learning about all of the statewide laws and leanings;' says
for Hamilton, who is an advocate for being true to yoursel£
Bendix. "It seems to be a tad more (liberal] than conservative.
"Texas isn't the most tolerant state. There are definitely
But since I live in the city, I feel like I live in a bubble:'
Having lived in Chicago before she moved to the Pacific pockets that are great, but [go] a couple of miles away in any
direction and you'd have to think twice about holding hands
Northwest, Bendix and her wife were married in Iowa in May
with someone of the same sex;' Hamilton says."I think twice ...
2011.
then I do it anyway:'
"Since we lived in Illinois [at the time], where we had only
Hamilton will be voting for Obama.
lived a month or so after being granted civil
union status, it was made oh~so~apparent
"If I could vote for him more than
"IT'S NOT EASY BEING
that on one side of the river we could be
once, I would. I don't agree with every~
OUT
IN A SMALL RURAL thing Obama has said or done, and I
seen as spouses, and as unwedded part~
ARIZONA TOWN.
ners on the other;' Bendix says. "It's such a
don't think of him as the second com~
l'VE DEFINITELY
mindfuck! Moving to a new state, you have
ing, but he has done more to help push
to learn what you are allowed to bethere:'
the U.S. forward than any other presi~
HAD PEOPLE YELL
dent in my lifetime;' Hamilton says."If
With laws varying-literally, state by
'DYKE!' ... I EVEN GOT
Romney is elected, I'll move to another
state-a matter of a mile can make or
SPIT ON ONCE AT THE
continent:'
break the legality of a union.
MALL WHILE HOLDING
"Straight people are married once and
When asked about the Republican
HANDS WITH MY
it's done. I have to keep altering things in
war on women, Hamilton shares the
PARTNER."
my life based on my location, and it's just
same "attack on one, attack on all"
ridiculous;' she continues. "Soon, when I
perspective as Bendix. ''Anytime one
woman is attacked, I am attacked. The GOP is attacking
drive 10 minutes to Vancouver, Washington, I'll be back to that
same one~side~of~the~riverscenario:'
millions. Redefining rape is horrifying. Taking away Planned
Parenthood funding is deplorable. So even though it doesn't
When asked about the upcoming election, Bendix says she
affect my physical body right now, at this moment, it most
will lend her support to President Obama. "He's done some
certainly affects me personally-and
should affect us all;' she
good things for our LGBT community while in office. Sure, he
could have a better track record, but at least he's acknowledging
says.
Like Bendix, Hamilton's online identity is strongly tied to
our wants and needs:'
her out~and~proud sexuality. "My sexuality is as much a part of
If you've paid any attention to politics in recent months, it
me as my race. So it depends on how you look at it;' she says.
has become apparent that the conservatives are waging war
"In some ways, it's one of the biggest things that defines me.
on women across the country. It is a misconception that queer
Both are what I wake up as and what I am so proud to be. I live
women are not also affected by these mandates.
to be black and gay, and I'd die defending either:'
"It comes down to this: It's our bodies, ourselves, dudes! I
She recently wrote an open letter online to "hypocrites who
don't want anyone to tell me, my mother, my sister, my friend,
what can or can't happen, for me, my uterus, my mind or my will allow a fabulous gay man to design their wedding gown,
family;' Bendix says. "It is mind~boggling that women who are but who then vote against that man's right to marry the person
he loves. Or someone who'll allow their children to be educated
part of any facet of the GOP could even pretend to agree with
by a gay teacher, but then doesn't think that woman should be
the patriarchal notions that are trying to keep women under
allowed to marry her partner because of something the Bible
the thumb of the powers that be.
has told them;' she explains. ''As a black woman who grew up
"It's maddening, especially when you know people in your
in Jackson, Mississippi, I obviously have seen and heard about
own family who vote Republican. I have some of those, and
this all my life. My issue is with hypocrites:'
they say it's about unions, or labor laws or money. To me, those
When asked what it would mean for her if a Republican gets
things will never be as important as an individual's ability to
into office, Hamilton says, "If a Republican wins, my state will
decide for themselves;' she continues.
Because she writes and edits for a popular queer website,
probably jump for joy, and celebrate by shooting guns in the
air, barbecuing something large and murdering a few abortion
Bendix holds a different view than Patterson. "Yes, my job
has almost everything to do with my sexuality, and vice versa. docs-legally. While they're doing that, I'll be gassing up the
While I don't separate myself and my sexual identity, I fully car, readying myself for that midnight run to the private airstrip
respect and understand that many people do. However, my day where I'll stow away on someone's cargo plane. They have gay
dubs in Beirut, right:"' ■
job is Googling 'lesbian' all day;' Bendix says, proving just how
32
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Patti Smith is one of a select group of musicians whose
work truly deserves to be described as "legendary" and
'groundbreaking:' Smith-born in Chicago, raised mainly
in New Jersey-has had a career as a professional artist
for nearly four decades now. During that time, not only
has she released 11 studio albums, she's also established
herself as a poet, a painter and, most recently, a writer.
Her first book of prose, Just Kids, a memoir about her
relationship with the late Robert Mapplethorpe, won the
National Book Award for Nonfiction in 2010.
Still, if Smith is known for anything, it's her music.
Along with bands like Talking Heads, Blondie, the
Ramones and Suicide, she was part of the, yes, legendary
scene that grew out of such Lower Manhattan haunts as
CBGB and Max's Kansas City in the mid-1970s. Before
that, though, all Smith knew was that she wanted to be
an artist of some sort and that New York was the place
o do it. She initially pursued studio art, drawing in parfr and wrote poetry; over the years, people she knew
(including Mapplethorpe) encouraged her to perform her
poems in front of an audience. After giving a well-received
poetry reading in 1971 backed by a local guitarist, Lenny
l<aye, she slowly put together the band that would become
the Patti Smith Group. In addition to Kaye, the PSG
U).cluded second guitarist Ivan Kral, drummer Jay Dee
[)augherty and piano player Richard Sohl.
Smith's critically acclaimed 1975 debut, Horses,merged
poetry with primal rock in the tradition of the Velvet
Underground and was highlighted by her astounding, gender-bending cover of the Van Morrison classic
oria:' Horses was followed by Radio Ethiopia-which
aed such top-notch tunes as ''Ask the Angels" and
t Strange:' Her third album, Easter, actually got
radio courtesy of"Because the Night;' a pow~ she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen. After
g Wave in 1979, Smith left rock'n' roll-and even
York City for quite a while. She married former
itarist Fred "Sonic" Smith and the couple moved
it to raise a family. Aside from one album, 1988's
of Life, Smith stayed out of the spotlight for more
than a decade. But this was by choice, and it's important
to note that for the most part these were very happy years
for her; she embraced being a wife and mother with the
same passion that she had embraced being a rocker.
At the tail end of the 1980s, Mapplethorpe succumbed
to AIDS. Over the next few years, Smith would endure
a series of tragic, almost unbelievable, losses. Between
1990 and '94, Richard Sohl, Fred "Sonic" Smith and
Todd Smith (Patti's brother) all died of heart failure. A
short time later, Smith returned to the life of a performer
and a recording artist, partially as a means of healing. She
also returned to New York City. Since the mid-1990s, she
has unveiled six studio albums, a pair of anthologies and
lots of work apart from music. She was inducted into the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2007 and was the subject of
Steven Sebring's documentary, Patti Smith: Dream of Life, a
year later. The core of her current band is still Lenny Kaye
and Jay Dee Daugherty, plus a new bassist, Tony Shanahan.
Forty years after she gave that pivotal poetry reading with
Kaye, Patti Smith remains a unique, inspiring and eclectic
artist who is still passionate about her work.
Smith's latest album, Banga, came out in June and is her
first album of original material in eight years (her previous disc, Twelve, was a collection of covers). Running an
hour in length and containing a dozen songs, Banga covers
a very broad musical spectrum. ''April Fool" is probably
the most musically conventional song on the album, a
catchy tune whose lyrics were inspired by the Russian
writer Nikolai Gogol. And there are also longer freeform
pieces-"Constantine's Dream" will please fans of Smith's
more experimental work. The title track is a rocker, while
the ballads "This Is the Girl" and "Maria" are odes to Amy
Winehouse and the actor Maria Schneider. Both died in
2011-one at 27, the other at 58.''Amerigo;' which opens
Banga, combines cinematic music with some spokenword passages and is based on "imagining the voyage of
Amerigo Vespucci to the New World in 1497;' while
"Nine;' which is indeed the album's ninth track, was written as a birthday gift to Johnny Depp. Banga closes with
a sparse, haunting cover of Neil Young's ''After the Gold
Rush;' on which Smith is joined by her son and daughter, and a children's chorus. Basically, this album touches
on all the different musical styles she has explored in the
past, and even some new ones. Smith has never really
liked being called a punk rocker and it's no wonder; her
music transcends that label.
The title track-which
features Depp on guitar-is
actually one of the few songs on this outing that does
sound a bit like punk rock. It was also the first song Smith
wrote for the album. "Banga is the dog in The Master
and Margarita, the masterpiece (by Mikhail] Bulgakov;'
Smith reveals. "In this book, there's parallel stories. One
of the stories talks of Pontius Pilate having to speak with
Jesus when he was on trial. Then, of course, he [has to]
sentence Jesus, and it really bothers him. After the crucifixion, he gets very depressed. He's sitting there with his big
dog, Banga-a big, Roman dog. And when Pontius Pilate
dies, he's on the edge of heaven, and he says, 'Please. I just
want to talk to Jesus. I need to talk to him one more time:
(But] Jesus is always busy. So year after year, decade after
decade, 2,000 years go by and Pontius Pilate is still sittin'
there-and Banga is still by his side! Finally, they say,'All
September 2012
I 35
right. You!' And he goes off and talks to Jesus and Banga
trots [along]. I thought, 'In all of literature, was there ever
a dog more loving and loyal than to sit ruietly for 2,000
years?' I mean, he wasn't runnin' all over &eaven, lookin' for
dog bones. He was there with his master. And I thought,
Tm gonna write that dog a song:"
In contrast, the inspiration for "This Is the Girl" was
someone a lot more modern. Smith was an unabashed
Winehouse fan, and the song recalls the late singer's styleit's a soulful ballad with an early '60s, girl,group influence.
Asked her thoughts on Winehouse, slie says, "That girl
was amazing. She sang songs from my
generation-R&B
songs and jazz and
doo,wop-with
no sixth degree of sep,
aration. She really comprehended this
music and delivered something extra.
And I really admired. her:' Smith lists
Grace Slick, Edith Piaf, Joni Mitchell,
Tina Turner and Lotte Lenya as some
of the other female singers she admires.
Asked why she herself has influenced
so many women, Smith says she isn't
sure. "I can't presume to know the
answer to that;' she admits.'Tve never
been concerned alfout my gender,
[even as] a child. And because I was
never worried about it, I've never been
fettered with it. Maybe [that] gives me
an air of freedom tHat [women] like:'
She adds, "My work is not gender,spe,
cific-[ it's] for all people. And in terms
of people's sexual or religious persua,
sion, if they're good Beople, I don't care
what choices people make. It's really
that simple:' This is completely valid,
of course, but there's definitely something ironic about a
musician of Smith's caliber not being corcerned with her
gender, while profoundly less talented female recording art,
ists have ridden empty "Girl Power" manifestos all the way
to the bank.
On a somewhat related note, Smith has always culti,
vated an androgynous image, especially in the early days.
She writes about this numerous times in Just Kids. On a
hot day during her childhood, after playing outside with
her siblings, Smith went back home-without
a shirt.
Her mother was aghast.
"Patricia," my mother scolded, 'put a shirt on!"
"It's too hot," I moaned. "No one else has one on."
"Hot or not, it's time you started weaLng a shirt. You're
about to become a young lady."
Smith has been busy and creative these past few years;
it's just that her creativity didn't take t e form of a new
CD. "The album that I did in 2004, Trampin; was a very
political album;' she says. "I was very angry [at] the Bush
administration's decision to go into Iraq. And I felt that
36
I cu ve
after September 11, the people in America had really lost
some of their willingness to unite and challenge the gov,
ernment. So that record reflected those thoughts. After
that, I got very involved in political issues. I was writing
quite a bit, touring a lot, and I was really just gathering
new information. I'm not the kind of artist who just keeps
churning stuff out, you know, for money, or because that's
what you're supposed to do. I don't like to put a record
out unless I have something to say. Then my book came
out, Just Kids, which was very successful and took a lot
of my attention. But I'm at the point now where I've been
working on songs and it just seemed like the right time [to
release a new album]:•
When I ask her what she gets from making an album
that she doesn't get when she's involved in other art forms,
she replies, "That's a good question. Two things. One is
the camaraderie aspect of it. I mean, I work [alone] when
I draw or write or paint. All these things are endeavors
that require my solitude or require my concentration. But
making a record is a collaborative experience. You have
your technicians, your musicians, the people you write
songs with. That's the first [thing]. And then the main
thing is, really, [that] making records is one of the most
direct ways to reach the world. The listening population
mostly speaks English, or understands [it], and you can
reach millions of people. Obviously, I'm not a pop star. I
don't sell millions and millions of records. But the poten,
tial is there to reach a lot of people. It's exciting:'
It's true, of course, that Smith is not a pop star. One
of the things that is most admirable about her is that she
neither seeks commercial success nor shuns it: She simply
does the work she wants to do, when she is inspired to do
it, and lets the chips fall where they may. And whether
you like her work or not, make no mistake: Patti Smith
is an artist.
During my roundtable interview with Smith, one of the
other journalists made the mistake of comparing her to
Lady Gaga and Nicki Minaj. He drew a parallel between
Smith's status as an outsider back in the day and theirs,
adding that women like Gaga work really hard to be sue,
cessful. "Well, they're working really hard, but they're on
a whole other level;' Smith replies. "What I work really
hard on is my work. I don't work really hard on getting
noticed. There's a difference between working really hard
on a career and working really hard on being a celebrity. I
mean, I don't want to do that work! I don't want to sit in
a chair having somebody doing my hair and makeup for
four hours and putting on some outfit. I'd rather spend
that time working out a certain paragraph in a story I'm
trying to write. It's just a different focus:'
"People make their own choices;' she continues.
"Nobody has to do anything. People used to say to me,
'You have to put this record out [now]; or 'You have to
take [the word] "pissing" off that song:'No, I don't! What
do you have, a gun?' And then they say,'Well, if you don't,
you'll sell a lot less records; or 'You'll be banned in the
South: OK! We make our own choices:' (pattismith.net) ■
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Fall is here and with it all-new trendy fashions, but don't get
too caught up in the fads and overdo it-nothing is worse than
looking like you've tried too hard. Good taste focuses on one
thing instead of many and a great place to start is with the right
te.e of!e i d myself in search of the perfect T-shirt. It's not
shirt that hangs loose on the neck and cuts off right below your
belt loops is perfection to me. With that said, a T-shirt can also
be a great way to express yourself. Check out and support the
"It Gets Better" shirts being sold at the Acehotel.com.
Another common style faux pas is not trusting your intuition.
I have made the mistake too many times of wearing something
I thought I should like, but really didn't feel comfortable wearing.
In style, self-assurance is key, so when in doubt, go with what
feels best and provides you with the most confidence. My
number one rule is go with what you like and it will take that
outfit to the next level. For these five looks, I have focused on
my three essentials in every ensemble: Classic blazer, vintageinspired T-shirts and stylish jeans. In an outfit you want one
item to stand out, whether it be a bright tee, a leather-trimmed
blazer or green jeans. Kick off the cool weather with confidence
and style! (aninitial.com)
~~~
Photographer: Rob Hoffman
robhoffmanphotos.com
Hair and Makeup: Marissa Machado
celestineagency.com
Stylist: Claire Campbell Moseley
an initial.com
@campbellmoseley
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Real L World alum
and L.A. fashionista
Claire Moseley styles
five no-fuss, must-have
looks for Fall.
American Apparel $22
T-SHIRT:
JEANS:G-Star $230
David Yurman $950
NECKLACE:
ei8ht by
BRACELET:
Ziggy Pedone
In style, self-.
assurance Is
key, so when
in doubt, go
w1th what
feels best and
provides you
w1th the most
conndence,
P\qJECT
T-SHIRT:It Gets Better,
Acehotel.com, $35
Diesel, $298
JEANJACKET:
G-Star, $150
KHAKIS:
z<(
rt
LL
0
I
co
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0:
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rt
JACKET:Forever 21 , $28
T-SHIRT:Alexander Wang, $86
JEANS:J brand, $17 4
BRACELET:
ei8ht by
Ziggy Pedone
LL
0
I
(l)
0
0:
September 2012
I 41
T-SHIRT:Madewell, $30
SWEATER:
J Crew, $80
KHAKIS:G-Star, $150
BOOTS:
All Saints, $148
HAT:Vintage Boy Scouts $6
z<(
~
LL
0
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co
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0:
42
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l
\
.
VINTAGE
T-SHIRT
JEANS:Current Elliot, $165
SHOES:
Steve Madden, $40
I
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rt
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•
A shirt
that hangs
loose on
the neck
and cuts
off right
below your
belt loops is
perfection
tome,
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September 2012
I 43
•
Namoste
Go from asana to out and about in these
chic yoga clothes. By Constance Parten
e brunch and bottomless
as with your gal pals is right
ur yoga session. Should you
ouble the clothes or look like
a fru py fashion failure in front of
you J'.iends?
MeSheeky solves that problem
with cleverly designed yoga clothes
that take you from the studio to
the street-without
changing. Yogi
Sarah Tomson Beyer envisaged
stylish activewear that actually
works: These yoga clothes come in
a range of fresh colors, fit snugly,
flatter curves and move like water
during the most challenging yoga
positions. And best of all, with a
bit of accessorizing they can be
transformed into elegant casual
urban wear. So now you'll not only
feel good after your yoga session you'll look good too, and be
appropriately attired to get on with
your busy day. (mesheeky.com) ■
I
•
44
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TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
TRIXIEPANT,$88
TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
NICOSKIRT$58
•
TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
NICOSKIRT$58;
ODETTE
CAPRI$78
•
TRIXIEHALTER,
$58;
TRIXIEPANT,$88;
ELLEPONCHO,
$148
September 2012
I 45
•
Harem
ou ure
Up-and-coming lesbian designer, Sheila Rashid, channels
androgynous femininity in her latest clothing line.
By Kim Hoffman
maki g a name for herself in ways she never
. "I initially wanted to be a journalist
agazine," says Rashid. But in high
bitions took a turn when she
-shirts and hoodies. By the
in her journa • m dreams for fashion design
and applied t
rt school, eventually landing
ith Chicago-based designer,
Horacio Nieto.
That bold decision has led Rashid to the
forefront of up-and-coming fashion designers
who live and breathe the foundation of their
brand. "The message behind the Sheila Rashid
brand is the result of how women (or men) feel
when they put on a pair of drop crotch pants
or a dress; to be comfortable, confident and
powerful. The Sheila Rashid woman feels royal
and humbly vain," says Rashid, who says she
is inspired by style icons in the fashion industry
like edgy, avant-garde designers Alexander
Wang and Jeremy Scott.
Her first collection for Spring/Summer
2011 -which she debuted in September of
2010-introduced
impeccable, tailored pieces,
like her signature drop crotch and harem pants,
calling to mind a high-fashion take on 1980s
Brooklyn. In her blog, Rashid showcases her
many made-to-order designs, stating: "Will
swag out anyone for any occasion." Her site
features an online store where you can browse
all her latest garb including her harem pants and
power dresses. Most of her pieces range in gold
hues and denim, along with hip, clever T-shirts
that take her back to her design roots.
Rashid is lending her skills to the art of timelessness. "Each piece is set apart by the subtle
change of rules in design, such as a zipper
going down the sleeve of a dress," she explains,
focusing mostly on "androgynous influences
and feminine power." Rashid's dresses are all
about the shoulders. But perhaps it's her attention to detail that makes the brand function so
well. "The styles I am most drawn to are the
details in each garment. The seams are inspired
by geometric shapes, which gives the collection
a fresh, stylistic edge, but a classy feel." And
with that meticulousness comes finding the
perfect blend without over-mixing her vision.
"I'm challenged with keeping a balance between
too much and not enough details."
It's that seesaw of craftsmanship that brought
Rashid an invite to be one of eight designers
at the Italian Expo in Chicago in 2011 -her
home turf. In that same year, her collection was
featured in the Emerge! Fashion Show for New
York Fashion Week. America's Next Top Model
stars Kayla Ferrel and Keenyah Hill have worn
Rashid's pieces-Hill posed most recently for
the 2012 collection. And Rashid notes one event
in particular, a meet and greet she made happen
at Remix the Runway in 2010 with model Keri
Hilson, in which she gifted her with an original
Sheila Rashid dress.
As a young designer with a fresh take on
shapes, patterns, and the way a piece of clothing can so perfectly accent your best features,
Sheila Rashid is reinstating the most classic
mantra of all, in fashion and in life: There is
nothing sexier than confidence, and wearing
that confidence well. (sheilarashid.com) ■
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PRE-FALL
2012: The
Denim Collection
September 2012
I 47
The Sheila
Rashrd
woman
feels
royal and
hu,mbly
VOin .
•
CROPJACKET,
$200;
KEENYAH
SKIRT,
$100
PE CE
OF HESl HEAstT
ACTOR TURNED SINGER-SONGWRITER
HEATHER PEACE IS READY TO TAKE THE U.S. BY STORM.
BY RACHEL SHATTO
H
EATHEl:lPEACEis a star. The out actor
and musician boasts roles on not one but
two hit UK. television series, Lip Service
and Waterloo Road, and her new album,
Fairytales,is tearing up the indie charts. She's also
a drop~dead gorgeous soft butch. As steadfast,
square~jawed, husky~voiced Detective Sergeant
Sam Murray on Lip Service, she looks so hot
in a vest it should be a crime. But to talk to the
down~to~earth and effortlessly likeable Peace you
would never guess it. She may have been Britain's
best~kept lezzie secret, but Peace is about to earn
herself a horde of new American fangirls. After
two successful seasons in the UK., the thoroughly
addictive Lip Service, which follows the lives and
loves of a group of thirty~something lesbians
in Scotland (think The L Word but with sexier
accents), has finally made its way here and is
now available on Netflix's streaming service. This
incredibly sexy series, with its perfect balance of
drama, romance and humor, is the lezzie show
you must track down by any means.
Fortunately, in season two of Lip Service, the
role of Sam Murray expands from a supporting
character-the
cuckolded member of a love tri~
angle that includes Cat and Frankie (who many
have called the British Shane)-to a full~fledged
cast member. "They've really built the part;' says
Peace. "They go a little bit more into her work
stuff and her relationship with her male-you
know, straight-partner,
which I think is a really
interesting dynamic:'
This expanded role requires Peace to go to
some very dark places. Her character is dealing
with the death of a loved one, living through
turmoil on the job, even fighting panic attacks, an
issue that the actor has had to deal with herself
in the past. Perhaps it was this link that caused
Peace-who typically isn't a method actor-to
struggle to keep her onscreen role separate from
her personal life. "We see everyone's vulnerabili~
ties this year, and we see breakdowns because of
the things that go on, and so it was a tough part
to play this time, and I sometimes couldn't shake
it off when I came home:' Peace would even find
herself crying uncontrollably after certain episodes
had wrapped, but the result speaks for itsel£ and
her performance in the second season is riveting
as well as heartbreaking.
"You know, the thing about Sam is that I think
she is so brilliant at everything else as a detec~
tive ... she is so instinctive with her work, and yet
the one thing that is right in front of her nose she
either chooses to ignore, even though she knows
it is going on, or she just doesn't see it. I think
that's really poignant:'
While Peace hasn't been closeted for quite
some time, her role as the dashing OS-and
the fact that she's the only openly lesbian cast
member-has
made her very visible, but it's an
opportunity Peace revels in. "You know, what's
been really fab is being able to wear a pair of really
sturdy flat shoes, and knowing that you can sit
with your legs open, because I'm a little bit like
that myself anyways:'
But don't think that because Peace is the resi~
dent lezzie on the set she's doling out sex tips to
her cast mates."They didn't ask me about having
sex, because I'm really bad in bed;' jokes Peace.
'Tm really crap. No, you know whatr I think
the sex aspect of it, apart from the fact that it is
usually well written out, with stage directions, I
think when you're acting and play out the scene,
the girls were really in strum with it, they just
an exclusive.They can just say what they want. And so I left,
and it was that night that I thought that the story was on, but
then another story broke about one of our soap stars, and that
was the big story, and they just never bothered me again:'
Despite having dodged the outing bullet, Peace can still
recall how it felt to have her sexuality used as a threat. "It
was really frightening. I was 24 years old. You're so vulnerable
at that age. People shouldn't be able to do that. But they
wouldn't, now-that's how much things have changed:'
Peace has come a long way since then, both in her career
and in how she feels about being out publicly about her
sexuality. "I don't think I was ready, earlier in my life. But
in the last 10 years, things have changed. I always talked
to the producers of the shows that I have done, and they
said that it would be better if people didn't know that I was
gay. Because I was always playing a female character in a
male world. I played a firefighter, and then I played the only
woman in the SS, so there was a lot of action stuff. Once I
started with WaterlooRoad, which is set in a school, I was
a little worried. But [my] music career had taken off and I
thought, So be it. But as soon as I got the role in Waterloo
Road, I knew I had made the right decision:'
went for it. So, no, they didn't ask me for tips:'
Being out hasn't slowed her down one bit. With all her
Peace came out to her friends and family at 19, while
success, Peace now finds herself juggling two careers, and she
she was still in college. However, things were a little trickier
seems to be handling it well. In fact, in the past, one career
has even helped to bail out the other.'Tve been a professional
professionally, and early on she chose to keep her sexualactress for 16 years, so my career's gone through [ups and
ity private. In fact, at one point early in her career Peace
downs]. I know there are actresses that
was contacted by a member of the
hit that 30 barrier and they sort of go by
press who was intent on outing
''WHAT'S
the wayside a little bit, so I had a couple of
her. "Today, a paper could just not
HAPPENING?
contact you, and could legitimately
really tough years where I was just trying
I DON'T l(NOW
to make ends meet:'
print something like, 'Oh, they're
WHAT'S GOING
In 2000, before her success with Lip
gay: But then, it was considered
ON. l'VE GIGGED
Service, a career in music beckoned.
kind of like a bloody witch-hunt,
ALL MY LIFE, WHY
Peace was briefly signed by Simon
and they were doing it to all sorts
Cowell, and released a cover of "The
of people;' says Peace.
ALL OF A SUDDEN
Rose:' When the contract ended, ami"When I was in London'sBurning,
IS EVE~YBODY
which was the biggest TV drama
cably,
due to creative differences, Peace
INTE~ESTED?
here in the U.K., we got a call
decided to focus on her acting. This time
AND IT'S ALL
from London Weekend Television.
around, Peace decided if she was going
JUST O~GANICALLY to return to making music, it would be
They've got this building on the
G~OWN F~OM
South Bank, and we all joked that
on her own terms. "That's when I just
THE~E."
started nailing down writing and getting
the 22nd floor was somewhere you
never wanted to go-because that
back out gigging, because that was the
is where you would go if you were sort of in trouble, or
other string to my bow, something else that I could earn a
if something was going to come out in the press. I was
living from. By then, of course, Lip Service had come out,
and I'd booked all these tiny gigs in Britain-they just kept
summoned in, and they just said, 'They're going to out
selling out within an hour. And I was like, What's happening?
you tomorrow: And I thought, What? Why? They said,
I don't know what's going on. I've gigged all my life, why all
'You have two options. You can either cooperate with them
of a sudden is everybody interested? And it's all just organiand have an interview-that
way you get your part of the
cally grown from there:'
story, they get an exclusive-or you don't do an interview
It's thanks to all the fervent fan interest that Peace was
and they'll just say what they like, and it will basically,
able to release her first album, Fairytales."Crowd funding
probably, sound more smutty than it actually is: And I
has been the best thing that's ever happened;' says Peace,
remember standing there in tears, and thinking, You know
who is thrilled to see this direct, participatory democracy at
what? I'm not giving them an interview. I'm not giving them
52
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work in music. "People are no longer wanting to be spoon~
fed what they think they should be listening to. We're not
told that there are just three major labels that operate every~
thing. We wanted to make a video. We had to raise £7,000
(almost $11,000). So, we went on Pledge Music-and we
raised it!"
Peace is incredibly grateful for all the support. "They're
responsible for my career-the
fans, quite frankly. But
it's great, and they're such a fantastic bunch. Loads of
people have gotten together-friendships,
relationshipsthrough what I'm doing. So, I'm just absolutely thrilled:'
The fans certainly got what they paid for. Fairytales is a
brilliant album, brimming with heartfelt ballads that show
off Peace's classical jazz training and skillful piano work.
However, she is quick to say that the sound definitely
leans more toward pop than jazz. "There are elements of
(jazz]-you
know, there's a bit of scatting and stuff, but
definitely the chord structure ... is not jazz. There's a couple
of tracks that I specifically spoke to a bassist and said, 'Get
that bass line in there, Sade~feel; and that's the route we
went down with those. And then there's a couple that have
really great chords, with strings and a gospel choir:'
The album's title comes from the last track, and Peace is
definitely using the word "fairytales" ironically. "The song
is about how we grow, and this image of, you know, the
prince kisses the princess and then they live happily ever
after. And the song basically is saying, Well, we all know
that's not the case, and we were all cheated when we were
kids, because actually, when the prince kisses the princess,
that's just the start of everything. Nobody told us about the
arguments, and drinking too much, or whatever. Although
the title is very sweet, it's a very cynical song. It has an
undercurrent throughout the rest of the album. There are
some dark lyrics on there. And then there are some songs
that I wrote since I met [my partner] Ellie, where you're
reaching a place where you're happy, and you're settled.
But, like with anybody's album, it's a little bit of therapy, of
churning out all the old stuff:'
Despite its title, the themes explored on the album
are anything but twee. In the song "Better Than You"
Peace delves into the darker side of love, one that is often
left unspoken, the issue of emotional abuse in lesbian
relationships. Peace explains, 'Tm kind of that type of
girl that people fall in love with, but once they've fallen
in love with me, then they want to change me. I'm very
sociable, and once they've got me, they don't want me to be
like that anymore. And it's that very, very subtle emotional
abuse that you don't even notice is going on until it's too
late. And that's what the song's about. It's not like being
punched around, or anything like that, it's just that very
subtle, manipulative work going on. And I think most
people have experienced that, at some point:'
However, like the best fairytales, Peace's had a happy
ending-"You're
for Keeps" is all about falling for her
partner.
As if acting and touring weren't enough to keep Peace
busy, in her spare time she is giving back. "I've just gotten
involved with a charity called Diversity Role Modelsbasically, taking people who are gay into schools to talk to
kids. I did my first one this week, and I've just suddenly
made my decision to get really involved with them, 'cause
at the beginning of the lesson you have 9~ and ll~year~
olds putting their hands up to say that they wouldn't
think it was cool to have a gay friend, and by the end of
the hour, when you've spent time with them and you've
talked to them and all of that stuff, then nobody puts
their hand up.
"The word gay' over here, with kids, means a bit nasty, or
a bit rubbish. So they go, 'Oh God, that's so gay: Meaning
rubbish, right? So we've been taking that word and we've
been going in and saying, 'Listen, would you say, Oh that's
so Christian? Or, That's so black?' And as soon as we point
that out to ll~year~olds, that when you say,'That's so gay;
you're essentially calling me rubbish, they were so shocked.
They were like, 'Oh, I hadn't even considered that: So, you
know, hopefully each class that we do, there's 25 of the
kids going out saying, 'You can't say that:"
If anyone can change hearts and minds, no doubt that
person is Peace.
Having achieved so much success overseas, it's only a
matter of time until Peace will be extending her tour to
America. So, when will we get to see her on this side of the
pond? 'Tm going to sort it out next year. I don't want to
run before I can walk. I was thinking of doing it this year,
but then I was like, No, keep concentrating on the UK.
and make sure that is sorted, and then we can see about
Europe and America. Maybe a better way to do it would
be to initially play at some of the Pride festivals, you know,
like San Francisco:'
Peace is worth the wait, and in the meantime we'll just
have to satisfy ourselves with watching Lip Service reruns
and playing Fairytaleson repeat. Which is actually not a
shabby way to spend some time. (heatherpeace.com)■
LEZZIE LIGHTNING I\OUND
WITH HEATHEI\ PEACE
ON l(ISSING HEst FlstST GIIUFstlEND= "I was sitting on the lawn
at a little place called Canal Street, which is the gay street of
Manchester. And then I kissed my first girlfriend and it was a
hot summer day, and as we kissed it started to rain. I swear
people think I'm making that up but it is the honest truth. I
remember us getting on the bus home together and there was
steam coming off of our clothes, 'cause we were soaked. It
was brilliant. It just couldn't have been any better. It was a
sign, you see-I made the right decision."
ON TOUstlNG WITH HEl:t FATHEst: "My dad drives the
tour bus. He's an odd-job man, so basically I pay my
dad what he'd get paid to go and do his odd jobs,
and then he comes and drives the tour bus. So
that's been fantastic, especially when I'm a bit
nervous-there's nothing like your dad
putting his arms around you. That's
really cool."
ON HEl:t BIGGEST CIUTIC. Hist DOG BUNGLE,
WHO HIDES UNDEl:tTHI BED WHEN SHE stEHEAstSES:
"I thought it just might be the sound of the guitar that's a bit
weird on his ears, but I had another musician stay with me here
when we rehearsed, and she was playing the guitar
and singing-and he loved it! Now that's offensive!"
z
g
:E
~
1E
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~
ONE OF OUR FAVORITE ACTO
S
S HER
ULTIMATE AUSTRALIAN TRAVEL ADVENTURE.
WORDS AND IMAGES BY TRACI DINWIDDIE
7/)/1,al,I_
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We arrive in Sydney at the butt crack of dawn. After a flustered TSA agent confiscates my blush-worthy sized cucumber,
we beeline to the first local coffee shop to stay awake and explore the city. Yes, this is an English speaking country. However,
there are obvious cultural differences. This would be my first lesson in Aussie coffee orders. I ask the fella behind the counter
for four espresso shots. His eyes bulge and he says (in an adorable Australian accent), "This isn't American coffee, mate. It's
espresso:'I smile and confirm that I am aware of this. The barista whispers "FourShots?"He looks at her and shrugs yes. I
wonder if this is going to be a repeat offense, as I shall require this order to be fulfilled each morning for the next 17 days.
Today is mostly filled with getting lost hoofing around town. We are out-of-our-minds-exhausted but on our wild-goosechase to find a Bi-Lo grocery store, we stumble upon a natural food store called Wholesome Foods. I'm a careful eater with
important restrictions like no sugar, flour or gluten. This is the perfect place for me to stock up on delicious healthy eats
with no worries. Hoorah!
We top off our dizzy day by swimming in the hotel pool. I pull my lady into my arms and gallop her around the pool
while singing a hero theme song ... "Dah Dah DAAAAH! Dah Dah DAAAAAAH!" Tip for jetlagged travelers: A bit of
silly fun in warm water eases the entry (and is very nice on an achy back.) In bed by 7 p.m., and that's damn good in my
book. Nighty nite.
~~4,
+ul!kr~
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1
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56
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Par!
Before gearing up for an intensely busy
weekend of appearances, Dear One and I take
a lovely 45-minute train ride outside of Sydney
to Featherdale Wildlife Park. This is a wildlife
preserve that cares for a number of endangered
Australian native species. They have very successful
breeding and conservation programs as well as
an inviting, spirited staff. We spend hours gazing
incredulously at some of Australia's local creatures.
I have the immense joy of petting a sleepy Koala,
wallabies and an Eastern Grey kangaroo. It is a
gay girl's heaven. Ever since I saw the animated
film Dot and the Kangaroo as a young girl, I
dreamt of having a deep conversation with a
kangaroo. It turns out the conversation I finally
had was more along the lines of, "Hey you, my
finger is not a part of this food offering!"
It amuses me how it took an otherworldly
place to ground me. Here I am among dingoes,
Tasmanian devils and hopping kangaroos with
the soundscape of kookaburras singing and bats
chattering, and all the while my heart is peacefully
at home among the wilderness. Have you ever
seen a cassowary? This amazing, huge bird has
an electric blue face with a hard "hat" shaped like
a mohawk and has the personality to match. I
believe he's part of the emu family, but is distinctive
all on his own. Featherdale is awesome, and I
highly recommend a visit.
r .
,~ x.e..,
~~ch1
en
a fr etic s h
ou h .
I only have en .} time to explore
It's been su
c edule t?at eak. Aft
in
en
r
ev
e
th
br
er a guted m assage from the ve
fv!elbourne in n d.
g on a qu1c. k .
with
tio
y
d
w
en
an
,
ie
nv
ni
rv
rs
in
te
to
co
G
In
ec
k
nd
1r
ki
a qu1c
rite mate,
aint
y on Jo F
a brisk ~r/a~o
qu
et
ry
ke
ci
H
ta
ve
So
I
a
er
d
h
an
ug
at
t ro
~y1!~dy
along
le, high-e nd
There am
o ms Street. t-of- h. ong these ad: or. ab
~ighborhood
I
l
al
e
~a
ar
gr d.lHtl. ts, fine art, street
fes
with ou
t is-world
s ops and ca
eyways filled
!
ad
style. R
.
I
t
Th e conv ent1•0n comes to ~ ose W1tha final desser party. I boldly sport my
a
~
"M
25
d.
•
r
in
fo
sh
this
ig. J.O my su~prise, tables of ladies
ustache Rides f
Cents tee to
au
N
le
s.
pi
a
in
h
e
pk
ac
ad
na
0 moust
per
have m
? ty.
a~s-out of pa
I'
xual ori
ussion
tant about m
g my own se
m
hve been hesi
a point of disc
.
ung bt~;at10n
lm
until m
Fi
yo
ts
a
en
ce
ed
ev
an
e
lp
nd
es
he
Su
t
ou
at t
y at a
in my Q&A' s to ask th fandom to stand
last yea:
~a e a chance
:es~ival Q&A deav
,b
Id h e
w
e
th
en
ve and
or to ring more awareness to
es1de me as I
t at love is lo
or
ep
pr
d
ul
m • ge equality needs to h
co
the response.
n. Nothing
Tharna
t'a; ~e for
clap h af pe
or
r
pp
ee
su
ch
r
,
ts
ei
am
th
ey scre
~roup consis
and stomp
tra spe. ·a1Is
h~ter;se::i
ex
usiasm.
th
is
of
en
it
r
dy
so
ei
an
,
th
in
l
en
r~dom
m Clh to ~e ftened.
s I u wom
of
ar
te
ck
in
ba
e
er
Th
ov
ed.
y eart is so
t ends me
, am so mov
L~
;~~ml
f
the
~
eekend with
,~~
fter a busy w
A
.
st
at
ju
tre
s
~~q
re
em
ra
se
is a
nd
lice Springs
us remote la
rgeo
Flying into A
Suddenly,
urney to a go
s and miles.
ural fans, a jo
ile
at
m
rn
r
pe
fo
Su
nt.
rth
ild
ea
w
red
is land is pote
e the rippling
e energy of th
Th
e.
ty
ac
right. I can se
au
pl
be
t
a
cturesque,
iet, very far-ou
constantly pi
we are in a qu
ng or
it. The sky is
el
re I am walki
fe
he
ly
w
al
er
ch
at
w
to
f
el
You can lit
w
ys
m
traveling ith
ve to remind
ve my partner
ha
to
so surreal I ha
y
ck
surrounds
lu
the gorgeous
pping. I feel
one to gaze at
I'll end up tri
g
in
w
lo
al
s
take turn
ork.
me. We each
oting. Teamw
ds Art
e have
ed and
watches our fo
to Many Han
r
he
us
ot
donations. W
s
e
ke
mely surpris
th
ta
le
e
lic
whi
A
e
s entirely on
Th
lie
tor I am extre
re
in
si
d
e
vi
apaltjarri,
ur
an
a
N
nt
s
k
A
ed
ve
ic
at
t.
ad
dd
er
in
Our first
as they pa
ned and op
to Linda Sy
e
ow
em
m
th
al
s
in
ce
ng
am from
rig
du
si
bo
es
is A
and witn
Centre, intro
ention that I
Centre, which
rvice to this
me until I m
e local artists
se
th
in
e're both
in
g
st
W
e
tin
re
at
:
te
ee
ci
on
in
m
so
m
of
She takes no
hing in com
Bendor, an as
:'
the pleasure
et
is
m
en
Ir
m
so
e.
o
ve
m
ro
ha
co
"Kanga
el so wel
alize we
r paintings of
pleased to fe
ith Linda I re
arly 11
famous for he
r chatting w
ite
fte
qu
A
t
.
tis
ile
rtners for ne
ar
sm
l
lfa loca
have been pa
mine!
ey
of
, I earn a ha
le. The
ly
Th
op
nd
.
en
ie
pe
ks
dd
fr
d
ar
a
Su
an
M
vironment
Hollywood.
fan of E.T. is
n and Yilpi
en
ia
ny
its
am
A
D
ct
T.
pi
t,
E.
an almost
de
in
,
the film
as they pa
mbolism to
s of dots in
huge fans of
aring a canvas
to place field
own unique sy
s
sh
its
ue
le
midst of
in
es
up
e
nt
us
th
co
co
a
be
In
bes. Each tri
story, his wife
h painting.
There is also
s
tri
ug
t
hi
ro
en
of
th
er
s
ts
ff
ie
bi
di
or
their st
n shares
from two
ss, to weave
While Damia
years and are
er, too.
The spinifex.
eir togetherne
th
n.
stories togeth
re
in
r
,
ild
ou
e local active
ay
ch
w
ve
e
a
ea
Th
d
w
l
un
e'l
fo
river.
w
NT, and som
,
s
ve
ay
ha
m
ed
is
ey
m
ur
Th
So
To
.
n.
ok
io
om
r decaf coffee
lo
fr
sh
t
d we clink ou
Alice mates
trance-like fa
I share a quie
an
w
,
d
ne
er
r
an
nd
ou
U
er
n
ith
rtn
my pa
chat w
inah Dow
this moment,
and wonderful
of having a D
ght. How
licious lunch
ea comes up
de
id
a
e
ve
Th
.
ha
bed for the ni
e
ity
W
BT commun
eepy tush into
as we drive
sl
LG
y
gy
m
e's
er
d
lic
en
.
A
pe
of
m
members of
a new wave
uld have plop
ing that drea
d
co
st
I
fin
ife
ndan
y
e,
an
is
kl
m
ic
rw
a.
of
pes
his mam Py
, eh? I qu
of time, othe
together in ho
circles around
in the Outback
We
duled ahead
g
le
!
in
he
hi
er
sc
w
nc
itt
is
da
el
sp
e
m
a
lly
t
ca
rid
Our camel
camel playfu
hed and isn'
like riding a
tc
el
ld
ra
fe
-o
sc
lly
th
to
fu
ad
t
on
ht
he
no
m
of me
to see a 7to have her
oo. It is delig
curmudgeonly
e just in time
e
a wild kangar
a, who loves
th
ng
g
nn
ra
A
h
tin
e
ot
ug
th
ed
sp
ro
m
to
th
ly
na
land
sauntering
le occasional
le
gentle camel
hi
hi
a
w
through the
w
ith
ge
al
.
w
ic
an
er
R
ag
up
nd
Down U
hooks us
Mountain
en more m
one seems ev
ck for Dinah
Camel Tracks
t MacDonnell
ba
is
es
ut
th
W
O
er
e
tic
ev
th
es
w
aj
ss
g the m
sunsets; ho
l trek acro
ride her alon
next time, I'l
esmerized by
ld be a sight.
ways been m
camel. Maybe
al
e
ly
ow that wou
I'v
N
nd
ie
?
l.
fr
et
ea
t,
rr
ns
su
su
an
gi
e
a
th
of
to
in
ck
on the ba
ing camels
windy fields
oflesbians rid
e thousands
se
st
ju
u
yo
Can
2012 / 57
September
~JI,
t,{k(A_,
We ta'1e
a hike th
rough o
approxim
ne of the
ately 36
divides in
domed ro
dome, M
Kata Tju
cks. Its a
t. Olga th
ta, an e
lternative
at takes
behold th
normous
name is T
its name
is giant c
outcroppin
h
fr
e Olgas,
o
m
o
nglomera
a
sandstone
n
g of
h
is
in honor
to
rical que
te gem.
rock whic
of the hig
N
e
n
e
.
x
t,
I
h
c
w
ascends
e
h
rt
This land
e
est
a
ta
in
k
ly
e
a five~ho
from the
feel like
belongs
royalty a
ur tour o
earth app
up your
to the A
sI
f Uluru,
roximately
spine. Th
nangu na
a very sa
e natives
tives. It h
350 kilom
cred red
ask that
olds an e
eters or
visitors re
nergy tha
so.
spect the
t you can
ir wishes
for people feel zigzagging
There is
not to cli
already a
mb Uluru
visible sc
where to
.
ar that y
urists ha
ou can se
ve trudge
areas are
e
d
.
O
marked w
ther sensi
here pho
tive
prohibite
tography
d. This
is
is strictly
sa
the land.
id to pro
tect the
It seems
spirits of
the nativ
caught b
es have b
etween a
een litera
ro
ck and a
attraction
lly
hard plac
is what b
e as this
rings mu
their com
c
h
~
munities.
needed fu
Still, a ba
nds to
Walking
lance can
the surro
be found
u
n
d
magical,
s below
.
if not mo
Uluru is
re.
just as
They say
it only ra
times eac
ins on U
luru a ha
h year. A
ndful of
s we prep
around th
are to ta
e outskir
ke a walk
ts, the p
seen sail
uffiest clo
towards
uds I've
us. Our jo
us rain g
ever
lly guide
ear just in
, James,
case and
1 percent
offers
mentions
have eve
that only
r seen ra
later, my
in here. A
lady and
half~hou
I are pelt
downpou
r
ed with
r. Uluru
a sudden
immediate
electric c
ly lights
olor as so
up with
shoulder
meone in
"Rainbow
as I run,
the distan
!" I bolt
I catch a
c
e
her pride
a
s
sings out
fa
c
a
st
ll
glimpse
ing out to
as I can to
and glory
of purple
my lady
find it w
stretched
s
We are so
a
to
hile
n
d
jo
in
re
o
ut over th
ds. There
me. Look
aked wit
is amazin
she is, a
ing over
magical o
h rain an
g mass o
double ra
my
d tears o
ther worl
f earth.
inbow in
f happine
d where
since we
ss as we
all of
rainbows
opted no
g
rest and
aze at it
t to clim
in respec
until it v
replenish
b Uluru
ting the
anishes b
. I feel li
even thou
native lan
who share
ke it is a
ack into
g
h
d
it
s and the
w
blessing
the
a
s this resp
s
o
p
en to do
ir tribes'
and good
ect with
so. We b
wishes. It
omen
me. I'll c
oth stron
's a wond
arry this
gly belie
erful thin
glorious
ve
g to hav
memory
e a partne
of Uluru
r
with me
forever.
f)~~,9~~
We aren't quite sure we have enough in us to take on another part of
Australia. I'm so pleased to report that Gold Coast was the place to land!
The moist, warm air is a refreshing welcome. Sheraton Mirage provides us
with a charming room including windows that slide open to an ocean view,
and the tub is big enough for both of us to soak our weary bodies together.
It doesn't hurt to have a lullaby of waves crashing softly to the shore as we
sleep through the night.
We have the alarm set for 5 a.m. to scoot out the door at 5:30 for our
day tour. The alarm does not go off and the next thing I know, it's 5:55 a.m. and the
tour guide is calling my room wondering if we're coming. (Wish that were the case.) We skip breakfast, my
ridiculous coffee and other morning rituals to bolt out the door.
Once our double propped plane lifts into the wondrous sky, my spirits soar right along with it. The sun is beginning
to rise and the sight is extraordinary. We fly for two hours through storms and patches of glittering sunlight. I am
reminded of the fun days of flying with my stepdad as a kiddo. A grassy runway meets our wheels as we touch down
on Lady Elliot Island. Our guide, Yugi, gives us a ground tour and then sits us down overlooking the turquoise sea for
a yummy breakfast. After our bellies are satisfied, we take a walk to the ocean's edge and feed the fish while Yugi points
out starfish, conchs and sea cucumbers nearby. We scoot out into the Pacific on a glass-bottomed boat for an afternoon
snorkel. The turtles glide alongside the boat as a Great Barrier Reef welcoming committee. Once we dive in, our part
mermaid LEI dive mate Nikki shows us some hidden "swim throughs" in the reef and introduces us to a 15-year-old
turtle. We swim beside him for a long time, simply taking in his easy paddle. What a presence! The island is luscious
and pristine thanks to the special care taken by the guides and management. If you are as eco-friendly as I am, this is a
magnificent place to support. They are solar-powered, compost almost all materials, and re-forest the lands regularly.
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0
and funny' ,1, ·h ese people are my r
~ Gay Gold
ravont k· d
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h
I y reast togeth
h e In -fun
c e£ Steve 2 b
a o g
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taste bud
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e executive
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eyond to
ensure our
proud parrne
ate • Mary Caldw 11
share their exr~ ~nd active tnernbers oefGand Sharon Dibb
ay G ld
'
Queensland isciting
th news of their upcorn o Coast,
unions. Still - , e only Australian st
tng Wedding.
, Its a go d
ate to re
.
Just when I h. k ? start.
cogn1ze civil
Shar
t In It can't
They ~:;euhll oudta handful of ::g%~etter, Mary and
.
ear of rn M
ucent rn
h
Instigate on rn f
y oustache M d oustac es!
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party going r
.
e, an airn to k
enan1gans
I
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ror rne In O Th
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Is completely celebr
z. e atmosphere of h airy-lipped
Goodbyes are thea~orY-not a frown in th t e restaurant
Coast advent
S
ardest part of th.
. e house!
with our soon~re. o much so that I 1t ent~re Gold
Would happ ·1 to-be-wed couple th PI nt a little seed
at arn
I y retu
d elight them M
rn to officiate the.
d a_reverend and
tr we d 1 1'f •
• ore t 0 b
e revealed...
ng It Would
l:::~~~a=b~:a
~
me-I
was born naughty. I've a heart full of gratitude and a lot less
pain-turns
out, they liked me and I liked them. Thank you,
Australia. I'll most certainly see you again!
September 2012
I 59
Arri
ational Airport, and
everyone you make eye confi!tctwith smiles and exclaims, "Bula!
Welcome in Fiji!" You're tired, and if you've missed the last ferry
or small-plane flight to your destination, you take a taxi from the
airport to the nearby manmade island of Denaru. Your taxi driver
smiles and exclaims, "Bula! Welcome in Fiji!"
At first, you distrust the warm greetings. Surely, everyone
around you is just acting this way because they're paid to be nice
to tourists. After all, the whole purpose of Denaru, this highly
developed spit of sand, is to support rich travelers in transit: Its
high-end tourism facilities ease you over your jetlag and prepare
erestmg and authentic resorts
at=are spread over Fiji's 330-odd islands. These include beachside bures (thatched cottages) on Oarsman's Bay in the Yasawa
Group archipelago, as well as the high-end eco-luxurious JeanMichel Cousteau Resort in a marine sanctuary on Vanua Levu.
But you get acclimated fast, or at least I did. On my last trip,
I spent two days in transition-sleeping
in, eating fruity breakfasts at the morning buffet, and getting a massage at the Harmony
Retreat Spa and a body wrap to refresh my Jet-lagged skin. By my
first morning, everyone who worked there seemed to know my
name (and that of every other guest). They didn't use it oppressively, like a car salesman, but as a friend would. I've been told
that if I were to return in a year, or even five years, everyone would
remember me, too-a theory I plan to test.
September 2012
I 61
Starfish, a specialty of the South Pacific;
Five-star luxury at the Radisson Blu Resort
By my first evening, I was relaxing on a balcony bar, drinking
a neon-blue martini with a heavyset, deep-voiced woman I'd just
met. She was knocking back French champagne and talking about
the recent legislation that decriminalized homosexuality in Fiji.
Here's the good news: Homosexual conduct is legal under the
Crimes Decree of 2010. The bad news is that in May of 2012, a
planned "anti-homophobia" march in the city of Suva was cancelled
by police for "safety reasons:'
According to my new friend, finding a date on this island can be
tough. "It's BYOL;' she said. Bring your own lesbian. She and her
partner have many friends, both gay and straight, whom they
entertain often, but they know of no venue (besides their own
home) where lezzies routinely hang out.
But who would care about clubbing herd In the background
were a waterfall, the sweet, unfamiliar chirps of small green finches
and a Fijian singer in the Orchid Lounge. The air around us was
soft, everyone was a little late for everything and a frangipani tree
was blooming within smelling distance. People were lying around
in the late-evening sunlight, reading thick paperbacks, eating sushi,
drinking rainbow-colored beverages and talking. Only a few
were (horrors!) working on laptops. No one seemed to miss the
city. Meanwhile, the woman across from me explained how she
thought The L Word could be improved (the characters should
visit Australia, to shatter stereotypes) and told me of her plans
to invite gay revelers to the island next year, before or after Mardi
Gras in Sydney. Already, I wanted to come back.
Whether you're part of a family with kids, or you're just plain
"family;' the Radisson Blu on Denarau is one of the best places
to start or finish a trip to these islands. Voted one of the Top 10
Family Resorts in 2011 by Holidays with Kids, it offers all-day
children's play programs, to the delight of couples wanting some
private time. And for those of us who are child-free, a separate
pool, hot tubs and dining areas are exclusively for grownups.
62
I curve
With room upgrades available most nights for just FJ $25
(about $14 US), it's worth splurging on the suites, which are large,
with big balconies, workable kitchens and even washers and dryers,
making a long stay seem oh-so-affordable. After all, you make up
for the extra cost in what you save on room service and laundry
charges, rightr Am I rightr
Rested and rehydrated by day two, I took my first adventure of
the trip with Adrenalin Fiji. No bloated cruising with fakey onboard bands and all-you-can-eat seafood buffet here: Adrenalin
took half a dozen of us out in a small boat (way out, beyond the
reef), to explore the soft-coral, kaleidoscopic landscape beneath
the turquoise surface. Of the dozens of boating and dive outfits
vying for tourists' time and hard currency, Adrenalin Fiji offers the
best soft-adventure quotient at the most reasonable prices. FJ $95
(about $50 US) buys a morning's snorkeling in primo dive spots;
about $185 ($100 US) buys a one-tank dive for certified divers.
After a day or two on Denarau, most people are ready for the
boat trip or small-craft flight to another tropical island, one that is
not man-made, not expensive, and not, thank the Goddess, set up
primarily to make Westerners feel at home. There your real journey starts. Get to know the locals who work at or own the place
where you're staying. Visit a village, take supplies to a school, and
hike in the rainforest. You'll meet some of the friendliest people
in the world-but don't be offended if someone asks where your
husband is: Our kind of queer culture isn't on rural Fiji's radar.
When the schoolgirls asked me, "Gillian, you have husbandt
I just pointed to my partner and said, "She's it!" They giggled,
a little confused, and then went on telling me their names, and
telling me all about their families as they braided my hair with
flowers. I relaxed, accepting their warmth and really returning
their real smiles. Maybe we have to bring our own dates, and
maybe it takes us a day or two to relax, but we truly are "welcome
in Fiji:' ■
5:
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CJ
Brandi Carlile I Joan As Police Woman
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MIDWESTERN
MAGIC
T
he waves on Lake Michigan were too choppy, so our
boat tour was cancelled. Secretly, I was glad. The midOctober wind was battering me, despite all my layers,
and this wasn't the last time I'd regret not bringing
my winter coat. I took refuge from the blustery day in the Bayside
Tavern in Fish Creek and sat down at the bar next to Kenny, a balding, muscular guy in his 50s who'd come all the way from Missouri
to go fishing, but whose day trip had also been cancelled. Under a
mounted walleye, and over a couple of local Billy's Bayside brews,
Kenny and I got acquainted. Shortly after I outed mysel£ the questions started, as I figured they would, and for the next hour or so,
I answered every question Kenny had about lesbian life, including, of course, the requisite "I know this gal, and she's so pretty,
she could have anyone. I just don't understand why she wants to
be with someone who looks and acts like a man:' I launched into
Butch/Femme 101. Then I struggled to answer why a self-identified lesbian friend admitted she was attracted to
him. "Because you're a good looking guy and she was
drunk:' Just a guess.
The advice columnist in me enjoyed every minute
of this conversation. Actually, it wasn't just Kennyeveryone else I met in Door County was pretty gayfriendly. It's just that there weren't very many gays
around. In fact, in four days I saw only one other lesbian. The visitor's bureau is working hard to remedy that,
reaching out and advertising to the LGBT community.
64
I curve
GAY-FRIENDLY DOORS ARE STARTING
TO OPEN IN WISCONSIN.
BY KATHY BELGE
Regardless, the Door County peninsula is a great
place to vacation i£ like me, you love outdoor activities. In the upper reaches of the Midwest, nestled
between two bodies of water, Lake Michigan and
Green Bay, the whole peninsula is a playground for the residents
of Chicago, Minneapolis and Madison. Although the area is
lovely in the fall, when the leaves start changing like they do in
New England, and there are wine and cider tastings, and plenty
of places to go biking and hiking, I couldn't help but wonder, as I
pulled my hood up and dug my hands into my pockets, what it's
like in the heart of the summer, when swimming, kayaking and
boating are the main activities.
Too cold to swim, I signed up for a Segway tour in the town
of Sturgeon Bay. I'd never been on one of those battery-powered
people movers and thought it would be a fun thing to try, but even
with borrowed gloves and bundled up in every piece of polar fleece
I own, I was shaking so hard by the end of the 90-minute tour that
I could barely concentrate on maneuvering the Segway down sidewalks and over curbs. I just didn't account for the wind chill when I
packed for this trip.
When the winds died down, I rented a bicycle for an easy 10-mile ride
through Peninsula State Park, where
nuthatches climbed up and down
the pine trees, blue jays squawked
from birch to birch, and chickadees
chirped in the muddled sunlight.
After warming up with wood-fired
gluten-free pizza at Wild Tomato
back in Fish Creek, I drove over to
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We are welcome here.
From left: Dine on bountiful Door County produce;
kayak to Cana Island lighthouse; sip wine at
sunset or visit a winery for a local libation
Visit our website to discover
businesses that truly welcome
us with open arms in all four
corners of the globe.
www.lgbt.travel
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Whitefish Dunes State Park for a hike. The highlight was stepping out
from the trail and seeing an amazing double rainbow over a deserted
beach that would have been packed with bathers in the summer.
Whenever I travel, I like to taste the local fare. And since this is
Wisconsin, there's cheese at every meal. Because Door County is the
fourth,largest producer of cherries in the nation, there's also cherry pie
at every meal. You can opt for pie and deep,fried cheese curds at any
number of restaurants, but I preferred the artisan cheeses at Wisconsin
Cheese Masters-paired
with cherry wine from Harbor Ridge Winery
followed by chocolate covered cherries. There are plenty of places to eat a
fancy meal, but other than dining at gay,owned Trio, a French bistro, I'd
recommend sticking to casual local fare.
The big food event in Door County, though, has to be the fish boil.
Fish boils are more of a cultural event than a foodie attraction. Started
as an economical way to feed large groups of people, the boil is a Door
County tradition. Crowds gather outside, around a bonfire, as a cook
loads potatoes, onions and mild Michigan whitefish into a big pot, which
boils over in a fiery display. Although bony, the fish is sweet and mild,
and served up with drawn butter and sides of cole slaw, potatoes and
macaroni salad.
Since nightlife in Door County involves either snuggling beneath a
blanket and watching for shooting stars, or catching a double feature at
one of America's few remaining drive,in movie theaters, it's a great
romantic getaway. Gay,owned Chanticleer Guest House in Sturgeon
Bay is the perfect place to rekindle your romance or have a commit,
ment ceremony.
Not just for couples only, Door County is also a great place to take the
kids camping, or spend an outdoorsy weekend with friends, biking, fishing
or playing golf. Just remember to check the weather forecast-and pack
as though it's going to be 10 degrees colder. (doorcounty.com)■
International
Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
IGLTA Platinum Partners:
RESORTSA._ D E LT A
~~,11
INTERNATIONAL
~
~~,MGM
n ..HILTON
WORLDWIDE
CHIC
OUTLET
SHOPPING®
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GLOBAL
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CAESARS
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IGLTA Gold Partners:
American Airlines, Barefoot Wine,
Expedia, Hyatt, LAN
HOW
GAY-FRIENDLY
IS YOUR
AIRLINE?
OUR GUIDE TO THE AIRLINES THAT CARE ABOUT
DIVERSITY AS MUCH AS DESTINATION.
BY GILLIAN KENDALL
nyone who's ever sought travel sponsorship for a
queer event knows that AmericanAirlinesworks
hard to earn our true~blue loyalty and our lavender
dollars. The Human Rights Campaign's Corporate
Equality Index-a no~nonsense, statistically based list of what
corporations are doing to advance LGBT equality-has given AA
more than a decade of 100 percent ratings. No other airline has
matched that record.
And no other airline has pioneered so many LGBT~positive
measures. Back in 1999, AA was the first major airline to volun~
A
tarily offer employee partner benefits (includ~
ing travel perks!) to same~sex partners. It was
also the first to endorse the Employment Non~
Discrimination Act (2008) and the Tax Equity
for Health Plan Beneficiaries Act (2009).
Having sponsored many international events, including the
2006 Gay Games, AA is the official airline for dozens of LGBT
66
I
curve
Beaut~ Queen
organizations, from Lambda Legal to HRC
to the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce.
Though curve doesn't have an official airline
(yet!), AA (in partnership with British Airways)
has made many of our travel features possible by hosting press trips.
For our community, AA is to travel what Absolut vodka is to parties.
Among the other airlines, VirginAtlanticis moving the fastest to
woo and win us. Spokesperson Joshua Crouthamel says, "Virgin
Atlantic loves the LGBT community!" Founder Richard Branson
has made a straight~talking Out4Marriage video, and whoever is
designing the pin~up~girl artwork that adorns every VA aircraft
has their finger on the, um, pulse of our campy queer commu~
nity. Tubular Belle, Queen of the Skies, Dancing Queen and Miss
Behavin sound like high~flying drag performers, but they're actu~
ally fabulous components of the VA fleet.
Remember the incident last year when L Word
star Leisha Hailey and her girlfriend, Camila Grey,
were escorted off a Southwest Airlines flight after
other passengers complained about their "excessive"
PDA:' Asked how Virgin Atlantic would have re~
sponded in a similar situation, Crouthamel says, ''A
kiss between a loving couple, lesbian or straight, is
to be expected when they fly Upper Class with us!
It's a sexy cabin:'
Bob Witeck, a PR and marketing consultant for
American Airlines, is openly gay,and confident enough
about Al\.s reputation to joke about what would've
happened if Hailey had kissed a girl on an AA flight:
"She'd have gone right to prison!" But
seriously, folks, he says, "No other
airline that is customer service~ori~
ented has schadenfreude over that
Southwest event. No one is glad that
it happened, because it's always bad.
"I assume that Hailey told the
truth over what happened, and
therefore it's fair to say the kiss was
not the issue:' The issue, he con~
tinued, was a failure in training or
communication: The flight attend~
ant who responded to other passengers' complaints of"excessive"
behavior did not make Hailey feel respected. "You have to train
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people to reflect sensitivity;' Witeck says. "If an attendant
witnesses inappropriate behavior between any two people,
and reminds them that intimacy is best left at home, that can
be done with sensitivity. It's the behavior, not the [sexual]
identity, that's the issue. The language has got to be nonex~
ceptional [for gaysJ:'In other words, AA staff members treat
gays and straights equally well.
American Airlines' longtime companion, BritishAirways,
is my favorite Northern Hemisphere airline, but for a per~
sonal, not a political, reason: They make tea in teapots. Even
in Economy Class, on a BA flight an attendant would no
sooner hand you a teabag and a cup of hot water than she
would spit in your gin and tonic.
Besides brewing a good cuppa, the airline offers health
msurance benefits to same~sex domestic partners in the U.S. (in
England, gays can legally marry their spouses, so there's no issue on
that side of the pond). BA is also a Stonewall Diversity Champion,
which means they have made a commitment to working with Britain's
peak LGBT charity to improve the workplace for LGBT personnel.
Transwoman Suzi James, an IT portfolio manager at British Airways,
writes on the website (onedestination.co.uk/ diversity~and~inclusion)
that "British Airways wants people of every sexual orientation to feel
valued at work-it provides us with the strength to deliver excellent
customer service worldwide:• She's part of the BA employee group that
has the cutest acronym ever: BANGLES (British Airways Network for
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Employees). Nice.
Recently, my own four flights on AirPacifichave confirmed its motto:
"The world's friendliest airline:• Senior flight attendant Viktor, who has
worked with AP for 18 years and took care of me in Pacific Voyager
Class ( upstairs!) from Sydney, Australia, to Nadi, Fiji, says the airline
respects all passengers and employees as individuals. "Fiji is a highly
multicultural country;' he points out. The population includes indig~
enous Fijians, Indians, Samoans, Tongans, Caucasians, Chinese and
many mixed~race people. According to Viktor, "There is a visible gay
population in Fiji, mostly in cities, and lots of them work in tourism:'
While there may be some bigotry in rural areas of the country, he says,
on an AP flight there is "no problem" with a gay couple holding hands or
being similarly affectionate. His colleague Lorraine, a flight attendant,
adds with a stunning Fijian smile, "We are all fruit salad!" and goes to
fix me another Bloody Mary.
Airberlin,a sponsor of 2012 L.A. Pride, has policies to support
nondiscrimination against gay passengers and employees. Product
manager Madeleine Vogelsang says, "All our employees, whether
married or not, are eligible to take their companions traveling as
part of their employee benefits, as for general health and life benefits.
Germany ... recognize[ s] domestic partners as legally married, so they
are entitled to equal benefits:• Though declining to comment further
on the Hailey fiasco, she says, "I have not heard of this type of incident
ever happening on Airberlin:'
If not exactly gushing with gay gusto, JapanAirlinesdid respond to
our informal survey with satisfactory answers. Spokesperson Carol
Anderson says, "Our policy is to treat each and every customer with the
same level of genuine hospitality and attentive service, without bias:•
If you're flying with another airline, curve suggests that further
research is needed: Next time you fly, give your sweetie a good~luck
smooch at takeoff and have a good trip! ■
September 2012
I 67
THE QUIET
CHARM
OF QUEER
BERLIN
Lush life:
Artemisia is the
first women-only
hotel in Berlin
AN ENTICING CITY WITH SOFT-SPOKEN APPEAL,
BERLIN REVEALS SOME OF ITS SECRETS TO WOMEN ONLY.
BY STEPHANIE SCHROEDER
B
erlin is an understated metropolis with a quiet yet
distinctive charm. Nothing is excessive, and even
the one-napkin and water-on-request-only
custom
in restaurants seems to make sense in a culture
conservative with its resources, but liberal with its hospitality and
endlessly creative.
In this cool international city, the lesbian community is just
as centered on Kajfee and Kultur as on Bier (beer) and Kneipes
(pubs). In cafes, at cultural outposts for women only, as well as
Relaxing at the Lustgarten,
Museum Island Berlin
along the activist spectrum, Berlin's lesbians are not opposed
joining with others to form a solid counterculture. Queerxxcentered anarcha-feminism
(liebig34.blogsport.de)
and the
squatter's movement ( tacheles.de, schokoladen-mitte.de)
are
major areas where lesbians fit within broader radical movements for social and economic change.
Cafes and other community gathering places are also points of
entry for queer women who enjoy the arts, who want to provide or
receive health outreach and community counseling, or who want
to ensure the well-being and preservation of women's sexuality
and lesbian herstory. Regularly scheduled women's parties are also
a highlight of Berlin's lesbian scene.
The exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the euro may
not be optimal, but Berlin is an inexpensive city to visit. A euro
goes a long way, groceries are cheap, dining out does not need to
break the bank, and you'll find that you can easily stay within your
budget, however modest.
Getting around Berlin is easy. The city has an excellent public
transportation system (bvg.de); however, the best way to navigate
Berlin and explore the city's delights is to rent a bicycle ( approx.
$15/day, $63/week or $125/month). There are bike lanes and
bike paths almost everywhere. You can plan specific routes and
also allow for spontaneous stops at all the places where Berlin's
cultural, architectural and gastronomical juxtapositions intersect.
If you're simply looking to have a beer or coffee among the sisterhood, the Begine Cafe Bistro Bar is a fun spot in central Berlin.
You might also want to linger on a weekend evening when the cafe
is open later and live music, dancing and other art and cultural
activities take place (begine.de).
The Mondo Klit Rock Party for Girls and Friends-with
its
hardcore DJs, cheap drinks and sexy bartenders-takes
place in a
former motorcycle clubhouse, Roadrunner's Rock & Motor Club.
This dance party, held every third Saturday, costs $10 to enter and
the doors open at 10 p.m. But the party doesn't really start rockin'
until after midnight, when lesbians from all over Berlin fill this
giant retro club (roadrunners-paradise.de).
Knowing that lesbian herstory is being preserved all around
the world can be very reassuring. To find the Sapphic roots of
Berlin, visit Spinnboden, the city's lesbian archive and library, in
the eastern part of the city. Through two enchanting courtyards
lies a comfortable second-floor space that will grant you access to
German lesbian newspapers circa 1920, an extensive movie collection, a general lending library with books of every genre, and a
separate research room of noncirculating books, periodicals and
other material (spinnboden.de).
If you're undecided about what to do and where to go, you can
find loads of information about community-related events at the
Berlin Lesbian Community Center (lesbenberatung-berlin.de).
The low-key Das Verborgene Museum (translation: the Hidden
Museum) is literally hidden in a courtyard behind a nondescript
building along a mixed commercial and residential street. This
museum is a nonprofit arts organization and features a gallery
housing an archive of women artists while also exhibiting contemporary and historical women's art. The feminist artist and art
historian Gisela Breitling was a founder of the Hidden Museum
in 1986 (dasverborgenemuseum.de).
Also in 1986, Manuela Polidori and Renata Buhler opened
the only hotel in Berlin that's just for women, Frauenhotel
Artemisia Berlin. Seeing a need for accommodation for women
traveling alone or in couples, the two best friends established
this unique hotel, which occupies three floors of a residential
Minimalism and perfection at Q! hotel spa (left)
and get your bearings at the Brandenburg Gate
September 2012
I 69
Dine with the girls at Artemisia (left)
and enjoy a suite and stylish stay at Q!
-
building in the older section of Charlottenburg. With 19 guest
rooms, a conference area, a dining room, a lounge/Internet cafe,
and a sunny roof deck overlooking western Berlin, Artemisia is a
cozy, comfortable, and affordable choice for travelers on a budget.
Standard single rooms start at $74 and extra-large double rooms
go for $135 in the high-traffic seasons of spring and fall (frauenhotel-berlin.de ).
If you are looking for award-winning mad-mod design, check
out the Q! Hotel. This funky hotel in the newer chi-chi part of
Charlottenburg is a funhouse of contemporary architecture and
top-shelf amenities. Some rooms have deep bathtubs, fun for a
bubble bath with someone special, or just for relaxation after a
long day of sightseeing. The guests- and members-only Q! Bar
boasts quite an international clientele, including celebrities who
like to frolic in their own private scene. The hotel's spa is a calm
respite with reasonably priced massages, yoga and Pilates classes,
and other wellness services. Prices for a double room range from
$73 to $138; bathtub rooms are $158 to $175; studios, $242
to $269. Book well in advance to save 10 percent online (loockhotels.com).
Do not leave Berlin without visiting the Original Berlin
Currywurst hut at the northwest corner of Savignyplatz, just a
short walk from the Q! Hotel. For about $5 the stolid German
proprietor will serve you authentic grilled German wurst and
pomme frites with a motherly smile and a generous helping of
homemade curried ketchup.
If you prefer vegetarian fare, in Berlin's Mitte (center) across the
way from the Arthouse Tacheles squat you will find Dada Falafel.
The exquisite and utterly delicious plates run around $9 and will
fuel you for the day. You might even be lucky enough to catch a
Dadaist performance while you're there (dadafalafel.de).
The Turkish Market in Kreuzberg is a highlight of any visit to
Berlin. The Turkenmarkt lines the banks of the Landwehr Canal
(Landwehrkanal in German), with dozens of vendors selling
70
I curve
everything from exotic spices and imported fabric, to salty licorice
and other sweet treats, to fresh produce and savory homemade
food. The market is open every Tuesday and Friday between
lla.m. and 6:30 p.m. (tuerkenmarkt.de).
Another Turkish ritual is going to the Hamam, a Turkish bath
for women only. It's dedicated to cleansing you, body and soul,
and fostering relaxation and communication in a convivial environment. Housed in a former chocolate factory, the Hamam is a
project of the Schokoladenfabrik Women's Center. A three-hour
visit, including the Hamam, the sauna, and use of the salon and
courtyard costs $17.50 (hamamberlin.de).
The coffee in Berlin is strong, the flora is bright and lush and the
charms, particularly for women, are many. The magic of the city
and the nonchalant attitude of its residents lend an allure that is
quite irresistible. ■
-1-f
~ 7ff y,d:~e,,
Airberlin has regular midweek sales, so keep
your eyes peeled (and your online travel
alerts set) for incredible savings on direct
flights to Tegel Airport. (airberlin.com)
lu(flnf
{kL,
-;f;t,e_,,
sired:
L-Mag is the nationwide monthly magazine
for lesbians edited by the sex-positive
filmmaker and journalist Manuela Kay.
(I-mag.de)
ExBerliner is an English-language magazine
and website with guides to what's on and
where. (exberliner.com)
Music Watch REVIEWS
Hot Licks
Gossip
A Joyful Noise
(Columbia Records)
Back for their fifth studio album,
Gossip continues to evolve its sound
on A Joyful Noise. While some of the
reckless abandon of earlier efforts has
given way to studio polish, lead singer
Beth Ditto's vocals have lost none of
their triumphant bite. The record kicks
off with the moody and bass heavy
"Melody Emergency," and from the first
note it's clear that listeners are in for a
treat. "Move in the Right Direction" is
an uplifting disco anthem that calls to
mind the power of "I Will Survive." Once
again Ditto and crew don't disappoint.
The album delivers track after track of
if)
~
w
I
~
6
(/)
I-
a:
w
CI)
0
dance floor friendly hooks that call to
mind Madonna, Michael Jackson and
David Bowie-and
that blend of sound
is a joyful noise indeed.
CrysMatthews
A LessonLearned
(CrysMatthews)
Ladyhawke
VicciMartinez
Anxiety
Vicci
(Casablanca
Records) (Universal
Republic)
Singer-songwriter
Crys
Matthews'newalbum
A LessonLearned
soundslikehowa
glassof icedteatastes:
familiar,comfortable
andrefreshing.
That's
because
on hersecond
soloalbumMatthewsis
talkingaboutlifeexperiencesthatfeelreal
anduniversal:
struggle,
prejudice,
self-doubt,
fallingin loveand
growingup in a part
of theworldwhere
intolerance
undermines
youridentity.Infact,
"WordsofWisdom"is
a callfor othersfacing
similarsituations
to
feelempowered
to take
controlof theirown
destinyandencourage
themselves.
Fansof
TracyChapman
andAni
DiFranco
will find plenty
to lovewiththisalbum,
as Matthewsshares
theirgiftsof telling
simultaneously
intimate
andrelatable
stories,
all whilecontinuing
to
refineherownunique
brandof R&Bfolk.
Afterfourlongyears
VicciMartinezstoleour
of anticipation,
New
heartswithhercover
Zealand's
reigning
of "Jolene"onseason
lesbianqueen(Pip
oneof TheVoice,
and
Browncameoutin
nowtheoutlesbian
2010) of electro-pop hasreleased
herfirst
hasfinallyreleased
album.Thosewho
hersecondalbum,
fell in lovewiththe
Anxie"ly.
Fortunately
for sassylesbianwiththe
Ladyhawke
fansthis
gutsyvoiceontheTV
highlyaddictiverecord competition
arein for
proveswellworththe
a treat.Witha voice
wait.Thistimearound, andpresence
thatcan
Brownhasoptedto
bedescribed
asJoss
dialbackthesynthto
StonemeetsChristine
makeroomfor more
Martucci,Martinez
traditionalinstrumenta- clearlyhasthe goods
tion.However,
despite to goa longwayasshe
thechanges,
it still
beltsoutradio-ready
manages
to soundvery jamslike"RunRun
muchlikea Ladyhawke Run"and"I WantYour
record-and a stellar
Kiss."Likethevariety
oneat that.Among
showthatkick-started
theset list'sstrongest hercareer,thereis
tracksare"Sunday
a littlesomething
Drive,"whichfeatures for everyone
onthis
the kindof catchyhook album:dance,soul,
andlonginglyricsthat
popandcountry-it's
aresureto makeit a
all here.Whilethat
lezziemixtapestaple canmakeit feela bit
for theforeseeable
scattered,
it's clearthat
future,and"TheQuick Martinezis a realtalent
andthe Dead,"a down- andwith Viccishe'soff
temposongwith plenty to anauspicious
and
of rebellion
to spare.
melodicstart.
a:
0
z<(
September 2012
I 71
REVIEWSIn The Stacks
TellingTales
A sneak peek inside Rachel Pepper's new book, Transitionsof the Heart.
As our Books Editor, award,winning journalist and therapist
Rachel Pepper is well acquainted with the struggles of the LGBT
community. Her latest book shares stories by mothers of gender
variant children and in this excerpt, a lesbian mother addresses her
community about their behavior toward her son's female identity.
world. We sat in bed with my big belly talking about gender,
neutral names for our baby and how we were going to make
everything available to him or her and not be limited by gender
stereotyping. The day you told me that you would not support
our child's love of dresses and all things sparkly was the day our
child became a battleground. You
What I Didn't Say: Letters From a Mother
took him to Karate class and cut
By Anna Randolph
his hair short and talked to your
stepdaughter in his presence
To the principal of my child's elementary school,
about how wrong it was that I let
gay like me, who said, "It makes me sick to think
STORI.S
OFLOVESTRUGGLE
AN ACCEPTANCE
BY
him wear dresses. He and I went
about what would happen to your child if he came
underground then.
to school in a dress:' Though your words stabbed me
in the heart, I thank you for your honesty about your
In my house he had dresses and
MOTHERS
OFTRANSGENDER
AD
jewelry and could wear what he
inability to protect my child on your playground. I
liked. He had friends who loved
understand that you could not singlehandedly hold
him and dressed up with him.
up the promise of those welcoming rainbow posters
I lived in constant fear that you
in the front hall and that this was a battle you could
would take him from me. This is
not fight. You made me understand that my child
what I imagined: on one side of
would have to wait for a while longer before
he could try out his "girl,self" in public.
the court, the lesbian single mom
who dresses her little boy in girl
To the music teacher at the same
clothes; on the other, the hetero,
school, also gay, thank you for casting
sexual couple who know what
my child as the Queen of Hearts in
the fourth, and fifth,grade produc,
"normal" is. "Yes, your honor, my
child loves to wear dresses and I
tion of Alice in Wonderland. It was
believe in and support his right to express himself as he likes.
a role he was born for. To be able
No, he is not too young to know what feels right for him:'
to be on stage in front of the whole
To the sixth,grade teacher I met with before my child entered
school and community wearing his
your school: you are so far the only one who has made me cry, in
favorite red gown and black heels, swirl,
one of my attempts at educating the people who will be involved
ing the red cape I knitted with white hearts
with my child. Thank you for your bluntness and not holding back
around the bottom, was such an affirmation of my child who had
your opinion that there is no way a child this young can know
to leave his 'girl,self" literally in the closet every time he walked
what he wants to wear. I learned from you that even this new
out the door.
liberal school was no safer than anywhere else. It was clear my
To the pediatrician who thought I was asking for sex reassign,
child should not be in your classroom ....
ment surgery for my ten,year,old: I felt so alone after we met,
Did you think this was some weird whim I pulled out of my
and wondered, again, if I was crazy. You reminded me, because
hat? Did you think I was a sick person who wanted my son to be
I always forget, that a boy who wants to dress like a girl is so for,
a girl? Did you think I did not love my child and want what's best
eign-and scary-to most people. Though you did not accept my
for him? That I haven't thought about the issues you raised already
expertise about my child, you did call the head of child psychiatry
a hundred times, or done my research? Couldn't you see that I was
at our local medical school, who, lucky for us, knew something
asking for your help in being on the side of a child who needed
about gender identity in children. He told you that, "this mother
your compassion and understanding?
is right;' and that there may be a need for medical intervention
To transgender adults that have grown up in times before now:
at puberty. Thank you for sending us to him, and for educating
yourself. May the next mother who comes to you with her girly thank you for your courage in standing up for yourselves. Your
stories of oppression and of violence against you, of alienation by
boy have an easier time with you.
others and of the feelings of alienation within your own bodies
To my child's other parent: did you know that your boyfriend
have made me passionate about educating myself and others about
told our child that he can't "pee like a girl"? You were a lesbian once,
and we were partners in life and in bringing this child into the
what my child needs to grow up healthy and safe. They inspire me
721
curve
to change the little piece of the world that
I can, so that my child can thrive. Thank
you for sharing your stories so I could
better understand my child ....
To transgender adults who have com~
municated to me that since I had not let
her transition earlier I was not being accept~
ing of my child: I want to tell you that my
child is not growing up in the same world
you did. I want you to know that I am
committed to helping her live freely in her
affirmed gender, whatever it may be. I am
also passionately opposed to forcing my
child into a decision that neither of us are
ready for and that could have a potentially
negative impact on her life. Even if it is
true, it is not helpful to me when you say
to me "your child is transgender" without
knowing anything about us. It has been
implied that I am harming, even abusing,
my child by not letting her transition at
age nine or ten. You do not know or bother
to ask about our circumstances, or attempt
to understand why I make the choices I do.
You do not see the
many ways I con~
vey my love and
acceptance to my
child while keep~
ing her safe. You
are not responsible
for every aspect of
this child's well be~
ing, as I am.
To other parents
of kids like mine:
thank you for shar~
ing your thoughts
and astruggles and
triumphs. I respect
the different ways
we have chosen to respond to our children.
There is no easy answer or"right"way to do
this job of parenting. I spend many hours
reading, listening to other parents, and
consulting with professionals as I make
decisions on this journey, but ultimately
this is between my child and me. ...
To my mother, who told me when I was
twenty~one how hard it is to be a lesbian,
and that no one would want me around
their kids, and that I should keep it quiet
at my job at a summer camp, and that
lesbians have unstable relationships and
unhappy lives: I understand the heart~
stopping terror of seeing your child on
a path fraught with more than the usual
amount of struggle and danger. I know
what it is like to hear stories of shootings
in classrooms, and crucifixions on rural
fences, and suicides of bullied gay and
trans youth, and know that that child
could be my child. I understand that
you were scared for your young lesbian
daughter setting off into the world. But
what you did not understand was that it
was not my choice. Trust me, I would not
have chosen to be a second~class citizen,
prohibited from marrying the one I love
or receiving her Social Security benefits
if she dies before me.
I know my child has not chosen this
path; it simply is her path. This child
let me know who she was the minute
she could make her fashion preferences
known. I know you loved me, Mom, and
wanted me to be okay, but you saw con~
forming as the way to acceptance. I'm
not sure you ever
understood
that
the challenge I felt
was not so much
due to the fact that
I was a lesbian,
but that I did not
have your support
and understand~
ing. May my child
always know that
I love him just as
she is, and that I
will always do my
best to provide
her a safe place to
be herself, while I
work to change the world. The 21~year~
old me would never have imagined that
my mother could now call my son by his
girl name, and has invited her to come
dressed as she likes to parties amongst
all her friends. Things change, and I am
May my childalways
know that I love himjust
as she is, and that I will
alwaysdo my best to
provideher a safe place
to be herself,while I
work to change
the world.
grateful. ■
Reprinted from Transitions of the Heart:
Stories of Love, Struggle and Acceptance
by Mothers of Transgender and Gender
Variant Children,edited by Rachel Pepper
(Cleis Press)
*Offergoodin the U.S.Mail-inclaimformrequired.
American
Express
RewardCardscan be usedat U.S.merchants
that acceptAmerican
Express®
Cardsexceptcruiselines,ATMs,and recurringbilling.Visit
americanexpress.com/reward
for completeterms.This Cardis issued
pursuant
to a loyalty,
rewardor otherpromotional
program.
Cardsdo not
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to a monthly
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onthe7th
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whereprohibited
bylaw).CardissuedbyAmerican
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**Imagescourtesy
of Nintendo.
Whilesupplieslast.tForeligibletires,seeyourparticipating
Bridgestone
retailer.
Eligible
tiresmustbepurchased
froma participating
Bridgestone
retailer'sinventorybetweenAugust27 and September
30, 2012.
Certainrestrictionsandlimitationsapply.Offerexcludes
Costco
and
SeeyourparticipatingBridgestone
retailer,
GMDealership
purchases.
bridgestonetire.com
orcall 1-877-TIRE
USAfor complete
details.
American
Express
andNintendo
arenotsponsors
of this promotion.
REVIEWSSapphic Screen
The Last SocialTaboo
Katherine Brooks throws down the gauntlet to her Facebook friends. By Laurie K. Schenden
Emmy Award-winning director Katherine
Brooks is seated in that lavish Hollywood
movie palace Grauman's Chinese Theatre,
waiting to watch the world premiere of her
latest film, Face2Face. Her mother sits next
to her, wearing a grin that could fill a widescreen. In a theater packed with friends, fans
and supporters, she is a world away from the
suicide attempt that inspired her to create
the film.
But why would this young filmmaker,
who has such an enviable career in TV and
on the big screen (Loving Annabelle), ever
try to kill herself? According to Brooks, it
took a combination of events to trigger her
attempted suicide: chucking her reality TV
career, recovering from major surgery and
feeling all alone in a town full of superficial
wannabes. "I had worked on a reality show
that was just really soul-sucking for me;'
explains Brooks, who's also directed The
Osbournes, The Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica,
and The Real World. "Between the surgery,
and leaving the job I had for 10 years and
suffering from depression, it was a recipe for
catastrophe:'
74
I curve
Her story provides some strong evidence
that depression, which still carries a significant social stigma, is exacerbated by a
dependence on social media.
It's fitting that the project began with a
Facebook status update by Brooks: "I have
5,000 friends on Facebook and it's been
a month since I had a hug:' That was part
of her motivation to hit the road to make
Face2Face. Brooks decided to travel around
the country to meet 50 of her "cyber friends"
in person. What she didn't mention, until
the cameras started rolling, was that this
was her first step on a journey to save her
own life, after downing what she thought
"When you grow up
an only child in a small
town, and you' re a loner,
a lot of your life lessons
are learned through
watching movies."
was a lethal dose of pills. ''As a filmmaker,
I was like, 'That's something that if people
could see, maybe they would think twice
about doing it:"
We see some of the actual footage of her
tearful suicide attempt, which she recorded
on her phone and found only when she was
deleting other images during her recovery.
She doesn't remember the recording, but
she does know that it took guts to publicly reveal it, warts and all, and that's what
Brooks does in Face2Face. But before she
turned on the camera, she had to ask herself, ''Am I willing to put that out there to
the world?" In the film, we hear her agent
and lawyer begging her not to include the
footage, because it would be career suicide.
It was a risk Brooks had to take.
The film is deeply personal. Brooks shares
horrendous personal details that begin when
she was a child in Louisiana. Adopted by
alcoholics, she was molested at an early age,
raped at 15 and bullied for being gay. Then,
she dropped out of high school. In a final
kick to the curb, she was rejected by her first
crush. This woman just happens to be No.
50 of the Facebook friends-mostly
strangers-she visits in Face2Face.
"I knew at an early age that I wanted
to make movies, to be a part of making
that magic happen;' says Brooks the day
after the premiere, sitting poolside at
the Hollywood Hills home of friends.
"When you grow up an only child in
a small town, and you're a loner, a lot
of your life lessons are learned through
watching movies:'
Like a lot of teens who find their
way to Hollywood, Brooks got a lessthan-glamorous reception in the town
known for making dreams come true.
"I lived in the parking lot of a pretty
seedy Hollywood motel and started
panhandling ... ! got into the wrong
crowd. I did drugs from the time I was
15 until I was 21:•
Even through those difficult years,
Brooks didn't forget her dream. "There
between L.A. and New Orleans, and is
was a [Super 8] camera in a pawn shop that
I wanted, so I managed to get enough money
editing Off the Record, her second lesbian
feature film, in which she also acts. "I play
together to get it. I started shooting the kids
a music journalist who's doing a story on a
on the street ... then just started to make
really tortured rock star. It's the story of two
them into short films. "My film school was
very tortured souls coming together and
kind of my street life, you know:' I never lost
having a connection:'
sight [that] my dream was to make movies,
not be a drug~addict homeless kid
living on the streets in Hollywood.
"I started giving tours on horse~
back, because I still wasn't old enough
to get a real job. That's where I met
somebody who actually produced
films, and I showed them a lot of
the footage that I shot. [They] were
really impressed with it and kind of
took me under their wing:'
Despite its poignant origins, the
film is a cathartic journey filled
Conceiving
Family
Tomboy
with upbeat and positive images;
(WolfeVideo)
(Watershed
ultimately, Face2Face endorses the
Productions)
value of personal connection. Plus,
In Tomboy,
the latest
Brooks' decision to throw caution
Istheresomeone
in
film fromCeline
to the winds and make the film is
Sciamma
(WaterLilies), yourlifewhobelieves
paying off-in addition to its sue~
same-sex
couples
the lesbiandirector
cess in theaters, she's even getting
continues
herexplora- shouldn'tbeallowedto
offers to turn Face2Faceinto a TV
adopt?Werecommend
tionof burgeoning
series. Needless to say, the lawyer
pre-adolescent
sexuality sendingthema copy
of Conceiving
Family,
and the agent who warned her that
andgenderidentity.
a documentary
which
Thefilm followsa
the material might ruin her career
tomboynamedLaure followsfiveLGBT
are no longer representing her.
couplesastheyshare
who,whenmovingto
Both Loving Annabelle, her first
their
adoptionstories.
a
new
neighborhood,
lesbian feature, and Face2Face are
Thefilm openswith
is
mistaken
for
a
boy.
"projects that really come from
Amy
Ratherthancorrecther thefilmmakers,
the heart and from the soul, and
andJane
newfriendssheseizes Bohigian
aren't about money and aren't
ontheopportunity
and Byers,makingthe lifeabout fame. And that's why those
alteringdecision
to start
reinventsherselfas
two projects mean so much to me;'
a familybyadopting.
Mickael.In hernew
Brooks explains.
Wefollowthemthrough
personasheis ableto
"When I actually started making
frightcapitalize
onthe privi- thesometimes
ening,heartbreaking
money, I got wrapped up in the
legeaffordedto boys
onthe playground
and andultimatelymoving
whole lifestyle of having the best
processof adoption
even
discovers
puppy
car, and a nice house, and it's
which
seesthem
love.
Delivered
with
an
about awards and money. On the
almostdreamlike
quality facingdiscrimination
outside, it looked like I was living
fromadoptionservices
bya talentedand
the dream, but on the inside I was
naturalistic
youngcast, andthe evangelical
a fraud, because I compromised my
fosterfamily
thefilm feelsincredibly Christian
own integrity as an artist, which is
intimateandnostalgic. of thetwinstheyhope
what made me go into such a deep
to adopt.Alongwith
It alsosuccessfully
depression. But I needed to learn
andByers'
raisesmorequestions Bohigian
that lesson. I needed to learn that
thanit answersabout tale,fourothersameart and the expression of the art are
sexcouplessharetheir
the oh-so-complex
what motivate me, not the money
adoptionexperiences,
conceptsof gender
bothdomestically
and not the fame [or] awards:'
identityandinnate
andabroad.
sexuality.
Now, Brooks divides her time
Doing projects that are close to her heart
may hurt her career, says Brooks, "but at
least I'll be doing real artistic expression.
And if I have to get a job as a horseback
rider [laughs], I'll just keep making my
artistic projects and my gay movies myself'
(face2facemovie.com)■
Prettylittle liars:
TheComplete
SecondSeason
(ABCFamily)
TheGuestHouse
(WolfeVideo)
If youask us,there's
nosuchthingas too
Thisincrediblyaddic- manylesbianromance
tive showgetseven
films.Whetherthey
moresothe second
aresteamy,passionate,
time around.After
cornyor evenbitthe untimelydeath
tersweet,wejust can't
of theirseasonone
resista lezzielove
primesuspect,the
storyand TheGuest
girlsare backwhere
Houseis the latest
theystarted,tryingto
must-havefilm to add
discoverthe identityof to our lesbianlibrary.
their blackmailer,
the
Thefilm followsthe
mysterious
A.A's con- rebelliousRachel
tinuingshenanigans who,whilestayingat
makelife difficultfor
herfather'shouse,
all the girls,nonemore meetshis employee
so thanEmilywhois
Amywhohastaken
nowoutto everyone up residencein the
andis dabblingin baby guesthouse.
Rachel
dykedrama,juggling is a wild childand
no lessthanthree
Amyis (seemingly)
ladyloveinterests.
conservative
but,
Non-stopplottwists
despitetheirsurface
andmelodramamake differences,
the two
indulgingin this guilty still strikeup a friendpleasureoh-so-satisfy- ship.Theyspendthe
ing.Addto thatthe fact weekendsightseeing,
that Emilyremainsone gettingto knowone
of the mostlikeable
anotherandbefore
andrelatablelesbian theyknowit the bond
charactersonTVand
theyaredeveloping
this is an absolute
turnsromanticandthe
lezziemust-watch.In
guesthouse
becomes
short,we giveseason the loveshack.
two anA.
Hotstuff.
September 2012
I 75
REVIEWSTech Girl
Back to the Future
The glamour of the past meets the gadgets of the present. By Rachel Shatto
Who says gadgetry has to be utilitarian? As any lezzie tech lover will tell you, the aesthetic of a gizmo is half the appeal.
(Don't believe it? Check your toy drawer, chances are there is a work of art or two tucked away in there.) While sleek and
futuristic has its appeal, modern technology comes alive visually when its advanced functionality is juxtaposed with the
sophistication of vintage design. Here are five devices wooing us with their romantic take on today's tech.
CLASSY CHROME CANS
CLOCKWORK CALLS
Modernaudiotechnology
meetsgorgeous
classic
stylingin the oh-so-chicThroneWhiteDevil
headphones
fromI-MEGO.
Takingits cuefrom
the cleanandsophisticated
linesof a 1950s-era
microphone
anddeckedout in chrome,luxurious
whiteleatherandfeaturingcrystalclearaudio,
theseheadphones
arethe perfectmarriage
of formandfunction.($140,i-mego.com)
Steamyphonecallstake on a
wholenew meaningwith the
iRetrofoneSteampunkBase.
This iPhonedockfeatures
a fully functionalhandset
and is hand-sculptedand
hand-castin urethaneresin.
Distressedbronzeandgear
detailscompletethis edgy
Victorianaesthetic.
($350,iretrofone.etsy.com)
THE GREAT CAPS KEY
All the architectural
sophisticationof the JazzAge
meetsmodernfunctionality
in Datamancer's
customNew
Yorkerkeyboard.Inspired
by the ChryslerBuildingthis
stunningbit of techfeatures
polishedbrassandaluminum
to createa shinyfacadethat
practicallyglowswith the
glamourof that goldenage.
Buyingit customwill run you
a prettypenny,so unless
youhavea Gatsby-sized
pocketbook,
we suggest
optingfor the DIVmod-kit.
($1,500,datamancer.com)
76
I curve
RADIO DAYS 2.0
ModernInternetradiomeetsthe gracefullinesof a
1940sradioin GraceDigitalAudio'sVictoriaNostalgic
Radio.Despiteits retroappearance
it supportsa
varietyof contemporary
freeandsubscription
stations
includingPandora,
NPR,Rhapsody
andSiriusXM.
So
sleekyoumayforgetaboutyourTVentirely.
($230,gracedigitalaudio.com)
.-----
Modern
technology
comes alive
visuallywhen
its advanced
functionalityis
juxtaposedwith
the sophistication
of vintagedesign.
TYPING POOL TABLET
Whosaidthetypewriteris obsolete?
Notthetechieup-stylersbehind
the USBTypewriter
Computer
Keyboard
whohavemodified
antiquetypewritersto workas
keyboards
for the iPad,MacandPC.
Picturedhereis theirready-to-use
model,butfor thetechnologically
savvy(andbudgetconscious)
a DIY
conversion
kit is alsoavailable.
($74 andup,usbtypewriter.etsy.com)
September 2012
I 77
REVIEWSFood
EpicureanAdventurer
Nicole Lou's Vietnameseheritagecomes in handy in the kitchen.
By LaniayaAlesia Hoofatt
With reality food shows popping up everywhere on TV, Bravo is stirring the pot these
days with Around the World in 80 Plates,
which meshes together the components of
several cooking, strategy and travel shows.
The cooking competition spans the globe
and tests the culinary skills of 12 chefs, who
also try to learn about the country and the
culture they find themselves in. The show is
a pressure cooker and the judges expect perfection, so even the smallest mishap can send
a contestant home. Best of all, it features two
queer women, host Cat Cora and cheftestant
Nicole Lou.
Lou, a San Francisco-based che£ leapt
at the chance to test her talents on the series
and because it meant she was able to
travel, explore and cook-all the things she
loves. The show has since wrapped and Lou
is back home in San Francisco, where she
has settled back into actual reality.
"Life was still moving when I returned
from the show, so all I had to do was roll
back into it, except now people want my
autograph. It's weird;' she says.
Although Lou was always passionate
about cooking, she wasn't always set on a
culinary career, having previously spent time
working for Gap Inc. "I was bored and at
an age where I felt it was reasonable to take
the leap. It was very much a do-or-die situation;' says Lou about making the decision
to quit the corporate world and attend the
California Culinary Academy.
After an apprenticeship at the awardwinning Japanese restaurant Nobu, in New
York City, Lou returned to San Francisco
to work for Robbie Lewis at Bacar. While
there, she was a line chef and later moved
up to sous chef.
"My first experience in a New York
City restaurant felt like a fantasy. I had big
dreams. Man, was I on cloud nine. It wasn't
until I worked at Bacar in S.F. that my eyes
opened for the first time. The harsh reality
of what happens behind the scenes
is not like anything you've ever
experienced. Every cook knows what I'm
talking about;' says Lou.
Her fascination with pork and charcuterie
took her to Perbacco in San Francisco, where
she helped chef Staffan Terje win the 2010
Cochon 555, a pork-centric farm-to-table
cooking competition held at the Fairmont
Hotel. You can now sample her fare at BushiTei in San Francisco's Japantown.
Lou is already confident in Mediterranean,
Japanese and Chinese cuisines, but now she's
focusing more on her Vietnamese heritage.
Indeed, her early memories of her grandmother and Vietnamese food could be one
reason she became a chef in the first place.
"I am in the stages of figuring out what I
like and what I'm really good at. Southeast
Asian cooking is next on the list, but focusing
on Vietnamese cuisine, as I have found, is
better suited in more intimate kitchens;' says
Lou, who plans to travel through Southeast
Asia to perfect her techniques. "I have a better understanding of what it means to fuse
two very different flavor profiles and cooking techniques into my dishes. I tend to err
on the more traditional side. The flavors are
more profound, have depth;' says Lou.
Lou has gained a lot of attention from
the LGBT community since her appearance
on the show (she's an out lesbian who never
considered hiding her sexuality from the TV
audience). But she hasn't let the limelight
derail her plans. First and foremost, Lou is a
dedicated che£ and one who wants her talent
with food to speak for her. ( nicolelou.com)■
curve marketplace
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September 2012
I 79
STARS
Risky Business
This month, don't be afraid to be adventurous-or amorous.
By Charlene Lichtenstein
Virgo(Aug.24-Sept. 23)
There is some scuttlebutt making its way around
town and behind your back. Is it your own secret
that is about to be released or is it someone else's
secret that you are destined to hear? Whatever the
fates have in store, be prepared to be fully exposed.
Virgo(Aug.24-Sept.23)
WhenMs. Rightdoescome
alongfor the lovingVirgolady,
stand back or be singedby the
fireworks!The lesbianVirgin
possessesgreat emotional
depthand a sizzlingsensuality
that can satisfy any voracious
appetite.(Threecheersfor
those lusty earth signs!)
And she is loyal;onceshe
commits,she's in it for the
long term. Don't be surprised
if, after the seconddate,she
pulls up to your front door
with a U-Haulcontainingall
her worldly possessions.(All
labeledin neatlysealedboxes,
no doubt.)But beforeyou
panic,just imagineall those
yearsto comewith a cleanly
scrubbedbathtub!
Libra(Sept.24-0ct. 23)
Find new ways to connect with your usual crowd of
girlfriends and spice up the social scene with some
fresh faces. This may require a small infusion of
funds to get the party rolling. Spend what you can
afford to spend, and no more. Even in thrifty ways
you will have many chances to show off your best
assets in front of adoring fly-girls.
Aries(March21-April 20)
Lambda Rams are especially sexy this September.
Make good use of your zesty oomph in any creative,
artistic or just plain fun enterprise. Inspiration
strikes! Before you know it, you are the one to see
and to be seen with. Follow your muse and she will
lead you into temptation.
Scorpio(Oct.24-Nov.22)
There is nothing that you cannot do or achieve this
September. But all work, machinations and ambitions with no frivolous play makes Scorpio a powerful
but dull girl. Release yourself from the need to overachieve and see what you can do to relax and enjoy. It
is a time to reap the rewards.
Taurus(April21-May 21)
Home is not only where the heart is, it is where all
the action is too. Try to plan several intimate gettogethers with your best bosom buddies all through
the month. It is also an opportune time to reassess
and refresh your abode with a new look or maybe
even a complete renovation.
Sagittarius(Nov.23-Dec. 22)
Adventure awaits if you open your front door and
step outside. There are unseen forces that are compelling you to expand your horizons-physical
and
mental. If time and money are tight, seek excitement
closer to home. But if you have the resources, travel
far afield and explore every nook and cranny. You
never know what can happen!
Gemini(May 22-June 21)
Romance is just around the corner. Maybe she is
waiting for you at the corner bar or at the gym or
maybe in line at the supermarket as you squeeze
the grapefruits. So be aware of your immediate surroundings all through the month. There are plenty of
joyous opportunities and way too little time to taste
them all.
Capricorn(Dec.23-Jan. 20)
A current gal pal is very interested in upping the ante
in your relationship if you give her a chance. Is a love
affair with her advisable? Open yourself up to taking
risks and enjoying new emotional experiences. Allow
your heart to soar. If you are currently in a relationship, seek ways to add spice to her sauce.
Cancer(June22-July 23)
Money may not be able to buy happiness but at least
in September you can use a bit of it to gild your Lily
and grease your Pam. Enjoy life and love and enhance
the experience with something totally frivolous and
slightly extravagant. It is not bad to spoil the one you
love, even if it is just yourself. They say that we only
live once, as far as we know.
Aquarius(Jan.21-Feb. 19)
There is someone who is influential and powerful
who takes a shine to you and may try to help you up
Charlene
Lichtenstein
is
theauthorofHerScopes: the organizational ladder. Grab it with both hands,
Aqueerius, and see how far up you can climb this
A Guideto Astrology
month. Lovergrrls may feel neglected so to avoid the
for Lesbians
(Simon&
drama be sure to balance your time between climbing
Schuster)
(tinyurl.com/HerScopes).
Nowavailableasan ebook.
up and getting down.
so I curve
Pisces(Feb.20-March 20)
There may be some legal issues to tie up this
September. Maybe it is for a happy occasion like a
wedding or maybe it is precautionary like drafting a
will. Whatever you need to do, take care of it now.
You have much greater powers of attention and
persuasion.
Leo(July 24-Aug.23)
Proud Lionesses are in the center of all the social
activity this September. Assess the landscape and see
where you need to go and in what circles you need
to enter. Then meet, greet and sweet-talk the most
influential power brokers. Those who you meet now
can directly impact your future plans. ■
V .ISi·t ••
-•
Sweden
www.visitsweden.com
~
Stockholm
The Capitalof Scandinavia
Intematlonal Gay & Lesbian Travel Association
Scandinavian
Airlines
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