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Description
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ToC Cover: Megan Rapinoe; Curiously Strong by Merryn Johns (p42); Acting Up by Victoria A. Brownworth (p44); Up Close with Uh Huh Her by Melany Joy Beck (p478); Island Cures by Merryn Johns (p50); Wild Women by Marie Woodrow (p57); Megan Rapinoe Playing Out Loud by Lyndsey D’Arcangelo (p70). Cover Photo by Brad Trent.
See all items with this value
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Travel Issue
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issue
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2
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Date Issued
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March 2013
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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_Vol23_No2-march-2013_OCR_PDFa.pdf
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extracted text
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THE TRAVEL ISSUE
I FIND YOUR SOULMATE (IT'S EASIER THAN YOU THINK)
Uh Huh Her
ON THE ROAD WITH HOT
LESBIAN ROCK DUO
LEISHA HAILEY
AND CAMILA GREY
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MARCH 2013 VOLUME 23#2
•
.....
utches
ON FILM AND
IN FASHION!
There's "natural" - and there's
natural
.,
Holistic nutrition made with only
the best real food ingredients
.,
Real meat. No chicken meal or
other rendered animal parts
.,
All natural, easy to identify
whole food ingredients with
added vitamins and minerals
V
V
V
Join HaloPets
'' I believe in
treating
pets like
you'd treat
yourself.''
Ellen DeGeneres
Animal advocate
Co-owner, HALO
Available at PETCO, Whole Foods Market, Pet Food Express,
your neighborhood pet specialty and natural food store, and
online at halopets.com
MARCH
2013
COVERPHOTOBYBRADTRENT
MARCH
2013
CURVE
1
MARCH
2013
11
IN EVERYISSUE
6
EDITOR'S NOTE
8
FEEDBACK
9
CURVETTES
10
THE GAYDAR
80
STARS
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////h
TRENDS
REVIEWS
11 THIS IS WHAT A
LESBIAN LOOKS LIKE
DJ Pat Pat.
29 MUSIC
Diana King came out in
Jamaica and aims to change
the homophobic reputation of
her homeland. By Karen Bobb
12 TRAVEL GIFT GUIDE
Don't leave home without
these portable essentials.
14
HOT TEE
14 THE RUNDOWN
News from across the country.
15 BEAUTY
The latest cosmetics inspired
by vintage vanity will have you
looking like a pin-up in a matter
of minutes.
16
LESBOFILE
17
SHE SAID
18 SCENE
The glitter and glam of the
OutMusic Awards.
VIEWS
19 POLITICS
2013 is a good year for women,
with more women and people
of color sworn in. By Victoria A.
Brown worth
22 THE TWO OF US
Our monthly profile of lesbian
couples who live, love and
work together.
2
CURVE
MARCH
2013
12
24
LIPSTICK & DIPSTICK
28
OUT IN FRONT
31 FILM
Award-winning British filmmaker Campbell X brings stud
masculinity to the big screen.
By Tania Hammidi
33 BOOKS
Lesbian mezzo-soprano
Laurie Rubin writes of her
blindness and her resilience
through the beauty of music.
By Kim Hoffman
35 TECH
Be smart when you travel with
these seven handy apps. By
Randy Nelson
78 FOOD
Chef Josie Smith-Malave is
back on TV and blazing her
way through the culinary
industry with honesty and
altruism. By Rekara Gage
STYLE
37 FASHION
Designer suits revolutionize the
way masculine-identified queer
women dress.
By Molly Williams
The Florida Keys
Key~st
Close To Perfect- far from Normal
ANDREA MEYERSON: WELCOME ABOARD
Filmmaker, stand-up comic, and founder of Women on a Roll Andrea
Meyerson is used to juggling a variety of projects but nothing could
prepare her for being the Body of Work recipient of Pride of the Ocean,
the latest queer cruise company. Meet Andrea and learn more about her
multifaceted career and the star power of this LGBT film festival at sea.
A SCOT'S TALE
The Raven's Heart is a
thrilling read by Australian
author Jesse Blackadder
who traveled to Scotland
to trace her family tree and
discovered her ancestral
connection with Mary
Queen of Scots. Naturally,
Blackadder found a lesbian
angle in the story of one of
history's most controversial
women. If you enjoy
atmospheric, detail-rich
historical fantasy told from
the point of view of a crossdressing young lesbian,
you'll love this book.
DIVA ON DETOUR
ALOHA, YOGA
Screen favorite and yogini Traci
Dinwiddie recently took a break
from her busy life of acting and
fund raising to chill out at Kalani
Oceanside Retreat on the Big
Island of Hawaii. Read her story of
goddess worship, nature worship,
and finding the true aloha spirit.
4
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Acclaimed soprano Patricia
Racette has performed at
the Metropolitan Opera in
New York and now turns
her vocal talents to the
celebrated songs of Edith
Piaf, George Gershwin,
Cole Porter and Stephen
Sondheim with the release
of her CD, Diva On Detour.
Read our interview with
Racette, who has been out
since 2002, and you could
win a copy of her CD!
Go to curvemag.com.
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MERRYN'SMEMO
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
curve
THE BEST-SELLING
The World
Is Your Oyster
R
ecently, I've found myself being a bit of a representative
for lesbian travel. I've spoken publicly on the subject,
from Buenos Aires to Cairns to New York, often to tourism
professionals, corporations and business owners who want
to know what lesbians want when they leave the nest. After
all, gay guys have a reputation for adventure, and by that I mean
(aside from their Grindr app) seeking out the hot new thing on a
global scale. But what about lesbians?
The stereotype about us is far less glamorous. There we are, apparently, in our cargo pants and hiking boots, pitching a tent somewhere
remote, content to experience the
wilderness with nothing more accommodating than our own bootstraps. Is
this entirely true? Sure, we go to Michigan and camp out for MichFest, or join
some women-only whitewater rafting
expedition to get over a recent breakup,
or splurge on a lesbian cruise so we can
be peacefully adrift with our own kind.
But in my experience, this stereotype
keeps us off the travel industry's map.
Mind you, there is nothing wrong with
this image oflesbians as self-reliantexcept for the fact that if travel folks
persist in believing we are this frugal and isolationist, this happy to
fly under the commercial radar, they'll never give another thought to
our travel needs. They'll never bother to learn about our desires for
safety, hospitality, service, wellness, romanticism, escape, exoticism,
glamour and, dare I say, a little bit of luxury-all the things that
travel is meant to deliver.
I'm a lesbian and I like all those things. But I'm just as inclined to
put on hiking boots and a rain poncho and scale a volcano in Costa
Rica as I am to strip off, step into a hot tub in a five-star resort and
order room service-and perhaps even a massage.
I've become an advocate for lesbian travel, and for the visibility of
lesbians when we travel, because it is a microcosm of how we live, and
I want us always to have endless choices and live life to the fullest. I
want us to be counted and catered to.
This is our Travel issue and I hope in its exciting selection of travel
articles we've covered both ends of the spectrum. After all, I truly
believe the world is our oyster.
EDITOR-IN-C
F
merryn@curvemag.com
6
CURVE
MARCH
2013
MARCH
PUBLISHER
2013
LESBIAN
» VOLUME
MAGAZINE
23 NUMBER
2
Silke Bader
Frances Stevens
FOUNDING PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL
Merryn Johns
Rachel Shatto
Rachel Pepper
COPY EDITOR Katherine Wright
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Victoria A. Brownworth,
Gina Daggett, Jillian Eugenics, Sheryl Kay, Jess McAvoy,
Stephanie Schroeder
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Rekara Gage, Molly Williams
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR
BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
OPERATIONS
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Laura McConnell
ADVERTISING
EAST COAST SALES
Robin Perron (910) 795-0907,
robin@curvemagazine.com
NATIONAL SALES
Rivendell Media (908) 232-2021, todd@curvemagazine.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Sallyanne Monti (510) 545-4986, sallyanne@curvemag.com
ART/PRODUCTION
ART DIRECTOR
Stefanie Liang
Sarah Crumb
Kelly Nuti
CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR
PRODUCTION ARTIST
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Melany Joy Beck, Kathy Beige, Jenny Block, Adam L.
Brinklow, Kelsy Chauvin, Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Traci
Dinwiddie, Maria De La 0, Jill Goldstein, Lisa Gunther,
Kristin Flickinger, Gillian Kendall, Kim Hoffman, Charlene
Lichtenstein, Karen Loftus, Sassafras Lowrey, Jess
McAvoy, Ariel Messman-Rucker, Emelina Minero, Laurie
K. Schenden, Stephanie Schroeder, Janelle Sorenson,
Allison Steinberg, Stella & Lucy, Dave Steinfeld, Edie Stull,
Yana Tallon-Hicks, Sarah Toce, Tina Vasquez, Jocelyn Voo
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lauren Barkume, Erica Beckman, Meagan Cignoli, JD
Disalvatore, Sophia Hantzes, Syd London, Cheryl Mazak,
Maggie Parker, Leslie Van Stelten
CONTACT INFO
Curve Magazine
PO Box 467
New York, NY 10034
(415) 871-0569 FAX (510) 380-7487
(415) 692-5420
(800) 705-0070 (toll-free in us only)
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EDITORIAL EMAIL editor@curvemag.com
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR EMAIL letters@curvemagazine.com
PHONE
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SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES
Volume 23 Issue 2 Curve (ISSN 1087-867X) is published monthly
(except for bimonthly January/February and July/August) by
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Curve may not be taken as an indication of the sexual orientation
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Include SASE for response. Lack of any representation only
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article. In 1972, the UCC
ordained the first openly
gay minister and we've been
ordaining gay people ever
since. We also ordained the
first African-American,
Lemuel Haynes, in 1785 and
the first woman, Antoinette Brown, in 1853. It is
so encouraging that other
denominations are starting
to catch up.
-Rev. Daria Schaffnit,
Columbus, Ohio
High Praise
As a long-time reader
(since the Deneuve days),
I am pleased that Curve is
still going strong. As an out
lesbian ordained minister,
I am very pleased to see Victoria A. Brownworth tackle
the topic of discrimination
in ordination [Vol. 22#10].
I am surprised, however,
not to see my denomination, the United Church of
Christ, mentioned in the
Drama Queen
Reading my new issue of
Curve! I have to say I miss
"Dyke Drama;' there so
needs to be another spot
like that. -Karen Davis,
Lynchburg, Va.
Lookin' Good
Curve's "sexiest issue ever"
is sizzling hot! Love the
tones and textures of the
gorgeous cover, and how
Jessica Clark is "inviting me
inside" for more! Inside,
interesting women from
all walks and of all ages are
doing amazing things. I'm
inspired to get politically
involved, read a new book,
and take a trip to Brazil.
Also plan to treat myself
and my lover to chic lingerie
and a "sex-cessory" or two!
As along-time Curve reader,
I found myself particularly
enjoying and breezing
through this one-maybe
it's the new look. It flows
with such positive energy.
-Pamela, Boca Raton, Fla.
Tax Tips Wanted
Have you ever done an
article on the issues of tax
problems for same-sex
marriages? I live in N.Y. so
I have to file single for my
federal taxes and married
for my state-I'm confused.
Any ideas or tips to make
this an easy tax season?
-Sarah Smith, New York
Editor's Note: We're on it!
December Issue a Gift
WHAT
ISYOUR
DREAM
GAY-FRIENDLY
DESTINATION?
I just got the December
7%
6%
Tomboi
Thailand
Butch Berlin
15%
Sapphic
Stockholm
19%
2%
to: Curve magazine,
PO Box 467, New York, NY 10034
WRITE
US!Send
Email: letters@curvemagazine.com
Fax: 510.380.7487
Online: curvemag.com/letters
8
CURVE
Correction: The novel
Queer
Costa Rica
Dykey
New Delhi
MARCH
2013
issue [Vol. 22#10] and find
myself enjoying it over
the holiday here in Texas.
Lesbo-Sexy Gifts was very
helpful! Thanks again.
-Mariska Porizkova
The You Know Who Girls:
Freshmen Class reviewed in
the January/February issue
[Vol.23#1] is by Annameekee
Hesik and published by
Subscriber Services are now available at
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Now that's what I call a
cover!-Tami Miller
Lookin real sweet
-Stacy Falcis
GORGEOUSSEXY Cover
-Nat Robinson
stunning
- Jeanne Bessette
I own this lovely copy ...
-Maureen Eastty
congrats!! beautiful!
-Danielle Sonnenberg
there are so many things
I love about this issue, I'm
going to have to send you a
list! Content-rich, gorgeous,
realistic, intelligent, hot. So
worth subscribing to.
-Christy Bills
Damn, so beautiful! I want
that magazine
-Roxanna Zerpa Gutierrez
POST
OF
THE
MONTH
This November, we
celebrate 11years!
We were married in
Massachusetts in
2008 in two separate
ceremonies-a private
casual ceremony at the
Top of the Prudential
Center in Boston on
8/8/08 and then the
big formal wedding
on 11/22/2008 in front
of 150 of our friends
and family! If I could
I would marry her in
every state! The best
part of marriage is
knowing you married
your best friend-she is
and always has been my
true companion. Thank
you Curve magazine for
showing the beautiful
photos of devoted,
happy, committed
couples and families!
-Annie Cronin-Silva
UP FRONT/
cu RVET
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
AMY DENESON
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Amy traveled to the French
island of Corsica to explore
unspoiled Mediterranean
terrain as well as discover how
to be out with her partner in
a country where hotels are
unlikely to fly rainbow flags.
What is the lesbian travel
experience in the uncertain
territory between when a
nation stops supporting public
declarations of homophobia but
has yet to establish welcoming
LGBT hospitality? "Did they
secretly hate us, love us, or
care we were there-holding
hands-at all? In Corsica, I was
less concerned about outright
discrimination than I was with
knowing when we could relax
on vacation." Amy shares her
discoveries on page 54. In
addition to Curve, Amy's writing
has also appeared in The New
York Times, Huffington Post,
Salon, and Hemispheres. She
is currently writing her first
memoir. (amydeneson.com)
KARENBOBB
At eight years of age, Karen
emigrated from Guyana with
her family who were in pursuit
of the American Dream.
Settling in the East Flatbush
neighborhood of Brooklyn,
New York, as Karen grew up
she made the most of the
city's opportunities. "My high
school sweetheart Michelle
and I spent countless days
at Washington Square Park,
cavorting on Christopher
Street and the Lower East
Side." Karen went to college
where she earned a bachelor's
degree in political science
from the University of
Rochester. She has since
pursued writing, marketing
and public relations and
founded the website
islandlgbt.com, a social
network for Caribbean LGBT
individuals. Karen's interview
with Jamaican-born pop star
Diana King is on page 30.
ALEX HARMON
Alex is editor of TNT Magazine
Australia, a former contributor
to LOTL, Australia's lesbian
magazine, Bound magazine,
and a restaurant and bar critic
for several Sydney newspapers.
When she's not unleashing her
inner-demon by jumping off
bridges or out of planes she
can be found on the beach
trying to surf or skateboard, or
trawling the bars of Sydney's
inner-west. In fact, the only
thing that can make her sit still
is writing. Or cocktails-she
doesn't like to spill cocktails.
This month she shares her
experiences in New Zealand's
Queenstown on page 66.
TANIA "DR. T"
HAMMIDI
Tania is a freelance
journalist, performer and
adjunct professor working at
the intersections of sexuality,
masculinity studies, fashion,
and dance/live art. She is
the founder of Queerture:
Queer+ Couture and curates
fashion shows celebrating
LGBT models, designers,
illustrators and thinkers. T lives
on a magic carpet that travels
between Joshua Tree, California
and San Francisco. She teaches
at California College of the Arts,
San Francisco Art lnstitue, and
U.C. Davis. Tania was voted one
of the "Top 25 Most Significant
Queer Women of 2011" by
Velvet Park: Dyke Culture in
Bloom. Read her interview with
stud filmmaker Campbell X
on page 31.
MARCH
2013
CURVE
9
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Our fantasy celesbian couple Tina Fey and Amy
Poehler reunite as the hilarious hosts of the Golden
Globes and make our hearts go pitter patter
The lovely lezzies of
The Unsolicited Project,
via YouTube, caution straight
women who oppose marriage
equality that if we can't
marry each other we'll marry
their boyfriends.
Lady homophobes,
consider yourself
warned
Because nothing embodies the
spirit and joy of the holidays quite
like a bigoted papal tirade, Pope
Benedict XVI took time out of the
traditional tree lighting
in the Vatican to say that
same-sex marriage poses
a threat to "justice
and peace"
American Idol
alum Fantasia
hits a low
note with a
homophobic rant
on lnstagram,
then claims her
comments were
taken out of
context. Umm,
nice try-we're
gay, not stupid
HONORARY
LIFFETIME
LESBIAN
MEMBERSHIP
Dr. Who makes
our holiday wish
come true with a
special featuring the
return of our favorite
intergalactic lesbian
couple Silurian
lesbian warrior
queen Madame
Vastra and her
lover Jenny
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Bravo's feline-focused
series LOLwork features a lezzie wedding
on its series finale.
Because what's gayer
than a cat-themed
lesbian wedding?
Smoking hot former
WNBA player turned
frontwoman Kristin
Mann's latest music
video for "Quiet
Window" is as
lesbosexy as you
would expect from
a sassy band called
Sapphica
Squee! Nikki Weiss and
Jill Goldstein welcome
an adorable baby boy,
Adler Scot Goldstein.
Mazel Tov!
Shh, the lesbians are
speaking-and taking
over the Spoken Word
field of the Gram mys!
Rachel Maddow,
Janis Ian and Ellen
DeGeneres all receive
a Grammy nod in
this year's chattiest
category
ai
Out Russian pop star
Anastasia Luna is back
with the acrobatically
Sapphic new video for
"Tonight." Lesbians,
lingerie and shower sexy
time round out this must
stream track
g
w
Liz "Girl-Rilla" Carmouche makes
history as the first out fighter in the
UFC and makes us wish we could go
a few rounds with her...if you know
what we mean
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LasVegas.com/gaytravel
NDSJGIFT
GUIDE
Tag Your Pride
Don't leave anyone in doubt
about your preferences when
you travel to a lez-friendly
location. The handmade Card
Carrying Lesbian dog tag
will let the local ladies know
you mean business. ($60,
ca rdca rryi ng lesbian .com)
Strap On
Produced in West
Sweden with every
stitch hand sewn,
the Andre Landeros
Michel Restraint
Collection uses the
best natural leathernot to mention,
the Goth meets
equestrian aesthetic
is a strong look for
the carrier. ($340,
oaknyc.com)
Don't Leave Your
Pussy at Home
Take the motif of your feline
family with you on the road.
This clever travel document
holder represents your
family while keeping your
passport safe.
($26, ildik5.etsy.com)
\
••
Beer Head
Jot down your thoughts
and observations in this
upcycled, eco-friendly
journal which boasts your
favorite American brew.
($8 and up, ivylanedesigns.blogspot.com)
These days, tighter travel regulations and cutbacks can make your vacation less than picturesque.
Whether you're jet setting to an international destination, taking a road trip, embarking on a lesbian cruise
or just armchair traveling to exotic locales, here are some tools to put the romance back into travel.
BY MOLLY WILLIAMS
Bon
a e
Chill Out
Freshen up with this
convenient travel
size, all-natural
solid perfume stick.
Leave that clunky,
leaky, TSA-unfriendly
bottle of expensive
perfume at home
and toss this in your
bag instead!
($7, perfumies.com)
Old World Mac
The three interior pockets and thick
foam padding of this handmade-inVermont sleeve will leave you feeling
stress free while transporting
your laptop-child. ($25 and up,
BearStitches.etsy.com)
Butt Out
Lighting up is increasingly
forbidden around the world and
who's to know the latest tobacco
laws at your destination? Take this
flavorful, disposable, no-mess
nicotine-fix when you travel. ($45,
whitecloudelectroniccigarettes.com)
Hello Kitty!
Take a catnap on
your journey with the
very cute and cuddly
Curious Cat Sleep Mask,
handmade from soft,
anti-pilling fleece. ($8,
emandsprout.etsy.com)
Keep It Together
Ever been standing in line
at Immigration and panic
because you've misplaced
your paperwork? This Red
Ghana catchall travel wallet
holds up to 4 passports and
all your family's travel documents. Organization equals
smooth travels! ($35,
travelherbyumf.blogspot.com)
Holster Yourself
This one-off shoulder
bag fits like an oldschool pistol holster.
Keep your travel
documents and cash
close to your chest
and out of the reach
of pickpockets. ($54,
2Dsastresbcn.
etsy.com)
I Dream of Paris
Attributed to the
iconic Audrey
Hepburn, the classy
quotation adorns
this adorable organic
cotton cover for
your portable
travel pillow. ($35,
sarahsmiledesign.
etsy.com)
Paris
isalwaus
agood
idea
l't'.,½'.-~
....
Prepare for Takeoff
I Mustache You a
Question ...
...Where did you get that
bag? Carry your toiletries
in style with this Mustache
Handmade Travel Tote.
It's quirky, sturdy and
will hold a hairdryer
along with all your other
glamour gear. ($60,
Cana ryQu i lted .etsy.com)
These cufflinks are
the perfect touch to
a business suit for the
travel savvy woman
or boi in your life. The
propellers actually spin
so be careful, you might
take off. ($20, Juanitas.
etsy.com)
Armchair Amour
Perfect for the stayat-home romantic this
typographical print
gives your love the epic
expression of a quest.
($20, HopSkipJumpPaper.
etsy.com)
LasVegas.com/gaytravel
THE
RUNDOWN
By Sassafras
Lowrey
• Ashley Broadway and her partner of 15
years, Lt. Colonel Heather Mack married in
November after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't
Tell. The couple of a 2-year-old son, Mack is
currently pregnant with their second child.
Broadway applied for membership to The
Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses, but
her application was denied due to her lack of
military spouse ID card that cannot be issued
because the military does not recognize samesex marriages. It is believed the ID card rule
was only enacted after Broadway applied for
membership.
• The government of Chile has issued an
apology to Magistrate Karen Atala. The lesbian
judge was denied custody of her children by
Chile's Supreme Court on the basis of her
sexuality. Atala filed a complaint with the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights and
has been awarded $70,000 and medical and
psychological treatment.
• Police have announced an end to the
investigation into the disappearance of Lisa
Lawson, a lesbian from Atlanta. She went
missing on Nov. 19 and on Dec. 5 she was found
dead inside her SUV. Police have ruled Lawson's
death was a suicide. Michelle Alexander,
Lawson's girlfriend, had launched an extensive
social media campaign to find her girlfriend.
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14
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•••
• Charlie Rogers, the lesbian from Lincoln,
Neb. who claimed masked men broke into her
home and carved homophobic slurs onto her
body before lighting the house on fire, was
found guilty of faking the crime. Investigators
say there was no sign of struggle in the home,
and an FBI forensic pathologist concluded
Rogers either allowed someone to do the
cuts, or she did them herself. Rogers will be
sentenced in February and faces up to a year in
prison and a $1,000 fine.
1••·
• Liz Carmouche has become the first openly
gay competitor to be signed in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship (UFC). Carmouche,
who is 28 years old, a mixed-martial artist and
former Marine, has fans who have taken to
calling themselves "Lizbos." She and fellow
bantamweight Ronda Rousey will be the first
female headliners in a major UFC bout.
TRENDS/
Love At First Sight Smash box's Limited
Edition Love Me palette in the Admire
Me shades features five shimmery neutral shadows that make vintage-inspired
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colors all in one beautifully designed
palette you just may fall in love.
($34 smashbox.com)
BEAU
Canvas Creator The first step to recreating a
pin-up look is a smooth matte complexion and
Stila's Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm is like
a miracle in a tube. This priming beauty balm
goes on smoothly for even coverage but dries
to a powdery soft finish. It's ideal for those with
sensitive skin and works on all complexion types
and tones. ($38, stilacosmeticscom)
Eyelashes Unleashed For the false eyelash look without the
messy glue, all you need is the right mascara and curler. They're
Real! mascara from Benefit turns the volume way up on lashes
by lengthening, volumizing and separating lashes. But to take
them to the next level, Sephora's heated eyelash curler sets a
curl in your lashes that lasts all day. ($23, $16, sephora.com)
Romantic Rouge Rouge was all
the rage in the 1940s, so light up
your face with a touch of blush
to the apples of your cheeks.
Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush
multicolored palette allows you
to customize your rosy glow
for the perfect just-been-kissed
flush. ($29, toofaced.com)
Vintage Vixen
Ooh-la-la Omnibus If you
have a passion for the fashion,
cosmetics and clothing from
eras past, Style Me Vintage: The
Complete Guide to Creating
a Retro Look is a must-have.
This gorgeous, fully illustrated
instructional tome offers
detailed instructions on how
to achieve the head-to-toe
looks of the '20s-'80s. The Rita
Hayworth inspired '40s tutorial
is the ultimate bombshell
guide. ($30, amazon.com)
CHANNEL1940S GLAMOURWITH CLASSICSHADES
AND TRICKSOF THE PIN-UPTRADE.
BY RACHEL SHATTO
Crimson Kisser Nothing says
va-va-voom like a velvety red lip. For a
period-appropriate pucker, Besame's
line of lush red matte lipsticks are just
the ticket. Besame Red is a true red,
vibrant with a cool base and is
perfect on fair skin. For olive skin
tones, try Carmine or Cherry
Red for a lustrous lippy. ($22,
besamecosmetics.com)
Bombshell Brows For
the polished pin-up look,
styled brows are essential.
Thankfully Urban Decay's
Brow Box has everything
you need for glammedout brows: tweezers, an
angled brush, wax and two
shades of blendable brow
powder. So now the secret
to perfectly shaped and
shaded brows fits in the
palm of your hand. ($29,
urbandecay.com)
Curves Ahead With NYX's breakthrough
ergonomic design, The Curve liquid
eyeliner guarantees a smooth, even line and
fabulous flick every time. Smudge-proof,
water resistant and oh-so-intense color
means bedroom eyes last all day and night.
($15, nyxcosmetics.com)
All Tarted Up For the must-have 1940s
manicure, select a true nail polish, like
the glossy cruelty-free shade Cherry
Tart from Blackheart Beauty. Paint your
nails as you normally would; however,
before adding a top coat, use a cotton
swab dipped in nail polish remover
to remove a small moon shape at the
cuticle. ($5, blackheartlingerie.com)
MARCH
2013
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15
-P
NDS!GOSSIP
'W////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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II
~a~eS!2~!~~es'
11st,
Kesha loves the ladies
and Kelly clears things up-again.
BY JOCELYN
voo
Top Spot
In case you haven't heard, according
to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list the newest
generation of LGBT movers and shakers are coming-and they're taking the
world by storm. Making the list was
newcomer Kate McKinnon, who made
the boldface as Saturday Night Live's
first openly lesbian cast member, but
captured hearts when she nailed a
skit impersonating Ellen DeGenereswhich received props from the Hollywood pioneer, too.
Watch out, world-we're on our way.
Feel the Love
Love her or hate her (and we love her),
you can't deny dance-pop phenom
slash walking, talking glitterbomb
Kesha, whose tracks have been haunting the Top 40 since "Tik Tok" hit in
2009. But it's not just her music making
waves, it's also her sexuality.
The singer reiterated her stance
in no uncertain terms to Seventeen
magazine: "I don't love just men. I love
people. It's not about a gender. It's just
about the spirit that exudes from that
other person you're with."
However, it's not just about sex. Her
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"love everyone" position translates
into a fight against intolerance. "I'm
all about standing up to gay/lesbian/
transgender bullying, but it's also
about my little brother. He's 13 and he
gets made fun of because he has a stutter. I just have zero tolerance for people
making fun of others;' she says.
Single Ladies
The new rock Kelly Clarkson's flashing
on her ring finger tells the whole story,
but until that point, rumors about her
sexuality kept plaguing the singer.
"People think, 'Oh, she's been single
for too long; " said the sexy singer
to Cosmopolitan. "That's kind
of an insult to the gay
community. Being single
doesn't mean you're gay:'
[Ed. Note: Amen.] "But
I'm never insulted by it,
obviously. I mean, I get hit
on by the hottest girls ever;'
she added. "Oh, my god, if I
were a lesbian, I would be so
in luck. But it's just not my
thing:'
Somewhere, a million girls'
hearts are breaking.
Free Agent
Ah, pansexuals-they can be quite the
heartbreakers for straight men. Johnny
Depp knows this first-hand, as even
the former Sexiest Man in the World
can't get his Rum Diary co-star Amber
Heard to commit to a relationship.
The twosome has been dallying ever
since Depp split with longtime love
Vanessa Paradis, and several outlets
reported that the pair were getting
serious about each other. However,
Heard-a "free spirit when it comes to
love"-just isn't interested in taking
things further ... allegedly because, well,
Depp can't compare to a woman's
touch. (Well, duh.)
"She says she feels she's
too young for him, but the
main factor is Amber
prefers dating women
over men and has no
interest in committing
to a guy-even if he
is Johnny Depp;'
a source
told
RadarOnline.
com. Well, them's
just the pansexual
breaks, Johnny.•
Kelly Clarkson
TRENDstSHE
S
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
"I don't like identifying as gay or straight or even bisexual. I don't
necessarily like identifying as a woman. I identify as a human being
and I enjoy distinctions being taken away. I believe in human rights.
We should treat each other exactly the same whoever we are.
The rigid constructs put into place to define us don't really work."
-Ana Matronic to Diva
"I lived in a village of
200 people! I didn't really
see any kind of gay
scene until I moved
to London when I
was 19. I was the only
gay in the village!"
-Marina Diamandis
to Go Magazine
LasVegas.com/gaytravel
NDS!SCENE
W//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////A
OUT
INVEGAS
The 8th Annual OutMusic Awards wrap up in fabulous Las Vegas.
The OutMusic Awards rocked the night on Dec. 16 from the
year. "We were on a huge stage, which was awesome to be on,"
grounds of the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las
she says. "The artists were superb, all the performances were. I
Vegas. Ms. Lillian McMorris emceed the ceremony as Diana
just feel like bringing it to Las Vegas made it feel more like we're
King, Frenchie Davis, Raye 6, Vicci Martinez, Cocoa Sarai, Love
moving in the direction of bringing our awards show to the
Darling, Rainbow Noise, Blu Nyle and many others packed the
equivalent of the rest of the music industry."
evening with brilliant performances.
The honorees of the night included Diana King with the
Vanguard Award, Storme Delarverie with the Living Legend
What can we expect for the future?
"Well," Meredith says, "this year was wonderful, so we can
only go up from here!" -Molly
Williams
Award and Bishop Yvette Flunder with the Heritage Award.
Diedra Meredith (aka Deepa Soul), the leading lady of the
OutMusic Awards, was extremely pleased with the turnout this
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For a full list of winners as well as videos and photos from the
event, visit outmusicawards.com.
POLITICS
» ADVICE
» COMMUNITY
Women Make History
The feminization of power in 2013.
BY VICTORIA
0
A. BROWNWORTH
n Jan. 3, when the 113th Congress was sworn in, the demographics
looked a little more like America than the 112th Congress had, with
more women and people of color, including Thai-born Rep. Tammy
Duckworth (D-Ill.), who is a double amputee from the Iraq War and
the first disabled woman ever elected to the House of Representatives.
The news media, from the New York Times to CNN, called the 113th "the rise
of the female legislator" because at the swearing-in ceremonies there were 101
women, the largest number ever: 20 women in the Senate (including the first
openly queer senator, Tammy Baldwin) and 81 (that includes three non-voting
members) in the House. Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote in the 2008
Democratic presidential primary and who is the most traveled and most popular
Secretary of State in American history,
is the person everyone-Democrat and
Republican-is watching for the 2016
presidential race.
Women are gaining political traction
in the U.S., but they are still struggling
to eke out power. Of the 56 governors
of the states and territories in the U.S.,
only six are women-four Republicans
and two Democrats. Two of the Republicans, SusanaMartinez (N.M.) and Nikki
Haley (N.C.), are also among only eight
governors of color-five of whom are in
the territories.
The late Democratic Speaker of the
House Tip O'Neill famously said, ''All
politics is local;' and Mother Jones said,
"Whatever your fight, don't be ladylike:'
Women-especially lesbians-need
to apply these axioms as we consider
our political needs in the coming election years, 2014 and 2016. The 2012
presidential election was, in part, contested over women's issues. such as
rape and abortion rights. The Democratic Party won. But no candidates
talked about poverty. According to
the U.S. Census Bureau, the majority
of those in the U.S. living in poverty
are women, particularly single women
over 40-and since the census does not
count lesbians as a group, it is likely
that a significant portion of those "single" women are, in fact, lesbians.
International Women's Day is March
8, and in the U.S. we've been celebrating
Women's History Month since 1911;
formally, since 1978. Women's history,
politics, and the quest for equality in
the home and the marketplace have been
cobbled together throughout that 100
years of "celebration:' But I'm not sure
it's been a successful amalgam, given
the problems most women still face.
I've been writing about politics
since I was a high school student, and
I've been interested in women and history even longer. Politics, particularly
at the local level, is an essential tool
in the quest for women's equality. I
MARCH
2013
CURVE
19
st POLITICS
YOUR
TASTE
BUDS
ARE
ABOUT
TOGET
SPOILED.
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worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign
in 2008 and when (her supporters
don't say "if," because we want it so
badly) she runs in 2016, I will work for
her again. I admire her strength and
her decades-long fight for the rights
of women and girls worldwide-and
besides, it's past time America had a
female president.
Some people don't think that having
women in power makes a differencethat women get corrupted by power
in much the same way men do, and
so gender is irrelevant. It's not. One
lesson the Republicans (should have)
learned from the 2012 elections is that
people want to see themselves reflected
in their leadership.
It's important to have women in
power because women must deal with
issues men almost never have to address.
It's not just about children and family.
Or even pay equity (or rather, the lack
ofit). It's about understanding the social
structure from the bottom up.
Women have an investment in what
happens to women and girls. A majority of the world's women and girls are
illiterate. Agriculture and water acquisition are the responsibility of women in
most developing countries. There is still
no global resolution on child marriage,
rape, sex trafficking. Women are still
thought to be so secondary in a majority
of cultures that female infanticide is a
norm-there is now a gender imbalance
in every nation in Asia, most dramatically in China and India, where
sex-selection abortion is common.
Women in politics see the broader
picture on social issues and reform,
from water management to education
to reproductive rights. My hero for last
year, Malala Yousafzai, was shot in the
head on Oct. g, 2012, in an assassination attempt carried out by the Taliban
in the Swat Valley province where she
lives. Malala is only 15. Why would the
Taliban try to assassinate a teenage
girl? Because since she was 11, when she
became a blogger for BBC Urdu, Malala
has been working for the rights of girls
and women in Pakistan. When she was
shot, Malala was protesting for the
THEULTIMATE
WINE
AND
FOOD
EXPERIENCE
MAY9-12,
2013
right of girls to go to school, which is
forbidden by the Taliban. Girls where
Malala lives must go to school in secret
and risk reprisals against themselves
and their families. Malala understood
what so few political leaders recognize:
that educating girls will change the
world-a world in which females are
living second-class lives.
The 2012 elections clarified for many
American women just how second-class
they are. The discussion of "legitimate
rape" didn't sound all that different from
the Saudi cleric calling for the gang rape
of Syrian women to ease the tensions of
men fighting in the civil war there.
So as we "celebrate" Women's History Month, with an emphasis on the
achievements of women, we absolutely
must look at what women have yet to
achieve, and that is full equality.
Clinton is a strong supporter of lesbian rights and global rights for women.
Tammy Baldwin's move from the House
to the Senate is both historic and exciting; Baldwin has a 20-year history of
progressive politics, and that includes
furthering the rights of lesbians. The
election of whip-smart Rep. Kyrsten
Sinema (D-Ariz.), the first openly bisexual member of Congress, also bodes well
for our community. At 36, Sinema is
emblematic of the new wave of young,
feminist lawmakers.
I want to see myself reflected in
the halls of power. I want every girl in
America to believe she can be president. I want every girl in the world to go
to school. Susan B. Anthony said, "Oh if
I could but live another century and see
the fruition of all the work for women!
There is so much yetto be done!" More
than a century later, there is more to be
done than she could have imagined.
The burden of history is great: We
need to hold both our elected leaders,
male and female, accountable-as well
as ourselves. Because, the life of every
girl who cannot go to school, every
woman in poverty or at risk-this is our
responsibility. Thus, as feminist theorist
Robin Morgan said, "The personal is
political:' How we make history in the
years to come is as personal as it gets.•
st TWO OF US
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Jody & Katharine
Jody Cole and her wife, Katharine, run Wild Rainbow African Safaris, taking women
to sub-Saharan Africa for animal-loving adventure. Jody brings women together on
safa is at which strangers part as friends. Katharine brings audiences together with
her music. As a couple, their energy and charisma are hard to resist.
I managed to come up with
several ways to keep her in
my life after the festival-by
helping the band record a
CD, then hiring her as my
assistant.
KATHARINE My beloved band
was breaking apart, I was
breaking up with my thengirlfriend, I was newly sober,
and suddenly sparks began to
fly between us.
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF
MARRIAGE
HOW
THEY
MET
JODY I met Katharine Chase
when I sent her a persuasive
plea to perform with her
band, Kindness, at my
Hopland Women's Festival in
1998. I was in a relationship at
the time, but when I received
Katharine's reply I got this
odd tingle in my stomach,
which is usually in response
to something I'm attracted to.
KATHARINE Dawn Richardson,
Carrie Baum, and I drove
up to Mendocino County
in Northern California and
arrived just after sundown at
the sweetest festival under
the stars you could imagine.
We loaded our now-dusty gear
backstage and a woman in a
safari hat and an extremely
well-endowed tool belt
welcomed us. That was
Jody Cole.
LOVE
ATFIRST
AND
SECOND
SIGHT
For me, it was love at
first email! Then when I saw
her perform for the first time,
I was smitten and starstruck.
JODY
22
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2013
KATHARINE I proposed
onstage at the Dolores Park
Cafe the day after the first
marriages took place in San
Francisco, back in 2004. Once
we drove back to our isolated
cabin in Mendocino County,
we talked about it into the
night, and somewhere around
four in the morning on that
miserably rainy day we
packed up and headed back to
the Civic Center.
JODY We stood in line for
hours in the pouring-down
rain to get married at San
Francisco's City Hall. It was
and still is the most magical
day of my life.
CREATING
WILD
RAINBOW
AFRICAN
SAFARIS
JODY I started Wild Rainbow
African Safaris in 2006.
Katharine was immediately
part of the initial team that
got things rolling.
KATHARINE Jody had been
in love with Africa for a long
time before I met her, and
in fact she'd just returned
from a trip to Namibia when
we finally got together as
a couple. So her deep love
of Africa, combined with
her amazing ability to be
iiber-hostess for so many
wonderful organizations,
naturally combined in what
Wild Rainbow African Safaris
has grown to be.
THE
UPS
AND
DOWNS
OF
WORKING
TOGETHER
JODY I have her with me 24/ 7,
to chat, create, brainstorm
and fantasize with. She
makes me laugh, she pushes
me, and she makes me mad,
which inevitably motivates
me. She is my biggest fan
and supporter. I would not
have accomplished this much
without her. The drawbacks
are exactly the same. It's 24/7.
I am in the very bad habit of
always talking about the company at inappropriate times,
like in bed. Imagination can
be used freely here. Yep, I'm
that bad.
KATHARINE Drawback
number one is that starting
a small business can be a
torturous process, so going
through it with someone you
love can either make or break
not only the business but your
relationship as well. You have
to always keep your priorities
straight-make time for
time away from the business,
the iPhone and Facebook,
and remind yourselves that
no matter what happens to
that business, you want the
personal connection between
you to be left standing.
we have always talked it out,
reasoned through it, and
compromised. One thing
we never compromise on,
however, is our dedication to
our life together.
JODY I can be in Africa for
up to three months solid. It's
painful for both ofus. But
we had a great foundation
from the beginning of our
relationship. I feel very
confident that we will be OK.
I'm so madly in love with her
I can't imagine messing this
thing up.
WHAT'S
INSTORE
FOR
2013
JODY More safaris than
ever. We have developed a
couple of very unique trips,
in particular our EcoQuest
Safari. This is a boots-onthe-ground, interactive,
all-bush-all-the-time kind
of trip with a hands-on
instructional component.
Participants get to actually learn what guides go
through to become guides,
which includes tracking
big game, driving the safari
vehicle-basically, learning
the tricks of the trade in an
absolutely beautiful and
remote region of South
Africa, with me as your
instructor. I'm so excited.
KATHARINE I have been in
the process of writing a new
album. I'm already scheduled
to be rolling around the
country on a concert and
festival schedule this year,
HOW
THEY
FACE
CHALLENGES
which will take me who
AND
RESOLVE
DIFFERENCES
knows where and back until
KATHARINE We both know
what lines not to crossthe fall of 2013. We're going
however, when voicing our
to be juggling calendars
opinions, and even though
a lot, but we are both
sometimes those lines get
pretty good at doing that.
crossed and emotions flare,
(wildrainbowsafaris.com) •
st
LIPSTICK+DIPSTICK
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
My Girlfriend,
the Flasher
Is it time to set boobie boundaries?
Or get a nude attitude?
BY LIPSTICK
& DIPSTICK
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I've been
dating my girlfriend, Jules, for a few months,
so I decided to invite her on a vacation I'd
planned with Bernadette, a really old friend
of mine. Everything was going great until
we all got in the hot tub. Jules didn't bring
a suit, so she hopped in naked. I was naked
too, so I didn't really think anything of it. But
then Bernadette joined us, and she was in
a modest one-piece. The temperature in
the Jacuzzi was hot, so Jules decided to
sit on the edge with her legs completely
wide open. I could tell that Bernie was
uncomfortable. I tried to give Jules a "look,"
but she was clueless. Later, I talked to her
about it and she said she was used to nudity
and there was nothing wrong with what she
did. Nudity is one thing, but trying to give my
friend Bernie a pap smear-view is another.
Am I wrong?-Boundary Breaker
Dipstick: I'm with Jules on this
one. Every Tuesday, I go to
a women- and trans-friendly
night at my local hot tub place,
and hanging out in the nude
is no big deal. I love it. It's not
a sexual thing. When I was on
the swim team in high school,
we all showered together and
had "shaving parties" the night
before a big meet. I've skipped
around naked at Michfest and
love skinny-dipping every
chance I get. Wearing a suit in a
hot tub is stupid.
24
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2013
Lipstick: I am with Jules, too,
because I'm a total naked
nudie. In general, I think folks
are way too uptight about
our original skin. For myself,
beyond hot tubbing, here are
some other things I like to do in
the buff: vacuum, do yoga, take
business calls.
Dipstick: What? Are you naked
when we're on the phone?
Lipstick: If we aren't on Skype,
yes. Boundaries, the fact that
Bernadette is uncomfortable in
the buff is her issue, not yours.
That said, I do draw the line at
flashing the undercarriageespecially if it's your BFF who's
getting ambushed by your new
girl's beav.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick:
I've been seeing a girl,
Raquel, for four months, but
she doesn't want anything
serious. There are days when
she doesn't pay any attention
to me, and there are days
when she's really sweet.
We haven't talked in a week
because one of our friends,
Piper, told her that I told her
we had sex. We did, but I
didn't say anything to anyone.
The contrary is true, actually.
Piper gossiped to me about
Raquel, and divulged all kinds
of bad stuff. Now Raquel's the
one trashing me? I really care
about Raquel. What should I
do? -Tired of Trash Talk
Lipstick: Raquel is a viper
and you should stay away.
Life is hard enough without
snakes trying to poison you
with their venom! You need
to find some new friends, and
while you're at it, a real girlfriend (if that is, in fact, what
you want). While Raquel is the
consummate tease, she's been
clear about what she wantsnothing serious-so take her
at her word.
Dipstick: Why are you letting some douche bag get in
the middle of your relationship? People like Piper get
their jollies from destroying
other people's lives. Hopefully,
Raquel understands this. Tell
her your lips are sealed, and
see if she believes you. She
may just be using this "she
said, she said" controversy
as an excuse to keep you at a
distance. Lipstick is right-her
heart isn't in this. If the sex is
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
good, enjoy it and tame your
feelings. Otherwise, get out.
And cut ties with that gossip.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm
a femme and have been dating a stud, Jay, long-distance
for some time. She's a great
person. When we first met, Jay
told me she was expecting to
adopt a baby from a woman
who was going to sign all the
rights over to her. Recently, I
finally got the courage to drive
up and visit Jay. Much to my
surprise, Jay is the one who
is carrying the baby. She told
me she was raped. My feelings
for her didn't change, and I
understand why she kept it
from me. I reassured her that
I wouldn't have judged her
and I still don't. But now, I'm
beginning to wonder how this
will affect us. What can I do
to support her, knowing that
she's closed and doesn't really
talk to me about her feelings
and certain highly personal
things?-Can I Trust Her?
Dipstick: Wow, this is pretty
intense. Now that she's come
out with the truth, she needs
someone to love and support
her. Make sure she has the
resources to get help from a
rape crisis counselor, if she
needs it. Call RAINN: 1.800.656.
HOPE. Her keeping this secret
from you may not be indicative
of her ability to tell the truth.
There can be a lot of shame
involved with sexual assault,
and she might not have been
ready to get that vulnerable
with you. Now that she's finally
told you what happened, see
if you can be open to trusting
her, and see if she'll open up to
you about other things. Since
she's got so much going on
in her life right now, I would
advise the two of you to not
make any big commitments for
at least a year.
Lipstick: You wonder how this
will affect you? I'll tell you: in
every single way for every single
day of the rest of your life.
Having a child is huge. How do
feel about what happened
to her or her difficult situation.
Raising a child is no mean feat,
and neither is dating a woman
who has one. You can support
you feel about being a parent?
her as a friend, but
ITHINK
FOLKS
ARE
WAY
TOO
UPTIGHT
ABOUT
OUR
ORIGINAL
SKIN.
FOR
MYSELF,
BEYOND
HOT
TUBBING,
HERE
ARE
SOME
OTHER
THINGS
I LIKE
TODOINTHE
BUFF:
VACUUM,
DO
YOGA,
TAKE
BUSINESS
CALLS.
Is it something you honestly
want? These are important
questions to answer, no matter
how romantic you feel about
Jay, or how sympathetic you
get some professional help from
a therapist to suss out your own
parental ambitions-before you
are the one cutting the umbilical chord.•
MARCH
2013
CURVE
25
st RELATIONSHIPS
Face to Face
Your soul mate may be closer to you than you think. ev REKARA
D
yke-a-likes, dyke-clones,
"The Merge;' are all ways
to describe the wellknown lesbian phenomenon in which couples
have the uncanny tendency to look
like one another. Some blame it on
wardrobe sharing, parroting behavior
or just plain old-fashioned narcissism.
But as it turns out, there may be more
than a shared dress code drawing
you to potential mates. According to
Christina Bloom, creator of Find Your
Face Mate, facial feature similarity
between couples is what lights that
initial spark of attraction. "When we
meet someone, we usually say, 'I met
this great girl;' says Bloom. "The thing
is, you liked her personality because
you liked her face."
FaceMate is a scientific and researchbased online dating sight for singles.
The technology scans a photo that
26
CURVE
MARCH
2013
GAGE
you upload and it marks 67 points on
the face and matches them to other
pictures uploaded to the "facebase."
Bloom happened upon this concept
when she started dating someone new
after ending her marriage. "People
were telling us that we looked so
similar. We had the same coloring and
it made the similar structures of the
face easier to see. There began my fascination and that was 20 years ago."
And while the Internet has offered
more options through which to meet
a partner, the dating itself is no easier.
Bloom hopes to help people find their
special someone by spreading awareness about how to approach love. With
60,000 members worldwide, FaceMate
is looking to build the face base.
This concept is especially suited to
lesbians, says Bloom, because facial
similarity is easier to determine in
same-sex couples. When was the last
time you really looked at Ellen and
Portia? You maye be surprised at the
similarity.
Bloom offers another celesbian example: "Look at Christine Quinn and
her partner. They look exactly alike."
Following the initial facial feature
match, FaceMate looks at a variety of
data including style, values and compatibility of personality-all of which
are essential in a strong and healthy
relationship.
"People have to be more giving and
listen to each other," says Bloom. "It's
a give and take. As you get older, this
is the person you are going to have to
rely on and so that strong foundation
needs to be there."
Still skeptical? Joining is free, so
why not give it a try? "People complain
about [traditional] online dating and I
agree, it's not great;' says Bloom. "But ...
with online dating, there is a number
of people narrowed down and what difference does it make if it gets you to the
person that you love? You're going to
get the romance once you get the person." (findyourfacemate.com) •
v1Ews1S
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
UP
ALL
NIGHT
Replace bed death with bed zest.
A topical gel is being touted as the female Viagra.
Dr. Susan Kellogg is the co-founder and
director of Sexual Medicine at the Pelvic and
Sexual Health Institute of Philadelphia. Who
better to ask about the first product to tackle
the problem of female sexual dysfunction.
just the simple blood flow to
genitals, cause-and-effect male
system. Many companies and
scientists have spent years
and millions of dollars trying
to develop a pharmaceutical
they applied the product on the
sensitive mucous membranes
at the vaginal opening rather
than on the outer genital areas.
Do you think lesbian bed death
exists? And if so, can Zestra
solution, without success.
That is why Zestra remains an
assist women who have lost
important option for women.
If female sexual response
LBD describes the state of a
sexual relationship. If not
is complex-for
attended to, any relationship
can be negatively impacted by
example,
originating in the brain for
women-how
can a topical
gel increase the likelihood
interest in sex?
life stressors, can become
outine and involve less sex play.
Why do you recommend Zestra?
What are the strengths and
of orgasm?
I have been an advocate of
benefits of the product?
The brain is a key component
Healthy sexual relationships
require work and energy to
Zestra since its inception,
Zestra is the only clinically
proven, topically applied
of female sexual response.
While a topical product doesn't
remain vibrant. The introduction
of novelty, or adding adventure
product that can improve
arousal, orgasm, desire and
affect the brain chemistry,
because it was one of the few
over-the-counter products
that backed its claims with
solid clinical data. In the field
of sexual medicine, we are
always looking for effective
solutions for female sexual
dysfunction, particularly
those products that are nonsystemic and easy for women
to use. When I first started
recommending Zestra and
my patients reported positive
satisfaction for women. Zestra
is safe and works within five to
10 minutes after application [by
the woman or her partner]. I
Zestra incites a genital arousal
response, which often becomes
a catalyst for reactive sexual
desire within the brain. In other
words, women start to feel
advise my patients that Zestra is
a low-risk, local option for them,
sensations within minutes of
application, which gets "their
which is effective for many
patients, particularly those with
Some women say Zestra
heads in the game."
''
HtAlTHY
StXUAl
RrlATIONSHIPS
RrOUIRt
tNrRGY
TO
RrMAIN
VIBRANT.
''
altered orgasm latency and
amplitude.
tingles, others say it burns.
clinical responses, I informed
the founders of the product
Sexual satisfaction for men
difference in response?
has become a science, but why
Women generally use a number
to your shared experience,
for example, by going out for
that I saw such robust clinical
improvement. I continued my
has the study of this issue not
progressed for women?
of words to describe how
Zestra feels-usually a tingling,
Middle Eastern cuisine, by
trying kayaking, zip-lining or
involvement with the company
when Mary Jaensch and Rachel
Female sexual response
appears to be more complex
warming sensation. For a small
percentage of women, the
any other new activity, by
cooking together-and by
Braun Scherl took over the
Zestra product, under the
than male sexual response
and involves emotional,
feeling is more like burning.
These women more than likely
expanding your sexual
repertoire. Adding Zestra
parent company, Semprae
Laboratories, Inc. I felt it was
physiological and contextual
elements-as opposed to
have a sensitive skin type or a
coincident yeast infection, or
can re-create a spark and
shift dopamine, a pro-sexual
important that a company that
manufactures a product for
Why do you think there is a
neurotransmitter in the brain,
women is run by women.
What is your relationship with
which can enhance the sexual
relationship. Another way to
impact brain and physical
Semprae Laboratories, which
chemistry is to add erotic
produces Zestra?
literature or other forms of
erotic media into your weekly
habits. Lastly, you should
I served on Zestra's Medical
Advisory Board in 2008, when
the team was writing up the
results of the second clinical
multicenter study, which
demonstrated improvement in
female sexual satisfaction with
the use of the product.
get moving together-that
is, channel those feel-good
endorphins gleaned through
regular exercise into a shared
experience in the relationship.
-Georgia Krokus
MARCH
2013
CURVE
27
s10UT IN FRONT
p
II CONNECTING
COMMUNITIES
I
Addressing the issues that intersect our lives is the first step toward equality.
BY SHERYL KAY
Vera Bergkamp
The Netherlands » Dutch Parliament
It is a land renowned for its windmills,
fresh cheeses, striking tulips, and a leftleaning view of politics. "Superficially,
Dutch society is liberal;' says Vera Bergkamp, but she adds that while LGBT
civil rights have been in place for decades
in Holland, life for lesbians is not always
a bed of roses. Bergkamp, who is now a
member of the Dutch Parliament, cites
a recent opinion poll: "When, for example, it comes to kissing in public, almost
half the population takes offense to a
male gay couple kissing, 30 percent take
offense to a lesbian couple kissing, but
only one in 10 take offense to a straight
couple kissing in public:'
Additionally, she says, LGBT pupils
feel unsafe in high schools. The suicide
rate among this group is up to five times
higher than the average, while seven out
of 10 gay adults encounter physical or
verbal violence because of their identity. "There's still a lot of work to be done
here;' notes Bergkamp.
Joining the Dutch gay rights group
COC five years ago (COC is the oldest
gay rights group in the world), and serving as the organization's chair for two
years, until October 2012, Bergkamp is
at the forefront in the battle for full civil
rights in Holland. And her efforts are
coming to fruition.
28
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2013
After years of intense lobbying by
Bergkamp and her colleagues, in December 2012 a law was passed that makes it
mandatory for all schools in Holland to
teach children about the LGBT community. And this spring, the country will
enact legislation that gives the same-sex
spouse of a biological parent the same
legal status as any biological parent,
without the need for adoption.
Yet Bergkamp reiterates the crucial
need for more change, specifically citing
LGBTrights in other countries. "Whereas
in Europe and the U.S., even though the
LGBT rights situation differs, we can
more or less openly live our lives with
those we love, but this is virtually impossible in countries like Iran, Iraq and
Uganda;' she says. "LGBT [people] are
social pariahs and even risk the death
penalty when they are caught:' And in
this struggle, she says, there is no room
for complacency. "As long as there are
countries where the death penalty or
severe punishments are given just because you are who you are, our fight is
not over;' says Bergkamp.
Gaylon Alcaraz
Chicago » Reproductive Rights
For the past decade, Gaylon Alcaraz, the
executive director of the Chicago Abortion
Fund, has worked within the reproductive justice movement to advocate for
low-income women seeking to gain their
reproductive freedom. It is an effort, she
says, that is directly tied into fighting for
LGBT rights as well, because both issues
face challenges from the same enemy, the
same fanatics. "Full autonomy over the
body that one lives in is the cornerstone to
the right of privacy;' says Alcaraz. "When
a society can dictate your reproductive
health decisions, who you should love,
what kind of family you can or should
have, or even define what sexual identity
looks like-and those most impacted by
these injustices don't take a stand-we
are in serious trouble:'
Alcaraz also served for many years
as a member of the board for Affinity
Community Services, a grassroots organization that advocates for the rights of
lesbian and bisexual African American
women. The greatest issues that women
of color in the LGBT community face
today are economic security, healthcare
and reproductive rights. As much as some
might like to think that everyone in the
lesbian community faces the same hardships, regardless of race, Alcaraz says
that is just not correct. Privilege and
class, she says, are instrumental in dividing the community. "Even today, as a
woman of color, I can go into an event or
a fundraiser and more than likely never
be acknowledged;' says Alcaraz. "I mean,
can't you tell within the entire marriage
equality push there is a divide? LGBT
communities of color weren't polled by
the larger movement to see what their
most important issues were."
Looking ahead, Alcaraz says the lesbian community should address many of
the these challenges by using social media
on a broader scale, on behalf of the disconnected women, especially in rural
places, whose only source of information on the community is the Internet,
via computers or cell phones. The Internet gives these women a way to connect
to a community, to feel a sense of belonging, and to exchange ideas.
"When one group is oppressed, we are
all oppressed;' she says. •
MUSIC
»
FlLM»
BOOKS
»
TECH
curve
REVIEWS/
MUSIC
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
musical style embodied a fusiondance, reggae, pop, and soul-that
suggested we could all get along.
Now, King's announcement has permanently altered the anti-gay image of
Jamaica. On June 28, 2012, she posted a
note on her Facebook page titled "Yes!!
I Am Lesbian." This declaration is a significant event in Jamaica's contemporary history, equal to the moment when
Bob Marley closed his set at his One
Love Peace Concert by joining hands
with then Prime Minister Michael
Manley and the opposition leader, Edward Seaga. Diana King's declaration
of her lesbianism has shifted the sociopolitical dynamics of Jamaica and
gives an identity to Caribbean LGBT
everywhere.
Where did you spend your formative
years?
I was born and raised in Spanish Town,
the first capital of Jamaica. I later
moved to Kingston and lived there
until I became a U.S. resident in 2000.
I now hold dual citizenship, for both
countries.
What does your family think about your
lesbian identity?
I don't know and I don't care. I've never
been close to my biological family. It's
the price they paid for rejecting and
labeling me a "rebel;' or "weirdo." But
the few I connected with, including my
immediate family, love me unconditionally. I believe "family" are the friends
you choose.
When did you first discover your attraction to women?
It's a funny story, so I'll just give you
a little piece. I've always held strong
sexual feelings for women but never
really explored it. I'm not a fan of any
erotica, but I was 21 years old, in New
York City, and working on my first
album, Tougher Than Love for Sony
Music. Late one night, after a long
exhausting day in the studio, I was
flicking through the channels in my
hotel room. I felt curious
and decided to
watch some lesbian erotica and
whooooo!!! I was
up all night! The
morning after, I
certainly knew that
I was unashamedly
lesbian. Ironically, the
next day I wrote "Shy
Guy;' which is all about
me.
Did you attempt to "pray
the gay away"?
No, never. I do not pray.
I shunned religion from
about age 5. I had too many
questions in Sunday school,
and due to my inquisitiveness
I spent most days outside, as punishment for blasphemy. I have always
been honest with myself, though
sometimes to a fault. I listen to the
voice inside ...the good one. It doesn't
always tell you what you want to hear
but you have to trust it. That's the real
you talking, and who knows-maybe
30
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2013
it's God. Coming to terms with my
lesbianism was a process of selfrealization and acceptance. Total clarity
comes amidst unrelenting feelings and
societal misperceptions about homosexuality. My desire to be completely
authentic was victorious over any fears.
Have you had a significant monogamous
relationship with a lesbian?
It's hard not to talk about relationships but, as a romantic,
I'm a little superstitious about
sharing intimate details of my
personal relationships. Oftentimes, when celebrities open
up to the public about their
personal life, intimate relations
tend to become disarrayed.
What I will say is, yes, I have
had significant lesbian relationships, but since I am also very
private, I've never felt comfortable
tta have some
mystique about her. I do, however, see myself on a veranda,
in a rocking chair, old and gray,
with my soul woman sitting
across from me in the matching chair, and we're reminiscing about the day we met and
all the arguments we never
thought we'd now be laughing
about.
What advice can you offer to Caribbean
women who want to come out?
You must prioritize and decide what
type of legacy to leave behind. At
some point in life, we must all take
accountability for ourselves. When
you choose to be responsible, the
universe acknowledges your efforts
and assists you on this earthly journey.
Just think, one day you will be on
your deathbed. Will you be pleased,
or regret living a facade? No one
should dictate when a person "comes
out;' but if you really want change
in your country, understand that
sacrifices are critical steps in societal
transformation. No one wants to be a
martyr, but we must find the courage,
take a stand, and demand our God-given
rights in our own country. Caribbean
REVIEWS/
Studs on
the Big
Screen
British writer/director
Campbell X depicts urban
queer London's stud life
on the silver screen.
BY TANIA HAMMIDI
Robyn Kerr and
T'Nia Miller in Stud Life
S
tud masculinity hit the silver
screen with a vengeance in
Stud Life, a new film from
the award-winning British
filmmaker Campbell X. The
film, which played to sold-out audiences in London, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Oakland and Trinidad, tells
the story of a young black stud who's
faced with the "mates before muff"
question when she falls in love with
Elle, the film's hot femme lead, played
by Robyn Kerr.
T'Nia Miller stars as JJ, a butch lesbian who is as vulnerable as she is fly;
Kyle Treslove portrays JJ's best friend,
Seb, a gay white man who struggles
with his femininity before finding his
own true love. And while the romantic
comedy strikes a lighthearted tone as
Seb and Elle wrestle for JJ's attentions,
what's really exciting about Campbell's film is her decision to feature a
black, masculine-of-center protagonist,
which attracted a whole new audience
FlLM
demographic. Stud, aggressive, tomboi,
butch, and masculine-of-center queers
of color flocked to the LGBT film festival screenings of Stud Life, eager to see
themselves on the big screen.
"Studs have responded with joy to
the film-it is a result of not seeing too
many images of themselves looking
hot on the big screen. Some have come
up to me and said, 'That was my life up
there-you put my life up there.' They
would tweet me back lines from the
film;' says Campbell.
A dapper black stud herself, Campbell empathizes with the audience's
desire to see female masculinity represented on screen. "It makes sense.
Why would they come, if they're not
seeing themselves? To see the same
thing you can see on telly? There are
no masculine-of-center people of color
in mainstream queer cinema, or even
in indie cinema," she says.
In the U.S., a few African American lesbian filmmakers actually have
MARCH
2013
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REVIEWS/
FlLM
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''I CRtATtNUANCtD,
tackled the challenge of representing
stud lesbians on screen. Director Cheryl
Dunye who launched Strangers Inside
back in 2001; the project was a madefor-cable drama about a mother-daughter stud reunion in prison. Dunye's
recent independent film Mommie's
Coming handled the subject of black
butch identity by taking a more playful
approach. She cast her dandy self as
the Berlin cab driver who transports
her protagonists to and fro. Director
Dee Rees's recent feature Pariah also
moved African American studs right
into the mainstream. "It is mindblowing, really. It is the first time
somebody has made a film with a black
lesbian protagonist who has broken
through [to mainstream] consciousness;' Campbell says.
With so few studs on the big screen,
writer/director Campbell found her
inspiration for the film in her community and on the Internet. "The film is
inspired by London and its very vibrant
multicultural life and where it comes
into creative collision with diverse
LGBT people. It's also inspired by all
the bois on YouTube, who are inadvertently creating an archive of female
COMPltX
CHARACTtRS
WHO
HAVt
TOBtTRUt
TOTHtMStlVrSINSPITt
0~THt
TtMPTATION,
ltDBY
MYOWN
PtRSONAl
POllTICS,
TOMAKt
THtM
PtR~tCTlY
SAi
NTll
KtAND
POllTICAllY
CORRtCT.
''
32
CURVE
MARCH 2013
masculinity for generations to come;'
Campbell says. "Also, there are web
series between women that have stud
characters on them. They were influential to my film:'
Seasoned by nearly 20 years of
making film, Campbell has stakes in
breaking the mold of LGBT films, not
only by putting masculine women of
color in the foreground, but also by
putting kink into the limelight of the
rom com genre. "My intention when
making any film is to tell a good story
with lush visuals. I also challenge us as
minorities, whether LGBT or [people
of color]. I create nuanced, complex
characters who have to be true to
themselves-in
spite of the temptation, led by my own personal politics,
to make them perfectly saintlike and
politically correct."
Elle's admission that she is a dominatrix is met with outrage when JJ
first finds out what her lover does for
work. Campbell explains, "JJ is conventional. She is not a perfect stud.
She has her flaws. Elle accepts her, but
[JJ] does not accept Elle. Often this
happens when a stud wants to control
a femme, through anger or whatever.
So I wanted to raise these concerns."
Campbell's focus on desire and
femininity in Stud Life is also meant
to expand the range of LGBT films. "I
wanted to show through Elle, who is a
powerful femme, that submission is
an active process, not a passive one;'
she says.
By rejecting a myopic mainstream
view of lesbian characters, Campbell
knew she would face funding issues, so
she took matters into her own hands,
creating the full-length feature on a
near-zero budget. "Masculine-of-center
females do not represent the idealized
'saleable' woman-who can be packaged
to mainstream audiences of any sexual
orientation. She is being erased from
our dominant media. I am interested
in putting anyone who is forced to the
margins right back into the center of
the frame." (studlifethemovie.com) •
REVIEWS/
BOOKS
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he said to me, 'Wow! I
didn't expect you to
look so foxy;" Laurie
Rubin giggles,recounting the observation a
librarian made during a recent reading for her memoir, Do You Dream
In Color? Blind since birth, Rubin has
now written about her life and the pivotal challenges and rewards that have
crossed her path, dispelling misconceptions about blindness and the cynics in
her life who told her she would never
have a job, find romance or be independent. Clearly, they didn't know Rubin.
Swayed by opera at a young age, the
now internationally recognized mezzosoprano has performed legendary
recitals with world-renowned musicians, and is the recipient of many
awards, including her maiden momentthe 1997 LA Music Center Spotlight
Award. Adorned with 'Bravas!' Rubin
shares her personal message of resilience through the beauty of music.
"Audiences have their
own preconceived ideas
of blindness. I don't like to
preach, but if I can sing
about it, they can take their
own interpretations away
from the piece;' Rubin says.
"You're sharing something from your
experience that they can take, which
always keeps the music alive and relevant, and that's when I feel most alive
and happy-simply singing:'
Rubin has always been steered by
a family of advocates. "I think I just
always had a hunger for something
better. I had supportive people in my
family who were helping me find my
way, and nobody made me ever feel
lesser than anyone else. That's what
propelled me into a sense of security
about myself."
Do You Dream In Color, the memoir
title taken from the piece Rubin wrote
with composer Bruce Adolphe, is a
book about taking chances. Growing up,
Rubin second-guessed herself, enamored with the idea of being social, but
struggling for acceptance among her
peers. She found a haven in music camp
and was repeatedly invited to attend
once-in-a-lifetime master class series
and fellowship programs, under the
wing of some of the world's best musical mentors.
In her last year at Oberlin College,
where she played the role of Cenerentola in Rossini's "La Cenerentola"-the
classic Cinderella tale of a girl placed
in the shadows, she asserted her stance
as a musician: to conquer the lead role
in a full opera-and the glass slipper
fit just right.
When she was 22, Rubin was asked
to perform Samuel Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" with the man
celebrated for his swelling film scores,
conductor John Williams. "It was like
going on stage with a family member.
Conducting is a very personal thing.
I never realized how intimate it is, because they're
taking in the music and
when they feel the crescendo, and you're feeling this
next to them, you're almost
hearing it because they'll
take deep breaths. It was a
bonding experience I never
thought I'd have with a conductor."
She cites another seminal mentor, fellow mezzo-soprano and
legend Frederica von Stade, who taught
her the art of humbleness.
"One of the best voice tools is if you
can sing with someone better than
you;' says Rubin of Stade. "Your voice
naturally develops a synergy with that
other voice and you become a better
singer, viscerally, without worrying
about technique:'
Stade invited Rubin and her family
to her home when Rubin was asked to
perform a duet with her for a benefit
concert.
In awe of Stade's connectedness with
others, making time to say hello to PTA
friends at the local ice cream parlor,
she now says, "That's how I want to be.
MARCH
2013
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REVIEWS/
BOOKS
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SQUARE
PEG
An outcast returns home to discover acceptance.
PrairieSilence:
A Memoir,
She's an incredible artist, and I think
being an incredible artist comes from
having that humility."
Another light in Rubin's life is her
partner, Jenny Taira, who she met at
Yale School of Music.
In her book, Rubin chronicles clumsy slow dances with boys at summer
camp and confronts her attraction to
women. She writes: "Attraction isn't
about vision. It's about an unmistakable vibe between two people. It's about
your heart stopping for a second when
that person touches you, when something completely ordinary can make
you giggle, when the very presence of
that person makes you speechless. Not
even your eyes can do all that for you."
Ten years together, Rubin and Taira
attribute their lasting relationship to
honesty and togetherness, personal
and professional. They live in Hawaii
where they run Ohana Performing
Arts and continue to collaborate on
many projects, including an album
they co-wrote, The Girl I Am.
"You hear all the time, 'Don't go
into business with your partner; but I
find that it's so nice that we can work
together. It's nice to know that there's
34
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MARCH 2013
with Jessica. It's a passionate
friendship which they cannot define,
nor act on, as their strong Christian
faith dictates that homosexuality
is not only a sin but completely
unfathomable. Hoffert writes, "I
wanted to confess my feelings,
but I couldn't find the words and I
couldn't imagine her response. She
already knew, I thought, anyway.
She had to understand because she
was living our relationship along
with me." When Melanie realizes
that Jessica has fallen for a boy,
irrevocably shifting the context of
their own relationship, she writes,
"Why, I wondered, would a boy be
better ...The question was as elusive
as a word problem. I understood
the terms, but I couldn't get my mind
around the answer."
Hoffert writes respectfully and
humorously of the land and the
town she left, as well as the religion
she eventually became estranged
from. By the book's end, Hoffert has
accepted the integrity of both the
people and the land of North Dakota.
Even more importantly, she's also
accepted herself.-Rache/ Pepper
Melanie Hoffert
(Beacon Press):
What happens
when an adult
lesbian returns
to the small
town she's fled
from? Melanie Hoffert asks readers
to consider this question in Prairie
Silence: A Memoir. Hoffert, who grew
up on a farm near Wyndmere, N.D.,
describes the exodus from small
town America not as the result of
"economics or loss of opportunity
for young people." Rather, states
Hoffert, the exodus may be caused
"at a cellular or even metaphysical
level" by "prairie silence," the
inability to share or express one's
true self. Prairie silence, she writes,
results when people "swallow their
problems, their fears, their shames,
and their secret-figuring that
nature will take care of everything,
somehow or other ...And once a
silence has taken hold, whatever it is,
is hard to uproot."
Hoffert's story unfolds as she
decides to take a month-long leave
from her corporate life to return
to the farm, for harvest. Between
attempting to drive a farm truck with
her brother, exploring a deserted
schoolhouse with her mother or just
noticing the beauty of a North Dakota
sunrise, Hoffert paints a picture that
even urban readers will appreciate.
One of the most affecting aspects
of Hoffert's memoir is when she
recounts her teenage relationship
always something that we're doing
together that's bigger than we are and
our relationship, and that's what keeps
us going."
Ohana represents a chance to become an international gathering place,
and for those interested in the performing arts, a welcome haven.
Of all Rubin's impactful performances, it's in living rooms where she
feels like she is giving and telling the
most. She carries that intimacy into
the concert halls too.
"Even though I'm in a room with
people, I feel like what my job is,
is to connect with them and find something I feel is special and connect that
with them through the music."
Laurie Rubin says her aura is red, the
same color as the gown she wore when
she performed with John Williams.
"I've never wanted to fly under the
radar, because I'd be looked over for so
many opportunities. I need to force people sometimes to see that I'm capable of
succeeding:' (laurie-rubin.com) •
500
REVIEWS/
TECHGIRL
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Savvy Navigator
Seven smart travel apps you won't want to
leave home without. BY RANDY NELsoN
e DCOVERY
There are plenty of travel
guides you can carry on your
phone, but how about one you
make yourself? Dcovery lets
you enter the names of places
you'd like to visit on your trip,
and it does all the legwork,
pulling in addresses, business details, phone numbers,
reviews, menus and more so
you have it at your fingertips
when you reach your travel
destination. $4, dcovery.com
• TRIPIT
Don't worry about losing
important trip-related
information ever again.
Triplt organizes airline
ticket confirmation
numbers, itineraries, hotel
information and more all
in one place. It even offers
tools for keeping track of
your expenses while you're
traveling, which will take the
edge off those post vacation
blues.free, tripit.com
e UBER
Hailing taxis are so last year.
Uber makes arranging a
private driver quick and easy
right from your phone. Available in most major U.S. cities
and international locales
such as London, Paris and
Sydney, Uber lets you request
a pickup from within the app,
then displays in real time
how far away your swanky
ride is. Payments are handled
automatically, there's no tipping required and a receipt is
emailed to you so there's no
paperwork to lose.
free, uber.com
e HOTEL
TONIGHT
e SKOUT
Arranging same-day hotel
bookings used to be among a
traveler's worst nightmares,
but Hotel Tonight is a dream
come true. It not only makes
the process of tracking
down available rooms
easy, but also lets you take
advantage of some surprising
deals that could have you
procrastinating more often.
free, hoteltonight. com
Looking for a vacation
romance or to meet some
like-minded ladies during your
travels? Skout is a locationbased app that seeks out other
singles based on their location,
making it easier to find a
Sapphic sidekick for dinner or
even something more intimate
when you're in an unfamiliar
part of the world-or even your
hometown.free, skout.com
e TRIPLINGO
e JUSTLANDED
Not everyone has the time
to study a new language
before a trip. Thankfully,
there's Trip Lingo, a clever
app that replaces the conversational phrase books of
old with a much better
interface, a wider variety
of words and phrases for
every occasion, available
in packs. There are even
multiple versions, from
formal to slang, for each,
plus flashcards and more.
$10 and up, triplingo.com
If you've been all alone while
your partner is travelling,
you probably can't wait
to pick them up from the
airport. Just Landed is a fun
and handy app that helps
with that, letting you know
when you should leave for the
airport based on the flight
schedule, traffic and conditions at the airport. It's all
updated in real time, so you'll
never keep them waiting even
if their flight lands early.
$1, getjustlanded. com
MARCH
2013
CURVE
35
TRACYCHAPMAN/ KIRSTENVANGSNESS / SANDRABERNHARD/
JODIE FOSTER/ ANI DIFRANCO/ MELISSAETHERIDGE/TAMMYLYNN
MICHAELS/ ALEXANDRAHEDISON/ LILYTOMLIN/ KELLYMCGILLIS/
SARA GILBERT/ JENNY SHIMIZU/ MARTINANAVRATILOVA/KATE
CLINTON/ MICHELLEWOLFF/ CLEA DUVALL/ TEGAN & SARA/ JANE
LYNCH/ K,O, LANG/ JACKIEWARNER/ ANNE HECHE/ MEREDITH
BAXTER/ JANIS IAN/ WE GOT THEM COVERED / ANGELINAJOLIE/
KRISTANNALOKEN/ JOEY LAURENADAMS / TALLULAHBANKHEAD
LAURELHOLLOMAN/ DREW BARRYMORE/ AMANDA BEARSE/
CRYSTALBERNARD/ BILLYJEAN KING/ CHAZ BONO / AMBER HEARD
/ OREADE MATTEO/ CRIS WILLIAMSON/ FERRON/ ALIXDOBKIN
/ JOAN JETT/ SUBSCRIBE+ SEE/ CATHYDEBUONO/ MARLENE
DIETRICH/ AMANDA DONOHOE / GINA GERSHON/ LINDAFIORENTINO
/ JILL BENNETT/ PEGGYSHAW/ GRETAGARBO / ULRIKEFOLKERTS
/ INDIGOGIRLS/ ROSIEJONES / LAURENHAYS/ BAI LING/ MELISSA
FERRICK/ FRIDAKAHLO / REGINALUND / ROMNNE MICHAELS
/ NICOLERAYBURN/ TOSHI REAGON/ MICHELLERODRIGUEZ/
FIONASHAW/ ALLYSHEEDY/ ALICIASILVERSTONE/IONESKYE/
BARBARASTANVVYCK
/ RACHELMADDOW/ ELLENDEGENERES/
PORTIADEGENERES/ SAFFRONBURROWS/ FIONASHAW/ SARAH
PAULSON/ CHERRYJONES / LEISHAHAILEY/ HEATHERMATARAZZO
/ CYNTHIANIXON/ KYLIEMINOGUE/ MADONNA/ WANDA SYKES/
RUBY ROSE/ GUINEVERETURNER/ SUZE ORMAN / CLEMENTINE
FORD/ ROSIE0 DONNELL/ JILLIANMICHAELS/ BRANDICARLILE/
DEL MARTIN/ WANDA SYKES/ COURTENAYSEMEL/ BETH DITTO/
DANIELASEA / MARGARETCHO / RACHELROBINSON/ GRETCHEN
PHILLIPS/ SUZANNEWESTENHOEFER
/ CHELYWRIGHT/ PHYLLIS
LYON/ CURVEMAG.COM / MEGAN FOX/ KATEMOENNIG/ AMELIE
MAURESMO/ ROBYN/ BITCH/ AUDRELORD / DORIAROBERTS/
SARAH SHAHI/ SHERYLSWOOPES/ CATIECURTIS/ CHRISTINA
AGUILERA/ LADY GAGA/ OPRAH/ HILLARYCLINTON/ JANE VELEZMITCHELL/ KRISTENSTEWART/ ILENECHAIKEN/ MARGARETHE
CAMMERMEYER/ SAM RONSON/ LINDSAYLOHAN
1
curve
LE/FASHION
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
40
CURVE
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2013
''
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Our mission is11't
simply about clothing.
It's about having
access to ar ents that
make y011 ook likf;~you.
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LAUGHTRACK»
Curiously Strong
Don't
befooled
bythefeminine
exterior
ofJackie
Primrose
Monahan.
ByMerryn
Johns
Actor and comic on the rise, Jackie
Primrose Monahan, is making a name
for herself on both coasts. The L.A.based beauty is a fixture at the Laugh
Factory as well as the N.Y.C. standup
scene where she was the "Joke of the
Year" winner by Time Out NY and is a
regular at Gotham and Caroline's comedy clubs on Broadway. She also tours
all over the country performing at clubs
and colleges and has appeared on Logo
and Here!TV as well as the acclaimed
independent comedy, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. We caught
up with the unstoppable Ms. Monahan
to talk laughter and long-distance love.
When did you realize you were funny?
When I was really little. I would do crazy
antics to my mom all the time. She did
her best not to laugh and then when I
would leave the room I would eavesdrop
and hear her tell her friends about me.
They would all belly laugh and call me
"the little comedian:'
Can we have an example of your antics?
Going up to strange men with mustaches
and screaming "Daddy! Daddy!" and
latching onto their legs. Mom would ask
me to pick out my cereal at the supermarket and I would say, "OK, OK just
don't hit me again:' There was nothing
she could say in either situation so she
would just smile and pull me away. But
I could tell she got a big kick out of it
despite herself.
Your comedy is not politically correct.
Do you worry lesbians will disconnect?
Not talking about a subject and pretending it doesn't exist is more politically
Watch
JACKIEMONAHAN IN
CODEPENDENTLESBIAN
SPACEALIEN SEEKS
SAME AVAILABLEON
AMAZON AND ITUNES.
42
CURVE
MARCH
2013
incorrect in my opinion. Talking about
something and making light of it is beneficial. It releases the tension around the
subject and opens it up to conversation
instead of sweeping it under the rug.
was not alone and she was able to laugh
about some serious issues in her life.
She affected my life just as profoundly by
letting me know I had definitely found
my calling.
They say, Tragedy + Time = Comedy. Do
you agree and if not, what subject do
you consider taboo?
Your onstage persona is feminine, ditsy,
but sharp. Is that you?
My best friend died of cancer and it took
me a long time to hear anyone joke about
cancer. I got in arguments, stormed out
of movies. I was ridiculous and no one
made fun of cancer more than my friend,
Nicole, who passed away. Now that I am
a comedian, however, I see how making
a joke out of serious issues is healing,
as long as the joke is funny. It is in poor
taste to joke about national tragedies
right away [but] if we could, it would be
a great healing tool. But I completely
understand why people can't.
The worst thing an audience member
said to you after a show?
When someone took one of my jokes the
wrong way and wanted me to apologize
to them. I said I was sorry they took it
that way but I couldn't apologize for
the joke.
What was the best?
The best was when a 19-year-old girl said
my set changed her life. She realized she
Ha! I think I am a bit of a tomboy but
no one agrees with me. I would say my
stage persona is an exaggeration of me.
If you had to keep a day job, what would
it be?
A therapist.
You live on the West Coast, your partner
of 12 years lives on the East Coast. What's
the best and worst thing about a long
distance relationship?
The worst thing about long distance is
if one of us is sick, who is going to make
the soup? The best is absence makes the
heart grow fonder.
How much do you travel for comedy?
I travel at least once a month for work.
I am absolutely blessed to travel the
world and get paid for doing something
I love.
What is the one thing you always pack
with you when you travel?
My sleep eyepatch. I have 20 of them.
And headphones.
either one.
I am lost without
Planes, trains or automobiles?
Trains. They are just more romantic.
I was just in the U.K. traveling from
London to Wales and reading, and looking at the countryside was so relaxing.
What might you say to a TSA attendant
during a pat down?
Ha! I have been patted down a few
times. I tell them I left the Chapstick in
my pocket on purpose.
What's the one place you haven't been
that you'd like to perform?
Australia. Everyone I meet from Australia has been smart, nice and has a
great sense of humor. Plus we speak
the same language. I have performed
in places where they had to have interpreters. That's really fun too.
(jackiemonahan.com) •
~>
"I'm such a nerd, and I'm proud of it;'
says Urvashi Vaid, laughing. The title
of her new book, Irresistible Revolution:
/i
Confronting Race, Class and theAssumptions
of LGBT Politics, sounds a little nerdy. And
if "nerd" can be defined as "intellectual
political activist and theorist;' then nerd she
is. Move past the intense title of Irresistible
Revolution and into the table of contents,
however, and you'll see that her nerdiness
is synonymous with passion: a passion for
justice, equality, inclusion, change.
"It's a very optimistic and practical book;' she says.
What Vaid wants does seem practical enough: for LGBT
people to have a place at the table. A political animal, she
has spent her life working to get women and queers into seats
of power. But she also wants more-hence that subtitle. As
Vaid sees it, the LGBT movement is at a crossroads. Her biggest fear is that LGBT activists will see the recent gains in
the fight for marriage equality as a reason to slack off and
lose ground, the way the feminist movement did after Roe
v. Wade became law. "One of the worries that underlies my
book is a movement that demobilizes because it wins marriage equality;' she asserts. "I get energized by the wins, but
I also get energized by the losses."
Born in New Delhi, Vaid came to the U.S. at age 8. By
the time she was 11, she was involved in anti-Vietnam War
politics. As a student at Vassar College, her politics became
infused with feminism, and as a law student at Northeastern
University, she founded the Boston Lesbian/Gay Political
Alliance in 1983. Six years later, at the age of 31, she was
hired as the executive director of the National Lesbian and
Gay Task Force, then the most powerful queer political action
group in the country.
Fast-forward to 2013 and Vaid is still on the same mission:
to mainstream queers into political power. But she is also on
a new mission: to make sure we broaden our movement-be
more inclusive with regard to race, class and gender.
If it sounds heady, it is. But Vaid is a big-picture woman:
focused, dynamic and incredibly driven. When she talks
about creating change, the passion comes through in her
voice. She really wants people to get it. And while she knows
changing the world takes time, you can hear the urgency in
her tone. She doesn't want moments like the post-2012 election season to pass without maximizing our political gains,
but she doesn't want LGBT people to relax either, hearing
only "a triumphalist message, because the job isn't done,
the win hasn't been achieved."
Vaid explains that the gains made in the 2012 electionsmarriage equality voted in for the first time in history, the
first lesbian elected to the Senate, and a host of other local
LGBT wins-were the result of "coalition politics:' It's one
of the messages she touts in her new book, a message she has
been promoting for years in speeches around the country.
She gives as an example the passage of the marriage
equality referendum in Maryland. "We won in Maryland
because we forged a coalition-black churches, the NAACP,
the governor, who was on our side. Allies are the big lesson
of this election:'
Allies are what Vaid wants us to cultivate. As the
Republican Party discovered in the 2012 election, voter
demographics have shifted. But Vaid knows we can't just
presume that other minorities will be on our side.
"This 2012 election was won by a coalition of people,"
Vaid asserts. "Years ago, when we used to talk about this
coalition of our people, we were in a very different place."
MARCH
2013
CURVE
45
She goes on to explain that the 2012 election season was
harsh, with the Right doing everything possible to attack
the very coalition she's talking about-not just queers,
but poor people, people of color, immigrants and, of
course, women.
"We have been on the receiving end of a really vicious
movement against us. This election had its roots in what
Jesse Jackson was doing in 1984-that rainbow coalition."
When Vaid talks about building coalitions, forging
alliances and making the changes
that will impact each person in the
LGBT community, she's talking
about her own history as much as
she is the future of LGBT politics.
"What can I say? I write in the
book about how many times I have
been the only woman of color in the
room-or even the only woman;'
she says, a hint of pain in her voice.
"I wanted to make explicit [in
the book] the limits of the LGBT
movement and the assumptions that
we operate the movement underthat everyone is white, everyone is
middle class."
That's not a perception LGBT
people can work with anymore, Vaid
says. We need a more "values-based"
perspective, she says; as a community, we need to recognize that some
of us are poor, are immigrants (not
necessarily documented), are on
Social Security, SSI, disability, even
welfare-and so, issues related to
the fiscal cliff and entitlements cuts
impact us all. Because our movement really does encompass
everyone-people
of every race, ethnicity, gender, age,
ability.
Vaid has always been invested in politics as a means of
achieving equity. Now she's started her own lesbian political
action committee, the Lesbian Super PAC (teamlpac.com).
"I conceived and launched a lesbian super PAC to achieve
the balance I'm talking about," she says. "It's a values-based
PAC that is pro-social justice. In just six months we were
able to raise $750,000." Vaid adds that she wants to "use
technology to encourage lesbians and people of color"
to engage in the political process and adds that LPAC is
dedicated to "supporting progressive candidates at every
level;' with coalition building in mind. Vaid also wants to
shake things up.
"Lesbians are much more mobilized around lifestyle
things-social
experiences like the Dinah Shore, or the
Final Four, or cruises, or parties. I love those things. I'm
a big sports nut. But the primary gatherings of lesbians
46
CURVE
MARCH
2013
have become lifestyle things and not political gatherings.
Why can't we have both? Someone has to make demands on
our politicians. We need to be campaigning for pay equity,
addressing the high levels of cancer among lesbians, queer
kids going to school without debt- there are so many issues.
If I could get just 10 percent of these women ..."
Vaid underscores a point she makes in her book-that
"feminism has to be reintegrated into the LGBT movement."
Not just for lesbians, but for everyone. She also notes,
"Lesbians have lots of oomph to put
in there in the women's movement,
but we aren't really asserting
ourselves.''
Vaid is well aware of the reality
that "we are still a volunteer-reliant
movement"-and
she knows that
she has to reach a new generation
oflesbians. She also recognizes that
"we're a young movement-I see how
far we've come." But her focus is now
on where we have yet to go, which is
why she's promoting the book as well
as LPAC.
"The visibility of the queer
movement makes more and more
queers want to get involved;' she
explains. "It sounds so basic, but the
way we are able to be a vigorous queer
movement is by being visible.''
Vaid may live and breathe politics,
but her 25-year relationship with
lesbian comic and social satirist
Kate Clinton also sustains her.
Vaid's fiery voice takes on a wholly
different pitch when she talks about
Clinton-it softens. She's no longer a woman fighting on
the front lines, but a woman in love.
"I'm still crazy about her;' she says simply. "She's really
wonderful. She's really different from me. She can't stand
process. She's such a smart observer of manners and trends
and politics. I actually enjoy how she sees the world. I'm
quite literal and lawyerly about how I see the world. That
kind of engagement keeps us happy. I'm happy.''
The long-term relationship grounds both of them, says
Vaid.
"We communicate. We support each other. I feel so
much support from Kate about the political work I do. I
guess I think that all relationships are so complex. We try to
simplify them, but they are work. As Kate says, 'We've been
together 25 years, but some afternoons are 25 years long.' "
What Vaid says about her relationship with Clinton
applies equally to her relationship with the LGBT civil rights
movement she's devoting her life to. "Commitment is at the
root of it," she asserts. "It's just all about commitment." •
LEISHA HAILEY AND CAMILA GREY CUT TO THE QUICK
WITH THEIR NEW EP, A TRIP TO THE DINAH AND THE TRUTH ABOUT
THAT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT.
BY MELANY JOY BECK
MARCH
2013
CURVE
47
CAMILA GREY adjusts the volume on her phone
and clears her throat. "Our coffee maker just exploded,"
she says. "It went horribly awry and was leaking everywhere. Leisha's cleaning it up."
Since they charged onto the scene in 2007 on the
heels of bassist Leisha Hailey's role as Alice Pieszecki
on Showtime's The L Word, Uh Huh Her have done
more than their share of cleaning up messes. From
a breakup with their label, to Grey's shoulder surgery
in August, the duo has continued to release moody,
emotive electro-pop to a largely receptive audience.
But despite the new EP, a headlining gig at this year's
Dinah Shore in Palm Springs, and legions of devoted fans
singing their praises on message boards around the world,
one specific incident continues to haunt the band and it
doesn't seem to be going away. "It was the worst week of my
life;' says Hailey of her and Grey's September 2011 forcible
removal from a Southwest Airlines flight for an alleged kiss
they shared.
"We weren't kissing;' says Grey. "That was the whole
point. I'm super shy to begin with. She gave me a little peck
on the cheek. It wasn't even on the lips. I'm a fiery Latina. I'm
the one that got angry, not Leish. In fact, she was the calm
one in that scenario. I'm kind of bummed. I actually would
have loved to shove my tongue down her throat and have that
be warranted:'
"Cam got very upset;' agrees Hailey. "I got upset as well
but I'm more level-headed, so I tried to talk calmly with the
people who were bringing us off the plane:'
The incident came on the eve of a U.S. tour that should
have galvanized the artists as a formidable syn th- rock outfit
with a tight live set, interesting and unique dual vocals and
well-muscled production by the very competent Grey.
Instead the pair were treated to a public lesson in
homophobia.
"The stewardess came up and said 'This is a family
airline!' It was so upsetting on so many levels. It was the first
time that I had ever been discriminated against;' says Grey.
Hailey immediately fired back on social media site,
Twitter. "You were very new and you didn't understand the
48
CURVE
MARCH
2013
power of the Tweet, I don't think;' Grey says to
Hailey. "I was like, 'Go out there and vent; and
so she did:'
Multiple media outlets picked up the story,
running full-page photographs of Hailey with
little to no mention of the band.
"The news referred to her as 'the actress
Leisha Hailey; I didn't really take any of the
heat like she did;' admits Grey. "We woke up
the next morning and on The Talk, they were
talking about it. This giant picture of her face
was on the TV.Who knew the power of Twitter,
right?"
"In my eyes it has been the most disgusting
thing that's ever happened;' says Hailey.
"All these different stories came out;' remembers Grey. "And the stories are wrong.
Nobody could get it right. We chose not to do
any press about it. We were releasing [the new
full-length record] Nocturnes and didn't want
it to look like we were doing some kind of publicity stunt, not that people would think that
we'd do that because we're not that savvy;' she
laughs.
"We just didn't want to bring any more negative attention to it;' Grey says, "It's still really
hard to talk about:'
The Southwest Airlines story and subsequent media coverage also fueled speculation as to the nature of Grey and
Hailey's relationship and whether the two were romantically
linked. "Yes, we're together;' says Grey. "I think it's common
knowledge at this point. I mean, for our friends and our families and everything, maybe not the general public:'
The intimacy lends itself well to the new EP, which is
titled EP3. The new record features stripped down versions
of some fan-selected Uh Huh Her album tracks. "We remixed
ourselves and pared everything down;' says Grey. "We took a
poll and asked the fans which songs they wanted to hear and
we started making a record:'
"We tracked it all live in the studio and just did some
overdubs later;' says Hailey on the recording process. "It has
a very live feel to it."
After spending three months setting up their own studio,
which they call "the real deal;' Uh Huh Her has produced
more than just a rehash of their old hits. The songs have taken
on an authenticity of which the overproduction of previous
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efforts had stripped them.
by doing something different:'
"WE'RE USED TO
"Common Reaction was a lot of overdubs
Hailey and Grey will be challenging
DOING THINGS A
and perfect, perfect, perfect," says Grey.
themselves to the ultimate party April 3-7,
CERTAIN WAY AND
"We wanted to take everything in its raw2013 as Uh Huh Her headlines this year's
est form:'
Club Skirts' Dinah Shore Weekend in
WE WANTED TO
Hailey goes a step further. "I begged Cam
CHANGE IT UP,"SAYS Palm Springs.
"We're really excited;' says Grey.
to do a live take on the piano;' she says. ''I'm
GREY."WE WANTED
"We have this tradition of going up on
lucky enough to hear it a lot, but no one else
TO CHALLENGE
the roof;' says Hailey. "We've done it twice.
has heard her do that:'
We people watch. We just get up there and
Though not originally written or recorded
OURSELVESBY
as such, on EP3 all of Uh Huh Her's preDOING SOMETHING we literally watch people for a couple of
hours. It is really entertaining. Mostly
vious hits have become love songs, a feat
DIFFERENT."
around the pool."
not easily accomplished and inspired no
doubt by Grey and Hailey's evolving relaIf all goes well, the messes will be kept
tionship, which is all the more thrilling
to a minimum.
for the listener. "Not a Love Song" and "I See Red;' in particu"We're supposed to be coming back to L.A. the next day.
lar, devastate in their reimagined form.
I have to start work on another project;' says Grey who is
"We're used to doing things a certain way and we wanted
preparing to hit the studio again for their third full-length
to change itup;' says Grey. "We wanted to challenge ourselves album. (uhhuhher.com) •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
49
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
Snorkeler'sdelight (left);
Hello,aloe! The secret to
skin care.
I,
Thispiece
of
Northern
Europe
intheSouthern
Caribbean
will
curewhatailsyou.
ByMerryn
Johns
Wbien I visited ura9ao in 2006 I had never heard of it
otliieiithan as the name of the blue liqueur that colored the
cocktails of m parents' generation. But this Caribbean
•sland •n the etherlands Antilles turned out to be a rustic
paradise, framed by waters as impossibly blue as that
namesake liqi eur. Back then, Cura9ao was beginning to
canny
promote itself as an LGBT-friendly destination-a
marketing move, given that other islands in the Caribbean
have a ske chy reputation when it comes to rolling out the
rainbow carpet. Today, Cura9ao has evolved into a culturally
diverse and sophisticated destination with a vibrant gay
scene. Once merely a low-key and comfortable place where
Dutch holiday-makers could speak their own language, the
island has a bright future, with new resort developments
and a dining and nightlife scene that's becoming as big a
draw as the endless sunshine and crystal-clear waters.
CHECKING IN
My host hotel this visit was the Floris Suite Hotel, with its
breezy South Beach-inspired decor and gay-friendly staff
(florissuitehotel.com). The property was the hub of the 8th
Annual Get Wet Weekend, Cura9ao's Pride, which has been
pioneered by a delightful and dedicated local lesbian, Janice
Tjon (see sidebar).
Cura9ao has come out of the Caribbean closet-if, indeed, it was ever in. The tolerant and progressive Dutch
people have given the island a spirit completely different
50
CURVE
MARCH
2013
from the Caribbean isles that were colonized by the French
and the British. Along with diversity, choice is on the
menu. The construction of new amenity-rich hotels has
attracted a more sophisticated traveler.
The Hyatt Regency Cura9ao Golf Resort, Spa & Marina
(curacao.hyatt.com) offers enough attractions to keep you
on the property day and night, and is certainly one of the
best places to dine on the island. SHOR, its upscale and
romantic American seafood grill, features sustainable,
locally caught fish and postcard views over its vast, worldclass golf course to the ocean.
The Avila Hotel (avilahotel.com) is stylish and sprawling,
touts its gay-friendliness on its website (TAG approved,
member of the IGLTA), gives its staff diversity training,
and invites gay and lesbian couples to hold their commitment ceremonies on the property. Its beachfront setting
makes it a natural choice for romantics, and if you're a jazz
fan, dinner at Blues, on the hotel's pier, is a breezy way to
watch the sun set and dine on grilled steak and seafood.
There are also old favorites, such as the historic Hotel 't
Klooster (hotelklooster.com) (think "cloister"), which was
originally a monastery and retains its Dutch-colonial charm.
The Sandton Kura Hulanda Hotel & Resort (kurahulanda.
com) is a great choice if you want to stay in central Willemstad-and if you don't, a visit to its Museum Kura Hulanda,
which has the largest African collection in the Caribbean,
offers a moving and masterful history lesson.
LOCAL LESBIAN
Janice Tjon Sien Kie, 34, has
been a resident of Cura9ao
for eight years. Educated in
After the Cayman Islands
refused to allow a gay cruise
Amsterdam (where she also
came out), she works in con-
to come ashore, the captain
sultancy and is developing the
island's lesbian scene into a
sailed to Cura9ao and we
welcomed the passengers with
a grand happy hour and music
lively and social community.
at the historic Riffort Village.
What keeps you on the island?
It was wonderful that in 2009
the cruise returned and we
The weather! Always sunny
and it hardly ever rains. I also
find Cura9ao very diverse. It is
sophisticated, romantic, and
authentic. Its perfect location,
in the southern Caribbean off
the north coast of Venezuela,
allows me to visit my family in
GOING GREEN
Though Curac;ao is an arid island, plant life is important to
its lifestyle and culture. Den Paradera, a rambling botanical
garden filled with herbs that have healing properties, is a
tribute to the original inhabitants of the island, the Paraguiri. A professional herbalist, Dinah Veeris, established the
garden to preserve her local culture and received an award
from the Dutch royal family for her dedication. A guided
tour with Veeris will delight those who are not big fans of
Big Pharma, as will a visit to Aloe Vera Plantation Curac;ao
(aloecuracao.com).
BEACH BABES
The calm waters on the western shore of the island provided
me with some of the best swimming and snorkeling I've
ever experienced. Playa Kenepa is popular with locals and
visitors alike, but there are many lovely beaches on Curac;ao,
some with facilities and others that are undeveloped and
rustic. For an upmarket beach experience with a cosmopolitan choice of bars, restaurants, shopping, water sports and
your pick of palm treeh, head to the Livingstone Jan Thiel
Resort on Jan Thiel Beach. For a wildcard water adventure,
take a motorboat ride with the irrepressible Captain Goodlife, a local character based at Playa Santa Cruz. His tour of
the rocky shores, secluded beaches, hidden caves-even his
father's shipwreck, visible through the turquoise waterscomes with his unique philosophy and wisdom, which basically demonstrates that a life lived on Curac;ao is a good life
indeed. "It doesn't matter who you love;' he shouted over
the boat engine, "man, woman-as long as you love!"
Yes, Curac;aorolls out the rainbow carpet, and it's as vibrant
as the iconic, multicolored facades of the buildings that line
the port of Willemstad, and as warm and genuine as ban bini,
"welcome" in the native Papiamento. (gaycuracao.com) •
organized a Cura9ao Over the
Rainbow party at an old mansion which concluded with a
fireworks show. Since then, we
are on the radar of gay cruise
companies and tour operators,
and welcome frequent visits.
Suriname, which is a two-hour
We are very pleased that Olivia
flight. Like Suriname, Cura9ao
is part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, so I can also
Cruises is adding Cura9ao to its
itinerary this year!
Absolute must-dos for
speak my native language.
Is there really much going on?
lesbians?
Cura9ao sets the stage for
impressive musical events,
Kalki are excellent spots to
work on your tan, snorkel or
such as the Cura9ao North
Sea Jazz Festival in September
scuba dive. One of the most
Portomarie Beach and Playa
(Labor Day Weekend),
attracting performers such as
beautiful resorts is the Santa
Barabara Golf & Beach Resort,
with an 18-hole champion-
Alicia Keys. The dance music
scene is also attracting rising-
ship golf course. For dining I
would recommend Kome, Zest,
star DJs.
How have you developed the
Sol Food or Mundo Bizarro, a
Cuban-style restaurant with
local lesbian scene?
live music on Fridays. Cura9ao
has unique experiences, such
A couple of years ago, I cofounded the Cura9ao GayPlasa
Foundation, which contributes to the acceptance and
emancipation of the LGBT
as a submarine excursion.
You could climb Christoffel
Mountain, camp on secluded
community on the island. It
organizes "straight-friendly"
Little Cura9ao island, visit the
Hato Caves, which were formed
millions of years ago, swim with
events for locals and visitors.
Previously, the social activities
dolphins or take an ATV tour.
What time of the year is best
were pretty much underground
for visiting lesbians?
and focused on men. I focused
on attracting more women, and
we now advertise in main-
All year round, because the
stream media. Last fall, we
to 82 degrees, and Cura9ao is
safely in the outer fringes of
hosted the 8th Annual Get Wet
Weekend, with activities, gatherings, and parties at different
locations. Since 2008, we have
monthly themed parties called
Madame Jeanette [named after
the spicy Surinamese pepper].
seasons don't change, temperatures are a constant 78
the hurricane belt, making us
hurricane free for the last 164
years. Travelers can find the
best deals if they come in May,
June, August, September
and October.
MARCH
2013
CURVE
51
umm; has it you can get around Aruba on a scooter in four
hours. But I don't see what the rush is. Everyone there is on
"island ti e;' and whether I felt like being lazy or active or
omewhere ~n between, I was always able to find something
l1todo that suit· d my frame of mind.
I stayed at the Aruba Marriott, which has only one
drawback-there's
basically no reason to leave. After its
recent, extravagant renovation, there's hardly anything to
suggest that it was ever part of a chain.
There was no way I was budging from the swim-up bar of
the adults-only pool my first day on island, but bright and
early on day two I hunkered down in an oversize De Palm
Tours Jeep to check out the terrain on the windward side of
the island, which I'd been told was different from the side
on which I was staying. It was incredible just how different it turned out to be. It was a full-on desert scene as we
off-roaded through Arikok National Park and up to a high
vantage point where we could jump out and climb down to
snorkel in Aruba's Natural Pool. Be warned, though; it is a
bumpy ride. A heavy breakfast beforehand and a
sloshy take-away coffee are not recommended.
The final stop on the tour was Alto Vista Chapel. It's a tiny little place, but worth the visit, if
only for the hidden labyrinth behind it. There's
something strangely mystical about the winding,
rock-lined paths. After walking it, I felt markedly
centered and focused, as if I had just taken a yoga class.
Speaking of yoga, the very next morning I decided to take
a SUP (stand-up paddleboard) yoga class. Just a few steps
from the hotel is a place where you can rent SUP and windsurfing gear, as well as sign up for classes. I'm not going to
lie. I'm not too shabby at SUPing. But I was no good at SUP
yoga. Still, I had a blast doing it, and the teacher, Rachel
Brathen, was incredible. It's worth the price of admission
just to watch her. Plus, I cannot think of anything more
relaxing than a floating savasana, on a paddleboard in
brilliant-blue Caribbean waters.
After class, I spent some more time paddling in the
super-calm waters, ideal for beginners but also a nice long
stretch for paddling pros. In fact, the very next morning
I went back for more, before my beach tennis lesson. You
heard me right: beach tennis.
It's a big deal on the island and it's picking up speed all
around the world. The cross between tennis and volleyball
takes some getting used to. But all that dashing around in
the sand made my backside feel like I'd been doing lunges
or tackling the stair-climber all morning.
That night, I took the requisite sunset catamaran sail.
The views really are spectacular, and there was something
so relaxing about cruising across the water while the rum
punch and the Green Iguanas were flowing. Watch out,
though: Red Tail Sports mixes up some mean ones, and the
latter in particular will definitely catch up with you-fast.
One thing that really surprised me about Aruba was how
impressive the dining scene is. Fresh seafood abounds, of
AWAY
Romance
and
relaxation
onAruba.
ByJenny
Block
Beachfront at Simply
Fish (from top); Stand-up
paddleboarding; a natural swim
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
Another stellar dining destination on Aruba is Pincho's.
I'd fly there just to eat at this place. Atop the sea, it's little
more than a round dock with a wooden roof. No kitchen, no
stock room, and no bevy of staff.
The center of the restaurant is a bar that also serves as
a kitchen of sorts. All the extensive prep work for the day
is done each morning at the home of the owner, Anabela
Peterson de Sousa. Everything is then cooked on the small
grill at the restaurant and served up with an inventive array
of sauces. The place is perfect for lingering,
especially when the moon is high and the
water glistens under its beams.
Yes, it really is that romantic. Which
reminds me that Aruba itself, let alone
the Marriott, is perfect for destination
weddings and commitment ceremonies.
And the Marriott is known for being more
than LGBT-friendly. They're love-friendly,
no matter the lovers.
With so many islands beckoning, it can
be hard to choose or to differentiate. But there is something
magical about Aruba. Its siren's song has been impossible to
shake, ever since I saw its baby-blue water disappear in the
distance as I flew back into reality, all too soon.•
course. Not to be missed are giant prawns and rock lobster.
I enjoyed both at the Marriott's Simply Fish-which is not
your typical hotel restaurant at all. The tables are on the
sand, inches from the ocean. The food is fresh and delicious.
But even if they served sandwiches and chips I'd go just for
the setting.
For breakfast one morning, I indulged in a visit to Linda's, and Dutch pancakes the likes of which I've never seen.
They're the size of a pizza, and I don't mean personal size.
The one zillion different topping combos, limited only by your imagination,
range from savory to sweet to alcoholic.
I also had the chance to have dinner
in bed. And I'm not talking about room
service at the hotel. I actually had dinner
in bed at a restaurant-the
Screaming
Eagle. I know, I know. I did it in Manhattan years ago, too. But I was surprised to
find such a cool "see-and-be-seen" kind
of place on Aruba. Think South Beach
meets French Fusion cuisine. The food was good. But the
ambience makes it worth the visit. The tough part was forcing
myself to get out of that bed and back into the one awaiting me
at the hotel.
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adventure
without
arainbow
welcome
mat.
ByAmy
Deneson
Ever since I caught wind of Corsica, hearing stories of mountains dipping into the Mediterranean, wild forest walks,
crisp white wines and unruly natives, I've wanted to experi€IlG€ th€ French island for myself. Admittedly, I hesitated
when my initial research revealed exactly zero LGBT hospitality. No lesbian nightlife. No rainbow neighborhoods.
No gay-friendly hotels. No community websites to welcome
us with the queer Corsican greeting "Bonghjornu;' which
speaks to their history of colonization-by the Italians in
the 18th century and, according to some nationalists, by the
French to this day. But last Bastille Day, my partner, Melinda,
and I decided to go, anyway.
This was France, after all, not Abu Dhabi. The French
have been comfortable with women-and women loving
other women-for ages. Melinda and I had stamps in our
passports from countries with far less joie de vivre. We
loved to travel and did so frequently enough to justify joining the Global Entry program, to bypass long customs' lines
(globalentry.gov). Yet, in the uncertain egalitarian territory
between when a country stops supporting public declarations
of homophobia but has yet to establish LGBT hospitality, I
often found myself trying to interpret the silence as social
tolerance.
What did they think of us? Did they secretly hate us,
love us, or care ifwe were there-holding hands-at all? In
54
CURVE
MARCH 2013
Corsica, the islanders' rabble-rousing reputation preceded
them, but I was less nervous about outright abuse or
discrimination than I was about being able to let down my
guard and relax on vacation.
Sure, there were other options for a Sapphic Mediterranean getaway. We could have participated in an all-lesbian
luxury cruise around Croatia, Italy and Greece, or journeyed
to Lesbos. Melinda and I could've felt free to let down our
hair-my femme ponytail and her butch curls-with the rest
of our kind, breathing easy in the salty sea breezes. While
I'm grateful for lesbian travel, in my mind, ifwe only limited
ourselves to traveling in circles that strictly catered to us,
then it would feel like globe-trotting the world only to find
the nearest Starbucks for a Grande Americano. The fix was
nice, but one of the reasons I travel is to experience difference. And I had my heart set on Corsica.
Melinda and I flew Delta Air Lines into Nice and transferred to Air Corsica for the quick flight to the northern port
town ofBastia. Then we rented a car from Hertz. Driving was
necessary to reach the hilltop towns, pottery studios, and
vineyards we'd planned to explore, but-call it my Midwestern upbringing-I was also comforted by having a car-to be
able to hop in, lock the doors and drive, if need be. Yet, from
the first deep breath of the wild maquis shrubbery that blankets the island's sun-scorched mountain terrain, we never
wanted to roll up our windows. The herbal fragrance, comparable to warm maple syrup swirled with honey, was too
delicious to miss.
Our hotel, La Dimora (ladimora.fr), was tucked in the
craggy northeast hills, alive with wild fennel, lavender and
rosemary. Melinda's theory on selecting hotels was the
smaller, the better. Even so, as we approached La Dimora's
front desk, I prepared myself to have the bed conversation.
Melinda was always conscientious about including both our
names, with the courtesy title "Ms.;' when reserving a room
with one bed. On the chance that something would get lost
in translation, I'd taken a conversational French class at my
neighborhood travel bookstore, Idlewild Books (idlewildbooks.com). Corsicans cherish over 200 of their own words
and phrases, but French was the official language. I practiced greetings, menu vocabulary and shopping inquiries,
along with the perfect pronunciation of "We prefer one
bed, thank you:' Wonderfully, there was no need, and we
were escorted to our room.
Later, while relaxing beside the pool and enjoying the
local brocciu ewe's cheese, figs, and a rose from the nearby
Patrimonio region, with the AOC (appellation d'origine
controlee) stamp of approval, I noticed two Italian guyswho could be friends/brothers/lovers-doing
the same.
Melinda dove into the deep end. I followed. And perhaps it
was the wine or the cool water on a bright go-degree day, but
I forgot myself and kissed her right there in the pool, in our
bikinis. Immediately self-conscious, I looked around, casing
the deck to see if we were unsafe. The Italians smiled at us
and proceeded to freely show affection for each other. That
meant that out of four couples around the pool, two were
gay, and we weren't in the minority, as I was so accustomed
to being. If I hadn't relaxed when we were given one bed,
and offered the couple's massage, or when I discovered that
they had covertly exchanged the "male" slippers for another
"female" pair, then I had to relax now.
The next morning, on our way to breakfast in the lively
harbor town of St-Florent and a drive across the green
wildflower desert, Desert des Agriates, we asked the lovely
lady at the front desk to help us make a reservation at her
favorite local restaurant.
"For romance?" she asked, and we nodded. With a
twinkle in her eyes she said, "I have just the place, up the hill
in Oletta:'
At 8 p.m., we arrived dressed for dinner and were greeted
warmly, and seated on the balcony with a spectacular view of
the sun sinking over the tops of tiled roofs. I relaxed when
the owner lit the candle on our table, and now it looked like
all the others. We asked for his recommendations, and he
responded with obvious pride that we must try the chestnut
bignes. I was as equally delighted with the steak au poivre and
the regional red he brought right in time for the sunset.
Bright and early, we unfolded our Michelin map and set
out on the scenic route to Corte, The Pare Naturel Regional
de la Corse protected nearly two-thirds of the island's cen-
tral forests and mountains. The "two-lane" road narrowed
unexpectedly and wound around villages, vistas, mouflons
and rockslides, but the sky-scraping pine trees, the purple
thistles that grew against serpentine limestone, and the
ancient arched Genoese bridges were worth the whiteknuckle driving.
Approaching Corte, the center of the islanders' continued heart cry for independence. Black spray paint slashed
through the French names on bilingual road signs, leaving
only the Corsican. Indipendenza! graffiti dripped down
ramparts. From every shuttered window, tourist trap, and
car antennae, Corsican flags waved. From 1755 to 1769,
the Citadelle was in the independent capital, and the bastions encircling the fortress and its eagle's nest lookout still
seemed to simmer with fevered determination to return to
an independent state.
As Melinda and I checked into our hotel on the outskirts
of town, I was glad we'd selected the Hotel Dominique
Colonna (dominique-colonna.com) for its quiet proximity
to nature. In the valley of the Gorges de la Restonica, the
three-star family-run hotel was surrounded by thick forests
and mountain streams perfect to rock-hop along in until we
found a secluded swimming pool.
MARCH
2013
CURVE
55
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
A week into our trip, we headed to
Needless to say, the only thing I
the southern city of Bonifacio on Bastille
had to do at Murtoli was relax. Especially after we walked hand-in-hand
Day. We meandered down the central
country roads until we merged onto the
along the domain's 5-mile, pristine,
private-as-it-gets piece of the Medimain coastal highway. The village of
Bonifacio appeared to rise directly from
terranean, and the maitre d'h6tel
offered to take our photo, saying "It's
jagged white limestone cliffs. We wandered around the medieval city center
always such a shame to get home
and climbed the 187 hand-carved steps
and find there's someone missing
of the Escalier du Roi d'Aragon stairway
in the photos."
"I think she's family;' Melinda
to the sea. While gazing off at Sardinia
Murtoli
wasso
whispered
with a knowing nod.
in the distance and enjoying the best
private,
withsuch
chocolate gelato of the trip, we struck
Over the week, we tore ourselves
back-to-the-earth
up a casual conversation with an older
away from the domain only once,
sensuality,
thatit
Dutch couple. We thanked them for speaking Engto
visit Sartene, where, at La Cave
redefined
mynotion
lish, and he thanked us for help in the war (WWII).
at
Place Porta, we stocked up on
ofanexclusive
beach
We compared trips and gushed over the Corsican
charcuterie,
cheese, olive oil, jam
vacation
to mean
way oflife, as travelers did, and then they asked how
and honey to first devour and then
zerotanlines.
we met.
to take home as souvenirs. Along the
"Traveling!" Melinda and I responded in unison.
roadside, we stopped at Vitalba Huiles
And we further relaxed into conversation with a couple
(vitalba.fr), where healing essential oils are
who clearly saw us as any other couple. At a time when the distilled from locally grown flowers and plants, including
U.S. was divided over marriage equality, the Netherlands
maquis, which works wonders on sore muscles.
had been celebrating marriage equality since before Melinda
On our last night in Corsica, Melinda and I went to
and I got together.
Murtoli's Restaurant de la Plage, built inside an olive grove
Heading back to the Hotel Santa Teresa (hotel-santateoverlooking the beach. I found myself wishing we had more
resa.com), Melinda and I looked for announcements about time to tour the island's largest city, Ajaccio, full of historical
the upcoming festivities, but found none. We had packed
commemoration for their native son Napoleon, or hike part
our red, white, and blue in anticipation of joining the Bas- of the northeastern Grande Randonnee 20, an undulating
tille Day celebration. Back on the continent, the French
124-mile mountain path, or frolic along with Calvi's celebritywere undoubtedly parading and launching fireworks, but studded nightlife.
Bonafacio was silent. The Corsicans weren't celebrating
The same woman who had offered to take our photo
independence; many were yearning for it. So out on our brought an amuse bouche of sea urchin, caught mere seconds
room's balcony, overlooking the dark, silent sea, Melinda
before at the cove. We started chatting and learned that as
and I cracked open two Pietra beers and toasted our own far as she knew we were their first lesbian couple. We'd grown
independence, with gratitude.
accustomed to being the only New Yorkers, and we'd never
Embarking on the final destination of our trip, Melinda
once heard a North American accent. But I was shocked and
and I headed west to the southern coast, near the oldest
then deeply honored to be the first lesbian couple-even it if
Corsican town of Sartene. We drove through prehistoric
was still mid-season.
megalith country, crumbling into the Mediterranean's
"I hope we did OK;' I said.
"Please, you were perfectly lovely."
transparent turquoise waves.
When we planned the trip, Melinda and I saved the best
The same could be said of her and all of Corsica.
for last-a week at the finest resort in all of Corsica, Le
After a dinner of fresh fish and clam linguini, the maitre
Domaine de Murtoli (murtoli.com), where more than 6,000 d' offered us another bottle of champagne to accompany our
acres of ancestral land had been handed down generation
peach dessert. We agreed, but only if she and the remaining
after generation since the 16th century, and where for the staff shared it with us. Halfway through the bottle, she
past 20 years farmland, shepherds' pasture, and an olive opened up about how she and her girlfriend (Melinda gave
mill had slowly been transformed into the destination for me the I-told-you-so wink as our new friend continued) " ...
are planning to visit New York, sometime."
understated luxury. Our villa, one of 13, was a restored
stone sheepfold a la Provenc;al, with a chic private pool built
"Come!" I exclaimed. "We'd be glad to help in anyway
alongside a boulder and an outdoor kitchen, where we were we can."
encouraged to cook the vegetables we were invited to pick
And I was reminded that, ladies, we find one another with
daily from the garden. Murtoli was so private, with such or without a rainbow flag. We're everywhere.
back-to-the-earth sensuality, that it redefined my notion of
"To next time-in New York!" we toasted, raising our
an exclusive beach vacation to mean zero tan lines.
flutes of champagne.•
56
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Canada's
Wild
Women
Expeditions.
ByMarnie
Woodrow
•
acation in Canada tend to visit Toronto,
ver. But just as the Marais in Paris isn't
ancisco isn't the US of A, the "big three"
art of what Canada is all about. If you
the more rugged side of Canada, and
women-only experience, Wild Women
s it very easy for you. And the company
•·
d-be adventurer that "we don't get fit for
the trip, we get fit on the trip!" So there goes that excuseyou don't need to be an athlete, or super-outdoorsy, to join
one of these expeditions, although a severe case of dendrophobia (fear of trees) might not work out so well. Women
of all ages and sexual orientations can experience Mother
Nature from coast to coast on one of WWE's many trips.
The adventure travel company's les/bi following in Canada
is massive for a reason: Inclusive means inclusive with Wild
Women. No homophobes allowed-or intolerance of trans
or bi women either.
The first thing I smell upon arriving at the Wild Women
base camp in Sudbury is some kind of amazing sauce or soup
wafting toward me on a fresh northern Ontario breeze. The
first sound I hear is laughter-easy female laughter, raucous
with collective mischief. It's the final night of an Ultimate
Wild Women Weekend. After three days of canoe clinics and
sunbathing and saunas, nicknames have been bestowed and
the in-jokes flow freely. It's very much like summer camp,
but because the women who attend are typically between 35
and 55 years old, there's also a sense oflives lived, a celebration of survival and transcendence.
After dinner there's a talent show, a barn dance with
kick-ass music, a starlit skinny-dip, a sauna. It's not at all
hard to fall fast asleep in a tent, or in one of the historic
little orange cabins that dot the shoreline of the Spanish
River. In the morning, a new group of us will set out for
Temagami, a bucket-list destination for most of the nine
women in our group.
Summer camp for lesbians who
have earned their life skills
MARCH
2013
CURVE
57
Confidences shared;
taking pleasure
in nature, and
each other
WILD WOMEN: A HISTORY
In operation since 1991, Wild
Women began with the vision
of an avid Ontario outdoors-
In 2009, Mairs decided
to pursue a career in film.
national destinations. We are
also offering trips and retreats
in every season now, and build-
lesbian match-making service
ing on our roots by offering
more trips especially for les-
and sometimes new couples
result from group expeditions.
This isn't necessarily why
woman, Beth Mairs. She
wanted to create a women-
Does This Canoe Make Me
Look Fat?, her first foray into
adventure filmmaking, is an
only adventure company. Did
there really have to be a guy
hourlong documentary about
a five-day Wild Women canoe
bian and bi women, as well as
doing more thematic adven-
around for campfire building,
portaging and orienteering-
trip on the Chiniguchi River.
Eventually, Mairs sold WWE
tures, such as canoe trips for
the so-called manly aspects of
camping? She thought not. Did
to Newfoundland-based Wild
lesbians and bisexual women
have a tour company that was
queer-positive and serious
about wilderness camping,
Women alum and veteran
traveler Jennifer Haddow,
but excursions to Temagami,
Killarney, and the North Shore
Channel of Lake Huron still
depart from Mairs's cabindotted riverfront property
women and girls. I think there
is a real need to support women
to develop their skills and
confidence in the outdoors, so
WWE is offering a new series of
wilderness skills weekends,
to give hands-on training
in Canada. Couples go for their
honeymoon or anniversary,
single women head out on the
various paddling, hiking, and
retreat-based experiences,
but if you want to see what
a woman is really like in the
morning, just meet her when
she's camping. And there's
also the option of trips not
organized by sexual orienta-
in camping, paddling and
generally how to be a wilder
tion, trips that would best be
described as "mixed," because
west of Sudbury. The late-
woman in the bush. The great-
summer Ultimate Wild Women
Weekend-a base-camp fiesta
of workshops, with wood-fired
est fear of some women is not
how to ride fierce whitewater
rapids, or how to portage a
everyone is welcome. These
are perfect for lesbians who
saunas, massage options, great
meals, and lots of time for
canoe, but how to shit in the
woods! We also bring a spiri-
inclusive environment, and for
women who simply want to get
between. Known for being wellorganized, safety-conscious
swimming-is an annual
pilgrimage for many. Women
tual perspective to wilderness
traveling, and, for example, we
away into the wilderness with
and well-guided, the trips
who arrive as strangers leave
as fast friends. Shy women find
are integrating yoga into many
of our trips, to give space for
other women.
Awe-inspiring destinations
have always been part of the
themselves coming out of their
shell at the talent show, or dis-
meditation and rejuvenation on
our trips, and a deeper com-
Wild Women philosophy. The
whole point is to get out of the
background, and outdoor experience. Some repeat trippers
cover a latent gift for sensual
painting. Likewise, on canoe,
munion with nature."
Many-although not all-of
office, away from your daily
routines, and just rendezvous
became guides, spreading the
kayak and multi-sport trips,
women who may not have
the women who head out on
Wild Women Expeditions are
with Mother Nature. Hawaii and
experienced their own physical
strength outside the gym are
at some form of a crossroads
in their lives. Work stress,
surprised by their power and
signature birthdays, recent
breakups and other losses
added to the WWE roster
for 2013, as well as a range
of retreat-style getaways for
inform the decision to strike
out on a quest unlike anything
women who are not quite as
keen to haul equipment, pitch
future. "We are growing in
some exciting new directions-
ever undertaken before. Mairs
once joked that since its incep-
tents, and squat in the woods.
Yoga and arts-based retreats in
expanding our trips in Canada
and also moving into inter-
tion Wild Women has been
the number one (unofficial)
exquisite lodge or cabin
settings are equally popular.
beyond pitching tents at music
festivals? She couldn't find
any in Canada. Soon after
Mairs launched Wild Women,
the trips began to sell out.
Her success continued as the
list of destinations grew to
cover both coasts and points in
featured delicious vegetarian
cuisine and a diverse clientele in terms of age, cultural
word about just how addictive
it was. These weren't "push"
trips, where a leader barks
orders and women find themselves completely out of their
comfort zone. Instead, there
was a sense of encouragement
and camaraderie throughout
every adventure, with women
lending all their varied skills to
the tasks at hand.
58
CURVE
MARCH
2013
stamina. Jennifer Haddow is
enthusiastic about the Wild
Women legacy, as well as its
want to adventure together
with their straight pals in a truly
the Queen Charlotte Islands
in British Columbia have been
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
After breakfast, we are driven deep into the woods northeast of the camp, our canoes in a trailer behind us. We put
in and paddle in the direction of our guide canoe. In the
distance, clouds promise rain, but we are all too excited to
worry-much. Our guide, Karen, is a mellow woman with
years of experience. The water is smooth and the paddling
is pretty easy. At lunch, on a rocky island nicknamed Labia,
Karen studies the sky and suggests that we move as quickly
as we can to the portage phase of the journey. There will be
two portages, one flat expanse ofland and one much steeper,
a narrow path referred to as Billy Goat's Trail. After a demonstration of portage techniques, a number of women opt to
carry a canoe solo. The tandem method looks downright annoying, not unlike two people playing the ass end of the same
horse costume. We take the packs and paddles across first,
to familiarize ourselves with the ground, then return for the
boats. Unlike some others, I think this portage business is
strangely empowering, in a graceless sort of way. Before we
know it, we've moved gear and canoes and we're on our way to
the next portage, mere yards across the water. Unload and
repeat, this time up a much lumpier incline with a decent drop,
to avoid a sequence of small rapids to the left of the path.
Our reward is a sudden passionate downpour, which
quickly turns to rain-with-hail. It's all part of becoming a
wild woman. Later, peeling wet clothes off and changing into
a dry, warm T-shirt and dry jeans and shoes, my awareness of
simple pleasures and small victories is immense. A roaring
fire, a delicious veggie Pad Thai dinner cooked outdoorsevery biting hailstone was worth it. Besides, not every
expedition has such weather. We all feel weirdly privileged to
get through our small taste of the wild weather Temagami is
famous for. Luckily for us, the sun returns warm and bright
the next morning. The cowgirl coffee is on and a fantastic
day lies ahead.
In the shuttle back to base camp, we are a weary group.
The smiles on the faces of my trip mates say it all: "Something has changed for me. In spirit, I am 12 years old again!"
A delicious warm lunch awaits us. Those of us who've never
done such a trip before feel proud as we eat and laugh together.
Plans for future trips are batted around. There's a last swim
and sauna before we climb into our cars and head for hometowns, ferries, and airports, sad to go but fired with the
personal inspiration that WWE has been giving women for
22 years. For this born-and-bred Canadian, the Wild Women
Les/Bi Canoe Trip to Temagami awakened a powerful desire to
see more of my own country and more of my own provinceup close, where I can literally be part of it, surrounded by
fantastic women who (whether or not they share the reasons
why) have a deep need to recapture the wildness that lives in
each ofus. (wildwomenexp.com) •
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Lesbians
and
libertyina
historic
city.
ByKathy
Beige
R CHMOND HERSTORY
Richmon{!, Va., is a town steeped in history. It was here
that Patrick Henry famously pleaded, "Give me liberty or
give me death." With monuments, museums and even pub• gardens touting the city's connection to the American
Reva ution and the Civil War, many tourists visit Richmond
to celebrate our country's origins and to learn more about
its military traditions. What I didn't expect to discover in
Richmond was the LGBT history that is coming to light in
this Confederate city.
I was surprised to learn that one of the city's most celebrated figures, the philanthropist Lewis Ginter, is believed to
have been gay-he shared his life and his business with his
protege, John Pope. Ginter made his fortune in the tobacco
industry and at one point he and his partner were Richmond's wealthiest men.
Ginter's beloved niece, Grace Arents, was a lesbian, and
when Ginter died in 1897, she inherited much of his wealth.
She used her money to support women's rights and social
justice issues in Richmond, funding a public library, a
school and subsidized housing for the poor. Upon her death,
she bequeathed her home and farm to the City of Richmond,
to be used as a botanical garden named after her uncle. But
she stipulated that her companion, Mary Garland Smith,
must be allowed to live out her life in the house that the two
of them shared, before it could be turned over to the city.
Smith lived to be 100 years old, but finally, in 1968, the city
took over the property.
60
CURVE
MARCH
2013
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, with its 50 acres of
gardens, wetlands and a Japanese garden, is a Richmond
must-see. During the summer months, the garden hosts a
variety of events, including Flowers After 5, with wine tasting and live music, and the Groovin' in the Garden concert
series. Grace Arents is probably smiling in her grave when
the likes of the Indigo Girls and Brandi Carlile perform
there each summer.
Lucy Randolph Mason was another early women's rights
activist and labor organizer from Richmond, whose testimony before Congress helped pass the 40-hour workweek.
According to the local historian Beth Marschak, she was
likely a lesbian, as perhaps was the Pulitzer Prize-winning
novelist and women's rights activist Ellen Glasgow, who also
lived in Richmond.
But there's a dark side to Richmond's history and, understandably, many Richmonders have mixed feelings about
their town's past. After all, Richmond was home to the
second-largest slave market outside of New Orleans, and
served as the capital of the Confederacy. The city is filled
with monuments to Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and
other Confederate soldiers. Monument Avenue is a stunning tribute to all things Civil War in Richmond.
In 2007, just blocks from the infamous slave market,
the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue was erected
as part of a slave trail, to raise awareness about the slave
trade in this region. But in comparison with the other
Carytown (from left);
Monument Avenue;
restaurants and specialty
shops in Cary Street
imposing monuments in Richmond, the
reconciliation statue feels small and off
the beaten path.
Of course, Richmond has plenty to
offer visitors who aren't history junkies.
The city has made a concerted effort
to become more hip and vibrant, and
the efforts are paying off. Richmond is
situated on the James River, and many
of the old riverfront factories in the
Shockoe Bottom neighborhood are being
converted into condos, nightclubs and interesting shops
like LaDiff, a unique furniture
and household goods store.
The river offers plenty of
recreational activities, from
kayaking and fishing to riverfront picnicking. Richmond
is also plays host to one of the
country's largest folk music
festivals.
The part of town where
you're most likely to see samesex couples holding hands is
Carytown. Up and down West
Cary Street, you'll find pockets of locally owned restaurants, wine bars and specialty shops. I was
puzzled by the two self-serve yogurt places right next to each other, but
each offered free samples, so who was I to complain?
There are plenty of unique shops in Carytown, but my favorite was For
the Love of Chocolate. I easily lost a half hour and gained five pounds in
this delicious shop, which sells everything from organic chocolate and
homemade gourmet fudge to retro favorites from your childhood. Pop
Rocks, anyone?
Carytown is also the spot to find lesbian nightlife. Anytime I'm in a
city with an actual lesbian bar, I have to stop in. Babes of Carytown has
everything a lesbian could wish for. If you're there to catch up with old
friends, grab a booth in the front room, where it's not too loud to talk
over domestic beer and greasy bar food. In the back, some very friendly
total strangers kicked my butt in pool, while a diverse crowd packed the
large dance floor. Best of all, Babes has an amazing outdoor patio, with
volleyball and cornhole and cheap tacos on Thursday nights. What more
could a dyke want?
Richmond has a vibrant LGBT center, with everything from a book
club to bingo night and a fun thrift store attached to the building.
Programs and services include a chapter of SAGE (Services and Advocacy
for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Elders), support groups,
and family game nights
If you're looking for a bit of wildness on a Sunday, the Drag Brunch at
Godfrey's is not to be missed. Although the crowd is mostly straight women and bridal parties, if you enjoy a rousing drag show, Godfrey's is one of
the best places you can spend a Sunday morning. Be warned that reservations are required, and it's often full weeks in advance. And, perhaps like
all of Richmond, it's best enjoyed with friends. (visitrichmondva.com) •
Aninsider's
guide
forlesbian
travelers.
ByGillian
Kendall
TO STANBUL
Timiclity-I have no tolerance for it, my own or anyone
else's So I was disgusted to find, after two months in Eastern
EuroP.e, that I was nervous about arriving in Istanbul. The
problem was not that I was traveling alone, or that I knew no
one at my destination, or that I didn't speak the languageI'm used to all that.
TMleproblem was getting into the city from the airport
late alt night. Just the airport's name, Atatiirk, made me
think of Attila the Hun screaming "Attaboy!" to his hordes of
horseback-ridingmarauders. Worse, Iwasalarmedbyreports
of criminal taxi drivers in Turkey's capital-muggings
and kidnappings are not unheard of, and overcharging is a
standard practice.
The week before I flew to Istanbul I was staying in Bodrum, on Turkey's western coast. I wasted hours there, time
that I could have spent in the turquoise water or at the seductive handicrafts market, in trying to contact a website that
promised an airport pickup with any hotel reservation. But
despite heavy use of the site's "Contact Us" page, I hadn't
been able to nail down a lift.
Less than 24 hours before I would need it, I booked a
room in a centrally located hotel, Taksim Park City. My
flight to Istanbul was delayed by hours, and when we were
finally in the air, I worried about arriving after midnight in
an unknown metropolis, with only 25 Turkish lira (about
$14) and a nonfunctioning credit card to get me where I
was supposed to sleep. If I missed the last Havas shuttle bus
into the city, I'd be subject to the greedy whims of a ruthless
cabbie, who'd lock my bags in the trunk and then pretend
62
CURVE
MARCH
2013
not to be able to find my hotel, even though it was in Taksim
Square, essentially the center of the world according to the
tourism websites. Similar misadventures had happened to
so many other tourists, it seemed inevitable.
However, I did make it onto the last Hava§ bus, and then
had the whole go-minute ride to worry about how I'd get
from the bus stop in Taksim Square to my hotel. A Turkish
friend had said it was only a 10-minute walk, but she hadn't
taken into consideration that I would have a) an inflamed
knee, b) heavy and malfunctioning luggage, and c) my always
dreadful sense of direction to guide me. I asked several bus
passengers for assistance, but all of them said in perfectly
inflected English that they did not speak English, and they
were sorry.
As the bus lumbered into the outskirts oflstanbul, initially
I was unimpressed. In the dark, the blocky buildings and
blank streets could have been on the edge of Trenton or San
Jose. I was feeling shamefully timid if not downright scared
as I disembarked: Taksim Square seemed like a combination
of Times Square, Dubai Airport and the Cretan Labyrinth.
My bus-mates, alighting in the chaotic scene, wheeled
their smart, functional suitcases away in purposeful directions, or briskly hailed taxis in Turkish. I stood near the bus
stop, alone, lost and nearly immobilized due to my unwieldy
belongings. I was wearing an overstuffed daypack and toting
a horrible golf-bag affair with malfunctioning wheels. The
street was dark, and I couldn't have understood the street
signs even ifl'd been able to see their letters.
Still, streams of people were walking past me, most of
f-
WJ
Cf)
z
::::,
Cf)
z
0
I
':;;
0
WJ
z
<,:
0
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
HOW TO GO IT ALONE
them young, well dressed, and obviously at home. I asked for
help from everyone who would make eye contact, but no one
would admit to speaking English.
After failing to elicit aid or even interest from a dozen
passersby, I approached a young man and woman walking
together. The man shook his head to my pathetic request,
but the woman said, "Sorry, no, but yes! Put!" (She did not
speak English well. She meant "Stay!") She turned and ran
back in the direction she'd come, shouting someone's name.
I followed, and in between shouts she told me, in impeccable
English, "My friend speaks English. She can help." We rotted for a block or so, she skimming along in high heels, her
escort gliding nobly alongside, and me hobbling under my
pack and pausing every few yards to right my wretched bag
when it fell over.
The helpful friend was a swish-looking young woman in a
short dress and big earrings, with dangling curls and a cute
boyfriend. The two of them were disappearing up a flight of
stairs, but hearing her name the woman swung around and
almost danced back down, greeting the friends to whom
she'd just said good night.
"We wanted to stay out;' she said to me, confidingly, "but
the boys won't take us!" It was about 1 a.m. by then, and I
imagined that the foursome had already had a good evening
of clubbing, but from her tone she sounded as if she'd been
locked up in a cell for the night with nothing but bread and
water and Foxtel.
Hopefully, I showed her the address of my hotel. She
shared the information with her boyfriend, her girlfriend,
and the girlfriend's boyfriend, and they all spoke in Turkish
and pointed in the same direction. I said, "Great, thank you!"
and turned toward the intersection, but I couldn't cross. For
one thing, there was an onslaught of cars, buses and taxis,
and for another thing the first woman took my arm and told
me, again, "Put!"
As I stood still, wondering what she meant, she started
chatting as if we'd just met at a party. Meanwhile, one of the
boyfriends used his phone to ring someone. A few seconds
later, an imposing black taxi stopped in front of us, and
the driver got out and embraced the man who'd called. The
phone- man handed the driver some folded bills, and my new
friends urged me into the car. One of the boyfriends lifted
my bags into the trunk. "But what will it cost?" I asked, remembering what I'd read about the essentially evil nature oflstanbul's taxi drivers.
"No cost!" my new friend said. "My friend's husband has
taken care!" She wagged a finger toward the driver, now back
in his seat, and said, "We will call hotel in a few minutes
to make sure there is no problems. Good-bye! Welcome to
Istanbul!"
We all kissed each other on both cheeks, and the taxi
driver drove me smoothly the two blocks to the Taksim Park
City Hotel. No evil was in evidence, but I did receive a stern
internal admonition to ignore negative stereotypes in the
future-and, oh yeah, pack lighter. •
When traveling in pairs, lesbians
For example, there's the "found
should decide how out they
jewelry" rip-off: While you are
want to be based on safety
gazing at a fountain or walk-
considerations. Depending on
ing in a park, you or the local
the environment, my girlfriend
person right next to you "finds"
and I might make love in the
an expensive watch or ring. The
woods, make out on the beach,
local generously allows you to
or make out that we're just
buy it from him for a price much
good friends-we've
even been
lower than it's worth-except,
mistaken for sisters. But the solo
of course, that it's plastic,
Sapphic traveler might need to
and planted there before you
take a few extra precautions.
arrived. Other scams feature
Here are some that have worked
crowds of noisy kids flapping
for me:
cardboard signs, pulling you
Know where you're sleeping.
into games, or singing songs
Always book a room before you
right in your face-anything
arrive in a new city, even if it's
to distract you from the hand
just for one night. Already having
that's slipping into your pocket
a place to stay when I land gives
or purse. Before you get to a
me a little control over the price
new place, check online for
and location. Use PurpleRoofs.
well-known scams and rip-offs.
com for gay-friendly accommodations, or try Airbandb.
Talk gibberish. Traveling
around Europe in my teens,
com for rooms in private homes.
I picked up the mother of all
Also, Lesbian Connection (the
street wisdom: If you speak
free, print newsletter) offers
a language that no one else
"Contact Dykes" in many major
knows, you'll be left alone.
cities: These are not necessarily
The men who prey on female
women who will host you, but
tourists know about 50 words
they'll help you find somewhere
in the most common five or six
to stay if you contact them in
languages, so they'll try to bait
advance.
you with phrases that sound
Dress like the locals' grand-
familiar. But if you don't respond
mothers. Traveling alone in the
in kind, they'll fade away. Here's
Middle East, or in Muslim Africa
an example:
and Indonesia, or in the conservative Catholic parts of South
America is no time to show off
your independent, androgynous
sense of style. Err on the side of
modesty. If you just can't stand
to wear a skirt, then carry a
sarong or a large scarf to wrap
around your legs or midriff, or
to cover your head, especially if
you're entering a holy place.
Wear sunglasses. While
living in Egypt, I learnt to cover
my hair and knees, but I still
was constantly harassed on the
street until I made eye contact
impossible.
Watch out for scams. Every
year, con artists in every city
develop new ways to fool you.
Aggressive
male
wearing
tight
jeans
and
agold
watch:
"Hey,
hey,
American
girl!
Where
youfrom?"
You
(looking
innocent):
"Zowie,
superca/ifragi/istic?"
Him:
''Sind
Sievan
Deutsch/and?"
(Are
youfrom
Germany?)
You
(apologetically):
''Bananarama
llama
llama?"
Him:
"Hab/as
Espanol?"
(Do
youspeak
Spanish?)
You
(shrugging):
"Curvatures,
oopsadaisy!"
He'll
move
along
before
youcansay,
''Do-si-do.
"(Hint:
Wait
tolaugh
tillhe's
outofearshot.)
MARCH
2013
CURVE
63
Aussie
girlsknow
howtopartyand
the35thannual
Sydney
Gayand
Lesbian
Mardi
Gras
isnoexception.
ByCecBusby
community has to offer. The theme for the 2013
festival and parade is Generations of Love.
"Thirty-five years on it is time to remember
where we have been, take pride in how far we
have come, look where we are going and to get
excited about the paths that lie before us. These
are our Generations of Love;' says Sydney Gay and
Lesbian co-chair Siri Kommedahl.
Australia has many rights for gays and lesbians
but is yet to achieve marriage equality.
Of course, a theme as expansive as Generations of
Love requires a great concept. This year visual artist
Lewis Oswald came on board to help bring Mardi
Gras' vision to life. Most striking is the cover star of
the festival guide, a cute rainbow baby aptly named
Edan.
"Edan is a baby born out of our Generations of
Love: happy, healthy and alive with the possibilities
that our future journey holds;' says Oswald.
Rainbow Baby Edan is 8 months old, and his two moms
have always marched in the parade. Fiona, one of Edan's
moms, says: 'It's always a highlight of my year to march in
the parade, especially with Rainbow Babies and Kids, as a
celebration of who we are with all of our families created out
oflove. The day of the photo shoot, Edan had one of his most
calm and happy days ever, as if he knew all of this, and was
proud to be a representation of it." (mardigras.org.au) •
GENERATIONS
OF PRIDE
Trolisyear marks 35 years since a group of gay and lesbian
pnotesters took to the streets of Sydney to raise awareness for
L BT rights in Australia. While the first march was marred
bYiarrests and violence, Mardi Gras in the new millennium is
a eelebration of queer culture that is embraced by the wider
ca munity and attracts visitors from around the globe.
A few hundred thousand spectators line the parade route
al0ng Oxford Street to watch this colorful celebration of
Pride and equal numbers flock to the theaters, galleries
and cinemas to discover the latest that the LGBT creative
64
CURVE
MARCH
2013
DYKE HIGHLIGHTS FROM DOWN UNDER
Fairday
Theleafyfieldsof
Sydney's
Victoria
Park
come
tolifeasFairDay
officially
kicksoffSydney
Mardi
Gras
season.
The
much-loved
community
event
isafunpicnic
inthesunforfamily,
friends
andpampered
pooches.
Buffboys,
sexy
girlsandthecolorfully
costumed
battle
it out
forMr.andMs.Fair
Daywhilegroomed
canine
companions
struttheirstuffinthe
famed
Doggywood.
Over
70,000
people
attend
FairDayeachyear,and
there's
guaranteed
to be
something
foreveryone.
Women Say
Something
Women
SaySomething
willbetaking
over
Paddington
Town
Hall
filled
foranevening
withfood,love,laughter
andentertainment.
"Generations
ofWomen"
celebrates
those
women
whohave
come
before,
those
who
haveinfluenced,
and
whatneeds
to happen
tocontinue
whatthey
started
inourworld.
U.K.actor,musician
and
former
Curve
cover
girl
Heather
Peace
(best
known
forherroleinLip
Service
) willspeak
and
perform
attheevent.
Thelaneway
Battle on the
Bent Track
Theofficial
closing
event
Afterthebone-crunchingdishes
upafabulous
excitement
ofwatching recovery
partyinthe
therollerderby
teams
open
airacross
four
fromaround
the
fantastic
spaces
with
country
battle
it outat
pop-up
performances,
drop-ins
bytopDJsand
theHordern
Pavilion,
partyonwiththe
theseason's
superstars.
rollerderby
girlsatthe
Performers
include
X
official
after-party
at
Factor
winner
Samantha
Jade,
DJsSveta,
GiJade,
TheStandard.
Under
thecreative
direction
Kate
Monroe
andmore.
ofqueer
superstar
DJ
Sveta,
expect
araunchy, Glitter Ball
sweaty
nightofcutting Afreedance
partyfor
edge
tunes,
out-there
young
people
under
queer
performance
and 26inasafespace,
ofyouthorg,
fiercerollerdancefloor courtesy
action.
Twenty
10.There
willbe
performance
workshops
intheleaduptotheevent
withthefinalproduct
of
those
workshops
being
performed
onthenight.
Australasian
Gay and
Lesbian Open
Tennis
anyone?
Australia's
largest
gay
andlesbian
tournament
ispartoftheGLTA
World
Tourandwillcaterto
allgrades
andisopen
tomenandwomen
inDoubles,
Singles
and
Mixed
Doubles.
Dykes on Bikes
Thisyearmarks
the25th
anniversary
ofDykes
onBikes
andisalsoa
chance
forinterstate
andoverseas
riders
to
gettogether
priorto
theride.Catch
upwith
oldfriends,
make
new
ones,
swaptalltalesand
discuss
thebestwaysto
keep
yourengines
cool!
Sydney Mardi
Gras Museum
Thefunand
fabulousness,
the
costumes
and
controversy,
thetears
andtriumphs
of35
years
areonshowin
anexhibition
ofarchival
material
frompublic
and
private
collections
that
willentertain,
engage
and
leave
youproud.
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
II
"This is better than sex;' my neighbor says as he stands on
the edge of 1t e Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown. I'm next in
line to jump, and I'm sitting on the wooden floor, my legs tied
together, yet shaking. I try not to look over the edge, instead
focusing on , he spectacular mountains and the sun piercing
the river below. Something tells me that in his experience sex
takes a who]€ lot of nerve and high expectations, but is over
really very quickly.
It's my first day in Queenstown, New Zealand, the adventure capital of the world. Even the flight into Otago was an
adrenalin junkie's hit. As we descended, the downdrafts from
the Remakables, a mountain range whose high point is 7,545
feet, caused the plane to dip up and down like a rollercoaster.
Thankfully, The Lord of the Rings-style scenery saved me
from the sight of the airline attendants bouncing around in
the plane.
Queenstown is like the girl Mom warned you about:
dangerous, seductive, beautiful-and if you're not careful,
she'll have you spinning out of control. Built around the deepblue Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is famous for its adventure
activities: mountain biking,jet boating, white-water rafting,
and of course bungee jumping. You'll spot the tourists easily:
Bungee protocol requires that you have your weight branded on your hand in red marker, like you're a two-legged form
of livestock.
New Zealand is beautiful, whichever part you visit, but
Queenstown is beautifully butch. In the winter, the streets
are full of ski-toting girls in their snow gear, with tousled
hair and mountain-kissed pink faces.
While the Kiwis, as they're known, may be famous for
producing world-renowned wine and food, they are also
famous for producing one other savory piece of work: Lucy
Lawless. It is no surprise that Xena: Warrior Princess was
brought to life by a New Zealand-born actress. The irony
is not wasted on me when I meet my Kiwi host, Xelia. I
waste no time asking her if she has ever taken Lucy bungee
jumping.
"She's a little bit before my time," Xelia says, smiling.
"But as a kid I remember her on a TV travel show, before
she got big. There was one episode where she went bungee
Calling
allwarrior
princesses,
the
landofXena
offers
openness
and
adventure.
ByAlexHarmon
66
CURVE
MARCH
2013
HOWTO
GET THERE
jumping from a helicopter. She's really cool." I agree and ask
Xelia if all Kiwis have the daredevil spirit running through
their veins, just trading in their leather plates and armour
for North Face skiwear. "I guess we live on the edge of the
world, so we treat life on the edge as normal!"
The next day, we're off on a spine-tingling drive through
Wanaka and up to Cardrona Alpine Resort. Although the
Remarkables ("Remarks," as the locals say) are closer and
more accessible, it's Cardrona where the Kiwis like to ski.
The snow is better, the runs are wider, and the crowds are
kept to a minimum.
On the drive, I ask Xelia about the legend of the Cardrona
Bra Fence (I'm pretty sure she's on to me now). I'd read about
a fence on the side of the road somewhere in sheep-farming
country where it had become weirdly customary for women
to hang their bras, hundreds at a time. "Unfortunately,
the District Council removed the bras in 2006;' says Xelia.
"There were around 800 bras before they shut it down.
The Council thought it was an eyesore and a distraction
for drivers." We drive on through the completely braless
winding roads. The higher we get, the harder it is to see.
Everything is white.
Aotearoa is the Maori word for New Zealand; roughly
translated, it means "the land of the long white cloud;'
and up here in these heavenly
surroundings, the description
couldn't be more apt.
Although it's September,
the end of ski season, the snow
hasn't begun to diminish. When
we reach the slopes, I tell Xelia
that I've never seen this much
snow before. "Really?" she asks
me with a smile on her face. "I
haven't been up this season
because we haven't had a very
good snowfall." I look around in
amazement, because it's white
as far as the eye can see. Once
we're boarded up, we wait at
the chair lifts to be given the all
AirNewZealand
flies
fromL.A.to
Auckland
direct
(airnewzealand.com
clear by the snow officials. We slide
our snowboards along, making the
first tracks of the day.
I'm not a very good snowboarder, but
I spend the day with that Christmastime pop
standard "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" playing in my
head. The snow is so thick and powdery that it cushions my
falls, and the turns I maneuver make me feel like I'm surfing in soft waves. I meet Xelia at the end of the day and tell
her about the awesome powder I've been carving up. She
laughs and says, "It's so cute how you think this is powder. I
go off-piste [backcountry] skiing up here and have been in
snow so deep I've been stuck up to my waist."
Xelia and I are already playing out some sort of readbetween- the-lines Xena and Gabrielle relationship. But
this farm girl can't wait through six seasons of unrelenting
subtext, so we hit the bars of downtown Queenstown.
There's a great mix of bars in the heart of town, dotted
around the cobbled lanes. After a few apres ski drinks, you'd
almost think you're in Europe. There are backpacker bars
where you can get lost in a sea of twenty-somethings doing
an organized pub-crawl. Or you can settle into one of the
many wine bars where the fire is roaring and the ambience
is elegant.
Queenstown has the highest bar-to-person ratio in New
Zealand and that's no surprise, given that what goes up
must come down. After a day of bungee jumping, alcohol is
a necessity.
Honestly though, I was coaxed into the first jump almost
through trickery. Taken to the Kawarau Bridge, which boasts
the world's first commercial bungee jump, I was told we
were there just to participate in some people watching. After
I'd taken a few quick snaps of the brave, incredibly fearless
people throwing themselves off the 147-foot bridge, Xelia
says, "Well, now that we're here, you may as well jump."
For this sort of thing, perhaps "unprepared" is the best
possible frame of mind. Before I know it, my legs tied together with rope, I'm standing on the edge of the bridge.
Sensing my fear, the bungee masters of AJ Hackett (bungy.
co.nz) are kind and very slowly count back from three before I stretch my arms out like Jesus on the cross and fall
forward. The blood rushes to my head and I
hold my breath, frozen in position, not even
able to scream. Until-bounce-I
reach the
length of the rope's tether and realise I have
survived. It's now time to scream, and I do so
for several minutes.
The best feeling about bungee jumping is
knowing that it's over-and you've accomplished something that most people would
never even attempt. If it weren't for my benign crush on Xelia, my warrior princess, I'm
not sure I ever would have either. I wouldn't
say that it's better than sex, but it's up there
with foreplay. (newzealand.com/us/) •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
67
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
Alongtrip
definitely
paysoff
fornature
lovers.
ByMerryn
Johns
WLD N
PATAGONA
When you think Q)fPatagonia, you may envision dramatic,
ru ged vistas ancl the supernaturally blue ice fields at Los
jaciares Natio al Park. But that's south and inland. Another
Datago ia lies on the northern coast in Chubut Province,
adiating from the city of Puerto Madryn (the name, Spanish and Welslii',indicates the mixed settlement of this area).
This sick.1e-s aped port on the Golfo Nuevo is only mildly
picturesq e-but don't be disappointed, because abundant
visual treats await you in this region. I stayed at the Peninsula de Valdes Hotel, a friendly, comfy, modern base which
serves an excellent Argentinean breakfast that will tide you
over for a day of adventure (hotelpeninsula.com.ar).
The way to get here is via Buenos Aires, a city that should
already be on your travel radar, so take a couple of days to
explore-after all, you've come this far! And there are many
reasons to linger in BA: the legend of Eva Peron (visit La Recoleta cemetery), the passion of the tango (countless shows
and restaurants showcase the art), the famous Argentine
steak (everywhere, flame-grilled), the leather-centric fashion
and housewares. If you want to be looked after in the big city,
stay at the Panamericano (panamericano.us). The staff is
fluent in English and will help you navigate the business of
the trip I was on and are dedicated to bringing more LGBT
travelers to the region, promoting Patagonia's unique blend
of nature-based lifestyle and diverse culture. On my visit I
was lucky enough to be introduced to a great gay and lesbian
group and their allies, as Patagonia is cresting its own small
wave of gay liberation, in a country where marriage equality
has already passed into law. I also met friendly and dedicated
local lesbian activists who balance their day jobs with grassroots advocacy work and growing Patagonia Pride through
the organization DiverseX. Claudia Contreras Newbery and
her girlfriend Natalia are hospitable and inspirational lesbians who rally the local community to participate in advocacy
activities such as ending HIV/AIDS discrimination including changing the law around blood donation in their province, stopping the pathologizing of trans people, violence
against women and girls, and other human rights issues.
EATOUT
currency exchange, taxis, restaurants, shopping and which
tango show gives you the best bang for your buck.
MEETTHE PEOPLE
You could be forgiven for thinking that a place as remote as
Patagonia, with its windswept rural setting and vast distances, would have no queer people in it, but you'd be wrong.
A local Patagonian, Matias Emanuel Garcia, has worked with
the Buenos Aires business-consulting firm GNetwork360
(responsible for the annual LGBT conference on business
and tourism) and is the gay representative of Flamenco Tour
(flamencotour.com). Both of these organizations assisted
68
CURVE
MARCH 2013
While Argentina is known for its empanadas and steak, you
are on the coast in Puerto Madryn, so take advantage of the
incredibly robust and fresh supply of seafood. I have never
seen the likes of the whole fish, gigantic prawns, and scallops
on the half shell that I saw in Patagonia. The simple presentation and fresh flavor will make you a pescetarian as fast
as you can say "calamari" (which, by the way, is both large
and tender). Dinner at Los Colonos makes you feel like you
have been transported back to the days of settlement, so
reminiscent of a ship's interior is the decor. It is a "marisqueria," but you can always order the staple "carnes"beef and lamb. And as a side note to fussy carnivores, you
may never be asked by a waiter here how you like your
meat cooked; it just arrives the Argentine way, charred as
though over an open fire. So get your gaucho on.
All this grilled protein is a fabulous way to store energy
for a full day on the Peninsula de Valdes. The local whalewatching excursion is nothing at all like you might find in
Provincetown (estacionmaritima.com.ar). Here you are in a
very small boat, think dirigible, and garbed in the outerwear
of an mariner. Handy hint: Bring the Dramamine. But I can
assure landlubbers that this excursion does not disappoint.
I spent possibly the best hour of my life far out on the sapphire-blue open sea against the majestic backdrop of Puerto
Piramides (the chalky, angular cliffs resemble an Egyptian
landmark). Whales mating and breaching at close range, at
times passing as great, gnarled shadows beneath our tiny
boat, is the stuff of dreams, and well worth a trek to another
hemisphere.
After so much excitement (and to get your land legs back)
you will need lunch at the family-style Quimey Quipan,
where you can come down and warm up with a glass of local
Malbec (very good) and a pot of mussels or paella.
Another amazing day excursion, and one that will make
you think you're on another
planet altogether, is to the Welshsettled village of Gaiman (yes,
and the in-crowd, and it's where I passed a couple of hours in
the charming company of Claudia and Natalia over beers and
the always exceptional local wine.
Being in Patagonia also means being in dinosaur country. At the very sophisticated and atmospheric Museum
of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (mef.org.ar), I stood next
to an extinct femur that was taller than me, and on my way
from the museum I saw two artifacts that sang to my baby
dyke soul: the heritage-listed Hotel Touring Club, where legendary outlaws Butch and Sundance stayed when they were
on the lam, and some screen-printed graffiti that proclaimed
Stop Homo Lesbo Trans Fobia! and Lesbian Power, with (nice
touch) two pairs of scissors intersecting. Clearly the word of
Claudia and Natalia is spreading!
I felt more than a little butch in Patagonia, and that
transformation probably occurred on my 4x4 excursion,
where I drove a quad through mountainous sand dunes,
watched whales from afar, and a southern giant petrel the
size of a private jet soared overhead on its way to roost.
pronounced gay-man),
about So kilometers out
of Madryn. The countryside around this historic community
of 10,000 rural folks is so charming, with its pear and cherry
farms and golden-hued fields cleaved here and there by
the Chubut River, that you may thing of snapping up some
acreage. Out tour bus stopped at a Welsh-style tea house,
Casa de Te Gales Ty Te Caerdydd for the most abundant
afternoon tea I have ever sampled. Scones, cream cakes,
cookies, sandwiches, and endless pots of tea. Where are you
that you could be sipping hot tea from blue and white china
after a day of whale watching-Cornwall? No, you're at the
opposite end of the world, and that realization alone is one of
the gifts of Patagonia: Just being there makes you feel like a
seasoned world traveler.
That afternoon tea will have spoiled your dinner, but
nevertheless, because you are not likely to see protein this
fresh at home, have a relaxed meal at Margarita Resto &
Bar (margaritapub.blogspot.com) as late as you like because
Argentineans tend to linger over their evening meal; it's not
unusual to see parents out with their kids close to midnight.
This pub with home-style cooking is loved by local queer folk
SPANGLISH
A PLUS:
While
BEFOREYOU GO
many languages are spoken in Argentina,
Spanish is key, so learn a few handy phrases as once you
leave Buenos Aires, not everyone speaks fluent English.
CURRENCY
CAUTION:
There seemed to be some tourist-targeted
flimflammery going on during my visit to Buenos Aires, so pay
with small bills and watch change given to you by taxi drivers.
NATURE
WINS:Patagonians are conservationists and proud and
protective of the local wildlife. This means that pursuing
whales, sea lions and other critters for your camera opp
occurs in synch with the seasons, the animals' eco-rhythms
and weather permitting. For example, a scheduled diving
with sea lions may not occur due to these factors, so don't
be disappointed: be glad that Patagonians are such good
caretakers of the earth and not out to make a fast tourist
buck.
CONNECT
WITH
QUEERS:
When you're in town, reach out to Claudia
Contreras Newbery via http://chubut-diversx.blogspot.com.
ar and tell her Curve sent you.
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly to Buenos Aires and then connect to Trelew on Aerolineas
Argentinas (aerolineas.com.ar). •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
69
Lesbian soccer star and gold medal Olympian Megan Rapinoe
has never been one to hold anything back. The 27-year-old
is known for her fiery attitude and the ability to change the
momentum of a game with a single pass or shot. "The whole
point of soccer is to score a goal;' says Rapinoe with a sly
laugh. "And there's no better feeling in the world. I like to
have fun when I'm playing. So when it happens, you've done
your job and it's worth celebrating:'
Anyone who has seen Rapinoe play knows that she likes
to have fun. During the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, she
entered the game against Colombia as a substitute, in the
50th minute of play. After scoring a key goal, she celebrated
by singing Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" directly
into the on-field microphone at the top of her lungs. The
performance vaulted Rapinoe from little-known reservist
to YouTube-worthy fan favorite. "I can't contain it or help
it, it's just who I am," she says. "Even at 7 or 8 years old, I
always had that flair. It's this subconscious need to entertain, or something."
70
CURVE
MARCH
2013
She grew up as one of five siblings in Redding, Calif. "My
parents always encouraged all of us to be active. So we participated in all sports growing up. Basically, they put us into
everything and let us focus on what we liked best."
Rapinoe and her twin sister, Rachael, competed in basketball and track before settling on soccer. "Both of us were good
[athletes]. We loved soccer and basketball. But we stopped
growing at 5 foot 4, 5 foot 6, so we realized that soccer was
where we would do best:' The twins often pushed each other
to get better. "There were a few games of one-on-one in the
driveway that we never got to finish;' Rapinoe laughs.
On the soccer field, their competitive nature allowed
Rapinoe and her sister to excel. In high school, they
participated in the Olympic Development Program (ODP),
but gave it up when the commitment became too much to
handle. "We lived in a small town and traveling to practices
and games was too much to commit to. So we were able to
play and have fun in high school, instead of growing up in
the ODP environment. I got brought onto the national team
during my last year of high school. I honestly thought they
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to myself that I
was that good and that I
deserved to be there with everyone else. But
I definitely had to find my bearings a bit with the national
team, and come into my own as a person."
Before joining the national team, Rapinoe was often
encouraged by her coaches to be herself. She was given the
freedom to have fun and take chances, but as she began
playing professionally it got her into trouble now and again.
"When I was younger, I only thought about myself on the field.
It's landed me on the bench in the past. I've since realized that
I have to strike a balance between creativity and discipline.
I've taken shots that I probably shouldn't have, and they go
wide. But sometimes they land in the back of the net:'
Though the U.S. women's soccer team failed to win the
2011 World Cup, they redeemed themselves at the 2012
Summer Olympics. With three goals and four assists, Rapinoe
balanced her aggressive instincts with a team-based performance that helped the USA win a gold medal in London.
It was a moment that left her speechless. "Oh, man. It's so
difficult to describe," she says. "It was always a childhood
dream of mine. I'm a total Olympic nut. I love everything
about the Olympics-the training, the backstory, everything.
You have [a gold medal] forever, and you're always an Olympian. No one can take that away from you."
Thanks the current success of Rapinoe's US Olympic
team, the popularity of women's soccer is at an all-time
high. But Rapinoe believes that appeal reaches far beyond
the field. "I think that, first and foremost, the product we
put on the field is something that people want;' she said.
"We have a history of making it more exciting than necessary [laughs]. But with the media, and social media, we are
very accessible. It's different with men's sports, I think,
because there is more distance between the team and the
fans. Women's sports are on a much smaller scale. We interact more, and we are more available. That allows fans to
have access to us, and to get to know us."
If you follow Rapinoe on Twitter or visit her Facebook
page, you'll find that she's just as confident and jovial off the
field as she is on it. She's not afraid to share herself with her
fans, whether it's supporting her twin sister or letting the
world know that she's proud of who is she is. "I live my life
in a public eye;' Rapinoe explains. "And I live pretty openly,
through social media and who I am as a person. I think it's
important to put it out there, to be honest about who you
really are:'
e
Part of being true to herself involved coming out and
being honest about her sexuality. Before she flew to London
for the Olympics, Rapinoe decided it was time to come out
once and for all. "I think a lot of different things influenced
my decision. Over the years, it sort of just became this heavy
feeling-'Do I want to come out?' And I often thought about
it and it eventually became, 'Why am I not out?' It's not
something that I lied about, but I wasn't being fully authentic. For me, it became hard to say that I support marriage
equality or talk about bullying without being out. It's something that I knew I had to do, and something that I wanted
to do. I'm not ashamed of who I am-quite the contrary. It
was time to honor that. And to know that I helped someone I
don't even know, just by coming out, is an amazing thing."
Rapinoe's family was very supportive of her decision.
"We've always been close. Still, to this day, we find a way to get
together as a family. They've actually known since I've known,
which is about eight or nine years ago. And they have always
been supportive. There is an adjustment period, of course.
But there is with any family. The thing they were worried
about most was that it would affect me in a negative waY:'
Most professional athletes who are gay or lesbian, in fact
most celebrities in general, are often afraid that once the
truth is out they'll receive a lot of the negative backlash
from fans, teammates and coaches, as well as family and
friends. They are also concerned about losing sponsors. In
fact, Martina Navratilova did lose sponsors when she came
out in 1981. So, was Rapinoe worried about any backlash?
"Nope, not at all;' she says smoothly. "I didn't think
there was going to be a lot at all. If I did, I might have been
a little more nervous about my decision. But I had the
attitude that 'This is who I am ...so if you don't like it then
it's not my concern.' My friends, family, and team were all
accepting. As for sponsors, it never crossed my mind. Nike
is my biggest supporter and I wasn't concerned about that
at all. If a company doesn't want to support me or sponsor
me, then I don't want to work with that company or support
them. I think athletes should look at this whole situation
from a positive point of view instead. What companies
would want me and want to support me as I am? [Being
afraid to lose sponsors] implies that there is something
wrong, and there's not.''
Rapinoe is also happy to admit that despite her
rigorous and demanding schedule, she's been in a healthy
relationship for the past three years. "I am very content and
extremely lucky.''
As for her teammates, she jokes about how it was a nonissue because everyone on the team basically knew already.
"I got a text from one of my friends on the team. It said
[jokingly], 'Oh my gosh, I'm shocked and hurt that you
didn't tell me.' We have a pretty amazing family going on
with our team, and we have a lot of respect for one another.
Most of the girls don't want to bother with any drama, and
we just don't have time for it. Overall, we just want to have
fun and enjoy our time together.''
Last fall, Rapinoe had a short break in her soccer
schedule. She moved back to Portland, Ore., to live with
Rachael and spend some time relaxing. "Honestly, I get
antsy when there's a break, but I know it's good to rest and
be away from the team for a bit. I just used that time to get
ready for the upcoming year of soccer, because it's a lot,
both physically and mentally.''
In addition to playing for the US women's Olympic
team, Rapinoe will be participating in the new National
Women's Soccer League, which is scheduled to begin play
in the spring of 2013. In recent years, two other US women's
professional soccer leagues were unable to generate enough
capital to keep going. And even though women's soccer is
more popular than ever, professional leagues are having
trouble finding stability over the long term. "It costs a lot
of money to run a league," explains Rapinoe. "Even the
MLS (Major League Soccer) struggles to be profitable. I
think the women's league was over-ambitious in the past.
It needs to be more on a semi-professional level. You have
to let people work and play in the cities that they are from.
Hopefully, we'll see what this new league can do and if it can
be sustainable and last.'' •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
73
Party animals
74
CURVE
Leisha Halley and fan
MARCH
2013
Team sports
Suite action
Poolside fun
Katy Perry
Mariah Hanson, Wanda Sykes, Natasha Bed1ngf1eld
Lady Gaga
Girls, girls, girls
Mariah Hanson and Laurel Holloman
Dancers
Chaka Khan
Celebrity team
Hunter Valentine
h
Gay1
I
t's the weekend lesbians around the world wait for all
year long. It's what makes the winter months bearable as we huddle up with a blanket and a hot cup of
soup, dreaming about warm weather and hot women
in the Palm Springs, Calif. desert. This April 3-7 marks the
23rd anniversary of The Dinah.
In 1991, Mariah Hanson, the founder and main producer
of The Dinah, headed her first Dinah Shore weekend and it
sparked the beginning of something legendary. From there,
Hanson moved forward, booking entire hotels that would be
exclusively filled with lesbians and to bringing in national
sponsors and the best breakthrough musicians.
Now lesbians across the world flock to Palm Springs
every year for the event, but Hanson wasn't always sure her
original concept would take The Dinah weekend this far.
"Looking back on 23 years, I never would have imagined that
I would be where I'm standing today. That creativity that
has been the driving force of the new wave of reinventing
The Dinah is becoming more and more powerful for me:'
Not only has The Dinah become a lesbian tradition, but
it's also proven to be an excellent platform for emerging
musicians. Back in 2006, Hanson booked The Pussycat
Dolls when no one would hire them on their own. After they
played The Dinah ... well, we all know how that went. "Once
they played The Dinah, Ellen asked them to be on her show,"
Hanson says. "And once Ellen asked them to be on her show,
Jay Leno asked them to be on his show. And you see, the rest
is history."
Every year the weekend gets bigger and more outrageous.
What can we expect to see at The Dinah this year? "We
have added Celebrity Poker and we're continuing Celebrity
Dodgeball, of course," Hanson says. "We're doing two local
bands for the first time in a long time at the second pool and
a movie premiere as well on Friday night. And we're also
working with HRC this year, which is really exciting."
In the past, Hanson has booked the likes of Pat Benatar,
Colbie Caillat, Uh Huh Her, Kesha and Lady Gaga, and this
year's line-up is guaranteed to impress. Come April, Dinah
attendees will be treated to performances by Karmin, Uh
Huh Her, Havana Brown, Kat Graham, Anjulie, Diana King,
Katy Tiz, K. Rose, Life Down Here and Playboy School on
the event's many stages. The comedy show will highlight
Fortune Feimster, Suzanne Westenhoefer and Jackie
Loeb. There will also be an appearance by The Real L
Word's Kiyomi Mccloskey and Lauren Bedford Russell.
(The Dinah is where, as fans of the series will recall, the
couple first met.)
If you're planning to join this year's festivities, there's an
awesome VIP deal for those planning to attend the entire
weekend. The VIP passes include every single event of The
Dinah and get you into all the private bars and lounges, so
it's pay once, see everything and everyone-not bad. Just be
sure to get 'em before they're gone. (thedinah.com) •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
75
SPECIAL PROMOTIONAL FEATURE
••
••
••
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VEGAS UNCORK~D 2013 SHOWCASES THE
COUNTRY'S FINEST CULINARY AND WINE TALENT.
Las Vegas, one of the nation's top dining destinations,
is gearing up for its premier foodie event, the seventh annual
Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit. Sixty restaurants, 50 celebrity
and master chefs, 30 sommeliers, 25 events, four extraordinary
resorts and more than 5,000 food lovers will come together
for a world-class culinary weekend.
76
CURVE
MARCH
2013
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Las Vegas, attracting world-famous
chefs, unveiling innovative dining
experiences, and sealing the Strip's
reputation amongst foodies as the
country's culinary epicenter. Worldclass resorts and host hotels Bellagio,
Caesars Palace, MGM Grand and
Mandalay Bay and their restaurants
are currently preparing for the biggest
and boldest Vegas Uncork'd by Bon
Appetit yet.
The epicurean A-list has already
set the stage for this event but if you
can't make it for Uncork'd, here are
some other great restaurants options
that you can check out all year long.
VEGAS UNCORK'D
BY BON APPETIT
MAY 9-12, 2013
TICKETS ON SALE AT
VEGASUNCORKED.COM
Celebrity
chef Gordon
Ramsay
followed the May opening of Gordon
Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas with
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars
Palace and Gordon Ramsay BurG R at
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in
December. Two restaurants from the
same chef opening within one week of
each other is a first on the famed Las
Vegas Strip.
Las Vegas nightlife went to the next
level in December with the opening of
Andrea's at Encore where the concept
of "vibe dining" combines nightclub
and restaurant ambience. Executive
Chef Joseph Elevado returns to Las
Vegas after serving as Executive Chef
at L'Ermitage Beverly Hills. Also new
at Wynn Las Vegas, Allegro offers
a new take on Italian-American
favorites while Chef Devin Hashimoto,
named "Best Chef on The Strip" by
Vegas Seven in the magazine's 2012
Restaurant Awards issue, opened
Mizumi, bringing Japanese food to the
Wynn resort.
Asian food continues its evolution
and popularity with Michelin-starred
Chef Masa Takayama debuting Tetsu,
his first teppan concept at ARIA
Resort & Casino. Tetsu delivers an
intimate dining experience featuring
the fresh, high-quality ingredients,
and unparalleled culinary techniques
for which Chef Masa is renowned.
More Eastern culinary offerings
are found at Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino with the addition of tiFu
(meaning "luck" in English). The
restaurant features a fusion of Asian
fare with authentic Chinese cuisine
and regional inspirations including
Korean, Vietnamese and Thai. Also
inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino,
Culinary Dropout, the first Las Vegas
restaurant by five-time James Beard
Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur
semi-finalist Sam Fox, opened its
doors in August.
MGM Grand's evolution continues
into spring 2013 with the highly
anticipated opening of Hakkasan Las
Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub, an
upscale dining experience combined
with multiple nightlife components.
The venue will incorporate the best
of dining and nightlife to deliver a
superlative after dark experience.
MGM Resorts International also
welcomes
celebrity
chef
Tom
Colicchio, who is set to open a new
steakhouse at The Mirage in summer
2013.
Female foodies are also making
their mark: Last November Mandalay
Bay announced Director of Food &
Beverage Sarah Johnson successfully
completed the Beer Certification
Exam making her Nevada's first
female certified cicerone.
Leading the way in the next
generation of libations is NgNE
Group Las Vegas, who brings a new
sophisticated bar with an elaborate
mixology program to Palms Casino
Resort. Scarlet will provide an
intimate atmosphere and a select
menu featuring top-shelf liquors,
unique infused spirits, exclusive
signature cocktails and much more.
Also at Palms Casino Resort is Chocolat
Bistro, a chic fusion of traditional
European cremerie and creperie.
Sample delectable desserts, crepes,
croissants and fresh flatbreads, or
choose from 18 varieties of homemade
gelato. The Coppa Chocolat, a decadent
combination of milk chocolat gelato,
dark chocolat, Grand Marnier chocolat
gelato and fresh whipped cream is a
perfect way to cool your palate and top
off your Vegas food fun.
With such an array of epicurean
delights, Vegas Uncork'd by Bon
Appetit 2013 is a not-to-be-missed
event for your culinary calendar.
Another delicious reason why Las
Vegas should be at the top of your
destination list this year. •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
77
LAST CALL/
FOOD
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
to bring people together, like food
brought my family together.
How do you stay true to yourself?
The easy part is staying true to me. I
don't do what I don't want to do. I'm
pretty honest and I try to keep it real
on all levels. I believe in social awareness, community and supporting your
neighbors, living your life. We get
caught up working and forget to appreciate and get in touch with ourselves.
It's about living with a mind, body and
spirit approach.
How does it feel to be back on Top Chef?
It's great. I keep reading in the biogs
whether the three of us got an unfair
advantage. The only advantage would
be that we have been there before. All
the challenges are new. It has nothing
to do with what we have done before, it
has to do with the challenge day-to-day,
working against the clock and doing
our best to make it to the next week.
What other projects are you working on?
Global Soul Corner, it's a pop up
[restaurant] in the Bay area at Thee
Parkside. There was this famous rock
'n' roll bar with this little kitchen and
it was calling out to me. Global soul is
the type of food that I do. We have daily
specials and a new dumpling menu
everyweek. It's fun. It's coming to New
York and Miami in 2013.
Two-time
starJosie
Smith-Malave
turnscuisine
intosocial
change. Global Soul World is the socialist
and culturally driven section of my
BY RE KARA GAGE
corporation. Usually, you make money and you start feeling guilty. I don't
work like that. I don't need to make a
e first met chef Josie What made you want to be a chef?
Smith-Malave in season
I'm from a Puerto Rican-Italian family. million dollars, I need to make a portwo of Top Chef where What we do well is eat. With such bold tion of that and use the rest to give
back to communities. Just $10,000
the Miami native and out flavors from South Florida and eating
lesbian was ousted in a double elimi- good food on a consistent basis, it's could build schools, feed families in
nation over a trio of dishes made to natural that I would get into an indusThird World countries, reach neighcleanse the palate and awaken the try that allowed me to continue doing borhoods, families and communities
senses. Fortunately for fans of Smith- that. Culinary is a way for me to ven- in our own country.
What are your plans for the future?
Malave, season two proved to just be an ture out in a career that I love. There's
appetizer as the fan favorite returned to both a business side and a creative
I always knew what I wanted to do in
test her culinary craft in season 10 of side, which are both areas that I wanted
this industry. I wanted to cook from my
heart. I got distracted along the way and
the hit cooking competition. But as a to be a part of.
What does food mean to you?
yes, I have a great pedigree but the style
former women's professional football
wasn't me. I want to cook good food for
player, social activist and global adven- It's a way to bring people together
turer, Smith-Malave is not someone to regardless of background, race, religion, people on a consistent basis. I don't care
let a minor setback keep her away from
sexuality or socioeconomic status. It what bloggers or critics think. That's
not what it is about. (chejjosie.com) •
her dream.
is the common denominator. I want
Second Helping
Top
Chef
W
78
CURVE
MARCH
2013
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Fromthe FemArt Collection
TLOOKtSTARS
Heavenly Bodies
March sees five planets traverse romantic Pisces.
BY CHARLENE LICHTENSTEIN
PISCES
(Feb. 20-March 20)
A Pisces woman aches
for a faithful relationship
She is in love with love
and can't wait to find
a lovergrrl with whom
to share her dreams of
blissful happiness She
loves children and avidly
seeks a partnership with
a like-minded woman.
If you settle in with a
Sapphic Pisces, expect
the pitter-patter of little
feet within the first two
years, and I don't mean
catsl Her naive optimism
in relationships are often
puttothetestand,as
much as she desires a
forever, she is a mutable
sign who knows when
forever simply means for
the time being
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
This is your month to shine. The
fates conspire to place you in
the epicenter of activity where
you can demand and get everyone's full attention. Strut your
stuff and find ways to showcase
your considerable talents. You
will expand your world and
rub elbows with the high and
mighty. Find more than mere
elbows to rub. Oh rubadub!
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
There is a beautiful world out
there. So pack your bags and
try to explore it this March. You
can scratch your itchy Crab
claws in some faraway paradise
or create utopia closer to home
for you and some lucky lady.
There is romance waiting for
you around every corner so be
sure to venture out and explore
every nook and cranny.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Let your imagination run
"Wilde" this March. You are
not only Ober-intuitive, you also
know where all the secrets are
hidden and the bodies buried.
Unearth some startling news
(as well as a few of those heavenly bodies) and decide how
to best share it with world. You
change the flow of conversation
and open up opportunities in
your career.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Gal pals provide the adventure
if you are willing to go along
for the ride. Your social life
heats up so much so that you
singe the scenery. Sapphic
Bulls are hotter than usual.
Stoke the pilot light of one
adventuresome gal pal in
particular. Do you want to tempt
fate by escalating a platonic
relationship into something
passionate? Yes, yes, yes!
Gemini (May 22- June 21)
Charlene
Lichtenstein
istheauthor
of HerScopes:
A Guide
toAstrology
forLesbians
(Simon
& Schuster)tinyurl.
com/HerScopes.
Nowavailable
asanebook.
80
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Make your best professional
move this March as various
enticing opportunities present
themselves. And if they
don't, push your own agenda
forward and create your own
enticing opportunities. Power
and ambition are alluring and
intoxicating, Twin. Grab a bit of
oomph for yourself and see who
you can get to work under you.
Lionesses can focus on sex
and intimacy all through March
with some excellent results.
That is because you now have
ample animal magnetism
and charisma. Grrr. Pour your
personal oil and see who
slides by. Expand your range
of possibilities by cooking up
some social events with some
delectable dishes.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Are you happier when you are
in a one-on-one relationship?
If so, use this March to either
improve current ones that
need an emotional lift or seek
out new ones that are full of
new possibilities. The question
is: Are you willing to take a
chance? The road of new
beginnings opens up before
you, Virgo.
Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)
Although it may not sound
exciting, your day-to-day job
will go much smoother this
March. And you will be able to
accomplish anything you set
your mind to do. So don't rest
on your laurels, Libra. Make
your best moves now. You
may be surprised at who
notices and responds. Maybe
she is waiting for you in the
coffee room. I think something
is brewing.
This is the month to express
your creativity and artistry,
Scorpio. Your masterpiece is
waiting to unfold and dazzle.
Don't limit yourself to the high
arts. Even planning a party
counts. And romance is possible if you are open to the
possibilities. In fact, combine
all three-get a group of nude
body painters over.
This may be a good time to
start some spring cleaning. Not
only do your surroundings need
some sprucing up, you will reap
considerable benefits from
making your home a desired
destination. Try to make your
space a bit more cushy and
inviting. And when you begin
to feel cuddly, who knows who
you can lure into your web to
snuggle with you?
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
If you have something to say,
say it in March. You find ways
of sugarcoating even the
harshest of comments and
sway even the staunchest critic.
Try to add a bit of honey to
your delivery with some
yummy compliments. Use
your time to reach out and
meet those who can give you a
leg up. And if you happen
to get a leg over as well,
congratulations.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Money is intoxicating. You can
use it to cushion your life, treat
your desires and enjoy the
finer things in life. How high
will it make you this March?
Before you hit your head on
the ceiling, try to focus on your
bottom line. Or even better,
focus on a certain someone's
bottom line.
;;j:
See all items with this value
-
THE TRAVEL ISSUE
I FIND YOUR SOULMATE (IT'S EASIER THAN YOU THINK)
Uh Huh Her
ON THE ROAD WITH HOT
LESBIAN ROCK DUO
LEISHA HAILEY
AND CAMILA GREY
;:--+-Y¼
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sio
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74470
80539
7
MARCH 2013 VOLUME 23#2
•
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ON FILM AND
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your neighborhood pet specialty and natural food store, and
online at halopets.com
MARCH
2013
COVERPHOTOBYBRADTRENT
MARCH
2013
CURVE
1
MARCH
2013
11
IN EVERYISSUE
6
EDITOR'S NOTE
8
FEEDBACK
9
CURVETTES
10
THE GAYDAR
80
STARS
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////h
TRENDS
REVIEWS
11 THIS IS WHAT A
LESBIAN LOOKS LIKE
DJ Pat Pat.
29 MUSIC
Diana King came out in
Jamaica and aims to change
the homophobic reputation of
her homeland. By Karen Bobb
12 TRAVEL GIFT GUIDE
Don't leave home without
these portable essentials.
14
HOT TEE
14 THE RUNDOWN
News from across the country.
15 BEAUTY
The latest cosmetics inspired
by vintage vanity will have you
looking like a pin-up in a matter
of minutes.
16
LESBOFILE
17
SHE SAID
18 SCENE
The glitter and glam of the
OutMusic Awards.
VIEWS
19 POLITICS
2013 is a good year for women,
with more women and people
of color sworn in. By Victoria A.
Brown worth
22 THE TWO OF US
Our monthly profile of lesbian
couples who live, love and
work together.
2
CURVE
MARCH
2013
12
24
LIPSTICK & DIPSTICK
28
OUT IN FRONT
31 FILM
Award-winning British filmmaker Campbell X brings stud
masculinity to the big screen.
By Tania Hammidi
33 BOOKS
Lesbian mezzo-soprano
Laurie Rubin writes of her
blindness and her resilience
through the beauty of music.
By Kim Hoffman
35 TECH
Be smart when you travel with
these seven handy apps. By
Randy Nelson
78 FOOD
Chef Josie Smith-Malave is
back on TV and blazing her
way through the culinary
industry with honesty and
altruism. By Rekara Gage
STYLE
37 FASHION
Designer suits revolutionize the
way masculine-identified queer
women dress.
By Molly Williams
The Florida Keys
Key~st
Close To Perfect- far from Normal
ANDREA MEYERSON: WELCOME ABOARD
Filmmaker, stand-up comic, and founder of Women on a Roll Andrea
Meyerson is used to juggling a variety of projects but nothing could
prepare her for being the Body of Work recipient of Pride of the Ocean,
the latest queer cruise company. Meet Andrea and learn more about her
multifaceted career and the star power of this LGBT film festival at sea.
A SCOT'S TALE
The Raven's Heart is a
thrilling read by Australian
author Jesse Blackadder
who traveled to Scotland
to trace her family tree and
discovered her ancestral
connection with Mary
Queen of Scots. Naturally,
Blackadder found a lesbian
angle in the story of one of
history's most controversial
women. If you enjoy
atmospheric, detail-rich
historical fantasy told from
the point of view of a crossdressing young lesbian,
you'll love this book.
DIVA ON DETOUR
ALOHA, YOGA
Screen favorite and yogini Traci
Dinwiddie recently took a break
from her busy life of acting and
fund raising to chill out at Kalani
Oceanside Retreat on the Big
Island of Hawaii. Read her story of
goddess worship, nature worship,
and finding the true aloha spirit.
4
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Acclaimed soprano Patricia
Racette has performed at
the Metropolitan Opera in
New York and now turns
her vocal talents to the
celebrated songs of Edith
Piaf, George Gershwin,
Cole Porter and Stephen
Sondheim with the release
of her CD, Diva On Detour.
Read our interview with
Racette, who has been out
since 2002, and you could
win a copy of her CD!
Go to curvemag.com.
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///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
curve
THE BEST-SELLING
The World
Is Your Oyster
R
ecently, I've found myself being a bit of a representative
for lesbian travel. I've spoken publicly on the subject,
from Buenos Aires to Cairns to New York, often to tourism
professionals, corporations and business owners who want
to know what lesbians want when they leave the nest. After
all, gay guys have a reputation for adventure, and by that I mean
(aside from their Grindr app) seeking out the hot new thing on a
global scale. But what about lesbians?
The stereotype about us is far less glamorous. There we are, apparently, in our cargo pants and hiking boots, pitching a tent somewhere
remote, content to experience the
wilderness with nothing more accommodating than our own bootstraps. Is
this entirely true? Sure, we go to Michigan and camp out for MichFest, or join
some women-only whitewater rafting
expedition to get over a recent breakup,
or splurge on a lesbian cruise so we can
be peacefully adrift with our own kind.
But in my experience, this stereotype
keeps us off the travel industry's map.
Mind you, there is nothing wrong with
this image oflesbians as self-reliantexcept for the fact that if travel folks
persist in believing we are this frugal and isolationist, this happy to
fly under the commercial radar, they'll never give another thought to
our travel needs. They'll never bother to learn about our desires for
safety, hospitality, service, wellness, romanticism, escape, exoticism,
glamour and, dare I say, a little bit of luxury-all the things that
travel is meant to deliver.
I'm a lesbian and I like all those things. But I'm just as inclined to
put on hiking boots and a rain poncho and scale a volcano in Costa
Rica as I am to strip off, step into a hot tub in a five-star resort and
order room service-and perhaps even a massage.
I've become an advocate for lesbian travel, and for the visibility of
lesbians when we travel, because it is a microcosm of how we live, and
I want us always to have endless choices and live life to the fullest. I
want us to be counted and catered to.
This is our Travel issue and I hope in its exciting selection of travel
articles we've covered both ends of the spectrum. After all, I truly
believe the world is our oyster.
EDITOR-IN-C
F
merryn@curvemag.com
6
CURVE
MARCH
2013
MARCH
PUBLISHER
2013
LESBIAN
» VOLUME
MAGAZINE
23 NUMBER
2
Silke Bader
Frances Stevens
FOUNDING PUBLISHER
EDITORIAL
Merryn Johns
Rachel Shatto
Rachel Pepper
COPY EDITOR Katherine Wright
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Victoria A. Brownworth,
Gina Daggett, Jillian Eugenics, Sheryl Kay, Jess McAvoy,
Stephanie Schroeder
EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Rekara Gage, Molly Williams
EDITOR IN CHIEF
MANAGING EDITOR
BOOK REVIEW EDITOR
OPERATIONS
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS
Laura McConnell
ADVERTISING
EAST COAST SALES
Robin Perron (910) 795-0907,
robin@curvemagazine.com
NATIONAL SALES
Rivendell Media (908) 232-2021, todd@curvemagazine.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Sallyanne Monti (510) 545-4986, sallyanne@curvemag.com
ART/PRODUCTION
ART DIRECTOR
Stefanie Liang
Sarah Crumb
Kelly Nuti
CONTRIBUTING ART DIRECTOR
PRODUCTION ARTIST
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Melany Joy Beck, Kathy Beige, Jenny Block, Adam L.
Brinklow, Kelsy Chauvin, Lyndsey D'Arcangelo, Traci
Dinwiddie, Maria De La 0, Jill Goldstein, Lisa Gunther,
Kristin Flickinger, Gillian Kendall, Kim Hoffman, Charlene
Lichtenstein, Karen Loftus, Sassafras Lowrey, Jess
McAvoy, Ariel Messman-Rucker, Emelina Minero, Laurie
K. Schenden, Stephanie Schroeder, Janelle Sorenson,
Allison Steinberg, Stella & Lucy, Dave Steinfeld, Edie Stull,
Yana Tallon-Hicks, Sarah Toce, Tina Vasquez, Jocelyn Voo
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS & PHOTOGRAPHERS
Lauren Barkume, Erica Beckman, Meagan Cignoli, JD
Disalvatore, Sophia Hantzes, Syd London, Cheryl Mazak,
Maggie Parker, Leslie Van Stelten
CONTACT INFO
Curve Magazine
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New York, NY 10034
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article. In 1972, the UCC
ordained the first openly
gay minister and we've been
ordaining gay people ever
since. We also ordained the
first African-American,
Lemuel Haynes, in 1785 and
the first woman, Antoinette Brown, in 1853. It is
so encouraging that other
denominations are starting
to catch up.
-Rev. Daria Schaffnit,
Columbus, Ohio
High Praise
As a long-time reader
(since the Deneuve days),
I am pleased that Curve is
still going strong. As an out
lesbian ordained minister,
I am very pleased to see Victoria A. Brownworth tackle
the topic of discrimination
in ordination [Vol. 22#10].
I am surprised, however,
not to see my denomination, the United Church of
Christ, mentioned in the
Drama Queen
Reading my new issue of
Curve! I have to say I miss
"Dyke Drama;' there so
needs to be another spot
like that. -Karen Davis,
Lynchburg, Va.
Lookin' Good
Curve's "sexiest issue ever"
is sizzling hot! Love the
tones and textures of the
gorgeous cover, and how
Jessica Clark is "inviting me
inside" for more! Inside,
interesting women from
all walks and of all ages are
doing amazing things. I'm
inspired to get politically
involved, read a new book,
and take a trip to Brazil.
Also plan to treat myself
and my lover to chic lingerie
and a "sex-cessory" or two!
As along-time Curve reader,
I found myself particularly
enjoying and breezing
through this one-maybe
it's the new look. It flows
with such positive energy.
-Pamela, Boca Raton, Fla.
Tax Tips Wanted
Have you ever done an
article on the issues of tax
problems for same-sex
marriages? I live in N.Y. so
I have to file single for my
federal taxes and married
for my state-I'm confused.
Any ideas or tips to make
this an easy tax season?
-Sarah Smith, New York
Editor's Note: We're on it!
December Issue a Gift
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DESTINATION?
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Online: curvemag.com/letters
8
CURVE
Correction: The novel
Queer
Costa Rica
Dykey
New Delhi
MARCH
2013
issue [Vol. 22#10] and find
myself enjoying it over
the holiday here in Texas.
Lesbo-Sexy Gifts was very
helpful! Thanks again.
-Mariska Porizkova
The You Know Who Girls:
Freshmen Class reviewed in
the January/February issue
[Vol.23#1] is by Annameekee
Hesik and published by
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Now that's what I call a
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Lookin real sweet
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GORGEOUSSEXY Cover
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stunning
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I own this lovely copy ...
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congrats!! beautiful!
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there are so many things
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Damn, so beautiful! I want
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POST
OF
THE
MONTH
This November, we
celebrate 11years!
We were married in
Massachusetts in
2008 in two separate
ceremonies-a private
casual ceremony at the
Top of the Prudential
Center in Boston on
8/8/08 and then the
big formal wedding
on 11/22/2008 in front
of 150 of our friends
and family! If I could
I would marry her in
every state! The best
part of marriage is
knowing you married
your best friend-she is
and always has been my
true companion. Thank
you Curve magazine for
showing the beautiful
photos of devoted,
happy, committed
couples and families!
-Annie Cronin-Silva
UP FRONT/
cu RVET
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
AMY DENESON
0
i
::;:
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c::.
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<(
u.J
>
g
Amy traveled to the French
island of Corsica to explore
unspoiled Mediterranean
terrain as well as discover how
to be out with her partner in
a country where hotels are
unlikely to fly rainbow flags.
What is the lesbian travel
experience in the uncertain
territory between when a
nation stops supporting public
declarations of homophobia but
has yet to establish welcoming
LGBT hospitality? "Did they
secretly hate us, love us, or
care we were there-holding
hands-at all? In Corsica, I was
less concerned about outright
discrimination than I was with
knowing when we could relax
on vacation." Amy shares her
discoveries on page 54. In
addition to Curve, Amy's writing
has also appeared in The New
York Times, Huffington Post,
Salon, and Hemispheres. She
is currently writing her first
memoir. (amydeneson.com)
KARENBOBB
At eight years of age, Karen
emigrated from Guyana with
her family who were in pursuit
of the American Dream.
Settling in the East Flatbush
neighborhood of Brooklyn,
New York, as Karen grew up
she made the most of the
city's opportunities. "My high
school sweetheart Michelle
and I spent countless days
at Washington Square Park,
cavorting on Christopher
Street and the Lower East
Side." Karen went to college
where she earned a bachelor's
degree in political science
from the University of
Rochester. She has since
pursued writing, marketing
and public relations and
founded the website
islandlgbt.com, a social
network for Caribbean LGBT
individuals. Karen's interview
with Jamaican-born pop star
Diana King is on page 30.
ALEX HARMON
Alex is editor of TNT Magazine
Australia, a former contributor
to LOTL, Australia's lesbian
magazine, Bound magazine,
and a restaurant and bar critic
for several Sydney newspapers.
When she's not unleashing her
inner-demon by jumping off
bridges or out of planes she
can be found on the beach
trying to surf or skateboard, or
trawling the bars of Sydney's
inner-west. In fact, the only
thing that can make her sit still
is writing. Or cocktails-she
doesn't like to spill cocktails.
This month she shares her
experiences in New Zealand's
Queenstown on page 66.
TANIA "DR. T"
HAMMIDI
Tania is a freelance
journalist, performer and
adjunct professor working at
the intersections of sexuality,
masculinity studies, fashion,
and dance/live art. She is
the founder of Queerture:
Queer+ Couture and curates
fashion shows celebrating
LGBT models, designers,
illustrators and thinkers. T lives
on a magic carpet that travels
between Joshua Tree, California
and San Francisco. She teaches
at California College of the Arts,
San Francisco Art lnstitue, and
U.C. Davis. Tania was voted one
of the "Top 25 Most Significant
Queer Women of 2011" by
Velvet Park: Dyke Culture in
Bloom. Read her interview with
stud filmmaker Campbell X
on page 31.
MARCH
2013
CURVE
9
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Our fantasy celesbian couple Tina Fey and Amy
Poehler reunite as the hilarious hosts of the Golden
Globes and make our hearts go pitter patter
The lovely lezzies of
The Unsolicited Project,
via YouTube, caution straight
women who oppose marriage
equality that if we can't
marry each other we'll marry
their boyfriends.
Lady homophobes,
consider yourself
warned
Because nothing embodies the
spirit and joy of the holidays quite
like a bigoted papal tirade, Pope
Benedict XVI took time out of the
traditional tree lighting
in the Vatican to say that
same-sex marriage poses
a threat to "justice
and peace"
American Idol
alum Fantasia
hits a low
note with a
homophobic rant
on lnstagram,
then claims her
comments were
taken out of
context. Umm,
nice try-we're
gay, not stupid
HONORARY
LIFFETIME
LESBIAN
MEMBERSHIP
Dr. Who makes
our holiday wish
come true with a
special featuring the
return of our favorite
intergalactic lesbian
couple Silurian
lesbian warrior
queen Madame
Vastra and her
lover Jenny
i0
0
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a.
...J
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...J
Bravo's feline-focused
series LOLwork features a lezzie wedding
on its series finale.
Because what's gayer
than a cat-themed
lesbian wedding?
Smoking hot former
WNBA player turned
frontwoman Kristin
Mann's latest music
video for "Quiet
Window" is as
lesbosexy as you
would expect from
a sassy band called
Sapphica
Squee! Nikki Weiss and
Jill Goldstein welcome
an adorable baby boy,
Adler Scot Goldstein.
Mazel Tov!
Shh, the lesbians are
speaking-and taking
over the Spoken Word
field of the Gram mys!
Rachel Maddow,
Janis Ian and Ellen
DeGeneres all receive
a Grammy nod in
this year's chattiest
category
ai
Out Russian pop star
Anastasia Luna is back
with the acrobatically
Sapphic new video for
"Tonight." Lesbians,
lingerie and shower sexy
time round out this must
stream track
g
w
Liz "Girl-Rilla" Carmouche makes
history as the first out fighter in the
UFC and makes us wish we could go
a few rounds with her...if you know
what we mean
:::,
('.)
z
w
"'
f-
w
a.
LasVegas.com/gaytravel
NDSJGIFT
GUIDE
Tag Your Pride
Don't leave anyone in doubt
about your preferences when
you travel to a lez-friendly
location. The handmade Card
Carrying Lesbian dog tag
will let the local ladies know
you mean business. ($60,
ca rdca rryi ng lesbian .com)
Strap On
Produced in West
Sweden with every
stitch hand sewn,
the Andre Landeros
Michel Restraint
Collection uses the
best natural leathernot to mention,
the Goth meets
equestrian aesthetic
is a strong look for
the carrier. ($340,
oaknyc.com)
Don't Leave Your
Pussy at Home
Take the motif of your feline
family with you on the road.
This clever travel document
holder represents your
family while keeping your
passport safe.
($26, ildik5.etsy.com)
\
••
Beer Head
Jot down your thoughts
and observations in this
upcycled, eco-friendly
journal which boasts your
favorite American brew.
($8 and up, ivylanedesigns.blogspot.com)
These days, tighter travel regulations and cutbacks can make your vacation less than picturesque.
Whether you're jet setting to an international destination, taking a road trip, embarking on a lesbian cruise
or just armchair traveling to exotic locales, here are some tools to put the romance back into travel.
BY MOLLY WILLIAMS
Bon
a e
Chill Out
Freshen up with this
convenient travel
size, all-natural
solid perfume stick.
Leave that clunky,
leaky, TSA-unfriendly
bottle of expensive
perfume at home
and toss this in your
bag instead!
($7, perfumies.com)
Old World Mac
The three interior pockets and thick
foam padding of this handmade-inVermont sleeve will leave you feeling
stress free while transporting
your laptop-child. ($25 and up,
BearStitches.etsy.com)
Butt Out
Lighting up is increasingly
forbidden around the world and
who's to know the latest tobacco
laws at your destination? Take this
flavorful, disposable, no-mess
nicotine-fix when you travel. ($45,
whitecloudelectroniccigarettes.com)
Hello Kitty!
Take a catnap on
your journey with the
very cute and cuddly
Curious Cat Sleep Mask,
handmade from soft,
anti-pilling fleece. ($8,
emandsprout.etsy.com)
Keep It Together
Ever been standing in line
at Immigration and panic
because you've misplaced
your paperwork? This Red
Ghana catchall travel wallet
holds up to 4 passports and
all your family's travel documents. Organization equals
smooth travels! ($35,
travelherbyumf.blogspot.com)
Holster Yourself
This one-off shoulder
bag fits like an oldschool pistol holster.
Keep your travel
documents and cash
close to your chest
and out of the reach
of pickpockets. ($54,
2Dsastresbcn.
etsy.com)
I Dream of Paris
Attributed to the
iconic Audrey
Hepburn, the classy
quotation adorns
this adorable organic
cotton cover for
your portable
travel pillow. ($35,
sarahsmiledesign.
etsy.com)
Paris
isalwaus
agood
idea
l't'.,½'.-~
....
Prepare for Takeoff
I Mustache You a
Question ...
...Where did you get that
bag? Carry your toiletries
in style with this Mustache
Handmade Travel Tote.
It's quirky, sturdy and
will hold a hairdryer
along with all your other
glamour gear. ($60,
Cana ryQu i lted .etsy.com)
These cufflinks are
the perfect touch to
a business suit for the
travel savvy woman
or boi in your life. The
propellers actually spin
so be careful, you might
take off. ($20, Juanitas.
etsy.com)
Armchair Amour
Perfect for the stayat-home romantic this
typographical print
gives your love the epic
expression of a quest.
($20, HopSkipJumpPaper.
etsy.com)
LasVegas.com/gaytravel
THE
RUNDOWN
By Sassafras
Lowrey
• Ashley Broadway and her partner of 15
years, Lt. Colonel Heather Mack married in
November after the repeal of Don't Ask, Don't
Tell. The couple of a 2-year-old son, Mack is
currently pregnant with their second child.
Broadway applied for membership to The
Association of Bragg Officers' Spouses, but
her application was denied due to her lack of
military spouse ID card that cannot be issued
because the military does not recognize samesex marriages. It is believed the ID card rule
was only enacted after Broadway applied for
membership.
• The government of Chile has issued an
apology to Magistrate Karen Atala. The lesbian
judge was denied custody of her children by
Chile's Supreme Court on the basis of her
sexuality. Atala filed a complaint with the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights and
has been awarded $70,000 and medical and
psychological treatment.
• Police have announced an end to the
investigation into the disappearance of Lisa
Lawson, a lesbian from Atlanta. She went
missing on Nov. 19 and on Dec. 5 she was found
dead inside her SUV. Police have ruled Lawson's
death was a suicide. Michelle Alexander,
Lawson's girlfriend, had launched an extensive
social media campaign to find her girlfriend.
HOT
OFTHE
This foxy butch lovin' tee declares
that pretty tomboys rocka sentiment we all can get behind...
or under •••or on top of, for that matter.
$30, a/ternativelyspeakingtees.com
14
CURVE
MARCH
2013
•••
• Charlie Rogers, the lesbian from Lincoln,
Neb. who claimed masked men broke into her
home and carved homophobic slurs onto her
body before lighting the house on fire, was
found guilty of faking the crime. Investigators
say there was no sign of struggle in the home,
and an FBI forensic pathologist concluded
Rogers either allowed someone to do the
cuts, or she did them herself. Rogers will be
sentenced in February and faces up to a year in
prison and a $1,000 fine.
1••·
• Liz Carmouche has become the first openly
gay competitor to be signed in the Ultimate
Fighting Championship (UFC). Carmouche,
who is 28 years old, a mixed-martial artist and
former Marine, has fans who have taken to
calling themselves "Lizbos." She and fellow
bantamweight Ronda Rousey will be the first
female headliners in a major UFC bout.
TRENDS/
Love At First Sight Smash box's Limited
Edition Love Me palette in the Admire
Me shades features five shimmery neutral shadows that make vintage-inspired
eyes shine. With crease, lid and highlight
colors all in one beautifully designed
palette you just may fall in love.
($34 smashbox.com)
BEAU
Canvas Creator The first step to recreating a
pin-up look is a smooth matte complexion and
Stila's Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm is like
a miracle in a tube. This priming beauty balm
goes on smoothly for even coverage but dries
to a powdery soft finish. It's ideal for those with
sensitive skin and works on all complexion types
and tones. ($38, stilacosmeticscom)
Eyelashes Unleashed For the false eyelash look without the
messy glue, all you need is the right mascara and curler. They're
Real! mascara from Benefit turns the volume way up on lashes
by lengthening, volumizing and separating lashes. But to take
them to the next level, Sephora's heated eyelash curler sets a
curl in your lashes that lasts all day. ($23, $16, sephora.com)
Romantic Rouge Rouge was all
the rage in the 1940s, so light up
your face with a touch of blush
to the apples of your cheeks.
Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush
multicolored palette allows you
to customize your rosy glow
for the perfect just-been-kissed
flush. ($29, toofaced.com)
Vintage Vixen
Ooh-la-la Omnibus If you
have a passion for the fashion,
cosmetics and clothing from
eras past, Style Me Vintage: The
Complete Guide to Creating
a Retro Look is a must-have.
This gorgeous, fully illustrated
instructional tome offers
detailed instructions on how
to achieve the head-to-toe
looks of the '20s-'80s. The Rita
Hayworth inspired '40s tutorial
is the ultimate bombshell
guide. ($30, amazon.com)
CHANNEL1940S GLAMOURWITH CLASSICSHADES
AND TRICKSOF THE PIN-UPTRADE.
BY RACHEL SHATTO
Crimson Kisser Nothing says
va-va-voom like a velvety red lip. For a
period-appropriate pucker, Besame's
line of lush red matte lipsticks are just
the ticket. Besame Red is a true red,
vibrant with a cool base and is
perfect on fair skin. For olive skin
tones, try Carmine or Cherry
Red for a lustrous lippy. ($22,
besamecosmetics.com)
Bombshell Brows For
the polished pin-up look,
styled brows are essential.
Thankfully Urban Decay's
Brow Box has everything
you need for glammedout brows: tweezers, an
angled brush, wax and two
shades of blendable brow
powder. So now the secret
to perfectly shaped and
shaded brows fits in the
palm of your hand. ($29,
urbandecay.com)
Curves Ahead With NYX's breakthrough
ergonomic design, The Curve liquid
eyeliner guarantees a smooth, even line and
fabulous flick every time. Smudge-proof,
water resistant and oh-so-intense color
means bedroom eyes last all day and night.
($15, nyxcosmetics.com)
All Tarted Up For the must-have 1940s
manicure, select a true nail polish, like
the glossy cruelty-free shade Cherry
Tart from Blackheart Beauty. Paint your
nails as you normally would; however,
before adding a top coat, use a cotton
swab dipped in nail polish remover
to remove a small moon shape at the
cuticle. ($5, blackheartlingerie.com)
MARCH
2013
CURVE
15
-P
NDS!GOSSIP
'W////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////A
II
~a~eS!2~!~~es'
11st,
Kesha loves the ladies
and Kelly clears things up-again.
BY JOCELYN
voo
Top Spot
In case you haven't heard, according
to Forbes' 30 Under 30 list the newest
generation of LGBT movers and shakers are coming-and they're taking the
world by storm. Making the list was
newcomer Kate McKinnon, who made
the boldface as Saturday Night Live's
first openly lesbian cast member, but
captured hearts when she nailed a
skit impersonating Ellen DeGenereswhich received props from the Hollywood pioneer, too.
Watch out, world-we're on our way.
Feel the Love
Love her or hate her (and we love her),
you can't deny dance-pop phenom
slash walking, talking glitterbomb
Kesha, whose tracks have been haunting the Top 40 since "Tik Tok" hit in
2009. But it's not just her music making
waves, it's also her sexuality.
The singer reiterated her stance
in no uncertain terms to Seventeen
magazine: "I don't love just men. I love
people. It's not about a gender. It's just
about the spirit that exudes from that
other person you're with."
However, it's not just about sex. Her
16
CURVE
MARCH 2013
"love everyone" position translates
into a fight against intolerance. "I'm
all about standing up to gay/lesbian/
transgender bullying, but it's also
about my little brother. He's 13 and he
gets made fun of because he has a stutter. I just have zero tolerance for people
making fun of others;' she says.
Single Ladies
The new rock Kelly Clarkson's flashing
on her ring finger tells the whole story,
but until that point, rumors about her
sexuality kept plaguing the singer.
"People think, 'Oh, she's been single
for too long; " said the sexy singer
to Cosmopolitan. "That's kind
of an insult to the gay
community. Being single
doesn't mean you're gay:'
[Ed. Note: Amen.] "But
I'm never insulted by it,
obviously. I mean, I get hit
on by the hottest girls ever;'
she added. "Oh, my god, if I
were a lesbian, I would be so
in luck. But it's just not my
thing:'
Somewhere, a million girls'
hearts are breaking.
Free Agent
Ah, pansexuals-they can be quite the
heartbreakers for straight men. Johnny
Depp knows this first-hand, as even
the former Sexiest Man in the World
can't get his Rum Diary co-star Amber
Heard to commit to a relationship.
The twosome has been dallying ever
since Depp split with longtime love
Vanessa Paradis, and several outlets
reported that the pair were getting
serious about each other. However,
Heard-a "free spirit when it comes to
love"-just isn't interested in taking
things further ... allegedly because, well,
Depp can't compare to a woman's
touch. (Well, duh.)
"She says she feels she's
too young for him, but the
main factor is Amber
prefers dating women
over men and has no
interest in committing
to a guy-even if he
is Johnny Depp;'
a source
told
RadarOnline.
com. Well, them's
just the pansexual
breaks, Johnny.•
Kelly Clarkson
TRENDstSHE
S
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
"I don't like identifying as gay or straight or even bisexual. I don't
necessarily like identifying as a woman. I identify as a human being
and I enjoy distinctions being taken away. I believe in human rights.
We should treat each other exactly the same whoever we are.
The rigid constructs put into place to define us don't really work."
-Ana Matronic to Diva
"I lived in a village of
200 people! I didn't really
see any kind of gay
scene until I moved
to London when I
was 19. I was the only
gay in the village!"
-Marina Diamandis
to Go Magazine
LasVegas.com/gaytravel
NDS!SCENE
W//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////A
OUT
INVEGAS
The 8th Annual OutMusic Awards wrap up in fabulous Las Vegas.
The OutMusic Awards rocked the night on Dec. 16 from the
year. "We were on a huge stage, which was awesome to be on,"
grounds of the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las
she says. "The artists were superb, all the performances were. I
Vegas. Ms. Lillian McMorris emceed the ceremony as Diana
just feel like bringing it to Las Vegas made it feel more like we're
King, Frenchie Davis, Raye 6, Vicci Martinez, Cocoa Sarai, Love
moving in the direction of bringing our awards show to the
Darling, Rainbow Noise, Blu Nyle and many others packed the
equivalent of the rest of the music industry."
evening with brilliant performances.
The honorees of the night included Diana King with the
Vanguard Award, Storme Delarverie with the Living Legend
What can we expect for the future?
"Well," Meredith says, "this year was wonderful, so we can
only go up from here!" -Molly
Williams
Award and Bishop Yvette Flunder with the Heritage Award.
Diedra Meredith (aka Deepa Soul), the leading lady of the
OutMusic Awards, was extremely pleased with the turnout this
18
CURVE
MARCH
2013
For a full list of winners as well as videos and photos from the
event, visit outmusicawards.com.
POLITICS
» ADVICE
» COMMUNITY
Women Make History
The feminization of power in 2013.
BY VICTORIA
0
A. BROWNWORTH
n Jan. 3, when the 113th Congress was sworn in, the demographics
looked a little more like America than the 112th Congress had, with
more women and people of color, including Thai-born Rep. Tammy
Duckworth (D-Ill.), who is a double amputee from the Iraq War and
the first disabled woman ever elected to the House of Representatives.
The news media, from the New York Times to CNN, called the 113th "the rise
of the female legislator" because at the swearing-in ceremonies there were 101
women, the largest number ever: 20 women in the Senate (including the first
openly queer senator, Tammy Baldwin) and 81 (that includes three non-voting
members) in the House. Hillary Clinton, who won the popular vote in the 2008
Democratic presidential primary and who is the most traveled and most popular
Secretary of State in American history,
is the person everyone-Democrat and
Republican-is watching for the 2016
presidential race.
Women are gaining political traction
in the U.S., but they are still struggling
to eke out power. Of the 56 governors
of the states and territories in the U.S.,
only six are women-four Republicans
and two Democrats. Two of the Republicans, SusanaMartinez (N.M.) and Nikki
Haley (N.C.), are also among only eight
governors of color-five of whom are in
the territories.
The late Democratic Speaker of the
House Tip O'Neill famously said, ''All
politics is local;' and Mother Jones said,
"Whatever your fight, don't be ladylike:'
Women-especially lesbians-need
to apply these axioms as we consider
our political needs in the coming election years, 2014 and 2016. The 2012
presidential election was, in part, contested over women's issues. such as
rape and abortion rights. The Democratic Party won. But no candidates
talked about poverty. According to
the U.S. Census Bureau, the majority
of those in the U.S. living in poverty
are women, particularly single women
over 40-and since the census does not
count lesbians as a group, it is likely
that a significant portion of those "single" women are, in fact, lesbians.
International Women's Day is March
8, and in the U.S. we've been celebrating
Women's History Month since 1911;
formally, since 1978. Women's history,
politics, and the quest for equality in
the home and the marketplace have been
cobbled together throughout that 100
years of "celebration:' But I'm not sure
it's been a successful amalgam, given
the problems most women still face.
I've been writing about politics
since I was a high school student, and
I've been interested in women and history even longer. Politics, particularly
at the local level, is an essential tool
in the quest for women's equality. I
MARCH
2013
CURVE
19
st POLITICS
YOUR
TASTE
BUDS
ARE
ABOUT
TOGET
SPOILED.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
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worked on Hillary Clinton's campaign
in 2008 and when (her supporters
don't say "if," because we want it so
badly) she runs in 2016, I will work for
her again. I admire her strength and
her decades-long fight for the rights
of women and girls worldwide-and
besides, it's past time America had a
female president.
Some people don't think that having
women in power makes a differencethat women get corrupted by power
in much the same way men do, and
so gender is irrelevant. It's not. One
lesson the Republicans (should have)
learned from the 2012 elections is that
people want to see themselves reflected
in their leadership.
It's important to have women in
power because women must deal with
issues men almost never have to address.
It's not just about children and family.
Or even pay equity (or rather, the lack
ofit). It's about understanding the social
structure from the bottom up.
Women have an investment in what
happens to women and girls. A majority of the world's women and girls are
illiterate. Agriculture and water acquisition are the responsibility of women in
most developing countries. There is still
no global resolution on child marriage,
rape, sex trafficking. Women are still
thought to be so secondary in a majority
of cultures that female infanticide is a
norm-there is now a gender imbalance
in every nation in Asia, most dramatically in China and India, where
sex-selection abortion is common.
Women in politics see the broader
picture on social issues and reform,
from water management to education
to reproductive rights. My hero for last
year, Malala Yousafzai, was shot in the
head on Oct. g, 2012, in an assassination attempt carried out by the Taliban
in the Swat Valley province where she
lives. Malala is only 15. Why would the
Taliban try to assassinate a teenage
girl? Because since she was 11, when she
became a blogger for BBC Urdu, Malala
has been working for the rights of girls
and women in Pakistan. When she was
shot, Malala was protesting for the
THEULTIMATE
WINE
AND
FOOD
EXPERIENCE
MAY9-12,
2013
right of girls to go to school, which is
forbidden by the Taliban. Girls where
Malala lives must go to school in secret
and risk reprisals against themselves
and their families. Malala understood
what so few political leaders recognize:
that educating girls will change the
world-a world in which females are
living second-class lives.
The 2012 elections clarified for many
American women just how second-class
they are. The discussion of "legitimate
rape" didn't sound all that different from
the Saudi cleric calling for the gang rape
of Syrian women to ease the tensions of
men fighting in the civil war there.
So as we "celebrate" Women's History Month, with an emphasis on the
achievements of women, we absolutely
must look at what women have yet to
achieve, and that is full equality.
Clinton is a strong supporter of lesbian rights and global rights for women.
Tammy Baldwin's move from the House
to the Senate is both historic and exciting; Baldwin has a 20-year history of
progressive politics, and that includes
furthering the rights of lesbians. The
election of whip-smart Rep. Kyrsten
Sinema (D-Ariz.), the first openly bisexual member of Congress, also bodes well
for our community. At 36, Sinema is
emblematic of the new wave of young,
feminist lawmakers.
I want to see myself reflected in
the halls of power. I want every girl in
America to believe she can be president. I want every girl in the world to go
to school. Susan B. Anthony said, "Oh if
I could but live another century and see
the fruition of all the work for women!
There is so much yetto be done!" More
than a century later, there is more to be
done than she could have imagined.
The burden of history is great: We
need to hold both our elected leaders,
male and female, accountable-as well
as ourselves. Because, the life of every
girl who cannot go to school, every
woman in poverty or at risk-this is our
responsibility. Thus, as feminist theorist
Robin Morgan said, "The personal is
political:' How we make history in the
years to come is as personal as it gets.•
st TWO OF US
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Jody & Katharine
Jody Cole and her wife, Katharine, run Wild Rainbow African Safaris, taking women
to sub-Saharan Africa for animal-loving adventure. Jody brings women together on
safa is at which strangers part as friends. Katharine brings audiences together with
her music. As a couple, their energy and charisma are hard to resist.
I managed to come up with
several ways to keep her in
my life after the festival-by
helping the band record a
CD, then hiring her as my
assistant.
KATHARINE My beloved band
was breaking apart, I was
breaking up with my thengirlfriend, I was newly sober,
and suddenly sparks began to
fly between us.
THE
IMPORTANCE
OF
MARRIAGE
HOW
THEY
MET
JODY I met Katharine Chase
when I sent her a persuasive
plea to perform with her
band, Kindness, at my
Hopland Women's Festival in
1998. I was in a relationship at
the time, but when I received
Katharine's reply I got this
odd tingle in my stomach,
which is usually in response
to something I'm attracted to.
KATHARINE Dawn Richardson,
Carrie Baum, and I drove
up to Mendocino County
in Northern California and
arrived just after sundown at
the sweetest festival under
the stars you could imagine.
We loaded our now-dusty gear
backstage and a woman in a
safari hat and an extremely
well-endowed tool belt
welcomed us. That was
Jody Cole.
LOVE
ATFIRST
AND
SECOND
SIGHT
For me, it was love at
first email! Then when I saw
her perform for the first time,
I was smitten and starstruck.
JODY
22
CURVE
MARCH
2013
KATHARINE I proposed
onstage at the Dolores Park
Cafe the day after the first
marriages took place in San
Francisco, back in 2004. Once
we drove back to our isolated
cabin in Mendocino County,
we talked about it into the
night, and somewhere around
four in the morning on that
miserably rainy day we
packed up and headed back to
the Civic Center.
JODY We stood in line for
hours in the pouring-down
rain to get married at San
Francisco's City Hall. It was
and still is the most magical
day of my life.
CREATING
WILD
RAINBOW
AFRICAN
SAFARIS
JODY I started Wild Rainbow
African Safaris in 2006.
Katharine was immediately
part of the initial team that
got things rolling.
KATHARINE Jody had been
in love with Africa for a long
time before I met her, and
in fact she'd just returned
from a trip to Namibia when
we finally got together as
a couple. So her deep love
of Africa, combined with
her amazing ability to be
iiber-hostess for so many
wonderful organizations,
naturally combined in what
Wild Rainbow African Safaris
has grown to be.
THE
UPS
AND
DOWNS
OF
WORKING
TOGETHER
JODY I have her with me 24/ 7,
to chat, create, brainstorm
and fantasize with. She
makes me laugh, she pushes
me, and she makes me mad,
which inevitably motivates
me. She is my biggest fan
and supporter. I would not
have accomplished this much
without her. The drawbacks
are exactly the same. It's 24/7.
I am in the very bad habit of
always talking about the company at inappropriate times,
like in bed. Imagination can
be used freely here. Yep, I'm
that bad.
KATHARINE Drawback
number one is that starting
a small business can be a
torturous process, so going
through it with someone you
love can either make or break
not only the business but your
relationship as well. You have
to always keep your priorities
straight-make time for
time away from the business,
the iPhone and Facebook,
and remind yourselves that
no matter what happens to
that business, you want the
personal connection between
you to be left standing.
we have always talked it out,
reasoned through it, and
compromised. One thing
we never compromise on,
however, is our dedication to
our life together.
JODY I can be in Africa for
up to three months solid. It's
painful for both ofus. But
we had a great foundation
from the beginning of our
relationship. I feel very
confident that we will be OK.
I'm so madly in love with her
I can't imagine messing this
thing up.
WHAT'S
INSTORE
FOR
2013
JODY More safaris than
ever. We have developed a
couple of very unique trips,
in particular our EcoQuest
Safari. This is a boots-onthe-ground, interactive,
all-bush-all-the-time kind
of trip with a hands-on
instructional component.
Participants get to actually learn what guides go
through to become guides,
which includes tracking
big game, driving the safari
vehicle-basically, learning
the tricks of the trade in an
absolutely beautiful and
remote region of South
Africa, with me as your
instructor. I'm so excited.
KATHARINE I have been in
the process of writing a new
album. I'm already scheduled
to be rolling around the
country on a concert and
festival schedule this year,
HOW
THEY
FACE
CHALLENGES
which will take me who
AND
RESOLVE
DIFFERENCES
knows where and back until
KATHARINE We both know
what lines not to crossthe fall of 2013. We're going
however, when voicing our
to be juggling calendars
opinions, and even though
a lot, but we are both
sometimes those lines get
pretty good at doing that.
crossed and emotions flare,
(wildrainbowsafaris.com) •
st
LIPSTICK+DIPSTICK
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
My Girlfriend,
the Flasher
Is it time to set boobie boundaries?
Or get a nude attitude?
BY LIPSTICK
& DIPSTICK
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I've been
dating my girlfriend, Jules, for a few months,
so I decided to invite her on a vacation I'd
planned with Bernadette, a really old friend
of mine. Everything was going great until
we all got in the hot tub. Jules didn't bring
a suit, so she hopped in naked. I was naked
too, so I didn't really think anything of it. But
then Bernadette joined us, and she was in
a modest one-piece. The temperature in
the Jacuzzi was hot, so Jules decided to
sit on the edge with her legs completely
wide open. I could tell that Bernie was
uncomfortable. I tried to give Jules a "look,"
but she was clueless. Later, I talked to her
about it and she said she was used to nudity
and there was nothing wrong with what she
did. Nudity is one thing, but trying to give my
friend Bernie a pap smear-view is another.
Am I wrong?-Boundary Breaker
Dipstick: I'm with Jules on this
one. Every Tuesday, I go to
a women- and trans-friendly
night at my local hot tub place,
and hanging out in the nude
is no big deal. I love it. It's not
a sexual thing. When I was on
the swim team in high school,
we all showered together and
had "shaving parties" the night
before a big meet. I've skipped
around naked at Michfest and
love skinny-dipping every
chance I get. Wearing a suit in a
hot tub is stupid.
24
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Lipstick: I am with Jules, too,
because I'm a total naked
nudie. In general, I think folks
are way too uptight about
our original skin. For myself,
beyond hot tubbing, here are
some other things I like to do in
the buff: vacuum, do yoga, take
business calls.
Dipstick: What? Are you naked
when we're on the phone?
Lipstick: If we aren't on Skype,
yes. Boundaries, the fact that
Bernadette is uncomfortable in
the buff is her issue, not yours.
That said, I do draw the line at
flashing the undercarriageespecially if it's your BFF who's
getting ambushed by your new
girl's beav.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick:
I've been seeing a girl,
Raquel, for four months, but
she doesn't want anything
serious. There are days when
she doesn't pay any attention
to me, and there are days
when she's really sweet.
We haven't talked in a week
because one of our friends,
Piper, told her that I told her
we had sex. We did, but I
didn't say anything to anyone.
The contrary is true, actually.
Piper gossiped to me about
Raquel, and divulged all kinds
of bad stuff. Now Raquel's the
one trashing me? I really care
about Raquel. What should I
do? -Tired of Trash Talk
Lipstick: Raquel is a viper
and you should stay away.
Life is hard enough without
snakes trying to poison you
with their venom! You need
to find some new friends, and
while you're at it, a real girlfriend (if that is, in fact, what
you want). While Raquel is the
consummate tease, she's been
clear about what she wantsnothing serious-so take her
at her word.
Dipstick: Why are you letting some douche bag get in
the middle of your relationship? People like Piper get
their jollies from destroying
other people's lives. Hopefully,
Raquel understands this. Tell
her your lips are sealed, and
see if she believes you. She
may just be using this "she
said, she said" controversy
as an excuse to keep you at a
distance. Lipstick is right-her
heart isn't in this. If the sex is
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
good, enjoy it and tame your
feelings. Otherwise, get out.
And cut ties with that gossip.
Dear Lipstick and Dipstick: I'm
a femme and have been dating a stud, Jay, long-distance
for some time. She's a great
person. When we first met, Jay
told me she was expecting to
adopt a baby from a woman
who was going to sign all the
rights over to her. Recently, I
finally got the courage to drive
up and visit Jay. Much to my
surprise, Jay is the one who
is carrying the baby. She told
me she was raped. My feelings
for her didn't change, and I
understand why she kept it
from me. I reassured her that
I wouldn't have judged her
and I still don't. But now, I'm
beginning to wonder how this
will affect us. What can I do
to support her, knowing that
she's closed and doesn't really
talk to me about her feelings
and certain highly personal
things?-Can I Trust Her?
Dipstick: Wow, this is pretty
intense. Now that she's come
out with the truth, she needs
someone to love and support
her. Make sure she has the
resources to get help from a
rape crisis counselor, if she
needs it. Call RAINN: 1.800.656.
HOPE. Her keeping this secret
from you may not be indicative
of her ability to tell the truth.
There can be a lot of shame
involved with sexual assault,
and she might not have been
ready to get that vulnerable
with you. Now that she's finally
told you what happened, see
if you can be open to trusting
her, and see if she'll open up to
you about other things. Since
she's got so much going on
in her life right now, I would
advise the two of you to not
make any big commitments for
at least a year.
Lipstick: You wonder how this
will affect you? I'll tell you: in
every single way for every single
day of the rest of your life.
Having a child is huge. How do
feel about what happened
to her or her difficult situation.
Raising a child is no mean feat,
and neither is dating a woman
who has one. You can support
you feel about being a parent?
her as a friend, but
ITHINK
FOLKS
ARE
WAY
TOO
UPTIGHT
ABOUT
OUR
ORIGINAL
SKIN.
FOR
MYSELF,
BEYOND
HOT
TUBBING,
HERE
ARE
SOME
OTHER
THINGS
I LIKE
TODOINTHE
BUFF:
VACUUM,
DO
YOGA,
TAKE
BUSINESS
CALLS.
Is it something you honestly
want? These are important
questions to answer, no matter
how romantic you feel about
Jay, or how sympathetic you
get some professional help from
a therapist to suss out your own
parental ambitions-before you
are the one cutting the umbilical chord.•
MARCH
2013
CURVE
25
st RELATIONSHIPS
Face to Face
Your soul mate may be closer to you than you think. ev REKARA
D
yke-a-likes, dyke-clones,
"The Merge;' are all ways
to describe the wellknown lesbian phenomenon in which couples
have the uncanny tendency to look
like one another. Some blame it on
wardrobe sharing, parroting behavior
or just plain old-fashioned narcissism.
But as it turns out, there may be more
than a shared dress code drawing
you to potential mates. According to
Christina Bloom, creator of Find Your
Face Mate, facial feature similarity
between couples is what lights that
initial spark of attraction. "When we
meet someone, we usually say, 'I met
this great girl;' says Bloom. "The thing
is, you liked her personality because
you liked her face."
FaceMate is a scientific and researchbased online dating sight for singles.
The technology scans a photo that
26
CURVE
MARCH
2013
GAGE
you upload and it marks 67 points on
the face and matches them to other
pictures uploaded to the "facebase."
Bloom happened upon this concept
when she started dating someone new
after ending her marriage. "People
were telling us that we looked so
similar. We had the same coloring and
it made the similar structures of the
face easier to see. There began my fascination and that was 20 years ago."
And while the Internet has offered
more options through which to meet
a partner, the dating itself is no easier.
Bloom hopes to help people find their
special someone by spreading awareness about how to approach love. With
60,000 members worldwide, FaceMate
is looking to build the face base.
This concept is especially suited to
lesbians, says Bloom, because facial
similarity is easier to determine in
same-sex couples. When was the last
time you really looked at Ellen and
Portia? You maye be surprised at the
similarity.
Bloom offers another celesbian example: "Look at Christine Quinn and
her partner. They look exactly alike."
Following the initial facial feature
match, FaceMate looks at a variety of
data including style, values and compatibility of personality-all of which
are essential in a strong and healthy
relationship.
"People have to be more giving and
listen to each other," says Bloom. "It's
a give and take. As you get older, this
is the person you are going to have to
rely on and so that strong foundation
needs to be there."
Still skeptical? Joining is free, so
why not give it a try? "People complain
about [traditional] online dating and I
agree, it's not great;' says Bloom. "But ...
with online dating, there is a number
of people narrowed down and what difference does it make if it gets you to the
person that you love? You're going to
get the romance once you get the person." (findyourfacemate.com) •
v1Ews1S
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
UP
ALL
NIGHT
Replace bed death with bed zest.
A topical gel is being touted as the female Viagra.
Dr. Susan Kellogg is the co-founder and
director of Sexual Medicine at the Pelvic and
Sexual Health Institute of Philadelphia. Who
better to ask about the first product to tackle
the problem of female sexual dysfunction.
just the simple blood flow to
genitals, cause-and-effect male
system. Many companies and
scientists have spent years
and millions of dollars trying
to develop a pharmaceutical
they applied the product on the
sensitive mucous membranes
at the vaginal opening rather
than on the outer genital areas.
Do you think lesbian bed death
exists? And if so, can Zestra
solution, without success.
That is why Zestra remains an
assist women who have lost
important option for women.
If female sexual response
LBD describes the state of a
sexual relationship. If not
is complex-for
attended to, any relationship
can be negatively impacted by
example,
originating in the brain for
women-how
can a topical
gel increase the likelihood
interest in sex?
life stressors, can become
outine and involve less sex play.
Why do you recommend Zestra?
What are the strengths and
of orgasm?
I have been an advocate of
benefits of the product?
The brain is a key component
Healthy sexual relationships
require work and energy to
Zestra since its inception,
Zestra is the only clinically
proven, topically applied
of female sexual response.
While a topical product doesn't
remain vibrant. The introduction
of novelty, or adding adventure
product that can improve
arousal, orgasm, desire and
affect the brain chemistry,
because it was one of the few
over-the-counter products
that backed its claims with
solid clinical data. In the field
of sexual medicine, we are
always looking for effective
solutions for female sexual
dysfunction, particularly
those products that are nonsystemic and easy for women
to use. When I first started
recommending Zestra and
my patients reported positive
satisfaction for women. Zestra
is safe and works within five to
10 minutes after application [by
the woman or her partner]. I
Zestra incites a genital arousal
response, which often becomes
a catalyst for reactive sexual
desire within the brain. In other
words, women start to feel
advise my patients that Zestra is
a low-risk, local option for them,
sensations within minutes of
application, which gets "their
which is effective for many
patients, particularly those with
Some women say Zestra
heads in the game."
''
HtAlTHY
StXUAl
RrlATIONSHIPS
RrOUIRt
tNrRGY
TO
RrMAIN
VIBRANT.
''
altered orgasm latency and
amplitude.
tingles, others say it burns.
clinical responses, I informed
the founders of the product
Sexual satisfaction for men
difference in response?
has become a science, but why
Women generally use a number
to your shared experience,
for example, by going out for
that I saw such robust clinical
improvement. I continued my
has the study of this issue not
progressed for women?
of words to describe how
Zestra feels-usually a tingling,
Middle Eastern cuisine, by
trying kayaking, zip-lining or
involvement with the company
when Mary Jaensch and Rachel
Female sexual response
appears to be more complex
warming sensation. For a small
percentage of women, the
any other new activity, by
cooking together-and by
Braun Scherl took over the
Zestra product, under the
than male sexual response
and involves emotional,
feeling is more like burning.
These women more than likely
expanding your sexual
repertoire. Adding Zestra
parent company, Semprae
Laboratories, Inc. I felt it was
physiological and contextual
elements-as opposed to
have a sensitive skin type or a
coincident yeast infection, or
can re-create a spark and
shift dopamine, a pro-sexual
important that a company that
manufactures a product for
Why do you think there is a
neurotransmitter in the brain,
women is run by women.
What is your relationship with
which can enhance the sexual
relationship. Another way to
impact brain and physical
Semprae Laboratories, which
chemistry is to add erotic
produces Zestra?
literature or other forms of
erotic media into your weekly
habits. Lastly, you should
I served on Zestra's Medical
Advisory Board in 2008, when
the team was writing up the
results of the second clinical
multicenter study, which
demonstrated improvement in
female sexual satisfaction with
the use of the product.
get moving together-that
is, channel those feel-good
endorphins gleaned through
regular exercise into a shared
experience in the relationship.
-Georgia Krokus
MARCH
2013
CURVE
27
s10UT IN FRONT
p
II CONNECTING
COMMUNITIES
I
Addressing the issues that intersect our lives is the first step toward equality.
BY SHERYL KAY
Vera Bergkamp
The Netherlands » Dutch Parliament
It is a land renowned for its windmills,
fresh cheeses, striking tulips, and a leftleaning view of politics. "Superficially,
Dutch society is liberal;' says Vera Bergkamp, but she adds that while LGBT
civil rights have been in place for decades
in Holland, life for lesbians is not always
a bed of roses. Bergkamp, who is now a
member of the Dutch Parliament, cites
a recent opinion poll: "When, for example, it comes to kissing in public, almost
half the population takes offense to a
male gay couple kissing, 30 percent take
offense to a lesbian couple kissing, but
only one in 10 take offense to a straight
couple kissing in public:'
Additionally, she says, LGBT pupils
feel unsafe in high schools. The suicide
rate among this group is up to five times
higher than the average, while seven out
of 10 gay adults encounter physical or
verbal violence because of their identity. "There's still a lot of work to be done
here;' notes Bergkamp.
Joining the Dutch gay rights group
COC five years ago (COC is the oldest
gay rights group in the world), and serving as the organization's chair for two
years, until October 2012, Bergkamp is
at the forefront in the battle for full civil
rights in Holland. And her efforts are
coming to fruition.
28
CURVE
MARCH
2013
After years of intense lobbying by
Bergkamp and her colleagues, in December 2012 a law was passed that makes it
mandatory for all schools in Holland to
teach children about the LGBT community. And this spring, the country will
enact legislation that gives the same-sex
spouse of a biological parent the same
legal status as any biological parent,
without the need for adoption.
Yet Bergkamp reiterates the crucial
need for more change, specifically citing
LGBTrights in other countries. "Whereas
in Europe and the U.S., even though the
LGBT rights situation differs, we can
more or less openly live our lives with
those we love, but this is virtually impossible in countries like Iran, Iraq and
Uganda;' she says. "LGBT [people] are
social pariahs and even risk the death
penalty when they are caught:' And in
this struggle, she says, there is no room
for complacency. "As long as there are
countries where the death penalty or
severe punishments are given just because you are who you are, our fight is
not over;' says Bergkamp.
Gaylon Alcaraz
Chicago » Reproductive Rights
For the past decade, Gaylon Alcaraz, the
executive director of the Chicago Abortion
Fund, has worked within the reproductive justice movement to advocate for
low-income women seeking to gain their
reproductive freedom. It is an effort, she
says, that is directly tied into fighting for
LGBT rights as well, because both issues
face challenges from the same enemy, the
same fanatics. "Full autonomy over the
body that one lives in is the cornerstone to
the right of privacy;' says Alcaraz. "When
a society can dictate your reproductive
health decisions, who you should love,
what kind of family you can or should
have, or even define what sexual identity
looks like-and those most impacted by
these injustices don't take a stand-we
are in serious trouble:'
Alcaraz also served for many years
as a member of the board for Affinity
Community Services, a grassroots organization that advocates for the rights of
lesbian and bisexual African American
women. The greatest issues that women
of color in the LGBT community face
today are economic security, healthcare
and reproductive rights. As much as some
might like to think that everyone in the
lesbian community faces the same hardships, regardless of race, Alcaraz says
that is just not correct. Privilege and
class, she says, are instrumental in dividing the community. "Even today, as a
woman of color, I can go into an event or
a fundraiser and more than likely never
be acknowledged;' says Alcaraz. "I mean,
can't you tell within the entire marriage
equality push there is a divide? LGBT
communities of color weren't polled by
the larger movement to see what their
most important issues were."
Looking ahead, Alcaraz says the lesbian community should address many of
the these challenges by using social media
on a broader scale, on behalf of the disconnected women, especially in rural
places, whose only source of information on the community is the Internet,
via computers or cell phones. The Internet gives these women a way to connect
to a community, to feel a sense of belonging, and to exchange ideas.
"When one group is oppressed, we are
all oppressed;' she says. •
MUSIC
»
FlLM»
BOOKS
»
TECH
curve
REVIEWS/
MUSIC
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
musical style embodied a fusiondance, reggae, pop, and soul-that
suggested we could all get along.
Now, King's announcement has permanently altered the anti-gay image of
Jamaica. On June 28, 2012, she posted a
note on her Facebook page titled "Yes!!
I Am Lesbian." This declaration is a significant event in Jamaica's contemporary history, equal to the moment when
Bob Marley closed his set at his One
Love Peace Concert by joining hands
with then Prime Minister Michael
Manley and the opposition leader, Edward Seaga. Diana King's declaration
of her lesbianism has shifted the sociopolitical dynamics of Jamaica and
gives an identity to Caribbean LGBT
everywhere.
Where did you spend your formative
years?
I was born and raised in Spanish Town,
the first capital of Jamaica. I later
moved to Kingston and lived there
until I became a U.S. resident in 2000.
I now hold dual citizenship, for both
countries.
What does your family think about your
lesbian identity?
I don't know and I don't care. I've never
been close to my biological family. It's
the price they paid for rejecting and
labeling me a "rebel;' or "weirdo." But
the few I connected with, including my
immediate family, love me unconditionally. I believe "family" are the friends
you choose.
When did you first discover your attraction to women?
It's a funny story, so I'll just give you
a little piece. I've always held strong
sexual feelings for women but never
really explored it. I'm not a fan of any
erotica, but I was 21 years old, in New
York City, and working on my first
album, Tougher Than Love for Sony
Music. Late one night, after a long
exhausting day in the studio, I was
flicking through the channels in my
hotel room. I felt curious
and decided to
watch some lesbian erotica and
whooooo!!! I was
up all night! The
morning after, I
certainly knew that
I was unashamedly
lesbian. Ironically, the
next day I wrote "Shy
Guy;' which is all about
me.
Did you attempt to "pray
the gay away"?
No, never. I do not pray.
I shunned religion from
about age 5. I had too many
questions in Sunday school,
and due to my inquisitiveness
I spent most days outside, as punishment for blasphemy. I have always
been honest with myself, though
sometimes to a fault. I listen to the
voice inside ...the good one. It doesn't
always tell you what you want to hear
but you have to trust it. That's the real
you talking, and who knows-maybe
30
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2013
it's God. Coming to terms with my
lesbianism was a process of selfrealization and acceptance. Total clarity
comes amidst unrelenting feelings and
societal misperceptions about homosexuality. My desire to be completely
authentic was victorious over any fears.
Have you had a significant monogamous
relationship with a lesbian?
It's hard not to talk about relationships but, as a romantic,
I'm a little superstitious about
sharing intimate details of my
personal relationships. Oftentimes, when celebrities open
up to the public about their
personal life, intimate relations
tend to become disarrayed.
What I will say is, yes, I have
had significant lesbian relationships, but since I am also very
private, I've never felt comfortable
tta have some
mystique about her. I do, however, see myself on a veranda,
in a rocking chair, old and gray,
with my soul woman sitting
across from me in the matching chair, and we're reminiscing about the day we met and
all the arguments we never
thought we'd now be laughing
about.
What advice can you offer to Caribbean
women who want to come out?
You must prioritize and decide what
type of legacy to leave behind. At
some point in life, we must all take
accountability for ourselves. When
you choose to be responsible, the
universe acknowledges your efforts
and assists you on this earthly journey.
Just think, one day you will be on
your deathbed. Will you be pleased,
or regret living a facade? No one
should dictate when a person "comes
out;' but if you really want change
in your country, understand that
sacrifices are critical steps in societal
transformation. No one wants to be a
martyr, but we must find the courage,
take a stand, and demand our God-given
rights in our own country. Caribbean
REVIEWS/
Studs on
the Big
Screen
British writer/director
Campbell X depicts urban
queer London's stud life
on the silver screen.
BY TANIA HAMMIDI
Robyn Kerr and
T'Nia Miller in Stud Life
S
tud masculinity hit the silver
screen with a vengeance in
Stud Life, a new film from
the award-winning British
filmmaker Campbell X. The
film, which played to sold-out audiences in London, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Oakland and Trinidad, tells
the story of a young black stud who's
faced with the "mates before muff"
question when she falls in love with
Elle, the film's hot femme lead, played
by Robyn Kerr.
T'Nia Miller stars as JJ, a butch lesbian who is as vulnerable as she is fly;
Kyle Treslove portrays JJ's best friend,
Seb, a gay white man who struggles
with his femininity before finding his
own true love. And while the romantic
comedy strikes a lighthearted tone as
Seb and Elle wrestle for JJ's attentions,
what's really exciting about Campbell's film is her decision to feature a
black, masculine-of-center protagonist,
which attracted a whole new audience
FlLM
demographic. Stud, aggressive, tomboi,
butch, and masculine-of-center queers
of color flocked to the LGBT film festival screenings of Stud Life, eager to see
themselves on the big screen.
"Studs have responded with joy to
the film-it is a result of not seeing too
many images of themselves looking
hot on the big screen. Some have come
up to me and said, 'That was my life up
there-you put my life up there.' They
would tweet me back lines from the
film;' says Campbell.
A dapper black stud herself, Campbell empathizes with the audience's
desire to see female masculinity represented on screen. "It makes sense.
Why would they come, if they're not
seeing themselves? To see the same
thing you can see on telly? There are
no masculine-of-center people of color
in mainstream queer cinema, or even
in indie cinema," she says.
In the U.S., a few African American lesbian filmmakers actually have
MARCH
2013
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REVIEWS/
FlLM
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
''I CRtATtNUANCtD,
tackled the challenge of representing
stud lesbians on screen. Director Cheryl
Dunye who launched Strangers Inside
back in 2001; the project was a madefor-cable drama about a mother-daughter stud reunion in prison. Dunye's
recent independent film Mommie's
Coming handled the subject of black
butch identity by taking a more playful
approach. She cast her dandy self as
the Berlin cab driver who transports
her protagonists to and fro. Director
Dee Rees's recent feature Pariah also
moved African American studs right
into the mainstream. "It is mindblowing, really. It is the first time
somebody has made a film with a black
lesbian protagonist who has broken
through [to mainstream] consciousness;' Campbell says.
With so few studs on the big screen,
writer/director Campbell found her
inspiration for the film in her community and on the Internet. "The film is
inspired by London and its very vibrant
multicultural life and where it comes
into creative collision with diverse
LGBT people. It's also inspired by all
the bois on YouTube, who are inadvertently creating an archive of female
COMPltX
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WHO
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TOBtTRUt
TOTHtMStlVrSINSPITt
0~THt
TtMPTATION,
ltDBY
MYOWN
PtRSONAl
POllTICS,
TOMAKt
THtM
PtR~tCTlY
SAi
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32
CURVE
MARCH 2013
masculinity for generations to come;'
Campbell says. "Also, there are web
series between women that have stud
characters on them. They were influential to my film:'
Seasoned by nearly 20 years of
making film, Campbell has stakes in
breaking the mold of LGBT films, not
only by putting masculine women of
color in the foreground, but also by
putting kink into the limelight of the
rom com genre. "My intention when
making any film is to tell a good story
with lush visuals. I also challenge us as
minorities, whether LGBT or [people
of color]. I create nuanced, complex
characters who have to be true to
themselves-in
spite of the temptation, led by my own personal politics,
to make them perfectly saintlike and
politically correct."
Elle's admission that she is a dominatrix is met with outrage when JJ
first finds out what her lover does for
work. Campbell explains, "JJ is conventional. She is not a perfect stud.
She has her flaws. Elle accepts her, but
[JJ] does not accept Elle. Often this
happens when a stud wants to control
a femme, through anger or whatever.
So I wanted to raise these concerns."
Campbell's focus on desire and
femininity in Stud Life is also meant
to expand the range of LGBT films. "I
wanted to show through Elle, who is a
powerful femme, that submission is
an active process, not a passive one;'
she says.
By rejecting a myopic mainstream
view of lesbian characters, Campbell
knew she would face funding issues, so
she took matters into her own hands,
creating the full-length feature on a
near-zero budget. "Masculine-of-center
females do not represent the idealized
'saleable' woman-who can be packaged
to mainstream audiences of any sexual
orientation. She is being erased from
our dominant media. I am interested
in putting anyone who is forced to the
margins right back into the center of
the frame." (studlifethemovie.com) •
REVIEWS/
BOOKS
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
he said to me, 'Wow! I
didn't expect you to
look so foxy;" Laurie
Rubin giggles,recounting the observation a
librarian made during a recent reading for her memoir, Do You Dream
In Color? Blind since birth, Rubin has
now written about her life and the pivotal challenges and rewards that have
crossed her path, dispelling misconceptions about blindness and the cynics in
her life who told her she would never
have a job, find romance or be independent. Clearly, they didn't know Rubin.
Swayed by opera at a young age, the
now internationally recognized mezzosoprano has performed legendary
recitals with world-renowned musicians, and is the recipient of many
awards, including her maiden momentthe 1997 LA Music Center Spotlight
Award. Adorned with 'Bravas!' Rubin
shares her personal message of resilience through the beauty of music.
"Audiences have their
own preconceived ideas
of blindness. I don't like to
preach, but if I can sing
about it, they can take their
own interpretations away
from the piece;' Rubin says.
"You're sharing something from your
experience that they can take, which
always keeps the music alive and relevant, and that's when I feel most alive
and happy-simply singing:'
Rubin has always been steered by
a family of advocates. "I think I just
always had a hunger for something
better. I had supportive people in my
family who were helping me find my
way, and nobody made me ever feel
lesser than anyone else. That's what
propelled me into a sense of security
about myself."
Do You Dream In Color, the memoir
title taken from the piece Rubin wrote
with composer Bruce Adolphe, is a
book about taking chances. Growing up,
Rubin second-guessed herself, enamored with the idea of being social, but
struggling for acceptance among her
peers. She found a haven in music camp
and was repeatedly invited to attend
once-in-a-lifetime master class series
and fellowship programs, under the
wing of some of the world's best musical mentors.
In her last year at Oberlin College,
where she played the role of Cenerentola in Rossini's "La Cenerentola"-the
classic Cinderella tale of a girl placed
in the shadows, she asserted her stance
as a musician: to conquer the lead role
in a full opera-and the glass slipper
fit just right.
When she was 22, Rubin was asked
to perform Samuel Barber's "Knoxville: Summer of 1915" with the man
celebrated for his swelling film scores,
conductor John Williams. "It was like
going on stage with a family member.
Conducting is a very personal thing.
I never realized how intimate it is, because they're
taking in the music and
when they feel the crescendo, and you're feeling this
next to them, you're almost
hearing it because they'll
take deep breaths. It was a
bonding experience I never
thought I'd have with a conductor."
She cites another seminal mentor, fellow mezzo-soprano and
legend Frederica von Stade, who taught
her the art of humbleness.
"One of the best voice tools is if you
can sing with someone better than
you;' says Rubin of Stade. "Your voice
naturally develops a synergy with that
other voice and you become a better
singer, viscerally, without worrying
about technique:'
Stade invited Rubin and her family
to her home when Rubin was asked to
perform a duet with her for a benefit
concert.
In awe of Stade's connectedness with
others, making time to say hello to PTA
friends at the local ice cream parlor,
she now says, "That's how I want to be.
MARCH
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REVIEWS/
BOOKS
///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
SQUARE
PEG
An outcast returns home to discover acceptance.
PrairieSilence:
A Memoir,
She's an incredible artist, and I think
being an incredible artist comes from
having that humility."
Another light in Rubin's life is her
partner, Jenny Taira, who she met at
Yale School of Music.
In her book, Rubin chronicles clumsy slow dances with boys at summer
camp and confronts her attraction to
women. She writes: "Attraction isn't
about vision. It's about an unmistakable vibe between two people. It's about
your heart stopping for a second when
that person touches you, when something completely ordinary can make
you giggle, when the very presence of
that person makes you speechless. Not
even your eyes can do all that for you."
Ten years together, Rubin and Taira
attribute their lasting relationship to
honesty and togetherness, personal
and professional. They live in Hawaii
where they run Ohana Performing
Arts and continue to collaborate on
many projects, including an album
they co-wrote, The Girl I Am.
"You hear all the time, 'Don't go
into business with your partner; but I
find that it's so nice that we can work
together. It's nice to know that there's
34
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with Jessica. It's a passionate
friendship which they cannot define,
nor act on, as their strong Christian
faith dictates that homosexuality
is not only a sin but completely
unfathomable. Hoffert writes, "I
wanted to confess my feelings,
but I couldn't find the words and I
couldn't imagine her response. She
already knew, I thought, anyway.
She had to understand because she
was living our relationship along
with me." When Melanie realizes
that Jessica has fallen for a boy,
irrevocably shifting the context of
their own relationship, she writes,
"Why, I wondered, would a boy be
better ...The question was as elusive
as a word problem. I understood
the terms, but I couldn't get my mind
around the answer."
Hoffert writes respectfully and
humorously of the land and the
town she left, as well as the religion
she eventually became estranged
from. By the book's end, Hoffert has
accepted the integrity of both the
people and the land of North Dakota.
Even more importantly, she's also
accepted herself.-Rache/ Pepper
Melanie Hoffert
(Beacon Press):
What happens
when an adult
lesbian returns
to the small
town she's fled
from? Melanie Hoffert asks readers
to consider this question in Prairie
Silence: A Memoir. Hoffert, who grew
up on a farm near Wyndmere, N.D.,
describes the exodus from small
town America not as the result of
"economics or loss of opportunity
for young people." Rather, states
Hoffert, the exodus may be caused
"at a cellular or even metaphysical
level" by "prairie silence," the
inability to share or express one's
true self. Prairie silence, she writes,
results when people "swallow their
problems, their fears, their shames,
and their secret-figuring that
nature will take care of everything,
somehow or other ...And once a
silence has taken hold, whatever it is,
is hard to uproot."
Hoffert's story unfolds as she
decides to take a month-long leave
from her corporate life to return
to the farm, for harvest. Between
attempting to drive a farm truck with
her brother, exploring a deserted
schoolhouse with her mother or just
noticing the beauty of a North Dakota
sunrise, Hoffert paints a picture that
even urban readers will appreciate.
One of the most affecting aspects
of Hoffert's memoir is when she
recounts her teenage relationship
always something that we're doing
together that's bigger than we are and
our relationship, and that's what keeps
us going."
Ohana represents a chance to become an international gathering place,
and for those interested in the performing arts, a welcome haven.
Of all Rubin's impactful performances, it's in living rooms where she
feels like she is giving and telling the
most. She carries that intimacy into
the concert halls too.
"Even though I'm in a room with
people, I feel like what my job is,
is to connect with them and find something I feel is special and connect that
with them through the music."
Laurie Rubin says her aura is red, the
same color as the gown she wore when
she performed with John Williams.
"I've never wanted to fly under the
radar, because I'd be looked over for so
many opportunities. I need to force people sometimes to see that I'm capable of
succeeding:' (laurie-rubin.com) •
500
REVIEWS/
TECHGIRL
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Savvy Navigator
Seven smart travel apps you won't want to
leave home without. BY RANDY NELsoN
e DCOVERY
There are plenty of travel
guides you can carry on your
phone, but how about one you
make yourself? Dcovery lets
you enter the names of places
you'd like to visit on your trip,
and it does all the legwork,
pulling in addresses, business details, phone numbers,
reviews, menus and more so
you have it at your fingertips
when you reach your travel
destination. $4, dcovery.com
• TRIPIT
Don't worry about losing
important trip-related
information ever again.
Triplt organizes airline
ticket confirmation
numbers, itineraries, hotel
information and more all
in one place. It even offers
tools for keeping track of
your expenses while you're
traveling, which will take the
edge off those post vacation
blues.free, tripit.com
e UBER
Hailing taxis are so last year.
Uber makes arranging a
private driver quick and easy
right from your phone. Available in most major U.S. cities
and international locales
such as London, Paris and
Sydney, Uber lets you request
a pickup from within the app,
then displays in real time
how far away your swanky
ride is. Payments are handled
automatically, there's no tipping required and a receipt is
emailed to you so there's no
paperwork to lose.
free, uber.com
e HOTEL
TONIGHT
e SKOUT
Arranging same-day hotel
bookings used to be among a
traveler's worst nightmares,
but Hotel Tonight is a dream
come true. It not only makes
the process of tracking
down available rooms
easy, but also lets you take
advantage of some surprising
deals that could have you
procrastinating more often.
free, hoteltonight. com
Looking for a vacation
romance or to meet some
like-minded ladies during your
travels? Skout is a locationbased app that seeks out other
singles based on their location,
making it easier to find a
Sapphic sidekick for dinner or
even something more intimate
when you're in an unfamiliar
part of the world-or even your
hometown.free, skout.com
e TRIPLINGO
e JUSTLANDED
Not everyone has the time
to study a new language
before a trip. Thankfully,
there's Trip Lingo, a clever
app that replaces the conversational phrase books of
old with a much better
interface, a wider variety
of words and phrases for
every occasion, available
in packs. There are even
multiple versions, from
formal to slang, for each,
plus flashcards and more.
$10 and up, triplingo.com
If you've been all alone while
your partner is travelling,
you probably can't wait
to pick them up from the
airport. Just Landed is a fun
and handy app that helps
with that, letting you know
when you should leave for the
airport based on the flight
schedule, traffic and conditions at the airport. It's all
updated in real time, so you'll
never keep them waiting even
if their flight lands early.
$1, getjustlanded. com
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JODIE FOSTER/ ANI DIFRANCO/ MELISSAETHERIDGE/TAMMYLYNN
MICHAELS/ ALEXANDRAHEDISON/ LILYTOMLIN/ KELLYMCGILLIS/
SARA GILBERT/ JENNY SHIMIZU/ MARTINANAVRATILOVA/KATE
CLINTON/ MICHELLEWOLFF/ CLEA DUVALL/ TEGAN & SARA/ JANE
LYNCH/ K,O, LANG/ JACKIEWARNER/ ANNE HECHE/ MEREDITH
BAXTER/ JANIS IAN/ WE GOT THEM COVERED / ANGELINAJOLIE/
KRISTANNALOKEN/ JOEY LAURENADAMS / TALLULAHBANKHEAD
LAURELHOLLOMAN/ DREW BARRYMORE/ AMANDA BEARSE/
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1
curve
LE/FASHION
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simply about clothing.
It's about having
access to ar ents that
make y011 ook likf;~you.
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LAUGHTRACK»
Curiously Strong
Don't
befooled
bythefeminine
exterior
ofJackie
Primrose
Monahan.
ByMerryn
Johns
Actor and comic on the rise, Jackie
Primrose Monahan, is making a name
for herself on both coasts. The L.A.based beauty is a fixture at the Laugh
Factory as well as the N.Y.C. standup
scene where she was the "Joke of the
Year" winner by Time Out NY and is a
regular at Gotham and Caroline's comedy clubs on Broadway. She also tours
all over the country performing at clubs
and colleges and has appeared on Logo
and Here!TV as well as the acclaimed
independent comedy, Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. We caught
up with the unstoppable Ms. Monahan
to talk laughter and long-distance love.
When did you realize you were funny?
When I was really little. I would do crazy
antics to my mom all the time. She did
her best not to laugh and then when I
would leave the room I would eavesdrop
and hear her tell her friends about me.
They would all belly laugh and call me
"the little comedian:'
Can we have an example of your antics?
Going up to strange men with mustaches
and screaming "Daddy! Daddy!" and
latching onto their legs. Mom would ask
me to pick out my cereal at the supermarket and I would say, "OK, OK just
don't hit me again:' There was nothing
she could say in either situation so she
would just smile and pull me away. But
I could tell she got a big kick out of it
despite herself.
Your comedy is not politically correct.
Do you worry lesbians will disconnect?
Not talking about a subject and pretending it doesn't exist is more politically
Watch
JACKIEMONAHAN IN
CODEPENDENTLESBIAN
SPACEALIEN SEEKS
SAME AVAILABLEON
AMAZON AND ITUNES.
42
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MARCH
2013
incorrect in my opinion. Talking about
something and making light of it is beneficial. It releases the tension around the
subject and opens it up to conversation
instead of sweeping it under the rug.
was not alone and she was able to laugh
about some serious issues in her life.
She affected my life just as profoundly by
letting me know I had definitely found
my calling.
They say, Tragedy + Time = Comedy. Do
you agree and if not, what subject do
you consider taboo?
Your onstage persona is feminine, ditsy,
but sharp. Is that you?
My best friend died of cancer and it took
me a long time to hear anyone joke about
cancer. I got in arguments, stormed out
of movies. I was ridiculous and no one
made fun of cancer more than my friend,
Nicole, who passed away. Now that I am
a comedian, however, I see how making
a joke out of serious issues is healing,
as long as the joke is funny. It is in poor
taste to joke about national tragedies
right away [but] if we could, it would be
a great healing tool. But I completely
understand why people can't.
The worst thing an audience member
said to you after a show?
When someone took one of my jokes the
wrong way and wanted me to apologize
to them. I said I was sorry they took it
that way but I couldn't apologize for
the joke.
What was the best?
The best was when a 19-year-old girl said
my set changed her life. She realized she
Ha! I think I am a bit of a tomboy but
no one agrees with me. I would say my
stage persona is an exaggeration of me.
If you had to keep a day job, what would
it be?
A therapist.
You live on the West Coast, your partner
of 12 years lives on the East Coast. What's
the best and worst thing about a long
distance relationship?
The worst thing about long distance is
if one of us is sick, who is going to make
the soup? The best is absence makes the
heart grow fonder.
How much do you travel for comedy?
I travel at least once a month for work.
I am absolutely blessed to travel the
world and get paid for doing something
I love.
What is the one thing you always pack
with you when you travel?
My sleep eyepatch. I have 20 of them.
And headphones.
either one.
I am lost without
Planes, trains or automobiles?
Trains. They are just more romantic.
I was just in the U.K. traveling from
London to Wales and reading, and looking at the countryside was so relaxing.
What might you say to a TSA attendant
during a pat down?
Ha! I have been patted down a few
times. I tell them I left the Chapstick in
my pocket on purpose.
What's the one place you haven't been
that you'd like to perform?
Australia. Everyone I meet from Australia has been smart, nice and has a
great sense of humor. Plus we speak
the same language. I have performed
in places where they had to have interpreters. That's really fun too.
(jackiemonahan.com) •
~>
"I'm such a nerd, and I'm proud of it;'
says Urvashi Vaid, laughing. The title
of her new book, Irresistible Revolution:
/i
Confronting Race, Class and theAssumptions
of LGBT Politics, sounds a little nerdy. And
if "nerd" can be defined as "intellectual
political activist and theorist;' then nerd she
is. Move past the intense title of Irresistible
Revolution and into the table of contents,
however, and you'll see that her nerdiness
is synonymous with passion: a passion for
justice, equality, inclusion, change.
"It's a very optimistic and practical book;' she says.
What Vaid wants does seem practical enough: for LGBT
people to have a place at the table. A political animal, she
has spent her life working to get women and queers into seats
of power. But she also wants more-hence that subtitle. As
Vaid sees it, the LGBT movement is at a crossroads. Her biggest fear is that LGBT activists will see the recent gains in
the fight for marriage equality as a reason to slack off and
lose ground, the way the feminist movement did after Roe
v. Wade became law. "One of the worries that underlies my
book is a movement that demobilizes because it wins marriage equality;' she asserts. "I get energized by the wins, but
I also get energized by the losses."
Born in New Delhi, Vaid came to the U.S. at age 8. By
the time she was 11, she was involved in anti-Vietnam War
politics. As a student at Vassar College, her politics became
infused with feminism, and as a law student at Northeastern
University, she founded the Boston Lesbian/Gay Political
Alliance in 1983. Six years later, at the age of 31, she was
hired as the executive director of the National Lesbian and
Gay Task Force, then the most powerful queer political action
group in the country.
Fast-forward to 2013 and Vaid is still on the same mission:
to mainstream queers into political power. But she is also on
a new mission: to make sure we broaden our movement-be
more inclusive with regard to race, class and gender.
If it sounds heady, it is. But Vaid is a big-picture woman:
focused, dynamic and incredibly driven. When she talks
about creating change, the passion comes through in her
voice. She really wants people to get it. And while she knows
changing the world takes time, you can hear the urgency in
her tone. She doesn't want moments like the post-2012 election season to pass without maximizing our political gains,
but she doesn't want LGBT people to relax either, hearing
only "a triumphalist message, because the job isn't done,
the win hasn't been achieved."
Vaid explains that the gains made in the 2012 electionsmarriage equality voted in for the first time in history, the
first lesbian elected to the Senate, and a host of other local
LGBT wins-were the result of "coalition politics:' It's one
of the messages she touts in her new book, a message she has
been promoting for years in speeches around the country.
She gives as an example the passage of the marriage
equality referendum in Maryland. "We won in Maryland
because we forged a coalition-black churches, the NAACP,
the governor, who was on our side. Allies are the big lesson
of this election:'
Allies are what Vaid wants us to cultivate. As the
Republican Party discovered in the 2012 election, voter
demographics have shifted. But Vaid knows we can't just
presume that other minorities will be on our side.
"This 2012 election was won by a coalition of people,"
Vaid asserts. "Years ago, when we used to talk about this
coalition of our people, we were in a very different place."
MARCH
2013
CURVE
45
She goes on to explain that the 2012 election season was
harsh, with the Right doing everything possible to attack
the very coalition she's talking about-not just queers,
but poor people, people of color, immigrants and, of
course, women.
"We have been on the receiving end of a really vicious
movement against us. This election had its roots in what
Jesse Jackson was doing in 1984-that rainbow coalition."
When Vaid talks about building coalitions, forging
alliances and making the changes
that will impact each person in the
LGBT community, she's talking
about her own history as much as
she is the future of LGBT politics.
"What can I say? I write in the
book about how many times I have
been the only woman of color in the
room-or even the only woman;'
she says, a hint of pain in her voice.
"I wanted to make explicit [in
the book] the limits of the LGBT
movement and the assumptions that
we operate the movement underthat everyone is white, everyone is
middle class."
That's not a perception LGBT
people can work with anymore, Vaid
says. We need a more "values-based"
perspective, she says; as a community, we need to recognize that some
of us are poor, are immigrants (not
necessarily documented), are on
Social Security, SSI, disability, even
welfare-and so, issues related to
the fiscal cliff and entitlements cuts
impact us all. Because our movement really does encompass
everyone-people
of every race, ethnicity, gender, age,
ability.
Vaid has always been invested in politics as a means of
achieving equity. Now she's started her own lesbian political
action committee, the Lesbian Super PAC (teamlpac.com).
"I conceived and launched a lesbian super PAC to achieve
the balance I'm talking about," she says. "It's a values-based
PAC that is pro-social justice. In just six months we were
able to raise $750,000." Vaid adds that she wants to "use
technology to encourage lesbians and people of color"
to engage in the political process and adds that LPAC is
dedicated to "supporting progressive candidates at every
level;' with coalition building in mind. Vaid also wants to
shake things up.
"Lesbians are much more mobilized around lifestyle
things-social
experiences like the Dinah Shore, or the
Final Four, or cruises, or parties. I love those things. I'm
a big sports nut. But the primary gatherings of lesbians
46
CURVE
MARCH
2013
have become lifestyle things and not political gatherings.
Why can't we have both? Someone has to make demands on
our politicians. We need to be campaigning for pay equity,
addressing the high levels of cancer among lesbians, queer
kids going to school without debt- there are so many issues.
If I could get just 10 percent of these women ..."
Vaid underscores a point she makes in her book-that
"feminism has to be reintegrated into the LGBT movement."
Not just for lesbians, but for everyone. She also notes,
"Lesbians have lots of oomph to put
in there in the women's movement,
but we aren't really asserting
ourselves.''
Vaid is well aware of the reality
that "we are still a volunteer-reliant
movement"-and
she knows that
she has to reach a new generation
oflesbians. She also recognizes that
"we're a young movement-I see how
far we've come." But her focus is now
on where we have yet to go, which is
why she's promoting the book as well
as LPAC.
"The visibility of the queer
movement makes more and more
queers want to get involved;' she
explains. "It sounds so basic, but the
way we are able to be a vigorous queer
movement is by being visible.''
Vaid may live and breathe politics,
but her 25-year relationship with
lesbian comic and social satirist
Kate Clinton also sustains her.
Vaid's fiery voice takes on a wholly
different pitch when she talks about
Clinton-it softens. She's no longer a woman fighting on
the front lines, but a woman in love.
"I'm still crazy about her;' she says simply. "She's really
wonderful. She's really different from me. She can't stand
process. She's such a smart observer of manners and trends
and politics. I actually enjoy how she sees the world. I'm
quite literal and lawyerly about how I see the world. That
kind of engagement keeps us happy. I'm happy.''
The long-term relationship grounds both of them, says
Vaid.
"We communicate. We support each other. I feel so
much support from Kate about the political work I do. I
guess I think that all relationships are so complex. We try to
simplify them, but they are work. As Kate says, 'We've been
together 25 years, but some afternoons are 25 years long.' "
What Vaid says about her relationship with Clinton
applies equally to her relationship with the LGBT civil rights
movement she's devoting her life to. "Commitment is at the
root of it," she asserts. "It's just all about commitment." •
LEISHA HAILEY AND CAMILA GREY CUT TO THE QUICK
WITH THEIR NEW EP, A TRIP TO THE DINAH AND THE TRUTH ABOUT
THAT SOUTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT.
BY MELANY JOY BECK
MARCH
2013
CURVE
47
CAMILA GREY adjusts the volume on her phone
and clears her throat. "Our coffee maker just exploded,"
she says. "It went horribly awry and was leaking everywhere. Leisha's cleaning it up."
Since they charged onto the scene in 2007 on the
heels of bassist Leisha Hailey's role as Alice Pieszecki
on Showtime's The L Word, Uh Huh Her have done
more than their share of cleaning up messes. From
a breakup with their label, to Grey's shoulder surgery
in August, the duo has continued to release moody,
emotive electro-pop to a largely receptive audience.
But despite the new EP, a headlining gig at this year's
Dinah Shore in Palm Springs, and legions of devoted fans
singing their praises on message boards around the world,
one specific incident continues to haunt the band and it
doesn't seem to be going away. "It was the worst week of my
life;' says Hailey of her and Grey's September 2011 forcible
removal from a Southwest Airlines flight for an alleged kiss
they shared.
"We weren't kissing;' says Grey. "That was the whole
point. I'm super shy to begin with. She gave me a little peck
on the cheek. It wasn't even on the lips. I'm a fiery Latina. I'm
the one that got angry, not Leish. In fact, she was the calm
one in that scenario. I'm kind of bummed. I actually would
have loved to shove my tongue down her throat and have that
be warranted:'
"Cam got very upset;' agrees Hailey. "I got upset as well
but I'm more level-headed, so I tried to talk calmly with the
people who were bringing us off the plane:'
The incident came on the eve of a U.S. tour that should
have galvanized the artists as a formidable syn th- rock outfit
with a tight live set, interesting and unique dual vocals and
well-muscled production by the very competent Grey.
Instead the pair were treated to a public lesson in
homophobia.
"The stewardess came up and said 'This is a family
airline!' It was so upsetting on so many levels. It was the first
time that I had ever been discriminated against;' says Grey.
Hailey immediately fired back on social media site,
Twitter. "You were very new and you didn't understand the
48
CURVE
MARCH
2013
power of the Tweet, I don't think;' Grey says to
Hailey. "I was like, 'Go out there and vent; and
so she did:'
Multiple media outlets picked up the story,
running full-page photographs of Hailey with
little to no mention of the band.
"The news referred to her as 'the actress
Leisha Hailey; I didn't really take any of the
heat like she did;' admits Grey. "We woke up
the next morning and on The Talk, they were
talking about it. This giant picture of her face
was on the TV.Who knew the power of Twitter,
right?"
"In my eyes it has been the most disgusting
thing that's ever happened;' says Hailey.
"All these different stories came out;' remembers Grey. "And the stories are wrong.
Nobody could get it right. We chose not to do
any press about it. We were releasing [the new
full-length record] Nocturnes and didn't want
it to look like we were doing some kind of publicity stunt, not that people would think that
we'd do that because we're not that savvy;' she
laughs.
"We just didn't want to bring any more negative attention to it;' Grey says, "It's still really
hard to talk about:'
The Southwest Airlines story and subsequent media coverage also fueled speculation as to the nature of Grey and
Hailey's relationship and whether the two were romantically
linked. "Yes, we're together;' says Grey. "I think it's common
knowledge at this point. I mean, for our friends and our families and everything, maybe not the general public:'
The intimacy lends itself well to the new EP, which is
titled EP3. The new record features stripped down versions
of some fan-selected Uh Huh Her album tracks. "We remixed
ourselves and pared everything down;' says Grey. "We took a
poll and asked the fans which songs they wanted to hear and
we started making a record:'
"We tracked it all live in the studio and just did some
overdubs later;' says Hailey on the recording process. "It has
a very live feel to it."
After spending three months setting up their own studio,
which they call "the real deal;' Uh Huh Her has produced
more than just a rehash of their old hits. The songs have taken
on an authenticity of which the overproduction of previous
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.
.
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efforts had stripped them.
by doing something different:'
"WE'RE USED TO
"Common Reaction was a lot of overdubs
Hailey and Grey will be challenging
DOING THINGS A
and perfect, perfect, perfect," says Grey.
themselves to the ultimate party April 3-7,
CERTAIN WAY AND
"We wanted to take everything in its raw2013 as Uh Huh Her headlines this year's
est form:'
Club Skirts' Dinah Shore Weekend in
WE WANTED TO
Hailey goes a step further. "I begged Cam
CHANGE IT UP,"SAYS Palm Springs.
"We're really excited;' says Grey.
to do a live take on the piano;' she says. ''I'm
GREY."WE WANTED
"We have this tradition of going up on
lucky enough to hear it a lot, but no one else
TO CHALLENGE
the roof;' says Hailey. "We've done it twice.
has heard her do that:'
We people watch. We just get up there and
Though not originally written or recorded
OURSELVESBY
as such, on EP3 all of Uh Huh Her's preDOING SOMETHING we literally watch people for a couple of
hours. It is really entertaining. Mostly
vious hits have become love songs, a feat
DIFFERENT."
around the pool."
not easily accomplished and inspired no
doubt by Grey and Hailey's evolving relaIf all goes well, the messes will be kept
tionship, which is all the more thrilling
to a minimum.
for the listener. "Not a Love Song" and "I See Red;' in particu"We're supposed to be coming back to L.A. the next day.
lar, devastate in their reimagined form.
I have to start work on another project;' says Grey who is
"We're used to doing things a certain way and we wanted
preparing to hit the studio again for their third full-length
to change itup;' says Grey. "We wanted to challenge ourselves album. (uhhuhher.com) •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
49
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
Snorkeler'sdelight (left);
Hello,aloe! The secret to
skin care.
I,
Thispiece
of
Northern
Europe
intheSouthern
Caribbean
will
curewhatailsyou.
ByMerryn
Johns
Wbien I visited ura9ao in 2006 I had never heard of it
otliieiithan as the name of the blue liqueur that colored the
cocktails of m parents' generation. But this Caribbean
•sland •n the etherlands Antilles turned out to be a rustic
paradise, framed by waters as impossibly blue as that
namesake liqi eur. Back then, Cura9ao was beginning to
canny
promote itself as an LGBT-friendly destination-a
marketing move, given that other islands in the Caribbean
have a ske chy reputation when it comes to rolling out the
rainbow carpet. Today, Cura9ao has evolved into a culturally
diverse and sophisticated destination with a vibrant gay
scene. Once merely a low-key and comfortable place where
Dutch holiday-makers could speak their own language, the
island has a bright future, with new resort developments
and a dining and nightlife scene that's becoming as big a
draw as the endless sunshine and crystal-clear waters.
CHECKING IN
My host hotel this visit was the Floris Suite Hotel, with its
breezy South Beach-inspired decor and gay-friendly staff
(florissuitehotel.com). The property was the hub of the 8th
Annual Get Wet Weekend, Cura9ao's Pride, which has been
pioneered by a delightful and dedicated local lesbian, Janice
Tjon (see sidebar).
Cura9ao has come out of the Caribbean closet-if, indeed, it was ever in. The tolerant and progressive Dutch
people have given the island a spirit completely different
50
CURVE
MARCH
2013
from the Caribbean isles that were colonized by the French
and the British. Along with diversity, choice is on the
menu. The construction of new amenity-rich hotels has
attracted a more sophisticated traveler.
The Hyatt Regency Cura9ao Golf Resort, Spa & Marina
(curacao.hyatt.com) offers enough attractions to keep you
on the property day and night, and is certainly one of the
best places to dine on the island. SHOR, its upscale and
romantic American seafood grill, features sustainable,
locally caught fish and postcard views over its vast, worldclass golf course to the ocean.
The Avila Hotel (avilahotel.com) is stylish and sprawling,
touts its gay-friendliness on its website (TAG approved,
member of the IGLTA), gives its staff diversity training,
and invites gay and lesbian couples to hold their commitment ceremonies on the property. Its beachfront setting
makes it a natural choice for romantics, and if you're a jazz
fan, dinner at Blues, on the hotel's pier, is a breezy way to
watch the sun set and dine on grilled steak and seafood.
There are also old favorites, such as the historic Hotel 't
Klooster (hotelklooster.com) (think "cloister"), which was
originally a monastery and retains its Dutch-colonial charm.
The Sandton Kura Hulanda Hotel & Resort (kurahulanda.
com) is a great choice if you want to stay in central Willemstad-and if you don't, a visit to its Museum Kura Hulanda,
which has the largest African collection in the Caribbean,
offers a moving and masterful history lesson.
LOCAL LESBIAN
Janice Tjon Sien Kie, 34, has
been a resident of Cura9ao
for eight years. Educated in
After the Cayman Islands
refused to allow a gay cruise
Amsterdam (where she also
came out), she works in con-
to come ashore, the captain
sultancy and is developing the
island's lesbian scene into a
sailed to Cura9ao and we
welcomed the passengers with
a grand happy hour and music
lively and social community.
at the historic Riffort Village.
What keeps you on the island?
It was wonderful that in 2009
the cruise returned and we
The weather! Always sunny
and it hardly ever rains. I also
find Cura9ao very diverse. It is
sophisticated, romantic, and
authentic. Its perfect location,
in the southern Caribbean off
the north coast of Venezuela,
allows me to visit my family in
GOING GREEN
Though Curac;ao is an arid island, plant life is important to
its lifestyle and culture. Den Paradera, a rambling botanical
garden filled with herbs that have healing properties, is a
tribute to the original inhabitants of the island, the Paraguiri. A professional herbalist, Dinah Veeris, established the
garden to preserve her local culture and received an award
from the Dutch royal family for her dedication. A guided
tour with Veeris will delight those who are not big fans of
Big Pharma, as will a visit to Aloe Vera Plantation Curac;ao
(aloecuracao.com).
BEACH BABES
The calm waters on the western shore of the island provided
me with some of the best swimming and snorkeling I've
ever experienced. Playa Kenepa is popular with locals and
visitors alike, but there are many lovely beaches on Curac;ao,
some with facilities and others that are undeveloped and
rustic. For an upmarket beach experience with a cosmopolitan choice of bars, restaurants, shopping, water sports and
your pick of palm treeh, head to the Livingstone Jan Thiel
Resort on Jan Thiel Beach. For a wildcard water adventure,
take a motorboat ride with the irrepressible Captain Goodlife, a local character based at Playa Santa Cruz. His tour of
the rocky shores, secluded beaches, hidden caves-even his
father's shipwreck, visible through the turquoise waterscomes with his unique philosophy and wisdom, which basically demonstrates that a life lived on Curac;ao is a good life
indeed. "It doesn't matter who you love;' he shouted over
the boat engine, "man, woman-as long as you love!"
Yes, Curac;aorolls out the rainbow carpet, and it's as vibrant
as the iconic, multicolored facades of the buildings that line
the port of Willemstad, and as warm and genuine as ban bini,
"welcome" in the native Papiamento. (gaycuracao.com) •
organized a Cura9ao Over the
Rainbow party at an old mansion which concluded with a
fireworks show. Since then, we
are on the radar of gay cruise
companies and tour operators,
and welcome frequent visits.
Suriname, which is a two-hour
We are very pleased that Olivia
flight. Like Suriname, Cura9ao
is part of the Kingdom of the
Netherlands, so I can also
Cruises is adding Cura9ao to its
itinerary this year!
Absolute must-dos for
speak my native language.
Is there really much going on?
lesbians?
Cura9ao sets the stage for
impressive musical events,
Kalki are excellent spots to
work on your tan, snorkel or
such as the Cura9ao North
Sea Jazz Festival in September
scuba dive. One of the most
Portomarie Beach and Playa
(Labor Day Weekend),
attracting performers such as
beautiful resorts is the Santa
Barabara Golf & Beach Resort,
with an 18-hole champion-
Alicia Keys. The dance music
scene is also attracting rising-
ship golf course. For dining I
would recommend Kome, Zest,
star DJs.
How have you developed the
Sol Food or Mundo Bizarro, a
Cuban-style restaurant with
local lesbian scene?
live music on Fridays. Cura9ao
has unique experiences, such
A couple of years ago, I cofounded the Cura9ao GayPlasa
Foundation, which contributes to the acceptance and
emancipation of the LGBT
as a submarine excursion.
You could climb Christoffel
Mountain, camp on secluded
community on the island. It
organizes "straight-friendly"
Little Cura9ao island, visit the
Hato Caves, which were formed
millions of years ago, swim with
events for locals and visitors.
Previously, the social activities
dolphins or take an ATV tour.
What time of the year is best
were pretty much underground
for visiting lesbians?
and focused on men. I focused
on attracting more women, and
we now advertise in main-
All year round, because the
stream media. Last fall, we
to 82 degrees, and Cura9ao is
safely in the outer fringes of
hosted the 8th Annual Get Wet
Weekend, with activities, gatherings, and parties at different
locations. Since 2008, we have
monthly themed parties called
Madame Jeanette [named after
the spicy Surinamese pepper].
seasons don't change, temperatures are a constant 78
the hurricane belt, making us
hurricane free for the last 164
years. Travelers can find the
best deals if they come in May,
June, August, September
and October.
MARCH
2013
CURVE
51
umm; has it you can get around Aruba on a scooter in four
hours. But I don't see what the rush is. Everyone there is on
"island ti e;' and whether I felt like being lazy or active or
omewhere ~n between, I was always able to find something
l1todo that suit· d my frame of mind.
I stayed at the Aruba Marriott, which has only one
drawback-there's
basically no reason to leave. After its
recent, extravagant renovation, there's hardly anything to
suggest that it was ever part of a chain.
There was no way I was budging from the swim-up bar of
the adults-only pool my first day on island, but bright and
early on day two I hunkered down in an oversize De Palm
Tours Jeep to check out the terrain on the windward side of
the island, which I'd been told was different from the side
on which I was staying. It was incredible just how different it turned out to be. It was a full-on desert scene as we
off-roaded through Arikok National Park and up to a high
vantage point where we could jump out and climb down to
snorkel in Aruba's Natural Pool. Be warned, though; it is a
bumpy ride. A heavy breakfast beforehand and a
sloshy take-away coffee are not recommended.
The final stop on the tour was Alto Vista Chapel. It's a tiny little place, but worth the visit, if
only for the hidden labyrinth behind it. There's
something strangely mystical about the winding,
rock-lined paths. After walking it, I felt markedly
centered and focused, as if I had just taken a yoga class.
Speaking of yoga, the very next morning I decided to take
a SUP (stand-up paddleboard) yoga class. Just a few steps
from the hotel is a place where you can rent SUP and windsurfing gear, as well as sign up for classes. I'm not going to
lie. I'm not too shabby at SUPing. But I was no good at SUP
yoga. Still, I had a blast doing it, and the teacher, Rachel
Brathen, was incredible. It's worth the price of admission
just to watch her. Plus, I cannot think of anything more
relaxing than a floating savasana, on a paddleboard in
brilliant-blue Caribbean waters.
After class, I spent some more time paddling in the
super-calm waters, ideal for beginners but also a nice long
stretch for paddling pros. In fact, the very next morning
I went back for more, before my beach tennis lesson. You
heard me right: beach tennis.
It's a big deal on the island and it's picking up speed all
around the world. The cross between tennis and volleyball
takes some getting used to. But all that dashing around in
the sand made my backside feel like I'd been doing lunges
or tackling the stair-climber all morning.
That night, I took the requisite sunset catamaran sail.
The views really are spectacular, and there was something
so relaxing about cruising across the water while the rum
punch and the Green Iguanas were flowing. Watch out,
though: Red Tail Sports mixes up some mean ones, and the
latter in particular will definitely catch up with you-fast.
One thing that really surprised me about Aruba was how
impressive the dining scene is. Fresh seafood abounds, of
AWAY
Romance
and
relaxation
onAruba.
ByJenny
Block
Beachfront at Simply
Fish (from top); Stand-up
paddleboarding; a natural swim
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
Another stellar dining destination on Aruba is Pincho's.
I'd fly there just to eat at this place. Atop the sea, it's little
more than a round dock with a wooden roof. No kitchen, no
stock room, and no bevy of staff.
The center of the restaurant is a bar that also serves as
a kitchen of sorts. All the extensive prep work for the day
is done each morning at the home of the owner, Anabela
Peterson de Sousa. Everything is then cooked on the small
grill at the restaurant and served up with an inventive array
of sauces. The place is perfect for lingering,
especially when the moon is high and the
water glistens under its beams.
Yes, it really is that romantic. Which
reminds me that Aruba itself, let alone
the Marriott, is perfect for destination
weddings and commitment ceremonies.
And the Marriott is known for being more
than LGBT-friendly. They're love-friendly,
no matter the lovers.
With so many islands beckoning, it can
be hard to choose or to differentiate. But there is something
magical about Aruba. Its siren's song has been impossible to
shake, ever since I saw its baby-blue water disappear in the
distance as I flew back into reality, all too soon.•
course. Not to be missed are giant prawns and rock lobster.
I enjoyed both at the Marriott's Simply Fish-which is not
your typical hotel restaurant at all. The tables are on the
sand, inches from the ocean. The food is fresh and delicious.
But even if they served sandwiches and chips I'd go just for
the setting.
For breakfast one morning, I indulged in a visit to Linda's, and Dutch pancakes the likes of which I've never seen.
They're the size of a pizza, and I don't mean personal size.
The one zillion different topping combos, limited only by your imagination,
range from savory to sweet to alcoholic.
I also had the chance to have dinner
in bed. And I'm not talking about room
service at the hotel. I actually had dinner
in bed at a restaurant-the
Screaming
Eagle. I know, I know. I did it in Manhattan years ago, too. But I was surprised to
find such a cool "see-and-be-seen" kind
of place on Aruba. Think South Beach
meets French Fusion cuisine. The food was good. But the
ambience makes it worth the visit. The tough part was forcing
myself to get out of that bed and back into the one awaiting me
at the hotel.
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Mediterranean
adventure
without
arainbow
welcome
mat.
ByAmy
Deneson
Ever since I caught wind of Corsica, hearing stories of mountains dipping into the Mediterranean, wild forest walks,
crisp white wines and unruly natives, I've wanted to experi€IlG€ th€ French island for myself. Admittedly, I hesitated
when my initial research revealed exactly zero LGBT hospitality. No lesbian nightlife. No rainbow neighborhoods.
No gay-friendly hotels. No community websites to welcome
us with the queer Corsican greeting "Bonghjornu;' which
speaks to their history of colonization-by the Italians in
the 18th century and, according to some nationalists, by the
French to this day. But last Bastille Day, my partner, Melinda,
and I decided to go, anyway.
This was France, after all, not Abu Dhabi. The French
have been comfortable with women-and women loving
other women-for ages. Melinda and I had stamps in our
passports from countries with far less joie de vivre. We
loved to travel and did so frequently enough to justify joining the Global Entry program, to bypass long customs' lines
(globalentry.gov). Yet, in the uncertain egalitarian territory
between when a country stops supporting public declarations
of homophobia but has yet to establish LGBT hospitality, I
often found myself trying to interpret the silence as social
tolerance.
What did they think of us? Did they secretly hate us,
love us, or care ifwe were there-holding hands-at all? In
54
CURVE
MARCH 2013
Corsica, the islanders' rabble-rousing reputation preceded
them, but I was less nervous about outright abuse or
discrimination than I was about being able to let down my
guard and relax on vacation.
Sure, there were other options for a Sapphic Mediterranean getaway. We could have participated in an all-lesbian
luxury cruise around Croatia, Italy and Greece, or journeyed
to Lesbos. Melinda and I could've felt free to let down our
hair-my femme ponytail and her butch curls-with the rest
of our kind, breathing easy in the salty sea breezes. While
I'm grateful for lesbian travel, in my mind, ifwe only limited
ourselves to traveling in circles that strictly catered to us,
then it would feel like globe-trotting the world only to find
the nearest Starbucks for a Grande Americano. The fix was
nice, but one of the reasons I travel is to experience difference. And I had my heart set on Corsica.
Melinda and I flew Delta Air Lines into Nice and transferred to Air Corsica for the quick flight to the northern port
town ofBastia. Then we rented a car from Hertz. Driving was
necessary to reach the hilltop towns, pottery studios, and
vineyards we'd planned to explore, but-call it my Midwestern upbringing-I was also comforted by having a car-to be
able to hop in, lock the doors and drive, if need be. Yet, from
the first deep breath of the wild maquis shrubbery that blankets the island's sun-scorched mountain terrain, we never
wanted to roll up our windows. The herbal fragrance, comparable to warm maple syrup swirled with honey, was too
delicious to miss.
Our hotel, La Dimora (ladimora.fr), was tucked in the
craggy northeast hills, alive with wild fennel, lavender and
rosemary. Melinda's theory on selecting hotels was the
smaller, the better. Even so, as we approached La Dimora's
front desk, I prepared myself to have the bed conversation.
Melinda was always conscientious about including both our
names, with the courtesy title "Ms.;' when reserving a room
with one bed. On the chance that something would get lost
in translation, I'd taken a conversational French class at my
neighborhood travel bookstore, Idlewild Books (idlewildbooks.com). Corsicans cherish over 200 of their own words
and phrases, but French was the official language. I practiced greetings, menu vocabulary and shopping inquiries,
along with the perfect pronunciation of "We prefer one
bed, thank you:' Wonderfully, there was no need, and we
were escorted to our room.
Later, while relaxing beside the pool and enjoying the
local brocciu ewe's cheese, figs, and a rose from the nearby
Patrimonio region, with the AOC (appellation d'origine
controlee) stamp of approval, I noticed two Italian guyswho could be friends/brothers/lovers-doing
the same.
Melinda dove into the deep end. I followed. And perhaps it
was the wine or the cool water on a bright go-degree day, but
I forgot myself and kissed her right there in the pool, in our
bikinis. Immediately self-conscious, I looked around, casing
the deck to see if we were unsafe. The Italians smiled at us
and proceeded to freely show affection for each other. That
meant that out of four couples around the pool, two were
gay, and we weren't in the minority, as I was so accustomed
to being. If I hadn't relaxed when we were given one bed,
and offered the couple's massage, or when I discovered that
they had covertly exchanged the "male" slippers for another
"female" pair, then I had to relax now.
The next morning, on our way to breakfast in the lively
harbor town of St-Florent and a drive across the green
wildflower desert, Desert des Agriates, we asked the lovely
lady at the front desk to help us make a reservation at her
favorite local restaurant.
"For romance?" she asked, and we nodded. With a
twinkle in her eyes she said, "I have just the place, up the hill
in Oletta:'
At 8 p.m., we arrived dressed for dinner and were greeted
warmly, and seated on the balcony with a spectacular view of
the sun sinking over the tops of tiled roofs. I relaxed when
the owner lit the candle on our table, and now it looked like
all the others. We asked for his recommendations, and he
responded with obvious pride that we must try the chestnut
bignes. I was as equally delighted with the steak au poivre and
the regional red he brought right in time for the sunset.
Bright and early, we unfolded our Michelin map and set
out on the scenic route to Corte, The Pare Naturel Regional
de la Corse protected nearly two-thirds of the island's cen-
tral forests and mountains. The "two-lane" road narrowed
unexpectedly and wound around villages, vistas, mouflons
and rockslides, but the sky-scraping pine trees, the purple
thistles that grew against serpentine limestone, and the
ancient arched Genoese bridges were worth the whiteknuckle driving.
Approaching Corte, the center of the islanders' continued heart cry for independence. Black spray paint slashed
through the French names on bilingual road signs, leaving
only the Corsican. Indipendenza! graffiti dripped down
ramparts. From every shuttered window, tourist trap, and
car antennae, Corsican flags waved. From 1755 to 1769,
the Citadelle was in the independent capital, and the bastions encircling the fortress and its eagle's nest lookout still
seemed to simmer with fevered determination to return to
an independent state.
As Melinda and I checked into our hotel on the outskirts
of town, I was glad we'd selected the Hotel Dominique
Colonna (dominique-colonna.com) for its quiet proximity
to nature. In the valley of the Gorges de la Restonica, the
three-star family-run hotel was surrounded by thick forests
and mountain streams perfect to rock-hop along in until we
found a secluded swimming pool.
MARCH
2013
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55
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
A week into our trip, we headed to
Needless to say, the only thing I
the southern city of Bonifacio on Bastille
had to do at Murtoli was relax. Especially after we walked hand-in-hand
Day. We meandered down the central
country roads until we merged onto the
along the domain's 5-mile, pristine,
private-as-it-gets piece of the Medimain coastal highway. The village of
Bonifacio appeared to rise directly from
terranean, and the maitre d'h6tel
offered to take our photo, saying "It's
jagged white limestone cliffs. We wandered around the medieval city center
always such a shame to get home
and climbed the 187 hand-carved steps
and find there's someone missing
of the Escalier du Roi d'Aragon stairway
in the photos."
"I think she's family;' Melinda
to the sea. While gazing off at Sardinia
Murtoli
wasso
whispered
with a knowing nod.
in the distance and enjoying the best
private,
withsuch
chocolate gelato of the trip, we struck
Over the week, we tore ourselves
back-to-the-earth
up a casual conversation with an older
away from the domain only once,
sensuality,
thatit
Dutch couple. We thanked them for speaking Engto
visit Sartene, where, at La Cave
redefined
mynotion
lish, and he thanked us for help in the war (WWII).
at
Place Porta, we stocked up on
ofanexclusive
beach
We compared trips and gushed over the Corsican
charcuterie,
cheese, olive oil, jam
vacation
to mean
way oflife, as travelers did, and then they asked how
and honey to first devour and then
zerotanlines.
we met.
to take home as souvenirs. Along the
"Traveling!" Melinda and I responded in unison.
roadside, we stopped at Vitalba Huiles
And we further relaxed into conversation with a couple
(vitalba.fr), where healing essential oils are
who clearly saw us as any other couple. At a time when the distilled from locally grown flowers and plants, including
U.S. was divided over marriage equality, the Netherlands
maquis, which works wonders on sore muscles.
had been celebrating marriage equality since before Melinda
On our last night in Corsica, Melinda and I went to
and I got together.
Murtoli's Restaurant de la Plage, built inside an olive grove
Heading back to the Hotel Santa Teresa (hotel-santateoverlooking the beach. I found myself wishing we had more
resa.com), Melinda and I looked for announcements about time to tour the island's largest city, Ajaccio, full of historical
the upcoming festivities, but found none. We had packed
commemoration for their native son Napoleon, or hike part
our red, white, and blue in anticipation of joining the Bas- of the northeastern Grande Randonnee 20, an undulating
tille Day celebration. Back on the continent, the French
124-mile mountain path, or frolic along with Calvi's celebritywere undoubtedly parading and launching fireworks, but studded nightlife.
Bonafacio was silent. The Corsicans weren't celebrating
The same woman who had offered to take our photo
independence; many were yearning for it. So out on our brought an amuse bouche of sea urchin, caught mere seconds
room's balcony, overlooking the dark, silent sea, Melinda
before at the cove. We started chatting and learned that as
and I cracked open two Pietra beers and toasted our own far as she knew we were their first lesbian couple. We'd grown
independence, with gratitude.
accustomed to being the only New Yorkers, and we'd never
Embarking on the final destination of our trip, Melinda
once heard a North American accent. But I was shocked and
and I headed west to the southern coast, near the oldest
then deeply honored to be the first lesbian couple-even it if
Corsican town of Sartene. We drove through prehistoric
was still mid-season.
megalith country, crumbling into the Mediterranean's
"I hope we did OK;' I said.
"Please, you were perfectly lovely."
transparent turquoise waves.
When we planned the trip, Melinda and I saved the best
The same could be said of her and all of Corsica.
for last-a week at the finest resort in all of Corsica, Le
After a dinner of fresh fish and clam linguini, the maitre
Domaine de Murtoli (murtoli.com), where more than 6,000 d' offered us another bottle of champagne to accompany our
acres of ancestral land had been handed down generation
peach dessert. We agreed, but only if she and the remaining
after generation since the 16th century, and where for the staff shared it with us. Halfway through the bottle, she
past 20 years farmland, shepherds' pasture, and an olive opened up about how she and her girlfriend (Melinda gave
mill had slowly been transformed into the destination for me the I-told-you-so wink as our new friend continued) " ...
are planning to visit New York, sometime."
understated luxury. Our villa, one of 13, was a restored
stone sheepfold a la Provenc;al, with a chic private pool built
"Come!" I exclaimed. "We'd be glad to help in anyway
alongside a boulder and an outdoor kitchen, where we were we can."
encouraged to cook the vegetables we were invited to pick
And I was reminded that, ladies, we find one another with
daily from the garden. Murtoli was so private, with such or without a rainbow flag. We're everywhere.
back-to-the-earth sensuality, that it redefined my notion of
"To next time-in New York!" we toasted, raising our
an exclusive beach vacation to mean zero tan lines.
flutes of champagne.•
56
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Canada's
Wild
Women
Expeditions.
ByMarnie
Woodrow
•
acation in Canada tend to visit Toronto,
ver. But just as the Marais in Paris isn't
ancisco isn't the US of A, the "big three"
art of what Canada is all about. If you
the more rugged side of Canada, and
women-only experience, Wild Women
s it very easy for you. And the company
•·
d-be adventurer that "we don't get fit for
the trip, we get fit on the trip!" So there goes that excuseyou don't need to be an athlete, or super-outdoorsy, to join
one of these expeditions, although a severe case of dendrophobia (fear of trees) might not work out so well. Women
of all ages and sexual orientations can experience Mother
Nature from coast to coast on one of WWE's many trips.
The adventure travel company's les/bi following in Canada
is massive for a reason: Inclusive means inclusive with Wild
Women. No homophobes allowed-or intolerance of trans
or bi women either.
The first thing I smell upon arriving at the Wild Women
base camp in Sudbury is some kind of amazing sauce or soup
wafting toward me on a fresh northern Ontario breeze. The
first sound I hear is laughter-easy female laughter, raucous
with collective mischief. It's the final night of an Ultimate
Wild Women Weekend. After three days of canoe clinics and
sunbathing and saunas, nicknames have been bestowed and
the in-jokes flow freely. It's very much like summer camp,
but because the women who attend are typically between 35
and 55 years old, there's also a sense oflives lived, a celebration of survival and transcendence.
After dinner there's a talent show, a barn dance with
kick-ass music, a starlit skinny-dip, a sauna. It's not at all
hard to fall fast asleep in a tent, or in one of the historic
little orange cabins that dot the shoreline of the Spanish
River. In the morning, a new group of us will set out for
Temagami, a bucket-list destination for most of the nine
women in our group.
Summer camp for lesbians who
have earned their life skills
MARCH
2013
CURVE
57
Confidences shared;
taking pleasure
in nature, and
each other
WILD WOMEN: A HISTORY
In operation since 1991, Wild
Women began with the vision
of an avid Ontario outdoors-
In 2009, Mairs decided
to pursue a career in film.
national destinations. We are
also offering trips and retreats
in every season now, and build-
lesbian match-making service
ing on our roots by offering
more trips especially for les-
and sometimes new couples
result from group expeditions.
This isn't necessarily why
woman, Beth Mairs. She
wanted to create a women-
Does This Canoe Make Me
Look Fat?, her first foray into
adventure filmmaking, is an
only adventure company. Did
there really have to be a guy
hourlong documentary about
a five-day Wild Women canoe
bian and bi women, as well as
doing more thematic adven-
around for campfire building,
portaging and orienteering-
trip on the Chiniguchi River.
Eventually, Mairs sold WWE
tures, such as canoe trips for
the so-called manly aspects of
camping? She thought not. Did
to Newfoundland-based Wild
lesbians and bisexual women
have a tour company that was
queer-positive and serious
about wilderness camping,
Women alum and veteran
traveler Jennifer Haddow,
but excursions to Temagami,
Killarney, and the North Shore
Channel of Lake Huron still
depart from Mairs's cabindotted riverfront property
women and girls. I think there
is a real need to support women
to develop their skills and
confidence in the outdoors, so
WWE is offering a new series of
wilderness skills weekends,
to give hands-on training
in Canada. Couples go for their
honeymoon or anniversary,
single women head out on the
various paddling, hiking, and
retreat-based experiences,
but if you want to see what
a woman is really like in the
morning, just meet her when
she's camping. And there's
also the option of trips not
organized by sexual orienta-
in camping, paddling and
generally how to be a wilder
tion, trips that would best be
described as "mixed," because
west of Sudbury. The late-
woman in the bush. The great-
summer Ultimate Wild Women
Weekend-a base-camp fiesta
of workshops, with wood-fired
est fear of some women is not
how to ride fierce whitewater
rapids, or how to portage a
everyone is welcome. These
are perfect for lesbians who
saunas, massage options, great
meals, and lots of time for
canoe, but how to shit in the
woods! We also bring a spiri-
inclusive environment, and for
women who simply want to get
between. Known for being wellorganized, safety-conscious
swimming-is an annual
pilgrimage for many. Women
tual perspective to wilderness
traveling, and, for example, we
away into the wilderness with
and well-guided, the trips
who arrive as strangers leave
as fast friends. Shy women find
are integrating yoga into many
of our trips, to give space for
other women.
Awe-inspiring destinations
have always been part of the
themselves coming out of their
shell at the talent show, or dis-
meditation and rejuvenation on
our trips, and a deeper com-
Wild Women philosophy. The
whole point is to get out of the
background, and outdoor experience. Some repeat trippers
cover a latent gift for sensual
painting. Likewise, on canoe,
munion with nature."
Many-although not all-of
office, away from your daily
routines, and just rendezvous
became guides, spreading the
kayak and multi-sport trips,
women who may not have
the women who head out on
Wild Women Expeditions are
with Mother Nature. Hawaii and
experienced their own physical
strength outside the gym are
at some form of a crossroads
in their lives. Work stress,
surprised by their power and
signature birthdays, recent
breakups and other losses
added to the WWE roster
for 2013, as well as a range
of retreat-style getaways for
inform the decision to strike
out on a quest unlike anything
women who are not quite as
keen to haul equipment, pitch
future. "We are growing in
some exciting new directions-
ever undertaken before. Mairs
once joked that since its incep-
tents, and squat in the woods.
Yoga and arts-based retreats in
expanding our trips in Canada
and also moving into inter-
tion Wild Women has been
the number one (unofficial)
exquisite lodge or cabin
settings are equally popular.
beyond pitching tents at music
festivals? She couldn't find
any in Canada. Soon after
Mairs launched Wild Women,
the trips began to sell out.
Her success continued as the
list of destinations grew to
cover both coasts and points in
featured delicious vegetarian
cuisine and a diverse clientele in terms of age, cultural
word about just how addictive
it was. These weren't "push"
trips, where a leader barks
orders and women find themselves completely out of their
comfort zone. Instead, there
was a sense of encouragement
and camaraderie throughout
every adventure, with women
lending all their varied skills to
the tasks at hand.
58
CURVE
MARCH
2013
stamina. Jennifer Haddow is
enthusiastic about the Wild
Women legacy, as well as its
want to adventure together
with their straight pals in a truly
the Queen Charlotte Islands
in British Columbia have been
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
After breakfast, we are driven deep into the woods northeast of the camp, our canoes in a trailer behind us. We put
in and paddle in the direction of our guide canoe. In the
distance, clouds promise rain, but we are all too excited to
worry-much. Our guide, Karen, is a mellow woman with
years of experience. The water is smooth and the paddling
is pretty easy. At lunch, on a rocky island nicknamed Labia,
Karen studies the sky and suggests that we move as quickly
as we can to the portage phase of the journey. There will be
two portages, one flat expanse ofland and one much steeper,
a narrow path referred to as Billy Goat's Trail. After a demonstration of portage techniques, a number of women opt to
carry a canoe solo. The tandem method looks downright annoying, not unlike two people playing the ass end of the same
horse costume. We take the packs and paddles across first,
to familiarize ourselves with the ground, then return for the
boats. Unlike some others, I think this portage business is
strangely empowering, in a graceless sort of way. Before we
know it, we've moved gear and canoes and we're on our way to
the next portage, mere yards across the water. Unload and
repeat, this time up a much lumpier incline with a decent drop,
to avoid a sequence of small rapids to the left of the path.
Our reward is a sudden passionate downpour, which
quickly turns to rain-with-hail. It's all part of becoming a
wild woman. Later, peeling wet clothes off and changing into
a dry, warm T-shirt and dry jeans and shoes, my awareness of
simple pleasures and small victories is immense. A roaring
fire, a delicious veggie Pad Thai dinner cooked outdoorsevery biting hailstone was worth it. Besides, not every
expedition has such weather. We all feel weirdly privileged to
get through our small taste of the wild weather Temagami is
famous for. Luckily for us, the sun returns warm and bright
the next morning. The cowgirl coffee is on and a fantastic
day lies ahead.
In the shuttle back to base camp, we are a weary group.
The smiles on the faces of my trip mates say it all: "Something has changed for me. In spirit, I am 12 years old again!"
A delicious warm lunch awaits us. Those of us who've never
done such a trip before feel proud as we eat and laugh together.
Plans for future trips are batted around. There's a last swim
and sauna before we climb into our cars and head for hometowns, ferries, and airports, sad to go but fired with the
personal inspiration that WWE has been giving women for
22 years. For this born-and-bred Canadian, the Wild Women
Les/Bi Canoe Trip to Temagami awakened a powerful desire to
see more of my own country and more of my own provinceup close, where I can literally be part of it, surrounded by
fantastic women who (whether or not they share the reasons
why) have a deep need to recapture the wildness that lives in
each ofus. (wildwomenexp.com) •
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Lesbians
and
libertyina
historic
city.
ByKathy
Beige
R CHMOND HERSTORY
Richmon{!, Va., is a town steeped in history. It was here
that Patrick Henry famously pleaded, "Give me liberty or
give me death." With monuments, museums and even pub• gardens touting the city's connection to the American
Reva ution and the Civil War, many tourists visit Richmond
to celebrate our country's origins and to learn more about
its military traditions. What I didn't expect to discover in
Richmond was the LGBT history that is coming to light in
this Confederate city.
I was surprised to learn that one of the city's most celebrated figures, the philanthropist Lewis Ginter, is believed to
have been gay-he shared his life and his business with his
protege, John Pope. Ginter made his fortune in the tobacco
industry and at one point he and his partner were Richmond's wealthiest men.
Ginter's beloved niece, Grace Arents, was a lesbian, and
when Ginter died in 1897, she inherited much of his wealth.
She used her money to support women's rights and social
justice issues in Richmond, funding a public library, a
school and subsidized housing for the poor. Upon her death,
she bequeathed her home and farm to the City of Richmond,
to be used as a botanical garden named after her uncle. But
she stipulated that her companion, Mary Garland Smith,
must be allowed to live out her life in the house that the two
of them shared, before it could be turned over to the city.
Smith lived to be 100 years old, but finally, in 1968, the city
took over the property.
60
CURVE
MARCH
2013
The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, with its 50 acres of
gardens, wetlands and a Japanese garden, is a Richmond
must-see. During the summer months, the garden hosts a
variety of events, including Flowers After 5, with wine tasting and live music, and the Groovin' in the Garden concert
series. Grace Arents is probably smiling in her grave when
the likes of the Indigo Girls and Brandi Carlile perform
there each summer.
Lucy Randolph Mason was another early women's rights
activist and labor organizer from Richmond, whose testimony before Congress helped pass the 40-hour workweek.
According to the local historian Beth Marschak, she was
likely a lesbian, as perhaps was the Pulitzer Prize-winning
novelist and women's rights activist Ellen Glasgow, who also
lived in Richmond.
But there's a dark side to Richmond's history and, understandably, many Richmonders have mixed feelings about
their town's past. After all, Richmond was home to the
second-largest slave market outside of New Orleans, and
served as the capital of the Confederacy. The city is filled
with monuments to Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and
other Confederate soldiers. Monument Avenue is a stunning tribute to all things Civil War in Richmond.
In 2007, just blocks from the infamous slave market,
the Richmond Slavery Reconciliation Statue was erected
as part of a slave trail, to raise awareness about the slave
trade in this region. But in comparison with the other
Carytown (from left);
Monument Avenue;
restaurants and specialty
shops in Cary Street
imposing monuments in Richmond, the
reconciliation statue feels small and off
the beaten path.
Of course, Richmond has plenty to
offer visitors who aren't history junkies.
The city has made a concerted effort
to become more hip and vibrant, and
the efforts are paying off. Richmond is
situated on the James River, and many
of the old riverfront factories in the
Shockoe Bottom neighborhood are being
converted into condos, nightclubs and interesting shops
like LaDiff, a unique furniture
and household goods store.
The river offers plenty of
recreational activities, from
kayaking and fishing to riverfront picnicking. Richmond
is also plays host to one of the
country's largest folk music
festivals.
The part of town where
you're most likely to see samesex couples holding hands is
Carytown. Up and down West
Cary Street, you'll find pockets of locally owned restaurants, wine bars and specialty shops. I was
puzzled by the two self-serve yogurt places right next to each other, but
each offered free samples, so who was I to complain?
There are plenty of unique shops in Carytown, but my favorite was For
the Love of Chocolate. I easily lost a half hour and gained five pounds in
this delicious shop, which sells everything from organic chocolate and
homemade gourmet fudge to retro favorites from your childhood. Pop
Rocks, anyone?
Carytown is also the spot to find lesbian nightlife. Anytime I'm in a
city with an actual lesbian bar, I have to stop in. Babes of Carytown has
everything a lesbian could wish for. If you're there to catch up with old
friends, grab a booth in the front room, where it's not too loud to talk
over domestic beer and greasy bar food. In the back, some very friendly
total strangers kicked my butt in pool, while a diverse crowd packed the
large dance floor. Best of all, Babes has an amazing outdoor patio, with
volleyball and cornhole and cheap tacos on Thursday nights. What more
could a dyke want?
Richmond has a vibrant LGBT center, with everything from a book
club to bingo night and a fun thrift store attached to the building.
Programs and services include a chapter of SAGE (Services and Advocacy
for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Elders), support groups,
and family game nights
If you're looking for a bit of wildness on a Sunday, the Drag Brunch at
Godfrey's is not to be missed. Although the crowd is mostly straight women and bridal parties, if you enjoy a rousing drag show, Godfrey's is one of
the best places you can spend a Sunday morning. Be warned that reservations are required, and it's often full weeks in advance. And, perhaps like
all of Richmond, it's best enjoyed with friends. (visitrichmondva.com) •
Aninsider's
guide
forlesbian
travelers.
ByGillian
Kendall
TO STANBUL
Timiclity-I have no tolerance for it, my own or anyone
else's So I was disgusted to find, after two months in Eastern
EuroP.e, that I was nervous about arriving in Istanbul. The
problem was not that I was traveling alone, or that I knew no
one at my destination, or that I didn't speak the languageI'm used to all that.
TMleproblem was getting into the city from the airport
late alt night. Just the airport's name, Atatiirk, made me
think of Attila the Hun screaming "Attaboy!" to his hordes of
horseback-ridingmarauders. Worse, Iwasalarmedbyreports
of criminal taxi drivers in Turkey's capital-muggings
and kidnappings are not unheard of, and overcharging is a
standard practice.
The week before I flew to Istanbul I was staying in Bodrum, on Turkey's western coast. I wasted hours there, time
that I could have spent in the turquoise water or at the seductive handicrafts market, in trying to contact a website that
promised an airport pickup with any hotel reservation. But
despite heavy use of the site's "Contact Us" page, I hadn't
been able to nail down a lift.
Less than 24 hours before I would need it, I booked a
room in a centrally located hotel, Taksim Park City. My
flight to Istanbul was delayed by hours, and when we were
finally in the air, I worried about arriving after midnight in
an unknown metropolis, with only 25 Turkish lira (about
$14) and a nonfunctioning credit card to get me where I
was supposed to sleep. If I missed the last Havas shuttle bus
into the city, I'd be subject to the greedy whims of a ruthless
cabbie, who'd lock my bags in the trunk and then pretend
62
CURVE
MARCH
2013
not to be able to find my hotel, even though it was in Taksim
Square, essentially the center of the world according to the
tourism websites. Similar misadventures had happened to
so many other tourists, it seemed inevitable.
However, I did make it onto the last Hava§ bus, and then
had the whole go-minute ride to worry about how I'd get
from the bus stop in Taksim Square to my hotel. A Turkish
friend had said it was only a 10-minute walk, but she hadn't
taken into consideration that I would have a) an inflamed
knee, b) heavy and malfunctioning luggage, and c) my always
dreadful sense of direction to guide me. I asked several bus
passengers for assistance, but all of them said in perfectly
inflected English that they did not speak English, and they
were sorry.
As the bus lumbered into the outskirts oflstanbul, initially
I was unimpressed. In the dark, the blocky buildings and
blank streets could have been on the edge of Trenton or San
Jose. I was feeling shamefully timid if not downright scared
as I disembarked: Taksim Square seemed like a combination
of Times Square, Dubai Airport and the Cretan Labyrinth.
My bus-mates, alighting in the chaotic scene, wheeled
their smart, functional suitcases away in purposeful directions, or briskly hailed taxis in Turkish. I stood near the bus
stop, alone, lost and nearly immobilized due to my unwieldy
belongings. I was wearing an overstuffed daypack and toting
a horrible golf-bag affair with malfunctioning wheels. The
street was dark, and I couldn't have understood the street
signs even ifl'd been able to see their letters.
Still, streams of people were walking past me, most of
f-
WJ
Cf)
z
::::,
Cf)
z
0
I
':;;
0
WJ
z
<,:
0
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
HOW TO GO IT ALONE
them young, well dressed, and obviously at home. I asked for
help from everyone who would make eye contact, but no one
would admit to speaking English.
After failing to elicit aid or even interest from a dozen
passersby, I approached a young man and woman walking
together. The man shook his head to my pathetic request,
but the woman said, "Sorry, no, but yes! Put!" (She did not
speak English well. She meant "Stay!") She turned and ran
back in the direction she'd come, shouting someone's name.
I followed, and in between shouts she told me, in impeccable
English, "My friend speaks English. She can help." We rotted for a block or so, she skimming along in high heels, her
escort gliding nobly alongside, and me hobbling under my
pack and pausing every few yards to right my wretched bag
when it fell over.
The helpful friend was a swish-looking young woman in a
short dress and big earrings, with dangling curls and a cute
boyfriend. The two of them were disappearing up a flight of
stairs, but hearing her name the woman swung around and
almost danced back down, greeting the friends to whom
she'd just said good night.
"We wanted to stay out;' she said to me, confidingly, "but
the boys won't take us!" It was about 1 a.m. by then, and I
imagined that the foursome had already had a good evening
of clubbing, but from her tone she sounded as if she'd been
locked up in a cell for the night with nothing but bread and
water and Foxtel.
Hopefully, I showed her the address of my hotel. She
shared the information with her boyfriend, her girlfriend,
and the girlfriend's boyfriend, and they all spoke in Turkish
and pointed in the same direction. I said, "Great, thank you!"
and turned toward the intersection, but I couldn't cross. For
one thing, there was an onslaught of cars, buses and taxis,
and for another thing the first woman took my arm and told
me, again, "Put!"
As I stood still, wondering what she meant, she started
chatting as if we'd just met at a party. Meanwhile, one of the
boyfriends used his phone to ring someone. A few seconds
later, an imposing black taxi stopped in front of us, and
the driver got out and embraced the man who'd called. The
phone- man handed the driver some folded bills, and my new
friends urged me into the car. One of the boyfriends lifted
my bags into the trunk. "But what will it cost?" I asked, remembering what I'd read about the essentially evil nature oflstanbul's taxi drivers.
"No cost!" my new friend said. "My friend's husband has
taken care!" She wagged a finger toward the driver, now back
in his seat, and said, "We will call hotel in a few minutes
to make sure there is no problems. Good-bye! Welcome to
Istanbul!"
We all kissed each other on both cheeks, and the taxi
driver drove me smoothly the two blocks to the Taksim Park
City Hotel. No evil was in evidence, but I did receive a stern
internal admonition to ignore negative stereotypes in the
future-and, oh yeah, pack lighter. •
When traveling in pairs, lesbians
For example, there's the "found
should decide how out they
jewelry" rip-off: While you are
want to be based on safety
gazing at a fountain or walk-
considerations. Depending on
ing in a park, you or the local
the environment, my girlfriend
person right next to you "finds"
and I might make love in the
an expensive watch or ring. The
woods, make out on the beach,
local generously allows you to
or make out that we're just
buy it from him for a price much
good friends-we've
even been
lower than it's worth-except,
mistaken for sisters. But the solo
of course, that it's plastic,
Sapphic traveler might need to
and planted there before you
take a few extra precautions.
arrived. Other scams feature
Here are some that have worked
crowds of noisy kids flapping
for me:
cardboard signs, pulling you
Know where you're sleeping.
into games, or singing songs
Always book a room before you
right in your face-anything
arrive in a new city, even if it's
to distract you from the hand
just for one night. Already having
that's slipping into your pocket
a place to stay when I land gives
or purse. Before you get to a
me a little control over the price
new place, check online for
and location. Use PurpleRoofs.
well-known scams and rip-offs.
com for gay-friendly accommodations, or try Airbandb.
Talk gibberish. Traveling
around Europe in my teens,
com for rooms in private homes.
I picked up the mother of all
Also, Lesbian Connection (the
street wisdom: If you speak
free, print newsletter) offers
a language that no one else
"Contact Dykes" in many major
knows, you'll be left alone.
cities: These are not necessarily
The men who prey on female
women who will host you, but
tourists know about 50 words
they'll help you find somewhere
in the most common five or six
to stay if you contact them in
languages, so they'll try to bait
advance.
you with phrases that sound
Dress like the locals' grand-
familiar. But if you don't respond
mothers. Traveling alone in the
in kind, they'll fade away. Here's
Middle East, or in Muslim Africa
an example:
and Indonesia, or in the conservative Catholic parts of South
America is no time to show off
your independent, androgynous
sense of style. Err on the side of
modesty. If you just can't stand
to wear a skirt, then carry a
sarong or a large scarf to wrap
around your legs or midriff, or
to cover your head, especially if
you're entering a holy place.
Wear sunglasses. While
living in Egypt, I learnt to cover
my hair and knees, but I still
was constantly harassed on the
street until I made eye contact
impossible.
Watch out for scams. Every
year, con artists in every city
develop new ways to fool you.
Aggressive
male
wearing
tight
jeans
and
agold
watch:
"Hey,
hey,
American
girl!
Where
youfrom?"
You
(looking
innocent):
"Zowie,
superca/ifragi/istic?"
Him:
''Sind
Sievan
Deutsch/and?"
(Are
youfrom
Germany?)
You
(apologetically):
''Bananarama
llama
llama?"
Him:
"Hab/as
Espanol?"
(Do
youspeak
Spanish?)
You
(shrugging):
"Curvatures,
oopsadaisy!"
He'll
move
along
before
youcansay,
''Do-si-do.
"(Hint:
Wait
tolaugh
tillhe's
outofearshot.)
MARCH
2013
CURVE
63
Aussie
girlsknow
howtopartyand
the35thannual
Sydney
Gayand
Lesbian
Mardi
Gras
isnoexception.
ByCecBusby
community has to offer. The theme for the 2013
festival and parade is Generations of Love.
"Thirty-five years on it is time to remember
where we have been, take pride in how far we
have come, look where we are going and to get
excited about the paths that lie before us. These
are our Generations of Love;' says Sydney Gay and
Lesbian co-chair Siri Kommedahl.
Australia has many rights for gays and lesbians
but is yet to achieve marriage equality.
Of course, a theme as expansive as Generations of
Love requires a great concept. This year visual artist
Lewis Oswald came on board to help bring Mardi
Gras' vision to life. Most striking is the cover star of
the festival guide, a cute rainbow baby aptly named
Edan.
"Edan is a baby born out of our Generations of
Love: happy, healthy and alive with the possibilities
that our future journey holds;' says Oswald.
Rainbow Baby Edan is 8 months old, and his two moms
have always marched in the parade. Fiona, one of Edan's
moms, says: 'It's always a highlight of my year to march in
the parade, especially with Rainbow Babies and Kids, as a
celebration of who we are with all of our families created out
oflove. The day of the photo shoot, Edan had one of his most
calm and happy days ever, as if he knew all of this, and was
proud to be a representation of it." (mardigras.org.au) •
GENERATIONS
OF PRIDE
Trolisyear marks 35 years since a group of gay and lesbian
pnotesters took to the streets of Sydney to raise awareness for
L BT rights in Australia. While the first march was marred
bYiarrests and violence, Mardi Gras in the new millennium is
a eelebration of queer culture that is embraced by the wider
ca munity and attracts visitors from around the globe.
A few hundred thousand spectators line the parade route
al0ng Oxford Street to watch this colorful celebration of
Pride and equal numbers flock to the theaters, galleries
and cinemas to discover the latest that the LGBT creative
64
CURVE
MARCH
2013
DYKE HIGHLIGHTS FROM DOWN UNDER
Fairday
Theleafyfieldsof
Sydney's
Victoria
Park
come
tolifeasFairDay
officially
kicksoffSydney
Mardi
Gras
season.
The
much-loved
community
event
isafunpicnic
inthesunforfamily,
friends
andpampered
pooches.
Buffboys,
sexy
girlsandthecolorfully
costumed
battle
it out
forMr.andMs.Fair
Daywhilegroomed
canine
companions
struttheirstuffinthe
famed
Doggywood.
Over
70,000
people
attend
FairDayeachyear,and
there's
guaranteed
to be
something
foreveryone.
Women Say
Something
Women
SaySomething
willbetaking
over
Paddington
Town
Hall
filled
foranevening
withfood,love,laughter
andentertainment.
"Generations
ofWomen"
celebrates
those
women
whohave
come
before,
those
who
haveinfluenced,
and
whatneeds
to happen
tocontinue
whatthey
started
inourworld.
U.K.actor,musician
and
former
Curve
cover
girl
Heather
Peace
(best
known
forherroleinLip
Service
) willspeak
and
perform
attheevent.
Thelaneway
Battle on the
Bent Track
Theofficial
closing
event
Afterthebone-crunchingdishes
upafabulous
excitement
ofwatching recovery
partyinthe
therollerderby
teams
open
airacross
four
fromaround
the
fantastic
spaces
with
country
battle
it outat
pop-up
performances,
drop-ins
bytopDJsand
theHordern
Pavilion,
partyonwiththe
theseason's
superstars.
rollerderby
girlsatthe
Performers
include
X
official
after-party
at
Factor
winner
Samantha
Jade,
DJsSveta,
GiJade,
TheStandard.
Under
thecreative
direction
Kate
Monroe
andmore.
ofqueer
superstar
DJ
Sveta,
expect
araunchy, Glitter Ball
sweaty
nightofcutting Afreedance
partyfor
edge
tunes,
out-there
young
people
under
queer
performance
and 26inasafespace,
ofyouthorg,
fiercerollerdancefloor courtesy
action.
Twenty
10.There
willbe
performance
workshops
intheleaduptotheevent
withthefinalproduct
of
those
workshops
being
performed
onthenight.
Australasian
Gay and
Lesbian Open
Tennis
anyone?
Australia's
largest
gay
andlesbian
tournament
ispartoftheGLTA
World
Tourandwillcaterto
allgrades
andisopen
tomenandwomen
inDoubles,
Singles
and
Mixed
Doubles.
Dykes on Bikes
Thisyearmarks
the25th
anniversary
ofDykes
onBikes
andisalsoa
chance
forinterstate
andoverseas
riders
to
gettogether
priorto
theride.Catch
upwith
oldfriends,
make
new
ones,
swaptalltalesand
discuss
thebestwaysto
keep
yourengines
cool!
Sydney Mardi
Gras Museum
Thefunand
fabulousness,
the
costumes
and
controversy,
thetears
andtriumphs
of35
years
areonshowin
anexhibition
ofarchival
material
frompublic
and
private
collections
that
willentertain,
engage
and
leave
youproud.
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
II
"This is better than sex;' my neighbor says as he stands on
the edge of 1t e Kawarau Bridge in Queenstown. I'm next in
line to jump, and I'm sitting on the wooden floor, my legs tied
together, yet shaking. I try not to look over the edge, instead
focusing on , he spectacular mountains and the sun piercing
the river below. Something tells me that in his experience sex
takes a who]€ lot of nerve and high expectations, but is over
really very quickly.
It's my first day in Queenstown, New Zealand, the adventure capital of the world. Even the flight into Otago was an
adrenalin junkie's hit. As we descended, the downdrafts from
the Remakables, a mountain range whose high point is 7,545
feet, caused the plane to dip up and down like a rollercoaster.
Thankfully, The Lord of the Rings-style scenery saved me
from the sight of the airline attendants bouncing around in
the plane.
Queenstown is like the girl Mom warned you about:
dangerous, seductive, beautiful-and if you're not careful,
she'll have you spinning out of control. Built around the deepblue Lake Wakatipu, Queenstown is famous for its adventure
activities: mountain biking,jet boating, white-water rafting,
and of course bungee jumping. You'll spot the tourists easily:
Bungee protocol requires that you have your weight branded on your hand in red marker, like you're a two-legged form
of livestock.
New Zealand is beautiful, whichever part you visit, but
Queenstown is beautifully butch. In the winter, the streets
are full of ski-toting girls in their snow gear, with tousled
hair and mountain-kissed pink faces.
While the Kiwis, as they're known, may be famous for
producing world-renowned wine and food, they are also
famous for producing one other savory piece of work: Lucy
Lawless. It is no surprise that Xena: Warrior Princess was
brought to life by a New Zealand-born actress. The irony
is not wasted on me when I meet my Kiwi host, Xelia. I
waste no time asking her if she has ever taken Lucy bungee
jumping.
"She's a little bit before my time," Xelia says, smiling.
"But as a kid I remember her on a TV travel show, before
she got big. There was one episode where she went bungee
Calling
allwarrior
princesses,
the
landofXena
offers
openness
and
adventure.
ByAlexHarmon
66
CURVE
MARCH
2013
HOWTO
GET THERE
jumping from a helicopter. She's really cool." I agree and ask
Xelia if all Kiwis have the daredevil spirit running through
their veins, just trading in their leather plates and armour
for North Face skiwear. "I guess we live on the edge of the
world, so we treat life on the edge as normal!"
The next day, we're off on a spine-tingling drive through
Wanaka and up to Cardrona Alpine Resort. Although the
Remarkables ("Remarks," as the locals say) are closer and
more accessible, it's Cardrona where the Kiwis like to ski.
The snow is better, the runs are wider, and the crowds are
kept to a minimum.
On the drive, I ask Xelia about the legend of the Cardrona
Bra Fence (I'm pretty sure she's on to me now). I'd read about
a fence on the side of the road somewhere in sheep-farming
country where it had become weirdly customary for women
to hang their bras, hundreds at a time. "Unfortunately,
the District Council removed the bras in 2006;' says Xelia.
"There were around 800 bras before they shut it down.
The Council thought it was an eyesore and a distraction
for drivers." We drive on through the completely braless
winding roads. The higher we get, the harder it is to see.
Everything is white.
Aotearoa is the Maori word for New Zealand; roughly
translated, it means "the land of the long white cloud;'
and up here in these heavenly
surroundings, the description
couldn't be more apt.
Although it's September,
the end of ski season, the snow
hasn't begun to diminish. When
we reach the slopes, I tell Xelia
that I've never seen this much
snow before. "Really?" she asks
me with a smile on her face. "I
haven't been up this season
because we haven't had a very
good snowfall." I look around in
amazement, because it's white
as far as the eye can see. Once
we're boarded up, we wait at
the chair lifts to be given the all
AirNewZealand
flies
fromL.A.to
Auckland
direct
(airnewzealand.com
clear by the snow officials. We slide
our snowboards along, making the
first tracks of the day.
I'm not a very good snowboarder, but
I spend the day with that Christmastime pop
standard "Walking in a Winter Wonderland" playing in my
head. The snow is so thick and powdery that it cushions my
falls, and the turns I maneuver make me feel like I'm surfing in soft waves. I meet Xelia at the end of the day and tell
her about the awesome powder I've been carving up. She
laughs and says, "It's so cute how you think this is powder. I
go off-piste [backcountry] skiing up here and have been in
snow so deep I've been stuck up to my waist."
Xelia and I are already playing out some sort of readbetween- the-lines Xena and Gabrielle relationship. But
this farm girl can't wait through six seasons of unrelenting
subtext, so we hit the bars of downtown Queenstown.
There's a great mix of bars in the heart of town, dotted
around the cobbled lanes. After a few apres ski drinks, you'd
almost think you're in Europe. There are backpacker bars
where you can get lost in a sea of twenty-somethings doing
an organized pub-crawl. Or you can settle into one of the
many wine bars where the fire is roaring and the ambience
is elegant.
Queenstown has the highest bar-to-person ratio in New
Zealand and that's no surprise, given that what goes up
must come down. After a day of bungee jumping, alcohol is
a necessity.
Honestly though, I was coaxed into the first jump almost
through trickery. Taken to the Kawarau Bridge, which boasts
the world's first commercial bungee jump, I was told we
were there just to participate in some people watching. After
I'd taken a few quick snaps of the brave, incredibly fearless
people throwing themselves off the 147-foot bridge, Xelia
says, "Well, now that we're here, you may as well jump."
For this sort of thing, perhaps "unprepared" is the best
possible frame of mind. Before I know it, my legs tied together with rope, I'm standing on the edge of the bridge.
Sensing my fear, the bungee masters of AJ Hackett (bungy.
co.nz) are kind and very slowly count back from three before I stretch my arms out like Jesus on the cross and fall
forward. The blood rushes to my head and I
hold my breath, frozen in position, not even
able to scream. Until-bounce-I
reach the
length of the rope's tether and realise I have
survived. It's now time to scream, and I do so
for several minutes.
The best feeling about bungee jumping is
knowing that it's over-and you've accomplished something that most people would
never even attempt. If it weren't for my benign crush on Xelia, my warrior princess, I'm
not sure I ever would have either. I wouldn't
say that it's better than sex, but it's up there
with foreplay. (newzealand.com/us/) •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
67
/// EXOTIC ESCAPES
Alongtrip
definitely
paysoff
fornature
lovers.
ByMerryn
Johns
WLD N
PATAGONA
When you think Q)fPatagonia, you may envision dramatic,
ru ged vistas ancl the supernaturally blue ice fields at Los
jaciares Natio al Park. But that's south and inland. Another
Datago ia lies on the northern coast in Chubut Province,
adiating from the city of Puerto Madryn (the name, Spanish and Welslii',indicates the mixed settlement of this area).
This sick.1e-s aped port on the Golfo Nuevo is only mildly
picturesq e-but don't be disappointed, because abundant
visual treats await you in this region. I stayed at the Peninsula de Valdes Hotel, a friendly, comfy, modern base which
serves an excellent Argentinean breakfast that will tide you
over for a day of adventure (hotelpeninsula.com.ar).
The way to get here is via Buenos Aires, a city that should
already be on your travel radar, so take a couple of days to
explore-after all, you've come this far! And there are many
reasons to linger in BA: the legend of Eva Peron (visit La Recoleta cemetery), the passion of the tango (countless shows
and restaurants showcase the art), the famous Argentine
steak (everywhere, flame-grilled), the leather-centric fashion
and housewares. If you want to be looked after in the big city,
stay at the Panamericano (panamericano.us). The staff is
fluent in English and will help you navigate the business of
the trip I was on and are dedicated to bringing more LGBT
travelers to the region, promoting Patagonia's unique blend
of nature-based lifestyle and diverse culture. On my visit I
was lucky enough to be introduced to a great gay and lesbian
group and their allies, as Patagonia is cresting its own small
wave of gay liberation, in a country where marriage equality
has already passed into law. I also met friendly and dedicated
local lesbian activists who balance their day jobs with grassroots advocacy work and growing Patagonia Pride through
the organization DiverseX. Claudia Contreras Newbery and
her girlfriend Natalia are hospitable and inspirational lesbians who rally the local community to participate in advocacy
activities such as ending HIV/AIDS discrimination including changing the law around blood donation in their province, stopping the pathologizing of trans people, violence
against women and girls, and other human rights issues.
EATOUT
currency exchange, taxis, restaurants, shopping and which
tango show gives you the best bang for your buck.
MEETTHE PEOPLE
You could be forgiven for thinking that a place as remote as
Patagonia, with its windswept rural setting and vast distances, would have no queer people in it, but you'd be wrong.
A local Patagonian, Matias Emanuel Garcia, has worked with
the Buenos Aires business-consulting firm GNetwork360
(responsible for the annual LGBT conference on business
and tourism) and is the gay representative of Flamenco Tour
(flamencotour.com). Both of these organizations assisted
68
CURVE
MARCH 2013
While Argentina is known for its empanadas and steak, you
are on the coast in Puerto Madryn, so take advantage of the
incredibly robust and fresh supply of seafood. I have never
seen the likes of the whole fish, gigantic prawns, and scallops
on the half shell that I saw in Patagonia. The simple presentation and fresh flavor will make you a pescetarian as fast
as you can say "calamari" (which, by the way, is both large
and tender). Dinner at Los Colonos makes you feel like you
have been transported back to the days of settlement, so
reminiscent of a ship's interior is the decor. It is a "marisqueria," but you can always order the staple "carnes"beef and lamb. And as a side note to fussy carnivores, you
may never be asked by a waiter here how you like your
meat cooked; it just arrives the Argentine way, charred as
though over an open fire. So get your gaucho on.
All this grilled protein is a fabulous way to store energy
for a full day on the Peninsula de Valdes. The local whalewatching excursion is nothing at all like you might find in
Provincetown (estacionmaritima.com.ar). Here you are in a
very small boat, think dirigible, and garbed in the outerwear
of an mariner. Handy hint: Bring the Dramamine. But I can
assure landlubbers that this excursion does not disappoint.
I spent possibly the best hour of my life far out on the sapphire-blue open sea against the majestic backdrop of Puerto
Piramides (the chalky, angular cliffs resemble an Egyptian
landmark). Whales mating and breaching at close range, at
times passing as great, gnarled shadows beneath our tiny
boat, is the stuff of dreams, and well worth a trek to another
hemisphere.
After so much excitement (and to get your land legs back)
you will need lunch at the family-style Quimey Quipan,
where you can come down and warm up with a glass of local
Malbec (very good) and a pot of mussels or paella.
Another amazing day excursion, and one that will make
you think you're on another
planet altogether, is to the Welshsettled village of Gaiman (yes,
and the in-crowd, and it's where I passed a couple of hours in
the charming company of Claudia and Natalia over beers and
the always exceptional local wine.
Being in Patagonia also means being in dinosaur country. At the very sophisticated and atmospheric Museum
of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio (mef.org.ar), I stood next
to an extinct femur that was taller than me, and on my way
from the museum I saw two artifacts that sang to my baby
dyke soul: the heritage-listed Hotel Touring Club, where legendary outlaws Butch and Sundance stayed when they were
on the lam, and some screen-printed graffiti that proclaimed
Stop Homo Lesbo Trans Fobia! and Lesbian Power, with (nice
touch) two pairs of scissors intersecting. Clearly the word of
Claudia and Natalia is spreading!
I felt more than a little butch in Patagonia, and that
transformation probably occurred on my 4x4 excursion,
where I drove a quad through mountainous sand dunes,
watched whales from afar, and a southern giant petrel the
size of a private jet soared overhead on its way to roost.
pronounced gay-man),
about So kilometers out
of Madryn. The countryside around this historic community
of 10,000 rural folks is so charming, with its pear and cherry
farms and golden-hued fields cleaved here and there by
the Chubut River, that you may thing of snapping up some
acreage. Out tour bus stopped at a Welsh-style tea house,
Casa de Te Gales Ty Te Caerdydd for the most abundant
afternoon tea I have ever sampled. Scones, cream cakes,
cookies, sandwiches, and endless pots of tea. Where are you
that you could be sipping hot tea from blue and white china
after a day of whale watching-Cornwall? No, you're at the
opposite end of the world, and that realization alone is one of
the gifts of Patagonia: Just being there makes you feel like a
seasoned world traveler.
That afternoon tea will have spoiled your dinner, but
nevertheless, because you are not likely to see protein this
fresh at home, have a relaxed meal at Margarita Resto &
Bar (margaritapub.blogspot.com) as late as you like because
Argentineans tend to linger over their evening meal; it's not
unusual to see parents out with their kids close to midnight.
This pub with home-style cooking is loved by local queer folk
SPANGLISH
A PLUS:
While
BEFOREYOU GO
many languages are spoken in Argentina,
Spanish is key, so learn a few handy phrases as once you
leave Buenos Aires, not everyone speaks fluent English.
CURRENCY
CAUTION:
There seemed to be some tourist-targeted
flimflammery going on during my visit to Buenos Aires, so pay
with small bills and watch change given to you by taxi drivers.
NATURE
WINS:Patagonians are conservationists and proud and
protective of the local wildlife. This means that pursuing
whales, sea lions and other critters for your camera opp
occurs in synch with the seasons, the animals' eco-rhythms
and weather permitting. For example, a scheduled diving
with sea lions may not occur due to these factors, so don't
be disappointed: be glad that Patagonians are such good
caretakers of the earth and not out to make a fast tourist
buck.
CONNECT
WITH
QUEERS:
When you're in town, reach out to Claudia
Contreras Newbery via http://chubut-diversx.blogspot.com.
ar and tell her Curve sent you.
HOW TO GET THERE
Fly to Buenos Aires and then connect to Trelew on Aerolineas
Argentinas (aerolineas.com.ar). •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
69
Lesbian soccer star and gold medal Olympian Megan Rapinoe
has never been one to hold anything back. The 27-year-old
is known for her fiery attitude and the ability to change the
momentum of a game with a single pass or shot. "The whole
point of soccer is to score a goal;' says Rapinoe with a sly
laugh. "And there's no better feeling in the world. I like to
have fun when I'm playing. So when it happens, you've done
your job and it's worth celebrating:'
Anyone who has seen Rapinoe play knows that she likes
to have fun. During the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, she
entered the game against Colombia as a substitute, in the
50th minute of play. After scoring a key goal, she celebrated
by singing Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the USA" directly
into the on-field microphone at the top of her lungs. The
performance vaulted Rapinoe from little-known reservist
to YouTube-worthy fan favorite. "I can't contain it or help
it, it's just who I am," she says. "Even at 7 or 8 years old, I
always had that flair. It's this subconscious need to entertain, or something."
70
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2013
She grew up as one of five siblings in Redding, Calif. "My
parents always encouraged all of us to be active. So we participated in all sports growing up. Basically, they put us into
everything and let us focus on what we liked best."
Rapinoe and her twin sister, Rachael, competed in basketball and track before settling on soccer. "Both of us were good
[athletes]. We loved soccer and basketball. But we stopped
growing at 5 foot 4, 5 foot 6, so we realized that soccer was
where we would do best:' The twins often pushed each other
to get better. "There were a few games of one-on-one in the
driveway that we never got to finish;' Rapinoe laughs.
On the soccer field, their competitive nature allowed
Rapinoe and her sister to excel. In high school, they
participated in the Olympic Development Program (ODP),
but gave it up when the commitment became too much to
handle. "We lived in a small town and traveling to practices
and games was too much to commit to. So we were able to
play and have fun in high school, instead of growing up in
the ODP environment. I got brought onto the national team
during my last year of high school. I honestly thought they
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to myself that I
was that good and that I
deserved to be there with everyone else. But
I definitely had to find my bearings a bit with the national
team, and come into my own as a person."
Before joining the national team, Rapinoe was often
encouraged by her coaches to be herself. She was given the
freedom to have fun and take chances, but as she began
playing professionally it got her into trouble now and again.
"When I was younger, I only thought about myself on the field.
It's landed me on the bench in the past. I've since realized that
I have to strike a balance between creativity and discipline.
I've taken shots that I probably shouldn't have, and they go
wide. But sometimes they land in the back of the net:'
Though the U.S. women's soccer team failed to win the
2011 World Cup, they redeemed themselves at the 2012
Summer Olympics. With three goals and four assists, Rapinoe
balanced her aggressive instincts with a team-based performance that helped the USA win a gold medal in London.
It was a moment that left her speechless. "Oh, man. It's so
difficult to describe," she says. "It was always a childhood
dream of mine. I'm a total Olympic nut. I love everything
about the Olympics-the training, the backstory, everything.
You have [a gold medal] forever, and you're always an Olympian. No one can take that away from you."
Thanks the current success of Rapinoe's US Olympic
team, the popularity of women's soccer is at an all-time
high. But Rapinoe believes that appeal reaches far beyond
the field. "I think that, first and foremost, the product we
put on the field is something that people want;' she said.
"We have a history of making it more exciting than necessary [laughs]. But with the media, and social media, we are
very accessible. It's different with men's sports, I think,
because there is more distance between the team and the
fans. Women's sports are on a much smaller scale. We interact more, and we are more available. That allows fans to
have access to us, and to get to know us."
If you follow Rapinoe on Twitter or visit her Facebook
page, you'll find that she's just as confident and jovial off the
field as she is on it. She's not afraid to share herself with her
fans, whether it's supporting her twin sister or letting the
world know that she's proud of who is she is. "I live my life
in a public eye;' Rapinoe explains. "And I live pretty openly,
through social media and who I am as a person. I think it's
important to put it out there, to be honest about who you
really are:'
e
Part of being true to herself involved coming out and
being honest about her sexuality. Before she flew to London
for the Olympics, Rapinoe decided it was time to come out
once and for all. "I think a lot of different things influenced
my decision. Over the years, it sort of just became this heavy
feeling-'Do I want to come out?' And I often thought about
it and it eventually became, 'Why am I not out?' It's not
something that I lied about, but I wasn't being fully authentic. For me, it became hard to say that I support marriage
equality or talk about bullying without being out. It's something that I knew I had to do, and something that I wanted
to do. I'm not ashamed of who I am-quite the contrary. It
was time to honor that. And to know that I helped someone I
don't even know, just by coming out, is an amazing thing."
Rapinoe's family was very supportive of her decision.
"We've always been close. Still, to this day, we find a way to get
together as a family. They've actually known since I've known,
which is about eight or nine years ago. And they have always
been supportive. There is an adjustment period, of course.
But there is with any family. The thing they were worried
about most was that it would affect me in a negative waY:'
Most professional athletes who are gay or lesbian, in fact
most celebrities in general, are often afraid that once the
truth is out they'll receive a lot of the negative backlash
from fans, teammates and coaches, as well as family and
friends. They are also concerned about losing sponsors. In
fact, Martina Navratilova did lose sponsors when she came
out in 1981. So, was Rapinoe worried about any backlash?
"Nope, not at all;' she says smoothly. "I didn't think
there was going to be a lot at all. If I did, I might have been
a little more nervous about my decision. But I had the
attitude that 'This is who I am ...so if you don't like it then
it's not my concern.' My friends, family, and team were all
accepting. As for sponsors, it never crossed my mind. Nike
is my biggest supporter and I wasn't concerned about that
at all. If a company doesn't want to support me or sponsor
me, then I don't want to work with that company or support
them. I think athletes should look at this whole situation
from a positive point of view instead. What companies
would want me and want to support me as I am? [Being
afraid to lose sponsors] implies that there is something
wrong, and there's not.''
Rapinoe is also happy to admit that despite her
rigorous and demanding schedule, she's been in a healthy
relationship for the past three years. "I am very content and
extremely lucky.''
As for her teammates, she jokes about how it was a nonissue because everyone on the team basically knew already.
"I got a text from one of my friends on the team. It said
[jokingly], 'Oh my gosh, I'm shocked and hurt that you
didn't tell me.' We have a pretty amazing family going on
with our team, and we have a lot of respect for one another.
Most of the girls don't want to bother with any drama, and
we just don't have time for it. Overall, we just want to have
fun and enjoy our time together.''
Last fall, Rapinoe had a short break in her soccer
schedule. She moved back to Portland, Ore., to live with
Rachael and spend some time relaxing. "Honestly, I get
antsy when there's a break, but I know it's good to rest and
be away from the team for a bit. I just used that time to get
ready for the upcoming year of soccer, because it's a lot,
both physically and mentally.''
In addition to playing for the US women's Olympic
team, Rapinoe will be participating in the new National
Women's Soccer League, which is scheduled to begin play
in the spring of 2013. In recent years, two other US women's
professional soccer leagues were unable to generate enough
capital to keep going. And even though women's soccer is
more popular than ever, professional leagues are having
trouble finding stability over the long term. "It costs a lot
of money to run a league," explains Rapinoe. "Even the
MLS (Major League Soccer) struggles to be profitable. I
think the women's league was over-ambitious in the past.
It needs to be more on a semi-professional level. You have
to let people work and play in the cities that they are from.
Hopefully, we'll see what this new league can do and if it can
be sustainable and last.'' •
MARCH
2013
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Party animals
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Leisha Halley and fan
MARCH
2013
Team sports
Suite action
Poolside fun
Katy Perry
Mariah Hanson, Wanda Sykes, Natasha Bed1ngf1eld
Lady Gaga
Girls, girls, girls
Mariah Hanson and Laurel Holloman
Dancers
Chaka Khan
Celebrity team
Hunter Valentine
h
Gay1
I
t's the weekend lesbians around the world wait for all
year long. It's what makes the winter months bearable as we huddle up with a blanket and a hot cup of
soup, dreaming about warm weather and hot women
in the Palm Springs, Calif. desert. This April 3-7 marks the
23rd anniversary of The Dinah.
In 1991, Mariah Hanson, the founder and main producer
of The Dinah, headed her first Dinah Shore weekend and it
sparked the beginning of something legendary. From there,
Hanson moved forward, booking entire hotels that would be
exclusively filled with lesbians and to bringing in national
sponsors and the best breakthrough musicians.
Now lesbians across the world flock to Palm Springs
every year for the event, but Hanson wasn't always sure her
original concept would take The Dinah weekend this far.
"Looking back on 23 years, I never would have imagined that
I would be where I'm standing today. That creativity that
has been the driving force of the new wave of reinventing
The Dinah is becoming more and more powerful for me:'
Not only has The Dinah become a lesbian tradition, but
it's also proven to be an excellent platform for emerging
musicians. Back in 2006, Hanson booked The Pussycat
Dolls when no one would hire them on their own. After they
played The Dinah ... well, we all know how that went. "Once
they played The Dinah, Ellen asked them to be on her show,"
Hanson says. "And once Ellen asked them to be on her show,
Jay Leno asked them to be on his show. And you see, the rest
is history."
Every year the weekend gets bigger and more outrageous.
What can we expect to see at The Dinah this year? "We
have added Celebrity Poker and we're continuing Celebrity
Dodgeball, of course," Hanson says. "We're doing two local
bands for the first time in a long time at the second pool and
a movie premiere as well on Friday night. And we're also
working with HRC this year, which is really exciting."
In the past, Hanson has booked the likes of Pat Benatar,
Colbie Caillat, Uh Huh Her, Kesha and Lady Gaga, and this
year's line-up is guaranteed to impress. Come April, Dinah
attendees will be treated to performances by Karmin, Uh
Huh Her, Havana Brown, Kat Graham, Anjulie, Diana King,
Katy Tiz, K. Rose, Life Down Here and Playboy School on
the event's many stages. The comedy show will highlight
Fortune Feimster, Suzanne Westenhoefer and Jackie
Loeb. There will also be an appearance by The Real L
Word's Kiyomi Mccloskey and Lauren Bedford Russell.
(The Dinah is where, as fans of the series will recall, the
couple first met.)
If you're planning to join this year's festivities, there's an
awesome VIP deal for those planning to attend the entire
weekend. The VIP passes include every single event of The
Dinah and get you into all the private bars and lounges, so
it's pay once, see everything and everyone-not bad. Just be
sure to get 'em before they're gone. (thedinah.com) •
MARCH
2013
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VEGAS UNCORK~D 2013 SHOWCASES THE
COUNTRY'S FINEST CULINARY AND WINE TALENT.
Las Vegas, one of the nation's top dining destinations,
is gearing up for its premier foodie event, the seventh annual
Vegas Uncork'd by Bon Appetit. Sixty restaurants, 50 celebrity
and master chefs, 30 sommeliers, 25 events, four extraordinary
resorts and more than 5,000 food lovers will come together
for a world-class culinary weekend.
76
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2013
:1==1:
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Las Vegas, attracting world-famous
chefs, unveiling innovative dining
experiences, and sealing the Strip's
reputation amongst foodies as the
country's culinary epicenter. Worldclass resorts and host hotels Bellagio,
Caesars Palace, MGM Grand and
Mandalay Bay and their restaurants
are currently preparing for the biggest
and boldest Vegas Uncork'd by Bon
Appetit yet.
The epicurean A-list has already
set the stage for this event but if you
can't make it for Uncork'd, here are
some other great restaurants options
that you can check out all year long.
VEGAS UNCORK'D
BY BON APPETIT
MAY 9-12, 2013
TICKETS ON SALE AT
VEGASUNCORKED.COM
Celebrity
chef Gordon
Ramsay
followed the May opening of Gordon
Ramsay Steak at Paris Las Vegas with
Gordon Ramsay Pub & Grill at Caesars
Palace and Gordon Ramsay BurG R at
Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in
December. Two restaurants from the
same chef opening within one week of
each other is a first on the famed Las
Vegas Strip.
Las Vegas nightlife went to the next
level in December with the opening of
Andrea's at Encore where the concept
of "vibe dining" combines nightclub
and restaurant ambience. Executive
Chef Joseph Elevado returns to Las
Vegas after serving as Executive Chef
at L'Ermitage Beverly Hills. Also new
at Wynn Las Vegas, Allegro offers
a new take on Italian-American
favorites while Chef Devin Hashimoto,
named "Best Chef on The Strip" by
Vegas Seven in the magazine's 2012
Restaurant Awards issue, opened
Mizumi, bringing Japanese food to the
Wynn resort.
Asian food continues its evolution
and popularity with Michelin-starred
Chef Masa Takayama debuting Tetsu,
his first teppan concept at ARIA
Resort & Casino. Tetsu delivers an
intimate dining experience featuring
the fresh, high-quality ingredients,
and unparalleled culinary techniques
for which Chef Masa is renowned.
More Eastern culinary offerings
are found at Hard Rock Hotel &
Casino with the addition of tiFu
(meaning "luck" in English). The
restaurant features a fusion of Asian
fare with authentic Chinese cuisine
and regional inspirations including
Korean, Vietnamese and Thai. Also
inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino,
Culinary Dropout, the first Las Vegas
restaurant by five-time James Beard
Foundation Outstanding Restaurateur
semi-finalist Sam Fox, opened its
doors in August.
MGM Grand's evolution continues
into spring 2013 with the highly
anticipated opening of Hakkasan Las
Vegas Restaurant and Nightclub, an
upscale dining experience combined
with multiple nightlife components.
The venue will incorporate the best
of dining and nightlife to deliver a
superlative after dark experience.
MGM Resorts International also
welcomes
celebrity
chef
Tom
Colicchio, who is set to open a new
steakhouse at The Mirage in summer
2013.
Female foodies are also making
their mark: Last November Mandalay
Bay announced Director of Food &
Beverage Sarah Johnson successfully
completed the Beer Certification
Exam making her Nevada's first
female certified cicerone.
Leading the way in the next
generation of libations is NgNE
Group Las Vegas, who brings a new
sophisticated bar with an elaborate
mixology program to Palms Casino
Resort. Scarlet will provide an
intimate atmosphere and a select
menu featuring top-shelf liquors,
unique infused spirits, exclusive
signature cocktails and much more.
Also at Palms Casino Resort is Chocolat
Bistro, a chic fusion of traditional
European cremerie and creperie.
Sample delectable desserts, crepes,
croissants and fresh flatbreads, or
choose from 18 varieties of homemade
gelato. The Coppa Chocolat, a decadent
combination of milk chocolat gelato,
dark chocolat, Grand Marnier chocolat
gelato and fresh whipped cream is a
perfect way to cool your palate and top
off your Vegas food fun.
With such an array of epicurean
delights, Vegas Uncork'd by Bon
Appetit 2013 is a not-to-be-missed
event for your culinary calendar.
Another delicious reason why Las
Vegas should be at the top of your
destination list this year. •
MARCH
2013
CURVE
77
LAST CALL/
FOOD
W///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
to bring people together, like food
brought my family together.
How do you stay true to yourself?
The easy part is staying true to me. I
don't do what I don't want to do. I'm
pretty honest and I try to keep it real
on all levels. I believe in social awareness, community and supporting your
neighbors, living your life. We get
caught up working and forget to appreciate and get in touch with ourselves.
It's about living with a mind, body and
spirit approach.
How does it feel to be back on Top Chef?
It's great. I keep reading in the biogs
whether the three of us got an unfair
advantage. The only advantage would
be that we have been there before. All
the challenges are new. It has nothing
to do with what we have done before, it
has to do with the challenge day-to-day,
working against the clock and doing
our best to make it to the next week.
What other projects are you working on?
Global Soul Corner, it's a pop up
[restaurant] in the Bay area at Thee
Parkside. There was this famous rock
'n' roll bar with this little kitchen and
it was calling out to me. Global soul is
the type of food that I do. We have daily
specials and a new dumpling menu
everyweek. It's fun. It's coming to New
York and Miami in 2013.
Two-time
starJosie
Smith-Malave
turnscuisine
intosocial
change. Global Soul World is the socialist
and culturally driven section of my
BY RE KARA GAGE
corporation. Usually, you make money and you start feeling guilty. I don't
work like that. I don't need to make a
e first met chef Josie What made you want to be a chef?
Smith-Malave in season
I'm from a Puerto Rican-Italian family. million dollars, I need to make a portwo of Top Chef where What we do well is eat. With such bold tion of that and use the rest to give
back to communities. Just $10,000
the Miami native and out flavors from South Florida and eating
lesbian was ousted in a double elimi- good food on a consistent basis, it's could build schools, feed families in
nation over a trio of dishes made to natural that I would get into an indusThird World countries, reach neighcleanse the palate and awaken the try that allowed me to continue doing borhoods, families and communities
senses. Fortunately for fans of Smith- that. Culinary is a way for me to ven- in our own country.
What are your plans for the future?
Malave, season two proved to just be an ture out in a career that I love. There's
appetizer as the fan favorite returned to both a business side and a creative
I always knew what I wanted to do in
test her culinary craft in season 10 of side, which are both areas that I wanted
this industry. I wanted to cook from my
heart. I got distracted along the way and
the hit cooking competition. But as a to be a part of.
What does food mean to you?
yes, I have a great pedigree but the style
former women's professional football
wasn't me. I want to cook good food for
player, social activist and global adven- It's a way to bring people together
turer, Smith-Malave is not someone to regardless of background, race, religion, people on a consistent basis. I don't care
let a minor setback keep her away from
sexuality or socioeconomic status. It what bloggers or critics think. That's
not what it is about. (chejjosie.com) •
her dream.
is the common denominator. I want
Second Helping
Top
Chef
W
78
CURVE
MARCH
2013
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Fromthe FemArt Collection
TLOOKtSTARS
Heavenly Bodies
March sees five planets traverse romantic Pisces.
BY CHARLENE LICHTENSTEIN
PISCES
(Feb. 20-March 20)
A Pisces woman aches
for a faithful relationship
She is in love with love
and can't wait to find
a lovergrrl with whom
to share her dreams of
blissful happiness She
loves children and avidly
seeks a partnership with
a like-minded woman.
If you settle in with a
Sapphic Pisces, expect
the pitter-patter of little
feet within the first two
years, and I don't mean
catsl Her naive optimism
in relationships are often
puttothetestand,as
much as she desires a
forever, she is a mutable
sign who knows when
forever simply means for
the time being
Pisces (Feb. 20-March 20)
This is your month to shine. The
fates conspire to place you in
the epicenter of activity where
you can demand and get everyone's full attention. Strut your
stuff and find ways to showcase
your considerable talents. You
will expand your world and
rub elbows with the high and
mighty. Find more than mere
elbows to rub. Oh rubadub!
Cancer (June 22-July 23)
There is a beautiful world out
there. So pack your bags and
try to explore it this March. You
can scratch your itchy Crab
claws in some faraway paradise
or create utopia closer to home
for you and some lucky lady.
There is romance waiting for
you around every corner so be
sure to venture out and explore
every nook and cranny.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Aries (March 21-April 20)
Leo (July 24-Aug. 23)
Sagittarius (Nov. 23-Dec. 22)
Let your imagination run
"Wilde" this March. You are
not only Ober-intuitive, you also
know where all the secrets are
hidden and the bodies buried.
Unearth some startling news
(as well as a few of those heavenly bodies) and decide how
to best share it with world. You
change the flow of conversation
and open up opportunities in
your career.
Taurus (April 21-May 21)
Gal pals provide the adventure
if you are willing to go along
for the ride. Your social life
heats up so much so that you
singe the scenery. Sapphic
Bulls are hotter than usual.
Stoke the pilot light of one
adventuresome gal pal in
particular. Do you want to tempt
fate by escalating a platonic
relationship into something
passionate? Yes, yes, yes!
Gemini (May 22- June 21)
Charlene
Lichtenstein
istheauthor
of HerScopes:
A Guide
toAstrology
forLesbians
(Simon
& Schuster)tinyurl.
com/HerScopes.
Nowavailable
asanebook.
80
CURVE
MARCH
2013
Make your best professional
move this March as various
enticing opportunities present
themselves. And if they
don't, push your own agenda
forward and create your own
enticing opportunities. Power
and ambition are alluring and
intoxicating, Twin. Grab a bit of
oomph for yourself and see who
you can get to work under you.
Lionesses can focus on sex
and intimacy all through March
with some excellent results.
That is because you now have
ample animal magnetism
and charisma. Grrr. Pour your
personal oil and see who
slides by. Expand your range
of possibilities by cooking up
some social events with some
delectable dishes.
Virgo (Aug. 24-Sept. 23)
Are you happier when you are
in a one-on-one relationship?
If so, use this March to either
improve current ones that
need an emotional lift or seek
out new ones that are full of
new possibilities. The question
is: Are you willing to take a
chance? The road of new
beginnings opens up before
you, Virgo.
Libra (Sept. 24-Oct. 23)
Although it may not sound
exciting, your day-to-day job
will go much smoother this
March. And you will be able to
accomplish anything you set
your mind to do. So don't rest
on your laurels, Libra. Make
your best moves now. You
may be surprised at who
notices and responds. Maybe
she is waiting for you in the
coffee room. I think something
is brewing.
This is the month to express
your creativity and artistry,
Scorpio. Your masterpiece is
waiting to unfold and dazzle.
Don't limit yourself to the high
arts. Even planning a party
counts. And romance is possible if you are open to the
possibilities. In fact, combine
all three-get a group of nude
body painters over.
This may be a good time to
start some spring cleaning. Not
only do your surroundings need
some sprucing up, you will reap
considerable benefits from
making your home a desired
destination. Try to make your
space a bit more cushy and
inviting. And when you begin
to feel cuddly, who knows who
you can lure into your web to
snuggle with you?
Capricorn (Dec. 23-Jan. 20)
If you have something to say,
say it in March. You find ways
of sugarcoating even the
harshest of comments and
sway even the staunchest critic.
Try to add a bit of honey to
your delivery with some
yummy compliments. Use
your time to reach out and
meet those who can give you a
leg up. And if you happen
to get a leg over as well,
congratulations.
Aquarius (Jan. 21-Feb. 19)
Money is intoxicating. You can
use it to cushion your life, treat
your desires and enjoy the
finer things in life. How high
will it make you this March?
Before you hit your head on
the ceiling, try to focus on your
bottom line. Or even better,
focus on a certain someone's
bottom line.
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