The National Women’s Music Festival - June 30 - July 3, 2011...

The Festival is a four-day musical and cultural extravaganza that incorporates all facets of women’s lives. It’s a jam-packed long weekend where choices for things to do range from workshops, concerts, comedy, theatre presentations, a marketplace, newly released films and videos, a live auction, spirituality series, writer’s series, animal lovers series, and much, much more!

Most Festival attendees are women, although men can and do attend. Attendees come from all walks of life and cultures, cutting across ethnic, racial, sexual, age, and ability boundaries.






2011 Performers:

1. Ann Reed

Ann has been a touring musician for more than 30 years and has gotten to know a bit about the geography of the United States and Canada.

2. Anna Vogelzang

Anna, unavoidably soulful singer/songwriter and newly-transplanted Midwesterner sings the best kind of songs, the ones about feelings.

3. C.C. Carter

C.C. is a Chicagoan with national prominence on the performance poetry scene. Her first book, Body Language, a collection of poetry, was nominated for a 2003 Lambda Literary Award. She is the winner of a host of poetry slams including winning the Fifth Annual Gwendolyn Brooks Open Mic Competition and the First Annual Behind Our Masks Poetry Slam.

4. Chris Pureka

Chris is a breath of fresh air in an age of fleeting success and temporary notions. She is an artist of substance, armed with a sharp eye for oft-missed details and an emotional intelligence that can switch from withering to compelling with a subtle inflection.

5. Deidre McCalla

Deidre came of age in the fiery blaze of NYC's folk heyday - a time when Greenwich Village clubs were filled with the likes of Dylan, Baez, and Ochs; a time when Motown ruled the top of the charts and the streets of America screamed with anger and civil unrest.

6. Marga Gomez

Marga is a native New Yorker who makes San Francisco her home and identifies as a bicoastal Gemini. As the daughter of a Cuban comedian and Puerto Rican dancer Marga made her stage debut in New York at age 7 and was hooked ever since. Her long and colorful career includes achievements in comedy, theater, film and television and was profiled in the 2005 documentary “Laughing Matters.”

7. ZRAZY (Musical Group)

Irish vocalist Maria Walsh and UK saxophonist/pianist Carole Nelson, formed Zrazy in 1992, winning the Hot Press Irish Music Critics Award for Best New Band the following year. Their first two CDs, Give it All Up and Permanent Happiness, were pure pop/dance delights, integrating Celtic lyricism, poetic sensibility and traditional instruments with funky loops and techno grooves. In 1999 they released their third album Private Wars. Recorded in Ireland with their jazz quintet and released on their own ALFI label, it was a stunning collection of eleven original jazz songs.

FESTIVAL WORKSHOPS


1. Lesbian Sexuality Workshop

Glenda Corwin, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist will present a workshop at NWMF. Dr. Corwin is the author of Sexual Intimacy For Women: A Guide For Same Sex Couples, released in Spring 2010.

Most of us know about hot, romantic, falling-in-love sex—but what about long-term sexual intimacy? Women who remain long-term lovers understand how “24-Hour Foreplay” brings emotional connection, sensual awareness, and erotic imagination together. “Lesbian bed death,” or a thriving sex life? You decide—this workshop will show you the skills you need to increase sexual desire and pleasure.


2. NWMF Drumming Intensive Workshops

Basic hand drum workshop with Rani [Djembe, Ashiko, Dunun, and bells] [2 hrs] Friday/Saturday

-Intermediate hand drum workshop with Wahru [Djembe, Ashiko, Dunun, clave, and bells] [2 hrs] Friday/Saturday.

-Drum Chorus practice with Wahru and assistants....Advanced hand drumming and West African Rhythms with Nurudafina Pili Abena, a historian and drum elder.
Nuru

-Friday: Djembe, Ashiko, Dunun & bells. [2hrs]
-In addition to a quick review of necessary basic techniques this workshop will concentrate on advanced hand techniques and specific African drum rhythms. This workshop will include more than drumming--


Spirituality Workshops

-Design Your Personal Croning Ritual - Ruth Barrett
-Singing The Women's Wheel of the Year - Ruth Barrett
-Awakening the Warrior-Carol McCollum
-Clearing Emotional and Spiritual Clutter with EFT-Nano Boye Nagel
-Come Discover Mayan Goddess Ix Chel !-Peggy Patty
-Crop Circles I-Lynnie Levy & Mary Pierce
-Crop Circle II-Lynnie Levy & Mary Pierce
-Emotional Freedom to Live an Authentic Life-Nano Boye Nagel
-Ensuring the Future-Daña Adler, Laura Keefe, Mildred Olsen
-Guardian Archetypes-Jade River, Lynnie Levy
Hidden Hystory: the Board Game"-Susan Grossman


For more information on camping, lodging and tickets, please click below on "WOMEN'S FESTIVAL WEBSITE"...

Share

Read more

"Wedding Diaries: A Lesbian Love Story"....

Guest Blogger: Missi Smith


"Wedding Diaries: A Lesbian Love Story" - ENTRY #1


Well, we have a tentative date for our commitment ceremony. June of 2012 is the magical time. We started discussing this about a year ago and the more we discussed it the more stressful it became. Who do we invite? Where do we have our ceremony? Where can we find a beautiful inexpensive venue? What time do we have the ceremony? Will out of town quests be able to come? If so, where will they stay? What about transportation….and flowers…and the cake? What colors will we have? What will we wear?


As you can see there are a lot of unanswered questions and it got so overwhelming that I didn’t even want to start the process of planning!!



Some months have passed and we suddenly realized that this is "OUR day" and we should plan it like "WE want it". Not plan it around everyone else. So, we have started the process of planning and now I’m really excited about it!



We are on a tight (very tight) budget, as I have had a major job change in the last few months. That won’t stop us from having the beautiful romantic ceremony that we want!


I will be writing this blog to help organize my thoughts and keep my sanity during this process. I hope everyone enjoys it and if you have comments and/or suggestions please feel free to become part of the discussion!


My first entry for the blog is rather negative, but please stick with me, they will not all be this way. In looking for local upcoming bridal shows I stumbled across a website called www.iwantmyfreewedding.com where you can enter a contest to win a free wedding! Well, heck yeah I want a free wedding! The contest requires that you submit a 250 word or less Essay of your love story and why you feel you should be the winners of the “I want my free wedding” ultimate unity celebration wedding contest, along with a photo.



“I can do that” I thought. So I read on to determine the qualifications…this is where I got irritated.



The other qualifications are:


-Must be 18 years or older
-US Citizen
-Legally able to obtain a marriage license in the
perspective city and or state where the contest is held.



Really? You want to hear my love story and see a photo of my partner and I ….unless we are lesbians. In which case we can’t get a legal marriage license in Dallas, therefore we are disqualified.

I have never understood why there are so many rules on love and who we love. The contest has since ended and I congratulate the bride and groom that won and wish them happily ever after!

Share

Read more

"What Happens When Love Is Not Enough?"...

We assume that the hardest thing in a relationship is finding the right person. The reality is that the hardest thing is staying in a relationship and making it work. Communication problems are a major source for relationship problems. People in most cases just do not know how to talk to each other. Loss of trust, confusion over whether we still love each other, constant fighting and the inability to agree on anything…are some of the cues to recognize that a relationship is having serious communication problems.

This is a subject that is very close to my heart. I’ve had my heart broken more than I care to admit...which has caused an uncertainty in my mind if I will ever find true love... I've stayed in a bad relationship hoping and believing love will see us through but sometimes…most times...love is not enough!

A mature individual is defined as a person who has a strong sense of self. He/she is able to recognize that both people in the relationship are different. This is critical because without the element of maturity, a couple can get all messed up because they lose themselves in a relationship. One can become jealous, dependent, resentful and distant. All of which can erode the reason you became a couple in the first place.


So, how do you get it back? How do you renew that spark?


1. GOOD COMMUNICATION SKILL

Good, open, and honest communication is like oil to a car. You can't make it anywhere unless you have oil and communication is equally important. No one can read your mind.. I’ve learned through experience that for a relationship to grow and prosper, likes, dislikes, desires, hopes, dreams and problems need to be expressed.



2. THE ABILITY TO CHANGE

Relationships like people are not static. They are ever changing. If one or both members in the relationship becomes rigid and resistant to needed changes the relationship could end for good..
Change we must, it is part of the human condition.



3. ABILITY TO COMPROMISE

If one person always gets his/her way, the other person is bound to feel dominated, and resentful. Finding the happy middle can provide the best of both worlds… giving and receiving.



4. KNOWING WHEN TO BACK OFF

Every one needs room to breath, room to sort out their own thoughts, feelings and problems. Know when to say when because providing a person space…gives that person the ability to see things more clearly.



5. NEVER STOP MAKING LOVE

If you are not making love anymore, then it won’t be long before you start looking for that love outside your relationship. Each member must have its emotional needs met in order to continue to grow in the relationship. If a trusting relationship is cultivated and maintained, the ability to try new adventures and take new risks are enhanced. A compassionate trusting relationship outside of the bedroom...always increases the activity in the bedroom.

Share

Read more

"Top 5 pound-for-pound Fighters in Women's MMA"...

CHECK OUT THIS VIDEO:







I have composed a list of the top 5 pound-for-pound fighters in women's MMA... My two favorites are "Gina Carano" who may be the face of women’s Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and "Cris Cyborg" who is all heart and soul. Born Cristiane Santos, Cyborg fights out of her home country of Brazil and out of the same camp as such legends as Wanderlei Silva, the Rua Brothers, and Anderson Silva.

Cyborg is currently 6-1. Suffering her first loss, four years ago, in her professional debut, due to a leg lock. She has since won six in a row, with four of them coming by TKO... Careno is no whimp she boasts an impressive 7-0 record.

1. Cris Cyborg
2. Gina Carano
3. Megumi Fuji
4. Sarah Kaufman
5. Miku Matsumoto

VIDEO:

Share

Read more

"Pretty Little Liar: Paula Brooks’ Betrayal of the Lesbian Community"...

by: C.D. Kirven

"It was a mistake," you said. But the cruel thing was…it felt like the mistake was mine, for trusting you." — David Levithan



Who are you really? Only four short words but one can feel the genuine surprise and heartfelt pain that only surfaces when a person is betrayed by someone they believed they could trust. The truth is that when we bury our hearts to escape betrayal from others, we actually betray ourselves and sabotage our ability to deeply connect with anyone. Finding out that Paula Books is actually Bill Graber, a 58 year-old former Air Force veteran, imploded into popular disgust within the lesbian community at the continuing hand-to-mouth existence of a straight man telling lesbian women how to feel or what to believe.



In an apology to its readers, one of the other owners, Linda Carbonell, wrote: "The past three days have been devastating for all of us on Lez Get Real.’Paula Brooks' has been a part of our lives for three years now.” Mr. Graber told the Associated Press news agency he set up “Lez Get Real” to advance the gay and lesbian cause. He said he felt he would not be taken seriously as a straight man. "Lez Get Real was not meant to be deceitful or con anyone," said Graber.



My question for Bill Graber is; “Who died and made you king of anything?” You need to know Bill…every woman doesn’t need a big straight man to come in and save them. What kind of man could do that: nurture, befriend and ultimately care for a group of people, then betray them? Graber claimed he was assisting our movement to which he was sympathetic. Of course, if his fellow bloggers or community activists had known this at the time, they would have regarded it all very differently.

"Nothing in the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity." — Martin Luther King Jr.



I wrote for “Lez Get Real” so I’m very hurt by this realization but oddly not surprised to find that Paula Brooks wasn’t who she said she was because she was a puppet master…secretly integrating her/his beliefs into the articles of other writers demanding you agree or risk being publicly degraded. Anyone who knows me…knows two things, I’m always up for a good fight and I’m not afraid to stand up for what I believe in. Today is no different… Now that we are done with the shock and aw, we need to put this dishonesty in perspective. Indeed, it seems clear that the aftermath of Graber’s tangled web is such that we will lead to us always question our community’s story tellers. Skeptical of our news barriers and ultimately becoming disinterested in supporting stories passed on by bloggers because of the recklessness and selfishness acts of Bill Graber. This unfortunate reality will need to become a part of our social consciousness.



We need a subtle process of reinterpretation of who our leaders and who disseminates the news to our community. We must unmask the motives of those who proclaim so freely and come barring gifts claiming to be an ally…but only succeed in polluting the blogosphere with their own political agenda trying to determine what the LGBT movement needs to move forward in accessing the rights we’ve been denied thus far. Also, I must remember these betrayals are experiences that teach you valuable lessons in life.




"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." — Martin Luther King Jr.




Indeed, it seems clear that the aftermath of the affair was such that the chances of its coming to light were substantial. It's a level of thoughtlessness and egocentricity that probably shouldn't surprise us but we still do find shocking. "This is the beginning of a new day. We have been given this day to use as an opportunity to retake control of our own path to freedom. We can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that we have left behind . . . let it be something good"

"We talk on principle, but we act on interest."--Walter Savage Landor




We must move forward and start a new…. Mr. Graber and his views chose to play nonsense political games…that was in no way helpful to our cause. However, there is nothing to regret, and now that we know very well about his true personalities and who he is… We can take back our good will and power…to reshape the message this scandal says about our community. This too shall pass…We only get stronger from the obstacles we overcome… The fight has only just begun!

Share

Read more

"LINGERIE FOOTBALL RETURNS - 8-26-11"...

LFL | Season 3 Promo | Echoes from LFL Films on Vimeo.

The Lingerie Football League (LFL) is a women's 7-on-7 tackle American football league, created in 2009, with games played in the fall and winter at NBA, NFL, NHL and MLS arenas and stadiums. Teams played one game against each other team in their conference; 2 games were at home and 2 games were on the road. A game consists of two 17-minute halves, separated by a 15-minute halftime. In the event of a tie, an 8-minute sudden-death overtime is played. The top two teams in each conference met in playoffs then the top two winners play in Lingerie Bowl VIII.






Tickets go on-sale June 7 at 10 a.m. and can be ordered online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone 1 855 872 5000 or at the Copps Coliseum Box Office. For more info, visit: http://www.lfl360.com/

Share

Read more

"2011 San Francisco Dyke March...Saturday, June 25, 2011"...

The First Dyke March

On April 24, 1993, a group of San Francisco lesbians joined the Lesbian Avengers, Queer Nation, and the National ACT UP Women's Committee in calling for a Dyke March the night before an NGLTF-sponsored National March on Washington for lesbian and gay rights. More than 20,000 lesbians marched! Soon women formed Dyke Marches in towns and cities across the country, in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Montreal. 10,000 dykes marched in the first San Francisco Dyke March in 1993. Eighteen years later, 50,000 people attended the San Francisco Dyke March rally and march, the world's largest dyke march! Now the Dyke March has become an annual event in many cities, usually the night before the local LGTBQ Pride march.

The San Francisco Dyke March is for dykes. Dykes gather at the Dyke March to celebrate our love and passion for women and for ALL dykes. We celebrate our queerness in all its manifestations. We understand dyke identity to include those of us who are questioning and challenging gender constructs and the social definitions of women: transdyke, MTF, transfeminine, transmasculine, genderqueer, and gender fluid dykes. We also welcome all women who want to support dykes to march with us. Celebrate dyke diversity!

We continue to hold the Dyke March as dyke-only space. We invite our male allies to enjoy our Dolores Park rally with us, and to please support us from the sidelines during our march to the Castro.


COME JOIN THE MARCH!!! San Francisco. Dyke March. Saturday, June 25, 2011. Rally in Dolores Park 3–7 p.m. $5–$10 suggested donation.

Share

Read more

6 “Must Read” BOOKS...

"Summer is here!" I love lounging outside in the sun with a glass of sweet tea in one hand and a good book in the other. One of the best things about summer is having the ability to catch up on book releases. Here are "6 books" that are making “Must Read” lists this summer. Click on title to purchase the book...

1. BLOOD MONEY

Someone in Pakistan is killing the members of a new CIA intelligence unit that is trying to buy peace with America's enemies. It falls to Sophie Marx, a young CIA officer with a big chip on her shoulder, to figure out who's doing the killing and why. Her starting point is Alphabet Capital, the London hedge fund that has been providing cover for this secret operation, but the investigation soon widens to include the capitals of the Middle East and the cruel hills of South Waziristan. Sophie thinks she has the backing of her hard-nosed boss, Jeffrey Gertz, and his genial mentor at headquarters, Cyril Hoffman.

2. THE SNOWMAN

Internationally acclaimed crime writer Jo Nesbø’s antihero police investigator, Harry Hole, is back: in a bone-chilling thriller that will take Hole to the brink of insanity. Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier in the day. Around its neck is his mother’s pink scarf. Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he’s received and the disappearance of Jonas’s mother—and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised—and constantly revised—by the killer. Fiercely suspenseful, its characters brilliantly realized, its atmosphere permeated with evil, The Snowman is the electrifying work of one of the best crime writers of our time.

3. TABLOID CITY

In a stately West Village townhouse, a wealthy socialite and her secretary are murdered. In the 24 hours that follow, a flurry of activity circles around their shocking deaths: The head of one of the city's last tabloids stops the presses. A cop investigates the killing. A reporter chases the story. A disgraced hedge fund manager flees the country. An Iraq War vet seeks revenge. And an angry young extremist plots a major catastrophe. The City is many things: a proving ground, a decadent playground, or a palimpsest of memories-- a historic metropolis eclipsed by modern times. As much a thriller as it is a gripping portrait of the city of today, TABLOID CITY is a new fiction classic from the writer who has captured it perfectly for decades.

4. CLASH OF KINGS

In this eagerly awaited sequel to A Game of Thrones, George R. R. Martin has created a work of unsurpassed vision, power, and imagination. A Clash of Kings transports us to a world of revelry and revenge, wizardry and warfare unlike any you have ever experienced. A Clash Of Kings A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.

5. JEFFERSON KEY

This question is what faces former Justice Department operative Cotton Malone in his latest adventure. When a bold assassination attempt is made against President Danny Daniels in the heart of Manhattan, Malone risks his life to foil the killing-only to find himself at dangerous odds with the Commonwealth, a secret society of pirates first assembled during the American Revolution. In their most perilous exploit yet, Malone and Cassiopeia Vitt race across the nation and take to the high seas. Along the way they break a secret cipher originally possessed by Thomas Jefferson, unravel a mystery concocted by Andrew Jackson, and unearth a centuries-old document forged by the Founding Fathers themselves, one powerful enough-thanks to that clause in the Constitution-to make the Commonwealth unstoppable.

6. BURIED PREY

Some secrets just can't stay buried, in the brilliant new Lucas Davenport thriller from the number-one New York Times- bestselling author. "One of the best," said Kirkus Reviews of Storm Prey. "Razor-sharp dialogue, a tautly controlled pace and enough homicides for a miniseries. What more could fans want?" A house demolition provides an unpleasant surprise for Minneapolis-the bodies of two girls, wrapped in plastic. It looks like they've been there a long time. Lucas Davenport knows exactly how long. In 1985, Davenport was a young cop with a reputation for recklessness, and the girls' disappearance was a big deal. His bosses ultimately declared the case closed, but he never agreed with that. Now that he has a chance to investigate it all over again, one thing is becoming increasingly clear: It wasn't just the bodies that were buried. It was the truth.

Share

Read more

"WNBA ALL-STAR GAME and VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE PLAYER"....

VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE WBNA ALL-STAR PLAYER!

The 2011 WNBA All-Star Balloting presented by T-Mobile is officially open. In addition to online voting, fans can cast their votes through mobile phones by texting the player's last name to 6-9-6-2-2 or by visiting m.wnba.com on any wireless carrier.



All balloting will conclude at midnight ET on July 10.
Vote now for your 2011 All-Stars.

Silver Stars To Host 2011 WNBA All-Star Game

The 2011 WNBA All-Star Game will be nationally televised on ABC on Saturday, July 23, at 3:30pm ET (2:30pm CT). Individual tickets will be available to the general public at all San Antonio Ticketmaster locations, including by phone at (210) 225-TEAM, or online at ticketmaster.com or sasilverstars.com. Tickets can also be purchased at the AT&T Center Southeast Box Office Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. or on weekend event days starting at 10 a.m. or by calling 210-444-5090.

Share

Read more

"COMnGRAF 3: Breaking Borders Exhibit Merges Comic-Book Art and Urban Graffiti"....

The exhibit, curated by Boston illustrator and comic-book artist Rob Stull, features work by him, New York artists Nic One and George Rodriguez. The King Center exhibit also includes prints and photos by Sket One, Toofly, Maxx Moses, Sanford Greene, Micah Gunnell and Dawud Anyabwile, creator of the black superhero Brotherman.

The exhibit is open and runs through Aug. 27 in the King Arts Complex, 867 Mount Vernon Ave.Gallery hours are 1 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and

1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays.

Admission is $3, or $2 for students and senior citizens. For more information, call 614-645-5464.

Share

Read more

"Donate Your Bra to Help Fight Breast Cancer!"

“Athena’s Home Novelties” is sponsoring the drive to amass over 169,000 bras in an attempt to break the existing world record of the longest chain of linked bras.

Athena, lesbian supportive, is asking that you mail them your old/ill fitting bras to help them break the world record this October in order for them to bring even more awareness to breast cancer.

They are also asking for a 5$ donation that you can mail in along with your bra to help further the cause. Visit http://www.athenascup.org/ for more information!

Share

Read more

Adult Swim's New Video Game called: "LESBIAN SPIDER-QUEENS FROM MARS"...

There is a new way to be online and spend hours in mindless activities... A new game from Adult Swim called; "LESBIAN SPIDER-QUEENS FROM MARS". Actually the game reminds me of ATARI games I played as a kid and is very addictive.

Adult Swim describes its new viral game, Lesbian Spider-Queens of Mars, thusly:


Your Martian fortress is under attack! When Queen Tarantula starts an uprising and takes the throne, it's up to you to teach her a lesson. Work your way through a dozen levels of twisty arcade mazes, every bit as punishing as the classic games that inspired them. Bind and ensnare everyone in sight with your power crystal, and don't stop until you've got Mars hanging from your spinneret.



Below, is a video showing you the different stages of the game.

Watch as much of the 30-minute(!) playthrough clip below as you like,
and click here to play the game.

Share

Read more

"Archie Tackles Gays In The Military"...

Kevin Keller, the first openly gay character in Archie Comics history and he is is loud and proud!

Writer and artist Dan Parent says Kevin’s relationship with his father is a critical piece of the character’s identity and is not just about him being gay. “We wanted to show a healthy father-son relationship where Kevin’s sexuality wasn’t an issue,” Parent said.

Even though the issue of Don't Ask, Don't Tell wasn't directly addressed in this issue, Parent hopes that comic book fans pick up on the message that patriotism knows no specific gender, race or sexual orientation...

Share

Read more

"McDonalds Charging Blacks Extra $1.50 per Transaction is FAKE"...

I was so disappointed in McDonalds when I saw the flyer below. But, I began to investigate and found the flyer is fake. It was created in 2008 by Whitepowerpranks.net which is no longer active.

The flyers were made to look authentic correspondence from McDonalds, and stated that due to a string of robberies, African American customers are now required to pay an additional fee of $1.50 per transaction. Van Nuys police opened an investigation of fliers but it never lead to any arrests and was investigated as a hate crime.

Share

Read more

"Out in America" by PBS... The Series Comes on Several Times in June 2011...

Emmy award-winning director Andrew Goldberg and PBS Present “OUT In America,” airs 1st time on June 8th on PBS. Please check your local listings. The one hour film will make its national premiere on PBS in conjunction with National Gay & Lesbian Pride Month. Interviews include Andy Cohen, Armistead Maupin, Chely Wright, Kate Clinton and many more.

Watch the full episode. See more PBS Specials.

OUT features a mixture of diverse queer experiences and people including a gay rancher, a Latino rapper, a Muslim lesbian, and Puerto Rico’s first openly gay and HIV positive political candidate. In addition, there are also interviews with such people as Tales of the City author Armistead Maupin and Dr. Patricia Hawkins (a psychologist renowned for her early work with HIV patients).

“The first of its kind, OUT in America is a more realistic representation of LGBT life than almost anything seen on TV before,” said Goldberg. “So often, media coverage of LGBT life in America is polarizing or exploitative of controversy and homophobia, or alternately LGBT individuals are presented as caricatures of a stereotype. OUT in America however focuses on empowerment, diversity and relationships.”

Share

Read more

The Top Ten Chick Flicks for Studs...

Let’s face it fellas… we’ve all had to sit through a ‘Chick Flick’ to please our girl... There always comes a time when we have to endure one that we really don’t want to see. It’s okay studs, QUEERVINE has the solution: a list of chick flicks you and your lady can both agree on.

1. Bridesmaids

An comedy directed by Paul Feig and produced by Judd Apatow, Barry Mendel, and Clayton Townsend. The plot centers on Annie (Kristen Wiig) and her experiences as maid of honor in Lillian's (Maya Rudolph) wedding. Studs and femmes will both like this movie...

2. Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle

An action comedy film directed by McG, starring Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore, and Lucy Liu as three women working for a private investigation agency. This is a chick flick studs will love to watch over and over again with their girl... Action and hot women...winning!!!!

3. Coyote Ugly

A romantic comedy/drama based on the actual Coyote Ugly Saloon, set in New York City. This is a classic and next to action or explosions...hot women and alcohol is the next best thing...

4. FLASHDANCE

A romantic musical film eighteen-year-old Alexandra (Alex) Owens (Jennifer Beals) works as a welder at a steel mill in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania during the day, and as a dancer at Mawby's bar in the evenings. She lives alone in a converted warehouse with her pet dog, Grunt. Despite a lack of formal dance training, she aspires to be accepted by a prestigious dance school, the fictional Pittsburgh Conservatory of Dance and Repertory. During one of her performances at Mawby's, she attracts the interest of Nick Hurley (Michael Nouri), her boss at the steel mill, and he learns that Alex is one of his employees. "Jennifer Beals WET" enough said!!!!!

5. EDAWARD SCISSORHANDS

A romantic fantasy film directed by Tim Burton and starring Johnny Depp. The film shows the story of an artificial man named Edward, an unfinished creation, who has scissors for hands. Edward is taken in by a suburban family and falls in love with their teenage daughter Kim. Johnny Depp is just plan cool to watch in this film and something you can enjoy watching with your girl....

6. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Eclipse, is a romantic vampire film based on Stephenie Meyer's 2007 novel, Eclipse. In THE TWILIGHT SAGA: ECLIPSE, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between Edward and Jacob — knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life. This third installment has some great action scenes studs will love and romance the femmes love in vampire films...

7. She's Gotta Have It

Nola Darling (portrayed by Tracy Camilla Johns) is a young, attractive, sexually-independent Brooklynite who juggles three suitors: the polite and well-meaning Jamie Overstreet (Tommy Redmond Hicks); the self-obsessed model Greer Childs (John Canada Terrell); and the immature, motor-mouthed bicycle messenger Mars Blackmon (Spike Lee). Nola is attracted to the best in each of them, but refuses to commit to any of them, cherishing her personal freedom instead, even though each man wants her for himself.

8. GIRL FIGHT

Directed by Karyn Kusama. Starring Michelle Rodriguez, Jaime Tirelli, Paul Calderon. Diana, without her father knowing it, trains as a boxer and achieves impressive success, blazing new trails for female boxers. COME ON!!! Michelle is smoking "HOT" in this film... This film is GREAT for femmes and studs...

9. Thelma & Louise

A film co-produced and directed by Ridley Scott and written by Callie Khouri, the film's plot revolves around Thelma and Louise's escape from their troubled and caged lives. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise, and co-stars Harvey Keitel as a sympathetic detective trying to trace them as they go on the run after killing a rapist. Michael Madsen plays the role of Louise's boyfriend. Brad Pitt plays a paroled robber. Come on... This film makes me want to grab my friends and go on the run... VERY COOL CLASSIC!!!

10. The Long Kiss Goodnight

Samantha Caine (Geena Davis) is a mother and schoolteacher with a seemingly normal life in the small town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania. However, she was found badly injured and suffering from amnesia eight years previously, and has no memory of her past. When she is attacked by an escaped convict, Samantha dispatches her attacker with lethal self-defense skills she was not aware she possessed.

Share

Read more