Have you ever been living dyke drama and thinking “this sucks so hard…but it would make a great book.” Well author Dawn Mueller certainly thought so. Dawn, a Chi-town based lez, found herself single for the first time in nine years at the age of 33. She threw herself headfirst into the shark tank of gay girl dating and channeled her experiences into her first novel, “A Single Year.”

“A Single Year” is a must read for any queer lady, single or taken. Dawn’s writing is honest, sometimes even painfully so. She shows readers her the innermost workings of her mind and her heart and everyone will see parts of themselves reflected there.

Natasia Langfelder: Why did you choose to write about the first year of your life as a single lesbian instead of your life in a relationship?

Dawn Mueller: Honestly I never thought about writing about my life in a relationship. I am typically more compelled to write when my life is in chaos than when my life is in balance (not that being in a relationship equals balance necessarily). Really, when I reviewed all of my exploits and saw that I had enough material for a book, I had to write that before I wrote anything else.

NL: You know I have to ask, are you still single?

DM: I have had a number of relationships since writing A Single Year. Most of them fizzled out in less than a year. My current relationship is nearing the 14-month mark, which is quite a milestone for me after 5 years of ups and downs. We’ll see what happens. In the meantime, I have plenty of material for my next book if things ever calm down enough for me to write it! 

NL: You get really graphic in the book, both in terms of emotions and sex. Did you use the real names of your friends/dates? Do they hate you now?

DM: In some cases I used real names, but I got permission from all of those people beforehand. For the others, I changed the names and some minor details, but left the rest. Generally I changed the names of my dates or people who I may not have portrayed in a flattering light. Most of them probably don’t even know they appear in a book (though I did consider sending them copies ). The characters from the book that I am still in contact with have been very supportive and encouraging. I have not heard from any characters from the book who are angry about it or who hate me. I assume this is either because they don’t know about it or they are too busy sticking pins in their DM voodoo dolls.

NL: Did your family read the book? Did they enjoy the detailed sex scenes?

DM: My sister and mom read the book, though my mom said she skipped some of the steamier scenes. (Phew!) She is my biggest supporter. When my sister was reading it, I was a nervous wreck. She’d keep calling me and telling me how good it was and I’d keep asking her if she’d gotten to the sex scenes yet. I was sure her opinion of the book would change when she got to that point, but it didn’t seem to faze her. She said when she finished, “You definitely had more fun than me.” I told my dad about it recently, but I think some of what I wrote about our relationship made it difficult for him. It’s probably best that he doesn’t read the sex scenes anyway!

NL: In the book you mention that you got some crap from other lesbians for being open to threesomes with couples. Have lesbians who have read your book harshed out on you for having sexual encounters with men?

DM: Surprisingly enough, I have not heard from that contingent. I’m sure that’s only because it hasn’t reached them yet. The movie “The Kids are All Right” had those lesbians all up in arms, and I was reminded once again that sleeping with a man is still the lesbian kiss of death to some. Knowing that I was opening myself up to that kind of scrutiny was one of the many reasons why it took me so long to publish. I wanted to be prepared for the backlash, but I discovered you can never be prepared for the kind of criticism this type of book evokes. Stories as personal and revealing as mine tend to trigger pretty strong responses from either side. I just have to learn to roll with the punches as they come.

NL: Are there women who won’t date you because of the book?

DM: I was dating a woman around the time I was shopping for publishers for the book and I let her read some of it. She was shocked and very unhappy about the whole thing (to put it mildly). Our relationship was never quite the same and ended soon after. I had a woman tell me once that she wouldn’t date me because she didn’t want me to write about her. Generally though, I find that sharing the book with a potential partner serves as a good gauge for whether or not we are compatible. If she has a problem with it or with anything I’ve done, we probably aren’t a good match. The sooner I find that out, the better!

NL: What did your ex think of the book? Do you think you two will ever be able to be friends?

DM: As far as I know, my ex does not know about the book, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she found out about it on her own. I still live in the same building with her and she still doesn’t talk to me. If there was ever a chance in hell of us being friends (and that’s an enormous IF), the book pretty much blew that to bits. I don’t think I include anything particularly damning towards her, but it was a lot for me to reveal about our relationship. Initially I tried to tiptoe around that part of my story, but it is such a central part of what happened that I had to tell the truth, even the ugly parts of it.

NL: In your book, you mentioned that you run with an LGBT group. Do you still run with them?

DM: Yes, I still run with Frontrunners/Frontwalkers Chicago, though I am not as consistent as I used to be. They are an awesome group.

NL: In ‘A Single Year’ you address the clique-iness of the lesbian community, but you managed to integrate pretty well. What tips would you give readers who are looking to expand their social lesbian circle (without sleeping with everyone in sight)?

DM: This is where Frontrunners came in handy. I learned to be more comfortable in social settings and gained a lot of confidence through them. I definitely recommend finding a GLBT group of interest and exploring where that can lead. Plus, I really think it helps that I don’t drink. Hanging out in bars is not the ideal setting for a drama-free lesbian existence. I’m sure I would have found myself in a lot more messy situations if I didn’t have the presence of mind I’ve gotten through sobriety. You really just have to gauge each situation and try to act accordingly. Weigh the risks with the benefits. Try not to be impulsive. The community is so small even in a city like Chicago that if you make the wrong decision (even if it’s the right decision for you), it can come back to haunt you.

NL: If the book was made into a movie, which actresses would play you and your main love interests, Mimi, Vann and Jamie?

DM: Funny, I think I probably spent more time thinking about this question than any of the others! It’s tough. I can’t think of any particular actresses that could completely embody the characters, but I have some ideas. For instance, Mimi would be a Filipino actress with the bubbly personality of Drew Barrymore. Vann would be a physically stronger, more butch Katherine Moennig. Jamie would be a shorter, darker, Queen Latifah. Me, I would be a younger, dorkier Ellen Degeneres. 

NL: Do you have any upcoming writing projects?

DM: I have no immediate plans, but I’m slowly compiling material for the next book. Meanwhile, I am also promoting the book and appearing at book stores here and there. I have a reading at Women and Children First on June 16th and there are several other events coming up that coincide with Pride Month here in Chicago.

NL: Where can your fans find you?

DM: I can be found on twitter @a_single_year, fan me on FB,  or look me up here: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/asingleyear

NL: What has the best part of this experience been for you?

DM: I went to a book club to discuss the book and someone asked me what the best part of this experience has been. I didn’t have an answer for him at the time, but can now say it would have to be knowing that the book is out there and that people are relating to it. Writing, publishing, and promoting it has led me to places that have both terrified and excited me. I have gone from never wanting to write again to wanting to finish the next one tomorrow. The bottom line is, I have done what I set out to do and never have to look back and think… “What if…”

You can buy “A Single Year” on Amazon. Already read the book and love it? Become a fan on Facebook and stay on top of all Dawn’s upcoming appearances and projects.

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Michael Petrelis and Melanie Nathan

OUTLOOK TV has just released the Video that appeared on their TV show in memory of David Kato – the Video explains who David was – and it features speeches and commentary by Melanie Nathan from LezGetReal  (MEUSA Ambassador to Africa) and Michael Petrelis of Petrelis Files.

On January 26 2011 David Kato was brutally murdered in Uganda. On March 11, 2011 a Rally was held in the Castro in honor of the LGBT Icon . Mere hours before his murder I spoke on the phone with the author of the anti-homosexuality Bill (AHB) otherwise known as the ‘Kill the Gays Bill,’ Member of Ugandan Parliament, David Bahati.

I have come to know David Bahati well, through weekly telephone conversations.      His pursuit and push for the AHB will lead us to the final day of the current 8th Parliamentary session in Uganda.

Notably from the Video back on 3/11, I expressed my distrust toward the Ugandan proponents of the AHB. Bahati had based the need for  AHB  on his assertion that gays were recruiting children into homosexuality in the schools. I informed  OUTLOOK  in the interview -  that I suspected the Ugandans would contrive evidence of so called “recruitment” into homosexuality.  Bahati was hard pressed to produce evidence by Rachel Maddow on USA National TV and then later  reminded by me in various of my conversations with him.

Just this month we have come to find out that in fact people  had been payed to falsely inform of such.

Will the AHB have its hearing; will it be voted upon and if it is will it pass?    These questions are hard to answer, save to say that after speaking with Mr. Bahati, I realize it will prevail in some shape or form  -  via inclusion in other legislation , while we activists remain distracted by AHB, and via sentiment as Ugandans continue to hate gays and lesbians.  The Persecution will not end if the BILL fails and in fact may even step up. Either way the LGBT community in Uganda have lost.

But can Bahati win?  Probably not, because I believe that he has brought much harm to Uganda with the introduction of his bill and the banter that followed -  Whether the Bill or aspects of it are implemented it has placed Uganda in a different category of perception to the outside world and I have no doubt the ramifications will soon be evident.

If AHB and its promotion was ever intended to take the indigenous eye off the real problems – poverty, dictatorship, corruption, and more…. it has failed  – such evidenced by the recent opposition uprising, as well as the additional scrutiny now applied by the USA and other Countries across the Globe.

David Kato will always be remembered.

By Melanie Nathan

nathan@privatecourts.com

Facebook Melanie

twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Cover

With the recent onslaught of sports entertainers being called out in the media for engaging in homophobic actions towards other players, announcers or referees – it has caused most to question how men are allowed to conduct themselves in the sports arena. However, instead of ignoring those type of activities – the athletes are starting to be held accountable for their actions, which is slowly starting to shape what qualifies as sportsmanlike conduct.

Wrestling is one of the sports that is finally being closely examined. With the over-machismo homophobic tactics employed  by those in the WWE drawing attention from prominent organizations, such as GLAAD and the HRC, causing the overall sport to examine its role of spreading homophobia in the wrestling world.

Even though, wrestling was considered one of the most popular sports in the early 20^th century, it was propelled further when Vince McMahon bought up all the small wrestling houses and turned it into the WWF (now WWE).

In the documentary, “Stronghold: In the Grip of Wrestling”, award-winning filmmaker, Victor Rook examines the history of wrestling by interviewing wrestlers and strangers asking them why men are inevitably drawn to wrestling, even if they don’t allow themselves to fully acknowledge that fact. Through this documentary, he discusses the growing number of men that seek out wrestling resources as adults, and the stigmas involving homoerotism that keep some of the men in “hiding”, in underground wrestling clubs (usually out of someone’s house) or on the sidelines permanently.

Wrestling is often not taken seriously or discounted all together as a sport or a career, due to the fact that as children men are often socialized to keep out of each others personal space. So, the pursuit of wrestling goes against all that they were taught. Out of those that decide to embark on a wrestling career, most want to join the overly-sexualized WWE, which focuses more on the theatrics and less on the sport or engage in the nitty-gritty world of Mixed Martial Arts and Brazilian Jujitsu.

Within these two wrestling worlds therein lies a sea of homophobia. With the recent uproar surrounding the homophobic tendencies of the WWE’s popular players – it has shined a light on a topic that most would wish remain dormant. With a sport that already tows the line concerning what many men think of as masculine – having their way of “coping” with that fact challenged (even if the way is negative and hurtful) is probably blinding.

However that is not the case in the world of MMA or BJJ, where homophobia is just as prominent – if not more so. “Grappling is the new wrestling. However, homophobia in the MMA world is rampant,” Rook explained.

“MMA and BJJ are ripe with homophobia because it has a very homoerotic appeal. Two good-looking guys locked around each other for minutes on end. So to counter that perception, the MMA world has turned into this ultra-machismo, homophobic society. Again, what the psychologist says, ‘Guys use homophobia to keep other guys in line.’”

At the same time, being that the MMA is nowhere near as regulated as the WWE – it is not really all that surprising that wrestlers are allowed to get away with a lot more, even going so far as to bash other wrestlers that are known to be gay.

“You can’t have homophobia unless there’s homoeroticism. When someone says ‘wrestling looks gay,’ they are basically saying ‘I can see the homoeroticism in that,’ Rook stated.

The closeness makes them uncomfortable and the only way most want to articulate that feeling is using homophobia as a crutch. During the course of the documentary, it was revealed that men aren’t the only ones that grapple with that type of embarrassment – it was found that even the wives of some of the men that Rook interviewed – weren’t entirely comfortable with the idea of their spouse engaging in such an activity.

While asking the wives a series of questions, Rook would gauge their reactions in seeing their men play popular sports (i.e. basketball); when he questioned them on how they would feel if they saw their husband wrestling with another man, their reactions were vastly different compared to the other sports mentioned before. “Many times their eyes would light up and they wouldn’t know what to say,” Rook shared.

Even though, Rook admits that wrestling in itself is homoerotic, and that some men do seek out wrestling to “get off”; there are also those that enjoy the actual sport – responding to the innate desire to compete and nothing else.

“That’s why I don’t think we should be labeling sexuality at all. It’s too complicated,” Rook states. It is well known that the majority of humans enjoy competition – two men wrestling with each other shouldn’t be exempt from that way of thinking.

Rook’s documentary is refreshing in that it shows that wrestling appeals to a human’s nature to compete, yes – there are some that have ulterior motives – but wrestling at its core is about how men (regardless of their sexual orientation) have a need for close physical contact, and as adults in society, most men are not made to feel comfortable expressing that fact. Perhaps, if men were given an arena where they wouldn’t be mocked, bashed or emasculated, maybe more would admit their love of wrestling and finally allow it to properly fulfill that need.

Victor Rook served as producer, cameraman, interviewer, narrator, and editor for the STRONGHOLD: In the Grip of Wrestling documentary. He also wrote the song “A Hold on Me” for the credit roll, and published the book “Growing Up Wrestling, which recently has made it into Kindle’s Top 100 Sports books.” The DVD is available off his website at: http://www.wrestlemen.com/stronghold/. Rook has also made another documentary, this time discussing what it is like to be openly gay in the wrestling world. “Changing Perceptions: Profile of an Openly Gay Pro Wrestler,” documents Simon Sermon, who was the first openly gay pro wrestler.

Related articles

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• Gay Wrestling League wants WWE announcer fired for ‘homophobic slur’ (offthebench.nbcsports.com)

No More Down Low TV is the web-inspired love child of Earnest Winborne, a media professional with 42 years in the entertainment industry. Winborne, came up with the name for the show as he was watching a program on CNN that was discussing issues involving

TV Show Logo

the “down low” phenomena within the African-American community. This led Winborne to call his upcoming web series “No More Down Low TV” as a way to counter all the negative connotations that the phrase has held within the black community.

No More Down Low TV debuted on October 11, 2010 on National Coming Out Day, with hosts Jonathan Plummer (Terri McMillan’s ex-husband) and Janora McDuffie. The star-studded debut featured interviews from prominent figures in the LGBT community. Stars such as Wanda Sykes, Wilson Cruz and photographer Duane Cramer were asked questions that focused on topics of interest that impacted the black LGBT community, which was a first. Although Plummer left the show soon after its debut, McDuffie and new co-host Kendell Hogan, along with an assortment of correspondents have definitely made the show  into a recognizable niche within the LGBT media industry.

During our interview, Winborne discussed how this show is true labor of love for him and for those involved in the making of each web cast. As of late, the show is entirely self-funded with everyone wearing multiple hats in order to produce each monthly episode. Even though, the show primarily covers stories in or around the Los Angeles area; Winborne plans to expand his horizons because he knows there is a pressing interest to discuss black LGBT stories from all across the country.

Even so, show topics still run the gamut; whereas some episodes appear to be male dominated, while others have more of female balance. Although, the show still aims to cover entertainment that would be of interest to African-Americans that love the entertainment industry with gender not playing as big of role as one might think. Questions such as “If America is open to the idea of having an out, black movie star or where are the LGBT African-Americans with a record contract?” – attract all types, mainly because people may wonder about that themselves but may not have the courage or ability to find out.

Yet, that is not the only thing the crew at No More Down Low TV want to be known for. Winborne has stated that the show is not about “outing” closeted celebrities.

“I’m not interested in outing anyone. There are enough people that are open, honest and living their truth.”

To back up his statement, he cites America’s growing obsession with the sexual orientation of people in the limelight, using the “outing” of R&B song Omarion as an example. Even though, the rumor has since been disproved – that type of reporting Winborne plans to keep out of the show’s future episodes.

Outside of entertainment, the show has also featured stories on growth and visibility, such as McDuffie’s training for the California AIDS Ride and during one recent episode, the show discussed African-African visibility at prominent LGBT events, such as Dinah Shore in Palm Springs.

At the same time, there is one topic that Winborne is taking his time in discussing; namely religion and the role it plays in the black community. Although, that doesn’t mean that the topic is entirely off-limits; Winborne admitted that he has been in contact with a couple of ministers about the controversial topic but as of this writing, he has yet to hear back from any of them.

Towards the end of our interview, Winborne shared some of his key thoughts pertaining to his vision for No More Down Low TV. Not only does he want to show the heterosexual African-American population that being gay is not something to be fear or be ashamed of; he also wants to show the black LGBT community that there are straight allies in black Hollywood and by giving them all a voice, he hopes it will enable the entire community to come together with a better understanding of each other.

Current episodes are available to watch on their website at www.nomoredownlow.tv, with new episodes released on the 11^th of each month.

Melanie Nathan LGR - has the Hair and Michelle Meow from Swirl

Today Swirl Radio’s Michelle Meow and Mel Nathan (me) teamed up to interview Louis Marinelli, the ex-NOM summer bus tour activist who stunned the LGBT world April 8th, by jumping the Maggie Gallagher captained NOM anti- same-sex marriage ship – and boarding the yacht racing ahead toward LGBT Full Equality including gay marriage.

The Interview will be aired on Swirl Radio’s Saturday 23 April, 1.00pm show at 96.00 AM Bay Area, San Francisco; in Boston and (will announce other outlets).  The interview will also be transcribed for LezGetReal.

We were determined to get some extra bit of news from Louis, a delight to interview – sincere and friendly. We did – Louis Marinelli  informed us that he had watched the Maggie Gallagher on Video, receive her GetEQUAL  Anita Bryant Unparalleled Bigotry Award and happened to notice that she was NOT – I REPEAT -NOT wearing her wedding ring, as she entered a Congressional Committee hearing held at her whim to denounce the repeal of DOMA.

Now these are my questions -  and Maggie when you read LGR and comment please be sure to answer these questions….

Does Maggie have the hots for Senator McCain?
Does Maggie Gallager support open relationships as long as you are straight and married?
IS Maggie Gallagher the victim of Domestic abuse?
Is Maggie divorced/ separated getting divorced?
Is Maggie a LESBIAN – ?

or is her Wedding ring being sized for weight loss?

to read more and see Video visit  :_ http://lezgetreal.com/2011/04/maggie-gallagher-gets-anita-bryant-award-for-unparalleled-bigotry-at-congressional-anti-gay-hearing/

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

(Portland, Oregon) Receiving the good news that a  Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Tennyson had issued a ruling in her appeal case finding her to be a legal parent,Sondra Sineovich will now be pursuing her right to a fair share of custody of both children together with her ex-partner, Sarah Kemp.

It was found that the couple had indeed asserted a mutual intent when the  artificial insemination of her former partner, Sarah Kemp, took place, resulting in the pregnancies and birth of two children.  “Parker was already born at the time Ms. Kemp left the relationship, for another woman, and was pregnant with our second child”  Ms. Shineovich informed LezGetReal’s Melanie Nathan Wednesday.    Ms. Kemp had prevented Ms. Shineovich from seeing the second child Ally for three years, until six months ago when the Judge ordered supervised visitation.

” I am pleased the Court found that it would not discriminate based on gender or sexual orientation, “  asserts Ms. Shineovich.

“I only see our daughter for a half hour per week, while Sarah stands right there. It has been very difficult.” Sondra informs.  ” I will be much happier when we can all have more time together.”

The ruling noted that the evidence showed much weight that Shineovich had contributed  with her  “actions, emotions and money.” and that the two had a partnership intending to raise the children together.

Ms. Shineovich had previously failed at trial court level to win her right to  the acknowledgment that she is the legal parent of the children, carried  by Ms. Kemp.  She took her case to the Oregon Court of Appeals, which sided with her, in July 2009, declared ORS. 109.243 unconstitutionally discriminatory on the basis of  gender and sexual orientation.

Ms. Sineovich has fought  for her legal parental right with the major difficulty.  Although she says that two LGBT organizations have provided behind the scenes assistance, which has been extremely helpful to her attorneys, she has had to sell almost everything she owns to keep the case going to get to this point.   “I had no idea it would involve this much and go so far, ” she said.   ” I owe about $200,000 and will probably still be paying this off when I am 92.”

“I believe because I had charged Sarah with assault, and facts were in dispute that Organizations were reluctant to take on my case. Unfortunately Sarah had contacted every attorney in town and so there was no one left to take my case. She had purposely out run my ability to find legal counsel, by speaking to as many of the local attorneys as possible and creating a conflict of interest situation. This impeded my case right from the start.”

Sondra also informed LezGetReal that the first Counsel that was used by Ms. Kemp was glad to take the case on a pro bono basis because he was anti-gay rights and expressed views that lesbians and gays should not raise children in such relationships.

There is much to be said for Ms. Sineovich’s tenacity.   It is extremely difficult to sustain a case of this nature through trial and appeals.   “I have spent approximately $300,000 on legal fees and costs.  My team is stellar and they are allowing me to pay the rest off.   The total to date will reach approximately $500,000.  It was worth every cent to me. I made a promise and these are my children. Nothing could have stopped me from pursuing this to have my children too and this was the right thing to do.”

Please help Sondra to Pay her legal expenses, by submitting donations to :

CONTACT TO ASSIST SONDRA SHINEOVICH :

David Owens, Attorney At Law: 503-224-3100

ANY US BANK LOCATION : DONATIONS ACCEPTED:

SONDRA S. LEGAL FUND

Fighting a case for one’s rights in this manner is like fighting for all same-sex couples – as it is precedent setting, based on its particular facts and such tenacious commitments serve all of the LGBT community.   Please help support Sondra to pay off her expenses as well as to continue to fight for her fair share of custody.

READ DECISION – Aa 11 Shineovich Sondra, Tennyson Decision

Aa 11 Shineovich Sondra, Tennyson Decision

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Melanie Nathan & Indumie Funda walking into parliament

CAPE TOWN – Considering there was a taxi strike today, TV , Media and a large crowd of protesters, holding sign and banners, “Mr. Radebe Take Action Today,” “Dead Lesbians can’t Vote” and “Stop Corrective Rape” greeted Ndumie Funda of Luleki Sizwe and Melanie Nathan of MEUSA, Ambassador to Africa – and  International communications director for Luleki Sizwe, as they entered Parliament today – attended a meeting with the Ministry of Justice at Parliament in Cape Town, South Africa, following a successful campaign on Change.org, where  LezGetReal and Melanie’s reporting on the topic of “corrective” rape in South Africa, served as the impetus.

The Minister of Justice and Constitutional development, the Honorable Mr. Radebe had gone on National TV to invite Luleki Sizwe’s founding Director, Ndumie Funda to a meeting with the minister and other government officials.  Unfortunately the Minister could not attend the meeting because of a “matter of critical importance” which Mr. Tlali Tlali could not identify further than to say, “you will see why on the news tonight.”

Mr. Tlali Tlali, Ministerial Spokesperson (akin to an under Secretary in USA) led the meeting consisting of various government officials to include 8 senior  members of the Department of Justice and The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA). In addition to Ndumie, me, and Benjamin Joffe-Walt,  also at the meeting was a director from a Hate Crimes Coalition, a Director from a Rape Crisis NGO and two members of The Triangle Project an NGO based in cape Town.

The Ministry under Tlali Tlali’s direction started off with a Greeting and a welcome, and an apology as to the absence of Minister Radebe.

Mr. Tluli’s statement was very warm and welcome. He  stated specifically that the purpose of the meeting was to address the question of corrective rape through the desire of the Minister and via communications with Ndumie Funda of Luleke Sizwe.  He specifically noted that this meeting was of an exploratory nature “between us and Ndumie Funda of Luleki Sizwe, to understand what the issues are. If valid then we will broaden this to other stakeholders.  If it is our decision we are open to taking a hard line.”

Melanie Nathan, Ndumie Funda, Tluli Tluli

He said, “the presence of the officials here shows that we are taking this matter very seriously; and when referring to the rapists he said “who are they to think they can choose the next person’s orientation?”

I was the first to speak after Mr. Tlali and this is what I said:

Mr Chair, Tlali Tlali, and other members of Government who are present today – on behalf of Luleke Sizwe and specifically Ndumie Funda, thank you for this opportunity to speak as a voice for all victims of Corrective Rape.  Thank you also to all the groups that are here in solidarity and support  to help find a way to address this problem effectively.

Corrective rape is a crime meant to “cure” lesbians of their sexual orientation AND “turn them straight. Such a thing is not only impossible, but also a crime of hate and violence against lesbians that has been on the increase throughout South  Africa, where we have a Constitution that protects all people as equals.

While Rape of woman, men and children is deplorable, this is a particular HATE CRIME that is a result of homophobia and ignorance here in South Africa.  Gays and lesbians are a particular target in South Africa, as they are across Africa, where traditional social conservatism is increasing into angry homophobia.

Ndumie is here to tell her own story – but while everyone has a unique story hers is told, today, for all the lesbians who are victims of this hateful violent crime.

Protests Outside parliament

On behalf of all here today, we are respectfully requesting that the Government establish a Commission with various committees that will be a partnership of  – Included in Commission -

a. Government Officials; (Include Prosecutorial Authority/ Police / Dept of Education/ Health Department/ Dept of Justice)
b. Volunteer Victims of “Corrective rape” to include Lesbians and Transgender people;
c. Lay Experts and Academics: Medical / Legal / Cultural / Psychological;
d. Grass Roots activists;  and
e. Civil Society Groups with mission statements that incorporate the issue of Rape of Lesbians as a specific issue.

The Function and Goals of Commission:

a. Victims: To address urgent needs of victims;
and the Long Term Needs of Victims and their Families:
b. Hate Crimes:- To pursue the establishment of hate crimes legislation – with harsher sentences and bail restrictions;
c. Police & Prosecutors:- To Educate and make protocols for South African Police and National prosecuting Authority, to include but not limited to Transportation to Court hearings, Safety measures inside and around the Courts to protect witnesses and victims and their families ;
d. Medical:- To put a special medical plan into place for victims of corrective rape, noting the unique needs – including  HIV/AIDS – Rape Kits / Paid on going medical care and Psychological care close to victims home;
e. Education and Public Awareness:- Establishing a plan to educate the public – through public awareness programs, school education,  media promotion that helps emphasize the Constitutional rights of LGBTI people and the fact that there is really no such thing possible as correction of  a lesbian through the violent act of rape.

Again we thank you. We are handing in a package containing Joint Statements and a cover request of the all stake holders here today. We urge this Department to form this commission as a matter of urgency and hope to start forming this alliance through further discussions over the course of this next month.

Mel and Ndumie in meeting

Then Ndumie told her emotional and moving story – of how she founded and named Luleki Sizwe for her beloved partner who was raped at gunpoint by five men, contracting HIV /AIDS as a result and succumbing to a death from resulting meningitis. “My Partner is a great loss to me and also to her own mother – my partner wanted her mother to retire and support her for the rest of her life – but now that right is gone….”

She then went on to express what it has meant to nurture other women who had come to her for help, including the case of a young woman whom she had turn away because Ndumie had been threatened yet again with her won life for helping victims in the township of Gugulethu. She aslo did not have enough resources.  The young woman could not stand the stigma and Ndumie said she killed herself – “I now feel responsible -because I did not help her!”

Mel and Ndumie and Before meeting at rally

Ndumie spoke to Mr. Tluli by saying she is a “comrade from the dust of the township” and she is expressing the rights of the people.

Her testimony was very moving and it was abundantly clear that she had been heard and was receiving much respect from the authorities there.

The other NGO’s did not have much tio say except to introduce their respective Statements.  Ndumie handed over the 170,000 signatures from 168 countries via the Petition that we believe was the impetus for the meeting today.

At the end of the meeting Tlali requested members of his department issue a report within the next two weeks reflecting this meeting and the suggestions and questions derived from it, to set the stage for other stakeholders as well as the victims and grassroots activists towards a series of monthly meetings addressing the various complex issues that came out of the discussion. The next meeting is scheduled for May 03, 2011.

For Luleki Sizwe, the immediate need is great. They struggle to find money for basic needs.   She is unpaid. There is very little by way of direct support and resources to victims and families in the township., Tlali noted this emergency need and we trust that prompt action will be taken to attend to this.

What further emerged is that it would be most useful to ongoing talks to provide the communities with awareness and information campaigns to direct them to government resources that may actually already be in place.  Then to reconcile what is in place with what is still needed. That may form part of the report.

The meeting was a great success – it went very well. We felt heard and it was productive. More details will follow of the actual issues.

The media turned out in great force, CNN is working on a documentary, Independent film/ documentary makers were there, Magazines, radio and SABC TV.  A lot of good came of this meeting today and we are all excited that this issue of hate crimes against lesbians, via the anomaly of “corrective rape,  will no longer be mere semantics, but rather stands a good chance of accomplishing legislation and protocols to afford it the imperative and urgent reforms so desperately needed.

Picture: Mel with  170,000 Signatures to deliver to Minister of Justice.
ALL PHOTOS by

Henry Bantjez - https://www.facebook.com/MCQP.Mystery?ref=nf

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By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

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At the Table

Melanie Nathan Walking into parliament Carrying Change.org 170,000 signature petition

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You probably know Tania Katan as a comedian, performer and author. But do you know her as the wife of a Mormon? This Mormon lover gives her opinions on TLC’s popular polygamist reality show, “Sister Wives” as only she can. C’mon, you’ve totally sat on the couch, watching that show and wondered if the rest of the lesbians out there could tell that Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robin were getting it in with each other when Kody wasn’t around! Watch the madness, complete with suggestive hand gesture reenactments, below:

Can’t get enough Tania? Keep up with her at www.TaniaKatan.com or join her Facebook fan page! If you are in California, you can also catch Ms. Katan in person at the 18th Street Art Center in Santa Monica, CA from March 24th to 26th. She will be performing in “Thank You and Good Luck” as America’s Next Lesbian Bachelor! Check it out here: http://18thstreet.org/events/tania-katan-performs-thank-you-and-good-luck-for-richard-newtons-shw

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Mr. Gay World 2011 - Francois Nel, South Africa

CAPE TOWN – The South African LGBTI community is ecstatic -  Francois Nel, Mr. Gay South Africa has won Mr. Gay World today!  He also helped secure South Africa, Johannesburg as the 2012 location for Mr. Gay World. This is the second year in a row that Mr. Gay World has been a South African.

How did I know that Francois would do his Country proud ?  I met Francois, Mr. Gay South Africa, in Cape Town the week before he left for the Pageant in Manila, socialized with him,  mutual friends and activists and had the great pleasure of spending an afternoon alone, interviewing him and sharing our thoughts and ideas about the state of LGBTI in South Africa and the Continent.

We published my lengthy interview with him last week and found that his personality, commitment to social justice and compassionate activism far outweighed his physical magnificence- hard to beat!

A small excerpt from our chat:

If we look at our past it has been very eventful  - we have moved truly toward s being a rainbow nation  – a Mecca of different cultures and societies. Look at soccer world cup – what we embody as a nation is so unique to us and we have a constitution that most other competing countries do not have – that includes gender ID and Sexual orientation so I feel my ambassadorship is critical in this competition.

I am very excited to work with like minded individuals from all over the world. It is as much about our unity as it is about the competition itself.

We all want to educate about being gay, Lesbian, transgender and bisexual. We all want to show how it is to be open…

We want 2012 to be on African continent and I hope we can bring it here…..” read more  Interview with Mr. Gay South Africa on his Way to Manila for Mr. Gay World (lezgetreal.com)

And Indeed he did it!!

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Congratulation from the GALS et al, at LezGetReal

Mr. Gay World, Francois Nel & Melanie Nathan

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Mr. Gay South Africa Photo by Mel Nathan - Copyright

CAPE TOWN - Francois Nel has a face that could launch a thousand gay bars – and a body that makes the Trojan horse look like a Shetland pony!  His is one you will see headlines this week in many a gay publication and if you read this interview you will see why he deserves your vote, as the All inclusive South African Constitution makes him the GLOBAL ambassador for LGBT  human rights and marriage equality.

I had the luxury of a special afternoon – we met at Cape Town at the Cape Royale – in my hotel suite – where the shjoosh  (old South African word for fancy) ambiance soon  fell victim to our comfortable familiarity – the context of our special day – where we would both be proudly asserting our messages at Cape Town Pride’s Pink Gala. So after the interview we indulged in practicing our speeches – by performing them for each other. AND that was fun!

I had one up on Francois – because I was going to be the main speaker, while he was only going to give a small introduction – but hey – talking one up – I challenge you lesbian, gay, transgender, intersex folk out there to find anyone more stunning in face, physique, heart and soul!! AND what an Interviewee – eloquent, profound and most sure of what he has to say!

That is why Francois is Mr. Gay South Africa and that is why he should win Mr. Gay World.

The Interview:  (remember English is Francois’ second language.)

What made you get into Mr. GAY  South Africa:

FN: Mr .Gay South Africa was something that happened at a time when I am approaching the big 30 – 30 is a milestone and I got involved in self reflection. I thought back over the years  about my life and the story I have lived  up until now –  certainly felt that I was reflecting back on the issue of sexuality – and how it was for me and it’s a story that if I share I can show the world how natural a story it can be.

I was always confident and aware of my inherent sexuality. Always aware of my inherent sexuality I have always known since I can remember that I am attracted to the same gender as myself.

The way I felt about being attracted to other men seemed to stand in contradiction to what the world wanted   me to do and entering a competition like MR. GAY SA is about speaking out about this –  as an issue. I wanted to use my personal story to inspire others to deal with acceptance of the natural nature of being gay.

I want to inspire younger people not to waste a lot of years  afraid of their homosexuality – not to be scared of their natural inherent desires  Especially those in societies where they are  taught that it is wrong.  In South Africa we lucky  because our Constitution is protective of us – but still a lot of work needs to be done at ground level.

A lot of perceptions need to change about what homosexuality is about – it is natural and people need to know!

No one wakes up one morning deciding to be different or live in a way that society does not accept – for me it is my natural way of being – and if others feel the way I did growing up then the message is the same for them. Why waste time waiting to feel better.  You are good as you are now!

MEL:  What do you recommend to youngsters who are uncertain about coming out – Should they go to an organization for help in coming out or  come out to parents right away?

FN: It depends – all situations are unique and different. There is no rule for this.   Family dynamics are different and individuals differ just as our stories do.  The real answer  is that  homosexuality (LGBTQI) Should be more socially accepted by the society at large  - then it would be easier to come out. That is what must change.  At the end of day we should be more socially accepted

Sexuality is not an all encompassing reflection of who we are as human beings; we are  multi faceted as gay or straight people! Sexuality does not define heterosexuals. We have a wide variety of characteristics and interests – As gay s we have to keep explaining who we are – why we are gay- we seem to have a lot of explaining to do.

With heterosexuality they have what is supposed to be the norm and there is not explaining to be done.

For me it is normal – its my norm – its always been normal for me – I can focus on the natural part of myself and hope to help others to do the same.

MEL:  If you were to win Mr., Gay World next week,  and I hope you do because you are an imperative and necessary  ambassador,  especially  because of SA’s unique positioning and  Constitution – would you speak out about decriminalization of homosexuality in Africa

With the Gay Flag from CASTRO that was auctioned for $10,000 with Signatures of US activists including MEUSA's Molly McKay and Dan Choi ; Mel Nathan & MEUSA©

FN Certainly -because we must be involved in activism – it comes back to fact that in SA  we are  lucky  we have legal rights to back us up if discriminated against.  That’s not to say there is NO discrimination –  there still is…

Having title of MR. GAY WORLD will extend my time to work on who we are for the world to see  - Education is something I am incredibly  passionate about and who we are.  My sexuality is like my skin color. I must show it and should not have to explain it – it is my normative and I hope I can transgress the explanations to simply show all the facets of my being; but I will speak to that as an issue anyway.

As well as the education of safe sex – lot of focus on belief systems – some speak to abstinence – safe sex is imperative and abstinence is a dangerous waste of educational resources because people are going to have sex anyway.

Education in schools we should be first taught about the different sexual contexts and sexualities that exist and then we should talk about the applicable safe sex

My own education in safe sex was not enough.  I was lucky because I worked in medical field so I was very aware.  I am blessed – as I worked with a doctor who worked with HIVAIDS

MEL: What are they are going to expect of you when you go to Manila on Monday in the Competition?

FN: It is an international beauty pageant and so much more. It seeks an ambassador from every country – I for example I am proudly South African and so am able to represent my country.

If we look at our past it has been very eventful  - we have moved truly toward s being a rainbow nation  – a Mecca of different cultures and societies. Look at soccer world cup – what we embody as a nation is so unique to us and we have a constitution that most other competing countries do not have – that includes gender ID and Sexual orientation so I feel my ambassadorship is critical in this competition.

I am very excited to work with like minded individuals from all over the world. It is as much about our unity as it is about the competition itself.

We all want to educate about being gay, Lesbian, transgender and bisexual. We all want to show how it is to be open…

We want 2012 to be on African continent and I hope we can bring it here,

Africa is important for us to bring it here in 2012 because LGBTI  are considered criminals in 37 countries just because of the love – and as you said Mel, we are not hurti9ng anyone else. Science teaches us that one is  born gay or lesbian – why should everyone not enjoy the human right of being who they were born to be.  The African continent must learn that …. So we must bring attention here.

Francois Nel

MEL: SO What would you say to David Bahati  - the author of the kill the Gays bill:

(FN: haha now you start….)

Mel: where he says  “ homosexuality is not a human right and we are a sovereign country and you cant tell us how to make our rules”: how would you answer him?

FN : My immediate response would be that having lived my life I know I was born this way and that any other human who is gay has clearly also been born that way. That person who loves a person of the same sex in no way impinges upon or hurts anyone else.  I  feel as the human race -  we need to embrace the LOVE that exists in the world – regardless of who it is between, whether a man and a man or a woman and a woman – or a man and a woman it is all life and we are all human. The fact that someone can be persecuted for that , or land up in prison because of it, is a problem and definitely hurts the right of the human love. One can never justify such persecution..

MEL: And his answer to that (you see I am kinda preparing you for Manila to (we both laugh).. … “gays have come to Uganda to the schools recruiting our children to become gay – that is how he would answer you – you are speaking from your personal experience and I can relate because mine is the same – but that is what he would say and he says it like he believes it even though despite being asked he has no proof. Your response:

FN: I know people are born gay – its not possible what he says – especially children how do you influence a child that way. We have studies that have been done. Some people have dedicated their lives to such studies . Look at Kingsley for example – sexuality is not as predefined as people think – there is a large spectrum  of sexuality. Evident through the centuries.  Nobody can be recruited. Studies done show that gay people whom adopt kids or have their own – those kids turn out to be completely heterosexual mostly; and I have heterosexual brothers – why are they not gay if our upbringing was exactly the same and I was never recruited.  I was never molested no such influence just my natural sexuality.

MEL:  Sex is a TINY Facet of who we are – as you said not all encompassing – do you think one can be religious and gay?

When it comes to personal belief systems you have a right to believe in whatever  you want to believe or brought up to believe – as long as it does not cause prejudice, judgment towards any minorities  or discrimination  - being part of a democracy means you can believe what you want and hence be at ease with your homosexuality.

MEL: In the  USA rise of right wing Evangelicals – separate from Christianity in general   is hard for us especially activists because they use Christianity as mask of their hate. They say Gay is an abomination as per Leviticus. My understanding is that religion mostly speaks to love, loving kindness and spirituality – that supersedes everything that is the love for fellow human. If an evangelical right winger came to you and quotes Leviticus and calls you an abomination or says your sexual acts are what is your response?

Personal space and personal freedom is something we are all entitled to. My personal space starts here (points to self) and ends here (point to an inch from me) We are in our own spaces.  People can believe what they want and follow what they want. It becomes a problem if they come into my space with their belief system. The bedroom that is my space is mine alone and \those who I invite in and it cannot hurt anyone. So do not trespasses not enter uninvited, because you may find you have entered a belief system different to your own,

We live in a beautiful world. Life expectancy is to be cherished.  We get to embrace our sexuality so we can enjoy our time here.   Doing good on earth toward your fellow human being. If we gay people embody that how can we be judged badly for it?

THANKS for wearing THE SHIRT!!!!

MEL: In USA we have DOMA – which denies us federal rights. Even if we can marry under the law of another country or a state in the USA we still cannot sponsor our foreign spouse for a green card to immigrate.   Two weeks ago President Obama gave a favorable sign about the DOMA being unconstitutional – but in USA legislation to repeal it is long and arduous. The current Congress has an antigay majority –

1. My question is – Do you think that same-sex marriage could cause harm to traditional marriage?

2.  What would you say to a Republican Congress holding us back from marriage equality?

FN: I think I would like to answer both the same – firstly to get married is a human right for gays – but not all may want it – I am passionate about the fact that if gay people want it , then it is available equally with all the rights and obligations it confers .  At the end of the day love in its many phases for gay people is exactly the same as it is for heterosexual people.

Deny anyone a love is detrimental to society – denying love and equality in its infinite and ultimate attainment is detrimental to society.

Remember Mel our conversation the other evening about other campaigns,. We have progress I feel DADT in US shows progress. It comes back to fact that sexuality cannot harm your job – being gay is not all encompassing and we are multifaceted and dropping DADT will show that and before DADT was dropped that was the case,

MEL: Would you be willing as MR GAY WORLD or even Mr. GAY South Africa to come to USA to speak out about your all inclusive constitution and ask questions about why the USA does not have marriage equality?

FN:Yes I would be very excited to do that – like I said the journey around this competition starts with oneself. But it does not start and stop with ME.

MEL: This has been an inspiring conversation. I cannot imagine any other contestant woirthy of this title., English your second language is magnificent – and Sheez you are gorgeous.

FN: At a competition like this we are there competing BUT we are there for same reasons and you we all want to do the same work to inspire people to be who they are and for acceptance in our countries and the world. Just by being there we are all winners.

I am mostly excited that I will be working for charities that provide shelters to those who are homeless because they exiled or gay….  That will be the case no matter what.

MEL: Francois Nel you are an inspiration ….

FN: Oh Melanie thank you for inspiring me!

Tonight Francois texted me from the plane – he is on his way to Manila – his message is poignant and he tells it in a poised and assured way – with unique twists that make his message glow – he is gentle, softly spoken and yet forceful.  I will be voting for him every day … Bon Voyage my Vriend -  you are a winner no matter what!

JUST NOTICED YOU CAN VOTE AT

Copyright Melanie Nathan© 2011 All rights reserved

FRANCOIS WEBSITE   http://francoisnelmrgaysa2010.wordpress.com/

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By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

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Image via Wikipedia

Melanie Nathan- Feb 20-2011

Raw reporting from our sources in their own words, reinforcing the question : Did you Uganda have a free and fair election. These are communications from friends and sources in Uganda:-

One:

“Lots of fraud indeed! My friend who’s a daughter to an NRM member of parliament told me in their place, her dad used the army to beat opposition supporters and people were handed already ticked ballots to go and cast and whoever protested was beaten.

In my district, stuffed ballots were got from several locations. The good thing was that people from my place were vigilant, most attempts at rigging were foiled and culprits beaten and arrested and that is why opposition won all the three parliamentary seats and Besigye had a confortable win although today on radio a senior advisor to Museveni was saying people from my place made a mistake and will not get serious Gov’t development action.

Remember over 25 ministers lost and opposition gained more seats than last time and I predict Museveni will even be more cruel than last time now that he will have much opposition. The future looks bleak and economists predict a slump in the economy because a lot of gov’t money was spent on vote buying.”

Two:

No sign of a fight, no blood spilt over the house, he was got lying covered in bed with his throat slit and knife wounds in the cheecks and chert! His phone taken and a new phone put beside him with a text reading “this is the change u’ve been waiting for”…i’ve called my neigbour and he’s told me they heard footsteps outside at night and my padlock made a sound, they havent comeout yet for fear and are still waiting fór the police to come.

Three

election rigging is already taking place!    village called kobuin, Ngora district in eastern uganda. They got atip that a gang of people were locked up in a house ticking  (checking ) ballots for museveni and NRM M.Ps candidates, they mobilized and stormed the place and indeed over 10 booklets had already been ticked! Iwonder how many more of the same is happening elsewhere!

If you are in Uganda and are reading this – please feel free to add to the conversation in the comments section, below…..

or e-mail Melanie Nathan nathan@privatecourts.com

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Comedian, performer and author Tania Katan is here to relieve your Valentine’s Day blues with a rousing game of “Who Would You Rather: Famous Lesbian Edition.” I bet you all these girls are hotter than the ex that dumped you last week and stole your cat on her way out.

Like what you just watched? Then buy a ticket to see Tania Katan perform her one-woman show “Saving Tania’s Privates” at the Frigid Fringe Festival Feburary 23rd-March 5th. You can buy your tickets here: www.FRIGIDnewyork.info Learn more about Tania at www.TaniaKatan.com or join her Facebook fan page!

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You have probably seen Jane Velez-Mitchell on CNN Headline News, hosting her popular show, “Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell.” You might have also seen her on Nancy Grace or read one of her bestselling books. If you have, you know that Ms. Velez-Mitchell is a strong, outspoken woman who isn’t afraid of having an opinion and sharing it.

In her newest offering, “Addict Nation: An Intervention for America,” Velez-Mitchell implores Americans to identify their addictions, legal or not and overcome them. Velez-Mitchell wants to wake readers up and make them think. Her book asks tough questions and makes readers face the impact each of their decisions make on their lives and the world in general. From fast food addiction to overpopulation, Velez-Mitchell wants you to be aware of the choices you are making and how they affect the world around you.

Also, she’s a lesbian and she is calling on the LGBT community to be a leader in the change that needs to happen in order to keep our planet healthy. I was lucky enough to be able to talk to the busy author and you, lucky LGR reader, get the play by play. Is gay the new green? Will you go vegan for Jane? (Spoiler Alert: I AM) Read more to find out!

LGR: Your fans know that you hyphenated your name to represent both sides of your heritage; can I ask you what your mindset was at the time and how you think that decision has impacted the perception of you by your audience?

Jane Velez-Mitchell: Well I was in therapy and I had not gotten sober yet and ultimately I did go on to get sober, thank god! But I was trying to figure out who I was. I wouldn’t recommend that people go into therapy to get sober; you go into a 12 step program to get sober.  In the interim while therapy didn’t help me get sober, it did help my maturity level…I did end up discussing other issues… and that was very helpful.

But the real miracle happened when I got sober. I tell anyone who tries to get sober to go to a 12 step program but nevertheless I got into therapy. I felt that my name, Jane Mitchell, didn’t really represent who I was. I was always kind of explaining myself, explaining my background and I got really sick of it. And people would say “oh you look very exotic, what’s your background?” People were very curious and I was always explaining myself. During the course of all this I realized that the name Jane Mitchell didn’t really fit me, [it was] making me feel inauthentic. I was telling my therapist, and I said my mother is one of the original hyphens…she married my father and became Velez-Mitchell. And my therapist said you could do the same thing, you could be Jane Velez-Mitchell and I said, “You know I like the sound of that.”  So, I added my mother’s name and immediately  felt a psychic shift to the right. Like “This feels better, now I am representing myself to the world, this represents my background.”  I never regretted the decision I thought it was great and it’s been all good.

…by the way that was many many years ago! That happened in the mid-80s! 

LGR: You have an interesting coming out story, you had a boyfriend, you met a woman and left your boyfriend. What was the process like for you and after you came out, how did you label?

JVM: It was a humdinger rollercoaster ride for sure. Basically what happened was I got sober. When I was 39 I got sober and very soon after I got sober I realized I had been drinking down a lot of things. And one of the things I had been drinking down, I kind of knew subconsciously but I never really confronted it, I was drinking down my sexual orientation.

After recovery I went back to anther psychiatrist and after talking around it I said to him finally, “I think I’m gay.” and I think he had figured it out before. He said “it’s very good that you are being honest about it.” After that I didn’t do anything about it, I talked to my boyfriend about it. He’s a great guy we are very good friends… He was also very intuitive of that and felt there was something there. I was grappling with it and then I met a woman at a charity event and I did fall in love and eventually I left my boyfriend and we moved in together and we are no longer together. We are very good friends and she is the co-author of my book, Addict Nation! (ed. Note: how gaaaayyy is that?! Also, Sandra Mohr is the co-author of Addict Nation, you will see her name on the cover when you pick up your copy.) 

LGR: Jane, you’re a pretty outspoken person. One of the criticisms of LBQ culture is that there is a racial divide; do you think that divide exists? Have you seen that in your personal experience?

JVM: I don’t! Honestly I really don’t. I feel that the LGBT community has to stick together and we have to be cohesive. It’s a good example because I’m also an animal rights activist and I always say I don’t want to get involved with nitpicking in the animals rights world or the LGBT community. I think we have to be cohesive and we can’t hone in on some of maybe those petty differences and let them splinter our cause. We need to be cohesive we need to be a unit to achieve political change.

If some people think that, they see that, they can try to change that. I think any improvement is always welcome and I would welcome that, but let’s keep our eye on the ball. Let’s work together to achieve change. I personally have not experienced that; as a woman of color I have been welcomed everywhere. Jarrett Barrios is the head of GLAAD and he’s Latino. I don’t see it at all! Maybe I’m naïve but I go to LGBT parties and there are a rainbow of people and much more diverse than parties I go to for other sectors of society. So I think we are very diverse I think that’s one of our strengths.

LGR: In Addict Nation, in the chapter focused on overpopulation entitled “Breeders,” you discuss the fact that many Latinos are very old school catholic, and that has contributed to the fact that they have a lot of children. I was wondering if you see a correlation between that religiousness and Latino’s attitudes towards the queer community?

JVM: My mom is Puerto Rican and she completely accepted me 100 percent and so did my sister, my nieces my nephews. My personal experience is that everyone is welcoming. I don’t see the Latino community being any more homophobic than any other sector of society. You can look at any segment of society and find homophobia. I don’t think we should single out the Latino community for that at all.

As far as the chapter on procreation, I will say that our planet is experiencing a huge population explosion…and you dovetail that with diminishing resources and you realize that something has to change because we cannot sustain this kind of growth. One of the things I point out in my book is that every 5 seconds a child dies of hunger. Jesus Christ would want us to do what we can to keep one child from dying from starvation…these children did nothing wrong but be born into an environment that cannot feed them.

We have to do something about this, as a species, humans have to do something about this. So in my book, I ask the question, I don’t have an answer to it, but I ask, is gay the new green? Nature has a tendency to adjust, it’s true of animals and we r animals. I ask the question, isn’t it interesting that the gay rights movement is surging at a time where population is surging and we’ve crossed a tipping point where the survival of the species depends less on procreation and more on controlling procreation so that we don’t over procreate so we don’t get to the point where we can’t sustain the population.

The gay movement opens the door to nurturing children and other sentient beings in a non-traditional manner, through adoption for example and I think this is a wonderful thing and it’s something we should contemplate.

LGR: Is there any part of the book that ur queer fans cannot miss?

JVM: I think that “we” have always been on the forefront of social change, because we have had the courage to come out.  So therefore we have kind of this chain reaction of honesty that happens within our community and we are open to new ideas because we had to be open about the fact that we wanted to be with somebody of the same sex, even though it might not be accepted in some quarters. So we have this courage to come out, so we can lead in other areas.

What I would tell everybody in the LGBT community is don’t buy into the consumer culture. Don’t be a consumer zombie. Look at everything you are buying and analyze it and harness your power as a consumer to say “No, I will not buy this if it’s bad for me.”  And that includes fast foods, products with harsh chemicals unnecessary cleaning products, products that are cruel to animals and products that are the result of factory farming.

We can be leaders in the green movement and say to the powers that be and say we are going to harness our purchasing power as consumers and say we want humane, environmentally sensitive, cruelty free, biodegradable, 100 percent recycled products. Because we are the cutting edge consumer and that’s what we demand we are not going to participate in a fast food junk product culture that is making us fat, making us sick and destroying the environment.

LGR: That’s really interesting and with the obesity epidemic, that fast food part is really important.

JVM: Just say no to fast food. You cannot negotiate with it. You cannot eat it successfully. Very few people can eat fast food successfully there is more and more evidence that it is addictive it is packed with sugar salt and fat. Three ingredients that we are biologically programmed to crave and it is very hard… this is about addiction. The book is about addiction; not just the usual addictions like drugs and alcohol. It’s about being addicted to things that are not considered addictions.

Obesity is not a lifestyle choice obesity is food addiction and my book talks about how you can work your way out of that addiction. I’m not coming from “oh I know it all” I’m coming from “I’m an addict,” and I have grappled and continue to grapple with many addictions in my journey to true sobriety.  I’m not there yet, but I am sober from alcohol. I’ve given up alcohol, I’ve given up drugs, I’ve given up smoking, I’ve given up meat, I’ve given up dairy, I’ve given up sugar and I’ll tell you I don’t miss any it. I feel happier, I feel more energetic, I feel lighter, I save money, I’m helping the environment it’s all good!

LGR: That’s so inspiring!

JVM: Thank you!

LGR: Why do you think more lesbians are obese than straight women?

JVM: I don’t know where that statistic comes from.* 2/3rds of Americans are overweight or obese. So, you’re telling me that more than 2/3rds of lesbians are overweight or obese? That’s not been my experience. I think we are right there with the rest of the population.

I don’t think we should stigmatize ourselves unnecessarily. There is an obesity problem within all communities and we need to address it and I think we need to take the lead on healthy eating. Look at Ellen! Ellen’s gone vegan, I’m a vegan, go vegan everything else will fall into place. Oprah is going vegan this week! Her whole staff! Ellen DeGeneres is very outspoken about vegan, I’m very outspoken about being a vegan so I say to the LGBT community go vegan!

Everything else will fall into place as far as your battles with health and weight. When I say go vegan I don’t mean eating pasta and potato chips! A plant based diet is about eating vegetables, fruits and nuts and grains and there are these people who do damage to the vegan vegetarian movement. They say I tried it and you ask them what they ate, they ate pasta! That’s not being a vegan, being a vegan is eating veggies and fruits. It’s a delight, it’s fun, it’s not this big sacrifice that people make it out to me. The all American diet is the most restrictive diet in the world! Burger, fries and a shake? There is a whole universe of beautiful vegetables and fruits out there that can be prepared in fabulous combinations. There are tons of cookbooks and restaurants all over America. It’s great, check it out!

LGR: Ok ! I will!

JVM: Yay!

LGR: And I’ll write about it [stay tuned to LGR for my week of vegan!]

JVM: Good!

LGR: Your latest book, “Addict Nation” discusses the obsessions of Americans, what, in your experience, would you say the lesbian community’s biggest addiction is, besides the WNBA?

JVM: To be honest with you I don’t want to separate the LGBT community. We are already unique in a good way and communities have a tendency in focusing on themselves to over criticize. You know, we’re people! We are going to have the sane addictions and the same urges as everybody else, so that’s what I see. I don’t see any real difference.

I think Addict Nation is a great book for every Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered person to read. And I do say that unapologetically because I do feel that we can be on the forefront of change. I do feel that we can take a leadership role, having done something very courageous once, we can do something very courageous again vis a vis our society and bring in values of compassion and celebrating out uniqueness.

To be a consumer is to be a zombie and we are more than consumers we are human beings and why not celebrate that. I really feel that instead of looking inward and criticizing ourselves, we have something very special. We defied culture once, in a sense and we can defy culture again and lead the group towards a humane and smart way of dealing with this culture that is so consumption oriented.

I would like to leave you with this thought. Every decision we make throughout the day is not a personal lifestyle decision. It’s a political decision, it’s an environmental decision and most of all it’s a moral choice. If you are buying products that are based on animal cruelty, that are made with factory farming, animal testing, destruction of the environment than you are a co-conspirator in those terrible things and I believe karmic-ly there is a price to pay. I do feel that we all need to work on these choices that we are making and we all need to have a ‘moment of clarity.’ And I teach in Addict Nation, I show, how you can have that clarity using the 12 steps. And get really clear about what you are doing and then get to better choices. 

LGR: Are you going to NYC’s pride parade this year?  

JVM: Yes! I always do, I was person of the year for gay pride in LA. I’ll be right there in Sheraton Square where I was last year!

For more Addict Nation, become a fan on Facebook or check out www.AddictNation.org

• Unfortch, this is the study that says lezzies are bigger than str8 girls. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37557883/ns/health-behavior/

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Dan Littauer of the acclaimed Blog Site, Gay Middle East, provided LezGetReal with an interview he did today with well known Blogger IceQueer. This astounding interview presented on GME’s website has been given to LezGetReal for joint publication by Mr. Littauer.  It reflects on the ground issues from the perspective of ayoung gay man,  who clearly has a deep understanding of the issues of the Country in General – it is an insightful piece…

Interview by Dan Littauer with “IceQueer”, an Egyptian gay blogger

GME: Tell us a little about yourself…
IQ: I’m 22 years old Egyptian Moroccan guy, I’m a medical intern and interested in activism, politics, religions, music and lots of different things

GME: What is your blog all about?
IQ: It’s about my thoughts and my perception of reality. Sometimes I feel it’s like a non-stop documentary of some parts of my life and my personality.

GME: When did you start the blog and why?
IQ: I started in July 2008. It was a coincidence and a funny story actually; electricity was off at home so I thought of playing around with my laptop’s pen and there it was my first post! Also the blog name in the beginning was “My thoughts & confessions” then I changed it to its current name after the first post.

GME: Do have a lot of gay readers following your blog? What kind of responses are you getting?
IQ: Well I can never be 100% sure of the number of readers/followers because how can you count readers who don’t leave comments or follow the blog through blogger but according to the blog’s stats, number of comments and number of followers, I guess I’ve a lot of gay and straight readers following my blog.
I get all kinds of responses and I approve and answer them all, actually comments are some of the things that keep me going and keep writing.

GME: You were in Tahrir square on Tuesday, describe what was it like?
IQ: I guess I was lucky because the day I went to Tahrir’s demo was a very peaceful day after police’s violence was over and before the attack of Mubarak’s thugs (Thursday). It felt amazingly peaceful and cheerful. I loved how diverse yet finally united Egypt is! I was holding a sign saying “Secular” in Arabic, English & French and also my friends(straight, gay, girls, Christian and Muslims) were holding similar signs and we all were chanting that this protest is for the people and not for any party or religion. Everything was really beautiful and looked like a European carnival!

Before internet was shut down, I was very active on my twitter page and facebook raising awareness about how important #Jan25 is and that we all should participate. I never knew that facebook and twitter can be that powerful and that the things you tweet can actually make a change even if it’s a little change like correcting someone’s information

GME: You mentioned you were helping people in hospital, are there many people hurt? Any of your friends or family?
IQ: Yes, unfortunately many people were injured as the numbers said on News channels. My family and non-Egyptian boyfriend were safe but some of my friends had minor superficial injuries and also 3 guys I know were detained on the 25th of Jan but were released the next day. It’s funny that most of Egyptian homosexuals fear police arrest but I was happy that those 3 guys were arrested because of a great cause like Jan25! Very honourable.

GME: We see reports of international journalists being attacked now in Egypt, but how are local journalists and bloggers are being treated?
IQ: Actually it’s not about being foreigner or local, it’s always about the news agency you work for and the things you blog/tweet about. So the more you are honest and scandalous about the regime, the more chances you get detained!

GME: What kind of changes do the people want to see?
IQ: Like we all chanted; Freedom, Social Justice and Democracy. And all of this will change by removal of Mubarak & his regime, dissolution of Parliament, ending the Emergency state/law and that High Court’s judges should supervise the elections.

GME: Do you think there will be a transition to a democracy in Egypt now?
IQ: I’m hopeful that there will be a transition but first we’ve to get rid of stereotypes and medieval ideologies that unfortunately many people have in Egypt due to lack of proper education. Jan25 all started by the educated and well politically-aware youth of Egypt.

GME: Does this revolution have a leader or leaders?
IQ: No it doesn’t have a leader or leaders, it’s a revolution by Egypt’s youth against a corrupted regime. This revolution is peoples’ revolution and doesn’t follow any political party or religious party.

GME: Some commentators have expressed their concern about the Muslims Brotherhood’s influence in the case of a change in Egypt, how realistic is such a concern?
IQ: I don’t think MBs would have such an “influence” that would affect majority of Egyptians and Egypt.

GME: I suppose its too risky and even counter productive to ask directly for LGBT rights in the protests, but how do you see these issues in the context of the revolution and larger Human Rights agenda?
IQ: You can’t ask for lots of changes that have different effect on people, I mean already asking for “Freedom” and “Fall of regime” bedazzled the whole country and its people so imagine what would happen if we asked for LGBT rights?
I believe that Egypt’s LGBT community can only have its rights when Egypt becomes a real secular country.

GME: Can you describe the social/cultural situation for LGBT people in Egypt in the last few years?
IQ: It’s diverse and it’s like most of LGBT communities around the world; you’ve all kinds of social and culture differences from deeply conservatives to utterly liberal. But the exposure to western media via internet and TV helped a lot of people in understanding more about their sexuality and how to accept it…etc I already see that the new generation takes less time in accepting their sexuality than older generation used to

GME: Can you be out and gay in Egypt?
IQ: It depends on your personality, your social class, your friends and your family. For me, I’m openly gay to my parents and all of my close straight friends.

GME: Are you out to some people in Egypt, and if yes, what kind of responses do you get?
IQ: Like I said before, I’m out to all of my close friends. You get various responses, some would say they wouldn’t lose a friend just because you’ve different preferences in bed, some would go into long tiring debates with you whether homosexuality is sinful or not and whether it’s a choice or not…etc. Again it all depends on one’s personality, social environment and religious background.

GME: How do people meet each other?
IQ: Mostly through dating website on the internet but you can also meet guys in private house gay parties and gatherings.

GME: Tell us about the legal situation… We understand that although there are no direct laws prohibiting same sex acts, we understand that other laws are enacted, like Public Order & Public Morals (as in the infamous case of Cairo52), and quite a few cases of people arrested through speaking with agents on chat rooms and gay dating websites… Can you elaborate on that?
IQ: Exactly, there is no direct laws prohibiting same sex acts or relationship but they usually affiliate it with Debauchery, Public Morals & Order.   The thing is that most of policemen play around a lot with words and the bugs in Egyptian law, they usually trap suspects by using words like debauchery when they ask them whether they practice same-sex sex or not, so they make suspects admit that they practice “debauchery” even though the suspect may only meant that he practice same-sex sex.  Also the emergency law gives the ability to policemen to check ur apartment without a warranty if they wanted.

GME: Any specific changes, relating to these two issues mentioned above, that Egyptian lesbian, gay, and transgender people hoping to see?
IQ: We’re hoping that Egypt would become a real Secular country one day, that’s when people learn to accept their differences then they would start accept people who r sexually different than they are.

GME: It’s a little bit symbolic that Tahrir square is also known as a meeting place for gay people, isn’t it?
IQ: Haha yeah I made lots of puns about this exact thing when I met up my friends in Tahrir to protest. I was like “A week ago, if I told you let’s meet in Tahrir then go walk down to Kasr El-Nil bridge, you’d have judged me as a sleazy trashy gay guy”

GME: What can the international LGBT community do to help the general situation in Egypt and in particular the LGBT communities in Egypt?
IQ: If democratic political reforms happened in Egypt, international LGBT communities can help a lot of course by putting pressure on Egyptian regime to apply this kind of reforms too which are under the same umbrella of democratic reforms.

Gay Middle East started in 2003 by a group of activists in Germany, UK, Palestine, Israel, Jordan, and Syria. GME is the largest source of information on LGBT rights and news in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).  Gay Middle East helps get the word out from what is happening on the ground in the MENA area regarding LGBT news to the world. GME is non-profit and completely voluntary.

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Posted by Melanie Nathan.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Giles Blood on his hands Muhame

Muhame Giles is a young Ugandan man who recently graduated from Makere University in Kampala.  He has give up the “booze” and now high on ego, touts his dinners with President Museveni and his popularity as a clear precursor to his desire to run for political office.  Perhaps even a seat on the Ugandan Parliament. But that is not all who he is …    He is also the man who displayed the face of now brutally murdered, gay activist and hero, David Kato and another 99 at risk gay people in Uganda on the front page of the Ugandan Rolling Stone Magazine, next to the header “HANG THEM,”  last year, 2010.

“FaceBook – Muhame Giles:  Had dinner with President Museveni at his ranch in Ntungamo Wednesday night. It was a bit refreshing…..he told me why he will never forgive terrorists that killed our brothers and sisters on Sunday…he was feeling too low but seemed so angry…let’s wait and see how he will respond…July 15, 2010 at 9:33am

Muhame Giles the people of  ibanda south constituency are on their knees, begging me to represent them in parliament _2016.”

He is also a deeply religious man – has found his soul saved by Jesus Christ and he thanks the Lord a lot.

Muhame Giles:  Inside myself is a place where I live all alone and that’s where you renew your springs that never dry up….blessed   Sunday to you all

He is the man, who used the following vengeful and hate filled words when his magazine lost the court case so bravely fought by David Kato and other plaintiff’s, resulting in the injunction against outing gays and lesbians in Rolling Stone Magazine:

FaceBook Statement by Giles Muhame- “Homos had a short-lived smile today morning after The Rolling Stone management announced it would appeal against a High Court ruling which “permanently restrains” the investigative newspaper from outing their pictures.” And “We remain strong that indeed in times of war, losses are expected. The newspaper will fight homos on different fronts,” serving not to quell the fire he had already started but to exacerbate it, increasing the threat that he had started to Kato as a designated target.

He is the man, who, when hearing of the death of David Kato, was quoted in the Ugandan press as saying that he was sorry that David Kato had been killed in a robbery.

He is also the hypocrite who posted this disgusting ‘status’ on Facebook at the same time as expressing his sorry:

Muhame Giles :  NABBED: The latest intel shows the killer of Uganda’s king of sodomy David Kato has now confessed to police that the guy mercilessly worked on his bum for the entire night and wanted more during the day!! “I killed him in defense of my bum, it was emitting gallons of blood yet Kato could not give me a break,” Nsubuga told detectives shortly after his arrest. More details coming in….watch this space…hehehe

Resulting in the following comments:

Abby Twesigye likes this.

Muhame Giles tx Abby, keep ear on ground…heheh

Justine Juliet Can’t people deal in better stuff other than bumdeals? Eish!Not with the flooded red Speke Street among other places!Thx chf investigator.

Bwesigye Friday Brian Naye investigator also specialises in people’s bums?

Muhame Giles Thanks my dear Justine…imagine all girls in k’la but one goes for a prisoner’s bum!! Brian….i have just gotten news from CID…heheh

Deo Tiba Santos JJ those guys dnt go 4 bums bse they luck pussies bt thy were confused 2 thk dats d way to go. D money 4rm US en canada thru xches does dat. Muhame bt thts a strange specialisatn…bums

Muhame Giles hehehe..Deo, i even hear they have of recent been fighting over dollars from embassies in Uganda…their sins are catching up with them…

Mpirirwe Doreen Giles dont u think the world is cmg to an end??I hear bum drillers!

Dixon Okello the wages of sin is death.kato is now in hell.

Muhame Giles Doreen, these guys can be easily defeated – their strength – lack of awareness in the communities they terrorise – but now people’s eyes are wide open…..@Okello…true that- eternal roasting in hell

Ms. A (from overseas and a pro-gay voice on this post)

‎

‎@Giles,the corrupt people in Uganda,who make sure that there are no drugs in HOSPITALS, the people who practice Nepotism,the people who practice human sacrifice,the church leaders who steal from the unsuspecting population,promising them h…ealing and heaven,Contractors who do shoddy jobs on the roads,all these are true ENEMIES of your society.If you put all your Energies fighting these people instead of fighting men who chose to love their fellow men or women who chose to love their fellow women,you better serve your society with your head held high.You are directing your energy on issues,that you can never reverse.

Primus Agaba ‎@Anika;Are you Ugandan ? Just asking….

Primus Agaba

I see!! Though in my world they say Never say Never!! I appreciate the existence of bisexuals and homosexuals because it has helped identify our generation as the most immoral. Anika in Uganda
1. homosexuality is a vice, just like corruptio…n…
2.These guys practicing homosexuality are doing so mostly out of ignorance…thats why you find cases of blood oozing from a mans anus.
3. The western world that is trying hard to create these perverts in our country is not doing enough to support there cause by facilitating their evil acts but rather by painting a particular picture using their press.

Like you say if the drugs are not in hospitals, and there is a lot of corruption, there is also alot of perversion being imported!! And its a duty of Ugandans to identify and stop it.See More

Justine Juliet Shame upon the ch+,once in a while i fail 2go pray in there coz of what the clerics do off the altar/pulpit!

Ms. A ‎@Primus, if you de-link Western world from your arguments,it would do you good.It’s inapropriate of you to say that homosexuality is Western pushed value(hat you call a vice)
It’s documented that King Mwanga of Buganda had some homosexual t…endencies,would u call that Western ‘vice’?
Being gay or heterosexual is a natural inclination.All records or human history show there were always homosexuals throught THE AGES.
When you say the guys practicing homosexuality do it out of ignorance,what makes you adduce that thinking? How do you know,yet you have never been one?
The Western world as contrally to what you are saying,are trying to peotect all the inherent rights of everyone no matter their sexual orientations.
Infact the people who i call perverts are you people who murder and harass people because they dont have the same sexual orientations as yours.See More

Primus Agaba ‎@Anika;FYI…there is a lot of literature (both-ve and +ve) I suggest you google homosexuality in Africa and read up on most of those articles!!

MS A ‎@Primus,i dont need to read homosexuality in Africa.Homosexuality in Africa is the same as homosexuality every where on earth.Only that only progressive countries have constitutionalized gay rights.In Africa its only Southafrica that has legalised same sex marriage.But those who want to harass others because they don’t have the same feelings like them,then i think they are criminals.

Deo Tiba Santos Linden r u saying when a man wants to marry a goat he shd be allowed just bse he has feelings for a goat??? i dont see a diff here.

Deo Tiba Santos if u talk of natural inclination, why do the people born with deformities have to be taken to hospital to rectify them why dont we say they were born like that hence we shd leave them. but bse its aganst the natural law or order thats why we have to tell them and if possible make them thk right like u want to take a child born with brain disorder to hospital.

MS A @Deo,soon you will start killing the left handed people,or those with Squinting eyes,because they are not like you.

Notably on Giles Muhame’s Wall on FaceBook he mentions his  hero  (Julian Asange)  – here is what I wrote him and his response:-\

Melanie Nathan: I dont think that Julian Assange would approve of your hate towards gays, Giles!!

Giles Muhame: There might be a difference of opinion simply because he does not know how gays are terrorising kids this side. I wouldn’t blame him. I have as well been following your articles. You are completely biased my good friend….thanks

Melanie Nathan: Yes I am as biased as you are Giles…. because I have asked Bahati and others for proof on how gays are harming and terrorizing kids- when you send me proof other than set ups that you are so good at, I will be happy to revisit my bias.  In America we know gays to be peaceful and loving people. There is no accusations here of gays terrorizing kids.  In Uganda and in USA – Only straight men who commit incest on their daughters and who rape children. That to me is terrorizing. I have way more proof of that and the numbers are staggering. Why does Uganda not focus on the straight men who recruit sex slaves for export to foreign countries under pretense they are students?  The FBI has broken a ring and AFrica is a BIG player in this obscenity.    I have helped a few lesbians out of Uganda who have never ever hurt a child in their life- who simply need to leave because of the terror they feel at the hands of your magazine, Bahati’s Kill the Gays Bill and what that has briught to the streets.

Okay now World – you have to choices you can either barrage Muhame Giles on FaceBook with the reality and truth that he has and we all believe him to have DAVID KATO’s Blood on his hands – after we have had our way with him on FB then we can get him booted off, but before we do, remember it is a means to communicate what we in the Western World know to be the truth.  We are peaceful loving people who are no different from anyone else; indeed our sexual orientation pertains to the same sex – but our humanity is the same as that of anyone who may be born to love the opposite gender.

Go for it….. in solidarity and may our hero rest in peace….  mel…

OUTING THE GAY HATERS;

Dixon Okello

Dio Tiba Santos

Abby Twesigye

THERE WILL BE MORE…….

_________________________________________________________________________________________

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

Related articles

____________________________________________________________________________________________

• National Prayer Breakfast Ignores David Kato’s Death, Vigil Called For New York City (lezgetreal.com)
• Hate Follows David Kato to his Grave (lezgetreal.com)
• Is Rolling Stone’s Managing Editor Responsible for the Murder of Uganda Gay Activist David Kato? (lezgetreal.com)

Kato had expressed fear for his safety after the verdict, telling AlertNet:

David Kato, one of the plaintiffs, said that he had been living in terror ever since he was named by the newspaper.

“Since we got exposed by Rolling Stone, we have been living like fugitives in our own country,” he said. “We have to keep shifting houses for fear of being attacked. Some of the gays have decided to leave the city and head to rural areas in order to protect themselves.”

Human Rights Watch in a Statement said: “The government should ensure that members of Uganda’s LGBT community have adequate protection from violence and take prompt action against all threats or hate speech likely to incite violence, discrimination, or hostility toward them.”

David Kato’s death is a tragic loss to the human rights community,” said Maria Burnett, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “David had faced the increased threats to Ugandan LGBT people bravely and will be sorely missed.”

Witnesses told police that a man entered Kato’s home in Mukono at around 1 p.m. on January 26, 2011, hit him twice in the head with a hammer and departed in a vehicle. Kato died on his way to Kawolo hospital. Police told Kato’s lawyer that they had the registration number of the vehicle and were looking for it.

Kato had been a leading voice in the fight against the Anti-Homosexuality Bill, which has been before Uganda’s parliament since October 15, 2009. While homosexual sex is already illegal in Uganda, the proposed law would criminalize all homosexuality, making it punishable by a fine and life imprisonment. “Repeat offenders” and those who are HIV positive would be subject to the death penalty. The bill would also oblige anyone with knowledge of someone who is or might be a homosexual to report that person to the police within 24 hours

I have been working on the case of Brenda Namigadde, as a reporter and as an activist.  Brenda may be deported from the UK on this Friday. Earlier reports can be read – what follows is some background, the reports and the importance of keeping the focus on getting Brenda out of her deportation setting, out of custody detention and into a real life in the UK>

RELATED EARLIER STORIES:

Melanie Nathan January 23, 2011 - The United Kingdom (UK) Home Office has rejected the asylum application of a Ugandan lesbian who can be sent back at any time.  The Ghana news reports that the “East African country is hostile to homos and recently proposed a bill which would make homosexual acts punishable by execution.”

The U.K. Border Agency, is now holding a Uganda born student, Brenda Namigadde, 29, who was among those took part in a demonstration outside the Uganda High commission in Trafalgar Square, Central London in 2009, when the Ugandan government introduced an Anti-Homosexuality Bill in parliament. The bill that shocked the liberal western governments suggested all Gays and Lesbians in the country should face the death penalty.

Speaking about her case from the UK Border manned Heathrow immigration detention center where she being held, Namigadde, said she fears for her life once in Uganda.

“They already know who I am, because photos were taken of me and my colleagues that day,” said a tearful Namigadde, with fear overwhelmed her face, she added: “Ugandan government has names of most of them as they have been published in several newspapers in the country.” Namigadde was referring a demonstration that took place after a public outcry from several organizations in the UK led by Gay Activists Alliance International (GAAI) with support from Gay Uganda, Sexual Minorities Uganda and Outrage organizations. Among the speakers on the day were Davies Mac-Iycllam, the co-founder of GAAT, Peter Tatchell and Skye Chirape.

Homosexual is illegal in Uganda and the country’s president previously attacked it calling it, “negative foreign culture”.

In the Ugandan parliament, there is an Anti-Homosexuality Bill which was sponsored by Ndorwa West, MP David Bahati, a legislator from President Museveni’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM). It was only stayed when it received a sharp condemnation from around the world and after donor countries threatened to cut-off of aid to Uganda.

Last week I spoke directly to David Bahati in an interview which I am soon to publish in full. He informed me that the  Ugandan Parliament is going to go ahead with the anti-homosexuality Bil and it could become law in a matter of time. “All Ugandans support the Bill. We are a sovereign Country” –   He told me that Uganda “does not not consider homosexuality as a human right” and that it will do everything it can to enforce criminal sanctions against those who “practice homosexuality.”

Bahati said that homosexuality is a crime already in Uganda and the purpose of he new law will be to clarify it creating certainty in the mode of punishment.   He said that he had “proof” that “homos are recruiting children in the schools to their way of life” and that “Uganda must protect their children for the homos.”

I asked him if this was a religious ideal and based on religion. He said that it was and this clearly dates back to Scott Lively and USA Evangelical push to attack  gays and lesbians in Africa.

I cannot fathom how the UK Home Office can reject this case for asylum – it defies all sense of humanity.  I am calling on the US State Department to contact the Home Office and to effect a responsibility especially that our American Evangelicals have steeped themselves in the atrocious preamble to all this.

Paul Canning form LGBT Asylum based in the UK told me that before Lively went in to Uganda with his antigay propaganda, gays and lesbians had been left alone.  However now they are being harassed to the point where even a local Newspaper has been placing photos on its cover – of alleged gays- and calling for their capture.

The 29 year Ugandan lesbian, was due to be deported on Thursday the 20th of January, but only missed out after a mix-up with someone else name being submitted to the airline.

After speaking to Activists who know the lay of the land and after speaking to Bahati myself for over an hour. Brenda’s life is in certain danger. The UK Home Office must retract its decision immediately. It defies all logic that a Country such as the United Kingdom would deport a person back to a Country where even its members of parliament, such as David Bahati, announce publicly that they have no intention of adhering to the Declaration of Human Rights and that they plan on legislating in direct contradiction to its terms.

Brenda is presently detained at Yarlswood Immigrtaion Removal Centre. She has another removal date set for 28th January 2011 to Entebbe Uganda in Flight VS671 & KQ412 via Nairobi, Kenya at 21.20 hrs.

But the story gets more sinister – and even more scary than Brenda knows at this time. Yesterday I wrote a piece for Lezgetreal reporting Brenda’s story – and in the piece I referenced my recent  interview with David Bahati which I had not previously  reported on.

Today when I was working with Joseph Huff-Hannon of  www.ALLOUT.org and Paul Canning  Editor of LGBT ASYLUM News, on Skype regarding a Petition we were drafting to support Brenda’s urgent bid for asylum,  a call came through on my regular phone. It was David Bahati.  He had read my previous article where I reported that Brenda’s asylum case had been rejected and that her deportation to Uganda was imminent.

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/01/uk-home-office-deporting-ugandan-lesbian-to-certain-harm/

Bahati said he read the piece about Brenda  Namigadde where I quoted him and that he was calling to tell me to give Brenda a message. The author of the anti-gay legislation said that the legislation will be presented to the Ugandan Parliament in the next few weeks. Homosexuality Including men and women is considered a crime in Uganda as being against the order of nature. The new Bill by Bahati seeks to affirm its criminalization and also calls for the death penalty in certain circumstances.

He told me that Brenda should stop bad mouthing Uganda; that she would be welcome back to Uganda if she renounced her homosexuality and if she “repented.”   I asked him if he based this ideal upon religious beliefs and he said “yes” that he did. I asked what if Brenda did not have the same belief as he did?  I asked what if she did not believe that she could repent?  He affirmed then she would be tried as a criminal.

After speaking to Mr. Bahati, I realize that he believes that Ms. Namigadde is indeed a lesbian. This serves only to enhance the danger she is in and flies in the face of the UK assertion that she may not have proved that she is a lesbian. She is indeed in danger.

It was astounding to me that David Bahati would call to comment on this case and the very fact that he did is indicative of the danger that Brenda faces.

He seemed to be very concerned about Uganda’s image and that she should not portray “her country as bad.”  I believe that this adds to her danger.

Bahati said that Uganda is not harassing Brenda but rather it would be enforcing the law. I questioned him about the law itself and mentioned that the western world did not agree that homosexuality was not a human right as he had told me previously. I told him that the UK and the USA would expect Uganda to adhere to the terms of the Declaration of Human Rights and that if he could not see it that way that there would be every reason to grant her asylum abroad.

He did not agree.

Paul Canning Of LGBT Asylum News told  me  “This is outrageous hypocrisy by the British Government to one the one hand to criticize and be concerned about Uganda’s treatment of lesbians (homosexuals) and on the other to send people like Brenda  back to certain danger.   It is my hope that the UK Coalition government will live up to the agreement it made after the election – which included a statement that they would not send LGBT people back to danger. Obviously that promise was made after many, many were sent back. Activists should not be a in a situation where they have to keep having to campaign individually for people like Brenda.”

Here in the USA we can only wonder at how many have not come to our attention and slipped through the cracks.

Karen McVeigh of the UK Guardian called me saying she had heard about the story with Bahati calling me.  She called me what had happened. I gave her my story.  She asked if I thought Bahati would speak to her.  I told her that he would probably love to speak to her and gave her the special number to reach him directly. She called Bahati and provided her own  report as follows, which I do not think takes cognizance of the important nuances of this case, and may even be detrimental to Brenda’s well being.

Karen McVeigh’s UK Guardian report  (Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 January 2011 18.26 GMT) “A lesbian woman due to be deported from Britain to Uganda has been told by a Ugandan MP that she must “repent or reform” when she returns home.

The politician, David Bahati, intervened in the case of Brenda Namigadde, due to be deported on Friday, saying he would drop a clause making homosexuality punishable by death in a bill he introduced to the Ugandan parliament.

Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender campaigners were sceptical of his pledge to drop the death penalty, and said that Bahatia’s intervention meant Namigadde was in “desperate trouble” if deported.

Gay sex is a criminal offense in Uganda punishable by a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

Bahati told the Guardian: “Brenda is welcome in Uganda if she will abandon or repent her behaviour. Here in Uganda, homosexuality is not a human right. It is behavior that is learned and it can be unlearned. We wouldn’t want Brenda to be painting a wrong picture of Uganda, that we are harassing homosexuals.”

Asked what would happen if she did not “repent” he said: “If she is caught in illegal practices she will be punished. If she comes to promote homosexuality, if she is caught in the act, if she is caught in illegal acts, she will be punished. I would be surprised, if she was promoting homosexuality, if she were not arrested.”

His bill, currently in committee stage, would impose life imprisonment for consenting adults who have gay sex, and the death penalty for people with HIV, “serial” homosexuals and those who have sex with under-18s, if it became law.

Bahati said he was “willing to drop the death penalty” because of international concerns, but “key clauses”, including life imprisonment for gay people or gay marriage, imprisonment for the “promotion” of homosexuality and for those who fail to report an offence under the act, would remain. He was “confident” the bill would be passed following elections in the country next month, he said.

Speaking from Yarl’s Wood detention centre, Namigadde, 29, who fled Uganda in 2003 after being threatened and her house destroyed over her relationship with her Canadian partner, said: “I’ll be tortured or killed if I’m sent back to Uganda. They’ve put people like me to death there. Most of my friends in Uganda have disappeared.”

Her initial asylum claim was rejected in part on the basis that there was not sufficient evidence that she is a lesbian.

Namigadde’s lawyer, Alex Oringa, from Cardinal Solicitors, who submitted a fresh asylum claim on Monday, said he was “very worried” for her safety. “The moment she arrives at Entebbe airport she will be arrested. They will detain her and you never know what happens in detention. They think she has humiliated the Ugandan government.”

Gay rights groups, including AllOut, a US-based gay right group and LGBT Asylum news, have petitioned Theresa May, the home secretary, to grant Namigadde asylum.

The UK Border Agency, said: “Ms Namigadde’s case has been carefully considered by both the UK Border Agency and the courts and she has been found not to have a right to remain here. She has submitted further representations and these will be reviewed by the UK Border Agency prior to any removal.”

I must comment on the serious misjudgment in Karen McVeigh’s UK Guardian report  (Guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 26 January 2011 18.26 GMT)

The idea that Bahati will remove the death sentence clause is nothing new  and a statement to this effect in mainstream press does little more than to harm Brenda’s case.  The tome of the article reflects objective reporting indeed – or at least on its surface. However when we report in BLOGS, with “blogger’s”  license, not only are we reporting the facts, but also we are coming at them from an activists viewpoint.

In this instance. we worked 48 hours straight, behind the scenes to bring the story as well as to effect the activism behind the story, such as interviews, collaboration, strategical plans etc. all with her asylum and safety at the forefront.  I truly regret giving Ms. McVeigh Bahati’s phone number because she may  have caused harm than good, by not knowing or understanding the background to the Uganda “Kill the Gays Bill.”

Secretary of State Hilary Clinton had already advocated to the Ugandan President against the death Bill and had previously made the US position known on it.  From my hours of discussions with Bahati – I already knew the death portion was going to be changed and what Bahati did not tell McVeigh is that it would be included in certain circumstances.

So the Guardian Article fuzzes the issue.  The issue is that people are dying just because they are gay or lesbian already, but virtue of the existing antagonism and climate and if Brenda gets sent back, her fate will be the same as KATO’s as above reported to day.

When I interviewed the  Rolling Stone Managing Editor he informed me they would defy the Court Order and continue to publish faces of gays like the did of KATO, now murder victim.

The bottom line is if Brenda Namigadde is returned to Uganda the chances are high that ROLLING STONE Magazine will publish her face as they did of KATO and that she will be harmed.   The UK must not send her back and the UK Press should not bog itself down with believing that eradicating the Death Penalty portion of the case will make any difference at all.

Kato is dead and there is no death Penalty at this time!

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION TO SAVE BRENDA

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
Facebook Melanie
twitter @oblogdeeoblogda

http://lezgetreal.com/2011/01/uganda-lesbian-files-urgent-new-asylum-claim-in-uk-in-face-of-friday-deportation/

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• DAVID BAHATI on Maddow Part 1- Save the Children Kill the Gays (lezgetreal.com)
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Melanie Nathan – 20 January 2011-  An ad hoc coalition of  LGBT activists (GLA*) has been working to bring the case of the impending stoning execution of two young men in Piranshahr, Iran,  to the attention of the European Commission and the United States Department; and are pleased to note that both the Commission and the US Department of State are currently working on the case.

(More on the case:-  http://gaymiddleeast.com/news/news%20261.htm )

GLA is confident that the European Commission and US Department of State will appeal for mercy to the authorities in Iran, as a matter of urgency, to try to prevent the stoning death in the city of Piranshahr.

GLA has taken the position that regardless of what facts have been established at this point in the case, because the stoning sentence is imminent, and we hear that the execution may be carried out as soon as tomorrow, exacerbated by the fact that unannounced executions have occurred in the past,   we urge the International community to urgently support the halting of the stoning and execution of the two young men.

More specifically, MEP, Michael Cashman (Member of European Parliament) has tweeted that he is working on this case. Today, Melanie Nathan from the Coalition, contacted Mr. Bill Murad, Public Diplomacy Officer in the Department of Near East Affairs, US State Department, who stated that the US State Department has and will continue to speak out against the lack of transparency and failures in due process and that it is likely that the US would issue a Statement in this particular case as well as would consider a joint Statement upon the request of Mr. Cushman and possibly The Honorable Lady Ashton of the European Commission.

The coalition has sent out a communication urging Michael Cashman MEP, Lady Catherine Ashton, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy of the European Union (EU), as well as the US State department to pursue a statement and whatever action possible as a matter of urgency.

“We have sent an update to the European Commission and US State Department as well as a request to pursue joint statement for mercy and a request to intervene in the execution to whatever extent possible,” says Nathan of the coalition.

Iranian sources have noted that the date set for stoning is January the 21 of Jan was based of what was heard, but was not officially announced. “This doesn’t change the fact though the order could be carried out soon if not cancelled by announcement from city officials.”  (Source requesting to remain unnamed.)

An International expert from the region informed the Coalition that:- This death  “sentence can be prevented by national and international pressure because it did not go to the Supreme court in Iran and was only a regional court order, so there is a chance that  a plea to the Iranian government or  to the Supreme leader’s could result in an order to save the two young men. ”

The Coalition – *GLA is an ad hoc Coalition of Activists- consisting of

Gay Middle East (GME) – ( Dan Littauer, Executive Editor of www.gaymiddleeast.com , UK, Middle East and North Africa)

LGR MEDIA – (Melanie Nathan, Executive Editor of – www.LezGetReal.com (USA)

LGBT Asylum News – (www.madikazemi.blogspot.com (Paul Canning – UK)

by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Melanie Nathan 12-05-2010 - Tomorrow, Dec 06,2010 – an historic day for Equality in the USA, will set the World’s eye  on San Francisco; you should all be there.   Equality has been an intended and integral part of our nation’s character and laws with the principle that all Americans are entitled to be treated equally by their government.  Since 1888, the U.S. Supreme Court has 14 times reiterated that marriage is a basic civil right, including their landmark decision that struck down bans on interracial marriage more than 30 years ago.

Now we are a part of the new frontier, one that has been seen only as a right vs. left issue; one that has been judged based on physical sex rather than love, one that has been wedged by religious fundamentalists instead of supported by secular and factual truth.  It is the Same-Sex relationship and LGBTQI Equality issue in general and more specifically a matter if the right to equal treatment under the civil law – the new civil rights battle for this Century.

It is very important for the LGBT community and allies to make a very large showing at the Courts and pre-court events  tomorrow;  Bring your signs and some on down to meet leaders in the marriage equality movement ; including Molly McKay of Marriage Equality, USA, CA Chapter.  Molly and I spoke today and when I asked her why people should come down to support the events tomorrow rather than watching on C-SPAN she told me that the over flow area of the Court would provide adequate room for those  who wanted to hear the argument. She said “  Tomorrow the eyes of the nation and world are on San Francisco -  this is an opportunity for people who support marriage equality to make their  show of support  – for it to be a visual for everyone to see. A moment to witness civil rights history  in the making.  By being there we are showing how much  people care; it really does matter to have bodies there.”   Shortly after speaking to Molly I received a call from the BBC – they are going to be there – TV, Radio and Print and they will be looking for bi-national couples and others to interview.

I will be there too and if we have not met in person please feel free to introduce yourself so we can give you a voice on LezGetReal too.

On Monday, December 6, 2010 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Marriage Equality USA and dozens of co-sponsoring organizations will host a community gathering to hear from community leaders including the Rev. Jesse Jackson (via cell phone), Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese Stewart, NCLR’s Kate Kendell, Lambda Legal’s Jenny Pizer, Rev. Roland Stringfellow and many other supportive clergy leaders, Marriage Equality USA’s Molly McKay, Davina Kotulski, Stuart Gaffney and John Lewis, couples wanting to marry, LGBT youth and other inspirational speakers and performers for an uplifting morning to set the tone and stand together in support of Judge Walker’s Ruling.  Supporters will then watch the hearing together from 10am to noon in the overflow courtrooms.

There will be LOTS of free strong coffee provided to those willing to get up that early and join us…. LezGetReal’s Melanie Nathan will be there to Report…..

FROM AFER WEBSITE What to expect tomorrow -

The stellar legal team led by Theodore B. Olson and David Boies will defend what was proved conclusively in Federal District Court: marriage is a fundamental right; denying that right to gay and lesbian Americans harms them and their families; when couples can marry, they and their children benefit at no one’s expense.

The Federal Distict Court affirmed our argument: “Because California has no interest in discriminating against gays and lesbians…the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.”

AFER’s attorneys will argue that the District Court was correct when it found that discrimination against gay and lesbian Californians violates the U.S. Constitution’s guarantee of equality under the law. Denying gay and lesbian Americans the freedom to marry relegates them to a second-class status.

Refuting the Opposition

Olson and Boies will again confront the tired, failed arguments that the proponents of Prop. 8 presented during the trial. Anti-marriage forces will once again state that barring same-sex couples from marriage is essential to foster “responsible procreation,” and argue that fundamental constitutional rights can be won and lost at the ballot box, while ignoring the mandate of our judiciary to defend us all. They will continue to claim, as their lead counsel Charles Cooper stated during closing arguments, that the courts don’t need any evidence to determine that discrimination can be written into our laws.

Addressing Standing

The court has also asked both sides to discuss whether the proponents of Prop. 8 have standing to appeal the district court’s decision, a question they must answer in all cases they consider. While there are numerous ways the court can rule, AFER is hopeful that the court will consider and address the merits of the case.

The 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects every American. “We are prepared to take our case to the U.S. Supreme Court, because all gay and lesbian Americans deserve the freedom to marry. “Say Boise and Olsen and the AFER Team

This is an incredible moment in history that you won’t want to miss. (Afer Team.)

A Part of the build up to tomorrow -  Molly McKay and other Activists went caroling in Union Square, San Francisco and were a major hit. All it takes is a few friends and a street venue – get organized and spread the word. Listen to the  lyrics you too can deliver to your community.

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By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Proposition 8:

• Violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
• Violates the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment by impinging on fundamental liberties.
• Singles out gay and lesbian individuals for a disfavored legal status, thereby creating a category of “second-class citizens.”
• Discriminates on the basis of gender.
• Discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation.

Separate is never equal, and under Prop. 8, California distinguishes its residents into four separate and unequal groups:

• Opposite-sex couples who have full marriage rights.
• Same-sex couples who have no marriage rights.
• Same-sex couples who were married between June and November 2008 whose marriages are recognized by the State. However, they have no right to remarry if divorced or widowed.
• Same-sex couples married in another state who may petition for state recognition of their marriage.

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Related articles

• Marriage Equality Activists Gear Up for Prop 8 with Exciting Series of Events (lezgetreal.com)
• Rev Jesse Jackson to speak out against Prop 8 (bilerico.com)
• Marriage Equality Walks the Golden Gate Bridge (lezgetreal.com)

Tyjanae Moore is the transgendered woman who was cited and thrown behind bars by a Houston police officer because  she was caught using the ladies restroom. “I felt so belittled going to a jail over something so simple and stupid,” says Moore. Reports Fox News, Houston.

A 26-year-old native of Minnesota, Moore moved to Houston to be closer to family, but after a year in Texas, she is ready to move back.

Moore was arrested Nov. 17 at the Houston Public Library in downtown. The offense,  Police say despite being a transgendered female, she is still officially a man — a man who was caught using the ladies’ restroom. “When I came out, the female told me I wasn’t supposed to be and I asked if there was any particular reason why not. She said I’m a transgendered female and I was really shocked that they even stopped me for this,” says Moore.

Destructive lifestyle and harms families and reverses the social order. Said the bigoted other side of the issue – see video.

Imagine if this woman entered the Men’s bathroom? She would get her ass kicked and more in Texas. For goodness sake America let up already. Do you want to see the community peeing in the street?

But there are some people who believe until Moore undergoes a full sexual transition, she should remain in the men’s restroom. That is why the Houston Area Pastor Council is asking the Texas Attorney General’s Office to take up this case. Members of the group say Mayor Parker’s executive order allowing transgendered people to use the restroom of choice contradicts state law. I see pure hate and here we go again a predictable  lash out against Houston’s new lesbian mayor.

Texas law prohibits the opposite sex from using a restroom unless given permission.

“We’re not surprised because this is exactly what we predicted was going to happen as a result of Mayor Parker’s executive order when you change the course of history, man and woman,” says Dave Welch, spokesman for the HAPC.

Advocates for transgendered people say there is no conflict between the mayor’s order and state law. They suggest that permission required by the state has been given to individuals like Moore through the executive order. READMORE here

Sources ISIAH CAREY  HOUSTON -

This is why we must stick together and remember there is no equality until there is equality for all!

Posted by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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From, yesterday chained to the fence of the White House, to being dragged off, feet scraping ground, by two burly arresting  police officers , to  a meeting inside the White House with Brian Bond and a Member of the President’s Domestic Policy Council and a White House legal Counsel on LGBT issues.

Robin called me moments after the meeting, her voice breaking with emotion as she walked down the Pennsylvania Blvd, cell phone in hand, another moment of true grass roots activism.

She told me, “when the White House found out that the bloggers had been informed and broken the news of our meeting they were angry. But I told them that I was not willing to do any back room deals – but that I wanted to be transparent. That I wanted my LGBT community to see and hear everything that happens.  It is their equality at stake and they deserve that. She said she would rather leave than not be transparent.”

Mr. Bond told Robin McGehee, who points out that she was there as an activist, a mother, a lesbian and representing GetEQUAL, that he would then be unable to speak because he did not want what he said “used against them” but that he would listen. She told, he listened and he made notes.

McGehee told him that she would like to hear from the White House where LGBT equality legislation stood, specifically that she wanted to hear about Don’t Ask Don’t Tell.

She asked for an Executive Order by years end.  She asked why the White House was not going ahead with an executive order to stop discharges; she said the LGBT community was insisting on it at the very least; Why is DADT different from any other legislation? Why is the President not pushing and persuading Senator Snowe and Collins, the fence sitters? Why is the President not spending some political capital here for DADT?

She told Bond that not one single member of the Military should be discharged and that the President ought to be reflecting that by his actions.

Mr.  Bond told Robin that they  are working as hard as they can; saying “ we want to see that happen” – Robin pushed further and said there is a difference between wanting to make it happen and making it happen. It must happen.

McGehee said although she was there about DADT- she could not allow the opportunity to be exclusive to that as the only LGBT issue; and so she pulled out a picture of her two children and introduced them to the group.  She said that Although she realized DOMA may not be repealed at this time, she wanted the President to revert to his old pre- Presidential campaign position on marriage equality where he did support same sex marriage.  “Everyday  that our families live without dignity, the President should think of going back to his original stand  and he must support marriage equality- as person of faith he  should think of our dignity.  Remember he came out and said that his religious beliefs precluded him from endorsing same-sex marriage for gays- well,  as a person of faith the President ought to reflect on his denying our families and community the right to live with dignity.

Additionally she asked that the White House stop all future Federal Contracts that do not include protections for Transgender people; and she informed him it was her belief that if in fact this happened it would encourage more corporations who wanted to Contracts to do the same.

We also asked for the LGBT community to have a cabinet position.

Two weeks ago I had a meeting with Robin McGehee and Kathy Drasky from OUT4Immigration at a fabulous San Francisco Sushi Restaurant – thank you BLOWFISH.

It was there, while talking about the Uniting American  Families Act and my hope it would be included with the DREAM Act in the lame duck session. I also showed Robin my Binational Visa and Pledge campaign. I spoke to Robin about the binational same sex community ‘s dissatisfaction and desperation.  That we were fed up with being the unnoticed of all gay issues, yet our UAFA- having the highest amount of co-sponsorship of all LGBT equality bills, in Congress.  We also discussed my views and writings about UAFA being stuck in Immigration reform.

SO Robin did not let us down and she spoke up “I told Mr. Bond that we wanted to see passage of the Uniting American families Act. That not one more person who has an American partner should be deported, separated or living in exile.  I told him, Mel about your binational Visa as a stop gap measure, and asked the President to get it done – and he wrote it down. I stressed he must stop the deportations of gay and lesbian spouses and partners. If we do not get UAFA this lame duck session  then the President must ensure no more deportations and getting our permanent partners Visas to come into the Country.

Robin McGehee did the Lgbt movement a great deed today.  The White House may well have heard the voices  of everyday gays and lesbians.  I believe we will see action and if we do not there will be more fences, more chains, and more noise.  Robin is inviting transparency as we move towards our basic civil rights, in the form of a real movement that is birthing as we speak. The movement that demands full equality.

In the meantime – call your Senators and ask what they are doing to broker the REPEAL of DADT in this Session and while you are at it, mention UAFA being included with DREAM ACT in this lame duck session.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Ciao Bella is a band with a front woman who is deceptively amazing. When you watch them set up for their upcoming set, they are kind, and humble, enjoying the atmosphere and surroundings, then the first strum of the guitar snaps your attention; and you are presented with a fabulous show that rises within you feelings of nostalgia, and good ol’ rock and roll. Be sure to check them out when they are in a town near you!

Vanessa Geiger: I have read that you started to find your way as a musician at the age of 3. When did you realize that you knew that this is something you wanted to pursue as a career?

 Bella Estrada: Wow. You did some homework! I come from an extremely musical family. It was a really normal thing for my brothers and I to be involved in. We were very much involved in the church as the music ministry, I was in band in middle and high school, I started piano lessons at the age of 7; so I was always very much immersed in music. I don’t know that I ever just said to myself that I wanted to pursue it as a career. I knew that I didn’t want to be in school. I didn’t want to go to college, not right after graduation. I knew that I loved music, but it didn’t really occur to me that I was any good at it. Not really, not good enough to make a living. I didn’t know that singing and playing the guitar, piano, bass, drums, and singing wasn’t normal for everyone. In my family, it was.

VG: It seems as though you came from a deeply religious family, how does that reflect your approach to music, and songwriting?

BE: Again, that was all very much the norm in my family and in the town I grew up in. We went to school and catechism with all of our friends. You say “deeply religious” and all I can think is “fanatical and close minded.” Ha ha. Yes, my family is very much rooted in the Catholic religion; as am I. But very far from the bible thumping image that phrase evokes! Basically, I try to be the best person that I know how to be. Whether I am a musician by trade or just a songwriter in my free time, I believe that these are gifts that were given to me, and I try not to be wasteful with them.

VG: How did being the only girl in the family affect you growing up in a family of musicians? Do you feel it strengthened your passion to succeed?

BE: I was definitely a little tomboy. I followed my older brothers around. My father was my hero and I tried to emulate all of them in various things. My dad had his own band in the 60’s. My oldest brother Norman had his bands in the 80’s. I think that Norman wanted to teach me to play the guitar because he thought it would be cool to see a girl play. I just wanted a means to accompany myself when I sang.  Once I learned how, I just sort of took over. At first, because I could sing all the hair metal songs, so my brothers wanted me to scream along to their bands. Later, I would form my own bands. I definitely learned a lot from them. It absolutely planted a seed…that passion was definitely planted around those years. It became something real to me. Not just something that guys could do, or something that was unattainable. It started to be something real to me.

VG: You mention that you didn’t sing in choir, because you didn’t have the same ability. Was your influence derived more from rock and roll?

BE: Without a doubt, my influence was derived more from rock and roll. I didn’t listen to the radio. I sat around in our living room listening to albums and 45’s. My dad had a really big collection of records; everything from Mitch Ryder, the Righteous Brothers, and James Brown, to CCR, the Shirelles, Aretha Franklin and the Carpenters. Oh and of course, the Beatles. My brother Norman came in with the John Lennon solo stuff, Led Zepplin, Queen,  Loverboy, Van Halen, Styx, and Def Leppard, Queensryche…all of the hair bands of the 80’s and 90’s. My other brother Chris listened to blues and country, along with the heavier bands like Metallica and Megadeth.  I had friends that turned me on to folk music, Americana, pop and top 40 stuff.  I am really drawn to melody and certain singing styles, no matter the genre.

VG: Who were some of your influences growing up?

BE: My personal influences were Janis Joplin, the Beatles, Carpenters, indigo girls, Queensryche, all of the 60’s girl groups, and Debbie Gibson. Don’t laugh! What I got from her was the realm of possibility. I remember getting her SECOND album when I was 13 years old. She was only 16 when it came out, and I noticed on the credits that she wrote, produced and arranged every song on the album, not to mention she played an instrument and sang her own backup vocals. It was a powerful thing to recognize at that age. It made everything seem possible to me.

VG: Who were some of your greatest mentors when you first started professionally singing?

BE: Mentors…as in people that I worked with or worked with me? Well, definitely my father and brothers. They are all so very talented in different ways. I learned so much from watching them, playing with them, and sometimes from their horror stories! I’d have to say our bass player/sound engineer Darla Whisenant. She taught me a lot about singing live in reference to how it sounds out front. I learned a lot about my vocal delivery, how different approaches and techniques come across out front. She never told me I was doing anything badly or wrong, instead, she would make recordings from the sound board and send them home with me to listen for myself. I learned how to make pitch corrections and hear myself without a monitor, how and in what range to keep the microphone…lots of technical stuff that it really important during a live show. I would be remiss not to mention Miss Deborah Vial. She took me under her wing when I first stepped on to a real stage here in Dallas; at Sue Ellen’s to be exact. She helped me cut my teeth at the open mic night as a singer as well as a guitar player. I played with her band for open mic, which really opened up my musical catalogue, as well as pushed my abilities as a musician. I played a lot of shows with her at the Gypsy Tea and Ballroom, the Granada Theater, the Pride Parade in Lee Park, as well as the House of Blues. There are really just so many people. The more I think of, the more I cringe at how long this response is! Honestly, suffice it to say that I have learned a lot from a lot of people, and I’m better for it.

VG: How do you feel growing up in Texas reflects in you as a person, and as a musician?

BE: I don’t know, really. I don’t think that I really think about my life or my music in terms of being a Texan.

VG: What were some of your greatest struggles while honing your skill?

BE: Oh gosh. The shorter list would be the other way around. Well, I have always been my main obstacle. Where I came from, playing music was normal. For us. For my family. I didn’t realize that not everyone could do it. When I came here, some of the things that I could do…like play certain instruments or sing certain styles of music, set me apart from everyone else. That didn’t make me more confident, it did the opposite. It intimidated me and made me afraid to fail. I felt all this pressure to be as good as everyone seemed to think that I was. It was scary and overwhelming. People think you’re being humble or just fishing for praise, when neither was true. I think I was simply unaware. I had no self confidence. I had a lot of trouble defining myself as a result. I didn’t know how I wanted to look or sound, or what my voice would be in my writing. I sort of let people tell me what they wanted me to be. I tried to please everybody and in the end I was just exhausted and confused. So I would say that the biggest struggle was finding me as a musician, songwriter and a performer.

VG: Was there ever a time you wanted to throw in the towel? And if so, what even occurred to make you want to put your passion behind you.

BE: I don’t know that I have ever seriously considered quitting. There are times when it’s wearing on your mind, your body, and your spirit. I go through highs and lows, doubt and self-examination all the time. I don’t think it’s natural not to. Getting older certainly makes you put a bit more weight on the future and how you will make a living, and I just think that is the smart thing to do. Music is what I love. Singing is my passion. I will always do it; whether I’m on stage or in my living room, I will always do it.

VG: What is the most important message you try to relay in your music, and songwriting?

BE: I don’t know that it is a conscious effort to relay messages…I think, however, that I would say introspection. My songs are a lot about self-examination, looking at yourself, your life, your feelings; and what you will or won’t do about it. Sort of simple….. or narcissistic! No, but honestly, I don’t really think about things like that, consciously. I have my heart broken, I write a song. I’m pissed off about something, I write a song. I get a cool melody in my head, I write a song. I write a quippy verse, I write a song.

VG: Where is your favorite place to write?

BE: Most every song I have ever written has been at home. My mind is quietest there. I can go about normal daily things. Usually, inspiration will hit when I don’t have a guitar, paper, pen or recorder around to get it all down. So, I end up having to memorize it. That’s good for me because if I wrote it down first, I would write and re-write until I scrapped the whole thing…sort of like I’ve done on these questions!

VG: What is a common misconception of your band Ciao Bella?

BE: I think a few common misconceptions are that we aren’t very good because we are a “Chick” band. That is to say that its front man and bass players are female; or that we are a lesbian band that only plays lesbian music, for the very same reason.  Or, that we are an Italian restaurant.

VG: Who would you most like to perform for?

BE: Oh balls…that list is long. Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart, for sure. However, I’m pretty sure I would nut up in front of them! Ha ha. I recently performed at the House of Blues with Deborah Vial when Heart was on the main stage. I was actually terrified that we would run into them back stage. I just knew I would faint or do something idiotic or stalker-ish that would get me escorted from the building! I’m easily star struck. I’m so not cool.

VG: What do you think music provides for the world?

BE: A means of unity; common ground.  Just go to a concert and you’ll find people of different race, culture, religion, gender and age diggin’ on the same stuff. And for that space in time, pardon the cliché, everyone is in fact, one.

VG: You were a John Lennon songwriting winner for the song “Tell Me” how did that inspire you.

BE: It sort of reaffirmed and validated my efforts and my choices.

VG: What inspired the song “Tell Me”

BE: There isn’t one specific thing. That song is topically about heart break, a break up. But really, it’s written as a sort of conversation with me; kind of like talking yourself out of just blatant depression or anger. The verses are sort of saying, “Okay, I can go. I heard what I needed. I don’t want to stay with someone that doesn’t want me.” You know, attempting empowerment rather than accepting what feels like defeat. The chorus is a cross between anger and what feels like betrayal. That feeling of foolishly building your house on the sand…it was just me expressing both sides of those feelings in the song.

VG: What do you feel is lacking in the world of music in this day and age?

BE: This is a bit of a soap box issue for me. Personally, I am disheartened by the mass production of everything. With all the talent shows and “you tube sensations…” I’m not knocking it. To each his own.  Record companies used to sign artists and bands that they thought had potential. They spent time and money developing those artists, allowing them to develop as live performers. To hone their craft. I don’t know…I feel sorry for some of these kids that get on, and sometimes win these shows because they have no idea what they are in for. They are just sort of churned out with a label slapped on their backs and then when the next one wins, you fall off the earth. Unless your extremely fortunate to have someone taking care of you, rather than advantage of you. I don’t know. I feel like music itself gets lost in all of that. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

VG: Who do you feel are some of the artists you are currently listening to?

BE: I love Ray LaMontagne, Heart, Brandi Carlisle, Jesse Winchester, Patty Griffin…Heart has a new album out, so does Ray LaMontagne. I don’t listen to a lot of radio. I just find artists by word of mouth and listen.

VG: Tell me about your current band members, how did you meet.

BE: Well, Darla Whisenant is our bass player/soundperson. I met her when I first moved here in ’98. We met at Sue Ellen’s open mic. She was playing bass for Deborah Vial. I remember being so completely blown away that a girl was playing bass-a 5 string bass- and manhandling it! I wasn’t aware that other girls played instruments…ha ha. Remember, I’m from the sticks!

Izzy is our guitar player. I met his crazy ass through Darla, I think. I believe he cut his teeth playing with Deborah Vial  as well.

Julian Vera is on keyboard. He’s my cousin, so I’ve known him for a while! Ha ha

I’ve had the pleasure of playing with several talented musicians here through the many incarnations of Ciao Bella, however, this is the current lineup.

VG: What would your advice be to an aspiring singer, and songwriter?

BE: Oh gosh.  I would tell them to find themselves. Be confident. Ask for what you want; don’t settle for what people say they can give.  LISTEN, LEARN….and have fun.

To find out more about Bella Estrada and Ciao Bella, check them out onFacebook

Vanessa Geiger is a writer, journalist and founder of Alpha Girl Productions. You can learn more about Vanessa at http://alphagirlproductions.blogspot.com

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Melanie Nathan  – Nov 05, 2010

As Glamour’s Woman of the year celebrates 20 years – the list for 2010 is indeed profound and includes a  very young lesbian hero:

Constance McMillen  planned to take her girlfriend  as her date  and all hell broke loose  at  Itawamba Agricultural High School in Fulton, Mississippi. The bloggers and press went wild and Constance stood bravely by her intent to attend in truth- a reflection only of her sexual orientation – not her choice, but certainly something she honors.

She was told she could not come with her girlfriend as a couple, couldn’t walk in holding hands and should not adorn in the tuxedo she had  planned to wear.  McMillen, 18, called the American Civil Liberties Union and her amazing journey to hero and spokesperson commenced.

Glamour Notes: “Constance stood up to foolishness and inequity and irrational unfairness, sending a signal that this battle should be fought at every level,” says former U.S. Solicitor General Theodore Olson.

Constance told me in a an interview this year that she  plans to keep speaking out, hoping to spread tolerance—and to help teens and young epole to be true to who they are, without feeling shame.

Pic: Lezgetreal’s Mel Nathan with Constance McMillen.

The List includes:

Fergie: The Superstar

Katie Spotz: The Adventurer

Julia Roberts: The Class Act

Queen Rania: The 21st-Century Queen

Dr. Hawa Abdi & Her Daughters: The Saints of Somalia

Constance McMillen: The Accidental Activist

Donatella Versace: The Design Diva

Female Heads of State: The Chosen Ones:
Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany; President Laura Chinchilla, Costa Rica; Prime Minister Iveta Radičová, Slovakia; Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad and Tobago. President Dalia Grybauskaitė, Lithuania; Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bangladesh; Prime Minister Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, Iceland; Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor, Croatia. President Roza Otunbayeva, Kyrgyzstan; President Tarja Halonen, Finland; President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberia, President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, Argentina; Prime Minister Mari Johanna Kiviniemi, Finland; President Borjana Krišto, Bosnia and Herzegovina; President Doris Leuthard, Switzerland; President Pratibha Patil, India; Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Australia; President Mary McAleese, Ireland.

Lindsey Vonn, Mia Hamm & Lisa Leslie: The Game Changers

Cher: The Legend

2010 Readers’ Choice Award Winner: Kendall Ciesemier

This summer, entrepreneur Jacquelyn Kennedy opened Dewberries, a combination boutique and lounge for all women. Ms. Kennedy and her partner, Latina comedian Sandra Valls, wanted to create a unique environment that would be welcoming to all women, regardless of race and sexual orientation. Although their boutique is located in California, don’t worry! You can buy Dewberries clothing online at http://luvthatdewberries.com/

I sat down with Jacquelyn to talk about Dewberries, Halloween tips for lesbians and much more!

 LGR: What was the inspiration behind Dewberries?

JK:  All women, gay or straight, want to look good. We want to feel good about our appearance. We all want to be styled! Some just don’t know how or where to begin to find their style. I wanted to open a store where people can come in, get one on one customer service and we can, together, come up with a cool, personal style for them.  I really care what people look like and how they feel.  I offer unique, cool, funky, clothing and accessories for any occasion. When you know you look good, you feel good! Shopping should be like a celebration. I’ve always been inspired visiting places that are like a celebration. In addition to the retail store, I felt that I wanted to build a place where people from the community can come together and be creative – whether it be over a cup of coffee sitting in our lounge or surfing the internet for ideas (we offer free wifi). I have a stage in the back complete with a sound system. People can come and share their play readings, spoken word, comedy, music…anything they want. Anything to empower and help develop a person’s creativity – that’s what I’m all about.  I wanted a place where I can offer workshops and classes. I have empowerment workshops, Fairy card readings, tea parties, even make up classes for the BOI! I want everyone to look good and feel good! 

LGR: You have described Dewberries as a “shopping haven for women.” How did you go about bringing this vision into reality?

 JK:  I have excellent one on one customer service.  You can bring your kids and they can hang out while you shop. There’s always something going on in here. You may catch a poetry reading while you shop. You can sit down and have tea/coffee and relax and shop at your own pace. It’s not a rush rush kind of place. I do free gift wrapping. Presentation is everything to me. I offer complimentary tea and coffee and donuts and cookies daily; on Saturdays, there’s free wine while you shop! Shopping should be fun; a celebration of sorts! 

 LGR: If I walked into Dewberries now, what is the one item I MUST buy before I walk out?

JK:  You must have a Dewberries t-shirt.

LGR: What is it about Dewberries that you think will appeal to the LBQ community over others?

JK:  The wonderful thing about my store is that I appeal to all communities. I’ve got something for everyone. Everyone is welcome and everyone feels appreciated and heard in my store.

LGR:  A percentage of every sale made at Dewberries goes towards the charity, Women for Women. Most businesses don’t contribute that much to charity. Why did you decide to make philanthropy such a big part of your business? 

JK:  I believe in empowerment of all women. In countries around the world, a woman is stripped of skills and tools for empowerment simply because she is a woman. By donating to Women for Women International you are helping thousands of women “get an educations program that includes women’s rights training, education, trauma counseling, and job skills to earn an income. All of these are tools to feed her family, send her daughters to school and create lasting change in her community. “

LGR: Give us a rundown on your most important fashion dos and don’ts!

JK:  Don’t wear granny panties. Don’t’ wear your lowrise jeans with your g-string hanging out. Don’t wear shirts that are too tight around your belly. Don’t wear short dresses/mini skirts without panties. Don’t wear open toe shoes without your toenails done. Don’t wear jeans above your belly button. If your wearing a dress that calls for perky boobs, put a push up bra on. Do keep your nails clean. Fems do mix colors.  Boi’s Don’t go out in wrinkled shirts if that’s not supposed to be wrinkled. . Don’t wear sneakers without socks with shorts. Do put a baseball cap on if you’re having a bad hair day. Do wear a little bit of foundation (butch).

LGR: What do you think about the growing ‘camel toe’ epidemic and what is Dewberries doing to combat it? 

JK: “Our patterns are made to fit your ass not your girl part”

LGR:  What Halloween outfit have worn that you would never let anyone see a picture of?

JK: Can’t say that there is one, all of my outfits have been picture perfect.

LGR: Have you and your girlfriend ever worn a couples Halloween costume?

JK: No but maybe in the future we will….let’s see. Tom and Jerry, because she’s always chasing me. Bonnie and Clyde, Romeo and Juliet.

LGR: What are some good costume ideas for lesbian couples?

JK: ….let’s see. Tom and Jerry Bonnie and Clyde, Romeo and Juliet.

LGR: Any tips for femmes and bois?

JK: Fems think vixen. Sexy, corset, booty shorts ,fishnets, bright colored stilettos, whips and chains) Boi’s think mysterious. shaft, black knight, construction worker with a fully loaded tool belt, fireman, doctor, police officer with a joy stick of course!

LGR: What are some costumes a single girl should consider?

JK:  keep it sweet, girl next door outfits, french maid, fairy princess, butterfly, bumble bee, china doll or baby doll, keep it colorful.

LGR: How can women look sexy without looking trashy on Halloween?

JK: Stay away from the hooker outfits. No holes in your fishnets, cover your ass up,  keep it tight and together. if your wearing a short skirt think pink, and I don’t mean showing your pink. keep it pretty! Let the girls show to a certain degree… meaning let’s make sure there not falling out. Wear the right bra.

Need a Dewberries tank? Check out http://luvthatdewberries.com/

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10/19/2010- by Natasia Langfelder

Just in case you were wondering, there was no gay sex in the collapsed Chilean mine. The very first interview with freed miner, Mario Sepulveda covers this. The groundbreaking interview (which is full of pretty cool things, but the gay sex part is too distracting for me to process them right now) sees the interviewer telling Sepulveda about the rumors in “Camp Hope,” the camp of family members and loved ones of the trapped minters, that sprung up around the mine became a breeding ground for rumors that the miners were having sex with each other. Which is kind of crazy, I mean, Chileans can go two months without sex right? Also, they were trapped in a mine, not the most romantic of circumstances. The interview makes the stereotypical “Brokeback Mountain” reference and Sepulveda says there was no sex…BUT something weird did go on. Which makes me think maybe there were handy j’s or something involved.

I tell Mario about the rumours that had circulated around the campfires in Camp Hope – the village that sprang up at the minehead filled with family members and Press – that the miners had some ‘Brokeback Mountain’ type moments and that is why they signed the Pact of Silence. He says: ‘No, nothing like that ever went on. We were too busy trying to survive to think of sex.

‘We didn’t really even talk about sex. We spoke of our wives and we made some jokes but we never talked about sex seriously because that would have been too painful.’ 

Speaking about the Pact of Silence the men signed on the day the rescue drill broke through, he says: ‘By that time things had become very bad. When you are in a stressful situation like that, you do and say things in extremes. We made the Pact of Silence to protect some of the younger, less educated ones. It was a pact of brotherhood. Originally we were not going to talk at all about the 17 days.’ 

But, I ask, surely he is breaking that pact now? ‘No, I don’t believe I am betraying anyone,’ he answers. ‘The reason I am speaking is that people have been gossiping and saying things and I think it is important for one of us, me in this case, to tell it as it was down there, but also to answer some of the things that people are getting wrong. Saying we had sex down there with each other is just plain wrong.

‘There are some things I will never talk about. But they are things that would embarrass some of the kids. Nothing sexual, more that they acted like kids. It is important, even now, for the older ones to protect the younger, more vulnerable ones.’ 

So…what do YOU think happened in that mine?

Read the rest of the interview here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1321230/Chilean-miners-World-exclusive-interview-Mario-Sepulveda.html#ixzz12pblFjvU

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Tania Katan Photograph by Angela Ellsworth

Tania Katan is an author, playwright and performer. A breast cancer survivor,her humor is sharp, poingnant and incredibly naughty. Katan’s memoir My One-Night Stand With Cancer was the winner of the 2006 Judy Grahn Award, a 2006 ALA’s Stonewall Book Award honoree, and a 2006 Lambda Literary Award finalist. Even Melissa Etheridge is a Tania Katan Fan, she said, “This book rocks! It’s passionate, playful, and downright beautiful.”

Tania has been performing a stage version of the book in prestigious venues both Nationally and Internationally. Katan can also be seen on the Comedy Central Stage with Sit-n-Spin. She is a guest speaker at universities across the country, so if you want her at your school, let her know! In her interview with LGR, she talks about starting a show called Hoedown with Tania Katan, licking Apple Pucker off a stranger’s breasts, the most important part of a sandwich and saving her privates. What to know what any of that means? Well, you have to read the interview to find out!

LGR: You are currently performing a one-woman show, Saving Tania’s Privates. How did that show come about?

TK: It all started when my mother took me to see the Woody Allen film, Every Thing You Always Wanted to Know About Sex But Were Afraid to Ask when I was 4 years old. There was something about watching a 300-foot tall breast chasing people down the street that informed the way in which I see the world. By exploring the absurdity of the body, whether queer or ill or healthy or in motion, I was able to write my first book My One Night Stand With Cancer. Adapting the book into a one-woman show felt imperative; I couldn’t just write about the body without inhabiting it. That’s why it’s urgent for me to read aloud, perform live, and to connect with an audience so I can say, I’m here, I’m alive, this is my story, what’s yours?

LGR: Your show is something that resonates with people on a personal level. What kind of communication do you have from your fans?

 TK: Women showing me their breasts after shows, throwing bras onstage, wanting me to sign their chests in red frosting, you know, the usual rock star/groupie exchanges.

 LGR: In the show, you mention that male security guards sometimes pat you down at the airport rather than females performing the task. Have you received any feedbackfrom your fans indicating that others have that same experience?

TK: Actually, most of my fans are male airport security guards and as you probably know they are constantly practicing proper patting procedures on each other. They’re not gay; they’re just doing their jobs.

LGR: Tania, you were so young when you were diagnosed with breast cancer. How did your age affect your reaction to the diagnosis and how has that overall experience affected the way you live your life now? 

TK: At 21 years old, after somehow managing to survive breast cancer, I was happy to return to some semblance of a normal life. But then at 30 years old, when I was diagnosed with a second breast cancer, I realized that nothing is certain, which adds to the urgency for me to live my life as authentically as I can.

LGR:  How do you find the humor in something as serious and scary as cancer? 

TK:  Alan Alda’s character in the film Crimes and Misdemeanors “Comedy is tragedy plus time.” The fact that humor springs from a place of fear, discomfort and otherness and yet somehow allows us to feel less fear, discomfort and otherness feels like magic. Humor is magic.

LGR: In 2005 you published a book, “My One Night Stand with Cancer” and Melissa Etheridge endorsed it! Which was more exciting, publishing the book or knowing that Melissa liked it?

TK: Let’s just say, hypothetically, that in 1989 when I was still a heterosexual, or at least my hair was (long spiral perm), I was in the front row of Melissa’s Brave and Crazy tour in Mesa, Arizona. And after the show, feeling a little brave and crazy myself, I decided to wait for Melissa to come out and sign my concert ticket. I waited in line with hordes of lesbians, certain that all of them wanted to sleep with me, which totally grossed me out at the time and now, well, I WISH. Melissa finally made her way over to the line to autograph whatever we had to autograph. Soon I found myself facing Melissa and she said to me, “Touring is so exhausting. It’s like having a series of one-night stands.” And I said to her, “Yeah, like, how can you even dance without sleeping?” And she said, “I wish I could slow down, save private moments, you know?” So, really, she was destined to endorse my book. And, I don’t mean to brag, but I used to wash windows in Los Angeles. Sometimes even at night, by the light of the moon.

LGR:  In your act, you’ve mentioned that your partner wanted to go on a Mormon retreat. Did you ever get to put the queer in pioneer or churn butter with irony?

TK: Are you referring to this? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rebecca-walker/putting-the-queer-in-pion_b_565888.html

I’m actually pitching a show to the Food Network; it’s called Hoedown with Tania Katan, like Throwdown with Bobby Flay, but with less cooking and more wrestling! There will be a lot of butter, butter type substances, like ghee, spread on several industrial strength garbage bags, and women wearing pioneer bonnets (and not much else) will square dance with each other, on the ghee, while answering difficult culinary questions.  It’s a really strong concept; I just hope the execs can see it.

LGR: Has anything ever gone horribly wrong during a performance? How did you fix it?

TK: The worst thing is going blank. When the words and thoughts and reasons why you are standing on stage depart and there are no other actors to help feed you a line, you are alone and starving for language. In those moments, the only way to find my way back is to relax, which feels antithetical to the extreme sense of panic that is trying to take over my body and brain. The antidote is always to find a sense of calm and then reenter the world of the play.

LGR: You’ve gone to a ton of pride parades, what’s the craziest thing you have ever seen at one?

TK: The hand of a young, half-naked woman, reaching for the back of my head as she guided my face towards a light green syrup known as Apple Pucker, which was drizzled on her bare breasts. It tasted like Jolly Rancher candy and loss of innocence.

LGR: You talk about your partner a little in your act, does she approve of your sharing stories about your personal life with her? Are there certain topics she wants to keep off limits?

TK: My “partner” is not my lover we are associates in a law firm.

LGR: What advice would you give to aspiring writers? Can they find any of thisadvice in the workshops you offer on your website, www.twolittlewishbones.com?  

TK: Whenever I tell people that I’m a writer, without fail, 9 out of 10 people say, “I’ve got an idea for a really great book/play/screenplay in my head and when I get a chance I’m going to write it.” What makes someone believe that they will be proficient in something they’ve never practiced? Just because you’ve read a book, seen a play, gone to a movie, doesn’t mean you can write, rewrite, craft, plot, avoid, excel, eat excessively, hide, cut, cut, cut, doubt, celebrate, doubt, trust, submit. I would never say, after someone told me that they were a Sommelier, “Oh, really, because I have a revolutionary idea for a totally new wine, it’s in my head, but I’m thinking it will be something like 20% Shiraz, 20% Zinfandel, and 60% Raisins.” Aspiring Writers, listen up! You need to get your ass into the writing gym every day and flex your literary muscles! Come to Italy with us and we’ll practice writing, drawing and drinking good wine!

LGR: How did www.twolittlewishbones.com get started?

TK: My partner, in at the firm, Angela Ellsworth, lived in Tuscany for six years. Italy was the place where she learned how to make, and teach, art. When we went to Italy for the first time together, several years ago, we were amazed at how committed the Italians are to preservation and sustainability. Whether it’s using Etruscan methods of farming or tempera painting; there is an understanding of how everything we need to be creative comes from nature. In our workshop, Topography of Memory, we explore the possibilities of being creative when all you have is paper, a pencil and the landscape. We call it Creative Sustainability. Basically we created the kind of workshop that we wish we had time to take!

LGR:  People know that you are a talented writer and performer, do you have a hidden talent that no one knows about?  

TK: Painting on nontraditional canvases, juggling produce, and beating British men in billiards.

LGR: Time for a hard hitting question: Which part of a sandwich do you think is the most important and why?

TK: I don’t even know what to say. Who are you? The last time I thought about a sandwich was when I wore a sandwich board to promote Saving Tania’s Privates in Edinburgh. In which case, the most important parts of the sandwich board are the straps, because if those fucker snap, you’re not selling any tickets to your show no matter how many times you’ve survived cancer!

LGR: You’ve mentioned that you have performed at Edinburgh, if you could choose any celebrity to leave stranded in a cold Scottish moor, who would it be?  

TK: Wow, that’s pretty cold, I’m not cold, I’m warm, so I would have to say that the celebrity that I would most like to spoon with in the wetlands would be either Dana Delany or Natalie Portman. Or both. Was there a sandwich question earlier in the interview? Dana, Natalie…if you’re reading this, just send me a Facebook note and my assistant will get back to you shortly.

LGR: Dogs, cats or fish?   

TK: I’ll eat anything! Oh, you mean for a pet? Well, in the past I’ve pretended to like cats when I wanted to sleep with their owners. I love all dogs except for those haughty customs beagles that always sniff out the apple I smuggled in from another county. Fish? Look, until they can do a menial domestic task, like buy me some slippers and then fetch them, they don’t count.

LGR: What closing words of wisdom would you like to leave our readers with? 

TK: Based on living in Arizona at this time in history I’d have to say…Incite a riot. Change someone’s perception. Honor the wisdom of history by giving your closing words to someone else.

“Sometimes, I feel discriminated against, but it does not make me angry. It merely astonishes me. How can any deny themselves the pleasure of my company? It’s beyond me.”                                                                                          –Zora Neale Hurston

You can learn more about Tania Katan at www.TaniaKatan.com or fan her on Facebook to stay on top of her tour dates.

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The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else week is almost over! Our last interview with the stellar cast of the popular webseries is with Jennifer Weaver. Jennifer plays Rasha’s curvy financee Liz. Liz combines feminism with a pin-up girl flair. Liz provides a sharp contrast to Rasha’s group of zany friends, she is down to earth and doesn’t buy into media stereotypes of what a woman should be. Also, Jennifer gets to make out with Robin Dalea, which is an awesome job to have. Also, series creator, Carmen Elena Mitchell might have turned Jennifer into a lezzy. You have to read the interview to find out how!

Jennifer Weaver, in addition to playing Liz, is also an Associate Producer. Jennifer is gearing up to scream in an upcoming horror film. 

LGR:  Liz kind of gets the fuzzy end of the lollipop in season 1, do you hope things will get better for her in season 2?

JENNIFER:  Ha! Yeah that is true, isn’t it. She deserves better so maybe the writer will see to it.

LGR: I hear that your “research” for the role of Liz got a little out of control. Can you tell us about that?

JENNIFER:  Uh…in short - I went from dating men to dating a woman before I knew it! Talk about how life imitates art!

LGR: Why do you think Vanna and Liz have so much tension?

JENNIFER:  Vanna just wants a Liz and Rasha sandwich! Well, I think it’s very common for tension to exist between best friends and the significant other, not that that has ever happened to me, of course. Both are vying for the same person’s attention, often in different ways, but still there’s a competition. Vanna always has crazy ideas and actually alters Rasha’s appearance - tension is bound to happen, i.e. who wants to look at an ugly vag?

LGR: Like lots of aspiring artists, you gave waitressing a try. What’s your best ‘bad waitress’ story?

JENNIFER: Oy. One chick yelled at me when I tried to clear her plate, “We’re eating!” One guy grabbed my arm when I told him he shouldn’t drink anymore (he was sh*t-faced) and protested. One old business man slapped my ass as I walked by. Those are the top 3.

For more Jennifer, check out http://www.jenniferleeweaver.com/

For everything Real Girl’s, go to www.therealgirlsguide.com

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NPR heralds the queer friendly webseries, “The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else” as the nuevo “Sex and the City.”

The Real Girl’s focuses on engaged lesbian Rasha and her trio of wacky friends, Vanna, Angie and Sydney. Rasha relies on her friends to help her with a chick lit book she must write in order to keep her career thriving. Reena Dutt plays Sydney, the most outgoing character of the Real Girls ensemble. In every scene she is in, there is no telling what Sydney will do to provoke a reaction from her friends or get a laugh from the viewers. Reena is also an Associate Producer on Real Girls and has appeared on many primetime television shows such as “Criminal Minds,” “Medium,” and “Out of Practice.”

LGR:      Sydney is the most outgoing character on the show. Are there any similarities between you and her? i.e., would flash your giney to your friends?

REENA: My giney stays hidden in the bush down-under.  He’s also an Aussie.  So with that comes a lot of beer-drinking, and with that comes a brash and blunt R-Du.  So, yes, I am very similar to Sydney…in general (insert uncomfortable clearing-of-throat here)

LGR:      As an Indian American actress in the comedy genre, do you get compared to Mindy Kaling often and what will you do to the next person who asks you this question?

REENA: Whoah! I WISH!!! That would be most amazing.  And I would make out with the *first* person who asks me that…

LGR:      Have you figure skating abilities ever come in handy while you are acting?

REENA: Only when shooting horror movies. Funny thing – almost every figure skating movie’s character breakdown is Caucasian only! I guess Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan had a huge impact on the industry.

LGR:      There is some tension between Angie and Sydney, because they are so opposite. Do you think they will end up fighting or making out in season 2? 

REENA: Both, in that order. But only after Sydney gets her kicks mocking her best friend

For more on Reena Dutt, check her out at www.ReenaDutt.com

For all the latest Real Girl’s news, become their fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Real-Girls-Guide-to-Everything-Else/268171856391?ref=ts or if you want to watch Reena as Syndey flash her giney, watch the first season of The Real Girl’s at http://therealgirlsguide.wordpress.com/

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We’ve spoken with Robin Dalea, Carmen Elena Mitchell and Heather de Michele of the popular queer themed webseries, “The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else.” Now, it’s actress Nikki Brown’s turn to be put in the hot seat! Nikki plays Rasha’s bestest best friend and head bitch in charge, Vanna. Nikki as Vanna is the leader of Rasha’s group of friends and bosses around the other ladies mercilessly. She is known for her fashion sense, beauty and general hardassedness. The plot of the first season of Real Girl’s see’s it’s main character, Lebanese lesbian, Rasha researching how to act like a straight woman in order to write a rom-com based in Afghanistan. Her best friend Vanna takes the lead in teaching Rasha how to act like a stereotypical straight woman, much to the chagrin of Rasha’s fiancee, Liz.

Nikki herself is a multi-talented actress and singer with a busy schedule of theater and film projects. She is also a producer with Sheroes in Production. She lives her life fearlessly and in this interview she opens up about Real Girl’s, Oprah and her sexy co-star!

LGR:      It’s a little known fact that you are a big Oprah fan. Why? Also, do you think her and Gayle King get down and dirty together?

NIKKI:  How did you discover this information?….Uhhm, she is my long lost Aunt! I WISH! She is just such an amazing woman and when there weren’t many role models and representations of me as a young girl…there was Auntie Oprah! Who knows? My wish may come true! So…Oh, I am sorry but we don’t tell family secrets…I plead the 5^th!

LGR:      You and Robin have a ton of chemistry on camera. Do you think there is tension between Liz and Vanna because Vanna secretly has feelings for Rasha?

NIKKI:   Oh, for sure! I mean Rasha and Vanna were college roomies, ya know.  Besides who doesn’t want Robin? I mean Rasha…

LGR:      What do you love about Vanna?

NIKKI:    That I was chosen to play her! Other than that I LOVE that all of her friends just follow her every word…LOL!

LGR:      You have played Shelby from Steel Magnolias in the past, who do you think would win in a mud-wrestling match, Vanna or Shelby?

NIKKI:    LMAO!!! This the best question EVER!! Hmmm, I think Shelby would totally kick Vanna’s Bootay. She has a lot more at stake, besides Vanna would be to busy wondering if the mud was from Glen Ivy.

Want more Nikki? Check her out at http://nikkibrown.wordpress.com/

For all the latest Real Girl’s news, become their fan on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Real-Girls-Guide-to-Everything-Else/268171856391?ref=ts

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My Friend in the UK Spoke to Nikolai Alekeev Today

Sept 20, 2010:  Melanie Nathan

Despite having been kidnapped a Brave Nikolai Aleekev is pushing forward with his activism, refusing to be intimidated by the aggressive nature of his oppressors.   In Moscow Nikolai is forging ahead and needs the World to help.  I received word from underground sources that Nikolai is hoping USA brothers and sisters will make a loud noise about the situation and draw State Department attention to what is going on in his Country. These protests will be dramatic and Nikolai is placing himself in harms way.   We all rallied for Marriage equality in the USA at a moments notice.  Now Nikolai is calling for Protests outside Russian Embassy’s in the USA.

I call on my fellow bloggers to get the word out there. The mainstream media is not concerned. Remember we live in a Country that marginalizes us – it is for that very reason we must work on every level. Pointing to Russia and Nikolai is a statement to everyone about gay oppression and it will draw attention to the inequities everywhere including home.

It seems to me that we are seen in this picture as isolationists and as a suffering minority we have a duty to hold a space and express support for our heroes.

My Friend from the UK sent this:-

First call for action after abduction of Russian LGBT leader
Russian LGBT leader Nikolai Alekseev has called for international protests against Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov.

In a Facebook posting he announces that an unauthorised protest tomorrow, 21 September, at 6pm in front of Moscow City Hall calling for Luzhkov to be removed and prosecuted will be going ahead. The protest will now also “demand an investigation and punish those responsible” for the kidnapping of Alekseev.

Alexseev also points out that as Luzhkov is in Austria “with his billioneer wife … It [protests] can especially be effective in Austria!!!”

Luzhkov has refused to allow any Moscow Pride public events or demonstrations by LGBT. Moscow Pride is the subject of a case before the European Court of Human Rights.

The Mayor is currently engaged in an internal Russian political battle for survival and is being investigated for money laundering. State television has run a number of stories accusing him of corruption. The Austrian newspaper Der Standard suggested on Friday that the kidnapping of Alekseev “had been staged by the security forces to support Luzhkov or to discredit the views of other analysts”. Russian President Medvedev is believed to want Luzhkov removed but he is supported by Prime Minister Putin.

Alekseev was abducted last week and told RFE “I don’t think federal structures would have resorted to such means if they had wanted something from me. I think this is largely linked to Moscow authorities and the actions we have taken against them at the European Court.” However in an interview today with Russian Newsweek he said “I do not care who was behind it all” but linked his abduction to “these obscure political games around the future of Luzhkov… it may be people who want to spoil things for Luzhkov – or vice versa.” The magazine also asked him whether it could be linked to a report due on Thursday on Russian TV station NTV which will discuss the presence of powerful but closeted gay men in Russia, both politicians and pop stars. On GayRussia.ru activist Nicola Baev says that no Russian pop stars have been prepared to support the LGBT community.

In a statement published on the GayRussia.ru website – which mysteriously went down during Alekseev’s abduction – organizers have said the ban on their demonstration goes against Article 31 of the Russian constitution, which guarantees freedom of assembly. They say authorities said the protest was banned because of “the inability to ensure the safety of the protesters because of “the narrow pavements and heavy pedestrian traffic” and “conclusions of the Committee on Cultural Heritage in Moscow the impossibility of holding public events on Tverskaya Square (which is a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky “).

They also link the protest to Alekseev’s abduction and [Google translation] “the requirement of respecting human rights, we call not only for the resignation of the mayor, but also to immediately investigate all crimes Luzhkov: from economic to crimes against fundamental human rights, and establishment of Luzhkov there, where it should be – in prison!  From now on, our slogan: Luzhkov should go to jail!”

Luzhkov has called Moscow Pride “satanic” and said “we think that destructive sects and propaganda of same-sex love are inadmissible.”

In January he said: “It is high time to crack down on the parade with all the power and justice of the law, instead of talking about human rights. (…) We need a social whip or something like that.”

Russian Newsweek today published a list of ’12 things Muscovites will lose when Luzhkov goes’. Third was a ‘persecution of gay parades’.

Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com
@oblogdeeoblogda

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Christine Chew is a photographer turned writer, director and producer. In her life as a photographer, she focused on entertainment and sports photography. Now that she is pursing her other interests, she is making lesbian films about lesbos. Her latest film is “Click,” a comedy that focuses on the relationships between a group of lesbians. Christine is more used to pimping out the actors in her films to the media, but LGR managed to get a hold of the funny lady long enough to turn her into a reluctant media whore, herself!  

LGR:   Christine, you are currently filming “Click”. Can you tell our readers what this film short is about?

CC:     “Click” is a comedy about lesbians trying to connect without too much dyke drama. And we all know how likely that scenario is! So of course, you can expect mayhem, melodrama and unnecessary complications. This is a world where lesbians are front and center after all…

LGR:   How much of your personal life, if any, is reflected in “Click”?

CC:     I completely ripped off and riffed off my private life so “Click” could have the ring of truth. But seriously, that’s not 100%  true…. just maybe 30% true. I did …ahem… *borrow* certain elements of events that happened in my life and friends who know me will see the 30% and everyone else….well, you’re just going to have to guess which are the real-life bits!  :)  But it may be possible to bribe me to reveal more… I’m partial to meals featuring lots of bacon.

LGR:   You’ve mentioned that “Click” is somewhat of a sequel to an earlier work of yours, “Falling for Caroline”. In what ways is “Click” a sequel and where can fans find “Falling for Caroline”?

CC:     Our intrepid and klutzy heroine Darcy from “Falling For Caroline” returns in an all-new love-disaster story in “Click”. All the other characters are new …. the whole feel and look of “Click” is quite different from “Falling For Caroline”. This is a deliberate choice because I wanted to make a film that goes in a new direction with a story that only peripherally references the previous film… the “Click” story is very different and has more layers because there are more women in it! They get up to all kinds of shenanigans and this story with an ensemble cast needed to be told in a different way visually. By the way, this is a rocking cast… i’m just saying… but you’ll see and agree …

Fans can buy “Falling For Caroline” on DVD in the UK as part of the very fun shorts compilation “Here Come The Girls 2: Gleeful Desire”   http://www.peccapics.com/View/id,212  You get Jane Lynch and Angela Robinson’s short “DEBS” in the same package…that’s a sweet deal, you gays! I’m just so thrilled to be part of anything that includes Angela Robinson and those girls in their Catholic schoolgirl outfits… do you know I’m a lapsed Catholic? I’ll have the rights to sell “Falling For Caroline” on DVD in Canada and the US by May next year so if you’re interested, be a fan of “Click” on Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Click/128153940532391?ref=ts

and join Click Nation on the film website to get the latest updates!

LGR:   You won an ImageOut audience award for “Falling for Caroline” – congratulations! Why do you think audiences responded to the film so positively?

CC:     Thanks! Yes, that was the first Audience Award for “Falling For Caroline”. I was so excited I abused the exclamation point shamelessly in all my emails for weeks!!!  I think audiences can all identify with the feeling that so much is out of control when you fall in love and “Falling For Caroline” is really just a simple story of wanting to find The One and how falling in love can turn you into a giant klutz. The actors ..Yanna Baizer, Shannon Currie, Denise Mader and Claire Duncan … were really great and I think they made their characters so sweet and lovable and that really connected with the audience. The film also won Audience Awards at Montreal’s Image+Nation and Queersicht in Berne, Switzerland. The Swiss award was named The Pink Glasses Award and when it arrived in the mail, it was the most fun day I ever had with a pair of glasses. The award really is a pair of pink glasses and it arrived all wrapped up in strips of film negative in a film can!!  I enclose a photo of me wearing said award. Can’t see a thing through the lenses but LOVE them so much!!

LGR:   You’ve made four films in the last 12 months; what’s your most embarrassing on set story?

CC: Okay, I can’t tell you that right now because that would reveal a huge spoiler   but I can tell you many embarrassing off-set stories. They mostly involve me falling into potholes on the street, tripping and somersaulting over my bed like a ninja and giving myself a concussion while doing laundry. 

LGR:   Is it difficult to teach actresses to act like lesbians? Do you keep a lot of plaid flannel shirts and Indigo Girls CDs on hand for training purposes?

CC: It was really easy because the cast of Click is totally awesome and they were all really eager to wear plaid.  I’m proud to say I have several plaid shirts in my wardrobe but I don’t use them for training purposes. The actors in both “Click” and “Falling For Caroline” are all straight… sorry, you gays… but they’re really amazing actors and quite hot (in or out of plaid) and very funny. Most people find them to be completely convincing lesbians. This must be due to:

• 1. their fantastic acting skills
• 2. my fantastic Lesbianism 101 tutorials. First thing I do with the actors is to check their nails and inform them that they MUST keep them short or the lesbian audience will tar and feather me for this oversight. For “Falling For Caroline”, I sent the cast YouTube clips of what I consider convincing girl-kissing … Sue and Maud in ‘Fingersmith’, Helen and Nikki in ‘Bad Girls’ , etc. etc. For “Click”, I asked Sarah Sherman to wear plaid and Kat Letwin to listen to Sleater-Kinney and Sick of Sarah. They’re both such amazing actors … you’d totally want to win a toaster oven and try to convert them after you see “Click”.  I also asked them all to watch the U-Haul Rap video by That’s What She Said and worship at the altar of Sarah Waters

LGR:   You’ve had a very accomplished career in photography; why did you make the leap to film?

CC:      I decided to stop being a control freak in my creative life. You have a lot of individual control over the final creative output as a photographer. Filmmaking requires you to trust other creative people… it’s the most collaborative medium I know. I figured it was time to grow. But more than that, I really think we don’t have enough films that reflect our lives as gay women so i just want to make films that will do that … and tell stories about my life, my friends’ lives and yours! And in the process, if you laugh a little and have fun watching these stories, that will warm the cockles of my little heart. I think it’s worth the leap!

LGR:   Why is Tina Fey your hero? What would you say to her if you met her?

CC:     Three reasons – she’s smart, funny and wears sexy librarian glasses. I will succumb every time for this trifecta of fabulousness. Words may well fail me in her presence… can you suggest something for me to totally win her over and have her become more than just my imaginary girlfriend? I’m really quite a shy person … having to promote “Falling For Caroline” on its festival run turned me into a pimp ( I pimped the actors and film shamelessly at every opportunity) and a reluctant web-whore.

LGR:   Do you think Tina Fey has the power to save Lindsay Lohan?

CC:     Tina has many super-magical powers but the only person who can save Lindsay Lohan is Lindsay Lohan. Even the ruler of Planet Earth – Oprah – couldn’t save her.

LGR:   Explain to our readers what an “equipment porn moment” is. 

CC:     When you see the light catching the sexy hot curves of a 6mm fisheye lens that few have laid eyes on, when your heart races and you get the good shivers because of that, that’s when you know you’ve had an equipment porn moment and that’s also when you should really consider getting a real girlfriend.

LGR:   I’ve always been confused by the expression, “hair of the dog.” What do you think it means?

CC:     Hmmm… maybe I should ask Tina Fey that… Tina knows more than Wikipedia. My hero!

LGR:   Is there anything I should have asked you but didn’t?

CC: Yes! How much time do you have? Call me.

If you don’t have Christine’s number you can find her at www.christinechew.com or become a fan of Click on Facebook to stay on top of her latest project! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Click/128153940532391?ref=ts

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It’s The Real Girls Guide to Everything Else appreciation week at Lez Get Real. The popular webseries has revolving around Rasha, a Lebanese lesbian journalist and her wacky friends has been featured on NPR, Jezebel, Cherrygrrl, Go Magazine and AfterEllen, to name a few. Cherry Grrl has said of the series: ““Best part is, the comedy is actually funny…its originality comes in that it is about four women and their friendship, and not four women befriended in their quest for a man. The fact that it sports such a (rare!) diverse cast is an appreciated bonus.” Lucky for me, I got to interview the women who write and direct the Real Girl’s.

Carmen Elena Mitchell is the driving force behind the Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else. She is the Executive Producer and Writer, she also plays Angie, one of Rasha’s closest friends and by far, the shyest. Carmen is a published author and playwright. Also, she loves the literary device ‘aliteration’, as one can tell from her Lebanese lesbian protagonist. Heather de Michele is the Director for Real Girls and is in development on several other webseries. She is also a producer for Current TV. Together the two women make up the creative force that keeps the show going.

LGR:         You play Angie on the show but as the writer of the series, Rasha retains more of your personal characteristics. Is it weird to watch Robin portray a character that is so similar to you?

CARMEN:  Totally! I didn’t really realize it until we were on set…and I’m thinking “Who does Rasha remind me of?” It all seemed so familiar – her mannerisms, the way she’ll go off on the some feminist rant and then realize nobody knows what she’s talking about, the way she stumbles around in heels trying to be all “girlie girl”… and then suddenly I realized…”oh right, that’s ME!”

LGR:         Was it difficult on set to go back and forth between your role as a somewhat ditzy character and your role as executive producer?  

CARMEN:  Yeah, no one would take me seriously!  They started calling me “sweetie” a lot.  It probably didn’t help that I became obsessed with our director Heather de Michele’s American Girl Doll (a terrifying mini Dansko-wearing version of her) and dragged her around with me on set for an entire day.

LGR:         Why didn’t you give Rasha any lesbian friends in season 1?

CARMEN:  Gay characters have been traditionally utilized as the “side kick” or comic relief in straight comedies, so I wanted to see what happened if I inverted that dynamic.  Also, I think that’s reality. Lots of gay women have straight friends. Anyway…her friends are not TOTALLY 100% straight as you’ll see in Season 2.

LGR:         What kind of drama can we look forward to next season?

CARMEN:  All sorts of madness. Liz and Rasha become overnight “Celesbians,” Sydney goes to prison, Angie’s musical theatre ambitions are finally realized and…Vanna, I can’t even tell you what’s going to happen with Vanna, all I can say is it’s wrong and creepy, and it involves a singing Jesus.

LGR:         Heather, the first season of Real Girls Guide took 7 days to shoot. Was the short time span a challenge for you?

HEATHER:It helped that we were well prepared and did a good deal of rehearsal ahead of time.  We spent at least 13 hours on the Rasha/Liz make out scene.

LGR:         How did you visually create ‘Afghanistan’ in the middle of LA?

HEATHER:  Ha!  We had access to some random, dusty attic full of rattraps in west LA, so we figured that was the next best thing to flying the cast and crew out to the Middle East.  We did a lot of close-ups in those episodes to conceal the bay windows and skylights.

LGR:          What is the most challenging part of working with these ladies? 

HEATHER:   There is nothing challenging about working with these gals.  They are a dream team… truly.

LGR:         Were there ever any conflicts between the way Carmen imagined the scenes when she was writing them and the way Heather imagined the scene on camera?

HEATHER: Surprisingly, no!  I think we were both very open and willing to roll with the punches.  Carmen has an non-coveting style as a writer and, as a producer, she giggles really easy so I could talk her into almost anything. 

CARMEN: And Heather is very easily manipulated into thinking that she’s in charge. All you have to do is tickle her and say… “who’s the best director in the room?!!”

LGR:         How much flexibility do you give the actors to improvise or change the lines of their dialogue? Which one of you makes that call?

HEATHER:  There were small changes here and there, but ultimately it’s the actors job to make that line work, until, after a period of time, it proves impossible.  Once you come to that place, you ask the actor what they feel fits.

CARMEN:  What she said!

LGR:         Will we see more sexy time for Rasha and Liz?

HEATHER:  I’m thinking a mud wrestling scene at the very least.

CARMEN: Oh, yeah. There’s a lot of steamy bedtime readings of feminist theory…that end up being anything but …theoretical (is that hot to anyone besides me?)

LGR:          Did you go into ‘Real Girls’ planning on having such a diverse cast? 

HEATHER:   Yep.  That was a goal of Carmen’s from the get go.  She wanted to cast actors of color in roles that were not just about their race.  A valiant and rare thing in casting these days.

CARMEN: Yes, what Heather said. Also I was going for what I saw as the opposite of the Sex and the City world, that is… the world of the wealthy, white, straight woman.

Stay tuned to LGR for more interviews with the rest of the Real Girl’s cast and don’t forget to watch my interview with Robin Dalea, who plays the lebanese lesbian!

To watch the first season of The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else, or to learn more about the show, visit their website http://therealgirlsguide.com/ or become a fan on Facebook

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The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else is a popular webseries that is breaking stereotypes about lesbians, women and minorities with each episode. In other words, it’s like a Bizzarro World Sex and the City. The star of the series is Rasha, a Lebanese lesbian journalist who is nearly dropped by her agent because her work is too smart, political, dykealicious and feminist. To save her career, Rasha goes undercover as a glitter-wearing, shoe-obsessed, Cosmo-drinking straight girl, with the help of her wacky best friends and much to the chagrin of her fiancée, Liz, hilarity ensues. Lez Get Real is happy to feature all of the present to you all of the real women who make up The Real Girl’s. Interviews with the cast, director and writer of the series will be appearing on LGR for the next two weeks as the Real Girls gear up for Season 2.

Actress Robin Dalea plays Rasha, the lead of the series. Robin has performed in hundreds of stage, TV, indie movie and new media productions. She is proud of the fact that her two older brothers have taught her how to burp on command and like everyone, she is terrified of the Nutcracker music and those scary sugar plum dreams. Robin’s subtle acting style, expressive features and hotness will keep queer women watching the Real Girl’s for seasons to come. Watch my interview with Robin below!

Can’t get enough Robin? Become her fan on Facebook HERE

To watch the first season of The Real Girl’s Guide to Everything Else visit their website

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Karla Eduvia is a filmmaker who has just completed her documentary about lesbian youth, and coming out. The film is called Lesbian Angels. I sat down with Karla to get a bit more insight on her current project, as well as her journey to get there.

VG: What sparked you to feel compelled to make this documentary, and where do you feel your motivation was derived from?

KE: I came across a few lesbian documentaries that lacked of a positive and uplifting side. I ceased the opportunity to then show a whole new side of our lesbian world.

VG: How do you feel your documentary stands out from other lesbian documentaries, and films about coming of age, and coming out? What message are you trying to relay to your viewers.

KE: I feel that my documentary is another strong source of positive information and will contribute to a whole new gay society that may need that kind of support regardless of age.

VG: Your stylistic approach to your documentary is that of a fast moving music video; which you also do. What inspires you to mainly focus on the music side of life, and how does that translate into your documentary?

KE: I try to keep it on a fast pace with music and poetry interlaced so it stays very entertaining while sending a message.

VG: When, and how did you realize that filmmaking was your main creative outlet for what you had to say?

KE: I came to realize that filmmaking was going to be another outlet of mine about 10 years ago. I was a singer in a rock band and decided to begin to make my music videos.

VG: What do you feel is lacking in the LGBT community when it comes to the portrayal of us though the media, and entertainment industry?

KE: I feel that the media still resentful to show us as equals and to use us as role models.

VG: Do you feel as if we are being accurately depicted as we progress and become more apparent in the film industry, or do you feel as if what is being released is enhancing, and feeding into stereotypes?

KE: I think we get a little bit of both.

VG: What are some of your fondest memories of making your documentary and what made you pull your hair out?

KE: The most interesting memories that I will take with me forever it was to see all these women in front of the camera saying they were a lesbian. My hair was pulled out when I heard that one of the girls in the film had died in fatal car accident.

VG: Was there any point during filming that something came up that made you look at things from a different perspective?

KE: Not really, I had a clear plan of what I wanted to capture.

VG: How do you feel about the major players in the entertainment industry that are gay, but not out?

KE: I feel that if you are a major player and not out you’re just denying yourself. You only live once and every happy minute counts.

VG: What would you say to Queen Latifah if she was in front of you right now?

KE: Wanna star in my film?

VG: What plans do you have for future projects; do you have anything in the works as of now?

KE: Yes, we begin to work on “Boys Code” another documentary on the male youth gay community.

VG: What advice do you have for aspiring filmmakers?

KE: To just go for it because every and all perspective are interesting.

VG: How do you feel about the overturning of Prop 8?

KE: I feel that justice will prevail soon enough.

VG: What female role model did you have growing up, that you still draw inspiration from?

KE: My mother and grandmother.

VG: Who’s on your “if I could for one night” list, and don’t say Angelina Jolie.

KE: Katherine Heigl

VG: What do you think is the difference between Jelly and Jam?

KE: Ha ha, is this a real question?

VG: Where are you going to party this Halloween and what are you going to dress up as?

KE: West Hollywood, as Doctor as always!

VG: Is there anything you would like to add Karla?

KE: Let’s party!

For more information on Karla and her documentary, check out http://www.karlaeduvia.com

Vanessa Geiger is a writer, journalist and founder of Alpha Girl Productions. You can learn more about Vanessa at http://alphagirlproductions.blogspot.com

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Photo of Shay Magro by Danny Rothenberg

Rockband ‘Love Darling’ broke onto the National music scene with their song, “Hazy” when it appeared as the theme song to reality show, “The Real L Word.” As a recapper of the Real L Word (and unintentional expert in all things Power of the Clam-my) the first thing I noticed about the show was the theme song. It was smoother than it’s predecessor’s, “The L Word” choppy, cheesy theme song. It was sexy and upbeat in a casual way. Which is the same way the lead singer of ‘Love Darling’ can be characterized.

Vocalist and guitarist, Shay Magro, was kind enough to take some time out of her day and speak with me about Love Darling’s latest album, Sunshine Dust. She opened up about her bandmates, Mike Wolpe and Christian Jovanny Trujillo; and living with Whitney Mixter, one of the Real L Word’s heartbreaking protagonists and being engaged to Whitney’s best friend, Alyssa Morgan.   

LGR: Love Darling sang the theme song for The Real L word! Did you write the song, “Hazy” for the show? How did they find you?

SM: Actually it was a situation where we had the song already written and recorded. But while we were filming, obviously my roommate Whitney was on the show. Whitney came to a couple of Love Darling shows and they [the producers] heard it and they really liked it. So they approached me and said, ‘hey would you write something for the theme song?’ So they initially approached me and then we played them Hazy and it just worked out that they liked that and that kind of vibe. So yeah, it was just kind of one of those things.

LGR: You live with Whitney and are engaged to Alyssa, so you were on the show for about two seconds!

SM: I know! It was really weird because there was a whirlwind of things happening. It was definitely this very new format, for everyone. Whitney had never been on anything like that. It wasn’t like the Real World where they are in your face 24/7, but they were there a lot. Whitney knew to expect that. I wasn’t sure what to expect so I kind of laid low. I was recording at the time so I was out of the house a lot. It was kind of one of those things. I didn’t have a make-up crew so I just rolled out of bed and was like hi!

LGR:  I noticed that Sarah was putting on makeup before she even got outof bed, so that’s not something that you are into?

SM: Well no, I mean. The thing is if I was more aware of it, if I was officially cast I would be more into it. But I was just living my life. You know, you wake up to get some orange juice and there’s a camera in your face and you’re like “Oh hello.” But no, they were kind of following a storyline for Whitney and all the other girls in the cast and edited it to follow the storyline. But they got a lot of footage, I was surprised by how much they cut.

LGR: Yeah, when I was watching it, I was like there is no way Whitney just goes around talking about her romantic triangle…square 24/7?

SM: Yeah exactly, I think they had to paint a picture of each cast member. I know Whit she’s defintely more multifaceted than what they showed.

LGR: they portrayed Alyssa really well. They portrayed her as the “Voice of Reason” do you think that’s true to her personality?

SM: Actually, honestly the dynamic between Alyssa and Whit is the same on camera and off. Alyssa’s not hardcore harsh and judging but she will kind of say what she’s feeling and the truth in terms of things that are questionable, when you are messing with people. She’s not judging though. It’s a good dynamic for them. Whit is worried about sharing with people who give her a hard time, but she can share with Alyssa. I’m her good friend and I love her to death. It seems unusual but it works really well.

LGR: Whitney Mixter, of The Real L Word produced a line of clothing, with a “Power of the Clam” theme. She also includes a t-shirt with your latest album on it, “Sunshine dust.” How did that come to be?

SM: She just recently launched it, but she’s going to revamp it. I’m a web designer as well, so I did the website for her. So she was like, maybe we could cross promote the band. So we came up with that merch proposal.

LGR: How did you meet Alyssa? How long have you guys been together? Who proposed to whom.

SM: We’ve been together for about 6 years, she will tell me if I got that wrong. We met in New York and I was actually the one who proposed a couple years back. It’s been a long time! A couple of setbacks. It doesn’t feel like 6 years, time really just flies. We just jumped into the car last minute and decided to move to the West Coast. New York is awesome but it wasn’t where I wanted to plant my roots and Alyssa had a lot of work in NYC but she can be really creative with the movie makeup and stuff. Alyssa comes from a Fine Arts background, so she can express herself more.

LGR: Tell me more about Love Darling, how did you meet your bandmates?

SM: Well actually it’s an interesting story. Mike, the bass player, and I were in a band together, moodroom, back in DC and we had a pretty good run on an indie label. But the band broke up and I moved to NYC and we kind of lost touch. But when I moved out to California, I found out he was only living two blocks away from me, and we reconnected. We decided to start another band, and at that time we were playing with his former drummer Shane. Then Christian came into the picture early January of this year, and made it the trio that makes up Love Darling now.

Love Darling by Danny Rothenberg

LGR: What’s your craziest, “behind the scenes” concert story?

SM: O…that. Um…I don’t remember all the details of things, which is terrible. [Ed. Note: I will draw my own conclusions as to why Shay doesn't remember details] There have been some fan situations, just like things being left in dressing rooms and that kind of stuff. But the best experience for me; was in Paris at Chesterfield Café. We
were headlining there for two weeks. They just treated us really nicely, like superstars. Really different from in the States. Every night it was packed.  It was a really cool scene, it was my favorite experience in terms of a show or a gig. It wasn’t crazy, but was a beautiful city and we got to play for an international crowd. Playing the states you play once a month, if that, to keep the fans interested. But in Paris, there was a lot of foot traffic, so there would be new people in the club every night really into the music. It was just a really great experience, I’d love to go back.

LGR: What does Love Darling mean?
SM: Well, we started with the name HotLites, when we were playing with Shane, the other drummer. It was fine in the beginning when we were still trying to find our sound, but it wasn’t necessarily a name that I personally connected with. So, then when Christian came into the mix, we decided to also give the band a new name. We were throwing around a few ideas but nothing was really thrilling us. So then I was having a conversation with Alyssa in the car about I don’t know what, how people talk to each other and the phrase “Love darling Sugarpuss” came out and I just loved it for some reason… it also seemed to make sense because all three of us resonated with the notion of being darlings of love. So, I took off the Sugarpuss and sold the guys on the name “Love Darling”. For me, personally I connect with it. We were also trying to find something that was more indicative of what we sound like. We felt the name Love Darling represented our sound and artistic style better.

LGR: There are three of you in the band, what is your writing process like and how do you ensure that everyone gets their voices heard?

SM: It’s actually been amazing. It’s totally like a relationship, collaborating with other people. Mike and I already had a chemistry from working together before and we are usually on the same page with ideas. I usually write all the lyrics and melodies and I’ll bring the actual music too. But mike has a lot of ideas and Christian has a lot of ideas that come out during practice. Usually Mike and I put it together and polish it up and when we are recording, that’s usually when things change. We work really well together and all of us are all easy going. I’m totally fine with it when someone wants to change something, I’m not like “oooh no you can’t do that” the three of us are really in tune with each other. It works, it flows. It’s really nice. Lately we have had a ton of song ideas. The moment you stop writing that’s the moment you are like, ‘ugh.’ But it’s just so easy and comfortable, music is my heart, so it’s great to work and collaborate with other people who inspire you and push you to another level.   

LGR: What are some of the themes that fans will experience in “Sunshine Dust”

SM: Themes in terms of the music or the lyrics? Honestly, none of it was conscious or planned in terms of ‘does it flow with a story.’ But we took songs that we all liked and felt belonged in the same universe and came up with the Sunshine Dust lineup, some of which we recorded with well-known producer, Gordon Raphael. They all just seemed to work together and told an interesting story. A lot of the songs I wrote had something to do with relationship stuff, I guess. Sometimes I write what about what I’m feeling at that point in my life but sometimes I wrote as an onlooker. There are also some themes on making choices, stepping up, turning over a new leaf, or just being comfortable with you you are…

The story behind the name, Sunshine Dust; the design for the album cover has a blueprint theme. The diagram on the front, drawn by our friend Jef, was inspired by a recent oceanic discovery. They believe it is an ancient astronomer’s calculator. We loved the idea of this mystical yet scientific finding, and how people really couldn’t figure out what it was or meant for, and the schematic of it just seemed magical. And that just happened to tie into our theme we already had going on with organic
technology and design. We liked the idea of walking the line of whats considered “real” or “alive” and the kind of things that make things “alive”. Sunshine Dust is the ingredient that seems to make things happen. It’s kind of like the magic that makes things be.

LGR: I love that! That makes me want to buy the T-shirt.

SM: It’s your own personal blueprint!

LGR:  ‘Your own personal blueprint’ is that what you want listeners to take away from “Sunshine Dust”?

SM: Yeah absolutely. I love when people come up to me about the song and they say this meant this to me and this is how it touched me and when I was writing that, I didn’t even think about that. I love that they can take what they want from it and that’s what I love about music. We are basically having a conversation through the music and the connection we make with people through the song is so cool. I hope that people can say this is how the music makes sense in my life, this is how I am in this world and this is how the song works for my soundtrack. We hope that by being as true as possible to what we are feeling, we will connect to people.

LGR: Is there any one song on Sunshine Dust that has particular meaning for you?  

SM: It’s tough it’s like talking about your children and trying to pick a favorite. It’s more like picking songs that we felt represented the whole spectrum of what we are trying to do. There are some that are a little more close to my heart. Like “On the Line”, which I wrote after an argument with Alyssa. Or “Dust in my Pocket” which is really about dealing with inevitable confrontations and standing strong against the current. Sometimes I’m into some songs more depending on my mood and how I know the song makes me feel. So, back to your original question, they all have special meaning to me.

LGR: If you could feature any other musician on a Love Darling album, who would it be?

SM: Oh my god! Let me think, I would love to collaborate with a bunch of people. For sure, just because back in the day I was obsessed, I would love to work with Prince! I love Jack White, Pharrell, there’s just a bunch of people. Thom Yorke.

LGR: Those are really different people!

SM: I know! I’m trying to think like collaboration, but then there are so many people I am in awe of!

LGR: Has being featured on “The Real L Word” given Love Darling a popularity boost? 

SM: O yeah definitely, it’s been amazing. There is a lot of talent and vision out there and how do you rise above the rest and get people to talk about you and hear you. So it gave us more visibility and we are doing the rest. It gave us a nice little boost and we are hopefully continuing to ride the wave as long as we can. We have really intense but really cool fans.

LGR: When did you know you wanted to make music your career?

SM: Honestly, I was in second grade. I wanted to be either a musician or a soccer player. I played soccer in college, but I didn’t go pro, so music it had to be. My parents got me a guitar when I was 7 and I couldn’t put it down. They got me classical guitar lessons also, so I had a really good foundation. But I really wanted to learn rock chords…so once I got a taste of that, I was writing songs, got a band together, and performed infront of classmates in elementary school. I was hooked.

LGR: Pick one: Jackie Warner or Jillian Michaels

SM: O gosh…umm…Jackie Warner

LGR: If you were a drink, what kind of drink would you be?

SM: Something chocolate! A chocolate milkshake…is that boring? Maybe a Mocha.

LGR: What book is a “must read” for any Love Darling fan?

SM: The Alchemist

LGR: Where & when are you touring next?

SM: Right now we are really just promoting the album and gearing up for regional shows. We are doing a lot of local, west coast stuff. We will know more by the end of the month. But there are a ton of fans in DC and New York, so we need to head to the East coast at some point.

Stay on top of everything Love Darling at www.LoveDarlingmusic.com

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Danielle Staub is the most infamous of the Bravo network’s popular Housewives franchise. She was gracious enough to answer my questions about her beautiful daughters, her relationship with ”Dyke Diva” Lori Michaels, her music career, her real feelings about Ellen DeGeneres, and of course, her controversial comments and behavior on the show. This interview reveals a deeper side of Danielle Staub than you get to see on the show, she is articulate, funny and family oriented. Love her or hate her, you need to read this interview.

LGR: While you are best known as one of the stars of Bravo’s reality television series The Real Housewives of New Jersey (RHONJ), you’re also gaining fame as a singer, author, and Gay rights advocate. In regard to your support of the LGBT community, you were recently quoted as saying, “I haven’t even begun my work in the LGR community yet. I want to go to senate, I want to pass a bill and get gay marriage legalized. I go to events, I march in rallies. I’ve been a part of the LGR community for 30 years….” Please share with our readers some of your upcoming plans in regard to furthering the cause of gay rights.

DS: Thank you for finding a positive quote of mine- one of the few quotes that I really DID say. I just would like to add that I prefer to not put a label on anything. With that said, it’s not about gay or straight rights- it is about EQUALITY for all- which should get everyone to pay attention. As for my upcoming plans, I will be using my “VOICE” to help humanity & gain equality for all. I am completely open to suggestions and I look forward to having you join me in my efforts to march, to attend events, to be out & about supporting gay rights.

LGR: What would you like to say to those who have accused you of exploiting the gay and lesbian community to further your popularity? (And, yes, expletives are permitted.)

DS: I would LIKE to say “Go fuck yourselves.” HOWEVER, I DO recognize that people like to point fingers at me- no matter what I am doing. So, as long as they are paying attention, I hope that they pay attention enough to do something for themselves and for the betterment of our communities.

LGR: Your friendship with singer and dyke diva Lori Michaels is no secret. We know Lori is very active with the “I Want the Right” campaign for marriage equality. Has your relationship with Lori heightened your interest in this important effort?

DS: Yes, of course! However, this is not something new for me. I have always believed you should be able to love and marry the one you are with. EVERYONE should have THE RIGHT.

LGR: In the first season of RHONJ, you stood up to fellow cast member Teresa’s husband when he used the word “gay” in a derogatory manner. That was so brave of you to do, especially in that environment. Do you find yourself taking a stand against those types of comments often?

DS: I don’t think it was brave at all. It was a natural reaction to do what I did. Unfortunately and sadly, yes, I find myself in that position more often than I would like to admit-even at times when it is being directed at me.

 LGR: Your new single with Lori, “Real Close,” which you debuted on Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live created quite the buzz in the lesbian community. Who knew you had such a beautiful voice?!?! Is singing a recent passion? How did the project come about?

DS: Thank you for the compliment. Singing has always been a passion of mine, however life goes pretty fast at times & when I was able to actually sit down and listen to Lori’s demo of her song “REAL CLOSE” during my daughter JILLIAN MARIE’s recording session with her, I gravitated so strongly towards that song-and I remembered-at that moment- why I LOVE music so much. My passion for music came back to life. So, in essence this song found me…

LGR: Rumor has it you have another song in the works. Please tell us about that.

DS: Ohhhhhhhhh there is so much “more” to come. Watch (listen) and see…

LGR: As mentioned before, you have a very close friendship with Lori Michaels which started when the two of you met at a 2009 Pride event. You managed to dodge Watch What Happens Live host Andy Cohen’s question regarding the nature of your relationship with Lori quite deftly, but LGR’s readers want to know – is Lori a good kisser?

DS: I can only imagine she kisses just like me.

 LGR: Lori revealed that she’s been known to engage in mud wrestling – have you ever tried it?

DS: Well, what I know of Lori- that could NOT possibly be true-at all. She, like me, can not stand being in the mud, jello, or whatever wrestling food groups you might choose from. WE are not that type. [Editors note: Lori Michaels has been known to engage in mud wrestling with Director Gabrielle Lindau]

LGR: Okay, so you can sing, and we recently learned that you can write, as well. Your book, The Naked Truth: The Real Story Behind the Real Housewife of New Jersey–In Her Own Words, came out in late June. Why did you decide to take on this effort and what was the creative process like for you?

DS: When I was approached by Simon & Schuster to write my memoir, I had no idea what was to become of this project, but as I became more immersed into the writing process, I began to heal from my life experiences and embrace who I am. It was a bittersweet process- one that I am very grateful to have had and to be able to say that I am a published author is a proud accomplishment indeed for me.

LGR: As noted, you’re likely best known for your role on RHONJ. It seems that editing makes all the difference on these reality shows; some aspects of a character’s personality are downplayed while others are amplified via the choices made in the editing room. Which of your characteristics do you believe have been lost to the editing process?

DS: I have to take a lot of hits to be “the VILLAIN” on RHONJ. The rest of the season is just as much of a surprise to me as it is to those of you who know the real me. Just like you, there are moments that I am JUST as amazed at the things that “I do” (in the editing world). I get called A LOT of names. And, I seem to appear to be over-reacting when in fact, ENTIRE parts of “conversations” –being directed towards me- where I am on the receiving end –are cleverly omitted. Thus, when I said “That’s a- fuckin-nuff”. It was in direct response to a gay slur towards my friend (who was not there) in season one-which I HOPE that one day will be shown in its entirety.

LGR: Given the drama and challenging relationship on the show, we would imagine it has taken a toll on you. Do you plan to continue on the show for Season 3 and beyond?

DS: Abso-fuckin-lutely. [Editor's Note: It is likely Danielle will not be returning to RHONJ] 

LGR: We really enjoy watching you hang out with your girls, Christine and Jillian, on the show. What mother/daughter activities to you employ to keep your family close?

DS: Music, running, boxing, family meals, loads of laughter, lots of prayers, and tons of fun & surrounding ourselves with people who genuinely love and care about us.

LGR: What’s your favorite family tradition that you have passed on to your girls?

DS: Homemade pizza and homemade sugar cookies (and pasta, pasta, pasta). I love to cook it and bake it –and we all love to eat it!

LGR: On the show we also see that you have a several dogs. How many do you have and what can you tell us about them?

DS: We have 3 dogs- Fendi (who belongs to Christine), Sasha (who belongs to Jillian Marie), and Paradise (who belongs to mommy). All I can say is that they are 3 of the cutest Chihuahuas ever!

LGR: While everyone who watches RHONJ may not love you, there is no arguing that your body is banging. How do you stay so fit?

DS: I train 3 times per week with my trainer- cardio, core and resistance training, and I LOVE boxing. With any exercise and fitness regime, you are only ½ way there- the other ½ is proper nutrition (which I don’t follow THAT religiously at all).

LGR: What advice would you give to our readers who want to look as good as you?

DS: Eat healthy, exercise in moderation (for your body type), and take into consideration that rest is important as well.

LGR: You have an awesome wardrobe to complement your stunning figure. What are some of your favorite places to shop?

DS: Actually, I do not enjoy shopping. Am I the only “real housewife” that doesn’t? Either way, I don’t go shopping-unless I absolutely HAVE to. And, I can honestly say (happily) I turn over full credit to my executive assistant/stylist, Kristen Lohman for how you see me appear on a carpet or at an event. On a day to day basis…when you run into me at Starbucks or a restaurant –ya, that is me. But, thank you for this acknowledgement.

LGR: What five “Danielle Approved” wardrobe basics should your fans have in their closets?

DS: It begins in your vanity: proper cleansing products for your skin (Dr. Hauschka Skin Care line) is what I have used for over a decade, less is always best when it comes to make-up…In my closet- my must have pieces are: VERY HIGH BLACK SHOES-for each season (those should be your most costly item-if you were to have one), One black super sexy black dress (backless for me is best-not clingy), great pair of Jeans (that fit you- not that you are trying to fit into. The softer the fabric when it comes to jeans, in dark and faded blue), Great fitting tee shirts, and have to have a very lightweight cardigan (not traditional –something sort of sexy, thin, soft, and longer than your waist –or shorter depending on your mood). A good sweater is a must have! Always remember that my rule is that if you are wearing a top and bottom piece- they BOTH can’t be tight.

LGR: Let’s go through some fun, rapid-fire questions. Ready? Here goes: Everyone watches you on television, but what do you like to watch?

DS: I put MUSIC CHOICE on my tv, so I can hear music because I really don’t watch tv.

LGR: What are some of your all-time favorite movies?

DS: FACE OFF (I love anything John Travolta and Nicolas Cage). I have more but I can’t really think of them right now.

LGR: If you could go to lunch with any celebrity, who would it be and where would you go?

DS: Ellen DeGeneres- at that world famous deli Carnegie Deli in NYC –but the sandwiches are too big for one person to consume- so we’d split it. I would still want to watch her eat it. She is my favorite funny girl!

LGR: If you could be any type of animal, what would you choose to be and why?

 DS: A lion. Top of the food chain. Queen of the jungle. LOL! (Plus, I am a Leo.)

LGR: Between filming RHONJ, writing, and singing it seems you are constantly working, but if you had the time to take your dream vacation, what would it involve?

DS: A very private, little hut on the beach where no one could find me….well, maybe just ONE other person –there…with me.

LGR: If you could be on any other Real Housewives cast, which city would you choose? DS: NYC. LGR: A lot of tables seem to get tossed over on the various RHONJ series’. If you were to topple a table, would you prefer to flip a rectangular or round?

DS: Round table- because rectangle resembles square-and I am anything but square.

LGR: Okay, wrapping up here, we just have a couple more questions. Where do you want to be in ten years? Do you think you’ll still be in New Jersey?

DS: It’s tough to tell at this time. I love living my life in the moment and being around the people I love. I am up for just about anything at this point in my life and I want to just be happy. I don’t think geography defines happiness.

LGR: You have a lot of haters and a lot of supporters. As you said in season one of RHONJ, “You either hate me or love me.” Tell us what you would say to your haters if they were all rounded up in one place and you had the stage.

DS: Actually, I say you either LOVE me or hate me. LOVE comes first. With that said, please refer to my answer to your question # 2…where I would REALLY just like to say, “Go fuck yourselves.” (But, I am TRYING not to focus my attention on the haters.)

LGR: Is there anything else you’d like to share with LGR’s readers?

DS: Yes, stay tuned…cause I’m not goin’ anywhere.

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Two of The Young Israeli Youth Impacted by Last Years Attack

Melanie Nathan – 7-27-2010 - A march will be held Saturday night in Tel Aviv  (July 31^st) to mark the one-year anniversary of a shooting attack in a Tel Aviv gay youth center that left two dead and 13 injured.

The march will start at the corner of Rothschild and Nahmani streets (near the youth center ) and end at Gan Meir, where a rally will be held with the families of the victims, Nir Katz 26, and Liz Trobishi, 16, the injured and members and counselors of the gay youth center.

Reposted from Haretz (Noah Kasharek)  - Ayala Katz, the mother of Nir Katz, who was a counselor at the center, and chairwoman of Tehila, a support group of parents of members of the gay and transgender community, will speak at the rally.

Next month a delegation of youth injured in the shooting will join Tel Aviv municipality officials and possibly Israeli police officials in Berlin to meet with representatives of Maneo, a group that provides support for gay and bisexual men who have been victims of violence, members of the Berlin police, German members of parliament and officials in the Berlin municipality.

The visit is sponsored by Maneo and is taking place in cooperation with the Tel Aviv municipality’s gay center.

Adir Steiner, Tel Aviv municipality’s coordinator of activities for the gay community, says the purpose of the trip is to learn the Berlin model for preventing and dealing with anti-gay violence.

The Berlin model has been adopted by other European cities, like Barcelona, Steiner told Haaretz. It is based on cooperation between Maneo and the authorities, particularly the police, which has two liaison officers to the gay community to deal with homophobic crimes, he said.

Steiner said if the model is adopted in Israel, Hoshen, a group working to change stereotypes about homosexuality and bisexuality and that trains professionals in matters pertaining to the LGBT community, would take the role of Maneo.

“Perhaps if we had started the project a few years ago, we would have documented manifestations of homophobia by the killer, who has not yet been caught, in cooperation with the police, and we might have identified him before the murder. Homophobia, like all hatred, begins small,” Steiner said.

The chief of the Berlin police has reportedly invited Israeli police officers to take part in the delegation, particularly the Tel Aviv district youth officer. The Israel Police said they have not yet received an official invitation.

Next Weekend I will Post my Exclusive Interview with the two Youth Above – to Honor the Victims of the Attack.   Please revisit LGR for this.  B’Shalom… Melanie Nathan

NOTE The Shooter has not been found by Israeli Authorities.

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Diabetes Mobile- iPod iTouch iPhone Applications

Nadia Al- Samarrie - Publisher of Diabetes Health

Jay Hewitt has traveled miles and miles and more miles in a nineteen year period, racing Ironman triathlons in Australia, Europe, the Carribean and all over North America, climbing and camping at the top of 14,000 foot Mt. Whitney, and of course dozens of family vacations and business trips.

Packing equipment and supplies for an Ironman triathlon and 3 weeks in Australia requires a bit of planning and preparation, but when you have diabetes you feel like you do that for just a weekend out of town.  Meters, strips, insulin, syringes, infusion sets, pump supplies, snacks . . . a simple weekend trip becomes a lunar expedition.

Who could be more qualified than Jay to provide traveling tips such as these and if you want to read more then I highly recommend DIABETES HEALTH Magazine where this article was first published and reprinted here with permission of King’s Publishing Inc.

“Here are JAY’s  top five tips for traveling with diabetes.

1. Bring Extra of Everything. Adopt the NASA triple redundancy system.  If one thing breaks or is lost, you have a back up, and another back up.  If I will be out of town two nights and will need to change my insulin pump infusion set once, I bring one set plus 3 extras.  I bring syringes for a day just in case the pump malfunctions or is damaged.
2. Keep Your Diabetes Critical Pouch Packed. My diabetes travel kit stays packed in my home with insulin pump infusion sets, syringes, alcohol swabs and other miscellaneous supplies.  I call this my diabetes “critical pouch.”  I periodically use and replace each item.  Life is too busy to remember to pack each thing every time you leave the house for a night.  I just grab that little pack and check the inventory and go.  I keep it in a quart size clear plastic freezer bag perfect for airport security and for me to see the contents, and keep it in my carry on bag.  I also bring several glucose meters as well.
3. Prescriptions at a National Pharmacy. Keep prescriptions for insulin, strips, syringes and any other supplies updated and on file with national pharmacies such as Walgreen’s, CVS, or other chain, even if you get your every day supplies from a local pharmacy or mail order.  When you live in Maryland and lose your insulin in Florida, those national chains can refill you there.
4. Pack Supplies in Separate Luggage. My diabetes critical pouch stays with me in my carry on bag on a plane and in the car.  This pouch contains my insulin so that it is not exposed to heat when my suitcase is left outside or in a car.  Packed in my suitcase with my clothes I keep extra supplies such as an extra meter and strips, pump supplies or syringes.  Now you are prepared if you get there, but your luggage does not.
5. Pack Travel Snacks. My briefcase or backpack always has at least 2 sport bars or other snack to munch on the plane or in the car when my blood sugar gets low.  I have extra sport bars packed in my suitcase, and even my glove box.  I like sport bars such as Clif Bar because they are packaged and sealed and travel easily in my bags.  I also keep a non perishable high carbohydrate drink in a plastic bottle in my car to sip when needed.

When flying across the country or internationally be sure to adjust the time on your insulin pump for your basal rate or injection of long acting insulin to correspond to that new time zone.  I make sure I have a bottle of juice or other carb drink in my hotel room.  Nothing is worse than waking in the middle of the night with low blood sugar and having to dress and roam the hotel halls for a vending machine.   When I travel alone I prefer to err a bit on the high side of normal blood sugar when sleeping because no one is in my hotel room to help if I have a severe low.

Traveling usually means eating different foods, and often at different times, so I tend to test more frequently on the road.  A little exercise on the road is always a great way to stabilize blood sugar and refresh your body and mind, especially on a business trip.  You knew I would recommend exercise, didn’t you!  I always pack my running shoes and clothes on a business trip with a packed schedule just so I can feel better, and enjoy a nice dinner.  I love to have dinner within walking distance of my hotel in major cities like Washington or New York so I can walk back and enjoy the conversation and post meal exercise.

A little planning will make for a good trip.  Have fun!  ( © Diabeteshealth.com 2010)”

Traveling with the  recently launch by Diabetes Health Apple Applications, by the California based King’s Publishing Inc. :- This could be a travel savior for those with Diabetes – Imagine being able to take  a compendium of Diabetes Related issues and TV broadcasts on your travels.  read more  at ……..   http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2010/06/29/6740/diabetes-health-is-the-first-diabetes-magazine-to-launch-iphone-and-ipod-touch-applications-dh-mobil/?isComment=1

Please let us know if you are interested in more health related articles here on LGR that specifically relate to lesbian interest ….In 1999, lesbians were identified as an underserved minority by the Institute of Medicine. Some health issues for lesbians are different from those of heterosexual women, and clinicians need to be aware of these differences in order to provide culturally-appropriate care, since at least 5% of their female patients are lesbian.

Articles of interest:
Abstract   Objective: This New Zealand study set out to measure the self-assessed health status of a snowball sample of lesbians in New Zealand, focusing on how lesbians use health services and perceived barriers to accessing health care.  In New Zealand-laws forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation have been in place since 1993, yet 5 years later this study suggests lesbians may have poorer health, and their delaying consultation requires further study. Conclusion: This study supports overseas research showing that lesbians delay seeking health care and find barriers to health care that are different from a random sample of women.  http://www.springerlink.com/content/g8501u5750t752lu/ Percentages were calculated on the general questions and a standardized set of questions and calculated scoring was used to measure the self-assessed health of respondents.

******

http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2009/07/21/6285/gay-men-and-women-with-diabetes-find-a-voice-through-the-diabetes-and-gay-dang-foundation/

Posted by Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

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St. John Fernando & Greg at SF Pride 2010

Fans ecstatic as Radio Personalities attend SF Pride;

Little did famed radio personalities, St. John, and team Greg and Fernando know that  being outlawed from the 2010 Pride festivities, by complicit Clear Channel and Pride San Francisco (2010) would in fact turn out a ‘blessing in disguise.”

St John has been  a San Francisco Pride feature  celebrity  DJ each Pride for the past fourteen years,  Greg and Fernando have been bashing on doors trying to get a spot, year after year and to no  avail.   It seemed their unwelcome fate was sealed when they quit the airwaves of Pride sponsor  Clear Channel.

Joining CBS, the two sets of scorching talent  brought their magnetic pull to CBS, their new home, willing to shake fist in the face of  what may well have been the homophobic culture generated by Clear Channel home to the likes of mega –right wing stars Limbaugh and Beck.

St John, as host and creator of San Francisco’s longest running global dance radio show HouseNation  and  on air personality  for CBS Radio’s MOViN99.7… nominated at WMC for mix show of the year, has performed at SF Pride for the past fourteen years.  From the airwaves to the dance floors of the hottest clubs and undergrounds, St. John’s energetic style has made him a staple internationally from Brazil to Canada, and nation-wide from New York’s Limelight to San Francisco’s Ruby Skye. With multiple CD releases on major labels such as Thrive and UBL Recordings, St. John has sold over a quarter-million albums and in 2010 , contributed to HIV/AIDS funding and cast Pride on a community of teens confused by coming out.

In complimentary contrast, and with standing fan base as profound, is beloved duo, team “ Greg and Fernando” who shake the morning commuters with humor and rancor, so unique in its gay-straight blend that their own ‘bridge’ belies that of the reach of the very Golden Gate most commuters cross each of those blaring CBS mornings. Be assured that despite the hefty $6.00 toll (or is it $7 yet?) these fans are adding laughter and fun to the beauty of that extraordinary Bay Area commute.

In the week leading to 2010 San Francisco Pride, Lez Get Real published an article, exposing, exclusively, the impending ban excluding the iconic hosts from performing at the SF Gay Pride Festival.

Despite the article’s virility and the hullabaloo it caused, Pride did not change its stance and nor did it answer our specific e-mail questions calling for an explanation.

After the Pride Festivities, we spoke to St. John as well as Fernando, on behalf of illustrious duo Greg and Fernando.  Clearly the sentiment was unified – annual San Francisco LGBT festival and parade crossed the implicit boundary from Pride to corporate control, delivered through exclusionary terms and conditions in sponsorship contracts, that not only excluded these superb talents but the very saints of “gay is okay!”, and hence served to tacitly disparage them in the eyes of fans and populace alike.

When Lezgetreal.com broke the story in its exclusive article, St. John’s fans were shocked.  The internet and St. John’s Facebook site, spiraled into the world of viral and the comments came pouring in, via email, bloggers, and the usual fan channels.

Feeling the pulse and camaraderie, nothing could keep the famed verbally flamboyant duo, Greg and Fernando, nor the LGR featured and talented magic-mix-machine St. John, away from Pride San Francisco and so of course they showed up; after all they are family.  They  were about to find out, however, that they were there not for themselves but for Pride after all, because the FANS did not let them forget that! They were there- for the fans, who recognized and all but swarmed both sets of talent.

Sparked by the previous article, they were incensed and happy to see the guys!

St. John told us that together with Greg and Fernando, and keen CBS interns, the band of  buddies attended San Francisco Pride, as any ordinary members of the population would have the right to do. “We made our rainbow signs and went to Pride,” quipped St. John.

“Truthfully,” says St. John, “I had the best time in memory of any of the San Francisco Pride events that I have attended, always as performer.  In all my fourteen years attending I have been on a stage performing, but this time I was amongst my fans and able to connect on a personal basis.  It was an extraordinary experience. “

St. John told me that he spoke to a young fan coming out at this Pride for the first time. The youngster was so grateful for the help when St. spent time talking to the young person.  “If that was all I accomplished with just that one person, this year at Pride” said St. John, “it was humbling and made the ban worthwhile.”

But that was clearly not all that they accomplished.  “I really felt like I was there for the people this time.  It was a very personal Pride experience for me.  Fan after fan came up to me and ironically while I was having a great time, they were reminding me and commiserating about the ban on my performing at Pride; many were sad and angry with San Francisco Pride Organizers and Clear Channel.”  According to St. John.

When I spoke to Fernando, he echoed the same sentiment, both he and Greg had a fantastic time; invited to the mike as they passed almost every performer and stage.  It seems it will be hard to keep them off future gigs  especially as their fame is growing exponentially.

St John said that the Lezgetreal Article had generated huge publicity for him and CBS and that awareness and recognition had increased “a hundred times. The number of people who came up to me at Pride was incredible and I had no idea how much buzz the article had generated.”  But it is much more than that – all tree hosts are much beloved and have given so much to the gay community that their presence would undoubtedly have NOT gone unn

St. John Spinning Despite BAN

oticed, regardless of the controversy.

Then came the unexpected, a coup of sorts, as they passed the Clear Channel Group, who had been pivotal in the Ban, the buddies sensed a  tasteless discomfort as their fellow DJ’s who, while perfectly entitled to replace the ex- clear channel and now CBS icons, must surely have been uneasy about the out and out ban.

Passing the Toyota Stage, fans rallied around and the next thing St. knew he was behind the controls and spinning the reputable mix to the delight of fans and all around.  Unplanned, and impromptu he found himself, not only caught in a united throng of festivities but showcasing his formidable talent nonetheless. No he had the best of both worlds.

While, St. John, has been the mix spin of Pride gig for fourteen years, the refusal to comment by Pride organizers, has prompted an omission begging for its own spin, any spin;   “Hey SF Pride- pray tell – who is pushing the buttons – what is going on here?” This is the resounding common denominator- a roar from comments generated by my earlier Article. “Has Pride been bought to the extent that the People of San Francisco are compelled to celebrate without their heroes? Is Pride the San Francisco Pride or is it now the Corporate Who has More Money Pride.

I do not know about you fellow queers, but as for me I have marched and paraded and celebrated in the name of San Francisco pride for many years and when I see those who model excellence for our community I feel good about myself and proud that my maker made me the perfect lesbian.

With this all said, I will be featuring an article in the next few days that will bring more of the Fernando Interview (Greg and Fernando) interview. Please visit our FB Page and make sure you subscribe.

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Article  by Melanie Nathan and Lezgetreal © -  Can be re-blogged with the following accredation:
Article  at www.lezgetreal.com, by Melanie Nathan. (Include direct Link)

©Photos. Copyright  N. Collins /Melanie Nathan.

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San Francisco: Breaking – For the past 15 years openly gay, renowned DJ, radio host, and creator of San Francisco’s longest running global dance radio show “House Nation, who goes by the name St John, has been a feature, honing his iconic talent and superstar ACT at the annual San Francisco LGBT Pride.

But this year something smells a little off.  Sources inform us, that the event which would usually pride itself on tradition has succumbed to the demands of one of its  corporate sponsors, CLEAR CHANNEL.   Clear Chanel (yes the very clear channel, air-wave home to Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck,) and a major SF Pride 2010 sponsor has demanded the banning of ST. John and two other well known GAY Morning DJ’s; all three axed, shunned and rejected despite their years of entrenched relationship with the event.

St. John, described as  Superstar in the growing world of  mix was extremely popular at Clear Channel’s Wild 94.9 for 14 years, and then moved to CBS’s. Movin’ 99.7, KMVQ-FM.

St. John’s energetic style has made him a staple internationally from Brazil to Canada, and nation-wide from New York’s Limelight to San Francisco’s Ruby Skye. With multiple CD releases on major labels such as Thrive and UBL Recordings, St. John has sold over a quarter-million albums and in 2010 continues to work on exciting new projects.

The exclusion may be attributed to corporate wrangling and competitive venom between CBS and Clear Channel. Yet on wonders just how San Francisco pride fits into this mix of loyalty gone awry?

Since it was not only St John who made the move, but also other DJ’s and Michael Martin, once Program Director for Clear Channel and now Vice President of Programming for CBS RADIO San Francisco. The retribution could also be attributed to Martin who did not hide his excitement when St John left  Clear Channel to join CBS: “I am beyond excited to have him join MOViN!  His skill, passion, precision and drive to win are an inspiration to all who work with him and the detriment to those who try to compete against him,” said Martin.

Should we as a marginalized and discriminated against community stand behind our heroes? Or should we accept demanding sponsors who are giving SF Pride the profits off the  millions made and paid to the likes of homophobic and anti American  Limbaugh and Beck.

For St. John the feelings were mutual when he joined CBS; – “I’m thrilled to be reunited with programming legend Michael Martin. Together we’ve dominated ratings in both the Bay Area and Los Angeles and when St John moved asserted: “I can’t wait to work with him to do it again at my new home CBS RADIO San Francisco.”

Each year, Pride works with the event media partners, such as Clear Channel home to the likes of right wing lunatics – Limbaugh and Beck, to bring a televised and  radio broadcasts of the SF Pride Parade. SF Pride producers assert that they have been able to expand the coverage of the Parade to include a full-length, unedited online broadcast in addition to televised coverage the evening following the Parade’s conclusion.

Since St. John left clear channel, it is became apparent that punitive motives would follow the star, and that attempts would  be made to relegate his well earned reverence in the world of cool music and especially his vested platform at PRIDE.

St. John, clearly hurt by San Francisco Pride’s rejection of his talent, and his years of service was loathe to make any derogatory remarks at all either toward SF Pride or Clear Channel.

From my interview it was clear that not only is St John a good man, he is modest and is not willing to speak of  the enormous contributions he has made to fighting HIV/AIDS and helping those in need.

In furthering his career he is now being punished by his own community.  Not only is he a talent but he is an open voice to tens and thousands of a younger generation who hold him in the highest esteem, reaching across the gay- straight lines amongst the youngsters, where it really counts.

When asked for his comments  he told me: “Its been a long  journey with San Francisco Pride; I am proud  to have  been  apart of a great service to the community and hope that maybe I can find a way to continue to be so.”

I will say one thing and that is if Clear Channel tried to impose a ban on any gay performer of any kind with a history and credentials such as ST, John, I for one would rather risk their sponsorship!

The Organizers of San Francisco Pride were contacted for comment but no response was received.

Clear Channel Communications,  Inc.. (OTCBB:CCMO) is a global media and entertainment company specializing in mobile and on-demand entertainment and information services for local communities and premiere opportunities for advertisers. Based in San Antonio, Texas, the company’s businesses include radio and outdoor displays. More information is available at www.clearchannel.com.

By Melanie Nathan
Nathan@privatecourts.com
@oblogdeeoblogda
Get me on – FACE BOOK .

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Los Angeles, CA –  After enjoying international fame with her Universal Record Top 10 worldwide radio hit “Kiss The Rain” from her certified gold album “Growing Pains,” produced by Desmond Child (Aerosmith, Ricky Martin, Cher), then hitting rock bottom & being diagnosed with depression, Myers is finally making an admirable comeback as an indie artist who with the help of the internet’s Social Media Networks  (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) is using her music & public image as a platform for spreading information and raising awareness about a  cause and pressingly urgent issue that is close to home for the singer: Depression.

Furthering her already vocal support for the LGBT community, Myers, the openly bi-sexual British prodigious singer/songwriter, will show her PRIDE with a live performance at this year’s NYC Pride weekend. Gracing the stage of  Central Park Summer Stage in Manhattan on June 19, Myers will take this opportunity to premiere (as an exclusive)  in front of  fans, activists and supporters her new single from her recently released album dubbed “Tea & Sympathy”.

A humanitarian at heart and LGBT Activist,  Myers will also launch this September, as part of “Back to school” month, her Pepsi Refresh Challenge project as a spokesperson for the JED Foundation - the leading nonprofit organization addressing issues related to mental health and suicide in the college population. Myers joins other celebrities such as Pete Wentz and Mary J. Blige in JED’s ongoing fight against depression and suicide prevention.  JED’s first program, ULifeline, launched in 2000 and has become a widely used online resource for college mental health with campus-specific information for over 1,250 schools. www.jedfoundation.org

As a woman diagnosed with depression,  (and saved from suicidal thoughts with the help of friends) Myers is localizing her efforts more specifically on the LGBT community, encouraging everyone — gay, straight, transgender, lesbian, bisexual — to get informed about and involved with the JED Foundation to fight depression. With the Pepsi Refresh challenger, Myers is determined to educate people about what depression is, how to recognize the warning signs, how to overcome it, shed light on how to help people suffering from depression – and overall, promote suicide prevention among young people.

SOME BASIC STATICS ABOUT DEPRESSION & SUICIDE:

Statics show that Suicide is the ninth leading cause of death in the US with 31,204 deaths recorded in 1995. This approximates to around one death every seventeen minutes. There are more suicides than homicides each year in the US. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services estimated that “as many as 30% of completed youth suicides each year” are performed by gays and lesbians. Suicide risk is higher among homosexual youths not because of their inability to accept their sexual orientation but because of the risks attached to it and the lack of support.

“Better off dead than gay” is the general sentiment directly connected to the fact that more often than not they are bullied, discriminated against, and because they are not accepted and don’t find a way of life for their homosexuality in society.

These past few months have seen the lost of some high-profile figures to suicide, and we believe that the way the media cover these stories can potentially have a positive or negative impact on young people.  When sensationalized, coverage of suicide can potentially have a negative impact on a young person already struggling emotionally and/or contemplating suicide.  But we can also use these tragedies as a moment to talk about suicide in a productive way – to help people understand it better, learn the warning signs and think about what they can do to protect themselves or a friend.

Not only does music have the power to captivate us, it has the ability to shape our beliefs and enact social change. Musicians are no strangers to playing concerts and galas on behalf of charities around the world in an effort to raise social awareness. In a world connected by technology like never before, music can have an even greater impact on social awareness. While major musicians have always had the ability to reach millions to help raise public awareness for their causes, the rise of the Internet enables anybody to voice their concerns on issues they support.  And that is exactly what Billie Myers is doing – as  Margaret Mead wrote: ”Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

ABOUT BILLIE MYERS:

After a seven-year hiatus, Myers is back! And by BACK we don’t just mean figuratively by cementing her musical genius with a new album “Tea & Sympathy, but as well literally by publicly, and for the first time, breaking her silence on depression – a silence that nearly cost her her life.

Myers’ life is nothing short of inspirational and puts a face to so many different social, ethnic and psychological issues that are still affecting millions of people nowadays. Her courage to now openly talk about her depression and determination to not give up her artistic passion and dream epitomizes the meaning of hope and the concept of believing in yourself; not to mention the success she is enjoying as an independent artist who is admiringly embracing the DIY approach.

Self-Funded and released on her own label, Fruit Loop, “Tea & Sympathy” in less than 24 hours of its online release, impressively scored a #15 spot on the iTunes Singer/songwriter chart. With “Tea & Sympathy”, Myers is breaking new ground musically. Fashioning a unique collage of sound that intertwines electronica, trip-hop beats, and bluesy guitars around her live acoustic/rock roots, the envelope pushing, lyrically driven, emotionally rich new CD features collaborations with such highly acclaimed songwriters as Kristen Hall (Sugarland), Peter Vale (Lemar, Beverly Knight) and Marcella Detroit (Shakespeare’s Sister, Eric Clapton).

Now, as an independent artist, Myers is becoming the perfect example of how modern technology can and should be utilized to not only secure online presence and public exposure but as well how the internet offers a new distribution platform allowing indie artists to bypass the support of the major record labels.  Her online fans have recently launched a Facebook PR Campaign lobbying to get Myers back on the stage of Lilith Fair!

MYERS’ VICTORY OVER DEPRESSION:

Beyond the success Myers is now enjoying on the road back up on the charts, it is really the behind the scene story that merits a closer look at – her numerous personal as well as professional victories have undeniably positioned her as a powerful creative voice to be reckoned with:

- She was abandoned by her mother at age four who dropped her off at an orphanage.

- Her father wanting her to have a better life requested that she lived in a Caucasian foster home. Unfortunately for Billie she suffered through seven years of emotional abuse until her stepmother took her back to live with her and Billie’s real father.

- Battled all her life against racism as well as reverse discrimination constantly being rejected for being the product of mixed race (coming from an English mother and Jamaican father).

- Shot to international fame then brutally fell into anonymity. Hit rock-bottom financially, professionally and personally – had it all and lost it all!

- Nearly on the brink of suicide, bravely survived the harrowing web of depression;

- And now comes back to the music scene successfully battling against the Goliath of corporate record label moguls.

A true success story, Myers is undeniably emerging as one of the most inspirational music heroines and humanitarian of our times!

Posted by Melanie Nathan
follow me @oblogdeeoblogda

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When I started blogging almost a year ago, it was really to showcase my advocacy for immigration rights, my potential Sohpie’s choice and my work for UAFA; and so I dabbled on my little blog site  wondering if anyone would ever visit- O-BLOG-Dee-O-BlOG-DA – at www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

Then Shirley Tan, my advocacy client, received her introduction of a Private Bill by Senator Feinstein.  That was the day my working life changed. Nothing has been the same since. I do more and I earn less; but I cannot resist.  I have grown to love the story, finding it and telling it.

But I am not a real journalist I am a trained lawyer and mediator.  So my Achilles heal may well be the fact that when thrown a victim I must become the hero.  Now while some may think “how wonderful, nice person, always working for others, so giving and helping,” I must bare soul and admit it is not remotely selfless; nope, not when one finds so much satisfaction in making a little bit of a difference.

So then came the invitation of a lifetime to join Paula Brooks, on LEZGETREAL  and then the adventure began in earnest. Paula was told “Melanie is a loose Canon,” by those who fear my pen and Paula said, “Go away, Melanie is here to stay.”

So now with the growth and expansion of what we do here at Lezgetreal, from covering Tribeca  Film festivals  to Constance McMillen, to ‘corrective rape in Africa’ to a therapist column, to name but a smidgen; we announce that we will soon open up more advertising for a fair dollar, and in a very limited fashion.  If you want to be amongst the first for consideration, please contact us. We want to feed more into the worthy development of this site and could use help with maintenance. (nathan@privatecourts.com)

I have now covered stories, and events the likes of which I could not have imagined; and so far from what I originally started to do -  I always used to be on the guest side and now I am suddenly on the story side. Its a great ride and ask you to join all of us here at LEZGETREAL by continuing to support our site any way you can. Join our fan Page on Face Book, subscribe to our feed, watch us on Twitter, Re-tweet what we write, FB your friends, send us tips, advertise and most of all give us a good read.

Now, that all said please enjoy this unique interview with CONSTANCE McMillen from Saturday night at the NCLR gala celebration for their 33rd Anniversary.  Constance was a guest and a select few bloggers and journalist were invited for an exclusive photo op and interview. We have covered the NCLR event in two other Articles here on lezgetreal.

Thanks,

Mel!

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With NCLR and 2,000  San Francisco Lesbians

- And what a night it was!  I first saw Constance as she walked proudly into the Green Room at the Metreon in San Francisco.  She was wearing a gorgeous black cocktail dress and her beauty and elegance belied her 17 years.

We sat down to our interview; her answers eloquent and resolute, demonstrated fervor her for newly sparked activism.

Constance McMillen is a young lesbian high school student in Mississippi who prompted school officials to cancel her prom, because she wanted to attend with her girlfriend.

Constance told me that she was still being harassed at school by students pointing at her, talking about her and snickering with ridicule. In fact they have made it impossible for her to stay at school and she will be transferring to a different school to complete her schooling before going on to college.

She expressed how important it is for people to express displeasure at things that are unjust and that allies, not only LGBT people, should speak out about discrimination and injustice.

Constance was accompanied by her attorney, Christine Sun and after the interview joined all the women in the enormous hall where she appeared briefly on stage with Kate Clinton, Jane Lynch and Kate Kendell, Executive Director of NCLR.

No Prom could have provided the glitz and glamor of this one; – as NCLR, celebrating its 33^rd Anniversary, went all out on providing all the trimmings, to create an ambiance worthy of such celebration; from live band to fun food stands, trapeze artists and DJ extraordinaire.

However, with all the bop and bounce,  nothing resonates more intensely for me than Constance words – when I asked how many Proms she had been invited to, she said many.  A sad look came across her face, as she went on to say that no substitute Prom, nor any amount of extravagance, could ever replace her school prom, the one that she had looked so forward to for so long, that had been canceled by the School in its endeavor to bar Constance from attending with her girlfriend.

We will follow this Post with video of my interview with our young hero….

Melanie Nathan LGBT ADvocate /Activist

By Melanie Nathan
nathan@privatecourts.com

Picture: By Lezgetreal: Constance McMillen and small gathering of LGBT invited Press.

The National Center for Lesbian Rights, NCLR,  is a national legal organization committed to advancing the civil and human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families through litigation, public policy advocacy, and public education.

Year Founded: 1977

What We Do: NCLR is a non-profit, public interest law firm which litigates precedent-setting cases at the trial and appellate court levels; advocates for equitable public policies affecting the LGBT community; provides free legal assistance to LGBT people and their legal advocates; and conducts community education on LGBT legal issues.

Who We Serve: More than 5,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families in all fifty states each year, including LGBT seniors, immigrants, athletes, and youth. And our impact litigation serves all LGBT people in the United States.

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This Grand Prix of Lesbian action gets the checkered flag, yet again.  Mariah Hanson has succeed in  another exclusive –line up,  adding today’s  announcement today of  one time reunion  Salt-n-Peppa  and Spinerella.

Twenty years ago, I was one lipstick-lesbian who gratefully swirled to the ecstatic innovations of Mariah, a  pioneer in the development of the Dinah Shore Golf Classic Party-side event.  Now with an absolute “hail Mariah,” I look back and note the consistency and tireless dedication to our community for years of ‘right-on-ness, ‘ earning Mariah the coveted title of  “THE Dinah!”

Mariah and I spoke last month and I was amazed at how her energetic passion has maintained its proactive state of creativity.

With that said, see the update about Salt-n Pepa and Spinerella at….

More Articles about the Dinah weekend: http://lezgetreal.com/?p=24549

Melanie Nathan LGBT ADvocate /Activist

Melanie Nathan, reporting from Marin County – North - across the beautiful Golden Gate Bridge:-
www.privatecourts.com; www.oblogdeeoblogda.wordpress.com

Last May, a CNN poll found that 79 percent of Americans feel that lesbian and gay military service members should be allowed to serve in the military.

Daniel Tepfer of Beavercreek, a town near Dayton, OH, is one of those who are in favor of junking the ban.

Tepfer, retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1989 after 23 yeas of service as a combat missile crewman and a contracts officer, and is pretty much a Regular Joe; he is the father of three and a proud grandpa.

Col. Tepfer is also a national director of Parents Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) and became a member after his daughter, Amanda, came out as lesbian in 1996 while a student at Dayton’s Wright State University.

PFLAG is a national non-profit organization with over 200,000 members and supporters and over 500 affiliates in the United States. This vast grassroots network is cultivated, resourced and serviced by the PFLAG national office, located in Washington, D.C., the national Board of Directors and 13 Regional Directors.

More recently however, Col. Tepfer has become a very outspoken critic of the ban on openly lesbian and gay military service members known as “Don’t ask, Don’t tell,” and was a feature speaker at a recent rally on Capitol Hill covered by LGR.

During his speech Col Tepfer said…

“I confess to you today that while I was on active duty, I gave little or no thought to whether gay people were serving with me or whether they should be allowed to serve. Then everything changed. After my Air Force retirement and after Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell was enacted; my wife and I learned that one of our three children is gay. What a mind-opener and heart-changer! We became aware of the many ways that gay, lesbian and bi-sexual citizens are treated unequally, including Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.”

In his closing Col. Tepfer asked those of us assembled to picture two uniformed officers knocking on the door and “bringing the devastating news that one of the two men who live together in that home have been killed in action. But wait, you can’t imagine that scenario because it wouldn’t happen. Don’t Ask Don’t Tell restrictions would prohibit that…”

After Col Tepfer’s speech… I found I had tears in my eyes visualizing having someone you love and cherish, giving the last full measure of devotion they can for this country and that service person’s surviving partner not receiving from that country even the most basics of human kindness that country could offer because they are gay…

Because I know first hand what that kindness means to the one who receives them….

When a soldier dies, an officer is assigned to attend their funeral. Part of those officers’ duties is give the surviving spouse the American flag that has been draped over the loved ones coffin. Honorable discharged veterans are also permitted this honor at their funerals.

In December, my partner of 10 years passed away due to breast cancer…

Debbie had been an officer in the United States Navy for a time and was thereby eligible for and accorded military honors at her funeral. However there was a momentary controversy just before her funeral over just who would receive her flag… My Father, a retired Air Force officer, and Debbie’s father, a retired navy officer, quickly explained to the young officer in charge of Debs honor guard the nature of our relationship and without further discussion, at the end of Debbie’s funeral service, the officer in charge did the decent thing and presented the flag to me…

And it meant a lot to me to be told, … “This flag is presented on behalf of a grateful nation and the United States Navy in appreciation for your loved one’s honorable and faithful service.” I knew this “small kindness” would mean even more to someone who had lost that loved one because they were killed in the line of duty in the service of his or her country… and what it would mean to someone not get that flag because of some arcane government policy.

So I knew I had to interview Col. Tepfer and do this story about him.

Col. Tepfer served in the U.S. Air Force from 1965 to 1989.

He was commissioned a second lieutenant through the AFROTC program after graduating with a BA in English from Butler University in Indianapolis, and later earned an MBA from the University of Montana. He is also a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College (AFSC), the USAF Squadron Officers’ School (SOS) and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces (ICAF).. At retirement, he held the rank of Colonel.

While on active duty he served as an administrative officer, an Armed Forces courier, a Minuteman combat crew commander and instructor. The last 11 years of his career were in procurement. He worked in contract administration, was a buyer in the KC-10 program office, was deputy director of contracts in the F-16 weapon system program and was director of contracts in the Joint STARS program.

Tepfer is the recipient of numerous military awards, including USAF Legion of Merit, USAF Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal and the AF Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster.

Tepfer and his wife Nancy have three children. They adopted their daughter Amanda, from Korea when she was 11 months old and I first asked him as a military man what was his initial reaction when he found out his child was gay.

“Although it might for some people, I don’t think being retired military had any impact on my reaction to having a gay child,” Tepfer said, “First of all we (my wife Nancy and I) had thought that our daughter was a lesbian long before she admitted it to us. Amanda arrived from Korea when she was 11 months old and from the time she could first walk and run she was into sports. Of course being an athletic woman doesn’t mean you are gay, but stereotypes always include a grain of truth.”

Col. Tepfer also said, “My wife and I were pretty liberal; we already didn’t think being gay was a choice and we thought gay people should be treated fairly, but it still was an adjustment. We went into the closet (PFLAG says when the child comes out the parents go into the closet. We had the usual anxieties about whether she would be mistreated, and we agonized over whom to tell, when to tell, and what would the reactions be from our friends and family. At first I never said a word to anyone and my wife went to the library to read as much about GLBT issues as she could find. Even after my wife and I began attending PFLG meetings, we didn’t talk to anyone else about it. I finally came out to people at work in 2002, and then I found my soapbox and have been shouting for GLBT rights ever since.”

Tepfer said that he didn’t think there was a time when he did not accept our daughter for who she is, but did think the question for him and his wife is when they “openly acknowledge” her for who she is.

“ I tell new parents at PFLAG meetings that when the child first comes out, she has already “gone” down the GLBT road some distance, while the parents are just now starting and have a lot of learning to do to arrive at that same point” Tepfer told us, “I think our initial emotion was sadness. When you first discover that your child is gay, your initial concern is for their safety.”

Tepfer elaborated on this point by saying, “You have heard of AIDS and you have read in the newspaper or seen on TV of the brutal beatings that many gays have experienced. You need to discover more about the world where your child is, and has been living, as quickly as possible. And of course you are concerned about the plans you have had for the child (wedding and children), but as you learn about the GLBT world, you also learn that those still are a possibility.”

When asked about his journey to PFLAG father started out Col Tepfer told me “In September of 1998, the United Church of Christ we attend elected to join the AIDS walk, which I supported,” Tepfer said.

“Our daughter had suggested that my wife and I check PFLAG out, so walked over, met the other PFLAG parents and joined them. During the walk, I not only talked to them but wound up carrying the banner. I went to the next meeting (Oct 1998). I remember that date because Matthew Shepard had just been killed in Laramie, Wyoming. I convinced Nancy to join me at meetings in early 1999. She didn’t think she needed PFLAG, but soon was as enthusiastic as I was. I have been on the local chapter board since the fall of 1999. I am now the Coordinator of PFLAG Chapters for the state of Ohio, and I am on the National Board of Directors.”

We then talked about The US Military, Don’t Ask- Don’t tel, the impacts of continuing the DADT policy and it’s repeal …

“As I said in my remarks at the rally,” said Tepfer, “the loss of highly qualified people and critical skills is a terrible waste. The money spent to train them is lost.”

Tepfer, referencing a Pentagon report released last Tuesday on sexual abuse in the military, added, “And now we read that the incident of rape of female service members is on the rise. Perhaps this is the direct result of the lowered standards from granting waivers (even waivers for felons) to those who otherwise would not qualify.”

The Department of Defense significantly increased the numbers of “moral waivers” granted to allow individuals with criminal convictions to serve in the military in an effort to fill the ranks of the Army and the Marine Corps after the start of the War in Iraq. The waivers were for crimes that range from drug offenses and theft – to sex crimes and manslaughter or vehicular homicide. The number of waivers issued by the Army increased from 249 in fiscal 2006 to 511 in fiscal 2007, and the increase for the Marine Corps for the same period was from 208 to 350.

“When I was on active duty I quickly discovered that getting quality people was a tough job,” Col Tepfer said, “and then when you were able to get them, the next job was to keep them. Right now qualified gay and lesbian citizens are standing outside the gate trying to get in. Others who managed to get in are being thrown out. Where is the sense in that?”

Since January, eleven service persons have been discharged under the provision of Don’t Ask-Don’t Tell.

I mention to Col Tepfer that my father, also a ranking former military man, has said the when the order finally comes down; the U.S.Military will “salute and execute,” and Tepfer agreed saying, “I totally agree with your father. Maj Gen D. Laich, one of the 102 flag officers who were at the “1200 Flags” event 2 years ago, came to our chapter to speak on Veterans Day last November. He also says the military will obey. They stood up and saluted in 1948 when the services were racially integrated, even if some disagreed with that decision. They will do so again.”

“We are the only country in NATO that rejects gays.” Tepfer went on, “Even Israel saw the value in accepting all people despite contrary religious views.’

Twenty-three of the 26 NATO nations allow gays and lesbians to serve openly and proudly. The United States, Turkey and Portugal are the only NATO nations that forbid gays and lesbians to serve openly in the armed services. Nine nations allowing open service have fought alongside American troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In addition, 12 nations allowing open service fought alongside U.S. troops in Operation Enduring Freedom. The CIA, FBI, Defense Intelligence Agency and Secret Service also all have openly gay and lesbian personnel fighting in the war on terrorism.

Tepfer says he believes career service members will not stand in the way of a repeal of “don’t ask don’t tell.”…

Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen said to graduate cadets at the U.S. Military Academy in May about DADT “It’s a law, and we follow it. Should the law change, the military will carry that out too.”

“Another argument against repeal is that some personnel will leave the service rather than serve with gays,” Tepfer told me. “Some of that will happen as well, but again, probably not as much as expected. I would anticipate that those losses would be more than offset by those who choose to join up because of the repeal, both gay and straight. Additionally, gay and lesbians now serving in the military may choose to remain because they will be able to do so without the stress caused by Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Tepfer said.

A December 2006 poll of service members who had served in Iraq or Afghanistan found 73 percent of those polled were “comfortable with lesbians and gays.” A 2004 poll also found that a majority of junior enlisted service members believed gays and lesbians should be allowed to serve openly in the military.

Finally, on when he sees the end of DADT coming said Tepfer …

“It is hard for me to know the reaction of lawmakers and the DoD bosses. I have been out of the USAF for 20 years. It is now a different service. I never was stationed in Washington and am not sure I would even have known the answer to that question if asked 20 years ago. I follow politics more today then in 1989, but the senior DoD leadership is still an unknown to me.” However, Tepfer also said “I would hope that we can see it end during this, the 111th,congressional session. There are other items on the GLBT agenda, and I know everyone has their priority, but I think it will happen before the end of 2010.”

Coming from different professional backgrounds, they miss imaginative, fun and hot books for women like themselves and then they start the first L2L Publishing company in Latin America, Editora Malagueta (Red Chilli Pepper Publishers), directed by Laura Bacelar, a famous name in the book market, especially in the book-for-minorities market. She kindly answered some of my questions about the Brazilian lesbian reading scenario, via e-mail.

Do you have any idea how many lesbian novels there are written by Brazilian women?

Not really, but I know it’s a few. There are many short stories on the Internet in sites like xana in box and more recently abcLes. When you look at the amount of pages written, you quite say the production is reasonable, but most of it doesn’t exactly fit the ‘novel’ format. Printed lesbian novels, we certainly have no more than 30.

In your opinion, do Brazilian lesbians read little?

Brazilian people in general read little but there’s no doubt it’s NOT a ‘writing’ country. It’s not difficult to find talented women willing to show their good works, but they lack the knowledge of what are characters, plot and written text.

What do you think is the most important lesbian novel ever?

That’s a complicated question to answer once it depends a lot on personal taste, history and stuff. My first book was Patricia Hihgsmith’s Carol, later I discovered this was the first lesbian happy-ending book ever, what made me a lot of good, as well Isabel Miller’s Sarah & Patience, Desert hearts and Curious wine. But despite of representing the tension between inner desire and “social oppression, I guess nowadays they are not seen as good books for the new readers.

List three strong characteristics of Editora Malagueta’s books.

They are well-written, charming and positive, because suicidal, drug addicted and lonely lesbians, well, they are everywhere in other books. This view must change.

Lezzie is half-closeted Brazilian Philosophy High School teacher writing on everything she has the opportunity to read, listen to and see (as a good Gemini).You can find out more about here by checking her profile at http://lezgetreal.ning.com/profile/Boudecca.

O’Reilly was having a fit over it, to the point of announcing the state Governor’s phone number on air of his talking points commentary.

Apparently, someone took it upon themselves to chuck the sign out the door and take it to a radio station, that has been talking smack about it. A state trooper was sent to pick it up, while people showed up to protest at the crime scene, which was filling up with t.v. cameras. Among the crowd was James Pritchard of Seattle, who wore a pointy green hat and passed out candy-striped business cards proclaiming him “J. Elfus, Special Assistant to the Claus.” The ones showing up to protest were Christian groups. What a joke.


So much for sharing during this time of season. Listen, I haven’t talked about this because I really don’t know how I feel about it. I see both parties point of view, I do. But, I have to tell you, the Christian’s reaction is a joke. YOU ARE MAKING THE REST OF THE WORLD LAUGH AT US, SERIOUSLY, STOP! Now, the best comment I found so far on the Columbian site: by Melinda Parrott : 12/5/08 3:29pm

First of all..
Our Country was founded on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The pilgrims came over seeking a land to have freedom to worship God. From that point Christianity has played a major part of our history. From the signing of our Declaration of Independence to the forming of the branches of our Government and establishing the laws of our Country. Even to the point that you could NOT hold a Political Office without being a Christian nore could you even be a US Citizen. The first President and The Presidents there after put the teaching of the Bible and Prayer in our White House, Schools and anytime they met. They FIRST PRAYED for hours to ask Our LORD JESUS CHRIST for his guidance on this Country..

To go against God and his word was considered a act of treason. Hum.. wonder what would happened if they were here today?

I believe it is NOW time for Americans and Christians to take a Stand.. WE WANT AMERICA BACK. My prayer is that the Holy Spirit will come down on America and Do what is Necessary for her to come BACK to Jesus..

And YES we say Merry CHRISTmas at our home! God Bless America!

Does anyone see something wrong with this woman? Does anyone smell Taliban, dressed in Christian clothing? Anyone? Does anyone know why the Pilgrims headed over here? Does anyone know the history of when the national motto “IN GOD WE TRUST” was added? Anyone? 1956. I am sick and tired of all these “Christians” trying to claim stake on the whole country, the whole U.S. of A. Listen, if you are a Pilgrim and a Puritan, then o.k. I back off, but the rest of you, go back to school, take an on-line course, learn from someone and educate yourself, not only on the real footsteps of Christ, but on the history of this country.

The L.D.S didn’t get off that ship. The Catholics didn’t get off that ship, and those of you that call yourselves, “Christians” you come from so many different branches (you can’t even get along amongst yourselves) that it is hard to keep track. Control your theocratic, power mongering selves and get a grip. The rest of the country is watching and you are making us look like fools!

The world is stewing…guess what is starting to boil? Religion.

p.Johanna is a single lesbian who lives in Southern California. You can find out more about her and view her photos by visiting her page on MySpace.