Archive for the 'Pop Culture' Category

Idaho Homophobia

October 8, 2005 | Pop Culture

An unidentified “contributing writer” for New West Network, a northern Idaho liberal paper, wrote an article called Break Out the Bible: This Lesbian Wants Her Driver’s Licence that’s about her experience at the DMV. I wonder whether the writer is butch - I am going to guess that she is, because I can’t imagine that kind of thing happening to my partner and myself. This is more evidence of the butch/femme divide - butches get strange looks from straight people, and femmes get strange looks from gay people.

Anne’s Mom

October 4, 2005 | Pop Culture

Kudos to Anne Heche for telling her mom to shove it. Apparently Mom has been going around telling people that she prayed for Anne to go heterosexual and that the power of prayer worked, and blah blah blah. Anne told Mom - not directly, they’re apparently not on speaking terms - to shut the hell up. Way to go Anne!

Misogyny on Board

September 30, 2005 | Pop Culture

It’s time for the promised post about my experience on RSVP. First of all, let me say that I think all queers should experience a gay cruise. It’s like living at the heart of Pride 24/7 for a week. I had a fantastic time despite some interpersonal concerns. However…lesbians might not be as welcome as the company would like you to believe.

Nobody said that, of course. In the “newlywed game” they had a lesbian couple, and announcers and emcees for various events often referred to the women in the audience. There were only 147 women (and 1700 men), though, so with less than 10% of the passengers being female there was bound to be lots of testosterone flying around. Unfortunately, RSVP only offered one activity for women - a poorly-attended social hour where we stood around sipping drinks and chatting - and they really could have done much more.

The real problem for women on this trip wasn’t anything RSVP had control over - it was the misogyny I could feel in the air at many events. I got a few strange looks that I’m certain were due to being female, and I heard plenty of anti-female jokes and jabs throughout the week. Cabaret singer Amy Armstrong played with this the best she could, getting physically close to members of the audience and forcing them to acknowledge that she was female. (This was usually done by clutching their hand to her breast while she sang, but she threatened to make some of them touch her pussy.) By the way, I was pretty much the only femme lesbian on board who was not an entertainer. As a result, I was accused of being straight - you can read that story here.

It’s no wonder that women overwhelmingly choose Olivia for their luxury vacations. This is really a self-perpetuating cycle, in that women have heard about the atmosphere on “mixed” cruises and would rather go for an all-female vacation, which means that the “mixed” cruises end up being mostly men, which creates that atmosphere…you get the point. But it really was a wonderful vacation despite this; I made some friends onboard and I do hope to have the chance to do it again.

Lesbian Gamers

September 29, 2005 | Pop Culture

The magazine Killer Betties has an article entitled Girl-on-Girl Gaming: Exploring Communities, Questions and Concerns of Lesbian Video Gamers. Pretty cool, and touches on more than just the Sims. (Which is probably the only game that can really have lesbian characters.)

Via Game Girl Advance, which is a worthwhile blog in its own right!

Gay Travel

August 19, 2005 | Pop Culture

Has anybody ever picked up a Damron book? Are they any good? I always want them but I could never justify the expense. The L.A. Times has an article about mainstream travel sites courting gay users, which is a phenomenon I have definitely noticed at Orbitz. Travelocity has a direct partnership with PlanetOut, too, so they obviously have a section too.

Dyke Dolls

August 6, 2005 | Pop Culture

I think I’ve heard of these before, but I don’t remember mentioning them, and they’re worth pointing out! DykeDolls are the lesbian version of the Billy dolls, but without the enormous cocks. The “Bobbie” dolls come in three versions - Doc Holiday, Rockabilly, and Diesel Dyke - and a “baby dykes” line is coming out soon too. (Not that I’ve ever been quite sure what the definition of baby dyke is. Care to weigh in, anyone?) LesbiaNation has a capsule review of the dolls, too, and by the way - you can buy little strap-ons and vibrators for them!

Added: Genia of SistersTalk has written an entry in response to this post, but the ping didn’t come through neatly.

It’s My Party

June 24, 2005 | Pop Culture

In a recent interview with AfterEllen.com, singer Lesley Gore has come out as lesbian. When she was famous in the 1960s for songs like “It’s My Party (And I’ll Cry If I Want To)” and “You Don’t Own Me,” she had not yet realized her orientation - that didn’t come until a few years later, when she was in her 20s. Although she had never come out officially, the five-page interview mentions that she has been with her partner for 23 years and has hosted the “In The Life” television series twice.

Natalie Portman

May 16, 2005 | Pop Culture

Apparently Natalie Portman has shaved off her hair, and she says people will think she’s a lesbian.

Nice one, Natalie. Thanks a lot.

God-Des

April 14, 2005 | Pop Culture

The New York Blade has an article about God-Des, a lesbian hip-hop and rap duo from the midwest making a name for themselves in Brooklyn, New York. God-Des has their own website, too.

SistersTalk: Alison Bechdel Interview

April 5, 2005 | Pop Culture

Many lesbians know who Alison Bechdel is - since 1983 she has been drawing Dykes to Watch Out For, a renowned comic strip that has been published in countless gay papers and has been the subject of a long series of books. Genia Stevens, the talented writer behind SistersTalk, has just published an interview with Alison Bechdel. The discussion touches on race, Spongebob Squarepants, and character development.