Ten Colleges That Love Grrls Who Love Grrls

School is officially back in session on campuses across the country so Cherry Grrl thought now would be a good time to see how they all perform in a little test of our own. For our Fresh Ten this week we have developed a list of the best colleges and universities for lesbian students. Our criteria included: generally strong intellectual climate;  significant number of lesbian students enrolled; course offerings in women’s studies and  programs in LGBT studies; housing options for  gay students; general campus diversity; and support groups and offices for LGBT students.  Here are ten of our favorite schools that love grrls who love grrls.

10.
Bryn Mawr College
Bryn Mawr, PA
Bryn Mawr is a liberal arts women’s college and considered one of the world’s most distinctive, distinguished colleges. Every year 1,300 undergraduate women and 400 graduate students from around the world gather on the College’s historic campus to study with leading scholars, conduct advanced research, and expand the boundaries of what’s possible. A Bryn Mawr woman is described as having: “An intense intellectual commitment, a purposeful vision of her life, and a desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world.” Bryn Mawr alumnae have become leaders in a wide range of fields, including those in which women are traditionally underrepresented. Although the school’s website doesn’t list any LGBT programs or offices it is known to have a large lesbian population and extremely open minded and accepting community.

9.
Smith College
Northampton, MA
Smith College is a private women’s liberal arts college and, with some 2,750 undergraduates on campus, it is the largest privately endowed college for women in the country. The school, which has a botanical garden and arboretum, also has a substantial lesbian population and offers panel discussions and seminars for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender students on a variety of unique subjects including “Coming Out As Transgender at Work.”

8. Wellesley College
Wellesley, MA

Wellesley College is a women’s liberal arts college, in Wellesley, Massachusetts, that opened in 1875. Today, the mission of the college is to “provide an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world.” The college’s motto, “Non Ministrari sed Ministrare” (not to be ministered unto but to minister), reflects this purpose. Students come from all over the world, from different cultures and backgrounds, and they have prepared for Wellesley at hundreds of different secondary schools. Additionally, through the Davis Degree Program, women beyond the traditional college age, many with families, are part of the student body working toward a Wellesley degree. Alumni of the College include Hillary Rodham Clinton and Madeleine Albright. The school’s lesbian group is WLBTF - Wellesley Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgenders and Friends - and the campus is known for having a large lesbian population and generally LGBT friendly atmosphere.

7.
Macalester College
St. Paul, MN

Macalester College is a private, highly selective, coeducational liberal arts college in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The college is located on a 53-acre campus in a historic residential neighborhood and includes seven academic buildings, a library, a technology center, and ten residences.  Among the residences are several specialty homes including a Veggie Co-Op, an Eco House, and All Gender housing (where students of different sexes can live together in separate bedrooms).  There are over 100 student clubs and organizations on campus, including Queer Union, and the college was rated #1 for accepting the gay community by Princeton Review in 2007.

6.
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Stanford University is a private research university that was founded in 1885 by the former Governor of California and future U.S. Senator Leland Stanford. The Stanfords used their farmlands to create the university, and hoped to establish a major research university in the West, the first of its kind. For it’s gay and lesbian students the LGBT Community Resources Center (LGBT-CRC) at Stanford works to help students meet other queer and allied students, join one of over 14 LGBT student organizations, chill, study, check email, browse books and magazines, watch DVDs, or learn about campus resources. The center offers a range of programs including CASA (a small-group mentoring program for queer, questioning, and allied frosh) and Safe and Open Spaces at Stanford (a student-run dorm outreach and diversity awareness program) as well as: lecture series, colloquia, seminars, and mini-courses; residence programs; support groups; health education workshops; diversity trainings; social and cultural events; community activities; leadership development retreats; and support for LGBT volunteer student organizations and student-driven initiatives.

5.
Sarah Lawrence College
Bronxville, NY

Founded in 1926 as a women’s college, Sarah Lawrence is a private institution located on a serene 41 acres above the Bronx River just outside of New York City.   The campus is made up rolling hills with elegant Tudor style mansions converted to be classrooms and other meeting areas.  Although the school became coed in 1968, it still hosts a predominantly female student body and is well-known for being welcoming to students and faculty who identify as gay, straight, bi, transgender and everywhere along the spectrum.  The school not only offers programs in LGBT studies, but also has recently renovated facilities around campus to be unisex to discourage labeling.

4.
New York University
New York, NY

It’s no surprise that NYU makes our list, as New York City is renowned for being one of the most tolerant cities in the world. Located in Greenwich Village, NYU is unlike any other U.S. institution of higher education in the United States. The energy and resources of New York City serve as an extension of the campus, providing unique opportunities for research, internships, and job placement. On campus, NYU’s intellectual climate is fostered by a faculty of world-famous scholars, researchers, and artists who teach both undergraduate and graduate courses. The Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Services at New York University exists to create campus environments that are inclusive and supportive of student diversity in the areas of sexual orientation and gender identity/expression. It’s easy to understand why for four consecutive years NYU was ranked as America’s “#1 dream school” by The Princeton Review.

3.
New College of Florida
Sarasota, FL
New College was originally founded in 1960 as a private college for academically gifted students.  The original concept for the school was to provide a place for unique, talented students to have a new responsibility for their education implemented through a unique program designed by the school’s original founders.  While the school still remains dedicated to providing hard working students independence, it became public due to financial issues in 1975, making it accessible to more of those interested.  And, on top of offering students independence, the school proudly boasts a wide range of LGBT related course offerings and it sits on 144 acres of bay front property, which makes study dates at the beach a frequent activity.

2.
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA
Mount Holyoke College is a highly selective liberal arts women’s college that was originally founded by Mary Lyon as Mount Holyoke Female Seminary on November 8, 1837. It is the first of the Seven Sisters (the female equivalent of the once predominantly male Ivy League) and is the oldest continuing institution of higher education for women in the world. The school has become a national leader in creating and sustaining diversity because they value inclusiveness, which for them means active engagement in recognizing and supporting group and individual differences including race, ethnicity, economic class, sexual orientation, gender, physical ableism, learning style, religion, and political affiliation. The inclusiveness is evidenced in the many programs and groups that support the LGBT community at Mount Holyoke including True Colors, a student organization that provides support, activism, outreach, and social functions for the lesbian, bisexual, transgendered, and straight ally population, the Jeannette Marks House, which provides a safe space and community center for lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning and allied students, and SYSTA, a confidential support group at Mount Holyoke College for lesbian, bisexual, and questioning women of color.

1.
Emerson College
Boston, MA

Founded in 1880, Emerson is one of the premier colleges in the United States for the study of communication and the arts, where it has always been at the forefront of instruction. The College established one of the country’s first programs in children’s theatre in 1919 as well as an undergraduate program in broadcasting in 1937. The Office of GLBT Student Life provides a voice for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students at the school. The Office strives to enhance the quality of life for GLBT members of the College community and their allies. Additionally, the Coordinator of GLBT Student Life provides consultation to students and all members of the Emerson community in the area of queer issues. He works to provide education, information and advocacy services and to maintain a safe and inclusive atmosphere for all members of the Emerson community and. He also advises the student organization, EAGLE (Emerson’s Alliance for Gays, Lesbians and Everyone).

Post Olympic Blues - Now What Do We Watch?

The 2008 Olympic Games came to a close last week and left many of us feeling patriotic, inspired, and most importantly… depressed. Suddenly, after weeks of exciting and interesting television to watch we are left with reruns and reality shows. It makes us wonder why the Games only come around every two years – they really were that much fun to watch. For the average sports enthusiast though, there remains a great deal of programming available with Major League Baseball in full swing, NASCAR coverage, and pre season NFL and college football beginning to air. But for those of us who found our favorite moments of the Olympics during the Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor gold medal winning spike, US Women’s Softball team’s heartbreaking final game, silver medal wins by 41-year-old Dara Torres, or fourth straight gold medal win for the US Women’s Basketball team there is a definite feeling of abandonment when it comes to our relationship with the remote control. Fortunately, although they can be hard to find on any major networks, there are some major women’s sporting events taking place this week to help us recover from our Olympic excitement.

US Open tennis began last week and all the major female players are there. Considered to be one of the most exciting tournaments of the year, fans can expect to see both Venus and Serena Williams excelling as usual in singles and can catch out lesbian player Rennae Stubbs compete in both mixed and female doubles. Matches can be viewed on CBS and USA.

In the golf world, the Bell Micro LPGA Classic will begin on September 11th and the second-half of the LPGA Playoffs is underway. Eun-Hee Ji, Helen Alfredsson, Ji-Yai Shin, and Katherine Hull have automatically qualified in the second half. The top-3 ADT Points earners are: 1. Cristie Kerr, 2. Angela Park, and 3. Hee-Won. The Bell Micro LPGA Classic will air on the Golf Channel.

Last but not least, the always-reliable WNBA is back in action after an Olympic break that saw several players win Gold. In the Eastern Conference the Connecticut Sun are in the lead followed Detroit and New York. The Western Conference is lead by San Antonio and followed by Seattle and Los Angeles. The playoffs begin at the end of the month and select games can be caught on NBA TV, ESPN 2, and occasionally ABC.

It will be another four years before sports like women’s volleyball, swimming, soccer, gymnastics, and track and field are so readily available for our viewing pleasure but maybe the attention that was demanded and received by the amazing female athletes in China this summer will result in increased coverage of our sports at home. Until then though, the remainder of the WNBA season, and the WTA and the LPGA tours will keep reminding us that women’s sports are being played too.

Garrison Starr Commands Attention Through Familiar Yet Incisive Lyrical Wordplay

BY HARRIET KAPLAN

Walking onto the stage wearing a white v-neck t-shirt, hat, low-rise, grey flared jeans with VANS, Mississippi-native Garrison Starr launched into a simple, unadorned set accompanying herself on an acoustic guitar. This was in stark contrast to the traditional band format and weightier arrangements found on her latest CD, “The Girl That Killed September,” a pop rock and folk effort. The jaunty “40 Nights,” the catchy and melodic “Unchangeable,” and subtle and softer acoustic-driven “Byhalia Road” and “Brightest Star” comprised some of the new material performed. An older favorite, “Madness,” was also included.

Themes of love, love lost, and love found permeate this collection. The simplicity and rawness was a departure, making that work seem less precious in comparison. The sameness of material, both in tone and style, was still present but there was an earthiness that felt bold and more organic live. Starr’s in between song banter - where she talked about her childhood, the need to “move merch” as she called it and almost “losing her shirt in San Diego” - was candid, funny, and sad all at the same time. The blonde-haired vocalist seemed at ease with the audience and unguarded, sharing personal stories and shedding light on her life experience through her songs. Her sweet vocals on CD seemed less girlish - taking on more of a grit and edge live.

Having comedian Margaret Cho open her set added more of an adventurous bent to the image as well. A friend of Starr’s, whom they met through another mutual friend, told the audience Cho and her share a mutual admiration society. In fact, Cho sang one song with Starr before she began her regular set. This number fell along the lines of cutesy, novelty shtick that managed to get a few laughs. Prior to that, Cho did a rapid-fire, in-your-face standup routine. In some ways, the material came off stock, sounding too close to past performances amounting to repackaging in warped speed. Yet it was the frantic energy and uninhibited, unbridled spirit with which she infused into the topics (anal bleaching, G-spot shots, three-way encounters, and the Lindsay Lohan and Samantha Ronson relationship) that gave them a renewed sense of purpose and longer staying power.

For more information on Garrison Starr visit http://www.garrisonstarr.com or http://www.myspace.com/garrisonstarr.

Los Angeles native Harriet Kaplan is a music journalist that has been published in Music Connection, BAM Magazine, L.A. Village View and www.bluerailroad.com. She has reviewed club shows for local unsigned bands and singers for over 20 years. In addition to this specialty, Kaplan has written about established rock, pop, and R&B acts and performers including Melissa Etheridge, Janet Jackson, Stevie Nicks, The Go-Gos and Hall & Oates. To contact Harriet regarding upcoming events and reviews write to her at Harriet@Cherrygrrl.com.

Photos by Mike Cavanaugh

McCain Picks Little-Known, Anti-Gay Governor as VP

“America may not know much about Sarah Palin, but based on what our community has seen of her, we know enough,” - Human Rights Campaign President, Joe Solmonese

On Friday August 29, 2008, presumptive Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain announced he has chosen first term Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his choice to be his Vice Presidential running mate.  Although only holding an executive, state-wide office for less than two years, Gov. Palin has already shown that she is a fierce opponent of equality.

“America may not know much about Sarah Palin, but based on what our community has seen of her, we know enough,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Sarah Palin not only supported the 1998 Alaska constitutional amendment banning marriage equality but, in her less than two years as Governor, even expressed the extreme position of supporting stripping away domestic partner benefits for state workers.  When you can’t even support giving our community the rights to health insurance and pension benefits, it’s a frightening window into where she stands on equality.”

When asked about the right-wing’s reaction to the choice of Gov Palin, the New York Times quoted Ralph Reed, the former head of the Christian Coalition as saying, “They’re beyond ecstatic.”

Highlights of Governor Palin’s Anti-Equality Record

•    Prior to being elected governor, Palin supported the 1998 constitutional amendment barring marriage for same-sex couples and has said she would support a ballot measure overturning a state supreme court decision mandating benefits for domestic partners of state employees

•    She is close to “traditional values” groups, like Family Research Council, because she is strongly anti-choice

Marriage and Relationship Recognition

•    Palin told the Anchorage Daily News that she supported the 1998 constitutional amendment on marriage.

•    In addition, she told the Daily News that she would support a ballot question that would deny benefits to the domestic partners of public employees, which were ordered by an October 2005 decision of the Alaska Supreme Court, because, she said “honoring the family structure is that important.” http://dwb.adn.com/news/politics/elections/governor06/story/8049298p-7942233c.html

•    While she followed the Court’s decision and she also signed legislation – her first legislative act as Governor of Alaska — to put the issue on the April 2007 ballot for a nonbinding advisory vote.  This was the only issue on the ballot and that election cost the state taxpayers $1.2 million.  This measure passed, but the legislature did not follow the public’s advice and it chose not to take any further action to overturn the court’s decision.

•    She did, however, veto legislation passed by the state legislature in 2006 that would have prohibited providing DP benefits to state workers, in defiance of the Alaska Supreme Court’s ruling.  She did this after the Supreme Court had already ruled and the Attorney General (Republican) advised her that the legislation was unconstitutional.  Palin went on to state that, as a matter of policy, she was in favor of the bill.

Ties to Anti-LGBT Groups

•    She will be honored alongside anti-gay Representative Michelle Bachman (R-MN) at an event at the 2008 Republican Convention, the “Life of the Party,” sponsored in part by long-time opponent of GLBT rights, Phyllis Schlafly.

This article was reprinted with permission from The Human Rights Campaign. The Human Rights Campaign is America’s largest civil rights organization working to achieve gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender equality. By inspiring and engaging all Americans, HRC strives to end discrimination against GLBT citizens and realize a nation that achieves fundamental fairness and equality for all. For more information visit http://www.hrc.org.

Fall Lineup Highlights For the Grrls

It’s that time of year again. Summer Friday’s have come and gone, school is starting up again, the weather is already reminding you that you own a coat, and no matter what you do for a living, going to work suddenly just got more annoying. But – for those who enjoy a good television show, and have missed their favorite shows and characters, the fall season brings at least one good thing: new things to watch on TV!

The 2008 fall television lineup includes a lot of new shows, new episodes of old shows, the thankful cancellation of bad shows and generally, something for everyone. Usually this means something for everyone except the lesbian viewer but this year we have found quite a few shows that are trying to change that. We’re providing you with a basic rundown of what’s coming soon to a television set near you that either stars, features, or involves a lesbian or bisexual actress or character. It could be better but it could have been, and has definitely already been, worse.

24, Fox
Premiere date: Sunday, November 23, 2008 (two-hour prequel to season premiere in Januray 2009).
24 is presented in real time, with each season depicting a 24-hour period in the life of Jack Bauer, who works with the U.S. government as it fights domestic threats. The past 6 seasons of the show have been popular, exciting, and award winning but Season 7 is sure to be the best yet for two great reasons: 1) there will be a female President portrayed on the show and, 2) the actress that plays her, Cherry Jones, is an out lesbian. We’re feeling patriotic already!

Bones, Fox
Premiere date: Wednesday, September 3rd
Bones centers around the brilliant, but socially inept, forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperence Brennan who works with ex-Army Ranger turned Special Agent, Seeley Booth, to help the Bureau solve crimes by identifying human remains that are too far gone for standard FBI forensic investigations. But the benefits of this show go beyond the smart and powerful female lead. Angela Pearly Gates Montenegro is the Jeffersonian’s resident forensic artist and in Season 4 she will become the reason we watch. Last season audiences learned that Angela was bisexual when a private investigator hinted that she was tipped by a girl named Roxy, who allegedly got her heart broken by Angela.  Throughout the earlier seasons, there were hints about Angela’s bisexuality, but it wasn’t until the end of the third season that it was set in stone.  Despite being engaged to an entomologist, it has been reported that Angela will get tangled up in some lesbian romance. Nice, Roxy sounds hot.

Degrassi: The Next Generation, The N
Premiere date: Friday, October 10th
The Paige and Alex relationship on Degrassi has been one of the strongest and longest lesbian storylines to appear on television. Although the two characters have had their ups and downs, their plotline was always written with the same treatment as the heterosexual relationships on the show. Season 8, however, does not look like it will include much about Paige and Alex – as they decided to go their separate ways at the end of Season 7 and both seem to have aged out of the show’s high school setting. Hopefully each will have guest appearances and you never know… there may be a new batch of young Canadian lesbians entering Degrassi High this fall.

Grey’s Anatomy, ABC
Premiere date: Thursday, September 25th
For four strong seasons Patrick Dempsey has been a totally understandable reason to watch the hour-long drama that centers on the personal and professional lives of five surgical interns and their supervisors. He really did age remarkably well! But it wasn’t until the end of the last season that lesbian viewers got a good reason to tune in too – and it came in the form of a passionate kiss between two of the shows female regulars. Dr. Callie Torres and Erica Hahn took their relationship to the next level with the kiss in the season finale and it has been reported that the storyline about the two will continue into Season 5. Additional reports even state that Grey’s consulted with GLAAD to prepare for the lesbian elements of their show. We’re thinking the whole Isaiah Washington “faggot” incident had something to do with the extra efforts for responsible gayness.

House, Fox
Premiere date: Tuesday, September 16th
House centers around the anti-social, pain killer addicted, witty and arrogant medical doctor, Gregory House, who has only half a muscle in his right leg. Also featured in the incredibly smart and medically heavy show is Dr. House’s team of medical doctors who work with him to try to cure very ill, ordinary people who come into their clinic. Among these secondary characters we find Olivia Wilde, who plays Dr. Hadley (a.k.a. Thirteen) and for the second time in recent years also plays bisexual. After tiny hints that the character may be bisexual it was confirmed in a casual and funny scene where she, another character, and House are watching a soap opera and she has the line, “I think I dated that Nurse…(pause)…no.” At the end of last season Thirteen learned that she had the disease Huntington’s chorea so we’re sure hoping the doctor’s found a cure over break.

My Own Worst Enemy, NBC
Premiere date: Monday, October 13th
We’re happy for Christian Slater and all but there is one reason and one reason only that this show made our list: Saffron Burrows. The actress has reportedly dated both men and women so we will consider her bisexual for now but either way, she’s gorgeous, so we’ll be watching her play opposite Slater as Dr. Norah Skinner and be routing for this new show to make it.

South of Nowhere, The N
Premiere date: Friday, October 3rd
The most depressing fall television news we learned that Spencer and Ashley (Spashley) – our favorite South of Nowhere girls - have only half a season more of being the cutest couple on television. It was announced in February that the show had been cancelled and would only return to finish out the third season, leaving many fans very upset and demanding more. The show premiered in 2005 and centered around two teenage girls who fell in love with each other. It was a positive and groundbreaking show in its depiction of a healthy and happy teenage relationship and presentation of gay role models for a young audience. We are looking forward to the new episodes but angry and sad that with each new show… we will be watching one of the last.

Tabitha’s Salon Takeover, Bravo
Premiere date: now airing
The official description of this show states: “Australian native Tabatha Coffey, the straight-talking former contestant from Shear Genius, visits struggling salons in Los Angeles and New York, and whips the desperate stylists and salon owners into shape.” We watch it because it’s an openly lesbian woman with her own show who arrogantly and rudely bosses people around in each episode and yet comes off likeable, smart, and admirable while doing it.

The Big Bang Theory, CBS
Premiere date: Monday, September 22
Last season this new show about “a woman who moves into an apartment next door to two brilliant but socially awkward physicists and shows them how little they know about life outside of the laboratory” was funny, cute, and somewhat original. This season out lesbian and Emmy nominated actress Sara Gilbert joins the cast as a series regular and it becomes a lot more!

The Cho Show, VH1
Premiere date: now airing
When thinking about Margaret Cho in her new reality program, The Cho Show, we wondered: Is she gay? Is she straight? And then we realized… she’s just funny.

The New Adventures of Old Christine
Premiere date: Wednesday, September 24th
Let’s face it – this show had us at Julia Louis-Dreyfus. Then we learned that the name of the show came from the premise in which Christine finds out that her ex-husband and friend is dating a new, younger girlfriend, also named Christine – hence, these were to be the new adventures of the old Christine. Now, EW.com is reporting that Christine will marry her best friend on the show, Barb (Wanda Sykes). Even if it’s totally not about their lesbian love it is a gay wedding on network TV. We can’t wait!

Ugly Betty, ABC
Premiere date: Thursday, September 25th
Ugly Betty is a cute and funny show about Betty Suarez, a smart, sweet and hard working girl who is not thin and beautiful like all her coworkers at a high-fashion magazine but whose hard work and determination earns her the boss’s respect, as she helps him find his way through the shark infested waters of the fashion industry. Having a non-conventional female lead has made this show worthy enough of our respect but this season things really get grrl friendly as Lindsay Lohan reprises her role as one of Betty’s high school classmates.

Womenfest Key West 2008

A hot entertainment lineup and a warm welcome await visitors and locals alike during Womenfest Key West 2008, September 2-7th.  Womenfest, now in its twenty-second year, is an island-wide festival that includes events designed especially for lesbians and their friends.  Most events are all-welcome.  All events are uniquely Key West.

Headlining performers include the sexy all-female band Sister Funk, popular hip-hop and soul artists God-des & She, dance sensation Lori Michaels, and funny woman Lisa Koch.   Advance single and VIP tickets are available online at www.womenfest.com.

Sister Funk and God-des & She are to share the stage at Sunset Rock, set for Friday, September 5th, at Dante’s at Conch Harbor Marina.  This open air setting includes a view of the boats in the harbor and a waterfall! Gates open at 7pm.

The award-winning rockers of Sister Funk have earned comparisons to Pink and Maroon 5. The band appeared at Womenfest in 2006, where they wowed attendees with their sizzling sound and exciting style.  Hop-hop and soul duo God-des & She gained widespread recognition during a guest appearance on the Showtime television series “The L Word.” Their latest CD, titled “Stand Up,” recently hit the streets.

Comedienne Lisa Koch, who performs regularly in the Seattle area and on board Olivia Cruises, is scheduled to perform Saturday, September 6th, at Key West’s Tropic Cinema, 416 Eaton St.  Two performances of her wickedly irreverent show Laughing Out Loud are scheduled at 7:30 and 9:30 p.m.

Special guest Lori Michaels, a Womenfest veteran who delighted audiences in 2006 and 2007, is as skilled at performing soft love tunes as she is performing her hot dance tracks. She is scheduled to make multiple appearances including an “unplugged” happy hour performance Friday, September 5th, at Aqua Nightclub.

Great music can be found throughout the week at Womenfest.  DJ Lixs will open the week at the Opening Night Party at the Chelsea House on Tuesday, September 2nd, with a special guest performance by Sister Funk.  DJ Harmony closes the week aboard the Fury Catamaran at the Womenfest Closing Tea Dance and sunset sail on Sunday, September 7th where God-des & She will make a guest appearance.

Other great musicians who will be performing during Womenfest include Lenore Troia and Laura Wood at Bottle Cap Lounge, Jennifer Corday and Amy Blaze at Pearl’s Patio, and acoustic guitarist Jen at Hogsbreath.

Of course no Womenfest could be complete with pool parties.  For years, Pearl’s Rainbow and Southernmost Hotel have hosted infamous pool parties.  This year they are joined by newcomers Bourbon Street Pub, who will host a late-night “bare what you dare” pool party, and Alexander’s Guest House, who will host a provocative afternoon Tea Party complete with burlesque dancers.

In addition to great music, raucous pool parties, and a sizzling night club scene, Womenfest participants can also enjoy cultural events like film, art, poetry, and guest speakers.

Beth Bass, the CEO of the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association, will speak at the Womenfest Luncheon on Wednesday, September 3rd.  The Heritage House’s Robert Frost Poetry Festival is hosting a Women & Words Poetry Reading & Art Exhibit at La Te Da.  Poets need only sign up at the door to participate in the Open Mic portion of the evening, which will be hosted by poet Sheri Lohr.

The week’s activities also include a Saturday afternoon Street Fair and four showings of the award winning indie film, “Itty Bitty Titty Committee.”  There’s even a special shopping excursion at Isle Style Boutique.

Women-only water excursions have also been planned by Venus Charters, Fury Catamaran, Sebago, Sunny Days, and Barefoot Billy’s Jet Skis.  These water excursions range from women-only sunset sails to reef snorkeling, dolphin watching, music sails, and all-day water adventures.  There’s even a group commitment ceremony and a Gay & Lesbian Trolley Tour that spotlights the history and contributions of Key West’s flourishing LGBT community.

For more information on these and other events, drop by the Womenfest Hospitality Suite which will be open daily at the Southernmost Hotel, or visit www.womenfest.com.

Cooking with the Butches

There’s a new cookbook hitting lesbian kitchens everywhere and it’s offering up a lot more than your typical recipes for a good meal. The Butch Cook Book is really more about having fun with cooking, enjoying food, learning about different butches from around the world, and getting a butch history lesson all in one.

The recipes themselves are contributed by butch women from all different walks of life and fall into various food categories including: Quick fixers, Breakfasters, Sweet toothers, Vegetarians, Pasta Lovers, Meat eaters, Pot-luckers, and Food for furry friends. Each recipe shared is brought to the reader with warmth and often humor and most are relatively easy to replicate. Favorites include: Flat Chicken by Shelly Timberwolf, Apple Pie Cake by Louise Griffin, Three Methods of Green Bean Preparation by Garbo, Blue Cheese and Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes by Barb Beyenhof, Cheesy-Garlicky Biscuits by Jack, Superb Apple Salad by Bernie Gardner, and Amuse Bouche by Crin Claxton.

All recipes are contributed by a lesbian who identifies as butch and biographies and femme responses – where the butch’s counterpart shares her opinion of the meal with the reader -  follow most entries.

In addition to the recipes and insights into the lives of the contributors are little commentaries on butch history and culture. One excerpt speaks to the qualities of a butch lesbian stating:

Morsel: The cultural ideals of butch are so much newer, so much more nebulous, and yet we seem to know when it’s being done well.  When people speak admiringly of a butch, what I see is someone who has taken on the best gendered characteristics of both woman and man, left a lot of the stuff born of misogyny and heterosexism behind, and walked forward into the world without apology. —S. Bear Bergman

The cookbook is edited by Lee Lynch, Sue Hardesty, and Nel Ward. The three are old friends who have hung out together, sharing a myriad of interests including books, travel, writing, yard sales, life in a small coastal fishing village—and eating Nel’s food. Lee, a confirmed butch since her teen years, began writing as a way to  “reflect the happiness that lesbians can achieve” and with this book, and her love of food, has found a way to combine her two passions. Nel Ward and Sue Hardesty have been partners for almost four decades and share a strong interest in cooking and cookbooks. As their website explains, “They cook almost everything together in a stereotypical ‘butch/femme’ approach as Nel watches over Sue’s prep work with a ‘femme’ eye.”

A sequel to the cookbook is already in the works and the editors are seeking entries from “all self-identified lesbians—singles, couples, mothers, grandmothers, teenagers, et al.” Their deadline is December 31st. For more information on The Butch Cook Book and the upcoming A New Lesbian Cook Book visit http://www.butchcookbook.com.

To purchase The Butch Cookbook, visit the link below.

Welcome to the Gayborhood: Las Vegas

BY MATT SKALLERUD

Las Vegas has long been known as “The Entertainment Capital of the World,” but these days the desert destination boasts much more than strippers and Cher concerts - especially for its growing LGBT community.

While there are no hard and fast numbers on how many LGBT residents live in and around Clark County - in which Las Vegas is located - it’s estimated that 10 percent of the area’s 1.7 million residents call the desert paradise home. The region is also one of the fastest growing in the United States according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2006 study (500-600 new gay residents are reportedly moving to the area every month), which ranked Las Vegas proper as the 28th most populous city in the nation.

Driving Las Vegas’ steady economy is the confluence of tourism, gaming and conventions, which in turn feed the retail and dining industries - industries that employ much of the city’s residents and keep tourists busy. Among travelers, Sin City is consistently the second most visited U.S. destination for gay and lesbians after New York City, according to the 12th Annual Gay and Lesbian Tourism Study conducted by San Francisco-based Community Marketing Inc., a gay market research and development lab. In addition, McCarran International Airport, which serves the Vegas area, was ranked 14th in the world for passenger traffic, with 47,595,140 passengers passing through its terminal last year.

Off the famed Strip, business booms in other areas, including the legal services industry, which provides bail, marriage, divorce, tax, incorporation and other services. Technology companies, such as Bigelow Aerospace, CommPartners and eVital Communications, also are growing their presence in the area. This influx of new business is likely due to Clark County’s favorable tax climate, which assesses only a 7.75 percent sales and use tax, exempting food for home consumption and prescribed medical goods. Nevada also claims the lowest tax rate of any state in the nation, with no personal income, inheritance, gift, estate, franchise, inventory or corporate taxes.

While gay life in Vegas - though scarce until recently - is scattered on and off the Strip, its unofficial gay district, known as the “Fruit Loop,” serves as the heart of Vegas’ LGBT community. Located near the intersection of Paradise Road and Naples Drive, this strip mall is home to a variety of clubs, bars and a bookstore frequented by a diverse crowd seven days a week. On the other side of town, the Commercial Center, located on Sahara Ave., provides even more alternative outing options.

opular bars and clubs include Freezone, featuring the Queens of Las Vegas, the longest-running drag show in Sin City; Piranha Nightclub and 8 1⁄2 Lounge, where free drinks are often given to those who imbibe in the underwear; Badlands Saloon, attracting a country-western crowd; Gipsy, voted ‘Original and Legendary Gay Nightclub’ by GayVegas.com; Goodtimes, which plays a variety of music, including’80s and industrial; and Girl Bar, Vegas’ only lesbian dance party, held Saturday nights at Krave Nightclub, the only alternative hot spot located on the Strip.

In the print media, Vegas has only one major publication targeting the LGBT community. QVegas - a monthly, full-color, glossy magazine - has served as the voice of the LGBT community in southern Nevada since its inception in 1978 as the Bohemian Bugle. Over the past three decades, QVegas has changed names and publishers, but has remained a constant force in the local community’s fight for equality and acceptance, both within the Las Vegas area and the world at large. The magazine’s overseeing entity, Stonewall Publishing, also created the first successful gay community business directory as well as a number of special event guides. Integral figures at QVegas include Kelly McFarlane Smith (Publisher), LuAnne Austin (Advertising Director), Chris Campbell (General Manager) and M. Cory Burgess (Editor/Creative Director).

Politically speaking, the State of Nevada has enacted non-discrimination laws, protecting individuals against discrimination based on sexual orientation but not gender identity. The state government also permits single LGBT individuals to adopt and does not explicitly prohibit same-sex couples from adopting; in some jurisdictions, such as Clark County, an LGBT man or woman can adopt his or her same-sex partner’s child. In addition, the state will issue new birth certificates to post-operative transsexuals. Nevada law does not, however, address school issues relating to sexual orientation or gender identity, and the state constitution bans the recognition of marriages between same-sex couples; there are no other forms of relationship recognition for same-sex couples in state law or policies.

Major events held in Vegas annually include Las Vegas Pride, which generally spans from mid-April to early-May and features a wide array of activities and entertainment including an art show, an all-ages “Skate Night,” bingo, a parade, festival, the official “Pride Ball,” and the Threads of the Community fundraiser. More recently established, “Gay Days & Nights Las Vegas” takes place over the Independence Day holiday weekend and is presented by Cirque du Soleil, Travelocity, host hotel Paris Las Vegas, and QVegas magazine. Weekend activities include cocktail parties, fashion shows, gay excursions and desert discovery adventures, among a host of other available options, all which benefit the Gay & Lesbian Center of Southern Nevada, Las Vegas Pride and the Liberace Foundation.

Though Vegas lacks the centralized LGBT social area that most major metro areas contain, the city is ripe with resources for its active community. The aforementioned Gay & Lesbian Community Center of Southern Nevada offers a focal point for the variety of gay and lesbian organizations found throughout the greater Las Vegas Valley area, including the Human Rights Campaign, which manages a hub within the city, and Parents, Families, Friends of Lesbians & Gays (PFLAG). Other organizations, such as the Imperial Royal Sovereign Court of the Desert Empire, Lambda Business & Professional Association, Nevada Gay Rodeo Association, and Sin City Q Socials, cater to a variety of varied interests within the LGBT community.

Larger Fortune 500 companies with strong diversity initiatives for gay & lesbian employees include:

Company	CEI Rating*	Fortune 500 Rating
Harrah’s Entertainment	100	254
Sierra Health Services	88	943
MGM Mirage	85	315

CEI Rating: HRC Corporate Equality Index is a tool to measure how equitably companies are treating their gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender employees, consumers and investors.

For more LGBT information about Las Vegas visit: QVegas Magazine: www.QVegas.com, Vegas Gay Yellow Pages: www.VegasGayYellowPages.com, www.GayLasVegas.com, www.VegasOneSource.com, www.gaylasvegasonline.com, Las Vegas Pride: www.lasvegaspride.org, and the Gay & Lesbian Community Center: www.thecenter-lasvegas.com.

Article by Michael Knipp

This article was reprinted with permission from Pink Banana Media www.PinkBananaMedia.com/MarketReport.

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