Julia Serano: Transgender Dyke

BY ULLA KELLY

Author, activist, slam poet, facilitator, blogger, singer, and scientist… and there’s enough in print and online to make researching you a full-time job - where on earth do you get the time and energy?

Julia Serano (JS): Well, I’m kind of naturally hyperactive I suppose. Plus I often have insomnia, which really helps create extra time (although it’s not so helpful with regards to energy). I should also say that while I do or have done all of the things you mentioned, I don’t do them all at the same time. Being a scientist is my day job. These days most of my time outside of that goes toward writing, which is both a creative outlet for me, but also a form of activism (as I primarily write about trans issues and perspectives). I still sometimes perform slam poetry and music, but not as much as I used to.

If you had to pick just one of those hats to wear, which would it be? (You really have to choose, there’s a metaphorical gun to your head or a right wing fundamentalist or something.)
JS: These days I’ve been really into writing, so I’d have to say that.

I hope this isn’t an offensive question, but were you this energetic and productive before you transitioned?
JS: For the most part. Like I said, I’m kind of naturally hyperactive. Before my transition, I was mostly focused on music, and put most of my energy into that. I did experience a lot of sadness back then with regard to my gender situation, and went through periods when I felt too depressed to be creative or productive. But other times I found that having a creative outlet was a useful distraction for me when I wasn’t so happy.

Do you ever get fed up with having the word “transsexual” attached to your art?
JS: Not really, but I think that’s mostly because I have been focused almost exclusively on writing about gender and trans issues. It would be silly for me to complain about the label “transsexual” when it does apply to the content of most of my work.

I suppose that if I began to write mostly about other topics, it could become frustrating. While I’m proud to be transsexual, I also know that sometimes identity labels like that can be used to put minority artists’ work into its own separate box. I know a lot of queer writers and musicians who feel like that label holds them back from reaching the same audiences that non-queer artists have access to.

In a perfect world, which would be the better option: a situation where everyone was so relaxed and public about transgender issues that nobody would discriminate, or a situation where transsexual people would all be thoroughly and convincingly in stealth mode so that they’d all simply be treated as the gender they were meant to be?
JS: Personally, I’d much prefer to live in the first world. I currently have the privilege of “passing” as a cissexual (i.e., non-transsexual) woman. While it still feels amazing to finally be seen and accepted as female, I think I would go crazy if I couldn’t talk about my trans-specific experiences—for example, my experiences moving through the world as male pre-transition, or my experiences transitioning.

One thing that I find really frustrating about being transsexual is that (at least right now) it is difficult to be both out *and* to be seen as myself. For example, when a cissexual lesbian woman comes out, people get to see her as she sees herself—as a lesbian woman. However, when I come out as a transsexual woman, people get to see me as trans (which I am), but they also tend to stop seeing me as legitimately female and instead see me as a “man” (which I am not). I am looking forward to the day when I can both be open about being trans and be respected as a woman simultaneously.

One more thing I feel I should add: The idea of a world in which all trans people could live completely stealth might appeal to many transsexuals, but there are also lots of transgender spectrum folks who don’t see themselves as completely female or male. Lots of people are genderqueer or bi-gender, so I think that a world where people were respectful of all transgender spectrum identities would be best.

Should celebrities come out of their various closets, or are they entitled to their privacy?

JS: Now that’s a really tough question. I remember in the 1980’s and early 1990’s when many queer activists were frustrated that celebrities like Jodie Foster or Michael Stipe refused to come out publicly as lesbian or gay. If they had come out way back then, it might have really had a big, positive impact. But it also may have prematurely ended their careers. Who knows. I really do think that it’s a double-edged sword, because if you come out as gay or queer or as trans in an unwelcoming world, then you do often become ghettoized as a “queer” or “trans” artist. While I am personally fine with that for myself, I can understand why others might wish to avoid it.

Anyway, in general, I think being out is a positive thing, but I can understand why some people may choose not to do so for privacy or safety reasons, and I respect that choice. However, what I have no tolerance for are closeted queer people who are outspokenly anti-queer in their public persona. Last year in the U.S., there was a rash of prominent right-wing, anti-queer politicians and preachers who were caught having same-sex affairs. That kind of hypocrisy really annoys and angers me.

Thinking about recent hate crimes in the first world as well as the third, do you think there’s any hope of humanity learning tolerance?

JS: I think people are definitely able to learn to respect people who are different from them in whatever way. Unfortunately, it tends to take a really long time for entrenched “isms” (such as racism, classism, ableism, and the many different variations of sexism) to be challenged and eventually overturned. I am an optimist, so I’d like to think that it’s possible to end these (and other) forms of oppression. But I am also a pragmatist, and realize that it is a long process that will surely not be fully reached in my lifetime.

Where do all the words come from? When you write, do you think or do the words just happen? Do you edit your stuff much afterwards?

JS: Back when I was mostly doing music or poetry, I found that sometimes things would just come to me all at once. I would sit down one or two times and the piece would just write itself. These days, however, I’ve been writing a lot of essays, which really require a lot of forethought and planning. So often I’ll have an outline of how I want to present it, and I will do lots of editing along the way.

What are the differences (besides the tune factor) between writing a song and writing a poem?

JS: Hmmm, that’s a really good question. I personally feel that the best song lyrics are usually impressionistic. The music is already creating a mood, so I like to pick words or phrases that are likely to evoke thoughts or pictures in people’s minds, rather than tell them exactly what I’m thinking. I want them to fill in the blanks themselves. With poems, however, there are only the words, so I am a little more explicit with what I am trying to say. I am trying to share my thoughts and feelings with someone else, rather than simply provoking other people’s thoughts and feelings.

But of course, that’s just me. I know lots of people who write very impressionistic poems, or who write very explicit and straightforward song lyrics.

Your blog title, “blog-born-blog” - shouldn’t this be updated to “cis-blog”? Heheh.

JS: Once all of the cis women who still use the “womyn-born-womyn” label own up to their cis privilege and realize how that label is inherently marginalizing to trans women, then hopefully my blog will then also become aware of its own cis-blog privilege…

I read one of your blog posts which reminded me of something I’ve heard from a few people lately i.e. that the gay and lesbian community often shuns transgender/intersex/bisexual people - could you elaborate on that? As a dyke myself, what would you advise me to do to help redress the balance?

JS: I’ve written a lot about this issue (from a transsexual perspective) in my book and on my website. Here’s how I see it. We all understand how heterosexism works: same-sex attraction and relationships are seen as being less legitimate than “opposite”-sex relationships. But that is not the only type of sexism that LGBTIQ people face. Bisexuals (but not gays and lesbians) regularly face monosexism, which is the belief that being exclusively attracted to members of one sex is somehow more valid or legitimate than being attracted to people of multiple sexes. Similarly, trans people regularly face cissexism or cisgenderism, which is the belief cis gender identities and expressions are more natural or legitimate than trans ones. Furthermore, transsexual and intersex bodies are generally seen (albeit in different ways) as less natural and valid than cissexual and non-intersex bodies.

It has been my experience that some (although certainly not all) gays and lesbians are very resistant to the idea that they enjoy some privileges that other sexual minorities do not. Those who are resistant tend to see no benefit in joining with other sexual minorities to challenge all of these forms of sexism together, rather than solely focusing on heterosexism. And often they will narrowly view these different groups myopically through gay-centric politics—for example, by assuming that bisexuals are really gay people who still have “one foot in the closet,” or that transsexuals are really gay people who change their sex in order to fit into straight society. Such views are not only narrow-minded, but narcissistic.

My advice for cis dykes and gay men who wish to be allies is to listen to others, own your own privileges, recognize that there are multiple forms of sexism, and realize that it is impossible to ever eliminate heterosexism unless we fight to end all forms of sexism simultaneously.

I have a question for you from a transgender friend of mine; actually the dyke who steered me to your website in the first place, ‘what influenced your descion to come out on a wide scale and how has this affected your life since the writing of your novel?’

JS: Well, I didn’t initially mean to come out on such a wide scale. At first I was just a local performer. But as I got more into activism, and as my writings and performances began reaching a wider audience, it just sort of happened that way. I’ve been lucky because I live in the San Francisco Bay Area (which is largely trans friendly) and am in academia (where diversity is appreciated more than the world at large), so there haven’t been too many negative ramifications of me being so out.

Mostly, I am just happy that other trans folks and allies are able to find and be influenced by my writings—I feel very privileged for that. As someone who grew up in the 70’s and 80’s feeling isolated because of the lack of information about trans people, I am happy to know that I am now one of many trans voices that are easily accessible on the web or in bookstores.

For more on Julia visit www.juliaserano.com.

OutRyders Takes New England Lesbians to the Slopes

For many, the winter weather means it’s time to once again bundle up, get the skis and snowboards out of storage, and venture out to take on the mountains. For gays and lesbians in the New England area it also means checking in with their friends and fellow snow sport enthusiasts at OutRyders, New England’s premier LGBT ski and snowboard club. The club was formed in 2001 as the area’s first and only gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and gay-friendly not-for-profit snowboarding club. Their 2002-2003 season saw the addition of skiing to the organization’s mission.

The purpose of OutRyders is to create a friendly and open atmosphere where everyone can learn about and participate in the sports of skiing and snowboarding. Another goal of the group is to provide an accessible social environment to foster friendships and interaction amongst its members while they enjoy these sports.

The active planning board of OutRyders plans most of the events and takes care of all the behind-the-scenes logistics. However, they are always open to suggestion from their larger pool of members.

Membership. Joining OutRyders is easy and all done online. Those who are interested can visit their Membership page at http://www.outryders.org for further instruction. As a member, you’ll be eligible to participate in all OutRyders events. You’ll also receive access to a members-only mailing list in which members email each other about various topics including impromptu ski and snowboard trips and social events.

The group feels that anyone who wants to have fun on the slopes during the winter season should join OutRyders. They encourage skiers and snowboarders of all abilities and you don’t even have to know how to ski or snowboard to be part of the fun—they welcome newbies and also schedule off-mountain events and socials throughout the year.

The biggest benefit of the membership is the ability to participate in their activities and mailing list. Through the mailing list, members will find out about all their upcoming events, whether they’re planned months ahead of time or the night before a big storm. Members also learn out about their occasional off-the-slope social events and any other club news. Through the mailing list, members can suggest their own trips, or find someone to ski or ride with when they have a day off in the middle of the week. Plus, this 08/09 Season, you will be entitled to an official OutRyders ID tag and T shirt to identify you as an OutRyders member on the slopes.

On-mountain events. A morning meeting time and location is posted ahead of time so that members can meet and get organized once everyone arrives at the mountain. Members then generally split up into smaller groups of similar abilities (green novice, intermediate blues, expert blacks, or members going to the terrain park or through the glades and trees). Often members familiar with the mountain and the trails volunteer to lead a group. This is a great opportunity to meet other OutRyders that match each skill level.

The lunch meeting time and location is posted beforehand as well. This way, should a group further divide up, or if members become separated during the morning runs, they can meet up with their fellow OutRyders for a hearty lunch. After lunch, members return to the slopes for more skiing and riding.

Once the lifts close, they return to the lodge for après ski and catch up with each other before heading home.

Ski trips take place throughout New England. They try to hit as many different mountains and resorts as possible each season. Their out West week-long trip rotates around the various gay ski weeks. Socials usually take place in and around the Boston area.

For more information visit http://www.outryders.org.

Featured photo by Andrew McFarlane.

Have a Holly Folly Weekend in P’town!

This Friday, December 5, 2008 the annual Holly Folly Weekend will kick off in Provincetown, Massachusetts and once again include shopping, events, and parties sure to get lesbian visitors in the holiday spirit.

The weekend is organized by the Provincetown Business Guild and this year’s Headquarters are at the Crown & Anchor at 247 Commercial Street from 10AM – 5PM. Attendees can pick up their Holly Folly Shop Hop Passport at one of the Welcome Centers, make five qualifying purchases in any of Provincetown’s Holly Folly Provincetown unique and eclectic shops, and enjoy lunch or dinner in one of the restaurants and receive a free gift!

Event highlights include: Friday from 10-1 - The Snow Ball at The A – House; Saturday at 10AM, Reindeer Spin at Mussel Beach Health Club; Saturday 10AM to 2PM, Book and Bake Sale at the Unitarian Universalist Meeting House; 11AM to 4PM, Souper Saturday at the Crown & Anchor, raising money for The Provincetown Soup Kitchen; 11AM to 4PM, Gift Wrapping, Wave Bar, Crown & Anchor; 3PM – 6PM, Karaoke Caroling with Thirsty Burlington, Little Bar at Atlantic House; 9:30 PM – 1AM, “Jingle Ball with DJ Chris Racine” at the Crown & Anchor; Sunday 2pm, “The Santaland Diaries,” Art House; and much more. See the detailed schedule at www.ptown.org

Also, for the weekend, a Holly Folly Trolley will be making loops of Provincetown’s Commercial Street for shoppers.

For more information visit www.ptown.org.

This Week in Lesbian News…

Thanksgiving has come and gone but it certainly didn’t slow down the world of LGBT news last week. From a powerful politician’s lesbian sister letting the world know how she feels about her brother to major gay adoption updates and New York and Australia both taking a step toward marriage equality it was a busy start to the holiday season.

Newt Gingrich’s sister speaks out. Candace Gingrich, the Human Rights Campaign’s youth and campus outreach senior manager and sister of Republican politician New Gingrich, made an appearance last week on MSNBC’s “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” to continue the dialogue on Prop 8 and the fight for marriage equality. Candace also published a must-read letter to her brother Newt Gingrich that has been viewed over 260,000 times since it was recently posted on Huffington Post. In the letter, Candace stated, “I recently had the displeasure of watching you bash the protestors of the Prop 8 marriage ban to Bill O’Reilly on FOX News. I must say, after years of watching you build your career by stirring up the fears and prejudices of the far right, I feel compelled to use the words of your idol, Ronald Reagan, ‘There you go, again.’ However, I realize that you may have been a little preoccupied lately with planning your resurrection as the savior of your party, so I thought I would fill you in on a few important developments you might have overlooked. The truth is that you’re living in a world that no longer exists. I, along with millions of Americans, clearly see the world the way it as - and we embrace what it can be. You, on the other hand, seem incapable of looking for new ideas or moving beyond what worked in the past.” She went on to say “What really worries me is that you are always willing to use LGBT Americans as political weapons to further your ambitions. That’s really so ‘90s, Newt. In this day and age, it’s embarrassing to watch you talk like that. You should be more afraid of the new political climate in America, because, there is no place for you in it. In other words, stop being a hater, big bro.”

Florida judge rules adoption ban not rational. A decision by a Miami, Florida judge last week now allows a man who has since 2004 acted as a foster parent to two boys to move forward with proceedings to adopt them. Florida currently bans adoption by lesbians and gays through one of the strictest laws in the country. Miami Dade Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman ruled that the ban has “no rational basis.” Attorneys for the state of Florida say they will appeal the ruling.

The fight for adoption rights gets stronger. On November 25th, All Children - All Families, a program of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation Family Project, held a press conference at the HRC building to launch a new awareness campaign aimed at increasing LGBT foster parenting and adoption. All Children – All Families, launched in 2007, also seeks to enhance LGBT competence among child welfare professionals and educate LGBT people about opportunities to become foster or adoptive parents to waiting children. Thirty-four agencies from across the U.S are currently participating in the initiative, and more than a dozen agencies are close to earning the seal of recognition. Check out www.hrc.org/acaf for more information.

Marriage discussions continue. Australian lawmakers have approved legislation that amends family, health, and taxation laws to extend rights to LGBT people, but have stopped short of granting full marriage equality. Members of the Australian Senate amended 100 current laws to give LGBT couples access to the same services as different sex domestic partners, including benefits under the state-run health care program and parental rights. The Legislation now moves to the House of Representatives, where it is expected to pass.

And in New York, HRC and Marriage Equality New York hosted a forum in Manhattan last week to discuss strategies to achieve marriage equality in the state. HRC National Field Director Marty Rouse, Marriage Equality New York President Cathy Marino, and State Senator Tom Duane all spoke at the event.

Record Label Support for Queer Musicians

Based out of San Francisco, California, Queer Control Records (QCR) is an independent non-profit (501(c)(3) status pending) record label for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, queer, and questioning (LGBTIQQ) community. Since May 2007, QCR has existed for the purpose of providing charitable assistance to LGBTIQQ musicians. They have a simple goal: to bring you the best music you haven’t heard… yet. In the changing environment of independent punk music, they seek to provide an outlet for emerging artists to share their visions.

“QCR is all about bringing life back to queercore and riot grrl music. A big part of accomplishing that is recognizing that there are still a lot of great queer bands out there that even tend to be better than most of their ‘straight’ counterparts. We want to give these bands an extra boost through our support, because they will ultimately help build up the community of queer music and musicians just by being heard,” described QCR Co-founder and President/CEO Marlene Melendez.

The Bands. Pariah Piranha is an eclectic alternative rock band out of York, PA with a raw and amorphous sound. Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and all-around leading lady, Tara Gordon, is joined by funky, comedic drummer, Andrea Shearer, and ridiculously talented bassist, Tony Garber – known to his label mates as “Ginger Bear.” Based in San Francisco, Box Squad is a tongue-in-cheek political dykecore trio that’s true to its riot grrl roots. Featuring former members of The Alter Bois and Fabulous Disaster, these ladies are hilariously politically incorrect and an absolute blast on stage. Tough Tough Skin is a
Minneapolis-based ball of energy that draws on musical backgrounds in old school punk, riot grrl, folk, bluegrass and indie rock to take queer-core in a whole new direction.

At QCR they are extremely dedicated and eager to work towards their goals and to be the PA system for the next voice of music. They want to inspire musicians - both young and old by encouraging those who are new to the music scene to establish their own voice, while showing older artists a way to rediscover their original motivation.

They also recognize and respect the visionaries who have come before them and inspired them to strike out on our own and represent the next generation of GLBTIQ musicians. Their team is comprised of passionate young professionals – many who are musicians themselves. Because of this, they bring forward a unique blend of strong business management skills coupled with insightful creativity.

For more information about QCR, please visit http://www.queercontrol.com.

The Locals Go Big

Fronted by singer and songwriter Yvonne Doll, the Locals have been a part of the Chicago music scene for the last decade. With three talented musicians who together share a passion for the unique and exciting sound that they create, the band has earned themselves a dedicated fan base while playing extensively in the Midwest. Once a four piece, the Locals have downsized and are now made up of Doll, bassist and long-term partner of Doll, Christy Nunes, and drummer Kirk Snedeker. Cherry Grrl recently interviewed Doll about her band, “Big Picture” – their fourth studio effort and their first full length CD in almost six years, and the other very cool projects that she’s currently working on.

Cherry Grrl (CG): How would you describe the musical style of The Locals?
Yvonne Doll: Plaid. Like catholic schoolgirls’ skirts that needs to be ironed. We’re unkempt and multifarious. (I only use that word “multifarious’ because it’s at least a $5 dollar word and I want the Cherry Grrl readers to think I’m one of those deep, brainy, artsy chicks, else I could just have just said “diverse.”) Multifarious. Sounds kind of naughty to me, I like it.

I’m told our songs don’t sound the same from one to the next. It’s either because we have very diverse musical influences or it’s that I have a very short attention span when writing. Our music gets called “poppy, alt-rock” quite a bit.

CG: How did the three of you come together as a band?
YD: Well Christy (bass player) and I started this band about 11 years ago; we’ve had a couple of different line-ups. Kirk (drummer) answered an ad we placed after a band member shake up left us bangerless. (And you have to have the banging.) Kirk was the first person to answer, the only person we auditioned (cause he is awesome, he also is an amazing chef, so yeah, he was IN!), and he actually lives like three blocks from us. It was kismet!

CG: What is behind your band’s name, The Locals?
YD: Pain, suffering, and controversy. OK I’m being a little dramatic. But I will tell you that there is a band from Oakland called “The Matches” that got so pissed when they had to change their name (they were originally calling themselves “The Locals” and I actually own the trademark on it) that they named their first release on Epitaph Records “E.Von Dahl Killed The Locals.” I even have a nickname “Evil Yvonne.” I thought it was hilarious and a great name for a disc. It’s been years now and I still get some insano emails from their fans. Clearly I can never go to Oakland. It’s too bad. Oakland seems nice.

Christy and I actually saw the name graffiti’d on a wall in Cincinnati (my home town) in like 1996 and liked the way it sounded so “The Locals” were born.

CG: What experience did you have with music and performing prior to creating your band?
YD: I was a solo acoustic performer for a bunch of years. I have a solo cd called “Bliss” that I wrote after a three month road trip in a massive brown Buick with my best friend Anne. I also briefly played bass in my sister’s band right after college.

My mom was a music teacher when I was growing up, so I played piano and was always writing little songs and singing them to my cat. I used to sing into vacuum cleaner handle to Heart, when I was a kid. Heart - oh yeah… that is when I knew I wanted to be a rock singer.

CG: How is this 4th album different than previous releases that you have had?
YD: It is actually a pretty big departure. The Locals used to be a more folky rock kind of thing. We had a couple of great guys in our band for seven years. (A violinist - think Dave Matthews band - and really blue-collar hard-hitting drummer.) It was a lot of fun. But then those guys decided to settle down (not with each other) and left the band.

So Christy and I took the opportunity to do something totally different, harder, louder, more GRRR. So this cd “Big Picture” is more reflective of that. We also had an amazing producer - Steve Gillis (Filter) - who really helped us tighten our sound. It’s definitely the most evolved CD we’ve done.

CG: What other bands/artists do you consider to be your musical influences?
YD: The Pixies, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Foo Fighters, PJ Harvey, Elvis Costello, Sonic Youth.

CG: How often do you all perform and do you ever go on the road out of the Chicago area?
YD: Well we’ve been working really hard for the last year with studio stuff, we just released our disc in June and released a new video for “Big Picture” this week (Nov 12), so our touring schedule has been more lean than usual. We usually are playing in Chicago every six weeks or so and on the road a couple of weekends a month.

CG: What is it like being in a band with your long-term partner?
YD: It’s great. We get along famously (even after 12 years) and love touring. It’s easier when you’re not leaving someone at home. It’s funny because in the context of the band we really are just “band mates.” We’ll go on a road trip and when we get back we’ll be like “I missed you.” We don’t bring our relationship stuff into the band “arena.” The band is so important to the both of us, we try and keep our relationship stuff separate.

CG: Do you find that you have a lot of lesbian fans?
YD: In Chicago, I think we do, yeah. But we’re always looking for more! We have a great fan base. I love Locals fans. I want to have a beer with all of them. The people who dig our music tend to be people who just out and out crave new music and love discovering new bands. We have a pretty diverse fan base, though. It’s not just a sea of lesbians at our shows (although I had a lovely dream like that once…), we really enjoy that our music appeals to a large variety of people.

CG: You are also a photographer and painter. What are some other projects that you are working on?
YD: Well my largest piece right now is Sleepy Urbanite (sleepyurbanite.com). I take pictures of people sleeping on the train with my cell phone and make portraits of them, then post them to sleepyurbanite.com. It’s been VERY interesting because of all of the privacy issues it’s raised. The blog is full of people who both love and hate the project. But I find it to be fascinating – people doing this very intimate thing, sleeping, in such a packed and public place. I mean think about it, usually the only people that see you sleeping are people who are closest to you. There is something, at least for me, very beautiful and moving about seeing people in this state of absolute unguarded grace.

This project has landed me on The Today Show, NBC News, The Chicagoist, Time Out Chicago, Newstalk Radio (Ireland), and most recently the photos were featured in VOXPOP, a really cool pop culture /arts magazine in France.

I’m also working on a more collaborative, public piece called “The Big Picture Project.” It’s sort of the visual companion to the new disc. It’s basically a living mosaic online: http://www.showmethebigpicture.com. It’s basically asking the question: “What does life look like this second? Get out your cell phone and take a picture right now.”

“The Big Picture Project” is a living mosaic. It’s all the things big and small that we visually digest each day - all strung together into one big-picture-paragraph. The mosaic is like taking our everyday lives and shooting it through a funky kaleidoscope… multiple vantage points, locations, perspectives all at the same time.

So I hope the Cherry Grrl readers will take some shots and send them. Stop, look, shoot anything that catches your eye, pisses you off, that you love, that you see each day, that you’ve just seen today… anything..

Anyone can text or email it to Bigpicture@localsrock.com and it’s automatically added to the mosaic.

CG: What are your goals and hopes for the future of the Locals?
YD: We’d like to spend a lot more time on the road. National tour would be great. But overall I just want to put out great music, reach more music fans and just keep swimming. We’ve also been getting some good radio support in the UK - we’d love to tour there as well!

For more information about The Locals visit http://www.localsrock.com and www.myspace.com/localsrockchicago.

Adventure Travel With The Skigrlz

Don’t let the name fool you – these grrls offer a lot more than skiing on their many trips throughout the year. Skigrlz, in partnership with Equinox Wilderness Expeditions, provides guiding services for a variety of winter and summer expeditions in Alaska, British Columbia, and South America. With over twenty scheduled trips every year - from arctic paddling and hiking to sea kayaking and skiing – this lesbian-owned company is bringing adventure travel, women-only, experiences to ladies in North America and beyond.

Skigrlz guides are all experienced women mountaineers, whitewater and ocean paddlers, ski instructors, and naturalists. The experienced guides share their knowledge and provide instruction in outdoor skills and have made it their livelihood to know the places they visit, with a 23-year perfect safety record.

The trips are small (6-7 participants), giving each person lots of individual attention from their experienced guides, and range from beginner to advanced. All that is required is a good fitness level, and a desire to get outdoors. “Our typical clients are very fit lesbians in their late twenties to mid-forties, most of whom are skiers, boarders and surfers,” explains co-owner, Karen Jettmar. But whether you are moms, daughters, friends, couples or a solo traveler – all women are welcome to join.

Skigrlz offers a handful of family oriented and co-ed trips as well; their partner company Equinox Expeditions offers many more. A lot of their trips are custom and private trips offered for repeat clients who have been traveling with them for over twenty years.

Winter Expeditions
In the winter, Skigrlz has some of the best skiing in the Coast Mountains right at their doorstep. They offer women-only weekend skiing and snowshoeing tours, as well as week-long private guided ski trips. From their wilderness base, you can step out the door into the backcountry where travelers can ski or snowshoe during the day, and at night, enjoy gourmet dinners and relax by the fire, or soak in natural hotsprings. For their snowshoe tours, no prior experience is required. For thier ski trips, they welcome women who are experienced backcountry skiers and mountaineers to join them.

Summer Fun
In the summer, Skigrlz offers lodge-based hiking packages, as well as week-long backpacking trips. They also offer rafting and whitewater kayak instruction programs. Whether you are a first-timer or a seasoned paddler looking to hone your skills, they will provide instruction and accommodations.

Their two biggest events every year coincide with Whistler gay ski week (snowshoe, ski and hotsprings in February) and Vancouver summer pride (hiking, surfing and kayaking during the first week of August).

This year, the special offering from Skigrlz is a lesbian trip to Ecuador in November of 2009. This trip will be offered by Skigrlz.com and Equinox Expeditions and can be broken down into three segments, of which it is possible to do only two or three parts of the expedition. The first part will be strenuous backpacking and mountaineering trip in the Andes. They will hike over a pass at 13,000 feet in the high Andes, before a steep descent into the jungle at the headwaters of the Amazon. They will stop at undeveloped natural hotsprings in the cloudforest to enjoy a bath in the wilderness beside spectacular waterfalls. The second part of the trip includes six days of surfing and yoga in a tropical paradise at a unique lesbian-owned eco-resort/women’s retreat on the Pacific Ocean (moderate-easy). The final segment is a relaxing week of sailing and wildlife viewing in the Galapagos. As with all skigrlz offerings, a reasonable fitness level is necessary to enjoy this trip. Hiking at high altitude and big surf on the Pacific make this trip primarily enjoyable for those with a regular fitness regimen and at least minimal experience hiking and camping.

The land-only portion in mainland Ecuador (segments 1 and 2), including accommodations and meals is $1450 USD for 14 days, including hotels, meals, guides, transportation and park fees. Participants should arrange flights to/from either Quito or Guyaquil Ecuador. The Galapagos sailing add-on is approx $850/person for 6 days plus $350 airfare Guyaquil-Baltra (Galapagos). This portion can also be arranged as day-charters, with land accommodations and charter day-trips from $450/person. Galapagos park entry/conservation fee is $100. There are no hidden costs, and you can decide how much of the trip you want to participate in.

For more information about Skigrlz visit http://www.skigrlz.com.

Fresh Ten Holiday Cocktails for the Grrls

The holiday season is upon us and while that means cold weather, annoying travel, uncomfortable family togetherness, and general stress it also means great food, fun parties, and lots of excuses to celebrate. In preparation for the upcoming merriment Cherry Grrl has compiled a list of our Fresh Ten Holiday Cocktails for the Grrls to help us through the most wonderful time of the year (in no particular order).

10. Lesbian Folk Musician
Ingredients:
2 cups water
8 cardamom pods
3 cloves
1 stick of cinnamon, broken up
2 bags of black tea (Irish Breakfast is good)
1/8 cup of half & half
1 oz. Baileys
1 1/2 - 2 oz. dark rum (Bacardi Anjeo is good)
1 oz. vodka (optional)

Directions: Boil spices and water for 5-10 min, add the tea and brew for 5 min. Chill. Add a cup of the tea and spices to the liquids in a shaker with ice. Shake, shake, shake - then serve in old fashioned glasses to reduce spillage. Dust a little cinnamon powder on top for garnish. (From http://www.feastoffools.net.)

9. Blue Lesbian Cocktail
Ingredients :
2 oz vodka (raspberry)
1 dash blue curacao liqueur
1 dash fruit juice

Directions: Pour vodka into a highball glass filled with crushed ice. Fill with fruit juice, stir, and add a dash of blue curacao. Garnish with a twist of lime, and serve with a swizzler stick. Serve in “Highball Glass.”

8. Lesbian Joy Cocktail
Ingredients:
A dash of Amaretto
A dash of kirsch
A dash of whisky
3 ounces (75 ml) of red wine
3 ounces (75 ml) of lemonade
A slice of orange
A maraschino cherry

Directions: Place a few ice cubes into your glass. Pour all of the ingredients into your glass. Stick the orange slice and cherry into the drink and enjoy.

7. Lesbian Handygirl
Ingredients:
1 part Gin
1 part Vodka
1 teaspoon lime juice
Red Bull

Directions: Mix the ingredients in a long-drink glass half full of ice cubes.

6. Lesbian Suicide
Ingredients:
2 oz. OVAL Vodka
2 oz. Apple Brandy
2 oz. Grape Juice

Directions: Mix all together, serve very chilled.

5. Chocolate Lesbian
Ingredients:
1/2 oz. Baja Luna
1/2 oz. Kahlua
1 sprinkle Cinnamon

Directions: Layer luna over kahlua, sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour into a shot glass.

4. Lesbian Slumber Party
Ingredients:
1 oz. Irish Cream (Bailey’s)
1 oz. Godiva
1 oz. Grand Marnier
1 oz. Vodka, vanilla (Skyy)
Milk
1 marshmallow
2 scoops mint chocolate chip ice Cream

Directions: Use a Hurricane glass. Fill blender with ice. Add ingredients and fill with milk. Blend, pour into chilled glass. Garnish with a marshmallow and serve.

3. Lesbian Lover
Ingredients:
1 1/2 oz Coconut Rum
12 oz Zima

Directions: Pour Zima into a frozen pilsner. Add a shot of coconut rum and enjoy.

2. Lesbian Baseball Team
Ingredients:
1/4 Oz Gin
1/4 Oz Rum
1/4 Oz Vodka
1/2 Oz Grenadine
3 Oz Pineapple Juice ingredients
0.25 oz. Southern Comfort
0.25 oz. Amaretto
0.25 oz. Banana Liqueur
0.25 oz. Blackberry Liqueur
0.25 oz. Meyer’s Rum

Directions: Mix all together with ice and serve in Collins glass.

1. Lesbian Love
Ingredients:
1/2 oz amaretto almond liqueur
1/2 oz Cusenier® Freezomint creme de menthe
1/2 oz amarula cream liqueur
1/2 oz Cointreau® orange liqueur

Directions: Layer in above order into a shot glass and serve.

Ulla Kelly

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TV Tonight: Sunday November 30th, 2008

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