A Super Bowl advertising controversy, surprising support for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” and the 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality… It’s all that and more in a week of lesbian news…

Victory for Equality in Maryland. On Wednesday (2/3), the Maryland House of Delegates Judiciary Committee defeated a bill that sought to reject recognition of same-sex marriages performed outside of the state. This now prevents the bill from going to a vote on the House floor.

Obama and Clinton Speak Out Against Anti-Gay Bill in Uganda. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton spoke out against the pending anti-homosexuality bill in Uganda at the 58th National Prayer Breakfast on 2/4. The Human Rights Campaign reported that: “during his address, President Obama stated that it is unconscionable, at home or abroad, to target lesbians and gays for who they are.  Moreover, he described the Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill as ‘odious.’”

In related news, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Tammy Baldwin were joined by 11 of their Senate colleagues and 31 of their House colleagues in a recent letter to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton where they highlighted actions that can be taken by the State Department to address issues concerning foreign LGBT refugees.

Support for DADT Repeal. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that he personally supports the full repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Adm. Mullen stated: “No matter how I look at the issue, I cannot escape being troubled by the fact that we have in place a policy which forces young men and women to lie about who they are in order to defend their fellow citizens.” Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates also expressed support of a repeal and the two officials announced that a year-long review of the policy will be initiated to decide how best to move forward.

Then, one day later, the effort to repeal the discriminatory law received a monumental boost of support from General Colin Powell.  The former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the 1990’s, who supported the laws passage back in 1993, changed his position in a statement sent out on Wednesday, 2/3, saying, “attitudes and circumstances have changed.” In voicing his support for the law’s repeal, Gen. Powell threw his full support behind the, “the new approach presented to the Senate Armed Services Committee this week by Secretary of Defense Gates and Admiral Mullen.”

Equal Rights Advocates Say “No Thanks” to Visit from the Pope. Secular groups in London spoke out last week demanding that taxpayers should not be required to help finance Pope Benedict the XVI’s visit to the city in September. The groups feel strongly that the Catholic Church’s stance on LGBT issues (Pope Benedict recently made a public statement in opposition to a bill being reviewed by the Parliament in the U.K. that includes language to make it illegal for employers to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation) does not coincide with British law, which prevents any organization from discriminating against LGBT people.

Gay Marriage Coming Soon for Nepal. In an effort to attract more tourists to the war-ravaged country and boost its economy, Nepal is working to legalize same-sex marriages by May. Sunil Babu Pant, Asia’s only openly gay member of parliament and leader of the Nepal’s LGBT rights movement, has presented the legalization.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force’s 22^nd National Conference. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Executive Director Rea Carey presented the annual State of the Movement address last week during the 22nd National Conference on LGBT Equality: Creating Change, in Dallas, Texas. More than 2,000 lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights advocates gathered to strategize on how to advance LGBT equality from 2/3-2/7. To read Carey’s speech visit http://www.thetaskforce.org.

LGBT Safe-Space School Opens. According to GLAAD, a school dedicated to offering LGBT students in grades seven through 12 a learning environment safe from harassment opened in Los Angeles in January. A collaboration between the Opportunities for Learning charter school and the Lifeworks mentoring service sponsored by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, the program can accommodate up to 40 students and awards a high school diploma upon graduation.

Super Bowl Ad Controversy. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) called on CBS last week to publicly explain its advertising standards following its decision to exclude an ad with gay content from the Super Bowl broadcast. “CBS has a problem when they do something like this at the same time as they allow an anti-gay group like Focus on the Family to place ads during the Super Bowl,” said GLAAD President Jarrett Barrios. “This network should come clean to the public about what’s going on because this seems to be a homophobic double standard.” On Wednesday, GLAAD released a Call to Action for community members and allies to speak out after CBS allowed the anti-gay group Focus on the Family to advertise during the Super Bowl after having unfairly denied that ability to the LGBT-inclusive United Church of Christ in previous years.

BY SPENCER MAHONEY

“Engaging the law, per se, is a scary predicament for people wishing to attain equality.”

The above is one of the last sentences author and screenwriter Isabel P. Ball uses to finish the accounts of her story, a story that is currently being developed as an independent film.  In many ways, this one sentence not only does a very good job of describing Miss Ball’s personal struggles, but it is also a universal sentiment felt by groups of individuals, time and time again, in various countries and in numerous governments.

This particular story begins for Isabel P. Ball in Pakistan. Ball was a young lesbian woman who was open to romantic sentiment in a time and place that was not open to her particular amorous leanings.  In Pakistan, the word “amorous” was not the one that came to mind if two women were engaged in a romantic entanglement.  To many, “immoral” would be the first word that entered into their minds as they saw this type of display.

It is then, as cinematic irony would have it, in the very conservative world of 1980’s Pakistan, that a young Pakistani woman would catch Ball’s eye, and heart.  Indeed, they both knew the risks of such a relationship, yet somehow, the word “love” weighed heavier in their hearts than the word “danger” in their minds.

Ball writes: “Aware of the rigid Muslim culture, I am, at that point, simply overpowered by love energy.  I have least concerns about the dangers that lurk around, embedded in a culture of much maligned conservatism and religious fervor manifesting in lurid fanaticism.”

Although public sentiment was not on their side, for a while Isabel and her lover went unscathed by society.  However, as expected, when the truth of their “friendship” was realized, many of Ball’s lover’s family members and neighbors either outright disapproved of the women’s closeness or used Isabel’s desire to be accepted by them as a means to an end.

Isabel recounts these events by saying that, “Over time, our love develops. Expectedly, pressures and harassments mount upon us, imposed by her clan and their supporters in the village.  Money bilking schemes, physical threats, and their viciousness culminated in pilferage of my briefcase, much coveted for its valuable contents including jewelries and cash.”

The “affair of the briefcase” reads like the first shot fired during an act of civil strife; for this is the singular event that causes an emotional back-and-forth between Ball and the people of her lover’s area.  The police are called in by Ball to mediate the situation of her stolen valuables, yet this action ends up having a counter action that almost takes from Isabel the one thing she truly held as valuable among all others at that time, her lover.

“The clan, sensing love as the magnetic pull on their darling girl to me, pounces on her like a hawk, and takes her away to a bastion-like captivity, never to be seen or heard by me again.”

This ends up not being the case, however.  Like some last minute lightning strike of an idea in the mind of the action hero in the final acts of a movie, Isabel realizes a way to be reunited with her lover.  In what would surely seem an implausibility in 1980’s Pakistan, Ball decides to use the legal system to her advantage.  To some at that time (and probably even today), it may have seemed a foolhardy waste of time and effort.  However, to a woman in love and with resources, a few connections, and more than a lot of determination, it was all she had left at her disposal.

“Nothing I know of, not even miracles, which I know are unreal, could deliver a solution to the very convoluted love situation I’m in.  Then, the sophisticate mind spurs into action.  I make a gamble, as a last resort, invoking the power of the court system in a country that has zero tolerance for non-hetero relationships.  I reach the point where my attitude is simply to do or die.  Luckily, I find a smart lawyer.”

The fight Ball and her associates face is a grueling one… not too unlike the current battles for civil rights that are ongoing.  The situation in this case, however, was all the more compounded due to locale and cultural differences, not just in Pakistan, but across the globe, concerning gay rights at that time.  However, for the “Last Act” the readers will probably benefit best from reading the ordeal from the one who experienced it firsthand.

To sum up her uncertain legal battle for love, Isabel Ball goes on to say: “A grueling experience would seem an understatement [to describe] the entire ordeal.  Engaging law, per se, is a scary predicament for people wishing to attain equality.  Much more, to do it in a foreign land [with a] known archaic system and mindset is just sheer audacity, unparalleled in reality. In my case, I am one favored soul by destiny propelled and protected by the power of love. How ironic it is that a male Pakistani acquaintance prods the book idea to me.”

Ball says that miracle’s are unreal.  However, it would appear from the positive outcome of this case that perhaps miracles are a very realistic occurrence.  Perhaps in a push for equal rights, no matter who you are, where you live, or what government you live under all you need to carry your fight is a goal in your mind and love in your heart and the true miracle will be that one woman, or one million people, can stand up to that which they believe holds them back.  After all, isn’t love a miracle?  Perhaps the audience can decide for themselves when the film Following the Heart, which is based on Isabel P. Ball’s book, premieres.

]]> http://www.cherrygrrl.com/behind-the-celluloid-the-making-of-%e2%80%9cfollowing-the-heart%e2%80%9d/feed/ 0 http://www.cherrygrrl.com/interview-america%e2%80%99s-paradiso-girl-is-ready-for-the-world/ http://www.cherrygrrl.com/interview-america%e2%80%99s-paradiso-girl-is-ready-for-the-world/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:05:23 +0000 admin2 http://www.cherrygrrl.com/?p=9123 They are energetic, sexy, fun, and – after a long two years in development – eager to share their music with audiences everywhere. Aria, Kelly, Lauren, Shar, and Chelsea are the Paradiso Girls. Hailing from five different countries (Barbados, England, France, Philippines, and the U.S.) and boasting three lead singers, a rapper, and a DJ this girl group is a unique new addition to the pop music industry and an entertaining act whenever they hit the stage. They have been compared to the Spice Girls and the Pussycat Dolls, but with their hit single “Patron Tequila” and collaborations with artists like Lil Jon, Eve, and Will-i-Am they are paving their own way to the top. With their upcoming performance at the lesbian event Club Skirts The Dinah 2010, we decided to get know more about the exciting quintet so talked to the American rep and “girl-next-door,” Chelsea.

Cherry Grrl (CG): First of all, congratulations on the success of “Patron Tequila.”

Chelsea: Thank you!

CG: What has the experience of having a hit single been like for you?

Chelsea: It’s still unbelievable! I still cry every time I hear it on the radio because it’s that life-long dream finally starting to come true. But, nothing compares to when we are performing “Patron Tequila” and the whole crowd is singing along with us. It’s really amazing!

CG: Your fans are eagerly awaiting your full debut album – when is that slotted to be released and what can you tell us about it?

Chelsea: Well, I don’t want to give anything away, but we have been working on the album for over 2 years and have just wanted to perfect every bit of it by working with some of the top producers in the world to make an album that everyone, no mater what you listen to, can relate to! So I guess, just keep your eyes and ears out for us!

CG: Do  you have any favorite tracks of the upcoming release?

Chelsea: YES!! “Down” is my favorite Paradiso Girls track! You see, the group was formed a year before I joined, while I was on Pussycat Dolls Present: The Search For The Next Doll, and the first song I ever heard from the group was “Down.” It was also the first time that I have ever been in a recording studio to record. When I heard “Down” though, that’s when I decided that I wanted to be a part of the group. The song is about heartbreak, but then finding new love by the end. When you hear it, I guarantee you will love it as much as I do. Then, of course, I love “Patron Tequila” and another song we have called “DJ.”

CG: You are a unique band in that all of you hail from different countries. What benefits do you think that brings to your group?

Chelsea: (singing) “I’m a Yankee Doodle Dan Dee!” (laughs) U.S.A. baby!! I really think that I am just that American girl that has been inspired by everything and everyone ever since I was little and now I have that hunger and that drive filled with a million ideas ready to BURST!  And that’s what I bring to the group along with my vocals, daring performance skills, and AWWE-SOME personality (laughs).

CG: You have been compared to the Spice Girls and Pussycat Dolls, but what do you think sets you apart?

Chelsea: Now, don’t get me wrong! It’s awesome to get compared to such successful groups, but just like you said in the previous question, we are a unique (that means original) group that hails from all parts around the world. Also, there is no lead singer or front man! We are a team! There is no “I” in team… But there is an “I” in pie…. mmmm, pie…

CG: How would you describe your sound to someone who hasn’t heard it before?

Chelsea: It’s like nothing you have ever heard before!

CG: You have each worked really hard to earn your spot in the group and get to where you are now as a whole. Is being a member of a group like Paradiso Girls something that you hoped for growing up?

Chelsea: This is just the beginning for all of us and our dreams. Being where we are with Interscope Records is exactly where I always hoped I would be, but now to get to where I really want to be, like winning a Grammy, is where all my work comes into play.

CG: When did you realize that the music industry was where you wanted to be?

Kelly Commerford is the Director of Marketing at the Manchester Grand Hyatt in San Diego. The Manchester Grand Hyatt is owned by Doug Manchester. Doug Manchester donated $125K in 2008 to the campaign that successfully banned same-sex marriage in the state of California. Proponents of same-sex marriage in the state of California (and beyond) have since boycotted the Manchester Grand Hyatt. Kelly Commerford, an openly gay man, feels that this boycott was misdirected and unfair. Here, we let him explain why.

Cherry Grrl (CG): The Manchester Grand Hyatt has been the focus of negative attention from the gay and lesbian community ever since owner Doug Manchester made a $125K donation to the Yes on 8 campaign – helping to pass the gay marriage ban in the state of California. What is Doug Manchester’s current role with the hotel?

Kelly Commerford (KC): Doug Manchester is the property owner, from which Hyatt has a multi-year lease agreement to manage the property. Doug Manchester is not involved with the day-to-day management of the hotel or its staff.

CG: In what ways was the hotel affected by Manchester’s involvement with the anti-gay campaign?

KC: Regrettably, outside parties have targeted the Manchester Grand Hyatt because of Mr. Manchester’s donation two years ago. The resulting periodic demonstrations have been a disruption to guests and staff. It affects our morale, certainly. As a gay man, I understand and respect the negative attention Mr. Manchester first received, but he is only affiliated with the hotel by name. Why aren’t they demonstrating elsewhere? It’s because they want to unionize the hotel. Oddly enough, the main emphasis of these protests have been this hidden agenda of the unions to organize at the hotel, which is against the clear wishes of the hotel staff and employees. We remain grateful at the hotel that these disruptions have not resulted in lost work hours or shifts, as thankfully all of the business that was lost due to the so called “boycott” was able to be replaced.

CG: Doug Manchester is an outspoken opponent of equal rights. Has your hotel or the Hyatt Corporation ever publicly spoken out in support of equal rights and if not, why?

KC: Actually, Mr. Manchester has stated publicly “I am not, nor was I ever, anti-gay. I am and have been in favor of Domestic Partnership and Civil Unions for quite some time. I respect all members of the GLBT community and have several gay and lesbian employees in various departments and professional levels at Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego.”  The full statement of his position and personal letter to the community is available at http://www.mghsd4equality.com/. Mr. Manchester has offered to cement his change of heart with a commitment of $125,000 to LGBT organizations working in our communities to further our rights. This gift matches his previous donation to Yes on 8. Hyatt was the first major hotel company to offer our employees Domestic Partner Benefits and the company retains a strong track record of enforcing non-discriminatory policies throughout every hotel it operates, including Manchester Grand Hyatt. Hyatt Hotels Corporation includes nondiscrimination as part of its EEO policies and has consistently and proudly advertised in GLBT media including print, online, and event sponsorship participation.

CG:  As a gay man who represents the hotel, what was your reaction when you learned that he had made the donation?

KC: I know Doug Manchester personally, and I know he is not anti-gay. His act was one of a private citizen. I am proud to say that Mr. Manchester is now an ally to the LGBT community, and I think we have an opportunity and responsibility to embrace and celebrate that transformation.

CG: Still, at that time did you ever consider leaving your position at the hotel because of what the property owner did?

KC: No, why would I leave Manchester Grand Hyatt when I am a Hyatt employee that works for one of the most progressive companies that fully supports the LGBT community? We have an excellent domestic partner benefits program as well as a proactive marketing program that celebrates diversity.  I chose to join Hyatt and work at The Manchester Grand Hyatt because of our support of the LGBT community.

CG: Did you empathize with the position of those members of the LGBT community who protested the hotel?

KC: Boycotts and public displays of dissent can be constructive, when their goals are clearly defined. Wasn’t the goal to shed light on Mr. Manchester’s donation and correct it? This was accomplished. Let’s applaud that change, welcome a new ally, and continue doing valuable impactful work elsewhere.

CG: What do you feel it is that the gay and lesbian community misunderstands about the hotel and Doug Manchester?

KC: I would like the San Diego community to recognize the separation that exists between Mr. Manchester and Hyatt, that Hyatt and the Manchester Grand Hyatt will continue to be fierce supporters of the LGBT community here in California and across the country, and that Mr. Manchester is now a supporter of equal rights for all.

CG: How would you describe the hotel’s treatment of gay and lesbian guests?

KC: We treat all of our guests equally – they are our family and our number one priority.

CG: How would you describe the hotel’s treatment of gay and lesbian employees?

KC: We have about 300 out of about 1050 employees that are LGBT. We are proud of our long-standing record on diversity, inclusion and Domestic Partner Benefits. We continue to receive accolades and accreditation from a myriad of LGBT organizations and media outlets, including a 100% equality rating from HRC and inclusion in their “Best Places to Work” list six years running, and Advocate’s “Top-Ten Gay Friendly Employers in America.”

CG: Why should a gay or lesbian traveler choose your hotel if visiting San Diego?

KC: The Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego is a beautiful property, with exceptional accommodations and amenities. We welcome all visitors, especially our LGBT friends and family, to the hotel with open arms, as we always have. We are a part of the San Diego community and we love our city and all its guests. Hyatt will continue to support the LGBT community at every opportunity and we hope you will continue to do the same with Hyatt.

]]> http://www.cherrygrrl.com/from-boycott-target-to-self-proclaimed-lgbt-ally-%e2%80%93-what-the-manchester-grand-hyatt-wants-gay-travelers-to-know/feed/ 1 http://www.cherrygrrl.com/emily-dickinson%e2%80%99s-21st-century-makeover/ http://www.cherrygrrl.com/emily-dickinson%e2%80%99s-21st-century-makeover/#comments Mon, 08 Feb 2010 11:02:02 +0000 admin2 http://www.cherrygrrl.com/?p=9106 Emily Dickinson fans… meet Emily Dickinson’s number 1 fan: Jerome Charyn, the author of the new book, The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson. In his work, Charyn has written about Dickinson in her own voice, with all its characteristic modulations that he learned from many years of studying her letters and poems. His goal was to remove Dickinson’s own mysterious mask and reveal the passions and heartbreak of the person that he considers to be America’s greatest poet. Through this process, he examines her struggles with her female status, her strength in the face of opposition, her androgynous nature, and he even touches on the question of whether or not the notorious recluse was a lesbian. Here, Cherry Grrl discusses The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson with its author and we learn more about the poet, her sexuality, her impact on feminism, and more.

Cherry Grrl (CG): What is your new book, The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, all about?

Jerome Charyn (JC): It’s a novel told in Emily Dickinson’s voice.  I’m not trying to imitate Emily, but to re-imagine her for 21^st-century readers.

CG: How long have you been examining the life of Dickinson?

JC: I discovered Emily Dickinson when I was still in junior high and fell in love with her poems.  I didn’t think of them as male or female.  She spoke to me in her own wondrous voice—intimate and stark at the same time, as if she had a merciless power to hold me in her sway.  I never woke up from that spell.  I’m still in it right now.

CG: What is it about her and her life that interests you?

JC: The starkness, the fierce sense of her own vision.  We like to think of her as an old maid and a little mouse.  She was neither.  She had more strength than an entire century of men—men who disparaged women, robbed them of their sexuality and freedom of spirit in the name of protecting them.

CG: The question of whether or not she was gay is one that has been debated for a long time. What are your thoughts on that area of her life?

JC: It’s clear to me that she was androgynous—male and female at the same time, which makes her more and more modern.  As we move deeper into the 21^st century, gender is no longer as important as it seems.  Like Emily, most of us have male and female components, no matter what our sex is.  I’m not a ventriloquist.  I couldn’t have written a novel in Emily’s voice if I didn’t have some sense of the “female” inside me.

CG: What are some of the secrets about her life that your book reveals?

JC: The novel’s missing link is Emily’s lifelong fictional “romance” with Tom, a handyman at Mount Holyoke Female Seminary, where she was a student in 1847-1848.  She will meet Tom again and again in different guises—as a burglar, a draft dodger, and a circus clown.  She also had an intense relationship with her sister-in-law, Susan, but this isn’t much of a secret.  What I try to reveal is how important Susan was to the crafting of Emily’s poems.  Susan was her real “Preceptor.”

CG: What is your research process like? How do you go about learning more about her?

JC: I read everything I could find about Emily, including her letters. I didn’t have to read her poems again.  They were already burnt into my skull.  But her letters overwhelmed me.  Her music here was just as authentic and forceful as in her poems.  I couldn’t have written the novel without Emily’s music playing and replaying in my ear, like a relentless drum.

CG: What do you think her impact was in terms of feminism and enhancing the visibility of female writers?

JC: I’m disturbed by [how] Emily is described in one anthology:  “Modern American poetry has for one of its founders and ancestral presences a woman”—as if this were some magnificent revelation.  She is the greatest poet we have ever had; she has given all women the courage to write, and has given the same courage to men.  She is a marvelous example of how one woman could push beyond the boundaries of her own time.  She didn’t have to become a schoolteacher or a wife—she could dance with the devil and become a creator.  We all owe a debt to her own stubborn will.

CG: What are some of your personal favorite works of hers?

JC: My favorite poem of hers begins:  “Because I could not stop for Death—”.   There’s a whole eternity and ten novels stitched into the poem.  We are on a carriage ride.  We can feel every bounce.  And we wish that ride would never, never end.

For more information about Jerome Charyn and his new book The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson, visit http://jeromecharyn.ning.com.

Young gay Hollywood’s upwardly mobile professionals will gather to network and raise money to help protect the past, showcase the present, and nurture the future of LGBT cinema. HOMOtracker, in association with Tom Whitman, have partnered with OUTFEST again in an effort to further support gay film.

HOMOtracker began as the brainchild of a small group of lesbian and gay professionals seeking to exchange information, give advice, and gain support in the entertainment industry. The group has since expanded its focus to include community outreach efforts which have benefited the LA Gay & Lesbian Center, the “No On 8, Equality for All” campaign, and most recently, OUTFEST. Members of HOMOtracker received HRC’s E-HERO Award in 2009 for a series of PSA’s produced in response to the passage of Proposition 8 in the state of California.

Outfest is the leading organization showcasing, nurturing and preserving lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film images and artistry. For 28 years Outfest has led the charge, spotlighting emerging talent, creating community between filmmakers and audiences, and offering a world-class forum for stories that reflect and often transform LGBT lives. Since its founding in 1982, Outfest has showcased over 4,200 films for audiences of well over half a million people. The organization’s festivals, year-round screening series, and special events bring together film lovers, innovative artists, celebrities, entertainment industry professionals … and some of the hottest parties around! Outfest is also the only nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that the extensive but threatened LGBT film heritage is preserved. Since the beginning of the struggle for LGBT equality, visionary filmmakers have recorded their lives, challenges, and triumphs on film. Outfest is committed to saving, preserving, and providing access to that precious, affirming heritage for generations to come.

HOMOtracker and Tom Whitman Presents are excited to support OUTFEST at this fun, festive, and enchanting event. A $20 donation includes open bar, hosted by Absolut, and 100% of the proceeds will benefit OUTFEST.

“I’M WITH CUPID” will take place at Rockwell (1714 N Vermont Ave) in Los Angeles on Friday, February 12^th from 7:00pm – 10:00pm.

Today’s pick: Jill Bennett (Actress, AND THEN CAME LOLA)

(Thanks to our friends at QMovieBlog.com for sharing these great picks with us.)

“My favorite comedic lesbian film was KISSING JESSICA STEIN. Not only was the acting fantastic, the central theme re-enforced that our sexual orientation can’t be changed — even when we may want it to! The scene between Jessica and her mother was particularly touching. The dialogue was strangely accurate given that it was written by the two stars — both of whom are straight.

My favorite dramatic lesbian film was BOUND. The first moment between Violet and Corky in the elevator gets me every time. Fantastic chemistry, good dialogue, good action. And Jennifer Tilly in tight low cut dresses. What else do you need?”

Go to JillBennett.com to find out more about Jill and her hot lesbian feature, AND THEN CAME LOLA. And pick up a copy of the DANTE’S COVE: SEASON 3 DVD to see Jill in action!

Today’s pick: Kate Kendell (National Center for Lesbian Rights)

(Thanks to our friends at QMovieBlog.com for sharing these great picks with us.)

“One of my favorite LGBT movies is… please can I have two? I loved FIRE for the hot sensuality the cultural richness and of course it’s multi-layered and witty dismantling of stereotypes. I also dearly love THE SUM OF US — early Russell Crowe playing gay. A very moving story about love in all it’s dimensions. I cry every time I see it.”

Visit The National Center for Lesbian Rights to learn more about the work that Kate Kendell is doing on behalf of the LGBT community. Her recent work has included coverage and commentary of the Prop 8 trial in San Francisco, where she reported from the courtroom.

“The model is simple: Have fun, do good,” Shannon Wentworth, Sweet founding partner and CEO, said. “The volunteers on our cruise had such an amazing time doing our community service projects, we thought, why not do that in our own backyards?”

Sweet kicks off its tour in Orlando, Florida, on April 18, with a community fun run to support Haiti relief efforts and clean water projects all over the world. The 6-kilometer distance represents the average distance women and children all over the world walk each day to secure water.

“The Live Sweet Voluntour 2010 aims to start as many ripples in as many cities in the United States as we can reach this year,” Wentworth said. “We’re traveling to different cities to lead community service projects, gather Sweeties for fun and fundraising fitness events and host parties to celebrate our lives. We’re also spreading lesbian visibility in the United States, where it seems like every day people are voting on whether we deserve equal rights. The more we connect with people in our own backyard, the less likely they will be to vote against us.”

Sweet launched Live-Sweet.com to support the Live Sweet Voluntour and connect Sweeties who want to participate in their areas. The tour hits Orlando, Fla., April 16-18, 2010; New York City and Newark, New Jersey, April 23-25, 2010; and Denver, Colo., April 30-May 2, 2010. The Live Sweet site also features a form for Sweeties to suggest projects or events for Live Sweet tour, which is expected to run from mid-April to mid-October.

Visit http://live-sweet.com and http://discoversweet.com.

Today’s pick: Guinevere Turner (GO FISH, THE L WORD)

(Thanks to our friends at QMovieBlog.com for sharing these great picks with us.)

“My pick is MY SUMMER OF LOVE. What I like about it is that the relationship between these two girls is so twisted, and though disturbing, represents something we can all relate to: how utterly psychotic young lesbian love can be.”

Check out the acting and writing talents of Guinevere Turner in the lesbian indie classic, GO FISH or enjoy the darkly clever LATE (her most recent short film as writer-director) which is part of the SHE LIKES GIRLS 3 lesbian shorts DVD.