Friday, December 28, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I follow up on San Francisco’s LGBT senior housing changes: “Openhouse housing plan changes”; I profiled a gay San Francisco district attorney administrator: “DA taps gay man to admin post”; and I followed up with Horizon Foundation’s 2007 awardees: “Horizons awards grants and honors donors.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on San Francisco Bay Area LGBT’s giving to queer organizations: “Only 2 percent of area gays give to LGBT groups”; I followed upon 55 Laguna development plans: “Vote delayed on UC Extension project”; and I followed up with the marriage equality battle: “LGBTs need to step up in marriage fight.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Check out the December issue of ON Magazine for my profile of the National Center for Lesbian Rights executive director Kate Kendell: “Passion for Justice, Passion for Justice page 2” and BABN’s 20th anniversary celebration: “BABN 20 years of community service”.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I reported on San Francisco’s newly approved ID cards: “SF ID cards to help TGs”; I profiled the new director for the LGBT Alliance of the JCF: “New LGBT Alliance director for JCF”; and I reported on the radical right’s legal attack on SB777: “State sued over student law.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, November 29, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I reported on the Department of Homeland Securities proposed travel rules for HIV-positive travelers: “New rules for HIV+ travelers raise questions”; I reported on Latino families and LGBTQ Latino youth advocates response to Mental Health America’s study: “Changing Latino families wade into gay issues” (companion article to last week’s “Latino survey draws support and criticism”); and I announced Bay Area events for World AIDS Day 2007: “Bay Area events mark World AIDS Day.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on Vallejo’s mayor’s pre-election partying: “Cloutier in booze bust”; I reported on the leather communities charity: “Leather events spread the wealth”; I reported on Latino parents’ attitutes about bullying, prejudice, and sexual orientation: “Latino survey draws support and criticism”; and I reported on gays rallying to save rent control: “Gays rally against anti-rent control initiative.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Sunday, November 18, 2007

Check out my article about the Miller Brewing Company’s and Coors Brewing Company’s announced merger in ON Magazine on page 23.

Saturday, November 17, 2007

Are we through with being exploited? I say yes!

Why is it that whenever there is a show about bisexual women it has to be sensationalized or worse really cheesy? Tonight I’m pointing my bi finger at Bisexual Girls, on Logo. The show fell on the lower end of “exposing” bisexual women.

The “documentary” that is part of Logo’s Real Momentum documentary series Bisexual Girls follows four British bi-curious girls: Debbie, Linzi, Beth, and Ellie around the old English country and London as they sort out their girl-on-girl attractions. The exception was Ellie who already had her bisexuality figured out.

My big questions are, what is it with cutting to skin footage (not necessarily the naughty kind) and images of a cherry being dipped into a woman’s mouth or women wearing bright red glossy lipstick kissing each other between stories or while the women were talking about their sexual desires? What is it with interviewing a woman, Debbie, in bed with her boyfriend, Orville, or even lower interviewing two women, Angela and Ellie, in a bubble bath? Logo described the couple on its Web site as two lesbians, but in the show one of them, Ellie, turned out to be bi. Oh and let’s not forget, Linzi, the bi-curious stripper by night and horse farm owner by day. I loved when Linzi was giving Debbie a lap dance while two obviously staged women snuggled up voyeuristically martinis in hand watched obscured by other patrons from across the dance stage.

Thank God they had one “normal” bisexual woman, Ellie, happily in a relationship with Angela. Ellie and Angela, who lived in London, helped out Debbie who was struggling with her bi-curiosity, by taking her around to the all girl hot spots. This was all against her fiancé’s wishes, but Debbie was determined. I emphasized with the guy being a monogamous person myself, but I lost respect for him when he called her during her first outing in London.

All in all, you think that the LGBT community would do us bisexuals better than the straight community when presenting “this is what a bisexual looks like” to the rest of the world. Then I forget, not so long ago we were shunned by our own queer community. The show was just in bad taste from beginning to end.

Bisexual Girls reminds me of last year’s
Women Seeking Women: A Bicurious Journey, which was also a sensationalistic “documentary” about women who are attracted to other women, but hadn’t had the Sapphic experience. The cure to their curiosity was a Wild Women Vacation to Jamaica at Club Hedonism. Wild Women Vacation is a bi and bi-curious women’s and their partners’, men, vacation package.

I’m really starting to feel co-opted with these exploitative one-hour cinema vérité-style documentaries. These shows are just ridiculous. No wonder why a majority of people don’t understand bisexuals and have all of these bi myths and phobias.
In light of these “documentaries” reality show
A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila is starting to look more like a “real” honest perspective of a real bisexual woman than sensationalism. Almost.

We can do better. Just look at Nicole Kristal and Mike Szymanski co-authors of
The Bisexual's Guide to the Universe: Quips, Tips, and Lists for Those Who Go Both Ways and Jennifer Baumgardner, author of Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics. While these are successful recent books representing bisexuality in a realistic and positive way I’m sure the efforts that bisexuals are making on film, like the ones shown at this year’s Bi Request series at the San Francisco LGBT Film Festival, can make it to a wider audience at some point.

Thursday, November 15, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I profiled a new executive director for Lavender Seniors: “Lavender Seniors hires new director”; I followed up on the TRANS Project re-opening: “Transgender drop-in center is reborn”; and I announce Medicare’s open enrollment period: “Medicare enrollment period opens today.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Friday, November 09, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!
This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on a popular women’s bar’s attempts to maintain saftey after apparent gang-related shootings outside: “Crime spree worries bar owner”; I followed up on Miller and Folsom Street Fair’s brouhaha: “Miller, Folsom fair apologize for poster”; and I reported on the Bay Area’s longest running bi organization’s platinum anniversary: “Bay Area Bi Network turns 20”; and I followed up on MCC-SF’s pastor elections: “News in Brief: MCC-SF elects pastor.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Sunday, November 04, 2007

Bi Girl Friday makes it onto the Christian network



Happy Sunday! Yours truly is being passed around by the right-wing…I feel so clean and holy or is that dirty and devilish now?

Needless to say, through a posting that was sent to me with the link below and an e-mail I received directly from the Family Policy Network it seems like the right-wing and I are having a little fun at the moment. They think I’m spreading their good word to the “homosexual” community so we can be “cured” into a straight or celibate life rather than exposing their hate mongering delusional twisted ways.

The benefits of this cross-over is, I hope somehow some questioning Catholic or Christian queer person will find some enlightenment by being linked to our friendly and smart LGBT paper in the Gay Mecca.

Thank you Family Policy Network for getting my article out to your constituents!


SAN FRANCISCO’S PRO-HOMOSEXUAL WEEKLY: FPN’s Hope Banner Flies Over Sinful Celebration


The following are excerpts from an October 4, 2007 article appearing in the Bay Area Reporter, San Francisco’s weekly, pro-homosexual newspaper. http://familypolicy.net/nation/?p=682

Bay Area Bisexual Network 20th Anniversary Brunch


Please join BABN as we celebrate 20 years of bringing bisexuals together! Founded in 1987, BABN's mission is to develop a healthy, vibrant, multicultural bisexual community in the Bay Area and to promote a better understanding of bisexual lives and issues within the larger lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer community and the public.


Sunday, November 11, 2007
11:30 am – 2:00 pm



At the:


Lake Merritt Hotel
Barbary Lane Senior Communities
1800 Madison Street, Oakland
Off Lakeside Drive at 17th Street
Ample street parking
Near 19th Street and Lake Merritt BART stations and buses.


Tickets/Sponsorships

Purchase tickets to the 20th anniversary brunch:

Individual ticket(s) at $50 each
Low-income ticket(s) at $35 each

Sponsor BABN's 20th anniversary celebration:

Binary Buster ($1,000 sponsor) Fence Sitter ($250 sponsor)
Switch Hitter ($500 sponsor) Kinsey Slider ($150 sponsor)


Meal options available: Vegetarian, Vegan, or Omnivore


To purchase tickets or get more information about the brunch or program ads, contact Lani Ka'ahumanu at aloha2@mindspring.com or (415) 821-3534 or purchase tickets at www.babn.org by Wednesday, November 7.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on a new study about LGBT families in the Bay Area: “Study: Gay families more likely to earn less”; I profiled It’s Elementary’s Brandon Rice: “It's still elementary for Brandon Rice”; and I reported on school safety: “Civil rights groups call for end to school harassment”; I reported on a community vote for a new exterior color for the LGBT Community Center: “Vote for Fallon Building's new colors”; and I profiled SF DA’s director of the child assult unit: “Gay man heads DA's child assault unit”; and I follow up on the government’s attempt to clamp down on sexual images on the web: “Court strikes down adult social network restrictions

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on the MillerCoors merger: “Mixed reaction to Miller, Coors merger”; I announced good news for San Francisco’s Metropolitan Community Church: “Pastor candidate named for MCC-SF”; and I reported on the inaugural results of the Human Rights Campaign’s Healthcare Equality Index: “LGBT health care movement gains momentum.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I followed up on the anti-marriage equality California constitutional initatives: “Anti-gay ballot backers miss June target”; I followed up on the Junior Reserve Officers’ Corps in San Francisco schools: “JROTC likely to get another year in SF”; I report on how people could celebrate the 20th anniversary of National Coming Out Day: “Coming Out Day marks 20th anniversary of first march”; and I announced the first ever conference addressing transgender incarceration: “'Transforming Justice' forum.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on the forthcoming article about controversial sex researcher J. Michael Bailey: “Controversy dogs sexuality researcher”; I followed up on Good Vibes good news: “Good Vibrations announces merger”; I followed up on the right-wing’s attacks on Folosom Street Fair’s ‘San Francisco Values’: “Right-wing groups continue attacks on Folsom Street Fair”; I announced CUAV directors appointment to California’s domestic violence advisory council: “CUAV director named to state advisory council,”; I announced New Leaf’s forthcoming executive director: “New dir. for New Leaf,”; I covered the opening of the nation’s first justice system supported center for women ex-offenders: “Sheriff opens center for women ex-offenders,” and I reported LYRIC’s new grant from San Francisco’s Children and Family Services: “News in brief: LYRIC receives $200,000 grant.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Bi Top Chef

Well, thanks to
Dorothy Surrenders, the lesbian blogger that has bidar, she posted a live video of season three's former Top Chef contender, Lia Bardeen’s, own outing during the taping of her interview for the show.

Bardeen, the 28-year old Brooklyn cutie, was quickly given the knife, but you can catch her on BRAVO reruns.





Lia Bardeen
Photo courtesy of BRAVO TV
This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I covered the upcoming Folsom Street Fair: “Folsom's 'San Francisco values'”; I reported on the right wing’s attack on the Folsom Steet Fair: “Folsom art draws fire from the right”; I reported on special needs trusts pitfalls: “PWA's benefits jeopardized by special needs trust”; and I reported on the new director for the Out & Equal Institute: “Out & Equal institute hires first director.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Sunday, September 23, 2007

International Celebrate Bisexuality Day

Today, September 23 is the 8th annual International Celebrate Bisexuality Day. According to a Wikipedia.org entry, International Celebrate Bisexuality Day was started in 1999 by bisexual rights activists Wendy Curry, Vice President of BiNet USA, Michael Page, and Gigi Raven Wilbur, to combat bi invisibility and erasure.

So, I hope we are all going to do a little something today to celebrate International Celebrate Bisexuality Day. One of the things that you can do is support your local bisexual organization.

To find your local bisexual organization, visit http://www.binetusa.org/ or the Bisexual Resource Center at http://www.biresource.org/.

For those of you who are in the San Francisco Bay Area, you might be interested in the Bay Area Bisexual Network’s 20th Anniversary event Sunday, November 11th 11:30 - 2 p.m. at Lake Merritt Hotel/Barbary Lane LGBT Senior Housing. Contact Lani Ka'ahumanu at aloha2@mindspring.com or to make a donation, contact Emily Drennen at emilydrennen@yahoo.com.




The little star pimps its burgers again update
Apparently, Christian rights groups and feminists agreed about the little star's denigrating TV ads. According to an e-mail action alert sent out by Donald E. Wildmon, founder and chairman of American Family Association, not only has CKE Restaurants, Inc., owner of Carl’s Jr., Hardees, and other restaurants, pulled the offending ads from TV, but they allegedly are taking the ads off of their Web sites as well.

Here, here for once we agreed and something good came out of it.

Saturday, September 22, 2007

San Diego Mayor signed resolution
to support marriage equality


To read my officemate’s, Matthew Bajko’s, breaking news story, click on “
San Diego mayor backs same-sex marriage.”

To watch the broadcast of the press conference, click on “
Raw Video: San Diego Mayor Supports Gay Marriage.”

Thursday, September 20, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported UPS’ surprising perfect score on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index and Bay Area companies with “A” status: “UPS scores big on HRC corporate index despite earlier troubles”; I followed up on the Burning Man suicide to separate the facts from rumors: “Rumor stemming from Burning Man suicide untrue, officials say”; I reported on an early morning shooting outside the Lexington Club: “Apparent gang-related shooting outside lesbian bar”; and I reported on San Francisco Pride’s 2008 theme and news from their annual general member meeting: “News in brief: Pride theme selected.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.
Chasing Amy Social Club blacklists Bi Girl Friday


It turns out that I’m not member material for the Chasing Amy Social Club, a bisexual women’s social group in San Francisco. No it’s not because I drink red wine or that I smoke (outside only) or that I’m transgender (which I’m not)—one of the many disqualifying criteria on a long list of who can and cannot be a CASC member. (See the end of this article for a partial list of member criteria that Amy Larson, the founder and organizer of the CASC, sent to me during an e-mail interview August 20 and a link to the CASC Web site.)

My CASC membership card was yanked because I’m a journalist who covered CASC’s anti-trans women policy, “Bi social club bars some trans women,” in August, after it was discovered in July by Charlie Anders, a bisexual pre-op transgender woman, who wanted to be a member but was bared because of her pre-op status.

“It feels like having a fox in the hen house to allow a journalist who wrote such a controversial article about us to be a member of this group as well,” wrote Larson in an e-mail September 19 responding to an e-mail I sent September 18 enquiring if I had missed any e-mails or if the club was on hiatus.

Yet, she failed to inform me of my unacceptable member status “journalist” when it wasn’t in her favor. Mind you, this whole incident happened after CASC enjoyed glowing publicity twice this summer in articles that I wrote: one covering bi visibility, “
Bisexuals show increased visibility,” and the other publicizing CASC’s stance on bi erasure during San Francisco Pride’s global broadcast, “Biphobia claimed in Pride Parade Web, TV coverage.” Larson had no problems agreeing to participate in these articles and reap the benefits of free publicity.

No, I had to enquire, because as Larson wrote, “I have been thinking long and hard about what I wanted to say to you about this, because I am not a fan of confrontation…I removed your e-mail address while you were writing the article in August, because I felt extremely uncomfortable with the idea of you reading about my private life while you were writing about me so publicly.”

Larson continued, “It seemed like a conflict of interest to allow you to remain on the list, and some of the women in the group who regularly attend events expressed that they wouldn't feel comfortable attending events if you were to be there. They felt like their privacy would be compromised. I can understand that and relate.”

Hmmm…the article was written and published August 23, that’s almost a month ago. I have a feeling that if I hadn’t asked, Larson would still be thinking long and hard about deleting me from her e-mail list. Regarding the other members' privacy being compromised, it is completely unfound, as I mentioned to Larson in response to her e-mail September 19 confirming my suspicions of being blacklisted. I didn’t abuse the apparent hypocrisy of her no dating policy, while I was working on the controversial article, and she sent out pictures of two CASC members marrying each other the weekend before. Larson attended the wedding. (Larson clarified on September 21 that the CASC members who wed met outside of the club. She also reneged her "no dating" policy.)

Actually, until now, no article prior to the controversy wasn’t without Larson’s full and enthusiastic participation and knowledge. We had a sit down interview and she sent me photos to include with the both articles bi visibility and bi erasure. Furthermore, when I was interested in the CASC campaign against KRON4’s erasure of bi floats in this year’s global broadcast of San Francisco’s Pride parade, which I saw on her MySpace page and received in a CASC e-mail, I approached her first and asked about covering CASC's letter campaign to KRON4 before pitching the article to my editor. Larson enthusiastically participated and landed on the front page of the
Bay Area Reporter.

Writing up the trans policy
Up until July, I was unaware of CASC’s anti-trans policy and so were many other people. The policy wasn’t posted on the CASC Web site under the club’s member criteria until the day before the article I wrote was published. Larson wasn’t transparent about all of her policies.

I openly admit that I became aware of the policy when Ray Rea, a transman, who hosted “Not Queer Enough,” a transgender and bisexual reading event at San Francisco State University, in July mentioned it when I told him before the event that I couldn’t wait to see Larson. Rea told me that Larson wasn’t going to read because it was in conflict with CASC’s transgender policy. Larson mentioned nothing to me earlier that day during an e-mail conversation that she wasn’t going to be at the event, nor anything about CASC having a transgender policy.

The three of us, my friend, who I’m withholding her name to protect her privacy, and another woman, I don’t recall her name, looked at each other quizzically as we hung out before the event started. I was disappointed about Larson’s not being at the event. Everyone in our small group said “that’s too bad” upon learning about her reason for not attending the reading and followed up with “I didn’t know they had a trans policy, did you?”

Of course, perhaps I would have been enlightened about the policy if I actually attended a CASC event during the year that I was a member. I perpetually missed events, announced by e-mail, due to work or being too tired from work.

But it wasn’t because I failed to attend CASC events that caused me to lose my good standing as a member, it’s because I’m a journalist who had the audacity to write an article that put CASC in a bad light three weeks after I became aware of the policy. It wasn’t my knowledge of the CASC anti-trans policy that sparked the article, but a tipster.

Larson accused me in her e-mail “…you've made it very clear in writing that article that your professional goals come before everything.”

Then why did it take me three weeks to cover the controversy? Would I have even covered it if my editor wasn’t tipped off? If I wasn’t so casual and “in my personal life” when the news crossed my path, may be I would have jumped on the story, but it didn't and I didn’t. When Rea announced the changes in the lineup of readers no one seemed phased. Perhaps Carol Queen and the dazzeling trans and bi talent destracted the audiece or more likely word of the CASC anti-trans policy hadn’t spread—yet. I watched people’s responses and listened to the crowd to see if anyone was outraged. No one seemed outraged—at least at the event. The policy got lost in the fog of my memory as other pressing issues needed to be covered.

Until the tipster dumped Anders’ blog that was circulating on a list on my editors desk and she brought it over to me to cover. I had to confess that I was aware of the policy and when I was aware of it. If it wasn't for the tipster, who knows if the story would have ever seen the printed page of the B.A.R. Needless to say, my editor wasn’t exactly congratulating me on my journalistic chomps for the taste of a story. My editor was even less thrilled to learn that I hadn’t jumped on the ADYKE situation that happened this past spring when lesbians gave bisexual women the boot from that group. It was a hairball of a battle on lesbian and bisexual list serves that I quite frankly had no appetite for and therefore didn't gobble up, more like I said, “No thank you mam,” and deleted screaming e-mail one after another.

Now really, if I was more concerned about my career as a journalist, I should be concerned now, because I didn’t do what I was supposed to do…grab the story and run with it. Where’s that gut hunger for the story??? Where’s my need for going for the jugular? It’s not like I’m covering how to bake the best bread or decorate the perfect muffin…Martha?? No, I’m covering the queer community: The sassiest, funkiest, glamtastic, and sometimes quite down and dirty and lusty queer community in the “Gay Mecca.”

So, when the CASC story landed on my desk and due to my acquaintance with Larson she got it good. I wasn’t completely impartial, even though I covered the controversy critically. I handled it with a lot more caution and care than when I covered the Chicago Hellfire Club’s anti-trans policy, earlier this year, “
Chicago SM club under fire for anti-trans policy.” I didn’t know these people personally.

Larson, because of our acquaintance was given the opportunity to spin the negative publicity in her favor. A list of questions was sent to her by e-mail and she had three days to respond. She was given my full attention through several long and dramatic phone calls that she made to me. One of which, she told me that if I wrote the article she was going to close the club and it would be my fault. She provided some CASC members to interview, one of which harassed me by e-mail after she didn't meet the deadline I provided. One of her comments via e-mail after the deadline ended up in the article.

When the article landed on the newstands, Larson called me and thanked me for the article and told me that the first e-mail she received after publication of the article was one of support from a trans woman. It took her another couple of weeks to delete the link of my profile to her's on MySpace http://www.myspace.com/heathercassell. In an e-mail to me on September 20, Larson wrote that the harassment she received prior to the article being published ceased. Discussion of the anti-trans policy returned to the B.A.R.'s "Letters to the Editor" page, columns, and the blogsphere.

Larson and one of her members has accused me of being an "unethical journalist." I let my readers decide, now that I've filled in some information I originally left out when I posted this blog on September 20.

Because after all of this drama, quite frankly my dear I don't give a damn! As a journalist it is my responsibility to remain an independent critical observer when I cover stories, even when acquaintances are involved. I disclosed my membership and status at the end of the article, but I kept my personal feelings out of my reporting. It's not my responsibility that you are permanently stained in newsprint by the controversy. I’m not the one who went public and was hiding a discriminating policy. If that makes me a callous story hungry reporter then so be it. I’ve arrived.

CASC rambling member criteria
In an e-mail interview with me on August 20, Amy Larson, the founder and organizer of the CASC, clued me into other criteria to be a member of the CASC:

“…the CASC also doesn’t meet the specific needs of those who would like to engage in political or religious discourse or activism at events, indoor smokers, vegans offended by the presence of animal products, those with serious cat allergies, red wine drinkers, folks interested in partaking of drugs during events, women under the age of 18, women seeking a singles hookup environment or sex club, and a wide variety of other things…”

http://www.chasingamysocialclub.com

Saturday, September 15, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I reported on a pending federal regulation that can affect adult social networking Web sites: “Feds seek to limit sexual images online”; I covered Good Vibration’s shakey financial times: “Vibes aren't good for sex toy retailer”; and I reported on honors given to three TG leaders: “Seattle confab honors three SF trans men.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Saturday, September 08, 2007

MTV airs bi bachelorette dating show

Love has gone the bi way on MTV.

Bisexual list serves and online bulletin boards lit up like Christmas today after an announcement on Tila Tequila’s, the “Madonna of MySpace,” as she was reportedly called by Time Magazine, posted on her blog September 6 that MTV will begin airing her show A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila starting October 9.

That’s right MySpace is moving into MTV with the bi pop queen who has taken MySpace by storm with “over 2 million friends,” according to her MySpace page. Tequila’s MTV reality show, A Shot at Love With Tila Tequila, will pit 16 boys against 16 girls who will vie for Tequila’s heart. The show starting October 9 at 10 p.m. on MTV with 10 one hour episodes is just in time for National Coming Out day for LGBT History month.

Tequila wrote in her announcement on Thursday that she’s excited to represent the LGBT community, in spite of the fact that none of the contestants were aware that she is bisexual. The producers leave it up to Tequila to disclose her sexual orientation to her suitors and suitettes, according to the message.

“…the show will be about me finding love as a BISEXUAL!!!!! THAT IS CRAZY RIGHT?....the only twist is that these guys and these girls have NO IDEA that I am bisexual and that they are competing against each others sexes!!! GUYS AGAINST GIRLS....WHO WILL I END UP HOOKING UP WITH????? WILL I BE STRAIGHT OR LESBIAN IN THE END?????”

Okay. Will she be straight or lesbian in the end? How about bisexual? Isn’t that an option? Be prepared for some sensationalized mega drama…who ever thought that bisexuality wasn’t “edgy” enough obviously wasn’t paying attention…especially when MTV the mother of reality TV with the Real World and Road Rules and their siblings the Flavor of Love is bringing us bisexual dating. Of course it’s with a cute, young, femme, Vietnamese, bi pop princes, but it wouldn’t be interesting otherwise…at least now the radical right can stop pointing their fingers at the LGBT community for recruiting and start pointing their fingers at MTV and VH1, which aired Women Seeking Women: A Bi-curious Journey in October 2006.

In some sense this is exciting...a bisexual dating show. Tequila is ready to take us and the world along on the heart wrenching rollercoaster ride.

“…it's all Craziness and drama and sexy times all on my new journey to find true love as a bisexual!”

In true youthful fashion Tequila gushes:

“I AM EXCITED TO FINALLY COME OUT AS A BISEXUAL FOR THE FIRST TIME TO THE WORLD….NOBODY IN TELEVISION HISTORY HAS EVER DONE SUCH A GROUNDBREAKING SHOW AND I AM HAPPY TO BE THE ONE TO PAVE THE WAY TO OPEN UP PEOPLE'S MINDS ABOUT THE LESBIAN AND GAY COMMUNITY! LET'S MAKE MY SHOW THE BIGGEST, MOST WATCHED TELEVISION SHOW IN HISTORY OK????”

Are we ready to tune in? Yes, just out of curiosity to find out how bad or good the image of one of us being shot out into the universe is.

Friday, September 07, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I reported on Equality California Institute’s bold and broad campaign for marriage equality: “EQCA raising money for ad buy”; I covered the intrim replacement for the James C. Hormel LGBT Center at the San Francisco Public Library: “Acting manager named for Hormel Center”; I reported on a suicide at one of the gay camps at Burning Man: “Burning Man suicide was at gay camp”; and I reported on arrests for a series of muggings at a local gay cruising spot: “Arrests made in Windmills muggings.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.



The little star pimps its burgers again


Should we expect anything less from Carl’s Jr. than a sexist ad to push their burgers? No. But I’m still offended by the blatant
ad that popped up on my TV screen between news updates.

This ad hides nothing when it comes to objectifying women. A female teacher stands at the front of the room explaining when the world was discovered to be round, not flat. The woman turns to a profile, when the frame freezes an outline of her figure is drawn. Some pubescent white boys then break out into a rap about her figure.

This recent push to get adolescent boys to buy Carl N. Karcher’s burgers to fill the coiffeurs of conservatives is really quite sickening. This year’s first quarter earnings for CKE Restaurants, Inc., which runs Carl’s Jr., as well as, a number of other fast food franchise chains, was just under $1.6 million, according to Market Watch. And guess where that money is going…

For those of you who don’t know, Karcher is devoted to giving his fortune from the franchises he’s built under CKE Restaurants, Inc. to conservative causes. His money has gone towards battling against abortion and queer rights. Karcher was the biggest supporter of the Briggs Initiative in 1978. The ballot measure that would have required termination of gays and lesbians from working in public schools was defeated by over 1 million votes.

So, it really shouldn’t be a surprise, especially with Carl’s Jr. ad campaigns of recent years that have included Hugh Heffner and Paris Hilton, which were demeaning to women and offensive as well…but honestly this new ad is really over the top.

To protest this ad, contact:

Andrew F. Puzder
President and CEO
CKE Restaurants, Inc.
6307 Carpinteria Avenue, Suite A

Carpinteria, CA 93013

Tuesday, September 04, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the Bay Area Reporter I covered double discrimination by the San Francisco Human Rights Commission: “HRC report on Native Americans draws criticism”; I covered the first day of school for kids with queer parents: “Kids head back to school”; and I compiled a list for LGBT and queer kid back to school tools: “School resources.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Transgender girlfriend the next TV political scandal


Dirty, Sexy, Money, ABC7’s new racy show, promises to deliver on its title this TV season kicking off with a raising political star’s affair with a transgender girlfriend.

The girlfriend to the New York Attorney General, played by
William Baldwin, is played by real life transgender actress Candis Cayne, who was born Brendan McDaniel in Hawaii.

Cayne, a veteran performer made a name for herself at New York City’s hot gay night spot Boy Bar and was crowned 2001’s Miss Gay Continental U.S.A., according to IMDb, she will appear on five episodes of the new show that is promising to be hotter than the money soaked ‘80s nighttime dramas Dallas and Falcon Crest.

The drama follows a hard pressed young attorney as he tries to rescue America’s third wealthiest family from themselves. The cast is star studded with former
Six Feet Under star Peter Krause, Donald Sutherland, Baldwin, and Blair Underwood will appear during the first five episodes too.

A trained dancer, Cayne recently played Annaka Manners in this summer’s queersploitation movie
Starrbooty, with RuPaul, that was a hit at queer film fests around the U.S. This wasn’t the first time Cayne made the big screen in a drag movie. Cayne played herself in an appearance in the 1995 drag cross country road trip movie To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar, which starred Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, John Leguizamo, and a host of star cameo appearances. She was also in the 1995 documentary, Wigstock: The Movie, with Alexis Arquette.

Cayne isn’t giving up her live shows for the big or the small screen. According to IMDb, Cayne continues to perform live in New York City’s queer lounges and bars, such as the Viceroy, Brite Bar, Barracuda, Ritz Bar, and Opus22.

Dirty, Sexy, Money begins on September 26.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Bisexuality gets a positive review

ABC News, child of Disney, took a look at bisexuality last week, giving it a somewhat happily ever after ending.

In an article on ABC News’s Web site, “Young women defy labels in intimacy with both sexes,” in a surprising turn of events bisexuality was given a wink or a nudge towards being okay.

The opener to the article was the typical sensationalism around bisexual women, referring to them as “recreational lesbians” then launching into Anne Heche’s and Angelina Jolie’s public bisexual displays.

I thought the article was doomed as another sensational look at bisexual women, but then the author of the article, Susan Donaldson James, stated that the stars who “flaunt” and then “change their minds” about their sexuality make it difficult for young women exploring their sexuality. Close, but not quite I cringed.

I continued to be skeptical as I continued to read the article and didn’t see actual commentary from bisexual activists, experts, and organizations in the article. James interviewed Roberta Sklar, director of communications of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Kaaren Williamsen-Garvey, director of the Gender and Sexuality Center at Carleton College in Minnesota, and two bisexual young women. It is unknown if any of the experts who contributed to the article are bisexual.

Why were bisexual experts, when there are so many, not included in the article? The answer is unknown, but they could have contributed greatly to James’s article. Bisexual author Jennifer Baumgardner, who wrote
Look Both Ways: Bisexual Politics, about young women’s bisexuality and the exploration of this aspect of their sexuality, or Nicole Kristal and Mike Szymanski, co-authors of The Bisexual's Guide to the Universe: Quips, Tips, And Lists for Those Who Go Both Ways, who wrote a hilarious guide through the twist and turns of being bisexual. Nor did James contact any of the bisexual organizations, BiNet USA or the Bisexual Resource Center, to interview them for the article.

Despite the omission of bisexual experts, the article took a positive turn acknowledging that sexuality was complicated and that it was okay to explore sexuality. The article went further when James quoted Williamsen-Garvey who stated, “It’s hard to maintain bisexual identity without a community [of support].”

By the end of the article, James changed her tune about Heche’s and Jolie’s fluid sexuality that has been splashed across the tabloids during the past 15 or so years. She thought it might be good. James even mentioned Eleanor Roosevelt’s alleged bisexual affairs, suggesting that bisexuality is somewhat new, but not quite so new.

The article ended on an open note projecting into the unknown future of sexuality. James quoted Sklar, “We are seeing something out there that is different than what we have seen before.”

I don’t know if bisexuality is something that different than what has occurred throughout time, but we do have a name for it whether we like it or not and we are becoming visible. That’s nice to know.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

I made it onto SFist, a liberal commendary blog in San Francisco, for my story about the Chasing Amy Social Club's anti-trans policy:

http://sfist.com/2007/08/24/a_bitransgender.php

Thursday, August 23, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I reported on bisexual discrimination of transgender women: “Bi social club bars some trans women”; I covered a hit and run in the Castro: “Castro resident killed in hit and run”; I covered the Board of Supervisors landmarked the UC Berkeley Extension campus: “LGBT senior housing unaffected by supervisors' landmark decision”; and a man with AIDS in a tangled web of lawsuits over a house: “PWA stuck with mold-filled house.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.
I am writing to ask for your help with what will be the largest non-clinical study of the lives of transgender people in the U.S. (in the first ten days, we have had more than 600 participants, and are aiming for more than 2,000).

While much has been written about individual transgender experiences, there has been little trans-positive research on the processes by which people come to see themselves as MTFs, FTMs, crossdressers, genderqueers, and other transgender and gender diverse identities.

The researchers are a genderqueer college administrator (me!) and a queer campus diversity specialist (full bios are below). We are undertaking this study because we feel that high school and college administrators, therapists, doctors, and other professionals who work with transgender people often have a limited understanding of transgender experiences, which leads to poor treatment and discrimination. We hope that our findings will help foster a greater awareness of transgender people.

You can take part in the study by completing the survey at
https://web.survey.psu.edu/transgender/* (it is a secure server). Thequestionnaire will take about 30 minutes to fill out. It is completely anonymous and responses cannot be tracked back electronically to the sender.

Please feel free to forward the study's web address to other transgender people you know who might be interested. And please feel free to contact me with any questions.Thank you very much! I really appreciate your help.

Sincerely,

brett genny

*Bios of the Researchers

*Brett Genny Beemyn, Ph.D., is the coordinator of GLBT Student Services at the Ohio State University, co-chair of the National Consortium of Directors of LGBT Resources in Higher Education, and a board member of the Transgender Law and Policy Institute. Brett has published and spoken extensively on transgender college students and trans-inclusive campus policies. Dr. Beemyn's most recent publications include "Trans on Campus: Measuring and Improving the Climate for Transgender Students" in *On Campus with Women*;"Transgender Issues on Campus" in *New Direction in Student Services: LGBT Issues in Student Affairs*; "Cross Dressing," "Transsexuality," and "Transgender Students" in *Youth, Education, and Sexualities: An International Encyclopedia*; "Genderqueer," "Transgender Autobiography," "Transgender Issues in Education," and "Transgender Issues in the Law" for www.glbtq.com <*http://www.glbtq.com*> ; and a special issue of the *Journal of Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education* on "Trans Youth."

Sue Rankin, Ph.D., is a Senior Diversity Planning Analyst in the Office of the Vice Provost and Assistant Professor in Higher Education at The Pennsylvania State University. She has presented and written several papers and books on the impact of sexism, racism and heterosexism in the academy and in intercollegiate athletics. Dr. Rankin's current research focuses on the assessment of institutional climate and providing program planners and policy makers with recommended strategies to improve the campus climate for underrepresented groups. In her role as a consultant, Dr. Rankin has collaborated with over 50 institutions/organizations in implementing assessments and developing strategic plans regarding social justice issues and concerns. Her most recent publications include: "Campus Climate for Sexual Minority Students: Challenges and Best Practices" in *Toward Administrative Reawakening: Creating and Maintaining Safe College Campuses*; "Climate for LGBT College Youth" in *Youth, Education, and Sexualities: AnInternational Encyclopedia*; "Slow but Steady: Administrators Taking Heart to GBT Safety, Services" in *GLBT Campus Matters: Guidance for Higher Education*; "Campus Climate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender People" in *The Diversity Factor*; "Campus Climate for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender People: A Legal Perspective" in *Focus on Law Studies*. I am writing to ask for your help with what will be the largest non-clinical study of the lives of transgender people in the U.S. (in the first ten days, we have had more than 600 participants, and are aiming for more than 2,000).

Sunday, August 19, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I reported on San Francisco’s new superintendent: “New schools chief reaches out to LGBTs”; I covered the sudden departure of the LGBT Library center’s program manager: “Hormel Center director departs”; I covered the American Bar Association’s resolution to support foster youth “aging out” of the system: “ABA gets behind foster youth”; and I follow up on the arraignment of a S&M murder suspect of a San Francisco activist: “Murder suspect pleads not guilty.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I reported about gearing to defend same-sex marriage: “Gay group quietly preparing for initiative fight”; I covered Chris Daly’s propbably run and Mayor Gavin Newsom being “insulted” by the Harvey Milk LGBT Democratic Club’s endoresment questionnaire: “On eve of Milk Club endorsement, Chris Daly mulls mayoral run”; I covered the lose of the transgender prisoner’s case against the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation: “Trans ex-prisoner loses suit, plans appeal”; and I announced the Transgender Law Center’s new leadership: “New TLC leaders aim to widen agency's reach.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Friday, August 03, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I cover a gay protest at the UN Secretary-General’s forum: “Gays 'zap' UN head during SF visit”; and I cover the sudden departure of and new executive director for a LGBT senior organization: “Lavender Seniors director quits after two months.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

Take the Advocate suvey


The Advocate, the award-winning newsmagazine for the LGBT community, is celebrating its 40th anniversary by honoring 40 gay heroes. Advocate.com is featuring a survey asking readers to pick their favorite 40 gay heroes from a list of 100 notable nominees. The Advocate team will determine rankings based on votes plus editors' input, and the top 40 heroes will be featured on the cover of the anniversary issue coming out in September (the top vote-getter will be featured on the opening page of the story and will be celebrated in the issue.)

We'd like to get your help getting the word out about the poll. Here's the link:
http://www.advocate.com/takeSurvey.asp?surveyID=19

The survey will end on August 15. Let me know if you need any more information.

Rich Rodriguez, PlanetOut Inc., rich.rodriguez@planetoutinc.com

Sunday, July 29, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I cover the Girlado vs. California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation trial: “Former trans prisoner's trial opens”; I cover sexual misconduct of another trans prisoner: “Officer charged for sexual misconduct with TG prisoner”; and I write about San Francisco activist’s murder’s connection to the gay community: “Police seek gays' help in activist's murder.”

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I report on inform consent legislation for HIV/AIDS testing: “Bill would reduce informed consent requirements”; I follow up on the unrelated Castro Halloween shooting case: “Guilty plea in gun case”; and I write about an Iranian candle light vigil: “Vigil to recall executions”.

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

RESEARCH PROJECT OF FTMS WHO TRANSITIONED 20+ YEARS AGO

•Were you born female bodied?
•Do you currently identify as a man, FTM, transman, transgender, or transsexual?
•Did you transition more than 20 years ago?

If you answered YES to all of these questions, you are needed for a research project exploring the transition experiences of FTMs. It involves only one 90-minute interview and participation is voluntary and confidential. A gift certificate of $10.00 to a book store will be given after the interview. For more information call Adam Yerke at (415) 820-1603 or e-mail at t_yerke@hotmail.com.

Monday, July 16, 2007

Biphobia punk rock style

In a completely offensive and ignorant rant,
Gossip frontwoman Beth Ditto launched a biphobic attack against Angelina Jolie.

Tittle-Tattle™: Dishing Hollywood Dirt Daily reported the biphobic spewing in an article, “
Beth Ditto Blasts Angelina Jolie, Not 'Bisexual' Enough,” on July 5. In the article Ditto, 26, a self-described "fat, feminist lesbian from Arkansas," according to CNN, allegedly states that she’s “unconvinced by Angelina's same sex boasts” pointing to the fact that Jolie, 32, started a family with Brad Pitt. No self-respecting bi woman would adopt and give birth to children with Pitt. It’s so shameful! Please sweetie, she could have done worse.

In the same article, Ditto is quoted “fuming,” "If she were a lesbian, or had lesbian tendencies, she'd be with a woman not a man."

Hmmm…if she were a lesbian…I almost feel a punk rock tune of the bi persuasion coming on. That’s the point. Jolie is not a lesbian. She has been very publicly open about being bisexual, but for those skeptics I guess they will have to hear it from the ex-lesbian lover’s lips or pen.

Former Calvin Klein model and Jolie’s Fox Fire co-star Jenny Shimizu, 39, was reported in January in
Tittle-Tattle Too that a tell-all-book is in the works. And according to the article, Jolie wasn’t the only bi celeb rolling around under the covers or wherever with Shimizu. The article quoted Shimizu stating that she was Madonna’s on-call “sex slave.” This girl gets around.

Will this be proof enough of Jolie’s Sapphic ways for you Ditto?

Ditto did not respond to a request to speak with her about her biphibic comments.
Gay Rights in Iran

If you are interested in the queer movement in Iran this is a really good documentary: http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2007/03/030407_1.html.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

This week's Bay Area Reporter is on newstands!

This week in the
Bay Area Reporter I report on LGBT senior housing updates: “Moves under way for site of proposed senior housing”; I cover the start of transgender prisoner’s trial: “Judge delays trans prisoner's trial”; and I cover queers protesting a new condo development: “Queers protest housing project”.

For more news and entertainment visit the
Bay Area Reporter online or pick up an issue at your local independent or queer bookstore.