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.