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.

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.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.