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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

Transgender Identity Development Survey

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.