Women: December 2007 Archives
Smack dab in the middle of Lake Bygod County, California, Angela came out on the first day of her junior year. She'd attended a queer youth leadership workshop in San Francisco over the summer and arrived at school wearing a rainbow necklace, a rainbow pin, and a rainbow patch. Nobody got it.
During English class, students were asked to stand up and say something about themselves. Already irritated by the inefficiency of symbols, Angela said she was a lesbian. She'd spent the better part of her summer in internet chatrooms discussing Xena, Warrior Princess. She was sure.
German Film Tells the Story of Iranian Immigrant
The original title of this film is 'Fremde Haut', which means 'in Orbit' - the term officially used by the UN to refer to asylum-seekers who find themselves orbiting around planet Earth because they can actually find legal domicile nowhere at all. This is a perfect description for the main character in this film, Fariba, brilliantly performed by Jasmin Tabatabai.
Throughout the film, Fariba is constantly in conflict: not quite at home in Germany or Iran, not not quite at peace as either straight or gay, not quite at ease as man or as woman.
By Jennifer Medvin: Many of us were probably surprised and very upset by the passing of Dana Fairbanks on the L Word. Yes, she was just a fictional character, but the impact allowed the threat of cancer to hit home. The writer's showed that youth, an athletic build and even fame will not stop you from being affected by cancer. No one knows that more than Melissa Etheridge who underwent two cancer surgeries in 2004.
Discovery of a lump can generate fear in a woman. This may strike at the core of a women's self image through the thought of breast cancer, of losing her breast and maybe even losing her life. Women are eight times more likely to die of heart disease than breast cancer and lung cancer kills twice as many women every year than cancer of the breast. But the main reason breast cancer is a woman's worst nightmare is the fact that it kills more women age 35 to 55 than any other disease.
Services & Advocacy for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Elders (SAGE) has announced that Karen Taylor has been hired as the organization's new Director of Advocacy & Training. Creation of this new senior position was funded by a major grant from the Arcus Foundation, as SAGE, in partnership with the National Gay & Lesbian Task Force, launches a national advocacy initiative on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) aging issues.
"We are thrilled to have Karen join our staff," said Michael Adams, Executive Director of SAGE. "Her expertise and ability to get things done will make it possible for SAGE to provide a strong national voice for LGBT seniors, as well as more training and resources to benefit our growing senior population," concluded Adams.
If you haven't finished your holiday shopping yet, you're running out of time. If you're looking for some last-minute gift ideas, here are 11 great presents. Of course, the best part of these gifts is that the proceeds benefit worthy causes and organizations. We spend so much money during the holidays, why shouldn't some of it go to help others? Here are my favorites:
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Rosie's Peace Tee |
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Lance Armstrong Live Strong Skull Cap |
The thought of going home for the holidays can be happy, but it can also be quite stressful. In addition to the shopping, and decorating, and small talk at cocktail parties, many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) folks have another issue: family members who may still be unaware or unsupportive of who they are.
Thankfully PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) came up with these holiday tips a few years back. I thought I'd repost them to prepare you for the holiday season.
Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation Receives $1 Million Dollar Donation In Honor of "The L Word" Stars Erin Daniels and Leisha Hailey
An anonymous donor has given a $1 million dollar gift to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation in honor of Erin Daniels and Leisha Hailey, two of the stars of the hit Showtime series, "The L Word," for the realism and truth they brought to a breast cancer storyline that ended with the death of Erin Daniels' character, Dana Fairbanks. This is the largest private donation ever made to the Foundation.
"The donor, who has chosen to remain anonymous, wanted to honor the actresses for their compelling portrayal of a couple dealing with the tragic consequence of breast cancer," says the Foundation's Executive Director Naz Sykes. "Ultimately, she decided the best way to do that was to give a generous donation that would help us advance the work we are doing to end breast cancer in our lifetime."
I am a lesbian, I am a mother, and I was a welfare recipient for about eight years. Because I was on welfare, I was able to give birth to my daughter in a hospital. I was able to obtain an apartment. I was able to feed my daughter more than just breast milk. I was able to clothe my family, get childcare, and an education. I was able to lift myself out of poverty.
I did not plan on going on welfare. In my voyage to escape the home life I felt (at the time) was miserable and unfulfilling, I searched for the only way I knew how to escape. I found an older man who could marry me and take me away; and soon became pregnant. I later found out he was a substance abuser and I became entangled in an abusive relationship. I was 17.
