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A~2003

VOLUMNVIII, ISSUE8, August2003

@2003MAKAW

IBM and the Project
to Eliminate Homophobiain Sports
The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is
pleased to announce IBM as a sponsor of its educational
publication, It Takesa Team!MakingSportsSafefer Lesbian,
This eduGay,Bisexual,andTransgender
AthletesandCoaches.
cational "kit" was developed for athletes, their parents,
guardians, coaches, administrators and the general public as
a turnkey 40-minute program that includes a cwriculum
guide, posters, stickers and video hosted by tennis champion Zina Garrison and former professional football player
Don McPherson.
IBM will help fund project outreach, provide all videos
for inclusion in each educational kit and offer its employees
the opportunity to volunteer for the project.
"IBMis excited to sponsor the Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport. We want to help ensure that our future
customers and employees, including today's high school
and college athletes, are educated on the value of inclusion
while still in school because that will certainly be their experience in doing business with IBM, where we respect our
customers and colleagues in all their humanity," said Sarah
SiegeLProgram Director, GLBTSales and Talent.
The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is a col-

tion Network (GI.SEN), Ms. Foundation, National Center
for Lesbian Rights (NCLR),National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Uncommon Legacy Foundation and the
Women's Sports Foundation. The Project's mission is to create an educated public that respects all athletes and sportsaffiliated personnel regardless of sexual orientation and
gender identity/ expressions.
The Project also aims to educate athletes with the effects
of homophobia in sport by developing diversified resources,
promoting fair policy guidelines on teams and to publicly
recognize the athletic achievements and profesmonal succe~
of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
sports participants, thereby providing healthy role models.
"By stepping up to the plate to fund the elimination of
homophobia in sport, IBM is setting the standard for corporate social responsibility," said Dawn Riley, president of the
Women's Sports Foundation. ''With IBM's support, the project will reach thousands more athletes and key influencers
and lead to a more positive and supportive sport environment for all. We're pleased to have them on the team,"
It Takesa Team!educational materials and kits are available now for $50 (individual) or $100 (institutional). Educational kits are available via www.HomophobialnSports.com
or
by calling the Women's Sports Foundation at 800-227-3988.

Note:IBM GlobalServicesis theworld'sla.rgest
inftmna.tion
technology
servicesandconsultingprovider,generatingover$36
billionin 2002. IBM alsohasa dedicatedGLBTsalesteamthat
canhelpbusinesses
grow,whethera companyis a smallstartupor
has many thousandsof empluyees.For moreinformation,visit
www .1bm.com
The It Takesa Team! projectwasstartedby tennislegend

MartinaNavratilovaand the Women'sSportsFoundationin
1996 after the issueof femaleathletesbeinglabeledas lesbians
becamecontroversial
in the sportsworld.With Navratilova's
activeinvolvementin fundraisinganda generouschallenge
gift, an
endowmentanda generalfund wereestablished
to providefer the
developmentof research,communityoutreachand educational
programsaddressing
theissueofhomophobia
andotherbamersto
women'sparticipation
in sports.fb

laborativ@
@Hort
involving
sevenleading
national
organil.a
..
tions, including Astraea, Gay Lesbian and Straight Educa2

3

Property of the Cent.er

I choose my frl.erul.s wisely

rhe,LcttieJ

~ride,

R.eader
A 80-pagebooklet
chockfull of good
thoughts,positiveremindersand
lnaplratlonal
Messages;
only $5 postpaid,
sucha deal!

0

HAPPILYEVERJUTER
a :bookby Stacy Chu.c:Uer

MelWhite,
PO Box 130,
Tehachapi,CA 93561

FREElo good leuwa bomul
$2 for postage to lpeealaton, Inc.
PO Box 99038, Troy, Ml 48099

~•••••••••••••e•••••••••••••••••11

Thinking about who my friends are giues me dues about
myself. If most. of my friends are straight, am I denying my
same-sex orientation? If most of my friends are lesbian and
gay, am I becoming more isolated from the world at large
thon I wanted to be? I ronsider what the
mix of straight, bisexual, lesbian and gay
pec,ple in my life says about the choices I
ammoking.
Sometimes I need more lesbian and
gay friends to affirm my sexual orientation, to give me a sense qf community, or
to provide a feeang of safety. At other
times, I need more contact with straight
friends to help me realize my part in the
larger world rommunity. My bisexual
friends experierwe discrimination as I do, but oan gi,ve me a
different perspective on sexual orient.ationissues.
I look at the pe.opleI choose to spend time with, exploring
the reasons for my choices. Finding rel.ationships helpful to
my sense of well-being aaztes a healthftdplaceformyselfin
the world. My deci.sions regarding friendshi.ps help me leam
and.grow.

:: GAYELLOW PAGES Informing the lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans- II
11gender community since 1973, Includes Women's Section and Eth-::
11 nlc/Multlcultural section "You won't find a more complete guide cov- 11
11 er/ng llterally all aspects of Gay and Lesbian llfe" Our World
11
11
http://gayellowpages.com
11
RenaissanceHouse, PO Box 533 VIiiage Station, New York, NY
11
11
11
10014 (or ask at your local feminist bookstore)
11

- Elee.nor Ruth Wagner
in Lavender Rejlecti.ons

············································~
Reminder:

L.------------------------------~

---------------------··--·----LAVl!NOl!R Rl!FLECTZONS
by Eleanor Ruth Wa19ner,
A book of affirmation• for
,_blllns and gay men;
Meditation• • quotation•;
photoa • hollday entrte•
$10.95 (poet paid)
from author.
5529 Vernon Ave s,

Mlnn01poH1,
MN 55430

Remm>bmngs
ilnd Ce/~,
.ii64--Qtd
cfcck
of

loving kmltJt/ers of the
G/Qt Mother's Voa
.t~il.ilblethrough RobynPosln,

Box725, 0~1, CA 93024

•

What you resist persists ...
accepting and sun-endenng into "what is"
doesn't mean you have to love it ...
you can feel sad, cranky
or angry about it
and still surrender into it
at the ve.rysame time/

805-646--4518

www.futthclrttleoneslnslcfe.com
1
Ask futA Cmlogofr~,e

-RobTn Posin
Remembering■

and Celebration■

www.fwfht/fflltw,,s;111idt,,om

............................................
4

~

5

New WebCampaignto Fight
Anti-gay ConstitutionalAmendment
A new Web campaign was lmmched last month to fight the farright's attempt to add anti-gay language to the US Constitution. The
campaign, called DontAmendcom, is promising to be the largest
online gay mobilization in history.
DontAmendcom is cofounded by Robin Tyler and John Aravosis,
two of the founders of the successful StopDrLaura.comcampaign,
which ran a successful boycott of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's then-new
TV show three years ago. The show was subsequently canceled after
over 170 advertisers left as a result of the campaign.
"The radical right is angry the US Supreme Court recently ruled
in Lawrence v. Texas that gay and lesbian Americans shouldn't be
thrown in jail simply because of who they are,• said Robin Tyler.
"They fear the majority of Americans may not share their intolerance,
and now want a constitutional amendment using the scare tactic of
'same sex marriage• to deny civil rights and equal benefits to millions
of people."
While the proposed amendment to the US Constitution, called the
Federal Marriage Amendment, has been around for several years, the
possibility of it passing the Congress increased significantly two
weeks ago when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced
his support for the measure on ABC's "This Week."
John Aravosis noted that the religious right is now organizing to
pass this amendment like never before. "[They have] now made passage of an anti-gay amendment to the US Constitution its number one
priority," he said. •Gay Americans and their allies must make fighting
this legislative bigotry our number one priority.11
Tyler said that DontAmendcomwill use, and build on, expertise
gleaned during the StopDrLaura.combattle, which "successfully
melded the Internet and traditional grassroots organizing to motivate
millions of people to fight prejudice. Tyler recently "used this organizing tool to successfully work with local activists to organize 38
cities in just 3 weeks so thousands poured into the streets from San
Juan to Fairbanks to celebrate the Lawrence VS Texas Supreme Court
victory on the day of that decision. We will replicate those successes
and bring them to a level never before seen in history,"
Aravosis believes that the religious right push for the amendment
offers gays and their allies an unprecedented opportunity to organize.
"While we would prefer not to be fighting this battle at all, we believe
DontAmendcomhas the potential to...create the largest mobilization

ofgaysandtheiralliesinthebiRtory
oftheworld."
6

"In, 'i~1
the, N"'f,4'fi,rstcamer(oy the, C~
AMI I duln.,'t speak, up ~ I w~'t
""~
TMt'llthey c.a,me,for the, JewJs AMI I did.n,"t speaJc, up be,CCUC4et
I \Uci14t'\f"t
0vJeMJ.TMt'llthey CCUH.et(or
the,~
un,~ a.r\d.,I did.n,'t spealc,up ~I
~ TMt'llth.e:Y came-forthe,c~

w~'t0vt..-cule,
but I duin,"t

TMt'llthey c,a,me,
le{t0- speaJc,

spealc,up ~I
wa,,0vP~
for mesa.Nl.,by that'ttme,thue,"'""'t'lb"Ot'\ef
up form.&."

- Mcutt:.,., Nleffl.oeD.u, Serlu\, L~
pa,,t;or
~ by the, Ge,,tlApo-~ JU\t' 'Q)- 'Dadw.w,
~ camp CA-1938; dwr,Al.Ued,(oree,,,
(reetLhiMI, J(WUllyeAf'l'l.aar,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A STUDY IN SELF-CONFIDENCE

A Short History of Medicine
•

2000 BC - Here,eat this root.
1000 AD - That root is heathen; Here,say this prayer.
1850 AD - That prayer is superstition;

Here, drink this potion.
1940 AD - That potion is snake oil;

Here,swallowthis pill
1985 AD - That pill is ineffective;

Here, takethis mitiuiotic,
2000 AD - That antibiotic is artificial; Here,eat this root.
7

by and© Lee Lynch

Dyke Statues
I met a really sweet young lesbian not long ago. By young, I
mean that she was in her thirties. She let a mutual acquaintance
know how welcomed she felt by our community. In her own, she
felt discounted and rejected because of her relative youth. I'd
really thought things had changed since the days when Suzy and I
trailed the grown up dykes around New York. We, of course, were
jailbait at 15 in the era when to be a lesbian was a crime, and the
women we so admired, emulated, lusted after and copied had no
choice but to shun us.
Why would any community today be anything but enthusiastically welcoming to those who will carry on our spirit, our work,
our histories? Surely we are not fearing that the young whippersnappers will in some way supplant us? I think the generation of
gays that created a liberation movement, gave name and fonn to
women's and gay male spirituality, started our publishing and
music industries, put positive images of gays on T.V. and in films,
accomplished the impossible with Act Up and similar groups, is
on the verge of being granted some form of legal recognition akin
to marriage, got the Supreme Court to outlaw sodomy laws and
Justice Clarence Thomas to call such laws "silly" - I think my
generation of queers doesn't need to worry about getting credit
where credit is due.
I've been thanked manytimes for being a pioneer and for recording the present that was becoming our history. I'm pleased
and grateful when a younger person recognizes and values what s/
he has inherited and I try to pass back the baton. If not many of
them are taking up the reins, could it be because we're loathe to
hand them over? I'm not involved in activities like planning
marches or providing health services or even keeping one of our
few remaining bookstores running, but I suspect that there are
hordes of 20 and 30-somethings who are quietly learning the
ropes. I was way surprised when I found myself one of a smattering of suddenly mature women holding the lesbian pens that
would endure. The young gays will be surprised too, when they
wake up to find themselves in charge of fund-raising galas or
managing gay-friendly motels in resort towns.

Thereisalsoanarmyofgaykidsintheirteenswhohavethe
energy and vision to do their part to sustain our community.
8

Maybe the next revolution needs to be generational. We can't just
rack up victories, then sit on our laurels, complaining that purplehaired 25-year olds with nose rings shouldn't be canvassing for
votes, or that no one wants 72 year olds at the Halloween ball. Nor
can the new dykes and gay men take their relative freedom for
granted- the right wing is never going to go away. How can we
combine the strengths of all ages to do what needs to be done to
make the planet safe for our people?
A warm welcome apparently goes a long way, according to
that report from my friend. We don't have to become best pals
with someone decades older or younger, but, oh, the thrill to see
the young gays strut and prance and my seniors dare to live outside the closets they were born to. When I am with a peer, how our
eyes spark with laughter and pleased self-consciousness when we
break into a duet of some Meg Christian song.
I'm no organizer, but I host a potluck at my home on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. This year there was no one under
40, but we ranged well into our 70s. The sense of continuity and
of family I experience when I look around the boisterous bunch of
us is inspiring and sustaining. It took all of us to get this far and
it'll take all of us to maintain the gains we've won.
One night at a potluck heavy in the category of what a 30somehing lesbian called, "short, white-haired women," I was
brought to tears of pain as they discussed a memorial to the
women in the group who had died. There was no question of putting names on the plaque - even in death the anonymity of these
women must be preserved. We weren't going to spell out the name
of the organiz.ationbecause, daringly, it contained the "L" word.
There was great sadness in the plan and although I sensed pride, it
was a queer pride that we needed to hide.
What if, that night, there had been some young women with
blueberry-colored hair and Doc Martens shoes, one with a skateboard parked at the door and another wearing leather pants and atshirt that ended just above her navel. What if a third, in goth black,
had sprung from her supple, cross-legged position on the floor and
cried, "Who are you protecting? Not me and not yourselves. If you
really loved these dykes you'd get enough cash together to hire a
sculptor and put up a damn dyke statuer•
"Cool I" the other baby dykes would shout.
The rest would have had a choice: quietly ignore these fearless pups or soak up a little of their outrageousness. The mute memorial could have found a voice and while that voice would have

beenquieterthanthekids'.it mighthavebrokensomelifelong
chains of silence. ~
9

ParticipantsNeededfor Study of
African-AmericanLesbianHealth
The Mautner Project is seeking Black lesbian and bisexual
women age 18 and older to participatein the first comprehensivenational survey Qf African-Americanlesbian health. Led by Mautner
Project Health Promotion and Research Director Cheryl PearsonFields, the groundbreaking"Spirit Study" is designed, implemented,
and evaluatedby African-Americanlesbians and draws on partnerships with nationaland community-basedorganizationsservingBlack
womenwho partnerwith women.
"As membersof two medicallyunderservedpopulations,AfricanAmericanlesbiansmayface doublejeopardy in terms of mortalityand
morbidityfrom cancer and other diseases,11 says Fields. •~Butbecause
Black women who partner with women have not been well represented in health studies,very little is known about our health status
and healthneeds.Our hope is that the SpiritStudywill help bridge the
informationgap preventingBlack lesbians from receivingthe health
servicesthey need and deserve."
Among the organizationspartneringon the Spirit Study are the
Zuna Institute,United Lesbiansof AfricanHeritage(ULOAH),Unity
FellowshipChurch,Womenin the Life, NationalBlack Lesbian and
Gay LesbianLeadershipForum, SophisticatedLady Productions,and
Venus Magazine.The study is being guidedby a ScientificAdvisory
Committeemade up of noted African-Americanlesbian and allied
health researchers,clinicians,and educators,includingFormer Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Marilyn Gaston, MD; Lucille AdamsCampbell,MD, Director Howard UniversityCancer Center; Alicia
Matthews,PhD, Director,PsychosocialOncologyProgram,University of Chicago;Lisa Bowleg,PhD, AssistantProfessorDepartment
of Psychology University of Rhode Island; Nicole Cozier Boyd,
MBA/MS,Public EducationDirector Ovarian Cancer National Alliance; and Joyce Hunter, DSW, Director of CommunityLiaison Programs, mv Center for Clinical and BehavioralStudies,New York
StatePsychiatricInstitute.
This innovativeresearchproject is partiallysupportedby a grant
from the Susan G. KomenBreast CancerFoundation,which is funding the breast health segmentof the study. "It is one of the Komen
Foundation'shighest priorities to empower all women in the fight
against cancerby providingthem with the resourcesand information
they need to make educateddecisions about their health,11 says Komen'sDirectorof PublicPolicy,DianeBaima.
Founded in 1990, the Mautner Project is the national lesbian
health organization.Its mission is to improve the health and well10

being of women who partner with women and their familiesthrough
direct services,education,research,and advocacy.
The Spirit Study is completely confidential. Participants may
complete the survey at their convenience online at
www.spiritstudy.orgor can request copies by phone/'ITY (202-332S536), email <mautner@mautnerproject.org>,
or postal mail (Spirit
Study, 1707 L Street NW. Suite 230, Washington, DC 20036). For
more information about participating in the Spirit Study or if your
organization is interested in joining as a community partner, please
call 202-332-5536or email cfields@mautnerproject.org

~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~

LanceArmstrong Foundation
FundsLesbianHealth

!

The Lance ArmstrongFoundation(LAF) has awardedthe Mautner Project a $5,000 grant in supportof the Project'sinnovativelesbian cancer survivorshipprogram.The first gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender(LGBT) organizationever chosen for funding by LAF,
the MautnerProjectis one of 43 communityorganizationsin 22 states
selectedby the Foundationin its highly competitive2003 grants cycle.
"The Lance ArmstrongFoundationworksto promoteall areas of
cancer survivorship,"says Douglas Ulman, LAF's director of survivorship. "Throughour partnershipswith dedicatedorganizationslike
the Mautner Project, we will continue to enhancethe quality of life
for cancer survivorseverywhere.11 Foundedin 1997by cancer survivor and championcyclist Lance Armstrong,LAF works to promote
the optimal physical,psychological,and social recoveryand care of
cancer survivorsand their lovedones.
"The Lance ArmstrongFoundationknows that althoughdoctors,
researchersand insurancecompaniesmay discriminateagainstLGBT
people, cancer does not,11 says Mautner Project Executive Director
KathleenDeBold."Weare proud to partnerwith LAF in their questto
improvethe qualityof life for all cancersurvivorsand their familiesregardlessof their sexualor genderorientation."
Funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation will help the
MautnerProjectincreaseservicesto lesbiansurvivorsby developinga
technical manual so other organizationsand agencies can replicate
their program in their local communities."There is so little funding
availablefor lesbian health that it makes no sense for any group to
from scratchwhentherearegooaprowaste time and moneystartinS
gramslike this we can share,11 saysDeBold.
11

0n ~t1cred groun
by and

(C:)J0y Pzirk::a

Firebrand'sSecondComing
There's an old adage that says if you live long enough, you get to
see everything twice. At 43, I'm barely halfway through the first time
around. But apparently, if you review lesbian books for more than 20
years, some good things do come ar~und a~.
. . .
During the renaissance of lesbian-feillllllst publishing m the late
1970s and 1980s, Nancy K. Bereano was the brilliant ed_itorof. the
Crossing Press's Feminist Series who kept important lesbian wnters
like Judy Grahn, Audre Lorde, Jan Clausen and others in front of lesbian readers. In the early 1980s, Nancy established Firebrand Books,
which was (and I know I'm not alone in this opinion) one of the finest, smartest, bravest lesbian publishing companies to exist, even during those years of profound activity. During the nearly two decades of
Firebrand's first incarnation, it published books that would become
classics from Leslie Feinberg, Joan Nestle, Pat Parker, Ellen Galford,
Michelle Cliff. Paula Gunn Allan, comic book creator Alison Bechdel
and so many ~thers. Firebrand was unparalleled in its ability to find,
nurture and promote those writers who would come to form the cannon of contemporary lesbian writing. Firebrand not only knew what
we wanted to read, but understood what we needed to know.
Unfortunately Firebrand ceased to be a few years ago, as a result
of the typical demons that plague independent P°:blishers, all _toonumerous and complicated to mention here. And with that demise, lesbian writing lost an significant publisher who didn't shy away from
important issues or "serious" books, one who didn't jump on trendy
bandwagons or depend on the quick fix of genre fiction, one whose
passing left a enormous gap in lesbian culture.
.
But there is a happy ending. Actually, more of a happy begmning. Recently, Firebrand Books was purchased by Karen Oosterhous
and the first title is now on shelves.
Karen brings to this considerable task years of experience in marketing and public relationship and calls herself "the ultimate book
geek." She knew the moment she heard that the P."bli~
company
was for sale that she had to buy it and states that something that has,

andI hopealwayswill,distinguish
Firebrand
fromotherpubl~shing
houses, is its willingness to go where other publishers won't on issues
12

of politics, sexuality, alternative parenting, etc. These are the books
that have brought Firebrand a strong and loyal readership, as well as
literary recognition. These are the Firebrand titles that continue to be
widely used in the academic world to introduce new generations of
women to feminism - that's an important part of our mission and one
we won't let go of." For readers who share my belief that lesbian publishing was burning a little less brightly without Firebrand, this is an
event worth waiting to see a second time.
If And Then They Were Nuns by Susan J. Leonardiis an indication of the kind of writing we can expect from Firebrand, then all is
right with the world And Then They Were Nuns is simply wonderful,
the kind of book that you read with your head and your heart and find
your hands shaking as you tum the pages. It's a novel that unfolds the
story of an amazing group of strong-willed, creative and highly spiritual women in a radically different kind of convent in the Northern
California hills. The structure is brilliant - each chapter offers up a
different form, a letter, a collection of lists, a theoretical piece on lesbian eroticism, even a chapter from a thriller. Taken together, these
different forms create a compelling story, memorable, credible characters and a fresh, new and effective way to tell interwoven stories
while remaining true to the character's point of view. It's hard not to
fall in love with each of the women for a dozen reasons,but the
highly sexual, sometimes conflicted but wonderfully free and outspoken Anne is totally unforgettable. And with vivid descriptions of the
order's vegetarian meals, the simple tiny individual cabins, the peacefulness and the collective spirit with which these women live, it's hard
to read And Then Were Nuns and not want to get thee to this convent.
(And Then They Were Nuns, by Susan J. Leonardi,FirebrandBooks, 2003,
$14.95)

SacredOasmc:~ Mama'sDeadSquirrel:LesbianEmys on Sou/hem
CulturebyMahSegrestI admit,it's hardlythe kim of tideone wouldexpect
of a classic.Butit's exa,;fythe kiooof bookthatmadethe ociginalFirebrmd
suchan imp<J:1ant
resourcein bbian writingThisincredibly
variedcollection
of essaysfromSouthernwriterMabSegrestmixesliteraryaiticismwith autobiography,oombinespolitiadtheorywith hunu, and richlyand deeply exploresmies thatmatterin thelivesof womenThees&!)' on BarbaraDemingis
aloneworththe effortto finda cq,y. It alsoinchJdesa wonderfulintrodudion
by ~ Rich,ffllOrefersto these~ as ''bulletinsfromthe front"
Am whilethetitleis irresuiible,
what1s mostexhilarating
aboutthisoollectionis
Segrest'sabilityto useher OM1 experimceas a fiherto exploreoomen's and
lesbianbimy andwriting.thehi&tayof theDJtb, feministpolitics,homophobia~ tbroush
it,revealwhatweneedtowive,v\zyMarmi
Da«I
&pirreL·
Lesbian&SO)!Y
on SadJ,em Cultureby Mab Segns, 1986;Firelraoo:B<xiG,
cxigiml
pire $8.95;pipemick)
13

uiill■IIIOK
M 001 111 529

Call for

SaPI>ho'sSolutioJ:1.S
ccess:fuILiving

Writers, photographers, poets, artists, cartoonists all works are welcome as submissions for the upcoming
LesbianPride
Readers.The only criteria is that the works be
positive, upbeat, or inspirational, focusing on the brighter
side of being a lesbian.
You must submit original works, but previously published works are acceptable. Fiction should be 5,000 words
or less; essays 1000 words or less (shorter is always better!). Poems should be limited to 40 lines or less. Drawings, photos and cartoons should reproduce well in black
and white (color is not in the plans at this time).
Also welcome are quotes, thoughts, paragraphs - any
form of writing as long as you are the creator and own the
rights to your work.
One-time rights are requested by Makaw Press (the
publisher of this newsletter and the upcoming Readers);all
rights revert back to you upon publication. Compensation
will be in the form of complimentary copies of the Reader
in which your work appears.
Don't send originals - send a copy; your wo:tk will
not be retumed to you unless you have included a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Work may be submitted by
mail or email: Makaw, PO Box 130, Tehachapi, CA 93561
or Morning1and@msn.com.

by and @ stacy Chandler

Dear Savvy Sappho, My girlfriend likes to participate in
Gay Pride Parades by going topless. I don't flash anything,
anywhere, at any time. I'm not happy about her sharing her
Amazonees with my brothers and sisters under the skin.
What can I do to get her to stop? - Bug-Eyed in Boston

DearBoston,Tellher hew youfeel and ask her to
carrya banner,Shouldshe continueto go topless,
any banneror sign slwuldmakeyoufeel better,Or
seeif theGayPrideCommitteewill holdtheparades
in February.Actually,therearepreciousfew occasionsleft to get nakedin publicany more,andI for
onethinkthat'sa damnshame!- SS
©©©©©00©©©©©©©©©©©©©00©©©©©©©©00@

tli"o
_.....__.
t-~~~~;** ....... ,._,, t'\

1J. .,ti~*
·~~JJ.
.,er. by and © Stacy Chandler
~~

C~ccm.e,~W-o-Wl:)I
U(&,
t'\.&~
to-CArry r'au\l(W ~ stor~
butto-~colorto-Wl:)I
~ ~- Ramutdr~
TtcfO'YE'-'

LEO

July 23 - August 22
Courageously you roam the plains
Hajestlcally, you're still untamed.
Adoring creatures get but a swat
TIii you find your camelot ...
and evermore, you'll purr a lot/*

-~------

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-=--

~

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••···············································~ruu,M~
:

•
:

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~

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•sEWARNEDTHEVIEWS
EXPRESSED
ABOVE
DONOT
NECESSARILYREFLECTTHE AURA OF THE COSMOS!

14

- -

•
:
:
;
•

Mel White/MAKAWPress, owner/publisher
@ 2003 All

Rights Reserved
For permissionto reprint
or use any of the content, contact:
Mel White, PO Box 130,
Tehachapi, California 93561
momingland@msn.com
www.morningland.net

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HERLANO(PE02-12)
HERLANO
2312'tffi39TH
OKLAHOMACITY OK 73112



Property of the Center

lPM
(i~Ne,,w~
posttf,,ve,, !l~~

I~M~-

Makawf'l"eff'
A~2003

VOLUMNVIII, ISSUE8, August2003

@2003MAKAW

IBM and the Project
to Eliminate Homophobiain Sports
The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is
pleased to announce IBM as a sponsor of its educational
publication, It Takesa Team!MakingSportsSafefer Lesbian,
This eduGay,Bisexual,andTransgender
AthletesandCoaches.
cational "kit" was developed for athletes, their parents,
guardians, coaches, administrators and the general public as
a turnkey 40-minute program that includes a cwriculum
guide, posters, stickers and video hosted by tennis champion Zina Garrison and former professional football player
Don McPherson.
IBM will help fund project outreach, provide all videos
for inclusion in each educational kit and offer its employees
the opportunity to volunteer for the project.
"IBMis excited to sponsor the Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport. We want to help ensure that our future
customers and employees, including today's high school
and college athletes, are educated on the value of inclusion
while still in school because that will certainly be their experience in doing business with IBM, where we respect our
customers and colleagues in all their humanity," said Sarah
SiegeLProgram Director, GLBTSales and Talent.
The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is a col-

tion Network (GI.SEN), Ms. Foundation, National Center
for Lesbian Rights (NCLR),National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Uncommon Legacy Foundation and the
Women's Sports Foundation. The Project's mission is to create an educated public that respects all athletes and sportsaffiliated personnel regardless of sexual orientation and
gender identity/ expressions.
The Project also aims to educate athletes with the effects
of homophobia in sport by developing diversified resources,
promoting fair policy guidelines on teams and to publicly
recognize the athletic achievements and profesmonal succe~
of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
sports participants, thereby providing healthy role models.
"By stepping up to the plate to fund the elimination of
homophobia in sport, IBM is setting the standard for corporate social responsibility," said Dawn Riley, president of the
Women's Sports Foundation. ''With IBM's support, the project will reach thousands more athletes and key influencers
and lead to a more positive and supportive sport environment for all. We're pleased to have them on the team,"
It Takesa Team!educational materials and kits are available now for $50 (individual) or $100 (institutional). Educational kits are available via www.HomophobialnSports.com
or
by calling the Women's Sports Foundation at 800-227-3988.

Note:IBM GlobalServicesis theworld'sla.rgest
inftmna.tion
technology
servicesandconsultingprovider,generatingover$36
billionin 2002. IBM alsohasa dedicatedGLBTsalesteamthat
canhelpbusinesses
grow,whethera companyis a smallstartupor
has many thousandsof empluyees.For moreinformation,visit
www .1bm.com
The It Takesa Team! projectwasstartedby tennislegend

MartinaNavratilovaand the Women'sSportsFoundationin
1996 after the issueof femaleathletesbeinglabeledas lesbians
becamecontroversial
in the sportsworld.With Navratilova's
activeinvolvementin fundraisinganda generouschallenge
gift, an
endowmentanda generalfund wereestablished
to providefer the
developmentof research,communityoutreachand educational
programsaddressing
theissueofhomophobia
andotherbamersto
women'sparticipation
in sports.fb

laborativ@
@Hort
involving
sevenleading
national
organil.a
..
tions, including Astraea, Gay Lesbian and Straight Educa2

3

Property of the Cent.er

I choose my frl.erul.s wisely

rhe,LcttieJ

~ride,

R.eader
A 80-pagebooklet
chockfull of good
thoughts,positiveremindersand
lnaplratlonal
Messages;
only $5 postpaid,
sucha deal!

0

HAPPILYEVERJUTER
a :bookby Stacy Chu.c:Uer

MelWhite,
PO Box 130,
Tehachapi,CA 93561

FREElo good leuwa bomul
$2 for postage to lpeealaton, Inc.
PO Box 99038, Troy, Ml 48099

~•••••••••••••e•••••••••••••••••11

Thinking about who my friends are giues me dues about
myself. If most. of my friends are straight, am I denying my
same-sex orientation? If most of my friends are lesbian and
gay, am I becoming more isolated from the world at large
thon I wanted to be? I ronsider what the
mix of straight, bisexual, lesbian and gay
pec,ple in my life says about the choices I
ammoking.
Sometimes I need more lesbian and
gay friends to affirm my sexual orientation, to give me a sense qf community, or
to provide a feeang of safety. At other
times, I need more contact with straight
friends to help me realize my part in the
larger world rommunity. My bisexual
friends experierwe discrimination as I do, but oan gi,ve me a
different perspective on sexual orient.ationissues.
I look at the pe.opleI choose to spend time with, exploring
the reasons for my choices. Finding rel.ationships helpful to
my sense of well-being aaztes a healthftdplaceformyselfin
the world. My deci.sions regarding friendshi.ps help me leam
and.grow.

:: GAYELLOW PAGES Informing the lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans- II
11gender community since 1973, Includes Women's Section and Eth-::
11 nlc/Multlcultural section "You won't find a more complete guide cov- 11
11 er/ng llterally all aspects of Gay and Lesbian llfe" Our World
11
11
http://gayellowpages.com
11
RenaissanceHouse, PO Box 533 VIiiage Station, New York, NY
11
11
11
10014 (or ask at your local feminist bookstore)
11

- Elee.nor Ruth Wagner
in Lavender Rejlecti.ons

············································~
Reminder:

L.------------------------------~

---------------------··--·----LAVl!NOl!R Rl!FLECTZONS
by Eleanor Ruth Wa19ner,
A book of affirmation• for
,_blllns and gay men;
Meditation• • quotation•;
photoa • hollday entrte•
$10.95 (poet paid)
from author.
5529 Vernon Ave s,

Mlnn01poH1,
MN 55430

Remm>bmngs
ilnd Ce/~,
.ii64--Qtd
cfcck
of

loving kmltJt/ers of the
G/Qt Mother's Voa
.t~il.ilblethrough RobynPosln,

Box725, 0~1, CA 93024

•

What you resist persists ...
accepting and sun-endenng into "what is"
doesn't mean you have to love it ...
you can feel sad, cranky
or angry about it
and still surrender into it
at the ve.rysame time/

805-646--4518

www.futthclrttleoneslnslcfe.com
1
Ask futA Cmlogofr~,e

-RobTn Posin
Remembering■

and Celebration■

www.fwfht/fflltw,,s;111idt,,om

............................................
4

~

5

New WebCampaignto Fight
Anti-gay ConstitutionalAmendment
A new Web campaign was lmmched last month to fight the farright's attempt to add anti-gay language to the US Constitution. The
campaign, called DontAmendcom, is promising to be the largest
online gay mobilization in history.
DontAmendcom is cofounded by Robin Tyler and John Aravosis,
two of the founders of the successful StopDrLaura.comcampaign,
which ran a successful boycott of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's then-new
TV show three years ago. The show was subsequently canceled after
over 170 advertisers left as a result of the campaign.
"The radical right is angry the US Supreme Court recently ruled
in Lawrence v. Texas that gay and lesbian Americans shouldn't be
thrown in jail simply because of who they are,• said Robin Tyler.
"They fear the majority of Americans may not share their intolerance,
and now want a constitutional amendment using the scare tactic of
'same sex marriage• to deny civil rights and equal benefits to millions
of people."
While the proposed amendment to the US Constitution, called the
Federal Marriage Amendment, has been around for several years, the
possibility of it passing the Congress increased significantly two
weeks ago when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced
his support for the measure on ABC's "This Week."
John Aravosis noted that the religious right is now organizing to
pass this amendment like never before. "[They have] now made passage of an anti-gay amendment to the US Constitution its number one
priority," he said. •Gay Americans and their allies must make fighting
this legislative bigotry our number one priority.11
Tyler said that DontAmendcomwill use, and build on, expertise
gleaned during the StopDrLaura.combattle, which "successfully
melded the Internet and traditional grassroots organizing to motivate
millions of people to fight prejudice. Tyler recently "used this organizing tool to successfully work with local activists to organize 38
cities in just 3 weeks so thousands poured into the streets from San
Juan to Fairbanks to celebrate the Lawrence VS Texas Supreme Court
victory on the day of that decision. We will replicate those successes
and bring them to a level never before seen in history,"
Aravosis believes that the religious right push for the amendment
offers gays and their allies an unprecedented opportunity to organize.
"While we would prefer not to be fighting this battle at all, we believe
DontAmendcomhas the potential to...create the largest mobilization

ofgaysandtheiralliesinthebiRtory
oftheworld."
6

"In, 'i~1
the, N"'f,4'fi,rstcamer(oy the, C~
AMI I duln.,'t speak, up ~ I w~'t
""~
TMt'llthey c.a,me,for the, JewJs AMI I did.n,"t speaJc, up be,CCUC4et
I \Uci14t'\f"t
0vJeMJ.TMt'llthey CCUH.et(or
the,~
un,~ a.r\d.,I did.n,'t spealc,up ~I
~ TMt'llth.e:Y came-forthe,c~

w~'t0vt..-cule,
but I duin,"t

TMt'llthey c,a,me,
le{t0- speaJc,

spealc,up ~I
wa,,0vP~
for mesa.Nl.,by that'ttme,thue,"'""'t'lb"Ot'\ef
up form.&."

- Mcutt:.,., Nleffl.oeD.u, Serlu\, L~
pa,,t;or
~ by the, Ge,,tlApo-~ JU\t' 'Q)- 'Dadw.w,
~ camp CA-1938; dwr,Al.Ued,(oree,,,
(reetLhiMI, J(WUllyeAf'l'l.aar,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A STUDY IN SELF-CONFIDENCE

A Short History of Medicine
•

2000 BC - Here,eat this root.
1000 AD - That root is heathen; Here,say this prayer.
1850 AD - That prayer is superstition;

Here, drink this potion.
1940 AD - That potion is snake oil;

Here,swallowthis pill
1985 AD - That pill is ineffective;

Here, takethis mitiuiotic,
2000 AD - That antibiotic is artificial; Here,eat this root.
7

by and© Lee Lynch

Dyke Statues
I met a really sweet young lesbian not long ago. By young, I
mean that she was in her thirties. She let a mutual acquaintance
know how welcomed she felt by our community. In her own, she
felt discounted and rejected because of her relative youth. I'd
really thought things had changed since the days when Suzy and I
trailed the grown up dykes around New York. We, of course, were
jailbait at 15 in the era when to be a lesbian was a crime, and the
women we so admired, emulated, lusted after and copied had no
choice but to shun us.
Why would any community today be anything but enthusiastically welcoming to those who will carry on our spirit, our work,
our histories? Surely we are not fearing that the young whippersnappers will in some way supplant us? I think the generation of
gays that created a liberation movement, gave name and fonn to
women's and gay male spirituality, started our publishing and
music industries, put positive images of gays on T.V. and in films,
accomplished the impossible with Act Up and similar groups, is
on the verge of being granted some form of legal recognition akin
to marriage, got the Supreme Court to outlaw sodomy laws and
Justice Clarence Thomas to call such laws "silly" - I think my
generation of queers doesn't need to worry about getting credit
where credit is due.
I've been thanked manytimes for being a pioneer and for recording the present that was becoming our history. I'm pleased
and grateful when a younger person recognizes and values what s/
he has inherited and I try to pass back the baton. If not many of
them are taking up the reins, could it be because we're loathe to
hand them over? I'm not involved in activities like planning
marches or providing health services or even keeping one of our
few remaining bookstores running, but I suspect that there are
hordes of 20 and 30-somethings who are quietly learning the
ropes. I was way surprised when I found myself one of a smattering of suddenly mature women holding the lesbian pens that
would endure. The young gays will be surprised too, when they
wake up to find themselves in charge of fund-raising galas or
managing gay-friendly motels in resort towns.

Thereisalsoanarmyofgaykidsintheirteenswhohavethe
energy and vision to do their part to sustain our community.
8

Maybe the next revolution needs to be generational. We can't just
rack up victories, then sit on our laurels, complaining that purplehaired 25-year olds with nose rings shouldn't be canvassing for
votes, or that no one wants 72 year olds at the Halloween ball. Nor
can the new dykes and gay men take their relative freedom for
granted- the right wing is never going to go away. How can we
combine the strengths of all ages to do what needs to be done to
make the planet safe for our people?
A warm welcome apparently goes a long way, according to
that report from my friend. We don't have to become best pals
with someone decades older or younger, but, oh, the thrill to see
the young gays strut and prance and my seniors dare to live outside the closets they were born to. When I am with a peer, how our
eyes spark with laughter and pleased self-consciousness when we
break into a duet of some Meg Christian song.
I'm no organizer, but I host a potluck at my home on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. This year there was no one under
40, but we ranged well into our 70s. The sense of continuity and
of family I experience when I look around the boisterous bunch of
us is inspiring and sustaining. It took all of us to get this far and
it'll take all of us to maintain the gains we've won.
One night at a potluck heavy in the category of what a 30somehing lesbian called, "short, white-haired women," I was
brought to tears of pain as they discussed a memorial to the
women in the group who had died. There was no question of putting names on the plaque - even in death the anonymity of these
women must be preserved. We weren't going to spell out the name
of the organiz.ationbecause, daringly, it contained the "L" word.
There was great sadness in the plan and although I sensed pride, it
was a queer pride that we needed to hide.
What if, that night, there had been some young women with
blueberry-colored hair and Doc Martens shoes, one with a skateboard parked at the door and another wearing leather pants and atshirt that ended just above her navel. What if a third, in goth black,
had sprung from her supple, cross-legged position on the floor and
cried, "Who are you protecting? Not me and not yourselves. If you
really loved these dykes you'd get enough cash together to hire a
sculptor and put up a damn dyke statuer•
"Cool I" the other baby dykes would shout.
The rest would have had a choice: quietly ignore these fearless pups or soak up a little of their outrageousness. The mute memorial could have found a voice and while that voice would have

beenquieterthanthekids'.it mighthavebrokensomelifelong
chains of silence. ~
9

ParticipantsNeededfor Study of
African-AmericanLesbianHealth
The Mautner Project is seeking Black lesbian and bisexual
women age 18 and older to participatein the first comprehensivenational survey Qf African-Americanlesbian health. Led by Mautner
Project Health Promotion and Research Director Cheryl PearsonFields, the groundbreaking"Spirit Study" is designed, implemented,
and evaluatedby African-Americanlesbians and draws on partnerships with nationaland community-basedorganizationsservingBlack
womenwho partnerwith women.
"As membersof two medicallyunderservedpopulations,AfricanAmericanlesbiansmayface doublejeopardy in terms of mortalityand
morbidityfrom cancer and other diseases,11 says Fields. •~Butbecause
Black women who partner with women have not been well represented in health studies,very little is known about our health status
and healthneeds.Our hope is that the SpiritStudywill help bridge the
informationgap preventingBlack lesbians from receivingthe health
servicesthey need and deserve."
Among the organizationspartneringon the Spirit Study are the
Zuna Institute,United Lesbiansof AfricanHeritage(ULOAH),Unity
FellowshipChurch,Womenin the Life, NationalBlack Lesbian and
Gay LesbianLeadershipForum, SophisticatedLady Productions,and
Venus Magazine.The study is being guidedby a ScientificAdvisory
Committeemade up of noted African-Americanlesbian and allied
health researchers,clinicians,and educators,includingFormer Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Marilyn Gaston, MD; Lucille AdamsCampbell,MD, Director Howard UniversityCancer Center; Alicia
Matthews,PhD, Director,PsychosocialOncologyProgram,University of Chicago;Lisa Bowleg,PhD, AssistantProfessorDepartment
of Psychology University of Rhode Island; Nicole Cozier Boyd,
MBA/MS,Public EducationDirector Ovarian Cancer National Alliance; and Joyce Hunter, DSW, Director of CommunityLiaison Programs, mv Center for Clinical and BehavioralStudies,New York
StatePsychiatricInstitute.
This innovativeresearchproject is partiallysupportedby a grant
from the Susan G. KomenBreast CancerFoundation,which is funding the breast health segmentof the study. "It is one of the Komen
Foundation'shighest priorities to empower all women in the fight
against cancerby providingthem with the resourcesand information
they need to make educateddecisions about their health,11 says Komen'sDirectorof PublicPolicy,DianeBaima.
Founded in 1990, the Mautner Project is the national lesbian
health organization.Its mission is to improve the health and well10

being of women who partner with women and their familiesthrough
direct services,education,research,and advocacy.
The Spirit Study is completely confidential. Participants may
complete the survey at their convenience online at
www.spiritstudy.orgor can request copies by phone/'ITY (202-332S536), email <mautner@mautnerproject.org>,
or postal mail (Spirit
Study, 1707 L Street NW. Suite 230, Washington, DC 20036). For
more information about participating in the Spirit Study or if your
organization is interested in joining as a community partner, please
call 202-332-5536or email cfields@mautnerproject.org

~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~

LanceArmstrong Foundation
FundsLesbianHealth

!

The Lance ArmstrongFoundation(LAF) has awardedthe Mautner Project a $5,000 grant in supportof the Project'sinnovativelesbian cancer survivorshipprogram.The first gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender(LGBT) organizationever chosen for funding by LAF,
the MautnerProjectis one of 43 communityorganizationsin 22 states
selectedby the Foundationin its highly competitive2003 grants cycle.
"The Lance ArmstrongFoundationworksto promoteall areas of
cancer survivorship,"says Douglas Ulman, LAF's director of survivorship. "Throughour partnershipswith dedicatedorganizationslike
the Mautner Project, we will continue to enhancethe quality of life
for cancer survivorseverywhere.11 Foundedin 1997by cancer survivor and championcyclist Lance Armstrong,LAF works to promote
the optimal physical,psychological,and social recoveryand care of
cancer survivorsand their lovedones.
"The Lance ArmstrongFoundationknows that althoughdoctors,
researchersand insurancecompaniesmay discriminateagainstLGBT
people, cancer does not,11 says Mautner Project Executive Director
KathleenDeBold."Weare proud to partnerwith LAF in their questto
improvethe qualityof life for all cancersurvivorsand their familiesregardlessof their sexualor genderorientation."
Funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation will help the
MautnerProjectincreaseservicesto lesbiansurvivorsby developinga
technical manual so other organizationsand agencies can replicate
their program in their local communities."There is so little funding
availablefor lesbian health that it makes no sense for any group to
from scratchwhentherearegooaprowaste time and moneystartinS
gramslike this we can share,11 saysDeBold.
11

0n ~t1cred groun
by and

(C:)J0y Pzirk::a

Firebrand'sSecondComing
There's an old adage that says if you live long enough, you get to
see everything twice. At 43, I'm barely halfway through the first time
around. But apparently, if you review lesbian books for more than 20
years, some good things do come ar~und a~.
. . .
During the renaissance of lesbian-feillllllst publishing m the late
1970s and 1980s, Nancy K. Bereano was the brilliant ed_itorof. the
Crossing Press's Feminist Series who kept important lesbian wnters
like Judy Grahn, Audre Lorde, Jan Clausen and others in front of lesbian readers. In the early 1980s, Nancy established Firebrand Books,
which was (and I know I'm not alone in this opinion) one of the finest, smartest, bravest lesbian publishing companies to exist, even during those years of profound activity. During the nearly two decades of
Firebrand's first incarnation, it published books that would become
classics from Leslie Feinberg, Joan Nestle, Pat Parker, Ellen Galford,
Michelle Cliff. Paula Gunn Allan, comic book creator Alison Bechdel
and so many ~thers. Firebrand was unparalleled in its ability to find,
nurture and promote those writers who would come to form the cannon of contemporary lesbian writing. Firebrand not only knew what
we wanted to read, but understood what we needed to know.
Unfortunately Firebrand ceased to be a few years ago, as a result
of the typical demons that plague independent P°:blishers, all _toonumerous and complicated to mention here. And with that demise, lesbian writing lost an significant publisher who didn't shy away from
important issues or "serious" books, one who didn't jump on trendy
bandwagons or depend on the quick fix of genre fiction, one whose
passing left a enormous gap in lesbian culture.
.
But there is a happy ending. Actually, more of a happy begmning. Recently, Firebrand Books was purchased by Karen Oosterhous
and the first title is now on shelves.
Karen brings to this considerable task years of experience in marketing and public relationship and calls herself "the ultimate book
geek." She knew the moment she heard that the P."bli~
company
was for sale that she had to buy it and states that something that has,

andI hopealwayswill,distinguish
Firebrand
fromotherpubl~shing
houses, is its willingness to go where other publishers won't on issues
12

of politics, sexuality, alternative parenting, etc. These are the books
that have brought Firebrand a strong and loyal readership, as well as
literary recognition. These are the Firebrand titles that continue to be
widely used in the academic world to introduce new generations of
women to feminism - that's an important part of our mission and one
we won't let go of." For readers who share my belief that lesbian publishing was burning a little less brightly without Firebrand, this is an
event worth waiting to see a second time.
If And Then They Were Nuns by Susan J. Leonardiis an indication of the kind of writing we can expect from Firebrand, then all is
right with the world And Then They Were Nuns is simply wonderful,
the kind of book that you read with your head and your heart and find
your hands shaking as you tum the pages. It's a novel that unfolds the
story of an amazing group of strong-willed, creative and highly spiritual women in a radically different kind of convent in the Northern
California hills. The structure is brilliant - each chapter offers up a
different form, a letter, a collection of lists, a theoretical piece on lesbian eroticism, even a chapter from a thriller. Taken together, these
different forms create a compelling story, memorable, credible characters and a fresh, new and effective way to tell interwoven stories
while remaining true to the character's point of view. It's hard not to
fall in love with each of the women for a dozen reasons,but the
highly sexual, sometimes conflicted but wonderfully free and outspoken Anne is totally unforgettable. And with vivid descriptions of the
order's vegetarian meals, the simple tiny individual cabins, the peacefulness and the collective spirit with which these women live, it's hard
to read And Then Were Nuns and not want to get thee to this convent.
(And Then They Were Nuns, by Susan J. Leonardi,FirebrandBooks, 2003,
$14.95)

SacredOasmc:~ Mama'sDeadSquirrel:LesbianEmys on Sou/hem
CulturebyMahSegrestI admit,it's hardlythe kim of tideone wouldexpect
of a classic.Butit's exa,;fythe kiooof bookthatmadethe ociginalFirebrmd
suchan imp<J:1ant
resourcein bbian writingThisincredibly
variedcollection
of essaysfromSouthernwriterMabSegrestmixesliteraryaiticismwith autobiography,oombinespolitiadtheorywith hunu, and richlyand deeply exploresmies thatmatterin thelivesof womenThees&!)' on BarbaraDemingis
aloneworththe effortto finda cq,y. It alsoinchJdesa wonderfulintrodudion
by ~ Rich,ffllOrefersto these~ as ''bulletinsfromthe front"
Am whilethetitleis irresuiible,
what1s mostexhilarating
aboutthisoollectionis
Segrest'sabilityto useher OM1 experimceas a fiherto exploreoomen's and
lesbianbimy andwriting.thehi&tayof theDJtb, feministpolitics,homophobia~ tbroush
it,revealwhatweneedtowive,v\zyMarmi
Da«I
&pirreL·
Lesbian&SO)!Y
on SadJ,em Cultureby Mab Segns, 1986;Firelraoo:B<xiG,
cxigiml
pire $8.95;pipemick)
13

uiill■IIIOK
M 001 111 529

Call for

SaPI>ho'sSolutioJ:1.S
ccess:fuILiving

Writers, photographers, poets, artists, cartoonists all works are welcome as submissions for the upcoming
LesbianPride
Readers.The only criteria is that the works be
positive, upbeat, or inspirational, focusing on the brighter
side of being a lesbian.
You must submit original works, but previously published works are acceptable. Fiction should be 5,000 words
or less; essays 1000 words or less (shorter is always better!). Poems should be limited to 40 lines or less. Drawings, photos and cartoons should reproduce well in black
and white (color is not in the plans at this time).
Also welcome are quotes, thoughts, paragraphs - any
form of writing as long as you are the creator and own the
rights to your work.
One-time rights are requested by Makaw Press (the
publisher of this newsletter and the upcoming Readers);all
rights revert back to you upon publication. Compensation
will be in the form of complimentary copies of the Reader
in which your work appears.
Don't send originals - send a copy; your wo:tk will
not be retumed to you unless you have included a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Work may be submitted by
mail or email: Makaw, PO Box 130, Tehachapi, CA 93561
or Morning1and@msn.com.

by and @ stacy Chandler

Dear Savvy Sappho, My girlfriend likes to participate in
Gay Pride Parades by going topless. I don't flash anything,
anywhere, at any time. I'm not happy about her sharing her
Amazonees with my brothers and sisters under the skin.
What can I do to get her to stop? - Bug-Eyed in Boston

DearBoston,Tellher hew youfeel and ask her to
carrya banner,Shouldshe continueto go topless,
any banneror sign slwuldmakeyoufeel better,Or
seeif theGayPrideCommitteewill holdtheparades
in February.Actually,therearepreciousfew occasionsleft to get nakedin publicany more,andI for
onethinkthat'sa damnshame!- SS
©©©©©00©©©©©©©©©©©©©00©©©©©©©©00@

tli"o
_.....__.
t-~~~~;** ....... ,._,, t'\

1J. .,ti~*
·~~JJ.
.,er. by and © Stacy Chandler
~~

C~ccm.e,~W-o-Wl:)I
U(&,
t'\.&~
to-CArry r'au\l(W ~ stor~
butto-~colorto-Wl:)I
~ ~- Ramutdr~
TtcfO'YE'-'

LEO

July 23 - August 22
Courageously you roam the plains
Hajestlcally, you're still untamed.
Adoring creatures get but a swat
TIii you find your camelot ...
and evermore, you'll purr a lot/*

-~------

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-

-

-

-

-

-

--

=-

-

-=--

~

-

--

••···············································~ruu,M~
:

•
:

.

-

~

-

•sEWARNEDTHEVIEWS
EXPRESSED
ABOVE
DONOT
NECESSARILYREFLECTTHE AURA OF THE COSMOS!

14

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•
:
:
;
•

Mel White/MAKAWPress, owner/publisher
@ 2003 All

Rights Reserved
For permissionto reprint
or use any of the content, contact:
Mel White, PO Box 130,
Tehachapi, California 93561
momingland@msn.com
www.morningland.net

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15

HERLANO(PE02-12)
HERLANO
2312'tffi39TH
OKLAHOMACITY OK 73112



Property of the Center

lPM
(i~Ne,,w~
posttf,,ve,, !l~~

I~M~-

Makawf'l"eff'
A~2003

VOLUMNVIII, ISSUE8, August2003

@2003MAKAW

IBM and the Project
to Eliminate Homophobiain Sports
The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is
pleased to announce IBM as a sponsor of its educational
publication, It Takesa Team!MakingSportsSafefer Lesbian,
This eduGay,Bisexual,andTransgender
AthletesandCoaches.
cational "kit" was developed for athletes, their parents,
guardians, coaches, administrators and the general public as
a turnkey 40-minute program that includes a cwriculum
guide, posters, stickers and video hosted by tennis champion Zina Garrison and former professional football player
Don McPherson.
IBM will help fund project outreach, provide all videos
for inclusion in each educational kit and offer its employees
the opportunity to volunteer for the project.
"IBMis excited to sponsor the Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport. We want to help ensure that our future
customers and employees, including today's high school
and college athletes, are educated on the value of inclusion
while still in school because that will certainly be their experience in doing business with IBM, where we respect our
customers and colleagues in all their humanity," said Sarah
SiegeLProgram Director, GLBTSales and Talent.
The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is a col-

tion Network (GI.SEN), Ms. Foundation, National Center
for Lesbian Rights (NCLR),National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), Uncommon Legacy Foundation and the
Women's Sports Foundation. The Project's mission is to create an educated public that respects all athletes and sportsaffiliated personnel regardless of sexual orientation and
gender identity/ expressions.
The Project also aims to educate athletes with the effects
of homophobia in sport by developing diversified resources,
promoting fair policy guidelines on teams and to publicly
recognize the athletic achievements and profesmonal succe~
of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender
sports participants, thereby providing healthy role models.
"By stepping up to the plate to fund the elimination of
homophobia in sport, IBM is setting the standard for corporate social responsibility," said Dawn Riley, president of the
Women's Sports Foundation. ''With IBM's support, the project will reach thousands more athletes and key influencers
and lead to a more positive and supportive sport environment for all. We're pleased to have them on the team,"
It Takesa Team!educational materials and kits are available now for $50 (individual) or $100 (institutional). Educational kits are available via www.HomophobialnSports.com
or
by calling the Women's Sports Foundation at 800-227-3988.

Note:IBM GlobalServicesis theworld'sla.rgest
inftmna.tion
technology
servicesandconsultingprovider,generatingover$36
billionin 2002. IBM alsohasa dedicatedGLBTsalesteamthat
canhelpbusinesses
grow,whethera companyis a smallstartupor
has many thousandsof empluyees.For moreinformation,visit
www .1bm.com
The It Takesa Team! projectwasstartedby tennislegend

MartinaNavratilovaand the Women'sSportsFoundationin
1996 after the issueof femaleathletesbeinglabeledas lesbians
becamecontroversial
in the sportsworld.With Navratilova's
activeinvolvementin fundraisinganda generouschallenge
gift, an
endowmentanda generalfund wereestablished
to providefer the
developmentof research,communityoutreachand educational
programsaddressing
theissueofhomophobia
andotherbamersto
women'sparticipation
in sports.fb

laborativ@
@Hort
involving
sevenleading
national
organil.a
..
tions, including Astraea, Gay Lesbian and Straight Educa2

3

Property of the Cent.er

I choose my frl.erul.s wisely

rhe,LcttieJ

~ride,

R.eader
A 80-pagebooklet
chockfull of good
thoughts,positiveremindersand
lnaplratlonal
Messages;
only $5 postpaid,
sucha deal!

0

HAPPILYEVERJUTER
a :bookby Stacy Chu.c:Uer

MelWhite,
PO Box 130,
Tehachapi,CA 93561

FREElo good leuwa bomul
$2 for postage to lpeealaton, Inc.
PO Box 99038, Troy, Ml 48099

~•••••••••••••e•••••••••••••••••11

Thinking about who my friends are giues me dues about
myself. If most. of my friends are straight, am I denying my
same-sex orientation? If most of my friends are lesbian and
gay, am I becoming more isolated from the world at large
thon I wanted to be? I ronsider what the
mix of straight, bisexual, lesbian and gay
pec,ple in my life says about the choices I
ammoking.
Sometimes I need more lesbian and
gay friends to affirm my sexual orientation, to give me a sense qf community, or
to provide a feeang of safety. At other
times, I need more contact with straight
friends to help me realize my part in the
larger world rommunity. My bisexual
friends experierwe discrimination as I do, but oan gi,ve me a
different perspective on sexual orient.ationissues.
I look at the pe.opleI choose to spend time with, exploring
the reasons for my choices. Finding rel.ationships helpful to
my sense of well-being aaztes a healthftdplaceformyselfin
the world. My deci.sions regarding friendshi.ps help me leam
and.grow.

:: GAYELLOW PAGES Informing the lesbian, gay, bisexual & trans- II
11gender community since 1973, Includes Women's Section and Eth-::
11 nlc/Multlcultural section "You won't find a more complete guide cov- 11
11 er/ng llterally all aspects of Gay and Lesbian llfe" Our World
11
11
http://gayellowpages.com
11
RenaissanceHouse, PO Box 533 VIiiage Station, New York, NY
11
11
11
10014 (or ask at your local feminist bookstore)
11

- Elee.nor Ruth Wagner
in Lavender Rejlecti.ons

············································~
Reminder:

L.------------------------------~

---------------------··--·----LAVl!NOl!R Rl!FLECTZONS
by Eleanor Ruth Wa19ner,
A book of affirmation• for
,_blllns and gay men;
Meditation• • quotation•;
photoa • hollday entrte•
$10.95 (poet paid)
from author.
5529 Vernon Ave s,

Mlnn01poH1,
MN 55430

Remm>bmngs
ilnd Ce/~,
.ii64--Qtd
cfcck
of

loving kmltJt/ers of the
G/Qt Mother's Voa
.t~il.ilblethrough RobynPosln,

Box725, 0~1, CA 93024

•

What you resist persists ...
accepting and sun-endenng into "what is"
doesn't mean you have to love it ...
you can feel sad, cranky
or angry about it
and still surrender into it
at the ve.rysame time/

805-646--4518

www.futthclrttleoneslnslcfe.com
1
Ask futA Cmlogofr~,e

-RobTn Posin
Remembering■

and Celebration■

www.fwfht/fflltw,,s;111idt,,om

............................................
4

~

5

New WebCampaignto Fight
Anti-gay ConstitutionalAmendment
A new Web campaign was lmmched last month to fight the farright's attempt to add anti-gay language to the US Constitution. The
campaign, called DontAmendcom, is promising to be the largest
online gay mobilization in history.
DontAmendcom is cofounded by Robin Tyler and John Aravosis,
two of the founders of the successful StopDrLaura.comcampaign,
which ran a successful boycott of Dr. Laura Schlessinger's then-new
TV show three years ago. The show was subsequently canceled after
over 170 advertisers left as a result of the campaign.
"The radical right is angry the US Supreme Court recently ruled
in Lawrence v. Texas that gay and lesbian Americans shouldn't be
thrown in jail simply because of who they are,• said Robin Tyler.
"They fear the majority of Americans may not share their intolerance,
and now want a constitutional amendment using the scare tactic of
'same sex marriage• to deny civil rights and equal benefits to millions
of people."
While the proposed amendment to the US Constitution, called the
Federal Marriage Amendment, has been around for several years, the
possibility of it passing the Congress increased significantly two
weeks ago when Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) announced
his support for the measure on ABC's "This Week."
John Aravosis noted that the religious right is now organizing to
pass this amendment like never before. "[They have] now made passage of an anti-gay amendment to the US Constitution its number one
priority," he said. •Gay Americans and their allies must make fighting
this legislative bigotry our number one priority.11
Tyler said that DontAmendcomwill use, and build on, expertise
gleaned during the StopDrLaura.combattle, which "successfully
melded the Internet and traditional grassroots organizing to motivate
millions of people to fight prejudice. Tyler recently "used this organizing tool to successfully work with local activists to organize 38
cities in just 3 weeks so thousands poured into the streets from San
Juan to Fairbanks to celebrate the Lawrence VS Texas Supreme Court
victory on the day of that decision. We will replicate those successes
and bring them to a level never before seen in history,"
Aravosis believes that the religious right push for the amendment
offers gays and their allies an unprecedented opportunity to organize.
"While we would prefer not to be fighting this battle at all, we believe
DontAmendcomhas the potential to...create the largest mobilization

ofgaysandtheiralliesinthebiRtory
oftheworld."
6

"In, 'i~1
the, N"'f,4'fi,rstcamer(oy the, C~
AMI I duln.,'t speak, up ~ I w~'t
""~
TMt'llthey c.a,me,for the, JewJs AMI I did.n,"t speaJc, up be,CCUC4et
I \Uci14t'\f"t
0vJeMJ.TMt'llthey CCUH.et(or
the,~
un,~ a.r\d.,I did.n,'t spealc,up ~I
~ TMt'llth.e:Y came-forthe,c~

w~'t0vt..-cule,
but I duin,"t

TMt'llthey c,a,me,
le{t0- speaJc,

spealc,up ~I
wa,,0vP~
for mesa.Nl.,by that'ttme,thue,"'""'t'lb"Ot'\ef
up form.&."

- Mcutt:.,., Nleffl.oeD.u, Serlu\, L~
pa,,t;or
~ by the, Ge,,tlApo-~ JU\t' 'Q)- 'Dadw.w,
~ camp CA-1938; dwr,Al.Ued,(oree,,,
(reetLhiMI, J(WUllyeAf'l'l.aar,

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A STUDY IN SELF-CONFIDENCE

A Short History of Medicine
•

2000 BC - Here,eat this root.
1000 AD - That root is heathen; Here,say this prayer.
1850 AD - That prayer is superstition;

Here, drink this potion.
1940 AD - That potion is snake oil;

Here,swallowthis pill
1985 AD - That pill is ineffective;

Here, takethis mitiuiotic,
2000 AD - That antibiotic is artificial; Here,eat this root.
7

by and© Lee Lynch

Dyke Statues
I met a really sweet young lesbian not long ago. By young, I
mean that she was in her thirties. She let a mutual acquaintance
know how welcomed she felt by our community. In her own, she
felt discounted and rejected because of her relative youth. I'd
really thought things had changed since the days when Suzy and I
trailed the grown up dykes around New York. We, of course, were
jailbait at 15 in the era when to be a lesbian was a crime, and the
women we so admired, emulated, lusted after and copied had no
choice but to shun us.
Why would any community today be anything but enthusiastically welcoming to those who will carry on our spirit, our work,
our histories? Surely we are not fearing that the young whippersnappers will in some way supplant us? I think the generation of
gays that created a liberation movement, gave name and fonn to
women's and gay male spirituality, started our publishing and
music industries, put positive images of gays on T.V. and in films,
accomplished the impossible with Act Up and similar groups, is
on the verge of being granted some form of legal recognition akin
to marriage, got the Supreme Court to outlaw sodomy laws and
Justice Clarence Thomas to call such laws "silly" - I think my
generation of queers doesn't need to worry about getting credit
where credit is due.
I've been thanked manytimes for being a pioneer and for recording the present that was becoming our history. I'm pleased
and grateful when a younger person recognizes and values what s/
he has inherited and I try to pass back the baton. If not many of
them are taking up the reins, could it be because we're loathe to
hand them over? I'm not involved in activities like planning
marches or providing health services or even keeping one of our
few remaining bookstores running, but I suspect that there are
hordes of 20 and 30-somethings who are quietly learning the
ropes. I was way surprised when I found myself one of a smattering of suddenly mature women holding the lesbian pens that
would endure. The young gays will be surprised too, when they
wake up to find themselves in charge of fund-raising galas or
managing gay-friendly motels in resort towns.

Thereisalsoanarmyofgaykidsintheirteenswhohavethe
energy and vision to do their part to sustain our community.
8

Maybe the next revolution needs to be generational. We can't just
rack up victories, then sit on our laurels, complaining that purplehaired 25-year olds with nose rings shouldn't be canvassing for
votes, or that no one wants 72 year olds at the Halloween ball. Nor
can the new dykes and gay men take their relative freedom for
granted- the right wing is never going to go away. How can we
combine the strengths of all ages to do what needs to be done to
make the planet safe for our people?
A warm welcome apparently goes a long way, according to
that report from my friend. We don't have to become best pals
with someone decades older or younger, but, oh, the thrill to see
the young gays strut and prance and my seniors dare to live outside the closets they were born to. When I am with a peer, how our
eyes spark with laughter and pleased self-consciousness when we
break into a duet of some Meg Christian song.
I'm no organizer, but I host a potluck at my home on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July. This year there was no one under
40, but we ranged well into our 70s. The sense of continuity and
of family I experience when I look around the boisterous bunch of
us is inspiring and sustaining. It took all of us to get this far and
it'll take all of us to maintain the gains we've won.
One night at a potluck heavy in the category of what a 30somehing lesbian called, "short, white-haired women," I was
brought to tears of pain as they discussed a memorial to the
women in the group who had died. There was no question of putting names on the plaque - even in death the anonymity of these
women must be preserved. We weren't going to spell out the name
of the organiz.ationbecause, daringly, it contained the "L" word.
There was great sadness in the plan and although I sensed pride, it
was a queer pride that we needed to hide.
What if, that night, there had been some young women with
blueberry-colored hair and Doc Martens shoes, one with a skateboard parked at the door and another wearing leather pants and atshirt that ended just above her navel. What if a third, in goth black,
had sprung from her supple, cross-legged position on the floor and
cried, "Who are you protecting? Not me and not yourselves. If you
really loved these dykes you'd get enough cash together to hire a
sculptor and put up a damn dyke statuer•
"Cool I" the other baby dykes would shout.
The rest would have had a choice: quietly ignore these fearless pups or soak up a little of their outrageousness. The mute memorial could have found a voice and while that voice would have

beenquieterthanthekids'.it mighthavebrokensomelifelong
chains of silence. ~
9

ParticipantsNeededfor Study of
African-AmericanLesbianHealth
The Mautner Project is seeking Black lesbian and bisexual
women age 18 and older to participatein the first comprehensivenational survey Qf African-Americanlesbian health. Led by Mautner
Project Health Promotion and Research Director Cheryl PearsonFields, the groundbreaking"Spirit Study" is designed, implemented,
and evaluatedby African-Americanlesbians and draws on partnerships with nationaland community-basedorganizationsservingBlack
womenwho partnerwith women.
"As membersof two medicallyunderservedpopulations,AfricanAmericanlesbiansmayface doublejeopardy in terms of mortalityand
morbidityfrom cancer and other diseases,11 says Fields. •~Butbecause
Black women who partner with women have not been well represented in health studies,very little is known about our health status
and healthneeds.Our hope is that the SpiritStudywill help bridge the
informationgap preventingBlack lesbians from receivingthe health
servicesthey need and deserve."
Among the organizationspartneringon the Spirit Study are the
Zuna Institute,United Lesbiansof AfricanHeritage(ULOAH),Unity
FellowshipChurch,Womenin the Life, NationalBlack Lesbian and
Gay LesbianLeadershipForum, SophisticatedLady Productions,and
Venus Magazine.The study is being guidedby a ScientificAdvisory
Committeemade up of noted African-Americanlesbian and allied
health researchers,clinicians,and educators,includingFormer Assistant Surgeon General Dr. Marilyn Gaston, MD; Lucille AdamsCampbell,MD, Director Howard UniversityCancer Center; Alicia
Matthews,PhD, Director,PsychosocialOncologyProgram,University of Chicago;Lisa Bowleg,PhD, AssistantProfessorDepartment
of Psychology University of Rhode Island; Nicole Cozier Boyd,
MBA/MS,Public EducationDirector Ovarian Cancer National Alliance; and Joyce Hunter, DSW, Director of CommunityLiaison Programs, mv Center for Clinical and BehavioralStudies,New York
StatePsychiatricInstitute.
This innovativeresearchproject is partiallysupportedby a grant
from the Susan G. KomenBreast CancerFoundation,which is funding the breast health segmentof the study. "It is one of the Komen
Foundation'shighest priorities to empower all women in the fight
against cancerby providingthem with the resourcesand information
they need to make educateddecisions about their health,11 says Komen'sDirectorof PublicPolicy,DianeBaima.
Founded in 1990, the Mautner Project is the national lesbian
health organization.Its mission is to improve the health and well10

being of women who partner with women and their familiesthrough
direct services,education,research,and advocacy.
The Spirit Study is completely confidential. Participants may
complete the survey at their convenience online at
www.spiritstudy.orgor can request copies by phone/'ITY (202-332S536), email <mautner@mautnerproject.org>,
or postal mail (Spirit
Study, 1707 L Street NW. Suite 230, Washington, DC 20036). For
more information about participating in the Spirit Study or if your
organization is interested in joining as a community partner, please
call 202-332-5536or email cfields@mautnerproject.org

~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~~~~·~~

LanceArmstrong Foundation
FundsLesbianHealth

!

The Lance ArmstrongFoundation(LAF) has awardedthe Mautner Project a $5,000 grant in supportof the Project'sinnovativelesbian cancer survivorshipprogram.The first gay, lesbian, bisexual or
transgender(LGBT) organizationever chosen for funding by LAF,
the MautnerProjectis one of 43 communityorganizationsin 22 states
selectedby the Foundationin its highly competitive2003 grants cycle.
"The Lance ArmstrongFoundationworksto promoteall areas of
cancer survivorship,"says Douglas Ulman, LAF's director of survivorship. "Throughour partnershipswith dedicatedorganizationslike
the Mautner Project, we will continue to enhancethe quality of life
for cancer survivorseverywhere.11 Foundedin 1997by cancer survivor and championcyclist Lance Armstrong,LAF works to promote
the optimal physical,psychological,and social recoveryand care of
cancer survivorsand their lovedones.
"The Lance ArmstrongFoundationknows that althoughdoctors,
researchersand insurancecompaniesmay discriminateagainstLGBT
people, cancer does not,11 says Mautner Project Executive Director
KathleenDeBold."Weare proud to partnerwith LAF in their questto
improvethe qualityof life for all cancersurvivorsand their familiesregardlessof their sexualor genderorientation."
Funding from the Lance Armstrong Foundation will help the
MautnerProjectincreaseservicesto lesbiansurvivorsby developinga
technical manual so other organizationsand agencies can replicate
their program in their local communities."There is so little funding
availablefor lesbian health that it makes no sense for any group to
from scratchwhentherearegooaprowaste time and moneystartinS
gramslike this we can share,11 saysDeBold.
11

0n ~t1cred groun
by and

(C:)J0y Pzirk::a

Firebrand'sSecondComing
There's an old adage that says if you live long enough, you get to
see everything twice. At 43, I'm barely halfway through the first time
around. But apparently, if you review lesbian books for more than 20
years, some good things do come ar~und a~.
. . .
During the renaissance of lesbian-feillllllst publishing m the late
1970s and 1980s, Nancy K. Bereano was the brilliant ed_itorof. the
Crossing Press's Feminist Series who kept important lesbian wnters
like Judy Grahn, Audre Lorde, Jan Clausen and others in front of lesbian readers. In the early 1980s, Nancy established Firebrand Books,
which was (and I know I'm not alone in this opinion) one of the finest, smartest, bravest lesbian publishing companies to exist, even during those years of profound activity. During the nearly two decades of
Firebrand's first incarnation, it published books that would become
classics from Leslie Feinberg, Joan Nestle, Pat Parker, Ellen Galford,
Michelle Cliff. Paula Gunn Allan, comic book creator Alison Bechdel
and so many ~thers. Firebrand was unparalleled in its ability to find,
nurture and promote those writers who would come to form the cannon of contemporary lesbian writing. Firebrand not only knew what
we wanted to read, but understood what we needed to know.
Unfortunately Firebrand ceased to be a few years ago, as a result
of the typical demons that plague independent P°:blishers, all _toonumerous and complicated to mention here. And with that demise, lesbian writing lost an significant publisher who didn't shy away from
important issues or "serious" books, one who didn't jump on trendy
bandwagons or depend on the quick fix of genre fiction, one whose
passing left a enormous gap in lesbian culture.
.
But there is a happy ending. Actually, more of a happy begmning. Recently, Firebrand Books was purchased by Karen Oosterhous
and the first title is now on shelves.
Karen brings to this considerable task years of experience in marketing and public relationship and calls herself "the ultimate book
geek." She knew the moment she heard that the P."bli~
company
was for sale that she had to buy it and states that something that has,

andI hopealwayswill,distinguish
Firebrand
fromotherpubl~shing
houses, is its willingness to go where other publishers won't on issues
12

of politics, sexuality, alternative parenting, etc. These are the books
that have brought Firebrand a strong and loyal readership, as well as
literary recognition. These are the Firebrand titles that continue to be
widely used in the academic world to introduce new generations of
women to feminism - that's an important part of our mission and one
we won't let go of." For readers who share my belief that lesbian publishing was burning a little less brightly without Firebrand, this is an
event worth waiting to see a second time.
If And Then They Were Nuns by Susan J. Leonardiis an indication of the kind of writing we can expect from Firebrand, then all is
right with the world And Then They Were Nuns is simply wonderful,
the kind of book that you read with your head and your heart and find
your hands shaking as you tum the pages. It's a novel that unfolds the
story of an amazing group of strong-willed, creative and highly spiritual women in a radically different kind of convent in the Northern
California hills. The structure is brilliant - each chapter offers up a
different form, a letter, a collection of lists, a theoretical piece on lesbian eroticism, even a chapter from a thriller. Taken together, these
different forms create a compelling story, memorable, credible characters and a fresh, new and effective way to tell interwoven stories
while remaining true to the character's point of view. It's hard not to
fall in love with each of the women for a dozen reasons,but the
highly sexual, sometimes conflicted but wonderfully free and outspoken Anne is totally unforgettable. And with vivid descriptions of the
order's vegetarian meals, the simple tiny individual cabins, the peacefulness and the collective spirit with which these women live, it's hard
to read And Then Were Nuns and not want to get thee to this convent.
(And Then They Were Nuns, by Susan J. Leonardi,FirebrandBooks, 2003,
$14.95)

SacredOasmc:~ Mama'sDeadSquirrel:LesbianEmys on Sou/hem
CulturebyMahSegrestI admit,it's hardlythe kim of tideone wouldexpect
of a classic.Butit's exa,;fythe kiooof bookthatmadethe ociginalFirebrmd
suchan imp<J:1ant
resourcein bbian writingThisincredibly
variedcollection
of essaysfromSouthernwriterMabSegrestmixesliteraryaiticismwith autobiography,oombinespolitiadtheorywith hunu, and richlyand deeply exploresmies thatmatterin thelivesof womenThees&!)' on BarbaraDemingis
aloneworththe effortto finda cq,y. It alsoinchJdesa wonderfulintrodudion
by ~ Rich,ffllOrefersto these~ as ''bulletinsfromthe front"
Am whilethetitleis irresuiible,
what1s mostexhilarating
aboutthisoollectionis
Segrest'sabilityto useher OM1 experimceas a fiherto exploreoomen's and
lesbianbimy andwriting.thehi&tayof theDJtb, feministpolitics,homophobia~ tbroush
it,revealwhatweneedtowive,v\zyMarmi
Da«I
&pirreL·
Lesbian&SO)!Y
on SadJ,em Cultureby Mab Segns, 1986;Firelraoo:B<xiG,
cxigiml
pire $8.95;pipemick)
13

uiill■IIIOK
M 001 111 529

Call for

SaPI>ho'sSolutioJ:1.S
ccess:fuILiving

Writers, photographers, poets, artists, cartoonists all works are welcome as submissions for the upcoming
LesbianPride
Readers.The only criteria is that the works be
positive, upbeat, or inspirational, focusing on the brighter
side of being a lesbian.
You must submit original works, but previously published works are acceptable. Fiction should be 5,000 words
or less; essays 1000 words or less (shorter is always better!). Poems should be limited to 40 lines or less. Drawings, photos and cartoons should reproduce well in black
and white (color is not in the plans at this time).
Also welcome are quotes, thoughts, paragraphs - any
form of writing as long as you are the creator and own the
rights to your work.
One-time rights are requested by Makaw Press (the
publisher of this newsletter and the upcoming Readers);all
rights revert back to you upon publication. Compensation
will be in the form of complimentary copies of the Reader
in which your work appears.
Don't send originals - send a copy; your wo:tk will
not be retumed to you unless you have included a selfaddressed stamped envelope. Work may be submitted by
mail or email: Makaw, PO Box 130, Tehachapi, CA 93561
or Morning1and@msn.com.

by and @ stacy Chandler

Dear Savvy Sappho, My girlfriend likes to participate in
Gay Pride Parades by going topless. I don't flash anything,
anywhere, at any time. I'm not happy about her sharing her
Amazonees with my brothers and sisters under the skin.
What can I do to get her to stop? - Bug-Eyed in Boston

DearBoston,Tellher hew youfeel and ask her to
carrya banner,Shouldshe continueto go topless,
any banneror sign slwuldmakeyoufeel better,Or
seeif theGayPrideCommitteewill holdtheparades
in February.Actually,therearepreciousfew occasionsleft to get nakedin publicany more,andI for
onethinkthat'sa damnshame!- SS
©©©©©00©©©©©©©©©©©©©00©©©©©©©©00@

tli"o
_.....__.
t-~~~~;** ....... ,._,, t'\

1J. .,ti~*
·~~JJ.
.,er. by and © Stacy Chandler
~~

C~ccm.e,~W-o-Wl:)I
U(&,
t'\.&~
to-CArry r'au\l(W ~ stor~
butto-~colorto-Wl:)I
~ ~- Ramutdr~
TtcfO'YE'-'

LEO

July 23 - August 22
Courageously you roam the plains
Hajestlcally, you're still untamed.
Adoring creatures get but a swat
TIii you find your camelot ...
and evermore, you'll purr a lot/*

-~------

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~

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••···············································~ruu,M~
:

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Mel White/MAKAWPress, owner/publisher
@ 2003 All

Rights Reserved
For permissionto reprint
or use any of the content, contact:
Mel White, PO Box 130,
Tehachapi, California 93561
momingland@msn.com
www.morningland.net

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