October 4th's Gather

Next Gather: The Femme Mystique

On Sunday, October 4th from 5:15pm to 7pm at the LGBT Community Center (Rm 410), Gather will be delving into the second group within our lesbian identity series: FEMMES. We discussed butch women, now it is time to address the Femme Mystique. Again, be sure to come for the wine, good company, good conversation, and most importantly, to Gather.

This is What I'm Talkin' About

I just went to Fire Island, Cherry Grove, with some friends this past weekend. It was for the Fire Island Black Out. Now, I have NEVER seen so many gays beachfront. It was great, and the best part was the lesbian touch football game. I think there were more than a few tackles, but hey...

More Gather Pictures...Awe Yeah

Gather's Lesbian Identities Panel, Part Uno

Gather this weekend was absolutely fantastic, I've been pretty much speechless since then. We had over 60 people in attendance, and each of our panelists had something unique and thought-provoking to say about butch identities. Kate Roberts, Diana Cage, Emma Crandall, and A.J. Stachelek shared their thoughts on what it means to be butch, who they thought were butch "celebrities", why butch women are sexy, and discussed what they think is next up for the butch community. I learned something new from each panelists perspective, and I can only hope the folks listening did too. Here's some pix (much more to come) ....

Gather this Sunday

What Makes a Butch Woman, well, Butch?

The next Gather is approaching, and I've had a few impromptu discussions already about butch lesbians. With the news that Chastity Bono will soon be transitioning to become Chaz, it seems like it may be difficult to NOT talk about transgender men on this butch panel. It is interesting as the butch identity may arguably be the most common identity conjured when one thinks of a "lesbian," but the emergence and visibility of the transgender community may transform this thinking.

This all leads me to ask, are lesbians defined as butch based on the way they dress? How they carry themselves? Is it a state of mind? Is it a role they play with their partners? Are certain behaviors more butch than others?? OR, is a lesbian woman butch simply because she identifies herself that way??

Where to begin? How about July 12th at the LGBT Center?

BUTCH up on July 12th

Howdy. I'm pleased to announce that the next Gather is set for Sunday, July 12th from 6pm - 8pm at the LGBT Community Center (Room 410, 208 West 13th Street, New York, NY).

Gather will begin exploring lesbian identities, and first up is butch women: the soft, the stone, the tomboys, the dykes, the bois…you get the idea. This panel will address what makes a lesbian butch, myths and truths about the butch community, and will attempt to answer where all the butch women have gone. Come for the wine, good company, good conversation, and most importantly, to Gather.

Sign up for this event on our Meetup page, or simply just show up on the 12th. See you there!

My Favorite Lesbians this Week are... Cindi and Rainie

Two of the finest NYC lesbians were featured in the Weddings section of the Daily News. Cindi Creager and Rainie Cole were married on December 5th in Litchfield, Connecticut. I have had the pleasure of working with Cindi at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), where she is the Director of National News.

"Cindi and I have a tremendous bond and great love between us," said Rainie. "It was wonderful to have it publicly and legally recognized in a ceremony before friends and to realize that we finally have some legal protections."

I love both of them because, well, it's so damn hard not to! Congratulations!

Take My Breath Away

So Kelly McGillis came out of the closet a few weeks ago. Once it was official, I sent the news via email to my dad, a big Republican and long-time fan of Top Gun (and yes, I realize that God must have a reason for delivering lesbian daughters to Republican fathers).

McGillis said she was aware of her sexuality since age 12, and that identifying her sexual orientation had been a hard process.

Furthermore, she thought God was punishing her for being gay (Kelly, is your dad part of the GOP too?). Two marriages and two teenage daughters later, Kelly felt that it was safe to come out, saying: "Life is a freakin' journey, and it’s about growing and changing and coming to terms with you and what you are.” Well said...