Can You See Me? The Importance of Lesbian Visibility

My name is Geraldine Joosten and I am a lesbian. Who there did I scare you? You must have thought that lesbians were mythical creatures sometimes talked about and never seen.

Recently I have felt more and more invisible in the world. Lesbians these days seem ignored and forgotten about. Where are we these days? Has the world forgotten about us?

Being a journalist and writer I decided to do research into these issues and find out if other lesbians felt the same they did. So much so it was decided that there should be a book on this issue.
Inspired by the amazing lesbian essay books of the 1990’s and the fact that there are many amazing bloggers and writers out there whom all have their own views on the issue, it quickly became clear that the book on Lesbian (in)visibility should be an essay driven project.

It asks the question many lesbians have been asking in the last few years: “WHERE ARE WE?”

Where are we in the media, in TV shows, in the news in LGTB projects, at Gay Prides, on the work floor?

Why are lesbians so invisible? Why are the 2 stereotypes (male sex fantasy or unwanted fat screaming angry dyke) still how we are seen?

How this lack of visibility affects us: Who are the icons out there for us? Does it make it harder for girls to find themselves without many easily accessible role models? Why is there such a disbalance between lesbian and gay visibility on TV, the media and the magazines. Why are gay men more accepted (in TV shows, films, articles in the media. Why do people automatically think of/talk about gay men when the issue of gay rights are brought up? Why do celebrities only link themselves to the male gay rights organisations?) Why do people still think that lesbians can’t have “proper” sex. Why is it still allowed to insult lesbians on TV shows/in the media? Why are bi girls hip and lesbians not.

Have we worked hard enough for our right to be seen? Has feminism helped us or held us back?
What should we do? What do we need?

Several girls from all over the world will write an essay about what this means to them, what they are missing, what do they want to change and how has it affected them. As it is all aspects of lesbian visibility everyone can bring their own take, talk about their own feelingsregarding lesbian visibility. It’s open to many interpretations and they are all valid.

We are still in talks with publishers -but it is certain the book will be out mid next year. We want the book to have a universal feel so it will speak to lesbians from New York to Berlin, from LA to the Netherlands.
We are still looking for more women to be involved in this.

Are you a blogger, writer or simply inspired to join in? Or do you have an opinion you feel should be included? You are welcome to get involved in any way.

Lots of love,
Geraldine

Art Review: Francis Bacon at the Met, NYC

This is my first art review...

ART REVIEW

by Cynthia Rodriguez

FRANCIS BACON AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART, NYC
A Centenary Retrospective May 20, 2009–August 16, 2009




I have discovered a new kindred spirit. Francis Bacon. The painter, that is. Not SIR Francis Bacon, the philosopher/politician/scientist. I used to confuse the two. I was never really a fan of Bacon. Now I'm hooked. I learned of his latest exhibit during my New York City stay last week through an art magazine I happened to pick up at the hotel. "Gallery & Studio: The World of the Working Artist". "Monster Master" by Ed McCormack, who was one of the original writers for "Interview", Andy Warhol's magazine.

Francis Bacon, 1909-1992, was a European figurative painter. His artwork was known (and at times notorious) for being controversial, bold, homoerotic, violent and nightmarish. Like alot of artists he had it rough growing up, in a very conservative household, in extremely conservative times and an abusive father. Also being gay did not help his situation either, especially in a time and place when and where homosexuality was illegal. At one point, he even worked as a "gentlemen's escort" to get by.





When I go to experience a major exhibit, I usually prefer to go alone. That way I know I can take my time, read EVERYTHING, and just stroll around with my little audio tour head phones. It takes me HOURS to go through one of these, and I love every minute of it. In this particular one I happened to be wearing my "QUEER." t-shirt. I thought of how lucky I was to be able to do that, because I know he couldn't.

I felt a serious connection with the artist in several ways. Many people see his art as twisted and morbid. I say there is nothing wrong with that, it's reality. I understood where he was coming from with his themes of mortality, death, and anti-religious tones in his work. His "deforming and reforming" portraits of individuals.





I always get such a kick out of the audio tours. I believe people really miss out on alot of little things when they don't take advantage of those. Most of the time you can hear some interview, and having the actual artist's voice in your ear while looking around can truly add a whole new dimension to the experience. It's like having their ghost walk around with you.

I found myself laughing out loud a bit at some parts of the audio tour. One painting of a dog on the sidewalk gazing at some gutter, the artist says that he was inpired for that piece by a pile of dog shit he saw one time on the curb. "That's what it's all about..." he said. Deep. Another part mentions how he had created some famous triptych "while he was drunk". Duh. What artist hasn't or doesn't do that?




The exhibit is of course divided into certain sections, earlier work, later work, portraits, abstracts, and so on. My favorite pieces were all the "crucifix" ones involving hanging slabs of beef you would find at the butcher shop and the twisted portraits of the pope with his signature open, gaping, mouths. I love the fact that he was able to get away with this stuff at that time. Apparently, he was pretty obsessed with collecting tons of photos, particularly dark themes, such as crime scenes, butcher shops, and Nazi propaganda.





My other favorite part of the show was the room where they had on display covering one entire wall, a life-size photograph of his studio. I did a double take when I saw it because I had felt like I just stepped back into my own art studio. It was amazing. It was such a wreck. Stuff all over the place, paint and other supplies, papers, cardboard, all kinds of junk. I had never seen another space that looked like mine. I wasn't alone. All the constant shit I get about my little dungeon didn't seem to matter, anymore. There are some great interview videos out there with the artist, in which he states, "...it's a dump. No one else would want it, but I can work here...", "...chaos for me breeds images...". He UNDERSTOOD. He got it. Being self-taught, when asked if he went to art school, he says, "No, thank God. I would've been taught techniques I don't want to know." It's interesting how they had in that same room little "artifacts" from his studio under glass, some that were probably just crap laying around. Of course, people always seem to have the need to analyze every little thing. Sometimes, though, a Snickers candy bar wrapper is just that. It's like, "Ooh, maybe this was some type of commentary on society". No. Sometimes the artist just gets hungry. The end.




In order to appreciate this type of exhibit, you need to drop all pre-conceived notions on what art is supposed to be, and open yourself up to the possibility that not all art is meant to be "pretty". Some of the best art ever created is very dark.

"Queer." You've been recruited.

"QUEER."

you've been recruited.

by Cynthia Rodriguez







This year so far has been a good gay year in certain ways. In an enlightening way, almost in a spiritual way, in the gay sense. No, I am not becoming a Scientologist. I already went through my L. Ron Hubbard phase back in the day. I guess it's a new level of gayness, if that makes sense at all.





It all began towards the end of last year, when I participated in a local rally for the whole "FIGHT PROP8" ordeal. Then later that year I went to see "MILK" with a group of people, and acquired a new hero. Then this year at the same theatre went with the same group of people again to see "Execution of Justice", a play that followed the trial of Harvey Milk's killer after his assasination. Watched the premiere of "Prayers for Bobby" on Lifetime television. Attended the annual, local, Oscar party for the 4th year in a row (as you know, that is the "gay super bowl"), and won a "Milk" movie poster, which is at my art studio.





In the spring of this year I curated a month-long, group, political art show in Philadelphia called "QUEER."


It consisted of several mediums of art dealing with a range of issues from sexual identity to hate crimes. Included in the exhibit was a temporary installation piece I created just for the duration of the show. It was my version of a replica of the Matthew Shephard crime scene.










I'm glad I did this show when I did. After all these years of being out and about in the scene, I guess I was ready to put something like this together. It was the accumulation of familiarity in the gay movement, and of being "in the life". Relationships, clubbing, drag shows, performances, benefits, a diverse, endless amount of experiences relating to this matter. Not saying that I'm a "gay authority" so to speak, but honestly, yes, I feel that I am by now.


Like any other political theme I've dealt with in exhibits, it never fails to be an eye-opening glimpse into how far I've come regarding the subject, and how much work is left to be done, in the activist's sense, and in a personal way.

Adam Lambert: America couldn't support the gay speculation?

This has been cross-posted on Examiner.com by Renee Gannon

Adam Lambert, the runner-up finalist on "American Idol," poses backstage following the show's finale in Los Angeles, Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

At 5pm PST on May 20, 2009, I sat 10 rows from the American Idol finale stage at the Nokia Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. Droves of celebrities and past Idol performers were in attendance all around me including Victoria Beckham, Blake Lewis, Heather Locklear and Joel McHale. . It was an incredible show with performances from KISS, Queen, Queen Latifah, Rod Steward, Black Eyed Peas and many more. It was a night to remember.

If there's one thing FOX and American Idol has been known for, it's the sometimes often and blatant homophobia towards contestants who are openly gay Although Adam is not out and has not confirmed his sexuality to anyone, there has been much speculation all season as to his sexual preference. When word like this spreads through the Idol fan community, one always wonders the effect it may have (both positively and negatively) on the contestant.

In his post-Idol finale interview with EW.com, Adam said in regards to "having his sexuality dangling over his head and finally putting it to rest":

It's not dangling over my head. [Laughing] It may be dangling over yours, but it's not over mine. Yeah, I think speculation keeps things really interesting.

I really wondered if Adam's chances may have been hurt by all the gay-speculation, despite his vocal prowess, amazing stage presence and overall performance all season. I hopped on Twitter and read what people were saying. Interestingly enough, I came across many comments like this one:

So my mom found out Adam lambert from american idol is rumored to be gay and says, "ugh! thats such a waste of a fine man!"

Whether these speculations hurt Adam or not, we will never know for sure. I am confident Adam is still going to have a very long and successful career but it is comments like that that proves we still have a lot of work to do when it comes to equality in America.

TV: Gayer than Ever According to GLAAD

Gay visibility. It's important to the LGBTQI community more than most people realize. Kids are coming out at younger ages every year and look for important role models within their community. This is often lacking at home or in their small-town, rural settings. Logically, the next place they might turn to is TV. It is important that the gay and lesbian community be represented in mainstream TV. It is important for the younger generation to see positive role models even if it is in a fictional light. As much as we don't want to believe it, we are a generation of television watchers; we celebrate TV, embrace the shows we love and follow them loyally.

The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) have announced that the number of gay and lesbian TV characters on broadcast networks will double this season.

GLAAD’s yearly survey reveals that there will be 16 regular LGBT characters on major network scripted series in the 2008-2009 season. This is double the amount of LGBT characters in last year’s season, and the most recorded since GLAAD began carrying out the survey 13 years ago. The figures are welcomed as the survey demonstrated declining LGBTQI representation in television broadcasts in 2006-2007, and 2007-2008.


The survey also shows that the number of recurring LGBT characters is on the rise, increasing from 13 last season to this season’s 19. This means that LGBT characters will account for 2.6% of the scripted series population, increasing from 1.1% in 2007 and 1.3% in 2006.

According to PinkNews.co.uk, GLAAD president Neil Giuliano said:

"This dramatic increase shows how far many networks have come in developing complex, multilayered lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters."

The synonymously conservative FOX network (owned by Ruport Murdoch) was named as the most-improved network for LGBTQI representation. The network had no LGBT characters last year, but this year will have five, which is more than any other network. CBS has no LGBT characters, whilst CW has only one.

Fox attracted criticism from GLAAD in August, when Fox News host Gregg Jarrett and US Weekly editor-at-large Ian Drew discussed an America’s Next Top Model contestant who is transgender.

GLAAD claimed that Mr Jarrett mocked the contestant’s description of herself as a woman "whose cards were dealt differently" and took issue with Mr Drew's reference to the programm as "America's Next Top Tranny."

GLAAD also pointed out that throughout the discussion, Mr Jarrett switched between male and female pronouns when referring to the contestant which shows a high level of disregard for the issue at hand.

GLAAD contacted Fox News Channel and US Weekly immediately after the show, calling on both to apologize.

The following day Mr Jarrett apologised on air for his comments, saying:

"This time yesterday we aired a segment about a transgender by the name of Isis, who will compete in the upcoming season of the television show America’s Next Top Model.

"The group GLAAD, Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation sent us an email saying it was offensive.

"That was not our intention. We apologize."

Having such incredibly visibility for the upcoming year in TV is really important and we hope to be able to continue to make note and cover the LGBTQI characters on TV. Personally, I am quite excited that Olivia Wilde is playing the bisexual character #13 on HOUSE, MD (FOX) and look forward to seeing how that storyline develops.

Do you have a favorite LGBTQI character on TV? If so, who and why?

ABC, FX Gets Two Thumbs Up from GLAAD

Including gay characters on your TV show is good, unless it's two lesbians who fall in love with a straight man, as they do in a storyline on New Amsterdam. FOX learned that the hard way when they received a failing grade from GLAAD (The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) on their second annual GLAAD Network Responsibility Index. The index measures the "quantity, quality and diversity of images of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people on television."

Even though GLAAD gave FOX a failing grade, the network's cable counterpart, FX, received top honors for cable channels. The advocacy group praised them for including the most original programming that featured members LGBT community. Special notice was given to Nip/Tuck, which had a gay, lesbian, or bisexual character in every episode. Rescue Me's commitment ceremony storyline was also viewed favorably by the group.

It was ABC, however, that received the highest praise for featuring a gay wedding on the season finale of Brothers & Sisters. The marriage between Kevin and Scotty marks the first wedding between gay or lesbian series regulars on a primetime network scripted program. ABC has had other historic moments, including introducing a gay character to "Soap" in 1977, having a gay teen in "My So-Called Life" and Ellen DeGeneres coming out on "Ellen" as well as in real life.

ABC was also recognized for its inclusion of LGBT characters on its other primetime shows, such as Ugly Betty and Desperate Housewives. ABC received the highest score of all of the nets on last year's index as well.

In addition to Fox, NBC received a failing grade for its lack of inclusion. The exit of lesbian character Dr. Kerry Weaver from ER contributed to GLAAD's assessment. GLAAD is urging both networks to include more LGBT characters in their programs and to portray them in a more positive light.