What are you doing this weekend?

The Fetish Fair Fleamarket (TM) has a new home, and it's not just a hotel, not just a venue, but a whole city. From January 11th through 13th, 2008, the New England Leather Alliance will bring the biggest leather/fetish/BDSM event in New England to Providence, Rhode Island, where the event will take place in the Rhode Island Convention Center and three (or more) neighboring hotels.

Meg and I will let you know how it goes.

BC for All!

If you're in NYC this Monday, November 12th, be sure to make it over to Washington Square Park for the Rally for Affordable Birth Control from 4:45-6pm! I know some of you are down there so screw work, head on over, and let us know how it goes. More info:

Birth control costs have risen dramatically (up to 10 times!) since the Deficit Reduction Act took effect this year, leaving students and low-income women out in the cold. The act effectively ended the discounted rates that college health centers and safety-net providers like Planned Parenthood had available to them to provide wide access to birth control. As a result, affordable birth control has become out of reach for many college women. For example, the cost of a pack of birth control on some campuses has risen from $5 to nearly $50 a month!

Featuring Special Guest Speakers, U.S. Representative Joseph Crowley, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Meena Shah from NYU Voices for Choice, and others! Join NYU: Voices for Choice, NOW-NYU,
and NYU Law Students for Reproductive Justice in sending Congress a message to restore affordable access! Meet at Washington Square Park.

The only piece that I'm confused about is whether it is only college women who are affected or if it is all women who get their birth control from Planned Parenthood? I would love to research this right now but am still sick (the news of the month really) and must get to sleep. Feel free to post a comment if you get any info on this.

Why Did God Make Sunburns?

Maybe to punish sinful light-skinned dykes? Yesterday’s San Francisco Dyke March became quite the display of God’s wrath on those with light dyke skin. Well, of course he’s angry, those bitches were rallying for healthcare for all and we all know God only provides healthcare to the deserving.

But seriously, the scene in Dolores Park was pretty amazing. I don’t know the exact numbers, but there had to have been a couple thousand drunk, exuberant, tattooed queer women gathered for the festivities. These festivities included ignoring the stage show, seeing & being seen, avoiding ex-girlfriends, consuming delicious food & drink, peeing in the bushes, and obtaining free breast exams. (Most of which were provided by licensed professionals!)

And here is where I admit that I did not stick around for the actual marching. All of the excitement in combination with two previous late nights out, six hours of sun, and of course the booze just did me in. But it really was a fantastic time. Wonderful folks I hadn’t seen in forever, lots of new friends I can’t wait to see again, and then the array of interesting strangers that I won’t soon forget. Back in my quiet Santa Cruz apartment, they are all missed. All I have now is a couple photos, a free breast exam t-shirt, and of course my sunburn.

Gay Pride: Santa Cruz Style

It seems I am finally recovering from mono (no pregnancy guys, just a nasty virus). Sunday was my first big day out after too much bed rest. Luckily for me, it was also Santa Cruz Pride. I walked down to the parade on Pacific Avenue and took some snapshots:

As usual, a heartening mix of music and chanting filled the street and I clapped along. I am so thankful to live in a place where this is not only tolerated or accepted, but appreciated. I overheard a woman next to me, clearly a Santa Cruz native, explaining Pride to a traveler. The man was saying that nothing like this exists where he is from. I was stoked to see him place a gay rights sticker on his shirt.

Unfortunately I missed the Dyke March and subsequent celebrations, but I did manage to get my dance on at the Dakota midday on Sunday. Did you know that there's a skylight above that dance floor? It was like an afternoon at Babylon, let me tell ya.

Yup, the gays were definitely out in full force this weekend, and I'm excited to do it all over again in San Francisco on the 23rd & 24th! Who's with me?