CHRIS WILLIAMSON:
I remember when June first began dreaming about IMA and, being a dreamer myself, I know about dreams-come-true. She and Ann have realized this dream over and over-raising money, raising musical souls old and young, finding new talent, helping establish a multi-generational atmosphere of learning and big, big, fun! Over the years, I’ve witnessed [...]

Nicole Eisenman and A.L. Steiner’s curatorial response to pop culture, the art world and the zine scene.
In this modern/post-modern art world, men still dominate, as exemplified by the recent Whitney Biennial, where only 1/4 of the artists chosen were women. Be that as it may, the most pioneering artists are female, while their work is [...]

“Robin’s Hood”, directed by Sara Millman, is a rare mix of social consciousness and romantic escapism. Millman & Khahtee Turner (one of the film’s leading ladies) rewrite the classic Robin Hood tale against the setting of urban Oakland, California. Turner plays Robin, a black social worker who is frustrated at the confines of [...]

Things have really come a long way in the sex toy arena. Long gone are the days of the cheap and cheerful variety of dildos and vibrators: in as recently as the last 5 years, silicone has become the standard in replacing not only inferior and unsafe materials, but also in revolutionizing sex toy design. [...]

A 20 year-old staple in lesbian-feminist studies, Alison Bechdel’s Dykes to Watch Out For series offers a female-centered novella-world chock full of quotable one-liners by the fictional, fretful Mo and her host of uproarious friends. In other words, if you’re queer and politicized, Dykes is required reading. So is Bechdel’s new graphic memoir FUN HOME [...]

IMAGINING OURSELVES:
Global Voices from a New Generation of Women, edited by Paula Goldman.
At first flip-through, it’s hard not to smile about IMAGINING OURSELVES: Global Voices from a New Generation of Women (New World Library), an ambitious anthology, edited by Paula Goldman in association with the International Museum of Women. Flaunting its diversity as its [...]

No Ass, No Tail?
don’t ask, don’t tell is still screwing lgbt servicemembers
By Joanna Sweeney
Capt. Joan Darrah retired from her Navy career four years ago after 29 years of exceptional service. She stood proud in her dress whites, along with other gay veterans who chose to don their medals and uniforms in Washington D.C. on May [...]

“Would you like some champagne?” asks Guinevere Turner, as she reclines on the bed of her Palm Springs hotel suite during the Dinah Shore weekend. Guinevere seems perfectly suited for the entertainment lifestyle. She’s completely at ease with reporters and fans. She attended this years’ Dinah Shore for the requisite L Word book signing, [...]

Welcome to Velvetpark’s The L Word pages. You will find photos, articles, commentary and recaps on the show you love, love to hate and hate to love. the Highlights include our exclusive coverage on the Premiere’s 2 & 4. And our behind the scenes story of issue 8. Enjoy Season 3 & 4 recaps [...]

Q&A with Melissa Fowler, curator of the Reel Venus Film Festival
Melissa Fowler founded the Reel Venus Film festival in New York City 3 years ago to promote the advancement and visibility of women film makers.
VP: How would you best describe the Reel Venus Film Festival?
MF: Reel Venus Film Festival is an eclectic showcase of film [...]

photo by Matteo Trisolini
More than a hundred people, a who’s who of the New York “genderqueer” scene, partied at Toys in Babeland in Soho to celebrate the release of Trannyfags, a new porn movie. The event marked not just the premiere of an independent erotic video (which was actually shown first at MIX Fest, [...]