9 May: This Week Belongs To...

Hi Vp'ers! Welcome to the inaugural "This Week Belongs To," in which I'll take stock of weekly events, from Humpday to Humpday, and outline the week's major players. It's like a weekly review, save the fact that, unlike a weekly review, I'll qualitively evaluate which (queer) figures (or "proper nouns") had an exceptional (queer) week.

So, who has the honor of being noted in this inaugural column? 

This week belongs to:

Out Houston Mayor Annise Parker, who received the International Role Model Award at the International Equality Dinner this past Saturday in Philly.  

(Annise (R) with her partner, Kathy Hubbard)

Ebony Magazine, for taking what many both within and without the LGBT community to be bold and honorable position by reporting on the CeCe McDonald case. CeCe is facing 80 years in prison after defending herself against racist and transphobic attacks. Bravo to Ebony for stepping up and supporting the black LGBT community. 

(CeCe McDonald)

Girl's creator and star, Lena Dunham, for giving an amazing interview with Terry Gross over at "Fresh Air," in which she very carefully and respectfully responds to the show's criticisms ("I am a half-Jew, half-WASP, and I wrote two Jews and two WASPs. Something I wanted to avoid was tokenism in casting....") and offers up one of the most insightful articulations of the intimacy of sex that I've ever heard (to paraphrase: sex, when we are at our most exposed, becomes uncomfortable when there is no intimacy attached to it).

Kate Bornstein, who saw the publication of her fantastic memoir, A Queer and Pleasant Danger, and for appearing on the cover of the Village Voice, which includes a multi-page, intense feature of her time in Scientology as L. Ron Hubbard's first mate. 

(Kate unveiling the cover of this past week's Village Voice at Dixon Place in NYC last week)

Sharon Marcus, for her delicious essay, "Wonder Woman vs. Wonder Woman," which explores how sadomasochistically sensual and sexual the series is: 

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Do you have ideas for the next "This Week Belongs To"? Send them to me at my Vp addy!