Editorial

A Reflection on the Passing of Barbara Grier

Last week, we lost Barbara Grier, a founder of Naiad Press. I didn’t know Ms. Grier personally, but she had a profound effect on me.

In these times of The L Word and The Kids Are All Right, it may be difficult to imagine that not too long ago lesbians were all but invisible in literature and popular culture. Those we did see ended up, as the Los Angeles Times recently noted, “. . . one of three ways: they married a man, went crazy or killed themselves.” Grier changed that.

Featured Listing

Tolerance, Americanism, and Patriotism

In a recent interview with Richard L. Tso, Executive Director of TAP, we explored the motivation and driving force behind the organization’s newly launched campaign that is quickly gaining momentum.

Carolyn Returns from Africa

Many people dream of taking a leap and making a difference in the world. Sadly, for most, it remains just a dream. But there are the golden few who make that dream a reality!

Libya and Imperialism

Of all the struggles going on in North Africa and the Middle East right now, the most difficult to unravel is the one in Libya.

What is the character of the opposition to the Gadhafi regime, which reportedly now controls the eastern city of Benghazi?

Is it just coincidence that the rebellion started in Benghazi, which is north of Libya’s richest oil fields as well as close to most of its oil and gas pipelines, refineries and its LNG port? Is there a plan to partition the country?

The Ten Lies about the GLBT Community Told by Conservative Hate Groups

In December 2010, the Family Research Council (FRC) was placed on Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) list of Hate Groups, in amongst 932 designated active hate groups in the United States which include: neo-Nazis, Ku Klux Klan, White Supremacists, White Nationalists, Black Separatists, Racist Skinheads, Holocaust Deniers, Neo-Confederates, Anti-Immigrationists and Anti-Gay groups, there is listed the Family Research Council.

Featured Listing

Not My Party

Despite being a (green) tea drinker myself, the Tea Party is not only not my cup of tea, but I find them kind of scary. It's not just their colonial costumes and signs about “Obamacare,” occasionally embellished by a swastika or two. It's both what they stand for and the fact that, particularly since the mid-term elections, everyone from Obama on down seems to be trying to placate them.

We Marched, Now What?

At the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom, Dr. King noted that his march was not an end, but a beginning. He knew that it alone would not create the change that the country so desperately needed. His coalition of civil rights, religious groups, and labor organizations would go on to register voters and help struggling Americans gain equal access to voting rights, fair housing and employment opportunities. The One Nation Working Together march in Washington, D.C., on October 2, while unprecedented in unifying Americans from all corners, was only the most recent step forward on Dr.

DADT Ruling

It seems like we’ve been on a roll. A mere month after a U.S. District Court Judge struck down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, District Court Judge Virginia Phillips ruled in a case brought by Log Cabin Republicans that Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) violates the Fifth and First Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Judge Phillips will be issuing a Permanent Injunction to barring its enforcement.

Shining the Light on Prejudice

I poured through Judge Walker's 136 page decision striking down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional, with obvious relish. This is one judge with a strong sense of justice and a desire to make history. Painstakingly reviewing the evidence proffered in the three week trial, Judge Walker shoots down, one after another, the various myths, stereotypes and outright lies that are used to justify the exclusion of same-sex couples from full and equal societal recognition. In the process, he exposes the ugly core of religious-based prejudice that lies behind Proposition 8.

Publisher's Notes

When we developed the cover concept for the 9th Anniversary of Lavender Lens, we quickly reached consensus on the subject: Lady Gaga would have to grace it. Amanda Biedenbender’s review of the artist’s Monster Ball not only truly conveys the experience of the show, but it also draws you into the clever mind of the singer and how she utilizes her notoriety and stardom to make a difference for the LGBTQ causes.

Visit our Media Partners

Visit the San Diego Pix WebsiteVisit the FlawLes websiteVisit the Hillcrest Business Association websiteVisit the GLAAD websiteVisit the Uptown News websiteVisit the Gay San Diego websiteVisit the LavenderLens websiteVisit The Huffington Post websiteChicago PhoenixJust My Ticket