Archive for November, 2008
Every little step
November has been a roller-coaster month for the Americans, possibly more so for its homosexual population. During the presidential election week, LGBT rights took a beating in three states. While new lobbying strategies and appeals are in process, out in Miami-Dade county in Florida state, on Tuesday, Circuit Judge Cindy Lederman gave a brilliant judgement systematically demolishing the 30-year ban on homosexuals not being allowed to adopt children as being unconstitutional, and being bad policy. Her Honour follows in the brave footsteps of Monroe Circuit Judge David John Audlin Jr. who, in August, had ruled against the ban, who eviscerated long standing case law, but the state chose not to appeal and so that ruling did not set precedent.
Her Honour’s judgment can be read here -the good stuff starts at page 38-and is based on good law, or at least good practice, in the emotionally charged field of Family Law. I haven’t read the complete ruling yet but what I, and many others, are hoping is that the Supreme Court will not chicken out deny leave to appeal, as they have done on previous occasions, and to either affirm or overrule Lederman’s decision.
Until then, one family’s fight to be together is won.
Interview on Chroma
An interview with me on Chroma’s blog where I’m chatting with Gill McKnight about ReadTheseLips.com.
For an extended version of the interview, check out http://readtheselips.wordpress.com/2008/11/21/interview-on-chroma/
Spec-fic writing workshop
Clarion West is currently accepting applications for it’s 2009 writers’ workshop. Six weeks of intense shaping for those wouldbe professional spec-fic writers. I hear it’s a premier course.
Totally lifted from and enjoyed works of CW alumnae, Nicola Griffith and Kelley Eskridge.
Europeana
A massive cross-border archive for Europe, sponsored by the EC, arrives today.
EUROPEANA – the European digital library, museum and archive – is a prototype website giving users direct access to some 2 million digital objects, including film material, photos, paintings, sounds, maps, manuscripts, books, newspapers and archival papers.
The digital content will be selected from that which is already digitised and available in Europe’s museums, libraries, archives and audio-visual collections. The prototype aims to have representative content from all four of these cultural heritage domains, and also to have a broad range of content from across Europe.
The interface will be multilingual. Initially, this may mean that it is available in French, English and German, but the intention is to develop the number of languages available following the launch.
Oh, the rich pickings!
Gifts for the lesbian in your life
Looking for a gift that’ll last through the next year? Judy Francesconi, photographer, has been producing fine art calendars by and for lesbians for many years. The photos are lovely. Very lovely. Like Yum!
Take a look at some of her studio shots here.
Her calendars and other prints are available here.
Pet pic
I started this blog nearly three months ago with a pic of our aquarium. Time for another picture.
The future of spec-fic
Lovingly still called sci-fi by the New Scientist – but then they might have a bias – in this week’s issue they talk to six superstars of the genre, including Ursula K Le Guin and Margaret Atwood, about the future of sci-fi literature.
Read the article and the interviews here.
US-wide protests against Prop 8, Nov 15th
With a rainbow fist and a catchy slogan, join Fight The H8 this Saturday at a location near you – if you live in the US of A – to protest Prop 8 (boo hiss!). It’s not just a California problem, it affects every gay person. So come out for a day, an hour, with your queer mates and show your pride.
To find your nearest location – http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com
Go you good things!
How did you meet?
My best friend and I were reminiscing about how we met (online, via a Xena fan group) almost nine years ago. What started us corresponding was the unusual moment when she was looking for kangaroo scrotum pouches and I was in the path of said product – unknown to me till then – as they were easily available here.
We’ve had a lot of fun, pressies and laughs since then, and throughout it, still fans of lesbian fiction. But the story of how we met has got to be one of the oddest stories in RL lesbian realm.
Movies to watch
Shamim Sharif‘s next film due out soon! I Can’t Think Straight, based on her third novel, is a romantic comedy about two women from different cultures who unexpectedly fall in love. Practically autobiographical.
.jpg)
Shamim’s first film, The World Unseen was adapted from her first novel. Dramatic, that one. Set in rural South Africa during apartheid, it showed a subculture I had heard of but not seen before – Indian and Ceylonese merchants who migrated to South Africa. Lisa Ray (seriously droolworthy…) is too beautiful for words. I, along with the whole cinema of lesbians, mourned the anti-climactic ending but the actors made it a memorable film. Interesting that Lisa and Sheetal Sheth are together again in ICTS.
Caramel, a film by Nadine Labaki, is the best film I’ve seen this year. It is about the women in and around a beauty shop in the poorer side of Lebanon. Warmly funny and tenderly endearing, it will make you laugh in the glow of their friendship. There’s a reason for the title Caramel. A must see. 5 STARS from me. Yes, there is a lesbian in there.
