Curve articles from January 2009

Curve archives from January 2009

Wet Naturals.(Date Night Essentials)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Wet Naturals: These pH-balanced, glycerin-and paraben-free "intimacy gels" are made with botanicals, vitamins and antioxidants. They remind us that what's good for the face is also good for the cooch. ($14 and up, drugstore.com)

Boob Lube.(Date Night Essentials)(lavender herbal soap from Save the Ta-Tas)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Boob Lube: It sounds more salacious than it is, but this fun lavender herbal soap from Save the Ta-Tas will help you give yourselves breast self-exams while sudsing up. The bottle has a how-to and a checklist that you mark off each month. Part...

Safe sex = hot sex.(Relationships)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... The square latex sheets known as dental dams are the best way for lesbians to have safe oral sex. While you can find all sorts of flavored dams at stores like Good Vibrations and Babeland, it's even easier to make your own. To make a dental dam...

LBD blues.(Ask Fairy Butch)(lesbian bed death)
January 1, 2009... Dear Fairy Butch: What are your thoughts on our subcultural standby, Lesbian Bed Death? Any ideas on how to deal with it? --Wistful in Washington Dear Wistful: Yes, my dear, though there are scads of lesbian couples who keep the embers...

More same-sex marriages under attack.(IN THE NEWS)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... In June 2008, Massachusetts lifted a ban on same-sex marriages for out-of-state couples. The decision is being challenged, and opponents are organizing a 2010 ballot measure to reinstate the ban. The challenge is lead by MassResistance, a...

Chamber of commerce forms in San Antonio.(IN THE NEWS)(lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... An LGBT Chamber of Commerce has been founded in San Antonio, Texas. The new Chamber of Commerce aims to achieve a positive image for the local queer community, advocate for gay equality, foster a sense of belonging and be a resource to help...

From our archives.(on Rachel Maddow)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Curve was onto MSNBC anchor Rachel Maddow long before she was trouncing Larry King's ratings and interviewing presidential hopefuls. Here's what she told us, back in 1994, about being the first out Rhodes Scholar when she was only 21: "I...

Sisterhood on the mountain: whether you're on the bunny slopes or the black diamonds, Utah is the place to be.
January 1, 2009... The young girls in matching pastel onesies and the sleek women racers in spandex are taking to the hills around Salt Lake City and Park City, Utah. There is a growing number of women's ski and snowboard camps in the area, so whether you're...

I can still remember.(Goodbye to Romance)
January 1, 2009... the first time I watched Showtime's hit drama The L Word. It was exciting, sexy and--most of all--familiar. I was instantly hooked because, foxy ladies aside, it was the first time a television series had actually reflected my life, my friends...

The 10 most underrated lesbian books.(Recommended readings)
January 1, 2009... 1. Two Serious Ladies, Jane Bowles: This early postmodern stunner features the eponymous two ladies: an uptight woman who becomes a courtesan and a wealthy woman who falls in love with a prostitute. Anais Nin was seriously jealous of Bowles,...

Top 10 albums every lesbian must own.(List)
January 1, 2009... Chloe Liked Olivia, Two Nice Girls: Because from Kathy Korniloff's insightful "Eleven," to Meg Hentges' tear-jerker "Throw It All Away," to Pam Barger's salient "Swimming in Circles" and Gretchen Phillips' lesbian rocker "The Queer Song,"...

The 7 deadly sins of coming out Love is blind. Lesbian love is hallucinatory.
January 1, 2009... ANYONE WHO expresses a flicker of queer inclination soon gets inundated with advice: Online, in books, at pot-lucks and in bars, experienced dykes clamor to tell newbies how to flirt, what to wear, when to use the secret handshake and why to...

Femme fatale: this lesbian feminist pornographer has us all tied up.(Madison Young)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... Madison Young is a trifecta. A porn director, fetish superstar and the owner of the feminist art gallery Femina Potens in San Francisco, she is constantly busy raising energy, awareness and heart rates around the country. We pick her brain...

My own pretty woman.(gender equality)
January 1, 2009... Straight men can pay for sex anytime of the day and just about anywhere in the world. This has always made me bitter. Why don't lesbians solicit prostitutes? Could we if we wanted to? Horny lesbian that I am, I decided to take it upon myself to...

Got milk? Curve goes behind the scenes of the film Milk.(ALISON PILL)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... NOT SINCE 1993'S Philadelphia has Hollywood gotten behind a film as gay as Milk, From learning to ride a motorcycle to donning the '70s garb for a stroll through San Francisco's Castro neighbor hood, Alison Pill (Dan in Real Life, Confessions...

Rockin' in the new year: ring in 2009 with these music picks.(Music Watch)(Sound recording review)
January 1, 2009... Resolutions about curbing your spending be damned--don't let the new year go by without freshening up your playlist. Whether you're into indie rock, hip-hop or funkalicious old-school R&B, here are some gems you might have missed that are bound...

Natalie Stewart.(Q + A)(Freedom)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... Natalie "The Floacist" Stewart has moved beyond her seven-time-Grammy-nominated duo, Floetry, to embark on a new solo album, Freedom, which is due out soon. Recently featured at the fourth annual Serafemme Queer Women of Color Music Festival...

Not dead yet: no one can kill Amanda Palmer's talent.(Music Watch)(Who Killed Amanda Palmer)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Boston-based singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer released her first solo effort, Who Killed Amanda Palmer (Roadrunner Records), in September, and emo queers everywhere are celebrating. Produced by fellow piano whiz Ben Folds, the album marks the...

Simply Kenia Kenia.(Other Licks)(Crazy by Patsy Cline)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... (Mooka) For a taste of both contemporary and classic Brazilian vocal jazz-pop, look no further than this sumptuous 15-cut disc by one of Brazil's finest exports who is often compared to Astrud Gilberto. Note the trifecta of English,...

Hook me up the Veronicas.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... (Sire) Moving away from their early pop-punk leanings, the LA.-based Australian twin sisters reinvent themselves in an electro pop-rock vein. They've already achieved hit status with the sizzling "Untouched." (theveronicas.com)

Cycle of Fruit Angie Evans.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... (Independent Freedom Tribe) This out-queer Long Beach, Calif., star goes nationwide with a compelling debut 12-track disc of sax-filled soulful folk-pop. The bold and irresistibly funky "My Politic" rocks my world! (angieevans.com)

The Secrets of the Sea Loquat.(Other Licks)(Sound recording review)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... (Talking House) Fronted by the silky-voiced Kylee Swenson, this San Francisco-based quintet gorgeously blends electronic and acoustic instrumentation for an organic, soulful pop-rock sound that's highly danceable. (loquatmusic.com)

S. Bear Bergman.(Q+A)(Interview)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... In Butch Is a Noun, S. Bear Bergman whittles down the often convoluted issues of gender identity through personal observations about gendered cultural norms like which bathroom and what clothing one chooses, and argues against the gender binary...

The Elusive Orgasm.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2009... The Elusive Orgasm, Vivienne Cass, Ph.D. (Marlowe and Company) A clinical psychologist and sex therapist, Vivienne Cass demystifies the orgasm. Quizzes, questionnaires, full-color illustrations of female naughty bits and step-by-step guides...

Choosing Single Motherhood.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2009... Choosing Single Motherhood, Mikki Morrissette (Houghton Mifflin) Mikki Morrissette explores the difficult emotional, financial and ethical questions that arise when women consider having a child using nontraditional methods. A proud "choice...

Demystifying Islam.(Page Turners)(Brief article)(Book review)
January 1, 2009... Demystifying Islam, Dr. Ali Shehata and Heather El Khiyari (Elysium River Press) Written by a first-generation Egyptian immigrant (Ali Shehata) and a West Virginia-born Muslim who was formerly a Christian missionary (Heather El Khiyari),...

Weeds.(Editor's Pick)(television comedies)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Weeds (Showtime): Having just wrapped (rolled?) its fourth season with the mother of all cliffhangers, Showtime has announced that its Golden Globe-winning show Weeds is coming back for two more seasons--but not before you'll have a chance to...

Tabatha Coffey & Dee Adames.(Q + A)(Interview)
January 1, 2009... They are the darlings of Bravo TV: sexy lesbian hairdressers whose take-no-prisoners approach to work has made them fan favorites. Dee Adames, a 37-year-old from Miami, took home $100,000 as this season's winner of Shear Genius and now she's...

10 Powerful lesbian authors.(Recommended readings)
January 1, 2009... Undeniable validation and pleasure come from reading stories featuring lesbian characters or representing a uniquely queer perspective. The following lesbian writers exert true literary power through their distinctive styles and points of view....

Stem cells minus the controversy: biotech might be the solution to some of the health problems lesbians face.(Tech Girl)
January 1, 2009... According to GayHealth.com, lesbians are twice as likely to be overweight or obese than heterosexual women. This, in addition to higher rates of smoking and high stress levels, a lack of exercise and decreased access to healthcare, all put...

The pinnacle of video editing.(Tech Girl)(Pinnacle Studio Version 12)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... Shoot, edit and create movies all on your own. The new Pinnacle Studio Version 12 is a program that enables you to make professional-looking videos without leaving your house or even your computer desk. The program comes in three versions:...

Hot tech now.(Tech Girl)(watches)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
January 1, 2009... * What it is: o.d.m. watches, the Singapore-to-Paris fashion-meets-tech timepieces Cool before: The futuristic Pixel watch, which looks like a sleek bangle until your push of a button reveals the time ($125) Hot now: The Filmatic, the...

Reasons we love Laurie Deane.(Top Ten)
January 1, 2009... Two years into medical school, "the music took me over," says singer-songwriter Laurie Deane. "It's just a calling, honey." This native of Grand Rapids, Mich., has been following her calling ever since, and has just released her third CD,...