Queer Notes: Have you been in Bed with Fairy Butch? Anti-gays strike and Equality California makes us GLAAD

Have you been In Bed with Fairy Butch?

Seen the hottest, most fabulous, queer strippers? Experienced
that powerful queer/transgender presence and felt that
strong cruising, I-must-have, I-will-have sex
potential? Then you have been at the In bed with Fairy
Butch show. If you haven’t, you must go to the hottest
queer cabaret in town. Or come to the Harvey Milk LGBT
Democratic Club Dinner next Wednesday night at 6 PM at the Ramada
Inn where you can meet Karlyn Lotney, aka Fairy Butch,
who is receiving the queer cultural activist award from the
club. Go to www.milkclub.org for more info or click here.

Baby Fairy Butch was born Karlyn Lotney, the only baby
in Dayton, Ohio born wearing a feather boa. This
month marks the tenth anniversary of the series of
erotic cabaret shows, and they are still going strong.
The trademark elements of In Bed with Fairy Butch are
first-time sexy queer strippers, comedy, a game-show
style dating service, and queer performance art. The
audience is diverse in gender, sexuality, experience,
sex, and about everything else—it’s a true community
event.

Lotney also writes a sex advice column for the website
PlanetOut.com and is the author of The Ultimate Guide
to Strap-On Sex, as well as having writing printed in
many magazines and anthologies. The Dear Abby of sex,
Karlyn makes us comfortable with sex and our sexuality
through laughter, and gentle education. For those who
are queer theory geeks, Karlyn’s show and life is
performative gender and sexuality.

Whether you are watching Karlyn in his fabulous tuxedo,
or Karlyn’s sexy, playful drag alter ego, Shirly U Gest,
Karlyn will make you laugh and even charm your pants off--literally.

Through public events and published writing, Fairy
Butch has made a difference in peoples lives. Karlyn
has logged many, many hours as emcee, host, and
organizer for literally hundreds of events in the LGBT
community and is truly one of the most warm-hearted
individuals that you will ever meet. We love you Karlyn.

ANTI-GAY ACTIVISTS STRIKE!

So the initiative to ban marriage equality and domestic partner benefits for LGBT couples was filed yesterday with the Secretary of State by anti-gay activists.

As Equality California put it, what they introduced is without question the most extreme anti-gay, anti-single parent, anti-family amendment ever introduced in the nation. According to Equality California, the constitutional amendment would deny health insurance, hospital visitation, inheritance and medical leave rights to thousands of diverse California families. If passed, this constitutional amendment would result in children losing health insurance they currently have, hospital visitation being revoked and families being hurt. This would also negatively impact the ability of gay and lesbian parents from adopting or becoming foster parents. The amendment would also deny lesbians and gay men the right to be legally recognized parents to their children and would leave tens of thousands of children in California with no legally responsible parent.

The intense amount of priviledge that marriage conveys is astonishing. There are over 1000 rights associated with marriage. Domestic partnership offers a little over 300 rights and even that is on the chopping block.

So hear we go. The fight is on.


and Equality California makes us GLAAD

Great news. Equality California has signed on to the open letter to GLAAD asking them to move their annual fundraising dinner from a boycotted hotel, the St. Francis.

Equality California really got how important it is that Local 2 was the first union in the country to secure domestic partner benefits for their workers and to force the hotels to give to a HIV/AIDS fund and they understand the linkages and common ground between LGBT Civil Rights and Labor.

We are also facing a huge battle in California during the next year over Marriage Equality for same sex couples. With leaders like Equality California who understand coalition building, I am incredibly confident that this is a battle that we can win.

Props to Executive Director Geoff Kors and to Field Director Molly McKay!




Equality California also signed on to the And Castro for All boycott.

On Saturday night, join San Francisco Supervisor Sophie Maxwell and several new Badlands boycott co-sponsors, including Equality California to promote inclusion, and combat discrimination at Badlands and throughout San Francisco!
9PM: Program with guest speaker Supervisor Sophie Maxwell at LYRIC, 127 Collingwood Street (at 18th b/w Castro and Diamond)
10PM: Badlands picketing begins, 4121 18th Street (between Castro and Diamond)


Supervisor Maxwell will be joined by seven LGBT groups that have united to reject a funding offer from discriminatory bar owner Les Natali: And Castro For All, LGBT Black Rap, CUAV (Community United Against Violence), LGADDA (Lesbians and Gays of African Descent for Democratic Action), Men of All Colors Together, The SF LGBT Pride Celebration Committee, and the Stop AIDS Project.

Says John Newsome of And Castro for All: Natali's public offer of cash to African-American and LGBT organizations -- just like his attacks on the HRC's process and staff, and on discrimination victims -- is a cynical attempt to distract attention from the ugly truth: that Mr. Natali has wantonly and unapologetically violated the civil rights our community members, and should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.

Discrimination doesn't pay. Don't buy it.