eurOut Magazine - Special Gay Games Edition by Sandra Showtime

e u r opean.lesbian.news

Special edition, 2010

eur ut . o r g t

G A Y

G A M E S

Plus: Gay Games Survival Guide |LesBian Life | Studying L e s B i a n s | W e A r e E v e r y w h e r e | T h e L e s b i a n N e w s S t a1c k

eurOut magazine About:

Dear reader Although this is my first year at the Gay Games, I’m pretty sure it’ll be a blast! In addition to the actual sports events, Cologne is offering us many other events and parties, that will even turn the most fervent sports-hater into a happy camper. Besides being able to join in on all that Gay Games fun, I’m also very happy and proud to present this special edition of our magazine to you. In here you’ll find a selection of our best articles and columns, to show you how gay Europe actually is. With a focus on European lesBian life, current events,

entertainment and politics, we make visible what’s already out there. Why? Because lesBian visibility matters and is still very much needed.

This magazine is a special Gay Games 2010 edition of the monthly publication of eurOut.org, the leading website for European lesBian entertainment and political news in the English language.

So sit down, have a drink and enjoy our magazine. Let us know what you think, or just come say hi. We’d love to meet you!

Feel free to contact us with any questions, tips or to just let us know what you think. Find our website at

Warm regards, SASKIA JOREEN Chief Editor

Did You Know?

Jessica Landström Famous Lesbians in European History Out soccer star Jessica Landström (born December 12, 1984) is a forward for the Swedish national team. She debuted for the national team on November 8, 2007, where she also scored her first international goal. She also played Forward for the U21/23 national team and for Hammarby from 2005-2007. She would go on to play for Sweden’s national team in an Olympic qualifying match against Denmark in 2007 and four additional games during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Voted best breakthrough player at Swedish Football Awards 2009.

Jessica Landstrom of Sweden (L) fights for the ball with Ariane Hingst of Germany during their women's quarter final soccer match in Shenyang Olympic Stadium, the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 15, 2008.

Landström was featured on EurOut.org at http://eurout.org/2009/09/09/portraitswedish-soccer-player-jessica-landstroem

Pam Harrison is the creator of the award-winning historical fiction series House of the Muses. Suggest famous lesbians you would like to see featured and check out her series at http://houseofthemuses.com

www.eurout.org. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Saskia Joreen (editor@eurout.org) PR-OFFICER: Anna McFaith (faith@eurout.org) EDITOR OF ENTERTAINMENT: Natazzz (entertainment@eurout.org) EDITOR OF POLITICS: Maxime (politics@eurout.org) ART DIRECTION & LAYOUT: Embla (embla.eurout@gmail.com) CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE: Ley (ley@eurout.org) Joan (joan@eurout.org) Chantal (Chantal@eurout. org) Special inspirational thanks go out to Sandra Showtime, founder of eurOut.org.

In This Issue

4 The Gay Games Survival Guide 8 Children of LesBian Parents Thrive 10 The Gay Games Interview: Daniela Zysk 13 Norwegian Kindergartens Get Same-sex Stories 14 The Lesbian News Stack 16 LesBian Life: Vacation Edition

18 We Are Everywhere 20 Review: The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister 22 Studying LesBians: Is a Gay-Friendly Work Environment Profitable? 25 The Power of Words

26 First Bratislava Pride Disrupted, But Still Successful 27 Interview: The Women Behind Emma Stahl 30 Where Are We on Television? 31 A List of LGBT Organizations

The Gay Games Survival Guide The Gay Games Survival Guide is the guide to have on you when you visit the Games as a lesbian or bisexual woman. On these two pages you will find everything you need to know to get the best out of the Gay Games 2010! What are the Gay Games? The GAY GAMES are the biggest volunteer sports and cultural festival in the world. The 2010 edition takes place in Cologne, Germany, from July 31 to August 7. It’s estimated

around 10.000 people from over 70 countries will partake in the sport events. This year’s motto is “Be part of it!” and everyone is welcome to come.

ll european. all lesbian. all new. all european. all lesbian.

Quick facts:

ll european. all lesbian. all new. all european. all lesbian.

This is the eighth edition of the Gay Games The first edition was held in San Francisco The Gay Games are the legacy of Dr. Tom Waddell. He wanted to promote better understanding through sport San Francisco, Vancouver, New York City, Amsterdam, Sydney and Chicago preceded Cologne in hosting Contests will be held in 35 very varied sports The official Gay Games song was recorded by Taylor Dayne and is called ‘Facing a Miracle’

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WomenPlace: As you can read in our interview with DANIELA ZYSK on page 10, WomenPlace is the absolute place to be for any lesBian attending the Games. Parties, booths of interesting companies and people and book readings can be found there. For a full overview, check out the list we made for easy reference on the next pages.

What does eurOut have to offer? If you want to find us during the Games, we will be at the WOMENPLACE, sharing a booth with the lovely ladies of ONE MORE LESBIAN. We will be there to answer any questions you might have or to listen

to your suggestions on how to make eurOut even better than it already is. On top of that, we will be hosting several book readings at the WomenPlace you do not want to miss! For dates, times and authors, we

refer you to the overview on the following pages. If you want to meet us, the OML staff and the people of AFTERELLEN, then come to our MEET UP on Wednesday. We promise you an awesome time!

The Gay Games Survival Guide Overview of lesBian events Saturday, July 31, evening / Lanxess Arena (Willy-Brandt-Platz) Party: Colour Cologne: The official Gay Games Opening Party - Right after the opening ceremony, the opening party begins. Five floors, one of which is a Women’s Floor. Several DJs, performances and areas, as well as awesome acts by sexy athletes. Tickets: € 35,00 for Gay Games participants, € 40,00 for the general public. Order them on gaygamescologne.com. Sunday, August 1, 16:00-17:30 | Friday, August 6, 17:00-18:30 / Cologne Old City (Ursulaplatz) Chaste or romantic – Lesbian stories in earlier times. Tickets: € 8,00. Order them on gaygamescologne.com. Language: German, and also sign language on Friday. Sunday, August 1, 17:00 / WomenPlace (Neumarkt) Concert: Samba band queerelas - Get ready to dance with this great all-female samba band from Cologne! Monday, August 2, 11:00-12:30 | Tuesday, August 3, 16:00-17:30 | Wednesday, August 4, 11:00-12:30 | Thursday, August 5, 16:00-17:30 / Cologne Old City (Roncalliplatz) Tourist Highlights from a Woman’s Perspective - Tickets: € 8,00. Order them ahead on gaygamescologne.com. Language: German on Mon/Wed, English on Tue/Thu. Monday, August 2, 16:00 | Friday, August 6, 16.00 / WomenPlace (Neumarkt) eurOut presents: Author reading: Diana Knezevic - Together with two other female authors, Diana wrote the first ever rainbow crime novel, especially for and about the Gay Games: Bei Sport Mord. Be prepared for a story about intrigue, lies, sex, jealousy and greed. Language: German. Monday, August 2, 21:00 / Kölner Filmhaus (Maybachstrasse 111) Open Air Cinema: Nina’s Heavenly Delights - A romantic comedy rich with the tastes of life, love and spices. Moved to indoors at 22:00 in case of bad weather. Tickets: € 6,50. Buy them at the box office or at offticket.de. Monday, August 2 – Saturday, August 7, doors open at 22:00 / The Gloria (Apostelnstrasse 11) Party: Gay Games Clubbing at the Gloria – Sport meets Culture. Come dance at one of Cologne’s most popular dance clubs! Every night has a different theme. Tue & Wed of interest for women. Admission at the door: € 10,00 for Gay Games participants, € 12,00 for the general public. Tuesday, August 3, 11:00-12:30 | Thursday, August 5, 11:00-12:30 / Cologne Old City (Memorial of gay Nazi victims) Dancing at the ladies club – Lesbian stories in the 20th century. Tickets: € 8,00. Order them on gaygamescologne.com. Language: German. 5

The Gay Games Survival Guide Overview of lesBian events Tuesday, August 3, 15:00 / WomenPlace (Neumarkt) eurOut presents: Author reading: Anne Bax - Anne will be reading, amongst others, from Kochen & Küssen; the lesbian, romantic, erotic cooking and reading book. Language: German. Tuesday, August 3, 21:00 / Kölner Filmhaus (Maybachstrasse 111) Open Air Cinema: High Art - A romantic drama about ambition, sacrifice, seduction and other career moves. Moved to indoors at 22:00 in case of bad weather. Tickets: € 6,50. Buy them at the box office or at offticket.de. Wednesday, August 4, 15:00 / WomenPlace (Neumarkt) eurOut, AfterEllen and One More Lesbian present: Meet and Greet - The largest lesbian publications from Europe and America join forces with the biggest lesbian video aggregate website. We invite all our readers, viewers and fans to join us for an afternoon filled with music, drinks and chat. Staff of all websites as well as the wonderful Bridget McManus (US comedian/actress) will be eager to meet you! Language: English. Wednesday, August 4, 15:30-18:30 / Cologne Old City (Hohenzollern Bridge) Ahoy! Off we go! - Women’s historical Rhine cruise. Tickets: € 15,50. Order them on gaygamescologne.com. Language: German, English. Wednesday, August 4, 17:00 / WomenPlace (Neumarkt) eurOut presents: Author reading: Brigitte Bialojahn - Brigitte will be reading from her latest crime/romance novel Schwarzer Afghane, in which a lesbian photographer/archeologist with a fear of commitment falls for a charismatic dog psychologist. Language: German. Wednesday, August 4, 21:00 / Kölner Filmhaus (Maybachstrasse 111) Open Air Cinema: It’s in the Water - An outrageous romantic comedy with a queer little twist. Moved to indoors at 22:00 in case of bad weather. Tickets: € 6,50. Buy them at the box office or at offticket.de. Thursday, August 5, 17:00 / WomenPlace (Neumarkt) eurOut presents: Author reading: Bettina Isabel Rocha - The Spanish-German author will be reading from her debut novel Tango mit Inés, which is about an Argentinean tango teacher that travels to Spain to find out more about her family’s history. There, she meets the magnetically attractive Inés. Language: German. Thursday, August 5 & Friday, August 6, 18:00-22:00 / Kölner Filmhaus (Maybachstrasse 111) One More Lesbian presents: OML Theatre Nights - Screening six lesbian web series from around the world. The red carpet will include some of the web series’ producers and 6

The Gay Games Survival Guide Overview of lesBian events actresses, as well as (German) celesbians attending the event. Tickets are € 2,00 and can be reserved via tickets@onemorelesbian.com. Remaining tickets are available at the door. All English speaking series will be subtitled in German. Friday, August 6, 11:00-13:00 / Melaten Cemetery Beloved wife asleep gently – Women at Melaten cemetery. Tickets: € 8,00. Order them on gaygamescologne.com. Language: German. Friday, August 6, 20:30 / Atelier Theater (Roonstrasse 78) Concert: Sappho loves Shane – Lesbian Songs and Satire. Tickets: € 15,50. Order them on gaygamescologne.com. Language: German. Friday, August 6, doors open at 21:00 / Stollwerck (Dreikönigenstrasse 23) Party: Triumph & Temptations - The official Gay Games Female Pride Party. Three floors, several DJs, a chill out area and various nice drinks. Tickets: € 13,00 + fee presale, € 17,00 at the door. Order your presale tickets on gaygamescologne.com. This is a selection of events and dates and times may vary. Check www.gaygamescologne.com for the complete and accurate overview.

Children of LesBian Parents Thrive A recently published study conducted in the US shows that children raised by mothers in planned lesbian families do significantly better than their heterosexually raised peers. We give you the highlights, discuss the criticism it received and look at the implications for the lesBian community. by: Anna McFaith CHILDREN OF LESBIAN parents thrive. It’s a bold statement to make and one not made lightly. For nearly 25 years, American professor of Law and Psychology Nanette Gartrell and Dutch behavioural scientist Henny Bos followed 154 lesBians who underwent artificial insemination to start a family. The mothers were interviewed during pregnancy or the insemination process, and four more times after that during the following years. The research concludes that children raised by lesBian mothers — whether the mothers were partnered or single — scored very similarly to children raised by heterosexual parents on measures of development and social behaviour. This outcome was expected. What the researchers didn’t expect, was to discover that children in lesbian homes scored higher than kids in straight families on 8

psychological measures like self-esteem and confidence. They even did better academically and were less likely to have behavioural problems, such as rulebreaking and aggression. What the study also shows is that while 41% of the children endured some teasing and discrimination because of their lesBian mothers, none of the children were found to have any differences on psychological adjustment tests in regards to the group of matched controls. Gartrell and Bos say further research is necessary to exclusively say why children from lesbian families grow up as concluded, but Gartrell does have some ideas: “[Lesbian parents] are very involved in their children’s lives and that is a great recipe for healthy outcomes for children. Being present, having good communication, being there in their schools, finding out what is going on

in their schools and various aspects of the children’s lives is very, very important.” While heterosexual parents are often involved in their children’s lives as well, Gartrell suspects same-sex mothers often make that kind of parenting more of a priority. LesBian mothers know that their child will most likely be bullied or hurt because of the sexual orientation of their parents and subjects like tolerance, sexuality and diversity will often be addressed at a much earlier age. This helps the bonding process and gives the children more confidence to face the world. It might also make them more socially involved at a later age. Having kids is not a sure thing for women in a lesbian relationship. This might play a large part in the involvement of the mothers in the child’s lives as well as the outcome of the study.

Children of LesBian Parents Thrive “[The children] didn’t arrive by accident,” Gartrell writes. “The mothers were older... they were waiting for an opportunity to have children and age brings maturity and better parenting.” The research was done by means of the Child Behaviour Checklist, which is a fairly standard way of researching the feelings and behaviours of children. The research was funded by several gay advocacy groups which, combined with the results, led to a variety of outcries from Christian organizations. Wendy Wright, president of the Concerned Women for America (a group that supports biblical values), is sure that the whole study

is biased because of its funding. Another sore point according to Wright: studies have shown that children thrive having both a mother and a father: “You have to be a little suspicious of any study that says children being raised by same-sex couples do better or have superior outcomes to children raised with a mother and father,” she said. “It just defies common sense and reality.” The author of the study, Dr. Nanette Gartrell, defends herself and her research by writing: “This is a straightforward statistical analysis. It will stand and it has withstood

very rigorous peer review by the people who make the decision whether or not to publish it.” The implications of the research are huge. Gartrell states in her report: “Restrictions of child custody and reproductive technologies based on sexual orientation are not justified.” Combine this report with the previous research and reports on rainbow families and you end up with a very positive and inspiring message: children grow up healthy and happy because of parenting and not because of who their parents are, or of which sex. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

Further Reading: German study: h t t p : / / b i t . l y / e u r o u tgerman-study

Image copyright: Alice Sénéchal

Danish study: h t t p : / / b i t . l y / e u r o u tdanish-study British study: http://bit.ly/stonewalldifferent-families Read more on: eurOut.org

Daniela Zysk with Cologneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second Mayor Elfi Scho-Antwerpes 10

The Gay Games Interview: Daniela Zysk Meet German busy bee Daniela Zysk, who you might have seen walking around the WomenPlace at this year’s Gay Games. I caught up with Daniela to talk about what it’s like to organize big LGBT events in the Gay Capital of Germany. By: Anna McFaith. Image copyright: Tina Stotz eurOut: Tell yourself!

about

My name is Daniela Zysk. I´m 34 years old and a ‘full-time’ lesbian. I had my coming out at 15 in a very conservative part of Germany. I was in a catholic girls-only school and so I realized very early I had special feelings for girls. It was never a problem and I was class representative all the time. At this time I learned I was good at bringing people together. I network people all the time. At 18 I moved to a bigger city in South Germany and started to work in a small LGBT organization. I founded a coming out group and hosted a few lesbian parties. My big destination was always Cologne, the Gay Capital of Germany, so I packed my then-girlfriend and my dog and moved to Cologne. A few weeks later I was a board member of LSVD (the biggest LGBT organization in Germany) and another year

later I was board member of KLuST, which is the organizer of Europe’s biggest Pride event: Cologne Pride. I founded the female side of this event, the WomenPride. Since then a lot has happened. Good and bad. Whatever happens, I never lose sight of my biggest wish: connecting people. This is what I do at the moment as a part of the Emma Stahl team and also as a part of the Gay Games team. As an LGBT activist in Germany you don´t earn money, so I have a job as Financial Manager to pay the bills. What is your job in organizing the Gay Games? I’m part of a four-women crew who organize the WomenPlace. Because I’m an active part of the community, I’m also a connecter between the different lesbian events during the Games. How did you get involved with the Gay Games?

When it comes to such events, Cologne is a village and so it was not a long way from the Gay Games Committee to me. The hardest part was to find a female caterer for this place. But we had luck and found two women who have done similar jobs during other big events. We are a great team now and hope that the place will be a complete success with many visitors who will enjoy their time there. Can you tell us more about WomenPlace? The WomenPlace is the official info/meeting/party place for all women during the Gay Games. It´s a big event tent for 200 people on the Village Neumarkt (in the middle of the city). You can drink, eat, relax, flirt and enjoy a good party in the evening with various DJs. We will have cocktail evenings and readings during the day. We are open the entire day until very late into the night from the 30th of July until the 8th

The Gay Games Interview: Daniela Zysk of August. There will be lots of special surprises and it will be the place to be for all the athletes, visitors and artists. Boys are also very welcome.

Daniela Zysk

What will your days be like during the Gay Games? Oh that will be a week with long days and no sleep! My main job is to be there at the WomenPlace, for the visitors and their questions and problems, but also to bring good times. I also try to support the crews from websites One More Lesbian (OML), AfterEllen and eurOut and their big events and plans. How do you feel about the Gay Games coming to Cologne? The complete city is currently a bee-hive because of the Gay Games. We just finished the 14-day Cologne Pride event with over 900.000 people attending from all over Europe, and that’s only counting the parade. The Gay Games are the chance for Cologne to show the whole world what a fantastic city Cologne is. So everyone involved is gathering their last reserves to make this week special for all the athletes and visitors. 12

Is there anything you’d like to add?

Further Reading:

I am very excited about the OML Theatre Nights Event during the Gay Games, where several international lesBian web series will be screened. And I’m also looking forward to meet comedian Bridget McManus and the AfterEllen team who are doing live streams during different sports events and on two of the biggest parties. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

women place

WomenPlace on Twitter: www.twitter. com/womenplace OML at the Gay Games: http://bit.ly/omlgaymes2010 The official Gay Games female Pride party: www.womenpleasure.de Gay Games opening party: http://bit.ly/ colour-cologne2010

Norwegian Kindergartens Get Same-Sex Stories Wouldn’t it be great if kids in kindergarten would hear stories about tough princesses who rescue princes from great danger, or about princes who fall in love with other princes or about growing up with two mums instead of a mum and a dad? By: Joan IN NORWAY THIS has become a real option. The Norwegian Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion says that children should be taught that having gay and lesbian parents is normal. Since the legalization of samesex marriage and adoption, LGBT families are a reality for many kids in Norway. Yet, studies showed that kindergarten staff played a big part in reinforcing traditional gender patterns. To counteract this tendency, the Ministry sent out teaching materials that warned against one-sided gender patterns in typical fairytales and suggested children’s books that supplied different themes. Among the books specifically mentioned was ‘Malins mamma gifter seg med Lisa’ (“Malin’s mum is getting married to Lisa”). A book that tells the good old where-dobabies-come-from story from an LGBT point-of-view. It is important that children’s

A book that tells the good old where-do-babies-come-from story from an LGBT point-of-view. books like these are offered in kindergartens. For instance to provide identification for kids who grow up in a nontraditional family setting. But also to broaden the horizon of children whose parents might teach them, intentionally or not, that being different is not all right.

So if a country truly cares about equality and the prevention of discrimination, it is vital that it teaches these values in its public educational institutes. I hope many more countries will follow in Norway’s footsteps. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

The Lesbian News Stack

By: Maxime

Our regular column ‘The LesBian News Stack’ gives you an overview of recent political news of interest for European LGBTs.

Austria: Austrian politicians came up with a yet unheard of argument for why artificial insemination should stay forbidden, as it was mentioned explicitly in the still young legislation for civil unions. The Austrian Government stated in a recent ruling that a lesbian couple

weren’t really in need of artificial insemination, as they aren’t incapable of reproduction. And besides that, an approval would discriminate gay male couples since gays would still not be to able to reproduce, not even with the help of medically assisted reproduction.

Spain: Police in Barcelona are currently investigating one of the city’s clinics that has been offering medication and psychiatric counseling to ‘cure’ patients of their homosexuality. They don’t believe that it is a coincidence that almost all patients belong to the same religion.

The Lesbian News Stack Italy: Shouts for legal grounds to condemn homophobia are coming up again as a number of homophobic assaults have been reported over the last weeks. The latest victim personally appealed to Italy’s Prime Minister, Berlusconi, to give the bill’s draft - which was introduced last year by Paola Concia and has been stuck in Parliament - his support that it will finally be accepted.

France: Two cases of lesbophobic attacks came to end with quite satisfying results, with the offenders of both cases being punished more severely than requested. On the other hand, the legal aspects of a disrupted kiss-in in Paris have been postponed until November. Gay organization SOS homophobie has taken civil action and will be represented by France’s well-known lawyer for LGBT rights Caroline Mécary.

Iceland: Without much ado, the Icelandic Parliament adopted a law to open marriage to same-sex couples. The vote was unanimous. And once again, it is not

a gay marriage law that was accepted, but the modification of the existing legislation to a genderneutral marriage, without any compromises.

Turkey: According to a survey by Bosporus-University, a majority (72 percent) of the 1.181 Turks who

took part think that homosexuals shouldn’t be open about their sexuality.

Belarus:

UK:

Almost 2/3 of Belarusians would like to see homosexuality be banned again, just like it was until 1994. LGBT rights and activists have a difficult stand in Belarus with Pride events being constantly banished and the last one being disrupted brutally by the police in May.

The UK decision that a lesbian ex-partner cannot be forced to pay maintenance for the child both women had decided to care for together, is just another example that there are still so many things in disorder when it comes to LGBT rights.

UK: A special needs teacher who had filed a complaint about being discriminated by her boss and her

teacher colleagues after they learned that she is a lesbian, was awarded £ 15.000. 15

LesBian Life: Vacation Edition With the vacation season coming along, this edition of LesBian Life will focus on where to vacation, how to vacation and mostly; how not to vacation! By: Anna McFaith. Image copyright: Maaike Kramer

LesBian Life: Vacation Edition

I’M NOT A big fan of travelling. I love seeing new places and meeting new people, but I hate leaving the comfort of my home. I’m in that stage of my life where the only possible way of going on vacation is on a friend’s couch or in a tent… and I loathe camping. I hate being cold and clammy, I hate cooking on one of those camping burners and I hate sharing my toilet with 60 other people. All I can think of is that one weekend when I was 12 when my parents took me camping and it rained so much that the whole soil below the tent had turned to jelly. I’ve never been so miserable in my life. Every time I hear the word ‘camping’, I picture myself literally knee deep in mud. Having said that, I’ve had some other great camping vacations and I’m bound to have a lot more. There is only one thing that I could potentially find more creepy and terrifying,

which is spending two months on a cruise ship with a gazillion lesBians. Please, forgive me, I do not mean to sound derogatory or ashamed to be gay, but I’m the kind of lesbian that has hardly ever attended a Pride event. I’m more of the ‘I’m gay, so what?’ kind of gal. To spend two months on a ship with nothing to focus on besides my sexuality might be bad for my mental health… I used to think that when it came to lesbian vacations, an Olivia cruise was my only option. But a recently published German article in Zeit Online made me change my mind. They recommend a visit to golden oldies like Lesbos (Greece) or Iceland. Wait… Iceland? Really? Where they shot the first Tomb Raider movie? Apparently, the whole of Iceland is so gay-friendly, it’s the perfect spot to vacation at. LesBian events that appeal more to me than an Olivia cruise are the Gay Games (which I will be

attending this year!), San Francisco (the absolute whole of it; my girlfriend went there once and has been wanting to go back since), Berlin (the city of gays and art, apparently. Both are loves of mine, so I’m all in favor), Barcelona (warm, sunny, culturally aware… sounds yummy!) and, honestly, many, many others. Okay, so maybe this whole vacation thing isn’t so bad after all. Apparently there are a lot of places us lesBians can go to without running the risk of being discriminated against or hurt… and there might even be some interesting entertainment. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

FOR FURTHER READING: The mentioned article from Zeit Online: http://bit.ly/lesbischesreisen “TripAdvisor Reveals Europe’s Top Ten Gay & Lesbian-Friendly Hotels” http://bit.ly/tripadvisortop10

We Are Everywhere

By: Natazzz

Here is your overview of everything that happened and is about to happen in the world of European lesBian entertainment. We’ll keep you up-to-date on all the latest events and movie releases, what’s been happening in TV land and who did what to whom. Music:

Singer BILLIE MYERS has recently launched an LGBT youth depression awareness project, doing her bit by being the spokesperson for the JED foundation.

Movies: Belgian LGBT organisation WEL JONG, NIET HETERO (‘YOUNG, BUT NOT STRAIGHT’) are making a documentary about the contrast between Pride in Lithuania and Belgium. The preview of the documentary has just been released on YouTube.com and it looks really interesting and like something I can’t wait to watch. Unfortunately, we are going to have to wait until September for the entire movie. 18

Music: Danish singer and composer ANNE L I N N E T has married her girlfriend, who is also expecting their first child. The two of them haven’t been very public about their relationship until now. We congratulate them!

We Are Everywhere Books:

Movies: Emmanuelle Béart and Béatrice Dalle are about to star as lovers in the new movie BYE BYE BLONDIE, which will start shooting at the end of the month. The movie tells the story of a love affair between two women, one of which is a famous movie star married to a gay man in order to keep up appearance.

Music:

A new children’s book has been released entitled ACTIE VOOR ONZE ROZE JUF (“ACTION FOR OUR PINK TEACHER”) by author Netty Kaathoven. It tells the story of a school class whose parents protest when the lesbian teacher gets a permanent position and the kids come into action to make sure they keep the nice lady. It also contains stories by kids with gay parents and other information about rainbow families.

Radio: Q-music radio DJ NATHALIE DELPORTE and her wife ILSE DE GENDT are expecting their second child. The newest addition to the family will arrive in November, and will be a little brother or sister for 18-month old Aimée, who the couple just finished adoption proceedings of.

I don’t get to write about Armenia much and I think it’s a shame that when I do, it’s in a negative way. In ARMENIAN BAND VO.X.’s latest music video they list all the things that are wrong with the country, including perversion, with which they mean homosexuality. To make matters worse, the band has gone out of their way this week to defend their stance, as if there’s ever an excuse to be homophobic.

Events: A ‘GAY LOVE’ exhibition has opened in the museum of Warsaw, Poland, and will run until September. It is said that the organisers hope it will provoke discussion and improve understanding in a country that isn’t all that tolerant towards homosexuality. I doubt they have any success with the latter as the exhibition mainly features nude males.

More entertainment news at:

eurOut.org 19

Review: The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister ‘The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister’ is the true story of Anne Lister (1791-1840), a Yorkshire landowner, industrialist and lesbian. BBC created a film out of Anne’s coded diaries and we reviewed it for you! By: Ley THE DRAMA FOLLOWS Anne Lister’s complete love for Mariana, who holds such power over Anne that she can do no wrong in Anne’s eyes, no matter how often Anne’s friend Tib warns her of Mariana’s unworthiness of Anne.

when I say their definition of a kiss is far different from ours: in this drama it means something a little more along the lines of ‘Kissing against a tree while you have your

“I’m starting to rethink my definition of kissing”

Anne and Mariana’s relationship is the sort of on-again-offagain love with a twist: Mariana’s married to the elderly, overweight widower called Mr. Lawton. Anne is devastated when she learns of the future marriage and takes Mariana out of the room, begging Mariana to change her mind and to marry her instead, to be told by Mariana, “Remember yourself!” Mariana floats in and out of Anne’s life as and when she pleases, much to the dismay of Anne’s oldest and dearest friend Tib, who just so happens to be completely in love with Anne herself.

Mariana’s visits tend to include kisses. Yes, as normal as this sounds, trust me 20

way with me’ … or in bed… or even in a bath. Anne ‘kisses’ a few different ladies in the course of the drama, and flirts with quite a few more. She stands up to, and cuts down, the bullish Mr. Rawson, who her Uncle is trying to convince her is a good suitor. Really Mr. Rawson is a complete loser who only wants to mine Anne’s grounds. No, not metaphorically ladies, literally. Anne teams up with shy Miss Walker to beat Mr. Rawson in business… and they celebrate with a “kiss”.

So, after all that mining, ‘kissing’ and flirting, which woman does Anne have her happy ending with? Tib: her oldest friend who loves her completely and would do anything for her? Miss Walker: a shy woman who takes Anne by surprise by returning a soft peck on the lips with a full blown ‘kiss’? Miss Brown: a young woman who is enthralled in every word that Anne says… however thick with sexual innuendo it may be? Or Mariana: the woman who strings Anne along as her plaything and keeps her hooked by saying such things as, “Can you ever love anyone else?” You’ll just need to watch it to find out. The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister is not my usual viewing choice, but I will gladly admit that I really liked it! Maxine Peake portrays Anne with care, respect and poignancy. The acting was honest and realistic, while the love scenes were true and natural looking. If you haven’t seen this movie yet, I definitely recommend it. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian. all new. all european. all lesbian.

Studying LesBians Is a Gay-Friendly Work Environment Profitable? In this edition of Studying LesBians, Natazzz talks about a recent Dutch study on profitable effects of a gay-friendly work environment. By: Natazzz

THERE CAN BE many different reasons for why the company or organization you work for is gay-friendly or not, but a big influence for most bosses is whether something is profitable or not. Therefore, it’s much more effective to tell companies that being gay22

friendly can make them money instead of that it’s ‘the right thing to do’. Recently, a research report that looked into the pros of a gay-friendly work environment on the Dutch business world was published. The first thing I

noticed was the difference between how the report was discussed in the gay media and what the report really said. For example, Dutch LGBT youth website Expreszo wrote that a gay-friendly work environment lowers costs and increases market share.

Studying LesBians Is a Gay-Friendly Work Environment Profitable? This is mainly because that’s what the press release said that’s been sent around. However, when you read

at work and be yourself without getting hassled, you are a happier and more productive worker.

“Diversity plans don’t really cost that much” the actual research report, they are far less positive and certain than that. In fact, the main conclusion of the study starts with: “There is insufficient hard evidence to prove that diversity pays and that economic advantages can therefore be gained from effective diversity policy and a good working climate for homosexuals in particular. The business case is therefore not strong.” That doesn’t sound very positive to me. But I have to admit that the rest of the report is rather positive and goes into much detail about every way in which having a more gay-friendly work environment can benefit companies. Those benefits are mainly on the individual level, like: if you can be out

They also list reasons that prevent companies from having a gayfriendly policy, including management not understanding the importance of diversity policy, management worrying about their image, or management simply thinking there’s no need for diversity as they aren’t aware of their closeted workers. Reading through the report I noticed that even though more and more companies have some sort of diversity policy on paper, there are still only few Dutch companies who actively do something with it. I am not sure whether this is worrying or that perhaps things aren’t that bad in many companies and no specific plans need to be in place. Unfortunately, the

report doesn’t go into detail about this. All in all it’s an interesting and much needed study, but like many of these reports, the results aren’t very specific or conclusive. They suggest more research is needed to give a clearer picture, which in other words means it will be a while before something will really be done. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

More The Dutch research report with a summary, conclusions and recommendations in English: http://bit.ly/nlmineconomics-report

Studying LesBians Studying LesBians is a regular column written by Natazzz, in which she discusses current and not-so-current research about lesbians and bisexual women. 23

The Power Of Words Though the saying is ‘Actions speak louder than words’, words can have a heavy impact on the person they are directed to. We discuss two examples from Germany and the UK. By: Chantal BRITISH BROADCASTING WATCHDOG Ofcom recently conducted a study by asking 130 people to put 56 words into four categories, ranging from well-known and socially acceptable to lesser well-known but socially acceptable, to offensive and abusive. The study found that words such as ‘lezza’, ‘poof’ and ‘queer’ are perfectly fine to say during the day by broadcasters, that words like ‘faggot’ and ‘dyke’ are offensive at any time and that words like ‘fuck’, ‘motherfucker’, and ‘cunt’ should not be said before 9pm. And yet in Germany you can get a fine of up to € 1.350 for calling someone a ‘gay midget’. A right-winged local politician called a carnival prince just that and had asked why it was not prevented that the person became a carnival prince. Charges were pressed and the judge agreed it was an insulting crime, with the fine as a result.

The politician’s lawyer argued freedom of expression. He split the words up, saying that the ‘gay’ part was not offensive since the man had come out and that “midget” only referred to the man’s body size. It’s the age old question; what does one actually consider to be offensive? For one person the word ‘dyke’ can be very offensive while another reclaims the word and takes away its abusive tone. A lot of what we now consider to be curse words are actually derived from words with a completely innocent meaning. Take a look at the word ‘gay’ for instance. The word has its origins in being a descriptive word for being carefree, happy, or bright and showy.

And yet, somewhere along the way, the word became sexualized and was often meant to be derogatory. ‘That’s gay’ often means ‘That’s rubbish’, and it’s a term that is still being used widely today. How is it that in Germany you can get fined for using slurs while you can get away with it in the UK? Does the difference lie in the intentions with which a slur is used? Is it okay to broadcast a slur nationwide as long as it’s not directed at someone in particular? I, for one, couldn’t agree more with the Chief Executive of UK gay charity Stonewall, Ben Summerskill, who said: “We don’t believe broadcasters or broadcasting regulators should give license to the media to use offensive language.” all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

First Bratislava Pride Disrupted, But Still Successful On Saturday, May 22, the first ever Slovak Pride Parade took place in Bratislava. But alas, Dúhový Pride was not without disruptions. By: Joan ABOUT ONE THOUSAND people gathered for the first Slovak Pride parade. The march had been planned to lead right through Bratislava’s city centre. It became increasingly clear, however, that there were right-wing extremists along this route. When on top of everything a tear gas grenade was launched, it was finally decided to take a different route, accompanied by police protection.

when moving away from police protected parts of the rally or parade for their own safety.

Ulrike Lunacek, Member of the European Parliament (Green Party Austria), who was giving a speech at the rally, wrote in her blog that the protesters had tried to hit her with small stones.

The organisers of Dúhový Pride were disappointed that the police weren’t better prepared. Slovakia is still a very conservative country and this was its first Pride parade - the police should have anticipated complications.

Lunacek also says that after two young gay men were beaten up on their way from the rally, all participants were asked to remove rainbow flags or other visible signs

“What shocked us all was not the handful of hateful bigots on hand, but the collective indifference of ‘normal’ Slovaks to this hatred, so eloquently expressed in the reluctance of our protectors,” said Tom Nicholson on website The Slovak Spectator.

A counter-protest “for the future of family, against perverts” was even announced beforehand.

“I was particularly proud of the participants, who didn’t panic and showed a lot of courage,” commented US chargé d’affaires Keith Eddins in The Slovak Spectator. To have the courage to go out there and be proud of who we are, that is what Pride Parades are about. And even if they knew that there would be others trying to stop them, even if the police didn’t always provide the protection they’d hoped for, people in Bratislava did have the heart to go out and show who they are. In this sense, Dúhový Pride was a definite success. all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

Interview: The Women Behind “Emma Stahl” Actress Meike Gottschalk and producer Sandra Uredat sat down with me to discuss their latest project: German lesbian web series “Emma Stahl”. By: Anna McFaith

The famous kiss... eurOut: Meike, how did you end up playing Emma Stahl? Meike: [Sandra] and I met three years ago, through a friend, and she said “Let’s make a web series with a lesbian James Bond. I need someone to produce with me.” So we started to think

up ideas, but after a while I had to say that it was a lot of work and I needed to get on with my profession; I couldn’t do it as a producer. We parted ways and after a couple of months she called me to say everything was going well and to ask if I wanted to play Emma Stahl.

I had been hoping for this question, so I said yes! Sandra: She told me today she was very annoyed with me because I didn’t ask her sooner, but I was afraid to ask a professional actress like her! Where did the “Emma Stahl” idea come from? 4 27

Interview: The Women Behind “Emma Stahl” Sandra: It was my idea. I was annoyed about the fact that there are only those ‘girlmeets-girl’ romance movies out there… Or lesBians have a small part in a film and they don’t have a sexual life. It’s only revealed they are gay, but that’s it. If they are main characters it’s usually a girlmeets-girl story and it’s not that I don’t like those but there has to be more. There was this movie called Bound about 15 years ago or so and after that there never was a thriller or a crime series or anything. I wanted to change that. Alright, then you have an idea and…?

Actress Meike Gottschalk 28

Sandra: Yes, an idea and no money! I then read an article in Time Magazine about a British documentary producer and she was getting the money for her documentary by crowd funding. She got about £450.000 in about a year and a half. So I thought that this might be a solution for the ‘no money’ problem. Meike: And then the flow started! She put together a team consisting only of professionals and we all worked together without getting paid. Sandra: It was as if we’d known each other for years

Interview: The Women Behind “Emma Stahl” but that wasn’t the case. We had known each other for a few days or so but everything worked so smooth. Do you have the feeling we should give up on TV altogether? Sandra: Yes, absolutely. We can forget about TV. If you want to do a project like this on German TV, you have to work two or three years for the TV bosses in order for them to say “yes”. Everything is so slow, especially when you’re a beginner or when you haven’t had the proper training, it can take years. And in the end what you see on TV looks nothing like your original idea. The internet gives you a lot of opportunity to do independent projects.

When are we going to see an episode of “Emma Stahl”? Sandra: Well, that depends on the donations! And we also depend on sponsorship and product placement and we have two agencies who help us achieve that, but of course we need the donations! Only a mixture of both will get us to the budget. When we have the budget we can start filming. We’re planning eleven episodes. The scripts aren’t totally finished yet but the main storyline is set. The dialogues are the only things that still need to be written. We hope to have this done in the coming four to five weeks so we could start pre-production then. We are hoping to shoot the

first season in late August or early September but it all depends on the budget. We want to have 20 to 25 days of shooting and I can’t expect people to work without getting paid. What can we expect in season one? Sandra: Yes, well... you can expect hot Stahl girls, romance (because you can’t have a lesbian series without romance) and it will really be a thriller and an action movie! We also have really hot cars! I can’t tell you much about the plot but it will definitely be exciting! Meike: They told me that every episode, so every ten minutes, there will be another Stahl girl! all new. all european. all lesbian.

all new. all european. all lesbian.

More Emma? Be sure to check out Emma Stahl at OML’s Theatre Nights at the Gay Games!

Emma Stahl producer, Sandra Uredat

For more information on Emma Stahl, go to: www.emmastahl.de 29

Where Are We on TV? “Where Are We on TV?” lists what to look out for in Europe when it comes to TV series with a lesBian storyline, lesBian characters, or just specific TV programs about lesbians.

Belgium

Thuis Mon-Fri at 13:55 on één. Single lesbian mom Ann is afraid to lose her daughter, Sandrine.

Finland

Kotikatu Thu-Fri at 20:00 on YLE TV1. This popular show features lesbian married couple Laura and Krisse. Salatut Elämät Mon-Fri at 19:30 on MTV3. Heli and Iiris have reconnected and are now a couple.

France

Les Français, l’amour et le sexe Mondays at 22:15 on M6 Six-part documentary about couples and their sex lives. Features lesbian couple Angélique and Emilie. Plus belle la vie Mon-Fri at 20:10 France3.

French soap (currently in its 6th season) with lesbian couple Céline and Virginie.

Germany

Lindenstrasse Sundays at 17:15 on ARD Das Erste. No sign of lesBian character Tanja recently, but her exgirlfriend Steffi is still in the picture. After being released from prison (for stabbing people and drug-dealing), she now owns a chocolate shop, and employs a friend from prison; Anna.

Slovakia

Panelák Mon-Fri at 20:15 on TV JOJ. This popular sitcom features lesbian couple Denisa and Lucia.

Spain

Amar en tiempos revueltos Mon-Fri ay 16:15 on TVE 1. Ana and Teresa have made a pact never to be separated anymore. Now they are friends and business partners who will be together forever, or so the pact says.

Coronation Street Mon, Thu & Fri at 19:30/20:30 on ITV. Sian and Sophie have a lovers tiff when Sophie accuses Sian of feigning stomach pains to get out of going to the school prom together. Doctors Mon-Fri at 13:45 on BBC1. This medical soap stars lesBian character Imogen. People of the Valley Mon-Fri at 20:00 on BBC Wales Gwyneth has just started a relationship with Yvonne, but things are complicated because of her ex-husband who she also has a child with.

A List of Helpful LGBT Organizations per Country

EUROPEAN egalite-online.eu lgbtnetwork.eu iglyo.com ilga-europe.org AUSTRIA rklambda.at/e/ index.htm BELGIUM cavaria.be weljongniethetero. be BELARUS pride.by BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA queer.ba/en

FRANCE medecins-gays. com/femmesentre-elles sos-homophobie. org GEORGIA inclusivefoundation.org GREECE sapphogr.net lesbian.gr GERMANY typo3.lsvd. de/229.0.html HUNGARY labrisz.hu

LITHUANIA lgl.lt/indexe.php MALTA maltagayrights.net MOLDOVA gay.md/rus THE NETHERLANDS coc.nl outway.nl NORWAY llh.no POLAND world.kph.org.pl lambdawarszawa. org

BULGARIA bgogemini.org/eng

ICELAND samtokin78.is

PORTUGAL ilga-portugal.pt opusgay.org

CROATIA kontra.hr/cms lori.hr

IRELAND glen.ie

ROMANIA accept-romania.ro

CZECH REPUBLIC mujvztah.cz

ITALY arcigay.it globa-les.com

RUSSIA krilija.sp.ru

DENMARK lbl.dk

KOSOVO qesh.org

FINLAND seta.fi

LATVIA mozaika.lv

SLOVENIA dih.si ljudmila.org/lesbo SPAIN felgtb.org colegaweb.org SWEDEN rfsl.se homo.se SWITZERLAND pinkcross.ch infobi.net TURKEY kaosgl.com unilegato.org UKRAINE gay.org.ua UNITED KINGDOM sites.stonewallcommunities.org queeryouth.org.uk

SERBIA queerbeograd.org SLOVAKIA altera.sk

eur ut .org european.lesbian.news