She Magazine_Dec'13

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director’s chair

The Holidays are right around the corner and you know what that means: freeloading relatives! Woo-hoo! You either have one or you are one and well, that sucks. But hey, it’s the Holidays so no one seems to care as long as the freeloaders are gone by New Year’s Day. That’s the funny thing about the Holidays —people seem to be willing to tolerate relatives that they normally wouldn’t want anywhere near their house.

Maybe it’s your brother Mike, who hasn’t held a job for more than two days in the last 20 years and always asks if you can loan him a few (or fifty) bucks. Or there’s Uncle Bob who could drink a boatload of Russian sailors under the table three times before noon. Or cousin Lucy who makes the schizophrenic lady who lives under the freeway near your house seem sane. Or that niece Laurie that you only hear from on a holiday that means she’s expecting you to give her a gift. Or your mother-in-law who finds a way to make sure you know that, no matter how much you do, she thinks nothing you do is good enough. Whoever it is, they are at your doorstep and you are greeting them with a smile. It’s all so warm and fuzzy that you forgot last year, when you swore you were never letting them in your house again.

Of course, you will remember, but by then it will be too late. They will be laid out on your sofa, changing the channel every time you put on something you want to watch, asking when they can expect to be fed and then rolling their eyes when you ask them to help set the table. And there you are, wearing your best holiday sweater, cooking a feast fit for kings, while Mike is eyeing your jewelry and asking where the nearest pawn shop is, Bob has just cracked open his second bottle of Southern Comfort and has begun to rant about taxes, Laurie is pacing around whining about opening gifts before dinner, Lucy is insisting that your cell phone is broken because no matter what number she dials she can’t reach Marilyn Monroe and Mom is whispering under her breath that your gravy is way too lumpy and your napkins don’t match the table cloth. Are you feeling the Holiday spirit yet?

Don’t worry. You will. There will be this moment when you look across the room and catch the glance of your girl. Holiday music will be playing faintly in the background and she will give you that little smile that says she understands exactly how you are feeling and so appreciates you doing all this to make the holiday special. Or your best friend will drop by and help you in the kitchen while you laugh hysterically together over her calling Lucy on your cell phone and pretending to be Marilyn. Or you will just have that random moment with a stranger who does something really nice, like let you go ahead of them in the check out line and finishes off with a warm smile and the words, “Happy Holidays.”

It’ll happen. And in that moment it will all be worth it enough for you to let them back in your house again next year.

I wish you all the love, patience, kindness and peace you deserve in this magical time of the year. Just please don’t give Lucy my phone number.

See you next month.

MANAGING EXECUTIVE EDITOR Tina Sordellini PUBLICITY SHE ESPAÑOL EXECUTIVE EDITOR Maria Espinal ASSOCIATE EDITORS Marissa Cohen • Shawn Nicholson Denise Warner • Donna Woessner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Marissa Cohen • Verónica Espinal The Village Sage • Miriam Cronkhite Tina Sordellini • Denise Warner CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Verónica Espinal • Yadira Claralt Laura Volk • Angie Sowers Juan Saco Mironoff • Boi-Photography SALES ASSOCIATES Maria Espinal • Diana Price Laura Volk • Donna Woessner ads@shemag.com DISTRIBUTION JR Davis • Randy Justice SUBSCRIPTIONS www.shemag.com EDITORIAL OFFICE 6511 Nova Drive, #173 • Davie, FL 33317 954.354.9751 office info@shemag.com • www.shemag.com

SHE: WOMEN OWNED, WOMEN OPERATED, WOMEN EMPOWERED!

Tina Sordellini Managing Executive Editor

Reprint from 12/2011

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The ideas and opinions expressed in She Magazine do not necessarily reflect opinions of Shemag, L.L.C., She Magazine, or of editors or staff. Publication of the name or photograph of any person or organization should not be construed as any indication of the sexual orientation of that person or organization. All advertising subject to approval by She Magazine. She Magazine/Shemag, L.L.C. is not responsible for unauthorized use or copyright infringement as present in camera ready, client provided ads, nor is it liable for any loss or suit arising from submitted advertisement, copy, photography, or artwork. Reproduction of She Magazine, in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the express written consent of Shemag, L.L.C.

12/2/2013 12:16:27 AM

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december 2013 / VOLUME 15 / ISSUE 11

IN THIS ISSUE

16

20 features

she espaÑol

16 LGBT LIFE IN RUSSIA

30 NOTICIAS

“...58% out of 195 same-sex families with children are already planning to leave the country.”

Entérate lo que sucede en nuestros países.

20 INDIGO GIRLS

“...we stand together, we know our strengths, we still have our struggles, we’re going to work through them fiercely but kindly.”

22 GLAAD’S NEW PRESIDENT

“I will push for a culture where everyone in the LGBT community not only has legal equality, but it is fully welcomed and respected by...”

26 HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 32 Q&A WITH KATE CLINTON 32 DID YOU FACEBOOK ABOUT...

What do you consider to be the biggest victory for our community in 2013?

departments

06 DIRECTOR’S CHAIR 10 MULTIMEDIA 14 IN THE NEWS 15 CALENDAR OF EVENTS 24 SHE GIRL Meet Suzy from Miami

34 ON THE SHELVES 34 ARCHIVES 38 SCOPES

32

31 ESPECIAL 2013: Un Año LGBT en Retrospectiva.

photos 04 SHE SCENE 12 SPARKLE 33 DOLCE, WOMEN’S WHITE PARTY KICK-OFF

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MULTIMEDIA

with Marissa Cohen

In NBC’s live reimagining of The Sound of Music, Carrie Underwood plays Maria, the cheerful nun-turned-governess-turnedwife who escapes from the Nazis with Captain Von Trapp and his singing brood of seven children. Tune in and sing along with classics such as “My Favorite Things” and “Sixteen Going on Seventeen.” With Stephen Moyer, Audra McDonald. Airs on NBC Dec. 5, at 8pm.

In Saving Mr. Banks, Emma Thompson stars as Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers who meets with filmmaker and icon Walt Disney during production of what would become the classic Disney movie. Saving Mr. Banks is an intimate and witty behind-thescenes look at the troubled childhood of P.L. Travers and the creation of Mary Poppins. In theaters Dec. 20. With Tom Hanks and Colin Farrell.

Kelly Clarkson’s first Christmas album, Wrapped in Red, is in stores now. This brand new album features two original, instant classics, “Wrapped in Red” and “Underneath the Tree.” Fans will love her contemporary renditions of traditional Christmas favorites. Queens of country music Reba McEntire and Trisha Yearwood join Clarkson in “Silent Night.” Clarkson has sold over 20 million albums worldwide since she burst onto the music scene.

The series premiere of Rodeo Girls follows a group of strong-willed women who harness their rodeo races with the same sass and bravery as they harness their horses. These fierce, tough-as-nails competitors bring us into the world of rodeos and high stakes as they compete with each other for fame and fortune in this brand new six-part reality series. Visit.aetv.com for more information.

Begins Dec. 11 at 11pm on A & E.

August: Osage County stars Julia Roberts and Juliette Lewis as the Weston sisters whose paths have diverged but return to their childhood home in Oklahoma after a family crisis and Meryl Streep stars as the dysfunctional woman who raised them.

Based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play by Tracy Letts (who also wrote the screenplay), this is bound to be a comedic heartbreaker. In theaters Dec. 25.

Celine Dion is back with Loved Me Back to Life, a brand-new collection of the pop icon’s new songs and surprising covers, including duets with Ne-Yo and Stevie Wonder.

The multi-platinum, Grammy Award-winning singer worked with a team of world-famous producers and songwriters including Sia, Janis Ian and Babyface, among others, to bring you this new album that’s sure to be a classic. In stores now.

NOT TO BE MISSED: ABC’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve Presents The 30 Greatest Women in Music. Ryan Seacrest, Jenny McCarthy and Fergie host a fascinating two-hour countdown of the 30 greatest female artists in music, from the archives of Dick Clark Productions. Dec. 31, 8-10pm,

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dolce, the women’s white party’s kick-off event benefiting care resource and presented

by pandora events at mova brickell in miami. photos by mark’s list / view more photos at www.shemag.com

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in the news New Report: America’s LGBT 2013 Buying Power Estimated at $830 Billion The total buying power of the U.S. lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adult population for 2013 is projected to be $830 billion, according to an updated analysis by Witeck Communications, a leading strategic communications firm, specializing in outreach, respect and inclusion for diverse LGBT communities and an LGBT-owned company certified by the National Lesbian & Gay Chamber of Commerce.

Releasing the projection, Bob Witeck said, “Buying power estimates offer a snapshot of the projected annual economic contributions of America’s diverse gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender population even in our gradually emerging, yet still fragile economy.” Disposable personal income (DPI) – also known as buying power – according to economists, is the amount of money that households or persons have available to spend and save after paying taxes and pension contributions to the government.Since 1993, Bob Witeck has provided expert knowledge, trend reports and communications counsel to Fortune 500 companies on their strategies to understand and connect with LGBT households and families.

“$790 Billion” was the estimated LGBT buying power in 2012. “...same-sex households tend to make more shopping trips than other households.”

LGBT population is “more likely to make purchases of everyday items from companies that specifically market to the LGBT community.”

Source: CreditDonkey.com LGBT Consumer Statistics

Witeck confirms that “Buying power is not the same as affluence or wealth. There is no evidence that same-sex households are more affluent or, on average, earn more than others, which is little more than a stereotype. We recognize economic research that strongly suggests that gay men appear likely to earn slightly less than their heterosexual counterparts, for instance and that LGBT populations of color particularly face many job and earnings barriers.”

Based on a diverse range of LGBT population estimates, and more than a hundred online population samples conducted by expert research partners at Harris Interactive over the twelve years, the 2013 analysis benchmarks approximately 6 to 7% of the adult U.S. population as willing to self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender, or between 15-16 million adults (18 years of age and older). In this analysis, buying power is characterized as another term for “disposable personal income,” or DPI, which economists define as the total after-tax income available to an individual to spend on personal consumption, personal interest payments or savings. According to economists, this equals roughly 86% of income in the U.S. The general approach used for estimating buying power also reflects the accepted path applied by the Selig Center for Economic Growth at the University of Georgia in its calculation of the purchasing power of populations such as Hispanics, Asian Americans and African Americans. sidered the most authoritative picture of overall purchasing power in the United States. LGBT purchasing power is understood by estimating a proportion of aggregate disposable personal income (DPI) to the population range of LGBT-self identified adults.

DECember in lgbt history

December 1, 1988—First World AIDS

Day December 3, 1968—Metropolitan Com-

munity Church holds its first same-sex union ceremony.

December 5, 1985—Berkeley, California becomes the first city in the United States to extend spousal benefits to “domestic partners.”

December 9, 2012—Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Washington State.

December 10, 1973—Australian novelist, Patrick White, becomes the first openly gay writer to win the Nobel Prize for Literature.

December 15, 1973—Homosexuality Is Delisted by American Psychiatric Association.

December 17, 1971— Franklin v. State, 257 So.2d 21 was a case in which the Florida Supreme Court struck down Florida’s sodomy law.

December 20, 1999—Baker v. Vermont Leads to Recognition of Same-Gender Civil Unions.

December 29, 2012—Same-sex marriage becomes legal in Maine.

December 31, 1993—Transgender Man Brandon Teena Raped and Murdered at age 21 in Humboldt, Nebraska.

Dec 1994—Employment Non-Discrimination Act Is Proposed to U.S. Congress January 1, 1988—Canada Decriminalizes Sex Practices Between Consenting Adults.

January 1, 2010—Same-sex marriage becomes legal in New Hampshire replacing civil unions.

Sources: Historic Calendar Project, Wikipedia, Library of Congress, Gay and Lesbian Issues.

what she said about...

“This is a tremendous win for our hometown and is the culmination of over a year of hard work from countless individuals in the community to make these important protections available to everyone in our city... The overwhelming show of support...proved that we are a city welcoming to everyone.”

— Sara Latshaw, Northwest Florida Regional Director of the ACLU of Florida on Pensacola City’s Domestic Partnership Ordinance on Nov. 15th.

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LGBT EQUALITY: Even in the Reddest of States, America’s Cities are Leading the Way in the Fight for LGBT Equality Cities are leading the way in the fight for LGBT equality, and the 2013 Municipal Equality Index, recently released by HRC, explains how. In big cities and small, from coast to coast and in between, in red states and blue states, cities are acting to bring equality to their own backyards.

The 2013 MEI rates 291 municipalities— more than double the number of cities rated in 2012—drawn from every state in the nation on the basis of how inclusive their laws and policies are of LGBT people. These laws and policies include non-discrimination laws, equal employee benefits, relationship recognition, inclusive city services and leadership on matters of equality. Twentyfive cities earned a perfect 100-point score. The 2013 MEI represents a total population total of 77,851,822. key findings of the report:

• Cities across the country achieved excellent scores, demonstrating that cities have a commitment to LGBT equality that is unbridled by regionalism and not confined to parts of the country many people assume are most LGBT friendly; • 25 cities received perfect scores (100 points) in 2013; 11 did in 2012; • Of cities that scored 100, 8 cities came from states without comprehensive relationship recognition and without statewide non-discrimination laws (compared to two such cities in 2012); • 31 million people live in cities where trans people are protected at the city level alone; • In 2012 we rated 137 cities with a total popula-

TO DO WHERE TO GO WHAT

tion of 55,853,651; in 2013 we rated 291 cities with a population total of 77,851,822; • 10% of cities scored over 96 points, 25% scored over 78 points. The average score was 57 points, half of cities scored over 60 points. 25% of cities scored 35 points or fewer; and 3.5% of cities scored 10 points or fewer.

• Cities tended to have higher scores where the city was selected for having a high proportion of same-sex couples, and the presence of openly LGBT city officials and LGBT police liaisons also tended to be correlated with higher scores. cities highlighted in florida and their final score:

Cape Coral = 10 • Fort Lauderdale = 77 • Hialeah = 58 • Hollywood = 54 • Jacksonville = 25 • Miami = 67 • Miami Beach = 100 (self-submission) • Miami Shores = 56 • Oakland Park = 85 • Orlando = 79 • Premboke Pines = 43 • Port Saint Lucie = 0 • St. Petersburg = 66 • Tallahassee = 84 • Tampa = 89 • Wilton Manors = 82. cities with 100-point final score:

Phoenix, AZ • Long Beach, CA • Los Angeles, CA • Palm Springs, CA • San Diego, CA • San Francisco, CA • West Hollywood, CA • New Haven, CT • Atlanta, GA • Chicago, IL • Baltimore, MD • Boston, MA • Cambridge, MA • Minneapolis, MN • Kansas City, MI • St. Louis, MI • Missoula, MT • Jersey City, NJ • New York, NY • Columbus, OH • Portland, OR • Philadelphia, PA • Austin, TX • Seattle, WA • Madison, WI To read full report and read results state by state, visit www.hrc.com/mei

weekly • wednesdays for women at michele’s dining lounge 2161-67 Oakland Park Blvd. • 6PM - 9PM Ft Lauderdale • Dine, Drink & Network!

Complimentary Martinis & Spa Treatments michelesdl.com • 954.533.1919 14th Conference on LGBT Tourism & Hospitality Dec 11 - 13 • Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort & Spa • communitymarketinginc.com kate clinton live Dec 11 - 12 • 7:30PM • $38 Rinker Playhouse • 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach • kravis.org/kateclinton 4th Annual Holigay Celebration & Toy Drive Dec 12 • 6-9PM LGBT Visitors Center • 1130 Washington Ave. Miami Beach •gogaymiami.com Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade

Dec. 14 • 6pm • Downtown Fort Lauderdale winterfestparade.com Radio City Christmas Spectacular Dec. 12 - 25 • 1010 N W.C. MacInnes Place, Tampa, FL • strazcenter.org The Wizard of Claus Dec. 15 • 4PM 2204 North 15th St., Tampa • una-voce.org Holiday Fantasy of Lights Dec 17 - Jan 4 Tradewinds Park • 3600 W. Sample Rd., Coconut Creek • holidaylightsdrivethru.com Bisexual/Bi-curious Support Group Dec 20 • Free • 7PM - 8PM The Center • 946 North Mills Ave. Orlando Latina Lesbians Meeting Group Dec 26 • Free • 7PM - 8PM The Center • 946 North Mills Ave. Orlando Pitbull & Prince Royce Live Dec 31 • 9PM • Downtown Miami American Airlines Arena NYE 2014 Downtown Orlando Dec 31 • 25 Wall St., Orlando.

Also at Citywalk, DisneyQuest & Seaworld 26th Annual Las Olas Art Fair Jan. 4 - 5, 2014 • 10AM to 5PM Las Olas Blvd. • Free Event • artfestival.com

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by miriam cronkhite / photos by coming out

feature

Russia’s vague anti-gay legislation (Article 6.21 signed by Russian President Vladimir Putin on June 30, 2013) banning homosexual “propaganda” among minors, has generated shocking tales of abuse and intolerance of Russia’s LGBT community, prompting the world to take an overt stand to strongly support or oppose any government role in personal lifestyle preferences.

This bleak state means many LGBT Russians are overwhelmed with feelings of suppression, fear and anger. LGBT organizations and activists are vital to the mental competence, emotional support and physical safety of the Russian LGBT community.

The Russian LGBT organization, Coming Out, has been offering support, guidance and a safe environment for the suppressed LGBT community in St. Petersburg since 2008. In a stifling society, Coming Out is a voice for the community, taking an unwavering stand against the threat toward basic human freedoms.

She Magazine was able to conduct exclusive interviews with Polina Andrianova of Coming Out, and Russian activist and top attorney Masha Bast. Bast is an initiator of the

amendments to the family code that relates to the removal of children from their same-sex parents, organizes human rights campaigns and founded the human rights political movement United Ruthenia.

[ The Law ] Polina Andrianova, 39, Coming Out founder and activist, said the “law is a very clever way to prevent any public LGBT rights activity, while at the same time not leaving any way for LGBT activists to defend their rights in courts and to litigate against the absurd ‘propaganda’ law.”

Russian government insists the law was not designed to discriminate against the LGBT community, but instead to protect children from being exposed to inappropriate lifestyles. “The Constitution of the Russian Federation guarantees no discrimination,” said Andrianova. “We believe that the ‘propaganda of homosexuality’ laws, which ban dissemination of information about social equivalence of ‘traditional’ and ‘non-traditional’ relations,

are discriminatory and degrading in their nature, and violate the Russian Constitution, inscribing inequality into law. Thus, we do not believe this law to be lawful in itself.”

The law is indeed open to interpretation.

“What is propaganda? Can you engage in ‘propaganda’ of human sexuality? What about propaganda of left-handedness? The concept is absurd and the law is absurd. It is not there to be applied. It is there to intimidate and bully LGBT people, to try and scare us back into invisibility, “ said Andrianova.

Masha Bast, 34, top lawyer and transgender chairwoman for the Association of Russian Lawyers for Human Rights, said “the core of this ideology is a philosophical system of Russian Orthodox Churches. According to this ideology, the LGBT community is the enemy of western values.”

According to Andrianova, in St. Petersburg, only one person has been charged and fined for violating the “propaganda” law. She emphasizes that dozens of activists have been taken off the streets during demonstrations for displaying rainbow flags or gay rights slogans. She explains that “at the point of the arrest, activists are told that they are violating the ‘propaganda’ law, but once in the police station, they are officially charged with other violations, such as non-compliance with police requests, or participation in illegal action.”

Same-sex families with children are at risk, since the law forbids propaganda of homosexuality to minors. Many are planning to leave Russia and not return. “In the last couple of months we have also been receiving a huge number of questions and requests for information on immigration possibilities from same-sex families with children,” said Andrianova.

The “Zhuravlev’s” draft law is an amendment to the existing family code, aimed at removing parental rights from parents who “allow for non-traditional sexual relations.”

Andrianova maintains that this law is meant to “scare and intimidate same-sex families and make them vulnerable to blackmail and harassment.”

This draft law is currently withdrawn from the state Duma, but even its introduction may be enough to drive same-sex families out of Russia. “Our recent poll showed that 58% out of 195 same-sex families with children are already planning to leave the country. 70% of those never want to come back. LGBT people

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are a very useful group to make into a public enemy #1. If you have a public enemy #1, you can blame them for everything that is wrong and divert the public’s attention from the real social, economic and political problems of the country,” said Andrianova. The Russian government’s propaganda campaign casts the LGBT community as a threat to children and family, a threat to traditional Russian values, and as foreign agents of the western states.

The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights entitles freedom of expression and protection from discrimination. Many feel this nationwide ban is in violation of those fundamental rights. Pressure from the international community and local government decisions to support the United Nations’ human rights could be instrumental in repealing the federal law.

According to the Associated Press, “Russia’s media oversight is now seeking to take a newspaper to court over an article about a homosexual teacher in what appears to be the first case prepared against a publication under the country’s law on gay propaganda.”

In the newspaper, journalist Molodoi Dalnevostochnik, quoted fired teacher Alexander Yermoshkin. According to the Russian news website Gazeta.ru, Yermoshkin said, “My existence itself is effectively evidence of homosexuality’s normalcy.” The fine for violating the propaganda law is up to $3,300 for individuals and $33,000 for organizations, along with a possible 90-day suspension.

and tolerance of LGBT people are not being introduced to youth.

Despite the risk of police brutality and arrests, “Queer Fest 2013,” the 5th International Queer Pride and Culture Festival in St. Petersburg, recently took place. The event had a successful nine-day run of discussions and debates, photo exhibitions and concerts.

Coming Out organizes Queer Fest every year.

They are looking for celebrities to participate in the festival and support the LGBT community of Russia. “What [organizations like] GLAAD, specifically, can do, is help us find stars who would be willing to come to Russia, perform at an LGBT rights event and bring the message of tolerance directly to the Russian people,” said Andrianova.

Coming Out has gained powerful allies over the past few years. Major human rights organizations in support of Coming Out include the Moscow Helsinki Group, the Human Rights Council of St. Petersburg, the Anti-Discrimination Center Memorial of St. Petersburg, the Youth Human Right Movement, the Alliance for Democratic St. Petersburg and many others. Support also comes from international human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Frontline Defenders and many LGBT and human rights organizations around the world.

[ The Olympics ] With the 2014 Winter Olympics scheduled in Sochi, emotions run high as some LGBT athletes and supporters threaten a boycott, while others form protests. Many feel that a boycott is not the answer and instead the LGBT community must use this forum to raise awareness. Coming Out takes the stand that the Olympics should be used as a platform

“Our recent poll showed that 58% out of 195 samesex families with children are already planning to leave the country.”

[ The Struggle ] Ignorance and political agendas make Russia a challenging place for a LGBT individual to live openly. “ I thought I could change the internal situation in Russia because I am engaged in the leadership of Russian Policy,” said Bast, who lives in Russia with her partner and supporter Yulia Guseinova. However, since coming out this past September in an interview with The Moscow Times, Bast said she is recognized by the Russian government as an enemy of Russia. Bast doesn’t plan on giving up, though, and encourages others not to, either. “We should join together to build a new country, a new world,” she stated.

According to Andrianova, the narrow views and unfounded homophobic fears among the general Russian population are partially due to the lack of any sexual education in schools. Therefore, human sexuality

For Masha Bast, however, the situation is different when it comes to reaching out to international human rights organizations for support. “Several months ago I tried to contact these organizations. So far, I get only the newsletters from them and [nothing else].”

In Russia, being open about one’s sexuality can mean being physically beaten, loss of one’s job, threats to one’s entire family and lack of government protection. “It is very sad that in Russia to come out of the closet becomes a brave act of activism,” said Andrianova.

But supporters of change to the current state of LGBT affairs in Russia ask LGBT citizens to continue to stand strong and move forward. “Please, leave the position of footless slavery. Begin to defend your own rights,” said Bast.

Polina Andrianova

Masha Bast

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for raising the issue of severe human rights and LGBT rights violations in Russia, where the LGBT community is in dire need of local and international support. “The international community must respond to the persecution of LGBT people in Russia,” said Bast. Coming Out calls for action from influential people within their own community. “I wish that our rock stars, artists, lawyers, professors, journalists and politicians would come out, or take a public stand against the homophobia of the government,” said Andrianova.

Visibility in the community is key to changing Russia’s dangerous policy. “Studies and our experience show that the level of homophobia decreases substantially with personal knowledge of LGBT people in one’s social environment. That is why we work hard to support LGBT people in the process of coming out in their social environments and in their families. And if we change hearts and minds, we can eventually affect a change in Russian policy,” said Andrianova.

of the games would be damaged if Russian authorities harass LGBT athletes or spectators. The letter also claimed that the Russian law was violating the Olympic Charter, which does not directly address homosexuality, but bans any form of discrimination.

Again, the law does not define an action or statement of “propaganda,” meaning it is not clear what actions are legal or illegal. This allows for an open interpretation of enforcement of this law.

[ The Future ] “My goal is to expand the boundaries of the world of humanity,” said Bast. “Putin wants me to live in the Middle Ages as a man, but I want to live in the 21st century as a woman.”

Homophobic organizations will continue to force their values on the LGBT communi ty. In Russia they dictate how a LGBT citizen should live their life. But LGBT activists continue to rally for basic human rights. “Sexual

“Putin wants me to live in the Middle Ages as a man, but I want to live in the 21st century as a woman.”

Will the Olympics be a safe event for LGBT visitors to attend? Those in attendance who are openly LGBT will be risking their freedom. Although there is often safety in numbers, “mass action will be difficult to suppress,” Masha said.

In a recent letter, a group of US Senators addressed the President of the International Olympic Committee, saying that the reputation

orientation is a first step, next it will be rights for women and children,” said Bast.

The movement has some allies in government, but they are small in number. In St. Petersburg, they have allies in the city parliament, such as the Yabloko party deputies, but “they have 12% of seats in the city parliament and are powerless to affect any change,” said Andrianova.

If the draft law preventing same-sex families from having children is introduced into the Duma again, Coming Out, together with the Russian LGBT Network and other LGBT groups, will campaign on local, national and international levels to prevent it from being passed. Passage of this law will mean no same-sex families will be safe in Russia.

Those living in the closet are coming out and being seen despite the consequences.

Homosexual men in Russia are at an even higher risk than woman. Therefore, many movements are comprised of more females.

“As the movement grows, and as we target the gay male community specifically, more men join the movement,” said Andrianova. “The visibility of the LGBT rights movement in the past 3 years has been growing very rapidly, with grassroots LGBT organizations prioritizing movement building, involving more and more people in human rights activity and in openly defending their rights. Today, we are proud to say that the LGBT rights movement

is on the forefront of civil society and human rights movements in many regions of Russia, including St. Petersburg. We are fighting hard the battles that others long ago deemed hopeless, and making advances where none would expect them.”

Russian officials ask that countries such as the US take note of gay crimes within their own country and their own moral failings before trying to initiate change in other countries. But the spotlight is on Russia - and the Russian LGBT community is openly calling for action and support from other nations.

Open dialogues, social media, awareness-raising actions, human rights campaigns, fundraising and the endorsement of influential people will continue to build that momentum for change. Polina added, “We appreciate all the support. At times, it is what empowers and inspires. It makes us feel that the world is watching and caring. It reminds us that we are not alone.”

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by denise warner / photos red house records

from the cover

S L R IINDIGO G O G I GIRLS D N I The Indigo Girls are hitting the high seas with Olivia Cruises in February 2014 to the Eastern Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale, but this ain’t your everyday fun in the sun vacation. It’s all that but the Women in Equality and Leadership Cruise also features some of the most influential leaders of the women’s movement, including Dr. Maya Angelou and Edie Windsor. You can also get a chance to see the Indigo Girls live at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach in January and later in March at University of Florida Performing Arts in Gainesville. She Magazine caught up with Emily Sailers about the upcoming Olivia Cruise and the legendary career of the Indigo Girls. the indigo girls have 14 studio albums, 3 live reCordings, 3 greatest hits Compilations, 7 gold reCords, 7 grammy nominations, and one grammy Win. With suCh an immense and distinguished Career, is there a Certain amount of pressure When you step into the studio to reCord the neXt projeCt?

Not because of our career. We work hard on our songwriting and arranging, and we’re fastidious about who we work with and who produces our projects, so it’s all a focused, combined effort. The most important thing is to make songs that we really like. Of course we don’t want to repeat the same thing over and over, but for us there’s no pressure to recreate ourselves. We just strive to do the best that we can on whatever we’re working on at the time. The pressure is just to do our best, really. i read someWhere about all the Changes in reCording labels, and hoW it’s Changed your Way of thinking When you aCtually get into studio noW, making the proCess more of “the heart rules our performanCe more than the head.” hoW did that happen and What does it mean?

We were with Epic Records for a long time and had a good relationship with them. When we first started out, the projects were a lot bigger. The

whole industry was different when we got signed in 1988, a long time ago. Record companies were nurturing bands like us, and R.E.M. There was much more of a regional vibe with radio stations before they started getting snatched up by major corporations. I’m not naming any names (laughs), but you know what I mean? So, we worked through that, and we watched the whole industry change. CD stores started closing, record companies began charging too much and music sharing started happening. Then, regulated radio got bought up and became sort of homogenized, and of course, technology changed. People started making records cheaper and easier. With social media, they didn’t need the same avenues of large record companies or the old archaic ways, so we signed with Hollywood, but they dropped us after one record. At that point, we just thought, “Well, we’ve got the songs, we’ve got the relationships, we’re going to start our own label.” We’ve got distribution with Van Guard, who we respect and love, so we have everything we need to continue on without a major label. It’s made us really, really happy. We’re more prolific, we don’t have to wait for decisions, we decide what we like and move forward with it. Honestly, we’re having a blast being independent. It’s a new world, but luckily for us, we’re not a band that counts on radio play. It’s liberating. Amy and I are very fortunate that things have worked out as they have, meaning we’ve developed long lasting relationships with managers, agents and publicists. That’s hard to find. It’s one day at a time, but as of today, we’re both writing songs. We’ve got plans for a new album in 2014, so we’re happy and talking about the future, with no signs of stopping. We’re thankful. you are both knoWn for your big, long tours all over the Country, but you’ve also played at royal albert hall in london. do you find any differenCe in the fans (aside from their aCCents) in their response at ConCerts and performanCes in other Countries?

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Oh wow, Royal Albert Hall was so long ago! We opened for 10,000 Maniacs, and it was surreal, like a major head buzz, you know? Since then we’ve played Shepherd’s Bush Empire a couple of times in London. Unfortunately, we don’t get to the UK that much, but the fans are so great, much like American audiences, so vocal and jubilant. It’s such an honor and privilege to be able to go there and play because it’s so expensive to get everyone over and find venues and stuff.

When it does happen, it’s really amazing. We’ve also played Singapore and Australia. We’ve just finished touring Canada, east to west. It was incredible. Every place is different, but the common thread is that the fans are just fantastic.

You guys have never shied away from your sexuality, often playing renowned women-fueled music festivals. What’s that meant to you, being a part of such a strong, loud sisterhood?

I don’t think I can even describe in words what’s so great. It’s such a celebration within an awareness of the struggle. There are different movements and struggles but you come together through the arts, and you get to share the experience, that creative release, the ideas, the music, the words. It’s just so very powerful. The word sisterhood is a great, powerful word, by the way! It’s never been clichéd and it represents so much. It means we stand together, we know our strengths, we still have our struggles, we’re going to work through them fiercely but kindly. That’s what sisterhood is and we get to experience that at these events all the time.

you’re booked for the Olivia Cruise in February, but not just any Olivia Cruise.

This is the Women in Equality and Leadership cruise with amazing and powerful women. That must be quite an honor!

It’s unbelievable! Maya Angelou will be on this cruise! I mean, we’ve played Olivia Cruises before, but to be on this particular one, with conversations on cultural change, feminism and queer issues is right up our alley. It makes it even more exciting, not only to play, but also to listen to all these powerful, influential and wonderful women. It’s going to be great!

You actually have quite a multi-generational audience. What do you think is the key to lasting and staying relevant in the music industry?

That’s a bit of an odd term because if you’re relevant to one age group, then you’re still relevant and that’s just your scope. To stay relevant across the generations, I think it’s about music and lyrics. It’s about content that spans generational concerns and becomes about basic human endeavors and issues of the heart and mind. If you think about it, someone who’s 21 might be just as interested in those things as someone who’s 61. I’ll tell you what, though, I don’t take that for granted. I mean our first generation of fans now has kids or even grandkids. They’ve been exposed to our music, or maybe they’ve come to a show. All that helps. Plus, now with social media the word spreads so fast that you never know who you’re going to reach. That all works to help with staying relevant, I guess.

Your songs often get described as “epic.” In your own words, what can make a song epic?

When I think of epic, I think of dramatic or anthemic. Like for Amy, “Let It Rain” was an epic anthem for rights and freedom. For me, my song “Ghost” is epic in a ballad kind of way.

Some songs are stories - obviously personal,

Were you worried about being pigeonholed by playing that festival circuit?

sometimes political - but they all reflect different thoughts or periods of life. Some songs become big and grand because of that. Others may not be, but they still work.

Is there any one lesson that you may have learned early on that you still apply to your career today?

I think the word “trust” is the first word that comes to mind, trusting the process of the people you’re working with. Amy and I have a deep trust in one another, in our process and our faith that things are happening how they’re supposed to. One thing I’ve learned over the years is not to worry. Challenges come to help us grow, but the greatest thing is to be able to work with people you love and respect to create something lasting and beautiful that means something to someone. I may not have learned this early on, but in retrospect, it’s all about surrounding yourself with good people that you trust, staying away from shady characters and trusting in what you’re doing. It’s really about not compromising your soul, your standards, or your voice. amy and you bring your own musical influences to Beauty Queen Sister.

Who are some of your biggest musical influences?

Elton was huge. I have every record he’s ever made, even the non-commercial successes. I listened to them endlessly. I love the brilliant writers - Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ferron, and Stevie Wonder. But honestly, Joni Mitchell was the one who totally blew my mind apart as an artist. She’s the whole package.

I did! I worried about it so much when I was younger: “Oh my God, we’re going to be known as lesbian artists, and we’ll be pigeon-holed forever and blah blah blah.” Well, it happened and you know what? So what? Who cares? It hasn’t changed anything! We’re making music, we’re happy, we have healthy careers and we have a good time. That’s what the world does, they reduce you to the lowest common denominator, so it just serves as a reminder.

The most important thing is that we’re part of a movement. We’re open and free. If we’ve been able to help one other person feel that, it’s all worth it because there is no other kind of material success that compares to being able to help someone along in a struggle.

I interviewed a girl band recently and asked “What’s the best part of touring?” and they answered “Going home.”

Is that true for you?

(Laughs) It’s not touring when you go home!

That’s funny! But, seriously, there is nothing like being home. Amy and I have very strong family ties and friendships and relationships that are so important to us. You miss that when you’re gone. For me, I think of touring as a privilege. Being able to go out on the road and play your music for a living to awesome fans who appreciate it and allow you that livelihood is an absolute privilege. The older I get, the more tired I get, that’s the truth. I basically need a nap every day when I’m on the road. (laughs) I love touring but as they say, there’s no place like home. www.indigogirls.com

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feature and energized leading media outlets including Vogue, InStyle, New York, and House & Garden.

Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President of Global Marketing at Martini Media, a digital firm specializing in online branding, public relations and marketing. She has earned seven MIN Awards for marketing innovation, two President’s Awards, and MIN’s Sales Executive Team of the Year award in 2012.

As co-chair of OUT at Time Inc., she led programming to spotlight the diversity of the LGBT community and educated the organization’s straight allies on a wide range of LGBT issues. She is a member of Advertising Women of New York, Cosmetic Executive Women, and the Magazine Publishers of America. Ellis is also a Vestry member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Ellis earned her B.A. from Russell Sage College and also attended the Tuck Executive Education program at Dartmouth.

In 2011, Ellis co-authored a memoir with her wife, Kristen Ellis-Henderson (who is also part of the rock band Antigone Rising, and was feature in She Magazine’s April & May issues,) titled “Times Two, Two Women in Love and the Happy Family They Made,” released by Simon & Schuster. The autobiography chronicled their simultaneous pregnancies and road to motherhood. The two are outspoken advocates for LGBT equality and were featured on the groundbreaking “Gay Marriage Already Won” cover of Time Magazine. They were also profiled in a special New York Times Style section devoted to

GLAAD Board of Directors

Announces Sarah Kate Ellis as CEO & president of GLAAD

Kristen and Sarah are legally married in New York and have two children.

GLAAD’s National Board of Directors announced on November 25th that Sarah Kate Ellis has been elected as GLAAD’s new CEO and president. As a respected media executive and outspoken advocate for LGBT equality, Sarah Kate is uniquely qualified to lead GLAAD, the nation’s leading LGBT media advocacy organization.

Steve Warren, National Co-Chair of GLAAD’s Board said: “GLAAD’s unparalleled history in shifting American beliefs on LGBT families paved the way for our recent legal victories and will be instrumental in inspiring more and more Americans to stand with LGBT people and our families.

We are excited to welcome Sarah Kate at a time when our community needs more of GLAAD’s work in the media to share the stories that create real change.”

Sarah Kate Ellis is an award-winning media executive and salient communications strategist who has led national media brands to their biggest successes, most notably growing Real Simple into one of Time Inc.’s most respected and successful magazines. Her vision has transformed SHE - 20 - 12/13

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marriage equality on the day it became legal in New York State and were the subjects of The Huffington Post’s three part documentary web series titled “Here Come The Brides.” The couple held the first same-sex marriage ceremony performed in the Episcopal Church of New York State.

Jenny Boylan, National Co-Chair of the Board of Directors and Chair of the Search Committee said: “Sarah Kate is a new kind of leader, one that will take the LGBT movement into the next decade and beyond.”

Boylan and Warren were announced as Co-Chairs of GLAAD’s national Board of Directors earlier in November. Professor Boylan is the first transgender woman to serve as Co-Chair of GLAAD’s Board of Directors.

Prior to Sarah, the other female president at GLAAD was Joan Garry for nearly a decade and retired in 2005. Sarah Kate will take on her new role in January 2014 and will be based in GLAAD’s New York City office. www.glaad.org

Sarah & wife Kristin on Time’s issue dated April 9, 2013.

“

“While our community has made great strides in recent years, our movement has an important and critical journey ahead. Together with our dedicated staff, I will push for a culture where everyone in the LGBT community not only has legal equality, but is fully welcomed and respected by our neighbors. I look forward to leading GLAAD and creating a world where LGBT people and our families have the freedom to joyously—and openly—live a life they love.”

—Sarah on her visionfor GLAAD’s advocacy work.

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SHE GIRL

view more photos at www.shemag.com i live in: Miami, FL. My occupation: I own an Alternative Center in Aventura called

Feel The Heal. We do off the wall alternative detoxing treatments.

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn.

Dream Girl: Pretty, smart, great sense of humor, loves animals, wants to travel, healthy, positive, inspires me, knows who she is, successful, open minded, great laugh, stylish, loves tattoos (or at least mine), changes with the intent to better herself and us, wants children, independent, affectionate, infectious personality and trusting.

Dream Job: Crime scene photographer.

My mother thinks I: Am the bee’s knees.

Turn-ons: Lips, smile and laughter. Simple every day rituals and caring gestures can be very sexy.

Turn-offs: Snoring, cockiness, bad hygiene, rudeness, constant negativity.

My Best Quality: Communicator, listener and one heck of a texter. the last book i read: I have complete ADD so I will read the first 10 pages then not finish, but Chelsea Handler was the last book.

I have a weakness for: Pizza and sunsets.

I like to wear: Hats and boots 365 days a year.

If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?: I would be invisible, because then I could hear, see,

travel, protect, prevent and so much more.

Sensitive Body Part: I’ll keep this PG and go with ears.

If my life were made into a movie, my part will be played by: Fat Amy or Melissa McCarthy. my greatest accomplishment: My business Feel The Heal

and growing comfortably into the person that I want to be. Also an upcoming project that is in the works with my Out Miami girls. my favorite tv show: American Horror Story.

Celebrity’s butt I would most like to squeeze:

Jennifer Lopez.

My most memorable date: To be continued.

The cartoon character I am most like: Bart Simpson,

an innocent bad ass.

If you could change your name, what would you pick: Devin.

The last movie I went to a theater to see was: Blue is

the Warmest Color.

My coming out was: Fairly smooth. I was 17 or 18 years old.

I’m sure my tomboy behavior made it obvious, but I’m lucky to have an accepting family and a great network of friends. As time passes, I find more and more comfort in being who I am.

French Fries, French Vanilla, French Toast or French Manicure?: Fine. French Fries.

Favorite flower: Tulips. my favorite quote: “Fate loves the fearless.” if you were to become an activist in the lgbt community, which organization would you choose:

’d probably like to work with parents who are having a hard time accepting their child’s sexual orientation. Maybe I can give advice and perspective, something to make the light go on within them so that they can continue to parent with unconditional love. i think our community needs: Equality across all states.

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by material girl

This has to be one of my favorite gifts this year: the

Samsung SMART CAMERA NX300. Capture and share life’s fastest moments in perfect detail with this built-in Wi-Fi ready digital camera. High performance made portable—the on-the-go photographer never had it this good. The NX300 features a new, ultra-sensitive 20.3MP APS-C CMOS sensor and an advanced hybrid autofocus system for delivering detailed images that obliterate the line between professional and enthusiast. >> $399.99 - $549.99 / www.samsung.com

The Leap Motion Controller is a tiny USB device that goes where no device has gone before: it lets you interact with your computer without touching it! The Leap Motion Controller senses how you move your hands, and makes the space between you and your computer interactive and three-dimensional. So instead of clicks, taps, and drag-and-drops, you can point, reach, and grab–even pick something up and put it down. Operating System Supported: Windows 7 or 8 or Mac OS X 10.6 Snow Leopard. >> $79.99 / free shipping / www.newegg.com Looking for the perfect gift for a Facebook addict? MySocialBook allows you to give them the best of of their Facebook life in one place. Simple and Easy! Only few clicks to create: The layout is automatic. >> Starting at $11 for 25 pages, shipping included. www.likebook.me

If what you are looking for is a very user-friendly, light, similiar to the mini iPad but with a resonable price, I suggest you check out the 7-inch Samsung Galaxy Note 3. It is available in white and black and looks just like a gigant smartphone. It is very fast, comes with great apps and I love the front and rear cameras. You can find them with 8GB and 16GB storage capacities plus Samsung’s usual MicroSD card slot.

Check online and at major electronic stores. You can find the 8GB for >> $149.00 www.samsung.com

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For those looking for a gift under $50, stop by one of my favorite stores, Pottery Barn, and you will find this beautiful and so-needed Studded jewelry box. Handapplied studs and decorative nails form a concentric pattern on this eye-catching comes with free shipping. The box is 6” wide x 4” deep x 2.5” high, painted inside. >> $24 / www.poterybarn.com

Aren’t this adorable for your favorite femme?

These metal wire scarf holders are crafted in the charming shape of a purse and blouse. Scarf holders feature 15 loops to hold and organize scarves in your/her closet while saving space. Available in black and silver. >> $9.99 / www.bedbathandbeyond.com

I just love these Birch Flutes from another one of my favorite stores! Designer Noel Ashby found inspiration for these etched columns in the elegant trunks of birch trees, marked by cylindrical rings in pale bark. Here, organic lines ring around a clean modern silhouette that floats bubbly from the stemless base to polished fired rim. Clear glass with polished fired rim and dishwasher-safe, 8 oz.

2” dia. x 6”H. >> $3.50 each / www.cb2.com

At the same store, while you are grabbing those flutes, you can pick up this swanky 2-piece stainless steel salt and pepper shaker set. You’ll want to leave these out long after dinner is done. Salt and pepper shake things up as sleek architectural sculpture in brushed stainless steel. >> $12.95 / www.cb2.com

For tea to reach its full flavor, it should be steeped at just the right temperature. The

Cuisinart®:PerfecTemp™ Electric Kettle has 6 preset temperatures for different varieties of tea. 1500-watts provide fast heat-up, and a Keep Warm option will maintain the set temperature for 30 minutes. >> $99.95 | www.cuisinart.com

If you like to be unique when setting the table for any special occasion at your home, you should consider these Glass Pedestal StandS & DomeS. A favorite dessert deserves a special presentation. Display baked goods beautifully while keeping them fresh on our pedestal stand. At 4.75” diam., 10.25” h, the stand and dome are hand blown of sparkling glass. >> $11.20 each / www.potterybarn.com

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Sweet dreams! Remee is a specialized sleep mask designed to help increase the frequency of your Lucid Dreams. The key to Lucid Dreaming is recognizing when you’re dreaming. That’s where Remee comes in. Inside what looks like a normal sleep mask is a microcontroller. During your sleep cycles, Remee flashes a series of customizable, recognizable light patterns via six rear facing LEDs. The lights aren’t bright enough to wake you up, but, if you are dreaming, they can appear as visual anomalies in your dreams, helping the dreamer recognize the fact that they are dreaming, and become lucid. Once lucid, you can begin controlling the world around you. >> $95 / www.rakuten.com

The SmartThings Know and Control Kit enables users to use smartphones and/or tablets to communicate with everyday objects in the home. Use SmartThings to control and monitor connected objects to save time and gain peace of mind. Receive notifications when people, pets, and cars arrive and leave. Know when doors, drawers, and items open, close, or move. Trigger window A/C or space heaters to turn on when you leave work and turn on a light or TV in response to motion at night. >> $299 / www.amazon.com

The Samsung Galaxy Gear V700 Smart Watch is expected to be one of the hot items this season. The G Gear keeps you updated with glance notifications, so you can keep up with calls, texts and emails. You can remotely activate sounds or vibrations to locate your phone. You can use voice commands to place and answer calls, check weather, activate alarm or camera.

Prices vary depending on the store, so do your homework and shop around online first. Available in different colors. >> $295 - $370 / www.samsung.com

Why not a little naughty butch and femme fun in the sheets! Whether it is for you, a friend of your girlfriend, choose one of Kitty’s Toy Box’s best-selling items: SpareParts Sasha Lingerie Harness & SpareParts Tomboi Harness Brief designed to give you great comfort and pleasure. They come with a flexible o-ring and internal mini-vibe pockets. While you are down there, find sensual reading in their library, look for Best Lesbian Erotica 2014. >> $15.95 - 125 - $145 / www.kittystobox.com

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One of the best places to hit those high notes, the shower stall, offers excellent acoustics. Now you can rock out like the splashy sensation you are with help from this

>> $149.25 on sale / www.amazon.com

A perfect gift for anyone on the artistic side.

Super-durable, PVC-free white shower curtain hangs a blank canvas for doodling a DIY masterpiece with included black permanent marker. Breathable fabric is non-toxic, recyclable and keeps your design intact, even in the washer, 60”W x 72”H. >> $34.95 / www. cb2.com

I love the Rainbow Multi-Strand Leather Wrap Bracelet! Show your pride and express your individulality.

Multi-colored leather strands combine unlike any bracelet you’ve seen before. With a stainless steel magnetic lock clasp, set yourself apart from the rest wearing this special piece. This wrap bracelet measures 7.5in (15in total). >> $29.40 / www. loveandpride.com

Filmed live at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA during her first-ever fully solo tour, Brave Enough: Live at the Variety Playhouse is a live DVD+CD from multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated Sara Bareilles. The Brave Enough Tour, which sold out nationally within three minutes, was celebrated by fans and media alike. The DVD captures Sara’s entire May 20, 2013 performance. >> $14.28 / www.amazon.com

K9245 Moxie showerhead and wireless speaker by Kohler. The wireless speaker fills the space with clean and clear sound, plus it is easy to clean.

Designed for use as a unique jewelry display, this set is just perfect for any femme’s necklace, rings and bracelets. It is an Internetonly set, aluminum and brass base with an antique-silver finish, blown-glass cloches. Monogramming is available at an additional charge. >> $49 $50 & $99 / www.potterybarn.com

This is the smart way to get more active. The

FuelBand tracks how much, how often, and how intensely you move. So, go ahead and set a daily NikeFuel goal for how active you want to be. You’ll receive move reminders for an extra push to get you moving every hour. Also allows you to monitor the intensity of your workouts with NikeFuel Rate and Nike+ Sessions. >> $179.99 - $349.95 / www.amazon.com

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noticias Los bancos apuestan a las finanzas de las parejas homosexuales Con las leyes de matrimonio igualitario ya implantadas en 16 estados del país, nunca fue tan complicado la planificación financiera de las parejas del mismo sexo. Y es por eso que los asesores financieros salieron a ofrecer sus servicios de asesoría en riqueza especialmente a los denominados “dinks” (doble income, no kids), parejas sin hijos que generalmente cuentan con ingresos disponibles para invertir.

La planificación financiera es significativamente más complicada para los matrimonios del mismo sexo dado que menos de una tercera parte de los estados norteamericanos reconocen esas uniones. Muchos de ellos necesitan asesoramiento sobre las implicancias financieras del matrimonio en todos los ámbitos, desde la Seguridad Social e impuestos a las ganancias hasta la redacción de testamentos y la compra de un seguro de vida.

Acciones por la diversidad familiar en Paraguay y Chile En la sede del Centro Comunitario LGBT de Asunción, Paraguay se realizó el pasado sábado 16 de noviembre el Encuentro Nacional de Padres y Familiares de Jóvenes LGBT, organizado por el grupo activista SOMOSGAY. El encuentro contó con la presencia de Marcela Ordenes, representante activista del Movimiento Unificado de Minorías Sexuales (MUMS) de Chile y más de 30 padres, madres, familiares y amigos de personas LGBT, quienes pudieron encontrar un espacio para compartir sus habilidades, miedos y experiencias.

En el programa del encuentro se desarrollaron diversos temas que permitieron generar herramientas de diálogo entre las y los presentes. “Institucionalmente, desde nuestra postura como SOMOSGAY, consideramos a la familia como la base fundamental de nuestra sociedad, y es por eso que brindamos este espacio a todas las familias paraguayas que busquen cambiar la realidad en la que vivimos hoy. Todas las familias deben ser respetadas y protegidas ante la Ley”, argumentó Sergio López, Di-

rector General de SOMOSGAY en el acto de apertura.

Durante el inicio del encuentro, la licenciada Beatriz Romero realizó un taller con el tema “La construcción social del género y sus implicancias en la discriminación”, en el cual resaltó la importancia que tiene el hecho de que las y los jóvenes se auto reconozcan como sujetos con una sexualidad particular no-heterosexual y el apoyo que se necesita impulsar aún desde el seno familiar. Además, la Lic. Romero también conversó con los padres y madres sobre cómo la igualdad de género permite que hombres y mujeres puedan desarrollarse plena, libre y responsablemente de manera más igualitaria.

60,000 celebraron el VIII Gay Parade en Chile Wells Fargo, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America y JPMorgan compiten activamente por la administración de riquezas de casi 4% de los residentes norteamericanos que se identifican como homosexuales, bisexuales o transexuales.

La situación cambió abruptamente desde junio, cuando la Corte Suprema de Estados Unidos rechazó la definición de matrimonio del gobierno federal, que lo consideraba únicamente como una unión entre hombre y mujer.

“El último fallo despertó el interés de muchos de nuestros clientes LGBT con patrimonios elevados”, aseguró Darren Spedade, oficial de banca privada de JPMorgan. El banco está publicando investigaciones dirigidas a homosexuales.

Bank of America recibe más consultas entre sus clientes actuales. Mediante su red interna de LGBT, la banca privada de Credit Suisse en Nueva York está lanzando un producto de inversión en acciones estadounidenses que está ligado a las compañías que adoptaron políticas gay-friendly.

Unas 60 mil personas repletaron el Paseo Bulnes a mediados de Noviembre con motivo de la VIII Gay Parade organizada por el Movimiento de Integración y Liberación (Movilh) y que este año se desarrolló una semana antes de las elecciones presidenciales, teniendo como demandas centrales el matrimonio igualitario, suma urgencia al Acuerdo de Vida en Pareja (AVP), ley de identidad de género y una institucionalidad por la Diversidad y la No Discriminación.

Desde las dos de la tarde comenzaron a llegar personas al evento, para sumar miles en pocas tiempo y repletar el Paseo Bulnes, donde hubo 4 escenarios, más de 100 artistas y 45 destacados djs que se lucieron durante toda la jornada que se extendió hasta las 11pm.

En el acto central del evento intervinieron los candidatos presidenciales Tomás Jocelyn-Holt, Franco Parisi, Roxana Miranda, Marco Enríquez-Ominami y Alfredo Sfeir, mientras que Michelle Bachelet y Marcel

Claude estuvieron presentes a través de sus representantes para la ocasión, Mané de Ferrari y Karen Hermosilla, en forma respectiva.

A cada candidato, que fue presentado con mensajes que resaltaron aspectos positivos de sus historias o programas, les fue entregado el documento “Chile Diverso”, el cual contiene más de 200 propuestas por al igualdad y la no discriminación.

En la ocasión cada uno los comandos o aspirante a La Moneda resaltó la necesidad erradicar la homofobia y la transfobia e hizo referencias a sus propuestas sobre la materia.

“La masividad de este acto, sumado al hito de que la mayoría de los candidatos a la presidencia asistiera, demuestra que quienes están por la no discriminación superan a quienes rechazan la igualdad. 60 mil personas es un llamado de atención al Estado para que de una vez termine con tipo de discriminación”, sostuvo el Movilh.

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especial

por veronica espinal

2013: Un Año LGBT

en Retrospectiva

Sin lugar a dudas este año que está por terminar, 2013, ha sido uno lleno de grandes logros en nuestra comunidad LGBT en Estados Unidos, Europa y América Latina no es la excepción. Hacemos una rápida recopilación de importantes fechas y acontecimientos que han pasado ya a la historia.

—Enero 1: E legalizado el matrimonio gay en

el estado de Maryland.

—Enero 29: Un nuevo estudio reveló que Gua-

dalajara, México es el hogar de uno de los mercados de consumo LGBT más significativos a nivel mundial.

—Febrero 20: La Corte Suprema de Puerto Rico resolvió la prohibición de la adopción para las parejas homosexuales de ese país.

Con cinco votos a favor y cuatro en contra de la prohibición, los jueces alegaron que la dignidad, estabilidad y bienestar de un niño sólo puede garantizarse si se cría en una familia “tradicional”.

—Marzo 6: La Corte Constitucional de Costa Rica emite una Sentencia 5-2 que anula por completo la declaratoria de “Interés Público” decretada por la Presidente Laura Chinchilla Miranda y la Ministra de Salud Daisy Corrales al V Congreso Centroamericano de Bioética, donde fue invitado el español Jokin de Irala quien asegura que la homosexualidad es una enfermedad y puede curarla completamente.

—Abril 10: El matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo es aprobado en Uruguay a partir del proyecto de ley “Matrimonio igualitario” y se convierte en el 2do país en Latinoamérica en legalizarlo.

—Abril 23: Después de la aprobación de am-

bas cámaras legislativas al proyecto de ley que permite el matrimonio entre personas del mismo sexo, incluida la adopción de niños por estas, Francia se convirtió en el 14º país del mundo en legislar sobre el tema.

—Abril 25: El Senado de Colombia hunde el proyecto sobre el matrimonio homosexual. La Corte Constitucional, sin embargo, permite que las uniones se legalicen ante los notarios.

—Abril 26: El grupo lésbico Feminista Artemisa y “Somos Tribadistas”, demandaron al Estado de Nicaragua y a la sociedad poner fin a la discriminación por su preferencia sexual, que se les trate con igualdad y respeto.

—Mayo 12: La Asociación Internacional de Gays, Lesbianas, Bisexuales, Trans e Intersexuales (ILGA) actualizó sus mapas de los derechos de las personas gay en el mundo.

—Mayo 14: El Consejo Nacional de Justicia de Brasil aprobó 14 votos contra 1 una resolución que legaliza el casamiento entre personas del mismo sexo en todo el territorio brasileño, convirtiendose en el tercer país latinoamericano en reconocer el matrimonio gay.

—Mayo 17: El Municipio Sucre (Venezuela) decretó como Día Municipal contra la homo-lesbo-trans-fobia, propuesta por las comunidades con motivo de la conmemoración del Día Internacional contra la Homo-lesbo-Transfobia.

—Mayo 17: La Comunidad Homosexual Argentina puso en marcha una campaña contra el acoso escolar inaugurando una campaña nacional: “Más inclusión sin Bullying”.

—Mayo 17: En el marco de las celebraciones del Día Internacional contra la Homofobia y la

Transfobia, y de manera inédita en Chile, las municipalidades de Providencia, Santiago, La Reina, Independencia, San Antonio y Coquimbo izaron la bandera arcoíris en sus respectivos ayuntamientos.

—Junio 20: Las parejas del mismo sexo de Colombia acudieron a las notarías y juzgados para formalizar sus uniones a través de un “contrato solemne”. Se trata de un polémico derecho que fue criticado por la propia comunidad gay.

—Junio 26: La corte Suprema de E.U. declaró inconstitucional la sección 3 de la ley DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act) el 26 de Junio.

—Junio 26: Se restituyó el matrimonio gay en California.

—Julio 1: Se legalizó el matrimonio igualitario en el estado de Delaware.

—Julio 22: El Consejo de Estado en Colombia dijo que las parejas del mismo sexo sí son reconocidas como familias abriendo paso al reconocimiento de los derechos plenos a las familias homoparentales.

—Julio 24: Se celebró el primer matrimonio entre parejas del mismo sexo en Bogotá, Colombia, entre dos hombres, siendo este un paso muy grande a la apertura por la igualdad .

—Agosto 1: Se legalizó el matrimonio igualitario en Minnesota y Rhode Island.

—Agosto 5: Pamela Troya y Gabriela Correa iniciaron en Agosto la campaña “Matrimonio Civil Igualitario” en el Registro Civil de Quito, Ecuador. El 26 de agosto de 2013, una nueva pareja se presentó en el Registro Civil con la intención de casarse, ésta vez en la ciudad de Guayaquil.

—Agosto 19: Se anunció la creación de una Defensoría Especial para la Diversidad Sexual en Caracas, Venezuela.

—Septiembre: El congresista Carlos Bruce presentó un proyecto de ley para legalizar las uniones civiles entre personas del mismo sexo en Perú.

—Octubre 21: Se legalizó el matrimonio gay en New Jersey.

—Noviembre 7: El Senado de Estados Unidos votó 64-32 a favor en aprobar la legislatura en contra de la discriminación en el trabajo (Employment Non-Discrimination Act—ENDA).

—Noviembre 13: marcó la legalización del matrimonio gay en Hawaii. La ley tomó efecto el Lunes, 2 de Diciembre, 2013.

—Noviembre 20: El estado de Illinois se convirtió en el estado #16 en legalizar el matrimonio del mismo sexo. La ley entrará en efecto en Junio 1, 2014.

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q&a with...

by marissa cohen

YOUR RECENT OCTOBER BLOG VIDEO ON THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN IS HILARIOUS. YOU CALL THE SHUTDOWN A “BOEHNER BENDER,” ASKING HIM TO “ADMIT THAT HE IS POWERLESS OVER THE TEABAGGERS.” WHAT’S YOUR OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO THE SHUTDOWN?

I still feel shut down. And yet furious. If women had ever tried to shut down the government like the tea-hadists did, we’d have been in orange onesies in Gitmo in about two hours. Orange is the new orange.

WE THINK OF YOU AS THE LESBIAN PRESIDENT OF COMEDY. IF YOU TRULY WERE PRESIDENT, HOW WOULD YOU HANDLE THE SHUTDOWN? HOW WOULD YOU RESTRUCTURE THE GOVERNMENT?

First I’d restructure some heads together. Those who shut down the government are seditious traitors that give narcissists a bad name. I’d get rid of the Citizen’s United decision, appoint independent committees to do post-census redistricting and make voting mandatory, with big fines for not voting. And I’d do background checks on people who want to buy a senator.

AS THE FIRST LADY OF LESBIAN COMEDY, WHO ARE YOUR INSPIRATIONS? Hey wait, I thought I was president. A job change in just one question? Life’s like that. I’ve got the biceps for First Lady. My inspirations are my friends, my little neighbors [2, 5 and 8] next door, my best friend’s mom, Billie Jean King, Tammy Baldwin, Serena Williams, my dear galpal, Betty White and old lesbians.

IN ADDITION TO BEING AN AWARD-WINNING COMIC, ACTOR AND WRITER, YOU’VE ALSO TAUGHT HUMOR WRITING AT P-TOWN’S FINE ARTS WORK CENTER. WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR COMEDY STUDENTS WILL LEARN FROM YOU?

It ain’t easy being easy. It takes lots of preparatory work to look spontaneous and then there’s the outfits. But there is no greater job than making people laugh and think!

YOUR LATEST BOOK I TOLD YOU SO CAME OUT IN 2009. ANY PLANS FOR A NEW BOOK?

What are you, my publicist? Did she tell you to ask me this question? She has me on a strict schedule to gather up a new collection of my columns from the last few years and get it together. So yes, there is a plan for a new book. But I’m holding out for pop-ups.

WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU IN THIS MONTH AT THE KRAVIS CENTER. WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING ABOUT TOURING? CAN YOU GIVE OUR READERS A HINT ABOUT THE NEW TOUR?

I love performing at the Kravis Center. The staff are pros and the space is a technical pleasure.

I love seeing all my friends all over the country. I’m looking forward to seeing all my snowbird friends from Provincetown. I also admire all the political work that the LGBT community is doing in Florida to make life better for everyone. Tour hint: no animal acts, no chainsaw juggling, lots of audience participation, i.e. laughing.

DID YOU ABOUT...

SHEMAGAZINE & SHEMAG: WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER TO BE THE BIGGEST VICTORY FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN 2013 AND WHY?

Connie K—EQUALITY and I sure do not have to explain why!

Fridda C—DOMA repealed!

Julie C—Marriage Equality in 16 States!

Maria P—It is hard to choose one. Without a doubt I have to say the United States v.

Windsor case where DOMA was declared unconstitutional. Everyone’s eyes were on this case and the visibility that it gave our community is priceless.

PinkLobster—Equal marriage, of course, as now I can call my wife-to-be ‘wife’ and for it to mean something.

SHEMAGAZINE & SHEMAG: WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FOR LGBT RIGHTS IN 2014?

Jomary J—For Florida to get it together!

Amy L—For transgender and transsexual people to be accepted and not discriminated against any where, any place, work or other wise.

Liebra M—Forida needs to come out of the closet.

Jeannie J—Watch “Valentine Road Documentary,” it outlines just how much work that needs to be done for transgender rights. No child should be expected to outsmart scared trans-phobes just to live to see graduation.

Letty C—Should we even be talking about LGBT rights. There should be no laws against any kind of people.

Betty W—My long-time girlfriend and I have been wanting to legally adopt. We live in Miami but cannot do it as a couple.

That is my wish for 2014!

STAY CONNECTED! - Facebook.com/SheMagazineFL Search She Mag & She Magazine - Twitter.com/SheMagazine - Issuu.com/SheMagazine - Instagram.com/SheMagazine

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the national gay & lesbian task force raised more than $600,000 at sparkle—the 17th annual miami recognition dinner at the fontainebleau south beach hotel. photos by miami-gay-blog.com / view more photos at www.shemag.com

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with marissa cohen

on the shelves

Long Snows Moon

by Stacey Darlington In this charming and fascinating fantasy tale, a young woman finds herself back in contact with her mysterious past after an accident one fateful night. When socialite Devon Danforth’s pet wolf tumbles from the car window into the dark woods below, she has no choice but to find her animal friend – and reunites with Jameson, the mysterious and magical Native American woman who once was her teenage love. Animal magic, love and forest lore come together in this enchanting novel, perfect for fans of Radclyffe’s supernatural romances.

The GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles / June 2001

Leap

by Z Egloff Z Egloff’s first book, Verge, was nominated for a Lambda Literary Award and won the Bywater Prize for Fiction. Leap, her second book, is just as powerful and smart as her first. Set in 1979, Leap tells the story of Rowan Marks who is navigating a confusing and eventful summer before going away to college. She’s falling for Catherine, the new girl in her small Ohio town and her brother’s into pot. But she’s determined to survive the leap between childhood and adulthood. Room author Emma Donoghue and Fun Home’s Alison Bechdel both raved about this book and it’s easy to see why. Rowan’s intelligence and heart keep you rooting for her until the final page.

Sinister Wisdom – Fall 2013 It’s rare that we review literary journals, but by a stroke of luck, I wound up with a copy of the Fall 2013 edition of the iconic multicultural lesbian literary and art journal, Sinister Wisdom. In “Why This Blood and Not That?” by Barbara Haas, an American woman and her wife visit Putin’s Russia and learn of the arrest of the Pussy Riot feminist band members who protested Russia’s anti-LGBT laws. “Every step you took in Russia was on spilled blood,” says the narrator. Also excellent is the tribute to Sinister Wisdom founder Catherine Nicholson, who started the journal in 1976 and passed away earlier this year.

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she classifieds accommodations

community groups/organizations

Key West’s Distinctive Resort

Pearl’s is an all-welcome historic inn offering guesthouse ambiance and resort amenities. With Key West’s One Human Family atmosphere, Pearl’s offers full breakfast, 2 clothingoptional (but bottoms up) pools, 2 hot tubs, gym, and poolside bar and grill. 800-749-6696. www.pearlskeywest.com.

THE HIGHLANDS INN — PA LESBIAN PARADISE!

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Reach The Women of the LGBT Community!

Advertising in She: A Lot More Affordable Than You Think.

Call Today 954-354-9751 IT’S TIME FOR YOU TO BE IN SHE!

She Girls: Send us a color photo with contact information.

Email us at: info@shemag.com.

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she classifieds miscellaneous

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she searches SELL SOMETHING YOU LOVE Sales representatives wanted. Unlimited earning potential and some of the highest commissions in the industry! Sales experience, professionalism and a love for She a MUST! Dade, Broward, ORLANDO, TAMPA, JACKSONVILLE areas availiable. Send resumes to donna@shemag.com.

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with the village sage

scopes AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 19 You’ve got so many ideas free-floating around in your incredibly creative mind, that it’s hard to find time to explore them all. Don’t try to accomplish everything on your own. Instead, turn to your network of friends, family and business contacts. Enlist their help and support. Make adjustments as recommended. Be hopeful and steadfast about creating the future you want.

leo July 23 - aug 22 You’ll have to pace yourself in order to enjoy all the social invitations coming your way. Enjoy them you will, as you reconnect with your adoring fans. Fun, food, friends and, at the end of the month, presents!

Just remember, at the end of next month, the bills arrive, so be creative when gifting. The energy of the season continues into next year, as you embrace positive changes.

pisces feb 20 - mar 20 You’re finally feeling optimistic about your career and finances. You are open to going off into an entirely new direction, yet are content with your current progress towards prosperity. Do what you’re doing to the best of your ability and adopt an attitude of gratitude.

Wait for the spring to finally launch your master plan into your new, improved lifestyle. Remember, the reward for patience is patience.

virgo aug 23 - sept 23 You find yourself spinning with the same past issues, distracting you from the tasks and the decisions at hand, both professionally and personally. You’ll be reevaluating your past, the people, the highs, the lows and, most importantly, your part in it all. Don’t allow frustrations to undermine your good times, and well being, not to mention, your relationships at home and work.

aries mar 21 - apr 20 Use your impatient, aggressive energy to further your agenda, and use your restlessness to explore and experience the world around you. Share your ideas and insights through conversation, rather than recklessly making important decisions alone. Explore other options to meet your goals, including reconciliation within key alliances. Be careful in all you do and say.

Avoid accidents.

libra sept 24 - oct 23 The holiday season has you remembering both the good times and the not so good times of the past, and reminding yourself of how much fun you have socializing. You’ll have lots of opportunities to explore new neighborhoods, ideas, foods and, best of all, new and interesting people. You’ll have plenty of energy and enthusiasm left to explore new business opportunities arising from all that mixing.

taurus apr 21 - may 21 You have the confidence, patience and ideas to achieve your goals. However, sharing them with others now is not good strategy. Instead, take inventory of your current assets, project your future needs, do your due diligence and set both a practical budget and a reasonable timeline. Be creative with your gifting. The best gifts aren’t always purchased. Share what you already have.

scorpio oct 24 - nov 22 Your focus is laser-beamed on your finances and how to make the most of your assets. What you think about money has a direct influence on how you attract it, so adjust your attitude accordingly. Dream the dream, but be practical in planning how you’ll manifest it. The seeds you plant now won’t become reality until May, so be aware and be patient. Review your past decisions and consider the outcomes.

gemini may 22 - june 21 You’ve been soul-searching lately, looking within, dialoging between your twin selves. Now it’s time to take the conversation to the significant others in your life, with the goal of making those relationships better than ever. You’ll have to strike a balance between commitment and independence, your needs and others… and being practical and dreaming the impossible dream.

sagittarius nov 23 - dec 21 You have the opportunity to reinvent yourself into the carefree, funny, happy person you really are. However, an opportunity isn’t really an opportunity until you decide to actually take it. As good as you are, there’s always room for improvement, especially in daily habits. Your personal communication skills could use a little fine-tuning as well. Engage the edit button before speaking.

cancer June 22 - july 22 You get to mix business with pleasure, as you network yourself to success, so be adventurous. Broaden your horizons and your sphere of influence. Your creativity is high as you plan, not only marketing strategies to showcase your skills and offerings, but shopping strategies as well. By month’s end you’ll have addressed core issues and have blasted free of negatives, free to embrace the positives.

capricorn dec 22 - jan 20 This past year has had many twists and turns, and may still have even more changes ahead for you.

There isn’t any reason to resist them, so go with the flow. You crave alone time now, in order to review, revise, and make the necessary adjustments to your own self. Circumstances will require snap decisions.

You may have to trust your own judgment and go on instinct.

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