New GLBT History Museum Exhibit Commemorates the 30th Anniversary of the First Bisexual Political Rally with Four Decades of “BiCONIC” Bay Area Bisexual Activism

 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 7, 2014

  

CONTACT

Don Romesburg

misterromesburg@gmail.com

415-850-8580

 

 

New GLBT History Museum Exhibit Commemorates the 30^th Anniversary of the First Bisexual Political Rally with

Four Decades of “BiCONIC” Bay Area Bisexual Activism

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San Francisco – A new multimedia exhibit opening May 29 at the GLBT History Museum tells the story of San Francisco Bay Area’s bisexual activism that since the 1970s has been grounded in the politics of visibility, accountability, and vitality. A playful spirit has mixed with a seriousness of purpose at key moments across four decades, fueling today’s dynamic global bisexual movement.

 

Titled “BiCONIC FLASHPOINTS: 4 Decades of Bay Area Bisexual Politics,” the exhibit features never-before-displayed video, artifacts and photographs from the GLBT Historical Society’s archival bisexual collections as well as the personal holdings of bisexual leaders. The show’s Community Curators include Lani Ka’ahumanu, Emily Drennen, Martin Rawlings-Fein, and Lindasusan Ulrich.

 

“Bisexual politics are as simple and complex as love itself,” said Community Curator Lani Ka’ahumanu. “Bisexual history grounds and inspires us toward a more welcoming, inclusive, and engaged future. This exhibit challenges historic and ongoing erasure and compels everyone to reconsider the B in LGBT.”

  

The show tells this story in four flashpoints: Founded in 1976, the Bisexual Center in San Francisco was a beacon of visibility and support. In 1984, the recently formed BiPOL registered and ran a Vice Presidential candidate at the Democratic National Convention, resulting in the first-ever public Bisexual Rights Rally. In 1990, BiPOL convened the first National Bisexual Conference to organize BiNET USA as well as producing groups for Jewish bisexuals and bisexuals of color. In 2008, bisexuals facing erasure in the “gay marriage” debate engaged in “unVEILing injustice,” which moved LGBT organizational and media language toward greater inclusivity and accuracy.

 

The show is part of an ongoing series in the GLBT History Museum’s Community Gallery that partner community curators with exhibitions professionals to create new perspectives on Bay Area queer history. Sonoma State University Women’s and Gender Studies Professor Don Romesburg directs the Community Gallery.

 

“BiCONIC FLASHPOINTS: 4 Decades of Bay Area Bisexual Politics” runs May 29, 2014-August 15, 2014. An opening reception is set for Thursday, May 29, 7:00 – 9:00 p.m. Additionally, the GLBT History Museum on Thursday, July 17, from 7:00-9:00 p.m. will host a special program celebrating the groundbreaking anthology Bi Any Other Name: Bisexual People Speak Out (1991). Contributors to the anthology will do readings of their works, including Kuwaza Imara, Carol Queen and Naomi Tucker. This will be a benefit for the GLBT History Museum and the Bay Area Bisexual Network.

 

Admission to the museum is $5.00 (general); $3.00 (California students); free for members of the GLBT Historical Society. For more information, visit www.glbthistorymuseum.org.   

 

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EDITOR’S NOTE  

 

See the end of this section for photographs offered for reproduction in conjunction with coverage of the exhibit.  

 

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CURATORS

 

Lani Ka’ahumanu is a BiPOL founding organizer, author, activist, poet, educator, performer and visionary grandmother.

 

Emily Drennen is an outspoken bisexual and sustainable transportation advocate who loves spending time with her wife, Lindasusan and their foster-adopt son.

 

Martin Rawlings-Fein is a published author, a bisexual and trans* activist, a filmmaker, and a Jewish educator studying to become a rabbi.

 

Lindasusan Ulrich is a writer, musician, activist, and future Unitarian Universalist minister dedicated to a vision of radical welcome.

 

ABOUT THE GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM

 

The GLBT History Museum is located at 4127 18th St. in San Francisco’s Castro District. Open since January 2011, it is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States. Starting May 15, the new Main Gallery long-term exhibition is “Queer Past Becomes Present.” The Front Gallery and Community Gallery spaces present changing exhibitions.

 

The museum is a project of the GLBT Historical Society, a research center and archives that collects, preserves and interprets the history of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and the communities that support them. Founded in 1985, the society maintains one of the world’s largest collections of GLBT historical materials. For more information, visit www.glbthistory.org.

 

PHOTOGRAPHS FOR REPRODUCTION  

 

These images may be reproduced in conjunction with coverage of the “BiCONIC FLASHPOINTS” exhibit at The GLBT History Museum. The indicated photo credit must be included.

 

Exterior of the GLBT History Museum; photo credit Daniel Nicoletta:

http://bit.ly/1uvBlm9

 

BiPOL founding organizer Lani Ka’ahumanu wields her “Bi-Phobia Shield” as she marches with her contingent in the 1984 Lesbian and Gay Freedom Day Parade; photo credit Arlene Krantz:

http://bit.ly/1mySw59    

“Queer Past Becomes Present” Grand Opening May 15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 6, 2014     CONTACT Ben Carlson carlson.bennett@gmail.com 415-497-9342   “Queer Past Becomes Present” Grand Opening May 15 First show in newly remodeled GLBT History Museum   Media Preview with curators May 14, 11am – noon (details below) San Francisco — The grand opening of “Queer Past Becomes Present,” the first exhibition in the newly remodeled Main Gallery of the GLBT History Museum, will happen on Thursday evening, May 15, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.   The event will be free and open to the public. The GLBT History Museum is the first full-scale, stand-alone museum of its kind in the United States. The topics included in the exhibition are: Queer Youth: Out and Active “Queer Youth” traces the activism of San Francisco Bay Area LGBTQQ youth 25 and under from the 1970s to the present. The Lesbians of The Ladder: Courage Under Attack In 1955 a small group — many of them women of color – courageously founded the Daughters of Bilitis, a social club for lesbians. The organization’s publication, the Ladder, quickly became a lifeline for women across the country struggling to come out in a virulently homophobic society. The Assassination of Supervisor Harvey Milk This section looks at one of the most horrific events in queer history, the assassination of activist and San Francisco Supervisor Harvey Milk, and includes related artifacts, photographs and an excerpt from Milk’s political will. José Sarria: Activist and Entertainer Costumes, artifacts, and ephemera document the life of José Sarria, “The Nightingale of Montgomery Street,” from his days waiting tables and performing at the Black Cat Café through his historic run as the first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States. Constructing Jiro Onuma: Putting the Pieces Together “Constructing Jiro Onuma” details how history is a dynamic process involving continuous excavation and discovery through the personal collection of Japanese immigrant Jiro Onuma. His collection offers the only known visual documentation of same-sex intimacy in the Japanese American incarceration camps. Fighting for Our Lives: Four Organizations Respond to AIDS A look at four pioneering Bay Area organizations that fought for a greater response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic: People with AIDS-SF, the ARC/AIDS Vigil, the National Task Force for AIDS Prevention and WORLD (Women Organized in Response to Life-threatening Diseases). Gayborhoods: Lost Queer Landscapes Using unique artifacts and images, this exhibit recaptures the clubs, bars, restaurants, and other venues of three vibrant queer communities – North Beach, the Tenderloin, and the Valencia Street corridor – now all merely memories. History is Now: The Dragon Fruit Project “History is Now” showcases an intergenerational historical preservation project within the queer Asian Pacific Islander community. The lead curators of the new exhibition are Dr. Amy Sueyoshi, author of Queer Compulsions and Associate Dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University; and Jim Van Buskirk, coauthor of Gay By the Bay. Associate curators include David A. Reichard, Professor of History & Legal Studies at California State University Monterey Bay; Darren Arquero, a Ph.D. student in Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley, and Research Fellow at the Haas Institute for a Fair and Inclusive Society; Juliet Demeter, an archival consultant; and Paul Boneberg, Executive Director of the GLBT Historical Society. # # # MEDIA PREVIEW On Wednesday, May 14, we will host a Media Preview for interested journalists and bloggers from 11 a.m. to noon. Lead curators Dr. Amy Sueyoshi and Jim Van Buskirk, and GLBT Historical Society Executive Director Paul Boneberg will be present to explain the exhibition, answer questions and give interviews. Please RSVP and/or direct questions regarding this Media Preview to Ben Carlson, 415-497-9342 or carlson.bennett@gmail.com. We also invite media and bloggers to join us for the Grand Opening on May 15. ABOUT THE GLBT HISTORY MUSEUM The GLBT History Museum is located at 4127 18th St. in San Francisco’s Castro District. Open since January 2011, it presents long-term exhibitions in its Main Gallery, and smaller changing exhibitions in its Front Gallery and Community Gallery spaces. The museum also hosts lectures, films and other special events. The museum is a project of the GLBT Historical Society, a research center and archives that collects, preserves and interprets the history of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and the communities that support them. Founded in 1985, the society maintains one of the world’s largest collections of GLBT historical materials; it is often referred to as San Francisco’s “queer Smithsonian.” For more information, and for a list of other upcoming exhibitions and events, visit www.glbthistory.org. IMAGES These images may be reproduced in media coverage of this announcement, and may be attributed to the GLBT Historical Society unless otherwise indicated. Exterior of the GLBT History Museum; photo credit Daniel Nicoletta: http://bit.ly/1uvBlm9 The “Queer Past Becomes Present” exhibition includes materials documenting the life of José Sarria. Shown here is a WWII-era photograph of Sarria in military uniform: http://bit.ly/RkDrpL Artist’s rendering of the entrance to the remodeled Main Gallery of the GLBT History Museum: http://bit.ly/1kIQcmu Scenes from the exhibition “The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus: Celebrating 35 Years of Activism Through Song” at the GLBT History Museum (in the third photo, volunteer docent Fred Baumer tells University of Oregon students about the exhibit during their Spring Break visit to the Museum): http://bit.ly/1sgCLiu http://bit.ly/Sx2Xcc http://bit.ly/1o2QUAb The GLBT Historical Society has archives of historical materials, including the papers of Dr. Tom Waddell (1937-1987), the gay Olympic athlete who founded the Gay Games in San Francisco in 1982. Shown here is a wooden sculpture of Waddell pole vaulting at the Olympic Games in 1968, made by his grandfather to congratulate him on his performance: http://bit.ly/1rZl30S BiPOL founding organizer Lani Ka’ahumanu wields her “Bi-Phobia Shield” as she marches with her contingent in the 1984 Lesbian and Gay Freedom Day Parade; photo credit Arlene Krantz: http://bit.ly/1mySw59

“Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Alana Podolsky, 212.726.6057; alana.podolsky@oup.com

               Cathy Renna, 917.757.6123; cathy@targetcue.com

 

There will be a book launch party held in Manhattan on May 20th for anyone interested in attending  please let me know.

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS RELEASES

“TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES:

A RESOURCE FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY”

EDITED BY LAURA ERIKSON-SCHROTH,

INTRODUCTION BY JENNIFER FINNEY BOYLAN

 

May 12, 2014….New York, NY…..Oxford University Press released Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, a groundbreaking new resource guide for transgender populations, today. While primarily targeted towards transgender populations, the books serves as a resource, much like Our Bodies, Our Selves published in 1973, for partners and families, students, professors, guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on transgender life. The comprehensive guide will officially publish on June 9, 2014 and covers health, legal issues, cultural and social questions, history, theory, and more.

 

Written for and by TGNC (transgender and gender non-conforming ) people, each chapter takes the reader through an important transgender issue, such as race, religion, employment, medical and surgical transition, mental health topics, relationships, sexuality, parenthood, arts and culture, and many more. Anonymous quotes and testimonials from transgender people who have been surveyed about their experiences are woven throughout, adding hundreds of voices and creating depth and nuance in the way society understands the transgender experience.

 

Laura Erickson-Schroth, editor of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves said, “We are thrilled to finally see Trans Bodies, Trans Selves, an extraordinary labor of love, being released. Our hope is that it will not only be a resource but a lifeline for transgender people of all ages, their families and anyone who works with or cares about the transgender community. Each chapter of Trans Bodies, Trans Selves was written by transgender or genderqueer authors who are experts in their fields. Much like the iconic Our Bodies, Ourselves, the tone is accessible and promotes trans-positive, feminist and genderqueer advocacy. Our goal is to make this book available widely and as a non-profit organization, be able to provide the book to individuals, schools, libraries and anyplace where the lives of transgender populations might benefit from it.”

 

Jennifer Finney Boylan, who wrote the introduction to the book and is also the author of She’s Not There and Stuck in the Middle with You, said the resource “is nothing short of revolutionary. For the first time trans people speak to each other, and those that love us, about the issues that matter most to our community.  From politics to relationships to theory to just plain living, this groundbreaking resource book celebrates trans experience. Trans Bodies, Trans Selves makes clear that there are many, many ways of being trans, and  that all of us, in our many embodiments and incarnations, deserve to live happy, healthy lives, and— above all— to be loved.”

 

More information on the book can be accessed here: http://global.oup.com/academic/product/trans-bodies-trans-selves-9780199325351

 

For a list of chapter authors see here: http://transbodies.com/people/chapter-authors

Find Oxford University Press online at facebook.com/oupacademic |  twitter.com/oupacademic  |  oupacademic.tumblr.com

Gender Controversial South African Olympian Caster Semenya to Marry Girlfriend

Melanie Nathan | Oblogdeeoblogda | May 12, 2014

South African world champion athlete and Olympic silver medallist, Caster Semenya, is marrying her fellow athlete, Violet Raseboya.

Following her victory at the 2009 World Championships, Semenya had been subjected to gender testing. She was then withdrawn from international competition until 6 July 2010 when the IAAF cleared her to return to competition.

What is so amazing about marriage equality for same-sex South African couples,  is the fact, that slowly but surely, families are engaging in embracing African tradition and culture for same-sex couples.

Read more

US Government’s New Plan for Internet IDs Has Scary Implications

Kevin Mathews | Care2 | Op-Ed | Truthout | May 12, 2014

While internet activists are distracted with recent attacks on net neutrality, the government is quietly introducing an internet ID program in Pennsylvania and Michigan that — if eventually broadened as intended — would strip internet users of their privacy and rights.

The program, named the “National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace,” is starting small, consolidating accounts for public programs like welfare and health services. If the program were to stop at linking government accounts, it probably wouldn’t be such a big deal. The problem, however, is that United States officials are hoping that it’s the first step in a plan to make IDs that would be used uniformly throughout the entire internet.

The government is championing the program as one that promotes “convenience.” Certainly, it would be “convenient” for internet users to have a single log-in and password for every activity on the internet, but it’s far more “convenient” for the government to be able to keep tabs on everything you do, type, search for, view, and purchase with a single account to monitor.

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Rams Pick Michael Sam, First Openly Gay Player Drafted In NFL

Steve Mullis | National Public Radio | Reader Supported News | May 11, 2014

n the seventh round of the NFL draft the St. Louis Rams have picked Michael Sam, making him the first openly gay player to be drafted by a pro football team.

Sam, who played for Missouri in college, came out earlier this year in media interviews with ESPN and The New York Times. His team and coaches knew his sexual orientation before the interviews, but kept it private for his final college season.

That season was the best of his college career, and he was anointed with the title of Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year.

It was thought Sam might be picked earlier in the draft, but ultimately was taken with the 249th overall pick out of 256.

Read more

Surveillance Reform Bill Moves Forward in Congress

Al Jazeera America | Reader Supported News | May 11, 2014

bill to end the government’s bulk collection of telephone records got a unanimous go-ahead on Thursday from a second congressional committee, advancing the first legislative effort at surveillance reform since former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed the program nearly a year ago.

The House Intelligence Committee voted unanimously by voice vote for the USA Freedom Act, which would end the NSA’s practice of gathering information on calls made by millions of Americans and storing them for at least five years.

It would instead leave the records with telephone companies.

The panel’s vote cleared the way for the measure to be considered by the full House of Representatives, a day after the House Judiciary Committee also approved the bill.

Read more

The Day We Revealed Edward Snowden’s Identity

Glenn Greenwald | Guardian UK | Reader Supported News | May 12, 2014

In the hours after his name became known, the entire world was searching for the NSA whistleblower, and it became vital that his whereabouts in Hong Kong remained secret. In an extract from a new book, No Place to Hide, Glenn Greenwald recalls the dramatic events surrounding the moment Snowden revealed himself in June 2013

 

n Thursday 6 June 2013, our fifth day in Hong Kong, I went to Edward Snowden‘s hotel room and he immediately said he had news that was “a bit alarming”. An internet-connected security device at the home he shared with his longtime girlfriend in Hawaii had detected that two people from the NSA – a human-resources person and an NSA “police officer” – had come to their house searching for him.

Snowden was almost certain this meant that the NSA had identified him as the likely source of the leaks, but I was sceptical. “If they thought you did this, they’d send hordes of FBI agents with a search warrant and probably Swat teams, not a single NSA officer and a human-resources person.” I figured this was just an automatic and routine inquiry, triggered when an NSA employee goes absent for a few weeks without explanation. But Snowden suggested that perhaps they were being purposely low-key to avoid drawing media attention or setting off an effort to suppress evidence.

Whatever the news meant, it underscored the need for Laura Poitras – the film-maker who was collaborating with me on the story – and I to quickly prepare our article and video unveiling Snowden as the source of the disclosures. We were determined that the world would first hear about Snowden, his actions and his motives, from Snowden himself, not through a demonisation campaign spread by the US government while he was in hiding or in custody and unable to speak for himself.

Read more

Same-sex couples flock to Arkansas after judge strikes down marriage ban

Steve Barnes | Reuters | Raw Story | May 12, 2014

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (Reuters) – Nearly 100 same-sex couples, hoisting rainbow flags, crowded the county courthouse of Little Rock, the capital of Arkansas, on Monday morning to receive marriage licenses after a judge last week struck down the state’s 10-year ban on gay marriage.

Arkansas is the first state in the U.S. South – where every state has a law banning same-sex marriage – to issue marriage licenses to gay and lesbian couples, adding to the momentum for allowing same-sex marriages in the country.

The couples were rushing to register their unions because the state’s Supreme Court could rule as early as Monday on an appeal by the attorney general seeking a stay, which would halt the issue of marriage certificates. The appeal also seeks to overturn the decision to end the same-sex marriage ban

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Lasting Effects of the Polar Vortex on the Great Lakes

Susan Cosier | OnEarth | Reader Supported News | May 9, 2014

his winter was brutal. Polar vortex brutal. My salt-caked boots and dry skin can attest to the frigid temperatures that covered more than 90 percent of the Great Lakes in ice. Much of that ice is still there—though some of it has run aground in an ice tsunami(!).

Over the decades, ice coverage on the lakes has been on the decline, but for the month of April, an average of 45 percent of lake surface remained ice-covered, according to the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. That’s nearly double the ice coverage of 1996, when the previous record was set, making April the iciest month since recordkeeping began in 1973.

So what does this mean for the lakes themselves? Well, there are a few surprising outcomes of the lakes staying frozen so long (alas, none include a hit from Idina Menzel).

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