Angela Brooks takes a look at “Out at the Wedding.”

Throughout its history, portraiture has been used to memorialize the family lineage and honor family patriarchs and matriarchs; however, these visual depictions have focused almost exclusively on the heterosexual family unit. While, heterosexual families have a pronounced and illustrated legacy, gay families have almost no history of depiction. The final years of the 20th century and early years of the 21st have witnessed a determined challenge to and potential redefinition of the traditional meaning of “family.” The shift has been a source of heated debate: nationally in mainstream media and in federal and state political chambers; locally in churches, synagogues, mosques and schools; and personally between peers, coworkers, around the dinner table, and between parents and children. Given this cultural zeitgeist, this project aims to create a visual record depicting gay and lesbian couples and families and thereby will constructively contribute to the current debate.

Okay, I fully admit it, I am a “soft touch” when it comes to romance, and the thrill of falling in love, be it animal, not so much vegetables, and some minerals. I thought it would be a fun project for me to “think and research” 101 Things To Do On Valentines Day.

Over the last several years I have enjoyed many historical books regarding the History of Ancient Rome. I recommend the series that really should be read in their proper order written by Mr. Steven Saylor, starting with his 12 volumes of the ROMA SUB ROMA. Another great author is Ms. Colleen McCullough with her two-part historical novel The First Man in Rome.

I was totally delighted to learn that it is generally rumored: That Valentine may have existed during the Roman Empire, under the Roman Emperor Claudius II. The rumor states that Valentine was a priest and performed marriages to the members of the Roman Army, which was not permitted at the time. Claudius found out about this renegade Priest and ordered him to be executed. On the evening before Valentine was to be executed, he wrote the first “Valentine” himself, addressed to a young lady believed to his beloved. She may have been the jailer’s daughter whom he had befriended or healed or both. It was a note that read “From your Valentine.”

As we all are aware, there are many forms and avenues that “LOVE” and relationships travel on. In addition to my love of reading there are a few of movies about Love that I would like to share with you on this Magical Day.

I vowed a long time ago not to argue with people about Madonna. But there I was, at a pop art exhibit, ripping into the wine and calamari with gusto, when an unknown actress and I got into it over the Great Mother. “Yes, she is brilliant, a genius,” she sneered. “I’ve got to admire anyone with such a glaring lack of talent, who made it there on self-promotion alone.”

You know what? No one ever made it on talent alone. There are millions of talented people who no one has ever heard of. On top of talent, you need either luck or pluck, and usually both. Madonna has candidly confessed that her voice is not extraordinary. But she IS an extraordinary talent in dancing, choreography, masterminding sets, video stories, outrageous ideas, and running a multibillion-dollar business by the seat of her panties. How is it that a woman’s marketing genius, her staggering business acumen, is dismissed as lack of talent?

Financial guru Suze Orman is often criticized in the same way. It’s not her financial advice, critics say, that made her, but her marketing flare. Those old boys’ clubs can’t accept that there’s nothing wrong with being smart, pretty, AND popular. Ten years ago, Forbes grumbled that Suze used too many self-promotion tactics, including charitable participation. “A plug for charitable giving earns her huge amounts of free publicity,” lamented William P. Barrett in a story he called “Sizzling Suze.” “Too bad Orman didn’t include a chapter [in her new book] on “How to promote yourself without spending money on promotion.”

In Lorette C. Luzajic’s new series, Fascinating Queers, Lorette writes a interesting perspective on Camille Paglia. Here is an excerpt:

It’s true that Camille’s work can put our knickers in a knot: she’d recede into the boring backwater of academia if her spunky words weren’t so confrontational. Though she’s practically a senior citizen, she writes about sex from every angle whenever she can. But her first major appearance was the unparalleled 700-page tome Sexual Personae, a fascinating read that spanned the entirety of Western art and literature, the history of humanity against nature. Clearly, she has read every single work of English literature ever written, and studied thoroughly every piece of art.

Melange Lavonne is an African American, female rapper. She is also an openly out lesbian. She describes her music on her MySpace page as “Christian Rap” and also identifies herself as a Christian. The songs on her album, The Movement, touch on real issues that are often not talked about. The album opens with “Gay Bash” in which she outright calls Christians who hate on homosexuals hypocrites. This song brought a smile to my face because everything she said were things that I wish more people would stand up and say.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 14, 2008

CONTACT: Malia Schlaefer, feminapotenspress@gmail.com

FEMINA POTENS VISUAL ART OPENING RECEPTION: Bust ED

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 14, 2008 – Femina Potens presents “Bust ED” artwork around breast cancer awareness and breast health. Please allow us to tease, tantalize, and captivate you with our dirty pillows. “Bust ED” celebrates the lovely and erotic nature of the bosom, while reminding everyone of the way breast cancer affects our lives. 2.4 million women living in the U.S. have been diagnosed with and treated for breast cancer. An estimated 182,480 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in American women during 2008 (ACS 2008). Artists Annie Sprinkle, Elizabeth Stevens, Madison Young, Jennifer Clary, Laura Drugal, Mary Ellen Scherel, and Talia Green all address this prevalent issue with their art. Join us to pay tribute to the mighty and healthy breast for the “Bust ED” opening reception October 9, 2008 at 7pm – 10pm. During the reception we will be hosting a live body casting of breast cancer survivors, a “Mamorial”, for artist Mary Ellen Scherl. Show runs October 9 through October 26, 2008.

Bust ED is sponsored by Abigail productions www.abigailproductions.com

“Bust ED” Visual Art Exhibition

October 9 – 26, 2008

Femina Potens Art Gallery

2199 Market Street

San Francisco, CA 94114

Visit feminapotens.org for more information

The benefiting charity is the Third Annual International Competition for Artists with Disabilities.
For more information and to RSVP, please visit the Greater Phoenix Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce: http://www.gpglcc.org/

[photo credit: Ron Jaffe for VH1]

We recently sat down to talk with outspoken comedienne Margaret Cho, star of her new reality show on VH1 called The Cho Show. Cho, always an activist for our gay community, discusses why marriage equality is important to her, the crisis involving Governor Sarah Palin and more.

Bridget McManus, comedian and AfterEllen.com vlogger, gave a performance at Durham’s club Steel Blue on August 22nd that had the audience laughing so hard they were gasping for air. McManus took the stage to applause while she shouted “Fuck Yeah!” punctuated with high kicks over her head.