By Jess Wells I was standing on a street corner when I felt the tilting and, though it might have been someone’s brakes or the door to the diner behind me, it sounded like the screech of old metal pressed into service. Two dapper young lesbians walked by in perfectly pressed tuxedo shirts and short…
Intersections
By Robyn Walters There are many intersections in our lives at which we pause, look around, and pick a direction. Sometimes, there is no conscious decision as we turn one way or the other or keep plowing on straight ahead. There are many other intersections we may have heard of but at which we never…
A Breath of Fresh Air
By Sara Volumnia Fox At a table in a crowded restaurant in downtown Toronto one cool Autumnal day, my friend and I were discussing the time of our lives during which I had decided to cut off all contact with him. The reason for this drastic decision would be the entry point to my first…
REVIEW: Beleaguered Oases by Ann Tweedy
Review by Lena Judith Drake When I received my review copy of Ann Tweedy’s Beleaguered Oases, I sincerely hoped that I would enjoy the poetry, because did not want to write a scathing critique. I was not disappointed. In fact, I devoured these beleaguered poems while furiously taking notes about my future review on the…
A Raging Buddhist
By Dillan DiGiovanni I became an activist in 2003. Or at least that’s when I began identifying as one. Prior to that, I hadn’t necessarily cared about one cause more than another, and I certainly didn’t invest my time, energy or voice into advocating for change. Upon joining a progressive spiritual community, I became champion…
REVIEW: Border Sexualities, Border Families in School by Maria Pallotta-Chiarolli
Reviewed by Lisa Keele Border Sexualities, Border Families in Schools is a timely publication, given the recent press attention given to teenage suicides as a direct result of homophobic bullying—mistreatment by their peers relating to perceived or actual sexual orientation. No doubt some school administrators are wondering what they can do to help create a…
Intersection
By Jan Steckel When I help a woman on with her jacket,My sexuality grabs my gender identityand waltzes it around the room. I’m a woman, but there’s a man in me.He’s a bit of a fop, sort of a pansy.He might be a fag. Why shouldn’t everything about me be fluid?I’m a squishy skin-bag of…
News Briefs: Intersections
A Memphis, Tennessee, teen says he was harassed and beaten by a gang in October, simply because he is bisexual. Sharon Poindexter, who witnessed the attack, was visibly angry when she discussed her attempts to stop the assault. After the boys initially ignored her, she said she was calling the police, which made them finally run…
From the Editor: Bi and Single
Dear Reader, The theme of this issue is “Bi and Single.” I’m pleased to say that submissions came pouring in! Jen Bonardi offers a bi perspective on dating sites. Fennel and Dillan DiGiovanni offer tips for single folks. Kanika Ameerah, Kitty Kavanagh and The B Word Poet offer personal perspectives on being single, and there’s…
Dating Sites
By Jen Bonardi Let’s be clear from the start: this perpetually single lady is no stranger to online dating. Girl, I did online dating back when Al Gore taught the Internet to boom. Just out of college, I had precious little dating experience because on campus, it simply wasn’t done. You just sort of hooked…