BBC features story about Victorian version of Sappho

Another opportunity for straight girl actresses to act gay! Based on this photo below, it looks like she's doing pretty well at it too ... I can't wait to see this -- hopefully netflix will have it? or Hulu?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8710965.stm

Drama gives 'first' lesbian fresh  life

By Michael Osborn  Entertainment reporter, BBC News Anne Lister (Maxine Peake, right) embarked on many passionate lesbian affairs "On the day of filming I wondered if I'd go to pieces or start  giggling," says actress  Maxine Peake of her latest screen role. "The first day I had to kiss someone, it was [actress] Susan Lynch and she just went for it and set the precedent. "Kissing somebody is kissing somebody, at the end of the day." The 35-year-old star talks candidly about filming lesbian love scenes for a costume drama about the life of Anne Lister, awoman from the early 1800s who lived ahead of her time. Even Peake jokes that her clinch with former Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien will inevitably attract viewers. "Show them a bit of that and they'll all be watching!" she laughs. Ex-Coronation Street star Tina O'Brien features in the drama But the Criminal Justice and former Shameless star stresses that the film sheds light on an important historical figure and brave woman. Anne Lister was open about her sexuality and had a partnership  ceremony with her female lover, faithfully keeping a coded journal detailing her love life and struggle against society. "Anne did go forward and didn't try to cover it up. But she wasn't screaming from the rooftops 'I'm a lesbian' because there wasn't the word for it then. "She took the flak and developed a hard skin - it was distressing for her," explains Peake. Indeed, the landowner was referred to as Gentleman Jack by her tenants and suffered abuse. "I thought she could be naive at times and could be prone to histrionics, but she was driven and she wanted to live her life how she wanted to live it. "What drives this character is her passion," continues the actress, who then mentions Lister's love of travel - and women. "She had a very strong sex drive and had a lot of affairs, flirted with married women and was very competent at it - almost an arch-seducer," says Peake. Bafta disappointment "I think women had romantic friendships then, particularly before marriage. I can't imagine many marriages were very sexually fulfilling for women then, so there was some intimacy between them. "Most of them eventually went off and got married, but for Anne it was all or nothing." As for the Bolton-born actress, she put her heart and soul into a gritty lead role in last year's series of Criminal Justice, but was left out of the Bafta nominations despite critical acclaim. "They obviously didn't think the performance was worthy enough. I didn't even get on the longlist, so I knew a long time ago," she says. "It means I don't have to come down to London that weekend and wear a fancy frock. I can go and have a good night out in Manchester! But Peake adds that Sophie Okenedo - a co-star in the series - thoroughly deserves her nomination. PEAKE'S PROGRESS 2010 - The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister 2009 - Criminal Justice 2008 - Little Dorrit 2004-7 - Shameless 1998-2000 - Dinnerladies (pictured) The actress says she doesn't know what her next role will be, but would like to return to the comedy that brought her to fame in Victoria Wood sitcom Dinnerladies. "I want to play somebody really out there, a mad character, real physical comedy. "You need someone with the guts to create that kind of character for you. There's nobody who can write comedy like Victoria Wood." As for Anne Lister, she died in 1840 but still has a great deal of relevance in the 21st Century, according to Peake. "She is still resonant today because there's still a lot of prejudice. It's not just about being gay or lesbian - the story is about anybody who wants to be who they want to be. "It's so inspiring and fascinating. Hopefully that comes across on screen," says the actress. The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister is on BBC Two on  Monday 31 May at 2100 BST.

Sapphic kisses to Cindy and Meghan McCain

I didn't vote for John McCain but I sure am a new fan of his wife and daughter this week. Who knows what drives them to take this stand (maybe just because it seems right?) but I sure do appreciate it; we need more brave Republicans like Cindy and Meghan McCain to stand up against the radical religious republican right. Bravo!!! and Thank you!

Story below from Carolyn Beeler at NPR.

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Cindy McCain made headlines and drove conversation in the blogosphere this week by posing for an ad supporting gay marriage. Her daughter Meghan McCain, who also posed for the ad campaign against Proposition 8, has been an outspoken proponent of gay marriage for years. But this is the first time Cindy McCain has publicly taken a stance so contrary to her husband's platform.

She's not the first political spouse to take a different stance from her husband on a controversial issue. During her husband's presidency, Betty Ford was a vocal proponent of the Equal Rights Act and of abortion rights — both of which Gerald Ford opposed. Reportedly, when Ford's staff warned him of his wife's frankness, he replied that she had a right to her own opinion.

Likewise, Barbara Bush spoke out in favor of gun control, taking the opposite view of her husband, George H.W. Bush. But unlike Betty Ford, who continued to vocalize her opinions, when Barbara Bush drew the ire of some of her husband's base in the NRA, she reportedly decided not to speak again on issues that would make her the target of public debate. Though she made pro-abortion-rights statements in the 1980 campaign, she wouldn't restate her views until her husband was out of the White House.

However, unlike her outspoken predecessors, Cindy McCain is the wife of a politician who, by conventional wisdom, has little to lose. A gutsier move, and one that would have gained far more attention than the pro-gay-marriage cause, would have been for Cindy to speak out when she was in the national spotlight during her husband's campaign. Or, for that matter, anytime before Proposition 8 was passed in California.

Still, it took some chutzpah for Cindy McCain to express views that will very likely win her criticism from friends, constituents and supporters of both her and her husband. She's working to bring attention to something she believes in, and I find it hard to find fault in that.

But it shouldn't matter to us whether she stood up for gay marriage during her husband's campaign, or at all. Ultimately, we need to stop conflating the views of politicians and their families. It's ridiculous and antiquated to think that any couple will take an identical stance on every issue. It's time we stopped making politician's spouses hide their opinions to create the illusion of a unified ideological front.

We vote one person into office. Not an entire family.

Judy Shepard gets a Sapphic Kiss

Judy Shepard, mother of Matthew, you are amazing. Thank you for channelling what can only be the greatest grief imaginable into a productive social, cultural, and political campaign. Yesterday, your 11 years of grief, hard labor, and persistence paid off, with the historic passage of the Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Act.

The night that your son was beat and left to die will always stay burned in my memory. I lit a candle for him that night, one of those Catholic candles that burns for a week straight. He died before the candle did, and for millions of us watching, our hearts and souls sank. Thank you for also not just sinking into depression, but rather rising above everyone to work toward productive and loving social change.

In Sapphic love,

Sapphic kiss of the week

This week's Sapphic kiss (a couple days late) goes to DJ and Mike.
DJ and Mike got married yesterday (Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009) in Washington, DC.
My sweetie and I attended along with 100 or so other guests. The massive show of support from each of these men's families was incredible; Dozens of family members arrived from around the states and globe to attend this "historic" event; a term that I don't use lightly after Obama's inaguration last January. The sight of DJ and Mike's mothers standing next to their first born sons, proudly, and lovingly, was absolutely beautiful. And the sight on DJ's 100 year old grandmother (b. Aug. 15, 2009) doing the ELECTRIC SLIDE in her fancy silver shoes -- well that was nothing less than spectacular. Mike and DJ: many blessings for a long life of much love and laughter together.

In Sapphic love,

Sapphic kiss of the week

Each Friday I have a tradition of sending off a kiss to someone who inspires me to bring more love and justice into the world. This week my kiss goes to my kitty, Nobi, and to all the great pets in the world.

As far as I can tell, Nobi's main purpose in life is to give and receive love. (He also likes to take naps in the sun and chase bugs). I actually cannot believe how much love his gives me, which I appreciate all the more when I'm home alone (which is a lot of time, as my sweetie commutes from SF, and my daughter lives 90 miles away).

Thanks Nobi!! mwaahh!

Sapphic kiss of the week!

This week's Sapphic kiss goes to the incredible South African TEENAGE runner, and Gold medalist, Caster Semenya. 

In fact, after all the shit she's going through right now, The Sapphic Bride is going to give her TWO BIG kisses AND a GREAT BIG MAMA BEAR HUG.

The mocking media attention over these past few weeks (radio shock jocks laughing about her muscles, online polls for everyday idiots to "vote" on whether she is a man or a woman) really exposes more about those pointing their fingers than it does about her. It exposes a basic lack of understanding about the truth of human variation.  Look, she has some "male" hormones. All women do. And all men have "female" hormones too. She also does not have ovaries or a uterus, so she will never carry a child. But many female runners also do not menstruate. She has internal testes (which most likely was quite a surprise to her) AND, SHE DOES NOT HAVE A PENIS. For most people ** including Caster, her mother who raised her from birth, and her coaches ** the lack of a penis is enough evidence to conclude that she is female.  Why is it that ONLY AFTER she wins a medal against white Europeans that her sex is questioned and subjected to scientific scrutiny? And then, her test results are revealed not just to her and her mother and her coaches with time and space to absorb the medical news, but to the entire world !?! So much for medical privacy.

Now, this 18 year old girl with a Gold medal is facing a possible situation where she will not be able to ever compete again. Not because she did anything wrong. She didn't take steroids, she didn't commit a felony. She was born into a global sports world that can't wrap its head around her gorgeous athletic body. In fact, right now dozens of Sports doctors are scrambling to decide what to do about the fact that Caster has internal testes, which increases her testosterone level to three times the amount of a "average" female http://www.sportsscientists.com/2009/09/caster-semenya-leaks-begin.html.  They say they will announce to Caster and the entire world their VERDICT about her sports fate in November. (BTW, this is not the first sex-blurred athlete who has been kicked out of professional sports; she's just the first one who has hit the press).

Who's problem is this, really? Not hers. Figure it out people. Is the solution to make all athletes go through this test? (Hey, let's just force EVERYONE to take a hormonal test -- including the doctors and the radio joke-sters -- and if they fall on one side of a testosterone mark they are female, and on the other they are male, and then let's broadcast that to the world! What we'd see happen is a lot of people would suddenly, and to their surprise, have to change their pronouns).

Here's the thing I'm most concerned with now though: Caster is an incredible athlete. She has a gift, and she needs to run. In the meanwhile, Run Caster, Run, away from the gender idiots of the world and know that the Sapphos LOVE YOU no matter what!!!

"We did not come here to fear the future; we came here to shape it." (B. Obama, 9/9/09 health care address to Congress)

This week's Sapphic kiss goes to Barack and Michelle Obama.

For your teamwork. For your bravery and grace in handling those idiot bully hecklers. For your perseverance in keeping your eyes on the prize. For your unwillingness to stoop to the level of people who are your sworn enemies, and for your unbelievable ability to forgive and find common ground. Barack and Michelle, you are a model for us all. AND you are both totally gorgeous.

Sapphic kiss of the week! (we need a panther)

Each Friday I will be throwing a special Sapphic Kiss to someone who has contributed toward a more peaceful sapphic loving world. My inaugural Sapphic Kiss goes to Mowlana Saifeddin Abuolmaahamed Mohammed Farghani (b. 1247 AD), who, I learned this week, was the first Iranian poet who advocated social justice.  Here's one of his poems translated from Farsi to English:


You think of people as a sheep flock in this glorious land.
And you assume you are leading them as a shepherd.
But you are not the true Leader.
You are as a wolf; overcoming you we need a Panther.

here's to Farghani to all Panther-esque leaders!

In Sapphic love,