It seems that marriage is everywhere on the national stage. Everyone has an opinion on marriage, freedom, and what the legal right to love will do to our country. (Pay attention, Religious Right. Gay marriage won’t destroy America!)

Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement or A Very Long Plane Ride?

Recently, I saw a wonderful 2009 documentary called Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement, about the 42 year-long romantic partnership between Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer. The documentary explores their remarkable relationship and focuses on Edie and Thea (then in their 70s) flying to Canada to get married  because they want to be legal wives before Thea succumbs to fatal multiple sclerosis. There’s a scene in Edie and Thea when the women are leaving for Canada and getting into a van…and there’s wheelchair-bound Thea,  brave and amazing and frail, preparing to fly to Toronto in the dead of winter, miles from her homestate, to get married.

What does this documentary of two elderly women getting married have to do with green principles?

Everything.

Edie and Thea traveled to Canada because gay marriage is legal in Toronto. When this generation is in our seventies and eighties, hopefully things will be different and easier. But what if you want to get married in your home state, right now? What if you want to have a “staycation” wedding – a real, legal wedding – and save some money?

260,000 Plane Tickets?

Well, with the way things currently stand in America, chances are you may not live in one of the handful of states in which gay marriage is legal. If that’s the case, you won’t really have that option to have a legal wedding in your homestate, not if you want to be legally married.

According to a recent article, there are approximately 130,000 same-sex couples in America. What if all of them – at some point – had to travel to another state (or to Canada) to get married? That’s approximately 260,000 individuals who must travel across state lines in order to be legally married. Now think about all the friends and relatives who deserve to be there with them. I shutter to think of the gas mileage, the plane fare, and the carbon credits needed to offset such a journey. Flat out, it’s not fair to LGBT couples or their families. All that travel – unless it’s offset – is bad for the earth. Plus, it’s expensive.

Discrimination Is Not Green Or Kind

Needing to travel to get married while other people don’t have to is also a gross discrimination. I remember 70-something Thea teetering in her wheelchair on her way to Canada because she had no other legal way to marry her beloved Edie. (When my grandparents were in their 70s, they couldn’t be bothered to shut the bathroom door, let alone board a plane to Canada.) Wouldn’t it have been nice and less expensive for Edie and Thea if they could have simply gotten married ten minutes from their home in a nice, little park or house of worship? I think so. That would have been the greener, easier choice. But anti-gay discrimination didn’t give them that option.

Discrimination is not a green choice. Not by a long shot, America.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By MightyBoyBrian

Chaz Bono, the transgendered son of superstars Cher and the late Sonny Bono, will be this year’s grand marshal at the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade on Sunday, April 15.

Writer and Documentary Star

In 2011, Chaz Bono’s memoir Transition:The Story of How I Became a Man was released by Dutton Publishing. In it, Bono discusses his childhood growing up female as Chastity Bono and his journey as, first, a self-identified lesbian, and later, a transgendered man. Prior to the release of Transition, Chaz (as Chasity Bono) wrote two books:Family Outing: A Guide to the Coming Out Process for Gays, Lesbians, and Their Families (1998) and The End of Innocence (2003), in which Bono recounts coming out as a lesbian and the death of his partner from lymphoma. For two years (2008-2010), Bono underwent gender reassignment surgery, and in 2010, legally changed both his name and his gender. Bono’s gender transition was the subject of an Emmy-nominated 2011 documentary, Becoming Chaz. Becoming Chaz was screened at the Sundance Film Festival and on OWN, Oprah Winfrey’s network.

Being Chaz and Dancing with the Stars

The follow-up documentary to Becoming Chaz, Bono’s latest documentary Being Chaz follows Chaz in his life,post-transition, as he comes to terms with the day-to-day realities of living. Being Chaz also follows the star as he prepares for what was to be a controversial role on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. (During his time on the hit show, he received death threats from homophobic viewers.)

Activist

This April, Chaz will be among an estimated 60,000 supporters at the Miami Beach Gay Pride Parade on Sunday,April 15, 2012, from 5th to 15th streets. Thanks to his trailblazing honesty and tireless bravery, he is known the world over as a transgender activist and speaker.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By greginhollywood

When I was a teenager in high school, I had a copy of a book called Growing Up Gay/Growing Up Lesbian, a literary anthology edited by Bennett Singer. It was my first glimpse into a world where I could see images of myself and other people like me. I still have it – it’s worn, written in, and destroyed. The spine is bent. The pages are folded. I have vivid memories of carrying it in my high school backpack, terrified that someone would notice the cover and I’d be outed.

Things have changed since I was sixteen, thank God.

With the awareness surrounding Glee and movements like the It Gets Better Project, gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered youth are starting to get the respect they deserve. But there’s still a long way to go. Anti-gay language is constant. How often have we heard “That’s so gay” to describe something that’s hated? Even though Tennessee lawmakers are stalling, it may soon become illegal to say the word “gay” or discuss any topics on homosexuality in the Tennessee public school system, an issue which school counselors fear may lead to more bullying, silence, and potential suicides.

But if 15-year-old Amelia Roskin-Franzee has anything to say about it, gay books will be in the hands of the kids who need support. Her charity, the Make It Safe Project, is out to change the world, one book at a time.

About Make It Safe

Make It Safe is a charity dedicated to putting LGBT books into the hands of students and homeless kids by donating age appropriate LGBT books to schools and homeless shelters (over 80% of teen runaways are LGBT).
Reading about yourself can raise your self-esteem. It makes you feel like you’re worth something, not a second-class citizen. Books and stories matter because through them, we learn about our worth, our dreams, and our uniqueness. We learn that we’re not alone, and that our stories matter.

“One book can save a life,” reads the main page for the Make It Safe Project, and I couldn’t agree more, especially if gay teens are living in rural or conservative areas where books with LGBT themes are often removed from libraries and gay characters are rarely included in the English curriculum. The site also provides a wealth of information about starting a GSA (Gay Student Organization) on campus.

How to Donate

To donate to Make It Safe, please go here.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By Skokie Public Library

The overlap between the eco-friendly population and the queer community just got a little cozier. Certain green and gay associations are getting ready for Earth Gay, the LGBT version of earth day. It’s a celebration of all things gay and green, and it’s the brainchild of Out For Sustainability, a Seattle-based LGBTQ organization that is all about the many ways to combine being gay with being green.

Last year’s Seattle-based Earth Gay was a huge success, with support from Seattle’s mayor and representatives from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources and other groups. Out for Sustainability is planning another Earth Gay later this year on April 22 in Seattle .

But that’s almost a month away. If you don’t want to wait to celebrate the perfect marriage of the green community with gay culture (or don’t want to get on a plane to Seattle), start your own celebration of all things gay and green with these eco-friendly tips.

Get Friends for a Small Celebration

Gather a bunch of your favorite gay friends together and go on a beach cleanup or have a recycling party. Bring used clothes or small items and swap them. Make it an UpCycle party! If you’re having a small get together, make sure there are appropriate bins for recycling. When preparing for your small eco-friendly hangout, have organic munchies on hand.

Get the Community Together for a Big Celebration

If a small get together just isn’t enough to contain the green/gay fun, consider getting your community involved for a full-scale celebration of being gay and green. Contact the local Pride center or other LGBT organizations and advertise through them. Consider having awareness workshops.

You Are the 55%

According to a much-cited poll by Harris Interactive, 55% of LGBT adults stated they cared deeply about green issues as compared to 33% of straight adults. Are you one of the 55%? Spread the word through local newspapers or market your green/gay event on Facebook or Twitter. Seek out like-minded eco-maniacs to help you foster a sense of queer, green community. After all, both movements have a lot in common, from a sense of local responsibility to the fact that both the green movement and the LGBT movement for equal rights are slowly becoming more and more mainstream.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By kenschneiderusa

Each March since 1978, we’ve celebrated Women’s History Month. This group of women spans sexual orientations, but they all paved the way for us to achieve our dreams and empower others.

Eleanor Roosevelt

Although no one has actually proved that Eleanor Roosevelt was a lesbian, several of her biographers admit that, at the very least, her written correspondence with journalist Lorena Hickok is extremely passionate. Roosevelt was born in 1884 and became the 32nd First Lady. As the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor’s powerful position is similar to that of Hilary Clinton, who also emerged as much more than a traditional president’s wife. Roosevelt became an outspoken advocate for civil rights and, after her husband’s death, chaired President Kennedy’s Presidential Commission on the Status of Women, an organization which laid the foundation for feminist causes. Because of her human rights achievements, President Truman famously referred to her as the “First Lady of the World.”

Susan B. Anthony

Susan B. Anthony was born in 1820 and grew up to become the legendary champion of women’s right to vote. She formed a close friendship with fellow suffragette and writer Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and in 1868, the two women began to publish a weekly journal advocating equal rights of women, including many topics that are still being discussed today such as divorce laws and the place of religion in women’s issues. She was arrested for leading a group of women to the polls in 1872, and after her trial, she continued to openly fight for women’s right to vote. When Anthony died in the early 20th century, less than five states allowed women to vote. After her death, women were finally given the right to vote when the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920.

Barbara Grier

One of my favorite and perhaps most obscure heroes, publisher Barbara Grier co-founded the 50s lesbian magazine The Ladder and the revolutionary Naiad Press. Naiad Press soon became the largest lesbian publishing house in the world. Grier championed a new and unique literature for women, one that created space for lesbians and bisexual women to experience their own stories. Grier brought back into print classics such as the books of Ann Bannon, and even acquired the rights and reprinted poems by Gertrude Stein and Renee Vivian. Naiad Press eventually became Bella Books, but even after Grier’s recent death in fall of 2011, her legacy lives on.

To read more about women’s history or LGBT rights, please read our pieces on Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon .

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By marc.benton

Gay-friendly travel apps are a must-have when exploring the world. Since you’re not wasting paper, apps are green (and if you’re a real travel bug, the more greener it is to have apps that replace heavy travel books).

Fun

I really liked Gay Scout by Damron. It allows you to narrow your search according to city and then look up everything from entertainment to hotel accommodations and places to eat. This app is also integrated with Google Maps, making it easy to navigate new areas. Another good one is GayCities, newly updated in January of 2012. It includes fast access to everything from reviews to maps and more.

Equal Rights and History

If you want to make sure that your hard-earned cash is going to businesses that support equal rights, make sure to download the official app for the Human Rights Campaign. Revamped for 2012, the new edition includes thousands of LGBT-friendly businesses and it can be searched according to category. If you want to impress (or annoy) travel companions, feel free to quote some famous gays by checking the Gay Quotes app.

Must-Haves

A few years ago, I left the country and  made the mistake of calling home on an actual cell phone. Even though I only made a brief phone call, it was hardly worth the exorbitant phone bill that I received a month later. I wish I’d thought to download Skype, which would have saved me an embarrassing amount of money. Through Skype, I could have connected to the Internet and then called home using the Skype app and not a traditional cell phone. Downloading a currency converter for international travels can be an invaluable app. Geared to familes with kids but a life-saver for anyone who’s just had to go, one of my all time favorite travel apps has to be WheretoWee, a handy little app when you need to find a restroom in a new city. Another is the amazing Trip It, which collects all your travel info and stores it.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By nrkbeta

Last time we did a gay travel app article for men. This one’s strictly for the women. Usually, there’s nothing cozier than curling up with a book or magazine, but when you’re exploring the globe or checking out some national treasures, travel apps are a handy way to get your information fix. Plus, the more books or magazines you have, the greener a choice it is to download apps, instead of wasting paper.

Travel

The lesbian version of Gay Scout, check out Gurl Scout, a practical travel app that’s divided into different cities. Look up lesbian-friendly restaurants, bed-and-breakfasts, resorts, and more. Over 7,000 businesses in more than 1800 cities and towns are listed in this fantastic app. It also works with Google Maps. Want to travel and volunteer at the same time? Go to Sweet.com and click on the RSS feed to download the latest from this eco-friendly, all-lesbian travel company. Looking for some e-books? Although geared toward straight women The Best Women’s Travel Writing 2011 is great. If you’re looking for globetrotting fiction, check out Justine Saracen’s novels, all available in e-book format. Her Ibis Prophecy books follow a lesbian archeologist through the Egyptian desert. The first book in the series,The 100th Generation, was a finalist for the Golden Grown Literary Society’s Popular Choice Award. Either BellaBooks.com or BoldStrokesBooks.com has an impressive collection of more downloadable novels, perfect to read on vacation.

If you’re looking for a quiet, artsy, lesbian-friendly getaway, download travel guides for Asheville, North Carolina. (Travel Hint: Bookworms will love Malaprop’s Bookstore and Café, a lesbian-owned independent bookstore that is jam-packed with events from poetry readings to author panels.)

Culture

If you’re local to South Florida, download She Magazine, available here. Chock full of all kinds of South Florida info for LBT women, She is a great way to tell what’s up in South Florida. If you’re looking for national magazines that you can load onto your e-reader or smartphone, check out Curve or OutTraveler, the gay and lesbian travel magazine.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By loungerie

Fort Lauderdale’s famous Pridefest is here! This year’s theme is “Beyond the Rainbow.” The official 35th Annual Pridefest kicks off on Saturday March 10th through Sunday March 11th at the War Memorial Auditorium. Hours are from noon to 7 pm. Want to be one of the thousands to show your pride and kick up your heels? Here’s our definitive guide to Pride!

Entertainment

Pride’s got quite a line up this year. Superstar and three-time Grammy nominee Taylor Dayne will perform her hits, including her latest, “Floor on Fire.” Local-girl-makes-good, The Voice finalist Bev McClellan will return to her hometown. Also part of the entertainment are actor and activist Jonathan Lovitz, comedian Michelle Balan of Last Comic Standing, the Sunshine Cathedral Chorus, and the South Florida Gay Men’s Chorus.

South Florida’s AIDS quilt will also be on display, in memory of those who lost their lives.

Other Events

Not only does Pride have over 250 vendors (including She Magazine, Lambda Legal, and GirL Magazine), but there will also be a dance floor, featuring tons of South Florida’s most-loved DJs. Participating events will kick off on March 5th and end after Pride on March 11th, with the After Pride T Dance. For more information about participating events in Wilton Manors and around town, please go here .

If You Go

This year’s 2012 Fort Lauderdale Pridefest will be located at the Holiday Park/War Memorial Auditorium at 800 NE 8th Street in Fort Lauderdale. For more information about Pride, please visit www.pridesouthflorida.org or call 954-561-2020. Pride admission is $10 a day. Tickets can be purchased on the website or in person. Tickets for the whole weekend are $15 and are only available on the website.

Many South Florida companies and organizations sponsor Pridefest, including She Magazine, Pride Factory, State Farm, SunTrust, Budget, and South Florida Gay News.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By enlaespera

A young, newly out friend of mine complained to me that there’s a lack of queer characters in graphic novels. I’m proud to prove her wrong.

However, growing up, I remember feeling the same way, believing that there was no graphic novel or comic book ‘out there’ for kids like me, bookish kids who felt lost, who weren’t quite sure if they were gay, straight or somewhere else on the spectrum entirely. I combed comics searching for any kind of representation until my older brother gave me a stack of Neil Gaiman’s early works, including Death: The High Cost of Living which featured a lesbian couple.

To coin a phrase, life (and my search for the perfect graphic novel) only got better.

Strangers in Paradise

In 1999, I paid a college buddy a mere $15 bucks for a jumbled collection of books, graphic novels, and cds. In that haul, I found SIP and promptly became hooked on GLADD-award winner Terry Moore’s epic illustrated saga about former hit-woman turned artist Katchoo and her relationship with her straight best friend Francine. Throw in a female mafia and engaging side characters  and it’s easy to see why this decade-long series has been twice optioned for television. Both Clerks filmmaker Kevin Smith and Neil Gaiman are big fans. Strangers in Paradise really is that addictive. Part odyssey of unrequited love and  part crime drama, Strangers in Paradise is simply amazing.

Fun Home and Dykes to Watch Out For

(If you missed our piece on creator Alison Bechdel, please go here.) Fun Home is Alison Bechdel’s acclaimed masterpiece, a quirky, touching coming-of-age/coming-out story about Bechdel’s relatationship with her closeted father. DTWOF, about a close-knit group of lesbians and their friends, ran for several decades.

Stuck Rubber Baby

Howard Cruse’s award-winning classic about race and sexuality during the 1960s was re-released by DC Comics last year and now features an introduction by Alison Bechdel. Toland Polk joins the civil rights movement, but hides his sexuality until a gay friend of his is brutally killed. Stuck Rubber Baby was a big hit in the UK and France, and it’s easy to see why. This unforgettable story will stay with you long after you’ve turned the last page.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By CaptPiper

Are gays really more eco-aware? I couldn’t resist asking the opinion of a gay friend of mine. An art student at UM, he’d spent the last half-hour telling me excitedly about his latest installation which (ironically) consisted of used bottles he’d found. I used his mention of recycled bottles as my chance. “Do you think gays are more green?” I asked him. He nodded and said he absolutely did. He’s not the only one. But why?

The Link Between Being Gay and Being Green

Being gay automatically sets you apart, simply because you’re a little bit different and don’t exactly fit in a largely heterosexual world. Gays are, according to experts, also aware of the way small changes can impact global change. After all, the LGBT human rights movement began as a grassroots movement, and so has the green movement. Both movements have gained somewhat of a mainstream footing over the years, and it seems to a degree, they’ve grown together, with the general public becoming slowly aware of the importance of, say, recycling, or marriage equality.

Green Numbers

According to a poll, from January 2011, 45% of polled members of the LGBT community were more likely to vote for political candidates who advocated for green issues, as compared to 27% of heterosexual people. Similarly, 55% of LGBT adults identified as caring about the future of the environment, as opposed to less than half of polled heterosexuals.

Human Rights

These recent polls back my friend up on his opinion, largely finding that gays are, yeah, a little more eco-aware than straights. (I blinked when I read that, as I thought of gay friends I have who would not know a recycling bin if it grew feet and walked into their kitchen, and other heterosexual friends who are some of the most active eco-warriors I know.) However, after reading over the polls, the links make sense. The long and short of it is that, if we can make any judgement, perhaps gays are more green because living a green lifestyle can be considered a human rights issue, and naturally is understood by the LGBT community.

By Marissa Cohen

Photo By BenSpark