hey hey ho ho

It was a happy Gay Pride weekend for all, though many of my friends are reeling in the aftershocks of their merrymaking. drink lots of water boys! there wasn't really much coverage in the media of the event, despite it also being the anniversary of the Stonewall riots--which is why, i believe, that the Gay Pride Parade/march takes place on this particular weekend.

i wonder if the coverage was sparse due to the sudden death of MJ and the not so sudden death of Farrah? LGBT rights issues really run hot and cold in mainstream media, as opposed to, say, the general acknowledgment of racial issues/rights. understandably, the coverage was high just before and after the prop 8 debacle. but that issue is not settled, people are still challanging state government and trying to get married all over the country. yet, we don't really ever hear about it. coverage slips the mainstream mind, till an Adam Lampert comes officially out and sparks a momentary debate on the acceptance of gays.

the day before the recent deaths took over the airwaves, PBS ran a very interesting documentary on LGBT progress up to and beyond Stonewall. my favorite section was about the lesbian pulp writers, before anyone really talked about being a lesbian. they used all these code words that somehow meant, girls with girls, but how some lonely girl was ever supposed to figure that out beats me.

haha. i love that looking for a couple of pics of one, i find the Duke library has a special collection all about them! From duke's collection:

Strange Nurse. 1962. By Arthur Adlon

Will Eleanor steal the luscious, promiscuous Evelyn away from Lew, the nice young intern? Lew's a momma's boy, and he wants to wait-but Evelyn doesn't. And with Eleanor around, why should she?

Women in the Shadows. 1959. by Ann Bannon

Laura is tired of Beebo, and she's cheating on her. When Beebo finds her diary, the gig is up for the two of them. Laura runs to Jack, who's on the wagon and, thanks to a grueling breakup, off men "for good." Jack proposes to Laura; he wants a "normal" life, and children. Laura is torn between a need for security and her desire for women; security wins out, but only after a spirited tug-of-war on all sides.

Halo in Brass. 1949. by John Evans

Combines the best of two pulp worlds: lesbian and detective. Hired by an old Nebraskan couple to locate their daughter, private dick Paul Pine stumbles upon a trail of murdered lesbians, including a few living as men. The police detective comments, at the end of the novel, that at least the people that died "didn't matter", and Pine gives the guy a bit of flack over that.

I, Lesbian. 1964. by Yvonne Johanet

"The FIRST book based on actual CASE HISTORIES that dares to SPELL OUT the shocking FACTS about the strange world of lesbians." This volume is written in a more journalistic style than others purporting to be scientific studies-i.e., it lacks a huge dose of explicit sex. Learn about different facets Lesbian life, such as how they dress; Lesbian marriage rituals; "disguised orgy parties"; and the "Madison Avenue Group". Read about a woman whose body actually becomes more masculine-complete with shrinking breasts.