Tag Archives: California

Racists Homophobes Target Black Lesbian Group on Facebook with Abuse

The California based group Black Lesbians United has been forced to remove a Facebook page for their annual event after receiving racist and homophobic abuse.

Their page was bombarded with thousands of internet users – mostly white men – who decided to ‘attend’ their event and take the opportunity to write disgusting racist and homophobic abuse towards other members.

Some users made crude jokes, while others posted links to hardcore lesbian porn.

Not all the commenters were abusive, with one writing:

To the black lesbians who only came to this page to find happiness and acceptance in their sexuality I want to give a sincere apology for the twisted sick people who have written racist or homophobic comments to you.

Nobody deserves to be treated that way no matter how f**king funny those idiots think they are. Keep being proud of who you are and don’t listen to the insecure people below xx Once again I am truly sorry.”

Following the huge amount of abuse, Black Lesbians United removed the event page, confirming:

We did cancel the facebook notification of our BLU retreat, but the retreat itself is still on!”

For more details on the event please go to www.blacklesbiansunited.org

The Epic Dinah Shore Weekend Once Again Rocks Palm Springs

There are plenty of reasons to attend the Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend. One, its the world’s largest women’s party. Two, the headline acts. And Three, the mélange of out and proud women, in all makes, shapes, and sizes; from lipsticks to butches to bois (and everything in between).

Then, toss in a few wild pool parties, plenty of sun, and an array of cocktails, and you get the complete celebratory package.

However, the best reasons to go to The Dinah, according to promoter Mariah Hanson, are the thousands of women living out and loud.

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In celebration of its silver anniversary, Hanson and her production company Club Skirts went for the gold. With headline acts includeing international Billboard Top 40 superstars Meghan Trainor, Christina Perri, as well as pop music’s fresh “it” girls Bebe Rexha, and Ivy Levan, and old-school legends Crystal Waters and Rose Royce.

“We have a couple of surprises Saturday night, but I think the lineup’s phenomenal this year. I want to bring something bigger. I want to do Coachella for lesbians. We’re trying to create a legacy of a top-notch women’s festival, and that’s what we provide.”

Mariah Hanson

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While The Dinah has matured over 25 years, the rhythmic heart of the event beats steady and true.

“It’s still as vibrant, successful, and relevant as it always was, because the core of it doesn’t change. The message is always the same: Here’s a space for you to celebrate your life.”

Mariah Hanson

A lot of the fun was caught on camera and we present to you the choicest shots from off the web…

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Images courtesy – www.facebook.com/TheDinah

Wanda Sykes Discusses Coming Out

Watch as out comedian Wanda Sykes discusses how she never meant to come out at a Prop 8 rally in 2008.

Talking on The Meredith Show, she says she was called on stage by organisers as she had been vocal about her support for the anti Prop 8 campaign, but she didn’t intend to come out.

However the timing was just right. She married her wife Alex Sykes in 2008 just before Proposition 8, the law that banned same-sex marriage in California, was passed.

Although afterward her speech, she says people treated her like a Unicorn because, at the time, there was very little visible representative of the African American people in LGBT community.

“It just came out. I had just gotten married. So instead of speaking as a supporter, I was speaking as one of the victims. It just happened. I didn’t even think about it… We continued with the rally and by the time I got to the hotel, I’m looking at the CNN scroll and it says, ‘Comedienne Wanda Sykes: I’m proud to be black and gay’ and whatever, I was like, ‘Oh lord. What the hell just happened?’ It was crazy.

It was funny though, because especially being an African-American celebrity who’s out, it was like they started treating me like a unicorn. We’ve never seen one of you before! It’s like me and RuPaul. I guess that’s it.”

Wanda Sykes

Meghan Trainor Brings ‘That Bass’ to The 25th Anniversary of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend

Pop star Meghan Trainor is the confirmed headline act for the highly anticipated 25th Anniversary of the legendary Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, April 1-5, 2015 in Palm Springs, CA.

The 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Nantucket will grace the main stage of the Palm Springs Convention Center during the Dinah’s “Black Party”.

Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend, popularly known as ‘The Dinah’, is the biggest & largest lesbian event of its kind in the world.

Founded and produced by Mariah Hanson, ‘The Dinah’ has, for the past 25 years, continuously been changing minds and changing lives, offering women from all over the world the opportunity to express their true selves and gain an extraordinary amount of self worth. With ‘The Dinah’, Hanson has created a haven where acceptance and tolerance rule.

“Meghan Trainor is the perfect artist to headline the 2015 Dinah, our milestone year. Her song is a record breaking number one billboard hit, and in addition it invokes a new social paradigm that places less emphasis on the exterior and more emphasis on the fact that we are all beautiful and that that beauty comes in many shapes, colors and sizes.

I’m especially proud to join with Meghan in sending out this wonderful life-affirming message to our guests. It’s time. And it’s our time!”

Mariah Hanson, founder and promoter of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend.

Hanson’s natural knack for spotting the next best thing in music has transformed ‘The Dinah’ into the inescapable venue for newcomers to breakthrough. Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Kesha and Iggy Azalea are a few examples of artists who, post-Dinah, systematically went on to hit international superstar status.

The music industry now looks at ‘The Dinah’ as a pivotal indicator in the success of emerging artists’ careers, and has put the festival on the A list of all festivals. The Dinah has undeniably made a name for itself as not only an important festival landmark welcoming the biggest names in the music industry; but also the MUST-DO Spring event of the Palm Springs festival season.

Meghan Trainor is the first confirmed headliner joining the 2015 Dinah Entertainment Line-Up.

Mariah Hanson will be announcing more top-notch performers by the end of the year and early 2015.

April 1-5, 2015 Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is turning twenty-five and taking the landmark event to new heights … from EPIC to HISTORIC!

David Perry Interviews Jovanka Beckles, Richmond’s Openly Lesbian Vice Mayor

Watch this wonderful interview with Jovanka Beckles (Richmond, California’s openly lesbian Vice Mayor) on the local Northern California’s show ’10 Percent’, which focuses on LGBT issues.

In this video she tells her story of her inauguration and how one courageous act affected her time on the council.

California Governor Announces Appointment of Out Lesbian to Serve on California’s Court of Appeal

Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. announced that he has appointed San Francisco Chief Deputy City Attorney Therese M. Stewart to serve as a justice on the California Court of Appeal, on the First District Court’s Division Two.  The appointment was made during San Francisco’s LGBT Pride weekend, and marked the historic milestone for California’s judiciary as well as its LGBT community. Stewart will be the first openly lesbian justice to serve on the California Court of Appeal, if confirmed.

In response to the news, San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera issued the following statement:

“Terry Stewart was my very first hire after I was elected City Attorney, and it has been an extraordinary honor to have someone with her intelligence, dedication and passionate commitment to justice serve as my chief deputy for more than a dozen years. I’d be lying if I didn’t concede a degree of personal disappointment in knowing that she won’t be standing by my side in the City Attorney’s Office anymore.  But I am incredibly proud of Terry for all she has accomplished in her career, for her appointment to the California Court of Appeal today, and for shattering one more historic barrier as California’s first lesbian-identified appellate court justice.  On a weekend in which San Francisco celebrates LGBT equality, Terry Stewart’shistoric appointment is still more cause to celebrate—not just for the LGBT community, but for all Californians who’ll be so ably served by her remarkable gifts on the judiciary.”

Dennis Herrera, San Francisco City Attorney

Stewart, who has served as chief deputy city attorney at the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office since 2002, and was key figure to argue on behalf of the City and County of San Francisco in the trilogy of cases advocating for marriage equality for LGBT Californians in the California Supreme Court.  She also led the team of San Francisco deputy city attorneys intervening as plaintiffs in the federal case challenging Proposition 8.

 

Debauched Dinah Party Caught on Camera

This April’s Dinah Weekend (2014) in Palm Springs was a huge hit. Over five fabulous days, 10,000 lesbians rampaged around the desert having a gay old time. We loved the live music, we loved the parties, we loved the bikini-clad debauchery by the poolside.

The US’s biggest lesbian event attracted everyone from Mary Lambert to Tegan and Sara, the stars of The L Word. A lot of the fun was caught on camera and we present to you the choicest shots from off the web…

The L Word at The Dinah 2014

Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig and Laurel Holloman at Club Skirts The Dinah 2014 – Exclusive interviews and behind the scenes footage. Dinah Shore Weekend, 2014 in Palm Springs.

The Dinah 2014 Promo “The Lesbian Book Club”

The Lesbian Book Club with Doria Biddle, Guinevere Turner, Mariah Hanson, Erin Foley and Gloria Bigelow. Club Skirts Presents The Dinah 2014 – the largest lesbian event in the world.

 

image: thedinah.com