“Anyone who has heard ‘Maneater’ knows it comes from a deep place,” Daryl Hall, 71, says as he stretches out in the living room of his Charleston, SC, home, where he shoots the web series, “Live from Daryl’s House,” an acoustic jam session with musicians he has befriended over the decades. “John and I loved doing our harmonies, so the idea came from our obsession with harmony and a desire make our music without trying to compete with the New Wave musicians. And, the fact that without his mustache, John really looks like a woman.”

Hall pauses, “I love Emily Saliers. Initially, she was a vehicle for being able to share my music, my way, but now, I’m choosing to live full time as Emily Saliers.”

Look at a picture of the Indigo Girls. Squint your eyes. A little tighter. Tighter. Now, draw a wildly masculine mustache on Amy Ray. There. It seems so obvious now. Hall & Oates are the Indigo Girls.

via GIPHY

“We missed the clues because we wanted to miss the clues,” a lesbian comedian close to the Indigo Girls said. “I’ve hung out with Emily dozens of times. She’s pure love, but she really likes pool, like in a way that pushed the boundaries of the way lesbians feel about pool. Then there was her rendition of ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ at the Christmas party in 2002.”

The biggest clue is the music and the careers. Hall & Oates moved away from the music scene in 1985 as the Indigo Girls started gaining traction. Both duos sing heartfelt harmonies about love, relationships and spirituality. Most tellingly, you’ve never seen them together.

“Look, the 1990 Grammy Awards were a nightmare. We were quick changing between Hall & Oates and the Indigo Girls all night,” Hall remembers. “It was really lucky that Milli Vanilli won best new artist that year because we were not in costume. But, the agonizing thing is that we did win a best folk album Grammy. At that point, Hall & Oates had 4 nominations and no wins, then ‘Nomads Indians and Saints’ wins.”

Hall said the competitive part of Hall & Oates made them continue to make music as both artists because they were clearly Grammy-worthy musicians and wanted to live openly as such. Now, Hall has lost at the Grammys 6 times as Daryl. He’s ready to let it go.

“In hindsight, we should have come out right then. We were so proud of our Grammy and our album,” he sighs, “But we were also afraid of losing all the love and community we found from being the Indigo Girls.”

Now, Hall is ready. “I made a life as Emily. A beautiful life with a fantastic restaurant (Watershed), wonderful friends and beautiful music, I’m ready to be that person full time.”

Somewhere Hall predicts, John Oates / Amy Ray is shaking his head. It is always this way between them. Hall / Saliers says too much, Oates / Ray says much less or nothing.

“John is probably saying to himself, ‘why can’t you just shut up and sing?'” Hall said. “But I’m more Dixie Chicks than he is.”

Happy April Fool’s Day, everyone!

The post Say it isn’t so: Indigo Girls’ secret revealed first appeared on Lesbian.com.

photo by Zoe Amos

BY ZOE AMOS
Lesbian.com

From AT&T to ZICO, businesses, non-profits, social clubs, local politicos, universities and more showed their LGBT support at the 40th Anniversary San Diego Pride Parade held on July 19, 2014, in the gay neighborhood of Hillcrest. Parade watchers were blessed with uncharacteristic cloudy skies as they celebrated each contingent as they walked, biked, danced, and performed their way along University Avenue and down Fifth toward the weekend Pride festival held in Balboa Park. LGBT organizations and their allies marched to cheers from the crowd, estimated at a record popping 400,000 plus attendees.

I stood at the corner where the parade began beneath the towering rainbow flag waving proudly at the aptly named Normal Street. Activities began with a roar as the San Diego Women’s Motorcycle Riders, fondly referred to as Dykes on Bikes, set the day in motion. The parade’s Grand Marshall featured Toni Atkins, newly-minted Speaker of the California State Assembly, the first out lesbian elected to this position. San Diego’s finest made an appearance as did members of the military, both active and retired.

Talk about good, clean fun, my favorite float was created by Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap, which featured a plastic-lined room filled with scantily-clad foam-covered dancers who frolicked to the strains of “YMCA.” This conscientious locally-based company handed out samples of their certified fair trade organic lavender coconut scented lotion. To the crowd’s delight, the float spewed fountains of foam high into the air like a giant, white rooster tail.

For over two hours, parade sponsors entertained us with disco, live music, flag and rifle pageantry, hula hoops, and more. Beauty queens and inspirational couples waved politely as they passed in convertible BMWs, and a model perched in a martini glass gestured flamboyantly to the crowd. Banners announced social statements, a credit union handed out rainbow wristbands, and coupons were dispersed to the crowd. Rainbow colors adorned people, their pets, balloons, classic cars, clothing, jewelry, and any available surface, making this colorful display a treat for the eyes. The air was positively charged with a celebratory vibe that fueled smiles and cheers. I could go on and on, but the photos tell the rest of the story.

photo by Sharon Bohannon

photo by Zoe Amos

photo by Zoe Amos

photo by Zoe Amos

photo by Zoe Amos

Zoe Amos brings her lesbian point of view to articles and stories on diverse topics. Connect with her on Facebook and Twitter. Read her stories on Kindle and Nook. Check out her other life at www.janetfwilliams.com.

The post From A to Zoe: Pride and joy first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The post The World To Come first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Defined by earnest, full performances and a blue palette, Daniel Laabs’ first feature solidly articulates the universality of queer loneliness and uncertainty across genders and generations.

The post Jules of Light and Dark first appeared on Lesbian.com.

From award-winning writer/director Wendy Jo Carlton, (Easy Abby, Jamie and Jessie are Not Together), comes this fresh, romantic ride, brimming with mind games and erotic tension. Kate and Jenna want to spice up their relationship by opening it up to a third and plan a date with the enchanting Mia. Jenna becomes enthralled with Mia’s sexual confidence and charm, and as they spend the evening dancing, drinking tequila, and sharing secrets, the women become entangled physically and emotionally. But what was intended as a night of fun soon exposes the cracks in Kate and Jenna’s relationship. Careful what you wish for.

Follow @goodkissermovie on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest release updates.

Watch on WolfeOnDemand.com.

The post Good Kisser first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Bonus Material on the DVD will include four behind-the-scenes featurettes and deleted scenes. Order today!

The post More Beautiful for Having Been Broken first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Awkward, self-conscious Adam Freeman (Nicholas Alexander) has just finished his junior year of high school in 2006. When his cool older sister Casey (Margaret Qualley) suggests he visit her in New York for the Summer, Adam has visions of meeting a girl and finally gaining some actual life experience. The fantasy doesn’t materialize exactly as expected. Casey has enthusiastically embraced life amidst Brooklyn’s young LGBTQ community and invites Adam to tag along with her to queer bars, marriage equality rallies and other happenings. When Adam falls at first sight for Gillian (Bobbi Salvör Menuez), a smart, beautiful young woman in this new crowd, she mistakenly assumes he is trans. Flummoxed and enamored, he haplessly goes along with her assumption, resulting in an increasingly complex comedy – and tragedy – of errors he’s ill-equipped to navigate.

“A step forward in representation.” – The Hollywood Reporter

“Spirited turns by numerous trans performers who lay it all out.” – Variety

“A charming, timely rom-com.” – The Playlist

“A learning lesson and a conversation starter for transgender issues” – Out Magazine

“Bobbi Salvör Menuez’s meatiest film role to date.” – Vanity Fair

The post Adam first appeared on Lesbian.com.

104 min
German with English Subtitles

The post ‘Seventeen’ tells story of secret lesbian crushes at boarding school first appeared on Lesbian.com.

When Sid comes out as a woman, a fourteen year old boy named RALPH (Jamie Mayers) shows up at her door announcing that Sid is his dad. Ralph, surprised to discover that his biological father is now a woman, thinks having a transgender parent is “pretty cool”. But Ralph hasn’t told his mother and stepfather that he’s tracked her down. And then there is Sid’s boyfriend DANIEL (Pierre-Yves Cardinal) who has yet to tell his family of his relationship with Sid. Daniel is nowhere near ready to accept Ralph as a step son and complicate his life further.

Sid’s coming out has a snowball effect that forces everyone out of the closet and to get real. What happens when gender, generations and cultures collide to create a truly modern family?

“Culture-crossing comedy with a transgender twist.” – The Georgia Straight

“Charming dramedy; pure soap opera.” – NOW Toronto

The post Venus first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The investigation into her disappearance leads Police Detective Viola Ames to interrogate the cast and crew of a local theater company. What Viola doesn’t know is that one of the people she questions is days from committing a long-planned murder.

Meanwhile, Viola meets a beautiful woman named Faith who unexpectedly provides a vital clue to the case, and who also forces Viola to confront the grief she has suppressed from her wife’s death of almost two years ago.

It’s a story filled with passion, violence, and suspense, where everyone is hiding something. Watch now at WolfeVideo.com.

The post New lesbian thriller ‘Russian Doll’ from Wolfe Video first appeared on Lesbian.com.