BY LESBIAN.COM

Palm Springs, California — As the largest and biggest lesbian event in the world, The Dinah has been continuously delivering a spectacular slate of legendary headliners, rising pop stars and celebrities alike.

Building on its reputation as the ultimate entertainment hub, Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend has positioned itself as an event the entertainment industry’s most elite go to and a trendsetting event that entertainment industry insiders watch and jockey to book their artists’ performances.

It is the only acknowledged all-girl party that features such a phenomenal line-up of talent to ever to perform at a lesbian event.

Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Mary Lambert, Tegan and Sara, Kesha, Chaka Khan, Colbie Caillat, India Arie, The Pussycat Dolls and more recently Iggy Azalea, are just a few examples of major recording artists that have preformed at the iconic event over the past 25 years.

And 2015 will be no different. Now ready to soar to new heights, the 25th installment of The Dinah is already expected to be one of the major highlights of the 2015 Palm Springs festival season.

Already confirmed to headline the 25th Anniversary of the Dinah are international Billboard Top 40 superstars Meghan Trainor and Christina Perri; as well as pop music’s new “it” girls Bebe Rexha and Ivy Levan; and old school legends Crystal Waters and Rose Royce.

Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend is not just breaking grounds; it is making history!
And as the celebration of the milestone Silver Anniversary is already in full swing, past Dinah alumni are all proudly stepping in front of the camera to send in their best birthday wishes!

Want to know why everyone should experience the Dinah once in their lives?
Club Skirts’ got the insider scoop from our past headliners Katy Perry, Tegan and Sara, Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, Salt’n Pepa as well as Iggy Azalea (among others) in this exclusive Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend 2015 Promo Video produced by award-winning filmmaker JD DiSalvatore.

The post Sneak peak of The Dinah’s 25th anniversary first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Since the first time I heard Tegan and Sara back in 2001, their music has always had a place in the soundtrack of my life. Their songs are emotional and sometimes full of angst, but always have an infectious melody and hook. I go through phases with music where I listen to one artist obsessively, sometimes for weeks. Lately, Tegan and Sara has been my go to. Recently, a friend asked me about my favorite songs and it was very hard to narrow down, so I decided to make a top 10 list.

10. Hell (Sainthood, 2009)
Tegan Quin has said that she wrote this song about her neighborhood in Vancouver, which the Vancouver Sun called “Four Blocks of Hell.” It also has a theme of unrequited love about a girl that she eventually got. The melody gets stuck in my head and won’t let go. This song is great when you need the perfect loud, angsty song tinged with aggression.

9. My Number (This Business of Art, 2000)
The angst of wanting to give yourself completely to another, but wanting to make sure they aren’t going to break you is the primary theme of this song. Just give them your number and worry about the consequences later! You’ll never know if you don’t make that leap of faith is the song’s advice.

8. How Come You Don’t Want Me (Heartthrob, 2013)
After getting the number, eventually there’s a break-up in so many cases. This is a song about the end of a relationship. Tegan and Sara write about matters of the heart and breakups a lot. This song can fit into many people’s lives. Sometimes, it stings when you see your ex with their new girlfriend and you think, “You left me for that? Are you serious?” I highly recommend pairing this listening with the Lesbian Breakup Cocktail *.

1.5 Sweet Tea Vodka (because all lesbians drink tea)
3 Unsweetened cranberry juice (for bitterness and the UTI)
Salt rim (for the salty, salty tears)
On the rocks (just like the relationship)

7. This is Everything (Under Feet Like Ours, 1999)
This song is about giving yourself completely to someone, about putting everything you have into the relationship, and it not being reciprocated. Loving someone can make you very vulnerable, and sometimes you can suffer. Ultimately, she just wants to love “without aching”. Don’t we all?

6. You Wouldn’t Like Me (So Jealous, 2004)
For me, this song is all about self-doubt and being afraid to show someone the real you. Maybe you lost yourself in your last relationship, maybe your heart was broken. In order to love again, you need to move past this and learn to trust someone else.

5. I Know I Know I Know (So Jealous, 2004)
This is a song about emotional distance. It’s a song about two people who love each other, but their love is fading. You don’t want to give up, so you try to hang on and work things out. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.

4. Back In Your Head (The Con, 2007)
This song is all too familiar for me. It’s about getting too comfortable and complacent in a relationship. It’s about wanting to get that passionate love back that was there in the beginning and not being able to. (see song No. 8)

3. Call It Off (The Con, 2007)
The relationship is not working. You’re miserable and you decide to break it off to save yourself. You know it’s the right thing to do, but you start second guessing and wondering if it’s the right thing. We’ve all been there.

2. Nineteen (The Con, 2007)
This song is about many things. It is about being young and in love, and all the agony that goes along with that. It is a song about heartbreak and distance. When you’re 19, everything seems so big. Every emotion is taken to an all new level and this song is a perfect mix of angst and heartbreak. It is completely relatable.

1. Closer (Heartthrob, 2013)
This song is pure pop perfection. It’s all about you and your crush taking it to the next level and making that jump to getting physical. Just grab her and get closer already!

What songs would be in your top 10? Tell us below in the comments!

*Lesbian Breakup Cocktail courtesy of Dreidl.

Heather Smith is the creator and producer of Rubyfruit Radio, a podcast featuring the best in female artists.

The post Top 10 Tegan and Sara tunes first appeared on Lesbian.com.

On June 26, Logo TV will air its initial edition of “Trailblazers,” a one-hour special featuring the celebrities, politicians, activists and trendsetters who are actively working to effect cultural change for the betterment of the LGBT community.

Actor Daniel Radcliffe, a longtime supporter of The Trevor Project, will serve as presenter as DOMA activists Edie Windsor and Roberta Kaplan, the cast of the groundbreaking Netflix series “Orange is the New Black” and openly gay former NBA star Jason Collins are honored.

Scheduled to air during the 45th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots and the one-year anniversary of DOMA being overruled, “Trailblazers” will also feature performances by A Great Big World, Ariana Grande, Tegan and Sara, Iggy Azalea, Mary Lambert, Jared Leto, Kylie Minogue, Rita Ora and Tyler Glenn.

The event will be held in New York City’s Cathedral of St. John the Divine, one of the first churches to host gay marriages, and Logo is offering viewers an opportunity to share stories of their own “Hometown Trailblazers” with a chance to win a trip to the Big Apple to view the event live.

The post Logo TV ‘Trailblazers’ honors Windsor, ‘Orange is the New Black’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY HEATHER SMITH

You’ve filled your phone with the latest Melissa Etheridge, k.d. lang, Indigo Girls, Brandi Carlile, and Tegan and Sara. So that’s it? You think you’re all set in case there’s a spontaneous queer music party on the next block? Not even close. While those more mainstream artists certainly have their place in the lesbian music collective, the multitude of new artists is growing by the day and the level of talent isn’t lacking. Don’t get overwhelmed. I’m here to get you started with a look at five artists that are sure to expand your listening horizons. Whether you’ve got a broken heart or you want to dance around, there is something for everyone on this list. Your ears will thank you.

Meshell Ndegeocello
Meshell Ndegeocello has always pushed the envelope with her music. From blurring the lines of musical genres by incorporating rock, jazz, R&B, funk and hip-hop into her sound to writing songs about provocative topics like race, sex, politics, religion and feminism, Ndegeocello, over the course of the last 20 years has consistently put out some of the most authentic and honest songs possible.

She has a new album called, “Comet, Come To Me” coming out in June. Here is one of the new tracks, “Conviction.”

Mal Blum
With quirky, self deprecating lyrics along with perfect melodies, it’s easy to connect with Mal Blum’s music. Her 2013 release “Tempest In A Teacup” manages to show vulnerability and be funny at the same time. It’s this characteristic that has given this album earworm status for me. It also helps that she is friggin’ adorable.

One of my favorites off the album is “Valentine’s Day (Let’s Stop Cheating On Each Other),” which highlights Blum’s sense of humor.

Allison Weiss
Allison Weiss’ “Say What You Mean” is full of songs that say the things you wish you could say, but you just can’t find the words. Weiss does this without an overabundance of analogies and platitudes. The songs lament about broken hearts, but over a catchy beat with completely relatable scenarios.

The skill with which Allison Weiss is able to articulate the angst over a broken relationship without sounding depressed is quite a feat and even if you’re not in the midst of a breakup, the album says something and remains fresh. This album has been in a constant rotation for me since it came out last spring, even though I was not suffering from a broken heart. Weiss is, however, saying some of the things I wish I had during my last breakup.

Check out this acoustic version of her song “Making It Up” from her latest album “Say What You Mean”.

Hannah Thomas
Georgia girl Hannah Thomas can’t be pigeonholed. Part rock and part country, she brings an energy to her music that cannot be contained. She’s been touring and writing relentlessly since she was 16, kicking ass and taking names along the way. I think that her talent truly shines when she performs live, so if you get a chance to see her perform, take advantage of it.

One of the highlights from her last release, “Goodbye On Wasted Time” is “Watch Out For the Deer,” a fan favorite that makes hanging out in a parking lot sound like a hell of a lot of fun.

CocoRosie
Sisters Bianca and Sierra Casady, form the core of this group whose music has been described as “freak folk” and “New American Weird.” Their sound, at first listen can sound a bit baffling, but the more you listen, the more haunting and lush it sounds.

What I love about CocoRosie is that they pay no mind to what they think others might want to hear and are doing this for themselves and seemingly, loving every minute of it. I had the chance to see them in New York knowing very little about them. My first thought was that it was a cacophonous spectacle. Then I really listened to them and paid attention to the layers of their sound and saw it for it’s beauty.

Check out “After the Afterlife” from their latest release, Tales of a GrassWidow.

Heather Smith is the creator and producer of Rubyfruit Radio, a podcast featuring the best in female artists.

The post Five musicians you need to know first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The 25th annual GLAAD Media Awards were held Saturday night in Los Angeles. The ceremony, held to recognize fair, accurate and inclusive representation in media of the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives, honored 12 of the 29 nominated media categories. Other winners, including those in the movie (outstanding film) and television (outstanding comedy series) will be named at a New York ceremony on May 3.

Among the big winners were Laverne Cox and Jennifer Lopez. Cox received the Stephen F. Kolzak Award which is given to a gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender member of the entertainment community. Previous recipients include Wanda Sykes, Melissa Etheridge and Ellen DeGeneres.

Lopez was named winner of the Vanguard Award which hails efforts to increase visibility and understanding of the gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender community. Lopez has been a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and is Executive Producer for the ABC Family series “The Fosters.”

Ellen Page introduces Laverne Cox

Rita Morena presents Jennifer Lopez

Honorees at the event included:

Pioneer Award
Norman Lear

Vanguard Award
Jennifer Lopez

Stephen F. Kolzak Award
Laverne Cox, “Orange Is the New Black”

International Advocate for Change Award
Manny de Guerre, founder of the Side by Side LGBT Film Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia

Outstanding Documentary
TIE: “Bridegroom” (Virgil Films/OWN), Shane Bitney Crone and Linda Bloodworth-Thomason
“Call Me Kuchu” (Cinedigm), co-directors Katherine Fairfax Wright, Malika Zouhali-Worrall, and Ugandan activist John “Long Jones” Abdallah Wambere.

Outstanding Drama Series
“The Fosters” (ABC Family), Peter Paige and Bradley Bredeweg with stars Sheri Saum and Teri Polo

Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series
“Behind the Candelabra” (HBO)

Outstanding Reality Program
“Big Freedia: Queen of Bounce” (Fuse)

Outstanding Daily Drama
“Days of Our Lives” (NBC)

Outstanding Newspaper Article
“LGBTQ in the Capital” (series) by Melissa Griffiths (Juneau Empire [Juneau, Alaska])

Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia
“We Are Here: LGBTI in Uganda” by Sunnivie Brydum, D. David Robinson (Advocate.com)

Outstanding Music Artist
Tegan and Sara, “Heartthrob” (Warner Bros. Records)

Outstanding Comic Book
Young Avengers, written by Kieron Gillen (Marvel Comics)

Outstanding Talk Show Interview (Spanish Language)
TIE: “Debate por la igualdad” Al Punto (Univision)
“Decisión Histórica” Sin Límites con Elizabeth Espinosa (CNN en Español)

Outstanding Local TV Journalism (Spanish Language)
“Natalia: rompiendo barreras” Noticiero Telemundo Arizona (KTAZ-39 [Phoenix, Ariz.])

Outstanding TV Journalism Segment (Spanish Language)
“Decisión Histórica” Noticiero Telemundo (Telemundo)

Outstanding Digital Journalism – Multimedia (Spanish Language)
“Eric y Juan, un matrimonio feliz a pesar de todo” by Fernando Mexia (EFE.com)

The post Cox, Lopez honored at 25th GLAAD Media Awards first appeared on Lesbian.com.

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Wednesday kicks off the 24th annual Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend in Palm Springs, Calif., the largest queer female party and musical festival in the world. Known for its debauchery, infamous pool parties, world-class dance parties and musical talent, the Dinah Shore is the ultimate spring break for queer women, April 2-6.

The Dinah Shore isn’t just about scandalous parties. If you want to have a debauched weekend, if you want to network and promote your business, if you want to leave Palm Springs with new friendships, then it’s the place to be. To make the most of your trip, here’s a rundown on the week’s festivities.

Wednesday kicks off the complimentary Dinah Official Pre-party at the Hilton Hotel from 8pm to midnight. Thursday brings the Dinah Comedy Night at the Palm Springs Convention Center hosted by Suzanne Westenhoefer and featuring “Chelsea Lately’s” Fortune Feimster and “Last Comic Standing’s” Erin Foley and Gina Yashere. Doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm. These opening events are a great opportunity to meet women that you can hangout with for the rest of the weekend.

The Dinah Opening Party kicks off the dancing Thursday night at 9pm at Zeldaz nightclub with the best DJs and a special performance by Palm Springs local, III G, performing her hit, “Wavy.”

On Wednesday and Thursday, all of the Dinah events don’t start until the evening, which is why you should take full advantage of the Palm Springs Dinah VIP program for Wednesday and Thursday Dinah guests. The city has provided a VIP card to Dinah guests offering discounts to Palm Springs sites and attractions. Enjoy the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, the world’s largest rotating tramcar, The Indian Canyons, shopping and dining out.

Local restaurant Frida’s, co-owned by a gay and lesbian couple, hosts a kick off event with a DJ on Wednesday at 6pm. Their food is a fusion of Mexican, Spanish, French, Cuban, Caribbean and Central/South American dishes. Plus they serve the most delicious mixed drinks. All of the proceeds go to the local LGBT community center.

Friday, April 4, from 12pm to 6pm is AfterEllen’s Thank God It’s Dinah Friday Pool Party at the Hilton main pool area. They’ll be DJs, cocktails, dancing, a live Sirius XM radio broadcast with OUT Q’s most popular radio personalities and a live performance by disco diva Evelyn Champagne King.

Friday night at 8pm in the Hilton grand ballroom, you can watch the latest web series and short films with the casts and crew who created them, hosted by JD Disalvatore, award-winning producer of “A Marine Story” and “Elena Undone.” The Dinah’s second annual Dinah Film Festival is screening “Dyke Central,” “Girl Gets Girl,” “#Hashtag,” “Kiss Her I’m Famous,” “Nikki and Nora,” “Little Horribles” and “Secrets and Toys” followed by a question-and-answer session with the casts and crews.

Expect an electric performance from Iggy Azalea at The Dinah White Party, hosted by Curve, on Friday at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The celebrity-studded red carpet arrivals begin at 10pm.

“The L Word” fans won’t want to miss the largest lesbian pool party in the world on Saturday, April 5, from 10am to 6pm at the Hilton main pool. “The L Word” Pool Party, commemorating “The L Word’s” 10-year anniversary, boasts an outside beer garden, thousands of women, go-go dancers, incredible DJs, a performance by “The Real L Word’s” Hunter Valentine, exclusive “The L Word” giveaways plus a photo opportunity from 2:30pm to 5pm with Leisha Hailey, Kate Moennig and Laurel Holloman, aka Alice Pieszecki, Shane McCutcheon and Tina Kennard respectively.

If you want a more chill pool environment on Saturday and Sunday and you like old school music, then you’ll want to attend The Dinah Pool Party II at The Saguaro, from 10am to 4pm. If you’re big into dancing with wet, half-naked queer women in hot weather, then be sure to be at the Hilton’s main pool at 4pm on both Saturday and Sunday for the Battle of the DJs.

Twin heartthrobs Tegan and Sara are ready to make you swoon, dance and sing along on Saturday night. Their concert starts at 8:30pm. Doors open at 7:30pm at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

Music sensation Eve is performing at The Black Party, the largest party of the weekend. Held at the Palm Springs Convention Center, doors open at 9 pm and the celebrity studded red carpet arrivals, with cameos from Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig, begin at 10 pm.

The celebrity poker tournament benefiting the Human Rights Campaign takes place during The Black Party at 10pm. You’ll need a ticket to The Black Party to get on the poker action. With a $50 dollar buy-in, you’ll be playing poker with a lot of your favorite queer women, from actress Nicole Pacent to filmmaker Rolla Selbak to “Real World Ex-plosion” star Ari Fitz. You’ll also be entered into a raffle to win a lot of amazing prizes, like a free weekend for two to The Dinah 2015, including 3 nights at one of the host hotels and two VIP tickets, a weekend for two to Shedonism, Las Vegas’ hottest women’s weekend, a gift basket from Curve and more.

Mary Lambert is singing “Same Love” at The Wet and Wild Pool Party on Sunday at the Hilton main pool at 5pm. From 10am to 6pm, you can get your dance, drink and swim on. They’ll be DJs, go-go dancers, plenty of beverages plus a special performance by Ifalade and Pink Dewberries at 1pm. Due to the popularity of “The L Word” reunion, there will be a second chance to see your favorite characters from 11:30am to 1pm at the Hilton pool.

The best way to end the weekend is at The Dinah Closing Party on Sunday night at Zeldaz nightclub. If you’ve been eying a special someone throughout the weekend, this is your last chance to make a move. It’s also your last chance to hang out with the women who you’ll leave Dinah Shore calling your friends. Get your dance on one last time, enjoy the people you’ve met this week and the incredible experiences you’ve shared. Additionally, you’ll enjoy a live performance by Thea Austin.

All photos courtesy of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend and Frida’s.

The post What to expect at The Dinah this weekend first appeared on Lesbian.com.

“We have never been indie anything. We signed to a major label when we were 19 years old.”

“We wanted to access the mainstream and make a difference … but we are still Tegan and Sara and that hasn’t changed.”

Tegan Quin swears she never saw it coming. Long known as half of the Canadian indie rock band Tegan and Sara, she says she had no idea that their latest studio album would catapult them to mainstream pop success. In fact, the thought that she would even have a career in music never crossed her mind when she was young. (She and her twin sister Sara are now 33.)

“We didn’t really imagine we’d be doing this, so I think Kid Tegan would be like, ‘Whaaat? Whaaat?’ We didn’t sit down and decide that this is what we wanted to do,” she says, at home in Los Angeles on a rare break from touring.

Read more at Curve

Curve, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, spotlights all that is fresh, funny, exciting, controversial and cutting-edge in our community.

The post Tegan and Sara: Becoming a mainstream ‘Heartthrob’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Tegan Quin of Tegan and Sara (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for LOGO

BY DANA PICCOLI
AfterEllen

Twin sisters and bandmates Tegan and Sara Quin have been making musical magic together for over a decade. Their latest album “Heartthrob” made a huge splash in 2013, capturing a whole new audience and solidifying their status as pop-rock goddesses. This year, the out musicians will be headlining The Dinah, the epic queer girl party that takes over Palm Springs every spring. Tegan Quin took time out to talk about The Dinah, the evolution of the band’s sound, and how making “Heartthrob” brought about an even stronger collaboration between the sisters.

Read the interview at AfterEllen.com

After Ellen is the pop culture site that plays for your team

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