Believing she could change the world for the better by harnessing the energy of lesbian travelers by encouraging them to “do a little, a lot,” Shannon Wentworth founded Sweet in 2008. Over the next five years, Wentworth and her benevolent band of “Sweeties” have left their mark, garnering support for the lesbian community around the globe.

Lesbian.com caught up with Wentworth to talk with her about the voluntourism concept, how even the smallest investment of time can make an impact and how these acts of kindness are changing views regarding LGBT rights around the world.

Tell us about the concept of “voluntourism” for those who might be unfamiliar with the term.

Voluntourism combines volunteering and tourism. It’s pretty simple. The options range from bringing much-needed donations to organizations to spending an hour or so doing a project with locals to spending even more time volunteering.

What inspired you to launch Sweet based on a voluntourism model?

As I traveled the world for leisure, I was always interested in ways to give back and interact with local culture. To that end, I’ve worked in a salmon processing plant in Alaska, on a farm in South Australia and on a kangaroo reserve in the rainforest. With Sweet, we’ve designed our trips to be the fast-food equivalent of voluntourism. Basically, our guests have the option of participating in 3-4 hour projects that make a measurable difference in a short amount of time. Ever wonder how fast 20 lesbians can paint a school? The answer is 45 minutes. The cool part is that we work side-by-side with locals wherever we go, often bringing additional donations and sharing a meal as part of our project.

You gave a TEDx presentation where you discussed your philosophy of “doing a little a lot.” What would you say to people who believe that their small contributions might not be worthwhile?

I think a lot of people feel powerless in the face of huge global issues. That’s why Sweet takes big problems and breaks them into bit-sized chunks. We make our projects fun, short and impactful, so we can get a lot of participation. Our guests see the impact they are making, feel empowered and channel that energy into more small, fun projects. In five years, our guests have planted over 7,000 trees, removed over 500 bags of trash from beaches, adopted or found new homes for over 500 dogs and cats, created three children’s libraries, planted two community gardens and donated tons and tons of school and medical supplies. That’s all from doing a little a lot.

What has been your favorite Sweet community service project thus far?

That’s like asking me to pick my favorite “Charlie’s Angel.” They are all gorgeous and amazing. In Belize City, where homosexuality is illegal, we were front page news and on the evening news. We were able to paint colorful cartoon characters on the walls of a dreary children’s hospital ward in conjunction with the country’s first lady as well as create a children’s library at a local school.

Another project that stands out, by far our biggest yet, was in Costa Maya, Mexico. We had 145 women break into teams of five to pull trash from a beach. We made it a competition. We pulled 220 bags and cleaned a mile of beach in 45 minutes. It was incredible.

What would be your ultimate voluntourism destination/project?

Ultimately, I’d love for Sweet to be creating schools to educate girls and women all over the world. Our guests would visit those schools, spend time with the students and participate in various site improvement projects. That would be amazing.

Sweet has visited some less-than-lesbian-friendly destinations since first setting sail in August 2009, engaging with the communities on impactful service projects benefiting women, children and the environment. How do you think this “we’re here; we’re queer; and we’re here to help” approach has influenced views on gays and lesbians in those areas?

How can we expect people to love us if they don’t know us? That’s why we travel as out lesbians and connect with the people and organizations we serve at the heart level. We share who we are with them. Everyone gets it, regardless of language, religion or politics.

We’ve been to two countries that outlaw homosexuality outright, Belize and Nassau. Everywhere we go, the people we meet are taken aback by our diversity. We look like a cross section of America, all ethnicities, ages, shapes and sizes. There’s always that initial period when we meet people who don’t think they’ve ever seen a homosexual in which they are staring at us and going “WTF?” In the end, we always make good friends and hopefully open their hearts to the LGBT folks living in there midst.

For more information on Sweet, including their 2014 Mexican Riviera cruise, South African Safari, Cozumel and Isla Mujeres resort vacations and the 2015 Sweet Adventure Down Under, visit www.discoversweet.com.

The post Shannon Wentworth: Making the world a very Sweet place first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The incomparable finalist from “The Voice” Frenchie Davis and her musical life partner pianist and comedian Kathryn Lounsbery opened up to Lesbian.com about their amazing new musical venture, naked Liberace bonding and why you shouldn’t give a hoot what people think of you.

See The French and Kat Show live in Hollywood, November 8, 2013, or on Sweet’s Cozumel Resort, May 11-18, 2014.

How did you start working together?
Frenchie: Believe it or not, we have been working together for less than a year. It feels longer. As with most relationships between two girls, things evolved rather quickly. We met because I had a gig and the woman who booked me for the gig was a friend of Kathryn’s and suggested that I hire her when I mentioned needing a pianist. We met in person for the first time at our first rehearsal together. It was magic from the first moment I walked into her home and saw that Nina Simone poster hanging above her piano. Of course, the naked-Liberace-in-a-bubble-bath poster hanging in her bathroom sealed the deal.

Kathryn: I can honestly say that meeting Frenchie has been the highlight of my year. I absolutely delight in her and our camaraderie. Every time we get together — whether it’s working on an arrangement, rehearsing a song or just drinking some wine and having our favorite goat cheese — it solidifies our bond. It was Frenchie’s partner who labeled us “non-sexual musical life partners.” She hit the nail on the head. And by the way, she could totally actually hit a nail on the head. She’s butch like that.

What is it like to work with Frenchie?
Kathryn: Frenchie is an absolute dream. First things first, her musicianship is impeccable. I have collaborated with thousands of singers and she is of the finest quality. Also, she can sing anything and in any style — jazz, hard rock, soul, Broadway, opera, ballads — she nails it. She also inspires me. Everytime we get together, I think of new arrangements and ideas for us. It feels endless. That is so inspiring. I literally have an adrenaline rush after we rehearse. And then I need a nap. Frenchie challenges me to be my absolute best. We also have about 30-40 solid belly laughs every hour we’re together. We are looking to hire a scribe to follow us around and capture the magic.

What do you like about working with Kathryn?
Frenchie: I love that she GETS me, Musically and humor-wise, she just GETS it. When either of us have an idea for something that we’d like to incorporate into our show, there is never this long drawn out process of trying to convince one another. We immediately get it. Rehearse it. Perfect it. Done and done. AND we have a great time working together. Work aside, Kat is just good people. She is a good friend, judgment-free and an excellent listener.

What’s your favorite song you do together?
Kathryn: That is an impossible question! Sorry to yell. I’m not mad. Just feeling the weight of the question. I will say that the very first song we ever performed together was “Dock of the Bay.” Our ensemble and musical sensibilities were perfectly aligned. It was thrilling. We have a few new mash-ups that I’m kind of in love with — especially our Britney Spears medley.

Frenchie can sing the entire score of “Little Shop of Horrors” in German. Her accent is perfect. I can’t get enough of it.

Do you have a non-musical sexual life partner?
Frenchie: Yes! My partner is awesome, butch but pretty, and she is sexy. She is super supportive. And she is funny. We are going on three years together, which is arguably a decade in lesbian years. I think that it takes a confident, secure and supportive person to be a good partner to an artist or anyone for that matter. Dating an artist definitely comes with its challenges but, as artists, I think we have to be careful because artists can be a little narcissistic sometimes. We don’t mean to be, but we are and I think it’s important to find that balance between doing what we must for ourselves and our art as well as doing what we must to be the kind of partner that we want our partners to be to us.

What advice would you give to a young person struggling with coming out as gay, lesbian, bi or trans?
Frenchie: The less of a shit you give about what others think of you, the easier life becomes. That’s the short version. Kat, you wanna weigh in on this?

Kathryn: I love that. She’s right. Frenchie lives an exceedingly open and truthful life. We should all follow that lead. As for any young person struggling, I would say to hang in there. Follow your heart and know that you have an enormous community waiting for you.

You’re taking your act to Mexico for a Sweet’s Cozumel Resort, May 11-18, next year. What inspired you to work with Sweet?
Frenchie: I love to sing for ANYBODY, but when I get to do what I love in front of an audience full of members of my own community, it is really, really special.

Kathryn: Sweet is a company I support on so many levels. I was on the inaugural cruise in 2009 and have been hooked ever since. The trips are a blast and having the option to give back is truly a gift. Also, as a performer, I feel so supported by Sweet CEO Shannon Wentworth and the entire Sweet crew. That is worth gold.

Kathryn, you’re an accomplished musical comedian, musician and music professor. How did you get started with musical comedy? Who inspired you as a youngster?
Kathryn: I was always interested in comedy, but I felt like I couldn’t be funny at the piano. I thought I needed to be the quiet pianist in the corner. But all my heroes were Gilda Radner, Lily Tomlin, Bette Midler and a local Milwaukee performer Carolynne Warren. She had a cabaret show she performed at the opera theatre my mom ran. I can easily say that seeing this funny lady create songs and bits was everything to me. Another huge step was my two-woman show “That’s What She Said.” That was a wonderful five-year training camp for performing and writing musical comedy.

Tell us about your new one-woman musical comedic extravaganza of rhythmic laughing.
Kathryn: My one-woman show encompasses everything I love: my favorite piano pieces whether they are classical, jazz, ragtime, pop or original compositions; very personal stories — both funny and revealing; goofiness; improvisation; and maybe a Gilbert & Sullivan patter song. Maybe. I’m learning how to integrate my 20-plus years of classical training with my love of comedy. It is thrilling and feels 100 percent right. I’m excited to share it with the ladies of Sweet in May, where I’ll perform it for the first time.

Frenchie, you’re about to finish your degree at Howard University. What inspired you to go back to school?
Frenchie: I never stopped wanting to finish my education. It has always been a life goal and I’ve actually been taking classes part-time all of these years. I think it’s a number of things. My 35th birthday is May 7, 2014, and graduation is May 10, 2014. So I started thinking to myself, wouldn’t it be cool if I could just dig my heels in and walk across that graduation stage by May 2014 as a birthday present to myself? I also thought about my future babies. I really want to be a mom one day and I don’t want to raise children who think that if they can sing or dance or dribble a ball, they don’t have to pursue higher education. I mean, there are 16-year-old girls in other parts of the world who are being shot in the face by the Taliban because they want the opportunity to go to school. It kinda makes all of us, here, seem a little silly, if we don’t do all that we can to encourage our young people to pursue education fervently.

What’s it like balancing studying and performing?
Frenchie: Balancing school with performing has its challenges for sure. There are days when I look in the mirror and ask, “Why are you torturing yourself?” But I know it’s so worth it.

How did you get started as a performer?
Frenchie: I’ve been singing my whole life but I actually got my start as a performer when I was a student, the first time. I used to perform at local drag bars to make extra money in college. Over the years I slowly became a regular performer at many of DC’s gay clubs. I got my first theatre job during what was supposed to be my junior year. It was an opportunity to do “Little Shop Of Horrors” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” with a theatre company in Germany, so of course I took it. Three months after my return to the states, I auditioned for “Idol,” then I joined the Broadway cast of “Rent.” It’s been sorta non-stop since.

What things do you do that keep you on track with setting and accomplishing big goals?
Frenchie: Prayer, laughter, power walks, music, red wine, Spanx, microwaveable brown rice and heart-to-heart talks with Kathryn keep me going, encouraged and inspired.

What’s in heavy rotation on your iPod?
Frenchie: “Applause” by Lady Gaga (like ANY self-respecting LGBT person) and Macklemore, who oddly enough looks kinda like my partner, so it’s difficult to tell which side of my bisexuality has a crush on him.

What’s your dream role on Broadway? Anything in the works?
Frenchie: Roxy Hart in “Chicago!” What? Too soon? And yes, there is ALWAYS something in the works but I am always scared to jinx it by going into deets prematurely.

Follow Frenchie and Kat’s musical escapades at FrenchieDavis.org or sing a karaoke duet with her on Sweet’s Cozumel Resort.

The post Frenchie Davis makes sweet music with non-sexual life partner first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Summer is still scorching much of the country, but Sweet is already looking ahead to September when the lesbian travel company will be bringing its unique brand of debauchery and do-goodery to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

“Hundreds of Sweeties will be taking over the Playacar Palace resort from September 21st – 28th,” explained Sweet Founder and CEO Shannon Wentworth. “We’ll be featuring an amazing group of comedic and musical performers, theme parties and, of course, our trendsetting  and very rewarding community service projects.”

For those looking for a relaxing late summer getaway, Sweet’s Playacar resort vacation may be the perfect combination of leisure and indulgence. Located on the spectacular Riviera Maya on the beach in the town of Playa del Carmen, the five-star Playacar Palace hotel is just steps away from Mexico’s legendary 5th Avenue shops. The resort features ocean-view rooms that overlook the crystalline waters of the Caribbean, a swim-up bar, Jacuzzi tubs in every room, 24-hour room service and a host of other amenities which are guaranteed to leave even the most finicky guest feeling pampered.

Beyond the daily Sweet-sponsored excursions, guests can tour the gateway to Mayan civilization, visiting the ruins at Tulum, Coba and the legendary Chichen Itza, or spend an afternoon frolicking with dolphins, windsurfing or getting sand in all sorts of unmentionable places while diving around on the beach volleyball court.

Sweet’s entertainment line-up for Playacar includes Jackie Monahan, a bi-coastal comedian and actress featured on Showtime’s “Pride Comedy Jam;” Rakefet Abergel, an accomplished actress and outspoken stand-up comedian; Cathy DeBuono, out and proud lesbian actress, LA Talk Radio host, therapist and empath; seasoned actress and comedian Erin Foley; singer/songwriters Hannah Thomas and Sarah Smith; television and film star Traci Dinwiddie, perhaps best known for her role as Peyton Lombard in “Elena Undone;” and comedians Jennie McNulty and Shann Carr, veteran Sweet performers and perennial traveler favorites.

“Sweet trips are such an incredible experience,” shared McNulty. “I know for some of the women it’s a chance for them to truly be themselves, perhaps for the only time all year. But that’s only part of what makes the atmosphere so special. We visit beautiful places, stay in gorgeous locations and experience all the debauchery that goes along with these types of trips, but with Sweet, there’s another level of consciousness that permeates the atmosphere, too. There’s the feeling that you’re part of something special – giving back, helping people.”

In addition to the endless sand, sun, shopping and sight-seeing available on the gorgeous Riviera Maya, Sweet will offer a variety of community service projects in which their guests are invited to participate. Projects may involve anything from spending an afternoon at an animal shelter bathing, walking and cuddling with the residents to organizing a library for local youth to raising funds for the local community via participation in a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament hosted by DeBuono.

“Playacar will be my third Sweet trip,” DeBuono offered, “And I’m looking forward to spending more than a few hours around the poker table getting to know some really wonderful women – and raising money for whatever good causes we can.”

DeBuono’s previous “shuffle up and deal” efforts raised thousands of dollars used to support women’s, children’s and animal support organizations in the communities fortunate enough to host the Sweet group.

Actress and animal rights enthusiast Natalie Garcia organizes Sweet’s four-legged focused projects. “For the September trip we’re planning to work with Coco’s cat rescue, take a daytrip to Cozumel where we’ll rent dune buggies, explore the island and visit the local animal shelter,” Garcia detailed. “I am so grateful to be able to travel with such inspiring women while saving animals and raising awareness about animal rights.”

Many agree that there is something special about the essence of the Sweet travelers, collectively known as Sweeties.

Recent first-time Sweetie Erin Lee described her vacation with Sweet in Puerto Vallarta as life-changing. “I experienced instant connections with an exceptional group of women,” said Lee who ventured out as a solo. “I felt it was a time where we could be our most true selves and left with new life-long friendships. And I loved the excursions and the entertainment. It was definitely more than a vacation.”

Another Sweet newbie and solo traveler, Heather Price, described her recent experience, “As a shy, somewhat introverted person, new people in a new environment can be a little intimidating, but that only lasted about an hour into my time with Sweet. There just aren’t words for the friendliness and kindness I was shown. I danced until my feet ached and laughed until tears were streaming down my face. “Solo” is a misnomer; you’re actualy traveling with friends you just hadn’t met yet.”

For more information on Sweet and fantastic last-minute Playacar resort deals, including low down payments and interest/fee-free payment plans, click here or call 877-793-3830. Be sure to ask about the $1,500/room resort credit!

She magazine is the longest running magazine for LGBT women in Florida.

The post Sweet travel sizzles in September first appeared on Lesbian.com.

INTERVIEW BY DANA BRENKLIN

Hannah Thomas, the queer, rockin’ country singer-songwriter is on the rise. Having shared the stage with stars like Amy Ray and Jen Foster, Hannah’s energetic presence and bluesy songwriting has her new EP, “Goodbye on Wasted Time,” getting rave reviews. She caught up with Lesbian.com’s Dana Brenklin to talk about her new tunes, a big tour and coming out in the country music scene.

Your new EP “Goodbye on Wasted Time” is great. How would you say it differs from your previous work?

It comes from a more honest place. When I stopped worrying about how to market the music, and started making music that I would like to listen to myself everything changed. Writing without a filter gave me a much broader canvas that allowed me to really open up as a songwriter. I feel like I found my voice.

You’ve got quite a few tour dates lined up. Is there any show you’re particularly excited about?

I am excited about all the shows, but September has some really great things happening for me. I will be opening a couple of shows for the , Girls in the Midwest, as well as playing at Sweet’s Playa Del Carmen resort (which will be my first international show)!

In January of this year you came out in an interview with the GA Voice. Has your audience changed in the way they receive you since then?

I think people can tell when you’re not being with honest with them, Since I came out I feel like my audience has embraced me more and is more loyal than ever.

Was your coming out a spur of the moment thing or was it something you planned?

My songs were already headed in a direction where I think people had an idea, but it was still very difficult to make the decision. I thought about it for a long time, but when the CD was about to be released, I figured it was time. It was one of the more freeing moments of my life.

In your opinion, what are some of the pros & cons to coming out in this business, particularly as someone whose music falls under the broad “country” umbrella?

I am very thankful for those that paved the way like kd lang and Cheley Wright, and even though I think there is still a stigma, especially within the country world, the world is changing every day. While I have to consider the business side of things, I try to never let it limit who I am as artist.

Often, public figures/celebrities who come out say they were told it was a “bad idea” to come out. What would you say to that attitude?

All the success in the world doesn’t matter if you are happy.

And what would you say to an artist struggling with whether to come out or not?

You know when it is the right time to come out. You should never let anyone pressure you to stay in the closet or come out. It’s completely your decision.

Has allowing your audience to know the real you changed your life or career, so far?

I have a more loyal following with my core group of supporters. I think they would come see me every night if I played the same place! I could have never imagined how great it has been and I am thankful everyday for that.

What would you call the biggest moment of your career so far?

When I think I have reached my biggest moment it just keeps getting better. In the past couple of years I have played in front of large audiences, had Amy Ray come sing on my CD, she then asked me to come sing on her solo CD and in September I will be opening for Indigo Girls (who have been some of the biggest influences on my career), I hope if you ask me again in six months I can add more to the list, but I have to say I am pretty happy about all of it.

Thanks for your time, Hannah. So tell us, what do we have to look forward to from you? What’s next?

WI am working on a video soon and have enough songs for a new CD, which I can hopefully get out sometime next year. And hopefully I will keep adding new places to the tour schedule!

Watch Hannah perform “Church on Sunday” live at the Red Clay Theater:

Dana Brenklin is a Los Angeles based radio personality, award-winning poet and musician. Her radio show, “The Dana Brenklin Radio Show,” airs Thursdays at 9am pacific on kclaFM.com. Find out more at DanaBrenklin.com or listen To Dana’s shows on demand.

The post Hannah Thomas is coming out country first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY JANE EISNER

Four LGBT owned and operated companies in California have partnered to create a fundraising campaign for Freedom to Marry. Wolfe Video, “the largest exclusive distributor of LGBT films in the world,” has partnered with, Sweet, “the eco-friendly lesbian travel site,”  OneGoodLove, “the first online dating site for relationship-minded gay and lesbian singles” and Lesbian.com. “We share […] the core belief that social responsibility extends to commerce, that corporations and individuals should share the same responsibility,” said Wolfe Video, founder, Kathy Wolfe. “We want to do our part.”

Shannon Wentworth, CEO of Sweet and chief technology officer at Lesbian.com, reiterated the importance of the movement, explaining how it is a relatable issue for everyone, not just the LGBT community. “It honors that love is love. It’s one step toward total equality. It’s an issue that is easy for anyone who knows an LGBT person to understand, which is why the tide has turned so dramatically in the last decade.”

Read more at dot429.com

Find out more and support our campaign at www.YesLGBT.com

The post Strength in numbers: Help us support marriage equality first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Sweet travelers partnered with the Rotary Club and local animal rescue organizations for community service on their recent trip to the Hard Rock Vallarta Hotel.

The post Sweet adventures in do-goodery first appeared on Lesbian.com.

For a long time, contemplating lesbian travel options was much like pondering whether to bet “black” or “red” at the roulette table — a rather limited choice at best. Sure, you had the lesbian resorts in Key West, a smattering of bed and breakfasts in quaint settings across the country, and the big “O” with which your aunt and her “roommate” traveled for the last 40 years. But if you were looking for an updated lesbian travel experience, you were out of luck — that is until Sweet travel came on the scene.

Founded in 2009 by Jen Rainin and Shannon Wentworth, Sweet offers an affordable and distinctive lesbian travel experience, merging first-class tourism with community service, a blend known in the industry as voluntourism. Many Sweeties, as Sweet’s patrons are known, find this an appealing combination.

“Aside from Shannon’s warm and welcoming demeanor, what drew us to Sweet was the community service aspect which was unique to our previous vacation experiences,” said recent travelers Melody and Felicia. The couple set sail on a Short and Sweet Bahamas cruise in February 2012 to celebrate their second anniversary, an adventure that included a private Nassau tour and a stop at the Ranfurly Home for Children to deliver donations for the home’s residents.

“By far, visiting the orphanage and talking and interacting with the children there was the highlight of the trip for us,” offered first-time Sweet travelers Michelle and Gladys.

Also unique to the Sweet experience is the sense of community that exists amongst the guests, whether veteran travelers like Tamara who marked her fifth Sweet excursion in February or rookies like Melody and Felicia who noted, “Our favorite memory was the first day of the trip. We didn’t know any of the previous Sweet travelers, but they went out of their way to interact with us, including us in their conversations, and making us feel like family.”

The Sweet team is also uncommonly accommodating. “The Sweet staff was extremely attentive, which we never got on our non-Sweet cruises,” Michelle and Gladys affirmed. “Wherever we went, we were greeted by either Shannon, Julie (Scher, Sweet’s Director of Sales), or Babs (Daitch, Director of Programming for Sweet). We always felt welcome and they really cared that we had a good time. They were very organized, too, with numerous planned events and land tours.”

Many Sweeties are at a loss when asked to identify their single favorite memory from a Sweet trip, as for all the do-goodery that takes place, there is no shortage of fun and frolic. “Rescuing Julie Scher and a fellow Sweetie as their raft drifted out into the Caribbean at Great Stirrup Cay was a highlight for me,” mused newly initiated Sweetie Gina. “I’ve traveled with Olivia and can honestly say I’ve never gotten the opportunity to perform a rescue mission. The only down-side was that I had to put down my beer.”

Gina also echoed the sentiment of others new to Sweet, “The women who travel with Sweet seem to be a younger, more fun and friendly demographic than those I’ve met while traveling with the other major lesbian travel company,” she said, adding that her Facebook friend count has increased noticeably since returning from the Short and Sweet cruise.

Once Sweeties leave paradise behind, most are unflagging champions for Sweet and can’t wait to book their next trip. “We’ve been recommending Sweet to all our friends since the day we got back from our trip,” Kristi and Chloe beamed. “We’re trying to rally a crowd for Cozumel in September. There are so many positive things to say about Sweet that it’s hard to know where to start, but we find ourselves mostly talking about the people and the community that forms while on these vacations. We loved that we really got to know a number of the other women we were vacationing with. That’s not something we’ve ever experienced on any other vacations.”

In recognition of National Cruise Month Sweet is currently featuring several cruise specials through October 29, 2012.

The post Sweet: It’s not your aunt’s lesbian travel experience first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Traci Dinwiddie is a perpetual motion, super-amazing doer of everything. She’s an actress (“Elena Undone” and “Supernatural”), Yogini, West African drummer with eyes that stop passersby in their tracks and a smile that turns knees turn to jelly. She’s got a heart the size of Mount Kilimanjaro and fans that would gladly climb it for her any day of the week. And as if all that weren’t enough, Traci is adding trapeze mastery to her arsenal of awesomeness.

I met Traci while vacationing in Isla Mujeres, Mexico with Sweet in September 2011 and immediately connected with her incredible spirit. We spent an afternoon in the sun surrounded by frolicking lesbian vacationers, a backdrop which reflected perfectly the essence of her beautiful soul.

I’m a fan for life and you can be, too. Traci is easily accessible via Facebook, Twitter and at her official site —and you won’t have to climb Mount Kilimanjaro to see her.

Cheryl Mazak is a Toronto photographer obsessed with getting the heart of her subjects. See more from Cheryl at inmyphotos.com.

The post Inside Out: Traci Dinwiddie is “Elena Undone” in the Sun first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Parker created a Facebook event — “Candy’s Super Sweet Photo Caption Contest” — in which she committed to award three prizes, each of which will help the lucky winner defray the cost of a trip to Hard Rock Vallarta with Sweet in April 2013. Prizes valued at $350, $225 and $100 will be awarded to the caption contest winners.

“I rave about Sweet is all the time,” Parker said. “I’m hoping that by my sponsoring this contest, people will take notice. I mean, who does something like this for a company unless you truly believe in them and what they’re about?”

Sweet offers eco-friendly vacations with numerous meaningful community service opportunities for its travelers, or Sweeties, as they prefer to be called. The company strives to make world-class travel accessible to all lesbians and offers 12- and 18-month interest-free payment plans for most of its trips.

Through her caption contest, Parker will make the initial down payment for three lucky contest winners, the first and final payment for one winner, and the final payment for yet another winner.

“It’s a win-win-win in my book,” quipped Parker. “Sweet wins, the contest winners win, and I win by knowing that I’ll have three more new friends in Vallarta next April.”

Enter Candy’s Super Sweet Photo Caption Contest

The post Sweet traveler hosts caption contest first appeared on Lesbian.com.

BY SHANNON WENTWORTH
Standing at the operating table, holding a feral cat’s uterus in clamps, I thought, “I have the best job ever!”

On Sweet’s recent Isla Mujeres resort vacation, we did our most biggest project yet: Trapping, steriziling and releasing 21 feral cats in a three-part, three-day project.

Before we left for Isla Mujeres, Sweeties (as travelers with Sweet are called), two nurses and one super awesome veterinarian teamed up to rustle up the supplies and the cash to get this job done.

Once we got there, we joined with four of the island’s most fierce defenders of cats, Lupita, Josefina, Paloma and Mildred, to capture these wild felines. While they look all cute and fuzzy, they are not like the housecats we’re used to in the United States. As soon as the trap closes on them, they are all hisses and teeth and claws. Oddly, they calm down immediately when you cover the cage with a towel.

Cats love lesbians as much as lesbians love cats, so we caught them pretty quickly. We took them back to the vet’s office where we marked them by the location where we found them.

Read the rest of the story.

Shannon Wentworth is CEO and founding partner of Sweet as well as serving as Lesbian.com’s chief technology officer.

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