Changes are underfoot around the Castro neighborhood from new buildings to the newly unveiled Rainbow Honor Walk that was revealed September 2.

It was a warm sunny day in San Francisco when Girls That Roam toured the Castro to check out the new bronze plaques honoring lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people who have made extraordinary contributions to art, culture, history, science and more.

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The post Proud proud pride first appeared on Lesbian.com.

San Francisco Pride can be overwhelming. It’s the largest Pride in the states, boasting about 500,000 attendees each year. There’s a lot going on in San Francisco during Pride weekend, so we’ll make it easy for you: Eden.

Eden is like a queer female pride within SF Pride, and Thursday, June 26, through Sunday, June 29, marks Eden’s 5th anniversary. You’ll be among 5,000 other queer women during the weekend-long event.

Last year, actress and Grammy-winning singer and rapper Eve performed at Eden. This year boasts more talented performers, as well as celesbians, top notch DJs, go-go dancers and hosts.

Thursday, June 26, at 9pm kicks off Eden weekend at the Supper Club. Lauren Bedford Russell from Showtime’s “The Real L Word” and MTV’s Brittney Duet from “Nick Cannon Presents: Wild N’ Out” will be hosting the fashion show turned DJ dance party. This event will be filmed for an up and coming reality show, and San Francisco native rapper and singer-songwriter Oh Blimey will be performing.

Friday marks the Eden All White Everything party at 9pm at The Factory with three dance rooms, a variety of DJs, go-go dancers, a photo booth and performances by pop-rapper and singer Colette Carr and emcee, poet and songwriter Aima the Dreamer. Jessica Clark of HBO’s “True Blood” and Nicole Conn’s “A Perfect Ending,” along with Ari Fitz of MTV’s “The Real World Ex-Plosion” will be hosting the evening, along with Rose Garcia from “The Real L Word” and Eden’s very own Mona Webb, the executive director of the EDEN LGBTQ Youth Foundation.

Watch Jessica Clark describe the weekend’s debauchery:

On Saturday, Eden is hosting their first ever, and only, Eden 5th Year Anniversary Party at 9pm at the Mezzanine. Clark, Fitz, Garcia and Webb will be hosting again, on top of the great music, go-gos and photo booth, there will also be body painting, a free champagne toast, a $1,000 balloon drop at midnight and Oakland native, neo-soul singer-songwriter Goapele, called the “spiritual love child of Sade and D’Angelo,” by Rolling Stone magazine, will be performing for your pleasure.

Sunday is the final party sendoff at the Parliament. The Eden After Pride Party is the only Oakland-based event (Oakland has the largest number of lesbians per capita in the United States) and will kick off at 7pm. This will be the time for you to woo the women you’ve been eyeing all weekend or to solidify your connections before you head back out into the real world.

You can purchase tickets to individual events, or you can buy passes. The All Access VIP Pass gets you in to all of the events, plus access to the Eden VIP Lounge, exclusive access to the celesbians and recording artists, complimentary hors d’oeuvres, private bar, private waitresses, VIP hosts, exclusive entrance so you don’t have to wait in line and photo ops with the celesbians, musical artists and models. Details.

The post What to expect at Eden’s lesbian SF Pride weekend first appeared on Lesbian.com.

On the heels of the wildly successful Lesbians Who Tech San Francsico Summit, organizers have announced plans to bring a similar event to New York City, but need your help to do so.

Lesbians Who Tech, founded by Leanne Pittsford, is a community of queer women in technology and the people who love them. Just over a year ago, the organization began hosting Lesbians Who Tech happy hours to bring together queer women across the tech industry. The concept caught fire and quickly grew to include over 3,000 people in 14 cities worldwide.

In early March, the group organized the Lesbians Who Tech Summit in San Francisco. The event brought together 800 queer women, incredible speakers, a hack-a-thon for social good and featured weekend events like a bike ride and brunch.

Based on feedback at the San Francisco event, Pittsford is now hoping to host a Lesbians Who Tech Summit on the east coast. In order to do that, Lesbians Who Tech has launched an Indiegogo campaign.

In order to secure a venue for the event, scheduled for June 19-22, 2014, Pittsford needs to pre-sell 150 tickets and raise $20,000.

You can support the campaign by purchasing your early access ticket at Indiegogo today. At press time, just 15 hours remain in the campaign, with $17,836 raised toward the group’s $20,000 goal.

The Lesbians Who Tech New York City Summit will be held at Tishman Auditorium at the New School, in Union Square.

The post Last day to help bring Lesbians Who Tech Summit to NYC first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Castro Theater and Castro Street at dusk. (Photo via LesbiansWhoTech)

BY KATY RAY
Tagg Magazine

This year marks the first ever Lesbians Who Tech Summit, a national event that connects queer women across all areas of technology. Founded by Leanne Pittsford, the mission of Lesbians Who Tech is fourfold: the organization empowers women not only to connect with each other and other leaders in the tech community, but also to connect with community organizations to gain visibility in the field of technology, encouraging more queer women to enter this male-dominated industry.

“So many of our tech icons are straight, white men,” says Pittsford. “We want to increase the number of women in technology and leadership positions in the field, raise the visibility of the lesbians who are already leading tech innovation, and help younger lesbians advance their careers.” The Lesbians Who Tech Summit seeks to create a culture of empowerment, enabling women to advance their own careers and be an advocate for women’s and LGBT causes in their own company.

The Lesbians Who Tech Summit will be held February 27 – March 2 at the Castro Street Theater in San Francisco, California. For ticket cost and more information,visit the Lesbians Who Tech Summit site.

Read more at TaggMagazine.com

Tagg Magazine is a print and online resource for LBT women in the DC Metropolitan and Rehoboth, DE areas

The post First ever Lesbians Who Tech Summit to be held in San Francisco first appeared on Lesbian.com.

The “Under the Bay” tunnel gets visitors up close and personal with sea-dwelling animals. (Photo courtesy Aquarium of the Bay)

BY SID MARCH
Lesbian.com

What is more fascinating than the shimmering colors and mesmerizing creatures of the world beneath the water? San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay, accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) for its high quality of animal management and care, is home to more than 200,000 live creatures from sharks to eels, rays to jellies. Partnered with nonprofit sister organization The Bay Institute, the aquarium aims to educate, inspire, protect and restore the San Francisco Bay and its watershed, from the mountains to the sea.

Composed of a varied series of experiences and exhibits, Aquarium of the Bay offers a fascinating bay immersion. Visitors can start at “Discover the Bay” where they are introduced to local marine life and Bay Area ecosystems while getting a peek at some of the bay’s most vibrant creatures. Next, visitors move to the iconic “Under The Bay” tunnel, surrounded by over 700,000 gallons of bay water. From a rainbow of rockfish to giant octopi, the awe-inspiring journey through the tunnel is like gliding deep below the surface of the Bay itself. For an even more up close and personal interaction, “Touch the Bay” allows visitors to meet tide pool invertebrates, leopard sharks and bat rays as well as snakes, turtles and tortoises.

Surreal underwater beauty, a sea nettle. (Photo courtesy Aquarium of the Bay)

The aquarium also provides educational tours that include observing shark, ray, skate and fish feedings as well as participating in hands-on pH and oxygen testing. With their strong emphasis on conservation and education, the aquarium even provides teachers with free lesson plans and workshops to to bolster their knowledge of the biology and ecology of the Bay Area.

Situated next to the world famous PIER 39 and historic Fisherman’s Wharf, an afternoon at the aquarium is an exciting way to learn about local marine life and explore the prized treasure that is the San Francisco Bay.

Learn more at AquariumOfTheBay.org

Want to visit? We’re giving away tickets! Enter the contest right here on Lesbian.com

The post Explore and restore with San Francisco’s Aquarium of the Bay first appeared on Lesbian.com.

When “The Real World” returns to San Francisco this January, there’s an added twist: The housemates will be paired up with an ex. So instead of seven strangers, living in a house, it’s 14 all-too-familiar faces. The resident lesbian couple is Arielle and Ashley, and we have some intel on them for you from the press release that just came out:

Read more at After Ellen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team.

The post Lesbian exes featured on ‘Real World: Ex-plosion’ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Anna Anthropy’s game is among the fun you’ll find at the convention.

BY NICOLE SCHULTZ
AfterEllen

GaymerX will be making history next month as the first gaming convention with a focus on queer geek culture. The two day event promises fun, socializing, and gaming related education in the heart of San Francisco. Taking place at the Hotel Kabuki in Japantown, the convention will feature an expo space sponsored by LogoTV, Bosses of Honor (special guests), panels, cosplay, music and parties.

Read more at AfterEllen.com

AfterEllen is the pop culture site that plays for your team

The post GaymerX convention showcases queer geek culture first appeared on Lesbian.com.

San Francisco will get a taste of queer India this week as LGBT South Asians descend on the gay mecca for the fourth DesiQ Conference on July 4 – 6.

U.S. Indian power queers Gautam Raghavan and Mira Patel along with Urvashi Vaid and Surina Khan will be the highlight of the fourth DesiQ Conference in San Francisco.

Started in 1994, DesiQ brings together LGBT South Asians every five to seven years, say organizers.

Urvashi Vaid (Photo: Vassar College/John Abbott)

“The purpose of [DesiQ] is to show people that they have community and that we can build strong coalition to support one another and the causes that are important to us,” says Poonam Kapur, a volunteer on the marketing and steering committee of DesiQ, whose first conference was in 2006.

“It’s wonderful to be able to bring in the diverse array of beliefs, lifestyles [and] cultures that South Asia encompasses and to know that you are not alone,” she continues, pointing out that there are South Asian organizations throughout the U.S. and LGBT organizations in India and neighboring countries. “The biggest thing is to know that you have community anywhere and everywhere that you go.”

Gautam, a 31-year-old gay man, who is a public engagement advisor at the White House’s public engagement office and regularly advises the President on queer issues as the LGBT liaison, agrees.

“I always think it’s empowering to bring together a community with shared experiences and similar perspectives,” he says in an email interview with Girls That Roam. “It’s a great chance to learn from one another, share stories, and identify opportunities to work together; and hopefully leave inspired and hopeful about the future.”

Lucky seven

Seven years has brought many changes. In 2009, the Delhi High Court invalidated Section 377, a law from British rule that banned homosexuality. Since then there has been an emerging acceptance of LGBT individuals in some parts of India and Indian families around the world and India is chasing the pink dollar, according to queer Indians who spoke on a panel discussion in 2011.

In the U.S., queer Indians have had a major impact on the global LGBT movement within the State Department and President Barack Obama’s administration.

Gautam, who will open the conference on July 4, plans to highlight the work that is left to do in the LGBT movement in the U.S. and South Asia and the “the important role LGBT South Asian Americans can play,” he writes.

“We have lots of work left to do to ensure our communities are safe and free from discrimination in our homes, places of worship, and in the workplace,” says Gautam.

Mira, special adviser on the Secretary of State’s policy planning staff at the State Department, was instrumental in former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s historic United Nation’s speech that empowered queers worldwide with, “Gay rights are human rights,” speech and was a key player launching the State Department’s Global Equality Fund in 2011.

Mira, a gay woman, will speak at the gala on July 6.

At Saturday’s gala, Urvashi will be honored with an award and Surina will accept an award on behalf of the Ford Foundation. Urvashi, a longtime activist, attorney and author, will be honored with a Pink Peacock Award for her three decades of work toward equality for LGBT South Asians, in particular Trikone, and the wider queer community.

Surina, the director of gender rights and equality of the Ford Foundation, who is also a longtime activist for LGBT rights in the South Asian community, will accept the Community Partner Award on behalf of Ford Foundation. The foundation has been a longtime funder of LGBT rights, in particular in India and other South Asian countries.

Los Angeles-based performer D’Lo will emcee the gala and New York-based DJ Rekha will spin the Bhangra.

The spice of life

For nearly 20 years, DesiQ has been a source of activism and life changing experiences and friendships, say organizers.

“I’m just really excited,” says Poonam, a 34-year-old lesbian, about being introduced to a community of queer people that share traditions and similar ways of thinking like herself. “DesiQ was my first foray into our diverse South Asian queer community. It was an opportunity for me to feel understood and accepted.”

“I still feel the imprint of the amazing people I met, the workshops I attended and the inspiration of possibility I experienced,” continues Poonam. “Seven years [later] I look forward to going back and I look forward to growing my network of friends and fellow activists.”

Mads, a 40-year-old lesbian, agrees, adding that when she first discovered DesiQ and Trikone in 2000 she was new to the U.S., just coming out discovering herself and searching for community. More than a decade later, she has strong friendships that were made during her first DesiQ Conference.

Thirteen years later, the second wave of leaders, like Mads, and the movement has matured and this year’s conference reflects that change. This year’s conference will feature three tracks hosting more than 30 panel discussions.

The first track focuses on welcoming a new generation of Desi queer activists exploring coming out and creating community; the second track focuses on building a sustainable and global movement and personal health and well-being to marriage and creating families; and a third track will focus on South Asian queer arts and literature.

The conference will end with a Gala in Oakland.

“It’s always important to mark occasions,” says Mads, about the Gala. “South Asians, we have a good time partying. That’s what we do well.”

Getting serious, she points out that having a party allows people who aren’t interested in attending the conference to mingle and socialize with activists and to celebrate community leaders.

DesiQ is coordinated by a core group of nine members of Trikone, the oldest LGBT South Asian organization in the world that is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, with an estimated $100,000 operating budget, says Mads.

An estimated additional 20 volunteers will be working at the conference.

The conference is funded by the Arcus, Gill and Ford foundations with support from Gay Asian Pacific Alliance Foundation, Kaiser Permanente Pride, Boston Masala, KhushDC, SALGA-NYC, Satrang and Dr. Robert Owen at UCSF.

The conference is located at UCSF’s Mission Bay Campus, 600 16th St., San Francisco. Onsite registration for single day and full conference passes are available starting at $100 to $200. Student passes are available for $100.

The Gala is located at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland, 1547 Lakeside Dr., Oakland. Tickets are $75 online (until midnight on July 5) and at the door $100.

To volunteer or get more information, visit DesiQ.org or Trikone.org.

Originally published by the Bay Area Reporter.

The post LGBTQ South Asians gather in SF for DesiQ first appeared on Lesbian.com.

Celebrity chef Khristianne Uy, better known as Chef K (Photo: ABC/Adam Taylor)

BY JEANETTE OBALDIA
dot429

Eden Pride Events are known as some wild and crazy parties for LGBT women. As they gear up for this year’s festivities, they have expanded their horizons to giving back to LGBT youth at their first fundraiser, hosted by celesbian Chef Khristianne Uy. Uy, better known as Chef K, was the winner of ABC’s show “The Taste”; she was the first lesbian to appear on Bravo’s “Millionaire Matchmaker” and made several appearances on Showtime’s “The Real L Word.”

Their first event, titled Chef K Foodie Brunch, will take place during Eden’s very busy San Francisco Pride weekend on June 28. Bisou Bistro at 2367 Market Street in the Castro will be hosting the event, which will be from 11am to 3pm. 100 percent of the money raised will go to the foundation.

Tickets are available for purchase here.

Read more at dot429.com

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