Let Pride Be Your Umbrella

Winnipeg's Pride March always featured lots of people waving rainbow flags of all sizes, carrying rainbow balloons, etc. But when I moved to Edmonton in 1998, I noticed that rainbow umbrellas were often the favourite accessory in Edmonton's Pride Parade. Edmontonians are a practical people -- definitely show your pride but there's no sense in getting wet if it rains, LOL!

Today is Edmonton's 2012 Pride Parade. (And yes, it's a rainy day!) This year's Grand Marshalls are the trustees of the Edmonton Public School Board. The EPSB recently enacted a comprehensive policy specifically designed to protect sexual minority students, families and staff from discrimination and bullying in public schools, a first for any school district in the prairie provinces. Yay EPSB!

The True Nature of Gaydar, Part 2

When I came out in the mid-80s, people were much less open about their sexual orientation than now. Today if I want to know whether someone is gay, I simply ask them. But in those days, you had to first use your learned gaydar skills to determine if it was safe to inquire or even hint at such matters. So if you hoped or suspected that cute woman over there might be a lesbian, what kind of indicators did gaydar scan for? Different gaydar clues were taught and learned by word of mouth from one lez to another, such as:

• short hair, no makeup
• short fingernails (an especially important clue, LOL!)
• a pinky ring (a traditional queer signal)
• feminist jewelry, like a woman's power symbol or a labrys
• plain and functional clothes, not lace or ruffles
• no use of specific gender terms when speaking of her significant other or friends
• in conversation, diverts attention away from herself to others so awkward questions cannot arise
• has a cat

None of these factors were determinative in and of themselves but the presence of several might be significant! Oh, the endless hours we spent trying to figure out who might or might not be a lesbian! It seems so silly now.

But of course, in some parts of the world, proficiency in the learned ways of gaydar is still a crucial survival skill.

The True Nature of Gaydar, Part 1

Is gaydar an inborn sixth sense or is it simply a learned skill? I've experienced it both ways in my life.

Long before I was consciously aware of being a lesbian, I unconsciously attracted several close friends who also proved to be latent gays and lesbians. Without being at all aware of our shared true natures, we were instinctively drawn to each other as friends. Our gaydar was like an inherent homing device, ferreting out others of our tribe before we even knew that we had a tribe! And ultimately, we all came out of the closet more or less at the same time.

Once I knew myself to be a lesbian, however, this instinctive gaydar faded and today only shows itself as an occasional intuitive feeling. After I was out, gaydar changed to being a practical and precise learned skill that I had to acquire to function in my new world.

More on that tomorrow!

Jesus Lover

No matter how many times I see this video, it makes me laugh out loud!

Yay for Progressive Christians!

It has been very encouraging over the years to see various Christian denominations undertake the difficult and often divisive work of affirming and embracing a new understanding of GLBTQ people. Here in Canada, the United Church and the Anglicans have led the way in this regard. Now, I have not been a believing or practising Christian for 35 years so personally I don't have a dog in this fight, so to speak, but I do understand what a profound journey it has been for these Christian churches to revise their views on human sexuality.

So if some of my funnies this month satirize narrow-minded and bigoted Christians, I am well aware that many other Christians exist who are allies of our community and who actively work for love, justice and inclusion. I salute them!

Important News Bulletin

*clackety-clack of teletypes in background* We interrupt our broadcast of Translesbigayapalooza programming to bring you this breaking news story live on air . . . .

Martha of Plowing Through Life has chosen She Who Seeks blog to receive her prestigious personal blog award for the month of June.

When contacted by our newsroom just minutes ago, Debra She Who Seeks thanked Martha for this special recognition and stated that she will be "greatly honoured to wear the mantle of Funkaliciousness for an entire month."

We now return to our regularly-scheduled program.

The Real Mad Men

Oh, who cares about gay Don Draper fantasies? Now, lesbian Joan Harris fantasies, that's another thing altogether. Switch for me, Joanie, switch for me!