Unicorn Plan-It Needs You, Like Really Really Needs You
Unicorn Plan-It Season 2 promises to be even more amazing/hilarious than Season 1. Are you ready for that much scissor-bumping? No, me neither, but I’m gonna get ready. There are new episodes just waiting on the other side of the imaginary line in the sand that separates reality from possibility! And that line is made of money. Also in Season 2 there’s going to be a lot of kittens, so.
Unicorn Plan-It will also be bringing on some exciting new guest stars, and unlike Glee, they won’t just write vague and confusing phrases on a whiteboard! One of the new faces you’ll see on Unicorn Plan-It is none other than Bruce Dern — you may know him as the father of Laura Dern, who is very pretty, or perhaps as a world-famous actor in his own right who’s appeared in over 80 feature films. And obvs there’s the fact that he was Frank in Big Love. (Probably his character in UPI will be a little different.)
But before you can revel in the glory that will be Season 2 of Unicorn Plan-It, it needs to exist. And it only has 7 days to raise the rest of the money it needs! So if you can, please donate. Do you really want to be in the position of letting down a unicorn? Or Ashley Reed, or Haviland Stillwell, or Sarah Croce? No, I didn’t think so.
Save Kate’s Joint: I Need My Buffalo Not-Wings
Stef’s Team Pick:
via yelp user Dani V.
Today’s team pick regards an urgent matter of delicious veggie burgers. Since 1996, vegetarian diner Kate’s Joint on Avenue B and E 4th St has been providing a safe haven for compassionate weirdos to get drunk and eat brunch at odd hours. I have been gratefully inhaling their mashed potatoes for years – Kate’s was even the site of our very first NYC Autostraddle Meetup Brunch (which was apparently so successful that two brunch-goers are currently dating). Suffice to say, this diner holds a very special place in my heart.
That said, the Lower East Side is becoming a massively expensive place to maintain a business, and it looks like Kate’s Joint will have to close unless they can raise $30,000 by the end of TODAY. Kate is even willing to throw in incentives for various sizes of donations, including cooking classes and a personalized four-course meal at your home. This seems overwhelming, but a lot of people have already donated and if everybody chips in what they can, it may be possible to eat glorious Buffalo Not Wings in peace this coming Sunday.
VIDEO: Unicorn Plan-It Season Two Is Coming, Get On It!
It feels like eons since we all gathered ’round the campfire to enjoy the Season One finale of the internet’s absolute favorite narrative lesbian webseries, Unicorn Plan-It.
Now Haviland, Sarah and Ashley are gearing up for a fantastic Season Two that guarantees to completely change your life, but they need your help to make it happen! They’ve made you a little video on this topic, but first a little rundown on the show:
UNICORN PLAN-IT is a tight little comedy best described as Modern Family meets Kell on Earth meets “a bunch of hot lesbians in West Hollywood.” Has anyone made a show about that last one?
Three co-workers, one crazy boss and one enlightened fairy-tale-haired spiritual healer face the slings and arrows of everyday life as event planners and ladykillers and homosexuals.
This show is written, directed, produced and edited by Real Lesbian Females who want to make you laugh, make you proud of who you are and generally make your life better in every way. Who are these real lesbian females?
As usual, the fantastic cast includes Haviland Stillwell (TV/Broadway actress, recording artist, vlogstar, voice of Yasmin in THE BRATZ!), Sarah Croce (Actress, Miss April, Girl Talk, Fake-Whitney), Ashley Reed (writer, upcoming film HART’S LOCATION, once recorded a song for you), and comedian Sherri D. Sutton.
For Season Two, film-master K. Rocco Shields of Wingspan Pictures is joining the team as Director and Editor!
If you wanna dream a little dream of Unicorns, you should check out their Indie-a-go-go page and watch this video, edited by the aforementioned K. Rocco Shields.
If you contribute to Unicorn Plan-It’s fundraising campaign, there are heaps of fantastic prizes in store, including a role on the show, a Skype call with the cast, product placement for your brand or a personalized music video just for you (or another lucky lady in your life). Go now, go!
Help Kickstart Our New Webseries, WORDS WITH GIRLS!
Hello friend. You might remember me from this very website. Sometimes I talk about how much I love comedy and sometimes I talk about how television shows could do a lot better. As much as I love to complain while not doing anything to change the way things are, I put that aside to create a new webseries, WORDS WITH GIRLS that will air right here on Autostraddle.com. But first, I need your help!
My next web series shall be called "Brittani With Pizza"
We have 25 days to raise the funds needed to shoot the rest of Season One for the soon-to-be hit webseries WORDS WITH GIRLS. Since the best way to come out to most of your family is via webseries, I’m in it! And so is Lauren Neal whom you might recognize from our Get Fit posts! And guess who’s directing? None other than Sarah Croce! You can read all about the premise behind the show on the Kickstarter Page when you go there to donate because you’re a champion.
A familiar face perhaps?
Back in February I ate a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and called in a few favors in order to shoot the first episode so you could know what you have to look forward to once we raise the money. That means you can watch the first episode below!
If you want more of WORDS WITH GIRLS all in your business, please donate! Tell your friends! Tell your family! Tell your wealthy friends that were going to do something silly like buy a boat!
For updates on the fundraising status and to stay abreast (heh heh) of goings on with the project, “like” us on Facebook, and check in on our Tumblr!
DONATE and I promise never to use this many exclamation points in a post again!
“Wastelander Panda” is Created by Gay Women and Also About a Panda
Carmen’s Team Pick:
If you’re in Australia, you already know what “Wastelander Panda” is. Or if you really paid attention to Jezebel.
Wastelander Panda Prologue from Epic Films on Vimeo.
In case the word “panda” didn’t pique your interest, there’s also the summary of the film, which goes like this:
The sky has collapsed and chaos reigns. There is only one panda left on Earth and this is his story. He travels through the wasteland in the live-action tale to avenge his brother’s death with the help of a young girl.
Also, the hopefully-soon-to-be webseries was written, directed, and produced by women (2 of whom are dating, which is both predictable and adorable), so now you just have to help make it happen. Gay women making anything about cute animals is so you! Just ask the person who writes the Sunday Funday. (It’s me.)
But in order to make this story happen – in order to bring “Wastelander Panda” into your life in full – the filmmaker and her crew need some monetary support. They’re using the Australian version of Kickstarter, Pozible, to raise a total of 20,000 AU dollars within the next 7 days.
Not to mention today is Pandathon – a 24-hour streaming session focused on fundraising:
On March 7th, from midnight to midnight, Adelaide time, we’ll be holding a Pandathon, where the Wastelander Panda crew will stay up for 24 hours to raise money for the project.
There will be live streaming from Epic HQ, hourly updates and giveaways, Q&A sessions and public appearances by Arcayus the panda.
If you want to tune in, add us on Twitter: @epicfilmsAUS
or join our Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/epicfilmsAUS
If you have a lot of money to give, you might be lucky enough to get a “Wastelander Panda” hoodie, which I want. But even if not – every dollar helps, and every dollar earns you the ability to say you were involved with what is possibly the most fuzzy, adorable, and unique thing to hit this Earth since my own dog. Can you really say no to that face?
Get These Playing Cards, Support Feminist Artists & Musicians
Alex’s Team Pick
I love Kickstarter. It’s the reason we have Unicorn Plan-It. It’s the reason this documentary about our second-class citizenship will exist. Kickstarter even indirectly gave rise to similar crowd-sourcing websites like PledgeMusic, which allows bands/musicians to raise money for their music-related projects (like my band – we’re trying to raise money to convert our tour bus to run on waste vegetable oil… but more on that later! #shamelessplug).
So this is the moment of the post where I bring your attention to a project that you may want to support the existence of: Feminist Playing Cards!
Feminist Playing Cards is the latest project of Homoground, a music website that promotes visibility for minority musicians. The deck will feature custom illustrations of 52 feminist musicians drawn by 14 feminist artists. Be sure to watch the video to see a few samples of the artists’ work.
I think it’s a cool idea, obviously, and a good way to support these artists/illustrators, musicians, and this queer podcast that could.
There are plenty of pledging tiers to choose from, but $20 gets you a deck. Sure, $20 is a lot of a normal deck of cards, but this isn’t your grandmothers deck of cards. For something this unique, this cool, and that supports our people, I think it’s worth it. I pledged like a million days ago, get with it guys.
//
Feminist Playing Cards on Kickstarter
Homoground Queer Podcast
Alex needs your help to get her band’s tour bus running on waste vegetable oil
The Slope: How Being a Jerk Helps You Win Friends and Influence Lesbians
You think you’re funny? You probably are. Do you have your own web series? Probably not. But these girls do. And it’s f*cking hilarious.
Ingrid Jungermann and Desiree Akhaven are the stars and creators of The Slope, a web series about “superficial, homophobic lesbians” in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Their decidedly un-PC approach to narrow-minded stereotypes is a satirical stroke of genius. With its witty commitment to shallow behaviour, The Slope is a refreshing reminder of how easy it is to become self-righteous in our minority status.
Did I mention there’s also a really cute dog? Of course there is. I just had to find out more, so I asked Ingrid and Desiree a few questions about their dog and their Slope project. And eating kittens.
How did the concept for The Slope develop?
Desiree: I had to make a film for my directing class, but I kept hanging out with Ingrid instead of doing my work. Finally I was bitching about homework-induced stress so much that Ingrid shut me up by suggesting we film our conversation and hand it in.
Working with your partner can sometimes be a challenge, especially if one is a lot better at something than the other. Do fights ever erupt on set, or do you bottle it up until small issues twist themselves into festering knots of bitter resentment?
D: I don’t find this to be a problem for us at all. As you said, one is usually a lot better at something than the other, and when that happens you take a back seat and allow that person to do their thing. For better or worse, I happen to be disgustingly good at making 4-5 minute long videos for the Internet. I think Ingrid understands that and lets me do my thing, which is what makes her such a great collaborator.
Ingrid: I’m a fan of bitter resentment, so whatever I can do to make that happen when we shoot, I do. Like if Desiree is being too friendly, I try to turn the conversation into something hurtful. And then I make her feel like it was her fault to begin with because I like when people feel bad for me. Anything to make them like me more, even if their fondness is inspired by guilt.
Is it fair game to steal each other’s jokes? Or, as lesbians tend to do, have you merged into a single entity and are therefore only capable of thinking collectively?
D: Ingrid and I have completely different jokes and would never steal each other’s. No way. It would completely throw people off. My jokes are incredibly intelligent and also quite nuanced, while Ingrid plays more with the everyman/ lowest common denominator sensibility, so it would be very confusing if we messed with that delicate balance.
I: Whatever Desiree answered for this, I agree. Her words are mine.
How have people reacted to the first season? Are you getting a lot of flak from the lesbian community?
I: We’ve only gotten support. People have told us that talking about the things we discuss is refreshing. I feel like any couple – no matter where they land on the sexuality spectrum – all have the same relationship issues – who’s better looking, who’s the more masculine or feminine, who deserves more attention.
What is the gayest thing you’ve ever done?
D: Attending Smith College for four years.
I: The first time I slept with a woman was pretty gay.
What are your goals as filmmakers? How does the intersection of politics and humour influence your art?
D: Honestly, my only goal is to get shit out of my head. When I started seeing Ingrid, it was the first serious same-sex relationship I’d ever been in, and the longer we were together the more I became aware of an entirely new identity I was expected to adopt as my own. I like to call attention to whatever makes me uncomfortable by making fun of it, and that is what The Slope is to me: a heightened self-awareness of all my worst qualities and putting all the taboo unspeakable thoughts that run through my head about being gay on the table.
I: Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about teaching along with making films. My goals as a filmmaker have now become more about my goals as a person. I want to connect to people, share my experiences in hopes that they will matter to someone other than me. When I was young, films about and by women really inspired me and gave me a sense of strength, so my goal is one day to give that back to someone else. Politics takes itself too seriously. It’s just asking to be made fun of.
Is that really your dog? Has he ever eaten a kitten, intentionally or by accident?
D: Zeke is Ingrid’s life partner. They’ve been together for twelve years! He has never eaten a kitten, no. But I have. And it was no accident.
Check out all eight episodes of The Slope and, if you believe in keeping the internet hilarious, consider donating to The Slope Kickstarter Project! Ingrid and Desiree are trying to raise enough money for a second season by Dec. 16, which is clearly a thing that should happen. Funny lesbians, we need you. The world needs you.
Images by Sarah Deragon.
New Webseries: Newtown Girls
Have you heard about The Newtown Girls? It’s an upcoming 8-part webseries about queer girls in Newtown. What and where is Newtown? DeAnne Smith once wrote a column about the lesbians there. You should read it, it’s funny.
The Newtown Girls is being funded through Kickstarter and the project needs your support! As a girl who has spent her adult life living in the Newtown area, I’d really love to see it succeed. Here’s a video message from the cast explaining the series and why you should get behind it.
The Newtown Girls’ Kickstarter campaign is currently $1,700 short of reaching its target. So if you wanna see this webseries happen, visit the Kickstarter page and give what you can. Donors who pledge amounts of $25 or more will receive neat thank you gifts like autographed cast photos, dinner with the actors, and more.
SIGNIFIED Continues the Conversation on Queer Spaces
I don’t really know how many times you’re allowed to show up to an event or comment about it on the Internet before it starts to weird people out. Right now, with SIGNIFIED, I’m probably somewhere between there and that step where you start making your own merch for them and selling it at their events. It’s not that I’m obsessed, it’s just that I’m really fucking excited.
I talked about SIGNIFIED last week in anticipation its arrival in DC for two screenings followed by discussion led by its creators, Anna Barsan and Jessie Levandov. In case you missed us discussing this last time, or the time before that, let me briefly refresh you. SIGNIFIED is a webseries and multi-platform documentary project depicting a diversity of individuals who have recognized it as their right and their calling to have a voice in the queer community and in communities outside of that. Moved by their own experiences, as well as the experiences of others, they are individuals whose worlds have failed to reflect and represent their identities and lives, and who have decided to take their voices into their own creative hands. SIGNIFIED highlights the value of art and creation in activism; it’s about the compulsory need to TALK ABOUT IT. Whatever it is. Because, for an artist, no statement or sentiment will ever be as true as that moment when you’re making art about it.
signified interviewees, climbing poetree, doing just that. via climbingpoetree.com
Barsan and Levandov spent last weekend with their film in DC, and although I originally planned to attend only the first screening, the moment I stepped into the first venue, it was clear that I had to stay as involved as possible with this project while it was in town.
Because, you see, there’s something to be said about physical space. Theoretically, I understand that queer people are everywhere; they have to be, especially in big cities. But most of the ‘mos I’ve encountered while living in DC for the past three years have more or less been quiet queers or party lesbians. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! I definitely find myself in both of those categories from time to time, but truth be told, I’ve struggled to find strong, self-assured, unapologetic young queer people (and especially queer women) who have found it within themselves to come out, and who have also kept their queer identities relevant in their everyday lives. People who realize that it’s not wrong to still be struggling, and that being proud doesn’t end with your rainbow phase.
Look at all these cool people watching this cool film. Don't you just want to know them all? Via thisissignified.com
And those are the people who I saw and met at SIGNIFIED. Individuals who are out, but who still know that there’s much, much more to discuss. People who understand (or who aren’t afraid of not understanding) their difference and the significance of their experience. Individuals who affirm difference as defiant but not as wrong. And most importantly, individuals who understand that meeting other individuals with a similar worldview is something big.
That’s the beautiful thing about SIGNIFIED — the creators and the project are living what they’re talking about. Barsan and Levandov interview people who sought to create space and to give voices, and in turn, with their documentary, they go and create those spaces themselves. It’s a process that feeds into itself, and it’s a mission that’s true to itself as well. As Brooklyn Boihood founder Genesis Tramaine says in her interview, creating spaces for ourselves is self-care. And that’s a reason that SIGNIFIED – as well as all of its interview participants – is so important. Because no one else is going to create those spaces for us. Because anyone who has struggled with identity knows that it’s hard to believe that you exist until you see yourself reflected somewhere else. We are stronger than we know because we can create this space. We can be seen in the way that we want. That’s real.
As a person who finds her activism in writing, I’ve always worried about being pigeonholed as an LGBT niche journalist. I was worried that the things I would have to talk about and the events and issues I would cover would dwindle down until I was left alone sleeping on a pile of irrelevant newspaper clippings (do newspaper clippings even still exist?) with a faded ‘You Do You’ sticker on my laptop. But it’s becoming increasingly clear that that won’t be the case. Because the conversation isn’t over. It’s not even anywhere close to ending. Despite the ‘gay agenda’ being moved forward via legislation, identity is becoming even more relevant. As we move closer to a world where gay people are legally considered equal, it becomes more and more important to assert our difference and to demand respect for our various identities. Because there is nothing wrong with them! There’s no reason to be ashamed. That’s why we should get to have the same things. Because yes, we’re different, but we’re not wrong.
the auto-family also makes me feel this way
SIGNIFIED, as well as the conversations it has and the spaces it creates, is important because it reminds us that activism exists in every day living. As in, sometimes existing is the biggest tool in activism that we have. That’s the thing about visibility — it makes existing easier. Because for some people, coming out to themselves is as loud and as powerful and as earth-shattering as occupying Wall Street.
We have every right to feel that way, we have every right to feel significant, and hearing that from someone else is just fuckin’ cool, you know?
SIGNIFIED’s next event will be a panel discussion at the New School in New York on Sunday, November 20. Help support the project and keep these two rad independent artists going here.
Allison Weiss Wants To Do It Again, Needs Your Help, Is Adorable
Intern Grace’s Team Pick
Hello, internet! Do you know Allison Weiss? If you like indie-folk-pop-rock music or have a Tumblr or have a thing for alternative lifestyle haircuts, you probably know how awesome she is. 
As of right now, Allison Weiss has released one EP and one full-length album, both of which are suitably epic and endearing. But the time has come for something new, which can only mean one thing: a Kickstarter project.
She has a Kickstarter to raise money to fund her new album. It’s off to a good start, but $12,000 is a lot of moneys. Making an album is expensive, kittens!
The video that’s posted on Kickstarter is basically the epitome of what makes Allison Weiss so great: Besides being wildly talented, she’s charming and clever and completely down to earth. All of her professional success has come from straight-up hard work and self-promotion, and there’s a lot to be said for that. She’s the kind of person you would want to get pizza with at 3 o’clock in the morning, I think.
Even the rewards for backing it are pretty spectacular/adorable. They range from a simple “thanks” and access to updates to personal mix CDs to shout-outs at shows. My favorite is the Prom Date:
“I never went to my own prom so if this isn’t awkward, maybe you could take me to your prom. I’ll also play an acoustic pizza party show for you and your friends before the prom. I will wear a dress or a tux, whichever you prefer, but you have to buy me dinner and I can’t spend a ton of money on the clothes. If you’re too old for prom maybe you could arrange a fake prom? I don’t know but this is really awkward.”
ALSO if you back this project, you can hear the new version of the AW classic “I Was An Island,” and for real, after hearing it, I don’t know if I can even listen to the original anymore. It’s just so good, you guys.
In conclusion, if this doesn’t happen for whatever reason, I will cry real tears.
SIGNIFIED: Coming to a (Small, Community-Oriented) Theater Near You!
We talk about documentaries a lot here on Autostraddle, and that’s for a good reason. Documentaries, in a way, are our new oral tradition. It’s passing down stories, but with more technology. It’s storytelling, because often, the best stories are entirely non-fictional. They keep cultures and ideas alive for the people who live within them, and they bring cultures and ideas to life for people who have never heard of them. In a culture where history is dictated by the victor and smaller communities are often erased from mainstream dialogue, oral tradition is a way to keep stories going.
SIGNIFIED is the series so nice, we’re talking about it twice. The project is a multi-platform, rad-as-fuck film series brought to you by Brooklyn-based artists/educators Anna Barsan and Jessie Levandov, which Riese first mentioned back in August when the duo was doing their official launch in NYC. Now the series is coming to Washington, D.C. (!), with not one, but two screenings. The first is this Friday, November 11 at Columbia Heights’ Bloombars, and the second is on Sunday, November 13 at The DC Center, a super-awesome U Street community space for queer resources.
SIGNIFIED creators and subjects at the series launch in new york, via Signified on Facebook
Of course, if you can’t make the screenings, you can also watch the series here.
And it’s not finished. The last time we talked about SIGNIFIED, they were celebrating the launch of Season 1. Now the season has wrapped, and they’re looking forward to Season 2. And that’s perhaps one of the best parts about the series — it’s an ongoing project that gives you an ongoing opportunity to participate an become engaged on any level. The SIGNIFIED website features not only the video profiles, but also a list of educational resources, as well as information about the Salon, an ongoing interactive workshop that brings the conversation to a physical space. Like many independent artists, much of their funding comes from community support. You can pledge that support on their project page here.
SIGNIFIED is important because it’s something queer, just like you! It’s a thoughtful, intelligent and accessible take on queerness as a culture, as a history, as theory and as art. It reflects the way in which queer communities have shaped and sustained themselves — through storytelling, shared experience and action. If we can’t have conversation, then we can’t have progress. If we ignore our history, we can’t have a future. Knowing what came before us is more than just avoiding the mistakes of the past, it’s contributing to a richer living of the present. So come have the conversation, okay?
Just in case you forgot what the trailer looks like:
And, if that’s not enough convincing for you, the duo’s first interview and most recent episode features the rad individuals of Bklyn Boihood.
Cool? Cool. See you there.
Help Fund Queer Film! Track Meet: A Girl-Meets-Girl Story
Whitney’s Team Pick:
Track Meet: A Girl-Meets-Girl Story is a film in progress by screenwriter Daniel Kim and Leslie Kwon — it features a queer interracial relationship between Jackie (played by Christine Ahanotu) and ex-smoker Kate (played by Dawn Collet) and, according to the film’s name, takes place on a (somewhat symbolic) circle of running track.
Why should you care? Right now Track Meet: A Girl-Meets-Girl Story is raising money through a Kickstarter project — the crew is trying to raise $500 to go toward camera equipment and other production and post-production costs. So far the film has raised $205, and the project only has a few days left!
Judging from the trailer, the project is ambitious and runs on a tense, tightly coiled, dream-like atmosphere. In an email to Autostraddle, Kwon describes the film as an “examination of the potentially destructive nature of all relationships … The entire story is meant to feel kind of the way one would reflect on a particularly tragic relationship post-break-up,” she said.
The synopsis of the Track Meet on its Kickstarter project page describes the film best:
Kate, a smoker, decides it’s time to get back in shape. She goes to a track field but is distracted by another runner, Jackie. The chase ensues. The film presents the innocent beginning of their relationship while implying, through some darker imagery, their sexual connection and foreshadowing their future power dynamic. We’re using a dreamy, eerie mood with intense close-ups of lips, sweat and blood.
Kim and Kwon, both Korean Americans working out of Brooklyn, NY, are particularly interested in “representing minority demographics without nodding to the gimmicks or two-dimensionality that mainstream culture often over-uses,” says Kwon. Kwon is also planning to submit the film to various LGBTQA film festivals, including QFest, NewFest and the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival once the film is complete.
Check out the trailer, the Kickstarter page and Track Meet’s official webpage to see if you can contribute to this indie film — if you pledge money to Track Meet, you’ll get access to goodies like an invitation to Track Meet’s screening party, copies of the finished DVD and mini-posters and the satisfaction of knowing that you helped out an indie (queer, minority) film project.
The Vagina Lady From ‘The Real L Word’ Wants You
Jess’s Team Pick
Remember this amazing individual? The one who refereed the Creamed Corn Wrestling Match of 2010 on Showtime’s The Real L Word dressed in costume as a lifesize vagina, totally baffling Rosie O’Donnell? Well! Turns out she’s got some other items on her resume and is actually a Cuban-American filmmaker named Anna Margarita Albelo (aka Anna LaChocha) looking to raise funds to produce her first feature fiction project, Who’s Afraid of Vagina Wolf, set to shoot later this year.
Inspired by her lifelong passion for the classic, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, Albelo’s semi-autobiographical film centers on the day after a filmmaker’s (Albelo, playing herself) 40th birthday, realizing she’s sacrificed her love life for her film career, decides to embark on an all-female adaptation of the classic.
What’s in it for you:
The film was written by Michael Urban, screenwriter of the modern classic Saved! and stars a slew of celesbians you likely know and love, including: Tammy Lynn Michaels, Whitney Mixter, Bridget McManus, and Guinevere Turner.
Albelo is hoping to raise $25,000 by Saturday, July 23 (as of today she’s at $8,000). SO! If you’d like to see the film making the rounds at the LGBT film festivals this time next year, be a giver and donate a few bucks to make the vagina lady’s dream come true.
[yframe url=’https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9GuCnzpMnE’]
Hollaback! Wants to Help You Help Everyone
Carmen’s Team Pick:
Remember that time you were walking down the street in your high-waisted blue shorts and some dude just started yelling advances at you? Or that time you were with your friends and a grown man put his hands on you and pulled you toward him? Or maybe the time you were alone on the metro going to your internship and a 30-something asked you to be his wife and where you were going and could he come?
Did anyone say anything?
Street harassment is an epidemic that I am confident you’re familiar with, even if you don’t call it by that name. It’s men calling you “shorty” when you walk by and whistling at you when you’re just trying to get Starbucks. Or being groped, touched, or otherwise harassed on the red line when you’re only two stops from home and you just don’t get why being a chick sometimes means dealing with these assholes.
Hollaback! encourages anyone facing street harassment to report it and map it via a mobile device.
Hollaback! has been expanding the movement to end street harassment since last summer, when I hopped on board for their national launch and helped them to reach the social media universe. I wanted to be a part of something that would end one of the shittiest experiences I have as a woman in an urban environment. Being a woman shouldn’t have consequences. And no matter how you’re dressed, or where you are, you should feel safe there.
Originally, Hollaback! started by mapping street harassment on digital maps that updated in real time. They collected stories and published them. They proved that street harassment was a real problem. But after reading through the stories, Emily May, founder of Hollaback!, realized that over 15% of them talked about the “bystander effect.” People don’t intervene. Sometimes, people actually leave when they witness street harassment. They are launching the “I’ve Got Your Back” campaign in reaction, to show bystanders how to intervene and to celebrate when they do. Hollaback! wants to build a world where we all have each other’s backs.
The Green Dot program, which is partnering with Hollaback! for this particular campaign, is an excellent bystander intervention training program that delineates and breaks down the steps to successful bystander intervention and empowers attendees to become more active bystanders. Because change doesn’t come from one person doing everything, it comes from all of us doing something. And if we all spoke up — and if we all had each other’s backs — we might find ourselves participating in a culture where street harassment doesn’t exist, because we don’t allow it to. We have that power, but only if we work together.
You can get involved by donating to their Indie GoGo campaign.
Lindsay’s Team Pick: Photographer Alix Smith’s “States of Union”
Alix Smith is a totally amazing lesbian photographer from New York who is currently trying to finish a rad and important project that is relevant to our interests. “States of Union” is a series of color portrait photographs depicting same-sex families throughout the United States. In order to complete the project, Alix is trying to take more photographs in states not typically perceived as being ‘gay-friendly,’ including New Mexico, Arizona, Oklahoma, Alabama, Alaska, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Georgia, Virginia, Wyoming, Washington and pretty much all of them.
“I think having geographical diversity in my project is important not only to give these couples a voice, but also show viewers that the gay community comes in all shapes and sizes and exists in every community and is not exclusively on the east and west coasts,” Alix wrote in an e-mail to us. “Politicians will always vote with their constituents opinions, because they don’t want to loose their jobs – so I think real change comes from starting at the bottom and changing the constituents viewpoint. The more the world is permeated with images of loving and committed same-sex couples and families, the harder it will be for same-sex relationships to be considered ‘other.'”
Not only is the project ambitious and vital, but it’s well-executed. The photos are gorgeous and even the posed, portrait-style ones feel intimate. Alix has even found a famous fan in Sir Elton-freakin’-John, who has bought some of the States of Union photographs for his private collection.
But this isn’t about the rich and famous, natch; this is about telling the everyday stories of everyday queer families trying to do that which queer families do. And, if more people see these photos and these stories, perhaps, as Alix writes, people who see the photographs will recognize that family is family and same-sex families will have a better shot at the ‘American Dream.’
Alix has four days to raise about $25,000 to finish the project. We can help! Even if you’re skint, please help spread the word about her Kickstarter campaign and be a hero!
And check out more amazing photos from States of Union at Alix’s website.
Help Kick Start Autostraddle’s New Web Series, UNICORN PLAN-IT, with Haviland Stillwell, Sarah Croce & Ashley Reed!
Sarah Croce, Ashley Reed and Haviland Stillwell are coming together to create Autostraddle’s first scripted web series which will make you laugh at them, make you proud of who you are, and generally… make your life better, in every way.
The new show is called UNICORN PLAN-IT and they need YOUR help within the next 21 days to ensure it is absolutely amazing! The three girls will be writing, producing, acting, directing and editing the comedy series shot in the style of Modern Family and revolving around a group of co-workers (and some co-lovers) in the glamourous/ridiculous gay girl world of Hollywood.
Donate on their KickStarter page and be bestowed eternal gratitude in the form of:
– a thank you shout out on twitter & facebook!
– a signed cast photo!
– skype video chat with the cast!
– a walk on cameo!
– VIP invite to the private wrap party and pictures of you with the cast!
Other actors attached (and more to be added!) include Sherri D. Sutton, Amir Levi, Malcolm Devine, Rachel Diana, and cameos from your favorite celesbians and straight people who want in on the action – we don’t discriminate!
For updates on the fundraising status be sure to follow @unicornplanit, @misshaviland, @smcroce and @busterreed.
Lindsay’s Team Pick: The Encyclopedia of Gratitude
Mama said there’d be days like this. Days where you’re behind on your bills, various unpleasant obligations are piling up around you, your relationships (or lack thereof) have all boarded the Failboat and to top it all off, you have mono. And sometimes, you just need a pick-me-up that doesn’t involve kittens or overly saccharine sentiments. For those who want that warm, fuzzy feeling with sincerity but without the gross, Chicken Soup For The Soul-evoking feeling after, there is an alternative.
Meet your new favorite emergency happiness Tumblr, the Encyclopedia of Gratitude.
According to the website, crimefighter-by-day-author-by-night Erich Origen got the idea for the Encyclopedia while working on his last book, the also awesomely-named graphic novel The Adventures of Unemployed Man. ‘I spent a lot of time dressed up in orange spandex as Unemployed Man, listening to the stories of the struggling and out of work from California to the New York islands,’ he writes. ‘I myself was also struggling—and becoming more aware of the things I was truly grateful for.’
His goal is to fill the encyclopedia with 365 reasons to be grateful — and he’s got more than 100 so far on the blog. And they range from the silly and whimsical (‘People Who Earn A Living Wearing A Costume For Our Amusement,’ ‘The Call of A Giraffe’) to the pop-culture-referencing (Elton John & Bernie Taupin, ‘Dancing In The Street,’ Morris Buttermaker & Refusing to Win At All Costs), from the easily-overlooked things (Apples, Glass, All The Nice Stuff You Bought When You Had Money) to the intangible and profound (Friends You Can Call At 2 A.M., Personal Landmarks, Shared Experiences). See? Just from this list alone, I can see you getting a hint of a smile. Start reading some posts, and I guarantee it will turn into a full-on grin.
Also, if you heart this as much as we do, you can help Erich get the book published by supporting the project on Kickstarter.
[Thanks to the good people at GOOD for making us aware of this magical project.]
Carmen’s Team Pick: Becoming Visible
Hey, when was the last time someone told your story? (Tegan and Sara don’t count.) No, really, think about the last time someone tried to preserve, in a historical context, the countless and varied experiences of any queer population. Ok and when was the last time you thought about how transgender youth are the fastest growing homeless population in New York City? Because I feel like this is important and worth talking about, and I bet you do, too.
Josh Lehrer began Becoming Visible, a photography project based in portraiture, to tell those stories. Since he says it better, the project’s mission statement kind of sounds a little like this:
Bring faces out from the shadows by placing them front and center in my portraits. Many homeless transgender teens have been traumatized by the loss of their families, their homes and often, their dignity. I will use lovingly produced photographs as a way to help heal some of the pain caused by all of that loss and create images that reveal their humanity. A humanity that we can share and connect to.
To describe the photographs as anything but “loving” would be a disservice to Lehrer’s goals and passion. The NY Times spotlighted his work in 2009, when the project began, and I quote:
Josh Lehrer, 45, has been chronicling a minority that is still about as invisible as they come: homeless, transgender teenagers. He has been laboriously bringing their lives to light in a project he calls “Becoming Visible,” a series of 80 16-by-20-inch cyanotype portraits, each one of a kind.
Mr. Lehrer, a commercial photographer based in Manhattan, said he began last fall to look for ways to harness his visual imagination and technical skills to some social purpose. “I wanted to be of more value,” he said in an interview this week. “I wanted to be of service in some way.” When he learned from city officials that the fastest growing segment of homeless youth were transgender teenagers, he knew he had a subject.
In order to produce a new installment of Becoming Visible and expand the project, Lehrer recently launched a fundraising campaign. The Becoming Visible Kickstarter page is running for another 18 days. That means you hardly have time to pledge away as much as possible! To make it even more fun for you, the rewards for giving are awesome: stamps featuring the photos, handwritten poems, etc. It’s a dream come true for everyone! Really! Double, triple, maybe even QUADRUPLE YAY! And even if you can’t give, telling friends and spreading the word would guarantee a success for Lehrer and his truly unique project.
So yeah, that’s what I thought. I know you’re sold. Go tell your friends and go open your hearts, and maybe your wallets (pretty please? – and I don’t usually ask for things you know), to this project. Go forth and make change. You get to be a part of a really big picture now.
Rachel’s Team Pick: Shakedown
I realize Riese already teampicked a Kickstarter movie, but the fact of the matter is that Kickstarter is made for our kind – hungry queers who make their living begging strangers for money on the internet so they can make art. Shakedown is a documentary about a black lesbian strip club in Los Angeles, and they need your money to make it happen because there’s no way in hell anyone is going to go out of their way to make it easy for them to tell the stories of the women in this documentary.
Give what you can, tell your friends even if you can’t right now.
Riese’s Team Pick: Kickstart “Pariah”
Wanna see a good movie about queers? SUCH A THING EXISTS.
Dee Rees, an NYU film school grad and Sundance Screenwriting & Directing Lab Fellow, produced “Pariah” as a short film in 2006 and it was screened at over 25 film festivals. Now they’re making it into a full-length feature to debut at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival and they need your help to make it happen. There’s only 10 days left to pledge support for their kickstarter campaign:
We’re almost there and just need to pay for our music clearances, sound mix, and help bring some of our fabulous cast out to the festival to help in the effort to bring the film to a theater near you. You’ve help us make it this far, please help us go a bit further and make our dreams come true.
Description:
At the club, the music thumps, go-go dancers twirl, shorties gyrate on the dance floor while studs play it cool, and adorably naive 17-year-old Alike takes in the scene with her jaw dropped in amazement. Meanwhile, her buddy Laura, in between macking the ladies and flexing her butch bravado, is trying to help Alike get her cherry popped. This is Alike’s first world. Her second world is calling on her cell to remind her of her curfew. On the bus ride home to Brooklyn, Alike sheds her baseball cap and polo shirt, puts her earrings back in, and tries to look like the feminine, obedient girl her conservative family expects. With a spectacular sense of atmosphere and authenticity, Pariah takes us deep and strong into the world of an intelligent butch teenager trying to find her way into her own. Debut director Dee Rees leads a splendid cast and crafts a pitch-perfect portrait that stands unparalleled in American cinema.
Trailer for the short:
Bonus: remember Chelsea from South of Nowhere, who for some reason I think dated Glen which was dumb. Anyhow, she’s in it and so is Keenan Ivory Wayan’s sister, Kim.