Author Archives: listeninglisa

St. Teresa’s College denies venue for release of lesbian-themed novel

Ernakulam: The management of St. Teresa’s College, Ernakulam, has refused to allow the release of ‘Meenukal Chumbikkunnu,’ a novel themed on lesbian love, at the college auditorium saying that the event may ‘impact the minds of students.’

Continue reading at: St. Teresa’s College denies venue for release of lesbian-themed novel (Source)

The Lesbian Avengers 25 Years Later: “We Did It, And We Can Do It Again”

“It’s good to remember that activism works,” she tells me, “because everyone needs a sense of hope right now.” Cogswell and her former Lesbian Avenger cohorts are hopeful the exhibition will help reignite that DIY activist spark, and bridge the gap between the movement’s history and our current challenges.

Continue reading at: The Lesbian Avengers 25 Years Later: “We Did It, And We Can Do It Again” | NewNowNext (Source)

Lesbian teacher accused of politicizing classroom ‘100 percent cleared’

A school board investigation in Tampa Bay, Florida has cleared teacher Lora Jane Riedas-Chuchman, after a complaint that she banned Christian rosary beads and Make America Great Again hats, and discussed LGBTQ rights and related issues in her freshman math class at Riverview High School.

Continue reading at: #FakeNews: Another religious right claim of persecution just got debunked / LGBTQ Nation (Source)

Georgia: City honors life of first out lesbian Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner

Poster

Several hundred mourners gathered on Saturday to honor the life of the late Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner, who died of breast cancer on April 18. Garner was a beloved community figure and the first openly LGBT Fulton County Commissioner.

Garner made an impact in a variety of different communities and circles throughout her life, and speakers at the service at Ebenzer Baptist Church reflected on the legacy she left through her work in neighborhoods, as county commissioner, as an Atlanta intown activist, as a champion for those in need and her work in social justice and LGBT rights.

Continue reading at: City honors life of late Fulton County Commissioner Joan Garner (Source)

Knox County judge grants lesbian rights of ‘husband’ in Tennessee’s first same-sex divorce

K0014379283--732636

In the first ruling of its kind in the state, a Knox County judge has granted a woman the legal rights of a husband. The ruling comes despite a new law designed to prevent just such a result.

Continue reading at: Knox County judge grants woman rights of ‘husband’ in Tennessee’s first same-sex divorce (Source)

Four lesbian couples fight Tennessee law that could remove their parental rights

Katherine_Guthrie_Family_Tennessee

Four expecting lesbian couples have taken a stand against a new Tennessee law requiring all state legal codes to be interpreted with ‘natural and ordinary’ meanings.Much of the state’s law gives rights to husbands and wives or the father and mother of a child, so Tennessee could deny same-sex couples their parental rights by interpreting these terms ‘naturally and ordinarily’.

Continue reading at: Four lesbian couples fight Tennessee law that could remove their parental rights (Source)

Elaine Noble: The first lesbian state lawmaker

If you’re feeling hopeless with our current crop of legislators in Congress, consider Elaine Noble– the first out lesbian elected to state legislature– and be inspired.

Elaine Noble made US election history even before Maura Healey, Harvey, Milk, or Tammy Baldwin as she was elected as representative of the Boston district in the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1974.

Prior to this, no out lesbian (or gay man, for that matter), had won a state-level office. So when she did run for the position, she faced an overwhelming wave of homophobic threats.

Continue reading at: Elaine Noble: The first lesbian state lawmaker | Lesbian News (Source)

Philippines: Local police organize beauty pageant for lesbian cops, solution to ending discrimination

Organizers led by Eastern Police District Director Romulo Sapitula, hope that the contest would help end gender discrimination and show equality for members of the LGBT community in the police force.

The event featured a talent section, a casual wear segment, and a formal wear round, and was held at the Tanghalang Pasigueño in Pasig City Friday night.

Continue reading at: ‘Gwapulis Din’: Pageant for lesbian cops aims to end discrimination | ABS-CBN News (Source)

Colorado State Senate votes against re-appointment of lesbian Civil Rights Commission chair

In an 18-17 party-line vote, Republican members of the state Senate decided not to confirm her re-appointment by Gov. John Hickenlooper, which, according to The Denver Post, was originally recommended for approval by the Senate State Affairs Committee. For four years, Hess has served on the Civil Rights Commission, and currently acts as its chair.

Continue reading at: Colorado State Senate votes against re-appointment of lesbian Civil Rights Commission chair | The Wire (Source)

Honoring Del Martin, Lesbian Rights Pioneer

Sometimes you just want to fox-trot or cha-cha. Since it was often illegal for same-sex couples to dance together in public places in the 1950s, Del Martin and her partner, Phyllis Lyon, founded the Daughters of Bilitis, one of the first lesbian organizations in the United States, in 1955. But the DOB was much more than just a place to dance freely: In those dark days, it was a beacon of light, a refuge, and a bit of a miracle.

Continue reading at: Honoring Del Martin, Lesbian Rights Pioneer – Vogue (Source)

Jury: Univ. of Iowa discriminated against Jane Meyer, awards $1.4 million

Jane Meyer

A jury on Thursday awarded more than $1.4 million to a former University of Iowa athletic administrator, ruling that the university had discriminated against her because of her gender and sexual orientation. Jane Meyer alleged she suffered workplace discrimination as a gay woman in a relationship with the school’s longtime and highly successful field hockey coach Tracey Griesbaum, that the school retaliated against her for complaining about Griesbaum’s firing, and that she was paid less than a male counterpart for similar work.

Continue reading at: Jury: Univ. of Iowa discriminated against athletic official – StarTribune.com (Source)

Lesbian Herstory Archives – Brooklyn, New York

The women were also concerned about how difficult it was to get any information about lesbian history through traditional academic channels. Even when it could be found, the research process itself could be dehumanizing, requiring searching under categories like “deviant” and “abnormal.”

Continue reading at: Lesbian Herstory Archives – Brooklyn, New York – Atlas Obscura (Source)

Australia: Lesbian Told Her Relationship Isn’t Even De Facto At The Passport Office

In an email to Gould following a comprehensive complaint, an APO staff member acknowledged the Customer Service Charter had been breached and offered Gould an apology. “You have raised a number of issues in your email that speak to issues of training, diversity awareness and customer service across our organisation. It is clear from our dealings with you, that we did not manage these issues well,” he wrote.

Continue reading at: This Gay, Married Woman Was Told Her Relationship Isn’t Even De Facto At The Passport Office – BuzzFeed News (Source)

Lesbian couple reveal more about their Turkey detainment

Missing London couple

‘I thought we were not going to get out of [prison],’ said Rico. ‘They told me I could leave but she had to stay, and I said I wasn’t going without her.’

She described the treatment they received in jail as ‘unexpected, inhumane and horrible.’

She said that she hopes to marry Ismail, who is staying with her under a temporary visa issued by the Spanish government.

Continue reading at: Lesbian couple reveal more about their Turkey detainment (Source)

Why a harassed Indian lesbian couple going missing does not make news

What is most saddening is, thanks to social stigma, a story like this is more often than not swept the under the carpet. It is because of such entrenched stigma that a couple — who merely sought to give their relationship a name — has been missing for more than two months, and it hasn’t received any mainstream media attention.

Continue reading at: Why a harassed Indian lesbian couple going missing does not make news (Source)

Zimbabwean lesbian in asylum limbo for 15 years, stuck in Britain

Paradzai Nkomo’s emailed description of her situation is succinct and shocking. She is Zimbabwean and has been in Britain for 15 years. First her application for asylum was rejected and then her request to be deported home was also refused, leaving her stuck in limbo.“It’s difficult to integrate as I am not permitted to work. Conversation becomes repetitive because of not doing anything apart from looking out of a damp, drenched window day after day. Hiding malnutrition under borrowed clothes,” she writes. “A quest for freedom has now turned into a hellish nightmare. I feel as though death may be the only way out of this.”

Continue reading at: Asylum limbo: the woman who can’t stay in Britain, but can’t leave either | World news | The Guardian (Source)

Marquette withdraws offer for lesbian dean

Marquette

Nancy E. Snow, a philosophy professor who helped O’Brien hunt for houses in the area last month, said O’Brien’s work is not the real issue. “I think it’s all about her sexual orientation,” she told the newspaper.Snow called the withdrawal of an offer to O’Brien “a public disgrace and an embarrassment.”

“This is a travesty that will have long-term impact for our ability to retain and hire high quality faculty,” she said.

Continue reading at: Marquette withdraws offer for lesbian dean | News | wisconsingazette.com (Source)

India: Lesbian couple arrested for being in a relationship

The women told police there were in love and wanted to live together, despite knowing homosexual sexual activity is illegal under Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code.

Continue reading at: Lesbian couple flee after their families try to break them up (Source)

Jacqueline Woodson And Jeanette Winterson To Be Honored At LAMBDA Literary Awards

 

LAMBDA Awards Pic

“The extraordinary work of this year’s special honorees, Jeanette Winterson and Jacqueline Woodson, has made a deep impact, not just on LGBTQ culture, but on American and British culture, inspiring readers and writers on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Tony Valenzuela, executive director. “We are privileged to celebrate their tremendous contributions at this year’s Lammy Awards.”

Continue reading at: Jacqueline Woodson And Jeanette Winterson To Be Honored At LAMBDA Literary Awards (Source)

In Memoriam: Lesbian Murder Victims (May 2017 Update)

Day-of-Mourn-01-300x187

Listening 2 Lesbians will provide news of any updates to the “In Memoriam” blog on a monthly basis. This amazing record of the loss of those in our lesbian community to violence is not complete, but it is also the only record being kept at this time.

This month we honor the following sister:

Kathleen Ann Barrientos (March 18, 2017)

Continue reading at: In Memoriam: Lesbian Murder Victims: April 2017 (Source)