I <3 Female Orgasm

http://www.ilovefemaleorgasm.com/

'I Love Female Orgasm' is an education program in the United States that promotes sex education with female empowerment. It's run by a (f-m) couple, Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller. They basically tour college campuses and teach with a humourist approach- their program is inclusive of people of all genders and sexual orientations.

While we in NZ may not be able to take part in this interesting course, we can support their project by visiting their online shop- they have very inexpensive t-shirts, posters and a range of buttons for sale, and a portion of the proceeds of all sales goes to a Breast Cancer charitable organisation.

I've just bought 6 buttons (badges) for $6 + $2.25 post USD (all up less than $12 NZD). They don't have an international shipping option on their site so if you are interested in making a purchase please email them from the website or at info@sexualityeducation.com, they're really lovely people to deal with.

A lesbian poem by Mary Dorcey

An ungrammatical poem
by Mary Dorcey

And you,
the rain on our skin,
the sun beating,
you - sweet, guileful sister
of pleasure,
you said in my ear

my mind turning
my body in your hands
turning,
you said,
say my name
when you come

and I did
say it,
your name
say it as well
as I could,
coming so many times

which is perhaps why
rain beating, sun on the skin
I say it still sometimes,
your name, when I come
so long after
you went.

(from the book Beautiful Barbarians: lesbian feminist poetry, ed. Lilian Mohin, Onlywomen Press, London, 1986)

MySpace LesbiaNZ

I recently joined the chaotic world of myspace, and stumbled upon a group for NZ lesbians called LesbiaNZ. Their direct web address is: http://groups.myspace.com/nzlesbians

Although the founders are from Wellington, their members are from all over NZ (and in some cases, beyond). They have about 56 members so far, and are openly welcoming people to help provide links or event information, or even just to join up.

Got a myspace account? No? Head on over and sign up... www.myspace.com

NZ Herald- Girls? You need a MAN!

There are just so many things wrong with this that I don't know where to begin. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10413560

Forty-year-old Maree, a researcher, remembers being picky in her 20s. Now she looks at women in that age group and wants to advise them, "If you find someone, go for it. Don't muck about. Get in quick".

[...] "A lot of my single girlfriends are really beautiful, intelligent girls, nothing wrong with them. But they just can't find a man. [The men are] all taken or else total geeks."

Maree is currently dating a divorced man, something she had vowed she would not do when she was in her 20s.

"It's a terrible thing to say, but divorced men are a good thing. For us single older women, we'd be history if it wasn't for marriage breakups and divorced men, because there would be none there."

My immediate problems with this piece of 'journalism':

• What is this about (hetero) women being 'history' without a man?
• Why do women need to stop being 'picky'? Are women to accept any available man (who is not a geek, of course)?
• Why do older women especially need to lower their standards and 'get in quick'? Is there something so terrible about being a single, independent woman of age?
• If a women isn't beautiful and intelligent, is she flawed? Is there something 'wrong' with her?
• And what's so bad about geeks, anyway? ;-)

Wasn't anyone paying attention in the seventies? That might seem a bit rich coming from someone who was born in '77. However, those issues have been passed down to those of us who were not of age in that time, we can't help but enjoy the impact of those freedoms that were won for us.

n.b.- This made the news? With this article, plus the one about the NZ Police going 'undercover' to catch drunk drivers (well not ANYMORE) in ice-cream trucks http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10413576, I'm starting to wonder if international readers may think NZers are 'backwards'...

World AIDS Day 2006

Today is World AIDS Day and the theme for 2006 is Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise which was chosen by the WAC (World AIDS Campaign). This slogan is targeted at governments and policy makers around the world to encourage them to keep their promises in regards to AIDS funding, treatment and prevention programs. The theme will run until 2010, with each year from now until then having a different keyword. This years keyword is accountability.

There are approximately 40 million people living with HIV currently around the world. Roughly 2,500 people are aware of living with HIV in NZ (2005- stats from http://www.moh.govt.nz/aids).

You can make a difference by:

making donations (there will be street collectors all day in the CBD area from 8am, and you can also donate at:
The Body Shop – all 26 branches of this retail organisation nationwide will be collecting and will have displays with condoms and "safety gear" posters in every shop
Waitakere DHO in Auckland are displaying and collecting in 30 clinics
Sky Television will be displaying and collecting in their main office in Auckland
Queen of the Whole Universe Pageant – Aotea Centre, Auckland, (proceeds to NZAF)
Film screening: "3 Needles" Academy Cinema, Auckland, a portion of the ticket sales will go to Body Positive and NZAF – screening times 11am, 3:45pm, 8:45pm, 11pm
Bar collection for Body Positive – evening, K Road area, Auckland
(thanks to gaynz.com for the donations information)

lighting a candle at https://www.lighttounite.org/ - For every candle lit, Bristol-Myers Squibb will donate $1 up to $100,000 to the National AIDS fund (USA). They've reached their quota now, but any further candles lit will still add to the supporters statistics.

wearing a red ribbon to promote awareness. The red ribbon has been a symbol of solidarity for people living with/concerned about AIDS for 15 years.

talking to people about ending prejudice towards people living with HIV, and educate about preventing the spread of HIV

getting involved in future campaigns (contact the NZAF for more info http://www.nzaf.org.nz/)

More information about World AIDS Day can be found at http://www.avert.org/worldaid.htm and http://www.worldaidsday.org/default.asp

Information about the NZ Quilt Project: Promoting AIDS awareness and remembrance through memorial quilts can be found by contacting nzquilt@hotmail.com or calling (09) 302 7632.