Hot Flash IS THE ONLY place to be this Saturday 21st -

     This Saturday (21st) it may feel like old home week at Hot Flash as you enjoy greeting friends you have not seen out for a while.  THIS is the Hot Flash to go to as Pauline is rolling out the red carpets and throwing a party that will have us wanting more!  I know I am excited to dress up, see women peeps that haven't been out as much lately and make a fabulous night of it.  It is time to party from 6 - 10pm at Neighbours!     
     boi Di will be ensuring that we are entertained at the dance and will be warming us up for the Leather and Lace Talent Show on October 2nd (see next post).  Come on out and support the LGBT Elder Fund by hanging with friends, getting your boots shined, testing your luck at the raffle and shaking your sexy groove thing.  Now, let's see what fun and debauchery Ms Pauline has in store for us!   Ms T.


That's right, Ladies.  Hot Flash has a NEW ATTITUDE!

Di King, WA State Leather Woman 2010, is bringing in the women of Seattle's Leather Community to fundraise for LGBT Elders. 
Be ready:  2 beautiful femme boot blacks to shine your shoes;

Leather Raffle featuring cool gear;
Toilet Paper Bondage Contest; Fan and Flag Dancing by Corky;



1/2 Price for Dykes Who Bring Their Bikes (Motorcycles Only)!  Register your bike for a reserved parking spot in the alley at Neighbours - email (*Pauline at hotflash dot com ) with your name and bike style for 1/2 price coupon; limited space so register early.  You'll be cruising all night without even having to turn on your engines!


Burlesque by our own Happy Hour Hooptinis, Ms. Popeye and Ms. Birdie!


DJ WILDFIRE amps the night with a combination of party anthems, old skool, R&B, disco, hip hop & the best dance music of today.

You know her from our Pride Dances at the War Room (HG) and you've been asking for her at Hot Flash Seattle.  She's the bomb, ladies!

PHOTOS OF YOUR TATTS by our photographer, Jennifer Durham, so wear fetish clothing that shows off your best assets . . .  You will ID by your tattoos in our photos. 

Gina, Garland, Tracy and Wendy are REAL LIVE LESBIAN GO-GO DANCERS dancing for the women they truly LOVE!

And More to be Announced Next Week When Finalized!

On Seattle Announcements Calendar.

1st Annual Leather and Lace (No Contest) FundRaiser - Save the Date

Now that you know where you will be this Saturday the 21st (Hot Flash), let me tell you about the event that we are preparing for!  boi Di who is the current title holder of Washington State Ms. Leather is putting on a show that will be reminiscent of some old school entertainment!  We hope to raise money and have a spanking good time.  Save the date of October 2nd and let's make a great evening of it!

1st Annual Leather & Lace No Contest Fundraiser 

will directly benefit the 

newly established 

LGBT Elders' Fund.  

October 2nd, 2010

6:30 -  8:30
MC'd by the one and only Lamar Van Dyke
Featuring Fabulous Community Entertainers

The Cuff

1533 13th Ave, Seattle,
Suggested Donation $10
Raffle to benefit LGBT Elders' Fund
email: boi Di wastatemsleather2010@gmail.com with any questions
www.wsmlo.org
WSMLO is a federally recognized 501(c) (3) organization.

On Seattle Announcements Calendar.

2 articles on The Kids Are All Right, our voices can be heard and should be

You will find two posts on the newly released film The Kids Are All Right.  For those of you with children in your lives this may effect you in one way and for those that have been fighting for equality this may be seen as another stepping stone.  After I had created my first posting GLAAD posted another article regarding a negative review of the film that took 'offensive' a bit beyond the film.  There is an opportunity for your voice to be heard and I hope you will read the contents of both articles.  Ms T.

Make our voices heard to The 'New York Post' offensive critique of The Kids Are All Right

As a follow up to my previous post on the newly released moving The Kids Are All Right, GLAAD has posted an important article regarding New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser's biased and nasty review of The Kids Are All Right.  Using terms as 'gay agenda' and asking movie goers to 'choose their lifestyles wisely' Andrea Peyser is offensive and seems to have an anti - gay bias with her film review.

We have the opportunity to write to the New York Post and to Andrea Peyser.  All information is contained in the article I have posted in it's entirety.  I thank GLAAD for their great coverage and for this post.  Ms T.

This week New York Post columnist Andrea Peyser wrote a highly offensive critique of the newly released movie, The Kids Are All Right, a movie starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo.

As we told you in a previous blog, in the film, by out filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko, Bening and Moore play a longtime couple who began a family through donor insemination, with each mother bearing a child. As teenagers, the couple’s children decide to track down their donor (Ruffalo) without telling their mothers. The film deals with how the family copes once the donor enters their lives.

The Kids Are All Right has received rave reviews from well-established newspapers like the  New York Times and the Los Angeles Times. While it is nearly impossible to create a film that pleases every critic, NY Post writer Andrea Peyser expressed her dislike for the film while simultaneously disparaging gay and lesbian families. It’s clear that Peyser’s objection to the film goes far beyond fair criticism and reflects her own personal anti-gay bias.

Peyser is certainly entitled to her opinion but her cheap shots at gay families were over the top and unacceptable.  Here’s an extended excerpt from the column, illustrating the offensive tone. Peyser describes 'The Kids Are All Right as:

sort of a cross between 'Leave it to Beaver' and 'Kittens With Whips.' Choose your lifestyle wisely, moviegoers. For this film is set to go down in history as the first major motion picture to make a family led by gay women — A-lister Annette Bening, as the control-freak doctor Nic, 'wed' to A-lister Julianne Moore, as the weepy, infantilized Jules — seem not just normal, but close to godly.

It reaches further than the gay-cowboy romp 'Brokeback Mountain,' whose characters maintained a sense of otherness while shielding the kids from their shenanigans. In this movie, exposing kids is the entire point.

And this is how Hollywood does an end run around morality.

'Hollywood has set the stage for the gay agenda, nothing new,' said Laura Bailey, Brooklyn mom of two boys. 'Why do you think they did propaganda films in the 1940s? They’re setting the new norm.'
 
'The movie industry is doing its best to undermine the American family, said Patricia Whitehead, Connecticut mom of two girls. 'Hollywood — we don’t care about the sick lives you lead behind closed doors. Just don’t bring children into it.'

This brazen attempt at trend-setting comes as national polls show Americans oppose gay marriage, half of us strongly. Support for it was at 47 percent in this year’s Washington Post/ABC News poll — but fully two-thirds favored civil unions, in which gay couples enjoy most rights of marrieds without having to stand under the chuppah.

It doesn’t take a genius to glean the truth: Folks are happy with gays living together. But bringing children into the equation is a deal-breaker.
The column fails to include any gay parents, any adults who were raised by gay parents or anyone supportive of LGBT people. It also leaves out a very important fact: Nearly every credible authority on child health and social services (including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Child Welfare League of America) has determined that a parent’s sexual orientation has nothing to do with the ability to be a good parent.

Peyser also uses the offensive term 'lifestyle' to describe gay and lesbian lives, and concludes her piece with yet another viewpoint against gay parents:

I went to see it in Chelsea, where the crowd was generally smitten. But therapist Karen Kopitz saw through the gay proselytizing.

'I’m not anti-gay,' she said. 'But I don’t think you can compensate for the male-female role model.'
Please write to Andrea Peyser and the New York Post and voice your concerns about this offensive column.  Tell them to stop using this media platform to denigrate loving gay families.

Contact:  letters@nypost.com

We also urge journalists covering this film to consult GLAAD’s resource guide on The Kids Are All Right. The guide is intended as a tool for journalists and bloggers who want to learn more about the topics covered in the movie and includes talking points on donor insemination, how to discuss gay families and information on real life stories. To view the guide, please visit: http://www.glaad.org/kidsareallright

The Kids Are All Right came with a resouce guide but my kid did not

On July 12th, GLAAD issued a resource guide for the new film The Kids Are All Right.  I admit I feel a bit of a personal pull with this film's topic having lived some parts of this story in my own life.  I do watch these type of Hollywood flicks to see how they turn out, if they insist on the crappy Hollywood endings we have all become so nauseatingly accustomed to seeing or if they take the bold smart right risk and actually dare to represent our lives fairly and perhaps with compassion.

In my own life I knew that I had wanted to give birth to a child if possible but in the 19 dark hundred 70's when I came out it was not politically very correct to want to have a child in some politically queer circles.  One was thought of having some subversive straight gene and if you looked like I did then you were definitely suspect (femme).  I still held the desire close to my heart but did not believe it would come to fruition.

In the very early 80's I was at the home birth of a dear friend who was indeed a trail blazer by having a child and raising her mainly as a single parent with great determination.  She even fostered children when her daughter was a bit older as an out lesbian foster mother.  It did show me that it was possible and also was an example of how much work parenting was.

Many of us know both of them as they are still in our community today but visiting a far away land (Hi M & L).  It was fabulous to see the grown up baby come to my birthday party at the Timberline in 2004 as an adult woman - oh my god, that is enough to make one feel their age.  She has turned out to be a beautiful young woman with her mothers' love of travel very much a part of her.  The apple and the tree is a true story there.

By the early 90's I was in a stable relationship and felt very blessed that my partner wanted to have a child too.  It was not like it is today where there are tons of queer folk having children, we were still the exception.  There were not resources readily available regarding donor insemination, what the options were, how to make the best choice for your own situation or how to live with it after wards so I started a group for lesbians that wanted to have children.

Several of us in the group became pregnant and were grateful that we had each other to sort through what felt was the 'right way' for our lives.  We each utilized different choices in donor options.  It was still not the most conventional or popular thing to do - you had to search a bit to find others like you, so much of my support once I became pregnant started to become from straight counterparts pregnant and having children.  This was not too unusual I soon found out by talking with other gay families I met.


In a few short years things started to change dramatically.  Many more queer people started having children by birth or adopting.  Now there are tons of groups and support available if you are queer and want to be a parent.  We made the decision for our family that worked for us and have a known donor who our daughter knows as her dad.  She is grateful that she has this relationship with him and I feel that we made the right decision for our family.  I believe strongly that every situation is different and people have to do what they believe will work for them.

My life has been enriched by my relationship with my daughter and I feel so fortunate that I was able to have a child.  She has brought joy to my life and also to the other adults that round out her family.  A couple years ago I overheard her saying 'After I get permission from the 'lesbian brady bunch' I will call you back'.  Unbeknown to me that is how she referred to her family AND she had nicknamed each of us, her biggest fans and bleacher warmers.  I will spare you the nicknames.

As I was writing I reflected on truly how far things have come in a relatively short period of time.  I certainly do believe in continuing to strive and push until we are treated 100% equally.  Sometimes it is easy to think of how far we have to go to gain total equality but when I look at my daughter it tells me how truly far we have come.  Ms T.

Today, GLAAD released a resource guide for the new film The Kids Are All Right, starring Annette Bening, Julianne Moore and Mark Ruffalo. The guide is intended as a tool for journalists and bloggers who want to learn more about the topics covered in the film and includes talking points on donor insemination, how to discuss alternative families and information on real life stories. To view the guide, please visit: http://www.glaad.org/kidsareallright

In the film by out filmmaker Lisa Cholodenko, Bening and Moore play a longtime couple who began a family through donor insemination, each mother bearing a child. As teenagers, the couple’s children decide to track down their donor (Ruffalo) without telling their mothers. The film deals with how the family copes once the donor enters their lives.

“What’s so interesting about this movie is that it really highlights how important a family is. What a long-term relationship is,” said Moore in an interview with AfterEllen.com. “What it means to stick it out with somebody; to forgive people’s mistakes; to punish people within your family; to guide them toward growing up and leaving after you’ve been so attached — all of these things. The film is a really interesting exploration of that.”

According to Deadline.com, The Kids Are All Right opened on seven screens this past Friday and scored the highest per screen gross this year so far with $72,127 per screen. If its box office performance is any indication, The Kids Are All Right underscores the desire among American audiences to see lesbian stories reflected on screen. The film will be expanding into 11 new markets this week. For more information, please visit the film’s official website.

Thanks to GLAAD for this article.  

Bite of Seattle - Free - July 16th - July 18th Seattle Center

There have been some changes to the Bite of Seattle this year (read below my text).  It is free and I seem to remember it charging an admittance cover in some years past.  Now, I could be wrong on that and would be happy to be so!  I am thrilled, yes THRILLED that businesses are getting IT, that perhaps if they lower their covers, that people will come and spend the $$ they have on real stuff (instead of over inflated cover prices).  They are also offering less food for less money...read on.   

For full details, please check out their website as they have way too many details to post here.  I have picked just a few to whet your appetite.  They do have celeb chefs and my eye would be on Robin Leventhal...um um good!  They have wine tasting, food and beverages with a focus on consumer trends highlighting local, sustainable, organic or free-range fare.  'The Hope Heart Right Bite extends that experience by including a healthier menu option from each participating restaurant. This supports a healthy lifestyle while showcasing great flavors from local restaurants.'  Plus much much more, check it out!   Ms T.  

The Northwest's Premier
Food Festival

July 16-18, 2010
FREE ADMISSION
Seattle Center
Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Sunday 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Comcast Bite of Seattle Serves up the Food and Fun!
425-283-5050, www.biteofseattle.com

Celebrity chef demonstrations are 30 minutes and audience members will have a chance to comment and ask questions of these culinary artists at the end. So much to see, your taste buds and minds will sizzle!

Friday, July 16 Angie Roberts BOKA 1:00 pm – 1:30 pm Jerry Traunfeld Poppy 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Cyril Frechier Wine Director at Campagne 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Gabriel Cabrera Salty's at Redondo Beach 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm Cyril Frechier Wine Director at Campagne 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Dylan Giordan Serafina & Cicchetti 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Franz Junga Il Fornaio 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

Saturday, July 17 Chef Wayne Johnson Andaluca 12:30 pm – 01:00 pm Chef Seth Caswell Emmer&Rye 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm Vivian Peterson Divine 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Erik Liedholm Wine Director at Sea Star 2:30 pm – 1:00 pm Chef John Howie Seastart Restaurant & Raw Bar 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Erik Liedholm Wine Director at Sea Star 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Robin Leventhal Formaly Crave Foods & Contestant on Top Chef 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Chef Jeremy McLachlan Salty's at Alki Beach 5:30 pm – 6:00 pm

Sunday, July 18 Chef Ethan Stowell Union, Tavolata, How to Cook a Wolf, Anchovies & Olives 12:30 pm – 01:00 pm Chef Ericka Burke Volunteer Park Cafe 1:30 pm – 2:00 pm James Drohman Cafe Presse & Le Pichet 2:00 pm – 2:30 pm Scot Smith Wine Director at Rover's & Luc 2:30 pm – 3:00 pm Scot Smith Wine Director at Rover's & Luc 3:30 pm – 4:00 pm Jason Wilson Crush 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Chef Don Curtiss Volterra 4:00 pm – 4:30 pm Jamie Gadd The City Catering Company 4:30 pm – 5:00 pm Katherine Jarman Pintxo 5:00 pm – 5:30 pm

The Comcast Bite of Seattle is excited to bring back a new and improved Just a Bite! attraction, where guests can sample some of Seattle’s greatest food at an even greater value!  Just a Bite! features local restaurants that will prepare a 'bite' for visitors: a smaller portion of one of their popular menu items for a lower price.  Treat your taste buds to a variety of dishes from some of Seattle’s best restaurants without breaking the bank. You wanted to be able to taste more food for less money, and now you can!  Each food item at Just a Bite! will cost $3.75, the same price level found at the 1986 Bite of Seattle, the festival’s first year at Seattle Center.  Enjoy a three- to four-ounce 'bite' of Seattle’s finest food without your stomach getting too full, or your wallet too empty! Come enjoy some delicious bargains at the new Just a Bite!  Look for the Just a Bite! booths north of the International Fountain Lawn in Founders Court.

2010 Participating Restaurants and Menu Items
Chipotle Mexican Grill
Soft Tacos- Veggie, Chicken, Barbacoa
Maltby Café
Strawberry and Marionberry Shortcake
Khan’s Mongolian Grill
Koren BBQ Tacos
Mobatta Crepes
Nutella Crepes, cinnamon roll crepes, lemon and sugar crepes.
Thai Fusion
Grilled beef panang with a side cucumber salad and bread wedges dipped in peanut sauce.
Chicken or tofu Phad Thai
Green Leaf Vietnamese
Fresh Lemonade, Fresh Spring Roll, Lemongrass Beef with Vermicelli


Thanks to the Bite of Seattle website for all this fab information!

'Sounds Outside' Saturdays at Cal Anderson Park 1pm July 17

Cal Anderson Park has become a place for events ranging from Bat n Rouge, a fun and zany fundraiser of softball featuring Drag Queens and Dykes playing softball for the Capitol Hill Alano Club to Three Dollar Bill Cinema Outdoor Movies.  Add to the roster 'Sounds Outside' tomorrow July 17th at 1pm brought to us by members of the Monktail collective and we have another reason to be outside enjoying each other and what Cal Anderson Park has to offer - community gather together.

The Jazz Composers Ensemble and the Zubatto Syndicate, two bands well known for being especially creative will play. Wayne Horvitz’s Sonny Clark tribute band is on the schedule and there is a New York band called Father Figures that will be new to our area.  Come out and enjoy!  Ms T.

On Seattle Announcements Calendar