Steamy lesbian sex -- in Tehran

A luscious, sensual journey into the underworld of Iranian youth culture, Maryam Keshavarz's debut feature "Circumstance" is one of the biggest indie-film discussion topics of the year. Winner of an audience award at Sundance, "Circumstance" was then selected as the closing-night film at New York's New Directors/New Films festival. That reflects Keshavarz's smoldering, art-house-friendly pictorial sense and immense ambition, but also the circumstances under which the film was made and its strikingly topical story and setting.

"Circumstance" was shot entirely in Lebanon, probably the most liberal of all Middle Eastern nations, and even there it apparently wasn't easy. Considering that it documents a steamy lesbian affair between two Iranian teenage girls, conducted amid the casual drug use and hip-hop nightclubs of Tehran (almost literally under the noses of the ruling mullahs), it's remarkable that it got made at all. Keshavarz reportedly warned her cast of expatriates that they might never be able to return to Iran after making the movie, and it's hard to imagine any future Iranian society liberal enough to allow "Circumstance" to screen legally. (On the other hand, I feel certain that samizdat copies will be hot black-market commodities.)

As to the question of whether "Circumstance" is actually a good film, or just one with an important story to tell, a high degree of difficulty and some hot all-girl action, I think the verdict is mixed. (I'm being more than a little facetious; this movie may indeed attract some viewers for prurient reasons, but there's no actual nudity or NC-17 content.) I was tremendously impressed with the lustrous, widescreen images shot by Brian Rigney Hubbard, and Keshavarz crafts an atmospheric Orwellian fable about an intense security state where even the most intimate acts, from two girls alone in a bedroom to a group of friends watching a smuggled movie ("Milk," in this case), are not truly private. Her two young leads, Nikohl Boosheri as Atafeh, daughter of a wealthy and liberal Tehran family, and Sarah Kazemy as the orphaned Shireen, whose parents were anti-revolutionary writers, are gorgeous and give unaffected performances. If Atafeh's increasingly devout ex-addict brother, Mehran (Reza Sixo Safai), is a bit of a cardboard villain, I blame the screenwriting.

When Keshavarz is introducing us to the secret world of teenage Tehran, where girls shed their headscarves and floor-length wraps to reveal designer minidresses, and condoms and Ecstasy are handed around to all, "Circumstance" has a powerful and hypnotic allure. As an exercise in style that draws a little on the classic Iranian cinema of Abbas Kiarostami but much more on ambiguous, erotic Western art film, it feels more jumbled and uncertain. Keshavarz cites Atom Egoyan, the Canadian chronicler of voyeurism, and cryptic Argentine fabulist Lucrecia Martel among her influences, and she strives for that level of narrative and thematic complexity without quite getting there. Still, by any measure this is a powerful debut film and a remarkable tale of oppression and liberation, and one that leaps right to the top of the unfortunately brief list of LGBT-themed films set in the Islamic world.

"Circumstance" is now playing in New York and Los Angeles. It opens Sept. 9 in Boston, Chicago, Hartford, Conn., Houston, New Haven, Conn., Palm Springs, Calif., San Francisco, San Jose, Calif., and Washington; Sept. 16 in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, San Diego, Columbus, Ohio, and Austin, Texas; Sept 23 in Denver, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Portland, Ore., Santa Barbara, Calif., Santa Fe, N.M., and Seattle; and Sept. 30 in Knoxville, Tenn., Las Vegas and Madison, Wis., with more cities to follow.

A New Sort of Lesbian Panic Defense

James Kraig Kahler, the Meriden, Kan., man accused of murdering his wife, their two teenage daughters, and her grandmother in 2009, told a Kansas Bureau of Investigation special agent that he was upset because his wife began a lesbian relationship that broke up their marriage, the agent testified in court last week.

Kahler, 48, is charged with capital murder in the shooting deaths of his wife, Karen, 44; her grandmother Dorothy Wight, 89; and the couple's two daughters, Lauren, 16, and Emily, 18, on November 28, 2009. According to  The Topeka Capital-Journal, Kahler tried to introduce another woman, Sunny Reese, into the bedroom for a threesome to spice up the couple’s sex life. It ended up with Kahler’s wife and Reese beginning a relationship that Kahler says caused the breakdown of his marriage.

William Halverson, a now-retired KBI special agent, testified that Kahler told him he had a “great marriage” and a “perfect family” while the family lived in Weatherford, Texas, prior to moving to Kansas. Kahler also told the agent his wife had been thinking for several years about starting a relationship with a woman. Kahler said he told his wife to try it, but he hoped he wouldn’t lose her, Halverson said.

“I was trying to be nice about it,” Halverson quoted Kahler as saying. 

Apparently the nice guy thing didn't pan out. Kahler faces the death penalty if found guilty.

http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/08/22/A_New_Sort_of_Lesbian_Panic_Defense/

Pretty Little Liars : des annonceurs en moins à cause de l'homosexualité d'Emily ?

Après avoir longtemps caché sa sexualité, le personnage d'Emily (Shay Mitchell) a finalement fait son coming-out au cours de la première saison de Pretty Little Liars. Ce qui n'a pas été du goût de la FFA (Florida Family Association), organisation américaine ultra-conservative... 
Plus tôt cette année, la FFA aurait ainsi lancé une campagne contre Pretty Little Liars, cette "série lesbienne regardée par des petites filles de moins de 18 ans". L'idée de l'association ? Envoyer un e-mail à chacun des annonceurs du programme pour manifester son mécontentement. Dans son pamphlet, la FFA insiste ainsi sur le fait que "la majorité des personnages principaux de la série sont des lesbiennes", citant à la fois Emily, Alison (Sasha Pieterse) et Maya (Bianca Lawson). Le groupe ABC est accusé de se servir de "scènes licencieuses et glamour" pour "envoyer un mauvais messages aux petites filles, un message qui renforce et légitime le style de vie homosexuel d'une manière qui pourrait affecter leur identité sexuelle toute leur vie".
Plusieurs semaines après le lancement de l'opération, la FFA affirme sur son site Internet que "plusieurs entreprises n'ont pas fait de publicité pendant l'épisode du 19 juillet après avoir reçu" lesdits e-mails. Parmi eux se trouvent de grands noms comme Coca Cola, Dell, Samsung, Sanofi Aventis ou encore la compagnie de télécoms T-Mobile. Impossible ceci dit de relier réellement leur absence à cette affaire... Ce qui n'est pas le cas de deux autres annonceurs : l'agence immobilière Remax Realty et le groupe agroalimentaire General Mills.
Dans un message publié par la FFA, un cadre de General Mills explique ainsi : "Nous avons enquêté (...) [et] informé ABC Family et nos agences que Pretty Little Liars n'est pas un programme que nous soutiendrons. Merci de nous avoir alertés sur ce point." Face aux médias, la société se défend d'avoir pris sa décision à cause de l'homosexualité de l'un des personnages. Elle a répondu au site AfterEllen.com que "cette décision a été entièrement basée sur la pertinence du public de la série pour nos marques, pas sûr l'orientation sexuelle de l'une des héroïnes".

http://series-tv.premiere.fr/News-Series/Pretty-Little-Liars-des-annonceurs-en-moins-a-cause-de-l-homosexualite-d-Emily-2882704

Israël: le rabbin qui arrangeait les mariages entre gays et lesbiennes

Depuis six ans, Areleh Harel, un rabbin orthodoxe de Cisjordanie, aide des hommes gays à trouver des épouses lesbiennes leur permettant ainsi de fonder une famille dans les limites des lois religieuses. Il s'apprête à lancer un site internet de rencontres .

Jusqu'il y a peu, il existait deux possibilités pour les homosexuels juifs orthodoxes : soit vivre dans le placard, soit quitter la religion. La Thora est formelle : un homme ne doit pas coucher avec un autre homme.

Areleh Harel a imaginé la solution pour un de ces Juifs orthodoxes et homosexuels : il lui a trouvé une épouse lesbienne, compréhensive, et qui partageait avec lui le désir de fonder une famille.

C'était il y a six ans et aujourd'hui le couple a deux enfants. 

Depuis le rabbin arrangeur de mariages a mis ensemble 13 couples gay-lesbiens.

Tout le monde n'approuve pas sa façon de faire dans la communauté gay, notamment parce que les familles ainsi fondées ne sont pas basées sur l'amour et le partage.

Mais Areleh Harel pense que se formule a de l'avenir et que son développement passe par internet. Il compte donc ouvrir un service en ligne sur kamoha.org.il à la fin de cette année. Ce sera payant : une quarantaine de dollars d'inscription, 400 en cas de "match", de mariage conclu, par personne.

Le mariage technique méthode Harel pose une autre question : celle de l'infidélité qui suit souvent ces unions arrangées. Le rabbin l'aborde avec les futurs mariés. "S'il fréquente un autre homme, si elle veut voir une autre femme, c'est leur affaire. Comme dans tous les couples", explique Areleh Harel. 

http://www.rtbf.be/info/societe/detail_israel-le-rabbin-qui-arrangeait-les-mariages-entre-gays-et-lesbiennes?id=6605023

LGBT Activist Christina Santiago, 29, Was Here

Christina Santiago was one of us. By that I mean she was a lesbian, and a feminist, and she had a girl in her life who she loved and wanted to marry, and she cared about the same things you care about and wanted the same things you want. Not specifically, necessarily. But in general, Christina Santiago wanted the same things you want.

When Christina was a kid growing up in the Bronx, she wanted to be Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez from TLC and later she and her friends wanted to be like the girls in Mi Vida Loca. And when she grew up she wanted to save the world and unlike most of us who dream of saving the world or haven’t yet considered saving the world, Christina Santiago was already doing it. She was 29 and she had already begun saving the world! We need Christina Santiago. I was going to type “we need people like Christina Santiago” but that’s not true, we need Christina Santiago herself. We need her and on Saturday night, Christina Santiago was one of five people killed at the Indiana State Fair when the stage collapsed. Santiago’s fiancée, Alisha Brennon, remains in critical condition at the hospital.

Santiago managed The Lesbian Community Care Project at Chicago’s Howard Brown Health Center, one of the nation’s largest LGBTQ healthcare organizations. The president of HBHC described Santiago as “one of our very brightest stars” and “a community champion.”

Santiago was also the director of programming for Amigas Latinas, a support, education and advocacy organization for Latina LGBTQ women. Amigas Latinas describe Christina as “one of our fiercest and brightest warriors.”

Also, Christina Santiago was Autostraddle writer Gabrielle Rivera‘s best friend of 20 years. Gabrielle describes Santiago as a friend who “never turned her back on anybody.”

Gaby’s heart is crushed/broken/underwater (her words) and while her insides are still screaming she’s trusting me to write this post about her best friend. This is one of those things you can’t wrap your head around. It’s a “what the fuck, world?” moment. Christina Santiago liked Surgarland’s music and went with her girlfriend to a Sugarland show at the Indiana State Fair, and then there was all this wind and then suddenly, before you knew it, Christina was gone. Just leaving this giant hole in the world. People don’t go to concerts thinking they might die. Life changes in the instant, the ordinary instant.

Like, did God (or your version of it) mess up, maybe? So many people were really looking forward to the rest of her life — were counting on it. I think there’s been some kind of mistake. This is the world? This doesn’t make sense. I don’t think this is the world.

Oh, I want to tell you that they’re doing a thing — Christina’s friends from Cardinal Spellman High School —they want the NOH8 campaign to come to The Bronx to do a photoshoot in Christina’s memory, like the one Christina and Alisha did. So we need you to check out the facebook campaign and raise your voices.

Some things about Christina Santiago:

Christina Santiago listened to Tegan and Sara and other “lesbionic music.” You know — Alanis Morisette, Antigone Rising, Melissa Etheridge, Ani DiFranco, Alex Olsen “etc etc.” She played softball and was a serial monogamist who always went for “Caucasian soft butches.” Back when she was in school at Albany she and Gaby would get wasted trying to pick up girls there. They came out to each other at the same time.

After Christina’s Mom died of breast cancer, Christina kinda kicked off a lifelong dedication to activism, starting with Breast Cancer Walks. She grew into a passionate and dedicated advocate for LGBTQ and Latina women and dedicated her life and career to it.

She’d been shining really bright since moving to Chicago in 2004, where she’s been manager of HBHC’s Lesbian Community Care Project for nearly six years and spearheaded their expansion of services to women. She recently earned HBHC’s highest staff honor, The 2010 Spirit Award.  

She is described as “the greatest advocate for equal health care for all, (and) the greatest advocate for equality for all.”

In an interview on NY1, her friend Erica Rico described her like this: “You never could be sad around her. She just brightened up a room, just her presence, her smile alone.”

She is described by her colleagues as “working tirelessly to improve the lives of women, particularly LGBTQ women.”

She is described by the president of The Howard Brown Health Center as “as brilliant as she was beautiful… as smart and talented as she was funny. She was all of the things that you could hope for in a friend and a family member.”

She is described by her colleagues as “irreplacable.”

She is described by her best friend as “my sister.”

Here’s the story of Gaby’s first car accident: Christina borrowed her Mom’s white Saturn and used it to pick up Gaby and Gaby’s girlfriend at the time from Hartsdale. Then Christina found out that her girlfriend, who was coming in from upstate, was lost in the Bronx.

“All Nena needed to know was that her white boo was lost in the South Bronx and she kicked that Saturn up to 110 mph,” Gaby remembers. They did three 360 degree turns on The Bronx River Parkway before slamming into the divider but getting saved by seat belts. So Gaby’s Dad came and took them to rescue the hapless white girl in the Bronx. ”My ex always had a dislike of Christina after that but I thought it was kinda awesome,” Gaby says. “She just wanted to save her chick, you know?”

What happens next? There must be some mistake. She was on the motherfucking GROUND making shit happen. She believed in you, all of you tigers. She was loved and she was loved by someone we love an awful lot. So I think that Christina’s body may be gone, but she still believes in you.

Gaby told NY1:

“I know a lot of people who are waiting for their dreams to come true, and Christina was living her dreams.”

Gaby told us:

“I always told Christina that she was the one. The leader, the grown-up. The one making the difference, and that I was just a bum slacker/stoner/poet. And she would always tell me that I was important and my writing and poetry and short films were just as important as what she did. She would build me up all the time and talk about how art was as powerful as politics and its own form of activism.

She’d say: I need you to make what I do beautiful.”

http://www.autostraddle.com/lgbt-activist-christina-santiago-29-was-here-105878/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Remembering-Christina-Santiago-Request-for-a-NOH8-Campaign-Photoshoot/239166302788663

Bachmann’s ‘Don’t Ask’ Position a Legal Possibility

If elected president, Michele Bachmann said over the weekend, she would favor reinstating the ban on openly gay or lesbian people serving in the military, a policy known as “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Former Senator Rick Santorum has said similar things in the past.

Turns out that it wouldn’t be hard to do, legal experts say.

That’s because the law repealing the ban that President Obama signed last December did not expressly order the Pentagon to allow openly gay or lesbian troops in the armed forces. Congress merely laid out a process under which the ban could be lifted. Under that process, the president, secretary of defense and chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had to certify that repeal would not undermine recruiting, retention, morale and other indicators of what is commonly called military readiness.

Once that certification was made and sent to Congress, the secretary of defense then had to prepare and issue new regulations allowing gays and lesbians to serve openly. That is where the process is now: the regulations are being written and the ban will be lifted on Sept. 20.

But because Congress did not require the military to allow open service, a new president could order his or her new secretary of defense to issue new regulations that effectively reinstate the ban, said Aubrey Sarvis, executive director of the Servicemembers Legal Defense Network, which advocates for gay and lesbian troops.

Mr. Sarvis said that if a Republican president were to take that path, it would essentially return the military to the pre-don’t ask era, when gays were banned under regulation. In those years, which date back at least to World War II, he said, there were no federal statutes expressly prohibiting openly gay people from serving. It wasn’t until President Clinton pushed to reverse those regulations that Congress enacted don’t ask, don’t tell in the 1990s, statutorily prohibiting open service.

Mr. Sarvis said a Republican president could also push to have the ban reinstated through legislation. But that might not be possible if the Democrats continued to control one house of Congress.

Either way, Mr. Sarvis said he believed that reinstating the ban would be difficult, in large part because senior military leaders prefer continuity in policy and would not have much appetite for reversing course so quickly.

“This is not going to be a very easy thing to undo,” Mr. Sarvis said.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/bachmanns-dont-ask-position-a-legal-possibility/?scp=5&sq=lesbian&st=cse

Stand up pour Djuna Barnes

Djuna Barnes (Cornwall, État de New York, 12 juin 1892 - Greenwich Village, 18 juin 1982) est une romancière, dramaturge et artiste américaine. Elle a parfois utilisé les pseudonymes de Lydia Steptoe et Lady of fashion

Journaliste pour Vanity Fair et The New Yorker, elle vit deux ans avec un rédacteur de presse, Courtenay Lemon. Elle compte parmi ses amies Jane Heap ou Peggy Guggenheim. En 1915 paraît son Book of Repulsive Women qu'elle illustre elle-même. C'est en 1919 ou en 1920 qu'elle se rend à Paris, où elle s'installe, attirée par cette capitale culturelle, la liberté des mœurs qui y règne, et par la communauté d'Américaines qui y est déjà installée : elle rencontre Natalie Barney, Gertrude Stein, Janet Flanner, Berenice Abbott, Sylvia Beach... Elle devient l'amie de James Joyce et fait partie du mouvement moderniste. En 1927, elle s'éprend de la sculptrice Thelma Wood, avec qui elle vit au 9 rue Saint-Romain. Elles rompent en 1931. En 1936, Grâce à T. S. Eliot, qui ampute cependant le manuscrit des deux tiers, Nightwood (Le Bois de la nuit) paraît à Londres. Djuna Barnes souffre de dépression et ce n'est qu'en 1958 que paraît sa longue pièce en vers The Antiphon.


^{http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djuna_Barnes}

 

Beyoncé : "J'ai un lien particulier avec mon public gay"

Beyoncé est pleine promo de son album 4. Son objectif ? Vendre ! Alors la chanteuse a décidé de rappeler, lors d'une interview accordée à Between The Lines, son lien avec la communauté homosexuelle.

Beyoncé a déclaré : "J'ai depuis longtemps un lien particulier avec mon public gay."

Et la chanteuse n'a pas manqué de rappeler que certains de ses employés étaient homosexuels : "Mes stylistes sont gays et ma maquilleuse est lesbienne. Je les écoute parler et je transporte leur histoire dans mes chansons. On s'inspire mutuellement. Nous ne faisons qu'un."

"Je souhaite que les gens se sentent libres, qu'ils fassent ce qu'il veulent et qu'ils deviennent la personne qu'ils ont envie d'être. J'espère avec ma musique leur apporter de la confiance et de l'inspiration", a t-elle ajouté.

Beyoncé veut faire passer un message dans ses chansons : "Lorsqu'ils me voient chanter, je souhaite qu'ils se rendent compte que rien n'est impossible, qu'ils peuvent accomplir leurs rêves tout en restant honnête avec qui ils sont."

http://www.aufeminin.com/people/beyonce-knowles/beyonce-lien-particulier-public-gay-beyonce-knowles-n80036.html

Face 2 Face movie - Katherine Brooks

A Documentary project in New Orleans, LA by Katherine Brooks

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/KatherineBrooks/face-2-face-movie

ABOUT THIS PROJECT

Seven months ago I had surgery and went into a state of deep depression. Isolating myself from others, I spent most of my time in bed and on my facebook page. I felt disconnected from people and the world.

In April, I overdosed on demerol.

Needless to say, I survived, and during my four days of toxic shock I prayed to God to please use my life for something good because I felt that for my 35 years on this planet I had not experienced a life that fulfilled me.

In a moment of intense prayer, the idea came to me for Face 2 Face and I grabbed my flip cam and recorded myself typing in my facebook status: THE FIRST 50 PEOPLE WHO SAY YES I AM COMING TO YOUR TOWN TO SPEND A DAY WITH YOU AND MAKE A MOVIE.

Within 15 minutes I had my 50.

A month later I was on the road driving 11,000 miles across the United States to meet 50 random friends. Although I had 5,000 friends on facebook, it had been almost a month since I had a hug. 

I was able to raise the "start up" money on kickstarter, but I am in need of FINISING FUNDS for the movie. I have enough to get me through this last month of shooting (August), but none to edit/finish the film and get it out there. The money used will be going toward a logger, editor, publicist, accountant, graphic designer, food etc.

This project has taught me so much and I hope after seeing the video you will see the impact it is not only having on me but others as well. Feel free to visit the website for more information and I sincerely hope you can help me continue this life changing journey.

Thank you,

Kat

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/KatherineBrooks/face-2-face-movie

La «lesbienne numéro 1» du Bronx

NEW YORK - Émue et nerveuse, la révérende Carmen, «lesbienne numéro 1 du Bronx» comme elle se définit avec orgueil, s'apprête à épouser Doris dimanche, jour de l'entrée en vigueur dans l'État de New York de la loi autorisant les mariages homosexuels.

A 48 ans, cette Portoricaine de naissance a passé toute sa vie dans le Bronx, où elle est une figure de la lutte pour les droits de la communauté homosexuelle, dans un quartier difficile et connu pour son machisme.

«Je suis la lesbienne numéro 1 du Bronx, en lutte contre l'homophobie dans la communauté hispanique, où le machisme est roi», raconte à l'AFP Carmen Hernández, lors d'une interview dans son restaurant préféré sur Westchester Avenue, à l'est du Bronx.

À ses côtés, Doris de Armas, Américaine de 50 ans d'origine portoricaine et cubaine, sourit à l'écoute des affirmations guerrières de celle qui est sa compagne depuis deux ans. Elle a toujours préféré «la vie privée» et n'est pas habituée aux journalistes.

«Nous nous connaissons depuis quatre ans. Nous sommes ensemble depuis deux ans. Cette attention médiatique est un choc pour moi, même si connaissant Carmen, je m'y attendais un peu», dit-elle, évoquant toutes les demandes d'interview de la presse locale.

Pour Carmen, révérende chargée des jeunes à l'Église méthodiste de la Résurrection, l'adoption de la loi sur le mariage gay le 24 juin dernier a été aussi importante que l'élection de Barack Obama à la présidence des États-Unis en 2008.

«Je suis presque tombée à genoux en rendant grâce à Dieu» cette nuit-là, raconte-t-elle. Le gouverneur Andrew Cuomo avait promulgué la loi peu avant minuit, après le vote historique du Sénat.

Le 6e État américain à approuver le mariage gay

«Ce qui me rend triste, c'est que New York aurait dû être la première à approuver la loi sur l'égalité du mariage, et ça n'a pas été le cas. Mais comme disait Frank Sinatra, "si on l'a fait à New York, on peut le faire partout"», ajoute-t-elle.

L'État de New York est devenu le 24 juin dernier le 6e État américain, et le plus grand, à autoriser le mariage gay.

La loi entre en vigueur ce dimanche et la mairie de New York, débordée par les demandes, avait annoncé un tirage au sort de 764 couples.

Finalement, 823 couples se sont inscrits à la loterie mise en place par la mairie de New York, qui a décidé de ne pas tirer au sort et de marier tous les candidats dimanche: 459 couples à Manhattan, 98 dans le Bronx, 112 à Brooklyn et dans Queens, 42 à Staten Island.

«Nous, nous allons nous marier dans le Bronx, parce que le Bronx m'a élevée, le Bronx m'a faite telle que je suis aujourd'hui», explique Carmen, qui est également présidente pour le quartier de la Chambre de commerce de la communauté gay.

Après la cérémonie, Carmen et Doris ont prévu d'organiser une fête sur une plage proche, où elles ont convié la presse et une centaine de personnes.

«Tout va être très simple, l'environnement va nous servir de décor», souligne Doris, qui passe commande pour une de ses filles adoptives, Krystal, 13 ans, présente à l'entretien.

Une famille pour Carmen

Car en rencontrant Doris, Carmen a trouvé une famille: sa future épouse a quatre enfants, deux naturels et deux adoptifs, et cinq petits-enfants.

«Moi je n'ai pas d'enfant, je n'ai jamais eu de relation avec un homme, mais elle si. C'est ce que j'ai aimé chez elle. J'aime les enfants», dit avec un sourire cette femme qui souffre de fibromyalgie, une maladie caractérisée par un état douloureux musculaire chronique.

Comme tout le monde, Carmen a ses blessures: «ma mère est homophobe, pour des raisons religieuses. C'est la grande tristesse de ma vie, de ne pas pouvoir partager mon bonheur avec ma mère, que j'adore», dit-elle.

Mais en règle générale elle s'estime heureuse et appréciée dans sa communauté. Elle se rappelle la réaction des parents des enfants dont elle avait la charge, lorsqu'à 30 ans elle leur avait annoncé qu'elle était lesbienne.

«Lorsque je leur ai fait mon "coming out", j'ai fondu en larmes», se souvient-elle. «Carmen, ce que tu as fait pour nos enfants n'a rien à voir avec qui tu es dans ta vie privée», m'ont-ils répondu. «Cela m'a touchée, les parents m'ont acceptée. Leurs enfants sont maintenant des adultes, des hommes et des femmes, et ils m'ont acceptée aussi», conclut-elle.

http://fr.canoe.ca/infos/international/archives/2011/07/20110723-134544.html