eBY.CYNTtllA Ports

 

e internet has changed the way we‘

‘ O I live our lives. With afew keystrokes,
I we can access information, watch a

movie or buy products. Butcan the web a
help» usfind true love? If not, can it at least i

helpniusfhook up’ for the weekend?‘ ,

RI}. 1 2? is helping lesbians to
. find out. October 26th, the Bohnett Cyber
A Center was home to an interactive workshop

., ‘ entitled “Sex Online for Women.”

. “This is one of a series of work-
shops we’ll be holding atthe Cyber Center,”

explains Peggy Luhrs, of R.U.1.2? “We’re
I very open» to suggestions for future work-

shops, so that wel’1lbe covering topicspeople F

are interested in.” A .

l Sex Online for Women was the
brainchild of R.U.l .2?_'s director Christopher
Kaufman, and covers lesbian chat rooms, ‘

_ safe sex sites, and educational sites. “Some
of this information can be difficult to find in
Vermont,” Luhrs explained."‘But no matter“ ,

 
 

including a few of them.”

At press time, Luhrs is uncertain
how much demand there will be for the semi-
nar. ‘_‘The internet is still not the major way-
women want to n1e_et.‘They‘ don’t usethe per-_

sonals the same way men do.

“Look at Seven Days_[B.urlington- '
‘ based news and arts weekly] personals,” she
continued. “The men are very, clear about ~
what physical traits 'they’re looking for,"while
‘ the women are looking for relationships,
emotionalconnection. In San Francisco; A ,
things are a little different..You’ll see women: j

l .where your personal interests lie, you canbe
— sure there’s a site for it on the web “She lists
a fewoptions. “There’s_a’ goddess club, a
strap-on site, you name it. We’ve had
requests for leather-oriented sites, so we’ll be

   3

 °°ki"9 Fri-win L°"°~

‘.f‘3’r7.

“No matter where your
personal interests lie,
you can be sure there's a
site for it on the web.”
Peggy Luhrs, R.U.1.2?

 

 

’  know existed!

n-line lesbian erotica ranges from the elitist and gentle to the down and dirty. Our self-
less researcher devoted countless hours to exploring some of the best sites out there,
and this is what she found:

www.girlfriendsmag.com/onourbacks - The on-line site for the classic magazine —
includes photo and text features from the current issue.
www.lezIove.com‘- A membership site, lezlove features a wide range of erotic stories,
over 500 videos, and a photo gallery featuring impossibly good looking women.
www.pervgrrI.net - Kinky, well-written stories, artsy photos and graphics.
www.qworld.orgIwomynlwebzine.htm — Sapphrodite — A women's journal, featuring
.39, ‘Tasteful’ erotica, where you find some story wrapped around the good parts.
www.|eatherdyke.com — A free membership site, lesbians only, discussion forums and
links to appropriate erotica.

Want to do some specialty shopping? Visit:
www.a-womans-touch.com - for a sweet and romantic approach to all things plastic.
www.goodvibrations.com — offers up every kind of toy you can think of— and some you didn't

  

     
   

news

Virtually

being a little more overt about what they’re
looking for physically.”

The comfortable anonymity of -
cyberspace may make it easier for local les-
bians to find like-minded lovers. “We do
cover some chat room safety," Luhrs said.
“It’s not as big an issue for women, but
everyone needs to understand that there are
people who will pretend to be someone else
when they’re online.” ' _ A

. “When you‘re goinguto meet some-

. one, it’s a good idea to set up that first meet-
ing in a public place. That way you can meet
in a safe environment.” More and more
women appear to be using on-line chat
rooms, and posting personal ads at queer
websites like Planet Out.

The seminar format combines a
brief talk on the wide range of lesbian-inten
est sites with some hands-on computer time.
“We’ll go to some of these sites as we dis-
cuss them,” Luhrs explained. “We'll visit a
chat room, and participants will be able to
engageinthe discussion .”

, When asked about community
reactionlto the seminar, Luhrs chuckled.
“Some people think its fabulous, a positive

' way to liberate ourselves sexually. Others
feel that it cheapens our sexuality, and makes.
it a commodity.” She places herself some-
where between the two - “I’m for some lib- ’
eralization, against the commodization."
’ Luhrs is confident that there will be
other workshops on the same topic, as well
' as some sessions focusing on the gay male

sites. V '

5

Cynthia Potts is a freelance writer who lives
with her family and a growing menagerie of
A animals in Plattsburgh. T

FCC censors Gay TV

e FCC last month “flagged” a
U segment of In the Life, a gay-
oriented one-hour news maga-
zine television show broadcast on pub-
lic television stations nationwide. The
show airs on Vermont Public
Television on the first Sunday of the
month at 11 pm.
The episode, “Hidden
Agenda,” was. scheduled for October
broadcast. The flagged segment, “By the
Book,” featured footage that ironically was
provided by an official of the Bush admin-
istration. _
The show visits the Texas text-
book hearings “to document the process
by which textbooks are selected for

statewide use and ultimately for the rest of
the nation. Texas, which has a large block
of conservative voters on the state school
board and an extremely active fundamen-
talist lobby, is currently examining health
textbooks.” The program looked at “how
topics like homosexuality,VAIDS preven-
tion and gender identity are being trea .”
Excerpts from a videotape pro-
duced by a group headed by Bush
Presidential AIDS Council appointee, Dr.
Joe Mcllhaney, featured in the season pre-
miere episode of In the Life were identified
as potential FCC indecency violations.
The questioned content con-
sists of a line drawing demonstrating
how to do a self-exam for breast can-

cer (taken from a high school health
textbook) and excerpts from a video-
tape produced by Mcllhaney’s Medical
Institute for Sexual Health that pro-
motes abstinence and discourages con-
dom use. According to the Institute,
their products are used in every state
in the nation and in 40 foreign coun-
triesvto promote abstinence-only prac-
tices to teens and parents. President
George W. Bush appointed Mcllhaney
to the President’s Advisory Council on
HIV/AIDS (PACHA) and the Advisory
Committee to the Director of the
Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), according to ITL’s
press release.

Due to the content of the
Mcllhaney video, American Public
Television, a distributor of public tele-
vision programming, suggested that
stations air the program after the 7-10
pm “prime time” slot. The wording on
a series of AIDS prevention posters by
STOP AIDS! in San Francisco were
also cited in the warning.

‘The program had already
aired on Vermont Public Television by
the time the warning was issued,
according to VPT public relations
director Ann Curran. But since the sta-
tion normally airs the show in a late-
night slot, she did not anticipate any
fallout from the FCC.

‘“This whole FCC clamp-

down is really making things difficult ‘

for broadcasters,” Curran said. “We’re
seeing things [we now question] sent

by distributors that we wouldn’t have
thought twice about a few years ago. I
just hope this [new strict standard] will
pass. These strict standards are causing
a lot of grief for broadcasters."
‘Curran added that the gay

and lesbian ncwsmagazine had been in
the schedule at channel 33 for “lots of
years.” The show “gets not a huge
audience but we receive positive feed-
back from people who appreciate its
being there.” Referring to the late
broadcast hour, she said, “We just
hope that people program their
VCRs.” V