Lesbian publisher Barbara Grier dies at 78

Written by  Wire Report

Barbara Grier, co-founder of the lesbian publishing company Naiad Press, has died. She was 78.

Grier’s partner, Donna McBride, says she died of cancer Thursday at a hospital in Tallahassee, Florida. The couple founded Naiad Press in 1973. She says Grier believed that through literature she could make lesbians feel good about themselves and find a happy life.

Tallahassee-based Naiad was best known for publishing “Lesbian Nuns: Breaking Silence” in 1985. Fifty-one former or current nuns contributed to the book. It described relationships in their religious communities that sometimes turned into love affairs.

McBride says Naiad was publishing 36 books a year before she and Grier sold the company and retired in 2003.

FOOT NOTE FROM MARK & CARRIE We had the pleasure of doing business with Barbara since 1989. Many of her Naiad Books & videos were and are at MC Film. She was a Gay Pioneer and very independent paving the way for followers in the GLBT literary world.. She will be missed very much.

National Study Finds LGBT Seniors Face Harder Old Age 
A recent study released by the University of Washington’s School of Social is turning attention toward a group of seniors who face unique (and ignored) needs; a group whose numbers are expected to be more than 4 million by 2030–lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) boomers. Researchers surveyed 2,560 LGBT adults aged 50-95 across the United States, to find that they had greater rates of disability, depression, loneliness and distress compared with heterosexuals of similar ages. Further highlighted by the study were the unique needs of this aging group, such as fear of discrimination, the lack of children to depend on as caregivers and less social support and financial security with age, as older LGBT adults are less likely to be partnered or married than heterosexuals.
www.HuffingtonPost.com

Alarming Rise in STDs Among Gay/Bisexual Black Men
Of the 19 million people that were diagnosed this year with a sexually transmitted disease, one population has been hit the hardest — young, gay and bisexual black men. While syphilis rates fell 1.6% from 2009 to 2010, the rate among young black men rose 134% since 2006, according to the recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. HIV infections are also spiking within this population.
www.nydailynews.com

CA Law Mandating LGBT History Faces New Challenge
Opponents of the state law that mandates the inclusion of the contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in social science instruction in public schools have filed two initiatives with the attorney general to eliminate the law and to give parents the ability to opt out of classroom teaching on the topic. The initiatives come from two groups that are not affiliated with the organization that failed to qualify a referendum on the law, SB48, last month. The leader of that effort said they will also file an initiative with the attorney general on the law in the near future. www.BigGayNews.com

Thanksgiving Travel: Grandma’s or White Party?
What are your plans for this long Thanksgiving weekend? Traveling to family, entertaining friends, small store shopping or to the 26th Annual White Party in Miami! A lot of fun and excitement this long weekend all around the GaYBOR District and Tampa Bay area also. We are promoting  “SHOP SMALL BUSINESS WEEKEND”. Shop the small stores if you want to keep the economy going in a positive direction! Simple, Shop small independent businesses!  But one of the oldest AID fundraising parties in the country is this weekend also.
White Party began in 1985 as a pioneering fundraiser to raise money for research and awareness on a new disease called AIDS. Twenty-seven years later, the Party remains true to its roots as a primary income source for Care-Resource, a nonprofit, multicultural, community-based AIDS service organization, which provides education, prevention, research, care and treatment, and support services. Surrounded by an entire weekend of events, Saturday’s actual “White Party” unites thousands of gay men and women dressed in white, creating a fairy tale party setting. Sunday’s Muscle Beach Party recruits over 5,000 muscle boys for an afternoon of barefoot dancing, dripping sweat, and inebriation. www.Whiteparty.org

What is on Your Thanksgiving Table This Year?
Our Question of the Week to our readers came up with a more traditional menu.

The main course was overwhelmingly said by readers, turkey for Thanksgiving. Higher than thought was Ham, then chicken, roast pork, Cornish hen and leg of lamb. We did have a couple of vegetarian menus as top dinner for the day. Yams was higher than white potatoes. Reservations out had a high number vs cooking at home or going to friends/family. No true number of desert items. Pumpkin Pie, Lemon Meringue, Apple and Pecan Pies came in about the same number and pumpkin cake. Thank You readers for your input.

From the MC Film Mail Bag….

free-shots-for-cat-dogs
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Update on Tampa Epoch
From: Bill Sharpe <bill@southtampatoday.com>
Date: Fri, Nov 18, 2011 at 11:00 AM
Subject: HELP !
To: mcfilmfest@gmail.com

Hi,

Wanted to give you an update on Tampa Epoch.  As of now we have 74 vendors and believe we have sold approximately 3,000 of our original 20,000 print run.  We are meeting vendors every day early in the morning to sign them up and to resupply their newspaper inventory.  Unfortunately, the number of vendors are overwhelming us.  We have now purchased about every high visibility vest in the city and are ordering more.

Each vendor receives papers, a vest, tshirt, sign, instructions, and supervision.  We are urgently in need of sponsors for our vendors for $25 each.   One person had seen Tampa Epoch mentioned on tv, then later saw one of our vendors, he pulled over and hired him and another homeless friend to help with some construction work for a few days.  One of our vendors said he made $27 on selling 23 papers.  He said it was the first time he had seen that much money in a month.

You can sign up online and get more information at www.TampaEpoch.com

Thank you for all that you do.

Bill

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Al & Chuck in top wrapper

TIGLFF 22 Jury Awards

The results are in!  A big “thank you” to our volunteer jury panel for the long hours of work.

Best Narrative Feature:

TOMBOY – Director Céline Sciamma

Best Documentary:

TIE – ANGEL – Director Sebastiano d’Ayala Valva

WE WERE HERE – Directors David Weissman and Bill Weber

Honorable Mention- ADVOCATE FOR FAGDOM – Director Angélique Bosio

Best Women’s Short:

TIE – CYCLICITY – Director Jason Knade

WHEN JUDITH MET THEO – Director Penelope Knockout

Best Men’s Short:

I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK ALONE – Director Daniel Ribeiro

Emerging Filmmaker Feature:

Maryam Keshavarz for CIRCUMSTANCE

Honorable Mention- Sabine Bernardi for ROMEOS

Emerging Filmmaker Short:

Alison Scher for The Maiden and The Princess

Visit our Facebook page and tell us what you think of this year’s results. Are any among your favorites from TIGLFF 22?   facebook.com/tiglff

Tampa Bay Red Ribbon Run

Thursday, December 1

Lowry Park Zoo – Tampa

Host Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner

Emcee Andy Johnson Fox 13 News

5:30-6:30p Check-in
6:30-7p Opening Ceremony
7p Run/Walk

Visit tampabayredribbonrun.org for more info

Read Commissioner Beckner’s Letter of Support

Dishing with Mark & Carrie 11-16-11

“Dishing with Mark & Carrie”
WINNER of
The 2011 Watermark Wave Awards
 
Thank You Readers for Voting us
 
#1 LGBT Blog in Tampa Bay!!!
 
Mark & Carrie 
#2 Favorite Writers in Tampa Bay!!!
Congratulations to #1 Steve Blanchard editor of Watermark.
Congratulations to #3 Tom, Dyer, publisher of Watermark
 
In GaYBOR You Expect the Un Expected.
 
Wrestling in a Gay Bar!!
    This past week we saw things we had never seen before!!! On a quiet Tuesday night suddenly there were screams coming from Bradley’s on 7th. Not screams of joy, but screams of fighting!!!  Of course we had to investigate… There in the DIVA Dance Room was a huge boxing rink set up complete with 3 ropes and bouncing padded floor. It was the Semi Pro Wrestlers Assoc!!! Colorfully costumed and full of life characters. Miss Robin Demornay was the hostess??? The whole room was caught up in the action. At one point Miss Robin hit Mad Dog on the head with her microphone as she proclaimed “That’s how you train a bad dog!!!” The highlight was the final round when Mohamad took the floor.  The next time your at Bradley’s be sure you show some respect to Mohamad at the door. This is one guy you do not want to piss off!!! Just say ‘n.  We understand there will be more wrestling coming next month. Don’t miss the great time.

Silent Disco???

    The Ritz Ybor caught our attention and curiosity when up on the marque it readTonight Silent Disco.” Yes, we are old enough to remember Disco but never heard of Silent Disco www.SilentEvents.com . As you entered the Ritz they gave everybody headphones to wear. In the main dance room there was a DJ set up center stage, neon lights flashing everywhere and people dancing. As the night went on it got crazy and crazier. The room was so very quiet you could hear a pin drop. Guest would take one earphone off and yell at each other over the music in their other ear.  So we were hearing all kinds of wild things like, “Damn your Hot”, “Cocktail Time”, “Let’s go to my house” & many things we can not print!!!!! LOL LOL LOL

Ybor Thunder Bike Fest 2011

    Friday thru Sunday  1,000’s of bikers & biker fans made their way to Ybor City for the ‘Ybor Thunder Bike Fest’. In G.BAR & Czar’s parking lots was a very impressive Motorcycle Vendor Show , Classic Bike Show, Stage with Live Bands performing,  DJ Booth., Food Trucks & lots of drinks!!! Our favorite booth was Bling Riders. It looked like a Drag Queen Heaven!!! 7th Ave was closed & open to motorcycle traffic only on Fri & Sat. There were as many different bikes as riders!