Shoegirl talks delightful DNA

Aside from being a gay woman, I’m also a lucky member of a very special club: the club of those of us who come from families where more than one of us is off the hetero-spectrum.  This is a very special privilege for so many reasons.

My youngest sibling is a LOT younger than me, but I was still surprised 5 years ago when, during a drunken night in in faraway Sydney, one of my best friends picked up the phone, rang my sister and said “XXXXX, are you gay?”  I’d never thought to ask.  I just thought she liked short haircuts and sportswear because she was a good tennis player (2nd in Leinster at the age of 15! proud sis!) and liked rugby.  However it didn’t dawn on me that when she said she’d like to date a rugby player, she meant a member of the women’s team and not the men’s.

Sisters rock

Sistahs and sisters

Thing is, there are so many of us.  I met a girl via a group who used to chat online about 13 years ago who claimed to have no less than 5 gay siblings.  I even had a relationship with a girl who claimed (I never saw actual evidence) that her mother was dating one of her (female) exes.  On the subject of parents: I do actually know a few parent/child gay combinations.  It’s not at all uncommon.  You would wonder sometimes how gay parents feel when one of their children turns out to be gay: delight, relief?  Worry?  And if you were the gay kid of a same-sex relationship, would you feel Mom was so yesterday about everything?

I can’t answer those questions, but I can answer those about having a gay sister.

Here are the best points:

· You don’t have to go to the cinema on your own to see the latest gay arthouse number when you’re single
· You usually like the same kinds of sport: tennis, rugby, boxing, etc
· One of you is bound to remember to get Kylie/Madonna/P!nk tickets before they sell out
· Likewise, common CD collections and you can share or split on boxsets – or borrow/lend them
· Somebody to discuss the thornier stories of The L-Word with that’s not your girlfriend so it doesn’t descend into an emotionally-charged catfight: you can watch stuff together without feeling competitive and/or threatened
· There is at least one tiny level of “honour” present socially – your sister is far less likely to run off with that girl you fancy than some of your friends are
· You are less likely to react with horror if one of you decides to go to a formal occasion dressed in a tux, shaves your head or takes to wearing denim dungarees

Love/hate?

The minuses:

· If your family are not 100% supportive it’s possible that whichever of you came out first could be “blamed” for influencing the other sibling.  This can lead to the closet sibling staying in the closet for longer than necessary because they are afraid of bringing problems on their out sibling.
· Just cause you’re both gay doesn’t actually mean you’ve anything in common.  Yes, we both like Xena, but I’m not pushed on the West Wing and she doesn’t think Prisoners of War is the best thing ever.  However, we’re in common ground over Battlestar Galactica.
· Bitchy, possessive girlfriends will target siblings just as much as friends.  Although this can be a good reason to avoid them in the first place.
· Family and friends often assume that the younger/more recently out one will tend to follow the same patterns.  In our experience, things couldn’t be more different.
· The scene is a very small place.  There is a minor risk that it’s assumed that you are one and the same, which can be difficult socially sometimes.  You really don’t want somebody on the scene not talking to your sister because you kissed their girlfriend (again).
· It’s a bit creepy when your ex tells you they find your sister cute – and your sister then shows an interest!

The big plus is the level of supportiveness and camaraderie you can really only get from a sibling: sometimes I find that while friends on the scene can be great, they haven’t the level of commitment that very strong, close friendships or family have.  It’s nice to roll this in with somebody you’ve known years, to somebody who really knows you, especially when things turn rough.

So how has it been like for you?  Do you know many gay family members?  Have you a gay parent/sibling/child?  What kinds of joys and problems do you experience?

Related posts:

1. Reform in family law might actually acknowledge same-sex families
2. Review: My Animals & Other Family
3. Coming out to the team

Aoife celebrates an unheralded hero

On the corner of Vester Voldgade, Farvergade and Lavendelsgade, just by Copenhagen’s Town Hall square, you may soon be able to enjoy a cup of coffee on a bench, in a square dedicated to and named after gay rights activist, Axel Axgil.

The world famous activist fought for gay rights his entire life, alongside his husband Eigil Axgil. In 1989, they married and became the world’s first same-sex couple to enter into a registered partnership – after 40 years of being engaged and fighting for equal rights.

Sniff... have something in my eye

Inspired in part by the exclusion of lgbt people from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Axel Axgil played a key role in initiating the founding of what would become LGBT Denmark – The Danish National Organisation for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgendered persons, originally the Association of 1948.

Jailed

The two men lived their lives openly gay, in a time when homosexuals were frequently persecuted, they campaigned and distributed gay magazines and erotic material. As a result, Axel Axgil both lost his job and his house and, in 1955, he was arrested and jailed for a year for distributing erotic material.

In 2007 Axel spearheaded the founding of Regnbuen (The Rainbow), a grave for lgbt people in the Assistens Kirkegård (Assistens Cemetery). On October 29th 2011, 15 years after the death of his husband Eigil, Axel died 96 years old and was laid to rest at The Rainbow.

Legend

In relation to the announcement, Copenhagen’s technical and environmental mayor stated that she hopes the new square will highlight society’s treatment of minorities and the continued fight to secure their rights. Choosing to name the square after Axel Axgil seemed an ‘entirely natural’ choice, considering the fact that Denmark lead the way for many years on gay rights and that a large part of that fight had its base in Copenhagen.

When Axel Axgil threw himself into the fight to secure rights for gay people, there were large personal costs tied in with that fight. I hope that naming a square after Axel Axgil can inspire all minorities to fight for their rights and remind the majority of the importance of an open mind and the need to treat everyone equally.

Related posts:

1. France divided
2. Táiniste calls for Referendum on Gay Marriage
3. NOISE Kiss For Marriage This Sunday

Good morning.

Among the first to address the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and Children, which is sitting for three days this week to hear submissions from experts and advocates regarding implementation of the X Case ruling, was Dr Rhona Mahony.

Dr Mahony, who is Master of the National Maternity Hospital, spoke with persuasive clarity and passion on an issue which has adversely affected patients and doctors in Ireland for around three decades now.

And she was fabulous. (Watch Oireachtas playback here and RTÉ Six One coverage here. Official transcript is here.)

Images: RTÉ News (screengrabs)

Related posts:

1. What’s your favourite show on the tellybox at the moment?

Kerrie may just be in love with a Tigger

Recently, Tig Notaro’s stand up album, very deliberately titled Live (as in ‘to live’), was voted number 1 in Vulture’s top ten list of stand up albums for 2012. And number 1 by the AV club. An album, by the way, which she had not intended to release, but which was released by Louis CK after he had a conversation with Woody Allen about her. Isn’t that always the way? So, what’s all the fuss about? Gather round children, and I will reveal all.

Stealing hearts on Conan

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

After pittering about on the edges of comedy for many years (she is now 41), 2012 has been the most successful year for Notaro, vaulted from the realms of being respected among other comedians, to being a respected and well known comic to the world at large. Conversely, among all of this celebration and success, this has also been the worst year for Notaro to date. Ok, slow down, I said slow down! Let’s not skip ahead of ourselves, this is all very interesting, but where did it all begin?

Before all of the fame she is now experiencing, Tig was known for her appearance in (close friend) Sarah Silverman’s show The Sarah Silverman Program, as lesbian cop named ‘Tig’ (wonder where they dreamt that up?) in 2007. She also appeared in this  little video for Funny or Die, which she co-wrote and directed with writing partner, best friend and Professor Blastoff co-host Kyle Dunnigan.

Getting ready for Blastoff

Not straight forward

Among others, the video features Kate Moennig, Lucy Lawless and Clea DuVall- which I’m starting to think may not have been targeted towards straight audiences… Notaro’s podcast, Professor Blastoff, has been successful since 2011 when it began, and her Debut album Good One – released that same year – was also really successful, but why was has she suddenly become so everywhere right now?! Well, a bunch of stuff happened, beginning this summer.

Tig developed pneumonia, after which she got a debilitating and life threatening infection. A week out of hospital from this, her mother tripped, hitting her head and dying, Tig then went through a relationship break up, got diagnosed with breast cancer (in both breasts), and got a double mastectomy.

And all the while, her career had never been more successful, she had never been in higher demand, and was getting more offers than she had ever received. She was being offered a coveted spot on Conan, and many live dates. One such date – at the LA comedy venue, Largo – was scheduled just days after her cancer diagnosis. And it was one she decided not to turn down, which has probably been one of the best things to happen to her career.

Image from gillustration.wordpress.com

Karma kicks

Notaro explained on her podcast (if you haven’t listened to it yet, who are you and why are you here, please take your coat and leave) that she was in a sort of shocked state after her diagnosis, and was not unaware of the irony of the situation.

Here she was, with a potentially life threatening disease, while simultaneously in the height of her career, with bookings and requests that she could not risk turning down. She knew she had a set booked at Largo, and rather than cancel it and pretend she was fully healthy, she thought to herself, while in the shower (idea central), why not do both; present the set, but discuss the illness? What could be funnier than frankly addressing her audience with “Hello, I have cancer”?

Captivating

It turns out, not much. But what she didn’t bank on was how captivating and emotional it would also be for the small crowd gathered there. So, just days after her cancer diagnosis, on the 3rd of August, she went up on stage, and addressed the audience, matter of factly, with this news. They were appropriately captivated, and when she faltered, thinking it may be a bit of a downer, they urged her to continue. Tig talks about it here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR7aRzu7-o8

That set has become the stuff of comedy legend, and later spurred this Tweet, from Louis CK- not often known for his affection

In 27 years doing this, I’ve seen a handful of truly great, masterful standup sets. One was Tig Notaro last night.

The audience were left in awe at what had happened on stage; such an honest and frank account by Notaro, who basically just got up there and spoke without inhibition. It was also powerful enough to warrant its own unplanned album release, thanks to the entire thing being recorded by Largo.

On the road

The result has been a featured segment on the This American Life, a recent appearance on Conan, who has asked her to hang out ‘any time’. If you’re reading this Conan, I’m going to assume that applies to me too.

So now that she’s physically well, Notaro has moved to New York to work on fellow comedian Amy Schumer’s new show for Comedy Central, and there are talks of a book deal. I want to say how lucky this seem, but with everything else that’s happened, that’s just not the case, it’s more like she’s getting a small amount of happiness that she’s owed. That and a whole lot of talent that got her here.

Notaro, however, has herself said how lucky she feels, which I also take as proof that on top of all this, she’s also an amazing person.

Download!

So this summer, listening to Professor Blastoff served not only to give me awkward “I’m in public I need to stop laughing alone, no one can see that I have earphones on and mothers are pulling their children away from me’” belly tickling, but also acted as a sort of log of Tig’s progress and news. These podcasts are all free on the Earwolf network, or to download on iTunes.

Excerps from her stand up are available on youtube. If you like your comedy dry, and sprinkled with drollness , sarcasm and the odd cheeky smile, this may be for you. Her Talor Dayne set is particularly great, especially given Dayne’s recent guest appearance on Professor Blastoff.

Give it all a look, if you haven’t already, and then you can best informed to decide – does Notaro deserve all this recent attention?

Related posts:

1. Purple hearts
2. It’s Golden Globe time
3. My annual Kiki

After reviewing Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same (and loving it), we were delighted to have the opportunity to ask a few questions of Lisa Haas, who plays the lovable Earthling Jane in the hilarious lesbian sci-fi comedy.

What drew you to this particular project?
The director of the film, Madeleine Olnek, is also a playwright. Over the past ten years I have been in several of her plays and all of them are as unique and hysterically funny as Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. So when Olnek asked me to be in the movie, how could I say no?! Plus many other ofthe other artists involved are people I had worked with before – all folks who are extremely talented, funny and really wonderful to be with.

Did you sometimes wish you could speak like the aliens? Because that sounded fun.
YES! I wish I could have spoken like the aliens. And, I love special effects make-up and wanted to be an SPFX make-up artist many years ago. I would love to be an alien. Or a pre-historic monster.

Why do you think Jane was single? She seemed so sweet!
Do you ever hear people use the phrase, “I can’t date that person, because they are too nice.” What exactly is “too nice?” Shouldn’t you want to date someone who is nice? I think many people, who aren’t relationship ready, avoid folks who are nice, right? Maybe on some unconscious or subconscious level they don’t believe they deserve to be in a healthy relationship. That’s probably one reason why Jane, we assume, has not gotten lots of dates. Plus, Jane has gone to therapy to work on herself. Perhaps she hasn’t been ready to seriously date someone. Luckily, she is good-to-go when a terrific alien like Zoinx comes along.

What do you expect most people will take away from this story?
There are many analysis angles one could speak on regarding the film’s story, style or characters. But I think what most folks take away is the feeling of surprise at how uncommonly funny the film is.

You’re a writer yourself! Anything exciting in the works?
I am currently working with Olnek on one of her film projects-in-progress, which is most definitely going to be a comedy. And, I write for the character of Doris Anderson who is in an ongoing comedy show titled “IN HEAT: Is the Hot Under Her Collar or Under Her Skirt?” My In Heat collaborators and I just had a show in the 2012 New York International Fringe Festival and are developing material fora new show. We love it when people visit our website!

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same is available on DVD from Peccadillo Pictures now.

Related posts:

1. Review: Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
2. Win! Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same
3. Bumblefuck USA Interview

Cindy Gallop is on a mission. She wants to rock the mainstream pornography industry and broaden the public conversation on sex. And while she’s at it, she’s not adverse to calling out the technology, advertising and marketing industries on their own conservatism and prejudices. Oh, and saving the world in her spare time. You may already know her from her hugely popular 2009 TED talk. If not, check it out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV8n_E_6Tpc

I’m a fan of this woman.

Image from wikipedia

When I saw she was scheduled to speak at the Dublin Web Summit that was held in the RDS a few weeks ago I organised my entire week around making sure I didn’t miss it. The planned topic of her talk wasn’t listed in the programme, so I wasn’t sure if she was still pushing the Make Love Not Porn project from 2009 or if she was there to talk about other things. To be honest, I would have gone to hear her chat about her shopping list.

I have no idea what age Gallop is; she’s older than the men she dates, who we know tend to be in their twenties, but whether she’s 35 or 60 I really cannot say. She strikes me as the sort of person who should be measured in watts, not years.

She has a tremendous energy on stage, as though she has much to say and do she cannot comfortably contain it in her body. She walks straight onto stage and starts talking, when she’s done she walks straight off.

She walked straight onto the stage in Dublin to call us all out on our own sexist, self-satisfied and prudish ways. As a young woman about to graduate  (hopefully) into the industry it was pretty fantastic to watch.

Sexist
In the tech industry women are always Other. Most of the people running companies and hiring are white, straight, cis, able-bodied, middle-class men and they’re not so comfortable with hiring difference. According to Gallop, this is just needlessly cutting out lots of useful perspectives from your organisation, and being uncomfortable isn’t always a bad thing. Women, she says, ask the hard questions in life…

“What are you thinking?”

Even though the majority of social network users and online gamers are now women they remain hugely under represented in the creation and distribution of the Next Big Thing. How, Gallop asks, can you justify that? How can you not employ the sort of person who will ask the business equivalent of “Where is this relationship going?” which, she suggests, is something like “Are we spending all this money here just because we did it last year?”

Self-satisfied

Next she challenged the web industry into really think about innovation. What the hell is the point in making the Next Big Thing if you’re only going to reinforce the existing social and cultural mores while you’re at it? That’s not innovation, that’s just a new colour scheme.

Creativity at her fingertips. Image from dalydose on Tumblr

In fact, the web industry is so conservative that, in her experience, even when somebody else has gone to the effort of thinking outside the box most companies shy away from getting involved in case they get burnt. She found this out the hard way, when she couldn’t get existing companies and services to work with her on her new project, ’the startup the world didn’t want you to have’: makelovenotporn.tv.

So, are we all just a bunch of prudes?
Which brings us to the main theme of her talk. After her TED talk in 2009 and the popularity of the website makelovenotporn.com Gallop found herself wondering if there was a next step. And, if there was, was she not obliged to take it? Her idea was this:

If mainstream porn is become the de facto sex education for young people then how can we provide an alternative? What if the porn industry could be challenged through the recording and distribution of ‘real world sex’ rather than ‘amateur porn’? The average person, you and me, could record our personal sex lives – not jazzed up for performance value, but just as it is – and then show it to other people in a spirit of sharing, education and a general abandonment of self-consciousness.

MakeLoveNotPorn.tv is of the people, by the people, and for the people who believe that the sex we have in our everyday life is the hottest sex there is.

We are not porn – porn is performance (often an exceedingly delicious performance, but a performance nonetheless).

We are not ‘amateur’ – a label that implies that the only people doing it right are the professionals and the rest of us are bumbling idiots. (Honey, please.)

It sounds like the sort of thing that you’d think up at 2am in your friend’s kitchen but these people have actually made it happen!

designed to make #realworldsex socially acceptable and socially shareable; to build a platform and tools to be sexual social currency, to achieve the one thing we’d like everyone to do when it comes to #realworldsex – talk about it. To each other. While you’re having it. While you’re not. Openly, honestly, in a way that will improve everybody’s sex lives, and lives generally.

Makelovenotporn.tv is a for real.  It’s pay-per-view, so contributors can make money out of their sex life, and has all the trappings of most social networks – friends, connections, badges. I kid you not, badges. Like the FourSquare badges I guess, but in an alternate reality. So, if you do something a little bit unusual in bed you get the Adventurer Badge and so on. If you’ve nothing better to do today have a look at the Scouts badges in this new and shimmering light.

In her talk in Dublin, she challenged the audience with the following idea: If you put your relationship status on Facebook, your disgustingly coupley photos on Flikr and hideously romantic sweet nothings on Twitter then why are we drawing the line at the unspoken conclusion of (most) romantic relationships?

Porn sucks

Since she launched makelovenotporn.tv everywhere she goes she asks the people she meets would they contribute a video and she claims that 90% of those people say they would. Ninety percent! Apparently, when it’s framed as social innovation and not something sleazy, recording  and showing off our sex lives is something most of us want to do.

So, what do you think? Personally I wouldn’t in a million years – I have found the limits of my inner Cindy Gallop fangirl – but then I don’t have my relationship status on Facebook either. Would anyone reading this be up for it? Do you think it would be a healthy addition to our online lives and our real-world attitude to sex?

Related posts:

1. Porn takes the fun out of hysteria
2. Porn, art or obscenity?
3. In love with a fairytale

• We were all set to publish this post, finger hovering over the “publish” button, when the latest news about Diana Nyad came through. Read our update at the top of this post, and then read on to find out about the sheer determination and grit of this amazing woman!

Tuesday, 2pm: Diana has been pulled from the water, her crew too concerned for her safety to allow her to continue.  She is suffering from severe sunburn, a strained bicep muscle, and numerous jellyfish stings, as well as damage to her lips and tongue because of salt water. She is on her way to Key West in Florida to receive medical attention. It’s a sad way to end another epic attempt at this crossing, but it’s almost inevitable that she will try again, impossible doesn’t seem to be a word that this lady understands. Commiserations Diana, and get well soon!

• The original post starts below:

She’s back in the water! Diana Nyad is currently swimming somewhere between Cuba and Florida, this is her fourth attempt to complete the 103 mile distance. She hopes to become the first person to swim across the Florida Straits without the safety of a shark cage, after her attempt last September was abandoned due to potentially deadly jellyfish stings. Should she manage it, I predict the Chuck Norris meme will finally be retired, and we’ll all be wearing Diana Nyad pyjamas.

After a fairly uneventful start on Saturday, a storm blew up the following night, bringing lightning and rain and veering her off course as she swam, but a report after 35 hours said she was well and comfortable and continuing through the storm, despite numerous jellyfish stings on her lips, forehead and arms. An apparatus on a kayak shadowing Nyad helps keep sharks at bay by generating a faint electric field, and she is also accompanied by divers who will jump in to protect her at the first sight of sharks that might manage to get through.

All going well, Diana is due to reach the Florida keys on Tuesday. She’ll want to get back before Wednesday anyway, for her 63rd birthday!

Tuesday morning update: That pesky storm has delayed Diana’s progress by more than 6 hours, but the recent weather has been much more calm, with the added bonus of some friendly dolphins joining her on Monday evening!

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Left to right: Brian Tinsley, Eleanor McEvoy, Orla Tinsley, Patricia Tinsley, Miriam O’Callaghan.
Image: Orla Tinsley

Orla Tinsley appeared on RTÉ Radio 1′s Miriam Meets at the weekend, speaking with her parents, Brian and Patricia, to Miriam O’Callaghan about her life and experiences.

Some readers may already be familiar with Orla, in her capacity as a campaigner for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) and as a journalist with The Irish Times.

In her autobiography, Salty Baby, she wrote about coming out both to herself and to her parents. Towards the end of Miriam Meets, Orla discussed with Miriam O’Callaghan how she came to understand her sexuality and the decision to include this aspect of her personal life in the book.

Here’s a snippet:

Miriam O’Callaghan: How’s your love life, by the way?

Orla Tinsley: Oh, em.. No comment! [laughter] No, nothing exciting going on.

MO’C: Is it true that you’re bisexual?

OT: Yeah, sure. If you want to call it that, that’s fine. Yeah, totally, I started having crushes on girls when I was around 10 or something, and my poor parents didn’t know what was going on. Maybe they did! I didn’t know what was going on! But yeah, definitely.

I wrote about it in my book as well because – some people said, “You don’t need to mention that, why would you mention that?” and I was like, “Why wouldn’t I mention it?” If I’m talking about my relationships with men, why wouldn’t I talk about my relationships with women? You know, it’s just who I am.

And that’s the funny thing about CF as well, it just makes you see that all of this crap about “You should be a certain way, you shouldn’t be a certain way”, that’s absolute rubbish. You just be who you are, and that’s it, you know?

MO’C: And I know you don’t like the word “inspiring”, but other young people reading your book who themselves might have different forms of sexuality – that gives them the courage, too, to be open, because there’s nothing worse than spending your life hiding who you are, do you think, Brian?

Brian Tinsley: Absolutely…

Patricia Tinsley: As long as you’re happy.

BT: …In one sense, you’re kind of thinking that it shouldn’t be mentioned because you’re mentioning something – I know that the reality is that bisexuality or anything other than a so-called “normal” – by talking about it you’re almost making it abnormal in some kind of a way.

PT: Do you introduce somebody as, “So-and-so, but she’s heterosexual”? You know, does it matter really? As long as the person is happy and honest within themselves and believes in themselves.

OT: And when you are honest in yourself, for me, I felt so free when I came out like that. It took a few years, because I would start coming out and then you’d almost forget that you’ve come out and you have to keep coming out again, but it just makes you feel a whole – your whole self – as opposed to that you’re hiding something, or that you feel there’s a part of you. Because it makes you angry not being able to be who you are, and you should just be able to be who you are. Because life is short, you know?

MO’C: It’s liberating, I think, because you only have one life.

(Love you, Miriam!)

Have a listen to the whole show. And have a read!

No related posts.

image from Angela Zahra's Facebook page

Angela Zahra, who plays devout Amira in Three Veils, was born in the UK but raised in Syria. She studied classical piano and acting and has had a prolific career in Syria before moving to the UK with her husband.

At the New York City International Film Festival, Zahra won “Best Lead Actress” for her role in Three Veils. We were fortunate enough to be given the opportunity to ask this accomplished actress some questions about her role and the film in general.

Q: Amira’s story is, I think, something most audiences have never seen. What was it that drew you to the part, and what do you hope Amira’s story communicated?

A: Amira’s story presented truthfully the struggle of a lot of young women, and even men, in her situation who are having a hard time finding their voice in a world where traditions are so dominant in ones life. This is especially true for the LGBT community in the Middle East that suffers not only from the personal struggle in dealing with their true emotions, but also from fear of society backlash. I really wanted to portray this struggle and do my best in helping this community to at least find a reflection of themselves in Amira’s character. I hope that I was able to communicate this truth and that no matter if you are gay or straight, whatever decisions any woman, or man, makes, should be their own.

Q: Which of the three characters in Three Veils do you think is the easiest to relate to?

A: I don’t think there is one easier to relate to than the other. I think they are all very beautiful and complex characters that any woman can find something in each one that relates to her own life. And even though the three girls in the movie were Muslim, yet I believe that any woman from any culture can relate to them. In fact, in the Q/As after the screenings, we had a lot of non-Muslim women make this exact comment. Some of the audiences even saw themselves in the characters of the parents and related to the generational differences that this film also reflects upon. This is all of course because the characters were written honestly and truthfully.

Q: Have you experienced any disapproval for your portrayal of a devoutly religious woman who is attracted to other women (and doesn’t condemn that in herself)?

A: Of course, we all had many horrible things written about us. You just have to go to Youtube and see some of the comments on the trailer. Most of the negative ones are from  people who haven’t even seen the film but rather base their judgment on the trailer and the idea of portraying a Muslim lesbian. Many commented that Lesbians don’t even exist in the Muslim world, which of course is not true, or some people thought  that the film is trying to negatively portray Islam, In fact, the film does the opposite and this film is very kind and balanced when it comes to the religion itself and I wish people would see the film before commenting. Interestingly enough, we found a lot of negativity from people who  expected this film to a be a negative commentary on the religion and it is not of course so they get upset. On the other hand, I also found a lot of love and support from people who really appreciated this portrayal and to me that negates all the negativity out there and makes me believe that what we did in this film was the right thing.

Q: There is a lot of discussion about the nature of Amira’s and Nikki’s friendship/relationship and whether it was healthy or damaging. What’s your take on that?

A: Life is full of moments that may seem unhealthy or even bad, but I think, just like in real life, this was an experience that added a dimension to these women’s lives and enabled them to make their own decisions. That is how I see life, as a series of fleeting moments, whether good or bad, that end up shaping our path ahead of us and ultimately make us who we are as humans. We shouldn’t dwell on these moments or our lives won’t move forward, but rather learn from them and carry on and I think that is what Amira and Nikki did. Whether it was the beautiful tender moments between them or the heartbreaking ones, these moments helped them discover themselves and what they wanted from life.

Related posts:

1. Review: Three Veils
2. Review: Joe + Belle
3. Review: The Morning After

Image from usatoday.com

How sorry we were to hear of the passing of the great Nora Ephron last week.  Although probably best known for romantic comedies such as Sleepless in Seattle and When Harry Met Sally, she was also an accomplished journalist and author, social commentator and essayist.  Elaine Showalter described her writings as ‘guidelines to inventing la vida feminista’, and she was indeed a leading light – that rarest of breeds, a woman directing films in Hollywood.

I was delighted to read that as a child, she would be brought out for her parents’ (both screenwriters) boozy soirees to meet the assembled guests, one of whom was Dorothy Parker.  Who better for a young writer to aspire to?!

Graduating from Wellesley College with a degree in Political Science, she jumped into the world of journalism and became a columnist for the New York Post, Esquire and New York Magazine.  Her first feature film was Silkwood, directed by her friend Mike Nichols and starring Meryl Streep, who went on to star in several later films penned by Ephron.  Here’s Nora on Meryl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4Moh-Sw7xE

Not afraid of displaying her feminist credentials for all to see, the debut issue of Ms. Magazine in 1972 included her name along with 50 others in a petition entitled “We Have Had Abortions”.  The list included Gloria Steinem, Billy Jean King, Susan Sontag and Anaïs Nin.  A daring move at the time, it wasn’t until the following year that Roe vs. Wade legalised abortion in the US.

Her writing was a delight, no more so evident in her essays, collected in volumes including Crazy Salad (1975), I Feel Bad About My Neck (2006) and I Remember Nothing (2010).  Here’s just a small sample of her musings.

On the play she wrote with her sister: “It’s sort of “The Vagina Monologues” but without the vaginas.”

On religion: “You can never have too much butter – that is my belief. If I have a religion, that’s it.”

On divorce: “Never marry a man you wouldn’t want to be divorced from.”

On people: “I am continually fascinated at the difficulty intelligent people have in distinguishing what is controversial from what is merely offensive.”

At the 1996 Wellsley College commencement address: “The Wonderbra is not a step forward for women. Nothing that hurts that much is a step forward for women.”

On parenting: “When your children are teenagers, it’s important to have a dog so that someone in the house is happy to see you.”

On marriage: “Whenever I get married, I start buying Gourmet magazine. I think of it as my own personal bride’s disease.”

On death: “When I buy a new book, I always read the last page first, that way in case I die before I finish, I know how it ends. That, my friend, is a dark side.”

Nora Ephron (1941 – 2012)

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Theron was born in South Africa in 1975 (I get to write about an adult at last), but it was in the USA in the late 90′s that she made her name as an actor.  Roles in box office successes like The Devil’s Advocate (1997), and The Cider House Rules (1999) got her name out there, although I think it was a few years later before anyone knew how to pronounce it correctly.  I would imagine that when most people hear her name they understandably think of her beauty but to be fair Charlize has not traded on her looks, you need only look to her 2003 Oscar winning performance as Aileen Wuornos in Monster for proof of that.  Film critic Roger Ebert went as far as to say

What Charlize Theron achieves in Patty Jenkins’ Monster isn’t a performance but an embodiment… This is one of the greatest performances in the history of the cinema

You can’t get much better than that.  Since the success of Monster Theron has followed up with award nominated performances in North County (2005) and Young Adult (2011), her diversity as an actor is there for all to see.  She is also an accomplished producer, producing not only some of her own films, such as Monster and Young Adult but also projects like the documentary East of Havana.

It has to be said though, she is just beautiful and in the most classic way.  You look at any image of her and it’s like a work of art.  She also comes across as very genuine when interviewed, its nice to see someone who seems to have it all coming across as humble.  She is a new mom too, her son Jackson is just gorgeous, I saw her on Ellen recently talking about him and her two dogs and it was lovely.  Everyone deserves a family and she seems delighted with hers, you go girl!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiKJLvHqhWk

Charlize has also spoken out many times on gay rights, not leased in her open support of marriage equality.  In 2006 GLAAD honored Theron with the prestigious Vanguard Award, at the time she pledged not to marry until everyone had that right.  Swoon.

I don’t like living in an elitist world, it bothers me. I don’t want to be part of an elitist sexual preference. Maybe it’s because I come from a country where I lived under apartheid. This is a form of apartheid and I don’t want to be a part of that (link)

Now that her relationship with Dubliner Stuart Townsend is over I can’t help but wonder if another Dubliner might float her boat – I’m single Charlize, pick me pick me!

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Having had a look at lovely ladies whose names start with the latter A and then powering our way through the B’s, we now turn our attention to the C’s and some ladies who love ladies.  I know, it’s a tough job and all that but we are very dedicated here at Gaelick towers.  Being a lady who belongs to this category myself I have high hopes for my peers.

So lets start with some musical women who hit the right note, from cabaret to country with a few dentures through indie and pop.

Claire Waldoff (1884 – 1957)

Born in Germany, Claire became a beloved cabaret singer in Berlin in the 1910′s and 1920′s.  At the turn of the century she got a job in the theatre and went on to be a major hit in cabarets, singing her songs with a distinctive Berliner slang.  Waldoff hit her stride in the 1920′s and was played on the radio, which in those days was an incredible achievement, she even sang with the amazing Marlene Dietrich.

Claire lived with her partner Olga von Roeder in Berlin for many years but when the Nazi’s came to power in the early 1930′s the couple moved to Bavaria and Claire’s great success came to a premature end.  Sadly she lost all her money but did go on to write an autobiography in 1953.

Cris Williamson (1947 – present)

Cris was out and proud before many of the people you may think of when you hear words like “lesbian singer” or “lesbian visibility”, a true trailblazer.  She a singer songwriter who is also a political activist and serves as a wonderful role model to many in our community.

Born in South Dakota, Williamson was one of the brains behind Olivia Records a label which was created in 1973 and was aimed solely at gay women.  She went on to record over a dozen records with the label herself, not to mention helping to form a safe space for so many who followed.  Not many people will leave a legacy like the one Cris will leave.  Her beautiful song Sweet Woman (listen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJdX0QxqL8Q

) is thought of by many as the first major release love song from a woman to a woman, on that she says:

With Sweet Woman, all of the sudden there were women who would get it. And they’d about drive off the road. They’d write me. “Oh My God! All of the sudden it hit me. It’s a woman singing about another woman. How powerful!” Such a simple thing…  Power can come from the simplest place, which for me is about the truth. There is nothing quite so fine as telling the truth straight like that and not being afraid. I didn’t know to be afraid.

Catie Curtis (1965 – present)

Having played drums professionally from just 15 Catie was obviously a women heading for the big time.  Her latest of 11 albums was released only last year but what I love about her is how hard she is to categorise, is she indie is she pop, is she country – she’s all of the above and more.

Her songs feature in top TV shows like Dawson’s Creek and Alias, she has performed on stage with some great names like Mary Chapin Carpenter, but why does she make my list?  Well, because she donates instruments to underprivileged children of course, and I mean tons of ‘em.  She does this through her own Aspire to Inspire inititive.  Not only that but being married with two kids herself Catie is so dedicated to marriage equality that she became ordained to officiate them herself in 2010, nice one.

Chely Wright (1970 – present)

Have you ever heard that someone came out and wanted to shout – “ha told you so!”  I’ve been a fan of Chely’s music for years so of course she makes my list. A song writer and singer from Kansas, Chely has rightly been the recipient of many country music awards over the years, having written some great songs, not just for herself but for many others including Richard Marx and the unstoppable Indigo Girls.

Her coming out in 2010 was followed not only by her autobiography Like Me and the award winning documentary Wish Me Away but also with some great advocacy work, not least of which was the opening, earlier this summer, of the Like Me Lighthouse in Kansas City.  The only annoying thing about Chely is she is one of those women who gets better looking with age.  I could go on and on but it could easily become one big swoon-fest and she’s a married woman!

Camila Grey (1979 – present)

Half of Uh Huh Her along with girlfriend Leisha Hailey, Camila is a successful musician from Austin Texas.  The pair have released several recordings since 2007 and have toured extensively.  The band name comes from a PJ Harvey album so you can’t go wrong can you?

Grey played keyboard and bass for a host of artists before becoming the lead vocalist, guitar player and also playing keyboard for Uh Huh Her.  She hasn’t quit her day job just yet either and has toured with Adam Lambert’s live band on keyboards.

So who have I missed out, there are bound to be plenty more of us, amazing women whose names start with C.  Let us know in the comments section below who you would ad.

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From Gaelick Contributor Dil Wickremasinghe (right)

The first time I went to a gay bar was the Candy Bar in Soho in London, I was 23 years old. I had an extremely sheltered upbringing as my parents were Jehovah’s Witnesses so stepping into a gay space where I was going to meet another lesbian for the first time in my life was quite simply terrifying for me!

Sure enough what I saw was more than I could handle at the time – butch, femme, suits, ties, leather, chains, shaved heads, torn T-shirts, studs, tattoos, piercings… I remember my brain was struggling to take it all in! I remember being anxious as I asked myself again the questions that were haunting me for so many years… “Is this really me? Am I really a lesbian?” It was a brand new world for me and I remember feeling very far from being proud as I felt frightened, confused and painfully inadequate.

Most members of our community would have similar stories of when they first came out as we didn’t have an alternative. Many of us overcame the initial nerves and awkwardness by sheer brute force often fueled by alcohol and drugs which led to a multitude of other issues such as addiction and STD’s.

Imagine for a minute if your first experience of the LGBTQ community was in a safe, nurturing and supportive environment? Where you would have an opportunity to explore your sexuality and become self-aware and connect with other women who have just started their journey of self-discovery.

Outhouse created this space in the Women’s Personal Development Course having sourced funding from the Dublin VEC and engaged Diversity Equality Works to facilitate it. The course is designed to facilitate the personal development of each participant and help them to reach their full potential. During the 6 week course emphasis is put on the importance of self-awareness, goal-setting, planning, decision-making, problem solving, good communication, building relationships, wellness and contributing to the community.

Many LGBTQ people are marginalised and isolated from their family and community through the “coming out” process which is often the culmination of many years of soul searching and great pain. This often results in leaving school early, working in low paid jobs and leading to huge lack of confidence and personal wellbeing. As a consequence this often manifests itself in alcohol and drug abuse and lack of opportunity. Lesbians face unique barriers within the LGBTQ and the greater community and this course is designed with their needs in mind.

The course creates an opportunity for women to explore alternatives in their lives, to develop self-confidence, to do things in a new way and to make solid plans to reach their goals. It is a way to discover more about yourself, your own abilities and what may be holding you back from living life to your full potential.

The Women’s Personal Development course is unique and empowers participants by encouraging them to access their own resources through weekly motivational sessions in a supportive, non-judgemental and confidential environment.

The next Women’s Personal Development course will commence on Wednesday 2nd May at 7pm to 10pm for 6 weeks in Outhouse, 105, Capel Street, Dublin 1. It’s free and places are limited, book your place by emailing admin@outhouse.ie or telephone (01) 873 4999

Dil Wickremasinghe is a Broadcaster with Newstalk 106-108 FM, a Social Entrepreneur, Trainer and Stand Up Comedian. Check out her website here

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I eventually got over myself and started to use my phone like a normal person, and one of the things that delighted me most about it was the world of…podcasts!  So much entertainment and information and stuff out there, a lot of it for free!  You can sign up to a podcast and get it to your phone or computer just like that!  I know they’ve been around for a long time, but give this old lady a chance, yeah?!  Here’s some that I’m especially fond of.

BBC Radio 4’s News Quiz is a rare bird indeed, clever, informative and very, very funny.  Hosted by none other than Sandi Toksvig, it’s a half hour of two teams answering questions about the week’s news, adding plenty of wit and sarcasm, with just the right mix of journalists, pundits and comedians.  It’s especially good because it’s not just four guys making fun of each other every week, they have a steady stream of super smart ladies on board such as Sue Perkins (we know her!), Susan Calman (she’s familiar!), Roisín Conaty (we’ll look her up!), Jo Brand (ah yes) and loads more.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/series/fricomedy

I discovered The Smartest Man in World’s weekly podcast (or as he likes to call it, vodkast) last year, and wondered where it had been all my internetting life.  You might remember Greg Proops from Whose Line is it Anyway, Mock the Week, Flight of the Conchords, the US version of Bob The Builder, about a million films – basically, he’s a hard-working man.  This show takes place wherever his comedy life takes him, often in his home of Los Angeles but internationally too.  It’s an hour of him putting the world to rights in his own very hilarious way.  He loves old movies, baseball, political commentary, drinking, and giving his opinion on anything he damn well pleases, and he gets all the props for being ultra-liberal, feminist, pro-gay rights, and generally a very cool dude.

http://smartest.libsyn.com/

And now for a bit of, well, absolutely anything.  The best thing about NPR’s This American Life is its encyclopaedic range of topics, from break-ups to economics, psychopaths to babies switched at birth, and every other human story you could think of.  Each show features several chapters or “acts”, all centred around a unifying theme, it is radio documentary at its purest.  I first heard about it when I learned that one of my favourite writers, David Sedaris, often featured on it reading his brilliant personal essays.  Stories from the programme have inspired film scripts, such as The Informant and Sleepwalk With Me.  I suggest you try the episode entitled Break Up, from July of last year, available on iTunes or the show’s website.

http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

Ever wanted to know more about US politics and hear Rachel Maddow’s voice at the same time?!  I’m telling you, it is possible!  Her week night show on MSNBC is what you need, whether she’s interviewing senators, pundits or celebrities, she brings her trademark intelligence and wit to bear in all eventualities.  She is currently drawing light on the wave of conservative legislation proposed in several US states regarding women’s reproductive rights, probably one of the few cable news shows to do so with any level of scrutiny and investigation.  She’s funny, polite and makes a mean cocktail, and the day she interviewed Sarah Silverman, I squealed out loud on the bus.  Find her show on iTunes, and then come and talk to me about it!

http://maddowblog.msnbc.msn.com/

So tell me, who have I forgotten?  Tell me about podcasts you’ve discovered, or as Rachel herself would say, what’s the best new thing in the world this week?!

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The year was 1974 and the location was not, as you might expect, California, it was Fenway-Kenmore/Back Bay, Boston.  Elaine was already known as a women’s rights as well as a gay rights activist and ran in the highly Catholic area of Massachusetts.  Noble was deeply involved in trying to end the Locke-Ober restaurant’s prohibition against women eating in the bar. She was also involved in organising the very first gay Pride marches in Boston.

Noble became a state representative winning and ugly campaign with 59% of the vote.  The windows of her campaign offices were smashed, her car totalled and her supporters harassed, however, Elaine took office on New Years day 1975 and a new era it was for sure.  The intimidation didn’t stop there and Elaine was even threatened with a gun for supporting a law that would force schools to integrate.

Elaine was reelected in 1976 and the following year became an integral part of the very first delegation of LGBT community members to be invited to the White House.  Jimmy Carter was president at the time and wanted to discuss issues pertinent to the community.  When her second term in the House of Representatives ended Noble ran for the Senate, she was one of five Democrats who ran in the primary but failed in her bid.

Elaine, along with Ellen Ratner, founded The Pride Institute in Minnesota, a gay and lesbian alcohol and drug treatment center, in 1986.  Its success prompted her to try to open a similar centre in Boston however she was met with opposition from the local government.  As a result Elaine ran for the Cambridge city council twice in the early 90′s but was unsuccessful.

In terms of her love life Elaine is highly guarded.  Her relationship with writer and news analyst Rita Mae Brown in the 70′s was highly publicised and as a result of that experience Elaine has kept herself to herself.  She did however, make a rare fundraising public appearance in 2009 in Florida, where she now resides, as part of Pride.

Hers is a name we should all know and her legacy is one of paving the way for so many.  She had to deal with homophobic bullying at every turn but didn’t give up in her quest to better both women’s rights and those of the LGBT community.

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From Gaelick Contributor  Niamh

Adrienne Rich, a resoundingly powerful poet and intellectual and one of the most influential feminist and lesbian voices of the last century, died on Tuesday, aged 82. She’s survived by her partner of over 30 years and her three sons.

Born in 1929, Rich had a finger in the most important political pies of the last six decades. Her first collection of poetry was published in 1951 and her last, Tonight No Poetry Will Serve was released in 2010. She was the author of 24 books of poetry and seven books of prose, frequently contributed to anthologies, gave interviews and taught in universities including Cornell, Columbia and Stanford.

Rich commented on movements and issues ranging from the Holocaust (she self-identified as Jewish), to the Civil Rights and anti-war movements of the 60s, to the anti-war movements of the 21st century and the employment of torture and rendition by the US in the last decade. In discussing the recent history of violence and torture, Rich emphasised the difficult tension between the sensual body and the suffering body.

However, above all Rich’s legacy is in her outstanding, courageous, rage-filled contribution to the progress of feminism. The New York Times suggests that

She accomplished in verse what Betty Friedan, author of “The Feminine Mystique,” did in prose. In describing the stifling minutiae that had defined women’s lives for generations, both argued persuasively that women’s disenfranchisement at the hands of men must end.

Rich was a highly gifted poet in formal terms, and used that ability to mould and even subvert traditional form to communicate a feminist message.

She received many literary awards, including the William Whitehead Award for Lifetime Achievement (recognising contributions to gay and lesbian writing), the Academy of American Poets Fellowship and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize. However, her most famous award was one she refused to accept.

In 1997 she turned down the incredibly prestigious National Medal of Arts, objecting to the continuing inequality in the US and arguing that “art means nothing if it simply decorates the dinner table of power which holds it hostage”.

In 1976 Rich, who had three sons with her late husband, began a lifelong relationship with a Jamaican novelist, Michelle Cliff and essentially came out as a lesbian with her volume Twenty One Love Poems. From that point onwards her poetry dealt frequently with sexual and romantic relationships between women.

She also became one of the first serious theorists of lesbianism, publishing essays on identity, including Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence, questioning why passionate relationships between women had been “crushed, invalidated, forced into hiding”.

On Twitter last night, the most poignant tributes to Rich were paid in her own words. In keeping with that, Rich observed that

it’s exhilarating to be alive in a time of awakening consciousness; it can also be confusing, disorienting and painful.

Her life and work are an awakening of consciousness; often painful but enduringly exhilarating.

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Now it seems Ms Navratilova is setting herself another challenge, she will take part in this seasons Dancing With The Stars.  I watched this show for the first time last season, solely to cheer on Chaz Bono as he did us all proud.  It looks like the producers of the show aren’t going to let me off the hook this time around, I mean it’s Martina, I can’t vote from this side of the water but I can still watch and cheer her on, and I feel it’s the very least I can do.

Let me make one thing very clear, this show is horrendous.  The only show on TV worse it the results show, which is basically a rehash of the show itself, but with more time for the annoying judges to get right on your last nerve.  The show has a lot going against it but what gets up my nose the most is the gender stereotyping.  Talk about girls in pink and boys in blue, good lord, it makes me want to scream.  Last year Hope Solo (USA soccer player) was great, but if I had to hear the judges complain about her lacking femininity once more I’d have thrown the laptop across the room.  Just because a woman is athletic doesn’t preclude her from being feminine and even if a woman is not particularly feminine, it doesn’t mean she can’t ballroom dance her socks off.

This is why I am preparing myself for the worst on March 19th when the show airs and the judges get to comment on her first dance.  They’d better be fair!  The pictures that have been released so far show Martina sporting a side of herself we don’t get to see very often and good for her.  She says that when she saw herself in the dress she realised she had great legs, about time she did too.

Her partner, Tony Dovolani, hasn’t won the big prize yet and to be honest, bar coming third once, hasn’t exactly set the show on fire, but I am hoping this is his year.  When he was eliminated last year with Chynna Phillips it was tough as she was a great dancer but forgot the steps, I can’t see Martina doing that, it’s not like the pressure will get to her!

There are other reasons to watch the show this year, mainly out TV personality Sara Gilbert’s sister, actress Melissa Gilbert, will be taking part as well as none other than Gladys Knight.  Dare I say watching TV host Maria Menounos dancing around won’t exactly be tough on the eyes either?

Martina is no stranger to reality TV having done us all proud when, in 2008, she was runner up in I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here. So lets all get behind her again as she takes on the show and the producers who seem to decide who they will let the judges like and who the viewers should follow.  We shall decide for ourselves thank you very much, and no matter how she dances, I will be cheering on Martina all the way.

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It’ll come as no surprise to some to hear that the Gaelick webmistress is in love with Miriam. “She’s just lovely,” is the only reason I could get out of her. There is a lot to be said for the woman, though.

She has nine kids, four from her first marriage, four from her second and adopted her niece when her mother passed away. Miriam is a heroine to a lot of working mothers as she is honest enough to admit that she wouldn’t be able to do anything without her child minders.

She is the face of Prime Time on RTE and won a gansey-load of awards for her work on television and radio.

For me, though, there can only be one yummy RTE mummy. Rachel Allen is a food writer and chef on RTE and hooooo mamma can she get into my kitchen any time.

Half-Icelandic from her mother’s side, Rachel went to perfect her cookery skills at Ireland’s famous Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork, when she was 18. She thrived in the place and, after graduating, was soon teaching there. It wasn’t long after that RTE came a-knocking and she had her own TV show. She also happens to be mammy to a couple of milk-ad-gorgeous kids.

She may have an accent so posh it’s hilarious – she calls cup-cakes “cap-cakes” and says “slewly” instead of slowly, but I won’t hold that against her. What I would hold against her though…….given half a chance.

I was going to put in a poll and see which is your favourite, but both have earned your love and respect, so we shan’t sink so low.

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Set up by Sampat Devi Pal, the gulabi gang (which means Pink Gang in Hindi) have become a regular sight in their pink sari uniform protesting against abusive husbands and political corruption in India.

The Pink Gang was founded in one of the poorest yet most populous parts of India, the Banda District, described on their website as:

This region is one of the poorest districts in the country and is marked by a deeply patriarchal culture, rigid caste divisions, female illiteracy, domestic violence, child labour, child marriages and dowry demands.

Originally the group was made up of about half a dozen women who would go to the homes of abusive husbands, fathers or other male members and try to get them to see reason. Sometimes they would help women in their fight to be taken seriously by police officials. The group grew as the number of women coming to the group grew.

Now they are made up of serveral thousand women, and men, who fight for those suffering from poverty, starvation and “all human rights abuses inflicted on the weak”.

You have to love a women’s group who’s motto is “wielding bamboo sticks in pursuit of justice”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXwH-kjSUSs

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Following on from yesterday’s piece about Camila Vallejo, we continue today with Hengfeng Mao, a woman who is on the front line in the fight reproductive rights for Chinese women.

Just by way of warning, I won’t go into too much detail here as some of the things Mao has gone through may disturb some readers; but it’s impossible not to reference her ordeals when celebrating her bravery.

Hengfeng Mao

Mao was 35 and was a hard-working woman in a Chinese soap factory in Sanghai when, in 1988, she found out that she was pregnant. Already the mother of twins, having another baby was against Chinese one child per family law. She refused to have a state-imposed abortion and was put into a psychiatric hospital as a result (that’s her with her three daughters, right). After giving birth in 1989, she was fired from her job for missing work while giving birth. She appealed and won. Her employers brought her to court when she became pregnant with her fourth child. The judge offered her a deal – abort this child and all would be forgiven. She did so, against her wishes, but the judge found against her anyway.

According to Wikipedia:

From 1990 to 2004 Mao repeatedly petitioned the authorities for redress for her dismissal from work, her forced abortion, and the denial of other basic rights including that of freedom of expression. She also made several attempts to initiate legal proceedings against the authorities in relation to these abuses, but courts repeatedly failed to respond or refused to file the cases.

In 2004, Mao was detained in a “Re-education Through Labour” (RTL) facility her continued protests and, in 2006, she was imprisoned at Shanghai Women’s Prison for two-and-a-half years. After her release in 2008, Mao became a supporter of human rights activist Liu Xiaobo, and was again imprisoned, this time for public-disorder when taking part in a peaceful demonstration. She was sent back to the RTL facility where she was tortured. The torture resulted her bleeding on her brain, and Mao was released on medical grounds in 2011.

However, this didn’t last. According to an Amnesty International appeal for people to support Mao:

After being unexpectedly released on 22 February, Mao Hengfeng celebrated with a group of friends in an evening meal at a restaurant. Thereafter she was prevented from leaving her house. On 23 February she attempted to visit a doctor, but was stopped by the police. According to her family, Mao Hengfeng did not confront the police and stayed at home.  Later on 23 February, several friends came to visit her but were stopped by police and detained.

On 24 February she was sent back to RTL on the grounds of having violated the terms for medical parole. She is at risk of torture.

Mao was released in August 2011 centre and is currently living in fear for her life, for the simple reason that she wanted to do the most natural thing in the world – have a baby and raise it in a happy home.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmpadw8J5Tw

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