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[Eleftheria]

1) JANE RULE

Jane Rule
Την έχετε ακούσει; Μάλλον όχι, αλλα πιο πιθανό να έχετε ακούσει την κλασική λεσβιακή ταινία
"Καρδιές της ερήμου // Desert hearts"
For information about Jane Rule English, please check our links
Desert hearts - movie scene η ζωή και το έργο της
αφορισμοί - βιβλιογραφία
αναφορές
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λίγα λόγια..
Την πρωτακούσαμε στο διαδίκτυο πολύ αργά, κι είδαμε πως είναι τόσο κρίμα.. να μην μπορούμε να της στείλουμε ούτε μια συχαρητήρια ευχή για το τσαγανό της.

Θα έπρεπε να μαθαίναμε για τέτοιες γυναίκες κάπως κάπου.. κι ιδού η ελάχιστη συμβολή μας στη βασική εκπαίδευση των ελληνόφωνων κορασίδων, γιατί όλα τα κορίτσια θα έπρεπε να διδάσκονται και γυναικεία ιστορία κι όχι μόνο την ανδρική ιστορία των πολέμων, κι ιδιαίτερα τα κορίτσια που οι πολλοί θεωρούν αλλιώτικα, κι όλα τα κορίτσια και τα αγόρια που θέλουν να σταθούν ισότιμα δίπλα-δίπλα, θέλουν και πρέπει να ξέρουν τις γυναίκες που κατάφεραν να βάλουν ένα λιθαράκι στο στρώσιμο του δύσκολου δρόμου για τα σημερινά δικαιώματά μας.

Πάμε λοιπόν.. για τη Jane Rule

Για να έχετε μια εικόνα, η Jane ήταν ψηλή, γύρω στο 1.80, με πλούσια βαθειά φωνή, γεμάτη ζεστές αρμονικές, που συχνά τη μπέρδευαν με ανδρική. Είχε αυτό το ύψος από 12 χρονών, κι η συμπεριφορά των γύρω σαν να ήταν ήδη μια νεαρή δεσποινίδα ενώ ένοιωθε ακόμα παιδί, ήταν ένα από τα πρώτα δύσκολα για τα οποία χρειάστηκε να βρει λύσεις. Υποθέτουμε ότι επίσης την μύησε στο πώς επιβιώνεις όντας διαφορετική από τους περισσότερους τριγύρω.
Έζησε πολλά καλά χρόνια με την καλή της Helen Sonthoff στο σπίτι τους στο νησάκι Galano, στη Βρετανική Κολούμπια του Καναδά όπου διάλεξε να ζήσει η Jane. Γενημμμένη στις ηπα, προτίμησε να γίνει Καναδή στα 25 της και καταλαβαίνουμε αρκετούς από τους λόγους της.

Το πρώτο βιβλίο
The Desert of the Heart [η έρημος της καρδιάς] είχε τελειώσει πριν κλείσει τα 30 της, το 1961, κι απορίφθηκε από περίπου 25 αμερικάνους εκδότες, ώσπου η Jane το πήγε στην Αγγλία όπου εκδοθηκε αμέσως και στη συνέχεια εκδόθηκε και στον Καναδά.. κι ακολούθησαν πολλές χώρες. Σύμφωνα με τη συγγραφέα, δεν είναι αυτοβιογραφικό. Η οικογένειά της έμεινε στο Ρένο, όπου διαδραματίζεται το βιβλίο, την εποχή που η ίδια σπούδαζε στο κολλέγιο αλλού. Όταν τους επισκεπτόταν, η μικρή της αδελφή την πηγαινε στα ιστορικά μέρη κι έτσι έμαθε καλά την ιστορία του. Ετσι, όταν θέλησε να γράψει μια λεσβιακή ιστορία, είχε ήδη έτοιμο αρκετό υλικό για την περιοχή.

'Εγραψε το δεύτερο βιβλίο της, This Is Not For You, σαν μια μελέτη για μια ένα άτομο που δεν μπορούσε να αντέξει τη λεσβιακή της ταυτότητα και την αρνήθηκε. Είχε γνωρίσει αρκετές γυναίκες που είχαν μεγάλες δυσκολίες με τη σεξουαλικότητά τους όταν ανακάλυπταν πως ήταν κυρίως λεσβιακή. Η Ερημος της καρδιάς ήταν μια ρομαντική νουβέλα που δεν ασχολήθηκε σε βάθος με τα κοινωνικά προβλήματα του να είσαι ομοφυλόφιλη σε ένα ετερόφυλο κόσμο. Ηθελε να μπει στη σκέψη μιας γυναίκας που είχε αποδεχτεί την εκκλησιαστική διδασκαλία, που αποδεχόταν την έννοια της αρνητικής υπευθυνότητας. Ολο το βιβλίο απευθύνεται σε μια γυναίκα που έχει ήδη εγκλειστεί σε ένα σιωπηλό μοναστήρι και που ήταν ερωτευμένη με την αφηγήτρια. Η αφηγήτρια έχει απορρίψει τη σχέση αυτή, κι όλο το βιβλίο αποτελεί την τεκμηρίωση της άρνησής της. Το βιβλίο δέχτηκε ισχυρή εχθρική απόρριψη από τη λεσβιακή κοινότητα, που μάλλον ερμήνευσε την αφήγηση σε πρώτο πρόσωπο ως ταύτιση της συγγραφέως με την αφηγήτρια, κι αντίθετα έγινε αποδεκτό από τον ετερόφυλο τύπο, που όμως παραπονιόταν γιατί η ηρωίδα είναι τόσο ψυχρή κι εγωίστρια, την προτιμούσαν πιο συμπαθητική. Κανείς δεν έδειξε να κατάλαβε την τραγική διάσταση του βιβλίου.

Ακολούθησαν αρκετά βιβλία της Jane, το πιο πολυδιαβασμένο ίσως το Lesbian images, αλλά όλα γεμάτα από την εξυπνάδα, την κατανόηση των ανθρώπινων και την εξαιρετική χρήση της γλώσσας της Jane.



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Αφορισμοί της Jane Rule


Μου έφυγε η ψυχή!" (όταν διάβασε το Πηγάδι της Μοναξιάς). Δεν ταυτίστηκα, αλλά σκέφτηκα "Θεέ μου, έτσι καταλήγουν όταν μεγαλώνουν οι άνθρωποι που τους ελκύουν οι γυναίκες, όπως εγώ..." Φυσικά χρειάστηκα χρόνια να καταλάβω το γιατί το βρήκα τόσο φρικτό - επειδή η Radclyffe Hall ήταν ένας από τον μεγαλύτερους σωβινιστές που μπορούσες να βρεις. Όλη αυτή η αίσθηση ότι τάχα υπάρχει μια δομή εξουσίας στις ανθρώπινες σχέσεις και το ένα μέλος πρέπει να εξουσιάζει και το άλλο να είναι παθητικό. Κάποιος νάναι πιο σημαντικός και ο άλλος πιο ασήμαντος. Ακόμα ακούω συνέχεια γυναίκες να λένε ότι κάποιος πρέπει να αποφασίζει. Αυτό μου φαίνεται πολύ αποξενωμένο από την αληθινή ζωή με ένα άλλο άτομο. Το Πηγάδι της μοναξιάς είναι ένα ετεροσεξουαλικό βιβλίο όσον αφορά την πολιτική δομή του.

Είχα φλερτάρει με άνδρες, αλλά δεν ήμουνα καθόλου ευτυχισμένη. Οχι σεξουαλικά, αλλά σχετικά με το είδος της σχέσης. Ηταν δικό μου λάθος, με δεδομένο το περιβάλλον που μεγάλωσα (*). Δεν ήθελα τέτοιες σχέσεις, αν και πίστευα ότι θα έπρεπε. Υποθέτω ότι όλες μας κάποια στιγμή σκεφτόμαστε ότι πρέπει να κάνουμε αυτά που πιστεύουν οι άλλοι σωστά, ότι πρέπει να τα κάνουμε, και το δοκιμάζουμε και αποδεικνύεται κακή ιδέα για όλους.
(*): Η Jane μεγάλωσε στον παραδοσιακό υπερσυντηρητικό "Νότο" των ηπα.

Στη γενιά μου και στην προηγούμενη, υπήρχαν πολοί άνθρωποι που έχουν αρνηθεί (τη σεξουαλικότητά τους) και κλείδωσαν τις ζωές τους. Αυτό μου φαινόταν τραγικό κι ήθελα να το εξερευνήσω. Έλαβα αμέτρητες επιστολές από μεγαλύτερες λεσβίες που έλεγαν ότι ένοιωθαν μεγάλη έκπληξη για το πόσο ταυτίστηκαν με την ηρωίδα. Αυτή η ομάδα ανθρώπων είδαν στ' αλήθεια στο βιβλίο (This Is Not For You) την αλήθεια που τους έλεγε στη μούρη: "Σέρνεις τα πόδια σου και πληγώνεις τόσο πολλούς ανθρώπους προσκολλημένη σε μια στενόμυαλη παράλογη προσπάθεια αυτο-δικιολόγησης."

Anyway it's absolutely ludicrous to ask that we make a world in which all people that are homosexual are heros. I think it's a bloody bore. I'm sick of heros in any case. We've had those. They make wars. The request for a narrow, positive shined-up, spit and polish image of homosexuals just bores me rigid.

Η εμπειρία των ανθρώπων που δηλώνουν ανοιχτά τη σεξουαλική τους ταυτότητα όταν υπάρχει (γύρω τους) κάποιο κίνημα, είναι από κάποιες απόψεις πολύ καλό και πολύ υποστηρικτικό. Από την άλλη όμως νομίζω πως όταν παίρνεις δύναμη από μια ομάδα και μετά ανακαλύπτεις ότι η ομάδα δεν είναι τόσο υποστηρικτική όσο χρειάζεσαι, έχεις μεγαλύτερο πρόβλημα από την περίπτωση που ψάχνεσαι μόνη σου και πρέπει να λύσεις το πρόβλημα χωρίς βοήθεια.

Πιστεύω ότι είναι πολύ υγιεινό (καλό) το να φτάνουμε στο σημείο να συνειδητοποιούμε πως αν κάποιος που νοιαζόμαστε θα πληγωθεί από το γεγονός του σεξουαλικού μας προσανατολισμού, είναι δικό τους πρόβλημα. Και είναι πρόβλημα. Τους συμπονώ, όπως συμπονώ ένα σπασμένο χέρι. Και θά 'θελα να τους βοηθήσω. Αλλά αποκλείεται να το θεωρήσω δικό μου πρόβλημα.

(για τη θρησκεία..) Πάντα με ενδιέφερε η συγκριτική ιστορία θρησκειών. Αλλα σα θεσμό, τη βρίσκω πάντοτε τρελά καταπιεστική (τη θρησκεία). Αν και αγαπώ το θέατρο κι έχω δει κάποιες πολύ καλές παραστάσεις σε εκκλησίες (..)
Για τους ανθρώπους που βρίσκουν τις μεταφορικές έννοιες της θρησκείας σημαντικές και χρήσιμες, δεν βλέπω κανένα λόγο γιατί να μην τις χρησιμοποιούν. Εμένα δεν με συγκινούν. Είμαι μοναχικός άνθρωπος. Δεν νοιώθω την ανάγκη να ανήκω πουθενά εκτός από την κοινότητα όλων των ανθρώπινων όντων.

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Βιβλιογραφία


The Desert of the Heart [η έρημος της καρδιάς], 1η έκδοση στην Αγγλία

This Is Not For You [Αυτό δεν είναι για σένα], 1971.

Lesbian Images [ Λεσβιακές εικόνες/πρότυπα]

Theme for Diverse Instruments, ("Middle Children") (short stories), - "Ladies Home Journal story for lesbians", a very happy story about a lesbian couple...

Against the Season

Outlander

The young in one another's arms

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Αναφορές - Links


Jane Rule: The woman behind Lesbian Images, The Body Politic, December 1975 - http://www.xtra.ca/public/viewstory.aspx.... [valid Feb 2008], συμπεριλαμβάνει συνένετυξη της Jane



Fiction and Other Truths, a film about Jane Rule, (η συγγραφέας του Desert hearts) Lynne Fernie & Aelyn Weissman, 1995, Canada, βραβευμένο documentary, 57λ - imdb.com:0269225

[Eleftheria]

2)ELLHNIDES:

Antigrafi ap to geocities.com/sapphida:

Yπάρχουν? Kάποιοι νομίζουν ότι δεν υπάρχουν λεσβίες στην Ελλάδα ή τουλάχιστον ότι δεν υπάρχουν λεσβίες που τολμούν να λένε περήφανα το όνομά τους.. Εμείς όμως τις είδαμε .. και συνεχίζουμε να τις βλέπουμε.. Σωτηρία Θεοχάρη, Χριστίνα Καλλινίκου, Μαρία Κατσικαδάκου, Μαριανέλλα Κλώκα, Ειρήνη Πετροπούλου, Ρένα Σαϊντάνη, Ελένη Τσακλάρη, Ευαγγελία Βλάμη

την Ειρήνη Πετροπούλου επικοινωνία: petropoulou@deon.gr
ακτιβίστρια, μεταφράστρια,
- ήταν στη λεσβιακή ομάδα της Ρωμανού Μελωδού..
- υπηρξε μέλος του ΑΚΟΕ, τα χρόνια που ήταν "Η" ελλ. LGBT οργάνωση
- αντιπρόεδρος της ΕΟΚ μέχρι το 2003, μέλος από την ίδρυσή της από πρώην μέλη του ΑΚΟΕ
- εκδότρια του Αμφί (2η περίοδος, 1987-1991)
- το 1991 καταδικάστηκε πρωτόδικα σε 5 μήνες φυλάκιση με το μεταξικό νόμο περί προσυλητισμού, για απάντηση γυναίκας σε επιστολή αναγνώστη του περιοδικού Αμφί.. (απόφαση 67871/91) - και τελικά αθωώθηκε στο εφετείο, μετά από παρέμβαση της Διεθνούς Αμνηστείας.
- την είδαμε παλαιότερα επανειλημμένα και στην ΤV, πρώτη φορά τον Δεκέμβριο του 1990 σε νυχτερινή εκπομπή του Αντ1. (πριν γίνουν μόδα οι παραθυρικές κόντρες..) κι άλλες φορές.
- παραγωγός/παρουσιάστρια της lesbian/gay ραδιοφωνικής εκπομπής (τότε "Pink Panthers"), 1996-99.
- Αρχισυντάκτρια & αρθρογράφος του Δέον από τη δημιουργία του, 1997
- χάρη στην πρωτοβουλία & τις οργανωτικές της ικανότητες, ξεκίνησε η ΛΟΑ
- ιδρυτικό μέλος μιας από τις μεγαλύτερες λεσβιακές e-κοινότητες: GreekLesbiansCommunity (από Δεκ. 2000)
- εισηγήτρια στη συζήτηση "Η αναπαράσταση της ομοφυλοφιλίας", Πανόραμα Ομοφυλοφιλικής Περηφάνιας, Θεσσαλονίκη, 14 Μαΐου 2003
- στα περισσότερα πολύχρωμα φόρουμ 2003 & 4, και συντονίστρια (Νοε.2003)
- ομιλήτρια στην στρογγυλή τράπεζα της Αντιγόνης, Νοε. 2003 (ΟΙ διακρίσεις σε βάρος των LGBT υπό.. νέο κοινωνικού & νομικό ευρωπαϊκό πλαίσιο)
- με τα πανώ της ΛΟΑ στα LGBT block, πορείες Πολυτεχνείου 2003, 2004
- μέλος διοικητικού του σωματείου ΟΛΚΕ, από το 2004,
- Υποστήριξε τις θέσεις ΔΑ προς την ΕΕΔΑ, Δεκ 2004 με αποτέλεσμα την πρώτη γνωμάτευση ΕΕΔΑ για ΛΟΑΤ
- εχει δημοσιεύσει πολλά λεσβιακά κειμενα στο διαδίκτυο, στο Δέον, στο Αμφί, κι εχει δώσει επώνυμες συνεντεύξεις..

τη Μαρία Cyber (Κατσικαδάκου) - επικοινωνία: info@lesbian.gr
ακτιβίστρια, ραδιοφωνική παραγωγός, προώθηση φιλικών επιχειρήσεων
- παραγωγό της μοναδικής LGBT ραδιοφωνικής εκπομπής τα πέντε τελευταία χρόνια, της μιλούσαμε όλες/οι και την βλέπαμε όσες/οι επισκεπτόμασταν τα στούντιο κάθε Πέμπτη βράδυ.. από το 1999. (μέχρι που την έπαψε ο "Επικοινωνία 94FM" με αφορμή το παράλογο πρόστιμο του ΕΣΡ, Ιαν. 2005)
- με δημοσιεύσεις στο ΔΕΟΝ και σε mainstream έντυπα (Symbol/Επενδυτής, Athens Voice..)
- επαγγελματία στην προώθηση LGBT φιλικών επιχειρήσεων
- παλαιότερα και στην ΤΒ.. μια από τις ελάχιστες ελληνίδες λεσβίες που έχουν εμφανιστεί
- με επώνυμες συμμετοχές και σε διεθνείς διοργανώσεις (Πολιτιστικές εκδηλώσεις Gay Olympics,..)
- ιδρυτικό μέλος της ομάδας πολιτιστικής παρέμβασης Cyberdykes, που διοργανώνει λεσβιακά πάρτυ από την εποχή του ΑΚΟΕ.. ?
- συνδιοργανώτρια παλαιότερων Athens Gay Pride 1996, 1998
- για αρκετό καιρό η ενημέρωση του lgbt χώρου γινόταν σχεδόν αποκλειστικά από τα newsletter της Μαρίας.
περισσότερα.. http://www.lesbian.gr

τη Χριστίνα Καλλινίκου, επικοινωνία: corfulg@yahoo.gr
σκηνοθέτιδα, ιδρύτρια ομάδας λεσβιών/gay Κέρκυρας,
- ιδρυτικό μέλος της LGBT ομάδας Κέρκυρας, που ξεκίνησε με δική της πρωτοβουλία, φθινόπωρο 2002 http://www.geocities.com/corfulg/
- με queer/lesbian φιλμογραφία με συμμετοχές σε ελληνικές & διεθνείς κινηματογραφικές διοργανώσεις: "Closets are for clothes", "Aruhi, (once upon a time)", "Κόκκινο Μήλο".
- συμμετείχε ενεργά στο 1ο gay pride στο Τόκιο, οργάνωνε τα Λεσβιακά φεστιβάλ Σαϊταμας 8 χρόνια, συμμετείχε στη διοργάνωση του women festival, καλιτεχνικό φεστιβάλ με ποικίλα τμήματα, & έβγαζε εφημεριδάκι στα Ιαπωνικά και αγγλικά (Τόκιο).

την Ελένη Τσακλάρη επικοινωνία: ..(comming soon..)
Ηταν μέλος του AKOE στα ντουζένια του, έπειτα μέλος της ομάδας λεσβιών που έφυγε απο αυτό, κλασικά της ομάδας της Ρωμανού Μελωδού και της ομάδα μοτασυκλετιστριών, που κάνανε μαζικές εκδρομές και παθαίνανε οι γειτονιές να μετράνε εποχούμενες αμαζόνες..
συμμετείχε ενεργά στα pride που εγιναν στην Αθήνα ατα τέλη του 20 αιώνα
- συνέντευξη με μια ελληνίδα λεσβία - πρώτη δημοσίευση στο περιοδικό "Αμφί", τεύχος 16-17, Β' περίοδος, άνοιξη-καλοκαίρι 1984.

τη Σωτηρία Θεοχάρη επικοινωνία: arianablue00@hotmail.com
κοινωνιολόγος, κάνει διδακτορικό κοινωνιολογίας & συμπεριφορικών σπουδών
- ιδρυτικό μέλος της ανοιχτής ταχυδρομικής λίστας Omofylofilia, για θέματα Ομοφυλοφιλίας σε κάθε ελληνική κοινότητα (από Μάρτιο 2003)
- ιδρυτικό μέλος της ομάδας επικοινωνίας LGBT ελλήνων στις ΗΠΑ kaliparea (Οκτ. 2001-Μαϊος 2003 )..
- σημαντικό μέλος της ομάδας διαχείρισης της λίστας επικοινωνίας Σαπφίδων (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sappho-gr/)
- αποκλειστική διαχειρίστρια της κλειστής ομάδας επικοινωνίας ελληνικών LGBT οργανώσεων 'φόρουμ", Απρ. 2003- Δεκ. 2003
- με ακαδημαϊκές μελέτες/παρουσιάσεις σχετικά με τις κοινωνικές διαστάσεις του καρκίνου του στήθους και το πώς αντιμετωπίζεται (ιατρικά, τεχνολογικά και κοινωνικά), αλλά και σχετικά με θεωρητικές, ιατρικές & κοινωνιολογικές απόψεις φεμινιστικής θεωρίας, queer theory, στα όρια των σπουδών φύλου (gender).
- με δημοσιεύσεις λεσβιακών κειμένων (θεωρητικά, ενημερωτικά & λογοτεχνικά) σέ όλα σχεδόν τα τεύχη του περιοδικού Αντιβάιρους, αλλά και στο διαδίκτυο

τη Μαριανέλλα Κλώκα, επικοινωνία: mkloka@yahoo.com
μέλος του Ανθρωπιστικού Κινήματος από 1990, ιδρυτικό μέλος σωματείου «Κόσμος χωρίς πολέμους & βία», 2001
- ιδρυτικό στέλεχος του περιοδικού Αντιβάιρους (κατά της ομοφοβίας), 1ο τεύχος Απρίλιος 2003
- συνέντευξη στην gay/lesbian στήλη του περιοδικού TimeOutAthens, Oκτ.2003
- ομιλήτρια στην ημερίδα "Γυναίκες της LGBT Κοινότητας, προβλήματα και προτάσεις", 7 Ιουνίου 2004, Αθήνα, Υπ.Εξ. "Η θέση των Ομοφυλόφιλων Γυναικών στην Ελλάδα - Προτάσεις βελτίωσης"
- διοργανώνει workshop στην πανευρωπαϊκή ανθρωπιστική συνδιάσκεψη, Νοε.2004, Βουδαπέστη, με θέμα «Σεξουαλικός προσανατολισμός & ανθρώπινα δικαιώματα» & αναλαμβάνει σε ευρωπαϊκό επίπεδο για δύο χρόνια τη γραμματεία «Ενάντια στις διακρίσεις & για ίσες ευκαιρίες»
- δημιουργεί επιτροπή στην ετήσια συνέλευση του Ανθρωπιστικού Κινήματος για τη μελέτη θέσης σχετικά με τον σεξουαλικό προσανατολισμό, Ιαν. 2005.
περισσότερα.. www.bepositive.gr - http://club.pathfinder.gr/antivirus


τη Ρένα Σαϊντάνη, επικοινωνία leschios@hotmail.com

- ιδρυτικό μέλος της Ομάδας Λεσβιών Χίου,
http://www.gaychios.snn.gr

Ευαγγελία Βλάμη, μέλος του ΔΣ της ΟΛΚΕ (Ομοφυλοφιλική Λεσβιακή Κοινότητα Ελλάδας), απο το 2004 (ή όποτε έγιναν οι πρώτες τους εκλογές)
δηλώσεις της για τον Πολιτικό γάμο στην Ελευθεροτυπία 30 Ιουλίου 2005. Από το απόγευμα του Athens Pride 2005 (25 Ιουνίου), έδωσε σειρά συνεντεύξεων σε πολλά ΜΜΕ (για το ίδιο το pride), και αργότερα την είδαμε στην τηλεόραση και σε δημόσιες εκδηλώσεις και συζητήσεις.
Τελικά η γιορτή Περηφάνειας βοηθάει μέσα μας αρκετά περισσότερο από όσο θέλουν να πιστεύουμε..

[Eleftheria]

Rachel Maddow, is first openly gay or lesbian host of a primetime news show on MSNBC. Maddow will replace commentator Dan Abrams in the 9 p.m. time slot. Her show will initially focus on the presidential election and will thereafter become a regular news show. Prior to this, she was a frequent guest on CNN's Paula Zahn Now.
Rachel Maddow Candidate Agnostic:
Maddow's political views lean left but she is not an Obama supporter. She has not made any decision as to who to vote for and said, "I'm agnostic. I am neutral both professionally and personally. I don't know if I'm supposed to be but it just so happens that I am."
Rachel Maddow Radio Personality:
She has hosted the politically feisty Rachel Maddow Show on Air America for the past four years, interviewing politicians, actors, thinkers and activists. Her unique and clever views and her conversational ease earned her a massive audience and her popularity is only growing.
Rachel Maddow Voice of the Left:
Since the beginning of her media career, Maddow has been vocal about her activist background and her leftist political leanings. Her pet project, Rachel Maddow's Campaign Asylum, a series of independently produced youtubes position her in vehement opposition to Republicanism and right wing propaganda. She has been called progressive media's next big thing.
Rachel Maddow Rhodes Scholar:
As the first openly gay Rhodes Scholar, Maddow has a doctorate in political science and a background in HIV/AIDS activism and prison reform.
Rachel Maddow Cross-Gender Crush:
Of course lesbians love Rachel Maddow for her fresh politics, her bold career and being cute as a button. However, her appeal spans the gender and sexuality spectrums, as noted in the New York Intelligencer's article Why We're Gay for Rachel Maddow in which she makes the point that while she is openly gay, she "will not dance like Ellen does."
Rachel Maddow on Books and Comics:
A little known fact about Maddow is her affinity for comics and graphic novels. Maddow said, “I spend my time online and reading political books and my guilty pleasure is graphic novels and comic books. I read a lot of comic books. That’s my escape from the world, which I’ve learned to be proud of even though I kept it a secret for a long time.”
Rachel Maddow on Civil Unions versus Gay Marriage:
I asked Maddow to comment on the term ‘civil union’. She said, “There’s a reason that people want there to be another word besides marriage even if it comes with all the same rights. Of course Civil Unions don’t come with the same rights. Marriage confers a status and they want to deny gay people and they either want to deny us by limiting some of the rights or they want to deny us simply on the basis of not being allowed to use that word which makes me think it’s a term of second-class citizenship.”
Rachel Maddow at Home:
Maddow is in a long-term relationship with artist Susan Mikula. They have been together for ten years and currently divide their time between New York City and West Cummington, Massachusetts. They are happily unwed.

[Eleftheria]

Jacqueline Woodson is one of my favorite authors. No matter that she writes books for children and young adults. Jacqueline Woodson creates great characters and tells stories of real-life issues that many of us face, especially those of us who don’t feel like we fit into the mainstream. It’s good reading at any age. Her characters deal with issues such as childhood sexual abuse, falling in love with a best friend and racial prejudice. She took a few moments on a recent visit to Portland, Oregon to talk with me about her books being banned, being a lesbian mom to a biracial child and how her feelings of being an outsider helps her writing.
Lesbian Life: How did you get started writing books for young people?
Jacqueline Woodson: I always wrote in the voice of a young person. So even when I was publishing adult stuff it was the point of view of someone younger. So, I met an agent who read some of my stuff and said, “This is young adult fiction.”

You also deal with what might be considered controversial subjects in your writing: racism, teen pregnancy, incest, gay and lesbian issues. What draws you write about these subjects?

I write realistic fiction. If I was writing realistic fiction and I wasn’t dealing with real stuff, then I would be lying. The characters and situations wouldn’t seem real. There are all kinds of people in the world. If I leave out queer people, if I leave out people of color, if I leave out deaf people, I can go down the line, then I wouldn’t be speaking the truth to the people.

Has there ever been a backlash? Have any of your books been banned?
I don’t really know so much about it, I always hear about it second hand. I know when Judy Blume was putting together her anthology Places I Never Thought I’d Be, a collection of censored authors. I was like, “Why me?” and she said, “Well, you have been censored a lot.” I was in Tennessee last week and I was told one of my books wasn’t being circulated because of an interracial relationship between a black guy and a white girl. So, I get to see second hand what’s happening.
I also get a lot of negative mail coming from the Pacific Northwest. It’s a lot coming out of Washington State and a lot coming from more right wing thinkers about what thye think should and shouldn’t be in literature.
What’s your reaction to that?
I just ignore them. I just think if anyone is going to preach hate, it’s not a message I’m going to listen to. If anyone is going to preach intolerance, I’m not going to need to listen or respond to it. I have better work to do in the world. And if people are hating on me because I’m writing about something like an interracial relationship, then they are starting from the letter “A.” They have so much work to do, that I can’t even begin to have that dialogue. But if they’re in my face and we’re across from each other at the lunch table, then I will have the dialogue with them.
Now that you’re a mom, has that changed what you write about?
No, not at all because I started writing from this place of wanting to make the world of literature a more tolerant place for all young people. Now I have a young person and I want it for her with a voracity because I am a mom, but I wanted it before. I voraciously want the world to be a more tolerant place.
I read that you view yourself as an outsider. What did you mean by that?
In a world where too often white is the qualifier, anything other is on the outside. Having grown up a Jehovah’s Witness, I grew up feeling a sense of watching the world instead of being a part of it. Being African American, there’s so many parts of my identity that cause me to have to step outside of any kind of mainstream. Walking through the world, I mean look at Portland. Walking through the streets here on the river, I saw one other black person, so what I see is a mirror of who I am not constantly coming at me. And being forced into that kind of invisibility, seeing that in the majority of the world and the places that I am are not like me. Is not only disruptive, but also reminds me that I am on the outside of a lot of people’s worlds.
Seeing yourself as an outsider, does that help you as a writer?
I think one way it does help me is in not being afraid. Not being afraid to write about the things that I bear witness to. Also, not having a sense of having once belonged and now not belonging. It does help me shut the world out. It definitely spurs what I write about. It definitely allows me to have a different gaze.
One thing that happens in the neighborhood where I live in Brooklyn is a lot of our white neighbors don’t have to think about the issue of diversity. We live in a pretty predominately white area. They have a white kid and they send their white kid to the predominately white school. And for us, our child is biracial, we have to think, are there any teachers of color, are there any kids of color, is she going to see mirrors of herself, what is the literature she is going to read? Is she going to be exposed to ideas of what a family is that doesn’t represent who we are? [We’re] constantly having to think about that and having to do the work around that makes me definitely a better writer. It allows me to see things with better clarity. I think a lot of times it’s easy for people to shutter themselves in or say this does not exist, or I don’t have to think about it because it doesn’t have an impact on me. I feel like everything has an impact on me.

[Eleftheria]

Tee Corinne was an artist and a revolutionary. She was one of the first to make lesbian erotic art for lesbians from a lesbian perspective. Here are some recent photos by Tee Corinne.
Cunt Coloring Book:

Tee Corinne published The Cunt Coloring Book in 1975. The Cunt Coloring Book is just what the title suggests it is, a coloring book of female genitalia. It was later reissued as Labiaflowers in 1981, but can be found today under its original title.
Tee Corinne Lesbian Erotic Photographer:

Tee Corinne was know for creating beautiful erotic images of real lesbian lovers. Corinne's Yantras of Womanlove (1982) is thought to be the first book of lesbian erotic photographs published in the U.S. Not surprisingly, Tee Corinne was at the forefront of the battle against censorship. Printers sometimes refused to print her works and art galleries would not show it. Fat women, women with disabilities, diverse body types and sizes are all included in Tee Corinne's work.
Tee Corinne Lesbian Erotic Author:

Tee is editor and author of many lesbian fiction collections including A Woman’s Touch, Dreams of the woman who Loved Sex, I am My Lover and Femalia. You can shop for Tee Corinne's work here.
Tee Corinne died at her home in southern Oregon on August 27, 2006.
Tee Corinne in the Country:

Tee Corinne was born in Florida (1943) and spent time in North Carolina and the Bahamas. After attending college in New Orleans and South Florida, she lived in New York, and various other places on the East Coast. In the early 1980s she moved to rural Oregon where lesbians were setting up community in a "back to the land" movement. Tee Corinne said, "I moved to a rural area where lower maintenance costs and fewer distractions free my time to make art."
Remember Tee Corinne:

Twenty years before her death she published these words in Common Lives/Lesbian Lives. "When death comes into our lives it is important not to become victims in our own grief, for in the passivity pain may induce, we suffer not only personal losses but the loss of our own history, our culture. Somehow we must take the time, summon the energy to write obituaries, to insure the survival of work, to honor the dead in way that they will be visible and available to succeeding generations."
The Tee A. Corinne Prize:
A new prize has been created to honor Tee A. Corinne, an artist with bold vision and a fierce dedication to encouraging and preserving lesbian art. The Tee A. Corinne Prize for Lesbian Media Artists, established by Moonforce Media, will award unrestricted grants of up to $1,000 annually. JEB (Joan E. Biren) will choose the inaugural prize winner. Application guidelines are online. Applications are due by November 1, 2006.
The prize is for artists working in photography, film, video, digital media, new media, or any fusions of these forms and in any genre including documentary, narrative, experimental, or any other styles or combination of genres. The work may be about any subject.

Lesbian media artists are usually excluded from funding opportunities because the form and/or content of their work lie outside the bounds of traditional grantmaking. This prize furthers Tee’s wish that individual lesbian artists be financially supported to work independently and without censorship.

[Eleftheria]

Melissa Etheridge:

Ημερομηνία Γέννησης
29 May 1961 , Leavenworth, Kansas, USA 29 Μαΐου 1961, Leavenworth, Kansas, USA


Birth Name Γέννηση Όνομα
Melissa Lou Etheridge Lou Melissa Etheridge


Nickname Παρωνύμιο
Missy Lou Missy Lou
Lucky Τυχερός


Height Ύψος
5' 3" (1.60 m) 5 '3 "(1,60 m)


Με την σύντροφό της Julie Cypher γέννησε δύο παιδιά,την Bailey Jean (γεννηθησα το 1997) και τον Μπέκετ (γεννηθείς το Νοέμβριο του 1998), τα οποία υιοθετηθηκαν από την Μελισσα.
Είναι οπαδη του Bruce Springsteen και του Dave Matthews Band.
Στενη φίλη με Brad Pitt.
Δημόσιος αποκάλυψε ότι ο David Crosby είναι ο βιολογικός πατέρας των δύο παιδιων με εταιρη Julie Cypher, που γέννησε τα παιδιά τους σχεδιάστηκαν μέσω τεχνητής γονιμοποίησης (Ιανουάριος 2000).
Ανακοινώθηκε ότι είναι χωρίζει από μακρού χρόνου εταιρη Julie Cypher (19 Σεπτεμβρίου 2000).
Ειναι στενη φίλη του Brad Pitt, δύο από τις πρώην girlfriends και της πρώην συζύγου του εμφανίστηκαν στα μουσικα βίντεο: Juliette Lewis στο "Έλα μου Παράθυρο", Gwyneth Paltrow στο "I Want να έρθουν Πάνω" και Τζένιφερ Ανιστον στο "I Want Να είναι σε Love ".
Τραγουδησε στο γαμο του Brad Pitt και της Τζένιφερ Ανιστον.
Αυτή και η φίλη της Tammy Lynn Michaels θεωρουν τους εαυτους τους ως έγγαμοι εφόσον ανταλλάσσονται vows σε μυστική τελετή τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2003.
Έχει διαγνωστεί με καρκίνο του μαστού (Οκτώβριος 2004).
Σε πρωτοσέλιδα όταν έδωσε μια αξιοσημείωτη επίδοση στα Βραβεία Γκράμι το 2005 για πρώτη φορά από τότε που διαγνώστηκε με καρκίνο? Εμφανίζεται φαλακρη από τη χημειοθεραπεία θεραπείες.
Ανακοίνωσε στα τέλη του 2005 ότι ο καρκίνος είναι δωρεάν και ότι εταίρος και Tammy Lynn Michaels σχεδιάζουν να έχουν ένα παιδί.
Με την σύντροφό της Tammy Lynn Michaels γέννησε ένα κορίτσι, Johnnie Rose, και ένα αγόρι, Steven Miller, στις 17 Οκτωβρίου 2006.
Gay rights and environmental activist. Γκέι δικαιώματα και τις περιβαλλοντικές ακτιβιστρια.
Ο πατέρας της Τζον πέθανε από καρκίνο το 1992.
Αν και είναι διάσημη για την καπνιστή φωνή της, δεν έχει ποτέ καπνιστά και δεν ήθελε ουίσκι.
Κέρδισε δύο βραβεία Γκράμι για το "Best Female Rock Performance" το 1992 και το 1994.

[Eleftheria]

LEISHA HAILEY BIOGRAPHY


She was born in Okinawa, Japan and grew up in Bellevue, Nebraska. She came out as a lesbian as a teenager and moved to New York City where she graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in 1991.

She formed the rock duo The Murmurs (changed to Gush in 2001) with her former classmate at the academy Heather Grody and played gigs in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and East Village. During the 1990s the band moved to Los Angeles, released several albums and toured with Lilith Fair. Their biggest album Blender included a collaboration with Charlotte Caffey and Jane Wiedlin of The Go-Gos; in addition, several of the songs were produced by k.d. lang, Hailey's significant other for several years. Hailey was also the inspiration for lang's 2000 album Invincible Summer.

As an actress, she had a bit part in the 1997 coming out episode of Ellen which starred Ellen DeGeneres. She also appeared in the 1997 film All Over Me , and had a recurring role in television commercials for Yoplait . She made her television series debut on Showtime's The L Word.

[Eleftheria]

Portia de Rossi (born January 31, 1973) is an Australian actress best known for her roles as lawyer Nelle Porter on the television series Ally McBeal and as Lindsay Bluth Fünke on the television series Arrested Development.

Early life
De Rossi was born Amanda Lee Rogers in Geelong, Victoria, Australia, the daughter of Margaret, a medical receptionist, and Barry Rogers.She was raised in Grovedale, a suburb of Geelong. As a child, she modeled for print and TV commercials. She took the name Portia de Rossi at a young age:

When I was 15, I changed it legally. In retrospect, I think it was largely due to my struggle about being gay. Everything just didn’t fit, and I was trying to find things I could identify myself with, and it started with my name. I picked Portia because I was a Shakespeare fan (Portia is the character in The Merchant of Venice who comes to the rescue of Antonio and Bassanio in their time of need). De Rossi because I was Australian and I thought that an exotic Italian name would somehow suit me more than Amanda Rogers. When you live in Australia, Europe is so far away and so fascinating, so stylish and cultured and sophisticated.

(Note: Portia de Rossi was also the name of the mother of the eminent 16th-century Italian poet, Torquato Tasso.)

A talented student, she studied at Geelong Grammar School and Melbourne Girls Grammar School, then the University of Melbourne Law School, but left before finishing the course to pursue an acting career. She supports Locks of Love, a group that buys wigs for children with medical hair loss. According to cfidarren.com, Portia is a helicopter pilot, trained by her brother.


Career
Her first significant role was playing a young and impressionable model in the Australian 1994 film Sirens. Soon afterwards she moved to Los Angeles and had guest roles on several TV shows, and a permanent role in Nick Freno: Licensed Teacher, before landing a role in the film Scream 2. She attracted international attention when she joined the main cast of the Ally McBeal TV series in 1998 playing lawyer Nelle Porter. She remained with the show until its end in 2002.

In 2001, she starred in Who is Cletis Tout? with Christian Slater. From 2003–2006, de Rossi starred as Lindsay Bluth Fünke on Fox Television's critically acclaimed, Emmy-winning series Arrested Development.

From 2007-2008, de Rossi appears in Nip/Tuck's fifth season as Julia McNamara's new girlfriend Olivia Lord. In 2009, the concluding 8 episodes of season 5 will air. Due to the writers strike, the show was forced to take a break. She also portrayed John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, in a made for TV movie.

She will reprise her role as Lindsay Bluth Fünke in 2009's film adaptation of Arrested Development.


Personal life
De Rossi, who was married for two years to documentary filmmaker Mel Metcalfe, is now openly lesbian.From 2000 to 2004, de Rossi dated singer Francesca Gregorini, daughter of actress Barbara Bach and stepchild of Ringo Starr. De Rossi dodged media questions about her sexual orientation and the relationship during this period. De Rossi was rarely pictured with Gregorini in public.

In a September 2005 magazine interview with The Advocate, de Rossi said that most of her family and Ally McBeal cast mates learned she was a lesbian because of tabloid pictures of de Rossi and Gregorini in 2001.The couple broke up in late 2004 as de Rossi began dating talk show host and comedian Ellen DeGeneres. In 2005, de Rossi officially came out and opened up about being a lesbian in interviews with Details and The Advocate. On August 16, 2008, de Rossi married DeGeneres. The couple lives in Beverly Hills, California.

De Rossi was named number 64 in Stuff's 100 Sexiest Women, 31 in Femme Fatales' Sexiest Women of 2003 list, 24 in Maxim's 100 Sexiest Women List in 2004, and in late 2006, the magazine Blender listed her as one of the hottest women of film and TV.In May 2007, she was featured as one of 100 Most Beautiful in People Magazine special edition. TV Guide included de Rossi and DeGeneres in their Power A-List couples in 2007.


Filmography
1994: Sirens (AUS, UK) as Giddy
1995: The Woman in the Moon (USA)
1995: Too Something (aka New York Daze) (USA) (TV series) as Maria Hunter
1997: Veronica's Closet (USA) (TV series) (episode S01 E05) as Carolyn
1997: Scream 2 (USA) as Sorority Sister Murphy
1998–2002: Ally McBeal (USA) (TV series) (seasons 2–5) as Morgan 'Nelle' Porter
1998: Astoria (USA) (TV)
1998: Girl (USA) as Carla Sparrow
1998: Perfect Assassins (aka A Breed Apart) (USA) (TV) as Lana Collins
1999: The Invisibles (USA) as Joy
1999: American Intellectuals (USA) as Sarah
1999: Stigmata (USA) as Jennifer Kelliho
1999: Ally (USA) (TV series) as Morgan 'Nelle' Porter
2001: Women in Film (USA) as Gina
2001: Who is Cletis Tout? (USA, CAN) as Tess Donnelly
2002: The Glow (USA) (TV) as Jackie Lawrence
2002: The Twilight Zone (USA) (TV series) (episode S01 E08) as Laurel Janus
2003: Two girls from Leemore (USA)
2003–2006: Arrested Development (TV series) (USA) (TV series) as Lindsay Bluth Fünke
2003: America's Prince: The John F. Kennedy Jr. Story (USA) (TV) as Carolyn Bessette Kennedy
2003: Mister Sterling (USA) (TV series) (episodes S01 E08-E09) as Lauren Barnes
2003: I Witness (USA, GER) as Emily Thompson
2003: The Night We Called It A Day (aka All The Way/aka All The Way: The Kidnapping Of A Music Legend) (AUS, USA) as Hilary Hunter
2004: Dead & Breakfast (USA) as Kelly
2005: Cursed (USA, GER) as Zela
2007: Nip/Tuck (USA) (TV series) (episodes S05 E02-E08, E13-E14) as Olivia Lord
2009: Arrested Development as Lindsay Bluth Fünke

[Eleftheria]

Ellen DeGeneres

Birth name Ellen Lee DeGeneres
Born January 26, 1958 (1958-01-26) (age 50)
Metairie, Louisiana
Medium Stand-up comedy, Television, Film
Nationality American
Spouse Portia de Rossi
(August 16, 2008 —)
Domestic partner(s) Anne Heche (1997–2000)
Alexandra Hedison (2000–2004)
Portia de Rossi (2004—)
Emmy Awards
Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series
1997 Ellen
Outstanding Talk Show
2004 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2005 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2006 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2007 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Outstanding Special Class Writing
2005 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2006 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2007 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Outstanding Talk Show Host
2005 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2006 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2007 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2008 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
American Comedy Awards
Funniest Female Stand-Up Comic
1991
Funniest Female Performer in a TV Special
1994 46th Primetime Emmy Awards
2000 Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning
Ellen Lee DeGeneres (born January 26, 1958) is an American stand-up comedian, television host and actress. She currently hosts the Emmy Award-winning syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

She has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong, appeared in EDtv and The Love Letter, and provided the voice of "Dory" in the Pixar animated hit film Finding Nemo. She also starred in two television sitcoms, The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002 and Ellen from 1994 to 1998. In 1997 during the fourth season of Ellen, she came out publicly as a lesbian, in an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey Show. Shortly afterwards, her character Ellen Morgan also came out to a therapist played by Winfrey and the series went on to explore various LGBT issues as well as the "coming out" process.

Contents [hide]
1 Background
2 Career
2.1 Stand-up comedy
2.2 Early screen work
2.3 Ellen (sitcom, 1994-1998)
2.4 Ellen's Energy Adventure
2.5 The Ellen Show
2.6 Finding Nemo and voice acting
2.7 The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2.8 79th Academy Awards
2.9 2007 Writers Guild strike
3 Personal life
4 Awards
5 Filmography
Background
DeGeneres was born in Metairie, Louisiana, the daughter of Elliot DeGeneres, a salesman, and Elizabeth (Betty) Jane Pfeffer.She is of French, English, German and Irish descent. Along with her brother Vance DeGeneres, actor and guitarist for the rock band Cowboy Mouth, DeGeneres was raised as a Christian Scientist until the age of 13. DeGeneres' mother, Betty and her father, Elliot, filed for separation on December 4, 1973. The divorce was finalized in January 1974. Shortly after the divorce, Betty Jane remarried to Roy Gruessendorf, who also worked as a salesman. Betty Jane and DeGeneres moved away with Gruessendorf from the New Orleans area to Atlanta, Texas. Vance stayed with their father in New Orleans. DeGeneres graduated from Atlanta High School on May 21, 1976, after completing her first years of high school at Grace King High School in Metairie, Louisiana.DeGeneres moved back to New Orleans to attend the University of New Orleans, where she majored in communications.After one semester, she left school to do clerical work in a law firm along with cousin Laura Gillen. She also held a job selling clothes at the chain store the Merry-Go-Round at the Lakeside Shopping Center in New Orleans. Other working experiences included being a waitress at TGI Friday's and another restaurant, a house painter, a hostess, a bartender. Finally, DeGeneres realized she didn't want to "answer to a boss" and started to figure out what she really wanted to do.

DeGeneres' brother Vance made a guest appearance on Ellen in 1994. He was a correspondent for The Daily Show from 1999 to 2001.


Career

Stand-up comedy
DeGeneres started performing stand-up comedy at small clubs and coffeehouses before working her way up to emcee Clyde's Comedy Club by 1981.Her comedy during this period was described as a "distaff version of Bob Newhart." In the early 1980s, she began to tour nationally, eventually winning the title of funniest person in America in a competition sponsored by the cable network Showtime. She was then able to work at higher profile venues. She appeared for the first time on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson in 1986.

Early screen work
Television and film work in the late '80s/early '90s included roles on television in Open House and in the film Coneheads.


Ellen (sitcom, 1994-1998)
DeGeneres' comedy material was turned into the subject matter of the successful 1994-1998 sitcom Ellen, named These Friends of Mine during its first season. The ABC show was popular in its first few seasons due in part to DeGeneres' style of quirky observational humor; it was often referred to as a "female Seinfeld."

Ellen reached its height of attention in February 1997, when DeGeneres made her homosexuality public on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Subsequently her character on the sitcom came out of the closet in April to her therapist, played by Oprah Winfrey, that she was gay. The outing episode, entitled "The Puppy Episode," was one of the highest-rated episodes of the show, but later episodes of the series would fail to match its popularity, and after declining ratings, the show was canceled. DeGeneres returned to the stand-up comedy circuit, and would later re-establish herself as a successful talk show host.


Ellen's Energy Adventure
DeGeneres starred in a series of films for a show named Ellen's Energy Adventure, which is part of the Universe of Energy attraction and pavilion at Walt Disney World's Epcot. The film also featured Bill Nye the science guy, Alex Trebek, Michael Richards and Jamie Lee Curtis. The show revolved around DeGeneres falling asleep and finding herself in an energy-themed version of Jeopardy!, playing against an old rival, portrayed by Curtis, and Albert Einstein. The next film had DeGeneres hosting an educational look at energy, co-hosted with Nye. The ride first opened on September 15, 1996, as Ellen's Energy Crisis but was quickly renamed to the more positive-sounding Ellen's Energy Adventure.


The Ellen Show
DeGeneres returned to series television in 2001 with a new CBS sitcom, The Ellen Show. Though her character was again a lesbian, it was not the central theme of the show. The Ellen Show received critical praise, but low viewership and was canceled after one season.[citation needed]

During this time DeGeneres received wide exposure on November 4, 2001, when she hosted the Emmy Awards-TV show. Presented after two cancellations due to network concerns that a posh ceremony following the September 11, 2001 attacks would appear insensitive, the show required a more somber tone that would also allow viewers to temporarily forget the tragedy. DeGeneres received several standing ovations for her performance that evening which included the line: "We're told to go on living our lives as usual, because to do otherwise is to let the terrorists win, and really, what would upset the Taliban more than a homosexual woman wearing a suit in front of a room full of Jews?"


Finding Nemo and voice acting
DeGeneres lent her voice to the role of Dory, a fish with short-term memory loss, in the summer 2003 hit animated Disney/Pixar film Finding Nemo. The film's director, Andrew Stanton, claimed that he chose her because she "changed the subject five times before one sentence had finished" on her show. The movie returned DeGeneres to the limelight, with critics giving her rave reviews.[citation needed] DeGeneres won the Saturn Award from the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films for "Best Supporting Actress", "Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie" from the Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards and the Annie Award from the International Animated Film Association for "Outstanding Voice Acting" for her work. She was also nominated for a Chicago Film Critics Association Award in the "Best Supporting Actress" category. She also provided the voice of the dog in the prologue of the Eddie Murphy film Dr. Dolittle.


The Ellen DeGeneres Show
In September 2003, DeGeneres launched a daytime television talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Amid a crop of several celebrity-hosted talk shows surfacing in 2003 such as those of Sharon Osbourne and Rita Rudner, her show has consistently risen in the Nielsen Ratings and received widespread critical praise. It was nominated for 11 Daytime Emmy Awards in its first season, winning four, including Best Talk Show. The show has won 25 Emmy Awards in its first three seasons on the air. DeGeneres is known for her dancing and singing with the audience at the beginning of the show and during commercial breaks. She often gives away free prizes and trips to her studio audience with the help of her sponsors. On November 17, 2005, the show was played in reverse.

In November 2004, DeGeneres appeared, dancing, in an ad campaign for American Express. Her most recent American Express commercial, a two-minute black-and-white spot where she works with animals, debuted in November 2006 and was created by Ogilvy and Mather. In 2007, the commercial won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial.

In August 2005, DeGeneres was selected once again as host of the 2005 Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, which was held on September 18, 2005. The award ceremonies aired three weeks after Hurricane Katrina, making it the second time she hosted the Emmys following a national tragedy. Because DeGeneres is from New Orleans, the tragedy hit close to home. When she announced that she would again host the Emmys, she joked, "You know me, any excuse to put on a dress." She also hosted the Grammy Awards in 1996 and in 1997.

In February 2006, DeGeneres celebrated her thirty-year class reunion by flying her graduating class to California to be guests on her show. She presented Atlanta High School with a surprise gift of a new electronic LED marquee sign.

In May 2006, DeGeneres made a surprise appearance at the Tulane University commencement in New Orleans. Following George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton to the podium, she came out in a bathrobe and furry slippers. "They told me everyone would be wearing robes," she said.

In March 2007, DeGeneres continued her talk show with a week at Universal Studios Orlando with guests Jennifer Lopez and Lynyrd Skynyrd. DeGeneres did skits with the Hulk Roller Coaster Ride and the Jaws Boat Ride.

In May 2007, DeGeneres was placed on bed rest due to a torn ligament in her back. She continued hosting her show from a hospital bed, tended to by a male nurse, explaining "the show must go on, as they say." Guests sat in hospital beds as well.

In March 2008, DeGeneres hosted her talk show once again from Orlando Florida at Universal Studios Orlando with guests including the Jonas Brothers and Jeff Foxworthy.

In Fall 2008, The Ellen DeGeneres Show will be moved to a larger studio; in addition the Ellen show will be produced in high definition. With her moving to a new studio, her producers will have a new HD control room and equipment.


79th Academy Awards

Ellen DeGeneres at the Emmy Awards, 1997On September 7, 2006, DeGeneres was selected to host the 79th Academy Awards ceremony, which took place on February 25, 2007. This makes her the first openly gay or lesbian person to have hosted the event. During the Awards show DeGeneres said, "What a wonderful night, such diversity in the room, in a year when there's been so many negative things said about people's race, religion and sexual orientation. And I want to put this out there: if there weren't blacks, Jews and gays, there would be no Oscars, or anyone named Oscar, when you think about that." Reviews of her hosting gig were positive, with one saying, "DeGeneres rocked, as she never forgot that she wasn't just there to entertain the Oscar nominees but also to tickle the audience at home." In fact, Regis Philbin said in an interview that "the only complaint was there's not enough Ellen."

DeGeneres was nominated for an Emmy Award as host of the Academy Awards broadcast.


2007 Writers Guild strike
DeGeneres, like many actors who are also writers, is a member of both the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) and the Writers Guild of America (WGA). Thus, although DeGeneres verbally supported the 2007 WGA strike she did not support it when she crossed the picket line the day after the strike began. Her actions prompted a response from the Union: "We find it sad that Ellen spent an entire week crying and fighting for a dog that she gave away, yet she couldn't even stand by writers for more than one day - writers who have helped make her extremely successful." Her representatives said that she was competing with other first-run syndicated shows during the competitive November sweeps period, and that she could not break her contracts or risk her show lose its time slot. As a show of solidarity with the strikers, DeGeneres omitted her monologue during the strike, typically written by WGA writers.[12] The WGAE condemned her, and said that she was "not welcome in NY", while the AFTRA defended her.[13][14][15]


Personal life
DeGeneres' relationship with former Another World actress Anne Heche turned into material for the tabloid press. After several years in the spotlight, Heche broke up with DeGeneres and went on to marry cameraman Coley Laffoon. DeGeneres then had a relationship with actress/director/photographer Alexandra Hedison. The couple appeared on the cover of The Advocate magazine (after their split-up had already been announced to the press).

Since 2004, DeGeneres has been in a relationship with Arrested Development and former Ally McBeal star Portia de Rossi whom she married on August 16, 2008.They were married at their Los Angeles home with 19 guests including their respective mothers.After the overturn of the same-sex marriage ban in California, DeGeneres announced on a May 2008 show that she and de Rossi were engaged. DeGeneres gave de Rossi a three-carat pink diamond ring. They live in Beverly Hills, with three dogs and four cats, and plan to air part of the wedding ceremony on Ellen's talk show.

In her book, Love, Ellen, DeGeneres' mother, Betty DeGeneres, describes being initially shocked when her daughter came out as a lesbian, but has in fact become one of her strongest supporters. Betty DeGeneres is an active member of PFLAG and spokesperson for the HRC Coming Out Project. She is also a breast cancer survivor.

After DeGeneres came out as a lesbian, televangelist Jerry Falwell referred to her in a sermon as "Ellen DeGenerate." DeGeneres responded: "Really, he called me that? Ellen DeGenerate? I've been getting that since the fourth grade."

On September 1, 2006, at just before 4 pm PT, DeGeneres was mildly injured in a three-car road accident as a 2002 Porsche Carrera rear-ended a 2002 Buick Le Sabre, which subsequently rear-ended DeGeneres' 2006 Porsche Carrera as she was driving on Sunset Boulevard with then girlfriend Portia de Rossi. DeGeneres was able to walk away from the scene. Two men in their twenties, later identified as paparazzi, were in the Buick, and the other vehicle was being driven by a drunk 52-year-old woman.

In 2007, Forbes ranked her personal net worth to be US$65 million.


Awards
Daytime Emmy Awards
2008 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2007 Outstanding Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2007 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2006 Outstanding Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2006 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2006 Outstanding Special Class Writing, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2005 Outstanding Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2005 Outstanding Talk Show Host, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2005 Outstanding Special Class Writing, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
2004 Outstanding Talk Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Emmy Awards
1997 Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series, Ellen: "The Puppy Episode"

People's Choice Awards
2008 Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host
2008 Favorite Funny Female Star
2008 Favorite Yes I Chose This Star
2007 Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host
2007 Favorite Funny Female Star
2006 Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host
2006 Favorite Funny Female Star
2005 Favorite Daytime Talk Show Host
2005 Favorite Funny Female Star
Kids Choice Awards
2004 Favorite Voice from an animated movie, Finding Nemo
1st Annual Wave Awards, Academy of Wireless Arts, Video and Entertainment
2007 Favorite Talk Show Host, Ellen: On the Go!, Ellen DeGeneres & Sprint TV

Filmography
Television
Women of the Night (1988)
Open House (1989-1990)
Laurie Hill (1992-1993)
''Roseanne as Dr. Whitman (1995)
Ellen (1994-1998)
Mad About You as Nancy Bloom (1998)
If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)
Ellen DeGeneres: The Beginning (2000)
Will & Grace as Sister Louise (2001)
On the Edge (2001)
The Ellen Show (2001-2002)
Ellen DeGeneres: Here and Now (2003)
The Ellen DeGeneres Show (2003-present)
57th Annual Primetime Emmys 2005
79th Annual Academy Awards (Host) (25 February 2007)
American Idol: Idol Gives Back (Co-host)
Deal Or No Deal as a model (2008)
(April 2007)

Ellen's Really Big Show (2007)

Film
Arduous Moon (1990) (short subject)
Wisecracks (1991) (documentary)
Coneheads (1993)
Trevor (1994) (short subject)
Ellen's Energy Adventure (1996) (short subject)
9 (1996)
Mr. Wrong as Martha Alston(1996)
Goodbye Lover (1998)
Dr. Dolittle as John Dolittle's dog (1998) (voice)
EdTV as Cynthia (1999)
The Love Letter as Janet Hall (1999)
If These Walls Could Talk 2 as Kal (2000)
Pauly Shore Is Dead as herself (2003)
Finding Nemo as Dory (2003) (voice)
My Short Film (2004) (short subject)




Discography
Ellen DeGeneres: Taste This
The Ellen DeGeneres Show: DVDlicious

Tributes
ICONS: The Lesbian and Gay History of the World, Vol. 1 - Comedy Central star Jade Esteban Estrada portrays DeGeneres in the highly-acclaimed solo comedy in 2002.

Bibliography
DeGeneres, Ellen (1995). My Point...And I Do Have One. New York: Bantam Books. ISBN 0553099558.
DeGeneres, Ellen (2003). The Funny Thing Is.... New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0743247612.

References
^ a b c d e f g h Jon C. Hopwood (2008). "Biography for Ellen DeGeneres". The Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on 2008-01-17.
^ "GLBT History Month - Ellen DeGeneres". Retrieved on 2006-11-28.
^ Caryn James (1997-04-13). "A Message That's Diminished by the Buildup". The New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-03-14.
^ Andrew Stanton states this on the Finding Nemo DVD running commentary
^ "Ellen DeGeneres to Host 79th Academy Awards Presentation". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (2006-09-07). Retrieved on 2006-09-08.
^ The Associated Press (2007-02-26). "Alan Arkin Wins Best Supporting Actor", NewsMax. Retrieved on 2008-03-27.
^ Susan Young (2007-02-26). "Ellen Probably Most Exciting Thing About 79th Oscars", InsideBayArea. Retrieved on 2008-03-29. Archived from the original on 2007-02-28.
^ Bob Sassone (2007-07-19). "The Emmys: More thoughts and theories". TV Squad. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
^ Neal Justin (2007-11-16). "Television: Tears, strike aside, Ellen shows go on", Minneapolis St. Paul Star Tribune. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
^ World Entertainment News Network (2007-11-09). "DeGeneres Under Fire for Crossing Picket Line", The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved on 2007-12-16.
^ WGAE (2007-11-12). "“Ellen DeGeneres Not Welcome in NY!”", Writers Guild of America, East. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
^ Seth Abramovitch (2007-11-09). "Ellen DeGeneres Speaks Only In Exotic Birdcalls As A Gesture Of Writer Solidarity", Defamer, Gawker Media. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Finke, Nikki (2007-11-09). "WGAE States Ellen "Not Welcome In NY"", Deadline Hollywood Daily. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Finke, Nikki (2007-11-09). "URGENT! AFTRA Defends Ellen; Rep Says She "Has Done Nothing" To Violate WGA", Deadline Hollywood Daily. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ Finke, Nikki (2007-11-10). "WGAE Replies To AFTRA About Ellen Mess", Deadline Hollywood Daily. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
^ [1]
^ a b Television presenter Ellen DeGeneres marries lesbian lover Portia de Rossi: TV presenter Ellen DeGeneres has tied the knot with lesbian lover Portia de Rossi by Anita Singh, 18 Aug 2008. UK Telegraph
^ Alonso Duralde (2008-05-17). "Ellen and Portia to Tie the Knot", The Advocate. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
^ Ellen DeGeneres. DeGeneres, de Rossi Engaged (.SWF) [Video]. Los Angeles: The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Retrieved on 2008-05-19. Event occurs at 00:00:00 to 00:01:15 (inclusive).
^ Dhalwala, Shruti (2008-06-21). ""Ellen Gives Portia Pink Diamonds for 'Dream Wedding'"". People. Retrieved on 2008-06-23.
^ Handy, Bruce. "He called me Ellen Degenerate?", TIME Magazine, April 14, 1997. Retrieved February 27, 2007.
^ CBC Arts (2006-09-02). "DeGeneres Walks Away From Fender-Bender", CBC news. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.
^ Lea Goldman and Kiri Blakeley (2007-01-18). "20 Richest Women in Entertainment", Forbes. Retrieved on 2008-05-19.