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Briefme.com -- November 1999

Web reviews written for briefme.com
by
Michael Walker

Contents

Bridges Across the Divide
(November 11, 1999)

Bridges-Across the Divide (B-A) describes itself as "a cyberspace initiative providing models and resources for building respectful relationships among those who disagree about moral issues surrounding homosexuality, bisexuality and gender variance." This website defines and examines the separation that exists between many people (straights and gays, gays and transgenders, gay men and lesbians) and offers a number of dialogs and articles on the issues relating to, among other topics, Youth, Faith, and Science. Perhaps a little too intellectual at times, this is a thought-provoking place to rest for awhile and gather great ideas about encouraging understanding.   Bridges Across the Divide

Directing Gays to God
(November 11, 1999)

In an age when a lot of people seem to be moving away from established religion, many lesbians and gay men are choosing to do the opposite. This often means, however, going to churches that may or may not be accepting of homosexuality, which presents a real quandary indeed. This site, sponsored by ChristianLesbians.com, offers a state-by-state list of welcoming congregations. The churches are categorized by Protestant denomination, and include the city in which they're located, along with some phone numbers and website links. A great resource for those comfortable with their sexuality who are looking to explore their spirituality.   Directing Gays to God

Examining Poodle Porn
(November 11, 1999)

 Most gay people I know deplore pornography of any kind, especially the type involving one of the true icons of gay society--the French poodle. This site promises "all models over 18 months," so I found it to be more educational and instructive and less harmful than other sites.  Examining Poodle Porn

Queer and Hearing Impaired
(November 11, 1999)

Being deaf or otherwise hearing impaired in today's world can be a challenge in and of itself. But if you're also a member of the so-called gay/bi/les/trans minority, your feelings of being an outsider may be compounded. The Deaf Queer Resource Center (DQRC) is a national non-profit center that provides news and other resources to gay folks who are deaf. There's a surprisingly extensive list of Deaf Queers' homepages here, as well as some good articles on the Bulletin Board. The site could use some additional content, certa
inly, but poke around for a while and you'll find some good stuff.  Queer and Hearing Impaired

Straight Answers
(November 11, 1999)

Straight Answers is an informative site that tries to "answer questions about gay life and change anti-gay attitudes." The webmasters have made some interesting, fairly conservative, editorial decisions, including using the acronym GLB to describe all members of the lesbian, gay, and bisexual community--no doubt including the transgenders. Also, the term "queer" is avoided because such words "can cause confusion among straight and gay people alike." In addition, one article decries "'flaunting it' to society in general [which] makes us look like clowns." You can join moderated discussion lists here, find personal coming-out stories, ask a question yourself, and peruse some interesting essays regarding gay life and gay issues. Some of the information's pretty basic and clearly aimed at out-of-the loop straight folks (such as a discussion of "the gay 'lifestyle'"), but there's a good range of material to meander through.
Straight Answers

Working Pink
(November 11, 1999)

Gaywork.com is a search engine that (at least according to the website) provides equal opportunity for all job seekers. Presumably this means for lesbians and gay men, which makes us wonder if the site will work for straight job seekers as well. However, since so-called "straight" search engines, such as Monster.com, seem to work equally for gays and straights, I suppose this one will as well! The major difference here is that the site is definitely geared toward the GLBT community. There are "hot tips" at http://www.gaywork.com/hottips.htm that key you into gay-friendly companies. In addition, you'll find resource lists, links of interest to both gay job seekers and employers, a volunteer message board, and even a freelance forum for consultants, small businesses, and the self-employed to hawk their services (for a fee). This is definitely a hot place to start that job search.  Working Pink

Gip Plaster's Gay Scribe
(November 29, 1999)

One good resource for gay journalists, writers, publicists, and others who want to contact lesbian and gay publications is Gip Plaster's Gay Scribe. The site offers a free, virtually complete listing of gay and lesbian newspapers and magazines in the U.S. and around the world. There is contact information for many of the publications listed, including addresses, phone numbers, and URLs. Created by Gip Plaster, an independent writer and journalist whose work appears in gay and lesbian publications around the world, this "virtual newsstand" can be a boon to gay writers and editors alike.
Gip Plaster's Gay Scribe

In the Company of Women
(November 29, 1999)

In the Company of WOMEN is a great resource for information on lesbian events, gatherings, and trips. Its stated purpose is to "create extraordinary events and unique adventures for lesbians, their friends and lovers in an atmosphere of pride, safety, and lots of female fun and frolic." Among the numerous Year 2000 events listed here are a Memorial Day weekend get-together, a Gay Day Show and Dance on June 2 (both in Florida), and a mountain adventure in the Catskills the weekend of October 20. The site also features a lesbian chat room, a section on lesbian artists and entertainers, and many other online resources for gay women. In the Company of WOMEN is not a travel agency, the proprietors tell us, but a group that "brings together women from everywhere for unique, stimulating, gender-specific tours and events that cater to the needs, wants and desires of womyn."  In the Company of Women

Y2GAY Crisis?
(November 29, 1999)

With all the hype about the coming Y2K crisis, it's nice to see that someone has a sense of humor about it! This site, courtesy of our friends at http://queerpittsburgh.com, takes a tongue-in-cheek look at the "millennium crisis for gays" set to wreak havoc on January 1, 2000. It seems there might just be a bug afoot that will turn gay people straight overnight! There's even a link to a selection of free images designed to certify your website "Y2 Gay Compliant."  Y2GAY Crisis? (Defunct)

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Michael Walker is a billionaire living the guise of a struggling freelance writer in Washington, DC.  He is also the founder and proprietor of DREAMWalker Group..

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Michael Walker 1999-2004

Thursday January 15, 2004

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