LESBIAN ACTION FOUNDATION BulletinWinter 2003 TheEleventh Annual Breathing Underwater Lesbian Writers Fund Awards Lu Vickers One Small Step Mama didn’t move. I struggled to keep afloat, beat Samiya Bashir the water with my hands. She was going to let me drown and was weighing her gains against her losses. She dons rubber gloves and Watching me, eyes flat as pennies. I was Not cotton mitts, surgeonic sweat the Right Kind of Girl. Never had been. Panicked, coats her brow, dots her lips. I went under again, holding my breath, my I reach up for a kiss. chest about to burst. I sank even though I kicked We stole the pink plastic cup hard against the water. from the kiddie korner at Then there was an explosion, a blur of bubbles. the clinic, hand made Mama jumped into the canal next to me and sank the tube from an enema beneath the surface, facing me, her eyes wide open. bottle, bought at a Her skin was waxy-looking underwater, like the 99-cent store. worm on Maisey’s hook. She held her hands out to Sometimes we like it fresh. me, scissored her legs. Her red hair floated above sometimes frozen. her head like silky grass. Silver bubbles leaked out Her brother, only 19, has of her mouth and nose. She clutched my hands and Samiya Bashir much to give, needs we sank deeper, where there was no sound. The no great notice. water grew dark green in my mouth, the color of She reminds me trees when night is falling. Her face was a question she’s loved me for almost mark. That was the last I saw of her before every- a decade, will love me for thing went black. I floated backward through space, centuries more – I always twitching like Maisey’s worm, sinking, a voice get nervous at this moment. whirling through my head, wish I’d never had you. I want to moan, raise my hips to meet her hand, reach into ASTRAEA’S LESBIAN WRITERS FUND ANNUALLY the forest of her hair, DIRECTS FINANCIAL AWARDS TO EMERGING LESBIAN whisper things. VOICES IN THE FIELDS OF POETRY AND FICTION. I want to run to the back Since its inception in 1991, Astraea has awarded of the wardrobe we share, nearly a half million dollars to openly lesbian writers cower behind denims and silks. whose work shows extraordinary promise. The She reaches up for a kiss, judges who select the recipients are among the finest returns her focus to our task. established lesbian writers in the United States. The Fund expresses Astraea’s dedication to We complete the operation, and wait. nurturing lesbian culture in all its forms and provides Lu Vickers financial support to help assist writers buy whatever they may need to continue their work. In addition to What’s Inside continued on page 5 2 Letter from Executive Director Katherine Acey 5 Astraea Member Dorothy Abbott, In Her Own Words 3 Astraea hosts New York debut of Radical Harmonies 6 Fire & Ink Conference held in Chicago 4 Meet our latest International Grantees A LETTER FROM ASTRAEA’S EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR KATHERINE ACEY Dear Friends, We at Astraea are heartened to see so many organiza- tions within the LGBT communities connecting their very s we welcome in a important day-to-day work with speaking out for peace new year, we and against war. LGBT communities around the world A extend warm know all too well that violence—or its threat—exact greetings and deep thanks an immeasurable toll on people’s lives and spirits. With to all of you who have that knowledge in mind, on January 3rd, Astraea joined helped make this past with many ally organizations, foundations and individu- year a productive one for Astraea and for the global als as signatories in a New York Times community of activist organizations we support. In this advertisement. The ad called upon President Bush and issue of the newsletter we present a snapshot of groups Congressional leaders to “Embrace Peace and Prosperity. organizing outside of the U.S, which Astraea has Not War, Recession and Poverty.” supported in the fall cycle of our International Fund. In her book, Mobilizing Resentment, Jean Hardisty As we go to press, we are reviewing more than writes: “ . .people who have had trouble being heard may 100 proposals from groups working within the U.S. be the very people who hold the key to new visions . .” All of these organizations—and there are hundreds We believe she’s right. As we enter 2003, Astraea of them—are raising their voices in the name of human will continue to support those creative, intelligent and rights and human dignity. They are voices that deserve passionate voices. to be heard and which articulate a creative, intelligent Wishing you a peaceful new year, and passionate activism. In the face of chilling infringements on civil liberties and rights, escalating U.S. militarism, ubiquitous fundamentalism, and widening economic gaps, Astraea grantees are changing the landscape Katherine T. Acey for social justice in very real ways locally and regionally. Executive Director NEW FACES Jennifer Einhorn Director of Communications For the past 15 years, Jenn has been Herald. She was a media consultant for a communications strategist working the National Center for Lesbian Rights, primarily in the areas of social issues and has worked with Astraea for and the arts. She is the former Director several years as a communications of Communicationsfor GLAAD, and consultant. Astraea’s tagline Empower, MAMM (the magazine for women Envision, Embrace was created by with breast and reproductive cancers), Jenn. She has a B.A. in Political Ethics and a former music journalist for and lives with her partner, Deb Krivoy, PHOTO: DEB KRIVOY The Boston Phoenix and The Boston in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. 2 By Patricia Justine Tumang ebcebcebcebcebcbceRadical Resistance, Radical Harmonies: The Women’s Music Cultural Movement. Some of the legendary artists featured in Radical Harmonies make music at the film’s Astraea screening Lynn Campbell 1955-1984 Lynn was a dedicated human rights activist who throughout her life organized on behalf of women’s rights, workers’ issues and LGBT causes. At age 17, Lynn led the California boycott for United Farm Workers and the “Yes on Proposition 14” campaign. Having worked for Women Against PHOTO: JENN EINHORN Violence in Pornography and Media, she IT WAS AN ELECTRIFYING world. To see lesbians who looked like a helped organize the first conference on EVENING ON OCTOBER 21, 2002 variation of me was very affirming— espe- women and pornography and one of the when Astraea hosted the New York City cially in a culture that was so homopho- first Take Back the Night marches. premiere of Radical Harmonies, a film bic.” Extremely thankful for the impact In 1980, Lynn became Assistant by Dee Mosbacher. The event benefited these women had on her life, Mosbacher Director of the National Committee on Astraea’s Lynn Campbell Memorial Fund— yearned to “share this wonderful story of Household Employment for the National honoring the life of an extraordinary lesbian women’s music with a wider community.” Urban League. She joined the Funding human rights activist (see sidebar). The film features a virtual Who’s Who Exchange as Program Coordinator in 1981, Radical Harmonies, which chronicles of women’s music pioneers: Christian, Cris and co-founded Funders for Lesbian Foremother of the women’s the women’s Williamson, Holly Near, Linda Tillery, and Gay Issues. drumming movement, music cultural Margie Adam, Bernice Johnson Reagon, A filmmaker as well, Lynn was the Edwina Lee Tyler movement, Ronnie Gilbert, June Millington, Associate Producer of Greetings from broke into Alix Dobkin, Edwina Lee Tyler, Ferron Washington, D.C., a documentary the spotlight and the late Kay Gardner. Also featured are on the 1979 Gay and Lesbian March on at this year’s Ani Difranco, Judith Casselberry, Ubaka Washington; and Executive Producer/Co- 26th San Hill, Toshi Reagon, the Indigo Girls Producer of Rate It X. She was honored Francisco and many others. by the Women’s Art Association with International Radical Harmonies pays tribute to the the esteemed Women of Courage Award, PHOTO: JENN EINHORN Lesbian & array of courageous women who helped and Ms. Magazine named her one of its Gay Film Festival when it unanimously create and solidify women’s music—those “Eighty Women to Watch in the 80s.” won the coveted Audience Award for involved in the infrastructure of the music, Lynn died of cancer in 1984 at the age Best Documentary. The film’s Castro as well as the performers. “At that time, to of 29. Astraea’s Community Funding Panel premiere was sold out; the New York be able to sing their truths as out lesbians annually awards a grant from the screening was highly anticipated. By all was often a difficult path. In fact,” she Lynn Campbell Memorial Fund to assure accounts—it delivered. continued, “it was life-saving for a number that those with Lynn’s spirit, courage The documentary explores the birth of lesbians.” and leadership can continue in her footsteps. of a movement which changed the face of It was not an easy time. Homophobia popular music forever. Through priceless divided collaborations among heterosexual women’s music had a large and supportive vintage footage and refreshingly candid and lesbian musicians. The sexist main- fan base. (The Changer and The Changed, interviews, Mosbacher follows women’s stream music industry didn’t believe in remains one of the music industry’s best- music from its birth in the 1970s to the selling power of women’s music.