B.U.S.H. Magazine

Our new address

http://bushmag.wordpress.com

You can continue to get the great content you deserve at our new home from now on. Until we can switch over our archives you can continue to read things here......come check us out at our new spot, get into the new hot discussions, subscribe and request your print copy in the mail....they are currently available by mail only.

((((((The Songstress Issue)))))) features: Erykah Badu, RiRi Garcia, Audio Angel, Valerie Troutt and a tribute to Octavia Butler and much much more.....

*email us with your copy request at bushmag1@juno.com

Moving Out

Its been great here but its time to go....Bush Magazine will live on on wordpress.com, hopefully the move will clear up all the issues we were having with this site. You won't have to sign up to read, comment or the like. But until we've worked out all the kinks on the new site you can still find us here for the next month or so...its been great having you as dedicated readers, so happy to inform and excite you....I'm hoping that you will follow me where ever we go...stay tuned for the new address, linkage and so forth...all is love!

Dine Out for CUAV!

They decided to have this fund raiser at one of my favorite restaurants in San Francisco..yummy..and even though my coins are tight I gotta break bread and cash for just one night to support this worthy cause..who's gonna join us at our table...Bush Magazine will be there to represent!

• Dine Out for CUAV! Looking for the perfect way to satiate your hunger and your desire to build safe, healing LGBTQQ communities? Dine at Bissap Baobab, a Mission landmark serving Senegalese cuisine, on Thursday, February 7--20% of the evening's proceeds will be donated to CUAV! 2323 Mission St. at 19th St. See you there!

• CUAV is Turning 29: Save the Date! On March 20, 2008, CUAV will celebrate 29 years of supporting LGBTQQ survivors of violence and building safety in our communities. Champions for Change will honor local heroes in the movement for safe, healing LGBTQQ communities, including STOP AIDS Project's Michael Scarce, anti-prison activist Miss Major, and our community partner, El/La Program Para Trans Latinas. Fabulous entertainment will be provided by Taiko Ren, Micia Mosely, DJ Olga T and more. Delicious hors d'oeuvres, music to make you move, and a great opportunity to support CUAV! Tickets will be $40 and $80. If you have any questions, or are interested in sponsorship or becoming an event captain, please email or call us at (415) 777-5500 ext. 318. Click here to read about last year's event.

Queer  Activists Wanted! CUAV is seeking queer folks in the Bay Area to participate in our upcoming LGBTQQ Speakers Bureau training on Sunday, February 24 and Sunday, March 1. Get your voice heard! People of color, transgender people, young people, and survivors of violence are particularly encouraged to apply. If you are interested, click here to download the application, or email connie@cuav.org.

Unleash Your Fire – San Francisco/Bay Area!

Unleash Your Fire – San Francisco/Bay Area!

Have you lost touch with your most passionate desires or simply pushed them aside?
Do you feel disconnected from your erotic, sexual self?
Do you want to feel more sensuality and passion in your life?
Do you want to wake up your playful creative side in a sexy, safe, women-only environment?

Unleash Your Fire workshops taught by Vixen Noir can HELP!!!

Unleash Your Fire is a sexy, fun, and sometimes challenging workshop for women that uses theatre, dance-movement, storytelling, visualization, writing, trust and intimacy exercises to help you tap into, reclaim and celebrate erotic power as your rightful sensual legacy!  Unleash Your Fire examines the idea that erotic power is not only connected to sexual pleasure, but it is also a creative and healing source that affects every aspect of our lives.  UYF workshops provide the opportunity for you to explore erotic power with other women in a safe and supportive environment that cultivates community building and individual and collective healing.

What you can expect from the workshop:

∑ Wake up your erotic power, reconnect with it or deepen the relationship that you already have.
∑ Discover creative and sexual parts of yourself you never knew existed.
∑ Experience the power of creative expression as a means of transformation.
∑ Embrace your sensuality and feel more comfortable in your body.
∑ With reflection and support from other participants, take an honest inventory of your desires and begin a journey towards healing and empowerment.

What participants are saying about Unleash Your Fire and Vixen Noir:

“Excellent workshop!   Very challenging but mixed in with lots of fun and support and love.”
    --Participant, 2007 Sydney Australia

“You have shown me everyone has Erotic Power.  You have helped me transform my dolly steps into flying leaps!”
    --Participant, 2007 Sydney Australia

“You are a dynamic, charismatic teacher; you’re caring and skilled… I'm a lot freer and at home with my body and my sensuality.  You taught me how to reclaim my inner erotic goddess, and I am forever grateful to you for that gift!”
    --Ama, Participant 2006 San Francisco

“I couldn't have asked for a sexier, more supportive space to create and become the truest version of myself. It's an experience I will never forget and will always be grateful for."
    --Mac, Participant 2006 San Francisco

Limited to 20 women!   Register Early!

Where:    Mama Calizo’s Voice Factory, 1519 Mission Street (@ 11th), San Francisco, CA (BART accessible!)
When:     Saturday, Feb 23, 2008, 9am – 5pm and Sunday, Feb 24, 2008, 10am – 5pm
Cost:       Register by Feb 4, 2008 and pay only $200.  That’s a 25% savings!!!
               After Feb 4, 2008, you pay $250
               Scholarships available.
More Info/To Register: Visit www.myspace.com/vixen_noir, or email vixen_noir@hotmail.com

Veronica C. Combs
veronicacombs@hotmail.com

Empowering Women of Color Conference March 8th:

Here's the link, and some info about this year's conference theme:
http://ewocc.berkeley.edu/

Our vision of creativity and art means movement toward: an understanding
of art that redefines the connection for women of color among mind,
body, and spirit; artistic expressions as cultural resistance to
oppression; a unity among women of color that allows for identity
difference; exposing and exploring the ways in which institutions shape
our access to art; listening to and advocating for the artistic needs of
queer, intersex and transgender people; research and scholarship on
artistic issues that are particularly significant for women of color;
individual and community models of using artistic forms to heal from
systemic violence and trauma; understanding the intersections among
issues of art, poverty, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia,
militarism and imperialism; advocating for balance within personal and
professional artistic boundaries; exploring the ways in which
artistically minded amateur artists can transition into the professional
world of art; and embracing women of color's familial roles and
supporting the mother, wife, girlfriend, partner, daughter, niece,
grandmother, and friend that is found in all of us.
-- 
  
  chela_delgado@hailmail.net

Sexily Subversive

CALLING FOR FILM SUBMISSIONS
from Queer Women of Color Filmmakers for

"SEXILY SUBVERSIVE"
4th annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival

Does the lack of images of queer women of color
leave you feeling tired and depressed?  The Queer
Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP)
has a sexily subversive cure that really works!

"Sexily Subversive" will screen as part of the
4th annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival,
presented by QWOCMAP to be held at the Brava
Theater, San Francisco, June 13-15, 2008.

We invite you to submit your short films/videos.
From roller-skating divas who rob banks to fund
the revolution to a Butch/Femme romance
that heats up by the taco trucks in a working class town
to a dog following a trail of deception and desire
in a Catholic family, we seek films that show queer
women of color in all of our sexy glory and at our
most glamorously subversive.

Our free 3-day Queer Women of Color Film Festival
is a place where queer women of color can be true
to the cultural expressions of our passions and
values.  When we share our films with other queer
women of color, we give our communities multi-
layered, honest and gorgeous images of our lives.
It’s a powerful antidote to the Straight White Male
Media Arts Project, aka Hollywood.

  SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

1.  Films must be made by a queer woman of color filmmaker.
2.  Year of completion must be no later than 2005.
3.  Film must be under 15 minutes.
4.  Complete the Festival Entry Form below.
5.  Submit a VHS (NTSC) or DVD (Region 1) preview
copy of your film/video.  These items will be archived
> and will not be returned.
6.  Include a CD of Stills (300 dpi, high resolution)
7.  Final exhibition format must be on Mini-DV tape.

DEADLINE:  Monday, January 21, 2008  (postmarked)

Mail items to:
2008 Queer Women of Color Film Festival
c/o QWOCMAP
59 Cook Street
San Francisco, CA 94118
U.S.A.

FESTIVAL ENTRY FORM

Please attach this form with the preview copy of your
film, along with a CD of Stills, Press Kit and any other
promotional materials.

Name:

Race/Ethnicity/Nationality:

Gender Identification:

Sexual Orientation:

Full Mailing Address:

Email Address:

Phone Number:

1. Title of Film and Total Running Time

2. Synopsis of Film (one sentence)

3. Filmmaker Biography (one sentence)

4. How do you envision your film fitting within the
context of the theme "Sexily Subversive"? 
Contact:  Christine Liang at info@qwocmap.org
Madeleine Lim
Executive Director
QWOCMAP

415.752.0868
www.qwocmap.org
SAVE THE DATES - June 13, 14 & 15
2008 Queer Women of Color Film Festival
at the Brava Theater!

Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project
promotes the creation, exhibition and
distribution of films and videos that
increase the visibility of queer women
of color, reflect our life stories, and
address the vital social justice issues
that concern our community.
          

The Jersey 4

From Oakland to the Jersey 4 (with love) by Chauniqua Young

You may have heard that in New York last fall, a group of seven African-American lesbians was assaulted while walking down a street in the Village, a supposed haven for queer people. A street vendor (Dwayne Buckle) followed the group, screaming homophobic slurs. When they confronted him, the verbal assault turned physical. Buckle threw a lit cigarette at them, spat in their faces, and grabbed one of the women, choking her. Her friends came to her rescue. Two men also joined in to help the women, and in the process Buckle was stabbed in the stomach. It is still uncertain who stabbed him (the two men were never found), but four of the women Venice Brown (19), Terrain Dandridge (20), Patreese Johnson (20), and Renata Hill (24) received sentences ranging from 3 ½ to 11 years in prison.

Although the case happened in New York, as queer people living in the Bay Area, the case has enormous implications for us. The case represents a government sanctioned attack on our existence. Physical and verbal assaults against queer women of color remain unpunished, while defending ourselves against these attacks is criminalized.

On November 14^th, members of Bay Area INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence, Gay Shame, and LAGAI – Queer Insurrection teamed up with promoter/dj BLACK ndaLIGHT to host a fundraiser to support the Jersey 4 at Dream EZ, a monthly party for queer people. The event featured speakers, a table to write letters to the women in jail, and literature about the case. Donations were collected throughout the night to send to the women in prison.

There were several organizations involved in the fundraiser, but it was also the unaffiliated individuals (friends, lovers, concerned community) who publicized and attended the party, donated money, and made the event successful. Organizations can provide invaluable support and community to get work accomplished, but it is also the individuals we know who can provide the support that we need . In the end, $656.66 was donated that night, which meant that Patreese, Renata, Venice, and Terrain received over $100 each toward their prison account. Additionally, each of the Jersey 4 was sent letters of support expressing solidarity and love.

Equally as important, the fundraiser was a commemoration of the struggle that links queer people together. While we attend parties to celebrate our existence, this party reminded us that our existence continues to be under attack.

For more information about the Jersey 4:

http://www.fiercenyc.org

More information on the organizations mentioned in the article:  

http://www.incite-national.org/

http://www.gayshamesf.org/

http://home.mindspring.com/~katrap/LAGAI/LAGAIhome.html

http://www.myspace.com/clubsweet 

Sister Comrade

An evening of words and music Celebrating the lives of Audre Lorde and Pat Parker Saturday Nov. 3rd in Oakland at the First Congregational Church on 2501 Harrison St 7:30pm

Featuring:

Angela Y. Davis (keynote), Blanche Wiesen Cook,

Clare Coss, Melanie DeMore, Jewelle Gomez, Judy Grahn, Holly Near, Cherríe Moraga, Ojalá, Vicki Randle,

Linda Tillery (artistic director) and Mary Watkins

Go to www.sistercomrade.com for more information...Bush Magazine will cover this event come back for our review.

Narika

Two events you can dig into...support our South Asian Queer Community!

1. This Monday, October 29, South Asian Women Poets Speak Out, UC
Berkeley and Narika (http://www.narika.org, more below)

2. This coming Friday and Saturday, Nov 2 &3, Sins Invalid, an
knock-out evening of performance exploring disability and sexuality,
Brava Theater, in the Mission
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nXPUlt8zJA,
-------------------------

NARIKA AT BERKELEY PRESENTS: POETRY EVENT &
SCREENING: SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN POETS SPEAK OUT

NARIKA AT BERKELEY PRESENTS:
POETRY EVENT & SCREENING: SOUTH ASIAN WOMEN POETS SPEAK OUT

EVENT TIME & DATE: 7PM-9PM Monday, October 29th
LOCATION: 110 Barrows. University of California, Berkeley

After a successful spring semester in 2007, the CAL group is back in
action! We are organizing a line up of events for the semester that
include a workshop and artistic events. On October 29, our student
group would like to provide a space/platform for South Asian women
poets to read poetry, share their works and ongoing projects that
speak to issues that impact them as women.

***Featured poets are Roopa Singh and Tina Zaman***

Poets will be followed by a screening and discussion of "Bhaji on the Beach".

FILM SYNOPOSIS: Bhaji on the Beach
A comedy about a group of Indian women, living in England, who are
brought together by a day at the beach. Among the day-trippers are
Ginder, a young mother who has taken sanctuary in Simi's shelter after
being physically abused by her husband Ranjit; her six-year-old son
Amrik; Hashida, a student about to start medical school, who has
discovered she is pregnant; Asha, a middle-aged newsagent with a
university degree, who feels neglected by her husband and children and
frustrated by unfulfilled personal aspirations; Ladhu and Madhu, a
pair of sexually inexperienced teenagers; Pushpa, an elderly Indian
housewife and grocer; Rekha, a glamorous visitor from Bombay who has
time to spare during her husband's business trips to London; and Bina,
a shop assistant in Marks and Spencer. In the course of their day
together , their ordinary lives become an extraordinary celebration. A
unique look at female friendship.

Narika at Berkeley:
The goal of this student group is to increase student awareness and
action in anti-domestic violence initiatives. We are an all volunteer
run student subgroup of the home base, Narika: A Domestic Violence
Helpline for South Asian Women, whose mission is to promote the
empowerment of women in our community to confront and overcome the
cycles of domestic violence and exploitation. We work to build a
movement at the student level to end violence against women and girls
and to actively support women's rights as human rights. Our membership
is diverse and we welcome students and student supporters to join us

The Bluest Eye

Check out this review and then go and support..Bush Mag will be there.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007 (SF Chronicle)

REVIEW/Spare and affecting, 'Bluest Eye' mines the depths of racism

Robert Hurwitt, Chronicle Theater Critic

The Bluest Eye: Drama. By Lydia R. Diamond, adapted from the novel by Toni Morrison. Directed by Walter Dallas. (Through Nov. 11. Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, 620 Sutter St., San Francisco. One hour, 45 minutes. Tickets $22-$36. Call (415) 474-8800 or visit www.lhtsf.org.)

It isn't every weekend that stage adaptations of novels by Pulitzer

Prize-winning authors open back-to-back in San Francisco. It's still rarer when the novels are landmarks of African American literature by two of the nation's most prominent female writers. In this case, the less prominent and more simply staged production packs the greater dramatic punch. Lydia R. Diamond's dramatization of Toni Morrison's "The Bluest Eye"

opened Saturday at Lorraine Hansberry Theatre, the night after the big Broadway musical version of Alice Walker's "The Color Purple" opened at the Orpheum. Both stories deal with the effects of external andinternalized racism and the cult of beauty on young black girls - bothcentral character abused and impregnated by her real or foster father. But it doesn't pay to carry the comparison too far.

Colorful titles aside, the novels are very different in scope, style,

structure and impact - though equally difficult to adapt. Marsha Norman's attempt to cover the scope of Walker's sprawling "Purple" (reviewed Monday) diffuses and dilutes it. Diamond's dramatization of the more concentrated "Bluest" distills and intensifies Morrison's themes,

characters and vital prose. In Walter Dallas' spare, minimalist

story-theater staging, the Hansberry West Coast premiere is clear,

focused, funny, terrifying and deeply affecting.

"Bluest" has had a number of stagings since its '05 premiere at Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre (with at least three more in the works). Dallas, a major figure in African American theater for several decades, has already directed it twice - in Detroit and at Philadelphia's New Freedom Theatre, where he is artistic director.

He sets the bar audaciously high at the outset, with a moving Nina Simonerecording of Rodgers and Hart's "Little Girl Blue." The stage is bare.

Time and place (circa 1940 in the industrial Ohio town of Lorain), scene and story are completely in the hands of the eight-person cast, with the help of Allen Hurtt's few, evocative props (the use of blond dolls is wonderfully inventive), Rose Plant's savvy costumes and dramatic lighting (Matthew Royce) and sound (David Molina) effects.

Shanique S. Scott is as engaging as 12-year-old Pecola Breedlove as her self-abasing obsession with Shirley Temple cuteness is unsettling. The darkness of her skin underscored by a white smock, Scott erases her natural beauty with a downcast mien that hunches in upon itself as Pecola tries to become invisible until her prayers for blue eyes are answered.  A wondering, observant Carla Punch and beguiling Nicole Harley anchor the show as Morrison's young sister narrators Claudia and Frieda, in smooth segues between the grown women looking back on the tale and the playful, acute children they were. Diamond wisely downplays the novel's disturbing amount of violence in the sisters' home to contrast it with the

Breedloves' self-inflicted "ugliness." Clara McDaniel's tough-talking Mama and Vernon D. Medearis' didactic Daddy create a stable, loving home. Tamiyka White's imposing, fiercely focused Mrs. Breedlove and Kieleil DeLeon's comic but ominously drunken Cholly establish the self-hatred from which Pecola's tragedy springs. Natasha E. Nöel is blithely effective as an envied, resented light-skinned classmate, and Medearis is increasingly compelling as fortune-teller Soaphead Church. Dallas subtly builds the dramatic impact of Diamond's skillful

interweaving of the novel's several points of view. The actors touch only in affectionate moments. The violence is rigorously stylized in a sharp choreography that evolves from comic to chilling effect. Deleon's nuanced portrait of Cholly gives it added force. The empathy he generates, as we see how he was shaped by an abandoned childhood and white racism, deepens the tragic resonance of the strikingly staged, heartrending climactic rape scene.

It's a potent season opener for the Hansberry at a crucial moment. With the probable loss of its home threatening the rest of its 27th season,

Artistic Director Stanley E. Williams told the opening-night crowd that the situation may soon be resolved. The result of the Hansberry's

negotiations with the Academy of Art University, which is purchasing the building, may be announced this week.

E-mail Robert Hurwitt at rhurwitt@sfchronicle.com. ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Copyright 2007 SF Chronicle