Random picture of the beautiful Kate Moennig...enough said

She looks a little lost....I'm sure I could help her find her way :)

Just a little picture to brighten up your days

Much Love.

-LintheTC

First Marriage in NY

One of the most beautiful sights in the world….two people who have loved each other finally being treated as human beings and being able to express that love in the same legal way that any random straight couple has been able to do legally with full rights in Vegas for decades. Here’s to progress, at least in NY

-LintheTC

There's something about soccer players: Take #2

Say Hello to Team USA's Abby Wambach and Alex

Morgan. Two of the most talented and might I say beautiful women who fought valiantly to place 2nd in the most recent world cup, coming second only to Japan. I think that its safe to say that these two lovely ladies are doing nothing but furthering my infatuation with members of this graceful and aggressive sport. Maybe its the fact that most of them take down an opponent with out the use of their hands or maybe its the uniform, but there's always something about a soccer player...

Much love, especially if you're playing with the black and white ball,

-LintheTC

Foam Party at the Gay90's...aka attack of the glittery Mr. Bubbles

For those of you who didn't know, Friday night was the monthly foam party at the Gay90's down in Minneapolis. If you've never been to one, don't feel too terribly sheltered because I hadn't even heard of one until a few months ago and attended my first on Friday night.

I wasn't quite sure what to expect so I dressed in semi-casual club attire, assuming that I shouldn't wear anything I was too terribly attached to or that shouldn't get wet. I figured that maybe there would be a few bubble machines or foam guns or something silly like that but I figured I'd give it a try. And since I'm in the special over 21 crowd, $5 for a night of drag, dancing and foam didn't seem like too bad of a cover.

I took a few friends with me (one lesbian, one straight girl and a very in touch with his feminine side straight man) and when we first got there (earlier than the typical late night homosexual in the cities....because well, we all grew up in the 'burbs where you get to something at 6:55pm if it starts at 7:00pm), no one was really dancing and no foam was to be seen, but we were there in time for the beautiful ladies of La Femme so no loss.

Side note: If you have never seen the La Femme girls, you MUST go seen them ASAP. They are amazing and hilarious and well, I tried to figure out all night where they hid a few certain aspects of themselves but could never figure it out....there is also one of the most impressive Beyonce covers I've ever seen with legit cleavage that even fooled my friend I brought with. But more on those lovely ladies another time.

So after a wonderful show upstairs, we figured we head down and do some dancing, even if the bubbles weren't out. Now when I planned to wear something I didn't mind getting wet, that was an understatement. We walked into the pop dance floor (again, if you've never been Gay90's also has a hip-hop geared dance floor on the other side of the establishment), the black lights were one, the music was blaring and from the middle of the ceiling was a truly flowing mountain, or I guess more accurately volcano of bubbles. It looks like a Mr. Bubble had thrown up in the middle of the dance floor where you could literally get lost inside. This may sound gross at first but it was an awesome extra flare to a night of dancing. A number of people were in swim suits or underwear, which next time I will consider, and everywhere you looked people were screaming Lady Gaga at the top of their lungs, throwing bubbles at their dates and sliding across the floor while their shoes were stuck to the ground. I got lost in the bubble tower a few times but it was well worth it.

After a few hours, we all left soaking wet, smelling of soap and shining in glitter (apparently at the Gay90's we have not only foam but glitter foam). This only happens once a month and it is an 18+ event, which has its positives and negatives for us of 21 somethings but it is definitely something I plan to put on my calendar for next month....those next time I'm nixing the jeans and going in some swim shorts! If you've never been and you want an evening that will leave you with memories, check it out. You won't be disappointed, just as long as you don't wear silk.

Lots of glitter and love

-LintheTC

Quote of the Weekend

“I’ve never seen so much glitter on one man…its beautiful!”

—	Fascinated Lesbian at the Gay90’s Foam Party

Quote of the weekend....more to follow tomorrow on my first ever foam party!

Much Love,

-LintheTC

Gays are now a part of history at least according to California!

You would think in our ever progressing culture and with the fact that being homosexual is no longer considered a mental defect that the fact that LGBTQ people have been a significant part of our country's history would be a no brainer right? Well unfortunately even though we are beginning to (at least in some ways) be treated as equal citizens, the majority of states in the U.S. don't have any policy about including us in history texts or teaching about us in school. But now, thanks to California Gov. Jerry Brown, at least the children in California will know that being LGBTQ people are just as important as straight individuals and have made just as much of an impact on our culture and our world. Below is an article about this great step towards equality

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/15/2315387/teaching-gay-history-becomes-law.html

Happy Reading !

-LintheTC

Latest Obsession: Tegan and Sara

A beautiful sign with a bit of humor

Just a little sign I stumbled upon this afternoon from a friend. There is something incredibly beautiful about these words and a little bit of humor doesn't hurt. But thewords are true none the less. With theMinnesota government currently in its 12th day of shut down, I can't help to think that if they would have seen this sign and maybe taken that small insight to heart, then maybe they would have spent their time getting their job done by completing the budgetinstead of spending their working hours passing a bill to let the general public decide whether or not Minnesota should discriminate against certain citizens and deny them rights they deserve just like any other member of society. If only I had found this sign sooner.

Spread some love today. Give a friend a hug.

-Linthe TC

Is Homosexuality a Choice? An informational video

just a little something to enjoy....too bad they don't say much about lesbians but still make some pretty valid points...But I would like to point out that a) I do not have a mental defect and b) there is nooooo way I'm jealous of your penis.

Beaucoup d'amour

-LintheTC

And to you I say...

And here is my response to anyone who attempts to use the following as a sad justification for why they are to lazy to stand up for basic human rights and equality....

1. Yes there is a culture that is distinct to members of the LGBTQA community but there is also a culture related to individuals who are Asian, those of us who are from large families, people who have dogs, and obsessive fans of star wars. The queer culture is not some separate entity that all and only gays belong to and with the same respect, LGBTQA individuals do not solely belong to that culture (because yes, queer people can be asian, from a large family, have dogs and may even be fans of star wars). If you don't know much about it, then why don't you ask? Or better yet, why don't you experience it by coming to something like Twin Cities Pride or The Gay 90's?

2. Assuming that because someone is queer that they have multiple partners and view having multiple partners at the same time as the norm is one of the worst and incorrect stereotypes you can have. Just because you are attracted to someone of the same sex does not mean you are attracted to ALL members of the same sex, let alone date multiple people. Queers are not a bunch of whores who sleep with everyone they meet. While we may be more open and embracing of our sexuality, I would be willing to be the same number of hook-ups happen at straight clubs.

3. If you're worried about the effect gay marriage would have on the traditional family unit, then you'd better take a look around because the nuclear family is no longer the norm. We have extended families raising kids, grandparents raising kids, divorced parents working together or not, single parents...all raising children to be positive members of our society. And if you're worried about the "need for children to have a maternal and paternal influence" then we should outlaw single parents too because by your logic they must be unfit to raise a child.

4.If you wondering how commitment working in the LGBT culture, then just take a look at some straight couples and that's how it works. Just because you have two females or two males doesn't meant that there is any less commitment to the other person. Queer relationships are about love, just like straight ones. And don't you think allowing same-sex couples to marry would encourage that commitment even more?

5. And lastly, the difference between civil unions and marriage is much larger than words on paper. Marriages receive over 1,000 more benefits and protections than civil unions. That's over 1,000 ways to treat a same-sex couple as inferior to an opposite-sex couple. That's over 1,000 ways to discriminate. That's over 1,000 ways to tell a group of people that they are not valued. That's over 1,000 ways to spread hate instead of love.

So if you've got any other reasons why we should make people feel like second class citizens or if you wondering the benefits of legalizing gay marriage, bring it on.

Much love :)

-LintheTC

And these are the types of people who will kill the vote in 2012

I went out to coffee this morning with a friend from college. For those of you who haven’t read my “about me” post, I went to a small very liberal arts college in the midwest, so unless you were a member of the college republicans (which for your information had less members than the anthropology club), it was usually safe to say that you landed on the liberal end of the spectrum. And this particular friend was heavily involved with the theater and english departments, which were considered even more liberal than the rest of the campus, second only to education and philosophy.

So we’re having a nice cup of tea at a small little tea bar on Grand Ave and of course, in the midst of the life updates, politics are brought up. And this friend decides to inform me that, while he’s not against queer people, he’s not sure about the marriage amendment that Minnesota has on the ballot for 2012 (I’ll post a link for anyone who’s been unfortunately living under a rock and wasn’t aware that our wonderful state legislature is trying to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman).

I ask him why because I’m frankly flabbergasted that a) anyone could be indecisive on human rights and b) that he of all people wouldn’t be sure if he wanted gay marriage to be legal. He proceeded to make the following statements:

1. He doesn’t know much about gay culture (to which I corrected him about LGBT or queer culture....though I will save my rebuttals for the next post...I would like to be a bit more articulate).
2. He thinks that its more acceptable to have multiple partners in gay culture.
3. He’s not sure what breaking away from the traditional family unit (i.e. a nuclear family) would mean.
4. He’s not sure how commitment works in gay culture.
5. He figures there are already civil unions (which f.y.i. not everyone has).
6. He’s not sure that gay parents could give a child the maternal and paternal influence children “need”

And he tops it all off by covering it with the fact that he’s just undecided on what actual benefits legalizing gay marriage would have for society.

I need sometime to put my head on straight after being completely flabergasted and dumb founded that someone of apparent intellect could be so ignorant and frankly completely idiotically stupid. A much more eloquent rebuttal to follow but just thought I’d throw it out there as some food for thought about what we’re up against for 2012.

Much Love to all, even the ignorant.

-LintheTC

35W Bridge Rainbow Lighting for Twin Cities Pride

If you didn't get the chance to see the beautiful lighting of the 35W bridge this past weekend, you missed something spectacular. When I first stepped foot on the pedestrian bridge, I could barely see 35W because of the vast number of people filling the railings. But when I was able to make it through them and to the bridge, I honestly got a bit teary eyed. The entire length of the 35W bridge was lit up with rainbow lights and it was like a giant beacon in the heart of Minneapolis saying to the world "We love our people, not matter what. We support you and welcome truly home". If you didn't have a chance to see it, I've posted a video below:

Much Love

-LintheTC

ADD: Here's a picture of it, though it does not do the bridge justice

Some Pride in the Park

This past weekend was Twin Cities Pride Festival and for those of you who don't know, the celebration in the twin cities in the 3rd largest in the nation. Loring Park in Minneapolis becomes a queer Mecca for the weekend, filling every square inch with 5 music stages, a variety of tents about everything from LGBT friendly churches to leather shops, and even a kid's play zone, doggy park and canoe rides. The festival draws all types of queer individuals from all over the state and beyond and its almost overwhelming to see that many GLBTQA's in one area.

This is only my second time attending the festival and I still don't think I made it to everything but it was an amazing experience yet again. It's like walking into a strange wonderland where everyone smiles at you when you're holding a girls hand instead of trying to explain to their kids why they shouldn't stare. Everywhere you turn there are rainbows and even with the visual overload from all the colors, they automatically make you smile, even if rainbows aren't really your thing (though if you're not a fan of rainbows, I doubt Twin Cities Pride is where you should be spending your time).

It was nice to finally see some more of my "people" around the park but the problem is you can't really awkwardly introduce you're self as you're volunteering for festival security. I did make a few interesting finds on some activism groups to get involved with and hopefully it will be a nice way to meet some more queer people outside of this one weekend a year.

More on the festival to come later, plus the parade!

Much love!

-LintheTC

What is it about soccer players? Take One

So a little story time....

I've been playing soccer since I can remember. I probably started playing soccer before I could write my name. I was never the fastest on the team or the one who scored the most points. As a matter of fact, when I was old enough to actually play a position, I kept on the defense in the back as a sweeper. But I held my own and its always been a sport I enjoy, even though I'm not the most athletic person in the world.

Flash back to middle school. It's the middle of summer of the summer season and our team is away at a weekend tournament. This particular weekend happens to be one of the absolute hottest of the entire summer and the heat is so bad we are required to take water breaks every fifteen minutes so none of us pass out. But of course we're all tough midwestern soccer players so we are exhausting ourselves any way and playing probably harder than we'd played all summer long.

I'm playing sweeper in the back and its the last few minutes of the first half and a member of the opposite team comes sprinting at me with the ball, looking at if she's coming for blood. I come up from the side and end up knocking both of us to the ground as the whistle blows to end the half. I get up and reach to give her a hand when I finally get a look at her face...and the only thought thats going through my head is that she is one of the most beautiful girls I've ever seen. We make that awkward middle school eye contact for what seems like an hour and then sprint to our respective benches. But all through half-time, I sneak glimpses across the field and without fail, always catch this mysterious athlete looking my way.

The second half is a bit of blur because no matter how hard I try to concentrate on that little black and white ball shooting around the field, all that is on my mind is that girl. We ended up loosing the game but as always, we run in to shake hands with the other team. I'm at the end of the line because of the absent minded state this girl has put me in. I get to the end of the line and someone from the other team has decided to hold onto my hand instead of a simple shake, so I look up...and there she is. The minute I make eye contact, she lets go.

And thats the moment I fell in love with a soccer player...and I've never been able to shake them since. There's just something about soccer players that always steals my heart. More about that one later ;)

Here's a beautiful Pride weekend!

Much love.

-LintheTC

Queer clouds and rainbows on a rainy summer night

These beautiful yet ominous clouds that are circling my house at the moment seem to have a little queer in them. They don't seem like they prefer one type of weather to another. They are dark purple and rumbling one minute, gushing with rain and soaking everything in site one minute and the next they are a silvery grey, gently rolling past seemingly preferring the drier side of life. Some people might say that these clouds can't make up their minds. Some people might say they are just pretending to be one or the other but they don't want to decide. Others might say that this rain phase is temporary and eventually they'll get over it.

I'd say that they just love everything and enjoy making everyone happy whether thats someone wanting some dry shade or a plant thirsting for water. They are vessels of openness and equal opportunity. I'd say their the smart ones who've realized variety makes like a lot more fun. And I don't find it frustrating or offensive; I find it beautiful.

Plus, after its all said and done, they get to end their day with a rainbow so it can't be half bad :)

-LintheTC

So let's do this blog thing

So this is the first official post to what I hope to be an informative and well-intended blog giving a small perspective into one young lesbian's life living in the Twin Cities.

I've realized that living here, in what was recently declared the "gayest" city in the country and in a state that has one of the largest LGBT populations, there is nothing really out there about what its actually like to be a young queer in the twin cities so I thought, well I might as well have a crack at it.

So a little bit about me....

I'm 22 years old and just graduated from a very liberal arts college in the midwest. I spend a lot of my free time playing guitar, knitting and taking pictures. I'm the most indecisive person you'll ever meet and love to bake cookies if you're feeling blue.

I've known I was "different" as they say from a young age and have liked girls as long as I can remember but didn't really have a chance to fully figure all of this out until I hit college, probably due to the fact that a) I attended a bit of a brain washing church and b) independence brings with it reflection. But we can get into all of those fun things later.

Here's to the start of a beautiful friendship blogspot :)

-LintheTC