Lesbian Life

Last year I went to Palm Springs for Dinah Shore weekend, also known as "Lesbian Spring Break." I'm trying to figure out if I can make it back down this year for the amazing Club Skirts Dinah Shore Party.

There will be some changes in the desert town this year, though. For the first time, Robin Gans and Sandy Sachs, founders of Girl Bar and also the host of a big Dinah Shore party, have moved their event to Las Vegas.

Are you going to Dinah this year? Have you gone in the past? Leave your comments about the party below.

Two years ago I interviewed Club Skirts Dinah Shore founder Mariah Hanson, just after she confirmed Lady Gaga and Katy Perry in her lineup. Read that interview here

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This week advice columnist Emily Wilcox author of 100 Lesbians Walk Into a Bar tackles an issue that wasn't around ten years ago. What do you do when you're dating someone and she hasn't changed her relationship status on her Myspace or Facebook page?

Speaking of Facebook, Lesbian Life is now on Facebook. Follow us to stay up on the latest info.

Washington State Governor Chris Gregoire signed the marriage equality bill into law today, which means same-sex couples could be getting married in Seattle, Tacoma, Olympia, Vancouver and all over the state of Washington as early as June 2012.

Chris Gregoire announced in January that passing gay marriage for the state would be one of her priorities. It didn't take long for her to get support from the state Senate and House. Today the LGBT is inviting all to celebrate with the Seattle Men's chorus in a free concert at Plymouth Congregational Church, 1217 6th Ave, Seattle.

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A few weeks ago for Sexy Friday, I introduced you to Emily Wilcox, author of 100 Lesbians Walk into a Bar. Emily is an author and an advice columnist who offers good advice with a witty sense of humor. I've been answering your relationship questions for eight years now. And although I love doing it and will continue to do so, I thought it would be fun to bring in a different voice and a different perspective. Each Wednesday, Emily Wilcox will answer a different lesbian relationship question. This week she helps a lesbian heal from a broken heart.

For the second time a Federal Court has ruled that California's Prop 8 is unconstitutional.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling by Judge Vaughn Walker that said restricting marriage to one man and one woman  discriminates against same-sex couples by  violating the Equal Protection Clause of United States constitution. The ruling also affirms Judge Walker's ability to rule in the decision. Opponents claimed that because Judge Walker is gay, he was not able to maintain neutrality in the ruling.

In the ruling the court said Prop 8 "serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples."

It is expected that the case will make its way to the United States Supreme Court.

Prop 8 was the 2008 California ballot measure that declared marriage in California to be between one man and one woman. It prevented gay and lesbian couples from marrying, but did not invalidate those couples who were married during June and November 2008 when same-sex marriage was legal in California.

The Los Angeles Times has more on this story.

Have you ever wanted to just quit your job and do something crazy, like, become a writer? Even though she was a successful surgeon, eight years ago,  Radclyffe did just that. She quit her day job to write the kinds of books she liked to read: lesbian romance novels and pararomance novels. And she's never looked back. Today Radclyffe has thousands of faithful fans who are grateful she took that leap. Her novels are some of the most popular ones with our readers too. Radclyffe talks to Lesbian Life about the type of stories she likes to read, her writing process, what makes a good lesbian romance story and more.

As Valentine's Day approaches, many of you are thinking of ways to wine and dine your special lady. But romance doesn't have to be some big elaborate affair. There are simple ways to be romantic with your partner each and every day. It's the small and unexpected things that often keep that sweet spark going. Try one of these ten easy ways to be romantic with your lover, girlfriend, partner or wife.

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The Washington State Senate voted on Wednesday to legalize same-sex marriage. This paves the way for Washington becoming the seventh state in the US to legalize gay marriage. Washington Governor Chris Gregoire earlier this year said legalizing same-sex marriage would be a priority for her and she pushed state politicians to do all they could to get enough votes to pass the bill. The measure is now heading to the House, where it is expected to pass easily. The law would go into effect in June. Opponents, however, are already planning a referendum to overturn the law, once it passes. If they collect enough signatures to put it on the November ballot, gay and lesbian couples would have to wait until the outcome of the election before they can wed.

I was in Seattle for the weekend and comedian Dana Goldberg just happened to be performing. I'd met Dana before on a couple of Olivia trips. Her shows are always funny and this night she happened to be in an especially good mood. We met up the next day at a Seattle coffee shop and I interviewed her for this story. Even though I was the one drinking coffee, she talked so fast I could hardly keep up. Dana Goldberg is funny, inspiring, humble and appreciates everything that has come her way. This is what we talked about that day.

Today's Sexy Friday is a continuation from last week. I recently interviewed Emily Wilcox, lesbian advice columnist and author of 100 Lesbians Walk into a Bar and I asked her what the most common question she is asked by lesbians. Her answer: How to keep sex alive in a long term relationship. Here's Emily's take on this age-old lesbian problem: How to Keep Sex Alive.

Keep the conversation going and share your tips about keeping sex and love alive.