midwest

Coming out (and out and out)

Debbie Rasmussen — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:36:55 -0400

Lately I've been thinking about the process of coming out and identities/shifting, and how for so many of us it's an ongoing/lifetime process. In part because we as individuals change, and/or in part because our environment changes, and/or in part because our identities can't be read on the outside, and/or because some of us feel the most comfortable in those in-between spaces yet sometimes feel compelled to "pick a side" (so to speak/referencing here the dualism so prevalent in mainstream Western culture), because the struggle to have our identities validated (or even finding language to define ourselves and our experiences) simply becomes too much work. But then when we "pick that side," we might eventually feel the weight of that boxed-in identity start to hurt, so we begin the process of coming out again... Or geez, to put it most simply, because things just change...

Milwaukee folks, too, please!

Debbie Rasmussen — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:45:58 -0400

So many reasons to love Detroit

Debbie Rasmussen — Sat, 03 May 2008 22:23:38 -0400

Our Midwest fundraising/outreach tour is off to a fabulous start...

This post is gonna be in the form of a conversation with the amazing Jess Hauser, who organized one incredible dance party/fundraiser last night at the Temple Bar here in Detroit.

Debbie: Okay, Jess, tell me how you came to choose the location for the fundraiser and why you picked a dance party.

Jess: When I had the opportunity to help plan a Detroit Bitch event, I immediately thought of the Temple Bar because it's true to the energy and vibe of the city. I'd been intrigued by the bar since I moved to Detroit five years ago, but it took me a while to check it out. It's located in the heart of the Cass Corridor, and is considered one of the "seedier" areas of the city. I used to work in the (now defunct) food co-op garden which is right around the corner, so I felt just as comfortable and safe in that part of town as I did in any other neighborhood, but I'd never taken it upon myself to find out what the bar was all about.