Her father's daughter
Richard Burnett
rburnett@hour.ca
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Alison poses at a Vermont book signing
photo: Courtesy Alison Bechdel
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"Does anyone else do the girly little-sigh thing when they see a cute picture of Alison like this one?" one besotted reader recently posted on dyke icon Alison Bechdel's website.Yet another wrote, "Ooh - she works out! Look at those arms!!"
These dykes, I tell ya... Don't let anyone tell you they're not as horny as gay men. Besides, who isn't crazy about Alison Bechdel?
Three years ago, when I last interviewed the Lambda Literary Award-winning cartoonist - whose groundbreaking biweekly comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For is syndicated in over 50 alternative newspapers - she had just released her 10th anthology of comic strips, Dykes and Other Sundry Carbon-Based Life Forms to Watch Out For.
Three years before that, I interviewed Bechdel after she'd just begun writing and drawing her graphic memoir, Fun Home, which was finally published this week by Houghton Mifflin Press. Fun Home tells the true story of Bechdel's coming out, as well as the discovery that her own father was gay. The rave reviews - from Entertainment Weekly to People Magazine - are starting to come in, and Bechdel's getting nervous.
"The family reaction is just starting to happen," Alison explains. "I call my mom every couple of days to find out what's happening. My aunt says she read about it in People. And my mother's a funny character: She's interested in the publicity surrounding my book, but she says nothing about the book. I don't think she's read it. I've shown her drafts
and galleys over the years. She's a very private person. I feel brutal for putting her through that. It's something I had to do but I still feel guilty."Bechdel, 46, is one of Vermont's best-known residents, living in a secluded home near Burlington. She applauded former Vermont governor Howard Dean when he legalized civil unions in her state. But when Dean - now the Democratic National Committee Chairman - mistakenly told TV evangelist Pat Robertson on The 700 Club earlier this month that the 2004 Democratic Party platform stated "marriage is between a man and a woman," gay activists went ballistic.
Dean apologized. But Bechdel says, "It's all so sad. Howard Dean. I guess he's lost his chance. I dunno why anyone would want to be president."
The same week Dean was backtracking, New York Senator Hillary Clinton trashed the Republican Party for pushing a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, an amendment that died by a 49-48 vote on the Senate floor on June 7, well short of the two-thirds vote needed to approve a constitutional amendment and a political embarrassment for the Bush White House.
All this, no thanks to VP Dick Cheney and his lesbo daughter Mary Cheney, who chaired her father's 2004 re-election campaign. After that election Mary famously inked a million-dollar book deal for her disingenuous memoir, which, fittingly, has sold a whopping 5,000 copies since its much-hyped publication on May 9.
When I ask Bechdel why her memoir has been widely embraced and why Mary's has been widely trashed, Alison replies, "I don't really think of Mary and, when I do, it's with some sympathy. I mean, imagine growing up with that father! Gimme a break!"
It's too bad, I tell Alison, that Mary Cheney's father wasn't like her father.
"Ha!" Bechdel laughs.
Her three-week book signing tour begins this week, timed with Pride season, though Alison sheepishly admits she didn't attend Pride last summer.
"It's kind of lost its magic for me. It used to be my major holiday. But I live in Vermont. When I was in New York it was a big deal. If there was a billion people [at Pride] I'd be more tempted. I don't mean to sound so jaded - I read about the violence in Moscow [during Gay Pride in May] and I'm like, 'Oh my God!' Pride is not obsolete by any means."
Still, as Bechdel tours the Pride circuit this month, her readers - at least judging from those posting on her website (www.dykestowatchoutfor.com) - need to know if she's single.
"Yes, I'm single," Alison smiles, "but not if you count my cat."
oooEssential buttplugs McGill law student Amy Skinner has opened Boutique Mad-Ame (1276 Amherst), a lesbian clothing boutique (I love it!).
Also, check out the semi-formal LGBT and friends June 17 fundraising dance at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall in NDG (5455 De Maisonneuve West, Vendome metro), benefiting the Centre for AIDS Services of Montreal for women with AIDS. $25. 9 p.m. Info: 495-0990.
My favourite drag queen, the inimitable Sheena Hershey, and guests bring down the house each Sunday at Sheena's British Tea-Dance in the Village's new Cocktail Club (16669 Ste-Catherine E.), which feels like the old Club Royal. Things usually get started by 4 p.m. Info: 597-0814.
Also, L'Écomusée du fier monde (2050 Amherst) has launched its summer-long exhibit Le Corps gay, featuring the works of over 20 Canadian artists. Until Aug. 27. Info: 528-8444.
Finally, congratulations to Montreal filmmaker Denis Langlois, whose feature film Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma won Best Canadian Feature at Toronto's 2006 Inside Out Film Festival. The film is being screened at other gay film fests across America this summer. Surf to www.amnesiathemovie.com.
You can fool some of the people some of the time but you cannot fool most of the people most of the time.And so it happened with Mary Cheney!As the daughter of U.S. vice-president Cheney she could have been a powerful force in promoting gay rights but instead she ran his campaign for re-election.And so people, like Alision, simply don't think of her or her book.
I commend Mr.Burnett for devoting his column once in awhile not just to issues that relate to gay men but also to gay women.
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Mary Libby Talevi
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{9 votes}
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What's the big fuss about this woman and how beautiful she is? I'm not lesbian but I can admit when a woman is beautiful. This Allison girl just doesn't cut it for me. Talented is one thing and looking good is yet another. In my opinion, gays have been fairly exposed. But I do not make the difference with gay talent and straight talent. I tell ya, people just have to find things to fuss about!
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Isabelle Bastien
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{3 votes}
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A lesbian clothing store?!?...Ok, this has left me totally perplexed - how do lesbians dress that distinguishes them so fully and completely from everyone else?...or is it simply a clothing store that specialises in the wares of lesbian designers or is it merely a store run owned and operated by lesbians or queer-friendly ladies?...I guess that there may well exist a niche for a store that caters to lesbian fashion and style but I'm at a loss as to what exactly that might mean....
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Mark St Pierre
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{3 votes}
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