Irene’s Story

Let me introduce you to Irene Benedetti – a short, slim, soft-spoken Italian woman who hails from South Philly, but could be from any Italian neighborhood in any major city. At a recent dinner party, someone asked her what it was like growing up as an out lesbian in the early 1960s. You see, Irene is now a senior, and most LGBT activists of today only know a little of our elders’ stories. In our community, LGBT seniors are largely invisible. Our activists talk about or mention Stonewall and all it symbolizes, but that symbolism is rarely personalized.

Masturbation and Relationships

To the Editor: Douglas Chay’s column last issue, The Role of Masturbation in Relationships (Labor of Love, September 4, 2013] had some worthwhile information and advice.   However, overall you present masturbation as a substitute for sex with a partner.  It can be, but in my experience, jerking off is a pleasure in and of itself… not a substitute for something else. I’m 70 years old and have not only read about masturbation over the years, but have conducted my own “research.”  Wankin’, for guys at least, is not always a substitute or alternative to sex with a partner.  In […]

Fundraisers in partnership with Chick-Fil-A

I am a parent to triplet seventh graders, a stepchild, and a newborn son.  I am also a lesbian.  This week, two organizations in which my children participate, the Columbia Clippers Swim Team (run by the Columbia Aquatics Association) and the Lime Kiln Middle School PTA in Howard County, Maryland, held fundraisers in partnership with Chick-Fil-A.