Maryland Faerie Festival

Sexed up & over by LGBT Pride Out There

So was LGBT Pride weekend good for you, too? Did the gay earth move? Truly, Out There has a gay love hangover. We're spent, depleted, queer quenched for another year. We're smoking a post-coital cigarette. Every smoke ring is packed full of Pride.

Our Pride weekend began last Thursday when we attended three big gay parties in one big gay evening. First we made our way over to Mark Rhoades ' Pride Party 2011 at the Bently Reserve, where libations flowed and yummy finger foods were designed by Top Chef Jennifer Biesty from La Scala's Bistro. It was a benefit for the Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute, the invitation specified "cocktail attire," and the guest list was A-list. Performer Sandra Bernhard regaled the crowd from a balcony, beginning by belting a few bars from "Don't Cry for Me, Argentina." Looking at all the suits and ties, she opined, "You guys should be in assless chaps! You all look like straight people!"

Bernhard found it ironic and comical that a vodka company was sponsoring a gay Pride event. "That's like Gerber's doing a shout-out to babies!"

Next we trucked over to the Velvet Room at the Clift San Francisco hotel for the SF Pride Media Party 2011, where celebrity and community grand marshals were feted, and journalists were fetid. Stage and screen star Olympia Dukakis was among the styling marshals who did a drop-by. Our spiffy plus-one Pepi struck it up with a fetching go-go boy wearing not much more than glitter.

We finished the night's festivities chilling at the legendary Stud bar, celebrating their 45th birthday with a private then public bash. By that time we were really in our cups, so we probably saw you there, but we don't remember. Good thing our office is just upstairs!

Our further Pride celebrations included a walk on the wild side Pink Sat., a camp in Faerie Village on Sun., and closing night at the 35th SF International LGBT Film Festival, director Geoffrey Sax 's Christopher and His Kind, which brought us right back to Christopher Isherwood and W.H. Auden 's Berlin. Sax and artist Don Bachardy were in the house. The fest's festive closing-night fete was held at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, whose excellent Seeing Gertrude Stein exhibit was open to fascinated partygoers.

What a Pride week! We're pleasured out.

Lady Charlotte's House of Delirium: Maryland Faerie Festival

The weather was cloudy and cool to-day. Absolutely perfect. It rained a little when we first arrived and were standing in line to get in (and apparently we were in the wrong line), and then toward the end of the day it began to mist. It certainly was not a rain shower, for which I am thankful. The sun must have peeked through the clouds about once to-day. I was extremely happy about the weather to-day. One of my biggest qualms was that I would be out in the sun all day. I wore my prom dress, the 1970s Regency-era knockoff and my black low-heeled pumps, which I took off for the majority of the day because they didn't quite match. At first, when getting dressed to-day, I had thought to wear the tiara I bought at FaerieCon and heavy blue eye makeup. But strangely, I woke up this morning and really enjoyed the shape of my eyes. I used a little bit of eyeliner on the top lip and I wiped the majority of the blue makeup off. Even with the simple outfit, I was complimented by a few people, which made me feel pretty good. We arrived around 11 or so, and once we got in, we looked around at the vendors. It was standard faerie/Celtic/pagan/Renn fare: masks, jewellery, clothing, dolls, miscellanea. Most of which I could not afford of course, but I did buy to-day a t-shirt that says "Got Goblins?" and a CD by the Clockwork Dolls. One booth in particular was my favourite. There were several beautiful (and small browed) hats along one "wall" of the tent, and there were furs, leathers, and clothing everywhere else. There were accessories (including some "naughty panties" the proprietress pointed out to me), like wands and horns. I wanted a pelt, but I decided that would be cruel, especially to my sister. Besides, I really had no use for a skinned rabbit except to rub my face all over it. After we looked at the booths, we went down to the kiddie section down the hill where there were crafts and entertainment for children, including a unicorn (!). By that time, it still was not noon, when the Clockwork Dolls would be performing, so we stood and watched harpist, Lee Davenport. It was beautiful music, and I felt bad because the stage he performed at was tucked into a corner, and my friend and I were the only ones listening besides the sound people and the lady in the stand next to the stage. As it neared noon, I thanked him for the music and my friend and I headed over to the other stage. The Clockwork Dolls are amazing live.

The Healing Power of Faery, Working with Elementals and Nature Spirits to Soothe the Body and Soul

The Green revolution

Woman's missionary friend

Maryland Handel Festival, October 31-November 4, 1990, the Memorial Chapel, Tawes Recital Hall, Hornbake Library, and the Adele Stamp Union of the University of Maryland at College Park, and at the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall, Baltimore

Maryland colonization journal