Over The Edge November 13, 1996

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Womyn’s Work

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KITCHEN

MONDAY

CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

$595
TUESDAY

HOMEMADE LASAGNA

$ oie

WEDNESDAY
CHEF’S SPECIAL

$595
THURSDAY

SIRLOIN STEAK

$25, .,

FRIDAY
PRIME RIB

$6? 00
SATURDAY

SIRLOIN STEAK

$525,
SUNDAY

by Lauren Bacon and Tobi
Araki |

This is an ongoing column
highlighting events,
monuments, services and
issues pertaining to womyn
at UNBC and beyond.
Anyone may submit their
input or event information to
Tobi or Lauren at the UNBC
Women's Centre.

Special this issue, in honour
of the “Queer Issue”: An
interview with a real, live
lesbian!!!

Featuring: Taryn Hughson!

Q: When did you come out?
A: January 1996.

Q: How old were you?

A: I was twenty-one.

Q: Who did you come out to
first?

A: My older brother,
Quentin.

Q: Was it difficult to do that?
A: No. I felt uneasy telling
my friends about it, who
had identified me as being
straight.

Q: Assuming you have come
out to your parents, how long
did it take you?

A: I came out to my mom
about a month after I first
came out. I haven’t come
out to my dad.

Q: Do you ever plan on
coming out to your dad?

A: Well, ’'m not gonna
phone him up and say I’m
a dyke.

Q: How did your mom react
to it?

A: She was_ very
supportive, but she told me
she had different
expectations for her
daughter. One of my
brothers has come out of
the closet as well, but she
found it harder to deal with
me. Apparently after I told
her, she went and cried for
a while, but I know she’ll
always love me.

QO: |Have | you, sever
experienced gay-bashing?
A: Nothing physical. But
I’ve been verbally bashed.
When I was running across
the street once, with my
girlfriend, in order to catch
the walk signal, a carload
of people stopped at the
light, revved the car engine,
and said, “Yeah, you better
run.” Once someone told
me that San Francisco was
due south! Mostly, what
really stings is when people
turn to their friends and
say, “Did you see that?”, or
when people stare, or shake
their heads in disgust. when
I was working for the Gay
Pride Parade in Kelowna,
the committee I was on
received bomb threats and
death threats regularly.

Q: How do you feel about
holding hands with your
girlfriend in public?

A: I love holding hands
with my girlfriend. I’m
proud to hold her hand; I
think she’s a beautiful

woman. I try not to be
afraid, because I don’t
think that it is fair that
straight couples can walk
down the street holding
hands, and I can’t.

Q: Has anyone ever imposed
stereotypes on you?

A: Only in bars. Men have
approached my girlfriend
and I, and asked if they
could watch us having sex,
or participate in some
sexual encounter with us.
Upon saying no, some have
expressed willingness to
negotiate a price. I didn’t
like it, ‘cause it made me
feel like my relationship
was abnormal, and that
our sexual experiences
were able to be shared. And
that our relationship must
only be based on sex.

Q: Is there anything else that
you feel is important that we
discuss?

A: I. think, most
importantly, there’s a
stereotype about gay and
lesbian couples that our
relationships are based on
sex, because that’s the
problem that society has
with it. But it’s not. It’s
based on mutual respect
and love, like any other
caring relationship.

Please check the
announcement board outside
the Women’s Centre for a
current listing of upcoming
events!

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