Thursday, September 13, 2007

Melissa Etheridge and Me

Do you have a life list? You know, things you want to accomplish before you die. Like write a book (check). Go to the Women's Final Four. (check) Visit Peru. (someday).

I have two life lists. One is personal. One is professional. Today I got to cross one thing off my professional life list. Today I interviewed Melissa Etheridge.

Like many lesbians in my age group, (Let's just say it's "around 40") Melissa was there when I was coming out. Her Red Album, as we called her self-titled first LP, was the sound track to many road trips to the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, lesbian dances and rugby parties. We all "knew" she was gay, even though she hadn't come out yet. I saw her in concert in 1992 and my friends and I passed the binoculars back and forth trying to figure out if that was a labrys around her neck.

Anyway, the music of Melissa Etheridge has meant a lot to me at different times in my life and it was an honor and a privilige to be able to interview her. She was very gracious, very open, honest and appreciative of the lesbian community. I won't reveal the details of our interview. You'll have to wait and read it in Curve, but I will say one thing.

That blog, where I suggested she run for president? Let's just say, she hasn't ruled it out. Okay, that's enough of a tease. Look for my interview in the December issue of Curve magazine.

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