Melissa Etheridge

It certainly helped - I am feeling much better, now that I have come back from a wonderful evening with Melissa Etheridge.

In regards to the novel, I was constantly thinking of my previous Melissa experiences - and how Sarah would feel at those very experiences. The first would be an August 1999 free concert at San Francisco City Hall, which was my first (and only other) in-person experience; I am planning on sending Sarah there as well, to boost her identity and pride as a lesbian. Who would she attend the concert with, and what would she think of then-Mayor Willie Brown making a quick speech to honor Melissa?

Melissa will surface again in December of the same year, as Sarah works her first international flight; during her break, she'll plug into the inflight audio program, which had one entire channel playing nothing but Melissa. I still remember Melissa talking about her family and beliefs during this holiday-themed programming; Sarah must feel very proud that her employer is showing such overt support for LGBT families. As I closed my eyes, I could indeed picture an airplane, with me and Sarah aboard (and plugging away to Melissa), flying across the Atlantic. Actually, I wrote a sound-themed scene of this flight, for a class several years ago. Time to dig it up and develop it.

The crowd was good, predominantly lesbian but plenty of straights and men too, though overwhelmingly white. No luck finding a tall redheaded young woman tonight, however!

I am feeling the lesbian power now, and I need to carry it right over to Sarah.