I last spoke with Nona Hendryx in late 2017 for an article published in Curve’s Spring 2018 issue. At the time, Hendryx had just been honored as the inaugural recipient of the Vanguard Award by the prestigious New York City venue Joe’s Pub. That award “celebrates the career of a singular artist who has contributed to American life and pop culture [and] sustains and leads their own artistic community while creating a body of work that stands apart from their peers.” In the six and a half years since then, Hendryx has stayed busy as a musician, artist, and activist. In addition to performing he ..read more

NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists and The Curve Foundation are delighted to introduce the recipients of the Curve Award for Emerging Journalists. The award, sponsored by The Curve Foundation, provides financial support to emerging journalists whose work fosters fair and accurate coverage and elevates the voices of LGBTQ+ women, trans and nonbinary people. “We are thrilled to recognize these outstanding emerging journalists who are pioneering the future of LGBTQ+ storytelling,” said NLGJA: The Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists Executive Director Adam Pawlus. “Their work not only h ..read more

JESSE WOLLENSCHLAEGER (LEFT) AND IMKE MEINTJES (RIGHT) PHOTOS: CORRIE UYS/ULTIMA ANTARCTIC EXPEDITIONS Imke Meintjes and Jesse Wollenschlaeger, two women driven and united by wanderlust, made history by becoming the first female couple to marry at the Schirmacher Oasis, a stunning and remote location in Antarctica. Cape Town-based Ultima Antarctic Expeditions facilitated the ceremony. Jesse, a seasoned chef from Bloemfontein, South Africa, has traversed the globe through her culinary endeavors. Imke, a spirited adventurer and accomplished hospitality consultant from Thabazimbi, South Africa ..read more

Thirty-five years into their career, the Indigo Girls are (as they say) having a moment. The irony is that they haven’t released a new album since Look Long in 2020! And yet, their profile has risen recently – particularly in the past year. Part of that, no doubt, was having their signature song “Closer to Fine” used in last year’s blockbuster film Barbie. But it’s not just that. The Girls have also been involved in several other projects as of late. Their music was also used in the Tom Gustafson film Glitter & Doom, which stars Lea DeLaria, Kate Pierson, and even the Girls themselves. Th ..read more

Curve publisher Franco Stevens reflects on a genre of particular importance to lesbians and queer women. Music has a remarkable way of transporting us to different times and places. Put on Two Nice Girls’ “The Queer Song,” and I’m instantly 23 years old again, laying on the futon in the living room of my Castro District flat-turned-Deneuve-magazine office. The smell of three-meal leftovers from Poncho Villa, my favorite burrito joint in San Francisco’s Mission District, and the sound of the number 33 bus clicking up the steep hill on 18th Street are as vivid as if they happened yesterday. L ..read more

Curve Archivist Julia Rosenzweig traces the 30-year legacy of Meshell Ndegeocello. CRITICS PICKS 193, DENEUVE MAGAZINE, APRIL 1994 Music is and has always been integral to lesbian culture-just think Lilith Fair and the Michigan Womyn’s Festival-so it’s only natural that Curve, the best-selling lesbian magazine, has a legacy of featuring queer musicians and chronicling their work. Indeed, most summers, Curve magazine published an issue dedicated primarily to music. Browse the Curve Archive special issues to see all of them! In 1994, Curve magazine staff (then Deneuve) published lists ..read more

How does a woman in a sport that celebrates conventional femininity adapt when she comes out? This being ice skating, that is indeed a slippery prospect. But just like learning a new skating maneuver, it can be an exhilarating work in progress. Recently, Kaitlyn Weaver, a two-time Olympian in the sport of ice dancing, posted an Instastory in which she was going through skating costumes from her competitive days. Some are iconic to skating fans, especially a dark red dress with a strap that intentionally slips down—don’t worry, the dress was secured—and others suggest the role of a leading lad ..read more

If you asked me a month ago how much I knew about life abroad, I would have described myself as reasonably well-traveled. I would have told you about my stint living in the Czech Republic during my second year of college and detailed the subsequent journeys to Europe in my adult life. As a freelance writer who won’t quite sit still, I’m no stranger to going overseas, picking up in some random metropolitan city, and making my way as I go. What I was unaccustomed to, as a 30-year-old woman who came out at 27, was traveling while lesbian. More specifically, I was unaccustomed to traveling-while ..read more

We put out an open call to submit original images and we were delighted by the richness, diversity, and quality received. Submissions were not limited to lesbian-identifying cisgender people and we encouraged queer women, trans, non-binary, and others to participate. Three winners and two honorable mentions were chosen by The Curve Foundation team based on creativity, self-expression, and representation. Winners will be awarded a Polaroid camera, and of course publication here! All submissions will be proudly displayed in a special digital exhibition on our Curve Archive ..read more

From left to right: Emily Hawking Shilling, Kristen Kish, Imani Rupert Gordon, Sarah Kate Ellis, Karine Jean-Pierre, Ariane Debose, Sharice Davids, Kristen Stewart, Kelley Robinson Amber Glenn Ice Skater Andy Marra Politician and human rights activist Ariana DeBose Photo By: Cameron Smith Ariana DeBose Actor/singer Ariana made her name on Broadway before wowing audiences with her Oscar-winning performance as an Afro-Latina Anita in the 2021 film remake of West Side Story. She is the first Afro-Latina, the first openly queer actor of color, and the first openly queer woman to win an Os ..read more