I, in all my poetry, could never find a metaphor for Malkia Cyril. I could never adequately explain what she brings to a conversation. She has an uncanny capacity for off-top eloquence - it’s bizarre.

I couldn’t figure it out at first … then I realized … Cyril is seriously “media trained.” Sometimes media training comes off as artificial, as simplistic repetition of sound bite. Cyril’s media training amounted to 3,000 precise and passionate words over a couple of beers.

Beatrice Sullivan is deep.

What does it mean to envision new landscapes for oneself and one’s people, to carve out envisioned space (even outer space)?

In a partnership addressing the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) seniors in Alameda County elder care facilities, Salem Lutheran Home, Center for Elder Independence, and Lavender Seniors of the East Bay are working together to survey and develop programs to assist LGBT elders who reside in elder care communities in Alameda County.

BUTCH Voices - a national organization, which will hold its 2011 conference at the Oakland Marriott this week - is sure to be a machismo-fest, right? Won’t it be one big gathering of hotheads comparing silicone “strap” sizes and trying to out-butch each other?