Babes Spill The Beans...Raei was 18 when i moved to santa cruz. immediately i found myself intrigued by a women’s bookstore that my roommate talked about: Herland. she said you could rent dyke flicks there! since i, myself, was just a lil’ queerling, i didn’t know of any lesbian films except for Go Fish (i had read about it in a magazine that a lesbo friend of mine had in high school). so i took a deep breath one day and called Herland. in a nervous voice i asked how late they were open. “until 6 o’clock,” the womon replied. shit, it was quarter ‘til. “thanks,” click. soon after, i mosied my way down to Herland. when i stepped inside, i felt like i had walked into another world. i was surrounded by feminist books, women’s music, lesbian erotica (blush), and a babe at the counter. i think i managed to mutter a “hello” as she greeted me. i rented Go Fish and watched it with giddiness and wide open eyes (lesbian sex scenes!) shortly after i became a regular- renting films, buyin’ books, frequenting the café.
i basically became a groupie until i was hired. when i think about the amount of growth i experienced as an immediate result of the womon-positive, queer-safe space that is Herland, i thank Goddess that it exists and that i could somehow be a part of it.
Blessed Be.
