August 27, 2004
Serving the Carolinas’ Gay & Lesbian Communities Since 1979
Volume 25, Number 18
NC Pride: The Latest News and Plans for PrideFest, p.10
Local: Ian Palmquist to Lead National Coalition, p4
20 Years of Dykes to Watch Out For
Rex Wockner and Alison
Bechdel Go Post-Gay in
Vermont to Celebrate the
Anniversary of Dykes
By Rex Wockner
Contributing Writer
She draws Dykes To Watch Out For, the
most fabulous gay cartoon ever, in my
opinion. I caught up with Alison
Bechdel recently in her home state of
Vermont, we turned on a tape recorder,
and let our brains meander. The strip is
celebrating its 20th birthday this year.
Rex: We're sitting on the steps of the
Court House in Montpelier, Vermont.
We were going to do this on the steps of
the state Capitol but then we had to go
buy batteries for the tape recorder, the
first three stores were dosed, and then
we didn't feel like walking all the way
back to the Capitol, where the dvil
unions bill passed.
Anson: vve naa to waiK a mile.
Rex: This town, this court house, is
like something out of Petticoat Junction,
but you say the state is not like Petticoat
Junction. It's a liberal place, you sug
gest.
Alison: It's more like Green Acres.
The city folks have come up. It's a rural
place with progressive politics and sort
of citified culture that has seeped in.
Rex: What do you like about it?
Alison: I like being able to live a rural
life but still feel safe as an out lesbian.
Rex: I noticed you have a lesbian
Subaru. Is it four-wheel drive?
Alison: Yes, of course it is.
Rex: Over dinner, we talked about
how we both don't spend a lot of time
anymore in the gay community.
Alison: Yeah, it used to be for me that
being a lesbian, being a queer person,
was the main thing in my life. Gay
Alison Bechdel and Rex Wockner
pride day was like my national holiday.
This year, I had to drag my ass to gay
pride. I went completely out of obliga
tion.
Rex: Where do you go to it?
Alison: To Burlington [Vermont],
Rex: They have a parade?
Alison: Of sorts. I shouldn't say that.
Yes, they had a lovely little parade. I just
sort of swooped in and left.
Rex: When you do come out of your
studio and socialize, do you socialize
mostly with lesbians, or with straight
people?
AJison: I have to say that I don't
socialize very much at all.
Rex: I had an easy time talking you
into coming to dinner.
Alison: No, you didn’t. First, I didn't
let you come to my house, I didn't let
you stay at my house, I didn't let you
eat at my house. I'm like a total recluse.
I didn't used to hang out with straight
people but now some of my main
friends are straight, which is kind of
interesting.
Rex: I've said publicly that I'm post
gay. I guess what I mean by that is: Been
there, done that, no longer feel like I
have to hang out in gay environments
in order to be who I am. All the straight
people in my life are fine with my sexu
al orientation, which doesn't even come
up as a topic very much. It's a back
ground thing. Is that the kind of experi
ence you have as well?
Alison: I‘m not as resolved about it as
you are. I remember when the phrase
'post gay' first came out, it infuriated
me. I just thought it was the most
obnoxious thing I'd ever heard. And I
still think, you know, people are getting
beaten and harassed every day for
being gay.
Rex: But not in Vermont and San
Diego. When I write about this [being
post-gay], I get hate mail from people in
Nebraska and Mississippi saying,
"How dare you?" And, of course,
they're right.
Alison: They are right. But you're
right, this is also a reality, too -- that
we're sitting here on the steps of the
Court House loudly talking about
queer stuff. I wouldn't identify myself
as post-gay, but I would say that I'm
tired of having to be a lesbian -- of hav
ing to be a lesbian cartoonist. I used to
be very proud of that. I would make a
point of saying that I was a lesbian car
toonist. But [now] I just want to be a
cartoonist, you know? Why can't I just
be a cartoonist? That's my new goal....
Rex: In reality, less than half the top
ics in Dykes To Watch Out For are gay
topics.
Alison: It's true, and that's dwindling
as time goes on, especially now that
there's kids in the strip and there’s this
heterosexual couple, and just a lot of
world events and politics that come
into play. But that's not to say that I'm
not really committed to reflecting
authentic lesbian lives. I’m writing this
strip about everything, but it's from a
queer perspective, through a queer lens.
And that, I feel like I’m uncompromis
ing about.
Rex: Some of the characters are
queerer than others. Mo is sort of the
quintessential trapped-in-the-70s les
bian. Sydney is quite another story.
Alison: I see Mo and Sydney as old
school and new-wave lesbians. Mo has
these old feminist values that are very
important to me. ... I get letters all the
time from people who think that Mo
should leave Sydney. For me, the ques
tion is, why's Sydney staying with Mo?
continued on page 8
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