As everything's a bit dark and gloomy and we're approaching the shortest day of the year, in addition to getting some fairy lights to brighten up my home I figured it was time to unveil my Super Humans to cheer up the blog too. Every year since 2011, I have shared a list of the... Continue Reading →
She Called Me Woman: Nigeria’s Queer Women Speak
I don't often mention books on Rarely Wears Lipstick, as I don't have much time for reading these days, but when I received an email from publisher Cassava Republic Press about their upcoming title She Called Me Woman I knew I had to share it with you. This collection of narratives from Nigerian queer women... Continue Reading →
Bi Visibility Day
As today is Bi Visibility Day, I thought I'd take the time to be a bit more visible and remind readers that a) bisexuals exist, and b) I'm one of them. As a woman in a long term committed relationship with a man, I am very often read as straight. When I joined the LGBTQ+... Continue Reading →
5 life lessons from RuPaul’s Drag Race
Having watched the finale of Season 9 of RuPaul's Drag Race at least a few times now, I have been pondering a few broader thoughts about the show. Yes, some aspects of early seasons were problematic and season 9 was not without controversy, but RPDR has (albeit rather slowly!) learnt from its mistakes and has... Continue Reading →
A performance made in 72 hours?
Every wanted to start the year with a new challenge? Ever fancied getting on stage to perform, but don't have much time to commit to rehearsals beforehand? Well, I know a bunch of people who have answered yes to both of those questions and are doing something about it. They'll be taking part in this...... Continue Reading →
FEMME: A Story of Empowerment and Erasure
1999. I am going to a job interview at a lesbian bar. The manager, a butch, opens the door: 'What are you doing here? Are you in the right place?' 'I am here for the interview' She looks at me up and down with suspicion. 'You don't look gay!' 'I am here, for the same... Continue Reading →
A new salon for Open Barbers
Have you ever felt unwelcome in mainstream hair salons or barbers? Have you feared getting a haircut because of how you will be judged, and all the incorrect assumptions the salon staff will make? For many LGBTQ folk, getting the haircut they want, at a price they can afford is a an ongoing battle. Thankfully,... Continue Reading →
Clothing and queer identities
I recently attended a lecture by Professor Amy de la Haye on interpreting gender in the context of the museum, specifically when exhibiting fashion/clothing. The pre-reading was a chapter on female masculinities in the 1920s - in a book called Fashioning Sapphism: The Origins of a Modern English Lesbian Culture by Laura Doan - and... Continue Reading →
Goodbye IDHQ, one of London’s vanishing queer spaces
This morning, Irreverent Dance founder Amanda Leon-Joyce announced the closure of the dance community's home, IDHQ, as the spectre of redevelopment rears its ugly head. This sad news was a shock to this close knit community of people who, before discovering ID, mostly thought they would never identify as a dancer. But the support that... Continue Reading →
Lingerie lust list: April
In honour of the launch of Bluestockings Boutique - the online store founded on intersectional feminist principles and geared to the LGBTQ community - for my April Lust List I have decided to only select items that they sell. Set up by Jeanna Kadlec to 'empower people who have been marginalized by the mainstream lingerie... Continue Reading →