[rating=4]
208 pages • Reilly & Britton • 1904

The remarkably subversive sequel to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz established the world of Oz, and does not feature Judy … I mean, Dorothy.

Lovely Her: A Portrait of Jacqueline Susann

Christopher Brocklebank looks back on the life of Jacqueline Susann, the author of Valley of the Dolls who would have turned 90 this year.

Valley of the Dolls spent so long on the bestseller lists that it was eventually credited by the Guinness Book of Records as the best-selling novel of all time. Hollywood quickly picked up the option, and produced a ludicrously high-camp adaptation in 1967.

The work of AKT

Help, advice, support and housing from the Albert Kennedy Trust.

The charity is named after Albert Kennedy, who fell to his death from the top of a car park in Manchester in 1989 whilst trying to escape a gang of ‘queerbashers’.

A personal take on civil partnerships

It is not in the end about weddings but about the right to have one.

Even at my best friend’s wedding I had to ward off the evil-eye of the mother-in-law, who thought of me as a second-class citizen as well as other things I will not commit to this page. The Daily Mail had done its work on her.

The American Family Association gets in a tizzy about the so-called “culture wars”.

Another home-grown Church-Movement gets out of hand. The American Family Association are now after Pepsi, following its attacks on Ikea, Heinz, and McDonald’s, for “promoting homosexuality”. Whatever that may mean.

There are, according to this document, a lot of scary things these highly organized homos and their dread “agenda” advocate. They want “access to all programs of the Boy Scouts of America”!

Clementine shivers, and looks for warmth, maybe with the help of a dutch oven.

Clementine introduces this month’s interviewee Darren Hayes … Once she finds out who he is.

I’m thrilled to report we’re finally interviewing a Real Celebrity in Polari! It’s the gorgeous Australian heart throb Jason Dono- … Darren Hayes? Never heard of him.

Focus on Talent talks to Marcus Reeves

The singer-songwriter talks about his new show Three-Zero, as well as his hit Postcards from God: The Sister Wendy Musical.

A story of boys and bands and beer,
Of playing it straight and playing it queer.
Of mother and father, of villain and hero,
Of starting at one and approaching three zero

Polari Facts looks at the controversial promotion of heterosexuality.

It turns out that PepsiCo have been promoting heterosexuality for years. AND Walmart, too. The horror! The horror!

In the lead-up to Valentine’s day, Walmart proved shameless in its promotion of heterosexuality.

Polari regular Paul Baker writes about the word ‘gay’.

The word ‘gay’ has changed of late, writes Paul Baker, author of the Polari Dictionary. From happy to homosexual to naff, it may now be out of favour.

The adoption of gay was a major breakthrough in our never-ending two-steps forward, one-step back march to equality. Prior to us taking over the word en masse in the early 1970s it had meant ‘disposed to joy and mirth’, although it could also refer to prostitution or impertinence.

On the theme of Looking Back Whilst Looking Forward.

Marc Harshbarger from Deep Dish on Change

I confess that I don’t understand Republicans. Frankly, I don’t think I want to understand them because they kind of scare me.