100 Women We Love

100 Women We Love 2011

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The 100 Women We Love – out artists, elected officials, business leaders, athletes, community activists – are role models for us all. Many are up-and-coming movers and shakers; some are at the zenith of their careers. Some of their achievements change our world and, just as importantly, others improve the world’s perception of out women. They all strive tirelessly to increase our visibility and continue our incredible progress toward equality and justice.

We proudly present the class of 2011, in random order, so each gets her well-deserved turn in the spotlight.

SUSIE BRIGHT

Author, editor and activist for sexual expression Susie Bright is the voice behind the national bestsellers Full Exposure and The Sexual State of the Union, as well as The Best American Erotica and Herotica series. In the ‘90s, she co-founded the trailblazing sex magazine On Our Backs, the first lesbian publication to ride the wave of sex-positivity and queer power that Bright herself helped initiate. “It was created by a handful of working class dykes, and we revolutionized what everyone thought they knew about women’s sexuality. That puts an infinite smile on my face,” she says. Bright’s resume lists other pioneering accomplishments: She was the first journalist to cover erotic cinema and the porn business in the mainstream press and taught the first university course on pornography. Bright also hosts Audible’s In Bed With Susie Bright, the longest-running sex-ed show in the history of broadcasting, and this year she published her uncompromising memoir Big Sex Little Death. –CM

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