OITNB's Taryn Manning, The L Word's KATE MOENNIG, and Camila Grey @ The DINAH

CLUB SKIRTS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND 

PRESENTS ITS BLOCKBUSTER ADDITION TO

 THE 2016 DINAH ENTERTAINMENT LINE-UP:

DJ TARYN MANNING, 

KATE MOENNIG & CAMILA GREY, 

ANGEL HAZE AND MADISON PAIGE 

TOP THE BILL

PALM SPRINGS, CA – Club Skirts has revealed its entertainment line-up for The Dinah 2016.

The Palm Springs, California-based all girl party and music festival will again take place over the span of 5-days (March 30 through April 3, 2016) at the Hilton Hotel, the PS Convention Center and Zeldaz Nightclub.

Celebrating 26 years as the largest lesbian event in the world, Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend delivers yet again another roof-raising celebration with a steamin' hot lineup that will most definitely blow the lid off the sunny oasis!

“We have put together the most exciting Dinah line up ever.  If I could only pick one Dinah to attend, it would be this year.  I'm really happy how things came together.  Everyone we asked said yes, and as a result we have the most star-studded, talented Dinah ever!  26 years and we're better than ever, thanks to our customers and to the amazing talent who see this event as a must do.  It's going to be a supreme year,” says Mariah Hanson, founder and promoter of The Dinah.

The stellar entertainment roster is led by a strong and diverse presence of kick-ass female artists including two-time Grammy nominee Elle King, Orange is the New Black stars DJ Taryn Manning and comedian Lea DeLaria, celebrity DJs Samantha Ronson, L Word iconic star, Kate Moennig & UH HUH HER’s lead singer Camila Grey (who together form The X-Names), international top model Madison Paige, and one of the most exciting figures of today’s rap scene, Angel Haze.

They’ll be joined by pop newcomer JoLivi and the all-female power pop/punk band and The Real L Word Season 3 cast members, Hunter Valentine who will perform their farewell show - their scheduled last stop – to thank the fans for one hell of an amazing ride.

If that weren’t hot enough, did we mention the “Hot as L” party, one of the Dinah Shore Weekend’s signature events?

Bringing back the magic of Showtime’s hugely popular lesbian drama series and reality TV show, The L Word & The Real L Word, “Hot as L” will feature some of our community’s most beloved and popular stars including Elizabeth Keener, Clementine Ford and Tracy Ryerson.  

It will be a weekend of high-energy performances and premieres whether singing in front of a mic or spinning records behind the turntables. World famous cover girl and super model Madison Paige is set to debut her music career at the epic lesbian event this spring.

This year the Dinah is putting an extra focus on trail-blazing female DJs with a diverse group of high-profile talent all bringing something different to the decks.

Taryn Manning, international DJ, musician and star of the Netflix hit original series Orange is the New Black. is undeniably a go-to favorite of the entertainment industry. Whether on screen, behind a mic or putting the needle on the record or on a piece of fabric, this triple threat does it all and does it impressively well.

With an exceptional ear for music, DJ Taryn Manning has emerged as the club scene's golden child. Manning has booked gigs including high profiled events such as House of Hype's Sundance and Coachella parties, Rock The Vote Friends & Family Grammy Party, and Richard Bransons Rock The Casbah, to name a few.

Joining her are Camila Grey and Kate Moennig slated to bring their trademark tomboyish style, sexy swagger and killer turntables to the Dinah, adding their names to an already phenomenal 2016 Entertainment line-up. This will mark the first time the beloved ladies who together form The X-Names, will team up to showcase their spinning skills. 

What started as “dabbling” for this electrifying pair quickly spiraled into a DJ partnership that has been successful beyond anything they both could have ever imagined. 

Now together X-Names - who spin a blend of Indy, Deep House, Darkwave, Nuwave, Nowave, Electro, Disco, Hip-Hop, 70's and 80's - travel the world to play a variety of clubs and parties entertaining A-List clients such Stella McCartney and Amour Vert, to name a few.

These community icons are about to pack the Dinah dance floor with high voltage vibes taking the epic all-girl party to a whole new zenith. 

The five-day world-renown weekend is already making a lot of noise and is well on its way to be the most EPIC Dinah ever … you'd never seen anything like it yet!

 ###

Celebrities confirmed to be attending also include Ariel Shepherd-Oppenheim, Bridget McManus, Chef K, Erika Ringor, Haviland Stillwell and Ilea Matthews. 

For a full talent list visit: www.thedinah.com

Tickets to the event are now on sale at: www.TheDinah.com

"HOT AS L": THE L WORD STARS To Attend The DINAH

CLUB SKIRTS

IN ASSOCIATION WITH SHOWTIME^®

 PRESENTS HOT AS “L”

WITH EXCLUSIVE APPEARANCES FROM 

L WORD & THE REAL L WORD STARS 

ELIZABETH KEENER, CLEMENTINE FORD, TRACY RYERSON & HUNTER VALENTINE

Palm Springs, CA – Club Skirts, in association with SHOWTIME, is thrilled to present “Hot as L”, one of the Dinah Shore Weekend’s signature events.

Bringing back the magic of Showtime’s hugely popular lesbian drama series and reality TV show, The L Word & The Real L Word, “Hot as L” will feature some of our community’s most beloved and popular stars including Elizabeth Keener, Clementine Ford and Tracy Ryerson.  

Since the iconic lesbian-themed shows ended, they have all been keeping busy entertainment careers staying in the spotlight. Tracy Ryerson starred in both seasons of the hugely popular webseries “Kiss Me I’m Famous” directed by award-winning filmmaker Rolla Selbak fortellofims.com. Elizabeth Keener and Clementine Ford are now reuniting on the screen with starring roles in the upcoming tellofilms.comproject entitled “Skirtchasers”.  

Both will be onsite throughout the entire weekend to promote their latest project as part of the Dinah Film Fest sponsored by tellofilms, which will showcase the finest in lesbian shorts, films, documentaries and webseries.

The exclusive event will also mark the farewell show of the all-female power pop/punk band and Season 3 cast members, Hunter Valentine.  

Founding members Kiyomi McCloskey and Laura Petracca, as well as touring members Leanne Bowes and Lisa Bianco will take the Dinah stage for a special performance  - their scheduled last stop – to thank the fans for one hell of an amazing ride.

Hunter Valentine has captivated audiences with four successful releases, unparalleled energetic live performances across the world, and their unforgettable personalities on VH1’s Make Or Break: The Linda Perry Project and Showtime Network’s The Real L Word reality shows. Having announced their indefinite hiatus., the band is set to launch their EP, The Pledge, and embarking on the So Long For Now Tour for a last hoorah with their unwavering supporters.

SHOWTIME has been a long-time supporter of the LGBT community with programs like The L Word and The Real L Word^®, and has developed over the years a close relationship with Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend. The Dinah served as the focal location for both series.

We all remember Shane, Alice, Jenny, and Dana eventful roadtrip to The Dinah, the biggest lesbian event in the world, in Season One. Likewise, The Real L Word shot episodes of Season One and Two at Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend and notably dedicated two back-to-back full episodes to the event in its third season.

“Showtime has been a great friend to the lesbian community and to The Dinah. We celebrate Showtime's legacy of promoting LGBT visibility and proudly welcome them once again as a premiere sponsor of The Dinah.  

The actresses attending are some of the shows’ favorites and will be on hand throughout the weekend to join in The Dinah festivities,” says Mariah Hanson, founder & producer of The Dinah.

The epic five-day world-renown weekend is already making a lot of noise and is well on its way to be the most epic Dinah EVER.

 … this is going to be an unforgettable year!

### 

For more information and/or to purchase tickets go to: www.TheDinah.com

For info about Hunter Valentine and So Long For Now Tour Dates go to: http://www.huntervalentine.com

For info about tello go to www.tellofilms.com

 #Thedinah2016 #TheDinah #Dinah2016 #Onlyatthedinah

The Dinah Shore Weekend Reveals Its BIGGEST LINE-UP EVER!

TEGAN AND SARA, MARY LAMBERT, EVE AND IGGY AZALEA 

HEADLINE THE EPIC CLUB SKIRTS DINAH SHORE WEEKEND 

THE BIGGEST LESBIAN EVENT OF ITS KIND IN THE WORLD!

PALM SPRINGS, CA - More than 15,000 women from all over the world are once again expected to gather in Palm Springs, CA, to attend the biggest lesbian event of its kind in the world, Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend -  the original Dinah Shore Weekend - slated for April 2 to April 6, 2014 (www.thedinah.com).

Celebrating this year its milestone 24th Anniversary, The Dinah is a one-of-a-kind destination where women of all ages, interests, ability, relationship status, cultural background and profession come together for one big giant celebration of the community.  A life changing experience offering lesbians the opportunity to express themselves, to be who they truly and gain a tremendous amount of self worth. 

The Dinah is also a unique five-day affair of lesbionic luxury and fun complete with epic pool parties, unique high-profile nightlife events, celebrity appearances, live performances, a famous celebrity Dodgeball game, a film festival, a Celebrity Poker Tournament, philanthropy, the hottest women, the best DJs, and so much more.

Turning this year again the city of Palm Springs into the ultimate entertainment hub, the 2014 Dinah Entertainment Roster delivers an epic slate of Top Ten Billboard headliners that make up one hell of a line up - one of the greatest in The Dinah's history.

Headlining this year is Lesbian cult favorites Tegan and Sara. The pop sensation duo will bring their “Heartthrob” world tour to The Dinah with an exclusive concert on Saturday, April 5 at "The Black Party" at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The twin sisters have been on an unstoppable meteoric rise since the release of their 7^th studio album “Heartthrob” and the massive success of their lead single "Closer". Their Dinah performance marks the first time the pop stars perform at an all lesbian event.

Also headlining the "Black Party" is female rap titan Eve. The Grammy-Award winning rapper will perform her slew of music anthems including "Satisfaction," “Who’s That Girl”, "Gangsta Lovin’”, and "Let Me Blow Your Mind". Also set to top the bill at the epic lesbian party is hip-hop’s biggest revelation Iggy Azalea who will take center stage at the iconic "White Party", Friday, April 4 at the Palm Springs Convention Center.

The Dinah 2014 will also be rocked with special performances from 2014 Grammy nominee Mary Lambert, the voice behind Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ VMA award-winning pro-equality  “Same Love”; Grammy Award-Winning R&B diva, Evelyn "Champagne" King known for her multi-million selling classic old-school smashes  “Shame” and ”Love Come Down”; Thea Austin, the legendary voice of "Rhythm is a Dancer" by Snap!; and power, pop/punk band and stars of “The Real L Word” Season 3, Hunter Valentine, to name a few.

On the comedy front, “The Dinah Comedy Night” hosted by Suzanne Westenhoefer will be headlined by Fortune Feimster of E! "Chelsea Lately". The loveable Southern comic will be joined by Last Comic Standing alumni, British comic Gina Yashere and stand up’s fastest rising star, Erin Foley.

Returning this year is the “Celebrity Poker Tournament” with all proceeds going to the Human Rights Campaign (HRC). Celebrities joining the poker tables include Jill Bennett ("Second Shot"), Chef K (ABC "The Taste"), Guinevere Turner ("American Psycho"), Ari Fitz ("MTV The Real World Ex-Plosion"), Gloria Bigelow ("Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious"), Tracy Ryerson ("The Real L Word"), and Brittany Wiener (Bravo "Millionaire Matchmaker") among many others.

Also coming back is The Dinah Film Festival presented by OML, held on Friday, April 4, at 8:00 p.m at the Hilton Hotel. Produced by award-winning filmmaker JD DiSalvatore  (the producer of Shelter, Marine Story and Elena undone, to name a few), the Dinah film Festival will showcase a variety of quality lesbian films including “Little Horribles”  "Nikki & Nora", "Kiss Her I'm Famous", "Dyke Central", and the short film "Secrets & Toys", among others.  

New this year is the "Battle of the DJs" hosted by Dinah's resident DJs Lezlee, Asha, Lisa Pittman, Saratonin and Amara. The competition held over two-days will feature some of the best DJs on the West Coast!

If that wasn’t hot enough, did we mention the exclusive L Word Pool Party? 

Hosted in association with Showtime, The L Word Pool party will be held on Saturday April 5 at the Hilton Hotel. 

L Word iconic stars, Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig will, respectively, step back one more time into their famed Alice Pieszecki and Shane McCutcheon shoes for an exclusive meet and greet hosted from 2:30pm to 5:00pm in the grand Ballroom.  As this year marks the 10^th Anniversary of the official television debut of The L Word, Club Skirts and SHOWTIME are proudly commemorating the nostalgia of a memorable era in lesbian culture that celebrated out loud our “girls in tight dresses who drag with mustaches”!

The epic five-day world-renown weekend is already making a lot of noise and is well on its way to be the biggest Dinah EVER. 

You'd never seen anything like it yet … this is going to be an unforgettable year!

For all the latest updates, the full Dinah 2014 schedule of events, entertainment line-up, as well as hotel information, tickets and VIP package options please go to: www.TheDinah.com

Follow us on Twitter: @dinahshore

Connect with us on Facebook: Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend

VH1 Selects Krissy Krissy As One of Three National Finalists

New York, NY - Singer/Songwriter Krissy Krissy is one of three finalists in VH1's December "You Oughta Know" (YOK) Artist competition!! Votes can be cast now until November 21st at:  http://www.vh1.com/shows/events/you_oughta_know_in_concert/2013/vote.jhtml

VH1 will announce the winner during the broadcast of their "You Oughta Know" concert on Nov. 21st.

This is a unique chance for Krissy Krissy to join the ranks of previously selected “YOK” artists like The Lumineers, Emile Sande and Ed Sheeran.

Over the last eight years, VH1's ear savvy music team has internally chosen its “You Oughta Know” sponsored artist. But for the first time the cable channel will give that choice to fans. The winner is set to receive a month-long TV, web, mobile and social awareness campaign, includeing significant cross-platform promotion via frequent music video plays, a custom promo spot, interviews on VH1’s music-oriented Tuner blog, VH1’s Top 20 Countdown, mention on VH1’s morning show “Big Morning Buzz Live”, to name a few. 

Launched in 2005, the VH1's "You Oughta Know" franchise has introduced promising new artists on the rise and served as a barometer for what and who's hot in music today. Many have gone on to produce hit albums and garner industry acknowledgements such as Grammy wins and nominations. 

The cable channel sees the initiative as one of the ways VH1 honors its music roots.

From garnering a quarter million views on YouTube in just two days for her debut single “Dreams,”  to a top record on I Heart Radio, to an MTV Buzzworthy Feature, to a #1 spot on MTVU "Freshman Pick of The Week",  to releasing her new EP "Above All" last Fall to great success, and now a song on VH1's round of On Air Menus, the Brooklyn bred breakout artist continues to break new ground. "Brooklyn's finest" has certainly been making tremendous strides in a very short period of time.

Born Krislyn Rivera, Krissy Krissy is the fifth of six children raised in the working-class neighborhood of Bushwick. Her father was a pastor for a Pentecostal Church, where he played guitar and sang, and there was music all around. After being kicked out of her Pentecostal Church when she was just 15 for kissing a girl (and liking it) she took off on her own musical adventure. Still, she hung on to her guitar and her dream and was eventually discovered in a local karaoke bar. 

When she released her first single “Dream” last year on her debut album Above All, the bright bold singer-songwriter began capturing the attention of industry heavyweights like Funkmaster Flex and Vashtie, who called her “a rising star.” 

Since releasing her new EP "Above All" last Fall to great success, Krissy Krissy has been garnering impressive media coverage turning up everywhere from the pages of HIts Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Hype Magazine, MTV Buzzworthy, to URB and AOL Feature, to name a few.

The young talented singer/songwriter also embarked on a Fall Tour with Hunter Valentine ("The Real L Word") and Girl in A Coma - a 20 plus-date adventure across the US and Canada marking Krissy Krissy's first tour ever!

While the 23-year-old has been channeling sometimes tumultuous life lessons into songs about love, overcoming jealousy and finding peace with grief, she has certainly risen "Above All". Music's new "it" girl is definitely on the move and making a lot of noise!

Facebook

Hashtag or title: #YouOughtaKnow or "You Oughta Know"

Tag: @VH1 www.Facebook.com/VH1 OR @VH1Music www.Facebook.com/VH1Music

URL to Vote: DecemberYOK.VH1.com

Twitter

Hashtag: #YouOughtaKnow

Tag: @VH1Music and or @VH1

URL to vote: DecemberYOK.VH1.com

Instagram

Tag: @VH1

Hashtag: #YouOughtaKnow

URL to vote: DecemberYOK.VH1.com 

Krissy Krissy Joins Girl In a Coma & Hunter Valentine on Tour!

KRISSY KRISSY 

JOINS 

GIRL IN A COMA & HUNTER VALENTINE CO-HEADLINING TOUR

AS SUPPORTING ACT.

Fall Tour Dates Just Announced

Brooklyn, NY - 23-year-old out singer, songwriter, musician Krissy Krissy will be hitting the road together with all-female bands Hunter Valentine and Girl in A Coma for a Fall Tour.  A 20 plus- date adventure across the U.S. and Canada that kicks off on September 8th in Nashville, TN, and then continues throughout October. 

The bands have officially announced a string of dates for the series of shows that sees Hunter Valentine and Girl in A Coma co-headlining with support from Krissy Krissy  (See tour dates below).

Praised as being a powerful vocal house, California native/Brooklyn raised, Krissy Krissy has been making tremendous strides in a very short period of time.

From garnering a quarter million views in just two days for her debut single “Dreams,”  to a top record on I Heart Radio, to an MTV Buzzworthy Feature, to a #1 spot on MTVU "Freshman Pick of The Week, Krissy Krissy continues to break new ground.  

Growing up in a Pentecostal church, “the white girl who has soul” was quickly nicknamed “Frederica” for her musical influence spawning from the likes of Fred Hammond, Kirk Franklin, to Aretha Franklin. She was kicked out of choir and church at age 15 for kissing a girl; moved out of her family-of-8’s crowded two-bedroom apartment at 17; and was soon after discovered at a local karaoke bar in Brooklyn.

Since releasing her new EP "Above All" last Fall to great success, Krissy Krissy has been garnering impressive media coverage turning up everywhere from the pages of HIts Magazine, The Huffington Post, The Hype Magazine, MTV Buzzworthy, to URB and AOL Feature, to name a few.

Not one to rest on her laurels, Krissy Krissy is now working on her new album. She is also currently running a social media contest, giving away $1,000 to the person that posts the craziest picture of her new cut out cartoon on Instagram:  http://searchinstagram.com/mydaywithkrissykrissy#

Music's new "it" girl is definitely on the move and making a lot of noise!

Krissy Krissy is beyond excited to be embarking on this tour alongside acts of the caliber of Hunter Valentine and Girl In A Coma. 

Coming straight out of starring in Season 3 of Showtime's hit reality series The Real L Word   into the release of their third studio album, titled Collide & Conquer, no one can deny the momentum behind rockers HUNTER VALENTINE. 

The in-your-face buzz-heavy all-girl rock band, formed by Kiyomi McCloskey (lead vocals/guitarist) and Laura Petracca (drummer), has unequivocally established itself as a veritable powerhouse that is exploding onto the mainstream. Averaging some 200+ tour dates a year all over the world including the Sum 41 tour and more recently The Cindy Lauper "She's So Unusual" tour, Hunter Valentine have never been more primed to take the musical world by storm (www.Huntervalentine.com).

If anything is big in Texas, it's certainly the buzz around San Antonio's friend/sister trio, Girl in a Coma. Discovered and signed by Joan Jett after participating in a cable TV show called 'Jammin',' the three girls took their punk tinged soulful tunes and charted iTunes and Billboard. They've opened for bands like Tegan and Sara, Social Distortion and Morrissey. With a total of four albums worth of high-end singles and retro covers, they have earned the attention of many industry veterans and celebrities alike, including James Franco, who recently directed a series of commercials for Stuart Weitzman shoes, using the girls’ sultry cover of “Walkin’ After Midnight.” (www.GirlinaComa.com).

Get ready for the all-female artists invasion! New music, new tour dates and bigger sound will be coming to a city near you this Fall.

For more information about Krissy Krissy visit: www.krissykrissy.com

TOUR DATES:

Please note that the September 8th show in Nashville is Hunter Valentine and Krissy Krissy only. Also, all shows after the Chicago date are as well only Hunter Valentine and Krissy Krissy.

More dates  to be added.

New Hunter Valentine Single & Tour!

(New York, NY) – Cyndi Lauper recently announced the She’s So Unusual Tour to celebrate the 30^th anniversary of her groundbreaking debut album. During the 23-date tour, which will kick off June 12^th at Humphrey’s in San Diego, CA and wrap up July 13^th at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods in Mashantucket, CT, Lauper will perform the record-setting album in its entirety and will be joined on select dates by special guests Hunter Valentine. 

Hunter Valentine who caught the attention of  Lauper a while ago, was previously invited to join her on two consecutive True Colors tours alongside Margaret Cho, Debbie Harris, Erasure, The Gossip and The Indigo Girls to name a few. This summer they will officially open for the pop icon who commemorates three decades of music career.

In the meantime, the band just released a brand new music video for their new single dubbed "The Pulse".

Lauren Russell Speaks Up About Her Multiple Sclerosis

Last July, in the midst of The Real L Word airing, Lauren Bedford Russell was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.  

As most people's first natural reaction, Lauren was frightened and shocked to receive such diagnosis at age 31. 

The timing was as well quite ironic as the young reality TV star was at her prime in both her professional and personal life with a successful show, The Real L Word, airing to record breaking ratings, and a burgeoning successful relationship with her cast mate Kiyomi McCloskey, lead singer of Hunter Valentine, who both became the darlings of the show.

Lauren's first MS "episode" manifested with loss of vision in one eye known as optic neuritis. She has now regained her vision back for the most part.
For treatment she has been on a daily injection since August called Copaxone and has not had an "episode" since.
Evidently the scary part about this disease is that anything can happen, a multitude of symptoms can occur at any time and Lauren now lives with this all too brutally real reality. But Lauren is headstrong on being positive about her new health situation, despite the occasional (human) "what if" moments.  

"By publicly coming out about my recent MS diagnosis and becoming a fervent spokesperson for Multiple Sclerosis, I hope to turn my personal fight into public awareness to educate people about the warning signs, raise funds for more research and overall inspire positive change towards the disease, " says Lauren Bedford Russell, "I strongly believe in the power of one to make a difference, after all Jack Osbourne inspired me to go see my doctor as after hearing back in June of 2012 about the first symptoms he experienced, which were similar to mine, I suspected something was wrong with me. Now I am committed to do the same for others and plan working with the National MS Society in every possible way. I've already designed a special bracelet for my Lyons Fine Jewelry line called POSITIVITY BRACELET with 15% of the proceeds to be donated to the National MS Society." 

MS is fast becoming a hot topic in the news as more celebrities don't turn a deaf ear to the disease and are speaking out about it. 

Clearly Lauren is not the only celebrity to receive a diagnosis or to lend her name to raising awareness for the disease, but she is the first openly out public figure to do so.  

As we know, Jack Osbourne recently came out with MS joining celebrities in the likes of  Ann Romney, Montel Williams, and Richard Pryor, to name a few, who are as well affected. Also First Lady Michelle Obama, recently spoke about her father's multiple sclerosis on a recent episode of "The Late Show With David Letterman." 

By publicly speaking out about her MS diagnosis, Lauren hopes to turn her personal fight into public awareness, using her star-power to inspire positive change in the world.  With Showtime having officially announced the cancelation of "The Real L Word" last week, we feel Lauren's announcement is timely as fans were anticipating their favorite character to be returning on the air for a fourth season.  

Lauren gained a tremendous amount of media exposure in both mainstream and LGBT markets with features on MTV’s Style, Curve Magazine, People.com, Coco Perez, Riviera Magazine, and Curve Magazine, to name a few, successfully establishing herself as not only one of the new revelations of the show, but also as an artistically creative, engaging and socially conscious entrepreneur. 

Beyond being a reality TV star, Lauren is first and foremost, the master mind behind Lyon Fine Jewelry - a high-end fashion jewelry company known for its popular Equality & Rock the Vote Bracelets (sported by the likes of Kelly Osborne, Jason Mraz, Perez Hilton, Patti Stanger, Cyndi Lauper, Judd Nelson, Kevin Jonas, to name a few) and most recently, Obama "FORWARD" bracelets in support of the Obama/Biden tickets and its commitment to LGBT rights/Equality (10% of the proceeds donated to the campaign). 

At the helm of her Lyon Fine Jewelry, Lauren’s goal has been and still is to create statement pieces to spark conversations about important social causes and engage people to take action, stand up, speak up, shout out, and ultimately make a statement to make a difference. 

And staying true to that philosophy, Lauren is now taking a brave step by publicly coming out with her Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis.

She is taking on a new role speaking out on behalf of those  2.5 million people worldwide (including 400000 Americans) affected with Multiple Sclerosis, to educate and empower people as well as explain the need for more research. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, the MS symptoms typically include muscle weakness, numbness or tingling sensations and problems with coordination and vision. More common in women, MS is usually diagnosed between age 20 and 40, and symptoms may start out mild, come and go or become so severe that a person becomes unable to speak or walk. 

While Lauren is receiving the proper medical attention and care to deal with her disease, she refuses to play the victim and is committed to fight and make a difference. She is already scheduled to take part in the MS awareness week in NY and walk in the Philly MS walk. 

However, for Lauren Bedford Russell MS Awareness isn't just an event in March: it's a way of life; yet a way of life she has fully embraced (just like her homosexuality) and does not see as a curse. Her goal is to enlighten people who think otherwise, and help those affected by the disease as well as their family members & friends understand and cope with it. 

Again, staying true to her professional and personal principles of using her jewelry to be in the vanguard of social and political activism, and vigorously championing causes that are close to her heart, she has designed a special bracelet called "Positivity Bracelet" - which is orange (MS officially color) cord braided with a + sign in silver - - with 15% of the proceeds going to The National Multiple Sclerosis Society / New York City Chapter.  

Lauren has the power to carry the message to a important niche market as not only being a hugely popular and beloved member of the LGBT community but as well as a young woman taking on, like many others, the courageous challenge of leading a normal life while battling MS. 

The "Positivity Bracelet" is a reminder for us all of the power of positive thinking in the face of adversity. "What you think you become.” - Buddha. 

Lauren Bedford Russell will next appear at the 23rd Anniversary of Club Skirts Dinah Shore Weekend held April 3-7 in Palm Springs, CA. 

For more information about the "Positivity Bracelet" go to: www.LyonFineJewelry.com or http://lyonfinejewelry.com/positivity/index.html 

Vote for Hunter Valentine to Be Played on MTV!

Hunter Valentine need your help, ladies!

This week, the band are amongst the hopefuls who want to get their new music video played on MTV.

New York, NY - Starting today, Monday January 14, Hunter Valentine's new music video "Liar, Liar" has been officially added as one of the five competing videos on MTVU Freshman.If “Liar Liar” wins Hunter Valentine will get regular rotation on MTVU and that’s 20-25 spins a week!  The video will spin on MTVU, on "The Freshman 5" show at least 15 times while the contest is going on! 

Let's make sure our favorite Lesbian band takes the prize home! 

Here’s the link for voting: http://www.mtvu.com/music/beta-wolf-david-sabastian-hunter-valentine-passenger-tonight-alive/

Please note that voting is unlimited - fans can literally vote all day long for the video. Voting guidelines:  http://media.mtvu.com/sitewide/rules/index.jhtml?rulesPage=/music/freshmen/center/rules.jhtml 

(ABSOLUTELY NO VOTING ROBOTS!  USE OF BOTS WILL GET YOU DISQUALIFIED)

You heard: go to http://www.mtvu.com/music/beta-wolf-david-sabastian-hunter-valentine-passenger-tonight-alive/ to vote for Hunter Valentine.

We can finally get more lesbian bands on the mainstream music scene if we vote - please do!