From Colorado to Scotland, our social media interns are bringing their passions to Curve from around the globe.
Scrolling through our Facebook page, you listen to songs like "Same Love" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis and "We Have the Right" by Samia; you read articles about the latest news on same-sex marriage and what's going on in queer pop culture, and you like and share our Curve Family, Wedding and Couple photos and comment on them, sharing the story of your family, your girlfriend or your wife, but who are you interacting with when you like, share and comment on our Facebook page and when you chat with us on Twitter? You're interacting with our ten social media interns who span across the states and across the globe. Each Curve social media intern has a unique passion that they're bringing to the Curve community through what they post on Facebook, what they tweet on Twitter, what they pin on Pinterest and what they vlog about on YouTube. We're excited to introduce you to our first-ever team of social media interns.
Franzi Lewis
Francesca “Franzi” Lewis is a queer feminist and freelance writer from Yorkshire, England. She got her bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from Lancaster University. Her life-long passions include feminism, queer theory, popular culture, psychiatry, navel-gazing, speculative fiction and theatre. She also loves surreal art, songwriters, girl punk, femmes and of course, Doctor Who. When she’s not reviewing and interviewing for her local paper, or contributing to the feminist/pop culture corner of the blogosphere, she is chilling with her girl-homies at the Women’s Institute, making art for zines and local exhibitions, or singing with all-girl group, The Quims. Lewis is bringing her love of pop culture to Curve through her Curve vlog, The Lens, where she'll analyze pop culture through a queer feminist lens.
Tricia Hennessey
Tricia Hennessey, an avid pet lover and cooking aficionado, resides in Greenville, S.C. with her wife, Jennifer. This September marks their one-year anniversary. As an active LGBT advocate, and a dedicated Curve reader since 2004, Hennessey is excited to be part of the Curve social media team. It's her goal to connect the LGBT community with the resources and outlets that are available, and she's excited to use Curve's platform to make those connections. She is looking forward to getting to know you, the Curve readers, as an extension of her family, and in line with her passion for people, Hennessey will be hosting the advice vlog, Ask Trish, and she created and hosts Curve's "Mingle Wednesdays," a Facebook thread where you share about yourself, read about other Curve readers and "Like" the comments of those Curve readers you want to "Friend."
Carrie Lyell
Carrie Lyell is a 27-year-old journalism graduate based in Edinburgh, Scotland. She grew up on the New Adventures of Superman and always knew she wanted to tell stories for a living. She writes regularly for LGBT media and is passionate about anything queer. She likes Ryan Gosling, coffee and feeding the ducks. She’s also married (sorry ladies). You can find her infrequently tweeting @seej, posting to Curve Facebook and vlogging for Curve, highlighting geographical comparisons of LGBT rights across the world, starting with the United States. In her first episode, she'll examine how even somewhere that promotes freedom and justice for all, life can be very different socially, politically and economically from state to state if you're LGBT.
Sarita Ramirez
Hailing from a small urban town in New Jersey, 22-year-old freelance audio engineer Sarita Ramirez feels at home for the first time in the women-filled community she created for herself. Coming out later in life, she opened the doors into the girl world by joining the family of The Lesbian Lounge, a lesbian radio hub, as their assistant audio producer. Ramirez then delved into the lezzie-friendly independent film scene by founding queer film review podcast, Movies á La Queer, alongside Curve social media intern, Lauren Leiggi. Now Ramirez is taking her passion for film and infusing it into her Curve vlog, The Curve Drive-In, where she'll be reviewing queer and major motion picture films that you vote on at Curve's Facebook page.
Abby Slater
Abby Slater graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in theater studies. Most recently, she has assisted on a production of The Last Days of Judas Iscariot directed by Lisa Dixon. Since she could walk, Slater has been involved with the theater and dance world in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Penn. From ballet to the wobble, Slater has been teaching dance to a variety of ages for the past eight years. Recently, Slater was working with Hot Metal Hardware on a performance for the 2013 Pittsburgh Pride main stage. She is excited to join the Curve social media team and to be more involved in the Curve community. Look out for Slater's vlog about sex, dating and relationships in the lesbian world.
Lauren Leiggi
Constantly taking on new experiences, Lauren Leiggi likes to call herself a co-host of projects, which allows her to explore her passions of what shapes our culture and gender. She seeks to question the way we look at society and hopes to bring that same challenge to her time with us as a Curve social media intern. Residing in Colonia, N.J., and currently a full-time student double majoring in communications and gender studies, she eagerly wonders outside of her comfort zone to travel and experience as many cultural events and delicious dishes as possible, which you'll see incorporated into her Curve vlog, Too Many Tolls, about navigating long-distance relationships and resisting the lesbian urge to merge.
Amanda Guilford
During the day, while patiently working on her associates degree, Amanda Guilford works as a barista and makes coffee for the city of Waterville, Maine. The nights, however, are a different story, as her insomniac tendencies often have her watching Law and Order: SVU reruns and working through her collection of Sex and the City DVD's. Guilford is a geek culture enthusiast, a passionate writer and a fanfiction dabbler. She's currently writing about her favorite pairings from both ABC's Castle and the recent Iron Man movie. Guilford is also a regular National Novel Writing Month participant. She has completed it once, and hopes to add another novel to her belt this upcoming November. Guilford will be sharing her passion for queer geek culture with us every Friday through her Curve vlog, My Shiny Universe, a reference to a Joss Whedon creation, Kaylee, from the show Firefly.
Dina F. Gilmore
Dina F. Gilmore is a Jane of many trades. She is a freelance writer, currently working on a lesbian dramedy, an artist, shamanic practitioner, licensed massage therapist, reiki master teacher, psychic medium, tarot reader and a former internet radio show host for The Healing Journey on www.sjrn.net. Gilmore lives to inspire the masses through her passions, has a sweet southern charm that shows through her Texas accent and loves teaching others how to create a positive balance for mind, body and spirit connections. Gilmore's passion for helping others is infused into her Curve vlog, Curve Connections, where she addresses the divide in the LGBT community and the importance of coming together. Her 24-year customer service background has aided her success in the massage industry and in teaching others to always strive for personal improvement by removing the limits they set on themselves. She has volunteered for many causes close to her heart and hopes to continue to make a difference in the LGBT community through managing Curve's Facebook page, especially regarding teen suicide and bullying. You may have met Gilmore managing Curve's booth at Denver Pride. If you're heading to Dallas Pride or Colorado Springs Pride, stop by Curve's booth and say hi to Gilmore.
Kristen Hawley
Kristen Hawley is a future educator, freelance writer and graduate student from Steubenville, OH. She loves music, feel-good movies and spending time with her family and loved ones. She has worked in special events, radio and non-profit, and is passionate about working with and empowering LGBT youth to feel safe, comfortable and confident in their own skin. Look out for Hawley's Curve Pinterest board highlighting LGBT youth advocacy and anti-bullying initiatives, resources and legislation. She and her partner have been together for nearly 7 years and share more than just a first name, they also have three furry kids together. When Hawley is not cooking or baking (a self-proclaimed lesbian fusion of Suzy Homemaker and Betty Crocker), she enjoys writing short stories, poetry and blogging. She is an alumna of a women's college, where she learned to love and celebrate her femininity and personal strength, and is currently fighting like a girl against breast cancer with the love and support of her partner, family and loved ones.
Kate Bennett
Kate Bennett, from Salem, Mass., is a former preschool teacher who decided to pursue a degree in public relations. She attends Salem State University and is expected to graduate in the Spring of 2014. Her passion for children, cultures, travel and meeting and learning about new people keeps her life balanced and fulfilled. Bennett enjoys reading inspirational stories by people who have overcome tremendous obstacles in their lives. She feels that the courage, hope and determination within the women in Africa, the children in India and the everyday struggles here in the U.S. shapes a global unity of strength and soul. One of Bennett's favorite quotes is "Life begins at the end of your comfort zone," by Neale Donald Walsch. She fully supports this and the feeling of discomfort when stepping outside of one's comfort zone, and sees it is a transformation of fear into growth and happiness. Bennett brings this passion to the Curve community, both online and offline.
We're accepting applications to add to our social media team. For more information on how to apply, click here.