“https://thesouthernstrip.com/ is a frank, adult blog charting the adventures of a lesbian stripper. Her blog is warm and well written; I’d be surprised if it doesn’t become a book one day.“

A wonderful compliment from a fellow blogger, Cassie Being Cassie…I’m so grateful for the recognition and kudos to Cassie as well for sharing her personal thoughts on spirituality and sexuality – taboo topics – with such honesty and fearlessness.  Thank you, Cassie!

The Courageous Blogger Award was created by Kip Light and he explains it like this:

Basically, this award is for those bloggers that take extraordinary risks either in how personal their blogs are, how much adversity they wage war against each day yet keep a positive and inspirational attitude or who blog about subject matter that, while it may not be universally accepted, is near and dear to them.

What are the rules?

Basically, there’s not much in the way of rules. Once nominated for the award, you have been awarded it even if you do absolutely nothing. It is merely my way of telling the bloggers that I feel show an exemplary spirit and/or are fearless in their blogging.

If you wish to pass the love forward (and I hope you do), then merely choose a few (the number matters not) bloggers who are befitting of the award, link to their blog and explain why you believe they are a “Courageous Blogger”. Of course, you should also notify them on their blog that they have been given the award.

Let’s start off with a salute to Kip himself, the man who invented this award. I will be checking it out as soon as this entry is completed :-).  I suggest you do the same.  Here is what Cassie had to say about Kip – “I find his blog both friendly and inspiring. It is honest and Kip has suffered adversities that most of us don’t have to go through. His blog is as warm and kind-hearted as he is and I suggest you check it out.”  http://kipsthoughts.wordpress.com/

My next kudos goes out to a fellow stripper who is battling the powers that be right now, having been outed as a dancer and subsequently fired.  She’s been in the news and has been extremely valiant in her pursuit of justice.  Her blog, Diary of an Angry Stripper, is honest, sometimes brutal, all-tell on the true nature of the beast – the strip club.

This next blog is just so much fun to read.  Sensi Boutique.  It’s all about sex: lesbian sex.  Duh, of course I love it.  Not only does the author give her point of view on titillating subject matter, but she is always willing to share juicy articles she finds at random – learned some new stuff I can’t wait to explore once I finally find the right girl!

My next award goes out to License to Pimp.  Sure, stripping is cool and seems to be becoming a bit more mainstream, but there is some pain behind it all.  Women are being taken advantage of and this blogger has taken on a huge task in trying to film a documentary highlighting the not-so-cute world of the sex industry.  Read her blog and, if you can, a donation goes a mighty long way.

Mommy-Man: Adventures of a Gay Super Dad – now, if this isn’t a taboo subject, I don’t know what is.  I love the writing, the honesty and the vulnerability.  He’s a gay dad going through, not just typical ‘raising kids’ stuff, but he’s also discussing deep issues regarding the changing dynamics of what defines a family.  In a word, amazing.

This next blog is a prime example of how wonderful the internet and blogging really is…that sounds cheesy.  But I say this because Lollipops and Razorblades is such an intimate account of a former dancer’s life and her angst in which she currently dwells.  She has good days and she has not-so-good days.  Where else could someone be so vocal and vulnerable without fear of judgment?  That’s why she deserves this.

I love, absolutely love writing and sharing my inane ramblings and quite outrageous antics from many years ago.  What humbles me most is moments like this, where I realize that people are enjoying it and even looking forward to when my next entry is coming out.  Thank you, Cassie, for this award and thanks to all of my readers.  I, too, hope that one day my words will grace bookshelves everywhere.  🙂