GLAM I Am

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The GLAM Dyke Rescue Unit doesn't pack copies of Gyn/Ecology, nor do they eat granola, and they certainly don't wear overalls (unless they're pink, furry, or something equally fabulous, of course). They are partial to miniskirts and ruffly panties, long (fake) eyelashes, and underwire bras.

But beneath the boas, patent leather, and glitter lies a shimmer of serious intent. The Rescue Unit's two members, Carleton College students Julia Steinmetz and Jessica Peterson, are the proud authors of The GLAM Manifesto, a four-page document "whereby the essence of GLAM is revealed, [and] the principles of the cause introduced to the uninitiated." Employing both audacious humor and keen insight, they aim to expose and defy gender stereotypes at all levels; they're as likely to quote queer theorists Judith Butler and Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick as they are to cite porn star/sexpert Annie Sprinkle.

This morning, Peterson and Steinmetz, who prefer to be called the Fabulous Lady Misses Julia and Jessica, look like a pair of slightly scruffy but otherwise elegant ex-punks. Steinmetz, attired in black platforms, pink floppy pants, baby blue "Sex Kitten" baseball shirt, and shimmery lime-green eyeshadow, explains that GLAM is part performance art, part political statement.

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