Diana Cage
Encyclopedia
Diana Cage is an American lesbian
-identified author, essayist, radio personality
, cultural critic
, and performer. Her work examines sexuality, feminism
, and LGBT
issues.
. In 2000, Cage's editorial work and extensive writing on sex and sexuality converged when she was hired as editor at the landmark lesbian sex magazine On Our Backs
. During her tenure there, Cage operated the magazine
according to her radical beliefs about sex and sexual identity, expanding rather than policing the magazine's vision of what constituted lesbian sex. Erstwhile publisher of both On Our Backs and Girlfriends (magazine)
, Heather Findlay, praised Cage's "lack of self censorship" as an editor, saying, "[Cage] is not uptight about all forms of lesbian sexual expression. She really has no prejudgments about alternative sexuality." Cage has likewise been praised as an "unapologetic pioneer" in the evolution of progressive, sex-positive lesbian culture.
Cage resigned as editor in 2005, after editing a number of On Our Backs anthologies. The Publishing Triangle named Cage's On Our Backs Guide to Lesbian Sex one of the Most Notable Books of 2004.
In 2004 Cage published Box Lunch: A Layperson's Guide to Cunnilingus, which was nominated for an IPPY award. Subsequent book-length publications include Threeways: Fulfill Your Ultimate Fantasy, and Girl Meets Girl: A Dating Survival Guide. She is also the editor of two anthologies of erotic fiction and both her fiction and nonfiction writing has been included in many anthologies, journals and magazines. She has been a regular columnist
for several magazines including Girlfriends, Kitchen Sink, Shewired, Frontiers, Good Vibes, Ourchart, and Velvetpark. In 2008 Cage was named one of GO magazine's 100 Women We Love.
Her newest work, A Woman's Guide to Sexual Ecstasy is part sex instruction and part cultural analysis, emphasizing the role that sexual liberation plays in a woman's ability to enjoy sex. Beginning with a brief historical overview, the book discusses the history of female sexual repression and liberation. Cage argues that women don't own their own bodies in a patriarchy and are therefore cut off from their libidos and ability to receive pleasure in sex.
In 2007 Cage became the host of The Diana Cage Show on Sirius Satellite Radio
's SIRIUS OutQ
, the first lesbian-hosted radio show on the only national LGBT radio station in the United States. Celebrated for Cage's bombastic monologues, incisive commentary on current events, and unflinching advice on love and sex, the show ran for two years, ending in January 2009. Cage currently appears as a guest and fill-in host on the same channel.
Cage is currently managing editor at Velvetpark
, an integrated social network featuring blogs, news, video content and an exclusive lesbian dating network.
Lesbian
Lesbian is a term most widely used in the English language to describe sexual and romantic desire between females. The word may be used as a noun, to refer to women who identify themselves or who are characterized by others as having the primary attribute of female homosexuality, or as an...
-identified author, essayist, radio personality
Radio personality
A radio personality is a person with an on-air position in radio broadcasting. A radio personality can be someone who introduces and discusses various genres of music, hosts a talk radio show that may take calls from listeners, or someone whose primary responsibility is to give news, weather,...
, cultural critic
Cultural critic
A cultural critic is a critic of a given culture, usually as a whole and typically on a radical basis. There is significant overlap with social and cultural theory.-Terminology:...
, and performer. Her work examines sexuality, feminism
Feminism
Feminism is a collection of movements aimed at defining, establishing, and defending equal political, economic, and social rights and equal opportunities for women. Its concepts overlap with those of women's rights...
, and LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
issues.
Career
Cage began writing about sex and culture in the 1990s while interning under editor Lisa Palac at the San Francisco-based magazine Future SexFuture Sex
Future Sex was a 1990s magazine based in San Francisco and published by Kundalini Publishing. The magazine was glossy with four-color printing and featured articles, interviews, reviews, erotica, and erotic photography celebrating the zeitgeist of technological revolution, body modification, sexual...
. In 2000, Cage's editorial work and extensive writing on sex and sexuality converged when she was hired as editor at the landmark lesbian sex magazine On Our Backs
On Our Backs
On Our Backs was the first women-run erotica magazine and the first magazine to feature lesbian erotica for a lesbian audience in the United States....
. During her tenure there, Cage operated the magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
according to her radical beliefs about sex and sexual identity, expanding rather than policing the magazine's vision of what constituted lesbian sex. Erstwhile publisher of both On Our Backs and Girlfriends (magazine)
Girlfriends (magazine)
Girlfriends was a women's magazine that provided critical coverage of culture, entertainment and world events from a lesbian perspective. It was founded by Jacob Anderson-Minshall, Diane Anderson-Minshall, and Heather Findlay. It also offered relationship, health and travel advice. Published...
, Heather Findlay, praised Cage's "lack of self censorship" as an editor, saying, "[Cage] is not uptight about all forms of lesbian sexual expression. She really has no prejudgments about alternative sexuality." Cage has likewise been praised as an "unapologetic pioneer" in the evolution of progressive, sex-positive lesbian culture.
Cage resigned as editor in 2005, after editing a number of On Our Backs anthologies. The Publishing Triangle named Cage's On Our Backs Guide to Lesbian Sex one of the Most Notable Books of 2004.
In 2004 Cage published Box Lunch: A Layperson's Guide to Cunnilingus, which was nominated for an IPPY award. Subsequent book-length publications include Threeways: Fulfill Your Ultimate Fantasy, and Girl Meets Girl: A Dating Survival Guide. She is also the editor of two anthologies of erotic fiction and both her fiction and nonfiction writing has been included in many anthologies, journals and magazines. She has been a regular columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
for several magazines including Girlfriends, Kitchen Sink, Shewired, Frontiers, Good Vibes, Ourchart, and Velvetpark. In 2008 Cage was named one of GO magazine's 100 Women We Love.
Her newest work, A Woman's Guide to Sexual Ecstasy is part sex instruction and part cultural analysis, emphasizing the role that sexual liberation plays in a woman's ability to enjoy sex. Beginning with a brief historical overview, the book discusses the history of female sexual repression and liberation. Cage argues that women don't own their own bodies in a patriarchy and are therefore cut off from their libidos and ability to receive pleasure in sex.
In 2007 Cage became the host of The Diana Cage Show on Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio
Sirius Satellite Radio is a satellite radio service operating in North America, owned by Sirius XM Radio.Headquartered in New York City, with smaller studios in Los Angeles and Memphis, Sirius was officially launched on July 1, 2002 and currently provides 69 streams of music and 65 streams of...
's SIRIUS OutQ
SIRIUS OutQ
OutQ is a news, talk and entertainment channel on Sirius XM Radio, geared for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender audiences. The channel is available to Sirius and XM subscribers in both the United States and Canada....
, the first lesbian-hosted radio show on the only national LGBT radio station in the United States. Celebrated for Cage's bombastic monologues, incisive commentary on current events, and unflinching advice on love and sex, the show ran for two years, ending in January 2009. Cage currently appears as a guest and fill-in host on the same channel.
Cage is currently managing editor at Velvetpark
Velvetpark
Velvetpark - Dyke Culture in Bloom, is a lesbian arts and culture site that regularly features music, literature, theater, fine arts, film, television, and social activism as it impacts queer culture...
, an integrated social network featuring blogs, news, video content and an exclusive lesbian dating network.
TV/Radio/Video
- SIRIUS XM, guest host, The Derek and Romaine Show, 2004–present
- SIRIUS XM, host, The Diana Cage Show, 2007–2009
- LOGO, featured commenter, CBS News on Logo, 2008
- CANAL JIMMY (Italy), featured commenter, The L Word promo, 2007
- HERE! TV, interview, Girls on Girls, September 2008
- HERE! TV, interview, Here with Josh and Sara, August 2008
- HERE! TV, featured commenter, Lesbian Sex and Sexuality Seasons 1 and 2, 2006, 2008
- SIRIUS XM, interview, The Michaelangelo Signorile Show, 2007
- BLOWFISH.COM, producer and host, The Radio Blowfish Variety Show, 2005–2006
- SEX TV (Canada), featured commenter, Lesbian Erotica, 2002