Rave Reviews
“Thank you for spreading your fabulousness across the land. Students in the Resident Halls have been talking about sex, sexuality, and sexual things. You gave us the gift of broken silences.”
“It was a real breakthrough for the American Library Association Conference to have a program presentation focused on a primarily oral form of information provision. Thank you for your skill and star quality that made you so wonderfully able to share your concerns and the need that exists with our audience. Those qualities enabled you to instruct and delight the audience simultaneously. You brought humor, knowledge, compassion, and theatrical skill to a complex and serious subject and won over an audience of strangers. I am grateful as I was delighted.”
“Awesome presentation! Very appropriate. Very non-threatening. I felt very comfortable considering the topic and information given.”
“I heard about you and your workshop through word of mouth and tracked you down over the internet. I hope you can come for our sex positive Sleaze Week events at Sarah Lawrence!”
“I was that 47 year-old at your safer sex workshop at Sarah Lawrence. Thank you. It was great and a really fun informative evening. I’m recently widowed (10 months). Don’t feel sorry for me because it’s been the best 10 months of my life so far. One thing I’ve found is that almost every person my age or older is very reluctant to discuss sexuality let alone try anything new. Most of my friends, male and female, think I’m too liberal, quirky, or just plain nuts to even want to attend your workshop. ‘God forbid’ I put any of this newfound information into practice! No one wants to understand that communication is the most important thing and it never hurts to know what you are talking about. Your workshop should be mandatory for everyone over the age of 35 (especially the guys I date). Thanks again. I can’t wait to get started.”
“. . .a wonder woman! She gave a stirring speech on bisexual history and activism at noon, led an afternoon discussion with campus women on body image, sensuality, and sexuality, and ended her evening with a fun, informative, interactive safer sex workshop for students. . . engaging, informed, personable, funny, and she relates to just about everyone!”
“ ‘We must learn to honor our journeys. . .’ Just one thought UC-Riverside students took away from Lani Ka’ahumanu’s talk on bisexuality and the greater LGBT community, ‘Who Put the B in My LGBT?’
“I caught one of your lectures last year and was wondering if you will be touring in Southern California any time soon. It would be wonderful to hear you speak again. I value the generous information you were able to extend, as well as your awesome sense of humor. I could learn much more.”
“Lani Ka’ahumanu consulted with us during the Clinical Trial (N=300) of the
Practicing Safer Sex Today project. In the pretest phase she trained the research staff to be at ease dealing with sexual issues in a respectful way and was instrumental in helping us develop the ‘safer sex’ portion of the intervention. Lani’s humanity and humor made everyone comfortable, from the Principal Investigator to the young research assistant. We loved working with her.”
Jacob Blankenship, RI, UC Berkeley Resident’s Hall – May, 2001 email
Bonnie Jean Cox, University of Kentucky, Margaret I. King Library,
Chair, Women’s Studies Section 1997 Program Committee
“She used humor very well with a serious subject. Very informative. I learned so much.”
Workshop feedback GLBT Conference Oregon State University – May, 1999
Tyler – December, 2000 email
Mary Hamilton, Bronx, NY – May, 2001 email
Jonnie Owens, Coordinator, Pride Center Cal Poly Pomona – October, 2000
“Lani shared her experiences at ground zero as bisexual people came out, spoke up, and marched on. Lani’s impact as a speaker lies in the power of her first-person perspective. While some lesbian and gay students think that bisexual people are like the ‘Easter Bunny’ – do they really exist? – Lani’s often funny, always honest presentation challenged her audience to put aside assumptions and listen to her journey as a bisexual woman who lived through and helped create the bisexual movement.
“Also, a note to campus programmers thinking about inviting Lani: She is simply a joy with which to work! We booked Lani for both a Coming Out Week presentation on bisexuality, and for a Safer
Sex Workshop co-sponsored by Health Education and Residence Life. She is low-maintenance, charming, and carries the most interesting items in her luggage. Educational purposes only, of course!”
Nancy Tubbs, Director, UC-Riverside LGBT Resource Center – Spring, 2001
Deborah on email
Nancy L. Brown, Ph.D., Research Associate
Department of Health Services Research, Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute
