http://www.planetout.com/

So maybe I'm just a big smooshy sap, but as a refugee from repressed New England, PlanetOut makes me misty-eyed -- I wish it existed when I was growing up. This web site has all the makings to be an on-line Mecca and a haven for people who are isolated from queer culture. Oh, such lovely links they provide in their "Civic Center": PFLAG (Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays) and Incite! (a queer youth collaboration) are just a couple of sites that they have included. I got completely caught up browsing in the Kiosk, checking out the movie listings in PopcornQ, the top stories in News Planet, and fingering through youth magazine Oasis...all with a queer bent. But this is not just some high tech, alternative lifestyle static library. PlanetOut has communities such as Dykesville, where you can stop by Grrl 'hood (ladies only) or Dish and Rag (co-ed) for some live chat. Or you can post on the Dykedrama message board. Some other communities are: Transland, Queers of Color, Boystown and PlanetSex. If you look around don't find your people to hang with, go to the suggestion box and put your two cents in. You'll notice that the ideas of the past are reflected in the site's current features. This is a growing community and its participants are shaping its future. - D.L.J.

subject matter: sexuality, general conversation

regional affiliation: global

format: conferencing, chat

language: English

cost: no cost