Tough job for MC Fairy Butch, who got to share the stage with L Word’s creator Illene Chaiken and L Word new star Daniela Sea. A huge enthusiastic crowd screamed and cheered their approval at the Curve Magazine Sex Issue party at the W Hotel on Ja

Curve, the nation’s best-selling lesbian magazine, held a gala bash at W Hotel celebrating the release of the February 2006 issue, featuring cover girl Daniela Sea from Showtime’s hit drama, The L Word, and creator/executive producer Ilene Chaiken. Partial proceeds from the event benefited the Human Rights Campaign.

“We are thrilled to be celebrating our first issue of 2006 with such an exciting night,” said Curve Executive Editor Diane Anderson-Minshall. “In addition to welcoming Daniela Sea to San Francisco, we’re pleased to announce that after 15 successful years in lesbian publishing, Curve will now be published monthly. That’s more issues, more fun, more sexy women and more chances to give lesbians what they really want.”

The February issue features exclusive interviews with both Daniela Sea and her L Word cast-mate Sarah Shahi (Carmen), as well as a behind-the-scenes interview with Jessalyn Gilsig of the edgy FX drama Nip/Tuck.

Fairy Butch acted as emcee and opened the event by introducing SF’s own lesbian burlesque troupe, the Diamond Daggers. Dressed in sexy fringed lingerie, the Daggers danced and lip-synced to “Cell Block Tango” from the musical Chicago. These women have it all over the Pussycat Dolls, in this reporter’s opinion. Incidentally, the Daggers will be appearing at CounterPULSE, 1310 Mission and 9th on Feb. 11, 8:30 for a special Valentine’s show. Call 626-2060 for further information and reservations.

Anderson-Minshall gave a shout out to all the staff that attended and to the fans of Curve and brought out Chaiken. “San Francisco is our favorite city, because this is where it all began,” said Chaiken. “Thank you all for supporting The L Word and being there with us from the very very beginning. We love telling these stories.” She gave kudos to Showtime for telling LGBT stories and “putting more gay hours on television than any other station in history.” She introduced her newest friend and colleague, Daniela Sea, saying, “We’re really thrilled to be telling her story.” Sea, who plays a runaway on the show, said in real life she first came to SF when she left home at age 16 as a runaway. “I loved living here and learned a lot about life from the people here,” she said. “And I love being on this show.” She added, “I am really proud of us as a people—gays, lesbians, transgenders, bisexuals, in-betweenies, freaks, and fairies. Thank you for helping us make our art.”

Fairy Butch then showed a video as a teaser of what is to come on The L Word: sex, violence, a drag queen, cruel women, and more. After that she let the audience ask questions of Chaiken and Sea. One member requested more butch looking dykes on the show, and Chaiken promised that would be happening very soon in the series. “As we go along in the stories, lives will touch more and more different people and you will see more representation on the show,” she said. She said they would possibly be experimenting with filming a live episode. She said many times at the beginning of the season they have a need for new characters and have casting calls. She invited anyone who wanted to appear on the show to come to one of those calls. Chaiken said the actors and staff were presently on hiatus and she was working on a pilot for a new show, but couldn’t reveal anything further.

An audience member asked the ethnicity of Sarah Shahi who plays Carmen on the show. “The actress is Spanish and Persian,” said Chaiken. “Would you ever cast a Pilipino?” the woman asked. “That is certainly possible,” answered Chaiken. When asked what about her character was most pleasing to Sea, she said it was “the gentlemanly butch nice guy is pretty cool.” Chaiken said they would continue experimenting using special guest directors, such as the director of Boys Don’t Cry and the director of Herbie Fully Loaded. She said, “The universal message of The L Word is that we all have so much in common. Not just us, but everyone who watches the show: all the straight folks, all the lesbians, all the gay men—we all have a great deal in common.” When asked who in the cast in real life is a lesbian, Chaiken quipped, “Isn’t everybody a lesbian?!”

Sea said she studied acting at Laney College in Oakland. She said she was living in New York City and auditioned for the part she plays and won it. “Eileen was good enough to take a chance on a new guy like me,” said Sea. “I feel very lucky to be able to portray my character and work with all these wonderful people.

When people kept asking what was next in the plotline, Chaiken politely refused to divulge anything. Fairy Butch intervened, saying, “You’re just going to have to wait like everyone else.”