Ahead of the Curve

For the first 20 years of her life, Franco Stevens didn’t know lesbians existed, let alone that she herself was one. After coming out, she dove into San Francisco’s queer scene, but quickly noticed a lack of genuine lesbian media representation. Armed with maxed out credit cards, cash from a lucky gambling streak, and a determination to increase her community’s visibility, in 1990 Stevens and a team of enthusiastic volunteers launched Curve (fka Deneuve), the first lesbian lifestyle magazine. With beautiful pictures and in-depth features that showed the vast diversity of lesbians, a three-issue project became a major publication and safe space for queer women everywhere. Decades later, the magazine’s future remains uncertain in the face of diminishing print media and our ever-expanding understanding of gender and sexuality. To preserve Curve’s legacy, Stevens must turn to today’s queer activists. Featuring interviews with Melissa Etheridge, Lea DeLaria, and Stevens herself, AHEAD OF THE CURVE is a hopeful and lively documentary that honors lesbian culture and community while looking forward to an inclusive, queer future. — D.O.