Thirty-eight-year-old Jenny first hit our gaydar back in 1994
when she appeared in the moody, androgynous black-and-white Calvin
Klein fragrance ad, dressed in her trademark vest and denims and
styled by the fashion scion himself.
Shortly afterwards, we heard she'd become 'friendly' with Madonna
and a host of other Hollywood stars, whose names she refuses to
reveal - but she does talk about Angelina Jolie.
'I don't want to sound like I hustle ass,' she confides, 'but for
a while back then, if Angelina called, I'd drop everything and join
her wherever she was in the world. Angelina and I had a really
wonderful relationship that lasted many years. I was dating her
while she was seeing other people - she was that type of person;
wonderful and open.'
With a string of modelling jobs behind her - Versace, Gaultier,
Anna Sui - the butch lesbian star now divides her time between
filming for US gay TV channel HERE and working as an auto mechanic
on family and friends' cars and motorbikes.
When we asked her what her mum thinks about her celebrity
lifestyle, she replied: 'My mother's only concern is the fact that
I wear men's shoes. If I could be gay and wear pumps, that would be
perfect!'
Twenty-eight-year-old Rebecca Loos shot to fame through her
alleged affair with football homunculus David 'Golden Balls'
Beckham in 2004. Since then, she's graced the pages of numerous
glossy magazines as well as the small screen in reality shows
Celebrity Love Island and The Farm.
Some sections of the media have portrayed her as a 'gossip column
wannabe' who 'uses her sexuality to get publicity', to which she
retorts: 'I never intended for my sexuality to be known. It was
something others leaked to the papers. But I'm not ashamed, and I
hold my head up high. I know who I am, and my family, friends and
fans know that the opinions of those who aren't in my life are of
no value to me.'
How, then, does she feel about the way people respond to her
bisexuality? 'Gay men are fine with it. Straight men don't really
know how to handle it - some find it a kinky thought - but I've
never had, and would never have, sex with a woman to turn a guy on.
I'm a very one-on-one person. Woman love it. I 'm amazed at how
many girls approach me for advice and tell me how they look up to
me, and how they really want to experience being with a woman. Go
for it, girls; you won't know until you've tried it.'
Diva invited the two lady-loving lovelies to share a cocktail and
a few secrets with us on a hot summer's day in a secluded West End
hotel, and shed some light on those rumours.
How did it feel, marrying each other on the recent Sky documentary
Power Lesbians?
Rebecca Loos: I was very nervous on the day. Having the dress
fitted and not being able to see Jenny until the wedding made it
feel very real. We had our first kiss, and the sparks between us
were very powerful. I also felt very strongly in defending gay
marriage. If two people are in love and want to state it publicly,
why is that wrong? Bush and Blair spend so much time focusing on
Iraq and other things; perhaps they should help open doors in their
own countries to allow love to grow, regardless of the sexuality of
the people involved.
Jenny Shimizu: I married her two days after I met her. And you
know, I would've done that even if we weren't on TV. It was a
rebellious act at a church in Hollywood, and we did it to protest
against the anti-gay marriage laws. When we kissed, it just changed
everything for me. I'd been single for a long time and when I
kissed her on the lips, it was just like magic. I hate to sound
cheesy but I got butterflies.
Would you consider getting married for real?
RL: Yes I'd marry for real, but only if I find the person I want
to share the rest of my life with. It's a commitment to be taken
very seriously. That's what makes it so special.
JS:You know, that's a hard one. Either we get the same laws as
heterosexual couples, or I don't want it at all. But I'd like to
settle down and get married. I feel like, as gay people, we date
each other and being girlfriends has always been enough for me, but
I'm not sure. It might be one of those hetero luxuries, and we jump
right in on it. With my girlfriends I've always felt committed
without needing marriage.
What are your views on Civil Partnership rights and traditional
marriage?
RL: I think they're both great. When two people love each other,
let them express it in the way they choose. Choice is vital.
Dictatorship is history.
JS: Before they revoked the right to marry in the US, we were told
we'd just get all the negative benefits of marriage: ie, you get to
take over half the debt. So at first, I was against it. Either they
give us everything or I don't want any of it.
Can you tell us how you first met?
RL: We first met on a very hot, sunny day in LA in March this
year. I was interviewing Jenny for our SKY 1 Power Lesbians
documentary. I was sitting in a cafe on Melrose, and she walked
around the corner towards me. We had coffee and talked.
JS: Rebecca's producers told her it would be a good idea to
interview me. I'd never met her, and I don't watch that much TV, so
I had no idea who she was. The producers wouldn't let me meet her
until we started filming, so when I finally did, I thought she was
even more beautiful than I'd imagined. I have a real deep affection
for women with dark hair and Latin in their blood, and she has
both. She was gorgeous; she glowed and her personality was open and
friendly.
What was it that attracted you most to each other?
RL: Jenny has a very sexy and attractive energy about her.
Initially, what I loved was that she's a mechanic who can build
motorbikes from scratch, rides Harleys and is covered in sexy
tattoos. She's a very good driver, which is something I fall for. I
can't bear people who don't know how to control a car or bike, and
just try to be cool by speeding or driving flashy cars. She's very
sexy, she has a heart of gold, and she's kind and generous.
JS: I think it's that she's an animal lover and that she faces all
the challenges with an open heart. She's a "yes" person rather than
a "no" person and everything's an adventure to her - plus, she's
trustworthy, and those are a lot of qualities to find in one
person. Overall, she's really amazing, grounded and mature.
How would you describe your friendship?
RL: We have a very passionate, close friendship.
JS: My friendship with Rebecca, physically, is 'occasional', since
I live in LA and she's in the UK. Emotionally, I feel like I'm
always with her.
When did you first become aware of your sexuality?
RL: I was a very curious young girl, and my interests always lay
in both girls and boys.
JS: From the minute I could distinguish the sexes, I was attracted
to women. I was in love with my lady teachers and babysitters, and
any other women that gave me attention, excluding my mother. I
definitely had the pre-destined homo gene in me. There was no doubt
in my mind about who I was. I think this made it easier to accept
my sexuality as the norm for me.
What kind of women are you attracted to?
RL: I've had both femme and butch lovers, but it's more about the
chemistry I feel with a person than the looks. I do tend to go for
butch mostly.
JS: I think I'm attracted to powerful, aggressive, confident,
sexual women. A lot of the women I've dated share those qualities.
I met Madonna when I was in her Rain video around 1994-'95, right
about the time I started modelling for Calvin Klein, and we ended
up hanging out in LA, Paris and New York. I ended up feeling like I
was this lesbian hustler getting on planes meeting women. One of my
tattoos says 'hauling ass 1'; it's not a reference to hauling my
own ass around, but in reference to my motorcycling - driving
super-fast. Madonna showed me a lot of things - took me to the
theatre and museums, and it was nice to hang out with her. She's a
lovely lady; a totally smart, confident woman.
Do you feel a difference being seduced by a guy or by women?
RL: Not really. It's the same thing, just different sex.
Do you find it easy to move from male to female lovers/
partners?
RL: Yes. It's the same as for anyone else moving from one partner
to another.
And finally, can we expect to see you doing something anytime
soon?
JS: Come round to my garage - I rebuild Harleys and most
motorcycles. I have a 54 Triumph in my garage right now that I'm
trying to take apart, and an 89 Harley chopper that I drive all the
time, and that's the thing that keeps me 'zen' and complete. I feel
whole when I do it. Now I'm working on a six-episode TV series,
based on celebrities and motorcycles in Los Angeles, which will be
broadcast on HERE TV in November. It's about the subculture of LA,
but really it's all my friends and celebrities who are involved
with hot rods and motorcycle riding. It's called Tutu's Motorworld.
I'm Tutu.
RL: Modelling, TV, writing and acting. I'm working on a few very
exciting projects. Can't reveal the nature of them yet but, trust
me, they'll be worth the wait.
This article first appeared in DIVA magazine, November
2005.
