Yep, totally agree. I probably wouldn't have said much about if I hadn't just sat through a pale, would-be-faithful immitation of it with all of the same problems. What frustrates me is that the minute there's mainstreaming available, "we" go and immitate that and surrender what does rise more or less organically from our own communities. I don't care if "gay women" want to endlessly replicate "The L Word" but I do care if those immitations are the only thing out there.
Re: Chicago. Women and Children First Bookstore is still going reasonably strong. And is a most excellent bookstore, I might add. :-)