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chitaprrrrrrrr · 5 years

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LGBT+ Fiction Rec

Carol // movie, book, nsfw, wlw

Therese Beliveit sees Carol at a department store and is instantly drawn to her. The two women become close but are faced with the challenges of Carol’s rocky divorce and the struggles of being gay in the 1950s.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue // book, mlm, ace

Follows the story of Henry Montague, the son of a lord in eighteenth-century England, his sister, and his childhood best friend as their trip to Europe turns into a manhunt when he accidentally steals something more valuable than he could have imagined. Lots of great representation including a main interracial couple. There’s also a sequel called The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy, which focuses on his aro/ace sister.

Maurice // book, movie, nsfw, mlm

It’s the early twentieth century England, there are some rumors about a war that may be coming up, and Maurice Hall has realized that how he feels about his very attractive male friend is not just friendship. I’m talking vintage gays, repression, commentary on class struggles, and more vintage gays. When I say that this book/movie was ahead of its time, I mean it.

Spies Are Forever // musical, mlm

After Agent Curt Mega’s partner Owen dies while trying to escape a Russian facility, he takes a break from the spy life. But when he becomes a spy again, he finds out that his past is harder to escape from than he thought. Spies, gays, the Cold War, and a killer soundtrack. What more do you need? Uploaded by the creator on Youtube for free.

The Handmaiden // movie, nsfw, wlw

Sook-Hee’s a Korean pickpocket posing as a handmaiden to steal a Japanese heiress of her fortune. The plan gets complicated when Sook-Hee starts getting close to the heiress.

Good Omens // tv show, book, mlm, trans

If you were on Tumblr in June 2019, you probably already know what’s up. If not, an angel and a demon fall in love with humanity (and maybe a little with each other) and decide to stop the end of the world together. The creators have confirmed that seeing the main characters as trans (or basically every other LGBT identity) is valid.

I Love You, Philip Morris // movie, nsfw, mlm

Be Gay. Do Crime. And watch Jim Carrey and Ewan Mcgregor fall in love in prison. A very good romantic comedy that’s also based on a true story.

The Adventure Zone // podcast, book, mlm, wlw, trans

A roleplaying podcast done by the McElroys. The first campaign, Balance, is a fantasy story with things like elves and dwarves. The second campaign, Amnesty, is a modern-day story in West Virginia with things like Bigfoot and the Mothman. Both of them are very good and very gay. The Balance arc also has a graphic novel adaptation.

God’s Own Country // movie, nsfw, mlm

Think British Brokeback Mountain but instead of the main conflict being homophobia, it’s commitment issues. Has some more graphic sheep farming veterinary scenes. Overall, it’s very good.

Check, Please! // webcomic, mlm

Eric “Bitty” Bittle, former figure skater, decides to join the hockey team at Samwell University. The main problem being that the whole concept of checking (physical contact on the ice) terrifies him. That, and the team captain is as hot as he is intimidating.

The Rocky Horror Picture Show // movie, mlm

Straight-laced Brad and his fiance Janet’s car breaks down during a storm. Luckily for them, they stumble upon the mansion of Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a drag queen scientist, where they meet several other interesting characters, including Frank-N-Furter’s new creation, a man named Rocky, and lose their innocence. Think 1950s sci-fi meets 1970s sexual revolution or if Frankenstein was a musical.

Firebringer // musical, wlw

You probably know about this musical through the whole “I don’t want to do the work today” vine. What that vine leaves out is that the show is about prehistoric bisexuals and their discovery of fire. Uploaded by the creator on Youtube for free.

Call me By Your Name // book, movie, nsfw, mlm

Elio Perlman was expecting to have a normal summer in Italy where he would work on his music, read books, and spend time with his girlfriend. What he was not expecting was getting close to the handsome intern working for his father.

Carry On // book, mlm

Enemies-to-lovers slow burn about a vampire and the Chosen One. Takes typical YA tropes and spins them on their heads. The sequel Wayward Son has just come out and the final book in the series, Any Way the Wind Blows, was just announced.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert // movie, mlm, trans

Two Australian drag queens and a trans woman go on a road trip through the Australian desert together. Some racist/transphobic scenes that have not aged well since the 90s but besides those it’s a pretty heartwarming story.

Welcome to Night Vale // podcast, book, mlm, wlw, trans

A sci-fi horror podcast about a strange Western town called Night Vale and what goes on in it. Features a main gay character and lots of the side characters are also LGBT. There are several books that focus on different parts of the universe that you can also read.

Brooklyn 99 // tv show, mlm, wlw

Weirdly, I haven’t seen this show put on any LGBT media recs before. The show follows the 99th precinct of the New York police department. While the main character is not gay himself (although he is either bi or EXTREMELY comfortable in his sexuality), his boss, the police captain, is an openly gay black man married to another man and one of the supporting characters later comes out as bisexual and has relationships with women. Overall, a very funny show that also offers a good commentary on issues that we deal with in society today.

Rock and Riot // webcomic, wlw, mlm, trans, ace

Follows two rival gangs from the 1950s and their struggles with understanding their sexual orientation and gender identity. A little bit of period typical homophobia and racism but not so much that its a bummer.

Professor Marston and the Wonder Woman // movie, nsfw, wlw

Contrary to what the title may lead you to believe, this is not a DC Universe movie. It’s actually about the creator of Wonder Woman and the lie detector and his polyamorous relationship with the two women who inspired Wonder Woman.

Shameless // tv show, nsfw, mlm, wlw, trans

Focusing on the Gallager family, a low-income family from Chicago and their struggle to survive. One of the main characters, Ian, is openly gay and has had many relationships throughout the series, most notably his on-again-off-again relationship with Mickey Milkovich. Disclaimer: there are some scenes with some pretty brutal homophobia that can be very hard to watch. Also let’s just say that when Ian was a minor, not all of his relationships were with other minors.

Alice Isn’t Dead // podcast, book, wlw

Keisha becomes a truck driver to find her missing wife who had been presumed dead (Alice). Because as it turns out, Alice isn’t dead. A very good horror mystery that captures American road trip gothic better than most pieces of media. Also has a book adaptation.

The Favourite // movie, wlw

Abigail has lost everything. She has no money, no title, and no status. Lucky for her, she has a cousin, Sarah, who is very powerful and close to the Queen. She then begins to work at the palace and the two cousins compete for the favor of the queen, but their motivations to be close to the Queen are very different.

Shaderunners // webcomic, mlm, wlw, trans

A 1920s style webcomic except homophobia doesn’t exist and neither does color, at least not for the proletariat. A group of people join together to change that (the color thing, not the homophobia thing). A very good representation of a variety of identities.

Kill Your Darlings // movie, mlm

About the famous American poet Allen Ginsberg, his relationship with Lucien Carr, the beginning of the Beat generation of poetry, and the murder of David Krammer. Again with the period typical homophobia but nothing too extreme or disturbing.

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mulaneyschild · 6 years

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Thank you to @elderkevinmckinley for tagging me!

Rules: Answer these questions and tag 20 people you want to get to know better.

Name: Jack

Star sign: Sagittarius

Height: 5'3

Favorite colors: light blue and yellow

Favorite food: a little hard to my top 3 would be ramen noodles, chicken tenders, and Chinese food

Birthday: November 27th

Favorite animal: I love dogs! But I’m also a fan of koalas as well and turtles 🐢

Music I like: I listen to such a variety tbh. I enjoy a lot of musicals, jazz, indie pop, 50s-90s rock and roll, emo pop, and some hip hop.

Favorite Musical: My favorites are The Book of Mormon, Falsettos, Avenue Q, Rent, Something Rotten, and Hamilton. (Have seen all except Hamilton, which I’ll be seeing next month!)

Last Movie I Watched: Dead Poets Society (it was really good but it had a really dark ending)

TV Show I’m Currently Watching: Will and Grace, Sean Saves the World, and Happy Endings

Things I Post About: All my interests, usually with a gay/lgbt theme to them, including musicals, tv shows, movies with quotes/moments I love from them

Following: 38 (I thought that would be much higher lmao)

Followers: 99

Dream job: either a psychiatrist or a screenwriter

Nationality: Portuguese, Lebanese, and Canadian American

Last Song Stuck in my Head: When I’m Human from The Princess and the Frog (I had a weird urge to listen to that soundtrack recently)

Favorite celebrities: Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Andrew Rannells, Rory O Malley, Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Sean Hayes, Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman, Amy Poehler, Eric McCormack, Debra Messing, Patton Oswalt, John Mulaney, Brandon Uranowitz, and Charlie Day

Books I could read over and over again: the entire Harry Potter series

Other fun facts about me:

- I enjoy playing musical instruments! I play the ukulele, piano, guitar, and bass guitar (I used to play violin as well).

- My first Broadway musical was the Book of Mormon and the first soundtrack I ever listened to was Newsies!

- I’m named after Jack McFarland from Will and Grace

- I enjoy standup comedy from John Mulaney and Patton Oswalt and Robin Williams

- I write a lot, (and have made attempts at writing screenplays)

- My favorite movies include: The Birdcage, Forrest Gump, Wet Hot American Summer, BASEketball, Up, and Step Brothers.

I tag: @leotardsarentsexyjim @katzroc @whoknows502 and my followers to do this!

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learningrendezvous · 5 years

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Gender Studies

93QUEEN

By Paula Eiselt

93QUEEN follows Rachel "Ruchie" Freier, a no-nonsense Hasidic lawyer and mother of six who is determined to shake up the boys club in her Hasidic community by creating Ezras Nashim, the first all-female ambulance corps in NYC.

In the Hasidic enclave of Borough Park, Brooklyn, EMS corps have long been the province of men. Though the neighborhood is home to the largest volunteer ambulance corps in the world known as Hatzolah, that organization has steadfastly banned women from its ranks. Now Ruchie and an engaging cast of dogged Hasidic women are risking their reputations, and the futures of their children, by taking matters into their own hands to provide dignified emergency medical care to the Hasidic women and girls of Borough Park. In a society where most women don't drive - and a few minutes can mean the difference between life and death - how do female EMTs transport themselves to the scene of an emergency? And how does Ezras Nashim combat a behemoth like Hatzolah, which possesses political clout throughout New York City?

With unprecedented and exclusive access, 93QUEEN follows the formation and launch of Ezras Nashim through the organization's first year on the ground. We witness the highs and lows of creating an organization against incredible odds, as well as the women's struggles to "have it all" as wives and mothers. And in the midst of this already ground-breaking endeavor, Ruchie announces that she had decided to take her burgeoning feminism even further when she enters the race for civil court judge in Brooklyn's 5th Municipal Court District. Through it all, we see Ruchie and the other women grappling to balance their faith with their nascent feminism, even as they are confronted by the patriarchal attitudes that so dominate Hasidic society. As Ruchie observes, while making dinner at 3 a.m., "I sometimes wonder why God created me a woman. If I'd have been born a Hasidic man, I don't think I would have half the problems I have."

DVD (Color) / 2018 / 90 minutes

BEFORE HOMOSEXUALS

Director: John Scagliotti

John Scagliotti, executive producer of the landmark film Before Stonewall, here guides us in a wondrous tour of erotic history, poetry and visual art in his new documentary on same-sex desire - from ancient times to Victorian crimes.

Traveling all over the world and talking with dozens of experts, he revels in lesbian love spells from ancient Rome, censored chapters of the Kamasutra, Native American two-spirit rituals and much more. A prequel to Before Stonewall, Before Homosexuals unearths the diverse and fascinating garden of human same-sexual desire.

DVD / 2018 / 87 minutes

QUIET HEROES

Directors: Jenny Mackenzie, Jared Ruga, Amanda Stoddard

In Salt Lake City, Utah, the religious monoculture severely complicated the AIDS crisis, where patients received no support from-or were cast into exile by-the political, religious, and medical communities. Further, Mormon culture encouraged gay men to marry women and have a family to cure themselves of their "affliction," counsel which led to secret affairs and accidental marital transmissions of HIV. In the entire state and intermountain region there was only one doctor to serve all HIV/AIDS patients. This is the story of her fight to save the lives of a maligned population everyone else seemed willing to just let die.

Dr. Kristen Ries came to Salt Lake City with the hope and ambition to set up a medical practice of her own. By chance, she arrived on the exact same day the CDC released a report about a new infectious disease affecting populations of gay men. This intrigued Dr. Ries and she launched her long career as the premier specialist who treated HIV/AIDS patients. What started as hospice care for highly stigmatized individuals became a model for compassionate care at the height of the AIDS epidemic. She faced stigma and blame in a repressive religious culture and had to find creative ways to serve her patients. She and her Physician's Assistant, Maggie Snyder, developed backdoor patient policies, underground drug markets, and status confidentiality policies to give their patients the best possible chance at prolonging their lives-or at worst, dying comfortably. When their families, their churches and social circles, their politicians, and even other doctors had abandoned them, Kristen Ries and Maggie Snyder created a safe haven amidst a sea of hate and fear for those who had nowhere else to turn.

DVD / 2018 / 68 minutes

SUNDAY SESSIONS, THE

Director: Richard Yeagley

The Sunday Sessions is an intimate portrait of one man's struggle to reconcile his religious conviction and sexual identity. The feature length documentary follows Nathan Gniewek, a gay man in his late twenties, as he seeks counseling from conversion therapist Christopher Doyle.

Conversion therapy is the controversial, non-scientifically based process which aims to convert an individual's sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. Although it has been discredited by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional counseling organizations, some therapists still offer the service for reasons almost exclusively rooted in a conservative religious belief system.

The filmmakers had unfettered access to individual therapy sessions, family sessions, and a collection of weekend camps, and have crafted an emotional and psychological thriller which chronicles two years of Nathan's journey from acceptance to skepticism, all leading to a profound epiphany.

DVD / 2018 / 89 minutes

BONES OF CONTENTION

By Andrea Weiss

BONES OF CONTENTION is the first nonfiction feature film to explore the theme of historical memory in Spain, focusing on the repression of lesbians and gays under Franquismo. Lining the roads of Spain, masked by miles and miles of pine trees, are unmarked graves in which over a hundred twenty thousand victims of the Franco regime are buried. Today the families of the desaparecidos lead a grassroots effort to uncover and identify the bones of their loved ones, despite opposition from the Spanish government.

Invisible to the eye but hyper-visible in the mind, these mass graves of Spain's missing persons are an apt metaphor for the historical memory conundrum. How does a country excavate a past that is actively suppressed?

The film weaves together two strands, the historical memory movement's campaign to uncover the past, and the search for the hidden lives of lesbians and gays under Franco. These strands are connected through the figure of Spain's most famous poet, Federico Garcia Lorca, who was killed by a right-wing firing squad in the first few weeks of the Spanish Civil War. The mystery of his missing remains and the debates over their significance provide the narrative spine of the documentary, as he has become the symbol today for both the historical memory movement and the LGBT movement.

The film features interviews with: Laura Garcia Lorca, President, Garcia Lorca Foundation Emilio Silva, Founder, Asociacion para la Recuperacion de la Memoria Historica Antoni Ruiz and Silvia Reyes, imprisoned by the Franco regime due to their sexuality Isabel Franc and Empar Pineda, lesbian witnesses and activists Fernando Valverde, poet and Lorca scholar

DVD (English, Spanish, Color, Black and White) / 2017 / 75 minutes

BREAST ARCHIVES, THE

Director: Meagan Murphy

Real women reveal their breasts and uncover personal truths in this gently provocative documentary exploring embodiment, womanhood, and the power of being seen.

The Breast Archives features nine women's personal stories of empowerment. Baring their breasts and their hearts, the women share the unique journeys they've made with their bodies, from their formative years of hiding, shame, and disconnection to adulthood and the discovery of what it means to be a powerful woman. As the women slowly reconnect with their body-based stories they find a reservoir of strength and wisdom that lies within their breasts.

DVD / 2017 / 57 minutes

FEMINISTA: A JOURNEY TO THE HEART OF FEMINISM IN EUROPE

By Myriam Fougere

FEMINISTA is a lively and inspiring feminist road movie that explores the largely unrecognized yet hugely vibrant pan European feminist movement. Filmmaker Myriam Fougere joined an international group of young feminists who were traveling across twenty countries - from Turkey to Portugal, by the way of the Balkans, to Italy, Spain and Portugal - to make connections and unite forces with other women. She witnessed these determined activists participating in political gatherings, supporting homegrown local feminist struggles, exchanging strategies, and inventing new ways to resist and fight for change. Revealing how feminism is transmitted from one generation to another, FEMINISTA provides a rare glimpse into a widespread feminist groundswell movement, possibly one of the largest and unrecognized mass political movements that is very much alive and well throughout Europe today.

DVD (Color) / 2017 / 60 minutes

HOT TO TROT

Director: Gail Freedman

Mad Hot Ballroom meets Paris is Burning in this entertaining documentary set in the swinging world of same-sex competitive ballroom dancing.

Hot to Trot goes inside that fascinating but little-known world, which is surging in popularity, remaking lives and bodies, along with popular culture and gender politics. Following four magnetic men and women on and off the dance floor over a four-year period, the film is not only an immersive character study (and an idiosyncratic attack on bigotry) but a rousing, powerful story that unfurls with the rhythms and energy of dramatic cinema.

DVD / 2017 / 88 minutes

JOURNEY INTERRUPTED

In Journey Interrupted, five individuals share their personal stories of struggle with sexual identity in relation to how The Bible interprets their challenges. It is a comparative between gender identity and faith.

This 2017 documentary addresses two key questions:

What does the Bible say about gender identity and homosexuality;

How should Christians respond to these divisive issues?

These questions are explored with candor and sensitivity through the lens of personal testimony. This important film is refreshingly transparent, deeply honest as it offers hope for healing and wholeness through Jesus Christ.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2017 / 61 minutes

LIVES: VISIBLE/LEFTOVERS

By Michelle Citron

LIVES: VISIBLE (2017, 35 mins): Lesbians in a box... two thousand private snapshots hidden away for over fifty years reveal the rich history of Chicago's working class butch/fem life in the pre-Stonewall era. Spanning four decades, from the 1930s to the early 1970s, the snapshots provide a rare look at a vanished and vibrant Lesbian culture: images of lovers and friends as they played, posed, serially switched partners, worked, partied, drank, and aged. Now we all take selfies; these women used a Brownie camera to tell the story of their community. LIVES: VISIBLE explores the ephemeral nature of culture and the power of the images we make.

LEFTOVERS (2014, 23 mins): Norma and Virginia were lovers for almost fifty years. They died isolated; the vibrant pre-Stonewall lesbian community of their youth long gone. A love story about the unforeseen trajectory of lives lived outside the mainstream told through the 2000 snapshots left behind.

2 DVDs (Color) / 2017 / 58 minutes

INSIDE THE CHINESE CLOSET

By Sophia Luvara

In a nondescript lounge somewhere in Shanghai, men and women giggle, eyeing prospective partners, visibly nervous about making the first move. This isn't your average matchmaking event - it's a "fake-marriage fair," where gay men and women meet to make matrimonial deals with members of the opposite sex in order to satisfy social and familial expectations of heterosexual unions. Inside the Chinese Closet is the intricate tale of Andy and Cherry looking for love and happiness in vibrant Shanghai. They are both homosexual but their families demand a (heterosexual) marriage and a baby from them. Because being single and childless would mean an unacceptable loss of face for their rural families, particularly in the remote countryside where they live. Will Andy and Cherry deny their happiness and sexual orientation to satisfy their parents' wishes? The stories of Andy and Cherry mirror the legal and cultural progress that is happening in China against the backdrop of a nation coming to terms with new moral values.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 70 minutes

MEN: A LOVE STORY

By Mimi Chakarova

After spending nearly a decade as a journalist documenting young women sold as slaves into the sex trade, award winning filmmaker Mimi Chakarova (THE PRICE OF SEX) sets out on a journey across the United States to explore how men feel about women and love. Piecing together a rich tapestry of vignettes, woven from stories shared by men of different races, ages, and socio-economic backgrounds, Chakarova weaves a stunningly honest and unapologetic portrayal of masculinity in America. With a diverse set of subjects from tiny blues bars of the Deep South to hedge funds of Manhattan and from ranchers in New Mexico to farmers in the Midwest, MEN: A LOVE STORY is a poignant and at times unforgettable dark comedy that reveals a deeper multilayered understanding of maleness, sexuality and gender performance in America today.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 80 minutes

REVIVAL, THE: WOMEN AND THE WORD

By Sekiya Dorsett

THE REVIVAL: WOMEN AND THE WORD chronicles the US tour of a group of Black lesbian poets and musicians, who become present-day stewards of a historical movement to build community among queer women of color. Their journey to strengthen their community is enriched by insightful interviews with leading Black feminist thinkers and historians, including Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, Nikki Finney, and Alexis Deveaux. As the group tours the country, the film reveals their aspirations and triumphs, as well as the unique identity challenges they face encompassing gender, race, and sexuality. This is a rarely seen look into a special sisterhood - one where marginalized voices are both heard and respected.

DVD (Color, Closed Captioned) / 2016 / 82 minutes

SIBERIAN LOVE

By Olga Delane

In rural Siberia, romantic expectations are traditional and practical. The man is the head of the household. The woman takes care of the housekeeping and the children. But filmmaker Olga Delane doesn't agree. While she was born in this small Siberian village, as a teenager she migrated to Berlin with her family, and 20 years of living in Germany has changed her expectations. SIBERIAN LOVE follows Delane home to her community of birth, where she interviews family and neighbors about their lives and relationships. Amusing and moving, this elegant film paints a picture of a world completely outside of technology, a hard-farming community where life is hard and marriage is sometimes unhappy - but where there are also unexpected paths to joy and family togetherness. Through clashing ideals of modern and traditional womanhood, SIBERIAN LOVE is a fascinating study of a country little known in the US and of a rural community that raises questions about domesticity, gender expectations, domestic abuse, childcare, and romance. Excellent for anthropology, women's studies, sociology, Russian and Eastern European Studies.

DVD (Color) / 2016 / 82 minutes

DEEP RUN

By Hillevi Loven, Susan Sarandon

DEEP RUN is a powerful verite portrait of trans life in rural North Carolina. Exiled by her family and rejected by an ex-partner, 17-year-old Spazz has no one to lean on for support. But when Spazz falls in love again and summons up the courage to become Cole, a strong-willed trans-man, his candid humor and steadfast, all-inclusive Christian beliefs counter the bigotry he experiences daily.

This deeply personal documentary reveals rebirth and courage within America's deeply conservative Bible Belt as Cole struggles to find a church that will affirm his identity and the couple's relationship. With a small group of supportive friends, relatives, and his girlfriend, Ashley, Cole's search for love and belonging leads him to a radical revision of what faith and church can be. An intimate study of young outsiders in an insular Christian community, DEEP RUN explores the intersection of modern identity and faith in the American South. Essential viewing for LGBTQIA Audiences, Queer and Gender studies classes.

DVD (Color) / 2015 / 75 minutes

FROM THIS DAY FORWARD

Directed by Sharon Shattuck

Tells the story of a love, and family, that survived the most intimate of transformations.

With her own wedding just around the corner, filmmaker Sharon Shattuck returns home to examine the mystery at the heart of her upbringing: How her transgender father Trisha and her straight-identified mother Marcia stayed together against all odds. From This Day Forward is a moving portrayal of an American family coping with the most intimate of transformations.

As the film evolves into a conversation about love and acceptance in a modern American family, it raises questions relevant to all of us. As individuals how do we adapt to sustain long-term love and relationships? Where do sexuality and gender intersect? And how do families stay together, when external forces are pulling them apart?

DVD / 2015 / (Grades 6-12, College, Adults) / 76 minutes

LOVE BETWEEN THE COVERS

By Laurie Kahn

Romance novels comprise over a billion dollars a year in book sales, outselling science fiction, fantasy, and mystery combined. So why is the genre so often dismissed as frivolous "scribble" rather than elevated as a radical literary form that pushes the envelope on gender, race, and diversity? The heroic characters, prolific writers, and voracious readers that dominate romantic fiction are primarily women. Witty and intelligent, these lovers of the written word form a collaborative, supportive, and dynamic community where readers and writers inspire one another. Emmy Award Winning director Laurie Kahn (Tupperware!) takes a comprehensive look at what goes into publishing a romantic novel, from the author's inspiration and writing process to the photo shoots for those distinctive cover designs. Speaking with literary scholars, romance fanatics, aspiring writers, and award-winning authors, including Nora Roberts, Eloisa James, Beverly Jenkins, and Radclyffe, this documentary offers fascinating insights into this female-centric literary world.

DVD (Color) / 2015 / 84 minutes

SAME DIFFERENCE, THE

By Nneka Onuorah

THE SAME DIFFERENCE is a compelling documentary about lesbians who discriminate against other lesbians based on gender roles. Director Nneka Onuorah takes an in-depth look at the internalized hetero-normative gender roles that have become all too familiar within the African American lesbian and bisexual community. Onuorah shows how these behaviors reproduce the homophobic oppression and masculine privilege of the straight world, while looking for solutions in compelling discussions with community members. Self-identified studs - and the women who love them - discuss hypocrisy in terms of gender roles, performative expectations, and the silent disciplining that occurs between community members. This film features many queer celebrities, including actress Felicia "Snoop" Pearson from the critically acclaimed HBO drama The Wire, and Lea DeLaria from Netflix's Orange Is the New Black, living daily with opinions about how identity should be portrayed. Onuorah's engaging documentary shines a light on the relationships and experiences within the queer black female community, intersecting race, gender and sexuality. Required viewing for Women's, Gender and Queer Studies.

DVD (Color) / 2015 / 78 minutes

VALENTINE ROAD

Directed by Marta Cunningham

In 2008, eighth-grader Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King at point blank range. Unraveling this tragedy, the film reveals the heartbreaking circumstances that led to the shocking crime as well as the aftermath.

On February 12, 2008, in an Oxnard, California, classroom, 14-year-old Brandon McInerney shot classmate Larry King twice; Larry died of the wounds two days later. Larry (Leticia), a gender-variant youth of color, had liked to wear makeup and heels to school, and had publicly announced a crush on McInerney. For this reason, some of McInerney's defenders say the victim had "embarrassed" the shooter--and was therefore at least partly to blame for his own murder.

VALENTINE ROAD is about an outrageous crime and an even more outrageous defense of it, but the film goes much deeper than mere outrage. In the end, it's the story of two victims of homophobia. Larry was killed because of it, but Brandon's life was horribly twisted by it as well. And it's the story of a community's response--sometimes inspirational and sometimes cruel--to a terrible tragedy.

Filmmaker Marta Cunningham deftly looks beyond the sensational aspects of the murder, introducing us to Larry's friends, teachers and guardians, as well as Brandon's loved ones--both children had led difficult lives. In examining Brandon's prosecution and defense, the documentary poses difficult questions about punishing juveniles for serious crimes, while exposing society's pervasive and deadly intolerance of young people who don't conform to its gender "norms."

VALENTINE ROAD brilliantly focuses on how bigotry and prejudice are community-wide problems, rather than only the acts of individuals. It asks how schools can respond to the the full complexity of students' lives, and support students in crisis before tragedy strikes.

DVD / 2013 / (Grades 8-12, College, Adult) / 88 minutes

BOYS TO MEN?

In this moving follow-up to the critically-acclaimed Hoop Dreams, award-winning filmmaker Frederick Marx continues his exploration of the lives of ordinary young men and the extraordinary challenges they face. Boys to Men? - the second in a proposed trilogy about masculinity in America- trains its focus on the pressures and expectations faced by a diverse group of young urban males. The DVD consists of four films. Are You Listening? Features several teenage boys from different ethnic, racial, and class backgrounds offering fascinating insights into their own experiences and the meaning of manhood in America. Three additional pieces - Spencer, Cisco, and Al-Tran - give insight into the lives of three 15-year-old boys as they navigate the daily challenges of school, family, and American society.

DVD (With English Subtitles) / 2004 / 143 minutes

AFTER STONEWALL

Director: John Scagliotti, Janet Baus & Dan Hunt

Narrated by Melissa Etheridge.

In 1969 the police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City's Greenwich Village, leading to three nights of rioting by the city's gay community. With this outpouring of courage and unity the Gay Liberation Movement had begun.

After Stonewall, the sequel to Before Stonewall, chronicles the history of lesbian and gay life from the riots at Stonewall to the end of the century. It captures the hard work, struggles, tragic defeats and exciting victories experienced since them. It explores how AIDS literally changed the direction of the movement.

The two films, Before & After, tell the remarkable tale of how homosexuals, a heretofore hidden and despised group, became a vibrant and integral part of America's family, and, indeed, the world community.

Featuring Dorothy Allison, Michael Bronski, Rita Mae Brown, Barney Frank, Barbara Gittings, Arnie Kantrowitz, Larry Kramer, Craig Lucas, Armistead Maupin, Leslea Newman, Barbara Smith, and many more!

DVD / 1999 / 88 minutes

BEFORE STONEWALL: THE MAKING OF A GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY

By John Scagliotti

Directors: Greta Schiller, Robert Rosenberg

Newly restored for the 50th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots!

Before Stonewall pries open the closet door, setting free the dramatic story of the sometimes horrifying public and private existences experienced by LGBT Americans since the early 1900's. Revealing and often humorous, this widely acclaimed film relives the emotionally-charged sparking of today's gay rights movement, from the events that led to the fevered 1969 riots to many other milestones in the brave fight for acceptance. Experience the fascinating and unforgettable, decade-by-decade history of homosexuality in America through eye-opening historical footage and amazing interviews with those who lived through an often brutal closeted history.

Narrated by iconic author Rita Mae Brown. Groundbreaking interviews with Ann Bannon, Martin Duberman, Allen Ginsberg, Barbara Gittings, Harry Hay, Mabel Hampton, Dr. Evelyn Hooker, Frank Kameny, Audre Lorde, Richard Bruce Nugent, Jose Sarria and many more.

DVD / 1984 / 87 minutes

BEST OF BOYS IN LOVE, THE

Director: Barry Purves, John Scott Matthews, P. David Ebersole, David Briggs, Patrick McGuinn, Stewart Main & Todd Downing

The Best of Boys in Love is a wildly diverse collection of films that mixes styles, settings, and stories ranging from "elegant gay romance" (Frontiers), to a musical send-up of Hollywood, to an "exquisite period piece" (Village Voice) set in New Zealand. The DVD features seven audience favorites selected from our collection of award-winning gay short films: Achilles; Boot Camp; Death in Venice, CA; Karen Black Like Me; SPF 2000; Twilight of the Gods; Dirty Baby Does Fire Island.

DVD / 101 minutes

http://www.learningemall.com/News/Gender_1905.html

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queerstorypodcast · 7 years

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Transcript of Episode 1

Episode 1: Queering the Word

Welcome to QueerStory Podcast, where we will explore LGBTQ history and the reclamation generation of Queers. I am oso, and I have trimmed a lot of weed while listening to a lot of podcasts to get to this point.

As we know history is written by the hetero-cis society, white dominated society, the Eurocentric, the state, the police, the priests. That melange of half-truths, lies, and manipulations is not what you will find here.

Queerstory is the history they try to erase, the history they keep off the census, the history they alter and colonize. We are the living queer stories who will not be erased. Welcome to this podcast!

Today I want to explore the reclamation of the word Queer and the movements towards and away from it. The history of the words we reclaim.

Let’s talk about these words. If some of them are triggering for folks: here’s your trigger warning!

Take care of yourself, we care about you. If you are an elder who lived through this: THANK YOU. Thank you for paving the way, for moving the movements, for taking the hits and continuing on. If you want to interview or share your personal stories please email: ____ I would love to honor your experiences.

According to the online etymology dictionary the word Queer can be found as far back as 1500. An adjective from Scottish, and perhaps originally low German, to describe something as “strange, peculiar, eccentric, oblique”. There are origins that link it’s decription from “Old High German” the word twerh meaning “oblique; from the root terkw, meaning “to turn, twist, or wind”. This origin connects the modern english word “queer” with the origin of the modern word “thwart”. Excellent.

queer (adj.)

c. 1500, "strange, peculiar, eccentric," from Scottish, perhaps from Low German (Brunswick dialect) queer "oblique, off-center," related to German quer "oblique, perverse, odd," from Old High German twerh "oblique," from PIE root *terkw- "to turn, twist, wind" (see thwart (adv.)).

Sense of "homosexual" first recorded 1922; the noun in this sense is 1935, from the adjective. Related: Queerly. Queer studies as an academic discipline attested from 1994.

queer (v.)

"to spoil, ruin," 1812, from queer (adj.). Related: Queered; queering. Earlier it meant "to puzzle, ridicule, cheat" (1790). To queer the pitch (1846) is in reference to the patter of an itinerant tradesman or showman (see pitch (n.1)).

These wanderers, and those who are still seen occasionally in the back streets of the metropolis, are said to 'go a-pitching ;' the spot they select for their performance is their 'pitch,' and any interruption of their feats, such as an accident, or the interference of a policeman, is said to 'queer the pitch,'--in other words, to spoil it. [Thomas Frost, "Circus Life and Circus Celebrities," London, 1875]

In 1812, we find queer being used as a verb, meaning “to puzzle, ridicule, cheat”. This was found within the markets of wandering tradesman who would “queer their sales pitches” to deter policemen or other issues from knowing they were trading on the streets.

Exciting to know that “queering” has roots in confounding the police!!

This innocuous word, that simply meant “strange”, eventually became a slur against homosexuals, all thanks to one over-bearing father.

So, you may have heard of Oscar Wilde, the famous Irish poet, playwright, dandy, and all-around sassy bitch. His influence was further reaching than the gay 1890’s stage and prose sets. The meat of this queerstory is within the gossip. As many listeners may already know, Oscar Wilde had a young lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, or “Bosie” as he was known to friends and family- and dear dandy daddy Oscar.

Their relationship existed within a time when being homosexual was a crime punishable by imprisonment and “hard labour”. Yet, Oscar was a flamboyant creative, able to use his eccentricities to divert attention away from the root cause bing his beautiful gayness, but to his creative spirit. Bosie, on the other hand, was reportedly reckless in his slutty endeavors and flamboyant escapades. Their relationship was tempestuous, Bosie was spoiled by Daddy Oscar, and they even visited gay brothels together, at the request of you Bosie. The villain in this queerstory is Bosie’s father The Marquess of Queensberry (what a name right? I mean… come on) famous for refining the rules of boxing and being the one to fuck Oscar WIlde’s life up forever.

When Papa Douglas found out about his son and Oscar, he confronted the pair a number of times. The most notable being In June 1894, he called on Wilde at 16 Tite Street, without an appointment, and made clear his feelings for the dandy: "I do not say that you are it, but you look it, and pose at it, which is just as bad. And if I catch you and my son again in any public restaurant I will thrash you" to which Wilde responded: "I don't know what the Queensberry rules are, but the Oscar Wilde rule is to shoot on sight" This dude went so far as to publicly post a note about how Oscar was a “sodomite” to which Oscar sued him for libel…. Welll… here’s the thing: you might not want to sue someone for libel when your are very much sodomizing and being super gay with their son. As queerstory shows: this did not turn out well for dear Oscar, Bosie’s father was so unhinged by the thought of a gay sex scandal on the family name as well as wanting to avoid a conviction of libel, he went after Oscar. After a long very public and press-covered trial, Oscar was found guilty of sodomy and gross indecency and sentenced to hard labor and imprisonment.

I say all of this to share that: In 1894 the Marquess of Queensberry was the first person to use the term “QUEER” derogatorily on paper. He referred to Oscar and gay men in general as “queer snobs” in a letter. This of course was devoured by the press and immediately exported to American newspapers and used derogotorally. The American press used it to highlight that homosexuality is “abnormal”. It was specifically used against effeminate gay men.

To Describe the homosexual it was first recorded in 1922, queering it from an adjective to a noun by 1935.

Though gay people of all delineations were forced into closets by the Western puritanical residue of European conquest, there were many words used by gay people themselves to understand their own identities. Radclyffe Hall, the famous lesbian author (The Well of Loneliness) actively identified as an invert, which was an early demonstration of reclamation.

When we use the word Queer now, we are reclaiming it. This began in The U.S. in the 1980s by LGBT folks who likely were sick of words having power over them and who were reeling from the AIDS Plague. During protests at this time people would chant “We’re Here, We’re queer, We won’t live in fear!” In 1990 Queer Nation was formed. A flier was passed around at New York Gay Pride called “Queers Read This” saying:

“Ah, do we really have to use that word? It's trouble. Every gay person has his or her own take on it. For some it means strange and eccentric and kind of mysterious [...] And for others "queer" conjures up those awful memories of adolescent suffering [...] Well, yes, "gay" is great. It has its place. But when a lot of lesbians and gay men wake up in the morning we feel angry and disgusted, not gay. So we've chosen to call ourselves queer. Using "queer" is a way of reminding us how we are perceived by the rest of the world.”

Around the same time queer film maker Bruce La Bruce was developing New Queer Cinema. The queercore movement, a very gay outcry to punk, was born in the 1980s and exploded in the 90’s with notable bands:___This can be seen as the avant-garde and unapologetic gay answer to the punk movement, queercore expressed the very same discontent with society as the punks were stating.

The word queer was adopted as a personal identifier particularly by queer people of color and eventually began to take on a more politicised meaning. It became a movement. The queer movement rejected causes viewed as assimilationist: marriage and adoption.

Being Queer was a rejection of what we were supposed to be banned from in the first place. Now here’s some music by Lorena and the Bobbitts

Song: We’re Queer - Lorena and the Bobbits

Bump: You’re listening to Queerstory

Part 2:

We are the stories that make up the histories hidden from us, so here’s my relationship to the word queer:

When I was 7 years old I learned a new word. During that time in my life I was learning a lot of new words, the Christian school I attended was pumping many new and appropriate words into our supple young minds weekly. However, this particular word jumped into my body with real movement and instant familiarity.

As a kid I highly identified with being “weird”. Modeling myself after Gonzo from The Muppets. I am adopted and his story of mysterious beginnings, while looking different from everyone he knows, mirrored mine. Despite being haunted by the space it put between my family and myself, I enjoyed the weird world that swirled inside me. Shit, I enjoyed the space it put between myself and the boring world of Christianity. It made me feel special, though I didn’t know why I should be special. Sure, some moms tell us we’re “special” or “bright” or whatever else to help with our budding self-esteem. But, something about my weirdness gave me the gift of being set apart from everyone else.

I loved being weird. It meant that the world playing inside my head would only enhance the world I was discovering around me. It meant that my thoughts, being weird, were valid and real. It also meant that my shenanigans had legitimate justification.

“Why is that kid peeling a grape, pouring kool-aid all over it, and pretending their eye has popped out?”

“EWWW, and why are they eating it?”

Mom: “Why do you have to shred the skirt of your uniform? You know you have to share it with your sister.”

Why am I always drawing pictures of Catherine and can’t seem to keep my mind off her symmetrical freckles?

Why am I sure I am a boy when everyone insists I’m a girl?

You’re just weird, kid.

Then I learned a new, wonderful, powerful word. This word tasted good in my mouth. Upon learning it, my young mind had no conception of the connotations it carried. I just plain ol’ liked it.

Queer.

The day I learned it was like any other day at school. I recall being in class, doing one of many boredom-busting-class-acceptable activities: scanning the vocabulary pages in the back of my books for words of interest. Usually words like ‘rectum’ and ‘areola’. I found studying the “holy” bible was only interesting when seeking the scandalous stories about tits and ass.

The day I found the word Queer I remember feeling joy. I needed a word for my weirdness. This word was perfect. Later, after-school, I was eager to announce my new joy. Clutching my Dixie cup of goldfish crackers I sang out: “I’M QUEER!” to which the older kids laughed and muttered the long list of derogatory associations to this word and this young gay claiming it. A lovely thing then happened, a girl named Jessica Prescott (you don’t forget a kid like this one) put her arm around me and defiantly stated to the jeering masses “You can be Queer if you want to!”.

I had no idea the act of solidarity this other kid offered me. I just thanked her, smugly stuck my tongue out at the haters, and went about my Queer kid business.

I think about this experience and feel comforting warmth inside. Being Queer when I was a kid had a different shape than being Queer any other time in my life. It was not defined by sexuality, but it lent itself to confusing feelings towards my friends at sleepovers and the rage I carried about being disallowed to be a boy. The shape shifted when I was 15 when football players were beating me up by the lockers for “munching carpet”. Later that year, being Queer was a painful shape when my mother outed me by presenting me with the rolled-up-printed-out AOL history revealing my web browsing of gay.com and planetout.com. It morphed again at 19 when I was locked into an abusive lesbian relationship with a woman who hated trans-people and beat me up in my mother’s house for organizing and performing in drag shows. Then at 22 it was an awkward shape as I feared for my safety in Texas, while simultaneously being used by straight women to figure out if they were lesbians.

Being Queer is a shape I can’t hide. It orbits me and is born of me. It is often lonely and isolating. It is glittery, juicy, and clever. It is all I know. It defines my perspective when I open my eyes and take in the world around me. It leads me to the gayborhoods wherever I go, instead of anywhere else.

As a Queer I find joy in the fabulosity I contain, I also carry scars of abuse and abandonment. I don’t think one has to experience traumatic events to be Queer, but I do think that if you have felt the struggle and fear that accompanies it, you value it as a core component to your identity. I never “tried” being Queer. I just am.

Back in the day being called Queer was only derogatory. There was no reclamation of such a term. Some older gay folks still don’t appreciate that we are claiming it, because it hurt them so. To reclaim Queer you must understand that it isn’t flippant. It’s militant. It’s pain being slapped back at the dominant paradigm. It’s claimed with a feeling of reverence and respect for Silvia, Marsha, Divine, and all those who had to be Queer during times of turbulent change to make it so that we can do what we do. We are Queer because we are. We cannot change it, we cannot hide it, and even in the darkest hour we don’t want to hide it because it is beautiful. I ask those who appropriate, to please leave our culture to us. We’re professional ass-eating, cunt-bumping, sounding, dick sucking, fisting, flamboyant, butch, femme, sassy, beautiful people. Admire us, enjoy our art, be our friends.

I was proud to figure out the word Queer was meant for me that day in 2nd grade. I had no idea it was wielded to hurt at times, to isolate, to make fun, to incite violence. I had no idea it meant I’d have delicious desire for others of my gender and of any/all/no gender. I had no idea it meant that it validated my knowledge of being a boy. All I knew is that it meant weird, no one else claimed it, and that it was all mine.

Happy Pride month, be well.

Tune in Next week for episode 2 : The Godfather of the gays: Magnus Hirschfeld.

Thanks for reading Queer Story! Stay gay, you hotties!

#queerstorypodcast gay queer lgbtq lgbtqia trans transgender deafqueers @transcrip #transcript

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