tagged w/ Gay Issues
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“Homophobia” is an intensely dramatic short film by Austrian writer-director Gregor Schmidinger, which was released last week in support of The International Day Against Homophobia. The film deals with a theme that’s of major concern in our present-day political and social worlds: homophobia, the fear of homosexuals and of their way of life. “Homophobia” also deals with a perhaps even deeper issue: the fear of oneself being homosexual.
The film tells the story of an adolescent boy serving in the Austrian Military Forces, who experiences homosexual feelings towards one of his comrades. It’s their last night serving on the Austrian-Hungarian border, where they are socially isolated and armed with loaded weapons. On their final patrol, underlying tensions reach a climax, and the young boy must confront both the judgements of others and his own self-understanding.
“Homophobia” explores the difficulties faced by many young homosexuals, and, in a wider sense, outsiders who have to fight against social disapproval. While the subject of fear, persecution and coming out is familiar territory in gay cinema, “Homophobia” takes this important topic and, by telling a compellingly intense story focused on a single main character, is successfully able to universalize it.
This piece includes color photographs, as well as the fiercely poignant short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2012/05/24/homophobia-pathos-and-the-culture-of-fear/“Homophobia” is an intensely dramatic short film by Austrian... more
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Unfortunately, there are still many teens that grow up in conservative households and in small towns and other rural areas that being gay can be much like it was when I was growing up. Just imagine what it would be like to grow up with a mother like Michelle Bachmann who would rather believe that “being gay” is something you can overcome, or even pray awayUnfortunately, there are still many teens that grow up in conservative households and... more
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The 42nd Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade kicks off from the northside Lakeview neighborhood at noon on Sunday, led by Chicago’s new mayor, Rahm Emanuel. It will be the first time in a long time that a sitting mayor has appeared in the parade, a salute to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.
Emanuel is a regular at the parade, having appeared at the festivities almost every year while he served in Congress. He has been a relentless advocate of gay causes, including HIV/AIDS funding, civil unions and gay marriage. Joining him in the parade will be Governor Pat Quinn, recently who signed the Illinois civil union legislation, as Illinois became the sixth state to allow civil unions or their equivalent, giving same-sex couples the same state-level rights that come with marriage.
The parade usually draws around a half-million celebrants, but coming right on the heels of winning the long-sought right for same-sex couples to enter into civil unions and the historic passage of the New York bill allowing same sex marriage Friday night, this parade is expected to swell far beyond a half-million rainbow-clad spectators.
This piece includes a number of color photographs and two parade videos.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/06/26/mayor-rahm-emanuel-leads-chicagos-42nd-annual-gay-pride-parade/The 42nd Annual Chicago Gay Pride Parade kicks off from the northside Lakeview... more
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The New York Senate voted on Friday to legalize gay marriage, a breakthrough victory for the gay-rights movement in the state where it got its start. New York became the sixth state where gay couples can wed, and by far the biggest. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who campaigned on the issue last year, has promised to sign it. Gay weddings could begin 30 days after that.
Although New York is a relative latecomer in allowing gay marriage, it is considered an important prize for advocates, given the state’s size and New York City’s international stature and its role as the birthplace of the gay-rights movement, which is said to have started with the Stonewall riots in Greenwich Village in 1969.
Gay-rights advocates are hoping the vote will galvanize the movement around the country and help it regain momentum after an almost identical bill was defeated in New York in 2009 and similar measures failed in 2010 in New Jersey and this year in Maryland and Rhode Island.
This piece includes photographs and two documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/06/24/new-york-senate-votes-36-26-to-approve-gay-marriage/The New York Senate voted on Friday to legalize gay marriage, a breakthrough victory... more
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“Sequoïa Snail” is a very funny one-minute animated short film by the French design group Marcel. In the film, a poor little gay snail faces the camera to share his doubts, problems and worries about being gay in the midst of the harsh world of the animal kingdom.
This piece includes color photographs, as well as the humorous animated short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/06/17/the-very-sad-confessions-of-a-gay-snail/“Sequoïa Snail” is a very funny one-minute animated short film by the... more
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Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart,” which originally was performed at New York City’s Public Theater in 1985, won the 2011 Tony Award for revival of a play. The play is considered to be a literary landmark, contending with the AIDS crisis when few would speak of the disease afflicting gay men, including gays themselves. It remains the longest-running play ever staged at the Public Theater.
In addition, Ellen Barkin and John Benjamin Hickey both won Tony Awards for their performances in “The Normal Heart.” Producer Daryl Roth accepted the award, but it was the playwright Larry Kramer, an outspoken gay activist for many years, who received the biggest welcome from the audience. The writer exhorted the gay community to “carry on the fight,” adding that “our day will come.”
The stunning, pulse-pounding ensemble drama tells the groundbreaking story of love, rage and pride as it follows a group of New Yorkers confronting the AIDS crisis in the early 1980s. The story of a city in denial, “The Normal Heart” unfolds like a real-life political thriller, as a tight-knit group of friends refuses to let doctors, politicians and the press bury the truth of an unspoken epidemic behind a wall of silence. A quarter-century after it was written, this unflinching, and totally unforgettable look at the sexual politics of New York City during the AIDS crisis remains one of the theater’s most powerful evenings ever.
This piece includes a number of color photographs, as well as three documentary short films.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2011/06/13/broadway-revival-of-larry-kramers-the-normal-heart-wins-three-2011-tony-awards/Larry Kramer’s “The Normal Heart,” which originally was performed at... more
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Cash-strapped states are scaling back efforts to provide life-saving medicines to HIV patients.
The result: more than 8,300 people — a record number — are on waiting lists in 13 states to get antiretrovirals and other drugs used to treat HIV and AIDS or the side effects, mental health conditions or opportunistic infections. And that number probably understates the need, say advocates, who note that many states have simply eliminated waiting lists or reduced eligibility.
States that have changed their eligibility programs or don’t have a waiting list, or some states have disenrolled their patients, that’s a kind of silent crisis, I think,” said Jeff Graham, executive director of Georgia Equality, an advocacy group on gay issues. His state holds the second-highest number of patients on a waiting list: 1,520.
In recent weeks:
l Illinois tightened the eligibility for the state program that helps HIV patients pay for their medications. On July 1, the cutoff for the program will fall from an annual income of 500 percent of the federal poverty level, or $54,450, to $32,670.
l Georgia cut $100,000 from its program, which serves 4,300 people.
l Florida, which already has the nation’s longest waiting list for HIV prescription drug assistance, held public hearings as officials consider cutting the eligibility threshold in half to $21,780 or less in annual income.
l Utah and Alabama are reopening their waiting lists.
AIDS drug assistance programs, or ADAPs, pay for HIV medications for low-income patients when they cannot afford the drugs and don’t have insurance or have limited coverage that fails to include the cost of the drugs. Nearly 174,000 people are covered by the programs, according to the most recent information from the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD).
Murray Penner, deputy executive director of NASTAD, said the average annual cost for ADAP drugs is $11,388 per person, but that is significantly less than individuals trying to buy their own drugs would pay.
The federal government provides the bulk of the ADAP financing through the Ryan White Care Act. This year the budget is $885 million, $25 million more than last year, according to Brandon Macsata, chief executive of the ADAP Advocacy Association. Many states supplement the funding.
But the number of people seeking help is rising after the recession pushed millions of people out of work and cut their insurance coverage. And the downturn in the economy has created budget shortfalls for states and limited their ability to help those patients.
ADAP is not an entitlement program, so even applicants who are qualified can be turned away or put on waiting lists if funding is not available.
Advocacy groups say the pullback by states is shortsighted: HIV patients who get the antiretroviral drugs are generally able to manage their disease, allowing them to continue working and keeping long-term medical costs down for the state. New research even suggests that people put on medication immediately after being diagnosed are less likely to spread the disease.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health/states-cut-back-efforts-to-provide-drugs-for-hiv-aids/2011/05/20/AFYGRK9G_story.htmlCash-strapped states are scaling back efforts to provide life-saving medicines to HIV... more
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bambuu
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added this
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1 year ago
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With his signature today, President Obama put in motion the end of the Pentagon’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, which has hurt our military as a whole, has forced thousands of those who serve to do so under a cloud of anxiety and isolation, and has stood as a symbol of the barriers to unity and equality in our country. As the President put it, “For we are not a nation that says, ‘don’t ask, don’t tell.’ We are a nation that says, ‘Out of many, we are one.’”
During the signing ceremony in a packed auditorium at the Interior Department, President Obama said, “No longer will tens of thousands of Americans in uniform be asked to live a lie or look over their shoulder.” Quoting the Chairman of his Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, Pres. Obama went on to declare, “Our people sacrifice a lot for their country, including their lives. None of them should have to sacrifice their integrity as well.”
This piece includes a number of high resolution color photographs, as well as the video of the signing ceremony.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/12/22/president-obama-signs-repeal-of-dont-ask-dont-tell-out-of-many-we-are-one/With his signature today, President Obama put in motion the end of the... more
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In a major victory for gay rights advocates as well as President Obama, the Senate on Saturday repealed the ban on gay men and lesbians serving openly in the military. The repeal of DADT closed a 17-year struggle over a policy that forced thousands of Americans to leave the ranks of the military and caused others to keep secret their sexual orientation.
By a vote of 65 to 31, the Senate approved and sent to President Obama a repeal of the Clinton-era law, known as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” a policy that critics said amounted to government-sanctioned discrimination, which treated gay and lesbian troops as second-class citizens. The President is expected to sign the measure into law next week, delivering Pres. Obama a victory on one of his chief campaign promises.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution photographs, a memorable slide show and two videos, including a music video.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/12/18/senate-strikes-down-dont-ask-dont-tell-policy/In a major victory for gay rights advocates as well as President Obama, the Senate on... more
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“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a deeply touching series of portraits by Jeff Sheng, photographs of gay men and lesbians serving in the military, all of them in uniform and with their faces obscured in some way, by a hand, a door frame or by darkness. The portraits are pervaded by a sense of lonely sadness and isolation.
Mr. Sheng has described his subjects, identified only by first names that are pseudonyms, as people who “didn’t want to risk their careers, but who wanted to take some kind of stand.” Earnest and passionate about his work, Mr. Sheng said he struggles to avoid being heavy-handed as an artist. “I merge a fight for social equality with photography, but I’m always trying to figure out how to do it intelligently,” he said.
This piece includes a number of high-resolution color photographs, a slide show and a music video.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/10/08/dadt-we-have-to-give-them-hope/“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is a deeply touching series of... more
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“575 Castro St.” is an extremely moving documentary short film by Jenni Olson, set in the Castro Camera Store where Harvey Milk lived and worked during the late 1970s. The sensibility of “575 Castro St.” hearkens back to the style of the dozens of Super-8 gay short films of the 1970s that passed through Harvey Milk’s hands to be processed and developed at the Castro Camera Store. The film is especially poignant in light of the recent suicide of Tyler Clementi, as well as the suicides of other young people. This film was shot with audio of Harvey Milk from a 1977 recording, outlining Harvey’s wishes in the event of his assassination.
“575 Castro St.” reveals the play of light and shadow upon the walls of the Castro Camera Store set for Gus Van Sant’s film “Milk.” The mundane shots are almost bereft of movement and sound. So quiet, so still. All the better to showcase the range of emotions evoked by Harvey Milk’s words on the soundtrack. He concludes his comments by telling listeners that the gay movement, or his efforts as a part of that movement, is mainly about giving young people hope. And that message remains an ever so important one today: “You gotta’ give them hope.”
This piece includes a number of high-resolution photographs, the documentary and another short film.
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/10/03/575-castro-street-its-about-giving-young-people-hope/“575 Castro St.” is an extremely moving documentary short film by Jenni... more
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This is a memorial for Tyler Clementi, who was an 18-year-old Rutgers University freshman when he jumped from the George Washington Bridge in an apparent suicide in September 2010, days after he had been secretly filmed during an intimate encounter which was then broadcast on the Internet.
This piece includes a color photograph, a video message from Ellen DeGeneres and a music video, “The Gorecki Symphony No. 3: Symphony of Sorrowful Songs."
http://disembedded.wordpress.com/2010/10/02/in-memoriam-tyler-clementi-1992-2010/This is a memorial for Tyler Clementi, who was an 18-year-old Rutgers University... more
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I don't know, I guess it was just something I was thinking about randomly.
What convinces someone in their mind to like the same sex as them?
Is it that the want to be with someone that goes through the same things as them?
Is it because it's just, well, easier?
Why is it?
Just curious to see how different people think on this certain thing.I don't know, I guess it was just something I was thinking about randomly.... more
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"Tony Kushner's early-1990s play was of its moment, but its influence is felt today in such plays as 'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo' and 'The Language Archive...'
...None of these dramatists is setting out to ape Kushner. But structurally and substantively they have learned from him. Most impressively, they have found ways of balancing their anxiety of influence (to borrow Harold Bloom's catchy phrase to describe the Oedipal nature of a writer's relationship to his or her predecessors) with their openness to keen sources of inspiration.
These plays, which strive for an elusive ideal rather than settling for a more commercially viable status quo, aren't likely to follow in the heralded Broadway footsteps of Kushner, who has returned there in a major way only once, with the musical "Caroline, or Change." But they attest to the strength of the example set for them.
Fortunately, as we wait for Kushner's latest play ("The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism With a Key to the Scriptures") to have its New York unveiling next spring, "Angels" continues to surprise us with the vitality of its afterlife. When I watched the 2003 HBO-miniseries adaptation directed by Mike Nichols, I was struck by how well the characters had endured beyond their chronologically specific crises. True, it helps to have an ensemble featuring Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Mary-Louise Parker and Emma Thompson, but the roles invite actors to wholly inhabit them with their textured life.
If any more proof of the relevance of Kushner's masterwork is needed, look what's become one of the hottest tickets in New York next fall: the Signature Theater Company's off-Broadway production of "Angels," both parts performed in rep as part of its season devoted to the playwright. The chance to revisit history is certainly one of the attractions, but searing drama is what gets a box office buzzing.""Tony Kushner's early-1990s play was of its moment, but its influence is... more
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"Meet Devin & Glenn--two gents who met, fell in love, got married, and then had to deal with the consequences of that decision. From obnoxious in-laws (Tom Arnold) to passive aggressive fights over dinner, Devin & Glenn have the same problems that most married couples deal with--and that's the point. The folks behind this video wanted to show that marriage is marriage regardless of the sexuality of its inhabitants. Their campaign, "Make Homosexuals Marry," was created to "keep the 'No on 8' debate active in hopes that, through humor, a dialogue continues," said writers/directors Will Speck and Josh Gordon. The small group behind this video worked entirely for free--everyone from actors to craft service donated their efforts." -- The Huffington Post
Is this effective? What do you think?
http://FunnyOrDie.com/m/40fc"Meet Devin & Glenn--two gents who met, fell in love, got married, and then... more
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In partnership with Gaydar [ http://gaydar.co.uk ]
‘I’m Coming Out’ is a brand new one hour documentary which follows two men at very different stages in their lives embarking on emotional and psychological journeys as they explore the possibility of revealing their true sexuality to their friends and families. Filmed over several months, the film is a sensitive and moving portrait of two men hoping to establish their full identity and at times struggling for acceptance.
I'm Coming Out
Sky channel 183
Virgin Media 155
For our hard-hitting documentary schedule and video excerpts, please join the group:
http://current.com/shows/monday/In partnership with Gaydar [ http://gaydar.co.uk ]
‘I’m Coming... more
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The current guidelines for Red Cross blood donations (as well as tissue, plasma, and in most cases sperm) prohibits men who have engaged in a sexual act with another man to donate. This policy began in the 80s when HIV/AIDs was believed to be isolated in the gay male population. Whether or not if this is a political ploy for the Kerry Camp is of little importance to those patients who need healthy donations to survive.
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/mostpopular/22740841/detail.htmlThe current guidelines for Red Cross blood donations (as well as tissue, plasma, and... more
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Canadian commentators fail to cool it with Johnny Weir jokes
If Scotty Lago has to excuse himself from the Olympic scene for buffoonish behavior, maybe broadcasters should have to, too.
The Canadian Press reports that the Quebec Council of Gays and Lesbians is going to make a complaint about French-language RDS, whose commentators Alain Goldberg and Claude Mailhot decided to go for the gold for trading in stale Johnny Weir jokes.
The pair called Weir "a bad example" and suggested he go through gender testing, like the runner Caster Semenya. After all, in no way is the latter a touchy subject.
RDS's apology addressed "tactless comments on the appearance and manner of a figure skater." The crux of the grievance, though, was the comparison to Semenya, the Canadian Press says:
[T]he mea culpas are insufficient, according to council president Steve Foster.
"They only apologized for the comments they made on his outfit," he said Saturday. "We hadn't even asked for an apology for those remarks. It's the rest of the comments: on his masculinity, his femininity, the fact he should skate as a woman."
Who knows what makes professional broadcasters think racial or sexual humor is acceptable? Being able to read off a teleprompter doesn't make you Russell Peters, pal.
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/vancouver/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/Canadian-commentators-fail-to-cool-it-with-Johnn?urn=oly,221050Canadian commentators fail to cool it with Johnny Weir jokes
If Scotty Lago has to... more
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