Those Forgotten Gay Films

Yeah, I know - I've told a few people I wouldn't add to the seemingly endless posts about Brokeback Mountain. I swear, sometimes it seems like everyone either thinks it's the best movie ever made, or the worst. Me? I haven't seen it yet, and am patiently waiting for it to come out on DVD next week.

Many of those who love Brokeback Mountain seem to think it is the first gay movie ever made. Or, maybe they think it's the only gay movie that ever won an award. I hate to say this - but both statements are wrong. Here's a short list of a few movies you may like: (in no particular order)

The Crying Game (1992) - was one of those movies that most people never would have noticed had it not been nominated for six Academy Awards. (Best Editing, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor (Jaye Davidson), Actor (Stephen Rea), Best Director (Neil Jordan), and Best Picture.) It did, in fact, win for Best Original Screenplay. It's the story of what happens when a kidnap victim befriends one of his IRA Terrorist captors and asks that after they kill him, that the guy go find his girlfriend and let her know he was thinking of her when he died. The terrorist guy does exactly this, but falls for the guy's girlfriend - only to find they have a lot more in common than they realize (wink) … Yes, there are some gay twists. And not just Lyle Lovett singing "Stand By Your Man" either.

Boys Don't Cry (1999) - is yet one more of those gay movies that had it not been for the Academy Awards, nobody would have seen it. Hillary Swank (who later went on to do it again with Million Dollar Baby) did win the Best Actress award. The movie is supposedly based on the true story of Brandon Teena/Teena Brandon - although I highly disagree with that. You can read my article on that here. If you forget that it is supposed to be a true story, Swank does an amazing job transforming herself into Teena/Brandon, and did deserve to beat out people like Anette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Meryl Streep for that Best Actress Award.

Angels In America (2003) - Staring Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Emma Thompson, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Mary Louise Parker, Meryl Streep, Mary Louise Parker, Emma Thompson and … ok, just watch the movie and you'll understand. The movie totally swept up multiple awards at both the Golden Globes and the Emmy Awards (Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, just to name a few) I was a little reluctant at first to watch the six hour movie, but honestly after those six hours were over, I wish it could go on another six hours. The play (and therefore the movie as well) is just so F'int brillant, you just can't get enough.

The Children's Hour (1961) - Wait a minute. Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine as lesbian lovers? Maybe, just maybe. It isn't the best movie Hepburn or MacLaine ever made, but it was a movie from the 60s (and a play from even before then) that dealt with topics like lesbianism.

To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar (1995) - might not be one of the best films ever, but it isn't all that bad. In fact, I think that both Patric Swayze and Wesley Snipes did a little too good of a job playing drag queens. Stockard Channing and Blythe Danner are awesome as well, and the cameo apperances from people such as RuPaul and Robin Williams (who plays John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt) and of course, Julie Newmar, make this movie quite fun.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert (1994) - When Terrance Stamp, Hugo Weaving, and Guy Pearce all play drag queens, you'd better expect something a little different - and that pretty much discribes Priscilla. Ok, Priscilla was the bus, but you know what I mean.

In And Out (1997) - Debbie Reynolds in a gay movie? Ain't going to happen. Just kidding. You know we love you, Debbie, more than we love our luggage. Kevin Kline does an awesome job trying to convince us his character is straight, just as Tom Selleck does an awesome job trying to convince us his character is gay. I'm not sure if Joan Cusack is really doomed to only marry gay guys, but …

Six Degrees of Seperation (1993) - Will Smith in this movie plays a gay man. Well, he plays a guy who likes to have gay sex when he's happy. His sexuality is kind of a side point considering what else the character does and stands for (claiming to be Sidney Poitier's son). It is, still, a movie that one ought to catch.

Far From Heaven (2002) - This was one of those movies I almost passed by before I realized it might be interesting. Once I started watching it, I couldn't turn away. Julianne Moore plays a woman who discovers her husband's homosexuality (the hard way) and deals with it by having an affair with a black man. Did I mention that the story takes place in the 1950s?

Basic Instinct (1992) - Who can forget all the bisexual hoopla over Basic Instinct - not to mention the protests from that group calling themselves Catherine Did It. Yeah, I know - their attempts to boycott the film just made everyone want to see it more. Oops.

Desert Hearts (1985) - This Mid-80s lesbian drama is a great film and proves that homosexuality can exist on the screen and not be offensive. (Ok, as a gay man, I almost find that the legnthy lesbian sex scene was a bit … ok, maybe not.)

But I Am A Cheerleader (1999) - This was another one of those movies I didn't think much of until I reluctantly started to watch it - and found it to be much better than I feared. Ok, any film where RuPaul plays a "heterosexual" has got to be interesting, although she's (I mean, he's) no match for Cathy Moriarty.

Even Cowgirls Get The Blues (1993) - Uma Thurman as a girl with big thumbs, based on the Tom Robbins novel, and if that isn't enough for you, I have but three more words for you. Lesbian Dude Ranch.

Midnight In The Garden of Good And Evil (1997) - Clint Eastwood (Dirty Harry himself) directed this movie, a supposedly true story based on John Berendt's bestselling book. Yes, Jude Law does play a gay guy (which isn't really all surprising, considering he's done that several times) but I think the real star of the show is Miss Chablis - a character so unique that they couldn't find anyone good enough to play her, so they got her to play herself.

And The Band Played On (1993) - Let's say I told you there was a gay movie with everyone (pretty much) who's anyone in it? I'm talking Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Phil Collins, Richard Gere, Angelica Houston, Steve Martin, Ian McKellen, Lily Tomlin, D.B. Wong, Swoosie Kurtz. The only person you swore shoulda been in the movie but isn't was Mary Louise Parker, but we forgive her after such amazing performances in both Angels In America and Boys On The Side. The book by Randy Shultz is classic, and can't be compared to the movie, however this film is one of the best and most honest portrayals of the AIDS Crisis in the early 80s.

The Da Vinci Code Controversy

Before I start posting, let me state once and for all that I am not anti-religion. Nor am I anti-Christian, or anti-catholic, or anti-anything really. The only philosophy I have a huge problem with is One-True-Wayism (Our way is the only possible way and everyone else must conform to our standards.)

Personally, I loved reading The Da Vinci Code, and thought it was a great read. It told an amazing story that presented a different view on accepted history. It contained many of the elements I like in a book - mystery, intrigue, a fast paced tour through some pretty awesome places that I'll likely not see anytime soon. (Hey! I would love to pack my bags and head to Paris to tour the Louvre, but the good old bank account just won't let me.) There are very few books of that length that I can sit down and read in pretty much one setting, but The Da Vinci Code was one of them.

Part of the fun with The Da Vinci Code is trying to tell historical fact from historical fiction. (In case you're one of the last people on the planet to read the book and don't know the secret, I'm trying not to say.) But, part of the controversies is that the book points to things that Jesus may (or may not) have done or been a part of.

There are those who claim that Jesus didn't do the stuff Dan Brown says he did because it wasn't written in the bible - and I just don't get that argument at all. There's absolutely no reference to Jesus at all being ten years old, so therefore Jesus was never a ten year old, hunh?

The book also paints a picture of Christian History that is vastly different than what is taught in Churches all around the world. The Da Vinci Code nitpicks events through history to tell its story.

To me, what's important isn't necessarily in the data, but rather in the quest. It makes no difference to me whatsoever if things happened the way the bible says it did. We're constantly learning new things that shape our impressions of historical events all the time - so why should the life and times of Jesus be any different?

In my opinion, when people are able to think for themselves, it's a good thing. Whenever anybody stops people from being able to think for themselves, it's not a good thing. So why not bring on the debate. Maybe we can all learn something in the process.

Obscenity, Texas Style

In suburban Fort Worth, Texas - there's an obscenity war going on. Apparently, they sent undercover officers into a place called the Log Cabin (an adult book and video store) and had them purchase a few questionable items. They brought these items back to the judge, who felt they violated the state's obscenity law - and issued arrest warrants.

I am just outraged!!! You mean to tell me you can buy adult toys at that store with the big red XXX on the sign? Phew! I'm glad you told me this now. I was planning on taking the kids one of these days. I'd= heard they might have these little booths where you can watch movies, and … it's always such a nightmare when the oldest wants to watch Cinderella, the youngest wants to watch The Little Mermaid, and we've only got one TV. I was complaining just the other day that I wish there was a place where we could take the kids where each one could watch a different movie…

Ok. Just kidding.

Personally, I am of the school of thought that says if you don't like a restaurant, eat somewhere else. If you don't like a certain type of music, find a different radio station that you like more. If you don't like a movie, don't buy the DVD. And, for Pete's sake, if you don't like to watch men in dresses lip sync to Barbra Streisand or Celine Dion, please don't go to a drag show.

Sure, I can understand some people don't approve of the kinds of things that happen on the stage at the Live Nude Girls Emporium, but as long as nobody gets hurt, is it really all that big of a deal? I don't like the message of hate and intolerance they teach in a lot of Churches - but you don't see anybody trying to close them all down, do you?

It is for this very reason, in fact, that I think that there is more to this than anyone admits to. If they are really trying to shut down places that go against their religious values, why stop just at adult bookstores (or gay establishments?)

Why not try to shut down churches that teach different values? Why not shut down metaphysical bookstores that teach about witchcraft (Doesn't the bible say you shouldn't suffer a witch to live?) Now that paganism and new age thought is growing in popularity, isn't that a bigger threat than a box of realistic looking dildos or live nude dancing girls?

The Terri Schiavo Debate Continues (Dateline)

Tonight, on NBC's Dateline, Michael Schiavo told his side of the story. While it was somewhat interesting to hear him speak - there were just so many issues the show didn't focus on. Then again, I don't blame them.

The Schiavo story first hit the air at a time when so many of us were focused on the topic of gay marriage. And many people kept saying the same things over and over again, like a mantra. 'Marriage is only between a man and a woman.' Or, my favorite, 'There is nothing more sacred than the union between man and woman, husband and wife.'

Or, maybe they should have said that there wasn't anything as sacred as the union between husband and wife, unless you're a Schiavo. Because some of those people who kept going on about the sacred union of marriage changed their tune when someone wanted to pull the feeding tubes out of his brain-dead wife.

So, what I want to know is: Just how sacred is that union between man and woman when they had to ask the government to change the laws, just for them?

And that was another thing that pissed me off. If I don't like the way the law works, that's just too bad because as long as the law is there, I need to obey it. I can take the necessary steps (and time, let's not forget time) to change that law.

But, that's not what happened here. A few people who did not like that the marriage laws weren't on their side did everything they could to swing people in their direction - and that included passing special legislation that applies only to them.

In my opinion, laws should be laws, even if we don't like them. The law should be applied the same way to everyone, regardless of their gender or race or religion (or sexual orientation, although that really doesn't apply here in the Schaivo case.)

Either there is a sacred connection between man and wife or there isn't. It isn't fair to the rest of us to pick and choose those times when there is a sacred bond.

A wise person (ok, it was Joan Allen in The Contender) once said that Principles only mean something if you stick by them when it is inconvenient. And that is something I do believe!

An Old Story, I know…

On March 2, 2006, the ACLU filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against a West Virginia Police Chief who they say forced the friend of a gay man having a heart attack to stop performing CPR because the officer assumed he was HIV Positive. (You can read the ACLU Press Release Here, or the details again, according to the ACLU)

While the police officer says the accusations are untrue, the lawyer for the ACLU says they have several witnesses to the alleged events. Either way - it will be interesting to see this one played out.

USA Today reported that police said that safety concerns should not be ignored, quoting Jim Pasco, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police, as saying that he stresses the need for caution, no matter if its needle pricks or CPR.

The problem is that according to the American Heart Association, there has yet to be a single case of anyone getting HIV from performing CPR. They also point out that there are simple ways to protect yourself if there are health concerns.

That Green was not HIV positive is another issue all together. The story is that the only reason the police assumed Green had HIV was because he was gay. Granted, HIV was once prediminately a gay disease - but those days are long over.

Because the number of HIV cases involving blacks is on a rise, does this mean that it will be ok to deny them CPR now? Nope - I didn't think so.

As I said earlier - it will be fascinating to see how this one turns out…