Coming August 26 . . . Stay Alert for Details
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queerVOICE
Equality For All
James Duggan
copyright 2010
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Two hundred and thirty-four years ago, a people
were born to independence, liberty and justice for all, on July 4. Thomas
Jefferson saw this new country as a place where there are "equal rights for
all, special privileges for none."
These "equal rights for all" are just taking longer
to reach some of us.
While the modern queer civil rights movement didn't
get started until the 1960's, we queers have been a part of the intricate fabric
we call America
since the beginning. (I wonder which founding fathers were queer and how
many there really were.) We lived here, long before the boats' carrying
the first explores and settlers arrived, as proud members of the Native
American communities.
Those same ships that arrived on these shores where
also carrying many queers to this new land. They also carried those who
harbored discrimination and hatred towards us. These individuals taught
Native Americans religious traditions and teachings that turned acceptance and
love of queers to hatred and discrimination.
In the new land of promise, we queers were outlawed
to death. We endured.
American queers are found on every battle field
this free land has ever been engaged. Soldiers, politicians, farmers, ship
builders, traders, merchants, teachers, doctors, mothers, fathers and friends
were all proud Americans-so are we today.
We survived history and began to fight for our
basic civil rights-equal rights.
Unfortunately, 234 years after this nation declared
our freedom from a tyrannical government we queers still live in a country
where we are not afforded the equal rights of full citizenship.
It can only be seen as a disgrace that we can still
be discriminated against in many states, including Pennsylvania (the "Keystone" State,
ironic-isn't it?) whose legislative leaders will not amend that State's
anti-discrimination law to include sexual orientation and gender identity.
While we have had our advancements in modern days,
there is so much further to go if we queers are ever to be treated equally to
our heterosexual counterparts.
American heterosexuals are giving special
privileges simply because of their sexuality. It is illegal to discriminate
against them in all 50 states. They are free to marry in every state and have
their union recognized in every other state. They receive tax breaks and
incentives that queers may not claim. They are allowed to make medical
decisions for their loved ones while we are told to get out. They are welcomed
into the military while we are told to shut up or be dismissed.
In 1776, Jefferson
wrote that "the ground of liberty is to be gained by inches, and we must be
content to secure what we can get from time to time and eternally press forward
for what is yet to get." (What a true visionary Jefferson
was!)
With such wisdom, we fight on for what is right
until there is "equal rights for all, special privileges for none."
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What It Looks Like From Here
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2010 |
 Frankly, I've resisted for 24 previous film
festivals "my best of" list as the programmers have worked diligently with
artistic director Raymond Murray to
select an impressive and diverse list of 125 features (or narratives, I now
prefer the latter because it's all about the telling of a story, so the second
way of categorizing a film seems more apt), documentaries and shorts that
comprise the 16th
Philadelphia QFest 2010, July 8-19.
So, I've finally succumbed to your inquires, pleas
and demands, about what films I'd
recommend. Now, from the outset, I do wish to remind you, perhaps more than
once, that it's a very subjective and personal list, based upon my own rather
far ranging and eclectic taste, that will, inevitably, not match or even, in
many cases, compliment your own taste in films.
But since you've insisted, I'll share what I think
and why.
Well, by the time you read this, You Can't Have It All, will have had
its World Premiere (one of 9 in this year's summer film festival, a record of
sorts, and one that is measurable within the world's film festival circuit),
but you'll still have a chance to catch it at 2:45 pm, July 10, at Ritz East 1,
the "sparkling wacky comedy about finding love," was co-written by me with my
writing partner, director and producer, Jay Arnold.
Bear City
 | Bear City, a witty and sexy story of
a group of big, hairy men-loving, living and learning in the Big Apple; Is It Just Me? a witty feel-good romantic
comedy about a young man in search of Mr. Right whose chance of finding true
love is upset by a case of mistaken identity; Strapped (for cash) a young male prostitute is challenged by a
number of strange tricks who instruct him on the meaning of life and even love;
Violet Tendencies, finding Mr.
Right, even Mr. Right now, is a struggle in the wide world of the Big Apple; Arias with Twist: The DocuFantasy, a
wildly enjoyable documentary about incredible performance artist Joey Arias and
his puppeteer collaborator, Basil Twist; William
s. Burroughs: A man Within, a documentary about the queer icon of the Beat
generation whose life as author, intellectual, artist, drug addict is revealed;
The Last summer of La Boyita, a
touching coming-of-age story, filled with changes, secrets and transformations,
from childhood innocence to youthful adolescence; and Beyond
Gay: The Politics of Pride, a
documentary that explores the different meanings and purposes of gay pride
celebrations, from the parties to the protests, around the world.
David's Birthday
 | David's
Birthday,
a sexy, over-the-top melodrama about a happily married man who become sexually
attracted to the ravishingly handsome son of a friend; Eyes Wide Open, a married kosher butcher with four children is
seduced by the love of a twenty-something young man amidst the backdrop of an
ultra-Orthodox community in
Jerusalem; Out of Annapolis, a
documentary distinguished by crisp story-telling and lively interviews about queer
graduates of the U. S. Naval Academy; The
String, a Tunisian love story of two young men threatened by outside forces
like Muslim cultural oppression and Western class snobbery; Straight & Butch, a documentary
with a Reality TV quality that explores local queer Caleb Butch Cordova and 12
different straight men who posed nude for his calendar and reveal themselves in
interviews; and Embraceable You, a documentary that celebrates the gay-friendly town of New Hope, PA, where
open-mindedness, acceptance and the embracing of diversity reassures us that
the world can indeed and is, in some places a better place.
Eyes Wide Open
 | What should you see at QFest 2010? How about something out of your box, try a foreign
language film from a country that you know little about, a lifestyle that you
don't personally adhere to or practice within the queer world; a genre film
that you wouldn't usually bother screening.
You should give yourself access to the different, the unusual, the
distributing, the celebratory, or even a little bit of queer history that
you're unaware or perhaps even normally uninterested.
Enjoy
in any case!
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Thom's World
Thom Cardwell
copyright 2010 |
 Within the world of Philadelphia Qfest 2010, it's kind of
unofficially Kelly McGillis Day in
our city on July 17.
The famed actress of films such as high profile
roles in Top Gun, Witness,
The Accused and, more recently,
Showtime's The L Word, will attend this summer's film festival, to be
honored with the Artistic Achievement
for Acting Award for her brilliant career and her continuing success
(rumors are that her next role will be in her first-ever horror film).
The Newport Beach, California, native journeyed across country to New York City to formally study acting at Julliard
School's Drama Division
where she began her journey into acting.
McGillis came
out during
an interview in April of 2009, confirming the lesbian rumors, and announcing
that she has now come to terms with her sexuality after a long period of time.
Admitting that she has known that she was a lesbian since she was 12 years old,
McGillis finally made the decision to
accept herself: "Life is a freaking journey about coming to terms with
who and what you are."
In addition to the award presentation, A Conversation with Kelly McGillis,
hosted by Philadelphia Inquirer's Carrie Rickey,
will be held at the Ritz East Theater
2 at 5 pm on July 17, during which she will speak about her life, acting
career, and her voyage towards self-acceptance.
For those who would like to meet McGillis in a more personal and intimate setting, following
all of the proceedings at the Ritz, there will be a benefit dinner for 25 special guests at $125 per person, with all
the proceeds going to QFest 2010, 7:30 pm, at The Prime Rib, the all-inclusive ticket includes dinner, champagne,
wine, vodka cocktails and a complimentary ticket to the award ceremony and
conversation. Tickets are available by calling 267.765.9800, ext. 237.
 QFest 2010 is produced by the
Philadelphia Cinema Alliance (PCA) along with sponsors: TLAgay.com, Loews Philadelphia
Hotel, Philadelphia Cultural Fund, Smirnoff Vodka, SmartWater, VitaminZero, Barefoot
Wine, Philadelphia Magazine, Bluecoat Gin, Voyeur Nightclub, Kevin J. Lyons
Funeral Home, 12th Street Gym, University of the Arts, Modern Eye,
FunMaps, Tavern on Camac, Tabu, ICON Magazine, QUEERtimes, and the Institute of
Contemporary Art.
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What They Said and Did!
copyrighted 2010
| It's
the stuff of a Hollywood romance only it's a
real life story about a same-sex couple.
The wedding of Mitchell Gold (of Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams), the highly
successful furniture maker, to Tom Scofield, the  former archivist for the
Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, that was featured in "Vows"
(Weddings/Celebrations, The New York Times, July 4, 2010) took place at the Des
Moines Art Center on June 19 before 92 guests.
Their initial dating, then courtship, reads like the too-perfect
screenplay for a gay romantic feature film. Of the 33-year-old Scofiled, Gold,
now 59, said that he was attracted to "his 'winsome' quality and the fact that
he seemed knowledgeable about everything from paper-making techniques to the
latest legislation on gay marriage. He was adorable as can be, but he also had
depth." Of Gold, Scofield said that he
was immediately won over by his signature "half smile" that he first noticed in
advertisements in the Mitchell Gold print advertising campaigns in national
magazines. "The world could be ending, and you wouldn't know it with
Mitchell. He's always so calm. You want
a partner like that, someone who makes you feel everything to going to all
right." Scofield proudly announced: "I'm
changing my name. My grandfather's name was named Goldberg. It's almost like
going back to my roots, in a way. I think that it's very interesting that women
are becoming liberated and keeping their names, whereas gay men are becoming
more traditional and changing their names." ________________________________________ The
Oscar-winning and often time nominated actress for two many awards to enumerate
here, Helen
"The Queen" Mirren offered up an
interview with a twist to the editors of New
York (June 29-July 5, 2010). "All that  getting
sanctioned by authority, settling down and doing the right things-well, I can't
say it appeals much. What I really fancy is getting a bit notorious." She plays
a madam of 1970's whorehouse in Reno,
Nevada in 'Love Ranch,' her
husband's film, Taylor Hackford. They've been married since 1997 but Mirren has
never before accepted a role in any of his films. She plays opposite her
on-screen husband, Joe Pesci, "an especially sleazy husband" described by
Mirren. Her madam "begins a hot love affair with a beefy boxer 30 years her
junior, played with abundant smolder by Spanish newcomer Sergio Peris Mencheta.
Of her co-star, Mirren says: "He's got a fabulous big-animal thing in that sort
of raw, brutish, ugly-beautiful way." Always struggling with her own sexuality
image on and off screen, Mirren claims her female idols: "I love bold women: Madonna and Scarlett Johansson-sexy and gorgeous,
but not only that. And Miley Cyrus-fantastic! And Lady Gaga. I love that way
that's elevated pop to performance art, or dragged performance art down to pop,
or maybe made a wonderful amalgam of the two." ________________________________________ We
adore Brini
Maxwell, who you never where and when she's show up, the last night,
we shared an enjoyable evening at a benefit for the Delaware HIV Consortium,
outside Wilmington, where she, playing celebrity  host, brought style, fashion
sense, retro sensibility and fun to the evening. He seminal book, Brini Maxwell's
"Guide to Gracious Living," that has made her something of a queer icon, in her
own right, featuring her own fabulous style, entertaining, travel and otherwise
gracious living tips, even down to sharing her favorite, "doable and delicious"
recipes. The lady's got it all covered!
On June 19, she was busy entertaining and education the queer community
in Denver.
Maxwell shared some professional and personal secrets with journalist Matt
Kailey (OutFrontColorado, June 2, 2010). "I was a precocious child," she
admits, "I knew what I liked and I was very definite about it. I never really
followed the crowd . . . I let my style steep like it was tea until it was very
strong." Of vintage, something central
to the Maxwell's style aesthetic, she explains: "I've always been fascinated by the period. The 50's, the 60's, and
early '70's were a wonderful period for design-it was really a renaissance for
design in this country. So it's exciting
to find these things because they're so well-envisioned. And it was a time when
we were looking forward to the future with a lot of anticipation and a lot of
innocence."
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Coming August 26 . . . Stay Alert for Details
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