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Gary Carnivele
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School bans Pride flags because they’re a ‘political statement’
A high school in Indiana has ordered teachers to remove Pride flags from their classrooms to “maintain viewpoint neutrality”, and students have slammed the decision.
The principal of Pendleton Heights High School, Connie Rickert, ordered three teachers to remove Pride flags from their classrooms, local newspaper The Herald Bulletin reported.
“Teachers are legally obligated to maintain viewpoint neutrality during their official duties to ensure all students can focus on learning and we can maintain educational activities and school operations,” she stated. “Our counselors are trained to respond to any student who desires support.”
Despite outrage from students, other senior staff also issued statements about the ban, with one comparing the Pride flag to a white supremacy flag. One student slammed the comparison, telling The Indianapolis Star: “One is about inclusiveness and the other is about hate.”
The president of the board of trustees for the local district wrote in an email to parents: “The issue with displaying the flag in a school is a double-edged sword.
“If an LGBTQ+ flag is allowed to be displayed, then any other group would have the same ability. That could include such flags as supporting white supremacy, which is in direct conflict with LGBTQ+. I hope we can model equality and support through our actions.”
Student Bryce Axel-Adams started an online petition, calling for the school board to officially allow Pride flags in classrooms. At the time of writing, it has more than 3,500 signatures.
Bryce wrote: “Having a pride flag is one of the clearest ways to say, ‘I support you, and I’m here for you. You are loved.’
“That is so important for LGBTQ+ youth, we have always been told that teachers will always be there for us, and being able to easily identify teachers we can safely go to is extremely important to our mental health.”
Bryce later added that they had received an update from the school administrators saying they had changed their stance, and weren’t banning the flags because they are “political speech”, but to
“avoid a discrimination lawsuit”.
The petition received a number of heart-warming responses from teachers in other districts, Pendleton alumni and other students.
Much-loved trans woman Thomas Hardin among victims of killing spree
Thomas Hardin, a 35-year-old trans woman, was murdered this month in a brutal killing spree across two US states.
Hardin, described by those who knew her as an affable wisecracker, was killed at her home in York, South Carolina on 2 May. Local officials have not confirmed a cause of death, but witnesses say she was shot.
It’s believed that she was killed by a man she had been romantically involved with, and who is also accused of shooting two other people that same day.
The suspect, Tyler Terry, has been linked to killings across both South Carolina and in St Louis, Missouri. The pair, friends and neighbours claimed, and “had a falling out” after Hardin asked Perry to move out.
A woman named Adrienne Simpson has also been charged in the murder of one of the victims – her own husband, Eugene Simpson.
An arrest warrant alleged she and Terry shot Eugene that night and dumped his body on Stroad Road, with the pair compared to Bonnie and Clyde by investigators, WSNC said.
erry and Simpson then became the top suspects in the killing of Barbara Goodkin in St Louis County on 15 May.
Police tracked the pair down at a Bojangles restaurant parking lot in Richburg, South Carolina, on 17 May only for a high-speed chase to ensue.
Shots were fired by Terry at Chest County deputies during the chase, denting multiple police vehicles.
Simpson was arrested that night after crashing the car along Highway Nine, having since been charged with accessory, but Terry fled from the scene.
But following a sprawling, days-long search effort which saw the FBI assist, the Chester County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Monday (24 May) that “Terry is in custody”.
“No shots were fired by any party,” it wrote. “Everyone (including Terry) is safe.”
What happened to Thomas Hardin?
At around 8:40pm, York Police officers arrived at Hardin’s home along Lowry Road for a wellbeing check after concerned friends had not heard from her for nearly a day.
Hardin’s vehicle was parked outside the home and the door was ajar, police said.
“It wasn’t normal,” Hardin’s friend, Chimere Hicks, told WIS 10 News. “We knew something was wrong then and we [she and Hardin’s cousin] both started crying.
“I think the police made a comment like, ‘oh my gosh’, when he went in. And we knew then.”
“He had put Tyler out of his house months ago,” Hicks added.
“He was giving him a place to stay because he didn’t have anywhere to live. And it just wasn’t working out and so he put him out.
“He [Terry] would always send him [Hardin] threatening messages, calling him names, just doing a lot of things to him.
“I just kept telling Thomas it’s not safe. You know you come home at night. But he always said no I’m not scared of him.”
Loved ones and law enforcement said that Hardin used both she/her and he/him pronouns. “He would say he or she,” Hicks said.
“Thomas didn’t care. When I’m talking to him, sometimes I’m saying he, sometimes I’m saying she. He did not care.”
Hardin’s tragic and turbulent death brings with it for many activists a disturbing sense of familiarity.
Following an already record-breaking 2020, this year has seen an alarming surge in transphobic violence and killings that put 2021 on pace to become the most deadly year yet for trans folk, activists warn.
According to the Human Rights Campaign, which closely tracks the wave of brutality, this year has seen “at least” 26 trans, non-binary and gender non-conforming people killed – not counting Hardin.
The spate of violence, it says, is no doubt even higher considering that misgendering and deadnaming remains rife in police and press reports.
In five months the community has mourned: Tyianna Alexandra, Samuel Edmund Damián Valentín, Bianca Bankz, Dominique Jackson, Fifty Bandz, Alexus Braxton, Chyna Carrillo, Jeffrey ‘JJ’ Bright, Jasmine Cannady, Jenna Franks, Diamond ‘Kyree’ Sanders, Rayanna Pardo, Dominique Lucious, Jaida Peterson, Remy Fennell, Tiara Banks, Natalia Smüt, Iris Santos, Tiffany Thomas, Jahaira DeAlto Balenciaga, Keri Washington, Sophie Vásquez, Danny Henson, Whispering Bear Spirit, Serenity Hollis and Oliver Taylor.
Nearly 1 in 10 teens identify as gender-diverse in Pittsburgh study
The number of young people who are gender-diverse — including transgender, nonbinary and genderqueer — may be significantly higher than previously thought, according to a new study.
Researchers in Pittsburgh found that nearly 1 in 10 students in over a dozen public high schools identified as gender-diverse — five times the current national estimates. Gender diversity refers to people whose gender identities or gender expressions differ from the sexes they were assigned at birth, according to the American Psychological Association.
In a report published this week in the journal Pediatrics, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the UCLA School of Medicine analyzed 3,168 student surveys culled from 13 Pittsburgh high schools.
In all, 291 participants, or 9.2 percent, reported incongruities between their sexes assigned at birth and their experienced gender identities. Of those gender-diverse youths, about 30 percent expressed transmasculine identities and about 39 percent expressed transfeminine identities. People with nonbinary identities were about 31 percent of the total.
The overall figure is vastly higher than the roughly 2 percent cited in most national estimates.
The lead author, Dr. Kacie Kidd, a pediatrician and adolescent medicine fellow at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, said that’s because earlier researchers — including those behind the Youth Risk Behavior Survey of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — didn’t use the right terminology or methodology.
The risk behavior survey is a biennial assessment providing vital insights into the sexual behavior, substance use, mental health and violence victimization of young Americans. The 2017 edition, given to 118,803 students ages 14 to 18 from 10 states and nine large urban school districts, was the first and only one to date to include a question about gender identity, but it simply asked, “Do you identify as transgender?” and gave respondents the option to reply “yes,” “no” or “I’m not sure.”
“Of course, not everyone who is gender-diverse identifies as transgender,” Kidd said. “We worried that that language didn’t encompass the breadth of gender-diverse identities we see, particularly in young people.”
So Kidd and her colleagues added a two-part gender identity question in their survey: (1) “What is your sex (the sex you were assigned at birth, on your birth certificate)?” with options for “female” and “male,” and (2) “Which of the following best describes you (select all that apply)?” with the options “girl,” “boy,” “trans girl,” “trans boy,” “genderqueer,” “nonbinary” and “another identity.”
Although the data come from a single school district, the authors write, “the findings may approximate a less biased estimate of the prevalence of youth with gender-diverse identities.”
Kidd said the findings also underscore racial and ethnic disparities in access to gender-affirmative care: The population Kidd and her colleagues see at their clinic are mostly “masc-identified and white,” she said. “And that is just not the data that we’re seeing in our study.”
According to the survey, just 7.1 percent of gender-diverse youths identified as white, compared to 9.9 percent who identified as Black, 14.4 percent as Hispanic, 8.7 percent as multiracial and 13.4 percent as another race.
But, Kidd said, the vast majority of young people who walk through the door of the university’s gender and sexual development clinic are “white, upper-middle-class, masc-identified youth.”
“That’s reflective of gender centers and clinics across the country,” she said. “It makes us question why we’re not seeing more gender-diverse young people of color or who are nonbinary or femme-identified.”
Of course, not all gender-diverse youths want or need services, she added, “but we know that gender-diverse young people face health disparities as a whole and that young people of color also face more health disparities.”
“The intersection of those two communities is one of concern for us,” she said. “We need to make sure that we are serving all of the young people who would benefit from the care we provide.”
The study was published as lawmakers across the U.S. are introducing a raft of measures to ban or limit gender-affirming care for minors and restrict transgender students’ participation in school sports.
“These kinds of policies further limit our ability to provide care to young people and increase the discriminatory rhetoric and health disparities, frankly, that these young people face,” Kidd said.
Numerous leading medical organizations, including the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend access to comprehensive, gender-affirming and developmentally appropriate care for trans and gender-diverse young people.
“We know it’s beneficial for young people — it’s lifesaving,” Kidd said. “But our political climate is not one that is supportive of these young people.”
Even if the 2 percent figure is more accurate, she added, “we still need to support that population.”
“But the fact that that prevalence, at least in our data, is much higher is important, because it suggests there are many, many more young people who will be harmed by the legislative efforts of folks who truly don’t understand them,” she said.
Kidd also hopes her findings encourage pediatric care providers to ask patients about their gender identities and discuss gender diversity in an affirming way.
“We need to support young people who have questions or who may experience things like gender dysphoria,” she said. “More importantly, we need to be advocates, asking questions and sharing information without waiting to be asked about it.”
Germany To Compensate Soldiers Fired For Being Gay
Reuters reports:
German lawmakers voted for legislation on Thursday to rehabilitate soldiers who for decades faced discrimination, discharge or convictions on the basis of their sexual orientation.
Until the year 2000, Germany’s military considered that homosexuals posed a threat to the discipline of the troops and were not suitable as superior officers. Gay soldiers could be denied promotions, discharged from military service or even criminally convicted.
Under the new law, soldiers can ask for such convictions to be expunged, and they are entitled to some financial compensation.
Read the full article.
LGBQ people are six times more likely than the general public to be stopped by police.
Research has shown that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) youth and adults are disproportionately incarcerated. The root cause of LGBQ overrepresentation in the criminalization system is unclear, but scholars and advocates have pointed to police surveillance as one important factor.12 Reviews of LGBQ people’s experiences with police indicate a history of targeted surveillance—much of this documented in public spaces, like parks, and sex work domains.3 Here we present findings of a study of frequency and types of police interactions in a national probability sample of LGBQ people (Generations study). We compare these findings to results from the Police-Public Contact Survey (PPCS)—a survey of the U.S. general population conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (see the Methods Note below for additional methodological details).
Results
Prevalence of contacts with the police
A larger proportion of LGBQ adults compared with the general population reported contacts with the police over a one-year period. This included being approached by the police, being involved in an incident that involved the police, and self-initiated contact with the police (Table 1). Compared with the general population, almost six times as many LGBQ people were stopped by the police in a public space (6% vs. 1%), and nearly seven times as many LGBQ people were stopped by the police for reasons other than involving a vehicle (driving or being a passenger). Additionally, twice as many LGBQ people approached or sought help from the police (22% vs. 11%) as compared to those in the general population.
Other findings include more common experiences of police stops while driving among LGBQ (19%) than non-LGBQ (8%) people, being a passenger (12% vs. 2%), or being involved in an accident to which the police were called (6% vs. 3%). The findings were similar across sex and race. In general, more LGBQ adults, both White and people of color, as well as female and male adults, reported contacts with the policy as compared with the general population. The groups did not differ in the average amount of contact with the police. Both adult LGBQ and people in the general population reported an average of 1.8 police contacts in one year, and this did not differ by sex and race. Among LGBQ people, 13% said they did not call the police even when they needed help (this was not measured in the general population so we cannot compare this figure). There were some statistically significant differences between Black and White respondents in the PPCS, but they are similar to the differences reported here for the general category of non-White. There were no statistically significant differences between Black and White respondents in the Generations sample (not shown).
Satisfaction with police interactions
The surveys then asked people to reflect on the most recent contact they have had with the police. Most people reported satisfaction with the police response in their most recent contact (Table 2). But compared with the general population, fewer LGBQ adults agreed that police behaved properly during their contact (81% vs. 91%). Additionally, more LGBQ people were unlikely to contact the police again (22%) as compared with the general population (6%). Fewer female LGBQ adults report satisfaction with the police (69%) compared to females in the general population (85%). Fewer female and White LGBQ people reported agreement that the police behaved properly (73% and 80%, respectively) compared to their peers in the general population (91% and 91%, respectively). Lastly, fewer female LBQ (33%), and both White and non-White LGBQ people (22% and 21%, respectively), reported that they were less likely to contact the police in the future compared to their general population peers (6%, 6%, and 7%, respectively).
*Bolded numbers indicate that the LGBQ group proportion is statistically significantly different than the general population proportion.
#The general population survey asks about participants’ “sex” with response options “male” and “female.” The data on LGBQ people come from the Generations study, which differentiated between assigned sex at birth and current gender identity. The LGBQ categories for female and male refer to sex assigned at birth. We use the term sex for consistency with the general population data. Transgender people were not surveyed in the Generations study and were not identifiable in the general population survey.
*Bolded numbers indicate that the LGBQ group proportion is statistically significantly different than the general population proportion.
#The general population survey asks about participants’ “sex” with response options “male” and “female.” The data on LGBQ people come from the Generations study, which differentiated between assigned sex at birth and current gender identity. The LGBQ categories for female and male refer to sex assigned at birth. We use the term sex for consistency with the general population data. Transgender people were not surveyed in the Generations study and were not identifiable in the general population survey.
Summary
More LGBQ adults than people in the general population have had interactions with the police, including when they were approached by the police and when they contacted the police. When we make these comparisons to the general population, we use this as a proxy for comparison to heterosexual cisgender adults, who make up 95.5% of the general population. The much higher rates of LGBQ adults reporting being approached by the police is consistent with the idea that LGBQ people are over-policed and raises the issue of bias-based profiling of LGBT communities in general.4 LGBQ adults are also less likely than people in the general population to report that the police “behaved properly” or that they would contact the police in the future. This may reflect the lower levels of trust the LGBTQ community has with the police, perhaps as a consequence of both over or under-policing, such as being stopped by the police for no cause, or when the police do not adequately respond to crimes against LGBT individuals. Notably, while LGBQ adults do not differ from the general population regarding satisfaction with the police, LGBQ women were less satisfied compared to women in the general population, which is perhaps a function of criminalization of non-heteronormativity of LGBQ women. Although data about transgender people were not available in the datasets analyzed for this brief, research indicates that transgender people, particularly women of color, are at heightened risk of negative police interactions, including harassment and assault.56 As police reform is being discussed nationally, it is important that reforms include attention to policing of LGBTQ populations across race and gender.
Methods Note
Dataset
To obtain comparisons between the general population and LGBQ adults in the United States, we utilized the Bureau of Justice Statistics Police-Public Contact Survey (PPCS) 20157 for the general adult population prevalence estimate and the Generations study,0 a national probability sample of LGBQ adults, for the LGBQ prevalence estimate. Weighted proportions and 95% confidence intervals were obtained using the recommended sampling weights. Analyses were performed using Stata 14. Statistically significant differences were determined by non-overlapping 95% confidence intervals (assuming an alpha of 0.05).
SoCo Libraries Expands inside services and capacities
Sonoma County Library is moving to the next stage of our Express Services model. Library doors are now open at 50 percent capacity, with a variety of service hours to meet your needs. There is no time limit for your library visit, and you don’t need to make a reservation (except for the Sonoma County History & Genealogy Library). See our new in-person hours at sonomalibrary.org/express.
Curbside service is still available by request during in-person open hours, with additional curbside hours at regional libraries.
Join us in reopening gradually and safely!Learn More
Thank you for being a member of the Sonoma County Library community. Visit our online library for thousands of films, TV shows, eBooks, databases, magazines, classes, videogames, and more. Be sure to check out open jobs at Sonoma County Library here.
Questions? Please call your local library branch or click here to send us a message.
¡Más Acceso a la Biblioteca!
La Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma está avanzando a la siguiente etapa de nuestro modelo de Servicios Express. Las puertas de las bibliotecas ahora están abiertas para hasta 50 por ciento de capacidad, con varios horarios de servicio para todas sus necesidades. No hay un límite de tiempo para su visita a la biblioteca y no es necesario hacer una reservación (salvo para la Biblioteca de Historia y Genealogía del Condado de Sonoma). Consulte nuestros nuevos horarios de servicio en persona en sonomalibrary.org/servicios-express.
El servicio desde la acera todavía está disponible por solicitud durante las horas de operación, con horas adicionales de este servicio en las bibliotecas regionales.
¡Únase a nuestra reapertura gradual y segura!Más información
Gracias por ser miembro de la comunidad de la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma. Visite nuestra biblioteca en línea para ver miles de películas, programas de televisión, libros electrónicos, bases de datos, revistas, clases, videojuegos y mucho más. Revise aquí los puestos disponibles en la Biblioteca del Condado de Sonoma.
¿Preguntas? Por favor llame a su biblioteca local o haga clic para mandar un mensaje.
Announcing the LGBTQ+ Films at the 20th SF Documentary Film Festival June 3 – 20
| SURVIVING THE SILENCE Dir: Cindy L. Abel Feature In the early 1990s, a highly-decorated colonel was forced to expel an Army hero for being a lesbian. What no one knew at the time was that the same colonel was herself a closeted lesbian. Decades later, this truth is exposed in all of its complexity, and the three women involved come together again to contemplate those events and their impact. Producer Marc Smolowitz lives in San Francisco. WORKHORSE QUEEN Dir: Angela Washko Feature By day, Ed Popil worked as a telemarketer. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis, a 1960’s era housewife trying to liberate herself from domestic toil through performing at night in secret. After seven years of auditioning to compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race, Ed Popil was finally cast onto the TV show and thrust into a full-time entertainment career at the late age of 44. Workhorse Queen explores the complexities of reality television’s impact on queer performance culture. ONCE A FURY Dir: Jacqueline Rhodes Feature Once a Fury profiles former members of the Furies, a notorious 1970s lesbian separatist collective that published a national newspaper and planned to seize state power. Featuring interviews with 10 of the original 12 Furies, excerpts from their iconoclastic writings, and other archival materials such as photography by Joan E. Biren, the film explores their model of collective leadership, organizing, and foregrounding of a lesbian politic while also pinpointing the shortcomings of their approach. YELLO Dir: King Yaw SoonShort Short In this colorful and moving animated documentary, we follow Michelle, a young lady as she prepares to fly at the airport. Narrated by Michelle herself, this film offers an honest look at fear and connection in an era marked by uncertainty. MAKING SAMANTHA Dir: T Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper Short “I Am Samantha,” by singer-songwriter Benjamin Scheuer, was inspired by his friend, Samantha Williams. Director T Cooper and Allison Glock-Cooper gathered 27 trans actors to make the music video, and to tell the story of the universal human journey to find identity, acceptance and love. I AM EVA Dir. Nata Zverovich Short “I Am Eva” is a first-hand story of a person who identifies as gender neutral and looks into what it is like to exist other than male or female while living within a lack of legal gender recognition. ### |
| Announcing the 20th SF Documentary Festival (SF DocFest) June 3 – 20, 2021 The 20th San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) will be held June 3 – 20, 2021. SF DocFest will screen 40 features and 38 shorts across 6 different short programs. All films will be available to view on demand anytime during the festival, and 36 of the films will also be shown at the Roxie Theater. The majority of the in-person screenings held at the Roxie Theater will also include live Q&A sessions. With the iconic San Francisco theater announcing their reopening for May 21st, SF DocFest will be the first film festival to screen again at the Roxie Theater. “We’re looking forward to finally getting arts and arts fans in the same room again,” says Festival Director Jeff Ross. Additionally, Ross adds that “in support and celebration of the Roxie Theater reopening this year, we are donating 100% of ticket sales from our screenings back to the theater.” For those who are unable to attend in person, the festival may also be attended virtually through on-demand screenings and online Q&A sessions. The full festival program may be found at sfindie.com. The following are a few highlights of this year’s SF DocFest program. OPENING NIGHT SUMMER OF SOUL Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson In his acclaimed debut as a filmmaker, Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson presents a powerful and transporting documentary—part music film, part historical record—created around an epic event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Over the course of six weeks in the summer of 1969, just one hundred miles south of Woodstock, The Harlem Cultural Festival was filmed in Marcus Garvey Park. The footage was never seen and largely forgotten – until now. SUMMER OF SOUL shines a light on the importance of history to our spiritual well-being and stands as a testament to the healing power of music during times of unrest, both past and present. The feature includes never-before-seen concert performances by B.B. King, Nina Simone, Sly & the Family Stone, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Stevie Wonder and more. OPENING NIGHT PARTY: SUMMER OF SOUL ROLLER DISCO Church of 8 Wheels, 554 Fillmore Street (@ Fell) Thursday, June 3rd, 8-10pm Signal the reopening of the city and the return of live events by strapping on some skates. Jam to SUMMER OF SOUL tunes at the roller disco with other film festival goers and documentary fans after watching the award-winning opening night film. This event is open to the public. Film+Party tickets are $30 and available at sfindie.com. Party Only tickets are $15 and may be purchased at the venue until sold out. Skates will also be available for rent for $5/pair. CLOSING NIGHT KID CANDIDATE Jasmine Stodel KID CANDIDATE tells the story of Hayden Pedigo, a 24-year old experimental musician, and his unlikely run for Amarillo city council after his Harmony Korine-inspired spoof campaign video went viral. CENTERPIECE THE SPARKS BROTHERSEdgar WrightHow can one rock band be successful, underrated, hugely influential, and criminally overlooked all at the same time? Edgar Wright’s debut documentary THE SPARKS BROTHERS, which features commentary from celebrity fans Flea, Jane Wiedlin, Beck, Jack Antonoff, Jason Schwartzman, Neil Gaiman, and more, takes audiences on a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with brothers/bandmates Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks: your favorite band’s favorite band. NON-FICTION VANGUARD AWARD KEITH MAITLAND SF DocFest prides itself on recognizing those unconventional, creative risk-taking filmmakers that are redefining the cinematic form and are someone to watch. Keith Maitland is the latest filmmaker the festival has recognized. Keith Maitland began his career on the streets of New York, working on the fiction side of the industry as a DGA Trainee and Assistant Director. After 7-seasons with NBC’s Law & Order, and working on a variety of features, Maitland was inspired by his documentary-photographer wife, Sarah Wilson, to try his hand at non-fiction storytelling. On the heels of TOWER, an animated school-shooting documentary, Variety named Maitland one of “10 Documakers to Watch.” TOWER won multiple festival awards, as well as the Emmy for Best Historical Documentary. As a filmmaker, Keith Maitland pushes artistic boundaries and redefines the cinematic form, especially with his eagerly anticipated new hybrid documentary, DEAR MR. BRODY, which uses a mix of some psychedelic animation, live-action re-enactments, and archival footage. DEAR MR. BRODY Keith Maitland A psychedelic journey into the heart (and bank account) of Michael Brody, Jr, the hippie-millionaire who offered the world peace and caused a frenzy when he publicly announced a $25 million giveaway to anyone in need. A gesture that immediately put Brody and his wife into the spotlight also caused mobs of people to camp on their lawn and flood their mailboxes. Fifty years later, 12 boxes of these letters pleading for Brody’s help were discovered—unopened. FESTIVAL PREMIERES WORLD PREMIERE KEEPER OF THE FIRE David L. Brown, Raymond Telles, Louis Dematteis KEEPER OF FIRE explores the life and work of activist poet Alejandro Murguia, a writer passionately involved with the struggles of his times. Following in the footsteps of Beat poets and inspired by the rich tradition of Latin American literature, Murguia fights for social justice with his words and his deeds. One of the celebrated Mission Poets, he has championed revolutions in Latin America, led cultural and educational programs in San Francisco, and campaigned against rampant gentrification nationwide all while winning two American Book Awards and becoming the first Latino to serve as Poet Laureate of San Francisco. SKATE OR DIE Ryan Ferguson Seventeen-year-old Leonardo Castillo uses skateboarding to help escape gang life and generational poverty in his Chicago neighborhood. When a gunshot wound threatens to take away his passion, Leo must face the world as an adult. THE LUCKY ONES Debra A. Wilson THE LUCKY ONES is a poignant Bay Area based love story of Alexander and Timothy (daughter of writer Ishmael Reed), a married couple diagnosed with schizophrenia. Their life together gives a glimpse into what it means to survive with a mental disorder and how one unexpected event can upend their already precarious world. US PREMIERE THE FACE OF ANONYMOUS Gary Lang Commander X (a.k.a. Christopher Doyon) spent time on the streets around the world hiding from the FBI, but this infamous hacktivist feels most at home on the internet where he gained notoriety. Through his affiliation with Anonymous, the purposefully elusive online network responsible for corporate takedowns and political disruption, Commander X had a platform to espouse his beliefs and befriend powerful figures like Julian Assange. He takes credit for crippling credit card companies that were attempting to sideline Wikileaks and claims a role in the Arab Spring as well. It’s completely reasonable to be skeptical as to why an outspoken Doyon wants to spill the beans about his exploits and expose a group that safeguards its secret identity. But in an era when online conspiracies proliferate widely despite being under immense scrutiny, there may not be a better time to hear from someone who’s been at the vanguard of this information age. GREEN BANK PASTORAL Federico Urdaneta Since the 1950’s wireless signals have been banned in Green Bank to protect its radio telescope from interference. With no cell phones and no wifi, the small Appalachian town has attracted a number of people that claim to suffer from Electro Hypersensitivity seeking respite from the modern world. This is the story of the peculiar relationship between these people, the small town folk, and the massive radio telescope in the middle of it all, aimed at the sky above. LOST AND FOUND IN PARIS Laura Lamanda It’s a never-ending flow. All day long, people come to the reception desk at the Lost and Found Office. They want to retrieve their belongings. They’re in a hurry. But, finding what has been lost is not an easy task. It requires time. The time it takes to wait for their turn and fill out the paperwork at reception. Time to explain what has been lost. Time to find the item in the warehouse and send it back with the freight elevator. It’s best to surrender to the wait and indulge in the telling of what kind of setback, accident or misfortune has caused our loss, and brought us to this place. SEMENTARA Joant Úbeda, Chew Chia Shao Min Amid the noisy spectacle of Singapore’s golden jubilee celebrations in 2015, filmmakers Chew Chia Shao Min and Joant Úbeda conduct casual interviews with people from different walks of life, each with their own set of values and beliefs. Inspired by Chris Marker’s brilliant Le Joli Mai, SEMENTARA, which is Malay for “temporary”, weaves together scenes of profound subjectivities and societal structures to present a compelling yet sensitive portrayal of Singapore. THE TASTE OF DESIRE Anja Dziersk Desire is the most powerful source in human life. Desires, however, are also the biggest source of frustration. In THE TASTE OF DESIRE, the oyster symbolizes our desires in life. Through captivating characters, this film examines the complexity of human desire: our relationship to the world around us and ultimately what lengths we will go to find satisfaction. ZAHO ZAY Georg Tiller, Maéva Ranaïvojaona A young, female prison guard, works in a hopelessly overcrowded jail in Madagascar. Her observations of the realities of prison life interlace with her daydreams about her unknown father, who disappeared after murdering his own brother when she was still a child. Secretly hoping that one day her father will be washed up as a prisoner, she bypasses time by imagining his criminal career. In her fantasies, he becomes a mythical serial killer, who is obsessed with playing the dice to decide the fate of his victims. Her prison routine is suddenly torn apart when a new inmate arrives who claims to know her father. TICKETS AND PASSES Individual tickets for virtual shows are $10 each. Individual tickets for screenings at the Roxie Theater are $15 each. Opening Night Film+Party tickets are $30 each. 5Film vouchers are $45. 10Film vouchers are $85. 5Film and 10Film discount vouchers are only available and only redeemable at sfindie.com for virtual screenings. Virtual All Pass is priced at $150. This pass provides access to all festival films via online on-demand screenings. Whole Shebang Pass is priced at $500 and includes both on-demand access to all festival films online, and reserved seating for all festival films screening at the Roxie Theater from June 3-17. For more information on tickets and passes, visit https://sfdocfest2021.eventive.org/passes/buy. DOCFEST 2021 STAFFFounder/Director: Jeff Ross; Programming: Chris Metzler, Kayla Myers, Sarah Flores, Jeff Ross; Publicity: Larsen & Associates; Graphic Design: Meghan Ryan The full festival program and additional information is available at sfindie.com. You may also contact DocFest at 415-662-FEST, or by emailing info@sfindie.com. ### San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) Since 2001, SF DocFest has brought the most weird and wonderful aspects of real life to the big screen. What started as a three-day event in an empty church in Union Square has become a two-week long festival across different venues in the Bay Area. Presented each year by SF IndieFest, the 20th San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) will take place from June 3rd through 20th both online and in theaters this year. More information is available at sfindie.com. You may also contact DocFest at 415-662-FEST or via email at info@sfindie.com. |
FRAMELINE45, THE SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL Line-up revealed
| Today, Frameline announced the full program for Frameline45—the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival—taking place Thursday, June 10 through Sunday, June 27, 2021. Slated to be the largest and most attended festival in Frameline history, the 17-day festival will feature a hybrid of in-person and virtual offerings, including four drive-in screenings, two screenings at Oracle Park in partnership with San Francisco Pride and the San Francisco Giants, as well as over 50 virtual film screenings. In addition, in-person screenings return to Frameline with a series of special screenings at San Francisco’s historic Castro Theatre and Roxy Theater. This year’s Frameline45 virtual offerings are available to ticket holders nationwide. Tickets ($8–$12 per screening) and passes (starting at $95) are available now at frameline.org/festival. For the first time, Frameline will offer a Festival Streaming Pass, which gives which gives ticket buyers the opportunity to unlock all virtual festival content, including film screenings and other unique programming. To ensure maximum flexibility, ticket holders will be able to tune in live to each screening or stream nearly every film at any time beginning Thursday, June 17, 2021. “We are beyond thrilled to present the world’s largest LGBTQ+ film festival,” says Frameline Executive Director James Woolley. “The past year has shown us the value and importance of connections with one another. As the world begins to reopen and revitalize, so too is Frameline45 with a unique combination of in-person and virtual events. We look forward to celebrating the power of queer storytelling and sharing in a collective experience together.” “The theme of this year’s festival is ‘All Kinds of Queer’ and our lineup certainly reflects that,” adds Frameline Director of Programming Allegra Madsen. “Representing 30 countries—from Argentina, Egypt, and India to Nigeria, Taiwan, and South Africa— this year’s slate of films will touch on themes ranging from the American Dream and gentrification to trans resilience and gender and race identity. Through these films, we believe we can cultivate a more compassionate and empathetic world.” |
| MOVIE NIGHTS AT ORACLE PARK |
| For the first-time ever, Frameline and San Francisco Pride will present Pride Movie Nights at Oracle Park. A natural extension of Frameline and SF Pride’s decades-long, mutually advantageous relationship, this socially distanced and ticketed event (subject to state-mandated capacity limits) is further strengthened by a partnership with the San Francisco Giants and support from the City and County of San Francisco. IN THE HEIGHTS Friday, June 11 at 6:30 p.m. PDT DIR Jon M. Chu | USA The creator of Hamilton and the director of Crazy Rich Asians invite you to a cinematic event, where the streets are made of music and little dreams become big… In the Heights. Lights up on Washington Heights… The scent of a cafecito caliente hangs in the air just outside of the 181st Street subway stop, where a kaleidoscope of dreams rallies this vibrant and tight-knit community. At the intersection of it all is the likeable, magnetic bodega owner Usnavi (Anthony Ramos), who hopes, imagines, and sings about a better life. In the Heights fuses Miranda’s kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu’s lively and authentic eye for storytelling to capture a world that is very much of its place, but universal in its experience. EVERYBODY’S TALKING ABOUT JAMIE Saturday, June 12 at 6:30 p.m. PDT DIR Jonathan Butterell | UK/USA Inspired by true events, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is the film adaptation of the award-winning West End musical about Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teen in a blue-collar English town dreaming of becoming a fierce, proud drag queen. His BFF Pritti (Lauren Patel) and loving mum (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with support as drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant) mentors him toward his stage debut. But it’s not all rainbows for Jamie as his unsupportive dad (Ralph Ineson) and an uninspired career advisor (Sharon Horgan) attempt to rain on his aspirations. In rousing musical numbers, Jamie and his community inspire one another to face adversity and step into the spotlight. Everybody’s Talking About Jamie will launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on September 17, 2021 in over 240 countries and territories. |
| DRIVE-IN MOVIES |
| Frameline45 will feature four Drive-in screenings—one at Concord’s West Wind Solano Drive-In (1611 Solano Way) and three at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Flix (2 Marina Blvd.). FANNY: THE RIGHT TO ROCK Thursday, June 10 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR Bobbi Jo Hart 2021 | Canada West Wind Solano Drive-In, Concord | Also streaming Deemed “one of the most important female bands in American rock” by David Bowie in Rolling Stone, Fanny kicked down the door for women musicians by being the first all-woman rock band to release an album with a major record company. As the band members reunite to record new music, we follow Fanny’s trailblazing rise and unfortunate plateau mired by sexism, racism, and homophobia. POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA Tuesday, June 15 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR Wes Hurley | USA Fort Mason Flix, San Francisco | Also streaming A wonderful blend of camp, melodrama, and earnest coming-of-age fable, Wes Hurley’s semi-autobiographical new film is the charmingly wild tale of young Potato, a sensitive closeted kid in the splintering Soviet Union whose only joy is watching pirated American movies. Desperate for escape, his mother Lena becomes a mail-order bride, and the two set sail for America to live with her eccentric new husband on a strange and beautiful adventure. SUMMER OF 85 (ÉTÉ 85) Wednesday, June 16 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR François Ozon | France In French and English with English subtitles Fort Mason Flix, San Francisco Two teenage boys find themselves fatefully linked together following a boating accident in this sun-kissed tale of summer flings, first love, and the thin line between passion and obsession. With a soundtrack featuring hits from The Cure and Bananarama, the latest from French provocateur and Frameline Award winner François Ozon takes a sexy, nostalgic trip back to the mid-1980s on the Normandy Coast. AILEY Thursday, June 19 at 9 p.m. PDT DIR Jamila Wignot | USA Fort Mason Flix, San Francisco In this special screening to mark Juneteenth, the life and work of genius choreographer Alvin Ailey take center stage. Charting his trajectory from dance student to globally lauded creative force to his untimely death from AIDS in 1989, this expansive documentary weaves in candid testimonials from the artist’s closest collaborators with breathtaking dance footage from his most revelatory work. Showcasing one of the 20th century’s singular Black artists, Ailey celebrates the enduring legacy of his work while illuminating his against-the-odds achievements for a new generation. |
| IN-PERSON SCREENINGS |
| Theatres are back! Frameline will be hosting a handful of regular, in-person screenings at both the Castro Theatre and the Roxie Theater. Some of these films will not be available for streaming and will be exclusively screened at these two iconic San Francisco cinemas. GENDERATION Sunday, June 20 at 3 p.m. PDT DIR Monika Treut | Germany Roxie Theater, San Francisco Twenty years after the queer classic Gendernauts (Frameline23) illuminated the shifting nature of gender through the eyes and lives of unapologetic, iconic San Franciscans, director Monika Treut returns to see where life has led her original pioneering subjects. Genderation finds Annie Sprinkle, Sandy Stone, Susan Stryker, Stafford, and Max Wolf Valerio still breaking the mold as gender visionaries, even as they grapple with a changing city and the challenges of aging in America. BALONEY Sunday, June 20 at 6 p.m. PDT DIR Joshua Guerci | USA Roxie Theater, San Francisco Come experience titillating and charming story behind San Francisco’s first and only all-male gay revue. A melding of theater, dance, and burlesque, Baloney has become a nightlife staple, interrogating the local, modern queer experience with humor and fantasy. In-depth interviews with the co-creators and their colorful, sultry cast provide engaging insight into the world of Baloney’s tantalizing and hilarious performances. FUN IN SHORTS (SHORTS) Saturday, June 26 at 11 a.m. PDT Castro Theatre, San Francisco Need a lift? How about a sweet smile? What would you say to an actual laugh? Our signature selection of light-hearted, smile-inducing, joyful short films couldn’t come soon enough after the year we’ve had. Everybody’s welcome to have some FUN IN SHORTS!Coming Out DIR Cressa Maeve Beer | USAEarly to Rise: Episode 1 DIR Alec Cohen | USAFrom A to Q DIR Emmalie El Fadli | UKHow Moving DIR Owen Thiele | USASunday Dinner DIR Kevin Mead | USAThe Test DIR Jessica Smith | AustraliaThank You for Being Here DIR Elizabeth Archer | USAVirgin My Ass DIR Adar Sigler | IsraelThe Wash (In Love) DIR Ibon Hernando | SpainINVISIBLE Saturday, June 26 at 3 p.m. PDT DIR T.J. Parsell | USA Castro Theatre, San Francisco Contemporary country music is finally coming out of the closet. Some of the greatest hits sung by the likes of Willie Nelson, Reba McEntire, Johnny Cash, and more are the work of gay women writing, producing, and persevering in a traditional corporate industry that requires most to keep their authentic selves secret. Featuring interviews with Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, and Pam Tillis, Invisible reveals these talented women and their singular voices at last. JUMP, DARLING Saturday, June 26 at 6 p.m. PDT DIR Phil Connell | Canada Castro Theatre, San Francisco Aspiring actor Russell tries to make it big on the Toronto drag scene, but after (literally) falling flat, he flees his rich boyfriend and holes up with his grandmother, played by the inimitable Cloris Leachman, in her final starring role. This affecting family drama, filmed in the bucolic Canadian wine country, also features real acts from the Toronto drag scene. HOMEGROWN (SHORTS) Sunday, June 27 at 11 a.m. PDT Castro Theatre, San Francisco Celebrate our Bay Area neighbors with these local documentaries. You’ll meet Jok, the beloved children’s scientist and leather-clad AIDS activist, as well as Penny, a Filipino immigrant and restaurateur working through the pandemic. Wherever you live, these six, unique portraits from our community are sure to resonate.Bayanihan & Resilience DIR Jocelyn Tabancay Duffy | USABeakman & Jok DIR Kolmel W. Love | USABlackness Is Everything DIR Alba Roland Mejia | USADennis: The Man Who Legalized Cannabis DIR Brandon Moore | USASensorium DIR Elliot Mercer 2021 | USASurviving Voices DIR Jörg Fockele 2021 | USAFIREBIRD Sunday, June 27 at 2:30 p.m. PDT DIR Peeter Rebane | UK/Estonia Castro Theatre, San Francisco Blending a Cold War thriller and a true story of a secret love, Firebird begins with the steamy passions of gay romance in an environment where expressing it is lethal. Young private Sergey (Tom Prior) begins a passionate affair with ambitious fighter pilot Roman (Oleg Zagorodnii) while stationed at an air force training base. When they are reunited years later, their reignited love risks being revealed to the Soviet military. NO STRAIGHT LINES: THE RISE OF QUEER COMICS Sunday, June 27 at 6:30 p.m. PDT DIR Vivian Kleiman | USA Castro Theatre, San Francisco From Tom of Finland to Dykes to Watch Out For, comics and zines have been firmly embedded in queer culture since before Stonewall, through the AIDS epidemic, and continuing through today’s modern obsession with superheroes. But this deeply queer artform finally gets its true moment in the limelight thanks to Peabody Award winner Vivian Kleiman’s extensive documentary that explores over 70 years of history. |
| VIRTUAL SCREENINGS |
| Ranging from narrative features and documentaries, to episodics and shorts programs, Frameline45 will feature over 50 virtual screenings, including 16 world premieres, nine international premieres, nine North American premieres, and seven US premieres. Highlights include: LANGUAGE LESSONS DIR Natalie Morales | USA In English and Spanish with English subtitles Spanish lessons lead to emotional revelations in this richly touching, character-driven first feature. Well-off Oakland resident Adam (Mark Duplass) is at first put out by his husband’s gift of online sessions with cheerful Costa Rican Cariño (director Natalie Morales), but a shocking event right before their second tutorial, followed by some mysterious bruises on Cariño’s face, lead to conversations that go deeper than the difference between “ser” and “estar.” CHARLATAN DIR Agnieszka Holland | Czech Republic/Ireland/Poland/Slovakia In Czech and German with English subtitles Based on the incredible true story of Czech herbalist and healer Jan Mikolášek, Charlatan is veteran filmmaker Agnieszka Holland’s handsomely filmed biopic of a little-known icon of 20th century Europe. With great skill and a vivid, cinematic eye, Holland weaves the personal and the professional in Mikolášek’s life, from teenage flashbacks and his passionate clandestine affair with his hunky assistant to his trials under the Communist regime in the 1950s. CAN YOU BRING IT: BILL T. JONES AND D-MAN IN THE WATERS DIRS Rosalynde LeBlanc & Tom Hurwitz | USA This exhilarating and moving dance documentary celebrates the work of acclaimed choreographer Bill T. Jones, who with his partner Arnie Zane founded their iconic dance company in New York during the ravages of AIDS. As a young dance troupe mounts a new production of one of the company’s signature pieces, we witness a new generation discovering the strength of art in the face of tragedy. PROGNOSIS: NOTES ON LIVING DIRS Debra Chasnoff & Kate Stilley Steiner | USA In what was perhaps her bravest act as a filmmaker, Academy Award-winning documentarian and LGBTQ+ activist Debra Chasnoff (It’s Elementary, Frameline Award) responded to her diagnosis of stage-4 breast cancer by turning the camera on herself to chronicle the journey that lay ahead of her. Clear-eyed and unsentimental, intimate and honest, the film is an unforgettable, present-tense diary of a life fiercely lived. This world premiere free screening will stream on Saturday, June 19 beginning at 4 p.m. PDT, followed by a live conversation and Q&A with the filmmaking team. An encore screening with recorded Q&A will replay on Saturday, June 26 at 4 p.m. PDT. Reserved ticket required. SUMMERTIME DIR Carlos López Estrada | USA In an increasingly gentrified LA, one question gets more and more difficult to answer: How do you find a good burger at a decent prize? A poetry-infused valentine to Los Angeles in all its queer and BIPOC glory, director Carlos López Estrada delights with this sophomore effort. Slam poetry-style recitations erupt like musical numbers, as the film uses language to create a portrait of a changing Los Angeles populated by a generation demanding to enter adulthood on their own terms. NELLY QUEEN: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF JOSÉ SARRIA DIR Joseph R. Castel | USA Pride parades, out politicians, the Imperial Courts: how many people know that the existence of all three have Jose Sarria to thank? This sweeping documentary follows the public personas and private losses that shaped the life of the unapologetic, influential, and often overlooked queen of San Francisco queer culture, history, and rights. SWAN SONG DIR Todd Stephens | USA Based on an outlandish true story, a flamboyant hairdresser (screen legend Udo Kier) escapes from his nursing home to come out of retirement for one last hairdo. When Pat is offered $25,000 to style his estranged friend at her funeral, it’s an opportunity he can’t pass up, forcing him to confront the demons of his past as well as the changes of his small Ohio town. Jennifer Coolidge, Linda Evans, and Michael Urie also star. MA BELLE, MY BEAUTY DIR Marion Hill | USA In English and French with English subtitles The rolling vineyards and sun-washed French villages may be ancient, but the shifting dynamics of a polyamorous relationship are fresh and tingling in this contemporary romance set in the picturesque South of France. As newlywed Bertie struggles to adjust to country life, her husband encourages a visit from her American ex-girlfriend, hoping to recapture the free-spirited relationship that they all used to share. New and old intimacies and complications ensue in this luminous Sundance award winner. Proudly sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies. For a complete lineup of virtual screenings, visit www.frameline.org. |
| FOCUS ON TAIWAN |
| Focus on Taiwan is supported by Ministry of Culture, Taiwan (R.O.C.) and Taiwan Academy in Los Angeles AS WE LIKE IT DIRS Chen Hung-i & Muni Wei | Taiwan In Mandarin with English subtitles Boasting an all-female cast, this queer spin on one of the Bard’s classics is a striking reworking of Shakespeare’s comedy As You Like It, involving cross-dressing, kidnapping, mysterious disappearances, and family feuds. With her uncle poised to control the family business, Rosalind sets out to locate her missing father with the help of her cousin Celia. But things get complicated when Rosalind, disguised as a man, finds herself falling for the charming Orlando. DEAR TENANT DIR Cheng Yu-Chieh | Taiwan In Mandarin with English subtitles Winner of three awards at Taiwan’s prestigious Golden Horse Film Festival, Dear Tenant is a moving portrait of unconditional love, gay identity, and the ties that bind—centering around a trio of people who form their own chosen family within the confines of their apartment building. Blending a slowburn family drama, courtroom intrigue, and an impassioned plea for LGBTQ+ equality, writer-director Cheng Yu-Chieh finds the perfect balance between a compassionate character study in the vein of Taiwanese master Edward Yang (Yi Yi) and a good old-fashioned tearjerker in this box office hit. WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? DIR Arvin Chen | Taiwan In Mandarin with English subtitles Come rediscover this infectiously charming Taiwanese queer classic from director Arvin Chen, a graduate of UC Berkeley and former Bay Area resident. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? takes a breezy and playful look at modern love as it clashes against longstanding tradition. This ensemble comedy centers around family man Wei-chung, whose long-repressed gay urges are reawakened by a young flight attendant named Thomas. TAIWAN SHORTS Frameline is pleased to present a free program of shorts showcasing Taiwan’s next generation in film talent. Catch a brief document of Taipei Pride 2020; a coming-of-age tale about self-discovery, dating apps, and first crushes; a sweet portrait of modern millennial queer life; and a cruisy short set during martial law in 1979.Hidden DIR Kuo Hsuan-Chi | TaiwanTaiwan Pride for the World DIR Larry Tung | TaiwanUndercurrent DIR Weng Yu-Tong | TaiwanUnnamed DIRS Gao Hong & Chang Chun-Yu | Taiwan |
| FRAMELINE TALKS |
| Frameline has curated a series of exclusive talks supported by Variety, set to debut over the course of the Festival’s 18 days. These talks will be free to stream nationwide through Frameilne’s Facebook and YouTube channels, as well as their streaming platform. Highlights include: YOUTH ON SCREENS Thursday, June 17 at 5:30 p.m. PDT Television is currently on the forefront of queer representation and identity expression, and leading the charge are images of young people. Each generation challenges what is taken for granted by the previous. Currently, through the medium of television, ideas of gender and sexuality are being expanded right in our living rooms. Moderated by IndieWire’s Jude Dry, panelists include Jordan Seamon (HBO’s “We Are Who We Are”), Daniel Barnz (Co-creator of HBO Max’s “Generation”), Javicia Leslie (CW’s “Batwoman”), and Crystal Moselle (HBO’s “Betty”). TWO-SPIRIT: INDIGENOUS VOICES IN QUEER CINEMA Saturday, June 19 at 5:30 p.m. PDT Indigenous filmmakers and storytellers explore the complexities of gender and sexuality as seen in spiritual traditions and creation stories. This talk will center on creatives exploring the boundaries of gender expression and sexual identity in the context of Indigenous tradition, culture, and belief. Panelists will explore the importance of Two-Spirit Native representation onscreen that centers an Indigenous point of view. Featuring a chance to reconnect with Sherente, the focus of Frameline45 documentary Being Thunder. Proudly sponsored by Gilead. SUGAR IN MY BOWL: AFRICAN AMERICAN REPRESENTATION IN QUEER CINEMA Sunday, June 20 at 5:30 p.m. PDT The African American queer experience is abundant, varied, multi-dimensional, and also underrepresented in queer cinema, festivals, and media. This panel is a conversation aimed at taking stock of where queer African American representation is. This is also an opportunity to look forward and chart the future of African American representation in queer cinema. This conversation is the beginning of a longer process to create the groundwork to support queer Black filmmakers in telling queer Black feature-length stories. Panelists include Clay Cane, Brittani Nichols, Elegance Bratton, Kat Blaque, Maisie Richardson Sellers, and Nathan Hale Williams. Variety’s Film & Media Reporter, Angelique Jackson, will serve as moderator. WOMEN IN ROCK Friday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m. PDT A talk with talent and producers from Frameline45 docs FANNY: The Right to Rock and Invisible focusing on the unbelievable talent of women in the music industry and the struggle for recognition. Fanny kicked down the door for women musicians by being the first all-woman rock band to release an album with a major record company. Invisible highlights the work of gay women behind some of country music’s greatest hits. These music powerhouses will talk about persevering in the corporate music industry that requires most to keep their authentic selves secret. Proudly sponsored by National Center for Lesbian Rights. WILSON CRUZ IN CONVERSATION WITH RAFFY ERMAC Saturday, June 26 at 5:30 p.m. PDT Few actors have pushed LGBTQ+ representation on television as far as Wilson Cruz. From his breakthrough role as Rickie Vasquez on the 1990s teen drama My So-Called Life, Cruz was the first openly gay actor to play an openly gay role on a TV series. In the years since ‘Rickie’ and Cruz made their mark on a generation of queer youth, he has carried his talent and activism into recurring roles on 13 Reasons Why, Party of Five, and Noah’s Arc, as well as executive producing the doc series Visible: Out on Television. As ‘Dr. Hugh Culber’ on Star Trek: Discovery, things have come full circle, in a sense, for the actor playing a happily partnered gay man and father figure to a non-binary human close to 30 years after his indelible debut. In conversation with Raffy Ermac, editor-in-chief of the LGBTQ+ youth-oriented entertainment website Pride, Cruz traces his television legacy from ‘Rickie’ in 1994 to showcasing queer representation all the way into the 23rd century as ‘Dr. Culber.’ For a complete lineup of Frameline Talks, including a list of participants, visit www.frameline.org/talks. |
Oregon becomes 14th state to ban reviled LGBT+ panic defence
Oregon became the 14th US state to finally ban the so-called “gay and trans panic defence” on Sunday (23 May), leaving just 36 more states to go.
Governor Kate Brown has signed Senate Bill 704 which brings to an end defendants being able to use a victim’s sexuality or gender identity to defend their actions.
“The passage of this bill will send a strong and proactive message that the perpetrator of a second-degree murder will not be able to excuse the crime simply based on who their victim is,” said the bill’s chief sponsor, Democratic lawmaker Karin Power, the Washington Blade reported.
The decades-old legal strategy, which has historically been used to lessen charges or shorten a sentence, argues that the defendant acted in a state of temporary insanity because of unwanted sexual advances from LGBT+ people.
Both legal experts and queer advocates alike have argued that such a defence places blame onto the victim – effectively codifying homophobia into law.
ut, as SB704 reads: “The discovery of a victim’s actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation does not constitute reasonable explanation for extreme emotional disturbance or purposes of affirmative defense to murder in the second degree”.
Brown signing the ban into the books comes after the law glided through both houses this year, drawing unanimous approval in the state’s House of Representatives and a 29-1 victory in the Senate.
Oregon now joins 13 other states legislatures, alongside the District of Colombia, which have approved bans on the discriminatory panic defence.
Vermont and Virginia both banned the strategy this year, while similar measures are inching closer across a dozen state legislators, including Florida and Texas, according to the LGBT Bar, which is monitoring the passage of LGBT+ panic defence bans.
The panic defence itself stems from the outdated attitude that to be LGBT+ was to have a mental illness, according to a 2016 study by the Williams Institute. Such reviled notions have been widely discredited by leading healthcare organisations.