Arts & Entertainment

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“Folsom Forever” Offers the Low Down of SF’s Iconic Gay Event

Mike Skiff’s illuminating new documentary on the Folsom Street Fair, one of San Francisco’s iconic gay events, starts off by dispelling a few of the myths that surround its 30 year history. Initially the Fair was created in 1984 as part of a growing protest movement that objected to the enforced gentrification of what previously had been one of the most blighted areas of the city. The inhabitants of the skid row houses and the working men bars were being forced out as the Authorities bulldozed their way through the area to put up shiny new expensive buildings.
This was also the height of the AIDS crisis, which would go on to decimate the city’s gay population so the advent of the Fair created an opportunity for much needed fund raising. Audrey Joseph a local activist stressed the point that the presence then of so many women supporters, who were the most accepting of AIDS victims, helped create a crucial space without judgments at the Fair
The whole area known as South of Market was already home to a plethora of leather bars which local historian Jack Fritscher Ph.D. explained had sprung up as bolt holes for gay hyper-masculine men who were not interested in the stereotypical roles that were most prevalent in the community at the time.  Dr. Fritscher who also worked for Drummer the now defunct leather magazine talked about the oft misunderstood leather and BDSM community who came into its own then by promoting their safe sex practices.  He explained said the whole concept of successful BDSM is sexual acts within agreed lines of limits to make sure each part is safe and pleasurable.  It wasn’t an argument that sat well with the Authorities who at the time were panicking like everyone else and wanting someone to blame for this uncontrollable epidemic.
Skiff added “In the 1970s, Folsom Street was the West Coast’s mecca for anyone on their leather journey in life “ and his movie goes on explore why the Folsom Street Fair couldn’t have got started anywhere else but San Francisco.” When someone talks about Folsom Street Fair now the leather and fetish elements of the historic outdoor celebration of sexual diversity are likely what come to mind, and it follows the tradition of where members of the LGBT community are given the space to explore the full spectrum of their sexuality and queerness.
It’s the one time of the year when those into kink and fetish can literally dress anyhow and do anything they want and the Fair security staff who police the streets will only stop  them if they engaging in full on sex.  Evidently that you can do in any of the Bars on the strip.
Nowadays the Fair is not only a major social event it is also one that has an enormous economic impact on the city. Demetri Moshoyannnis the Executive Director estimates that San Francisco benefits to the tune of some $35.4 million in revenue, and the Fair itself raises some hundreds of thousands in profits that it distributes to fund important local non=profit organisations .

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German Import “More Than Friendship” Explores Twenty-somethings Fluid Sexuality

Twenty-something-year-olds Lukas, Mia and Jonas have been best friends since their childhood, but then three years ago this all changed. They fell in love with each other and became a very happy menage-a-trois. They decried society’s contempt for their unusual relationship and became totally committed to each other even though it meant making a break from their parents who vehemently disapproved of their arrangement.
Since then once a year every summer the trio went on a camping trip together touring the countryside where they were able to be completely free from everyone’s prying eyes and pointed fingers. This year however is different as Lukas has just been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and although the tight knit lovers agree to take an oath that the holiday should be focused just purely on joy, they soon realize that it is difficult to completely forget that this will be their very last summer together.

The trip starts off all light and love and it is surprising that they actually get to their first destination as they cannot keep their hands off each other and are always making out in the back of the van.  However it is inevitable that they cannot avoid the elephant in the room especially when Lukas shares with them the Living Will that he has written that gives them both control rather than his estranged parents.

When he gets taken sick and Jonas is rushed into hospital the trio’s joy and hope has been replaced with fear and grief and they have to deal with the anger of Jonas’s parents who turn up and insist that the Doctors keep him alive even though that is exactly against his express wishes.
This sophomore film from German writer/director Timmy Ehegötz is overly melodramatic even given it’s themes. The three good-looking young leads play their parts passionately but despite this it still seems that there is not enough actual chemistry between them to convince us that their relationship is as deep and real as the script would have us believe.

This well-meaning movie is full of energy and brimming with enthusiastic performances and has a lot to commend it for particularly, in its attempt to de-mystify the whole thruple relationship concept.

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“Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks” Fails to Prove Itrself Worthy of its Taleanted Leads

Thirty-something-year-old ex Broadway chorus boy Michael has run out of options and is down on his luck and the only job he can get is teaching old ladies to dance.  There are plenty of them here in sunny Florida and all of them are looking for ways to pass their time in their twilight years. His first client is feisty 75 year old wealthy widow Lily, but the two of them take an instant dislike to each other the moment he arrives at her oceanside apartment.
With a very short fuse on his temper combined with a natural talent to put his foot into his mouth every time he speaks, Michael is quickly shown the door by Lily, or the ‘tight assed old biddy’ as he called her. She is furious enough to go to the Dance Academy where he works to cancel her lessons and intends to get him fired too.  However with some very nimble footwork he talks himself into getting a second chance.  Then later he has to repeat this to get a third chance and a fourth etc right up to the sixth and last lesson.
Every time the pair meet they squabble like a pair of kids and take it in turns to be the aggrieved party until they kiss and make up yet again.  Much of the agreements are about nothing of any real consequence, but then again neither is this movie either. Throw in a nosey neighbor who constantly complains, and the predictable discovery of Michael’s tough past and Lily’s uncertain future (she’s ill), and that is about the full sum of it all.
It is excruciatingly unfunny with a script that is embarrassingly lame in parts that turns grins into grimaces. The saddest part of it all is that the movie stars Hollywood royalty in the form of Gina Rowlands in one of her rare screen performances these days. Even her creditable valiant efforts could not turn this sow’s ear into a silk purse.
Cheyenne Jackson as Michael has the tough job of being tough on the old lady and simply fails to do it. He just cannot play mean.  He at least was not quite so miscast as poor Julian Sands who is sadly so painfully uncomfortable being the penny-pinching bitter Dance Academy Owner.  The cast is completed by Oscar winner Rita Moreno as the neighbor who has no life and equally no good lines too, and Jacqui Weaver as Irene who takes her time realizing that she is never going to get her hands down (obviously gay) Michaels pants!
Adapted from what was a successful play that even ran on Broadway for a while before becoming a hit regularly performed by repertory companies.  I can only assume therefore that although it was adapted by its author Richard Alfieri that something somehow got lost on the way to the silver screen.
P.S. If you really need a fix of seeing the  wonderful Ms Rowlands , then instead rent ‘Gloria’ or ‘A Woman Under The Infuence’,both written and directed by her late husband John Cassavetes,
★★★

Posted by at 5:19 PM

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Sunday, May 3, 2015

SAUGATUCK CURES

When the  movie opens with an overflowing blocked lavatory in a small Bed and Breakfast Guest House in Saugatuck, you panic slightly if this small indie comedy is headed down the toilet pan too. The place is run by Maggie and her ‘can’t get a date’ gay son Drew and as it is Thanksgiving they are planning for the imminent arrival of the daughter of the house who left town to find her fortune and a fiance.  She also found ‘God’ too and has become of these homophobic self-righteous pricks who want to impose their own bible-laden morality on everyone else who is not nearly as holy as her.  The ‘family’ is completed by Drew’s best friend Brett who once dated Penny but is now more in love with liquor, and two full time residents, LaQuisha an African-American tranny, and Roberta who looks like she should be someones grandmother.
Maggie lets slip that her cancer has returned and her only hope for survival is an expensive experimental treatment in Chicago which she simply cannot afford. Neither can penniless Drew, so he reluctantly goes along with Brett’s madcap scheme of usurping the work of Penny’s fiance who runs a Gay Conversion scheme.  The reasoning behind this is that they can tour all the Evangelical Churches in the State and hit them up for people who will pay to ‘become straight’ and raise enough to pay for all of Maggie’s treatment.
As unbelievable as it is, their fraudulent plan works and soon they are coining in the money, but it is also the part of the movie where the comedy turns into a farce, some of which is too far fetched and forced to be funny.
The plot may be lame, and the script grimace- making at times, but for a refreshing change for small budget movie like this, it has some really good acting. Max Adler (‘Dave in TV’s Glee’) is a rather charming Drew; veteran Soap Star Judith Chapman (‘The Young & Restless’) is a very grounded Maggie; and talented actor/filmmaker Danny Mooney is a very likable Brett.
Credit too for the fine production values and particularly for the unexpectedly impressive soundtrack.
Whatever its faults, it is hard not to warm to this big-hearted indie small movie, which although may not have you rolling in the aisles, will have you grinning from time to time, which is never a bad thing. The best line belongs to Brett who wants to hand all his own savings to Drew towards Maggie’s treatment. His BF refuses saying ‘it’s your rainy day fund’ to which Danny quickly retorts ‘Dude, it’s pouring!’

★★★★★★

Posted by at 10:20 AM

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Saturday, May 2, 2015

QUICK CHANGE

In the back streets of Manila amidst a vibrant transsexual community Dorina who is known as the ‘Doc’, is the purveyor of quick fix beauty enhancements.   In a culture obsessed with looks and glamour this ex-entertainer provides the necessary collagen implants so that the ‘lady-birds’ can be transformed into a replica of their favorite female celebrity.  With the next round of the Miss Gay 2013 Pageant about to happen Dorina is kept very busy trying to make sure her ‘clients’ are pretty enough to win Best Face as well as Best Gown Categories.
Originally from Japan, she drags her young nephew around all her appointments, even to see the Spectacular Show that her boyfriend performs in for tourists. Their relationship is on the wane although he is still happy enough to fuck her as long as she doesn’t remind him about the remaining part of her masculinity which is evidently large than his.
Just as Dorina seems like she cannot keep up with the demand for her services, there is a fatal accident involving ‘Mamma’ who is trying to correct a procedure that went wrong on one of the girls, and suddenly Dorina starts having her serious doubts about the reality of her work. Especially when she discovers exactly what she has been inadvertently injecting instead of collagen like she thought.
This colorful drama from Filipino filmmaker Eduardo Roy Jnr gives an insightful look into this marginalised part of society and the high price they pay to achieve the lives they aspire too. It’s not simply all as dazzling and pretty as the costumes they like to deck themselves in.
P.S. If you have Trypanophobia or any other form of needle phobia, you may want to miss one, as there is an awful lot of them being used.

★★★★★★

Posted by at 11:31 AM

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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

GUIDANCE

David Gold is a thirty-something year old man who is still trying to cling to his past when he was a successful child actor in a hit TV series.  Now he is closeted gay alcoholic in total denial of so much more than his sexuality, including stage 3 skin cancer.  The only work he can get these days is doing voice-overs for new age mood enhancing tapes but he gets fired from that job for being drunk and ‘sounding too gay’.
Now totally broke and about to be evicted from his shabby apartment where he hangs out all day watching VHS tapes of his old shows, he talks his way into a job doing the one thing he may be good at i.e. helping young people.  To date that has just consisted of him being the means for them to get liquor from stores that won’t sell it to them, but now he espies an advertisement for a vacancy as a High School Guidance Counsellor. Having absolutely no qualifications for the job he ‘borrows’ them from a real Counsellor whom he discovers through Google. With a deft piece of identity theft he uses his acting skill to ape the man’s mantras about helping teenagers which he successfully repeats to a harried School Principal who is desperate to give him the job as he is about to leave on vacation  the next day.
Complete in a creased corduroy suit and now wearing geeky glasses Roland Brown aka David Gold descends on the school ostensibly do a job that he has not got the faintest idea of how to go about.  The other staff are very wary of him except for the gay gym teacher who refuses to believe that Roland is straight as he claims, and immediately starts to aggressively flirt with him. The students however soon take a shine to ‘Roland’ and his unconventional advice.  When shy Rhonda comes to discuss the fact that she has no friends, he gives her a few vodka shots and implores her to just hit on the dumbest boy in her class. When Brett the school ‘pot’ dealer comes for a session Roland quickly discovers that his problem is that his potential is not being recognised by anyone in the school. That, and the fact he is selling the pot too cheap, but Roland fixes both of these things.
Jabrielle who plays truant regularly is however a much more serious case as Roland quickly realises that she is being abused at home. This unlikely pair of misfits bond and when eventually Roland is uncovered for being a fraud and is on the lam from the Law, its Jabrielle who hooks up with him as she has finally run away from home.
This rather wonderful oddball comedy is the work of Canadian filmmaker Pat Mills who wrote, directed and starred in it.  Mills was once a child star, and in fact he had to pay 10 years of back Union dues to be eligible to act in his own movie.  He has a remarkable delightful droll sense of humor that is quite black, totally politically incorrect but never ever mean.  He has written himself some real corkers of lines like ‘Everybody knows that teenagers are going to drink and smoke drugs. If you do it with them, everybody has fun!”  In a performance that has some animated camp touches that seem to be inspired in part  to Pee Wee Herman he simply shines and is a real joy to watch.
If this really is what the path to self-destruction actually looks like, then I think more of us would give it a spin.  With a shot (or two) of vodka in hand of course.

★★★★★★★★

Posted by at 9:58 PM

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Monday, April 27, 2015

BEAUTIFUL SOMETHING

Four gay men of different generations are searching for love, and much more, one cold winter’s night in Philadelphia and this is the story of how their paths cross until the morning breaks.
Brian is a 30-something-year-old writer who is at the end of his tether as he has been unable to write a single word since the successful publication of his first book of poetry.  He seeks solace in a local bar in which he is the sole drinker until Chris comes in and immediately hits on him.  Chris fesses up to have a girlfriend back home in the burbs but just feels an urgent need to get some hot man-on-man action. Which is exactly what he gets back at Brian’s apartment but the moment their very passionate lovemaking finishes, Chris freaks out, and leaves a stranded Brian desperate to know what he had done wrong.
He shares his insecurities with his ex roommate whom he wakes up in the middle of the night insisting that they discuss his problems there and then.  Dan is straight but he too had once shared an emotional and physical connection with him and now Brian wants to know why that ended if it was all as real as Dan claims.
Whilst all this is going on, in another part of town super-hot 22 year old model Jim is being very energetically fucked by Drew his older lover on the bench of his workshop. Drew is a successful famous artist who considers Jim his muse, but a disgruntled Jim just believes he is being treated as a kept boy and threatens to leave and move to NY.
After he storms out of the house in a huff, he encounters Brian, and they hook up, and after more even hotter sex, he quickly abandons needy Brian who is now getting a serious complex about the men who just cannot leave him fast enough.  Jim meanwhile gets picked up by elderly Bob who has been cruising the streets all night in a big white limousine drinking heavily and looking to get lucky.
He doesn’t but others do when this intriguing wee film neatly comes to a climax and it is almost a case of all’s well that end’s well, but not quite.
Written and directed by Joseph Graham (‘Strapped’) this edgy and very sensual and unsentimental movie is by no means perfect but it’s forthright take on contemporary gay life ….. well, sex anyway …. is both refreshing and extremely entertaining. Evidently based on a true story, it has a good script which was very stylishly shot and with some rather excellent performances from newbie actor Brian Sheppard (Brian), hunky Zach Ryan (Jim), comedian Grant Lancaster (Dan) and established local actor Colman Domingo (Drew).
★★★★★★★★

BStrailerFINAL from Leilani Goode on Vimeo.

Posted by at 12:21 PM

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PROXY

It’s a glorious summer’s day in July but despite the sunny weather it seems like everyone is having a bad day.  Well, for these three different sets of friends at least. Steve and Tristan who used to be an ‘item’ are wasting a few hours on arguing about the ethics on how forthcoming one should be with the truth when you start dating someone new. Josh goes back to his old girlfriend’s house to retrieve his grandmother’s ring that he gave to her when things were better only to be ambushed by her demands. To see them squabble now, it is actually hard to ever imagine they ever were an engaged couple.
The third story strand is between two best friends who spend the day catching up to discover that neither of them are happy with their lot right now and its going to take  a great deal more than the wine they are knocking back to solve their problems.

Each of the scenes are way too long to the point of where you become totally disengaged and uninterested in the outcome which is probably just as well as the connection you hope will link them all together at the end can be described at best as tenuous.

This micro-budget dramedy written and directed by Brandon Deyette, who also stars in it, tries way too hard to be impartial in each of the stories/arguments that he takes all the potential fizz out of his wee film.  It also stars porn actor Charlie Harding who sadly cannot act, and Sadako Pointer (one of The Pointer Sisters) who happily can.

★★★

Posted by at 11:00 AM

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Sunday, April 26, 2015

HIDDEN AWAY

Set in one of the shabbier areas in Bilbao in Northern Spain, this is a tale of racism, homophobia plus both unfulfilled and unrequited love.  It’s the story of Ibra a 15 year-old youth who has fled Morocco and is living hand-to-mouth in an immigrants hostel and trying to survive on nothing but his wits.  He however catches the attention of Rafa a local boy his age  in a bathroom of all places. Although Rafa is part of a local macho gang who go around town menacing people, particular Arabs, knows he is somewhat different than the others.
Soon Rafa and Ibra start hanging out together most of the time, and they start to become quite close. Despite a lot of lingering looks into each other’s eyes and the occasional hand brushing over the other, they never quite get around to acting on their very obvious feelings. Rafa cannot even bring himself to talk about it with his best friend Guille, but then again he has also totally failed to notice that Guille is carrying a big torch for him anyway.
Its probably best anyway that Rafa and Ibra do not ever get to take their relationship further as Ibra entered Spain illegally and can be deported at any moment.  Why he left his home country is never made clear, nor too is a secondary potentially powerful story strand about another tough immigrant who is devoted to his disabled brother .
In the end it turns out to be film mainly about innocence, and Mikel Rudeda the writer/director tries to amp up the drama with  intense close up shots of the two boys intermingled with scenes of a bleak urban landscape and a soundtrack of gentle pop music. It feels however that just when the story is on the edge of developing into something a tad deeper, it holds back which is a disappointment as it never seems to fulfill its potential.
Nevertheless this gentle slow-paced indie movie has much to be admired and I’m sure it will find the audience it deserves.

★★★★★★

HIDDEN AWAY – Trailer – Eye on Films by eyeonfilms

Posted by at 12:08 PM

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“Saugatuck Cures” Delivers Loads of Laughs

When the  movie opens with an overflowing blocked lavatory in a small Bed and Breakfast Guest House in Saugatuck, you panic slightly if this small indie comedy is headed down the toilet pan too. The place is run by Maggie and her ‘can’t get a date’ gay son Drew and as it is Thanksgiving they are planning for the imminent arrival of the daughter of the house who left town to find her fortune and a fiance.  She also found ‘God’ too and has become of these homophobic self-righteous pricks who want to impose their own bible-laden morality on everyone else who is not nearly as holy as her.  The ‘family’ is completed by Drew’s best friend Brett who once dated Penny but is now more in love with liquor, and two full time residents, LaQuisha an African-American tranny, and Roberta who looks like she should be someones grandmother.
Maggie lets slip that her cancer has returned and her only hope for survival is an expensive experimental treatment in Chicago which she simply cannot afford. Neither can penniless Drew, so he reluctantly goes along with Brett’s madcap scheme of usurping the work of Penny’s fiance who runs a Gay Conversion scheme.  The reasoning behind this is that they can tour all the Evangelical Churches in the State and hit them up for people who will pay to ‘become straight’ and raise enough to pay for all of Maggie’s treatment.
As unbelievable as it is, their fraudulent plan works and soon they are coining in the money, but it is also the part of the movie where the comedy turns into a farce, some of which is too far fetched and forced to be funny.
The plot may be lame, and the script grimace- making at times, but for a refreshing change for small budget movie like this, it has some really good acting. Max Adler (‘Dave in TV’s Glee’) is a rather charming Drew; veteran Soap Star Judith Chapman (‘The Young & Restless’) is a very grounded Maggie; and talented actor/filmmaker Danny Mooney is a very likable Brett.
Credit too for the fine production values and particularly for the unexpectedly impressive soundtrack.
Whatever its faults, it is hard not to warm to this big-hearted indie small movie, which although may not have you rolling in the aisles, will have you grinning from time to time, which is never a bad thing. The best line belongs to Brett who wants to hand all his own savings to Drew towards Maggie’s treatment. His BF refuses saying ‘it’s your rainy day fund’ to which Danny quickly retorts ‘Dude, it’s pouring!’

s of Manila amidst a vibrant transsexual community Dorina who is known as the ‘Doc’, is the purveyor of quick fix beauty enhancements.   In a culture obsessed with looks and glamour this ex-entertainer provides the necessary collagen implants so that the ‘lady-birds’ can be transformed into a replica of their favorite female celebrity.  With the next round of the Miss Gay 2013 Pageant about to happen Dorina is kept very busy trying to make sure her ‘clients’ are pretty enough to win Best Face as well as Best Gown Categories.

 

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Sexy Leads Drive Indie “Beautiful Something”

Four gay men of different generations are searching for love, and much more, one cold winter’s night in Philadelphia and this is the story of how their paths cross until the morning breaks.
Brian is a 30-something-year-old writer who is at the end of his tether as he has been unable to write a single word since the successful publication of his first book of poetry.  He seeks solace in a local bar in which he is the sole drinker until Chris comes in and immediately hits on him.  Chris fesses up to have a girlfriend back home in the burbs but just feels an urgent need to get some hot man-on-man action. Which is exactly what he gets back at Brian’s apartment but the moment their very passionate lovemaking finishes, Chris freaks out, and leaves a stranded Brian desperate to know what he had done wrong.
He shares his insecurities with his ex roommate whom he wakes up in the middle of the night insisting that they discuss his problems there and then.  Dan is straight but he too had once shared an emotional and physical connection with him and now Brian wants to know why that ended if it was all as real as Dan claims.
Whilst all this is going on, in another part of town super-hot 22 year old model Jim is being very energetically fucked by Drew his older lover on the bench of his workshop. Drew is a successful famous artist who considers Jim his muse, but a disgruntled Jim just believes he is being treated as a kept boy and threatens to leave and move to NY.
After he storms out of the house in a huff, he encounters Brian, and they hook up, and after more even hotter sex, he quickly abandons needy Brian who is now getting a serious complex about the men who just cannot leave him fast enough.  Jim meanwhile gets picked up by elderly Bob who has been cruising the streets all night in a big white limousine drinking heavily and looking to get lucky.
He doesn’t but others do when this intriguing wee film neatly comes to a climax and it is almost a case of all’s well that end’s well, but not quite.
Written and directed by Joseph Graham (‘Strapped’) this edgy and very sensual and unsentimental movie is by no means perfect but it’s forthright take on contemporary gay life ….. well, sex anyway …. is both refreshing and extremely entertaining. Evidently based on a true story, it has a good script which was very stylishly shot and with some rather excellent performances from newbie actor Brian Sheppard (Brian), hunky Zach Ryan (Jim), comedian Grant Lancaster (Dan) and established local actor Colman Domingo (Drew).


COMING IN

Tom is a celebrity hairdresser in Berlin although its been years since he picked up a

TANGERINE

It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Alexandra has just blown her last couple of dollars on buying Sin-Dee her best friend a pastry to celebrate her return after a 28 day stint in Jail. The mood quickly changes as these two transgendered prostitutes are dishing the dirty and Alexandra lets slip that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend/pimp Chester has been been dating a ‘fish’ (their slang for a biological female). An enraged Sin-Dee storms off in a huff determined to find this usurper and ‘sort her out’ once and for all .
Alexandra sets out in pursuit of her friend but then quickly gets embroiled in her own dramas. She is trying to hustle up some of the other working ‘girls’ on the block to attend her debut performance at a Bar later that night, but is distracted from that when a ‘john’ in a car asks her for a ‘quickie’.  When he refuses to pay up because he cannot get aroused, Alexandra shows her mettle by attempting to beat the crap out of the man in order to get her money.

This is just another day on some of the meaner streets of the underbelly of a city which is the home turf of these very tough sharp-tongue lady boys who make their living selling sex and whatever else they can lay their hands on.  They are fearlessly fabulous and rule the roost of these few blocks between Highland Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard where straight ‘johns’ cruise to get a fix.

As the two manically rush around town separately Alexandra comes across Razmik a middle-aged Armenian cab driver who is a regular client of most of the ‘girls’ in the area and he is overjoyed to learn that Sin-Dee is back on the beat.  She tells the cabbie that Sin-Dee will be at the Bar later to watch her perform, and he promises to meet them there in the hope of scoring a ‘date’ with her. However nothing ever works out as planned and Alexandra ends up plaintively singing to an audience of one, so tonight is obviously not going to be when she gets the break to go legit that she pines for.

The plot gets messy from there when it takes a farcical turn, but frankly it is really not that important anyway. This whole movie is much more like a bizarre reality show with its the high voltage of energy that its cast of larger-than-life characters bring to it that is the essential ingredient of this wonderful big-hearted frenetic street drama.   The fact that filmmaker Sean Baker shot the whole thing on IPhones adds a real frisson plus the performance of his two lead transgendered newbie actors Kiki Kitana Rodriquez and Mya Taylor made such compelling viewing. Baker credits the actors for drawing on their own personal experiences that gave such a authenticity and vitality to all their unstoppable bad-mouthing which is such a sheer delight to watch and listen too.

When this rather audacious indie movie premiered at Sundance Film Festival audiences leaped to the feet at the end, a reaction that I feel will be repeated quite often whenever it is screened.

★★★★★★★★★

Posted by at 6:27 PM

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BACK ON BOARD : GREG LOUGANIS

Greg Louganis is an American Hero. The sad thing is that it has taken such a long time for many people to truly acknowledge that.  Despite him being a four-time US Olympic diving champion whose many records remain unbroken today, he never always got all the acclaim and rewards that other sportsmen got just because he was gay. In this new documentary that covers focuses mainly on his more recent past filmmaker Cheryl Furjanic paints an affectionate and stirring portrait of a remarkable man who has survived more his fair share of  trauma and who has come through it all with a big smile on his face.
The film starts with Louganis trying to keep the Bank off his back as financial troubles have left him somewhat high and dry (we find out at the end of the movie that it all works out very well). The film then cuts back and forth covering his early diving days to his first days of retirement from the sport when the drama really seemed to get worse. What is remarkable is that right through all this from his abusive father to the blatant homophobia that dogged his career to the people in his life who just took advantage of him, a sanguine and honest Louganis shows no sign at all of anger.  A few regrets maybe. Even dealing with the messy and bitter collapse of his relationship with Jim in the 1980’s who had contracted Aids, there is no hint of even a harsh word.  Almost broke and now HIV positive, Louganis still supported Jim until the day he died.
Even though the Diving community shunned their greatest athlete for decades until the 2012 Olympics when he was invited to be a Mentor to the US Team, there were a handful of people like  Ron O’Brien who never ever wavered in their support throughout. O’Brien coached Louganis through the years of his Olympic years and was present on the fateful day when Louganis cut his head open on the diving board with blood spilling into the pool.  It was an incident that filled the closeted diver with dread especially as the doctors providing emergency care had no idea about Louganis’s condition and did not protect themselves.
It was a very emotional Louganis who told this story to Oprah on national TV years later when his memoir (a NY Times Bestseller for weeks) ‘Breaking The Silence’ was published in 1995 and his sexuality was made public.  Equally moving is when at a recent reunion he presented O’Brien with the Gold Medal that the Coach had helped him win that day.
What we see on screen is a healthy and happy 50 year-old-man.  His health had deteriorated rapidly in the late 1980’s until the introduction of life-saving protease inhibitors, and his new found happiness came to him via Match.com who provided with a rather wonderful husband.  Plus he has his dogs
Louganis is a disarmingly charming man but most of all he is a hero, and it seems only fitting that ‘Back On Board’ reminds exactly why.

★★★★★★★★

BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS [TRAILER] from Louganis Doc on Vimeo.

Posted by at 3:37 PM

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Wednesday, April 22, 2015

BROKEN GARDENIAS

Jenni is a misfit and a nerd. She is so clumsy that she breaks most of the plant pots at the nursery where she works and that really pisses off her boss. Her self-absorbed roommates all but one ignore her, and she is totally friendless.  It gets even worse after she is hospitalized and loses both her job and her home.  Clutching one cardboard box of her worldly possessions she makes tracks to the nearest park and sets about hanging herself from a tree.
Even this does not go to plan as she is cut down and rescued by Sam (short for Samantha) a feisty lesbian with a buzz cut and ripped jeans and a great big grin. ‘This’ she tells a downcast Jenni ‘is the face of a nice person’. Something she feels the need to point out after listening to the miserable girl pour out her tale of woe as it seems likely that she has never encountered a nice person ever before in her life.
Part of the story is Jenni’s father who she hasn’t seen since she was brought to the city and dumped there when she was very little.  He is still in Los Angeles. Maybe. Jenni is very sketchy about details, but that doesn’t deter Sam who declares that they will set off for LA in search of him immediately.  Even the fact they do not have a car, or even the faintest idea where in the vast city he will be, is considered irrelevant by the overly optimistic Sam.
Their road trip is littered with characters that Sam just shrugs off, but which wind up Jenni even more. When they arrive in the city and the search for the father starts, Sam has a detour when she runs into an old fling who invites her …. and Jenni ….. to a wild party.  Whilst Sam goes off to make out with her Ex., wide eyed Jenni ends up tripping on a psychedelic cupcake and getting into some bedroom action that she didn’t didn’t count on. She freaks out and then as she has angered the owner of the house as well, runs off into the city and is really on her own now.  The question is will she survive, and will she find her father ?  Even more important will we have lost interest just like Sam does?
Broken Gardenias is billed as a dark comedy and is the work of first time director Kai Alexander whose bio states that he spent his childhood with his parents who were part of a Travelling Circus which may account for the bizarre roster of characters the two women encounter.  The script is by newbie writer Alma S. Grey who also plays Jenni.
The sole bright spot of this film is the performance of Ashley Morocco as the bubbly Sam as asides from this the movie just simply fails to really engage, and for a comedy, it is painfully unfunny.

★★

Broken Gardenias Trailer from Zep Tepi Films LLC on Vimeo.

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C. J. Smyth Talks About Her First Solo Effort “Common Shaman”

C.J. SMYTH – COMMON SHAMAN – DANCING DRAGON MUSIC

I love finding new artists that remind me of other artists, but have their own distinct sound which sets them apart. Georgia native C.J. Smyth’s voice reminds me of the laidback caress of Aimee Mann, her tone takes me to the dark approaches of Mazzy Starr’s Hope Sandoval, and her songwriting echoes the honesty of Joni Mitchell. Not quite Folk, Country or Rock, Smyth falls into the category of Homespun Rock Angels like Sheryl Crow or Alana Davis.

My favorite song on “Common Shaman” is “Open Hand.” It’s complicated lyric can have several interpretations. The chorus says it all for me; “Love me with an open hand it’s all you need to do/ove me with an open hand and I’ll come home to you.” I took this as someone in an abusive relationship who has settled for the circumstances regardless of how destructive, due to drowning in love. Others may see the phrase “open hand” as meaning something inviting or offering. Other lyrics in the song lead to me believe the open hand was of a violent nature; “I know you worry cause I’ve been known to run from pleasure and pain, When it feels like a loaded gun with a shot that bears my name.”

The twelve tracks on C.J. Smyth’s Common Shaman cover a lot of emotion and many points of sadness, however it’s not grim. The relationship songs are complicated as most relationships are and the songs of inspiration are within realistic expectations. Well rounding out the experience are a few upbeat numbers that add richness to the project. Of these, “Sweet Mercy” stands out for me and is geared at being the most commercial. Miranda Lambert would be smart to cover this seductive number with it’s religious undercurrent.

C.J. is a noteworthy up and comer. I’d like our readers to be able to get some insight into someone whom in my opinion knows how to “do it right” when it comes to putting your dreams on the map and letting the cosmos take over from there.

Gaysonama: C.J., I wanted to tell you that I really enjoyed your Common Shaman project. I can tell a lot of time, love and emotion went into it. I’d like our readers to get to know you better, so tell me a little about yourself. How did you start out to be a singer-songwiter, what made you select such a sometimes non-rewarding profession, and what were some of the hurdles along the way to this point, your first solo effort?

C.J. Smyth: Bob, thank you for this opportunity to talk with you about “Common Shaman!” I am very happy that you enjoyed the album, and you are right, its creation was an important chapter in my life

To answer your questions, I came to professional songwriting a bit later in life. I played guitar and wrote prose from a young age, and in college decided to try combining the two and loved it. I wrote mostly for my own enjoyment or for friends and family celebrations until I was about 30. At that time I developed Rheumatoid Arthritis and my hands were really being affected, I decided that if I was going to give myself a shot with my music I needed to do it or I might not get the chance. Luckily some new treatments came along a few years later and my hands are still doing well.

My first professional venture was a trio, Cynova, and I wrote all of our original music. We were just starting to talk about cutting a record when one of our group, Valerie Van Zyl, was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer. She died 15 months later just a few weeks before we were to go into the studio. We did go ahead and cut that record “Miracle Alley” with the remaining member Nora-Ellen Long and my partner Kit Thompson filling in for Valerie’s part. We were excited to have it nominated for Pride in the Arts (PITA) Favorite album of 2007.

Afterwards, I wanted to be more intentional about what I created with my life and put out in the world. I worked to get clear on what was important to me and how my music was an expression of that. The songs on “Common Shaman” are a result of that reflection. I also knew from my previous experience that I wanted to have more creative input on the production of this album and it soon became clear it would be a solo project.

Gaysonoma: Starting out later in life reminds me of one of my favorite Country Singers, K.T. Oslin from the later 80s, do you remember her? Seasoned performers even “new to the game” have that built in confidence which is very apparent. You surely have that in common. I noticed your partner Kit is not a performer on Common Shaman. Is Cynova on hiatus for now?

C.J. Smyth: I do remember her, I especially like the tune “Hold Me” such richness and texture in her vocal!

Cynova decided to disband in 2013, after a wonderful 12 year run we all were interested in other directions creatively, luckily it was on good terms, and we support each other 100%. Kit was just helping out with the third harmony part as the songs had been arranged (for which I am grateful!). She did the photography on both albums.

I really wanted “Common Shaman” to develop more organically in terms of supporting vocals and instrumentation and found the perfect producer in John McVey. Rather than take a set arrangement into the studio, John and I worked hard to find the right backing musicians and vocals lines for each tune.

Gaysonoma: Your planning C.J.  paid off well. I have listened to thousands of debuts over the years. Many seem to have something a bit off about them. The vocal drowns in parts or some backing tracks seem off. “Common Shaman” was put together very well, so hats off to you and your team! My favorite track is “Open Hand.” Now that I’m speaking to you directly you can uncover the mystery for me. I took it as a tale related to domestic abuse. I am I right? What is the actual meaning behind that song?

C.J. Smyth: Thank you so much, I really appreciate hearing that from you. I could not have been happier with how “Open Hand” came out! The arrangement we came up with really serves the song well.

I love hearing about how people relate to lyrics, I hear many different things that get touched in people, it’s like all the facets of our humanity comes out. My usual answer is, if that is what you are hearing then yes, that is what the song is about! But I will answer you more directly, the song is an explanation from one partner who needs more independence and space in relationship to the other who worries this means they are not committed and maybe a little self destructive at times. It is a way of saying, I am here and when I go away it’s to gather myself in order to come back more fully present. My partner Kit calls it one of her instruction songs.

GAYSONOMA: When there are many interpretations, that is the sign of a really good song. The title track and title of your CD “Common Shaman” seemed to have a mystical connection. What was the inspiration behind that and why did you select it as the CD’s title?

C.J. Smyth: I was studying Peruvian shamanism at the time. The philosophy is with the right tools the gifts of the shaman are available to everyone. I just hit on the “Common Shaman” as word play one day and really liked it. I planned to title the CD that before the song ever came into being. It circles back to what I was saying earlier about wanting to be more intentional with what I was putting out in the world, focusing more on positivity.

The song posed a challenge musically as it one of several that I alter the tuning on by adding multiple capos to the fret board, so it’s not as straight forward for the musicians to play. John had to do a big of arranging to accommodate that.

Gaysonoma: C.J., if I was to pull a single from the album, my choice would be “Sweet Mercy.” It has playful and lightly seductive lyrics, and a slight blues feel while bordering on country-soft rock. I could see Linda Ronstadt, Bonnie Raitt or Miranda Lambert scoring well with that track. What was your direction with that number?

C.J. Smyth: That one is super fun to perform live too! You are right on with that one. I had been out with some friends the night before I wrote this and we were watching these two women do this kind of fun, flirty dance back and forth all night, taking bets on whether they would hook up or not.

I sat down to write the next day. It had been a while since I had written anything and I was having a little writer’s block. I sometimes try to write something like someone else might to get things flowing when I feel a little stuck, so i asked myself, “What would Melissa Etheridge say about last night” and this was the result. Sometimes I get keepers out of that and sometimes not, but it’s fun.

Gaysonoma: Well that makes me really happy C.J.. I can tell you really enjoyed creating it as much I enjoyed discovering it. On the subject of inspiration, in closing, what single artist has influenced you and your creativity the most throughout your career and how? Also, what one song do you wish you had written and why?

C.J. Smyth: Wow, that is such a difficult question, there are so many inspirations out there Melissa E, Aimee Mann, the Indigo Girls all come to mind. I had to really think about this for a bit as you said “the most” over my career. I think I would have to say it’s a toss up between Ferron and Dan Fogelberg for many of the same reasons. They both cut across the folk, rock and country genres adeptly, they both write stellar lyrics, though I might give that one to Ferron. The prosody they both utilize in their music can create some exceptional emotional moments. I’d have to give Dan the upper hand in musical composition though. He used so many different chords to create a song. If I need some restoration these are the two I come back to over and over after many years. Okay that was a really long answer!

I’ll give you a favorite from each of them that I wish I had written “Ain’t Life a Brook.” by Ferron because the lyrics paint such a great picture of what it’s like healing from a break up over time and the vocal delivery is awesome. Then Fogelberg’s “Dancing Shoes” because the musical arrangement is so sparse and delicate and supports the feeling of the lyric perfectly, wonderfully crafted.

Thank you so much for this opportunity I have really enjoyed it!

Our thanks to C.J. for her time and personal exposure into the realm of media. You can find C.J. Smyth’s music at several venues including Amazon, CD Baby, CD Universe, and at www.cjsmyth.com.

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27th Lambda Literary Award Finalists Announced

Best LGBT books? Here’s what’s in the running for the Lambda Literary Awards this spring.

Lesbian Fiction: Adult Onset, Ann-Marie Macdonald, Tin House Books; Last Words of Montmartre, Qiu Miaojin, translated by Ari Larissa Heinrich, New York Review Books; Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932, Francine Prose, Harper Collins/Harper; Miracle Girls, MB Caschetta, Engine Books; New York 1, Tel Aviv 0, Shelly Oria, FSG Originals/Farrar, Straus and Giroux; The Palace Blues, Brandy T. Wilson, Spinsters Ink; The Paying Guests, Sarah Waters, Riverhead Books, Penguin Random House; Yabo, Alexis De Veaux, RedBone Press

Gay Fiction: All I Love and Know, Judith Frank, HarperCollins/William Morrow; Barracuda, Christos Tsiolkas, Hogarth; Bitter Eden: A Novel, Tatamkhulu Afrika, Macmillan/Picador USA; The City of Palaces, Michael Nava, U. of Wisconsin Press; I Loved You More, Tom Spanbauer, Hawthorne Books; Little Reef and Other Stories, Michael Carroll, Terrace Books, an imprint of the U. of Wisconsin Press; Next to Nothing: Stories, Keith Banner, Lethe Press; Souljah, John R. Gordon, Angelica Entertainments Ltd/Team Angelica Publishing

Bisexual Fiction: Best Bi Short Stories: Bisexual Fiction, Sheela Lambert editor, Gressive Press, an imprint of Circlet Press; Extraordinary Adventures of Mullah Nasruddin, Ron J. Suresha, Lethe Press; Finder of Lost Objects, Susie Hara, Ithuriel’s Spear; Give It to Me, Ana Castillo, The Feminist Press; She of the Mountains, Vivek Shraya, Arsenal Pulp Press

Transgender Fiction: Everything Must Go, La JohnJoseph, ITNA PRESS; For Today I Am a Boy, Kim Fu, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Moving Forward Sideways like a Crab, Shani Mootoo, Doubleday Canada; Revolutionary: A Novel, Alex Myers, Simon and Schuster; A Safe Girl To Love, Casey Plett, Topside Press

LGBT Debut Fiction: Death in Venice, California, Vinton Rafe McCabe, The Permanent Press; Kill Marguerite and Other Stories, Megan Milks, Emergency Press; A Map of Everything, Elizabeth Earley, Jaded Ibis Press; The Music Teacher, Bob Sennett, Lethe Press; Nochita, Dia Felix, City Lights/Sister Spit; Part the Hawser, Limn the Sea, Dan Lopez, Chelsea Station Editions; Unaccompanied Minors, Alden Jones, New American Press; The Walk-In Closet, Abdi Nazemian, Curtis Brown Unlimited

LGBT Nonfiction: An American Queer: The Amazon Trail, Lee Lynch, Bold Strokes Books; Hold Tight Gently: Michael Callen, Essex Hemphill, and the Battlefield of AIDS, Martin Duberman, The New Press; The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality, Julie Sondra Decker, Skyhorse Publishing/Carrel Books; Nevirapine and the Quest to End Pediatric AIDS, Rebecca J. Anderson, McFarland; Robert Gober: The Heart Is Not a Metaphor, Hilton Als, Ann Temkin, Claudia Carson, Robert Gober, Paulina Pobocha, Christian Scheidemann, The Museum of Modern Art; Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange, How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos, Robert Hofler, It Books/HarperCollins; The Transgender Archives: Foundations for the Future, Aaron H. Devor, U. of Victoria Libraries; The Up Stairs Lounge Arson: Thirty-Two Deaths in a New Orleans Gay Bar, June 24, 1973 , Clayton Delery-Edwards, McFarland

Bisexual Nonfiction: Fire Shut Up in My Bones, Charles M. Blow, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Not My Father’s Son, Alan Cumming, HarperCollins Publishers/Dey Street Books; Recognize: The Voices of Bisexual Men, Editors: Robyn Ochs & H. Sharif Williams, Bisexual Resource Center

Transgender Nonfiction: Man Alive: A True Story of Violence, Forgiveness and Becoming a Man, Thomas Page McBee, City Lights/Sister Spit; Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love and So Much More, Janet Mock, Atria Books; Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community, Laura Erickson-Schroth, Oxford U. Press

Lesbian Poetry: Haiti Glass, Lenelle Moise, City Lights/Sister Spit; Janey’s Arcadia, Rachel Zolf, Coach House Books; Last Psalm at Sea Level, Meg Day, Barrow Street Press; Like a Begger, Ellen Bass, Copper Canyon Press; MxT, Sina Queyras, Coach House Books; Mysterious Acts by My People, Valerie Wetlaufer, Sibling Rivalry Press; Only Ride, Megan Volpert, Sibling Rivalry Press; Termination Dust, Susanna Mishler, Red Hen Press/Boreal

Gay Poetry: [insert] boy, Danez Smith, YesYes Books; Clean, David J. Daniels, Four Way Books; Don’t Go Back to Sleep, Timothy Liu, Saturnalia Books; ECODEVIANCE: (Soma)tics for the Future Wilderness, CAConrad, Wave Books; The New Testament, Jericho Brown, Copper Canyon Press; Prelude to Bruise, Saeed Jones, Coffee House Press; This Life Now, Michael Broder, A Midsummer Night’s Press; This Way to the Sugar, Hieu Minh Nguyen, Write Bloody Publishing

Lesbian Mystery: The Acquittal, Anne Laughlin, Bold Strokes Books; Done to Death , Charles Atkins, Severn House Publishers; The Old Deep and Dark-A Jane Lawless Mystery, Ellen Hart, Minotaur Books; Slash and Burn, Valerie Bronwen, Bold Strokes Books; UnCatholic Conduct, Stevie Mikayne, Bold Strokes Books

Gay Mystery: Blackmail, My Love: A Murder Mystery, Katie Gilmartin, Cleis Press; Boystown 6: From the Ashes, Marshall Thornton, MLR; Calvin’s Head, David Swatling, Bold Strokes Books; DeadFall, David Lennon, BlueSpike Publishing; Fair Game, Josh Lanyon, Carina Press; A Gathering Storm, Jameson Currier, Chelsea Station Editions; Moon Over Tangier, Janice Law, Open Road Media; The Next, Rafe Haze, Wilde City Press

Lesbian Memoir/Biography: Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around: Forty Years of Movement Building with Barbara Smith, Alethia Jones and Virginia Eubanks, with Barbara Smith,  SUNY Press; Cease – a memoir of love, loss and desire, Lynette Loeppky, Oolichan Books; Eating Fire: My Life as a Lesbian Avenger, Kelly Cogswell, U. of Minnesota Press; The End of Eve, Ariel Gore, Hawthorne Books; Under This Beautiful Dome: A Senator, A Journalist, and the Politics of Gay Love in America, Terry Mutchler, Seal Press

Gay Memoir/Biography: Body Counts: A Memoir of Politics, Sex, AIDS, and Survival, Sean Strub, Scribner; Charles Walters: The Director Who Made Hollywood Dance, Brent Phillips, U. Press of Kentucky; Closets, Combat and Coming Out: Coming of Age as a Gay Man in the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Army, Rob Smith, Blue Beacon Books by Regal Crest; Inside a Pearl: My Years in Paris, Edmund White, Bloomsbury; Letter to Jimmy, Alain Mabanckou, translated by Sara Meli Ansari, Counterpoint/Soft Skull Press; The Prince of Los Cocuyos, Richard Blanco, HarperCollins/Ecco; Tennessee Williams: Mad Pilgrimage of the Flesh, John Lahr, W.W. Norton & Co.; Wagstaff: Before and After Mapplethorpe, Philip Gefter, W.W. Norton & Co./Liveright

Lesbian Romance: Christmas Crush, Kate McLachlan, Regal Crest; The Farmer’s Daughter, Robbi McCoy, Bella Books; The Heat of Angels, Lisa Girolami, Bold Strokes Books; Jolt , Kris Bryant, Bold Strokes Books; Nightingale, Andrea Bramhall, Bold Strokes Books; Seneca Falls, Jesse J. Thoma, Bold Strokes Books; Tangled Roots, Marianne K. Martin, Bywater Books; That Certain Something, Clare Ashton, Breezy Tree Press

Gay Romance: The Companion, Lloyd A. Meeker, Dreamspinner Press; Everything’s Coming Up Roses: Four Tales of M/M Romance, Barry Lowe, Lydian Press; Foolish Hearts: New Gay Fiction, Timothy Lambert and R.D. Cochrane, Cleis Press; Like They Always Been Free, Georgina Li, Queer Young Cowboys; Message of Love, Jim Provenzano, Myrmidude Press/CreateSpace; The Passion of Sergius & Bacchus, A Novel of Truth, David Reddish, DoorQ Publishing; Pulling Leather, L.C. Chase, Riptide Publishing; Salvation: A Novel of the Civil War, Jeff Mann, Bear Bones Books

Lesbian Erotica: All You Can Eat. A Buffet of Lesbian Erotica and Romance, Andi Marquette and R.G. Emanuelle, Ylva Publishing; Forbidden Fruit: stories of unwise lesbian desire, Cheyenne Blue, Ladylit Publishing; Lesbian Sex Bible, Diana Cage, Quiver Books

Gay Erotica: Bears of Winter, Jerry Wheeler, Bear Bones Books; Incubus Tales, Hushicho, Circlet Press; The King, Tiffany Reisz, MIRA Books; Leather Spirit Stallion, Raven Kaldera, Circlet Press; The Thief Taker, William Holden, Bold Strokes Books

LGBT Anthology: Black Gay Genius: Answering Joseph Beam’s Call, Charles Stephens and Steven G. Fullwood, Vintage Entity Press; A Family by Any Other Name: Exploring Queer Relationships, Bruce Gillespie, TouchWood Editions; Outer Voices Inner Lives, Mark McNease and Stephen Dolainski (co-editors), MadeMark Publishing; The Queer South: LGBTQ Writers on the American South, Douglas Ray, Editor, Sibling Rivalry Press; Understanding and Teaching US Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History, Leila J. Rupp & Susan K. Freeman, U. of Wisconsin Press

LGBT Children’s/Young Adult: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Susan Kuklin, Candlewick Press; Double Exposure, Bridget Birdsall, Sky Pony Press, an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing; Five, Six, Seven, Nate!, Tim Federle, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers; Forgive Me If I’ve Told You This Before, Karelia Stetz-Waters, Ooligan Press; Lies We Tell Ourselves, Robin Talley, Harlequin Teen; Pukawiss the Outcast, Jay Jordan Hawke, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press; This is Not a Love Story, Suki Fleet, Dreamspinner Press/Harmony Ink Press; When Everything Feels like the Movies, Raziel Reid, Arsenal Pulp Press

LGBT Drama: The Beast of Times, Adelina Anthony, Korima Press; Bootycandy, Robert O’Hara, Samuel French; A Kid Like Jake, Daniel Pearle, Dramatists Play Service; The Whale, Samuel D. Hunter, Samuel French; Wolves, Steve Yockey, Samuel French

LGBT Graphic Novels: 100 Crushes, Elisha Lim, Koyama Press; Band Vs. Band Comix Volume 1, Kathleen Jacques, Paper Heart Comix; Pregnant Butch: Nine Long Months Spent in Drag,  A.K. Summers, Soft Skull, an imprint of Counterpoint; Second Avenue Caper, Joyce Brabner; Art by Mark Zingarelli, Hill and Wang, a division of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; Snackies, Nick Sumida, Youth in Decline

LGBT SF/F/Horror: Afterparty, Daryl Gregory, Tor Books; Bitter Waters, Chaz Brenchley, Lethe Press; Butcher’s Road, Lee Thomas, Lethe Press; Child of a Hidden Sea, A. M. Dellamonica, Tor Books; Full Fathom Five, Max Gladstone, Tor Books; FutureDyke, Lea Daley, Bella Books; Skin Deep Magic, Craig Laurance Gidney, Rebel Satori Press

LGBT Studies: After Love: Queer Intimacy and Erotic Economies in Post-Soviet Cuba, Noelle M. Stout, Duke U. Press; Charity & Sylvia: A Same-Sex Marriage in Early America, Rachel Hope Cleves, Oxford U. Press; Delectable Negro: Human Consumption and Homoeroticism within US Slave Culture, Vincent Woodard, Ed. Justin A. Joyce and Dwight McBride, New York U. Press; Queen for a Day: Transformistas, Beauty Queens, and the Performance of Femininity in Venezuela, Marcia Ochoa, Duke U. Press; The Queerness of Native American Literature, Lisa Tatonetti, U. of Minnesota Press; Sexual Futures, Queer Gestures, and Other Latina Longings, Juana Maria Rodriguez, New York U. Press; The Sexuality of History: Modernity and the Sapphic, Susan S. Lanser, U. of Chicago Press; Under Bright Lights: Gay Manila and the Global Scene, Bobby Benedicto, U. of Minnesota Press

Winners will be announced on June 1 in New York City.

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15 Books By Transgender Women You Need To Read Immediately

1. Six Months, Three Days by Charlie Jane Anders

Tor.com via tor.com

Charlie Jane Anders via sfweekly.com

A man who can see the future meets a woman who can see many possible futures and the two fall in love, despite knowing exactly when their relationship will end and how.

Date of Publication: 2011
Why You Should Read It: Not only did it win the 2012 Hugo Award for Best Novelette (and get nominated for many more awards), but this novella will also soon be adapted to the small screen by NBC.

2. Last Letters From Hav by Jan Morris

Random House via themanbookerprize.com

Jan Morris via patriciaannmcnair.com

This fictional memoir details Morris’ six-month trip to the imaginary country of Hav, which seems to be on the brink of war.

Date of Publication: 1985
Why You Should Read It: The book, which crosses genres between travel literature and science fiction, was nominated for a Man Booker Prize its year of publication.

3. A Safe Girl to Love by Casey Plett

Topside Press via topsidepress.com

jrvmajesty.tumblr.com

Plett’s collection of short fiction stories feature young trans women navigating life, from a rural Canadian town to the boozy nightlife of Brooklyn.

Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: Plett offers insight to the struggles all young women recognize, through journeys of heartbreak to those of growth and transformation.

4. Nevada by Imogen Binnie

Topside Press via olyblog.net

Julie Blair via bklooks.com

Binnie’s dark comedy is about a young punk girl living in New York City who embarks on a journey that will change her life after discovering her girlfriend has lied to her.

Date of Publication: 2013
Why You Should Read It: Imogen won Lambda Literary’s 2014 Emerging Writer Award for the novel and received rave reviews from readers upon her debut.

5. I’ve Got a Time Bomb by Sybil Lamb

Topside Press via topsidepress.com

Sybil Lamb via jrvmajesty.tumblr.com

On her way home from a same-sex wedding, the character Sybil is brutally attacked and wakes up days later in a hospital to find that her brain, and thus reality as she knows it, has changed.

Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: A fictional take on a real-life hate crime, this book is a powerful novel about strength, survival, and punk rock.

6. Redefining Realness by Janet Mock

Atria Books via slate.com

Aaron Tredwell via jandaywilson.com

The talk show host and Marie Claire editor shares her coming-of-age memoir, detailing her life growing up as a black trans girl from an impoverished background in Hawaii.

Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: With a narrative firmly rooted in both pop culture and academic research, the New York Times best-seller explores the highly relatable themes of family, community, and self-reliance, while also offering teaching opportunities typically missing from similar narratives.

7. Hiding My Candy: The Autobiography of the Grand Empress of Savannah by The Lady Chablis

Pocket Books via amazon.com

Lady Chablis via monikermgmt.com

The Lady Chablis became well-known after making an appearance in John Berendt’s Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, the longest nonfiction best-seller on the New York Times list. (It was later adapted into a 1997 Clint Eastwood movie of the same name, in which Chablis also starred.) Chablis shares her story as a drag queen and performer in this memoir.

Date of Publication: 1997
Why You Should Read It: The book provides an opportunity to explore the rich life of an entertainer who still maintains an active career, including a 2013 appearance on Bravo’s The Real Housewives of Atlanta.

8. Cooking in Heels by Ceyenne Doroshow

Red Umbrella Project via redumbrellaproject.org

Ceyenne Doroshaw via marisarmiller.tumblr.com

Doroshow shares her life through 40 Southern-style recipes with a Caribbean twist.

Date of Publication: 2012
Why You Should Read It: How can you say no to food? The book stands out in the memoir genre with an interactive and delicious method of storytelling that further connects you to Doroshow’s life and history.

9. She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders by Jennifer Finney Boylan

Broadway Books via amazon.com

James Bowdoin via jenniferboylan.net

Boylan, the national co-chair for GLAAD, shares her experience with transitioning between genders while navigating life, family, love, and, ultimately, self-acceptance in this memoir.

Date of Publication: 2003
Why You Should Read It: The book is an important part of queer history, as the first memoir by a transgender American author to land on the New York Times best-seller list.

10. Trauma Queen by Lovemme Corazón

Biyuti Publishing via autostraddle.com

Lovemme Corazon via youngist.tumblr.com

This memoir is composed of poems and prose about Corazón’s journey through abuse and assault and her life as a survivor.

Date of Publication: 2013
Why You Should Read It: The memoir explores themes with which survivors of assault and young activists living with gender dysphoria and healing through trauma can easily emphathize.

11. Seasonal Velocities by Ryka Aoki

Trans-Genre via trans-genre.net

Ryka Aoki via womenwhokickass.tumblr.com

Aoki’s collection of essays, poems, stories, and transcripts from her performance art explores violence, love, hope, and home, defined by seasonal themes.

Date of Publication: 2012
Why You Should Read It: A finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, the collection has been praised for offering “the possibility of healing, of hope and redemption, of reunion.”

12. I Rise: The Transformation of Toni Newman by Toni Newman

CREATESPACE via amazon.com

Toni Newman via wildgender.com

The memoir shares the story of Newman’s journey growing up in a strict Christian home in North Carolina, making a living through sex work in Los Angeles and NYC, and, finally, attending law school to help her community.

Date of Publication: 2011
Why You Should Read It: In a rich exploration of life from church pews to the streets of L.A., Toni shares her pride and triumph through life’s trials. The book is also in the process of becoming an independent movie.

13. Whipping Girl by Julia Serano

Seal Press via juliaserano.com

Julia Serano via juliaserano.com

Serano’s collection of critical essays deconstructs socially accepted narratives on trans women in Western culture.

Date of Publication: 2007
Why You Should Read It: The manifesto is great for anyone interested in learning about the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in feminism. It is also responsible for coining the term “transmisogyny” — the point at which transphobia and misogyny meet.

14. Make Love to Rage by Morgan Robyn Collado

Biyuti Publishing via publishbiyuti.org

Morgan Robyn Collado via Twitter: @witchymorgan

Collado’s collection of poetry explores the evolution from rage to love in the face of injustice.

Date of Publication: 2014
Why You Should Read It: It’s a powerful meditation on how to live in peace and love while struggling through oppression.

15. Wanting in Arabic by Trish Salah

TSAR Publications via amazon.com

Kaspar Saxena via news-centre.uwinnipeg.ca

Salah’s collection of poetry that explores gender, nostalgia, language, race, and the idea of a cultural home.

Date of Publication: 2002 (Reissued in 2013)
Why You Should Read it: A winner of the 2014 Lambda Literary Award for Transgender Fiction, the collection shares a cultural experience rarely made available to mainstream American audiences.

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“Land of Storms” Explores Gay Life in Germany

 

Szabolcs (nicknamed Szabi) and his teenage German teammates do everything together.  They get matching tattoos and even ‘relieve’ themselves in unison when they are watching straight porn on the TV. However the camaraderie is quickly strained when they get thrashed in an important football match, and Szabi their captain is blamed for the loss. A fight breaks out during their post-game shower between Szabi and his best friend Bernard, which results in a hasty retreat early next morning with an angry Szabi sulking back to his native Hungary.
Instead of heading home and having to face his disappointed father who has all but coerced him into becoming a professional football player, Szabi instead makes tracks to the dilapidated farmhouse in a remote corner of the country that he has inherited from his grandfather.
He is woken up one night by the sound of his motorbike that is about to be stolen by Aron a local village lad. When Szabi sets off in hot pursuit and captures him, the embarrassed young man stays on to help repair the roof as a way of apologizing. These two lonely young men very quickly become firm friends, and when they end up drinking a little too much schnapps one night, Szabi takes advantage of the situation and of his new friend too, by attempting to take their relationship up a level or two. It’s clear that although Aron is enjoying being aroused by his friend, he is also confused and ashamed by the feelings he is experiencing and so later on in a moment of panic he confesses all to his needy religious mother.
As Aron has a sometimes girlfriend he escapes the beating that the local homophobic youths inflict on Szabi when word gets out that the two are more than platonic friends. Whilst Aron now keeps a wide berth of the farmhouse, Bernard turns up from Germany and professes that he has always had a secret crush on his best friend. As Szabi is now coming to terms with his sexuality he is more than happy to embrace this news and Bernard too.  When word gets around the village about Szabi’s new houseguest, a very jealous and somewhat chastened Aron quickly reappears and soon the three young men become a romantic idyllic triangle. It is doomed to failure however as it is inevitable that these three un-worldly innocents will be unable to deal with either their own feelings of jealousy, or the external forces that they quickly encounter.
The beauty of this very tender movie of gay self-discovery from Hungarian filmmaker Ádám Császi is the very sensual and somewhat sad way that rather unsentimentally deals with these boy’s experiences in this rather harsh environment. Császi captures Szabi’s struggle not just with his sexuality but his whole desire for a simpler way of life rather than following the path his father has insisted of mapping out for him.
It is daringly sensuous and although this tender and touching tale is both erotically and emotional charged, for a refreshing change it avoids any temptation to develop into a cliché melodrama.  It is helped by the three very talented leads who give extremely compelling performances of young men finding their own way of dealing with who they really are, and also by the fact that they just happen to be hot as hell too.
It is unquestionably one of the very best new coming of age movies, and even more remarkable when you appreciate that it is also Császi’s debut feature too.

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RuPaul’s Bevy of Drag Racers Release Musical Mixed Bags

Debuting soon with its Seventh Season is the Ultra-Fabulous RuPaul’s “Drag Race.” Undoubtedly, the new season will be way over the top and filled with cheesy drama, deliberate conflicts, and shameless product placement.  However, I find it very entertaining as it seems to make fun of itself and still comes across as genuine. Aside from all the glitz and glamor, many of these “ladyboys” are singing their little hearts out on Internet Downloads, CDs, and YouTube. None have broken through to mainstream on the scales of MamaRu, but it’s just a matter of time. Here is sample of some noteworthy “dragalicious” sounds that are awaiting discovery. Also for the first time I’m giving each artist a rating in the scale of one to five in Cha Cha Heels. If you are a connoisseur of “Drag” history then you’ll know where the Cha Cha Heels connection comes from.

JINKX MONSOON – THE INEVITABLE ALBUM – SIDECAR MUSIC
Now this collection is a cute little tribute to the days of Vaudeville with most of the background music fittingly provided by an old time piano. Somehow Jinkxy (Jerick Hoffer) managed to get a endearing guest appearance by Fred Schneider of the B-52’s on the opening act and the uproarious song Bacon Shake. Aside from the celebrity draw, Monsoon is right on the mark vocally and you can sense the mischievousness on all the tracks. The only song that is out of place in the line up is a remake of Radiohead’s “Creep.” The interpretation itself isn’t horrible, actually in contrast it’s delightful. The song just doesn’t flow with the rest of the numbers and breaks the flow of the time warp the set places you in. It would have been better included at the end as a bonus track or transformed into the same style as the other tracks. If you’re a fan of ballsy Broadway tunes with so much tongue in cheek that leaves no room for a face, snatch this all out bash from the “Drag Race” season five winner right up. Rating: 5 Cha Cha Heels.

WILLAM – THE WRECKONING – WILLAM MUSIC
From “Drag Race’s” fourth season, Willam (Willam Belli) has been the only contestant eliminated from the contest and gained shameful popularity for that event. Willam is my least favorite in this list because as a drag queen I feel he is weak. A good drag queen gives the illusion of a female, sometimes with exaggerations. Sadly, in Willam’s case his facial structure is just too manly, even though from the neck down he nails it. This is probably why he has landed acting roles where gender is in question as the mainstream can only handle so much of the illusion. “The Wreckoning” features many of his download singles with his partners in crime Detox and Vicky Vox (the now disbanded DWV) and other drag guests. I’ve included Willam here because musically he is the Weird “Alice” Yankovic of the bunch.  His songs are extremely nasty and devilishly clever. The bulk of his songs are parodies and the accompanying videos are quite amusing. “The Wrecking” is available on his website, but I recommend watching the videos rather than only listening . Rating: 2 Cha Cha Heels.

ADORE DELANO – TILL DEATH DO US PARTY – SIDECAR MUSIC
Adore’s debut is a probing mix of Electro-Punkish-Dance-Rock and astonishingly very well-polished. Welcome to the arena a new Glam Goddess. Delano (Danny Noriega) was first on our TV screens as a contestant on the seventh season of “American Idol” minus his drag collective and made it to the top 13, one year before Adam Lambert sissy’d his walk to success on that venue. “Drag Race” allowed Delano to further explore his creativity and more than Idol could tolerate. “Till Death Do Us Party” is the perfect title for this project as it was one of his catch phrases and describes the bulk of the tracks. I was immediately fan struck with the magnetic opener “Speak My Sex” and have grown utterly addicted to the “Party” song. If this was a standard release by an unknown “safe” artist and marketed to pop outlets it would soar to the top of the charts as it really is that good. Actually if some of these songs were put out by the likes of Katy Perry or Ke$ha they would be instant hits. The release did gather attention as it quietly debuted at #59 on the Billboard Album Chart. This is a grand showing and proves that the music buying public want more than what they will find on the Walmart or Best Buy corporate controlled racks. My only dislike is that his drag persona is virtually lost in the effort and the use of profanity seems placed. Sadly in Adores’ case, it comes off as plainly immature. On “Drag Race” season six, Adore seemed very bratty by dropping the “F” Bomb, which seemed like almost every time he was on camera. With all his flaws compared to the other more seasoned queens, he came across as a hot mess with potential and early on he was a judges favorite. He is as captivating as a perky young Molly Ringwald. The “Party” song is a winner in my book and you can check out the amusing accompanying video on YouTube. Rating: 4 Cha Cha Heels.

COURTNEY ACT – WELCOME TO DISGRACELAND – COURTNEY ACT MUSIC
All I have to say is that this glittering star is waiting to explode all over the nation and I wish someone in the business would snatch Courtney up and market the crap out of him. Courtney Act (Shane Jenek) is like a dose of Britney Spears with a splash of Madonna, topped with coating of Olivia Newton John circa 1985.  In my opinion, this is the only contestant that has appeared on Drag Race that could reach cross-appeal on the level of RuPaul. Courtney also was a contestant on “Australian Idol” way back in 2003, made it to the semi-finals performing  in drag and in 2004 released a single “Rub Me Down,” which did not make the US Charts. There is no album yet from Courtney, but there is web product if you search well enough. I have found a YouTube video for the song “To Russia With Love.” that I just can’t get enough of. I think I’m respoinsible for at least 300 of the mentioned views. The video alone prompted me to spend hours looking for more Courtney Act music. There are downloads available for “Mean Gays,” a fun-little romp and three collaborations with other contestants; “Downton Abby Snore,” “American Apparel Ad Girls,” and “Dear Santa Bring Me A Man,” a remake of the Weather Girls holiday hit from 1983. There also is a remix CD single for the track “Welcome To Disgraceland,” from 2010, which is not easily found. I can barely wait for a full album from this artist. Rating: 5 Cha Cha Heels

MANILA LUZON – ETERNAL QUEEN – LOMLPLEX MUSIC
Runner up from “Drag Race’s” third season Manila Luzon (Karl Westerberg) is a flawless fishy queen whose confidence and talent grew during the show achieving many positive comments from judges and earned a place on RuPaul’s spin off show Drag U. “The Eternal Queen” album is very much like the later RuPaul CDs with an ample supply of short and sweet dance tracks but nothing really stands out for me. Unfortunately nothing on it compares with several of the web singles that appeared prior to its release and left off of the debut. I found this odd and assume there must have been a legal reason behind it. The best of the early tracks was his first, the catchy and hook filled “Hot Couture” from 2011. Rating: 2 Cha Cha Heels.

SHARON NEEDLES – PG 13 – SHARON NEEDLES MUSIC
On “Drag Race’s” fourth season, Sharon Needles (Aaron Coady) was the ghastly spooky queen who could only be rivaled by Marilyn Manson for theater effects. It seemed odd at first, but in each episode you were drawn in to see what he would wear next and be amazed at the level of his creativity. Because of this dynamic, I was a little let down by his debut “PG-13.” Filled to the rim with Club Music it is a great addition to any “Halloween Party,” but outside of October it’s just out of place. Creepy and Scary certainly fit the bill with Needles’ image and lead him to grasp the “Drag Race” crown, but it should have been used “in addition to” rather than encompass the whole project to achieve longevity. Rating: 3 Cha Cha Heels.

VARIOUS ARTISTS – RUPAUL PRESENTS THE COVERGURLS – WORLD OF WONDER MUSIC
This is the companion album to season six of “Drag Race” and it’s filled with reinventions of RuPaul songs featuring all of the contestants from that season whether they have pipes or not. It’s a playful example of how far we’ve come with “in the studio” magic. It’s a cute novelty and if you’re a die hard fan it’s a must have, but of course the O”ru”ginals are the better of the bunch. Rating: 2 Cha Cha Heels.

RUPAUL – BORN NAKED – RUCO MUSIC
Yes I do proudly own the RuPaul music collection and I have to say “Born Naked,” is his most diverse collection thus far and is responsible for Ru’s first time busting into the Billboard Hot 100 Albums Chart. Ru hasn’t cracked the Billboard Hot Album Chart since 1993 when “Supermodel of the World” made it to #109. It was a breakthrough at that time on so many levels. It will never be duplicated or surpassed and it’s become a standard piece of pop culture “herstory.” So what’s a gurl to do? Just what RuPaul is doing. He is the finest at his craft and releasing new music with a touch of exploration. On “Born Naked” you will find carefree dance numbers, Rhythm & Blues, Electro Funk, and for the first time a sound close to new wave rock with “Geronimo” and “Born Naked.” As an added treat Club Icon Martha Wash is featured on “Can I Get An Amen” and gal-pal Michelle Visage on the anthem “Let The Music Play.” Rating: 4 Cha Cha Heels.

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