I want to inform everyone of a few events our PFLAG has cookin'. These events are very beneficial and very tender. Mark your calendars for October 16th. They will be holding a remembrance ceremony for all people who have lost their lives due to hatred, bigotry, etc. You can even add names to the list if you know someone who was taken too early. Please get more information HERE.
In addition to that wonderful service, they will be collecting canned food to donate to Food Link. So when you come to the ceremony please go through your cupboards first or stop by a store and donate what you are able. Cash donations will also be accepted. Please get more information on that HERE.
PFLAG does wonderful things for our "community" and is run by caring, dedicated people. Each and every one of you should show your gratitude and take part in these meaninful events. Thank you.
Director: Rob Moretti, Starring: Robert Bray – James Early – Jennifer Katz - Frankie Faison – Eben Gorban
Rating: One Thumb Up/ One Down
I thought I’d do a review to a movie that all the Students and Instructors would relate to when discussing attraction of one to the other. I am guilty of such desires and let me tell you; there aren’t enough restraints in the world that could have held me back, had I the opportunity to fulfill my student and teacher fantasy. Of course the professor I fantasized of is very attractive, (sigh) if only. But that’s never going to happen, that was two semesters ago at city college. Crossing boundaries can be so delicious; with the right person, hot desires… Is it me or is it getting hot? Get ready for some hot scenes in what may have been your fantasy.
Behind a façade of suburban middle class perfection, a compelling tale of love, loss, lies and lust unfolds… Sixteen-year old David’s (Eben Gordon) Home life is falling apart. As he tries to cope with his impossible situation, the troubled, impressionable teenager falls under the spell of Kenny (Rob Moretti), a gorgeous, thirty something, has been an actor turned theater coach. And when Kenny’s “support” escalates into seduction, David slowly descends into an abyss of drinking and drug addiction from which he must escape if he is to survive. Based on a true story, Crutch is a captivating, powerful look at exorcising private demons and exposing dark secrets.
“Like the scribblings in a teenager’s diary, the film vacillates between insight and exaggeration.” – Don Wilmott, Filmcritic.com
I have read memoirs where there are colorful characters, many funny anecdotes, and much action. This one kind of goes on a train ride and keeps you going in one speed. Being raised back in the 80’s when gay bashing was big, parents blamed each other for their child gone gay, and having to be like Clark Kent and lead a secret double life was the name of the game. Especially if your in a strict religious family; even more so if your dad is the preacher. I’m sure there could have been a little more going on in this author’s life to kind of liven up the book.
By age six, Kevin Jennings knew he was going straight to hell. His father, an evangelist preacher, as much as told him so. During the 1960’s, Kevin’s family moved from one trailer park in the south to another as his dad fought to hold onto a pulpit. Then Kevin’s eighth birthday, Kevin’s father suffered a heart attack as Kevin stood, helpless, at his side. When he cried at the funeral, Kevin’s older brothers admonished him, “Don’t be a faggot.” The warning was a key lesson. In school, “Faggot” became more familiar to Kevin than his own name. Nobody watching the regular torture of Kevin’s school days could have anticipated that he would ever want to return to the classroom.
Kevin’s father may have preached damnation, but his mother showed him the road to salvation. Forced to drop out of school at the age of nine, Alice Verna Johnson Jennings fervently believed in the power education held for her children. While working a series of blue-collar jobs to support her family, she struggled with her conservative Appalachian roots when her oldest son married a black woman and her youngest came out.
Alice
’s story is a powerful account of a woman’s triumph over huge obstacles, including her own prejudices.
“Kevin Jennings’s memoir is a potent story, beautifully told, of the daily struggle as well as the love and courage required to maintain pride and live with integrity in the face of deep-seated prejudice.” – Otis Charles, Episcopal Bishop of Utah, retired
The NATIONAL EQUALITY MARCH
is approaching fast, taking place on Saturday, October 11th in Washington DC.
Some of the latest NEWS &
UPDATES on the march...Cleve Jones recently sent a letter to President Obama,
urging him to join them at the rally. There is also a posting of the latest
list of EVENTS to
be taking place during the weekend. Having received their official permits, an
official march route has been designated and released. You can check it out
here: MAP
OF MARCH ROUTE. Through the website you can take advantage of SPECIAL AIRLINE DISCOUNTS
FROM JET BLUE. If you would like to donate to the march, you can by
clicking here: NATIONAL
MARCH DONATIONS
There's been a good deal of conflict over the National March, on all sides
of the issue. We have to remember that although we call ourselves one
community, we remain individuals with different opinions. However we're after
the same goal, equal civil rights for all LGBT Americans. Clearly, none of us
knows the answer as to how to obtain those rights, as we've faced failure on so
many fronts. But I hope at this point we can put aside current arguments and
wish nothing but success for the March. Because this March is not just about
the people who are organizing it or the people that can be there. This March is
for all LGBT Americans, and was always intended as such. This March, as with
other efforts on a National level, demonstrate to the opposition that we won't
play State by State forever. It says loud and clear that we're willing to
up the ante.
We are not who the opposing side paints us to be. We know that. Many of them
know that. Still, we're forced daily to be verbally abused and debased by
hateful words and lies. We are confronted by physical and emotional abuse. Yes,
it's painful. Yes, it wears you down. Yes, we thought this would be over by
now. But YES, our rights WILL be granted. We may not be able to say when, but
they will be granted, and the National March, as all efforts which will come
after it, are working toward that goal. This is America, and even faced with
another day of injustice which has become difficult to understand, we must
continue standing with confidence that eventually, we will have our equality.
As it's been said many times for many years, the
single most important action for any LGBT American is to come out into the
open, to be who we are in all aspects of our lives. For some of us there's not
a lot of sacrifice to being out. For others, the sacrifice is great. But
sacrifice, on various levels, is necessary to move ourselves forward.
Visibility is our strongest weapon in tearing down this inexcusable tyranny our
community lives through every day.
If you missed seeing it at Reel Pride this year, you can
catch the documentary OUTRAGE, about
closeted gay politicians, starting tonight, Monday, October 5th, on HBO.
October isGLBT HISTORY MONTHhighlighting, annually, the achievements of 31 gay, lesbian,
bisexual or transgender Icons—one each day—with a free video, bio,
bibliography, downloadable imagesand otherresources.
Visit the GLBT HISTORY MONTH
WEBSITE where, beginning October 1, 2009, "a new GLBT Icon is presented daily. Each day you’ll have access to his
or her video, bio and resources, along with information on all the preceding
Icons. Just click on the Icon's name, corresponding with the day of the month."
This year, those profiled include filmmaker Gus Van Sant, early gay activist Harry
Hay, television anchor Rachel Maddow, financial guru Suze Orman, professional basketball
player John Amaechi, author Paul Monette and singer kd Lang.
The video attached to this article will change each day in October,
highlighting a different person each day. You can also see the daily videos on
the GLBT History Month website by clicking the link above. You can download a
PDF file containing the biographies of all this month's profiles by clicking HERE
Bring a dish to share and drinks. We will be streaming the March coverage and discussing next steps! Bring your ideas, and if you’d like, a bathing suit.
Wow! We had such an overwhelming response of people who wanted to join us in San Francisco that we needed to rent another van! There are still a few spots available but filling up quickly. This is a free event, donations are appreciated but certainly not required. If you want to go then follow the link below for information on how to RSVP.
I had the opportunity and finally the time last week to interview some V-Town Derby Dames. They were very nice and quite hot, er I mean, hospitable. It turns out, being a Dame is a lot of hard work and a lot of giving back to the community. Let me explain.
They practice twice a week, 2 hours each time. They have some hard drills to do as you can see by some of the practice photos. This sport takes some real skill and endurance! It’s not just skating around looking pretty, although they do that too, there is a lot more to this then meets the eye. I must give them kudos for the amount of dedication they each posses. They don’t get paid for this. They actually pay to do it, which leads me into the next part.
After dues and expenses any money made goes back to “the team”. The team uses that money to give back to the community. They make donations and appearances for different groups and organizations. So not only are they providing us with entertainment, they actually give back, which we all know is so important. In turn, if you go watch the derby YOU will be helping the community out as well and have a good time doing it!
The team is always looking for new talent. The only requirement is you have to be over 18. They will teach you the rest. You can go to any of their practices if you are interested. They meet on Sundays & Wednesdays, practice starts at 8:30. Grab your fishnets and go try out if you are interested! You can also visit their MySpace page at: www.myspace.com/vtownderbydames
The next and final bout of the season is Saturday, October 10th. They will return for the next season around the first part of next year. During this time they keep practicing so it would be a good time to get involved while there is plenty of time to hone your skills!
Below are a few of the team members I had some time to chat with. Click their photo to read their bio.
It's official, the ballot language has been submitted. Click the photo below to read the press release. We will need each and every one of you in the fall to help gather the million plus signatures. This means get off your tookus, out of your armchair, off of Facebook and REALLY get out there. Our work begins soon and there is a lot of it. See you all in the trenches!!
We all know that Maine is facing their very own Prop. 8 battle with the Prop. 1 that is facing voters in a little over a month. What would we have done with outside forces helping us? What would our outcome have been then? As you think of these questions, perhaps you can donate some time to lending them a hand. If we succesfully keep marriage legal in Maine it will be the first time in history that we have defended our equal rights and won! That would only fuel the equality fire that is already burning bright and trickle into our state and hopefully many, many more. You can do this from the comfort of your own home and know that YOU made a difference in our struggles. Thank you.
Join the Virtual Phone Bank on September 27
Can you donate 2.5 hours to call voters in Maine on Sunday, September 27? All you need is a phone and a computer with internet. No long distance fees!
Have you heard that Doug Manchester, owner of the second-largest Hyatt hotel in the country -- and the man who donated $125,000 in crucial early seed money to the Prop 8 campaign -- has launched a cynical public relations campaign to divide the marriage equality and labor movements?
I just joined the movement to boycott Manchester hotels and thought that you might be interested in joining me.
The Courage Campaign, Equality California, UNITE HERE and Californians Against Hate have teamed up to build this boycott which has cost Manchester over $7 million.
Now he is trying to break the movement. We can't let that happen.
SPARE some time with old friends, meet STRIKE up with new ones where the bowling is the activity that ends the weekend as we SPLIT for the week ahead. This promo was written for the TURKEYS.
On Sunday, Sept. 20, I had signed up with Courage Campaign to volunteer with Anthony Ash’s group; starting at 4 pm. I had a great time. I got to meet more people who volunteered as well, and in chatting with them; we got to become more acquainted than just another face/person in the group. Jessica, The leader for Porterville’s group was a riot. She can talk about incidences or issues that aren’t even newsworthy but have come to pass. She is very knowledgeable and I hope to one day sit and talk more with her regarding such cases. Gavino, was very quiet but very alert and friendly. He greeted every movie go-er with a smile. Jason and Jackie, the two leaders of the night were very helpful in getting the information to those who weren’t aware of Courage Campaign and even aquired some appointments to be speakers to some classes at Fresno State. (Good Going Guys). Solomon, very outgoing and cheerful had a smile and joke for everyone. I hadn’t seen him in over four years so it was nice to sort of catch up with him and other friends I hadn’t seen in about the same time; who came to see certain movies during the day. Bev and Rosa were very friendly and helped a great deal in getting people to sign a promise to repeal prop 8 at the next election and even received some contributions for C.C. GOOD JOB!
There were a few others there who volunteered and it seemed to me that everything went off smoothly. There were smiles and laughter in abundance from everyone. I hope to volunteer again for next year.
I don't watch TV, partly because I never have the time and partly because, well..... TV just sucks nowadays. I think I will give this one a shot. Who's family isn't dysfunctional? It also promotes and features a gay couple who adopts (yeah, so I'm partial to the whole adoption thing and might be a little bias). I'm at least going to support ABC for airing a show with a gay couple. I'm sure it will sit in my DVR forever along with everything else "I'm going to watch", but dammit I'm gonna try. You can use the link below for a sneak preview.
Once in awhile, something comes along that really stands out. For ABC, that’s our new Wednesday comedy MODERN FAMILY, one of the most talked-about new shows on any network this fall. The much-anticipated premiere is Wednesday, September 23rd at 9/8c, but ABC wants you to have the opportunity to see it now.
MODERN FAMILY is a new comedy about three unique households who all make up one big happy family. The relatable situations, big personalities, and contemporary themes will make you laugh out loud and want to come back for more.
Click here to go to ABC.com now to watch. Your password to launch the screening is w5e4aquy. But act quickly – the code expires on Sunday, September 20th at 12:00pm PT.
Entertainment Weekly’s Michael Ausiello calls MODERN FAMILY “the funniest show I’ve ever seen in my entire life.” See for yourself what everyone is talking about, and tell your friends to watch the premiere Wednesday, September 23rd at 9/8c on ABC.
I just wanted to thank everyone who came out last night for the Dinner & Derby social. I met a lot of new people and had a wonderful time. A special thanks to Donald who was the only man brave enough to come out and mingle with 13 lesbians and one undecided (you know who you are). Under different circumstances that would have been every man's dream. I just hope it wasn't too much of a nightmare for you!
So, I had never watched roller derby before. It was fun! Once I understood the rules and how the teams scored it was more enjoyable. I must say I was a little disappointed because there weren't any brawls, one can only hope for next time (bad Brooke). The V-Town Derby Dames will hold their next bout on October 10th for those of you who will not be in DC or SF. They will be competing against Fresno which should make for a nice local match. Doors open at 6:00 and the bout starts at 7:00. I hear the after party can get a little crazy so you can participate in that as well. All in all we had a good time and will definitely go again. We might even have one of our "own" trying out for the team, all the more reason to get involved!
Stay tuned for many more social events to come. Don't forget Family Fest is October 4th, maybe I can get some of the Derby Dames to come out to mingle. Hint, hint. Wink, wink
The
Advocate
has learned that Democratic representatives Jerrold Nadler of New York, Tammy
Baldwin of Wisconsin, and Jared Polis of Colorado will be introducing
legislation to repeal the Defense of Marriage Act next Tuesday. A Democratic
aide confirmed that a press conference to announce the bill will be held
September 15 at 11 a.m. at the House Triangle.
The source said the bill currently has just over 50 cosponsors, but Congressman
Nadler’s office has not yet officially circulated a letter to his fellow House
members.
Nadler told the Bay Area Reporter in July that the bill would amount to
a full repeal of DOMA, including Section 2, which advises states to disregard
same-sex marriages that have been legally performed in other states, and
Section 3, which prohibits the federal government from recognizing same-sex
marriages.
President Barack Obama supported full repeal of the legislation as a candidate
and has reiterated that support in the White House. “I believe it's
discriminatory, I think it interferes with states' rights, and we will work
with Congress to overturn it,” Obama said of the 1996 law during an Oval Office
signing ceremony in June.
Eleveld
is The Advocate's Washington correspondent.
If you missed seeing it at Reel Pride this year, you can
catch the documentary 
