The Daily Sheet January-February 2011

[killersmom]

Tuesday, January 4th, 2011

GA Voice Person of the Year: Dan Grossman Atlanta, Georgia -- Thom Hayes, 68, was sitting at the bar of the Atlanta Eagle on Sept. 10, 2009, when the Atlanta Police Department raided it. He was drinking a Sprite. His friend was drinking a Diet Coke. The story that unfolds is a familiar one told by many others in the gay bar that night — the men were forced to lie face down on the floor as they were frisked, had their IDs checked, even had their cell phones confiscated as members of the Red Dog Unit in their paramilitary gear searched for criminal activity. They found none. In the months that followed that raid, Dan Grossman could not understand why there was not more outrage in the LGBT community, why there was no one stepping forward to represent the patrons of the bar that night and, most importantly, how the police could get away with behavior that was so blatantly unconstitutional.

“From the very first news reports, which talked about 60-70 people being detained and searched, it seemed clear that the officers must have acted illegally,” Grossman said. “Even without knowing the full facts, it just didn’t seem possible that the officers could have suspected every single person in such a large group of criminal activity. In the days following the raid I expected some organization or private attorney to file a lawsuit, and I emailed some of my lawyer friends to ask what was happening, but it seemed that no one wanted to take the case,” he said. For Hayes, the moment the police entered the bar and shined their bright flashlights into his face and screamed for him to get to the floor, he knew his rights were being violated. He just didn’t know what to do about it. “I felt like I was in a third world country, like I had been taken hostage,” he said. “I have seen enough TV to know that police brutality takes place so I complied as quickly as possible. But it was very, very frightening. How could this be happening in the U.S.A. in 2009?” Hayes went with many others in the days following the raid to file complaints with APD’s Office of Professional Standards accusing the police of kicking and shoving them while also using anti-gay slurs. (The OPS investigation into these complaints remains open.) Then Hayes got a call from Grossman. Read more.  Source: thegayvoice.com

Oscar Watch: Kids Are All Right Faces Academy Males Oscar campaigners call them the Steak Eaters. The Academy is full of them—they’re red-blooded males (not just American—Europeans and Aussies too), often directors, writers and craftspeople. They’re the guys who voted for The Silence of the Lambs, Braveheart, Gladiator, Avatar and yes, Crash over Brokeback Mountain. “They vote for big movies that make big money, good solid moviemaking with great actors and good storytelling,” says one veteran Oscar campaigner. “True Grit is for them.” This faction of the Academy is also likely to vote for Ben Affleck’s The Town and David O. Russell’s The Fighter. One movie that is not likely to be inside their wheelhouse: Lisa Cholodenko’s audience and critics’ hit, The Kids Are All Right. For those who think that the Academy proved itself not sexist by voting for Kathryn Bigelow and The Hurt Locker last year, not so fast. Bigelow was one of the guys, a proven member of the big-budget studio club, who made a resolutely male war movie. No women were in it. The Kids Are All Right faces several obstacles. Read more. Source:  indiewire.blogs.com

2010: When Indian stars went global The year 2010 saw Hollywood opening its door for Indian talent in a big way with actors like Anil Kapoor, Tabu, Bipasha Basu and Irrfan Khan landing meaty assignments in the West. The biggest surprise came from Ang Lee, the Oscar-winning filmmaker of Brokeback Mountain. Lee spent months auditioning over 3000 young men to zero in on a 17-year-old Delhi school boy Suraj Sharma to play the lead in Yann Martel's Booker-prize-winning book Life of Pi. Read more.  Source: indianexpress.com

Knight at the Movies: The top 10 LGBT films of 2010 Half a decade ago, 2005 was hailed as the "Year of the Gay Movie" thanks to high-profile releases such as Brokeback Mountain—movies that were both award contenders and audience pleasers. By that definition, 2010, with The Kids Are All Right, Black Swan and I Am Love vying for this same kind of awards attention and rapturous audience response, is easily tagged the "Year of the Lesbian Movie." Ladies—nearly 80 years after the release of the unapologetic, lesbian classic Maedchen in Uniform—it seems Hollywood has finally taken notice. The year included several other high-profile movies with lesbian themes—The Runaways; Chloe; The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest; and Splice (co-writer/director Vincente Natali's blissful horror classic that masterfully brought gender-bending to the sci-fi realm). Gay men had plenty of onscreen portrayals this year, too, including the usual gaggle of gay best friend characters in various romantic comedies. But there were some lovely exceptions to the rule and some sobering ones when it came to documentary releases. Read more.  Source: windycitymediagroup.com

Michelle Williams planning to show daughter Brokeback Mountain Heath Ledger’s ex, Michelle Williams, has revealed she is planning to show their daughter Brokeback Mountain. She told Angeleno Magazine: 'I was just an actor who happened to be lucky enough to be in the right place, and it was the place where I met Matilda's father, and that is a lot. It was a lot. And it will be a lot for Matilda too, when she gets around to watching it. I will watch it with her, when she's ready. It is hard to imagine what that would feel like, but one day, yes, we will watch it together.' Read more.  Source: monstersandcritics.com

Sienna Miller to visit Perth to pay tribute to Heath Ledger British actress Sienna Miller will jet into Perth to attend a special movie tribute to her late friend and Casanova co-star Heath Ledger. Organisers say Miller is expected to arrive just before the February 12 event, which will be held at Movies by Burswood. They say the British actress has not asked for a fee. "She's just doing it as a nice gesture,'' said Grant Thomas, one of the partners with event organisers I-Spy. "She thought it would be a nice thing to do for Heath and his family.'' Read more.  Source: heraldsun.au

Richard Chamberlain: Stay in the closet "Personally, I wouldn’t advise a gay leading man–type actor to come out," the 76-year-old star, who revealed his homosexuality in his 2003 memoir, tells the Advocate. "There’s still a tremendous amount of homophobia in our culture. It’s regrettable, it’s stupid, it’s heartless, and it’s immoral, but there it is." Chamberlain, who currently stars as Uncle Saul's love interest on the ABC drama Brothers & Sisters, says that most actors are lucky to even land a job, "so it’s just silly for a working actor to say, 'Oh, I don’t care if anybody knows I’m gay' — especially if you’re a leading man." "Despite all the wonderful advances that have been made, it’s still dangerous for an actor to talk about that in our extremely misguided culture," he explains. "Look at what happened in California with Proposition 8. Please, don’t pretend that we’re suddenly all wonderfully, blissfully accepted." Read more.  Source: marquee.blogs.com

Joker footage won't be in Dark Knight Rises Don't believe those rumors that the late Heath Ledger will be seen as the Joker in the next installment of the Batman saga, "The Dark Knight Rises." Filmmaker Christopher Nolan and his wife/producing partner Emma Thomas both deny that the deceased actor will be involved. “I heard the rumor. We’re not doing that," said Thomas. Nolan backed her denial and added that the script for "The Dark Knight Rises" isn't done yet and that Ledger's work as the Joker should be contained to the 2008 flick. Meanwhile, as Marquee previously reported, Nolan has said that "The Dark Knight Rises," which is due in theaters in July 2012, will be his final Batman movie. Read more.  Source: marquee.blogs.com

Deadly Christmas for Gays in Wilton Manor In Austin, Texas two men are the subject of homophobic slurs and beaten outside a local gay pub, simply for a parting hug from one another. Here at home in the Wilton Manor neighborhood something much worse has happen: two men are murdered in their own home. Is this a hate crime against gays or simply random homicides? Either way the police are not saying. According to the Miami Herald, police have identified the couple of two men who met at a gay pride event in Cleveland some 29 years ago as Kevin Mark Powell, 47, and his partner Stephen Duane Adams, 52. They lived at the 2500 block of NE 8th Avenue. They moved earlier this year to Wilton Manors, where an estimated 40 percent of nearly 13,000 residents are gay. Read more.  Source: examiner.blogs.com

In Tradition With The Family Plan Elton John and David Furnish are parents of a new baby boy, born on Christmas in California to a surrogate. In a joint statement, the new parents told USMagazine.com that "Zachary is healthy and doing well" and said they are "overwhelmed with happiness and joy at this very special moment." Zachary Jackson Levon Furnish-John  weighed in at 7 pounds, 15 ounces. John, 63, and Furnish, 48, a couple for 17 years, have been in a civil partnership since 2005. The identity of the surrogate and details of the surrogacy are being kept private, the couple said. Read more.  Source: latimes.blogs.com

Opus Dei Connected to Carradine Deaths and Randy Quaid Allegations Don't be too quick to call Randy Quaid and his wife crazy. Although Hollywood is not WMR's normal forté, from our sources in China comes an interesting item concerning the allegations of actor Randy Quaid and his wife Evi, who have taken up residence in Vancouver, British Columbia and are seeking asylum in Canada. Quaid and his wife insist that they are the targets of a network of cultists who prey on the financial wealth, incluidng royalties, of Hollywood celebrities and eventually have them knocked off. Quaid and his wife have been deemed "crazy" by the corporate media. However, Chinese intelligence, which keeps a close eye on its own cults, including Falun Gong, as well as others operating in Asia, believe that when the Quaids mentioned that actor David Carradine was a victim of what they refer to as "star whackers" in Bangkok, those still investigating Carradine's bizarre death in a Bangkok hotel room took notice. Thai medical examiners determined that the sado-masochistic artifacts on Carradine's corpse could be interpreted as devices for mortification of the flesh. And that has some investigators who do not flatly reject the Quaids' charges that there may be an Opus Dei connection to the Carradine death and the threats against Quaid and his wife. Read more.  Source: The Unhived Mind

Lady Gaga Tops 2010 World Album Chart Lady Gaga’s Fame Monster was the highest-selling album around the globe this year. It’s unsurprising, since she’s not only a megastar in the States, but has been touring the world and shocking people into paying attention to her in every corner. According to German site MediaTraffic’s ‘United World Chart’, The Fame Monster sold 5.8 million copies around the world this year. The rest of the top ten is pretty unsurprising, since not only are the US heavy buyers but are also tireless exporters of music. Read more.  Source: undercover.fm

Gay Rights Foes Receive Lion's Share Of Target Donations More than thee-quarters of donations made by Target's political action committee (PAC) in the last election cycle funded anti-gay politicians or PACs supporting those candidates, New York-based website TheAwl.com first reported. The donations were made after Target became the target of a boycott for supporting anti-gay Minnesota gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel apologized in August for contributing $150,000 to MN Forward, an independent political fund that supported Emmer's failed bid. In a memo to employees, Steinhafel wrote that he continues to believe that a “business climate conducive to growth is critical to our future,” but added he had not anticipated how the donation would affect its employees. “And for that I am genuinely sorry,” he wrote. But after the August 5 letter, Target PAC recorded $31,200 out of $41,200 (more than 75%) in donations to anti-gay rights candidates or PACs supporting those candidates, including Republican Representatives Spencer Bachus (Alabama), David Camp (Michigan), Dave Reichert (Washington), David Dreier (California) and John Kline (Minnesota), and Idaho Senator Michael Crapo, all of whom scored low on the Human Rights Campaign's (HRC) 2010 Congressional Scorecard, a measure of an elected official's support for gay rights. Read more.  Source: ontopmag.com

Mission: To Accept and Celebrate the Unique Person Within Us All My Princess Boy is a nonfiction picture book about acceptance. It tells the tale of a 4-year-old boy who happily expresses his authentic self by enjoying "traditional girl" things like jewelry, sparkles or anything pink. It is designed to start and continue a dialogue about unconditional friendship and teaches children -- and adults -- how to accept and support children for who they are and how they wish to look. Read more.  Source: myprincessboy.com Visit the press page for upcoming events.

Jonah Goldberg Announces Discovery of Normal Gay People The National Review's Jonah Goldberg thinks recent advancements in the cause of gay rights are ironic, since serving in the military and getting married are normal, whereas gays are freaky and wear ballgags all the time. Joke's on you, gays! Now that gay people are on the cusp of winning a decades-long struggle for the right to serve openly and honestly in the military, Goldberg has taken the time to reflect on what he calls the "rise of the HoBos - the homosexual bourgeoisie." These new creatures that Goldberg has discovered—normal gay people, the kind that want to serve in the military—are drastically different from the gays of yore, who "wanted to smash the bourgeois prisons of monogamy, capitalistic enterprise, and patriotic values and bask in the warm sun of bohemian 'free love' and avant-garde values." Which is why letting them serve in the military is a good thing. That's what normal people do, and conservatives like normal people. Until now, all gays were hellbent-for-leather freaks on leashes. Now, though, they show up on TV shows like Modern Family, which, Goldberg writes, is the number one sitcom among Republicans and features a "hardworking bourgeois gay couple." It's like the gay version of The Cosby Show, which taught Goldberg that there are black people who don't talk jive. Read more.  Source: gawker.com

Deleted Scenes: Interview with David Trimble, "The Basque" Rare is the Brokeback Mountain fan who doesn’t have a special fondness for the endearing character of the Basque, portrayed in the film by Calgary actor David Trimble. Trimble, who had the opportunity to work closely with Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Ang Lee, graciously agreed to share his observations with Lauren Gurney and Jim Bond [of Finding Brokeback]. Finding Brokeback: It was scripted for the Basque to drive Jack and Ennis to the drop-off, but we don’t see that in the movie. Is that a scene that was ever shot? David Trimble: Oh, yeah. I drove them out to the mountain and we had all this dialogue and we talked. It was kind of an interesting scene because it was cramped—two big boys and this little Basque, driving this old truck. And then I picked them up at the end, after they had fallen in love out on the mountain. I picked them up and I drove them back, and that scene was really interesting. I had five or six questions for them and got not one answer. It was just super sort of awkward and quiet, and it was completely edited and turned around to be different, for whatever reason. Read more.  Source: findingbrokeback.com

Woody the Toy Story cowboy to star in Brokeback Mountain 2 Woody the Cowboy from Disney Pixar's Toy Story movies has been lured away to Universal by the promise of some big movie deals. So far the only one confirmed is Brokeback Mountain 2, where Woody will star alongside GI Joe. The story is much the same as Brokeback Mountain, but will be in 3D and totally animated. Insiders at Hollywood are said to have a whole host of remakes they wish to do with the popular toy cowboy, including a Hang 'Em High by their own Drawstring and The Good, The Bad and the Cabbage Patch Doll. Read more.  Source: thespoof.com  Image: geek-news.mtv.com

Celebrating A Double Anniversary!! By CellarDweller115 in 5th Anniversary of BBM and the Ultimate Brokeback Forum! Check it out! According to the calendar, we've passed the 5th anniversary (12/09) of the release of the film that changed our lives, Brokeback Mountain. It was commemorated by the Autry Museum, with an appearance by Diana Ossana, and the attendance of the Gay Rodeo Association and numerous Brokies. And now, we've reached the 5th anniversary (12/24) of the Ultimate Brokeback Forum. Please use this thread to discuss any memories you have regarding the movie, the forum, the gatherings, and any other memories and pictures you have that you want to share!

Slash Bash in San Francisco, April 15-17, 2011

By lawgoddess in Slash Bash in San Francisco, April 15-17, 2011

It's time for the slashers to re-take San Francisco! We're planning a  long weekend, starting Friday, April 15 and ending on Sunday, April 17 in the City by the Bay. This is the weekend before Easter. There will be planned activities, similar to the last San Francisco Slash Bash in March 2008, and the two Philly Slash Bashes. Dim sum on Sunday morning is a slasher tradition. Donna and I are planning it, and help from locals is encouraged. We do plan to try to find a reasonably priced hotel so we can try to stay in the same place. All are welcome, but the primary focus is on slash reading and writing. This is a chance for the slashers to get to know each other better and have some fun. If you might be interested in attending, please post here. We'd like to get a general idea of who might be attending. No commitment yet, just a tentative expression of interest.

The Cowboy Image

By CellarDweller115 in Cowboy Up! Favorite Cowboy Pics. Volume 2

Fun Question of the Week

This week's question: What is the oldest U.S. settlement west of the Rockies, and how old will it be next year? Here's a hint -- the town was once known as the salmon canning capital of the world. Let us know your answers in the Response Thread. Last week's question and answer: In The Wizard of Oz movie, Dorothy is wearing the famous ruby slippers. What was the color the slippers in the book by L. Frank Baum? According to fritzkep, Dorothy's slippers were actually shoes, and they were silver, too! Image: manginamonologues.wordpress.com

Post of the Day

Posted by BayCityJohn in 5th Anniversary of Brokeback Mountain, and the Ultimate Brokeback Forum!

Early this year I finally made contact with Diana, and we've exchanged quite a few messages. I invited her to the Autry event in early May, but she said she hasn't been able to watch the film since Heath died. I understood, so I kind of gave up on that idea. I did not bother her about it any more. (well, I did drop a couple of subtle hints) When she got ahold of me a couple of weeks before the event to say she wanted to do something for the anniversary, I was overjoyed. I put her in touch with Greg to work out the details. Brokeback Mountain, the film, probably never would have happened if Diana hadn't read the story. She was the one who got Larry McMurty and everyone else on board to get this film made. She was the person responsible for getting Heath Ledger cast. If Diana had never read the story, this forum might not exist. Read John's entire post here.

The Forum Image

Posted by jnov in Life Through The Lens 5

"i got back from a vacation in india a couple weeks ago."

Quote of the Day

"everything in my life feels different. but the forum lives on."

~ Dave Cullen ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by royandronnie in Photo Captioning Fun 6

"I'll put it this way--they was white before I let John water them."

Contributors: BayCityJohn, CellarDweller115, lawgoddess, jnov, Dave Cullen, royandronnie

Calendar of Events If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you. Gathering in Germany: Brokeback Under the Stars Bochum, Germany -- March 26th, 2011 Slash Bash in San Francisco! San Francisco -- April 15-17, 2011 Beyond Brokeback Ballet San Francisco -- August 13-14, 2011 Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

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Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

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[killersmom]

Tuesday, January 18th, 2011

Annie Proulx's 'Bird Cloud: A Memoir' Annie Proulx's 'Bird Cloud: A Memoir,' is the story of one woman's love/obsession with every little detail of her new home, inside, outside and backward into the history of the place. "Bird Cloud" is an almost-memoir, a partial memoir, a patchwork quilt of a memoir. Annie Proulx digs deep into her family history and even deeper into the four-year process of designing and building her dream home in Wyoming, leaving roughly seven decades unexplained and unaccounted for, but never mind — the book is the story of one woman's love/obsession with every little detail of her new home, inside, outside and backward into the history of the place. Proulx's enthusiasm for the 640 acres in Wyoming that she purchased in 2004 is inversely proportional to the restraint, the reserve she has become famous for in literature and life. Proulx was 68 when she first saw the property in July 2003; she fell hard; she thought it would be forever, her last house, her final home. In she dived, feet first, checkbook open. Was it the 400-foot cliff with a fault line running through it? The North Platte River, a spawning place for trout, the island in her back yard, the riparian habitat, the birds — great horned owls, elk, eagles, pelicans and ravens? In hindsight, 200 some odd pages later in "Bird Cloud: A Memoir," she tells us that she would not have bought it, that she would not have built the house, that she catalogued her books the way they were catalogued, that she put the window in her office too high to be distracting. Read more.  Source: latimes.com

The extraordinary life and death of David Burgess Last October, detectives were called to investigate the death of a woman under a London tube train. But as they traced her final moments, they discovered that she was, in fact, David Burgess, one of the most brilliant immigration lawyers of his generation. ... ... The ensuing media coverage revealed that the police suspected that the woman had not fallen but had been pushed by her 34-year-old female companion, who was later charged with murder. It then turned out that the woman who died, 63-year-old Sonia Burgess, was living a double life. Once the police had established her identity (from her railcard), it was discovered that Sonia was biologically a man – a man named David Burgess, one of the finest immigration lawyers of his generation, a man responsible for a succession of trailblazing judgments in the House of Lords and the European Court of Human Rights. Read more.  Source: guardian.co.uk

Strengthening Families Through the Coming Out Process Lead With Love is a 35-minute documentary created to provide comfort, information, and guidance for parents who have recently learned that their son or daughter is lesbian, gay, or bisexual. The film follows four families as they share their honest reactions to hearing that their child is gay, including the intense emotions, fears, and questions that it raised. Interviews with psychologists, teachers, and clergy provide factual answers to parents' most commonly asked questions, as well as concrete guidance to help parents keep their children healthy and safe during this challenging time. If you are a parent of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual child, we applaud your courage in looking for resources to help support your family. This film was made for you. If you are someone else who cares about these issues, we hope that you will enjoy this entertaining and informational film, and share it with others. Thank you for your interest. For more information and to watch the trailer or film, visit leadwithlove.com

Anne Hathaway Heading To ‘Glee’ To Play Kurt’s Lesbian Aunt Anne Hathaway is heading to “Glee,” co-creator and writer Ryan Murphy confirmed to Access Hollywood on Sunday night. “It is true,” Ryan told Access at the FOX post-Golden Globes party. “She said it in the press that she wants to play Chris Colfer’s lesbian aunt.” Ryan revealed that casting Anne on “Glee” happened on Sunday night, while the Globes telecast was still going on. “She walked by our table and we have a mutual friend and I said, ‘Do you really want to do it?’ And she said, ‘I do.’ And I said, ‘OK, we’re gonna do it.’” The “Glee” honcho said that they will likely film Anne’s guest role in the coming weeks. Read more.  Source: accesshollywood.com

Jake Gyllenhaal's Backyard Garden Actor Jake Gyllenhaal -- who worked with Global Green to launch the National Green Schools initiative in 2009, and donated $10,000 to Future Forests to offset the carbon footprint of his film "The Day After Tomorrow" in 2005 -- reveals that he's a green dinner date, too: Ecorazzi reports that the actor has an "obsession" with old cookbooks and a passion for scouting the finds at his local, organic market -- when he's not preparing his own harvest. "If I'm making a romantic dinner," he said, "I like to go to a farmers' market first, buy things fresh, and come up with my own dish based on whatever I've bought. I grow my own vegetables at home because I love fresh food." Read more.  Source: treehugger.com Into the Black: Working on His Fitness Jake Gyllenhaal goes for a jog along Mullholland Drive on Thursday (January 13) in Hollywood. The 30-year-old actor reportedly called off his relationship with Taylor Swift “out of the blue.” Read and see more.  Source: justjared.com

Jake Gyllenhaal: Natalie Portman Is the 'Audrey Hepburn of Our Generation' Jake Gyllenhaal is a fan of Black Swan star Natalie Portman. Presenting the actress with the Desert Palm Achievement Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival, Gyllenhaal, 30, said, "Natalie is the Audrey Hepburn of our generation." Read more.  Source: hollywoodreporter.com

Jake Sings Night Fever Again Those attending the Q & A and Screening of Brokeback Mountain at the Aero Theater in Santa Monica in 2006 will remember when Jake took the mic and started to sing. He did it again in Palm Springs, nearly 5 years later, entertaining the audience with the classic disco hit. Watch the video on Youtube

Is Sarah Jessica Parker Moving Into Heath Ledger's Residence? Sarah Jessica Parker is eyeing a move into the New York City apartment building where Heath Ledger died. The Sex and the City star toured the $20 million triplex penthouse on Broome St. in SoHo. Inside the 19th century cast-iron building is 7,634 square feet with two bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, two kitchens and two home offices. The master-bedroom suite has two dressing areas and the large terrace space includes a hot tub, an outdoor shower and dining areas. Read more.  Source: starmagazine.com

Kate Mara In The Running For Batman Lead Role KATE MARA, the American actress best known for appearing in the ACADEMY AWARD winning movie 'Brokeback Mountain' and in the drama series '24', is in the running to land the female lead role in CHRISTOPHER NOLAN's forthcoming Batman movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The 27-year-old is on a shortlist of five actresses to play the role that is being described as the current biggest female part in Hollywood. ... The likes of KATIE HOLMES, MAGGIE GYLLENHAAL and RACHEL DAWES have already ruled themselves out of the running. Although Knightley is the favourite to land one of the two parts, Mara has impressed with her recent performances in '127 Hours' and 'Iron Man 2'. Read more.  Source: contactmusic.com

Mark Hamill’s Joker Due Credit As the 2008 Batman film, “The Dark Knight,” continues to captivate audiences at home, people also continue to debate who played the superior Joker, Heath Ledger or Jack Nicholson, who donned the Clown Prince of Crime’s makeup in 1989’s “Batman.” Another, more experienced actor is often left out of the debate, however, so as the man prepares to play the Joker one last time, I must give him his proper due. Mark Hamill, better known to the world as Luke Skywalker in the original “Star Wars” trilogy, never quite enjoyed the box office success of his co-star, Harrison Ford, but he also avoided typecasting by playing a wide variety of characters in film and on stage. He’s played his share of cheesy roles, but he’s also performed some very underrated work as well, particularly in the behind-the-scenes world of voice acting. While some would argue that it’s unfair to compare an animated performance with a live action one, I think that Hamill holds his own against Nicholson and Ledger any day. While they both donned the makeup for one film, respectively, Hamill has been trapped inside this maniac’s mind for almost two decades. Only Cesar Romero, who played the Joker in the campy 1960s Batman TV series and spin-off movie, could rival the amount of performances Hamill had as the killer clown, although Hamill’s portrayal, despite being animated, was easily more mature. Read more.  Source: timesleader.com    Image via gadgetlite.com

Ang Lee's Unused Animatronic Hunk! Few movies have polarized my film buddies like Ang Lee's HULK. Some feel it's the best superhero movie to yet be be made - deep in its psychological complexities and ambitiousness. ... we've got here below a video of a scraped animatronic Hulk that was intended to be used in the 2003 film. Obviously, Lee ditched the practical effects in favor of CGI, but thanks to the magic of the internets, we can now see what could have been. Read more.    Source: joblo.com

"This ain't no one shot thing we got goin on!"

Forum Milestone: On Sunday, January 16th, 2011,
the Dave Cullen Ultimate Brokeback Forum
celebrated its TWO MILLIONTH POST!

BayCityJohn has informed us that one of killersmom's photos was the commemorative post:



A gazebo. How perfect is that?

Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture

Posted by morrobay in What good book have you read lately?

Now on my Amazon wish list...  "Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture "ForeWord Reviews Hide/Seek: Difference and Desire in American Portraiture, a survey of portrait art by and about lesbian and gay artists, ably addresses questions of disclosure and revelation in the work of twentieth-century artists. The book was published to accompany the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery exhibit of the same name (October 2010 to February 2011); besides the visual delight of seeing works by some of this country’s most acclaimed artists, the exhibit and book unveil and decode the contributions of lesbian and gay artists to American modernism, offering a new way of thinking about American portraiture of the past hundred years." Image via expressnightout.com

The Cowboy Image

Posted by coal615 in Cowboy Up!

Fun Question of the Week

This week's question: What two words are incorporated into the Peace sign, and how? Let us know your answers in the Response Thread. Last week's question and answer: What is the oldest U.S. settlement west of the Rockies? Ennis Del Mark was correct! Astoria celebrates its 200th birthday this year: Astoria, Oregon was established in 1811 by the John Jacob Astor's Pacific Fur Trading party, and became the first permanent U.S. settlement west of the Rocky Mountains. The City was recognized as the nation's first real claim to the West by no less than Thomas Jefferson and written about by Washington Irving. Read more.

Post of the Day

Team Cullen moderator donna recently celebrated her 8,000th post on the What are you listening to now? thread:

Yay! I picked this thread for my 8,000th post! Howie Day - You and I Collide Because I'm all about love songs when I post in this thread!  If you look back, I think you'll see that I only post songs that remind me how in love I am with you Brokies, and especially the special someone among you   Have a nice listen

The Forum Image

Posted by Cally in Life Through The Lens 5

"Had a few days with a friend in Berwick-on-Tweed, almost on the
Scottish border. This walk was in Scotland, a few miles up the east
coast. It looks sunny, but the icy wind was excruciating!"




"Sandpipers (I think) on Berwick Pier."

Quote of the Day

"A nation that continues year after year to spend
more money on military defense than on programs
of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."

~  Martin Luther King, Jr.  ~

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Paul0029 in Photo Captioning Fun 6

Contributors: morrobay, donna, Cally, Cellardweller115, Paul029

Calendar of Events If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you. Gathering in Germany: Brokeback Under the Stars Bochum, Germany -- March 26th, 2011 Slash Bash in San Francisco! San Francisco -- April 15-17, 2011 Beyond Brokeback Ballet San Francisco -- August 13-14, 2011 Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

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[killersmom]

Tuesday, February 1st, 2011

Heath Ledger tribute night plans under way Rob Stoykovski is in the process of planning a tribute worthy of Heath Ledger. It is a lot of pressure for the ambitious 23-year-old and his four-man team who run local events, marketing and promotions company I-Spy. I-Spy is behind the coming Heath: Official Tribute Night, an evening in honour of the late Perth actor which will take place on February 12 at the Burswood Entertainment Complex. The event has been years in the making with half of the proceeds going to three charities close to the late actor's heart - Telethon, His Majesty's Theatre Foundation and Australians in Film, which has the Heath Ledger Scholarship beneath it.

A year after Ledger's death in 2009, Stoykovski said he first made contact with the Ledger family and explained his vision for the tribute. While they loved the idea, at the time it was too close to the Academy Award winning actor's death. "From our point of view it was 'well if the Ledgers aren't on board, we don't feel comfortable about doing it at all' so we shelved it," Stoykovski explains to _Access All Areas _. "And then last July after our massive Sex and the City 2 premiere party at the Perth Town Hall and Cinema Paradiso, we touched base with Heath's dad Kim again to see where they were at and if anything had changed and basically with the Heath Ledger Theatre opening coming up and with it being almost three years since his passing, they said it was the right time and they could now endorse it." Read more.  Source: au.news.yahoo.com

Heath's dad says his son would have loved new Perth theatre The late actor Heath Ledger must have been a "bird on the shoulder" of the architect of Perth's new State Theatre Centre, his father Kim said as the curtain went up on the $100 million building. The centre, featuring the 575-seat Heath Ledger Theatre, was formally opened by West Australian Governor Dr Ken Michael and Premier Colin Barnett on Thursday. Read more.  Source: dailytelegraph.co.au

See more photos at heraldsun.com.au

Western Australian museum to honour Heath Ledger The Academy Award won by the late Perth-born actor Heath Ledger will be the centrepiece of an exhibition celebrating his career at the Western Australian Museum. The Western Australian government and Ledger's father Kim are working together closely to plan the exhibition, which is scheduled to open in 2012. Culture and the Arts Minister John Day said Ledger's family would provide much of the content, including the 2009 best supporting actor Oscar he won for his role as the Joker in The Dark Knight. The costume he wore to play the Joker and the diary he kept while developing the character will also be shown. Kim Ledger said he was pleased to work with the WA Museum to preserve his son's historical personal information, objects of interest and movie paraphernalia. The Art Gallery of NSW will lend the museum the Archibald Prize-shortlisted painting of Ledger by artist Vincent Fantauzzo. Read more.  Source: theaustralian.com

Heath Ledger costumes up at auction Fans of the Australian actor, who was just 28 when he died in 2008, are to get the chance to bid for two British Army tunics Ledger wore in the 2002 movie The Four Feathers. The two scarlet tunics worn by Ledger, estimated at £400 to £600 each, are due to go under the hammer in a sale of vintage fashion by auctioneers Dreweatts in Bristol on February 1. The two tunics were hand-made for Ledger for his role as British Army officer Harry Feversham in The Four Feathers by London costumiers Angels and still carry original labels bearing his name. Read more.    Source: swns.com

Anne Hathaway Cast in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises as Selina Kyle (Catwoman) Warner Brothers Pictures announced today that Anne Hathaway has been cast as Selina Kyle in Christopher Nolan's "The Dark Knight Rises." She will be starring alongside Christian Bale, who returns in the title role of Bruce Wayne/Batman. Christopher Nolan stated, "I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Anne Hathaway, who will be a fantastic addition to our ensemble as we complete our story." In addition, Tom Hardy has been set to play Bane. Nolan said, "I am delighted to be working with Tom again and excited to watch him bring to life our new interpretation of one of Batman's most formidable enemies." Read more.  Source: movies.broadwayworld.com

Annie Proulx at the Sydney Writers' Festival When: Thursday 10 March 2011, 8:30pm Where: City Recital Hall, Angel Place The Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain comes to Sydney on the publication of Bird Cloud, her first work of nonfiction in 20 years. Join us for this special event as this writer with extraordinary powers of observation and compassion turns her lens on herself.    More info.  Source: cityrecitalhall.com

Brokeback Mountain Preview Kitsuné Men Fall / Winter Collection 2011 The Maison Kitsuné fall/winter 2011 collection’s style is a tribute to “Brokeback Mountain” by Ang Lee and is inspired by the west american style in the 60′s….For the next fall the designer Masaya Kuroki choose to work on some heavy pieces, a worker style jacket, a cotton check shirt, a woolen hunter jacket, brushed cotton chino, a 6ply shawlcollar cardigan, a lambswool blanket…  A modern and elegant version of outdoor style clothing, with beautiful fabrics from Limonta, Thomas Mason, 100th years celebration HarrisTweed, Kuroki’s denim and a very prestigious knitting from Corgi! See more.    Source: kitsune.fr

Stock show apologizes for gay jokes, Brokeback Mountain banter Update: The spokeswoman for the stock show has responded to our post and acknowledged that mistakes were made. See her comments below our original item. DENVER -- I was sitting in the stands of the rodeo at the National Western Stock Show on Saturday night, watching men wrestle steer to the ground, when the announcer mentioned Brokeback Mountain. He and the bullfighter/rodeo clown had been bantering all night. Your favorite cowboy movie is Brokeback Mountain, one said. You were the stunt double for the sex scenes, the other shot back. The lines were clearly meant as put-downs, though many in the audience -- which included kids and families -- laughed. I found much of it offensive, especially the jabs about cowboys in love. And while the homophobia may not have been overt -- no one said, "Gay people are gross!" -- furtive homophobia is still homophobia. And it's apparently welcome at the rodeo. Read more.  Source: blogs.westword.com

 
Rufus Wainwright will be the special guest at the
Castro Theater Benefit Premiere on Feb 25. Tickets will go fast...

Visit shanti.org for more information.

We Were Here and the Importance of HIV/AIDS in Film For me, one of the standout films at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival was David Weissman’s chronicle of the AIDS epidemic, “We Were Here.” A very specific depiction of the onset of AIDS in America, the film focuses on the stories of five individuals who lived in San Francisco at the time - four gay men and a heterosexual woman who was a nurse in an AIDS ward. The doc provides a powerful snapshot of a time in American history that few are fully aware of.  Though certainly not the definitive AIDS documentary, Weissman brings an affecting sense of intimacy by focusing on just five individuals and one city. “I was trying to find a way to make a movie that was illuminating and healing for the audience, and also a process of healing for myself as well,” Weissman said before yesterday’s screening of the film. “I moved to San Francisco in 1976 and found myself in this community of gay hippy boys that are politically active and naked at the beach and taking acid. We were just enjoying this exuberant period in this emerging gay movement in this incredibly beautiful and amazing city… Then as the epidemic came in, life changed. It’s taken a period of time for me personally and for the community to be willing to go back and revisit what we went through, both the horrors and the beauty of it.” While many people in the audience clearly were watching a film that they could relate to and heal from, what was shown on screen in “We Were Here” was a world I’ve never belonged to, and a world I’ve only read about or seen in movies. I wasn’t revisiting anything.  I looked around the theater after the screening finished, and saw a couple younger faces - all with the same tear tracks I had - and wondered how much of what they saw on screen was entirely new information. Then a young woman stood up during the Q&A and professed to Weissman how grateful she was for telling these stories. “I want to say thank you,” she tearfully proclaimed. “My uncle moved to Southern California in 1981, he was diagnosed with AIDS in 1983, and I was born in 1985. He passed away in 1995 and I have about three memories of him. When he was in California, he was estranged from my family, and none of us know about his life there. He didn’t talk about it when he came home to die. So I just want to say thank you for me giving me a window into this life.” Read more.    Source: indiewire.com

The charm and violence of Tucson By Larry McMurtry The shooting of 19 innocents in Arizona, one of them a girl only 9 years old, brought forth a flood of commentary, raising questions not easily answered about the possible effect that overheated political invective might have on the least stable elements of the body politic. The least stable element in this case was 22-year-old Jared Lee Loughner, who allegedly used a Glock semiautomatic pistol with an extended magazine to kill six people and injure 13 others. It is remarkable that Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, with whom I once shared a flight, and found delightful, is breathing on her own after a bullet traveled through her brain. Crazies, of course, can show up anywhere. Who would have thought, when Seung Hui Cho registered at Virginia Tech, that he would end up killing 32 people in 2007? The community, in that case or this, cannot be blamed. The conservative governor of Arizona, Jan Brewer, leapt to the defense of Tucson last week, well aware that if the city should lose tourist dollars, it would soon be broke. What can be blamed, however, is the foolish absence of reasonable firearms legislation, which Brewer refuses to seek. Read more.    Source: washingtonpost.com

Friday Night Flicks: Brokeback Mountain SUBOG continues its run on Friday Night Flicks with Brokeback Mountain. Based on the 'E. Annie Proulx' story about a forbidden and secretive relationship between two cowboys and their lives over the years. Starring Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal. Directed by Ang Lee. When: Friday, February 11, 2011, 10pm Where: Storrs Campus Student Union Student Union Theater University of Connecticut Admission Fee: Free and open to all All Friday Night Flicks are free and open to all.  Please note the new start time of 10pm. Click for more information.

Post of the Day

Posted by fritzkep in News and Current Events

A surprising step in the direction of progress: Gay Marine’s husband surprised at respect shown by Naval Academy http://www.suntimes.com/3526027-417/ketterson-academy-naval-usna-husband.html Another hopeful sign. A message from Commandant Gen Amos and SgtMaj Kent of the USMC. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPn3V3KuhaM

The Cowboy Image

Posted by coal615 in Cowboy Up!

Fun Question of the Week

This week's question: British poet and critic Dame Edith Sitwell, upon meeting Marilyn Monroe, compared the American actress to what type of flower? Let us know your answers in the Response Thread. Last week's question and answer: What two words are incorporated into the Peace sign, and how? Thanks garyd and Marc for your input. It is "nuclear disarmament" and it is made up by layering semaphore signals: The internationally recognized symbol for peace was originally designed for the British nuclear disarmament movement by Gerald Holtom in 1958. The symbol is a combination of the semaphore signals for the letters "N" and "D," standing for "nuclear disarmament". In semaphore the letter "N" is formed by a person holding two flags in an upside-down "V," and the letter "D" is formed by holding one flag pointed straight up and the other pointed straight down. Superimposing these two signs forms the shape of the centre of the peace symbol. Read more at Wikipedia.

The first peace badge, 1958, made in ceramic for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament by Eric Austen from Gerald Holtom's original design.

The Forum Image

Posted by conny in Life Through The Lens 5

Quote of the Day

"Starting this year, no American will be
forbidden from serving the country
they love because of who they love."

~  President Barack Obama  ~

State of the Union Address, January 2011

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by TwistandShout in Photo Captioning Fun 6

       Kiss ?                                              No kiss . . .

Contributors: BayCityJohn, conny, fritzkep, coal615, TwistandShout

Calendar of Events If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you. Gathering in Germany: Brokeback Under the Stars Bochum, Germany -- March 26th, 2011 Slash Bash in San Francisco! San Francisco -- April 15-17, 2011 Beyond Brokeback Ballet San Francisco -- August 13-14, 2011 Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.
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[killersmom]

Tuesday, February 15th, 2011

Gay church 'marriages' set to get the go-ahead Ministers will publish plans to change the law to enable same-sex couples to "marry" in church, the BBC has learned. Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone is to propose lifting the ban on civil partnerships taking place in religious settings in England and Wales. But religious organisations will not be compelled to allow ceremonies and the Church of England has said it would not permit its churches to be used. Same-sex couples are currently not allowed to use hymns or Bible readings. Under the plans, it is not clear if this would change or whether civil partnership ceremonies in religious surroundings could formally be described as marriages. Read more.    Source: bbc.co.uk

Harvard Law Review Elects First Openly Gay President Mitchell Reich, a second year at Harvard Law School, was elected the first openly gay president of the Harvard Law Review. Reich, a Yale College and Dalton School graduate and Manhattan native, is the 125th president of the esteemed publication. Reich says that being gay is a non-issue for the Harvard Law Review community, but that he recognizes the significance of the election. He says that while he was in high school, before coming out of the closet, he found it hard to picture achieving his dreams and be gay at the same time. “If I had seen someone who was the president of the Harvard Law Review and [also] openly gay, that would have been helpful to me,” Reich says. Ryan C. Reich, Mitchell’s older brother and a sixth year graduate student pursuing a Ph.D in the math department at the Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, said that while his brother is certainly an advocate for gay rights, his sexual orientation is “not a cause” for the second year law student. “I don’t think it affects his approach to work or his legal mind,” says Reich. “He does certainly have a certain affinity for gay rights issues ... but I think, first, that this is part of a larger affinity for liberal thought.” Read more.    Source: harvardcrimson.com

HBO Developing Texas Drama From Larry McMurtry, Diana Ossana & Morgan Spurlock Oscar-winning Brokeback Mountain writers Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana have teamed with Super Size Me documentary filmmaker Morgan Spurlock for a drama series project set up at HBO. The project, described as a big-canvas Texas political drama, is based on an idea by Spurlock, who, along with manager-producer Larry Shuman, approached McMurtry and Ossana. McMurtry and Ossana have written a script for the project, which they are executive producing for Fox TV Studios. Read more.    Source: deadline.com

The Hilarious Idiocy of Anonymous Gay Sex In my crystal meth days, I had chats like these through glory holes. "If you're clean, we'll do it raw," the gentleman in the adjoining booth would suggest, to which I would reply, "You're taking the word of a stranger you're chatting with through a three inch hole...?" The joke, if there really is one, is on the cum-guzzling bareback bottoms who "restrict" their hookups to men who claim they are negative. These misguided folks are almost certainly already positive and don't yet know it, leaving the door open for them to infect others. The lesson in all this, of course, is not to put your life into the hands of someone you've known for five minutes. Or five months. The responsibility not to get exposed to HIV (and hepatitis and other STD's) is entirely yours. And another thing: if you're a sexually active "man about town" and your last HIV test was months ago, the results don't really matter anymore. Go get a new one. Read more.    Source: bilerico.com

Gay rights groups attack iPhone confession app for Roman Catholics The launch of an iPhone app that guides Catholics through confession has prompted a furious response from gay rights groups, who accuse it of "promoting anti-gay spiritual abuse". "Confession: A Roman Catholic App", which costs £1.19 from the Apple iTunes store, has shot to 26 in the download charts, behind Sims 3 and Resident Evil 4: Platinum. The app allows "a personalised examination of conscience for each user", and has already won the backing of senior members of the Catholic church. A spokesman for the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales said it was a "useful tool to help people prepare for the sacrament of reconciliation". Among the questions users are asked is: "Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity?" Read more.    Source: guardian.co.uk Photo via Fr. Z's app review.

SF first city to pass out female condoms to gay men San Francisco is the first city in the nation distributing new female condoms for gay men. The idea is to promote another tool that could reduce the risk of sexually transmitted infections. In San Francisco, there's always more to Valentine's Day than just flowers and chocolates. Female condoms were handed out Monday at City Hall courtesy of the health department. It's the same design as the original version but made of Nitrile. "That's the material found commonly in surgical gloves. It's the non-latex alternative for those people who have latex allergies," said Susan Philip, M.D., from the San Francisco Health Department. People on the street were somewhat interested. Others, not so much. Young and not so young said they would give it a try. Read more.    Source: abclocal.go.com

Adrien Morot: Montreal’s Macabre Master The door opens and there to greet visitors is the actor Jake Gyllenhaal. Half of him, anyway. He has been severed below the waist. Rather crudely at that, if his bloodied entrails are any indication. He’s also missing his hands. But his face is perfectly intact, and his beard is nicely trimmed. He even seems at peace with the world. It takes a few seconds to realize that this is not what’s left of the Brokeback Mountain star, but is actually a near flawless, though partial, Gyllenhaal facsimile, made of clay, acetone, silicone, putty, resins and one dreads to know what else. As entrances go, the vestibule area to Adrien Morot’s workshop is sweet, in a class all its own. And that’s nothing compared to what beckons inside his 3,000-square-foot studio – which even master of the macabre Stephen King might find unsettling. In fact, the former, somewhat rundown manufacturing plant in Mile End in which Morot’s workshop is located could pass for the set of a horror flick. Read more.  Source: montrealgazette.com

Blue Valentine: How Derek Cianfrance Destroyed Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling's Marriage Blue Valentine goes from grim to devastating when Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams have sad sex on the floor of a cheesy love motel, fighting between thrusts. She slaps him meanly and squeezes her eyes shut, as if trying to wring the disgust from her body. They're staying in the motel's "future room," a claustrophobic and outdated fantasy of a future not worth sharing. It's a late attempt to save a love so long dead they can't bear even hate sex long enough to satisfy either of them. Gosling has said that the much-discussed scene felt real, and Blue Valentine's director, Derek Cianfrance, thinks its authenticity is why the MPAA stuck the movie with an NC-17 rating in December (later bumped down to R after protest). "It was a compliment because the film didn't really show anything," Cianfrance told The Huffington Post. "So people must have been feeling things watching the film, and I thought that spoke to the power of the performers." Williams' performance earned her an Oscar nod. We don't see more than a few agreeable glimpses of her nipples and Gosling's rear end, but what's going on in their faces is graphic enough. Cianfrance shot the scene in the cramped bathroom of a real love motel in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, using two long-lens cameras, one following each actor as closely as possible. The violence of the edits between their spaces shows how far apart they have fallen. Read more.  Source: huffingtonpost.com

After the Gold Rush Twenty-five years ago, Richard Avedon photographed the real American west. His subjects despised him - but his images are more powerful than ever. By Annie Proulx Some of the most powerful portraits Richard Avedon ever took are those of In the American West, published in 1985. The republication of these masterpiece portraits of working people is important: here are coalminers, drifters with weatherbeaten faces like cracked mud, people with tiny heads and big tits, acne, moles, freckles, a salesman and a gravedigger, blood-spattered slaughterhouse workers, a fat pre-teen with his rifle, migrant workers, pimpled ranch hands and rodeo riders, waitresses, a woman trucker with a slashing belly scar, gamblers and nut cases, roughnecks and teen lovers (the girl with cold-sore lips), a broken-nosed woman, a pot-bellied scientist with a five-pen shirt-pocket, kids with the spark burned out of them, women with crooked drawn-on eyebrows. Here, too, is the frequently reprinted beekeeper portrait of a naked, bald, very white man on whose body crawl hundreds of honeybees. A teenager pulls the intestines out of a large rattlesnake. And we see Richard Wheatcroft, a young, serious and good-looking Montana farmer whom Avedon photographed two years apart. The portraits of Wheatcroft show little change except for his (very similar) shirts. Read more.  Source: guardian.co.uk

Profile Theatre: Thief River Described by Lee Blessing as a ‘love story’, (“…the only one I’ve ever written”) this play follows the relationship between childhood friends Gil and Ray from post WWII to the present. It unravels, non-sequentially, jumping back and forth in time like an emotional jigsaw puzzle and serves as a window into this country’s dramatic history regarding its treatment of homosexual love. “I’m proud of (Thief River),” says Blessing, “because it reflects the ongoing liberation of gay people in America – one of the greatest successes of this or any era.” Read more.    Source: profiletheatre.org

German theologians call for acceptance of gay couples (Berlin) University theologians in Germany have called on the Catholic Church to abandon the vow of celibacy for priests, open up the clergy for women and accept gays couples. The 143 professors said the church must implement bold reforms because of “a crisis without precedent” following the discovery of widespread sexual and physical abuses by clergymen a year ago. More Christians than ever have turned their backs on the Catholic Church in the past year, they said. “The Church has to understand these signs and move beyond its ossified structures to regain new vitality and credibility.” The appeal, published in newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung’s Friday edition, called on the church’s leadership to stop excluding gay couples and remarried Christians. Read more.    Source: 365gay.com

FWIW: Judge Tosses Suit After Substitute Shows Brokeback Mountain to Grade-School   One substitute teacher is under fire after showing her class of 11 and 12-year-olds a screening of the R-rated "Brokeback Mountain." Although many may agree that the viewing was inappropriate, was it legal? Megyn Kelly moderated the fiery debate on today's Kelly's Court. Watch the video.    Source: youtube.com

"Look at Young and the Restless. Don't they have people
canoodling in bed at three o'clock in the afternoon?"

Spanish-language radio drama tackles gay issues A Spanish-language radio drama is aiming to break the silence surrounding homosexuality and its acceptance in California's rural communities, where thousands of agricultural workers toil in fields while listening to the radio. The radionovela, "Bienvenidos a Casa," or "Welcome Home," which premiered Friday across the Central Valley, tells the story of Carlos, a Latino teen who is rejected by his friends and family for being gay then finds acceptance with his mother and neighbors. The show will air for nearly two months on Radio Bilingue, a national Spanish-language radio network headquartered in Fresno. A gay-rights group is working to air the series nationally. Activists say it's the first time information about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues is reaching rural Latino farmworker communities in a language and format that's accessible. The three-episode radionovela, developed in collaboration with San Francisco State University and California Rural Legal Assistance, was based on input from community focus groups and performed by community volunteers. Many Latinos grew up listening to radionovelas, which in some parts of Latin America are more popular than television and have inspired the creation of telenovelas - TV soap operas. The radio dramas depict life's struggles through recurring characters and themes. In recent years, short radionovelas have become an increasingly popular way to raise awareness of various issues among Latino audiences in the U.S. "People identify with the characters," said Delia Saldivar, the Radio Bilingue station manager who helped develop the program about gay Latinos. Some mainstream Latino media ridicule people with different sexual orientations, Saldivar said, creating a need for positive stories. Saldivar teamed up with California Rural Legal Assistance's Proyecto Poderoso, or Project Powerful, to engage California's hard-to-reach rural Latinos. For the past three years, Proyecto Poderoso has provided legal services to gay, bisexual and transgender individuals in farmworker communities. Program manager Dan Torres said the project has helped Latinos who were ridiculed, beaten or even fired from their jobs because of their sexual orientation. It also has shown the lack of resources, information and awareness about such issues in farmworker communities, where the fear of coming out is so much more intense, he said. "These are small towns and people fear that they will experience discrimination, that their kids will be harassed," Torres said. Read more.    Source: kansascity.com

Movie Review: The Eagle (of the 9th) Director Kevin MacDonald’s follows director Domenic Sena’s Season Of The Witch by about a month, both films displaying sword fighting four years after Zack Snyder’s 300 brought the blood fests into vogue. While Season Of The Witch is an intriguing paean to the Hammer Films / American International Pictures of the 1960s (especially Roger Corman’s Edgar Allen Poe movies), The Eagle sports multiple intriguing plots that push veteran actors Donald Sutherland and Denis O’Hare way into the background, and a not-so-thinly veiled homosexual undercurrent between the master, Roman soldier Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum) and his British slave, Esca (Jamie Bell). Telling the story set in 135 A.D. with these two enemies building a deep friendship and devotion is less blatant but (in a very quiet and subtle way) more intense than Brokeback Mountain. Perhaps because Jake Gyllenhall’s Jack Twist and Heath Ledger’s Ennis Del Mar didn’t come with Uncle Donald Sutherland purchasing one to attend to the other, Gyllenhall/Twist’s passive role couldn’t overcome Ledger/Del Mar’s self-hatred. As the hatred that Esca and Marcus have was inbred they have opportunities to overcome it. Starting with Marcus showing mercy to a slave that displayed absolutely no fear in a David vs. Goliath battle where Esca was a mere bull to be slaughtered for the pleasure of those in attendance. ... “You’re my slave”, Jamie Bell tells Channing Tatum. “Do as I did for you, and you’ll survive.” It might be ambiguous on the big screen but reading it in print gets the brain in gear. Read more.    Source: tmrzoo.com

BOOM! Palm Springs Plans a Wacky, $250m Retirement Community for Gays The development planned for the Southern California desert wants to prove that aging gracefully can include community, culture, and breathtaking architecture.

After three years studying aging and design, architect Matthias Hollwich uncovered a disturbing truth. "Age discrimination is really prevalent in our society," he says. "Plus, you are actually discriminating against something you will be in your own future." The New York-based principal of Hollwich Kushner, who also co-founded the architect networking site Architizer, thinks architecture can help by creating inspiring, community-oriented spaces where retirees are empowered to give back to society. His new project BOOM, a $250 million development planned for the Palm Springs area that's coordinated by Hollwich's firm, is banking on the fact that hundreds of aging, creative boomers -- many of them part of the local gay community -- will move here to do it. Hollwich's firm is one of ten architectural firms including Diller Scofidio + Renfro, Juergen Mayer H., and Lot-Ek who are contributing to the project, which will be developed by Los Angeles-based Boom Communities, Inc. Each firm was given a piece of the 100-acre plot and total freedom to inject their personal style into the space. The only requirements for the architects were that their structures had to epitomize high design in order to fight the stereotypical look of retirement communities, and that none of the firms could have ever done work around aging before, so they could come to the project with fresh ideas. The 300 residences will break ground in 2012, a number that will more than double with the completion of phase two. Read and see more.  Source: fastcodesign.com

Don't Call Them Gylligan Just Yet Jake Gyllenhaal has already given Taylor Swift plenty to write about. (If a song about being enchanted by a Prince Charming of Persia doesn't turn up on T-Swizz's next disc, we're calling shenanigans.) But what about Carey Mulligan? Is the British actress just one coffee date with Gyllenhaal away from getting the Camilla Belle treatment in a Swift song? Maybe we're getting ahead of ourselves -- and really, we might say the same for the gossip columnists. Here's the thing: Mulligan and Gyllenhaal have been spotted in the same place three times since last weekend. Read more.    Source: dose.ca

This just in: FIRST 21-YEAR-OLD SWIFT, NOW IT’S 42-YEAR-OLD ANISTON FOR JAKE GYLLENHAAL “Jake and Jen looked really happy and really seemed to be enjoying themselves,” an eyewitness tells Life & Style’s Scene Queens exclusively that Jennifer Aniston celebrated her birthday Friday by having dinner with Jake Gyllenhaal in New York City. Read more.  Source: hollywoodoutbreak.com

Caught in the Act! Guess they have similar taste! Jake Gyllenhaal and Zac Efron bumped into each other outside the Solstice Sunglass Boutique in New York. According to a source, the guys both tried on the same shades while shopping separately. Gyllenhaal was there first and was soft-spoken and friendly while browsing the frames, the source says. Read more.    Source: people.com Jake Gyllenhaal (left) and Zac Efron

Brokeback Mountain O-Week Film Screening Queers and Allies alike are invited to our first film screening of 2011. Enjoy some free popcorn in the Monash Cinema while watching Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the iconic film "Brokeback Mountain". "Based on the short story by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Annie Proulx, Brokeback Mountain tells the story of two young men – a ranch-hand and a rodeo cowboy – who meet in the summer of 1963, and unexpectedly forge a lifelong connection, one whose complications, joys, and tragedies provide a testament to the endurance and power of love. Directed by Academy Award-winner Ang Lee." When: Wednesday, February 23 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm Where: Monash Clayton, Melbourne, Australia Monash Cinema (Opposite Artichoke and Whitebait, next to the stairs) More information: http://msa.monash.edu.au/queer

Post of the Day

Posted by passthepickles in How Brokeback Affected Me

Last night I convinced my friend, Cay, to watch Brokeback. She's openly lesbian and I came out to her, saying Brokeback helped me. So we watched it. I have never seen her cry like she did last night but she loves the movie and is going to read the short story. She thinks she's going to be just like Ennis someday, I won't let that happen.

The Cowboy Image

Posted by coal615 in Cowboy Up!

Fun Question of the Week

This week's question: Which celebrated female jazz singer starred in television commercials for Kentucky Fried Chicken? Let us know your answer in the Response Thread. Last week's question and answer: British poet and critic Dame Edith Sitwell, upon meeting Marilyn Monroe, compared the American actress to what type of flower? Answer: The flower was a daffodil. "[Marilyn]'s is a legend of tragedy, which is why it is not surprising that a poet once compared her beauty to that of the golden trumpet of spring known as the daffodil. Daffodils are beautiful flowers, but they are as equally tragic as dear Marylin. "The ancient Greeks thought their nodding flowers were mournful and that they were an omen of death. They also thought the yellow flower grew throughout the land of the Underworld. The Greeks were not the only ones to associate them with death. The Egyptians and Medieval Europe did as well." Read more at thisgardenisillegal.com

The Forum Image

Posted by Cally in Life Through The Lens 5

"The other day someone posted a pic of yin-yang cats and
reminded me of this, scanned from a 1986 photo of our
Poppy and Bessie - the bath was empty but still warm..."

Quotes of the Day

L: My favorite lines in modern cinema are from The Big Lebowski:
Tara Reid’s character says, “I’ll suck your cock for a thousand dollars.”
And The Dude (Jeff Bridges) replies, “I’m just gonna go find a cash machine.”

D: Well, I love that quote attributed to John Wayne:
“Life is tough, but it’s tougher if you’re stupid.”

Read more: Talking About True Grit: Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana

Photo Caption of the Day

Posted by Marz in Photo Captioning Fun 6

Ennis: I know I said I liked fishing but this is too much!

Contributors: coal615, Cally, passthepickles, Marz  

Calendar of Events If you have ideas about initiating a gathering, go to Start Your Own Threads and get the ball rolling to plan a get-together near you. Gathering in Germany: Brokeback Under the Stars Bochum, Germany -- March 26th, 2011 Slash Bash in San Francisco! San Francisco -- April 15-17, 2011 Beyond Brokeback Ballet San Francisco -- August 13-14, 2011 Let us know of any events you’d like listed here.

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Today's edition by gnash

Researchers: BayCityJohn, Killersmom, Kittyhawk, Marge_Innavera, Stilllearning

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch

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