The Daily Sheet - April to June 2024

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024

Ang Lee Blames Discrimination

Director Ang Lee is finally pointing the finger. Lee told IndieWire in a recent interview that his Brokeback Mountain losing the Academy Awards Best Picture to Crash in 2006 was because of discrimination against a gay love story. “Back then, [‘Brokeback Mountain’] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support — up to that much,” he said. “It has that feeling. I wasn’t holding a grudge or anything. It’s just how they were,” Lee said of the Academy at the time. Brokeback Mountain did win three other Oscars that year for Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay for Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana, and Best Original Score for Gustavo Santaolalla. Ang remembered coming off the stage after accepting his Best Director award. “I got my award, which was [second to] last to the big one, and I was walking off the stage, they called me down, and said, stay here. That’s your mark. Everybody assumes you will win, so stay at that mark,” Lee said. “Right next to the stage was the curtain. The next was Best Picture. Stay here, just stay here. I saw Jack Nicholson, his profile, he opened the envelope, and I go, ‘Oh my god, oh my god.’ It took like 10 seconds before he announced, and then he went, ‘Crash.’” Ang Lee Blames Discrimination

Cuba's Inclusive Church

Proudly wearing a rainbow-colored clergy stole and a rainbow flag in her clerical collar, the Rev. Elaine Saralegui welcomed all to her LGBTQ+ inclusive church in the Cuban port city of Matanzas. “We’re all invited. And no one can exclude us,” Saralegui told same-sex couples who held hands sitting on wooden pews in the Metropolitan Community Church where she had recently married her wife. These words and this kind of gathering would have been unimaginable before in the largest country in the conservative and mostly Christian Caribbean, where anti-gay hostility is still widespread. Cuba repressed gay people after its 1959 revolution led by Fidel Castro and sent many to labor camps. But in recent years, the communist-run island barred anti-gay discrimination, and a 2022 government-backed “family law” — approved by popular vote — allowed same-sex couples the right to marry and adopt. Members of Cuba’s LGBTQ+ community say it marked a milestone that has allowed them to embrace their gender identity and worship more freely in a country that for decades after the revolution was officially atheist. Over the past quarter century, it has gradually become more tolerant of religions. “It’s huge. There aren’t enough words to say what an opportunity it is to achieve the dream of so many,” said Maikol Añorga. He was with his husband, Vladimir Marin, near the altar, where at a Friday service they joined other congregants taking turns to lay offerings of white and pink wildflowers to thank God. Cuba's Inclusive Church

Nancy Valverde Has Died

Nancy Valverde, a daring Chicana lesbian and gender-nonconformist, died at her Los Angeles home on Monday. She was 92. Valverde was our local groundbreaker for LGBTQ+ rights. Growing up, she was routinely arrested for violating L.A.’s cross-dressing ban, but later was credited with helping overturn that law. Valverde was born in Deming, New Mexico, in 1932, but her life as an Angeleno began at 9 years old when she and her father relocated to Lincoln Heights. Growing up, she didn’t know anything about being a lesbian, but Valverde knew one thing: She felt like an outsider when all the girls would talk about cute boys. In her teens, Valverde worked hard to provide for herself. She worked in a restaurant kitchen and did bakery deliveries. But as a young Chicana, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she was being treated like a second-class citizen, according to the nonprofit Gay & Lesbian Elder Housing. She saw Mexican Americans get displaced when Dodger Stadium was built, where she used to do deliveries. All of this contributed to a rebellious streak. As Valverde got older, she started looking more masculine under the standard of those days, like wearing pants and having short hair. It was common for people to judge and comment on her appearance. Nancy Valverde Has Died Lessons Learned Giving Advice For the last three years, it has been my great privilege to serve as one of the only advice columnists specifically for the bisexual community. Bisexual people from all around the world have turned to me for advice in their darkest hours. They’ve shared secrets with me that they felt they couldn’t share with even their closest friends and family. It’s been a great responsibility to try and help them navigate the troubles they are facing. The idea for an advice column happened completely by coincidence. As a vocal bisexual who is often found writing pieces in the media or doing TV and radio interviews about the bi experience, one of the great joys is having bisexual people from all around the world write to me after they see these pieces. Sometimes it’s just a thank you, but many times there are follow-up questions, and I simply couldn’t keep up with the demand. This told me that there were many bisexuals out there struggling, feeling that there was no one to turn to for advice on issues that were specifically bisexual. That’s where the idea for an advice column came from. In fact, the landscape is so void of the advice that bisexual people so desperately need, that my column is now being turned into a book, Bisexuality: The Basics which will be hitting stores in May, aiming to answer all of the most common questions I’ve seen bi people face. Lessons Learned Giving Advice Appeals Court Blocks Texas A Texas appeals court on Friday upheld a lower court's injunction blocking the state from investigating parents who provide their transgender children with gender-affirming medical treatments, which Governor Greg Abbott has called abusive. Abbott, a Republican, had ordered the state Department of Family Protective Services (DFPS) to carry out child abuse investigations into families whose children were receiving puberty-blocking treatments in February 2022. A month later, a district court judge imposed a statewide temporary injunction on such investigations, saying the probes endangered children and their families. The appeals court in Austin upheld the district court judge's injunction in a pair of rulings on Friday, delivering a victory to LGBTQ groups, medical professionals and civil liberties advocates opposing moves by conservative politicians in dozens of states to criminalize the provision of gender-transitioning treatments for trans youth. "This is a much-needed victory for trans youth and those who love and support them," the American Civil Liberties Union said on X on Friday. Representatives for Abbott and the DFPS did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and Lambda Legal challenged Abbott's order on behalf of the family of a 16-year-old transgender girl targeted for investigation. Appeals Court Blocks Texas Gaming Fans Embrace Non Binary Character Overwatch 2’s ninth season is nearly over, and when the tenth begins on April 16, the hero shooter is getting a few significant changes.  All of its heroes will no longer be locked behind the battle pass and the game will get a new shop dedicated to Mythic Skins only.  But Overwatch 2 is also getting a new Damage hero in Venture, a scrappy, drill-based, non-binary character who can dig themself underground and come back up for air right on an objective.  While we’ve only seen concept footage of the character in action, the Overwatch community is already embracing them and coming up with inside jokes about them that are spreading through the fandom like wildfire.  Before Venture has even escorted a payload or helped push a barricade, they have been deemed a rock eater. The joke started innocently enough. Some fans noted Venture’s chipped tooth in their concept art and thus made the logical conclusion that they must have broken it on something. Given that their entire kit and design are based on digging and drilling, players landed on the silly idea that they must have been eating rocks. Once the suggestion was made, Overwatch fans got to work riffing on the idea in excellent art and jokes. While Venture is likely too close to launch for the Blizzard team to implement the joke into pre-match banter, Overwatch 2 developers past and present have endorsed this collective headcanon. Venture’s place in the overarching Overwatch world is unclear at this point, but game director Aaron Keller has stated the team plans to release more on their lore in the future in a way that is “pretty different to things that [Blizzard has] done before.” Whatever the Overwatch story looks like moving forward, it will have a lot of heavy lifting to do now that Blizzard has reportedly canceled its planned story missions. Gaming Fans Embrace Non Binary Character Kelsea Ballerini Shares Past Video Kelsea Ballerini shared a “lil throwback” on her Instagram story on Monday morning (March 25) to announce that she’ll be a guest on RuPaul’s Drag Race this week. The award-winning artist revealed her upcoming appearance on the show with a throwback video of her vibrant 2023 CMT Music Awards performance with queens of RuPaul’s Drag Race. Ballerini and the queens took the stage together as she performed “If You Go Down (I’m Goin’ Down Too),” one of the fan-favorite anthems on her latest full-length album, Subject To Change, which she quickly followed with her EP Rolling Up The Welcome Mat. Ballerini previously opened up about the controversy that followed in her interview for the 2023 TIME 100 Next list cover story. “I would say, for anything in life, when there's a ‘group of people’ — and I use ‘group’ in quotes — one person cannot speak for everyone,” she said at that time. “That is true for country music. I am in control of standing in what I believe in — and being a kind, good person who works towards making the world a more heard, safe, and inclusive place in whatever capacity I can do. I wish I could change a lot of things. But I can just change myself and the community around me. And I am making sure that my intentions are good and pure." “Oh yeah, there was (pushback after taking the stage with drag queens)!” Ballerini continued. “At the time, a lot of anti-drag legislation was being proposed in Tennessee. I was not only hosting the CMT awards, but I had a performance for a song of mine that is all about friendship and standing up for people that you love, and being ride-or-die for your people. I realized that that would be a really good, important, loud, big stage to make that statement on, and CMT was all for it.” Kelsea Ballerini Shares Past Video Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: Killersmom, CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 9th, 2024

Rodrigo Prieto to Be Honored

Rodrigo Prieto, the Oscar-nominated cinematographer, will be honored with the 2023 Árbol de la Vida – lifetime achievement award at the 13th edition of the GuadaLAjara Film Festival on Nov. 1. Taking place at the Theater at the Ace Hotel in Downtown L.A., the Mexican D.P. will be honored at the opening night gala celebration. Past honorees have included Oscar-winner Patricia Arquette, in addition to stars such as Xolo Maridueña, Rosario Dawson and Danny Trejo. Prieto has garnered worldwide acclaim for his work on various feature films, collaborating with some of cinema’s most vital masters. He has picked up his three Oscar noms for Ang Lee’s “Brokeback Mountain” (2005) and two with Martin Scorsese — “Silence” (2016) and “The Irishman” (2019). He’s teamed up with the iconic filmmaker again for “Killers of the Flower Moon,” the story of a group of men that murdered Osage tribe members in the 1920s. The Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures co-distributed feature stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone. Prieto also lensed Greta Gerwig’s billion-dollar Mattel meta-comedy “Barbie” from Warner Bros — now the highest grossing release of 2023. Curated with Latinx and BIPOC communities in mind, GLAFF’s programming is a mix of films that aim to attract cinephiles and art and culture enthusiasts. The 2023 program and official selection includes a special Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) centerpiece gala screening of the 1960s Mexican classic “Macario” from director Roberto Gavaldón. More films will be announced in the coming weeks. Rodrigo Prieto to Be Honored

9-1-1's Oliver Stark Responds

Oliver Stark has a message for the fans — and the haters — after Buck kissed Tommy on ABC’s 9-1-1. “Humbled and overwhelmed by the positive reaction to Buck’s storyline,” Stark, 32, wrote via Instagram Story on Saturday, April 6, two days after the 100th episode of 9-1-1 featured his character kissing a man for the first time. “I’ve read so many of your messages and I couldn’t be prouder.” While many fans have been hoping to see Buck explore his sexuality for years, the actor acknowledged that not everyone was happy with the story line. “If you are one of the smaller group of people commenting on my posts about how this has ruined the show, I would like you to know that I truly don’t care,” he wrote. “This is a show about love and inclusion. It’s featured queer relationships from he very beginning including a beautiful Black lesbian marriage played out by two of the best actresses I’ve ever watched.” Paramedic Henrietta “Hen” Wilson (Aisha Hinds) and wife Karen Wilson (Tracie Thoms) share son Denny and have been core characters since the 2018 pilot, and they are only two of several LGBTQ+ characters with significant story lines on 9-1-1. 9-1-1's Oliver Stark Responds

JoJo Siwa Shocks Fans

JoJo Siwa put on a very racy display in her new music video for latest single Karma, which was released on Friday. In the video the 20-year-old Dance Moms star turned 'bad girl' enjoyed a wild lesbian romp with another woman while wearing her signature KISS inspired catsuit and theatrical makeup. As she sang about being 'wild', the former child star — who was recently seen visiting a sex shop after ditching her family-friendly image amid major rebrand — was also pictured being licked by another woman. Throughout the clip JoJo, who turns 21 next month, showed off her viral TikTok choreography and was seen grinding on a number of beautiful ladies. The dynamic video starts out with JoJo on an island in the middle of the ocean at night as she turns to the camera with her dramatic face paint and sings, 'I was a bad girl, I did some bad things.' She then has flashes of a number of her various encounters with different women. 'I swear I did it all for fun and it meant nothing,' JoJo continues. JoJo Siwa Shocks Fans Bisexual Swingers Scott and April Shirley were stuck in the wrong marriages. Marriages that felt constricting amid their burgeoning bisexuality and quest for sexual freedom. The pair had been friends for years – Scott, 51, then co-owned a CrossFit gym in Decatur, Alabama, and April, 45, was a women and children's pastor. By the end of 2015, however, the two began a 10 month-long affair that cost them their jobs. Reputations. Everything. Now they're happily in a non-monogamous marriage. Once the affair became public, they were ostracized in their town. And when they opened their business, Naughty Gym, it just added fuel to the fire. Naughty Gym is an online community the pair started during the pandemic in 2020 – workouts people could do at home along with a built-in platform for sex-positive users to connect, similar to how you'd talk in a Facebook group. For $20 per month, their 300 members get access to daily workouts. Each primary workout comes with a version that doesn't require any equipment ("nude"); one that requires dumbbells ("topless") and so on. "These (workouts) have nothing to do with sex," Scott clarifies. "It's just playful names." Bisexual Swingers Game Developer Accused of Transphobia Behaviour Interactive recently updated its hit online survival horror game, Dead By Daylight, adding a new killer called The Unknown: a malevolent, shape-shifting entity voiced by a transgender woman. However, following complaints about The Unknown’s appearance – in particular, an outfit where the creature appears as a grotesque giant dressed in a cheerleader costume and a wig – the woman who voiced the character claims she was “tricked” into helping to create a trans stereotype, and took to X/Twitter to complain. In a long statement, which appears to have since been deleted, she accuses Behaviour Interactive of basing the character on her trans identity, and describes the cheerleader “man in a dress” character skins as “transphobic”, adding that she believes she has been put “physically at risk” by the developer’s choices. On 14 March, the voice actor clarified her initial statement about The Unknown, writing: “I wasn’t kept in the loop with what the character’s final look would be, I was given an ambiguous description for the part, and even though I tried my best to find out, continually asking for more info, that wasn’t possible. This is why I was upset. The skins themselves were never the issue, lack of communication was.” She added that the doesn’t want Behaviour Interactive to face a boycott. “They are not transphobic… Behaviour is a good company, and has been nothing but kind and supporting through this tough process of receiving mass harassment for my involvement in the character.” Game Developer Accused of Transphobia Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo Is Demisexual Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo, daughter of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, came out as demisexual during an Instagram Live with the author Donato Tramuto over the weekend. The 23-year-old, who came out as queer at the beginning of Pride month, further expanded on what her sexual orientation means to her and her coming-out journey. "When I was in elementary school, I feared that I was lesbian," she told Tramuto. "When I was in middle school, I came out to my family and close friends as bisexual. When I was in high school, I discovered pansexuality and thought, 'That's the flag for me.'" People who identify as pansexual can be attracted to people of all genders or are just attracted to people regardless of gender. During the Instagram Live, Kennedy-Cuomo said she felt demisexual was a better fit for her after doing more research. Demisexual people fall on the spectrum of asexuality, a lack of sexual attraction. Bustle previously reported that people who are demisexual tend to need a close, emotional, or intellectual bond with someone before feeling sexual attraction. Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo Is Demisexual Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Eswatini police on March 28 detained a prominent human rights activist as she tried to return to the country. Tanele Maseko, the deputy chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, was taken into custody at the Ngwenya Border Post between Eswatini and South Africa. Reports indicate she was returning to Eswatini with her two minor children and an aide when authorities told her she was wanted. SAHRDN said Maseko’s detention stemmed from her husband’s gruesome murder in January 2023. Thulani Maseko was a high-profile lawyer, human rights activist and LGBTQ rights ally who was highly outspoken against the country’s governance. “Southern Defenders has previously strongly condemned recent public statements from the government of Eswatini seemingly threatening Tanele Maseko for demanding justice and accountability for her husband’s murder,” said SAHRDN Chair Adriano Nuvunga. “Tanele Maseko is our deputy chairperson and human rights defender in her own right. As a normal human being, she, together with her children are victims of the traumatic events of Jan. 21, 2023, and need to know the truth for closure and healing.” The Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network said Tanele Maseko’s detention is embarrassing and something not expected from a country that claims to protect all of its citizens. Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024

Forgotten Movie Now in Netflix Top 5

An under-the-radar war movie, Megan Leavey, makes its way onto Netflix's Global Top 10 chart. Based on the true story of Megan Leavey, the 2017 film follows a young female Marine and her close connection with a combat dog named Rex that saves many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Kate Mara, who starred as Sue Storm/the Invisible Woman in 2015's failed Fantastic Four film, plays the titular role of Megan Leavey alongside a supporting cast that includes Ramón Rodríguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford, Common, and Edie Falco. Now, seven years after flying under the radar, the film is charting as a global hit on Netflix. For the week of April 8-14, Megan Leavey ranked fifth on Netflix's Global Top 10 with 9.7 million hours viewed and 5 million individual views. It ranked between M. Night Shyamalan's Glass in fourth place, which received 5.1 million views in its second week in the Top 10, and The Bricklayer in sixth place with 4.6 million views. Because Megan Leavey was an under-the-radar war movie upon its initial release in 2017, millions of Netflix subscribers are just now discovering the hidden gem for the first time on the streaming service. The film has been praised by critics and audiences alike for honoring its real-life subjects, both Megan Leavy and Rex, with genuinely uplifting drama that compensates for any shortcomings in its storytelling. On Rotten Tomatoes, Megan Leavey has impressive 86% and 82% scores from critics and audiences, respectively. For a smaller-budget movie, Megan Leavey also has a surprisingly star-studded cast. Bradley Whitford (The West Wing, The Handmaid's Tale) and Edie Falco (The Sopranos, Nurse Jackie) are both multi-time Emmy winners for multiple TV shows. Kate Mara also has an Emmy nomination for her performance in House of Cards, while Tom Felton is highly recognizable for his role as Draco Malfoy in Harry Potter. However, for whatever reason, Megan Leavey received little attention upon its initial release in 2017 and only grossed $14.5 million at the box office. Forgotten Movie Now in Netflix Top 5

Pennsylvania School Cancels Event

Parents in a Pennsylvania school district are petitioning to overturn a unanimous vote by the school board to cancel a talk from “30 Rock” actor Maulik Pancholy, over concerns about his “activism” and “lifestyle.” Pancholy, who is gay and a children’s book author, was scheduled to speak at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, on May 22. But the Cumberland Valley School District (CVSD) voted unanimously on Monday to cancel his visit. More than 6,000 people have signed a petition started by Trisha Comstock, a parent in the school district, demanding that the board reverse their decision. Pancholy, who is known for voicing Baljeet in the cartoon “Phineas and Ferb” and for his role as the assistant on the TV show “30 Rock,” has written two award-winning children’s books that focus on themes of empathy and anti-bullying. “Nikhil Out Loud” follows the story of a gay Indian American boy at a school where parents protested having a gay student play a lead role in the school musical. Another of Pancholy’s award-winning titles, “The Best at It,” is about a 7th-grade Indian American who experiences bullying in his small Midwest town. Although the school district livestreamed Monday’s board meeting, it does not archive the videos. Pennsylvania School Cancels Event

Lesbian Bars Coming Back

As the United States emerged slowly from pandemic lockdowns, a curious phenomenon has taken place: the resurgence of bars for lesbians and queer women. New York City has doubled its lesbian bars since 2022, and the US as a whole saw at least a dozen new bars open up. These bars have long served as a third space for queer communities, and in the face of legislative attacks against LGBTQ+ people, their importance has only grown. “I started searching right around the time I came out. Searching for community or a sense of belonging. As queer people, we’re told that there is a community out there for us to find. But for many of us it’s not so simple,” noted director and Hyperallergic contributor Alexis Clements (pictured left) in her 2019 film All We’ve Got, just released on PBS. Clements continues: "Age, race, class, gender, ability, and countless other factors impact whether we can access communities where we’ll find other people who share in our experiences. As a queer woman looking for community, what I was finding was that a lot of the spaces everyone was telling me to go to were already closed or they were on the verge of closing." An arts and culture journalist and regular contributor to Hyperallergic, Clements brings herself into the film on a journey to places like the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center in San Antonio, WOW Café Theatre and the Lesbian Herstory Archives in New York, and Alibis Club in Oklahoma City. Through the director’s eyes, we see the range and possibility of spaces designed as community hubs, performance venues, and places for dancing and partying. Lesbian Bars Coming Back Buck's Bisexuality on 9-1-1 The procedural drama series 9-1-1 reached 100 episodes following its move from Fox to ABC for season 7. That 100th episode, which aired on April 4, centers on Buck (Oliver Stark) dealing with complicated feelings toward Tommy (Lou Ferrigno Jr). The episode unfolds with Buck finally confessing his feelings, which results in a kiss between Tommy and Buck, and leads to the two of them agreeing to go on a date. Dedicated 9-1-1 fans had long speculated about Buck's sexuality and eagerly anticipated his first kiss with another man on the show — and it finally happened in a way that was exciting, but also pointedly casual for the characters involved. "Something that's always touched me emotionally, more than anything in my life, is when people are able to live as their authentic selves," actor Oliver Stark, who plays Buck on 9-1-1, tells Out. "It's something that has always, for whatever reason, brought a tear to my eye. When I see somebody living openly and proudly as who they are, it has always really affected me." I see him get a little emotional talking about it. "So, to get to now go through this storyline and hopefully help people feel more seen, that really means a lot to me." It isn't until shooting episode 98 that Stark finds out about Buck's first kissing scene with a man in the 100th episode of the series. "Tim Minear, who writes the show, called me up and said, 'I want to pitch this Buck storyline to you,'" Stark recalls. "He proceeded to tell me about the character of Tommy and what that would lead to. He wanted to know how I felt about it and if I was on board with it. And obviously here we are, so of course I was. I was really excited for it, and I'm really happy with how it's played out." Buck's Bisexuality on 9-1-1 Sweden Passes Law Sweden's parliament has passed a law lowering the age at which people can change their legal gender from 18 to 16, and making the process easier. The law passed with 234 votes in favour and 94 against in Sweden's parliament. Though Sweden was the first country to make gender transition legal, in 1972, the new law has sparked intense debate. Some say it will make an "important difference" but critics say more research is needed. Currently, Swedes require a doctor's diagnosis of gender dysphoria to be allowed to change their legally recognised gender. But under this new law - which would come into force in July 2025 - the process will be simpler, for example a shorter consultation with a doctor or a psychologist will be enough, along with approval from the National Board of Health and Welfare. Legally changing a person's gender will also be possible from the age of 16, although those under 18 will need the approval of their parents or guardian, a doctor and the National Board of Health and Welfare. Sweden Passes Law Asexual Character on Heartbreak High Will McDonald has opened up about Ca$h's asexual storyline in Heartbreak High season 2 and why representation matters. When Ca$h and Darren first kiss in Heartbreak High season 1, Darren becomes concerned that Ca$h isn't attracted to them when he doesn't show interest in them sexually. However, Ca$h later tells Darren that he's "not wired that way". He doesn't use the term asexual but he makes clear that he loves Darren, he just doesn't want to have sex with anyone. Heartbreak High season 2 explores Ca$h's asexuality in further depth. Darren and Ca$h officially start dating. Together, they work out whether or not it's fair to both of them to have a relationship when they have different sexual appetites. Ultimately, Ca$h and Darren realise that they can make their relationship work on their own terms. Now, Will McDonald has discussed playing Ca$h and common misconceptions about asexuality in a brand new interview. Talking to Refinery29 Australia about Ca$h's asexuality, Will said: "It's just one part of his identity. There's a whole spectrum of things that are making him up. I think that's the way he challenges those preconceptions, he's just so staunchly himself." Asexual Character on Heartbreak High Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Eswatini police on March 28 detained a prominent human rights activist as she tried to return to the country. Tanele Maseko, the deputy chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, was taken into custody at the Ngwenya Border Post between Eswatini and South Africa. Reports indicate she was returning to Eswatini with her two minor children and an aide when authorities told her she was wanted. SAHRDN said Maseko’s detention stemmed from her husband’s gruesome murder in January 2023. Thulani Maseko was a high-profile lawyer, human rights activist and LGBTQ rights ally who was highly outspoken against the country’s governance. “Southern Defenders has previously strongly condemned recent public statements from the government of Eswatini seemingly threatening Tanele Maseko for demanding justice and accountability for her husband’s murder,” said SAHRDN Chair Adriano Nuvunga. “Tanele Maseko is our deputy chairperson and human rights defender in her own right. As a normal human being, she, together with her children are victims of the traumatic events of Jan. 21, 2023, and need to know the truth for closure and healing.” The Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network said Tanele Maseko’s detention is embarrassing and something not expected from a country that claims to protect all of its citizens. Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, April 30th, 2024

Taylor and Rodrigo

At midnight, Swift released her 11th studio album, “The Tortured Poets Department” — and then announced two hours later that it’s a surprise double album, leaving casual fans and Swifites alike to spend the day decoding who the songs are about. (How many Friday afternoon Slack messages were devoted to parsing if a song was about Swift exes Joe Alwyn or Matty Healy?) And then came the album’s first music video for single “Fortnite,” co-written by and featuring Post Malone. In addition to “Dead Poets Society” (note that neither title uses an apostrophe) alums Ethan Hawke and Josh Charles, the music video boasts another big name: Oscar-nominated cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (“Killers of the Flower Moon”,  "Brokeback Mountain"). This isn’t the first time Prieto (no less than Martin Scorsese’s frequent cinematographer, who shot “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Silence,” “The Irishman,” and “Flower Moon”) has collaborated with Swift. The cinematographer previously worked on the 2020 music videos for Swift’s songs “The Man,” “Cardigan,” and “Willow.” Here, the video is filmed in gorgeous black and white as Swift moves from a seeming mental institution — a recurring theme on the album — to an office to a round of electroshock therapy complete with a sparking crown. Throughout the video (written and directed by Swift), she and Post Malone are in a tortured romance, surviving on fleeting looks and occasional tender touches as they struggle to find a way to fully connect. Prieto’s black-and-white cinematography is deep and lush, providing a setting for Swift’s lyrics (“I love you, it’s ruining my life”), which showcase the doomed romanticism of the album’s opening track. Taylor and Rodrigo

Biden Restores Protections

The Biden administration announced a new rule Friday expanding safeguards against potential discrimination of gay and transgender Americans seeking medical care, in a reversal of Trump-era limitations that nixed federal health protections for members of the LGBTQ+ community. In a set of expansive new rules unveiled by the Department of Health and Human Services, the department moved to advance civil rights protections for patients by barring health providers and insurers receiving federal funding from discriminating against those seeking care on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation. The HHS rule restores Obama-era protections for transgender patients that the Trump administration rolled back in 2020 — a move that was condemned by LGBTQ+ advocacy and human rights organizations. “Today’s rule is a giant step forward for this country toward a more equitable and inclusive health care system, and means that Americans across the country now have a clear way to act on their rights against discrimination when they go to the doctor, talk with their health plan or engage with health programs run by HHS,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a Friday statement. The finalized rule comes as access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth has been tangled in political controversy, with more than 20 states in recent years attempting to restrict youth access to such care. As conflicting rulings on state-level bans have emerged from lower-level courts across the country, the Supreme Court has faced mounting pressure to consider the matter. Biden Restores Protections

The "Hey Mamas" Lesbian

All across sapphic TikTok, people have started using the term “hey mamas lesbian.” If that phrase looks like gibberish to you, we're here to help. According to how the term is used online, “Hey mamas” lesbians can be distinguished by their fashion (think snapback, sports jersey, and long hair in a bun to show off their undercut) and exaggerated masc swagger, i.e. posting thirst traps on social media of them biting their bottoms lips and saying “hey mamas” to a theoretical femme on the other side of the camera. While the term is fairly new and originated on TikTok in 2020, it has quickly gripped online sapphic spaces, becoming a way to poke fun at cringey lesbians who fit the bill. But if you're planning to use the term yourself, it’s important to understand its deeper nuances. Some have criticized people who use the term to make fun of all masc-of-center queers more broadly, erasing the history and importance of butches, studs, and mascs in lesbian spaces. To better understand what the term means, read on for answers to some common questions: What is a “hey mamas” lesbian? Is “hey mamas lesbian” a controversial term? The "Hey Mamas" Lesbian Fired For Being Bisexual A fired minor league umpire sued Major League Baseball on Wednesday, claiming he was sexually harassed by a female umpire and discriminated against because he is male and bisexual. Brandon Cooper, an umpire who worked in the minor league Arizona Complex League last year, filed the suit in federal court in Manhattan against MLB and PDL Blue Inc., an affiliated entity. “Historically the MLB has had a homogenous roster of umpires working in both the minor and major leagues,” the suit claimed. “Specifically, to date there has never been a woman who has worked in a (regular) season game played in the majors, and most umpires are still Caucasian men. To try to fix its gender and racial diversity issue, defendants have implemented an illegal diversity quota requiring that women be promoted regardless of merit.” Cooper’s suit says he attended umpire training camps in 2022 and ’23 and was told by former umpire Ed Rapuano, now an umpire evaluator, and Darren Spagnardi, an umpire development supervisor, in January 2023 that MLB had to include at least two women among 10 new hires. Cooper says he was invited to spring training in 2023, put on a taxi squad and informed by Dusty Dellinger, senior manager of umpire administration, that women and minority candidates had to be hired first. Cooper was assigned to the ACL in late March and said he received a high rating in June from former big league umpire Jim Reynolds, now an umpire supervisor. Fired For Being Bisexual New Research Shows Disadvantage Transgender athletes could be at a physical disadvantage compared to their cisgender counterparts, challenging claims that serve to exclude transgender athletes from participation in sport spaces that coincide with their gender identity, a new report suggests. A recent cross-sectional study examined the athletic capabilities and potential differences among trans and cisgender athletes. This investigation was the first to be funded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on the subject and marks the first analysis on athletes who have undergone gender-affirming hormone therapy. The study, which was published earlier this month in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, a leading peer-reviewed journal in sports medicine, examined the athletic capabilities of 35 transgender athletes compared to 40 cisgender athletes. The study assessed cardiovascular performance, strength, and lower-body power among 23 transgender women, 12 transgender men, 21 cisgender women, and 19 cisgender men. All transgender participants had undergone hormone therapy for over a year, and both cisgender and transgender participants were actively engaged in competitive sports or underwent physical training at least three times weekly. New Research Shows Disadvantage Intersex Bodily Autonomy Intersex advocate Pidgeon Pagonis detailed their activism and the intersex bodily autonomy movement on Monday in Fisk Hall. The event comes as part of the Center for Awareness, Response & Education’s annual Sexual Assault Action Month aimed to spread awareness of the causes and effects of sexual assault as well as to provide prevention and support to sexual assault survivors. This year’s SAAM — rebranded from Sexual Assault Awareness Month — centered on the theme: “Our Bodies Belong to Us.” Pagonis is an American intersex activist, speaker, photographer and filmmaker. Their advocacy work focuses on uncovering human rights violations toward intersex people and preventing non-consensual, irreversible medical procedures performed on them. Intersex is an “umbrella term for variations in sex traits or reproductive anatomy,” according to interACT: Advocates for Intersex Youth, a nonprofit advocating for the rights of children born with intersex traits. Pagonis displayed their documentary titled “A Normal Girl,” highlighting the struggles faced by intersex people through their own story. “One of the main biggest characteristics of intersex (people) is that we are invisibilized,” Pagonis said. Intersex Bodily Autonomy Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Eswatini police on March 28 detained a prominent human rights activist as she tried to return to the country. Tanele Maseko, the deputy chairperson of the Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network, was taken into custody at the Ngwenya Border Post between Eswatini and South Africa. Reports indicate she was returning to Eswatini with her two minor children and an aide when authorities told her she was wanted. SAHRDN said Maseko’s detention stemmed from her husband’s gruesome murder in January 2023. Thulani Maseko was a high-profile lawyer, human rights activist and LGBTQ rights ally who was highly outspoken against the country’s governance. “Southern Defenders has previously strongly condemned recent public statements from the government of Eswatini seemingly threatening Tanele Maseko for demanding justice and accountability for her husband’s murder,” said SAHRDN Chair Adriano Nuvunga. “Tanele Maseko is our deputy chairperson and human rights defender in her own right. As a normal human being, she, together with her children are victims of the traumatic events of Jan. 21, 2023, and need to know the truth for closure and healing.” The Pan African Human Rights Defenders Network said Tanele Maseko’s detention is embarrassing and something not expected from a country that claims to protect all of its citizens. Activist and Ally Detained in Eswatini Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, May 7th, 2024

Brokeback on 4K Blu-Ray

Kino Lorber have detailed their upcoming 4K Blu-ray and Blu-ray releases of Ang Lee's Brokeback Mountain (2005), starring Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal, Linda Cardellini, Anna Faris, and Anne Hathaway. The two releases are scheduled to arrive on the market on June 25. In 1963, rodeo cowboy Jack Twist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and ranch hand Ennis Del Mar (Heath Ledger) are hired by rancher Joe Aguirre (Randy Quaid) as sheep herders in Wyoming. One night on Brokeback Mountain, Jack makes a drunken pass at Ennis that is eventually reciprocated. Though Ennis marries his longtime sweetheart, Alma (Michelle Williams), and Jack marries a fellow rodeo rider (Anne Hathaway), the two men keep up their tortured and sporadic affair over the course of 20 years. Click the link below to see the Special Features and Technical Specs: Brokeback on 4K Blu-Ray

Methodists End Bans

It took just a few days for United Methodist delegates to remove a half-century’s worth of denominational bans on gay clergy and same-sex marriages. But when asked at a news conference about the lightning speed of the changes, the Rev. Effie McAvoy took a longer view. “Oh, it didn’t take days, honey,” she said. It took decades of activism for a change that was “so very healing,” said McAvoy, pastor of Shepherd of the Valley United Methodist Church in Hope, Rhode Island. A member of the Queer Delegate Caucus at last week’s UMC General Conference in Charlotte, she was grateful to be part of the historic moment. The reversals can be seen as marking the end of a half-century of epic battles and schisms over LGBTQ involvement — not only in the United Methodist Church but in U.S. mainline Protestant denominations overall. Those are the tall-steeple churches in myriad town squares and rural crossroads, traditionally “big-tent” and culturally mainstream congregations — some predating America's independence. Methodists End Bans

Jane Rigby Receives Medal of Freedom

Out astrophysicist Jane Rigby, chief scientist at the world’s most powerful telescope, has received a Presidential Medal of Freedom. The acclaimed scientist, who is an out lesbian, was one of nineteen people to receive the nation’s highest civilian honor Friday. The medal is “presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors,” according to the White House. Rigby is a civil servant Astrophysicist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, as well as the senior project scientist at the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful telescope in the world. She has also done extensive data research for the Keck and Magellan Observatories and the Hubble Space Telescope. Rigby has received numerous accolades throughout her career, including being named the LGBTQ+ Scientist of the Year in 2022 by Out to Innovate, which recognizes outstanding LGBTQ+ professionals in science, technology, engineering, and math. She was also a founding member of the American Astronomical Society's LGBTQ+ Equality Working Group, the Committee for Sexual-Orientation & Gender Minorities in Astronomy (SGMA). Rigby has a Bachelors in Psychics, Astronomy, and Astrophysics from Penn State, and earned both her Masters and Doctorate in Astronomy at The University of Arizona. She said in a SGMA interview that first came out as a lesbian in 2000, and it was still illegal to be gay in Arizona when she moved there a few years later for graduate school. Rigby now resides in Maryland with her wife, Dr. Andrea Leistra, and their young child. Jane Rigby Receives Medal of Freedom Challengers The horny psychological thriller is back. Over the course of the past week, Challengers – the movie everyone and their mom is talking about – received it’s delayed, much-anticipated wide release. The two-hour-long movie tells the story of professional tennis champion Art (Mike Faist) who is gearing up to make a return to the court, thanks to the help of his coach and wife, Tashi (Zendaya). Playing him at a Challenger event is Patrick (Josh O’Connor), whose status as a player has gone from a one-to-watch to a relative unknown. In the past, the two boys vyed for Tashi’s affections, resulting in a tumultuous love triangle which serves as the foundation of the movie. Over the course of the past year, teasers suggested a ménage à trois of sorts, sparking excitement for the film. In general, Challengers has been well received, despite some debates regarding the sexuality and representation in the film. But half the fun of Challengers is the will-they-or-won’t-they aspect, which manifests in the form of parasocial sexual tension. In the present-day sequences, it’s 2019, and Tashi is married to Art. She’s coached him, elevating his status from a subpar tennis player to a US Open champion. They first met in 2006, when Art and Patrick won the boys’ junior doubles title at the US Open. The two invite Tashi to their hotel room, where they both kiss Tashi and, later, each other. Tashi shuts down the activity before it goes any further, but promises the boys she will give her number to whoever wins the junior singles final the next day. Patrick wins. Over the course of the movie, we see Patrick and Tashi navigate a long-distance relationship, as well as a friendship with Art, complete with sensual churro-feeding. While Art and Tashi are studying at Stanford, Patrick has gone pro. Art suggests to Tashi that Patrick doesn’t actually love her, to which she responds, “What makes you think I want someone to be in love with me?” Challengers Response to Utah's Ban Utah officials say they have been inundated with more than 4,000 bogus complaints of transgender people using public bathrooms just 72 days after the state launched a program to report such instances. “We didn’t see anything that looks credible,” Utah Auditor John Dougall told The Salt Lake City Tribune. The auditor’s office created an online complaint form in order to comply with the state’s controversial “Sex-based Designations for Privacy, Anti-bullying and Women’s Opportunities” bill, which was signed into law in January and mandates Utahns only use the bathroom matching their reproductive organs. Under the law, which went into effect May 1, the state auditor’s office was ordered to  “establish a process to receive and investigate alleged violations of this chapter” by the government. If the violation goes unresolved, the auditor must refer the issue to the Utah attorney general’s office who can impose fines up to $10,000 “per violation per day” on the government entity found at fault. “I would assume the Legislature probably didn’t think through what kind of public backlash might happen,” Dougall told The Tribune. Response to Utah's Ban Bella Thorne Is Pansexual Bella Thorne has come out as pansexual after recently discovering what the term actually means. The 21-year-old former Disney child star had previously identified as bisexual but told ‘Good Morning America’ that after finding out about pansexuality, which does not consider sex or gender, she has had a self realisation. “I’m actually pansexual and I didn’t know that,” she explained. “Somebody explained to me really thoroughly what that is. “You like beings. You like what you like. Doesn’t have to be a girl or a guy or a he or she or they or this or that. It’s literally you like personality. “You just like a being.” The ‘Shake It Up’ star is currently in a relationship with Italian pop singer Benjamin Mascolo, but was previously in a polyamorous relationship with YouTuber Tana Mongeau and American rapper Mod Sun. Bella Thorne Is Pansexual Liam Hendriks Is An Ally One perk of writing about LGBTQ allies in baseball is that I’ve picked up a bunch of new favorite players over the past few years. Red Sox relief pitcher Liam Hendriks is at the top of that list. Even before I ever got an Outsports byline, I already liked Hendriks for fully embracing the “raging Australian closer” archetype as his on-field persona. For instance, his miked up appearance in the 2021 All Star Game sounded like what would happen if Hugh Jackman developed a condition where he could only communicate by screaming David Mamet dialogue. He was the epitome of a fun baseball dude. Then in 2022, Hendriks revealed that when he spoke with the White Sox as a free agent, he asked them “Do you guys have a Pride Night?” and let them know that this was a requirement in order for him to sign. If there was a Cy Young for allyship, Hendriks would’ve clinched the next five in a row. Since then, though, he’s had a rough go of it healthwise. After the 2022 season, Hendriks revealed he had been diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Liam Hendriks Is An Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, May 14th, 2024

The Best Game Music

The Last of Us co-creator Neil Druckmann has referred to the games’ music as part of their DNA, but it’s not until you’re surrounded by fans of the universe and immersed in a live orchestral rendition of the soundtrack that the gravity of that statement holds its true weight. Gustavo Santaolalla, The Last of Us’ award-winning composer, has gingerly stepped into the center of the stage at London’s Royal Festival Hall and, composed and unassuming, juggled a multitude of instruments as he flawlessly storms through the familiar, raw accompaniment to one of the greatest game series ever created. This isn’t your typical symphony. Gone are the moments of pin-drop silence, replaced by whoops, cheers, and a mid-concert standing ovation that refuses to be quelled. Gustavo has had a huge impact and influence on today’s state of affairs and the elements that elevate the experience, including introducing the instruments he has mastered and drawing from his own repertoire. Speaking to PCGamesN before The Sounds of the Fireflies headed to London’s Game Music Festival, he tells of how he was originally just invited to listen to the concert, joining the orchestra for only two tracks – All Gone, and The Last of Us’ titular theme. “This is a full concert, and it evolved in a particular way,” he explains. “When I saw the love and dedication that these people were putting into getting this together, even with everything I was doing such as finishing two feature films and two albums I said, ‘I want to get more involved’ and I did want to play more.” After having played some songs from The Last of Us at events such as The Game Awards with the LA Philharmonic orchestra, Gustavo already knew he loved to perform these heartfelt renditions of the iconic soundtrack in a live format, but tells me that having the freedom to put his stamp on the evening has turned it into “one of those [nights] that you will treasure forever.” Gustavo’s trademark is felt throughout the performance and resounds in everyone present long after the final note rings out. In order to “move the energy” of the night, Gustavo also added some of his original songs to the setlist. “One of the things that I like to do the most is singing,” he says. Indeed, during the performance he humbly comments, “This one is for Bill and Frank,” before presenting a beautifully moving version of A Love That Will Never Grow Old, originally written for Brokeback Mountain, which won him an Oscar for Best Original Score. “We fell in love with that song, and it’s a song that fits perfectly with the Bill and Frank story,” he tells me, “It’s just perfect.” The Best Game Music

"Our Sons" from 1991

Norman Bates said it best. A boy’s best friend is his mother. It’s a cliché, of course, that every gay man is a mama’s boy—a cliché that’s often repeated and propagated through media. There is some truth in how a young boy whose inclinations fight against traditional “boy” things is able to bond more easily with his mother than his father. But every family, every gay child, and every mother is completely different, even if media portrayals don’t often showcase that. This week, to celebrate Mother’s Day, we’ll take a look at a little seen and often-forgotten movie (which is kind of shocking given the talent involved and the themes at the center) that depicts the relationship between mothers and her gay sons in a much thornier and complicated way: the 1991 television movie Our Sons. Our Sons tells the story of a young gay couple at the peak of the AIDs crisis in the early 1990s, James (Hugh Grant in one of his earlier American roles, using a truly confounding American accent) and Donald (Zeljko Ivanek). After a quiet battle with AIDS, Donald is now hospitalized, and only has a few weeks left to live. While James discusses the situation with his mother Audrey, a strict and proper British expat, she insists that Donald’s estranged mother Luanne should be aware of the situation. Knowing that their relationship was tricky at best and non-existent at worst, James convinces his mother to travel to Fayetteville in Arkansas to convince Luanne to come and say goodbye to her son before it’s too late. Oh, yeah: Did we mention Audrey is played by Julie Andrews, and Luanne is played by Ann-Margret? Mothers, indeed. "Our Sons" from 1991

Molotov Cocktail Attack

A third woman died on Sunday after a man threw a Molotov cocktail at the home of two lesbian couples, killing two women in Buenos Aires last week, according to Argentina’s LGBT+ Federation. The attack on Monday, widely seen as a hate crime, shocked many in a nation that considers itself to be a pioneer of gay rights in Latin America. A 62-year-old man threw a Molotov cocktail into a boarding house where the lesbian couples lived, setting it ablaze, officials said. The suspect was arrested and has been hospitalised. One woman died on Tuesday and another on Wednesday, both suffering from burn injuries. “The third victim of the attack died this Sunday at 10 in the morning,” Maria Rachid of the LGBT+ Federation told Agence France-Presse. The fourth woman, who suffered milder injuries, “is recovering and has a good prognosis”, Rachid said. Molotov Cocktail Attack The Mummy I don’t remember where I was when I first watched The Mummy (1999), a movie seemingly made for every teen obsessed with hieroglyphics and checking the sidewalks for stray asps. I might’ve gone to see it at the theater, peering through my hands at the deaths by carnivorous scarab beetles. I might’ve encountered it at a sleepover, doing my best to stay in my sleeping bag as the adrenaline surged. I might’ve just been channel-surfing to find Nick at Nite, only to stumble upon some of the best hair I’d ever seen on film flouncing in the locust-laden wind. Whenever it was, I’m pretty sure I don’t remember the details because I was too busy picking my jaw off the floor at the sight of such hot people searching for treasure in an even hotter desert, too busy pretending like my tiny world wasn’t collapsing in on itself at the speed of a flirty camel race. I might not have known exactly what it was I was feeling, but I at least knew that there was my life before The Mummy, and there was my life after The Mummy, and the latter was a whole lot more compelling in ways I couldn’t quite express. Early on in the film, when curious librarian Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) meets wayward explorer Rick (Brendan Fraser), they immediately share an unmistakable truth: If they don’t mash faces with the other one as soon as possible, they just might die of thirst. She, faced with a wild-eyed man with a mysterious past, instinctively holds her breath when they make eye contact; he, certain he’s about to die, sees one last opportunity to make out with a heartstoppingly beautiful woman. Rick’s a classic Indiana Jones adventure hero type with the snarky grin to match; Evie, a stubborn academic with a simmering love of the exact kind of danger he represents. Both become supercharged with a desperate lust that surprises them equally, a tension that never once lets up throughout the rest of the movie until the titular mummy is vanquished and they can finally act out their clear carnal desires. Looking back at my obsession with The Mummy (and its even more bombastic 2004 sequel The Mummy Returns), its root seems almost too obvious. There I was, teetering on the precipice between childhood and puberty, confronted with the charisma magnets of Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser at the height of his ne’er do well scamp powers. My friends also loved the movie, but when we watched it together, I sat there knowing I was watching it somewhat differently. It just took way longer for me to realize that when I saw that first scene of their characters meeting through the bars of Rick’s prison cell, locking eyes and knowing their lives would never be the same, I was relating extremely hard to them both. They wanted each other so badly, so obviously, that it made me realize — years before I ever said it out loud — how badly I wanted them both, too. The Mummy Trump Against Protections Former President Trump said Friday he would roll back transgender student protections enacted last month by the Biden administration “on day one” of his presidency if he is reelected in November. The Education Department in April unveiled a final set of sweeping changes to Title IX, the federal civil rights law preventing sex discrimination in schools and education programs that receive government funding. The new regulations, which are slated to take effect Aug. 1, cover discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity for the first time. “We’re gonna end it on day one,” Trump said Friday during an appearance on “Kayal and Company,” a conservative talk radio show in Philadelphia. “Don’t forget, that was done as an order from the president. That came down as an executive order. And we’re gonna change it — on day one it’s gonna be changed.” President Biden in a 2021 executive order wrote that “all students should be guaranteed an educational environment free from discrimination on the basis of sex, including discrimination in the form of sexual harassment, which encompasses sexual violence, and including discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.” “For students attending schools and other educational institutions that receive Federal financial assistance, this guarantee is codified, in part, in Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972,” Biden wrote in the executive order, which formally charged the Education Department with overhauling Title IX regulations instituted under Trump. Trump Against Protections Meet John Kenley In the American theatre, there have been a handful of top-billed tastemakers whose work offstage influenced the proliferation of onstage talent. These creatives, often referred to as impresarios, go beyond the usual bounds of producing work, enfolding mentorship and industry shaking ideas to implement their vision, in addition to the financial requirements their position demands. While Florenz Ziegfeld is perhaps the most famous American theatre impresario, thanks to his mythologized Ziegfeld Follies, many others have come and gone across the centuries, moving the artistic needle for future generations even if their names disappeared from the popular imagination. One producer, John Kenley, is now the subject of a new musical A Complicated Woman, running at Goodspeed Musical's Terris Theatre in Chester, Connecticut, through June 2. The musical, composed by Jonathan Brielle, promises to provide Kenley with the recognition he has long deserved. "Mr. Kenley created what Broadway has become," says Jeff Calhoun, the driving force behind A Complicated Woman. The project is the culmination of a multi-decade promise the Tony-nominated director-choreographer made to Kenley while working as a dancer on the eponymous Kenley Circuit. "On his 90th birthday, I asked Mr. Kenley if the rumors were true. And he proceeded to tell me much about his life. The next day I woke up, and there was an unpublished autobiography at the front door of my building. And he asked me to tell his story." Those whispers, that Kenley lived a private life in Florida during the off-season as Jean, were true. Born to Slovakian saloon keepers in post silver boom Denver, Colorado, Kenley was intersex, outside the medical binary of male and female. Kenley's parents raised him as male, and Kenley used the name John in all professional dealings. But behind closed doors with trusted friends, Jean lived a life of secluded comfort. Meet John Kenley Jennifer Hudson Honored Jennifer Hudson was honored at the GLAAD Ally Awards on May 11 for her fair and unbiased media representation of the LGBTQ community in media. The actress-singer had awarded Patti LaBelle 17 years ago in the same category. Hudson was among the other celebrities, including Tyra Banks, Julianne Moore, and Marren Morris, who too were honored with the title on the ceremony night. The Dreamgirls actress gave a heartfelt speech for the audience and her loved ones, calling each one beautiful in their own way. Hudson walked up on the stage to accept the honor, shared praiseworthy words for the audience, and thanked them for welcoming her into the community. The singer said, "You guys make me feel safe, loved my whole life. Welcome. And so, therefore, it is my mission to do the same. It's about using your voice.” She further added, "I remember actually presenting Ms. Patti LaBelle with this very same award; I think it was 17 years ago." Jennifer also mentioned the late Ms. Aretha Franklin as her inspiration, saying that "they've always been advocates for telling me to use your voice. But that goes beyond a song." Jennifer Hudson Honored Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, May 21st, 2024

"Road House" Sequel Is Coming

A sequel to Amazon’s “Road House” movie is in the works with Jake Gyllenhaal reprising his leading role as Dalton. While Amazon is keeping quiet on any other details for now, it still made sure to give the news of the high-profile project it’s due with Amazon MGM Studio chief Jennifer Salke revealing it at the top of its first-ever upfront presentation to advertisers Tuesday. “As we saw this spring the world went crazy for a little movie called ‘Road House,'” Salke said on stage at the Pier 36 venue in New York City. “Nearly 8 million viewers globally have watched ‘Road House.’ We like to watch this these results like a baby.” “Road House” was written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. Joel Silver produced the film, which also stars Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Jessica Williams, Joaquim de Almeida, Conor McGregor and Lukas Gage, among others. Per Amazon MGM Studios, its first “Road House” film “has attracted nearly 80 million worldwide viewers to-date. The film premiered on Prime Video March 21 and attracted a record-breaking over 50 million worldwide viewers over its first two weekends, becoming Amazon MGM Studios’ “most-watched produced film debut ever on a worldwide basis.” "Road House" Sequel Is Coming

Republican Candidate's Comments

Valentina Gomez, a Republican candidate for Missouri secretary of state, stoked outrage with a video in which she ran down a street while wearing a protective vest and said: “In America, you can do anything you want, so don’t be weak and gay. Stay fucking hard.” Jason Kander, a former Democratic Missouri secretary of state and candidate for US Senate, said with sarcasm: “So refreshing to see a female GOP candidate who never served in the military doing the whole veteran cosplay, stolen valour, bigotry as a substitute for strength routine as well as any man.” Observers noted that Gomez’s video was filmed in the Soulard District of St Louis, a historically LGBTQ+ neighbourhood. Gomez’s tweet included the handles for Andrew Tate, a British influencer, and his brother Tristan Tate, a kickboxer, who deny charges of human trafficking, rape and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. Gomez said her video featured music by “the great Lupe Fiasco”. Users pointed to the rapper’s statements against homophobia, including: “You should not use words like ‘faggot’ it’s derogatory and unacceptable … no room for homophobia in hip hop.” On Tuesday, apparently in response to the video, the rapper said: “We are aware and currently taking action.” Republican Candidate's Comments

Lesbian Couple Wins Wedding

Hear ye! Hear yea! In honor of the Netflix and Shondaland romance smash hit Bridgerton’s third season, Netflix decided to gift two lucky fans a royal wedding of a lifetime. That’s pretty typical, as far as television network sponcon and promos go. But the two lucky Bridgerton Superfans who won the wedding of their dreams? They’re a Black lesbian couple, which I think we can all agree, decidedly, is not. Tiffany Rae and Shanti Hinton are high school sweethearts who attended the 2023 Bridgerton Queen’s Ball fan event in New York City, shortly after Netflix reached out and offered them a wedding straight out of the fairy tale books (errrrm, Julia Quinn romance novel/Shondaland imagination factory). As reported by People, “for their big day, which was planned by London-based luxury wedding and events agency, Alice Wilkes Design, Rae and Hinton tied the knot under a canopy of cascading florals and greenery.” And if you’ve ever watched Bridgerton, you already know the vibes are giving opulence. It’s giving fantasy and luxury. They were surrounded by their close family and friends, but the entire event was filmed for a Netflix special to premiere on May 21 — and I have to say, even the trailer is left me in a messy pile of heart flutters, cheek-breaking smiles, and is just overly positively swoon worthy. It appears that as a part of their filmed streaming special, Rae and Hinton got to meet various cast members, including tea with Gold Roshuevel (who’s also a lesbian) and Adjoa Andoh, otherwise known as thee Queen Charlotte and Lady Danbury! I’m sure the whole event had special meaning for Rae and Hinton in particular, who have both felt personal connections to the famed TV series. Lesbian Couple Wins Wedding The Mummy I don’t remember where I was when I first watched The Mummy (1999), a movie seemingly made for every teen obsessed with hieroglyphics and checking the sidewalks for stray asps. I might’ve gone to see it at the theater, peering through my hands at the deaths by carnivorous scarab beetles. I might’ve encountered it at a sleepover, doing my best to stay in my sleeping bag as the adrenaline surged. I might’ve just been channel-surfing to find Nick at Nite, only to stumble upon some of the best hair I’d ever seen on film flouncing in the locust-laden wind. Whenever it was, I’m pretty sure I don’t remember the details because I was too busy picking my jaw off the floor at the sight of such hot people searching for treasure in an even hotter desert, too busy pretending like my tiny world wasn’t collapsing in on itself at the speed of a flirty camel race. I might not have known exactly what it was I was feeling, but I at least knew that there was my life before The Mummy, and there was my life after The Mummy, and the latter was a whole lot more compelling in ways I couldn’t quite express. Early on in the film, when curious librarian Evelyn (Rachel Weisz) meets wayward explorer Rick (Brendan Fraser), they immediately share an unmistakable truth: If they don’t mash faces with the other one as soon as possible, they just might die of thirst. She, faced with a wild-eyed man with a mysterious past, instinctively holds her breath when they make eye contact; he, certain he’s about to die, sees one last opportunity to make out with a heartstoppingly beautiful woman. Rick’s a classic Indiana Jones adventure hero type with the snarky grin to match; Evie, a stubborn academic with a simmering love of the exact kind of danger he represents. Both become supercharged with a desperate lust that surprises them equally, a tension that never once lets up throughout the rest of the movie until the titular mummy is vanquished and they can finally act out their clear carnal desires. Looking back at my obsession with The Mummy (and its even more bombastic 2004 sequel The Mummy Returns), its root seems almost too obvious. There I was, teetering on the precipice between childhood and puberty, confronted with the charisma magnets of Rachel Weisz and Brendan Fraser at the height of his ne’er do well scamp powers. My friends also loved the movie, but when we watched it together, I sat there knowing I was watching it somewhat differently. It just took way longer for me to realize that when I saw that first scene of their characters meeting through the bars of Rick’s prison cell, locking eyes and knowing their lives would never be the same, I was relating extremely hard to them both. They wanted each other so badly, so obviously, that it made me realize — years before I ever said it out loud — how badly I wanted them both, too. The Mummy Insurance Law in Peru Hundreds of protesters in Peru's capital marched on Friday to demand the scrapping of a new law that describes transgender people, among others, as having a mental illness so they can access health benefits. Around 500 demonstrators peacefully walked the streets of downtown Lima, hoisting banners with slogans that read "No more stigmas" and "My identity is not a disease." The law, which was approved administratively last week by the government of President Dina Boluarte, specifies that those who identify as transgender, along with "cross dressers" and "others with gender identity disorders," are considered to be diagnosed with "illnesses" that are eligible for mental health services via both public and private providers. The protesters reached the health ministry offices, but no clashes were reported. "Gender identities are no longer considered pathologies," said activist Gahela Cari Contreras, who accused Boluarte's government of trying to trample on the LGBTQ+ community's rights. "We're not going to let them." Insurance Law in Peru "Slow" Gets Asexuality Cinema, as an audio-visual medium, offers seemingly endless possibilities for representation. Film characters live and breathe on the big screen and their presence can be self-affirming to viewers of underrepresented groups or minorities. But screen depiction relies on visual and aural markers – such as skin colour, voices, and bodies – posing a challenge for the sexual identity defined through lack: asexuality, the so-called "invisible" orientation. An asexual (ace) person does not experience sexual attraction, as defined by The Asexual Visibility and Education Network (AVEN), a resource website and forum for the world’s largest online asexual community. Past studies have suggested that around 1% of the world's population is asexual, but it's difficult to gauge exactly, because of the stigmatisation that still surrounds asexuality and the wide spectrum of inclinations and experiences that can be classified as asexual. Some ace individuals have romantic proclivities, while others are aromantic; some might engage in sexual activity in agreement with their non-asexual partner, while others avoid it altogether. As for asexuality on screen, even if there is no study that has quantitatively looked at its portrayals as yet, it is fair to say that films with asexual characters make up (way) less than 1% of film history. While allosexuality (experiencing sexual attraction) is still an assumed norm, both in cinema and real life, one new film stands out as a pioneering study of intimacy not relying on sexual desire. Slow, the second feature by Lithuanian director Marija Kavtaradzė, premiered at last year's Sundance Film Festival and took home the best director award. In their statement, the jury praised Kavtaradzė for her "expert direction guiding her audiences to discover their own answer to the question: 'What is desire?'" The film focuses on a romantic encounter between two people figuring out how to be together without the glue of sexual attraction. Sex is important for Elena (Greta Grinevičiūtė), a professional dancer who experiences the world through her body and Dovydas (Kęstutis Cicėnas) who is a sign language interpreter, identifies as asexual. "Slow" Gets Asexuality City Manager is Ally Taylour Tedder, whose appointment as the new Rehoboth Beach, Del. city manager has come under fire over his salary and benefits package, is described as a strong and committed LGBTQ community ally by the leader of an LGBTQ rights organization in Boulder City, Nev., where Tedder served as city manager for three years before being hired for that same position in Rehoboth. He is scheduled to begin his new job in Rehoboth on May 15. Brynn DeLorimier, president of Dam Pride, the LGBTQ organization of Boulder City, told the Washington Blade Tedder played a lead role in helping the group successfully lobby the mayor and City Council in what she calls a conservative, Republican-dominated city to approve earlier this year a first-ever proclamation naming June 2024 as Pride Month in Boulder City. “I feel he’s very supportive,” DeLorimier said. “We’re really, really sad to see him go. I have a feeling we won’t find a city manager as progressive and diplomatic as he is,” she said. “So, Rehoboth Beach is really lucky to have him.” Since it voted unanimously on April 8 to hire Tedder as city manager, the seven-member Rehoboth City Commission, which acts as a city council, has come under criticism from some Rehoboth residents for providing Tedder with a contract that includes an annual salary of $250,000, coverage of $50,000 for his moving expenses, and a $750,000 house loan that will be forgiven in full if he remains in his job for seven years. City Manager is Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, May 28th, 2024

Looking Back at a Review

Editor's note: When EDGE critic David Foucher wrote in December, 2005 that "Brokeback Mountain" was the most important gay film in a decade, who knew it would be the only important gay film of the decade? Perhaps that homophobia that kept the film from winning the Best Picture Oscar the following year remains pervasive in Hollywood. The only major gay Hollywood film in recent times was 2022's "Bros," Billy Eichner's clever contemporary rom-com that was a box office dud, despite being a critics' darling. This past year, "Brokeback" director Ang Lee addressed the controversy of his film losing Best Picture to "Crash," despite winning Best Director and Best Script. "Back then, ['Brokeback Mountain'] had a ceiling. We got a lot of support – up to that much," he told Deadline. "It has that feeling. I wasn't holding a grudge or anything. It's just how they were," Lee said of the Academy at the time. He described the moment when Best Picture was announced. "I got my award, which was [second to] last to the big one, and I was walking off the stage, they called me down, and said, stay here.  That's your mark. Everybody assumes you will win, so stay at that mark," Lee said. "Right next to the stage was the curtain. The next was Best Picture. Stay here, just stay here. I saw Jack Nicholson, his profile, he opened the envelope, and I go, 'Oh my god, oh my god.' It took like 10 seconds before he announced, and then he went, 'Crash.'" Review at the link below originally published on December 16, 2005 Looking Back at a Review

No Rangers At Marches

Pride revelers will likely see less — if any — National Park rangers marching in uniform at LGBTQ Pride events across the country this year. The National Park Service is effectively prohibiting uniformed employees from marching in public events that “could be construed as agency support for a particular issue, position, or political party,” according to internal memos and documents shared with NBC News. This effective ban would extend to Pride marches, according to those documents. The memo, which an NPS spokesperson described as a “reminder” of existing guidelines, is a departure from how the agency has traditionally enforced the policy and has caused confusion among staff. The NPS, which oversees the country’s national parks and monuments, has long permitted uniformed rangers to participate in LGBTQ Pride marches, including some of the country’s largest, like those in New York City and San Francisco (where police officers, firemen, military service members and other government employees can often be seen in uniform, too). A ranger for the Stonewall National Monument — which commemorates the site of a historic 1969 uprising that marked a turning point in the gay rights movement — has participated in many Pride events in uniform. The NPS spokesperson confirmed the veracity of three internal documents shared with NBC News — the initial internal memo clarifying the agency’s existing policy, a follow-up Q&A document and an email sent to staff on Monday — but stopped short of confirming that the policy constituted an outright ban. No Rangers At Marches

The Story of "Lesbian Seagull"

“Lesbian Seagull” is a song that has intrigued and entertained listeners for decades. Originally written by Tom Wilson Weinberg and later popularized by Engelbert Humperdinck, the song has a unique backstory tied to scientific discoveries and LGBTQ+ representation. Let’s explore the past, impact, and significance of “Lesbian Seagull,” especially among queer music lovers. The song “Lesbian Seagull” was first written and recorded by influential out gay Australian-born musician Tom Wilson Weinberg in 1979 for his album The Gay Name Game. He was about 34 years old at the time of the album’s release and he had previously performed his original queer-themed songs in coffeehouses and gay pride events during the late 1970s. Weinberg’s song was inspired by a 1977 study that observed monogamous lesbian behavior in 14% of the seagulls on Santa Barbara Island. The song gained further popularity when it was mocked in the 1996 animated MTV film Beavis and Butt-Head Do America. In the film, a hippie educator sings the song with a guitar to help high school students process their emotions. The song’s gentle instrumentation and sensitive lyrics contrast with scenes of rifle-wielding policemen busting down doors while trying to locate the film’s titular anti-heroes. The song ends when police kick down the classroom door, knocking over the educator, who has long-hair, socks with sandals, and a purple shirt bearing a peace symbol. The Story of "Lesbian Seagull" More Women Identify as Bisexual In March, a Gallup poll of 12,000 Americans made the rounds with a startling finding: “More than one in five Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+.” Per Gallup, “If current trends continue, it is likely that the proportion of LGBTQ+ identifiers will exceed 10 per cent of U.S. adults at some point within the next three decades.” It’s easy to look at those numbers and imagine a sea change in human behaviour. If you do not follow these topics closely – if you interpret “LGBTQ+” as 2024-speak for “This is about gay people,” you might come away with the impression that everyone is gay now, or will be in about five minutes. Then you might feel confused. How does one square this with the ubiquity – yes, even in 2024 – of man-woman couples? Bisexuality. For all the culture-wars fascination with the acronym’s T and Q categories – that is, with transgender and non-binary people, not to mention the proliferating subcategories of “queer” – their numbers equate, in the grand scheme of things, to, like, three people. The breakdown is similar in Canada. Instead, the population driving the increase in LGBTQ+ numbers is young bisexual women. In the Gallup poll, 20.7 per cent of Gen Z women ticked “bisexual,” versus a paltry 9 per cent of Millennial women and 2.8 per cent of their Gen X predecessors. (Pity the 0.1 per cent of Silent Generation bisexual women.) Gen Z men are much more bi than their elders, but only 6.9 per cent identify as such. So this is about young bisexual women. Women who, according to Pew Research Center, generally partner with men. More Women Identify as Bisexual Friends and Family Mourn Darri Moore A transgender woman from St. Louis has been identified as the victim whose body was discovered along the Mississippi River. Family and friends of 23-year-old Darri Moore said they are suspicious of the circumstances around her death and that she never would have committed suicide. “She was not by herself. She loved herself too much to walk out on that river,” childhood friend Izzy Baker said. Moore’s body was recovered after police responded to a call from Tower Rock Stone in St. Genevieve, Missouri. Employees working along the water found the body on May 1. Investigators said Moore’s body was so badly decomposed that the autopsy results could not determine the cause of death. A police spokesman said foul play has been ruled out. Detectives are now in need of the public’s help to prevent the case from going cold. Friends and Family Mourn Darri Moore Tana Mongeau is Pansexual Tana Mongeau is opening up about her sexuality in honor of Pride and she just revealed on Twitter that she is "pansexual as hell." The YouTuber expanded on the statement in an Instagram post, which featured multiple Pride-themed images, including a pic with rumored girlfriend, Noah Cyrus, a rainbow rat, and Spongebob, who may have recently joined the LGBTQ+ community. "I never thought I’d be brave enough to publicly share my sexuality in the way I do now...," she wrote, admitting that she has struggled with it in the past, dealing with people saying she's straight, or "discrediting" her relationships with girls. "But I’m proud to be not only a member but an ally of the LGBTQIA+ community and I’m proud to say I will live my life based on loving people not for their gender but their soul," she continued. "Some people call that pansexuality, everyone calls me bi, I personally don’t find a need to label it all. Love and sexuality is gender less to me." Tana Mongeau is Pansexual From Hater to Ally A couple years ago my Unitarian Universalist Reverend spoke about a former Westboro Baptist member, Megan Phelps-Roper. Westboro Baptist if you aren’t aware, protest at LGBTQ funerals. Members wave signs at grieving loved one that slur LGBTQ people and support divine killings: "God Hates the USA/Thank God for 9/11,” “America is Doomed,” “Don’t Pray for the USA,” “Thank God for IEDs,” “Fag Troops,” “Semper Fi Fags,” “God Hates Fags,” “Maryland Taliban,” “Fags Doom Nations,” “Not Blessed Just Cursed,” “Thank God for Dead Soldiers,” “Pope in Hell,” “Priests Rape Boys,” “You’re Going to Hell,” and “God Hates You.””God hates faggots” “Fags doom nations” “Thank God for 9/11” Members protest at travelers disembarking from LGTBQ cruises. This includes parents with kids in tow unprepared for the verbal onslaught. Westboro, also with kids in tow, proudly pass on their hate-disease by enlisting little ones to hold “God Hates Faggots” signs as their kid’s faces shine with confused giddiness. These poor children have no idea why they’re so excited to scream vile phrases at innocent families, except that mom and dad told them that hating “those people” is God’s will. And so, it must be. What I feel about Westboro Baptist can’t be printed. Although I blogged about them for the Huffington Post after the Pulse tragedy in my hometown, “To Westboro Baptist, We Win.” From Hater to Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: KillersMom, CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by KillersMom, CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, Jun 4th, 2024

Gustavo Santaolalla - Lifetime Achievement

On Wednesday, 3rd of July, Santaolalla will present his German Netflix-series Liebes Kind (Dear Child). He will share the stage with Isabel Kleefeld (director / creative producer and showrunner), Renata Salazar Ivancan (editor), Tom Spieß (producer), Christoph Becker (music supervisor) and Juan Luqui (co-composer). On Thursday, 4th of July he will talk with Oscar nominated composer Gary Yershon about his career in music. On Friday, 5th of July he will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award of SoundTrack_Cologne, while some of his scores will be played by the 40-piece Neues Rheinisches Kammerorchester. Working almost 60 years in the music industry, 25 of them dedicated most intensely to composing scores for film, TV and video games, Gustavo Santaolalla has become one of the most highly acclaimed and prolific contemporary South American composers and musicians in the world. For his film work, he received Academy Awards for Best Original Score for Brokeback Mountain (2006) and Babel(2007), as well as a Golden Globe for Best Original Song (A Love That Will Never Grow Old) co-written with Bernie Taupin for Brokeback Mountain. Santaolalla has written music for Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Amores Perros, 21 Grams and Biutiful; Walter Salles’ Motorcycle Diaries and On the Road; Jorge R. Gutiérrez’ The Book of Life; Joseph Vilsmaier’s Nanga Parbat(his first assignment for a German production), among many others. His work for TV series includes compositions for Jane the Virgin, Hell on Wheels, Narcos: México, The House, The Last of Us, Max and the German thriller Liebes Kind (Dear Child). Gustavo Santaolalla - Lifetime Achievement

Conversion Therapy

Rosario Lonegro was only 20 years old when he entered a Catholic seminary in Sicily as an aspiring priest preparing to be ordained. But while he was there he fell in love with another man and his superiors demanded that he undergo conversion therapy intended to erase his sexual preferences if he wanted to continue on the path to the priesthood. “It was the darkest period of my life," he told the BBC, recalling his seminary experience in 2017. Haunted by guilt and fears of committing a sin in the eyes of the Catholic Church, Rosario said he "felt trapped with no choice but to suppress my true self”. “The psychological pressure to be someone I was not was insurmountable. I could not change no matter how hard I tried.” For more than a year, he was compelled to take part in spiritual gatherings outside the seminary, some over several days, where he was subjected to a series of distressing activities intended to strip him of his sexual proclivities. These included being locked in a dark closet, being coerced to strip naked in front of fellow participants, and even being required to enact his own funeral. Conversion Therapy

Happy Lesbians

It was “Xena: Warrior Princess” that first made me wonder about my sexuality. Over six seasons, as Xena’s nebulous relationship with her friend Gabrielle unfolded on my parents’ 32” television, I remember asking myself, “What if I’m a lesbian?” That was a bold question in the 1990s. Where I grew up, in Dorchester, Ont. (population: less than 4,500), there was no discussion of sexuality. Sex-ed class was one half-day, carved out in the home economics semester. I learned more about cooking eggs (which I don’t eat!) than human sexuality — and there was zero mention of homosexuality. So, spurred by the possibilities sparked by “Xena,” I started an epic, lifelong quest to find women like me in pop culture. It wasn’t a particularly fruitful search: anything that hinted at two women being more than friends was hard to find. (Blame a heteronormative world and a Hollywood system controlled by patriarchal ideals of love and desire.) It was, and remains, a travesty that there are so few LGBTQ+ tales on our screens, including multi-faceted stories about lesbians. Only 1.5 per cent of the population identifies as lesbian. We’re like the Sokoke cat of the human world — and finding authentic lesbian representation in pop culture is about as rare as spotting one of those elusive felines. In an average year, there are about 15 to 20 LGBTQ+ films made, according to GLAAD. That’s … kind of shockingly low. Those films must cover a lot of ground. Lesbians typically get a handful of characters (thank you, Cate Blanchett, for being on that list a few times!). It’s no wonder that we often feel like we’re a side plot in someone else’s story. Happy Lesbians Megan Stalter on Bisexual Characters Hacks star Megan Stalter is filled with gratitude, hope and humor. While LGBTQ+ representation onscreen has grown by leaps and bounds since her childhood in Dayton, Ohio, she wishes she'd had more bisexual characters to look up to growing up. “Maybe [if I had], I would've known sooner that I was into women,” she tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue, adding, “We were so starved of queer stories, and I think now we have so much more than we had before.” Stalter, 33, who takes the lead this month as a bisexual musician in the film Cora Bora, had several big moments in the season finale of Max's Hacks, which aired Thursday, May 30, The actress plays Kayla, the clueless yet confident assistant to Jimmy (Paul W. Downs). Kayla successfully set up a meeting for Jimmy with a potential client, a former Disney child star she went to school with, played by guest star Kathryn Newton. When Jimmy realized the performer had been a “bully” to Kayla, he walked out of the meeting, angering Kayla, who believed Jimmy thought she was a “f--- up.” In a raw moment, she shared her frustration with Jimmy's behavior because of what she'd put into the meeting and admitted she often felt underestimated. The two later smoothed things over on a plane before Kayla could escape for Mykonos. Jimmy finally admitted he’d disrespected her accomplishments — including her role in getting Jack Danby (Luke Cook) out of the running for the late-night talk show hosting gig Deborah (Jean Smart) eventually snagged — and promoted her to manager. Megan Stalter on Bisexual Characters Transgender Skier Jay Riccomini One of freestyle skier Jay Riccomini’s priceless life moments came this year in Switzerland, when he was recognized on the podium for a third-place finish in a major global competition. It was a breakthrough performance — and the announcer used his correct pronouns. “I just thought, ‘It took some time to get there. But we did it,’” he said. On July 20, 2021, Riccomini, then 17, announced on social media that he was a gay transgender man who would from then on use the pronouns he and him. “I want the world to know who I am and who I’m meant to be so I can pursue it openly,” he wrote. Now 20, he is on top of the world: In January, he placed third at a World Cup slopestyle competition, an event that features skiers spinning and flipping down a mountain slope filled with rails, bumps and jumps. He also finished third in two other events last season, giving him a third-place finish in the overall slopestyle standings. He was recently promoted to the U.S. Freeski pro team. And he’s being mentioned as an Olympic hopeful for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games. As part of his transition, Riccomini underwent top surgery more than a year ago to create a masculine appearance. But he has decided to put off taking testosterone until his career is over, to stay in compliance with the regulations. He still competes in women’s events, and will continue to do so if he makes the Team USA roster for the Olympics. Transgender Skier Jay Riccomini Having Conversations It's no secret that several states have passed legislation in the last few years restricting the amount of information students can learn when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity, seemingly fearful that these topics are sexualizing children when, in reality, they're part of a crucial component of understanding the diverse world outside of a school building. Many teachers have spoken out against the restrictions, and joining the masses was a non-binary teacher named Desmond Fambrini, who expertly demonstrated why having conversations with students about orientation and gender identity isn't as hard or invasive as others may think. "I'm a non-binary bisexual learning specialist and teacher," Fambrini began in their TikTok video. "These are the conversations that you're very afraid of." Demonstrating the types of questions they most likely get from their students, Fambrini answered things like: "Are you a boy or a girl?" with an honest reply while also ensuring that they were diverting the students back to learning the lessons. "I was born a boy," Fambrini answered, adding that it was a "good question" to further encourage their students to ask more if they needed to. "Why do you wear makeup?" was another hypothetical yet easy question to answer. Fambrini replied that they wore makeup because they enjoyed how it looked on them, which was similar to the reason why other people often wore makeup as well. If a student proceeded to ask if they were allowed to wear makeup, Fambrini gently explained that such a discussion was to be between them and their parents, and as a teacher, they didn't have the authority to give out makeup. Having Conversations Reba McEntire Is An Ally Beloved country artist Reba McEntire is loved by many — and rightfully so, considering her bubbly personality, signature fiery hair, and powerful singing voice. The "Queen of Country" is known for many things, including her stunning style and the fact that she looks nearly unrecognizable without makeup with her skin's age-defying glow. However, it's her charming Southern drawl and soulful music that fans love the most. The country star has used her voice to help people in more ways than one by being an outspoken supporter of LGBTQ+ rights. The Oklahoma native has long supported the LGBTQ+ community as an ally, amassing a fiercely loyal fanbase over the years, including folks from all across the queer spectrum. "You gotta love people for who they are. Accept them, and then go on with life," she said to Pride Source back in 2015. According to McEntire, LGBTQ+ equality and same-sex marriage have remained "very important" issues for the country icon. "I just went to my first gay wedding a couple of months ago in California for Michael and Steven, my two great friends. They've been together for 20 years! I thought that it was not fair, and I didn't understand why they couldn't get married," she added to Pride Source. The "Fancy" singer continues to show solidarity through her work with non-profit organizations geared toward helping the LGBTQ+ community and by taking part in interviews with popular gay publications and websites, such as Out Magazine. Reba McEntire Is An Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, Jun 11th, 2024

It's So Much More

Approaching the 20th anniversary of 2005's Brokeback Mountain, Jake Gyllenhaal recently reflected on a Q&A he and co-star Heath Ledger once attended in LA back when the film was first released. Jake recalled to Vanity Fair how an audience member revealed that he had already watched Brokeback Mountain 11 times in the 10 days since it had been out in cinemas. Eleven. Times. "I remember the wash of that over us," said Gyllenhaal. "The profound realisation of – the profundity of this thing washed over us. It happens constantly to this day, and I can't really express how proud I am of it." Thanks to this man and countless others, Ang Lee's masterpiece – let's not pretend it's anything less than that – grossed more than $177 million worldwide upon release. That number doesn't include DVD sales, and the eight Oscar nominations that followed proved that queer subject matter could resonate with wider audiences beyond usual arthouse fare. Brokeback Mountain broke new ground, and since then, LGBTQ+ representation has increased substantially in multiplexes worldwide, from Love, Simon – Hollywood's first-ever gay rom-com – to Carol, Happiest Season, Bros, Moonlight and Call Me By Your Name, just to name a few. (No, Joe Russo's cameo in Avengers: Endgame doesn't count.) It's So Much More

GOP Candidate Condemns Party Chair

Colorado’s GOP leadership is facing backlash once again — including from inside the party. On this week’s “Colorado Point of View,” GOP congressional candidate Valdamar Archuleta condemns state party Chair Dave Williams after anti-LGBTQ messages were sent to supporters, including a social media post that called for the burning of pride flags. “He has failed the party. His job is to get Republicans elected. This email alone I believe is going to result in the loss of elections for Republicans,” said Archuleta, who is campaigning to unseat longtime U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette in the 1st Congressional District. GOP Candidate Condemns Party Chair

History of Lesbian Fashion

When it comes to lesbians, clothes can really shape our place in the world,” says the fashion historian Eleanor Medhurst. “They can let us be recognised by others in our community, or allow us to be hidden to the world at large.” She takes the example of Christina, Queen of Sweden in the 17th century. While Christina’s sexuality remains ambiguous, there is evidence she felt romantically towards women. Her clothing choices still speak to some lesbians today, Medhurst included, in the way that she toyed with stereotypes. “She would play with gender through her self-presentation,” says Medhurst. “She was often, throughout her life, mixing masculine and feminine clothes,” wearing men’s shoes, shirts and vests, as well as elaborate women’s gowns and skirts. Christina is just one of the subjects of Medhurst’s new book, Unsuitable: A History of Lesbian Fashion, which charts the diversity of clothing worn by women-loving women throughout history – their personal lives often hidden or their romantic relationships dismissed as friendships. The women of the 1920s Parisian lesbian bar Le Monocle, whose styles ranged from tuxedos and ties to dresses and bobs set in finger waves are included. So is the drag king Stormé DeLarverie, who some say threw the first punch at the 1969 Stonewall uprising, and who would often wear tailored suits for performances or leather jackets in her other job as a bouncer. Medhurst delves into the styles of those who were lesbians or who may have identified with today’s LGBTQ+ community, even if such labels didn’t exist in their time. History of Lesbian Fashion Bulk Bronson Comes Out as Bisexual Gay pro wrestler Anthony Bowens blazed a trial for All Elite Wrestlers by coming out back in 2016, and now AEW hotshot Joe Fitzpatrick, AKA "Dirty Bulk" Bronson, is celebrating Pride Month by coming out as bisexual. On June 2, Bronson — who wrestles as one-third of the tag team the Iron Savages — came out by responding to a quote-tweet chain on X (formerly Twitter) with a super cute selfie that already has more than 380,000 views. Bronson posted a smiling selfie and bisexual flag in response to a "you and your flag" quote-tweet chain after his fiancé, pro wrestler Gabby Forza, posted a selfie of her own alongside a pansexual Pride flag. Lucky for Bronson, his candid post was met with an outpouring of love and support from fans. One person commented, "Seeing how many wrestlers are comfortable openly being their authentic selves now is SO fucking cool. Love this for you!!" Someone else wrote, "Happy pride! You are seen and you are amazing!" The AEW Women's Division Blog even posted, "Hell yeah! Happy #PrideMonth!" On June 3, Bronson responded to all the love he's gotten online by posting a series of statements written in Apple's Notes App and posted on X. "The last 24 hours have just been so overwhelming ever since openly admitting that I am bisexual," Bronson wrote. "I've been left speechless by the endless phone calls, texts, DM's, replies from faithful fans, my close friends, our scumbag, and so many others I've had new interactions with. Between the social media response — and just now getting off a 55-minute phone call with my parents that was overflowing with so much love & uplifting support — I could run through a brick wall right now from how grateful I feel." Bulk Bronson Comes Out as Bisexual Assaulted Student Speaks Out A transgender student is speaking out along with their family after allegedly being assaulted while using the bathroom in their Minnetonka, Minnesota, high school. The May 30 incident is being investigated as a possible hate crime, according to local police. Cobalt Sovereign, 17, told ABC News they were using the men's bathroom around 2:30 p.m. local time when a male student started peering over the stall while they were using the facility. Sovereign said the student directed an anti-LGBTQ slur at them, and they said they decided to leave the restroom without finishing because of the other student's alleged hostility. "I asked him what his problem was -- I had never seen him. I didn't do anything to bother him in any way whatsoever. And so I had no idea why he was being not kind to me," said Sovereign. Sovereign uses both they/them and she/her pronouns, identifying as both nonbinary or transgender. In the hallway, Sovereign said they were followed by the student and two others. Out of the blue, they said, one of the students punched Sovereign. Assaulted Student Speaks Out Having Conversations It's no secret that several states have passed legislation in the last few years restricting the amount of information students can learn when it comes to sexual orientation and gender identity, seemingly fearful that these topics are sexualizing children when, in reality, they're part of a crucial component of understanding the diverse world outside of a school building. Many teachers have spoken out against the restrictions, and joining the masses was a non-binary teacher named Desmond Fambrini, who expertly demonstrated why having conversations with students about orientation and gender identity isn't as hard or invasive as others may think. "I'm a non-binary bisexual learning specialist and teacher," Fambrini began in their TikTok video. "These are the conversations that you're very afraid of." Demonstrating the types of questions they most likely get from their students, Fambrini answered things like: "Are you a boy or a girl?" with an honest reply while also ensuring that they were diverting the students back to learning the lessons. "I was born a boy," Fambrini answered, adding that it was a "good question" to further encourage their students to ask more if they needed to. "Why do you wear makeup?" was another hypothetical yet easy question to answer. Fambrini replied that they wore makeup because they enjoyed how it looked on them, which was similar to the reason why other people often wore makeup as well. If a student proceeded to ask if they were allowed to wear makeup, Fambrini gently explained that such a discussion was to be between them and their parents, and as a teacher, they didn't have the authority to give out makeup. Having Conversations Adele Is An Ally Adele might be well known for writing sad, emotive heartbreak anthems for the straight masses, but she’s also adored by queer people everywhere. The English singer-songwriter has won acclaim from critics, but as we all know, it’s the opinion of the gays that really matters – and the general consensus is very much in her favour following the release of her new single “Easy On Me”. The emotionally crushing anthem sees Adele directly address her son Angelo, asking him to go easy on her over her decision to divorce his father. The music video is a dramatic, cinematic follow-on from her 2015 song “Hello”. Immediately after Adele dropped her new single, swarms of queer people rushed to social media to share their thoughts – and to say they were blown away would be an understatement. Gay Twitter immediately proclaimed that Adele exists “for the glam girls and gays”, while others praised it as “a bottom anthem”. “Easy On Me” might have brought a new legion of gays to the icon that is Adele, but her LGBT+ fanbase has stuck firmly by her side for years. Why? Well, she’s a legend, an earth-shatteringly brilliant vocalist, hilarious – and all of those things have combined to make her a gay icon for sad queer people. Adele Is An Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, June 18th, 2024

Best LGBTQ Movies

It's that time of year: Pride Month, which means it's time to celebrate. As always, it's a great time to march, party, and be marketed to. But it's also an opportunity to learn your queer history, and a self-curated LGBTQ film festival is a great way to do that. Let us help. LGBTQ-centered films are still pretty rare—particularly from major studios, as the buzz around 2022's Bros revealed. But queer characters have come a long way in a relatively short time, from the self-loathing middle-aged men of the 1970s in The Boys in the Band to the headstrong misfits of Fire Island to the love-torn teens in Love, Simon. Queer cinema has evolved, too, from the shoestring brilliance of The Watermelon Woman to the big-budget glitter-fest that is Rocketman. While gay characters tended (until much too recently) to be one-dimensional, white, marginal, and doomed, in 2018 Barry Jenkins won an Oscar by telling the layered and hopeful story of a gay Black man in Moonlight. Since then, even more intersectional films about the queer experience have emerged. If you're looking for something new to watch this month, let this list be your guide. After all, Pride—real pride—requires self-knowledge, and one of the easiest ways to do that is through art. Representation matters, and these films provide a variety of archetypes, stories, and styles for you to lose and/or find yourself in. Borrow a streaming-service password from family—however you define it!—and enjoy. Best LGBTQ Movies

War Vet Comes Out in Obituary

An Army veteran, firefighter and New York radio station founder says he'll "forever Rest in Peace" after revealing a lifelong "secret." In a message included in Col. Edward Thomas Ryan's obituary, he said, "I was Gay all my life." The obituary states that Ryan, who lived in Albany, New York, was a retired fireman, the owner and founder of radio station WHRL-FM, and a highly decorated veteran of the U.S. military. Along with receiving the National Defense Service Medal, the obituary says that he received a Defense of Liberty Medal for his assistance in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack, a Conspicuous Service Medal for "keeping with the highest traditions of the Military Service," and a Commanders Citation for "Service Above and Beyond the Call." Ryan, who had a business degree, was also a member of the Vietnam Veterans of America and served on the Vietnam Veterans/Agent Orange Committee for the American Legion. According to the Albany Times Union, Ryan was 85 when he died on June 1. His family told the Times Union that he served in Vietnam while he was in the Army, but they weren't sure of his years or ranks. At the bottom of his service and funeral details, Ryan provided his own message, saying, "I must tell you one more thing." War Vet Comes Out in Obituary

A Lesbian Renaissance

Chappell Roan dominated New York’s Gov Ball earlier this month, becoming easily the most talked about performer at the music festival. The 26-year-old singer belted her lesbian anthems to hundreds of thousands of fans who came out to watch her set. It was a moment that solidified her status as pop’s new girl of the moment – something she has achieved thanks to her raunchy, camp aesthetic and undeniably gay music. But Roan’s not the only one – looking around pop culture right now, it seems we have found ourselves in a sapphic renaissance. On the big screen, films like Bottoms and Drive-Away Dolls put a refreshingly lesbian spin on the straight male-oriented teen sex comedy, while Kristen Stewart’s Love Lies Bleeding centred around a queer relationship. Women’s sports have never been more popular, throwing a spotlight on the many openly queer athletes in their ranks, while the opening of London lesbian bar La Camionera earlier this year went viral after hundreds of women flocked to the small venue. Billie Eilish, one of the biggest pop stars in the world, just released a song about eating a girl out. She first teased the single at Coachella, where bisexual Dazed cover star Victoria Monét used her mic to mimic a strap-on, and Reneé Rapp brought out the cast of The L Word before performing in front of a pair of giant scissors as her fans screamed out the lyrics, “Can a gay girl get an ‘amen’?” “The word sapphic is on everyone’s lips, the word dyke is on everyone’s lips… the floodgates have opened,” says Amy Spalding, a cast member of the BBC’s WLW reality dating show I Kissed a Girl – the ratings for which have been significantly higher than its all-male predecessor, according to executive producer Dan Gray. “It’s no surprise that as soon as we got fed one tiny thing, we were like we’re not settling for just one, we’re getting it all. There’s a tidal wave coming and hit me with it, baby – I’m ready for this sapphic wave.” A Lesbian Renaissance Is Benedict Gay or Bisexual? Bridgerton fans have long wondered if Benedict is gay or bisexual and season 3 has left viewers with even more questions. Ever since Benedict Bridgerton befriended Sir Henry Granville in season 1, there have been theories that he is queer. While Benedict doesn't have any same-sex sexual relationships in the first two seasons of the show, he does witness two men having sex with each other at one of Granville's private parties and appears to show some interest in it. In Bridgerton season 3, Benedict meets a brand new character named Paul Suarez leading to more speculation about his sexuality. Is Benedict gay or bisexual though? Here's a break down of what happens in season 3, who Benedict ends up with in the Bridgerton books and what Luke Thompson has said about how his character identifies. In Bridgerton season 3, Benedict begins having a no strings attached sexual relationship with Lady Tilley Arnold. As the show progresses, Tilley introduces Benedict to her other lover: Paul Suarez. Benedict and Paul instantly hit it off. During a private chat, sparks fly and Paul and Tilley then invite Benedict to have a threesome with them. Benedict initially says no. However, later on, Benedict and Tilley have a separate conversation where Tilley asks Benedict if he's ever been interested in men. Benedict then says: "I have known men like Mr. Suarez but I myself have never been tempted before." Tilley then tells him: "A feeling between two people whatever their sex is the most natural thing in the world." Is Benedict Gay or Bisexual? Lynn Conway Dies at 86 Lynn Conway, a pioneer in the design of microchips that are at the heart of consumer electronics who overcame discrimination as a transgender person, has died at age 86. Her June 9 death was announced by the University of Michigan, where Conway was on the engineering faculty until she retired in 1998. “She overcame so much, but she didn’t spend her life being angry about the past,” said Valeria Bertacco, computer science professor and U-M vice provost. “She was always focused on the next innovation.” Conway is credited with developing a simpler method for designing microchips in the 1970s, along with Carver Mead of the California Institute of Technology, the university said. “Chips used to be designed by drawing them with paper and pencil like an architect’s blueprints in the pre-digital era,” Bertacco said. “Conway’s work developed algorithms that enabled our field to use software to arrange millions, and later billions, of transistors on a chip.” Conway joined IBM in 1964 after graduating with two degrees from Columbia University. But IBM fired her after she disclosed in 1968 that she was undergoing a gender transition. The company apologized in 2020 — more than 50 years later — and awarded her a lifetime achievement award for her work. Lynn Conway Dies at 86 The Genderqueer Flag Shades of Gay is Brig Arts pride month celebration of queer culture, with two articles each week focusing on queer poetry, writing, reviews and artists. In 2011, genderqueer musician and campaigner Marilyn Roxie designed and finalised the genderqueer flag. It’s not the newest ‘pride’ flag, and it’s not the oldest either. It was designed because Roxie, like many of us, needed a symbol – needing to see yourself represented is a very basic human drive and something that comes up frequently in discussions of media and community. Roxie clarifies this on their website, GenderQueerID.com: “When I created the flag, I was in a very dark time in my life. I really wanted to die because I thought it was impossible to be happy with my body, the way other people saw me, and how I saw myself. I created this flag in part after more clearly realizing my identity and needing to have something in my life that could serve as a symbol of pride for myself, and for others who might identify like me. There are so many myths about genderqueerness and a general lack of knowledge that I thought that making a symbol of awareness would be beneficial for anyone who wanted to use it, as a signpost that would say: ‘yes! I am not alone.’” As a genderqueer person myself, I relate strongly to this sentiment. I spent a long time thinking of myself as ‘bent’ (I was a teenager in the 2000s, our vocab wasn’t great back then) and carrying around a lot of self-hate and disgust about my body. This went into overdrive when I started to gain weight (I had previously been skinny, with no curves to speak of) and my body became way less androgynous. The Genderqueer Flag Apology For Attack on Dolly Freelance writer Ericka Andersen, who self identifies as a Christian mom and Bible study leader, in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment apologized for her attacking Country Icon, singer-songwriter Dolly Parton over her allyship and advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community. Indianapolis-based Andersen told Yahoo Entertainment on Saturday that the widespread backlash made her realize she shouldn’t have used Parton to press her argument. “I regret using Dolly as the example for the point I was making in the article,” she said. “As I wrote in the piece, I love her and think she does some incredible things for the world. We all make poor choices in how to frame things sometimes. This was one of those moments for me! Dolly is one of the few people who is beloved by all and who loves all. The world is lucky to have her.” In a piece for the far-right extremist magazine The Federalist, Andersen had written: “In a world where division is the default, she collects fans of every political stripe, refusing to denigrate anyone, and regularly proclaims, “I love everybody,” when asked how she does it. This response is usually seen as a nod toward the LGBT alliance during interviews with media folks forever fixated on this particular group.” Apology For Attack on Dolly Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet

[CellarDweller115]

Tuesday, Jun 25th, 2024

A Force In Movies

At just 20-years-old, Heath Ledger rose to fame as the world’s newest heartthrob after he starred as Patrick Verona in 10 Things I Hate About You in 1999. He quickly got pegged as the pretty boy from this role, where he portrayed the love interest of Julia Stiles‘ character. It was a solid start, but Ledger booked plenty of other major roles after this film. Unfortunately, just as Ledger was at the height of his fame, he tragically died from an accidental drug overdose in 2008. Before then, though, the actor touched many lives around him, and co-stars and friends alike shared their heartbreak upon hearing the news. In the early 2000s, after his role in 10 Things I Hate About You, Ledger’s fame only continued to flourish. He continuously booked lead roles back-to-back and starred in a few very popular movies, among them Brokeback Mountain (2005) and The Dark Knight (2008), which solidified the star’s astounding career. The actor, born April 4, 1979 in Perth, Western Australia, got his start in acting early on when he had to choose between a cooking or drama elective in junior high. Naturally, Ledger chose the latter, which led to his major TV and film career. His first role was a minor one in the Australian children’s TV series Ship to Shore (1994), but he was only in three episodes. A Force In Movies

Gay Panic Defense

The state Senate in Michigan passed a bill Thursday that would ban “gay panic” and “trans panic” defenses from being used in court. The legislation, House Bill 4718, prohibits the legal defense that would partially or completely excuse a person’s crimes, like murder and assault, on the grounds that the victim’s sexual orientation or gender were to blame, the Michigan Advance first reported. The bill passed 24-14 with four Republican senators joining all Democrats in favor of the legislation. The House advanced the bill to the upper chamber last October in a State Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D), who introduced the bill in the House last year, said during a committee hearing that the defense was used as a way to assert that crimes against the LGBTQ community “carry less weight because we are inherently less human and therefore less valuable,” the outlet reported. The legislation notes that “evidence of the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of an individual’s actual or perceived sex, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation” is not admissible to demonstrate “reasonable provocation” or to show that an act was committed in the “heat of passion.” More than a decade ago, the American Bar Associated told federal and local governments to ban legal defenses that attempt to excuse crimes based on the grounds that a person’s sexual orientation or gender identify “is to blame for the defendant’s violent reaction.” Gay Panic Defense

Murder Case Finally Solved

A lesbian couple’s shocking double murder has finally been solved. On Thursday, the FBI revealed that one of the nation’s most infamous serial rapists was the killer in the case of Julianne Williams and her partner, Laura Winans. The couple were found in 1996 with their hands bound and their throats slit inside Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. Both women had been raped. Investigators said that convicted rapist Walter “Leo” Jackson had tracked and ambushed the women, bound their hands with duct tape, and sexually assaulted them before slashing their throats and hiding their bodies. Jackson died in 2018 in an Ohio prison where he was serving concurrent prison terms for kidnappings, rapes, and assaults. The brutality of the couple’s murders indicated to FBI investigators at the time that the killings were a hate crime. News of the grisly murders had hikers canceling their trips to the park, with LGBTQ+ people in particular fearing for their lives. Investigators chased down hundreds of tips that led nowhere. The case was closed and left unsolved a year later. Murder Case Finally Solved Bisexual Discrimination Last year, at age 39, I sat in a room full of other bi people for the first time. For most of us, this space organized by the nonprofit Still Bisexual offered us a rare sense of belonging. We all understood the unique ways we have had to code switch to survive in a society not intended for us—a society built on binaries that demands that we fit into one of two molds that never quite feels right. Bi+ people are the invisible majority, making up approximately 60 percent of the LGBTQ community. Our invisibility isn't an accident. Our legal, political, and philanthropic systems work in tandem to reinforce the prevailing view of sexual identity as binary. This prevailing view has remained largely unchallenged by progressives even while they advocate for advancements in civil rights. Progressives have been pushing against the moral majority for generations, with LGBTQ advocates often risking their lives for change. The movement has won protection against employment discrimination, a repeal of "Don't Ask Don't Tell," and the right to marry. I am heartened by this progress. However, when I protested California's ban on same sex marriage 15 years ago, I never thought bi+ people would continue to be left out of many of the wins for the broader LGBTQ community. Take the landmark case Bostock v. Clayton County. The U.S. Supreme Court failed to name bi+ people, finding that an employer who fires an individual merely for being "gay or transgender" violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bi+ people were never once mentioned in Justice Neil Gorsuch's majority opinion, nor in the plaintiff's briefs. Bisexual Discrimination Victory in Japanese Court The Supreme Court on Friday recognized a transgender woman as the father of a child she had with her female partner using sperm frozen prior to her transition. It was the first-ever decision by the country's top court on whether to recognize a parent-child relationship in a case in which a biological father had a child after transitioning to a woman. Friday's ruling by the top court's Second Petty Bench, which was supported by all four justices, means that the child will be guaranteed the right of inheritance from the transgender woman and the right to claim child support from her. Presiding Justice Akira Ojima said that not recognizing a parent-child relationship in the case would go against the child's interest. The previous ruling by the Tokyo High Court had denied a father-child relationship. The petty bench said whether or not there is a parent-child relationship is deeply connected to a child's welfare. Such a relationship not being recognized due to a parent changing gender clearly interferes with a child's welfare and interests, it said. Victory in Japanese Court Two-Spirit and Intersex People She, her, he and him are the typical pronouns we hear everyday to reference someone's gender. But what if you don’t feel like those fit who you are? Or what if you’re born with characteristics of both? “I am not the typical female, not the typical male,” said Delia Sosa, a medical student at The University of Cincinnati. “I just fall somewhere between.” “My son, sometimes he calls me mom, sometimes he calls me dad,” said India “Indalo” Holley, a resident of Dayton. Sosa and Holley are two very different people, from different cultures, and cities in Ohio, but who both use they/them pronouns as “they” is considered gender-neutral. “They/them fits me more because that embodies my whole authenticity,” Holley said. “It's a combination of masculine and feminine.” Assigned female at birth, Holley was adopted and raised by Native American parents. They’re what’s known as "two-spirit,” a term used in Native American culture to define someone who isn’t male or female, but embodies both masculine and feminine souls. Two-Spirit and Intersex People Marlon Wayans Is An Ally Marlon Wayans wants the world to know he's 100% an LGBTQ+ ally, and he's not backing down. The actor and comedian's resume spans over 35 years, including the WB sitcom The Wayans Bros., Don't Be a Menace, Scary Movie, and White Chicks—all projects he notably worked on with his brother, Shawn Wayans. But, during this Pride Month, Marlon let it be known that he's proud to hold other titles besides comedian and entertainer — father and LGBTQ+ ally. Marlon is the father of three children, and last week, he posted an Instagram tribute to his eldest, Kai, who identifies as gender nonbinary. In the post, Marlon wished a "Happy PRIDE" for Kai and all his friends, fans, and family, but the post received some backlash. The backlash didn't faze Marlon, who took the hate as an opportunity to double-down, triple-down, and drive home the fact that he had nothing but love and support for LGBTQ+ people. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Marlon explained his reason for the series of pride-theme photos and his decision to challenge the backlash. "What kind of toxic world do we live in where supporting people's fight for equality or nonjudgment or happiness is met with so much animosity?" Marlon asked. "What is wrong with our world?" Marlon Wayans Is An Ally Your Laugh For The Day! Contributors: CellarDweller115 The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at http://www.ultimatebrokebackforum.com. Today's edition by CellarDweller115 Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning, MissYouSoMuch, gnash We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day. If you have items you’d like to see published, send them to CellarDweller115. To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page. When a new issue of TDS is posted, you will be notified by e-mail. The Daily Sheet Archives Respond to The Daily Sheet