Sylvia Rivera - The Stonewall Riots and Beyond

Here is a link to a news article discussing Sylvia Rivera, an activist for the gay and transgender rights movements. She was present during the Stonewall riots and continued on to become a powerful voice for these movements, and the influence of her activism is still felt today. Her important role is often not discussed, though her own erasure represents exactly what she fought against during her life.

There is a link in this article to a video (here) of Rivera giving a moving speech to a crowd of gay rights protesters in 1973.

Moonlight's Representation of Intersectionality

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to share this interview I found of Barry Jenkins, director of Moonlight, which recently won the Oscar for Best Film. After watching the film (which I highly recommend!), I came away thinking about our discussions of identity formation. This film is an incredible intersectional depiction of a young black man discovering his sexual identity while trying to survive in a community dependent on often violent displays of masculinity. Jenkins, who states this is not just a 'gay film,' makes the point in this interview to focus on the individual character of Chrion, which is based on the semi-autobiographically play by Tarell McCraney. In this way, Jenkins gives light to a specific experience, and demonstrates the importance of understanding individual stories.

Link: http://themuse.jezebel.com/a-conversation-with-director-barry-jenkins-about-his-as-1787971445

Proposed GOP Healthcare Plan Will Harm Gay Men

http://time.com/money/4693379/healthcare-hiv-prep/

The bill that may replace the ACA will no longer fund money towards medication like PrEP, which is a preventive pill that greatly prevents HIV acquisition. Gay men especially depend on PrEP, so this proposed legislation will greater harm a demographic already at risk. Hopefully the ACA remains in tact...

"How One Movie Changed LGBT History"

To Piggyback off of Abby's post about the first outwardly gay disney character, I decided to do a little digging on US lesbian and gay film history. I came across this article about the film The Boys in The Band (1970), which was one of the first US films centered around gay protagonists. The film takes place in New York (very relevant to our recent discussion). I was particularly interested in how the film was received. Gay audiences seemed to be hesitant, as it apparently portrays negative stereotypes about gay people. On the other hand, the film "was still a turning point, not least for suggesting that homophobic oppression, rather than some sort of innate pathology, is responsible for making gay men so miserable" and ultimately condemns the consequences of the closet. I was curious on how the film was received by the rest of society, and where the film was shown!

The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness

A friend sent Eliana and me this article and I found it really powerful. 

It looks both statistically and through a number of personal accounts about the struggles, particularly with loneliness, that gay men encounter after they come out of the closet. 

I found it especially relevant in relation to what we have read about the formation of gay communities. In the past few classes, we have discussed the creation of liberation groups and necessity for unity. Interestingly, this article argues that the gay communities can often be the source depression and lack of self-confidence for many gay men. 

The article is quite long but well worth the read. 

Prop 8 - The Musical

After watching all of the prop 8 videos this video was recommended for me. It talks a little bit about religion and Prop 8, featuring a bunch of celebrities. Video here.

Comparing civil rights movements

Hey everybody, since today we were talking about what is similar/useful about comparing Gay liberation to the Black Civil Rights movement, I wanted to find an article by an author who believed the two movements should not be compared. This author articulates some of the reasons I'm not comfortable comparing the two movements.


Also, just on a random note-the author I was referencing in class today was Nora Zeale Hurston!

https://m.townhall.com/columnists/michaelbrown/2013/09/27/comparing-black-civil-rights-to-gay-civil-rights-n1710528