How the first time I ever saw LGBTQ people on screen made me fear Pam Grier

The first LGBTQ characters I remember seeing on screen are the lesbians who fought Pam Grier in Foxy Brown. But it had an opposite effect on me than the one the makers of the movie probably desired.

I'm going to divert a little from the usual fare in order to tell an interesting story about LGBTQ images. I hope folks reading this will give their comments in the section below.

On Twitter today, a question was raised which had me chasing memories. It was:

Finish this sentence: The first time I remember seeing a queer person on screen was ______.

— The Most (@Most) February 1, 2021

Ironically, as much as I write about LGBTQ issues, I could not remember the answer to this question. I remember seeing that Harry Hamlin movie, Making Love, in 1983 on network television courtesy of a channel in another state my T.V. could catch because my local station wouldn't show it.

I remember seeing a strange CBS movie, Welcome Home, Bobby in 1986 about a guy who may or may not have been gay.

And I remember seeing Revenge of the Nerds on VHS in the same year, which is extremely ironic because a little under a decade later, my college life mimicked that of the black gay character in the movie - i.e. being a semi-closeted black gay male in a predominantly white fraternity.

Then it came to me. 

 

The first time I remember seeing a queer/LGBTQ person on screen was in the first movie I ever saw on screen - Foxy Brown starring Pam Grier. To the uninitiated, Grier was the queen of blaxploitation, which itself was a genre featuring generally low-budget action movies in the 1970s starring black characters. They were also very controversial.  This particular movie, Foxy Brown, was one I saw at a drive-in with my uncle, aunt, and cousin when I was a little boy. In it, Grier was fighting a crime cartel in her neighborhood. The scene below was her attempting to rescue a prostitute from a lesbian bar:

 

 One would think that this scene created a negative view of LGBTQ people in me. Actually, it was the opposite view. Being a small child, I didn't understand the dialogue, but it disturbed me tremendously how Grier caused a huge brawl. To my young mind,  Grier went into the bar and began beating the hell out of the women who were simply minding their own business. Subsequently for a number of years - at least until college when I saw the movie again - I always had a fear of Pam Grier.. I saw her as the "big black lady with the afro who came to parties and fucked people up." I even imagined her using razor blades on folks (which she did not in this movie).

Maybe my experience proves how young people are simply too hip to fall for the junk that adults traffic to get us to fear each other. Or maybe, there was a small part of my mind which was aware of my LGBTQ sexual orientation, even at that young age, to recognize this silly attempt to demonize a bar full of lesbians.

Who knows? Regardless, I encourage and appreciate your comments about the first time you saw a queer/LGBTQ character on the screen.

'SC lawmaker in trouble after anti-LGBTQ & anti-abortion rant on Senate floor' & other Mon midday news briefs

 

Lawmaker claims that America is in “rebellion against God” in anti-LGBTQ & anti-abortion rant - Batten down the hatches, South Carolina. But in all honesty, this sort of talk is getting SO old.

Alabama's trans ID law requiring proof of surgery is unconstitutional, court rules - And we win again.

Penn. Democrat plans to defy Republican-backed law banning his weed and LGBTQ rights flags - Keep your eye on this guy. He is a future star.

Chipotle to Papa John's: 60 Corps That Improved LGBTQ Policies in 2020 - Not just "need-to-know" information but also "good-to-know."

Fox News rigging the debate on transgender issues by lying about Biden's executive order

We all know that the anti-LGBTQ industry is targeting the transgender community in an attempt to undermine President Biden's general push for LGBTQ rights. But we should as adept in knowing about the no-so secret weapon in its attack - Fox News. There is justifiable focus on distortions and lies propagated against the trans community as well as the groups pushing those lies, such as the Alliance Defending Freedom and the Family Research Council. But equally important is spotlighting how Fox News is helping to spread these lies under the guise of "objective news coverage."

According to Media Matters:

On January 20, President Joe Biden signed an executive order telling federal agencies to protect LGBTQ Americans from discrimination in numerous areas of public life, such as housing, health care, employment, public accommodations, and education. Despite the order’s myriad protections, over the following week, Fox News aired 19 segments -- totaling 51 minutes -- that miscategorized the order as a move that would destroy women’s sports; only one of those segments even alluded to its nondiscrimination protections. 

 . . . From January 20 through 27, Fox News aired at least 19 original segments that mentioned the executive order, amounting to a total of 51 minutes. In every segment, Fox hosts and guests misleadingly framed it as focused on trans athletes, falsely claiming it would allow boys to play in girls sports and that it would destroy women’s sports. The Fox personalities also repeatedly misgendered trans athletes as “biological males.” 

 In fact, only one segment of the 19 alluded to the broader nondiscrimination protections covered by the executive order. In that segment, anchor Sandra Smith asked, “President Biden signed an executive order aimed at eliminating discrimination based on gender identity, but instead of leveling the playing field, could this move threaten the future and fairness of girls sports?” 

 In some of the mentions, Fox framed the executive order around locker rooms and bathrooms in addition to athletics; right-wing media have long and falsely suggested allowing trans people to use the restroom would pose a threat to women’s safety and privacy. 

 And what's worse, according to Media Matters, not only did Fox News distort Biden's executive order, but the guests invited on its network shows to discuss the issue were others who did the same. 

 Notably, nine of the 19 segments were on Fox’s so-called “news” side programs (as opposed to opinion shows), and every single one of the guests or commentators who discussed the executive order held either right-leaning or anti-trans views. These included Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), Beth Stelzer of anti-trans group Save Women’s Sports, and The Federalist’s Ben Domenech.

In other words, Fox News not only demonized trans Americans when talking about Biden's executive order, but also rigged the debate in general by inviting only the opponents of trans right to comment.

The report by Media Matters makes for good reading and studying if we are to call out the anti-LGBTQ industry's latest moral panic before it grows the teeth to bite us. The report underscores how the media's depiction of the debate over trans issues needs a huge overhaul with a bit more focus on trans Americans themselves and genuine medical experts who deal with their issues. It would definitely be an improvement over fake analysts,  phony experts, and the news personalities who enable them with fear stories and lies appealing to basic prejudices and ignorance.

''TERFs' furious at President Biden for supporting the transgender community' & other Fri midday news briefs

 

President Biden

Anti-trans feminists are canceling Biden for signing an order that reverses Trump's definition of gender as 'biological sex' - Sorry for anyone who may get offended, but I despise TERFs. A bunch of women spreading nonsense no different than racists spreading junk about black man raping white women. "We just want our own spaces as women" sounds like "we just want our own spaces as white people" to me. Yeah. I said it. What?! 

GLAAD Media Awards: Netflix leads list of nominations - HUGE congratulations to all of the GLAAD media award nominees, particularly to the nominees for Outstanding Blog. 

Biden's rejection of Trump's trans military ban is the beginning, not the end, for LGBTQ rights - Preach!!

This gay high school swimmer has mom coaching him every step of the way - THIS is how you support your LGBTQ child.

Did Charlize Theron portray the first LGBTQ action hero in 'Atomic Blonde?'

Editor's note - Trump may be gone (thank God), but the policy established by this blog to every now and then focus on light LGBTQ issues in order to de-stress ourselves will continue.

Openly gay actor  Wentworth Miller made a comment in a recent article which got me thinking. To summarize, he was tired of gay roles which are defined by struggles and sadness. He wanted more roles which put LGBTQ people in a position of power and authority. And I agreed with him. I have long wanted to motion picture featuring a gay black man as an androgynous action hero who saves the world while beating the hell out of bad guys.  To tell the truth, I would settle for seeing any LGBTQ action hero doing all of that. I thought I had never seen that portrayal before.

It turns out that I was wrong. I had seen the character before. And so had a lot of America. In 2017, Academy Award-winning actress Charlize Theron starred in the hit motion picture Atomic Blonde. In the movie, she portrays undercover agent, Lorraine Broughton, trying to retrieve a missing list of double agents. Check out the trailer:

 

'Wave of anti-LGBTQ bills targeting healthcare of trans youths emerge from the states' & other Thur midday news briefs

As Biden backs transgender rights, a wave of anti-LGBTQ bills emerges from states across US - And the bills are targeting the healthcare of trans youths. You know this mess was planned. I cringe what our kids must be feeling during this fight. We have to let them know that they are worthy and loved.

Here's how right-wing media will lie about the Equality Act - And they got them lined up already.

Half of U.S. states get failing grade on LGBTQ protections, advocacy group says - Definitely more work to do. 

CSI student goes viral for video addressing professor who refused to use their correct pronouns - Alright now. 'Handle your business!'

Pray with the anti-LGBTQ religious right? You must be out of your mind.

 

I got this form email from Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council: 

 If you are following the record number of executive orders that the Biden administration has issued during their first week in office, then you know how important it is that we pray and stand. The measures range from canceling the Keystone pipeline and shutting down oil production to imposing trangenderism upon our military and America's schools. 

 Tonight we will pray for our nation -- specifically, for the men and women who serve in our nation's military and their families who will be impacted by the executive orders aimed at using the military to advance a radical social agenda. We will also pray for our nation's media, that any deceit designed to misguide the American people will be exposed and new sources of information that will speak the truth will be elevated in this critical time. Please join me  . . . along with Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Jerry Boykin and former pastor and congressman Mark Walker, at  . . .  s we seek to hear and obey the voice of God and walk in His ways. He is our only hope!

 

God forbid Perkins prays for honesty, understanding, and little bit more kindness in the world. His prayers fall strictly in the political realm.

This is the same Tony Perkins who lied last night about how Biden canceling the Keystone Pipeline is costing ten of thousands of jobs while trying to pass off a junk science report he had a hand in creating as legitimate work from the Department of Defense.

The same Tony Perkins who signed a letter not that long ago spreading the lie that Biden's electoral win was fraud. 

The same Tony Perkins who called LGBTQ people pawns of the devil and leads an organization whose mission is to make our lives miserable at every turn.

When he says God is our only hope, just who is he talking about?

Chyle please. I wouldn't bother to  squint my eyes around Perkins and his ilk or even stoop to pray around them. Not even a little bit.