Holy Bullies and Headless Monsters

Friday, September 03, 2010

Know Your LGBT History - Suddenly Last Summer

An infamous Tennessee Williams play (1958) made into an infamous movie (1959) starring Elizabeth Taylor and Katherine Hepburn.

And I never in a million years understand a part of it. The plot centers around a psychiatrist investigating why a wealthy New Orleans woman wants her niece lobotomized.

Apparently it has to due with the death of the woman's son, a man named Sebastian. He died mysteriously on a trip with the niece. So what does it have to do with the lgbt community? Read on if you want me to spoil it for you.

Apparently Sebastian (who is never seen, even in the flashbacks) had his cousin accompany him his usual trip to Spain because he was using her to attract the impoverished young men there. Before her, he was using his mother but she had gotten too old.

On the trip in question, the young men whom he was exploiting gathered together and took a nasty vengeance on him. They (wait for it) ate him.

And to this day, I will never understand that plot twist.

The movie itself was a hit, garnering Oscar nominations for both Taylor and Hepburn. According to the Internet Movie Database:

Screenwriter Gore Vidal credits film critic Bosley Crowther with the success of this film. Crowther wrote a scathing review denouncing the film as the work of degenerates obsessed with rape, incest, homosexuality, and cannibalism among other qualities. Vidal believes advertising such salacious detail made audiences flock in droves to the film.

And here is another bit of trivia for you. While the gay man in the center of movie was never seen or heard, one of the cast members was the legendary actor Montgomery Clift, whose inability to deal with his own homosexuality helped lead to his death.

Two years before, an awful car accident had damaged his face and psyche. He was heavily into drugs at the time and it caused problems on the set for a number of reasons, as did his sexual orientation. However, he had an ally in Katherine Hepburn. Also from the Internet Movie Database:

According to author Garson Kanin in his memoir "Tracy and Hepburn", Katharine Hepburn was reportedly so furious at the way Montgomery Clift was treated by Sam Spiegel and Joseph L. Mankiewicz during the filming that, after making sure that she would not be needed for retakes, she told both men off and actually spat at them (although it remains unclear just which one of the two she spat at, or if she spat at both.)

Tea partier makes tasteless joke about Matthew Shepard and other Friday midday news briefs

Mother: Anoka-Hennepin School policy contributed to gay son’s suicide - While Focus on the Family is spinning, lgbt children are dying.

Pacific Justice Institute DENIED by court; Schwarzenegger, Brown will not be forced to defend Prop 8 - Just in case you didn't hear about this.

Montana Tea Party president jokes about murdering gays and Matthew Shepard - When these folks talk about "taking the country back," crap like this is one of the reasons why I cringe.

Lambda Legal and HIV-Positive Retiree Settle Lawsuit Against North Little Rock Assisted Living Facility - Good for Lambda Legal. It's amazing that so many in the community go ape@!& when it's time to criticize some of our lgbt organizations (and some of this criticism is legitimate) but are silent when our groups do good things.

Remember the 'good old days' with Phil Donahue?

Yeah I know I'm late post. But I'm off from work today and am still working to get things together for SC Pride tomorrow. Plus, you know how Fridays are, particularly this one before the Labor Day weekend.

Remember when there were such things as good talk shows and decent hosts trying to get to the bottom of pertinent issues instead of 'baby mama dramas?"

Remember Donahue? Phil Donahue was one of the best. Although nowadays, he would be smeared as a "dirty liberal," he was, and still is heads and shoulders above almost anything put out in terms of talk shows.

These clips come from a show which featured a Gay Entertainment network. It's interesting to see and hear the anti-gay attitudes back then and realize how a lot of them haven't changed that much:

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Focus on the Family's attack on anti-bullying efforts take centerstage on AC 360

This is a video which speaks for itself. Candi Cushman (Focus On The Family), Eliza Byard (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network), and Rosalind Wiseman (Author,"Queen Bees &Wannabees") are interviewed by Anderson Cooper on anti-bullying legislation and most specifically Focus on the Family's attack on this legislation.

Okay, maybe I'm a little biased but Cushman doesn't have a clue to what she is talking about. Wiseman and particularly Byard are on point.

Related posts:

Focus on the Family cites George Rekers in fighting anti-bullying efforts

GLSEN responds to Focus on the Family distortions

Gays = terrorists part 2 and other Thursday midday news briefs

Gays are bombing nation with messaging, says she whose nat'l presence is confined to her gay messages - Like Jason Voorhees and Freddy Krueger, Sally Kern has returned.

Gay teen saves life, honored for heroism - To those will whine "does it make a that he is gay," I say hell yeah it makes a difference. It's rare that our lgbt youth see positive images of themselves.

Johnson takes hard right turn on LGBT issues in GOP primary - An UGLY 360 degree turn.

Former Staffer Claims Alvin Greene Used Anti-Gay Slur - Oh$@!. This Alvin Greene thing gets worse.

Pride banners continue to spark debate in South Carolina

Who knew this situation with the rainbow banners in Columbia would spark so much controversy?

The irony is that the banners themselves aren't causing the controversy, but rather the "outcry" from the religious right group Palmetto Family Council.

So in essence, it's the Palmetto Family Council who is providing publicity for SC Pride.

Just yesterday, a local television station ran a spot on the situation, which you can see here. Pay special attention to the comments. Maybe it's me and my wannabe optimistic view but the comments seems to be running in SC Pride's favor.

Then this morning comes the article in the State newspaper. When one reads it, it is obvious that the narrative seems to be "why is the city funding this?"

“Our concern is the expenditure of public funds for a festival that is political or indecent or both,” said Oran Smith, president of the Columbia-based Palmetto Family Council.

Smith, who has made his assertion on talk radio and in a news release, said using public money to support the event implies an endorsement of the gay “lifestyle” by the city and county. “This goes beyond the public’s view of what is a permissible expenditure of tax funds,” Smith said.

However, the article answers that question itself:

Earlier this year, City Council voted unanimously to give more than $2 million to some 60 groups that bring tourists and boost the local economy, with money from accommodations and tourism taxes earmarked for such use. Among groups getting city money are Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge ($10,000), Riverbanks Zoo ($75,000) and EdVenture ($509,000).

County Council is awarding some $2 million in grants to more than 50 groups using tourism and accommodations taxes. Those groups include the Columbia Music Festival ($20,000), city ballet ($20,000) and the Township Auditorium ($50,000).

The groups must promote the Columbia area and draw significant numbers of visitors who spend money in Columbia businesses.

Bottom line - if people are looking for a "sexy angle" that the city is wasting money to promote a "political agenda," they won't find it.

Let's be honest here. No matter how Oran Smith and the Palmetto Family Council tries to spin the situation, they oppose rainbow banners because they oppose the lgbt community. This isn't a paradox. It's not hard to figure out. And no one should fall for the spin.

Some people don't like the idea of lgbts being open, visible, and proud. But that's their problem.

Related post:

SC Pride banners meets resistance through false claims, distortions

Wednesday, September 01, 2010

'Porno' Pete wants to help Glenn Beck and other Wednesday afternoon news briefs

Peter LaBarbera Wants Glenn Beck to Come to His Next ‘Truth’ Camp - Glenn Beck and Peter LaBarbera together? I don't think my intestines could handle that.

Watch: Bible-Believing Bigots Foment Violence Against LGBT People in Rural Pennsylvania Town - THIS my friends is what you call a hot mess.

The AFA and The Peter go off the rails over Mehlman and GOP 'secret homosexuals' - Yeah it's a Porno Pete double feature but you know you love it.

Omaha World-Herald creates criteria to exclude same-sex couples - It's sad what people will do in order NOT to acknowledge lgbt couples.

Atlanta police name gay advisory board - Good news for Atlanta.