ON HIATUS: Taking a blogging break to focus on screenwriting...

This message might be redundant to those who have already noticed my absence from blogging. But I thought I'd make it official: I'm on hiatus from blogging for the foreseeable future.

The main reason: most of my energy, spare time and creativity is currently dedicated toward writing a feature screenplay adaptation of my recent short film, The Golden Pin. Turning a 15-minute short into a full-length feature is proving a tricky exercise, balancing the original story's varied characters and tensions, keeping in mind market expectations (I'm also a producer on the feature) and trying to remain true to our artistic vision. Needless to say, when I have a free evening, I feel guilty if I'm not working on the script. Hence, why blogging has fallen by the wayside.

I do love blogging. I love the immediacy of typing thoughts and feelings and publishing them to the world. I'm even enjoying writing this post right now, it's easy to remember the appeal. So I know I'm not through with blogging for good. But for now, with so much on my plate, it doesn't seem likely I'll have much time for it in the near future.

There are many issues on the queer liberation front that deserve commentary. Just this week, we saw a major victory when the U.S. finally ended its despicable ban on allowing HIV positive people into the country. Gay rights issues continue to simmer around the world. There is much to comment upon. Sadly, I'm going to have to relinquish the stage to other fine bloggers and commentators like Montreal Simon, Slapped Upside the Head, Andrew Sullivan and my friend Scott Dagostino.

With my full time job, plus my writing on the side, I just don't seem to have the same fire in the belly about some issues like I used to. Hearing that Stephen Harper hired another dinosaur to work in his office just doesn't elicit the same reaction in me as it did a year ago. Perhaps I'm becoming jaded, or maybe I just don't know what to think of our chameleon Prime Minister any more. On the one hand, he continues to show Canada's queer community official disdain (demoting ministers who treat us equally, hiring anti-gay speechwriters), but on the other hand, he seems to privately show less hatred (gay John Baird accompanies his wife Laureen often to Ottawa functions with Harper's approval.)

Michael Ignatieff's horrific stumbles this summer and fall have also taken their toll on my political self-esteem. Let me see - I endorsed Stephane Dion in 2006 and look how that turned out. And then I endorsed Michael Ignatieff in 2008, and thus far, while things got much better at first, Iggy has proven less than stellar. Is he still learning? Of course he is. Hiring Peter Donolo might actually make a major difference, I'm truly hoping so. The last thing our country needs is a Harper majority and it may just be that Donolo is the guy to help make Iggy the leader he needs to be to stop it from happening, and hell even get him into 24 Sussex.

I still have much hope for Ignatieff. New leaders always go through hell like this. This is Iggy's baptism by fire and I hope it's as painful for him as it needs to be. How soon we forget how unelectable Jean Chretien seemed between 1990 and 1993. I also described Stephen Harper as unelectable from 2004 to 2006. Things change.

My film heads to San Diego!

My apologies. I've been so busy that blogging has fallen by the way side the last two weeks.

There have been a few issues tempting me to write, but I've had too much going on lately with work, script-writing and Thanksgiving to find the time or the energy. I hope to be back on my blogging feet soon, but that might have to wait for a little while longer.

My short film, The Golden Pin, is heading to San Diego, CA for an official screening in the San Diego Asian Film Festival this Sat Oct 17th. The whole team is going to support it, including myself, and I can't wait.

Perhaps I'll find the time to do a little blogging from down south...

'The Golden Pin' makes its European debut!

'The Golden Pin,' the short dramatic film I co-wrote and helped produce, has its European premiere today at the Oslo Gay & Lesbian Film Festival in Norway. Sadly we are not wealthy enough to attend, saving up valuable vacation time and money for later. But it's an honour to have been selected by the festival's programmers. We wish we could be there!

'The Golden Pin' is about a young swimmer torn between the expectations of his family and the demands of his heart. Here are our Facebook pages, which include details of future screenings.

New United Nations president legitimizes homophobic violence and discrimination

Thanks to Bruce for alerting me to this story.

The new President of the United Nations General Assembly, who took office last week for a one-year term, has some 'unacceptable' views on the human rights of LGBT people in the world.

When asked during a press conference this week about last year's U.N. resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality throughout the world, Ali Abdussalam Treki (pictured) called the matter “very sensitive, very touchy.”

"As a Muslim, I am not in favour of it…it is not accepted by the majority of countries. My opinion is not in favour of this matter at all. I think it's not really acceptable by our religion, our tradition...It is not acceptable in the majority of the world. And there are some countries that allow [homosexuality] thinking it is a kind of democracy…I think it is not,” he added.

Individual human dignity and equality is the basis for democratic rights, as we know. It's too bad that fact is lost on the new United Nations president.

His comments are disgusting, especially since they were spoken on the same day Treki also declared, "Dialogue and mutual understanding are the way to resolve our problems."

Florida Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs committee, blasted the new president's comments. “The anti-gay bigotry spewed by this Qaddafi shill demonstrates once again that the UN has been hijacked by advocates of hate and intolerance,” she said.

After giving a platform this week to Iran's bigoted President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, as well as Libya's Muammar Gaddafi, I would tend to agree.

I also heartily agree with the words of Matteo Pegoraro and Dario Picciau, co-Presidents of EveryOne Group, and Roberto Malini as published on this site.

“Ali Abdussalam Treki made a very serious statement which cannot in any way be justified. Like every other Member of the General Assembly, the President has a duty to represent the principles and the aims of the United Nations, according to the Charter adopted on June 26, 1945 in San Francisco with its respect for Human Rights and fundamental freedom for all the human beings (article 1).

"In fact, with such a declaration, the president of the General Assembly has legitimized the violence, the imprisonment and the death penalty for thousands of homosexual people all over the world.

"Malini, Pegoraro and Picciau are appealing to the General Secretary and to the Security Council - whose duty it is to solve controversies in the General Assembly regarding the principles of the United Nations - to immediately remove Ali Abdussalam Treki from his role of President for his non-compliance to the aims and principles of the UN.

"EveryOne Group is also appealing to the associations and LGBT organisations, the EU Commission, the European Parliament and the governments of the democratic countries, particularly France and Holland - who put forward the above-mentioned moratorium - to stigmatize the statements made by the President of the UN General Assembly, and to ask for the immediate removal of Ali Abdussalam Treki from the presidency of the UN General Assembly."

To tolerate Treki's comments is to welcome any and all violence against LGBT people the world over. Sad thing is, I'm sure Canada's government under Stephen Harper probably has nothing to say about this outrage. I look forward to standing corrected on that.

Thunder Bay residents unite to protest anti-gay attack...

Thunder Bay residents are walking and rallying Friday evening to protest the recent attack on Jake Raynard, a local gay man who was left severely injured and in hospital after last weekend's incident. I'll be with them in spirit...

The following press release was sent out today to the Facebook group, 'Unified Community around Jake Raynard'

Press Release
September 10, 2009

Our Community Response to Violence

Friends and family of Jake Raynard are inviting the greater Thunder Bay community to a walk and a rally starting at Waverly Park at 6 pm on Friday, September 11 to positively respond to the targeted violence Jake and some friends experienced a week ago.

On Friday, September 4th, Jake, a 30 year old gay man and some of his friends were attacked by a group of men outside a bar in downtown Port Arthur. The beating left Jake with 15 fractures to his cheekbone, a broken eye socket, a broken jaw and a broken upper palate. This violent hate crime has shocked, devastated and enraged Jake, his family, and the entire Thunder Bay community. This is not the first time this type of attack has taken place and it is time for the community to respond in a positive display of support.

The Unified Community around Jake Raynard is calling on all people in the greater Thunder Bay community to attend this rally to:

1. Welcome Jake back into our community from the hospital, give him support, help him with his desire to put a face to hate crimes of all kinds, and acknowledge his courage in coming forward.

2. To stand united as a community and declare that WE the residents of the greater Thunder Bay area and our response to this hate crime define this community, not the attackers or this terrible crime.

This is a matter that concerns the safety of all groups in our community, the image of our beloved city, and the future we build together.

Stand up for your community as we march through the Port Arthur downtown district, and return to Waverly Park to hear from a diverse group of community leaders.

This is a crucial time for the greater Thunder Bay community-- let’s make Jake’s heroism and our community response be the stepping stone for healing and positive change on our streets and in our homes.

-30-


Here's another link to the Facebook group.

Vicious anti-gay attack in Thunder Bay!

This is shocking and repulsive news. A Thunder Bay gay man is in hospital for reconstructive surgery after being attacked early Saturday morning in what his family calls a hate crime.

John "Jake" Raynard (pictured) reportedly suffered 15 fractures to his cheekbone, a broken eye socket, a broken jaw and a broken upper palate when six to eight men surrounded him and two friends outside a Thunder Bay bar.

I look forward to the police investigation and hope those bigots involved are brought to justice!

Raynard's friends and supporters have set up this Facebook group to keep those concerned informed.

John Greyson's bold stand against TIFF's showcase of Tel Aviv...

I'm not sure if I completely agree with Greyson's reasoning for pulling his film Covered out of this year's Toronto International Film Festival in protest over its inaugural City to City program on Tel Aviv.

Regardless of one's position on Israel's treatment of the Palestinians (and vice versa), no doubt Greyson's move (and those of other filmmakers who are boycotting TIFF this year as well) will create considerable discussion. It already has.

Last night, CBC's The National ran a puff piece by reporter Margaret Evans on rumours of a mermaid off the beautiful coastline of a northern Israeli resort town. It contained many beautiful shots of beaches and people enjoying the sunset, the kinds of images no doubt being promoted by any "Brand Israel" campaign. Perhaps Greyson has a point that we ought not forget about Israel's ongoing treatment of Palestinians.

Here's an excerpt from Xtra's news piece on Greyson's move:

"In a public letter dated Aug 27 Greyson zeroed in on press comments from the Israeli Consul General Amir Gissin describing the Tel Aviv spotlight as the culmination of the Israeli government's "Brand Israel" campaign.

Despite being a supporter of an economic boycott campaign against Israel, Greyson's letter discusses the "specific and strategic" details of when he participates in such a boycott. He criticizes the Tel Aviv spotlight as too one-sided, lacking diverse voices from displaced Palestinians or underground artists.

"What eventually determined my decision to pull out was the subject of Covered itself," Greyson writes. "It's a doc about the 2008 Sarajevo Queer Festival, which was cancelled due to brutal anti-gay violence. The film focuses on the bravery of the organizers and their supporters and, equally, on the ostriches, on those who remained silent, who refused to speak out: most notoriously the Sarajevo International Film Festival and the Canadian ambassador in Sarajevo. To stand in judgment of these ostriches before a TIFF audience, but then say nothing about this Tel Aviv spotlight — finally, I realized that that was a brand I couldn't stomach."

You can view Greyson's Covered on Vimeo until the end of the festival. It's quite stunning.

The Golden Pin makes its international debut...

The short film I co-wrote and helped produce, The Golden Pin, enjoys its international premiere today, screening for the first time outside Canada at the North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Durham, NC.

Sadly, I nor my filmmaking partners, including director Cuong Ngo, are able to attend this weekend due to personal financial constraints. This is the reality for truly independent filmmakers who spend their own money to make films and promote them. As we roll our short film out on the festival circuit, we have to choose carefully which festivals to attend, balancing networking opportunities against our own budgetary constraints.

The Golden Pin will be screening next at the LGBT film festival next month in Oslo, Norway, and then at the San Diego Asian Film Festival in late October. We're hoping to add many more festival screenings as more festivals get back to us. Stay tuned.

In the mean time, if you want to follow our progress, join our Facebook group.

Bravo: David Popescu found guilty of promoting hatred...

I was away this weekend with no access to Canadian news. I just found out this evening that David Popescu was convicted Friday of promoting hatred for telling a group of high school students last fall that all homosexuals should be executed.

This is a just decision. Advocating the mass execution of an entire group of people, especially in front of impressionable minds, is evil and I'm glad our country outlaws it.

Below is an excerpt from the Sudbury Star article:

Popescu, 61, made the comment during the 2008 federal election campaign in the Sudbury riding, where he ran as an independent, then repeated them in an interview broadcast over a Toronto radio station.

He was given a suspended sentence and placed on probation for 18 months.

During a one-day trial in Sudbury court, Popescu argued he was only repeating what was in the bible when he made the comments. However, Ontario Court Justice Guy Mahaffy ruled he was "not at all satisfied with the explanation by Mr. Popescu that his statements are based on his religious beliefs."

Popescu "basically picks and chooses what is in his best interest, according to his interpretation of the bible," said the judge.

Popescu testified Friday the bible lists homosexuality as a sin for which one should be stoned to death.

Prosecutor Andrew Slater then suggested that, by the same rule, Popescu should have been stoned to death in 2003 when he was convicted of assaulting his mother.

Popescu, however, said the assault was a false accusation.

"I never did hit my mother," he said, even though he was convicted of the charge.

In court in 2003, he admitted he had given his mother a "small swat and a light shake" to get her attention when she was not paying attention to him during a dispute over the placement of towels in their home.

Mahaffy said it was hypocritical of Popescu to say he should not be punished for an assault on his mother, then suggest it should be done to homosexuals.

If he felt he was not guilty, Popescu could have appealed the assault conviction, but he did not, the judge said.

Sacha Baron Cohen’s Brüno: Not Yet Recognized Genius!

I finally got a chance to see Brüno on the weekend. Designed to simultaneously poke a gigantic hole (pun intended) into the deep-seated homophobia that still thrives in most parts of the world, as well as poke fun at vapid, fame-seeking vanity, Brüno knocks both balls out of the park. lol

I found myself giggling as I walked out of the theatre and I'm still giggling.

I’ve read some reviews that criticize Brüno for missing a major story hook; Brüno only wishes to become famous. Is that motivation less compelling than wanting to bag Pamela Anderson (again pun intended) in Borat? Perhaps it’s less specific, but it still provides Cohen with a wide palate of material with which to make his point(s).

I didn’t laugh out loud as much as I did for Borat, but I think Brüno is far more significant a film politically and socially. We live in an era where virulent homophobia still very much dominates much of North America and most of the world. What Brüno does is pit possibly the worst gay stereotype imaginable against raving, far-right bigots and waits for the fireworks to go off. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. The scenes where Brüno camps with some Alabama hunters were interesting in that the hunters were so restrained amid Cohen's come-ons.

Cohen brilliantly ties these episodes together as a full frontal attack on closed mindedness. The hypocrisy he exposes is biting. He uses shock to expose and challenge virulent homophobia head-on. Indeed, as media reports have indicated, Cohen’s own safety was frequently put at risk while filming this movie, not to mention afterwards. His sheer bravado is to be applauded.

Brüno makes Cohen an artist before his time...

One day they'll look back and view Brüno as a great historical record of the homophobia that still gripped much of America at the beginning of the 21st century...

Terrorist threat to Sacha Baron Cohen over Brüno ridicule

I loved Borat. I have not yet seen Sacha Baron Cohen's follow-up mockumentary Brüno this summer. Although I have every intention of seeing on the big screen very soon (probably this weekend), after which I'll post my thoughts on it.

There has been decidedly less buzz about Brüno this year than Borat, I'm sure most will agree. Gone are the multiple threats to sue Cohen we saw following Borat's release. Instead we have threats against his life. Scary indeed. This is inspiration for me to get to the theatre as soon as possible to see it.

I suspect that Brüno's subject matter - chronicling an over-the-top gay Austrian fashionista, with multiple scenes of male frontal nudity - has turned off many of Cohen's heterosexual fans. They'll rush to the theatre to see Pamela Anderson forced into a sack, but they won't rush to see Cohen have fake sex with a male midget. Hmmmm....

Others have said it's simply a case of Brüno being less entertaining than Borat, or perhaps the shock value is gone and the stunt tactics Cohen uses in Brüno are becoming a little old hat.

Regardless of the reasons for Brüno's less than stellar box office, I'm looking forward to finding out for myself.

Toronto musical 'Bare' soars...

I had the chance to take in the great production of 'Bare, The Canadian Premiere' this weekend at University of Toronto's Hart House Theatre, which chronicles the secret affair between two closeted Catholic schoolboys. (FYI, despite its title and provocative poster, this musical features no nudity, nor does it need any.)

I'm proud to say the musical, first performed in Los Angeles in 2000, was exceptional, entertaining, sweet, romantic, tragic, touching and occasionally sexy. The musical nails all the hidden contradictions of Catholic youth, from the unnerving guilt to the wild and secret partying. My own Catholic public high school was very similar to the private one depicted on stage. I never had an affair with a hot schoolmate, mind you. My personal repression was so strong I never told anyone about my homosexuality until I was safely ensconced within a secular university.

While the musical hits many familiar notes often seen in gay melodrama (love triangle involving a sweet, but clueless girl, an unsupportive mother, etc.), there are still a few surprises. And the Toronto cast never fails to impress, bringing much zest to their roles, particularly the two leads, Wade Muir and Graham Parkhurst. Standouts among the ensemble include Nichola Lawrence as Sister Chantelle (the nun every Catholic gay boy wishes they knew in high school), Renee Stein as Claire, Muir's mother, Alison O'Neill as Ivy, Parkhurst's girlfriend, and Claire Rouleau as the particularly hilarious nerd Nadia.

Wade Muir has a great voice as Peter, the lead, but the better actor is Graham Parkhurst as Jason, his closeted lover. I wasn't impressed with Parkhurst's voice in Act One; luckily he seemed to be saving his energy for the more dramatic and tragic Act Two, in which he excels. Muir and Parkhurst make tender and believable lovers and they don't shy away from the script's considerable affections. Be prepared for many wet audience eyes after the curtain falls at the end.

The Canadian premiere is being produced by WatersEdge Productions Inc, and runs until this Saturday August 1st. If you have the chance to check it out before then, I highly recommend you do. Tickets are available here.

Isn't this discrimination based on sexual orientation?

It seems to me that this is pretty clearly a case of discrimination based on sexual orientation - the Harper government, in what seems to be a clear desire to appease its bigoted base, decided to stick it to the Montreal gay festival simply because it was gay.

Here are the facts: Diane Ablonczy gave Pride Toronto $400,000 from the $100 million Marquee Tourism Events Program. Two weeks later she lost the control over the program, it was handed to loyal Tony Clement. Then a backbencher from Saskatchewan bragged about how Ablonczy had lost the file because she gave money to Pride Toronto. Now suddenly Montreal's Pride festival Divers/Cite fails to receive any funding despite being a major international tourist attraction.

I hate the way many out there excuse this deliberate discrimination as somehow okay in modern Canada. As far as I'm concerned, the Harperites are guilty of discriminating based on sexual orientation, which is supposed to be illegal in this country.

India decriminalizes homosexual sex

This is wonderful news!

Click here for some great reaction from pro-equality activists on the Indian court ruling today striking down the country's law against homosexual sex. This could be quite the tipping point in the developing world on the subject. I hope so.

"American Idol runner-up Adam Lambert comes out, signs record deal"

American Idol 2009 runner-up Adam Lambert has finally ended the speculation about his sexuality: "I don't think it should be a surprise for anyone to hear that I'm gay."

Adam Lambert said it in his highly anticipated Rolling Stone cover (pictured). He reveals that he put off the topic of his sexuality for so long because he just wanted to make sure he came out in the coolest way possible: "Right after the finale, I almost started talking about it to the reporters, but I thought, 'I'm going to wait for Rolling Stone, that will be cooler,'" he says in the issue out this Friday. "I didn’t want the Clay Aiken thing and the celebrity-magazine bullshit. I need to be able to explain myself in context."

This is great! He didn't wait years like Clay Aiken until the revelation was a bit of a redundant joke. This will help Lambert's career big time, I predict.

Read the full Entertainment Weekly article here.

California backslap: Fight for equality continues and we will win eventually...

In 2000, 61% of Californians voted to ban equal marriage (although not explicitly in the constitution.) In 2008, 52% of California voters also marked ballots banning equal marriage, this time explicitly in the state constitution, a drop of almost 10 points from 2000.

The trend is clear and, according to a poll released today, support for equal marriage may indeed now be over 50% in California. I haven't had a chance to dissect various aspects of today's Supreme Court ruling, which upholds the ban passed by 52% of voters in November, but allows those same sex couples who married in California last summer to stay married. But I suspect the majority of judges probably made their decision to uphold Proposition 8 long ago, and simply found the legal justification to back up that conclusion.

It always seemed unrealistic that the Court would overrule the wishes of voters. I also do believe that progressive change like this is best achieved through legislatures, not through the courts (although I'll take the courts when politicians often prove too gutless to do the right thing.) For a great analysis by someone who has read the ruling, check out this article.

Today's ruling just means that full equality under the law for LGBT citizens in California is delayed for a couple more years. The next referendum on equal marriage in California, I predict, will go our way.

My film 'The Golden Pin' wins Best Canadian Short Award at Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film & Video Festival

Last night, the short dramatic film I co-wrote and helped produce, The Golden Pin, by Toronto director and my dear friend Cuong Ngo, won the top short film prize at Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film & Video Festival, the Colin Campbell Award. All of us who worked on the film are enormously humbled and thrilled to have achieved this accomplishment. I want to thank all of my friends, family and colleagues who have given us much support and love during this incredible week!

This marks the beginning of the festival run for our film; we have 10 festival submissions pending, including two in Toronto later this year. Plus many, many more to come. Stay tuned. Below is the press release we issued today:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 25, 2009

The Golden Pin wins Best Canadian Short Award at Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film & Video Festival

Toronto – Toronto director Cuong Ngo's The Golden Pin won the Colin Campbell Award for Best Canadian Short at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film & Video Festival's closing night party on Sunday.

"I'd like to thank my team for everything. Without them, we can't go together this far," says Cuong Ngo. "It's such a great collaborative work. I'm so glad to prove to the world how strong my love is."

Ngo has great praise for his team, including co-writer Matt Guerin, producer Igor Szczurko, production designer Tom Yarith Ker, DOP Stu Marks, composer Mike Freedman, executive producer Doug Dales, as well as his actors Minh Ngoc Nguyen, Kris Duangphung and Ben Bela Boehm, and everyone else who worked on the film.

Ngo also thanks his professor and mentor, Canadian director John Greyson, as well as the rest of the faculty at York University’s Film Department, who provided Ngo with much support and advice during the production of The Golden Pin.

The jury award comes with a $500 cash prize, which Ngo intends to donate to the AIDS Committee of Toronto. "My dream is to make people happy and help people. Now, my dream came true and I wanted to offer this prize to the community."

The Golden Pin screened during Inside Out's Hogtown Homos showcase on May 20th at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, ON. Many more festival screenings are planned, with pending submissions across Canada, the U.S. and the rest of the world. Together with producers Igor Szczurko, Matt Guerin and Tom Yarith Ker, Ngo's in the development phase of adapting The Golden Pin into a feature film.

Additional information and bios of the filmmakers and cast are available online at www.thegoldenpin.com

-30-

DIRECTOR'S BIO:
Cuong Ngo - Director/Co-Writer, The Golden Pin

Born in Saigon, Vietnam, he graduated at the Cinema and Theatre University of Ho Chi Minh City, BFA (02) before pursuing his second degree in Film Production at York University in Toronto, BFA (09). Cuong directed 2 award winning short comedies in the years of 2003 and 2004 while studying Writing and Linguistic at International Royal Melbourne Institute of Technologies University. Cuong has also directed short films, documentaries and video arts such as: Oops! (06), The White Day (07), Dana (07), Visual Poetry (08), The Hitchhiker Project (08), Cultural Anthropology, National Identity through Ukrainian Dance (08). Cuong Ngo's The Hitchhiker Project (08) was officially selected for presentation at numerous International Film Festivals. His most recent film The Golden Pin (09) world premiered at the Toronto Inside Out Film Festival in May 2009. Together with producers Igor Szczurko, Matt Guerin and Tom Yarith Ker, he's in the development phase of adapting The Golden Pin into a feature film.

Film on the brain: Four queer movie reviews...

I've been meaning to write reviews on a few movies I've seen lately. The four films below represent a wide gamut of what's currently being put out there by queer or queer-friendly filmmakers, ranging from sharp and thought-provoking to mindless and amusing.

First up, Outrage, which I managed to see during the recent Hot Docs festival in Toronto. Directed by straight filmmaker Kirby Dick, this extraordinary feature documentary shines a light on many closeted, mostly Republican U.S. politicians and other politicos who have found success by scapegoating other gays and lesbians, or at least remaining indifferent to their cause. Many of you have likely heard the names before: Larry Craig, Mark Foley, former New York mayor Ed Koch and many others...

One name I hadn't heard before seeing the doc is current Florida Governor Charlie Crist (pictured right). Watching the numeous clips of Crist in the doc, the assertions are made all the more obvious. The filmmaker interviews two separate sources who claim Crist's former boyfriend once told them about their relationship. Crist, a longtime bachelor, of course, has been a vocal opponent of equality for gays and lesbians since becoming governor of Florida. His opposition to same sex marriage is said to have been a determining factor in the recent 62% victory banning equal marriage in that state's constitution (it needed 60% to pass.) When Crist was running for governor in 2006, he suddenly revealed a female fiancee. After being elected, their relationship came to an end. In 2008, when Crist's name was being bandied about as a possible running mate to John McCain, Crist suddenly came up with another woman who agreed to marry him. They tied the knot in December, just in time for Crist's campaign for the U.S. Senate.

Kirby Dick has claimed in interviews that he's got ample proof on every politician he outs in the film. Most of that info. comes to light before the final reel. He doesn't do so to embarrass them, but to instead expose their hypocrisy. One interviewee in the film compares the terrible, anti-gay voting records of these closeted politicians with young closeted gay men, who tend to be the most outwardly homophobic to try to seem as "straight" as possible. There's no doubt this film is a public service and should be required viewing. I also hope it puts to an end any talk of Charlie Crist running for U.S. President in 2012. Truly Crist fits the bill of a politician who's willing to say and "be" anything in order to win higher office.

Patrik, Age 1.5 was the opening night screening at Toronto's Inside Out festival on Thursday. It's the polar opposite of Outrage, profiling a mostly happy same sex couple living in Sweden seeking to adopt a little baby. Due to a bureaucratic mix-up, the men think they're about to adopt a child aged 1.5 years named Patrik. When the real Patrik, aged 15, with a troubled history, shows up on their doorstep, all hell breaks loose. I loved it!

No doubt Patrik, Age 1.5 represents the "coming of age" of queer cinema, in which gay men's lives not only begin to strongly resemble their straight counterparts, but queer cinema itself becomes very PG-rated and family friendly. There's no nudity in this flick, just sweet, well-rounded performances and many predictable, yet satisfying plot twists. It's feel-good film at its best and definitely deserves a watch for those looking for light, untroubling entertainment.

Two other queer films I saw recently are definitely not family-friendly.

Casper Andreas' Between Love and Goodbye, filmed in New York and starring Simon Miller and Canadian Justin Tensen as ill-fated lovers, could be described as the feature narrative polar opposite of Patrik, Age 1.5.

French immigrant and wannabe actor Marcel (the stunningly hot Tensen, the blond on the right) is madly in love with his boyfriend Kyle (Miller), a wannabe musician who plays gigs around the East Village. In order to stay in the U.S., Marcel fake marries their lesbian friend Sarah (Jane Elliott), and it looks like happily ever after is about to begin. Unfortunately, Kyle's troubled transsexual hooker sister/brother April/Cole (Rob Harmon) reappears after a year out of the picture and needs a place to crash. Eventually, sis gets in the way of our two lovers and high drama and much angst ensues.

For most of Andreas' flick, the melodrama works, with frequent flashbacks to various stages of the boys' relationship, showing early passion and love giving way to resentment and deterioration by the end. I was quite taken with the film's theme exploring how a relationship can strangely turn from beautiful to ugly, and the non-linear script highlighted that devastating contrast. Plus the frequent nudity by the two incredibly hot leads certainly spices things up.

But Andreas loses it at the end, torturing us with a terrible conclusion that not only undoes his entire theme but also undermines his characters. I felt cheated. It had been a decent movie up until that point and all I could ask was, 'Why didn't anyone with an ounce of writing talent stop Andreas from leaving this dumb ending in the final cut?'

Stiff Luv, by Toronto director Adrian Keats, is a quirky comedy filmed in the manner of John Greyson's Lilies (i.e. all parts, male and female, are played by male actors, mostly in drag.) That's where the similarities with Greyson's 1996 masterpiece end as Stiff Luv is slightly amateurish, yet not lacking in charm and gusto.

The silly story centers mostly around Liz, played by Sean Kaufman entirely in drag, as she conspires to cover up the death of her fiance. The ultra low-budget flick tries to be a gay slapstick comedy. On that front, it works occasionally, with several laugh-out-loud moments including the hilarious open bar at the funeral home! Why haven't more real funeral homes opened their own?

But the acting is uneven. Some of the drag performances were stunning to watch, while others were not as impressive (sadly I'd have to include the two leads in the latter). Adrian Keats, himself, who shows up near the end as 'Alice Big,' is truly impressive and tears up the scenery in a role reminiscent of Terence Stamp in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. Too bad he/she didn't show up earlier. I also really liked the hilarious 'Brian Arser' character played by Bartholomew Sammut, and all the actors playing the male characters were quite cute. Overall, Stiff Luv is watchable and funny, but probably could've used a few more screenplay drafts before proceeding to principal photography.

Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film & Video Festival begins today...

Who would've thought promoting a short film would take up so much of my free time? I've had almost no time to blog lately, although the political scene has been fairly depressing of late (B.C. referendum bust, Mulroney-Schreiber, etc.)

Today marks the opening day of Toronto's Inside Out LGBT FIlm & Video Festival, with the opening gala tonight. The festival lasts until May 24th and will screen around 200 films.

'The Golden Pin,' directed by Cuong Ngo, is one of them. I co-wrote it and served as associate producer. It's screening at the Hogtown Homos showcase on Wed May 20th at 7:15 pm at the Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto, along with a dozen other shorts by local filmmakers. We're thrilled to have been programmed.

I encourage everyone who is free to go see anything at Inside Out. It's a great festival and there looks to be several good films in the program worth checking out.

First-Past-The-Post is like a bad waiter who brings food you didn't order...

British Columbians go to the polls on Tuesday to elect both a new government (using our archaic, vote-distorting Winner-Take-All/First-Past-The-Post system) and to vote in a crucial referendum on electoral reform.

A recent poll shows the NDP trailing the Liberals by 2 per cent (42% to 44% respectively). Under a sane voting system, that would translate into a narrow Liberal minority government. But under our crazy, existing system, that could very well translate into a NDP majority government, like it did in 1996 when a three-point gap in the vote handed the second-place party all the power for five more years!

B.C. Liberals should remember how they felt the morning after the 1996 election, when they had been shut out of power by our voting system despite winning the vote. That scenario could repeat itself on Tuesday and the only way to ensure it never happens again after this election is to vote for BC-STV. Enough of our crazy, vote-distorting First-Past-The-Post system! The time to fix it is now and hopefully as many Liberal voters in B.C. as possible will agree.

To those who are fighting to keep our archaic system because it lines their pockets and hands their parties all the power with only a minority of votes, I say 'Shame on You!' You're the same types of people who would've opposed extending the franchise to Aboriginals, to women, to non-land owners, etc. in the past because such a change would've undermined your hold on power. And today, you're still up to your nasty little tricks. I hope voters ignore your distortions and vote for change.

To those voters still making up your minds, let me repeat this scenario I wrote a couple weeks ago:

Can you imagine if you placed an order at a drive thru for two hamburgers, two fries and two bottles of water - and instead when you got to the window, they handed you four fish pies and some asparagus? Or if you sat down at a restaurant and ordered some sushi and green tea, and instead they brought you a piece of pork loin, potatoes and coffee and forced you to pay for it? Would you be annoyed? Of course you would.

Yet this is how our current voting system works. The voters head to the polls and vote one way - and the First-Past-The-Post system spits out something they didn't ask for. If BC-STV passes, this will never happen again at the provincial level in British Columbia.

If you like getting what you didn't order, vote to keep our archaic, vote-distorting system. If you actually want to get what you ask for in elections, vote for the Single Transferable Vote.

CROSS-POSTED WITH LIBERALS FOR ELECTORAL REFORM

Maine, NH legislators vote for gay marriage

I'm sorry I've been quite delinquent in posting on this blog lately. I'm quite busy preparing for the upcoming screening of 'The Golden Pin' at Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film & Video Festival, doing press kits, getting word out, writing new synopses for the feature adaptation, that kind of thing.

But I do want to comment on the great news out of Maine and New Hampshire today, where legislators have passed equal marriage bills. Maine's governor says he won't stand in the way of the bill, paving the way for its passage. New Hampshire's governor hasn't said how he'll respond to the bill passed in his state's legislature.

Regardless, Maine now becomes the fifth state in the U.S. to approve equal marriage (with California still pending.) New Hampshire may indeed become the sixth very shortly. The tide has clearly turned in our favour.

Congrats to the world's first elected queer national leader!

In late January, I was quite pleased to see Johanna Sigurdardottir (pictured) appointed interim Prime Minister of Iceland. As such, Sigurdardottir became the world's first openly lesbian national head of government. (The first openly gay world leader was Per-Kristian Foss who served as interim Prime Minister in Norway very briefly in 2002.)

Iceland's conservative-led government had just collapsed, partly as a result of problems caused by the failure of that country's banks in the recent credit crisis.

Sigurdardottir led her Social Democratic Party into elections this past weekend and, together with her coalition partners, achieved an absolute majority, a first for a left-wing government in Iceland.

"Our time has come!" said Sigurdardottir, 66, who will lead a coalition with the Left-Green party.

Her victory is seen as a return to left-wing policies after almost 18 years of conservative Independent party domination and a sign too that women are going to take a stronger role in running the country. More women than ever before were returned to parliament and Icelandic media claimed that the island’s ancient assembly was now fourth in the world in terms of female participation.

All in all, a wonderful moment in the history of politics.

Inside Out launches 2009 festival website!

Toronto's Inside Out LGBT Film & Video Festival has launched its 2009 festival website, complete with full movie listings.

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, a film I co-wrote and helped produce, The Golden Pin, (which stars Kris Duangphung, pictured above) is screening in this year's fest as part of the renowned Hogtown Homos selection of shorts on Wed May 20th at 7:15 pm at Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre.

Tickets are already on sale for Inside Out members. Non-members can purchase tickets starting April 30. Click here for more details.

I LOVE Susan Boyle!

I've seen Susan Boyle's BGT performance video on Youtube probably six or seven times...What a great time for a such a gift! I came across this particularly touching tribute from this anonymous straight guy on Youtube. Suddenly the benefits of living in the era of the internet really hit home with what we're capable of experiencing together...I love you, Susan!

'The Golden Pin' to premiere at Toronto's Inside Out Gay and Lesbian Film & Video Festival...

I'm thrilled to let you know that a film I co-wrote and helped produce, The Golden Pin, will be screening at next month's Inside Out Gay and Lesbian Film and Video Festival in Toronto.

Directed and co-written by my good friend, Cuong Ngo, the short film tells the story about a young Vietnamese-Canadian swimmer who struggles to follow a different path than that chosen for him by his father. The Golden Pin explores the consequences of burying our own needs in matters of the heart.

I am so proud of this film. Filming it was life-changing, I agree. ;-) The entire team who put this together was outstanding. There are plans to adapt it into a feature film. Stay tuned.

The first screening is set for Wed May 20th at 7:15 pm at Toronto's Isabel Bader Theatre. For more on the Toronto Inside Out film festival, click here...

Vermont legislature passes equal marriage, overrides Governor's veto

Vermont has become the 4th U.S. state to legalize same sex marriage — and the first to do so with a legislature's vote.

The Vermont Legislature voted Tuesday to override Governor Jim Douglas' veto of a bill allowing gays and lesbians to marry. The vote was 23-5 to override in the state Senate and 100-49 to override in the House. Under Vermont law, two-thirds of each chamber had to vote for the override. Talk about a close call!

Vermont now joins Massachusetts, Connecticut and Iowa where same sex marriage is legal in America (with California still pending). Approval of gay marriage in those latter states came from the courts.

I will say I prefer winning marriage equality rights in legislatures, not the courts. I'm glad that politicians in Vermont appreciate the importance of equal treatment under the law. Congrats to Vermont!

Stephen Boissoin objects to my words...

In response to my recent post, Alberta plans to finally enshrine 'sexual orientation' protections in law, the infamous Stephen Boissoin, himself, felt compelled to leave a comment attacking “people” like me.

For the record, the only gay youth Boissoin wants to protect are those enrolled in so-called reparative therapy. There is nothing abnormal or immoral about being true to oneself; it is immoral, however, to pretend to be promoting God’s work when in fact you are doing the exact opposite.

I thought his comments deserved their own post, as well as my response to them. Below, you’ll also find a link to a copy of Boissoin’s original 2002 letter so you can judge for yourselves if his letter was an incitement to violence, as I believe.

TODAY’S COMMENT FROM STEPHEN BOISSOIN:

You said "he basically compared gay activists to dangerous vermin against whom any action readers deemed necessary should be taken to save children."

Another perfect example of manipulation. Grossly stretching the facts to suit your cause. I NEVER encouraged nor advocate violence. Those that know me, including gay youth and young adults, know that I would never so such and that I would protect them if necessary. The media knew and has expressed that they do not feel that I advocated violence in my 2002 letter to the editor.

You people continue to BS the public and present yourselves as poor victims. Any communication that doesn't support you is 'homophobic' or hateful etc etc.

It's true, I hate homosexuality. It is a disgusting abnormal and immoral lifestyle. No use beating around the bush about it.

Stephen Boissoin
Straight & Proud

AND MY COMMENT IN RESPONSE:

Stephen, your hateful religious views continue to cloud your judgment. My line is a very fair summation of your characterization of gay activists.

I'm not going to beat around the bush either: Homosexuality is a naturally occurring, inborn orientation that has always been with us and will always be with us. It cannot be taught, 95% of children will grow up to become heterosexual regardless of whether or not people like me are treated equally and with respect in this society.

It's sad that after all these years you still can't be rational about your own words and the extreme damage they have caused.

In 2002, you wrote: "It's time to stand together and take whatever steps are necessary to reverse the wickedness that our lethargy has authorized to spawn. Where homosexuality flourishes, all manner of wickedness abounds."

"Whatever steps are necessary"? Easily, that line can and usually does mean violence, particularly when you asserted in your letter that people like me winning equality and dignity in life is the equivalent of, "every professing heterosexual [having] their future aggressively chopped at the roots."

"Their future aggressively chopped at the roots"? You identified a problem that doesn't exist, you asserted all gay activists like myself are just trying to "sleep with children." You used fiery language meant to incite unspecified action, which could easily be interpreted by any gay basher as good justification for violence, especially since your letter was signed as a Reverend. In the history of homophobia, far less inflammatory words have been used to justify great amounts of violence and suffering.

Without a doubt, it was incitement to violence and you should be ashamed of yourself.

But clearly you aren't. Religious extremists will always cling to their hatred because it makes them feel powerful and righteous. That's the only thing that's disgusting here.

While I think some of the punishments handed down by the Alberta Human Rights Commission against you may have been heavy-handed, there is no doubt in my mind that you incited violence in your letter. And for that, there should be justice.

Matt Guerin,
Gay & Proud.

Click here for a link to the original 2002 letter by Stephen Boissoin.

Iowa Supreme Court backs equal marriage

The Iowa Supreme Court today issued a unanimous ruling finding that the state's same-sex marriage ban violates the constitutional rights of gay and lesbian couples.

Same-sex couples in Iowa will be able to obtain marriage licenses starting April 24th. Iowa now becomes the third American state where gays and lesbians are no longer second class citizens.

Richard Socarides, an attorney and former senior adviser on gay rights to President Clinton, said the ruling carries extra significance coming from Iowa.

"It's a big win because, coming from Iowa, it represents the mainstreaming of gay marriage. And it shows that despite attempts stop gay marriage through right wing ballot initiatives, like in California, the courts will continue to support the case for equal rights for gays," he said. “Unlike states on the coasts, there’s nothing more American than Iowa. As they say during the presidential caucuses, ‘As Iowa goes, so goes the nation.’”

I'd like to think that today's ruling will start a trend similar to the remarkable victory in January 2008 for then-Democratic candidate Barack Obama. Before Iowa, few gave the first-term Senator from Illinois much hope of winning the U.S. presidency. But Iowa showed that his message of hope and change could resonate outside of traditional Democratic strongholds.

Perhaps those Americans (and others) sitting on the fence on this issue will continue to reflect and come sooner to agree that unjustifiable discrimination in law is never a good thing. Before various court victories in Canada on equal marriage, Canadians seemed generally divided on the merits of equal marriage. Years later, there's a new consensus that equality under the law trumps all other positions.

As with all gay civil rights victories, we can likely expect considerable backlash from the religious right over this issue. I'm not sure if Iowa has a similar ballot initiative process as California and other states, but when those pesky equality provisions in state constitutions get in the way of keeping those gays down in the gutter, so-called religious types will move heaven and earth to "re-define" equality in such constitutions to mean "heterosexual equality only."

Decades from now, we'll be watching as voters in U.S. state after U.S. state repeal those anti-equality provisions in state constitutions passed in these times. But for now, the culture war continues. It's nice to win a major battle.

Worth repeating: Andrew Sullivan's 'Be Not Afraid, Rod'

I came across this post by famed American blogger Andrew Sullivan, in which he responds to an ongoing online argument between gay writer Damon Linker and Christian writer Rod Dreber. The two were debating some pretty deep stuff such as same sex marriage and the attempts by some to normalize homosexuality as a fundamental part of the human family.

Sullivan took objection to several of Dreber's arguments, but most especially this line: "If homosexuality is legitimized -- as distinct from being tolerated, which I generally support -- then it represents the culmination of the sexual revolution, the goal of which was to make individual desire the sole legitimate arbiter in defining sexual truth. It is to lock in, and, on a legal front, to codify, a purely contractual, nihilistic view of human sexuality. I believe this would be a profound distortion of what it means to be fully human."

Sullivan's response, posted earlier this week, is a beautiful read.

Here's a snippet:

"...far from nihilistically renouncing nature, the [gay] marriage movement aims at reclaiming the mantle of nature for homosexuals alongside our heterosexual peers and siblings and parents. We know now that same-gender attraction, bonding and sex is ubiquitous in nature, and almost certainly has some evolutionary explanation. We know too, experientially, that the love cherished by many gay couples is real and beautiful and deeply human. It is not merely "contractual" or "nihilist". It is organic, natural and completing. It is humanizing and it is civilizing. History is full of such relationships, and they stand proudly alongside their heterosexual peers. The reduction of these shared lives and loves to abstract sexual acts is itself a form of bigotry. It is an attempt to reduce the full and complex human being to one aspect of his or her humanness. It is, in my view, anti-Christian to speak of gays the way this Pope does. The Christian calling is not to guard ferociously the ramparts of the 1950s out of fear but to listen to the experiences of gay people - what the Second Vatican Council calls the sensus fidelium - and try to integrate their humanity into the structures from which they have been so cruelly excluded, with such horrible human consequences, for so long.

"It is Rod's self-evident panic at the thought of such an integration that has made some of us sit up and take note. There is some lurking fear that if this form of being human is recognized as equal in the civil sphere, let alone the sacred one, then the entire edifice of heterosexuality and marriage and family will somehow be destroyed or undermined. I do not believe that in any way. And I don't think it's possible to believe that without, at some level, engaging in homophobia - literally an irrational and exaggerated fear that the gay somehow always obliterates the straight, or that 2 percent somehow always controls the fate of 98 percent. This is where paranoia and panic take over. It is where homophobia most feels like anti-Semitism."

Well written, Andrew!

Sweden approves equal marriage...

No, this is not an April Fool's Day joke. Sweden has become the latest country to approve same sex marriage. Six of the seven parties in the Swedish parliament backed a proposal to implement a gender-neutral marriage law starting May 1, 2009. The proposal passed today with a 261 to 22 vote and 16 abstentions. I'm sure fans of Abba will be proud.

Sweden has allowed civil unions for same sex couples since 1995. Now Sweden joins Holland, Belgium, Canada, Spain, South Africa and Norway allowing same sex marriage country-wide. (Massachusetts and Connecticut are the only two American states where equal marriage remains unchallenged, California still pending.)

A little Sunday fun: Ashton Kutcher Gets Waxed...Ouch!

Enough talk about hate crimes, human rights and religion. It's time for a little Sunday fun and who better to provide it than 31-year-old actor/former model Ashton Kutcher, who produced this video detailing his recent waxing. Kutcher had to remove various chest hair recently so he could resemble his smooth stunt double on a new action movie. For more on the European shoot, click here.

For those who love body hair, my apologies. Personally, my feelings on the subject can be summed up simply: "Less is more."

Ugandan propaganda horrifies...

I came across this story on a Ugandan "news" website today by accident. Needless to say, I was horrified by the ignorant display of yellow journalism. The article allegedly chronicles a born-again Christian who claims to have been "cured" of his homosexuality, who now says his fellow gays are "recruiting" children in schools. This article has every single negative stereotype anyone could possibly make up. Of course, it's about a fundamentalist Christian spouting more lies to promote a truly hateful agenda again.

As people who understand the truth know, homosexuals don't recruit kids in schools. It's the heterosexuals who do (remember senior prom?) There are too many young gay kids who need to be protected and allowed the chance to live happily on all continents, including Africa! Shame on this man and the movement that supports and promotes the lie he's leading.

It's amazing how far we've come in some parts of the world, but not in others...

*****UPDATE

Thanks to Bruce for illuminating on another aspect of this Christian extremist invasion of Uganda and parts of Africa...

What do 'Dr. Manhattan' and Paul Rudd have in common?

I saw the new feature film Watchmen the other night. Not being too familiar with the original graphic novel, I went in with an open mind and was mildly entertained (although the running time was about a half hour too long.) Overall, it was decent, but not as entertaining as The Dark Knight last year.

I'll admit that media reports about the character Dr. Manhattan (pictured above) intrigued me, particularly mentions of his frequent full frontal nudity. (The character was played in close-up by actor Billy Crudup, but his full-body shots were essentially computer-generated.) Coming from the same director, Zack Snyder, who gave us the highly homoerotic (some would say homophobic) 300 a couple years ago, I began to connect the dots.

Hollywood superhero movies traditionally objectify women, either in tight leather outfits or sometimes clothes-free (and there was some female nudity in Watchmen for sure). But for a film like Watchmen, opening on thousands of screens across North America, to show so much male frontal imagery, albeit computer generated, is got to be a cultural breakthrough. Deliberate or not, director Snyder has managed to inject an incredible amount of male beauty/homoeroticism into mainstream culture with his last two efforts. Click here to read more.

I've often thought that the dearth of male nudity in mainstream films helped to bolster a culture in North America where most straight men are generally uncomfortable with their own bodies, and definitely uncomfortable with other men's. On the other hand, the bountiful female nudity on display in mainstream culture has had a positive effect on most straight women. We've had to listen to such crud as, "the female form is simply more pleasing to the eye than the male" and "even objective commentators will agree that there is nothing beautiful about the male penis." All were arguments to maintain the sexist status quo in mainstream culture, in which women were frequently objectified and men had all the power.

Such times may indeed be over if Zack Snyder or Paul Rudd (pictured below) have anything to do about it.

Rudd's new film I Love You, Man is the latest in new comedies in which straight male characters get to explore their sweeter, more "gay" sides with possible "bromances." I definitely like this trend. Paul Rudd has been making a habit lately of exploring homoeroticism through comedy. In truth, he's probably just going for the laugh, but he's done it in a way that isn't insulting to gays (at least not in my opinion.)

Rudd recently told Entertainment Weekly: "I always thought I'd be a really good gay guy. I love American Idol. I watch Antiques Roadshow like crazy. Guys like Oscar Wilde, Stephen Fry, Elton John - they're all very bright, with a razor-sharp wit. David Sedaris - who's funnier than David Sedaris? The Saturday Night Live that I hosted was such a gay-heavy show. But it didn't even cross my mind until after. The family that kept kissing each other - I didn't even think of that as being gay... I remember doing interviews for The Object of My Affection, and people would say, 'What was it like to kiss a guy?' Like it was such a shocking thing. I said, How many times does anyone ask, 'You had to shoot somebody. Was that weird?' I love gay guys. I feel pretty gay. I'm certainly not the most macho guy in the room."


For more on Paul Rudd's flirtation with homosexuality, check this out.

The cultural significance of all this is obvious to me: these stories and images are contributing to the dismantling of long-standing sexism and homophobia in the mainstream culture by giving straight guys permission to look at a completely nude Adonis of a man and not feel uncomfortable about it. These filmmakers/artists are liberalizing what it means to be a straight man today. Maybe I'm optimistic, but compared to where we've come from, I do consider this progress.

I want to believe in God, just not their God...

I do want to believe in a higher power. I was raised Catholic and, although I've left that organized faith behind, much of (what I perceive to be) the loving message of Christ still informs my own life.

I do think that a healthy spirituality is essential, at least for me. But I also believe that all organized religion is inevitably corrupt and fallible. People (predominantly men) who seek power in such religious institutions are never to be trusted. Like all things touched by humans, organized religions can never be counted on to be perfect.

So I firmly believe that every person should decide for themselves what they believe and why. But no one should pretend that their faith is infallible and beyond question. You can believe something one day, but then after experiencing more of life you might find you believe quite the opposite. Personal faith should allow for such experience and education. In the end, every human is subjective.

The problem with organized religion is it shuts down individual thought and contemplation. It presents people desperate for answers with an entire menu of "This is what you believe so stop thinking about it and just believe!"

For me, there is too much about the world that is beautiful to believe it all simply came about through random coincidence. I may be a panentheist, but I need to do more research first before I put any label on my beliefs. I do believe that if there is a God, She lives and breathes through every one of us, we are a part of Him at all times. When we die, we unite with God completely. Do I have proof of this? Of course not, it's merely what I choose to believe at this moment. I could change my beliefs next year should I discover new information.

This week's kerfuffle over federal Science Minister Gary Goodyear's initial reluctance to confirm his belief in evolution is a tempest in a teapot. It's true that some commentators will use this to, once again, slam the Harper Conservatives for being too Creationist-heavy. The Tories will deserve such criticism because they aren't a diverse bunch. While most Canadians hold moderate, if any faith, the vast majority of Harper's caucus is still mostly made up of the same Reform Party-type fundamentalists who turned off so many Canadians in the 1990s (and still do today.)

There is nothing wrong with personal faith. It is healthy. But no one can ever forget that faith is fallible and should be amenable to change. But too often the conservative fundamentalists that David Asper defends (at least this year) are unwilling to show such intelligence with regard to religion. Too often they are willing, if they get the power, to abuse others who don't agree with them. Too often they are willing to blur the lines between church and state and implement their own fallible religion into public policy. Fearing such people in higher office is perfectly legitimate, Mr. Asper.

For a great read on this subject, check out John Moore's take in the National Post.

South African gangs use rape to "cure" lesbians

There are so many evil aspects to this disturbing story, it's difficult to list them: rape, violence against women, misogyny, sexism, lesbophobia, homophobia, gang violence, machismo gone mad...

It disturbs me to no end to think there are groups of despicable men - bolstered by odiously macho cultures and attitudes - going around South Africa or anyplace who believe this lie and act on it. I post it here to remind all of us how truly demented and terrible some men can often be. In some circles of the world, this kind of violent thinking is sadly "mainstream."

Enough is enough!

Vancouver Sun: Same-sex marriage no big deal

As Californians and other Americans continue to tie themselves in knots over the issue, the Vancouver Sun printed this article in yesterday's edition: "Same-sex marriage no big deal...Note to Americans: Canada resolved the contentious issue four years ago and the sky did not fall"

Word to the wise.

I see why they call him the "great Cleve Jones"

Here's a speech by gay rights activist Cleve Jones at the Eve of Justice candlelight march and rally in San Francisco on March 4, 2009, the evening before the court case to invalidate Proposition 8 began at the California Supreme Court. Thanks to Scott Dagostino for posting this speech on his Xtra.ca blog today. I thought it ought to be posted here as well.

Cleve Jones is the long-time activist and friend of Harvey Milk who has been an instrumental force in the fight for queer rights since the 1970s. He initiated the famous AIDS quilt. He greatly assisted Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black in lining up interviews with the various people who knew Harvey Milk well so he could write that great gay political rights movie.

Jones' words are inspiring and need to be heard. He's right: no oppressed group has ever achieved their rights without a great struggle and the fight for equality rights continues in the U.S. and elsewhere.

Plus, as Jones says, remember to boycott the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, whose owner Doug Manchester spent $125,000 to put Proposition 8 on the California ballot in the first place.

Marriage equality fight heads back to California Supreme Court

Read about it here and here and here. The issue centers around whether Proposition 8, passed last November by 52% of California voters, is an unjust deprivation of equality rights in that state's constitution.

"What Proposition 8 accomplishes, if it were upheld by this court, is to establish the constitutional principle that a majority can take away a fundamental right from a group defined as a suspect class" that has already suffered a history of discrimination, said Shannon P. Minter, lead counsel for those petitioning the state's high court to invalidate Proposition 8.

Such a profound change should've been approved by the state's legislature before proceeding to a vote, equality supporters argue.

I am so with them on this issue, as regular readers know. Any legal means to stop unjust, legalized discrimination must be taken. The Supreme Court will rule later on the issue.

In the mean time, supporters of equality have launched a campaign against lawyer Ken Starr, who's leading the anti-gay fight in California's court. Starr has said the marriage ban should stand because of the state's role in protecting the welfare of children. The Human Rights Campaign has said of Starr's arguments: "The hypocrisy of "protecting" children by divorcing their parents is unconscionable. Yet this is just one in a parade of outrageous lies by right-wing extremists."

So they've launched the following petition. Click here to sign it.

Gay Asian Oscar viewers outraged at telecast censorship

Towleroad's initial report about anti-gay censorship of recent Oscar re-broadcasts by Asian networks has been confirmed .

It's been reported by mainstream media that STAR, an Asian satellite TV service that says it reaches more than 300 million viewers in 53 countries, cut the sound during Oscar re-broadcasts when winners Dustin Lance Black (pictured) and Sean Penn mentioned "gay" or "lesbian" in their acceptance speeches. Their speeches were shown in full during live broadcasts of the Oscars that were screened across Asia on Monday morning.

The Associated Press story quotes Pang Khee Teik, a prominent Malaysian arts commentator, as saying: "As a gay man, I am truly offended...Stop censoring the words that describe who I am....[The censorship] sent a message...that gays and lesbians are still shameful things to be censored from the public's ears."

Jannie Poon, STAR's Hong Kong-based spokeswoman, stressed that the company had no intention of upsetting any viewers, but said it has "a responsibility to take the sensitivities and guidelines of all our markets into consideration."

What guidelines might those be, I wonder. This is such a shame.

Still, there's no doubt that the queer-positive messages from Black and Penn on Sunday have been heard around the world, as this article attests.

Review: "Crisis: Growing Up Gay In America"

With so much talk this week about Dustin Lance Black's amazing Oscar acceptance speech, in which the openly gay screenwriter briefly detailed his difficult upbringing in a conservative Mormon household in San Antonio, Texas, it's fitting that I share with you some thoughts about a book I recently enjoyed.

"Crisis: 40 Stories Revealing The Personal, Social, and Religious Pain and Trauma of Growing Up Gay In America," edited by Mitchell Gold and released in 2008 by Greenleaf Book Group Press, illuminates the incredible struggles faced by 40 individuals - some well-known and some not so well-known - in accepting their queer identities.

The book contains short essays written by people like Bishop Gene Robinson (the first openly gay Episcopal bishop), Rev. Dr. Mel White, actor Richard Chamberlain, design guru Nate Berkus (of Oprah fame), lesbian activist Rev. Irene Monroe, Candace Gingrich, former New Jersey governor James McGreevey, and many others, with a foreword by tennis star Martina Navratilova.

Writes Navratilova: "As a professional tennis player, when I came out, my focus wasn't on things like losing endorsements or handling the press or even sacrificing personal privacy. The biggest thing on my mind was being true to myself: I realized that I couldn't go on being a champion on the court if I was leaving half of myself off the court. I know some people felt I could have reached my potential without it; but now, looking back, I know I couldn't have."

While some of the essays do tend to cover the same territory, the book itself is an incredible testament to the importance of coming out and learning to love oneself despite the lies constantly pushed by religious fundamentalists and others who claim their God disapproves of homosexuality.

Of particular interest to me was the essay by filmmaker Dan Karslake, who produced last year's documentary For the Bible Tells Me So: "[What] most conservative Christians don't know - or conveniently forget to tell you - is that the Bible says absolutely nothing about homosexuality as we know and understand it today. In fact, the word homosexual didn't even appear in any Bible in any language until 1946! And whether you think Jesus was the Son of God, just another prophet, or even simply a myth, the story of Christ is all about embracing outcasts, not creating them."

Writes Rev. Dr. Mel White: "I believe that the Protestant and Catholic leaders who condemn homosexuality are sincere, but they are sincerely wrong, and their antigay teachings have tragic consequences in the lives of my sisters and brothers. They are responsible for the deaths of many of my sisters and brothers, and they were almost responsible for my own death as well."

Together, the 40 essays convey one underlying message: the damage caused by close-minded, conservative religion in the lives of people must stop! We are lucky to have these 40 essays to read and to share with others. Anyone who is struggling in the closet at this moment would do very well to read this book. Those heterosexual friends and family members who wish to understand better the difficulties faced by those in the closet, Crisis will provide you with much insight, I assure you.

Writes Gene Robinson: "Not a day goes by that I don't think of some teenager fearful and terrified that his secret will lead to his betrayal by those closest to him. Despite all the progress we've made, it still happens today. Young people who do not yet know that God loves them beyond their wildest imaginings are hating themselves, ashamed for who they are. I long to tell them that it will be all right, that they are not an abomination, that they are gloriously made precisely as God wants them to be."

While I doubt this book will reach as wide an audience as did Lance Black on Sunday, Crisis does its part in giving voice to the struggle of coming out in an unenlightened world and how we are all better off being true to ourselves.

Is India censoring 'Milk' from Oscar re-broadcasts?

If this is true, it's outrageous!

Dustin Lance Black's moving Oscar Acceptance Speech last night

Okay it's official: I have a little crush on the very talented and attractive Lance Black, who won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar last night in Los Angeles for his script Milk.

Not only did this fellow screenwriter undertake years of research to write his spec script, without funding or any guarantee of payment, he managed to get the thing sold and produced into the major success that Milk has become. We have a new gay classic on our hands.

But Black's emotional words in his speech last night definitely struck a chord. Anytime words like these get broadcast to millions across the U.S. and the world, we take a collective step forward.

Bravo, Lance! We love you!

The Academy was rather kind to the queer community this year...

Well done. Awarding Penn's performance was the icing on the cake. This is nice contrition for Brokeback's snub, I must say. Congrats to the filmmakers who made Milk (including Oscar winners tonight Sean Penn, pictured, and writer Dustin Lance Black.)

Heath Ledger's win proves there is a God. This was a rivetting Oscars ceremony this year! I especially loved the new way of handing out the acting awards! Bravo!

I love Slumdog Millionaire! See it as soon as you can!

Click here for all the winners.

Good night.