LGBTQIA+

LGBTQIA+

Down to the Wire

Larry Gross / Truthdig Feb 27, 2006 OK, the votes are in and now we all, or those of us who care, will have to wait till March 5 to find out whether the high water mark of the Year of the Queer in Hollywood will have been the nominations sweep by "Brokeback Mountain," Hoffman, Huffman, etc. In other words, did the Academy voters actually mark their ballots for this year's apparent favorites? Will the foxy stalwarts of cable talk shows be proved wrong again? When the Brokeback wave first broke over the industry the predictable consensus of the bloviators was that the "gay cowboy" film would bomb once it ventured outside the coastal enclaves into the heartland, but that it would clean up at that March madness of the lavender left known as the Oscars. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

TD Original

Year of the Queer: Hollywood and Homosexuality

Larry Gross / Truthdig Feb 27, 2006 Truthdig's Larry Gross, a pioneer in the field of gay studies, argues that for all the hoopla surrounding "Brokeback Mountain" and this year's spate of gay-themed films, there is little about them that upends Hollywood conventions or challenges popular ideas about homosexuality. "Hollywood and much of the media may be awash in liberal self-congratulation," Gross writes, "but they--and we--are also soaking in the familiar hypocrisy of homophobia." Update: Down to the WireGross argues that for all the hoopla surrounding "Brokeback Mountain" and this year's spate of gay-themed films, there is little about them that upends Hollywood conventions or challenges popular ideas about homosexuality. Dig deeper ( 22 Min. Read )

Gays Have to Play It Straight in Hollywood

Staff / Truthdig Feb 14, 2006 Sir Ian McKellen says, "It is very, very, very difficult for an American [gay] actor who wants a film career to be open about his sexuality." | story This is exactly what Truthdig's Larry Gross was getting at in "Year of the Queer: Hollywood and Homosexuality." Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

…but Gays Don’t Have To Play it Safe in ‘Warcraft’

Staff / Truthdig Feb 14, 2006 The maker of the insanely popular online game says it was wrong to threaten a user with expulsion for advertising a gay-friendly team. | story People take these online universes seriously; Warcraft has apparently seen its share of gay pride marches. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

LGBTQIA+

The More Things Change…

Larry Gross / Truthdig Feb 8, 2006 In 1983, Ed Asner, then president of the Screen Actors Guild, spoke to the Golden Gate Business Association, a gay and lesbian business and professional organization Asked about his advice to gay and lesbian folk not to come out of the closet in the entertainment industry, Asner replied, "Out of my own gut instinct, I [do] not consider this wise I know that within the gay acting community itself, many of the agents who are aware of the conflict, the bind, the grief that occurs with actors who cannot proclaim their sexual preference, [know] there's a lot of suffering and a desire to be open about it And these agents and actors support me to a very large extent in advising non-publicization" Dig deeper ( 2 Min. Read )

Homosexuality Still a Capital Crime in Iraq

Staff / Truthdig Feb 6, 2006 "What for me is love, unfortunately, is punishable by death," says a remarkably brave Iraqi medical student, speaking on the record and using his real name. Dig deeper ( 1 Min. Read )

Don’t Believe the Hype

Staff / Truthdig Jan 31, 2006 "Brokeback Mountain" may be topping the Oscar charts, but its success has just as much to say about America's homophobic tendencies as it does our homophilic ones.Check back Wednesday for a major new essay on that topic by Truthdig's Larry Gross, a pioneer in the field of gay and lesbian studies. Dig deeper

Love and Loss on Brokeback Mountain

Sheerly Avni / Truthdig Dec 10, 2005 "Brokeback Mountain," winner of four Golden Globes, including Best Dramatic Film, goes beyond gay issues to not only break your heart but wring your soul. Dig deeper ( 3 Min. Read )

Belief & Religion

Inventing Sin: Religion and Homosexuality

Larry Gross / Truthdig Dec 1, 2005 No matter their own scandals, religious institutions through history have a consistent scapegoat: homosexuals. Larry Gross digs into why churches condemn gays to damnation. Religious institutions throughout history have a consistent scapegoat: homosexuals. Gross writes on why gays have been condemned to damnation. Dig deeper ( 21 Min. Read )