Joseph Lovett is the director of the flick Gay Sex in the 70’s, a startling romantic/ realistic view of a time that a reviewer in Salon.com (11/3) called ‘… a period of sexual indulgence unknown since the late Roman Empire.’ Lovett has done numerous films about AIDS: ‘I’ve done my share of equating sex with death.’ He is here concerned with showing that ‘… time of exploration, a time of surprise.’ He also believes, apparently, in turning religious bigots’ weapons against them. Here he is quoting the Bible re their possible opinions of his movie: ‘I was a child during the McCarthy period and I saw what keeping silent did. I do believe about telling the truth about who we are and where we’ve been. I believe the truth will set you free.’ It plays at Chicago’s gay film fest Thursday.
Time (10/10) had a cover story ‘The Battle Over Gay Teens’ which while covering much ground also covered many tracks. (It is really difficult to be nice to gay activists AND to anti-gay religious conservatives.) Prominently mentioned is the Point Foundation, which funds full college scholarships for gay students. Also prominently featured is Exodus, the ‘ex-gay’ Christian group. The article does say that some pro-gay (or at least neutral) ideas seem to be percolating among younger Americans (even conservatives): the age of gay dating has come down (with no big fuss); 57% of a UCLA freshmen survey favored same-sex marriage; books and magazines are published for gay kids; the use of epithets like ‘fag’ has gone way down; there are 3,000 GSA (Gay/Straight Alliances) in high schools (they’re being established at the rate of three per day and the ‘… majority of GSA members are heterosexuals who find anti-gay rhetoric as offensive as racism’). It was good to find out, by the way, that the Point Foundation rode to the rescue of African-American conservative Alan Keyes’ tossed-out-for-her-sexuality-daughter, Maya Marcel-Keyes.
The Chicago Sun-Times (10/30) highlights the Rev. Juan Reed of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Chicago. Reed is openly gay and has revitalized the nearly defunct St. Martin’s. Finding the Roman Catholicism he was ordained in to be too anti-gay, he converted and his new Bishop, William Persell, head of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, is proud of Reed’s recent induction into the Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.
See if you can follow this convoluted but pro-gay story from The NY Times (10/30). The battleship Iowa is due to be moth-balled (i.e. sold for scrap) but Merylin Wong, a comedian-reporter [??] wishes to save it as a San Francisco tourist attraction, but is fighting those who want it sent TO Iowa. A group of gay veterans is touting the idea of a museum on board the ship to honor those, including gays, who served in the military despite hostility toward their service. Stay tuned.