Filmmaker Michael Lucas spoke at Columbia College following an April 23 screening of his 2012 film Undressing Israel: Gay Men in the Promised Land. The New York-based Lucas, known mainly as an adult producer, director and performer, spoke about the difficulties he encountered getting Undressing Israel—which is non-pornographic and addresses issues such as gay marriage, gay parenting, and the Israeli military—financed and put into film festival distribution. He also addressed accusations that he was a player in a “pinkwashing” effort by the Israeli government that attempted to highlight the nation’s progressive attitudes toward LGBT issues in order to draw attention from oppression of Palestinians. Those LGBT rights, Lucas maintained, “were fought for, just like they were fought for in any other country.” His talk was sponsored by Hillel, Students Supporting Israel, Common Ground, Art + Activism, Viva Documentary, A Wider Bridge, Center on Halsted, Gesher Chicago, Temple Sholom of Chicago, Mishkan Chicago, the Jewish National Fund and Jewish United Fund’s Israel Education Center.
Matt Simonette