You may not have heard of him but you probably know him. Albrecht Dürer, the 16th century German artist (who was from many accounts quite gay) did the famous etching ‘Praying Hands.’ The NY Times (9-24) reports on a major show at the Albertina museum in Vienna, including works stolen 200 years ago, to celebrate his contributions to art history. He did ‘… the first self-portraits, the first still lifes with animals, the first nature landscapes, the first female nudes, the first half-length figures and the first Bible stories depicted as events in his own time.’
The same issue of the Times reviews a new Israeli movie, Yossi and Jagger in which two young male army commanders fall in love in a cramped army base on the border between Israel and Lebanon. Jagger, the more ‘sensitive,’ is chased by a female soldier who has the same feelings for him that he has for Yossi. Subtle and well-acted, says the Times.
One can thank whatever higher powers that be that Amina Lawal, the woman in Nigeria sentenced to death for adultery by a Muslim court, was acquitted. However, says The NY Times (9-26), waiting in the wings is a man convicted of sodomy and sentenced to death by stoning by the same type of court.
A recent story on the BBC (9-24) refers to an older story about the star of a Korean children’s TV show, Hon Seok-Ehun, who became the first South Korean public figure to openly admit his homosexuality. Mr. Hong has lost work and was told his image was inappropriate for children. The actor’s case caused considerable debate about sexuality and has even caused the term ‘coming out’ to enter the Korean language.
The Village Voice (9-20) had a long analysis, ‘Queer Eye for the Black Guy’ by Ta Ne-hisi Coates re the failure of conservatives to get out the Black vote. The author says ‘Black people vote like Democrats but on social issues they think like Republicans.’ The latest issue to potentially unite African-Americans and conservatives is the fuss over gay marriage, which apparently is just not a voting issue for African-Americans. To further confuse the argument, James Baldwin and Bayard Rustin, both known to be gay, are ‘seen as pillars of the civil rights movement.’ The Black church is simultaneously ‘homotolerant and homophobic.’ It may, the author suggests, come down to the fact that Black groups of whatever bent are used to petitioning government to fix an ill while conservatives are against the government.