Conor Leach: The Crazy Side of Queer Connection

Conor Leach

‘Sequin In a Blue Room’ star Conor Leach talks playing a slutty queer teen
By Lawrence Ferber

Watch Sequin In A Blue Room on Amazon Prime

Raging hormones barely explain the behavior of Sequin, a gay 16-year-old high school student who who wears a shirt embossed with glittery discs while hooking up with anonymous guys in the director Samuel Van Grivsen’s audacious, erotic and suspenseful feature debut, “Sequin in a Blue Room.”

Played by Brisbane-raised bisexual actor Conor Leach in a fearless breakout performance, the secretive Sequin lives with his well-meaning, patient single father (Jeremy Lindsay Taylor) while screwing strangers on a strict one-time-only basis (once out the door, he deletes their respective profiles from his hookup app). Yet when Sequin’s invited to a sex party, he connects with a young Black guy (Samuel Barrie) on a level he hasn’t felt before and finds himself wanting seconds. This leads Sequin to break his cardinal rule and meet again with B (Ed Wightman), an older man who can lead him to the mysterious hottie again but soon proves manipulative, dangerous and determined to keep Sequin for himself.

At least in conversation, Leach, comparatively loquacious and well-adjusted, is nothing like the enigmatic Sequin. The actor earned a theater degree at Melbourne’s Victorian College of the Arts in 2017, scored an agent through a graduate showcase, and will next appear in the Aussie TV miniseries “New Gold Mountain.” Here, Leach chats about the film, hookup apps and the status of that sequin shirt.

The films been called a coming-of-age thriller. Do you agree with that description?

Yeah, I think that’s pretty accurate. In the end it’s a film about someone trying to find their way out of loneliness. In that way, it’s “coming-of-gay.” It’s funny, because we filmed so much material that didn’t make it to the final cut that made it more of a drama. But seeing it for the first time I was shocked by how much of a genre film it is. It’s a thriller through and through and amazing to see a queer story told through those conventions.

Can you elaborate on the material that was cut out?

Sam cut out a whole storyline, actually, that aimed to give a little more context around the character. I remember he said he edited the film back to how it originally was in the first draft, which was a thriller, quick and fast, to shock the viewers. Some of the scenes that didn’t make it were beautiful and, in a way, it’s unfortunate they didn’t make it. But the final product, I think, is better for it.

Hello Blu-ray extras! How are you most like Sequin?

I struggle with this question, because I get asked how I relate to the character a lot, but I think part of acting is [thinking] nothing that this human [I’m playing] does is alien to me. If I was in these circumstances, I would do these things. But what I related to most was he just fears loneliness and a lot of us are afraid to admit that. I look back on who I was when I was 16, and I needed connection and love and we all still do, and I also wanted to appear strong and resilient. He wants to appear he has everything under control, and I definitely wanted to seem that way.

Conversely, how are you most unlike Sequin? Clearly youre not as economical, shall we say, with your words!

Yeah, I was watching the film thinking, “Sequin just does not speak! Use your words!” I’d say I’m more of a rule abider. I don’t like to rock the boat. On the surface I’m much more subservient to authority, and I can’t see myself doing anything as reckless as Sequin when I was 16.

I assume that means you werent trolling the apps during high school, either.

No. I was a goody-goody. I was a teacher’s pet! On the surface I was very different.

Why does Sequin cut people off, both the guys he hooks up with and even his own father, whom he keeps in the dark about what hes up to despite the guys clear desire to love, understand and protect his son?

While we were shooting I developed a detailed backstory that shined a light on how Sequin became like this. I wanted to know what happened and what motivated his actions. I genuinely can’t remember too much now, but I think Sequin loves the power it gives him. The sense of being desired after the encounter. You see that in the scene with B, when B says, “I’d love to see you again,” and Sequin says, “I don’t really see people twice,” and B asks, “Is that everyone or just me?” Sequin gets off on that, and it’s exactly what he wants. The sense of power and control it gives him — the sense of power that’s been robbed of him in other aspects of his life, I guess.

I read that Sam had his own idea of Sequins backstory and you compared notes after shooting and they differed wildly.

Sam never actually talked to me in too much detail about his vision for the character’s past. My imagining of Sequin’s upbringing was quite different in terms of the amount of privilege he had, his relation with his mum, even what his real name is. He gave me that creative license. I remember explaining my ideas to him after the film and he was like, “Oh my goodness, I would have been worried if you expressed all this to me before the shoot!” But that’s all work the audience doesn’t need to see. That’s for the actor. So I was very thankful we didn’t need to speak of it during the shoot.

To prepare for the role, did you spend a lot of time on hookup apps or ask friends about their crazier app experiences?

Yeah, I definitely looked into it. Oh goodness me. I heard some absolute doozies.

Would you be amused to learn that someone had a profile with your photo and Sequins name on Grindr now?

(Laughs.) Power to them. You do you.

Youre wearing a nice ochre-toned sweater today, Conor, but Ive got to ask: Wheres the sequin shirt, and do you ever pull it out on occasion?

I did _not_ keep it. Sam kept it and lost it — for a little while, it went missing — but it was so smelly and rancid. I cannot stress enough: It was rank, because it couldn’t be washed! It was meticulously sequined and lined; it was so stinky. But Sam keeps it hidden away so people don’t convulse, I guess!

Sequin gave off a mermaid vibe, almost, by wearing that shirt. And theres even a bit where B discovers one of its scales left behind on the bed. What was the intent?

It’s kind of an abstract choice that asks the audience to have their own associations and resonances. I very much developed my own backstory of how he might have come across this shirt or made it, but I don’t think I regarded it in quite that abstract associative way. They had it made for the film, though. It was still being finished on day one of the shoot! It took ages!

Has the film caused any controversy in Australia because the character is 16 and already has a prolific sex life? After all, the country has seen waves of moral panic about teenage sexuality over the years, notably some specifically over the work of acclaimed photographer Bill Henson.

I don’t think it’s caused controversy. I know there are people in Australia who wouldn’t like it. But we’ve been thrilled with the response it’s had in Australia. The conversations it’s started are amazing. Festival screenings are incredible. When I read the script, I thought, “I haven’t read something this bold and ambitious, let alone in Australia.” There’s still deep, deep conservatism here, so I’m very proud of how the film addressed something that needs to be addressed.

Watch Sequin In A Blue Room on Amazon Prime

It’s Called Polyamory

Tamara Pincus: It's Called Polyamory

It’s Called “Polyamory”: Coming Out About Your Nonmonogamous Relationships

The time has come to tell your friends and family about your preference for nonmonogamy. You’re on the cusp of self-liberation—so why does it feel so daunting, or even scary, like you’re about to confess to some sinister transgression? This is normal. You are not alone. Even in progressive families and communities, people who practice nonmonogamy are susceptible to misinformation and accusations of moral and emotional failings. Facing this requires its own coming out and education process.

Let this book be your roadmap for explaining the expansive intricacies of the consensual nonmonogamy spectrum. Tamara Pincus and Rebecca Hiles fuse personal experience and community research to break down the various incarnations of polyamorous relationship structures, the intersections of polyamory with race and gender, and the seemingly esoteric jargon of the lifestyle. If you absolutely have to explain what a “unicorn hunter” is to your auntie, Tamara has you covered.

“Can poly people raise children? Can they live normal, healthy lives?” Such questions, grounded in myths typical of those faced by sexual minorities, are eloquently answered, and the real dangers of being out as poly in a monogamy-centered society are frankly laid bare.

No matter the conversation you’re going in, It’s Called “Polyamory” helps you come out confident.

Get this book now on Amazon. Follow the link below

It’s Called “Polyamory”: Coming Out About Your Nonmonogamous Relationships

Raising Rosie: Parenting an Intersex Child

Raising Rosie

Get this book on AmazonRaising Rosie

When their daughter Rosie was born, Eric and Stephani Lohman found themselves thrust into a situation they were not prepared for. Born intersex – a term that describes people who are born with a variety of physical characteristics that do not fit neatly into traditional conceptions about male and female bodies – Rosie’s parents were pressured to consent to normalizing surgery on Rosie, without being offered any alternatives despite their concerns.

Part memoir, part guidebook, this powerful book tells the authors’ experience of refusing to have Rosie operated on and how they raised a child who is intersex. The book looks at how they spoke about the condition to friends and family, to Rosie’s teachers and caregivers, and shows how they plan on explaining it to Rosie when she is older. This uplifting and empowering story is a must read for all parents of intersex children.

Get this book on Amazon: Raising Rosie

Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die

Before I start talking about dave ring you should know that the lower case ‘d’ and lower case ‘r’ in his name are intentional. That’s how he spells his name. If the choice strikes you as understated, or even humble, then it is an appropriate introduction. to the person.

dave ring is the chair of the OutWrite LGBT Book Festival. For someone who has contributed so much, he is indeed humble, and, more importantly an individual who constantly centers and uplifts a wide variety of authors. While I may have founded the festival years ago, it is volunteers like Dan Vera, Julie Enszer, and currently dave ring who have been the heart and soul of this event, which has become the biggest and most diverse celebration of queer literature on the East Coast.

dave has stories featured or forthcoming in a number of publications, including Speculative City, GlitterShip, and A Punk Rock Future. He is the publisher and managing editor of Neon Hemlock Press, as well as the editor of Broken Metropolis: Queer Tales of a City That Never Was from Mason Jar Press.

His most recent project is an anthology of post-apocalyptic short stories entitled “Glitter + Ashes: Queer Tales of a World That Wouldn’t Die”. dave writes ” Our aim is to feature speculative stories that explore ramifications of the apocalypse through queer narratives. We want queer stories and we want trans stories and we want indefinable stories.  We will welcome a broad interpretation of the post-apocalyptic genre; we’ll want to finds scraps of hope in every ruined future.”

This project is being funded on Kickstarter. I hope you will join me in supporting this project by ordering an advance copy of the book online today.

Click here to visit the Kickstarter Page for Glitter + Ashes

Find out more about my friend Dave Ring at www.dave-ring.com

Grindr and Pop Star, LGBTQ activist, Pabllo Vittar Announce New Partnership

Pabllo Vittar

Grindr and Brazilian drag queen, pop star and activist Pabllo Vittar have announced a partnership to develop and offer exclusive content to the Grindr user community.

The partnership will include exclusive Grindr and Pabllo Vittar video content and the release of new music to Grindr users before it’s available to the general public. Grindr and Vittar will also work together to identify a project to support the LGBTQ community as part of the campaign. The partnership comes as Grindr celebrates a decade of helping users in virtually every country in the world to connect, thrive, and express their authentic selves.

“Arguably the most famous drag queen in the world, Pabllo is an inspiration to millions of people around the world. She stands for authenticity and empowerment through her work and her personal convictions – virtues we celebrate here at Grindr every day,” said Alex Black, product marketing manager, Grindr. “Ours is a natural partnership as Grindr continues to be on the cutting edge of culture and evolve to provide our users with new and rewarding experiences.”

The first drag queen to be nominated for a Grammy, Vittar was named one of the faces of a recent Coca-Cola campaign, and has collaborated with a number of high-profile musical acts like Major Lazer, Charli XCX, Sofi Tukker, Anitta, and Diplo. This year she will headline six gay pride events in the U.S. 

“I’m super excited about this partnership with Grindr. It will help me connect to more people and spread my music and love in a totally different and spectacular way,” said Vittar. “Can’t wait to show everyone the amazing things Grindr and I have in store!”

The collaborative video content will be released in the lead up to Pride Month via the Grindr app and the company’s YouTube account, along with an exclusive in-app premiere of new material from Vittar’s forthcoming third, full-length album.

Conversion Therapy Documentary Available on Amazon

The Sunday Sessions

A new documentary exploring Conversion Therapy by Baltimore Director Richard Yeagley is now available on Amazon, ITunes, Kanopy, and DVD.

THE SUNDAY SESSIONS is an intimate portrait of one man’s struggle to reconcile his religious conviction and sexual identity. The observational documentary chronicles the turbulent journey of Nathan as he attends conversion therapy in hope of changing his sexual orientation. Conversion therapy is the controversial, non-scientifically based process which aims to convert an individual’s sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual.

Yeagley states: “Seeing a man similar in age to me struggle with his sexual orientation, as well as his identity in general, was a struggle to witness. No individual in modern times should ever feel the need to hide or change their sexual identity. But unfortunately, and quite tragically, there are many communities in America and across the globe where intolerance is pervasive. In this film, I was exposed to such communities. “

Although it has been discredited by all major American medical, psychiatric, psychological and professional counseling organizations, some therapists still offer the service for reasons almost exclusively rooted in a conservative religious belief system. The filmmakers had unfettered access to these secretive and controversial therapy sessions and have crafted an emotional and psychological drama which
chronicles two years of Nathan’s journey.

Find out more at www.thesundaysessionsmovie.com.

Jen Bartel Launches LGBTQ Artist Mentorship at Flame Con

Jen Bartel

Co-creator and Artist of BLACKBIRD Announces Artist Collaboration

Flame Con, created by the LGBTQ non-profit Geeks OUT, is announcing the debut of an artist mentorship program, created and led by illustrator and comic artist, Jen Bartel. The program will launch at Flame Con where Bartel will mentor and guide two artists through the process of preparing to table at a comic convention.

“When I was invited to Flame Con as a guest this year, I began to think about ways that I could give back to help other artists succeed, and I decided that a community driven show like Flame Con was the perfect convention to launch a mentorship program,” said Bartel, “I’d like to share the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained over the past few years with newcomers—my hope is that it will help foster a culture of sharing information and that the artists I work with will pass on what they learn to others.”

The artists will be selected through an application process, of which only accepted half table lottery submissions will be eligible. Two artists will be selected by Bartel with the help of experienced convention organizer Andrea Demonakos, with the goal of financially supporting and preparing the artists to table at Flame Con. Upon selection, Bartel will work with each artist and guide them in the process of selecting vendors, product development, creating promotional materials, and more.

“We were so excited when Jen approached us with the idea of launching an artist mentorship at Flame Con”, said Nicole Gitau, Geeks OUT President & Special Guests Lead for Flame Con. “Flame Con has always been an event by our community and for our community. Seeing creators come together to celebrate each other’s work and support each other’s careers has been absolutely inspiring over the last four years. Artistic and economic solidarity is vital in this cultural climate and we couldn’t be happier to see relationships like these bloom at the convention. We cannot wait to see the final product of Jen’s mentorship and hope it lives on beyond Flame Con.”

Eligibility is limited to vendors who have been selected for a half table at Flame Con and have an active portfolio to share. Applications for the mentorship are open from March 1, 2019 through March 20, 2019. Acceptances will go out on March 25, 2019 with the mentorship beginning in April. To apply, please visit: www.jenbartel.com/mentorship.

Tickets for Flame Con are available now via Eventbrite, with full weekend and individual day tickets for sale. For more information on Flame Con, please visit www.flamecon.org and for more information on Geeks OUT, please visit www.geeksout.org.

The LGBT History of the Congresional Cemetery

LGBT History of the Congressional Cemetery

History comes to life in Congressional Cemetery.  The creak and clang of the wrought iron gate signal your arrival into the early decade of our national heritage.   Surrounding you are the men and women who shaped the new capital and gave substance to the new national – congress member and trade-workers, diplomats and domestic workers, explorers and architects, soldiers and musicians.

Congressional Cemetery, currently led by gay President Paul K. Williams, is believed to be the world’s only cemetery with a LGBT Section.  Although earlier LGBT burials are located in historic Congressional Cemetery, the LGBT corner began in 1988 with Leonard Matlovich.  In the 1980s and 1900s, when the AIDS crisis gripped the LGBT Community, HCC was one of the few cemeteries in the nation that would inter AIDS victims.  The cemetery’s policy of encouraging interesting, unique, and poignant headstones and inscriptions has led to efforts to educate future LGBT individuals of the struggles their forbears experiences.  The Congressional Cemetery is an active cemetery with many members of the LGBT community currently buying plots, and is the future site of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit LGBT Veterans Memorial.

Here are some of the many LGBT individuals remembered in this cemetery:

1. Cliff Anchor (1936-2000)

Born in Waterloo, England, Anchor immigrated to Canada at age 17 and changed his name to Michael Erickson.  He became a U.S. citizen in 1966.  In the early 1960s, Anchor moved to San Francisco to work in radio and began KRJB-FM radio in Monte Rio, CA, the first station in the country to air the National Gay Network News.  Anchor joined the California National Guard in 1973, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel.  In 1979, he met his friend Leonard Matlovich and moved to Guerneville, CA.  Anchor joined the California National Guard in 1973, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel.  In 1979, he met his friend Leonard Matlovich and moved to Guerneville, California.  Anchor came out and reclaimed his birth name in 1988.  He was an advocated for gay rights within the U.S. Military, worked with AVER and San Francisco’s gay Alexander Hamilton American Legion Post 448, and was featured in the books One Million Strong and Conduct Unbecoming.  While a memorial bench is placed in the Congressional Cemetery, it is not believed that Anchor’s remains are interred here.

2. Peter Doyle (1843-1907)

Peter Doyle, a veteran of the Confederate Army, is believed by historians to have been the greatest love of gay American poet Walt Whitman.  Doyle and Whitman met in Washington, D.C. on the horse-drawn streetcar for which Doyle was the conductor.  Doyle later recalled, “we were familiar at once – I put my hand on his knee – we understood.  He did not get out at the end of the trip – in fact he went all the way back with me.”

Doyle and Whitman exchanged several letters and postcards.  In his notebooks, Whitman referred to Doyle using the code “16.4” a reference to the numerical order of Doyle’s initials.  Whitman wrote in one letter to him, “I will imagine you with your arm around my neck saying Good night, Walte – & me – Good night, Pete.”

3. Ken Dresser (1938-1995)

Ken Dresser was considered by many to be one of the best large-scale graphic designers in the world.  He was best known for his work with Disney, including Spectromagic, the Main Street Electric Parade, and Epcot’s Electric Water Pageant.  Dresser also worked with Dennis Despie as part of the company Select Productions, which was involved with such events as presidential inaugurations and Super Bowl half-time shows.  Dresser event wrote an an episode of “Homocide” in 1973.

4. Charles Fowler (1931-1995)

Charles Fowler was an arts educator, writer, and director of National Cultural Resources.  He was a guest professor at several American universities and consistently urged teachers to experience their work with students as creative encounters: alive, inventive, and filled with mutual discovery.  Fowler served as editor of the Music Educators Journal from 1964 to 1971.  He donated his papers to the University of Maryland, stating “I was not satisfied as a teacher with merely passing on the culture.  I wanted a role in creating it.  The classroom is not just a place for learning about yesterday, but a laboratory for inventing tomorrow.”

5. John Frey (1929-1997) & Peter Morris (1929-2010)

John Frey and Peter Morris met at the piano bar/restaurant called the Chicken Hut on H Street near Lafayette Park, the then-most popular establishment for gay males, while students at Catholic University.  Frey was a Fulbright Scholar, a professor of Romance Languages at George Washington University, and author of books on Victor Hugo and Emile Zola.  Morris was an expert French cook and on the Board of Directors of the gay Catholic organization Dignity, for which he coauthored a community cookbook.  They utilized their monument for frequent picnics, and encouraged others to do so after their death.

6. Barbara Gittings (1932-2008) and Kay Tobin Lahusen (1930-)

Barbara Gittings and Kay Tobin Lahusen were partners in life and activism for 46 years.  Gittings was known as the mother of the modern gay rights movement for her tireless work that included founding the New York chapter of the Daughers of Bilitis, the first US lesbian rights organization, in 2958, editing its pioneering magazine, The Ladder, between 1963 and 1966, leading the first gay caucus of a national professional organization, the American Library Association, and creating the first widely distributed bibliography of gay-positive books, and helping convince the American Pschiatric Association that homosexuality was not a mental illness.  Together they participated in several of the earliest gay rights demonstrations, and were especially close to Frank Kameny as evidenced by inclusion of his famous slogan “Gay is Good” on their memorial bench.  Lahusen was the first out photojournalist, documenting many of those historic events, cofounded New York’s Gay Activist Alliance, wrote for a number of gay periodicals, and authored 1972’s The Gay Crusaders, the first book profiling movement leaders.

7. Henry A. Gordon (1947-1993)

Henry Gordon held a degree in sociology from The George Washington University, a master’s degree in sociology from the University of North Carolina, and a doctorate in the same discipline from the University of Maryland.  He worked for Radio Free Europe, spending a year as a public opinion researcher in Munich, for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights from 1978 -1983 and for the U.S. Department of Education beginning in 1984 as a statistician in the department’s National Center for Education Statistics, where he worked with information regarding the Office of Civil Rights.  Gordon was a member of both the American Sociological Association and the Association of Applied Sociology.

8. Dandridge Featherston Hering (1924-2012)

Dandridge Featherston Hering graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1947 and subsequently served 20 years in the US Army.  He, along with his partner of 43 years, Joel Leenaars (1935-), was a member of one of San Francisco’s earliest gay rights groups, the Society for Individual Rights.  Hering and Leenaars were founding members of the earliest known gay boat club, San Francisco’s Barbary Coast Boating Club, and Hering was also a member of Service Academy Gay & Lesbian Alumni, and Knights Out, the association of gay West Point Graduates.

9. Franklin E. Kameny (1925-2011)

Franklin Kameny was known as the father of the modern gay rights movement.  Friend and fellow activist Kay Lahusen (#6) once said, “We all did a lot, but all roads led to Frank.  He was behind everything.”  in 1957, after his sexuality was discovered, Kameny was fired from his job at a US Army Map Service astronomer.  He became the first known gay person to legally fight his dismissal by the federal government when he appealed to the Supreme Court, which refused to review his case.  Kameny was a cofounder of the Mattachine Society of Washington, the Gay and Lesbian Activists Alliance, and the Gertrude Stein Democratic Club.  He led the first gay rights protests at the White House, Pentagon, State Department, Civil Service Commission, and Independence Hall, was the first openly gay congressional candidate, was involved in the declassification of homosexuality as a mental illness, and was involved in Leonard Matlovich’s case against the military ban on gay service members.  He often said he most wanted to be remembers for coining the then-unprecedented slogan “Gay is Good” in 1968; something many other gays then either did not believe themselves or were unwilling to publicly declare.

10. Leonard Matlovich (1943-1988) 

Leonard Matlovich was an Air Force Vietnam War veteran, and recipient of the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.  In 1975, the Technical Sergeant purposely outed himself to challenge the military’s banon gay service.  He became the first named gay person on the cover of a mainstream magazine, and the first living gay subject of a made-for-TV movie.  Though his lawsuit failed to end the ban, the court ordered his reinstatement in 1980 after the Air Force refused to explain why he should not be retained under a then-possible exception policy.  Knowing they would create another reason to discharge him, and having become a movement leader against Anita Bryant and others, he accepted a settlement instead.  In addition to beginning a national discussion on gay rights, his case resulted in a new Pentagon policy that those kicked out simply for being gay should receive an Honorable discharge, and inspired subsequent lawsuits and countless people to come out.  Before his death in 1988, he attempted to create a memorial to Harvey Milk in Historic Congressional Cemetery, forced Northwest Airlines to reverse its ban on passengers with AIDS, and was arrested in front of San Francisco’s Federal Building and the White House protesting the Reagan Administration’s response to AIDS.  He designed his gravestone as a memorial to all gay veterans, and its internationally known epitaph was repeatedly quoted in the long battle to end the ban.  His presence here led directly to others choosing Historic Congressional Cemetery, and his gravesite has been the site of numerous events in addition to ban protests including Veterans Day observances, the DC Front Runners Annual Pride Run, and the marriage of Gay Iraq veteran Stephen Snyder-Hill infamously “‘booed’ during a 2011 Republican presidential primary debate, and his partner Josh.

11. William Boyce Mueller (1942-1993)

William Boyce Mueller was a grandson of Boy Scouts of America founder William D. Boyce.  The Boy Scouts were infamous for their ban on gay scouts and leaders.  Mueller was involved in the 1991 founding of the Forgotten Scouts, the first lobby organization dedicated to ending the ban.  He said, “I don’t think my grandfather would have wanted me excluded from Scouting just because of my sexual orientation.  My grandfather would not have tolerated discrimination.  He founded the Boy Scouts for all boys, not just for some.  I realized that if people like me don’t take a stand, the world isn’t going to change.

12. Frank O’Reilly (1921-2001)

Frank O’Reilly was a World War II Veteran who held a Ph.D. in International Relations.  O’Reilly wrote as a music critic for The Washington Times, contributed to Musical America magazine and American Record Guide, and was a founder of the Charles Ives Centennial Festival and the American Chopin Foundation, the sponsor of an annual Chopin piano competition.    He once said, “During my eventfull lifeetime the only honest and truthful ending of the Pledge of Allegiance was “with Liberty and Justice for SOME.”

13. Thomas “Gator” Swann (1958-)

Thomas “Gator” Swann is a Marine Corps veteran who has worked for civil rights and political causes since 1972.  He is legally blind, due to AIDS, fought against the military’s “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy and works for AIDS awareness.  Swann won a discrimination lawsuit against the US Navy that now protects gay civilian employees of the military and helped create the first memorial dedicated to LGBT veterans, located in Desert Memorial Park near Palm Springs, California.  On the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau Nazi Concentration camp, he organized a wreath laying ceremony at Congressional Cemetery involving the military unit that liberated Dachau.  His nickname is based on his love for the University of Florida Gators.  A Roman Catholic, he was blessed by Pope John Paul II.  Swann is still living and is an LGBT Activist.

14. Emanuel “Butch” Ziegler (1951-2009)

Emanuel “Butch” Ziegler (1951-2009) worked as an elementary school teacher in Bel Air, MD for 12 years before joining his friend John Heikel as a co-owner of a teleprompting company, Capitol Prompting Service.  Thanks to Ziegler’s work ethic and ability to put clients at ease, he became of the most popular prompters in the nation.  The company has served Heads of State, major coproprations, and others in the Washington, DC metro area for over 30 years.

Help Gay Russian Asylum Seeker Pursue His Art

Support Andrey Nasanov

Please read this message from my friend and Russian Asylum seeker Andrey Nasonov.  Visit his gofundme page to read the complete story and support his dream of becoming an artist.

As many of you already know, three years ago I moved to the US. Political asylum. You can read about it here Beaten for Being Gay in Russia – Andrey’s Story , here Gay asylum seeker flees violence in Putin’s Russia or here Escape from Russia: My Independence Day

Now I look back and try to examine the first three years that I’ve spent in the USA. Certainly, these were some of the most difficult and interesting years in my life. I can talk about them a lot … But I’ll go straight to the main point.

I do not regret that I chose this path. But I still look at the years I’ve spent in the United States with a serious amount of regret. I have not lived these three years as I could have. I did not do what I could have done. Life difficulties forced me to include a “self-preservation regime”, which was based solely on my fear. On a fear of being without money, on a fear of being without a roof over my head or a piece of bread, on a fear of being without friends or even without my husband. On a fear of losing myself or losing my life. I found a job, which was extremely hard for me, for a very small amount of money (by American standards). I could not find other options. Of course, because of that, I was very unhappy. And, slowly but surely, it was killing me. For a year and a half, I lived in an endless cycle of “work-house-tears at night and fatigue”.

At some point, I realized that this work almost broke me. And now I am in the process of making perhaps one of the most important decisions of recent years. The kinds of decisions that turn life into a different direction. I hope that it will not be a mistake and that in due time I will remember this time with a pleasant smile on my face.

I love to draw. I really love to draw. Moreover, almost everything I’ve drawn in the US over these three years has already been sold. I will not be too modest now. I finally realized that my drawings are something that people really like, that can be sold. They give me not only moral satisfaction but also money. And this really can become my life’s work.

I’ve had enough of living with the permanent feeling of «I hope very soon everything will change!». It will not happen until I do something about it. My strengths and my ambitions for this are quite enough. I know.

I’m quitting my job. This is a very serious decision, despite all the emotionality of the text you read now. And despite all the sadness in my life now. In August of this year, I will open my business and will start working as a full-time artist.

I have an incredible opportunity to open my own art studio. Yes, I will be the happiest person in the world. I will finally start doing what I really like. I will become an independent and confident person.

Why am I writing to you about this? I want to ask you for support. Informational or financial. I ask you to tell your friends about the Artist Who Dreams. I ask you to support me at this initial stage of my work. The opening of the art studio is a very costly undertaking both in terms of the efforts made and financially. Any $5 of yours brings me closer to my dream. To everyone that makes a donation, I promise a personal surprise – something very, very interesting! Yes, yes, it’s certainly about my drawings 😉

Click here to make a donation and support Andrey’s Dreams







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10 Best LGBTQ Films of 2016

Let’s face it, 2016 was not the best year for all of us, but before we move on to 2017, let’s take a look at some of the good things that happened. Here are some of my favorite LGBTQ films that were released in 2016. Several of these films were featured at the Reel Affirmations Film Festival held every year in Washington DC. I’ve included my 10 favorite movies & documentaries from 2016 but of course, this is not an exhaustive list. Share your favorite queer films in the comment section below.

Moonlight


A young man deals with his dysfunctional home life and comes of age in Miami during the “War on Drugs” era. The story of his struggle to find himself is told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love while grappling with his own sexuality.

Uncle Howard


Howard Brookner was buried on his thirty-fifth birthday in 1989. He was gay; an Ivy League graduate; broke artist; rising Hollywood star; heroin user; jet-setter; bohemian; seedy nightlife lover; director of cult docs; an honest and devoted friend – he was many things to many people. To director Aaron Brookner, he was a loving and inspirational uncle who died of AIDS when Aaron was only seven, right when Howard was on the brink of a promising filmmaking career. Uncle Howard is an intertwining tale of past and present, the story of filmmaker Howard Brookner whose work captured the late 70’ s and early 80’s cultural revolution – and his nephew’s personal journey 25 years later to discover his uncle’s films and the legacy of a life cut short by the plague of AIDS.

Tangerine


It’s Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee (newcomer Kitana Kiki Rodriguez) is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend (James Ransone, STARLET, “Generation Kill”) hasn’t been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra (newcomer Mya Taylor), embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity. Director Sean Baker’s prior films (STARLET, PRINCE OF BROADWAY) brought rich texture and intimate detail to worlds seldom seen on film. TANGERINE follows suit, bursting off the screen with energy and style. A decidedly modern Christmas tale told on the streets of L.A., TANGERINE defies expectation at every turn.

LOEV


When hot shot, Wall Street dealmaker Jai thinks of putting some pleasure into his 48 hour business trip to Mumbai, Sahil, his young, music-producer friend, drops everything, including his reckless boyfriend Alex, to help him execute the perfect getaway. Hiking the hills and canyons of Maharashtra, amidst half-attempted conversations and sudden silences, business calls and old jokes, the friends discover there is more than just time-zones keeping them apart. Things take another turn when Alex shows up with a new male-companion at his side, throwing up old conflicts and bringing unanswered questions to the fore.

Free CeCe


On her way to the store with a group of friends, Chrishaun Reed “CeCe” McDonald was attacked. In fighting for her own life, a man was killed. After a coercive interrogation, CeCe was incarcerated in a men’s prison in Minnesota. An international campaign to free CeCe garnered significant support from media and activists, including actress and executive producer Laverne Cox. Laverne uses her platform to explore the roles race, class, and gender played in CeCe’s case.

Suited


SUITED follows its subjects—clients seeking a personalized experience—into the minimalist office space of Bindle & Keep, a bespoke tailoring company based in Brooklyn that caters to a diverse LGBTQ community and looks beyond the gender binary, creating custom-made suits for gender-nonconforming and transgender clients. Clothier duo Rae and Daniel take a holistic approach to their work, considering each client’s personal narrative, which becomes inextricable from the creation of the perfect suit.

Strike a Pose


In 1990, seven young male dancers – 6 gay, 1 straight – joined Madonna on her most controversial tour. On stage and in the iconic film Truth or Dare they showed the world how to express yourself. Now, 25 years later, they reveal the truth about life during and after the tour. Strike a Pose is a dramatic tale about overcoming shame and finding the courage to be who you are.

Women who Kill


Commitment phobic Morgan and her ex-girlfriend Jean are locally famous true crime podcasters obsessed with female serial killers. There’s a chance they may still have feelings for each other, but co-dependence takes a back seat when Morgan meets the mysterious Simone during her Food Coop shift. Blinded by infatuation, Morgan quickly signs up for the relationship, ignoring warnings from friends that her new love interest is practically a stranger. When Jean shows Morgan proof that Simone may not be who she says she is, Morgan accuses Jean of trying to ruin the best thing that’s ever happened to her. But as she and Simone move into commitment territory, Morgan starts to notice red flags — maybe Jean was right and Simone isn’t as perfect as Morgan’s made her out to be.

Pushing Dead


Pushing Dead is a warm and magnetic comedy drama from Director Tom E. Brown. The film follows a struggling poet and writer named Dan Schauble (played by James Roday), who has been HIV positive for 22 years. He splits his San Francisco flat with his dear friend Paula (Robin Weigert), who is more like a sister than a friend to Dan.

Forbidden: Undocumented and Queer in Rural America


Growing up in rural North Carolina, Moises Serrano fell in love with a country that refused to recognize his full humanity – both as an undocumented immigrant and as a gay man. The documentary project Forbidden follows Moises’ personal journey as an activist fighting for the American Dream.

 

Best LGBT Films of 2016
Best LGBT Films of 2016