Reflecting on Sundance and the films that really moved me. Love Free or Die about Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopalian church who broke ground for the myriad other clergy who came out as a result. It was powerful. Hearing talk about "the truth will set you free" was so emotionally charged for me. The risks inherent in taking a stand are great when you are the first or one of the first.
Also so moving was Question Bridge: Black Males, an installation in the New Frontier section at Sundance. It's "a transmedia art project that seeks to represent and redefine Black male identity in America. Through video mediated question and answer exchange, diverse members of this "demographic" bridge economic, political, geographic, and generational divisions."
Sitting in the dark with about a dozen other people watching this conversation among black men on five tv monitors was so mesmorizing and profoundly moving. The men are looking directly at you (the camera) asking really hard questions, and talking about what it's like to be black - really talking to each other. It such a privilege to be part of the inner thoughts of these men - who are all ages and come from all walks of life. Men in prison. Men who are clearly very successful. All different shades of black. In total the piece is about three hours long, and I stayed for almost an hour. There's a section of the conversation about being gay and black. I'm not sure how many black men participated in the whole project, but it seemed like 50 or more. Not all were gay. But those who were discussed it, and the theme of "the truth will set you free" was there, too. As well as the risks one takes in coming out. The courage these men embody made me cry.
Being in the closet and coming out. I'm so fascinated by people's decision to come out, how they do it and how it changes their lives. How they feel afterwards. How they find their communities and are able to live their lives more fully, and find their expression and right livelihoods. On one hand it baffles me that our sexuality is such a big deal - that it defines us so profoundly even though sexual activity takes up really such a small amount of our time each day - say relative to work and sleep. On the other hand, it's so core to who we are and everything we do. As the filmmaker Marialy Rivas said, "Sexuality drives everything. The only certainty is death, so everything we do is against that, and sex is one of the things we do. It’s there all the time."
Sometimes, often, I feel like a freak. I've been reading an interesting blog called freaksexual by Pepper Mint, recommended by one of my therapists. Also some great essays on pepperminty.com. Connecting some dots with the queer movement.
Also so moving was Question Bridge: Black Males, an installation in the New Frontier section at Sundance. It's "a transmedia art project that seeks to represent and redefine Black male identity in America. Through video mediated question and answer exchange, diverse members of this "demographic" bridge economic, political, geographic, and generational divisions."
Sitting in the dark with about a dozen other people watching this conversation among black men on five tv monitors was so mesmorizing and profoundly moving. The men are looking directly at you (the camera) asking really hard questions, and talking about what it's like to be black - really talking to each other. It such a privilege to be part of the inner thoughts of these men - who are all ages and come from all walks of life. Men in prison. Men who are clearly very successful. All different shades of black. In total the piece is about three hours long, and I stayed for almost an hour. There's a section of the conversation about being gay and black. I'm not sure how many black men participated in the whole project, but it seemed like 50 or more. Not all were gay. But those who were discussed it, and the theme of "the truth will set you free" was there, too. As well as the risks one takes in coming out. The courage these men embody made me cry.
Being in the closet and coming out. I'm so fascinated by people's decision to come out, how they do it and how it changes their lives. How they feel afterwards. How they find their communities and are able to live their lives more fully, and find their expression and right livelihoods. On one hand it baffles me that our sexuality is such a big deal - that it defines us so profoundly even though sexual activity takes up really such a small amount of our time each day - say relative to work and sleep. On the other hand, it's so core to who we are and everything we do. As the filmmaker Marialy Rivas said, "Sexuality drives everything. The only certainty is death, so everything we do is against that, and sex is one of the things we do. It’s there all the time."
Sometimes, often, I feel like a freak. I've been reading an interesting blog called freaksexual by Pepper Mint, recommended by one of my therapists. Also some great essays on pepperminty.com. Connecting some dots with the queer movement.
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