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There But for the
There But for the
Ali Smith | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
10
6.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
There but for the.....
I don't know what it is about Ali Smith's books, but whatever it is, it keeps me coming back for more. Is it the wit? Because there's plenty of that in here. Perhaps it's the way that she looks at people's lives? Because she writes from a female child's perspective as well as a 59 year old gay man's and an elderly woman's with equal believability.
And let's face it - who hasn't wanted to walk upstairs and shut the door on the world from time to time? That's what Miles does in this book. His actions affect not just the homeowners, but also those in the wider world: neighbours, friends and complete strangers who feel that they understand his motivations (or they don't understand them, but they feel they should support him).
I loved this book.
  
Queer Eye - Season 1
Queer Eye - Season 1
2018 | Documentary
Feel Goof Fun
Yaaaaaas Queen! Such a lovely program. Every episode, the Fab Five take a person (gay, strait, undecided, it don matter!) And give them a makeover. But this is not just any makeover, they cover hair, clothes, home, diet and emotions. Each member if the 5 is in charge of a different element, and they get to the rout of the person's issues, address them, and work with them to turn their life around.
These are usually people who have been through it, who have been sposered by family or friends who want to help.
They seem to care so much, realy take care of them, and have fun with it!
This was my go to program while I had the pregnancy blues, and I found it so uplifting, though I did tear up on occasion.
Love love LOVE it!
  
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Troye Sivan recommended Moulin Rouge! (2001) in Movies (curated)

 
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
Moulin Rouge! (2001)
2001 | Drama, Musical, Romance

"The first film is Moulin Rouge! — weird because I’m seeing Nicole Kidman later today, not to brag. I’m pretty stoked about that. I first saw it at a family friend’s house and they put it on for me because they thought I’d like it, they knew that I liked music. But the first 10 minutes of that movie are absolute chaos, like full-fledged chaos. So, I was like, I hate this, I don’t know what this is. I gave it a second try and watched it through the first 10 minutes and then the story started to come together and it became my favorite movie. I love that movie so much. I love the visuals, love the music in it, and just yeah, it spoke to my little gay heart when I was a kid."

Source
  
The Boys Volume 2: Get Some
The Boys Volume 2: Get Some
Garth Ennis | 2008 | Comics & Graphic Novels
8
7.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
A side-step for the second and third story arcs
The second volume of the graphic novel series combines two distinct story arcs. These do not follow on from the issues with The Seven, or the conflict with Teenage Kix, and this kind of stands out from the first issue.
The first arc follows Butcher and Hughie trying to find out how a young gay man met his death, and has hilarious moments, mainly surrounding the Batman-esque Tek-Knight.
The second arc sees the team take a trip to Russia and uncover a plot to overthrow the government.
Both stories have the same feel of the first arc, but they feel like something of a distraction, and not much is done to build up the tension with The Seven (other than starting to uncover the CIA's reluctance to take Vought-American down).
  
Freeheld (2015)
Freeheld (2015)
2015 | Drama
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Based on a true story about Detective Lauren Hester (Julianne Moore) who is dying of cancer and her life-partner Stacie Andree (Ellen Page, who “came out” herself last year), and their fight for their civil rights against the “Freeholders Committee” in Ocean City, NJ.

 

After more than 20 years of being on the force and highly decorated, Lauren Hester is seeking to give her pension to her domestic partner just like any straight married county employee has been able to do. The Freeholders, are a committee who governs the county, decided that Hester’s pension would not be given to Andree because they are lesbians and the fight begins. They are contacted by a gay rights activist, Steve Goldstein (Steve Carell), who with the help of Hester’s detective partner Dane Wells (Michael Shannon), try to get the Freeholders to change their opinion. Only with help from the community and police force, who are rallied by Goldstein and Wells,will anything be changed.

 

Right from the start the movie grabs hold of the viewer, and keeps them engrossed in their struggle to the end. Being so close to being a biography I was surprised at how well it was done and my interest was kept throughout. It is not just an account of a gay couple, more a depiction of a battle for everyone’s civil rights. Freeheld skillfully depicts the struggles of gay professionals to keep their identity a secret from society while still being successful in their field, having a fulfilling relationship and how society discriminated LGBTQ domestic partnerships which became fuel for the Marriage Equality movement.

 

The actors and director (Peter Sollett) keep the pace fluid and easy to follow without losing any of the important details of their lives or bogging it down with the legalities of the fight. The screenplay could easily have turned this into an exploitation just for the tear-jerking factor, but instead keep it realistic, even adding a bit of humor alleviate the dreariness the story, just like most people will do when facing the death of a loved one. I found Freeheld to be somewhat upbeat, even in the darkest scenes dealing with the misuse of the laws due to bigotry and how close to reality Moore simulates a person dying of cancer, instead turning it into another gloom and doom cancer or civil rights movie. Having been through it myself, I could fully connect with Page’s depiction how it feels to watch loved one dying of cancer and I know so many others will also.

 

I honestly loved Freeheld, I would suggest to anyone who prefers a matter of fact movie mixed with humor, compassion, and heartbreak that ends with you feeling like you were fully immersed in their life and closure with the finale.

http://sknr.net/2015/10/09/freeheld/
  
Dinner At The Happy Skeleton
Dinner At The Happy Skeleton
Chris Chalmers | 2017 | LGBTQ+
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
For more reviews please visit https://bbookinspector.wordpress.com

When I was approached by the author, I was a little bit unsure, how I am going to react to this book. Before this book, I haven’t read other books about gay guys, but because I like to read different types of books (you will not know whether you like it until you try it), I decided to give this book a go, and I had very educational experience with this novel.

The blurb above described this novel very very accurately. The main character in this novel is Dan, and the whole book was told from Dan’s perspective. I really liked Dan’s personality in this book, I think he is very believable, funny, nice person, and I would like to have a friend like Dan.

The whole narrative of this book felt a lot like a diary. I really enjoyed reading not only Dan’s present life events but also, his memories about his ex-boyfriend, who brought Dan a lot of trust issues. As a person, who knows very little about gay people’s lives, I found this book very educational. I learned about gay guys lifestyle, and it was very interesting to have an insight into how they feel. This book for me felt a lot like reading a Chick lit book, but instead of a girl telling a story, it was a guy. (I hope you get what I mean…) The whole story is flowing very evenly, and I was missing the depth in this book, some deep conflict, which Dan could battle. The whole plot of this book has very close resemblance with author’s bio down below, so I strongly believe, that there are some true facts and stories which author shared in this novel, and it just increased my curiosity, of which parts are true, and which ones are fictional.

The writing style of this book is really pleasant and I really enjoyed how Chris Chalmers portrayed all the little details about London, Dan’s personal feelings and interesting experiences. The chapters used in this novel are pretty short, so it was easy to read and it didn’t leave me bored. I would like to throw in a DISCLAIMER, that there is quite a lot of sex scenes/ talks in this book. The ending of this novel left me satisfied, as it is well deserved and rounds up this book really nicely. So, to conclude, it was a very interesting experience for me, where I got to feed my curiosity, and read some pretty interesting stories, which could’ve been based on true facts, and I do recommend to give it a try, you never know, you might enjoy it. 🙂
Was given this book by the author for an honest review.
  
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Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated Dear White People - Season 1 in TV

Oct 11, 2017 (Updated Oct 11, 2017)  
Dear White People - Season 1
Dear White People - Season 1
2017 | Comedy, Drama
Lionel is my favourite! (0 more)
Intelligent, diverse, well made series
I wasn't sure what to expect from a college related series, as I'm usually sceptical of that scene, however I was pleasantly surprised by this show. The cast is smart, the dialogue is intelligent, the content is noteworthy and the production is high-end.

Sam, the feisty radio host of Dear White People and activist on campus, is one of the main characters, split between six others, showcasing an array of diverse voices and talent. The name is self-explanatory but all I can say it begins on the premise of a "blackface" party held by some of the white students on site. It is horrifying, but it is current and highlights racial tensions in America today.

From gay black characters, to interracial relationships - there is a plethora of storylines weaved into each episode. Fantastic series.
  
Dead Man (1995)
Dead Man (1995)
1995 | Drama, Western
Johnny Depp (3 more)
Gay Farmer
Black and white beauty
Cool guitar soundtrack by Neil Young
Indie Western Wizardry
Seemingly meek & mild William Blake (Depp) travels from Cleveland to the town of Machine, with all his hopes pinned to taking up a a promised position as an accountant. Soon after arriving he finds the job already taken and his path taking an unexpected and deadly turn, that leads him into the spirit world of Nobody, his new and strange Indian friend.
This film is a little dark, alot violent, pretty mysterious and atmospheric. As well as the amazing work of Depp and Farmer, there is a star studded cost including, Robert Mitchum, John Hurt, Gabriel Byrne, Billy Bob Thornton & Iggy Pop to name a few. Depp is nothing less than brilliant as he evades those hunting him down and as he follows Nobody deeper and deeper into his unusual world.
  
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
2018 | Biography, Drama, Music
What’s not to like about Queen? Bohemian Rhapsody does an excellent job of telling a dramatic history of the band and its forerunner, Freddie Mercury. Rami Malek does an excellent performance. Parts of the movie are like watching a hilarious “How It’s Made” video of some of the best music of the century, parts of it are literally just watching concerts and listening to awesome music. Most importantly, there’s the story of Mercury’s evolution, which is a story arc any writer could only dream of: a British-Indian man abandoning his heritage, struggling to balance love for a woman with being gay, being manipulated by a manager turned lover, being scrutinized by the media, and eventually being able to be comfortable with who he is, all the while using his talent to push the band to create more and more musical innovations. It’s so good.
  
Candid view on organising one of the largest protests in US history
This is both thoughtful and inspiring. Reading about one of the largest protests in US history is truly wonderful.

What makes this book so interesting is its in-depth look into the importance of intersectionality and why it has failed to be addressed for so long. The organisers of the march are open and candid about all the issues that arose while bringing this together, including permits, and lack of inclusivity - but they also speak about how they corrected these problems and learnt from it.

From anecdotes of participants from Antarctica and a one-woman protest in Singapore, to important voices of our age such as Gloria Steinem and Roxane Gay - the book itself is a memento for one of the most significant moments of our time and worth going out and purchasing it on International Women's Day.