Debate: Anti-Gay Marriage Activist Calls Gay Rights Activist

David Pakman moderates an interview with Wayne Besen and Michael Brown. Don't pay attention to the subtitles; they're really out of sync with the each person's comments.

Cosmo Jarvis - Gay Pirates

The Gay Who Wasn't Gay Enough

One FRC Headline Says So Much - Good As You:: Gay and Lesbian Activism With a Sense of Humor

One FRC headline says so much - Good As You:: Gay and Lesbian Activism With a Sense of Humor

Edward Carpenter Born August 29th

Edward Carpenter was born August 29th, 1844 in Brighton, Sussex, England. Carpenter was educated at Brighton College, where his father was governor, followed by time at Trinity Hall. Carpenter later became a curate for the Church of England, which he left in 1874 to lecture. In 1868 Carpenter came into a copy of Walt Whitman's "Leaves of Grass" that would become a great influence on his life. Around this time he moved into a house in Sheffield with George Merrill and the two men lived together as a couple without hiding it, despite fallout from the Oscar Wilde trial. Author E. M. Forster indicated that Merrill served as inspiration for his novel "Maurie". One of Carpenter's many accomplishments was his efforts to campaign against sexual orientation discrimination. In 1908 he published a book on homosexuality, The Intermediate Sex, which influenced LGBT movements activists such as Harry Hay.

Read more at the Edward Carpenter Archive and Polari Magazine.

Rudolf Brazda Recounts His Concentration Camp Experinces

Rudolf Brazda was the last surviving homosexual who had been detained in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany. He died August 3rd, 2012.

 

Young Welsh Rugby Player Comes Out

Defending The Freedom To Marry

Transgender Coming Out

India's Transgender Beauty Pageant

From The San Francisco 49ers: It Gets Better

Dan Savage vs. Brian Brown: The Dinner Table Debate

Prop 8 Plaintiffs Urger SCOTUS to End Marriage Inequality

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 24, 2012

 

PRESS CONTACT:

Manny Rivera  323.892.2081  or manny@afer.org

 

 

Plaintiffs Challenging Proposition 8 Urge Supreme Court to End Marriage Inequality

 

 Plaintiffs’ Brief: “Proposition 8 is antithetical to the ‘principles of equality’ on which this ‘Nation … prides itself.’”  

 

Washington, DC – Today, Plaintiffs challenging California’s Proposition 8 filed a brief in the United States Supreme Court defending the landmark federal appeals court ruling in Perry v. Brown (now Hollingsworth v. Perry) that found Proposition 8 unconstitutional.  Proposition 8 eliminated the fundamental freedom of gay and lesbian Californians to marry.  Plaintiffs’ brief calls marriage equality “the defining civil rights issue of our time.”

 

On February 7, 2012, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit concluded that Proposition 8 violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution.  The proponents of Proposition 8 recently asked the Supreme Court to review the Ninth Circuit’s judgment.  Plaintiffs’ brief filed today responds to Proponents’ request.

 

“[T]he Ninth Circuit found that eliminating the ability of gay and lesbian couples to have their relationships designated as marriages—and relegating them to separate and unequal domestic partnerships—achieves nothing except the marginalization of gay and lesbian individuals and their relationships, and therefore cannot withstand constitutional scrutiny,” Plaintiffs’ attorneys, led by distinguished co-counsel Theodore B. Olson and David Boies, said in today’s brief.  “That holding is fully consistent with this Court’s jurisprudence, which has long held that marginalizing a group of citizens for its own sake violates the Fourteenth Amendment.”

 

Plaintiffs’ brief underscores the clear unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 and the unjustifiable harm that it imposes:

 

“Proposition 8 is antithetical to the ‘principles of equality’ on which this ‘Nation … prides itself.’  It creates a permanent ‘underclass’ of hundreds of thousands of gay and lesbian Californians, who are denied the right to marry available to all other Californians simply because a majority of voters deems gay and lesbian relationships inferior[.] … With the full authority of the State behind it, Proposition 8 sends a clear and powerful message to gay men and lesbians: Your relationships are not recognized on the same footing or entitled to the same dignity or respect as those of heterosexuals.”

 

Because the Ninth Circuit’s decision “reflects a correct and straightforward application of settled Supreme Court precedent,” Plaintiffs urge the Supreme Court to deny review and put an end, once and for all, to the discrimination that Proposition 8 continues to inflict on gay and lesbian Californians.

 

The American Foundation for Equal Rights (AFER) is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown, the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.

 

“Two federal courts and a majority of Americans recognize that laws like Proposition 8 are unfair, unlawful, and contrary to basic American values,” said AFER Executive Director Adam Umhoefer.  “It is time, indeed past time, that our Nation live up to its founding promise of liberty and equality for all by ensuring that gay and lesbian couples are afforded the same fundamental freedom to marry guaranteed to every American by our Constitution.”

 

On July 30, 2012, the proponents of Proposition 8 asked the Supreme Court to review the February 2012 decision of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which affirmed the historic August 2010 judgment of the Federal District Court that struck down Proposition 8.  The Ninth Circuit held:

 

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships and families as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.  The Constitution simply does not allow for ‘laws of this sort.’”

 

On June 5, 2012, the full Ninth Circuit denied Proponents’ request for an eleven-judge panel to rehear the case, known as rehearing en banc.

 

Proponents’ request for Supreme Court review, known as a petition for a writ of certiorari, is only granted upon an affirmative vote of four Justices.  The Court will consider Proponents’ petition for certiorari and Plaintiffs’ response at a private conference in late September or early October.

 

READ PLAINTIFFS’ BRIEF IN OPPOSITION HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/2012-08-24-Plaintiffs-Brief-in-Opposition.pdf

 

READ PROPONENTS’ PETITION FOR CERTIORARI HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/2012-07-31-Proponents-Petition-for-Certiorari.pdf

 

READ THE NINTH CIRCUIT’S ORDER DENYING REHEARING EN BANC HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/2012-06-05-En-Banc-Order.pdf

 

READ THE NINTH CIRCUIT’S DECISION HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/2012-02-07-Decision-on-Merits.pdf

 

READ THE FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT’S DECISION HERE: www.afer.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Prop8Decision.pdf 

 

###

 

About the American Foundation for Equal Rights

The American Foundation for Equal Rights is the sole sponsor of Perry v. Brown (now Hollingsworth v. Perry), the federal constitutional challenge to California’s Proposition 8.  After bringing together bipartisan attorneys Theodore B. Olson and David Boies to lead its legal team, AFER successfully advanced the Perry case through Federal District Court and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.  The Foundation is committed to achieving full federal marriage equality.

www.afer.org 

King Ludwig II Of Bavaria Born August 24th

Son of King Maximillian II and Queen Maria, Ludwig Friedrich Wilhelm was born August 24th, 1845 at Nymphenburg Palace in Munich, Germany. Ludwig became king on March  10, 1864 at age eighteen. Ludwig became so enamored of Richard Wagner's music that he paid the composer's substantial debt. A marriage to Princess Sophie was at first delayed and then cancelled after Ludwig met and fell in love with the  blond, blue eyed Richard Hornig, followed by a string of other handsome gentlemen.

Read more about Ludwig at Gay Influence.

AG's "I Wanna Be Your Man"

"AG's latest album is a collection of covers by none other than the Beatles. Simply titled The Beatles, the EP features six tracks, and hits stores October 9 - which just happens to be John Lennon's birthday." - ADVOCATE Magazine

Herbert Pollitt Born August 23rd

Herbert Charles Jerome Pollitt was birn August 23rd, 1871. Pollitt was friends with Aubrey Beardsley and was in a relationship with Aleister Crowley for a period until Crowley ended it. Pollitt performed on stage as "Diane de Rougy", a name based on Liane de Pougy, a friend of Beardsley and conquest of Natalie Barney.









There's a Facebook page for Pollitt here.

My High School Bully

Aubrey Beardsley Born August 21st

Aubrey Beardsley was born August 21st, 1872 to a poor family in Brighton, England. A child prodigy at art, Beardsley attended the Bristol Grammar School and later came to the attention of Pre-Raphaelite artist Edward Burne-Jones who encouraged him to further his art by attending the Westminster School of Art. His first commission came in 1892 with the numerous illustrations for Morte D'Arthur. At this time the young artist met and became associated with Oscar Wilde. In 1894 Beardsley became the arts editor of The Yellow Book, a position which he was fired from as a consequence of being Oscar Wilde's friend after his conviction. Frail health ended his life at the very young age of 25.

Learn more about Beardsley  at Gay For Today and GLBTQ

Young Conservatives For The Freedom to Marry

Found via The Closet Professor.

Jillette Johnson Explores Transgender Issues On New EP Whiskey & Frosting

The Press House is very excited to be working with Wind-up Records (The Darkness, Evanescence, James Durbin. Five For Fighting and others), recording artist Jillette Johnson. Unlike a lot of artists out there today, Jillette writes all her own music and lyrics. Her sound is fresh and addicting. Wind-up Records is putting everything they have into her record, Whiskey & Frosting (August 14th). We really think she has a shot at becoming huge. The bravely vulnerable song, "Cameron" explores the struggle of a transgendered person and emerges a universal anthem for staying true to oneself. Please read the press release below for more information on this song, and a special Instagram splash page that has been created to help people express who the are. We would love to get Jillette and her CD some coverage. She is free for interviews (SO great to talk to!) and we have JPEGS as well. I know you get hundreds of requests like this every day, but I promise, this one is special. Please take a minute and listen to her  music - www.jillettejohnson.com

 

      

New York, New York - August 14th, 2012: Wind-up Records is proud to introduce a unique and powerfully expressive young talent, singer-songwriter Jillette Johnson. Today Johnson will release her smoldering and passionate debut EP, Whiskey & Frosting. Later this month, she will release an artfully arresting video for the EP's darkly beautiful breakup ballad "Pauvre Coeur." 

Whiskey & Frosting is one of those rare and revelatory debuts where you experience a young songwriter with a highly mature sense of artistic self. The NYC-based singer-piano player wrote all the EP songs herself. The piano-based songs unfold with honeyed drama and grandeur, showcasing Johnson's soaring vocals, which manage to both be comforting and spiritually rousing.

"Two of my favorite things are whiskey and frosting," Johnson says laughing. "The title came directly from an impromptu birthday party with friends where I ate the frosting off cupcakes and drank whiskey. I was telling my producers about that night when I realized how similar those two things were to my writing style. I don't write happy songs without some melancholy feelings in there. I like to paint an entire emotional picture. There is depth, sorrow, and overly sweet tones. Many of the songs are about living as a young person in New York City, living irresponsibly and exploring consequences."

Johnson got signed to Wind-up on the strength of the EP track "Cameron." The bravely vulnerable song explores the struggle of a transgendered person and emerges a universal anthem for staying true to oneself. "I didn't know I was going to write about a transgendered boy, the words just came out and I thought, 'Oh, this is about someone trying be someone they don't appear to be,'" she reveals. "'Cameron' ended up being inspired by a transgendered kid I'm close with, but the song also captures the need to feel at home in your own skin."

To coincide with the release of "Cameron", Wind-up Records created an innovative splash page, (currently live), which allows viewers to take a photo using Instagram and upload it with the hashtag #arentyoucameron, to add images to the "Cameron" photo mosaic at  www.jillettejohnson.com This feature highlights us individually, enhancing and showing the bigger picture of the song's message, that we are all "Cameron" in one way or another. A music video for "Cameron" will be released as well.

Peter Zizzo, widely respected for developing Vanessa Carlton, Avril Lavigne, and Michael Mangini, esteemed for his work with Joss Stone, Bruce Hornsby, and David Byrne, produced the EP. The duo's innate understanding of Johnson's singular vision, and respect for her fully formed compositions helped them enhance the power and dynamics of the music.

 "Pauvre Coeur" juxtaposes gorgeously spare classical-flavored piano against bluntly confessional lyrics about a dried up romantic relationship. It's raw and cuts deep. Johnson sings: If I recall it was a Friday/ Gentle hum before the war/You were high and watching poker/ And I had just walked in the door/ You started screaming at the TV/ Saying, make a play you filthy whore / And I was trying to make you see me/ Like the way you did before. The Kyle Thrash-directed video stunningly captures the destabilizing and heated feelings that overtakes you during a breakup, when things spiral out of control and the relationship's demise happens at a dizzying pace.

The "Pauvre Coeur" video and the Whiskey & Frosting EP announce the arrival of a boldly emotional and unflinchingly honest pop artist.

Husbands 3: Being Britney!

Somer Fridays: Top 5 Lesbian Vocabulary Terms

Bisexual v. Pansexual

Guglielmo Von Plüschow Born August 18th

Wilhelm Von Plüschow was born August 18th, 1852 in Wismar, Germany. Pluschow was a distant cousin to another German photographer, Wilhelm Von Gloeden. Following a move to Rome Plüschow changed his first name to its Italian equivalent. Like Von Gloeden, Plüschow was a pioneer in erotic male photography though he also photographed women and landscapes.

See a catalog of Plüschow's photography and read more at Matt & Andrej Koymasky.

Kurt Hiller Born August 17th

Decades before the Stonewall Riots in 1969 there were efforts to advance the acceptance and rights of the homosexual community. Magnus Hirschfeld is perhaps the most well known of the German figures. Another who should be remembered is Kurt Hiller, born in Berlin on August 17th, 1885. Hiller was a member of the Scientific Humanitarian Committee, the first gay emancipation organization which Hirschfeld managed, from 1908 till 1933 when he was thrown into a concentration camp and held for nine months. Upon release, Hiller traveled to Prague and then London, returning to Hamburg, Germany to live in 1955. In 1922 Hiller wrote "Paragraph 175: The disgrace of the century!" in an effort to change Germany's Paragraph 175 which criminalized homosexuality. Efforts to change the law might have succeeded in the Reichstag in 1933 had Hitler not risen to power.

Learn more about Hiller at GLBTQ and read his 1928 Gay Rights Speech.

Monty Woolley Born August 16th

Edgar Montillion Woolley was born August 16th, 1888 in New York City. Before beginning an acting carreer on Broadway, Woolly was a professor and lecturer at Yale University. Woolley changed careers in 1936 and he was nearly a life long friend of Cole Porter, with whom he shared adventures - the kind you don't mention to your mother.

Read more about Woolley at Gay For Today.

Aryan Vaid In "Dunno Y...Na Jaane Kyon"

Chicken With A Side Of Skyler Stone & Mike Smith

Keep The Lights On Trailer

On behalf of Music Box Films and filmmaker Ira Sachs, we're excited to announce that the NEW Official Theatrical Trailer for upcoming drama feature KEEP THE LIGHTS ON has debuted exclusively on Apple Trailers!

Apple Trailers - KEEP THE LIGHTS ON Exclusive Trailer Debut

trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/keepthelightson/

Directed by Ira Sachs and starring Thure Lindhardt and Zachary Booth, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship, and addiction.

 
--------------------------
KEEP THE LIGHTS ON - Opens in select theaters September 7, 2012!
--------------------------
Starring: Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Syvane, Paprika Steen
Directed By: Ira Sachs
Written By: Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias 

Synopsis
Keep the Lights On chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship, and addiction. Documentary filmmaker Erik (acclaimed Danish actor Thure Lindhardt in his first leading role in a U.S. film) and closeted lawyer Paul (Zachary Booth, Damages) meet through a casual encounter, but soon find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers-compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity while being true to himself.

Keep the Lights On is shot with a grainy beauty that resonates with the texture of New York City, accentuated by disco beats and a mournful cello, both from musician Arthur Russell's eclectic catalog. Director Ira Sachs's fearlessly personal screenplay is anchored by Lindhardt, who embodies Erik's isolation and vulnerability with a gentle presence. Harrowing and romantic, visceral and layered, Keep the Lights On is a film that looks at love and all of its manifestations, taking it to dark depths and bringing it back to a place of grace

Herb Ritts Born August 13th

Herb Ritts was born August 13th, 1952. The world of art and fashion photography was deeply influenced during his lifetime.

Visit the photographer's website.

Radclyffe Hall Born August 12th

Maguerite Radclyffe Hall, or John as she preferred to be called, was born August 12th, 1880 in Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, whose father left her mother before she was even born. Thankfully, at age 21 she inherited an enormous fortune from her paternal grandfather which allowed her the  means to do whatever she wanted. Part of what she wwanted was beautiful women, inclulding Lady Una Troubridge and Evgguenia Souline. In her forties Hall became recognizable by her closely cut hair, tailored jackets, flamboyant tops, wide-brimmed hats, and ties. Hall is best remembered for her novel, The Well of Loneliness, and its undisguised lesbian characters and themes.

Learn more about Radclyffe Hall at GLBTQ.

Liane De Pougy

Liane de Pougy (born Anne-Marie de Chassaigne) was a Parisian high class courtesan, who one day caught the eye of young Natalie Barney who was accompanying her mother as she studied portrait painting at a studio. De Pougy's clients were men though she was a lesbian and took women as lovers. Barney was interrupted from pursuing de Pougy by an unexpected request from her father to return to the US, but she did return to Paris and successfully seduced de Pougy.

Where The Bears Are

Fake: Dee & Ryo

Sanami Matoh's FAKE is one of the few yaoi series that I looked forward to reading because of the sexual tension between Dee and Ryo. Here's a clip of scenes from the anime.

Sara Gilbert Talks Lesbian Haircuts

Charles Warren Stoddard Born August 7th

American writer Charles Warren Stoddard was born August 7th, 1843 in Rochester, NY. Mostly forgotten today, Stoddard was a part of San Francisco's bohemian circle circa the 1860s along with Ambrose Bierce and Samuel Clemens and friends with Robert Louis Stevenson an Jack London. Stoddard was inspired by Whitman's Calamus poems and traveled to the  South Sea Islands where he wrote short stories collected in South-Sea Idyls and The Island of Tranquil Delights. Turing to Venice, Stoddard also formed a relationship with the American painter Francis Millet.

Learn more about Stoddard at GLBTQ and The Closet Professor.

Gay Straight Guys....

Mexican Supreme Court Upholds Marriage Equality

On this date the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, the highest federal court in Mexico, votes 8-2 to uphold the constitutionality of Mexico City's same-sex marriage law. North of the border, we're still waiting for anything like this.

Virgilio Piñera Born August 4th

Virgilio Piñera was born in Cuba. Little about Piñera seems to be written in English. He was exiled in Buenos Aires and returned to Cuba in 1958 months before Castro came to power.

Gordon Merrick Born August 3rd

Gordon Merrick was born August 3rd, 1916 in a suburb of Philadelphia. Merrick enrolled in Princeton where he studied French literature and was involved in student theater until the middle of his junior year when he quit to become an  actor in New York City. There, Merrick became playwright Moss Hart's lover, only then to become a reporter an d move to Washington DC. After a stint with the Office of Strategic services and a mission in Algeria, Merrick returned to the US with the hope of becoming a reporter again. When  these attempts failed, Merrick went to Mexico to begin writing. The Strumpet Wind, Merrick's first novel, was published in 1947. Merrick is important because he ignored contemporary attitudes that gay men had to be shown as objectionable and have tragic ends in books and movies. All of his stories featured well adjusted gay men and his books all have happy endings.

Read gay.net's Merrick bio.

WeHappyTrans: Stephen

The Education of Queenie McBride

Author explores the challenges of life in and outside gay teen relationships

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo believes that she can positively impact the world through writing. Her new book, The Education of Queenie McBride, is about how unexpected life experiences can change our worldview and cause us to grow in leaps and bounds.

The Education of Queenie McBride picks up the story where D’Arcangelo’s first book, The Trouble with Emily Dickinson, leaves off. The story once again brings together best friends JJ and Queenie, now as college freshmen.

Queenie comes from a wealthy family, so she's used to coasting through life. Over privileged and overconfident, she doesn't know what it's like for people who have to work hard to earn things. But when she meets Pudge, a homeless gay teen, her worldview begins to shift. And she gets a real-world education that extends far beyond the classroom.

Luckily, her best friend JJ is there to help keep her in line. With the help of Izzy, a strong-headed and beautiful social worker, Queenie somehow learns how to be there for Pudge, leave her old habits behind and become the person she’s always wanted to be.

Sometimes the most important education happens outside of the classroom. You can’t be there for others if you don’t take care of yourself.

D’Arcangelo writes with experience. Her stories are well-researched and grounded in reality.

“LGBT teen homelessness is a major problem, but it's not discussed in the mainstream media. I wanted to give the subject a voice, and I thought the best way to do that was to write about it.”

D’Arcangelo does a masterful job and strives to help people see the GLBT world through different eyes. The book is absent any sexual content and profanity and simply and clearly focuses on helping young GLBT people who are confused and still figuring out their relationships.  She drives home the wonderful and important realization that we are all not that different from one another.

The Education of Queenie McBride

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo

List $16.95 also available in Kindle edition 

Paperback 224 pages

Publishing Syndicate (June 28, 2012)

ISBN-10: 0985060247

ISBN-13: 978-0985060244

The book is available at bookstores online and from the publisher at www.PublishingSyndicate.com

For more information visit www.lyndseydarcangelo.com

About the Author

Lyndsey D’Arcangelo is a freelance writer and an award-winning author from Buffalo, NY. 

She graduated Randolph-Macon College in 2000 with a BA in Creative Writing and English. She has worked as a sports reporter, columnist, journalist, blogger, author, copywriter and web writer and developed knowledge and versatility to write for a variety of mediums. This is her third book. She writes for several magazines including Curve Magazine and is active in the education of gay teens, regularly speaking at high schools and doing interviews on radio. She and her wife live in Buffalo, New York. They have a brand new baby named Maggie.

Brigade 2012 Fall Preview

2012 FALL PREVIEW

UPCOMING RELEASES 

KEEP THE LIGHTS ON  —  September 7, 2012 in New York and Los Angeles (national roll-out to follow)Starring: Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson,Souleymane Sy Syvane, Paprika SteenA decade-spanning story of a passionate, volatile relationship between two men in New York City  

FRANCINE  —  September 12, 2012 in New York (national roll-out to follow)Starring Melissa LeoAfter serving time in prison, Francine tries to gain a foothold in small-town North America.As her human relationships falter, Francine looks to animals for support, and her path through life becomes much like an orbiting satellite: detached, lonely and ultimately destined to crash.

GAYBY — October 12, 2012 in New York (national roll-out to follow)Starring: Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Mike Doyle, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Jack Ferver, Jonathan Lisecki, Alycia Delmore, Adam Driver, Dulé Hill
 

Jenn and Matt, best friends since college who are now in their thirties, decide to have a child together, the old-fashioned way – undeterred by the fact that Matt is gay and Jenn is straight. 

STARLET —  November 2012Starring Dree Hemingway and Besedka Johnson
An exploration of the unlikely friendship between 21 year old Jane and 85 year-old Sadie, two women whose worlds collide in California’s San Fernando Valley. 

Select artwork from each of the films available for download here:

http://bit.ly/2012FallPreview

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KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

Written by: Ira Sachs and Mauricio Zacharias

Directed by: Ira Sachs
Starring: Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Syvane, Paprika SteenStudio: Music Box FilmsRelease Date: September 7, 2012Genre: Drama
Winner of Outfest’s Grand Jury Award for Outstanding U.S. Dramatic Feature Film, as well as the Berlin International Film Festival’s prestigious Teddy Award, Keep the Lights On chronicles an emotionally and sexually charged journey of two men in New York City through love, friendship, and addiction. Documentary filmmaker Erik (acclaimed Danish actor Thure Lindhardt in his first leading role in a U.S. film) and closeted lawyer Paul (Zachary Booth, Damages) meet through a casual encounter, but soon find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers—compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity while being true to himself. Keep the Lights On is shot with a grainy beauty that resonates with the texture of New York City, accentuated by disco beats and a mournful cello, both from musician Arthur Russell’s eclectic catalog. Director Ira Sachs’s fearlessly personal screenplay is anchored by Lindhardt, who embodies Erik’s isolation and vulnerability with a gentle presence. Harrowing and romantic, visceral and layered, Keep the Lights On is a film that looks at love and all of its manifestations, taking it to dark depths and bringing it back to a place of grace.
Publicity Contact: Rob@Brigademarketing.com

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FRANCINE

Written and Directed by: Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie ShatzkyStarring: Melissa LeoRelease Date: September 12, 2012Genre: Drama
After serving time in prison, Francine settles down in small-town North America. Through a series of temporary jobs, she tries to regain a foothold in society. However, this security proves just as elusive as the connections she tries to forge with people in the town. As her human relationships falter, Francine looks to animals for support, a development that leads her in a tragically wrong direction.
Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky’s fiction debut Francine focuses on the title figure during a brief chapter in her life. Oscar winner Melissa Leo conveys the longings and woes of the distressed protagonist with remarkable precision, delivering a performance of tremendous force. The narrative provides no psychological backstory, and yet we grow increasingly close to this fragile person, whose life does not have a clear path but rather consists of a series of emotional states. As the protagonist moves through the film’s impressive locations, her path through life is much like an orbiting satellite: detached, lonely and ultimately destined to crash.
Publicity Contact: Gerilyn@brigademarketing.com

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GAYBY

Written and Directed by: Jonathan Lisecki 
Starring: Jenn Harris, Matthew Wilkas, Mike Doyle, Anna Margaret Hollyman, Jack Ferver, Jonathan Lisecki, Alycia Delmore, Adam Driver, Dulé Hill
 

Studio: Wolfe Releasing
Release Date: October 12, 2012Genre: Comedy

Jenn (Jenn Harris) and Matt (Matthew Wilkas) are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching hot yoga and running errands for her boss. Matt suffers from comic-book writer's block and can't get over his ex-boyfriend. They decide to fulfill a youthful promise to have a child together... the old-fashioned way. Can they navigate the serious and unexpected snags they hit as they attempt to get their careers and dating lives back on track in preparation for parenthood? Gayby is an irreverent comedy about friendship, growing older, sex, loneliness, and the family you choose.
Publicity Contact: Rob@Brigademarketing.com

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STARLET

Directed by: Sean BakerStarring: Dree Hemingway and Besedka Johnson
Studio: Music Box FilmsRelease Date: November 2012Genre: Drama
One of the most provocative films at the 2012 SXSW Film Festival, Starlet explores the unlikely friendship between 21 year-old Jane (breakout actress Dree Hemingway), and 85 year-old Sadie (Besedka Johnson), two women whose worlds collide in California's San Fernando Valley. Jane spends her time getting high with her dysfunctional roommates, Melissa and Mikey, while taking care of her Chihuahua, Starlet. Sadie, an elderly widow, passes her days alone, tending to her flower garden.
After a confrontation between the two women at Sadie's yard sale, Jane uncovers a hidden stash of money inside a relic from Sadie's past. Jane attempts to befriend the caustic older woman in an effort to solve herdilemma and secrets emerge as their relationship grows.
Starlet is Sean Baker’s follow-up to the acclaimed Prince of Broadway, winner of the Best Narrative Feature at the Los Angeles Film Festival.

Publicity Contact: Sara@Brigademarketing.com

Anti-Gay, Anti-Me - Molly Cox Talks

Herman Melville Born August 1st

Melville was born August 1st, 1819 in New York City. Melville was descened from a well known Boston family; his grandfather having take part in the Boston Tea Party. His father's early death when Melville was 12 led him to the desire to independently support himself. A brother helped him obtain a job as a "boy" (green hand) on ship bound for Liverpool. This experience would inspire his first novel, Redburn: His First Voyage. His most famous novel, Moby Dick - or The Whale, was still to come.

"A man thinks that by mouthing hard words he understands hard things."

"A smile is the chosen vehicle of all ambiguities."









Learn more at The Life and Works of Herman Melville. Rictor Norton discusses themes of homosexuality in Melville's works.