BFI's Pride, 2014

Continued controversy surrounds the American DvD release of this film by SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT and their CBS Films unit, and their sanitizing the Keep-case Wrapper cover-art removing all references to the DvD's gay content and underlying homosexual sub-text.


For this reason, I took another look at the film that I purposefully had purchased and screened just after Christmas when the media hand-wringing first surfaced.

Damnation all to hell, give me a break!

It's a gay-themed film replete with all the gayness any dizzy old queen like myself could hope for; but, what's significant here is that it tells an apparently true story based upon historical fact, subject to the usual theatrical/film license to move things around just a tad to suit their story-board. It's a fun movie, and we need all the fun movies we can get; but, more importantly if BUENA VISTA HOME ENTERTAINMENT (a film unit of the Disney Company) could release 2001's gay-themed film Blow Dry, if MGM/UA Home Entertainment could release 1996's The Birdcage (a shameless remake of the original co-French/Italian La Cage Aux Folles, and an unquestionably gay, not just gay-themed, film if there ever was one), if MGM could have before that have released 1984's Consenting Adult based upon Laura Hobson's seminal youth Coming Out tale (even with all it's warts and failures, still a compelling view 30-years later), and earlier still released 1976's Norman... Is That You?, a film that still has the capacity to make me roll all over the floor laughing, and worth every screen moment of the nubile sweet young thing that plays the title-character's love interest for his father Redd Foxx's sake, and lastly a couple from WARNER HOME VIDÉO, 1980's Cruising, a film difficult to watch if you're not inclined to the film's particular gay-themed premise and 1976's The Ritz, a unabashedly glorious romp throughout New York's famed Continental Baths, lavishly and lovingly adorned by a quivering Rita Moreno, Kaye Ballard never looking so radiant, Jack Weston befuddled as never before, Jerry Stiller likely swearing-off that he'd ever reprise this role and a simply luscious and lascivious Treat Williams in his first significant screen presence.

So SONY PICTURES HOME ENTERTAINMENT, what's the Problem here? The half-dozen titles I mention are only a drop in the bucket of the many hundreds of gay-themed, radically gay-driven, or otherwise gay-idealized films that have been release by one or the other major American film studio in the last half-century. Get with the programme.

Bravo

For the second time in the space of a few short years Anna Rogers and her edgy creative team have hit another glorious home run on behalf of BeLonG To Youth Services of Ireland; this time, through supporting National Voter Registration in advance of The Irish Marriage Equality Referendum being held in 2015.

Well done folks!  Keep on doing what you're doing. You're doing it brilliantly.

October 11th has come around once more...

Who could have thought that I would be alive to celebrate the four years that have passed since my last thread on this topic.  So much has happened around me; much of which I have found to be distasteful in the extreme.

This Saturday's upcoming National Coming Out Day (NCOD) is a milestone event in all LGBTQ individual's lives, as it should be; but, one which is not to be taken lightly.

Given renewed and especially toxic Worldwide anti-gay activities by the ReligionNazis, and further the volatile political landscape in a majority of the countries throughout the Middle-east, Asia and Africa, it is prudent for LGBTQ persons to be cautious now more than ever in their open declaration of their sexuality.

Please BE CAREFUL!

Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada

Just Stay

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients.

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night. Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life.

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here.

When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was Killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name?

The Nurse with tears in her eyes answered, "Mr. William Grey."

The next time someone needs you... just be there. Stay.

Corrigendum:

This inspirational tale about a young Marine who spends the night in a hospital comforting a dying stranger (who mistakenly believes the young Marine to be his son) has been circulated on the Internet as a "true story" since the 1990s under a variety of titles such as "He Needed a Son" and "Just Stay."

This particular account is not a true story, however; but rather a work of short fiction authored by Roy Popkin in 1964. It was published under the title "Night Watch" in the September 1965 edition of Reader's Digest and has subsequently been reprinted in a number of Chicken Soup for the ... Soul collections of inspirational pieces.

The mention of a "Mr. William Grey" and the plot point about the young Marine's having come to the hospital to inform Mr. Grey that his son had been killed in Iraq are more recent additions to this piece, tacked on by someone other than the original author to make the tale seem more topical and poignant. The original version concludes with the sentence "When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, I knew how much he needed me."
 

Read more at snopes.com)

All Copyrights reserved.  Reprinted here solely for educational purposes.


 __________


The above short story was posted this morning at a small, almost family-like, community Forum that I've had the good fortune to be a part of for the past 15-years, or thereabouts.

I thought it to be especially thought provoking and wanted to share it with all of you folks as well.

Allegorical in the extreme, the simple goodness that so freely, and liberally, pours from this tale could well apply to most any interaction we individually have in our daily life, which may account for it's message being one that I have lived by for over 60-years.

__________


Rise up folks!  Embrace the message... live its' ideal and share its' love.

We'll all be better for it.

Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada

So. Where are we going to go from here?

An American President has said it; therefore, it must be so.

Barak Obama, yesterday in his second inaugural address to the nation (and to the World I suppose) is now being widely quoted for his remarks from the front steps of the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C.

Calling for equality for gay and lesbian Americans, President Obama spoke of "Our journey (not being) complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well."

Referencing the Stonewall riots with other civil rights battles, and tying it into Martin Luther King, Jr's legacy, Barak Obama added "We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths – that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth."

A side-bar to the aforementioned, never before has the word "gay" ever been uttered by a President in their inaugural address.

So, I say again "Where are we going to go from here?"

Likely some 2-billions, or more souls world-wide will have seen (and/or heard) Mr. Obama's speech and like myself are now wondering just what the global ramifications of such a startling revelation are going to be.

Are the American people as a whole going to "put up, and shut up" and finally get on with the job of creating a society where "Equal means simply that ... equal", where everyone, regardless of their race, religion, politics, financial where-with-all, language, age, sex or sexual orientation and marital status will truly be seen to be, AND TREATED equally by all.

Should they do so, and I sincerely hope that they do, then it will be time for the rest of humanity to get with the self-same programme before we collectively annihilate one another.

Surely this is a concept whose time has finally come.

Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada

Are you feeling fabulous yet?

Yesterday Andrew Belonsky wrote convincingly at Towleroad in the blog's daily closing article, "I'm Gay: The 50 Most Powerful Coming Outs of 2012", of the breadth and scope, diversity if you will, and of the empowerment, provided by these brave souls.  I could not help tearing up as I read many a summation accorded each individual and their poignant, and often heart-wrenching, story.

Andrew is one but many an author contributing to a story arc that has been a year-long event at Towelroad.  You'll find them all archived here.

In short, Andy Towle and his staff are declaring "2012: The Gayest year ever".

HOW FABULOUS IS THAT?©®™

Media attention like this just makes me want to wrap myself in fuchsia (maybe pink anyone?) and lavender and strut my stuff anew all up and down the gay boulevard, ankle-length otter draped over my shoulders, boa and single-strand and knotted, heirloom, pearls flying, shod in my Joan Crawford come fuck-me pumps, seamed silk-stockings and garter belt, drenched in my best designer fragrance and livery, bejewelled and bedecked to the nines, proclaiming my fabulousness to all and sundry.  The problem is I've done it all before, in what seems centuries ago ... well at least a lifetime no matter how you count it ... and I can't help but wonder "When will circumstances in Mr. Belonsky's article (and others') become non-events?"  "When will Gay-marriage simply be marriage?"  "When will one's sexuality be a non-starter and not something that principally defines who we are in the minds of others?"

And I do have other questions too ... what about you?

Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada

Tempus fugit.

A year ago it was more or less certain, and in some circles, expected that I would not be here.

For a variety of reasons, not the least of these apparently being the fellowship and goodwill extended by many, I somewhat miraculously awakened from what should have been a fitting and sobering end to a long and gloriously debased and debauched 50-odd year journey partaking of sundry carnal delights.

That I have subsequently continued to daily arise and take a fresh breath with each morning's sunrise stupefies me no end, and I have counted each and every one of them as they have passed as a blessing granted, extended and accepted. My adventure in this World is evidently not quite over, although I can't for the life of me fathom why.

The aforementioned taken as a given, let me say to you all:

Revel in, and cherish, all interactions with your fellow travelers, extending to them the very same fellowship, courtesy, compassion, truth and honour that you would have them anoint you with. Learn well, and early, the judicious application of not sweating the little things, and thereby become truly able to determine what is actually important to all and not simply white noise.

DO NOT TAKE 62-years, or more, as I have done, to learn this maxim.

Above all else, regardless of your faith, politics or social construct accept and foster the understanding amongst those around you that there can never, ever, be degrees of EQUALITY. "Equal means equal". No more and no less. None of us can ever be more equal than another, and the sooner humankind comes to accept this premise, the sooner we all will learn to live in harmony, and the sooner all will be allowed to be the very best that each and everyone of us has been, and is, destined to be.

TO ALL, may I extend my best wishes for your continued safety, good health and personal fulfillment in the coming new year.

Warren C. E. Austin
The Gay Deceiver
Toronto, Canada

 "tempus fugit." Dictionary.com's 21st Century Lexicon. Dictionary.com, LLC. 24 Dec. 2011. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/tempus fugit>.