The Daily Sheet - October 1

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The Daily Sheet - October 1 - 15, 2008

« on: October 04, 2008, 05:14:27 AM »

Saturday, October 4, 2008

Ang Lee Goes to Woodstock

“(T)he greatest directors are the ones that always keep their fans guessing as they move effortlessly from genre to genre. It already boggles the mind to think that the same director oversaw Sense and Sensibility, Hulk, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Brokeback Mountain, so it’s even more impressive when you think about the fact that Ang Lee’s next flick is about Woodstock. And I have only one thing to say: Jake Gyllenhaal would make the perfect Wavy Gravy.

‘Demetri Martin is the main character,’ Lee’s longtime writing/producing partner James Schamus clarified, explaining the real breakout actor in the movie. ‘This is his ‘Hello world, this is Demetri Martin[’s moment].’’

In addition to the quirky, boy-faced comedian, the film also co-stars such heavy hitters as Paul Dano, Liev Schreiber, Emile Hirsch, Imelda Staunton and MTV Movies team fave Dan Fogler. ‘It’s not the story of Woodstock,’ Schamus said of the flick, which is currently being called ‘Taking Woodstock’ as it’s being filmed. ‘It’s the story of a guy who happened to almost, by accident, help make it happen. Demetri plays this schnooky interior designer, a gay guy, who lives in Greenwich Village.’

Expanding on a plot that’s heavy on hilarity and more likely to jilt Jimi, Schamus added: ‘[Martin’s character] is broke and totally under the thumb of his Russian Jewish parents who own this fleabag hotel, this Catskills dump. He has to move back in with them for the summer, and up there he’s in the closet and the president of the Chamber of Commerce, which is a joke because there’s no commerce.’”

Read more here.

California Governor Vetoes Bill to Honor Harvey Milk

“California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have honored Harvey Milk’s birthday as a statewide ‘day of significance.’ ... Schwarzenegger defended his decision by saying that the icon’s ‘contributions should continue to be recognized at the local level.’”

“Milk was one of the first openly gay men to hold a prominent political office in the United States when he was elected to the San Francisco board of supervisors in 1977. Milk, a film about the politician’s life, directed by Gus Van Sant and starring Sean Penn, is set for release this December.”

Read more here.

Same-Sex Divorce Difficult to Get

“What’s tougher to get than a same-sex marriage? A same-sex divorce.

“Then-Gov. Mitt Romney, a staunch opponent of same-sex marriage, had already ordered some Massachusetts cities to stop issuing marriage licenses to gay couples who lived outside the state, and Ormiston and Chambers hoped to get to nearby Fall River before the ban took effect there.

“By afternoon, they were married.

“‘I was so elated,’ Ormiston said. ‘When I was in college, I was Chapter 9 in abnormal psych. To be able to marry the woman I loved at the age of 58 -- my feet didn’t touch the ground for days.’

“Then, after two years of marriage, the 10-year relationship soured, and Chambers filed for divorce. That put the couple into a legal limbo that is becoming increasingly common as same-sex couples married in one state try to divorce in another.

“A judge in Family Court, where divorces are handled, asked the Rhode Island Supreme Court for a ruling on whether his court had jurisdiction, given that Rhode Island doesn’t recognize gay marriage. The state Supreme Court decided that the women weren’t legally married in the eyes of the state and therefore couldn’t get divorced.

“Chambers then tried filing for divorce in the state’s Superior Court, but last month a judge there ruled that the court had no jurisdiction over marriage dissolutions. A Massachusetts divorce isn’t an option because only residents who have lived in the state for a year can file there.

“‘They’ve given us no choice but to be married forever,’ said Ormiston. ‘Their worst nightmare.’”

Read more here.
Source: The Los Angeles Times (via AARP Bulletin)

Gay Elders’ Distinctive Challenges

“Frank Carter was once a globe-trotting professional dancer; his world is smaller now. He battles multiple health problems, walks with a cane and rarely leaves his compact Manhattan apartment.

“As an 86-year-old gay man, with no family nearby and many acquaintances long since dead, he’d seem a likely prospect for isolation.

“Instead, he has kindled a deep, five-year friendship with Gigi Stoll, a fashion model-turned-photographer half his age. Stoll helps Carter with medical arrangements, writes to him when she travels overseas, and sat with him for six hours during his most recent hospitalization.

“‘The other guys in the hospital, no one was coming in to see them,’ Carter said. ‘To get that gift, you have to be lucky.’

“It’s not just luck. Stoll came into his life though a program that matches infirm gays and lesbians with volunteers who commit to making weekly visits.

“Long overlooked by society at large, and even by younger gays, elderly gays and lesbians are emerging as distinct community, getting more help and attention as they confront challenges that differ in many ways from their heterosexual counterparts.”

“Advocacy groups say the estimated 2.5 million gay seniors in America are twice as likely to live alone, four times less likely to have adult children to help them, and far more fearful of discrimination from health care workers.”

Read more here.
Source: Associated Press (via ABC News)

Homosexuality in Renaissance Florence

“The major problem in researching gay history is the virtual absence of reliable source material. The public record usually expunged references to gays, gays themselves were largely silent or silenced, and literary sources and histories, written by our opponents, are defamatory.

“In that light, fifteenth century Florence is uniquely valuable. During the Renaissance, Florence developed a reputation for being pervaded with homosexuality - ‘sodomy’ in the language of the time. Smarting from this reputation, reeling from population loss suffered during the Black Death, and pressured by homophobic clerics, in 1432 the city government set up a judicial panel called ‘The Office of the Night’ exclusively to solicit and investigate charges of sodomy.

“Remarkably, most of the records of that body survived in the city archives and provide the basis for Michael Rocke’s historical reconstruction of Florentine homosexuality, Forbidden Friendships.”

Read more here.
Sources: The Independent Gay Forum; Windy City Times

Visit the forum’s Gay History Thread.

Episcopal Diocese OKs Split Over Bible, Gays

“Clergy and lay members of the theologically conservative Pittsburgh diocese voted overwhelmingly Saturday to break from the liberal Episcopal Church, with which it differs on issues ranging from homosexuality to biblical teachings on salvation.

“Assistant Bishop Henry Scriven said the vote means the Pittsburgh diocese is now more firmly aligned with the majority of the 77 million-member worldwide Anglican Communion, which is more conservative than the communion’s 2.2 million-member U.S. church.

“‘I am delighted,’ Scriven said, ‘that what we have done today is bringing the Diocese of Pittsburgh back into the mainstream of worldwide Anglicanism.’

“The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, presiding bishop of the U.S. church, criticized the vote in a statement, saying, ‘There is room in this Church for all who desire to be members of it.’

“She also said schism is not an ‘honored tradition within Anglicanism’ and is ‘frequently been seen as a more egregious error than charges of heresy.’

“The votes were 240 in favor of leaving the church and 102 against. Eight voters either abstained or cast disqualified ballots.”

Read more here.
Source: Associated Press (via ABC News)

Bank Fails Because It Supported Gay Rights?

“The Liberty Counsel is a non-profit group ‘dedicated to advancing religious freedom, the sanctity of human life and the traditional family,’ as its website proclaims.

“Liberty Counsel is admonishing Google for opposing Prop. 8, the ballot initiative before California voter Nov. 4 that, if passed, will make gay marriage once again illegal in the Golden State. Liberty Counsel predicts that ‘traditional marriage supporters and pro-family groups’ will be looking for other search engines on the internet.

“‘Google should focus on technology instead of warring against marriage and family values held by the majority of people worldwide,’ said Mathew Staver, founder of Liberty Counsel and dean of Liberty University School of Law. ‘Marriage between a man and a woman is the norm throughout the world. Google executives should be searching for ways to make the internet more usable rather than promoting a radical redefinition of marriage.’

“Furthermore, he points to the example of other companies that have succumbed, in his opinion to the gay lobby. ‘Washington Mutual became an active supporter of the homosexual agenda,’ he warned. ‘But today, it is no more. Corporate America has learned the hard way that anti-family policies are bankrupt in more ways than one.’”

Read more here.

Remembering Matthew Shepard—10 Years Later

Oct. 12: The Lifetime Movie Network will be rebroadcasting the 2002 film The Matthew Shepard Story, for which Stockard Channing won an Emmy for her portrayal of Judy Shepard. Watch this GLAAD Media Award-nominated film in the category of Outstanding Television Movie at 12pm ET/9am PT. More information here.

Oct 12: HBO will rebroadcast the GLAAD Media Award-winning 2002 film The Laramie Project at 10:15 p.m. on HBO Signature West and at 7:15 p.m. on HBO Signature East. More information here.

Oct. 13: The first of two remembrances of Matthew Shepard’s murder will be held by the Matthew Shepard Foundation at Loring Park in Minneapolis, Minn. Open to the public, the event will feature music and speakers, including Judy Shepard, openly gay actor T.R. Knight and Moises Kaufman, author of The Laramie Project. More information here.

Oct. 19: The second observance of the 10 years since Matthew Shepard’s death will occur at Napa Valley College in Napa, Calif. Speakers include Judy Shepard and several of the original cast members of The Laramie Project. More information here.

Fun Question of the Week

This week’s Question: Who said: “People have this obsession: they want you to be like you were in 1969. They want you to, because, otherwise, their youth goes with you”?

Let us know the answer on the response thread.

* * *

Last week’s Question: Which world countries are not members of the United Nations?

The answer: Kosovo,Taiwan, Vatican City, and Western Sahara ~(but are they all countries?)

Post of the Day

In the Did Jack Quit Ennis? thread, a thoughtful and very interesting discussion is on-going:

jnov posts: i understand what some of you are saying about jack giving up hope and once that is gone, then why. and i do agree he gave up the hope that ennis would/could change and give jack all he wanted/needed.

but i also think jack could have finally given up hope without completely giving up on ennis. because of ennis’ breakdown and his admission that he couldn’t stand it no more, jack really comes to understand, finally, the limits of ennis. and i think jack is capable of accepting those limits without completely giving up on his love. it is a mature, painful kind of love that recognizes the harsh realities of who a person is, who this person is that he (jack) loves. the love doesn’t disappear. but all the gloss is gone.

Cally adds: That’s very perceptive, jnov, and I recognise that love you describe. My feeling/hope is that, if Jack’s death and the shirts could work the miracle of opening Ennis’s eyes, there is also just the faintest possibilibilty that one day something else could have done this. If Jack could have held on to this, disillusioned perhaps, love until that point, then perhaps eventually they could have moved on. Not likely but not impossible IMO, and I find a little comfort in that thought.

Join the discussion HERE.

Quote of the Day

“Love makes your soul crawl out from its hiding place.”

~ Zora Neale Hurston ~

From Photo Captioning Fun 4
By Ministering Angel

Fire Service? Yep, it’s Don Wroe’s cabin again.

Contributors: jnov, BayCityJohn, Ministering Angel, killersmom, Miaisland, Cally, gnash, Lyle (Mooska)

Calendar of Events

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Editor: MissYouSoMuch

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning

Formatters/Researchers: denim girl, gnash

Today’s edition was produced by MissYouSoMuch and Stilllearning.

Today’s edition was formatted by gnash.

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.

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oceansbetween

Proud member of the Gylledge People
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Re: The Daily Sheet - October 1 - 15, 2008

« Reply #3 on: October 14, 2008, 05:02:32 AM »

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Gay Candidates Anticipate Breakthroughs

“In his liberal Colorado district, it’s no big deal that Jared Polis is gay. Yet his expected victory Nov. 4 in a congressional race would be a historic milestone and, he hopes, send an encouraging message to gay and lesbian young people nationwide.

“Polis, a 33-year-old entrepreneur who made millions creating Internet-based businesses, is the Democratic nominee and overwhelming favorite in the 2nd District encompassing his hometown of Boulder.

“If he wins, he would be the first openly gay man to win a seat in Congress as a non-incumbent. ... ‘Sexual orientation has been a non-issue in our district. ...If any of my opponents tried to raise it, it would backfire,’ Polis said in a telephone interview. ‘Outside the district, it has taken on a larger significance,’ he added. ‘Young gays and lesbians who might want to run for office look to examples and role models.’

“Polis is one of a record 100 gay, lesbian and bisexual candidates for federal, state and local offices winning endorsements this year from the Gay and Lesbian Victory Fund, a national group founded in 1991 to increase the number of openly gay elected officials. The number has risen, steadily but slowly, to more than 420 out of the nation’s roughly 500,000 elected officials.” ...

“Among other noteworthy races:

“In Oregon, state Sen. Kate Brown, who describes herself as bisexual, is the Democratic candidate for secretary of state. That’s the No. 2 job in Oregon, which has no lieutenant governor.

“In one of the most conservative states, Democrat Jim Roth is seeking election to the three-member Oklahoma Corporation Commission, which oversees energy, transportation and utilities. In 2002, Roth became the first openly gay man to win any elected office in Oklahoma - a county government post.

“In Texas, Lupe Valdez faces tough opposition in her bid for re-election as Dallas County sheriff. In 2004, she became the first woman, first lesbian and first Latina sheriff.

“In Pennsylvania, the Victory Fund has endorsed Kevin Lee, a Democratic candidate for the state House of Representatives from suburban Philadelphia, and says he would - if victorious - be the first openly gay legislator ever in the state.

“Another political milestone is approaching in Portland, Ore., which is scheduled to become the nation’s largest city with an openly gay mayor when Sam Adams takes office in January. Adams averted the need for a Nov. 4 runoff election by winning 58 percent of the vote against a large field in first-round voting in May.”

Read more here.
Source: Associated Press

Minister Apologises for Gay Tattoo Remark

“An Anglican priest has apologised over comments made on his blog arguing that gay men should have warnings about sodomy tattooed on their backsides.

“Remarks made by Reverend Peter Mullen triggered a furious response from his diocese, which ordered him to remove the ‘highly offensive’ blog post.

“‘I did not intend to cause any upset but I realise that the remarks were injudicious and I have caused offence. I want to issue an apology,’ said Mullen, who ministers to parishes in the City of London financial district.

“‘I did not intend to cause offence when I made some joking remarks about homosexuals. I was not actually meaning to criticise individual homosexual persons, but the promoters of gay culture.

“‘However, my remarks have caused offence and for this I am sorry and make a full and complete apology.’

“In his original blog post, the 66-year-old wrote: ‘Let us make it obligatory for homosexuals to have their backsides tattooed with the slogan: SODOMY CAN SERIOUSLY DAMAGE YOUR HEALTH and their chins with: FELLATIO KILLS.’

“Ben Summerskill, chief executive of gay rights group Stonewall, described the comments as ‘nonsense’.

“‘If I were a vicar at the heart of the City of London, I might be praying about other things at the moment rather than getting hot under the collar about gay sex,’ he said, referring to the current global economic turmoil.”

Read more here.

That’s All Folk!

On Friday 17 October, the Ghent International Film Festival will be presenting That’s All Folk!, a film music concert by folk rock sensation Kadril at the De Bijloke music centre in Ghent. The programme will include tracks from Brokeback Mountain, Black Cat White Cat, and Vengo. Get ready for some arm-swinging, hip-swaying folksy fun, against a backdrop of big screen film clips.

Read more here.

Video on Demand

The Forum’s Amazon Store now has Video on Demand. Check it out here.

Better than the Book?

“The New Zealand Herald recently asked its readers “Can a film be better than the book? It doesn’t happen often - but there are some great examples. Many say that the Oscar-nominated film Brokeback Mountain was better than the Annie Proulx short-story it came from.”

One person posted, “Agree with Shawshank Redemption and Jaws but can anyone really think the movie Gone with the Wind (absolutely dreadful acting, such a disappointment was better than the book)? I wish they would remake Gone with the Wind, then it would stack up. My pick for worst adaptation of a book series to movies would have to be The Bourne Trilogy - whatever books they were based on wasn’t them - especially The Bourne Supremacy and Bourne Ultimatum. (T)hey had absolutely nothing to do with the books at all. Loved the adaptation of Jurassic Park; felt it brought the book to life - sequels sucked.”

Another reader commented, “I much prefer reading the book to watching the movie. With the book, you let the images come to you and picture in your own mind the characters doing what you’re reading. I almost feel let down when I watch the movie after reading the book, as the pictures in my head are much more exciting than on the screen. And for the record, I’m 20. And not crazy.”

A North Shore reader said, “Around the World in 80 Days, while not a fantastic film, was a lot of fun, while the book was the most poorly written and error-riddled piece of text ever to have been hailed as a classic.”

Other suggestions and comments included:

“All the Dr. Seuss movies are better than the books.”

“I can’t think of any movies that are better than the book.”

“Godzilla vs. Mothra - rubbish book but a sublime and poignant work of cinematic craftsmanship. Especially the tiny women, the first scene had me reaching for my handkerchief.”

“Brokeback Mountain is an excellent example of a film that is better than the book it is based on - not to take anything away from Annie Proulx. The film was able to capture the wide-open grandeur of the landscape and the pent-up tension and frustration of the main characters. Another good example of this is Stand By Me from the eighties. Great film, came from a so-so Stephen King short story.”

“If the movie Brokeback Mountain was better than the book, then the book must have been pretty awful!”

Read more here.
Source: The New Zealand Herald

Penguins Fly High

“More than 370 penguins that mysteriously washed up on Brazil's equatorial beaches were flown south on a huge air force cargo plane and released closer to the frigid waters they call home, animal advocates said Monday.

“Onlookers cheered as the young Magellanic penguins were set free on a beach in southern Brazil and scampered into the ocean, the International Fund for Animal Welfare said in a statement. It called the penguin release the largest ever in South America.

“The penguins were among nearly 1,000 that have washed up on Brazil's northeastern coast in recent months, said group spokesman Chris Cutter. About 20 percent of the penguins died and the rest were not healthy enough to send back.

“The penguins, which had been kept at an animal rehabilitation center in the northeastern city of Salvador, were flown on an air force C130 turboprop plane usually used for heavy military cargo to southern Brazil and set free on Saturday.

“Experts hope a small group of older penguins released along with the young ones will help guide them south to the Patagonia.” ...

“Environmentalists say it is not know why the penguins were stranded so far north, but suggest they could have been carried beyond their usual range by a flow of warm water.”

Read more here.
Source: Associated Press (via ABC News)

From Life through the Lens 2

By Acquaalta

By Tigs

Post of the Day

In the Topic of the Week Question: Why did Brokeback Mountain Affect You?

doggedstrength describes, in part: “BBM made me realize that love is always precious, is sometimes the weaker among many competing emotions and claims, and therefore must always be fought for, because without it you will be less than you could be. love isn’t perfect and your life won’t become perfect once you have it, but you will be more than you can imagine if you fight for it and hold onto it, at whatever cost. if it’s real love, you’ll always regret it if you don’t put up that fight. also, if you don’t have love in your life right now, arranging your circumstances in order to give love the best possible chance to get to you and tranform you is an urgent order of business.

for the record, what i’ve found even more astonishing is people, gay and straight, many of them members of this forum, who are already in deeply loving, committed, often longstanding relationships -- and who are still bowled over by BBM. these people have much of what they want and need in life, yet finished the short story or emerged from the theater shaking like a leaf -- wondering, questioning, reassessing. that just tells me how powerfully correct the story and the movie are in suggesting that love, even achieved, is always both precious and endangered, needs to be savored and cherished in detail, and should never be taken for granted.”

Click HERE and tell us why Brokeback Mountain affected you.

Quote of the Day

They do not love that do not show their love. The course of true love never did run smooth.
Love is a familiar. Love is a devil. There is no evil angel but Love.

~ William Shakespeare ~

From Photo Captioning Fun 4
By RickB

Ennis:
Look, Jack!
I caught me one a them dang elusive “alibi” fish.
You know how rare these things are?

The Lighter Side

From the Forum’s Humor thread:

Variations on a Theme

Hunchback Mountain: Gay hunchbacks out for adventure and fun in the west.
Yolk Crack Mountain: Humpty-Dumpty with a contemporary twist. Produced with a grant from the American Dairy Association.
Broke Tap Mountain: Starring Savion Glover as a tap dancer with a broken tap. Has to work as a logger to earn the money to get a new one. The late Gregory Hines and Ann Miller appear in flashbacks as his guardian angels.
Broke Fax Mountain: Gay office workers fight over who broke the fax machine and hair care products. Great Broadway show tune soundtrack.

Movie Sequels

A Clockwork Grapefruit
All Quiet on the Western Sides, Top, and Back
Born on the 5th of July
Days of Whine and Roses
Do the Right Thing Some Day
Dr. Zhivago’s Nurse Betty
Fiddler on the 1st Floor
I Know What You Did Last Week
Lloyd, Jeff, & Beau Bridges of Madison County
Lock, Stock, and Two Shipping Containers
Mission Probable
On Her Majesty’s Secret Server

Ordinary People Get More Interesting
Rabbit Whisperer
Singin’ In The Hurricane
Some Like It Scalding
Sunset Freeway
The Big Chill Thaws
The Defiant Ones and Twos
The Greater Casablanca Area
The Hills have Eyes and Conjunctivitis
The Notebook and Some Pencils
To Kill a Cardinal and Some Finches
Turning Point and Click
War of the World Markets

Contributors: BayCityJohn, Acquaalta, pickle, doggedstrength, Tigs, KittyHawk, RickB

Calendar of Events

The Daily Sheet is a production of The Ultimate Brokeback Forum at www.davecullen.com/forum.

Editor: MissYouSoMuch

Editors emeritae: CactusGal, Marge_Innavera, tellyouwhat, Stilllearning

Formatters/Researchers: denim girl, gnash

Today’s edition was produced by MissYouSoMuch and Stilllearning

Today’s edition was formatted by denim girl

We count on you to send us your news items, questions, and nominations for posts of the day.

To subscribe to The Daily Sheet, click the “Notify” button at the top or bottom of the page.
When a new TDS is posted, you will be notified by email.

Previous issues of The Daily Sheet
Response thread for The Daily Sheet


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