So much blood and tears shed. Love stories that will never be told or that will not even exist in the light of dawn. Creatures with their long and terrible breaths of ignorance, their horrible odour of prejudice and small ability to view what life really means. Terrifying those who just want to live.
The life of an LGBTQ+ person is full of challenges, doubts and struggles. The stories told in films or books about “coming out of the closet” are ten million times softer than reality. The fear of not knowing what family or friends will think or feel. Whether they will be supportive or judgemental. Between knowing oneself and one’s feelings and the moments of the disclosure are huge and endless black holes of anxiety.
And then comes prejudice. Some judging others for what they like or don’t like, what they are and aren’t. Loneliness knocking at the door. The fear of not being accepted settling over the body. The insecurity and depression that takes over. All avoidable if we strived to be more empathetic and compassionate with each other. All violence, whether psychological or physical, namely due to sexual orientation and gender identity, must be stopped. May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia, is a good starting point.
Today is not a celebration about the end of prejudice, but a celebration about being able and allowed to come from behind the shadows and make it bright. The LGBTQI+ community has finally found its voice. To making it heard, there is no better conduit than film. With that in mind, we produced a list of films and series suggestions, to watch on such a “colourful” and hopeful day.
L Lesbian. The connection between two women can be one of the most beautiful feelings portrayed in the format of a story. Femininity explored in a unique and detailed way, in an incredible background as in the magnificent French film “Portrait de la jeune fille en feu” or in “La vie d’Adèle”, another beautiful French film about a magical relationship between two young women and their discoveries.
G Gay. The love between men, its endlessness, its understanding and its passion showcased on a big screen, in the most delicate way, could be the synopsis of “Call me by your name”. Prejudice in the work world and particularly in politics, is beautifully portrayed in “Milk“.
B Bisexual. The idea of loving a woman during the daylight in an American small country town and the hidden emotional and physical explorations with men at nighttime, due to prejudice, is the theme of the film “Brokeback Mountain”. Another suggestion, which can be considered a classic, explores relationships both with men and women, with an artistic background, is the amazing biopic “Frida”.
T Transexual. There isn’t a better feeling than finding your place in the world and gaining the right of being whatever and whoever you want. A classic movie that combines dance, music and infatuation is “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert”. At the other end of the spectrum, is the militant, highly impactful and important political Brazilian documentary, “Indianara”.
Q Queer. Often people don’t identify themselves with heteronormative patterns, hence creating new forms of being themselves and staying outside society’s standards. Two examples showcasing the incredible world of ball culture and its glow is “Paris is Burning!” and Netflix’s series about the growing ball culture in New York in 1984, “Pose”.
I Intersex. A general term used for a variety of situations in which a person is born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that doesn’t fit the boxes of “female” or “male.” A documentary that discusses hermaphroditism in a fascinating way, is “Hermaphrodites Speak!”, while “Yo, Imposible” is a Venezuelan-Colombian film about a woman who never felt like she fit in and whose intersex identity was hidden from her by a religious family that enforced strict gender roles.
+ encompasses all the other letters of LGBTT2QQIAAP, such as the “A” for asexuality and the “P” for pansexuality. “(A)sexual” is a documentary that portrays a sex-obsessed culture, a mountain of stereotypes and misconceptions, and a lack of social or scientific research, and where asexuals – people who experience no sexual attraction – struggle to claim their identity.
Stay Gay, Stay Bright, Stay Glowing, Stay Free and Stay Gorgeous as you are always!