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Coming attractions

Murder, bullying, suicide among heavy themes in new gay films

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Actor Mark Cirillo as Ryan in ‘The Seminarian.’ It had a limited theatrical run last fall but is out on DVD this month. (Photo courtesy Joshua Lim)

The spring movie calendar packs a wide variety of gay-themed movies but DVD is a good way to catch recent flicks with gay content that only got limited theatrical runs.

Premiered at the Adelaide Bigpond Film Festival, “The Showtown Murders” is the first film to cover the horrific “bodies in the barrels” murders that took place in South Australia. Based on a true story involving Australian serial killer John Bunting, the film follows a 16-year-old who begins a friendship with an older man. Their relationship takes a horrific turn and eventually they start to kill and target groups, including gay men. It’s out March 2 in limited theaters.

Directed by Sundance- and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Lee Hirsch, “Bully” is a character-driven documentary that follows five kids and their families over the course of a school year, with each outcome unpredictable, including the stories of two families who have lost children due to suicide and a mother who anxiously waits to learn the outcome of her 14-year-old daughter who’s incarcerated for possessing a gun. With rare access into a community school system, the film provides a glimpse into school buses, classrooms, cafeterias and even principles’ offices, offering insight into the world of children. It opens March 30 in limited theaters.

Written and directed by James Franco, “The Broken Tower” is a story about Hart Crane, a gay American poet who committed suicide at age 32 in 1932. It premiered last year at Boston College and had a limited theatrical run. In this movie, Crane is a struggling writer who is not understood by his peers, unappreciated for his literary work and unable to allocate time to write because of his financial struggles. Look for it on DVD March 27.

“The Seminarian” is a story about Ryan, a closeted gay religious student who’s struggling with his feelings while completing seminary studies. His school’s hostile views toward homosexuality and his mother’s staunch religious conservative beliefs compound his intrapersonal dilemma about his identity. Ryan needs to complete a solid theological thesis in order to continue doctoral work at the university but is sidetracked when he starts a relationship with a guy he met online, which causes him to question his faith. It’s on DVD March 27.

“American Translation” is about a sexually ambiguous Frenchman who tours the countryside with his female American lover, who’s madly in love with him. From the moment their eyes crossed, brooding Chris and the beautiful Aurore fall passionately and deeply in love. But it’s not long before their overly intense bond is consumed by Chris’s obsession with gay men. This obsession leads Chris and Aurore down a dark and evil journey where the pair embarks on a violent and sexual escapade with seduction and destruction of young gay hustlers. Eye-popping, and jaw dropping, this extremely intense sexy and wildly controversial movie is filled with shocking scenes and graphic displays. It’s on DVD April 17.

Also out April 17 is “Domain,” a movie about a 17-year-old Pierre becoming obsessed with his aunt Nadia, a flamboyant intellectual mathematician whose intelligence collides with her alcoholic dependency and fatalistic view of life, which places her on a path of self-destruction. As Pierre discovers his homosexuality feelings developing within, he attempts to rescue his beloved aunt from herself.

“Jack and Diane,” two teenage girls, meet in New York City and spend the night with their lips locked. Diane’s charming innocence quickly begins to open Jack’s tough-skinned heart. But when Jack discovers that Diane is leaving the country in a week, she tries to push her away. Diane must struggle to keep their love alive while hiding the secret that her newly awakened sexual desire is giving her werewolf-like visions. This movie is scheduled to be released in limited theaters June 1.

Gay themes are still hit or miss in the multiplex but gay storylines may pop up here and there in some of the mainstream releases. Look for “Silent House” and “John Carter” next weekend, “21 Jump Street” on March 16, “The Hunger Games” on March 23, “Wrath of the Titans” on March 30 and “Battleship” on May 18.

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Books

Celebrate Pride month by reading these books

History, pop culture, and more

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(Photo courtesy of Terri Schlichenmeyer)

You’ve done your share of marching.

You’re determined to wring every rainbow-hued thing out of this month. The last of the parties hasn’t arrived yet, neither have the biggest celebrations and you’re primed but – OK, you need a minute. So pull up a chair, take a deep breath, and read these great books on gay history, movies, and more.

You probably don’t need to be told that harassment and discrimination was a daily occurrence for gay people in the past (as now!), but “American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives” by Robert W. Fieseler (Dutton, $34) tells a story that runs deeper than you may know. Here, you’ll read a historical expose with documented, newly released evidence of a systemic effort to ruin the lives of two groups of people that were perceived as a threat to a legislature full of white men.

Prepared to be shocked, that’s all you need to know.

You’ll also want to read the story inside “The Many Passions of Michael Hardwick: Sex and the Supreme Court in the Age of AIDS” by Martin Padgett (W.W. Norton & Company, $31.99), which sounds like a novel, but it’s not. It’s the story of one man’s fight for a basic right as the AIDS crisis swirls in and out of American gay life and law. Hint: this book isn’t just old history, and it’s not just for gay men.

Maybe you’re ready for some fun and who doesn’t like a movie? You know you do, so you’ll want “Sick and Dirty: Hollywood’s Gay Golden Age and the Making of Modern Queerness” by Michael Koresky (Bloomsbury, $29.99). It’s a great look at the Hays Code and what it allowed audiences to see, but it’s also about the classics that sneaked beneath the code. There are actors, of course, in here, but also directors, writers, and other Hollywood characters you may recognize. Grab the popcorn and settle in.

If you have kids in your life, they’ll want to know more about Pride and you’ll want to look for “Pride: Celebrations & Festivals” by Eric Huang, illustrated by Amy Phelps (Quarto, $14.99), a story of inclusion that ends in a nice fat section of history and explanation, great for kids ages seven-to-fourteen. Also find “Are You a Friend of Dorothy? The True Story of an Imaginary Woman and the Real People She Helped Shape” by Kyle Lukoff, illustrated by Levi Hastings (Simon & Schuster, $19.99), a lively book about a not-often-told secret for kids ages six-to-ten; and “Papa’s Coming Home” by Chasten Buttigieg, illustrated by Dan Taylor (Philomel, $19.99), a sweet family tale for kids ages three-to-five.

Finally, here’s a tween book that you can enjoy, too: “Queer Heroes” by Arabelle Sicardi, illustrated by Sarah Tanat-Jones (Wide Eyed, $14.99), a series of quick-to-read biographies of people you should know about.

Want more Pride books? Then ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for more, because there are so many more things to read. Really, the possibilities are almost endless, so march on in.

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Music & Concerts

Indigo Girls coming to Capital One Hall

Stars take center stage alongside Fairfax Symphony

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The Indigo Girls are back in the area next week. (Photo courtesy of Vanguard Records)

Capital One Center will host “The Indigo Girls with the Fairfax Symphony Orchestra” on Thursday, June 19 and Friday, June 20 at 8 p.m. at Capital One Hall. 

The Grammy Award-winning folk and pop stars will take center stage alongside the Fairfax Symphony, conducted by Jason Seber. The concerts feature orchestrations of iconic hits such as “Power of Two,” “Get Out The Map,” “Least Complicated,” “Ghost,” “Kid Fears,” “Galileo,” “Closer to Fine,” and many more.

Tickets are available on Ticketmaster or in person at Capital One Hall the nights of the concerts. 

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Calendar

Calendar: June 13-19

LGBTQ events in the days to come

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Friday, June 13

“Center Aging Friday Tea Time” will be at 2 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community’s new location at 1827 Wiltberger St., N.W. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected]

Women in Their Twenties and Thirties will be at 8 p.m. at Wundergarten. An update will be posted the night of the event on where to find WiTT’s table. There’ll be a Pride flag to help people find the group. For more details, join WiTT’s closed Facebook group

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Happy Hour” at 7 p.m. at Freddie’s Beach bar and Restaurant. This event is ideal for making new friends, professional networking, idea-sharing, and community building. This event is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

Saturday, June 14

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Community Pride Month Brunch” at 11 a.m. at Freddie’s Beach Bar & Restaurant. This fun weekly event brings the DMV area LGBTQ+ community, including Allies, together for delicious food and conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite.

Rainbow History Project will host “Behind the Scenes With the Senior Curator of ‘Pickets, Protests and Parades’” at 7:30p.m. at Freedom Plaza. This behind-the-scenes experience offers a rare glimpse into the creative process behind this groundbreaking showcase of DC’s LGBTQ+ history. Learn about the bold design decisions that shaped the Quote Wall and Hero Cubes and the powerful stories that almost made the cut. Tickets cost $82 and can be purchased on Eventbrite

Monday, June 16

“Center Aging Monday Coffee Klatch” will be at 10 a.m. on Zoom. This is a social hour for older LGBTQ+ adults. Guests are encouraged to bring a beverage of choice. For more details, email [email protected]

Genderqueer DC will be at 7 p.m. in person at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This is a support group for people who identify outside of the gender binary. Whether you’re bigender, agender, genderfluid, or just know that you’re not 100% cis. For more information, visit their website at www.genderqueerdc.org or check us out on Facebook

Tuesday, June 17

Bi+ Roundtable and Discussion will be at 7 p.m. on Zoom. This is an opportunity for people to gather in order to discuss issues related to bisexuality or as Bi individuals in a private setting. Check out Facebook or Meetup for more information.

Wednesday, June 18

Job Club will be at 6 p.m. on Zoom. This is a weekly job support program to help job entrants and seekers, including the long-term unemployed, improve self-confidence, motivation, resilience and productivity for effective job searches and networking — allowing participants to move away from being merely “applicants” toward being “candidates.” For more information, email [email protected] or visit thedccenter.org/careers.

“Legends Live Loud: A Queer Karaoke Experience” will be at 7 p.m. at the DC Center for the LGBT Community. This will be a dynamic, Center-wide karaoke event celebrating the brilliance and cultural impact of some of our most colorful queer icons. The Center will honor legends through music, pop culture, dance, and inextinguishable liberation. For more details and to sign up, visit the DC Center’s website

Thursday, June 19

Go Gay DC will host “LGBTQ+ Book Club” at 7:30 p.m. at Federico Ristorante Italiano. This book club is co-hosted by EQUALITY NoVa and is another opportunity to engage in a fun and rewarding activity. The group doesn’t discriminate when it comes to genres it reads – from classic literature to best selling novels to biographies to histories to gay fiction. For more details, visit Eventbrite

Cultivating Change Foundation will host “Cultivating Pride Happy Hour” at 5:30 p.m. at Dacha Beer Garden. This Pride month, the organization is inviting LGBTQ+ people and allies in food and agriculture to come together in communities nationwide. These informal gatherings are a chance to connect, celebrate, and build community, whether it’s over coffee, a cocktail, or a conversation. Attendance is free and more details are available on Eventbrite

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