The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Support Services Library

DVDs
Pursuit of equality - A behind-the-scenes film crew documents San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom as he ignites one of the most controversial civil rights issues of the 21st century by approving same-sex marriage.

CDs

Winsome Griffles “Meet the Griffles” - Humorous but sincere, this CD combines American country and Southern with gay politics.

Books

Bloodstream – Joel Redon - A raw and emotional portrait of a young man dealing with dementia and AIDS.

Fake v.3 – Sanami Matoh - The third volume in the exciting bi manga police adventure and romance.

Bisexual health: an introduction and model practices for HIV/STI prevention programming – National Gay and Lesbian Task Force Policy Institute, The Fenway Institute at Fenway Community Health, BiNet USA. - Bisexual health issues are frequently ignored, and this report educates the medical community how to effectively address bi concerns. Also available online.

Bound in Flesh - David Thomas Lord - The sequel to Bound in Blood, this is the chilling and erotic tale of vampires in New York City.

Triptych of terror - John Michael Curlovich , Michael Rowe , David Thomas Lord - Three haunting tales of gay Halloween.

DVD:
Wild Tigers I Have Known - An edgy and disorienting coming-of-age film
Fag Hag - Does anyone out there remember the guy who played Wesley on Star Trek? He’s still working!

CDs:
Robert German “Sirens of Brooklyn” - A haunting cross between folk and jazz

Nonfiction:
“The Most Significant Years of My Life”: The Lived Experiences of Gay Undergraduate Men – Jeffrey S. McKinney - An education thesis of gay men at college.

Time on Two Crosses: The Collected Writings of Bayard Rustin – edited by Devon W, Carbado and Donald Weise - A perfect companion to the documentary Brother Outsider, the writings of Bayard Rustin reveal the thoughts of the gay black man who organized the 1963 March on Washington

Transparent: love family, and living the T with transgender teenagers – Cris Beam - A winner of the 2007 Lambda Literary Awards that probes into the lives of trans teens.

Rent : Book, Music, and Lyrics – Jonathan Larson Interviews and Text by Evelyn McDonnell and Katherine Silberger You saw the movie. Maybe you even saw the musical. Now you can read the book.

If you love the Lambda Literary Foundation, you can now become a fan! The Lambda Literary Foundation is the country’s leading organization for LGBT literature. And now you can follow them on your newsfeed.

DVD:
Adventures of Felix - A gay arabic frenchman on a quest to find his long-absent father

NonFiction:
You Just Don’t Understand: Women and Men in Conversation - The fascinating gender differences in the way we speak
Roman Conquests and Stud by Phil Andros - Two books of gay male erotica
Open Secret: Gay Hollywood 1928-2000 - which of your favorite stars is in or out?
How Loathsome - A post-modern genderqueer transgender genderfuck goth comic
Outlaw Representation: Censorship and Homosexuality in Twentieth-Century American Art - a rich history of censorship in modern art, and the portrayal of same-sex desire

Since 1999, Bluestockings has been a women’s collective bookstore, dedicated to feminist materials, and more recently LGBT issues as well. Bookslut has an exclusive interview with one of the Bluestockings’ owners, Kimmie David.

Just the fact that it didn’t stay a strictly women’s bookstore is inclusive in not just the gender issues and the transgender issues but with all people that are underrepresented and oppressed. Because all six owners are in these movements, we know from personal experience how they’re shifting and what they’re shifting towards. Because of our history as a feminist and as a women’s bookstore our strongest sections are on gender, transgender, and feminist issues. Of course you want to get books that are representative of history but are also speaking toward current analyses or trends of any movement. The movements that are happening now are reflected on our shelves.

The Book of Daniel

(5 out of 5 stars)

Simply put, this is the best show you never saw on television. The Book of Daniel was a short lived series that aired on NBC for a mere three episodes before it was canceled. The complete series spanned seven episodes altogether, the final four were filmed, but never had the chance to air. Why was it canceled? I could go on for pages in regards to my own personal opinion as to why such an intelligent, witty, funny show could meet such a quick end, but to sum it up: It simply offered a view of religion that struck a nerve with many of the Religious Right. It offered compassion, sympathy, understanding, and open-mindedness…and sadly, those traits have no place in some people’s views on religion. For some, those are empty words that are spoken, never practiced.

The Book of Daniel stars Aidan Quinn as Daniel Webster, with a family only a man of God could have the patience for. From his alcohol dependent wife, to his drug peddling daughter, to his adopted horn ball and gay republican sons, the good Revered certainly has his hands full. As if that’s not enough however, Daniel himself has an addiction to painkillers, his father is cheating on his wife (with a female Bishop no less), and his church is partnered under the table with the mob.

Did I mention that on occasion, Daniel also sees, and speaks, to Jesus?

At this point, you may be skeptical about my earlier claims that this show offers compassion, understanding, etc., you may instead think you’ve stumbled onto the review for some kind of sordid soap opera, well let me back up and explain. The Book of Daniel tugs at your heart strings, as it takes a topic as sensitive and as controversial as religion, and spins it on his head. In a society such as ours today, it’s so rare to see religion used as a tool to comfort and inspire, as opposed to a weapon of discrimination. Sure, when you’re introduced to the show you’re a bit in shock by how “out of control” some of these characters seem, but as you are welcomed further and further into their lives, you start to see the good that lies underneath. It’s hard to judge the daughter for possessing marijuana when she’s also giving her house’s nanny (who has a severe pain disorder) a drug that provides her with much needed relief. You find yourself grieving and in pain right along side of Daniel and his wife when you come to see that their addictions to painkillers and alcohol, respectively, have come as a result of losing their son to cancer only a couple of years ago. You can’t really judge Daniel’s father for falling in love with the Bishop, when you see his heart breaking every second he spends with his wife, who’s been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and doesn’t even recognize him anymore. As for his sons, his adopted son Adam is your typical horny teenager, but your heart will break for him all the same as he’s met with prejudice and discrimination on the basis of his ethnicity, by members of the very church he attends. You’ll shake your head in disbelief as he’s barred from seeing his girlfriend, simply because his parents, who are suppose to be “people of God”, don’t want a “mixing of the races” under their Christmas tree someday. As for Daniel’s other son, Peter, this is the plotline that really brings it all together for me (and I’m sure, was sadly the main complaint of conservative viewers.) Witnessing Daniel interact with his son Peter really gave me hope that someday religion and homosexuality could walk hand in hand. Seeing Daniel and Peter joke about his sexuality so casually, and to discuss it so openly among the family really leaves you in awe at first, and as you watch the show flashback to the day’s when Peter’s twin brother was still alive, you start to understand how Daniel and his family came to accept Peter for who he is in spite of their strict religious affiliation. The story of Peter’s coming out, and of his twin brother’s death (which spans two episodes, and sadly never got to air on television,) will have you on the verge of tears. Be forewarned, Daniel’s daughter Grace (played by Alison Pill), will sing “Time After Time” at some point in these episodes, and send chills down your spine.

I can not stress enough how badly everyone should watch this show. If only it had somehow survived the barrage of complaints of those too narrow-minded to understand the potential this show had to redeem organized religion in the eyes of mainstream society. Those who complained this show mocked religion should have taken a closer look, and realized there was no mockery, only an attempt to humanize the cold stereotypes many Christians have unfairly received as a result of extremists. Please run down to the GLBT library and pick it up today. Laugh, cry, and grow with the Webster family, then pray to whatever God you believe in that we’re lucky enough to see a show this insightful grace our lives again.

Important Reminder:

Gay Travels in the Muslim World editor Michael Luongo is coming to Bloomington tomorrow to read from his ground breaking new book. Thursday, July 10th, Luongo will be doing a reading at Rachel’s Cafe from 6:30-8:30 (300 E. 3rd Street, corner of Lincoln).

And if you can’t make it to Rachel’s Cafe, you can hear him being interviewed on BloomingOUT, Bloomington’s own Midwest GLBT Radio Show at 6pm.

This edited collection journeys where other gay travel books fear to tread–Muslim countries, telling Muslim and non-Muslim gay men’s stories of traveling in the Middle East during these difficult political times. The true, very personal tales include gay soldier Jeff Key’s story of Iraq; the editor’s story of Afghanistan; Parvez Sharma’s making of Jihad for Love; a forward by Afdhere Jama of Huriyah magazine; among many other stories. This intelligent book goes beyond 9-11 and the cultural divides to illustrate the real experiences of gay men in trouble zones.

by Carol Anne Douglas.
San Francisco: ism press, 1990.
363 p., illus.

In her book Love and Politics, Carol Anne Douglas makes a commendable effort to delineate the sometimes overlapping and confusing discourses of “traditional” radical feminism. Focusing on various points of contention between different schools of thought, from women’s lib-era critiques of gender to the late-80’s battles over pornography, Douglas offers a balanced, unbiased survey of differing views on a variety of important feminist issues.

Clearly, this book was originally a contemporary account of recent feminist debates, though its focus on somber “old school” 70’s theorists now reveals its age. Readers seeking current information should be aware of the book’s not-so-recent publication date (1990). Though some of the discourses she covers retain currency today, Douglas devotes only one chapter to several issues (S/M, pornography, etc.) that now would each require separate chapters. She was unfortunately not privy to more recent (and more fun) debates, offering no coverage of issues such as bisexuality, the riot grrrl movement, transgenderism, identity and visibility politics, or sex-positive feminism. A picture of the current state of radical feminism this book certainly isn’t.

Nevertheless, for readers seeking a comprehensive and readable overview of the divergent voices of radical and lesbian feminism from the 70’s and 80’s, look no further. This volume would make excellent background material for anyone with an interest in Gender Studies, the women’s movement, or feminism in general.

Reviewed by Elizabeth Bridges.

This Review and more can be found on the GLBTSSS Library Website.

Gay Travels in the Muslim World editor Michael Luongo is coming to Bloomington next week to read from his ground breaking new book. Thursday, July 10th, Luongo will be interviewed on BloomingOUT, Bloomington’s own Midwest GLBT Radio Show at 6pm.

Following this, Luongo will be doing a reading at Rachel’s Cafe from 6:30-8:30 (300 E. 3rd Street, corner of Lincoln).

This edited collection journeys where other gay travel books fear to tread–Muslim countries, telling Muslim and non-Muslim gay men’s stories of traveling in the Middle East during these difficult political times. The true, very personal tales include gay soldier Jeff Key’s story of Iraq; the editor’s story of Afghanistan; Parvez Sharma’s making of Jihad for Love; a forward by Afdhere Jama of Huriyah magazine; among many other stories. This intelligent book goes beyond 9-11 and the cultural divides to illustrate the real experiences of gay men in trouble zones.

by Bert Herrman.
San Francisco, CA : Alamo Square Press, 1990.
125 p., illus.

his little volume follows a familiar format for self-help books, with chapters on various topics that pair observations from the psychologist author with case anecdotes from clients. In this instance, the author is gay and his clients gay or lesbian, but the focus of the book is universal: the path to achieving self-actualization, or one’s own unique version of a satisfying life.

The book begins with an introduction to the psychology of being and ends with a series of steps the reader can take to lay the groundwork for discovering his or her full potential. The chapters constituting the body of the book discuss the divergent paths one can take towards this goal, covering everything from Christianity and other religions to secular philosophies and community volunteer work.

Though it is not the only self-help book to use the perspective of Jung and other humanistic psychologists to meet the challenges of gay life, this book is unique in its non-technical approach that combines religious, psychological, and occasional New Age insights. While the clients introduced along with the presentation of the different topics lack diversity — most are male, professional, and middle or upper-middle class — the issue of finding meaning in one’s life has no social boundaries, so this book remains widely accessible. For someone just coming out and wondering what kind of life s/he can lead or for a gay man or lesbian looking to “find” him/herself, this book offers hopeful direction.

Reviewed by Elizabeth G. Bridges.

This Review and more can be found on the GLBTSSS Library Website.

June is gay pride month! In celebration of the Stonewall Riots that “kicked-off” the gay rights movement on June 28^th, 1969. Make sure to get your pride on this summer with these gayeriffic reads!

Gay Pride: A Celebration of All Things Gay & Lesbian – William J. Mann

Does what the title says: all things gay. Are you wondering about prominent gay people? Socio-cultural movements? The Ugly Duckling? This collection of short short essays (think 3-4 paragraphs) will tell you what you need to know about the ins and outs of gay culture.

The Last Sunday in June – Photographs by Jamel Shabazz, essays by Kelefa Sanneh and Emil Wilbekin

A collection of photographs taken at a New York Gay Pride Parade, running the gamut of drag queens and bare-chested beauties, to middle class couples in matching polo shirts. Shabazz has been described as an anthropologist in his touching study of one of the biggest annual events to tie the GLBT community together.

Gloria Goes to Gay Pride – Leslea Newman, illustrated by Russell Crocker

From the author who brought you Heather Has Two Mommies, this is the story of a little girl going to the Gay Pride Parade with her mommies. Gloria describes all the fun she is having, and the black and white pencil drawings provide a simple accompaniment that does not detract from the experience.

You can print this list here!

AfterElton.com has an exclusive interview with Armistead Maupin, author of the gay series Tales of the City. Find the nitty gritty on Maupin’s life, characters, and why Maupin doesn’t consider his most recent book, Michael Tolliver Lives to be a sequel to the original series.

The GLBT Library carries Michael Tolliver Lives, as well as all the original titles in the series. Come by and check out this classic of gay fiction!

How do gay and lesbian astrology guides differ from straight astrology guides? According to astrologer Michael Yawney, sun signs express themselves differently, based on the specifics of one’s life. These books break down psyches and relationships with an eye kept out for gay and lesbian love!

Lesbian Love Signs: An Astrological Guide for Women Loving Women by Aurora

With sisterly energy, Aurora describes the behavioral tenets of the 12 signs in women, then analyzes how that sign (under best circumstances) plays out in combination with other signs. Whatever your sign – whatever your girlfriend’s sign, this book does not leave you out.

Gay Astrology: The Complete Relationship Guide for Gay Men by Michael Yawney

With wit and humor, Yawney doesn’t just describe how your sign interacts in various love combination – he talks about the ins and outs of coming out, dating, cohabitating, parenting, and breaking up. A must read for any gay guy looking for advice from the stars.

You’ll Get Over It

2.5 out of 5 stars

You’ll Get Over It is a foreign film that originally aired in France. It centers around its protagonist Vincent, an 18 year old high school senior and star of the swim team. The film chronicles Vincent’s coming out process, and how it affects the lives of his friends, family, teammates, even his teachers and principal. The film offers an array of solid actors, from Julian Bamgartner (who also stars in the 2005 film Look at Me, and the better known 2001 film Sexy Boys), to his character’s best gal pal Noemie (played by Julia Maraval). You’ll quickly find yourself feeling strong emotions towards the majority of these characters. You’ll mourn with them, you’ll laugh with them, and you’ll even grow angry with them. The film definitely succeeds in this particular department.

What it falls short in, however, is the direction and the writing of the film itself. You’ll quickly become annoyed with the sense that the story doesn’t proceed smoothly, instead, the scenes seem to constantly jump around to different characters. Each scene will consist of a few minutes of dialogue, and then quickly jump to another scene with different characters. Often times there will be scenes that feel completely out of place, and unnecessary. I think this comes from the fact that Molina (the film’s writer), was attempting so hard to portray the coming out process, which he wanted to examine it from all sides. You won’t just see Vincent accepting his homosexuality; on the contrary, Vincent accepts his sexuality almost too naturally. Instead, you’ll witness conversation between his two best friends regarding how long they’ve “known” or if they really “knew” their best friend was gay this entire time. You’ll see his parents have the “Do you still love our son? Do you look at him differently because he’s gay?” discussion. There’s even a scene where the school officials discuss the most sensitive way to handle Vincent’s situation after it becomes public knowledge. You’ll come to love a lot of these characters, the problem is that several of them are dispensable and excessive. I for one could have done without Vincent’s brother being in the film at all. His side plotline is never really resolved, and it’s just a pain to watch every time he’s on screen. He’s a character obviously designed for you to dislike, and he achieves this splendidly. I wish I’d seen a lot more of Vincent’s English teacher in the film, I feel his character would have had a lot more to offer to Vincent, and the film as a whole, but sadly he’s very much overshadowed with needless filler characters. The budding romance between Vincent and the tall dark and handsome stranger also seems to escalate out of nowhere. One second you’re not even entirely sure if the guy is gay, and the next second, he and Vincent are happily ever after. Molina simply tried to accomplish too much within this film, and as a result, it comes across as a jumbled mess. You’re not really sure what to think when it’s over.

HOWEVER. Don’t get me wrong, it’s so important to watch films such as this one. It does successfully account for that frustrating stressful time in each gay person’s life, when they must finally come to terms with who they are…it just seems to focus a lot more on the side character’s reactions than it does what our actually hero is enduring. I’d still recommend you picking it up for yourself sometime though, maybe you’ll disagree. Maybe you’ll be able to find more meaning it in than I did. If you do like this film, I’d highly recommend Summer Storm (also available at the GLBT library.) It has a lot of the same themes, but overall is a much better done film.

edited by Robyn Ochs.
Cambridge, MA : Bisexual Resource Center, 1999.
303 p., illus.

As much as “bisexual chic” has done to convince people that bisexuality is cool, and even common, there does not seem to be an easy way to actually meet and talk to others who are bisexual. It is equally difficult to find bisexual people represented in books and movies.

The Bisexual Resource Guide attempts to change this by collecting, in one space, over 300 pages of places a bisexual person might turn to find other bisexuals. Short on theory but full of puns (by-lines become bi-lines and there is a Bi-bliography), the Guide is thorough. While the essay “What is Bisexuality” is much too short to be helpful at all, “How to Start a Bisexual Support Group” presents many useful practical tips. By far (bi far?) the most helpful section is “Bi the Book” — an annotated bibliography of fiction and non-fiction books, chapters, and articles which have something to do with bisexuality. There are books which discuss bisexuality, books which focus on bisexual characters, even books which include bisexuality in a minor way. This bibliography not only lists them, but also gives you a quick idea what each book is about.

Also included in the Guide are: a list of internet resources, a short list of “notable” films with bisexual characters, and a lengthy directory of bisexual and bi-inclusive groups around the world.

The Guide is not a thrilling read; if you are doing research on bisexuality, it couldn’t possibly be the only entry on your bibliography. However, it is a good starting point for any of your bisexual-related needs, be they social contact, political activism, scholarly research, or movie rentals.

Reviewed by Lisa Keele.

This Review and more can be found on the GLBTSSS Library Website.

Mysterious Skin:

4 out of 5 stars

The first time I watched this film was thanks to my boyfriend introducing it to me.
“Is it good?” I asked him as he put the DVD in.
“No.” He replied
“Is it bad?” I laughed. “Why are we watching it?”
“It’s not bad…it’s…it just is.” He said, and that was it.
By the time the film was over, I knew exactly what he meant.

Mysterious Skin spends the first part of the film constantly switching back and forth between two seemingly different plotlines. Neil (played by Joseph Gordon Levitt, known for his works on 3^rd Rock from the Sun, and Latter Days,) is the cute bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks with a damaged past. Brian (played by Brady Corbet) is a paranoid homebody convinced that at some point in his life, he was abducted by aliens and experimented on. The only thing these two boys, separated by space and time, seem to have in common is the fact that long ago when they were just children, they played on a little league baseball team together. By the end of the movie when the two find each other, Brian finally learns the truth about his delusions, and Neil is finally forced to come to terms with what really led him down the path he now finds himself on. To tell you anymore would ruin it, but be warned, the revelation is enough to bring anyone to tears, and leave a pit in your stomach that won’t fade for several hours.

As with any movie I often rate high on my list, this film’s ability to excel with its audience lies in the fact that the events of this film can happen. The movie keeps you at a safe distance from the dark reality of itself by Neil’s ability to shrug off a lot of what happens to him, and Brian’s seemingly ridiculous notions that he was abducted. We feel endured to the characters, but at a safe distance from them by their seemingly inhuman traits. It’s only after Neil stops his façade, and after Brian uncovers the truth, that you finally come to fully see the tragedy that these two young men have endured, and how it’s drastically altered the course of their entire lives. In the final moments of this film, when it all comes together, you want to cry for them, you want to hug them, and tell them it will all be ok. For a few minutes, you’ll shudder and wonder if anything like this could have happened to anyone you know.

Be warned, this is not a film for just any occasion, and it’s not something to watch if you’re already down. It is, however, a beautifully done film. It’s passionate about what it attempts to express to its audience, and it presents its message compellingly.

Just in case you get tired of the GLBT Student Support Services in Bloomington, we just thought you should know, there’s a new gay library right in our backyards!

Indianapolis is home to the Chris Gonzalez Library & Archives, home to 5,600 books, movies, newspapers, magazines, photographs, and other ephemera from the last 40 years of gay Indy history.

Open weekends only, this library started off as just one man’s personal collection. Michael Bohr started his library with 1,600 books and memorabilia, and has recently become a part of Indy Pride, the non-profit that brought you last weekend’s parade! The IndyStar has the whole story!

edited by Shawn Stewart Ruff.
New York, NY : Henry Holt, 1996.
544 p.

Go the Way Your Blood Beats compiles fiction by African-American authors which uses bisexuality and homosexuality as literary themes. Shawn Ruff, editor of the anthology, clarifies in the introduction that the collection is not based on the sexual orientation of the authors. Rather, the short stories and excerpts present a broad range of sexuality in African American literature.

The thirty-two selections feature well-known authors such as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, Alice Walker, and Audre Lorde while also introducing the work of newer authors. The collection is organized into nine sections addressing the misconceptions of lesbian and gay life, dynamics of sexual identity, the conflicts for individuals and families and friends, sexual ambiguity and the complexity of love, betrayal and abuse, and a variety of voices and settings, Go the Way Your Blood Beats offers a mix of emotions that many people can identify with.

The collection takes sexual orientation out of the mere erotic and back into a humanistic environment. In “Ice Castle”, Becky Bertha presents the thoughts of a young woman on the verge of a new love, yet sorting through thoughts of her family and the wide divide between her background and that of the woman she met. Gloria Naylor writes about two women and their new neighborhood in “The Two”, depicting the unexpected hurt of gossip as well as unlikely friendships. Randal Kenan relays a story of poverty, seduction, and blackmail, exploring the varied motivations of each individual. From love, to laughter, to anger, to pain, this collection of stories conveys what it means to be human in a society that has innumerable reactions to sexuality and sexual orientation.

Reviewed by Deborah Wiese.

This Review and more can be found on the GLBTSSS Library Website.