7 Ways to Resist This Week

Loev

Celebrate gay love and resistance by watching Loev, an Indian film that has gotten a worldwide release via Netflix. In the film, a favorite at South by Southwest and other festivals, two longtime friends discover their attraction while on a hiking trip in India. Shiv Pandit plays Wall Street hotshot Jai, while Dhruv Ganesh plays Mumbai music producer Sahil. It was Ganesh's final role; he died in January 2015. Writer-director Sudhanshu Saria's debut feature was shot on location in India and completed in secret because of the nation's law against gay sex. "To find ourselves on the cusp of a worldwide release is truly spectacular," Saria told Deadline. "It speaks to Netflix's taste and the way in which they empower filmmakers to speak out against oppressive societies and arcane censorship systems like the one we have in India." Watch the trailer below.

The Los Angeles LGBT Center's An Evening With Women

Now, more than ever, it's important to support women -- especially marginalized women. That's why the Los Angeles LGBT Center's annual An Evening With Women will have more impact and resonance than it has in nearly a decade. Hosted by comics Cameron Esposito and Rhea Butcher, the gala boasts an evening complete with a silent auction, cocktail hour, full dinner, and performances from Eve Ensler, Tig Notaro, Grace Mitchell, and the legendary Carole King. Proceeds from the May 13 event held at the Hollywood Palladium go to benefit services and programs that support lesbian, bisexual, and transgender women in need. Find out more about the event and get tickets here.

Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign

In order for The Resistance to beat Donald Trump in 2020 -- and also take back the House and Senate -- it must understand not only how Trump won the presidency, but also how Hillary Clinton lost. A new book, Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton's Doomed Campaign, attempts to shed light on this topic. Authors Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, journalists who followed Clinton on the campaign trail, provide an insider's look at the flaws of a candidate, a campaign, and its manager, Robby Mook. Not everyone may feel comfortable with the analysis, or they may feel like the thesis itself is unfair. But to ensure victories in the future, it is necessary to hear the point of view of two veteran political reporters who depict, as Rolling Stone describes, "a Washington political establishment that has lost the ability to explain itself or its motives to people outside the Beltway." Find it on Amazon or in bookstores.

Netflix's Sense8

Television's most inclusive show, Sense8, is premiering its second season on Netflix today. Viewers got a taste of the science-fiction drama last holiday season, when the streaming service debuted a special Christmas episode that reunited the group of sensates -- strangers from different backgrounds, cultures, and identities who discover that they are emotionally linked. Yes, this special included one of the famous orgy scenes. But it also showed how Toby, Sun, Nomi, Kala, Riley, Wolfgang, Lito, and Will are progressing since evading the nefarious organization that is attempting to destroy them. In today's divisive culture, Sense8, which was created by the transgender Wachowski sisters, is more important than ever, as it celebrates the strengths that come from uniting people who are different, as opposed to alienating them. Stream the new season today, and watch the trailer below.

Rufus Wainwright, "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"

It's always lovely to hear new work from out crooner Rufus Wainwright and his newest song -- a charity cover of Stevie Wonder's classic "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" -- is as sublime as everything that preceded it. Like all Rufus songs, this one is infused with a beautiful melancholy and that voice. The video is just as gorgeous. Based on a scene from Fellini's 8 1/2, the video is one continuous shot of Rufus and other men dancing, with the original couple ending up right where they started. The song -- listen to it here -- benefits The Art of Elysium, which offers patronage services to young artists and filmmakers.

SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED by Rufus Wainwright-HD from YGTC Media on Vimeo.

Queer/Art/Film "Summer of Resistance"

Queer/Art/Film presents "Summer of Resistance," a series of politically charged films, at New York City's IFC Center beginning next week. The series opens Monday with The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975, a documentary examining a movement that remains relevant to today's struggles. The rest of the series brings two more documentaries and one narrative feature. The docs are Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four, about four lesbians wrongly convicted of child molestation, June 26, and The Salt Mines & the Transformation, following three homeless transgender Latinas, July 24. The narrative film is 1955's A Glass and a Cigarette, from what's considered the golden age of Egyptian cinema, exploring gender issues as a belly-dancing star adjusts to being a housewife, August 14. Tickets and more info here.

The MTV Movie Awards

Gender-nonconforming actor Asia Kate Dillon recently made headlines with their letter to the Television Academy questioning the reasoning behind gendered acting categories. Now the star of Billions is hosting the MTV Movie Awards this Sunday, where the acting categories have been made gender-neutral. Among the queer or queer-themed shows, films, and people up for awards this weekend are Moonlight in multiple categories, Ellen DeGeneres and RuPaul for Best Host, the James Baldwin film I Am Not Your Negro under the documentary category, and Broad City, Transparent, and Pretty Little Liars in various categories. The awards show also added a new category that is indicative of the times. Hidden Figures, Luke Cage, Mr. Robot, Loving, and Get Out are all nominated for Best Fight Against the System. Tune in this Sunday at 8 p.m./7 p.m. Central for the live broadcast.