06/09/18
LA Pride
Pride is coming to Los Angeles this weekend -- and there's a flurry of events to consider for queer Angelenos. The centerpiece is the weekend-long LA Pride Festival, where musicians Kehlani and Tove Lo headline a roster of queer and female artists across three stages in West Hollywood. And don't miss the Sunday parade, which kicks off at 11 a.m. down Santa Monica Boulevard with a cake-cutting in protest of Masterpiece Cakeshop. The march will be led by Grand Marshal Michaela Mendelsohn, a trans activist, and Katya, a RuPaul's Drag Race alum, will also make a rare appearance in day drag by marching with the Wall gym.
But that isn't the end of the festivities. It Gets Better is throwing a charity pool party on Saturday. Dodger Stadium is hosting an LGBT night Friday, with The Advocate's editor in chief, Lucas Grindley, throwing the ceremonial first pitch. AIDS/LifeCycle is crossing the finish line Saturday, and a festival will be held downtown to celebrate. Don't miss the fun!
Man in an Orange Shirt
BBC miniseries Man in an Orange Shirt tells the emotional story of Adam Berryman (Julian Morris), a young man coming to terms with his sexuality after battling internalized homophobia for much of his life. The character's assumptions change when he learns more about his grandfather, Oliver Jackson-Cohen), who he discovers to have been a closeted gay man. The story of Adam's grandfather and his love affair with Thomas March (James McArdle) during a time when homosexuality was dangerous unfolds through the storytelling of Adam's grandmother (Vanessa Redgrave). Adam learns more about the hardships his grandfather endured as a gay man during World War II while grasping the emotional stress that befell his grandmother as well. Adam also navigates the his own identity while exploring a developing relationship with a new love interest, Steve (David Gyasi). Man in an Orange Shirt will be available in the U.S. beginning June 17, when the show will air on Masterpiece.
Sense 8 Finale
Alert your cluster! The finale of Sense8 -- the Wachowskis' sci-fi series about the psychic interconnectedness of a diverse group of human beings -- has been released on Netflix. Fans were outraged when the series was canceled last year, as the show included trans and queer characters and had yet to wrap up all of its plotlines. But the gift of an ending is finally here, and just in time for Pride! Watch it now on Netflix.
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Alex Strangelove
In Alex Strangelove, Alex Truelove (Daniel Doheny) is a senior in high school who has made an agreement with his girlfriend (and best friend), Claire (Madeline Weinstein), to have sex before graduation. As the agreed-upon date of the act approaches, however, Truelove begins to question his sexuality -- particularly after meeting the handsome Elliott (Antonio Marziale). Produced by Ben Stiller, the film premieres on Netflix today. And don't miss The Advocate's interview with director Craig Johnson, who discusses his cinematic inspiration, John Hughes, and his desire to queer the historically straight genre of the teen sex comedy.
Between the Shades
The documentary Between the Shades seeks to put faces to every letter in the LGBTQI spectrum. Directed by Jill Savino, the film features 50 people with connections to this population, some of them famous, such as actresses Kathy Najimy and Beth Malone (Fun Home, Angels in America), and former Democratic National Committee treasurer Andy Tobias, and others not well-known but with important stories to share. Between the Shades screens Monday at 5 p.m. at Los Angeles's TCL Chinese 6 Theatres (a multiplex adjacent to the legendary Chinese Theatre) as part of the Dances With Films independent film festival. See the fest schedule and reserve tickets here, and find out more about Between the Shadeshere.
TRAILER - LA Event from Jill Salvino on Vimeo.
Ocean's 8
Judging from the deluge of memes and tweets and articles in anticipation of Ocean's 8, the women-led iteration of the franchise is the most exciting thing to happen to queer women in pop culture since perhaps Carol. While there's no overt LGBT content in the film, the coming together of powerful women like Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Mindy Kaling, Anne Hathaway, and Helena Bonham Carter in a heist film is incredibly exciting. And Blanchett's character Lou, who is Bullock's Debbie Ocean's "right hand," does it some fabulously queer outfits!
The Bold Type
TV's most inspiring intersectional feminist series is back when The Bold Type season 2 premieres on Freeform Tuesday. The series follows Sutton (Meghann Fahy), Kat (Aisha Dee), and Jane (Katie Stevens), young women navigating work and social issues of the day at a Cosmopolitan-esque magazine where their female boss (Melora Hardin) eschews the dragon lady stereotype. The show, from creator Sarah Watson, offers loads of heart, laughs, and a lot of love in terms of romance and friendship between women. If that weren't enough, Kat, who came out as bisexual in the first season after falling hard for Nikohl Boosheri's "proud lesbian Muslim" Adena, continues to explore that relationship with frank discussion about sex between women that may be completely new to television.
