Happy Pride Month

It is Pride month !!!

Know no matter where on the gender, sexuality, or romantic spectrums you fall

Know no matter who knows your truths; just you or everyone in the whole wide world,

Know no matter the stories others tell about you or the stories you tell yourself

You are supercalifragilisticexpialidociously amazing

You are absolutely "nothing will ever change it" beloved

You are truly, madly, deeply Loved.

Every atom, Every dream, Every Hope

So Dream with Pride

So Live with Pride

So Be Yourself with Pride

Happy Happy Pride Month

So we find ourselves at the start of another Pride Month. A month for celebrating hard won victories, a month to remember all those who sacrificed for us to get here, a month to look forward at what we need to do next; so that all our LGBTQ+ siblings are safe, belong, have job and housing security, and in the end can flourish while being their absolutely amazing selves.

This month I am focusing on LGBTQ+ films/documentaries (I started this past weekend.) I will keep you updated on what I have seen as the month progresses as a way to spotlight different LGBTQ+ stories and experiences.

So far I have started with a bit of a tour of the more global LGBTQ+ experience:

• The Dance of the 41 (2020), set in 1890's/1900's Mexico, based on true events, featuring BIPOC-M (Male identified characters), LGBTQ+ focused, Explicit
• Monsoon (2019), set in modern day Vietnam, fictional, featuring BIPOC-M (Male identified characters), LGBTQ+ not focus of plot, Not explicit
• Loev (2016), set in modern day India, fictional, featuring BIPOC-M (Male identified characters), LGBTQ+ not focus of plot, Not explicit (though one scene had some issues with consent)
• Elisa and Marcela, set in 1890's/1900's Spain/Portugal/Argentina, based on true events, featuring European - F (Female identified characters), LGBTQ+ focused, Explicit

Of the four films The Dance of the 41 was the one I enjoyed the most and would recommend that you watch for a number of reasons. 

• The Dance of the 41 was a great balance of plot and romance/love.
• As an historical piece the LGBTQ+ relationships were more front and center than the modern day pieces I watched. 
• I felt there was more onscreen chemistry between the characters in The Dance of the 41 compared to the other historical piece Elisa and Marcela. The two modern pieces were not focused on chemistry per say so definitely had a different tone and can't really be compared.
• The way The Dance of the 41 was scripted it felt more like a celebration of being gay and a celebration of what individuals have done throughout history to find communities to call their own. While the ending was arguable the darkest of the four films I watched this week it somehow also felt the most meaningful/powerful/ something. (Though the main characters clearly needed a big hug)
• There is clearly a need for both stories that highlight the struggles of the past and present day and stories that completely normalize us and where our LGBTQ+ identity is not a plot point but this week the stories set in modern day were too much "old man and the sea" where not much happened plot wise.