OMG! Magazine V2 Issue 20 by OMG! Magazine

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OMG! Readers, Who would tomorrow’s generation classify as today’s icons? Barack Obama. Oprah Winfrey. Lady GaGa. Miley Cyrus?! Along with the rest of the MTV generation, I grew up looking up to Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Janet Jackson as my personal icons. Today, all five of those musical artists have solidified their standing in pop culture history books as everyone’s icons. But what exactly is an icon? An icon is someone who represents and defines an entire generation. An icon is someone who influences a generation as much as they intrigue it. An icon is someone who can withstand the test of time and who eventually becomes immortal. Two of the state of Florida’s most iconic events in the GLBT community both take place in October. The Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and Come Out With Pride Orlando kick-off this year’s fall season on Thursday, October 7. OMG! Magazine will be present at both hot-ticket festivities. Check out the guides for both events in this issue. Sincerely,

Okie Okesene Tilo,

Executive Editor

The one & only iconic Lady GaGa with Okie and The RITZ Ybor staff during her sold out Fame Ball Tour last year.

Okie with artist artist Jose Renteria at ANTHOLOGY, his solo art-exhibit reception in Tampa, FL.

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Justin & Janet’s Wardrobe Malfunction (2004) After the MTV halftime show where Justin Timberlake exposed Janet Jackson’s bare breast to an audience of 145 million viewers, public outrage and controversy reached epic proportions. The FCC began dramatically cracking down on televised live broadcasts and strengthening music performance censorship due to the nearly 550,000 complaints received as a result of what described as a “wardrobe malfunction.” Jackson’s career never seemed to recoup from the incident. Timberlake went on to even bigger success with a monster hit album FutureSex/LoveSounds and starring roles in Alpha Dog and The Social Network.

Jennifer Lopez & “the dress” (2000) She was just a former Fly Girl who had recently invaded Hollywood and now looked to take the recording industry by storm. On February 23, 2000, Jennifer Lopez strutted down the red carpet at the 42nd Grammy Awards in that now infamous green Versace dress. The barely-there dress managed to steal headlines from Santana’s record 8 Grammy wins and put the actresssinger dead center on the music industry map.

Michael Jackson World Premieres (1991) The Michael Jackson media frenzy was in overdrive when his new music video for “Black or White” world premiered simultaneously on MTV, BET, VH1, Fox and in 27 countries around the world. At the time, music video world premieres were a huge deal, but a Michael Jackson world premiere was an event… as evidenced by the audience of 500 million viewers, the most to ever watch a music video.

Madonna Strikes A Pose (1990) You could pretty much list the first half of Madonna’s entire career in this section. In fact, when it comes to the word “icon,” you could pretty much dedicate an entire issue of OMG! Magazine to the Queen of Pop. It’s as if Madge modeled her every career move on a how-to-guide called Become The Ultimate Icon when she first rolled onto the scene in 1983. However, the ultimate peak of Madonna’s iconic moments arrived in 1990. Channeling Marilyn Monroe and wearing that infamous Jean-Paul Gaultier conebra, Miss Ciccone was teaching the entire universe how to exactly strike a pose.

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Sharon Stone’s Basic Instinct (1992) It was the movie that pissed off GLAAD and various other lesbian & bisexual activist groups. Sharon Stone’s Catherine Tramell may go down in cinematic history books as one of the all-time best villainesses, but her role was lambasted for portraying a bisexual woman as a psychopathic serial killer. Religious groups were also in an uproar over the film’s graphic violence and sexual scenes most notably Stone’s infamous interrogation. In it, the actress literally shows audiences that she is not wearing any panties. Side note: Stone later says that she was tricked into doing the scene by the movie’s director who told her that wearing panties would reflect light into the cameras.

Demi Moore’s Vanity Fair cover (1991) Long before she became the ultimate cougar M.I.L.F., the former Brat Pack star was solely known as Mrs. Bruce Willis. Sure, her summer blockbuster “Ghost” stomped her then-hubby’s “Die Hard 2” movie at the box-office, but Demi still lurked in Bruce’s superstar shadow. In August 1991, Demi Moore stirred up worldwide controversy when she appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair seven months pregnant and fully nude. Most outlets either carried the issue with a censored strip; some refused to carry the issue at all. Either case, a new superstar was born. Demi Moore had officially arrived.

The Death of a Princess (1997) She was arguably the most photographed person in the world. Whenever People magazine placed her on their cover, the issue sold more copies than when she wasn’t on their cover. Worldwide interest in Prince Diana’s personal life became even more covered than political and world affairs. At the height of her popularity, the “people’s princess” died in a tragic car accident with her then boyfriend Dodi Fayed. Her legacy lives on through her charitable contributions and donations.

Britney’s “…Baby One More Time” (1999) How does a 16 year-old former Mouseketeer instantly become a superstar and pop culture icon overnight? Britney Spears did just that when her debut music video for “… Baby One More Time” first aired on MTV. Her jailbait Catholic schoolgirl outfit may have raised eyebrows with parents, but it eventually lead Rolling Stone magazine to praise her as “one of the most controversial and successful female vocalists of the 21st century.” With hundreds of various looks over the years, Britney’s “…Baby One More Time” getup still remains her most famous and popular to date.

George Michael’s “Freedom” (1990) I remember watching MTV in complete awe. The new George Michal music video had just world premiered, yet the singer appeared nowhere in any part of his music video. Instead, there were all of these gorgeous creatures gallivanting around while mouthing the lyrics to his long-awaited new single. Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista, Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford and Tatjana Patitz were these beautiful faces in “Freedom,” officially introducing “supermodels” to the entire world. Janice Dickinson may claim that she was the world’s very first “supermodel,” but clearly she wasn’t in the “Freedom” music video.

To coincide with our ICONS theme for this issue, I selected some of the most iconic celebrity moments in recent pop culture history that shocked and intrigued the masses. These moments will forever be immortalized in pop culture history books for years to come. OMG 9

oth girl next door and whipdonning vixen icon Bettie Page was revolutionary in her time... opening the door for women to embrace their sexuality in a Puritan society. She will forever be an icon and it was an honor to step into her shoes if only for a moment in front of the camera lens." -model Bianca Sultana as Bettie Page

Photography by Gary Randall

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Photography by Gary Randall

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This year marks the 21st anniversary of Tampa’s International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) and

there’s plenty to celebrate. In a year of bullying politics and economic drama, LGBT filmmakers from around the world have created a vibrant selection of film choices for this film festival, one of the world’s largest events of its kind – 8th largest in the country to be exact. TIGLFF21 promises to deliver 11‐days of fierce fabulous fun by celebrating life in pictures this year, from October 7 through 17. 2010. TIGLFF21 will showcase 37 film screening events including three “shorts” programs and five major party events. Continuing with their tradition, film offerings will be on both sides of the bay at the Tampa Theater as well as four nights of exclusive programming in St. Petersburg at the Muvico Baywalk from October 11 through the 14. I sat down with TIGLFF’s Program Director Margaret Murray and Board of Director’s President John Thomas recently to discuss their points of view as “their child” turns 21. “The Festival is thriving and growing more and more every year,” says Murray. “The films selected this year showcase the true diversity of the LGBT filmmaking world. We have films that tackle thorny subjects, as well as comedies, and art‐ house films from all over the world.” TIGLFF chose to focus their ‘vision’ this year on a seasoned maturity. “There is something for everyone in this festival. The vision of the filmmakers we are showcasing is astonishing; each and every one of these films will take you to places you never imagined. That’s the power of celluloid, the director can whisk you away to a small fishing village in Peru, a trip back down memory lane to the late 60’s, or a look into the future, it all depends on the story being told,” said Murray. OMG 12

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“This line‐up is smarter, sexier and more fun than we’ve seen in years,” said President Thomas. “This is my seventh festival and this year really marks a shift in where things are headed, you can see it very clearly when you look at this year’s schedule. GLBT filmmakers at home and around the world are gaining access to more resources to tell their stories, our stories, and you can see it in the production values across the board,” he concluded. TIGLFF21 is banking on the big name draw of stars such as James Franco, who plays Poet Allen Ginsburg in Howl to be this year’s show stopper. Howl follows the trials and tribulations of Ginsburg whose groundbreaking poem Howl, exposing sex and drugs in the gay world, sparked a controversial obscenity trial in 1957. Reviews of the film have been mixed so far but with an all-star lineup that include John Hamm (Mad Men), Mary Louise Parker (Showtime’s WEEDS) Jeff Daniels (Speed) and David Strathairn (A League of Their Own) it is being touted as one of this year’s must sees.

Documentaries are always a strength of TIGLFF. This year’s roster of documentaries includes some heavy hitters as well. First up, Rufus Wainwright: Prima Donna -- This film is Wainright’s first opera piece and it covers the life of the “diva-tastic” singer/songwriter. Other significant shorts include the Adonis Factor; a film about the gay male obsession with body image; Sex In An Epidemic which aptly deals with the ignorance and prejudice that still persists about AIDS twenty eight years after it first appeared; and Making the Boys, a short film recounting the making of the groundbreaking play and movie The Boys in the Band. Going to TIGLFF21 is all about diversity and choice. “It’s like going to Barnes & Noble. Your selection depends on your mood that day. Will it be a comedy, a drama, a mystery or a ‘film noir’? The choice is yours,” says Murray. With emphasis this year on the “I” in TIGLFF standing for “International,” this year has a stronger-than-ever contingent of foreign films including The Man Love Loved Yngve, a coming-out story set in 1980’s Norway against a stereotypical punk-rock soundtrack. Struggling with with love, homophobia and religious belief against the backdrop of an orthodox Jewish community in Jerusalem, the characters contend with judgment and acceptance in Eyes Wide Open.

If you attend nothing else at TIGLFF21, I recommend The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, the closing night film. Knee-slapping fun from start to finish, this documentary follows the lives of New Zealand’s twin sisters Jools and Lynda Topp. They are not just twin sisters. They are “yodeling lesbian activist comedians” that have spent more than 25 years writing songs and performing their quirky brand of country music to inspire equality and justice.

TIGLFF21 opens with a strong laugh-out loud comedy Violet Tendencies, directed by Casper Andreas who also plays an acting role in the film alongside writer Jesse Archer and actress Mindy Cohn. Cohn, who people will remember from the TV sitcom The Facts of Life, plays the self-described “oldest living fag hag in the world.” The movie records Violet’s tendency to spend too much time with her gay male friends and how these adventures impede her from finding the “man of her dreams.”

Questions about life and sexual orientation on the Caribbean island of Eleuthera, a nation dealing violent homophobic hatred and crime are the focus of the narrative, Children of God. Next, your passport will carry you to a small coastal village in Peru for Undertow as a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town’s rigid traditions. This transcendent love story, could take place anywhere in the world where small town gossip reigns and religious rigidity holds sway over acceptance.

Taking a look at festival history begs the question, why now of all times has the Film Festival surpassed the barrier of being just a specialty event in town into being a more eclectic, appealing mix of films? The answer is easy to see that both changing social norms regarding LGBT issues as well as major shifts in media access, such as the advent of Twitter, MySpace and Facebook, have opened brand new markets. “What I believe we’re seeing more strongly than ever is the localization of globalization with the convergence of media and access,” said Thomas. TIGLFF has always had strong local support but this year’s festival beats with the heart, passion and soul of the local LGBT community because the audience’s appear excited by what’s occurring in the LGBT film industry.

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What would a 21st birthday be with out a Party or two, or five? TIGLFF21 has just that with parties at five great venues planed for the 11 day event. • Founders’ VIP Reception on Opening Night on Thursday October 7 at Skypoint downtown Tampa • Business Guild Expo on Sunday, October 10 at TECO Plaza downtown Tampa • Taste of Pride Tampa on Saturday, October 16 at the Tampa Theatre down town Tampa • Surge Men’s Party on Saturday, October 16 at Czar in Ybor City • Sugar Women’s Party on Saturday, October 16 at The Honey Pot in Ybor City How do you get tickets you ask? TIGLFF21 has several ticketing options available. Single Tickets run $9.50 per film Student tickets are discounted to $7.50 and are available at the theatre box office with valid student ID. For those of you more daring, might I suggest you look at the “pass” options? A “Crown Circle Pass” for $125 give you access to all of the films at the festival, advanced admission into the theater and a complimentary adult beverage in the lounge at the Tampa Theatre before each film. Feeling a bit financially flush this autumn? I would recommend the “Diva Pass” at $160. The “Diva Pass” gets you all the “Crown Circle Pass” benefits plus access to the Opening Night VIP Reception and both the Sugar/Surge Parties. Finally, if you’re as flush as a Rockefeller and money is no object, then I would recommend doing the festival like a rock star and splurge for the “Simply Fabulous Pass” at $500. This Mac-daddy pass gets you all the “Diva Pass” benefits plus Green Room access where you can hob-knob with the Festival’s “who’s-who,” reserved seating for all films and no line waiting for ANY festival film or event. On a budget or wanting to do things ala carte? Prices are as follows: Founders’ Reception: $50 Surge Men’s Party: $10 Sugar Women’s Party: $10 Sugar Women’s VIP Room Party: $20 Combo Surge/Sugar Pass: $15 Combo Surge/Sugar VIP Pass: $25 So what are you waiting for? See you at TIGLFF21. For more info, check out TIGLFF21 at www.TIGLFF.com See you at the movies!

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Tampa Bay Business Guild’s Annual Business Expo 2010 written by Wm. Cory Jeffries

The Tampa Bay Business Guild (TBBG) is the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce, serving Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Florida. TBBG hosts a variety of activities through-out the year, including a monthly networking dinner meeting, monthly networking socials, an Annual Business Expo and an Annual Membership Directory. The Tampa Bay Business Guild began over 28 years ago to provide an environment for business owners and local organizations to build an alternative community based on shared goals, friendship and trust. The TBBG is a non-profit organization existing solely to benefit the membership by combining development, leadership and social action in order to expand the economic opportunities for the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community and those who support equality for all human beings. The Annual Business Expo is one of the largest LGBT events put on annually by TBBG. It is an incredible opportunity for the entire Tampa Bay community to come together and celebrate our strength, our diversity, and of course our pride. On October 10, 2010, the Guild will host its Annual Business Expo at The TECO Hall on Franklin Street in Downtown Tampa FL. This event is held in conjunction with the 21st Annual Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) at the Tampa Theater on Franklin Street in Downtown Tampa. Every year, countless Guild volunteers combine over a 1,000 of hours to put this amazing day long celebration together.

On the day of the event, the many event volunteers become ambassadors of the LGBTA community to deliver a unique experience and assist guests, vendors and participants. Tampa Bay Business Guild’s Business Expo began in 1991. The inaugural Expo featured over 100 vendors and attracted approximately 1,000 visitors. In 1998, TBBG Expo was part of the now defunct “Pridefest” held at Tampa Convention Center. That brought famous LGBT Activist Chastity Bono (now known as Chaz Bono) to Tampa as the Parade Grand Marshal. In 2000 and 2001, the TBBG Expo was held as a part of the short lived “Tampa Pride Week” festivities at TBPAC (now the Straz Center for the Performing Arts) Ferguson Hall. The following year, in July of 2002, the TBBG Expo moved to the Tampa Pride Event held at Raymond James Stadium. State and Nationally recognized celebrities and entertainment, respected speakers, and scores of vendors have all contributed to the drastic growth of this special event that continues to break records for Tampa LGBT events each year. In 2003, the TBBG Expo moved to its permanent month of October, which coincides with National Coming Out Day (October 11th), allowing the Guild a permanent home at TECO Hall. An integral part of the Guild’s mission, as a result of the Expo and other events held throughout the year is to give back to the LGBT community through charitable donations that include a variety of local LGBT organizations serving the Greater Tampa Bay area.

Pricing for this year’s Expo is as follows: TBBG Members rate with a boxed lunch included is: $100- 6ft table $120- 8ft table NON-MEMBERS rate with a boxed lunch is: $185 (An annual membership 01/31/11 is included with this fee) NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS: Limited number of 6 ft tables available for $85 with 1 boxed lunch FURTHER INFO CAN BE FOUND ON THE WEBSITE AT: www.tbbg.org The Tampa Bay Business Guild is comprised of volunteer Board members and Committee Chairs who are dedicated to bringing a world-class free event to our Community this October 10th. Come be a part of the excitement that is the TBBG Annual Business Expo. For more information please feel free to mail John Burchette, Expo Chairperson at expo@tbbg.org or call the Guild Administrator Renee Cossette at 813-562-5133.

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've been with Equality Florida for 10 of its 13 years and I'm confident that 2010 will go down as one of the most historic years in the movement toward fully equality for Florida’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

The past 30 days alone have been nothing short of astonishing. With Equality Florida’s assistance, Governor Charlie Crist released a proLGBT issues statement covering a wide range of topics, including: • Calling for an end to “Don't Ask, Don't Tell,” • Passage of the Uniting American Families Act, • Support for civil unions, and • Demanding an end to Florida’s anti-gay adoption laws. Crist’s statement is the most comprehensive pro-LGBT equality stand of a sitting governor in Florida's history.

Within days of the Governor’s statement, on September 22nd, an appeals court upheld a Miami judge who ruled that Florida's 33-year anti-gay adoption ban is unconstitutional, a decision that is binding on all trial courts across the state. The Third District Court of Appeal’s three-judge panel agreed with Miami Judge Cindy Lederman who ruled in 2008 that there is, "no rational basis to prohibit gay parents from adopting" and that the law violates equal protection rights for the children and their prospective gay parents. The opinion reads in part: "Given a total ban on adoption by homosexual persons, one might expect that this reflected a legislative judgment that homosexual persons are, as a group, unfit to be parents. No one in this case has made, or even hinted at, any such argument. To the contrary, the parties agree ‘that gay people and heterosexuals make equally good parents.' '' The ACLU of Florida did an outstanding job in the courtroom and deserves your support. Equality Florida is proud to continue our partnership with the ACLU-FL educating the public on the harm this ban has done to Florida’s most vulnerable children.

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Equality Florida is the largest statewide civil rights organization in Florida dedicated to securing full legal equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. During the seven years that this and previous cases have been winding their way through the judicial system, Equality Florida has been working hard to change hearts and minds of our fellow Floridians and our lawmakers. We introduced repeal legislation in 2004 and every year since. During the 2010 session, we forced a floor debate on the adoption ban in both the House and Senate for the first time in 33 years. The ban was denounced again and again without a single legislator coming forward to defend it. This past spring, Equality Florida took down George Reker's, the longdiscredited "expert" witness that defended the adoption ban by denouncing gay people. In May, Reker’s was caught returning from a European vacation with a male escort who advertised on rentboy.com. In exposing Rekers for the fraud he is, we played a significant role in the defeat of gubernatorial candidate Bill McCollum by revealing the extraordinary waste:

McCollum paid Rekers $120,000 twice the contracted amount - for the same testimony that had been previously rejected by two courts as worthless. McCollum's successful opponent, Rick Scott, even used the Reker’s scandal as his final mailer to every Florida Republican before Election Day.

For months, Equality Florida has been preparing for the response from anti-gay extremists and their promised ballot initiative. We continue to educate the public and identify voters who will stand with us and oppose any attempt to add this bigoted, harmful ban to our constitution.

Equality Florida was thrilled to secure much-sought-after invitations to the White House Easter Egg Roll for Martin Gill's family. While Florida was trying to tear this family apart, the White House welcomed them as a family. Nadine Smith, our executive director, delivered to President Obama a photo of the boys, taken during their White House visit, along with a plea for the President to stop this family from being pulled apart.

Equality Florida is working with a coalition of organization and individuals in a project called Adopt Equality. Volunteers have been calling Florida voters to educate them on the ban and encourage them to support efforts to end the 33 year-old law in anticipation of a ballot measure.

Simultaneously, she sought Governor Crist’s assistance to ensure that the boys would not be taken from their home regardless of the court decision. Our continued communication with the Governor over a six week period led to the eventual release of his pro-LGBT position paper and, perhaps more importantly, his extraordinarily strong opposition to the adoption ban and willingness to stop enforcing it. While September 22nd was an historic day, the fight is not over yet. The same anti-gay extremists who pushed for Florida’s marriage amendment in 2008 are expected to seek a ballot measure putting this discriminatory adoption ban into the state constitution in 2012.

According to a Quinnipiac University poll, 55 percent of Floridians agree that the ban is wrong. Elected leaders across party lines have denounced the ban and business leaders point to the law as one that harms Florida's national and international reputation as a welcoming and inclusive place to live, work and visit. Our years of experience in fighting the adoption ban has taught us that when people understand that this ban literally tears families apart and prevents children from achieving their dream of being adopted, they are ready to fight this injustice. And Equality Florida continues to lead that fight. Take a look at the highlights of our accomplishments over the past 10 months and please consider becoming a member of the Equality Florida family today by visiting www.EQFL.org .

Highlights of 2010 87% of Equality Florida Action PAC’s endorsed candidates for the 2010 Primary Election either won outright or headed to a runoff Our Equality Florida Action PAC was crucial in electing the first-ever out gay mayor in North Florida Equality Florida spearheaded a successful effort to add Domestic Partnership benefits in the City of Kissimmee. Equality Florida led a successful effort to protect 234,000 students in Hillsborough County from antiLGBT bullying. Equality Florida rallied our members to ensure the St. Petersburg City Council approved DP benefits for rank-and-file police officers. Equality Florida helped lead a coalition effort to add Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity to the Leon County Human Rights ordinance Equality Florida Action PAC was the first statewide organization to endorse Dan Gelber for Attorney General and help him win his Primary race. Equality Florida had a strong session in Tallahassee:

• We broke 33 years of silence by forcing discussion of Florida’s notorious anti-gay adoption ban with simultaneous amendments on the floor of the House of Representatives and the Senate. • We secured a Senate workshop on the Florida Competitive Workforce Act - the first debate in history on a bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the state of Florida.

Visit www.EQFL.org and become a member today.

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arilyn Monroe. James Dean. Elvis Presley. What comes to mind when you hear those names? All three are associated with extreme fame and beauty. They are iconic. They may have died before their time, but they left the world with a lasting impression of who they were. Thinking about these icons is uplifting because they will forever be a piece of Americana and have become true symbols. Now think about the following three names: Elizabeth Taylor. Michael Jackson. Twiggy. The images that are called into our minds are an old lady in a wheelchair, a victim of plastic surgery and a typical looking ex- judge on America’s Next Top Model. These three figures had a chance to live forever as the young and beautiful individuals that we were introduced to. The only problem is that none of them died young. This phenomenon truly indicates how youth-obsessed our culture truly is. The icons we strive to emulate are always young and in the prime of life. While Marilyn, James Dean and The King are frozen in time as icons, Liz, Twiggy and the King of Pop are pitiable, infamous and irrelevant. The price of fame is vulnerability. The sad joke of fame is that it is like a drug. You can never be famous enough and even when you arrive, you have to strive to stay where you are. Celebrities have their expiration dates stamped into the lines on their foreheads and under their eyes. All the above icons knew this, but they handled this impending end in different ways. OMG 26

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Elizabeth Taylor went from “the girl with violet eyes” to the sad, old woman in a wheelchair hawking White Diamonds perfume. Michael Jackson went from one of the most talented performers our planet had ever seen to a reclusive freak of nature who talked to monkeys. Twiggy went from a world renowned supermodel to a soccer mom who I couldn’t pick out of a lineup. So why do we envy and love the icons who die young and pity the ones who actually lived life? We want our icons to be inhuman. We want to idolize them and their problems and separate them from the common herd as special and one of a kind. If they live long enough to fall prey to drugs, alcohol, fame, families and especially age, they become too human and too much like us. Fame is a tricky thing. It puts people on pedestals and robs people of their humanity. For celebrities with iconic status, they almost become our superheroes: people who are recognizable all over the world that represent something. Marilyn embodies sex appeal, James Dean is the typical bad boy and Elvis is the epitome of a heartthrob. What we forget is that people are not one thing or another. People are complex and all over the place. When we put them in a specific category and don’t allow them to be anything else, we kill them. So the six mentioned icons in question dealt with their iconic status in different ways. Marilyn Monroe, James Dean and Elvis Presley’s lives were ended by their fame. Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Jackson and Twiggy’s fame was sadly ended by their lives.

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& Kaci Battaglia is not your average new artist. In fact, she’s not new at all. As a teen, Kaci was already on the radio and touring the world with the Backstreet Boys, Bow Wow, Jessica Simpson, O-Town and Westlife. Her new album, Bring It On, leaves no doubt that Kaci, now 21, is a veteran music maker. Following last summer’s “Crazy Possessive,” Kaci’s second single is “Body Shots”, a sexually-charged party anthem featuring superstar rapper Ludacris. "I wrote the song right before my birthday. People were asking me if I was going to try anything new or crazy on the big day. I told them about how my girls wanted me to try a body shot. We wrote about what that experience might be like,” said Kaci.

Jorge Treviano: What is up with this new trend of straight girls getting it on with other girls? Kaci Battaglia: Experimentation and rebellion come naturally when you’re young. It is our time to test boundaries and try new things to find out what we like and what we don’t. JT: Have you tried a body shot? KB: I did one off my best friend. It was fun! JT: In the song, you say you and your friends are drinking like rock stars. Are girls learning this behavior from pop music? KB: No, it’s more the influence of alcohol. Drinking lowers inhibitions and makes you do and say things you normally wouldn’t. JT: Is your man cool with your doing body shots off a woman? KB: When I am in a relationship, I’m exclusive to that person, especially sexually. Body shots can be a very a sexy thing. Respect, protect, and be loyal is my creed. JT: Why aren’t men doing body shots with other men? Or are they? KB: I’m not sure why. Men are no fun.

JT: Tell us about working with Ludacris on the single. KB: Ludacris is amazing. It was a real honor to work with such an extremely talented artist who successfully walks the fine line between writing party songs and still being a well-respected nice guy. JT: Will your new album, Bring It On, be all party anthems? KB: I love to party, but I’m not a party girl. That is why I didn’t name my album Body Shots or Party-a-holic. Each song is about a moment in my life. JT: Even "Crazy Possessive"? That’s one psycho track! KB: Yep, even “Crazy Possessive.” I always tell people if you want to know more about me, listen to my music. It’s all there. JT: What’s next? KB: I’ll spend the winter promoting this album, beginning my next one and enjoying every new awesome experience and adventure that comes my way. JT: Including some body shots? KB: A party isn’t a party without a body shot.

Kaci Battaglia’s “Body Shots” featuring Ludacris is available to download on i-Tunes now. Visit www.kacibattaglia.com.

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It's That Spark

hat’s popping ya’ll? How’s life treating everyone so far?

Do you know how you finally find that one person who’s had your heart for so long? And when you do find them, do you know how your entire world feels? No arguments. You forgot what drama sounds or feels like. When you get into that serious relationship, everything you ever imagine is exactly what you pictured. It has become a living dream. At first, you started the relationship off slowly with just a friendship. Then the cute things start happening where the two of you act like little teenagers. Every second with this person around is perfect and everything feels wonderful. Even though you’re not a teenager, it’s the greatest feeling to share moments with those who you picture in your life. You start to learn their favorite foods, what makes them laugh, what makes them smile. You start feeling the best emotions in life. You start falling in love. But there always remains that question: OMG 32

How long can you maintain that happiness? What are the risks you’re willing to pull to be with this person forever and not wake up from this living dream? Not to sound like Dr. Phil but the truth has to be spoken or all of you are going to find the hard way and miserably suffer. When two people take that big step together, it’s like your world changes and the future you’ve always pictured is drawn out completely different. You can see things clearly and figure from there if that’s what you want. Never play that person like a fool. I love the people who are in my life. Yes, there’s some I wish to delete. If you let those people who are nothing but a drag constantly be around you, they will only drag you down with them. You will never see the drastic changes that are waiting for you. Lessons will be learned and you will be taught the ways of life. Don’t ever break a girl’s heart in a cruel way because she will only bust your car windows.

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Icons are people who are somehow larger than life. They fit into a certain mold of aspiration and represent an idea that people respond to and want to emulate. Whether famous, infamous or both, icons leave a lasting impression on popular culture. Their style choices, personalities, actions and work are imitated and appreciated throughout subsequent generations. Every once in a while, a new icon will emerge. This new version of the old archetype does it all over again but in a slightly different way. They follow the same rules of being an icon but create their own image while presenting the same idea as original. Throughout history, this process has repeated itself and the idea has regenerated into a new form time and time again.

The Dumb Blond

Paris Hilton is the new Marilyn Monroe: A blonde who rose to superfame by acting dumb and criticized for bad acting.

The Rock Chic Chick

Rihanna is the new Tina Turner: A rocker chick that’s been “Chris Brown’d” (formerly “Ike’d”) and emerges stronger with bigger and strange hair.

The Ultimate Diva

Beyonce is the new Diana Ross: A singer/actress with big hair and sparkly outfits who was the center of attention in their former girl group.

The Envelope Pusher

Lady Gaga is the new Madonna: While Madonna wore a cone bra, Gaga wears Kermit the frog and in both cases, both singers are redefining what is fashionable to wear.

The Country’s Country Sweetheart

Carrie Underwood is the new Dolly Parton: An all-American girl who can do no wrong. There are only two differences between these two gals. Hint: both are on Dolly’s chest.

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Photography by GL Wood Styling by Brent Austin Cover Photos originally published in the October 2010 issue of OUT Magazine

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ttention female rappers. Yes, that’d be you: Trina, Lil’ Kim and Foxy Brown. There’s a new chick on the scene gunning for “Da Baddest Bitch” crown and her name is Nicki Minaj.

It’s hard to believe that the quirky, up-and-coming artist has yet to drop an official album. Regardless, she’s still managed to become hip-hop’s new “it” girl. Minaj has dominated radio this past year with big name collaborations with the likes of Usher, Christina Aguilera, Kanye, Mariah Carey and Jay-Z. But her “guest track” safety net ends in November when she drops her debut album, Pink Friday. Her first single, “Your Love,” which samples Annie Lennox’s “No More ‘I Love You’s’” peaked at 14 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Minaj is always in character. From spontaneous British accents and twisted facial contortions to alter egos and over the top costume changes, flamboyance and glamour could be her middle names. In fact, it’s easy to compare her to Lady GaGa (and who isn’t these days?). But instead of calling her fans “little monsters”, Minaj has her “Barbies” and they’re just as loyal. Every diva icon has their “thing.” Minaj’s seems to be her ever-changing hairstyles. Pink wigs. Blonde wigs. Severely cut bangs. The beehive hairdo. It’s always different, but somehow always the same. And then there’s the gay card she often plays. Is she or isn’t she bisexual? On a track with Lil Wayne called “Go Hard,” Minaj raps: “I only stop for pedestrians or a real, real bad lesbian.” She loves her female fans, autographs their tits and sought a threesome with another chick in Usher’s “Lil Freak” video. But is it real?

“Once upon a time, not long ago, lived a chick named Nicki with a naughty flow.”

She’s off to a solid start, but does Nicki Minaj have what it takes to become an icon? For the gays, our icons have always had the strength to overcome adversity. They’ve possessed a bit of androgyny. They’ve pursued lives full of glamour and flamboyance. Our icons have always had the talent to back it up with. Nicki Minaj, real name Onika Maraj, was born in Trinidad and Tobago, but grew up in Queens, New York. Like a lot of artists before her, music was both a creative outlet and an escape from the harsh reality of a broken home. She’s publicly shared that her father was an alcoholic and drugaddicted, and claims that he tried to kill her mother by burning down their house while she was still inside of it. Overcoming adversity? Check.

She confessed to Out Magazine in an interview, “I don’t date women and I don’t have sex with women.” She later added, “But I don’t date men either.” Clearly, she knows how to play the game. And not to leave her gay “Barbz” feeling left out, Minaj admits that one of her many personalities, or characters living inside her head, is a gay boy named Roman Zolanski – a badass who shuts it down with lyrical dominance. True to form, every icon is a bit eccentric. Yes, it’s all silly and fun, but like Lady GaGa, Nicki Minaj seems to genuinely embrace the gay community. Her status as an emerging icon is definitely already set in motion. Nicki Minaj wants all of us – gay and straight, black and white – to come along for the ride.

Check out Nicki Minaj’s solo effort, Pink Friday, when it drops in stores on November 23, 2010.

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“It takes no compromising to give people their rights. It takes no money to respect the individual. It takes no survey to remove repressions.” -Harvey Milk.

itting at my trusty desktop, coffee mug well within reach, wearing what the older women in my family would disapprovingly call a schmatta (as in "Look at her - I wouldn't be caught dead in that schmatta")… I probably look the part of a proper blogger. But I'm a little stressed trying to reconcile addressing the issues that are splashed all over the news at this very moment. Add in the fact that OMG! Magazine, due to its beautiful glossy format that takes plenty of time at the printer, has a deadline way before you see my words. And nothing is more useless than yesterday's news. What news? Lady Gaga's intervention, the fact that 75% of the damn country knows this law is toxic, and plain human decency didn't count: DADT Repeal or the weak compromise 'called' DADT Repeal was squashed three days ago without even a vote by that body of conniving and manipulating grifters called the US Senate.

I wouldn't give a glass of water right now to any of the Republicans if they were dying of thirst with the exception of a few, like the marvelous Al Franken and the fresh Kirsten Gillibrand. I might give half a glass to the Democrats with a little spit in it. Yeah, I'm that disgusted. President Obama's Department of Injustice announced it will fight US District Judge Virginia Phillips' judgment (which I wrote about last time) that DADT was unconstitutional. Watching that smug Robert Gibbs dance around, trying to justify this disgusting act of betrayal looked like watching Glenn Beck on Dancing With The Stars. However, that will all be old news as you are now reading this. Maybe something surprising will happen in the interim. Maybe there's a game-changer hiding somewhere that we don't know about. I know I won't be holding my breath. I do know that by the time you read this, Stand Up Florida will have conducted a protest rally in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

And I wouldn't be shocked if others take our lead. Because the line has been drawn in the sand. We've been played and sliced and diced, and brave servicemen and women continue to be humiliated, spied on, their careers ruined, and lives damaged… all for a law that has always been discriminatory, cruel - and in 2010, utterly shameful. We've waited for far too long. We gave the corrupt system its chances when it didn't deserve another one. Now the era of any possible trust or patience is over. No more. If it means taking to the streets like this old bitch did protesting two wars or as the courageous patrons of Stonewall did or as Harvey Milk did many times as needed, over and over... we will. In finishing (my ice cold cup of coffee and this blog), I'd like to congratulate the Florida Appeals Court that upheld the ruling that Florida's draconian Gay Adoption Ban is unconstitutional. Just some times do things go right although I'm sure the haters will be working overtime on this too.

"The views expressed in this column by Stand Up Florida do not entirely reflect those of OMG! Magazine's staff, advertisers or publishing company."

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Columbia Tristar Marketing

ince its splashy debut at the 48th New York Film Festival last month followed by its theatrical release at the beginning of this month, The Social Network is the first buzz-worthy movie of the fall season. Critics and Oscar pundits officially LIKE the movie, with many in the industry glorifying The Social Network as the movie to beat for this year’s Academy Award crown. The buzz actually began when industry reports confirmed that powerhouse director David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and acclaimed writer Aaron Sorkin (Charlie Wilson’s War) were working on “a Facebook movie” adapted from Ben Mezrhich’s 2009 nonfiction book The Accidental Billionaires. The story follows the creation of the Facebook website and how one of its founders Mark Zuckerberg (played by Jesse Eisenberg) eventually landed on Forbes wealthiest list at number 35 with a personal fortune of $6.9 billion. Andrew Garfield plays co-founder Edward Saverin and Justin Timberlake plays Napster founder and former Facebook president Sean Parker. The movie’s tagline of “You don’t get to 500 million friends without making a few enemies” concisely sums up the premise of the film. Controversy long swirled around the project given Zuckerberg’s disassociation with both the film and the book that it’s based on. In fact, Facebook actually requested changes to the movie that paints their CEO as a backstabber and crook.

The studio went on with the filming and never made any of the changes. So without the blessing of the lead character in which the movie is based on along with the company that’s documented in the movie, is The Social Network a biopic? “A biopic is there essentially to tell you why somebody did what they did. And I wasn’t interested in that at all. I was interested in what they did… I wanted to stay away from mimicry,” said director David Fincher at a recent press conference for the film. “I didn’t think (this was ever) a movie about Facebook,” said writer Aaron Sorkin. “I thought it was a movie that has themes as old as storytelling itself: themes of friendship and loyalty and of class and jealously and power. These things that Shakespeare would write about or Paddy Chayefsky would write about.” In fact, writer Aaron Sorkin doesn’t have a Facebook account let alone any appreciation for the internet in general. Along with Sorkin and Fincher, the three lead actors do not even have a Facebook account. “I don’t have a personal Facebook page,” says co-star Justin Timberlake. “I don’t have time to look at pictures of my friends.” See what all the hype is about yourself.

The Social Network is now playing in theaters nationwide. Please check your local listings. Getty Images

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eosun.com

Orlando, FL - Orange County Commissioner and current Mayoral Candidate Bill Segal has submitted a memo to Mayor Richard Crotty requesting that he take the necessary steps to develop a comprehensive human rights ordinance for Orange County. The memo specifically addresses the need for “non-discrimination protections based on ‘sexual orientation and gender identity’ in Orange County.” After sitting on the commission for six years, oblivious to the issue of gay bias, Commissioner Segal has suddenly decided that the “human rights” issue is so urgent that it must be rushed onto the agenda pronto. It seems that Segal has suddenly become aware that there are “high-tech companies” just itching to move to Central Florida, but currently hold back as a result of that local government’s stance on human rights and issues of equality. Segal is quoted as “wanting a public workshop set up to explore passage of a human-rights ordinance in Orange County soon as possible.” Is this all just political grand-standing; another cheap ploy to grab a headline in a heated mayoral race? Is Segal really advocating equality or is he just pandering for November votes? If he is indeed “pandering,” it is not only a pathetic ploy on his part but rather obvious that Segal is looking for “an issue” to latch onto in the LGBT community in order to win more votes. Why else would Segal all of a sudden become a “born-again gay rights champion?”

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Is it possible that Segal is looking to out-maneuver his opponent, prominent Mayoral candidate Teresa Jacobs and gain the gay vote in November? When it comes to politics, most gay folks are smart and politically sophisticated. Hopefully this ploy will not work, because most LGBT voters will see it for what it is. Equality and Human rights for all, is a hot topic in the LGBT community. Given Segal’s admirable track record in starting up a homeless shelter, as well as other community ventures in Orange County; I admit, he certainly has something to bring to the table as the next mayor. But I question why he is refusing to play to his strengths all of a sudden, and now pushing an agenda he’s not really passionate about? This begs the question: who is running the Commissioner’s campaign? I place my money on the Mayor keeping out of this drama and keeping it off the commission’s agenda for his remaining time in office. With “growth and development” running the key issues in Orange County these days, I think Segal and Jacobs should address the facts in public debate and answer questions like: How will they meet the demands for social services? How will they proceed with the development within the County? What are their positions about expanding the urban service boundary? What are their economic plans, and can they really make a difference? What are their positions on transportation and funding sources for commuter rail? How are they going to cut county spending during the next few years as property taxes continue declining?

What are their positions on environmental issues like pulling water from the St. Johns or Kissimmee basins, development setbacks in the Econ River headwaters and the wildlife corridors? What are their positions on ethics reforms? I would like to see these plans vetted by some state and local economists, as well as local business leaders, “test-driving” their plans for feasibility. Add this into the mix of pushing for a Human Rights Ordinance in Orange County, and then you will have an elected official that is doing their job.

Florida's Attorney General defended the anti-gay adoption ban

towleroad.com

Tallahassee, FL - "There is evidence that homosexuals have higher rates of mental disorders, suicide rates and domestic violence. This is a plausible rationale [to continue to support the anti-gay adoption ban,]" said Florida’s Deputy Solicitor General Timothy D. Osterhaus on August 26 in our state’s capital. Osterhaus painted a broad picture with his defense of the ban on gay adoptions, implying that gay and lesbian people just aren’t suitable candidates for adoptions. His bigoted statement about a minority group goes on record solidifying exactly where McCollum’s office stands on LGBT issues. “Attorney General Bill McCollum is relying on long discredited ‘junk science’ to smear a segment of the population and justify an indefensible blatant form of state-sanctioned discrimination. Osterhaus’ behavior is despicable and dehumanizing. As Florida's chief legal officer, McCollum of all people should understand that discrimination is wrong,” says Equality Florida’s Director of Communications Brian Winfield. Meanwhile, in a move to strengthen his bid for State Senate, Independent Candidate Governor Charlie Crist reaffirmed that he opposes the anti-gay adoption ban and would consider all of the options, including a review of the current lawsuit in which the state is defending the bigoted law. This latest announcement comes just days after the Governor released a position paper that covered a wide range of topics that

impact Florida’s LGBT community, including a demand to end “DADT,” passing the “Uniting American Families Act” and an end to Florida’s 33 year old antigay adoption laws. Crist's positions on LGBT issues represent the most comprehensive pro-gay equality stand of a sitting governor in Florida's history.

Republicans block bill to lift military gay ban Washington D.C. – Senate Republicans on Tuesday, September 21 blocked an effort to repeal the ban on gays from serving openly in the military, handing gay rights groups a defeat in their last chance any time soon to overturn the law known as "don't ask, don't tell." Democrats fell short of the 60 votes needed to advance the legislation, which authorized $726 billion in defense spending. The vote was 56-43. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) had been seen as the crucial 60th vote because she supports overturning the military ban. But Collins sided with her GOP colleagues in arguing that Republicans weren't given sufficient leeway to offer amendments to the wide-ranging policy bill. The vote fell mostly along party lines, although Senators Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor (both D-Arkansas) sided with Republicans to block the bill. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) also voted against the measure as a procedural tactic. Under Senate rules, casting his vote with the majority of the Senate enables him to revive the bill at a later date. Advocates of lifting the 17-year-old ban had been optimistic that the Democratic-controlled White House and Congress could overcome objections to repeal. The move is unpopular among Republicans, military officers and social conservatives. Gay rights advocates now worry they have lost a crucial opportunity to change the law. If Democrats lose seats in elections this fall, repealing the ban will prove even more difficult — if not impossible — next year. An estimated 13,000 people have been discharged under the law since its inception in 1993. Although most dismissals have resulted from gay service members outing themselves, gay rights' groups say it has been used by vindictive coworkers to drum out troops who never made their sexuality an issue. Top defense officials, including Defense Secretary Robert Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, have said they support a repeal of the law, but want to move slowly to ensure changes won't hurt morale.

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Eyes Wide Shut

e’ve all experienced the wretched feeling of tossing and turning all night long, racing the clock to the precious prize of sleep that you’ve earned after a hard day’s work. Soon, your restlessness morphs into anxiety about not falling asleep. You’ve tried counting sheep, shaving sheep, eating sheep – just about every legal thing you can do to a sheep to fall asleep, and all without success. These nighttime mind games quickly become nocturnal nuisances and may significantly affect your mood, your energy and your relationships. Sound familiar? You may be one of many Americans who suffer from a sleep disorder known as insomnia. It is a common sleep disorder where nearly 30% of adults have symptoms of insomnia. Don’t fret however, less than 10% of adults are likely to have chronic insomnia that lasts beyond a 4 to 6 week period. Insomnia tends to occur more commonly among older people and in women. Some underlying medical conditions may promote insomnia. It can also be a side effect of various medications or illicit drugs. There are four basic kinds of insomnia. They include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, waking up too early or poor quality sleep. If you sleep alone, you may not be aware of the quality of your sleep unless you experience any of the following symptoms while awake – feeling tired and grumpy during the day, having trouble concentrating at work, falling asleep during the day. How can you be sure? First, be open and honest with your doctor. He or she will need to know when your insomnia started. They will want to know what else has been happening in your life. Finally, your medical history is very important. Be sure to tell the doctor if you are taking any medications. This includes medicine that you may buy from the drugstore (or another person) without a prescription. Next, try to keep an accurate sleep diary for two weeks. Record when you lay down to sleep and when you wake up, along with how long you were awake during the night. The sleep diary will help the doctor see your sleeping patterns. Humans experience varying stages of sleep that occur at fairly regular intervals and patterns. Your doctor can use the sleep diary to help diagnose possible causes. Be a sleeping beauty. Many cases of insomnia will respond to changes that you can make on your own. Doctors often recommend improving your sleep hygiene. OMG 52

Sleep hygiene includes habits and tips that help you develop a pattern of healthy sleep. There are also easy ways to make your bed and your bedroom more comfortable. Such things include using fewer (or no) pillows, nasal saline rinses before bed, removing the TV from the bedroom, introducing white noise and/or darkening the sleep area. Your doctor also may want to change any medications that you currently take. These drugs may be related to your sleep problems. What about drugs? Many types of medication can help improve your sleep. Some are specifically approved to treat insomnia. These sleeping pills are called hypnotics. There are many medications used to treat various psychiatric disorders including atypical depression or anxiety that have sedative effects and can be very useful in treating insomnia. Various ‘designer drugs’ have hit the market in recent years aimed at treating the various types of insomnia. Some medications come in extended release forms to help patients stay asleep. Medications should be used after, or in conjunction with lifestyle modifications such as sleep hygiene methods for best results. Medications should not be used long term without the intent to eventually trial off the medicine. All medicines have the potential for abuse, dependence and recreational use for their off label side effects. Abuse of sleep aids can be particularly dangerous. Abusing these medications can cause significant daytime drowsiness, physical fatigue, urine retention, clumsiness, constipation, rapid heartbeat, blurred vision, dry throat, mouth and eyes. The inappropriate use of sleeping pills may lead to sleep-walking, sleep-eating and other harmful behaviors. A phenomenon known as rebound insomnia is often one of the first symptoms of withdrawal experienced. Other symptoms of withdrawal include nausea, intestinal issues such as cramping, anxiety and a feeling of shakiness. Reliance on sleeping pills or any habitforming drug causes serious emotional and psychological turmoil. Dramatic mood swings, depression, anxiety and loss of libido can occur. People who abuse these medicines or take them without prior evaluation and counseling can even create sleep disorder or poor sleep habits. For more information and useful tips, please visit The American Academy of Sleep Medicine at www.aasmnet.org.

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Your

positive

ENERGY

here are nine million bicycles in Beijing; there are six billion people on planet Earth. Sometimes it sucks to be one microscopic speck in the whole equation. Nobody can ever give you your positive thought for the day. It runs through your veins like liquid gold. If you are blessed enough to “see” all that you want in your life with your eyes closed, why can it not be real when you open them? Life throws us punch after punch but a famous man once said: “In the ring, or in life, there is no problem with going down, the problem is staying down.” –the legendary Muhammad Ali. When life is getting you down and you need some positive energy in your day, you really do not have to look far. Just look inside yourself. You already have it. Approval is something that we all seek and this manifests in our ego. You outshone yourself a long time ago and you know it. Your “positive thought” of the day should be yourself, EVERYDAY. You don’t have to search your “chakras” or cleanse your spirit or fine tune any other “driving source” you can conjure up. The natural you is the omega you need to focus on the positive in your life. If “time is money,” think about how much time you spend not smiling. Did you know that it’s a fact that it takes more muscles to frown than to smile? One positive thought for the day that you should always take with you no matter the occasion: Smile. It opens doors that nothing else can.

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1.) Stop waiting for “it” to come to you. Too many people miss out on what is rightfully theirs, thinking that somehow it will hit them in the face. The truth is: you have to put “yourself” in the pathway in order to get hit in the face. If you allow yourself to believe this is going to be a bad day, then it a bad day will manifest itself in your world. If you wake up feeling today is going to be a good day, but something negative hits you smack in the face, take it in stride and brush it aside and focus on having a GREAT day. 2.) Strength. I asked myself: “how did man like Gandhi or Job make it through their trials and tribulations?” After great research, I concluded that inner strength can get one through anything. Nobody can ever say that what you are going through is meager. Just fine tune your own strength. As for those who talk against you, they just prove to you how well you are doing. Show them how far you can go. One of my favorite quotes comes from the movie Steel Magnolias: “If you don't have anything nice to say about anybody, come sit by me!” 3.) Rely on the Almighty. As we all know, God is great. Focus on your higher power, however it manifests in your life. Often times, we believe that we are suffering from more misfortunes than those around us. You have the power to keep this belief from becoming a fact. Realize the fact that God will never give more than you can handle, so believe in yourself because God believes in you.

4.) Learn from every downfall. As “human” as we are, we are never free from mistakes and downfalls. It is essential to learn from these mistakes so that history doesn’t repeat itself. The best teachers in life are our mistakes and though they may be harsh, they sharpen us and make us who we are. 5.) Our life is what our thoughts make it.

Thought leads to action and consequently positive thoughts will lead to positive actions which will lead to success and happiness in life. When you are down, the only way for you to go is up. You are the sole sculptor of your life and you cannot pass the buck to someone else. It will be more productive if, instead of wallowing in self pity, you bolster yourself with some positive thoughts and doing positive acts. If there is a language the deaf can hear, it must be the smile. Triumphs belong to positive thoughts. Change your thinking and you change your life. Positive thoughts have magnetic power. We attract to ourselves that which we are consistently thinking of. Why not attract only good incidents by just thinking positive thoughts? In order to be able to have “positive thoughts” in our lives daily, it is imperative that our attitudes be cheerful, pleasant and happy. Turn out all negative thoughts of doubt and anxiety. Just close the windows and doors of your mind against them. It is imperative for attaining success and happiness to begin and end your day with positive thoughts. A daily meditation on anything positive is an investment in your personal success. A positive attitude can lift your spirit, put a twinkle in your eyes and paint a smile on your lips.

Another way to connect your mind and body is through Massage Therapy! Give yourself the gift of happiness today with a massage at TAMPAPROMASSAGE. There are a lot of massage therapists out there, give yourself the massage you pay for. At TAMPAPROMASSAGE, I offer quality affordable massage on your terms. For more information or to schedule your appointment today call (813) 368-0532 or check out my website at www.TAMPAPROMASSAGE.com.

What began as Pride Rally 18 years ago has exploded into one of Central Florida’s largest and most popular GLBT events. Come Out With Pride 2010 is a 4-day event launching on Thursday, October 7 and culminating with the giant Come Out With Pride Parade and Festival on Sunday, October 10. This year’s theme revolves around “Heroes in Sports & Athletics: A Pride of Olympian Proportion” and includes 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist Greg Louganis as the Parade Grand Marshall. Music artist Brian Kent and diva icon Martha Wash are the featured entertainment headliners. Here is a guide to all the hot Come Out With Pride 2010 events and parties:

Thursday, October 7 Come Out With Pride Opening Ceremonies, 7pm to 10pm Where: Plaza Cinema Café Courtyard, 155 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL FREE EVENT! VIP tickets for $20 include 2 complimentary drinks & complimentary appetizers in VIP seated area. Clash Of The Titans movie screening hosted by Jeff Jones & Missy Sammy, 7pm to 10pm Where: Plaza Cinema Café, 155 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL Watch the original 1981 camp classic with ongoing commentary by comedian Jeff Jones and camp diva Missy Sammy. $10 admission. Friday, October 8 Shop & Pop, 5pm to 8pm Where: Twenty Four Seven Style House, 470 W New England Ave, Winter Park, FL FREE EVENT! Enjoy a night of shopping with complimentary Patron, Crown Royal and beer. Dr. Dave Karaoke Therapy, 5:30pm to 9pm Where: Peacock Room, 1321 N Mills Ave, Orlando, FL FREE EVENT! Saturday, October 9 Mad Cow Theatre presents COMPANY, 7:30pm Where: Mad Cow Theatre, 105 S Magnolia Ave, Orlando, FL COMPANY is a hilarious portrayal of five married couples – as seen through the eyes of perpetual bachelor Robert. Music by Stephen Sondheim. $29 admission, limited seating. Pulsate, 10pm Where: Pulse Nightclub, 1912 S Orange Ave, Orlando, FL Dance to the music of DJ Scott Robert. 12:30am show. Sunday, October 10 Brunch at the Park, 11am to 3pm Where: Lake Eola (in front of Panera Bread, corner of Eola Dr & Robinson) Enjoy brunch prepared by 903 Mills Market. $20 admission includes brunch and complimentary FUZE drinks, coffee and drinks. $30 admission includes brunch and unlimited mimosas. Come Out With Pride Festival, 12pm to 6pm; Parade, 2pm; Main Stage Entertainment, 5pm Where: Lake Eola FREE EVENT! Over 100+ vendors including OMG! Magazine, entertainment by Brian Kent and Martha Wash, 8+ bars, food court and much more. Rock Star & VIP Passes Rock Star Passes are available for $75 which includes access to VIP area at the Opening Ceremonies (2 drinks and appetizers), access to Pulsate at Pulse and the VIP Experience Pass which includes brunch buffet, 2 drink coupons, a Meet & Greet with Grand Marshall Greg Louganis and a Gift Bag valued at $150. VIP Experience Passes are available for $50. For more information, please visit www.comoutwithpride.com.

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From the Jazz Singer infancy days of the motion picture industry, movies have often delivered and exposed the public to songs and themes that reflected the culture of the time. Literally a soundtrack to our everyday lives, movies have often spotlighted queer culture and occasionally changed history. “Staying Alive” by Bee Gees // Upon listening, most folk consistently conjure up the iconic scene of John Travolta swinging a paint can through the streets of Manhattan. Saturday Night Fever (1977) brought disco, choreography and club culture to the mainstream. Today it is the quintessential image of the era. The Grammy winning soundtrack was one of the biggest grossing of all time and includes “Night Fever,” “More Than A Woman,” “Disco Inferno” and “If I Can’t Have You.” The movie also changed the dance floor environment. You can thank the 2001 Odyssey’s sequenced neon dance floor for elevating club lightshows to its current LED, laser and multi-colored perfection. If this movie hadn’t come along, we’d probably be dancing in the dark.

“If You Could Read My Mind” by Stars On 54 // The diva super group of Jocelyn Enriquez, Ultra Nate and Amber were contracted for the film Studio 54 (1998) to sing this floor-filler cover of the old Gordon Lightfoot classic. A lackluster celluloid depiction of the famed NYC nightclub’s rise and fall, the film did offer a few hints at nightclub bar management. Never boast of your bar revenues to the Feds and hide your cash in the ceiling.

“Lady Marmalade” by Christian Aguilera, ‘Lil Kim, Missy Elliot, Pink & Mya // Moulin Rouge (2001) gave us this Grammy winning cover of LaBelle’s monster classic by the girls in teddy lingerie. This first musical to hit the screens in decades was a trippy, stylistic, glorious Technicolor masterpiece by director Baz Lauman. Audibly, its soundtrack was an epic mash-up using every song every recorded in the last 60 years. Mix Marilyn Monroe, The Beatles, Elton John, Debarge and Madonna… shake well and you’ll probably get the inspiration for Glee.

“Mama Mia” by ABBA // Here’s where the music made the movie and not the other way around. The music of Swedish supergroup ABBA brought us the Broadway smash and then the movie Mama Mia (2008). Meryl Streep, the Greek Islands and campy versions of “Dancing Queen,” “Fernando” and “Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie” propelled this to become the highest-grossing film musical of all time, event breaking the 30-year-old record of Grease.

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“And I’m Telling You” by Jennifer Hudson // Miss Hudson snagged the Oscar for Dreamgirls (2006), the Jody Den Broeder club mixes still dominate the dancefloors and oh yeah, Beyonce was in it as well. All kidding aside, the cast in this Supremes inspired musical was stellar and the soundtrack featured amazing vocalizations by the likes of Eddie Murphy and Jamie Fox.

“I Am The Body Beautiful” by Salt N Pepa // Take three queens driving across country to a booking/pageant, add a running theme of empowerment and grace it with a fabulous soundtrack. In a nutshell you have the Australian Adventures Of Priscilla Queen Of The Desert (1994) and the US’s To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar (1995). Notable songs on their respective soundtracks include CeCe Peniston’s “Finally,” Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” and Salt N Pepa’s drag classic “I Am The Body Beautiful.” Princess Points are awarded to any eagleeyed viewers that can spot the cameos by RuPaul, Lady Bunny, Julie Newmar (Batman’s original Catwoman), Robin Williams, Miss Coco Peru and Naomi Campbell. Not since Victor Victoria (1982) and Cabaret (1972) has drag been so musical.

“Over the Rainbow” by Judy Garland // The GLBT community owes its history, independence and appearance to The Wizard Of Oz (1939) a little fantasy film that was originally only a modest box-office draw but now the most watched film in history. The film’s central plot of isolation and a yearning for acceptance resonated with closeted gays world wide and became the secret touchstone for many. “Friends of Dorothy” became a codeword for “Gay” and “Over the Rainbow,” the Greatest Song Of The Millennium, became our beloved spiritual anthem. Rainbows abound in our image and flag and there’s that little event that happened in New York City. Upon Judy Garland’s overdose and subsequent funeral in the summer of ’69, legend tells that the homosexual community was so distraught at her death that it was possibly the catalyst for the Stonewall Uprising. Pride was born from this single event. Media truly moved the masses and we were forever changed.

Don’t forget to grab MyFlexRadio.com’s iPhone App! Download it now for FREE in the App Store! Droid users we’ll have your app soon.

For now the quick fix is to open a browser, go to MyFlexRadio.com, click Listen Live and that will get YOUR MUSIC playin’! Follow us: facebook.com/myflexradio | twitter.com/myflexradio

- Dance-House-Circuit-Tribal-Chill and more. YOUR MUSIC

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WALL*E

The Rose

Steel Magnolias

www.leighshannon.com leishannon1@aol.com

Blockbuster has filed for bankruptcy. The video stores in general are sadly going away. We had the Internet age come among us and the streaming of television, movies and news, but have you stopped to think what we are losing? For those who can remember back in the day, we’d grab a friend or loved one, head to the local video store, gaze at and read all the video boxes on the walls, and make a decision on what film we were renting for the evening. If we wanted a more alternative or independent film, we’d simply hit up another video store. The key word here was choice and selection. Cable companies nationwide have become monopolies, now offering same day release movies for a pretty little charge. The film that you can rent are the ones that they choose for you. Redbox rentals at nearly every convenience store basically offer the same type of films. So now you have to search online or buy DVD’s of those movies that are not available for rent. Also, watch for your cable companies and networks to start charging to watch an episode of a program if you happen to miss it. Most of us pay over $100.00 a month for cable and Internet. We used to love movies and be excited about a new release that we actually got off our asses to get one at Blockbuster or go to the nearest movie theatre. Since companies are already offering some pre-screening films at a higher rate on cable, I predict that they will offer the new movie releases through your cable company with the option of paying theater prices in your very own home. The bottom line is that we have lost the true appreciation for the art of film. And just like in the movie WALL*E, which is one of my favorite movies, we sit on our asses and now have everything at the touch of a remote control or mouse. Moving on to my favorite movies and icons… Many of you know that I impersonate Bette Midler and that I love Dolly Parton.

So let me tell you my favorite movies from both of them along with the ones I hated and some fun-fact trivia. My favorite from Bette is The Rose of which she got robbed by Sally Field for the Oscar. The other top two are Hocus Pocus and Beaches. The worst movie she ever did was Isn’t She Great where she portrayed looked and acted nothing like Jacqueline Susann. Some interesting trivia about Bette: Did you know that she turned down two major successful films? First was the role that Kathy Bates won an Oscar for in Misery and (along with Dolly Parton) the other was the lead role in Sister Act. New movie news for Dolly Parton: she and Queen Latifah will star in a new film called Joyful Noise to begin filming in January 2011. Of course for Miss Dolly, the number one film for me is still Steel Magnolias. My second favorite film of hers is Straight Talk, about a radio series in the same vein that the TV show Frasier seemed strangely similar to. Dolly has also hinted that popular series Touched By An Angel was stolen from an idea of hers. She had filmed a failed sitcom named Heavens To Betsy where she played a angel with a red Cadillac, sent back to Earth to help people with their everyday problems. Hmmm… sound familiar? Dolly also filmed a portion of the Mae West Story which was eventually scratched. Of the two, Bette is the better actress. I would like to see Dolly take off the make-up, the wigs and drag to do a serious role. Many people have tried to get her to do that. So far, she just still wants to be Dolly! FYI: Keep watching movies and creating those ICONS! Till Next Time,

Leigh

OMG 65

tampa international 2010 gay & lesbian Film Festival

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Celebrating life in pictures for 21 yearsâ&#x20AC;?

www.tiglff.com

tiCKets & venues: simply Fabulous pass: $500 Includes all Diva Pass benefits plus: Green Room access • Reserved seating • No lines

Diva pass: $160

Includes all Crown Circle Pass benefits plus: Opening Night Founders Reception and Surge/Sugar combo pass

CroWn CirCle pass: $125

Includes all film screenings, early entry to theatre for all films, plus complimentary beverage for every film at the Tampa Theatre.

tiglFF tiCKet CarD: $27.50

tampa tHeatre 711 Franklin St. • Tampa, FL (813) 274-8982

Includes one film ticket preloaded onto the card. You can load additional tickets online at the discounted price of $7.50 per ticket. No more than two tickets can be used per card for each film.

single Film tiCKet:

$9.50; Student price: $7.50 (available at the theatre box office with valid student ID)

party tiCKets:

Surge Men’s Party: $10 Sugar Women’s Party: $10 • Sugar Women’s VIP Room Pass: $20 Combo Surge/Sugar Pass: $15 • Combo Surge/Sugar VIP Room Pass: $25

opening nigHt FounDers’ reCeption:

$50 while supplies last (included with Diva and Simply Fabulous passes) See details on page 14.

tickets may be purchased at www.tiglff.com 813-879-4220 or 727-828-0735

muviCo bayWalK 151 2nd Ave., N • St. Petersburg, FL (727) 502-0965

Host Hotel:

parKing inFo:

METERS (NOT BAGGED) AROuND ThE TAMPA ThEATRE ARE FREE after 6pm Monday through Friday and on weekends.

W.F. POE GARAGE • 802 N. AShLEY DR • TAMPA • $1.60 hr Max $7.00

You will receive a ticket when you enter. When you leave, if you want to pay with cash there is a machine on each level. Put ticket in, pay, then take ticket and receipt to exit. You will need the ticket to get out. If paying with a card you can take ticket and go directly to exit, there you can use the card and exit. There should be an attendant there until 9pm should you need assistance. After that time there is a number posted should you need assistance. If there is a major event at the Performing Arts Center there will be attendants there and you will pay CASH of $6.00 before entering.

Courtyard Tampa Downtown 102 E Cass St • Tampa, FL 33602 813-229-1100

Rate: $99.00/night

for King or Double room. Mention code “GLFA” (King Room) or “GLFB” (Double Room) to take advantage of the discounted Festival Rate.

OpenIng nIght Thursday, october 7th • 7:45pm • tampa tHeatre

violet tenDenCies Doors open at 7:15pm

Director: Casper Andreas; 2010, uS, 99 min.

Casper Andreas is back, and look who’s with him! Mindy Cohn, (Natalie of the Facts of Life), plays Violet, Manhattan’s greatest fag hag. She’s the fun lovin’ belle of the ball – always ready to party at the most fabulous spots with New York’s most glittery gay boys. At night, though, when the party ends, Violet retires to her apartment – alone. Alone, that is, except for the steady stream of young studs staggering out of her roommate Luke’s room. Tired of third wheel status and weary of counseling yet another broken-hearted boy, she decides to take matters into her own hands and find herself a man. A straight man. But whose advice to take? Should she follow the advice of co-worker Riley and find a male version of herself – the mythical fag stag? Or should Violet emulate the glamorous (and eminently date-able) Salome and ditch her boys? Dozens of disastrous dates later, Violet decides that really, she is the only one who can decide her fate – and begins looking for love in the unlikeliest of places.

Friday, october 8th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe seCret Diaries oF miss anne lister Sponsored by Vivian Braaksma, Agent, State Farm Director: James Kent; 2010, uK, 90 min.

Miss Anne Lister was hundreds of years ahead of her time — a true renaissance woman in every aspect. A lusty 19th century romantic who preferred “the fairer sex” and made very little secret of it, Lister bedded a number of young woman in her quiet English town. Scandalized neighbors for the most part turned a sheepish eye away from her dalliances, especially as the business-savvy young woman, after being expelled from school for an early romance, began acquiring immense wealth and beating the town’s menfolk at their own game. Lister was ever mindful of the social mores of the day, though, and kept a coded diary in which she meticulously detailed her love affairs. Yet she found ways to circumvent the era’s rigid social mores – in effect taking a wife in these pre-Stonewall stone ages. Only after breaking the hearts of faithful friend Tib, heart-breaker Mariana, and the naïve Miss Walker, of course. This is no chaste examination of Regency England though. The lushly produced BBC film delves into the sexy side of Lister with steamy bathroom scenes, forbidden lovers’ getaways and bodice-ripping lesbian passion.

Friday, october 8th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe man WHo loveD yngve

Director: Stian Kristiansen; 2008, Norway, 90 min. Norwegian w/ English subtitles Norway 1989 doesn’t bring to mind all the cultural and musical relevance and chaos normally associated with the end of the 80s here in the US. Somehow, though, punk rock, the Smiths and the Buzzcocks find young Jarle, a shy ginger-haired outcast in a small, ice-ringed town. Winner of multiple Amanda Awards (Norway’s Oscars), The Man Who Loved Yngve is a heart-breaking tour de force of young love and ambition valiantly smashing the twin barriers of internal and external repression. Jarle comes out of his shell when he meets Herle, even attracting the beautiful Katrine. They soon form a punk(ish) band and our young lovers seemingly have the world by the tail – playing shows and gaining fans along the way. New kid in town, a hunky, tennis playing Yngve, brings tensions to a boil though, as Jarle struggles to reconcile his attraction to the preppy Yngve with his newly found rebel status. The two boys’ sexual magnetism soon becomes apparent to everyone, despite Jarle’s desperate ploys to keep his desires hidden. Jarle, played with dramatic intensity, careens astoundingly through every character in John Hughes’ canon – lovestruck puppy, teen rocker, and even.. in a particularly laugh-inducing moment, teen jock. Coupled with the outstanding direction by Kristiansen is this year’s best soundtrack, featuring REM, Joy Division, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Smiths and The Cure.

saturday, october 9th • 1:00pm • tampa tHeatre

sex in an epiDemiC Sponsored by Metro Wellness and Community Centers Director: Jean Carlomusto; 2010, uS, 70 min.

Sex In An Epidemic deftly explores the personal, political and structural challenges that have continually hampered the best efforts of HIV educators and community groups to curb HIV infection rates in the United States. It is a compelling history of the devastating early days of the epidemic in NYC, when men with “GRID” were a stigmatized population that died swiftly of a terrifying new disease. Incorporating interviews and media footage from the earliest days of the AIDS panic through the present, Sex In An Epidemic reminds us that, though the world has been living with the realities of HIV/AIDS for nearly 30 years, ignorance and prejudice about the disease must still be combated. Few concepts have had as great an impact on sexuality over the past 28 years as that of “safer sex.” Yet, as a concept, it is important to remember two things: first, safer sex had to be invented (no easy feat in the freewheeling post-Stonewall era) amidst an alarming lack of information that existed before the discovery of HIV in 1984; and second, safer sex as a concept had to be sold by the persistent and creative persuasion of community-based groups all across the country.

saturday, october 9th • 2:30pm • tampa tHeatre

maKing tHe boys

Director: Crayton Robey; 2008, uS, 90 min. Still controversial four decades after its inception, “The Boys in the Band” became a lightning rod for the burgeoning gay rights movement. The first gay-themed and directed play to reach mainstream audiences, Boys played to packed houses of savvy New Yorkers – gay and straight – starved for a depiction (no matter how stereotypical) of gay life. Mart Crowley’s scathing depiction of a gay birthday party drew accolades for its biting humor, audacity and willingness to “go there”. Everyone from Jacqueline Onassis to Gore Vidal weighed in on the play’s significance, lending weighty gravitas to a fluffy birthday party set-piece. On the eve of its film premiere, the Stonewall Riots changed everything. Instantly, gay pride, not gay shame, became the buzzword of the day. Bitchin’ and swishin’ gave way to marching and political action, and the film – seemingly overnight – became as outdated as last season’s shoes. Mart Crowley, Boys playwright, describes his struggle to overcome the legacy of the play, and William Friedkin, who directed Boys before gaining notoriety with The Exorcist, reminisces about the fun of transforming the play (and the original cast) into film.

saturday, october 9th • 4:30pm • tampa tHeatre

CHilDren oF goD

Director: Kareem J. Mortimer; 2009, Bahamas, 104 min. Set against the backdrop of a nation grappling with violent homophobic crime and offering a scathing examination of the underlying hatred for gays rampant in Caribbean societies, Bahamian Kareem Mortimer’s debut narrative feature tells the stories of three very different individuals. Lena is the conservative, deeply religious wife of a secretly gay firebrand pastor. Romeo, a handsome ne’er do well young black man, hides his sexuality from his close-knit and loving family, yet begins to question his choices when he meets Jonny, a cute young artist seeking solace and a muse for his art. All three head for the spectacularly beautiful and tranquil island of Eleuthera, each with a different reason for escaping current circumstances. When Jonny and Romeo meet and fall in love, the island’s homophobia rears its ugly head and the two men soon find that they must choose between happiness and societal expectations. The beauty of the island serves as a stunning backdrop to the ensuing drama, as each character sets in motion a series of events from which they can’t turn back.

saturday, october 9th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

a marine story Sponsored by Play Director: Ned Farr; 2010, uS, 90 min.

Dreya Weber returns as a buff and gruff Marine with a heart of slightly tarnished gold. Home from an unsettling stint in the Marines, where an investigation into her love life reveals a sham marriage and a secret relationship, Alex throws herself into preparing a young firebrand named Saffron (played by out actress Paris Pickard) for boot camp in lieu of a impending trip to prison. The locals, equally divided between fans and detractors of our buff heroine, alternately make Alex’s life a living hell, and she struggles to persevere against the homophobia of her rural town. An unstable drug addict, a childhood friend and a budding relationship all add fuel to the fire of this long, hot summer as Alex and Saffron forge a tenuous friendship built on grueling training sessions in the unforgiving desert. The two women shine in their roles, and the always assured Weber infuses her character of Alex with a reserve of warmth and vulnerability that belies her armed services armor. Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell usually makes for compelling narrative, but in the hands of Weber’s Gymnast collaborator Ned Farr and JD Disalvatore (Shelter producer), the film becomes both deeply personal and unabashedly political.

saturday, october 9th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

role/play Sponsored by Bayfront Rejuvenations Aesthetic Medical Services Director: Rob Williams; 2010, uS, 85 min.

TIGLFF is proud to bring back the finalized version of Role/Play, which was completed with help from the Tampa audience lucky enough to see the work in progress screening earlier this year. Role/Play is the fifth feature film from writer/director Rob Williams (Make The Yuletide Gay, 3-Day Weekend, Back Soon and Long-Term Relationship). Role/Play follows a recently outed actor (played by Steve Callahan from East Side Story and Nine Lives) and a recently divorced gay marriage activist (played by indie gay film star Matthew Montgomery from Redwoods, Socket, Pornography: A Thriller, Long-Term Relationship, and Back Soon). Hiding out from negative media coverage, the two men meet at a secluded Palm Springs resort, where they soon find common ground as they explore the fickle nature of fame in the gay community and the issues facing gay celebrities in the media.

sunday, october 10th • 1:00pm • tampa tHeatre

riot aCts: Flaunting genDer DevianCe in musiC perFormanCe Director: Madsen Minax and Simon Strikeback; 2010, uS, 72 min.

Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance is a “transfabulous rockumentary” directed by Madsen Minax of Actor Slash Model, a Chicago-based acoustic duo. Featuring bands and artists like Trannysaurus Rex, Lipstick Conspiracy, Novice Theory, Coyote Grace, The DeGenerettes, and Systyr Act, the film showcases candid and poignant true-life stories of these talented musicians. While much of mainstream culture has focused on the often painful “coming out” story or catalogued the many tragedies transpeople have endured, this film never really goes there, instead focusing on what matters most — the music. Should you sell CDs with your pre-transition voice? Are trans musicians inherently political? Should you “come out” on stage? What’s it like to be a high femme rocker with a deep voice? Riot Acts is for gender-queers who never gave up their rock star dreams, for those who understand how profoundly music colors our lives and for anyone interested in seeing another side of the trans experience — one that is real and a whole lot of fun.

sunday, october 10th • 2:30pm • tampa tHeatre

best oF tHe Fest Gay Shark Tank Director: Guy Shalem, 2010, uSA, 15 min. The catch of the day is YOU. The Single Mother Director: Ryan Logan, 2009, uSA, 6 min. Ovulation is a state of mind. Never Too Late Director: Wendy Weinberg, 2009, uSA, 8 min. Movie mash-up comments on prop8. Last Call Director: Nick Corporon, 2009, uSA 18 min. Fate intercedes between two lovers. Love and Other Red Spot Specials Director: Lauren Anderson, 2008, Australia, 6 min. Small town transvestite shops for love. Loop Planes Director: Robin Wilby, uSA, 11 min. Nic finds romance on the last day of summer. The Joans - Mad at the Dirt Director: Peter Neville, 2010, uSA, 3 min. Music Video. Door Prize Director: Zsa Zsa Gershick, 2009, uSA, 7 min. Peeing shouldn’t be so problematic. Golden Years Director: Aimee Knight, 2009, Australia, 8 min. Sex worker and client find a surprise. Gay Baby Director: Kevin Kelly, 2009, uSA, 9 min. What if your parents knew before you were born? Buttery Top Directors: Catherine Crouch & Kelly hayes, 2009, uSA, 4 min. First dates are hard. Don’t bring processed bread! GoGo Reject Director: heath Daniels, 2010, uSA, 20 min. So Bad It’s Good!

sunday, october 10th • 5:00pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe oWls

Director: Cheryl Dunye; 2010, uS, 66 min. Cheryl Dunye (Stranger Inside, Watermelon Woman) is back with her latest foray into exploring the tensions, neuroses and bonds of lesbian relationships. Ten years ago, The Screech was the hottest lesbian band on the scene. Iris and Lily fronted, MJ produced, and their one hit record bought two houses in the desert. Lily’s drug use brought her a lifestyle of bitchy sobriety with her partner Carol, while MJ and Iris refused to give up their rock n’ roll lifestyles, even continuing their years-old on again and off again relationship. Sexy, seductive Iris, drinks her pain away and daydreams of a comeback. MJ, spends her days with internet porn and an empty pool. Into this timber box stumbles Cricket, a lost twenty-something with an axe to grind. A coke-filled drunken pool party at Iris and MJ’s ends in tragedy, and, despite their conflicts, these four women learn they still have a bond, somewhere between family and gang. Now linked by more than the ties of time, they are conspirators in a dangerous game. This all comes to a head, one year later when Skye, a mysterious butch stranger appears at Lily and Carol’s door. Revenge is her goal and seduction is her strategy. Lily, who still has a pull towards a more dynamic life, lets her fantasies run wild, and Skye manages to change these four lives forever.

sunday, october 10th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe aDults in tHe room Director: Andy Blubaugh; 2009, uS, 80 min.

Not to put too much pressure on Andy Blubaugh, but he may well be the man to save gay cinema! Like L.I.E. and Eban and Charley, Blubaugh looks at the sexual awakening of young men who find themselves in relationships with older men. Utilizing a unique device (interviews with cast and crew of his film), Blubaugh brings a wide circle of perspectives to bear on this uncomfortable subject. It’s a film within a film within a film class, essentially: In 1995, Andy Blubaugh—then a curious and lonely fifteen-year-old—began a sexual relationship with Peter, a successful, deeply closeted man who was nearly twice his age. Cut to 2010. Andy is now a filmmaker and teacher, revisiting his complex relationship and how it informs his own sense of boundaries with his teenage students. The Adults in the Room re-imagines their troubled romance through the recollections of a now wiser Andy and the actors hired to portray them in the film. Interviews with relationship columnist Dan Savage, uncomfortable friends, and social workers explore this thorny issue of adolescent sexuality and the relationships that make us who we are. The Adults In The Room is Andy Blubaugh’s first feature film – a truly personal film with glaringly universal truths.

sunday, october 10th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

i KilleD my motHer (J’ai tué ma mère) Director: Xavier Dolan; 2009, Canada, 96 min. In French with English subtitles

Winner of over 20 international film awards, including three at Cannes alone, I Killed My Mother is notable not only for its spot-on portrayal of a young man and his mother as they messily sever apron strings, but for Xavier Dolan’s artful direction and acting. Only 20 at the time of the film’s completion, Dolan portrays Hubert Minel, a gurgling bubbling vat of teenage angst who is driven to distraction by every movement of his hapless mother. The way she eats, the TV shows she watches, her outfits….they’re all an affront to the brutally sensitive young man. Confused by this love/hate relationship that obsesses him more and more each day, Hubert careens through the mysteries of adolescence - artistic discoveries, illicit experiences, the opening-up to friendship, and ostracism, desperately trying to build a life completely unlike his parents seemingly hypocritical existence. The turbulent relationship between mother and son unfolds with a compelling combination of savage fury and melting affection as the two try to navigate the hysterically savage storm that envelops them.

OMG 72

monday, october 11th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

Women’s sHorts Door Prize Director: Zsa Zsa Gershick, 2009, uSA, 7 min. Peeing shouldn’t be so problematic. Son of the Preacher Director: Jasmine Gervais, 2009, Canada, 5 min. Who wins the sexy parishioner’s affection…brother or sister? Frischluft-Therapie (Fresh Air Therapy) Director: Christoph Scheerman, 2010, Germany, 6 min. Power failure and a little surprise bring this couple together. The Best is Yet to Come Director: Eunice Wu, 2009, uSA, 15 min. Young love tested by family ties. Chained Director: Betsy Kalin, 2010, uSA, 14 min. Lesbians love to be attached! Blue Covers Director: Indira Allegra, 2008, uSA, 4 min. Adult survivor of abuse struggles to remain present with her lover. L. u. G. S. Director: Sarah Rotella, 2010, Canada, 14 min. Lesbians Until Graduation. 510 Meters Above Sea Level Director: Kerstin Polte, 2008, Switzerland, 16 min. Stranded in an airport, a magical night unfolds. Proud Mary Director: Dylan Kelley, 2010, uSA, 6 min. Catholic wedding with a twist. Tanz ins Gluck (Dancing to happiness) Director: Barbara Seiler, 2008, Switzerland, 16 min. Two women’s different worlds unite on the dance floor. Buttery Top Directors: Catherine Crouch & Kelly hayes, 2009, uSA, 4 min. First dates are hard. Don’t bring processed bread!

monday, october 11th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

eyes WiDe open

Director: haim Tabakman; 2009, Israel, 90 min. Aaron is a devout, respectable butcher living a quiet married life in Jerusalem’s ultra-orthodox Jewish community. Wife Rivka and their four children round out his devout existence — until Ezri, a twenty-two year old rabbinical yeshiva student arrives to shake up Aaron’s life, religion and standing in the community. Aaron’s shy demeanor soon gives way to all the rolling emotions of first love and he begins to neglect Rivka, his family and his religious duties. Swept away by the pull of the charming and impulsive Ezri, Aaron struggles to balance the competing forces pulling him apart, until he’s finally forced to make a radical decision. Under the gentle hand of Haim Tabakim, Eyes Wide Open explores both the beauty and the pathos or devotion. Aaron is a gentle stoic; Tabakim allows his unfolding sensuality to take over the screen as well as the story. Ran Danker (Ezri), is one of Israel’s most popular figures: actor, musician, model and heartthrob to millions. Together, the two men ignite the screen with a passion and electricity that’s not to be missed.

monday, october 11th • 7:30pm • muviCo bayWalK

unDertoW (ContraCorriente)

Director: Javier Fuentes-Leon; 2009, Peru, 102 min. Spanish with English subtitles In this unique ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside, a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town’s rigid traditions. Miguel, a handsome young fisherman, and his beautiful bride, Mariela, are about to welcome their first child. Miguel is a well-liked and respected young man in the church, a quiet presence solemnly leading ceremonies to honor the dead. But Miguel harbors a scandalous secret. He’s in love with Santiago, the openly gay painter who has returned to the island to paint in solitude. It soon becomes clear that the breaking waves aren’t the only thing keeping the young artist inspired. Their love affair unfolds amidst the beauty of the island and the men longingly yearn for time to build a life together. After a tragic accident, Miguel must choose between sentencing the ostracized Santiago to eternal torment or doing right by him and, in turn, revealing their relationship to Mariela—and the entire village. The storm gathers as the lovely Mariela is pressured to confront Miguel about the rumors she has heard, and Miguel becomes increasingly devoted to the spectre of Santiago. A transcendent love story, Undertow could take place anywhere in the world where small town gossip reigns and religious rigidity holds sway over acceptance. Luckily for us, this stunning feature takes place on the windswept shores of Peru, affording a visual as well as narrative wave of emotion.

Tuesday, october 12th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

men’s sHorts Waiting 4 Goliath Director: Cal Garingan; 2009, Canada, 13 min. Internet dating brings disappointment…or new beginnings. Noche Sin Luna Director: Bethynia Cardenas, 2010, Mexico, 13min. Truth is shadowed when a man is wrongfully accused of killing his lover. Inflatable Swamp Director: William Feroldi, 2010, uK,13 min. Sex leads to an unexpected connection. Petting Sharks Director: Craig Elrod, 2010, uSA, 5 min. Love hurts. The Once & Future Me Director: Steven Lesser, 2010, Sarasota, 8 min. Insight comes from an alien place. Little Love Director: Quentin Lee, 2010, uSA, 9 min. Sex and friendship don’t mix. Sebastian Director: Kevin McGuiness, 2010, Canada, 4 min. Animated art film commenting on AIDS culture. Animal Drill Director: Patrick Murphy, 2009, uSA, 23 min. To please his father Buck tries out for the basketball team. Bedfellows Director: Pierre Stefanos, 2010, uSA, 15 min. Can the man of your dreams become the man who wakes up next to you?

Tuesday, october 12th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

sasHa

Director: Denis Todorovic; 2010, Germany, 102 min. In German and Serbo-Croatian with English subtitles While Sasha’s mother dreams of her son’s great career as a pianist, Sasha is busy dreaming of his beloved piano teacher, Mr. Weber. However, when he learns that Mr. Weber is leaving town, Sasha is heartbroken, and in the way of angst-ridden teens everywhere, his emotions hilariously get the best of him. Clumsily confiding in his girlfriend/BFF Jiao, he careens through the streets of Cologne, trying desperately to impress his teacher. Couple his antics with the stern repression of his Yugoslavian family, an inept uncle hired to remodel the bathroom, and the stress of a piano competition, and you have Balkan black comedy at its finest. Soon, what begins as a useful lie becomes a large and complicated one. When Sasha’s younger brother begins an affair with Jiao, all lies get exposed and what appears to be a catastrophe is in fact the revelation of new possibilities in the lives of Sasha’s family.

Tuesday, october 12th • 7:00pm • muviCo bayWalK

el nino peZ

Director: Lucia Puenza; 2009, Argentina, 96 min. Spanish with English subtitles Lucia Puenzo, the young director who served up the pensive XXY, brings us a magical and thrilling love story in El Nino Pez. Lala, a teenager from the most exclusive suburban neighborhood in Argentina is in love with Ailin, the 20-year-old Payaguayan maid working for her parents. They dream of living together in Paraguay, at the shores of lake Ypoá. Robbing every purse and wallet in the house to fulfill their dream, the girls hide the money in a shoe box. But when the box is full, it bursts, fueled by desire, jealousy and rage. This is the starting point that spurs the escape through the highway that connects the North of Buenos Aires with Paraguay. While Lala waits to be reunited with her lover in Ypoá by reconstructing her past (the mystery surrounding her pregnancy and the legend of a fish child who guides the drowned to the bottom of the lake), Ailin is detained in a minors institute in the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Revenge, sex and class warfare weave a plot that finds a way out from the uncertainty with which young people live in the same world they condemn.

Tuesday, october 12th • 9:00pm • muviCo bayWalK

bloomington Sponsored by Sylvia P. Rusche State Farm Insurance Agent Director: Fernanda Cardoso; 2010, uS, 83 min.

Jackie, a 22 year-old ex-television child actress arrives at college, ready to explore new options and exercise a sense of independence that had thus far been lacking in her life. During a psychology department mixer Jackie meets a mysterious teacher with an infamous “lady-killer” reputation. Jackie falls for Catherine’s charm and the two outsiders begin an instantly intense relationship. Through the course of the school year their bond grows until suddenly Jackie is faced with the chance to audition for a feature film version of her now defunct television show. Attempting a comeback into the ultra-competitive world of show business is at first daunting to Jackie, but armed with renewed selfconfidence and a few new insights she picked up courtesy of her psych studies, Jackie decides to reclaim her old role. However, Catherine finds that her illicit behavior, once mostly unnoticed, is now attracting unwanted attention and therefore putting her job security in jeopardy. As for Jackie, she finds that discovering her life’s passion might also mean having to say goodbye to her first true love.

Wednesday, october 13th • 6:45pm • tampa tHeatre

Fit

Director: Rikki Beadle-Blair; 2009, uK, 108 min. “You’re so gay.” “That’s so gay.” The words are so commonly thrown around as an insult that we almost don’t even notice it anymore. Certainly, teenagers don’t. Unless you’re gay, that is. Writer/director Rikki Beadle-Blair (Metrosexuality) attacks these words head-on in this powerful, moving and hugely entertaining narrative feature. Exploding with colorful characters and positive messages about the importance of self-image, Fit focuses on the everyday lives of six diverse British teens who are brought together by an enthusiastic dance teacher, played by Beadle-Blair. The film allows us to spend time with each character as they struggle with questions about sexual identity, repressed feelings and how to fit into “normal” society. Scenes of serious teen soul searching are juxtaposed against lively dance class moments that are both funny and exhilarating. Beadle-Blair brilliantly fuses elements of contemporary music, fashion and dance to create an emotionally honest film that turns stereotypes upside down and humanizes a group of people who are too often labeled as outsiders by peers. Culled from anti-bullying workshops around the UK, Fit is a perfect mix of humor and drama that resonates and charms.

Wednesday, october 13th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe people i’ve slept WitH Director: Quentin Lee; 2010, uS, 89 min.

Slightly slutty but not at all nutty, Angela Yang is loving life and all that it brings – day or night. Even an unplanned pregnancy doesn’t dampen her spirits for long, especially with BFF Gabriel (Wilson Cruz) around to cheer her up in between kissing matches with his boyfriend. Using baseball cards (the only way to keep track of the many men she’s slept with) Angela and Gabriel set out to find out who the baby daddy is, all the while ping-ponging back and forth between a desire for independence and the yearning for true love. Angela’s sister, conservative and disapproving, urges her to keep the baby and settle down; Gabriel says “take care of it”, and there are no wedding bells ringing in the background. Angela and Gabriel share a relationship that goes way beyond girl and gay best friend, and the genuine spark between the two paves the way for People I’ve Slept With to become a deeper look at Asian Americans, homosexuals, and 30-somethings trying to fit into a world that much too often tells them no. Full of outrageous character (including Angela’s stable of cute boys), laugh out loud moments and pithy one-liners, this is a movie you’ll remember days after you see it!

Wednesday, october 13th • 7:30pm • muviCo bayWalK

HoWl Sponsored by Mindy Solomon Gallery

Director: Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman; 2010, uS, 90 min. Howl is a tour-de-force of filmmaking – kicking off the Sundance festival earlier this year. Directed by the pair who gave us the gift of Times of Harvey Milk and The Celluloid Closet, and starring – in no certain order - Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, Mary Louise Parker, Treat Williams and David Straitharn – Howl is a generous 3 movies in one. James Franco plays Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, an openly gay man who daringly spoke of sex, relationships and desire in his groundbreaking and epic Howl. On trial for obscenity charges, he refuses to denounce the homoeroticism and gritty nature of his work, much to the delight of fellow bad boys of literature Jack Kerouac (whose mother lived in St. Pete), Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Neal Cassady. Interspersed with the courtroom drama is (what some have called obscene) animation of the poem’s subjects (sex, drugs, mental illness and religion to name a few), THEN we’re treated to Franco portraying Ginsberg on the fateful 1955 night in San Francisco where a drunken Ginsberg – on fire with creativity – unleashed the poem as performance art, changing the world of literature forever. This is a not-to-be missed event; an adventurous look back at one of the gay movement’s unwitting heroes – and his early resolve to bring the beauty of same sex relations into the light.

Thursday, october 14th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

ruFus WainWrigHt: prima Donna Director: George Scott; 2009, uS, 70 min.

During the last 12 years, Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of music’s most mercurial talents, fearlessly challenging convention and defying the standards set forth by pop, opera and classical music. Wainwright is known as much for his musical talent and bon mots as for his party-boy ways (and candor about drug use); he has been said to make Madonna look like a shrinking violet. Famed for his soaring melodies and haunting lyrics, he is a true renaissance man of modern music, equally at home in a cabaret, rock hall or the occasional seedy bar, quietly playing piano. He famously tackled Judy Garland’s 1961 Carnegie Hall concert, and our film sees him wresting with yet another musical icon: a full-fledged opera entitled Prima Donna. In candid interviews interspersed with home videos and photos, Wainwright and his famous family — father Loudon Wainwright III, mother Kate McGarrigle and sister Martha Wainwright — recall his eccentric childhood, inspirations, demons, and obsession with opera, which Rufus calls “my religion and saving grace.” Preceded by: JuDGEMENT DAY Director: Dan hoerner; 2009, uS, 8 min.

Gabriel escapes the hard realities of high school with a little help from Judy Garland.

Thursday, october 14th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

FasHion viCtim Sponsored by Rick hoe, The Pier hotel

Director: Gerard Jugnot; 2010, France, 100 min. In French with English subtitles Project Runway meets Dangerous Liaisons in this sexy romp. It’s Paris 1577 and famous couturier Pic Saint Loup has created another sensational fashion show, complete with paparazzi, fashionistas and hangers-on. As the go-to designer of the century, he catches the eye of King Henri III, who summons the designer to Spain to make a magnificent gown for the wedding of the King’s nephew to the daughter of a Spanish noble. The trouble is that the real creative brains behind Saint Loup’s outfit is his Moorish assistant, while his perfumer is a Marano Jew and his hairdresser is out, loud and very proud. And Catholic Spain, in the grip of the Inquisition, is no place for Arabs, Jews and homosexuals (Saint Loup is anything but heterosexual). To make matters worse, his secretary is an undercover Protestant plotting revenge for the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre and the father of the bride turns out to be the Chief Inquisitor of Cordoba – hell-bent on wreaking havoc on the fab lads. Despite the intrigue and double-crossings, this is a laugh-out-loud comedy — history is comedy in the tradition of Monty Python. And every bit as funny — even more so!

Thursday, october 14th • 7:30pm • muviCo bayWalK

le tigre on tour Director: Kerthy Fix; 2010, uS, 70 min.

When the pulsating chords hit your ears, your legs start bouncing uncontrollably. Don’t worry; you are experiencing the vibrant, queer, politically-charged, electro-pop sounds created by a powerful punk trio Le Tigre. Like a rocket blasting off—symbolically and literally, Le Tigre: On Tour grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let you go. This riotous documentary follows the feisty musicians from New York City who make up this explosive band—Kathleen Hanna (formerly of Bikini Kill), JD Samson and Johanna Fateman—from their inception to their oscillating rise to stardom. Their candid interviews delve into how they navigated the rocky waters during the height of the underground feminist punk movement. Their empowering female and queer lyrics and political activism led to them being ostracized by other riot grrrl groups and the media. What makes this electrifying documentary so worthwhile is the often-times uproarious behind-the-scenes footage filmed during the height of their career while on their final concert tour for the album This Island. Whether you are a fan or new to their music, Le Tigre: On Tour truly captures the heart and soul of three talented artists who transcended a musical movement in an inspirational yet amusing way! Preceded by: KADEN LATER Director: harriet Storm; 2009, uS, 9 min.

A trans guy must figure out how he fits into society, not as female or male but in a space in between.

Friday, october 15th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

Four FaCeD liar

Director: Jacob Chase; 2010, uS, 87 min. The characters in this entertaining Sundance festival comedy about the ways we love and lie to ourselves are pleasantly, almost happily, familiar. Molly and Greg (Emily Peck and Daniel Carlisle) are budding yuppies new to Greenwich Village; Trip and Bridget (Todd Kubrak and Marja Lewis Ryan) are the big-city wild children, best friends who share an apartment and an eye for attractive women. Trip has a girlfriend, but his flirtatious ways get him in trouble. Bridget prefers to have a girl of the moment. She doesn’t want a girlfriend, she says, because no one keeps her interested. But then Molly catches her eye when the four meet at a Greenwich Village bar. Greg and Trip bond over sports. Molly and Bridget talk a lot about Wuthering Heights, which is obviously sexier than sports, because soon enough they’re having a fling. Screenwriter Ryan keeps the dialogue lively and her portrayal of the close friendship between Trip and Bridget -- strained when he discovers the affair -- is especially well conceived. You’ll love the madcap adventures of these best friends as they learn to cope with life and love in the Big City. Preceded by: 5 DYSFuNCTIONAL PEOPLE IN A CAR Director: Pat Mills, 2009, Canada, 5 min

A 43 year old women, her 21 year old boyfriend, her unhappily married sister, an aging mother and a burgeoning lesbian niece take a ride into discontent one winter’s afternoon.

Friday, october 15th • 9:00pm • tampa tHeatre

you sHoulD meet my son Sponsored by Progressive Insurance Director: Keith hartman; 2010, uS, 86 min.

Easily the sweetest and one of the funniest movies in this year’s festival, Keith Hartman’s feature debut is about the mom and aunt everyone wished they had. Brian is the prized only son of southern-as-sweet-tea Mae, who only wants to see Brian settle down with a nice girl. For years, Mae and her sister Rose (Carol Goans in THE funniest role of the entire festival) have been trying to fix up Brian with yet another single girl over Sunday dinner. But Brian always brings his “roommate”, Dennis. One night, they learn that Dennis has “moved out”, and our sheltered spinsters begin to put two and two together. The sisters finally catch on – with the help of an “Is Your Son Gay?” survey in a magazine. The sisters then wonderfully change their course and try to find Brian a man. They’ve heard that the Internet is the place, so they ask a teenage neighbor to set up a computer for them. He sends them right to Manhunt, where they’re abruptly shot right into the gay meat-market of the 21st century. But, they’re determined ladies, even if it means hitting the bars and clubs themselves to rustle up a few Mr. Rights. Absolutely charming, You Should Meet My Son is like one of the best “Golden Girls” episodes, if they went gay, I mean even gayer.

saturday, october 16th • 11:30am • tampa tHeatre

KiDs in tHe Hall PuT ThIS ON ThE MAP Director: Megan Kennedy; 2010, uS, 32 min. PUT THIS ON THE MAP is the compelling documentary about a generation of young people re-teaching gender and sexual identity. Twenty-six young people weave together this ground-breaking narrative of shifting identities and social change. OuR WEDDING Director: Marka Maberry-Gaulke; 2010, uS, 7 min. Twin 14-year old daughters of lesbians collaborate to tell the story of what their mothers’ legal marriage means to them. The story unfolds against the backdrop of the battle against California’s Proposition 8. Not your typical home movie, this short documentary offers a glimpse into the life of an artistic lesbian family. ONE ON ONE Director: Luis Fernando Midence; 2010, uS, 10 min. Trevor and Alex are a great team on the basketball court, but when Alex asks Trevor to join a waltz class together, their lively relationship changes. Concerned by people’s perception of his athletic reputation, Trevor refuses to tag along with his boyfriend and leaves. Trevor goes back to meet Alex and reluctantly joins the dance class where they both struggle to find their footing as dancing partners. A LOCAL GSA WILL HOLD A PANEL DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE SCREENING.

saturday, october 16th • 1:30pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe aDonis FaCtor Sponsored by National Leather Association of Central Florida (NLACF), Tampa Leather Club, NLA-CFL, and Ybor City Social Club

Director: Christopher hines; 2010, uS, 65 min.

Do looks matter? When it comes to the male physique in the gay community, the answer is of course a resounding YES. When it comes to looks and body image, gay men can be a pretty tough crowd. Men are visually programmed. And gay men have an appreciation for beauty in all aspects, whether it’s other male bodies or just antiques. There’s no doubt that attractiveness is key to a man’s self-esteem and his impression on others, especially in gay life. One especially muscular guy admits that even though he knows it’s superficial, he “feels more respected and accepted” when people compliment his look. Hines explores how these issues trickle into other areas of our modern world by looking at everything from the gay porn industry to a naked yoga class in San Francisco that helps students feel more comfortable with their bodies. The pressure to look good is even more intense in an image- driven culture where near-naked images of masculine perfection abound. Men are being objectified as never before. From super models and muscle boys, to bears and twinks to average Joes, along with experts in the business of beauty, The Adonis Factor is a revealing look at gay men’s love or lust for all things pretty.

saturday, october 16th • 3:30pm • tampa tHeatre

elena unDone

Director: Nicole Conn; 2010, uS, 111 min. Peyton and Elena are, on the surface, diametrically opposed – one, a well-known lesbian writer, the other a mother and wife of a pastor – but when their paths cross, several times over, they feel compelled to connect. What begins as friendship quickly blossoms into something deeper. Peyton tries to extricate herself before her heart wants what it can’t have. Elena can’t imagine not having Peyton in her life. And despite the fact that she has never even considered kissing a woman, Elena is overwhelmed with a desire to do just that. Despite Peyton’s reservations, Elena pushes the relationship into a full-blown affair. The two women fall deeply in love, both keenly aware a future together might be little more than a dream.

saturday, october 16th • 6:00pm • tampa tHeatre

leaDing laDies

Director: Erika and Daniel Beahm; 2010, uS, 102 min. The Camparis are tough women – and making a living in a tough field – that of regional ballroom dancing competitions. Former dance champ Sheri Campari would be the first to tell you how cutthroat dancing is as she ushers eldest daughter Tasi through the rigors of all-day rehearsals and costume fittings. But she’s too busy jumping from one failed relationship to another, all the while proclaiming, “She doesn’t need a man”. Tasi and wallflower sister Toni, who subs as Tasi’s dance partner, are usually able to withstand their mother’s whipsaw mood swings, but when Tasi finds herself pregnant and unable to squeeze into her spangled spandex, tensions run tighter than a flamenco dancer’s bun. Toni begins to chafe under the pressure of family mediator, a role usually left to gay best friend, dance partner and erstwhile Sheri buffer Cedric (in real life the 2nd season winner of So You Think You Can Dance). Breaking away from her prescribed role, Toni begins to fall – hard – for funky and independent Mona, who proves to be the partner – in dance and in life – that Toni needs. Now, they just have to convince Sheri and the unusually close-minded folks of the dance circuit. Codirected by Juilliard trained, former Mark Morris dancer Erika Beahm and Daniel Beahm, Leading Ladies is a valentine to dance and… to letting love lead. Join Erika and Daniel for a post-screening Q&A.

saturday, october 16th • 8:30pm • tampa tHeatre

is it Just me? Sponsored by Florida Wellness & Rehab Director: J.C. Calcano; 2009, uS, 93 min.

One of the funniest and sweetest gay romantic comedies in years, Is It Just Me? delivers a refreshingly witty take on one gay boy’s search for Mr. Right. Cute, but unaware of his adorableness, Blaine (Nicholas Downs), is a newspaper columnist who can’t seem to meet guys, let alone form a relationship. His beefy go-go boy roommate Cameron — who has no shortage of willing partners —can’t understand why he doesn’t pounce and enjoy some onenighters. Instead, Blaine hides in his room and searches Internet chat rooms for a kindred spirit. He may have found one in the form of Zander, a shy recently relocated Texan. But when the time comes to exchange photos, Blaine accidentally sends an image of his hunky roomie, and things go from romantically promising to just confusing. This case of mistaken identity escalates when Blaine begs his roommate to go out with the charming, sandy-haired Zander. When it seems they hit it off, our lonely hero feels love has passed him by again... or did it? Think Cyrano de Bergerac by way of Eating Out, writer/director J.C. Calciano’s first feature film is a hilarious, captivating winner. And the guys aren’t bad either!

sunday, october 17th • 1:00pm • tampa tHeatre

out in tHe silenCe Sponsored by Trenam Kemker Attorneys Director: Joe Wilson and Dean hamer; 2010, uS, 56 min.

Out in the Silence captures the remarkable chain of events that unfold when the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small Pennsylvania hometown. Wilson’s journey dramatically illustrates the universal challenges of being an outsider in a conservative environment and the transformation that is possible when those who have long been constrained by a traditional code of silence summon the courage to break it. The filmmakers soon form a union of sorts with a local mom and her son as they butt heads with the local chapter of the American Family Association. Allies in their fight include a lesbian couples working to re-open a historic theater and a preacher whose friendship with Joe proves transformative for both men. The film’s strong message of acceptance and inclusion came into play with an unlikely alliance of church leaders and librarians vowing to keep the film on the schedule. This determination in the face of adversity will seem familiar to anyone who has struggled to come out in a small town. Preceded by: ThE LOVE PERMIT Director: Christopher Ludgate; 2009, uS, 14 min.

While Mr. Young is applying for a Love & Sex Permit, an encounter with the Administrator finds him becoming increasingly on guard and entangled in red tape and incriminating words.

sunday, october 17th • 3:00pm • tampa tHeatre

mississippi Queen Director: Paige Williams; 2010, uS, 63 min.

Paige Williams is pretty close to her parents. Really, the only thing standing in her way is God. See, Paige is an openly gay woman. And her parents run the only ex-gay ministry in Mississippi. Mississippi Queen charts Paige’s mission to find much-needed answers about homosexuality and the South. She travels across the country, exploring the distance between her upbringing and her current lifestyle. Growing up a good Southern Baptist girl, Paige learned to love God first and then family. However, her senior year led to a relationship with a girl. Over ten years later, she attempts to find balance in her marriage and commitment to her wife, their newborn and the fact that her parents have never wavered in their anti-gay beliefs. However, this story goes beyond just the Williams family. Paige interviews gays who find no incongruity with going to church and loving the Lord and then those who feel they can’t be a part of religion without being judged. She talks to former homosexuals who converted due to their commitment to Christ and the wish to no longer sin. At the heart of the film, though, is the middle ground where Paige and her parents attempt to meet. They don’t always get there, but the making of Mississippi Queen helps them get a little closer-- to God and each other. Preceded by: TRACKS Director: Deana Williams; 2009, uS, 25 min.

Based on true events, two teens turn to each for the love and acceptance they don’t receive at home.

sunday, october 17th • 5:00pm • tampa tHeatre

tHe topp tWins: untouCHable girls Sponsored by Crescendo in honor of Max Morris Director: Leanne Pooley; 2009. New Zealand, 84 min.

The Topp Twins aren’t just sisters; they’re “yodeling, lesbian, comedian, twin sisters.” Jools and Lynda have spent more than 25 years writing songs and performing their quirky brand of countrymusic inspired comedy and activism. Featuring characters such as Camp Mother and Camp Leader (who run the Happy Valley Camping Ground and give out recipes for scones) and taking to the streets and the stage in favor of LGBT rights and against nuclear weapons, the Topp Twins manage to seamlessly combine their politics with camp. What could have remained a novelty act became a national treasure for New Zealand, and in 2008, the twins were inducted into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. In this documentary romp, Pooley shows us how these two artist/activists captured the hearts of a country, while simultaneously delving into 50 years of New Zealand history and revealing the individuals behind the characters. Their activist spirit hits especially close to home as Jools survives breast cancer, with Lynda beside her the whole way. Sure to charm the pants off young, old, male and female, the bawdy, talented sisters come to life in this spirited documentary.

Closing night sunday, october 17th • 7:00pm • tampa tHeatre

la mission

Director: Peter Bratt; 2009, uS, 117 min.

La Mission (starring Law and Order’s Benjamin Bratt) is a beautiful homage to the childhood world tha Bratt and his brother Peter (writer/director) grew up in: San Francisco’s rough and tumble Latino culture complete with low-riders, high aspirations, and the struggle between the two faces of the Mission District. Che (Bratt) is a widower and tough guy who lives for the time he spends with honor role son Jesse (Jerem Ray Valdez of Veronica Mars and 24), and his crew of life-long pals who hang out in the garage du jour – talkin smack about women and the new world unfolding on the other side of the door. A 20-year member of Alcoholic Anonymous, Che lives a quiet life, focusing his attention on keeping Jesse out of harms way. But when he discov ers that Jesse is gay, a long-suppressed dark side of Che resurfaces. Over the protests of friends and family wh argue that Jesse is a “great kid,” Che angrily disowns his shattered son, setting in motion a series of events that wi ultimately shake the entire Mission – the neighborhood that gives Che so much of his strength – and humanity. Complicating his tough-guy demeanor (which he is desperate to hold on to and to push away), is Che’ African-American/Hindu upstairs neighbor, a beautiful social worker who is both drawn to Che’s considerabl charm and wary of his cultural baggage (after all, she has made a career of studying brutal men from this ver neighborhood).The disparate pieces of Jesse and Che’s lives will seemingly never mesh, until one or the othe gives, and until the very last moment, the audience is left wondering which side will ultimately give in to love.

2010 Film Jurors

We have gathered five of the area’s most creative minds to judge this year’s crop of films. Together, they have created films, art, music and installations throughout the Tampa Bay area, and serve as creative catalysts for many of the organizations and events that make Tampa such a wonderful place to live. mary geraCi Mary Geraci graduated from USF in 1985 with a degree in television production and directing. Two weeks before graduation, she landed a job as a news editor at local news Channel 10. From there, she worked in the film and television industry for Nickelodeon, The Punisher (in the stunts department) and CNN, then moved to the Cayman Islands where she wrote and edited stories about Cayman Customs and Culture for the Board of Tourism. Moving back to Tampa, she won a regional Emmy for Channel 28 news as a videographer/live truck operator with reporter Linda Hurtado. She is now the Production Manager at Tampa Bay Community Network, providing the Tampa Bay community a voice through television. Jeremy gloFF While most boys were collecting action figures Jeremy Gloff immersed himself in the music of Madonna, Stevie Nicks, and other flashy female icons from the 1970s and 80s. In 1998 Jeremy Gloff moved to Tampa and has been releasing critically acclaimed music ever since. Momentum continued to grow when tracks from “America Is Lonely Tonight” were featured (along with a cameo from Gloff himself) in the documentary Hooked. He has performed at the MondoHomo festival in Atlanta and had a cameo on the Showtime series “Penn And Teller: Bullshit”.

Gloff also sparked conversation with his YouTube video “Jeremy Gloff Rick Rolls The Christians”, set in Ybor City. viCtoria Jorgensen Victoria Jorgensen is a Tampa based filmmaker, writer, and business owner. A past TIGLFF Board President, she has attended the Berlin and Toronto Film Festivals annually since 1999. Her film, A Moveable Feast, recently screened at the Ybor Festival of the Moving Image. She earned a B.A. in Arts and Letters and studied postgraduate Cinematography at USF’s Department of Fine Arts. blue luCy Bluelucy is the creative partnership of Chad Mize and Phillip Clark. The two met in 2001 through a Cambridge, Mass arts organization, and soon began collaborating. They quickly realized they shared a vision and a common goal, and what began as a friendship soon transformed into a dynamic arts partnership. Together they evolved Bluelucy into a full service design studio and international art brand. For eight years their creative partnership has been an example of a whole being greater than the sum of its parts. Their lives are reflected in their work - creating a clean, vibrant and stylish aesthetic that mirrors their life and commitment to art.

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The City of Love I have lived in New York City for two years but will always be a Florida boy at heart. Each issue, my column will document the craziness I have encountered in my journey from the bottom of the U.S. to the top.

ew York is not called the city of love for a reason. Nobody here wants a relationship. I have found several strange differences between love in the North and South as illustrated below: The Green, Green Grass. This title is completely figurative since there is barely any grass on the island of Manhattan. New York is a city of competitive people all trying to either "make it" or "keep it." There is absolutely no shortage of guys, from those who live here and are in the scene, to the constant stream of people visiting or moving here. Long story short, the grass is always greener, and in New York the field is huge. There is really no need to be in a relationship when you can meet someone new every day and still maintain your sense of identity and your own life. If you never let anyone in, you will never have to face the idea that someone might stand in your way of "making it." The Power Couple. Out of all the people I know in New York, the few gay couples seem to be in the same field of work: constantly busy, always hosting parties and always inviting other guys into their relationships. It occurred to me that these people have found partners that propel their lives forward and allow them a strong measure of comfort and companionship. However, I do not think they are in love. The few couples that I have encountered appear to be together as a matter of convenience. When it is so hard to find an authentic relationship here, I understand completely why someone would hold onto one long after the magic has faded. The New York Threesome. In any relationship you do find, there is you, your boyfriend and the city. I know this idea has been touched on before, but it surprised me just how true it is. Living here is a constant battle to stay afloat. There is always something to do and some place to go. The time you spend in transit to and from work sometimes rivals the time you spend with your boyfriend.

When you go on vacation with your real boyfriend, you feel like you are cheating on the city. The city as an entity and a living breathing machine becomes a real factor in your decisions with your boyfriend. As in my relationship, it can get to the point where “he” wanted to move away from New York and I wanted to stay. I had to choose between my two lovers. I chose New York. Contrary to the three differences of doomed love, I found a relationship. It was with a truly compassionate, honest and beautiful person. Someone who was as vulnerable and human as a person can be. He was the exact opposite of the archetypical New York gay guy. I loved him for it. I am not going to say that New York killed our relationship or that it became too difficult to balance our lives with each other and the city. What I am going to say is that even though after facing the green, green grass, the power couple and the New York threesome, I was still able to find a true relationship. I was able to fall in love in the city. I saw the relationship come and go like the seasons and it left me with an intense feeling that maybe New York isn’t that different after all. In any place, situation or circumstance, there are different sets of pitfalls and challenges. In the end, New York is only what it is because of all the amazing people that live here. Those people are like you and me. They may not seem like it at first and in fact they may fight you tooth and nail rather than get into a relationship. My boyfriend actually looked me dead in the face and told me that I was absolutely not what he wanted. But what is underneath all that cynicism, fear, denial and determination? A vulnerable human being. And the one thing that every single human being on this planet wants is nothing more than to just love and be loved. So they don’t call New York the city of love for a reason. A city cannot love. But people can. And they do.

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