Next week opponents and supporters of the controversial short film The Gendercator will sound off at a public forum where the movie will receive a delayed San Francisco premiere.
The 20-minute science fiction flick by lesbian director Catherine Crouch had been selected by Frameline to be screened during this year's LGBT film festival in June. But after transgender activists and allies raised objections to the film, which they said demonized and slandered trans folk. Frameline Executive Director Michael Lumpkin, who announced this week he will step down after the 2008 festival, made the unprecedented decision to pull the film.
The yanking of the film set off another round of controversy as lesbians, and some transgender people, denounced the move as censorship and the silencing of their voices. They picketed outside the theater where the film had been set to have its Bay Area debut.
Now the film flap will hit the LGBT Community Center, whose Center Women Present initiative will screen the movie as part of its Girls on Film event series. Following the movie will be a moderated panel discussion that will include Crouch, transgender activist and historian Susan Stryker; lesbian novelist Elana Dykewoman, transgender author Jamison Green, and lesbian filmmaker Mary Guzman.
"The community felt it was important for folks to be able to participate in a constructive dialogue in a transparent, moderated setting about the issues this film has raised," said Ondine Kilker, volunteer co-chair of Center Women Present. "We are appreciative of this opportunity to help facilitate a screening and dialogue as well as to help create contextualization of this film and the issues that it has re-ignited within our LGBTQI Bay Area community."
The free public screening and panel discussion will take place at 6:30 p.m. Friday, October 26 in the community center's Rainbow Room. The center is planning to host a follow-up discussion on November 11.
AOF beneficiaries announced
The Academy of Friends has announced its beneficiaries for the 2008 season, the highlight of which is the organization's annual Oscar viewing gala.
A total of 12 HIV/AIDS agencies were selected earlier this month. They are: AIDS Legal Referral Panel, Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center, Black Coalition on AIDS, Face to Face: Sonoma County AIDS Network, Immune Enhancement Project, Maitri hospice, Meals of Marin, New Leaf: Services for Our Community, Project Inform, Shanti, Tenderloin Health, and Women Organized to Respond to Life-Threatening Diseases. More than 28 organizations applied for grants, which are expected to total over $1 million.
In a related announcement, AOF welcomed the return of AT&T as the lead producing sponsor, in addition to Mercedes Benz USA, Levi Strauss & Company, and McCann Worldgroup, which have all agreed to continue their role as presenting sponsors of the 28th annual Academy of Friends gala – with the theme of "Celebrating Life, Empowering Hope" – scheduled for February 24 at Fort Mason Center. Major sponsors include Starbucks, MAC, Macy's, Hartle Media Group, Diageo, Energy 92.7 FM, and Winslow and Associates.
AOF provides two types of grants to nonprofits. The first is direct care funds, for food, housing, counseling, financial assistance, or legal services. The second is HIV prevention education grants, which are used for HIV/AIDS education, primary prevention, treatment, or nutrition information, employment and job retraining, and peer education and outreach.
Next year's gala also will feature a raffle for the chance to win a luxury Mercedes vehicle; tickets for the raffle are available for $50 each.
For more information, visit http://www.academyoffriends.org.
AC4A party
Real estate legal seminar
South Bay AIDS walk
http://www.walkforaids.org.
Benefit for erotic spiritual group
www.fleshandspirit.org/sevent11.html.
E. Bay advisory council seeks members
Oakland chamber mixer
Adoption workshop
http://www.lgbtlighthouse.com.
Stop AIDS Halloween party
http://www.stopaids.org.
Matthew S. Bajko contributed to this report.