Arts

Arts

Lesbian Stories and the Pathology of The Bittersweet Hollywood Ending

Lesbian Stories and the Pathology of The Bittersweet Hollywood Ending

The screenwriters for Tell it to the Bees wanted to give the film a “sweeping romantic ending”, like Brief Encounter or Dr Zhivago. But they wanted them to have a divided happiness – one of them can have the happiness of staying in the town to have a fulfilling career; and the other can have the future happiness of finding love in a more tolerant place. But they can’t have those two things in the same place and with each other.

Astronaut9: Everything Like It’s the Last Time

Astronaut9: Everything Like It’s the Last Time

Everything Like It’s the Last Time tenderly takes back a survivor’s agency, giving the artist, and the audience, permission to feel what was too painful before, and to exist in the way we so badly want to as queer and trans survivors. Because of Astronaut9’s generous narrative, when you listen to this project, you also are heard.

“Queer Eye” And The Neoliberal Myth Of The Self-Made Man

“Queer Eye” And The Neoliberal Myth Of The Self-Made Man

Netflix’s revamp of the classic makeover show Queer Eye, originally called Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, has received rave reviews. In the eight-episode first season, the “Fab Five” — gay men who are experts in grooming, fashion, culture, design and cooking — pile into a new pick-up truck to scour the Atlanta area for lonely and messy men.

Copyslut, La Llorona, and the Radical Healing Powers of Pleasure

Copyslut, La Llorona, and the Radical Healing Powers of Pleasure

Copyslut flaunts the theatrical charm of a glam band, but that doesn’t mean they’re all flash and no substance. They make bold music about sex work, queer love, and mixed-race identity. I got to interview lead singer Chatz and lead guitarist Ray about their influences, the story of their band name, and how a karaoke performance of Queen’s “I Want to Break Free” started it all.

Social-Justice Theater: Two-Cents From A $1 Theater

Social-Justice Theater: Two-Cents From A $1 Theater

Performance art is sacred in Seattle. Comedy, music, spoken word, and theater – shining spotlight on heart is venerated in Seattle and maybe more so in this politically-charged time. Performance is a vulnerable medium for performers and attendees, and theaters have been increasingly called out in the Me-Too era, making Seattle an exemplary study. There are as many approaches to progress as there are Seattle theaters. This is the first in a series of profiles about doing this work.