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[[File:mera.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Mera]]
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PLEASE NOTE:  Past Guest Commentary/Opinion articles can be viewed [[Past Guest Commentary/Opinion Articles | here]].
 
PLEASE NOTE:  Past Guest Commentary/Opinion articles can be viewed [[Past Guest Commentary/Opinion Articles | here]].
  
==10 LGBT Films We're Excited To See at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival==
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=='''Why Kids with Same-Sex Parents Aren’t Different from Other Kids'''==  
 
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'''Contributor:'''  ''[[Peter Knegt]]/Bent - a queer blog, Senior Editor - Indiewire''
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The Toronto International Film Festival kicks off tonight in Canada's biggest city, and while [http://blogs.indiewire.com/bent/10-ways-to-have-a-big-gay-night-out-during-the-toronto-film-festival-20140902| we've already offered this list of potential fun nights out], we thought we should probably get to the films too. Because there's quite a few of considerable LGBT interest, most of them having their world premieres. Here, in alphabetical order, are 10 in particular we are excited for.
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==Cut Snake==
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'''Who made it?''' Chinese-born Australian gay director Tony Ayres, probably best known for 2002 drama "Walking on Water."
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'''Who's in it?''' A bunch of very attractive actors we hadn't really heard of -- Alex Russell, Sullivan Stapleton, Jessica DeGuow -- but are looking forward to remembering from hereon in.
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'''Why are we excited?''' There's been lots of strong buzz for this noir drama about an ex-con (Russell) whose seemingly happy wife with his wife (DeGuow) is interrupted by a mysterious man from his past (Stapleton). Noted as an "inspired variation on 'A History of Violence," it sounds like it also might have a bit of a "Brokeback Mountain" twist…
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==Do I Sound Gay?==
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'''Who made it?''' Brooklyn-based journalist David Thorpe, impressively making his feature film debut with a TIFF world premiere.
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'''Who's in it?''' Um… like all our favorite people: Dan Savage, David Sedaris, George Takei, Margaret Cho and Tim Gunn.
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'''Why are we excited?''' Thorpe uses the documentary to take a journey of discovery to confront his anxiety about "sounding gay," bringing along those noted famous names for perspective. It sounds both a hilarious and thought-provoking take on a much more complex issue than we might think.
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==The Duke of Burgundy==
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'''Who made it?''' British indie filmmaker Peter Strickland, known best for his acclaimed 2012 film "Berberian Sound Studio."
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'''Who's in it?''' Sidse Babett Knudsen (who you might recognize from Danish TV drama "Borgen") and Chiara D'Anna (who was in "Berberian").
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'''Why are we excited?''' As one might expect from Strickland, this looks like quite something. TIFF compared it to Luis Buñuel's "Belle de Jour" and Joseph Losey's "The Servant" and called it "by turns kinky, dryly comic and compelling surreal." So what it's about? An intense, sadomasochistic relationship between a wealthy amateur lepidopterist (Knudsen) and her newly hired housekeeper (D'Anna) -- who essentially becomes her sex slave.
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==Guidance==
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'''Who made it?''' Toronto filmmaker Pat Mills, making his feature film debut after a series of incredibly charming shorts (see "Pat's First Kiss" and "5 Dysfunctional People in a Car"!).
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'''Who's in it?''' Mills himself plays the lead, with the supporting cast including Alex Ozerov ("Blackbird") and Zahra Bentham ("Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang).
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'''Why are we excited?''' The dark comedy tells the story of David Gold (Mills), a closeted former child actor who, now in his mid-30s, is struggling to get work and has just been diagnosed with skin cancer. Desperate times call for desperate measures, so David forges his resume and gets a job as a high school guidance counsellor. Except it turns out he’s not such a good fit for the job, handing out bad advice and alcohol to teenagers as he continues his own private downward spiral. Early word is that it's quite the breakout for Mills.
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==The Humbling==
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'''Who made it?''' Barry Levinson, of "Rain Man," "Bugsy," "Wag The Dog," etc, etc, fame.
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'''Who's in it?''' Al Pacino, Greta Gerwig, Dianne Wiest, Charles Grodin and Kyra Sedgwick.
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'''Why are we excited?''' Word out of Venice was decent for just one part of Al Pacino's aggressive attempt at a 2014 renaissance ("Manglehorn" is also playing at the festival). Based on the Philip Roth novel, Pacino plays an aging actor whose life is dramatically altered when he begins an affair with an alleged lesbian named Pegeen (Gerwig). So I guess think "Chasing Pegeen," and though that makes it "LGBT content" questionable, the pedigree of the cast and filmmaker are too much not to keep us curious.
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==The Imitation Game==
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'''Who made it?''' Norway's Morten Tyldum, probably know best for for 2011's "Headhunters" (which also screened at TIFF).
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'''Who's in it?''' Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley and Matthew Goode -- quite the trio.
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'''Why are we excited?''' In the tradition of the big gay biopic with obvious dreams of Oscar nominations,  "The Imitation Game" tells the story of closeted mathematician and computer scientist Alan Turing, who played a key role in cracking Nazi Germany’s Enigma code, which in turn helped the Allies win World War II. What did they do to thank him in return? Just a few years after the war ended, Turing was prosecuted for homosexuality and subjected to chemical castration. It wasn’t until last year that the Queen of England granted Turing a posthumous pardon. Hopefully "The Imitation Game" works as an appropriate tribute to Turing (and word out of Telluride suggests it does), though it certainly bodes well that the film’s cast includes who it does.
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==Love in the Time of Civil War==
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'''Who made it?''' Acclaim Quebec director Rodrigue Jean, who won best Canadian feature at TIFF in 2008 with "Lost Song."
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'''Who's in it?''' Alexandre Landry, who is a "2014 TIFF Rising Star" (a distinction focusing on new Canadian talent).
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'''Why are we excited?''' This docudrama takes us deep into the bleak world of Montreal hustlers and junkies -- a narrative take on what director Jean explored in 2008 documentary "Men For Sale." It focuses on Alex (Landry), a drug addict and hustler who is drifting into oblivion. Given Jean's previous work, we fully expect a fearlessness to "Love in the Time of Civil War" that we too often don't get from depictions of male prostitution.
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By: Mera
  
==Pasolini==
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To understand why kids with same sex parents aren’t different from other kids, we must first look back at history. Back in 1960, over 70 percent of the children in the U.S. lived in a traditional household. A traditional household was considered to be made up of a mother and father in their first marriage. A lot has changed in the last 57 years. That figure has dropped to below half of the families in this country.
  
'''Who made it?''' Abel Ferrara, the bold mind behind "Bad Lieutenant," "The Funeral," "Dangerous Game," "Go Go Tales" and "4:44 Last Day on Earth"
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Why’s this so? Well, divorce rates are up, there are more single parent families and a lot more same-sex parents. It’s difficult to estimate how many same-sex parents there are because of fear of safety and discrimination. One thing’s for certain: the nuclear family is no longer the modern family. According to a 2010 study by Stanford researcher Michael Rosenfeld of census data on school advancement, kids with same-sex parents fare no worse than those of opposite sex parents.
  
'''Who's in it?''' Mr. Willem Dafoe.
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Which issues face both kids with same-sex parents and opposite-sex parents?
  
'''Why are we excited?''' One of the greatest queer directors of all-time gets the biopic treatment (sort of) from the always controversial Ferrara. Pier Paolo Pasolini -- who was also a poet, novelist, agitator, journalist, playwright, actor, painter, philosopher and communist, among other things -- is played by Willem Dafoe in the film, who looks at the last day of Passolini's life as he struggles with censors as he tries to finish his last film, "Salo, or the 120 Days of Justice." We have a feeling if there's anyone Passolini would want taking on his story, it's these two.
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'''Establishing Solid Role Models for Children''': Gender roles according to society are no longer the norm. A strong family doesn’t have to consist of a male breadwinner and a female homemaker who watches the children. To be role model figures for their children, parents should demonstrate proper morals and behavior that they would want their kids to emulate. This includes being good human beings, honest, respectful, supportive and loving. That’s what matters most.
  
==Pride==
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'''Saving Money for College Tuition''': With less middle class jobs (and blue collar jobs) available due to advancing technology, it’s becoming almost mandatory to have a college diploma for even retail and entry level positions. Attending an in state college can cost $25,000 a semester (or $200,000 for four years!).
  
'''Who made it?''' Matthew Warchus, largely known for his work directing award-winning theater ("The God of Carnage," "Boeing Boeing," "Matilda The Musical").
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'''Addiction''': Substance abuse has been on the rise among children ages 12 and older. Substance abuse isn’t limited to illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine but also prescription medication and alcohol. This makes it even more important for parents to communicate and educate their kids about substance abuse prevention. Though these children may lead happy, fulfilling lives, this does not mean they don’t face added challenges that wouldn’t appear to their counterparts with heterosexual parents.
  
'''Who's in it?''' Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton, Dominic West, Andrew Scott, Paddy Considine, George MacKay and Ben Schnetzer
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'''Discrimination''': Bullying exists in all schools and it’s difficult to combat. Children of same-sex parents will face the stigma of having two parents of the same gender. It’s unfortunate but it will pass. The key is that these children need to know that their parents love them no matter what.
  
'''Why are we excited?''' "Pride" appears to be the gay answer to a long line of conventional but charming British dramas where folks find a way to come together to get ‘er done. The film—which won the Queer Palm for best LGBT film at Cannes—is set in the summer of 1984. Margaret Thatcher is in power and the National Union of Mineworkers is on strike, leading a London-based group of gay and lesbian activists to raise money to support the strikers’ families. Initially rebuffed by the Union, the group identifies a tiny mining village in Wales and sets off to make their donation in person. As the strike drags on, the two groups, of course, discover that “standing together makes for the strongest union of all.” Get ready to have your heart warmed, whether you like it or not.
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'''Having More Than 2 Parents''': There are some families with same-sex parents that have more than two adults as parents. This may be the case if there was a sperm donor and the parents choose to keep the sperm or egg donor as part of the family. More common is when a heterosexual couple separates after the child is born and one of the parents identifies themselves as gay or lesbian. There’s nothing wrong with having more than two parents but it’s important to establish how involved everyone will be with the children’s development.
  
==Stories of Our Lives==
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Even though children of same-sex parents may have faced different challenges, they can still receive the same love and support that children with heterosexual parents receive. According to a study from the American Psychological Association, there was no scientific evidence to show that being an effective parent was related to the parent’s sexual orientation.
  
'''Who made it?''' The members of a Nairobi, Kenya-based arts collective -- who requested to have their names removed from the film "for fear of reprisal."
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In fact, same-sex parents “tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents,” according to Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University in Massachusetts who’s researched gay and lesbian parenting. This in turn can even lead to kids with same-sex parents being in better physical health and social well-being.
  
'''Who's in it?''' Kenyans who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and intersex.  
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What does this all show? It shouldn’t matter who a child’s parents are because love is love.
  
'''Why are we excited?''' "Stories Of Our Lives" mixes 5 short films -- "Duet," "Run," "Ask Me Nicely (Itisha Poa)," "Each Night I Dream," and "Stop Running Away" -- to create what looks to be a pioneering anthology about the lives of LGBT people in a part of the world we too often ignore. "Beyond the pervasive social and cultural conservatism of Kenyan society, the country's laws stigmatize and criminalize non-heterosexual identities, which has naturally resulted in the near-total absence of questions of sexual identity from Kenyan cinema," TIFF said. "'Stories of Our Lives' is both a labour of love and a bold act of militancy, defying the enforced silence of intolerance with tales rooted in the soil of lived experience."
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'''For more information on Mera’s “Love is Love” message''', visit http://bigworldlittleom.com.
  
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-----
  
 
Past Guest Commentary/Opinion articles can be viewed [[Past Guest Commentary/Opinion Articles | here]].
 
Past Guest Commentary/Opinion articles can be viewed [[Past Guest Commentary/Opinion Articles | here]].
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Revision as of 20:22, 22 December 2017

Mera

PLEASE NOTE: Past Guest Commentary/Opinion articles can be viewed here.

Why Kids with Same-Sex Parents Aren’t Different from Other Kids

By: Mera

To understand why kids with same sex parents aren’t different from other kids, we must first look back at history. Back in 1960, over 70 percent of the children in the U.S. lived in a traditional household. A traditional household was considered to be made up of a mother and father in their first marriage. A lot has changed in the last 57 years. That figure has dropped to below half of the families in this country.

Why’s this so? Well, divorce rates are up, there are more single parent families and a lot more same-sex parents. It’s difficult to estimate how many same-sex parents there are because of fear of safety and discrimination. One thing’s for certain: the nuclear family is no longer the modern family. According to a 2010 study by Stanford researcher Michael Rosenfeld of census data on school advancement, kids with same-sex parents fare no worse than those of opposite sex parents.

Which issues face both kids with same-sex parents and opposite-sex parents?

Establishing Solid Role Models for Children: Gender roles according to society are no longer the norm. A strong family doesn’t have to consist of a male breadwinner and a female homemaker who watches the children. To be role model figures for their children, parents should demonstrate proper morals and behavior that they would want their kids to emulate. This includes being good human beings, honest, respectful, supportive and loving. That’s what matters most.

Saving Money for College Tuition: With less middle class jobs (and blue collar jobs) available due to advancing technology, it’s becoming almost mandatory to have a college diploma for even retail and entry level positions. Attending an in state college can cost $25,000 a semester (or $200,000 for four years!).

Addiction: Substance abuse has been on the rise among children ages 12 and older. Substance abuse isn’t limited to illicit drugs like heroin and cocaine but also prescription medication and alcohol. This makes it even more important for parents to communicate and educate their kids about substance abuse prevention. Though these children may lead happy, fulfilling lives, this does not mean they don’t face added challenges that wouldn’t appear to their counterparts with heterosexual parents.

Discrimination: Bullying exists in all schools and it’s difficult to combat. Children of same-sex parents will face the stigma of having two parents of the same gender. It’s unfortunate but it will pass. The key is that these children need to know that their parents love them no matter what.

Having More Than 2 Parents: There are some families with same-sex parents that have more than two adults as parents. This may be the case if there was a sperm donor and the parents choose to keep the sperm or egg donor as part of the family. More common is when a heterosexual couple separates after the child is born and one of the parents identifies themselves as gay or lesbian. There’s nothing wrong with having more than two parents but it’s important to establish how involved everyone will be with the children’s development.

Even though children of same-sex parents may have faced different challenges, they can still receive the same love and support that children with heterosexual parents receive. According to a study from the American Psychological Association, there was no scientific evidence to show that being an effective parent was related to the parent’s sexual orientation.

In fact, same-sex parents “tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents,” according to Abbie Goldberg, a psychologist at Clark University in Massachusetts who’s researched gay and lesbian parenting. This in turn can even lead to kids with same-sex parents being in better physical health and social well-being.

What does this all show? It shouldn’t matter who a child’s parents are because love is love.

For more information on Mera’s “Love is Love” message, visit http://bigworldlittleom.com.


Past Guest Commentary/Opinion articles can be viewed here.