Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender,
and Intersexual Studies
Gays/Lesbians in Motion Pictures
Medical Sciences and Technology (for works about international AIDS epidemic)
- Documentaries and Related Works
- Absolutely Positive.
- Men and women who are HIV positive talk about how afraid they are of getting AIDS, how they handle the disease, and how it affects their lives. Directed by Peter Adair. 1991. 87 min. DVD 5436; vhs Video/C 2323
- AIDS Quarterly.
- 58 min. each. Spring 1989: Stopping AIDS stopping drugs -- The art of medicine. Video/C 2337 Fall 1989: AIDS and the second sex -- What is a family -- A question of civil rights. Video/C 2338 Winter 1989: The education of Admiral Watkins -- AIDS update -- A death in the family. Video/C 2336 Winter 1990: The Trial of Compound Q -- Money and morals. Video/C 2239
- A.I.D.S.C.R.E.A.M.
- AIDS has become a convenient excuse to desexualize gay men and thereby destroy gay liberation. This experimentally processed film expresses Queer anger and rage at the no-win constructs of straight culture's refusal to accept the political impact of the disease on gay identity.c1990. Video/C 2964
- Akermania, Volume One.
- Early films by director Chantal Akerman exploring real time, self-definition and sexual identities. 1992. 89 min. Video/C 999:980
- All God's Children.
- A look at the Black Church's embracement of African American lesbians and gay men as dedicated members of its spiritual family with commentary by prominent political and religious leaders in the Black community. c1996.26 min. Video/C 6200
- Anatomy of Desire.
- Looks at the history of scientific research on the question of sexual orientation and how this research has affected lesbian and gay rights. Utilizes interviews with historians, psychiatrists and writers blended with rare archival footage to illuminate the growing debate on the origins of sexual preference. 1995. 48 min. Video/C 5078
- And the Band Played On.
- Based on the book by Randy Shilts (Anthropology RA644.A25.S481 1987; Main Stack RA644.A25.S481 1987; Moffitt RA644.A25.S48 1988; Public Hlth RA644.A25.S48 1988) Follows the struggle of a handful of strong-willed men and women who took on the fight to save lives in the face of a mysterious illness now called AIDS. 140 min. Video/C 999:969
Movie Review Query Engine
- And the March Continues! (Y sigue la marcha andando!)
- A film by Guadalupe Olvera San Miguel. Combines documentary and narrative forms to present a history of the lesbian movement in Mexico from its orgins to the present. Interviews with Mexican lesbians and movement leaders present impressions of daily life in their country. Dist.: Frameline. 1997. 30 min. Video/C 7275
- Army of Lovers or the Revolt of the Perverts (Armee der Liebenden Oder Aufstand der Perversen)
- In 1978, German gay rights activist filmmaker Rosa von Praunheim documented segments of the American gay liberation movement at the celebration of a San Francisco gay rights march. Among the individuals interviewed are a gay Nazi, porn-film stars, author John Rechy who defends gay male promiscuity, and members of the Gay Activists Alliance, the National Gay Task Force, the Mattachine Society, and the founders of the Daughters of Bilitis. 96 min. Video/C 9518
- Ballot Measure 9.
- Documentary investigation of events surrounding the 1992 campaign for Oregon's anti-gay ballot initiative. Videocassette release of a film originally produced bythe Oregon Tape Project in 1994. A film by Heather MacDonald. 72 min. Video/C 4325
- Because This is About Love: A Portrait of Gay and Lesbian Marriage.
- Various gay and lesbian couples who chose to publicly commit their love for one another in a wedding ceremony are interviewed. This program is devoted to these articulate couples who celebrate their bond solemnly.c1991. 28 min. Video/C 3305
- Beefcake
- A chronicle of the rise and fall of queer cult photographer Robert Henry Mizer, creator of the popular 1950's magazine Physique Pictorial. A blend of fact and fiction, Beefcake focuses on the 1950's world of male-physique magazines and Mizer's Athletic Model Guild. Written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald. 1999. 93 min. DVD 1867
- Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community.
- A social history of homosexuality in America from the 1920s to 1969, showing how this group has moved from a secret shame to the status of a publicly viable minority group. Tells how a group consciousness coalesced after the 1969 police raid on Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City, and the three-day riot that followed gained them national publicity and the birth of the gay movement. Director, Greta Schiller. 1985. 87 min. DVD 2766; also VHS Video/C 1461 [See Also: Stonewall Archives]
- Nichols, Peter M.
"Tracing 30 Years Of Gay Life," New York Times, Jun 4, 1999; Late Edition (East Coast); pg. E.1:25
- [Benning, Sadie] The Videos of Sadie Benning.
- Eighteen-years-old Sadie Benning recorded thoughts and images of her nascent lesbianism with the help of a Fisher Price Pixelvision camera. 1989-1992. 86 min. Video/C 2749:1-2
- [Benning, Sadie] The Videos of Sadie Benning. Vol. 2
- Contains three videos by Sadie Benning who uses an inexpensive camera and toys, drawings, and scrawled diary entries to record the thoughts, feelings and images that reveal her emerging lesbian sexuality. Contents: A place called lovely -- It wasn't love -- Girl power. DVD 8057
- Beyond Hatred (Au dela de la haine)
- Examines the events behind the violent death in Rheims, France of Francois Chenu, a young gay man who was murdered by 3 homophobic skinheads in 2002. The film follows the lengthy trial of the accused killers, and offers a moving firsthand account of the complex emotional response of the victim's family. In so doing, it explores the social and psychological roots of homophobia and similar hate crimes as well as demonstrating the emotional maturity that enables the rare human quality of forgiveness. Director, Olivier Meyrou. 2006. 86 min. DVD 8647
- Bill T. Jones: Still Here.
- A look at dancer/choreographer Bill T. Jones's highly acclaimed dance,"Still/Here". At workshops around the country, people facing life-threatening illnesses are asked to remember the highs and lows of their lives, and even imagine their own deaths. They then transform these feelings into expressive movement, which Jones incorporates into the dance "Still/Here". Jones demonstrates for Moyers the movements of his life story--his first encounter with white people, confusion over his sexuality, his partner Arnie Zane's untimely death from AIDS, and Jones's own HIV status. 1997. 56 min. Video/C 5255
- Black Hair and Black-eyed
- A film by Julie Whang.From what sources does a young Korean-American lesbian draw her sense of identity? From her mother, from fashion magazines, from the boy she dances with, or the girl she sleeps with, or her own barren apartment? Dist.: Frameline. 1994. 9 min. Video/C 5215
- The Blank Point: What Is Transsexualism?
- Examines the widely misunderstood nature of transsexuals--people who psychologically identify with the opposite sex and who sometimes decide to undergo sex reassignment surgery--and offers meaningful insights into this rare condition. The program focuses on two male-to-female transsexuals and one female-to-male transsexual. The subjects candidly discuss their old identities, the transition to their new lives and the scientific and psychological process that enables them to change genders. c1990. 58 min. Video/C 6199
- Bolo Bolo.
- Through interviews, interspersed with images of gay sexual encounters, film explores responses to the AIDS crisis by members of the South Asian community of Toronto, Canada.1990. 30 min. Video/C 3829
- Boy I Am
- Follows the transitions of Nicco, Norie and Keegan, three young New Yorkers from different race and class backgrounds, as they prepare and undergo female to male transition surgery. Reveals the conflict over the place of trans-males within the lesbian community. A film by Sam Feder and Julie Hollar. 2006. 68 min. DVD 6352
- Boys Beware!
- An "educational" film against exposure of young boys to homosexuals. Produced by Sid Davis. 1961. 10 min. DVD 4845; also on DVD 8569
- Boys Shorts: Six Short Films
- Contents: Resonance -- R.S.V.P -- Anthem -- Relax -- Billy Turner's secret -- Dead boys club. Showcases six short films with gay themes produced in the 1990s. Resonance: an exploration of gay-bashing in the back streets of Sydney. RSVP: A powerful portrait of loss punctuated by the haunting voice of Jessye Norman. Anthem: A collage of erotic images that celebrates the lives of African American men. Relax: An elegant film about one man's fears regarding HIV testing. Billy Turner's Secret: An upbeat comedy about a young Black man coming out to his roommate. The Dead boys' club: A steamy tribute to the '70's world of promiscuity and disco balls from the perspective of gay life in the '90's. 1993?. 119 min. Video/C 6226
- Evans, Greg. "Boys' Shorts: The New Queer Cinema." (movie reviews) Variety v352, n1 (August 16, 1993):40 (1 page).
Holden, Stephen. "Boys' Shorts: The New Queer Cinema." (movie reviews) New York Times v142 (Wed, July 21, 1993):C17(L), col 1, 12 col in.
- The Brandon Teena Story
- Documentary film about Brandon Teena, who arrived in rural Falls City, Nebraska, in 1993 where his charm won him several friends in town. But on Christmas Eve Brandon was brutally raped and beaten, and then, a week later, murdered along with two other people, when his friends became enraged when they discovered that he was actually a woman. This is a tale of Brandon's coming of age struggle with identity and how his gender ambiguity induced feelings of betrayal, confusion and hostility among residents of a town in America's heartland. A film by Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir. 1998. 90 min. Video/C 6125
American Library Assn. Video Round Table Notable Videos winner
- Bright Eyes.
- This production explores attitudes toward homosexuality in three parts: one, the early scientific view of homosexuality as a disease; two, the pre-World War II view (especially in Germany) of homosexuality as a crime; and three, current attitudes, complicated by the spread of AIDS. 1985?. Dist.: Video Data Bank. 85 min. Video/C 3286
- Gever, Martha. "Pictures of Sickness: Stuart Marshall's Bright Eyes." In: Queer Looks: Perspectives on lesbian and Gay Film and Video / editors Martha Gever, Pratibha Parmar, John Greyson. pp: 186-203. New York: Routledge, 1993.(Main Stack PN1995.9.H55.Q4 1993; Moffitt PN1995.9.H55.Q4 1993)
- Butterflies on the Scaffold (Mariposas en el andamio)
- A documentary examining the issues gays and transvestites face in the context of evolving attitudes towards homosexuality in Cuba. It is a highly unusual look at how a group of working class drag queens in a Havana suburb have become an integral part of their neighborhood. A film by Margaret Gilpin and Luis Felipe Bernaza. 1995. 74 min. Video/5461
- Came Out, It Rained, Went Back in Again.
- This delightful short drama explores the perils of coming out as it follows a day in the life of one young girl who would be a lesbian. Director, Betsan Morris Evans. 10 min. Video/C 3409
- Campus Culture Wars: Five Stories About PC.
- University of Pennsylvania: racially insensitive language, Harvard University: gay rights, Stanford University: multicultural ideals, Pennsylvania State: sexual harassment, University of Washington: radical feminism. c1993. 86 min. Video/C 3328
- Cancer in Two Voices.
- This film provides a glimpse into the real lives of two lesbian women, Sandy and Barbara, especially into their coping with Barbara's breast cancer. Sandy and Barbara had almost three years together from the time Barbara's cancer was diagnosed until her death in 1988. The film is based on home videotapes made during that time. A film by Lucy Massie Phenix based on original videotapes by Ann Hershey. 1994. 43 min. Video/C 4002
- Can't You Take a Joke?
- Presents a series of vignettes in which boy meets boy and girl meets girl, using the romantic music and visuals of Hollywood film noir to explore the ideal of love at first sight. A film by Viki Dun. c1991. 14 min. Video/C 9131
- Carmelita Tropicana: Your Kunst Is Your Waffen
- Carmelita Tropicana, a lesbian Latina performance artist who supports herself as a building super on New York's Lower East Side, winds up in jail with three other women after a protest at an abortion clinic. Humorous monologues and campy production numbers ensue. Performers: Carmelita Tropicana, Annie Iobst, Sophia Ramos, Livia Daza Paris. A film by Ala Troyano. 1994. 28 min. Video/C 8354
- The Castro. (Neighborhoods, The Hidden Cities of San Francisco)
- Chronicles the history of the Castro district from a working class neighborhood to the center of gay and lesbian life in San Francisco. 1997. Video/C 5004
- The Celluloid Closet.
- Footage from over 120 films shows the changing face of homosexuality (both male and female) in the movies from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s. Many noted actors, writers and commentators provide funny and insightful anecdotes regarding the history of the role of gay men and lesbians in the movies. Based on: Celluloid closet / Vito Russo (UCB Main PN1995.9.H55 R8 1987; UCB Moffitt PN1995.9.H55 R8 1987) 102 min. DVD 706; Video/C 4717
- Links to full-text reviews (via Movie Review Query Engine)
- Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker.
- Examines the life and personal views of Dr. Evelyn Hooker, a psychologist who has spent her life researching the causes of homosexual behavior. Director, Richard Schmiechen. Dist.: Frameline. 1992. 75 min. Video/C 3430
- Chicks in White Satin.
- Here comes the bride ... both of them! A student produced Academy Award winning film documenting the formal Jewish wedding of two California women, Heidi Stern and Deborah Ellis, and the reverberations among each of their families. A film by Elaine Holliman. 1993. 25 min. Video/C MM309
- The Cockettes.
- This engaging tribute looks at the rise and fall of a San Francisco theatrical troupe called The Cockettes between the years 1969 and 1972. The sensation of the hippie movement in San Francisco, they were described as "hippie and freak drag queens," people who were allowed to live at the end of their imaginations. Uses interviews and vintage footage to revisit this lost corner of recent cultural history. A film by David Weissman & Bill Weber. 2001. 100 min. DVD 222
- Coming Out Under Fire.
- Gay men and lesbians who were in the United States military service during World War II discuss their experiences with the response of the military establishment towards their sexual orientation. Producer/director, Arthur Dong. Based on Allan Berube's Coming Out Under Fire: The History of Gay Men and Women in World War Two (New York: Free Press, c1990. (UCB Ed/Psych D769.2 .B46 1990; UCB Main D769.2 .B46 1990; UCB Moffitt D769.2 .B46 1990). 71 min. DVD 4423; also VHS Video/C 3447
- Coming Out Under Fire web site (via ITVS)
- Common Threads.
- The story of the AIDS Memorial Quilt established by the San Francisco NAMES Project Foundation in 1987 to commemorate the lives lost to AIDS. From the thousands memorialized in the quilt, profiles five individuals--including a recovered IV drug user, a former Olympic decathlon star and a boy with hemophilia--whose stories reflect the diversity and common tragedy of those who have died from AIDS. Celebrates their unique personalities and achievements, interweaving these personal histories with a chronology of the epidemic's development and the negligence of the government. Directed by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman. 1990. 80 min. DVD 2761; also VHS Video/C 1774
- Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter.
- Shows interactions between an Alzheimer's patient and her daughter. The daughter discusses how she has dealt with her mother's illness and describes various stages of the disease. Producer/director/writer, Deborah Hoffmann. c1994. 45 min. Video/C 3976
Movie Review Query Enginge
- Bergman, T. "Personal narrative, dialogism, and the performance of "truth" in Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." Text and Performance Quarterly, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 20-37, Jan. 2004
Pincus, Elizabeth. "Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." (video recording reviews). Advocate, n683 (June 13, 1995):60 (2 pages).
Goodman, Walter. "P.O.V.: Complaints of a Dutiful Daughter." (television program reviews) New York Times v144 (Tue, June 6, 1995):B3(N), C16(L), col 3, 13 col in.
- Congressional Briefing on Homosexuals in the Military with Major Melissa Wells-Petry.
- U.S. Army attorney, Major Wells-Petry, discusses the homosexual exclusion policy of the armed services and the legal, social, medical and philosophical basis for that policy. 1993. 60 min. Video/C 3283
- Consenting Adults.
- Presents a study of homosexuality in men and women, using filmed interviews with practicing homosexuals, to provide insight and bases for understanding and discussion. 1969. 40 min.
Video/C 69
- Cruel and Unusual
- Examines the realities faced by transgender women in mens' prisons. Ashley, Linda, Anna, Yolanda and Ophelia describe their experiences including rape, violence, solitary confinement and denial of medical care. Their difficult stories challenge the most basic notions of gender and justice while raising an important question: Is their treatment indeed cruel and unusual -- a violation of the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution? A documentary film by Janet Baud, Dan Hunt, and Reid Williams. c2006. 60 min. DVD 6528
- Cut Sleeve: Lesbians & Gays of Asian/Pacific Ancestry.
- Gay and lesbian individuals from Asian and Pacific Island backgrounds discuss their attitudes and experiences as homosexuals. 1991. 24 min. Video/C 3101
- Daddy & Papa (Story About Gay Fathers in America)
- A documentary exploring the personal, cultural, and political impact of gay men who are making the decision to raise children themselves. Through an examination of four gay male families, this documentary traces the critical issues that inevitably intersect their private lives, the ambiguous place of interracial families in America, the precariousness of surrogacy and adoption, the complexities of marriage and divorce within the gay community, and the legality of their own parenthood. Director/producer/writer, Johnny Symons. c2002. 57 min. DVD 1879
- De Colores: Lesbian and Gay Latinos: Stories of Strength, Family and Love (Lesbianas y ays Latinos: historias de fuerza, familia y amor)
- This documentary examines the struggles of Hispanic gays and lesbians coming out to their parents, especially in a culture that places value on "family tradition" above all else. Through interviews and commentaries, the stories of this largely ignored community are contrasted against similar experiences by Anglo-Americans. 2001. 28 min. Video/C 8809
- Dangerous Living: Coming Out in the Developing World.
- Explores the lives of gay and lesbian people in non-Western cultures, where most occurrences of oppression receive no media coverage at all. 2005. 60 min. DVD 4789
- Dear Jesse.
- Gay North Carolina filmmaker Tim Kirkman's open letter to his senator, Jesse Helms whom he criticizes for his anti-homosexual policies. Also includes footage of an interview with Matthew Shepard, a gay man who was murdered, a victim of a hate crime. Writer/director, Tim Kirkman. Originally produced in 1998. 83 min. Video/C 7185
American Library Assn. Video Round Table Notable Videos winner
- Desire.
- Director Stuart Marshall chronicles the imprisonment of homosexuals in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. Also examines the "discovery" of homosexuality by the medical and psychoanalytic professions in the 1890's, and the subsequent movements in Germany during the early years of this century demanding recognition of gay and lesbian rights.c1992. 88 min. Video/C 3313
- A Different Kind of Black Man: On Being Gay...
- Interviews with successful, black gay men about their ideas and feelings on such issues as sexuality, masculinity and their perception of and their role within the black community. 2001. 19 min. Video/C 8145
- Dirty Laundry: A History of Heroes
- A history of Chinese who immigrated to Canada and of gay Chinese Canadians. 1996. 31 min. Video/C 4428
- Does Your Mother Know?
- Interviews with lesbian students at the University of California, Berkeley concerning their views on family and personal relationships. Produced by students enrolled in Ethnographic Film (Anthropology 138B) in Spring of 1996, at the University of California, Berkeley, Dept. of Anthropology. Sheila Quinlan, Shu Hung. 1996. 28 min. Video/C 4414
- Dream Girls
- This fascinating documentary, produced for the BBC, opens a door into the spectacular world of the Takarazuka Revue, a highly successful musical theater company in Japan. Each year, thousands of girls apply to enter the male-run Takarazuka Music School. The few who are accepted endure years of a highly disciplined and reclusive existence before they can join the Revue, choosing male or female roles. Dream Girls offers a compelling insight into gender and sexual identity and the contradictions experienced by Japanese women today. 1994. 50 min. Video/C 7630
- Dress to Kill
- Directed by Lawrence Jordan. Eddie Izzard spins free-flowing jokes about San Francisco, transvestitism, squirrels, American optimism, Hitler, the British royal family, mass murder and Stonehenge. Izzard romps through human history and transforms surprisingly complex ideas into biting satire--as well as knockout bits of sublime frivolity, like describing the movie Speed entirely in French. 1998. 180 min. DVD 1497
- Dry Kisses Only.
- Through manipulated film clips this videotape explores the lesbian subtext of classical Hollywood films. 1990. 75 min. Video/C 2750
- Ecce Homo.
- A Film by Jerry Tartaglia. Interweaves images from Jean Genet's masterpiece Un Chant d'Amour with images from gay male sex films. It forces the viewer to question the point of view in looking at "pornographic" images. AIDS hysteria portrays gay sex as sinful, politically incorrect, or a public health hazard. Ecce Homo asks whether this taboo is against gay sex or against seeing gay sex. 199?. Video/C 2694
- The Edge of Each Other's Battles: The Vision of Audre Lorde
- Documents black lesbian poet and activist Audre Lorde's (1934-92) social vision, using footage from the four-day conference: I am your sister: forging global connections across differences, held in Boston in 1990. At the conference 1,200 men, women and young people from 23 countries examined the issues of the relations between race, class, gender and sexuality through Lorde's work. Interviews with the organizers of the conference are intercut with conference footage, including performances, controversies and speeches. Producer, director, writer, Jennifer Abod. 2000. 59 min. DVD 7917
- Erotic Celebrations.
- Four short films by poet, playwright and avant-garde filmmaker, James Broughton. Contents: The Bed (1968) (20 min.) -- Erogeny (1976) (6 min.) -- Hermes bird (1979) (11 min.) -- Song of the Godbody (1977) (10 min.). 47 min. Video 999:1076
- Exclusion.
- A discussion of gays in the military sponsored by the Christian fundamentalist Christian Action Network. 1993. 60 min. Video/C 3283
- An Evening with Les Ballets Trockadero. Program 1
- Contents: Swan Lake. Act II -- Le corsaire (Pas de deux) -- Go for Barocco -- The dying swan -- Raymonda's wedding. Presents performances by the all-male ballet troupe Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Founded in 1974 for the purpose of presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and in travesty, the comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. 100 min. DVD 3277
- An Evening with Les Ballets Trockadero. Program 2
- Contents: Les sylphides -- Le grand pas de quatre -- Yes, Virginia, another piano ballet -- The dying swan -- Paquita. Presents performances by the all-male ballet troupe Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Founded in 1974 for the purpose of presenting a playful, entertaining view of traditional, classical ballet in parody form and in travesty, the comedy is achieved by incorporating and exaggerating the foibles, accidents, and underlying incongruities of serious dance. 100 min. DVD 3278
- Faith & Politics: The Christian Right.
- Film reviews the goals, political aspirations and successes of the traditional, family-oriented Christian Right political movement. Examines their organizations and their views on such issues as abortion, homosexuality, creationisn, freedom of speech, school curriculum, home schooling and political activism. 1995. 47 min. Video/C 4013.
- Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema
- An overview of the history of gay and lesbian cinema, from Kenneth Anger's pioneering Fireworks (1947) to Ang Lee's Brokeback mountain (2005). Packed with interviews and an array of film clips from the genre, this documentary celebrates more than half a century of queer independent filmmaking. Special features: bonus interviews (Say your name and who you are, First gay film memories, Sex, Christine Vachon, Coming out). Produced and directed by Lisa Ades, Lesli Klainberg. c2005. 82 min. DVD 6633
- Family Fundamentals
- Arthur Dong interviews families where religiously conservative Christian parents oppose homosexuality despite having homosexual children. The film's many highlights include a Christian conference advocating reparative therapy to cure homosexuality, heated Congressional and television debates, and a fundamentalist support group for parents of gay children. 2002. 75 min. DVD 4422
- Family Matters.(Way We Live: Introduction to Sociology; 15)
- The traditional or nuclear family of the 1950s and 1960s is what most of us think of when asked to define "family." But the idea that there is a typical family is perhaps little more than a myth. This lesson considers the diversity of family forms that exist today and cultural shifts that are changing the definition of "family." You will meet the Scott-Chung family and a lesbian couple who discuss their decision to start a family. 2005. 27 min. DVD 4811
- Family Values.
- An intensely personal film documentomg lesbian videomaker Pam Walton's attempt to reconcile with her long estranged father. It is also her search for what "family" means to her. Told in the form of a video diary, it shows how the longing for parental acceptance can never be extinguished. 56 min. c1996. Video/C 6745
- Fast Trip, Long Drop.
- Autobiographical documentary by Gregg Bordowitz chronicles his day to day life after testing positive for the HIV virus. With archival footage and an exuberant sound track film explores ethical and philosophical questions that the AIDS crisis provokes. c1993. Video/C 3724
- Fated to Be Queer.
- Four charming Filipino men illuminate some of their issues and concerns as gay people of color in the San Francisco Bay Area. Producer/director, Godfrey Reggio. 1992. 25 min. Video/C 3256
- Fear of Disclosure: the Psycho-Social Implications of HIV Revelation.
- Musical video exploring the negative reaction of a potential gay lover to a man when he discloses his HIV-positive status. 1989. 25 min. Video/C 3828
- Female Closet
- Combining rare footage and interviews this documentary surveys the art and lives of various closeted lesbian women artists from different segments of the 20th century: Victorian photographer Alice Austen, Weimar collagist Hannah Hoch, and present day painter Nicole Eisenman. Produced, directed and edited by Barbara Hammer. c1998. 59 min. Video/C 7624
- Films of Barbara Hammer, 1: Lesbian Humor.
- A collection of six films (1974-1987) spanning the career of this filmmaker. "Hammer's satiric use of technology corresponds well with the Eighties repression of sexual expression." Contents: Menses (10 min.) -- Superdyke (20 min) -- Our Trip (4 min.) -- Sync Touch (10 min.) -- Doll House (3 min.) -- No No Nooky T.V. (12 min.). c1989. 59 min. total running time. Video/C 2740
- Films of Barbara Hammer, 2: Lesbian Sexuality.
- A collection of four films, including the landmark Dyketactics, the first lesbian lovemaking film to be made by a lesbian. Contents: Dyketactics (1974, 4 min.) -- Multiple Orgasm (1976, 10 min.) -- Double Strength (1978, 16 min.) -- Women I Love (1976, 27 min.) 57 min. total running time. Video/C 2741
- Final Solutions.
- A Film by Jerry Tartaglia. This film examines teleculture's treatment of AIDS as a consumer image. c1990. Video/C 2964
- First Comes Love
- Wedding preparations and ceremonies of three heterosexual couples, interspersed with written statements on which countries do not allow homosexual marriage, and also the statement that in 1990 Denmark was the first country to legalize homosexual marriage. Uses no spoken words, but instead the words and songs of Janis Joplin, the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Linda Ronstadt and others. A film by by Su Friedrich. 1991. 22 min. Video/C 9084
- Flag Wars
- Filmed over a 4 year period, "Flag Wars" is a poignant account of the politics and pain of gentrification. It explores the effects on a long-established working-class black neighborhood in Columbus, Ohio when gay white professionals move into and begin to transform the area. The clashes expose prejudice and self-interest on both sides, as well as the common dream to have a home to call your own. Directed by Linda Goode Bryant; codirected by Laura Poitras Videocassette release of a documentary broadcast June 17, 2003 on PBS's Point of View television program. 90 min. Video/C 9863
- Quart, Lonard. " Flag wars." Cineaste. Fall 2003. Vol. 28, Iss. 4; p. 72
UC users only
- Flesh & Paper
- Gillian Hanscombe and others discuss the life and work of Indian lesbian poet and writer Suniti Namjoshi. Includes readings of her poetry and interviews with the author. 1990. 26 min. Video/C 9132
- Forbidden Love: The Unashamed Stories of Lesbian Lives.
- Recounts the experiences of Canadian lesbian women in the 1950's and 1960's who sought romance in gay beer parlours and bars. Their stories are interwoven with a fictional love story and set against the tabloids and pulp novels of the time and illustrate the stereotypes and intolerance they faced. Directors/writers, Aerlyn Weissman, Lynn Fernie. 86 min. 1992. Video/C 3206; also contained in Video/C 4664
- Links to full-text reviews (via Movie Query Engine)
- Forever Bottom
- A "pseudo-instructional" video that takes a humorous look at the stima attached to being on the receiving end in gay male sexual relationships. Frameline. c1999. 4 min. Video/C 7933
- F**k the Disabled: The Suprising Adventures of Greg Walloch
- Part documentary, part concert film and part traditional comedy starring New York stand-up comedian Greg Walloch. Politically incorrect and politically challenging, much of Greg's act is based on his being openly gay and disabled. Timely and witty, Walloch makes the viewer question the term "disabled," as he pokes fun at religion, society, his friends and himself. 2001. 83 min. DVD 1185
- The Gay Agenda: The Report.
- A slick documentary style piece produced by a right-wing fundamen-talist Christian group which shows doctors, scholars and recovered gay men talking about the "ills of gay life." 1993. 20 min. Video/C 3281
- Gay and Lesbian Images on Television: An Overview
- One in a series of satellite seminars which investigate how prime-time television is conceptualized and created. This film explores gay and lesbian images and issues presented in television sit-coms and dramas through comments by the creators of "Thirtysomething," "Ellen," and "In the Life." Includes clips from the shows and a call-in question-and-answer session. Panel: Howard Rosenberg, Donna Red Wing, Richard Kramer ("Thirtysomething"), Tim Doyle ("Ellen"), Rhona J. Bernstein, John Catania ("In the Life"). Presented at the Museum of Television and Radio, Los Angeles, California." Preceded by an introduction by Mike Wallace and Bill Clinton to the newly opened Museum of Television and Radio in Los Angeles (5 min.). 1998. 89 min. Video/C 5684
- Gay and Lesbian March on Washington, April 1993.
- Produced by The Christian Action Network. A notorious Christian fundamentalist propaganda film. 1993. 30 min. Video/C 3284
- Gay Cuba.
- A look at homosexuality in Cuba, featuring interviews with lesbians and gays. A project of the Felix Varela Center of Cuba. Directed by Sonja de Vries. 1995. 57 min. Video/C 4418
- Merrett, Jim. "Growing up Gay in Castro's Cuba: Exile Raul Ferrera-Balanquet Discovers Himself in his Videos." Advocate, n579 (June 18, 1991):68 (2 pages).
Morris, Gary. "Gay Cuba: Beating the Bully" Bright Lights Journal September 1996 | Issue 17
- Gay Courage: One Hundred Years of the Gay Movement in Germany and Beyond (Schwuler Mut 100 Jahre Schwulenbe)
- Begins with gay celebrities from the 19th century and catalogues mostly Western European gay history to the present day through archival footage, re-created scenes and interviews. Includes Oscar Wilde, a gay Nazi, a concentration camp survivor, gay rights pioneer Magnus Hirschfeld and even writer Hans Christian Anderson. Concludes with a visit to very gay-liberated San Francisco where the director captures the thoughts of gays from all walks of life including seniors, leather bears, queer parents and transsexuals. A film by Rosa von Praunheim. Originally produced for television, 1997. 76 min. Video/C 9520
- The Gay Marriage Thing
- Gayle and Lorre, college sweethearts in their thirties, wish to file for a marriage license in Massachusetts. The film attempts to capture the controversy and the wide range of political, religious and personal opinions about the subject of gay marriage in order to facilitate dialogue and discussion on the matter. 2005. 47 min. DVD 5396
- Gay Republicans.
- In 2004, Log Cabin -- the Gay Republican Club -- was put to the test. President Bush's unequivocal opposition to gay marriage presented them with a stark choice, whether to be good Republicans and support the president, or stand up for gay rights. This decision opened schisms that threatened the unity of Log Cabin, as politics got personal and individuals were forced to decide if being gay is more important than being Republican. Written & directed by Wash Westmoreland. c2005. 62 min. DVD 4404
- Gay Rights- Special Rights: Inside the Homosexual Agenda.
- An expose by the Southern Baptist Convention concerning the perceived threat of the Gay Rights Movement to moral values and civil liberties of American citizens. Includes testimonies by gays and lesbians who have repudiated the gay cause to become Christians. c1993. 35 min. Video/C 2729
- Gay USA.
- Film coverage of the 1977 lesbian and gay pride parades and marches throughout the United States. Intercut with on-the-street interviews with gay men and women on their lovers and how they came out. Frameline. 1977. 71 min. Video/C 6229
- Gay Youth.
- This is the first video to explore the emotional strain placed on gay youth with intense feelings of isolation that can lead to alcohol and drug abuse and suicide. c1992. 40 min. Video/C 3306
- Gendernauts: A Journey Across the Great Gender Divide.
- Documents the female-to-male (F2M) transgender cyber-community in San Francisco presenting a personal view of people who alter their bodies and minds with new technologies and chemistry, with an amphasis on biological women who use the male hormone Testosterone. Written, directed and produced by Monika Treut. 2000. 82 min. DVD 5002; vhs Video/C 9262
- Geja Poeto: Mother Hoshang.
- A film about the non-conformist poet, teacher and gay activist Hoshang Merchant, that not only addresses issues on sex but also tries to demystify what it is like to be gay in India. A film by Kathy Maloney. 2004. 26 min. DVD 3668
- The Gift.
- Documents the phenomenon of deliberate HIV infection. The film follows the stories of two "bug chasers" who sought out "the gift" of HIV infection. Also interviewed are AIDS activist and author, Walt Odets, and HIV+ and HIV- men. The film explores the normalization and glamorization of HIV/AIDS and discusses the isolation and division caused by HIV status in the gay community. Bonus feature: Does anyone die of AIDS anymore? (26 min., 2002). Produced and directed by Louise Hogarth. 2002. 62 min. DVD 5027
- Girls Kissing.
- Goes behind the scenes with porn stars, a Penthouse photographer, ad execs and purveyors of adult sex toys to explore lesbian relationships. It also touches on underlying questions: Is the mainstream portrayal of lesbian sex accurate? How much pressure does this exert on otherwise straight women to explore lesbian relationships and does it confuse teenage girls or push them prematurely towards sexual experimentation? 2003. 49 min. Video/C MM359
- Grapefruit: The Story of John and Yoko.
- Featuring an all-female cast - including Shelley Cook as Ono, Susie Bright as Lennon - this film plays with the romanticized history of the iconic Fab Four, gently mocking John and Yoko's banal squabbles and obsessive rituals of self-display. The film works on many levels to reposition the mythic tale of the Beatles boy's life by casting '80's women in mod drag, effectively mapping the lesbian sub-culture onto heterosexual mass culture. Discounting the importance of historical accuracy, Dougherty gives an incisive reading of the creation of pop culture icons with John Lennon portrayed as a projection of our society's collective needs and desires. 1989. 40 min. Video 999:2003
- Hell House
- Just outside of Dallas, Texas a violent haunted house is serving as the pulpit for a modern-day fire and brimstone sermon. Taking the viewer behind the scenes, this documentary examines why this small town church has resorted to such graphic means of saving souls. These houses don't rely on goblins, but instead they recreate scenes that graphically depict such modern-day evils as botched abortions, AIDS-related deaths, fatal drunk driving crashes, date rapes and drug-induced suicides. Special features: The Devil made me do it, George Ratliff's 1999 documentary short, the basis for Hell House ; This American life public radio broadcast about Hell House, hosted by Ira Glass ; Trinity Church's "Academy Awards" ceremony. Directed by George Ratliff. c2003. 86 min. DVD 1774
- Stuart, Jan. "Bigotry and brimstone: a new documentary takes us inside Hell House, a Halloween creep show designed to scare kids away from "sins" like homosexuality."
The Advocate July 23, 2002 p61(1) (580 words) UC Berkeley users only
- Hide and Seek
- Mixes documentary and fiction to create a portrait of lesbian adolescence in 1960's America. The fictional narrative tells the story of 12-year-old Lou, coming to terms with her sexuality. Her story is woven between interviews with twenty adult lesbians who recount moments from their own childhoods. Also includes more than 100 photographs of lesbians when they were young girls and archival footage from educational films and home movies. A film by Su Friedrich. c1996. 64 min. DVD 4701; also VHS Video/C 9134
- Hijos del silencio (Sons of Silence)
- Documents the cultural silences that affect safe sex practices of young gay Latinos in the San Francisco Bay Area. Includes interviews with young gay men about their families, coming out and sex. 2001. 36 min. Video/C 9141
- History Lessons
- From an extraordinary body of archival footage -- some dating back to the 19th century -- of sports films, military films, vintage stag reels and lesbian angst dramas this film explores lesbian images from 1896 until 1969. Focusing on pervading images prior to Stonewall, the film exposes popular representations of lesbian culture. 2000. 66 min. Video/C 8220
- A History of Homosexuality in Six Scenes.
- Live theater, music and dance sequences concerning various attitudes held throughout history towards homosexuals. Performed at the University of California, Berkeley, on May 13, 1993. 85 min. Video/C 3228
- Holy Mary.
- From director Jerry Tartaglia, a funny look at gender, fashion, and the head of one of the world's largest all male clubs: Pope John Paul II. 1993?. Video/C 3249
- Homo Promo.
- A compilation of selections from motion pictures produced between 1956 and 1976 which examine the theme of homosexual relationships. Frameline. 199?. 60 min. Video/C 3456
- Homophobia in the Media and Society: One Life to Live and Beyond.
- A panel discussion sponsored by MIT Libraries and Women's Studies, April 1993. 90 min. Video/C 2718
- The Homosexuals (CBS Report)
- A CBS Reports program that underscores the difference between modern (1966) sexual morals and those of the dominant culture. Mike Wallace attempts to give even-handed treatment to a subject very much taboo at the time by concluding that homosexuality is most probably a disease, mainly a male phenomenon, involving those incapable of maintaining deep and long lasting relationships. Gore Vidal makes an appearance and sounds a modern tone in the depths of this 40-year old stopped time piece, but his insights and observations are cut into pieces amidst much broader coverage of insistent anti-homosexual psychologists on the one hand and shadowy interviews with male homosexuals. A media history landmark produced in the same New York City that three years later saw the Stonewall riots that began the modern era of gay power activism. 1966. 44 min. Video/C 2718
- Honored by the Moon.
- Native American lesbians and gay men talk about their lives, speaking of the unique historical and spiritual role of gays and lesbians in pre-Western Indian culture, and of the sacredness associated with being lesbian or gay and having the special power as "connectors" in bridging the worlds of male and female. 1990. 15 min. Video/C 3307
- Hope Along the Wind: The life of Harry Hay
- A biographical examination of the life of Harry Hay, labor organizer, Marxist teacher, and founding member of the Mattachine Society, one of the first gay rights organizations in the United States. Frameline. 2001. 57 min. Video/C 9785
- How Can I Be Sure That God Loves Me, Too?: A Sermon.
- Rev. Mel White of the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches, responds to those who use the Bible to reject lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people, by presenting a dramatic retelling of the life of Christ. 24 min. Video/C 7012
- How Do I Look?
- A documentary capturing the Harlem "Ball" traditions that originated in the 70's, an historically off shot from the Harlem "Drag Balls" from the 20's. Because of the loss of hundreds of members of the "Ball" community to the HIV epidemic, this film records an important aspect of the history and legacy of the event. Focuses primarily on the icon and legends Pepper Labeija, Willi Ninja, Tracy Africa, Kevin Omni and Octavia St. Laurent, who took their talents outside the "Ball" community successfully and opened many doors for their community. Produced and directed by Wolfgang Busch. c2006. 80 min. DVD 9282
- I Got This Way from Eating Rice
- Three films by Nguyen Tan Hoang dealing with the intersection of the Asian American race and homosexuality. 7 Steps to Sticky Heaven (1995, 24 min.): A documentary of interviews with a group of young gay Asian men in San Francisco on a range of subjects. Forever Jimmy! (1995, 6 min.): As a reaction to the lack of sexy Asian men in U.S. media, the film inserts Asian male pop stars into films in a barrage of seductive, fast edits and pornographic intertitles. Maybe Never (But I'm Counting the Days) (1996, 15 min.): Presents a multitude of narratives about the changing nature of sexual fantasy and activity in the age of AIDS. c1999. 45 min. Video/C 7934
- I Shall Not Be Removed: The Life of Marlon Riggs.
- A film biography of Marlon Riggs, the gifted, gay, black filmmaker who produced documentary films addressing issues of identity among Afro-Americans and gays. Clips from his films show how he evolved a unique experimental documentary style, mixing poetry, criticism, the personal and the political. It also documents his long battle against AIDS until his death in 1994 and includes interviews with family, friends, and co-workers. 1996. 58 min. Video/C 4463
- I'll Love You When You're More Like Me: Selected Videos (1996-2000)
- Four films by Nguyen Tan Hoang exploring queer Asian American's engagement with popular culture. Forever Linda! (1996, 12 min.): Presents a series of daydreams of a queer Asian American teenager centering around the figure of supermodel Linda Evangelista. Cover Girl, a Gift from God (2000, 18 min.): Profiles Dalena, a blond, blue-eyed American singer who is a Vietnamese American pop star. The focus is on her reception by Vietnamese-American fans who through her music, seek to preserve a memory of what it means to be Vietnamese while living in America. Crimson (2000, 4 min.): Portrays the feeling of sadness when one loses a friend and object of love through a change in gender. The Calling (2000, 8 min.): Employing a collage of clips from classic priest movies, this film takes a look at Asian American men who are pushed by parents to become clergy. c2000. 42 min. Video/C 7935
- In the Life.
- A Televised newsmagazine of gay American issues and culture. 57 min each. Video/C 4490. See separate listing for individual program content
- Inside Out
- Documents the daily activities of three individual who are coming to terms with their transgender identities and the related emotional and physical transformations while living in the Islamic Republic of Iran. Features intimate conversations with Maria (a male-to-female transsexual), Saman (female-to-male) and Arash (female-to-male), allowing them to tell their stories, including the lifelong struggle with their gender dysphoria, how this mind/body conflict has affected their everyday behavior, and the impact of hormone therapy and sex-change surgery on their lives. Directed by Zohreh Shayesteh. 2006. 39 min. DVD 8650
- It's Elementary: Talking About Gay Issues in School.
- Directed by Debra Chasnoff. An exploration of what happens when experienced teachers talk to their students about lesbians and gay men. Students are asked to consider issues related to homosexuality at six elementary and middle schools. Presents footage of classroom activities and discussions with students exploring questions and issues presented to them by teachers and guest lecturers who come into their classes. Discusses school-wide presentations, activity-days, and how these events affect faculty, parents and teachers. 1996. 78 min. Video/C 4957
- James Baldwin: The Price of the Ticket.
- Presents a look at author James Baldwin's life as reflected in his own words and reminiscences of family and friends. 1989. 87 min. Video/C 1185
- Jodi: An Icon
- Examines how actress Jodie Foster and her on-screen roles have become viewed as a lesbian role model. The film also presents scenes from the Jodie Foster look alike contest in San Francisco and includes a montage of views on Foster's butch femme indeterminacy which help to confirm Foster's status as a dyke icon. c1996. 24 min. Video/C 9128
- The Joy of Gay Sex.
- Live theater, music and dance sequences concerning homosexual relationships. Performed at the University of California, Berkeley, on December ll, 1993. 104 min. Video/C 3227
- Juchitan Queer Paradise
- Presents a portrait of Juchitan, a small Mexican city near the Guatemalan border where homosexuality is fully accepted. The film profiles three gay people: a teacher, a hairdresser and a shop owner. The society is also unique as the population of Zapotec Indians resist the homogeneous trends of globalization. While Indian languages are endangered everywhere else in the world, in Juchitan, the Zapotec language is spoken proudly at home, at municipal meetings, in poetry, song and theatre. A film by Patricio Henriquez. 2002. 64 min. Video/C 9822
- Judith Butler: Philosophical Encounters of the Third Kind
- Judith Butler, professor in the Departments of Rhetoric and Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's most important and influential contemporary thinkers in fields such as continental philosophy, literary theory, feminist and queer theory, and cultural politics. In the film, Butler covers a wide range of subjects, broaching not only controversial gender issues-including transsexuality and intersexuality-but also 20th century Jewish philosophy, AIDS activism, criticism of state power and violence, gay marriage, and anti-Zionism. This first film profile will serve to popularize her insightful analysis of sexual identity and gender roles at a time when the cultural and political debate over these issues pervades American society. A film by Paule Zajdermann. 2006. 52 min. DVD 7258
- Juggling Gender: Politics, Sex and Identity.
- Features Jennifer Miller, juggler and director of Circus Amok. Miller speaks of her life and struggle as a lesbian woman who happens to have a moustache and beard. Includes scenes of circus performances, a gay rights parade, Miller interacting with friends, family, and strangers. A film by Tami Gold with Jennifer Miller. 1992. Video/C 3548
- Just a Love Thang.
- Three sensual vignettes portraying aspects of Asian Pacific lesbian lifestyles and concerns. Written, produced and directed by Mari Keiko Gonzalez. 1994. 7 min. Video/C 3750
- Just Married: The Epic Battle Over Gay Marriage.
- This even-handed documentary follows events in Massachusetts after the state supreme court ruled 4 to 3 in favor of allowing same sex marriage. The film follows Ellen Wade and Maureen Brodoff, both attorneys, through the filing of the original lawsuit to their historic wedding, supported along the way by gay and lesbian organizations. It also treats with respect the opposition, whose deeply held convictions mobilize them to political action. 2005. 58 min. DVD 4865
- Kamikaze Summer
- In this documentary, a gay man and a lesbian leave the sanctuary of San Francisco's Castro District to explore the Heartland, or, more appropriately, the Hateland. 1996. 60 min. Video/C 4692
- Notaro, Gerald A. "Kamikaze Summer." (video recording reviews) Library Journal v122, n7 (April 15, 1997):132 (2 pages).
- Keep not Silent: Ortho-Dykes.
- Documents the lives of three Ortho-Dykes, lesbians living, with varying degrees of anonymity, with the Orthodox population of Jerusalem. Miriam-Esther is married and keeps her desires completely hidden from her husband and children; Ruth lives a double life, alternating nights between her girlfriend and her completely aware husband; and Yehudit lives openly with her partner despite her rabbi father's disapproval. Directed and produced by Ilil Alexander. 2004. 52 min. DVD 5307
- Khush.
- A film by Pratibha Parmar. Interviews with South Asian lesbians and gay men in Britain, North America and India concerning the intricacies of being queer and of color. 1991. 24 min. Video/C 4932
- "Identities, Passions and Commitments: An interview with the British
Filmmaker Pratibha Parmar." LOLApress: International Feminist Journal 04-30-2000 N.12 p. 36 via GenderWatch (UCB users only)
- Khush Refugees
- The film focuses on San Francisco's gay community where two exiles, Rahul, an immigrant from India, and Dante, an ex-marine from suburban Ohio, try to assimilate in this new foreign culture. 1991. 32 min. Video/C 3822
- L is for Way You Look.
- An exploration of lesbian history and the women who have served as role models and objects of desire for young lesbians. Also discusses how media images of lesbians affect the construction of identity and how lesbians are written in and out of history. 1991. 23 min. Video/C 3272
- Last Call at Maud's.
- A look at the world's longest running lesbian bar, Maud's in San Francisco. Film interweaves rare archive film of the gay bar scene in the 1940's, the vice raids of the 1950's, the gay counter culture of the 1960's and "coming out" in the 1970's up until the bar closed its doors in 1989. Director, Paris Poirier. 1993. 77 min. DVD 4172; also VHS Video/C 3184
- Lavender Limelight: Lesbians in Film.
- Featuring: Cheryl Dunye, Rose Troche, Jennie Livingston, Monika Treut, Maria Maggenti, Su Friedrich, Heather MacDonald. Intimate conversations with lesbian film directors, including clips from their works, in which they explore their sexual identity, growing up gay, inspirations and techniques of filmaking, Hollywood vs. Indie and love and sex, on screen and off. 1997. 57 min. DVD 3615; also VHS Video/C 5431
- Lesbian Avengers Eat Fire Too.
- A documentation of the activities of the Lesbian Avengers, a lesbian activist group based in the New York City area. In it is shown how lesbians are demonstrating, by means of marches, rallies and other methods, for equal rights for lesbians, and for getting across the message that lesbians are just ordinary human beings like everybody else. Directed and edited by Janet Baus and Su Friedrich. 2005. 55 min. DVD 4703
- LGBT Association Conference, February 11-13, 2000
- University of California Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Association. 2000. Presentations by speakers at the annual conference of the University of California LGBT Association addressing issues of concern to homosexual students and speeches on homosexual rights. Presentations by: Evan Wolfson (49 min.) -- Carla Trujillo (76 min.) -- Philip DuBois (72 min.) -- Kevin Jennings (60 min.) -- Francisco Alarcon (68 min.) -- Candace Gingrich (72 min.). 6 tapes;2000. 397 min. Video/C 6898
- Licensed to Kill.
- A film by Arthur Dong. A riveting journey into the minds of men whose contempt for homosexuals led them to murder. Videotaped confessions, home and police videos of gay bashings and murder scenes, news reports and graphic evidence from police files are fused together with interviews by the filmaker with seven convicted killers. 1997. 80 min. DVD 4421; also VHS Video/C 4956
- The Life & Times of Allen Ginsberg.
- Depicts Allen Ginsberg, an American poet and social activist in the different decades of his life and activities. Includes interviews with contemporaries of his cultural era. A film by Jerry Aronson. c1993. 82 min. DVD 6808; vhs Video/C 3463
- A Litany for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde
- Audre Lorde, poet and lesbian-feminist talks about being lesbian and black in New York in the 1950s and her social/political activity. Includes conversations and readings by Lorde and comments by other writers and family members. 1996. 56 min. Video/C 5667
American Library Assn. Video Round Table Notable Videos for Adults
- Live to Tell: The First Gay and Lesbian Prom in America
- Chronicles the lives of the students of the EAGLES Center, an alternative high school in Los Angeles for gay and lesbian teens who, due to persecution, are unable to function in the regular school system. Shows their efforts to organize a citywide prom for over 200 gay and lesbian high school students in Los Angeles County and the first gay and lesbian prom in America. c1995. 24 min. Video/C 4804
- Living Proof: HIV and the Pursuit of Happiness.
- Presents narratives by persons who have AIDS or are HIV positive. Kermit Cole discovered a diverse community, straight and gay, female and male, young and old, filed with active and vibrant people who live contrarily to every dismal and oppressive image of the typical AIDS victim presented by the media. Producer/director, Kermit Cole. 1993. 72 min. Video/C 3304
- Living with AIDS.
- Roosevelt Williams addresses a class on medical ethics concerning his experiences with the medical establishment while being treated for the disease of AIDS. Lecture presented to IDS 130 class, Seminar on Social, Political and Ethical Issues in Health and Medicine, at the University of California, Berkeley, in March, 1994. 55 min. Video/C 3226
- Looking for a Space: Lesbians & Gay Men in Cuba.
- A documentary film examining the treatment of lesbians and gay men during the early years of the Cuban Revolution and perspectives of current residents of Cuba on questions of political ideology and sexual identity. 1993. 38 min. Video/C 3592
- Looking for Langston: A Meditation on Langston Hughes (1902-1907) and the Harlem Renaissance.
- A tribute to Langston Hughes, this film attempts to reclaim him as an important black gay voice in American culture. Writer and director, Isaac Julien. With the poetry of Essex Hemphill and Bruce Nugent (1906-1987). A film by Isaac Julien.
"A visual tour-de-force, "Looking for Langston" is a beautiful and lyrical meditation of black and white gay identities. Using the life and work of Langston Hughes during the jazz/blues infused Harlem Renaissance of the 1920's, the film weaves together the poetry of Hughes and Essex Hempill, music, sylized dramatic sequences and archival material in a celebration of gay desire and a testament to contemporary society's attempt to shatter multiple identitites." [from Third World Newsreel (distributor) catalog] Extras: Full commentary with Isaac Julien and Nina Kellgren (film's director of photography) ; short film "Portrait in blue: Essex Hemphill" (Isaac Julien, 2005) ; "First and last words: Essex Hemphill and Larry Duckette in conversation," audio recording of 1990 radio program ; photo gallery. 1992. 45 min. DVD 8495; vhs Video/C 2911
- The Lost Tribe.
- Ex-Mormon-lesbian comedian Sue Ann Post attends the annual conference of Affirmation, an organization of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Mormons in Salt Lake City Utah. An observational documentary following Sue Ann's funny, bizarre and confronting journey to Mormon Zion as she performs for an audience of predominately devout, excommunicated gay Mormons. A film by Rachel Landers. 2005. 56 min. DVD 5306
- The Love Thang Trilogy: Just a Love Thang, Skydyking and Eating Mango.
- These three sensual four-minute vignettes portray aspects of Asian American lesbian lifestyles and concerns...including that difficult letter to mom. Positive, political, educational and uplifting, this pioneering work makes visible a "sisterhood" often grossly stereotyped if not simply overlooked. 1994. 7 min. Video/C 3750
- March on Washington.
- Documents the April 1993 March on Washington for Lesbians, Gay and Bi Equal Rights and Liberation featuring interviews, excerpts from speeches and musical performances. c1993. 29 min. Video/C 4075
- Market This!: Queer Radicals Respond to Gay Assimilation
- A documentary that explores the desire for radical politics and culture in the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community. The film began in 1999 after the Queeruption gathering in New York City. During workshops and caucuses, through discussion and entertainment, participants came together to explore ways that our community can sustain and validate itself without supporting a system that actively exploits poor people, women, people of color, and gay people. 2002. 28 min. Video/C MM1139
- Matt Kailey: A Conversation
- Matt Kailey, a female-to-male transsexual, explores the issues surrounding sexuality and gender identity. Speaking from the perspective of his own day-to-day life, he looks at the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which biology, psychology and society shape our understanding of who we are. 2004. 20 min. Video/C MM80
- Maybe Never (But I'm Counting the Days)
- Maybe Never... is a tape about growing up queer and colored in the age of AIDS. A series of "I've never..." voice-overs articulate regrets, loss, longing, and desire for an (imagined) bygone time of romantic bliss and sexual plentitude. A film by Nguyen Tan Hoang 1996. 15 min. DVD 5122
- Meeting Two Queens
- A film which links two queens of the silver screen, Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich through motifs such as the cigarette and circuitry of meaningful gazes and gestures. Clips from their signature roles are remounted in silent film style vignettes casting them in the role of lovers by Chilean video artist Barriga. A videotape by Cecilia Barriga. c1991. 14 min. Video/C 9130
- Milind Soman Made Me Gay
- A conceptual documentary about desire and notions of 'home' and 'belonging'. The film employs a unique mix of visual elements along with voice over narration to juxtapose memories of the filmmaker's past against stories of three gay South Asian men living in the diaspora. Overshadowing these nostalgic explorations of life 'back home,' are harsh realities of homophobia and racism in America and an on-going struggle to find a place of belonging. Written, directed and produced by Harjant Gill. 2007. 27 min. DVD 9294
- Milk/Moscone Murder News Coverage.
- Local news coverage, 1978. Video/C 2222
- Network Q.
- A monthly video news service published monthly providing the gay perspective on America. MRC has November 1992-December 1994. See Separate Listing for contents of individual programs. Video/C 4000
- Mujeria: Primitive and Proud
- An historical survey of Olmec women, including still photographs of Olmec antiquities, and the significant role of lesbianism among Olmec women then and now. 1992. 20 min. Video/C 7750
- My Sister, My Bride
- J. Farrell Cafferata and Caren Jenkins, partners for five years, wanted to officially celebrate their commitment like an other couple in love, so when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ordered the issuing of same-sex marriage licenses in October 2002, Farrell and Caren came to San Francisco City Hall to be married in a civil ceremony. Together with thousands of other hopeful couples, they participated in what has become a defining moment for gay rights. 2004. 26 min. DVD 2916
- Nitrate Kisses.
- Explores eroded emulsions and images for lost vestiges of lesbian and gay culture. Barbara Hammer weaves striking images of the sexual activities of four gay and lesbian couples with footage that unearths the forbidden and invisible history of a marginalized people. Dist.: Frameline. 1992. 67 min. Video/C 6225Credits and other information from the Internet Movie Database
- No Dumb Questions
- The program follows three sisters, Ages 6, 9 and 11, as they struggle to understand why and how Uncle Bill is becoming Aunt Barbara. With just weeks until Bill's first visit as Barbara the sisters navigate the complex territories of anatomy, sexuality, personality, gender and fashion. Produced, directed & edited by Melissa Regan. 2001. 24 min. Video/C MM928
- No Secret Anymore: The Times Of Del Martin & Phyllis Lyon
- Chronicles the lives of two women who have been partnersin love and political struggle for half a century. SanFrancisco icons, Del Martin and Phylllis Lyon areknown as the founders of the modern lesbian civilrights movement. This documentary follows them throughsix decades, tracing the emergence of lesbians fromthe fear of discovery to the expectation of equality. Produced and directed by Joan E. Biren. Dist.: Frameline. c2003. 57 min. DVD 2431
- Non Je Ne Regrette Rien.
- A film by Marlon Riggs. Five gay Black men who are HIV-positive discuss how they are battling the double stigmas surrounding their infection and homosexuality. 29 min. Video/C 2646
- Not a Simple Story [Out in Silence].
- Presents two stories of Asian Pacific Americans, gay and straight, male and female who have gone public about being HIV positive.c1994. 37 min. Video/C 3749
- Not All Parents Are Straight.
- Using at-home scenes, background family photographs, scenes from support group rap sessions, and interviews, examines the dynamics of the parent-child relationship within six different families where one or both parents is gay. Explores emotional conflicts within the families, legal custody problems, and the social discrimination which these families face. 1987. 58 min. Video/C MM581
- The Odds of Recovery.
- The filmmaker documents her personal journey through illnesses, surgeries and problems she encounters with the medical establishment. She strongly feels that these problems also affected the sexual relationship with her lesbian companion. Alternative treatments to solve her medical problems included tai chi and acupuncture, gardening and embroidery. A film by Su Friedrich. 2005. 65 min. DVD 4700
- Off the Straight & Narrow: Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals & Television.
- This is the first in-depth documentary film to cast a critical eye over the growth of gay images on television. Leading media scholars provide the historical and cultural context for exploring the implications of these new representations for political and cultural meanings. 1998. 63 min. Video/C 5709
- On Being Gay.
- A conversation with Brian McNaught: syndicated columnist, author, counselor, and lecturer. Discusses the fallacies, the facts, and the feelings of being gay in a straight world. He encourages viewers to realize their individual potential and to replace self-hate with self-esteem, self-doubt with self- knowledge, self-consciousness with self-confidence. 1986. 80 min. Video/C 3309
- On Common Ground.
- An idiosyncratic portrait of the tragedies and triumphs of the gay liberation movement. Examines the political urgency of the 60's to the alienation and social contradictions of the 90's. c1992. 90 min. Video/C 3376
- One Nation Under God.
- A chronicle of attempts by "ex-gay ministries" and other fundamentalist religious ordganizations to "cure" homosexuality. Video/C 3311
- 100% Woman.
- A post-operative transsexual, Michelle Dumaresq, has provoked outrage by entering the sport of women's mountain bike racing. The program explores complex issues of gender identity surrounding the controversy and manifested in Dumaresq's personal and professional relationships. Includes commentary from her parents and interviews with Michelle, friends, and rival cyclists. Director, Karen Duthie. 2004. 60 min. DVD 4487
- One Wedding and a ... Revolution.
- On February 12, 2004, the mayor of San Francisco, Gavin Newsom, instructed city and county officials to allow lesbian and gay couples to marry. Del Martin and Phyllis Lyon, founders of the first lesbian-rights organization and celebrating their 51st anniversary, were invited to be the first couple married. A film by Debra Chasnoff and Kate Stilley. 2004. 19 min. DVD 3192
- Orientations.
- Directed by Richard Fung, looks at gay Asians in Toronto,Canada. More than a dozen gay men and lesbian women of different Asian backgrounds speak frankly about their lives as members of a minority within a minority. This group's commitment and outspokenness challenge the stereotype of passive Asians. 199?. 56 min. Video/C 3757
- Our Brothers, Our Sons.
- Examines the resurgent AIDS crisis through the prism of eight gay men -- four Baby Boomers and four GenXers who talk about their experiences with HIV/AIDS and safer sex messages. Explores the failure of traditional safe-sex messages to reach a new generation. Written and directed by Jim Arnold. 2002. 24 min. DVD 5093
- Our House: A Very Real Documentary About Kids of Gay and Lesbian Parents.
- A profile of children from five families from New York, Arkansas, Arizona, and New Jersey who describe their experiences of living in households led by gay and lesbian parents and the various reactions from extended family members, classmates, teachers, neighbors and public officials. c1999. 57 min. Video/C 8022
- Our House: Lesbians and Gays in the Hood.
- A hard-hitting and highly informative look at issues, activism and discrimination in the U.S. from the view points of lesbians and gay men of color. 199?. 60 min. Video/C 3312
"Up front, in your face, hard-hitting interviews with Black Gays and Lesbians provides an uncompromising look at homophobia, racism, alienation and empowerment for Queer African Americans. This riveting documentary gives voice to the multiple identities of gay, women, Black, and the strength inherit in their unity. A new perspective on what is "Black Enough," this video powerfully contextualized gay and lesbian identity within the African American experience." [from Third World Newsreel (distributor) catalog]
- Out for a Change: Addressing Homophobia in Women's Sports.
- Addresses the issues of women in sports, homophobia in sports, the common assumption that all female athletes and female coaches are lesbians and the discrimination attached to those assumptions. 1994. 29 min. Video/C 5517
- Out of the Past: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Rights in America
- From the 1920's to the present day, profiles the efforts of Henry Gerber, Bayard Rustin and others to organize gay rights organizations in the United States. Directed and produced by Jeff Dupree. 1997. 65 min. Video/C 6623
- Out: Stories of Lesbian and Gay Youth.
- Records the personal stories of gay and lesbian youth who are faced with social isolation, rejection by family and peers and the threat of homophobic violence, yet despite the odds are able to make it through and get on with their lives. c1994. 43 min. Video/C 3964
- Out in Silence / Not a Simple Story
- Presents two stories of Asian Pacific Americans, gay and straight, male and female who have gone public about being HIV positive. c1994. 37 min. Video/C 3749
- Out in South Africa
- A look at the social and political conditions for gay and lesbian people in present-day South Africa. Features interviews and historical background on the country's transformation into an open society for gay people. Directed, and edited by Barbara Hammer. c1994. 51 min. Video/C 9133
- Out in the Garden.
- A film by Vincent Grenier. An extraordinary film which explores the dynamic of assumptions, seen through the struggle of a gay man who has recently been told that he is HIV positive. In his own way he comes to terms with the news in front of Grenier's camera. The result is a film which examines our own complicity in this struggle. 1991. 15 min. Video/C 3274National Educational Film & Video Festival 1992 (Bronze Apple)
- Outlaw
- An interview with Leslie Feinberg, author of Stone butch blues, an account of a working-class lesbian who passes as a man. Feinberg who has spent much of her own life passing as a man speaks with passion and intelligence about her experiences, calling for more sensitivity for the human rights and dignity of transgendered people. A videotape by Alisa Lebow. c1994. 26 min. Video/C 9128
- Paradise Bent: Boys will be Girls in Samoa
- An exploration of the Samoan faafafine, boys who are raised as girls, who fulfill a traditional role in Samoan culture. In the past they have shared women's traditional work but today are becoming more westernized and look more like drag queens. Several anthropologists comment on the phenomenon examining issues of culture and gender and the complexities of sexual identity. c1999. 50 min. Video/C 8601
- Paragraph 175
- Historian Klaus Muller interviews survivors of the Nazi persecution of homosexuals, many of whom were interred in concentration camps during World War II because of the German Penal Code of 1871, Paragraph 175, which states: An unnatural sex act committed between persons of the male sex or by humans with animals is punishable by imprisonment; the loss of civil rights may also be imposed. Produced and directed by Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Friedman. 2000. 81 min. Video/C 8549
- Paris is Burning.
- A film by Jennie Livingston. Story of the young men of Harlem who originated "voguing" and turned these stylized dance competitions into glittering expressions of fierce personal pride. A story of street-wise urban survival, gay self-affirmation, and the pursuit of a desperate dream. 1992. 76 min. DVD 4430; also VHS Video/C 3211
- Links to full-text reviews (via Movie Review Query Engine)
- Interview with Jennie Livingston in Lavender Limelight
- Paris Was a Woman.
- Through a combination of still photos, archival film footage, and interview commentary this film documents the creative community of French, English and American women, many of whom were lesbians, who gravitated to the Left Bank in Paris during the early part of the 20th century. Originally produced as motion picture in 1995. In English and French with English subtitles. 1996. 75 min. Video/C 6126
- Paul Monette: The Brink of Summer's End
- This biographical documentary which was shot over three and a half years, explores Paul's life and work from his seemingly idyllic New England boyhood, and his closeted adolescence to his development into a successful writer, committed gay activist, until his death from AIDS in February, 1995. 90 min. Video/C 6042
American Library Assn. Video Round Table Notable Videos winner
- The People vs. Dan White
- A re-enactment of events surrounding the trial of Dan White, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, who killed San Francisco mayor, George Moscone and supervisor, Harvey Milk, on November 27, 1978. Charged with first degree murder, White was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter. 1983. 92 min. Video/C 3798
- Piku if fine (Piku bhalo aachhey)
- A docu-drama revolving around the struggles and feelings of Piku, a gay man living in Calcutta. The film focuses on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and attempts to break down conventional constructs of normality and abnormality. Story, script & direction, Tirthankar Guha Thakurata. 2004. 50 min. DVD 7382
- Pink Triangles: A Study of Prejudice Against Lesbians and Gay Men.
- Experimental film of nonverbal communication between two gay men as they sit at a kitchen table. 1990. 11 min. Video/C 3257
- Pirated
- Using a nonlinear "pirated television" editing technique the filmmaker recounts his escape from Vietnam as a child complete with capture by pirates and rescue by West German sailors and reveals the impact events played in developing his sexual identity. A film by Nguyen Tan Hoang. 2000. 11 min. DVD 5123
- Plates.
- A film by Gary Goldberg. Takes a look at the nature of discrimination against lesbians and gay men and challenges some of society's attitudes toward homosexuality. c1982. 35 min. Video/C 445
- Pride, Prejudice and Gay Politics (1982).
- Reporter/producer Spencer Michels examines gay politics in San Francisco and looks at the future of gay politics both inside and outside the city. 3/4 in. 1982. 30 min. Video/C 374
- La pudeur ou limpudeur
- At the request of French television, the writer-photographer Herve Guibert filmed this video self-portrait chronicling the grim impact of AIDS on his life. With a dispassionate eye, he compares the decay of his body with the bodily disintegration of old age. c1991. 58 min. Video/C MM409
- Queer Geography: Mapping Our Identities: Detailing the Experiences of Four Queer Youth
- Co-produced by two high school students, this documentary explores the lives of four gay youth, ages 16-20, examining such issues as sexual orientation, coming out, family life and dealing with being "out" in school. The film also addresses the role of community organizations in the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth of today. Frameline. 2001. 12 min. Video/C 8144
- The Question of Equality: Gay and Lesbian Struggle Since Stonewall.
- Contents: pt. 1. Out Rage '69 / produced, directed, and written by Arthur Dong -- pt. 2. Culture Wars / produced, directed, and edited by Tina DiFeliciantonio & Jane C. Wagner -- pt. 3. Hollow Liberty / directed by Robyn Hutt ; produced by Robyn Hutt & Bennett Singer -- pt. 4. Generation "Q" / produced & directed by Robert Byrd. Using a mix of rarely seen archival footage, live action sequences, and personal interviews, this film series presents a comprehensive view of the gay liberation movement in the United States. Based on the book "Question of Equality" ( UCB Law Lib KF4754.5 .Q47 1995; UCB Main HQ76.8.U5 Q47 1995; UCB Moffitt HQ76.8.U5 Q47 1995) 4 videocassettes (ca. 55 min. each) Video/C 4365
- Video clip from Question of Equality (via ITVS)
- Radical Harmonies
- "Woodstock Meets Women's Liberation in a film about a movement that explodes the gender barriers in music." A documentary on the history of the women's music movement. With festival and concert footage, interviews & archival material, the film delves into the rich history of women creating a cultural life based in a commitment to diversity, feminism and women loving women. Features foremothers of women's music (Cris, Holly, Margie, Meg and more) and today's "new women's music" artists Ani Difranco, Melissa Ferrick, Bitch and Animal and more. c2002. 88 min. DVD 2371
- Rainbow's End.
- A multinational journey throughout Europe and the world, exploring the future of lesbian, gay, bi and transgender people. From parades and protests in Warsaw and Krakow to personal stories with social, religious and political insights, the film moves from street activism to the United Nations in Geneva. Dist. Frameline. 2006. 75 min. DVD 6250
- Relocations.
- In this exploration of race, gender and sexuality from an Asian American perspective, Japanese American poet David Mura performs four pieces. In scene one, Mura tells the story of this grandfather who immigrated to America, was interned during WWII and later returned to live in Japan. In scene two, Mura portrays a gay Japanese American. In scene three, he relates the eyewitness account of the brutal murder of a Chinese American, Vincent Chin, in Detroit. And in scene four, Mura argues with his video double on whether racism affected his sexuality as a teenager. 1991. 15 min. Video/C 3815
- Remembering Stonewal.[Sound recording]
- A radio documentary that features oral histories of those involved in the riots at Stonewall Inn, the gay bar in Greenwich Village, that sparked the gay rights movement in the United States. Both police and Stonewall Inn patrons are interviewed. Pacifica Radio Archives, 200? 29 min. Sound/D 215
- Remembrance.
- A short remembrance from director Jerry Tartaglia about growing up gay, searching for an identifiable image on the movie screen. This character chose Bette Davis in All About Eve. 1993?. Video/C 3249
- The Rhetoric of Intolerance: An Open-Letter Video to Pat Robertson, Founder/Chairman of the Board, The 700 Club ... from Dr. Mel White, Minister of Justice, Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches ...
- Rev. Mel White examines statements about homosexuality and other topics made by Pat Robertson during broadcasts of the television program "The 700 Club". Includes excerpts from that program showing Robertson speaking out against separation of Church and state, non-Christian influences in the United States, and homosexuality, and Dr. White's response to his accusations and implications. 1996? 30 min. Video/C 7011
- Rock Hudson's Home Movies.
- Using clips from Rock Hudson's films and employing a narrative commentary from beyond the grave, the filmmaker invents an eclectic form of biography in which he explores the illusory nature of Hudson's screen image and society's attitudes towards Hudson as a homosexual. 1994. 63 min. Video/C 3458
- Roy Cohn/Jack Smith.
- See What's Underground About Marshmallows?
- Running Gay.
- Interviews with gay and lesbian athletes participating in the 1990 Gay Games III in Vancouver, Canada. 1991. 21 min. Video/C 5610
- The Salt Mines & The Transformation
- The Salt Mines explores the lives of Hispanic male transvestite prostitutes and crack addicts living in abandoned garbage trucks at a road salt storage facility near lower Manhattan. The Transformation follows Ricardo (Sara in The Salt Mines) as he rejects his street life to join a group of Born Again Christians in an effort to tranform his life from that of a homosexual to a heterosexual. 1996?. 47, 58 min. Video/C 4569
- Sambal Belacan in San Francisco
- Documentary portrays three first-generation Asian lesbians (originally from Singapore) grappling with making a home in America. Produced, directed, written, photographed, edited by Madeleine Lim. c1997. 25 min. Video/C MM1198
- School Boy Art
- Directed, edited and produced by Erica Cho. Cast: Franz Corona, Clover Paek, Paul Loop. This tape highlights a queer female actor's performance as an elder male professor teaching a young queer boy how to draw as a stage for the student's first sexual experience. "A short softsmut film starring a cutie graffiti-sketchin' Angelino who is transferring to art school." 2004. 12 min. Video/C MM1018
- Scout's Honor
- In June of 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Boy Scouts of America can exclude gays from their membership. This documentary examines the Boy Scouts' policy against gays in the organization, focusing on Steve Cozza, boy scout and activist against the policy. It also relates the stories of others removed from the Boy Scout organization for being gay or for working to have the policy eliminated. A film by Tom Shepard. 2001. 60 min. Video/C 8275
- Screaming Queens: The Riot at Compton's Cafeteria
- Screaming queens tells the little-known story of the first known act of collective, violent resistance to the social oppression of queer people in the United States -- a 1966 riot in San Francisco's impoverished Tenderloin neighborhood, three years before the famous gay riot at New York's Stonewall Inn. Street queens, cops and activists recall the riot and paint a vivid portrait of the wild transgender scene in 1960s San Francisco. Written and directed by Victor Silverman, Susan Stryker. Dist: Frameline. 2005. 57 min. DVD 5740
- Sea in the Blood
- A personal documentary about living close to illness. It traces the relationship of the artist to thalassemia in his sister Nan, and AIDS in his partner Tim. At the core of the piece are two trips. The first is in 1962 when Richard went with Nan from Trinidad to England to see a famous hematologist interested in her unusual case. The second is in 1977 when Richard and Tim made a counterculture pilgrimage from Europe to Asia. The relationship with Tim blossomed, but Nan died before their return. 2000. 26 min. Video/C 8275
- Sex Is...: Exploring Sex and Sexuality in the Lives of Gay Men.
- Examines the role of sex in the lives of fifteen gay men. 1994. 80 min. Video/C 3457
- She Don't Fade.
- Shae Clark, played by director Cheryl Dunye, is a black lesbian who is gossipy about her sexuality and her new approach to women. c1991. 24 min. Video/C 3287
- She Even Chewed Tobacco: She Drank, She Swore, She Even Courted Girls: Passing Women in 19th Century America
- Uses archival black and white photographs and original artwork with voiceover narrative to illustrate the history of women who "passed" as men in mid-to-late 19th and early 20th century America, not always for reasons of sexual orientation, but for economic or social status enhancement. 1983. 40 min. Video/C 8132
- Shinjuku Boy
- This documentary reveals the complexity of female sexuality in Japan through the lives of three annabes who work as hosts at the New Marilyn Club in Tokyo. Annabes are women who live as men and have girlfriends, although they don't usually identify themselves as lesbians. All three talk frankly about their gender-bending lives revealing their views about women, sex, transvestitism and lesbianism. Alternating with these interviews are sequences shot inside the club, patronized almost exclusively by heterosexual women who have become disappointed with men. A film by Kim Longinotto and Jano Williams. c1995. 53 min. Video/C 9127
- Silence = Death: Artists in New York Fight Against Aids: A Film
- A film by Rosa von Prunheim. This film serves as an important historical document, exploring the reactions of New York's artistic community to the ravages of the disease. A film by Rosa von Praunheim. c1991. 60 min. Video/C 3333
- Silent Pioneers.
- Elderly homosexuals discuss the changed social conditions which have allowed them greater freedom in their relationships. c1984. 28 min. Video/C 3308
- The Silver Screen: Color Me Lavender
- An exploration of the way Hollywood dealt with or ignored issues of homosexuality during its so-called Golden Age, when the studio system reigned supreme. This funny and occasionally rude re-examination of the subterfuges by which Hollywood has alluded to and at the same time avoided an issue that it could not even name, much less identify, it is at the same time a serious survey of gender issues and how they were perceived and perpetuated by the Hollywood dream factory from the 1930s up to the 1960s.1997. 101 min. Video/C 6071
- Silverlake Life.
- An extraordinary video diary of living with AIDS. Told with guts and humor by longtime companions Tom Joslin and Mark Massi who both have AIDS, this powerful documentary celebrates the human spirit while capturing the emotional challenges of living with a fatal illness. DVD Special features: Never-before-seen epilogue footage by Elaine Mayes; filmmaker interviews by Parvez Sharma; filmmaker biographies and statement; awards and critical acclaim for Silverlake life; resource guide to AIDS organizations. Produced & directed by Tom Joslin and Peter Friedman c1993. 99 min. DVD 5426; vhs Video/C 3229
- Since Stonewall.
- Originally produced as 10 short motion pictures in the 1970's, 1980's and the early 1990's. Ten short films (two using animation) reflecting the feelings, fears, humor, artistry, and changing realities of gays and the gay life in America. c1992. 80 min. Video/C 2739
- Southern Comfort
- Fifteen years later, he has fallen in love with Lola Cola, a vivacious and magnetic woman who was born male. Together they are coping with Robert's terminal case of ovarian cancer. Produced, filmed and edited by Kate Davis. 2000. 90 min. DVD 5501; vhs Video/C MM1161
- Stigmata: The Transfigured Body
- Stigmata is a riveting look at body modification such as tattooing, cutting, piercing and branding, practices which are becoming increasingly popular amongst women. Although these activities are considered radical, the videotape suggests that they are no more physically radical than cosmetic surgery; and these women are transforming their bodies against conventional stereotypes of femininity rather than to conform to them. Stigmata explores concepts of beauty, self-determination and the outer limits of female sexuality. c1992. 27 min. Video/C 4926
- Stolen Moments.
- Giving voice to stories that have been scattered or buried, rendering a shadowy history visible, this film weaves together the lost threads of lesbian history. Here lesbian writers share their insights on lesbianism, sexual politics and feminism against a backdrop of women's motorcyle clubs, the Michigan Womyn's Music Festival, the Vancouver Gay Games, lesbian stand-up comedy and gay bars that were once the only public meeting places available to lesbians. 1997. 92 min. Video/C 5657
- The Stonewall Archives. The Before Stonewell Interviews
- Special features: Disc 1: Two poems by Allen Ginsberg, performances from the Before Stonewall Garden Party. Disc 1. The gay performers -- Disc 2. The lesbian pioneers -- Disc 3. Gay men take action before Stonewall. Traces the social, political and cultural history of homosexuality in America from the 1920s to 1969; the beginning of the Gay Liberation Movement after a police raid on Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York City; and the three-day riot that followed. Contains original interviews and performances recorded for the film, and uses extensive archival film, movie clips and personal recollections to construct an audiovisual history of the gay community before the Stonewall riots. Archival material released here is part of the Before Stonewall Archive Project. DVD 6540 [See Also: Before Stonewall]
- Stonewall 25: Global Voices of Pride and Protest.
- A celebration of 25 years of gay and lesbian history including a visit to the sight of the Stonewall gay bar and footage from the Gay Games. 1994. 80 min. Video/C 3565
- Stop the Church.
- Documentary film exploring the planning and execution of the disruption of a service at St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Cathedral in 1989 by the radical gay rights group, ACT UP. The filmmaker brings the audience into the Cathedral during the protest as well as into the planning sessions of ACT UP, New York. 1990. 24 min. Video/C 3416
- Straight for the Money: Interviews with Queer Sex Workers
- A Documentary offering a unique perspective on sex work from the lesbian point of view. Through interviews, erotica, and archival footage the videomaker explores the lives of lesbian strippers, prostitutes and exotic dancers, including author and activist Annie Sprinkle. The women share their perspectives on feminism, sexual empowerment, desire and cold hard cash which they have gained working in this predominantly heterosexual and male dominated industry. 1994. 59 min. Video/C 5577
- Straight From the Heart.
- Parents of gay children and gay individuals discuss the attitudes and responses of family members and others toward their sexual orientation. 1994. 24 min. Video/C 4074
- Stuart Gaffney: Compilation tape. Number 1: Hapa and Asian-themed Video Works
- Contents: Cunanan's conundrum (col., 11 min., 1998) -- Names (b&w, 8 min, 2000) -- Secret sounds (b&w, 4 min., 2001) -- Transgressions (b&w, 6 min., 2002) -- Chinese Tom (b&w, si., 3 min., 2003) -- Introductions (b&w, 7 min., 1999). 1994. 24 min. Video/C 4074
Presents films from Stuart Gaffney who produces short works on AIDS, queer and Eurasian identities. Films in his first compilation tape focus on queer Hapa and Asian-themes. Video/C MM72
- Stuart Gaffney: Compilation tape. Number 2: HIV/AIDS-themed Video Works.
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Contents: Virus (col., 4 min., 1994) -- Re Generation (col., 6 min, 1995) -- Look harder (col., 4 min., 1996) -- Leaving the way it came (b&w, 3 min., 1997) -- Dear Al (col., 2 min., 1997) -- Bareback (b&w, 4 min., 1999).
Presents films from Stuart Gaffney who produces short works on AIDS, queer and Eurasian identities. Films in his second compilation tape focus on AIDS and HIV themes. Video/C MM73
- Stuart Gaffney: Compilation tape. Number 3: Queer-themed Video Works.
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Contents: My lover's aunt's porn (col., 4 min., 2000) -- Dream figure (b&w, 4 min, 2001) -- Whit/men (col., si., 4 min., 1997) -- My pornographic life (col., 3 min., 1998) -- Sex offender (col., 3 min., 1998).
Presents films from Stuart Gaffney who produces short works on AIDS, queer and Eurasian identities. Films in his third compilation tape focus on gay and homosexual themes. Video/C MM74
- Summer in My Veins
- Gay Indian filmmaker Nish Saran, recently tested positive for HIV, travels across the United States with his family who are visiting from India and reveals his gayness to his mother during the journey. Frameline. c1999. 41 min. Video/C 8380
- Sunflowers.
- An exploration of the sexual identity of a group of gay men in a rural Philippine village, who perform in drag as The Sunflowers during the town's annual Christian festival. The Sunflowers discuss their childhoods, coming out issues, and their relationships with "straight" men in the community. Written, produced, directed and narrated by Shawn Hainsworth. 50 min. c1997. Video/C MM770
- Tell the Children.
- A story about four gay fathers and their relationships with wives, children and lovers. 1984?. 15 min. Video/C 715
- Tender Fictions.
- A film by Barbara Hammer. Autobiographical film tracing the life of Barbara Hammer, lesbian filmmaker and activist, presented through numerous stills from her early life, home movies, experimental films, news footage and personal photographs. c1995. 58 min. Video/C 7625
- Thank God I'm a Lesbian.
- A documentary about the diversity of lesbian identities. A series of frank and articulate discussions about issues ranging from coming out, racism, bisexuality, and SM, to the evolution of the feminist and lesbian movements, outing, and compulsory heterosexuality. 1992. 55 min. Video/C 3367
- That's a Family!
- This fresh look at the changing American family breaks new ground and lets children lead the way in preventing prejudice and embracing diversity. Here American children describe their own families and explain concepts like "birth mom", "mixed race", "gay and lesbian", and "stepdad." c2000. 35 min. Video/C 8373
- There is No Name for This (Lian zhe wu ming)
- Community-wide discussion was sparked when the Gay Asian Pacific Alliance & Asian Pacific Sisters marched in San Francisco's Chinese New Year Parade. This film incorporates this event and over two dozen interviews to examine the private and public repercussions as Chinese and Chinese American lesbians, gays, and bisexuals come out across cultural and language barriers. Produced and directed by Ming-Yuen S. Ma, Cianna Pamintuan Stewart, and Jessica Yu. c1997. 49 min. Video/C MM1109
- There's a Wideness in God's Mercy.
- Presents a plea by two protestant clergymen using Biblical exegesis, for the acceptance of gay and lesbian Christians and lifestyles into mainstream Protestant churches. [199-?] 31 min. Video/C 7014
- The Times of Harvey Milk.
- On November 27, 1978, Dan White, a former City Supervisor entered San Francisco's City Hall with a gun and murdered both the Mayor, George Moscone, and San Francisco's first openly gay politician, City Supervisor, Harvey Milk. White was convicted of voluntary manslaughter and served a brief jail term, sparking a demonstration and riot by gay supporters of the murdered men. Directed by Rob Epstein. 88 min. DVD 2728; also VHS Video/C 1009
- This Way Out.
- In Brazil, between 1980-1999, a homosexual was murdered on average every 3 days. In Kenya, homosexuality is criminal, punishable up to 14 years in prison. In Pakistan, homosexuality is punishable by long prison terms, or under Islamic law, up to 100 lashes or death by stoning. More than 85 countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America currently have laws prohibiting homosexuality. Approximately 12 countries offer asylum based on grounds of sexual orientation, the United States is one of them. This documentary follows the lives of two gay men and one lesbian who have come to the United States seeking asylum. Written and directed by Jill Burnett. 2004. 32 min. Video/C MM964
- Three of Hearts: A Postmodern Family
- A documentary look at the structure of a polyandric family in New York consisting of two originally homosexual men and one woman. Explores their unique relationships as they negotiate their living arrangements, have children and open one of the hottest wellness centers in New York City. With amazingly candid discussions about love, sex and partnership, the "trio" reveals every aspect of their lives. Produced and directed by Susan Kaplan. 2004. 97 min. DVD 6732
- Tiny & Ruby: Hell Divin' Women
- This tribute profiles the jazz trumpeter Ernestine"Tiny" Davis, and her lesbian partner of 40 years, drummer Ruby Lucas (aka Renee Phelan). Includes interviews with Tiny and Ruby in their Chicago home, archival material, lively musical performances, and narration by poet Cheryl Clarke. A film by Greta Schiller. c1988. 28 min. Video/C 4073
- Eaklor, Vicki L. "Tiny & Ruby: Hell Divin' Women." Review. The American Historical Review, Vol. 95, No. 4. (Oct., 1990), pp. 1146-1147.
- Toc Storee
- Film uses a storytelling format to explore issues of sexuality, tradition and identity in Asian gay contexts. 1992. 22 min. Video/C 3811<
