That is the introductory paragraph that one is greeted by on the It Gets Better website. It is a pledge that all of us should take up and not only for the GLBT community but for those who are oppressed and discriminated against.

The most important step you should make, though, is to have self-respect.  You need to know that to accept yourself and love yourself as who you are and what you are is the first important big step to facing intolerance, bigotry or ignorance.  Overcoming other obstacles is easier when you know yourself worth.  People will know how real you are as a person regardless of your gender or sexual preference when you know this fact yourself.

I believe that is part of the message conveyed by our very own Gab  in her Its Get Better submission.

Please view and please be inspired to spread the message of love and tolerance.

Direct Link: Its Get Better by Yong Wei

McDonalds has launched a new “Come as you are” campaign in France. This ad features a closeted, loving young man grabbing a burger with his father. It’s a good step forward for the fast food chain — the dialogue will resonate with those who have kept false pretences around their parents (or are still doing so).

It’d be great to see a “Come as you are” campaign where someone was actually queer, and out and proud about it, in the restaurant. For now, i’ll take what I can get.

“Cause if you’re not really here,
then the stars don’t even matter.
Now i’m filled to the top with fear,
that it’s all just a bunch of matter”

Australian musician, openly gay, and singing to some very sexy beats — Sam Sparro had a hit song with “Black and Gold”. You can watch the snazzy video full of suits, stretch limos and moody lighting: Sam Sparro — Black and Gold (I would usually embed it, but the option wasn’t available for this video).

Oscar Wilde’s only published novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is due for a film adaptation. Dorian Gray will be released in September, 2009.

Wilde’s sexuality has been much discussed —he was definitely not heterosexual, and the hedenostic protagonist of his creation, Dorian Gray, follows suit.

For those unfamiliar with this story, here is a brief recap; Dorian Gray is a beautiful socialite, who trades his soul to keep his looks. Though he remains perfect looking, his nature becomes more vicious and evil. In contrast, a portrait of Dorian in the attic slowly gets older and uglier, reflecting the soulless monster he becomes.

The trailer looks rather faithful to the book (some parts even look like little salutes to previous film adaptations).

The film director, Oliver Parker, has suggested that the once subversive novel is nowadays more a part of tradition, and he wants to “blow off the dust”. Will this Dorian Gray really remain “the very portrait of modernity”? From the trailer, I’m not entirely convinced, but I’ll have to wait till September to say.

Meanwhile, I introduce you to what looks like (to me) an effective adaptation of Dorian Gray.

Wilde was a person of words; witty, pithy, and memorable. That this adaptation is a dance (without words), is quite a skillful switch of languages to me, from spoken, to physical:

It is choreographer/director Matthew Bourne’s Dorian Gray. In this modernised version, Dorian Gray is immortalised in billboards as the face of a new perfume. Dorian Gray is a celebrity, serial killer, and from the looks of it, a rakish devil.

Those who will like to watch more of Matthew Bourne’s Dorian Gray should click here (and wait for 1:50).

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As an aside, I am currently collecting stories of people who went for KL Pride poolside party. If you’ve not heard, Harian Metro sent a female journalist undercover to the party, and she wrote something one would expect from the tabloid that is HM.

It’s a nasty piece of work, that article, and I am angered at the parties responsible. If you, or your family, are regular readers of HM, I suggest not giving them any more business.

Apparently all kinds of scandalous things happened at the party. For one thing, how dare lesbians dance without shame? Everyone knows homosexuals are only allowed to dance with a cower in their footsteps. And….kissing? Are you mocking the hate-rag that is Harian Metro, even though they had no bloody business being there?

[ To those who hooked up, picked up, and got their rocks off that night, good on ya ]

Well, I’m glad it sounds like you all had some fun at the party; I’m sorry about the crap that HM published. Fuck what Harian Metro had to say, their version of the party was crap, and let’s face it, written to sensationalise everything. Like you wouldn’t get the same stuff in different events.

I didn’t go for the party (I’m currently not in the country). I don’t want the only thing I know about the party to be from the scummy article I read, and I’m sure there are others who would prefer we reclaim what happened that night.

I want to hear from you.

How did the party go? Did you find it friendly?

What outfit did you pick? Did you meet any new people (you hung out with your cliques, kan? )?

Did you go into the pool? Were there any interesting people?

Were you the last one standing? How many girls were wearing boybeaters?

Who had an awkward bump-in with their ex, and their ex’s ex, who is now hitting on the same straight girl as you? How was the DJ?

If you have an anecdote on how the party went, please do email lainieyeoh@gmail.com soon (really soon), I’d like to hear from you. Anything. Save me from the crap memory that came from Harian Metro.

This year, with the theme “Our Bodies, Our Rights”, the festival is focusing on issues that affect everyone, such as privacy, moral policing and human rights. We speak with co-organiser and feminist activist Jac SM Kee to find out more.

Jac SM Kee is is a feminist writer, activist, poet and occasional painter. She has written column pieces for several Malaysian newspapers, and numerous articles for both online and offline journals.

from PopTeeVee.net

PopTeeVee interviews Jac SM Kee, one of the co-organisers of Seksualiti Merdeka, about spaces and internet censorship.

Lately, I’ve been on a binge of poetry videos, and I thought I’d mix some up here to share with you.

My suggestion: If you are uncomfortable with performances that contain queer references blasting out of your speakers……use headphones.

That was Dakota Camacho — on Myspace and Youtube.

Marty McConnell questions the revolution on a very popular poetry tv show. If you like what you see/hear, plenty more available here. I like the videos of female figureheads(?) who have passed away, speaking to contemporary pop culture stars. Or, start here, a poem about gay domestic violence.

Followed by Paul Mabon (very into audience participation, this one).

Regie Cabico, who also gets a bit angry about the kind of guys who are attracted to him.

Digression: If “You bring out the [noun] in me” sounds like a familiar sentence in poetry by now, it might be due to Sandra Cisneros’ “You Bring Out the Mexican in Me“.

For other examples, check out Bao Phi’s You bring out the Vietnamese in me; or queer poet Maiana Minahal’s You bring out the Filipina in me.

For poetry somehow a bit closer to home, Sharanya Manivannan’s You bring out the Sri Lankan in me (she performed regularly in KL, before moving to Madras and helping to organise the first Chennai LGBT pride parade).

A court in India recently overturned a law used to criminalise same sex relationships, by the way.

Skim, on the damages of hate. For more of Skim, I found another video here, a Myspace account, a new blog and a Facebook page.

Sarah Dopp, who also engagingly discusses queer identities, andgender, sexuality and mom. Sarah Dopp also runs a wonderful website called Genderfork. I’m personally very attracted to the Profiles section, because I get to check other people out (ie: almost be a creepy internet perve, but it doesn’t count if you don’t google anybody!).

And finally, for those with a Youtube account (and who are older than 18), you can watch Ernesto Sarewale perform in the buff, waxing poetic about Her Penis.

As a part of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, the theatre community gives back to society by putting up an extravagant burlesque show. Lots of skin in the name of charity!

A mix of genders may perform, but men are the ones who shine in this show. Watch Daniel Robinson get it on in Broadway Bares 2009 — Tight End:

I would usually warn that the video is NSFW, but with that video preview, it seems relatively self-explanatory.

More videos available from Youtube: BroadwayBares2008.

The showstopper from 2008 was apparently Matthew Morrison’s Humpty performance, which you can watch here:

You may recognise him as Sir Harry in the latest film rendition of Once Upon a Mattress. If you think he’s dreamy, look out for his cameo in musical theatre comedy series on Youtube, The Battery’s Down.

Catch more of Broadway Bares from the official website (hint: Media, Videos section).

James Dean & Paul Newman had such explosive chemistry. Damn. Video repeats the first 18 seconds, but I seriously do not mind.Am not sure which moment made me sweat the most:

• Off-screen: What do you think of each other?
  Paul Newman: Wow —- Well, we can’t print that. *intense burning looks*
• James Dean: (bites lip) Kiss me.
  Paul Newman: Can’t here.
• OR come to think of it, the looks exchanged behind the clapper in the very beginning.

And the cherry on the icing;
“Well, I’m certainly not going through life with one hand tied behind my back”
— James Dean

(From that east of eden screentest, via DZZYFRFLY.)

Delivered to you by your lazy copy-pasting scribe, Lainie.